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“It’s mealtime, so I came. Why, is it so strange for a family to eat together?”

“Pardon?”

The original Hersel would have eaten alone, holed up in his room. It was hard to imagine a brat who would dine merrily with his family. Moreover, no matter how clueless he was, he must have known that the mistress and his half-siblings disliked him. It’s no wonder the butler was surprised that such a person suddenly showed up talking about family meals.

“Is there a problem? Surely there’s enough time to set another place at the table.”

“Y-Yes, of course…”

The reactions of the other servants were the same. Those I passed whispered behind their covered mouths as I walked. They were clearly agitated, which worked in my favor. It would be hard for them to decide whether to attempt an assassination here and now. They couldn’t have anticipated such a sudden, unexpected move.

Of course, there are exceptions for those who are thoroughly prepared.

“Greetings, Master. Your seat is always prepared.” She was the head maid.

“I’ll help you get ready for dinner.” The head maid glanced at a nearby maid. The maid approached with a graceful step and greeted me. The head maid then quietly left the scene as if it wasn’t her concern.

“This way, please. I will guide you to the bath.”

It was obvious what they intended to do, so I decided to play along for a bit.

“Is it really necessary? I’ve already freshened up before coming.”

“This is the mistress’s mansion. You must follow the rules. Not only you, Master Hersel, but the other family members also adhere to these rules.”

The maid showed no intention of backing down. Since both the mistress and the half-siblings insisted on bathing before meals, there was nothing more to say.

“…I’ll bathe alone. Don’t even think about assigning anyone to me.”

Nothing happened until I immersed myself in the bath. However, I was amazed by the mansion. While wandering the corridors, I noticed that there were a lot of doors, and from the scent of soap wafting through the gaps, it was clear there were many bathrooms.

With no particular thoughts, I finished my bath and moved on. Dressing alone was impossible. I wasn’t familiar with the order of putting on the clothes, nor the location of the buttons.

“Is it too tight?”

“It’s fine.”

The maid finished fastening the belt and then brought out a box of appropriate size. When the lid was opened, simple cosmetics were revealed. I could tell that this was just the beginning. Ȓ�

“This lotion is excellent for moisturizing.”

“No need to explain every little thing.”

As I felt the damp cotton on my skin, a system window appeared.

[Poison detected. Type: Deadly venom of Killer Frog]

[1-second invincibility trait activated.]

Just as Selly had informed me, the lotion was laced with poison. Poisoning right from the first step—I hesitated because of this.

“It’s very effective. My skin feels rejuvenated.”

“…Is that so?”

Seeing my calm reaction, the maid’s eyes trembled slightly. Feeling a bit mischievous, I wiped my face with a towel and said,

“Would you like to try it? It’s really good.”

It wasn’t much to say this to a woman who tried to kill me.

“Thank you, but this is a premium product. It does not suit someone lowly like me.”

“Your skin is too good to be called lowly. Should I apply it for you?”

As I grabbed the cotton pad with a kind smile, the maid’s face turned pale, and she burst into tears. She crouched on the floor, her shoulders shaking violently.

I glanced at the mirror. The reflection in the dressing room mirror showed a bully tormenting a powerless woman. Even though she was the one at fault, why did it feel like I was the bad guy?

Regardless, I had to offer her a handkerchief.

“…Stop crying. It was just a joke.”

However, she seemed confused by the white color, identical to the cotton pad, and in her panic, she screamed and eventually fainted. She probably couldn’t distinguish objects due to her tear-filled eyes.

Voices whispered beyond the door.

“There was a scream just now…. What happened?”

“Why hasn’t Emil come out yet? She went in with him.”

“Could it be…?”

It seemed there were some absurd misunderstandings. It was urgent to clarify the situation. I opened the door and, with a concerned expression, said lightly as if nothing serious had happened,

“She suddenly fainted. She seemed unwell. Can someone take her to the infirmary?”

Seeing their shocked faces, I realized my mistake. Now that I think about it, would this notorious rascal really show a concerned face?

“…I didn’t lay a finger on her.”

“Y-Yes… Of course. I believe you, Master.”

“Indeed. Emil has always been a frail child. Yes, that’s right….”

But why are you avoiding my gaze?

“U-Understood.”

“Understood?”

“No, it’s just… I meant to say that the Master’s words are correct, but I was so startled that I misspoke.”

The more I tried to explain, the more it seemed to complicate things. It would settle once the maid woke up. While pondering who to ask for directions in place of the fallen maid, the dressing room door at the end of the corridor opened. I saw the back of a silver-haired man. A maid was whispering something in his ear. His shoulder shook and he shouted loudly.

“He’s invaded? And not only that, he harassed someone? Is he declaring war against our mother?”

I quietly approached him from behind. The maid noticed and stepped back in surprise, but the furious Erucel kept grumbling.

“There seems to be a very nasty fellow here. Who is it? I will help deal with him.”

