Chapter 75: Kneel and Apologize!
Wright was fuming.
He had originally attended the coming-of-age ceremony with a cheerful demeanor, celebrating this important milestone with the most outstanding young people from the Imperial Capital.
As the second son of Duke Kreimans, he was undoubtedly the star of the show, receiving blessings from the nobles present and even a personal prayer from His Highness the Princess.
He was all set to embark on a glorious life journey.
But then, he spotted an ill-timed little guy and decided to play the good Samaritan by telling her to stop, only to be hit with the most merciless insult!
A brat, out of nowhere, dared to lecture me on etiquette!!!
“You! What did you just say? I’m the son of Duke Kreimans! How dare you! Not only are you insulting me, but the entire Kreimans family too!”
Xu Xiaofeng was left speechless.
There she was, innocently munching away in a corner, minding her own business, and suddenly this little brat pops out from nowhere to point fingers at her!
She merely returned the verbal jab, and the other side lost it.
She shrugged, rolling her eyes, “Tss, boring.”
Then she went back to her meal.
“Explain yourself!”
“I know you’re anxious, but chill for a sec. Even if you panic, the one who’ll be all flustered is you.”
Xu Xiaofeng dropped a philosophical gem, leaving Wright in a puzzled daze for a bit.
“What does that even mean?”
“If you don’t get it, forget it. Just say that those who understand, understand. It’s pointless explaining to a little brat like you.”
With that, Xu Xiaofeng turned around and continued eating.
But this guy just wouldn’t budge. He wasn’t the only one; a whole posse followed him, intent on causing trouble.
“Who are you calling a little brat? We’re all adults here; you’re the only little kid around!”
Xu Xiaofeng had completely checked out of this conversation.
Arguing with these little brats was pointless; a few snappy replies could easily send them sobbing for mercy.
She didn’t want to stir up trouble, especially for Sister Elia. Her sister had kindly brought her to enjoy the festivities, so she figured it was best to be a good little girl.
However, the other side clearly wasn’t going to let it go so easily.
What had just been a few words to Xu Xiaofeng was barely a basic jab; for these pampered young masters, it was like lightning striking from a clear sky.
What kind of person could deliver such insults?!
“Go get your elders! I want to see what kind of family raises a kid like you—so crude!”
Ignoring him, Xu Xiaofeng kept eating.
Wright was at his wit’s end; he lunged to snag her hat.
But he missed! Xu Xiaofeng dodged easily, and he felt something slippery in his hand.
Looking down, he saw his hand smeared with cream.
It felt so greasy and gooey, like he was gripping something indescribably gross.
He found a handkerchief and scrubbed his palm clean, bewildered, “What… did you do?!”
“Ugh! What a hassle.”
With a sigh, Xu Xiaofeng stood up slowly.
“You wanted me to get an adult, right? Amelia, what do you think I should do?”
At this, everyone turned to see a maid slowly approaching.
That maid looked like… she was from His Highness the Princess!
Wright’s heart skipped a beat.
No way… that can’t be!
He feigned composure, standing tall as the maid came closer.
The commotion had drawn quite the crowd; Amelia was sent by Elia.
“Princess Elia instructed me to bring you along. Please follow me.”
“Sure, I think this spot is a bit dodgy; I keep feeling like there are mosquitoes biting.”
Xu Xiaofeng made a face at Wright and followed Amelia.
At that moment, Wright’s legs felt a bit wobbly. If one of his pals hadn’t been there to prop him up, he might have just toppled over.
He was just messing with someone, and now he had drawn connections to the royal family. Wasn’t that the sky falling?!
He hadn’t heard of this person before!
He quickly followed her over to his father, Duke Kreimans.
Before he could explain, his father cut him off.
“I’ll handle this.”
Duke Kreimans regarded Xu Xiaofeng, then smiled and asked, “Might I ask who this is? We arrived late and aren’t aware she belongs to His Highness the Princess. I hope for your forgiveness.”
“Arrived late and still have the gall to ask for forgiveness? What offense does Duke Kreimans hope I’ll pardon?”
In such a formal ceremony, arriving later than the royals was already impolite.
But Elia knew the type she was dealing with.
They belonged to Isaac’s faction, always scheming to cause trouble for her.
As for her own faction… to be honest, there were hardly any supporters. The rest were neutrals, acting nice only because of the royal family’s presence.
“Ha ha, I’m just swamped with duties, please don’t hold it against me, Your Highness. May I know who this lady is?”
He redirected the conversation to Xu Xiaofeng.
“Her?” Elia smirked, “You don’t need to know. Do I have to report every detail to you?”
“Not at all.”
Elia had no intention of formally introducing Xu Xiaofeng.
She brought her here first for the Spirit Trials, second to expose her to noble dynamics—especially to observe their character, so she’d know whom to avoid later.
But now, some lowly brat was making things uncomfortable, and as her recently acknowledged sister, she couldn’t just brush it aside.
“Regardless of who she is, she is under my protection. If you all want to chat with an adult, I hereby offer you this opportunity!” Elia stood up, surveyed the room, and raised her voice, “Let’s hear it, what do you want to discuss?”
“Your Highness, please forgive us!!”
Those who had stood with Wright and their elders quickly dropped to their knees, bowing deeply.
No matter how much Elia had fallen from grace or lacked real power, she was still a princess of the empire. In this ceremony, she represented the Emperor. No one could disrespect her.
Except for… those who had set their hearts against her and didn’t think much of her.
Duke Kreimans was one of those.
“Isn’t Princess Elia being a tad too serious? It’s just some youthful antics; there’s no need to escalate things.”
“Antics? If she weren’t under my protection, who knows how far your antics would go?”
“Come on. Every coming-of-age ceremony has similar antics; it’s only natural for the young ones to show off.”
“Ha, adults competing with a girl barely in her teens, your young masters from Kreimans really aim high.”
This shot left Kreimans speechless. He could only glare at his son before cupping his hands in apology, “Your Highness, my son truly misspoke. I hope you won’t hold it against him.”
Elia smiled slightly, “Duke Kreimans is being too formal. I’ve never looked down on you, so why should I bother holding grudges? How about you all kneel and apologize now, and we’ll call it even?”
