Chapter 4: Daughters
When the airship finally docked at ' The Harbor', there wasn't an extensive line or a crowd of people rushing to go out, unlike the plane landings back on Earth. People stepped out of the airship one by one, with plenty of time in between each departing passenger.
Because while the newly released airships in Eldoria may be technically accessible to anyone willing to purchase a ticket, the exorbitant cost associated with air travel effectively limits its accessibility to only the wealthy and privileged.
In practical terms, the majority of passengers who board these airships come from the upper echelons of society, as they are the ones who can readily afford the substantial fare. In Modern Earth's terminology, it would be akin to having every flight classified as 'first class' and almost every single one of these departing passengers could be considered a VIP.
Jealousy almost crept up Lucas's face until he realized that he is now one of these VIPs himself.
He watched the passengers slowly disembark, trying to figure out if it is his daughters that are walking out of the airship. 'How can a father not have a clear picture of what his own daughters look like?' Lucas bites his tongue in frustration.
It's not like he had zero memories of his daughters. Even though they rarely bumped across each other due to Beaumont's busy schedule, they still lived in the same house for more than a decade. It's just that for some reason, when trying to recall those said memories, they always come up somewhat blurry or hazy.
Lucas pondered the reason behind this frustrating phenomenon. His mind presented him with a theory – the original Montague Beaumont simply didn't prioritize remembering his daughters' appearances or maybe he didn't find it too important. The memories of business contracts, financial dealings, and strategic decisions were crystal clear, etched into his consciousness. But when it came to his own flesh and blood, the details remained blurred and hazy, as if relegated to a less significant corner of his mind.
Through these small realizations, Lucas felt that he is slowly getting an inkling as to what kind of father Montague Beaumont is.
Still keeping up the charade of an extremely busy and serious businessman, Lucas asked his valet standing next to him, "Have you spotted my daughters?", he said trying to cover up the fact that he himself don't know what they look like.
The valet's answer is rather unexpected as he said, "Uhm, sir… I'm afraid I don't know what the young misses look like. I've only been hired last month and I haven't had the opportunity to see them yet"
"…" Lucas almost broke character, as he suppressed the desire to facepalm there and then. He had forgotten such a crucial detail, he had only recently hired all his servants in Eldoria.
"Oh pardon," Lucas interjected, attempting to regain composure. "It appears I overlooked that fact. My recent transitions have caused a few slip-ups."
'Man, I'm not making it. At this rate, I'm gonna get exposed as a fraud on my first day back at work.' The more of these small mistakes that he makes, the more he realizes that he's not cut out to be a businessman.
As the airship's passengers began to disembark, two young women caught Lucas's attention. The first to step off the airship was a beauty, bearing a striking resemblance to Montague Beaumont. However, it was not her familial resemblance that captivated Lucas, but rather her unconventional attire, which seemed to exude a sense of mystery and intrigue.
Her long, straight raven hair cascaded down her back, framing her pale blue eyes with an air of intensity. Standing at a graceful height of 179 cm (5'10''), she possessed a slender and well-proportioned figure. Clad in a black tailcoat jacket and a frilled white blouse, she emanated a certain androgynous charm. Her outfit was completed with black trousers, stylish high boots, and a structured leather briefcase.
In contrast, the second young woman followed a few steps behind, donning a simple yet elegant beige dress adorned with delicate ruffles and lace. The dress hugged her form, accentuated by a corset that cinched her waist. She too had a briefcase on her hands.
Though her attire may have been less extravagant compared to her companion's, her natural beauty shone through, radiating a warm and approachable aura. Standing at a slightly shorter stature of around 172 cm (5'7''), she possessed the same pale blue eyes but with brown hair cascading down her shoulders.
As the black-haired lady locked eyes with Lucas, a flicker of surprise illuminated her gaze for a fleeting moment before she composed herself. Swiftly, she beckoned to the brown-haired lady following behind her, and together they altered their course, making their way toward Lucas's location.
'They're my daughters?' They were much older than he'd anticipated. In his mind, he had imagined them to be around the ages of 9 or 12. But then again, his mind still thought things through Earth's standards. In this world, where societal norms differed, it was not uncommon for individuals to become parents at a younger age.
