In the end, they stopped by the same teahouse to rest Kolu’s feet and by then, it was near lunchtime so they ordered star dumplings, roasted chicken and rice. While Kolu was happily gobbling down these foods he had never tasted, Hamilton and TianXing looked dully at each other on opposite sides of the square table. Their bowls were only half empty and everyone’s stares at Kolu was nigh disturbing.
“Do you blame my people’s attitude, Hamilton? They think Kolu’s a filthy kid.”
“I have traveled the world, Lady Xu and I dislike disparity and conflict.”
“Then do you hate me, Hamilton? If I also acknowledge that that was also my first thought when I saw Justin.”
“My accountant would understand since you are both good friends; and I have no reason to because you change your perspective. But, I now just realized that if I wasn’t there, no one else would have come to stop it. Even if they knew that would happen.”
“I’d say xenophobia is not only common here, right?”
“Yes.”
“...I am just a translator and a major cog in communications for this city, Hamilton. I haven’t reached the northern capital yet or stepped on the grounds of the Royalties. Frankly speaking, if you want to change society, I will support you. But…my ambitions lie near its end.”
“...Meaning?” His brows furrowed.
“Thanks to our partnership, Hamilton, White Ink has profited in several major industries in such a large city like ShanWei. I have gathered wealth that felt like a pipedream a decade before…And I was thinking of slowly exiting it, leaving it to Grandpa Wen and Mr Tai. Maybe a potential heir once I settled down in my hometown.”
The drop of chopsticks sounded. Hamilton felt his heart stopping and pounding. An irregular beat.
“Ah…” The news was too much for him to digest. He felt the strong desire in her voice but his instincts felt an underlayer of doubt and fear. Ultimately, he answered softly, “Don’t think of me that highly. That of a man to change the world. Being the patriarch of one of the most influential families in Erebu can only reach so much. No matter what, my priority is my happiness and one of them currently is working together with you to nurture the company to greater heights.”
He was relieved that his lines were delivered properly.
On the opposing end, TianXing felt a sting in her heart. Her ears were subtly red at the ends. Never had she experienced this feeling. It was different from when Lord Xu safed her from the burning village. It was different from the times she shared her wishes during her brother’s ceremony. A much different sadness to when Lord Xu passed. Despite all her smarts and creative schemes, this was one she could not crack.
“...”
Suddenly, Hamilton petted her shoulder.
“That’s enough emotional talk, Lady Xu. Let us enjoy the star dumplings?”
“O-of course! Of course I will. Cheers.”
---
After an hour of eating, the group continued to wait at the windowside for Ferase to return. They all agreed that moving around would just complicate the entire process, and they were right.
A half an hour passed with boredom. No one bothered to disturb that group of people, not even the waiter who conversed with Hamilton this morning. They gazed idly at the streets, momentarily making short insignificant small talk. But another hour soon passed and then another. It was surprising that Kolu never slept once. He was just that anticipated, and finally, his efforts paid off.
The sounds of a fast stagecoach were heard louder and louder. The striking red paint job of the Kiefrurpez carriage made its appearance in front of the teahouse and its doors were slammed open with huge force. A couple could be seen entering the premises, barely fitting through the door. Slowly following behind them was Ferase.
“Pappy! Mother!” Kolu sang.
“SON!” A deep, low voice rumbled through the walls, overwhelming a sweet rosy voice.
The father shoved through people’s tables and Kolu and his mother dived straight into his huge, burly arms.
“SON!”
“Pappy! Mother! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for running off!”
“It’s alright son. You are safe in our hands now. No one will harm you with us here.” “There there…”
A heartfelt reunion ensued.
Towards the side, Ferase cautiously passed by the frightened customers and staff who had never seen a man covered in black at a size that is the tales of myths. They did nothing but watch on, dumbfounded and frightened.
“The embassy did its job superbly well, Master Hamilton. Two letters of notice came in at nearly the same hour regarding Young Kolu.”
“So all that’s well ends well, Ferase?” Hamilton smiled at the sight.
“Yes, yes it is. Also, I never expected to meet you here, Lady Xu. Forgive my late salutations.” He bowed.
“Likewise, Uncle Ferase. Hamilton has told me of your stunning plan. Congratulations.”
As they exchanged their gestures, the couple walked up to them, getting their attention.
TianXing didn’t see them properly earlier but now that she examined them up close, the scale was jarring.
“Never would I have expected to meet you first in a scenario like this, Lord Kiefrurpez. You have my gratitude for saving my son.” The man and his wife bowed deeply. Mr Maj, aged in his early fifties, was head and shoulders taller than Hamilton who was already taller than the average man. His broad frame made TianXing look like she was reverted back to a child. Despite that, Kolu’s father still wore a gentleman’s suit, with his hazel-nut coat spanning the size of her bed sheets.
