In the Savage Plate, Leon was munching on the various meat dishes.
Lady Fray took a napkin, gently wiped the oil off his face, and said, "Look at your manners."
"Ok ok," Leon nodded his head quickly. He added with a satisfied grin, "Aunt, I am full. Now where should we go?"
Before Lady Fray could speak, the servant outside the private room knocked on the door.
"Madam, the City Lord is requesting to meet you," the waiter's respectful voice came from outside.
Lady Fray simply said, "Come in."
The door opened and a plump, middle-aged man entered the room with a deeply respectful expression. He was none other than the City Lord of Moon Cliff City, Theon Miller. He bowed low towards Lady Fray and said anxiously, "Madam, I am very sorry on the matter of the Moon Viewing Villa."
Before he could continue, Lady Fray cut him off, her voice dropping to a freezing temperature. "You should know I have the right to execute your entire house for breaking your promise. Your grandfather made a promise to take care of the villa, but you gifted it to your son. Tell me, what should I do now?"
City Lord Miller's back was instantly covered in a cold sweat. He immediately begged, "Madam, please forgive me! My son tricked me into giving him the villa. As you know, my family never goes back on their word. I also made sure that he never steps into the inner section. As a true apology, I have prepared a gift for the young master."
He looked at Leon respectfully, took out an ornate wooden box, and opened it. Inside the box rested a magnificent crimson ruby, the size of a human head.
Lady Fray's pupils dilated slightly before returning back to normal. She closed the box and asked coldly, "He accepts your apology. But I don't want to see your son while I am in this city."
City Lord Miller was absolutely delighted and nodded his head like a chicken pecking for grain. He immediately said, "Don't worry, Madam! I will personally kick that ungrateful son of mine out of the estate. In fact, I forbid him from entering Moon Cliff City entirely until I give the word! The original palace is completely yours again. I will make sure the villa is prepared flawlessly with my own hands."
Lady Fray nodded her head with satisfaction and asked, "Now tell me, where did you get this ruby?"
City Lord Miller understood the question and said truthfully, "This was found from the depths of the Blood Flame Volcano, fifty miles south of the city. A team of high-level hunters risked their lives to extract it from a localized magma vein. It contains a pure, unadulterated fire essence that has been compressing for over a millennium. I thought it would be a fitting tribute to the young master's future growth."
Lady Fray slid the box into her storage ring. "You may leave. Ensure the keys to the Moon Viewing Villa are delivered to us immediately."
"Right away, Madam! Thank you for your benevolence!" City Lord Miller bowed so low his nose nearly touched the floorboards before scrambling backward out of the private room.
True to his word, the City Lord ruthlessly chased his screaming, spoiled son past the city gates and handed over the gold-plated keys.
With the original palace officially reclaimed, Leon and his family moved into the Moon Viewing Villa. The estate was breathtaking—reclaimed entirely from the City Lord's lineage, it sat on the highest peak of the inner city's white fortress walls. Towering silver pillars supporting a jade-tiled roof overlooked a massive courtyard lined with ancient lunar weeping willows.
After dropping off their things, Leon, Lady Fray, and their attendants decided to head back out to explore. Since the grand festival was still two days away, the city was overflowing with a chaotic ocean of colors, music, and lights. Traveling mercenaries, exotic merchants, and young geniuses from various noble clans flooded the streets, desperate to showcase their wealth.
Leon, disguised in his white clothes and silver mask, happily roamed the grand markets. He dragged his aunt from shop to shop, marveling at the magical trinkets, rare beast cores, and colorful festival stalls. For hours, it felt like a perfect holiday. Leon was completely relaxed, enjoying the sights and sounds of the bustling crowd, thinking he was entirely off the hook for the day.
However, as dusk settled over the city and the festival lanterns flickered to life, the fun came to an abrupt end.
They returned to the Moon Viewing Villa, where the massive balcony offered a panoramic view of the glowing city below. Leon stretched his arms, letting out a yawn. "Ah, what a great day. I'm going to go hit the sheets early—"
"And where do you think you're going, brat?" Lady Fray's voice echoed from behind him, laced with an ominous, heavy mana pressure.
Leon froze, a drop of cold sweat rolling down his neck. He turned around slowly to see his aunt leaning against a silver pillar, a devious, predatory smile spreading across her face. Beside her, Lady Karen stood silently, holding a set of heavy training weights and a wooden practice sword.
"Aunt Fray... the festival is still two days away," Leon laughed weakly, taking a step back. "Shouldn't we be resting?"
"The festival might be resting, but your mana circulation isn't," Lady Fray chuckled, her armor clinking softly as she stepped into the courtyard. "You had your fun roaming the city all day. Now it's time to pay the price. Did you really think you could escape my training clutches just because we changed houses?"
Leon let out a defeated groan, looking up at the sky. No matter how luxurious the palace, or how wealthy they became, some things never changed. Under the sharp, unyielding gaze of his aunt, Leon's brutal night training session officially began.