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Join the Server“Brother Idis, no, it’s fine, I can do it myself…” Song Ze fumbled with the fork for the longest time, unable to grasp it properly. Perhaps it was the fear of being watched from behind that made his hands tremble uncontrollably.
“…You do it yourself?” Idis’s voice rang out, and to Song Ze’s surprise, there was a hint of amusement in his tone.
It wasn’t mockery or a sneer, but a warm, familiar chuckle that immediately calmed Song Ze’s nerves.
Right, there was no need to be this afraid. If he remembered correctly, Idis’s affection toward him was over 80 points. He could just treat him like a brother!
But that thought shattered the next moment.
The moment Idis’s hand gripped his, Song Ze couldn’t stay calm at all. His body went rigid, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of his chest.
…What the hell was going on? Why was he instinctively so terrified?
Then Idis’s fingers brushed against the ring on Song Ze’s finger.
The atmosphere froze instantly.
“What’s this?” Idis’s voice was unmistakably icy.
“This is…” Song Ze was on the verge of tears. From the moment the ring had been bound, he knew this would happen (and Aliel had been especially cruel to put it on the engagement finger). Fortunately, the ring looked plain enough that no one had noticed it at first.
But what good was thinking that now? Idis had already spotted it!
In that critical moment, Song Ze’s survival instinct kicked in again. “This is… a space ring I bought earlier… It’s convenient, so I wear it on this finger! Brother Idis knows I’m a student of the Paladin Academy—I couldn’t possibly have a partner!”
“Hmph.” Perhaps the mention of the Paladin Academy diverted Idis’s ire. He gave a cold snort and dropped the subject, continuing to instruct Song Ze.
The instruction was perfectly normal, as if Idis truly only intended to teach Song Ze. He was even quite meticulous. The only flaw was his overly strict attitude.
Song Ze tried his best to learn. Mainly because if he didn’t succeed, who knew how many more times this would happen!
When the food finally reached his lips, Song Ze felt like crying from emotion. This breakfast had been so hard-won!
But the moment the fork touched his lips, Song Ze let out an involuntary yelp of pain.
Song Ze: “!!” Damn it, he’d forgotten about the wound Aliel had left on his lip yesterday… It wasn’t obvious at first glance, but touching it against something hurt like hell.
The atmosphere froze again. The servants around them kept their eyes down, pretending to see nothing. They knew how to survive in this place.
“And what’s this?” Idis’s cold voice sent chills down Song Ze’s spine, making him break out in a cold sweat.
“No, it’s…” Song Ze quickly explained, “It’s from the camp recently. The food was rough… it chafed my lip, and I forgot to use healing magic.”
Even Song Ze thought that excuse was far-fetched.
Idis’s violet eyes fixed on him. Trembling, Song Ze watched as Idis extended a slender, elegant hand toward his face.
Was he going to hit him?!
Song Ze shut his eyes in fright. Then he felt a gentle finger press against his lip, followed by a warm sensation spreading across the wound… healing magic.
He opened his eyes in bewilderment to see Idis lowering his hand.
“Let’s continue.” Idis said flatly.
“Okay!”
He hadn’t expected it to be resolved so easily. Song Ze breathed a sigh of relief. At least he’d managed to bluff his way through…
——
By the time breakfast finally ended, Song Ze guessed it was nearly noon.
Idis went off to handle affairs. With the old duke’s sudden death, the family and its businesses needed a lot of attention. The fact that Idis had taken time to tutor Song Ze already shocked everyone.
Not knowing what to do, Song Ze asked a servant to show him around the manor. He claimed he hadn’t been back for so long that he missed the place, but in truth, he was exploring to complete the main quest—and maybe gather some information about the old duke.
To his surprise, as he walked through the manor, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
He’d only ever seen this manor in the game, after all. The maps were flat… Strictly speaking, this was his first time here, yet the vague familiarity—
Probably because he’d been so immersed in the game before…
“By the way, what exactly was the cause of the old duke’s death?” Song Ze began questioning the servant beside him.
Seeing that no one was around, the servant finally spoke. “Young Master Song Ze, Duke Idis ordered us not to speak of it, but since it’s you, I’ll tell…”
“Mm-hmm!” Song Ze nodded eagerly, encouraging the servant to continue with his eyes.
The servant blushed and said, “The old duke had been perfectly normal, no signs of any problem… But the day before the incident, he seemed to discover something. He flew into a rage, lost his temper for a long time, and even argued with a visiting guest.”
Song Ze: “And then?”
“And then…” The servant’s expression changed, as if recalling something unpleasant. “The next day… the old duke fell ill from anger… and was found dead in his bed. Fortunately, Lord Idis is formidable, or else those shameless people might have snatched away the family’s assets…”
Idis truly was formidable. After all, in the game, a human could rival the heirs of the demon and elf clans—that was beyond racial limits.
For some reason, Song Ze felt a swell of pride, then remembered to ask the important question: “And who was that visiting guest?”
“It was Count William, who’s always been at odds with the old duke. Now everyone says he made a move against the old duke. His Majesty the Emperor has sent people to investigate.” The servant said excitedly, “I’m sure the truth will come out!”
“It was… I see. Thank you for your trouble.” Song Ze handed over a few silver coins, and the servant gratefully accepted.
That Count William… In the game, he’d always opposed the old duke. Backed by some demonic faction, no one could touch him. He sold his soul to demons for power, tried to kill the protagonist and Idis, and failed—only to strengthen the bond between the protagonist and Idis. He was a minor boss.
Could he really be the old duke’s killer? That truth seemed too simple. It felt almost unreal to Song Ze.
Just then, they arrived before a room. Song Ze felt a sudden heat from the mark on his back, as if warning him.
He turned to look, and his heart jolted. Something inside was definitely important.
“What’s this place?”
“This is Lord Idis’s other study.” The servant’s face tensed, and he spoke quickly. “It contains confidential files. No one is allowed inside… Young Master Song Ze, let’s leave quickly. If we’re caught, we’ll be in trouble.”
“It’s fine. I won’t go in.” Song Ze stated his stance.
But no matter how he thought about it, this place was suspicious!
He had to enter. The system quest required him to explore the manor. Ignoring such an obvious anomaly was impossible.
And this place…
It gave him a nagging feeling. What was it?
Song Ze wanted to leave, but it was as if he were bewitched. As if possessed, his hand reached for the door.
The servant beside him was scared half to death and tried to stop him.
But Song Ze was lost in a strange state, completely oblivious to the outside world. He felt that if he pushed open that door, he would uncover something that troubled him—something he couldn’t quite remember… It was…
“What are you doing here?”
An icy voice sounded from the side.
“Lord Idis!?” The servant paled, sweating profusely as he knelt to the ground.
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