The black sedan drove up to the giant mansion as Oliver observed everything around.
The mansion was huge, as you would expect. It was created with a blend of cultural styles from both the East and the West.
It was the epito of luxury and grace.
Oliver felt small in its presence.
Once the car stopped, he alighted with a frown.
Before him, a few dozen people stood, their hands clasped in front.
’Hm?’ He turned to look at Yuna.
"What’s happening?"
"I don’t know," Yuna said and quickly pulled him to the side.
The people standing in front of the mansion were her family mbers, maids, butlers and security guards. They seem to be waiting to welco soone.
...And Yuna was sure it was not Oliver they were welcoming.
’Is Grandfather coming here today?’
Even the guild leader of Nova Rift, her uncle, didn’t receive a welco like that. So, she assud the worst.
*Gulp*
Her grandfather was a founding mber of Nova Rift. The one that built the Kim family to be what it is. The one that thrust them into the path of success.
So, everyone respected him.
And he was deserving of the respect.
Yuna imdiately pulled on Oliver’s hand.
"Hey...We need to move. I think my grandfather is coming ho today."
"Is he?"
Oliver could see the look of contempt flying towards him. But none of them dare to say anything to him.
Yuna slowly nudged him to walk to the mansion entrance while shielding him from the scrutinising gaze of everyone.
Oliver went with the flow and walked alongside her.
"Is that the kid?"
"The one who is the father of Jiah’s child?"
"The father of the child? Him!"
"Where did this kid co from? Look at him, wearing a worn-out school uniform and coming to our house."
"Should we teach him a lesson?"
"Uncle, we should kick him out."
"If Father were not coming today, I would have. The brat is not showing an ounce of respect."
"Today will be a fun day."
"Why does cousin Jiah want to keep the child of a poor loser like that. Is he worth it?"
"A social ladder climber."
As Oliver walked over to the side, he heard many unsavoury comnts. Most of them seed to have mistaken him for his brother and were berating him, not hiding their hostility.
To them, Oliver was just a leech who wanted to latch onto their family.
’Ah! Typical of the second and third generation young masters.’
Oliver silently said in his mind.
The majority of the people comnting on his appearance were Yuna’s uncles, aunts, cousins, niece, and nephews. Occasionally, there were also maids joining in on the fun, looking down on Oliver.
He was used to the hostile gaze. So, Oliver nonchalantly walked and stood behind them.
This was not the ti and place to create a conflict.
Today, he ca to the Kim family’s house to see what he should do about his brother and child. He hoped to reach an amicable solution through a proper discussion.
Throwing insults at them would not help.
"Your family is...what do you say...interesting," Oliver whispered to Yuna.
He was standing with her to the side of the mansion door.
"Hm..." Yuna nodded. She also thought so.
Like the majority of the people there, she did not worship the elderly like gods, nor did she take everything they said as gospel. At least, she could think and act on her own.
The only person she respected in the entire family was her uncle, the current guild leader of Nova Rift, who had supported her after her parents passed away.
The rest were just strangers.
In the Kim family, she was an isolated individual.
Other than a few nieces and nephews, she doesn’t even bother talking to anyone else.
Oliver could feel the unusualness of the family.
He imdiately concluded that the bunch he saw before him were one capable of killing their brothers for wealth and power.
It must not have been easy for an empath to live in this family.
Oliver gazed at Yuna with pity.
’They know she can sense malicious intent, and yet directed it at her. This family was fascinating...’
Oliver’s opinion of the ga-rich family, like the Kim family, was already rock bottom. It hit a new low, seeing how they were acting towards Yuna.
’I heard a good beating would fix all personality issues. When the ti arises, I should help them fix their personality.’ Oliver cracked his knuckles and thought.
Before he could think more, a luxurious car floated down from the air and gently landed next to the mansion.
From it, a buff elderly man wearing eastern-style robes alighted. The elder had a head full of black and grey hair, showing his age.
He was wearing a displeased expression as he looked at the mansion and rows of family mbers standing before it.
"Welco ho, patriarch."
Imdiately, the family mbers said together and bowed.
