Emperor's New Clothes

Chapter 8: Attack the Demon King's Castle, Great Hero!

"H-huh?" He was dumbfounded.

He. Actually. FORGOT.

"Ahmm... G-ge(je)..." Maybe he would just find a word that resembles his last name,... should he?..

"Ge?" Joanne tilt her head waiting for him to continue.

Damn, damn, damn!

What should he choose?

Gerry?

Geric?

Ge...

What the heck!

He unconsciously roam his eyes.

"Oh! Ace! My name is Ace!" He blurted out after seeing three middle-aged man playing cards on the table beside him.

"Ace..." She muttered his 'name' slowly as if memorizing the short word straight to the deepest part of her brain. "Ace Michaels. What a beautiful name..." Joanne brightly smile at him again.

"Y-yeah... Isn't it...?" He awkwardly laugh and scratch his fingers to his hair.

Whoa,... It's good he didn't chose a stupid name in the heat of the moment...

Joanne seemed to want to say something but she's interrupted by the ringing of her phone.

She pick it up and put it on speaker.

"Joanne dear..."

Ace could feel his heart churn the moment he heard the anxious and hesitant voice from the receiver.

"Grandma~~!" Joanne answered.

The other line was silent for a moment. "Is what you just said earlier ... T-true?"

Joanne look at him and smiled. "Of course, grandma. I just met my cousin Ace here earlier. In fact, he's also listening." She move the phone closer to him, urging him to talk to their 'grandmother'.

"H-hello..." he tried his hardest not to choke but he did.

The cry full of a strange mix of grief and joy made Joanne's eyes water again and Ace's heart finally break to dust.

just how much pain did he caused her to make his strong and powerful mother reduce to this state?

Ace felt as if every single second is a needle stabbing straight to his already battered heart,

"Oh, my poor Grandchild!"

Joanne and him instantly look at where the sound came from.

There they saw a grief-stricken but still beautiful and elegant elderly woman supported by a group of panicked doctors and surrounded by 4 well-built fierce bodyguards in black suits and a middle aged man with soft curls, droopy eyes and a brown conservative attire.

the girl beside him immediately run calling out to the old woman but Ace, even if he would die to do so, can't

He was stunned rooted to the spot. his whole body involuntarily stiffened as he gawk with fear to the seemingly gentle but actually rotten to the core middle aged man following behind the group.

He felt as if time stopped as he appeared like a prey standing in front of it's predator...

just like a poor little mouse stiff in fear and utterly hopeless in the presence of a cold blooded foe.

shit shit shit.

Warning bells rang and Curses cursed chaotically inside his mind but he wasn't given even a slim chance to muster the courage to do anything about it...