Later...
Sandra spoke in a soft yet firm tone, her voice carrying the weight of responsibility.
"David, please escort Al to his room. He still needs some rest after the long journey. You can also show him around a little so he can get familiar with the house."
She glanced between David and Al, her eyes filled with hope—though beneath it lingered a trace of worry.
David gave a small nod and stood up, looking at Al with a coldness he barely bothered to hide.
Meanwhile, Al rose casually, completely at ease, and quietly followed David out of the room, leaving their mother behind in silence.
The Virellano main residence was truly enormous.
A five-story mansion with an additional basement floor.
Its architecture blended classical elegance with modern luxury, every corner radiating refinement and wealth.
But when David led Al toward the farthest corner of the first floor, the atmosphere changed completely.
So this house has ordinary rooms too, huh? Al thought casually.
David stopped near a tall bookshelf along the corridor and opened a small hidden door beside it.
Inside was a cramped room, barely two by three meters wide.
A small bed with a thin mattress sat in the middle beneath a dim ceiling lamp. Dust had gathered thickly in the corners, and the air carried the stale scent of age and neglect.
This used to be a maid's room—one that hadn't been used in over a decade.
"You'll stay here for now," David said coolly, trying to sound neutral.
"Your actual room still isn't ready yet. They're cleaning it. So just rest here for now. I'll take you to your real room after dinner."
A subtle smirk appeared on his lips—small enough that only someone observant would notice it.
Al simply nodded.
His eyes calmly scanned the tiny room without much reaction.
Then he took off his backpack, placed it on the dusty bed, and stood quietly beside it.
David had expected more of a reaction—anger, annoyance, anything.
But why was it this simple?
Ever since earlier, Al had been strangely nonchalant. He disliked dragging out problems and seemed more interested in relaxing than arguing.
What's wrong with this kid? Does he have some kind of condition? David wondered.
But if he's really like this...
Does that mean he's the type to just accept everything? If I mess with him later, will he simply endure it?
Hehe... interesting.
Meanwhile, seeing David fall silent, Al used the brief pause to study him more carefully.
A faint crimson glint flickered across his eyes.
But before he could observe further, his expression suddenly froze.
What... is this?
For the first time since arriving at the mansion, genuine surprise appeared on his face.
At that exact moment, David spoke again.
"Ah... right. But are you really okay staying here?" he asked casually, clearly testing him.
"If it bothers you, I can move you to a better room instead. I mean... maybe you were already expecting to sleep in some luxurious bedroom."
There was just enough accusation in his tone to sting, as if implying Al was greedy for comfort.
Unfortunately for him, Al simply nodded and casually patted David on the shoulder.
"I wasn't thinking about that. This place is already fine. You said it's only temporary, right? I'll move later anyway, so it's not a problem," Al replied calmly.
David frowned slightly, caught off guard by the unexpected response, before giving a faint nod.
Al simply smiled back casually, completely unbothered.
Then he turned toward the small bed.
"Huff... finally, some rest," he muttered while patting the dusty mattress, sounding utterly indifferent to the room itself.
Meanwhile, David let out a long sigh and prepared to leave.
But before he stepped away, he suddenly called out to Al.
"Anyway, Al," he said lightly.
"Hm?" Al responded.
David looked at him for a moment, his gaze deeper than before.
"If you start thinking badly of me after this, I hope you'll throw those thoughts away."
His voice sounded calm and sincere.
"I didn't stay here to steal what belongs to you. I stayed because I love this family... and they love me too."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"After all, we were both victims of the past. So once again, don't blame me."
Al fell silent for a moment.
Then he simply smiled faintly, nodded, and turned away.
David assumed that was agreement enough and finally turned to leave.
But then Al's relaxed voice sounded from behind him.
"You're wrong about something."
David stopped and turned back, confused.
Al didn't even look at him. He was too busy dusting off the bed with one hand.
"Victims are people who suffer misfortune," Al said casually.
"For people who were supposed to live miserable lives but ended up surrounded by luxury instead... they're not victims."
He slowly walked toward the door.
"They're the ones who received a blessing."
Then he grabbed the doorknob and slowly pulled the door shut while continuing calmly,
"But relax. You're right about one thing. I shouldn't blame you."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Because I myself... am grateful for that exchange."
And with that, the door closed.
Leaving David standing there in silence, unable to understand what Al truly meant.
"You—!"
David clicked his tongue in irritation, but eventually let out another sigh.
He still couldn't understand that strange boy at all.
In the end, he simply turned around and walked away.
He stepped out of the dark corridor and passed by a female servant. The woman immediately bowed respectfully.
"Young Master," she greeted politely.
David responded with a small nod.
