Chapter 79

Chapter 79

"Really?" Kane blurted out, but upon turning his head and meeting Ning Chan's stern gaze, he immediately realized—if this man said so, then it must be real.

No wonder—no matter how he sent people to investigate, they always came back empty-handed. There was a traitor among them.

Kane narrowed his eyes, sweeping his gaze over the patrol team before him, suspicion growing in his mind. Were some of them also under the control of that thing?

"Take him away. Take him to the Inspection Bureau. I’ll personally watch the interrogation." Considering the possibility that this matter might involve insiders, Kane changed his mind to avoid alerting the enemy. He didn’t want to question the man openly in front of so many people.

"Yes." Though unaware of the reason, the patrol captain respectfully obeyed Kane’s orders.

Not only Charlie, who had kicked the hornet’s nest, but also the two servants in the shop were taken away as evidence by the patrol team.

On the way to the Inspection Bureau, Charlie was drenched in sweat, as if he’d been dunked in water.

How did the King know about the connection between the Western Palace and the City of Bliss? Now that he’d been captured, would he even have a chance to survive?

Charlie wanted to argue, to plead, to claim he had nothing to do with the City of Bliss, but his mouth was gagged with cloth by the patrol, leaving him only able to emit meaningless sounds.

Once at the Inspection Bureau, tied to a chair and freed from the gag, Charlie immediately began begging for mercy, his earlier arrogance nowhere to be seen.

"I—I’m sorry! I was blind! I didn’t recognize you! I’m just a petty man, jealous of you two, and I don’t know how to speak properly!"

Watching the smooth-talker still trying to squirm his way out, Ning Chan arched a brow, amused. "Weren’t you the one who called us penniless? What exactly is there to be jealous of?"

Perhaps it was Ning Chan’s smiling demeanor that made him seem approachable, or maybe it was the patrol’s respectful address to him, but Charlie’s hope flared again. His Holiness must be kind and forgiving, and wouldn’t punish him harshly?

He probably never considered that there was a phrase in this world called "furious laughter." If Ning Chan were truly soft-hearted, he wouldn’t have let Kane beat Charlie up earlier.

"I was jealous of how good-looking you are, Your Holiness. You don’t understand—my fiancée ran off with some pretty boy. I loved her so much, and I couldn’t accept her betrayal. Ever since then, whenever I see good-looking people, I can’t help but mock them. I’m sorry, I’ve got a foul mouth. I was wrong."

As if recalling this painful memory, Charlie lowered his head and began sobbing, putting on a heartbroken act. Tears even slid from the corners of his eyes as he apologized to Ning Chan and Kane.

Seeing this, Ning Chan felt no pity—just wanted to clap for the performance.

It seemed the drug’s effects had worn off, and this guy’s brain was functioning normally again.

"Oh? So you enjoy taking your anger out on others? No wonder your fiancée left. She probably thought you weren’t just ugly on the outside, but ugly inside too." Ning Chan’s gaze swept over Charlie’s pitiful, agonized face, mercilessly stabbing at his sore spots.

Of course, Charlie wasn’t as hideous as Ning Chan made him out to be—just plain, nothing special.

Though Charlie’s lament was half-true, half-act, his sensitivity about his appearance was genuine.

His family had been tailors for generations, crafting countless exquisite and elegant garments. Their love for beauty ran deep.

Most of the Wayne family focused on how to enhance their customers’ strengths and conceal their flaws through clothing. If they encountered a real beauty, they’d even be willing to make an outfit for free.

It was this philosophy that had allowed their family business to endure.

But who would’ve thought that even among bamboo, a black sheep could sprout? Charlie’s way of thinking was entirely different from his ancestors’. His focus was entirely on himself.

As the third son, Charlie was much lazier than his two older brothers. While they assisted with the family business, he ran around with a bunch of troublemakers.

Their family’s garments sold well, earning them a comfortable income, and Charlie often left home with pockets full, only to come back broke.

As a child, he could afford to be frivolous, wearing whatever was flashy and parading around like a "little noble." Those who didn’t know his true status would flatter him, heaping praises upon him.

Amid such adulation, Charlie began to forget his roots, deluding himself into believing he truly was a noble child—high and mighty.

But a fake will always be a fake. After turning twelve, when it was time to follow etiquette and adhere to status restrictions, those overly fancy clothes could no longer be worn.