For the woman beside him, Mrs Maj was slightly shorter than Hamilton with a slim, hourglass frame; even with her actual age being nearly 60. Her hair is a mixture of short braids of white and brown, and her skin shined with gloss. She donned a lavender flowery, voluminous skirt, tightened at the waist with a corset. TianXing was fascinated with the type of dress upon first sight. Overall, she could see that they were a happy family and her heart tensed slightly.
“The gratitude’s all ours, Mr Maj. Your reuniting eases my heart so consider this an obligation to my morals as a…Yes, your thanks is all I needed.” He tried to end it smoothly.
“We know your practices, Lord. Feel free to seek our aid anytime.”
“I accept. But, I must highlight that if not for the initial approach by Lady Xu, Kolu would have never come to my awareness. Please consider her worthy of your debt.”
Shifting glances to her, the couple’s sharp eyes pierced her spirit.
“P-please to meet your acquaintance, Mr and Mrs Maj. I am the co-owner of White Ink, a company that provides translation services for the Kiefrurpez Company.”
“...”
“...”
“If that’s the Lord’s account, then I shall accept.”
Mr Maj grabbed TianXing’s petite hands and lower arms into his coarse meaty palms. She can feel the calluses rubbing hard at her fragile skin. A vigorous handshake ensued, nearly making her off-balanced.
“Thank you for your help, Lady Xu.”
“No, no worries there, Mr Maj.”
‘What strength!’
With the introductory finished, all of them shared a good long laugh.
There were some minor talks on future projects and exchange of addresses before the Maj’s personal carriage arrived and it was significantly larger, equipping 8 wheels.
Mr Maj granted the waiters a damage token of 20 silver taels, carrying his sleeping boy to the vehicle. On the other hand, Mrs Maj was giving some final words to Hamilton.
“Speaking of children, Lord Hamilton, how is Clementine’s pregnancy?”
“Ahh…,” And that’s when his worst fears came to be, “We got a lovely girl named Judeline.” He had never wanted to bring up this topic…
“Oh Nazarenus’ name, what a change of pace, my Lord! A little more variety to the main family.”
‘Why did she have to say that?!’ Visible sweat ran down his neck and his eyes slowly turned to TianXing’s face, who was now in complete disbelief.
“Mrs Maj, what do you mean by children? Is Hamilton really a married man?”
…especially in front of TianXing. As far as he could remember, he would always avoid the topic and all his subordinates supported his efforts. This day of consecutive coincidences truly was a blessing and a curse.
“Color myself shocked! Lovely Xu, Lord Hamilton and Lady Clementine were engaged two decades ago. They now have three lovely children, two of them are twins.”
“t-twins…” TianXing’s mind went blank.
“...”
Eyeing Hamilton, Mrs Maj expressed her disappointment. “I thought you already told her, my Lord! This is outrageous behavior, even coming from a wise man like you. Childish!”
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“I-”
Fortunately for Hamilton, Mr Maj called out for his wife to hurry up.
Clicking her tongue, Mrs Maj ended her intervention. “Listen, Lord. For whatever reasons you take to keep it hidden, you have now failed to maintain that status quo. Keeping up the facade will ruin the deep trust of your partnership with lovely Xu and I know you too wouldn’t want that.”
“I…I apologize…” Everyone saw them like a mother scolding their child. Grabbing him strongly by the shoulders, she then instructed him, “Go to the park and explain to her clearly. This is farewell, Lord Hamilton.”
Passing past a silent TianXing, Mrs Maj got onto the carriage. A whip cracked and they were off for the road.
Back at the teahouse, a tense gentleman stood still. His fist clenched tight.
“Ferase.”
“Yes, Master Hamilton…?” Feeling partially guilty with going about improperly with Hamilton’s plan, Ferase decided to follow Mrs Maj’s idea. He had no confidence of his own. “Shall I prepare the stagecoach?”
Slowly escorting TianXing towards it, Hamilton nodded.
Thus, they set off, arriving at the lush greenery minutes later.
.
.
.
By then, TianXing was largely back to her senses. She released her tight braids, letting her long, silky hair flow gracefully in the late afternoon gale and doing a light twirl, before carefully seating upon a wooden bench. Hamilton’s long green coat fluttered lightly, given its heavier material but it still made a majestic movement as he sat next to her.
Trees swayed and leaves flew. No one was there on the stone trail in front of them. Even Ferase stayed behind at the stagecoach.
The world they now knew only concerned them and no one else.
