Awakening To Reality (3)

"Hmmm, hmm, hmmm." A low humming sound came out of Val's mouth as he walked through the long passageway from the dining room to his room. 

"Pffft."

He recalled how Freud's face turned red with rage when Val said that he did not want to use the portal after all the ruckus he had caused before, just because he had found other new fun things to do. 

"Do what you want," Freud left the dining room with a stern face and created a more tense situation.

"Are you satisfied now?" Isabella, the second child and the oldest daughter, sauntered over to Valac's seat, taunting him with a discerning look.

She added, "I don't know why Father hasn't kicked you out of the family. If I were the head of the house, you'd be the first person I'd kick out, along with your wretched mother. You're truly a useless scumbag, not even capable of making a perfect aura ball at your age or receiving a Path. Got no shame, huh? Pathetic." 

If Val was still the original Valac Auremont, he would answer his big sister disdain look with a bulging eyes and created an uproar—which might lead to Val got punishment because starting a commotion. 

However, Kang Hyunwoo was different.

He plastered a smile on his face before looking up to his oldest sister. "At least I'm not engaged to some decrepit old man who's just a heartbeat away from the afterlife. Right, Sister?"

Val knew that useful information from the maids who gossiped about it almost in all places. It seemed that Isabella got into a forced marriage with an old demon noble because Freud needed to strengthen his claw in aristrocrat and chose marriage as the safest option to gain alliances.

Isabella's face twisted in the mix of shock and disbelief of Val's words.

"Y-You…!" She could not even finish her sentence due to embarrasment and all the pitiful glances she got from maids in the dining room.

"Just wait, you… ugh!"

Isabella stomped and left the room with a total red face. 

Other than Isabella, no one dared to confront Val. They all left the room without a word, even Lucien, who only gave him a brief look before resuming his walk toward the exit door. 

"Son… are you okay? Why did you suddenly say that? Your father was really angry, you know?" 

It was Elia, Valac's biological mother who came from a low-status demon noble house. Freud picked her as his third wife just because he liked her face, which was also the reason why Val was so pretty even though he was born as a man. 

"It's okay, Mom. I just don't want to endanger myself since, you know … big sister Isabella said it herself that I could not even make a perfect aura ball and was very late to receive my Path. So, what can I do now?" recalled Valac with a low brittle voice, making Elia swiftly hug her only son and caress his back gently. 

"It's okay, Son. It's okay." 

"There's no need to rush. I believe someday you will get it, your own Evolution Path, and make your Father proud of you. Mom will always be beside you, Val." 

Valac rolled his eyes hearing his mother's words. 

'Proud of you, my ass. I've been reading this damned webnovel until chapter 256, and there is zero percent of that angry and greedy old man changed.' 

He released her hug and smiled sadly, "Yes, I do hope so, Mom." 

Elia caressed his cheeks with teary eyes. "Oh, my poor son. Why does everyone in this house always despise you when you're just a little kid who knows nothing about this cruel world?" 

Val looked at Elia with a pitiful look. Now he knew why this woman had fallen for that old scumbag. She was so easy to manipulate, even a tear could drive her crazy. 

'She's a people-pleaser, eh? A people-pleaser mother and an attention-seeker son, what a fascinating mother and son couple.' 

He was not purposefully judging her; it was just that, in Val's first life, he had encounters with countless people and knew each of their personalities. 

"Mom, I'll go to my room and rest. You need to go back to your room too." 

"You're right. I need to go now. Sinne needs me to help her make napkins. Rest well, my son. Let's talk again tomorrow after breakfast." 

Elia then left the room with a hurried pace. For information, Sinne was Elia's private maid, yet Elia was asked to help with the mansion chores since Sinne said that Elia had nothing to do in this house. 

Val shook his head with a concerned expression. 

"Sigh… your mother's so helpless, Val. What do I need to do for her?" 

Val twisted the doorknob, creating a clicking sound before entering his room with a drowsy face. It had not even been 24 hours yet, but Val had been experiencing a hardcore tutorial on how to become the most despised and unwanted person in this house—or in this novel.

"Sigh, I'm tired. I wasn't told to do all of this," Val dropped himself on the couch and talked to himself with an irritated voice. 

Val thought that if someone wanted to transmigrate him, he should have been transmigrated to somewhere nice or possessed an important character with maximum luck or had a beautiful healer companion. 

He grumbled while clenching his fist, "Haaaaaaaaa—the more I think about it, the more I want to smack the God or whoever it was who brought me here without my consent."

"Knock. Knock. Knock." 

Just when Val was about to climb onto his bed, someone knocked on the door.

"Who is that?"

"It's me, Brother Val," a small voice came from behind the door.

"Luna?" 

The door slowly opened, and a little girl figure in oversized pajamas stood there, holding a paper and pencil. She looked a bit frightened but still managed to hold it together. 

"Uhmm, I'm scared to be alone in my room because my mother went to look after my sick little brother. Can I go inside for a while?"

"Huh?"

"I-I promise I will not bother you! I bring my paper and pencil. I will draw until I get sleepy and go back to my room, can I?"

Val did not understand one thing: they were literally a demon, so being scared to be alone in a dark room would be the least thing they feared. 

"Okay, come in." 

However, he could not refuse a little girl's request and gave an approving sign using a head gesture. Luna strode inside and sat across from Val. She put all her things on the table and started drawing alone, ignoring Val who blinked in astonishment at the little demon's behavior. 

"What?" 

Luna looked up and asked Val a question because that man still stared at her. He shook his head. "No, nothing. Just keep drawing." 

Val got up and shut the door before sitting again on the couch while watching the girl's activities in silence. He thought it would be bad having her here because she might bother him, but it seemed that it was not a bad idea at all.

Except when Val unconsciously fell asleep and woke up right after, only to find Luna was not there anymore. There was only an unfinished drawing on the table and a half-opened door with an eerie aura emanating from behind it. Val scratched his head in frustration. He had just taken a short sleep, and now something was not right.

"Shit, where is she now?"