Chapter 7: Undeniable Conditions

    Theerapat stormed back into the room, kicking anything in his path out of the way. He grabbed a cigarette, opened the window, and leaned out to light it. His jet-black eyes gazed at the towering mountains surrounding the area, but his mind was elsewhere.

    As a child, Theerapat was frail, easily falling ill from the slightest exposure to sun or wind. He had even once nearly died from dengue fever. During his kindergarten years, he was homeschooled. Being a clingy child, his parents and older sister doted on him, and wherever he went, people showered him with affection. Theerapat's childhood memories were filled with happiness.

    And where did Thongdee fit into these memories? In the worst parts, all the way to the downright terrible.

    Thongdee rarely meddled at the main house. He kept to himself, working on the farm, and only appeared during important events. As a result, young Theerapat hardly ever interacted with him. But every time they met, Theerapat would accidentally see his mother embracing Thongdee in secluded spots. The familiar gestures and the sweet-sounding calls of "P'Thong, dear P'Thong" grated on his ears. That was why Theerapat did not like Thongdee much, and partly because he was protective of his mother, as young boys tend to be.

    One night, a loud crash erupted in the living room. The three siblings flung open their bedroom doors and rushed downstairs to see the chaos. Furniture lay shattered across the floor, Sabangna was sobbing uncontrollably, trembling on the ground, and Thamrongsak, his head bleeding profusely, was locked in a struggle with Thongdee over a knife.

    "I trusted you because you were my wife's man, you scoundrel"

    "P'Sak, please, don't hurt P'Thong."

    "Shut your mouth!"

    This was the first time Theerapat had ever seen his father raise his voice at his mother. Normally, Thamrongsak was a calm man, but perhaps his past infidelity with his former wife had come back to haunt him, leaving him humiliated and unable to accept it. His anger surged like a storm, terrifying Theerapat to his core. His older sister, unsure of what to do, could only hold him in comfort. Thongdee seized the moment to try and pull the knife away, but Thamrongsak was quick to react.

    Slice!

    The sharp blade cut across the cowboy's face, spraying blood everywhere, before Thamrongsak kicked Thongdee to the ground.

    "Don't, P'Sak. Don't hurt P'Thong!"

    Sabangna rushed to embrace the large man, her soft silk dress stained with Thongdee's bright red blood. Thamrongsak watched this scene with a pained heart, while Thongdee remained silent, not offering a single word in his defense.

    Thamrongsak said nothing more, simply wiped the blood away and walked out. Seven-year-old Theerapat ran after his father.

    "Dad! Where are you going? Mom is hurt."

    But he was met with a cold, indifferent stare.

    "Get out of my way, don't be a nuisance!"

    Hearing those words, the boy who had always been loved was so shocked that he fainted and fell ill for a week. After that, the situation in the Khunlakorn family worsened. Theerapat could not remember much about this period of his life; it was all a blur of confusion. All he knew was that he hated his father, his mother, and that scoundrel Uncle Thongdee. Hearing the servants gossip about how the lady of the house was indeed having an affair with the cowboy only fueled his hatred.

    Sabangna decided to separate from Thamrongsak. Her husband did not object, even throwing a large sum of money at her as if to drive them away. Thanrada and Tanatcha tried to mediate out of pity for their young brother, but there was not much they could do. Thamrongsak's pride was sky-high. So, Sabangna decided to take the boy and move to England, living as a single mother. Still young and beautiful, without a husband, she began to go out, dating different handsome men to reclaim her youthful life.

    Theerapat was raised in a neglectful environment, often bullied by his foreign nanny for being skinny and sickly. At his new school, he was frequently picked on by classmates, which forced him to toughen up and become resilient. If he was not the hunter, he would be the hunted... This was the beginning of Theerapat's transformation into someone who rarely acknowledged others, becoming arrogant and sharp-tongued.

    After enduring this life for a while, Thamrongsak seemed to realize his mistake, understanding that he should not have taken out his anger on his son. He tried to make amends, but the father-son relationship had already deteriorated. When Theerapat turned 16, Sabangna died in a car accident while out on a date with her boyfriend, leaving Theerapat under his father's full custody. However, he refused to return to Thailand or set foot in Khunlakorn Mansion, regardless of the occasion or festival, until the final days of Thamrongsak's life. Even then, Theerapat did not return to fulfill the role of a dutiful son.

    He was simply drawn by benefits he could not ignore.

    Rumble, rumble.

    The notification sound from his phone snapped the young man out of his bitter memories.

