Chapter Twelve – The Price of his Freedom.
Evelyn slammed her hands in the table abruptly. Her hands ached as it was a wooden table but her anger subdued her pain.
“Stop messing with our brains. Where’s the dead-now-revived boy, huh!” she looked like she’d hit the old man. Lydia looked calm.
Sylvester didn’t look threatened at all by her rage, he had the exact words for her.
According to him, the acclaimed boy was now a servant of the priest. It was a Buddhist priest, more or less a monk, and the boy was a servant there.
To retrieve the boy is only by adoption and a huge amount have to be paid.
Margaret listened with anger but it soon fizzled out as she remembered it could be a prank.
“If you think it’s a lie, then ask yourself why Han looks like Lydia?” Sylvester ended his explanation with a grin.
He expected to see a sense of realization in their eyes but their eyes only emitted hatred.
There was a pin drop silence. Lydia clenched her fists, she raised them to hit her uncle but Evelyn stopped her.
Han was a young boy who usually came to buy vegetables for his uncles. Sylvester was usually wicked to him for some reason.
This made other children fear him as someone wicked. He’d always say the boy should come back later for goods he bought. Knowing well that his temple was far away.
The boy hardly spoke and just stared at Lydia whenever she compliments him on his looks and hardwork. She was fond of him.
“That skinny boy is our brother?” Margaret was never really fond of him. He was too skinny to her liking.
“We should believe that? Is this related to the marriage of Lydia? Why are you bringing this up?” Evelyn was still waging Lydia’s fist from landing.
“Believe or the boy would never leave that temple. He’d turn fifteen same day Lydia would. That’s why your mother wasn’t at Lydia’s third birthday. He can be adopted by fifteen. Only Lydia’s marriage can buy his freedom” Timothy answered Margaret.
Lydia glared at him. It wasn’t an angry glare but one filled with betrayal. He was really expecting her to marry that classmate of hers.
She could visibly remember how he used to warn her to stay away from Madam Lara’s kids cos they were trouble like their mother.
Was he now telling her to go back on his words?
“I really didn’t know about the boy. But my father did what he had to do then. Or your father would never have a son” Timothy added when it seemed Lydia wouldn’t stop glaring at him.
“If he’s our brother, can you explain how he came back from the dead. If the monks hadn’t give him another spirit or something?”.
It was Evelyn’s question but Sylvester ignored it saying what was important was that the boy was alive.
“So my marriage gifts would be used to adopt him? I’m the price for his adoption?” Lydia sounded more happy than sad.
Margaret looked to her. She seemed ready to embark on the journey to save her brother.
“Wait girl, we need more proof on this-” Margaret hushed Lydia.
“Proof or not. Han once said that he’d need to be adopted out of the temple to gain his freedom as he was an orphan. Basically even if he isn’t our brother, I’d like to adopt him out” Lydia retaliated.
Words failed Evelyn. So this was her Uncle’s plan after all. To coax Lydia into my marriage for his own benefits.
Well, if Lydia was getting married, she could as well say bye-bye to a sibling cos Reuben lived at Galdrish as he was a soldier in training. He’d surely take Lydia with him.
If she’d be getting back a sibling, it wouldn’t be so bad.
“But so help you God if that boy isn’t our sibling” Evelyn shouted out loud.
“Yes, so help you father” Timothy added with a stern voice. Sylvester nodded nonchalantly.
“And lastly, I’d be the one to get the benefits for Lydia’s marriage. She isn’t your daughter” Evelyn announced.
Sylvester turned to her sharply, “Well, isn’t that funny. You aren’t a man. You can’t take the benefits from your in-laws”.
“If my sister isn’t taking them, then I’m not getting married. She is the eldest in my family. And I need to be sure the money is used properly” Lydia stressed on the properly.
Sylvester slammed his hands, “No, I arranged that marriage. You can’t take the benefits. Only I”.
The three girls sighed and left.
“Lydia has told you what she said. If you don’t agree. She won’t get married” Timothy reminded his father.
“Do you think I only want her to get married so I’d be free from one bastard of a niece, no. I need those gifts as compensation for putting up with those devils-“.
“And you’d get the compensation for putting up with us devils, after I have taken the gifts” Evelyn had overheard him.
Sylvester glared at her, “You girls are the worst thing that has ever happened to me”.All content is property © NôvelDrama.Org.
Timothy tried warning his father from saying things that’d make them run away but the old man cared less. What was the use of them getting married if he gains nothing.
He arranged the marriage with a rich woman who obviously hated them. Just to make sure Lydia get punished all her marital life.
And why should he care, he’d be somewhere in Craitan, enjoying his money. Now the bastards want to destroy his plans!
“Well, Uncle, the feeling is mutual. You are one of the worst things that ever happened to us too” Evelyn finally answered and left to meet her sisters.
“I am the price of our brother’s freedom” Lydia collapsed on the bed.
“We mustn’t do this. We can sneak the boy out of there and run away to the forest, you know” Margaret suggested.
Lydia jumped from her bed. That was a good one. No matter how she’d want to avoid that forest.
They looked at their older sister for support but she declined, “A search party would come for us again. It’d destroy the blah blah Alpha’s law of the forest. So let’s stay clear”.
Lydia collapsed back on the bed. So she should wait for marriage? At seventeen?