Chapter 396. Side Story 3. The New Era (2)
Grand Duke Hikardo was a man whose name never failed to appear whenever someone spoke of the greatest fortunes on the continent, and the ruler representing the Free City Union.
And so Charles Hikardo, his son, couldn't comprehend what had just happened to him.
"A mongrel shouldn't be wandering around the Imperial Palace," a boy said coldly. "There are already enough dogs here—two is plenty."
Charles's cheek throbbed. Something warm dripped from his lips; he touched it with trembling fingers. It was hot and wet.
It was blood. His lip had split clean open. Charles stared ahead at the boy with quivering eyes.
A boy—someone who had thrown dignity away like trash—looked down on Charles as if staring at literal filth. His pants were torn in several places, and his shirt hung open without the top buttons; he was the picture of a brazen delinquent.
Charles wondered why there was a brat like that inside the illustrious Imperial Palace of the Orias Empire.
He'd begged his father to bring him along to the peace summit, but not once in his seventeen years had he ever been treated like this. No one had ever dared lay a hand on him.
"Y-You... Do you even know what you've done?" Charles asked, voice trembling.
The boy only scoffed as if the very question were ridiculous, then replied, "I just beat the hell out of a mongrel. Is there supposed to be a problem?"
"You... Do you know who I am—" Charles began, but was cut off.
"That's not my concern," the boy said bluntly. Then, he turned his head. "Aqua, are you okay? He must've scared you."