Chapter 469: Ned and Portia's Adopted Son
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The usual serenity at Alaric Rhionen's residence was disrupted by the sudden appearance of Rosalien. Her brothers were surprised to see her because they all thought that she was dead.
She now stood in front of them with a cold and ruthless expression they had never seen before. She also refused to talk. It made them realize that something bad had happened to her.
[I managed to escape ... I think they have no interest in keeping me after Master's death.] Rosalien said in writing to her siblings. Her tongue had been connected but she still couldn't speak properly and she hated her own voice.
"What did they do to you?" Mischa asked in concern.
Rosalien's face hardened because the question brought her back to her detainment. Lauriel did not torture her nor did he hurt her. The man had only forced her to drink veritaserum so that she would betray Alaric and her friends, but Rosalien had bitten her tongue to prevent herself from talking.
[They are people from the same kind as Master. The leader is called Lauriel and he is 570 years old.]
The fact surprised Rosalien's foster brothers.
570 years?? What kind of person lived that long?
They did not even know how old Alaric really was, but it was unlikely that he had lived that long.
Who were these people? How mysterious ...
To their surprise, a staff member came to announce Pavel's arrival with some guests whom they had never heard of before.
Several helicopters landed gracefully in the castle's courtyard and Pavel came out of one of the helicopters, followed by three of the most impressive people the assassins had ever seen.
Ned, Portia, and Sophia's arrival at Alaric Rhionen's private residence truly thrilled anyone who witnessed their arrival. The three people were very good looking, very impressive, and their aura, especially Ned and Portia's, made people subconsciously bow their heads as they passed.
Mischa, who welcomed them with Takeshi and Kai, could only look at the three in admiration. Something in his mind said that they were not ordinary people.
"We would like to pick up Alaric," Portia said in her melodious voice which hypnotized anyone who listened. She walked with the grace of a queen and no one could say no to her request. Subconsciously, Mischa invited them to follow him into the room where Alaric was being treated.
When Portia saw her beloved nephew's body lying stiff and lifeless, she screamed in sadness and immediately embraced Alaric. Her face was wet in tears because of deep sadness. This was Luna's child ... why was fate so cruel to him?
"What happened to him?" Ned asked, turning to Alaric's four foster children. Rosalien just arrived in the treatment room. On behalf of Rosalien and his other brothers, Mischa told them what happened.
Sophia, Ned, and Portia were very surprised to hear their story.
"Gosh ... so Alaric had a dispute with Lauriel, and Lauriel chased after him because Lauriel blamed him for what had happened to a girl named Aleksis and her possible father, Kurt Van Der Ven??" Ned took a deep breath. He exchanged glances with his wife who could only massage her temple.
He finally understood what had happened. Lauriel and Caspar were angry because they thought Alaric Rhionen and the Rhionen Assassins were responsible for the deaths of Kurt, Caspar's right-hand man, and his daughter.
"The woman you saved is definitely not Aleksis ..." Ned commented, "Lauriel has a team member who is great in disguise, and I don't blame you for being fooled. The real Aleksis is dead, and they are angry, so they blamed you and hunted you down."
Pavel nodded, "I too suspect that's the case. I called the hospital myself and talked to the hospital director. He said that the girl had died and they had issued her death certificate."
Rosalien clenched her fists in anger. So actually Aleksis was dead and they were cheated by another group. She really hated Lauriel and wanted to avenge her foster father ...
"Who are they really?" Mischa asked curiously, "The leader said that his name was Lauriel and he was 570 years old ..."
Ned's eyes flashed as he stared sharply at Mischa, "You don't need to know that."
Subconsciously Mischa bowed his head. He couldn't fight Ned's overbearing gaze.
Ned finally stepped in to make decisions as his wife was too shaken by Alaric's current condition, "We will take Alaric with us and care for him until he is completely recovered. You do what you need to do. We will contact you when he has made a full recovery."
