Chapter 492: The Grand First-Year Combat Festival: A Flower of Burn and the Young Lord of Ash II

Bam!

"Argh! Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Little Veda fell onto the grass, his small body rolling slightly from the force of the impact before finally stopping.

Grass had been stuffed into his mouth.

He coughed repeatedly, trying to spit the pieces out while his hands pressed against the ground beneath him while his right cheek burned with pain from a fist striking him there.

The garden outside the Royal Ball Hall was quiet compared to the grand hall itself.

It was located some distance away from the building, beyond the areas where most of the guests would normally walk, and at this time, there was hardly anyone around.

That was probably why the boys had chosen this place.

There were no adults watching.

No guards nearby.

And no one inside the Royal Ball Hall could easily hear what was happening.

But little Veda had found himself dragged into a place like this anyway.

"Hahahaha!!!"

Six groups of boys laughed as they looked down at him.

Their expensive clothes stood out against the green grass, and their polished shoes had already become dirty from moving around the garden.

"Look at the White Deer idiot sniffing grass."

Felix pointed at Veda, whose face was still partly covered with grass.

"I didn’t know a Duke’s son appreciated the quality of grass."

Basil laughed hard.

Veda’s hand tightened around the grass.

They were the ones who had stuffed it into his mouth.

And yet, none of them seemed to care.

He tried to raise his head.

"Cough!"

Another cough escaped him.

The grass fell from his mouth in small pieces.

"Would you look at his hands tightening."

Prince Tristin Aethelmont stepped forward.

His polished shoe came down on Veda’s hand.

Crack!

A slow noise of bone cracking echoed in the garden area.

"ARGH!!!"

Veda’s fingers immediately spread against the ground.

He shouted in pain.

Tristin looked down at him as if he were nothing more than an unwanted object lying on the lawn.

"You disgusting piece of shit. Why did you have to get born as someone like Vera’s twin? You’re just a disgrace to the Ashenlocke House."

Felix glared at Veda as he spoke.

Veda didn’t answer.

He basically couldn’t.

His hand remained trapped beneath Tristin’s shoe.

His body trembled.

Not because of the pain alone.

He was afraid.

"Please let the Young Master go!"

Veda’s personal maid shouted.

Tears had already gathered in her eyes.

She tried to move toward him, but two Butlers held her down.

One was Prince Tristin’s servant.

The other belonged to Felix.

She struggled against them, but she was only a maid, while the two men holding her were adults with far greater physical strength.

"Someone keep this fool quiet."

Basil pointed toward Veda’s maid.

His own maid hesitated.

She looked frightened by the order.

She clearly didn’t want to become involved, but refusing a Noble’s command wasn’t something she could do easily either.

Especially when it’s an order coming from someone like her young master Basil Evermont.

"Violet."

Desmond spoke calmly.

He stood with his arms folded while observing the entire situation.

Violet, who was still in her early teens, turned toward Veda’s maid.

Her expression remained emotionless.

Bam!

Her fist struck the maid in the stomach.

The woman staggered and fell.

Veda saw this happen before him.

Something immediately inside him snapped.

His fear was pushed aside by anger.

"What do you think you ar—"

Bam!

Before he could finish speaking, Tristin’s foot struck his face.

Veda fell back onto the grass.

His vision shook.

He could taste blood properly in his mouth, then his eyes moved toward his maid.

She was on the ground.

Blood and spit escaped her mouth as she struggled to breathe.

Veda’s fingers dug into the grass.

His entire hand trembled.

He was afraid she would be seriously hurt.

He was afraid she would be killed.

Just like how he lost his mother.

He could lose another person he cared for dearly.

"Please..."

His voice cracked.

Veda began crying.

"Please stop. Please just leave her alone."

Tears rolled down his face.

He could barely keep his voice steady.

But the boys didn’t even listen.

Felix and the others simply continued standing around him.

They were laughing.

Talking.

Mocking him.

It was as if his pleading didn’t even exist.

"You know, I remember seeing Grandfather having sex with one of his maids"

Felix suddenly began talking about a sight he got to see randomly, when he was in Elder Fredricks mansion with his friend group of Ashenlocke.

He pointed toward Gareth.

"Do you remember, Gareth?"

Gareth answered calmly.

"I remember. She was a young Maid in her early twenties."

Felix continued talking while Veda listened from the ground.

The conversation made Veda feel even more helpless.

