As his father reached the door, he suddenly paused, as if remembering something, and turned back.
"Rocco, from today onward, the main house will be your home."
"Huh? Oh, uh, yes—… Wait, what?"
The sound of light, purposeful footsteps faded away as his father and the bespectacled man walked off.
Rocco stood frozen, his brain struggling to process what had just been said.
The statement had been so casual, so offhand, that Rocco reflexively nodded and acknowledged it without thinking.
But a moment later, something felt off.
Tilting his head, he replayed the words in his mind.
When their meaning finally sank in, his face went pale.
"W-what did he just say?!"
Dropping to his knees in disbelief, Rocco groaned. "That was totally the main point all along!"
...
In the vast and expansive room, Rocco lay sprawled out as if lifeless, an hour already gone by.