Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 458 Extra Chapter Six: Mindis's Morning (Part 1)
Kai walked in the garden in front of the Mindis Hall, through the pebble path interwoven with morning light and greenery, feeling relaxed and happy.

Of course, according to the schedule, the old stubborn man left the city today with a full entourage and carriages, supposedly to inspect the south for at least one or two months.

As Kai thought this, he felt that even the sky had become much clearer.

As for the old stubborn man's self-imposed stay-at-home order—who the hell cares about that?

Okay, maybe some people do care:
As Kai approached the hall entrance, Nolan Nur, who was standing guard under the pillar, stared at him with a dumbfounded look, as if to say, "How did you end up here?"

And that's why he brought Val with him:
Before Nolanur could even ask a question, Val cleared his throat, stepped forward at Kai's signal, and began to berate his younger brother in the loud voice typical of northerners.

As a member of the royal guard, Nolanur Arend may be able to deal with assassins without hesitation, but he is definitely not good at dealing with his troublesome brothers from the same mother.

Kai knew this all too well.

Taking advantage of the moment when Nolan Nur behind him was too preoccupied to pay attention to him, Kai walked smoothly into the hall.

Perhaps because the old stubborn man had left the city, the security in the Mindis Hall was not so strict today. Only a few cleaning servants came and went in a hurry, and the Starry Sky private soldiers only stood guard on the outer perimeter. Only the elite but rare royal guards were guarding a few key positions:

Morian stood by the side door of the left hall, his eyes wide open like saucers, while Rogo stood in the right hall opposite him, dozing against the wall.

Directly in front of Kay, Tony stood steadily with his hands behind his back, with the steps and the statues of the Three Kings on the wall behind him.

“His Majesty has placed you under house arrest,” Tony said emotionlessly.

"You shouldn't be here."

Kai snorted and continued walking towards the stairs:

"You shouldn't be asking where I am."

But Tony reached out and stopped him.

"Go back," he said coldly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"This is for your own good."

Kay's gaze swept over the knife Tony had placed at his back.

trouble.

Kay always believed there were two kinds of people in the world: those he could beat, and those he had to call for help—like Val and the strong squire Kana—to beat.

But without a doubt, the renowned Lord Conrad Tony, the chief officer of the Royal Guard, belongs to the third category.

Morian and Rogo on either side glanced at each other, as if anticipating what would happen next.

Kai sighed and took a step back:
"Okay, so about what happened next, do you know what the most interesting part was?"

Tony pursed his lips.

Kai smiled brightly and gestured animatedly to express himself:

“I wanted to go up, but you wouldn’t let me. Then I insisted, so you started to attack me. But I struggled so much that it was enough to lift the roof off the hall. Then the messenger came down with orders to stop and take me up.”

Tony frowned and glanced at the steps behind him.

Kai crossed his arms and flashed a confident smile:
"So why don't we skip all those steps and get straight to the result: let me go up there?"

Tony's expression grew increasingly grim.

On the other side, Morian blinked and pointed to the ceiling: "Well, he has a point—I mean, let him go up there?"

In the right hall, Luo Ge smirked, looking like he was trying his best to suppress a laugh.

Kai felt he had truly won.

Tony snorted angrily, but did nothing, stepping aside.

"That's right."

Kai arrogantly raised his smug nostrils as he walked past Tony, ignoring the latter's furious, pale face.

To provoke him, he even raised his hands, snapped his fingers rhythmically, tap-danced, hummed a tune, swayed his shoulders, and swayed up the steps, ignoring the strange looks from his servants and royal guards.

Kai swaggered past the portraits of the Three Kings of the Stars—the Bastard King, the Wife King, and the Debt King… (the last time he called them that, the old geezer personally pinned him down in the Starry Tomb and beat him thirty times until his pregnant mother rushed back from the tea party to rescue him)—and winked at two maids coming downstairs, scaring them away as they turned and ran.

It's still a beautiful day, isn't it?
Kai stared at the back of one of the younger maids, thinking contentedly.

But he hadn't gone far when he saw a burly man in black, surrounded by two attendants, coming towards him and descending the steps.

Kai's light steps faltered for a moment.

No.

The moment Kai saw the man in black, he cried out in anguish in his heart.

