After taking a bath, his hair still half-dry and a black hoodie draped over his school uniform, Al headed toward the front yard.
Empty. No car. No driver.
Looks like he was a little late. His father had probably already left. Understandable. The man was busy.
And judging by the empty driveway, it seemed most of the family cars were already gone.
Al's gaze landed on the lone vehicle still parked in front of the mansion. Aurielle's car. Maybe he could hitch a ride with her.
But before that—
"Hmph... I guess I'll have to talk to Mother instead. Let her deal with him."
He walked toward the entrance.
But then—
"You're not allowed to enter, Young Master."
A burly servant stepped in front of him, blocking the doorway.
Al blinked.
"What do you mean? This is my house. Why can't I go in?"
"I apologize, Young Master. Due to the harassment incident from before, we've been instructed to monitor your movements inside the residence," the servant explained.
"You may only enter with permission from Master or Madam."
"They said that?"
The servant nodded casually.
"Hmph... what a pain. I've already been punished for it," Al muttered.
"They really love blowing things out of proportion."
The servant nearly scoffed at those words, as if a harassment case was something trivial.
But instead, the corners of his lips curled upward. A sly smile. Almost sinister. He leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"Of course you'd think it's a small matter. You're the culprit, after all. People who make mistakes are always the ones most eager to downplay them."
His tone was far too casual for a servant addressing a member of the family.
Al immediately noticed it. Something about this man felt off. So he decided to probe a little.
"Hm? What's with that tone?" Al asked lightly. "You've got quite a bit of nerve for a servant speaking to his Young Master."
The servant simply crossed his arms and gave a faint nod. He didn't answer.
Truthfully, long before Al had arrived at the Virellano residence, this servant had already pledged his loyalty to David, whom he believed to be the family's future heir.
David had repeatedly told him and several other staff members that sooner or later, Al would leave this house. There was no reason to treat him as someone important.
At first, the servant had his doubts. But after observing the family for the past two days, he had noticed something obvious.
Al's parents clearly favored David.
As a result, provoking Al felt completely safe.
And after hearing that Al had nearly gotten into a fight with David earlier, he became even more eager to make things difficult for him.
If possible, he wanted this boy to understand his place in this family.
"I see..." Al said casually. "So you're one of those people who don't consider me the Young Master of this house?"
The servant nodded without hesitation.
"To be honest... yes."
He didn't even bother hiding it.
"I can only apologize, but I don't believe you're qualified to be the Young Master of this family."
Then he leaned closer again.
"Without your blood connection, you're beneath even me. Whatever status you had outside means nothing here. So there's no need to act so high and mighty."
Al nodded lazily.
His reaction made the servant feel that the boy had finally understood his position. That he had been put in his place with ease.
"You're right," Al agreed. "Outside, my status isn't the same as it is here."
He tilted his head slightly.
"And honestly... I don't really understand how elite households operate. Mind if I ask you something?"
"Hm? What is it?" the servant asked.
"As long as it's not something strange, I suppose. Don't tell me you're asking about the female servants again."
Al shook his head. Then, wearing an innocent and genuinely curious expression, he asked:
"How are servants who act disrespectfully toward their masters usually punished in elite households?"
The servant froze for a moment. His brows furrowed.
"Huh? Why are you asking that? Don't tell me you're planning to punish me?"
Al shook his head again.
"I think you understand my situation in this house by now."
He shrugged.
"Do you really think I can punish anyone here? I'm just asking out of curiosity."
"Hmph... true enough." The servant relaxed. "I guess I was overthinking it."
Then he answered.
"But yes. In any respectable elite family, servants who behave that way would definitely be punished."
"Punished how?"
Al asked with clear interest.
"Hm... salary deductions, dismissal, or at the very least, corporal punishment."
"Ah... corporal punishment too."
Al lightly tapped the underside of his right fist against his left palm.
The servant chuckled mockingly.
"Hm... you really don't know much. But I suppose that's normal. Someone like you wouldn't understand how elite families operate."
Al nodded slowly, a soft laugh escaping his lips.
"Hehe. True. But…" he said. "…I think you're wrong about one thing."
"Hm? I'm wrong? You mean I know less about elites than you?" the servant asked, slightly annoyed.
Al shook his head.
"Not that," he said, his tone suddenly cold. "I mean… you're wrong to think you're overthinking."
"Huh?" The servant confused
Al's previously lazy expression suddenly turned cold. He fixed a sharp stare on him, making the man hesitate. The air grew tense, almost suffocating.
Then Al smiled.
"You're not overthinking at all." he said.
