After Al's three sisters left one by one, each citing their own busy schedules, an awkward silence settled over the living room. Al's mother, Sandra, spoke in a soft but firm tone, her voice laced with responsibility.
"David, please escort Al to his room. He still needs rest after the long journey. You can also show him around briefly so he can get more familiar with the house."
She glanced at David, then at Al, eyes full of hope—but beneath it, a trace of worry lingered.
David gave a small nod, stood, and looked at Al with a coldness he barely tried to hide. Al stood up casually, showing no sign of unease, and followed David out of the room, leaving their mother behind in silence.
The Virellano main house was truly grand, towering five stories high with a basement. Its architecture was a blend of classical elegance and modern design, every corner exuding refined sophistication. But when David led Al to the farthest edge of the first floor, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
So this house has ordinary rooms too, Al thought.
David opened a small door near a tall bookshelf in the corridor, revealing a room about two by three meters in size. It was empty except for a small bed with a thin mattress, lit by a dimming ceiling lamp.
Dust had settled thickly in the corners, and faint signs of age lingered in the air. This was once a maid's room, unused for over a decade—its door rarely even opened.
"You'll rest here for now," David said coolly, though he tried to sound neutral.
"Your actual room isn't ready yet. Still being cleaned. So just rest here for now. I'll take you to your real room after dinner."
He flashed a subtle smirk—one that only sharp eyes could catch.
Al was momentarily puzzled about being led to such a room, but after David's explanation, he simply nodded. He scanned the small room expressionlessly. Without a word, he took off his backpack and placed it on the thinly covered bed, then stood beside it in silence.
"That's new for me… being given a temporary resting space like this. Especially in a house this big, which surely has plenty of guest rooms. Is this perhaps how elite families treat at least their guests?" Al asked sincerely.
More focused on gathering information about how the Virellano family operated, using it as material for his mission of integration.
David faltered slightly at the remark, which sounded almost like a complaint.
"N-No…" he stammered. "It's just that this place is the closest compared to the other rooms. Besides, it's only for a short rest."
"I see… very well," Al replied, unwilling to press further. His main goal right now was to rest.
David only gave a faint nod in return.
"Huff... finally, some rest," Al muttered as he patted the dusty mattress, sounding completely indifferent.
He then turned to David with a slight, casual smile and thanked him—completely unfazed by what just happened.
David didn't expect Al to stay calm. In fact, the boy even smiled at him, which irritated David further.
Deep inside, he was already scheming—trying to trigger Al into acting out so he could ruin his image in front of the rest of the family. But to his frustration, Al remained unbothered.
With a long sigh, David excused himself, shut the small door behind him, and walked away. His first plan had failed… but he had more.
And he had one goal: to remove Al from the Virellano family. Not just to push him out—but to turn everyone against him, so that when he finally fell, no one would reach out to help.
Meanwhile, inside the small sealed room, Al looked around again. He ran his hand along the cracked wall, brushing away thick dust. Beneath it, a rough carving emerged. The letters were scratched and worn, but still readable: "Virela."
Virela? Isn't the family name supposed to be Virellano? With two Ls… Al thought.
Maybe someone just scribbled it for fun.
He brushed the thought aside and decided to sleep. He laid his jacket down on the bed to use as padding, pulled his backpack under his head, and soon drifted into a deep sleep that evening.
---
A Few Hours Later
A knock on the door pulled Al from his slumber. He groggily opened his eyes and glanced at his watch—it was already late in the day. Reluctantly, he got up and opened the small room's door.
A middle-aged male servant stood there, looking nervous, his face slightly red.
"Young Master Al… please come to the family room. Master Edward is asking for you," he stammered.
Still half-asleep, Al frowned. It wasn't strange for his father to call him, but the servant's uneasy delivery made him feel something was off. He followed him at a calm but alert pace.
When they arrived, the mood had clearly shifted. The family room was filled with people, their expressions a mix of curiosity and suspicion. In the center stood a young maid, visibly anxious yet trying to appear composed.
Edward, Al's father, stood beside her, face stern and voice commanding.
"Al! Explain what you've done!"
"Huh? What did I do?" Al replied, startled by the sudden scolding.
Edward turned to the maid.
"You. Tell us what happened. We need to know exactly what occurred. Speak clearly."
Al looked more confused as his father's anger escalated.
The young maid took a deep breath, clearly reluctant, but eventually began to speak.
"This afternoon, I took Young Master Al to the downstairs room… as instructed by Young Master David. He said his room was being prepared and that he wanted to surprise Young Master Al with the help of his siblings. So I was told to lead him to that space first."
Still struggling to fully wake up, Al listened quietly.
