Manton again closed his mouth and silently led the way to the front left.
Hill watched his hesitant expression and spoke directly, "What do you really want to say?"
"I think, I need to say I’m sorry to you," Manton stammered, "Back then, I was too young, and everyone around me told me that you were here to compete with me for the title.
As I grew older, they told me that Lady Melanie was driven out of the castle after failing to claim the title.
And to protect me from you and your mother, everyone around me had sacrificed a lot.
So, during the years you returned to the castle, I treated you very poorly and did not stop those around me from being rude to you."
Manton glanced at him, "I really want to say I’m sorry.
I was too foolish back then.
As for the past, Lady Melanie’s matter."
"You were just a child back then, what does it have to do with you?" Hill interrupted him.
Manton shook his head, "But everything they did, they did under the pretense of doing it for my benefit.
And indeed, the Kral Clan had exerted considerable effort.
Initially, when your maternal grandfather wanted to intervene, it was the Kral Clan that asked the disciples of the Legendary Mage to suppress him.
After the Earl and the Kral Clan fell out, I learned many things.
All the people from the Kral Clan around me were driven away.
The Earl knew everything but did nothing.
When they were driven away, he cited numerous reasons.
It was all deception by both sides, telling the Kral Clan that Lady Melanie was coveting my position and had harmed me many times,
and telling the Earl that Duke Kral was extremely dissatisfied with him marrying Lady Melanie and that he should handle it accordingly."
"The Earl knew they were lying, but"
"But compared to getting rid of them, really offending the Kral Clan or dealing with my naive mother was easier," Hill replied, "My mother never cared much about those people around you.
What hurt her was the Earl’s heartlessness."
Hill didn’t want to dwell on this topic, so he asked, "What made you have this sudden realization?"
"During that time, the people around me disappeared. After they were driven away by the Earl, not one of them stayed in White Horse City, they all fled.
I once thought about how to find them a place in White Horse City, but in the end, not a single one stayed.
And most of the people in the castle, including those who had previously claimed they spent great efforts protecting me from you and your mother, abandoned me."
"The steward, right?" Hill asked with a smile, "He really is a detestable presence.
Always adept at reading the Earl’s mood, he could always think up all sorts of petty ways to annoy people."
"Yes!" Manton said, "His son has been with me for 10 years, I trust him more than those people from the Kral clan.
Those two years, I nearly lost my life.
This lady is truly ruthless."
"You’re lucky to be alive. And now you’ve become a knight, that must have infuriated her?"
"Her coveted title turned out to be nothing much in the end," Manton scoffed, "In this past year, she’s been going mad, barely managing her own son.
As for the steward, who once thought of leaving when things looked bad,
I stopped his whole family and took them all out.
So in love with the Earl, acting on his cues, they wouldn’t be left behind.
Weren’t they already sworn to serve that lady?
It’s just as well. Since I barely took any servants out of the castle, let his entire family earnestly serve the lady."
"Quite right," Hill nodded in agreement.
"How is the Earl’s injury?"
"He won’t die. He had to lay down for a year or so, but with your arrival, I suspect he’ll recover much faster," Manton said indifferently.
"Yes, the debt of life from a Mage is always a nuisance," Hill said, "It’s good that it can be settled this way."
"When you returned the money from the separation, the Earl looked displeased for days.
Pity, with Master Fran there, he didn’t dare approach you," Manton scoffed, "Back then, I thought Master Fran would kill him.
After he relied on Helen’s connection to side with Prince Edward, several of my uncles saw me still not a knight and nearly beat me to death.
Otherwise, they could have finished him off right then.
Unfortunately, Master Fran is a man of rules."
"If my maternal grandfather wasn’t a man of rules, the Kral Clan and you wouldn’t have had a good outcome either," Hill rolled his eyes.
"My young uncle sent a team of attendants to me, saying they apologized to Master Fran and got a response, telling me not to worry," Manton explained, "Otherwise, I would feel awkward saying anything to you."
"I know," Hill nodded, "My grandfather mentioned it.
The Kral Clan was just following Prince Charles, being too arrogant in their actions.
They apologized to my grandfather in front of many people through that time’s Magister, using the name of the Kral Clan.
My grandfather said he wasn’t keen on forgiving them but had no choice. From then on, it’s been water under the bridge, each keeping to themselves."
"They didn’t end up that well," Manton said softly, "thinking they could just leave without any consequences.
"My uncle told me not to bother with them, and knowing as much as I did about their secrets, I understood their fate," Hill nodded.
"A noble’s personal servants wouldn’t be so easily freed, carrying so many of the noble’s secrets, would truly be a wonder."
"That lady, since the Earl fell, she’s become quite reckless," Manton suddenly said.