[85.1] A Discourtesy

In a place with overly gaudy decorations, men and women dressed in the finest clothes gathered and chattered over the noisy instruments that filled the room. Towards the corner of a room, a boy stood in the shadows, hungrily eyeing the food that no one would touch.

"Are you hungry?"

The boy jumped nearly out of his modest clothes when he heard the snow-cold voice beside him. In a panic, he looked at the owner before his eyes were drawn to the floor before he could see the owner's face.

He mumbled, "N-Not hungry…"

*Gruuumble*

The boy quickly grabbed his stomach in a panic.

The icy voice answered him, "Eat if you're hungry."

The little boy held his skinny arms anxiously, "Really not hungry."

"Hm."

*clack*

*clack*

*clack*

The boy's heart fell when he heard the sound of receding steps away from him. He let out a disappointed sigh, silently chiding himself for hoping for anything more.

Suddenly, a plate of food was pushed into his view. 

Completely surprised, he raised his eyes. 

A cold man with icy eyes and slicked hair stared down at the boy without any hint of warmth. The boy was so frightened from this gaze, he immediately looked to the floor. His body trembled visibly and he dared not move.

The man caught on to the boy's fear and pressed his lips together gloomily. He cleared his throat, "Take the food. I don't want it."

The boy started to tear up, frightened further by the harsh tone.

The man was at a loss for what to do, so he grabbed the boy's hands and forced the plate of food into them. He spoke in a low voice, "If you don't eat it, it's a discourtesy."

The man left the boy behind, knowing that if he stayed he might cause the child to faint. The boy was then able to breathe in as he relaxed.

A savory smell rushed into his nose, causing his mouth to salivate.

Forgetting where he was, he didn't even try to sit down before eating the food at a frightening speed.

Duke Newman glared at his son from across the room as the child practically inhaled the food. An evil look passed through his eyes as a warning, "That d*mn b*stard child of mine."

The Nobleman beside the Duke heard this and glanced in the boy's direction. He smirked at the Duke's poor mood, "Duke Newman… I know the child is an eyesore for you, but do you really have to go to such extremes and starve him?"

The other Nobleman with them clicked his tongue, "Do you lack money or something? Why is the boy so hungry?"

Duke Newman forced himself to smile and turned to the nobleman, "Ah, it's really not as it seems. My son is just a little… Discourteous. My business ventures are still highly paying so I don't lack money, I assure you."

The two men snickered, clearly enjoying the Duke's distaste for the boy.

"Duke Newman… If you'd like, you can send him to my house. I can properly teach him manners that seem to be lacking in your house. If you lack the funds to hire professional tutors-"

"Please don't joke. Our tutors are the best of quality."

"Is that so? Hm… I wonder why your kids keep making mistakes tonight? Perhaps they need a few more years before they can enter into high society."

The Duke clenched his fist, hiding his fury behind a fake smile. He heard heels clicking on the hard tile floor and turned to see his wife walking towards him, staring him down with sharp eyes. The Duke excused himself from the other Noblemen and went to meet his wife.

She cast a look at the small boy from the corner of her eyes and whispered, "Darling… People are talking. They are taking this opportunity to tell me what a horrible mother I am… Your illegitimate son is shoving his face full of food, and our idiot daughter messed up a simple curtsy. If this keeps up, we are going to lose some of our standing."

"Don't worry." He whispered back, his eyes turning to watch the boy who was eating happily, "When we get back home, I will punish them both severely."