"Oh my, did I forget to tell you?"
Mother placed a hand against her cheek, her expression filled with innocent confusion—as if she had genuinely forgotten.
I didn't believe it for a second.
"I'm pregnant."
Despite the calmness in her voice, it was obvious she was enjoying our reactions far too much.
"How? When— No, wait—"
Father stopped mid-sentence, utterly failing to organize his thoughts.
Mother tilted her head slightly.
"What do you mean, 'how'? You were there when it happened~"
The Countess giggled teasingly, clearly recalling that night.
The embarrassment spread to Father almost instantly as he cleared his throat and avoided eye contact.
The two of them looked less like dignified nobles and more like awkward newlyweds.
"I'm gonna be a big sister?!"
Thea exclaimed excitedly.
Completely oblivious to the atmosphere surrounding our parents.
Well, that was normal.
She was still a kid.
She didn't understand what they were implying yet.
Unfortunately…
I did.
I had the memories of an adult.
I knew exactly what they meant.
And that made this infinitely more embarrassing.
I needed to leave.
Immediately.
Before I permanently lose the ability to look my parents in the eye.
"I-I still have class, so may I be excused?"
I blurted out.
Father frowned slightly, probably confused by my sudden use of formal speech, but he still allowed me to leave.
The moment I stepped outside the dining room, I let out a long breath.
That was dangerous.
I don't think I'll ever recover from hearing my parents flirt.
Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to dwell on it.
The following days quickly fell into a repetitive cycle of training, soreness, and recovery.
Mornings were spent attending my usual classes.
Professor Owen had responded to the recruitment letter almost immediately, but unfortunately, he was still on vacation and would not arrive for a while.
Still, he had accepted the position of both my history teacher and archery mentor.
Afternoons were spent training with Calvin at the training grounds, while evenings were dedicated to trying—and often failing—to move my aching body.
By the fourth day, I could finally draw the bowstring without my arms trembling.
By the sixth, I was consistently landing shots near the center of the target.
And by the seventh—
"Young Master, are you truly planning to attend the Emilton Barony's dinner party dressed like that?"
…Dinner party?
I stared blankly at Chris.
Right.
That was today.
"Chris, when do we leave?"
Sweat dripped down my body profusely—not because of training, but because I was panicking over the consequences of skipping the dinner party or arriving completely unprepared.
"In an hour and a half, Young Master."
I froze.
Then immediately rushed toward my quarters.
By the time I finished bathing and cleaning myself up, I was already running out of time to choose an outfit.
Fortunately, Chris—my savior—had already prepared everything beforehand and quickly assisted me in getting dressed.
"You're late. Mother and Father are already waiting inside the carriage."
Thea's voice carried no real annoyance.
If anything, she sounded sympathetic.
Like she pitied me for what was about to happen.
That alone terrified me.
We climbed into the carriage together.
Waiting inside was a visibly upset Countess.
"I understand that training is important, but I hope you haven't been neglecting your etiquette lessons."
Mother huffed in disapproval.
Honestly, I couldn't even blame her.
She reminded me every morning, and yet I somehow managed to forget by the afternoon.
Not to mention…
I was thirty minutes late.
"I apologize, Mother. It won't happen again."
I apologized sincerely.
Though even I doubted my own words a little.
"Fine. But if something like this happens again, you will retake your etiquette lessons under Mrs. Crowly."
Absolutely not.
Mrs. Crowly being both a mage and an etiquette instructor should honestly be illegal.
She didn't hesitate to use magic as a valid correction method whenever I messed up.
Sit improperly?
Magic.
Wrong spoon?
Magic.
Poor posture?
Magic again.
Just remembering the way she calmly tapped her wand against the table before casting a spell was enough to send shivers down my spine.
"I really like our outfits tonight, Mother. Where did you buy them this time?"
Thea's excited voice snapped me back to the present. She gently lifted part of her simple yet elegant blue dress as she admired it.
Come to think of it, I hadn't had the chance to properly look at everyone earlier because I was too busy getting reprimanded.
Now that I actually had the chance to pay attention, I realized the entire family was dressed in matching shades of blue.
Father wore a dark navy formal coat lined with silver embroidery along the cuffs and collar. The sharp fit of the outfit made his already imposing presence even more dignified.
Mother's dress was a softer shade of sapphire, layered with delicate silver patterns that shimmered whenever the carriage lights touched them. Unlike Father's more authoritative appearance, her attire felt graceful and refined.