Now that they were standing before him, it basically confirmed his suspicions and he greeted them warmly, addressing each of them by name. "How was the airship journey, Victoria? Charlotte?" he inquired, trying to act the way he thinks the original Montague would.
Their reunion lacked the typical emotional display that often accompanies families separated for a considerable time. No tears were shed, no warm embraces shared, and there were no exclaims of "I missed you so much!" Instead, a simple exchange of bows, more like nods of acknowledgment, took place before they responded to Lucas's inquiry.
The first to speak is the brown-haired woman, the younger of the two sisters, Charlotte. "It was much more comfortable that I had initially expected. The private bar and lounge was a pleasant surprise, I had a few interesting conversations with the other passengers" she answered succinctly.
Reining in his surprise at the fact that these airships actually had bars and lounges onboard, he turned to his other daughter, Victoria and asked her about her experience.
"I had anticipated a rowdier atmosphere, but fortunately, the other passengers displayed some level of tact." She seemed to have had certain ideas when she'd heard that there would be other passengers.
'Well, while airships may be classified as a form of public transportation in a broad sense, the reality is that they primarily cater to the wealthy, since they're the only ones that can afford to board it in the first place.' Lucas thought to himself and smiled at his 'new' daughter's words before speaking.
"The passengers on these airships tend to exhibit a higher level of restraint and decorum compared to your average person." Lucas could already feel the elitism running in his veins as he spoke those words. "More than that, I'm happy that you two didn't encounter any problems on the way here. We will proceed to our new manor where I will introduce you to the household staff. This is Reginald, my appointed valet from this point forward."
"It's an honor meeting the two young misses," Reginald bowed respectfully. Victoria and Charlotte only gave him a slight nod before following Lucas over to the carriage.
…
'This is so awkward'
Seated in the horse carriage is Lucas, and directly across him were his daughters, Victoria and Charlotte. The two of them were seated at the opposite ends of their seat, their gazes fixed on the world outside through the carriage window. The entire carriage was dead silent. No one's opening their mouths to speak at all.
Awkward couldn't even begin to describe the situation, or at least that's how Lucas perceived it.
He didn't know enough about the two women seated in front of him to start a conversation. Maybe they like the silence? He thought that maybe this situation isn't as awkward for them as it is for him. Not to mention, they've probably experienced this same exact same situation many times in the past. They were used to it.
Lucas could somewhat empathize with them. Back on Earth, he never considered his mother as a conversational partner. EVER.
He simply couldn't make small talk with his parent! They had zero common interests and if he were to tell her stories of how his day went, she'd either: ask him too many questions and try to probe if I'm secretly doing something that I'm not supposed to, or she'd find something she disagreed with and turn it into an hour-long sermon.
That doesn't mean he didn't love her, he knew that, without a shadow of a doubt, he loved and cared deeply for his mother. It's just that he can't talk with his parents like he does with his friends. It's like trying to navigate your way through a minefield!
'I still can't believe that I'm suddenly the father of these two women now' Looking through the corners of his eyes, he snuck glances at the two young ladies in front of him while pretending to read the reports in his hands. It was a surreal experience for him, for just yesterday, it seemed they were old enough to be his classmates in university.
He thought that maybe if they were kids, like grade schoolers, he'd at least be able be able to take on a mentor role and guide them, even if he were just only a few years older than him but,
'Aren't they just the same age as me?' Lucas questioned himself. He wasn't too sure about their actual ages, but he felt that it was pretty close. 'I'd be stumbling and stuttering trying to strike up conversations with women like them back in campus. I'd be lucky if one them even looked my way. And now I have to assume the role of their father? Oh hell no, I can't guide them through shit.'
The sudden shift in his responsibilities weighed heavily on Lucas. He felt ill-equipped to fulfill the role of a father to two young women who were practically his peers. Doubts and insecurities swirled in his mind, creating a sense of unease and a lingering feeling of inadequacy.
'What would they think if they find out their ultra-successful CEO father had turned to a 20-year-old guy who thinks talking to women is scary?' Just the thought of it caused a sinking sensation in his stomach.
Victoria shot her father a glance, as she looked at him engrossed in the reports in his hands. Her eyes lingered at Montague for a few seconds before shifting back to the outside world through the carriage windows.
About half an hour later, they arrived to their manor in Clockwork Heights.
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