Fortunate or Unfortunate - Chapter 1

“Get married.”
Graham Norman Hayworth, the eighth head of the
Duke of Sutherwick, one of the three great
meritorious houses of the empire, and a veteran
who made great strides in the Al Salvador War,
declared.
Cedric Hayworth, the eldest grandson, who was
called to present before Graham and had to listen to
the story silently, raised an eyebrow stiffly.
“..Does delirium come with old age?”
“There’s nothing this guy can’t say to his
grandfather.”
“You say that when you’re the one who called for
someone who is dead tire, but how else aml
Supposed to take it.”
Cedric rubbed the back of his nose with a tired hand.
He was orn his way back after receiving a report on a
large scale fire at the textile factory in Auden.

ldentifying factory workers’ casualties and
compensation plans, determining the loss of
machinery and fabrics, reconstructing plans of
factories, and routing connections to secure supplies
until nornmal business recovery. He could not even
sleep and had to clean up all night.
There were dozens of reports signed overnight, and
dozens of reports needed to be dealt with in the
future.
From Cedric Roden Hayworth’s stance, it really was
not the time to discuss a major event like marriage.
“Get married. I cannot stand the sight of my
successor, who is in his late twenties, still single.”
“It’s unfortunate, Katarina has been celibated.”
Cedric replied indifferently. Katarina Rossim was the
name of the former Countess he was currently
dating
After her first husband’s bereavement and her
second husband’s extravagant divorce, Catarina put

up a sign that there would be no more marriage in
her life again.
The thirty-year-old beauty, with countless lovers,
was proudly reigning as the social queen bee.
Countless meaning that Cedric was not the only
lover of Katarina.
He wasnt even her first. The two of them were far
from the typical loving lovers who would whisper
sweet words to each other.
Besides, if Cedric was to raise the wedding marches
right now, it would most likely be Katarina who
opposes against him.
It was very clear this lady would burst into laughter
as soon as he proposes, kick the ring box, and Cedric
as well.
She will do that while making a remark ‘In the end,
were you such an obvious man?
“There were many stories about Kate.”

Graham naturally called her by nickname.
High society was broad, yet at the same time,
confined. It was natural for Katarina to be
acquainted with Graham.
He was worried that from the ambiguous
relationship she would show up as the Duchess of
Sutherwick.
“Then who, when, where, and how do you want me
to marry.”
Graham frowned at the blunt and rude remark.
He tried to spit out a word but Cedric, who gave a
shrug, was a step faster.
“It would make sense for you to kindly give me an
explanation, your Grace.
“In any case, I don’t think I’ll lose the argument.”
Even so, it’s adorable. Graham swallowed a laugh
inwardly, pretending to be upset. Amongst the seven
grandchildren, Cedric resembled Graham the most.

He had a tall stature and ravishing good looks. There
was also a resemblance in the very handsome face.
It was only natural for women to follow them like
ants chasing after aphids, trying to bite their tails.
Graham, who had made his name as a prominent
aristocrat, was satisfied.
Not only that, it was natural to be clever, but it was
not enough to say he was even competent. The
talented gathers around him.
He knows how to choose the best of the best from
amongst the quick tongued that parents kept
shoving to him, ones who were just empty carts with
loud whistles
Before one’s eyes, Graham knew from experience,
this was a great sort of talent.
If he was to choose someone amongst his
grandchildren to marry Lyla’s granddaughter, the
most natural choice would be Cedric. Graham
concealed his thoughts to himself and spoke out
solemnly.

“Do you know of Viscount Langton House?”
“I know. It is a long-established family. Grandfather
was a long-time friend with the deceased
predecessor.”
It’s also a family that’s ruined. Cedric did not bother
to add. What does it matter if it has history and
tradition?
Viscount Langton’s family had never prospered. At
least not within his memory.
There were two main indicators that measured the
capability of aristocrats. It was legitimacy and
wealth.
The former was based on the generation of keeping
the blood pure, while the latter literally depended on
the amount of wealth accumulated.
In terms of legitimacy, Viscount Langton did not have
any direct family lineage heir to follow, and it was
also not enough to say he was also lacking in terms
of wealth.

This was not the result of luxurious spending. It was
a wish of his to have a frugal and simple life.
The problem was luck. Viscount Langton’s luck in
fortune was the worst. The Langton household,
which had a strong aristocratic pride and did not
care much about commerce, was extremely
vulnerable to disasters.
Meanwhile, Viscount Langton would use his own
wealth to compensate the tenants by paying
personal expenses whenever damages were
accrued.
Noblesse oblige.
He would straighten his back and acted as if he
would not lose his pride.
Even when income decreased due to a year of bad
harvest, the profit would decrease with tenant
farming fee being lowered; tenant fee would not be
raised. Regardless of the deficit, he did not stop his
charitable work.