"But… on the way, Young Master Al suddenly became furious because the room was small and dusty. He… he even hit me and… um… that's all, sir."
She paused, as if holding back more.
Edward's eyes sharpened.
"You're not telling the full story, are you? Say it. Don't hold back."
The maid hesitated, then finally confessed, her voice barely audible.
"He… he also tried to flirt with me… and touched me. I know it was inappropriate, and I didn't want to speak out to protect his name, but… I'm sorry, sir. I can't keep quiet. It was humiliating."
Her voice cracked into sobs. The room fell silent.
Al, still drowsy, stayed quiet, scanning everyone's reactions, trying to make sense of the accusation.
Wait… wasn't it David who brought me there? he thought.
David stood in a corner of the room, smiling slightly—clearly satisfied with the unfolding chaos.
Al stared at him. He understood now:
So, I was being framed. The motive was unclear, but the intent was obvious—This boy named David either wanted me gone, or simply enjoyed watching me fall.
Inside his mind, Al began connecting the dots.
This wasn't a misunderstanding. It was a trap.
And if he reacted recklessly, it would only validate the lies.
Some people clearly don't want me here, he thought grimly.
---
Tension Rises
The family room grew hotter with tension as Sarah, dressed in a burgundy silk blouse, stepped forward with a sneer aimed at Al.
"See, Father," she said with calm disdain,
"He's only been here for a day and already caused trouble—fighting with the staff, behaving wildly, harassing a maid. He clearly doesn't understand our values or how to act properly in this home. He's just… feral."
Edward, still in his dark formal suit, now sat in a large armchair, his fists clenched on the table. His face flushed red with anger and disappointment as he glared at Al.
What's wrong with this child? I thought I had just brought my son back home, but why does it feel like I've only brought a beast into this house? …Was I wrong? Edward wondered, trying to reflect even through his fury
"Al, I told you—you need to learn what it means to be part of this family. We are a respected household. This reckless behavior is disgraceful." Edward said
"Right now, you're here only because of blood.
If you can't show respect, you may as well leave this house right now." Sarah added, still pushing the idea.
Aurielle, the eldest sister, joined the conversation. She wore a crisp beige blazer and had her hair neatly styled. She leaned forward, her gaze sharp and piercing.
"Don't forget, Al," she said coldly,
"You were raised in an orphanage, sharing a room with many others. Even if you're temporarily sleeping in a storage room that's beneath Virellano standards, you should be grateful we've welcomed you at all."
She crossed her arms.
"You've been given your own space—for now. Your proper room is ready soon. Plenty of people don't even have that.
Don't make things difficult with your lack of manners."
She then sighed,
"This isn't your kingdom. You're part of this family now, and that means respecting rules—and people—even the staff."
Al stood calmly in the center of the room, wearing a plain white T-shirt and shorts, far from the luxurious style of the Virellano clan.
He looked at them all with a neutral face. He tried to clarify that it was David who had taken him there, not the maid—but he was still thinking about whether that was the right move.
He had already checked the area earlier and remembered clearly that it wasn't covered by CCTV. That meant if he wanted to defend himself, his only option was through argument alone.
And there was one more consideration if he wanted to argue: no one here knew that Al wasn't exactly normal. He was, more precisely, someone whose emotions must never be disturbed, and a family debate had a high potential to affect his emotional state.
Is it safe to argue this? It's been a long time since I've argued. Will my emotions stay steady? he wondered.
Steeling himself, he spoke up:
"But… David was the one who brought me there, not the maid. How could I have touched her?" he said, trying to explain.
"Mother, you were the one who asked David earlier, right?" he added, turning to Sandra.
Sandra's eyes flicked to David for a moment before she nodded. The others also turned their eyes on David.
David merely gave a brief shake of his head, understanding that the burden of explanation was now on him.
"As I explained earlier," David said softly, "I asked her to take Al in my place. But… it ended up like this." He turned toward the maid and lowered his head. "I'm sorry. This is partly my fault too," he added with a slight, apologetic tone.
His performance was convincing enough. After all, David knew his position was still far above Al's, whose image remained that of a wild child in the eyes of the Virellano family. Even a small explanation from him was enough to sway them.
And sure enough, they seemed to believe him.
But Al still tried to be a little resilient and asked David, "Oi! Are you lying? Why are you making up stories now? Do you have a problem with me?"
David flinched slightly at the question but kept up his act.
"What do you mean, Al? Now you're blaming me?" he asked, pretending not to understand.
Sarah, who had disliked Al from the start, bristled at Als words.
"What do you mean, David's a liar? He's the most honest one we know," she snapped, her statement followed by nods from the other family members—who, in their eyes, saw David as a good boy who had never lied.
