Two Reborn, One Throne novel Chapter 127

When Amber got back to the apartment, she was surprised to find Arthur still awake.

"Dad? Why are you still up?" she called out.

Arthur was lying on the living room recliner. It took him a second to process her voice before he replied, "Oh, I couldn't sleep. You're back from evening classes, Amber."

Amber raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. It's late, Dad. You should get some rest."

She dropped her backpack and went to wash up. Arthur threw off his blanket, sat up for a bit, and then lay back down.

Amber knew he had something on his mind, but she wasn't going to ask. She needed him to say it himself.

After washing her face, Amber filled a small tub with warm water to soak her feet.

She carried it into the living room, sat on the sofa, and absentmindedly splashed her feet in the warm water.

Seeing her act completely normal, Arthur hesitated, struggling to find the words. It wasn't until she had finished her soak and was emptying the basin that he finally spoke. "Amber... did I make a mistake?"

He had spent the entire evening agonizing over it. Agreeing to go back to his old routine with Grace today felt like an impulsive blunder.

He didn't know what had come over him—maybe it was just pure habit. But when he came home and saw the dinner Xanthe had set aside for him, a heavy knot formed in his chest. He realized he had probably messed up.

"What did you do wrong, Dad?" Amber asked, feigning ignorance. She even played it off lightly, "Did you forget to drop me off or pick me up tonight?"

"Dad, I'm an adult, not a little kid who needs a chauffeur." Amber smiled warmly, trying to comfort him. "It's fine. I know my way around. I can take the bus, hail a cab, or whatever."

Hearing her speak so breezily only made Arthur’s chest tighten further. "Amber, I know I messed up, I really do. Please don't talk to me like that."

Amber kept up the act. "Dad, what exactly did you do? Why are you being so serious?"

Arthur gritted his teeth. "Amber, you're playing with me. How could you not know?"

"Dad, there is nothing wrong with being kind. But being too kind means people will walk all over you. They see you as someone who never complains, someone easy to exploit, and they'll dump all their problems on you. Helping someone is a favor, not an obligation. You always think about how hard life is for everyone else, and how keeping the peace is better than causing a scene."

"But Dad, you can't buy genuine affection with blind loyalty. You can be kind, and you don't have to reject everyone, but the prerequisite is that the other person actually deserves it."

"When it comes to Grace, you weren't wrong, but you were also completely wrong. You were wrong for constantly compromising. Take what happened last night—you knew perfectly well that if their setup worked, I would have been forced to humiliate myself and beg on my knees. Yet you couldn't pull the trigger. The moment Grace threw a tantrum, you lost all logic. Do you know why?"

"Because you want to marry her and build a life together. You've waited twelve years, so you think waiting a little longer, until Lucian and I finish our exams, is fine. You think you're finally going to get what you want. But Dad, have you ever stopped to think—if Grace genuinely wanted to be with you, would any of this actually be an obstacle?"

Arthur lowered his eyes. He didn't have much formal education; whatever wisdom he possessed came entirely from hard knocks and personal observation.

He had thought about it. But he was the type to figure he had already lived half his life this way, so waiting a little longer didn't matter. But life was unpredictable.

However, one truth remained: if someone genuinely wanted to build a life with you, no obstacle was insurmountable. Unless, of course, their feelings were entirely fake.

"Dad, let's make a deal. For the next seven days, do not proactively restock supplies for Grace, and do not cater to her and Lucian's daily needs. If she agrees to sign the marriage license, I will give you my blessing. But if she just cries, throws a fit, threatens to break it off, or uses the marriage license as leverage and nothing else... Dad, you have to cut her off for good!"