“I live there, it’s fine, there’s no need to move!” Ethan Brooks refused outright. Are you kidding? He was just about to see what assassins in this world were like—if he moved back, wouldn’t he lose that chance? When Mr. Brooks brought up this matter, Ethan Brooks already felt a faint excitement in his heart.

Assassins… that was something from long ago, yet also the most familiar memory…

“You! …Scoundrel!” Mr. Brooks was so angry he could hardly speak. He raised his large hand, about to slap down, but stopped at the last moment, letting out a long sigh, his gaze complicated. “You… go, then.”

Was this the first time this brat had refused him?! He… actually dared to refuse me today?! And so decisively at that?

Ethan Brooks bowed, then straightened up and turned to leave.

“Oh, one more thing. From now on, you are not to pester Princess Grace anymore. There’s no room for negotiation on this matter—it ends here!” In Mr. Brooks’s voice, there was an indescribable sense of defeat, and a faint feeling of disappointment!

In recent years, although the The Brooks Family seemed to wield immense power, almost dominating the court, there was always a fatal flaw: a lack of successors! The only descendant of the third generation was just Ethan Morris Brooks, a notorious playboy! Mr. Brooks might look like a man in his forties, but his heart was old, fully aware of the ways of the world. He knew that if he were to pass away one day, the The Brooks Family would likely be wiped out in a very short time. Judging by Ethan Morris Brooks’s current state, this outcome was almost inevitable—it was practically a foregone conclusion.

So William Brooks had once shamelessly asked the emperor to allow Ethan Morris Brooks to marry His Majesty’s most beloved Princess Grace. If this could be arranged, then even if he passed away, Ethan Brooks would have his lingering influence for protection, and with the title of a princess’s husband and imperial relative, as long as he didn’t go too far, the The Brooks Family’s bloodline could at least be preserved.

Being a princess’s husband might seem glamorous, but in reality, it was the most awkward position in the entire court. Any powerful minister’s family feared the emperor might suddenly bestow a marriage, making their son marry a princess: would the in-laws have to kneel to their daughter-in-law? Especially since, unless the princess gave special permission, the imperial son-in-law was absolutely forbidden to take concubines. If the princess happened to be temperamental and jealous, it would be hard for the whole family to live in peace. However, for a playboy like Ethan Morris Brooks, it was a huge guarantee—at least for the sake of the The Brooks Family’s bloodline, it was the best possible solution!

So William Brooks had proposed this marriage out of sheer desperation.

His Majesty the Emperor naturally understood the intentions of his old comrade and elder brother. He was moved by the request, but after learning in detail about Ethan Morris Brooks’s behavior, and with Princess Grace adamantly refusing, he thought it over for a long time and finally declined.

“Big Brother Brooks, it’s not that I don’t want to do you this favor, but I am a father too. Grace is my most beloved daughter—how could I let my daughter… sigh!” The emperor lowered his tone, not finishing the sentence, leaving William Brooks almost unable to breathe.

A father? Thinking of his daughter? If this had been ten years ago, at the height of the The Brooks Family’s power, even if Morris was ten times more of a playboy, as long as I proposed the marriage, wouldn’t you have been overjoyed? The warmth and coldness of human relationships is like drinking water—only you know if it’s hot or cold! This was the resentment in Mr. Brooks’s heart.

“Oh, I understand.” Ethan Brooks stopped at the door and said calmly. His tone was neither surprised nor disappointed, as plain as a glass of water, and then he stepped out.

Ever since Mr. Brooks had revealed his intentions, Ethan Morris Brooks had always considered himself the husband of Princess Grace, relentlessly pestering her, to her utter annoyance. But now, seeing his grandson’s indifferent attitude, Mr. Brooks was quite surprised. If Ethan Brooks had flown into a rage, or acted hysterically, or even cursed like a shrew… The Old Man wouldn’t have been shocked. But this calmness was what truly caught William Brooks off guard.

“He took a fall, and now his temperament has changed?” Mr. Brooks stroked his beard, watching Ethan Brooks’s departing figure, his gaze deep.

After a long while, William Brooks clapped his hands and said, “Send a few more skilled guards to protect the young master day and night. There must not be any more mishaps! If anyone dares to try anything again, kill them on the spot! No need for any hesitation!” This kind of thing can happen once, but never again. My grandson, William Brooks’s grandson, how could I let you harm him? A cold light flashed in Mr. Brooks’s eyes.

In the empty hall, Mr. Brooks seemed to be talking to the air, but then a faint, ethereal voice came from somewhere: “Yes!”

Ethan Brooks walked out into the morning sun. The gentle sunlight shone on his slightly pale face as he strolled toward his own small courtyard. Along the way, servants bowed in fear and trepidation, but Ethan Brooks ignored them all, lost in his own thoughts.

No one knew that, in the heart of this Thomas Brooks, words echoed at this very moment:

“What is an assassin? As the name suggests, an assassin is a hand that kills! A black hand that kills! You must remember this word ‘black’!…”

“Assassins have always been illusory, coming from the mist, vanishing into nothingness!”