The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 1056

So, Claire was the granddaughter of Baldrick's old friend.

Even though she grew up in the countryside, a family that could casually present an Agarwood pillow was certainly not ordinary.

It seemed Dane and Claire had already made things official with their families.

Bringing up a match between his own granddaughter and Dane earlier had definitely been a faux pas on his part.

Dane was a smart man. He had brought her straight here, smoothly staking his claim without giving the girl a single reason to feel slighted.

Kendrick found himself admiring the younger man even more. Yet, a pang of regret lingered. Someone else had already snatched up such a perfect catch.

"Could you take a look at me, my dear?" Kendrick asked. "I'd love to know if these old, aching legs of mine will ever heal."

"Your legs..." Claire leaned in for a closer look. "They've been through hell, haven't they?"

Kendrick stayed silent.

Decades ago, men in his high-ranking position rarely escaped the political turmoil unscathed. Kendrick had been exiled to the freezing northern frontier.

His injuries were the result of a barn roof collapsing under heavy snow, trapping him inside for half the night until his legs were severely frostbitten.

Back then, any proper hospital would have amputated them immediately.

But the locals weren't about to risk taking an exiled man to a doctor. Instead, they relied on crude frontier remedies to thaw him out.

The old methods had miraculously saved his legs from being severed.

But they had left him with decades of relentless, agonizing pain.

Sometimes, Kendrick thought amputation would have been a mercy. He practically lived like an amputee anyway.

Claire glanced around the bustling venue. "It's not very convenient here. How about I examine you properly after the banquet?"

"There's no rush," Kendrick replied softly. "It's getting late. Shall we do it tomorrow instead?"

Finn blinked. His first thought was: *Which of my boys betrayed the single life?*

When his grandfather dropped Dane's name, Finn was utterly floored.

"Impossible. Dane is even more allergic to romance than I am," Finn scoffed. "At least I casually dated in college. That guy? He's practically..."

He swallowed the crass joke about Dane's right hand out of respect for his grandfather.

Kendrick could still sense the unspoken vulgarity. He shot his grandson a sharp glare. "Oh, really? Then I guess it's a miracle."

"Look over there. He even brought his girlfriend to the party!" Kendrick pointed toward Dane and Claire's silhouettes.

Finn immediately questioned his entire reality. How was that possible?

Hadn't Dane arrived at the banquet completely alone?

Where the hell did this woman come from?