[AFYC] Chapter 44

Duke Baden, who had tried to subtly link himself with the king under the guise of the Felphe royal family, turned red with fury when Oscar directed his apology solely to the king. Just as the Duke was about to explode in volcanic rage, the king, tired of Baden’s outbursts, cut him off and got straight to the point with Oscar. 

“I heard an unfortunate incident between you and Duke Baden last night. I won’t mince words. Did you or did you not pour alcohol down the Duke’s throat?” 

The king’s expression suddenly darkened. Despite the gravity of the accusation—pouring alcohol into the mouth of a member of the Felphe royal family—Oscar’s expression remained unchanged. He simply furrowed his brow slightly and looked at the Duke before replying. 

“Well, the duke did drink quite a lot last night.” 

“Don’t deny it! You held my mouth open and poured the liquor down my throat! This is an attempted assassination of a royal!” 

Even at the accusation of attempted assassination, Oscar’s composed, and handsome features didn’t betray any sign of distress. He merely stared at the Duke, pondering something, before slowly turning his gaze downward to the floor and back up again.  

How he controlled the flow of time with just that small movement was unsettling. 

“Your Grace, Duke Baden,” Oscar began, his tone calm and unhurried. 

Duke Baden remained silent, so Oscar turned back to him, his eyes locking onto the Duke’s as he repeated the title with a measured cadence. 

“Your Grace, Duke Baden.” 

The casual and unhurried address felt like a reminder of the grip that had choked the Duke’s throat the night before, the terrifying grip that had made him feel so powerless. Despite standing in the palace of Felphe, within the king’s audience chamber, he couldn’t shake the sensation of being stripped bare and crushed, just like the night before. 

Oscar’s voice dropped lower as he spoke again. 

“Attempted assassination, you say?” 

He blinked a couple of times, then furrowed his brow as he asked, 

“And why would I do such a thing?” 

“…” 

“Even if that were true, wouldn’t there have been a reason?” 

His expressionless face now carried a faint sneer. The low tone of his voice brought back the chilling question from the night before. 

“Felphe Bank. Is there something I should know?” 

There was no way Baden could speak of it. The only witness was a prostitute from Arman Rose’s estate, and she was out of her mind. Therefore, no one could corroborate his story. 

“There’s always a reason behind every action.” 

“You… you…” 

The trauma of the previous night hit the Duke like a wave, and his breathing grew laboured. 

“Ha… ha, ha.” 

As dizziness overcame him, he stumbled backwards, his body swaying. Oscar watched him with detached indifference. Finally, the king, unable to endure the sight any longer, roared, 

“Take the duke away immediately!” 

Servants rushed forward to support the Duke on either side, helping the once-proud man, now reduced to a trembling mess, out of the chamber. His laboured breathing and shuffling feet faded as he was escorted out, while Oscar remained in the same position, staring at the floor. When the doors to the audience chamber finally closed, Oscar raised his gaze to meet the king’s. 

His movements showed no hesitation or fear; if anything, he seemed slightly bored. 

For some reason, the king felt increasingly certain that Oscar had forced the Duke to drink the alcohol. He didn’t seem inclined to hide it, making the king more anxious. 

This was why he preferred to avoid dealing with this man. 

“…” 

“…” 

After a moment of silence, the king dismissed everyone else from the chamber. Once the guards and attendants had all left, he exhaled deeply, realising that sometimes the only way forward was to tackle the issue head-on. 

“I’m aware that you intend to open one of the vaults in the Felphe Bank, and I also know that you were instrumental in making the duke the bank’s president.” 

“…” 

“Stop where you are.” 

“…” 

“Regardless of what you do, the Felphe Bank will operate according to its principles.” 

The king had been prepared to invoke the Norfolk royal family alliance if necessary, knowing it might be something Oscar would find distasteful. However, to his surprise, Oscar nodded without hesitation.