Johan's leather boots bood on the stone floor, his face blank, eyes lost.
Every knight and servant unconsciously bowed and avoided him, seeing his rushed pace, as if avoiding the plague.
He was outside the hallway in just a few steps, stepping onto the soft grass, surrounded by cherry blossom trees, from which beautiful pink petals fell one after another.
In the center of it all was a huge white stone lion's head functioning as a fountain, water constantly chugging down from its mouth.
The whole atmosphere gave off warmth and comfort just by looking at it, but no one dared to look there now—as the man standing there would have them killed, just for staring too loud.
Johan didn't even have to think much to make the choice. Selene was one of his favorite characters, and Johan was obviously a daughtercon, whose mories he now possessed.
Sending people to stalk her in the academy, noting the nas of everyone she t, making so of her love interests go away on long "vacations." Any noble cliché bully also disappeared—along with their entire families.
[Are you sure about choosing Option B: Comfort Selene? Yes or no?]
[Side Note: The more points you bet, the higher the level of the spin. The higher the level, the greater the chance of getting the best rewards. For example: a wheel of fortune spun with one million points won't give anything lower than an S-rank.]
"Yes!" Johan groaned, frustrated for the third ti, and confird his choice.
It's like this system is trying to make an edgy, evil villain... but makes wonder, what kinds of rewards co from million-point-level spins?
"System?!"
As if understanding Johan's question, white text started appearing on the blue screen, word by word.
[Quest initiated. As for rewards for million-point bets, they could vary based on your luck, ranging from an S-rank artifact to the Aether Core of the Goddess of Death.]
Johan's eyes widened to the limit. "Are you serious!? Aether Core basically ans their potential. If I just spun the million one a few tis, I'd definitely be unimaginably overpowered."
His voice startled the personal maids watching him from behind, making them jump up in fright.
"Master?"
A newly appointed maid, who had grown up alongside Selene, spoke softly, confusion evident in her voice. She was a pale, thirteen-year-old girl with blonde hair.
Before she could say another word, the older blonde woman beside her—striking in appearance—swiftly covered her mouth.
This was normal. They couldn't speak without being ordered or allowed to.
Johan turned his head toward the mother and daughter standing beside a bright white stone pillar.
His naturally sharp gaze lingered on the little girl for a while longer, making the mother sweat buckets.
Maria, huh. Part of the Hero's party and harem... he thought, feeling so pity for the little girl. It felt like forced romance, like the writers of the ga's story were trying to pair the MC with any living female, destroying their personalities in the process.
"Master, I am really sorry! Please punish instead..." she said in a panicked voice, her brown eyes filled with fear.
"Quiet!" a man's voice rang out—his sharp, perfectly shaped white mustache and beard standing out.
...Sebastian.
Johan's eyes softened a bit, rembering the fond mories of the real Johan.
This was House Matilda—and Johan's most loyal subordinate—who had been serving the family's masters for almost sixty years. He was also the one who had basically raised Johan.
And he was very competent—
If you even wanted to kill a high-ranking noble of the Empire, just whisper it to Sebastian, and the head would be on Johan's table in an hour. No matter how dirty or high-risk the task, it didn't matter. If it was an order from Johan, it would be done.
"Master Sebastian, she didn't really an it! Please show rcy!!" The mother fanatically began begging, dropping to her knees and grabbing the old white-haired butler's legs.
Sebastian's gaze turned toward Johan, as if asking, 'Should I?'
Johan gently shook his head.
There was no way he'd be so edgy as to kill soone for worrying about him.
Sebastian's body looked frail and skinny under his white shirt, black pants, and a long, light black overcoat—but Johan knew better. He probably had the ability to turn both won to ashes in less than a second.
The maids imdiately left, as if their survival had been unexpected.
But there was a reason why Johan was here. This was the place where Selene had watched Johan kill both of them, awakening her ability in the process to stop him. But she had failed at that ti. It had only made her hatred for him reach another level.
She must be around... Ti to complete the first quest!! Johan thought quietly, suppressing the giddiness inside his heart.
He turned to the fountain, gaze softening. "Selene... can we talk?"
Johan didn't directly bully her like Acier, but constantly made her life hard by putting too much pressure on her—
Sending goons to bully her and her friends, so she'd learn how to fight back. Slapping her harshly if she made even the slightest mistake, to make sure she never ssed up in life.
He actually thought he was doing good for her. Well, in a way, he did—it made her willpower strong enough to fight literal gods. But it also made her thirsty for attention and love.
That thirst resulted in her being seduced by a monkey and becoming one of his girls.
