Walking into the dining room at House Argento felt like stepping onto a battlefield... but with better food.
At the table sat Elizabeth, her very serious parents, Liora, and Vivianne—who, judging by their plate piles, were already halfway through lunch and had zero interest in dramatic tension.
Me? I was mentally rehearsing one-liners in case I died during dessert.
I flashed a charming (and mildly terrified) smile and sat down. "Wow. Smells great. Hope the roast duck doesn't come with a side of death threats."
No one laughed.
Cool. Off to a strong start.
The table was loaded. I'm talking roast duck, buttery lobster, fancy salads, bread soft enough to hug, and a mountain of desserts that made my stomach cry with joy.
Then the Duke—Elizabeth's father, king of all scary dads—spoke.
"So, Noah," he said slowly, slicing into his duck like it owed him money. "I heard you saved my daughter's life. How did you know she was in danger?"
I smiled. "I already explained that to Elizabeth, Your Grace." I said politely.
But what I meant was: Please don't skewer me with your fork.
Liora and Vivianne? Still chewing like this was just Tuesday.
"I sent a letter to your father," the Duke said."He said you and your cousin can spend the summer here."
I choked on my drink. "Summer?! Sir, with all due respect... it's been snowing since I got here. I'm pretty sure your garden is frozen in fear."
No reaction.
The Duke simply stabbed another piece of duck like he was imagining it was my face.
Elizabeth's mom—who looked like she smiled once in 1992—finally spoke.
"Kazuki," she said to the Duke, "behave. Noah is our guest."
Wait what.
Did... did someone just defend me?
I wasn't sure if I should smile or cry. (I did both internally.)
Then Elizabeth decided to nuke the entire dinner.
"Father," she said, calm as can be, "Noah asked me to marry him."
Silence.
Liora's fork clattered to her plate.
Vivianne choked on her wine and started coughing like she got surprise-punched by romance.
Even the Duchess looked surprised, and that woman looked like nothing shocked her anymore—not even taxes.
The Duke turned to me with an expression that said, "I have buried men for less."
I could feel my soul leave my body. "Sir, I can explain—"
The Duke cut in. "Well, knowing you, Elizabeth, you must have turned him down."
Elizabeth sipped her tea. "I did. But I also didn't. I agreed to go on a date with him."
Table.exe has crashed.
The Duke froze. Mid-bite. Fork still in mouth.
Liora groaned. "Noooooaaaah."
Vivianne burst out laughing. Not a giggle. A cackle. Like this was the best thing she'd ever seen.
And the Duchess? She sipped her wine and smiled like she was watching a romcom.
Vivianne clapped. "Well, dating is something young nobles do. And Noah is a noble, right?"
I looked at her like she'd grown a second head.
She winked. "I've been taking care of him since he was a baby. Honestly, it feels like he's my son most days."
I blinked. "You really mean that?"
She smiled warmly. "I've been wiping your blood and bruises since you were tiny. Of course I do."
Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Don't cry," she said, "or I'll make you drink the bitter green medicine."
The whole table laughed.
Even me. Even the Duke. (Okay, he didn't laugh, but he didn't kill me either, so… progress.)
After lunch, I made my way back to the guest room, brain still spinning from the chaos.
That's when Liora showed up. "Hey. I'll walk you to your room."
We walked side by side through the long hallway. She was quiet at first.
Then softly, she asked, "Noah… do you remember anything from when you were little?"
I stopped for a second. "No. Not really."
(Most of the real Noah's memories are gone. I'm just doing my best not to trip over his life.)
She sighed. "I thought so." Her face looked sad.
I didn't like that. So I gently pulled her closer.
She immediately turned red. "Wha-wha-WHAT are you doing?!"
"We're family," I said. "This is totally normal. Probably."
After a pause, she leaned her head on my shoulder.
"Noah," she whispered, "if one day something really bad happens. Promise me… you'll run."
My chest tightened. "Why would you say that?"
She didn't answer. She just looked at me with serious eyes.
"Promise me," she said again.
"I promise," I said quietly.
We kept walking. Then stopped.
She looked at me. Then turned and walked away.
"…Wait, weren't you walking me to my room?"
She laughed. "I did."
I turned around—
There was the guest room door.
"…Oh."
She smirked.
I rubbed the back of my head and laughed awkwardly. "Right. That makes sense."
I dragged myself into the room and dropped onto the bed like a sack of potatoes. Just as I was about to rest my eyes, the glowing status window popped up again.
[Status Update:
Elizabeth's Life: 9 Days Left ⏳
I groaned. "Oh come on... again?"
I sat up, got dressed in the thick fur clothes Vivianne left for me, and stepped into the hallway. It was always cold here—this part of the world never stopped snowing. But I wasn't heading outside.
The estate had a massive indoor training arena, built like a giant stone stadium. Warm torches lit the space, and the sound of metal clashing echoed through the air.
I peeked in and saw the guards sparring. Swords clanged. Boots slammed against stone. A female knight won her match and helped her opponent to his feet.
I clapped quietly, just trying to not look awkward.
Then one of the guards spotted me. "Oh! Young Lord Noah!"
"That was awesome!" another added.
"Would you like to spar with us?" one of the knights asked.
As if life was listening, my status window popped up.
▶️Side Quest: Win A Sparring Match!!
Rewind: Stamina recovery and boost☯️
Warning: Lose, and your stamina will drop 😬
I sighed. "Seriously?"
"You alright, Young Lord?" one of them asked.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll fight," I said. "But I need my sword first."
About 30 minutes later, I returned, sword in hand. And apparently, everyone in the mansion already knew. Word had spread fast.
"My lady," a maid whispered, "Lord Noah is going to spar with one of the knights."
Elizabeth got up and headed to the training arena. Vivianne and Liora were already sitting in the stands, watching like it was a gladiator match.
I stood in the center of the arena and muttered, "Please don't kill me."
A guard raised his hand to start the match.
The knight charged fast. I jumped back just in time.
"Hey, hey! Take it easy! I bruise easy!"
I swung my sword, trying to stay calm. The knight blocked it like it was nothing, then came in with a quick counter. I barely dodged.
"Great. I'm already tired," I muttered. "Okay. One big move. Let's end this."
The knight came charging again.
This time, I ran forward, dropped low, and slid under his legs. As I came out behind him, I reached out—
Black flames burst from my hand and slammed into the knight's back.
He shouted, "AAAH! IT BURNS!"
I panicked. "Wait! I didn't mean to—"
I quickly waved my hand and the flames disappeared. The knight dropped to one knee, groaning. I fell to the ground too, gasping for breath.
"Dammit," I wheezed.
And of course, the status window popped up again.
⚠️[Status Update:
Stamina: 60% ⚡
Soul Integrity: 59% 💢
Warning: When your body and soul aren't in sync, you might die.
"Yep… definitely dying before dinner."