System Mission: Seduce the Final Boss [BL]-Chapter 25: I’m not as good as I expected at spying

"Young master, what would you prefer, pasta carbonara or steak with potatoes?"

Blake sat at the long dining table with the rest of his family, though with was a generous way to put it. The table itself was large enough to host twenty people comfortably, gleaming beneath warm chandelier light, and Blake had been placed near the end, far enough away that the laughter and conversation felt distant.

Just like at the mansion, but with people filling the seats.

"Steak with potatoes," he replied.

The servant nodded and left without another word.

Blake leaned back slightly in his chair, watching as plates were passed around and glasses of wine were filled. Conversations flowed across the table: light, effortless and casual. His relatives chatted about business, about recent trips abroad, about someone’s new car.

And, of course, no one spoke to him.

But honestly, it wasn’t as awkward as he’d expected.

Yes, they were clearly ignoring him, but they were still acting normal with everyone else. No tense silence. No dramatic hostility.

Just... indifference.

Blake cut into his steak and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully before raising an eyebrow.

’I bet this is how they usually act during meals.’

Fork scraping lightly against porcelain, he took another bite.

’They’re only doing the silent treatment thing for me.’

A faint smirk tugged at his lips.

’Super petty.’

He glanced around the room again, letting his gaze drift casually over the guests seated nearby.

That was when his eyes landed on a familiar face.

Across the table sat the CEO of AL-TECH, Alfred Hicth.

Blake had looked him up the moment he recognized him earlier that evening. It hadn’t taken long to confirm who he was.

Since then, Blake had found himself observing the man whenever he could.

He wasn’t entirely sure why.

He just... felt like he had to.

Maybe it was the strange aura the man gave off. Something subtle but unsettling, like a quiet pressure in the air.

Or maybe it was simply because he looked similar to Myles, in a way.

Both men had that same distant expression: cold, controlled, unreadable.

Blake stabbed another piece of steak.

’I thought he’d be more like the classic mentor type.’

He thought he would be the sort of powerful executive who smiled kindly at young people and spoke about guiding the next generation. The kind who donated to charities and talked about building a better future.

Gentle.

Patient.

The wise old mentor who believed in world peace and bright young minds.

But on this man, there wasn’t a hint of warmth in his face.

Looking back at his family, Blake wondered why someone like that would be attending a twelve-year-old’s birthday party in the first place.

The curiosity gnawed at him.

He didn’t really want to risk getting insulted again, but the table had quieted now. Everyone was focused on eating, the earlier conversations fading into the background.

Blake cleared his throat.

"Excuse me... can I ask a question about one of the guests?"

Several people glanced at him.

No one answered.

Blake shifted awkwardly but pressed on anyway.

"Uh... the CEO of AL-TECH," he said. "Why is he here?"

His stepmother paused mid-movement. Her fork stopped just above her plate.

Her brows slowly drew together.

"Why," she asked coolly, "would you want to know anything about him?"

Blake scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward smile.

"Um... I just happen to know someone who’s really close to him. And, well... I might meet him soon too."

For a split second, her eyes widened.

Displeasure flickered across her face before she turned toward her husband.

Blake’s father didn’t look pleased either.

"Do not associate with him," he said flatly.

His voice carried no room for argument.

"Am I clear?"

Blake frowned slightly, irritation bubbling up in his chest.

"Yes, of course, I’ll try," he muttered. "But why is he here? Are you close or?"

His father took a slow sip of wine before answering.

"To attend our family functions, do you think we invite only relatives?"

Blake didn’t reply.

"The former CEO invested in their company," his father continued. "Now we have certain obligations."

He set the glass down with a soft clink.

"As I said before, don’t cause trouble."

Silence settled over the table again.

Blake stared at his plate for a moment before resuming his meal.

’That reason is more lukewarm than I expected.’

He pushed a potato around with his fork.

’Sounds like they don’t even like him that much.’

After idly eating for another minute or two, Blake stood up from his chair.

"Where are you going?" Calliope asked, frowning.

"The bathroom."

That wasn’t exactly a lie.

But it wasn’t the real reason either.

Because a moment earlier, Blake had seen Alfred Hicth stand up and quietly leave the dining room.

And for some reason, he felt like he had to follow him.

’I mean... what harm could that do?’

The only problem was that he had no idea whether the man was actually going to the bathroom or somewhere else.

So the moment Blake reached a quieter, more secluded hallway, he activated his skill.

"I’ll sneak for my lover."

That weird, familiar sensation of concealment wrapped around him.

He wasn’t planning to go far. In fact, he stopped a short distance away when he spotted the man standing near a dim corner of the corridor.

He had taken out his phone.

From a distance, it looked like he was dialing a number. He lifted the phone to his ear and began speaking in a low voice.

Blake leaned closer, trying to catch the conversation.

Unfortunately, Alfred’s voice was quiet, too quiet.

Still, fragments drifted through the silence.

"What about him? Do you think the body is ready?"

Blake stiffened.

"To get rid of that second generation brat, we need more than what we saw last time."

Blake’s mind raced as he tried to piece together any possible context.

’Get rid of him?’

What did that mean?

"Because if he is really one of those," Alfred continued quietly, "then we’ll—"

BZZT.

Blake’s phone vibrated loudly in his pocket.

He nearly jumped out of his skin.

’Fuck!’

The sound was loud enough that there was no way the other man hadn’t heard it.

Alfred immediately stopped speaking.

"I’ll call you later."

Blake knew what that meant.

He knew it very well.

The man was coming closer.

Panicking, Blake yanked off his suit jacket and threw it over his head as he bolted down the hallway.

’It’s dark, thank goodness it’s dark!’

He turned corner after corner until he finally spotted the bathroom door.

Without hesitation, he slipped inside and locked it.

Blake slid down against the wall, sitting on the floor as he exhaled a heavy breath.

’Was he following me?’

His heart pounded against his ribs.

’God, why didn’t I silence my phone?!’

He pulled it out of his pocket.

A single message blinked on the screen.

From Myles.

Don’t interact with people you don’t know.

Blake raised an eyebrow.

Then he huffed.

’As if, what am I, a child?!’

He didn’t reply.

Instead, he stood up and walked over to the sink.

Turning on the faucet, he washed his hands slowly, trying to calm himself down. In the mirror, he adjusted his hair, combing it back with his fingers until it looked roughly like it had before.

Then he slipped his suit jacket back on and straightened it.

"Okay," he muttered to his reflection.

"I look good."

Letting out one last shaky breath, Blake unlocked the door and stepped out of the bathroom.

Unfortunately, the moment he did, he slammed straight into someone.

"Oh my," the man said calmly. "I’m sorry."

Blake froze.

’...Crap.’

Because standing right in front of him was the man he had just been spying on.