Avoid Yandere Constellation

Chapter 8

As I trailed after Liche, I began to speak slowly.

"Liche, you did well yesterday."

"Thank you. You were great too, young master."

"What happened to Bill?"

"He's now in our family prison."

As I thought, Liche had informed David von Thomas, our family leader, about yesterday's events.

Even if the family members and Thomas didn't believe me, they wouldn't disregard Liche. She held some seniority.

Thomas is calling me undoubtedly to hear about yesterday's events.

And that would decide my fate.

I prayed silently, hoping not to get kicked out.

Walking with Liche, we finally reached the leader's room.

With a stern look, Liche bowed slightly, indicating her duty to guide me was done.

"You can go in now, young master."

"Thanks for showing me the way."

"Y-yes..."

Liche responded to my gratitude with a complex expression.

My behavior seemed to confuse her, and she didn't hide her reaction.

I knocked on the leader's door, dismissing her reaction.

-Knock! Knock! Knock!

"It's David von Cain. Can I come in, Father?"

"Yes. Enter."

A deep voice answered.

At Thomas's words, I slowly opened the door.

-Creak!

The leader's room was full of papers, like an office from my past life. Two plush sofas and a table sat in front of the desk.

I looked at Thomas as I entered the room.

He had black hair, a scruffy beard, and rugged features. His clothes didn't hide his muscles.

He resembled a man who exercised often in his middle age.

Thomas had a sword at his waist, ready for any surprise.

But... he doesn't resemble Cain?

The Cain I've taken over isn't ugly. Aside from his sharp eyes, he's nearly perfect. He also has a lot of hair.

He doesn't match my original looks. He even has a full head of hair... Damn, I feel a sudden self-loathing.

Feeling down for no apparent reason, I reached for the top of my head.

-Stroke.

As I felt the thick hair, I felt a surge of happiness. But as I stroked my hair, Thomas gave me a confused look.

"Do you have something in your hair?"

"No, nothing."

After examining me, Thomas began to speak.

"Let's get straight to the point. I heard your guild fell apart," he said.

"Yes."

As I thought, he mentioned this first.

In moments like this, it's important to control your facial expressions. I bowed my head, trying to look like someone who'd lost everything, responding to Thomas's cold tone.

As expected, Thomas seemed surprised.

Sometimes it's beneficial to be underestimated.

People tend to see things differently when you act unexpectedly. That's why maintaining an image is crucial.

If I weren't seen as a lowlife, their reactions would differ.

Expressing regret for one's mistakes is a natural response. Who would react differently?

What would the real Cain have done?

I kept my remorseful look as I thought about it. I'm sure the original Cain would have made excuses and acted shamelessly.

But it's not my job to figure that out now.

"You seem to be showing remorse, which isn't like you. But, originally, I planned to expel you from the family," Thomas said.

"Then I heard from Liche that you caught a spy from the order you had planted."

"Yes, that's true."

"Alright, but since Liche is inclined towards you, I can't just believe her without evidence. So, bring me proof."

At this, I took out a bug from my pocket.

Thomas looked at me, his eyes full of questions.

"Isn't that a bug?"

"Yes, it is."

"How will you use it as proof?"

In answer, I detailed the events of yesterday.

"So, you're saying it was recording all this time."

"Yes. I can play it for you now."

I pressed the bug's button.

A laugh rang out, "-Puha hahaha."

That's the reaction I wanted. That frustrated look. Nobles always act so self-assured, as if they're impervious to assassination. Why would you behave in a way that would draw the Order's attention? You would have been safe if you had kept quiet.

Bill's thrilled voice played from the bug.

I checked it yesterday, and the recording was clear.

Indeed, I put the bug in my pocket yesterday, thinking Bill would start spouting nonsense as soon as he thought he had killed me.

Of course, I wasn't entirely certain he would say those things.

Honestly, capturing Bill was a given, but the recording was more of a gamble.

Given his character, I expected him to say those things, but nothing is guaranteed in this world.

Thomas seemed surprised as he listened to the bug's recording.

"I see... Liche was telling the truth. But how did you know Bill was a spy?"

I anticipated that question and made up an excuse after hearing yesterday's recording.

I lied smoothly.

"Actually, I didn't suspect Bill was a spy. I just thought the Order was after me."

"From the recording, it seems they were after you. What happened?"

To his question, I replied, "The Order offered an information exchange."

"What information did they want?"

"Nothing major, they asked about Kim Soo-yong."

[The Goddess of Destiny is asking, 'What are you talking about?']

No, why are you falling for it?

Surprised that even the goddess had been tricked, I continued to explain, "The only information I requested was about the presence of a spy in the family. Of course, they didn't give me a name, only that there was one."

