Emperor's Reckoning

"Heh," Lyon smirked as he kept the act. "I see that you are quite shocked, is the money that your parents gave you not enough to buy this amount? You need your mother's credit card?"

Folcre furrowed his eyebrows, "What?"

(Right, no credit card in this place, noted) thought Lyon.

He made a slight cough, "Do you have the capability to make this expense? I'm still going to give the merchant tips by the way."

The merchant clapped furiously upon hearing his words.

Folcre narrowed his eyes as they were sharpened. (Is this a trick? Is he baiting me to buy these worthless junks?). He felt the gaze from the onlookers fall on his figure. Everyone was awaiting his answer. The immense pressure got him producing a thin cold sweat on his temple.

Lyon rolled the bill as he muttered, "It seems like the young noble Folcre is not as noble as he dressed."

(Crap! I wonder if Cecile has enough money!) thought Lyon as he furtively gulped. He might not able to handle all of his women well, but Cecile was an entirely different case. Except for Selena, which was still unknown to him how powerful she was at her full strength, he had a rough idea of how powerful Cecile was.

She could use a Scarlet, the sword that originally belonged to him. She could utilize the blessings from his grandfathers as well. Add that to the superb quality of her physique and she was basically unstoppable. If that kind of woman were to get mad, he had a fairly rough outcome at how many bones would break.

(Let's see if my articulate skill can make an attempt to reverse this situation! Here goes nothing!) thought Lyon. He would rather lie to the world rather than make Cecile mad. Just the thought of it alone was making his spine frost with chilling ice.

"This merchant," said Lyon as he closed his eyes before letting out a long sigh. He clicked his tongue as he shook his head. "He has lived a long life, selling these family heirlooms for the sake of eating. His identity is kept secret for reasons that you guys cannot fathom happening to you."

Lyon's tone was under and hoarse as his eyes glimmered as if he was about to cry a tear.

The merchant didn't say a word.

Lyon touched his right chest with his hand, "I'm sorry that I reveal this but they should know."

"He is from a high noble family, a high-status man, much like young noble Folcre here. However, he has fallen as a series of misfortunate events led him to this state. Scraping what he has left to sell to eat, a couple of bread a day, a whisk of drink at noon."

"Not even an ounce of the glory that he once owns was left, no house, no home. He is alone in this world. This is why I'm willing to buy all of these heirlooms and then give them back to him."

The last sentence coming out of Lyon's mouth brought their view of him to a different height. He was seen as a cocky mortal cultivator before but after a few words with the right tone and the right mimick, he bought their hearts quite easily.

Folcre furrowed his eyebrows. He noticed the morality in the atmosphere had shifted.

Lyon was grinning inwardly. The people bought his sob story that he made up and thankfully the merchant was silent the whole time, staying true to their character.

(Any moment now!) thought Lyon as he was waiting for Folcre to say those words

.

.

.

But even after a caw of a bypassing bird, the situation didn't develop as he wanted it to be.

(Tch! You ask for this!) thought Lyon.

"I might be just an outsider, but I'm not heartless. I have a noble in me, we all have a noble in us. Though, I was hoping that the real noble would stand up, shame," Lyon shook his head as he put his hand inside his pocket as if he was trying to reach his wallet.

"Guh!" Folcre was struck down by the word that Lyon had just said. It was a soft punch to the face. "Hands off the bill, Lyon."

Lyon grinned inwardly. (The fucker bought it! Hahaha!).

"Oh? Are you changing—Ehem! Here you go," said Lyon as he didn't want to press his luck further.

He gave out the piece of paper to his hand as he said, "You give him tips too right? After all, nobody cared for him, and you are a true noble."

(This guy!) thought Folcre. He couldn't refuse his word as he was the subject of attention from the onlookers. His image would have been tarnished if he refused, and along with that, Raul's face also got damaged as a result.

Folcre nodded before Lyon slightly bowed to show his respect, "Your magnanimous deed will be repaid one day."

Lyon didn't spare time for Folcre to reply before he turned around and bid his words toward the merchant, "May you have a prosperous life this henceforth."

Lyon put his hands behind his back before turning around and leaving as he mumbled loudly, "I was about to tip him another one hundred thousand but I guess, the true noble would give more than me, sigh, if only I was rich."

Folcre was petrified by his mumbling words that served as checkmate.

Lyon left the scene nonchalantly as if he didn't just swindle a prominent figure with his advanced articulation technique. 

He closed his eyes as he grinned at the night. 

*Bump!

"Oh, I'm sorry!" said Lyon before a platinum blonde hair fluttering against his nose. The sweet fragrance was intoxicating and her skin looks like she was carved with the beauty of the moon in mind.

Lyon was brought to another world for a second before he blinked twice, "Cherie... no... are you her sister?"

The beautiful woman tugged her hair behind her ear as she smiled at the young man.