The second male lead's saviour (4)

"Now get out."

"Father-"

"GET OUT BEFORE I LOSE MY PATIENCE WITH YOU!" Kai raised his hand, poised as if about to cast a spell on Adrian. His face was etched with coldness, distant and unyielding.

Adrian had always perceived his father as distant, but in this moment, he sensed a new depth to that distance. For the first time in his life, he felt the weight of his father's disdain bearing down on him. It was a stark realization, shattering his previous judgments. In that moment, he understood just how patient his father had been with him despite the trouble he had purposefully caused. It was a humbling realization, one that made him acutely aware of the strain he had put on their relationship until now.

Still unwilling, Adrian clicked his tongue and flashed Emeric a cold smile before stalking out the door with heavy footsteps, slamming it shut behind him.

[Kai: What a troubled young lad.]

[Rachel: Indeed. He needs a bit of Asian parent handling, but in this world, that sort of approach may as well be branded as torture. What a dilemma.]

[Kai: What sad, pathetic weaklings then.]

Kai then happily turned around and flopped onto the soft pillows of the sofa, relishing the comfort.

[Kai: I never expected someone as stoic as Emeric Darrow to prioritize comfort even in his workplace. This must be his office in the magic tower, right?]

[Rachel: Yeah, this is definitely his office. But you know, Emeric was all about function over comfort. He wanted everything to be efficient, even if it meant sacrificing coziness. Any hint of comfort might just throw him off his game.]

Kai glanced around at the hodgepodge of pillows and the quirky vibe of the room. It was clear that Emeric had attempted to improve things, but perhaps his methods were a bit unconventional.

[Kai: Then, why this effort?]

[Rachel: Well, sweetie, Emeric's office is kind of his sanctuary. It's off-limits to pretty much everyone—except him and his son. You know what the means right?]

[Kai: Ah, I see. He probably tried to make it nice in his own unique way so his son would feel at home when he's here.]

[Rachel: Isn't that just adorable? Too bad his son was totally closed off to anything that didn't align with his own's beliefs. So... are you going to use that attitude of the boy against him?]

[Kai: Yeah, exactly! When you suggested tapping into my character's vulnerability as a strategy, it clicked for me. If I start acting like I've had enough of that disrespectful kid and stop bending over backward for him, maybe he'll finally realize what his dad's been trying to teach him all along. He'll face the consequences his dad was shielding him from, and maybe then we can finally see eye to eye. Plus, if I'm not constantly trying to make up with him, maybe I won't face as much trouble from giving him more attention than the female lead.]

Kai's voice was tinged with excitement, awaiting Rachel's response eagerly. Rachel didn't disappoint.

[Rachel: Wow, what a brilliant plan! You're a real genius, you know that? I knew you had it in you! And hey, don't sell yourself short. You only needed a little nudge in the right direction. Soon, you won't even need that because you're just that amazing!]

[Kai: Hehe, thanks.]

The truth was, back when he was alive, Kai had met a man. This man was instrumental in Kai's growth, teaching him to think for himself and improvise beyond just following orders. Kai often found himself reminiscing about the funny, mischievous, yet caring nature of that man, who had left a lasting impact on him. Remembering that man, Kai found himself smiling softly.

[Rachel: So, what's your plan for saving Adrian?]

[Kai: Oh, that... I've decided to keep Adrian occupied with the troubles that are headed his way now that my—or rather, his father's—protection is no longer there. He'll have his hands full for a while and won't have time to pursue the female lead. Until then...]

[Rachel: Until then?]

[Kai: Well...until then, I'll try to make him give up. I plan to block all his attempts to win that girl's heart.]

[Rachel: That sounds like quite the challenge. After all, she's the quintessential Mary Sue female lead. Once she's charmed the male leads, they'll be smitten for life. Plus, it's not going to be easy to make a second male lead in a story like this give up so easily.]

[Kai: Well, there's no harm in giving it a shot, right? I might not have the power to make the boy give up, but there's someone else in this world who holds more sway than the second lead.]

[Rachel: Tell me more~]

[Kai: The female lead's father.]

[Rachel: And what's your plan involving him?]

[Kai: I'm thinking of seducing him and convincing him to marry me. If we're married, our kids would technically be siblings. I could persuade him to keep my son away from pursuing the girl.]

Rachel's laughter was almost contagious, and when she finally caught her breath, she spoke with excitement.

[Rachel: Oh, sweetheart, you're quite the character! I'm dying to see where this goes. But seriously, where did all this confidence come from? How are you so sure you can seduce him?]

[Kai: Rachel, you're familiar with my past, right?]

[Rachel: Inside and out. When a system or mission executioner is integrated into the system world, all their data gets uploaded into the main server. And it's expected that the system partner assigned to a certain mission executioner sifts through every bit of their information to better assist their partner. So, yeah, I've got all the details about you, sugar.]

Kai couldn't help but feel a tad uneasy knowing that, but he figured there wasn't much he could do about it. So, he just shrugged it off.

[Kai: Well then, you must be aware that I've never failed to seduce anyone I intended to in the past. So, Rachel, if you could spare me the effort of researching this man myself and give me an overview of what you know about him, that would be fantastic.]

[Rachel: Absolutely! Before that though, Kai, I've got a very serious question for you.]

[Kai: Uh, okay?]

[Rachel: Do you want to sleep well tonight?]

[Kai: Um, yes?]

[Rachel: Then you'd better take one of these pillows with you or arrange for something softer. Because Emeric, darling, slept on something that could double as a brick wall. The man was all about waking up early, and he believed that a comfortable sleeping environment might make him lazy.]

[Kai: It can't be that awful.]

[Rachel: Imagine coming home from a long day at work and flopping down on your bed only to get a concussion (..◜ᴗ◝ ..)]

[Kai: That hard huh...]

[Rachel: And thick...]

[Kai: (눈_눈)] 

[Rachel: ( •⩊• )]