Chapter 1

I've just secured my spot as the chief of a bandit stronghold, only to learn I'm actually the chancellor's real son.

The day I'm due to leave the mountains for the city, my second-in-command, Greg Brown, tells me with a frown, "City folks are scheming, and you're way too straightforward. Once you get there, don't go looking for trouble. But if someone messes with you, don't you dare just swallow it."

Everything he says goes in one ear and out the other, except for his warning not to swallow anything.

On my very first day back home, the fake heir, Jordan Shaw, starts getting ideas. He secretly slips me an aphrodisiac and even shoves two strange women into my room.

Once he figures the timing is right, he marches over with a whole crowd to catch me in the act.

From miles away, he's already shouting, "Julian's bed sure is huge, huh? He's already running wild right after coming home. What will people say when this gets out?"

But the second he steps through the door, he watches me send those two women flying with a hard kick each.

My cheeks are flushed an unnatural shade of red, but my eyes are blazing. "Jordan, what was that stuff you fed me just now? I feel like I can punch through a mountain."

At that point, everyone starts looking at Jordan very differently.

Chapter 1

"W-What are you talking about?" Jordan Shaw's voice shook, but he still forced himself to sound indignant. "You're my brother, Julian. I'm thrilled that you're back. Why would I slip an aphrodisiac into your tea?"

I covered my burning face and blinked. "Oh, so it was an aphrodisiac."

I turned to my elder sister, Jamie Shaw, who was a trained physician. "Jamie, could you check me? Let's see if Jordan's right. He figured it out awfully fast."

She looked me over, her brows knitting together. The moment she turned to Jordan, doubt written on her face, his face fell.

He put on a wounded look and said, "I'm not a Shaw by blood. Of course you'd suspect me."

Jamie had always doted on him, so she instantly softened. "Jordan, that's not what I meant. Whether Julian returns or not, you're the brother I've always known."

I'd never lacked for love growing up in the bandit stronghold, but watching this scene still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Jordan shot me a smug look, his smile becoming even gentler than usual. "Julian, this has to be the work of some clueless servant trying to drive a wedge between us. Once I find out who did it, I'll skin them alive."

He paused, his tone turning menacing. "If this person steps forward now, I might spare them. Otherwise…"

I just watched his performance, saying nothing.

Under Jordan's threat, one of the maids behind me suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud, her face drained of color. "Mr. Jordan, it was Mr. Julian who made me do this to frame you. He wanted to use this to win Lord and Lady Shaw's sympathy and gain their favor."

Her voice broke as she removed a small sachet containing the aphrodisiac from her sash.

I clicked my tongue. My second-in-command at the bandit stronghold, Greg Brown, was right. City folks really were scheming as hell.

As the maid choked out her explanation, the crowd that had followed Jordan here to witness my supposed disgrace broke into low whispers.

"Tsk. You really can't expect proper upbringing from someone raised in a bandit stronghold, can you? Look at him, pouncing on every woman he sees. He even stooped to using an aphrodisiac."

Jordan sighed right on cue. "Julian, I can leave if you don't like me. You don't need to risk ruining your own reputation like this."

Father and Mother had rushed over at the commotion. Their faces instantly darkened at Jordan's words.

Mother pulled Jordan to her side, then turned to me, her voice laced with disappointment. "You've only just come home, and already you've disgraced our family. This is Shaw Manor—the chancellor's home. It's not some bandit den where you can run wild.

"You're confined to your rooms for the next two weeks. Every day, you'll copy the household rules until you learn how to behave yourself."

Chapter 2

Mother gave me a slow once-over, her gaze edged with disgust. I wanted to explain, but when I saw how she was already convinced this was my fault, I shut my mouth.

Oh well. So what if I was confined to my rooms? I had all the time in the world to get my revenge anyway.

I just didn't expect the opportunity to come this fast.

One night, I was copying the household rules and must've nodded off at my desk. I was half-asleep when I heard a commotion outside.

Jamie came storming into my courtyard with a crowd of servants in tow, while Jordan was in Mother's arms, looking upset.

"Mother, the pendant you gave me disappeared right after I left Julian's room today. You got it for my birthday last month, and it's the only one in Javilon. Julian grew up as a bandit—he must've seen every kind of treasure there is while looting. Why would he steal what's mine?"

Jamie kicked open my bedroom door and snapped at the servants behind her, "Turn this place upside down. Search every inch of this room!"

The servants moved like they were raiding a criminal's den. They even pried the bedboards, but in the end they came up empty-handed.

Mother frowned, her gaze full of disappointment and disgust as she looked at me. "Give the pendant back to Jordan now!"

Jordan probably thought I would be unable to defend myself and would end up thrown out of the Shaw family in disgrace.

To his surprise, I slammed my hand down on the table so hard it shattered into pieces. "How dare someone steal from us? I'm catching this thief today if it's the last thing I do!"

