Chapter 96

An ear-piercing screech soured the sky. The black wyvern carefully landed on the Emperor's place's backyard. Seeing Lennox's figure dismounting from the beast's back, all the guards withdrew their weapons, their faces were full of black lines. 

The fourth unit leader walked forward. He bowed to Lennox, awkwardly saying.

" em– your highness, that beast is....? "

Lennox rested the parasol handle on his shoulder, leaned his weight on one leg as he watched Everly dangling from the wyvern's horns. With crossed arms, he said with his usual emotionless face.

" I found it on the road. Zombie girl calls it Chan-Chan so I am keeping it as a pet "

The unit leader's face darkened. Not because his comrades were sent flying when they tried to get a hold of that wyvern to escort it out of the yard, but because their Emperor was walking towards them with a smile that wasn't quite a smile on his face. He retreated quietly.

Seeing the man approaching them, Lennox tensed for a moment, his old man really seemed angry. Lennox cleared his throat and pretended to be normal.

" Ahem, Hey old man, we are back– "

His voice was yet to fade when the sound of something cutting through the air rushed towards him. Lennox instinctively dodged to the side, but he was someone who's recently pulled out of the dead, still dizzy, Lennox lost his footing and almost tripped. Just as his body began tilting to the ground, Jennings firmly grabbed his arm.

Lennox sighed. He prepared himself to hear his worrywart father's nagging, but instead of the panicked voice, the sound of a rod cutting through air resounded again. Before Lennox could react, a hard long object landed roughly on his back, causing his skin to heat up and a tingling pain lingered as a rod-shaped red mark formed under his clothes.

" WHAT THE HELL OLD MAN?!! "

Lennox rebuked as he tried to shake his father off, but either because he was weak due to his injury or Jennings really didn't want to let him go, Lennox couldn't free himself. Jennings bit his lower lip in a threatening way, he hit his son after each sentence on the back, butt or hips.

" And you have the audacity to ask?!!!! You little– running away for three days!! Shamelessly dragging Everly with you!!! Making me worried sick, and for WHAT?!!! TO GO FITCH A FLYING LIZARD?!!! I ALMOST MOVED THE ENTIRE ARMY LOOKING FOR BOTH OF YOU!!! "

" Wait– you shity father that's hurt!!! It's all damn Maitea's plan not mine!!! "

Everly, who came out of consideration to help the injured Lennox, suddenly froze. As the main culprit, of course, she will get her fair share of beating. She took a step back, planning to run away when Jennings quickly caught her forearm, aiming the wooden ruler at the places that won't cause long-term damage. Although his strength was a bit restrained from when he beat Lennox, it was still painful enough to redden her butt.

" AND YOU!! The place is wide enough for you to play for years!!!! Yet you had to fool outside cuddling with all dangers and uncertainty!! "

" EEK!! I am sorry!!!! Ayaaa! No!! I am sorry!! I am sorry! "

Imperial guards and servants:"....."

The aristocrats who came out of the meeting room: ' thank god!!! Finally, justice against the tyrant crown prince!! '

Chan-Chan: my masters are quite useless

Jennings took turns in whipping the two kids who kept rebuking, yet until now, none of them said ' sorry we won't do it again ', which means that they already had the intention of doing it again!

Since he couldn't sleep a wink last night and was buried in work for hours, Jennings's energy was soon drained. He took a short break to calm down while pondering whether to continue beating them or not. He hadn't reached for a conclusion when Lennox suddenly closed the distance between them, hiding behind his sleeves with a dark expression.

Jennings's heart tightened as he looked at his son's extremely disturbed expression as if he had seen the most disgusting thing in his life.

" What in the name of the holy river is that paedophile doing here?!! "

" Who??! "

" that child rapist general, count Vilgas "

Jennings froze. General Vilgas was one of the Empire's military generals, an esteemed nobleman he had personally known and trusts, how could such a man be called a child rapist? But the murderous glare in Lennox's eyes, towards the approaching man, wasn't fake. Jennings also trusts his son's judgment, he wouldn't say anything without solid evidence or personal experience–

Jennings panicked. He subconsciously let go of Everly's arm, which gave Everly the chance to escape, and held Lennox's shoulder, his brows kneaded tightly.

" How do you know?! Did he do something to you?!!! "

' Ah, that might have given him a fright. This old man can't take such news '

Lennox put his ice-cold hand over Jennings's, assuring him not to worry.

" that's not the case. Two years ago one of my subordinates lost his younger brother and asked me to help him a finding it. I have sent others to trace the kid and they found him in the north section of Sitia, in other words, general Vilgas's territory. The boy was mentally broken and there were signs of sexual assault. They brought the boy to me, I used a spell to view his memory and it was full of disgusting things. I am afraid that kid is not the first nor the last "

Jennings was stunned, he stayed silent, trying to digest these words. Meanwhile, general Vilgas who almost reached a distance where he could hear the father-son conversation, suddenly halted. He saw Jennings let go of a tiny arm, then a small figure dashed off. He saw her sulking pouting cheeks, her dinky nose that turned red from crying, the two teardrops hanging at the corner of her emerald eyes and her caramel hair lifted up exposing her white fragile neck that could be crushed with a finger. 

He felt his abdomen heat up as a sensation of obsession shrugged within him. He wanted to obtain her– no, he MUST obtain her.

Jennings took a while before saying hesitantly:" this matter should be investigated. I can't make decisions like this "

" go ahead. The north isn't really my playground so couldn't find much. But if the Emperor moved– "

-RUMBLES

' hm? I thought there weren't any clouds...'

Suddenly loud rumbles filled the sky. Lennox raised his head while making sure that the sun won't get into his eyes, when he saw a silver light spread across the clear sky. His eyes widened.

Heavenly punishment.

-BOOOM!