The deafening silence stretched on for a solid ten seconds.
Instead of shrinking under the intense, combined glare of the most powerful men in the estate, I comfortably leaned back in my plush chair. I reached forward, smoothly lifting a heavy silver pitcher to pour myself a glass of dark red wine.
The gentle splashing of the liquid was the only sound in the massive room.
I took a slow sip. It was an excellent vintage.
"You look remarkably healthy, Kael," a deep, rumbling voice finally shattered the silence.
I shifted my gaze to the head of the table.
Duke Julian Valerius, my terrifying stepfather in this world, was staring at me. His heavy, scarred face was completely unreadable, but his sharp eyes were analyzing me like a piece of military equipment.
"I had a lot of time to rest, Stepfather," I replied, flashing a calm, easy smile.
"A few days in bed can do wonders for the body. I feel completely reborn."
First Brother Cassius violently flinched at the word reborn. His silver fork loudly clattered against his porcelain plate. He quickly grabbed it, his knuckles turning totally white as he tried to pretend his hands were not shaking.
"Oh, my sweet boy," a warm, highly affectionate voice suddenly cut through the heavy tension.
I looked to my left. The haughty, intimidating aura radiating from Lady Morgana, my First Stepmother and Cassius's biological mother, had completely vanished. Instead, she was looking at me with eyes full of absolute maternal relief.
"Praise the Gods you are awake, Kael,"
Morgana sighed, pressing a jeweled hand against her chest.
She completely ignored her own biological son's panic. "We were entirely terrified when they brought you back. You still look a little pale. You must eat everything on your plate tonight to rebuild your strength."
"Morgana is absolutely right," Lady Camilla, my Second Stepmother, chimed in immediately. She offered me a sweet, doting smile that completely contrasted her sharp, elegant features.
"I personally instructed the kitchen to prepare your favorite spiced potatoes. You need meat on those bones, darling."
I smiled genuinely at both of them. Just like Elara and Seraphina, my First and Second Mothers were an absolute goldmine of affection.
The Valerius men might despise my existence, but the women of this family were deeply, inexplicably overprotective of me.
Cassius looked like he was going to be sick. He started coughing violently into his napkin, his face turning a dangerous shade of purple.
His beautiful blonde wife, Lady Eleanor, quickly patted his back with a look of deep concern.
"Are you alright, dear?" Eleanor asked softly.
"Fine," Cassius rasped out, stubbornly refusing to make eye contact with me.
"Swallowed wrong."
"Enough coddling," the Duke commanded. His single word instantly killed the rising affection, proving his absolute authority over the house.
He waved a dismissive hand toward me, clearly losing whatever tiny bit of interest he had in my miraculous recovery.
"He survived a fall, but that does not change the facts. Kael is still stuck at the pitiful 3rd Circle. If he is well enough to eat, let him eat. Do not pretend his recovery changes his standing in this house. We have more pressing matters to discuss.
I kept my calm smile, happily cutting into my duck. The Duke was right about the old Kael.
In this brutal world, power was absolute. Strength was measured strictly by "Circles" ranging from the weak 1st to the legendary 10th.
The Duke himself was a monstrous 9th Circle aura knight, essentially a walking natural disaster. Your awakened core determined your entire life path.
Knights cultivated physical aura to shatter armor and bone, while Mages wielded mana for pure elemental destruction. Supporters provided massive battlefield buffs, Healers kept entire armies alive, and the hunted Dark Mages manipulated curses and decay.
Regardless of the class, being stuck at the 3rd Circle at twenty years old made you a total failure in an elite warlord family.
But the Duke had absolutely no idea that my new System operated completely outside their rigid magical rules. I did not need to train for decades to reach the next Circle. I just needed to harvest points.
The serving maids stepped forward to refill the wine glasses. Chloe stepped up to my side, her hands still trembling slightly as she adjusted my silverware.
I gave my head maid a tiny, reassuring wink. Her breath hitched, and she quickly scurried back to the wall, her cheeks burning bright red.
The Duke turned his heavy gaze away from me and focused on his prized stepsons.
"Cassius," the Duke barked. "Report on your progress with the Vanguard Knights."
Cassius hastily wiped his mouth, desperately trying to regain his arrogant composure.