"I was really surprised when Grandfather told me that maids could be used for something like that."

Felix said, genuinely amazed, by the sight he saw on that day.

Desmond laughed lightly.

"You little boy. You’re just seeing the world."

Felix waved his hand, annoyed.

"Why the hell are you laughing?!"

"It’s a normal act for Maids or even Butlers to be used for those acts... since they all are meant to serve their Masters and Mistress, with both their body and soul."

Desmond replied with a casual tone.

"Even now... you can have your way with her, and no one would complain since the Master is just a weakling and a loser."

Desmond shrugged, then he looked toward Veda’s maid.

His words became colder.

"A servant without anyone capable of protecting her is easy to target."

Desmond then turned to Veda, his crimson-red eyes settled on Veda.

"A master who can’t protect his servant doesn’t deserve one."

"Hahahahaha!"

The Noble boys laughed.

Veda stared at them.

His eyes widened.

They aren’t even listening to my pleading.

He realized that no matter how much he begged, they would not stop.

They weren’t even treating him like a person.

They were treating him like he wasn’t even there.

I’m being treated like a ghost.

His heart hurt.

His breathing became uneven.

He wanted to move.

He wanted to protect his maid.

But his body was too weak.

He was only a child.

A weak one at that.

And they knew it.

"Hey."

Felix looked toward the two Butlers holding Veda’s maid.

"Strip her now. Might as well as experience what made my grandfather make that expression of pleasure."

He said casually.

"In an open area like this place... that’s diabolical Felix."

Basil said laughing again.

The other Noble boys in the group laughed.

Veda immediately understood that things were about to become worse.

"No."

He reached out.

His hand stretched toward them.

Thud!

Gareth’s hand suddenly grabbed Veda by the head and forced him back down.

"Veda, you should sit this one out."

Gareth spoke calmly.

"I’m sure you don’t want to get beaten badly if you touch Felix. She’s just a maid, so let this one go."

Veda struggled.

He pushed against Gareth’s arm.

He tried to move his body.

But Gareth’s strength was too much for him.

Even though the two of them were children of the same age.

Gareth’s strength massively suppressed him.

"Let go!"

Veda cried.

His voice was shaking.

He could see his maid struggling as well.

She had already lost much of the strength she had after being struck by Violet.

"Please..."

She whispered.

Veda’s eyes filled with more tears.

He tried again.

But Gareth held him down.

"STOP! WHAT YOU ARE DOING?!"

A familiar voice echoed from behind the group.

The laughter immediately stopped.

"Huh?"

Felix, Basil, Tristin, and the others turned around.

Desmond tilted his head slightly.

Even he looked surprised by the person who had shouted.

Palmer Ashenlocke stood there.

He flinched when all the Noble boys looked at him.

"Why the hell are you flinching when you jumped out shouting? Are you an idiot?"

Pamela’s voice came from behind him.

She walked out from the short wall flower demarcating the garden, almost like a maze while glaring at her brother.

"No, I didn’t flinch."

Palmer quickly composed himself.

Sasha Burnwick then stepped into view from the same spot Pamela Ashenlocke walked out from.

She shook her head.

"Ahh... you exposed our hiding spot."

Her tone was almost annoyed.

"It was a perfect spot indeed."

Vera walked out next with her arms folded across her chest. Her dull black eyes passed over the group of Noble boys, stopping on each of them for only a moment.

She didn’t look nervous.

She didn’t look angry either.

If anything, she looked mildly inconvenienced by the fact that they were standing in her way.

"Vera, Sasha!!"

Prince Tristin shouted in shock.

"What are you people doing here?"

He pointed toward them, surprised that they found their way here, instead of being in the Ball Hall.

Vera looked at him.

Her expression didn’t change.

"What a dumb question."

She replied without the slightest hesitation.

The garden became quiet.

Palmer, Pamela, Basil, Felix, and their servants all looked at Vera.

She had just spoken rudely to a Prince.

And she had done it without even hesitating.

Tristin’s expression darkened.

"Don’t think because you insulted my elder brother and my father that I’ll let you off—"

"Ahh..."

Vera interrupted him.

Her dull black eyes shifted toward him, remaining calm and indifferent.

"Who let a mosquito into this garden? I thought a good garden in the Royal Estate would be insect-free."

She said it casually, without raising her voice or changing her expression.

"Maybe we should call the guards to get rid of the insect."

Sasha added in the same casual tone.

Tristin’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.

