Al's eyes opened.
The scene before him was dim, almost dark.
He found himself in an empty room, filthy and neglected, filled with piles of dry leaves and rotting wood.
In his hand, a wooden doll was clutched tightly.
The atmosphere was tense. Confused, he accidentally sat down on a pile of dry leaves.
And...
KRAKK!
The leaves rustled, not loudly, but enough to make the tense moment feel sharper.
Then,
WOSHH
A massive black figure appeared directly in front of his face.
"ARGHHH!!!" Al screamed.
His eyes widened. He quickly sat upright, scanning his surroundings.
The room changed.
It became his dimensional space: an elegant, classically styled room, adorned with luxurious ornaments and furnishings.
His heart raced, his breath caught, and his face turned pale.
"Huff… huff…"
He wiped his face and realized—
"Agh… that nightmare again." he muttered. He had just had a terrible dream.
He lay back down, regulating his breathing as he stared at the ceiling.
"Strange… this is the third time I've dreamed this since I moved into the Virellano residence." he murmured.
He raised a hand and stared at the trembling fingers.
"That dream… could it have something to do with…" he whispered.
"Hmph… no. No! It can't have anything to do with this family. That's impossible." He dismissed his own thoughts.
He could only calm himself and regain full awareness. For some reason, he didn't feel like sleeping anymore, despite only having slept a little over two hours.
Morning had already come. Outside, a gentle breeze and the rich aroma of coffee drifting from the main dining hall welcomed the cool morning.
It was Tuesday.
Al stepped out of his dimensional room, closed the portal, and reached for his phone.
He intended to walk to the garden bench to breathe in the fresh air while checking the messages he had received overnight.
But as he nearly reached the door, a knock sounded first.
Al opened it.
For the second time in weeks, Harun, the head butler, politely knocked on Al's bedroom door.
Without small talk, Harun conveyed his message:
"Young Master Al, the family has requested your presence for breakfast this morning."
Al just nodded, too drained to respond. His body still felt uneasy after the nightmare.
Harun noticed his pale face but decided not to ask and bowed politely before leaving.
Al exhaled and put his phone back in the room, preparing himself for breakfast.
A few minutes later, he appeared in the dining room, his hair still slightly messy, but his expression calm as usual. After taking a moment to compose himself, his body had returned to normal.
The rest of the family was already seated in their respective spots.
Aurielle was reading a report on her tablet. Sarah was using a silver spoon to check her reflection. Lysha was absorbed in her phone. And Vianna had just arrived, still fresh from her training session.
Edward, the father, was the first to speak.
"Al… David said you and he joined an interschool competition at HIHS?"
Al sat down and poured tea into his cup.
"Yes, Father," he replied briefly.
His tone was flat, emotionless. Yet somehow, that short answer made Edward's expression tighten—though he quickly hid it behind a faint smile.
The irritation he felt from two days ago still lingered whenever he looked at Al.
"Hmm… David also mentioned that your scholarship came from Alasia Group. I thought it was from the Ministry of Education—or maybe the Ministry of Child Protection."
Al nodded slightly.
"You're right, Father. I guess I didn't explain it clearly before. It's a scholarship program for selected orphans. I suppose I was lucky to get it."
Edward let out a long breath—relieved.
His business instinct flickered to life, pleased that Al somehow had ties to Alasia Group. He could already see the potential benefits of that connection.
Sandra added softly,
"You should explain things more clearly next time, dear. So we won't misunderstand again."
But Al only nodded lazily.
"Alright, Mother. That's if you're actually willing to believe me right away," he said, calm with a hint of sarcasm.
"Al…" his mother called out quietly, "We're not like how we were back then."
Al simply nodded without replying.
I hope so, he thought.
The slightly tense atmosphere thickened further when Sarah spoke up.
"Don't act all high and mighty, Al," she sneered, flipping her hair.
"It's not like getting into school through a charity scholarship is something to brag about. If it were a merit-based scholarship, maybe then it'd be impressive. But a scholarship for orphans?" she continued.
"Haha. Just don't go around telling people that you're a Virellano but got into school through a pity fund. You'll only ruin the family's image." she added.
Al just snorted.
