Avoid Yandere Constellation

I got it. I understood what that pesky assassin was implying.

He's done for.

Even with intel, strong personalities are hard to handle, but his assassin skills? Those I can manage.

As I contemplated overpowering him, a smirk began to form at the corner of my mouth.

[The Goddess of Fate is taken aback by your wicked smile.]

What? What's this nonsense?

While I puzzled over this,

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...”

“I'll teach my younger sister better. Please, just forgive her this time…”

Oh right!

Two women, their faces so similar they could be twins, were on their knees, ghostly pale, and apologizing.

I felt a weird pang of guilt.

For some reason, I found myself apologizing and gently placing my hand on the shoulder of the woman I took to be the elder sister.

“No, I'm sorry. I was the one who bumped into you. It seems your younger sister is actually very well-behaved.”

“Um… I'm the younger sister.”

“Oh, I see. Regardless, I should be the one apologizing.”

At my apology, the two women exchanged nervous glances.

Before drawing any unnecessary attention, I rose from my spot and moved on.

A quick look back revealed the two women exhaling in relief, their faces mirroring their survival.

“What will you do about them, Sir Cain?”

“What do you mean 'do'? Just let them be. It was my fault for bumping into them because I was distracted.”

Her eyes widened as I admitted my mistake.

[The Goddess of Fate is surprisingly astonished that you have a hint of conscience.]

I wish she would be quiet. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them back down.

If I remember correctly, that jerk might not recall, but she did send me a message expressing his disappointment before I died.

She should be worried when I die, not go to sleep disappointed.

I wanted to curse, but decided giving it more attention wouldn't help, so I chose to ignore everything.

Eventually, we reached the David family mansion.

The mansion looked the same as during my last visit.

However,

As soon as we entered,

Numerous butlers and maids at the entrance greeted us with respectful bows.

And among them was the one who assassinated me during my previous visit.

...I distinctly recall that this scenario was not part of my last visit.

It's clear in my memory. There was never a time when the housekeepers and maids lined up to greet me like this.

...Ah, could it be because of the bumping incident earlier?

That made sense; it was the butterfly effect in action. Previously, I left the hideout immediately, but this time I was delayed due to bumping into the twins.

Could it be that the maids and housekeepers weren't ready last time?

While I mulled this over, Liche's whisper reached my ears, meant only for me.

"Lord Cain, is something the matter?"

"No, I was just thinking. Let's get to the room quickly."

With that, I headed towards the room.

As the bowing maids and housekeepers at the entrance started to disappear into the distance, I pointed towards the assassin.

"Tell me who that man is."

"Um, I...I'm not part of the David family, so I don't know."

"You're Liche, right? Just tell me."

"?!"

Upon me revealing her identity, Liche froze. Her complexion turned pale.

"I-I'm sorry-"

As she tried to apologize, her face filled with regret, I quickly interrupted her.

"There's no need to apologize. It's clear that your father gave you orders. But more importantly, tell me about that man."

"Yes, understood. The man you pointed out is Bill. He's a recent servant in the David family."

"And?"

"I heard that he aced the exam. He's 25 years old, 173cm tall, weighs 65kg and has a knack for assassination."

Bill... the name rang a bell.

As I absorbed Liche's information, a thought struck me about the villainous group in the game, the Order.

The Order.

Supposedly an organization striving to topple the five Constellations of the world, but in reality, they're just killers.

They might've started with a noble cause, but now all the officers and members are merely in it for the thrill of killing.

Bill, indeed, was a member of the Order.

Sure, he wasn't an officer but just a regular member, so I'd forgotten about him.

Who would remember every single detail of a game?

However, that wasn't the crucial issue.

Why is the Order trying to kill me?

True, they enjoy killing, but they're not mindless.

... Ah! Cain, you idiot.

It was like a lightbulb turning on over my head. I figured out why they wanted me dead.

Cain, that scoundrel, was clearly in touch with the Church while leading the Shadow Guild. Now, the Church members are striving to stop any leaks of information. In the end, I'm dealing with Cain's mess again.

How much trouble did this jerk leave behind? Because of Cain, I've been double-crossed twice. As I understood the reason for this mess, I shook my head, unable to believe it.

Beside me, Liche looked apologetic, as if she thought it was her fault.

"Don't think it's your fault," I told her.

"Yes…"

"For now, go about your business. I need some time to think in my room. Don't let anyone in."

"Understood, Young Master."

With that, Liche vanished. Quick, just like an assassin.

As soon as she was gone, Philip came to me.

