Chapter 8: How did I make it WORSE!?

The Velclair estate was still, but the tension from the previous night's assassination attempt lingered heavily in the air. The attack by Elara, a trusted maid, had shaken the family to its core. Her fanatical claim that Ryuto was the "chosen one" from a prophecy, the child destined to face the Demon King, had been dismissed by the family as nothing more than the ravings of a dangerous cult.

Still, the threat was real, and Duke Alphonse knew it.

The family gathered that afternoon in the grand hall to discuss the implications of the cult's growing influence and the danger to their household. Ryuto, sitting in Celeste's lap as usual, tried to remain calm. He could feel the weight of the conversation around him, even though he pretended to be nothing more than a sleepy baby in his sister's arms.

Alphonse stood at the head of the room, his expression grim. His voice cut through the silence as he addressed the family. "The attack last night wasn't just an isolated incident. This cult is targeting our family." He paused, his eyes scanning the faces around the table. "They believe we hold some key to their delusions. That maid spoke of a prophecy, of some child who would face the Demon King. They're convinced that it's Ryuto."

Duke Alphonse's voice dropped lower, steely with resolve. "But we all know that's nonsense."

Duchess Seraphina nodded, her delicate features drawn into a tight frown. "They must think our family is vulnerable, that by targeting Ryuto, the youngest and weakest, they could strike a blow against us. But we will not allow these fanatics to gain the upper hand."

Edwin, standing with his arms folded across his chest, was brimming with tension. His jaw clenched as he added, "They think we're weak. They think Ryuto is an easy target because he's a baby. But they're wrong. This cult is nothing more than a pack of madmen, and they will regret ever setting their sights on us."

Ryuto's heart pounded as he listened to them talk about him. The family had completely dismissed the idea that he might actually be the chosen one from the prophecy. They believed the cult had targeted him simply because he was the most defenseless member of the family.

They have no idea, Ryuto thought, his mind spinning. He was the chosen one, he was certain of it now. But how could he reveal that without raising suspicion? How could he explain that he had been reincarnated into this world with powers far beyond what they could understand?

He shifted slightly in Celeste's lap, her arms tightening around him as if to protect him from the invisible threat of the cult. Her obsession, fueled by the Affection Points Ryuto had mistakenly maxed out, was becoming more suffocating by the day.

Alphonse's voice broke through Ryuto's thoughts. "We will increase security around the estate. Ryuto will not be left alone, and I'll assign trusted guards to watch over him day and night."

Celeste immediately nodded, clutching Ryuto closer to her chest. "I won't let anyone hurt him," she whispered fiercely. "He's my little brother. No one will get to him."

Ryuto could barely suppress his frustration. If only you knew what was really going on… The Dating Sim App had done its job too well. Celeste's affection was so high now that she refused to leave him alone for more than a few minutes at a time, and it was making it nearly impossible for him to act on his own plans. He had tried lowering the points, but the system wouldn't let him, 95 Affection Points, and no way to reverse it.

And now, the family was surrounding him with even more security. Guards, fortified defenses, constant surveillance, all designed to protect him from the cult that wanted him dead.

It would have been comforting… if Ryuto wasn't already choking under Celeste's overbearing love.

The family continued their discussion in tense tones, the weight of the cult's threat hanging over the room like a dark cloud. Ryuto sat quietly in Celeste's lap, his mind racing with the realization that the family didn't believe he was the chosen one.

Duke Alphonse spoke again, his voice hardening. "This cult is clearly dangerous, and they believe in this prophecy nonsense. We'll root them out, find where they're hiding, and put an end to this threat. If they think targeting our family is a way to further their agenda, they've made a grave mistake."

Edwin nodded firmly. "We should take the fight to them. Waiting for them to strike again will only give them the advantage."

Seraphina, ever the composed matriarch, leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing. "Do we know how widespread their influence is? Have there been other attacks in neighboring regions?"

Alphonse shook his head. "We've only received reports of strange movements in the nearby forests and villages. The cult seems to be operating in the shadows, but we'll shine a light on them soon enough. For now, our priority is keeping Ryuto safe."

Ryuto inwardly winced. As much as he appreciated the protection, their focus on his safety was only making things harder for him. He needed freedom to grow his magic, to experiment with the smartphone system, and to figure out how to deal with the cult on his own terms.

But with Celeste glued to him and guards soon to be posted at every corner, freedom was going to be hard to come by.

As the family continued discussing plans to strengthen the estate's defenses, Ryuto felt the weight of his situation pressing down on him. He had so many secrets, his reincarnation, his powers, his system, and he had to keep them hidden. Worse, his own manipulations with Celeste had backfired so badly that he was now trapped under her obsessive protection.

