Tuck!
Ellaria flinched, letting out a soft groan.
Kael flicked her forehead again.
"Five more minutes~"
Huh?
Annoyed, Kael put a bit more force into the next flick.
Ellaria's eyes flew open in protest, glaring at him—until she saw those familiar golden eyes staring back.
That glare immediately melted into a soft, flustered gaze when she realized it was Kael's golden eyes staring back.
"Sleep well?" Kael asked with a small smile.
Ellaria quickly sat upright, rubbing her eyes and glancing around the room. Then at Kael. Then around again.
"What exactly are you looking for?"
"N-no, it's just ..." She glanced around once more. The room that had been cluttered with dirty clothes and medicine bottles was now spotless. "Young Master, did you …"
"I don't know if you normally sleep in stables or if you've picked up a second job that keeps you too busy—"
"No! Not at all, Young Master! I swear! I've always served the Vyle clan—and I always will, until my dying breath!"
That was ... overly dramatic. "Just don't leave the room in a mess again. That's a new rule."
"Understood! Completely understood!"
Kael let out a sigh, clicking his tongue. "And ... thank you."
Ellaria blinked up at him, stunned. Had she heard that right?
Kael wasn't so sure he believed it either.
Back when he was still Lucas Gray, he never thanked anyone for anything—and there was never anything worth thanking.
But now he said thanks? Him?
Damn Emma. Damn that hallucination.
Kael tried to push away what had happened in the Dream of Fate, but he couldn't deny that maybe—just maybe—it was starting to influence the way he acted.
Yeah. Maybe, and just a little.
"You're the one who gave me the medicine, right?"
"That was Mr. Hazu's formula."
"But you're the one who took care of me."
"Well ... that's just part of my duty as your personal maid, Young Master."
Does she just not know how to accept a compliment? "Tch. Whatever."
"Ah, no, Young Master..."
"Hah?"
"S-sorry. I mean..." Ellaria swallowed hard, then mustered the courage to meet his gaze. "You're welcome."
And just like that, another notification appeared.
[Ellaria's Love Meter: 51%]
#
While waiting for breakfast, Kael rubbed his chin, going over his current powers.
The system said he could buy interesting things with Karma Points.
The last options he saw were:
[Add 10 free attribute points – 1000 Karma Points]
[New Skill: Love Meter – 500 Karma Points]
[Unlock Secret Lore – 2000 Karma Points]
And his current 'balance'?
[You have 2000 Karma Points]
Ridiculous.
That third option might be tempting, but what if it just revealed some useless trivia he already knows?
So, he went with the first two. And they were already painfully expensive.
First, he adjusted his stats.
Base Attributes:
Some of that stung—especially the 'Fated Ones' line. But now wasn't the time for romance.
Gideon. Renwick.
Neither had ever been important characters in any of the branching storylines.
Gideon only showed up a few times early on, helping Samael expose secret crimes at the academy and rescuing one of the heroines.
Renwick was just described as his subordinate, not even given a single line of dialogue.
Information on them was scarce.
Rumor had it Gideon had the strength of a second-rank magic night.
Which, stat-wise, meant at least 30 in Strength and 25 in Endurance.
Which is terrifying, kinda.
Renwick might be even as high, if not highere.
So, after some consideration, Kael made a rather reckless decision:
[Add 10 points to Intelligence?]
He wasn't sure if it would make him smarter per se, but if it did … he had an idea of how to use it.
[10 points added to "Intelligence"]
[You now possess above-average Intelligence]
[New Passive Skill Unlocked: "Jack of All Trades"]
There it is.
Allows rapid learning of any subject or task. In practice, the user will only ever achieve mediocrity at best. Learned skills cannot be converted into permanent stats.
Passive skills like these were what set The Heavenly Bond apart from other dating sims—or even most RPGs.
Intelligence was often overlooked since it didn't directly impact combat or heroine conquest. Most of its passive skills weren't particularly impressive
But now? When it became reality?
This could be a hidden gem.
Well, compared to the other thing he bought.
Shows a person's affection toward the user. Negative values indicate hate. (Warning: if it hits 100, positive or negative, it means obsession.)
At least now he knew Ellaria didn't hate him.
But 51%?
Love Meter was usually a starter skill. Samael probably had it too. But Kael wasn't sure if 51% was decent... or a warning sign.
"Here you are, Young Master."
Kael looked over the food cart Ellaria brought.
Honey waffles, a cup of unsweetened tea, and three peeled apples.
His favorite. Or rather, the original Kael's favorite.
He liked meals high in carbs—they kept him full longer.
"Is something wrong, Young Master?"
Maybe he'd stared at her too long.
"You hate me, don't you?" Kael said, picking up his fork.
Ellaria took a moment. "I … what?"
Kael clicked his tongue. "Gideon did this." He raised his bandaged thumb—the severed piece hadn't grown back, just dried and awkward-looking. ""That was only the first time. It won't be the last. I won't forgive him. Not ever. I swear I'll return it a thousandfold—even if it kills him."
"You're… trying to kill Lord Albrecht?"
Kael facepalmed. Does she always take things so literally?
"I've probably—no, definitely—done worse to you. Maybe nothing's been chopped off—yet. But you must've hated every moment spent with me, right?"
Ellaria shook her head. "No—"
Kael raised his hand. Instinctively, Ellaria flinched, eyes squeezed shut.
But the slap never came.
She realized the trap she'd walked into.
"No?"
No response.
Kael clicked his tongue. "Any apology from me means nothing right now. So the only thing I can offer you is this'
"... Ellaria Vionette—get out of my sight."