The Ryujin estate personnel had never come to hate anyone so passionately as much as they had started to hate Carlos.

Within just two days of his arrival, he had managed to piss every single servant in the house. Ignorance is a bliss, this phrase was for thr oblivious idiots like him who never saw behind them.

Carlos didn’t even notice that the people whom he was ordering and pushing around were capable of turning him into mincemeat. But it was because of their Master’s word that nobody should stir up any trouble that they all had hing onto their patience for dear life. Or else, Carlos might have disappeared from the face of the earth ages ago.

Presently, they were in the dining hall having breakfast. Enora and the servants were serving everyone. Lizzy and Remi were serving Ocean, Eric and Kai while Enora herself was pouring Carlos’ tea since she didn’t want any poor servant to get unnecessarily lashed at.

Enora was the most perfect head maid if compared to all the head maids within the three human kingdoms so, her making a mistake while pouring tea was impossible.

She was almost done, when suddenly she flinched splashing the tea over the table and on Carlos.

Carlos slammed his hand against the table, the sound sharp enough to make the porcelain clatter. "Are you blind, woman?" he barked, rising from his chair. "Do you even know what you’ve done? Look at this! Do you have any idea how expensive this fabric is?!"

Enora bowed deeply, her silver hair falling forward as she spoke, voice steady yet remorseful. "My deepest apologies, Your Highness. It was my fault entirely. Please forgive my carelessness."

"Carelessness?" Carlos sneered, taking a step closer as if the mere word offended him. "You call this carelessness? Is this how guests are treated in Ryujin estate?" He scoffed.

His eyes then ran over every servant who had their heads down.

"I had only heard that Marquis had gathered commoners and people with questionable backgrounds in his town but I guess he has even recruited them as his servants."

A low hush fell over the hall. Every servant froze in place, hands trembling, eyes burning with silent rage.

Eric and Kai froze while Ocean sat silently. Eric clenched his fists before he looked at Carlos.

"Carlos! You’re being rude to Marquis Ocean, it’s enough already!" Eric shouted and Carlos glared at him.

"Nobody asked you to speak in between Eric. Be quiet and have your meal." Carlos sneered at him.

Kai sighed, murmuring in a barely audible voice, "Why is he digging his own grave?"

Enora, still bowed, murmured again, "Forgive me, Your Highness," but her voice wavered ever so slightly this time.

From the far end of the table, the chair scraped against the floor. Ocean stood.

His presence alone made the air still; even the clinking of cutlery died away. He walked forward unhurriedly, each step echoing faintly in the tense silence.

When he reached Carlos, he offered a polite smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Your Highness Carlos," he said evenly, his tone calm yet carrying the weight of command, "it seems my servant has made a mistake. On her behalf, I sincerely apologize."

Carlos smirked, sensing a chance to assert dominance. "At least someone here understands how to speak properly—"

But before he could finish, Ocean’s gaze lifted, meeting his. It wasn’t angry, yet it held the quiet intensity of the deep sea—cold, fathomless, and ancient. Carlos faltered mid-sentence, his voice thinning without realizing why.

"Enora," Ocean said softly, without looking away from Carlos, "you may leave. Have someone else bring His Highness a fresh cup."

Enora hesitated for only a moment before bowing again and stepping back, her heart pounding as she left the hall.

Ocean returned to his seat, his anger simmering beneath the surface. He had never seen Enora apologise to anyone but himself or Kai for any mistake she made, she had always been perfect. At first, Carlos’s behavior was more of an annoyance but now he was starting to cross his limits. So, it was necessary to make sure that he wouldn’t do that anymore.

After breakfast, Ocean went to Carlos’s room when he heard a scream. He rushed inside without knocking to see Kate standing in the room, laundry strewn around along with Carlos tumbled on the floor, face planted, butt sticking out.

"What... happened here?" Ocean asked.

Kate quickly bowed, "I-I was only here to collect the laundry, Master. B-But His Highness..."

Ocean’s anger jumped up several notches and he was relieved that he had every person in his estate learn self-defense in advance.

"Take the laundry and leave." Ocean said and she nodded gathering the clothes hurriedly.

