The following morning, Jovian stood at the entrance of West Lucozia Airport, wearing a sharp suit.Before the trip, he had contacted his comrade with whom he had fought side by side in the military. After earning military merit and with the Ballard family's influence, he was fortunate enough to stay in Oakvale and secure a decent position.His comrade, on the other hand, had moved to West Lucozia to carve out a life for himself. Years of hard work had paid off—he was now a third-rank general with considerable power, influence, and a strong network of connections. Jovian's meeting with the Prince of West Lucozia would depend entirely on his comrade's connections.Just then, the roar of an engine cut through the air as a military jeep pulled up beside him. The window rolled down, and the first thing that came into view was a bald head gleaming in the sunlight like a lightbulb. The glare nearly blinded him.Under that shiny dome was a face that looked ordinary at first glance. But w
“Dustin, here is the divorce agreement prepared by Ms. Nicholson. All you need to do is sign them.”In the president’s office of the Quine Group, the secretary, Lyra Blaine, placed a piece of A4 paper on the table. A man sat opposite her, dressed in plain clothing.“Divorce? What do you mean?”Dustin Rhys was taken aback.“Do you not understand what I’m saying? Your marriage with Ms. Nicholson is over. You’re not even on the same level anymore. Your existence is nothing but a smear on the president’s reputation!”Lyra pulled no punches as she spoke.“A smear on her reputation?” Dustin frowned. “Is that how she thinks of me?”Back when they first got married, the Nicholson family was in ruinous debt. He was the one who helped them when they were at their lowest point. Now that they were rich, Dahlia Nicholson was ready to just kick him out.“Something like that.” Lyra jerked her chin toward the magazine on the table. A photo of a beautiful woman was printed on the front page. “Look at t
In the elevator, Dustin stared at the crystal necklace dejectedly. Even though he had expected it, he was still sad that his marriage had ended just like that. He had once thought that happiness was simple: meals on the table, cheerful days, and simple pleasures. Now, he found out that normalcy was a sin. It was time to awaken from this prolonged daydream.Suddenly, his phone rang, breaking him out of his trance. When he picked up the phone, a familiar voice came from the other end.“Mr. Rhys, I’m Hunter Anderson from the Swinton Group. I heard that today your wedding anniversary with Ms. Nicholson, so I’ve prepared a gift for you. I’m just wondering if you have any time today?”“Thank you for your kindness, but I’m afraid we won’t be needing the gift,” Dustin said. “Why?”Hunter was taken aback. He could sense something wrong.“Is there anything else you’d like to talk about, Mr. Anderson?”“Actually, yes, there is.” Hunter cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’ve got a friend who contrac
“Fuck off!”Those two words were enough to scare Florence motionless. She had never thought that Dustin could be so scary when he was angry. He had always been so mild-tempered around them. He now looked like he could eat her alive.When she finally got her wits back, Florence began screaming, “Help! Help! He’s murdering my son!” Soon, the Quine Group’s security guards gathered around them.“What happened, Mrs. Nicholson?” The head of the security guards recognized Florence and stood at her side immediately.“Tom! Lock this guy up at once! I want him punished for beating up my son!” Florence yelled.“Holy cow! How dare you cause trouble in front of the Quine Group? Have you lost your mind?” Tom waved his hand. All the security guards surrounded Dustin.This was their chance to kiss up to the president’s mother. If they did well now, then they might get a promotion and a raise.“What are you waiting for? Beat him up!” Just as they were about to act, a voice sounded.“What do you think
“Mom, take James to the hospital. I’ll deal with this.”After a moment’s silence, Dahlia finally made her decision.“Dahlia, you must defend your brother! Don’t let that bastard off so easily!” Florence said hatefully.“Don’t worry, I know what I should do.”Dahlia nodded, gesturing for two guards to send Florence and James to the hospital.“What do you think, Lyra?”Dahlia rubbed her temples. She felt a headache coming on.“It’s obvious, isn’t it? It was Dustin who assaulted them first. The security guards were witnesses, so that can’t be a lie,” Lyra said.“But my mother’s not exactly an honest person…” Dahlia began. She knew her mother and brother well. They were a hot-tempered and ruthless duo.“Either way, it’s still wrong for him to throw the first punch!” Lyra said righteously. “Even if there was a misunderstanding, why couldn’t he talk it out? Moreover, it was James that he beat up. Your brother! He didn’t think of how you would feel when he attacked your family. This alone is
“How did you know that?”Ruth’s eyes almost bulged out of her head. She was more shocked than embarrassed that Dustin could tell so much about her health just by looking at her tongue. Everything from the migraines to diarrhea was spot on. Was he really that good, or did he just make a lucky guess?“There’s a lot you can tell about a person just by looking at them,” Dustin said nonchalantly.“Do you believe him now, Ruth?” Natasha smiled. At the same time, she also heaved a silent sigh of relief. Thank goodness Dustin knew what he was doing.“He just got lucky!” Ruth refused to admit defeat. “I’m sorry, Mr. Rhys, she’s just too stubborn for her own good. Please ignore her,” Natasha told Dustin apologetically.“It’s fine. Shall we begin?”Dustin didn’t take Ruth’s attitude to heart. He walked over to Andrew and gave him a thorough check-up. It didn’t take long for him to find out what was going on. It was obvious to him that the old man had been poisoned. The poison was pretty potent t
