The Szczecin Count's Household (1)

A woman entered, carrying a small tray with a bowl of medicine and bowing her head low.

She approached lightly on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her feet and knelt beside the bed, offering the tray politely.

He couldn't see her face directly since she kept her head down, but her distinct features, long eyelashes, straight nose, and snow-white, flawless skin were unmistakable.

There was no doubt she was a stunning beauty.

Moreover, kneeling as she was, the ample cleavage accentuated by her corset naturally drew the eye.

"Wha—"

He started to ask her name but barely swallowed the question. It seemed best to hide his memory loss as much as possible.

"Is something wrong, Young Master?"

"No. Ahem!"

Come to think of it, I don't have to ask her name to find out.

As he recalled information about the woman before him, strings of text appeared in the corner of his vision.

Her name's Laila. Affiliated with the Kosalin Viscountcy. Wait—what? She's not from the Szczecin family, but the Kosalin family?

That wasn't the only oddity.

And why's her combat power so high? Class 3 means she's an elite soldier trained like special forces, just without mana use... and her position is just a mere maid?

A chill ran down Calix's back.

The direct heir of a count's family was injured, yet it wasn't his personal maid serving the medicine, but one from another house.

It didn't match common sense from Heroes Destiny as he remembered it at all.

I should keep my distance and observe her more carefully.

He couldn't just gulp down the medicine she offered without caution.

In Heroes Destiny, the thing to watch out for most was always what you ate or drank.

"Urk!"

He picked up the bowl from the tray, clutched his chest, and pretended to be in pain, dropping the bowl to the floor.

Clack!

But the attempt failed spectacularly.

Laila had caught the falling bowl.

Without spilling a single drop of the medicine inside.

Incredible reflexes.

Damn!

Fearing she'd see through his acting if their eyes met, he kept clutching his chest and bowed his head.

Laila hurriedly set the bowl on a small table nearby, then gently embraced and supported his wobbling form.

"Are you alright?"

She asked in a concerned voice.

"Ugh..."

As they ended up in an embrace, their gazes momentarily misaligned, he manipulated his status window to open the [Family] tab.

To check the family tree.

Hmm, I was born to the late first wife... and there's a half-brother from the current wife, sixteen years old—one year older than me. Huh? His mother's maiden name is Kosalin?

Only then did he piece together what the Kosalin family was and their connection to this body's original owner. And a rough sense of his own situation.

Calix straightened up from leaning against Laila and spoke.

"I'm feeling better now. But is Mother alright?"

"...The Countess was very worried because you attempted self-harm. She asked me to tell you never to do it again."

From her words, he gleaned two facts.

One, this body's original owner had tried to kill himself.

Judging by the chest pain and the injury listed in his status window, it seemed like he'd stabbed himself with a knife.

And two, this maid was terrible at acting.

She'd shown clear surprise when he called her stepmother "Mother."

And while claiming the Countess was worried about him, she'd averted her eyes.

Heh, she must be quite displeased that I survived.

This wasn't Earth—it was the Eren Continent.

A count's title held unimaginable value here, naturally.

If someone handed it over willingly, you'd have to suspect their true intentions.

From the current situation, had he died quietly, the title would have naturally passed to her son—Calix's half-brother.

Unless the Countess was Jesus or Buddha, she wouldn't be thrilled that her son's sole rival had survived.

Of course, he didn't show these thoughts outwardly.

Since he didn't know his exact situation yet, it was better to remain the weak boy who'd failed at suicide.

"Mm, got it. I promise I won't worry anyone anymore."

"The Countess will be pleased."

Fortunately, his acting seemed to have worked.

From the corner of his eye, she looked more awkward than suspicious.

Only then did Calix breathe a sigh of relief.

Having strained his nerves while injured, a wave of fatigue suddenly hit him. He wanted to send Laila away and rest.

"You can go now."

"I'm sorry, but you haven't taken your medicine yet."

At that moment, a chill ran down his spine.

Laila's words meant she intended to watch him drink it.

If there was one truth he'd learned from playing Heroes Destiny,

it was that.

A maid from his stepmother's natal family—who likely harbored hostility—and trained to special forces level.

Such a terrifying woman trying to force medicine on him.

