My father is Duke Harrison, a decorated war hero covered in glory. My mother is the daughter of the former Chief Advisor, a man who once held immense power.

But my two older brothers? To curry favor with a street kid they took in, they let him steal my identity.

At my own Investiture Gala, Silas blocked my path, sneering, "A sickly weakling like you thinks you deserve this honor?"

"The brothers already promised I would receive the title today. You should crawl back to the back shed and stop embarrassing everyone."

In my past life, I was terrified of my brothers hating me, so I became a coward, letting Silas walk all over me.

But now, I've been reborn.

Looking at Silas's smug face and my brothers acting like they'd already won, I sent him flying with a kick. "A beggar like you dares block my path!"

1

No one expected me, the one who always backed down, to actually get physical.

The guests froze. I immediately ordered Thompson, the butler, to drag him out.

Thompson shot me a nervous glance, then hesitantly helped Silas up. "Young Master Silas handles most affairs in the household... The investiture is crucial, young master. Perhaps you should go rest..."

My eyes turned ice-cold. I smirked. "I wasn't aware an outsider could call the shots in Duke Harrison's household."

Hearing this, Thompson trembled even more, his eyes darting towards Silas, who was scrambling up from the floor, furious.

I didn't wait for his answer. I grabbed a teacup from the table beside me and hurled it at the insolent servant.

"A household servant conspiring with an outsider to defy his master? Perhaps he should be beaten immediately."

In my past life, this old fool ignored my father's instructions. Trusting in my brothers' favor, he helped them torment me endlessly.

He didn't just short me on food and clothes; helping Silas torture me to death wasn't enough. He even desecrated my body and left it exposed outside the city walls.

The butler was shaking like a leaf, terrified. He wouldn't dare touch me now. He dropped to his knees instantly. "Forgive me, master! Spare this old servant's life!"

"Ethan, how has this house wronged you that you resort to violence and still dream of receiving the title?" Silas cried out, playing the victim, as if I were the villain. The crowd started murmuring at his act.

Silas's buddy, Caleb Miller, son of Governor Miller, was livid. He stormed up to me, pointing right in my face. "You're just some broke freeloader! How dare you disrupt Silas's investiture today!"

"Didn't the Duke adopt a kid years ago to be a guinea pig for the young master's treatments? I heard the young master was too kind-hearted, didn't use him, and even provided for him."

"That was just some beggar. If the young master hadn't saved him, he'd have frozen to death. Now look at him, biting the hand that fed him."

Back then, I was frail and often sick. When I saved Silas, my brothers thought I planned to use him for experimental treatments and called me cruel, showering Silas with pity instead.

Coming back, I finally get it. My father is the most uniquely honored Duke in the country, incredibly powerful and wealthy. As his legitimate son, why should I be overshadowed by Silas, a mere charity case, and two lackeys from minor branches of the family?

Thinking this, my gaze sliced into Caleb Miller like a knife.

"And who the hell are you? The son of a mere Governor dares interfere in the Duke's family matters? Even your father wouldn't dare speak to me like that!"

Caleb clearly didn't expect me to clap back in public. His face flushed crimson with rage. He lunged, swinging his hand, but I dodged easily and slapped him hard across the face.

"You piece of trash! You hit me? I'm the Governor's son!" he roared in disbelief.

Gasps erupted from the crowd. Silas was furious, his face red.

He snarled at the servants who were lowering their heads, afraid to intervene: "This lowlife's gone crazy! Tie him up and throw him in the shed!"

I swept my gaze over the few servants hesitantly grabbing ropes, my eyes glinting dangerously. "I am the Duke's son. You dare touch me?"

Silas flinched, a flicker of panic crossing his face before he quickly covered it with rage. "What nonsense are you spouting! Everyone in the capital knows you're just the kid who cleans the chamber pots in the Duke's manor!"

The others clearly didn't believe me.

"Silas is right. He must have really lost it."

"Duke Harrison leads armies and wins great victories, but his own son is being bullied like this at his investiture ceremony."

I calmly instructed my loyal aide, Miles, beside me: "Go tell my two brothers that this Silas brazenly claims he'll receive my title. Isn't he afraid of committing fraud against the state?"

Miles looked at me, hesitant. My brothers doted on Silas, indulging his every whim. If they found out I'd hit him, I'd likely face severe family discipline.

