Later, some of the family members—along with Edward—gathered in the larger living room to discuss Al's next steps, especially where he would stay inside the mansion.
Al had hoped this would remain a light discussion, but Sarah's presence was a problem in itself. And sure enough, she was the first to speak, her tone eager.
"He's a wild kid who grew up on the streets. Changing his environment too fast could break him. I suggest we put him in that room—as a reminder that he's not really part of this family yet."
She was referring to the room Al had used earlier for his afternoon nap.
Aurielle agreed with Sarah's reasoning, but not with her conclusion.
"I don't think we should go that far, Sarah. This place has plenty of rooms that are still modest enough for him to adapt," she said.
"Still, I agree with your point. Al needs a transition period," she added, briefly glancing at Al.
"...More importantly, we don't truly know who he is yet. We should see whether he's ready for a luxurious lifestyle before giving him full access to it."
David, calm as always, sat straight and looked toward their father.
"I think… for now, that's a wise decision. Al will need time to adjust. It'll help keep everyone at ease."
There was no hint of sarcasm in his voice. He even looked at Al with what seemed like genuine understanding.
Leaning quietly in the corner, Al raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm… can we have this discussion without involving that cruel woman?" he said lazily, looking at his father while throwing a jab at Sarah.
"Listening to her weird suggestions over and over is getting pretty annoying," he added.
The words hit hard enough to make Sarah step back in shock.
"You—!" she snapped.
The rest of the family stiffened, but seeing Al openly clash with Sarah made them hesitate to intervene.
Al ignored the tension entirely and continued, unfazed.
"Mmm… anyway. I don't really mind the storage room. Even sleeping with the servants—or at the main gate with the security guards—wouldn't be a problem."
He paused briefly.
"But why do you all think I should live like that in this house? Still 'transitioning,' not suited for luxury yet? Why does it feel like you're deliberately holding back what should already be my rights?" he asked casually.
Everyone turned toward him, their expressions tense as they processed his questions.
"That's not it, Al," Aurielle replied calmly.
"This isn't about denying you your rights. We simply believe that before you fully step into your new life here, some adjustment is necessary—before you're given the privileges that come with being the son of an elite family."
She was trying to be gentler with her younger brother, even though she knew it did, in fact, mean temporarily holding back Al's rights.
"Still, it feels like my rights are being put on hold," Al replied.
"What I want to know right now is what facilities I'm actually allowed to claim here as a member of this family—not how my transition should be managed."
"As for this whole 'transition' thing, that's my business," he added. "I don't want it to become an excuse to limit my rights."
"Your rights, huh?" Sarah scoffed.
"You're not even considered ready for elite life yet. Don't act like you can talk about rights. Learn how to be elite first before bringing that up!"
She let out a small snort.
"At this rate, it just sounds like you're a kid forcing your way into luxury."
Al shook his head.
"As long as it's my right, there's nothing wrong with insisting on it," he replied calmly. "Besides, what I'm asking for is my right as a son—not as an elite."
He looked at all the siblings present.
"All the facilities you enjoy exist because you're children of this family, not because you're elite. You received plenty of privileges long before you were ever acknowledged as elites."
He lifted both hands with a shrug. "So asking for that much is only reasonable for me."
They were left momentarily speechless by Al's argument. Still, they had to admit that, in a way, everything he said was true.
Aurielle was about to respond, but this time, Edward stepped in. Letting his children continue arguing would only spiral into exhausting family drama.
"Alright, everyone," he said calmly. "I think Al is right—and you all have valid points too. There's no need to turn this into an issue."
Al nodded in agreement—so did the others, though somewhat reluctantly.
Deep down, they still believed that Al needed to start from the basics before receiving everything he was entitled to.
Edward took a moment to think.
His original plan had been to give Al authority over the northwest wing of the second floor, not far from Lysha and Elena's area. There were still several empty rooms there.
But after everything that had just happened, he felt that might be too risky for Al.
Sarah wouldn't like it. And if that happened, Lysha and Elena might be influenced by her—and end up clashing with Al as well.
Hmph… the options I can think of are…
Letting Al stay in that empty room on the fourth floor—but they would definitely object to that.
Or… renting him a place outside the mansion until he could prove himself as a son worthy of this family, while assigning bodyguards to keep watch over him, Edward mused silently.
But before he could voice his thoughts, Al spoke first.
"Father, since we're already talking about where I'll be staying… I have a suggestion," he said.
"Hm? And what would that be?" Edward asked, intrigued.
"If possible, I'd like to stay in that building near the east garden," Al said.
"Huh?" Edward frowned slightly. "Which one?"
"That one—about two or three hundred meters east of the main house," Al replied.
"I think it's private, modest, and it'd give me my own space. Compared to my siblings' rooms, it's still… humble. So technically, I'd still be 'starting from the bottom'—just in a more livable way."
"…and I'd also like some authority—something like control over that area. That'll do," he added.
Aurielle almost commented on the mention of the siblings' rooms—but held herself back.
Meanwhile, Sarah couldn't help but complain.
"Woah... You're not just asking for a room anymore—you're asking for land now? Don't you think that's excessive?" she said.
Al shook his head.
"I'm not asking for land. I'm only asking for control. Meaning, whatever I do there shouldn't be interfered with by anyone without my permission."
He touched his chin thoughtfully.
"I think that's a fair trade, considering you all have authority over dozens of rooms in this main house—and several separate buildings outside, right?"
Sarah was about to argue again, but Al continued calmly.
"And you won't have to worry about me either. Since you all seem to think I might turn out to be some kind of pervert or criminal, this arrangement actually helps."
