Chapter 11: Caesar’s Family

"What are you doing?!"

Evan’s voice roared across the dining room as his mother, Sloane Caesar, carried a bowl of hot soup toward the dining table.

He immediately rushed to her side and took the bowl from her hands. The sudden movement caused the hot soup to tilt and splash onto the back of his hand.

"Your hand..." Sloane panicked, immediately turning toward the maid as if asking for a cloth or tissue to wipe the soup from Evan’s hand.

But Evan didn’t even flinch. His eyes instead drifted toward the family members already seated around the dining table.

"My mother is the Madam of this house!" His voice carried across the entire dining room. "Why is she the one carrying the soup herself?"

His father, Luke Caesar, simply tilted his head before his gaze drifted up toward Evan.

"Why are you making a small thing big when you just came back after causing the whole city to be in chaos the entire night yesterday?"

"Small thing?" Evan sneered, his expression turning colder as his gaze shifted toward the woman sitting at the table.

"You... Stand up!"

Alexandra’s expression froze.

She looked at Evan for a moment before slowly pushing her chair back and standing up.

"I-I’m sorry..." Her voice trembled as tears quickly gathered in her eyes. "I didn’t mean to... I really didn’t mean to make Sister Sloane carry the soup herself."

She lowered her head, looking as though she had been unfairly scolded. "I thought she was already going to the kitchen, so I... I didn’t think she would mind."

A tear slipped down her cheek, "I’m sorry, Evan. I truly didn’t mean anything by it."

Evan stared at her coldly. "Then why are you still sitting here?"

Alexandra’s lips trembled. "I..."

Evan pointed toward the soup bowl. "Carry it... if my mother carry one... you should too..."

His voice was firm. "My mother is the Madam of this household. She doesn’t serve anyone."

Luke Caesar suddenly slammed his hand against the table and stood up.

"Rude bastard!" His voice thundered through the dining room. "Is this how you raised my son?!"

Sloane instantly rushed standing in front of Evan.

"No, no! He didn’t mean that—"

In the blink of an eye, a slap landed across Sloane’s face.

The entire dining room fell into dead silence.

Evan’s eyes widened as he stared at his mother.

"What the hell—"

Before he could finish, another slap landed across his face, cutting off his swearing.

Evan’s head turned sharply from the force of the slap. For a moment, he simply stood there, his jaw clenched as he slowly looked back at his father.

Luke Caesar’s expression was cold, his hand still raised. "You dare speak to your mother like that?"

Evan’s fingers curled tightly at his side. He could feel the sting spreading across his cheek, but that was not what made his expression darken.

His gaze shifted back toward Sloane.

A red mark was already beginning to appear on her cheek.

She lowered her head, her hand covering the side of her face as she tried to steady herself.

"I’m sorry..." she whispered. "It was my fault. I should have stopped him from saying those things..."

"Mother?" Evan’s voice came out low, "As far as I know, I only have one mother, the one who you just slapped across her face..."

Luke’s expression changed slightly. For a moment, he seemed caught off guard by Evan’s words.

Evan slowly turned his head toward him, his eyes cold as he stared directly at his father.

"Or have I been mistaken all these years?" His voice remained calm, but every word carried a sharp edge. "My mother is Sloane Caesar. She is the woman who gave birth to me, raised me, and stayed in this household even when everyone looked down on her because she was merely a citizen."

Sloane’s eyes widened. "Evan..."

"Mother, don’t." Evan’s gaze never left Luke, "You slapped her because she tried to defend me. Then you slapped me because I defended her."

Luke’s jaw tightened. "She is my wife. I can discipline her however I see fit."

"And I’m your son."

Evan took a step forward, his expression becoming colder.

"Didn’t I show you enough?! Didn’t I raise our family’s reputation enough to put my mother in the position she deserves in this household?!"

His voice rose slightly, the anger he had been holding back finally beginning to show.

"I became the youngest SSS-rank Sentinel in the Empire. I became the strongest Sentinel of my generation. I have spent years carrying the Caesar name on my back, yet even after all that, you still treat my mother like she doesn’t belong here!"

Sloane’s eyes widened. "Evan, stop..."

But Evan didn’t stop. His gaze remained fixed on Luke.

"What else do I have to do before you finally understand that she is not someone you can humiliate whenever you please?"

His gaze hardened.

"If you still cannot treat her better starting today..." Evan paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked directly at Luke. "Then I wouldn’t hesitate to strip the name Caesar from mine."

The entire dining room went silent.

Sloane’s face paled. "Evan..."

He ignored her, a faint smirk appearing on his lips as his gaze slowly drifted toward the young man sitting further down the table.

"And that son of your lovely Fated Guide could do it instead... right?"

Luke’s expression changed instantly.

The young man who had remained silent throughout the entire confrontation finally lifted his head.

His name was Leon Caesar, Luke’s eldest son and Evan’s older half-brother, born to Alexandra Viremont.

Lucien had always been the heir everyone expected to inherit the Caesar family.

Unlike Evan, he had never needed to fight for his place in the household. He had been born to Luke’s Fated Guide, raised with the expectations of becoming the next head of the family, and had grown up knowing exactly where he stood.

Evan looked at him for a moment before letting out a quiet scoff.

"After all, he is your first son."