Łaoksin spał niespokojnie.
In his dreams, a giant beast trap snapped shut with a 'click'. The terrified face of the rabbit maid A’jli and the bristling tail of the old steward Géléi alternated, finally transforming into the scrutinizing golden eyes of his eldest brother Lái'ēn and the wet, accusatory amber eyes of his younger brother Mǐ'ào. He struggled as if in a swamp woven from fluff and fear, until a ray of sunlight, too dazzling, pierced through the gaps in the heavy curtains and precisely struck his eyelids.
He groggily opened his eyes, taking three seconds to realize where he was—the excessively luxurious and equally cold bedroom of the Nnate family's second young master.
"Rumble..." A strange muffled sound came from his abdomen. He was hungry.
Instinctively, Luoxing wanted to get out of bed to find food, but as soon as he pushed himself up, his movement froze.
(Wait... I am now 'Luoxing Nnate', that arrogant, slovenly, never on-time-for-breakfast villainous dandy. At this time... 'I' should still be sleeping in, but I'm so hungry!)
Fragments of the original host's memory reminded him of the importance of maintaining his persona, especially after his eldest brother's and third brother's favorability had fluctuated abnormally yesterday just because of an apology.
But... his stomach was truly hungry. The expensive blue suit, though soft, clearly couldn't be eaten.
As Luoxing was engaged in an internal struggle, debating whether to continue pretending to be dead or risk exploring the kitchen...
Luoxing took a deep breath. The rumbling in his stomach urged him on like war drums. Maintaining his persona was important, but starving was not worth it! He decided to take a risk—to "find food" in the kitchen in the style of 'Luoxing Nnate'.
He abruptly threw off the covers, deliberately making the bed messier, then slipped on a pair of soft-soled shoes that looked expensive. He held his head high. Although he was only 1.13 meters tall, holding his head high didn't make him much taller. He adopted a "I'm unhappy, don't provoke me" attitude and forcefully opened the door.
"Bang!"
The door slammed against the wall with a considerable sound. As a result, a cat clan maid at the end of the hallway, who was wiping a vase, yelped in fright. Her tail puffed up like a feather duster, and the rag fell from her hands. She practically scrambled into a corner in the shadows, trying to minimize her presence.
[System Prompt: Found interactive character [Unnamed Cat Clan Maid]]. [Current Favorability: 2% (Extreme Fear)]
Luoxing suppressed the strange feeling in his heart caused by the cat maid's fear. He tried to maintain the "everyone in the world owes me money" expression on his face. He snorted coldly and walked towards the stairs in his memory without looking sideways. His small body stood straight, but the tip of his snow-white tail involuntarily bristled slightly.
Going down the stairs was a double test of his balance and acting skills. The steps of the gorgeous spiral staircase seemed a bit high for him, so he had to slow down. His paws (oh no, his paw pads) subtly touched the cold marble handrail.
The servants along the way seemed to have a "Luoxing Radar". The moment they caught sight of his conspicuous white fur and fox ears, they instantly exploded like water droplets in hot oil, then quickly suppressed it, turning into a stiff stillness, wishing they could embed themselves in the wall. The gardener trimming the plants suddenly began meticulously grooming a single leaf for several minutes; the maid carrying clothes abruptly turned to face the wall, pretending to study the patterns of a tapestry.
Luoxing's face remained stern. He entered the kitchen with a gait he thought was arrogant (but was actually a bit clumsy). The warm aroma of food wafted towards him, making his stomach rumble again, but he immediately covered it with a louder grunt.
The kitchen fell silent instantly. The busy cooks and assistants seemed to be on pause, knives suspended in mid-air, stirring spoons frozen.
"What is it now?! How many times have I said the ingredients need to–" The round, plump bear clan head chef, wearing a snow-white apron, was scolding an assistant with his back to the door. Hearing the commotion, he turned around impatiently.
The bear clan head chef's words got stuck in his throat. His round face, originally flushed with anger, froze the moment he saw the short, white-furred fox at the door. His expression was like he had swallowed a whole lemon. His two round bear ears twitched subconsciously, revealing a sense of helpless annoyance and tension, whispering, "Why this little ancestor?"
