'.. I think this isn't how a grand party should be held.' I stared in a daze at the halls as I could hear multitudes of people talking downstairs.

Before the party began, I moved without thinking in the direction of my Mother's room as Lily hurriedly followed me inside carrying an umbrella.

 

Of course, as I ran, I could see non-vampire servants working on the decorations that morning. While ignoring the blazing rays across my pale skin.

And when I look around... what I saw was quite fancy too; some ornaments were even made from solid gold with expensive gems to match, and I even saw platinum silverware being carried away!

 

But enough about that. With Melissa being rudely awakened by yours truly after I arrived at her room, I got right to the point and flatly requested her that I don't want to come my own birthday celebration.

My mother naturally asked me why.

Which, after all, was understandable. I was naturally informed borehand of my party. For the most part, I was actually okay with it, not that I desired it. It was barely bearable but it was... fine, I guess.

 

I mean, it was now my 1st birthday, and even though my family is complicated, I couldn't just destroy that special occasion for my own selfish desire. (I'm still a gentleman.) So I went with the flow, and I thought I could handle it just fine. I'll just tune out the party, like any toddler would.

But as the days passed, I started regretting my decision.

 

It was just... So extravagant that I honestly wanted to run away and just hide somewhere dark when I saw the flashy hallways. That's why I've been brooding in the morning. But I still force myself to at least attend for a little bit until it ends...

Yet that idea was quickly flushed down at the metaphorical toilet at the mention of a scary Grandma's sudden attendance.

 

So I want out.

 

But my excuse was a little different.

 

"I'm... Scared... Mama, Lily told me about.. Grammy and I don't wanna gooo.." I told her at the time, and I sniffled for added effect while hugging her lap when she immediately knelt down when she saw me, but my mom, after listening, just looked at me in confusion.

 

Patting my head softly, she looked down at me with complicated eyes. "My sweet Rose, what are you talking about? Grandma..? I—I don't think my parents would ever attend, much less see me—" noticing that she got off topic, Melissa coughs in embarrassment and starts looking at me with curiosity. "Hmm but where did you hear that news from?"

 

I, who was starting to get suspicious, didn't tell her outright, just pointing my hand at my smug maid.

 

And at that moment, my cunning maid/friend simply tilted her golem head innocently, unconcerned by my Mother's lazer-like eyes. "I was told by the Duke that his Mother, the previous Duchess would be attending; it was supposed to be a surprise visit, but I seem to have slipped that info out." She even made this 'Oops Face' with the heroine's looks!

 

Of course, from my mother's lap, I deadpanned at that. 'No, you actually told me directly! It was not a slip-up!' I hatefully thought about it in my mind.

So when you said play at that time... You meant to play me, huh! You sadistic golem!

 

But my Mother's eyes suddenly furrowed in displeasure.

 

"Why didn't Ferun inform me of such news?" She asked Lily in disbelief, but her look wasn't really directed at Lily but at my aforementioned father.

 

And my cheeky maid just replied with something that made Mother frown even more.

"I do not know, but it may be for a grudge; who knows, but with that in mind, would you want to inquire with the Duke himself?"

 

"Yes, of course!" Mother quickly replied as she stood up and Lily seems eager since she wordlessly grabbed my body without being ordered to, and with that, we descended again towards Father's quarters.

 

Which was much farther away from my mom's.

 

They really hate each other to even have that; it really makes you wonder how they could be married much less have me, but they did discuss something about Mother tricking Father.. so that might be it.

 

So with.... 8 or 10 minutes of walking, we were now at his door. And Melissa, who has run out of patience, literally kicked down the door (scaring some few demons in the process) and went directly towards my poor, busy Father who was startled, as I am, by my Mother's action.

 

I'm sad to admit, but my mom could really make me flinch at the safety of Lily's hold.

 

But before we could enter ourselves, the doors immediately closed.

 

Blankly, all I could do was stare at the door. 

'Well, this is the first.'

 

At the past.. err more like some months ago, when I'm waddling down to my Father's room (exercise, Lily said at the time), he will always leave the door open for me. So it was quite a shock when the door suddenly closed on us.

So, as the silence dragged on, we simply waited there. I was letting my thoughts wander when I was stopped by a questionable remark.

"Hmmm... My plan is working."

Somehow this maid suddenly piped up (This cheeky maid didn't even bother with whispering!) with a small fist bump. She was nodding to herself as if congratulating some amazing idea in her mind, and I just tilted my head at her words, a bit put out.

 

What plan???

 

"Simple, my plan was for Duke to be busted. Why? Because Mistress... if the Duke got caught, then the Lesser Duchess may inquire more, leading to an argument of mutual trust. If the Duke could trust the Lesser Duchess more, then it would leave you a more peaceful life, would it not?"

