A sudden, suffocating tension filled the cruise ship's restaurant.
Was this refined and elegant young man truly the legendary Divine Drakebane, the one who single-handedly dominated an entire nation?
How could someone of such extraordinary status be sitting so inconspicuously on a cruise ship, dining in a public restaurant as if he were just another passenger?
A peerless master of his caliber—no matter how low-key—should have at least a hundred bodyguards and assistants surrounding him at all times.
Even minor third-rate celebrities couldn't go anywhere without a crowd of bodyguards hovering around them like prison wardens, as if they might vanish into thin air if left unguarded.
A short distance away, Aeron felt his heart lodge in his throat.
D*mn it! How could I be so unlucky?
The legendary figure Divine Drakebane is right in front of me, and I completely failed to recognize him.
Not only that, I even had the audacity to threaten him, refusing to pay Silva Group for their goods.
If we hadn't been so arrogant earlier and had simply negotiated with Vera properly, who knows? Divine Drakebane might have even helped me intimidate Eryndor, and I could have regained Glenoril's agency rights.
What a disaster! I had the perfect hand, and I played it all wrong!
That once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is gone for good now.
At this point, the best outcome I can hope for is that Divine Drakebane doesn't decide to kill me.
Aeron yanked Ryden forward, striding hastily to stand before Robin and his companions. Ignoring the still-stunned Eryndor, he dropped to his knees before Robin.
"Lord Drakebane, I am Aeron. I had no idea you were Ms. Silva's friend and have offended you greatly. Please, forgive me … "
Robin rose to his feet and gestured to Rita. "Rita, order some more pastries and have them sent to the room. It's too noisy here."
"Yes, Lord Drakebane!" Rita promptly instructed the waiter.
Aeron broke into a cold sweat.
Robin's complete disregard for him was a clear sign—he had no intention of forgiving him for his earlier threats against Vera.
As Daphne's warning echoed in his mind, sheer terror gripped him.
Amid the horrified gazes of the onlookers, he crawled toward Robin and Vera. "Lord Drakebane, Ms. Silva, my son and I were blind to who you are … Please forgive us … "
Robin frowned. "Are you sure you want to keep pestering me? Get lost!"
Ryden immediately snapped, "Drakebane, even if the entire World of Darkness reveres you, my father, at his age and with his position, has already swallowed his pride and begged for your forgiveness. Yet you still refuse to show mercy? Don't you fear being called petty by the world?"
A chilling silence engulfed the cruise ship's restaurant.
Aeron stood frozen, utterly petrified.
He never imagined his own son would say something so reckless.
Did he not understand? The reason Divine Drakebane was feared and revered was because he was an untouchable force.
Thorne's eyes widened in disbelief, yet within them flickered an odd admiration for Ryden's audacity.
For all the words that others dared not say, Ryden had said them all, without the slightest hesitation.
To be this recklessly ignorant was truly remarkable.
Robin, who had already turned to leave, halted mid-step.
"Oh? And what status does your father hold? He's nothing more than a common thug. A lowlife. He kneels and begs, and I am supposed to forgive him? Who do you think I am?"
"A worthless piece of trash like you isn't even worth dirtying my hands. And yet, you insist on throwing yourself at death's door."
"If death is what you crave, then so be it. Rita, do it."
Swish!
A cold gleam flashed as Rita's dagger sliced clean across Ryden's throat.
"Ah—!"
Screams erupted throughout the restaurant.
That brain-dead fool, Aeron—how could he have uttered such nonsense!
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