"I was just answering a question. No one's bragging about anything. I guess you don't get it—hatred has already eaten away at your soul. Just mind your own business, and stop bothering me,"
Sarah glared at him, slapping the table lightly with her right hand, which still held a fork.
"You—!"
But Al only yawned, waving his hand dismissively, as if bored and unwilling to continue such a pointless argument.
Sarah was fuming, but after glancing at their father and mother, she held herself back.
Al remained silent and focused on finishing his breakfast.
Not long after, Vianna let out a small giggle. She was watching a video on her tablet while enjoying her breakfast.
Sandra gently scolded her,
"Vianna, finish your food first before watching something. Don't make that a habit."
Vianna smiled brightly and nodded a little.
"Hehe, okay, Mom. But this one's really funny. You guys have to see it," she said, handing over her tablet.
Edward and Sandra leaned in to watch, while Aurielle and Sarah peeked from the sides.
In an instant, Edward, Sandra, and Aurielle were struck speechless—completely shocked.
Meanwhile, Sarah burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! You're right, Vianna! That's hilarious!" Sarah said between laughs.
"Hehe, see? I told you, Sis," Vianna replied with a grin.
Sandra and Aurielle, however, covered their mouths—not because it was funny, but because they were concerned.
Edward turned to Al, his face darkening.
"Al… what happened? Why were you like this?" he asked, flipping the tablet around.
The video showed Al being beaten and toyed with by Yolanda during the martial arts competition at the school festival.
It also clearly showed how Sebastian's illusion barrier not only disrupted human perception—but even projected false visuals to the cameras.
Al smiled faintly.
No wonder he complained earlier. He really is that tactical and perfectionist when he's on assignment, he thought, referring to Sebastian.
Then he calmly replied to his father,
"Ah… that's from the school festival yesterday. I happened to represent the school in the martial arts division."
"I didn't know someone recorded it. But as you can see, the girl I fought was a strong fighter. Anyway… I thought that liar already told you everything—but I guess not."
Everyone immediately turned to David.
"David, why didn't you tell us about this? You said Al joined, but you also said you didn't see him because he might've been competing in the art division," Edward questioned.
"That's what liars do. Hide information, twist it," Al said lazily, before David could even respond.
David looked slightly irritated but ignored him, choosing instead to answer his father calmly.
"Dad, I'm sorry. I just… couldn't bring myself to tell you. How could I give you such bad news? I didn't want to make everyone worried, so I thought it'd be better to keep it to myself." he replied with a tone of fake sincerity.
"Forgive me. I guess I should've said something," he added.
Edward went silent for a moment, processing David's explanation.
Sandra then spoke softly, almost defensively,
"But didn't you try to help him, David? It looked quite brutal."
David nodded immediately.
"Of course I wanted to, Mom. But he was the one who volunteered to participate." he answered, smoothly manipulative.
"Just like you taught me—everyone has to take responsibility for their own choices. So I didn't interfere. But I did tell that girl not to go overboard with him. And look—he's fine, isn't he?"
Sandra and Edward both nodded, finding his answer reasonable and even admirable. After all, Al had chosen to join the competition himself.
They glanced at Al again. At a quick look, there was nothing strange about him—no injuries, no bruises, no sign of damage at all.
That alone made David feel uneasy, while Vianna frowned slightly.
Every one of Yolanda's attacks yesterday should've been fatal. Yet this kid's completely fine.
Did Dedy neutralize the dark energy's effects and heal him? No… Dedy shouldn't be that skilled yet. Maybe HIHS had advanced medics on standby. David analyzed silently.
Argh… I planned everything perfectly, yet this orphan brat still came out fine. He's too damn lucky.
Vianna also analyzed in her mind, thinking of Al and her junior from the dojo.
After taking those hits from Yolanda, he should've at least been severely bruised.
Yolanda didn't even use her magic energy, but she's a destructive fighter. Even while holding back, he should've taken damage.
She looked Al deeper,
Hmph... But there's nothing. What the hell happened? And to make it worse—Yolanda's the one who ended up hospitalized. That's strange.
In the end, both could only conclude that Al was either absurdly lucky… or had someone secretly helping him.
Sandra then looked at Al again, worried.
"Al, are you really okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Should we take you to the hospital?" she asked.
