So this bastard called me all the way here.
My heart pounded like crazy, as if I were facing a murderer.
He still had to stay in the Papal State for another eight months. At this point, only a third of his work had been completed.
I looked at him with a smile before shifting my gaze to his clothes.
Adrian, dressed in a patient's gown, pulled off the blanket and approached me.
A patient's gown, huh.
How amusing.
Did he pull a self-harm stunt to end up here?
The words burned at the tip of my tongue, but I forced a smile to swallow my sneer.
"You've grown since I last saw you, Luca. Your complexion looks much better."
"..."
"Your Highness, how did you make it here in your condition? I was going to personally escort the young master to his room, but I didn't expect you to come all the way out…."
The chamberlain looked at Adrian with a worried expression.
"It's nothing. As soon as I heard my brother was coming, I wanted to see him right away."
He probably couldn't wait to check how much his little brother had grown a backbone and what kind of trouble he'd been up to.
Adrian stared at me intently, his eyes filled with concern as he placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Luca, are you alright?"
"There's no reason I wouldn't be, Brother."
Adrian's smile widened slightly, his eyes opening just a fraction more.
The chamberlain had likely grown used to him and wouldn't notice the subtle change. But for Adrian Askanian, who last saw me in September of last year, the difference would be impossible to miss.
Of course, that didn't mean I planned to lower my head and revert to speaking in a timid, trembling voice.
I knew exactly how my dear brother thought.
If he sensed change in me and I still acted servile, he'd take it as my way of saying he could kill me without consequences.
After a long silence, Adrian's eyes curved into a grin.
"Your voice has changed a lot. If we met outside, I wouldn't even recognize you as my brother."
"Is that so?"
What else was there to say in front of this murderer?
I gave him a polite smile and said,
"I'll be heading to my room now. I'll see you later."
Just as I turned away, my brother called my name in a low voice.
"Luca."
"..."
"I'll see you later."
When I turned back, Adrian was smiling—brightly.
He didn't care about my attitude in the slightest.
It twisted my insides.
Not because I wanted to shake him.
It was obvious why he wasn't reacting. I hadn't shown him anything yet.
No, what really pissed me off was that I could already predict what lay behind that smile.
I merely returned his smile and left the hall.
The chamberlain quickly caught up to me and led me to my room.
Not that I needed directions.
I used to live here when I was younger.
"You are quite composed, young master."
His voice drifted in from beside me.
I raised an eyebrow as if asking for an explanation, and he, lost in thought, replied,
"Half a year ago, you could barely utter a word in front of the eldest young master. I never imagined I'd see the day when you'd converse with Adrian so calmly…."
I cut him off.
"I don't even remember that."
"I suppose that makes sense. Seeing you now, I'm reminded of Duke Georg in his youth. This must be your true potential awakening, so it's only natural that your past self feels foreign."
"..."
My 'true' self, huh.
How amusing.
Though I didn't feel like laughing.
"I will inform you when dinner is ready. You will be meeting your father then."
"Understood."
The chamberlain bowed politely before leaving. Once the door shut, I took a step forward.
…!
My legs gave out.
I steadied myself by pressing a hand to the floor and sat down.
I hadn't realized it, but I had been tense.
The fear ingrained in Luca wasn't something I could overcome so easily.
Composed, huh…
So that's how I looked to others.
I let out a small chuckle.
It was impossible to remain calm in front of a future serial killer with a broken brain structure. This was an inevitable reaction. Dwelling on it would only waste time.
I quickly cut off my thoughts and opened my bag.
When I packed my things at the dorm, Leo had stopped by under the pretense of delivering a handout. He had slipped me a sedative then.
I unwrapped one, popped it into my mouth, and collapsed onto the bed.
As the sedative's magic spread through my body, the furious pounding of my heart gradually slowed.
Vitelsbach medicine never disappoints.
I wasn't well-versed in history, but I had never heard of the Bavarian royal family being renowned for their medical expertise—at least not in my past world, where magic didn't exist.
It still felt a little strange whenever I thought about it.
Distracting myself with trivial thoughts helped calm me down.
I sat up and looked toward the mahogany door.
…I want to lock it.
Dinner was still a long way off.
Adrian could show up at any time.
He'll probably want to chat for no reason.
If he started running his mouth, could I bash his head in?
Even as the thought crossed my mind, my pulse began to race again.
This wasn't that basement.
But my body vividly recalled every sensation from that day.
My target is here.
The man who would kill me.
The enemy I had to execute was less than 500 meters away.
The only silver lining was that Nicolaus was much more prepared now.
The downside? If Adrian hadn't pulled this self-harm stunt and had returned normally in August, I would've been able to prepare even more perfectly.
By then, I could've built a solid reputation as a cardinal, raised Nicolaus' Impression score to at least 8—maybe even higher.
I would've had the foundation to easily block any imperial schemes.
I mulled over the situation for a while before letting a smirk creep onto my lips.
At least this wasn't the worst-case scenario.
How fucking ridiculous.