Hearing that, the servant felt a strange unease, as if he had just toyed with something he shouldn't have—or, rather, approached someone he shouldn't have.
"What do you—" he began, but his words were cut off..
Because—
BRUKKK!!
A solid punch shot straight to the man's face, hitting his nose.
Despite his muscular frame, he was thrown several meters back.
Al's expression held a satisfied calm as he muttered,
"Because I intended to punish you."
The servant hit the terrace floor, pain radiating through his face. His nose was slightly crooked, bleeding a little.
"What?" he muttered in confusion.
He hadn't even seen the punch coming. By his calculations, Al's attack should've been easy to read. So why… couldn't he see this one?
How is that even possible? he wondered.
But the pain cut his thoughts short. It was real. Sharp. Undeniable. And it made him furious.
This time, his plan had failed. Instead of provoking Al… he was the one who got provoked.
Though now, a hint of doubt crept in. He hadn't expected the seventeen-year-old in front of him to have a trick like this.
He tried to rise, suppressing his anger.
"What are you doing, brat?!" he yelled, trying to heat things up before lunging at Al.
But unfortunately for him, Al was already right in front of him—his foot pressing down on the man's thigh, keeping him from getting up.
The servant could only collapse back down, grimacing in pain.
"Arghh…" he groaned under his breath, as several other household staff began to glance over at the commotion.
Al's foot pinned him in place.
And now, his body felt completely locked. He couldn't move at all—as if a massive mountain was pressing down on him, ready to crush him at any moment.
Confusion flooded his mind. None of this made any sense.
Who… is this young man, really? Is he truly just some street-raised kid?
"Urgh… Young Master, please…" he groaned in pain.
Al shook his head and spoke with effortless grace.
"Relax. I'm only doing what elites do. Don't blame me. After all… I am your master," he said casually.
"But I don't—" the servant started, but Al cut him off again.
"Doesn't matter if you consider me or not. You must learn to accept reality. You are a subordinate here, and you deserve this punishment. Because, once again, I…"
Al stepped closer and lightly slapped the man's cheek. "…am your master."
The words carried an almost tangible weight—domination and arrogance befitting a master.
The servant shivered, unsure of what to say. But he quickly forced his composure back.
Al could feel the man's struggle.
He shook his head.
I honestly didn't want to drag this out... but since it's come to this, I might as well make an example out of you.
That way, no other servant will dare bother me again.
With a smooth motion, he pulled out a black stick from his dimensional storage.
To everyone else, it looked like a sleight-of-hand trick.
One moment his hand was empty. The next, a black stick had somehow appeared in his grasp.
The moment it emerged, Al sensed a powerful aura locking onto him from somewhere nearby. Or more specifically... onto the black stick.
He turned toward the source.
There, a man and a woman were staring at him intently.
Judging by their uniforms, they were bodyguards. The special insignia on their outfits clearly set them apart from the other guards.
Hil and Mira. Aurielle's personal bodyguards.
From his earlier investigations, Al recognized the pair immediately.
They looked to be around Aurielle's age, but their auras were on an entirely different level—powerful and oppressive.
Al looked at them casually, yet there was a sharpness in his gaze.
"Are you planning to interfere?" he asked calmly.
Hil and Mira hadn't expected Al to notice them at all. The two exchanged glances before lightly shaking their heads.
"Of course not, Young Master," Hil replied calmly.
"Yup," Mira added. "He's clearly being disrespectful toward you. Feel free to continue whatever it is you're planning to do."
Al studied them for a few moments longer. Then, without another word, he turned his attention back to the servant.
Meanwhile, Hil and Mira maintained polite smiles, curious to see what Al intended to do. They assumed he was planning to hit the man with that small stick.
Though they couldn't quite understand why he would bother using such a tiny thing.
However, what happened next left them utterly stunned.
What?! This kid actually—?!
This kid's a demon!
Over there—
THUSK!!!
"AAAARRGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!"
A far louder scream erupted from the servant's mouth.
"What did you do?!" the man shouted at Al, clutching his left shoulder. The very shoulder Al had just pierced with the black stick.
Deep. Clean. Merciless.
Al said nothing. His gaze remained calm and unmoving, as though what he had done was nothing more than a trivial matter.
That look alone made the servant feel that this boy was genuinely cruel.
More importantly, the servant could tell that the stab hadn't merely pierced his shoulder. It felt as though something inside him had been disturbed. Or damaged.
And then—
"Ughk—!"
He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Something inside him had broken. He didn't know what it was. But he could feel the damage clearly. As though a part of him had simply been destroyed.