For a brief second, an unreadable smile flickered across both of their faces.
Then they passed each other and continued in opposite directions.
As David walked through the corridor, he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the spot on his shoulder where Al had touched him.
Disgusting.
His expression darkened instantly.
No matter what... you'd better watch your step, brat.
This place isn't for you.
A sly smile slowly curled onto his lips as he continued walking.
His first attempt to provoke Al had failed...
But he still had plenty of time.
And he only had one goal.
To remove Al from the Virellano family.
Not merely to drive him out, but to make the entire family turn against him first.
So that when Al finally fell... no one would ever reach out a hand to save him.
---
Inside the small room,
Al was still thinking about what he had just seen.
"Hmm… David… who exactly is that boy? Even my eyes couldn't see through him," he muttered in confusion.
He glanced around the room before letting out a calm smile.
"A strange mansion… and a boy I can't read. Looks like this family is hiding more secrets than I expected. Interesting."
He then pulled his phone out of his backpack and started recording everything that had happened during his first hour at the Virellano estate — including what happened in the car with his father.
"So… it seems some people here don't want me around. But whatever… I still need this family for our mission. Leaving now isn't an option yet."
But then, he suddenly froze.
It felt like someone was watching him — peeking through the small crack in the door.
He quickly walked over and pulled it open, only to find… no one suspicious.
Just a maid passing by. A woman who looked perfectly normal.
The maid gave a faint nod — silent, polite, and oddly expressionless — before turning around and walking toward the hallway.
Al stared blankly for a moment.
Was she the one peeking into my room? Hmph…
He shook his head.
Whatever. Whoever it was, I just hope they leave me alone.
He sighed quietly.
Then, went back inside and shut the door firmly.
Inside, he looked around again.
He ran his hand along the cracked wall, wiping away a layer of thick dust.
Beneath it, a faint carving began to show — the letters rough, scratched, but still legible: 'Virela.'
"Virela? Isn't the family name supposed to be Virellano? With two Ls…"
Maybe someone just scribbled it for fun.
He brushed the thought aside and decided to sleep.
---
A Few Hours Later — 6:15 PM
Two fairly muscular servants walked down the corridor toward the room where Al was staying.
Their expressions were firm, filled with disdain… and even a hint of anger.
The moment they arrived, they immediately started banging hard on the door, clearly trying to force Al to come out.
"Young Master Al… please come to the family room. Master Edward is asking for you," one of them shouted.
But there was no response.
They repeated it several times, until irritation finally took over.
"This country brat… seriously!"
"Kid, get out already! Hurry up!"
Inside the dark room, Al slowly opened his eyes.
A blood-red glow filled his pupils.
Just as the two servants were about to force the door open—
Click!
The door opened slightly.
And for some reason, it felt as though something dark and suffocating was about to crawl out from inside.
Enough to make both servants shiver and instinctively take a step back in caution. Their instincts were screaming at them to… run.
Only a small part of Al's hair and nose could be seen through the gap.
Then his flat voice echoed out.
"You'd better not disturb me during dusk… and dawn again."
"Wait another fifteen minutes."
The two servants instinctively nodded.
They were supposed to bring Al immediately, yet for some reason, disobeying Al right now felt far more dangerous than disobeying Edward himself.
Fifteen minutes later—
Still half-asleep, Al finally stepped out of the room.
The suffocating aura from earlier had completely vanished, replaced by his usual lazy expression.
Then the three of them headed off together.
---
When they arrived, the mood had clearly shifted. The family room was filled with people, their expressions a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
In the center stood a young maid—the same one he'd seen earlier, visibly anxious yet trying to appear composed.
Edward, Al's father, stood beside her, face stern and voice commanding.
"Al! Explain what you've done!"
"Hmph? What did I do?" Al replied, genuinely confused. "I just... woke up, what's going on?"
Edward let out a breath, clearly uninterested in dragging things out, then turned toward the maid.
"You. Tell us what happened. We need to know exactly what occurred. Speak clearly."
Al looked more confused as his father's anger escalated.
The young maid took a deep breath, clearly reluctant, but eventually began to speak.
"This afternoon, I took Young Master Al to the downstairs room… as instructed by Young Master David..."
"...he said his room was being prepared and that he wanted to surprise Young Master Al with the help of his siblings. So I was told to lead him to that space first."
Still struggling to fully wake up, Al listened quietly.
"But… on the way, Young Master Al suddenly became furious because the room was small and dusty. He… he even hit me and… um… that's all, sir."
She paused, as if holding back more.
Edward's eyes sharpened.
"You're not telling the full story, are you? Say it. Don't hold back."
The maid hesitated, then finally confessed, her voice barely audible.
