It was nearly seven in the morning.
Al had already returned to his quarters.
The moment he stepped inside, the quiet comfort of the room wrapped around him. The curtains were half-drawn, letting in just enough soft morning light to paint the space in a calm, muted glow.
His bed—wide, pristine, and ridiculously soft—looked far too inviting.
The thick mattress seemed to sink just slightly under its own weight, layered with smooth sheets and a blanket that practically promised instant sleep.
He collapsed face-first onto the bed, his hair a wild mess like a lion caught in the rain. After a long night without sleep, he was finally about to close his eyes.
The blackened color on his hand had faded a little, though the pain was still there.
He checked the time on his phone. There were still fifteen minutes before seven.
In truth, he could have returned an hour or two earlier.
But he had waited outside until the pain in his hand eased and the dark color faded a bit before coming back. That was why he only arrived now.
He let out a small sigh of relief.
Still enough time for a quick nap.
He had plans this morning, so he didn't want to oversleep in his room.
And if he wanted to properly integrate with the family, the very least he could do was join them for breakfast.
Besides, breakfast was always a bonus.
But before he could even close his eyes—
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Young Master."
Al murmured quietly,
"Ughhh, I was just about to sleep…"
He got up and opened the door, finding a male servant holding a breakfast tray.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Your breakfast, sir," the servant replied.
"Huh? Isn't breakfast supposed to be in the dining room?"
"I'm sorry, Young Master, but because of yesterday's incident, you're temporarily banned from the dining table."
"Ah… right. I almost forgot." Al muttered, shaking his head in irony.
A twinge of disappointment crossed his face;
It meant my food choices would be limited, nothing like the diverse spread at the dining table. Haaah.
But then his nose caught the warm scent of milk and toasted bread. His eyes slowly opened to behold the tempting sight before him.
His disappointment vanished instantly. Though the meal wasn't extravagant, it still looked delicious.
"All right… after all, this is only temporary," he muttered, letting himself indulge.
He moved swiftly, snatched the breakfast tray, and shut the door behind him without another word.
"Thanks," he muttered softly.
The servant stood there stunned. One moment, they were talking—and the next, the tray had vanished, now just an empty one in his hands.
His eyes widened, as if he had just witnessed a magic trick. Still dazed, he called out a message to Al through the closed door, stammering slightly,
"Y-Young Master, please get ready. Master Edward is waiting in front."
"All right!" Al shouted from inside his room.
Then, he paused to think.
"I guess Father still doesn't believe my classes start in the afternoon. Huaaah..." he mumbled through a yawn. "I'll convince him."
Still half-asleep, he pushed the thought aside. Right now, food was all that mattered.
Al sat down at the table, scooped a mouthful of food into his mouth, and chewed lazily.
Then, without even realizing it, his head slowly drooped forward. The drowsiness hit him like a tidal wave.
A few moments later...
He was fast asleep, face-down on the table, completely unaware that his front door hadn't been fully closed.
---
A few minutes later, in the front lounge, Edward stood neatly dressed in his work suit, every detail perfectly in place as expected of a man of his status.
The car was already waiting outside. His assistant and bodyguards had been ready for several minutes now, standing by with quiet discipline.
And yet, Edward hadn't moved.
His gaze drifted, again and again, toward the wing where Al's living quarters were located.
Waiting for Al.
The silence in the room felt… strange. Unnatural.
Not long after, David stepped out, already dressed and ready with his school gear. His bodyguards and personal driver were also on standby.
He gave a slight bow and greeted Edward with a light handshake. That cool, elegant aura of his didn't fade in the slightest—though for some reason, today it carried a hint of warmth and excitement.
Edward responded as usual, looking at David with unmistakable pride.
To him, David was his golden child. It didn't matter that he wasn't his biological son. Whether he realized it or not, David's place in his heart felt even higher than some of his actual children.
Including Al, of course.
For some reason, in Edward's eyes, Al wouldn't even make the list if he had to rank his children by who was the best.
At best, Al sat somewhere in the 'average' category—if not leaning toward the worse side.
Even so, no matter how untalented Al might be—or how unsuccessful he might turn out—Edward only hoped that the child he felt so deeply indebted to could at least live a comfortable life in the future.
Including getting along well with his siblings.
Unfortunately, a subtle tension between Al and his golden child was undeniable.
And that brought Edward's thoughts back to what happened yesterday… something that might have hinted that David wasn't entirely sincere toward Al either.
He recalled the events of yesterday and asked,
"David, why didn't Al ride in your car yesterday? I told you to take him with you."
David replied,
"Ah… about that. Al took too long, Dad. I was in a hurry, so I left first."