Seeing his worried expression, I gave him a firm nod. Go. Quickly.

Silas sneered triumphantly. "Still haven't learned your place, huh? Let's see how you handle this when the brothers get here."

In my past life, the brothers I'd looked up to since childhood let me be bullied, let Silas torture me to death.

As I lay dying in agony, I begged them to save me, but they complained my blood was dirtying Silas's hands.

I was tortured to death, my body left exposed in the wilds for dogs to devour. Now, I've crawled back from hell. Let's see who doesn't let who off the hook.

2

A moment later, Miles ran back in, head bowed, looking guilty and pained. "Master Silas will proceed with the investiture. The young master should just behave himself."

Of course. No matter how I was mistreated, it was nothing in their eyes.

Silas snickered. "See? You made him run for nothing..."

Before he could finish, someone burst in energetically.

It was my fiancée, Sophia Patton, daughter of the General.

Miles thought she was here to help me, his worried expression vanishing. I just shook my head with a small, humorless smile.

When we were kids, she followed me around constantly, saying she'd marry me when we grew up, pestering her father to arrange the betrothal and exchange family tokens. But ever since she met Silas, she became obsessed, helping him humiliate me.

Sophia anxiously looked Silas up and down, as if terrified he'd lost a single hair.

Then she turned to me, her face full of disgust. "A beggar. I can't believe I was fooled by you, actually thinking you were the Duke's son. Thank goodness the Heir told me the truth. If I had actually married you..."

"The General's family would have been a laughingstock!"

My own fiancée confirmed the lie about my identity.

That instantly changed the minds of anyone who might have still half-believed me.

This whole drama got everyone else whispering, their curious eyes darting between us. Silas's smugness grew more obvious.

To help Silas further, Sophia's face hardened. She ripped the pendant from her waist. "Take back this engagement token! A lowlife like you will probably only ever marry some cheap street girl!"

Watching Sophia's resolute act, I remembered my past life. After my death, the President was furious. Sophia knelt before my uncle, the President, weeping, insisting she had always loved me, that she was just misled by villains into doing such foolish things.

It was so laughable, I couldn't help but chuckle.

Sophia's face darkened. "What are you laughing at..."

"I'm laughing at how blind you are, mistaking trash for treasure. Breaking off our engagement for a beggar. I wonder what the old General will say when he finds out."

My words made the crowd gasp.

"Silas is the beggar?"

"But why are the Duke's older sons letting him receive the title?"

The murmurs started again, everyone's eyes shifting between Silas and me.

Me: handsome features, sharp eyes, an air of inherent nobility.

Him: dressed in fine clothes, but his eyes and posture still screamed cunning, vulgarity, and a cheap imitation.

Silas turned pale, swaying slightly. He quickly retorted, "If you're really the Duke's son, why won't your brothers let you receive the title instead of me?"

Sophia sneered, "Silas is too kind-hearted to expose you! And now you turn around and accuse him!"

Their words flipped the situation again. Caleb Miller, who had just been embarrassed, regained his confidence.

"He's just a beggar! If I beat you dead today, no one would stand up for you. Let me teach you a lesson for Silas!"

Several other young men from prominent families chimed in, ordering their guards to grab me. They kicked my legs out from under me, forcing me to my knees.

"Teach him how to apologize properly," one said, then they forced my head down, slamming it against the floor again and again, until the ground was stained with blood.

Sophia pulled Silas behind her. "It's too dirty. Don't let it offend your eyes."

Silas smirked triumphantly. "I told you not to cross me. You don't have a say in this family, do you?"

I defiantly raised my head, glaring at him. "Mother is coming back soon! Then none of you will get away with this!"

After the ceremony, my father returns triumphant from the war. The President, having already honored him greatly, will shower me with rewards.

That's why these people are rushing to suck up now.

But in my past life, I didn't even live to see Father return; Silas framed me. I never saw my father again before I closed my eyes for the last time.

Silas crouched down, whispering mockingly in my ear, "You really are naive. The Pattons command significant military power. As long as I marry Sophia, who would dare touch me?"

Thinking of how yielding in my past life only led to a miserable death, I wouldn't let him go this time.

