Second Love Story

Chapter 11: Ancient Stronghold

As the first rays of the morning sun spilled its golden light across the sprawling countryside, filtered through the open window, and cast a warm glow over Ash’s sleeping body, slightly revealed from the blanket. A soft, familiar melody began to play, gently stirring him from his sleep. Groggy, he squinted, trying to locate the source of the sound. After a few moments, he realized it was coming from the watch on his wrist. He unfastened it and held it closer to his ear—the melody, faint but recognizable, was an old alarm his mother used to set to wake him up at 7 a.m. every morning when he was young.

A wave of warmth washed over him. He couldn’t help but smile, thinking how Marie would tease him to get up, tugging at his blankets and humming that same tune. Sitting up, Ash felt a strange sense of reassurance, as though his mother was gently guiding him, affirming and supporting the major decision he had made. Lost in the memories, a feeling grew inside him, a need to see Violet and feel her. He had come to terms with his love for her, undiminished by time or distance.

As he was feeling deep about the hug they shared last week, Ash’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices drifting up from downstairs. Annoyed but curious, Ash got out of bed, quickly freshened up, and headed down. In the front hall, he found a group of workers engaged in a heated argument with Clara.

The head of the workers, Mr. Dickens, was panicking. “We were told that the mansion is haunted, ma’am. Don’t you think a little compensation is only fair for the risks we’re taking here?”

Clara looked baffled, taken aback by this strange rumor. Ash, unable to keep a straight face, stifled a laugh.

“Ghosts, huh? Well, Aunt Clare,” he smirked, “is he talking about your grandfather, the one we saw strolling through the backyard last night?”

Clara was surprised by his unusually familiar cheerful attitude, yet couldn’t help but get annoyed about his misleading remark. It was a side of him she hadn’t seen for a long time but witnessed it when Marie was still alive and during his time with Violet. But today, her focus was on the absurd claims of Mr. Dickens.

Dissipating the situation at hand took priority, as Ash realized from Clara’s glare. “Jokes aside, Where did this story come from, Mr.…?” He asked, directing at the worker leader.

“Dickens, sir,” the worker replied, avoiding eye contact. “The village head told us. He said that the old lord’s ghost has been seen in the backyard from time to time.”

Clara sighed, visibly exasperated. She had to get to the bottom of this nonsense. She beckoned Florence and Michele to accompany her, and Ash followed along with Robert—the new driver of the Cooper Mansion. The group made their way to the village head’s mansion, nestled at the entrance of the village. At the gate, they found Mr. Gilbert, the village head, watching them approach with an unwelcoming smirk.

“Well, if it isn’t Clara Cooper,” Gilbert said mockingly, leaning against the gate.

Clara’s eyes narrowed, but she kept her composure. “So, you’ve taken up storytelling in your retirement, Gilbert? Telling ghost tales to my workers, no less? Care to explain?”

“Oh, Clara,” he sneered, “the head of the grand Cooper family… though not much family left now, is there?”

Clara held her head high, ignoring his provocation. “Well, Mr. Gilbert, perhaps you’re a bit out of touch, but the head of the Cooper family now is my nephew, Ash Cooper. And whether there’s anyone left to claim the Cooper name or not doesn’t change the fact that there are a lot of families depending on us.”

Their exchange continued, each barb sharper than the last. Ash, standing beside Clara, was surprised by the tension, sensing an old rivalry simmering beneath the surface. The ancestral mansion had been a simple holiday retreat for him when he was young. But now, he realized there was a depth to the family’s history he had never fully understood.

After a long, tense conversation, Mr. Gilbert finally conceded, agreeing that the mansion wasn’t haunted. Satisfied, Clara turned on her heel, and they left. Mr. Dickens, feeling used by the village head, agreed to continue the work, though he still mustered courage about the pay for the rough times they have been having. Clara, always fair, agreed to increase their compensation slightly.

---

Later that night, Clara was resting on the rooftop of the temporary house they had borrowed. The cool night air was filled with the distant sounds of insects and the soft rustle of leaves. Ash joined her, happy to spend some time with his aunt after missing her presence in the city for so long.

They laughed about trivial things, shared memories, and exchanged playful jabs, but eventually, Ash’s curiosity got the better of him. “Aunt Clare,” he began, his tone a bit serious, “what’s the story with Mr. Gilbert? Why would he go to such lengths to sabotage the renovations?”

Clara sighed, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before answering. “To explain Mr. Gilbert, you need to understand your great-grandfather and the history of the Cooper family,” she said, her voice calm but weighted with nostalgia.

“Grandfather,” she began, “was the one who made the Cooper name something people respected, not by wealth, but by taking responsibility. He looked after this village and protected the villagers from outside threats. Though I don’t know much about my great-grandfather, the mansion was supposedly a gift from a noble he helped in some way—a token of gratitude. Back then, nobility meant everything. It was more about status than money, and this noble gesture gave the Coopers a certain standing in the village.”

Ash looked at her, intrigued. “Oh? So, were we nobility?” he asked, his tone half-joking, half-curious.

Clara chuckled softly, shaking her head. “Nope, not quite. We were simple farmers, Ash. Respected, yes, but still common folk. My grandfather earned respect for his generosity and commitment to the village. He was one of twelve children, but family feuds over inheritance drove most of the siblings away. By the time our father, James, took over, he was too focused on building Eunison. He poured everything he had into that company, and while he succeeded, he grew distant from the village.”

