Chapter 57

Chapter 57

The man's icy gaze sent a chill down the spines of those who found themselves under his stare.

At that moment, Li Qingzhi, who was being looked at by the man, subconsciously nodded in response to his voice, "I am..."

After Qingzhi answered, the man simply gazed at him for a while longer, his eyes flickering with a hint of complexity as if reminiscing about something. Through Li Qingzhi, he seemed to recall certain memories.

A few seconds passed before the silent man spoke again, his tone unchanged but the words he uttered left Li Qingzhi momentarily stunned.

"I am Leo, Ludwig's father."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingzhi's subconscious stirred, a sense of recognition welling up within him.

Indeed, upon closer inspection, the man before him bore a striking resemblance to Ludwig, with his dazzling blond hair and similarly detached demeanor. However, the man exuded an air of gravity that surpassed Ludwig's; their conversations were relatively gentler in comparison.

As Li Qingzhi's thoughts raced and he instinctively prepared to greet Ludwig's father, another familiar figure suddenly appeared in the corridor.

Spotting this figure, Li Qingzhi couldn't help but call out, "Ludwig...? Why are you here?"

In my recollection, the blond youth should be with Beril at this moment.

Ludwig, as if sensing some impending danger, swiftly arrived at Li Qingzhi's side and immediately directed his gaze toward his father, who was still fixated on Qingzhi, clearly about to speak further.

Though they were father and son, the atmosphere tensed the moment they became aware of each other's presence.

Li Qingzhi, who was usually insensitive to such nuances, keenly perceived the palpable and undeniable special sentiment that existed between Ludwig and his father, Leo.

The two of them stood locked in a gaze, their eyes piercingly scrutinizing each other, revealing thinly veiled dissatisfaction.

Ludwig's emotions were even more evident, and he soon wore an unmasked frown, a cold and aloof golden-haired youth who usually maintained his composure and upbringing but now seemed disinclined to show any kindness toward his father.

"What are you doing?"

The man before him, similar in appearance but more mature and stern, soon revealed a less than gentle gaze, clearly displeased with Ludwig's behavior.

The blond man's expression grew colder, his eyes quickly conveying an intimidating presence that could not be ignored. "Is this how you speak to your father?"

"It seems Felix has spoiled you these past years."

The tense atmosphere between the two soon made Li Qingzhi break into a light sweat. Initially nervous due to meeting Ludwig's father for the first time, his emotions had now shifted entirely. He had known that Ludwig's relationship with his father might not be ideal, but he hadn't expected such a confrontational exchange. Moreover, Leo's stern and furious expression suggested that punishment for Ludwig might be imminent.

In the midst of Li Qingzhi's turmoil, Ludwig, upon hearing Leo's words, didn't show fear; instead, a cold sneer spread across his face.

"Yes," Ludwig replied.

"You've never been around in this house, and it wasn't you who taught me manners or anything else. So why do you have the right to demand my respect?"

Leo, clearly unprepared for Ludwig's response, reacted with a flash of anger, instinctively raising his hand.

"You!"

Standing beside them and attentively observing their every move, Li Qingzhi quickly realized the significance of Duke Leo's raised hand. His heart tightened, and, fearing punishment for Ludwig, Qingzhi promptly stepped in front of Ludwig.

Ludwig, of course, had also noticed his father's furious advance. Just as he gritted his teeth, preparing to raise his hand in defiance and continue his retort, he found that the black-haired youth, whom he held dearest in the depths of his heart, unhesitatingly stepped forward to stand in front of him, shielding him from harm!

Ludwig, realizing something, promptly cried out, "Stop!"

Not one to be an oblivious target either, Li Qingzhi, who aimed to mediate between Duke Leo and Ludwig, promptly moved with agility. As he stood in front of Ludwig, he swiftly dodged the slap that Duke Leo had initially intended for the young man.

Yet even if Li Qingzhi managed to avoid it, his anger and resentment, knowing how much that slap would have hurt Ludwig, had already spiraled out of control. Clenching his fists, he looked up at the towering Duke Leo, whose imposing presence loomed over him.

"How can you just strike without reason?!"

The blond man's tone was icy: "He said I've never disciplined him properly. Now I'm simply granting his wish."

"As my son, Ludwig is not so fragile that he cannot withstand criticism."

Upon hearing Leo's words, Li Qingzhi recalled Ludwig's past, which he had previously shared – the despair of losing his mother at a young age and his father remaining on the border, never returning. How Ludwig, still a child, had resiliently grown up alongside his equally lonely sister in a loveless environment, and how cold and solitary that journey must have been.

What was even more painful was that Leo, who should have been there for them as a father, was now standing before Ludwig, uttering such callous and hurtful words!

This thought pierced Li Qingzhi's heart with unbearable pain. Having long held Ludwig dear, he could no longer tolerate the blond man's disregard for Ludwig's feelings and thoughts, despite being his father.

