Family Dinner and Roasted Suckling Pig

The dining room fell into a deathly silence for the remainder of the time.

There were no pleasantries of reunion, no polite small talk, only the faint, skittering footsteps of servants trembling as they carried silver platters in and out. The occasional clink of silver cutlery against porcelain plates sounded jarringly harsh in the cavernous room.

The suffocating silence could not last long; for Lucas, who was currently in a volatile phase, this repression was even more unbearable than being grounded.

"Mother, how much longer must we wait?" Lucas slammed his hand against the table, the sound of metal striking porcelain grating on the nerves. "The food is going cold. Why aren't we eating?"

"Wait a little longer. Your father is coming down to eat with us shortly," Lady Elena said coldly.

"That old ba—" Lucas nearly spat out the slur, but swallowed it back under Elena's gaze, changing his tone. "Father is actually able to come downstairs for dinner today? Didn't he say he couldn't even speak the day before yesterday?"

A flash of suspicion crossed Elena's eyes; she had no idea what was going on either.

The heavy double doors of the dining room were pushed open once more.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Two knights were carefully carrying a high-backed chair, moving the frail Baron Harandir down from upstairs.

"Father!"

"You've arrived."

"You look to be in good spirits."

The ice-cellar atmosphere of the dining table instantly "warmed up."

Lady Elena quickly donned the mask of a worried, virtuous wife, stepping forward to help support him; Lucas also stood to the side, head bowed and eyes lowered, like a well-behaved porcelain doll.

Ye Wei'an rose to offer a salute. In this moment, this family performed an incredibly absurd scene of "domestic harmony."

With the head of the house seated, the welcome banquet officially began.

Servants filed in like a school of fish, lifting the silver cloches.

The dinner was very much in the style of the Cormyr rural nobility, completely different from what Ye Wei'an had seen in Suzar:

The main course was charcoal-grilled venison loin, freshly hunted in the forests of Cormyr and drizzled with a rich red wine and black pepper reduction; the side dishes were finely sliced cream-stewed mushrooms and rosemary-dusted mashed potatoes. To accommodate the Baron's health, a small bowl of white bass clear soup, simmered for several hours, had been specially prepared.

According to protocol, the head of the house, Baron Harandir, had to give the toast first.

He raised his wine glass with a trembling hand, looking toward Ye Wei'an.

"Ye Wei'an, you have given me a great surprise with your return this time," the Baron's voice was raspy, yet filled with heartfelt relief. "Your four years in Suzar were not in vain. The Summerstar Family finally has a true spellcaster again. May Sharess protect us; this is the only good news I have heard in these past days."

"Father, you are too kind," Ye Wei'an nodded politely.

"The Baron's spirits have certainly improved since Ye Wei'an returned," Lady Elena chimed in from the side, clutching her silk handkerchief, her smile not reaching her eyes. Her tone was laced with an unconcealable bitterness.

"Haha, this is all thanks to Ye Wei'an," Baron Harandir praised him without reservation in front of everyone. "He truly learned real skills in Suzar. His magic has made me feel much better... This handiwork is a hundred times better than those layabouts in the territory! If anyone dares to spread those rumors about him again, I will have them spend the rest of their lives in the stables!"

Hearing the words "thanks to Ye Wei'an" and "a hundred times better," the expressions on the two people sitting opposite him were spectacular.

Lady Elena's smile froze on her face, her hands, painted with bright red polish, gripping her napkin so tightly that her forced elegance was on the verge of shattering.

She had spent years of painstaking effort trying to make everyone believe that Ye Wei'an was nothing but a useless bastard.

Yet, the Baron's words were undoubtedly an endorsement of that mongrel in full view of everyone.

Lucas, sitting to the side, was even less capable of hiding his thoughts; the flames of jealousy in his eyes were almost ready to erupt. He was the legitimate heir, the future lord—why should that bastard receive such high praise from his father the moment he returned?

It was just a pity that with the Baron present, he had to swallow whatever he was thinking.

For Baron Harandir, this was likely the most pleasant meal he had eaten in a long time.

His body had recovered somewhat, his closest kin were by his side, and he was enjoying the happiness of family life.

As long as he provided a topic, whether it was Selina, Lucas, or Ye Wei'an, they would respond happily, each remark making him beam with joy.

But beyond that, there was not a single shred of eye contact between the people at either end of the long table.