It's him.

The person he least wanted to see.

"Most" does not mean "one of".

Why is he here?

Instead of where he should be—in the filthy barracks, in the harsh north, continuing to drink his blood and cut off his heads?

Kai grimaced in exasperation, then expertly hunched over and leaned against the steps to minimize his presence. Like a humble servant, he silently turned and prepared to slip away.

And he was hoping that the man in black would ignore him.

But his wish ultimately failed.

"Where are you going?"

Kai froze.

A familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from above, like an old, worn-out organ that had been corroded for many years, each string of which, when played, was a deadly weapon: "Is this your reaction after a year apart?"

The man in black descended the steps with a powerful stride and an imposing presence.

Morian, Roger, and Tony all stood at attention, nodding in respect to the man—a treatment Kay had never received.

and many more.

Kai glanced at Morian below and suddenly understood something.

They knew he was here.

They do it on purpose.

"Dodging, escaping, turning a blind eye... just like you're running away from your identity and responsibilities."

This man had razor-sharp eyes, a resolute face, a broad chest, and a posture that seemed never to bend.

Most importantly, his appearance was like a dose of ice and snow, driving away all the warmth in the hall and replacing it with heaviness and tension.

Kai resignedly let out a breath and turned around with a chill running down his spine.

The man in black stood above him and said coldly:
"My dear little brother."

Kai's forehead was covered in a light sheen of cold sweat, as a long-forgotten sense of panic and fear washed over him.

Damn it.

Kai sighed silently in his heart. He was unwilling (not that he was afraid!) to look the other man in the eye, and only focused his gaze on the man's shirt.

I'm not afraid of him.

You are not afraid of him.

Damn it, Kai, aren't you afraid of him?!

Kai repeated it three times in his mind.

Kai looked up, forcing himself to force an awkward smile:

"Hey, Horace!"

"My dear brother, the weather is not good... When did you return to the capital?"

God knows how much effort Kai put in to squeeze out such a sentence amidst fear and tension.

Horace, dressed in black, frowned slightly, as if the surrounding temperature were dropping.

That's right, one of the people Kai least wants to see in this world.

It was his tall, strong, brave, and murderous second brother who lacked care and was therefore mentally unstable.

Of course, Kai usually wouldn't say the last description to someone's face.

"If I had known sooner, I could have prepared..."

Horace stared at Kai for a long time, until the chill in his eyes could almost fill an entire cellar of icebergs, before he finally interrupted Kai with an ominous groan:
"I heard about it."

"When the police were chasing the fugitive, they 'coincidentally' dragged you out of a club on Red Town Street."

Kai's smile froze instantly.

and many more.

This……

Horace stared at Kai with a blank expression.

Well, as always, this guy wasn't going to make any small talk.

but……

Kai shook his head with difficulty, twitching and fidgeting with his cheeks, his words tinged with an unnatural chuckle:

"No, no, no, you misunderstood. I was just having a poetry and literature discussion with some friends. The atmosphere on Red Town Street was nice, so we booked a private room to have some drinks and discuss the manor poetry school from the Red King's era..."

Horace narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly approached Kai. With his strong physique, it was as if a small mountain was pressing down on him.

"Friends? A discussion about poetry?"

Kai nodded innocently:
"You know, it's the kind of thing Hyman likes to do..."

Horace continued to stare at him indifferently.

“But Hyman has never held a poetry discussion at two in the morning,” the Second Prince said coldly, “and certainly not on some huge, luxurious soft bed on Red Street.”

early morning.

Queen bed.

A sense of impending doom washed over Kai.

"He was not drunk and stuck between three naked women when the guards arrived, then dragged naked into the street and pulled along until he cried out his royal surname."

Horace spoke slowly, each word uttered with a muffled tone.

Kai's expression froze.

Damn.

Shouldn't this be a secret?

How did he find out? From the security department?

He swore that when Horace mentioned "woman," Morian below glanced at them, suppressing a laugh.

Although it was public knowledge that Kai was grounded, the truth behind it... The old fogey gave a strict order, shouldn't this matter be covered up except for the person involved?

Kai awkwardly twisted his neck and looked away.
"Um, where...did you hear that from?"

