Serilda's voice was soft, but it carried the weight of command.
She was there with a few maids and then Krone by her side.
Leon was disgusted at the sight of Krone.He wanted to take revenge for hiring mercenaries to kill him.
But he knew it was not the right time.
Leon straightened slightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you,Lady Serilda."
She raised a brow. "So you do know how to greet your elders. I was beginning to wonder."
Her gaze moved over him—his posture, his expression, even the way he stood. Nothing escaped her eyes.
"You look… calmer than I expected," she said.
"Most children brought here under these circumstances would either tremble or cling to their escorts."
Leon gave a small, polite smile.
"I suppose I've always been a little different."
"Yeah, no kidding," Nox said sarcastically. "You're literally from another world. Of course you're different."
Leon twitched his eyes and was looking Nox furiously.
"Just shut up!" Leon said to Nox using his thoughts.
Serilda's eyes narrowed slightly, as she saw Leon turning somewhere else.
Serilda's gaze drifted past Leon and settled on the far end of the hall.
Felix was still standing before the massive portrait, unmoving, his eyes locked onto the image of the patriarch.
"Oh my," Serilda said with a soft, amused tone. "It seems your companion has been immersed in that portrait for quite a while."
Leon glanced over his shoulder. "Of course. It's the Patriarch's portrait. Anyone would react like that."
Serilda smiled gently, but inside, her thoughts were far less pleasant.
"An illegitimate child speaking so casually about the patriarch and walking into this hall without fear..."
"This brat who doesn't know his place."
Serilda's thoughts were erupting with anger but still she kept a calm smile.
Her smile deepened.
"How irritating...." she thought.
Krone's eyes suddenly sharpened as he looked at Felix again.
His breath caught for a moment, as if he had just recognized something he shouldn't have.
He leaned closer to Serilda, lowering his voice to a near-inaudible whisper.
"My lady… it's him."
Serilda's smile did not falter, but her pupils shrank slightly.
" You mean the swordmaster?" she asked softly.
Krone nodded, eyes still fixed on Felix's back.
"He is the new swordmaster..."
Krone's voice grew even quieter.
" If we can bring him to our side,our influence will grow tremendously."
Serilda's smile returned, calm and elegant as ever.
Her eyes, however, shifted toward Felix.
He was still standing before the massive portrait of the patriarch, silent and unmoving, as though the rest of the hall did not exist.
Serilda's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
" It's him..."
Greed flickered deep within her gaze, carefully hidden behind her gentle smile.
"A warrior of that level… standing beside that boy instead of us? What a waste."
Her thoughts turned sharp and Calculating.
"Power like that doesn't belong to an illegitimate child. It belongs to us...to Blade Fortress."
Her fingers curled lightly against her sleeve.
"If he can be convinced… persuaded… or even bound by obligation,Like other estates We too will get a Swordmaster!."
Her smile grew warmer on the surface, but colder underneath.
Yes… bringing him to our side would change everything.
She looked at Leon again, her expression returning to polite elegance.
"And if the boy stands in the way…"
The thought trailed off, unfinished,but the intent behind it was clear.
Serilda had already made her decision.To her Felix was no longer just a guest he was an asset she intended to claim.
Nox floated closer to Leon, eyes narrowed as he watched Serilda's expression soften into a graceful, almost affectionate smile.
He clicked his tongue.
"Oi, Leon… what did that bastard just whisper to her? Why is she smiling like that all of a sudden?"
Leon didn't even look in their direction. His eyes remained on the hall, calm and unreadable.
Inside his mind, he replied, "He probably told her the truth."
Nox frowned." What truth? "
Leon's gaze briefly shifted toward Felix, who was still standing before the portrait.
"That Felix is a swordmaster,"Leon said quietly.
"And now she intends to snatch him away."
Nox's eyes widened. "What!? That shameless woman—"
Leon's expression didn't change.
"Relax,"he said calmly.
" Felix is my summon,so he cannot leave me."
Nox crossed his arms, grumbling. "Still… I don't like that smile of hers. "
Serilda's emerald eyes remained fixed on Felix.
There was no disguise in her gaze now—only a quiet, calculating greed, as if she were already measuring his worth and imagining where he would fit within her estate.
Krone stood slightly behind her, watching in silence.
Felix, however, remained oblivious, his attention still locked onto the portrait of the patriarch.
Leon noticed everything.
He let out a soft, deliberate cough.
"Ahem."
The sound echoed gently through the hall.
Serilda blinked, as if pulled out of a trance.
Her eyes shifted away from Felix and finally settled on Leon.
A graceful smile returned to her face.
"Oh… my apologies," she said lightly. "It seems I was as immersed in the portrait as your companion."
Leon nodded politely.
"It's alright."
Beside him, Nox floated with his arms crossed, scowling.
"Shameless woman… " he muttered inside Leon's mind.
"She was openly staring at Felix like he was a treasure chest."
Leon ignored him.
Serilda folded her hands elegantly before her.
"Now then," she said, voice smooth and courteous, "may I ask why you have come here, Leon?"
Suddenly the hall grew quiet, Servants slowed,guards listened without moving.
Leon answered calmly.
"To collect my eight million gold."
Silence.
Complete, stunned silence.
Krone's eyes widened.
A nearby servant nearly dropped the tray she was holding.
Even Serilda's composed smile stiffened for a fraction of a second.
Nox said "You're robbing them already?"
Serilda's smile returned, though it had grown noticeably thinner.
"Eight million?" she repeated softly. "I'm afraid I don't understand.Which eight million are you referring to, Leon?"
Leon met her gaze without hesitation.
"The eight million gold that was wagered during the duel," he said calmly. "Ruan's bet."
A faint crease appeared between Serilda's brows.
"I see," she said after a short pause.
"However… I don't recall any such agreement being made formally. Perhaps you misunderstood something."
Nox scoffed inside Leon's mind.
"Look at her,Acting innocent already."
Leon didn't react outwardly.
"But a bet is a bet," he said simply.
The air in the hall grew heavier.
Serilda's polite expression slowly faded. The warmth in her eyes cooled, replaced by something sharper, colder.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then, Snap.
Her fingers clicked softly.
The reaction was immediate.
Servants and maids stiffened, then lowered their heads and hurried out of the hall without a word.
Their footsteps echoed briefly before fading into silence.
The large doors creaked.
Heavy footsteps thundered through the corridors.
Within seconds, armored guards rushed inside, forming a semicircle around Leon, Felix, and Nox.
Hands rested on sword hilts. Eyes were cold, disciplined, and ready.
The atmosphere shifted from noble elegance to silent hostility.
Nox glanced around, unimpressed.
"…So this is how they handle debts? With swords?"
Leon stood calmly, as if nothing had changed.
Serilda stepped forward, her voice losing all pretense of sweetness.
"You are standing inside Blade Fortress," she said.
"Making absurd demands, based on a bet no one here recognizes."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Do you truly believe you can walk in, claim eight million gold, and leave unharmed?"
The guards' grips tightened on their weapons.
Felix finally turned away from the portrait, noticing the situation. His eyes swept across the soldiers surrounding them.
"Kill him!" Shouted serilda.