"Married?"
At first, Lionel's expression was difficult to read because he was just silent as he stared at his grandfather, but suddenly, he laughed dismissively as if he had just heard a bad joke from William's lips.
"What is this? So sudden and awkward at the same time? Grandfather asked me to come back immediately. I thought it was because he missed his grandson, but when I came here—I had to hear such a strange request."
"Ridiculous to you, huh?"
Lionel nodded. "Yes, it is ridiculous."
"Can't you see the future? Are you going to keep living like this forever? You think I live forever, huh?"
"No, Grandpa. What I mean is that your grandson will get married, but some other time, and not to someone I don't know or even my grandfather's nanny here."
"Someone, you know? Who?" William's gaze was quite clearly dismissive of the grandson. "So far, haven't you just been cheated and kept repeating the same mistakes? Those women want your money, don't they? Do you have one of them to introduce to me?"
Lionel was silent. He swallowed. He desperately wanted to deny William's words, but it was all too true after learning that Lionel's life in America had always been under the watchful eye of his grandfather.
The older man in the wheelchair chuckled. He wanted to laugh at Lionel's stupidity for being so stupid in every relationship.
"Look, you're just a naive boy who was just born from my daughter's womb. You're just handsome, Lionel. But you're not good at anything."
"I'm just—"
"No matter how much you resist, I know you better than you know yourself. Can you look in the mirror and see everything? Can you escape my responsibility as your grandfather, huh?"
The 180centi tall young man returned to silence, and it would have been better if his body had shrunk to the size of an insect before running away because only his grandfather had openly humiliated Lionel like this.
Ever since his parents died, William had given all his attention to caring for Lionel. He saw the boy as the most significant part of Claire Dawn, although it was very different. His daughter's bloodline flowed in Lionel.
William intended to groom Lionel as his successor in the future. Still, since choosing to live in America and leaving his grandfather in Russia, Lionel's wild character beyond his grandfather's reach gave the older man a headache. Hence, his doubts arose about whether he should make Lionel his successor.
While William had no intention of appointing a descendant of Tomy Dawn, he feared that their mother's lousy character would influence his other two grandchildren.
Lionel snorted. He looked agitated. "Grandfather can set me up with anyone, but not with a governess. I'm sure you can choose a woman of the same status and standing as me. Isn't it strange that grandfather's governess would marry his grandson? What kind of life story is this."
"You underestimated her from the start, and she's even better than you, Lionel. She was able to fight for her livelihood. She worked for me for many years, then continued her education until she graduated and received her bachelor's degree, thanks to her hard work. She didn't beg but worked all day while studying while I rested."
Lionel was disgusted that William was overly proud of someone unrelated to him.
"There are many women like that out there," retorted the man in the black shirt by the door.
"There are, but I trust Belle, not anyone else out there."
"What if she just wants to use Grandpa?"
"Take advantage?" William laughed softly. "You think she immediately said 'YES' when I made that request, huh?"
"She rejected it?"
"Yes."
"It was just her little plan before another big plan started."
"Crazy boy. She's desperate to leave this house since she's already secured a place at her friend's father's office. She wants to seek more experience out there. As for you? You're just busy spending all my money."
"Grandpa—"
"Lionel, your status is the same."
"Equal? What does that mean, huh?"
"You don't have parents." William smiled as Lionel's expression changed. "I take care of you, and Belle takes care of her own life. If I let you go to start a life without any help from me, would you be able to, Lionel?"
"I don't love her." He immediately turned the question away from William. "I'm sure she doesn't love me either."
"Love? What is love? What does it do?"
"I'm sure you understand."
"Love will only make a brat like you more naive and blind, and you're busy loving but unable to take care of your life. You just open up a big opportunity for bitches to use you more. Stop bragging about love, Lio. Use your logic."
Lionel snorted. He stared at the tightly closed door. He wanted to escape from this room, and it felt so imprisoning with so many annoying interrogations without pause.
It was as if Lionel was in a 2x2 meter dark room that had little ventilation, so there was very little air around him, making the man's chest tight.
"I came home feeling carefree because I thought that Grandpa must have missed me so much that he kept calling me all the time, but it turns out that—"
"Not what you expected, huh?"
"Yes. I heard a request like this. Did you think it through well? That girl is just a stranger. Why should you trust her this much? What if she starts thinking of foul plans because she got such a great opportunity."
"Keep your lips shut if you're just looking down on her and thinking badly of her. I've watched Belle for ten years, and she never makes mistakes, and she's a polite girl and punctual."
"Then, what if she keeps refusing this marriage? Is Grandfather going to force her endlessly? Doesn't she have the right to continue her own life?"
"Yes, I know." William paused momentarily, lost in thought, then refocused on his grandson. "If she refuses using a reason that touches me, perhaps I can let her go. I have high hopes for that girl."
"Why don't you set her up with one of Uncle Tomy's sons?"
Hearing this strange question made William immediately throw a thick book lying on his lap, but fortunately, Lionel was quicker to dodge.
"Wow! Grandpa is very agile."
"Don't joke with me about Tomy's two sons. I want peace in life before I die. If you throw fire at me, you want to see your grandfather burn, huh?"
"I didn't mean to offend you, Grandpa."
"Just follow my orders, Lio. Don't you understand why I don't want anything from them? If I were a young man like you, it would be better for Grandfather to marry Belle."
Lionel snorted, approached slowly, and knelt before William's wheelchair. He felt a little guilty for having offended his grandfather about his uncle, and it was indeed quite sensitive after the terrible facts he knew.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa. But I'm sure you know that Uncle Tomy won't be happy to hear news like this."
"I don't need any approval from Tomy, and I just need you to continue our family's big business."
***