He needed a solution, fast.

Later that night, after Celeste had finally put him to bed, Ryuto lay in his crib, staring up at the ceiling as his mind raced. He could hear the guards being stationed outside, their heavy footsteps echoing down the hallway. The estate was being fortified, all for the sake of keeping him safe from a cult they didn't fully understand.

They don't even know the real reason the cult is after me, Ryuto thought. They think I'm just a helpless baby they targeted for no reason. If they knew the truth, they'd never let me out of their sight.

He sighed inwardly, his tiny hands curling into fists under the blanket. He had been given incredible power, but in this baby form, he was still weak, still vulnerable. If the cult struck again, he wouldn't be able to defend himself, not properly. Not yet.

I need to get stronger. The thought reverberated through him like a mantra. His magic was growing, but it wasn't enough. He needed more time, more freedom to explore his powers.

But first, he had to find a way to deal with Celeste.

Ryuto carefully reached under his pillow, pulling out his smartphone. He opened the Dating Sim App, staring at Celeste's affection level, 95 Points, locked and unchangeable. No matter how many times he tapped the screen, the system refused to let him lower her affection.

Error: Affection Points cannot be decreased once they exceed 90.

The message flashed on the screen again, mocking him. Ryuto clenched his tiny fists, feeling the frustration welling up inside him. He had been careless, too focused on manipulating Celeste's feelings to think about the consequences. And now, he was trapped by his own actions.

As he lay there, staring at the screen, Ryuto felt the familiar weight of dread creeping up on him. The cult was still out there, and despite his family's best efforts, they weren't prepared for what was coming.

He was the one who had to be ready.

The morning sun filtered through the nursery windows, casting a soft glow over the Velclair estate. But for Ryuto, it felt more like the harsh light of an interrogation lamp. He was stuck, trapped in a perfect storm of over-affection, obsessive protection, and now, a locked affection meter that refused to budge no matter what he tried.

Celeste had once again carried him downstairs for breakfast, cradling him as if he were the most precious thing in the world. He tried to wriggle free, but her grip was firm, and her smile never wavered. She cooed over him, brushing her fingers through his hair as if she were caring for an adorable doll rather than a reincarnated teenager with far too many problems.

Ryuto sighed inwardly. He needed to fix this, and fast. His earlier attempts to lower her Affection Points through the Dating Sim App had failed spectacularly, and now he was left with one horrible conclusion:

If I can't lower the points through the system… I'll have to make her hate me the old-fashioned way.

The very thought made him cringe. Celeste, with her soft smiles, her obsessive devotion, and her firm belief that he was some precious treasure, had become his worst nightmare. She was everywhere, hovering over him, protecting him from invisible dangers, doting on him to the point of suffocation.

He needed space. He needed freedom. But above all, he needed to drop her affection down by at least 10 points, anything to make her back off.

If she starts to hate me, maybe the system will unlock, Ryuto reasoned. All I need to do is push her buttons enough to drop her affection... right?

That morning, he put his plan into action.

The first step in Ryuto's grand scheme was deceptively simple. He had seen countless babies do this to their caretakers with great success: spit-up. If there was one thing that could turn any adoring older sister away, it was the prospect of getting covered in baby mess. If he could just time it right, maybe, just maybe, Celeste would be so grossed out that her affection would start to drop.

As Celeste fed him a bottle of warm milk, Ryuto pretended to suckle contentedly. But deep down, his plan was already in motion. He took in as much milk as he could, holding it in his mouth, waiting for the right moment.

Celeste smiled down at him, completely oblivious to his scheme. "You're such a good boy, Ryuto," she cooed. "Drinking your milk so nicely. I'm so proud of you."

Now! Ryuto thought, and with a deliberate move, he let the milk spill out of his mouth, sending a stream of warm, milky mess all over Celeste's dress.

For a moment, time seemed to stop.

Ryuto held his breath, waiting for the disgust, the anger, the moment where she'd recoil and pull away from him.

Instead, Celeste simply laughed. Laughed.

"Oh, you silly little boy!" she giggled, wiping the milk from her dress with a napkin. "You made a mess, didn't you? But that's okay. You're just a baby."

Ryuto's eye twitched. That… did not go as planned.

Celeste continued to smile, her affection for him seemingly untouched by the mess. In fact, if anything, she seemed even more charmed by his little "accident."

Alright… that was just a warm-up. Time for Plan B.

Next, Ryuto decided to go with a classic: incessant crying. If there was one thing that could make even the most loving sibling snap, it was constant, unrelenting baby wailing. Celeste had been doting on him all morning, surely if he cried non-stop, it would wear her down. She'd lose patience, get frustrated, and hopefully, Affection Points would plummet.

