HEIRESS REBORN: MARRYING HER EX-FIANCÉ-Chapter 26: The Kratos Family (2)
Plans for the future....
Ayana lowered her gaze in silence as the words from the Old master Kratos dug deeper in her endless thoughts.
’’Your cousin announced that you will succeed him once you’re eighteen, my dear. In the board meeting two months ago, you also announced that when your little brother, the original heir is eighteen, he will succeed you as the President of the Kingston corporation. What are your plans then, when that time comes?’’
’’...’’ Ayana’s silence remained in the enchanted-like garden.
’’I....guess I’ll fulfil my duties as your granddaughter-in-law and the madam of the Kratos family.’’ She hesitated first, and then finished her response with a forced smile.
What would her plans be when Jason succeeded her? She did not have an idea. At the moment, she was just focused on evading her relatives’ schemes and keeping her loved ones and the Kingston corporation safe from the unnecessary eyes of others.
Perhaps when the time comes, she would apparently know, and also.....understand herself as a person.
But right now....
’I don’t even know myself....’ Still with a smile, Ayana suddenly came to a realization.
Who was Ayana Kingston?
Who was Ayana without that powerful last name?
Who was she as a person?
Ayana had no idea.
In her past life, she grew up under the influence of her relatives. Her fashion, her way of thinking, her character, her taste, her preference and even her lover.....everything about herself back then had been carefully crafted by her relatives.
In this life without their influence, she was nothing, but a puppet who had yet to have a puppeteer
A puppet without its strings.
The puppeteer this time was supposed to be herself, but she didn’t know how to pull her own strings.
She didn’t understand herself as a person.
’I wonder if I truly like chrysanthemum tea....’ She lowered her gaze to the golden-yellow liquid with an inward scoff.
’’...’’
Old master Kratos wordlessly eyed the twelve-year-old for a moment. He recalled the smile on her lips and then her hazel eyes a few seconds ago.
Unlike the smile on her lips, those eyes were blank and unfeeling. Cold without emotions, if he were to put in his own words.
How could a young child like her have such eyes?
It was the same as in the board meeting two months ago. Smiles with indifferent eyes that sometimes flashed with ridicules.
Then, he had assumed that she was putting up a front in the presence of businessmen twice her age, but now he realized that his thinking might have been wrong.
That must be her true self.
’’You shouldn’t mind my words, my dear.’’ Old master Kratos broke the silence. ’’You’re still young and have enough time to know what you want.’’ He turned his gaze to the nearby blossoming flowers.
’’Ayana, a name that means beauty and flowers. In this world, a person can’t grow up alone. No matter how one wants to be independent on their own, it doesn’t change that humans need each other to grow. Just like flowers, my dear.’’ He paused and then returned his gaze back to hers.
’’To grow a flower, a gardener will need to water the seed and the watered seed will need the environment for sunlight and nutrients.’’
’’.....’’
’’When you become the President of the Kingston corporation or perhaps before then, you will meet many people, and form connections with them. You’ll make new friends and even enemies. As you progress in life, you will understand yourself as a person and get to know more. This is my understanding of us humans and our growth.’’ He then finished with a smile. ’’So you shouldn’t think too much about my question, my dear. Just live your life and be happy.’’
’How I wish someone would have told me this back then.’ Old master Kratos lowered his gaze with a sense of melancholy.
’No...Someone did.’ He chuckled softly. ’But I was too stubborn to listen and always assumed that I could never be wrong.’
As a man with vivid wealth and influence, he had always thought himself to be powerful and never wrong. If he said left, many would go left. If he said right, many would go right.
That power to control filled him with unimaginable arrogance and pleasure, but he secretly hid that side of himself, and tried to be humble.
Always giving the impression that he was easygoing yet could not be taking lightly.
After all, too much arrogance could kill a person.
But now....he was regretting it at this old age.
If he had listened to the words of others, perhaps he wouldn’t be feeling this loneliness in this vast mansion that had been a beautiful home in the past.
’....Just live your life and be happy.’
Ayana slowly repeated those words in her heart as though ingraining each letter to the inner muscles of her body.
To live her life and be happy....
’’....Thank you, sir.’’ She looked at the Old master Kratos who raised his gaze to meet hers, her eyes filled with appreciation.
Though, she didn’t fully comprehend why the old master was being this nice to her, she cherished this advice from him.
She would try to grow and understand herself in this second life. The Old master Kratos was right. Humans needed each other grow, just like herself. If she hadn’t experienced her tragic first life, she wouldn’t have changed in this new life that was given to her by the heavens.
’But my happiness will come after my revenge.’ Ayana thought without hesitation. She hoped that her eyes were not filled with the resentment burning in her heart.
When her enemies suffered the same way she had in her past life, perhaps she would be feel this happiness of living her life.
’’You shouldn’t thank me just yet, my dear.’’ The Old master Kratos said after taking another sip from his tea cup. ’’When you’re happy, and if I am still around by then, you should come here and have tea with this old man. That is enough for me as your thanks.’’ He suggested with a smile.
’’Yes, grandfather.’’ Ayana laughed lightly at his words.
’’It’s good that you understand.’’ The Old master Kratos also laughed in return. ’’ Although I wish for the two families to have a close relationship, if by then you have another that you love and wish to marry, you should tell me, Ayana.’’
Ayana momentarily froze at those words.
"Our families don’t need to rely on arranged marriages to grow and flourish," he continued, his tone becoming serious. "I said the same thing to my grandson. If either of you has someone you truly wish to marry, you should speak up and not hide it from me. Do you understand, Ayana?" His voice softened at the end.
"Ah..." Her eyes shook for a moment, and her hands clenched tightly on her lap.
’What a fool you had been, Ayana.’ she berated herself inwardly, lowering her gaze to her tightly fisted hands. Tears pooled around her eyelids, threatening to spill over as she fought to keep them at bay.
’What a fool.’
"Y-Yes, G-Grandfather." Her voice quivered with the sobs that she desperately held back.
Love? What kind of love would she have for another in the future? She had loved and love had hurt her in return. In this heart of hers, only resentment and hatred burned deep within her.
There was no love that she could have for another man, even for her fiancé in this life.
’’Why are you crying, my dear? Your tears were not the intention behind my words. Though, it would truly be a regret if you don’t marry my grandson. If you youngsters do get married in the future eventually, I promise to cripple Axel’s legs if he ever tries bring you trouble’’ He playfully winked and Ayana responded with laughter as she wiped her tears.
She had truly been a fool. To think she had never interacted with this kind man in her past life. If she had, she wouldn’t have ended up that way. How she terminated the verbal engagement with the Kratos family was only through her fiancé. She had never sought after the Old master Kratos, and he had never sought after herself.
Perhaps he had been disappointed by what he had seen in her past life. The rivalling Kingston family had almost been destroyed by the hands of their foolish young miss.
’What a disgusting person you have become, Ayana.’ Ayana inwardly laughed at herself. At the moment she detested herself for not saying her honest thoughts to the Old master Kratos.
That she couldn’t provide the love that he imagined herself to have for his grandson or another man.
’’I don’t see myself troubling my future wife, grandfather.’’
