"Master Bryan!"
Lawrence, who had just exhausted himself, jumped up from his bed with a start and stared at Ammosta full of excitement.
The old butler thought he was hallucinating and rubbed his eyes hard. He squinted and stared at the young man beside the sickbed with a dim light from the desk lamp.
"It's really you, Master Bryan!"
Lawrence pulled back the blankets and was about to get up, but Ammosta pressed down on Lawrence's shoulder and covered the blankets he had pulled back.
"Since you're ill, why don't you rest well in bed, Lawrence."
Ammosta said in a faint manner,
"Also, there's no need to address me as 'Master Bryan.' Just call me Ammosta."
"But that would be too disrespectful, Master Bryan."
Lawrence blurted out but froze in place when he saw the young, indifferent, yet stern face in the dim light. His heart skipped a beat and he fell silent.
It seems that Master Bryan is not as simple as he had imagined.
Lawrence suddenly realized this.
Having been mingling in London's upper society for most of his life, following the first two generations of the Bryan family, Lawrence would never consider himself a big deal. But having grown up surrounded by such an environment, he was quite confident in his sharp eye. Master Bryan's poise and aura were simply too difficult to conceal, even with his subtle gestures and movements.
Leaders are leaders; even when approachable, the confidence and presence they exude unintentionally is something that ordinary people cannot imitate.
Interestingly, while investigating the name 'Ammosta Bryan', he did not find any young talents with this name in any particular field.
"As you wish, Ammosta——"
Lawrence could not resist Ammosta's calm gaze and had to stay in bed. Though there was a soft pillow behind him, Lawrence kept his back as straight as a pencil, and even then, he still seemed restless.
The face by the bedside, with its handsome and deep facial features, was almost identical to that of Lord Bryan. Lawrence always kept a humble posture when facing this face, which had become ingrained in his instincts.
Now, sitting on the bed while Master Bryan stands beside it. This feeling was too awkward for Lawrence.
Ammosta paid no heed to Lawrence's anxious expression and, seeing that he was willing to stay in bed, released his hand from Lawrence's shoulder. He then turned his head to glance at the simple room, which did not match the luxurious manor, and noticed that there wasn't even a chair in it.
"Oh, I let Sandk."
"Not necessary."
Ammosta waved his hand to stop Lawrence from calling for someone.
However, it is indeed inconvenient to talk while standing. Ammosta placed the desk lamp on the bedside table and tidied up the disorganized medicine box, taking out the bedside table as a chair.
After seating, Ammosta looked at Lawrence, who was uneasily watching him, and asked in a calm tone,
"What's wrong with your illness?"
"Just a little rain——"
Lawrence hesitated for a moment and spoke in a low voice,
"Old age, my body's not as strong as it used to be."
An ordinary lie in front of the world's most powerful wizard is undoubtedly laughable, but when it comes to human interaction, one must learn to tolerate others' lies.
Ammosta did not expose Lawrence's lie, but merely nodded. Then, he turned his head to look out of the window at the tranquil estate, maintaining silence.
The moonlit night filled with clear light reflects on the lush grass in front of the villa, and the intersecting pebble paths twinkle with starry moonlight, which blurs the melancholy atmosphere within the estate.
"You've maintained this place well, Lawrence."
Ammosta said with a smile.
"That is my duty."
Following Ammosta's gaze, Lawrence also looked out of the window at the estate where he had worked and lived for most of his life. Every inch of land here had his footprints and sweat.
"It used to be,"
Ammosta broke this point with a quite cold tone,
"If it now brings you only burdens, Lawrence, I can give you a sincere advice: get rid of it. No matter how much effort you've put into it, it's no longer valuable. I believe that at your age, you must understand that no matter how much you miss the past, it is impossible to retrieve."
Lawrence opened his mouth, but a feeling too difficult to express got stuck in his throat, preventing him from speaking.
He wanted to ask the young man sitting beside him if he truly hated this estate and its former owner so much, but he felt that this question was meaningless.
"I apologize to you, Master Bryan. Ammosta——"
Lawrence did not face Ammosta's reprimand directly but instead looked down, speaking with regret,
"In violation of your permission, I went to that orphanage and made a donation myself."
"That is indeed not what I hoped to see, Lawrence."
Ammosta said in a calm manner.
"But I will not blame you for this. After all, you did help the children in the Has Orphanage. And as for the donation, it is your freedom, and I have no right to restrict your actions."
Lawrence remained silent, but a sense of despondency filled his heart. Through the brief exchange, he finally realized that he could not convince Master Bryan to return to the estate that belonged to him.
The leakage of vitality and spirit made Lawrence look a bit wilted once again.
His mind went through a mental montage of his entire life on the estate. When he was still a greenhorn, he entered here. He learned and grew here. Even his wife was introduced to him by the first family with the 'Bryan' surname, the deceased lord wrote an introduction letter for his son so that he could enjoy a good education.
The Bryan family had shown him immense gratitude, but after the deaths of the two kind-hearted owners, there was not even an heir. At this moment, Lawrence also had a bit of resentment towards Belina Deter.
Objectively speaking, she undoubtedly ruined the life of Lord Bryan, making him unwilling to get close to women again. She did not fulfill her role as a mother, otherwise, Master Bryan would not have grown up in the orphanage.
Looking at the old butler, who was drooping his eyebrows in silence, Ammosta sighed inwardly. He knew that Lawrence had fallen into a stubborn mindset.
Ammosta had no great feelings for the so-called 'Bryan family' of his own birth, but he had a certain fondness for this old butler; he was a good man.
In the past, that woman brought him, who had just been born into the world, outside the manor and hoped to enter the house. However, she was stopped by the angry man at the door. Lawrence felt sorry for her and secretly wanted to donate some money to Belina Deter, but the hopeless woman did not accept it.
"What are you worrying about?"
A moment of silence, then Ammosta calmly looked at Lawrence.
"Or, did you call me here in the hope that I could do something?"
"I..."
Lawrence stumbled for a long time, stuttering and hesitating. "I hope you can return to the estate and inherit the Bryan family."
"In your mind, the Bryan family is this old mansion, Lawrence?"
Lawrence was taken aback, staring at Ammosta blankly, not understanding what he meant.
"What is my name?" Ammosta patiently said.
"Your name?" Lawrence's lips moved. "Ammosta Bryan? I don't understand, sir--"
"Since you know--"
Ammosta smiled.
"I haven't abandoned my name, I haven't abandoned this surname. So, what are you still concerned about? Do you think that in your heart, the Bryan family is just this house? Only when I return to this house can you be satisfied?"
It is not wealth that represents the continuity of the family, but people. As long as Ammosta is alive, the Bryan family exists, and this is determined by the blood flowing through his veins, not by his will.
The room was silent, with only heavy breathing sounds. In the dimness, Lawrence's dark eyes brightened up.
(End of Chapter)
