"I hope I didn't overdo it," I muttered under my breath as I stood in front of the door to my current apartment, loaned by Emberia.

In my left hand, I carried a heavy bag filled with candies, biscuits, and snacks. In my right hand, I balanced three large pizzas. The white card allowed me to purchase necessities like food, travel, and other important expenses, but anything that fell under the category of 'pleasure'—like clothes, high-tech gadgets, or entertainment—was off-limits.

I had tried on the first day to buy new clothes, the latest fashions for Alice and Amy, but I was refused immediately. I was truly disappointed. As expected, the card had its limits. Still, I could buy an unlimited amount of food, so I made sure to take full advantage of that.

I pressed the doorbell before sliding my key card into the card reader. There was only one card reader, and I kept it with me. I felt more at ease knowing both Alice and Amy were inside this secure place rather than outside where they would be looked down upon or worse, insulted.

Emberia was the most beautiful city I had ever seen, but it was a city of high nobility. Commoners like Alice and Amy would be eaten alive if they stayed too long outside without someone important accompanying them. Alice agreed with me and stayed with Amy whenever I went out. Sometimes, we would all go out together to look around or eat outside, but only when I was with them.

"I'm home," I called out, setting down my bag and the pizzas on a nearby shelf.

"Fray!!"

As I removed my shoes, I saw the figure of a little girl rushing down the corridor and jumping right at me.

"Ugh!" Her head hit my stomach, but I managed to catch her.

"How are you, Amy?" I smiled as I patted down her brown hair, streaked with shades of caramel.

She was only five years old, so I had to crouch a little to hug her softly. Amy wrapped her tiny arms around my waist and looked up at me with a grin. "Very good!"

"I hope so. Look, I have gifts for you. I picked your favorites," I said, handing her the bag full of snacks and candies.

"Yeaah!! Thank you, Fray!!" Amy beamed.

A smile from my cute niece was enough to make me forget all the bad things from today.

"Welcome home, Fray!" came a voice from the living room. It was my sister-in-law, Alice, a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties wearing an apron. Her hair, as striking as Amy's, was tied back.

"I'm home, sister," I replied, but Alice didn't answer right away.

Her stern gaze shifted from Amy's bag full of sweets and snacks to my face.

I scratched my head. "I couldn't help it…"

Stolen story; please report.

Alice sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "Amy, dear, eating too many of these things isn't good for you. You should eat them moderately."

"But mommy…" Amy's eyes turned teary as Alice took the bag away.

"Fine. Take five of them, that's all."

"Mommyyyy!!" Amy quickly recovered, picking out her favorites before handing the bag back to Alice.

"Come, Fray, you arrived at a good time. The meal is ready..." Alice trailed off as her gaze shifted to the three pizzas I had just bought.

"Sorry..." I muttered, feeling a bit sheepish.

Alice smiled affectionately and shook her head. "Keep them for later. We'll eat them at dinner, but right now, it's sister's cooking!"

"Yes," I said, smiling as I relinquished the delicious smell of her cooking.

Alice was clearly the best cook I knew. My brother was quite lucky to have her as his wife. As I glanced around, my eyes fell on a peculiar portrait hung on the wall.

It was a picture of my elder brother, Clay Duran. He shared the same black hair and blue eyes as me, but he looked much more imposing. He had been an Exorcist too and was part of a powerful guild.

But he had died, and it was in an attempt to save me.

He did save me in the end, but the void he left behind gnawed at us, especially Alice and Amy. No matter how many times Alice assured me it wasn't my fault, I could never shake off the guilt. I bore a fair amount of responsibility for his death.

If only I...

"Ughn..."

"Are you okay, Fray?" Alice looked at me worriedly as I held my head, feeling a throbbing pain.

"Yeah, I'm going to take a shower," I said, heading towards my room.

Sighing, I made my way to the luxurious bathroom and spent ten minutes under the hot water, trying to clear my mind.

After the shower, I put on a fresh shirt and shorts. Well, "fresh" was an exaggeration—they were starting to look a bit worn out—but they were casual clothes that normal people would wear.

We weren't poor, but we weren't wealthy either. My sister worked as a clerk in a grocery store in our town, earning just enough for the three of us. However, even that was a bit tight. We managed to live decently, mainly thanks to the money we received from Clay's guild after his death.

Leaving my room, I walked into the kitchen, where the comforting aroma of Alice's cooking filled the air. Despite everything, moments like these made me feel grounded and grateful for the family I had left.

It was a huge amount, and yet Alice chose to use most of it for my school fees…

I refused at first and several times even, but I think she understood how much I wanted to join Emberia with how hard I was studying. In the end, she insisted, telling me that if I really wanted to pay her back, I should first become a strong Exorcist.

I accepted because I couldn't bear to see her saddened face. She really wanted to do this for me, so I accepted gratefully. As a result, I put even more effort into preparing for the exams, and I did very well. But I didn't expect a Practical Exam right away…

"Here, take a seat, Fray," Alice motioned to me as she placed a plate in front of me.

"Me too, Mommy!" Amy climbed cutely onto the seat next to me, but her chin barely reached the table.

"Amy, did you wash your hands?"

"Euum… yes!"

"No, you did not. Come here," Alice said with an exasperated sigh, lifting Amy to help her wash her hands.

I smiled a little, watching them.

For them at least, I have to pass the Practical Exam successfully and get the scholarship. If I could only get that, I could change their lives.

"I'm hungry, Mommy!" Amy climbed into my lap and looked hungrily at the meal Alice had cooked for us.

"Amy…"

"It's okay, I will feed my cute niece," I chuckled, patting Amy's hair.

Alice smiled wryly and, using kitchen tongs, placed several perfectly fried fish and chicken squares on my plate. Then she added a red sausage and several vegetables like beans and carrots.

I was nearly drooling now. The smell was so good.

"I made a lot of food to celebrate my brother who passed the exam of the most prestigious academy!" Alice said proudly.

"Erm... about that," I said, scratching my cheek awkwardly. "I still have a Practical Exam tomorrow."

Alice's smile vanished, replaced by a slight frown. It seemed even she wasn't aware of my exam schedule.

"Oh..." she muttered, disappointment evident in her voice.

"But don't worry, I'll pass it," I said with a confident grin, hoping to lift her spirits. I focused on cutting the fish into small cubes before feeding them to Amy.

"Mmm!" Amy exclaimed, munching happily with a big smile on her face.

I hoped I sounded confident because, truthfully, I had no idea how difficult the Practical Exam would be. It was, after all, from an Elite Academy.

"Eat slowly, Amy," I reminded her gently, wiping her mouth with a tissue.

"Eat too, big bruda!" Amy said, her voice sweet and insistent as she awkwardly spooned some food towards my mouth.

I grinned and accepted her offering. "Mmm. It's so delicious, Alice! As expected, you are the best cook in the world," I said, nodding my head enthusiastically.

Alice rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "You and your brother are really good at giving compliments. Try that on your crush next time."

Crush...

Ariel's face flashed in my mind.

I had only seen her once, but I couldn't deny that I was a bit infatuated with her.

Was it love at first sight?

She had certainly made a lasting impression on me.

Ah... I'm so weak when it comes to matters of the heart.