Horace's eyes were filled with disdain.

“My wife, and she heard it from Mrs. Herblan.”

Lady Herblan?
Wait, so it means...

Kai suddenly realized something, and a dark cloud of impending doom flashed through his mind.

Oh no.

The gossipy socialites of the capital, those damned gossipy women... don't expect him to lick their plates anymore!

Well, perhaps Madame Élysée is an exception...

After all, her cries were so beautiful...

But Horace's voice interrupted Kai's thoughts, which had already drifted to the Far East:

"After you were caught naked in public sharing a luxurious bed with a lowly whore, a meritorious widow, and a viscountess whose husband was unaware of their relationship, and after half the street knew your identities..."

His second brother made no attempt to hide the disgust in his tone:

"The dignity of the royal family, the loyalty of the nobility, the stability of the rule... Do you know how much effort your father has to put in to clean up your mess? Just because you can't control your belt?"

Kai raised an eyebrow, inwardly unconvinced.

Yes, I roughly know—the whip marks from being whipped in the Fuxing Palace are still vivid in my mind.

There were also a whole bunch of imperial edicts and bestowals to appease the vassals—especially the husband whose cuckolding was known to the whole king, but Kai was sure that the coward got a promotion with it and was probably quite happy about it.

Isn't this enough?
“Every time we think you will behave yourself and repent, you can’t wait to jump out and tell everyone: you are still the most disgusting clown.”

Kai found himself trembling slightly.

“Our enemies should thank you: you have single-handedly made our names and families the biggest laughingstock in this country.” Horace’s eyes were like those of a military judge in a barracks.

See, this is what they care about.

Surname.

family.

That's so outdated, are there any others?

Kai chuckled inwardly, having made up his mind.

He insisted on going against the other side.

That arrogant bastard.

And he knew how to provoke Horace.

Kai, seemingly oblivious and unconcerned, scoffed, "A laughingstock?"

"I don't know, but Madame Élysée was certainly having a good time that night—I mean, who doesn't enjoy discussing poetry?"

Kai was pleased to see that Horace's face grew increasingly dark.

That's right, the angrier he gets, the happier he becomes.

If this damn muscleman really thinks he can…

Kai spread his hands, smiling defiantly:

"Of course, you may not understand, you may prefer being in the military camp, rubbing shoulders with thousands upon thousands of rough men every night..."

The next second, Horace, dressed in black, suddenly swung his right arm, his five fingers reaching out like eagle claws!
Snapped!
He gripped Kai's shoulder joint tightly.

Kai shuddered, gasping and hissing from the sudden pain.

He instinctively raised his hand, frantically trying to resist Horace's tight grip.

But his brother used some technique, and with a flick of his left hand, Kai's right wrist went numb and then fell limply to the ground.

"Is this what you are capable of?"

Horace's eyes narrowed as he approached him, his grip tightening slowly, causing Kai to break out in a cold sweat: "Look at you, you can't even break an egg... How do you sleep with women? Letting them be on top?"

Damn, damn, damn!

Kai's face twitched, his shoulders trembled, and he turned to the side, struggling against the rough, hook-like hand, trying to break free of its grip but to no avail.

Damn it, damn it, where does this muscular guy get such strength from...?

"Cry and scream, just like before, but sadly your mother can no longer come to save you..."

Horace's eyes seemed to hold a storm:

"Or will you, like three years ago, continue to cowardly run away from home? Oh, I forgot, you delicate young master couldn't even reach Hanbao before collapsing penniless on the roadside—it was my troops who brought you back?"

Kai tried to kick out with his right leg, but the prescient Horace kicked his ankle in advance, and his attempt failed.

Behind Horace, two equally fierce-looking prince attendants—Pork and Satchi—seemed to be accustomed to disciplining their master. They merely exchanged a glance, then silently stepped back, looking elsewhere to give their prince space.

"tell me."

“How many years has it been?” Horace’s voice was terrifying, and his grip tightened, forcing Kai to slowly bend his knees. “When will you learn not to be a piece of trash, not to be a disgrace to the family, and not to hold us back?”

Kai felt waves of excruciating pain emanating from his shoulder joint and collarbone, almost causing him to faint from the pain.

