DING!
[You've gained 200 System points!]
"Ooh... not bad," Yang Huo murmured. The Elder had figured it out faster than expected. 'Guess he isn't an elder for nothing.'
But that wasn't what caught his attention. It was something else.
[Congratulations, you've successfully manipulated a core elder of the Su family into helping you gain a major opportunity!]
Manipulated.
The word lingered.
True, he had helped the Su family resolve their crisis. But in the end, his actions had still been driven by self-interest. He hadn't forced anything—he had simply designed a solution that benefited both sides, one that naturally included him.
And yet, the System labeled it manipulation.
Was it because he knew of an alternative that didn't require his involvement? Or was it because he had nudged them toward the solution that benefited him the most?
Interesting.
If guiding them toward a path that benefited him counted as manipulation, then the System wasn't judging outcomes or methods alone.
It was judging motives. Intent.
Which meant one thing.
The System could see far more than it let on.
The owl drifted nearby, wings beating lazily, boredom written plainly across its face. It hadn't even been a day since He met this strange entity, yet the number of questions already exceeded anything from His previous life.
A faint smile curved his lips.
Maybe this second life wasn't so bad after all.
Unfortunately, something far more urgent demanded his attention right now.
"Have you seen anyone yet?" he asked.
The owl shook its head lazily. [No, everyone must be sleeping right now.]
[Host, just what exactly are we doing? I thought we were going back to your room…]
Yang Huo smiled awkwardly.
"We are… but we need to find someone first."
At the owl's puzzled stare, he glanced away.
"I… sort of forgot the way back."
[…What?]
Two minutes.
That was all it took to get lost.
He hadn't expected the Su manor to be this sprawling. And most importantly, he'd been distracted, too focused on the story of Yang Huo and his fiancée, Su Meiying.
The owl froze midair, beak slightly agape while staring at him.
Clearing his throat, he gestured ahead. "Anyway… have you noticed our surroundings?"
Assuming he was just changing the subject, the owl only half-listened at first.
Until it actually looked around.
Its wings slowed as the owl took in its surroundings.
They stood in an open corridor, gardens lining both sides. Moonlight spilled across cracked stone and untended soil, revealing a place long forgotten.
Gardens meant to be full of life now held only withering flowers, untended weeds, and wild grass swallowing the cobblestones.
There were no servants in sight. No guards either.
As if this part of the estate didn't exist in the family's eyes at all.
[Host… should we go back?]
Guests weren't meant to see places like this. Which meant they were already quite far from the guest residences.
Before Yang Huo could respond, a sound brushed his senses.
Soft. Subtle.
His gaze shifted toward the outer wall.
A dead tree leaned against it, vines choking its trunk. And behind it—
A silhouette moved.
A woman stepped out from the shadows, seemingly unaware she'd been noticed.
[A-a thief?!?!?!]
Yang Huo resisted the urge to facepalm. 'Stop joking around. Look at her clothes, do you think a thief would wear such bright colors in this dark night?'
However, the System still felt doubtful. [B-But Host, her clothes are—]
Bloodstained.
He didn't deny it.
Still, something felt off.
'She isn't wearing a servant's uniform. And the smell… doesn't quite match human blood.'
He couldn't see her face from this angle.
Even so, the way she moved didn't resemble an intruder. There was no urgency in her steps, no caution—only a quiet confidence. Blood stained her clothes, yet her condition didn't seem to warrant that much of it.
An intruder wouldn't act like this.
Yang Huo made his decision.
'For now, let's leave.'
No need for unnecessary interaction.
It was unfortunate, but he still hadn't mastered how the original Yang Huo was supposed to act. Until then, minimizing contact was the safest choice.
He turned to slip away—
—but it was too late.
With oil lamps lining the corridor on both sides, the area was simply too well lit for him to go unnoticed.
The woman turned toward him, her movement sharp and sudden.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Her gaze settled on his face.
And then—she froze.
Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks, falling one after another.
Is she… crying?
[Host! What did you do?! Did you bully someone without me knowing?!]
He ignored the owl.
Because something about it felt wrong.
Those weren't tears of pain.
They were bright. Trembling.
Joy.