“A gang of pickpockets?
Watch your mouth, honorable officer,” Lucien snapped coldly.
His heavy red eyes glared, showing no sign of trepidation despite the insult.
“If I wanted to steal, I wouldn’t bother handing it over to this filthy lost and found post for a reward that pales in comparison to the contents of that wallet.” Aryosha, who was standing next to Lucien, immediately stepped forward, his face red with anger.
“That’s right!
We were witnesses!
He didn’t know anything, he actually took the wallet from the real pickpocket!” Aryosha’s younger brother nodded quickly, joining in his defense.
“Yes!
Don’t just accuse people!” The portly postal officer sneered, glancing at the shabby clothes worn by Lucien, Aryosha, and his brother.
“Oh, your clothes are this shabby.
You’re definitely part of a gang!
How could commoners have the noble heart to return a wallet full of gold coins without the intention of extorting money?” The shouting was loud enough to distract some of the parade spectators on the main street.
Several people began to gather around, turning their heads in curiosity.
The officer, feeling he had the upper hand, deliberately inflamed the crowd.
“Look at them!
These poor kids are trying to cause trouble on a festival day by stealing a wallet full of gold coins!” Hearing this provocation, some of the residents, who knew nothing, began to join in the jeering and cursing.
“You lowly street kids!” shouted one of the residents in the crowd.
“Sir, just drag them straight to jail!
So they will be deterred and not repeat this again!” “Correct!” “Damn brat!” “You lowlife!” “Prison sounds nice,” Lucien muttered, Aryosha and his brother were surprised to hear that.
“Lucien, seriously, are you crazy?!” Aryosha asked in a whisper amidst the citizens’ one-sided judgment.
Just as the mob’s insults reached their peak, the crowd of onlookers suddenly pushed aside.
A middle-aged man dressed neatly in the insignia of a lower-ranking nobleman appeared—A Baron—burst in, out of breath.
He had come to the lost property post to report his wallet, which had just been stolen in the middle of the parade crowd.
“Stop!
What’s going on?!” the Baron shouted in panic.
As soon as his eyes caught a luxurious, gold-embroidered wallet lying on the counter, he pointed at it.
“That’s my wallet!
And what the heck is going on here?!” The officer was stunned for a moment.
“My Lord…
they are the pickpockets, so we will—” “No!” Baron interrupted firmly.
“The pickpocket was a large adult man who ran west!
It wasn’t them, they must have managed to snatch this back and bring it here!” The officer was still trying to find an excuse, panicking at the threat to his ego.
“But, My Lord…
what if they’re part of a gang?
Or are they planning to extort a large sum by pretending to return it?” The Baron was silent for a second, then snorted in annoyance.
“Reward?
Don’t be stupid!
The contents of that wallet are far greater than any reward.
Even if this kid had any malicious intent, he could have just run off with it instead of handing it over to the official lost and found post!” The Baron’s words silenced the surrounding crowd.
The residents who had been joining in the cursing immediately lowered their heads, overcome with shame, realizing they had been deceived by the officer’s arrogance.
Lucien snorted softly inwardly.
‘Damn…
prison didn’t sound so bad.
I could sleep all day without anyone making any noise, and I could get free food without working.
Why does life always make it so difficult for me to be lazy?’ The baron then turned around, about to bow respectfully to thank Lucien for the safety of the important documents in the wallet.
However, before he could say a word, the officer spoke again: “My Lord, you are too kind.
Don’t take my word for it.
I will take them to prison.” At exactly the same moment, the temperature of the air around the post suddenly dropped drastically until their breath billowed white, making the atmosphere feel frozen.
Reichardt, whose emotions were at their peak, had his ice element seeping out.
He came from the main road because he heard the commotion, along with a group of elite academy members stepping closer with an incredibly strong oppressive aura.
Reichardt, Seilas, Kaelen, Rose, and Rayland parted the crowd, forcing people to retreat in fear and make way automatically.
“What is this?!