Thea's dress resembled Mother's, though simpler and lighter to match her age. The ribbons tied around her sleeves and waist gave her a more youthful charm.
As for me, Chris had prepared a fitted royal-blue outfit decorated with subtle silver accents. It was elegant enough for a noble gathering without feeling overly flashy.
…Which was probably for the best.
I was already nervous enough as it was.
In a brief period of time, I was about to meet the main character of this world.
The future hero destined to defeat the Demon King.
And, according to the original story…
My best friend.
I couldn't help but feel a little excited at the thought of meeting him again.
However, the moment I remembered that Thea was supposed to become part of his harem, my mood immediately soured.
My thoughts were all over the place. At this point, even I was getting tired of them.
Whatever.
I'll figure out how to deal with him later.
The story was already beginning to change anyway. Maybe I could stop Thea from ever getting involved with that douchebag in the first place.
Who knows?
If I influenced him enough, maybe he wouldn't even build a harem at all.
Hehe.
A mischievous grin spread across my face.
"Remember to be polite to the Baron's family, and make sure to apologize to the Baron's heir."
Mother reminded me for what felt like the tenth time.
"I know," I muttered.
A moment later, the carriage came to a stop.
Outside, servants hurried down the manor steps to welcome arriving guests while elegant music drifted through the open doors.
Then the Emilton family's butler stepped forward and announced our arrival in a booming voice.
"Presenting Count Spades, Lady Spades, and the young heirs of the Spades family!"
Almost instantly, all eyes turned toward us.
Father and Mother stepped out first, carrying themselves with natural sophistication. Even Thea looked remarkably elegant despite being only eight years old.
I had to do my part too.
Straightening my posture, I put on my most charming smile.
The world shall bear witness to my handsomeness.
"Oh my, the Count and Countess look so dignified! They truly are perfect for each other!"
"Lady Ethea is adorable yet already carries herself like a proper noble lady!"
"The Spades family really is blessed with good looks!"
"The heir is handsome too, but doesn't his smile seem a little haughty?"
"He's known for being arrogant, though. Good-looking, but still snobbish."
The crowd's whispers were divided between admiration for my family's elegance and criticism of my terrible reputation.
Honestly…
That hurt a little.
Still, they admitted I was handsome, so I considered it a victory.
(A victory against what exactly?)
I continued walking proudly.
A middle-aged man with neatly combed brown hair stepped forward with a composed smile.
The Baron of Emilton.
Standing beside him was a boy around my age with radiant golden hair and piercing emerald eyes.
Amon Emilton.
The protagonist of this world.
"Count Spades, it has been far too long."
Baron Emilton greeted Father warmly before the two exchanged a firm handshake.
"You look well, Baron Emilton."
Father replied with a polite smile.
Meanwhile, my attention had already shifted toward the boy beside him.
So this is Amon.
Unlike the overly dramatic illustrations from the novel covers, he looked… surprisingly normal.
Well-dressed, composed, and annoyingly handsome.
He didn't radiate some overwhelming protagonist aura or anything ridiculous like that.
Honestly, if I passed him on the street, I probably wouldn't have guessed he was destined to defeat the Demon King someday.
"I apologize for the trouble I caused you, Young Lord Alan."
Amon lowered his head politely. His smile remained calm and composed, though his eyes seemed to quietly study me.
The atmosphere in the ballroom instantly stiffened.
It felt as though everyone was waiting for my response.
Even the Baron and my parents looked slightly anxious.
I enjoyed being the center of attention, but not like this.
This felt suffocating.
Still…
This was a good opportunity.
"No, the fault was mine. I was rash and immature. I simply couldn't believe that someone my age could already possess such talent in swordsmanship. My jealousy clouded my judgment and caused me to inconvenience you. For that, I sincerely apologize."
I lowered my head as well, sincerely apologizing.
Of course…
If this also earned me a few reputation points, I'd gladly take those too.
Hehe.
Maybe this was what people called efficiency.
The tense atmosphere in the ballroom quickly melted away.
Several people even let out audible sighs of relief.
My parents and Baron Emilton included.
Slowly, I lifted my head to observe Amon's reaction.
Would he turn out to be arrogant and completely different from the novel?
Or was he really the perfect goody-two-shoes protagonist the story described?
The answer…
Was neither.