"He… he also tried to flirt with me… and touched me. I know it was inappropriate, and I didn't want to speak out to protect his name, but…"
"I'm sorry, sir. I can't keep quiet. It was humiliating."
Her voice cracked into sobs. The room fell silent.
Al, still drowsy, stayed quiet, scanning everyone's reactions, trying to make sense of the accusation.
Wait… wasn't it David who brought me there?
David stood in a corner of the room, smiling slightly—clearly satisfied with the unfolding chaos.
Al stared at him and immediately understood. This was David's doing.
Tch... This is so childish! For someone like me to get dragged into something this petty… how annoying.
Tension Rises
The family room grew hotter with tension as Sarah, dressed in a burgundy silk blouse, stepped forward with a sneer aimed at Al.
"See, Dad," she said with calm disdain,
"He's only been here for a day and already caused trouble—behaving wildly, hitting and harassing a maid. He's just… feral."
Edward, still in his dark formal suit, now sat in a large armchair, his fists clenched on the table. His face flushed red with anger and disappointment as he glared at Al.
What's wrong with this child? I thought I had just brought my son back home, but why does it feel like I've only brought a beast into this house?
…Was I wrong? Edward wondered, trying to reflect even through his fury
"Al, I told you—you need to learn what it means to be part of this family. We are a respected household. This reckless behavior is disgraceful." Edward said
"Yes, Dad," Sarah agreed before turning to Al.
"Right now, you're only here because of blood. If you can't show even basic respect, then you might as well leave this house immediately."
Aurielle, joined the conversation. She leaned forward, her gaze sharp and piercing.
"Don't forget, Al," she said coldly,
"You were raised in an orphanage, sharing a room with many others. Even if you're temporarily sleeping in that storage room, you should be grateful."
She shook her head in disappointment.
"And on top of that, you harassed a maid? Haah… don't make things even worse with your complete lack of manners."
Al stood calmly, looking at everyone with a neutral expression.
From what he remembered, the area earlier wasn't covered by any CCTV cameras. Which meant… there was no actual proof.
But… without any clear proof, why were they all so convinced that he was the one who did it?
Al couldn't help but feel confused by that.
As time passed, more and more mocking gazes and judgmental looks were thrown at him. Even the servants nearby had already started whispering among themselves.
But Al didn't care.
He remained focused on analyzing the situation, until eventually, he felt like he had reached an answer.
A smirk slowly formed on his face.
"Anyway…" he finally spoke. "If I say David was the one who brought me there, without that maid ever taking over midway… would any of you believe me?"
"Of course not!" Sarah snapped back instantly, her tone firm and full of certainty. In her eyes, Al was already guilty.
Most of the people there also believed Al was the culprit. Though a few still glanced toward David, silently asking for a clearer explanation.
Al looked at David as well.
"You know what really happened. So why don't you tell them the truth?"
David merely shook his head lightly before speaking in a soft voice.
"What are you talking about, brother? Midway there, I asked her to guide you in my place. You didn't have any problem with it either."
"In fact… you were even smiling when I offered it earlier."
"But… why did it end up like this? Why would you do that to her?" he demanded.
"If I had known this would happen… then maybe I should've been the one inst…"
His voice trailed off, as if he could no longer continue.
Then he turned toward the maid and lowered his head slightly.
"I'm sorry. This is partly my fault too," he added apologetically.
His performance was convincing enough.
After all, David knew his position was still far above Al's, whose image remained that of a wild child in the eyes of the Virellano family.
Even a small explanation from him was enough to sway them.
And sure enough, they seemed to believe him.
Al could only shake his head helplessly in the end.
"Hufttt… so you chose to lie after all. I don't know what your problem with me is, but I suggest you don't try something like this again in the future."
David flinched slightly at those words, but quickly maintained his act.
"What do you mean, brother? Now you're blaming me?" he asked, pretending not to understand.
Sarah, who had disliked Al from the very beginning, immediately frowned at his words.
"What do you mean David is lying? He's the most honest person we know. Besides, what reason would he even have to lie about you?"
Her words were followed by nods from the other family members.
To them, David was a good child who had never lied before.
Sarah continued,
"You just got here and you're already causing trouble with the staff, and now you're accusing David too? Oh God… I already said this before — you should've just left."
Everyone fell silent after hearing her harsh words.
Part of them didn't have the heart to see Al leave, but another part quietly agreed with her.
Disappointed sighs and scornful gazes once again filled the room. Edward, Sandra, and Aurielle openly showed their displeasure, while the servants nearby continued whispering among themselves.
Until finally—
"Enough!" Al's voice rose slightly this time.
And for some reason, that single word instantly silenced everyone.
The room turned quiet, as though all of them were unconsciously waiting to hear what he would say next.
