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Chapter 44: When Did I Say It Was Only Me?

Outside the Golden Sands Mansion, groups of students were scattered everywhere, some even setting up umbrellas for tea parties, just waiting for the negotiations inside to wrap up.

On one side was Roy Ainbrad, the ‘bad boy’ and popular newcomer, and on the other side was Douglas, the leader of the Golden Sands faction.

No matter how you looked at it, this confrontation was as clear as day in its outcome, yet it had still become the biggest news of the day.

Today was another of those leisurely weekends for the students, naturally drawing in a lot of attention.

When Nia’s two close friends arrived, the area outside the Golden Sands Mansion was already packed with people, and they could barely see a glimpse of the lavish building.

Among the crowd, many voices were heard, but instead of discussing the outcomes of the negotiations, it was all derision.

“That jerk actually dares to arm wrestle with senior Douglas? Is he out of his mind?”

“I heard he dumped Ayana Shanik.”

“A bad guy dumped a bad girl? Seems like a perfect match, hahaha!”

“It’s just some petty argument between them, but Ayana has the Golden Sands faction backing her. Looks like Roy’s hit a brick wall.”

The dark-skinned girl, Jenny, heard the gossip around her and was fuming, her face turning pale. “These jerks have no idea what they’re talking about! Clearly it was Ayana who made the first move!”

“And Roy is also a noble; there’s no way he could lose this easily, right?!”

Even though they weren’t very familiar with Roy, they had been left with a good impression after their previous encounter, where his humility and concern shone through, making them see him as more than just a bad boy.

At least in the ‘bad’ department, he was a hundred times better than Ayana.

But Amy showed a wry smile, unable to agree with her friends’ viewpoint.

Amy’s family used to be a minor noble, and she was much more familiar with this kind of struggle than Jenny was.

The son of a Marquis, a freshman, could still be vastly overshadowed by a prince or faction leader.

Now that this matter had escalated, it was no longer just a simple bullying issue. As the faction leader, Douglas would definitely not back down easily to maintain his status.

In fact, the other two factions were keeping an eye on this situation as well.

In the shadows of the bustling crowd, a small shadowy snake slithered quickly through the gaps, and soon enough, it infiltrated the Golden Sands Mansion.

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“How about we each take a step back?” Douglas pretended to ponder.

“While Ayana was at fault, I can’t say that Roy’s maid is completely blameless either.”

The Prince of the Golden Sands looked at Roy and stated plainly, without a hint of negotiation, “In that case, Ayana, how about you and these two classmates apologize to each other in private, as a gesture of goodwill? I’ll also invite Roy to dinner separately as an apology, how does that sound?”

This was the biggest concession Douglas could make. He didn’t care about Ayana’s pride, but as the leader of the Golden Sands faction, he couldn’t easily back down to a mere newcomer.

The private dinner seemed like a way to show apology, but it was actually a test and an attempt to win Roy over.

Douglas had a good impression of Roy; despite their different nationalities, he thought it wouldn’t be impossible to bring him into his ranks.

Even if the junior’s attitude needed some correction.

Being neither servile nor overbearing was fine with outsiders, but if he wanted Roy to work under him, there had to be total respect and obedience.

But Nia looked at Douglas with a hint of fear in her eyes.

A private dinner? Was this thick-browed guy actually eyeing Roy?!

Nia couldn’t help but glance at Roy, marveling at how this black-haired boy could charm both genders.

Roy fell silent for a moment and let out a gentle sigh.

Douglas’s heroic face momentarily relaxed, thinking it was merely disappointment from the boy weighing his options.

But the next moment, he realized he was mistaken.

“I thought a senior prince and faction leader like you would be reasonable and understand right from wrong. I didn’t expect you to be so swayed by interests, just like everyone else.”

Roy did not hide his disappointment at all.

In the original work, Douglas hadn’t bullied Alice, so Roy had held some hope for his character.

Unfortunately, not everyone values honor like a certain princess.

“What do you mean?” Douglas’s brows furrowed slightly.

Roy replied coolly, “Let me state my demands as well.”

“I demand that Ayana publicly apologize to Alice and Nia, and that members of the Golden Sands faction refrain from harassing Alice, Nia, and their friends throughout this semester.”

“And as for the private dinner, sorry, but I’m quite busy. Let’s talk about it another day.”

An apology to Roy was one thing. Apologizing publicly to a mere maid, a commoner, was tantamount to taking Ayana’s life.

“Roy! You’re talking nonsense…”

But before Ayana could explode, Douglas suddenly broke into a grin.

His light chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh, echoing vigorously through the lavish dining hall.

In contrast, all members of the Golden Sands faction, including Ayana, wore cold sweat and fell silent.

The third prince of the Golden Sands only laughed like this when he was infuriated.

In an assassination attempt, all his guards and trusted aides were wiped out. Yet he single-handedly fought through the encirclement of assassins.

When help finally arrived, they found him amidst a pile of corpses, holding the head of an assassin, laughing maniacally.

Thus, he earned the nickname of the “Laughing Prince” in the Golden Sands Kingdom.

Ayana had always thought such tales were merely rumors, but sensing the turbulent, storm-like exceptional energy and the thunderous fury behind his laughter, she finally realized the rumors were true.

“Hahahahahahaha!”

“Roy Ainbrad, you really have a way with words!”

After a long while, Douglas finally stopped laughing, gasping for breath and wiping the tears from his eyes.

Accepting Roy’s conditions would be equivalent to admitting publicly to the whole Academy that he couldn’t even protect his subordinates and had to bow down to a newcomer!

Roy wasn’t a fool; he could clearly see through this.

And he even refused the dinner, giving Douglas no face whatsoever.

He was doing it on purpose!

When Douglas looked at Roy again, his expression was devoid of laughter.

“Kid, you don’t think just because you have the Academy’s protection you’re in the clear, right?”

“Private duels, seizing freedoms, stalking, and even colluding with teachers for preferential treatment in classes…”

“Your strength might not be bad, but even without lifting a finger, there are a hundred ways for me, who controls the entire faction, to make your life miserable!”

“Just you alone? You think you can go against an entire faction? Dream on!”

In the corner, Nia appeared calm, but inside she was as anxious as a hot potato.

As the other party stated, the three of them could never contend against a faction of over a hundred people.

If all else failed, she could only reveal her status as the chief lady!

Being the chief lady was somewhat equivalent to royalty and might make them a bit wary.

She couldn’t bear to watch Roy and Alice being bullied by the Golden Sands faction like this.

But once her identity was exposed, she would eventually be captured by the court, and Roy and the others would still suffer!

Just as Nia was at a crossroads, the door burst open, and a panicked figure rushed in.

“Your Highness! There’s a situation! Look out the window!”

Douglas turned around, his eyes widening in shock.

A group of well-equipped students had stormed into the mansion, and leading them was a princess riding a golden-red gryphon, standing out like a blaze!

At that moment, Roy finally raised his head and smiled faintly.

“When did I say it was only me?”

 

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