Dear Broom Knight.

Chapter 716 The Unavoidable Past

The Countess was actually in great pain after realizing that she herself was insignificant.

She hated her family's heartlessness and resented her mother and sister's greed and selfishness, but she hated herself even more for being blind and...deceiving herself and others, and burying her head in the sand.

Her family was never the enlightened and benevolent type; rather, they were typical traditionalists… the direct male heir was everything, and all other branches had to sacrifice for the heir.

How can the Earl of Montes compare?

He was only unkind to his youngest son, but he didn't send his own child to the altar just to give his eldest son a little more talent.

Although that happened a long time ago, and those who caused these things have been punished, the family... has only restrained itself on the surface, not completely repented.

They already knew that human life was the bottom line, unless they left the capital.

That's simply impossible.

In the territories near the capital, even those belonging to marquises, it's all just so-so.

While commoners might live better as a result, nobles would find it less comfortable than in other places.

The capital city has siphoned off all the top talents and resources, so if they want to live a better life, they have no choice but to settle down in the capital.

So many years of operation have allowed that family to establish a firm foothold.

That's why they respected the royal family so much, and didn't dare to offend Ezra, a member of a collateral branch, too much.

But I still need the money.

After all, his relationship with this girl had reached this point, so he had to recoup his investment somehow.

Once Serena understood all this, of course she would hate... hate herself even more.

Why would someone who doesn't care about the life or death of his own son care about a woman who married out of the family?

Of course, she was quite capable at that time and held a certain position in the army.

But if they want to maintain this position, the family has to make some sacrifices... They can't afford to be any less aggressive than they were in the past.

But in their eyes, Serena no longer held that much value.

The longer she lives in the family, the more the family has to give.

Most importantly, they must maintain the image of the good parents they have played in the past.

It would be better to simply support those collateral branches; at least then everyone would be involved in a mutually beneficial relationship.

However, the family used to be too humble and gentle because they thought Serena had a chance to reach the top. Once they changed their attitude, all their previous efforts would be in vain. Even if they continued to give Serena benefits according to her level, Serena, who had been admired for so many years, might still harbor resentment.

Then it would be better to squeeze all the future benefits out of this granddaughter at once.

These families, whose territorial marquises are the same age as the Northern Kingdom, have a deep-rooted heritage and actually have quite a few high-level professionals.

However, neither Serena nor her direct descendants had enough talented individuals, especially as heirs... Therefore, in order to ensure that Serena would willingly stay in the family and not be tempted by the outstanding noble heirs in the army, the family elders showed rare kindness.

Serena, having been given a poison that prevented her from activating her knight core, spent countless days and nights locked in her room, constantly reliving those moments.

Then, he felt utterly disgusted with his own stupidity.

Do families that are so harsh on children who aren't naturally gifted really love them genuinely just because they are exceptional?

Why is she so proud of herself just because she's a useful tool?

She couldn't see how her mother suppressed the other children because of her excellence, especially the dull, lifeless eyes of her eldest son.

He couldn't see the subtle jealousy in his younger sister's eyes because he couldn't get anything.

They couldn't see the mockery in the eyes of those who understood.

What Serena, once so full of youthful vigor, truly could not accept was her own selfishness and absurdity.

What she obtained too easily blinded her.

Families that are truly responsible for their own children do not discriminate... In the military, those families that receive fixed stipends from their own families treat all their children the same, regardless of their performance, and then let them work hard to earn family merit or receive subsidies from their own parents. These are the normal and reliable families.

Those people did not receive as much as she did, but... they would not be sold off by the family by weight.

It's something everyone has, but no one else does.

For these people, it's just that their family is doing well, so I shouldn't do anything to harm their interests. I should do my part for the family whenever I can.

Instead of being like her... those resources, every single one of them is an investment share of the Wealth Church. If they don't get a double return, they're a loss and need to be sold at a discount.

Ultimately, Ezra had to buy these investment shares at a premium.

She's so stupid.

How could she think her family could do something that even royalty couldn't?
Because people tend to favor whoever is stronger... it can easily turn into favoring whoever is closer to them.

Initially, the two people might be quite similar, so naturally, one would choose the one they feel closer to.