Sarah continued, "You just came here and already caused trouble with the staff, and now you're accusing David? Oh God. I've said it before—you should've just left."
Everyone fell silent at her harsh words. Part of them didn't have the heart to see Al go, but another part agreed he should leave.
Al exhaled quietly. "I'm not trying to accuse anyone wrongly. But there's no solid proof I did it, is there? By the way... David is still human, which means he also has the potential to lie, right?" he said calmly.
"Ohoo… you talk as if you're some clever person. Don't think we'll believe you over David," Sarah said annoyingly.
"Yes. Especially with the maid's testimony. Unless you have stronger evidence, maybe then we could belie… hmm… but it's impossible. There's no way David would lie," Aurielle added.
"Of course I know. You're bound to believe David. I understand that. Even I would probably believe my longtime friend over a stranger—just like how you all see me, and how I see you. That's normal." Al replied rhetorically, his tone slightly sarcastic..
"But why must I be the one to provide evidence when I'm the one being accused? Shouldn't the accuser also be the one to present proof?" He asked.
Edward and the others heard his words, which sounded annoyingly reasonable, and called Harun.
Harun explained that after checking, the area indeed wasn't covered by CCTV, and the only nearby footage showed the maid walking quickly down the corridor with a frightened, tearful expression.
And since there was no clear proof—only the maid's testimony, their trust in David, and their perception of Al as an outsider from a rougher world—it was enough to strengthen their conclusion that Al was the guilty one in this case.
Al heard that too and began to feel their bias. They were looking at him with contempt in their eyes. As he suspected, this was going to end badly for him.
Hmm… these people are truly strange. I expected elite families to be at least more logical and reasonable, he thought wryly.
Turns out, they're even worse. Observing the elite as an outsider is one thing—but being part of their family is a whole different story.
Before Edward could speak, Al spoke first, already deciding on his response.
"Alright," he said simply.
Then added,
"I don't know what happened. And I don't feel guilty about the accusation, but I don't want this to drag out. Especially when there's no solid proof—everything would only corner me based on assumptions. And that would be annoying."
He then looked sharply at his parents.
"I just feel like more and more people don't want me here. If that's truly how you feel, then I'd rather leave. I'm too lazy to deal with annoying things like this," he said calmly, letting out a small yawn at the end.
For him, leaving wasn't a problem. Staying only meant continuing his mission.
David was stunned. Was Al really giving up that easily?
Aurielle, Sarah, and even Sandra were surprised by the statement.
But Edward's voice cut through the room sharply.
"Who said you can come and go as you please? You're a blood son of this family, and I never wanted my son to run away from problems and shirk responsibility," Edward said.
"Yes. This is serious problem—but you won't be leaving. We went through too much effort to bring you back into this home. There's no way we'll just let you walk away now."
He then sighed.
"That said—this family doesn't cover up misconduct. You need to learn your place and how to behave. Otherwise, you'll be nothing but a burden."
What is this, really?Some people don't want me, some insist I stay. This is really annoying. Al thought, his head aching.
Wouldn't it be better if they all agreed on one clear thing—want me or not? So I'm not stuck like some fool, sometimes ready to leave, sometimes willing to stay. Huff… he muttered inwardly, frustrated.
"But I'm not guilty," Al replied briefly.
"Enough! You don't need to defend yourself. All the evidence we have is enough to show it," Edward barked.
"What evidence? Everything is just assumptions," Al replied, raising his voice slightly, his emotions starting to flare—enough to make even the dignified Edward recoil in surprise.
Al noticed this and quickly composed himself, realizing the situation couldn't escalate further. After all, Edward had already asserted his position as head of the family—if he wanted Al to stay, his authority mattered far more than David's or Sarah's.
Al let out a long sigh, straightening himself.
"Huff. Fine. Since I'm new here, I won't make an issue of this. At least now it's clear that you want me here, Father," Al said flatly, leaning slightly against the arm of the sofa. His body was starting to feel uncomfortable.
I haven't even been here for a full day, and I've already thought about leaving twice. Is it because my mentality's weak, or is this family just too strange?
Al took a deep breath.
But this is useful data—it shows the difference between observing a family as an outsider and being a part of it.
"Good," Edward said, not wanting to prolong the matter, which made everyone assume the issue had reached its conclusion and all that remained was to wait for the final decision.
Al nodded. He also felt this should be over. It was best to end it now, because the thing that bothered him most at the moment was his own steadily rising irritation.
Indeed, even though I've tried to stay calm, family debates are always emotionally charged. Stopping now is the right choice, he thought.
Sarah and Aurielle, watching the scene, could only remain silent. Yet Sarah didn't want the drama to end so easily and chose to wait for Edward's next move.