[System Prompt: Found interactive character [Head Chef Barton.Troll]]. [Current Favorability: 2% (Professional awe + Reflexive headache)]
(Only 2%? This family's filter is too thick. What kind of sin did the original host commit to only earn this much favor from this bear?) Luoxing muttered inwardly, but showed nothing on his face.
"S-second young master!" Head Chef Barton quickly adjusted his expression, forcing a professional, somewhat stiff smile. Only the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "Wh-why have you come yourself? If there's anything you want to eat, just send someone to tell me, and I'll have it sent to your room immediately!"
Luoxing tried to recall the original host's picky and harsh demeanor. He sniffed the air with his small nose, deliberately furrowed his brow, and spoke in a lazy, disdainful tone, trying to hide the rumbling in his stomach.
"Hmph, it's stifling in the room. You guys here... hmm?" His gaze swept over a plate of freshly baked, golden-crisp roast ribs on the stove, emitting an alluring aroma of meat and caramelized honey. His eyes brightened slightly, but he immediately forced himself to look away.
Luoxing coughed twice, trying desperately to suppress the saliva threatening to overflow his throat. He forcefully tore his gaze away from the tempting plate of ribs and pointed randomly at a basket of what looked like the most ordinary, even a bit dry, white bread, feeling that its only advantage was that it looked particularly clean.
"This thing. It looks... clean enough," he tried to make his voice sound picky. "Pack some for this young master, quickly! What are you dawdling for? Waiting for it to grow mold?"
The kitchen fell into a strange silence.
Head Chef Barton's bear face twisted. The expression was a mixture of disbelief and immense confusion. He looked at the basket of coarse white bread that the servants didn't particularly like, then discreetly glanced at the second young master's feigned composure, the slight twitching of his nose, and his eyes desperately trying not to drift towards the ribs.
(What new trick is this little ancestor planning today to torment us? Taking the worst bread? Does he think my ingredient purchasing is poor? Or does he plan to say the bread chipped his teeth later and find fault to penalize me?) Barton's alarm bells were ringing, but he didn't dare show any of it on his face.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Barton's forehead. He fidgeted with his bear paws on his apron, a smile appearing on his face that was even more cautious, almost pleading. His voice softened slightly.
"S-second young master, you jest..." His huge body almost rushed forward, blocking the basket of white bread, as if it were some ferocious beast.
"How could this... this coarse stuff be worthy of your palate! I fear it might chip your teeth. If the master finds out, he'll skin me alive!" As he spoke, he quickly turned around.
Almost piously, he picked up the steaming, sizzling, fragrant plate of honey-glazed roast ribs with a thick heat-resistant cloth. Golden oil and dark honey dripped slowly down the plump pieces of meat. The alluring caramel-colored luster gleamed under the kitchen lights.
"This! This is rock boar rib, just hunted in the Morning Dew Forest, brushed with three layers of golden honey from the Honeycomb Plains, and slow-roasted over fruitwood for two hours. Crispy outside and tender inside, it truly befits your status, second young master!"
Barton presented the plate of dazzlingly luxurious ribs to Luoxing as if it were an offering, his voice trembling slightly, both afraid he would refuse and afraid of what new trouble he might cause if he accepted.
"Would you try it? Or... should I cut it for you and send it to your room?" He looked at Luoxing eagerly, his bear ears nervously pressed back.
Luoxing looked at Barton's almost tearful plea, then glanced at the plate emitting a deadly temptation. The protests from his stomach could barely be contained. (This bear has good eyesight?)
He tried his best to maintain his impatient expression, extended his claws (small hands), and snatched the heavy plate. The heat and aroma wafted towards him, almost making him lose his composure.
"Hmph, it seems you have some sense," he grunted, trying to make his voice sound like a condescending acknowledgment rather than eagerness~
"Clumsy, why cut it? This young master will do it himself!" He held the plate of luxurious breakfast, trying to straighten his small body.
Luoxing ignored the terrified and confused gazes of all the servants around, as well as Head Chef Barton's relieved yet newly worried expression. He strode out of the kitchen with a gait he thought was imposing but was actually a bit wobbly because the plate was a bit heavy for him?
"What are you all standing around for? Waiting for this young master to pay you?" Luoxing threw back without looking, trying to cover his embarrassment with arrogance.
