“I have been very patient and courteous when talking to you,” Cedric said in a cold tone. “It is not you who I am offering to send aid to, but Luna’s family. I would greatly appreciate it if you stood down and let me help her family. If you do, I am willing to turn a blind eye to your rudeness.”
“Oh?” Ethan arched an eyebrow. “I think you are misunderstanding something here. It is not you who is being very patient and courteous. The one who has been doing that the entire time is me. How can I possibly not see through your intentions?”
Ethan sneered as he looked at Lilian’s brother, who intended to play with fire.
“Do you think I am blind?” Ethan asked in a teasing tone. “It is very obvious that you are making your moves on my Fiance. As someone who wants to look like an upright, generous, and sincere individual, you are not doing yourself a favor. You are just making yourself look desperate.”
Ethan then stood and glanced at Lilian in an apologetic tone.
“I’m sorry for ruining this dinner that you have painstakingly prepared,” Ethan said. “Had I known you would be inviting other people, we would have declined your invitation. We only agreed because it was you who invited us.”
He then offered his hand to Luna, and the latter took it.
“We will take our leave,” Ethan stated as he held his lover’s hand. “Goodnight to the two of you.”
After giving a slight nod, Ethan walked away hand in hand with Luna.
However, he was only able to take a few steps when he felt something hit his back.
Ethan stopped and glanced down at the carpeted floor to see what had hit him.
There, he saw a white glove, which made him look in the direction of the dinner table, only to find a fuming Cedric, who had lost his composure.
The corner of Ethan’s lips rose a bit as he looked at the young man, who seemed to be on the verge of having an aneurysm.
“You have tarnished my honor and dignity,” Cedric almost shouted but managed to tone down the volume of his words. “I challenge you to a Magical Duel.”
Before Ethan could even reply to the challenge, he felt gentle but firm tugs on his robe.
He then glanced at his lover and saw her anxious face.
Luna simply shook her head, telling him not to accept the duel.
Naturally, Cedric saw this, so he decided to taunt Ethan into accepting his challenge.
“Don’t tell me you are scared?” Cedric sneered. “It seems that I am right. You are only good with your words, but you don’t have the skills to back it up. If you’re really a man, then fight me.”
Ethan gave Cedric a mischievous smile before he cupped Luna’s face.
A moment later, he kissed the angelic beauty’s lips right in front of Cedric, making the latter clench his fist in anger.
Lilian, who was at a loss about who to side with, couldn’t stop herself from turning beet-red after seeing Ethan’s actions.
Even Cedric’s and Lilian’s subordinates couldn’t stop themselves from being shocked by Ethan’s bold move.
However, after their shock receded, the four subordinates felt envious.
For the ladies, they were envious of Luna getting kissed by Ethan.
For the guys, they were very envious of Ethan kissing such a beautiful girl like Luna.
The kiss lasted for a few seconds.
When it ended, Ethan once again held Luna’s hand and walked away.
Cedric had tried to taunt him with words, but such a childish trick no longer worked on Ethan.
He had a far more effective method of taunting his opponent, and he used the most efficient way to slap Cedric’s face, without actually slapping him.
After safely distancing themselves from Lilian’s Residence the handsome young man pulled Luna to his embrace and lightly patted her head.
“Were you scared?” Ethan asked softly.
“No,” Luna replied. “But you could have handled this in a more subtle manner.”
“You’re right.” Ethan nodded. “I could have used other methods, but it won’t change anything. Cedric was very determined to steal you away from me. If I used soft methods, it would only make him think that I am a pushover.
“He is a Noble, and Nobles scheme to get what they want. Even if it doesn’t happen today or tomorrow, he will eventually find a way to corner you. His donation to your family is just one way of doing that. Although it looked harmless on the surface, it’s still an almost sure way to make you indebted to him.
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“Also, if word got out that your family was getting help from a High-Ranking Noble, you would get the attention of the other nobles, which would definitely lead to trouble.
“In the end, you and your family would be forced to depend on Cedric’s Family in order to withstand the pressure. When that happens, marrying him would be the best method in order to deal with the situation. At the end of the day, he will get what he wants, so it is best to put my foot down to put an end to his schemes.”
Luna looked at Ethan in surprise.
“How do you even know about these things?” Luna arched an eyebrow. “You’re not even a Noble. How did you suddenly become this knowledgeable about how Noble Families work?”
Of course, Ethan had no idea how Noble Families worked.
It was his Other Half who had been feeding him with information.
The words he said earlier were the conjectures of his Other Half, who had an in-depth knowledge regarding the schemes that High-Ranking Noble families used in order to get what they wanted.
Trapping the helpless and ignorant was a very Noble thing to do, allowing them to manipulate others into doing them favors.
Naturally, Ethan couldn’t tell this to Luna, so he simply kissed her forehead and pulled her into his embrace.
“Did you forget?” Ethan whispered. “I am an Orphan. Maybe, my real parents are actually Nobles, and High-Ranking ones at that. I have their noble bloodline running through my veins, so this knowledge came to me as easily as breathing.”
Luna giggled as she held Ethan close.
She felt safe and warm in his embrace and wished for nothing more than to stay like this for a long time.
“I’m afraid that Cedric will not let things slide in this manner,” Luna said.
Ethan nodded. “He won’t. I’m sure that we will hear something by tomorrow. I am even looking forward to what he plans to do. But Luna, let me just say this.”
The handsome young man looked at his lover with a solemn expression on his face.
“What I said earlier isn’t a bluff,” Ethan replied. “I have the means to send funds to your family, and I will do it after we return to the residence.”
Luna wasn’t there when Ethan showed Chloe’s family the treasures in his possession.
He didn’t mind sending tens of thousands of gold coins to the Oswald Barony. In fact, he had the means to do that.
Dantalion had come with him on this journey, so he would let his Spirit Guide deliver his message to Luna’s family that he was serious about his intention to marry their daughter.
Even though Luna didn’t know what her lover was thinking, she nodded her head to tell him that she believed him.
She knew that Ethan wouldn’t joke about something like this, especially after she had sincerely spoken about the difficulties that her parent’s Barony was facing.
Ethan smiled and kissed her a second time before both of them headed in the direction of their temporary residence.
He knew that when morning came, a surprise would be waiting for him.
But he wasn’t too worried.
Actually, he was even looking forward to it.
And he was not the only one who was looking forward to a good showdown.
His Other Half, who wanted nothing more than to see Ethan’s growth, smirked inside his Sea of Consciousness.
The faster Ethan grew, the sooner he would be able to accept his Other Half’s Legacy.
People either broke or grew exponentially under pressure.
And, right now, there was no better way to pressure Ethan into accelerating his growth than by clashing against a High-Ranking Noble.
A Noble who wished nothing more than to show that he was better than Ethan in more ways than one.