Although the old Baron's body had recovered somewhat through the aid of magic, [Lesser Restoration] was, after all, only a common spell. It could awaken a dormant spirit, but it could not stop the hourglass-like draining of his life force.

Less than half an hour into the meal, the old Baron began to grow weary.

"Send... me back," he muttered. "You all... enjoy your meal!"

"Of course, Father!"

"Rest assured, Harandir, I will take good care of Ye Wei'an."

"Goodnight, Father!"

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

The moment the Baron's figure disappeared through the doorway, the last trace of warmth in the dining room vanished without a trace.

Lady Elena set down her silver fork with measured deliberation, her previously gentle gaze turning as cold as an ice pick; Lucas, meanwhile, looked like a different person, his face dark as he stared fixedly at Ye Wei'an.

Ye Wei'an ignored them entirely.

Since the true elder had left the table, he no longer needed to play the part of the filial son.

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

His movements remained elegant, yet the speed at which he ate was astonishing; the food vanished from his plate with high efficiency.

Soon, Ye Wei'an was full.

After swallowing the last drop of red wine, he elegantly wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin and, without so much as a greeting, stood up and walked toward the dining hall entrance.

"Ye Wei'an, stop."

Before he could exit the dining hall, Lady Selina called out to him.

"Does the Lady have further instructions?" Ye Wei'an paused, turning his head to look at her. "If you are waiting for a review, I must say, tonight's banquet was sumptuous; I am indeed satisfied."

"Ye Wei'an, there are no outsiders here; there is no need to put on a show for me." Selina's face darkened as she dismissed the trembling servants, leaving only a few trusted confidants to stand guard in the distance.

She stared at Ye Wei'an and asked bluntly, "What exactly do you intend to do by returning this time?"

"The Lady's words are quite interesting." Ye Wei'an displayed a perfectly measured look of confusion. "Was it not Father who summoned me back?"

"Besides, Father is gravely ill. As the eldest son, is it not expected that I return to visit..."

"Enough! Do not play dumb with me." Selina slammed the table, causing the tableware to clatter and ring.

Lucas jumped in fright, shrinking his neck and daring not to make a sound.

"You brought Finn of the Gray Crow and that idiot Grumman back from thousands of miles away and locked them in the family dungeon, intentionally letting everyone see them—was that not done to show me?"

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Name your price, Ye Wei'an. By the Goddess Waukeen, everything has a price. What conditions do you require to hand those two over to me?"

Lucas listened from the side, completely bewildered, failing to understand what was happening.

Ye Wei'an laughed out loud, as if he had heard an incredibly absurd joke.

"What are you laughing at?" Selina's eyelid twitched, and a sense of unease welled up in her heart.

"I laugh because the Lady is too naive." Ye Wei'an turned around, his eyes devoid of anything but coldness. "Do you think that as long as they are dead, your rotten accounts of bribery, smuggling, embezzling territory assets, and colluding with bandits to slaughter the innocent will vanish into the sea, and you will be safe?"

Upon hearing the word "smuggling," Selina's breath hitched sharply.

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

This was precisely what she feared most.

That greedy scum Finn surely kept the letters and ledgers of their dealings over the years. If those items fell into Ye Wei'an's hands, she would not only lose control of Firefall Valley but might even face the gallows of the Royal Court.

"Do not be too greedy." Selina's voice sounded as if it were squeezed through her teeth. "This is Firefall Fortress of the Xiaxing House. As long as I am the mistress here, your delusions will never come to pass. Take the wealth you desire and return to Suzar; it will be better for everyone."

Seeing his mother threatened in such a way, Lucas could no longer endure it:

"How dare you threaten my mother! You are nothing but a mongrel with the blood of an Eastern cur; when Mother offers you terms, you should kneel in gratitude and then crawl back to Suzar!"

Ye Wei'an had been able to negotiate calmly, even intending to ignore Lucas as an incompetent fool.

But upon hearing the insults directed at his bloodline and his mother, his face turned cold in an instant.

"Sharess will not punish fools, but I will."

He did not waste words, pointing his right hand into the void.

"Whoosh—!"

Without any warning, a cluster of eerie blue-white flames spread across Lucas's magnificent silk robe, engulfing his entire body in the blink of an eye.

"Ah!! Fire! Help!"

The arrogant cursing came to an abrupt end, replaced by shrill, miserable screams.

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