Villain of Fate: The Tyrant System
Chapter 301: Respect and Ridicule
Respect and Ridicule
Senior Miracle Doctor Ravenswood didn’t become angry.
Instead, he sighed softly, shook his head, and looked at the assassin with genuine disappointment before speaking.
"How can you talk like that? Don’t you know to respect the elderly and care for the young?"
The old physician didn’t raise his voice.
There was no fury in his eyes, nor the cold disdain of someone looking down on another.
Instead, there was only quiet disappointment.
It was the kind of disappointment that came from a man who had devoted his entire life to healing the sick and saving lives, only to watch someone willingly abandon every trace of conscience and humanity.
To him, power was fleeting.
Money could disappear overnight.
Status meant nothing once death came knocking.
But a person’s character...
That was something that defined them until their final breath.
Black Ghost let out a cold, mocking laugh. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as his cracked lips curled into a sneer. Even with his body wracked by pain and every breath sending waves of agony through his broken bones, his eyes remained filled with contempt.
He opened his mouth, clearly intending to spit out another venomous insult.
He never got the chance.
Julian D’Aurelius stepped forward.
His expression remained calm, almost indifferent, as though he were simply taking another step on an ordinary walk.
Then—
Smack!
The sharp crack of flesh meeting flesh rang through the quiet courtyard.
The sound was so crisp that it startled a flock of birds perched on the nearby branches, sending them fluttering into the night sky.
Black Ghost’s head whipped violently to the side.
A spray of blood escaped his lips before he could swallow it back.
The swollen cheek that had barely begun to recover instantly turned a deep, angry crimson, with the outline of five fingers slowly emerging across his face.
For a heartbeat...
Silence engulfed the courtyard.
Even the night breeze seemed to pause.
Everyone watched without speaking.
Black Ghost froze.
His face twitched uncontrollably.
The burning sting on his cheek wasn’t what hurt the most.
It was the humiliation.
It clawed at his pride far more viciously than the shattered bones throughout his body ever could.
His breathing became uneven.
Each inhale was heavy.
Each exhale carried a trembling rage that threatened to consume him whole.
As one of Steffan’s most trusted subordinates, he had always stood above countless others.
Wherever he went, people lowered their heads.
His name alone was enough to make many powerful figures think twice before provoking him.
He had grown accustomed to watching others kneel.
Accustomed to deciding whether people lived or died with a single sentence.
Never...
Not once...
Had someone dared slap him across the face in public.
His thoughts involuntarily drifted back several years.
It had been during one of Steffan’s campaigns in Africa.
A military general from a small nation had questioned one of his decisions during a negotiation.
Black Ghost hadn’t argued.
He hadn’t even shown anger.
He simply smiled.
That same night, the general was found dead inside his own residence.
The official report claimed it was an accident.
Everyone who mattered knew better.
After that incident, Black Ghost’s reputation spread like wildfire through the underground world.
His name became synonymous with ruthless retaliation.
People feared him.
Some respected him.
Most avoided crossing his path altogether.
No one dared embarrass him.
No one dared challenge his authority.
Yet tonight...
Everything he had built over the years was being trampled beneath someone else’s feet.
He had been slapped across the face like a child.
The humiliation nearly drove him mad.
Amara Ravenswood, seeing this guy dare to curse her grandfather, was also very displeased with him.
Her delicate brows had been tightly knitted ever since Black Ghost insulted the old physician.
She had grown up under her grandfather’s care.
No one was allowed to insult him in front of her.
After Julian’s slap, she felt much better inside.
A bright smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
For some reason...
Everything Julian did seemed effortless.
Even something as simple as teaching someone a lesson looked strangely elegant.
How come Julian looks so handsome even when hitting someone?
The innocent thought made her cheeks grow slightly warm.
She quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened.
Then she couldn’t help giggling before walking over and squatting beside Julian.
She pointed at the somewhat unrecognizable Black Ghost, whose swollen face had become even more pitiful after the slap.
"Julian, why do bad people always look so ugly? Is it because their appearance reflects their heart?"
Her curious question momentarily eased the tense atmosphere.
Julian glanced at Black Ghost before rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
He was actually a very cultured person.
Generally speaking, he didn’t enjoy attacking someone else’s appearance.
After all, a person’s looks weren’t something they could choose.
To spare Black Ghost’s self-esteem, he said,
"Well, let’s not discuss that. Looking like this, he probably doesn’t feel good about it either."
"..."
Black Ghost lying on the ground was instantly furious and trembling.
His eyes widened so much they looked ready to burst from their sockets.
If his injuries weren’t so severe, he would have leaped up to fight Julian immediately.
This...
This was far more insulting than simply calling him ugly!
Even Amara had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.
Inside his mind, another amused thought surfaced.
[I’m being considerate here.]
Only Amara heard those words.
She nearly laughed out loud.
How could someone tease another person so seriously while believing he was being considerate?
Julian crouched down once more, looking directly into Black Ghost’s bloodshot eyes.
His smile remained relaxed.
"Considering how respectful I’ve been to you, can you tell me where Lucas is?"
Black Ghost didn’t even hesitate.
"No way."
The answer came without the slightest pause.
His loyalty to Steffan had long been engraved into his bones.
Julian wasn’t surprised.
Instead, he smiled faintly, as though he had expected that response from the very beginning.
He rested one hand casually on his knee before speaking again.
"Then considering I let your brother go out of brotherly love, can you tell me?"
"..."
Black Ghost’s face showed a hint of struggle.
For the first time since being captured, hesitation appeared in his eyes.
He remembered how White Ghost had successfully escaped.
Without Julian stopping him...
There truly had been a chance.
For a brief moment, conflicting emotions flashed across his face.
But according to the feel-good novel setting, the Dragon King’s subordinates were all loyal and unwavering.
So he adhered to the setting and didn’t tell Julian.
The struggle disappeared from his expression.
His gaze once again became firm.
No matter what happened tonight...
He would never betray Steffan.
Julian quietly observed him for another moment.
There was no disappointment on his face.
Instead, he simply gave a small, understanding nod.
"Alright, I’m not someone who likes to make things difficult for others."