Trapped in game - 05

"Huh?" Pavel frowned, his eyes sweeping the room, as if looking for a clue. "Usually after waking up, Young Master would go straight to the desk, open the thick book, and spend hours reading. Sometimes, Young Master would draw sketches on paper." Details.

"I see..." Lucian muttered, as if contemplating something heavy. He rubbed his chin, his fingers seemed to tremble slightly. The morning sunlight broke through the window, highlighting the dust flying in the air—an atmosphere he wouldn't normally notice. His gaze was blank for a moment, looking out the window as if looking for an answer there.

"Why did you suddenly ask that?" asked Pavel, his voice soft, full of worry. He observed Lucian closely, trying to read the subtle changes in his Young Master's facial expression.

"It's nothing, it's just..." Lucian seemed to think hard, his forehead furrowed. He let out a deep sigh, as if to release a pent-up burden. "I want to change my habits from now on. From today, I want to... life is different." With a steady step, but a little shaky, Lucian walked out of his room, leaving Pavel alone in a room that felt lonely.

"Young Master, you forgot about the mask—" Pavel hurriedly, but it was too late. The sound of Lucian's footsteps was getting farther and farther away. "Huh," Pavel let out a deep sigh, a voice that sounded heavier than usual. He began to clean up the remaining chamomile tea and dry bread, his movements slow and careful, as if he was handling something very valuable.

"Young Master...!!" He smiled faintly, but his eyes were teary-eyed. "Usually you don't touch the bread and just drink the tea, this time you finish it. This Pavel feels very proud," he whispered, his voice full of emotion and pride. He looked at the bread with a proud face.

Lucian stepped out of the room, his eyes scanning every detail in the corridor of the mansion, as if looking for clues. Memories of the original Lucian appear in fragments, like pieces of an unassembled puzzle. He remembers the simple room, far different from the luxury of his room now. "It's strange," he said, his voice stern, as if he were investigating a case. He noted small details: the location of the room, the unusual luxury for a person who should be in the position of the Young Master, and the mismatch between memory and reality.

"Why is Lucian placed in that uppermost room? Usually above that is the servant's or maid's room." He muttered. He continued his steps, determined to uncover the truth.

In the Mansion hallway, two maids were whispering around the corner, watching Lucian walk away. One of the maids looked nervous, occasionally glancing at Lucian.

"That's Young lord Lucian, right? It's so weird he's not wearing that mask," whispered the first maid, her voice shaking a bit. "I heard the Master really hates him."

"Shh, don't talk too much," warned the second maid, with a sharp look. "You know the consequences if the Master finds out we're talking about him. He really hates Young lord Lucian's face." She explained. "It's better if we pretend we didn't see anything. Just act like he's not here. Let's get back to work before he realizes we're gossiping about him." The two maids moved away from the window, leaving Lucian walking further away, lost in silence.

Lucian stopped at the end of the hallway, taking a deep breath. He heard the whispers of the maids, their words stabbing at his heart like a dagger. Lucian clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "I heard everything, you know," he muttered, his voice barely audible, more like a desperate whisper. "Seriously, how bad does his face look, why is Lucian hiding his face?" he asked himself.

He walked down the large spiral staircase, shaped like an upside-down U. In the middle of the stairs hung a large painting depicting a woman with long silvery-gray hair tied with a light blue ribbon at the back of her head. Her eyes were a captivating pinkish-purple, and she wore an elegant sleeveless white dress.

Lucian stopped in front of the painting, his gaze fixed on the woman's eyes in the artwork. He felt a strange connection, as if the woman in the painting knew him. "Who is she...?" he whispered, his voice full of mystery and longing. He felt a deep sadness, as if he had lost something very precious.

Lucian remained transfixed in front of the painting, pondering the woman within it. Suddenly, soft footsteps were heard from the top of the stairs. A man appeared at the top of the stairs, his silhouette faintly visible in the dim light. His hair was dark black, and he wore an expensive-looking dark suit, but a cold and threatening aura radiated from him. His steps were calm, but each one seemed to carry a heavy burden.

"Ckk, why do I have to meet that loser now," he muttered, his voice hoarse and cold, like the scraping of sharp stones. He stopped a few steps above Lucian, looking down at him with a gaze full of contempt.