Those people soon realized Charlie was just a tailor’s son. Though they didn’t immediately scatter from his side, their attitude toward him clearly stopped treating him with respect.

"Look at how he dresses—I thought he was some noble young master. Turns out he’s just a tailor’s son. I knew it—his demeanor and looks are so ordinary. Even in fine clothes, he doesn’t have the right vibe."

"Don’t say that. Their family makes excellent clothes—even the nobles in the palace wear them."

"So what? The king hasn’t granted them any titles or official positions. They’re just clothiers."

"Exactly. They’re no different from stonemasons or carpenters—just richer."

"Heh, what’s wrong with having money? If they weren’t rich, how would we have enough to spend?"

"That kid is really stupid. He bought into the compliments and acted like he was hot stuff, looking down on this and that. If it weren’t for his money, who’d stick around?"

"Yeah, people have different fates. We have to rely on ourselves, sucking up to him. Who told his family has the means to spoil him?"

"Let’s take this chance to milk him for more cash. Once his father dies, who in his family would still be willing to support him? The way he hangs out with us, he’s clearly learned nothing. He’ll be kicked out sooner or later."

These young men hid in the alley, rolling cigarettes like pros and puffing away as they trash-talked the third young master. They didn’t notice someone standing at the corner.

Hearing these words, Charlie clenched his fists tightly but didn’t charge forward to confront them. Instead, he bit down hard and walked off.

"Hmph, so they like my money? Let’s see if they live long enough to enjoy it."

Charlie knew how tough these guys were in a brawl—he wasn’t stupid enough to take them on alone.

Recalling the nasty tricks they had bragged about in front of him, Charlie began plotting his revenge.

Though he had heard such talk often, as a teenager, he lacked the courage and means to act. So, he turned his attention to certain hired thugs.

First, Charlie used the excuse that his family was forcing him to study and cutting off his spending money to gradually cut them off.

Then, over two years, he saved up enough to discreetly hire someone through his servants to "take care of" them.

When the last of his "good friends" died, Charlie was turning fourteen.

At the time, his family received the news and were relieved he’d already ditched them.

However, this incident planted a seed of "inferiority" in Charlie’s heart. He resented not being born into a noble family, hated his parents for failing to give him a respectable status or good looks.

As those people had said, what did it matter if tailors made beautiful clothes? They themselves could never truly pull them off. And they weren’t even allowed to wear such garments on formal occasions, were they?

After this, on the surface, Charlie settled down and began learning the family business. But what went on in private—only he truly knew.

With his mind already warped, Charlie grew even more deranged when the girl he "liked" ended up with someone else.

Linda, the niece of the Maple Inn owner three streets away, had just arrived in the city when he set his sights on her.

Linda was strikingly beautiful but kept a straight face, never smiling, as if she’d rather work extra than pause to chat.

Yet this very aloofness captivated Charlie. Her icy demeanor reminded him of noble girls—distant and untouchable.

If he couldn’t approach noble girls, surely a country girl like her wouldn’t be out of reach? Besides, with her beauty, their children would surely be good-looking.

As for Linda’s feelings—they didn’t matter.

Due to his relentless pestering, Linda grew to despise him. But as Charlie had said, as someone living under another’s roof, she had no way to fight back.

At her uncle's urging, Linda was soon engaged to Charlie.

Just as they were preparing for the wedding, Kane led his forces into the city and imposed strict control. During that time, forget weddings—even scolding a child had to be done behind closed doors.

They didn’t know what to expect from the new king, afraid any commotion might land them in trouble.

It was during this chaos that Linda was rescued by Kane's royal guards. At the time, the guard who saved her was hurt, so she followed the medics, worried about him.

Because of her hard work and smarts, Linda made it onto the medical team for training and, through her interactions with that guard, developed feelings for him.

Linda was a likable and kind girl, and naturally, Mi Rui was drawn to her. Upon learning of her plight, he promised to help her call off the wedding and even came with betrothal gifts to marry her properly.

As one of the new king's subordinates, Mi Rui's status made Linda's uncle hesitant. After careful consideration, he had no choice but to abandon the marriage agreement with the Wayne family.

Upon receiving the news, Charlie, just like that day outside the alley, quietly resigned himself to the truth.