Foundation of Smoke and Steel

Chapter 71

DanielTime seemed to stop for Daniel. What is the life flashing before his eyes? He would have thought, living in two worlds, his life would have been a more interesting movie.

Dathan was there, people were watching and it all seemed to float in slow motion.

Ethan’s voice flickered across the inside of his head, dry as ever. “?”

“.

Daniel said.

“.”

Daniel groaned internally.

Ethan paused.

Dathan was still staring at him. He wasn't the only one most of the people in the room were doing the same.

Daniel sighed.

Ethan, meanwhile, whispered like a devil behind the curtain. “.”

Daniel didn't say anything just watched. Dathan’s face turned from red to imperial purple. “Why aren't you saying anything? Are you so uncouth that you dare not even respond, Ethan Zhou? You dare to to mock me. Mock my House. Mock the Empress and the Princess? Does your audicity know no bounds?”

“I would simply point out that you’re the one shouting like a drunken sailor in front of the entire court,” Daniel said dryly. "And I am not sure you know what uncouth means."

Dathan glared “She is betrothed!”

Daniel shrugged. “No argument here. Though I would review whatever treaty and benefit that supposedly brought. The juice doesn't seem to be worth the squeeze in your instance.”

Daniel said it before he realized it was out of his mouth.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

And that last comment pretty much did it.

Dathan yanked off the ceremonial glove, the one with the duel mark, and strode forward, voice rising to the edge.

“I reissue my duel challenge with public spectacle. Ethan Zhou I now declare. You have insulted me and I will have satisfaction. Publicly. For conduct. For honor. For your place.”

The crowd instantly starting buzzing amongst itself. And then, salvation—or possibly damnation—arrived in the form of Nathan LI.

His brother-in-law materialized at his right shoulder, eyes glowing with mana. Literally glowing. The killing intent was so off the chart; the people in the immediate vicinity took a big step back.

Sword prodigy in deed. Daniel turned to look at this brother-in-law and could see the murder in his eyes. Oh—Nathan was .

Nathan glared. “Hey, you bastard, what did you say to my brother-in-law?”

Mana was phyiscally spilling off Nathan now, pure blue mist. It was amazing to see.

Dathan took a step back as Nathan’s entire presence screamed:

Behind him, Gavin appeared next. Less wild, more grounded—but his jaw was set and his knuckles were flexing like he was one insult away from decking someone.

Then Lucas.

He remained calm, but Lucas was terrifying in his silence and everyone knew it. Lucas didn’t even look at Daniel. He was watching the crowd. Measuring. Calculating how this would ripple through alliances, reputations, and inheritance law. He was also whispering in to his message crystal.

Several of what he could only assume were guards from Dathan's house moved in behind him. And all Daniel could think was:

“I said yes to a dance,” he muttered outloud.

Nathan didn’t blink. “Yes the Princess asked my brother in law to dance, and this bastard dared to—”

“I didn’t initiate anything. She just—”

Dathan snorted. “She’s the Princess. She asks to be polite, you're not so supposed to say yes.”

Daniel sighed. “She approached me. I’m the victim here.”

Ethan snorted in his head. “.”

Daniel was still at a loss when Dathan, seeing that he was the center of attention, with full ceremony, struck Daniel’s chest with the glove.

The duel challenge finalized. The glyphs in the glove activated on contact.

Said Ethan all humor from his voice gone.

The court gasped. Daniel caught the glove before it fell to the floor.

He stared at it. Then at Dathan. Then at the glove again.

Ethan said.

He considered throwing it back. Doing the proper thing. Upholding the ritual.

But instead—“F*** this guy.”

Daniel punched Dathan in the face. with a clean, professional right cross. Not enhanced with mana; he didn't want to kill the guy. (Honestly, he wasn't sure if he could.) He didn't want to go to jail (Did they have jail here?). He wasn't being reckless. (Okay, maybe a bit reckless.) He hit him hard, with full power, a proper right cross with his full body weight behind it.

Dathan hit the floor in a tangle of fancy robes and damaged ego.

Silence swept the court.

Daniel stepped forward, eyes cold now. Every word he said next was precise, both measured and unmistakable.

“You insulted me, which I can tolerate. But you also insulted my wife, her House with your unfounded accusations of impropriety, and your own fiancée in the same breath by judging her actions she willingly took.”

He dropped the glove on Dathan’s chest.

“I accept your challenge.”

He looked up, gaze sweeping the stunned nobles. And then back down. “And when you lose, you will kneel in front of the Li Household."

He glared and continued.

"You will kneel in front of Vivian Li.”

The name hit like thunder. Daniel let it hang.

“You will kneel and break your engagement to Princess Sophie Virelyn, in public, and in shame.”

He didn’t say anything else.

Because now the room wasn’t breathing.

And the dance had just turned into a war.

All he heard was laughing which he was pretty sure was the crown Prince's.