His face reddened.

He looked toward Desmond and the rest.

But Desmond was already turning away.

"Let’s head back."

Desmond spoke calmly as he began leaving with his maid.

"What?!"

Tristin turned toward him.

"Yeah, why do we have to leave?"

Basil protested.

"We should deal with these rude girls. Forget if they are Flowers."

He sounded irritated.

"Let’s just go."

Gareth spoke calmly.

He finally released Veda.

Then he turned and began walking away.

Tristin looked at him.

Felix looked at him.

Basil looked at him.

The other boys also looked at him.

When they saw Gareth and Desmond leaving, the others eventually decided to follow.

None of them really wanted to deal with Vera and Sasha.

Not here.

Not after Vera had spoken to Tristin like that.

"Let’s go. Tsk."

Tristin ordered.

His face still showed his anger as the group left the garden.

Their footsteps slowly disappeared.

Veda remained on the grass.

His breathing was still uneven and his face was wet with tears.

His maid was still nearby, struggling to recover from what had happened.

Vera turned away.

"Let’s head back to our adventure."

Without giving her twin brother another glance, she began walking away as though nothing worth stopping for had happened.

Veda stared at her back, not surprised.

"Wait, wait."

Palmer reached out and held Vera’s hand.

"We should at least check up on Veda and his maid, right?"

He looked at Vera with a strong-willed expression.

Vera looked at his hand.

She calmly tapped it with her other hand, her expression remaining unchanged as she looked at Palmer.

"We stumbled upon them by mistake, not because we came to save anyone."

"So, we didn’t come here to rescue Veda."

Palmer looked at her in genuine shock.

Pamela also turned as if she was going to leave with Vera.

If Vera wasn’t helping, then Pamela saw no reason for them to stay either.

Sasha, however, had already turned her attention toward Veda.

"So, this is your twin brother, Vera."

Her voice carried a playful tone.

Veda looked at her quietly.

Sasha reached out her hand, helping him stand.

"Thank you."

Veda muttered in a low voice.

Sasha looked at his tear-covered face.

"You really are weak, huh."

Veda lowered his eyes.

He didn’t know what to say to defend himself.

Sasha scarlet-red eyes suddenly sparkled while looking at Veda.

"You know what, Vera..."

She raised her voice so that Vera could hear her.

"I just thought of something cool. I will marry your brother, so you can call me sister-in-law."

"Huh?"

Veda looked at Sasha in shock.

Sasha smiled.

"As long as you are mine, no one will hurt you, and I get to be your sister’s sister-in-law..."

Her eyes brightened more with mischief.

"I can’t wait for your sister to start calling me Big Sister-in-law."

Veda stared at her.

The words were said so casually, almost like a joke she had made without giving it much thought, yet for some reason, they reached a part of his heart that he had never known was hurting.

’As long as you are mine, no one will hurt you.’

He had heard so many cruel words that day.

Weak.

Loser.

Disgrace.

He had begged.

He had cried.

And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop anyone from hurting the person who served him.

But Sasha had simply reached out her hand and helped him stand.

She hadn’t asked him why he was weak.

She hadn’t laughed at him.

Instead, she had smiled and casually told him that no one would hurt him if he belonged to her.

Veda’s eyes trembled slightly.

His chest felt strangely warm.

For a boy who had spent so much of his childhood feeling powerless, those simple words carried a meaning Sasha probably didn’t understand.

Someone would protect him.

Someone had said it without hesitation.

And for the first time that day, Veda felt as though he wasn’t completely alone.

His heart skipped.

He stared at Sasha for a moment, unable to find the words to respond.

Sasha only continued smiling, completely unaware of how deeply her careless promise had touched him.

"Lady Sasha."

Palmer’s voice snapped Veda out of his thoughts.

"Big-sis Vera and Big-sis Pamela have already left."

He looked awkwardly toward Sasha.

"That bitch."

Sasha helped Veda completely onto his feet before turning around.

She looked toward the path Vera and Pamela had taken.

"Just wait until I become her sister-in-law. She will be below me."

She began ranting angrily as she followed after them.

Veda watched her back.

"Hahaha...what a cheerful girl."

He muttered to himself.

The corners of his lips lifted slightly.

For a moment, the pain from earlier felt farther away.

If only I could live a life as carefree as her.

He thought warmly to himself.

The thought stayed with him as he watched Sasha and Palmer disappear after Vera and Pamela.