Edward nodded, as if it was understandable.
"And why didn't you pick him up after school?"
"Sorry, Dad, but I didn't know which school he attends, so…"
"Ah…" Edward murmured, a trace of guilt surfacing.
He had forgotten to ask which school Al attended—recent family matters had distracted him. Besides, Al's records were restricted, making it impossible to check even if he wanted to.
He then glanced at his watch and frowned when he noticed that Al still hadn't shown up.
"Where is that boy?" he asked.
Everyone simply shook their heads. No one knew where Al was.
Then Edward's gaze fell on the man he had assigned to wake Al.
"You, servant," Edward called out. "Didn't I tell you to wake him? Where is he?"
The servant turned and approached, offering an explanation.
"My apologies, Master. The Young Master was already awake when I brought him breakfast—and he acknowledged your message when I delivered it," he replied respectfully.
That drew puzzled looks from everyone. Al was already awake, yet still hadn't shown himself.
Edward was about to respond when David stepped forward, taking the initiative.
"Dad, I'll go check on him. You don't need to bother. Besides, he'll be riding in my car, right? So I'll handle it. You can head to the office first."
His tone was responsible—though there was a faint hint of showing off beneath it.
"Fine. Don't take too long. If he slows you down again, just leave him," Edward said.
David nodded and quickly made his way toward Al's room, naturally followed by his bodyguard.
Edward watched his son and the personal guard walk away. An uneasy feeling lingered in his chest, but he dismissed it, hoping that this interaction might at least help them grow closer and get along.
A few moments later, after making sure everything was ready, Edward decided not to wait any longer for Al and David and headed out first.
But then—
A sense of unease suddenly crept over him.
Part of him worried that Al might still hold a grudge over what had happened back then and decide to retaliate.
Another part of him was curious to see how David would handle the task.
Without a second thought, Edward quickly made his way toward the building.
---
A while earlier, David arrived at Al's residence.
His steps stopped right in front of a lightly polished iron staircase.
The paint looked new, but the building itself still gave off an old, neglected vibe—like a place that hadn't been cared for in a long time.
He raised an eyebrow, scanning the entire two-story structure from the ground up to the roof.
"Since that incident… it's been a while since I've come back to this rundown place," David muttered softly, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
Standing slightly behind him, his bodyguard—tall and dressed neatly in black—gave a short nod.
His gaze was far sharper, not just assessing the building physically, but something beyond what the eyes could see.
David walked straight to the first-floor door and entered without hesitation. It wasn't locked. The door creaked open quietly, revealing a first floor that had been significantly renovated.
He walked slowly, taking in every detail.
"Not bad." He smirked. "At least he's not living like a beggar."
His tone carried a hint of disdain as his hand brushed across the surface of the table.
"But for a young master… this is seriously low-class."
The bodyguard said nothing, simply observing. He didn't seem interested in comparing luxury or status.
He stood in the middle of the room, eyes closing briefly as if sensing something.
David glanced at him and asked,
"Oh right, what do you think about the spiritual condition of this place?"
"This place…" the bodyguard began quietly.
David tilted his head. "Hm?"
"You could say…" the man continued, "that energy is still here."
His eyes swept the surroundings.
"And it's still attracting spiritual entities."
David looked around as well. He didn't have the ability to fully perceive energy, let alone see unseen spiritual beings.
But his magical instincts could still pick up the unpleasant aura and strange energy lingering in the air.
"So not much has changed. Looks like the only difference is that kid's presence."
But the bodyguard glanced at him, his expression shifting slightly.
"Actually… there's a subtle but strange difference, Young Master."
David frowned. "Huh? What kind of difference?"
"The aura is still strong, but it's not as suffocating as before," the bodyguard replied honestly. "And most of the entities coming here now are new… as if the old ones have left and been replaced."
He glanced at several passing spiritual entities.
"Most of them… no, all of them—you could say they're relatively young, with very weak energy."
"Not much different from the genderuwo we killed last night."
David fell silent for a moment. He had noticed it too—the oppressive feeling had indeed weakened. But he didn't understand why.
He tried to connect it to what happened last night, but everything still felt like mere coincidence. And no explanation came to mind.
"…Weird," he muttered.
He then headed for the outdoor staircase, making his way up to the second-floor balcony to check on his target for the morning—Al.
"But what's even weirder... is that kid," David continued as he climbed the steps one by one.
"He's been staying in this haunted place for days now, yet there hasn't been a single report of anything strange happening."
"It's like everything's completely normal."