Ned helped his distraught wife walk to their helicopter to return to Scotland. At the Targu Mures airport, they waited for the arrival of their medical plane, which was equipped with the most sophisticated medical equipment and a dozen specialists who would care for Alaric during their flight.
"Lauriel went overboard this time ... He does not deserve to be a father," hissed Portia many times. She was very angry when she found out that Lauriel was responsible for Alaric's current condition.
"Sshhh ... Portia, I'm sure Lauriel doesn't know. We haven't had the chance to tell him ..." Ned tried to soothe his wife.
"I don't care! He is too cold-hearted and never cared for other humans, not even Luna. I cannot accept that Lauriel is Alaric's father ... He doesn't deserve that child!"
On their way back to Scotland, Portia kept on lashing out at Lauriel. She was very hurt to see her beloved nephew in his current state.
"Ned, when Alaric wakes up ... I want to adopt[1] him," Portia said suddenly, just before they landed in Glasgow.
Ned could only stare at his wife in surprise, "He still has a father ..."
"Lauriel does not deserve to be his father. Don't you think, if Alaric knew that his father was responsible for his attempted murder, he would hate Lauriel? I want to give Alaric the position he deserves, as the heir of the Linden family. He has the right to be the leader of the clan.
I am tired of the way Caspar and Lauriel continue to lead the clan. I will provide open support to Alaric at the clan meeting in 10 years so that he will become the new candidate for the clan leader. I want to take revenge against Lauriel."
Ned looked at his wife's fiery face. They were both not ready to have their own children even though they had been together for more than 200 years, so Portia's sudden desire to adopt Alaric took him by surprise.
He didn't know that Portia's affection for Alaric was so deep. Adopting Alaric would make him the heir of not only the Linden family but also the Lewis and Baden family ...
Alaric would be very powerful.
That was ... if he would be able to recover completely.
"All right ..." said Ned patiently, "We'll wait for him to recover."
.
.
[1] Adult adoption is pretty common in Japan. If a family doesn't have a male heir or if the biolgical heir seemed no strong enough, they can adopt an adult male to be the heir. The centuries-old practice was developed as a mechanism for families to extend their family name, estate and ancestry without an unwieldy reliance on bloodlines. Still common today, adult adoption is a dynamic tool for social and economic mobility
The current CEO of Suzuki, Osamu Suzuki, is the fourth adopted son that is heading the company. Suzuki surpassed his own biological heir and named Hirotaka Ono as his successor because he felt that his biological son was less capable. Other famous companies using this method are Kikkoman, Canon, Toyota, and Matsui Securities.
The world's oldest family business, the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, has been passed down through the family name for 1,300 years. If the adopted male heir falls short of success, he can be passed over and disinherited from the family, although it is very rare. If this happens, another successor can be adopted, since the first lost his inheritance.
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The usual serenity at Alaric Rhionen's residence was disrupted by the sudden appearance of Rosalien. Her brothers were surprised to see her because they all thought that she was dead.
She now stood in front of them with a cold and ruthless expression they had never seen before. She also refused to talk. It made them realize that something bad had happened to her.
[I managed to escape ... I think they have no interest in keeping me after Master's death.] Rosalien said in writing to her siblings. Her tongue had been connected but she still couldn't speak properly and she hated her own voice.
"What did they do to you?" Mischa asked in concern.
Rosalien's face hardened because the question brought her back to her detainment. Lauriel did not torture her nor did he hurt her. The man had only forced her to drink veritaserum so that she would betray Alaric and her friends, but Rosalien had bitten her tongue to prevent herself from talking.
[They are people from the same kind as Master. The leader is called Lauriel and he is 570 years old.]
The fact surprised Rosalien's foster brothers.
570 years?? What kind of person lived that long?
They did not even know how old Alaric really was, but it was unlikely that he had lived that long.
Who were these people? How mysterious ...
To their surprise, a staff member came to announce Pavel's arrival with some guests whom they had never heard of before.
Several helicopters landed gracefully in the castle's courtyard and Pavel came out of one of the helicopters, followed by three of the most impressive people the assassins had ever seen.