    His pale hand unlocked the screen to find an email from his advisor, sharing insider news that The Grid, a rising architecture firm in London, was opening a position for an assistant architect. If he was interested, the professor would write a recommendation letter for him, with the condition that if selected, Theerapat had to work there for at least 5 years.

    Theerapat, eager to escape, did not hesitate. The Grid was his dream company anyway, so he agreed with the professor before heading to shower, preparing to attend the evening prayers and help with the event in the afternoon.

    Early evening

    "Thongdee, what's wrong? You've been walking funny for the past few days."

    The elderly housekeeper asked with concern as the cowboy was carrying a fan away.

    "Oh... I just fell and hurt my back a bit."

    Thongdee did not want to lie, but he could not tell anyone the truth about being mounted by the young master of the house.

    "Will you help carry the sofa down? Wait, I'll send Sin instead. By the way, where's Sin?"

    Thongdee shook his head and replied to the elderly woman, "I can do it, Aunt Tan." Then he walked to the back to bring out the wooden sofa to accommodate guests coming for the evening prayers, only to find Theerapat standing there smoking.

    Thongdee smiled, but the young man tossed his cigarette to the ground, stomped it out forcefully, and then turned to walk inside, as if he had not seen the cowboy towering over 190 centimeters. Thongdee's smile faded.

    Thongdee headed to the storage room to help the workers move the sofa, only to find two young housemaids standing there chatting. One of them had tried to charm him with a love potion a few days ago.

    Of course, Thongdee was unaware of this.

    "Uh, I'm here to move the..."

    "Hmph!"

    The maid turned her face away and briskly walked outside. Her friend approached Thongdee with a scowl.

    "You're not a real man, you know? Do you have any idea how embarrassed Pu is?"

    Then she walked out, leaving the cowboy standing there, bewildered.

    Naturally, they intended to make Thongdee look like the guilty party. When Thongdee had rushed out of the kitchen on Grandpa Heng's birthday night, someone had seen the maid with her clothes disheveled. Since Thongdee was not around to deny it, they spread the story that Thongdee had gotten aroused and groped her, but unresponsively fled out of embarrassment before doing anything, leaving her to bear the shame.

    Thongdee did not dare deny it. At least nothing had happened, because if he told the truth, the maid might suffer more damage. Besides… who would believe that a big guy like Thongdee could not overpower a woman?

    Several days later,

    The somber event for Thamrongsak had come to an end. The cremation, collection of ashes, and the merit-making ceremony for their father were completed. The three siblings took a two-day break to catch their breath. Then, Thanrada called her siblings to gather in the study along with the family's lawyer.

    Theerapat sat with his legs crossed, waiting for his siblings to discuss the headache-inducing matters without offering any opinions.

    Being the youngest son, their father never trusted him with the family business. He was free to study whatever he wanted and become whatever he wished. Fortunately, Thanrada was ready to take over seamlessly, while Tanatcha managed the household affairs. Theerapat, with no burdens, sometimes felt like the black sheep, but at least he was the most free-spirited among the siblings.

    "Alright, everything's settled. Let's open the will."

    Thanrada spoke up.

    "Please go ahead, Uncle Lawyer."

    Without further ado, the sixty-year-old lawyer, who was a close junior of Thamrongsak, began reading the will in a slow but clear voice. For Thanrada and Tanatcha, there were no surprises. The eldest sister was appointed as the president of Denchai Company Limited, taking over from Thamrongsak. Shares and assets worth over a billion were bequeathed to her. Tanatcha inherited the family mansion, some company shares, other properties, and prime land that Thamrongsak had acquired across the country, also worth billions.

    Besides his two daughters, Thamrongsak wanted to allocate part of his assets to his former wife, Jitra, but she refused and did not stay to hear the will. If anything was given, Thanrada was to handle the distribution to her siblings as deemed appropriate.

    “Lastly, Mr. Theerapat Khunlakorn, my youngest son...”

    Theerapat pressed his lips together, having waited for days. Finally, it was over.

    “I'm sorry for pushing you away back then.”

    The lawyer read the sentence that Thamrongsak had written from the depths of his heart. Although Theerapat tried to maintain a stoic expression, his fleeting gaze betrayed his true feelings. Thus, he pretended to cover his mouth with his hand and turned his face to look elsewhere.

    “It's not that I forgot, nor that I pretended to forget what I've said. I never dared to speak openly because I was ashamed and deeply regretful for hurting you.”

    “Uncle, could you skip the preamble and get to the point about what I'm getting?”

    “Thee!”

    Thanrada scolded her younger brother, but he turned away, his nose visibly red.