Lucian flinched, his gaze shifting from the painting to the guy. A vague memory surfaced in his mind, stirring up a wave of complicated emotions. The guy's face looked familiar, but his memory was still hazy, shrouded in a fog of mystery. "It's him..." he whispered, "Julian," he added, more as a recognition than a greeting. The atmosphere was tense, filled with stiffness and discomfort. There was no warmth, just cold formality.

Julian looked Lucian up and down, his gaze sharp and full of disdain. He smirked, a sarcastic smile that made Lucian feel uneasy. "Huh, your face is as annoying as ever," he said, his voice cold and mocking. He shook his head, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Why aren't you wearing your mask right now? You know Dad hates your face." He raised an eyebrow, as if challenging Lucian to argue.

"Why is it with my face, Julian?" asked Lucian, his voice flat, trying to stay calm. He tried not to show his emotions, but he felt a little offended by Julian's words.

Julian chuckled softly, his voice full of disdain. "Akhh, you're as annoying as ever," he said, then passed Lucian with a haughty step. He glanced at Lucian at a glance, before continuing his steps. "You're lucky that your annoying face is only seen by me now. You know Dad hates your face so much. I don't know what your reason for doing that, but wear your mask if you meet Dad. He will be very angry if he sees your face." He disappeared behind the door, leaving Lucian alone with mixed feelings.

Lucian stared at Julian's back as he disappeared behind the door, his feelings all mixed up. He let out a long sigh and then muttered softly, "What the heck?" His voice was barely audible. He shook his head, trying to forget Julian's words. "Huh," he continued, his voice a bit louder. He took a deep breath and carried on with his thoughts.

"From what Julian said, it seems like Lucian isn't really close with his dad," he thought, "Well, that doesn't bother me," he added, his voice a bit firmer. "In fact, it's kind of an advantage for me, being used to living alone as Kalandra. I'm used to facing life on my own, without having to rely on anyone else." He smiled a little, a somewhat bitter smile, and then continued on his way.

Lucian was wandering aimlessly, his steps slow and calm, as if he was lost in the beauty of the vast flower garden in front of him. He noticed the little details, from the soft petals to the lush green leaves. Bees buzzed among the flowers, creating a soothing symphony of nature.

"Oh? I'm just walking without a purpose," he murmured, his voice soft and almost inaudible. He smiled faintly, feeling a peace he rarely experienced. "This is the flower garden I saw from the previous room," he continued, his voice full of wonder. "Turns out, when you look closer, it's even more beautiful than I imagined," he said. Suddenly, a bright light dazzled his eyes. When the light faded, a transparent system board appeared in front of him, displaying shimmering texts.

[Update complete. Congratulations, you have successfully finished the tutorial.]

"Hey, what's this tutorial?" he asked, his voice full of confusion. He stared at the system board in wonder, feeling a strange and unexplainable sensation.

[You are detected to be accustomed to the role of Lucian Hale, Compensation added]

[Your EXP has increased by +2].

Lucian looked closely at his status screen, his fingers tapping lightly. "What are their requirements for giving EXP anyway?" he murmured, his voice full of astonishment. He frowned,

[Your status has been updated]

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Character Information

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Name : Lucian hale

Class : [Undetected]

Job : [Not Detected]

Statistics:

STR : 10 MP : 20/20

AGI : 20 HP : 50/50

INT : 85 CHA : -19

END : 10

EXP : 3 [Skill] [Quest]

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Lucian carefully observed his updated status information, his fingers tracing every detail on the transparent screen that hovered in front of him. "Ooh? It looks neater than before," he muttered, his voice almost inaudible, more like a whisper that only he could hear. His gaze was fixed on the increasing EXP figure.

"I already knew about the EXP increase, but CHA too?" he continued, a bit louder. He analyzed the change carefully. "I've checked my skills before so I'll ignore that for now, my EXP is still not enough," he said, a bit disappointed. However, his gaze suddenly landed on the "Quest" section.

"Wait, Quest?!" He was surprised. Does this mean he has to complete certain missions to gain EXP and boost his stats? This is so interesting! He imagined various scenarios, different mission possibilities. A slight smile formed on his lips, full of curiosity and anticipation.