Chapter 56: The Beaten Zarak

"Idiot! How could you be so damn stupid!? Damn it! How did I end up with a useless grandson like you!?"

In a luxurious and spacious room, a middle-aged man was furiously beating a short, overweight young man in front of him.

The middle-aged man was just as short and round as the one he was hitting.

His tanned hair was cropped short, and he wore a round hat and monocle perched on his face.

His slanted eyes sat above a thin, M-shaped mustache, and two prominent gold teeth gleamed from his upper canines and front teeth.

Dressed in a golden robe and adorned with lavish jewelry, he radiated the aura of a man drowning in wealth.

He was Belfor Horven, head of the Red Obsidian Trading House—and the father of Melinda Horven, Zarak’s mother.

And the pitiful man receiving the beating was none other than his own beloved grandson, Zarak.

But this time, the usually arrogant and prideful Zarak looked wretched.

Bruises covered both sides of his face, tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, and snot dripped from his nose as he looked up at his grandfather with a miserable, broken expression.

"Grandfather, I’m truly sorry. It’s not like I wanted any of this to happen, but that jerk threatened me with the recording. If I didn’t agree to his demands, he said he’d report it to Father. If that happened, I’d be in serious danger—and might even be kicked out of the succession," Zarak croaked, wiping away tears.

Hearing this, Belfor’s anger slowly eased—but didn’t disappear entirely.

He knew his grandson was foolish and easily provoked, but he hadn’t expected such recklessness to cause this much damage.

He stepped back, exhaled deeply, and massaged his throbbing temples.

"So, how do you intend to deal with this?" He asked irritably.

Just three days ago, Zarak had made the costly mistake of insulting the sixth concubine—resulting in a six million Sharn penalty.

While that amount wasn’t significant for the Red Obsidian Trading House, it was still a considerable sum.

With such a large amount, he should have been able to turn it into massive profits. Instead, the money had been wasted paying off that worthless prince, Nolan.

And before the matter was settled, his reckless grandson had struck again—this time offending Nolan directly and ending up squeezed for ten million Sharn.

In fact, the six million Sharn hadn’t even been paid yet—they still had five days before the Emperor’s deadline.

But now, because of his grandson’s foolishness, the amount had jumped to sixteen million Sharn.

Even for him, that was an enormous sum not to be taken lightly.

Faced with Belfor’s question, Zarak lowered his gaze, unable to meet his grandfather’s eyes.

He had no way to solve the problem—he didn’t have that kind of money.

Even if he liquidated all his assets, it would only total about three million Sharn.

And much of that wasn’t cash but property—houses and land his grandfather had gifted him for his birthday last year.

Selling those assets would take time, and their combined value didn’t even cover half of what he owed.

Belfor’s anger flared again but was quickly restrained. No matter how reckless Zarak was, he remained his beloved grandson.

Due to fertility issues, Belfor had only two daughters—one of whom was Melinda, Zarak’s mother.

Compared to his other daughter, Melinda was clearly the most cherished.

From a young age, she showed remarkable intelligence, talent, and ambition.

She even managed to marry the Emperor, dramatically elevating both Belfor’s status and the Red Obsidian Trading House to its current prominence.

As such, Zarak was Belfor’s favored grandson and his only hope in the battle for the throne.

If his grandson succeeded in becoming emperor, Belfor’s status would rise dramatically.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the entire market of the Great Velmora Empire would fall under the control of his trading house.

Becoming the richest man in the empire and toppling the Blue Moon Trading House was no longer just a dream.

Frustratingly, less than a week into the battle for the throne, his grandson was already causing one costly problem after another.

Is he really the son of my daughter and the Emperor? How could he be so foolish?

The thought lingered, planting doubt. Melinda was clever, and the Emperor was formidable—so how could their child be as reckless as Zarak?

Shaking off the doubt, Belfor folded his arms behind his back and said wearily, "Alright, I understand. I’ll handle this. You don’t need to worry."

"Really?" Zarak’s eyes lit up with hope.

Belfor rolled his eyes in irritation. "Of course. Do you think you have any other option besides asking for my help? If you do, then try it yourself—I won’t step in."

"No!" Zarak panicked, hugging his knees tightly. "Besides you, Grandfather, I have no one else. If Mother finds out, she’ll punish me again. Only you can save me."

Three days ago, after a previous incident, his mother had beaten him and cut his allowance.

The memory sent a shiver down his spine. If she found out about this, her fury would be unstoppable.

"I understand. Now, get out of my way—you’re making it hard for me to stand," Belfor said irritably.

Zarak smiled awkwardly and quickly stood up. "By the way, Grandfather, when will you pay Nolan? He told me the payment is due tomorrow. If not, he said he’ll report it to Father."

Belfor shook his head and reassured him, "Don’t worry. I’ll prepare the money today and send it to him. But remember, this debt is a grudge you’ll have to settle someday."

His eyes flashed cold and menacing—taking money from him for free was out of the question.

If not for his foolish grandson, no one would dare pull this stunt. Nolan was the first and the last.

"Don’t worry, Grandfather," Zarak said grimly. "Once I ascend the throne, I’ll make him pay a thousand times over. He’ll regret ever crossing me."

He clenched his fists, recalling Nolan’s irritating smile. He wanted to strike him, but knew it would only bring trouble.

"Good," Belfor nodded approvingly, patting Zarak’s shoulder. "Some noble families—Barons and Viscounts—have already shown interest in supporting you. Go meet them and secure their loyalty. I’m counting on you."

Zarak grinned confidently and pressed his hand to his chest. "Trust me, Grandfather—I won’t fail you."