Blackstone Code-Chapter 417: Sweet Words

Most people, when faced with the situation Lynch was dealing with, would behave with a gentleman’s composure. They would hint at the reason why the maid refused to leave in various subtle ways to the girl.

But Lynch was not an ordinary person. His answer was straightforward: “Your father is afraid I might do something improper to you, so he arranged for someone to watch over me.”

The girl quickly understood what Lynch meant by something improper. Gritting her teeth, she complained, “Why would he do that? It makes me feel so powerless and embarrassed, Lynch!”

At over twenty years old, Severella was truly an adult, yet her father still controlled her tightly, even having someone watch her when she talked to Lynch.

This made her feel violated, though this feeling had always lingered.

Maryjo couldn’t stay silent any longer and tried to explain, but Lynch cut in first. “Because he loves you. Everyone loves you.”

“He doesn’t want you to get hurt, so this…”

The girl looked at Lynch and helped finish the sentence, “…Maryjo.”

He nodded and continued, “That’s why Maryjo is always in the room. No one wants to hurt you or offend you. If you feel troubled enough to make things difficult for Maryjo or question Mr. and Mrs. Wadrick because of this, the real person offending you is yourself.”

“We shouldn’t respond to others’ kindness with hostility, even if their methods seem hard to accept.”

Severella wasn’t intellectually challenged; she was smarter than most girls in many ways.

Her situation was simply one of never having experienced such strict control before. Like even the most capable women can feel lost when giving birth for the first time.

It had nothing to do with intelligence, personal ability, or psychological strength. Excellence in one area doesn’t guarantee the same in all, especially for a first experience.

Her father had never been this anxious or intrusive before, probably because Mr. Wadrick believed the people she usually interacted with posed no real threat.

But Lynch was different—he was a threat. Severella’s gaze made it clear. Maybe she didn’t fully understand love or how to describe it yet, but she admired him.

One careless step could lead her into the abyss, so he had to stop it to prevent even the smallest risk.

A ruler would never marry a woman known as a loose woman. The husband of someone like Severella must come from a similar or higher-class family, as a symbol of status and dignity.

Would such a man marry a wife with a colorful past, surrounded by numerous “bad brothers-in-law”? Obviously not. So Severella’s purity was crucial. Mr. Wadrick didn’t want her to settle for a low-tier marriage.

Listening to Lynch, the girl’s anger quickly subsided. She looked at him strangely and said, “I have to admit, you have some points, but…”

Her fingers nervously intertwined, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. “I feel really embarrassed right now.”

Lynch placed his hand over hers, causing Maryjo’s eyelids to twitch slightly. After hesitating, she decided to pretend she didn’t see it.

Her role was to prevent any further intimacy, not this kind of innocent touch.

“I understand your embarrassment, and I understand your father’s concerns. After all, you’re a beautiful girl. Actually, I should be the one feeling more embarrassed,” Lynch said with a bright smile. The sunset’s lingering glow painted the ground around them in vibrant reds, creating a unique atmosphere.

The girl, standing so close, could clearly see his clean, handsome face, smiling brighter than the sun.

Her emotions calmed completely, and a sudden playful tease escaped her: “So you’re embarrassed because I saw through you?”

A little anticipation stirred, her heart raced. Maryjo rolled her eyes, thinking her lady should be allowed some controlled interaction with men.

Clearly, this Lynch fellow was not an easy man to deal with. Every word seemed ordinary, yet together they hinted at something sweet enough to make one’s teeth ache.

A masterful, damn clever, smooth talker. Maryjo lowered her head again.

Lynch smiled silently, knowing some questions were better left unanswered for now. After a brief pause, he shifted the conversation back to their previous topic—the hardships of an ordinary girl starting a business.

Some might like to hear stories like I worked hard for a month doing odd jobs to buy the latest luxury car.

When night fell completely, Lynch prepared to leave, suspecting that if he didn’t, Mr. Wadrick might burst in to question whether he planned to stay overnight.

To avoid raising Mr. Wadrick’s blood pressure and ruining his sleep, Lynch said his goodbyes.

It was clear the girl was reluctant; this was the first time they had genuinely talked about things she liked. Before, their meetings had always been about Lynch needing her as a flower, not genuine conversations.

“When can we meet again?” she asked at the door, looking at him with a mix of reluctance and hope.

“Very soon.”

After Lynch left, Maryjo reported everything to Mr. Wadrick, whose forehead bulged with veins.

His emotions were complicated. On one hand, he deeply cared for his daughter and understood how different her life would be depending on whether she remained pure or not.

On the other hand, having watched her grow up, selfish feelings arose—he didn’t want anyone else to take her away, even though he knew she would eventually belong to another.

An unexpected person had appeared, causing him a headache.

“Keep a close eye on her for now. Things will settle down soon…”

Soon, Lynch wouldn’t have time to cause trouble.

As Lynch left the Wadrick residence, the butler handed him a recommendation letter. After reading it, Lynch sealed it with wax and stamped it.

It was a recommendation letter for Lynch’s admission, explaining his special circumstances—he might not have enough time to spend fully at school.

This was the traditional way for members of Saint Harmony Society to advance, and the most mainstream method currently.

Mr. Wadrick could have recommended him directly to join Saint Harmony Society candidate list, and after the annual evaluation, Lynch would likely become a member.

But the more orthodox path—studying at the academy, graduating, and then joining Saint Harmony Society—was preferable.

During this process, Lynch would meet more candidates, expand his network inside and outside the Union.

Also, this traditional route meant fewer obstacles during evaluations—true power of legitimacy.

When he officially joined Saint Harmony Society, besides Mr. Wadrick’s support, he would have his own connections, making future endeavors smoother.

It was summer vacation now. Before school resumed, Lynch needed to deliver this recommendation letter to the board of any academy in Saint Saint Harmony Society. Otherwise, he’d have to wait another year.

Of course, this wasn’t the soon enough that Mr. Wadrick mentioned, because the real soon referred to the upcoming large-scale development in Nagaryll. Lynch would receive his share of the benefits and would go there.

With Mr. Truman watching out for him, no one could take away what was rightfully his.

This highlights the contradictions of capital: on one hand, capitalists will stop at nothing to pursue their interests, willing to break any law to get what they want.

On the other hand, when dividing the spoils, they behave with utmost politeness, never scrambling but maintaining their dignity.

Once Lynch left the Federation for Nagaryll, he wouldn’t have time to discuss any trivial literary works with Severella anytime soon.

The next day, Lynch arrived at the Saint Secheka Academy on the outskirts of Eminence. The name was unusual—it was a transliteration from an ancient language, a minor tongue used before the widespread adoption of the common language.

It meant Supreme Wisdom or Ultimate Truth, though how exactly to translate it was a matter for the translator.

This Saint Secheka Academy was the only Saint Harmony university near the central Federation; all other schools were in remote locations.

Although it was summer vacation, the school’s operations didn’t stop. Compared to ordinary universities busy with countless tasks, Saint Harmony universities had even more to handle.

For example, preparing to invite successful alumni to give speeches during new student registration, some alumni waving checks to get their names into the school’s hall of fame, or dealing with connections like Lynch coming to discuss admission matters.