Who dares to imprison Duke Hawthorne’s youngest son?” Prince Seilas’s cold voice echoed, piercing straight into the eardrums of everyone there.
The Baron’s eyes widened in horror when he saw who had arrived.
The Crown Prince of the Empire stood before him, escorted by Duke Hawthorne’s second son and other young nobles.
“Y-Your Highness…!” said the Baron, his knees suddenly weakening.
Before anyone could respond, Reichardt had already charged forward, panting heavily.
Seeing Lucien standing there in his shabby clothes, Reichardt immediately pulled his brother into a hug, checking Lucien’s entire body frantically.
“Lucien!
Are you okay?!
Did these bastards hurt you?!” Rose followed beside Reichardt, glaring at the officer with a murderous glare as if she wanted to chop him up alive.
“How dare you get my brother involved in such a cheap brawl!” Rayland, who was standing slightly behind with Seilas, frowned deeply.
He muttered softly to himself, ‘He’s wearing loose, commoner clothes…
is he disguised?
But why is he causing such a commotion at this lost-and-found post?’ The officer and residents who had been cursing were now completely overwhelmed.
Their faces turned pale, and within seconds, they knelt down in a mass apology, their bodies trembling with fear.
“W-We beg your pardon!
We didn’t know he was the son of the Duke of Hawthorne!” the officer shouted as he knelt down, kissing the ground.
Lucien, still half-constricted by Reichardt’s embrace, glanced at the officer with his droopy eyes.
He then spoke flatly and sarcastically, “Just now…
who said you were going to take me to jail?” Aryosha immediately pointed firmly at the officer and several residents.
“It’s him!
The officer who insulted us, and several people there joined in the cursing!” Prince Seilas stepped forward, absolute authority etched on his face.
His eyes fixed intently on the postal clerk.
“A clerk is paid to serve the public, not using his position and stupidity to insult anyone, regardless of caste.
It seems you’ve grown tired of maintaining your position.
Kaelen, drag him to the dungeons now.
And make sure the citizens who provoked him receive the punishment they deserve.” “Yes, Your highness,” Kaelen replied firmly, immediately gesturing for the knights to arrest the officer, who was crying hysterically.
The Baron, the owner of the wallet, also knelt down in fear, not daring to raise his head.
After the chaos had subsided, Reichardt took a deep breath, smoothing his brother’s white hair.
“Gosh, Lucien…
why did you leave so early without saying anything?
When did you leave?” “I’m staying at a friend’s house,” Lucien answered briefly, pointing at Aryosha with his chin.
Reichardt intended to interrogate further, but then noticed the loose, simple clothing he was wearing.
“Wait…
whose clothes are these?
Why are you dressed like this?” “This is Aryosha’s,” Lucien replied dryly.
“My clothes are wet, and my other clothes are too fancy for walking around in the commoner’s zone.” Rose snorted exasperatedly, pinching Lucien’s cheek lightly.
“Gosh, this kid…
No matter what clothes he wears, he still looks charming.
Those shabby clothes actually look like an expensive fashion trend!” Meanwhile, Rayland remained silent, watching, sensing something strange that Lucien was hiding.
Meanwhile, Seilas stared at the teenager with an intensity that was hard to describe.
The effect of Lucien’s magnetic aura was getting stronger in the prince’s eyes, making the fragile teenager’s charm many times more alluring even though he was dressed in shabby clothes.
Lucien, who had completely failed his attempt at prison and was now surrounded by annoying nobles, felt Seilas’ gaze from a close distance.
With an expressionless face, Lucien slowly took a step back while tightly hugging his cold pack of fries.
Lucien glared back at Seilas and said sharply, “If you want fries, go buy them yourself.
Don’t stare at mine.” Seilas was stunned for a moment, not immediately understanding the meaning of the absurd statement.
But instead of being offended, the corners of Seilas’s lips lifted slightly into a faint smile.
In Seilas’ eyes, this innocent and curt action actually added a plus point that made his curiosity about Lucien never end—a strange addiction that made him never get bored of this teenager in front of him.