Before anyone could react, I slipped right back into my persona as the leader of a bandit stronghold and barked at the servants, "Come with me! We're tearing this place apart!"

Jordan started to panic when he saw how serious I was. "Julian, it's fine if it's missing. There's no need to go looking for it."

I ignored him and led the servants off to turn the entire Shaw Manor upside down. We dug through the flowerbeds three times and shook every single egg in the kitchen to see if anything was hidden inside.

In the end, we dragged the pendant out from under Jordan's bed—along with a half-used packet of aphrodisiac powder.

I pretended not to notice how Jordan's face went from steely to pale. I snapped, "Whoever this thief is, they've got some nerve! They not only stole Jordan's pendant but even tried to drug him!"

Mother and Jamie fell silent for once when they saw the pendant and the aphrodisiac powder. They both gave Jordan a long, hard look, then turned and walked off.

I acted like I saw nothing and hollered, "Wait, aren't we going to keep searching? We haven't caught the thief yet!"

Jordan shot me a hateful glare, then hurried after them, tossing one last threat over his shoulder. "Just you wait, Julian!"

…

The next day at breakfast, things were a little tense between Jordan and our parents. He kept trying to ingratiate himself with Mother, serving her breakfast and attending to her every need, but she remained unusually cold.

I just focused on my own meal. The food at Shaw Manor was much better than anything I'd had at the bandit stronghold up in the mountains.

Mother frowned as she watched me scarf everything down.

Jordan seized the opening. "Mother, I don't know what came over me yesterday. I'm sorry. How about I invite Madam Cavill from the Hall of Etiquette over to teach Julian some proper manners? Father's hosting a banquet soon, right? We can't have him being humiliated."

Madam Cavill was a governess known for her etiquette in Javilon. Plenty of princes and princesses had learned their court manners from her.

At that, Mother finally smiled. She patted Jordan's hand. "That's very thoughtful of you."

He hooked his arm through hers affectionately. When he looked at me, a flash of viciousness crossed his eyes. "I'll see to it that Julian learns how a gentleman ought to behave."

Just like that, I got dragged off to etiquette lessons without knowing what hit me.

Out in the corridor, Jordan pulled Madam Cavill aside. He slipped her some silver and whispered something to her.

Chapter 3

Before Jordan left, he wore a downright sinister smile as he hissed, "I paid a hefty price for this gift, Julian. You'd better cherish it."

At first, I didn't get what he meant. It wasn't until Madam Cavill sat in the pavilion drinking tea in the shade while she made me stand under the hot sun, balancing a vase on my head, that it finally clicked.

Oh. So this was what Jordan had in store for me.

But I'd trained in martial arts since I was a child. This level of "punishment" was no more than a light scratch. If Jordan wanted to see me make a fool of myself, he was dreaming.

I stood there as steady as a rock all day and even took the initiative to balance two more vases.

Madam Cavill was furious. She immediately changed tactics and made me practice walking instead. Every time I took a step, she jabbed me hard with a needle, the pain sharp enough to make me suck in a breath.

Her eyes were full of disdain. "Mr. Julian, it's not that easy to learn Javilon's etiquette and rules. If you can't handle it, you'd better hurry back to your bandit—"

Her words cut off mid-sentence because I plucked the needle right out of her hand. I pinched my fingers together just a little, and the three-inch needle snapped into two.

My knuckles cracked as I clenched my fist. I lowered my voice and warned her, "I used to put down ten old hags like you before lunch. Go ahead and try me."

Madam Cavill froze, then plastered on a fawning smile. "It's my fault for failing to teach you properly."

After that, she didn't dare make things difficult for me anymore and actually started teaching me by the book. I improved at lightning speed. In just a few days, I started looking and acting like a refined heir.

Madam Cavill kept singing my praises in front of my parents, going on and on about how clever and talented I was. They were delighted, but Jordan had to dig his nails into his palms to keep his jealousy in check.

The next day was the banquet. First thing in the morning, Jordan sent me two outfits. One was this dull, washed-out color an old man might wear, and the other was so bright it practically screamed for attention.

Did he really think that growing up in a bandit stronghold meant I had no sense of style?

I didn't even give them a second look. I put on the outfit I'd already picked out and headed to the banquet. When he saw me and realized his plan had been ruined again, the hatred in his eyes deepened.

He suddenly thought of something and covered his mouth, pretending to be all secretive as he whispered to the guests around him, "You guys don't know this, but Julian grew up in a bandit stronghold. He's the chief there and knows martial arts. Impressive, isn't he?"

The moment he said that, everyone around perked up. Those spoiled heirs looked me up and down with mocking interest.

One of them asked, "What's it like being a bandit, Mr. Julian? Come on, tell us about it."