“You useless thing!” Natasha was livid. She grabbed Dr. Jansen by the collar and yelled, “I told you not to remove the needles! Now that the worst has happened, this is all you have to say?”“No, this has got nothing to do with me!” Dr. Jansen shook his head fervently. “It must be that other healer. His needles must have caused this to happen!”Natasha slapped him.“Stop pushing the blame on others, you bastard! I’m warning you now if anything happens to my grandfather, I’ll kill you!”At those words, Dr. Jansen paled. The Harmon family was powerful enough to get rid of him without anyone knowing. “What’s going on?”At that moment, Dustin entered. When he saw Andrew’s state, he frowned.“Didn’t I tell you not to remove the needles?” he asked with displeasure. “Why didn’t you listen to me?”“Mr. Rhys, just now…”Before Natasha could explain, Dr. Jansen shot forward and grabbed Dustin by the collar.“So it’s you who placed the needles?” he shouted. “It’s your stupid needling that caused
“Is he awake?”Everyone was stunned when they saw Andrew return to consciousness. The doctors were dumbstruck when they noticed the monitors showing Andrew’s vital signs were all normal. Who would have expected a young man like Dustin to cure an unknown disease that had stumped the entire specialist team? This was unheard of!“That’s amazing! Grandfather is awake!”Ruth burst into tears of happiness when she saw her grandfather’s recovery. Natasha also breathed a sigh of relief.“Mr. Rhys, I don’t know how to thank you for this. From now on, you are the Harmon family’s honored guest!”She bowed deeply to Dustin. “You’re welcome, Ms. Harmon. It was no trouble at all.”Dustin gave her a small smile. However, Dustin’s humble words irked Dr. Jansen. He and his team had done all they could to cure Andrew, but this punk called it “no trouble at all?” Clearly, Dustin was insulting them indirectly! “Hey, you! What’s up with the centipede? Why would there be a centipede in my grandfather’s bo
The following morning, Jovian stood at the entrance of West Lucozia Airport, wearing a sharp suit.Before the trip, he had contacted his comrade with whom he had fought side by side in the military. After earning military merit and with the Ballard family's influence, he was fortunate enough to stay in Oakvale and secure a decent position.His comrade, on the other hand, had moved to West Lucozia to carve out a life for himself. Years of hard work had paid off—he was now a third-rank general with considerable power, influence, and a strong network of connections. Jovian's meeting with the Prince of West Lucozia would depend entirely on his comrade's connections.Just then, the roar of an engine cut through the air as a military jeep pulled up beside him. The window rolled down, and the first thing that came into view was a bald head gleaming in the sunlight like a lightbulb. The glare nearly blinded him.Under that shiny dome was a face that looked ordinary at first glance. But w
"Grandfather, I understand why you sent Uncle Jonathan and Uncle Jensen to the Spanner and Fallon families to gather information," Natasha began. "But West Lucozia is thousands of miles away."She shook her head slightly. "They've always stayed out of the government's political matters. Sending Uncle Jovian there wouldn't achieve anything. He'd likely just be turned away." Oakvale and West Lucozia were worlds apart. The fight for the Oakvale throne didn't really affect the West Lucozian monarchy. Both sides had long adhered to an unspoken agreement to avoid meddling in each other's affairs."I know, but it'll be different this time. The royal throne is at stake, and every faction will do whatever it takes to secure West Lucozia's support. If the West Lucozian monarchy picks a side, the balance we've maintained for years will collapse. That's why I need to be ready for whatever happens," Simon replied.It would be best if the West Lucozian monarchy stayed out of the political strug
At the Ballard estate, Dustin was warmly welcomed to stay after dinner. This was the first time Natasha had brought her boyfriend home, so the Ballards made a big deal of it.Simon personally accompanied the young couple and invited them to the study to chat over tea. With his sharp eye, Simon could tell Dustin was no ordinary martial artist. His manners, speech, and broad knowledge set him apart from most people."Dustin, I fully support your relationship with Natasha. Your background or status doesn't matter. What matters most is that you two are happy together." Simon paused and said earnestly, "I want you to understand that she's been pampered all her life and hasn't faced much hardship. Now that she's with you, I hope you'll take good care of her.""Don't worry, Mr. Ballard. I would never let her down," Dustin replied sincerely.Though they had known each other for some time and hadn't yet taken their relationship to the next level, they had already made their feelings clear
