This was the absolute limit of what he could endure in a public setting. According to the strict family traditions and rigorous upbringing he had been subjected to since childhood in his previous world, one's conduct in front of guests or outsiders had to be impeccable. Whether eating, standing, lying down, or sitting, everything had to follow a specific set of rules and regulations. One had to stand as straight as a pine tree, unyielding and majestic, and sit as steady as a heavy bronze bell, grounded and immovable. No matter how much pain one was in, no matter how exhausted the body felt, one was never permitted to slouch, lean carelessly, or utter a single word of complaint.
However, ever since he had arrived in this world, Julian Sterling had gradually been spoiled rotten by Ethan Caldwell. The constant pampering and attentive care had softened the steel in his spine, making his tolerance for physical discomfort significantly lower than it had been in his past life.
