Chapter 2: At the dining table.

[2:43 am - ■11/06/1534■]

After returning to his room, Noir immediately jumped and sank into his bed and started thinking. He spent a few hours in the library and only read one book, but that was all he needed as affirmation that what he needed was not here.

That book was the oldest book the library had catalogued, so there definitely wouldn't be any others that contained older information about the ancient times than that one.

He needed to visit the library in town in order to continue his search, but it was currently way too early in the morning for that, so after a minute or so of laying in bed, his eyelids became heavy as he drifted to sleep.

He let his dreams take over of his mind.

●●●●●

[6:30 am - ■11/06/1534■]

When he woke up again, the sun could be seen shining through his glass window and birds could be heard singing in the background.

Well, it was shining directly in his eyes, as if telling him to wake up.

"Ahk! Five more minutes...."

Letting out a cliche protest as he got up, he rubbed his eyes and quickly exited his bedroom. Still in his pajamas, he walked through the now brightly lit corridors.

The maids and butlers he passed by all directed weird gazes at him, but only after he had passed them, so he wasn't aware of it.

(But man, this place really is huge.)

While marveling at the sheer size of the estate, and after passing through multiple doors and going down multiple staircases, he arrived at one humongous pair of double doors on which he knocked.

•

•

•

•

There was no response.

After knocking again, he folded his arms in front of his chest and put on a calm face as he waited for someone to open the double doors. His half-open eyes still felt drowsy.

"Ah, young master Noir, I was just about to wake you up for breakfast."

And after a moment, a scary old man, Frank opened the door. Noir's face stiffened the moment their eyes met. Frank himself wore a surprised expression before his face loosened into his usual gentle smile. Noir knew why.

The original Noir wasn't a morning person. During meal times, while his family sat ready to eat at the dining table, he would be fast asleep in his room. He would only enter the dining room at least half an hour and at most a few hours later. He wouldn't even feel guilt for making them wait for him.

Frank was the one who always urged him to wake up during such times, so it was only natural that he was surprised.

However, Noir didn't care to explain anything. After all, who cares if the disappointment changed his sleep schedule a bit?

"I see, well I am here now, so can I come in?"

"Of course, young master."

Stepping into the dining area, the scent of food flooded into his nostrils, whetting his appetite.

Sitting at the long dining table were the members of the Vournemouth family, his new family from now on. It was a strange feeling.

Although they were supposedly a family, Noir was the only member that was estranged from the rest of them in the novel.

Sitting at the head was his father, Martin von Vournemouth. He already started eating a bacon platter.

(Uwaa... He is just as described...)

A green pair of strong looking eyes that exuded intellect, a tall frame with well-developed muscles, and short, dark-brown hair the color of mahogany...

His handsome appearance coupled with his black tunic rendered Noir speechless in admiration.

He was also said to attract the attention of members of the opposite sex even at his age, although he was married.

He was the picturesque noble.

"Hmm? Ohhh... Good morning, son."

He greeted Noir while wearing a surprised expression just like Frank's when Noir greeted him. He expected him to rudely sit down and eat without greeting him back but...

"Good morning, father."

At Noir's returned greeting with a bow before he sat to his right, Martin's expression turned dubious as his hand stops for a split second just before bringing a piece of bacon into his mouth.

Sitting on the chair to his left was his wife, Natalia, Noir's mother. She never really was given an in-depth description in the novel, besides a remark that she was the silent type who never really liked to show emotions. She had long, straight black hair which flowed down her nape and amber colored eyes.

She looked elegant in her turquoise dress which had a simple design with a few frills that accentuated her black hair.

"..."

After looking at Noir for a split second in suspicion while her eyes narrowed, she turned her gaze back to her plate and started eating her own breakfast silently as if she had lost interest.

"Good morning to you too, mother."

Noir, who preferred this kind of reaction, also greeted her as well with a little bow.

Bringing her gaze back to her son in surprise, she simply nodded and greeted him back with a "Good morning".

Noir was acting weird today. Such a thought passed through the minds of the two parents as they exchanged glances.

Taking his seat just opposite of Natalia, he could see them exchanging glances and tell that they were quite stupefied at his sudden change of personality, but he didn't really care.

(I'm supposed to be in my late stages of puberty after all. It wouldn't be weird if a sudden change occured in my character.)

(Wait, now that I think of it, my face is too clean isn't it? No pimples, no nothing...), he thought as he brought a piece of steak into his mouth.

The meal that sat in front of him couldn't even be compared to a simple breakfast. A feast would be a much better comparison.

The meat's aroma burst forth inside his mouth as it's juices permeated into his tongue. He could only utter a single "Delicious..." as his expression t slackened with a smile.

