That night, the Virellano family dining room was filled with the delicious aroma of food from the ever-busy kitchen.
The crystal chandelier bathed the room in warm light, reflecting off the long dining table draped in white silk and gold embroidery—trying, perhaps, to mask the tension that had just unfolded.
Al stepped in and instantly felt the stares, especially when the servant gestured for him to sit at the far end of the table—still at the same table, yet clearly apart from the rest of the family.
Despite there being plenty of empty seats in better spots, it felt like he had been deliberately set aside.
David sat there with a faint smile, arms crossed. Sarah twirled her spoon, a dissatisfied look on her face.
Sandra sat near her husband, unsure, her gaze on Al a mixture of maternal concern and quiet guilt.
Even if a large part of her hadn't accepted Al yet, her motherly instincts made her worry for the child she'd finally found.
Al didn't really mind it. He just wanted to make sure his seating position wouldn't cause any unnecessary drama later on.
"So… I'm sitting here?" he asked casually, sounding completely indifferent.
But there seemed to be a slight misunderstanding on their side. Edward stared at him for a moment before explaining,
"For now, yes. But don't misunderstand. I just wanted to see you more clearly. If you sit beside me, I'd have to keep turning my head."
"But if you're uncomfortable, feel free to choose wherever you want to sit. Beside David, or Sarah?"
Al glanced at the empty seats for a moment before giving a small nod.
"So… you want to see me clearly. In that case…"
He dragged a chair from the far end of the table and placed it directly across from Edward.
Forcing the two of them to face each other instead of sitting quietly at the side like the rest of the family.
"I'll sit here."
Everyone's eyes widened instantly, their expressions turning strange and complicated.
Al had boldly taken the seat of honor.
"You! How dare you sit there!?" Sarah snapped immediately.
"Brother Al… I don't think you should be sitting there," David said next, his voice calm, though a trace of surprise flickered in his eyes.
"Al! Do you even know what you're doing?" Aurielle added sharply. Even she herself had never dared to sit there—yet Al had done it without the slightest hesitation.
Edward frowned, his gaze sharpening.
"Don't you understand things like this?"
All eyes turned to Al, making him feel slightly tense. Still, he remained seated comfortably and nodded.
"It's some kind of dining etiquette among nobles, right?" he replied casually. "Usually, that seat is reserved for someone with a certain status."
"You know that, and you still did it?" Sarah said in disbelief. "Don't tell me you think you're important?"
"Not really," Al replied calmly. "It's just… Father said he wanted to see me more clearly. This should be the best seat for that."
"So there's no need to make a fuss over it. Just leave it like this."
After saying that, he casually pushed the trivial matter back onto them—making it Edward's problem to deal with instead.
Edward stared at Al for a long moment before finally shaking his head.
"Hmph… you really did exactly what I asked," he said helplessly. "Fine then. Just this once, it's not a problem. Sit there."
Sarah immediately opened her mouth, clearly about to protest. "Dad—"
Edward raised one hand.
Just a single, simple gesture. That alone was enough.
Sarah clenched her teeth tightly. Dissatisfaction was written all over her face, but in the end, she could only give up as well.
Swallowing her frustration, she muttered a sharp remark under her breath.
"Instead of trying to understand your position in this family, you're acting arrogant," she sneered.
"You should be grateful we're even letting you sit here. Normally, we wouldn't share a table with someone like you."
Al glanced at her before shaking his head lightly.
"My arrogance is still nowhere near yours."
Sarah shot up from her seat, slamming her hand against the table.
"What did you just say!?" she snapped.
Al wasn't intimidated in the slightest. He simply lifted his spoon and gave it a lazy wave.
"Sarah. That's enough. You've been picking fights this whole time!" Edward's voice cut through the air like a blade.
Sarah froze for a second before turning toward Edward, then back to Al. In the end, she sat down again with obvious irritation, her eyes glaring at Al like daggers.
Al calmly met her gaze.
The two stared at each other—one filled with contempt, the other with scorn.
Sparks practically flew between them.
And so, dinner continued.