Edward remained quiet for a moment, observing Al while glancing at the female servant still visibly crying. He knew he had to do something, but a wave of confusion weighed on him.
What should I do with this? This child is hard to control—he even argues with his own parents. Perhaps it's because of his wild habits outside. But he's right; there's no clear evidence of guilt. Still, there's no smoke without fire. And all this happened just as he arrived, he analyzed silently.
He slightly lowered his head.
If I had raised him myself, he shouldn't have become this wild. So what should I do? Punish him? Wouldn't that be too much? He hasn't even been here a full day, he wondered.
He slightly blaming himself for not having had the chance to guide Al properly.
Meanwhile, David, who had been sitting on the right side of the room, slowly stood. He looked at Sandra, who seemed most uncomfortable with the situation. He walked over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's alright, Mom," he said in a soothing tone. "I'm sure everything will be fine. Al will learn too."
He also waited to see what his father would do, hoping Al would be punished. But the room remained quiet, as if Edward didn't know how to proceed. David's impatience grew.
Al, already too lazy to care, saw the silence and felt there was nothing left to discuss. He wanted to excuse himself and continue resting.
"Seems like there's nothing more… right? That means I can…" he said, breaking the silence, causing everyone to look at him.
David felt a pang of panic. There was no way he would let this end so easily. He took the initiative.
"Wait, Al," he called, immediately cutting him off.
Then he stepped forward, approaching Al with an air of calm authority. He leaned against the sofa like an understanding older brother.
His movements were watched by everyone in the room, including Edward, who finally snapped out of his reverie.
"Hm?" Al murmured, confused.
"Al," he said gently,
"I know everything's new to you. Maybe you're used to a freer life, but in this home, we have standards. We all learned to control ourselves and respect others. If you really want to be accepted here… you'll have to do the same," he said.
He trying to bring the matter up again so that no one would waver in viewing Al as the guilty party.
He then turned toward his parents.
"I wasn't born to our parents. But this family taught me to respect people—especially women. Never hit them. Never behave inappropriately. There are many women in this house—our sisters, our mother. I hope you'll never hurt any of them."
Sarah, who stood not far from Edward, looked at David with admiration before turning to Al, her eyes sharp with judgment.
Meanwhile, Al looked at David lazily.
"What do you mean? Are you still trying to emphasize that baseless harassment thing? Isn't it already over?" he asked coldly.
David flinched at the icy tone. "N-No, that's not what I meant. I was just giving you some advice," he said awkwardly.
Al shrugged, his face sour. "I don't mind advice or feedback. It's just… kind of strange to take advice from someone who just spread lies about me," he said even colder.
"W-What do you mean? Everything's already clear, isn't it? Are you still denying it? Why do you keep calling me a liar?" David stammered.
Al was about to reply, but Sarah, who had been holding back, finally snapped.
"Unbelievable, this boy. Look, Dad! He's been here less than a day and he's already acting wild! He harassed a maid, caused trouble, and now he's slandering David—God, I'd rather he just left!"
"Sarah, stop talking about leaving. No one's leaving. Remember, he's your real brother," Edward said firmly.
"Ughh… I don't accept him as my brother. But if you've decided he stays, fine—it's up to you, Dad. Just make sure he's disciplined. Give him a proper punishment. His mistakes cannot be tolerated; if left unchecked, what kind of family will this be? Having such a perverted child in the house…"
She sighed dramatically and looked at Al as if he were dirt.
"Compare him to David—calm, wise, respectful. David was raised with real family values. But he," she pointed at Al, "came out of nowhere and instantly brought chaos."
Hearing that, Edward slowly rose with a firm expression.
He finally realized. Because he had been lost in thought for too long, he had forgotten that the next step—the most important one—was to still punish Al.
Wrong is wrong, even if he just arrived. Especially since his wrongdoing wasn't minor.
He unfastened the top button of his blazer and addressed the room, convinced that Al still needed to be disciplined for his actions. Yet he wanted to appear more reluctant in punishing Al, so that Al would not feel that he was being unfairly targeted.
"Huff… Since this is your first offense, Al," he said gravely, "I won't humiliate you further. But this family has rules. When they're broken, consequences follow."
He turned to a nearby servant.
"Prepare dinner. I'm going to bathe and change."
Then he looked toward Harun, who stood at the back.
"Harun. Call Dedy."
Harun hesitated for a fraction of a second. A flicker of concern passed over his face—but he bowed and replied quietly.
"Yes, Sir."
Moments later, a towering figure entered—gleaming and intense. A chilling presence that made everyone in the room, even Edward, shudder slightly.
Something terrifying was about to unfold.