The opportunity came when Celeste decided to take him outside for a walk through the gardens. As she carried him through the blooming flowers, cooing softly about how beautiful the estate was, Ryuto prepared his next move.

He opened his mouth and let out the most obnoxious, high-pitched cry he could muster. It wasn't real crying, of course, just noise. Noise with the sole purpose of driving her absolutely insane.

Celeste stopped in her tracks, looking down at him with wide eyes. "Oh, Ryuto, what's wrong? Are you upset? What happened?"

Cry more! Ryuto mentally commanded himself, and he did. He wailed louder, his tiny fists flailing as if he were in the midst of the worst tantrum of his life.

But Celeste's reaction was far from what he expected.

Instead of looking frustrated or annoyed, she immediately hugged him tighter.

"There, there," she whispered soothingly. "You must be upset, my poor little Ryuto. Don't worry. I'm here. I'll make it better."

She started rocking him gently, humming a lullaby as she walked back to the estate.

Ryuto's cries faltered. No way… is this actually making her like me more?

Celeste's gentle shushing, her unwavering affection, it wasn't breaking her. If anything, it seemed to be drawing her closer to him. The louder he cried, the more she tried to comfort him.

This… this isn't working, Ryuto thought desperately. Why is this not working?!

After several minutes of half-hearted wailing, Ryuto gave up. Celeste had completely misinterpreted his cries as a sign of distress, and now she was being even more protective than before.

If spitting up and crying didn't work, Ryuto decided to go all out with his next move: the dreaded diaper disaster. Surely, no one, not even Celeste, would want to dote on him after that.

As the day wore on and Ryuto felt a certain pressure building in his tiny body, he knew the moment had come. This was going to be disgusting, but it had to be done. He waited until Celeste was in the middle of feeding him lunch. Her guard was down, and she was completely focused on him.

This is it. The ultimate plan.

And then… it happened.

A mess.

A huge, unavoidable, smelly disaster that would send any normal person running in the opposite direction.

Ryuto watched with bated breath as Celeste blinked, realizing what had just happened. This was the moment, this had to break her.

Instead, she simply smiled.

"Oh, Ryuto," she said sweetly, as if nothing had happened. "You had an accident, didn't you? But that's okay. I'll clean you up."

Ryuto's jaw would have dropped if he weren't physically incapable of it. How? How was she still smiling?!

By the end of the day, Ryuto was ready to throw in the towel. He had tried everything to make Celeste snap, everything short of outright attacking her, and none of it had worked. She was as loving and doting as ever, perhaps even more so. Her obsession seemed to grow with every failed attempt.

That night, as Celeste cradled him in her arms before bed, Ryuto checked the Dating Sim App one more time, hoping to see some kind of decrease in affection.

Instead, the number had risen.

Celeste's Affection: 96 Points

No… no, no, no! Ryuto thought, his heart sinking. How is this happening?!

Celeste smiled down at him, her eyes soft and dreamy. "You know, Ryuto," she said in a hushed tone, "when you grow up, we're going to be together forever."

Ryuto blinked, his baby brain struggling to process what she had just said.

"I know it might sound silly," Celeste continued, "but I've been thinking… once you're older, we could run away together. Just the two of us. We wouldn't need anyone else. We could be… married."

Ryuto's brain short-circuited.

What?!

Celeste smiled wider, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Doesn't that sound perfect? You and me, together forever?"

Ryuto's panic hit an all-time high. I've made a huge mistake.

The next morning, Ryuto awoke with the sinking feeling that his life had just taken a dramatic turn for the worse. Celeste's declaration the night before, that she wanted to run away with him and get married, had sent his panic into overdrive. He had tried everything to lower her Affection Points, only for them to increase. Worse, she now seemed convinced that their future was some twisted fairytale where they would be together forever.

I need to get out of this mess, Ryuto thought, his mind racing as Celeste hovered nearby, her smile as radiant as ever.

Celeste picked him up, cradling him in her arms as she hummed a soft tune. "Good morning, Ryuto," she cooed, planting a kiss on his forehead. "Did you sleep well, my little prince?"

Ryuto barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Oh, I slept great, except for the part where I realized you're planning our future wedding, he thought, but outwardly, he gave her a babyish coo, keeping up the innocent act.

Just as Celeste was about to start another round of coddling, the door to the nursery swung open, and Duke Alphonse strode in, his presence commanding. His expression was stern, and his gaze immediately fell on Celeste, who was still fussing over Ryuto.

"Celeste," Alphonse said sharply, "we need to talk."

Celeste blinked in surprise, but she smiled at her father, still holding Ryuto close. "Of course, Father. Is something wrong?"

