The Unexpected First Impression

Even so, to Rocco, that secondary estate was still his beloved home.

"This way, please. The heads of the family are waiting in the grand hall."

The man addressing him spoke in a detached, formal tone.

Compared to the masculine men of the secondary estate, this man was slender and refined, dressed impeccably in a black suit.

He wore glasses, and while he seemed genteel, Rocco was sure he was a full-fledged member of the organization.

As the son of a mafia family, Rocco had developed a keen eye.

The faint bulge beneath the man's coat was unmistakable—he was carrying a concealed weapon.

The man gestured with a pasted-on smile, inviting Rocco forward, but his eyes—hidden behind his glasses—were cold and humorless.

From head to toe, the man's gaze was unashamedly scrutinizing him, and Rocco could feel every ounce of it.

It was maddening.

Unable to contain his irritation, Rocco let slip a quiet but pointed remark.

"...Hey, you. Close those insolent eyes, or I'll gouge them out. They're offensive."

The line was one of those Rocco had read countless times in the original novels.

Sylas always use that line to intimidating the others.

Rocco had memorized all of Sylas's cutting insults, and this one rolled off his tongue effortlessly.

Rocco's own insults tended to be limited to "idiot" or "fool," so he decided to unleash a line from Sylas's arsenal of cutting remarks.

He directed it at the smug-looking man in glasses, hoping it would deal a blow to his ego.

Cry, crumble, be shattered to tears! Rocco thought with a smirk.

Of course, outwardly, he maintained a stoic expression.

Seconds passed, and Rocco waited with anticipation. Will he cry? Is he going to cry?

Instead, the man blinked in surprise, his eyes going wide, and then, to Rocco's surprise, he covered his mouth and looked down, his shoulders trembling.

...Wait, what? Did I actually hurt his feelings that badly? Panicking internally, Rocco muttered a tentative apology.

But just as he did, the man burst out laughing, a loud and sudden sound that echoed through the hall.

...Wait, he laughing?

"Hah, haha… kuh…"

"...Hey. Don't laugh. What's so funny? Idiot. Fool."

"Pfft! Idiot? Fool?" The man doubled over, clutching his stomach as if trying to hold back his laughter. "The insult earlier was so sharp and commanding, but now…!"

Rocco puffed out his cheeks in irritation, trying to convey his annoyance.

The effort only made the man laugh harder, his guffaws turning into uncontrollable waves of amusement.

He didn't even attempt to straighten his posture but eventually calmed himself, letting out a long, satisfied sigh.

When the man finally raised his head, his expression had softened into a genuinely warm smile.

The sharp, appraising look he had before was completely gone.

His gaze now held a hint of amusement, even kindness.

"I apologize for my earlier behavior. I hadn't realized the Young Master would be so... endearing. I'd imagined you to be quite the opposite."

Quite the opposite…? Rocco didn't dare ask what the man had imagined, though curiosity burned in his chest.