"Now I get it…" Al said in a lazy tone. "Looks like this house has a pretty huge bias. No matter what happens, you've already decided that I'm the one at fault."
Everyone lightly nodded, as if saying, Of course.
There was already a victim, and David would never lie. In their eyes, even without bias, the culprit was obviously Al.
Al simply shook his head.
"Alright… then."
"Actually, I don't feel guilty about the accusation, because I didn't do anything wrong. But I don't want this to drag on. So…"
He suddenly walked toward the maid.
Everyone looked confused and uneasy, wondering what exactly Al was about to do.
As for the maid, she only stared at him with a frightened expression.
She assumed Al was finally going to apologize and end this whole mess.
But then—
Grab!
Al suddenly pulled her arm, causing her body to stumble straight into his embrace.
She was startled, completely caught off guard by his actions.
Their eyes met.
Her confused gaze clashed against his lazy one.
Everyone froze.
No one reacted immediately.
It was as if their brains had momentarily stopped processing what had just happened.
Al then leaned closer to the maid's ear and whispered softly,
"Why are you so quiet? Shouldn't you be acting hysterical right now?" he murmured. "Don't make your little act… look suspicious."
The maid's mind was still blank, but Al's next action finally snapped her awake.
Srrt!
Part of her upper uniform was forcefully torn apart.
At the same time, Al's hand moved where it shouldn't have.
The maid widened her eyes in shock and was about to scream—
But Al's lips suddenly touched hers.
A brief kiss.
Short and light.
Then he released her body, letting her collapse onto the floor.
Only then did the maid finally scream hysterically.
She felt stupid. Humiliated. Embarrassed.
She never expected that the false accusation she and David created to frame Al would end up becoming reality instead… and in front of everyone.
David himself was left stunned.
He never expected Al would actually turn the accusation into something real.
A trace of irritation appeared in his eyes. After all, even he himself had never touched the maid before… yet Al had done it first.
The entire room was completely shocked.
Instead of denying the accusation or admitting fault, Al had openly displayed something even worse in front of them all.
Edward immediately rose from his seat, slamming his hand against the armchair as he harshly scolded Al.
Sandra nearly fainted, unable to bear what she had just witnessed.
Aurielle — even Sarah, who moments ago wanted to see Al destroyed — turned completely agape. She froze for a moment before finally joining in and scolding him as well.
But Al simply let all the insults, curses, and angry words pass through one ear and out the other.
He looked at the maid and then at David before smirking, as if silently telling them—You two are still far too young to play against me.
That look only made the maid feel even more violated, while David clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned pale.
His teeth ground together in anger, but he forced himself not to react too much in order to maintain his image.
Edward, Sarah, and Aurielle had already stepped right in front of Al, pointing fingers and angrily berating him.
The maid had been escorted away, while David stayed beside Sandra, calm her down.
Al casually raised his hand and pushed Edward's pointing finger downward.
"Enough already," he said lazily. "Since your accusation has already been proven true, what now? Time to punish me, right?"
His words instantly made them choke up slightly.
Why did it feel like Al was actually provoking them instead… in such a strange way?
Aurielle and Edward exchanged confused looks, unable to fully process the situation anymore.
Something about this whole thing felt wrong. Completely different from what they had expected.
"Eh… ah… what did you just say?" Edward muttered.
Only Sarah still sounded completely fired up.
"Of course you should be punished! A rude brat like you seriously needs to be taught a proper lesson."
She grabbed Edward's arm tightly.
"Dad! Punish him immediately. Make sure he truly learns his lesson. If possible…"
She shot Al a cold glare.
"…break those filthy hands of his."
Hearing that, Edward slowly regained his composure.
He calmed himself down before making a decision.
The next step — the most important one — was still to punish Al.
Edward loosened the top button of his blazer before speaking calmly.
Somehow, he wanted to appear more reluctant while punishing Al, so Al wouldn't think he was being unfairly targeted.
"Right… you should be punished," he said toward Al.
"But since this is your first offense, I won't humiliate you any further. This family has rules. Once those rules are broken, consequences will follow."
Al merely stared back lazily, completely indifferent.
That attitude only irritated Edward again.
He then turned toward a nearby servant.
"Prepare dinner. I'm going to bathe and change first."
After that, his gaze shifted toward Harun, who stood quietly at the back.
"Harun. Call Dedy."
Harun hesitated for the briefest moment.
A flicker of concern crossed his face, but he still bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Sir."
Moments later, a towering figure entered the room.
Sharp. Intense. Overwhelming.
A chilling aura instantly spread through the entire hall, making everyone present — even Edward himself — shudder slightly.
Something terrifying was about to happen.
---