Reincarnated as a step-dad in a fantasy world

Chapter 329 : Come

"A moment, please," Alex suddenly raised his hand, speaking up.

All eyes turned in his direction, and the Drazens present finally seemed to notice him. Most looked at him with eyes filled with curiosity, wondering who he was to dare speak up while two individuals from the upper echelon of the family were talking.

As they took in his appearance though, the majority recognized Alex as the man who had been attacked by Earl Drickon's people. After all, almost the entire city was aware of what had transpired yesterday.

Alex, however, didn't seem to pay them any mind, his eyes locked on Froze. The latter was also glancing in his direction with a frown. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead of the scornful or dismissive tone Alex had expected, Froze spoke in a rather polite yet formal manner.

"Is there something wrong, Sir Arcanor?" Froze inquired.

Alex raised a brow in surprise. 'He knows who I am?'

Recalling Frieda's presence, he quickly deduced how Froze had learned about him. Freya had mentioned that Froze was one of the pillars of the principal branch, so it made sense that he would be privy to secret informations, including the alliance of his family with an enigmatic organization.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Alex nodded at Froze's inquiry. "As a matter of fact, yes, there is something wrong." He took a deliberate step forward and stood beside Maya. "You just said that Lady Maya here has no confidence in her martial prowess and was weak, but she is my disciple. Doesn't that mean you're implying that I, as her teacher, am weak or know nothing about teaching?" Alex asked, a smile forming beneath his smoke mask, though his voice was as cold as ice.****

Froze's eyes flickered with a peculiar light, while murmurs and whispers immediately broke out among the gathered Drazens.

"I see," Froze said after a moment, slightly bowing his head toward Alex. "I apologize if what I said has offended you, Sir Arcanor."

Froze sounded so polite, so sincere, so composed that one might have never guessed that right now, he was seething inside. He was brimming with so much suppressed rage and indignation that it threatened to burst forth at any moment.

Him! Froze Drazen was forced to bow toward such a nobody for merely speaking his mind and telling the truth. After all, what was Maya if not a weak, pathetic, and sorry excuse of an heir to their great family?!

If he hadn't just received strict orders from Frieda moments ago not to offend Arcanor, he would have already taught this insolent ant that dared to speak to him as if they were equals a lesson. No, not even equals, as if he was superior to him!

Despite Froze's best efforts to mask his discontent, Alex could sense it clearly, and it only caused a disdainful grin to curl on his lips. "I guess I could let that one slide," he finally said, his tone laced with superiority and amusement.

A deep, burning rage lit up in Froze's eyes as Alex's words registered.

The way this Arcanor spoke, it felt as though he was a lord bestowing undeserved mercy upon a lowly commoner who had dared offend him. It made Froze, already brimming with anger, want to lash out. Yet, despite the storm within him, he maintained his composure, not a single trace of his emotions betraying him outwardly.

"I can let it slide, but I'm not sure if I should," Alex suddenly added, his voice carrying a teasing edge. "You still believe my disciple is weak, don't you?"

Froze momentarily, well, froze. He knew what the smart answer should be—to deny Alex's words, to say that Maya wasn't weak, and perhaps this confrontation would come to an end. Yet, he couldn't allow himself to say such words.

"Yes," he finally responded coldly, nodding. "I'm not trying to belittle Sir Arcanor's martial prowess or your teaching, but it's evident that young heiress Maya isn't on par with her peers when it comes to martial prowess," he added, carefully choosing his words.

"Is that so?" Alex's voice turned sharper, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes. "Then let's put your beliefs to the test," he proposed, stepping forward slightly. "Lady Maya here will face your son in a fair duel. If your son loses, he will follow everyone of Maya's orders as already agreed upon. If she loses, however, instead of stepping down from her position as heiress, I, as her master, promise to conduct all future business exclusively with the principal branch of the Drazen family. Do you accept?"

Before Froze could even process or grasp the significance of the deal Alex had just proposed, Frieda appeared by his side, her head already nodding in approval. "You have a deal, Sir Arcanor," she said, her usual sweet smile firmly in place, yet with a glint of triumph in her eyes.

The whispers and murmurs among the gathered members of the Drazen family, which had momentarily died down, reignited with fervor. Many couldn't fully comprehend the intricacies of what had just transpired, but they were still members of the Drazen family though, they couldn't understand what was happening or what this Arcanor was saying, but did they need to? Money was on the table, that was the only thing they needed to know for their attention to be captured!