Al spread his arms and straightened his posture, showing that he was perfectly fine.
"I'm totally fine, Mother. See?" he replied casually.
"Besides, that girl honestly wasn't even a match for me. The one you should actually be concerned about is her. She ended up hospitalized after our fight. That's... unfortunate for her."
His arrogant tone made everyone tense again.
"Oh please… you were the one who got beaten up," Vianna shot back.
Al nodded lightly.
"The truth is… I was just holding back. Besides, she's a girl—I couldn't bring myself to hit her," he said casually.
"This family taught me not to act badly toward women, right? That's what you said back on my first day," he added quietly, referring to David's words.
He then looked directly at Vianna.
"Oh, right. That girl's your junior, isn't she, Sis? You should probably check on her—she's probably in a bad mood after losing to me," he said genuinely.
"And… I thought your dojo could use some improvement in real combat experience. The girl is strong, but she doesn't seem to have genuine fighting instincts yet," he added with good intentions.
His intentions were good. But Vianna thought it was mockery—an arrogant remark.
The cheerful laughter Vianna had shown earlier instantly vanished.
"Al," she said coldly, "because you're part of this family, I won't hurt you. But you'd better not insult my dojo again—or you'll face the consequences."
Al stepped back slightly, not feeling like he had insulted her dojo.
Why am I suddenly being accused of insulting it? he thought.
But... whatever—if I respond, it'll probably turn into a long drama.
He then simply waved his hand lazily, as if the warning meant nothing.
"Hmph… I don't know why you think that. But alright, alright," he said dismissively.
And just like that, the conversation ended.
A few moments later, amidst the heavy atmosphere,
Al's eyes shifted toward David—who was sitting closely beside Nayala.
Their aura was intimate, as usual. David looked bright and relaxed, while Nayala tried to suppress a nervous smile as she sipped her juice.
The shadowy image of that figure he had encountered just a few hours ago still lingered faintly in his thoughts.
It was not fear that unsettled him, for Al was not the type to be easily shaken, but rather the simple realization that such a powerful presence was actually hiding within this very household—more precisely, inside David's chamber.
The thought alone was enough to stir curiosity.
Who exactly is this liar? Why is he being protected so tightly? And who's behind that protection? Al wondered.
His mind wandered further, trying to find the most reasonable conclusion.
I've never really seen him as a serious threat, so I never felt the urgency to dig deeper. But… is he actually a threat? What I saw earlier… hmm… should I start investigating him more aggressively?
He paused for a moment.
But what if that only makes things worse? he murmured inwardly.
He exhaled softly and shook his head.
No… rushing things won't help. I'll need to gather more information before making any decisive moves, he murmured to himself, bringing the inner debate to a close.
With that conclusion settled, he deliberately pushed aside those tangled thoughts.
His body was still exhausted from last night's excursion, every muscle asking for rest.
At the very least, he deserved to spend this morning in peace, free from unnecessary burdens and distractions. A lazy, quiet morning was exactly what he needed.
However, when his gaze drifted again toward David and Nayala.
The memory of what he had witnessed—those two doing something they absolutely shouldn't have, all without anyone else in the family knowing—stirred a curiosity within him.
Al considered it for a moment.
Instead of ignoring the matter, he might as well indulge himself a little… or at least give David a small jab. A little payback for David's games two nights ago.
Perhaps it was time to have a little fun with the situation.
"Father," he said casually. "Is it allowed in this house for minors to engage in... hmm... more adult activities?"
The entire table froze. Forks stopped midair. Vianna nearly dropped her spoon.
David choked, coughing violently as if trying to eject his lungs.
Nayala panicked, her eyes darting to Al in absolute shock.
The expressions around the table turned sharp.
Almost everyone assumed Al was asking permission to do something inappropriate. Think that the sexual predator was now openly asking for permission to do something immoral.
Aurielle: "What do you mean by that, Al?!"
Sarah: "Oh my God... you still haven't dropped that lewd— I mean, wild streak of yours?!"
Vianna: "You don't even have a girlfriend, do you?"
Lysha: "Al… your question is... sudden?"
Edward: "Al… explain yourself!"
"Wow, look at your expressions," Al said, glancing at all of them with a confused look.
