Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 164

The servant, who had been waiting at the gate for a long time, finally saw the familiar carriage and quickly went to meet it.

“Young Master,” they called softly.

But the first to alight was not the person they were waiting for, but a tall, taciturn man with unhealed wounds on his chiseled face, making one wonder if the parts of his body covered by clothes were equally scarred.

No one dared to ask.

The man personally unfolded the carriage steps, watching the young master’s movements—autumn had just begun, but this year’s cold wave had come particularly fast. Coupled with the extra mental strain, this outing had caused his master to start coughing again, which everyone was eager to prevent.

Everyone knew that the young master of the Napoli family had poor health. If he fell ill before winter, the entire winter’s social events in White Bridge would be dominated by the topic of whether Fahim would survive until spring.

Of course, this wasn’t something to be openly discussed, though Fahim himself didn’t seem to care much.

He stepped down from the carriage and casually handed his cane to the approaching servants.

“What’s the matter?” he asked wearily.

“The master has been waiting for you,” they replied simply.

“Maxim, take my things to the other residence,” he instructed the scarred man. “Get everything in order and come over.”

Maxim nodded but remained standing until he saw Fahim, surrounded by people, safely enter the house before turning and getting back into the carriage.

Fahim didn’t particularly like the old mansion, not only because it had a musty, decaying smell that no amount of incense could cover, but also because the people living there made him as uncomfortable as expensive but useless old handmade tapestries that made his nose itch.

He called it “idiot allergy syndrome”.

“Fahim.” The current head of the Napoli family, Rat, was sitting in a smoking room adjacent to the bedroom. Seeing his son finally return, his expression softened slightly.

Fahim stood in the doorway, not immediately entering or responding to his father, instead leaning against the doorframe, his gaze sweeping the smoking room.

His father, grandfather, and two uncles… Almost all the men of the Napoli family were present.

“Fahim, we’ve been waiting for you.” His uncle asked concernedly, “How did it go this time? Was it smooth?”

“Managed to get by,” Fahim finally stepped into the smoking room. The servants outside hurriedly closed the door.

“Where’s Dr. Alai?” Rat asked. “You don’t look well.”

Fahim found a single chair and sat down. “I always look like this. What happened?”

As the only younger member in the room, Fahim’s behavior was far from respectful. He didn’t even bother to hide his disdain for those present, even though they were his blood relatives.

But everyone tolerated it because, although Rat was the current head of the Napoli family, everyone knew Fahim was the real leader behind the scenes. Once Fahim came of age in April next year, the Napoli family would undoubtedly be handed over to him.

Rat’s face tightened again. “Your sister is in trouble.”

Fahim tilted his head. “Oh?”

“She’s pregnant,” Fahim’s uncle said with a grim face. “And the Forbisa family already knows about it.”

The Forbisa family was the one Rat had arranged for his daughter to marry into. This meant the child wasn’t her fiancé’s—this surprised Fahim a bit.

His sister’s mother was one of Rat’s mistresses, and, theoretically, she wasn’t supposed to carry the Napoli surname. However, because Fahim’s mother was in poor health and unable to bear more children, Rat brought this daughter into the old mansion, as it looked too desolate to have only Fahim as the only child.

Given her somewhat dishonorable background, this sister had always been overly quiet and timid in Fahim’s memory. He had never seen her get angry, and she wouldn’t refuse anyone. When their father arranged her marriage, she had obediently accepted it.

Fahim had once asked her about her impression of the Forbisa family, but she remained silent.

Now, barely two months after the engagement party, her pregnancy was showing, indicating she had been intimate with someone before getting pregnant.

Fahim frowned slightly, watching his father and uncles start arguing again.

“The Forbisa family already knows. The marriage is definitely off,” Rat said. “We must send her away—there’s no place for a daughter like her in the Napoli family.”

“Of course,” Rat’s brother said. “But what about the Forbisa family? They won’t let this go quietly.”

The smoking room fell into a brief silence.

Under Fahim’s management, the Napoli family had started to rise again, but this had only been in the past three years. This short time wasn’t enough to elevate the family to a higher level. Strictly speaking, they were still slightly weaker than the Forbisa family. The marriage was supposed to be a steppingstone to reclaiming their glory, but now it had become a potential heavy anchor that could sink them.

If there were other eligible daughters in the Napoli family, they could continue with the marriage. However, Rat only had these two children, and Fahim was unmarried. Yet, even Rat knew that as long as Fahim survived, he would go much further. In a few years, Fahim’s marriage prospects wouldn’t be limited to the Forbisa family’s level.

Fahim watched the group of men argue over his sister’s pregnancy and began to feel his nose itch again.

“I’ll go talk to the Forbisa family,” he said.

Rat and the others sighed in relief. They had summoned Fahim back with this intention, but their pride prevented them from suggesting that an underage Fahim handle the matter.

Fahim used a gemstone mine to settle the issue.

He had gone on a long trip during the change of seasons precisely for that gemstone mine. The location was somewhat ambiguous, and another family was also competing for it. Fahim had expended considerable effort to secure the mine. But before it had even warmed in his hands, he had to give it away as a compensation gift. While Fahim didn’t say anything, Rat and the others were so heartbroken they couldn’t sleep for days.

The Forbisa family gained a substantial benefit and didn’t publicize the matter, but no secret stays hidden forever. When the marriage was suddenly called off, some people managed to find out the reason.

