Chapter 67: New House, Meeting My Overpowered Aunt
The procedure at the gate was fast.
We handed over some ID, and the butler spoke a few words to the guards.
The gates opened soon after with a deep metallic groan, revealing the vast estate inside.
The butler turned back to us.
"Your residence has been prepared at the edge of the west wing," he said.
We followed him through paved paths surrounded by gardens that stretched in every direction.
I kept looking around, taking everything in. The estate was enormous.
Lamps lined both sides of the road, glowing with soft golden light.
In the distance, I could see towers and long halls, some glowing faintly from within, others dark and quiet.
Everything was neat, polished, and strangely peaceful for such a large place.
Even though it was already night, fountains were still running.
Sculptures stood between trimmed hedges shaped like animals and birds.
Further out, I could make out what looked like training fields and several smaller buildings that might be research halls or dorms.
We walked for nearly thirty minutes before we reached the western edge of the estate.
The house there was modest compared to the others.
A two-story building with simple architecture.
It looked old from the outside, but when we stepped in, the inside was far better than I expected.
’They’re giving us something like this?’
’I thought the Daelthorns hated Dad because he was exiled.’
’Turns out he was saying the truth when he said the current Provisional House Head is close to him.’
The floors were made of polished darkwood.
The walls were lined with faintly glowing runes, probably for temperature control and soundproofing.
The furniture was elegant.
The whole house had a warm and calm feeling, like someone had spent real effort making it comfortable.
The butler turned to us.
"I hope you like the house, young master, and madam," he said with a small bow.
"It’s nice," Dad replied simply.
"Young master, if I may," he continued, "most of the younger generation do not know much about you anymore.
"The records about you were erased, and speaking of you was forbidden.
"Only the elders and a few high-ranking members remember who you really are."
He paused, then looked directly at Dad.
"For now, you’ll live here under the identity of a branch family member.
"The official story is that ’you’ performed a service for the House but lost your Energy Center during the mission.
"As a reward, the provisional house head allowed you to live inside the estate."
He pulled out a small silver coin and handed it to Dad.
"This will disguise your appearance within the estate. Please keep it with you at all times."
Dad accepted it without a word.
Only direct family members and trainees were normally allowed to live here.
Branch families stayed outside the estate walls.
"The provisional head will meet you in the morning. Until then, please rest well."
He gave us one last bow and walked away, his lantern’s light fading slowly down the path.
When it was just the three of us again, we checked the house more carefully.
There were three bedrooms, a small study, a living room, and a cozy kitchen.
Everything was ready for us.
We unpacked what little we had and settled in for the night.
The next morning, after breakfast, I went to find Dad in the living room.
"When can I start training?" I asked.
He looked down at me, blinking like he hadn’t expected that question.
"Training?" he repeated.
"You said I could learn the sword here," I reminded him.
He chuckled softly and ruffled my hair.
"Right, I did say that. But it’s not the time yet, little guy. You’re still too young. Real training starts when you turn five. And even then, no one here uses real swords before they’re seven."
I froze.
"Kids my age don’t train?" I asked carefully.
He shook his head. "No. They start with physical conditioning and basic muscle control. Until then, just play, study, and rest. You’ll have plenty of time for training."
That was not what I wanted to hear.
’How am I supposed to get stats then?’ I thought.
My plan had been simple: train on the estate, secretly use Shadow Eater, and gather stats while pretending to practice.
Now, that plan was falling apart before it even began.
I was still thinking when a soft knock came from the front door.
Mom went to open it.
A tall woman stepped inside. She had long black hair and sharp features that gave her a cold, commanding look.
Her eyes—those unmistakable Daelthorn grey eyes—swept across the room.
When they landed on me, she paused for a moment.
There was something heavy about her presence.
Calm, but suffocating in its own way.
’She must be the provisional House Head,’ I thought.
Mom greeted her politely and led her into the living room.
Dad stood up and gave a small nod.
His expression turned more serious than I’d seen all morning.
The woman sat down without being asked, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her lap.
"How was the trip back home?" she asked. Her tone was neutral, but there was an edge to it.
"It was good," Mom replied with a small smile.
"How is the house?"
"It’s pretty nice. Thank you for arranging it," Dad said.
She gave a faint nod. "Mhm."
Her gaze shifted to me.
I felt her eyes on me and instinctively straightened.
"Come here," she said.
I didn’t move right away.
Mom gave me a small push on the back.
"Go on. That’s your aunt," she whispered.
Sighing inside, I walked over to her.
She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small piece of chocolate.
"I’m your aunt. You can call me Aunt Liora," she said calmly.
I looked at the chocolate for a moment before taking it.
"Thank you," I said quietly and gave her a quick bow.
"You have good manners," she said, sounding mildly surprised.
Then her eyes narrowed slightly. There was something strange in her expression.
"Can I pinch your cheeks?" she asked.
"What?"
Her tone was flat, but her eyes had that same mischievous glint I’d seen before.
’Oh no.’
Before I could react, she reached out and pinched both my cheeks.
’Great. The habit of ignoring personal space must run in this family.’
Dad did the same thing every morning, rubbing his beard against my face like it was a game.
I shouldn’t have been surprised his sister was just as bad.
When she finally let go, I rubbed my face, but before I could step away, she pulled me into her lap.
Alarms went off in my head.
Sitting on Mom’s or Dad’s lap? Fine.
But this woman? A stranger? Some who just pinched me? Definitely not.
I tried to squirm free, but she was strong.
I was stuck.
She smiled now, gently pinching my cheek again as she talked with my parents about the house and training schedules.
Her cold look from before was completely gone.
Mom and Dad didn’t seem to mind.
They looked relaxed, even a bit amused.
To them, this was probably a touching family moment.
But me?
I was not happy at all.
When their conversation ended, I tugged on her sleeve.
I wasn’t going to let her walk away after embarrassing me like that.
"Aunt Liora," I said softly, putting on my most innocent face. "Can you take me to the training grounds? I want to see it."
’And collect stats.’
I couldn’t beat her in strength.
But I could win with cuteness.
She stared at me, silent.
I blinked up at her, clutching the chocolate like it was precious.
’Ugh, this is so cheesy. I hate myself for doing this.’
Yuna’s voice echoed faintly.
"You look so cute right now, lord of shadow. I would’ve clicked a photograph if I could!"
Her praise didn’t help. It only made it worse.
Dad raised an eyebrow at me, clearly trying not to laugh. He knew I was the type who became ’cute’ only when he needed something.
"Please?" I said, giving her sleeve another gentle tug.