Upon hearing Alex's bold proposal, Freya turned to him, her expression a mixture of surprise and apprehension. 

Frieda though was grinning from ear to ear. She hadn't been able to close an eye the whole night yesterday, thinking and worrying about the advantage the second branch would have on the first branch thanks to Freya making a deal with Arcanor instead of her.

The balance between the two branches had already been broken a few years ago when Freya became the head of the second branch, and as she became the Matriarch of the whole family, that balance further tipped in the second branch's favor. With the contract she had managed to secure with Arcanor, the second branch would definitely crush the first branch in terms of wealth and influence.

Frieda knew better than anyone how much the elders of the family valued money and beneficial connections above all else. With this deal with Arcanor alone, the chances of places getting inverted, with the second actual branch becoming the first branch while the first became the second branch, wasn't out of the window. Knowing this, there was no way she wouldn't jump on an occasion to secure Arcanor over to the first branch.

Alex nodded at Frieda before turning to Freya, whose brow was furrowed in concern. "Are you sure about this?" she asked hesitantly.

"Have a little faith in the little one," Alex replied confidently.

Placing a hand on Maya's shoulder, he leaned down slightly and said with a smirk, "Now go up there and kick some—err, go defeat him," he coughed, attempting to cover up his almost-slip into cursing, "and make it quick. We have more important things to do later."

"Yes!" Maya's eyes sparkled with excitement as she nodded, striding confidently toward the estrade where Filden stood, a smug expression plastered on his face.

"Aren't you worried your glasses will get smashed?" he taunted, smirking down at her. "They're practically your eyes, after all."

Maya stopped at the edge of the platform, adjusting her glasses with a calm smile. "Don't worry," she said coolly, stepping onto the platform, "you won't even get the chance to touch them."

"You have become strangely confident these days, you four-eyed weak little girl," Filden sneered, his lips curling into a mocking grin. "I guess it's up to me to remind you of your place."

Without waiting for a response, Filden lunged forward, his steps swift and calculated. His body blurred slightly from the sudden burst of speed, his fist already pulling back, aimed squarely at Maya's midsection.

He had also been told to end this duel decisively, and he intended to do so.

Maya, however, stood her ground, her eyes narrowing as she quickly dropped into a defensive stance, her feet firmly planted. 

The moment his fist closed in, she sidestepped with fluid precision, allowing his punch to graze past her before countering with a sharp sweeping kick aimed at his exposed side.

Reacting swiftly, Filden twisted his body mid-motion, using his momentum to avoid taking the full impact of the kick. Despite his evasion though, he felt the edge of her boot graze his ribs. He grimaced slightly but leaped back, creating a few meters of distance.

Not giving him a moment to recover, Maya dashed forward, her fists striking out in rapid succession. Her punches were precise, each aimed at critical points—his chest, shoulders, and face. A flurry of kicks followed soon after, targeting his legs to disrupt his balance.

Filden gritted his teeth, managing to block or dodge some of her attacks. Still, several blows slipped through his defenses, each landing with a dull thud that forced him to step back. He tried to counterattack, but Maya's relentless assault left him no opening. 

A stunned silence hung over the onlookers, especially on Froze and Frieda. They had expected everything but that outcome!

No one had imagined Maya could dominate the duel in such a fashion, least of all her opponent.

Maya moved like a fish in water, with effortless grace and fluidity, avoiding Filden's strikes by the slimmest of margins. Every attack he launched was either dodged or parried with precision. Some came dangerously close to hitting her, yet none ever managed to make contact. In stark contrast, her strikes bypassed his defenses as if they didn't exist, landing cleanly and forcing him to stagger back repeatedly.

Filden gritted his teeth, frustration boiling within him. He launched an especially fast and deadly strike aimed directly at Maya's head, his eyes gleaming with barely concealed killing intent. Yet, Maya remained as calm and composed as before, her every movement calculated and deliberate.

She sidestepped his strike with fluid ease and, before Filden could even register what had happened, slammed her elbow straight into his face with brutal force.

A loud and sickening cracking sound echoed through the silent hall, followed by Filden's pained cry as he dropped to his knees, clutching his broken nose. Blood dripped from between his fingers as his expression contorted in agony.

"I thought you were supposed to remind me of my place?" Maya asked, her voice icy, her expression turning as cold as that of her mother. "Then what are you waiting for?"

"Get up and come," she coldly ordered.