Chapter 625: Chapter 626: Prince Wagon Was this ignorance or just vanity... It had to be ignorance, right? Who in their right mind would not recognize a prince of the empire. Especially if that person was a citizen of said empire... and even if he didn’t, wasn’t the crown on his head a good enough sign that this was the prince. The prince’s expression hardened, his fingers trembling slightly. "I see you are a commoner... you uneducated lot must not know very much." He gave them a look of utter disdain. "I shall grace you with an introduction. No need to feel honored." Damon wore a sneer under his hood. He was not impressed in the slightest. "Ahem..." the young prince cleared his throat. "I am Waton of Valtheron, fourth prince of the great Valtheron Empire." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦 His expression was arrogant as he said that, expecting Damon to grovel. "Hmmm, I see. Never heard of you... and I know everyone worth knowing. You must not be particularly strong... your grace." His words caused the crowd of nobles to suck in a breath of cold air. He may, no, he definitely just called the fourth prince a nobody not worth knowing right to his face. Adding your grace at the end did not make it any better. Damon wasn’t even trying to hide his disdain. Waton’s face went red with fury, especially seeing the way Evangeline was looking at him while standing next to Damon. His tone dropped low. "You stand before a prince of the empire, commoner... yet you do not kneel. That is tantamount to lèse-majesté." He glanced at Damon with a smug expression, waiting for him to fearfully fall to his knees. However, the word kneel merely made a deep coldness rise from Damon’s heart. Inside his heart of shadow, a small seed of blackness stirred, carrying with it all the arrogance of the Demon Lord of Domination. How could this lowly prince expect him to kneel... Damon smiled calmly. "I stood before Grand Duke Brightwater and I did not kneel. You must think you are greater than a Grand Duke if you expect me to kneel." Waton narrowed his eyes, speaking slowly. "Kneel before me, peasant. I command it." Damon smiled under his hood. This place was packed with young nobles. The security detail was hardly above their ranks... nothing beyond the third class. "I would bow, but I hear groveling is already in oversupply tonight." Waton’s fist trembled. Never in his life had someone of lower rank refused his orders. He was used to commanding people to obey. "Are you refusing an imperial command?" Damon smiled coldly, looking down on Waton. "Apologize, prince... what’s your name again? Ahhh yes, Wagon." That was not his name, but Damon knew that. "You claim to give an imperial command, but it seems you’ve overstepped your authority a bit. The only person in the empire who can give an imperial command is the emperor." Damon’s tone turned vicious. "Are you plotting treason and attempting to usurp the imperial throne by blatantly usurping the emperor’s authority?" He was just getting started. He pointed at the crowd of noble young lords and ladies. "Are these people your accomplices? Is this gathering actually a place for you to collude against the crown... and conspire to seize power, betraying your father and dishonoring your ancestors?" The crowd quickly put distance between themselves and the accusations. "I have no idea what’s happening." "We came alone..." "Goodness, treason? I would never..." Damon smiled at the speechless Waton of Valtheron. Treason was a serious crime, but Damon didn’t have the clout to report it... until he said, "I will be sure to report this to Grand Duke Brightwater. With Evangeline here as my witness." Damon took out his pager. "It’s a good thing I have his personal contact info." He didn’t have his personal contact info, but they didn’t know that. For all they knew, Damon and the Grand Duke were very close. After all, the Grand Duke appeared for the first time in almost two decades just so he could be in the newspaper with Damon. This was basically Damon declaring: you can’t touch me, I have a powerful backer. And it didn’t matter if he was a prince. His backer was a Grand Duke. Even the emperor would show him deferential treatment. Waton found himself stunned into silence. The first law of palace politics was simple: if you do not have enough political clout and influence, do not meddle with the four dukedoms. However, whoever secured the support of the four dukedoms would, without a doubt, have a path paved to the throne. This evening was his opportunity to impress Evangeline Brightwater. This was his chance to get a leg up against his siblings who were more powerful than he was. There was a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. Who was this person anyway... a mere commoner? Damon walked towards the prince then whispered, "I see... you must be the court jester. The crown suits you." The prince didn’t know what to do, so he could only fall back on his title. "I am a prince of the empire... I will not be insulted by a mere commoner." He pointed at Damon. "Seize him. I want his head on a pike and hanging from a wall." Damon smiled calmly, his face hidden under the hood. "Hmm, I didn’t think you’d take that option, but fine..." He was about to pull out his trump card when Evangeline stepped forward. She stood firmly in front of Damon. "Your Highness, I’ve seen enough. While Damon might be a commoner, he is still under the protection of House Brightwater. Unless you want to antagonize all of House Brightwater, I would suggest you stay your hand." Waton didn’t seem convinced, his face still contorted in anger. "You don’t represent the will of the Duke, princess." Evangeline narrowed her eyes with a thin smile. "Actually... I do." She pulled out a golden seal with the Brightwater crest engraved in it. "My actions are a direct representation of House Brightwater." Damon smiled seeing that, so he became more emboldened. "I think she means... screw off, you little princeling." Evangeline glared at him. He shrugged. "What? I have clout." Waton’s hands trembled. There was nothing he could do. He really wanted this bastard dead. Until... an idea struck him. He pulled out his glove. "I challenge you on the stage of the War Games." Damon smiled. This was what he was hoping for. "I ac—" "Announcing Princess Abellona, third princess of Valtheron, has arrived." Damon’s face paled. "Ohh shit...."