Ash nodded slowly, piecing together this history that had always been hidden from him. “And Mr. Gilbert?”

“Gilbert’s family used to be close to ours, a distant relative of sorts,” Clara explained, her voice softening. “They fell out with us when Dad decided to focus on Eunison and shifted his attention to the city. They felt betrayed and left behind, and over time, resentment grew. Gilbert wanted the village to rally around him, to make himself the local leader.”

Ash fell silent, taking in the story. He could now see how deep the divide ran between the Coopers and some villagers. As Clara gazed at the stars, her expression softened, her memories of her grandfather clearly warming her heart.

“He was a good man,” she said quietly. “Always there for anyone in need. He looked out for me and your mother. Your mother, Marie… she was so much like him, compassionate, fierce, stubborn…” Her voice trailed off, and Ash saw her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

“Mom must have been proud of him,” Ash murmured, reaching out to squeeze Clara’s hand gently.

“Yes,” she nodded. “She adored him. And you—you’re so much like her, Ash.” Clara’s voice caught, and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

They sat in comfortable silence, the memories of family history creating an invisible thread that connected them to the past.

Clara attempted to change the air as she remembered a story her grandpa used to talk about proudly. “Oh, you know? Back when I was just a kid, I always sat by grandpa’s side on a bench way out in the fields under a huge tree. That was his favorite spot, as he could overlook the entire farmland. He told tales about the mansion. It was more like an adventure drama.”

Ash was curious as he intently listened to her as he kept fiddling with his wristwatch unconsciously.

Clara smiled, seeing Ash’s cute side as she continued, “The village was once flooded. It was a brutal storm and heavy downpour that endangered the villagers. All the other houses and buildings collapsed into rubble, but the mansion stood strong and welcoming. Grandpa then opened the mansion gates so that all the villagers could settle down. They stored the food on the upper floors and let all the villagers stay on the middle floors, while the livestock were also protected in the ground-floor rooms. Back then, there weren’t any swift rescue teams to save the people, but thanks to Grandpa, the village survived.”

As Clara was about to finish telling the story, a wave of shock crashed over her, leaving her trembling. She said, “After that, the mansion was celebrated as an ‘ancient stronghold’...” the Ancient Stronghold mentioned in the paper that Richard delivered.

“Ancient Stronghold? That sounds so… legendary.” Ash commented on the story and continued, “So, is that bench still there?” out of all the things he could ask, his attention was on the peaceful spot he so loved to explore.

But his question made Clara gasp for breath as she learned about the ‘favorite spot,’ which was the clue mentioned in the email shown by Alan.

Clara’s face turned pale, yet Ash, who was leaning on the wall near her, couldn’t see in the darkness. Her cheeks trembled, knowing that she was a step closer to finding the key to Marie’s trunk.

---

The following morning, Ash was woken again by the gentle, nostalgic melody from his mother’s watch. He couldn’t help but smile as he rose, feeling lighter than he had in days. After getting dressed, he headed downstairs to join Clara, who was busy organizing some papers at the dining table.

“What’s on today’s agenda, Aunt Clare?” he asked, taking a seat across from her.

Clara looked up, her face thoughtful. “I was planning to revisit some of Grandpa’s favorite spots, hoping to uncover more stories. He… had a habit of writing journals.” she didn’t want to let him know about the trunk and the ominous messages yet.

Ash’s curiosity was piqued, and he nodded. “Then count me in.”

“Nope, you are going back to the Cooper Mansion. You’ve got a birthday to celebrate, don’t ya?” Clara smoothly rejected Ash’s involvement.

Thoughts of Violet filled up Ash’s mind as he slipped out a warm smile.

Both Ash and Clara were too consumed by big things enough not to notice each other's emotions as they’d usually be.

Soon after having their breakfast, Ash and Robert got ready to leave for the city. Despite the tangled thought in Clara’s mind, she remained composed so as not to alert Ash.

Clara rushed to the big tree as soon as Ash disappeared from her sight. It was a huge tree in the farmland where the bench used to be. Florence and Michele followed her without knowing what was going on.

When she spotted the tree, she pulled out the shovel that she had grabbed at the entrance and started digging where the bench was. Michele jumped in, though unsure of what was going on. " Miss Clara, please, let me do it.”

Clara resigned as she handed the shovel to Michele and stood by the sidelines with Florence.

After digging for a while, Michele hit something in the ground. Clara curiously bent down and brushed the soil off with her hand. There it was! An old iron box, small enough to be a time capsule. She checked the box for opening, but it was wax-sealed.

“That thorough woman!” Clara mumbled, annoyed at her late sister.

The three of them returned to the mansion when Clara said, “Both of you stay here and overlook the work. Come by the house after the workers retire for the day.”

Both glanced at each other, and they nodded in agreement. Clara went to her room in the temporary house and lit a candlestick. She showed the iron box, carefully melting off the wax seal. After a long, careful work, the box opened, revealing a small letter and a bunch of keys.

---

In the car, as Robert and Ash were chatting about the peaceful countryside, Ash’s phone rang. It was Gray, “Hey Man!! You in for tonight’s party?” Ash knew what the party was for. He chuckled as he replied, “Yeah, fine… so where do we go?”

“I haven’t decided on that yet. But we’ve got a new member joining the party,” Gray hinted mysteriously.

So, the ride to the city was full of chatter as Gray dragged Robert into their conversation, and Robert was unsure of how to react.

Ash, totally unaware of the clues his mom left behind, was filled with happiness as he was about to see Violet.