I nearly turned around and went back to my room.
Hearing "idiot" from family stung more than expected. As an orphan, I was not sure how siblings usually treated each other. I had heard that siblings insulted each other, but the pain tightening my chest told me this was not playful.
I took a deep breath and walked down the stairs at the end of the passageway. The moment my footsteps became loud enough, the voices went still. The earlier voice, most likely Amy's, snapped out.
"Were you eavesdropping on us, you creep?"
"Amy!"
"Elizabeth, stop acting like you aren't disgusted by him. Hiding on the stairs, how can I even call you my brother when you're so timid? Mom went on a business trip after cooking breakfast for a bum like you, so how about we make a new house rule? Idiots aren't allowed to breathe the same air as us."
I ignored her words and continued down the stairs, only to freeze in place.
Elizabeth, the girl who had come to wake me earlier, sat at the dining table with a fork in hand.
I knew she was beautiful before, but seeing her now left me stunned.
Midnight-blue hair tied in a ponytail, as if she had just finished a workout. Sky-blue eyes that shimmered with every shift of light. She wore a gentle, almost fragile expression, like an angel descended from the heavens.
Her body, however, told a different story.
Her school blouse strained against an impossibly full chest, buttons seconds from popping. The soft swell of her breasts rose and fell with each nervous breath, while her short pleated skirt hugged her hips and thick thighs, melting together whenever they touched.
I shifted my gaze to my other sister, Amy, who stood nearby with wide eyes.
Unlike Elizabeth, she had a rougher demeanor. Short blonde hair stopped at the nape of her neck, and confident red eyes narrowed in suspicion.
She crossed her arms beneath her own generous bust, pushing the creamy curves up until they threatened to overflow her blouse. Even hostile, the pose was strangely alluring.
If these two lived in a normal neighborhood on Earth, talent scouts would be camping outside, begging for a second of their time.
"…Brother?"
Elizabeth's voice trembled with genuine curiosity. Looking at both of them, I noticed how stunned they seemed.
I lowered my nose and sniffed my clothes. They did not smell particularly horrible.
'Oh.'
A sudden thought surfaced. Ariel had mentioned maxed-out charisma. Had it affected my appearance?
Amy's eyes widened further. "Felix? What the hell happened to you?" She shook her head, her hands falling from her chest, which I found oddly disappointing. "Are you even Felix?"
I gave her a nonchalant look and sat in the nearest chair. "Who else would I be? You might not know this, but I found an elixir last week. It seems it took effect today."
"What?" Elizabeth and Amy echoed.
Amy placed a hand beneath her chin. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us? And why waste an elixir on yourself?"
I stood abruptly and stepped closer to Elizabeth, leaning in.
She straightened instinctively, her back arching slightly, accentuating the curve from her slim waist to her full chest. Her lips parted.
"I'm your brother… right?"
It was a stupid question, but I could not keep feeding Amy's curiosity without Felix's memories.
'So how do I get out of this?'
Simple. Guilt-trip them until they stop asking.
"Y-yes… That's right. You're my brother."
I shifted my gaze to Amy, who flinched visibly.
"And Amy is my sister as well, right?"
"Yes, she is."
"Then…" I smiled softly. A moment later, the reaction I wanted appeared. A faint blush bloomed on Elizabeth's cheeks. "Is there any reason to question me? Shouldn't you be happy that I'm better than before?"
I looked at Amy again. "And Amy, you know you shouldn't speak so harshly to your brother."
"What…?"
Amy's mouth snapped shut. Confusion flickered across her face, probably clashing memories of the old useless brother with whatever upgrade Ariel had installed.
She clicked her tongue, muttered something under her breath, and stormed out. Elizabeth called after her.
"Amy! What about breakfast?"
"I'm not hungry!"
Left alone, Elizabeth fidgeted, fingers twisting together. She tried to hide it, but I caught her glancing at me through her lashes.
"Elizabeth?"
She flinched, her face turning bright red. "I wasn't staring or anything. I swear."
I blinked, feigning ignorance, then smiled and lightly patted her head.
"Sorry for being an asshole of a brother before."
"No… you weren't…"
I shook my head. "My head's jumbled from the elixir, so I can't recall things well. From Amy's reaction, though, I can tell I wasn't the best brother. I'll be better from now on."
She lifted her head and looked into my eyes. Without a word, she hugged me tightly, her chest pressing against mine.
They were soft. Ridiculously soft.
I wrapped an arm around her waist as she melted into the hug, resting her head against my chest.
When she pulled away, smiling shyly, she looked aside. "Oppa, I think you should take a quick bath."
I sniffed myself again and nearly gagged. Somehow, I smelled worse than before.
I scratched the back of my neck. "Sorry if this sounds weird, but where's the bathroom? Or do I have one in my room?"
Elizabeth raised a brow, then giggled softly. "Did you forget that too?"
"I guess I did."
She guided me down the hall, her steps small and deliberate, her skirt swaying hypnotically. I forced my gaze upward and only then noticed the height difference. Even with slippers, her head barely reached my chest.
"Eli, how tall are you?"
She turned to me, confused. "One hundred and sixty. No, one hundred and sixty centimeters."
'So I'm around 187 to 190 cm now.'
No wonder everything felt so high.
She stopped and pointed to a door.
"Thanks."
I glanced back as she waved, then entered the bathroom and closed the door.
A massive mirror stretched from ceiling to floor.
"…Holy shit."
I tugged at my cheeks, staring at my reflection.
A face so handsome it bordered on unfair. Sharp jaw, flawless skin, one piercing blue eye and one emerald green.
I laughed despite myself.
"No wonder they were flustered."
Even I would struggle to speak to someone with this face.
"Ugh."
The stained yellow T-shirt I wore looked like roadkill. I peeled it off and tossed it aside.
Underneath was a body sculpted to perfection.
Broad shoulders, carved pecs, ridged abs flexing with each breath, deep V-lines disappearing into low-slung sweatpants. Even down there was absurdly impressive, thick and perfectly proportioned, like a limited-edition skin.
"Seems the Divine Physique is working."
I stared for a full minute before squeezing my face to hold in laughter.
Then, smirking, I called out.
"System-chan."
I barely contained my excitement. I might not have liked erotic games, but I loved system novels. Living inside one felt surreal.
Ding.
[Protecting System Interface]
Name: Felix Val Amon
Rank: SSS-Rank
Strength: 『??』
Agility: 『??』
Stamina: 『??』
Technique: 『??』
(Hidden) Others: 『??』
(Hidden) Charm: 『???』
Skills:
『 All Seeing Eyes 』
Divine Skills:
『 Lucky Pervert 』
『 Character Discharge 』
『 Temptation of Blood 』
『 Saintess's Protection 』
『 Immortal Discipline 』
"Hmm…"
Ariel said she nuked the difficulty. Was that why my stats were unreadable?
'It could also mean I'm insanely weak, but knowing Ariel, that's unlikely.'
I scanned the interface again and paused on one skill.
"Character Discharge. What's that about?"
Defensive? Offensive? Neutral?
I would have time to find out later.
For now, I just had to survive day one in my new paradise.