Arthur looked up and saw a young girl, about thirteen or fourteen, sitting cross-legged with her legs in a W shape, rubbing her forehead as if it hurt.
"Melissa?" Arthur frowned. "What are you doing in my room this early? You surprised me, you know?"
The girl was Melissa Linishter—his cousin. She was quite tall for a fourteen-year-old.
Her white hair was cut short to her neck, her blue eyes were bright, and her small nose stood in sharp contrast to Arthur's aquiline one.
It wasn't surprising, given that Melissa's mother, the owner of this house, was Japanese.
Melissa glared at him, cheeks puffed out. "Arthur, it's your fault, not mine! Mom told me to wake you up, and you bumped into me! Humph!"
She snorted coldly and turned away. Arthur stayed silent, the corner of his mouth twitching. It was obvious she had bumped into him—but she refused to admit it.
Not wanting to argue, Arthur got up and held out his hand.
"Sorry. Come on, get up."
Melissa ignored his hand and stood on her own, frowning, then turned and walked away.
"Hurry up. Mom's waiting. It's your first day—you can't be late."
Her figure disappeared behind the stairs. Arthur remained still for a moment, then sighed.
'What an annoying tsundere,' he muttered softly.
His memories of this world—and of the body he now inhabited—became clearer. It felt as if he had truly become Arthur Linishter.
Shaking his head, he closed his bedroom door and walked down the stairs.
"Good morning, Arthur. Did you sleep well?" A soft voice came from beside him.
Arthur turned and saw his aunt, Shiori. She was relatively short, with long black hair tied in a bun and a gentle, beautiful face that was soothing whenever she smiled.
Her figure was also curvaceous and graceful. Yet, since she was his aunt, Arthur had no strange thoughts at all.
"Good morning, Auntie," Arthur said politely. "I slept very well. I'm sorry for disturbing you last night."
[Ding! 10 system points have been added to your account!]
Arthur was slightly surprised, then quickly remembered his daily side mission—greeting his aunt.
"Ten points, huh? That's not bad," he whispered.
"Pfft! Don't worry about it," Shiori replied with a small chuckle. "Come here, dear. I've prepared breakfast for you. You must be tired from your long journey from England. I don't know if our dishes will suit your taste, but I want you to try them."
Wearing thick gloves, she placed the dishes on the table, her gaze warm and gentle.
Arthur felt a flicker of confusion. In his original world, he had lived only with his younger sister for fifteen years.
Relatives from his mother's or father's side visited only occasionally, and their bonds had never been close enough for him to feel a real sense of family.
Now, Shiori's simple words seemed to unlock a part of his heart that had been closed for over a decade.
With a small smile, he nodded. "Don't worry, Auntie. I'll try it!"
He walked eagerly to the dining table and saw Melissa already sitting at the end, glaring at him with furious eyes.
Arthur just chuckled quietly. His relationship with Melissa had always been strained—after all, the real Arthur Linishter had often bullied her as a child.
Probably holding onto that childhood grudge, Melissa had been very cold when he arrived at the house last night.
Ignoring her, Arthur turned his attention to the dishes before him, his excitement palpable.
"It smells amazing, Auntie! Can I eat?"
"Of course, dear. Eat as much as you like. I made all of this for you," Shiori said with a giggle.
Without hesitation, Arthur picked up a few dishes—stir-fried pork, vegetables, and grilled tuna—and savored them one by one. His body shivered instantly at the extraordinary taste.
"It tastes amazing!" he praised sincerely.
Each dish was cooked to perfection, the flavors evenly distributed throughout the meat. The seasoning was just right—not too much, preserving the natural taste.
"Ara~ ara~," Shiori said with a cheerful smile, resting her right hand against her cheek. "Take it slow, dear. There are still plenty of dishes, and you can eat them all if you pace yourself."
"M-mm! M-mm! Thank you, Auntie!"
Meanwhile, Melissa, watching from the side, felt an inexplicable annoyance. She picked up her chopsticks and began eating the rice in front of her.
"Stupid man..."
They started their breakfast in a warm, comfortable atmosphere. Suddenly, Arthur remembered his uncle—Melissa's father.
"By the way, your uncle left a letter for you with me. It's upstairs; I'll give it to you later."
His uncle was in England handling some business matters. That wasn't surprising—after all, Arthur Linishter was the son of a wealthy man.
The Linishter family was one of the high-ranking aristocrats in England. Though the aristocratic system had weakened over time, their family business remained vast, spanning multiple sectors both domestically and abroad.
Arthur's ability to enter Shirogane Academy was largely due to this influential and wealthy family background.
"Oh? So he remembered his wife too, huh!" Shiori snorted, turning her face away.
Her tone was a stark contrast to her earlier gentleness. Arthur couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. His uncle rarely returned to Japan, which clearly left Shiori and Melissa feeling lonely.
"Oh, right, dear," Shiori said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a gold-colored envelope. "The academy sent this invitation before you arrived. Take it with you when you go. If I'm not mistaken, it contains your proof of identity."
Arthur took the letter and examined it closely. It was beautiful, adorned with a gold cherry blossom pattern on both sides.
'An invitation letter, huh?' he murmured to himself. 'The more I learn about Shirogane Academy, the more curious I become, and I'm eager to meet the main character too...'