Chapter 863: Benton Brothers

Marden silently followed behind his elder brother, Nash, to the upper floor. There were relatively fewer guests here.

The two entered an empty study. As Nash closed the door behind him, his heart was already seething with rage.

He turned around with a cold look on his face, directing his furious gaze at his younger brother.

“Are you out of your damn mind?” Nash spat through gritted teeth.

“Brother, please…” Marden’s hands reached out in a desperate plea, as memories of their youth flooded his mind.

Every time Marden made a mistake as a child, Nash would beat him severely, warning him that this was the consequence he would face every time he erred.

Marden’s eyes trembled when he saw his elder brother’s face burning with fury.

Nash stepped forward, his eyes seething with rage. Then, he viciously grabbed his younger brother’s collar and coldly stated, “Do you know how important this banquet is to Mother? To our Benton Family?”

Marden nudged his eyeglasses and spoke anxiously, “I-I know. Brother, please, it wasn’t my intention! They were the ones—”

“Do you not have a shred of common sense in there?” Nash growled, tapping the side of Marden’s forehead, causing the latter to grimace.

“Answer me!” Nash gritted his teeth. “Do you not know when to speak? When to stop? When to allow others to speak? Are you a damn child?!”

“Brother, please! I realize my mistake. I p-promise I won’t do it again!”

“All that intellect inside the head of yours,” Nash said, tapping Marden’s forehead again, “and yet you don’t know how to carry yourself in public.”

“Brother, I—” Marden tried to protest, but was ruthlessly interrupted again.

“Silence, you fool!” Nash snarled, releasing his grip on his brother’s collar and shoving him back. Marden stumbled and collapsed to the ground.

“Look at you!” Nash sneered, his eyes burning with contempt. “You can’t even stand on your feet! Is this what a Mana Vortex Magus looks like? Is this what a warrior of the Benton Family looks like?”

Marden’s lips quivered, and he lowered his head. He didn’t bother to try and explain his situation. He knew it would fall on deaf ears.

Seeing Marden react like that, a sharp pang of guilt tugged at Nash’s heart.

Perhaps, he had gone too far.

He massaged his forehead in frustration, letting out a heavy sigh. “Just… go to your quarters, before you embarrass yourself in front of everyone again.”

Nash cast one final glance at his younger brother before turning around and leaving the study.

Hearing the door slam shut, Marden finally got to his feet. He dusted his clothes and adjusted his glasses.

Then, he walked towards the window and silently opened the pane. Staring at the moons, he murmured softly, “Forgive me, brother… it was never my intention.”

He paused for a moment, his gaze seemingly lost in the beauty of Selene and Luna.

“I just wanted to discuss the arcane arts,” he added.

“Magic… that’s all I’ve ever cared about. Nothing else matters.”

***

Nash Benton calmly walked down the staircase, making his way to the grand dining hall.

He displayed a polite and noble smile every time he passed by guests. He also made sure to greet them properly.

Regardless of their lower station, it was his duty as the host to treat every guest with respect and courtesy.

As the man destined to become the next head of the Benton Family, it was only natural for Nash to possess a charismatic and approachable demeanor—a stark contrast to his younger brother.

Arriving at the grand hall, he had a faint smile on his face as he scanned the room, looking for one person in particular.

When his gaze landed on the man, his eyes flashed with a cold light.

Nash approached the man with the same polite smile on his face. He found the man was chatting with other guests, laughing jovially, and pretending that the incident with Marden earlier hadn’t happened at all.

“Lord Shipley,” Nash Benton called out, his voice calm and steady.

The moment Alcott heard that voice, his eyes involuntarily trembled. He slowly turned around, only to see Nash staring down at him with a gentle smile.

He cursed inwardly, wondering if Nash had come to retaliate for what he had done earlier.

“Might I have a moment of your time?” Nash asked politely.

He then turned to the others, who were conversing with Alcott, and asked, “I hope you all won’t mind.”

The others showered Nash with flattery, praising his respectful and polite nature. Of course, Nash paid less attention to their words.

He stared at Alcott with the same smile and asked, “Shall we?”

“Of course, of course.” Alcott had no other option but to agree. However, inwardly, he was getting slightly nervous.

The two soon left the dining hall.

Seeing Nash lead him to a rather secluded part of the manor, Alcott couldn’t help but anxiously gulp. “Lord Benton, is something the matter?”

He paused, thinking of the right words to say. “If this is about your younger brother, rest assured, I was only joking. I did not mean it—”

His words got caught in his throat when Nash turned around and placed a hand on his shoulder. He displayed the same polite smile and said, “A little back-and-forth between friends is quite common, isn’t it?”

Alcott nervously laughed, “Haha, exactly! It was just some—”

The man gasped for air when Nash suddenly struck him with a solid punch to his solar plexus.

Alcott dropped to his knees, utterly stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Nash, on the other hand, continued to smile… except, now it had turned cold.

He gripped Alcott’s hair tightly, lifting his head to lock eyes with him. “You’re quite the bold soul, aren’t you, Lord Shipley? To think you would come into my home and bully my little brother?”

“I-it was a mistake! A mistake—” Alcot pleaded.

But the only response he got was a punch, this time straight to his face. The impact cracked his nose, sending blood gushing out.

Nash’s grip on the man’s hair tightened. He leaned forward, bringing his face closer to Alcott’s.

His lips parted, and he muttered coldly, his tone dripping with malice. “Marden is the black sheep of the family, yes.”

He paused, his eyes flashing with a vicious light. “But he is still a fucking Benton.”

Seeing the pathetic look in Alcott Shipley’s eyes, Marden sneered. He let go of the man’s hair and shoved him to the ground.

“Next time, choose your words carefully when addressing a member of the Benton Family.”

He retrieved a silk handkerchief from his inner robes and tossed it at the man.

“Clean yourself up,” he left behind his parting words as he walked away. “Filthy lowlife.”

Alcott slowly got to his feet, staring at Nash Benton’s departing back. His eyes flickered with an ominous light as he gritted his teeth in absolute anger.

I’ll make you pay for this humiliation…

Just you wait!