Chapter 160 Don't Go Looking for Anne
Mephist felt some regret too. Earlier in the hall, to defend Trion, he'd had to speak harshly to his mother. Then she'd left without a word, which made Mephist, who'd always relied on his parents, feel empty and uneasy. Now that his mother was back, she just sat there crying and wiping her tears, making him feel even worse.
"Mother, I'm sorry." Mephist felt guilty. "I was wrong earlier. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."
The old lady, seeing her son take the bait so quickly, hurried to shake her head. "It's fine, it's mother's fault."
In fact, she was quite pleased with how naive and easy to manipulate Mephist was—this kind of son was easiest to control.
Mephist thought she was just angry and crouched at his mother's feet. "Please don't cry. I don't really blame you for playing favorites. It's just that this matter has nothing to do with Trion in the first place. We shouldn't force her."
The old lady sighed. "I know, I'm just too worried about your father's condition... Right now none of us can go find Dr. Pascal, but your father can't just keep lying in bed either."
"I know this might be difficult for Trion. If she won't go find the doctor, I can accept that. But Mephist, the only way to save your father is through Dr. Pascal. If we can't find him directly, couldn't we ask someone else for help?"
Mephist looked confused, but Holden beside them suddenly lifted his head, his eyes fixed intently on the old lady.
She pressed her lips together and spoke softly, "I remember Trion and Anne have a pretty good relationship. Anne was the one who brought the doctor here in the first place. If Trion would be willing to ask her, let her help out for the sake of their friendship, and maybe ask about what His Majesty said about three months..."
"Mother!"
Holden cut her off coldly. "I won't allow any of you to go find Anne."
Mephist looked at him, confused. "But mother's right. Anne knows Dr. Pascal. If she's willing to help, father..."
"I said no means no." Holden spoke through gritted teeth. "Do you really think that at this point, Anne and the Virlet family would still be willing to help us?"
"How will we know if we don't try!" The old lady couldn't help raising her voice. "Your father is still lying here, his life hanging in the balance. He needs treatment! Holden, don't you care at all?"
Holden's face was cold. "Of course I care, but you heard what Trion said. Dr. Pascal made it clear he won't treat the Titan family anymore under any circumstances. He's such a famous doctor—if he said it, he won't easily go back on his word. Anne has nothing to do with us anymore. Why would she ask the doctor to help us?"
When he said "nothing to do with us," Holden's voice trembled. He thought back to how Anne had looked at him coldly before, completely different from the loving gaze she'd had at their wedding.
It was all wrong. Everything was wrong.
Holden clutched his head in pain. "Don't go looking for her. She won't help."
"And I already have a wife. Mother, you think I don't know what you're thinking? You want Trion to probe Anne's feelings, see if there's any chance of us getting back together. I'm telling you, there's no chance. I have a wife now. Anne could never marry me."
The old lady trembled with anger. "What if she still has those feelings for you? And what kind of wife is Candy! She's no longer pure, she has no military merit, she's of no help to the family now—she's even dragging us down. How can I let her continue to stay in the Titan family?"
Holden closed his eyes wearily. "I used my military merit to get His Majesty's approval, which means my marriage to Candy is equivalent to a royal decree. The king's word cannot be taken back, so I can't divorce her either."
Mephist looked back and forth, feeling it wasn't appropriate to side with either of them, and could only sigh. "Look at you. We sent you to the southern campaign hoping you'd earn military merit and bring rewards back to the family, but you..."
Holden closed his eyes. He thought back to when the southern campaign was victorious, everyone cheering, while he and Candy found a corner to have passionate sex, then ran back to the tent together and wrote that letter requesting a royal marriage, full of sweetness.
To have everyone witness their love, Holden had even gotten many knights to sign the letter, hoping His Majesty would see his sincerity and grant them this special exception.
And he got it. When he brought Candy home, he was like a victorious lion showing off his proudest trophy.
But in reality, he'd offended His Majesty, lost his military merit, and lost that perfect wife too.
Before Anne left, she said Holden didn't deserve her, and he really didn't. He was too foolish, ruining what had been such a good life.
Two military merits would have been enough for the Titan family to get a hereditary title directly—they were viscounts now, maybe they could have become earls.
But both times, because of Candy, not just the family but Holden himself got nothing.
Now the Soth Empire and Viller Empire had signed a peace treaty, and from their conversation with Anne, it looked like establishing friendly relations with Zotfort would happen soon too. With no battlefield to earn military merit on, what use was just handling small matters within the empire?
And now with the Dawn Knight Order, would those people still be willing to follow his arrangements, still recognize him as their knight commander?
Holden couldn't answer. He felt so tired, but the old lady kept pressuring him.
What reconciliation, what feelings—Anne could never look up to him. Even if she'd loved him once, that was all in the past. Now Holden didn't want anyone from the family going to find Anne, didn't want to disturb her.
Just let it be.
The old lady had wanted to ask whether they could use the fact that Candy had caused Drona's serious injury and coma as a reason to petition His Majesty for a divorce, but seeing Holden's defeated state, she could do nothing but sigh.
If it weren't for Candy, how would the family have ended up like this?