“Whooo…” Hamilton breathed loudly and deeply. He was a man of talented speech. Flowery chatter is natural to him. No matter the waves of women, he sailed through the storm. But this was the first of his hesitations. He had a lot to fear going into this conversation as any errors would lose whatever he desired for. In this moment, Hamilton was at his most vigilant.
However, it was TianXing who broke the ice first.
“We could have taken Kolu somewhere fascinating within those hours of waiting.”
Hamilton was startled that she began with a statement.
“We could have gone to the opening night market downtown. Let him try Sinae’s most famous candied hawthorn sticks. Take him to a puppet show or opera. Experience martial art demonstrations. And instead, we stayed still in an ordinary teahouse.”
Her voice was full of weakness.
“Hamilton, do you think I can be a good mother?”
“...”
“Am I destined to always feel conflicted about my true feelings?”
“...”
“Do I die a lone life with a pen and paper, surrounded by materialistic gold?”
“...”
“Is this money even warranted? The only reason I was this successful and why I can meet you is because I was the pioneer of this form of trade and all those inspired by me never reached the heights I did. This is a monopoly I have created.”
“...”
“What is this pain in my heart, Hamilton? I…I do not know.”
“...”
“Say something, godammit! Silence isn’t golden at this moment!?”
“Your stepbrother.”
“Huh…?”
“I once had a talk with Mr Tai. And he expressed how you were a tough girl.”
“Wh-”
“Based on his words, ‘The joy of material wealth would never get a person this far in society’ and you did just that, Lady Xu. As you have said, you have created a monopoly and are willing to cooperate more openly with foreigners than the everyday businessman at your level of class, a founder. So, according to him, there was much more to your motivation for money.”
“...” She felt like her memories were being pried on.
“He shared how you sent back money to your hometown, almost monthly. Each comprising an average of 30 Gold tags. After our businesses formed a partnership, that increased proportionally. An average of 50 Gold.”
“...”
“It-It would take no genius to know 50 Gold is already more than enough for the entire village! For years on end!”
“...Then, what are you getting at?”
“Please tell me then, what happened with Xu YaoMing?!”
“B-beloved elder brother?”
Her eyes were at their largest with this question.
“I-I want to know more…about you. Please, Lady Xu?”
It was a humility that has haunted her ever since. The fight between them, the desperate wails in the courtyard, and the last of his pleading cries in jail. She was afraid of recollecting them. Currently, she has the power to employ an army that’s the size of her county and give the nobles who wronged her brother a life worse than death. But with all her heart, she knew this was not what his brother would recommend. As a doctor, the worst thing would be his closest relative committing acts that he swore to cure of all. She can never permit that. What about returning to check up with her brother? Despite her bold claims to Hamilton earlier, the fear of rejection after abandoning him for so long was too much for TianXing to bear. She has regretted every time she has read her brother’s letters, finding out that he was progressively doing better in life and even finding a wife, to ultimately storing it safely and never to be seen again. The last letter came weeks before and their marriage must have been two days before. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Her long life obsession to marry him was unfulfilled, and most likely, would have never become serious talk. And since he was already doing well, the motivation to continue White Ink under her leadership was waning. All these factors accumulated to her departing words to Hamilton. She has been on this goal for a decade of her life that she felt the immense burnout. Moreover, in order to hide her embarrassment, she lied to him. There was no way a coward like herself would return to the Xu residence in over a decade to live smoothly with her sister-in-law. The obvious path for her is to wander to a secluded village in the mountains and maybe start a family with a new clean slate. A new, but very weak goal. Perhaps, this was what she always was. TianXing never remembered her real parents. She forcibly adopted a new surname, Xu, which she didn’t think she rightfully deserved; failed to please her only relative known to her; and is scared to face those consequences. All she remembered of her former parents was that their surname was He.
In the end, she shared everything with Hamilton. Her childhood. Her familial issues. Her helplessness in the political playground. The choice to come here and lastly, the conclusion of her relationship with her beloved stepbrother.
Hamilton never interrupted her as she continuously spewed out her words of sorrow. Everytime they previously conversed, she shared the happier times of YaoMing. Today, it was different.
In the end, the story lasted until dusk, where the red son is nearing its descend.
Deep in tears, TianXing tried to rub her bloodshot eyes with her already damp sleeves.
“Here.”
Hamilton gave her his unused handkerchief. The napkin from this morning came in handy. She thanked him in between runny noses and fragmented breaths.
.
.
.
“Have you calmed yourself, Lady Xu? Do you need water?”
“No…No, Hamilton. I am fine.”
“That’s better. Releasing all that pain and suffering helps with the heart, am I right?”
He smiled.
“Yes, it truly does. Hamilton, I thank you very much for your patient listening.”
