*****As soon as everyone in the huge dining hall heard this emotionlessly cold voice, they instinctively turned their gazes toward the source of the sound, and upon seeing the speaker: Xavier, their hearts skipped a beat, and it felt as though they had been doused in cold water, each of them trembling for a moment as they subconsciously recalled what they had done to their savior.If before Xavier had given them this technique, they had felt guilty and apologetic, that was merely because of misunderstanding and betraying him. Now, however, feeling the insane level of the technique given to them by him and knowing how priceless it was, they felt a massive level of shame, remorse, and regret.'Aish, why didn’t we even give him a moment of doubt? Would someone with such a valuable resource that could bring all the first-rank powers in the city to their knees even need any reason to turn my father into a puppet and seize the family’s resources?' The three brothers couldn’t help but th

*****As mentioned before, Cassandra had always been treated like a princess by everyone in her family, practically indulged, and as a result, she had developed an innate pride from childhood, even without realizing it.This haughtiness had also led her to subconsciously look down on others, never truly valuing anybody apart from her family, because, first, her family was among the most influential in the city, and second, she was the sole third-generation descendant, unlike the third-generation descendants from the other prominent families who had to compete and share resources.Initially, everybody apart from her father hadn’t minded, but in recent years, their concern for her had grown significantly, fearing that with her inflated standards—so far above anything Riverton or nearby cities could offer—she might never find anyone suitable for marriage, yet… yet, right now…For what seemed like an eternity after Cassandra’s proposal, no one could react, instead, disbelief and shock

***** Although this wasn’t the first time Xavier had stated he hadn’t agreed to marry Cassandra, everyone, hearing him again reacted as if it were the first time—only now, their shock was even greater. They all stared at Xavier in stunned silence, some of them so shocked they didn’t even realize they were drooling. While his scornful words were only meant for Cassandra, they struck them all like the voice of a devil. This was especially true for Cassandra, who had never been spoken to in a way even remotely as harsh as Xavier had just addressed her in her entire life. She had only ever been treated as royalty—admired, respected, and constantly flattered, no matter who stood before her. Yet here she was, humiliated and stripped of the dignity she had always taken for granted. She felt as though she were dreaming, unable to believe her ears. 'Did… did a mere ex-convict just speak to me like that?' She thought in absolute disbelief and the next moment... "How dare you

*****“N-Niece… Daughter!” Darius and his brothers finally couldn’t help themselves but stammer, feeling an overwhelming ache in their hearts as they realized how deeply Cassandra had been wounded, to the extent that she would actually sob despite her pride.Their hearts clenched painfully, as though gripped by an invisible hand, and without a moment’s hesitation, the three took a step forward, ready to rush after Cassandra and console her when in the following second;“Let her go,” the commanding voice of the old man, who looked the most distrusted and visibly affected by his precious granddaughter’s broken state, echoed through the hall, greatly startling the three brothers.“This…” they stopped in their tracks and in the next moment, Roland and Darius whipped around, glaring at the old man with anger flashing in their eyes.“Why? Don’t you think you had been too harsh on her enough?” Roland demanded, his voice low and furious.“She sees you as her safe haven,” Darius also add

*****Contrary to what the three brothers initially believed, their father, the elderly master of the Blackwood family, hadn’t actually left as he’d pretended to. Instead, he had remained concealed just outside the hall, positioned in a blind spot, waiting to see if his sons had come to any realizations of what he had done.“To think I can’t even keep such a small detail from those brats,” he murmured, letting out another deep, exasperated sigh as he recalled how quickly they had guessed the reason why he failed to punish them.Recalling all this, the old man stood in silence for a moment before finally, a small, helpless sigh emitted from his throat as he muttered softly, “How could I even bring myself to punish them when I was even more shameless tonight?”His gaze grew distant as he thought of how close he had come to losing control tonight, nearly executing Xavier after he had realized that he could no longer bring him closer, and had Cassandra not unwittingly intervened, he m