Outside, the moon had begun to rise.
But that night… the atmosphere was anything but calm.
Not because of the weather—
But because malicious intentions had begun to move.
And the sleeping monster… was slowly opening its eyes.
A servant's footsteps echoed as she knocked on the small door of the back building.
"Young Master… you're summoned to the family lounge. Immediately."
Al sighed and put down his phone. Deep inside, he already knew.
I guess… I've been framed again.
---
Al arrived at the Virellano Family Main Lounge.
All the family members were already seated.
Sarah and Vianna looked pleased.
David kept a neutral expression, though his sense of victory was obvious.
Nayala sat not far from Lysha, who looked lost and confused, her face downcast as if playing the victim.
Sandra looked hesitant. Edward, as usual, cold and untouchable.
The moment Al stepped in, Sarah's sharp voice rang out.
"Who do you think you are, approaching Nayala like that!?"
Vianna followed up, "Shameless brat! Disgraceful!"
David spoke in a low tone, "You may be a biological son, but even so… it's disgusting if you actually did something like that."
Al said nothing. He simply stood there, calm eyes unwavering.
"What's going on, Father, Mother?" he asked, directing his question to Edward and Sandra.
"Al, I'm really tired of your behavior," his father replied. "It's only been a month since you were punished for harassing a maid, and now you do it again... to Nayala. What's wrong with you?"
Just as I thought. I've been framed again.
And everyone believes it without question. No evidence. No investigation. But I guess… this family never cared about truth anyway, Al thought.
"I'm sorry, Father, but I'm not even interested in her. How could I possibly—"
"Al…" Sandra cut in softly, "If that's true, then why is Nayala like this? Why is she scared? Why did she accuse you?"
Al looked down slightly.
"But I…"
"Enough. I'm tired," Edward interrupted. "Harun, call Dedy." He raised his hand.
"Yes, Sir."
"Wait," Al said firmly. "I want proof before being punished."
"What more proof do you need? Everything is clear here," Sarah snapped, holding up a tablet and showing a video recording.
Al was a bit surprised—they were actually using evidence now. He watched the CCTV footage. The image around the building was a bit blurry, likely due to the illusion barrier he had cast on that room. Still, it was clear enough to show what had happened. And from his perspective, everything looked normal. Nayala came. He slammed the door. Nayala left. Nothing unusual. So what was the problem?
"See?! You're clearly out of control! The video shows it all—you tried to harass her! You reached for her... ugh, you're just a filthy little beast!" Sarah shouted.
Al frowned.
"Are your eyes broken? I didn't do anything at all. Look closely."
"You're the one who needs to look closely!" Aurielle jumped in, furious. "It's obvious—you were trying to touch Nayala's... chest!"
"What?! How?" Al repeated, confused. He rewound the footage—but what they claimed didn't match the video at all.
What's going on? he thought.
Al looked around the room. Nothing seemed off. But why were they seeing something so completely different from him? Was it truly their vision that failed them—or was it hatred that blinded them, making them pretend to see something else entirely? A wave of confusion and quiet disappointment swept over him.
"You always ask for evidence, and now you have it. But in the end, it still comes down to you being the culprit," Edward said, clearly exhausted by the situation.
Grab!
Someone suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Al by the collar. David.
David looked furious, his glare like a blade pressed against Al's skin.
"Al! I know I'm not the one engaged to Nayala. That's you. I get it. But that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want to her! I-I love her! How do you expect me to stand by and watch you act like this?!"
Gasps echoed around the room—but many also looked pleased. Nayala especially. Seeing David come to her defense so passionately only deepened her admiration and feelings for him.
Al, still stunned by the whole situation, stared sharply at David.
Then something clicked.
Magic…?
He focused his magical instincts—what some would call a sixth sense. His eyes glowed faintly. The Dimensional Eye activated.
Scanning the area, he saw it clearly: a thin layer of magical energy was draped across the Virellano estate.
Illusion magic.
A subtle illusion spell, hard to detect, had been cast over the house—altering perception. No wonder what he saw and what everyone else saw didn't match. This kind of spell had a strong effect on ordinary people like his family. But Al's magical resistance was far too high to be affected.
The spell was freshly cast — someone must've activated it not long ago.
