Tael scanned the table, his eyes narrowing as he examined the utensils and the food surrounding them. "They’re clever, targeting the utensils instead of the food," he mused silently. His gaze swept over the other children, noting that they seemed unaffected. ‘It looks like we were the only ones they aimed for,’ he thought grimly.
Iris’s expression darkened, her anger bubbling beneath the surface. If she hadn't been an Ability User with a mysterious entity residing within her, she might have been poisoned and died without anyone noticing. But now, she had an unexpected advantage—an opportunity to increase her poison resistance.
[ System Notification ]
[ Weekly Quest:
Increase Poison Resistance by 2%
Reward = ???? ]
"Oh Iris, why aren’t you eating? Do you not like the food?" one of the girls asked, her voice sweet but her eyes cold behind the fan she held. The system notification vanished as Iris snapped her attention back to the girl.
"I don't like this kind of food," Iris replied, her tone sharp. "I’m not a fan of eating poison, so I’ll have to decline."
"Poison?!" Several children gasped, their eyes widening in shock. The maids began to tremble, their faces pale with fear. Poisoning Isakawa’s daughter was an insane risk, especially with him in the next room.
"Yes, poison," Tael confirmed with a sinister smirk. "Someone applied a rare poison to our utensils. I almost didn’t notice it until it was too late. But how unfortunate for you that such a weak poison isn't enough to harm us." His eyes gleamed with malice as he looked at the children, most of whom were now visibly shaking—except for Sheila and Krumi, who remained calm.
"Child, I don’t know who would dare to tamper with your utensils, but rest assured, we’ll find the culprit," a tall male servant in a black suit tried to defuse the situation, though his words rang hollow without any concrete proof.
"Enough with your lies," Iris cut him off sharply. Her voice was cold, her eyes blazing with determination. "Consider this a warning to everyone here: anyone who messes with my family will answer to my father. And I don’t think you need reminding of what he’s capable of." She let her gaze sweep over the room, before she huffed.
Everyone fell silent after what Iris just said. They knew that her father could kill their entire family, since he was an extremely strong Ability User whose power couldn't be ranked. In fact, it wasn't that his Ability couldn't be ranked, more that the information about his Ability hadn't been revealed, so nomome was sure about the full extent of his abilities. They knew this information since their parents warned them about Isakawa and his family.
"Iris, that's enough," the boy with spiky red hair and dark grey eyes snapped. Standing at 100 cm with an angry expression that seemed permanently etched on his face, he was undeniably handsome despite his young age of 10. His name was Ray, the son of Takase Subaru.
"You think you can come here and disrupt the dinner?" Ray's voice was laced with anger.
"Ehhh," Iris replied, her face a mix of confusion and bewilderment.
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"By the way, who are you?" Iris asked, genuinely curious.
"I am Ray, the son of Takase Subaru," he announced with a mix of pride and arrogance.
"But how am I supposed to eat if there's poison in the food?" Iris asked, still perplexed.
"It's not possible. Who would dare try to poison your food?" Ray said, frowning as if the idea was preposterous.
"Then do you want to try it?" Iris offered with a smile that was both innocent and unsettling.
Ray hesitated, not because of the food but because of the unsettlingly bright smile on Iris’s face. She was undeniably cute, but he shook off the distraction and approached her side of the table with a serious expression. He took a spoonful of Iris’s food, preparing to taste it.
"Young master, please stop!" a maid cried out as she hurried over and slapped the spoon out of Ray's hand.
"How dare you!" Ray shouted, incredulous at the maid’s audacity.
"Young master, I’m sorry, but I can’t risk you being poisoned," the maid pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears as she knelt before him.
"How do you know there’s poison?" Ray demanded, glaring at her.
The maid remained silent, shaking her head in denial. Her refusal to speak only heightened Ray's anger.
"So you won’t talk," Ray said, his voice turning cold.
Ray’s hand began to glow with a fiery red hue, and in a flash, he drew a blade form with his hand and severed the maid’s head from her shoulders. The head rolled across the floor, and blood sprayed out, painting the ground red.
"That’s for daring to try and poison a Subaru," Ray said coldly.
The room fell into a stunned silence. The other children watched, frozen in their seats, while the atmosphere became thick with fear. But the maids stood motionless as if used to this occurrence.
Iris’s eyes widened in horror as she watched the dea woman's body. The immediate violence shocked her deeply; she had expected some form of interrogation or a more measured response. Ray’s reaction left her trembling, struggling to comprehend why he had resorted to such extreme measures.
Noticing Iris’s distress, Tael instinctively wrapped an arm around her, providing a sense of comfort. His expression not even fazed by what he saw.
Iris's gaze followed the dead maid’s body being carried away, the pool of blood being swiftly cleaned. The red blood reminded her of the beings that had appeared to protect her on that certain day. As Ray’s evil smile lingered while the body was dragged off, Iris saw him approach with a confident stride. Miraculously, his hands were clean, as if he had never been involved in the killing at all.
"Hey Iris, you'll be joining my team for the Family Games," Ray said, casually tapping her slender shoulder. He looked down at her, seemingly noting her small stature with an indifferent expression.
The other children exchanged astonished glances. Ray’s sudden recruitment of Iris was surprising. Many speculated that Ray saw potential in Iris, perhaps considering her an exceptionally strong Ability User due to her parents’ status—her father, in particular, known for his unique ability.
"Sorry, but Iris is already in a team," Tael interjected, as he glared at Ray.
"Me, Iris, Krumi, and Sheila," Tael stated, naming their existing team members with a smirk.
Ray's face darkened with anger. “You’ll regret this!” he spat before striding back to his seat.
Iris watched the exchange, dumbfounded by their exchange and uncertain about what she had gotten herself into.
"Umm, Tael, I advise that you don’t mess with that boy. He’s dangerous," Sheila warned, her voice tinged with nervousness.
"I agree with Sheila," Krumi added, also looking uneasy. "Ray has a terrible temper. When someone angers him, he usually resorts to violence—either killing or critically injuring them. Although he typically doesn't act out against other Subaru family members, his ability and temper are both feared."
“Don’t worry about him. I’m sure I can beat him with my eyes closed,” Tael said with a smug grin, clearly unfazed.
'Compared to those things Iris summoned, this boy is just an ant. I’d better keep an eye on Iris, though. Isakawa won’t be pleased if her powers go haywire,’ Tael thought, keeping a wary eye on Iris.
"So, Krumi, Sheila, and Tael, who will be our last team member? We need a fifth," Iris said, frustration evident in her voice as she tried to process all that had happened.
"I say that boy over there," Tael suggested, pointing to a young boy seated at the far end of the table.
The boy looked around five years old, with the darkest shade of black hair and deep grey eyes. His petite frame might have led one to mistake him for a girl if not for his blue shorts and brown shirt.