They were obviously waiting to see me make a fool of myself, but I still answered proudly, "We robbed corrupt officials, killed tyrants, and took from the rich to help the poor."

The vice minister of revenue's son snorted. "So you basically looted and killed, right? I heard there are no women in those bandit dens. If you guys have… needs, how do you deal with them? Or do you swing the other way? Why don't you tell us how different it is to be with a man instead of a woman?"

He kept going, getting more and more carried away.

My face was blank as I grabbed my teacup and splashed the tea right in his face. He screamed in response.

Jordan had been dying for me to cause trouble, so he jumped in immediately, practically buzzing with excitement. "Julian, how can you mess around on such an important day? Someone, grab him!"

The servants all rushed at me. My blood was already boiling with anger, so I kicked anyone who came near aside. They flew into the tables, spilling food and drinks all over the floor in a complete mess.

The guests screamed and scattered in all directions; the scene turned into pure chaos.

"What on earth are you doing?"

Father hurried over with a princess in tow. His face was like thunder as he took in the sight before him.

I'd swung a punch at Jordan amid the chaos. He clutched his bruised cheek and ran to Father, looking upset. "Father, I just wanted Julian to talk a bit about what life was like in the bandit stronghold, and he started attacking people out of nowhere."

The heir I'd doused with tea chimed in right on cue. "What else would you expect from someone raised by bandits? He doesn't hold a candle to Jordan!"

Chapter 4

The princess, who'd been silent this whole time, suddenly spoke up. "Is that so? I actually think Mr. Julian is loyal and righteous. Even the bandits in that mountain stronghold are good people."

Everyone fell silent. Even Father, who had been all set to tear into me, just stared at her in a daze.

The princess walked up to me, her eyes bright with delight. "Mr. Julian, don't you remember me? I'm Holly."

Surprise flashed in my eyes. "It's you!"

Three years ago, my fellow bandits and I had gone to a town to rob the rich and help the poor. We happened to run into an assassination attempt on Princess Holly and stepped in to save her life.

I had no idea she was a princess.

Princess Holly was so excited to see me that she could barely contain herself. "So you're the long-lost son Lord Shaw has been searching for all these years. Here—take this token. If you ever need anything in the future, come to me at the Princess' Manor."

A token to the princess's personal residence was something people would kill to get their hands on. Everyone turned to look at me with open envy.

Jordan stared at the token in my hand, jealousy and rage churning in his eyes. He roared, "Your Highness, how can you give something like that to a traitor?"

His outburst stunned everyone.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he pulled out a forged letter of collusion. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was crystal clear.

"One of the maids found this while cleaning Julian's room this morning. He's planning to team up with the bandits and defect to the enemy kingdom. He wants to destroy the Shaw family!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire hall fell silent. Jordan was accusing me of high treason. He clearly wanted me dead.

My expression, calm until now, turned ice-cold in an instant. Princess Holly frowned and took the letter, disbelief written all over her face.

Jordan spoke up again, his voice tinged with the eagerness of someone trying to claim credit. "Don't worry, Your Highness. I already had General Locke take her troops up the mountain this morning to wipe out the bandits. I have a map of the stronghold that Julian drew himself. We'll catch them off guard and take them all in one strike."

He pulled out a folded sheet of paper as he spoke, his voice practically trembling with urgency.

Blood rushed to my head, and my ears buzzed. I lunged forward and clamped my hand around his throat, my eyes turning bloodshot. "If anything happens to my friends, I swear I'll drag you to hell with me!"

With that, I shoved him away, grabbed a horse, and rode straight for Javilon's outskirts.

Dusk was closing in. By now, something had probably already happened at the stronghold. At that thought, I pushed the horse even faster.

I'd barely cleared the city gates when I saw the lead general marching back in, escorting a large crowd—my fellow bandits from the stronghold.

My heart dropped like a stone, then eased back into my chest when I saw that not a single one of them was injured.

Greg was walking at the very front. His eyes lit up when he spotted me.

I led my horse and walked alongside them as they headed into Javilon. When we passed Shaw Manor, Jordan rushed out and stopped in front of the general's horse, blocking her path.

He shouted to the crowd that had gathered to watch, "Everyone, remember those menaces who stole your food last year? It was them! General Locke raided their stronghold today to wipe out these bandits and avenge us!"

The people instantly exploded, shouting at the top of their lungs, "General Locke, you're our hero! Kill every last one of these animals!"

Their voices grew louder and louder, egged on by Jordan.

"Curse you!" I charged forward and punched him hard in the face, knocking him flat on his back. His cheek swelled up immediately, and he spat out two teeth.

He glared daggers at me and yelled at General Locke, "What are you standing around for, Robin? That bastard's in league with the bandits. Seize him, too!"

Robin Locke swung down from her horse and walked straight toward us.

Jordan looked at me with smug satisfaction. "You're finished, Julian."