Family Dinner and Roast Pork Belly

For the next few hours, the restaurant fell into a deathly silence.

There were no warm greetings of reunion, no polite small talk, only the soft, hesitant footsteps of servants carrying silver platters in and out. The occasional clinking of silver cutlery against porcelain plates sounded particularly jarring in the empty room.

The deathly silence didn't last long. For Lucas, who was in a period of restlessness, this repression was even more unbearable than being confined.

"Mother, how much longer are we going to wait?" Lucas slammed his fist on the table, the metallic clang of metal hitting a porcelain plate particularly jarring. "The food's getting cold, why aren't you cutting it yet?"

"Wait a little longer, your father will be coming down to eat with us later," Mrs. Elena said coldly.

"That old man..." Lucas almost blurted out the derogatory term, but swallowed it back under Elena's gaze, and changed his words, "Father was actually able to come downstairs for dinner today? Wasn't he unable to speak even the day before yesterday?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Elena's eyes; she didn't know what was going on either.

The restaurant's heavy double doors were pushed open once again.

As if on cue, two knights carefully carried a high-backed chair down from upstairs to bring down the frail Baron Harandil.

"Father!"

"You've arrived."

You look well.

The ice-cold dining table instantly "warmed up".

Mrs. Elena quickly adopted the look of a worried and virtuous wife, and stepped forward to help her up.

Lucas, like a well-behaved porcelain doll, stood quietly to the side with his head bowed.

Ye Wei'an stood up and bowed, and at this moment, the family staged an extremely absurd "family reunion".

Now that the head of the family has taken his seat, the welcoming banquet officially begins.

The servants filed in and lifted the silver tablecloth.

Dinner was very much in the style of a country aristocrat in Cormier, completely different from what Yevian had seen in Susar:

The main course was charcoal-grilled deer spine, freshly hunted from the Cormier Forest, drizzled with a rich red wine and black pepper sauce; the side dishes were finely chopped creamy mushrooms and baked mashed potatoes sprinkled with rosemary; and to take care of the Baron's health, a small bowl of white bass soup that had been simmering for several hours was also prepared.

According to the procedure, the head of the household, Baron Harlandil, should give the toast first.

He raised his glass shakily and looked at Ye Weian.

"Ye Wei'an, you've given me such a wonderful surprise this time you're back," the Baron's voice was hoarse but filled with heartfelt relief. "Your four years in Susar were worthwhile. The Xia Xing family has finally produced another true spellcaster. Thank goodness, this is the only good news I've heard these past few days."

"Father, you flatter me." Ye Wei'an nodded politely.

"The Baron's spirits have improved a lot since Ye Weian returned." Lady Elena chimed in with a forced smile, her voice tinged with undisguised bitterness, as she held a silk handkerchief in her hand.

"Haha, this is all thanks to Ye Weian." Baron Harandil praised him generously in front of everyone. "He really learned some real skills in Susar. His magic makes me feel much better... This is a hundred times better than those lazy bums in the territory! If anyone dares to spread those rumors about him again, I'll send them to the stables for the rest of their lives!"

Upon hearing the words "Ye Wei'an's contribution" and "a hundred times stronger," the expressions of the two people sitting opposite them were quite interesting.

Mrs. Elena's smile froze on her face, her hands, painted with bright red nail polish, gripped the napkin tightly, her forced elegance on the verge of crumbling.

She had painstakingly cultivated this image for many years, all to make everyone believe that Ye Wei'an was a useless illegitimate child.

But the Baron's words were undoubtedly an endorsement of that bastard in front of everyone.

Lucas, standing to the side, could not hide his thoughts any longer. The flames of jealousy in his eyes were almost bursting out. He was the legitimate son, he was the future lord. Why did that bastard get such high praise from his father as soon as he returned?

Unfortunately, the Baron was there, so he had to suppress whatever he was thinking.

-----------------

For Baron Harandil, this was probably the most enjoyable meal he had had in a long time.

My health has recovered somewhat, and I have several close relatives by my side, enjoying the bliss of family life.

As long as he utters a word, whether it's Serena, Lucas, or Yevian, they will respond happily, always making him beam with joy.

But apart from that, the people at both ends of the long table didn't even exchange glances.

Although the old baron's body recovered somewhat thanks to the magic, the Lesser Restoration spell was ultimately just an ordinary spell; it could awaken a dormant spirit, but it could not stop the hourglass-like loss of life force.

