The mourning hall was brightly lit up. The candle had to be lit for three days and they had to keep the incense burning.
Grace walked into the mourning hall and only saw Jason standing inside with the light falling on him, intertwining with the shadows. He was looking at Old Master Reed who was lying in the ice coffin, wearing graveclothes. Jasonâs handsome face was expressionless.
âJay,â Grace called out.
Only then did he seem to come back to his senses. He turned to look at her. âDidnât I tell you that you donât have to come here as much? I can take care of things here.â
âI came because I wanted to see you,â said Grace as she approached Jason, raising her hand to touch his face.
It was already early January, and the weather was getting colder and colder. However, the mourning hall did not have a heater. Therefore, although it was indoors, it was still cold.
It was colder here, especially at night.
âAre you going to stay here tonight?â she asked.
274 He muttered, âSince he brought me up, Iâll still do what I have to do. Tomorrow is the old masterâs funeral and itâll be crowded. You donât need to come since itâs inconvenient for you with your current state.â
Grace said, âIâm not going to deliver the babies yet, and itâs not too inconvenient for me to come for Grandpaâs funeral. Iâll come tomorrow. Iâll let you know if I donât feel well.â
Jason pressed his thin lips together a little. âGrandpa wasnât kind to you. Why do youââ
Grace said, âThereâs no particular reason. Itâs because he was your grandfather and your family. So even if he didnât like me and didnât really accept me even till the end, I still want to see him off.â
âThereâs no other reason. Itâs only because Old Master Reed raised Jay!â
Jason gently held Graceâs hand. âDonât worry about what Grandpa said in the end. He was justâ¦
Justâ¦â
âI know. He didnât believe that someone being so deeply in love will do them any good. Because of what happened with your great-grandfather and your great-grandmother as well as your father, heâ¦
was afraid that youâd end up in an unfortunate situation too,â said Grace.
When he first took her to the Reed familyâs old manor, she had been deeply impressed by the story he told her about the long blood-stained sword.
When she learned that it was the story of his great-grandfather and great-grandmother, the shock remained in her heart until now.
His great-grandmother had killed his great-grandfather and raised his grandfather in the old manor by herself.
Grace could almost imagine that growing up in such an environment, Old Master Reed probably had no expectations for love but only fear.
Maybe⦠Old Master Reed had never loved anyone his whole life.
âCome to think of it, Grandpa was probably worried about you that he said that on his deathbed,â said Grace.
âReally? Was he⦠worried about me?â He seemed to sneer. Out of the corners of his eyes, he glanced at Old Master Reed who was in the ice coffin. Then, he slowly looked down and rested his head gently on Graceâs shoulder.
âYou were the only family he had left. He still had familial affection for you.â
âBut he cares more about the rise and fall of the Reed family than the so-called familial affection,â
muttered Jason.
âMaybe everyone cares about different things. Just like empires Any incloe file a tonally like to her right nood