 

 

Huh... I asked aloud. But... To think that was your goal, however, what's that got to do with it? And why the heck did you scare me with Grandma..!?

 

Perhaps seeing my indignant stare, Lily smiled.

 

"Hmm, while I don't know what your implying with your stare, you see, Mistress, the reason your Father didn't tell Lesser Duchess is simple. Because the Former Duchess, your grandmother hated humans to begin with. So if Ferun, your Father didn't inform your Mother then she wouldn't have any reason to attend."

 

"Remember, Melissa wouldn't attend the party because of her previous human status and thus was forbidden, but if her Mother-in-law were to attend, then she would have the right to meet her, no? But that would be a disasterous outcome." She frowned as she held her cheek with her hand while shifting my position in her other arm, looking troubled. "To him at least.." Lily whispered something under her breath with a vindictive look.

 

 

But she then looked down at me softly, erasing her frown instantly. "And hence why Ferun didn't inform her. But if the Duke's plan comes to fruition, then the trust your Mother and Father have had up to this point will certainly diminish, and they will return to bickering without talking to each other. Making your Grandmother hate the Lesser Duchess more for being an incompetent wife to not even trust her husband."

 

"Your... Grandmother holds the term family tightly in her heart. Even if your Mother was previously a human, she will put aside her hate if your Grandmother deemed Melissa adequate enough."

 

 

Huh..... How the fuck do you know that. And for that matter, when did you even plan this, Lily!?

 

 

But it seems she's too lost in her own thoughts to see my bewildered reaction to her confession/plan.

 

 

"That's why if Ferun gets his way and your Mother didn't attend, it will only cause discord and leave a bad impression. Your Father may be respected by many, but Mistress, you should know for your own good that the Duke is a disappointing organism, a wasteful pile of waste who couldn't think much outside of his own inflated ego. That's why you should always doubt your Father's action." Lily lectured me—and roasted my Father in the process as she waved her fingers at me like a preschool teacher would.

 

 

Though.... really, to even be called an organism and a waste by a literal golem... Just how far did the image of my father sink that low in Lily's mind?

 

 

 

—Well.... Ain't this a nice development? In many stories... The protagonist (who was sometimes a young adult or even in their teens) would always be the one who fixed the story.

 

 

like fixing somebody's life, love, livelihood, and many more, and sometimes adults aren't all that reliable.... I mean, aren't half of them the problem most of the time in stories?

 

 

But who knew, I would get reincarnated where adults fix the shit up.

 

Plus.. if there was going to be a problem where I could likely fix it.... I wouldn't actually do squat.

 

 

Cause exhibit A. Mom was alive, which wasn't in the original story, and B?

 

 

Too lazy to care, again... The story's already changed drastically, and no way would I think that everything will stay the same; it would be too much of a hassle.

 

 

I know that as long as I don't act like a villainess, then I won't really be one.

 

 

And if somehow the plot wants me to be the villainess....?

 

 

 

I'll just ruin every golden opportunity for the male and female leads if they ever grow up to be a problem to me when I see some troubling signs.

(I'm a gentleman. But if push comes to shove, then I'll do something drastic, even to a lady such as the heroine.)

If they would ruin my future for their own, I can't see why my own way would seem unfair.

 

And I have the ultimate advantage by knowing to a T of the events that will happen in the near future.

 

I may not be good with confrontation, but that's not to say I couldn't manipulate my way at— Let's say, make the Hero be seen as somewhat of a vain man towards the Heroine.

 Or in reverse if they have shitty personalities.

As a gamer, I read the itinerary of every characters... My Mom being alive doesn't really change much towards the other cast except for that future Demon Sage and me.

 So I hope they good for their own sake.

 

Heh... And plus, the main story wouldn't start for at least a decade or so... So I still got time with my NEET lifestyle without caring much!

 

 

And for that, I swear I won't let any old nag take my life away. If my original parents can't, then neither would she!

 

 

 

Hehehehehe! 

 

 

 

"Uhmm Mistress, this pains me to say this but... If you laugh like that so suddenly, and on your birthday for that matter, I may bring you to those mental institutions I kept on hearing about from many human settlements since there is no such helpful place in the demon realm to cure your brain."

 

 

 

 

Pffftt—!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_________________

 

Change Pov

 

 

When the doors finally opened up, Melissa dramatically walked out with a huff, not looking back towards Ferun's room as she promptly took Rosalina away from Lily's hands as she walked with her child.

