Byrne Fischer sat in the carriage, silent for a long period, while Darren sat opposite him, head lowered and not making a sound.
Because Byrne always had a good temper within the family, the atmosphere between father and son had never been this tense. Darren had thought he'd be scolded fiercely, but instead, there was nothing. His father remained as calm as ever.
The sound of the carriage wheels rolled on incessantly, and at last, the aged butler Theo spoke with his old voice:
"We have arrived, Your Excellency."
Byrne nodded lightly and then waited for Theo to open the carriage door. He and Darren alighted from the black carriage one after the other.
In front of them was a grey villa in the wealthy district of Nasir Town, which could hardly be called luxurious, resembling closely the Fischer family's very first residence.
"Your Excellency Byrne, you have come, you finally came! Hahahaha!"
A merchant from the villa approached with ecstatic delight, his body trembling with uncontrollable greed and surprise at the sight of Byrne and Darren!
Because of "Profound Memory", Byrne also remembered this man who he had barely met a few times, an insignificant fabric merchant who couldn't touch the social circle of the Fischer family, having only attended a few banquets hosted by them by chance.
"Mr. Ken, hello, may I see your daughter Fayer, if that's possible?"
That His Excellency Byrne actually remembered his name, the merchant named Ken was even more thrilled and excited.
"Yes, yes, of course! Please come in first. Just wait a moment, I'll have someone call my daughter out right away, hahaha!"
Merchant Ken immediately invited Byrne and his son into his villa, then shouted for someone. With utmost sincerity, the house's four servants ushered the daughter out from inside.
The golden-haired maiden Fayer emerged slowly from within, first looking at Darren with deep affection before noticing the black-clad, distinguished figure of His Excellency Byrne.
She instinctively lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze, clutching the corner of her dress, unable even to utter a word.
Even before Byrne had really arrived, her father had taught her many times how to please the important figure, attempting to secure her place within the core circle of the Fischer family, but she just couldn't do it.
Fayer was uncontrollably frightened deep down, after all, that important figure was someone who could decide her fate with just a casual remark!
How could she not be afraid?
Byrne couldn't help but give his son Darren a stern look, took a deep breath, and calmed himself.
He activated his Deconstructive Perspective and soon sighed deeply. The slight bulge in the golden-haired girl's abdomen couldn't be concealed from his eyes.
In his heart, Byrne truly felt that his son's seventeen years were very different from his at that age.
Back then, he himself was still lost in a sea of knowledge, never even having touched a woman's hand, oblivious even when girls approached him.
Come to think of it, when had Darren grown so tall and strong? In Byrne's heart, images of that chubby child still lingered.
It was only at this moment that Byrne realized Darren was entirely different now, even capable of becoming a father.
Merchant Ken was still all smiles and subservience.
"Please take a seat, both of you. I've prepared some very high-quality tea, and we can chat while we drink."
Byrne, unlike the fussy nobility, nodded lightly and took his seat.
And when all four were seated, he finally began to speak in a calm, gentle tone:
"Your name is Fayer, right? I am here simply to better understand you and the matters concerning our two families. Miss Fayer, could you tell me about how you and Darren met?"
Fayer hesitated, completely unprepared for His Excellency Byrne's gentle tone. He seemed completely different from Darren, and much of the heavy tension and awe in her heart lifted.
"Yes, I will tell you everything..."
Darren's complexion worsened, as if he realized something.
"We met during the town's Harvest Festival celebration..."
Byrne listened silently to Fayer's story. At first, it was bearable, but soon his expression began to darken.
Because in her description, Darren had mostly been with a certain grey-haired girl over the last year, only occasionally seeking her out, which was far more preposterous than the idea of "two young people opposing a family-arranged marriage for love."
Oh Darren, you little rascal!
He quickly noticed that Fayer's father, Ken, showed no displeasure; on the contrary, there was a hint of pride, perhaps he felt that the pregnancy had been a successful counter-attack, that the grey-haired girl amounted to nothing.
Even Fayer herself seemed to have reached some sort of "peaceful coexistence" with the grey-haired girl.
Darren's expression was a bit unsightly, but he didn't betray any signs of restlessness.
What's going on, do I care alone?
He couldn't understand.
A thought involuntarily rose from the depths of Byrne's heart, perhaps he had to change Darren's environment to achieve growth and change.
"That's how it is, I, I got pregnant by accident..."
After Fayer finished speaking, she looked down, stealing glances at Darren and Byrne's eyes.
Darren didn't dare make a sound, while Byrne, after a long silence, finally sorted out everyone's situations.
The case of the mischievous son need not be said, the most common thing in a noble family. As for the grey-haired girl and Ken, they probably fancied the Fischer family's power and cozied up to Darren.