Leonard was confused, but before he could ask any more questions, Leonhart's voice rang in his ears again. "Kneel down!"
Hearing that voice, Leonard didn't hesitate any longer, and did as he was commanded.
He immediately knelt in front of the tombstone, pursed his lips to look at the inscription.
The writing read, "Here lies Clarissa Yanita."
He had never heard of Clarissa Yanita's name, and there was no picture on the tombstone either.
Leonard looked at his father in disbelief, many questions swirling in his mind.
This time, Leonhart took out a handkerchief from his pocket, walked forward to wipe the tombstone carefully and seriously, then said in a hoarse voice, "Clarissa, your son is here!"
Your son?!
Leonard's expression was shocked, his face stared stiffly at the tombstone, and his eyes slightly confused. "Father? What do you mean?"
Leonhart didn't look at him, and continued to rub the tombstone with his hand.
His serious behavior made Leonard even more eager to guess.
A light breeze blew across his cheeks, blowing white rose petals.
Leonhart looked at this scene with a gentle smile on his thin lips. "You saw him, didn't you? Luckily, you weren't angry. I'm sorry it took years to bring him here. Take a closer look at your son, doesn't he look a lot like you?"
By this point, Leonard had understood.
Is Clarissa his real mother?!
How is that possible!
He is clearly the child of Leonhart and Michelle!
"Leonard, bow down to your mother. I'll let you find out the rest later."
Leonard met Leonhart's deep gaze, currently still processing everything in his heart. He wanted to refuse, but in just a second, he put his hands on the ground and bowed his head deeply three times.
Some things gradually became clearer.
But Leonard still had countless questions in his heart.
He knelt without saying a word as he continued to watch Leonhart carefully cleaning every corner of the tombstone.
Ten minutes later, Leonhart walked back to Leonard's side and held out his hand to press his shoulder.
"Get up."
After kneeling on the cold ground for a long time, Leonard couldn't help but get up.
Leonhart's eyes that looked up at the sky gradually fell onto Leonard's body.
"Michelle was your foster mother. Before I got married, your real mother was pregnant."
Perhaps because the past memories were too painful, when Leonhart spoke these words, his voice was hazy and hoarse.
Especially when he opened the heart-rending story he had hidden from his son for years, such sadness made his chest tight and his heart hurt.
At this time, Leonard's heartbeat slightly fluctuated, and his eyes fell on the tombstone for a long time before asking, "Do you love her? If you love her, why did you marry someone else?"
Obviously the traces of his father's love were deep towards Clarissa, but in the end, this man married someone else!
Leonhart sighed for a moment, rolling his Adam's apple, laughing at himself. "Because I'm a weak coward!"
As the words fell, he stepped forward and slowly crouched down in front of the tombstone.
Leonard watched him and saw his father's fingertips tremble as he stroked the tombstone, he wanted to keep asking but the question got stuck in his throat.
Admitting that he was weak and cowardly, how much regret and sadness had he endured all this time?
...
The wind slowly blew around the cemetery, and while Leonhart was still squatting in front of the tombstone looking at the name 'Clarissa Yanita', he kept whispering, "Leonard, you are very lucky.. Even though you grew up in the Adler family, at least you can still be with Mellisa."
"If I had half of your guts, I'm sure things wouldn't be as chaotic as today. I could only fall to my knees in front of your grandfather at that time. He arranged my marriage and future."
At this time, Leonard quietly looked back and listened intently to this unusual tragedy of his father. The atmosphere became silent for a moment, and Leonhart suddenly sighed, "If there is anything you want to ask, just ask. Since I've brought you here, I will not hide anything from you anymore!"
Leonard asked bluntly after hearing this. "How did she die?"
As the voice dropped, he noticed that Leonhart's shoulders were shaking, and a few seconds later, he said grimly, "Not long after she gave birth to you, she had leukemia and it was too late for her."
Leonard's heart skipped a beat inexplicably.
He furrowed his brows and looked at Leonhart's stiff back, and wondered. "At that time… Were you not by her side?"
Leonard knew that in their conservative and reclusive era, a woman would try her best not to have sex outside of marriage, and so the extramarital pregnancy that brought Leonard to this world was enough to prove how deep their love was.
Thirty years ago, society was not as open-minded as it is today.
Clarissa was pregnant when they weren't married, one could easily imagine how many accusations and blasphemy she had to endure at that time.
Facing Leonard's question, Leonhart was silent for a moment.
He pursed his thin lips tightly, and the anger he had harbored for years was filled with obscurity and ridicule, which he could no longer hide.
"I wasn't by her side and in fact, I didn't even know that she was pregnant. Back then, your mother and I were secretly in love, and I was sure to make her my wife. But I misjudged your grandfather's skills, and underestimated the Adler family's requirements in terms of the identity and background of the future wife."
Leonard got the point. Looking back at some of the Adler family's practices over the years, some things could be explained.
Leonhart slowly nodded, and his fingertips fell on the inscription on the tombstone. "Your mother was born among commoners. Even though she couldn't be compared to any member of our family, she was an independent and tough person."
"When I was in my early twenties, I had met too many arrogant and two-faced women. So when I met your mother at the flower shop, I thought that she was a special woman. Leonard , your mother was very beautiful, even today, her appearance would definitely not be inferior to the beauty you have ever seen."
Leonard's pupils landed on the tombstone, his depressed voice asking, "Don't you have a picture of her?"
"No…" Leonhart smiled bitterly with regret. "I rushed to her house when I learned the news of his death at that time, but her parents and brother had burned all her remains."
"You asked me why I married someone else when I really loved her. In the end, I could only say that my choice that day was very stupid. Looking back now, I could only regret not resisting at all and only being obedient to your grandfather."
"Your mother was a woman with a strong personality. After being pressured by the Adler family, she firmly chose to leave. I didn't know that at that time, your grandfather had previously spoken to her privately, and even today, I didn't know what they were talking about.. And in the end, she left me without telling me that she was pregnant."
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