    “I can't do that, Mr. Thee. I have to read every word.”

    The lawyer replied nonchalantly and continued reading the will.

    “For a decade, the time we didn't spend together as father and son will never return. I understand that you might not feel like a Khunlakorn, which I never wanted to happen.”

    A wry smile appeared on his red lips.

    Indeed, apart from his sister, whom he was somewhat close to, Theerapat never felt truly part of this family.

    “Therefore, after I have left this world, I want to make amends by bequeathing seven hundred million baht in cash, diamonds, gold bars, and precious gems in a bank safe worth over three hundred million baht, three land deeds in Bangkok, two land deeds in Phuket, one land deed in Khon Kaen, and ten percent of the monthly profits from Khunlakorn Farm Company Limited to Theerapat Khunlakorn, my youngest son.”

    Theerapat sighed. At least he received a fair share of the inheritance. Although it was less than his sisters', he did not intend to complain, knowing he had not worked as hard as they had. The young man prepared to pick up a pen to sign the documents and make a quick escape to pack his things and book a ticket back to England. However, the elderly lawyer raised his hand to stop him.

    "With the condition that..."

    The lawyer emphasized as he read the will, causing Theerapat's eyebrows to furrow, along with his two sisters'.

    "Mr. Theerapat Khunlakorn must spend at least three months learning to work on the family farm and must take care of at least one pregnant animal, such as a horse, cow, or buffalo, ensuring it gives birth safely, at his discretion."

    "What! Are you crazy?"

    "..."

    "You want me to deliver a buffalo? Can't it give birth on its own?"

    Theerapat blurted out. Thanrada and Tanatcha exchanged glances and secretly smiled.

    The elderly lawyer was unfazed by the young man's outburst. His wrinkled hand adjusted his glasses slightly and continued reading the will, but by now, none of the words were registering with Theerapat anymore.

    The Khunlakorn Family became wealthy through farming. Their ancestors did not want their descendants to forget how they achieved their comfort, so they built a small, private farm behind the mansion. This was intended for the family members to engage with, taking responsibility for the animals living freely there, fostering a sense of pride in the family's origins.

    Thanrada and Tanatcha had already gone through these traditions. They ran around the haystacks, cleaned the chicken coop, fed the ducks, learned to ride horses, herded cattle, and milked cows. Thanrada once helped care for a mother buffalo and her calf, while Tanatcha assisted in delivering her favorite horse's foal. They did not even see it as a tradition but rather as fun childhood activities shared with their dad and mom (who were Jitra at the time). However, Theerapat was different. He had been physically weak since childhood and rarely played on the farm. As he grew older, his parents faced problems, forcing him to move abroad suddenly. The young man was unaware he had to do such things.

    "Stop sulking. Father just wants you to absorb the life here."

    Thanrada returned to sit beside her younger brother after seeing the lawyer off.

    "P'Tia, P'Tan, can't you just sign off for me? Father wouldn't know. If he wants to strangle someone, let him come deal with me. Ouch!"

    Tanatcha, sitting across from him, reached over and knocked Theerapat on the head.

    "Stop talking like that, Thee. You're 22 now; it's time to grow up."

    The young man rubbed his head, sulking.

    Thamrongsak had entrusted his two daughters with the task of overseeing Theerapat and ensuring he met the conditions. If he did, they had the authority to sign off, allowing Theerapat to receive his inheritance according to the will.

    "Father's not sending you off to suffer somewhere. He just wants you to work on the farm for three months."

    "But I have to go back to England for my master's degree, and I need to find a job too."

    "Then go back. Your inheritance will be donated to charity."

    Thanrada smiled mischievously, leaving Theerapat at a loss for words. Tanatcha nudged her sister and said, "There's a cow in the farm behind the house that's pregnant right now. It's Mali, P'Tia."

    "That's right,"

    Thanrada added, as Theerapat shook his head.

    "Can't I work at Denchai Farm instead?"

    Thamrongsak did not specify which farm Theerapat had to help with, so the young man could choose to learn the ropes at Denchai Farm, which was a family business. That farm was closer to the capital, right by the main road, making it much more convenient than staying at the mansion. He could stay out of his sisters' sight and find trustworthy subordinates, bribing them to report only good behavior. Problem solved!

    But Thanrada and Tanatcha knew their brother's nature.

    "No."

    Thanrada immediately refused.

    "Why go to the big farm and cause a fuss? The employees there have their responsibilities. I don't want them wasting time dealing with your spoiled whims."

    "..."

    "You have to stay here and learn the ropes with Uncle Thong."