But of course, she was right.
Because the Duchess was speaking from experience.
To begin with, would the manor have ended up looking like this if she were still capable of catching up with her son?
Had it still been possible, then she would’ve only had to deal with her husband’s insanity. But what do you do when your child is so great he’s managed to turn everyone around him into loyalists?
In the end, it was like living in a manor full of enablers.
Previously, the sa people would have questioned the appropriateness of installing Luca-related designs and decorations.
They would normally have discouraged the Duke from filling all the empty spaces with things related to his son.
But now?
Now they would even add their own. Or they would encourage the Duke to immortalize Luca’s new achievents and contributions.
And at the rate they were going, they’d have to build a new manor just to accommodate everything.
And yet, maybe she was part of the problem.
Because even as she’d gotten more comfortable as a mother, she also couldn’t ignore the need to keep reminding Luca that he had a family who wholeheartedly loved and supported him.
Haaa...
But if she were being honest, it wasn’t their thoughtful son who needed the tangible reminder. It was really for them, the parents, that whatever happened, and however far their son went, they would always be a family.
And this wasn’t empty talk. They owed their son and themselves that much.
They weren’t going to slack off. While they likely wouldn’t ever catch up to him, they’d follow as far as possible, so he’d always know that if he fell or tumbled, they’d be there to catch him.
So that’s what they were doing right now.
Impressively, even Leander understood that his precious son hadn’t returned as a baby and had been trying to keep himself from doing everything for him.
Duchess Alia thought he’d surely made so sacrifices while trying to rein in his natural tendencies.
However, clearly he needed to separate her husband and this King, because their ideas about marriage and family life were contagious and would likely spark rebellion from the poor children. Not that there was any hope for her husband when it ca to this aspect.
That was why, when Leander said that sixty was a good age to think about marriage, considering their lifespans, the concerned Duchess decided to step in and taphorically shut their traps.
Thankfully, shutting them up wasn’t too difficult.
Not when there was food.
Mind-blowing. Spirit-renewing. The kind of food that made even the proudest Orc King pause mid-rant.
It also marked sothing special.
Their first harvest from the outdoor facility.
And to commorate it—and to fulfill his earlier promise to celebrate the cadets’ success in passing their exams—Luca went all out.
He purchased ten pigs from the Trove.
And because this was Luca’s way to thank everyone, he didn’t stop there. He even requested Elder Pao Xi to teach them how to butcher and prepare the at properly.
Because today, he planned to serve roasted pigs, just as promised.
He was also going to attempt to prepare pig’s blood stew and just prayed that the people of this era would take to it.
Then again...
For people who had already shown themselves willing to eat rinds and peels, what was not to like?
Especially when the sll alone was enough to make the entire dining hall fall silent in tense, mouthwatering anticipation.
One particular butler could feel every pair of eyes on him as he entered with the servants.
The scent of roasted pork clung to the air like a spell. The clatter of platters and serving spoons sounded deafening. They actually had several dishes tonight, but the size of these new serving trays alone commanded everyone’s undivided attention.
Butler Gary swallowed, his gloved hands just the slightest bit clammy.
At first, he’d thought they’d have to resort to a battle royale for the food again.
But Luca—ever thoughtful—had insisted they serve it in a way that would allow the guests to appreciate the kitchen staff’s hard work while still ensuring everyone got their fair share.
A controlled buffet.
At least no one would flip a table over this ti. Hopefully.
Still...Butler Gary was nervous.
They had important guests tonight, and he wasn’t particularly keen on starting a war because he didn’t cut the at correctly.
And he’d only just perfected his carving skills a few hours ago, slicing up the earlier roasted porks packed into lunchboxes for the staff on duty.
Now?
He had to do it under the eyes of hundreds of hungry people who looked seconds away from fainting from sheer anticipation.
No pressure.
Butler Gary raised the knife.
And made the first cut.
The crisp crack of skin splitting under the blade echoed through the room like a gunshot.
For a mont, he froze.
Had he ssed up?
Then—
A loud gasp.
So loud it startled even him.
He looked up sharply—only to see a certain blonde clutching another cadet’s arm like a man possessed, eyes shining, mouth agape.
"Oh, please continue, Butler Gary!" Ollie practically yelled, his voice cracking from sheer excitent.
"Sorry—! Sorry, I was just too excited!"
Gary blinked.
Ollie wasn’t kidding; he was this close to jumping over to check on the safety of the food that had teased him for hours as it was being slow-roasted.
From where he sat, he could already sll it.
The culmination of all his recent suffering. The reward for hours of bootcamp hell. The taste of victory itself.
Heck, he was going to savor all of it.
Including each lettuce leaf they’d worked so hard to harvest.
But how?
How was he going to savor all of it when his lettuce looked like that?
Ollie only noticed it when the special guests’ table—where he was seated alongside the most important people of the evening—finally got their plates.
It was served differently. Or similar to how Tortie would usually get his share of lettuce.
Instead of the lettuce being tossed prettily like a regular salad, they were all given a pile of fresh green leaves neatly stacked on one side.
Hmmm?
Ollie blinked at his plate, then leaned toward Luca, his voice low but not exactly subtle.
"Brother...is this...so new kind of salad?"
Luca paused, mid-inspection, and glanced at him with faint amusent.
"After you’ve tasted the roasted pig as it is," he said gently, "I’ll show you how to use the lettuce leaf."
That shut Ollie up for all of two seconds.
His eyes lit up.
"Ohh..." he murmured, already intrigued.
But it wasn’t just Ollie.
Because the entire hall—filled with cadets, nobles, and even high-ranking guests—was watching the sa interaction with rapt attention.
The tension in the air sharpened as everyone’s gaze slowly, inevitably, shifted...
To the King.
King Garick.
The one who currently held the most distinguished position at the table.
And the one who, by unspoken rule, dictated when they could all start eating.
Dozens of eyes bored into him.
A few looked desperate enough to beg outright.
Even Princess Kira’s gaze had grown sharp and dangerous as she stared at her father, her hand already hovering over her fork like she was ready to lunge for his plate if he didn’t move already.
The King cleared his throat, his lips pressing into a thin line.
He could feel his daughter’s spiritual pressure practically daring him to drag this out.
So he didn’t.
"Congratulations to everyone present," he said flatly, his voice carrying over the hall. "And...thanks for having us over."
A beat passed.
"Now," he added briskly, gesturing at the table, "enjoy the feast."
The words had barely left his mouth when the sound of forks and knives striking plates erupted all around them like a battle cry.
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