Foreigner Of Time [JENLISA]

14

JACKSON

I came to my father's study and seeing that he was lost in thought, I did not dare to speak, and dared even less to sit down.

"I have to tell you something." He said after a few minutes of silence.

"Understood, may father say it." I responded respectfully.

"It is young lady Stark's twentieth birthday tomorrow. You will attend the banquet with me."

I let out a breath, then smiled as I said, "Rest assured, father. I remembered that, and I have already prepared a present. I'm sure the little beauty will like it."

My father furrowed his brows. 

Maybe he wanted to reprimand me for speaking frivolously again, but it disappeared quickly.

Weird.

"You're twenty-nine this year, right?"

"Yes."

"It's time to start a family."

"Father, I have studied bitterly for over ten years, now I am just a scholar. I want to achieve a result at the imperial exam before considering the major matters in life."

"Preposterous! A big man starts a family before he starts his career. Is marriage something that you can decide? You want, what do you mean you want?!"

I shuddered, then I braced myself to answer, "But didn't father say before that I was impetuous, and that it would not be too late to think about it after the imperial exam?"

"Times have changed! You've missed this year's spring exam, and the next exam would only start three years later. Without discussing if you can pass the spring exam just yet, if you were fortunate enough to gain a result, how old would you be by then? When I was your age, you and your brothers were already born! Both of your older brothers already have a wife and children now. The sooner I send you out, the sooner I can have some peace and quiet with your mom."

I pursed my lips, but I had already gotten used to this. I didn't feel it all that much.

Father let out a long breath, then he reprimanded, "Unfilial son! With how good-for-nothing you are, how am I and your mom supposed to face our ancestors under the nine springs!"

Seeing that my father was truly angered, I fell to my knees, "Father, please cease your anger."

"Coincidentally, House Stark is going to look for a son-in-law tomorrow. I will take you there to answer this marriage. If I leave a trouble-maker like you in this estate, you will eventually do something to humiliate our ancestors and ruin our reputation. I might as well send you to someone else's home, maybe that's when you'll change!" he exclaimed.

"Father? What are you saying?"

I could have never expected that my father had actually gotten this fed up with me. I may not be as successful as my older brothers, but I was still a scholar after all.

I was a big man with a title to my name, how could I possibly marry into a woman's home?

How was I supposed to raise my head in the future?

"This matter... is done. Eddard wanted to let young lady Stark marry you at first, but I have considered it over... They only have one legitimate daughter in their estate. I can't let my benefactor have no one to send him off when he passes. There is nothing more serious than a life-saving grace; if Eddard had not bribed all kinds of people from top to bottom back then, our entire family would have already died in prison! By marrying into their family, you will be able to repay this grace for our family. Otherwise, I will not close my eyes in death."