After that, as long as the child I care about can pass, I will naturally give him everything. In the end, it becomes... no matter who it is, they can only serve as resources for my child.

She was neither the one her parents liked nor the one her family truly cared about... So why did she think she was exceptionally talented and could be the exception?

Were there no other members of her race with exceptional talent before her?

In the end, what remains is still the same kind of family.

What blinded her all those years, ultimately turning her life into a joke?
It should be, indeed, greed.

Indeed, even the most just clan leader is no match for a rigid clan rule.

Fortunately, Ezra's appearance helped Serena, who had been in despair, regain some confidence.

Not all the emotions she gave in the past were acts of self-deception followed by further deception.

After getting married, she shut down everything from her past.

Her maternal clan sold her for a price that, while not entirely satisfactory, was still acceptable.

Although he lacked conscience, he wasn't the kind of person who had lost his mind. The head of the family knew very well that after marrying Serena to a comrade who truly loved her and would respect her, he would never be able to gain much more benefit from Ezra.

Moreover, royal family members who don't have much ambition generally don't want to gain any benefits from their wives' families, and rarely form alliances with outsiders.

His Majesty Travis, who was very good at managing finances, ensured the basic income of the royal family members.

Each of them has their own independent account and is not dependent on their parents.

Many people are able to buy their own property in the capital after they reach adulthood and move out to live independently.

People who are quick-witted and capable can even find ways to make money very quickly.

Although they may not amount to much, well... how much of a future can a member of the royal family possibly have?
No one dared to provoke them. Even if there was infighting within the royal family, it was merely a matter of appearances, and no one could affect the distribution of personal allowances.

If they really had any ulterior motives, they would be at a level that ordinary nobles could not reach.

This is not a good thing for each individual family, but for Travis, the patriarch of the royal family, it is the best outcome.

If Ezra's stance is firm enough, his wife will have a wide range of choices, and... he can completely disregard the stance of his wife's family.

With no hope for the future, the family naturally took drastic measures.

In a typical aristocratic marriage, the man would present three separate gifts: a wedding invitation, an engagement ceremony, and a wedding ceremony.

If both parties are of equal status, the dowry that the lady brings at the end is usually double the amount of the three gifts.

This means that although the wife marries into the husband's family, the family will still take care of her daily life, and the dowry will be entirely managed by the wife herself.

This is the most typical marital situation, where both parties simply feel that the other is a good match, but neither has any other requirements.

So it all depends on whether they themselves find it agreeable.

Although some marriages may have other underlying reasons, they will still follow the proper path on the surface.

For example, Fabrice's parents were like that.

Perhaps because they each have their own interests, things appear harmonious on the surface.

The rest are gifts brought by the woman that are five times or more generous... Even if the husband and wife are of equal status, it still means that her family has something to ask of the husband's family.

Such a lady actually has no control over her dowry and usually lives off her so-called annuity.

The most typical example is the queens of Travis, the king of the North.

Another scenario is where the groom's gifts far exceed the bride's dowry... It's impossible to have no dowry at all; no family could afford to lose face like that.

Even families that have completely fallen on hard times will still give the bride some old antiques.

Not to mention Lady Serena's family, they are marquises!
Although the shops and manor given to Serena as part of her dowry were not in good locations and were extremely poor in resources, and there was absolutely no cash... On the surface, it seemed like a lot, but in total, it was less than one-fifth of what Ezra had paid.

Such a marriage is essentially selling a daughter.

After that, all contact between the two parties can be completely severed.

Generally speaking, nobles wouldn't go that far. They would still maintain some kinship ties on the surface and would lend a hand to any requests from the woman's family that wouldn't cause any harm.

However, if the bride herself is no longer willing to pay attention to her family, and the groom cares more about his wife's wishes than his own reputation, then there will basically be no more contact.

Serena, no, I should say, the Countess of Hamilton, nobody thought she would come back.

She didn't.

Even after Armies became a nature mage, and her family went so far as to risk her mother's life to persuade her to return, she never went back.

She's not Serena anymore, is she?

If there's anything she can't erase from her identity, it's that she's Ezra's wife, a max-level Grand Knight, the mother of Armies and Pearl, and a shrewd businesswoman.

(End of this chapter)