Two Reborn, One Throne novel Chapter 62

Lucian slept incredibly well today. After spending fifty bucks on a massive takeout feast last night, he went to sleep with the AC blasting. It felt amazing.

He was a bit frustrated. If he hadn't been reborn, he would be holding a million-dollar glass of wine right now, eating premium seafood, living in a mansion, and enjoying the high life.

Now that he had to relive his past, he had to endure this rough patch for a little longer. It wasn't a huge deal. As long as he could be with Joanne, he just had to wait twenty-five days until he was completely free.

He could take Joanne wherever she wanted, spend as much money on her as he pleased, and give her everything he never gave Amber.

Thinking of this, he grabbed his phone from under his pillow to call Joanne and wish her a good morning, ready to tell her how much he missed her. Before he could dial, he heard the front door unlocking. He frowned. His mom was in the hospital, and the only people with the keys to this apartment were him, his mom, and Arthur's family.

Who was coming over on a weekend?

Was Amber finally backing down, coming over to clean and cook for him?

He scoffed. She really had no shame, trying this hard to win him back.

Of course, it could also be Arthur.

Lucian threw off the covers, ready to unleash a sarcastic remark. Whether it was Amber or Arthur, he held nothing but disdain for them. Naturally, if they insisted on shamelessly serving him, he would accept it—but only on his terms.

However—

As soon as the door opened, his smug smirk vanished. It was Grace, and she immediately started screaming at him. "Lucian, did we get robbed?! I was gone for three days and you turned the place into a pigsty! You've been ordering takeout? You haven't even washed the clothes piled in the bathroom? Arthur, am I in the wrong apartment?"

Grace couldn't believe her eyes. She had just successfully manipulated Arthur into ditching that hussy to follow her to the grocery store, only to walk into an indescribable stench.

She opened the door to find her prized two-bedroom apartment—usually a pristine symbol of her modest elegance—smelling like a literal garbage dump.

The vintage coffee table she bought at the flea market last year, the one she barely let warm mugs touch, was currently overflowing with greasy takeout containers from last night. The floor tiles were slick with oil, and the washcloth Lucian had left soaking in the bathroom sink days ago was now a breeding ground for mosquitoes. His dirty clothes were strewn all over the floor.

Was this really her apartment?

Ah!!!

Grace was having a breakdown.

She knew she had raised her son to be pampered, expecting everything to be handed to him on a silver platter, but she never imagined someone could be this lazy.

Wait, didn't Arthur say Amber was already helping out at the diner? Why hadn't she cleaned the apartment? Even if her son refused to apologize to Amber, what about Arthur?

During her days in the hospital, her son was literally eating trash and living in a dumpster!

Arthur was equally shocked.

"Don't call me that." Grace acted as if she had suffered the ultimate betrayal, beating her chest with one hand and pointing at Arthur with the other. "He's just a boy. Are you a child too? You knew they were fighting, so why couldn't you bother to check on him?"

"Takeout?! I scrimp and save on food and clothes so he can have the absolute best. You know that for twelve years, I've never let him suffer a single hardship. I go to the hospital for a few days, and you put on quite a show! You acted so perfectly in front of me, but if I hadn't come home today, I wouldn't have known my son was eating garbage, wearing unwashed clothes, and living in filth!"

"Arthur, he's going abroad to a top university after graduation! How could you be so cruel? How am I supposed to trust you with anything after this?"

She sobbed hysterically, making it seem like this entire disaster was entirely Arthur's fault.

"Didn't you want to get married? Take a look around! How can I marry you when you act like this? Twelve years, Arthur! How could you break my heart like this?"

Grace wailed with gut-wrenching dramatic flair.

Arthur was instantly consumed by guilt. "Grace, I'm so sorry. It's my fault. I thought..." He gritted his teeth. "Please don't be angry. You just got out of the hospital, you need to rest. Sit down, I'll clean this up right now. Lucian, get your mom some water before she makes herself sick from stress."

Without hesitation, Arthur rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning.

Lucian raised an eyebrow. His mother's logic was completely twisted, but he understood perfectly that she was doing it on purpose. How else was she going to keep stringing Arthur along to do her dirty work?

It was annoying, but why pass up free labor? Just as Lucian was leaning back, completely unfazed while Arthur scrubbed the coffee table, Arthur's phone rang.