Alphonse crossed his arms, his brow furrowing as he looked at her. "You've been doting on Ryuto far too much," he said, his voice firm. "I know you love him, but this constant attention is making him weak."

Ryuto's heart skipped a beat. Weak? I'm not weak, I'm just trying not to get suffocated by your daughter's affection!

Celeste's smile faltered for a moment, confusion flickering in her eyes. "Father, he's just a baby. How could he be weak? I'm only looking after him."

Alphonse's gaze hardened. "A boy born into this family cannot afford to be coddled. Ryuto may be a baby now, but he will grow up, and when he does, he needs to be strong. There are dangerous forces at play, and the last thing we need is for him to grow dependent on you for everything."

Celeste opened her mouth to protest, but Alphonse raised a hand, silencing her. "I'm not saying you can't love him or care for him, but this, " he gestured to the way Celeste was holding Ryuto, wrapped tightly in her arms, ", this is too much. You're smothering him, and it's not healthy. He needs space to grow."

Ryuto could have cried tears of joy. Finally, someone who gets it!

But Celeste looked stricken, her eyes filling with worry. "But, Father… I just want to keep him safe. With everything that's happened, the cult, the danger, I don't want to leave his side."

Alphonse softened slightly, his tone becoming less harsh but still firm. "I understand, Celeste. I do. But you're not the only one who will protect him. He has guards now, and the estate has been fortified. You've done your part. Now, let him have some space. Let him learn to grow without you hovering over him every second of the day."

Celeste hesitated, glancing down at Ryuto, who gave her the most innocent, pleading look he could muster. Please agree, Celeste, he thought desperately. I need this.

Finally, she nodded, though she still looked uncertain. "I… I understand, Father. I'll try to give him more space."

Alphonse nodded, satisfied. "Good. It's for his own good, Celeste. You'll see." With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Celeste standing there, her arms still wrapped around Ryuto.

For the first time in days, Ryuto felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could finally have some breathing room.

Over the next few days, Ryuto noticed a change in Celeste's behavior. She was still affectionate, of course, still doting on him more than any older sister probably should, but she had taken her father's words to heart. She no longer hovered over him constantly, giving him more time to himself in the nursery or with the maids.

It wasn't perfect, but it was progress.

Ryuto used this newfound space to refocus on his magic training, practicing in secret when he was alone in his crib. His mana was growing stronger, but controlling it was still difficult. Every time he tried to channel more powerful spells, the energy threatened to spiral out of control, forcing him to stop before he accidentally set something on fire.

He knew he needed to improve if he was going to survive the next attack from the cult. They weren't going to stop just because their first assassination attempt had failed. They would come again, and Ryuto needed to be ready.

But for now, he was content to take advantage of the small victories he had gained.

One evening, as Ryuto lay in his crib, staring up at the ceiling, he felt a strange sense of peace settle over him. For the first time in weeks, he didn't feel like he was suffocating under Celeste's attention. The guards were keeping watch outside his door, and Celeste was spending more time in her own room, giving him space to breathe.

Maybe things are finally starting to turn around, Ryuto thought, feeling a small sense of accomplishment.

But deep down, he knew that this was only a temporary reprieve. The cult was still out there, and they still believed he was the chosen one from the prophecy. His family, for now, remained blissfully unaware of the full truth. They believed the cult was after their family, not because of the prophecy, but because of their noble status.

Ryuto, however, knew better.

They're after me, he thought grimly. Because I am the chosen one.

The weight of that realization sat heavily on his small shoulders. He had powers that no one else in this world had, but he was still stuck in the body of a child, unable to fully control those powers or defend himself properly.

But that would change.

I just need to survive long enough to grow up, he thought, a determined fire igniting in his chest. Once I'm older, once I've mastered my powers, I'll be unstoppable.

Months passed, and Ryuto found himself slowly but surely gaining more control over his life. Celeste, though still obsessively protective, had learned to give him space, and Duke Alphonse's insistence on Ryuto becoming strong had paid off in ways Ryuto couldn't have imagined.

His magic training had become more intense. He practiced every night in secret, honing his skills and pushing the limits of his mana. His control over his spells was improving, and he had begun to dabble in more complex magic, testing the waters of what he could accomplish.

But most importantly, time was moving forward.

As the months turned into years, Ryuto's body grew, and with it, his power. His early childhood, fraught with danger, affection mismanagement, and assassination attempts, had prepared him for what was coming next.

The cult was still out there, watching, waiting. But Ryuto wasn't afraid anymore. He had grown stronger, physically and magically, and he was ready for whatever came next.

And then, one day, as he stood in front of a mirror, no longer a helpless infant, but a seven-year-old boy, Ryuto grinned to himself.

It's time to start taking this world by storm.