The Duke's youngest son is Unbearable

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David sighed in relief, muttering to himself, "At least it's not the worst-case scenario."

However, Arthur's expression darkened as his sharp gaze locked onto Asher's bloodied figure. In the blink of an eye, Arthur appeared in front of his younger brother, the air around him heavy with authority and suspicion.

Asher blinked, his confusion evident. "Hey, brother, why are you here all of a sudden?"

Arthur didn't respond. Instead, his eyes scrutinized Asher like a hawk examining prey. Without warning, he grabbed the torn remains of Asher's uniform and ripped it off completely, exposing his blood-covered, bare upper body.

"Hey!" Asher yelped, hurriedly crossing his arms over his chest. "Why did you do that?! Can't you see all these perverts staring?"

A wave of stunned silence passed through the crowd. Students exchanged confused glances, trying to process if Asher had just called them perverts.

Arthur, as always, ignored his younger brother's antics. His eyes scanned Asher's pale, malnourished frame, his hands tightening into fists. "Just as I thought…" he muttered softly, almost to himself.

"Something's off?" Asher exclaimed, his voice rising in alarm. "W-what do you mean something's off? I know I don't train as much as I should, but…" He looked down at his own body, his pale skin smeared with dried blood. "Well, okay, maybe there is something off, but it's not my fault!"

Arthur's voice was cold and unwavering as he pointed out, "You're covered in blood, but you don't have any wounds."

The crowd's murmurs grew louder as students craned their necks to get a better look. It was true—Asher's body bore no visible injuries.

Feeling their gazes boring into him, Asher muttered under his breath, "Why do I feel like some poor animal in a zoo cage?"

Arthur leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. "There's no creature in this dungeon with red blood," he stated. "And since you don't have any wounds… whose blood is it?"

"It's mine," Asher replied matter-of-factly. "Someone stabbed me through the heart and left me to die. But thanks to something Mom gave me, I was healed when I was about to die. That's why I'm still here."

The students gasped, and a ripple of shocked murmurs spread through the crowd.

"Someone tried to kill the son of an Archduke?" a student whispered.

The group began speculating wildly, the idea of such treachery both terrifying and captivating.

Arthur's voice cut through the chatter like a blade. "Who was it?"

The sharpness in his tone made everyone fall silent. Their ears pricked up, waiting for Asher's answer.

"It was an idiot," Asher said casually, shrugging.

Arthur's expression hardened, and his voice grew colder. "Who was it?"

Asher glanced at the group of students before his gaze landed on one person in particular. His eyes narrowed as they focused on Elvin.

Following his line of sight, Arthur turned to face the student. Elvin stood frozen, his expression a mixture of guilt and dread.

The crowd collectively held their breath.

Aria opened her mouth to question Asher, but before she could speak, an overwhelming aura of bloodlust swept through the area.

The source? Arthur.

The intense pressure radiated outward, locking onto Elvin like a predator marking its prey.

David, sensing the lethal intent, immediately drew his sword and flashed forward. His blade clashed against Arthur's in a desperate attempt to block a slash aimed at Elvin's neck. Sparks flew as the two weapons collided, and the sheer force of the attack generated a gust of wind that whipped through the area.

Elvin stumbled back, his shaking hand clutching his neck. A thin line of blood trickled from a shallow cut—caused by the air pressure alone.

Staring at the blood on his fingers and then at Arthur's cold, fury-filled eyes, Elvin felt his knees weaken. This is what it feels like to face death…

The tension was palpable as Arthur's blade pressed harder against David's. Sparks continued to crackle where the two swords met.

David's thoughts raced. There's no way I should've been able to block that slash. Arthur allowed me to intercept him. He's waiting for me to decide what to do.

David gritted his teeth and said firmly, "This is not the Crimson family's territory. It's the academy grounds. Elvin is an academy student, and you cannot harm him while I'm here. I won't allow it."

Arthur didn't break eye contact with Elvin as he responded, his voice calm yet terrifying. "Is the academy protecting him?"

David's grip on his sword tightened, sweat dripping down his face. He knew this question was a trap. Any answer he gave could escalate the situation.

Before he could reply, a calm voice broke the standoff.

"Arthur…"

Both men turned to look at Asher, who was walking toward them with a lazy smile.

"It wasn't him," Asher said.

Arthur's eyes narrowed in suspicion. David's expression was just as skeptical. They'd seen Elvin's guilty look earlier—it was clear he was involved.

"Then why did you look at him when I asked who did it?" Arthur asked, his voice low.

Asher raised his hands in mock surrender. "I made a mistake, okay? I thought it was him, but now that I look closer, he's not the idiot who stabbed me." Pointing a finger at Elvin, he added, "Although he does look like the kind of idiot who would stab me."

Everyone froze, unsure whether to laugh or groan.

Arthur wasn't amused. "If it wasn't him, then who was it?"

Scratching the back of his head, Asher replied sheepishly, "Actually… I forgot."

The crowd collectively facepalmed.

"How do you forget the face of someone who tried to kill you?" someone muttered.

Arthur's expression grew even darker. "What do you mean you forgot?"

"Well, I don't know! Maybe they used some kind of ability to mess with my memory. Or maybe I was just in shock from almost dying. Either way, I can't remember," Asher explained with a shrug.

Turning to Arthur, he said cheerfully, "Anyway, let's get out of here. Look at all these perverts ogling my body. That girl over there hasn't even closed her mouth yet—she's staring at me like she's never seen a handsome young man before."

The girl in question, Sasha, turned bright red as she hastily closed her mouth. Furious and embarrassed, she thought, You shameless idiot!

Arthur sighed, sheathed his sword, and handed Asher his coat. "Let's go."

As they walked away, David let out a long, weary sigh. Whose face did I see when I woke up this morning?

Spoiler: It was his own in the mirror.

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