"W-What... happened to me...?" he whispered weakly.
His eyes drifted toward the black stick as Al slowly pulled it free from his shoulder.
Blood splattered onto the ground.
By then, several servants and guards had already rushed over.
Even Mira and Hil looked slightly shaken.
Despite being accustomed to far bloodier scenes, this spectacle felt strangely more horrifying.
The two of them even felt a hint of regret for not intervening earlier.
And yet, at the same time, their instincts seemed to tell them that staying out of it had been the correct decision.
The surrounding guards, servants, and maids weren't any better. Horror was written all over their faces.
To them, Al's presence—and the ruthlessness he had just displayed—would inevitably change the balance of this family.
Still, all they could do was pray they would never suffer the same fate. And wait to see how the family would deal with this frightening child.
Meanwhile—
Al noticed their reactions and smiled faintly. At least things had turned out exactly as he had hoped.
He paid them no further attention. Instead, he crouched down and leaned closer to the servant's ear.
"I don't know where you got the courage to oppose me," he said quietly. "But let's make this simple."
"Tell me... is someone backing you? Was it David who told you to cause trouble for me? Or Sarah?"
The servant's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Al to have already considered that possibility.
Unwilling to implicate David—and fully aware that the consequences might become far worse if he did—the servant hurriedly shook his head.
He claimed that nobody had instructed him. That he had simply looked down on Al of his own accord.
That as nothing more than a gate guard, he never should have disrespected a Young Master.
He admitted his mistake, claimed he had learned his lesson, and offered his sincerest apology.
Al looked slightly surprised. Then he merely smirked and leaned closer once more.
"Your reaction already gave you away. It has to be one of them."
"But relax. I have no intention of making a bigger issue out of this. That's not my style."
"Just tell whoever it is to stop targeting me like this."
He lightly tapped the servant's shoulder.
"And consider this... a debt they'll repay someday."
The servant nodded helplessly.
Then he tilted his head back slightly, trying to show the sincerity in his eyes.
Unfortunately—
Their faces were far too close together. Close enough for someone to misunderstand.
And sure enough—
Ckrek!
The main door suddenly swung open.
Aurielle stepped out, dressed in an elegant business outfit and clearly on her way to work.
Her gaze immediately landed on Al and the servant.
Unfortunately, she was seeing them from behind Al.
From her angle, the servant was sitting on the floor and leaning toward him, while Al hovered close above him with one hand resting against the man's cheek.
Their faces were so close together that the scene looked... very wrong.
Close enough that she completely failed to notice the bloodstains scattered across the ground.
"HUAAAAA!!"
Aurielle let out a horrified scream and hurled her bag toward them.
"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"
Startled, both Al and the servant jumped as the bag flew, hitting the servant and scattering to the floor.
They both quickly realized what Aurielle must have thought.
Al could only palm his forehead, while the servant—still in slight pain and limping—picked up Aurielle's bag and returned it.
Aurielle was a little shocked when she saw the servant's battered face—and of course, the blood dripping from his shoulder—and immediately demanded an explanation.
"What?! What happened to you? Was it because I threw my bag? It didn't feel that hard," she asked.
Then her hand flying to cover her mouth in disbelief.
"Or don't tell me… you guys went too rough and ended up drawing blood?"
The servant frantically waved his hands, shaking his head. He wanted to explain, but hesitated—considering twisting the truth just a little.
There was no way he could admit that he had deliberately disrespected Al.
Yet the moment his eyes met Al, a chill ran down his spine.
In the end, he simply said that he had been explaining the house rules to Al, accidentally said something wrong, and got struck for it—resulting in his injury.
Aurielle blinked, finally realizing this wasn't what she had initially thought.
Still, she stared at Al in disbelief.
Al had just acted far more violently than before. And with this, the guard had become his second victim after the maid who had mysteriously disappeared over the past few days.
Or perhaps his fourth, counting David and David's bodyguard as well... Aurielle still had no idea what exactly had happened at Al's residence earlier that morning.
This made Al's barbaric image in her eyes grow even larger—more real than ever, as if his harsh habits outside hadn't changed at all.
It felt like the right decision to delay announcing his status to the public.
"Al… whatever the reason, you shouldn't have—" she began.
"I was only giving the punishment he deserved. No need to make it a big deal, Eldest Sister," Al cut her off.
"Punishment? Why do you think you have the right to punish whoever you want?" Aurielle stepped closer.
"So I don't have the right?" Al asked.
Aurielle tapped her forehead.
"No, that's not what I mean. I mean… we could have discussed it first."