[Head Chef Barton.Troll Favorability +1% (Confused and temporarily relieved)] [Current Favorability: 3%]
[Collective Fear of Kitchen Servants -5%, Confusion +20%]
Just as Barton breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly remembered that his old friend Géléi should be setting the table in the dining room. Another drop of cold sweat broke out on his head, not from fear, but from "Awkward, good luck to yourself"?
Luoxing, holding the plate of ribs that smelled so good it made him dizzy, practically fled the suffocating atmosphere of the kitchen. He urgently needed a quiet place (without so many terrified gazes) to quickly appease his rumbling stomach!
(The dining room! Yes, the dining room should be empty now!)
Luoxing, carrying the heavy, fragrant plate of ribs, carefully (while trying to maintain his arrogant gait) made his way to the dining room. He prayed it would be empty so he could peacefully enjoy this "hard-won" breakfast.
Luoxing nudged the heavy dining room door open with his toes. As expected, the long, carved dining table was empty. Dawn shone through the huge stained-glass windows, casting colorful light and shadows on the polished tabletop.
However, this peace lasted only for a second.
At the far end of the dining room, Old Steward Géléi, with his back to the door, was meticulously wiping the table in front of the seat of honor with a snow-white cloth. The tip of his tail, which had once been dyed pink, seemed to have an unnatural curl, and was now slightly lowered due to his concentration.
Hearing the door open, Géléi's sensitive wolf ears twitched. He did not turn around immediately but habitually spoke in his steady, metallic voice, clearly mistaking the sound for a servant responsible for setting up breakfast.
"The eldest young master's silver cutlery needs a final check and polish, the third young master's milk must be kept at..." As he spoke, he turned around. Mid-sentence, upon seeing the short, white-furred figure at the door holding a large plate of roast meat, Géléi's voice was cut off as if by a knife.
"Hic?!" The old werewolf even let out an uncontrolled, short, and impolite hiccup.
The soft cloth in his hand fell with a 'pat' onto the gleaming tabletop. The pair of dark green wolf eyes instantly narrowed, filled with disbelief. His gaze quickly scanned the plate of luxurious ribs in Luoxing's hand, clearly prepared by Barton, then swept over Luoxing's feigned composure that couldn't hide his eagerness, and finally settled on the empty tabletop where no cutlery had been prepared for the second young master.
[Butler Géléi Shock Value +50%, Confusion +100%! Professionalism severely tested!]
Géléi's throat moved with difficulty. According to the master's orders and long-standing practice, he had indeed not prepared cutlery for the second young master, and had even assumed the second young master would not appear at the breakfast table.
But now, the second young master had not only appeared but also brought food himself! And judging by the situation, he intended to eat it himself?
The old butler's mind raced, trying to find a balance between adhering to the master's orders and not offending the little devil in front of him. His CPU was close to burning out. His tail instinctively curled around his right leg, but his strong professional demeanor allowed him to maintain his stance, though the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"...Second young master," Géléi's voice was hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor.
"You... this is..."
Luoxing was also startled by Géléi's sudden hiccup and petrified expression. The hand holding the plate wavered, but he immediately remembered his current 'beast persona'. He forcefully suppressed his embarrassment, placed the plate on the nearest empty tabletop with a 'thump', causing the empty wine glasses nearby to hum.
"What are you looking at?" Luoxing tilted his chin up, trying to make his small body appear more imposing, though he had to look up slightly to meet Géléi's shocked wolf eyes.
"I'm eating in my own dining room, do I need to report to you?" He deliberately scanned the clean tabletop with a picky gaze, focusing on the empty space belonging to him, his fox ears drooping to the sides unhappily.
"Also, where is my cutlery?" He tapped the tabletop with his claw (small hand), making a crisp sound.
"Géléi, how is your job being done? Do you expect this young master to eat with his hands? Hmm?" A hint of surprise flashed across Luoxing's face, but it was instantly replaced by an impatient expression. The surprise was real because, according to the original host's memories, servants should be preparing cutlery at this time, and every 'master' should have theirs.
[Butler Géléi Fear Value +10%, Professionalism on the verge of collapse! Inner monologue: The master didn't mention this situation happening!]
