Can Someone (Anyone!) Please Turn Off the Auto-Skill Setting?! - Chapter 85
That night, Nancy’s face showed clear signs of exhaustion as she made her way back to the bedroom after dinner. The meal had been a battlefield in itself.
The menu was excellent, and the atmosphere had been fine at first. Aaron’s mother, with her striking beauty, was almost too dazzling to look at directly. She was already stunning just sitting there, but her smile made her even more radiant.
It could have been a pleasant evening, surrounded by delicious food and beautiful people, but then David, Aaron’s father, asked him the question.
“What are your plans from now on?”
David naturally assumed his son would return to the holy order, but Aaron shook his head. He spoke frankly, saying that since he’d lost his chastity, he could no longer go back to the order.
How did he know? Nancy hadn’t said a word about being the one who stole that purity. Yet, David’s angered gaze landed squarely on her.
“What does that mean?”
It sounded like he was questioning his son, but it also felt like an interrogation directed at Nancy. Aaron’s beautiful mother froze mid-motion, fork and knife in hand. Boron, who had been beaming at Nancy just moments ago, sat there with his mouth agape.
Everyone at the table realized who the culprit was.
How did they figure it out so quickly? Nancy felt cold sweat running down her back under the weight of their stares.
Maybe they had noticed Aaron’s hand reaching for hers beneath the table. After a brief hesitation, she took his hand and flashed an awkward smile at David.
It was a good thing David was a well-mannered man. Otherwise, he might’ve thrown his fork at her. If it had been old man Rivel, he surely would have.
Though relieved David wasn’t like Rivel, Nancy couldn’t help but feel a little smug satisfaction. The man who had given her a shop closure order now sat before her, boiling with anger.
“I plan to help her rebuild Nancy’s shop after leaving the order.”
“Hm. And why would you help with that? Out of camaraderie?”
“I would’ve helped even as a companion, but we’re more than that now.”
Aaron finally admitted what everyone had known but hadn’t spoken aloud. His mother set her utensils down and glanced nervously at her husband. David’s mouth twitched as though he was about to curse.
But Boron beat him to it, shouting across the table,
“You went out to slay the Cardinal Guardians, and this is what you did instead?”
He pointed accusingly at Aaron, calling him insane. Aaron cast a sidelong glance at his brother and calmly grabbed Boron’s outstretched finger, twisting it upward.
Boron yelped in pain, and their mother pleaded for them to stop. It was complete chaos.
Amid the chaos, the most impressive thing was the servants’ composure. Despite the shouting and bickering, they continued clearing and setting dishes with remarkable efficiency, as if flowing with the room’s energy.
Before Nancy knew it, a chocolate cake had been placed in front of her for dessert, while everyone else was still working through their lobster.
“The meal seems to be to your liking, at least,” David commented snidely.
Nancy, who had been quietly enjoying her dessert amidst the chaos, couldn’t help but put her fork down at his pointed remark.
To be fair, she hadn’t planned to just ignore their fight and focus on eating. She had wanted to speak up, but every time she opened her mouth, David shot her a murderous glare.
His eyes conveyed everything: Say something, and I will end you.
So what choice did she have? She kept quiet and picked at her food.
“I’ll discuss your future with the commander of the holy order.”
David sighed, clearly exhausted. Despite the ongoing discussion, Aaron frowned and firmly restated his position.
“I won’t walk the path of a paladin anymore.”
“Because of you, I couldn’t become a paladin! And now you’re saying you won’t even continue?”
Boron slammed his fist on the table, causing the dishes to rattle. Aaron gave his brother a regretful look.
“I’m sorry about that.”
“If you’re going to be stubborn, then take responsibility for it! Never get married! I’ll take care of the hero in your place—”
Before Boron could finish, Aaron twisted his other finger as well.
David, clearly at his wit’s end, ended the dinner and left. Nancy, unable to finish her dessert, found herself unceremoniously ushered out of the room.
