Duke Cole, who was approaching, appeared to be middle-aged, but due to proper maintenance, he looked younger than his actual age.
If one were to judge without bias, Duke Cole’s appearance was indeed good.
However, the shadow Duke Cole cast upon the little child was truly overwhelming. When the little child saw this fierce and wicked adult, he got scared and sat on the ground.
With his chubby face still attached with a band-aid, he stared blankly at Duke Cole.
As their gazes met, Duke Cole didn’t plead for mercy, like the frightened attendants kneeling on the ground. He calmly shifted his gaze and focused on the emperor.
“Your Majesty.”
Duke Cole saluted the emperor and then composedly inquired about the purpose of the emperor’s visit. “It’s my fault to have disturbed Your Majesty to come and see me. If Your Majesty has any matters, you can summon me directly.”
The emperor, seated in the main position, did not respond to his words. He simply called out lightly, “Ningning, come here.”
Uncle Lulu’s words helped the little child regain his confidence.
He stood up and limped towards Ludwig.
After reaching Ludwig, he used both his hands and feet to climb into Ludwig’s embrace. “Uncle Lulu, I’m scared.”
The little child, who was just full of himself a moment ago, now hid his face in Ludwig’s embrace, and even his voice sounded panicked.
Ludwig supported his bottom and held him securely, whispering softly, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
Seeing that the little child was genuinely scared, Huo Lin decided to approach and said to Ludwig, “Father, let me take Ningning away.”
Perhaps if he couldn’t see Duke Cole, his mood would improve a bit.
The little child, with his face buried in Uncle Lulu’s embrace, shook his head upon hearing his brother’s words. He sniffled and slowly raised his little head, saying, “Ningning won’t leave.”
Ludwig patiently waited for the little child in his arms to gather courage and regain confidence.
And he didn’t have to wait too long. The comforted little child tightly held onto his finger, turned around, and sat on his lap, looking at Duke Cole.
“He, he beat the baby.”
The little child complained to Ludwig. “He also took Uncle Ling Qi away.”
The little child made a focused complaint, and under his accusation, the gaze Ludwig directed at Cole carried a chill.
Cole had lived to this age and had witnessed many grand scenes, so even if he was accused, there was no trace of panic on his face.
He slightly bowed his body, straightforwardly admitting his mistake to Ludwig, “Your Majesty, when I was bringing back someone today, this little child repeatedly obstructed me. I was momentarily angered and treated him roughly.”
“Now, I have realized my mistake. I will compensate this child and will not make such a mistake again in the future.”
After saying these words, Cole lowered his head, waiting for the Emperor’s response.
He could tell that the little child had a good relationship with the Emperor. After waiting for a moment without a response from the Emperor, he spoke again.
This time, he shifted the blame onto his attendants. In his words, it was his attendants who caused the most harm to the child.
He even ordered the execution of these attendants on the spot.
Upon hearing that he was going to drag the kneeling people out and kill them, the little child’s face turned pale with fear.
Ludwig touched the little child’s cold hand, and an even stronger chill emanated from his golden eyes.
He knew that Cole was doing this deliberately.
Allowing such a young child to witness scenes of slaughter was undoubtedly the greatest threat to the child. But if he spoke up to stop it, it meant that he would define this matter as a fault not deserving of death.
While Ludwig stared coldly at Cole, the little child with a pale face spoke up.
“No, please don’t kill them!”
The little child had killed Zergs before, but had never killed a person.
He jumped out of Ludwig’s embrace and stood in the way, saying, “They hit Ningning, and Ningning hit them too!”
In the perception of the little child, if he got beaten, it would be good to see the other person get beaten as well!
Death as a punishment was too terrifying for the young child.
As the little child’s words fell, Ludwig finally spoke.
He ordered his men to bring these few individuals down. Rather than death as a punishment, he had other ways to make these people atone for their sins.
Cole showed no significant fear throughout.
He knew Ludwig was a tyrant, but at the same time, he was also a wise ruler, someone who understood the bigger picture.
Ludwig would never harm him for the sake of a young child.
“Cole.”
Ludwig seemed to sense his thoughts. “Do you really believe that I wouldn’t dare to harm you?”
Upon hearing this, Cole’s body lowered even more, his tone respectful. “Your Majesty, I have never thought of such a thing.”
The confrontation ended with Ludwig’s command.
“Bring Ling Qi out.”
This command made Cole hesitate.
He had already clearly angered Ludwig with the child’s matter, and if he continued to disobey his orders, Cole believed that the current ruler before him might no longer tolerate him.
In his hesitation, he had already weighed the pros and cons.
“Your Majesty, this boy has a lowly status, and I fear he will tarnish your reputation.”
While Cole spoke of Ling Qi’s low status, his eyes signaled to the person beside him to bring Ling Qi forward.