After hearing Nathaniel's words, Tristan's expression darkened. His brow furrowed as he sank into deep thought.It seemed he had underestimated the situation. He had assumed it was just a simple rivalry between brothers; he hadn't anticipated Seamus seizing the chance to further his own agenda.Seamus already wielded considerable influence. Under the guise of supporting Matthias' ascension to the throne, he had been forming alliances and recruiting talents. His influence had grown to rival the royal family's.If Seamus really supported Matthias' ascension, he'd overshadow the king, and no one would be able to stop him. The worst-case scenario would be Seamus using Matthias as a puppet to overthrow the House of Linsor."Nathaniel, is everything you said true?" Tristan frowned."Absolutely. Every word," Nathaniel replied solemnly. "Of course, if you don't believe me, you can send someone to investigate.""I believe you. But… taking down Seamus won't be easy. Do you have a plan?" Tr
An hour later, Nathaniel quietly entered a private mansion wearing a disguise.Inside the living room, Tristan had already prepared tea and refreshments. He looked as if he had been waiting for a long time."Sorry to have kept you waiting, Tristan." Nathaniel took off his coat and walked forward with a smile."No need to apologize. I'm happy that you made the effort to arrange this. A few extra minutes are nothing, especially since it's rare for us to meet." Tristan gestured for him to sit while he poured two cups of tea and handed one to his brother.Nathaniel accepted the cup and discreetly set it aside. Whenever he was out, he was always cautious about food and drink—this wariness had become second nature."You asked to meet me on short notice. Is this about official matters or something personal?" Tristan took a sip from his cup and got straight to the point."Both," Nathaniel replied, still smiling."Oh?" Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it, then.""Given how things
In another luxurious mansion in the Inner City, a female spy dressed in black, cloaked in a hood, was reporting the results of her investigation to Nathaniel."Your Highness, the Moseys have been particularly active recently and are rallying allies. Many of the eight great families and other influential factions have already allied with them. If left unchecked, they'll pose a serious threat to us," she said, kneeling with her head lowered slightly."So the Moseys are backing Matthias, huh?" Nathaniel sat quietly, his expression unreadable."The Moseys have grand ambitions. While they claim to support Prince Matthias, they're merely setting him up as a puppet to rise to power and expand their own influence," she revealed.She had been infiltrating the Moseys' mansion for years and had gained a deep understanding of their operations, from the smallest details to the key players.Though Seamus appeared as a benevolent philanthropist, it was all a façade. Behind closed doors, he was r
That night, two young men sat playing chess inside a secluded mansion in the Inner City. On the left was Anders, who had visited the Ballard estate earlier. Across from him sat Matthias, a broad-shouldered man dressed in richly adorned robes.The game was intense, with fast moves followed by moments of deep thought. About ten minutes later, Anders finally conceded defeat."Anders, you've really improved since we last played. You almost had me there," Matthias said, stroking his beard in mild surprise."You flatter me, Your Highness. My chess skills are nothing compared to yours. If you hadn't gone easy on me, I wouldn't have lasted half as long," Anders replied with a modest smile."You're as smooth with words as ever." Matthias let out a hearty laugh with a look of smug satisfaction. Winning was in his nature—whether in war or on the chessboard, defeat was not an option."Well, we've eaten, and we've played. Let's get to business." With a wave of his hand, he signaled his men t
"Honestly, we shouldn't waste time debating who's better suited to be king. We just need to figure out who's most likely to take the throne," Jensen said matter-of-factly.As a businessman, he only cared about maximizing profit. To him, it didn't matter who sat on the throne but who had the best odds. He felt that backing that person would be the wisest choice."Who's most likely depends on who has the strongest backing," Jonathan said thoughtfully."Oh, right! I forgot to ask—who are the Moseys supporting?" Jovian asked, smacking his forehead. They'd been discussing this for so long but still hadn't figured out where the Moseys stood."My guess is Prince Nathaniel." Jensen narrowed his eyes as he analyzed the situation. "He's close to Anders. With his immense potential and the king's favor, the Moseys might see him as their best bet.""Anders' personal ties can't speak for the entire Mosey family," Jovian countered, shaking his head. "Family interests outweigh personal relationsh
Even without the king's involvement, the ambitious individuals would tear the Ballard family apart and leave nothing behind.If Simon chose the right side and it prevailed, his family could enjoy a century of stability and prosperity. But if he backed the wrong prince, everything could fall apart in a single night.At that moment, he didn't know what to choose. This was a critical decision—one mistake and the entire family could be ruined."Regarding this matter, I need to think it over carefully. I can't give you an answer just yet," Simon said. He knew the stakes were too high. A single misstep could lead to disaster, so he had to be cautious."I understand," Anders replied with a faint smile. "This isn't an easy decision. Still, I hope Your Lordship can decide soon.""Your Lordship, the forces seeking a marriage alliance with the Mosey family aren't limited to your family alone," Zack added coolly. "Don't think you can afford to wait for the highest bidder. Time is running out,