Chapter 15

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“Aiden Rosley. That absolute piece of shit…!”

Vicious curses echoed relentlessly through the Harrison County’s private study. The once-immaculate room had been reduced to a disaster zone; heavy tomes were violently scattered across the floor, and a shattered ink bottle bled pitch-black ink all over the polished mahogany desk.

“Isn’t it enough that you stole absolutely everything from me?! Now you’re shoving me straight into the abyss?!”

With every brutal, enraged strike of his fist against the desk, fresh crimson blood smeared across the wood. Suddenly, a frantic, desperate knock shattered the tension, and the Harrison family butler practically threw the door open.

“We have a massive problem, Young Master! The Master has returned!”

The boiling, volcanic rage contorting Raymond’s face instantly evaporated, leaving him deathly pale.

“Is he heading this way right—”

Before the butler could even finish his warning, a chillingly low voice rolled into the study, suffocating the air.

“I just returned from hearing two highly interesting pieces of news from Major General Elliot.”

“F-Father, that is…”

“Seeing this filthy study and hearing you spew such useless drivel, I suppose it was all true.”

Count George took slow, deliberate steps toward Raymond. With every step he took, the agonizing crunch of glass shards grinding into the floorboards echoed in the silence.

“I knew you were an incompetent fool the moment you failed to secure the valedictorian title at the Academy, but…”

A massive, imposing shadow loomed over Raymond. In the blink of an eye, an explosive, agonizing pain ripped through his lower abdomen as a brutal kick sent his body violently rolling across the floor. As a heavy boot pressed down mercilessly on his chest, Raymond’s lungs seized up, leaving him gasping for air.

“To think you couldn’t even secure a simple operational command.”

Despite his vision whiting out and his lungs burning for oxygen, Raymond didn’t dare offer a single ounce of resistance. Desperately clenching his fists to endure the agonizing pain, sharp glass shards dug deeply into his palms. Thick, sticky blood oozed from the cuts, pooling onto the floor and mixing with the spilled ink.

Tsk. 

Clicking his tongue in profound disgust, Count George removed his boot from Raymond’s chest.

As Raymond violently coughed and gasped for air, Count George mercilessly grabbed a fistful of the vibrant orange hair he had passed down to his son, looking at him as if he were a repulsive insect.

“Furthermore, I hear you were dragged before the Disciplinary Committee for doing something incredibly stupid.”

“Ugh…”

A pained groan tore from Raymond’s throat as his head was forcefully jerked upward. The eyes glaring down at him were as piercing and merciless as a winter frost.

“To think that the very first person to leave a permanent, filthy stain of disciplinary action on the flawless history of the Harrison naval family is my own son.”

“…”

“Exactly how much more do you intend to embarrass me?”

Accompanying the eerily calm, emotionless voice, a massive palm sliced through the air. An ear-splitting, agonizingly sharp crack exploded through the study. Thick blue veins bulged on the hand tightly gripping Raymond’s hair, ensuring his head couldn’t even snap to the side from the impact.

As the brutal, relentless slapping continued, physiological tears began streaming uncontrollably from Raymond’s eyes.

“Or perhaps… did you intentionally plan this just to screw me over?”

Raymond’s cheeks swelled into a violent, bruised red, and the fresh blood pouring from his nose thoroughly drenched his face. Standing completely frozen in the corner, the butler kept his mouth clamped tightly shut, acting as if he were entirely blind and deaf to the horrific violence unfolding before him.

Huu…

Exhaling a slow, steadying breath, Count George violently threw Raymond’s head aside. He raked a frigid, unfeeling gaze over his son’s face, which was now a pathetic mess of saliva, tears, and blood. It was a brutal enough sight to warrant at least a flicker of regret or pity, yet the Count’s eyes remained absolutely glacial.

“Raymond Harrison.”

“Ah… ugh…”

His cheeks were so severely swollen that he couldn’t formulate words; the response was closer to a pathetic, wet whimper.

“I will exert my influence to ensure the exact reasons for your suspension are strictly hidden from everyone except Aiden and the Disciplinary Committee. I will also ensure the punishment is reduced to mere probation and a pay cut. You will absolutely not be demoted.”

“Ugh…”

“But you must remember this with absolute clarity: I am utilizing my power solely to protect the honor of this family, not for a pathetic bastard like you.”

Delivering his heartless verdict, Count George threw a cold order at the butler.

“Treat him.”

“Yes, Master.”

The second the Count exited the study, the butler frantically grabbed the first aid kit resting in the corner and rushed over to Raymond.

“Y-Young Master. Are you alright?!”

Instead of answering, Raymond clenched his fists even tighter. His nails dug fiercely into his torn flesh, but he couldn’t care less about the searing pain.

This is all because of that absolute piece of shit, Aiden Rosley. If that bastard hadn’t uncovered the truth, he would never have had to suffer this horrifying humiliation at his father’s hands!

His already ragged breathing rapidly accelerated into panicked, furious gasps. The eyes that had been clouded with agonizing pain mere seconds ago were now boiling with a toxic, bottomless hatred.

While he gets dragged off to the North for his forced marriage, why should he be allowed to continue acting as Admiral…

Suddenly, Raymond’s racing thoughts ground to a halt. A brilliant realization struck him: he remembered a specific individual who would be absolutely, uncontrollably furious about Aiden’s forced marriage.

“Y-Young Master! I am still treating your wounds!”

Violently shoving the butler’s hands away, Raymond staggered to his feet and marched over to the ruined desk.

If there’s an eyesore in my path, I just need to eliminate it.

There was absolutely no need for him to dirty his own hands. Both then and now, there was always a perfect loophole. Roughly wiping the blood from his face with a silk handkerchief, Raymond immediately grabbed a pen and began frantically writing a letter.

Scrawling his final signature, he shoved the bloodstained envelope toward the butler. Without needing a single word of explanation, the butler instantly recognized exactly what his master intended. Accepting the letter with trembling hands, he bowed deeply.

“…Understood. I will dispatch this immediately, sir.”

***