The bodyguard followed behind him, equally puzzled. Even if the horror of this place had lessened, at its current level, a normal person should still feel terrified.
But that kid… didn't.
"Maybe he's just not normal," the bodyguard said.
David let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, that could be it."
They reached the second floor.
David stood on the balcony, gazing out at the view—one that stirred faint traces of childhood nostalgia.
For a brief moment, his eyes softened, as if lost in memories long buried.
Then his attention shifted.
He glanced toward the room, his gaze turning sharp once more as he quietly observed the space from the outside.
The door wasn't fully closed, and the curtains hadn't been opened yet.
He stepped closer and peeked through the doorway.
The room was simple. No luxury. No excessive decoration.
And there he was—the young man David had been targeting—sitting slumped in a chair. In front of him were a few pieces of food and a drink, his breakfast.
David narrowed his eyes, only to realize—
Al had fallen asleep in the middle of breakfast.
"…Woah. This kid… is he lazy or what? Sleeping even while eating," he muttered, slightly impressed.
His gaze carried a mix of disbelief and disdain.
"With this kind of attitude… I guess he really doesn't deserve the title of young master," he said quietly, almost mockingly.
"Getting rid of him from this house might actually be a blessing for this elite family."
A mischievous idea crossed his mind. He could use this to ruin Al's image even further.
Reporting Al's laziness would definitely damage his standing within the family—especially in their parents' eyes.
But before that, an even darker idea surfaced.
He figured that if he wanted to find out everything about Al, searching the room personally would be the fastest way.
A sly smile spread across his face.
He stepped into the room slowly, his bodyguard following right behind.
His eyes moved quickly, scanning every corner.
After confirming there were no CCTV cameras installed in the room, he glanced at his bodyguard and gave a signal.
A silent order to cast a light spell—something to push Al into a deeper sleep.
The bodyguard nodded. A dark purplish aura began to gather in his hand as he stepped closer.
He didn't just plan to dull Al's senses for a moment—he also intended to inject a mild poison effect, something that would leave Al nauseous and with a splitting headache for hours afterward.
And just as his hand was about to reach Al's head—
"How dare you..."
A chilling voice suddenly came from the supposedly sleeping boy.
David and his bodyguard immediately snapped their heads toward the source.
A faint smile appeared on Al's lips as he continued,
"...disturb my peaceful sleep."
And in that instant—
WOSSHH!
The seemingly lazy boy moved with explosive speed, lunging forward and smashing the serving tray into the bodyguard.
BRAK!
The serving tray dented from the impact, while the bodyguard was sent stumbling backward.
Both he and David were still shocked by the sudden attack.
But Al was already moving again.
Casually, he threw a side kick toward the bodyguard's head. The bodyguard managed to dodge at the last second, but the kick still slammed into his shoulder.
For some reason, it felt as though he had just been hit by a speeding truck.
His body crashed into a table.
Al immediately shifted his attention to David.
A downward punch came crashing toward him.
David snapped out of his daze, but before he could channel his magical energy, all he could do was raise his arms to shield himself.
This brat! He's just an ordinary fighter, but he's fast.*
David gritted his teeth.
Still able to move, the bodyguard noticed that Al's next target was David. He reacted immediately, stepping in front of his young master.
"Young Master, watch out!" he shouted.
BUKK!
His body slammed into the ground once more.
David remained unharmed.
Taking advantage of the opening, he quickly retreated through the doorway and positioned himself on the balcony.
However...
Al was already standing right in front of him.
One hand was reaching toward him.
"What?!"
Fortunately, David's energy had already begun circulating through his body. His confidence immediately returned. Narrowing his eyes, he sneered.
"How dare you attack me!"
This time—
He lowered his stance slightly, twisted his hips, and unleashed a side kick empowered by Vita.
It was clear he intended to teach Al a lesson.
"Take this!"
But...
"Even half-asleep..." Al muttered.
With a smug look on his face, he effortlessly dodged the attack.
"...that's still slow in my eyes."
"What?!"
David couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He was supposed to be fighting an ordinary human. So why were Al's speed and agility on an entirely different level?
"How is that possible?"
Yet regardless of his confusion—
Al was already in front of him. Extremely close. His fist was cocked back, ready to strike.
Focusing himself, David also channeled Vita into his own fist.
His posture was imperfect, but the punch was ready.
One ordinary fist against one fist reinforced with energy.
The two attacks were about to collide.
And then—
"STOP!!!"
A loud and authoritative shout instantly froze both of them.
They turned toward the source of the voice.
A figure was rushing toward them in a hurry.
Behind him came the sound of heavy footsteps, echoing throughout the courtyard of the residence.