"ETHAN!"

Sophia's voice was loud enough to make even the guards flinch. She came storming from the far end of the courtyard, her long dress fluttering with each step. Her face was filled with anger, and her eyes glared like daggers aimed directly at him.

"What in the world were you doing? Are you trying to demolish your own estate?" she shouted, pointing at the destroyed wall.

Ethan took a cautious step back, raising both hands slightly as if to defend himself. "I-I was just testing my strength. I didn't think it would be this powerful."

Sophia's expression darkened even more. "Testing your strength? You call this testing? There's a hole the size of a damn wagon in our training hall!"

Her voice trembled with frustration, and the servants nearby quickly lowered their heads, pretending not to hear. A few guards silently turned away, clearly wanting no part in the argument.

Ethan tried to give a weak smile. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to—"

"Accident? Do you know how much it will cost to fix that wall?" Sophia cut him off sharply.

"You're lucky no one got hurt! The entire courtyard was in panic, and half the people thought we were under attack!"

At that moment, Oliver came running from the side, his eyes wide and teary. He stopped right in front of the ruined building, and his jaw dropped. His lips trembled before he burst into tears.

"AHHH training hall…!" he wailed, clutching his head.

"That wall alone cost thousands to build! Do you know how many weeks it will take to repair it? And the roof..look at the roof! It's completely gone!"

Ethan scratched the back of his neck, his face twitching with embarrassment. "I'll pay for the repairs," he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.

Oliver turned toward him with tears still streaming down his face.

"Its not just about the payment Lord...All the builders and workers are busy with other projects so we need to hire more from outside who will charge more."

Ethan's expression turned dark.

'What the fuck?It's my money that I earned by hardwork..Why are you crying as if it's yours.'

Sophia folded her arms and sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose as if her patience had already reached its limit.

"Honestly, Ethan. You've been a Master Knight for less than a month and already managed to destroy part of your own estate. Do you realize how reckless this was?"

"Today you blow the building and tomorrow you might blow the entire estate and in future the entire barony."

"That...Aren't you overestimating a bit?"Ethan whispered.

"Shut up!"Sophia glared.

"Did you forget other knights and children are training here..What if they were injured."

Ethan's shoulders drooped. "I really didn't expect it to go that far. I just wanted to see the power of my Master knight. I thought I could control it."

"Well, clearly you can't," Sophia said coldly. "Next time, try your experiments somewhere far from here. Maybe in the mountains. Or better yet, dig your own training pit if you want to blow something up."

Ethan didn't reply. He just stared at the hole again, his mouth twitching as he saw workers already starting to gather around the damage, whispering among themselves.

One guard cautiously approached, saluting awkwardly. "Lord Ethan… Do we still sound the alarm? Some people are still panicking near the southern wing."

"Also the guards and knights are rushing here."

"..."

While all of this had earned Ethan an earful from his wives and people, it strangely elevated his status in the eyes of his children. They now looked at him with awe, as if their father had turned into a living legend overnight.

Especially Ray, whose eyes practically glowed with excitement every time he saw Ethan.

Ethan took a slow sip of his coffee, trying to enjoy a rare moment of peace. He noticed Ray staring at him with that same curious look and sighed.

"Can you stop pestering me? It's not some secret technique," he said tiredly.

Ray leaned forward with a grin. "Even if it isn't, you must have some higher-rank techniques, right? You can't still be using outdated lower ones, can you?"

Ethan paused, his expression stiffening for a moment. Inside, he couldn't help but think bitterly. In terms of techniques, except for the body forging method, he really didn't have any high-tier ones.

He forced a small smile. "Ray, it's not that easy to get advanced techniques," he said quietly.

"In the Kingdom, there are heavy restrictions. And if I start buying techniques now, I'll need help from the Royals. Once they find out I'm a Master Knight, they'll drag me straight to the capital no matter what I say."

He leaned back in his chair, sighing. "Right now, I'm surviving on scraps from the system technique."

Both father and son exchanged a helpless look and let out a deep sigh together.

"Alas," Ethan muttered. "I have money, but not enough influence."

At that moment, Sophia's voice interrupted them. "Have you finished your discussion?" she asked, her tone calm but sharp.

Ray nodded quickly. "Yeah, we're done."

"Good," Sophia said. "Then leave for now. I need to talk to your father."

Ray stood up, gave a small salute, and dashed out of the room.

Ethan frowned slightly. His peaceful moment had clearly ended. Is she here to scold me again? he thought.

Trying to lighten the mood, he smiled faintly. "What happened, Your Majesty? Are you still angry?"

Sophia stared at him with a cold expression, but it didn't last long. After a moment, she moved closer, sat on his lap, and gave him a firm kiss.

Ethan blinked in confusion. "Uh… what's going on?"

Sophia smiled faintly. "You seem to be angry," he said awkwardly.

"Of course I am," she replied softly. "Because I've just met a fierce competitor."

Ethan's brows furrowed. "Fierce competitor?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

Sophia didn't answer immediately. Instead, she reached into her dress and pulled out an envelope that had been tucked deep inside her cleavage. Ethan's eyes followed the motion unconsciously, and he swallowed hard.

"What's that?" he asked, though his focus was clearly divided.

Sophia gave him a sharp look. "It's a letter from Countess Rina."

"Countess Rina?" Ethan snapped back to attention, shock written all over his face.

"Yes," Sophia confirmed, her tone serious now. "It's from her. She wants to schedule an urgent meeting and has requested to see you as soon as possible."

Ethan froze in disbelief. "What?" he muttered, his voice rising slightly. "She wants to meet me?"

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