SSS Ranked Dragon King: My Innate Ability is Unbelievable.-Chapter 181: Eventful Family Meal.

Chapter 181: Eventful Family Meal.

"You wouldn’t even know where to start if Father handed this matter to you. You’d trip over your own ego before you got anywhere." Her words were like a slap, and Henry’s eyes narrowed, a dark chuckle escaping his throat as he leaned toward her.

" I haven’t even done anything." Henry glared at his would be sister.

"How are you so sure I’d fail, Victoria?" he asked, his voice low and taunting, a dangerous edge to it. "Or is it that you’re just scared I’d actually succeed and prove you wrong?" His smirk was a challenge, his emerald eyes locked on hers, daring her to push back.

Victoria’s eyes squinted, her delicate features tightening as she leaned forward, her voice cold. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

" Are you trying to say I’m against us solving these incidents." she demanded, the air between them crackling with tension, like a storm about to break.

The rest of the family watched in silence, Esmeralda’s wide eyes darting between them, Charles lay’d back in his seat, enjoying his meal, and Isabella’s lips parted as if to intervene.

"Enough!" Edward’s voice boomed, cutting through the argument and returning the room to silence.

Henry and Victoria froze, their glares locked for a moment longer before they both sank back into their chairs, the wood creaking under their reluctant retreat.

Edward sat back down, his broad chest rising and falling as he let out a heavy sigh, the lines on his face deepening as the room fell silent.

After a long pause, he spoke, his voice quieter this time around, but no less commanding. "Henry, you have my approval." he said, his emerald eyes fixed on his first son. "You’ll get the reinforcements you need to handle these incidents. But as for the McClains, you will not step into their territory without caution. Do you understand?"

" But father?!" Victoria exclaimed in disbelief, not expecting him to actually agree with her younger brother.

" Victoria... Your brother Henry makes a valid point, moreover, it wouldn’t be beneficial for us to let this incidents continue to grow out of hand. Since he has personally volunteered to deal with the matter, just let him be." Edward said, sighing at the end.

Henry’s face lit up, a grin breaking through his earlier tensed face as he nodded eagerly. "Thank you, Father. I promise I’ll handle this matter in the most satisfactory of ways." he said, his voice brimming with excitement, his hands unclenching as he leaned back in his chair, already planning his next move.

Across the table, Victoria bit her lower lip, her emerald eyes flashing with frustration as she gripped her fork tightly, the metal glinting in the chandelier’s light.

The tension in the room continued to linger, only this time, it wasn’t from Edward but from the now smug Henry and displeased Victoria.

The other member’s of the family sat in silence, doing nothing to stop them, Charles seemed unconcerned by what just happened while Esmeralda seemed a bit absent minded as she ate, as if her mind was currently somewhere else.

After awhile, the tension that once plagued the dinner table had diminished considerably, as well as the delectable aroma of the dishes that were now almost completely finished.

Of course finishing their meals didn’t mean anything to them since they were nobles, so long as they were fed, they would simply order for the remainder of their meals to be tossed out or fed to pigs or thrown away without much use.

Esmeralda, was the first to set down her utensils, signaling her desire to end the meal.

She rose from her seat with a soft smile. "Thank you, Mother, Father. The meal was as wonderful as always."

" I’m glad you enjoyed it my dear." Isabella said with a smile. Edward nodded as well.

" I’ll be off to my room now." She said with a smile before she slipped out of the dinning hall, leaving to do what anyone could only leave to their imagination.

The heavy oak door creaked shut behind her, leaving the rest of the family in the stifling atmosphere of the silent dinner table.

Moments later, Charles pushed back his chair, the scraping sound audible. Unlike Esmeralda, he left without a word, leaving the dining room as if he couldn’t bother to say anything or contribute.

" I’ll be taking my leave as well." Victoria, her emerald eyes still smoldering from her earlier clash with Henry, stood up and left right after.

Instead of heading to her room, she instead did the opposite. She caught up to Charles just outside the dining room’s arched doorway.

"Charles..." Victoria said, her voice tight with annoyance, her arms crossed as she blocked his path.

"Why didn’t you say anything back there? Why didn’t you side with my decision, against Henry?" Her anger could be felt from her tone, her lips pursed, and her emerald eyes narrowed, searching his face for answers, her usual poise fraying at the edges as frustration bubbled up. " Or are you trying to rebel..." Her eyes squinted at this point, like cold gleaming daggers.

Charles raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a sneer that didn’t quite reach his eyes, which gleamed with a mix of amusement and disdain.

"Dear sister." he said, his voice smooth but edged with mockery.

" I agree with you that were both on the same side in this endeavor but–" He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a near-whisper, his breath cool against her ear.

"You’re so caught up in yourself, Victoria, that you’re missing the chance right in front of you. Stop being so narrow-minded and think bigger. Do you really believe it’ll be easy to take care of Henry with those pitiful attempts of your’s." His words were sharp, and even if he didn’t mean it, they still stung.

Victoria’s brow furrowed, confusion mixing with her irritation as she uncrossed her arms, her fingers twitching at her sides.

" What are you trying to say..." she asked, her voice quieter now, laced with skepticism as she tried to piece together his cryptic words. But Charles only pressed his lips together, his silence as infuriating as his earlier jab, his emerald eyes glinting with secrets he wasn’t ready to share, well at least not now.

At that moment, the dining room door creaked open, and Henry stepped into the hallway.

He paused, his eyes flicking between Victoria and Charles, a look of curiosity crossing his face as his gaze lingered on the two of them.

Before he could speak, Charles’s sneer returned, louder this time, as he turned to Victoria with a mocking laugh. "What, you thought I’d side with you, Elder Sister?" he said, his voice carrying down the hall, sharp and deliberate.

"I’m afraid you’re sorely mistaken... You can’t possibly hope to beat Henry, even if you could, I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s against the thought of having a woman take over the viscounty."

Henry’s face lit up, a pleased grin spreading across his features. He walked over and clapped a hand on Charles’s shoulder.

"Charles, everything alright here?" he asked, his voice warm but one could easily sense the level of smugness within, his emerald eyes gleaming with approval at his brother’s words.

Charles chuckled, shaking his head as he stepped closer to Henry, his posture relaxing. "Nothing’s wrong, Brother." he said, his tone light and easy now, as if the earlier tension had never existed. "Just sorting some things out. Incase some people get any ideas on what isn’t even rightfully there’s."

" Hahaha, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Henry’s grin widened. "Up for some sparring?" he asked, his voice brimming with fondness,

his muscular frame already shifting as if eager to move.

Charles’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and he nodded eagerly. " Well I’m free so I might as well join you for a round or two." he said, his laugh echoing as the two brothers turned and strode down the hallway, their footsteps fading alongside their shared laughter.

Victoria stood alone in the hallway, her emerald eyes fixed on their retreating figures, her jaw tight and her fingers curling into fists at her sides but she took a few breaths to calm herself down.

’ Now’s not the time to get angry. They’re still other things to be done.’

She glanced down at the small piece of paper crumpled in her hand, her thumb brushing over its rough texture. With a frown, she unfolded it, revealing a scrawled message in Charles’s precise handwriting.

Wait for me in your room. I’ll explain everything then.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes narrowing as she read the words again, suspicion and curiosity churning within her.

With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a small burst of emerald flames, the heat felt cool to her fingers, yet that didn’t stop

it from burning the paper into ash in the blink of an eye, erasing it in an instant, without making a single sound.