But that's irrelevant now.

"When will you stop being like a rat dropping in the pot, getting in our way?"

Kai glared back at his brother with a forced, hard expression.

He did not beg for mercy, nor did he scream in agony, nor did he bow his head to admit his mistake.

He cannot admit defeat.

We cannot show weakness.

Especially in front of this madman.

Just like before.

No!

"when?"

Kai's face contorted, and through his blurry eyes, he stubbornly forced a painful smile:

"Perhaps, never?"

Clearly, Horace was not satisfied with his answer.

The second prince's arm muscles, honed through years of military service, trembled slightly.

The next second, Kai felt the large hand on his shoulder change position, followed by excruciating pain!
Kai turned pale with pain and involuntarily curled up, hoping to ease the pain.

He had to get out of there—this was a fact that every part of Kai's body was unnaturally reminding him of—and get out of this damn muscle-bound man in front of him.

Val is probably still arguing with his brothers at the door and keeping watch, while Kana has been ordered home to reflect on his actions, and Kai's squire is out of the question...

Below them, the royal guards certainly saw them, but they stood faithfully at their posts, turning a blind eye.

Kai couldn't help but regret his previous terrible attitude towards them.

At this moment.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt you, Horace.”

A crisp, clear, and pleasant male voice rang out from the steps ahead, tinged with a hint of mockery:

"But you seem to be... blocking the stairs?"

Horace gave a curt snort, his hand loosening slightly at the shout.

Kai breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that the pain had lessened.

But Horace didn't even look at him.

The second prince's attendants, Pok and Satch, stepped aside and bowed slightly to the newcomer.

The man was tall and slender, but not thin; he had fair skin, but was not weak. When he stepped down the steps and looked up, he gave people a refreshing feeling.

Although he had seen it countless times, Kai had to admit that both he and Horace were once again drawn to the man's face the moment they met eyes, and even forgot their pain for a moment.

There's no other reason than that this man is simply...

He's so handsome.

His features seemed to have been sculpted by a master craftsman, every detail perfectly proportioned, neither sharp nor jarring, nor mediocre.

His demeanor is naturally elegant and dashing. When he is not smiling, he is like a still painting, meticulously crafted in every detail. When he smiles, he shines like a ray of light, making him unforgettable at first sight.

His eyes are a masterpiece among them; when they are bright, they are like swirling eddies, captivating and mesmerizing; when they are dim, they exude melancholy, making people feel sorry for him; when he looks directly at you, he is sincere in every inch; when he looks down at you, he is majestic.

"Look at his thuggish appearance."

Horace's hand remained clenched around the pale-faced Kay, without turning his head:
"I really don't understand why we are brothers with him, sharing the same glorious surname?"

The breathtakingly handsome man glanced at Kai, a smile playing on his lips, as radiant as a blooming flower, dazzling Kai's vision.
"Yes."

"Sometimes I wonder about that too."

The handsome newcomer shrugged.

Kai began to tremble slightly.

brother.

This is his brother.

His family.

And his damned…bloodline. Something he'd rather not have.

Thinking of this, Kai gritted his teeth, raised his head again, and spat fiercely, "Yeah, why?"

"Ask our mother."

Horace's face turned cold, and he tightened his grip on his fingers.

Kai felt his shoulder start to hurt again.

But just then, the handsome man beside him coughed softly.

"Never mind, Horace."

"Your time is far more valuable than this guy's; it's not worth wasting."

The handsome man pointed to the top of his head, sporting a smile that appealed to both men and women:
"Besides, this is his hall."

"His territory."

"Not suitable."

This had an effect; at least Horace remained silent for a moment.

Kay continued to struggle against his brother's affection, but his efforts were futile, like tickling Horace.

After a few seconds, the second prince seemed to have figured something out and finally let go.

Freed from his restraints, Kai leaned back against the wall, panting heavily and rubbing his shoulders.

He glanced at the handsome new man, rolled his eyes, and called out the newcomer's name listlessly:

"Hyman."

If someone were to ask Kai what could be worse than running into a jerk of a brother first thing in the morning, the answer would definitely be:

I ran into two.

That's right, Hyman Shining.

His youngest brother.