“Of course, it is…”

He turned around. His eyes widened like a goldfish when he saw me. I put my hand on his shoulder and enjoyed his trembling.

“Perfect. I needed someone to guide me. You’ll do.”

“W-Well, I’m also busy…”

Trying to run away?

“I know you’re going to eat. I thought it’d be nice to have a family meal together after so long. Won’t you join me?”

He tried to back away. Each step he took backward, I matched by stepping forward. Erucel was sweating profusely, his eyes shaking like there was an earthquake.

“Do you want to talk to me face-to-face while walking backward? It’s touching, but be careful not to fall. Unless you have eyes on the back of your head.”

I couldn’t let him escape. Right now, in front of me was a free pass ticket that would guide me to the dining room, bypassing all future assassination attempts.

***

As expected. There were all sorts of threats like poisoned darts and collapsing statues, but the servants must have hesitated, fearing that the attached Erucel might get caught instead. Thanks to that, I reached the dining table without incident.

“…Why are you here?”

Erucel, who was seated opposite me, asked.

“I already told you. To eat.”

“No, I mean… You must have some ulterior motive. What is it?”

I wanted to see with my own eyes what kind of people they were. But that wasn’t an appropriate answer.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I thought I’d come by before I completely forgot the faces of my family.”

Making a vague excuse, I stared at Erucel like an artist drawing a portrait. He gritted his teeth and muttered, not liking my brazen attitude.

“Do you expect me to believe that? Don’t you have any conscience?”

“What did you say?”

“N-Nothing.”

I pouted as I looked at the large table. It was time, but only Erucel and I were present.

“They’re late. It’s rude.”

“That’s because you came early to drive them out.”

“What did you say?”

“N-Nothing.”

With nothing else to say, I closed my mouth, and an awkward silence fell. It was Erucel who first broke the long silence.

“If you were going to release them, you should have done it at your mansion. Why come here? Even though they are servants, they belong to our mother. Are you declaring war?”

It was unfair, but explaining would only deepen the misunderstanding, just like with the servants.

“You’ll find out later.”

With a simple answer, Erucel frowned. But I couldn’t focus on him anymore because the closed door had opened.

“Long time no see, Eldest Brother.”

A man with a scholarly appearance and quite a handsome face entered. He also had silver hair, and though the foundation was similar to Erucel, his voice, devoid of tension, gave a sense of being a superior version.

Judging from the portrait and the family tree, his name was undoubtedly Deisel.

“You’re late for the meal.”

“I always arrive at the designated time. It will be served soon. Please wait.”

“Is that so? But why haven’t the other siblings arrived yet?”

“They have engagements outside. It’s unfortunate you came for a family meal and they couldn’t join.”

His manner was businesslike, revealing no emotion. Like a well-sealed perfume bottle that doesn’t reveal its scent until opened, his true feelings were inscrutable. He made Erucel seem less wary in comparison.

“It’s a lonely setting. In fact, I’ve prepared some entertainment for your visit, Eldest Brother. How about it?”

“Entertainment?”

“Do you remember the game we used to play with our father when we were young?”

He snapped his fingers. A butler carefully brought a cushion with a single orb on it. I knew exactly what this orb was without asking.

The Eye of the Abyss. It was an orb that measured the power level of whoever touched it. Only the largest guilds, which employed monster hunters, possessed such expensive items. Using this as a toy? Truly a wealthy family.

“To bring back memories, why don’t we enjoy it after a long time? How about you, Erucel?”

“N-No… You two enjoy it.”

I turned my gaze from the shaking Erucel and looked closely at Deisel. His intention was clear—to understand why I was still alive. Just as I came to understand them, our objectives matched. It was inevitable.

They must be desperate to know why a worm like me hadn’t died. Deisel probably suspected it was due to some physical enhancement.

“Then I’ll go first.”

Deisel placed his hand on the orb. Five colors swirled in a mysterious light. The strength indicator had five colors, and Deisel displayed the second strongest, a golden light.

“As expected, I’m still far from being like our father.”

The top tier was an immeasurable black. It was a status reached only in the mid to late stages of the scenario. Despite his young age, Deisel had achieved the level just below, showing his prowess.

“Now it’s your turn, Eldest Brother.”

With the untrained body of the worm Hersel, the lowest tier, brown, was expected. I couldn’t help but laugh.

The weaker I appeared, the more they would let their guard down. The assassination attempts would remain at beginner level. Even if they found out I was weak, they wouldn’t understand the concept of ‘1-second invincibility.’

I had nothing to lose.

“Alright.”

I placed my hand on the orb. But then, the damn system window popped up.

Could this power measurement be considered a ‘threat’?

[Magic detected. (Type: Insight)]

[1-second invincibility trait activated.]

The result was so shocking that Erucel almost fell off his chair.

“B-Black…”

Suddenly, hard mode opened. This really is a crappy game.

What a lousy game.