Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Chapter 1236

Carissa left the room first and Cody followed, quietly closing the door behind him.

Inside the small side hall, only Gerald and Malcolm remained. The father and son pair sat in silence for a long while, neither of them speaking. Finally, it was Malcolm who stepped forward, intending to remove the cloth covering Gerald. But the old man held tightly to it with both hands, refusing to let him.

With a heavy heart, Malcolm set the blankets and clothing aside, turning his back. "Please change your clothes. I'll turn around."

The sound of rustling fabric came after a long pause.

A sharp, uncomfortable feeling welled up inside Malcolm. His chest tightened, his throat burned, and his nose became clogged as tears welled up in his eyes. He couldn't tell if it was from frustration, anger, or the weight of everything he couldn't quite accept.

All his life, his father had been a figure of stern authority, someone whose presence commanded respect. His words could shake the literary world, and his cold, unapproachable demeanor was feared by many. But now, this disgrace.

If word of it got out, it wouldn't just cause a ripple. It would send shockwaves through the entire kingdom. After a long while, Malcolm's voice broke the silence, "Are you done?"

There was no answer, but there was also no sound of fabric rustling anymore.

Turning slowly, he saw Gerald lying on the makeshift bed of chairs, completely wrapped in the thick quilt, his face and head hidden beneath it. The clothes he had worn earlier were carefully folded, resting neatly on the table beside him.

The neatness of it struck Malcolm deeply.

past, there had always been servants to help Gerald change. Yet here, his father had done it himself, managing not only to change but to fold his

sight of those colors-the bright, garish hues-burned Malcolm's eyes. The

his voice trembled

hands were clenched

Malcolm entered the room, he hadn't called Gerald

could Gerald not understand what was on his son's mind? He was embarrassed

he left now, he would have to face Carissa. Right now, he couldn't face anyone-and he didn't

how many people knew about Gerald's visit to the gentlemen's retreat. He wouldn't move

the study-he felt the

what seemed like an eternity, his voice cracked

with the remnants of tears,

remained motionless, as if he had stopped breathing

even face me, how can you face anyone else?" Malcolm's voice

this gets out, I need

explanation was impossible now. What was left was to come up with some reasonable excuse, something that could mitigate the

lifted the blankets, likely because he felt suffocated underneath all the layers. His face

caught off guard, nearly toppling from his chair in shock. He clutched his chest, gasping for breath until the

still, speaking

tone, "You think little of me now, don't you? I don't blame you. I can't forgive myself either. But I've never indulged myself in my life. Now, with half a foot in

justifying his actions