Baron's Son with -9,999,999 Reputation Point

The air instantly froze. Only the faint patter of leftover drizzle and their breathing could be heard.

Lucas frantically shook his head, face going pale.

"N-no! I didn't sniff it! Not at all!"

In the corner of his eye, the panel popped up again, already rolling on the floor laughing.

---

[AAAAAWWWWW~

C'mon King, just admit it already.

You're a natural-born world-class sniffer.

Two days unwashed, that "vintage" aroma… you definitely took one long, deep breath before screaming, right?

Still remember it crystal clear, don't you?

(⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)⁠♥ ]

---

Lucas felt like he was being attacked from both sides: Liona in front of him, the system inside his head. He just opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water.

Silvara, who had been pretending not to hear until now, suddenly got curious too. She shot Lucas a half-suspicious, half-disbelieving side-eye.

"…You really didn't sniff it?"

"NO!!!" Lucas practically wailed.

Liona was still looking down, but her voice got even smaller.

"B-but… back then you were yelling so loud inside the room… after I already gave you the panties… I thought you were happy… and… and…"

Her face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"…and doing that while… w-while… you know…"

Lucas clutched his head like he was about to faint.

"That was the exact moment I realized my life in this world was going to be absolute garbage! It wasn't because I was happy! I was shocked, Liona! Shocked!!"

Liona nodded weakly, still doubtful. Then she slowly lifted her face, eyes glassy with unshed tears.

"So… are you going to tell Lady Baroness…? That… that her real son is already… gone…?"

The question hit Lucas like a brick. He stared at the ground, lost.

"I… I don't know…"

Silvara immediately cut in, voice firm yet gentle.

"Don't."

She stepped closer and lightly touched his arm.

"Don't make the Baroness grieve. She's suffered enough. Just… keep pretending to be Lucian. At least until we figure out what to do."

Liona nodded quickly, eyes full of conviction.

"Y-yes… it's better if you just keep pretending. For her sake."

Lucas looked back and forth between the two girls. Their loyalty to the Baroness ran so deep they were willing to hide the death of her own son.

He gave a small, bitter smile.

"…Alright."

He nodded faintly and started walking again.

He understood exactly how they felt, that warm, gentle kindness from a grown woman who only ever wanted to protect everyone despite her own powerlessness. A love so overflowing it felt limitless, yet sometimes it could turn into the kind of destructive affection that hollowed out the soul of the person receiving it. Lucian Voss was the perfect example.

I'm no stranger to that warmth. His memories of his own late mother surfacing.

A quiet, nostalgic ache bloomed in his chest as he stared at the sky.

----

Thick smoke from the wood-burning stove billowed out, the smell of toasted bread mixing with cheap perfume and sweat. In the corner of the room, Lina stood trembling in front of the plump Liria.

Liria was raging. Her red satin dress was open at the chest, her hand pointing accusingly at Lina with fingers full of rings.

"You idiot! Why didn't you make sure that stupid young master ate his bread? Why? WHY?"

Lina could only bow her head, her hands wringing her dirty apron.

"I-I..." She didn't dare fight back, even though Liria hadn't ordered her to ensure Lucian had eaten the bread, or at least sipped a little of the wine she'd poisoned. "Forgive me..." she continued.

Liria snorted roughly, her hand snatching a small pouch from the table, then hurling a handful of silver coins toward Lina's face.

PLAK! PLAK! PLAK!

The coins scattered across the oil-slick wooden floor.

"That's your pay! Take it! Now get out of here before I beat your stupid face!"

Lina immediately fell to her knees, her hands hurriedly picking up the coins one by one as they rolled under the table. Her tears fell to the floor, mixing with dust and spilled wine.

She only had an old grandmother in a hut on the edge of the village who was gravely ill. If she didn't bring money tonight, the medicine couldn't be bought.

With trembling hands, she managed to collect seven silver coins; the rest were too far under the rack. Enough... or not, she didn't care anymore.

Lina stood up, clutching her apron filled with coins, then trotted quickly to the back door. Her shoulders shook as she held back sobs.

Liria just spat on the floor.

"Stupid useless girl."

The kitchen door slammed shut. Outside, the sky was still drizzling, and cold.

---

Liona, Lucas, and Silvara walked in near-total silence. Only the squelch of wet boots on gravel and the distant calls of morning birds broke the quiet.

Liona trailed at the very back, head down, but every few seconds her eyes flicked forward.

Each time the wind lifted Lucas's soaked cloak, the memory from the cave flashed back instantly: that hard, very erect thing swinging back and forth while Lucas was forced to his knees.

Her face burned crimson. She quickly turned away, only to sneak another glance five seconds later.

A tiny, endless cycle of hell.

Silvara, walking on Lucas's left, was equally silent, but her aura screamed "disturb me and I'll kill you."

Lucas himself just stared straight ahead, trying to become a walking statue.

The awkwardness was suffocating.

Finally, the great manor gates appeared in the distance.

---

Meanwhile, at Healer Mae's hut.

Lina pushed open the creaky wooden door; a small bell gave a feeble jingle.

Inside, Mae was stirring a potion at the wooden table. The sharp smell of dried tomatoes and herbs filled the air.

"Good evening, Lina… your grandmother's medicine is ready."

Mae lifted a small bottle filled with reddish-brown liquid and gave a faint smile. But the smile quickly faded.

She sighed.

"Tomato prices went up again… I almost couldn't make this batch if I didn't have that little patch out back. I hate it… I just sit here prettily in the village while everyone else suffers."

Lina only nodded weakly, handing over the seven silver coins with still-trembling hands.

Mae accepted the coins, but suddenly her nose wrinkled.

She leaned forward slightly, sniffing the air around Lina.

"…What's that smell?"

Lina blinked. "E-eh?"

Mae, who dealt with medicines and poisons every day, caught a strong scent clinging to Lina's clothes.

"Don't move for a second, Lina," she said softly.

Lina's face went white.

In an instant, Mae summoned her gauntlet.

She raised her left hand, index and middle fingers forming a V.

Slowly, she drew that V from her own chin up past her eyes, scanning Lina's clothes.

"What? Oh my…"