Ned, Portia, and Sophia's arrival at Alaric Rhionen's private residence truly thrilled anyone who witnessed their arrival. The three people were very good looking, very impressive, and their aura, especially Ned and Portia's, made people subconsciously bow their heads as they passed.
Mischa, who welcomed them with Takeshi and Kai, could only look at the three in admiration. Something in his mind said that they were not ordinary people.
"We would like to pick up Alaric," Portia said in her melodious voice which hypnotized anyone who listened. She walked with the grace of a queen and no one could say no to her request. Subconsciously, Mischa invited them to follow him into the room where Alaric was being treated.
When Portia saw her beloved nephew's body lying stiff and lifeless, she screamed in sadness and immediately embraced Alaric. Her face was wet in tears because of deep sadness. This was Luna's child ... why was fate so cruel to him?
"What happened to him?" Ned asked, turning to Alaric's four foster children. Rosalien just arrived in the treatment room. On behalf of Rosalien and his other brothers, Mischa told them what happened.
Sophia, Ned, and Portia were very surprised to hear their story.
"Gosh ... so Alaric had a dispute with Lauriel, and Lauriel chased after him because Lauriel blamed him for what had happened to a girl named Aleksis and her possible father, Kurt Van Der Ven??" Ned took a deep breath. He exchanged glances with his wife who could only massage her temple.
He finally understood what had happened. Lauriel and Caspar were angry because they thought Alaric Rhionen and the Rhionen Assassins were responsible for the deaths of Kurt, Caspar's right-hand man, and his daughter.
"The woman you saved is definitely not Aleksis ..." Ned commented, "Lauriel has a team member who is great in disguise, and I don't blame you for being fooled. The real Aleksis is dead, and they are angry, so they blamed you and hunted you down."
Pavel nodded, "I too suspect that's the case. I called the hospital myself and talked to the hospital director. He said that the girl had died and they had issued her death certificate."
Rosalien clenched her fists in anger. So actually Aleksis was dead and they were cheated by another group. She really hated Lauriel and wanted to avenge her foster father ...
"Who are they really?" Mischa asked curiously, "The leader said that his name was Lauriel and he was 570 years old ..."
Ned's eyes flashed as he stared sharply at Mischa, "You don't need to know that."
Subconsciously Mischa bowed his head. He couldn't fight Ned's overbearing gaze.
Ned finally stepped in to make decisions as his wife was too shaken by Alaric's current condition, "We will take Alaric with us and care for him until he is completely recovered. You do what you need to do. We will contact you when he has made a full recovery."
Ned helped his distraught wife walk to their helicopter to return to Scotland. At the Targu Mures airport, they waited for the arrival of their medical plane, which was equipped with the most sophisticated medical equipment and a dozen specialists who would care for Alaric during their flight.
"Lauriel went overboard this time ... He does not deserve to be a father," hissed Portia many times. She was very angry when she found out that Lauriel was responsible for Alaric's current condition.
"Sshhh ... Portia, I'm sure Lauriel doesn't know. We haven't had the chance to tell him ..." Ned tried to soothe his wife.
"I don't care! He is too cold-hearted and never cared for other humans, not even Luna. I cannot accept that Lauriel is Alaric's father ... He doesn't deserve that child!"
On their way back to Scotland, Portia kept on lashing out at Lauriel. She was very hurt to see her beloved nephew in his current state.
"Ned, when Alaric wakes up ... I want to adopt[1] him," Portia said suddenly, just before they landed in Glasgow.
Ned could only stare at his wife in surprise, "He still has a father ..."
"Lauriel does not deserve to be his father. Don't you think, if Alaric knew that his father was responsible for his attempted murder, he would hate Lauriel? I want to give Alaric the position he deserves, as the heir of the Linden family. He has the right to be the leader of the clan.
I am tired of the way Caspar and Lauriel continue to lead the clan. I will provide open support to Alaric at the clan meeting in 10 years so that he will become the new candidate for the clan leader. I want to take revenge against Lauriel."
