So, Claire was the granddaughter of Baldrick's old friend.
Even though she grew up in the countryside, a family that could casually present an Agarwood pillow was certainly not ordinary.
It seemed Dane and Claire had already made things official with their families.
Bringing up a match between his own granddaughter and Dane earlier had definitely been a faux pas on his part.
Dane was a smart man. He had brought her straight here, smoothly staking his claim without giving the girl a single reason to feel slighted.
Kendrick found himself admiring the younger man even more. Yet, a pang of regret lingered. Someone else had already snatched up such a perfect catch.
"Could you take a look at me, my dear?" Kendrick asked. "I'd love to know if these old, aching legs of mine will ever heal."
"Your legs..." Claire leaned in for a closer look. "They've been through hell, haven't they?"
Kendrick stayed silent.
Decades ago, men in his high-ranking position rarely escaped the political turmoil unscathed. Kendrick had been exiled to the freezing northern frontier.
His injuries were the result of a barn roof collapsing under heavy snow, trapping him inside for half the night until his legs were severely frostbitten.
Back then, any proper hospital would have amputated them immediately.
But the locals weren't about to risk taking an exiled man to a doctor. Instead, they relied on crude frontier remedies to thaw him out.
The old methods had miraculously saved his legs from being severed.
But they had left him with decades of relentless, agonizing pain.
Sometimes, Kendrick thought amputation would have been a mercy. He practically lived like an amputee anyway.
Claire glanced around the bustling venue. "It's not very convenient here. How about I examine you properly after the banquet?"
"There's no rush," Kendrick replied softly. "It's getting late. Shall we do it tomorrow instead?"
He had endured the torment for years; he could wait one more day.
"Your legs..."
Claire trailed off, guessing that Kendrick, much like Baldrick, suffered through countless
sleepless nights because of the
pain. Itwas only early autumn
nowhere near, winter, yet he had to
be hurting. His ability to mask the agony spoke volumes about his
sheer willpower.
"That works. I don't have my medical kit on me tonight anyway."
Her bag was still in her car, otherwise, she could have done a quick acupuncture session right then and there.
"Then I will be eagerly awaiting your visit tomorrow, Claire," Kendrick said, a warm, teasing smile touching his lips.
Claire promised she would be there.
As Dane and Claire walked away, Kendrick watched their retreating figures, shaking his head in quiet
pity for his own family's missed net
opportunity. His grandson, Finn strofled over. "Are you alright
Grandpa? Should I take you home?"
It was the Cole family's banquet, but Kendrick wasn't the guest of honor, so slipping
out early wouldn't be an issue.
"Finn," Kendrick sighed, "your good
buddy has finally figured out how to.... win a woman's heart. When are you going to bring a girl home forme to meet?"
Finn blinked. His first thought was: *Which of my boys betrayed the single life?*
When his grandfather dropped Dane's name, Finn was utterly floored. "Impossible. Dane is even more allergic to romance than I am," Finn scoffed. "At least I casually dated in college. That guy? He's practically..."
He swallowed the crass joke about Dane's right hand out of respect for his grandfather.
Kendrick could still sense the unspoken vulgarity. He shot his grandson a sharp glare. "Oh, really? Then I guess it's a miracle."
"Look over there. He even brought his girlfriend to the party!" Kendrick pointed toward Dane and Claire's silhouettes.
Finn immediately questioned his entire reality. How was that possible?
Hadn't Dane arrived at the banquet completely alone?
Where the hell did this woman come from?