LUCIA

DAMIAN(2)

These two again.'

Damian inwardly clicked his tongue. These bastards never got tired of this childish attempt of theirs. He wanted to tell them to go and read a book with this tenacity of theirs.

Damian's eyes were frosty. These were the same guys that would fall to the floor and lick his feet if they knew who he was. They were not worthy to be his opponent.

Damian never forgot the experience he had a few years ago at the garden party. He learnt that not all older adults were wise. He knew that the boys harassing him at the academy were still kids that were yet to mature, and he had also learnt that age didn't matter when it came to the cowardice of human beings, which differed on the outside and inside.

He wanted to see what kind of attitude people would have towards him when he was a person with only skills and no background. Which is why he was purposefully attending the Academy quietly.

It was impossible to climb to the seat of 'Shyta' that he wanted, with just skills by itself. It was a thoroughly political position. He wasn't arrogant enough to claim that he would do it with his power alone. He would gladly use the name of the Duke of Taran when he needed it. He planned on revealing his identity as the Duke's successor during the next year.

No one knew Damian at the Academy. There were a few from the north among the enrolled students and they had made a rough guess, but when Damian told them to shut their mouth, they were careful with what they said. Thanks to that, the secret was well kept.

Krrar. Feeling threatened instinctively, Asha exposed her teeth and her fur hardened. However, despite Asha being grown up, she was small enough to be sent flying from a kick. As expected, the boys harassing Damian laughed jeeringly at the fox.

"Asha."

Damian called her name and restrained her. Asha looked up at Damian with her meek eyes then she turned back to Damian. Damian was worried that Asha might get caught up in this and get hurt. Asha was the first gift his mother gave to him and she was also Damian's first friend. If something happened to Asha, he felt like he might not be able to keep to his father's request.

[Don't kill people at the Academy.][1]

The reason why Damian didn't respond to their constant annoyance was because it was too troublesome. To get angry, you have to be made angry. Like usual, Damian chose the option of silently picking up his book from the floor. Tak. The book he tried to pick up was kicked and fell to the floor again. Damian's line of sight followed the owner of the foot, looking up to find a brown-haired boy, smiling spitefully.

"You can't hear me? I said look where you're going. If you make a mistake, you have to apologize, don't you think?"

They were going a little overboard today. Damian's red eyes flatly stared at the boy with brown hair. Why were they consuming such unnecessary emotions? Upon receiving Damian's tranquil gaze, the boy who had picked a fight, flew into a rage. The boy felt like Damian was mocking him as pathetic with his eyes and also discovered his brother's sneer.

"You—" (?)

"Stop it." (Chris)

Chris interrupted, unable to watch any longer.

"Why are you attacking someone who's just passing by?" (Chris)

"Who are you to butt in?" (?)

The brown-haired boy was unhappy, but he was also cautious since he knew who Chris was. Although Ixium was relatively free from nationality and status, one's background could never be ignored. Chris was the son of a well-known Marquis, in the same country where the brown-haired boy was from.