They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System-Chapter 473: What Family Means to Me

If his grandchildren were thrown out, he would never be offended.

Stephanie felt her throat go dry. In that moment, she finally understood, she had overestimated her place in Carl’s life by miles.

The one person who fully understood what was happening was Elder Knox.

He knew Carl better than almost anyone alive.

People often said Carl was a man who valued loyalty and friendship, and that was true. But what many failed to realize was that he valued family even more, sometimes to a degree that bordered on unshakable devotion.

Elder Knox had quietly kept tabs on Carl over the years. He had been sworn brothers with Carl’s grandfather and had watched the boy grow from a remarkable child into the formidable young man before them.

When Carl’s parents died so suddenly, Elder Knox had worried he might never recover. That kind of loss could hollow a person out.

But not Carl.

Not only had he survived, but he had carved his name deeper into the annals of power and had been steadily reclaiming control over his kingdom with an almost frightening steadiness.

And every year, without fail, on the anniversary of his parents’ deaths, Carl would leave whatever matters he was handling, no matter how important, and return to Riverum Castle.

No one knew exactly what he did there during those twenty four hours. He never spoke of it.

But the next day, he would reappear, composed as ever, and resume his duties as though nothing had happened.

His personality never wavered. His focus never slipped.

It was this unyielding steadiness, and that quiet, hidden grief, that made Elder Knox realize just how much the simple word family meant to Carl.

And from what Elder Knox had observed over the years, Carl wasn’t faking it or putting on some flawless act. He was genuinely kind, patient, gentle, and caring, a man with a rare depth of emotional intelligence.

Till today, Elder Knox still couldn’t understand how someone who had walked through so much tragedy could come out of it all...undamaged. Yet, somehow, Carl had.

This mystery only made Elder Knox respect him more, fueling his curiosity and admiration. Again and again, he found himself drawn to Carl’s side, choosing to work alongside him just to stay close and learn from this remarkable young man.

After years of collaboration, Elder Knox was certain of one thing, Carl didn’t just say he valued someone; he proved it through every action, every small detail.

And if there was anything the old man had learned, it was this: the people Carl accepted as family were guarded even more fiercely than any friend or ally.

That was why his relationship with Arthur and Somto was so much closer, because he considered them his family. And now that he had openly acknowledged a little sister, something he had never done before, it was obvious he already placed her above all other friendships.

From what Elder Knox could see, Carl doted on this sister of his very much. The way he defended her, without hesitation or care for appearances, proved it beyond question.

Suddenly, Elder Knox found that his granddaughter looked far less pleasing to the eye. She lacked the level of discernment he always believed she had. Clearly, she was less refined and far more arrogant than he had realized.

Looks like her parents had praised her too much...so much that she had started growing foolish.

It was fortunate, he thought coldly, that he was here today to witness her true character for himself.

Watching her try to salvage her pride, Elder Knox silently crossed her name off the list in his mind. The opportunity he had planned to give her, he would never waste it now, even if she was family.

Her father would probably come later, begging and trying to persuade him to change his mind. But Elder Knox had already decided.

He refused to squander such a chance on someone who couldn’t even read the room.

And to avoid too much arguing and wasted energy later, Elder Knox decided he would have a long talk with his son and daughter in law. They needed to hear the truth, how they had failed in raising their children to be truly wise.

Fortunately, these two were still young. It wasn’t too late to correct them, to humble them before their arrogance grew beyond saving.

Elder Knox sighed to himself, a deep wave of disappointment rising in his chest.

I can’t believe I was actually planning to recommend her to Carl...even consider suggesting her for marriage.

He shook his head slightly at the thought. She had always liked Arthur ever since she was a little girl, but even a blind fool could see she would never get anywhere with that iceberg.

Not to mention that Arthur only ever had one person in his heart, that girl from the other kingdom.

Even now, after all these years of silence and uncertainty, not knowing whether she was even still alive...Arthur remained steadfast.

Unmoving.

Loyal to a fault.

And seeing that made Stephanie’s shallow scheming look all the more pitiful.

Elder Knox had a sinking feeling that Arthur was simply destined to be alone. And if he kept clinging to memories of that girl, refusing to look forward, that fate would surely come to pass.

It had been more than a decade already. If she or her parents were alive, they would have returned long ago. Elder Knox had accepted that truth, though Arthur clearly hadn’t.

Compared to Arthur’s frozen heart, Carl had always seemed like the better choice for his granddaughter. Carl was patient, gentle, refined, so effortlessly kind, with a depth of understanding few possessed.

Elder Knox never doubted that if Stephanie married Carl, she would be cherished and protected beyond measure.

But now...

Now, watching her petty arrogance and shallow judgment, he realized with cold clarity that Stephanie was not worthy of Carl at all.

I would have let the boy down, he thought, a trace of shame flickering in his chest. Even mentioning her name to him in that way...

Carl was like a grandson to him, no, more than that. He was proof that tragedy didn’t have to break a person’s spirit. Only the best, most sincere girl deserved to stand beside someone like him.

Stephanie, on the other hand, was only now truly realizing how serious the situation had become. A chill spread through her chest, her confident calculations unraveling one by one.

She turned her eyes to her grandfather, silently pleading for help, for some kind of rescue. But Elder Knox only looked away, his expression distant and unmoved.

She wasn’t surprised, not really. He had always refused to control Carl, not when she had begged him to convince Carl to create opportunities for her to get close to Arthur, not when she had pleaded for a single word of endorsement that might finally set her above all the other ambitious nobles.

She had believed with all her heart that if she could just stay close enough, she could make Arthur forget his first love. She was certain she could warm that iceberg of a man until he learned to love her instead.

As for other opportunities that didn’t involve trying to control Carl, her father and mother had tried their best, doing everything in their power to give her the advantages she craved.

Even her grandfather had stepped in more than once to smooth her path. And it had been so much more than enough, so much privilege and favor piled into her lap.

But she knew in her heart: none of it could compare to what would have happened if Carl himself had ever chosen to speak for her. If he had ever stood behind her, her influence would have become unshakable.

And now, she realized, she might have destroyed any chance of that forever.

In fact, Carl had only ever allowed her into his circle because she had proven herself in her field, through relentless work, flawless results, and unshakable determination. She had fought her way to this level with her own two hands or so she liked to tell herself.

When she finally earned the chance to work alongside the Big Three, she had thought everything would fall neatly into place. Yet even then, Carl had refused to help her with the one thing she wanted most: Arthur.

She wasn’t panicking, at least, not on the surface. Now that she was officially in their circle, she believed she had all the time in the world to turn Arthur’s heart in her favor.

Naomi was tucked away in Elhara. Hannah, despite all the speculation, never showed any sign of caring for Arthur, not in her words and definitely not in her actions. And Ava, well, Ava was hopelessly obsessed with Somto.

In Stephanie’s mind, all these things cleared her path to Arthur. But even so, she had never forgotten that Carl was still her surest, fastest route to the man she wanted. She hadn’t given up on finding a way to win Carl over.

But now, faced with the cold finality in Carl’s voice, Stephanie swallowed her pride. If Carl wouldn’t be moved by her pleading, and her grandfather clearly had no intention of intervening, she would have to offer something else, someone else, as a sacrifice.

Her gaze slid sideways to her brother. If one of them had to pay the price for this, it was going to be Nicholas.

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Hi guys!

Hope you’re enjoying the novel?

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I got a request from some of our loyal readers, and as you all already know, your wish is my command.

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To see Carl!

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