*Clang*

It seemed like something had dropped onto the table, so he turned to his left, and there sat his younger brother, Mark.

Mark dropped his fork. It was pretty obvious what the reason was as he was just stared wide-eyed at Noir, but just like his mother Natalia, Noir didn't really react much and continued happily eating his meal.

"....Huh...He's grinning...?", uttered Mark as he picked back up his fork and stabbed it into a sausage with an expression as if to feign composure.

Noir wanted to push, no, hand over the postion of heir onto this guy. Although he was only 13 years old right now, he had an upright and honest personality opposite of Noir's (at least in the novel). He would grow up to be a fine young man with good morals in the future.

(Besides, a year from now, the family will be standing on their toes for this guy to become the next head. With this, I can relax as much as I want without worrying about who will succeed father's position.)

He didn't want to inherit the territory. He wasn't exactly lord material either. A small villa facing the sea would be an ideal place for him to live after relinquishing his position as heir.

Thinking as such, Noir's gaze headed back to his food as a gentle smile plastered itself onto his face. He was looking forward to the future. Mark's face twisted in utter confusion at this, unbeknownst to Noir.

Opposite of Mark was his younger sister, Shatria. She was currently 12 years old. She had the same black hair as Natalia, but also possessed the same red eyes as Noir's.

Perhaps it was because of this common trait, but in the novel, she was described to be quite fond of Noir.

With graceful movements unfitting for her age, she continued to munch on a waffle as she directed a happy gaze and gentle smile towards Noir when they made eye contact.

(How the hell did Noir become so twisted even with a family as nice as this...? Damn, I want to punch him now. Oh, wait, I'm Noir....), he almost blurted out, but caught himself before he was able to do so.

The meal continued like this as his father discussed matters with his mother regarding the territory and other such matters. There was the occasional surprised stare and glance from someone in the room directed at him, but otherwise, he had a good time happily stuffing his stomach.

If one thing had to be pointed out, it would be Frank sending him a gentle gaze every now and then. Noir felt utterly creeped out at this.

"Ah, right. Noir, I heard from Frank that you were doing a little bit of... reading... late last night till early morning?"

"Ah, right. Yes, I did do a little of that."

Hearing Noir's words, Mark choked loudly on his food, raising concern in Martin's eyes. He wasn't in any danger though, after a few strong pats on the back by a butler who stood on standby in a corner of the room.

In the novel, Noir wasn't very fond of books. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he loathed them. He would sometimes even rip the pages of expensive books that simply contained words that he either couldn't understand, pronounce, or both.

"If you want to use the library, please inform me first. Even more so if it's during the dark hours. We never know if there are any burglars or intruders lurking about on that time."

(I guess that's true, huh. I forgot about it but...)

It was true. They were a somewhat, no, very well-off noble family in the aristocratic Varn kingdom. They had developed a traditional mentality of saving as much money as possible that dates back to the time of the very first head of the family. It wouldn't be strange for any suspicious characters to lust after their ever growing wealth.

Furthermore, although it was the family's library, it was also Martin's personal study. He had to go to the owner himself first and ask to borrow it before using it.

Nodding his head in understanding, Noir acknowledged Martin's words and resumed devouring his meal after a pause. Martin felt awkward at his son's rather lacking reaction.

"Ehm... Well, moving on... do you have any plans for today?"

Noir didn't know for sure, but he could faintly feel everyone's eyes focus on him. Was it in anticipation perhaps? The palms of his hands grasping his spoon and fork started sweating in anxiety just thinking about it, although he hid it with a cool face.

"Hmmm, I would like to go to the town library I guess...."

Even the eyes of the maids and butlers opened wide like saucers. Although Frank didn't lose his gentle expression, there was a small crack in his smile.

It was a natural reaction, considering the original Noir's reputation and personality, but it still made him feel a bit uncomfortable how bad it was.

"I-I see. Well, you are old enough to go out by yourself. However, Frank shall also accompany you. ....Is that fine?"

His face tightened a bit at the mention of Frank, but he still nods with an "...Okay." in the end before focusing back on his food.

Why did it feel like they already expected him to cause an incident when he said that he was just going to the library to read? It was odd.

Martin started to grin widely. Coupled with his big frame, he seemed like a tiger finding amusement at a mouse running away after laying eyes on him.

Noir didn't know why, but he felt his eyes on him.

"...Is something the matter?"

"Hmm~ No, not really. It's just that... you've changed all of a sudden, huh. And for the better."

After letting out a small chuckle as he continued wolfing down his meal, Martin turned his attention to his other children.

Noir looks at him with a discerning gaze and remembers an additional part of his description.

--The man named Martin von Vournmouth was a highly reputable and respected man among the nobility of the kingdom. Although his rank was only that of Viscount, he was known to be a good lord of his vast territory.

