Heiress Unmasked: Shaking the World With Geomancy novel Chapter 1943

Of course, Luke knew exactly who had brought Cornelius back.

Reuben had never publicly mentioned his connection with Cornelius, and even the latter's admission to the Zaprath School of Demon Arts and daily care were handled through other means.

Very few in the Demon Control Agency knew about it, let alone Thalia, who had been away for decades.

Reuben had kept a half-demon dragon youngling hidden; whatever his reasons, if he wanted to keep it secret, it was perfectly normal for Luke—his old rival—to seize the opportunity to expose it.

Wasn't that the normal thing to do?

Clearly, Reuben was aware that Thalia's sudden appearance was Luke's doing. His gaze briefly flicked over to Luke but didn't linger.

He walked forward, his focus shifting to Cornelius. Then, in an unexpected move, everyone froze.

A fox tail suddenly lashed out from behind him, so quick that no one had time to react. In the blink of an eye, Cornelius was knocked to the ground by a swift swish of the tail.

A gasp leaped out of Kai's throat, his eyes widening as he watched Cornelius get knocked over. Without thinking, he instinctively moved to step forward.

Despite the fact that they had fought earlier, seeing Cornelius get struck like this made Kai furrow his brows in dissatisfaction. There was even a faint sense of guilt in him.

If it weren't for his transformation into dragon form causing a commotion, drawing Luke's attention, Cornelius wouldn't have been called to face his guardian, and certainly wouldn't have been hit like this.

"W-Why did you hit him?" Kai was ready to reason with Reuben, but the latter paid him no attention.

Instead, he simply gazed at the fallen Cornelius and questioned, "Have you realized your mistake?"

Cornelius, sprawled on the ground with a swollen corner of his mouth and a faint trace of blood, quickly rose to his feet when he heard Reuben's words.

Bowing his head, he spoke in a subdued, obedient tone. "I know my mistake, Mr. Wright."

It wasn't about the trouble he caused by provoking Kai and creating a disturbance—it was about speaking out of line to Thalia.

Seeing him remain obedient and subdued in front of Reuben after being struck, Thalia frowned, an uncomfortable feeling stirring within her.

Reuben, however, didn't acknowledge her reaction. He turned instead to Luke, his gaze unwavering. "Is there any other punishment?"