"Relax, relax. I was just asking. There's no hidden meaning! I'm not asking for permission or anything."
In his mind, he only meant to have a little fun by making David uncomfortable. But instead... the backlash turned on him.
"Besides..." he continued, "you already think I'm a pervert, don't you? So isn't it normal for a question like this to come from someone like me?"
"So you're admitting you're a pervert?" Lysha asked.
"Of course not. I just can't change what you think of me right now," Al replied calmly.
"That's because you really are that kind of person," Sarah said.
Al turned to Sarah and glanced at her lazily.
He then turned away and continued,
"I don't know about that, but my original reason for asking… was just out of curiosity."
He then shifted his gaze toward David.
"...if I was punished just for almost harassing a girl, what kind of punishment should someone get if they've already gone much further? Especially if the one who did it is still underage."
Everyone was confused by what Al meant. His tone was casual, but it felt like he was hinting at something much bigger.
They were all smart and capable of analyzing situations—but once again, their bias clouded their judgment.
They eliminated David from the equation when analyzing a potential crime, yet kept Al firmly in the spotlight.
In the end, no one could guess the truth, because the idea that David could be the culprit never even crossed their minds.
Meanwhile, David looked down, his face still flushed.
Anxiety crept into his thoughts:
Did Al... see me and Nayala last night?
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
No way. Al's room is far. My guards didn't report anything. No movement. Besides, my room is heavily protected by shadow guards… There's no way Al knows…
And yet… that small smile on Al's face—
—it unnerved him. Like Al did know everything.
The air at the table remained tense, like everyone had swallowed a heavy lump in their throat.
Al quietly enjoyed his breakfast, observing the chain reaction spreading through the entire family—from narrowed eyes to heavy sighs.
He realized the situation was too much for their minds to handle. Let alone hints—even if the truth were right in front of their eyes, they would still deny it.
With an innocent and slightly confused expression, Al raised his hand, his voice soft and tinged with regret.
"Ah, sorry. Maybe I said something I shouldn't have..." He scratched the back of his head. "I was... just curious."
"Even if you're curious, that kind of topic isn't something you should bring up here, in this family. Maybe you're used to talking about vulgar things outside, but don't bring that attitude here," Aurielle scolded sharply.
Al slowly lifted his head and met each of their gazes one by one.
Everyone stared back at him intently, waiting to see what else he was going to say.
Then Al spoke again, saying something that unsettled everyone at the table.
"I see… then that's my fault. I apologize," he began calmly.
"It's just… I thought conversations like that were normal for elite families. At school, my friends often talk about scandals involving rich families. There's even one student who allegedly got his maid pregnant…"
Al gave them a confident smile, a genuine expression reflecting what he was really explaining.
"So I thought… maybe such talks are normal in elite families? I mean, I'm still learning how to be one, and I just tried to start a small talk… I rarely talk with all of you after all."
"It's been, what, seventeen years since we've actually had a real conversation…? Hmph... Sorry."
The way Al said it—softly, but sounding sincere—was enough to cool the anger and confusion that had been boiling moments before.
Even though he'd spoken casually, without any hint of sentiment, the final line still struck deep like a quiet, piercing blade.
A long silence followed.
The faces that had just been burning with anger now turned into a mix of confusion, awkwardness, and a hint of guilt.
Because after 17 years apart, and finally reunited, they still hadn't truly interacted as a family.
Aurielle leaned back in her chair and sighed. Vianna shook her head, covering her face with one hand. Sarah raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
But… the strongest reaction came from David, who let out a deep breath and wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. Al's explanation might've been ridiculous—but it saved him from disaster.
David quickly stood up and grabbed his bag.
"I'll… head to school early."
Without waiting for any response, he made a hasty exit.
"Bye, everyone."
His footsteps were the signal that defused the explosive atmosphere in the room.
Edward and Sandra exchanged glances. For a brief moment, there was something like guilt in their eyes.
Al also stood up, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"Well then, me too. I'll return to my room," he said, walking away slowly.
He walked away, leaving the dining hall now empty… but not silent.
A faint echo stirred in the hearts of his parents—a slow bloom of guilt.
They finally realized that all this time, they truly had never spent any real time with Al.
And this time… perhaps they finally should.
---