2 1.1

Why did he try to aggravate Michel further?

"I'm...sorry." The boy squeezed out, livid eyes piercing Ihem's cocky ones. His blonde hair rustled lightly with the fire in his gaze.

Michel was raised single-handedly by Saasa. His mother is naturally the single most important figure in his life. Would he allow his mother to stand in harm's way because of him? No, of course not!

Ihem smile slightly.

"There's no need to look so terrifying Michel," he singsonged. "Your elder brother I am not so cruel as to find pleasure in your suffering."

Sullenly, Michel caressed his mother's cold hands and refused to look at Ihem any further. He rubbed her veiny fingers as to comfort her.

"As long as you know your wrong, elder brother will always forgive you."

"Master Ihem, thank you for your kindness!" Saasa thanked profusely. She scurried over to her side of the table and was about to lift her bowl of food over when Ihem raised his hand.

"Ah no need for that Madam Saasa," he smiled brazenly. "That food is yours. I am full so Michel can have my portion," he pushed his plate forward, "Michel, have some."

To Michel, that smile of his was black bellied in every way possible, behind its bright veneer contained a thousand mocking remarks.

He was mocking him for being weak.

He was mocking his mother for being gullible.

Nansi hacked a laugh from where she was sitting.

"Maria, we are done eating here." She motioned towards the head maid. Soon, all of the maids standing by the wall in wait came forward and began collecting the dishes to be washed in the kitchen. The table was emptied and even Saasa's bowl was chucked. All that was left was the plate of half-finished vegetables Ihem flung across the table.

A half-bitten tomato rolled towards Michel.

"Ihem, let us leave." Nansi looked at the two condescendingly, her chuckling fading with her footsteps as she stalked down the halls.

Michel stared after the two retreating backs, narrowing on his half-brother's tall frame.

--

01 was silent until the two of them were alone.

01: So that's why you did it. If you haven't, then judging by Michel's stubbornness, he would never have given in. To give Michel leeway to escape punishment...

This host was not simple!

Eryi hummed and decked his shirt into a basin, surveying this new body.

"Why don't you tell me a bit about my mission now. Who is the world villain?"

01: The villain of this world is the demon king Nurgabi. In a few years, he will be born and unite all demonic races under one flag. They would then march to conquer the realm of humans and gods.

"Why was I incarnated as Ihem then?"

01 paused.

"Ultimately your purpose is to help defeat the protagonist. I am not the one to decide who you are to transmigrate into."

"And I assume everything else is confidential."

01: Yes.

"You, or whoever you respond to, have ulterior motives in sending me here. You told me I have to befriend Michel, meaning that doing so is instrumental to the completion of the mission. If everything was as simple as it appears on the surface, then there's no need for me to become Ihem. After all, there's nothing special about this character. He is not particularly strong nor smart, and nor is he of divine heritage. He is only the spoiled cannon fodder whose fate is to die under the hands of the world's protagonist."

Eryi easily analyzed the situation.

"So why am I Ihem then? I don't believe in coincidences."

He stared at the door of his bedroom.

Right next to his room, was the storage-room that Nansi designated Michel to live in after she separated him from his mother. It was because the original Ihem wanted to be able to torment Michel whenever possible that he forced his brother to sleep next door.

"It is because I had to be someone close to the protagonist early on. Because something will happen later in the plot preventing Michel from opening his heart to others. That's why you needed me to befriend him, and that's why I had to be Ihem."

01: ... I heard of how impressive your deductive skills were but I didn't expect you to grasp everything so quickly by yourself.

Eryi quickly latched on, "you heard about me? You knew who I was."

01 seemed to have realized it had spoke too much so it kept quiet the whole afternoon through.

Eryi: -_-|||

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