Al thoroughly enjoyed the luxurious and delicious food laid out before him.
His usual lazy expression had completely turned into one full of appetite, and the way he ate was a little… strange, enough to make Aurielle feel slightly uncomfortable watching him.
Sarah, meanwhile, couldn't feel at ease at all.
Sitting at the same table as someone she considered nothing more than a disgusting country bumpkin was already pushing her limits.
In her eyes, Al had never belonged here in the first place.
Edward and Sandra were filled with mixed emotions, silently observing the son who had only just returned to them.
And then there was David.
On the surface, his expression remained calm and composed. But deep inside, irritation and displeasure were surging wildly.
Failed.
So far, none of his moves had worked.
Still, he knew one thing for certain. At the very least, Al had been foolish enough to help reinforce that image himself.
By now, people's impression of Al was definitely starting to crack.
---
Later, Al and the others gathered in the larger living room to discuss Al's next arrangements—particularly where he would stay inside the mansion.
Al sat far too casually on the sofa, leaning back with a satisfied expression while occasionally rubbing his full stomach.
Sarah was the first to speak, eagerly offering her suggestion.
"Discipline is necessary. He's a womanizer who could openly harass a maid. He's a wild child raised on the streets," she said coldly. "I say we put him in the storage room as a reminder that he's not part of this family yet."
Aurielle thought for a moment before nodding slightly.
"I suppose the storage room suits him well enough—for now. Let's just consider it a form of house arrest," she said.
"After all, we still don't truly know whether Al can change his habits or not. And I believe Al understands what I mean," she added while glancing at him.
David, calm as ever, sat upright before looking toward their father.
"I think… for now, that's the wisest choice. Brother Al will need time to adjust. It'll help everyone stay calm as well."
There wasn't the slightest trace of sarcasm in his voice. He even looked at Al with what seemed to be genuine understanding.
A perfect mask.
In truth, he simply didn't want Al to be treated as his equal. No matter how accepted Al became, his bloodline alone made him a threat.
In his eyes, this had already turned into a battle—to see who could push the other out first.
The discussion among the family members continued on and on.
Al was already too lazy to care. So far, they had mostly just been talking about what kind of person he was.
What does that even have to do with where I sleep? he thought.
He casually pulled out the phone he happened to bring along and opened a link to his favorite anime site, quietly streaming anime while waiting for them to finish their endless discussion.
Not long after—
"I think this would be better for everyone," Edward finally concluded before turning toward Al.
"So, Al… for now, it would probably be wiser if you stayed there. At least until we see some positive changes from you. What do you think?"
Al flinched slightly. He had almost finished one episode of that anime about the yellow ninja whose inheritance got corrupted away by the Third President.
"The Fourth President really is insanely fast…" he muttered under his breath.
Then he lifted his head and looked at them.
"Mmm… anyway," he replied casually. "I don't mind the storage room. But why do all of you think I should live like that in this house?"
"Still 'transitioning'? Not suited for luxury yet? It feels like you're deliberately holding back rights that should already belong to me."
Everyone turned toward him, their expressions tensing slightly as they processed his words.
"That's not it, Al," Aurielle replied calmly.
"This isn't about denying your rights. We simply believe that before you fully step into your new life here, some adjustment is necessary. It's just—"
"No. No. No." Al cut her off immediately.
"Please don't make it complicated again. You've all been talking about the same thing this whole time already, so there's no need to repeat it."
Aurielle fell silent for a moment, visibly caught off guard.
"What I'm trying to say is…" Al continued, "What's the point of me returning to this family if I'm going to be treated worse than I was before?"
"Worse? What do you mean by that?" Sarah immediately commented. "That storage room is still far better than the room you had back there."
"It's not about that. It's about value," Al replied.
"Back there, they gave me a room that wasn't even as big as the storage room here. But that was because it was the best room they could give me."
"But here? I'm being offered the worst room—one that probably isn't even as good as the bathroom in my siblings' bedrooms."
He shook his head helplessly.