Al scanned the surroundings, extending his magical senses over several kilometers. Nothing. Even David, who he suspected, wasn't the one responsible.
Then who?
The question hung unanswered.
Just then, a towering figure appeared.
Dedy.
The legendary bodyguard—Vianna's former martial arts mentor. Built like a walking wall, with a hardened face that showed strength without arrogance. His steps were heavy but precise.
"Punish him according to discipline protocol," Edward ordered.
"Understood, sir."
"Father," Al called out—not from fear of punishment, but from a sense of injustice. "You're all seeing the video wrong. I can make it clearer."
"Are you rambling out of fear now?" Edward replied coldly. "We've replayed that video over and over. It's obvious. I'm done with this." He turned and walked away.
Al looked at Sandra—but she averted her gaze. Even the typically gentle Sandra now showed a hint of disappointment toward him. She followed Edward without a word.
Al sighed.
In the end, he understood—they were under the influence of the illusion.
Besides, this punishment meant nothing to him.
He turned to David.
Still unsure. The energy didn't come from David—but perhaps David hired someone?
But who had that kind of magical strength, enough to mask their presence from Al?
No answers yet. But one thing was certain—David had become a person of interest.
---
In a small training hall at the back of the estate, Al stood alone in the center.
No armor.
No protection.
Just a T-shirt and casual pants.
Dedy stood before him, taking his stance.
Al deactivated his passive magic barrier—not because he wanted to hide his strength, but because he didn't want to hurt anyone. He knew his barrier could damage someone much weaker—like a baby punching a boulder, only to break their own hand. Al respected that Dedy was simply following orders.
He's just doing his job. I hope he doesn't get hurt, Al thought.
Then, the punishment began.
With a swift, trained motion, Dedy launched a powerful punch straight at Al's stomach.
Fast.
Strong.
Perfectly executed.
Al faked a frightened look—adding some drama to the scene.
And...
Buuugghh!
The punch landed.
But—
Dedy's eyes went wide.
The sensation wasn't what he expected.
Argghhh... he groaned internally.
His face tensed. His arm trembled.
A sharp pain tore through his fist.
Small cuts opened. Muscles strained.
What... is this? Dedy thought.
He stared at Al, unable to understand.
But he said nothing. His pride wouldn't allow it.
Al was sent flying—or at least, he made it look like he was.
He coughed up blood—illusion-crafted, of course—and rolled across the ground.
Everyone seemed satisfied.
"Let that be a lesson to you," Vianna said coldly.
Sarah gave a smug smile.
"Don't act like the world belongs to you, Al. It doesn't."
And just like that, everyone left.
---
Moments later…
Al walked out of the hall, his breath steady.
In the corridor behind, Dedy was sitting down, icing his hand.
They met eyes.
Al didn't speak.
He just stared.
And in an instant—
A terrifying aura surged.
Like an illusion, Dedy saw Al's figure grow… into a towering shadow.
Eyes glowing red.
And a voiceless whisper echoed in his mind.
"You're not my enemy.
Don't speak of what happened tonight.
Because if I can make you tremble… without touching you…
I can also erase you… without a sound."
Dedy froze.
His breath caught.
But when he blinked, everything was back to normal.
Al stared at him… calm.
Then, he reached out and touched his hand.
In that instant, the muscle tears and internal bruises vanished.
Dedy touched his healed hand in shock.
He knew this was high-level healing magic.
"You… who are you really?"
Al simply patted his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. As long as you don't talk, you'll be fine.
I'm not a threat to this family. So relax."
And with that, he walked away without another word.
Dedy remained still.
His eyes blank.
His body still trembling.
Not from fear—
But from awe.
Awe for the boy who was supposed to be weak…
But who could easily crush this entire estate if he wanted to.
"Virellano family…
You're all… truly blind."
---
Meanwhile, in the main living room…
David lounged on the luxurious sofa. Nayala sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"See? Just one hit and he was down like a rat," David said with a smug grin.
Nayala gave a faint smile, her eyes glancing at the door the servants had just closed.
"I thought he'd be a little… more daring. But turns out, he's still just a weak orphan boy."
They chuckled softly.
"Hehehehe."
---