Chapter 642: BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT

His body instinctively surged forward, ready to launch a counterattack, but he forced himself to halt just in time. The strain of stopping his momentum was immense, to the point that his veins bulged across his neck and arms as his every muscle tensed.

The sheer effort drove his left foot deep into the ground, leaving cracks in the earth as his leg acted like an anchor, holding him back with raw power.

Wulfric took a few deep breaths, his fists clenching and unclenching as he struggled to regain control. He forced himself to calm down, silently reminding himself over and over that the man standing before him was Aster’s father.

Gage raised an eyebrow, watching Wulfric’s reaction. As a soldier, he knew just how hard it was to restrain oneself from striking back after being hit. A soldier’s body was trained to respond instantly when attacked, with muscles ready to spring into action. But standing still and resisting the urge to retaliate required far more control than most would expect.

Not to mention someone like the prince, with an SSS-level physique. For someone with a body like his, fighting back after being hit would be as natural as breathing. Yet, surprisingly, he was holding himself back with impressive restraint.

And Gage knew exactly why the prince was even trying this hard. He wished he didn’t, but he did.

He shook his head, deciding this was the end of the test. Though he was tempted to push further, doing so would be overkill, especially since he had already found the answer he was looking for.

“Alright, Your Highness, that’s the end of the match.”

Wulfric snapped his head towards Aster’s father. His eyes widened and he asked in disbelief, “…Really?”

“Unless you want to get punched in the face again?”

“No, no! Definitely not!” Wulfric quickly replied. As much as he enjoyed a good fight, if the opponent was the father of the person he loved, he’d rather avoid it. A few seconds later, a thought struck him. His eyes lit up as he blurted, “Wait—Uncle, does this mean you approve—”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Your Highness,” Gage cut the other off. “And stop with the damn ‘Uncle’. I’d rather be called by my name. This will be the last time I’ll offer this to you. So you better take it before I change my mind. Because after this, your only option is to call me Mr.

Townsend.”

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Wulfric felt conflicted hearing that. Calling Aster’s father by his first name felt strange, almost as if they were equals in age, which only emphasized the fact that he was older than Aster. Not that their age gap was significant, but still. On the other hand, opting for “Mr. Townsend” felt even more awkward, if not worse. Either way, both were uncomfortable to him.

But if he had to make a choice, then…

“Alright, Gage,” he said after much consideration.

Aster’s father raised an eyebrow at him before turning to leave. “Let’s head back.”

“Wait!” Wulfric called out before he could take another step. “I just wanted to ask… if you’re okay with me pursuing your son.”

Gage paused and glanced back. “Of course not. I’m his father—I’ll never be completely okay with anyone pursuing him, especially someone like you. You’re far from the ideal son-in-law, Your Highness. You’re volatile and unpredictable. Who’s to say you won’t end up hurting my son?” Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Wulfric opened his mouth to defend himself, but before he could get a word out, Aster’s father continued.

“As much as I hate to admit this, I can see that you genuinely like my son,” Gage went on, his gaze steady. “More importantly, I’ve been in love—and still am—so I know that look when I see it. And you have it. The look of someone in love. So, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. But the moment my son says he wants you out of his life, you’re gone.

No questions. Understand?”

With those words, Gage turned on his heel and resumed walking, not waiting for a response.

Wulfric stood frozen, trying to process what had just happened. A mix of confusion and relief washed over him. He had expected a harsh rejection, maybe even another fight, but instead, he was given something he hadn’t anticipated—a chance. It wasn’t exactly approval, but it wasn’t outright refusal either. He wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved or even more on edge.

All he knew was that, for now, he had a chance to prove himself, and that was more than he had hoped for.

Maybe, in time, Aster’s parents would finally come to approve of him. Wulfric was determined to do whatever it took to make that happen. He had plenty of time to prove himself. Surely, over the next 10 or 20 years, they would see his sincerity and realize that he wasn’t just a fleeting presence in Aster’s life. He was in it for the long haul, and he would show them he was here to stay.

After all, hadn’t his sincerity already begun to chip away at Aster’s father’s defenses? The fact that he’d gotten Gage to admit he could see his feelings for Aster was no small victory. That was a huge step forward. This had to be a positive sign, right?

Wulfric ran forward to follow Aster’s father. As soon as he stepped beside him, he said, “Thank you, for giving me the benefit of the doubt.”

Gage gave him a sideway glance. “Don’t celebrate yet. You haven’t spoken to my wife yet. She probably would even chew me for letting you off easy.”

Wulfric nearly stopped in his tracks. That was him going easy? Well, considering he’d only been hit once and wasn’t left bruised and battered, there might be some truth to that.

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