"Isn't that strange if this ever gets out to the public? As elites, you all understand that better than I do. Yet for some reason, you still insist on it."
The others fell silent.
Of course they understood that. It was just that, somehow, seeing Al associated with a shabby room still felt… normal to them.
"As for the room issue, think about it again and give me something more appropriate," Al continued.
"And aside from that, I also want to know exactly what facilities I'm actually allowed to claim here as a member of this family."
"As for this whole 'transition' thing, that's my own business," he added. "I don't want it becoming an excuse to limit my rights."
Aurielle was about to respond, but this time, Edward stepped in.
"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 already disliked Al. And if this continued, Lysha and Elena might end up influenced by her as well—eventually clashing with Al too.
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,
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 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 really want to be isolated like that.
But staying together with them—especially Sarah and David—would only disturb his peaceful life with endless drama and childish schemes.
Every single day carried the risk of awakening something dark inside him.
And… there was another reason as well.
Earlier that day, he had sensed a faint yet unusual magical presence coming from that building—an energy unique enough to catch his attention.
He wasn't completely certain yet, but the enormous potential spiritual energy hidden within that place could very well be the relic he had been searching for… or at least a clue that could lead him to it.
Staying there—and having control over the area—would make it much easier for him to investigate whatever was causing that spiritual energy to leak out in the first place.
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 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, 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.
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.
"It's fine, Father. The sooner, the better."
Of course, tomorrow would've been more ideal for him. But first, he needed to fully gain control over something inside himself.
Doing it in a secluded place would be much safer.
Seeing the determination in Al's expression, Edward finally nodded.
"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.
---
Later…
The conversation gradually shifted to another topic.
Edward glanced toward Al once again.
"As for your allowance, you'll receive the same amount as the others. One hundred thousand Rev per month."
Before Al could respond, Aurielle interrupted—her voice calm, but sharp.
"Sorry, Dad, if I may…" she said. "I don't have many objections regarding the room, but the allowance is a different matter."
"Al hasn't been publicly acknowledged as part of the family yet. Giving him the full allowance could create… a misleading perception—especially since he hasn't proven himself within our family system."
Sarah quickly chimed in.
"We don't even know if he can uphold the family's image," she scoffed.
"Giving him one hundred thousand like the rest of us seems… unwise. Who knows? He might just spend it on perverted things outside."
And so, another long discussion began once again.
It gave Al enough time to pull out his phone again and finish the anime episode he had almost completed earlier.
A few moments later, the episode finally ended. Their discussion, however, still hadn't.
Talking about money really is always troublesome, he muttered inwardly.
Letting out a sigh, Al finally spoke up.
"I also think giving me one hundred thousand isn't appropriate, Father."
Everyone immediately turned toward him.
Aurielle and Sarah both nodded inwardly, thinking Al was finally becoming self-aware—that he understood he wasn't qualified for that amount yet.
Then Al's next words left them stunned.
"Because I should be getting more," Al said casually.
The room fell into a brief, stunned silence.
"…Excuse me?" Aurielle was the first to react. Her brows furrowed slightly, eyes sharpening as she looked at Al. "More? On what basis?"
Sarah's expression twisted immediately.
"Are you insane?" she snapped. "You're asking for more than us?"
She grabbed her own cheek, disbelief written all over her face.
"Wow… looks like my guess was right. You really came here just to chase a luxurious life."
She scoffed, crossing her arms tightly.
"See? This is exactly what I was talking about. Greedy, shameless, and completely delusional."
The corner of Al's lips lifted slightly.
"Even if your guess is right, what's wrong with chasing luxury in this family?" he replied casually. "Isn't that normal?"
"What's wrong, you say?" Sarah shot back coldly—though even she seemed unsure of the answer.
Al nodded. "Yeah. What is wrong?" he said.
"All that luxury is part of my rights in this family, isn't it? It'd be strange if I came back to a rich family and didn't expect to live well."
He shook his head in disbelief.
"Or do you think I'm supposed to stay humble and live simply?"
