[Heh?! What do you mean—]
"Just watch," Lathel said with a calm smile.
At this point, he had every resource he needed to test his theory. Even if he failed, even if he died, even if the entire world collapsed—he'd simply return to the beginning and start again.
He didn't know if things would play out differently the next time, but one thing was certain: if he never tried, he'd never find a way to complete the scenario.
…
Lathel stepped into the guest hall and found Alex waiting—fuming with rage.
But instead of fear or anger, Lathel merely sighed.
'Ack!' he thought in confusion. 'Why am I not angry anymore? I just feel... like his behavior is childish. Wait—could it be that after confirming my relationship with Catrina, I've actually started seeing him as my own son?'
The longer Lathel looked at Alex, the less hateful he seemed—just a rebellious boy acting out against his father.
And truly, what boy hasn't defied his father at least once in his life?
A faint, gentle smile appeared on Lathel's lips, and his eyes took on a calm, almost paternal warmth.
Alex froze. Every insult he was about to hurl died in his throat.
He felt confused, unsettled. 'What the hell is that look? Why does it feel like I'm being scolded by my father?'
'No... I'm an orphan. I have no parents. Damn it! So why... why does it feel like this?!'
"Alex," Lathel said lightly, tone relaxed, confident, utterly unafraid. "You're the son of a noble, aren't you? Shouting like this in someone else's home—don't you think that's rather commoner-like?"
"Ah! You're right." Alex nodded instinctively—then blinked and shouted, "Wait! No! I'm an orphan! I'm not one of you greedy nobles!"
"Hahaha..." Lathel laughed and sat casually on the sofa, posture composed and dignified like the head of a household. "I've married your mother-in-law. From now on, you should call me 'Father-in-law.'"
"A father-in-law is still a father. Don't worry—I may be young, but I'll do my best to fulfill my duty as a proper father."
"You..." Alex's mind went blank. The flood of information and the sheer absurdity of it all were too much for him to process.
Catrina entered just in time to hear those words. Her face turned crimson, but a sweet, radiant smile bloomed on her lips.
She walked over, gently straightening Lathel's collar before pouring him tea—her movements graceful and tender, just like a newlywed wife.
Alex's jaw dropped. He stared at her in utter disbelief.
He'd come here to tell his mother that Lathel had insulted her, but seeing her actions, he realized... Lathel hadn't been lying.
"M-Mother... you... you really—" Alex stammered.
"Yes." Catrina sat beside Lathel, wrapping both arms tightly around his, pressing it between her soft, full breasts. "I am Lathel's wife. From now on, you must call him Father."
**BOOM!**
Alex's mind exploded. His eyes widened in shock. His face went through the colors of a rainbow—purple, white, then bright red.
"No! You're lying!" he shouted, trembling. "You... Mother... how could you marry him?! He's—he's—"
"He's the man I love," Catrina said softly, expression glowing with happiness.
Alex stared at her, desperately searching for even a hint of hesitation or regret on her face. But all he saw was bliss—pure, radiant joy—as though she were savoring every moment by Lathel's side.
"I don't believe you! Lathel—you must've forced my mother, didn't you?!" Alex roared, his mana erupting violently, forming a raging gale that whipped through the room.
"AGH!!! Lathel! I'll kill you! I'll grind you into dust!" His fists clenched so tightly that the joints cracked audibly.
But just as Alex was about to lunge forward, he froze. The mana around him vanished in an instant, eyes trembling as a deadly chill brushed his neck.
Something razor-sharp and icy was pressed right against his throat. If he so much as moved a centimeter, his head would roll.
Behind him stood Valoria, her slender sword poised at his neck.
Her eyes were colder than frost itself. Even without seeing her face, Alex could feel her killing intent—so intense it made his skin crawl.
Lathel sighed softly and said, "Why are you so angry? Don't tell me you've taken a liking to Catrina yourself?"
"You—you're talking nonsense!" Alex stammered, but Catrina's disgusted gaze struck him harder than any blade, stabbing straight into his heart.
Inside, he was bleeding.
He'd come here to test himself, just as his master instructed. But he'd broken the rules—secretly begging for aid from the Divine Dragon Guild to help Catrina... because he wanted to claim her for himself.
But before any help could arrive, Catrina had already become the wife of the man he hated most. How could he accept that?
