*****Cassandra has always been widely known as the princess of the Blackwoods, being its only grandchild.Apart from her usually stern father, Cassandra had only ever known love, affection, and attention from everyone in her life, especially her grandfather, who had only ever spoiled her beyond what anyone could imagine.He had always gone to the very extreme to ensure her happiness and according to several analyses, it was even said that the old man would rather face the world as an enemy and get chased to the furthest reaches than let the tiniest harm, even the smallest ant touch his cherished and beloved granddaughterThis is the extent to which the old man loves Cassandra and how deeply he cares for her, and she has always known it—which is why he has been her favorite person since childhood. But now…“Grand… grandfather…” After what finally felt like ages spent reeling from the reality of the question that the old man had just inquired, Cassandra, who had initially expected
*****While the three brothers could do nothing other than eagerly wait for him to take a bite of the poisoned meal set before him, the unsuspecting Xavier remained stunned by the old man’s question.If only Xavier had known that in the three brothers' eyes, he was nothing more than a malicious demon who had turned their father into a lifeless puppet while aiming to use Cassandra as a means to enter and claim their family, he would have been too stunned to the core and wouldn't be able to react for a long time. The idea that he’d go to such lengths to control the Blackwood patriarch would have been incredibly laughable to him, a ridiculous notion, as he’d never held the family in any regard whatsoeverHad he also understood their true intentions toward him, he would have been incredibly furious—so much so that he’d first laugh in mockery, amused that they wanted him dead based merely on such a flimsy assumption before finally succumbing to anger.Unfortunately, however, Xavier was
*****“Why on earth did I even think this devious bastard would waste time on formalities, first pretending he wasn’t interested all in the name of thinking we are still clueless about his plans?” Darius, after a long period of shock like everyone else, couldn’t help but grit his teeth, his fury reaching its peak.“Can’t we just get rid of him already?” Roland, who had never experienced such intense frustration in his life before acting, muttered through clenched teeth, heat practically steaming from his nostrils as he exhaled sharply from rage and madness.The two brothers, along with Aldric, began to tremble with rage, their fists clenching and unclenching as Xavier’s words struck a nerve.Meanwhile, just a few feet away from the three, the elderly head of the Blackwood family remained oblivious to his sons’ reactions, instead sitting in stunned silence, his gaze fixed on Xavier with a dumbstruck expression on his face from his response to his question.He had initially anticip
*****Still in the massive dining hall, whose table overflowed with an elaborate feastRight now, although Xavier noticed the brothers' sudden excitement, he didn’t give it much thought. Instead, he just assumed they were happy because they were eager for him to leave, that since he was about to eat, his departure was imminent, so he simply offered a wry smile before ignoring them."Okay," he replied to the old man's request, and just at that moment, he noticed the brothers’ breaths quicken, their gazes becoming several times burning on him, making Xavier’s brows finally raise.‘Are they this disturbed by my presence?’ he wondered, sensing their heightened agitation. But with a light shrug, he finally turned his attention to the table, observing the numerous golden platters neatly and orderly arranged on it, all covered and waiting to be opened.In front of him only, eight golden plates of varying sizes lay, and knowing he was the center of attention, Xavier reached slowly toward
*****“What do you think of it?” the old man hurriedly asked after he saw Xavier done savoring the portion he had eaten, not noticing the bloodthirsty atmosphere filling the hall. Hearing him, Xavier offered a faint smile.“It’s not bad,” he replied, but no sooner had he finished speaking, however, than suddenly;“Hmph!” A sharp, furious snort cut through the room.“Not bad?” Cassandra’s voice sharpened, incensed at what she saw as Xavier’s conceit. “Do you even know what fish you just ate?” she asked icily, not waiting for a reply before growling in anger. “That fish is incredibly rare—one of only three in Riverton City, which Grandfather had spent billions in acquiring, treating it like a priceless treasure, and yet you dare to call it ‘not bad’?” Her tone dripped with loathing, furious to the core at Xavier, thinking he was just being arrogant like usual.“This…” Xavier, who had been surprisingly generous in his comment, since the taste hadn’t even reached “not bad” with how
*****If everyone had initially dismissed Xavier’s words as a mere rambling of a fool, that assumption had completely shattered after he had revealed the vital information regarding their Blackwood's most closely guarded treasure, and now, hearing him repeat the previous words that had infuriated them to the peak garnered a different reaction from them which was completely opposite of the first.For what felt like an eternity, they sat frozen, mouths agape, staring at Xavier as if he were some otherworldly creature, his words leaving them struggling to process what he’d just revealed.How scary is their family’s technique? Something that had always been revered by all the power in Riverton City and one of the rare top-tier cultivation methods in the entire nation.That’s not all, it is this same technique that had propelled their family from obscurity to a dominating force centuries ago. And now, he was insinuating that this powerful legacy was… was nothing but a mere replica, not
*****Meanwhile, not knowing the thought going through their father’s mind or all of his cooked-up plans, otherwise, the brothers would have almost died of embarrassment, none of the Blackwood family members seated around the huge dining table could react at first, the old man’s words hanging heavily in the silence.They sat frozen in place, gaping at the old patriarch in absolute shock. Not even Darius, typically the sharpest among them, had ever suspected anything like this in his life no matter the research he had done to find the source of his father’s strange and constantly worse illness.This lasted for a moment before finally; Darius found his voice. “Fa—father… do you truly mean what you had just said?” He carefully inquired, his question instantly jolting everyone back to awareness, their eyes snapping to the old man in concern.“Why did you keep such important information from us?” Aldric asked, his voice tight with worry, gazing at the old man, while Roland...“Could i
*****"I..." Darius's voice faltered as he took in his eldest brother's question, momentarily stunned. He then glanced around, and upon feeling the weight of everyone's gazes intensely fixated on himself, he felt uncomfortable and gave a subtle shake of his head, reading their silent accusations from their gazes."You… you really knew?" Roland gasped, his voice breaking the silence that had enveloped the room, laden with shock.He stared at Darius, disbelief etching deep lines on his face, and his other brother mirrored his expression, stunned that their third brother would actually withhold such a piece of earth-shattering information from them.Meanwhile, Darius, seeing the look of betrayal in his brothers' eyes which pierced straight through him was paralyzed for a heartbeat, but then he returned to his senses and quickly shook his head more firmly. "It's not what you think, brothers," he said quietly, his voice almost pleading, but Roland’s gaze remained hard, while Aldric’s f