Ned looked at his wife's fiery face. They were both not ready to have their own children even though they had been together for more than 200 years, so Portia's sudden desire to adopt Alaric took him by surprise.
He didn't know that Portia's affection for Alaric was so deep. Adopting Alaric would make him the heir of not only the Linden family but also the Lewis and Baden family ...
Alaric would be very powerful.
That was ... if he would be able to recover completely.
"All right ..." said Ned patiently, "We'll wait for him to recover."
.
.
[1] Adult adoption is pretty common in Japan. If a family doesn't have a male heir or if the biolgical heir seemed no strong enough, they can adopt an adult male to be the heir. The centuries-old practice was developed as a mechanism for families to extend their family name, estate and ancestry without an unwieldy reliance on bloodlines. Still common today, adult adoption is a dynamic tool for social and economic mobility
The current CEO of Suzuki, Osamu Suzuki, is the fourth adopted son that is heading the company. Suzuki surpassed his own biological heir and named Hirotaka Ono as his successor because he felt that his biological son was less capable. Other famous companies using this method are Kikkoman, Canon, Toyota, and Matsui Securities.
The world's oldest family business, the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, has been passed down through the family name for 1,300 years. If the adopted male heir falls short of success, he can be passed over and disinherited from the family, although it is very rare. If this happens, another successor can be adopted, since the first lost his inheritance.
The usual serenity at Alaric Rhionen's residence was disrupted by the sudden appearance of Rosalien. Her brothers were surprised to see her because they all thought that she was dead. She now stood in front of them with a cold and ruthless expression they had never seen before. She also refused to talk. It made them realize that something bad had happened to her. I managed to escape ... I think they have no interest in keeping me after Master's death. Rosalien said in writing to her siblings. Her tongue had been connected but she still couldn't speak properly and she hated her own voice. "What did they do to you?" Mischa asked in concern. Rosalien's face hardened because the question brought her back to her detainment. Lauriel did not torture her nor did he hurt her. The man had only forced her to drink veritaserum so that she would betray Alaric and her friends, but Rosalien had bitten her tongue to prevent herself from talking. They are people from the same kind as Master. The leader is called Lauriel and he is 570 years old. The fact surprised Rosalien's foster brothers. 570 years?? What kind of person lived that long? They did not even know how old Alaric really was, but it was unlikely that he had lived that long. Who were these people? How mysterious ... To their surprise, a staff member came to announce Pavel's arrival with some guests whom they had never heard of before. Several helicopters landed gracefully in the castle's courtyard and Pavel came out of one of the helicopters, followed by three of the most impressive people the assassins had ever seen. Ned, Portia, and Sophia's arrival at Alaric Rhionen's private residence truly thrilled anyone who witnessed their arrival. The three people were very good looking, very impressive, and their aura, especially Ned and Portia's, made people subconsciously bow their heads as they passed. Mischa, who welcomed them with Takeshi and Kai, could only look at the three in admiration. Something in his mind said that they were not ordinary people. "We would like to pick up Alaric," Portia said in her melodious voice which hypnotized anyone who listened. She walked with the grace of a queen and no one could say no to her request. Subconsciously, Mischa invited them to follow him into the room where Alaric was being treated. When Portia saw her beloved nephew's body lying stiff and lifeless, she screamed in sadness and immediately embraced Alaric. Her face was wet in tears because of deep sadness. This was Luna's child ... why was fate so cruel to him? "What happened to him?" Ned asked, turning to Alaric's four foster children. Rosalien just arrived in the treatment room. On behalf of Rosalien and his other brothers, Mischa told them what happened. Sophia, Ned, and Portia were very surprised to hear their story. "Gosh ... so Alaric had a dispute with Lauriel, and Lauriel chased after him because Lauriel blamed him for what had happened to a girl named Aleksis and her possible father, Kurt Van Der Ven??" Ned took a deep breath. He exchanged glances