He darted a glance at the boy sitting beside him. The boy had sharp and serious eyes that didn't match his youthful face. He ate with a quiet and serious expression, never speaking unless directly spoken to. It was as if he was a child forced to act like an adult. He hadn't once looked in Damien's direction, and his face remained unreadable.
It wasn't outright hostility, but there was no warmth either.
How was he supposed to fix something when he didn't even know how it broke in the first place?
[Mission Information Unlocked]
His vision darkened for a second, and suddenly, he wasn't in the dining room anymore. Images flickered before his eyes—memories? No... It was more akin to watching a jaded film.
In the fragmented memory was a younger Lukas, no older than seven, clutching a small chubby hand in his own.
"I'll always be here, okay? I'll protect you!" He had promised, his voice bright and innocent.
But then, another scene appeared. At a grand hallway, their mother stood tall, her voice sharp and stern.
"Lukas, step back. Damien doesn't need you like this. You must not stoop so low. He has attendants for that. You are a Hertz and most importantly, you are the heir—you must act like it."
Lukas, young and confused, faltered. His little fists clenched, but he obediently stepped away.
Another memory appeared in Damien's mind. Lukas stood outside of Damien's door, watching through the gap as a nanny held Damien, cooing softly.
"He doesn't need me."
Years passed and Lukas grew colder and more distant. He stopped trying to play with Damien, stopped visiting him after lessons. But his gaze would always linger when no one was looking.
Their mother and father noticed his change but only thought that he became more mature. Because of their lack of intervention, Lukas and his parent's relationship grew awkward.
Also, the original Damien had misunderstood Lukas's intention. He thought his older brother had hated him.
And because of that, he avoided Lukas.
Then, the image fragments shattered and Damien found himself back in the dining room.
So that was it. It wasn't hatred. It wasn't rivalry. It was a simple misunderstanding that neither of them had ever corrected. The misunderstanding simmered to the point of changing into hatred later on. But one thing bothered him.
Lukas had been told to act this way. Conditioned into it.
But why? It wasn't as if his care towards his brother warranted such a drastic response.
System, what exactly did Lukas do that their mother had to scold him for it?
A chime echoed in his mind.
System: [According to the information given, Lukas Hertz insisted on personally taking care of the original Damien as a toddler—feeding him, dressing him, and staying by his side at all times. The Hertz couple valued his kindness but worried that he was also neglecting his studies, evident by his lowering grades and lessening presence in the lesson room. His mother's concern was not to suppress his attachment but to ensure he balanced his responsibilities, focusing on his education and personal growth.]
Damien blinked. I see...
Lukas had been a loving older brother—too loving to the point where he had started acting like a second parent rather than a sibling.
Yuri and Arel had only wanted him to have a childhood of his own and to focus on his studies as he was an heir of the Summit Holdings Group. Besides, there were nannies and attendants to help take care of Damien.
But to a child, being told to "step back" and "you're not needed" must be akin to "you're in the way" or "you're a burden".
And Lukas had taken that message straight to the heart, becoming a core memory.
Damien exhaled slowly, his gaze flickering back to his brother.
Lukas still cared. Although his facial expression was unreadable, his fingers twitched whenever Damien glanced at him, just like earlier when he glanced at Lukas, hesitating on grasping his utensils. He wanted to help, but always held himself back.
He had spent years distancing himself, thinking that was what was expected of him.
Now Damien had to undo that.
Damien inwardly chuckled.
Bring it on.
It was time to start operation one: showing Lukas that Damien still needed his big brother.
...
As breakfast progressed, his father left first, attending to a meeting most likely. Then, his mother left, leaving Damien and Lukas alone at the table. Damien wiped the corners of his mouth with a cloth napkin. The dining room remained quiet save for the occasional clink of silverware and the whisper of servants moving in the background.
His eyes flicked toward Lukas, who had just placed his spoon down with practiced grace.