"I see... What did they ask about Kim Soo-yong?"

"... They wanted to know if Kim Soo-yong was from another world."

"And how did you respond?"

"I said..."

"Certainly, Liche was right. He has changed."

Initially, I hadn't entirely believed Liche's words.

Until now, Cain had been squandering his life away, drinking daily, causing a mess, and spending money recklessly wherever he could.

And it wasn't like he was particularly gifted like his other brothers.

Cain had only ever acted in ways that disappointed everyone in the David family, not just me.

So naturally, I thought Liche, who had a strange favoritism for Cain, was lying to cover for him. But that wasn't the case.

Today, Cain, who would usually behave arrogantly and without a care, displayed the opposite behavior.

I closed my eyes and recalled our recent conversation.

'I said no.'

'Why did you respond that way?'

'Is there a reason? An otherworlder isn't some stray dog from the neighborhood. It's frankly the stuff of novels. So I simply denied it and took the chance to mock them.'

Apart from Cain, who was an Academy student like Kim Soo-yong, there was no one else the Order could have approached for information exchange.

Especially since, within the Academy, Cain was practically the only one with connections to the underworld.

He shrugged and continued, 'Anyway, I figured they'd naturally try to assassinate me, knowing I had inside information. That's why I planned to trap the spy. Spies in the family are perfect targets for assassination.'

After hearing his explanations, I nodded with a convinced look.

'I see... I understand. Considering your recent accomplishments, I won't expel you. However, I need to cut down on your allowances and financial support.'

'Yes, Father. I understand.'

'I hope to hear more good news in the future. You may leave.'

After recalling our conversation, Thomas found himself somewhat admiring Cain's strategy.

Just how many steps ahead had he planned?

Everyone in the family, myself included, had tried to find the spy, but to no avail.

However, Cain had used a vague information exchange to trap the spy.

...What exactly had occurred during Kim Soo-yong's assault yesterday?

According to Liche, he had changed in the short time he was gone.

No... let's not jump to the conclusion that he's changed just yet.

Everyone has moments of good fortune in their life.

Sure, it's a significant achievement considering it's luck, but considering Cain's history, it's too early to say definitively that he's changed after just this one incident.

"Well, time will tell if it was luck or not."

With that, Thomas picked up his pen once more, continuing his document work.

Meanwhile, at the same moment.

The Goddess of Fate, capable of viewing destiny, stared at the image of Cain on her screen with narrowed eyes.

He had once again... managed to escape the claws of death.

With this, it became abundantly clear. It was no mere coincidence that Cain had slipped through the fingers of destiny during his first encounter with Kim Soo-yong.

He had escaped by his own volition.

Once could be attributed to chance, but twice pointed to a pattern.

Pondering this, she found herself breaking into a smile.

But how did he manage such a feat?

It might sound like she was patting herself on the back, but there had never been an instance where her predictions of destiny had missed their mark.

She closed her eyes, mulling over each of Cain's actions.

She remained in this thoughtful state for a good 10 minutes. Then, a metaphorical light bulb flashed above her head.

Could it be?

She revisited Cain's actions from the previous day. From questioning Bill's identity to deducing his abilities and even predicting his subsequent moves.

...Could this man see the future?

If that were the case, everything would make sense.

The assumption that he could foresee the future would explain how he managed to subdue Bill with such ease.

But.

That's not possible.

Even the transcendents, herself included, couldn't peer into the future in the same way as Cain seemed to.

With her abilities, she could only foresee the destiny of individuals.

Hold on... considering it, this man also possessed the ability to create something out of nothing.

Just who was he?

The more she mulled it over, the stranger it appeared. She had caught a glimpse of Cain when Kim Soo-yong was enrolled at the academy.

Back then, it would not have been an exaggeration to label him as utterly incompetent. He didn't exhibit any of the remarkable abilities he seemed to possess now.

Moreover, his demeanor was different. From his repugnant character to his total lack of motivation.

Could it be that she hadn't been paying close enough attention back then?

Reflecting on it, she had only briefly skimmed over Cain, just like Kim Soo-yong. She had never delved into or investigated him in great depth.

Therefore, it wouldn't be wise to assume that the persona he exhibited then was the full extent of Cain.

Yes. She must avoid making hasty conclusions.

Thinking along these lines, she looked at Cain on the screen again.

For some inexplicable reason, he was rolling around on his bed with a broad grin on his face.

After aimlessly rolling around, Cain eventually tumbled off the bed.

-Thump!

Falling off the bed, he clutched the back of his head, grimacing in pain.

Upon seeing this, she found herself shaking her head in disbelief.

[The Goddess of Fate thinks you are pitiful.]