Kai glared angrily at Hyman, noticing that the other man's gaze was as arrogant as ever, filled with disdain and contempt.

the most important is……

Damn, why is he so handsome!
It must be admitted that among the brothers, Kay and Hyman both resemble their mother, but in fact, Hyman is the one who truly inherited and even carried forward their mother's beauty.

Well, using "beautiful" to describe her might be a bit inaccurate. In fact, using masculine adjectives to describe Hyman would seem too rude and blunt, while using more feminine compliments would be too soft and lack strength.

So, Kai found him a nickname that was neither too rude and masculine, nor could it be mistaken for a woman:

sissy.

Although Kay was certain that none of the Hymans who had actually seen it would agree with using that word.

But what can Kaine do? There are only so many words in the world, right? He has to choose one.
This is definitely not because he was jealous of Hyman's looks. Well, maybe a little, but definitely not much.

Although Kay will never forget that at any ball, Hyman Shining was the most eye-catching man.

For years, this effeminate man has been the first person the ladies of the capital (and perhaps some men as well—Kay thought maliciously) would look at at the ball, and the number one on the list of "the one they most want to spend a night with" has never wavered.

This effeminate man, however, was also well-versed in the profound principles of playing hard to get and giving before taking. He put on airs, acted aloof, and never showed any interest in flattery or hints, which drove the ladies even more crazy.

This hypocritical and utterly deceitful man made Kai, who also had royal blood, look like a vulgar, low-class street patron who would take any opportunity to grovel.

And every time, Hyman would look at him with such disdain...

A mechanical and monotonous voice joined the conversation:
"Your Highnesses, is there a problem?"

As the footsteps drew near, a long-faced man dressed as a guard appeared on the upper steps, looking down at the three princes.

Upon seeing this person, Horace narrowed his eyes and scrutinized him, while Caesar instinctively shrank back.

The fourth prince, Hyman, shrugged, nodded politely in response, his voice pleasant and his smile radiant.
"No, Lord Sachel, it was just a long-lost brother catching up."

The lord nodded but made no move, only staring intently at the three of them.

Seems to be waiting for something.

Horace understood, he grinned, shook his head, and scoffed.

“He can’t protect you forever,” Horace said softly, glancing at Kai.

Then, the second prince, no longer looking at Kai who was leaning against the wall panting, led his attendants down the steps and strode away.

Sakel watched him walk away as his figure receded into the distance.

Kai finally breathed a sigh of relief, as if a great calamity had passed.

Hyman chuckled and turned to Sackel above his head.

“You know, Lord, my brother has always admired you—he thinks you should be serving the country in his army, rather than wasting your years in the Royal Guard.”

These words made Tony and his two companions downstairs look very unhappy.

The long-faced man remained expressionless.
"I know."

Hyman raised an eyebrow and stared at Sackel for a long time, but never heard anything more.

"Ok."

The fourth prince sighed, then nodded:

"That's probably what he likes about you."

Sacel remained silent.

Hyman turned around and reached out to help Kay, who was leaning against the wall, but his ungrateful brother shoved him away.

"So you're hanging out with him now?"

Kai looked at him coldly: "Does it make you feel good to be on good terms with your brothers?"

The handsome fourth prince frowned:
"Do you really have to be all prickly?"

Kai looked back at him arrogantly: "Come on, you sissy, we all know what kind of person you are."

"Stop pretending."

Hyman chuckled to himself.

He hummed softly and shook his head, his handsome yet sharp features gleaming slightly in the sunlight, drawing everyone's attention.
"Do me a favor, Kessel."

Hyman started calling him by his full name again.

God knows how much he hates that name.

Kai turned his head away dismissively.

Hyman laughed and said:

"Next time you want to discuss poetry with someone, go buy a hat first and cover it up."

When Kai heard "discussing poetry," he already had a bad feeling.

But he was still stunned for a second.

hat?

"Buy a hat, what will it cover?" he asked, looking rather clueless.

Like a loving older brother, Hyman affectionately patted his younger brother's forehead before Kai could react, smiling brightly.

"Don't you understand? You silly boy."

"Cover the hole in your forehead."

what?
Why cover your forehead...?

Kai touched his forehead and suddenly realized what was happening.

