"So, what was your plan?" Thomas asked. "How were you going to convince Reginald's father to let his son date a commoner and raise a bastard son?"

"Easy," Jameson said. "Make Emma a noble."

"You can do that?"

"Not directly. When someone makes a sizable donation to the royals, they are bestowed with a noble title. The Virility household originated as merchants that sold the very same roses they sell today. To become a noble, Emma needed to make a sizable donation to the royals."

"But she was poor, so how did you get her enough money?" Thomas asked.

"We stole," Reginald emerged from behind them followed by Wade and Hopi.

"Father, how did you find us?" Thomas backed away a bit.

"I figured you would both be here." Reginald glared at Jameson. "Go on, tell him the rest. You already broke the promise I made to Emma for me. Wade, Hopi, you two should leave. This is a private matter."

"Understood." As the two guards left, Jameson sighed.

"I had to tell him." Jameson said. "It was eating at him."

"Well go on." Reginald waved at him. "No one here can stop you from doing what you want. You're the strongest here after all." He sat down next to Thomas and took out a bottle of expensive wine. Jameson recognized it as his favorite from back in the day. "I'm not much of a drinker anymore. I was saving this for when Thomas went off to the academy, but I feel like I need it now." He popped the lid off and drank directly from the bottle. "That's good stuff." He smiled. "Now get on with the story."

"Yes Reginald."

"That's my lord, captain." Reginald bit off each word.

"Yes, my lord." Jameson lowered his head.

"Hey, Father, isn't that a little too harsh on him." Thomas pleaded. "He's only telling me because I've been so insistent. If anything, it's your fault for not telling me."

"Thomas, shut your mouth until the story is over." He took another swig.

"To make Emma a noble, we stole money from your grandfather." Jameson continued after some hesitation. "He noticed and trailed the stolen money back to her. I was her guard, but I failed to protect her. They stole her right under my nose. Your grandfather chained her up in a brothel. She was tortured by commoners and defiled in all sorts of terrible ways, but they never touched her unborn child. She died giving birth to you. When I found out what they did to her, I staged coup. I killed your grandfather and everyone in the Virility household that was loyal to him."

"So, that's it?" Thomas asked. "My mom was tortured by him and by a bunch of filthy degenerate commoners and you kept this from me. It's a terrible story, but why did you keep it in secrecy. Did you think I would think lesser off myself because I'm a bastard?"

"You're not a bastard." Reginald said. "We succeeded. I sold my grandfather's assets and made your mother a noble after her death with them. The mansion, the rose fields, and Pedal Town are all that's left of the Virility household. Our family used to be four times this size, but I sold the lands. I wanted to give you a good life as a noble. As for why I kept his from you, it was to stop the hate. Your mother and I married across class lines. We experienced firsthand the prejudice from every class. I don't want you to inherit that hatred. I want you to treat commoners equally to nobles. I want you to be a decent human being."

"What a nice example you're being." Thomas knocked the bottle of wine out of Reginald's hands. "You're drinking, lying, keeping me isolated in that damned mansion all day, training me until I can't even stand, and you're about to punish Jameson for clearing up one of your mistakes! How am I supposed to be a decent human under this? I read every damned book in the library just like Doevm did. If it wasn't for your books on psychology, I would have been a stuck up noble. I would have been what you feared, a stuck up noble, if I didn't chase after Doevm like a boy chasing after his older sibling. I don't want a perfect life; I just want a father." He wiped his tears away and stormed off.

"Thomas, what have I done to you? I'm such an idiot." Reginald tried to follow, but the alcohol already kicked in. He fell over. Jameson caught him and stood him up.

"He's right."

"Don't think you're out of the punishment for just this." Reginald said. "Can you help me chase after him."

"Yes my lord." Jameson leaned Reginald on him.

"Actually, just stick to Reginald." Reginald said.

"Yes, Reginald." Jameson hurried after Thomas. "You used to be a lightweight, but this takes the cake. Two swigs and you're already this far gone."

"Shut up, I can walk." As Jameson helped Reginald back, a man intercepted them.

"Are you lord Reginald Virility?" The man asked. On his side was a large bag filled with letters.

"Yes I am." Reginald tried to straighten up, but the man just handed them a letter and left before he could. Reginald fiddled with it, almost tearing the letter in half. Jameson took it from him and opened it. He frowned. "I don't have my monocle. What does it say?" Reginald asked.

"It's the draft. We move out in a week." Jameson folded the letter up and put it in his pocket. "The war is happening at the border. The hero has been found in the Vilbar Kingdom."

"The fish lovers got him again?" Reginald laughed. "We need to tell the soldiers right now. You go address them and I'll go after Thomas."

"You can't even walk." Jameson said. "Do you want me to get you a servant?"

"No, this is urgent. I'll manage." Jameson sighed and hurried off. Reginald staggered after his son, cursing his own stupidity.

"All these years I've been so blind. I treated him as an ignorant noble. I just forced training down his throat so he would forget about social class. He saw through me and realized the difference between nobles and commoners on his own, yet he isn't full of prejudices. He saw Doevm, a hardworking, respectable kid, and formed the image of a commoner from him. I made sure Thomas met no nobles, so he thinks I'm the typical noble. This whole thing has become backwards of what I expected, but it's what I want. I'm so proud of Thomas and so thankful to Doevm, but now Thomas hates me. That's my own fault. I need to change how I interact with him. I need to be more of a father from now on."

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Author's Note: The problem where my writing style has shifted unfortunately didn't end today. I was told it would shift back tomorrow, although I don't know if that will be after tomorrow's set of two chapters are released. Thank you for everything, including your patience.