Having a pout in her face, the Lesser Duchess was then followed by numerous nervous imps to her room while carrying many extravagant dresses after a strange bell sound chimed from somewhere.

 

And Rosalina, who was previously glaring at her servant, just gave Lily a confused look as she was carried away and made a grabby motion with her chubby hands at the golem.

 

But Lily didn't move to follow them; she only watched in satisfaction as she saw those Dressing maids surrounding the Lesser Duchess.

 

 

'My Mistress would thank me later.' 

And she pointedly ignored her Mistress order in favor of meeting her informant.

 

which was Horris—a demon butler who was the most trusted subordinate of the Arch Duke. Though unknown to Ferun and, sadly, Lily, Horris was actually more loyal towards Ferun's mother, Cordelia.

 

Ferun was sadly the second-rate master in Horris's mind in terms of being most loyal to.

 

So Horris didn't actually feel horrible telling everything Ferun did to the Former Duchess. The man actually didn't know that every one of his actions were monitored by his mother after the news of Rosalina's birth.

 

 

And to tell the truth, she was not impressed in the slightest by her son's mistakes through the years. If that trash of a woman had died, she wouldn't need to watch over her monkey of a son like now... But since, by some miracle, that human survive, it makes it all the more difficult.

 

Especially that both Horris and Cordelia didn't know at what the fuck price did Ferun gambled. 

 

So after hearing so much disappointment after disappointment from Horris, Cordelia Thorn, the Former Duchess, finally decided to make her presence known after this last mistake.

 

She would make sure that her granddaughter wouldn't be at all like her disappointing father.

 

She will make sure to educate Rosalina thoroughly, unlike Cordelia's past mistake of making Ferun be the type to use brute force through everything with no smarts at all.

 

 

That's why she ordered Horris to gain the golem's trust. Lily, even if Cordelia is disgusted with the golem's race, it was still a valuable asset in learning more about her granddaughter than reading through some cheap letter from that useless son of hers.

 

 

While it did take a while to convince the golem to give much information, It wasn't really that hard when Cordelia made Horris give a reasonable explanation.

 

Using Ferun's latest blunder of hiding his 'wife' and exaggerating it into a problem that may cost the Former Duchess 'ire' on her Mistress's birthday made the golem's judgement to fold like wet paper soon after.

 

 

And with that, all Cordelia could do was wait for the rest of the pieces to fall, as she had her absolute faith in Horris to do the job done.

 

 

"Miss Golem, would you now like to know what the rest of the Former Duchess likes and dislikes in hopes at helping Rosalina deal with her grandmother?"

 

Then, out of nowhere, Horris, who materialized next towards the stone-faced golem, asked this with a smirk. As Lily in turn crosses her arms indifferently. Not moving an inch.

 

 

"I know that you are using me." The maid bluntly stated in a dry tone. "and while I do not really know where your loyalties lie. But I do have half a mind to tell you that you do not wish my Mistress harm." Then, turning her face towards the Se'irim (Horris is a satyr-like demon), she imitated a glare at his direction.

 

 

"And I suppose you are doing this to help her as well, yes?"

 

 

"...hmmm not that dumb for someone who's made out of rubble." Horris side eyed the golem, his smirk turning polite. "At least Sire had not messed up in attaining a good servant for the future of the Thorn family. But yes, regarding your question, my purpose is for that."

 

Then he shrugged at her helplessly.

 

"Me and everyone else had already given up on educating Master. It may be the fault of the Former Duchess negligence for Master's behavior, but please understand that the Duchess had lost her husband to the War. And she had made a mistake in.... Caring for Master at such a time, so please refrain from insulting Lord Thorn in his daughter's presence. His daughter might imitate that and cause a frenzy."

 

 

"..... Mistress's Father is a fool. and I would not think otherwise. Mistake or no mistake, my Mistress would still be impacted." Lily quipped without missing a beat as Horris nodded, not denying that fact at all, but his face did frown a bit.

 

 

"Yes... That's true too, well—To a servant to another, I will advise you to keep your attitude in check, not because it is proper but because it is a necessity. You'll do more good being liked than hated if you want to help your Mistress in this life, young one." He didn't refer to her as a golem anymore, and Lily couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that.

 

"I like your attitude, young one, I really do. So in celebration of my new respect for you and your undying loyalty to your own Mistress. Then I will tell you this."

 

Horris then looked at Lily's soulless eyes with his own piercing yellow glowing eyes and smiled.

 

"My Mistress seems to take a liking to young Rosalina."

 

 

Then he disappeared, but before the golem could move, she suddenly heard a whisper.

 

 

"Though first you should explain to young Rosalina that being lazy would not work with Cordelia Thorn."