Yuna also joined them, bowing as the elder walked up the steps towards the mansion entrance.
Imdiately, the security personnel, maids, butlers, and everyone else joined in, bowing.
Oliver raised a brow.
Their action amused him.
For a second, he wondered if he was in the presence of a king.
’The Federation was a democracy. So, where did this king co from?’
He stood firm and looked at the elder.
Unlike the rest, he had no thought of bowing his head.
Even if it were the Sol Emperor, he would do the sa. No one could make him bow if he didn’t want to.
It was a matter of principle.
Respect was sothing given, not taken.
If standing straight was enough to offend the old man, he decided it was ti to leave.
A family like that doesn’t deserve his brother.
Standing straight like a spear, Oliver gazed down.
The elder slowly looked up at Oliver, who was standing above the flight of stairs, frowning slightly.
Watching it, so of the people nearby sniggered.
They were happy that Oliver made the mistake.
Kim Yuna saw this and pulled his arm.
Oliver ignored it and stayed put.
Without speaking a word, the elder walked up, his long hair dancing in the air.
The robes he wore fluttered in the nonexistent wind as a powerful aura shrouded everyone.
The aura was comparable to peak A rank.
The weaker people struggled under his aura. Only a few among those bowing could effortlessly bear it.
Oliver stood nonchalantly as the waves of aura washed over him. As soone who battled S-rankers, he didn’t care about the aura at all.
ntally, he was strong enough to break dance over the head of the mountain king, the serpentine beast on the second Earth.
An A-ranker’s aura was nothing compared to it.
Besides that, his body lacked mana. Without the mana, the aura could induce any physiological changes inside him.
Thus he stood firmly, watching the elder climb the stairs.
As he walked over, the people bowing began to rise. They watched with great interest as the elder walked towards what seed to be Oliver’s location.
A few seconds later, the elder stood in front of Oliver. Oliver could feel the imnse power hidden beneath the robes, within the rippling muscles.
The elder, while looking as old as the Thunder Emperor, seems to have a body more sturdy than his.
’First generation is different. He is not a wimp like the rest.’
Oliver glanced over at the sniggering faces around him and thought.
As he was contemplating, with a majestic voice that was reminiscent of a lion’s roar, the elder asked Oliver.
"Boy, I heard my great-granddaughter is troubled by sothing. Are you the cause?"
The elder looked straight into Oliver’s eyes as he was peering into his soul.
"No," Oliver replied, not even pausing for a second.
"Hm...Are you avoiding responsibility?"
"No."
"Then, are you admitting you lied?"
The elder did not seem concerned about Oliver bowing or not doing so. He questioned Oliver, intending to understand what happened to his great-granddaughter.
However, like everyone else, he seed to have mistaken Oliver for his brother.
The uniform he wore caused the confusion.
"No," Oliver replied again.
Oliver was about to correct the misunderstanding, but the elder was annoyed.
This was the first ti in a long ti he had heard three No’s back to back.
With his patients already running low, the elder did not wait for Oliver to speak.
His palm shot out like a bullet, intending to catch Oliver by the neck.
The rest of the people looked excited as it happened.
Yuna, who just stood straight, felt her heart drop.
Her grandfather was attacking the Thunder Emperor’s only disciple. She wanted to stop it.
But she was too slow.
anwhile, Oliver took a step back.
Anyone else in his place would have been caught by the sudden attack. But Oliver was soone trained in the art of underhanded fighting.
He was always prepared for the unexpected.
The palm missed Oliver’s neck by a few centitres.
The elder didn’t use his full strength. So, Oliver could dodge it.
"Grandfather, he is not that child. This is his older brother." Kim Yuna quickly scrambled to her feet and stood between Oliver and her grandfather.
"He ca here to talk." She promptly added to defuse the situation.
Her words caught everyone off guard.
"I called brother Hyungho, and he said he will be here soon."
Hyungho was Jiah’s father. One of the executives of Nova Rift and an influential figure in the Kim family.
"Is that so?"
For so reason, the elder smiled as he said that.
Oliver smiled back.
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