The Engagement of the Baron of Flowers and the Withered Tree Lady.

Chapter 11: The Withered Tree Lady and the Four Brothers

Ever since Julia got engaged, there was a stir in the Woodcliff Earl’s family.

Her brothers and sisters felt anxious that their younger sister had found a fiancé before them.

Linda, the eldest daughter, was already twenty years old, and as a noble, she felt like she was lagging behind in the race.

Kirk, the eldest son, is eighteen years old and will graduate from the Royal Academy next year. If he doesn’t find a fiancée before graduation, he’ll end up feeling a bit embarrassed at the graduation party without a partner.

Cathy, the second daughter, is just one year older than Julia, at seventeen. She is a student at a girls’ academy and doesn’t need to rush. However, seeing that two-thirds of her classmates are already engaged, she can’t help but feel a bit uneasy.

The three siblings have had several marriage proposals brought to them by both the former and current Earl.

However, they have consistently rejected every single one, even refusing to meet the prospective partners.

The reason behind their refusal is that all of the candidates came from families of lower social standing than the Earl’s.

The Lady and the children were angry, wondering why both siblings were intentionally selecting such unsuitable matches

And one day, both the grandfather and father, seemingly in perfect agreement, finally reached their breaking point and abruptly communicated their decision through letters.

“If you dislike the marriage proposals I bring, then I will no longer interfere. Find your own partners. You may choose anyone you like, but you must take responsibility for your choices.”

Upon receiving these letters, they were truly taken aback. It was as if the head of the family had abandoned them. The three siblings hastily sent apology letters, but their father’s response never came.

From that point on, no more marriage proposals came their way.

Finally understanding that the heads of the family were serious, the wife and children realized they were already too late.

What’s more, despite everything, they shamelessly pushed forward with the proposed marriage to the same baron that had been brought up before, this time forcing it upon Julia. The young ladies showed no signs of learning their lesson.

With a cold gaze, the youngest sibling, Kent, observed his family.

At only twelve years old, he remained calm and always wore an expressionless face.

This was due to the fact that he had been abandoned by his mother since childhood, which had shaped his detached demeanor.

At the age of six, Kent was sent to the academy’s dormitory.

His older sisters mocked him, claiming that he had been abandoned by their father, but he knew that it wasn’t true.

He understood that his father had sent him away from the complex world of the Woodcliff family in order to protect him and provide him with the skills to survive.

The dormitory supervisor, who was said to be a friend of his father, had taught him this.

Therefore, Kent had long been prepared to leave the Earl’s household and live independently.

He didn’t hold onto notions of family background or nobility.

That’s why he was able to look down on his foolish brothers.

Particularly, Linda’s disgraceful behavior was so repulsive that even Kent, who usually had an expressionless face, couldn’t help but contort his own face in disgust.

Linda finally realized that they had been abandoned by their father and grandfather, and in a panic, she pleaded with her mother to introduce her to a friend’s son.

Until then, she had kept her distance from her mother, but it seems she couldn’t afford to do so anymore.

However, the eligible young men of her age whom she could meet were either already married or engaged.

The higher one climbs the aristocratic ladder, the earlier the marriage age becomes.

What remains are either second or third sons who are not the heirs, individuals with issues, or perhaps just the topic of gossip as a stepmother.

Such things are considered commonplace in aristocratic society.

However, Linda simply couldn’t accept that reality and she would attend various high-ranking aristocratic parties, actively approaching men only to face rejection.

Cathy, the second daughter, witnessing her sister’s behavior, didn’t want to become like her. She also actively attended parties and tea gatherings, trying to establish connections with people. However, because she solely targeted the eldest sons of high-ranking nobles, she was met with annoyance.

Observing his sisters’ behavior, the eldest brother began to think that since he was a man, it would be fine for him to marry a lady from the same Earl or Viscount family, even if she wasn’t from a high-ranking aristocratic background.

However, for some reason, both his mother and the butler didn’t approve of it.

However, the eldest brother, having observed his sisters’ actions, gradually came to think that being a man, it would be acceptable for him to marry a lady from either the same earl’s family or a viscount’s family, regardless of their social status.

However, for some inexplicable reason, both his mother and the butler did not permit such a choice.

