The plan had been simple: grovel, apologize, and survive.
Alas, an unprecedented silence had descended upon the great lobby of the Crimson Estate and there I stood, stationed before an assemblage of judging members of my new clan, knowing that the plan had already been reduced to ashes. A thick kind of tension permeated the very air, behaving almost like an otherworldly entity, interrupting my train of thought, while in fact pressing me, forcefully, to descend unto the ground.
I screamed within myself, 'Can somebody, anybody, in this situation, help me?' It was desperate, but that plea went forth to the golden mote of light that was my only ally. 'Do something! Give me a skill, a dialogue option, something!'
The System replied, and right away it was, of course, totally unhelpful.
[Request denied. User does not possess the required system access level for direct intervention. Also… this situation is your mess, not mine. Good luck!]
'What kind of useless, parasitic system are you!?'
[Adorable one. You're welcome.]
I cursed quietly, thinking, "Shit."
Althea ascended from her gilded chair, clasping the armrests tightly. She swirled around the room like a tempest in royal silk, eyes sharper than freshly honed blades. Every line of her body was a lethal grace, with threat and promise of violence held back only by the thinnest veneer of courtly etiquette.
"Had he not been your son, Serena," she hissed venomously through the inky silence, "I would have had his head mounted on a spike above the palace gates for this insult."
I gulped. Not due to fear, but because it seeps into every particle of my being that she indeed meant every single word. This was not an empty threat; it was a promise.
Marquess Regus, my father, stepped forth. His blank face was like a mask, but his palm was raised, knuckles white. The shameful Crimson disciplinary slap was imminent, a public act of punishment intended to break the victim's body and spirit.
Before he managed to carry out the act, I intervened. For some reason, my voice was booming and more assured than the tremor I felt in my soul. It was cold and detached, utterly defiant.
"Fine. This circus can stop now."
Stilled, everyone remained; the Marquess's hand was frozen in the air, the Queen's shocked eyes widened, and even Lucielle seemed to flinch as if my words were a slap.
Slowly, I turned my head toward her, locking gazes with the Queen.
"So you want to kill me?" I asked with the casual disdain of which I was previously unaware. "But then you wouldn't need to worry about incurring my mother's wrath because from here on... I am no longer part of this family. I am a nobody. Unclaimed. Unwanted. Very much unbothered by your royal threats."
Gasps spread across the room, sharp and awful. The butlers, Garrick and Thomas, looked fit to faint.
But I was not finished. My frozen glare swung to my father.
"Father," I said, tasting venom on my tongue, "This is what you've always wanted, right? For the weak, useless son to just disappear? Congratulations. Now you can tell everyone you've disowned me. Be proud."
His face shifted from one of anger to utter confusion.
Then I turned to my mother, whose lovely face was wet with tears and trembling silently with some suppressed grief. For a heartbeat, empathy warred with Ashen's cold instinct to survive. I crushed it.
"Mother, you are free now," I said, my voice softening just a touch, a calculated cruelty. "No more worrying about your liability of a son. No more sleepless nights wondering how to fix the broken toy. Be at peace."
She gave way to loud, soul-wrenching sobs, and the last remnants of her composure shattered like glass.
Finally, I turned towards Lucielle. Her cold fury had faded, yielding to pure bewilderment.
"Sis...," I said, smiling mockingly. "You've always wanted the limelight without my shadow dimming your light. Well, you're the only heir now. The perfect daughter. Consider this my present to you. You're welcome."
Thereupon I whirled around; my borrowed cloak flew behind me as I strode toward the massive front gate. My footfall rang out dully in the enormous, empty hall.
Not one tried to stop me.
Only my mother moved, a desperate, choked cry escaping her lips as she started to rise. But my father's hand shot out, gripping her wrist in a vice.
"He's bluffing," he said, his voice a low growl. "He's a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. He has nowhere to go. He'll come crawling back by nightfall."
Fools. All of them.
I wasn't the original Ashen, a moody, broken teenager acting out. I was a reincarnator with a lifetime of knowledge from another world, a clear vision for my future, and way too much genre awareness. I knew things they couldn't even begin to comprehend.
Ashborn Academy, the most prestigious and powerful neutral institution in the empire, had already accepted me. The entrance exams were in three months. Once I was within its hallowed walls, I would be untouchable. Protected by ancient laws and a faculty of monstrously powerful mages, not even royalty would dare to touch me.
The simple life would be waiting for me.
As I stepped out from the darkness that enshrouded the estate into that sharp, unrelenting sunlight, the System chimed into my mind.
[MAIN MISSION COMPLETED: Survive the Family Confrontation]
[REWARDS UNLOCKED:] ‣ Shadow Element Synchronization: 12% ‣ Skill Acquired: [Shadow Veil (Passive)] – A constant, low-level aura that dampens your presence and muffles sound, reducing the chance of detection during nighttime by 30%. ‣ Inventory Slot Expansion: +2 ‣ Bonus Trait Acquired: [Cold Composure] – Your mind is now a fortress against emotional manipulation. Resistance to panic, fear, and pressure-based intimidation enhanced by 40%.
In my face, a slow, genuine smile spread. 'Now, that's more like it.'
I reached into the dimensional ring on my finger—one of the few perks of being a noble brat—and pulled out a sleek, dark travel cloak and a pouch filled with enough gold to last me for months. I tightened the strap of my gear pouch, the weight a comforting reassurance.
Destination: Hally Forest.
According to Ashen's fractured memories, a rare and powerful beast—a silver wolf blessed by the first moon god—was hidden deep within its ancient woods. In the original timeline, it would have been the protagonist's familiar, a loyal companion on his heroic journey.
How poetic. The savior's beast, now destined to serve a demon.
Because yes, that was the truth no one in this world knew. Ashen Crimson was never the real demon of the story.
I am.
And honestly? I'm doing a damn fine job so far.
The five-day journey to the forest could have been a comfortable ride in a mana-beast carriage. But why waste coin when you could train, camp, and… acquire resources from less-deserving travelers on the road?
I smiled as I walked down the long, winding road leading away from the capital. The first night, I encountered a trio of arrogant merchant's sons, bragging loudly about their father's wealth and harassing a local tavern owner. Using my newly acquired Shadow Veil, I slipped past their hired guards, relieved them of their coin purses, and left them tied together with their own expensive silk belts.
Train. Walk. Steal. Repeat.
It wasn't much, but it was honest villain work. And with every passing day, I could feel the dormant power in this body beginning to stir, the shadows themselves seeming to whisper my name.