Ling Qi’s presence served as a reminder of the mistakes he had made. This illegitimate child had always been a stain to him.
He despised this child, yet for certain reasons, he allowed this child to live under his watchful eyes until adulthood.
The little child still couldn’t understand some of the words Cole used, but in his raised ears, he caught the name Ling Qi.
“I want Uncle Ling Qi!”
The little child stood by Ludwig’s leg, looking up with an expectant face, gazing at Ludwig.
Soon enough, Ling Qi was actually brought out.
Ling Qi, who was brought out, had obviously hurriedly changed clothes. Seeing Ludwig with Ningning, there was no surprise in his eyes.
Ling Qi was clear about the extent to which the imperial family cared about the child.
However, judging from Cole’s expression and attitude, it was evident that this man still hadn’t realized the consequences of offending Ningning.
“Uncle Ling Qi!!!”
The little child, who finally saw Ling Qi, brightened up. He pounced into Ling Qi’s embrace, using both hands and feet to climb onto Ling Qi’s body.
Ling Qi held him and embraced him in his arms.
The little child tightly clung to the recovered Uncle Ling Qi.
The two embraced each other, and the child, who was just now very strong-willed, had tears welling up in his eyes again.
“Uncle Ling Qi, Ningning missed you so much!”
It had only been a few hours since they last saw each other, but the little child felt like time was passing so slowly. He rubbed Ling Qi’s cheeks, wishing to stick himself onto Uncle Ling Qi.
Ludwig took Ling Qi away.
Cole personally saw them off, only withdrawing his gaze after their car had completely disappeared.
He thought that this incident had come to an end.
But what he didn’t know was that Ludwig, known as the tyrant, was not only cruel to outsiders.
Some excessively violent things were not suitable to happen in front of a young child. And the person the young child wanted to find should also be taken away peacefully.
In the car on the way back.
Ling Qi originally didn’t want to go to the palace, but Ningning insisted on bringing him there. Now that his father hadn’t returned, in the child’s eyes, the palace was the safest place.
There was no other choice, so Ling Qi could only grit his teeth and stay in the palace.
Ludwig sent the young child and Ling Qi back, then calmly played with the child for a while and watched them sleep together in the guest room.
Finally, he left the palace once again.
This time, when he left the palace, he was only wearing casual clothes.
Huo Lin saw his father’s figure but didn’t follow or ask what his father was going to do.
He didn’t need to ask; he knew what his father was going to do.
Half an hour later.
In the dueling arena of the Duke of Cole’s mansion, the Emperor, wearing casual clothes and not even wearing a mecha, beat Cole to the ground, blood staining the floor.
“Get up.”
There was no trace of mercy in Ludwig’s eyes. He coldly said, “Continue.”
The beatings endured by the young child were now all doubled and returned to Cole.
Cole’s mouth was full of blood, and Ludwig even cut his proud face with a piece of mecha debris.
To return evil for evil was Ludwig’s style.
Even as the Emperor of the Empire, his personal creed remained to repay hatred with hatred and to use violence to counter violence.
Ludwig stayed at the Duke’s mansion for a long time. After he left, the duke’s subordinates tremblingly sent him to the hospital, and they even hung up an emergency ward for him.
Upon returning to the palace from the Duke’s mansion, as soon as Ludwig arrived, he saw someone welcoming him.
“Caesar, you should be resting at this time.”
“Father, there’s something I want to tell you.”
Huo Lin stood in front of his father, watching him calmly remove the clothes with some bloodstains.
He asked straightforwardly, “Has the matter of Cole bullying Ningning come to an end now?”
“What do you think?”
Ludwig asked his son in response, his face devoid of expression. He threw the question back at his son, “Caesar, if you were me, what would you do next?”
“I would continue to seek revenge against him.”
Huo Lin didn’t hide his determination. He tightened his face and said firmly, “I want Duke Cole to regret his actions of bullying Ningning for the rest of his life.”
The little child was wearing a mecha and still ended up being bullied like this. But what if the little child wasn’t wearing a mecha?!
Then such a small and helpless child could have died.
What Huo Lin could think of, Ludwig naturally could as well.
“Well, I understand.”
Ludwig took off his coat and walked towards his room. As he walked, he spoke in a calm voice, “I will handle the rest. Caesar, go to sleep.”
“Goodnight, Father.”
Huo Lin didn’t insist on following his father. He went to the guest room that wasn’t locked and took a look at the little child.
“Uncle Ling Qi, aren’t you asleep yet?”
Huo Lin saw Ling Qi open his eyes.
Ling Qi propped himself up, sitting up slightly. He asked Huo Lin, “Xiao Lin, can I borrow your star device for a while?”
“Sure.”
Without hesitation, Huo Lin handed his star device to Ling Qi. “Uncle Ling Qi, you can keep the star device. I don’t use it much.”