"And from next time, let some male servant handle this. No female servant will enter this bast- this room, do you understand?" Ocean instructed and Kate nodded before she quickly rushed away.

Ocean watched Carlos who was passed out in the comical manner and he walked over before he grabbed Carlos by the hair and flipped him over so that he was laying on his back. He then grabbed the jar full of water and dropped the water from it over Carlos’s face making him gasp and sit up.

He looked around while Ocean placed the jar back on the table. Carlos whipped his head and looked at Ocean standing there.

"Marquis Ocean!" Carlos gasped and then sneered looking around.

"Where is she?!"

"Who?" Ocean asked calmly.

"That maid! I was only asking her a question and she-she attacked me. She mustn’t have gone far, you must find her and punish her at once Marquis. Your servants are completely-"

"Prince Carlos." Ocean spoke cutting him off.

His Dragon’s Presence which had been itching to swallow Carlos since forever was now free and it raced around the room. Carlos felt it and shuddered looking around cautiously.

"I heard what happened from her already. So, I don’t need lies, Your Highness." Ocean spoke still maintaining his calm.

"Lies?! You think I’m lying?!"

"Why would I believe someone who purposely knocked into my Head Maid’s hand to make her splash the tea and then created a scene to get her and my apology?" Ocean asked making Carlos pause for a moment.

He might have thought nobody had seen it but Ocean had, his Dragon senses were no joke.

"What are you talking about, Marquis? I-"

Ocean’s eyes grew icier as he glared down at Carlos, his murderous intent clear.

"I have been silent and enduring it all for the past two days but if you are going to purposely go out of your way to prove that you are unworthy of the trials then, I might as well inform His Majesty of this."

Carlos’s jaw dropped.

"What?!"

"I do have an audience with him today for lunch, I shall let him know of everything that you had done ever since arriving at Ryujin estate and your conduct."

"Wait! You’re only a mere Marquis, you dare deny me something that’s my birthright?!" Carlos shouted angrily.

A corner of Ocean’s lips curled up in a sinister smile, even though Carlos couldn’t see Ocean’s complete face that was hidden behind the mask he still felt chills all over his body.

"Birthright?" Ocean asked and then chuckled before he crouched near Carlos.

"What a person achieves in their life is what they earn, Your Highness. It is time you accept the fact that your birthright doesn’t give you any power."

Carlos trembled all over but he still clung to his pride, "Hah, as if! I’m the rightful Queen’s legitimate son and only I have the right to be the King!"

Ocean tilted his head and then asked, "Do you know that Her Majesty is presently bedridden because of sickness and hasn’t allowed anyone apart from physicians and His Majesty to see her?"

Carlos flinched, he knew and he found it odd but he had assumed that it was because she was planning something. Was she really sick? Did someone...

Carlos’s eyes drifted over to Ocean’s which resembled more of a predator’s now.

"I will ask you to remove the thought that your mother or your faction can do anything to make you the King. Unless you win these trials you’re not getting to that throne."

Carlos panicked and almsot shouted, "You-"

Ocean simply raised his hand stopping him.

"And speaking of power, then do you know how much power I have?"

Carlos fell silent and Ocean chuckled, "I own a mana stone mine, I have exclusive contract with the Mage’s Tower which even the Royal family can’t touch, Oasis Foundation which has roots all over the kingdom as is ready to set branches in the other two kingdoms as well."

"Miri- Queen Miera of Mordino is my dear friend, His Majesty Augustine of Denril also sees me as a valuable asset. And if that’s no enough. I’m the Lord of all the Underworld cities here, I control everything that happens behind the curtains. I have the detailed information about all the illegal deeds that were done in the kingdom and I can easily turn this kingdom upside down if I decided and the first to lose their heads would be yourself, your sister and your mother, Your Highness."

Carlos scrambled away from Ocean in fear as he said those last words and Ocean simply stayed in his spot looking at Carlos. The color had completely drained from his face and his heart beats were thundering.

Ocean felt satisfied with this reaction as he stood up.

"I’ll only warn you once, Your Highness. Don’t try to mess with my people, you really wouldn’t want me to be angry. It won’t end well for you. Because all you could lose is in my hands."

Carlos gulped and then watched as Ocean walked out of his room.