Chapter 172 - 118 : Year 25 - 31 Parenting (1)

Chapter 172: Chapter 118 : Year 25 - 31 Parenting (1)

Their daughter, born in Year Twenty-One, was four when this Chapter of their lives began.

She remained close to Lucy and the servants who cared for the household, often following them from one room to another as they went about their duties. She was a curious child who asked questions freely, but she also noticed things that other children her age might have overlooked.

When a maid hurt her hand or a servant returned from an errand looking particularly weary, the girl would grow concerned and want to know what had happened. Sometimes she offered whatever small comfort she could manage, staying close or trying to cheer the person up.

At her age, she could not always understand what had caused someone’s pain, much less know how to ease it, but seeing another person unhappy was often enough to trouble her.

As she grew, this tenderness became more noticeable. She was especially quick to respond when one of her brothers was hurt or upset, and she could become distressed herself when she saw someone suffering.

During occasional visits to the main city of Veymont outside the castle walls, she sometimes fell quiet at the sight of beggars or people whose injuries left them struggling to earn a living. The explanations she received did not always satisfy her. She might accept that someone needed help, only to ask about the person again later, still troubled by the thought that they were hurting.

Lucy answered what she could, gently guiding her back to her lessons and play when the time came, while making sure the girl understood that kindness could take many forms, even when she could not change someone’s circumstances herself.

Lucian and Lucy were touched by their daughter’s concern for others, but it also left them with worries they rarely spoke of openly. They had spent years trying to restore their territory after the war, and they knew how much hardship remained beyond the castle walls. Their authority could provide relief to struggling families, maintain roads, and protect settlements, but it could not prevent every illness, injury, act of cruelty, or misfortune.

They feared that as their daughter grew older and came to understand the world more fully, she might find it difficult to accept how often people suffered without any easy way to help them. Neither parent wished to make her less compassionate, yet they hoped she would eventually learn that caring for others did not mean she had to bear every sorrow she encountered.

For now, she was still a little girl, free to be affectionate, curious, and occasionally stubborn, with plenty of time to learn what her feelings meant. Her parents did not expect her to take on responsibilities before she was ready.

They simply watched as her concern for others became part of who she was, wondering how that gentle instinct would develop as she grew into a world far more complicated than she could yet imagine.

Their third son had gradually settled into the rhythm of family life, though he was still too young to do much beyond sleep, feed, and demand attention when he needed it.

Much of his care fell to Lucy, adding another responsibility to her already busy days, but she welcomed the time she spent with him. Lucian, occupied with the demands of governing the territory, could not always remain with his family for long, yet he made a point of visiting whenever his duties allowed.

The older children responded to their youngest brother in different ways. Their daughter liked to stay close to him, often watching him with the earnest curiosity of a child still discovering the world herself. The eldest, now old enough to understand that the baby depended entirely on those around him, sometimes watched over him with a seriousness that amused the servants.

Their second son, still travelling through Veymont territory with his master, saw his youngest brother whenever his journeys brought him home. Though he had grown accustomed to life beyond the castle, he was still part of the family, and each visit gave him another chance to become familiar with the little brother whose earliest years he would otherwise have missed.

The years between Twenty-Five and Thirty-One brought further challenges to House Veymont’s recovery. A poor harvest in one district could strain grain supplies, while a damaged bridge could disrupt transport and a fall in mine production could upset plans made months earlier.

Some problems were settled quickly, but others forced Lucian to spend money he would have preferred to keep in reserve. Gradually, he learned to leave room for setbacks rather than commit every available coin to the plans before him.

His father had taught him to weigh the cost of a decision before acting, but governing the territory showed him that some costs continued long after the first payment. Repairs needed to be maintained, recruits trained and equipped, and promises made to villagers or vassals honoured long after the immediate problem had passed.

Lucian gradually learned to judge a decision not only by whether it solved the problem at hand, but also by whether the house could sustain its consequences in the years that followed.

Lucian also grew more comfortable entrusting responsibilities to those who had earned his confidence. During his first years as Count, he had kept a close eye on many matters, aware of how easily a mistake could cost the house money or create difficulties for the people under its protection.

He had never managed everything alone. Lucy’s practical judgment helped him weigh the needs of the territory against the limits of the treasury, while Master Corren kept track of the accounts and brought together reports from the estate officials and mine overseers.

Their assistance had already taught Lucian the value of relying on others. As the years passed, he became better at recognising where their experience was most useful and which other people could be trusted with greater responsibility.

The change became apparent in the way he handled the mines. Instead of requiring every minor repair to be brought before him, he allowed the overseers to arrange routine maintenance within the funds already approved for their workings. They were still expected to keep proper records and report unusual expenses, falling production, or damage that might require a larger investment.

Master Corren could then bring such matters to Lucian’s attention alongside the accounts, while Lucy helped him consider how proposed spending would affect other needs across the territory. Lucian remained responsible for the important decisions, but he no longer had to involve himself in every small step taken to carry them out.

He had learned that capable people could do their work well without his constant supervision, provided they understood their limits and knew when to seek his judgment.

This was not a sign that he cared less about the estate. Rather, experience had taught him that a Count who tried to settle every question personally would eventually slow the work of the entire territory.

His duty was to ensure that those entrusted with authority understood their responsibilities and could carry them out. When mistakes occurred, he expected an honest account of what had gone wrong and what could be learned from it. When people proved themselves capable, he gave them greater freedom to act without demanding that every decision or success pass through his hands.

By Year Thirty-One, Lucian had not become less involved in governing House Veymont; he had become better at ensuring that its affairs could continue moving forward without depending on his attention at every turn.

By the same year, Lucian’s eldest son was seventeen and beginning to take his future responsibilities seriously. Having spent several years listening to fief reports and accompanying trusted men on inspections, he had started to look beyond the decisions made within the castle. He was learning to consider how those decisions affected people living farther away, and he had become more careful about offering an opinion before hearing the full account of a problem.

His father encouraged him to ask questions and consider different solutions rather than simply accept the judgment of older men. Lucy also remained an important influence, helping him understand the practical concerns behind the household’s affairs and the people whose work kept the family and its lands running. He was growing into his responsibilities, though Lucian knew that understanding the principles of good governance was different from bearing the consequences of difficult decisions himself.

His martial development had advanced even more quickly. Years of disciplined training had given him a lean, athletic build, with strength and definition earned through practice rather than bulk. His movements had become quicker and more controlled, and at seventeen, he had recently broken through to Bone Tempering.

It was an achievement that set him apart from his father, who had reached Blood Tempering only after years of effort and had never managed to advance further. The surviving veteran who oversaw the family’s martial training had recognised the boy’s natural aptitude, but talent alone had not carried him through his lessons. He had trained consistently, and his breakthrough was the result of both his ability and the work he had put into developing it.

Lucian took pride in his son’s progress, though he understood that martial talent and the ability to govern demanded different qualities. His son was showing promise in both, but neither path was complete. The boy still had much to learn about ruling a territory, just as his new realm of martial development would demand greater discipline and understanding.

Lucian did not expect him to be ready for every burden simply because he had advanced so quickly. What pleased him most was that his son was beginning to understand that the privileges of being born into House Veymont came with responsibilities of their own.