Honor was the only thing that can be peeled from
Langton’s skin.
When blood vessels are stabbed, only blue blood can
Come out.
There was nothing to eat even at the cost of
hatching one’s bones.
It was a sarcastic remark on the inflexible foolishness
of the Langton household. Such that, it was a talk
that reached the family’s ears. Viscount Langton’s
household.
“Yes. There’s a daughter of the Langton household
that has passed the marriageable age. Accordingly,
her name is Haley Langton. This year… let’s see,
she must be about twenty-four.”
As Graham stroked his beard, he recalled a young girl
he had seen decades ago.
Dazzling platinum hair. She was a child closely
resembling Lyla, bright like the sunshine of spring.
“Marry the child.”

T’m sure there are many better options for a
political marriage.”
Cedric responded nonchalantly.
Langton lacks too many things for it to stand beside
the Sutherwick.
Seigniory, not so good.
Power, don’t have.
Wealth, don’t have.
Honor. Oh, that does exist.
However, it was of no use for the Ducal Family of
Sutherwick. There were many achievements attained
by the Ducal household.
He could have been slapped with a medal from the
royal family. It will just be a few more label added
onto his family’s reputation.
“If it’s a marriage, regardless of my will, please find a
suitable partn er that is more appropriate. Next time,
also attach the other person’s personal statement,

self-introduction, and portrait. These days I will be
too busy to make time for each and every
matchmaking arranged by the elder. Truly.”
He had to deal with the aftermath of the fire and
inspect the estate. Recently, the looting of
mercenaries scattered on the western outskirts had
been rampant. It was necessary for him to inspect in
person.
He could also bet on his wrist that a number of
mercenary group’s success was the work of a small
minded uncle. He was sick and tired of having to take
care of his cousins and uncles.
After speaking, Cedric slowly rose from his seat. The
old master’s hoarse voice caught him.
“Your lily is not pure white.”
Cedric halt his stance.
Lily is the family crest of the Sutherwick family. A lily
grasped by a hawk’s claw. His lineage was being
compared to the white of the flower.

More precisely, that of his mother’s origin. The
muscles of Cedric’s jawline stood out fully. The ducal
heir, gritted his teeth, looked back at his grandfather
with cold eyes.
“Why? Are you going to turn the table upside down
again?”
“l am not a fifteen-year-old kid; I’m done drawing.’
Grinds. At the sound of molar buckling, the old
master pulled his mouth and laughed. Even if he
pretended to be cold, in the eyes of the old hawk,
the clumsy side of the young heir in his twenties still
stood out.
Rascal. No matter how proud he pretended, he was
still in the old man’s palms. Graham hid his smile as
he brushed down his beard.
“Sit down. The story is not over yet.”
‘If you wanfibtållq about my mother’s story, please
stop

1am not blaming you nor your mother. It’s only
that, lately in vain, your uncles and some of your
cousins have been making a lot of fuss.”
Cedric’s mother, Yvette, was a former theatrical
actress. Naturally, she was a commoner, she wasn’t
even an imperial citizen, but an outsider.
She was a woman of exquisite beauty, with blood
that cannot even be distinguished as from where she
was from, how much of a percentage of mixed blood
is unknown.
It will eventually fall into his hands. Grandfather
Graham will personally hand over the Duke’s
position to him.
“But it can’t be easy for me either when the other
children kept bringing up legitimacy. It’s a
headache.”
Graham scrunched up his forehead.
Half of it was his fault. As a sensible duke in the past,
he firmly opposed the marriage of his eldest son
Alexander.

In the end, he lost to his son’s stubbornness, but it
was after Yvette’s stomach had already been full for
quite some time.
Alexander’s only son, Cedric, was born only two
months after the couple had their wedding
ceremony.
They were hit with gossips and rumors. There were
whispers that the duchess’s blood was of mixed
blood.
As it just so happened, Cedric, with the exception to
his blue eyes like his father, had a stronger
resemblance to his mother. The chilling blue eyes
were the characteristics of the Ducal Family of
Sutherwick, but it was not as though Alexander was
the only man with them?
Cedric’s father, of course, denied the allegations
with a single stroke and affirmed he would not sit by
and watch such rude conduct of the yellow
journalism.