Géléi was startled by Luoxing's righteous (and completely logical) question, his wolf fur standing on end. His CPU completely overloaded. The master's orders were important, but the immediate threat from this little ancestor was more terrifying!
"Y-yes! This old servant has neglected his duty! I will prepare it for you immediately!" Géléi practically sprang into action, moving with an agility completely unbefitting his age and physique towards the nearby silverware cabinet. His tail, which had been dyed, was clamped tightly as he fumbled through the drawers.
He didn't dare use the top-tier cutlery with the family crest, prepared for the eldest and third young masters, but he was also afraid of invoking some bad luck.
Finally, he took out a set of silver cutlery and a plate that still looked expensive but was considerably simpler. He wiped away non-existent dust at lightning speed, almost a blur, and then trotted back to the dining table.
"S-second young master, please use," he carefully placed the cutlery in front of Luoxing, his movements so gentle as if he were arranging fragile treasures. At the same time, he slightly moved his body to the side, both to facilitate service and to be ready to retreat at any moment to avoid unforeseen circumstances. His eyes were fixed on Luoxing's reaction, his wolf ears nervously pressed against his scalp.
[Butler Géléi Fear Value +5%, Execution Power Temporarily +100%!]
Luoxing looked at the sparkling cutlery that had instantly appeared before him, then glanced at Géléi's wary expression, as if he were about to throw the plate at his head the next second. He felt speechless (Is it that serious... I just want to quietly eat some meat!)
He grunted, considering the cutlery acceptable, and ignored the stiff old wolf beside him. Hunger finally overcame his desire to perform. He picked up the heavy silver fork and eagerly poked at the largest piece of meat coated in honey sauce—
The aroma entered his nose, causing his mouth to water profusely.
As the silver fork pierced the crispy surface of the rib, the scent, a mixture of fruitwood smoke, rock boar oil, and golden honey sweetness, surged even more powerfully. Luoxing's fox tail tip uncontrollably curled upwards, almost forgetting to maintain his "condescendingly tasting" expression.
He speared a large piece of meat and put it in his mouth. The moment his teeth bit down, the crispy-outside, tender-inside texture exploded—the caramel crisp had a slightly bitter sweetness, the meat juice inside was scalding and rich, with the unique chewiness of rock boar. The sweetness of the honey perfectly neutralized the greasiness of the meat, and the fruitwood smoke acted like a thin veil, gently coating all the flavors on his tongue.
"Mmm..." Luoxing unconsciously let out a contented hum, his eyes squinting. His small cheeks pulsed as he chewed. His previously tense shoulders relaxed unconsciously. (What is this? It's delicious!)
Butler Géléi watched, his eyes almost bulging out.
He had served the second young master for so many years. He had seen him casually throw away pastries worth a fortune, seen him play with expensive fruit using a silver fork and knife, but he had never seen him like this... like a little fox who had stolen honey?
Luoxing ate almost voraciously, and although the tip of his tail was still bristling, it swayed slightly with the chewing motion. His ears drooped softly. Where was the arrogant and overbearing demeanor from before?
(Is this... the same beast?) Géléi's wolf eyes were filled with confusion. He subconsciously clenched the soft cloth in his paws, even lowering his breathing, afraid of disturbing this strange yet rare moment of "peaceful dining."
Luoxing was enjoying his meal when he suddenly felt an overly focused gaze. He looked up abruptly, meeting Géléi's "seen a ghost" expression.
"What are you looking at? There's nothing for you here!" He was still chewing meat, his voice a little muffled, but he immediately put on a stern face, and his tail instantly tensed up. (What kind of normal person stares at someone eating? Oh, wait, I'm a beast now.)
"This old servant mis... misjudged!" Géléi flinched, quickly lowering his head, his ears pressed even closer. Although he didn't understand the meaning, he clearly sensed the impatience in the tone.
Luoxing snorted, but felt a little guilty inside—was he too relaxed just now? He quickly slowed down his chewing, picked up the silver knife, and slowly cut the ribs, trying to regain that picky demeanor. However, his eyes still honestly stared at the remaining meat on the plate, the tip of his tail subtly twitching behind him.
Just then, a soft footstep sounded from the dining room entrance, accompanied by the faint sound of fabric friction.
Luoxing and Géléi froze simultaneously.
(Lái'ēn?! Or Mǐ'ào?)