The clock had already struck ten in the morning.

Golden rays of sunlight streamed through the thin curtains that swayed softly in the morning breeze.

Illuminating the luxurious, modern-designed bedroom dominated by shades of white and cream—the personal chamber of Yura Atenri, heiress of the Atenri family, and currently, the fake girlfriend of Al.

The calm atmosphere that should have embraced the morning was instead broken by the frustrated voice of a long-haired girl, who was now aggressively throwing pillows around the massive bed.

"Arghhh… It's been days since we visited his house! And he still hasn't replied to any of my messages or calls!"

Her voice echoed throughout the room. Yura's face showed clear irritation and exhaustion; her eyes were slightly swollen, the mark of sleepless nights spent thinking too much.

At the side of the room, Devy, radiating her usual calm aura and soft gaze, sat gracefully on a chair near the window—as if she had already grown accustomed to Yura's tantrums.

In her hand was a steaming cup of tea and an old, worn-out book that looked as though it had survived several decades. Its black cover was faded, and the yellowed pages were filled with neat handwritten notes, torn slightly along the edges.

Devy slowly closed the book, her eyes lifting toward Yura, who was still grumbling without pause.

Her tone was gentle yet flat, the typical tone of someone who had long mastered the art of dealing with Yura's emotional outbursts.

"Lady Yura, you shouldn't overthink it too much," she said casually, blowing the steam off her tea.

"Besides, isn't he supposed to be busy preparing for the national exams right now? Maybe his focus is simply on studying."

Yura's head snapped toward her, eyebrows furrowing sharply.

"Al? Focused on studying?" she said with a half-laugh, half-scoff tone. "Come on, at least we know that much. That boy's lazy, and not that smart either. There's no way he's suddenly focused on studying."

Devy chuckled softly while taking a sip of her tea.

"Hehe, true. But… who knows? Maybe this time, he's finally realized something and decided to change."

Yet in her heart, Devy lowered her gaze quietly.

Forgive me, Lady Yura… for now, I can't tell you who he really is.

Yura exhaled loudly, then dropped herself back onto the messy bed. She rolled lazily to one side, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

"I don't understand, Devy. I feel… frustrated. I really want to understand what I truly feel toward him, but when it's this hard to even meet him, how am I supposed to figure it out?"

Devy nodded calmly.

"I understand," she replied softly, closing her book completely. "But excessive anger and lack of sleep won't do you any good. It will only take a toll on both your body and your mind."

Yura could only sigh in resignation.

"I don't know, Devy. My body just won't listen to me these days. Every time I close my eyes, that adorable face appears… but the moment I open them, he's gone again. Haaah… how am I supposed to sleep with that kind of strange phenomenon?"

Devy only nodded this time, letting Yura pour out her feelings for what had already been the umpteenth time over the past few days.

After a while, Yura finally seemed to calm down from her little morning drama.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the chaotic swirl of emotions, then sat back on the edge of the bed. Her gaze turned serious this time as she looked at Devy.

"Anyway… have you found anything about his connection to the Virellano family?"

Devy met her eyes for a brief moment before shaking her head slowly.

"That boy has nothing to investigate—no social media, no public record, not even a mention under the Virellano family's registry," she explained evenly.

She sighed and continued,

"And as you already know, even his orphanage refused to give us any information. Either we're not authorized to access his data, or it's intentionally being hidden."

Yura's face tensed.

"I knew it… Who in this era doesn't use social media? And that orphanage… Ugh, don't even remind me of it," she muttered irritably.

Their eyes met, and at that very instant, memories from a day before resurfaced vividly in both of their minds.

---

Flashback – Malika Makazhar Orphanage

It had been a blazing hot morning when Yura and Devy decided to visit the Malika Makazhar Orphanage—the very place that once housed Al.

Yura was dressed in a long black coat, walking elegantly beside Devy, who carried a small camera in hand.

Their goal was clear: to uncover Al's past.

Though it wasn't directly tied to whether he was related to the Virellano family, the mystery surrounding his background alone was more than enough to stir their curiosity.

Inside the modest living room of the orphanage, they were greeted by Mother Corla, the current director—a woman in her fifties, eccentric in style, with long, crimson hair that shimmered despite her age.

The conversation had started politely, but soon escalated into something tense.

"I don't know how you're connected to him," said Mother Corla firmly, her tone unwavering. "But we can't provide any data regarding him, other than the fact that he was once a child here. That's all I can tell you."

"What's so hard about just telling me what kind of life he had here?" Yura shot back. "Since when does an orphanage restrict information like this?!"

"Rules are rules, young lady," Mother Corla replied, equally sharp. "No matter your complaints, you can't go against our regulations. We protect the privacy of our children—especially from suspicious outsiders like you."

"Suspicious, you say?!" Yura's voice rose, eyes flashing. "Do you even know who I am? I and Al are—"

She stopped mid-sentence, realizing she was about to blurt out something impulsively.

"And what are you two, exactly?" Mother Corla challenged, leaning slightly forward.

"Hmph… We're… well… never mind! Just give me Al's data already!" Yura replied awkwardly but still with her usual arrogant persistence.

Mother Corla remained unmoved.

Devy, meanwhile, could only stare in disbelief at the escalating tension between the two women.

The air grew heavier, almost tangible—the heat inside the room rivaling the scorching summer outside.

Finally, unable to watch it go any further, Devy gently reached out and held Yura's arm.

"Please, Lady Yura… we shouldn't continue this," she said softly.

At first, Yura refused to listen, but eventually, she gave in to Devy's calm persuasion.

Still visibly upset, Yura left the room in frustration, leaving Devy behind to apologize on her behalf.

Mother Corla, though still slightly annoyed, accepted the apology with a sigh.