He put the needs of his territory's people first and foremost and even has an important role in managing the royal capital's security.

He was highly talented and possessed a great personality, but if one had to point out one flaw of his...

"Now then, my dear Shatria, what gifts would you like "daddy" to bring you back from the capital~~?"

"I-I'm alright father, I haven't even tried on the nice dress you bought me last week..."

He was one hell of a doting father.

"Ah, yes! Perhaps it's time to buy you a corset!"

(Aren't those things what women wear to tighten up their waists?), thought Noir. This wasn't really something a man should have a say in, was it? Especially if the man was the woman's own father.

And so, he decided to take the neutral stance on this one.

It's a digression, but...

His tendency to dote on his children was a huge problem for the family. In one occasion not mentioned in the novel, in just a week, both Mark and Shatria had to replace their closets due to the sheer quantity of clothes their father bought for them.

In fact, the majority of Martin's salary went into random things he bought for his children. This is something Noir knew.

"Erhem... Dear, that's enough.", declared Natalia in a stern and cold voice.

Her expression started to falter because of Martin's questionable behavior. If the head of the family didn't maintain an air of dignity even during meal time, how much more embarassing would it be if his wife also didn't?

"B-but dear~, Shatria is now 12 years old. I must make sure she grows up nicely for her wedding day! Well, since she's your daughter, perhaps her three measurements (Hips, Bust, and Waist) will be just as exquisite as yours. Especially her che-", continued Martin as he laid his true thoughts bare for everyone, including the butlers and maids present, to hear.

"Didn't you here what I just said~~~?!", exclaimed Natalia in embarassment. He once cold facade had heated up considerably, revealing her emotions.

"Argh! D-dear!! Please spare me! I-I apologize! I apologize already so stop please! Your going to rip off my ear~!"

At the sight of his family in all its inelegant splendor, Noir calmly watched it all with the straightest face he could muster. He felt slightly awkward as the image of nobility in his mind began to crumble bit by bit.

Perhaps it was an everyday occurence? The servants didn't even bat an eye at what was transpiring between their master and his wife.

(I-is this alright? No, I mean, I like that they have such a good(?) marital relationship, but... are they really nobles? Aaah~ she seriously leaned over her food just to twist his ear. Seriously, is this alright...?)

Or so he wonders, as if oblivious to being a noble himself and most of all, their eldest son.

Purging such thoughts from his mind as he shook his head, Noir reached for a fruit resembling an apple and took a bite as the exchange between the doting husband and loving(?) wife was getting rowdier by the minute.

Sweet juice gushed out of it every time he chewed. It held the distinct crunchiness only an apple could have, but tasted like an orange.

He felt like time passed by very quickly as he inattentively watched over his family while savoring the fruit's flavor.

"I wonder just where you learned such words, my dear Shatria..."

"You mentioned it before, remember...?"

"Oh, I see... haha. My daughter's all grown up now. You now remind me of the things I forget."

"I'm only 12 years old! And you aren't an old man yet!"

"Hahaha!"

Martin exaggeratedly rubbed his cheek as if he had just shed tears, to which Shatria yelled in exasperation.

It seemed that they had moved on to another topic before Noir had noticed.

(This is nice...), Noir thought to himself.

In his previous life, he lost his parents at a young age in an accident that happened just before the monsters of the "other side" appeared all of a sudden.

The image of his previous family was overlapping with the scene happening in front of him right now, engulfing him in a wave of nostalgia.

What if the monsters also appear in this world...? The thought of it sent shivers down his spine.

"What's wrong Noir? Your expression worries me..."

Martin, perhaps noticing that Noir was unusually silent, asks him while directing at him a concerned gaze.

"O-oh no, it's nothing, father.", replied Noir as he got up from his chair.

He had already eaten his fill of breakfast before anyone had noticed.

After wiping the sides of his mouth with the provided napkin before politely walking over to a corner of the room and handing it over to a butler, he turned back and positioned himself in a small bow just between his mother and father with a simple "Thanks for the meal."

(Oh wait, I should have just called for the butler and waited for him to come over instead of approaching him myself, huh.)

He had also curtly bowed in between his mother and father's seats so that they could both see him up close as he thanked them for the meal.

Just like the times when he was a child with his previous life's mom and dad before they died.

It was just a habit of his, though. There wasn't really anything wrong with it was there?

He promptly left the dining room in a blurr with a relaxed expression on his face. He felt quite satisfied with his meal. His stomach was practically filled with happiness.

He felt like all eyes were still on him as he sprinted out of there, but as always, he didn't care.

He headed back to his room in order to prepare for the day.

