CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 76: REVENGE IS BEST SERVED COLD... AND WITH FROSTING

Axelius sat down with a heavy sigh under the shade of a tree, his arms crossed tightly across his chest, his face twisted in annoyance as he muttered to himself, "I’ll get revenge... just wait... I swear, You nobles!"

Owen, the small blue slime, bounced up to his legs and wobbled slightly, peering up at him. "You should really do something about your body. Being small is not good for your future, you know. No intimidation factor."

Axelius glared at him from above his knees. "I’m aware, okay?! Just like I said, I’ll grow eventually!"

Owen leaned back, dramatically recoiling as if wounded. "Hey hey hey, why are you angry at me now? I didn’t step on your pride like she did!"

Axelius sprang to his feet, pacing back and forth in front of the tree with fiery frustration. "First, I’m going to talk to the duke about this stupid engagement—who even sets up stuff like that without telling the people involved?! Then, revenge to that three and—wait..."

He suddenly paused mid-step, his eyes falling to his hand—specifically the ring that clung stubbornly to his finger. His eyebrows furrowed as he tugged at it. "It’s really stuck! What the hell?!"

"What? Let me see," Owen said, hopping closer as Axelius crouched down. The little slime squished up against the ring, inspecting it from every angle.

Axelius muttered under his breath, "This is why I hate when Millie dresses me up. I told her not to put weird accessories on me... all this jewelry, who needs it anyway?"

Owen squinted at the ring, and then suddenly stopped bouncing. "Wait a minute... hey, isn’t that the egg?"

Axelius froze. He leaned in, looking at the ring again, now noticing the faint swirling pattern of mana inside the smooth crystal. "Whoa... It looks really similar... Wait—so it didn’t disappear when I picked it up in the ruins?" His eyes widened, realization dawning. "I just didn’t notice it turning into a ring?! Are you serious?!"

Owen flailed his tiny slime arms. "Oh my God—how did you not notice something like that?! It’s been on your hand the whole time! What do you even do with your eyes?! Look at clouds?!"

"I was distracted!" Axelius shouted back, still yanking at the ring in vain. "There was a party! A fake engagement! People hitting me in the forest!"

Owen huffed. "Yeah, and apparently, a mysterious magical egg turning into jewelry on your finger didn’t rank high enough on your list of concerns. Genius."

Axelius plopped back down, defeated. "This day just keeps getting worse..."

Owen settled beside him, muttering, "At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the ring starts talking too."

Axelius stared at it with narrowed eyes. "That would be fun, you know."

As Axelius sat by the tree, he suddenly heard a familiar voice—no, three of them. His ears twitched slightly and he turned his head, carefully peeking around the thick trunk of the tree.

Just a few steps beyond the trees, near the garden were the three boys who had dragged him into the forest, and with them was Cyruz.

"I must say, you did a great job putting that little fake in his place," Cyruz said with a light chuckle,

The green-eyed boy puffed his chest slightly and grinned, "Lord Cyruz, I only did what needed to be done. That Dravenhart bastard doesn’t belong here, not beside Elena."

Cyruz smirked and gave a nod of approval, "Yes, that boy’s existence is a disgrace. No mana core, no prestige... and yet he stands beside nobles like us?" He laughed softly, brushing nonexistent dust off his sleeve. "He should be thankful you didn’t do worse."

The others chuckled in agreement, clearly proud of themselves. Axelius, watching them from the tree, gritted his teeth, his fists tightening slowly. His face twitched with growing irritation until it reached its peak.

"Ah—oh, I don’t care anymore," he muttered under his breath, standing up with a face full of silent fury.

He turned to the party table nearby, where untouched food was set neatly for the children’s entertainment. He picked up a cake—then another. One in each hand. And with a deep breath and a smirk curling at the edge of his lips, he stepped out from behind the tree and launched the first cake.

SMACK!

The creamy dessert collided squarely with Cyruz’s face. The second flew a second later and hit the green-eyed boy directly on his chest, splattering frosting and crumbs across his expensive suit.

"W-What the?!" Cyruz staggered back, wiping the cream off his eyes. "Who—?!"

Axelius stood in full view now, both his hands empty, his face calm but his smirk sharp enough to cut. "Sorry, I thought you needed something sweet to match those bitter hearts of yours."

The boys stood in shocked silence for a moment, before the third child screamed, "Get him!"

But before anyone could move, another cupcake flew from the left and hit the green-eyed boy’s head, this time thrown by a laughing child. It was as if that single moment cracked the dam of order.

Chaos erupted.

Children began shouting and laughing as they picked up food and flung it in every direction. Pies were airborne. Macarons became ammunition. Sandwiches flew like disks across the garden. Some kids flipped over tables and used them as makeshift shields.

Others ducked under chairs and counterattacked with jelly-covered spoons. One noble girl yelled, "CHARGE!" before throwing a teapot full of fruit punch like a warrior in battle.

Owen bounced beside Axelius with glee, a cherry stuck to his gelatinous head. "NOW THIS is a party!"

Axelius stood there, arms crossed again, expression smug as he watched Cyruz scream in horror, holding his stained coat like it was the end of the world. The green-eyed boy slipped on pudding and fell flat, his noble pride shattered along with the éclairs that covered him.

Good thing most of the important nobles were indoors or off in another corner of the estate; the chaos was mostly among children and a few scattered noble families who either screamed or ducked under trays.

Axelius grinned to himself. "Revenge is best served cold... and with frosting."