In the end, they left empty-handed, with nothing but a deeper, more unrelenting curiosity burning in Yura's chest.

As their car drove away, Mother Corla watched from behind the window, a small smile curling on her lips.

"Well, well, Al… your life is getting more interesting, isn't it? You even managed to catch the attention of the Atenri girl," she murmured.

A quiet chuckle escaped her.

"Haha… Miss Ai happens to be in this city too, doesn't she? Now I'm curious to see what happens if those two ever cross paths."

She turned back toward her desk, opening the drawer to pull out a file stamped with the Ministry of Child Protection's official seal—a file labeled 'Confidential Restriction Order,' containing the names of the children under Malika Makazhar's care.

Among the names listed… was Al.

"It's been five years… I just hope you're not the kind of person they claimed you were," she whispered quietly.

---

Back to the Present.

The digital clock on the wall displayed 10:17 AM when Yura exhaled deeply, her gaze fixed upon the ornate ceiling above her.

"I still don't get it," she muttered, her voice laced with frustration.

"How could his data be sealed that tightly? There's not even a trace of his educational record. It's as if that boy appeared out of nowhere—like he came from another realm—and suddenly ended up in the Virellano family."

Devy's eyes widened slightly at that comment. She turned her face toward the window, letting the gentle warmth of the morning sunlight brush her cheek. Yet inside her mind, the thought repeated in quiet tension—

Came from another realm…? I've wondered that too.

Moments later, Devy spoke again, her tone calm and measured.

"Oh right. Today…" she said softly, "wasn't he supposed to go to school with Rina and Karen?"

Yura tilted her head slightly. "Yeah. Why?"

Devy smiled faintly. "If you're that frustrated, how about we visit his school instead? Maybe we can pick up a little information there. And, if you're lucky, you can even scold him in person."

Yura paused, thinking for a moment, her fingers tapping restlessly against her thigh.

Hmm… That's actually not a bad idea. But would it even work? Won't it cause a scene? Everyone there knows who I am…

After a moment of deliberation, she answered aloud,

"That's true. But surely you know how I'm viewed among the elites. And now you're suggesting we just walk into a school without any proper reason? I doubt they'd even let us in."

Devy shrugged lightly. "You're probably right. It'd be difficult."

Yura nodded in agreement—but then, an entirely new thought lit up in her mind.

"Or maybe…" she said slowly, "we could just go straight to the Virellano residence. Armin mentioned their school program runs until late afternoon, which means David won't be home until evening, right?"

She continued, her tone now more determined, "And Karen told me their school activities today end around noon at the latest. It's already past ten. Which means Al should be heading home soon."

Devy crossed her arms, piecing it together. "Which means if we go now, we won't have to run into David."

"Exactly," Yura replied, satisfied.

Without wasting time, she grabbed her phone and opened Rina's contact. Her finger tapped impatiently as she waited for the line to connect.

The call rang several times before a voice finally came through.

"Hello, Rina? Has your school activity ended yet? And, uh—what about Al? Is he still at school or already on his way home?"

On the other end, Rina sounded caught off guard.

"Whoa, wait a sec! You just called and jumped straight to talking about Al again? I swear, lately your entire brain's just Al, Al, Al! What happened to caring about us? Don't tell me you've actually fallen for him?"

"Hmph! Of course not!" Yura shot back quickly, her tone slightly defensive.

"I just haven't seen him in a while, and I need to discuss the continuation of our agreement. I've tried contacting him but he hasn't responded. Maybe he's… focusing on studying."

From the other end came a short pause—and then a burst of laughter.

"Hahaha! Focusing on studying? Come on, Yura! You're not seriously using that excuse, right? I told you before—Al's lazy to the core."

Yura fell silent at that, pressing her lips together. Even she couldn't understand why she had used that as a cover—perhaps because it was easier than admitting she was genuinely worried.

When Rina's laughter faded, her tone changed slightly.

"Anyway… school activities ended a while ago. But as for Al…"

Her voice lowered, hesitant.

"...umm, he's been in the principal's office for quite some time now. I don't know what it's about. But… I have this strange feeling—like something bad's going on."

Yura froze. Her heartbeat skipped a beat.

"A bad feeling…?" she echoed under her breath.

"I don't know. Maybe it's just my imagination," Rina said quickly. "He's probably just handling something minor. After all, he's a scholarship student here."

But Yura's expression had already stiffened. The moment she heard the words 'bad feeling,' an uneasiness crept into her chest.

"O-Okay then," she said after a pause. "By the way, call me the moment he leaves that office. I need to see him today."

Rina went silent for a moment, unsure if that would actually happen, before responding quietly, "Alright."

"Good," Yura nodded firmly. "And if possible—hold him there until I arrive."

Without waiting for any reply, she ended the call and immediately jumped to her feet.

"Devy! Get ready right now. We're leaving soon!"

Devy, who had heard the entire conversation, calmly closed her book and stood. Her eyes reflected faint concern, though her voice remained composed.

"Understood. But you're the one who should hurry, you know. You always take ages in the shower."

Yura let out a low growl of protest, snatching her robe and stomping toward the bathroom.

Devy just sighed softly, amused yet worried.

And so, another morning began in the Atenri household—a morning born from frustration, yet ending with the same lingering sense of foreboding:

something was happening to Al.

---

At that very same moment—

Al's eyes sharpened, a faint smile curling on his lips.

Kugo and Darius's wrath was unmistakable, burning in their very aura.

Wild, uncontrolled energy began to swirl around Kugo's body—energy that, at that moment, only Al could see.

"This is going to be troublesome," Al muttered under his breath, his tone laced with quiet thrill and adrenaline.

And just like that, the air itself seemed to tighten—

a silent sign that something disastrous was about to unfold.

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