Damn it!
But Hyman, with his stunningly handsome face and elegant yet dashing gait, followed behind the cold, sharp, and ruthless Horace and left.

All that was left was Kai, who was jumping up and down in anger.

"Hyman Shining, you're the one who's got a screw loose!"

"Your whole family is brain-dead..." Cough cough cough, something seems off...

In short, is being handsome all that matters?
Does being handsome mean you can do whatever you want?

Kai turned around, cursing and grumbling as he straightened the wrinkles in his clothes.

But a chill ran down his spine, and he slowly raised his gaze.

The chief clerk of the royal guard, Sacelle, remained standing at the corner of the steps above, staring at him indifferently, motionless.

It was rather eerie.

It was as if it was reminding him of something.

Kai shuddered, realizing what the other person meant.

Yes.

Kai glanced at Sacelle and thought sullenly.

How could he forget?
Even as the whip marks on his back still throbbed with pain, how could he forget the man who had carried out the executions on the king's orders?
Kai glanced furtively at the chief executioner above him, then forced a wave:

"I know, I know I'm under house arrest, but I'm just here today..."

But the long-faced guard clerk didn't wait for him to finish speaking before turning away indifferently and disappearing from sight.

Kai's expression faltered halfway through, and he had no choice but to turn back dejectedly, his hands awkwardly clasped at his waist.

very nice.

At least he didn't ask about the naked woman.

Kai threw a bullying look at the intimidating portrait of "Wife Queen" on the wall, then continued walking upstairs. When he reached the second floor, he froze.

The floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor were open, and two large canvases and countless paints were placed in front of them.

A portly man in fine clothes sat between the easels, his back to Kai, several paintbrushes between his hands, intently capturing the Mindis Hall courtyard in the morning light on the canvas.

But Kai spoke up instinctively:
"Chubby!"

The chubby man, who was painting, stiffened slightly.

Kai looked at the drawing board in horror and measured the distance from it to the steps: "You, you've been here all this time?"

The bloated man turned his backside in the chair, revealing an ordinary-looking face. His small eyes, squeezed onto his fleshy cheeks, blinked impatiently, indicating his agreement.

Kai's heart skipped a beat:
"You...you heard everything?"

The man in front of the easel clicked his tongue and shook his head, a smug look on his face.
"No, I didn't hear the whole thing."

The fat man's drawn-out tone made him sound like a shrewd businessman: "All I know is that you read poetry with three... or thirteen mature women?"

No.

Kai swayed and let out a silent wail.

You call this not hearing the whole thing?

“Don’t worry,” the man he called Fatty seemed to sense Kai’s despair. He shook his head, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.

"I'm not interested in you being paraded through the streets tied up."

Say it again, you bastard! Is this what you call not hearing me completely?
Kai was going crazy. He looked at the other person trying to suppress their laughter and felt both ashamed and angry.

"I have no light... Oh well, never mind."

Kai slapped his forehead, but remembering Hyman's parting "advice," he quickly removed his hand.

"So you heard it, but you just sat here pretending not to hear and did nothing?"

Fatty waved a paintbrush and said, "Hmm."

Kai's eyes widened.

"You saw that muscle-bound serial killer? You just watched him yell at me?"

"uh-huh."

"Have you seen your twin brother? Did you see him trying so hard to please Horace and helping him to put me down?"

"uh-huh."

The fat man shook his head indifferently, his expression still relaxed, looking quite smug and without any remorse.

"So you also saw those damned royal guards deliberately making things difficult for me and framing me?"

"In my opinion, you deserved it."

Kay mouthed something extremely rude, but didn't say it aloud; he knew Sackel was nearby.

He threw his hands away in a gesture of self-abandonment and exhaled.

"You're really something, you fatso."

The fat man shrugged.

Why should I get involved in the mess you left behind?

Kai raised his finger, looking at the other person with a "you're something else" expression, and was quite displeased.

"You know, Bank, sometimes I wonder: are you really my brother?"

Kai looked at him with disdain:
"Did we really come from the same mother's womb? Or did your mother sneeze when she gave birth to you?"

Did they crush his forehead?

The man whom Kai called "Fatty" turned cold.

Yes, that's Bancroft.

