"Apologize at once!"
With that, Count Locke slapped his son Phil across the face again. This blow cracked his lip, its sheer force making those around him flinch.
*Gulp~*
Despite the split lip, Phil swallowed. Damn, for his old man, who had always indulged him, to beat him like this, Phil knew he had caused a catastrophe.
"D-Duke, I, I was wrong! I was blind and offended Your Grace!"
With a thud, Phil slammed his head onto the ground, showing no mercy to himself.
He was kidding himself?
This pain was nothing compared to the beating his father, Count Locke, had given him. Phil no longer harbored any ill will towards Ye Xuan. Bah, unless he wanted to die.
Duke? Was this...?
Luo Tianyi watched the scene, stunned. She... what was she seeing?
Was this a dream? When did this fellow become a Duke?
How come she never knew? It was as if he had appeared out of thin air.
"Get up."
Ye Xuan looked at Phil, who was sincerely apologizing on the ground, and said calmly, "You know, you are very fortunate to have a good father. Otherwise, you would have brought utter ruin to your family."
"Phew~"
Hearing Ye Xuan's words, Count Locke, who had been holding his breath, finally relaxed. Others might not know how terrifying this lord was, but he did.
As a confidant of Prince William, and now King William, he had personally witnessed the events that day.
A short while later.
"My Lord Duke, Your Grace, please have a safe journey!"
Count Locke respectfully saw Ye Xuan and the woman off. The driver was utterly bewildered, Duke? Duchess?
Good heavens, this...
"M-My Lord Duke, I was blind just now. Please do not take offense."
*Gulp*, he swallowed, his heart filled with excitement. In all his years of driving, when had he ever chauffeured such an important figure? The driver felt a sense of honor.
Bah, he could brag about this for a year, no, at least three years!
"It's alright, drive on."
Ye Xuan smiled faintly. Hearing the Duke's words, the driver straightened his back, breathed a sigh of relief, and his expression became much more serious. "Yes, My Lord Duke!"
As he spoke, the driver unleashed his over twenty years of driving experience, maneuvering the car with great steadiness. He was chauffeuring someone as noble as a Duke; how could he not take it seriously?
From the shadows, watching the car depart.
The peak Half-step War God from the Underworld Palace pursed his lips and looked into the distance. "His Excellency the Hall Master has become a Duke in Eagle Country? King William has indeed paid a hefty price."
"My Lord, His Excellency the Hall Master has now become the most honored noble in Eagle Country."
The dozen or so experts from the Underworld Palace who had accompanied him also looked at the scene in a daze. The title of Duke was the highest rank besides King.
At the same time, Phil, who was still dazed from the slap, was helped up by his subordinates. Phil looked back in the direction the car had disappeared, his heart filled with lingering fear. He swallowed nervously and asked, "Father, when did we get another Duke in our country?"
"I haven't heard of any ennoblement ceremony either."
Phil said this, but it wasn't his fault. After all, whenever a ducal title was awarded in Eagle Country, it was a matter of great public attention and the highest honor for every citizen of Eagle Country.
"You don't understand."
Only after confirming that Ye Xuan had left did Count Locke finally relax completely. He then looked at his unaccomplished son. "Do you know who that was just now?"
Phil, "..."
"Who... who was it?"
Clearly, Phil had no idea of Ye Xuan's identity. Count Locke gathered his thoughts, swallowed, and slowly began to explain. "You know about Prince William ascending the throne, right?"
"A month ago, it was with the support of Duke Ye Xuan that Prince William turned the tide and killed many of Prince Poole's experts. Although we don't know how many experts Prince William had at his residence at the time, at least ninety percent of the top experts were from Duke Ye Xuan's faction."
*Boom!!!*
Upon hearing his father Count Locke's words, Phil's mind exploded. His eyes widened dramatically. "A month ago? The annihilation of Prince Poole's entourage? And over ninety percent of the experts??"
"Father, are you saying... he, he orchestrated the change in the throne in the royal capital!"
Phil wasn't stupid. His father's meaning was clear. At this moment, Phil's heart was in turmoil. Good heavens, that fellow had such powerful subordinates? And he had just confronted him? Wasn't that...
Thinking of this, Phil couldn't help but look at the surrounding jungle. Were there any of that fellow's terrifying subordinates around? If so, even if his father had arrived a moment later, Phil wouldn't have had enough lives to pay for their actions.
He was kidding himself?
The Prince of the capital and so many experts were no match for him, so what was he?
The thought sent shivers down his spine!
Phil recalled the scene in the VIP lounge at Tianhai Airport where he had provoked Ye Xuan. He was so startled that cold sweat broke out. *Slap*, Phil slapped himself hard across the face, causing his subordinates to twitch their lips. "What kind of existence did I... offend? Was I trying to find death?"
His subordinates, "..."
Good heavens, young master Phil was also a ruthless man, not sparing himself when he was ruthless.