Phil really seemed like what Julian had described when he arrived; he was as energetic like a five year old, despite Aurora thinking he would be exhausted from such a long flight. After showering, he was jumping around like a monkey.
Having grown up in the city, he was used to bustling street scenes, and the traditional architecture of Montgomery Manor seemed novel to him. He explored everything with the glee of a child, and to Aurora, he was just a big boy.
“Your cousin’s personality is so different from yours,” Aurora remarked again. Julian calmly replied, “It’s not our personalities that differ, but our childhoods.”
Aurora vaguely knew about his status as an illegitimate child, but she had never really delved into Julian’s past.
“Julian, I’ve never asked about your childhood. Why did your ship sink in the ocean back then?” As a child, Aurora hadn’t thought much about it, but now she was full of questions.
“Do you want to hear it?” Julian asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Then come here,” Julian gestured, and Aurora walked up to him. They stood at the second-floor railing. Julian embraced her, and they looked out together, the wind teasing their hair, his unique voice resonating in her ear.
“My mother was born into a prestigious family, blessed with beauty and an enviable lineage. There were three daughters at home. My grandfather was quite progressive and did not resent my grandmother for not bearing a son. Despite family opposition at the time, the people of our Barnet family are naturally faithful. Even when my grandmother had three daughters without producing a son, my grandfather was not harsh on her.
The two aged together gracefully. My mother, being the eldest, was expected to shoulder heavy responsibilities, yet she disliked business from a young age and preferred painting. She was also not fond of the place she lived in, feeling she did not belong to that city, despite our family’s long-established presence there.
So, she planned an elopement-a journey to see the misty southern lands with cobblestone paths and elegant ladies with oil-paper umbrellas; to witness the vast grasslands, where even after many years, people still rode horses and sang across the expansive plains; to visit the foot of the mountains and see the blooming flowers and carefree flocks of sheep.
These visions filled her with joy, and she abandoned her wealth and prestige, taking only her sketchpad to the lands she had dreamt of at night. The country was so large that my grandfather’s influence could not bring her back. Even though he tracked her down, she had already moved on to another beautiful and magical place by the time they found her trail.
Is it too melodramatic, a delicate lady forsaking her status to become a wandering artist?” Julian softly asked. Aurora shook her head, “The lady was truly passionate. Her spirit was free and should not be caged. She should be like an eagle in the desert mountains, soaring high where no one can bind her. She will live more freely than anyone. Some chase fame and fortune, but she chased freedom. How many can abandon all vanity to pursue their freedom? This story isn’t melodramatic at all; to me, it’s beautiful.”
“Heh, yes, she finally gained the freedom she desired,” Julian said. After chasing her for three years, my grandfather truly let her go. He thought of her as a spirited bird, eager to fly out and see the world, believing she would return once weary.
However, they hadn’t anticipated that once she left, she would never return. Sometimes she missed home and would secretly video chat with my aunt and grandmother. She excitedly shared her adventures and the interesting things she encountered, while my grandfather listened quietly to her voice in the background.
She considered returning home, but feared that my grandfather wouldn’t allow her to leave again. She decided to wait until she had seen enough of the world and grown tired of that life before returning. My grandmother and aunt thought the same, little knowing that fate would play a cruel joke on her when she met that man.”
At this point, Julian’s tone involuntarily turned cold, and Aurora knew who he was referring to.
“By then, he was already over fifty, his children about my mother’s age, much like many cliched stories. He appeared when my mother was being harassed by villains, but in my mother’s eyes, he was just a kind uncle. A somewhat like-minded uncle; they traveled countries together, and having a man by her side made her feel safer. She saw him as a confidant, but he harbored vile intentions toward her, initially suppressing his own desires.
Over time, he could no longer control himself. He drugged my mother, and I remember the day I came to rescue you, hearing your heart-wrenching screams from outside the door, imagining my mother must have experienced the same. What she thought was a cherished friendship, a respected uncle, turned out to be a nightmare. Her dreams were shattered.
And that was just the beginning. She didn’t take the drugs willingly, and he took no precautions; he simply wanted a daughter as lovely as my mother. He took her back to his home and imprisoned her. My mother attempted suicide several times but was always stopped.
Eventually, when I was born, he was clever. He knew how deep a mother’s love could be; how could my mother bear to hurt me? Gradually, he didn’t monitor my mother around the clock anymore, but she still couldn’t leave that place, nor could she contact her family.
So, nobody ever knew about my mother’s family background. His love for my mother was insane; he gave her everything but freedom, much like the despotic emperors of ancient stories. His favoritism led to the discontent of his wife, who saw my mother as a homewrecker, lured by money.
Since the day my mother was brought back to the Alvarez family, she was like a prisoner in shackles, able to see the sky but never free to fly again. When he was away, his wife would find ways to torment my mother, like a venomous concubine, leaving scars in unseen places…”
Finally, Aurora understood why he was holding her so tightly; his body was shaking uncontrollably.