She bowed her head to the bench top.
Immediately after, he gently pulled her up, dismissing his kindness. “Please! Raise your head, Lady Xu. I shall repeat that I am not the man you think I am.”
“...But that’s who you truly are, Hamilton. And that’s why everyone calls you a wise, kind man.” She looked down to her fingers. “Clementine, was it?”
“Y-yes…”
“Clementine, she truly did good to marry a man of your ideals. I may say I even envy her…Yeah, maybe this truly is what I felt back then. Wait-”
Her face puffed a deep blush of red. Steam may even appear above her as she hid her flabbergasted expression. All of a sudden, she felt her heart race rapidly. Greater than when she thought of her brother.
‘Does this betray his feelings? Am I allowed too…’
“RAAHHH! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!”
“Huh-Mhhphh…”
The scream of Hamilton tore through the tranquil sunset as the birds flew off in fright, and as they soar high above the park, their eyes witnessed a scene of intimacy. A sign of universal affection. A heartfelt kiss.
Hamilton’s shaking arms held TianXing close, even as she tried her best to shove away from his body. Both of their lips continued to stay embraced for a while. Her fading red lipstick sticking tightly onto his light pink highlights. Their eyes remained closed shut. Even still, they all knew what the other was conveying.
A minute lasted and her feeble shoving pursued.
Another minute passed by and TianXing finally gave in to her selfish feelings, returning the kiss to Hamilton. But, it grew deeper as he attacked further and before long, the inexperienced TianXing who had her first kiss stolen and unprepared, had a full 3 minute long dance of slithery tongues and lubricating saliva.
Their faces were as red as the comparable setting sun which made its fall momentarily before their kiss ended. When they opened their eyes, it was each other’s faces that they first saw, amidst a backdrop of a starry night sky.
Their lips soon parted. Thin saliva strings tried their best to stay on but they tore separate in futility.
Gasping huge breaths, the duo averted the other’s gazes; before Hamilton spoke instead.
“I-I apologize.” However, his hand was grabbed by TianXing. She looked him close in the eye.
“Hamilton, I don’t mind it. Giving my first kiss to you. But, I am afraid this is as far as I can go with our relationship. Otherwise, I would be hurting Mrs Clementine’s heart.”
“Don’t bother, Lady Xu.”
“Wha…”
His voice was stern and confident.
“Listen, this marriage between the Arsenaults and the Kiefrurpez is one that’s organized by Father. Personally, I have no affection for Clementine. The children we made…Even though I love each of them dearly with all my heart, it’s my feelings for a woman that you stole! So, myself being in a relationship with her does not count.”
“Do-d-do you understand what you are saying, Hamilton! This is a crime we are committing.”
With that piece of warning, his face darkened.
“I knew that. I knew that ever since I fell for you. I have shared my feelings with all my closest subordinates and they all said the same thing. This is immoral adultery.”
“...”
“I was forced into this scenario that’s beyond my control. I had to sleep with a woman that I grew to dislike by the day and this is all Father’s fault! I admired him as a great man and Grandma who always wanted the best for me but even controlling my love life…After all those restrictions and trials to be fit for the next patriarch, this is something I could now never accept!”
“Ham-”
“Originally, I thought true love existed in children's books, but now, after writing to you, working with you and now prying deeper about you, I believe such things truly exist.”
“Hamilton…”
Standing up from the bench, he turned around and bent on one knee. TianXing watched him at a loss for words with a fast pacing heart.
“I promise you by the name of my house that I will officially divorce Clementine le Arsenault at all costs. That you are to be my one and only. That you are the independent woman who will become the true wife of Hamilton Claure von Kiefrurpez! TianXing…”
“...” Her face was beginning to tear up once more. Her heart felt overwhelmed with warmth and desire. A different desire. One she was confident it was her own choice to make. One she was never going to regret ever. One she would see the end of her actions head on!
“Will you marry me?”
There came the magic words.
There was no elaborate dinner or setting. No ring nor even a simple single flower. What Hamilton gave her was his ungloved hand and the sincerest of smiles.
And surely enough, the answer was just as clear as day.
TianXing accepted his hand in marriage; gripping it tightly, interlocking their fingers to never let each other go.
“Yes, my dearest Hamilton. I would love to spend the rest of my life with you. No longer as Xu TianXing, but as He TianXing. A new and yet, the oldest me there is.”
Slowly, her face grew to her brightest face yet.
Standing up simultaneously, their hands continued to be firmly connected as they glanced up high towards the starry night sky. His icy blue eyes reflected off from her glossy onyx irises as they made eye contact. For the last time, the duo shared the final kiss for the day.