"Young Master, I have prepared hot spring water and alcohol."

"Okay. Thank you for your hard work. You should also go and do your own thing."

Phillip seemed taken aback by my words. I ignored his reaction and walked into my room.

Once inside, I began my search.

First, a quick check.

I searched through everything in the room - under the bed, in the closet, on the desk, in the blankets, and more.

Unexpectedly, I found no bugs or listening devices.

They have to be here somewhere.

I don't know much about Bill, but the Church's assassins are very thorough.

Moreover, I remember Bill intercepting me on my way to the bathroom during our last meeting.

This alone made me sure that there had to be some kind of bug in this room.

So, I searched through the pillows.

Got it!

I hadn't noticed it earlier when I was lying down due to the softness of the pillow, but there's a slightly harder spot when I manually check like this.

But, let's take it out just to be sure.

I opened the zipper on the pillow and checked inside.

Amongst the fluffy stuffing was a black device about the size of a finger joint.

Just as I suspected. I won't break it yet.

If I do, they'll know I've discovered it.

I should use this to my advantage.

I returned the bug to the pillow and activated the status window.

David Von Cain.

Age: 20.

Ability: Game Setting Ability, Death Regression.

Talent: None.

After choosing the game setting ability, I opened the cash shop.

Items anyone would find attractive appeared on my system screen.

Hmm... what should I buy?

As I thought, I scrolled down through the cash shop.

[The Goddess of Fate is intrigued by your peculiar actions.]

It seems even the Constellation can't see the system screen.

Well, I thought as much. The ability to go back in time came from the system, so it would be strange if they could see it, considering its effects even reached the Constellation.

But there didn't seem to be anything decent that I could buy with my points.

I found myself window shopping, as my points were too low to buy anything substantial.

Hmm... Is there really nothing? Any item with good value for money?

Scrolling down with dwindling expectations, I unexpectedly stumbled upon an item.

This might actually work.

Dressed in his butler uniform, Bill retreated to his room for a break.

From a desk drawer, he removed a communication orb.

"So, what's the result?"

"David von Cain survived."

"This is... unexpected. I didn't think that bastard noble would make it."

"What's our next move? If we don't act, he might divulge information to the Cain family."

His superior, a high-ranking officer in the church, began to speak slowly.

"Understood. Kill David von Cain today."

"Roger that."

With that, the communication ended. Bill tucked a dagger from his desk drawer into his pocket, ready to carry out a flawless assassination.

But how on earth did Cain survive?

According to the intel from David's assassins, Kim Soo-yong had been wreaking havoc on the underworld guild managed by Cain.

As soon as I heard that, I was sure.

Ah, David von Cain is a dead man.

Honestly, Kim Soo-yong is one of the rising stars in the world of adventurers and an exceptional student at Layston Academy.

Just looking at his raw abilities, it's practically impossible for an average church member like me to take him down.

That's why I thought Cain's underworld guild would be annihilated and he would fall to Kim Soo-yong's blade. But here he is, as if nothing happened.

Did Kim Soo-yong spare him?

If that's the case, it would make sense. I've heard Kim Soo-yong has a bit of a soft spot.

Given that both Cain and Soo-yong are students at the same academy, it wouldn't be strange if he decided to spare him.

And the fact that Cain is the heir to the David family must have played a role too.

Good thing I had a hunch and planted a listening device beforehand.

Thinking there might be unexpected variables, I bugged Cain's pillow. I never thought it would come in handy like this.

Let's see what the target is doing right now.

Bill retrieved a crystal ball from his pocket and infused it with magic.

Cain's deep voice emanated from the crystal ball.

-Hoo... what should I do now.

His worry was apparent from the first word.

His reaction was a clear sign that his underworld guild had indeed been destroyed, just as the David family's assassins reported.

Bill was all ears.

-If things go on like this, I'll definitely be expelled from the family.

He seemed to grasp his situation at least. Normally, he would have started drinking in frustration.

-Hmm... If I tell my father about the church, maybe I won't be expelled.

Bill's thin eyes narrowed even more at Cain's words.

This guy needs to die, no doubt about it.

If he's left alone, he might spill information about the church to the David family.

-Hmm... I'll discuss it tomorrow. I'm tired today. I should call for Liche.

He needs to die tonight. If he'd planned to talk to David von Thomas today, I would've taken the risk and killed him on the spot. But, being the fool he is, he thoughtlessly postponed it.

Just as Bill was about to switch off the crystal ball, thinking there was no need to listen further,

-Liche, sleep with me tonight.