"Make everything clear. Let the family rules decide whether he deserves punishment and what it should be. Don't just enforce your own justice."
"Two days ago, you all wanted me punished without any clear evidence, and now you talk about household punishment rules so casually. Interesting," Al said lazily, his tone dripping with irony.
Al turned to the servant and asked, "Besides, you deserved to be punished, right?"
The servant, almost hypnotized, immediately nodded and lowered his head.
"Yes… Young Master, Young Lady. I deserved punishment. I apologize for my insolence," he said.
Seeing Al as unyielding as ever—and the servant seemingly accepting it—Aurielle could only sigh.
Unable to press further, she instructed the servant to go tend to his injuries.
Then she turned to Al and gave him a proper lecture.
"Try not to act so violently all the time. You're not some street kid anymore—you're part of an elite family now."
"Yes, yes, Eldest Sister. I understand. I'll try to hold it back," Al replied lazily.
"Yeah. It's for your own good anyway. We're trying to improve your reputation, so learn that properly, okay?" Aurielle said sharply.
Al simply nodded, too lazy to argue.
"Whatever. Anyway, can you relay a message to Mother and Father?" he asked.
"What message?" she asked, puzzled, slightly distracted as Mira and Hil signaled to her from beside the waiting car.
"It's nothing new, but since they still don't seem to trust me, I'll say it again. My classes are in the afternoon—I don't need to be woken up in the morning," Al explained.
"And about the supervisor… reduce the surveillance. I need some privacy too."
Aurielle barely caught that last part, already glancing at her watch in mild panic. She was running late, delayed by Al's antics.
"Alright, alright. I'll tell them," she said, rushing toward her waiting car.
Al called after her,
"Oii… don't forget to pass it along!"
Aurielle replied as she closed the car door,
"Yeah."
She rolled down the window briefly and called out,
"Don't cause any more trouble there, okay? And…"
The car drove off.
Al watched her leave, a faint smirk forming on his lips. Then his gaze shifted toward the main house.
"No need. At least I've delivered my message through Eldest Sister… hopefully she's trustworthy," he muttered before walking off.
---
Inside the car…
From the window, Aurielle still spared a glance at Al.
Then she looked at Hil in the front passenger seat, before turning to Mira beside her.
"What happened to that boy?" she asked.
Mira began explaining while showing her a CCTV capture of what had just occurred.
Aurielle leaned back against her seat, letting out a quiet sigh.
"I don't understand why… but that boy is truly ruthless," she murmured.
Hil nodded.
"That's true. But that's not the only thing you should be concerned about, Young Lady," he said from the front seat.
"Hm?" Aurielle responded.
"You should keep your distance from him," Hil continued.
Aurielle frowned.
"Why?"
"My apologies, Young Lady, but from what I've seen... that child is rather unsettling," Mira said.
"The way he dealt with that servant felt wrong somehow. It's not just the strange skill he used, or even the ruthlessness."
She paused briefly.
"It's his expression. He remained calm the entire time. Completely nonchalant. As if he either didn't care at all... or was already used to doing things like that."
"Yeah," Hil agreed. "He felt like... a psychopath."
"He stayed calm from beginning to end. No hesitation. No sympathy. To be honest, even Mira and I felt a chill watching him."
The words caused Aurielle to stiffen slightly.
"That's right, Young Lady," Mira continued. "It may sound strange, but if he truly is a psycho, then you need to be careful around him."
"People like that often appear harmless on the surface, but they're capable of incredible cruelty."
"They don't care whether someone is family or not. Friend or enemy. Once they decide to act, everyone becomes a potential target."
Aurielle felt a chill run down her spine.
"...So you're worried he might hurt me too?" she asked quietly. "Even though I'm his eldest sister?"
Both bodyguards nodded.
"Even if you're siblings, the risk still exists," Hil said. "Especially since, technically speaking, you're still strangers to each other right now."
"So please be careful."
"That's right," Mira added.
"Our presence can offer some degree of protection, but inside the house we have to respect your privacy."
"Our response time is limited. Meanwhile, any threat from him would come from within the household itself."
She hesitated before continuing.
"So for now... it may actually be for the best that his movements are being restricted. And we hope you'll keep some distance from him as well."
Aurielle fell silent. Their reasoning made sense. And more importantly, she trusted both of her bodyguards.
But was it really right? As the eldest sister, was she supposed to keep her distance from Al?
The thought weighed heavily on her mind.
In the end, she could only stare quietly at the morning sky beyond the window.
The sun continued to climb higher and higher. And with every passing minute, the car carried her farther away.
---