Clark, like a nimble bird, circled through the air, flew out the window, and arrived above the hillside estate. With one breath, he made the entire manor look brand-new.
Lex, whose hair had only been slightly tousled, smoothed the loose strands at his temple and sighed inwardly. He remembered what Schiller had once said: You could never humiliate a true friend, because they were willing to do anything for you, no matter whether it was making a mountain out of a molehill or making them look ridiculous.
Clark flew back and landed in front of Lex. Lex could tell that he was visibly excited, but having grown up surrounded by the luxury of Luthor Manor, he could not see what was so special about this estate.
"I'm considering renovating it." Lex walked over to the window and sat down. "I bought this land. The location is quite good. It overlooks all of Gotham, and you can hear the church bells. The only problem is that it's a little too old."
"What? You want to tear this place down and rebuild it?" Clark came over as well. "No, don't do that, Lex. This is a historical building."
"Actually, it isn't." Lex snorted. "About twenty years ago, some wealthy businessman visited Wayne Manor and made a clumsy imitation of that genuinely protected landmark."
"Not at all." Clark sat down across from Lex, pulled his chair closer, and rested his arms on the table. "He recreated those vintage artistic styles very well. They're almost indistinguishable from the real thing."
"They're still fake."
"But they're beautiful." Clark looked up and surveyed the entire hall again. "And it doesn't feel like Wayne Manor. It's completely different. There isn't that... I don't know how to put it. That feeling of sadness and gloom."
Lex followed his