Al was still walking backward, waving at Clara's car as it drove away, when he suddenly bumped into something.
"Ugh—" Al grunted.
He turned around.
Standing before him was a tall, dignified man in a world-class business suit. His sharp eyes and stern expression exuded overwhelming pressure.
His father. Edward Virellano.
In his left hand, he was holding a phone he had just lowered from his ear. His face instantly twisted in displeasure.
"What is this?" his father said.
His eyes scanned Al from head to toe. Smudged face, dirty shirt, stained pants… and a stench—an unmistakable stench of a damp, sewer-like evening.
Al stared blankly for a few seconds. Then, in a completely flat tone:
"He... Hello, Father."
"What were you doing?! Did you fall into a sewer?!" his father shouted angrily.
Al slowly took a step back.
"Ehehe… well... something like that."
"This smell?! Why do you stink like this? The Virellano family is not suppo—" Edward's voice cut off as nausea hit him.
Seeing his father fuming, Al turned and sprinted toward the right-wing building—his private residence—shouting over his shoulder:
"Sorry, Father!"
"Don't you run awa— uwekkk!" Edward choked mid-sentence, trying to hold back his nausea while still wanting to scold Al.
His rapid footsteps were like a self-rescue mission from a bomb explosion.
Once the door to his private room slammed shut, Al raised one hand.
"Clean."
WUSHH—
In an instant, his body was spotless. Hair tidy. Clothes looked freshly washed. Sewer stench? Completely gone.
Al let out a deep sigh, slumped to the floor, and stared up at the ceiling.
"It's only the first day of school…"
---
Night had fallen.
The elegant crystal chandelier glowed softly above the main Virellano family dining room. The long marble table was already filled with family members sitting gracefully… except for one empty chair.
The large door at the end of the room slowly opened.
"Excuse me…"
A single head peeked in—messy black hair and a blank expression. Al.
He hadn't even stepped in when a heavy voice rang out.
"Stop."
Edward Virellano glared sharply, half rising from his seat.
"Harun."
"Yes, Sir," replied Butler Harun.
"Check him… see if he's clean. Especially the smell," Edward commanded.
The family's head butler quickly approached Al. With a professional air yet clear concern, he sniffed the air around Al and inspected his collar.
A few seconds later…
"He appears clean, Sir. Smells of lavender soap… and a hint of rosemary."
Edward sighed in relief, though his face remained tense.
David, seated near Edward, raised an eyebrow.
"Father, why does your face look pale?"
Edward, who had been trying to mentally block out the trauma of earlier, suddenly…
"…!"
His face twisted.
"Hur—"
He shot up from his chair, the seat scraping loudly, and bolted toward the private restroom down the hall. The bathroom door slammed shut just before the sound of—
"HUUUEEKK—!!"
Everyone jumped up in shock.
"Fatherrrrr!!" the entire family shouted in unison.
"Oh no, he's vomiting?! Call the doctor now!" Sandra shouted in panic.
Everyone scrambled out of the dining room to check on Edward, leaving one person who had just sat down… still motionless. Al.
He sat alone. Blank stare.
He hadn't even taken his first spoonful of soup.
"…But I don't even smell anymore," he muttered.
After a few moments of reflection, Al slowly stood and walked toward the hallway, face blank, but steps light like a child bracing for scolding.
He stopped in front of the bathroom where Edward was and bowed slightly.
"Sorry, Dad. It was my fault this afternoon," Al said with a pleading tone.
From inside, an angry voice exploded.
"Of course it was your fault!! Why did you come home smelling like a sewer?!" his father shouted.
Before Al could respond, footsteps approached.
"What's going on with Father?" asked Aurielle.
Followed by a sharp voice laced with sarcasm—Sarah.
"That kid must've done something again. What do you mean 'sewer smell'? Were you playing in the mud? Unbelievable."
Edward slowly opened the bathroom door, face pale. Still strong enough to speak:
"He… came home this afternoon with a smudged face… and smelled like… a sewer… hueeekkk."
Everyone froze for a moment.
"What?!" Sandra exclaimed.
Sarah burst into laughter.
"Oh my God, seriously? Sewer-boy coming home to the Virellano family?!"
"Sarah…" Aurielle scolded, but lazily—as if she half-agreed.
"He doesn't belong in this house, let alone dine with us!" Sarah continued, now glaring at Al in disgust. "From now on, eat outside. It's safer for our digestive systems."
Everyone seemed to silently agree with Sarah.
Al just stood there. Blank as usual.
Then flatly:
"Alright. I apologize again."
He turned and walked away—no arguments, no defense.
Silence fell for a moment. Everyone was stunned by… Al's non-reaction.
Sarah clicked her tongue.
"Stop acting like a stray animal."
But Al just kept walking, slow and quiet.
All I did was help a kitten… he thought.
---
After the dining room incident, Al finally returned to his room.
It was spacious, yet empty. Sterile. Like a luxury hotel no one lived in.
He flopped onto the bed—a new one provided by the family. Small, plain, and paired with a modest wardrobe. But enough for Al.
He stared at the ceiling for a while, then raised his left hand.
On it was a small, pitch-black ring. No engravings. No jewels. Just a plain black metal band… at least to ordinary eyes.
Al infused a bit of magic energy, and a dimensional slit opened.
The air around the ring shimmered faintly, like heat rising off asphalt. An invisible space tore open—a personal dimensional storage accessed through the ring. Inside, hundreds of items were stored in perfect, magical order.
Al reached in and pulled out a black outfit. But before he could remove it—
Knock. Knock.
Al froze.
"Young Master… it's Harun. Apologies for the disturbance. Master Edward requests your presence in his study," said Harun from outside the door.
Al sighed softly, returned the outfit, and closed the dimensional slit. As he walked toward the door, he snapped his fingers and activated Aroma Magic.
"Lavender. To feel… more human," he muttered.
Instantly, his body emitted a soft, soothing fragrance.
---