His third brother.

She is said to be Hyman's twin.

Kai frowned subconsciously as he looked at the other person's face, which was so chubby that the features were squeezed together by flesh.

Genetically speaking, Horace followed his father, Kay and Hyman followed their mother, and as for Bancroft...

Well, he probably inherited it from a potato his mother ate during her pregnancy.

Bank became increasingly certain of this after his body started to change shape when he was six years old.

Bank is probably the least troublesome person in the entire Revival Palace. Apart from his penchant for drawing some bizarre and unrecognizable paintings, he has no major flaws. — Kai meant that you should look at his second and fourth brothers, one is stubborn and the other is flamboyant.

But this wouldn't make Kai like him much. On the contrary, Bank's innocent and clueless attitude of "it's none of my business if my brothers are fighting" made Kai extremely disgusted.

What's worse than opposition is being ignored.

So this fatso always makes Kai want to punch him, even though Kai knows his fists will only bounce back from Bank's bottomless flesh—speaking of which, how is Bank supposed to...do *that*? When he gets it up, will it show? Won't it sink into his flesh?

Bank took a deep breath, glanced at Kai with the same look he gave a trash can, and then sighed deeply:

"You just don't understand, do you?"

Kai frowned:

"Know what?"

Bank gave Kay a deep look.

The fat man then shook his head and waved his arms at the distant pillars and garden outside the window:

"For hundreds of years, the design and layout of the Mindis Hall have been classics in the art world, and the garden is an ingenious masterpiece. Every angle is like a landscape painting, and many great artists and architects have longed to see it but could not."

His tone was full of admiration.

Kai raised an eyebrow and followed Bank's pointing arm, only to see a dark, gray stone pillar and a bunch of red and green flowers and plants.

He turned around, looking rather foolish:
"Landscape painting...so?"

After admiring the view, Bank immediately put on a stern face.

“But when you stand here, little Kesel…”

Bank grabbed a paintbrush, touched up the paint on the canvas, and said with a look of disgust:
"It's like a stain on a canvas."

"That's why you're ostracized everywhere, and everyone hates you."

"Now, you'd better get out of here."

As he spoke, Bank grabbed the easel, twisted his chair, and turned to face another direction.

Kai's smile froze.

He instinctively reached out to kick Bank's painting.

"Don't touch my things," Bank said without turning his head.
"Otherwise, I can't guarantee that when I tour the south next quarter, the beautiful ladies and wives of Blade's Edge Territory won't know about your 'poetry reading'."

Kai's kick came to an abrupt halt in mid-air.

He moved his lips, but in the end he could only mechanically turn away.

"very good."

Kai huffed and puffed, "You'll just spend the rest of your life clinging to those paintings you can't sell and those little figures on paper!"

Stay single forever!

The fat man didn't even turn his head; he just swung his right hand back, revealing a fleshy middle finger protruding between the four paintbrushes.

Kai strode up the steps to the third floor.

But he kept thinking about that sentence.

That's why everyone hates you.

Everyone hates you.

Kai clenched his fist.

He was wrong.

Kai said to himself sullenly.

Bank was wrong.

Not everyone.

His mother used to like him.

She would laugh heartily at his pranks and praise his creativity when the old man got angry, regardless of whether they were appropriate or not, or what the consequences might be.

Until she...

Not everyone.

Kai stopped and looked up at the room in front of him: the most important main room in the Mindis Hall.

He swallowed hard, cleared his throat, and straightened his clothes.

But before Kai could knock, the door opened.

A prince's attendant, of low nobility, bowed and smiled slightly at him, indicating that he could enter.

"His Highness is waiting for you."

Kai felt a warmth in his heart.

Not everyone.

He spoke slowly to himself.

No.

He responded to the friendly attendant with a courtesy that Prince Kessel had probably never shown in his life; he even remembered that the man seemed to be named Caesar.

Kai took a deep breath, and with the most joyful and happy feeling, stepped into the room with the lightest and easiest steps.

He knew that the room's owner disliked noise and commotion.

But he also knew that the other party had never been angry because of his outrageous behavior.

because……

Because not everyone dislikes him.

Not everyone hates Kessel Star.

No.

(End of this chapter)