3

I struggled violently, trying to fight back. Before I could land a blow, a furious voice boomed: "Absurd!"

My two older brothers strode in. The others instantly let me go, frightened.

A flicker of panic crossed Silas’s face, but he quickly composed himself.

My second brother, Leo, fussed over Silas, straightening his slightly rumpled clothes.

My eldest brother, Marcus, glanced dismissively at my wretched state after giving Silas a concerned look.

He scolded me publicly, "You crude, worthless dog, daring to disrespect your betters! Why can't you learn from Silas's manners? Maybe then you could find a decent family to marry into someday."

My brothers said things like that all the time in my past life. To please them, I tried desperately to imitate Silas, only for them to mock me as a pathetic imitation.

I finally understood. If people don't care about you, nothing you do will make them see you differently.

Thinking this, I gave a cold laugh. "Learn what from Silas? His phony victim act? Or his talent for identity theft?"

Afraid of getting caught in the crossfire, the other young men quickly blamed everything on me.

"He even dares talk back to the Heir! No wonder he bullies Silas."

"Exactly! He was insulting Silas and trying to steal his title. If we hadn't protected Silas, who knows what crazy thing he would have done."

Sophia stepped forward indignantly. "A lowlife like him isn't fit to touch a single hair on Silas's head! Today, in front of the Heir, I officially break off our engagement!"

Leo looked apologetic towards her. "It's our fault. We failed to discipline this troublemaker. It truly shames both our families."

Seeing the alliance between the Harrison and Patton families shattered because of me...

Marcus frowned. "The Harrison family has no place for such a disgraceful degenerate. Silas is my only true brother."

Silas's eyes widened in surprise, then he lowered his head, sighing dramatically. "It's my fault for not managing things better, letting a mere beggar dream of replacing the real heir. I was wrong."

His words made the three of them feel incredibly sorry for him. Sophia immediately took out the marriage contract and ripped it to shreds on the spot.

She carefully took the engagement locket she’d taken from me and hung it on Silas's belt.

She announced loudly, "All our esteemed guests are here today. It should be perfectly clear who deserves this honor. I, Sophia Patton, declare that the man I intend to marry is Silas of the Harrison household!"

Amidst cheers and congratulations, Silas shot me a triumphant, smug look.

I ignored his provocation. Whoever wanted a fickle woman like her could have her.

Seeing I showed no remorse…

Leo turned to Marcus, his voice hardening. "Marcus, today Ethan publicly defied his superiors and embarrassed Silas. But, out of mercy, perhaps we should just cut out his tongue, make him a mute servant, and send him off to the country estate."

Marcus seemed hesitant. "If you admit you were wrong right now, in front of everyone, and then go kneel in the study all night, we can let this go."

The smile on Silas's face froze for a second. He put on a wounded expression. "It's alright, brothers. Don't be angry on my account. I don't care about these empty titles anyway."

"But brother," he added, looking at me, "even if you're being willful, you shouldn't disgrace the Harrison name."

His words instantly made Marcus’s impatience flare up visibly.

"You still refuse to admit you're wrong?"

Ha. These were the brothers I grew up adoring.

They weren't always this wealthy and privileged. It was only because I liked trailing after them as a child that my mother formally adopted them – sons from a side branch of the family – under her name, securing the title of Heir for Marcus early on.

I stiffened my neck, wanting to slap my past self. How could I have been so stupid, wasting my loyalty on dogs?

Marcus turned, his face grim, and ordered the servants: "Do as Leo said. Take him to the back, cut out his tongue, then dump him at the country estate. If he doesn't learn his lesson, he's never coming back."

I lifted my head, meeting Marcus’s gaze coldly. "What right do you have to kick me out? Even the Head of the Clan wouldn't dare suggest disowning me or cutting out my tongue."

Leo scoffed. "Father and Mother aren't here. Of course, Marcus, as the Heir, has the authority to handle family matters."

Marcus announced gravely, "This Investiture Gala is for Silas. This Ethan Harrison has nothing to do with our family."

Silas smugly told a servant, "Things happened suddenly, so all the family carriages will be needed for our guests later. Just find a simple cart outside the estate to haul him away."

Just as they were about to grab me and drag me off…

A furious voice boomed from the doorway: "You two degenerates! Who are you saying is my son? Have the guts to say it again to my face!"