"I'll be far away from the maids and the rest of the family. You can even assign only male servants if you want—Dedy, maybe?" he added with a faint smile.
Edward furrowed his brow, slightly surprised by Al's lengthy yet logical proposal.
To his own surprise, Al's suggestion actually felt like a practical solution to the issue.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though he still couldn't quite understand the boy.
"That building hasn't been used in a long time," Edward explained. "The ground floor is a fairly large empty space, and the upper floor was originally a resting area and already has beds installed."
"Still…" he hesitated. "That place must be quite run-down by now. It was left abandoned for a reason. Are you sure about this?"
Al blinked in mild surprise.
"Oh… abandoned? I thought every building here was well maintained. But… that's fine. I think it'll work for me."
Truthfully, he didn't want to be isolated like that. But staying with them—especially Sarah and David.
Every day carried the risk of triggering his unstable emotions, which would be far more dangerous. For now, keeping his distance felt like the better choice.
And… there was another reason he had chosen that place.
Earlier that day, he had sensed a faint yet unusual magical presence coming from the building—an energy unique enough to spark his curiosity.
Though he wasn't certain, the massive potential of spiritual energy within that place could very well be the relic he was searching for… or at the very least, a clue leading to it.
Staying there—and having control over the area—would make it much easier for him to access whatever was causing that spiritual energy to surface.
David noticed—and his eyes flickered. He knew that building. He slowly placed his hand on the table but said nothing.
Aurielle narrowed her eyes.
"Oh… you mean that old, dirty shack?" she asked for confirmation.
"If so, it was built as a play area for David when he was little, with his old cat house on the lower floor. After the cat died, no one ever touched it," she added.
Al glanced at David.
"Oh… I didn't know. Just saw it from outside."
David finally spoke after a long silence.
"It's dusty. Possibly moldy. But… if you're comfortable with it, that's your call,"
He paused, as if wanting to say more. "It's just that… that building—"
He hesitated, then stopped himself.
"Hm? What about that building?" Al asked.
No one answered right away. Al looked at them one by one.
There was an uncomfortable tension on their faces—everyone except Sarah, who, for some reason, seemed oddly amused.
In the end, Sarah was the one who spoke first.
"There's nothing there," she said calmly. "You can stay there if you want. It's not a problem."
Her strange composure only made Al feel more uneasy.
"When you say there's nothing there," he replied, "that usually means there is something, right?"
Sarah looked away.
"Believe it or not, that's up to you. But personally, I think that place suits you perfectly. You'll be very happy there. Hehe."
Al narrowed his eyes. He didn't know how to respond, but he was certain Sarah had something unpleasant in mind.
Still, whatever awaited him there didn't really concern him.
Seeing Sarah clearly teasing Al, Sandra finally spoke up.
"Al… that place is actually a bit… scary."
"Scary?" Al echoed.
Sandra nodded, and Edward continued in her place.
"The reason that building hasn't been maintained is because there were reports of ghost sightings there. Even though it was purified before by Ramu's father, the servants are still afraid to go anywhere near it."
The explanation was followed by nods from the others, silently confirming his words. Even Harun and a few nearby servants nodded as well.
Al finally understood why Sarah had seemed so pleased.
So it's a ghost, huh… he thought. I was wondering what it was.
Hmph. That actually works even better for me. Fewer people will bother me. A good decision.
He then replied casually,
"A ghost?" he said. "That does sound a little scary. But I think it's fine. If there really is one, I'll just chase it away. Hehe," he chuckled softly.
Al's joke was enough to irritate quite a few people—especially the servants, who had spent the past few years feeling uneasy every time they worked near that building.
As for the rest of the family, they could only see Al as arrogant.
"Huh… you're really full of yourself," Sarah scoffed. "But I do believe you could chase it away. You're scarier than a ghost anyway, haha."
That remark was enough to break the tension in the room.
Al didn't really care. To him, what Sarah said wasn't entirely wrong—even if it was meant as sarcasm.
Scarier than a ghost? Yeah… you're right, Second Sister. You're absolutely right.
A faint smile curved his lips.
Forget chasing a ghost away. I could kill it if I wanted to. Hehe.
Seeing that the discussion had reached its peak, Edward considered for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright. If you've made up your mind, you can stay there for now," he said.
"I'll have the servants clean it up, and you can move in tomorrow. For tonight, you can sleep in a guest room," he added.
Hearing that, Al shook his head.
"No, Father. I think I can stay there tonight. It's only nine o'clock—there's still plenty of time to clean the place."
"Huh? Are you sure?" Edward asked. "Wouldn't it be better to wait until tomorrow?"
Al looked at Edward calmly.
Of course tomorrow would be better. But I don't know what other tricks David and his people might try tonight, he thought.
Staying in that separate building is a variable they won't expect. Whatever plans they have, they won't act tonight if I'm there.
His gaze briefly shifted to David.
And even if they dare to come after me… punishing them there would be even better. Hehe.
He looked back at Edward and nodded.
"It's fine, Father. The sooner, the better."
Seeing the resolve in Al's expression, Edward finally agreed.
"Alright," he said shortly.
Sandra spoke up as well. "If anything happens there, just inform the nearby servants. We can arrange a more comfortable place for you if needed."
Al nodded, not bothering to prolong the discussion.
"Understood, Father. Mother," he said casually.
Edward nodded in return, then turned to Harun.
"Harun, clean the place. Repair anything that needs fixing, and install the necessary facilities."
"Yes, sir," Harun replied.
And just like that, the discussion about where Al would stay came to an end.