Teaming up with his father, Sylas would orchestrate an assassination for the two of them.
This current operation, however, was designed to upend the process entirely.
Specifically, Rocco's aim was to prevent the development of the grudge Sylas was supposed to harbor against him, a critical step in the chain of events that was leading to his doom.
Two actions were necessary to achieve this.
First, Rocco needed to make it abundantly clear to Sylas—and to everyone else in the main family—that there was no bond or alliance whatsoever between him and his mother.
Second, to minimize the chances of being disliked or resented, he would have to shower Sylas with as much goodwill as possible, selling every ounce of charm he could muster.
The earlier shrimp incident had already helped serve the first objective.
By ensuring there was no pretense that he or Layla had plotted to undermine Sylas, it subtly conveyed to Sylas that Rocco had no involvement in his mother's schemes.
Whether or not that part of the plan succeeded was still unclear.
The results were murky at best.
However, the shrimp incident had run its course.
There was no time to dwell on regret; it was time to move swiftly to the next phase.
This next step, the primary focus of his current efforts, was what Rocco had dubbed the "Operation To Win Over Sylas's Favor."
"...Hey, Master," a small voice chimed in. "Are you sure your brother is really coming here?"
After the nightmare of the dinner party concluded and a brief period of rest, Rocco and his group headed to their next planned location.
Hiding within a dense thicket, they went over the details of their plan.
As they whispered among themselves, Georgio suddenly pressed his body close to Rocco, his small frame shrinking as he spoke in a hushed tone.
Rocco quickly reminded Georgio to stay quiet, emphasizing the importance of not being discovered.
He glanced up at Georgio's skeptical expression and gave a thoughtful nod.
Of course, Rocco couldn't exactly claim to know what would happen next, as if he were some kind of prophet.
Instead, he had vaguely explained to his companions that the information had come from "a certain source."
However, even with such a plausible explanation, it was proving difficult to convince them entirely.
Georgio, though silent, still wore a slightly doubtful expression.
It was clear that Rocco needed a more convincing story to win them over.
"Hmm, he'll definitely come," Rocco said with absolute certainty. "I asked that certain someone to tell me, and they said my brother often comes to this lake when he needs a break."
As Rocco spun the story aloud, he simultaneously reviewed it in his mind, making sure it aligned with what would soon happen.
What was about to unfold, Rocco thought grimly, was one of the most malicious events orchestrated by his mother against Sylas—a moment that stood out as particularly horrifying.
Sylas often go to the secluded lake deep within the garden whenever he felt stressed or burdened.
Knowing this, Rocco's mother would sneak to the lake under the guise of coincidence and, as usual, hurl cruel and cutting words at Sylas.
But this time, the incident wouldn't stop there.
Already exhausted and emotionally frayed, Sylas would be overwhelmed by the shrill taunts of his despised stepmother.
Dizzy and disoriented, he would stumble and lose his balance, his body collapsing backward—into the lake behind him with a loud splash.
The moment Sylas fell into the lake, Rocco's mother didn't rush to rescue him.
Instead, she saw an opportunity.
Cold-heartedly, she schemed to make it look like an accident and let Sylas drown, a truly despicable act.
Fortunately, Sylas would manage to drag himself out of the lake, narrowly escaping death.
However, the incident would leave him deeply traumatized, burdening him with even more emotional scars and exhaustion.
If this could guarantee only his mother's downfall, Rocco thought, he might have been tempted to let events play out.
But no matter how much he desired revenge, he couldn't simply stand by and ignore such a horrific event for his own selfish gains.
After all, Sylas was only a 12-year-old boy.
Even if he was the heir to a mafia family, he was still just a child.
To knowingly allow such a tragedy to happen to him and do nothing would make Rocco no better than the lowest scum—less a bystander fighting for survival, and more an irredeemable coward.
Huff!~
"Hey, Ragar?" Georgio whispered, his voice laced with confusion. "Why does Master look so adorably fired up right now? Do you think we're about to face some enemy in battle or something?"
"If that's the case," Ragar growled, "I'll personally strangle every last one of them—HEY! Don't you dare to cling so closely to Young Master like that! Hands off!"
"But come on, it's just too cute!" Georgio protested, clinging at Rocco even tighter. "Huff!~ What even is that? Oh, I get it! Master's unleashing the ultimate adorable attack to incapacitate the enemy with sheer cuteness!"
Meanwhile, Rocco puffed his cheeks in frustration, muttering to himself about that "evil mother" who thought she could get away with harming an innocent child.
She'll never get away with it! he huffed, steeling himself with a determined.
Fueled by this burst of energy, Rocco let out a confident "huff, huff," psyching himself up for the plan ahead.
Suddenly, Georgio threw his arms around him in a tight hug.
"What now?" Rocco thought, momentarily confused.
However, when Georgio turned away with an exaggeratedly innocent expression, Rocco merely sighed.
Georgio's odd behavior was nothing new, and honestly, it wasn't worth worrying about.
He'll get bored and let go eventually, Rocco decided, letting Georgio cling to him for the time being.
"Hey, hey, Master!" Georgio chirped. "Do the Huff!~ thing again! Just one more time!"
"Hmph? Huff!~"
"Ahhh, so adorable! Look at that little pout! What's this? Do you want a kiss? Is that it? Master wants to kiss me, doesn't he? What a flirt!"