●●●●●

[9:23 am - ■11/06/1534■]

Now back in his room's study, Noir took a seat in the couch.

(If it's still a year before the first volume's start, then maybe I shouldn't worry too much about it.... Maybe I should just stay quiet and hole myself up in this mansion. The food's warm, I have a soft bed to sleep in...)

His thoughts hovered to planning his future actions. Indeed, it was a very plausible option to just stay quiet in his territory and let the storm pass, but...

(...Yeah, let's not do that, you idiot. War could be right at your doorstep a year from now. Do you want to die? Huh?), he thought, scolding himself for being complacent.

A hand grasped his chin while the other continuously tapped the coffee table to his front. He felt insecure about the future.

A year from now, the demon kingdom in the north would wage war against the nations to its south. The vournemouth territory would be one of the first to be scorched by the flames of war since it was situated just southeast of it, furthermore, there was also the possibility of a naval invasion. Considering that it was not that far away from the sea.

Thinking as such, his face cramped up from frowning for so long.

Just then, a maid came in with a tray of fruits and pastries which she placed down in front of him.

"Hmm...."

He was originally trying to dig through his memories of the novel for any useful info, but he got lost in them somewhere in the middle and his mind just started firing blanks. He could only stare into blank space.

"Uhmmm, if you would like to try this, young master...", the maid asked him with an anxious voice.

But there was no response. He just grumbled to himself as he picked up a cookie from the tray and bit into it.

The mellow sweetness of chocolate chips could be felt on his tongue. It was also just the right texture and crunchiness.

"U-Uhmmm... So, what does the young master think?", asked the maid in a now scared voice.

"...."

Silence. But not because of anger or disappointment. His mind was just forcefully reset for a moment due to the tastiness. And after glancing at the maid, his eyes stopped at her hands. They were shaking slightly.

(Just how afraid of me is she....)

He could clearly imagine himself asking the original Noir with a straight face: "How come you're just sitting around without causing trouble even though you're alive?"

If he was transferred into the body of a talented person who played an important role in society....

'How come you aren't doing anything impactful even though you're breathing?', such a question passed through his mind. He breathed a small sigh of relief.

He felt like he did better in general when he didn't need to do much, but still was credited for it.

Perhaps being wealthy but known as a piece of trash had its own benefits as well?

Compared to being put in the body of a high-class, super-talented individual in a prominent position, a person that quite literally nobody has much expectation for, but still has considerable wealth was a much better option.

He didn't have much talent in his past life as well, so he felt content just being a side character, even if he was known to be a good-for-nothing.

(Although...)

Was the original Noir's trash-attribute simply that strong? His expression turned grim.

"I-I'm terribly sorry! I shall quickly throw this out and ask the chef for another batch!"

The maid was visibly flustered. She somehow interpreted Noir's grim expression to be because irritation.

"But it's good though?"

"....Eh?"

The maid was prepared for him to throw a fit like he always did and kick or even flip the coffee table, but the unexpected words caused her to let out a dumb noise as her face expressed confusion.

"It's good.", he continued in a matter-of-fact tone as he took another cookie from the tray.

(What a waste it would be to throw this...)

What kind of imbecile would he be if he stuck to the original Noir's act and agreed to throwing it out even when it was so exquisite?

He then turned to look at the maid's face. Her cheeks turned slightly red as they made eye contact.

"Hmm?"

Recognition flashed through his red irises for a split second.

From the novel that had a vast multitude of characters, this maid was actually someone he recognized among the few side characters to get a deeper description than others.

"Sarah...?", muttered Noir unconsciously. He was unsure if he was right, but...

"Y-Yesh?! That's my name!"

Guess he was.... He totally forgot about this character.

Getting a good look at her, she looked younger, but he was not mistaken, seeing her silver hair that loomed just over her shoulder coupled with her navy blue eyes. She was Sarah, Noir's maid in the novel.

(Wait, maid?), Noir thought as he suddenly felt an uncomfortable chill.

"Then if I'm not mistaken...."

She was an orphan that was adopted by a commoner couple who lived near the border of the Vournemouth Viscounty that found her floating in a basket in a river. When she was old enough, she was sent to work as a maid in the Vournemouth residence and was appointed by Martin as Noir's personal maid.

Noir could only imagine what her life was like, working for the original Noir. It wasn't described in the novel, but it could only have been terrible.

He knew one thing though...

(She is destined to die a year from now, if I consider the novel's timeline.), he thought as immense amounts of sweat formed on his forehead. It was a terrifying realization.

And Noir was one of the reasons that caused her death.

He could have sworn that he saw a small death flag firmly plant itself on top of her head at that moment.

"Uhmm, young master, why are you staring above my head?"

It took his all to not choke on the cookie in his pharynx.