Yet when he saw the loathing in her eyes, Alex's heart clenched so painfully he nearly coughed up blood.
Catrina leaned into Lathel's chest, frowning. "Alex, I hope you don't have such filthy thoughts. Otherwise, even if you are the one Grand Elder Rowan chose, I will drive you out myself."
Her cold words shattered what little hope Alex had left. His despair deepened, eyes burning with hatred as he glared at Lathel.
"You... it's you..." Alex hissed, teeth grinding. Ignoring the sword at his throat, he shouted, "Bastard! If you hadn't appeared, Mother wouldn't hate me! You must've used some vile trick to force her into marrying you!"
Lathel sighed again, voice calm. "If I hadn't left that pill for you that day, you wouldn't even be standing here shouting at me."
"What?!" Alex froze, eyes wide.
He'd thought the pill was lost, but when he woke up afterward, the box containing it had mysteriously appeared in his bag.
Thanks to that pill, not only had his old wounds healed, but his strength had advanced to Rank 2 – Early Stage.
"Hmph!" Alex snapped coldly. "That pill was mine to begin with. You only gave it back to its rightful owner!"
Lathel's disappointment was palpable. He hadn't expected the supposed protagonist to be so selfish—so incapable of acknowledging another's kindness.
Even Catrina frowned. "Alex, you forced that old sculptor to sell you the statue because you knew there was a pill inside. I let that go. But then you underpaid him—one gold coin for something priceless? How is that different from robbery?"
"Mother, I... that—" Alex gritted his teeth. "How could I have known there was such a pill inside?! I only thought it was worthless! That old man seemed like a swindler, so I—"
"Enough!" Catrina's voice thundered, cold and heavy as iron. "Alex, your character... has truly disappointed me."
"No, Mother, please—listen to me, I—"
"Kneel!"
Before he could finish, Valoria's commanding voice rang out, sharp and absolute.
Alex roared furiously, "Since the day I was born, I've only knelt before my master! I will never kneel—"
**BAM!**
"AGH!!" Alex screamed as an overwhelming force slammed him down, driving his knees into the stone floor with a sickening crack. The tiles shattered beneath him, and blood trickled down his legs.
"Lathel, may I kill him?" Valoria asked coldly—voice sharp and deathly still.
"You dare!?" Alex snarled through the pain, his pride as the so-called protagonist burning bright even as his body trembled.
Lathel sighed softly. "Why resist so stubbornly, Alex? Your true goal is Arina, isn't it?"
Alex clenched his jaw, saying nothing.
"Are you deaf?" Valoria growled, pressing the edge of her sword against his neck. Still, Alex remained silent, defiant to the core.
Valoria's temper flared—she was about to strike when Lathel's calm voice stopped her.
"Alex, I know your past. I know the trial you're undergoing."
Alex's eyes widened in shock, disbelief flooding his face as he stared at Lathel.
Lathel continued, "You like Catrina—I can understand that. She's beautiful, gentle... any man would admire her."
"But to throw away your future for a single woman—is it really worth it?"
Alex's expression turned pale. "Who are you? How do you know that?"
"Hahaha..." Lathel chuckled softly. "I'm your father-in-law. As for how I know—sorry, that's a secret. But what if I told you I could help you?"
Alex's gaze hardened, eyes wary.
Lathel shrugged and explained patiently, "You've seen it yourself—I've given up on Arina. The one I love is Catrina. That means you're free to pursue Arina however you wish. I won't interfere."
"But your true enemy isn't me. It's the one Arina truly loves—the moonlight in her heart. Fighting me only gives *him* the perfect chance to take her from you."
At those words, Alex's pupils trembled. He knew exactly who Lathel was referring to.
He fell silent, thinking carefully. His gaze flicked toward Catrina, then back to Lathel.
'He's right,' Alex thought. 'My true goal is still Arina. Catrina may be beautiful, but she's already given herself to another—she's no longer worthy of me.'
'Losing focus over a woman would ruin my trial. I'll claim Arina first... complete the test.'
He looked up cautiously at Lathel. "How can I trust you?"
Lathel took a slow sip of tea before answering, tone composed. "I'm your father, aren't I? Why would I lie to you? Come now—call me 'Father.'"
Alex: "..."
Catrina: "..."
Valoria: "..."