Richard Shaw’s determination to die had disappeared, so the first thing he did was write his resignation report and called Maximilian to submit it. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Then he told the elderly lady that he was going to be discharged, and moved to an old house belonging to the Shaw Family in the outskirts, where he personally took care of Casimir Shaw.

The elderly lady saw that he had awakened overnight; although he was unwilling to treat his legs and didn’t want to serve as an Army Major General, at least he had come to life, and was willing to take care of his great-grandson. Instantly, she was moved to tears of joy and hurriedly nodded in agreement.

These past years, the elderly lady had seen through everything. Seeing her grandson almost lose his life, she truly felt the unpredictability of life. As long as Richard wanted to live, she had no other requests. As for the hundred years’ glory of the Shaw Family, it was all lifeless, unimportant, completely unimportant now.

Because the child was too young and Richard Shaw was inconvenient with his legs, the elderly lady was worried and advised to send Casimir Shaw to the old house in the outskirts when he turned one.

That old house had been uninhabited for a long time, uncomfortable even for adults, let alone a tender three-month-old child.

Richard Shaw nodded in agreement and went alone to the old house in the outskirts.

The resignation and discharge documents from the Military District had not been issued, and Richard Shaw was unwilling to treat his legs. Maximilian then took the initiative to lead people to guard the old house in the outskirts, secretly protecting and taking care of him. The Shaw Family’s status in the Military District was unique; although Richard Shaw had his legs paralyzed, his mind and talents were intact. Having held power in the Military District for many years, suddenly resigning caused turmoil within, not to mention how important the Major General’s position was. The higher-ups would rather maintain the status quo and not let anyone replace him.

Thus, the resignation documents were continually not approved, even secretly trying to convince him with less direct persuasion, having his former personal soldiers hiding in the outskirts, coming to Richard Shaw for unsolvable matters, treating it as a long sick leave but resolutely disagreeing with his resignation.

On the third day Richard Shaw was in the old house in the outskirts, Ignatius Leclair hurriedly came from the United Kingdom after hearing the news from Howard Family’s elderly lady, rushed straight to the old house. Viewing the place which hadn’t been inhabited for a long time, as cold as an icehouse, and seeing Richard Shaw, who went from the once spirited Major General of the Imperial City to a man sitting in a wheelchair, haggard in appearance, he was both shocked and angry.

"What exactly happened? Look at your current state, are you still the Richard Shaw I knew?" The handsome, stern man came with anger, seeing him sitting in the yard, he wished he could punch him awake.

Richard Shaw had gotten married without notifying him, conducted no form of wedding ceremony, returned to the Military District on the wedding night, and did not come back for a year. Clearly indifferent to the marriage, now Crystal Landon had died in an accident, and he suddenly didn’t want to live; how could Ignatius Leclair not be furious?

Originally, one was in the Imperial City, one in Southeast Asia, one in the Military District, and one in the business world, both busy to the point of being unable to manage everything. Usually, both were stable and wouldn’t bring up sorrow, contacting each other not much. Now he couldn’t have imagined that spending several months in the United Kingdom could result in such happenings.

Ignatius Leclair had also had a tough few months, confused by his second personality, with his primary personality dormant for two years, only awakening a few months ago. He hadn’t thought Magnus Leclair would dare to fall in love secretly and selfishly decide to marry the Leclair Family’s burden, Delphine Carter. In a fit of rage, he forcefully suppressed the second personality and drove Delphine Carter out of Southeast Asia.

For these several months, he was constantly affected by the second personality; every time he closed his eyes, he saw snippets of Magnus Leclair interacting with Delphine Carter. The man suffered insomnia, then went to the United Kingdom for hypnotic treatment and memory reconstruction surgery. He had been closed off for several months, slightly effective by the time he learned about the happenings in the Imperial City and rushed over urgently.

Richard Shaw merely nodded lightly when he saw he had come.

Ignatius Leclair entered the house, saw that despite the frigid winter months, the house was without fire, the bedroom’s bedding was pitifully thin, and the kitchen’s food even simpler, not even a slice of meat visible; this wasn’t living, this was clearly self-torture.

Think about the Shaw Family in the Imperial City, what a prominent and prestigious name, yet its heir had ended up in such a state.

Women, indeed, are the greatest bane in this world.

Ignatius Leclair, with a cold face, ordered Maximilian to send a stove, coal, and food and drink, then set up a stove in the yard, warmed the wine against the cold wind, and said, "Come and drink."

"Okay." Richard Shaw nodded lightly.

After several bottles of heated wine, the body warmed up, two men with their minds full, each disheartened, drank amidst the cold wind, finally opening the discussion.

"The elderly lady mentioned that you want to personally care for the child? Then you’ll have to renovate, at least make sure the house isn’t so cold, and the food can’t be so plain. You can handle it as a man, but the child can’t, especially since your son is only three months old, even a bit of chill could be lethal."

Ignatius Leclair saw his depressed spirit and recalled the elderly lady’s words; indeed, he had become obsessed. The Shaw Family members valued feelings and loyalty, especially Richard Shaw; he had lived in the Imperial City during his youth, made this friend, and over the years, whether staying in the United Kingdom or Southeast Asia, even when not meeting, their friendship never faded.

If he was so loyal to a friend, what more to a wife who bore his child?

The elderly lady’s intention was to find him something to do, the harder and more abundant the better, lest he becomes idle and fall into endless contemplation.

Richard Shaw glanced at the old house, barely functional against the elements, nodded and said in a low voice, "Then I’ll build a new house, and bring Casimir over once he’s a bit older."

Ignatius Leclair’s handsome face slightly softened, seeing him like this reminded him of his somber experience, his eyes narrowed, and he asked softly, "What does it feel like to love someone?"

The man took a sip of the hot, fierce wine, feeling his stomach ablaze. These past years of military service had required him to stay clear-headed, drinking hardly any alcohol, now realizing its benefits.

"Like this wine, bland upon entering the throat, burning fiercely in the stomach, followed by a prolonged, mild intoxication." The man lowered his eyes, voice flat.

Their emotions bypassed intensity and plunged directly into a prolonged winter of sobriety.

Ignatius Leclair slightly squinted; thankfully, he lacked such feelings; he merely felt anger at having his life manipulated by others, anger over Magnus Leclair’s affection for the young bride now banished from Southeast Asia, unable to affect him any longer.

Seeing Richard Shaw aside from self-abuse being unusually lucid, Ignatius Leclair chose not to persuade him further, decided to continue drinking. The two drank all the alcohol, ultimately senselessly intoxicated.

The next day, Ignatius Leclair flew back to the United Kingdom for final hypnotic treatment, while Richard Shaw began building a wooden house on the empty land next to the old property, storing all his limited memories of Crystal Landon.