“As the heir of a prestigious Earl’s family, there is no need for you to marry someone from a lower-ranked household. Besides, you are also a grandchild of a Duke,” the mother always said to her son.

The mother herself came from a Duke’s family.

In truth, she never wanted to marry into a lower-ranked Earl’s family or anything of the sort. However, being the third daughter from her father’s second marriage, she couldn’t go against her father’s wishes.

Moreover, for some reason, the father was in high spirits, considering it an honor for her to marry into the Woodcliff Earl’s family.

He is the eldest son of the Earl’s family that father proudly spoke of. Moreover, their son is talented, so the mother believed without a doubt that they would find plenty of suitable partners.

Indeed, their eldest son, Kirk, bore a striking resemblance to the beautiful mother, with his blond hair and blue eyes. Not to mention, he seemed to excel in his academic performance at the academy.

Hence, the mother must have believed that their son would have no shortage of options to choose from.

Kent, being from the same academy, was aware of his brother’s reputation.

In reality, Kirk was often approached by female students, and whenever he approached them, their cheeks would flush with color.

However, whenever Kirk introduced himself and expressed his interest in pursuing a relationship in social gatherings, he would often be politely declined, leaving him on the verge of losing confidence.

Yet, there was one occasion where things seemed to be going well with a young lady from a certain Viscount’s family. However, even that encounter was disrupted by his mother’s interference.

While Kent lived in the academy dormitory, students whose families resided in the capital would be sent back home to their estates on weekends.

Kent, however, obtained information about the Earl’s residence during his absence through the gossip of the household staff. Surprisingly, these servants were far from what one would expect from the staff of a prestigious Earl’s family—they had loose tongues and a fondness for gossip.

However, they made sure not to share any unnecessary information with their younger sister.

It became apparent that the cause of his brother’s deep despair was a broken heart. Kent initially felt sympathetic towards his brother, recognizing the immense pain he must have been experiencing.

However, to his disappointment, Kent discovered that Kirk, like his elder sisters, vented his frustrations onto Julia.

Last month, after a long time, our father brought up the topic of marriage proposals to my sisters.

However, since the potential suitor was a Baron, my two older sisters, undeterred, passed the opportunity onto our youngest sister.

Surprisingly, on the very same day of their first meeting, our youngest sister ended up getting engaged.

Both my brother and sisters were taken aback by how quickly the engagement was decided.

Knowing the nature of our “plain Jane” sister, they laughed and speculated that she would easily reject him, regardless of whether he was a lower-ranked Baron or even an older man.

They joked about it. And yet…

Moreover, the suitor started sending her flowers almost every day, and my youngest sister was invited on dates almost every week, which she gladly accepted.

As the sister who had been teased as the “plain Jane,” she gradually became more vibrant and even more beautiful.

The youngest sibling was utterly disgusted witnessing their older brothers’ vexed behavior.

Despite insisting that they didn’t want a lower-ranked Baron as a suitor and forcefully pushing their sister into that position, they now found themselves resenting their sister’s happiness. The older sisters’ jealousy and the pitiful older brother who couldn’t even celebrate their sister’s joy left the youngest sibling astounded.

And then…

“Why is it that you always seem so happy, even though nothing I do ever goes well? Are you giving me flowers as a pity gesture? Don’t mock me!”

Julia was on the verge of placing a vase of flowers in her brother’s room when he suddenly erupted in anger, unleashing his tirade upon her.

And then, the brother forcefully snatched the vase from his sister’s hands and, shockingly, hurled it at her.

The vase struck his sister’s abdomen before shattering on the floor of the hallway.

Julia, with a deeply saddened expression, looked directly at her brother’s face.

Upon witnessing this scene, Kent’s feelings towards his brother shifted completely from sympathy to utter contempt.

Kent quickly rushed to Julia’s side, gathering the scattered flowers from the floor and offering them to her.

He then instructed his sister to go and change clothes, assuring her that he would take care of the cleanup.

Julia’s attire was soaked and drenched from the water that had spilled from the shattered vase.

Having always been ignored, Julia had come to believe that Kent harbored dislike towards her. Thus, she was taken aback by the unexpected kindness shown by Kent, and her face expressed surprise.

However, it didn’t take long for her to break into a joyful smile and say, “Thank you.”

From that moment on, the bond between Julia and Kent grew rapidly closer.