Chapter 4

4

A message also appeared, indicating that I had gained ability points along with the negative points.

The level-up was a bonus.

Name: Luke Eslante (Han Seji)

Age: 16

Level: 3

Strength: 10

Vitality: 10

Agility: 10

Magic: 10

Traits: Evil, Soul of Another World, Dungeon Maker, Dungeon Master

Bonus Points: 10

I checked my stats and without hesitation, invested all the points into Vitality.

This body has been lying down for too long, making it very difficult for me to control.

By investing 10 points into Vitality, doubling it, I could feel a sudden surge of energy.

It was amazing how it took effect immediately.

Knock, knock.

While I was surprised by the change in my body, someone knocked on the door.

One of the maids cautiously opened the door, checked who it was, and then came in.

"Master, Lady Eslante is asking about your condition. If you're feeling better, she would like to see you..."

Hmm, if it were a few minutes ago, I would have sent her away rudely due to fatigue, but now that my Vitality has been replenished, I actually want to end this awkward meeting quickly.

"I'm feeling much better, so please tell her to come in."

"Understood."

The maid relayed the message and opened the door, allowing a small woman to enter.

She was a woman with a doll-like appearance, dressed in a dignified dress.

She was 24, but with a little exaggeration, she could pass for a contemporary of mine at 16.

To think that after making some money with rubies, my father would remarry such a young woman. Even though I've never seen her face, it was enough to make me lose respect for my father.

"Are you feeling better? I was so surprised when I heard you had woken up. It's really fortunate."

"It seems to be thanks to your concern."

When I answered, not only the lady's expression but also the expressions of the maids around her became hazy.

Why?

The most puzzling thing was the lady's attitude.

I had subconsciously imagined her as a cruel stepmother, but this frail-looking woman seemed to be afraid of me.

"From what the doctor said, you don't remember anything, is that true?"

"I'm frustrated, but it seems to be the case. I can't remember my name, my family, or even this house. Even the name Luke Eslante sounds unfamiliar to me."

Speaking with a slightly frustrated, sad, and empty gaze, I was a bit startled by how talented I was at acting.

The lady sighed softly and firmly held my hand.

"Don't worry. Your memories will return someday. Even if they don't, just waking up is a blessing from the gods. That alone is something to be grateful for."

Hmm, I thought to myself as I looked at her hand gripping mine.

If this woman isn't a brilliant actress, she doesn't seem to have any hostile feelings toward me.

I had subconsciously included the lady in the list of suspects who might have tried to poison me, but now I was starting to doubt that.

Then, I'm curious about the awkwardness and fear I felt earlier.

"Lady, Master should still rest. Too many things happening at once might confuse him."

The head maid, standing behind the lady, spoke quietly.

Hearing this, the lady stood up.

A pleasant fragrance wafted with her every movement.

"I might have been too excited. If you remember anything or need anything, please let me know."

Leaving those words, the lady bowed gracefully and left.

"Ella."

"Yes, Master."

I need to learn more about the past me, Luke Eslante.

"Tell me in detail about my original personality and my relationships with the people around me. Don't hold back. If you hide or lie, you'll be held responsible."

Ella made a familiar pained expression.

She looked aggrieved, wondering why it had to be her and not the others.

Of course, the other two sighed in relief and wiped their foreheads.

* * *

Indeed, humans only speak the truth when pressured.

After scaring Ella to the point of tears, the 'real' story started to come out.

Contrary to my worries, Luke Eslante wasn't a troublemaker.

He was just a typical second son of a baron.

However, even a typical noble heir is a source of fear for commoners.

In that sense, I could understand why the maids were afraid of my actions.

Even if I didn't have a particularly bad temperament, the whims of a typical noble could still dictate their lives, so they couldn't help but be cautious.

The family story also came out, stripped of its packaging.

Ella had been hiding it, but in the society of maids, there were bound to be various rumors.

First, Baron Eslante was living a luxurious life in the capital with his new wife.

My half-brother was studying at the academy in the capital, following in his father's footsteps.

Ella said that my relationship with my brother was neither good nor bad.

No matter what past Luke felt, it wouldn't have been good to oppose the heir.

In a noble family, it was fortunate that brothers, especially half-brothers, didn't try to kill each other just by looking at each other.

Of course, that didn't stop my brother from being a prime suspect in the poisoning.

In the noble society, one could stab someone in the back with a smile.

The most important thing was my relationship with the current lady, Eila Eslante.

According to Ella, my relationship with Eila was the worst.

To be precise, while Eila didn't have any ill intentions, I was obsessed with tormenting her.

At 16, I was still young, and I had lost my mother at 8.

It's understandable that I would resent the sudden appearance of a stepmother.

Moreover, Eila wasn't from a noble family.

It seemed that Baron Eslante, unlike his first and second wives, had chosen a woman with no background for his third wife, and after about three years of marriage, he left her in the fief and went to the capital.

Thus, Eila, with only her daughter, was isolated in the fief.

And Luke, I was told, had tormented her terribly, lacking both a husband and a supportive in-law family.

I apparently called her a dirty prostitute, and even the head maid, who had raised me since childhood, couldn't calm my anger.

"So that's why you were so afraid?"

I recalled how the expressions of the people around me had changed when I thanked her in a gentle tone.

The fact that such an attitude shocked them indicated how bad our relationship had been.

Eila... had a good enough reason to try to poison me.

"Lady is a very good person. Ah, no, that's not to say Master is bad... I... I'm sorry."

Ella, trying to defend Eila, ended up bowing her head and sobbing.

Praising Eila at this moment might sound like a criticism of me, who had tormented her, so she was afraid.

Even though they said my personality was mild, this reaction made me wonder if I wasn't as well-behaved as they claimed.

"Never mind. I don't plan to scold you for things I don't remember. More importantly, can I use money personally?"

"You need the baron's permission for large amounts, but you can use a reasonable amount freely."

"Go and get 5 gold coins, and tell them I asked for it."

I assigned the task to another maid.

She soon returned with a pouch of gold coins.

The fact that she could bring back five gold coins, the highest denomination, so quickly, showed that even a nouveau riche family was still wealthy.

I took out three gold coins and gave them to Ella.

"Master, this is...?"

"Hard work deserves a reward."

"I can't accept such a large amount."

Ella shook her head and stepped back, refusing the coins.

I don't know how much maids are paid, but I'm sure they don't earn more than 1 gold coin a month.

Actually, they might not even earn 1 gold coin in three months.

In this era, the amount of money a woman can earn is very limited.

"Speaking the truth was difficult, so I'm giving this to you as a thank you."

Ella took the gold coins with a truly apologetic expression.

The other two maids looked at her enviously.

"Each of you, take one. It's a reward for your hard work while I was unconscious."

"Thank you, Master!"

Both of them took the gold coins with grateful expressions.

Well, cleaning a room where a sick person has been lying isn't as difficult as the other maids' tasks, but it's a matter of feeling.

If Ella alone received a large amount, the others might feel jealous.

Of course, I didn't give them money for no reason.

I wanted to confirm one thing.

If evil acts that cause unease can earn points, I needed to check if good deeds would deduct points.

The result was that there was no deduction of points.

I'm not sure if this level of kindness is considered a good deed, but I confirmed what I wanted to.

"Then, I really need to rest now. You should rest too."

Leaving those words, I lay down and closed my eyes.

I was really tired from all the events of the day.

The sounds around me had dwindled to just one person.

One person would stay with me all night, while the others would take turns sleeping.

Well, I'll decide what to do with the points I gained today tomorrow.

With that, I stopped resisting the fatigue and let myself fall asleep.