Thus, Rat was determined to disown his daughter, as if burning a hole in the family tree would somehow separate the disgrace from the Napoli family.

Rat arranged for the “family disgrace” to be secretly sent out of White Bridge on a moonless night. No family members accompanied her to the dock. She boarded the ship with her pregnant belly, like a hidden mistake.

That winter, Fahim was busier than ever.

Losing the gemstone mine meant all his prior preparations and the losses incurred in the contest went down the drain. He had to negotiate with the Forbisa family. Though his cough didn’t return, his skin and hair grew even paler. On snowy days, walking down the street, he looked like a snowman wrapped in a coat.

“Such a mysterious look,” the ladies whispered by the fireplace.

“They say he’s in poor health… But where does he look unhealthy? If we must compare, my fiancé looks more like someone needing oil treatment.”

“Then invite him over.”

“Father would be angry. They say Fahim won’t live past 20.”

“When I was little, I heard he wouldn’t live past 15.”

“Hehe, if it’s not past 40, I could marry him.”

“Would he be willing? Some have been rejected.”

“There are really those wanting to marry him?”

“Don’t pretend. Many have their eyes on him.”

“I’m more interested in who got rejected…”

Fahim stopped and looked up. The curtains on the second floor of the villas along the street were quickly drawn, but the elegant carriages in the garden indicated a gathering of young ladies.

Maxim adjusted his grip on the umbrella, shielding them from the falling snow.

“How are your injuries?” Fahim withdrew his gaze.

Maxim didn’t respond. He had been injured protecting Fahim on their last trip, almost losing an eye. Fahim had placed him in another residence to recuperate, but Maxim recovered quickly and was back on duty within days.

Fahim didn’t need an answer and continued, “Arrange for tonight’s boat. I’ll go see her.”

His sister had, as usual, accepted the family’s “disposition” of her calmly and moved out obediently.

The Napoli family had no property or acquaintances in that small town, so the “Lady’s” exiled life wouldn’t be pleasant. By the time Fahim found the two-story stone house, his fingers inside his gloves were nearly frozen.

“Why didn’t you hire more people?” Fahim asked, sitting in the parlor with his sister. Maxim silently stoked the fireplace to keep the fire going.

She wasn’t impoverished to this extent. Although the Napoli family didn’t send anyone with her, they provided enough money for her to live comfortably. But she had only hired one middle-aged maid for cooking and laundry, making their winter life quite difficult.

“Just in case,” she said softly, covering her already bulging belly with a shawl.

“What are you afraid of?” Fahim frowned. “I’ll make arrangements.”

“I know.” She pushed a cup of tea towards Fahim. “I’m sorry. You’re already so busy.”

Fahim was indifferent to everyone, but she knew he still regarded her as his sister.

Even if disowned, Fahim would continue to support her. But as she said, Fahim was extremely busy.

The Napoli family had been in decline for several generations. Without Fahim’s birth, the family might have completely fallen in this generation.

Rat and the others were all useless. The entire family’s burden was on Fahim’s shoulders. Every day, he woke up to countless matters to handle. It was unrealistic and unnecessary for him to constantly worry about a half-sister.

But Fahim was the only one in the Napoli family who still cared about her. If he ever got too busy and forgot her, and she ran out of money, Rat and the others wouldn’t give her a scrap of paper. This insecurity made her instinctively live frugally.

Fahim looked at her belly.

“There’s only Molly and me. I’m not comfortable hiring male servants,” she explained.

“At least hire two more maids,” Fahim said nonchalantly. “Maxim, go to the agency—take the money.”

When Maxim left, Fahim told her, “Two people are too few. If you go into labor suddenly, there won’t even be someone to fetch a doctor.”

The argument was convincing. She immediately agreed.

“Thank you for visiting me and thank you for letting me keep the child.” She knew the family considered her a disgrace and wanted to abort the child.

Fahim said, “He’s my nephew.”

She had remained calm when she was disowned, showed little emotion when driven out of White Bridge, but hearing Fahim’s words made her cry.

At this moment, Molly entered with a tray of cookies. Seeing her mistress in tears, she panicked.

“Madam, Madam.” She whispered, using a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

“Thank you,” she sobbed. “I—I’m a useless mother. Fahim, will you protect him?”

Fahim sat still in his chair.

“Do you want to protect him?” he asked.

For a moment, the room was filled only with the crackling sound of wood burning in the fire.

Molly left again, and she straightened up.

Fahim watched her quietly.

Snow began to fall again outside. Sitting in the narrow parlor, Fahim listened to his sister talk about the child’s father.

He wasn’t a member of the Wolf or Monkey Families—just a passerby in White Bridge. Handsome, experienced, humorous, and considerate, he was like a gentle breeze, irresistible to a young girl.

She knew he would leave, and he knew he wouldn’t stay. So, no matter how angry the family was, she never revealed any information about him because it was pointless.

Wind couldn’t be caught. She understood this from the start.

“I want to protect my child,” she said, touching her belly. “I don’t care about myself.”

She looked up, surprised to see Fahim smiling.

Fahim said, “This is the first time I’ve heard you speak, Hannah.”

Hannah looked up in confusion.

Maxim was efficient. He arranged for two maids, fixed the creaking door before dark, and bought enough firewood to fill the unused stable.

Hannah, wrapped in a shawl, walked Fahim to the door, but Maxim gently pushed her back inside, protecting her from the snowy wind.

“I’ll come back in a month,” Fahim told her. “Don’t worry about anything. I will protect him.”

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