In Heroes Destiny, this was a situation you absolutely had to suspect.

As the threat to his life brought a surge of thrill, Calix's lips curled up involuntarily.

Fun. Already coming at me hard, huh? As expected of Heroes Destiny. No mercy.

Laila, suspected assassin, held out the bowl. Drinking it obediently had led to too many "You died" screens from poison.

But he couldn't just refuse outright. He knew exactly how Laila would react.

She'd force it down my throat.

His soul was a sturdy thirty-something man, but his body was a frail teen.

His opponent was a trained assassin, woman or not. Realistically, resisting successfully was unlikely.

Shouting for help wasn't ideal either.

If this maid realized things had gone wrong and drew a blade? He wasn't sure he could survive until aid arrived.

Essentially, his only option was to take the medicine.

Damn... wait!

Even in this desperate spot, a lightning bolt of an idea struck.

Why poison, of all things? She could just stab me and run.

Years of game experience made guessing her intent straightforward.

Right. She cares about appearances.

Calix realized the assassin wanted to disguise it as suicide.

Especially since the original owner had already attempted it once—another try wouldn't seem suspicious.

And there was a poison perfect for that purpose.

Slowly Creeping Death

A infamous suicide poison, all the more favored for faking suicides.

Yeah, that tracks.

Then, growing impatient, Laila pressed subtly.

"If you still can't hold yourself steady, shall I feed it to you?"

He'd apparently been lost in thought too long. Unable to delay further with her urging,

"No need."

He flatly refused her offer, squeezed his eyes shut, and gulped down the medicine.

Peeking midway, sure enough, Laila's cold gaze fixed on him.

As if she'd make him lick up even a single drop spilled.

And then, the expected message appeared before his eyes.

As expected, bad hunches in Heroes Destiny were never wrong.

But Calix was a veteran who'd played this brutally difficult game for over a decade.

He was glad he'd at least avoided the absolute worst.

The nightmare scenario he'd imagined was Laila killing him outright ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠here, without regard for consequences.

Dying meekly before he could use his vast knowledge.

Focus later.

It was too soon to relax. The poison was gnawing at his life in this dire moment.

He whipped his brain into gear.

Think! Find a way through this crisis! Person, item—something, quick!

Suddenly, the name "Russell" flashed in his mind. He'd said he'd fed him a top-grade potion.

In Heroes Destiny, top-grade potions were priceless elixirs worth a castle. If he'd used one without hesitation, he wasn't someone out to harm him.

Worried his pounding ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heart would give him away, Calix feigned calm as best he could.

"Laila. Go call ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Russell for me?"

"Why?"

He deliberately put on an arrogant expression and snapped irritably.

"Why do you care? Do I have to explain myself to a mere maid?"

"My apologies. I was short-sighted."

"Then get out!"

She looked regretful at not being able to watch until the poison fully absorbed, but apparently deeming it enough, she left without a word.

Click!

The moment the door closed, Calix plunged his fingers down his throat over a large flower vase.

"Urk—bleeegh!"

Clear liquid gushed out once. Then, with nothing left in his stomach, he just dry-heaved.

Not enough.

He needed that.

Find it!

Heroes Destiny was tough, but it never posed unsolvable problems.

Considering the poison's spread time, it had to be in this room.

Just hidden somewhere out of sight.

Calix frantically searched around.

He marveled anew at how much larger this bedroom was than his old Earth one-room apartment.

The furniture, even the wall paintings—nothing was ordinary.

But the crucial thing eluded him.

Then.

The message popped up like an impatient nudge.

In the game, it'd just be annoying text.

But now, strength truly drained from his body, his eyes drooping shut.

The word "death" loomed, flooding him with terror.

"Damn it all!"

Calix went berserk, tearing the room apart.

He dumped all the neatly shelved books on the floor, yanked out desk drawers and flipped them over.

Miscellaneous contents spilled out. But no sign of what he sought.

As expected, not easy. He'd combed every corner, yet it hadn't shown its face.

Strength ebbed from his body. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor.

Die like this, so pointlessly? Reset from the start if I die? Or just... end?

Then.

As he sank to the floor, his lowered gaze caught something.