The meal lasted less than half an hour before the old baron began to show signs of fatigue.

"Take...me back," he muttered. "You guys...enjoyed your meal!"

"Yes, Father!"

"Don't worry, Harandil, I'll take good care of Yevian."

Goodnight, Father!

The two knights steadily lifted the armchair and carried him back to his bedroom.

The moment the Baron disappeared through the door, the last vestiges of warmth in the restaurant vanished without a trace.

Lady Elena slowly put down her silver fork, her once gentle gaze turning as cold as an icicle.

Lucas, on the other hand, seemed like a different person, staring intently at Ye Weian with a stern face.

Ye Wei'an ignored this.

Now that the real elders have left, he no longer needs to play the role of a filial son.

Under the hostile gazes of Elena and Lucas, he began to focus on the food in front of him.

His movements remained elegant, but he ate at an astonishingly fast pace, the food disappearing from his plate with remarkable efficiency.

Soon, Ye Wei'an had eaten and drunk his fill.

After swallowing the last sip of red wine, he elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin, and without even saying goodbye, got up and walked towards the restaurant door.

"Ye Wei'an, stop right there."

Before he left the restaurant, Mrs. Serena called him back.

"Is there anything else you need, Madam?" Ye Wei'an stopped and turned to look at her. "If you're waiting for an evaluation, I must say that tonight's dinner was very lavish, and I'm certainly full."

"Ye Wei'an, there are no outsiders here, there's no need for you to put on an act for me." Serena said with a gloomy face, dismissing the trembling servants around her, leaving only a few trusted confidants to guard the distance.

She stared at Ye Wei'an and asked bluntly, "What exactly do you want to do now that you've come back?"

"That's an interesting remark, Madam." Ye Wei'an feigned a perfectly timed look of confusion. "Didn't Father ask me to come back?"

"Besides, with Father seriously ill, shouldn't the eldest son, as the son, return home to visit him...?"

"Enough! Don't play dumb with me." Serena slammed her hand on the table, making the cutlery clatter.

Lucas was startled and shrank back, not daring to utter a sound.

"You brought back Fane of 'Grey Raven' and that idiot Grumman from all that way and locked them in the family dungeon, deliberately letting everyone see them. Wasn't that all for my benefit?"

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Name your price, Ye Weian. By the goddess Woking, everything has a price. What conditions do you want to hand those two over to me?"

Lucas listened in complete bewilderment, having no idea what was happening.

Ye Wei'an burst out laughing as if he had heard an extremely absurd joke.

"What are you laughing at?" Serena's eyelids twitched, and an uneasy premonition welled up in her heart.

"I laugh at your naiveté, Madam." Ye Wei'an turned around, his eyes now cold and indifferent. "Do you think that once they're dead, your debts of bribery, smuggling, embezzling territory assets, and colluding with bandits to indiscriminately kill innocent people will disappear without a trace, and you'll be safe?"

Upon hearing the word "smuggling," Serena's breath caught in her throat.

"You—" She stared intently at Ye Wei'an.

That's exactly what she's worried about most.

That greedy bastard Finn must still have all the letters and accounts from their interactions over the years. If those things fall into Ye Wei'an's hands, she will not only lose control of Firefall Valley, but may even face the noose from the royal court.

"Don't be so greedy," Serena's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth. "This is Firefall Fortress of the Xia Xing family. As long as I am the mistress of this place, your delusions will never come true. Taking the wealth you want back to Susar will be good for everyone."

Seeing his mother being threatened like this, Lucas finally couldn't take it anymore:

"What right do you have to threaten my mother like this! You mere bastard with the blood of a lowly Eastern race, you should kneel down and be grateful for the conditions my mother gives you, then get back to Susar!!"

Ye Wei'an was originally able to negotiate calmly, and even planned to ignore Lucas as an incompetent fool.

But when he heard the insults directed at his bloodline and mother, his face instantly turned cold.

"Sheenworth won't punish idiots, but I will."

Without saying a word, he pointed his right hand into the air.

"call--!"

Without any warning, a strange blue-white flame spread across Lucas's magnificent silk robe, covering his entire body in the blink of an eye.

"Ah!! Fire! Help!"

The arrogant shouts and curses came to an abrupt halt, replaced by heart-wrenching screams.

Lucas transformed into a blue-white fireball, rolling wildly on the ground.