"The training goes perfectly, father. I have successfully integrated my aura into the fourth stance of the family sword art. My instructors believe I will reach the 5th Circle before winter."
"Acceptable," the Duke grunted. He then shifted his eyes to Third Brother Silas, who was sitting across from Cassius.
"And you, Silas? The financial reports from the eastern trade routes better be flawless."
Silas offered a slick, confident smile. "Profits are up twelve percent. The merchants are paying the new toll tax without any resistance."
"Good," the Duke nodded, cutting into a thick piece of rare steak.
"But neither of you should get comfortable. You are both still trailing far behind your Second Brother."
A brief flash of deep annoyance crossed both Cassius and Silas's faces, but they quickly hid it.
"I received a messenger hawk from Magnus this morning," the Duke continued, a rare trace of pride entering his cold voice.
"He is currently holding the Northern Border against the winter beast tide. Yesterday, he single-handedly slaughtered a Class-A magical beast. That is true Valerius strength."
Magnus. The Second Brother. He was born to Lady Lyra only a few months after Cassius, making the two eldest brothers fierce rivals.
But despite being slightly younger, Magnus was the undisputed powerhouse of the younger generation, a brutal military commander who spent all his time fighting monsters at the very edge of the kingdom.
My eyes casually drifted to the seat right next to mine. Sitting there was Magnus's wife, Lady Isolde.
She was a devastatingly gorgeous woman with long silver hair and an elegant, mature aura. But right now, she looked incredibly bored.
Being married to a warlord who essentially lived at the border meant she was nothing but a lonely widow inside this massive estate.
I reached across the table to grab a small crystal dish of spiced salt. At that exact same moment, Lady Isolde reached for the exact same dish.
Instead of politely pulling my hand back and letting my older stepbrother's wife go first, I pushed forward. I smoothly slid my hand directly over hers, letting my fingers firmly press against her soft, bare skin.
My passive skill, Electrifying Touch, activated instantly.
Isolde gasped out loud. Her entire body violently jolted in her chair. Her eyes went completely wide as a sudden, overwhelming wave of euphoric heat shot up her arm and flooded her nervous system.
She rapidly snatched her hand back, her chest heaving as a deep, incredibly dark blush spread across her cheeks and down her neck.
She stared at me in total shock, her breath shallow and erratic.
I did not look away. I just casually sprinkled the salt onto my duck and offered her a very slow, knowing smirk.
[ Target: Lady Isolde (Wife of Second Brother Magnus) ]
[ Age: 24 ]
[ Arousal Level: 25 / 100 (Shocked, Intense Physical Craving) ]
[ Target has experienced taboo physical contact. Passive Skill 'Electrifying Touch' triggered. ]
[ +10 Taboo Points generated. ]
[ Current Balance: 75 Taboo Points ]
I mentally cheered. Farming points in this room was going to be an absolute breeze.
"Brother Kael!" Elara suddenly chimed in from the far end of the table, completely ignoring the Duke's serious military talk and entirely missing Isolde's flustered state.
"You have to try the honey-glazed carrots! The chef made them specifically because he knew you were waking up today!"
I looked over at my energetic little stepsister.
"I will definitely try them, Elara," I promised warmly.
"Do not encourage him to overeat, Elara,"
Lady Seraphina, my Third Mother, suddenly spoke up. Her voice was strict, but she intentionally kept her eyes fixed on her wine glass, desperately avoiding looking in my direction.
"His body is still recovering. He needs a perfectly balanced diet, not excessive sweets."
I almost laughed out loud. Seraphina was still completely flustered from inspecting my body earlier today. The powerful 8th Circle Mage was currently the easiest target in the entire room.
I picked up my silver fork, casually cutting into my roasted duck while Lady Isolde continued to secretly stare at me with hungry, confused eyes and First Brother Cassius continued to sweat bullets right across from me.
All the years, the old Kael had sat at this exact table as nothing more than pathetic prey, keeping his head down just to survive the sheer cruelty of his so-called family. But as I took another slow, incredibly satisfying bite of my dinner, I realized the entire hierarchy of the Valerius estate had just permanently shifted.
Let the Duke obsess over his mighty 9th Circle aura. Let my arrogant brothers fight for his cold approval. I was going to systematically devour this entire viper's nest from the inside out, starting right here with the beautiful women they so foolishly neglected.