"Hmph. If that's the case, then why did I even come here?" he continued. "I've lived a simple life out there for over a decade. Am I supposed to keep living like that after coming back to a wealthy family?"
Once again, his argument left them speechless.
"That's not it, Al," Aurielle replied, stepping a little closer. "It's not about your rights—it's about whether you can be trusted with that much money."
She lowered her voice.
"To put it simply, it's about what you'd do with it. We're just worried you might be ruined by luxury before you're ready for it."
"That's fine, Eldest Sis. Even if I end up ruined, then so be it," Al replied lazily. "To me, that's still better than letting someone hold back what's rightfully mine."
"Besides…" he continued,
"...do you really think I'd recklessly burn through all that money? You've obviously prepared layers of supervision and safeguards already. So why are you so afraid the money will ruin me?"
Aurielle could only mutter softly at his indifferent response.
"Still… it's risky. But whatever. You're impossible to talk to," she said. "So what exactly do you mean by asking for more?"
"As for that…" Al replied, "I'm simply asking for the rights I never received."
"For the past seventeen years, I've gotten nothing from this family other than being born into it. I don't mind not being compensated for that…"
"…but the fact that you gave so much to the swapped child means it would only be fair for me to claim those seventeen years now."
He looked straight at Edward and Sandra.
"So what I want is for you to settle those rights. Either give me everything now—or if you're worried I might mess up handling that much money at this stage, at least give it to me gradually,"
He paused briefly, letting his words sink in.
"For example, double my allowance from now on, and hand over the rest when you think I'm ready for that kind of wealth. Simple, right?"
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Edward didn't speak right away.
His gaze lowered, fingers slowly tightening against the armrest. For a brief moment, his eyes drifted—landing on David.
Not accusing. Not hostile. Just… complicated.
Sandra's breath hitched. Her hands clenched together in her lap as she looked at Al, guilt quietly surfacing in her eyes.
Seventeen years. The weight of that number pressed down on her chest.
She had no words.
Edward finally exhaled slowly.
"…You're right," he said.
The words were calm, but heavy.
"For seventeen years, this family gave you nothing. And yet, we gave everything to another child."
His eyes returned to Al.
"That debt exists. Whether we acknowledge it or not."
Sandra nodded faintly, her voice soft but steady when she spoke.
"If we call ourselves your parents, then that responsibility doesn't disappear just because time has passed."
Edward straightened, decision settling in his tone.
"Alright," he said. "We'll do as you suggested."
"I think the best approach is this—starting from now, your allowance will be doubled for the next few years. That feels like the most appropriate solution,"
"Settling all your rights at once would simply be giving you too much too soon."
Sarah's eyes widened.
"Wait—so he's really getting more because of that?!" she blurted out.
But Edward raised a hand.
"That's enough, Sarah. This decision stands."
Sarah could only fall silent in the face of his firmness.
No one spoke after that.
The matter was settled.
Al nodded in agreement. For the next several years, his allowance would be doubled—until the day he was deemed capable of managing large sums of money.
When that time came, all of his past and future rights would be fully returned to him.
Edward let out a breath and nodded as well.
"Fine. That's enough for tonight," he said. "For anything else you need, report to Harun. You may head to your room now."
He turned to Harun.
"Take him to the building. Prepare it."
"Yes, sir," Harun replied with a bow, then glanced at Al.
Al nodded in return and slowly stood up.
Before leaving with Harun, he glanced around the room—sweeping his gaze over every face.
His deep black eyes reflected the glow of the crystal chandelier above. But he saw more than faces—he saw magical auras.
Each family member had red threads connecting them to Al—signs of blood ties—but the threads were weak, as if being drained by something.
Then his eyes fell on David.
David's face was calm, clean, and charismatic as always. But the aura around him was… different.
Dark. A pulsating blackish-purple mist, like poisonous fog.
It wasn't just dark—it was feeding off the others, drawing in their light like a slow vortex.
He's… draining them? Al frowned slightly.
But he said nothing.
He wasn't quite sure whether they would believe him—or even understand anything related to the supernatural.
He simply sighed and followed Harun out of the room.