Return of Lord Damien

“Oh, Damien!”

Stella called out, batting her eyes,pointing to her left breast, tugging at her collar so slightly and it made some part of her breast exposed for Damien to see.

“I have this terrible pain right here.

Taking a deep breath, Damien shook his head slightly. This wasn’t the first time that he’d been invited to “examine” her body.

At that moment another beautiful woman, Alice, leaned against his work table.

“Damien, you're so good at finding the sore spots and satisfying us,” she said with a sweet smile.

“Your hands are gentler than the others.”

Immediately the other girls nodded in agreement, surrounding Damian's table like butterflies drawn to honey.

“Satisfy you?”

Damien coughed. They were enjoying flirting with him too much. Being around these hot women was a daily test for him.

In most people’s eyes, he was nothing more than a farmer making a living from the land. However, few knew that he was once the mastermind behind the country's largest business conglomerate, owning hundreds of companies and virtually controlling the nation's lifeline. Even the country's leader treated him with utmost respect.

Yet, he had no interest in such a lavish and extravagant lifestyle. The early loss of his parents and the upheavals in his family during his childhood gave him a deep understanding of human fickleness and the harsh realities of life. He preferred a peaceful and quiet existence.

Three years ago, he chose to follow his mentor—the one who taught him all his skills—to this small town. However, his mentor, unable to bear the solitude, already left to wander elsewhere, leaving him alone with the mentor’s female apprentices.

“Ladies, please..." He tried to ask them to leave him for his work.

"Urgent letter for Damien!”A messenger boy rushed in the courtyard, interrupting him.

The room fell silent.

Just then, the door swung open with a sharp creak, and a tall, imposing woman stepped into the room.

Dressed in a deep blue cloak adorned with silver threads, she carried herself with the kind of dignity and coldness that commanded attention.

Her gaze swept over the room before settling on Damien, a sneer curling her lips.

“You,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain, “are Damien, aren’t you?”

She paused, giving him a once-over, her gaze lingering on him with clear condescension. “ I'm sent by War Goddess Serenity.”

She stepped forward, produced a letter from beneath her cloak, sealed with golden wax—distinctly from Westlake. She tossed it onto Damien’s table with a flick of her wrist.

“Take it, if you can even understand it,” she said, arms crossed, her tone thick with superiority.

Damien’s brow furrowed slightly. He took the letter, his gaze never wavering as he broke the seal.

[ I, War Goddess Serenity, have reached a level of power and status that you couldn’t even dream of. Our engagement, arranged by your master and my grandfather, is nothing but a joke and an insult to someone of my caliber.

You’re completely unworthy of my time or attention. Continuing this ridiculous arrangement would only bring shame to my name.

I’m officially ending this engagement here and now. Don’t embarrass yourself by trying to contact me or anyone in my circle ever again.

Consider yourself fortunate that I even bothered to send you this message.]

Damien sneered. The entire letter was filled with arrogance and blatant humiliation directed at him.

 It seemed that the fiancée his master had carefully chosen for him didn’t think much of him.

He folded the letter casually and placed it on the table, his hands steady as ever.

As Damien placed the letter down, the woman’s eyes never left him.

Her gaze was like ice, appraising him as if he were little more than a speck of dust beneath her boot.

“You're nothing but a lowly bumpkin, and your engagement was a mistake from the start,” she remarked coldly. “War Goddess Serenity is not wasting any more time on it—or on you! ”

With that, she left, the door slamming shut behind her with a finality that made everyone in the room flinch.

Stella, her fists clenched, was the first to break the silence.

“How dare she speak to you like that! Who does she think she is?” She glared at the door as if willing it to burst open again so she could confront the woman.

Alice, her face flushed with anger, rushed over to Damien’s side and her eyes fixed on the letter.

“What does it say?” she demanded.

“The fiancée Master Raymond arranged for me wants to end our engagement.” Damien replied calmly.

“What?”

The other apprentices crowded around his table.

Immediately Stella collected the letter from the table, and the other apprentice walked closer as they began to read through it.

Stella slammed her palm on the herb table, sending dried leaves scattering.

"What an arrogant woman! She thought you’re a nobody? My father is the Supreme Commander of the Southern Army, leading 100,000 elite special forces. ”

“His victories have safeguarded the nation’s borders for decades—without him, her so-called glory wouldn’t even exist! Even my father, who’s saluted by the leader of the country, lowers his voice when he mentions your name, Damien!”

“And she dares to act so insolently? It’s laughable."

Alice jade bracelet clinked as she crossed her arms.

Stella stepped forward, her voice filled with pride.

"And my grandfather, the Minister of the Treasury, once waited three days outside your courtyard just for a chance to have tea with you. "

"Three days, Damien! This is a man who controls the flow of wealth across the country. Yet he stood in the rain without complaint, because he said your time is worth more than gold itself."

“That woman has no idea who she’s turned away from."

“Her arrogance is a reflection of her ignorance, nothing more."

“We should march to Westlake right now,”declared Stella.

“We re going to teach her a lesson!”

Others chimed in, voices rising in outrage, but Damien remained unfazed.

“Enough,” he said calmly, silencing the uproar. “It’s better this way.”

They stared at him in surprise.

“What do you mean, ‘better this way’? Aren’t you angry?” Stella pressed.

Damien sighed, setting aside his work. “I’ve never been interested in this marriage to begin with. It wasn’t my choice—it was arranged by Master Raymond. And now, with this letter, I’m free to officially end it. Permanently.”

Alice frowned. “But the way she dismissed you… it’s unacceptable! We should respond—”

“No need,” Damien interrupted. “Her letter speaks volumes about her character. That’s all I need to know. But… I still need to visit her family personally.”

He sighed, “Master Raymond told me that the engagement could only be officially ended by one person - my fiancée's grandfather.”