"Isn't that the young master?"
The figure approaching me was a regular knight clad in silver armor and a helmet. Despite his record-breaking negative affection score, his tone was surprisingly normal.
[Name: Rekka Olian]
[Traits: Swift Blade Lv1]
[Affection: -91 (Murderous Intent)]
"Rekka Olian?"
"It's an honor that the young master remembers me."
Rekka removed his helmet as he spoke.
"Uh…"
His face was a mess of scars, as if it had been slashed repeatedly with a blade. What might've been a handsome face was now grotesque, almost chilling to look at.
"Heh."
When Rekka grinned, the scars stretched, making his face even harder to stomach.
Despite his evident hatred—strong enough to want me dead—he showed no outward hostility. Without the affection stat, I might've mistaken him for amicable.
I stepped closer to Arin to distance myself from him.
"Arin."
"Yes?"
"Those scars on his face…"
"You don't remember?"
"Well…"
Of course I didn't. I'm not Yuren.
"When he was a trainee knight, you did that to him, young master."
"Wow…"
Yuren, you were absolute trash.
While I wrote from the protagonist's perspective, Yuren was apparently busy cementing his reputation as a despicable scoundrel.
Rekka's eyes were emotionless as he stared at me, but I could sense the murderous intent simmering beneath.
"What exactly happened back then?"
"You truly don't recall?"
"Nope."
"When the Marquis forced you to the training ground, you were furious. You called over Rekka, who was training alone, and slashed his face with a sword."
"…Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Just like that?"
"Yes."
A sigh erupted from deep within my chest.
"Haa…"
It was no wonder Rekka wanted to kill me. If I were him, I'd have charged with a sword already.
"Arin."
"Yes?"
"Let's get out of here. I mean, let's go back."
Rekka's glare was so intense I couldn't stay any longer.
"Understood."
Arin began preparing to return to the mansion without comment.
"Arin."
"Yes?"
"What's the fourth training ground like?"
"It's the farthest and has the fewest facilities, so it's rarely used. Unless all the other grounds are full, it stays empty."
Perfect. Right now, I wasn't looking to do anything fancy—just move my body, lose weight, and unlock the Sichuan Tang Clan trait.
"Starting tomorrow, let's go to the fourth training ground."
"You're going tomorrow too?"
"Once I start something, I see it through."
"I see."
I couldn't see Arin's expression from behind, but she was probably surprised—or maybe she thought I'd give up in a few days and didn't bother commenting.
People might think my personality changed too abruptly, but getting beaten by my fiancée and waking up like this felt like the perfect time to turn things around.
"Hm…"
A prickling sensation hit the back of my head. Turning around, I saw Rekka staring at me from a distance, unmoving.
"Arin, let's hurry!"
"Understood."
I urged Arin to move faster, and the prickling sensation faded as we left the training ground.
"Phew, was that his killing intent?"
"Pardon?"
"When Rekka was staring, the back of my head was tingling."
"That was just his gaze. If he'd released killing intent, I would've sensed it and intervened. In your current state, young master, true killing intent would make it hard for you to even breathe."
"Ugh…"
Just his stare felt that intense? Knowing it stemmed purely from his hatred made my skin crawl even more.
"Arin."
"Yes?"
"Don't ever leave my side when I'm around that guy."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm saying he might try to kill me, so don't leave me alone with him."
"That's unlikely. He's a knight sworn to the Marquis. No matter how much he resents you, he wouldn't harm you."
"I'm not so sure…"
I shamelessly begged Arin for protection multiple times as we headed back. The return trip felt endless, but worrying about Rekka distracted me, and soon we were at the mansion.
After washing up in a bathtub the size of a swimming pool, Arin had already prepared food. It looked like a soup or stew, packed with chunks of meat and vegetables, brimming with nutrients.
But it wasn't what I wanted. In a wealthy household where I could devour steaks without a care, I had no interest in soup.
"What's this?"
"It's Chirein Soup, eaten by knights and swordsmen after training. It boosts stamina, builds muscle, and burns fat."
"Hm…"
The name rang a bell. Of course it did—I'd made it up, cobbling together random food names from a delivery app. The first syllable came from "chicken," naturally.
Curious, I activated my Creator's Eye on the soup Arin brought.
[Chirein Soup]
Despite the creator's crude naming sense, this nutrient-rich stamina food slowly restores stamina and mana while accelerating muscle fiber recovery. Its effects improve with intense training.
It even showed info on food. This eye was no ordinary ability.
"Young master, aren't you eating?"
Arin stared as I glared at the soup without touching it.
Honestly, I craved steak or meat, but to reshape this body, I'd have to stick with this.
"Alright, I'll eat."
The Chirein Soup was smooth and savory, like a hearty beef bone soup with extra ingredients.
"That was good."
The soup was so filling with its chunks that I didn't need rice, but Yuren's overeating habits had my stomach demanding more.
"You should rest early tonight," Arin said as she cleared the dishes. Chirein Soup's effects were enhanced with proper sleep, which was likely why she suggested it.
"Got it."
"Then, until tomorrow."
Arin gave a slight nod and left.
"Haa, I survived the day somehow."
I extinguished the lamp by the window and lay in bed.
Honestly, it still felt like a dream. Part of me expected to wake up in my dusty, worn-out room.
"Ugh…"
The next morning, my studio's faded ceiling was nowhere to be seen. I was still in the novel's world.
"Argh!"
The moment I tried to get out of bed, my muscles screamed in protest.
"Gah!"
"That's muscle soreness," Arin explained, already in the room as if waiting for me to wake. "It's pain from using muscles you're not accustomed to. Rest a few days, or keep using them to adapt, and it'll fade."
"I know…"
I groaned as Arin calmly explained. My mind was flooded with thoughts like, "Start tomorrow," "Who's going to notice if you skip?" or "Wait until the soreness is gone."
"Whatever."
Just as I was about to give in and pull the covers over my head, I caught Arin's gaze. Her expressionless face seemed indifferent to whether I slept or got up. That irked me.
I wanted to crack that icy facade.
"Fine, damn it!"
I threw off the covers and stood, wincing as pain shot through my body.
Through the falling blanket, I saw Arin's frozen expression break for a moment.
"Arin, get me some food!"
"Yes."
She placed a basin of water on the table and left.
Wait. Did I just see a change in Arin's status window? She left too quickly for me to confirm.
"Phew…"
They say the first step is the hardest. There's something about momentum. Since I got up today, I could get up tomorrow and keep exercising.
"This again?"
"Yes. If you want to lose weight, you need to keep eating Chirein Soup. The more you exercise and eat it consistently, the better the results."
"Ugh…"
After eating the soup Arin brought, we headed straight to the fourth training ground.
"Ow!"
"Gah!"
"Ugh!"
The muscle soreness worsened as I walked. Yuren's body seemed unaccustomed to pain, making it feel more intense than in my original body.
Arin was walking slower than yesterday, either out of consideration for my soreness or because of my groans. I was genuinely grateful for her thoughtfulness.
As I watched her back, I remembered the possible change in her status window. Deciding to check, I squinted.
[Activating Creator's Eye.]