Now was the time.
He gathered his courage and slid back his chair. "Lukas—"
Before he could finish, a soft knock came at the door, and a uniformed butler stepped in, bowing low.
"Young master Damien, your tutor is waiting in the study room. We mustn't be late."
Oh come on!
He hesitated. "I—"
"I was told to bring you immediately, sir." He smiled gently, but his tone left little room for negotiation.
Damien bit the inside of his cheek and glanced once more at Lukas, who had paused mid-movement at the interruption. His brother's expression remained unchanged, but Damien caught the brief flicker of his eyes—surprise, then disappointment.
Damien stood, a soft sigh escaping him. "Understood."
He followed the butler out, but just before the door shut behind him, he looked back.
Lukas hadn't moved. But Damien could feel it.
He was watching.
System: [What a wasted chance, host.]
Don't tell me about it... Damien commented. But this is a good chance to plan out what to do carefully.
The system flew closer, curious about Damien's plans.
System: [Host, what are you planning to do?]
First, I'll try to get Lukas's attention. Looking back at his reaction at the dining table, he won't be easy to move. He could have interrupted the butler, but didn't. Damien analyzed. Also, it'll be weird if I suddenly start acting different than the original Damien used to. So, I'll slowly, over the course of a few months, change my personality so that the shift won't be so obvious.
System: [Wow, host! It seems like you have everything planned!]
Damien puffed out his chest. That's right. If I want to complete the main mission, I'll need to plan my moves. Speaking of the main mission, any news about it?
The system hovered above Damien and shook its body.
He sighed. Alright... Just keep me updated.
System: [Yes, host!]
Then, their conversation was interrupted as the butler stopped in front of a wooden door. He opened it, and gestured inside. "We're here, young master."
Damien nodded and went in. The moment the study room door clicked shut behind him, he glanced around. The polished room was quiet, lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a wide desk stacked with books, thick binders, and expensive pens that were probably some luxury item. The chair—stiff and throne-like—mocked him.
As he walked over and sat down he realized that the tutor was not in the room.
Damien immediately calculated his window of escape.
Seconds ticked by.
He waited. One... two… ten.
No instructor yet.
That was his cue.
Damien stood, slow and careful, and slinked toward the door like a cat testing a surface for heat. His shoes made no sound against the floor, and his footsteps were feather-light.
"Alright, operation escape the study begins now," he whispered to himself, cracking the door open just a sliver.
No one in the hallway. Perfect.
He eased the door open wider, slipping one leg out— "Going somewhere, Damien?"
Damien yelped and slammed into the doorframe, one foot still inside the study, the other mid-air like a ballerina caught in a very ill-timed jump.
He turned slowly.
The instructor stood there with an armful of lesson materials and a paper cup filled with coffee, one brow arched and a very clear look of amusement on his face.
Damien blinked innocently. "I was just... stretching my legs."
The tutor glanced at the doorframe, then back at Damien. "By slamming your whole body into the doorframe, I see…"
He took a slow sip of his coffee, unfazed. "Truly revolutionary technique. Should I have the Hertz family doctors take notes?"
Damien sighed. "Would I at least get the credits for the technique?"
"Only if you survive the concussion," the tutor said dryly, stepping aside to usher him back in. "Now come. Let's exercise those legs the traditional way—by walking to your seat and sitting for the next two hours."
Damien groaned and slumped back into his chair with the kind of melodrama only experienced actors could pull off. "Cruelty. This is cruelty."
"Discipline," the tutor corrected, placing a tablet before him. "And next time, if you're going to escape, do it when I don't see your entire foot in the hallway like a—pardon my comparison—like a robber."
"..." Damien could only curse inwardly.
The tutor only sipped his coffee. "But I must say, young master. You are quite different and more... lively today. Perchance, did something good happen?"
Damien froze. Sh*t.
System: [...]
System: [...Host what happened to taking it slow?]