No longer swayed by the fact that this man was Ludwig's father, Li Qingzhi was determined to act on what he believed was right:

"That's not true at all!"

usually amiable, Li Qingzhi gritted his teeth, overwhelmed by his emotions, and let them spill uncontrollably: "This isn't criticism. You didn't even consider how Ludwig would feel."

"Was it right to have never returned to the castle to look after them, allowing one's children to grow up alone, and now use that very circumstance to lecture others?!"

The dark-haired teenager's eyes, filled with anger yet extraordinarily bright, seemed to penetrate the deepest corners of one's heart. His determined and extremely serious expression left both Ludwig and Duke Leo momentarily stunned.

As Li Qingzhi's words fell into his ears, Leo subconsciously turned his gaze towards Li Qingzhi. However, he gradually found himself, through the dark eyes of the black-haired youth filled with seriousness and perseverance, uncontrollably recalling another pair of eyes he had once seen. Those eyes were incredibly similar to Li Qingzhi's, and they too bore the same unwavering determination and steadfastness.

"Leo, take them away!"

A profound memory from the past instantly resurfaced in the blond man's mind, and Li Qingzhi's familiar resolute gaze stirred uncontrollable recollections of unforgettable events, inevitably intertwined with the bitter and tearful struggles of the Elemental War.

Through that gaze, memories of countless Leos flooded back, and in a trance, it was as if he had returned to that fateful night of the final battle. The tender touch of the infant still lingered vividly in his mind, though the swaddling cloth was now soaked with warm blood. With the last plea and bond, the figure who had entrusted him with the child vanished beneath the remnants of the World Tree, forever blurred from sight.

Amidst the roar of magic beasts and the tears of comrades, they emerged victorious, but no one rejoiced. For what they lost was no less than what they gained.

In no time, Li Qingzhi noticed a fleeting, enigmatic complexity flicker across Leo's stern expression after their eyes met. He had anticipated that Duke Leo would become even more enraged by his words, that the situation would escalate, and the atmosphere would intensify. To Li Qingzhi's surprise, however, Duke Leo did not continue their conversation, nor did he engage Ludwig further. After staring at him for a moment, his gaze shifted away, clouded with a contemplative complexity, as if lost in thought.

In the end, Duke Leo didn't say anything else but simply walked past them directly.

Ludwig on the other side was also taken aback, not expecting that his usually ill-tempered father would simply leave like that.

He was prepared for any outcome. The moment Li Qingzhi stepped forward to defend him, his focus had shifted entirely to how Qingzhi was feeling, leaving no room for his father to show the slightest disrespect toward her.

Before he could grasp Li Qingzhi and pull him behind himself, his father, who was known for his cold and stern temper, did not say anything after being loudly contradicted by the black-haired youth. Instead, he turned around and left the place directly, and his expression did not seem as agitated as it was at first.

And why is that...?

Li Qingzhi was also taken aback. He had initially expected Duke Leo to sternly reprimand him, but now, everything seemed tranquilly untouched by the incident.

This contrasted starkly with the tense and volatile atmosphere that had just existed between Ludwig and Leo.

Despite the lingering oddity in his mind, Li Qingzhi couldn't help but feel relieved as he watched Duke Leo depart, averting any further conflict with Ludwig.

Phew, that's good. That's good.

Having successfully prevented the situation from deteriorating, Li Qingzhi turned around and promptly fixed his gaze on Ludwig, whom he had been concerned about.

Meanwhile, the blond teenager was also looking at him, and their gazes met almost instantly.

"Apologies." The usually composed, blond-haired youth, after the recent turmoil with his father, bore the weight of many matters, and a lingering exhaustion was evident in his eyes and brows: "I'm sorry you had to witness such an unpleasant scene."

Yet in Li Qingzhi's heart, only affectionate concern resided.

In the days when they were still getting to know each other, Ludwig was seldom forthcoming with his feelings.

And now, Ludwig, who had lately been opening up to him, had just shared with him the memory of his past loneliness and pain.

Duke Leo's words, regardless of his intention, had clearly struck at the scar that Ludwig had meticulously concealed and never revealed in public.

The sight of the gruesome wound was enough to pierce one's heart with pain, let alone for Li Qingzhi, who was deeply concerned about Ludwig.

Considering this, the dark-haired teenager's eyes uncontrollably warmed up a bit, and he subconsciously reached out towards the direction of the blond teenager, intending to comfort the other's possibly already low spirits. However, in the next moment, the fingertips he extended were instead warmly grasped by Ludwig's warm palm.

As an unbidden impulse stirred within him, Li Qingzhi couldn't help but lift his gaze toward the blond youth before him.

Their eyes met swiftly, and in that instant, Li Qingzhi seemed to hear his own heartbeat growing clearer once more.

One, two...