with his wife who could only massage her temple. He finally understood what had happened. Lauriel and Caspar were angry because they thought Alaric Rhionen and the Rhionen Assassins were responsible for the deaths of Kurt, Caspar's right-hand man, and his daughter. "The woman you saved is definitely not Aleksis ..." Ned commented, "Lauriel has a team member who is great in disguise, and I don't blame you for being fooled. The real Aleksis is dead, and they are angry, so they blamed you and hunted you down." Pavel nodded, "I too suspect that's the case. I called the hospital myself and talked to the hospital director. He said that the girl had died and they had issued her death certificate." Rosalien clenched her fists in anger. So actually Aleksis was dead and they were cheated by another group. She really hated Lauriel and wanted to avenge her foster father ... "Who are they really?" Mischa asked curiously, "The leader said that his name was Lauriel and he was 570 years old ..." Ned's eyes flashed as he stared sharply at Mischa, "You don't need to know that." Subconsciously Mischa bowed his head. He couldn't fight Ned's overbearing gaze. Ned finally stepped in to make decisions as his wife was too shaken by Alaric's current condition, "We will take Alaric with us and care for him until he is completely recovered. You do what you need to do. We will contact you when he has made a full recovery." Ned helped his distraught wife walk to their helicopter to return to Scotland. At the Targu Mures airport, they waited for the arrival of their medical plane, which was equipped with the most sophisticated medical equipment and a dozen specialists who would care for Alaric during their flight. "Lauriel went overboard this time ... He does not deserve to be a father," hissed Portia many times. She was very angry when she found out that Lauriel was responsible for Alaric's current condition. "Sshhh ... Portia, I'm sure Lauriel doesn't know. We haven't had the chance to tell him ..." Ned tried to soothe his wife. "I don't care! He is too cold-hearted and never cared for other humans, not even Luna. I cannot accept that Lauriel is Alaric's father ... He doesn't deserve that child!" On their way back to Scotland, Portia kept on lashing out at Lauriel. She was very hurt to see her beloved nephew in his current state. "Ned, when Alaric wakes up ... I want to adopt1 him," Portia said suddenly, just before they landed in Glasgow. Ned could only stare at his wife in surprise, "He still has a father ..." "Lauriel does not deserve to be his father. Don't you think, if Alaric knew that his father was responsible for his attempted murder, he would hate Lauriel? I want to give Alaric the position he deserves, as the heir of the Linden family. He has the right to be the leader of the clan. I am tired of the way Caspar and Lauriel continue to lead the clan. I will provide open support to Alaric at the clan meeting in 10 years so that he will become the new candidate for the clan leader. I want to take revenge against Lauriel." Ned looked at his wife's fiery face. They were both not ready to have their own children even though they had been together for more than 200 years, so Portia's sudden desire to adopt Alaric took him by surprise. He didn't know that Portia's affection for Alaric was so deep. Adopting Alaric would make him the heir of not only the Linden family but also the Lewis and Baden family ... Alaric would be very powerful. That was ... if he would be able to recover completely. "All right ..." said Ned patiently, "We'll wait for him to recover." . . 1 Adult adoption is pretty common in Japan. If a family doesn't have a male heir or if the biolgical heir seemed no strong enough, they can adopt an adult male to be the heir.The centuries-old practice was developed as a mechanism for families to extend their family name, estate and ancestry without an unwieldy reliance on bloodlines. Still common today,adult adoptionis a dynamic tool for social and economic mobility The current CEO of Suzuki, Osamu Suzuki, is the fourth adopted son that is heading the company. Suzuki surpassed his own biological heir and named Hirotaka Ono as his successor because he felt that his biological son was less capable. Other famous companies using this method areKikkoman,Canon,Toyota, andMatsui Securities. The world's oldest family business, theNishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, has been passed down through the family name for 1,300 years. If the adopted male heir falls short of success, he can be passed over and disinherited from the family, although it is very rare. If this happens, another successor can be adopted, since the first lost his inheritance.
