"Hey, Jarvis."
[...]
"Jarvis!"
I playfully punched the screen in front of me.
[Who's Jarvis?]
I chuckled at his obvious question.
"Take a wild guess."
[Me?]
His response carried a hint of surprise, buried within its genderless and emotionless tone.
"Yeah, you got it right. So count yourself lucky. It took me a whole night of brainstorming to come up with a name for you. Jarvis, quite a unique choice, don't you think?"
[Thank you, Edward.]
"Don't sweat it."
I grinned, stifling a laugh.
I mean, come on, when you think of an AI sidekick, isn't Jarvis the first name that pops into your head?
"By the way, is there like a shop function in this… uh… world?"
[System? This isn't exactly a 'system'.]
"Wow, hold on a second. Isn't this like one of those classic scenarios—getting reincarnated into a game as the supposed villain?"
[You're taking this rather lightly, Edward. The person who brought you here must have had some purpose.]
I nodded in agreement, a wry smile on my face.
"Yeah, I know. Selfish motives are part of human nature, and it seems like our dear summoner here has a generous share of it."
A sigh escaped my lips.
"No shop then? What a bummer. I was kinda hoping to snag some cheat items and rule the world."
[As I mentioned earlier, you're underestimating this situation, Edward. According to the data, this world is no walk in the park.]
"You're seriously a robot, aren't you…?"
[This marks the sixth time you've asked that question.]
"Well, you talk just like a human, that's why."
[I was created by a remarkable scientist.]
"Hmm, a scientist, huh?"
Curiosity was creeping up on me. He knew about Ephera, he had a link to the game [Princess and Dragon]...the same game Ephera bought…
"...!"
I sprang up from the bed, as if hit by an electric jolt.
Ephera, she was the one who got that game...
She had mentioned someone's recommendation for that game.
But what was the connection between Ephera, the game, and the person who summoned me?
-Knock!
"Young master."
The butler's voice from beyond the door interrupted my thoughts.
"I'm busy."
I shook my head, rising from the bed.
[You mean you were sleeping, right?]
"Yeah."
I donned an oversized suit and emerged as the dignified heir of the Falkrona Duchy. Descending the stairs, I laid eyes on a familiar face.
A person of my age, with brown hair and fiery red eyes—Simon Falkrona, Edward's foster brother. Simon's father had been close to Thomen Falkrona, and upon his death, Thomen had chosen to adopt Simon. I knew this because Simon was one of the key side characters and a friend of the [Main Protagonist].
In the grand narrative, while Edward was the [Major Antagonist], his foster brother Simon would ally himself with the [Main Protagonist] to 'rescue' his misguided foster sibling, Edward. And by 'rescue', I meant beating him to a pulp. With Edward out of the way, Simon would conveniently step into the spotlight as the heir of the Falkrona Dukedom. As for his foster sister, Elona, Edward's own blood sibling, she'd be roped into the Protagonist's ever-expanding harem — after all, Elona was the sub-Heroine of the First Game!
The memory of Simon and Elona scheming to kill Edward in the game brought a wave of disgust over me. Observing them chatting happily, seemingly ignoring my existence, only fueled that feeling. They were allies in their twisted game, planning to off Edward in the digital realm and presumably harboring similar intentions in this reality. It struck me harder that I had no allies in this world — not even within my own family, which was fundamentally against me.
"Brother," Simon's voice called, a hint of conflict in his tone.
"I'm not your brother, and you're not treating me like one either, so spare me the act. It's nauseating."
Simon stood there, speechless, confronted by my newfound arrogance and icy demeanor. Unlike this Edward's customary spoiled behavior with Simon, born out of jealousy, I held nothing back.
Elona's glare intensified. She was really close to Simon after all.
[You know, it's due to your reputation, right?]
'It's not my doing,' I silently communicated, not appreciating the telepathic useless remark Jarvis provided.
What a useless system honestly.
[True, but your sister and brother believe that you're still you. It's only natural for them to be skeptical. Also, I'm not precisely a system.]
"They aren't my family, then. I don't have time for strangers."
Cutting off my thought conversation with Jarvis, I turned my gaze to Simon.
"What?"
Simon heaved a sigh and moved aside. I focused on the approaching figure of a tall, elegant man. Grey hair mirrored my own, and matching grey eyes met Elona's. This was Thomen Falkrona, Edward's father.
I could feel in the incoming headache.
Thomen halted before me, his scrutinizing gaze traveling over my form.
"The Royal Princess has called off the engagement."
"Yeah."
I shrugged nonchalantly.
For the second time, my demeanor caught my father off guard. Edward typically behaved like a frightened kitten in front of him, but then again, I wasn't Edward.
"Are you aware of what we've lost? What you've lost?"
"No."
Thomen's face contorted with growing anger.
"Words fail me to express my disappointment. I had hopes for you — that you'd change. You should have taken a leaf out of your brother and sister's books."
"They are not my brother and sister."
My deliberate enunciation emphasized each word.
"And you aren't my fa-"
-Slap!
My sentence was cut short as Thomen's hand collided with my cheek. The slap was swift and forceful enough to send me stumbling, a not-so-surprising outcome given my bulk.
Elona and Simon were equally stunned by Thomen's unexpected action.
-Thud
I landed on my rear, eyes fixed on the ground. It was the safer option — looking at Thomen might push me over the edge, prompting an attack that I wasn't even sure was feasible.
"Ahaha..." A weak, almost humorless laugh escaped me — a laugh that resounded in the otherwise silent entrance hall.
Rising to my feet, I dusted myself off and made my way to the wooden doors leading out of the mansion.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm leaving this shitty house."
"Edward."
Thomen's chilling tone attempted to halt my exit.
"You have no right to stop me."
I replied without a hint of eye contact. The memories of the game replayed in my mind. I wasn't sure why, but they were flooding my thoughts. Edward Falkrona had been the embodiment of villainy in the game, and his descent into darkness had begun when he lost his mother. She had been his anchor, his most beloved person in the world. It was in that pivotal moment that Thomen Falkrona chose to adopt Simon. Right when Edward needed his father the most, Thomen had shown preference to his friend's child.
People could argue why Elona Falkrona, Edward's sister of the same age, hadn't veered down the same twisted path as him. It boiled down to the fact that Edward wasn't completely benign even when his mother was alive, in stark contrast to Elona.
I wasn't defending Edward's actions, but oddly enough, my emotions were aligning more with his perspective.
"Since you love that guy so much, why not appoint him as the new heir? I'm abandoning my title as heir to the Falkrona Duchy."
"...!"
Thomen, Simon, and Elona were speechless by my declaration.
"Yeah, I have no use for family or the burdensome status."
"Broth-"
Without waiting for further exchanges, I exited the mansion. Not a single soul attempted to intervene — even the staff cast awestruck glances my way.
"Notice, Jarvis? Nobody's trying to stop me or even giving me a second glance. I bet they're happier now."
I chuckled.
[Well, that's rather evident.]
"Keep your sarcasm in check."
[So, Edward, what's your next move? You've abandoned your position, you lack funds, and the academy starts in a month. Thankfully, you're pre-registered, so enrolling isn't a problem, but you need to survive until then.]
"Don't you worry, Jarvis. I've got a plan."
I flashed a confident smile, though on the inside, I was sweating buckets.
'Nothing ventured, nothing gained…'