However, just because it had faded in public, it did
not mean the shady rumors had disappeared
forever
The controversy over his mother’s infidelity was
venom in the molar, a skeleton in the closet, and
perhaps a tag that would probably follow him for life.
“So Langton is a suitable one, not another family.
You are only lacking in one thing.”
Even the mockery of the Viscount Langtorn
household bore the word honor. The Langton
household was presently in its 13th generation, and
had kepta long tradition of keeping their family
name.
It was extremely difficult for a family to go over 13
generations of passing the lineage into direct hands.
Even the royal family’s blood was turned over; it had
been 5 generations ago since it was last turned over.
The 8th generation Duke of Sutherwick was also
considered established. As for the Viscount Langton
household, even the spouses of the former Viscount
Langton had always been aristocrats.

In terms of the concentration of blood, it was even
more pure than the duke. Therefore, there was no
better method for proof of ancestry than to marry a
member of the Langton family.
Cedric heaved a sigh. Facing the growing strife of his
relatives was the only thing that gave him a
headache. It was also true that the grumbling behind
the scenes was gradually increasing. There was
nothing wrong with what Graham said.
“..I thought I was doing considerably well.”
“You’re doing exceptionally well, you are.
However, the ducal household was one of the pillars
of the nation. It was a family that was considered to
be more powerful than the king.
They were on the receiving end of the media’s
attention and the eyes of the public. It was a position
where even the slightest anxiety had to be
completely suppressed.
“Even the Viscount household is insinuating their
willingness to hold accountability for us. I told you

not to regard it as a debt. I believe his pride won’t
allow him to do so.
Graham clicked his tongue. Graham Hayworth, Duke
of Sutherwick, was close friends with Morgan
Langton, a predecessor of Langton.
The two were in such a relationship where there
were several financial support between them.
It was only after Viscount Langton vowed to repay
back the favor, did he accepted Sutherwick’s help.
If the Sutherwick’s desired method of help was a
merge between the two families, the Langton would
surely respond to Sutherwick’s request.
“1 got it. 6 | shall propose, right.”
Cedric, briefly immersed in his thoughts, nodded his
head.
“Really?”
Graham responded with a glow on his tace.
“Yes.”

“That’s very good. Then be sure to pay a visit to the
Viscount family as soon as possible.”
The old duke put his hands together and gave a dull
clap. Thankfully, his grandchild accepted the
marriage more smoothly than he had thought.
It was better to know how terrifying the nature of his
stubbornness was.
“I do have one question to add. Grandfather.”
“What question?”
Graham knitted his eyebrows at his grandchild’s
impudent tone.
“Is it just for that reason ?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The sacrament of this marriage that you desire..
Are you sure you don’t have any particular reason
for that?”
“Are you out of your mind? Why are you speaking
nonsense?”

“Well, grandmother said.
Graham’s nerves stood up at Cedric’s voice that
slowly dragged at the end of the sentence.
“… whatever it is your grandmother said.”
“Lyla Langton, the deceased predecessor
Viscountess Langton, was said to be a peerless
beauty during one’s youth.
Cedric’s raised his smooth mouth and gave a
picturesque smile.
“As a result, a man so foolish, who wouldn’t take any
medicine, was so enamored with her to the point of
a severe case of lovesickness that he would go on
meal strikes.”
Cedric eloquently continued his speech, as Graham
clenched his mouth shut. His beard trembled.
“But, Lyla already hada deeply affectionate fiancé.
Of all things, her fiancé was best friends and rivals
with this foolish man who could not express how he
felt and could only suffer a heartbreak.”

As though thinking of how pathetic it was, Cedric
lightly shook his head. Graham’s shoulder flinched
slightly.
“That was not all; on the day of Viscount Langton’s
wedding, there wasa grown man secretly bawling
his eyes out as though it was someone’s funeral.”
Cedric let out an exaggerated sigh this time.
Graham’s head sank ever so slightly.
“It was a vain attempt to try to beat his back to have
him return back to his senses. She would never do it
a second time, and would rather live alone. So she
had told me. Grandmother did.”
“This…. Damn it..
As the nonchalant words continued, the duke’s
mouth finally groaned out a curse.
Nevertheless, the face of the grandson before him
was excessively indifferent.
“By chance, does grandfather know where this
sniveling coward lives”

“Okay, that idiot is me. You little bastard! What are
you going to do?l”
A thunderous roar of anger echoed out in the room.
The Duke of Sutherwick breathed roughly with a
haggard face. He glared at Cedric fiercelylike a tiger.
Even so, being at the end of one’s glare, the ducal
heir’s face was undisturbed.
Cedric pulled up a smile on one side of his mouth.
“As expected. My esteemed grandfather never
disappoints me.”
Clap clap. The sound of insincere applause followed.