He failed to observe and test me.
Locking me up at home during the break.
Using newspaper interviews to trigger Luca's conditioned fear.
Extracting any meaningful information from Professor Traut.
So in the end, he decided to come see me himself.
His transfer, originally set until August, wouldn't have been much of an obstacle.
"If the enemy doesn't block the attack and gets severely injured, they can be sent back home for treatment."
How glorious.
To think Adrian Askanian had to sacrifice his own safety just to achieve his goal.
He came here to witness and test my transformation firsthand.
And there was one hypothesis that seemed the most likely regarding his next move—
He would throw me back into the basement and interrogate me.
And the moment he detected even the slightest trace of magic, he'd make sure I never set foot in society again.
I changed out of my school uniform and put on the clothes provided here.
The chamberlain must have already taken my measurements and had them custom-made. The fit was perfect.
Well, at least I don't have to worry about this part.
Judging by the chamberlain's preparedness, I wouldn't have to deal with any trivial embarrassments while I was here.
That meant I could focus entirely on Adrian Askanian's plans.
Sitting back on the bed, I pondered his next moves.
The professor told me I had a week, but would I really be able to return to school?
Most likely not.
Luca didn't enroll in the First Academy in the novel. Not even the Third.
To these people, Luca was someone they could lock up at any time.
Expelling me wouldn't be an issue for those who had already ignored compulsory education.
If I end up stuck here permanently…
Then how do I buy enough time to fully integrate Nicolaus into my plans?
I needed my notebook.
Even if I burned or drowned the evidence later, writing things down would help organize my thoughts.
I reached into my briefcase—
A warm, furry lump brushed against my fingertips.
…?
Fur?
"…!"
My body jolted involuntarily as I yanked my arm back.
Then, a familiar little creature popped its head out of the bag.
"Lucas!"
—"You… how the hell?!"
I grabbed my own neck in disbelief, but Pai was unfazed. It hopped onto the windowsill, looking around.
"Wow~ Lucas' house looks just like Narce's!"
—"What if someone catches you?!"
"Narce told me to come! And I like being with Lucas~"
"..."
Whether this was fine or not was a separate issue.
The breath that had been caught in my throat finally escaped.
For some reason, the tension in my shoulders eased.
—"…Pai."
"Hm?"
I reached out my hand. Pai, perched on the windowsill, naturally jumped onto it.
Fortunately, given its small size, Pai's magical presence wasn't noticeable.
For some reason, a white ribbon was tied around one of its front paws. It was probably an artifact, dampening its magical aura even further.
…This should be fine.
If Pai's presence was a problem, Narce wouldn't have sent it.
I let out a faint smile and placed Pai gently on the bed.
—"Thanks."
"For what?!"
—"Just because."
I lay down, one hand holding Pai while jotting down notes with the other.
It felt like my tense muscles were loosening—almost as much as when I took Leo's sedative.
More than just emotional comfort, there was another advantage.
Thanks to Narce sending Pai, I could strategize more effectively.
The sky outside darkened.
After outlining various contingency plans, I checked the time.
Almost six o'clock.
I had already memorized everything I wrote down. There was no need to leave behind evidence.
I tossed the notes into the fireplace and waited until they turned to ash. Then, using a poker, I stirred the embers to mix the paper's remains with the wood ashes.
As soon as I stepped away—
DENG—
The bell rang, marking six o'clock.
Right on cue, the chamberlain knocked on the door.
"Come in."
"Young master, it is time for dinner. The Duke will be arriving shortly."
"Understood."
I nodded and followed him.
The conclusion was clear.
Whether he tortured me or expelled me from school, I had only one course of action.
If I acted like the old Luca, I would only bring death upon myself faster.
That much was evident from the fact that the old Luca had died as soon as he came of age.
Showing weakness in front of my brother wouldn't help me survive.
So I must do the opposite.
Even if I didn't know exactly how Adrian Askanian would react, I couldn't afford to walk the path where death was certain.
***
From the moment Lucas entered the dining hall, the servants' gazes clung to him.
Even those without assigned duties hovered around, offering to help set the table or clean up, all while sneaking glances at him before rushing off to whisper among themselves.
Word of the second son of House Askanian had already spread like wildfire within the manor.
Lucas sat calmly, waiting for the others to arrive.
It wasn't so different from the stares he had received on his first day back at school with his short hair.
Then—
"The esteemed Prince Adrian Askanian has arrived."
The chamberlain's composed voice echoed through the hall.
Lucas turned toward the doorway.
Adrian had changed out of his patient's gown and into formal attire.
Upon spotting Lucas, he beamed.
Lucas was the first to speak.
"You've arrived, Brother."
"..."
There was no urgency, no nervousness in his voice.
It was as if he had said those words a thousand times before.
The servants froze mid-motion.
Had he kept his head down, they wouldn't have questioned it.
But the Lucas they knew would never have greeted Adrian Askanian so casually.
Adrian looked down at him in silence—then smiled softly.
"I never imagined I would hear something like that from you, Luca."