Johan's pupils shrank suddenly. What the hell, why am I calling Leor "monkey" instead of "commoner"? ...Is it the mories? His jaw clenched.
He then took a deep breath. No, no, it's nothing to worry about. It's like when you hear a song thousands of tis unintentionally—you eventually start to hum it. Johan's mories are just that song. They shouldn't affect my actions or behavior...
This thought finally cald him.
In "Johan's" defense, everyone around him from birth called commoners monkeys, so it made sense.
Suddenly—
A skinny, yet extrely striking white-haired girl walked out beside the fountain.
Her deep blue eyes locked with Johan's, as if probing.
She was a bit surprised to see him let Maria and her mother leave without harm.
She had been ready to rush in at any mont, but he actually let them go.
This made her lower her guard slightly—but then, she suddenly rembered sothing—
Leor said that Father is working with slave traders, and sold Leor's entire village and family to them... I can't trust him no matter what. It's probably another manipulation attempt anyway.
Her gaze beca firm again, though she still didn't want to be beaten by Acier or him, so she didn't lash out, secretly gathering hard proof on the matter.
"How can I help you, Father?" she asked with a practiced polite smile.
Johan's lips curled into a soft smile, his voice growing gentle. "How's the academy?"
Selene's pupils constricted, as if doubting reality—since this only happened in her best daydreams. Then she took a deep breath.
It's manipulation. It's manipulation. He doesn't love you. He doesn't love you. Trust Leor.
She kept repeating the sentence like it was a calming mantra.
In her entire life, she had never seen her father smile at her—not even once. Always a perfectly stoic face.
"It's good... Father, if it's about earlier..." she tried to apologize in an uncertain tone, finally breaking free of her delusions.
"No, it's not."
Johan cut her off softly, his smile growing even softer.
"You don't have to pretend. I know I haven't been the best father—no, not even a father—but... I'm trying. I really love you, Selene. I care for you. I can't undo what's already happened... but—"
Johan's voice beca even gentler, almost a faint whisper. "I'm sorry. Don't ruin yourself just to hate ... So people will always love you no matter how you act or what you do. You don't need anyone's approval... just rember, I'm always up for a father-daughter chat."
He spoke it all in one breath, then took another to calm his racing heart. It doesn't feel like... I'm acting for the quest...
Selene's eyes widened. Then a tear slipped through... then another... and another... until her face was completely wet.
Johan, as if nodding to himself, crouched down, spreading his arms—gesturing for her to hug him.
A sudden distant mory flashed in Selene's mind, Johan had opened his arms wide, like he was about to hug. As an eight-year-old girl who had just lost her mother, she rushed into her father's embrace, but just as she closed in—
His hands snapped shut, clapping together with Selene's face caught between them. She still vividly rembers the sharp, bone-jarring pain as she fell on the ground.
It was a lesson on why one should never trust even the closest people.
Her whole body shook violently, reliving the mont.
"Why now?!" she suddenly yelled, voice raw. "After everything?! Just stop! Stop playing these stupid gas!"
Her shoes scuffed against the grass as she staggered, then broke into a run—vanishing into the hallway.
Johan stayed still, exhaling hard.
Of course, it wouldn't be that easy... but at least I think I made so progress. I can comfort her slowly and... complete the quest.
Johan thought uncertainly, rembering her face.
Suddenly, his face broke out with a dazed smile. Crying like that and then acting all strong and tough? Just like Clara...
Sebastian, on the side, was trying hard to keep his expression neutral.
He had his eyes fixed on Johan, as if trying to understand the complexities of the man, and his next plans.
Johan was just staring towards the back of the fountain, now empty, as if searching for soone who wasn't there anymore.
It made Sebastian's frown only deepen.
[Quest completed: 4000 points have been credited to host.]
[ 100 points for increasing her hopes of having a family. (Note: If the host destroys her hopes completely, he will receive a hundred tis the original reward.)]
Johan's eyes widened with pleasant surprise. That easy? She was already comforted?
...She's such a tsundere... Johan thought, his cold eyes moistening slightly. Then, hearing the system's prompt, they brightened with excitent.
"System, GAMBLE IT ALL!! Use 4000 points for four spins of Wheel of Fortune." Johan yelled loudly in his mind.
White text on the blue screen appeared again.
[Request accepted]
He entirely ignored the part where the system was trying to make him break Selene again.
This system... It's different than those in novels... like it has its own bias... Johan thought, a bit concerned, as a colorful wheel with a golden body appeared on the blue screen.
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