Chapter 177.1

Chapter 177.1

When he came to his senses, the surroundings were quiet.

The silence was deep and dark like an abyss, and Yuri felt a chill as he opened his eyes.

Ugh! When he touched his swollen forehead, he found thick gauze stuck to it. Yuri stiffened his face in shock.

He didn’t know when it had happened, but his grandfather was looking down at him, motionless like a statue.

“Where am I…”

“You have slept for a whole day.”

“…!”

A whole day has passed? Looking at the palm-sized window, he saw a bright red sunset. Yuri held his throbbing forehead and tried to recall his memories.

He had been running across the lake when his grandfather caught him, and he had fallen on the ice. There had definitely been a child in his arms…

Had the moment he briefly woke up been a dream? His stomach churned, and he couldn’t remember anything at all.

Soon, Yuri looked down at his empty hands and asked.

“Grandfather, have you locked me up?”

He chuckled as he glanced at the toilet beside the bed.

“You’ll be busy preparing for your birthday party for the next few days.”

The sudden statement made Yuri even angrier. What was so important about that birthday?

“Where is that child?”

“Many people will come. People like me who supported and followed the Kremlin, my rotten old classmates, students, and friends… I have even invited the president’s son and daughter-in-law. It will be a long-awaited gathering. Starting with the president’s head-”

Solzhenitsyn pointed to himself.

“- to his arms, legs, heart, lungs, I’ve gathered everyone. It will be a grand feast.”

“Grandfather!”

What’s so important about that political display!

Yuri thought of the little child, whom Maxim Solzhenitsyn seemed to ignore.

‘You, who married someone with black hair and even had a child! Yet you still treat children with black hair like inhumanely.’

The disgust made his teeth grind.

“Don’t discriminate people based on their background.”

As he shot back, his grandfather frowned, as if he didn’t understand.

“You’re saying strange things. It’s because we discriminate against people that we can love.”

“…!”

“Just as I only discriminate for Darya.”

Maxim silently knelt and stood up.

“I’ll talk to your grandmother, so don’t cause any more trouble and just stay here quietly.”

“….”

“The guest of honor shouldn’t have a bruised face on the day of the party. I’ll make sure you have meat for all three meals, so clear your plate.”

Yuri couldn’t argue back.

He had spent several days in that cramped room. Every time he looked at the toilet right in front of him, he felt a flush of humiliation, but there was nothing he could do but suppress his anger.

When he finally came to his senses, the servants began to submerge him in the bathtub and groom him. Yuri pushed them away, quickly washed his hair, and headed to Maxim’s office.

“Da*n, what kind of birthday is this?”

Breathing heavily, he inadvertently glanced out the window, and the garden, now adorned in vibrant colors, caught his eye.

Whose set is this supposed to be for? He felt like the only fool in the midst of it all.

Just then, Yuri spotted Maxim’s back and hurried down the stairs. As he pushed open the thick door of the room, petals were already falling from the sky.

“Yuri, happy birthday!”

At the same time, many people surrounded him to celebrate his birthday. Yuri barely managed to hide his crumpled expression and let out a quiet breath. He pushed through the crowd, searching for Maxim.

Everyone he brushed past had familiar faces.

While his grandfather pledged loyalty to the dictator, he had systematically gathered this group.

They were the support base of the current President of Russia, a collection of people who had enjoyed wealth and pleasure for a long time. All of them were relatives, friends, and classmates of his grandfather.

“Grandfather!”

Maxim looked him up and down slowly, from head to toe, as he walked over. Yuri frowned at the intense gaze, as if he were trying to engrave it in his memory.

“The guest of honor has arrived.”

He exaggeratedly opened his arms and embraced his grandson.

Yuri stiffened his expression but, considering the attention of the people, wrapped his arms around Maxim’s back. Damn. He gritted his teeth and asked in a hushed voice.

“Grandfather, what’s that circus tent for?”

“I called in a performance that my friends enjoy. Why?”

“What kind of nonsense is that for someone my age?”

“Some people deliberately watch those who crawl on the ground to confirm their superiority. They plan together, collude, assist, remain silent, and enjoy. I built this fortress for that.”

Yuri frowned as if he had heard something unpleasant. Laughter and chatter echoed all around, but his grandfather seemed oddly detached. Maxim gazed up at the Winter Castle with profound eyes.

“But looking at it this way, it seems old and rotten.”

“That?”

It was nonsense.

Yuri looked at the grand and magnificent mansion with fresh eyes. This was where his parents were born, grew up, and ultimately passed away.

The Winter Castle was a symbolic place that supported the Kremlin, evoking admiration and reverence in people just by its existence. That’s why his classmates had often hinted at wanting to be taken to the Winter Castle.

After a brief hug, Yuri quickly pulled away and suddenly realized that none of his classmates were here. The only peers of similar age were relatives he only knew by face.

“Grandfather, is this really my birthday party?”