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Chapter 43: The Dog Licking Defeat

Roy comfortably leaned back in his chair, casually saying, “Douglas, you’re a smart guy. I’m sure you understand what kind of person Ayana Shanick is without me saying any more, right?”

“What did you just say?!”

Roy ignored Ayana’s question and continued, “Evidence doesn’t really matter. You know as well as I do that Alice and Nia are mostly innocent; this is just another mess Ayana dragged you into.”

“As a prince, the head of a faction, you have a mountain of issues to deal with, yet here you are getting dragged by your cousin. Honestly, I feel a bit sorry for you, man.”

Roy’s words came straight from the heart.

In the original story, Douglas got stuck cleaning up Ayana’s mess time and again. It was no wonder he felt worn out.

Douglas widened his eyes, suddenly feeling an urge to cry.

This kid really hit him where it hurt.

Not just Douglas, even the guards exchanged glances, clearly agreeing.

Without Ayana’s nonsense, they could be training, sleeping, or dating—why waste time here?

Roy completely redirected the blame for this incident from Alice and Nia back onto Ayana.

Noticing the strange atmosphere, Ayana began to feel anxious.

“Mr. Roy, don’t just throw around accusations! I have witnesses who can back me up—what makes you think I would harm Alice and Nia?!”

Roy feigned confusion and shot her a glance: “I never said you harmed Alice and Nia, did I?”

Ayana froze, her rage suddenly deflating.

“Those witnesses, while not citizens of the Kingdom of Gold Sand, are all your male pets who you manipulated to get. Can we just forget about that evidence?”

“And why do you think it’s you? Miss Ayana, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself if you’ve done similar things before? Should I bring in your bullied classmates one by one to confront you?”

Under Roy’s relentless assault, Douglas frowned deeper, and the older students beside him wore awkward expressions.

After all, they understood that Roy was probably telling the truth—Ayana really wasn’t a good person.

Nobles care about their public image; no matter how ugly things are behind closed doors, they can’t lose face.

With so many people watching, Ayana’s face grew even darker.

“What nonsense!”

“Then explain why I would have a reason to harm your maid or a commoner! I didn’t even know them before this!”

As those words fell, Roy couldn’t help but smirk.

Her incompetence was even worse than he imagined; she had just handed him such a huge oversight to exploit.

“Why? Are you sure you want me to say?”

The boy’s retort caught Ayana off guard, but by the time she realized what was happening, it was too late.

“Stop…”

“Because Miss Ayana wants to harass me.”

Roy shrugged helplessly: “Miss Ayana has approached me time and time again, ignoring my rejections to flirt. It’s really been quite distressing.”

“Let’s not even mention Alice and the others; many classmates witnessed Ayana’s invitations.”

“Since the chance has come, I’ll be direct.”

Roy straightened up, suppressing his smile, and coldly looked at Ayana, enunciating each word: “Ayana Shanick, let go of your delusions. I have zero interest in you, whether as a woman or as a classmate!”

A bizarre silence fell over the opulent dining hall.

So this was the truth.

Ayana Shanick, the daughter of the Marquis of the Kingdom of Gold Sand, a famous heartbreaker, was actually out there chasing boys!

And she got rejected!

Wasn’t this just a classic case of a dog licking its wounds after defeat?!

Every guard present looked like they were trying to hold back laughter. Even Douglas, the prince, raised a hand to slightly cover his mouth.

Alice, however, remained completely unfazed, sitting still.

In her eyes, it was natural for a great master to attract admirers; someone like Ayana simply didn’t measure up.

But Nia couldn’t handle it.

After bending over and trembling for a few seconds, her laughter burst forth, echoing obnoxiously.

“Ahahahaha! I couldn’t figure out why you were bothering Alice, and it turns out you’re just jealous!”

“You got rejected and still can’t let go! Licking, licking, but the dog can’t lick up the love, huh? Ahahahaha! I can’t, I’m laughing so hard my stomach hurts…”

If the previous mockery had been forced out in an attempt to rattle her, this time it was genuine laughter.

Tears streamed down Nia’s face as she genuinely found the situation delightful.

With her reputation exposed, Ayana’s face turned from blue to purple, finally becoming a shade of red like a balloon ready to pop.

She stood up and slammed her hand on the table, tears sparkling in her eyes as she shouted, “Roy Ainbrad!”

“Do you have any idea how many people in the Kingdom of Gold Sand want to date me? Inviting you to dinner is a compliment! Don’t get ahead of yourself!”

“Well, let me make this clear,” Roy replied, narrowing his eyes, a hint of disdain flickering within.

“I look down upon someone who only bullies the weak!”

As soon as those words fell, the muscles in Ayana’s face twitched, her features contorting as a surge of overwhelming anger rose within her, making her golden hair fly around like a raging beast.

“Ayana!”

Only when Douglas’s low shout pierced the air did she realize, pulling back the humiliating rage with great effort.

“Cousin, that jerk…”

“Silence. I’ll handle this from now on.” Douglas snorted coldly, not even sparing her a glance, exuding a hint of disdain.

If Ayana weren’t the Marquis’s daughter and if he didn’t need the Shanick family’s strength, Douglas wouldn’t even bother with such a pathetic character.

He even thought Roy was the one in the right.

However, as the head of the academy’s faction, Douglas could never back down from a freshman.

“Mr. Roy, please forgive Ayana’s outburst.”

“However, this mess can’t all fall on her shoulders.”

Roy looked at the dignified prince, his heart sinking.

Though Ayana was the trigger, Douglas was the real key player.

To put it bluntly, Ayana was just a clown.

The third prince of the Kingdom of Gold Sand, and the leader of one of the academy’s three major factions, Douglas was the one who mattered in this negotiation.

That’s why, after all yesterday’s chaos, Roy hadn’t rushed to deal with Ayana; he knew she’d bring Douglas out as support.

As long as he could settle matters with Douglas, Ayana didn’t pose any further threat.

Conversely, if he couldn’t deal with Douglas, Ayana would push further, continuing to harass him. But if it came to that, Roy wouldn’t mind giving her a taste of her own medicine. Still, he preferred a resolution through dialogue, adhering to the principle of causing less trouble when possible.

Just like the opening remark of their negotiation, it was best to resolve this matter like civilized individuals—that was probably the only consensus they had.

Now the serious business was about to start.

 

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