The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character-Chapter 39: Ultra-rich Villain Dad [2]

"Young Master, we should head out. The Master is very particular about punctuality."

"Yeah, sure. Let's go."

The butler gave a small nod before turning and walking ahead with precise, almost military-like strides.

As for me, I had no choice but to follow. What else could I do?

Behind me, I heard Leona Harper mutter in a dazed voice, "Who is he, really...?"

I heard her clearly, of course. But now wasn't the time to answer her.

Thankfully, there wasn't a full-blown limousine waiting outside the academy gates.

If there had been, I probably would've passed out on the spot.

The car looked relatively normal on the outside—but the inside was pure luxury. Leather seats, polished trim, mood lighting. Way fancier than anything I'd ever ridden in.

It even had a chauffeur.

I'd only seen this kind of setup in movies or flashy dramas. Now I was living it.

As soon as the butler and I got in, the car pulled away without a word. The driver already knew where to go.

For a while, we rode in silence.

But the longer it stretched, the more uncomfortable I got.

Damn it. I couldn't take the quiet anymore.

"Um, excuse me... Butler?"

"...Yes?"

He flinched.

No, seriously—he looked at me like I'd just said something shocking.

Why was he staring at me like that?

Did I say something weird?

"Butler" is a normal way to address... a butler, right?

What did I usually call him?

The man quickly composed himself and gave me a polite bow of his head. "No, it's just... it's been some time, and I may have shown you an unsightly side of myself earlier."

Wait, what?

Was the original Rin Evans such a brat that he treated even the household staff poorly?

I didn't remember that being part of the setup...

The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.

Then again, Rin Evans was only loosely based on me. His background and personality weren't exactly fleshed out in the setting notes—just a vague outline of his powers and a simple family background.

So maybe there were things I didn't know.

And if that was the case...

I might be walking into this family meeting with a whole lot of blind spots.

I wanted to ask a few things about my not-so-dear father, but I swallowed the words before they left my lips.

Saying something unnecessary now could easily raise suspicion—and that was the last thing I needed.

So I bit my tongue and turned to the window, hoping for a distraction in the passing scenery.

...But all I saw were towering, futuristic buildings—nothing like Earth.

Only now did I realize this was the first time I was actually paying attention to my surroundings.

Yeah. This world really was different.

While I was lost in thought, trying to wrap my head around this strange new ecosystem, the car finally slowed to a stop.

"We've arrived, Young Master," the butler said, snapping me back to reality.

Sure enough, we had reached our destination.

Click—

He opened the car door for me with practiced grace.

'Whoa... this feels like I'm some noble or something.'

The thought made my whole body tense with secondhand embarrassment.

'Okay, cringe. Let's never think like that again.'

Shaking off the awkward feeling, I looked up at the restaurant in front of me.

Even from the outside, it screamed wealth. If this were Earth, it would've easily passed as a seven-star restaurant—if that even existed.

Put simply, it was ridiculously luxurious.

No average person could dream of dining here. Walking in with a school uniform felt borderline illegal.

"Uh, excuse me—"

"Master has reserved the entire restaurant," the butler cut in, as if reading my mind. "So it should be fine."

Wow. Was this guy a telepath?

I was about to ask if I could take a quick shower first, but with the way he was talking, I was slightly terrified he might actually make it happen.

So I kept my mouth shut and stepped inside.

As expected, the place was completely empty—except for one person seated at a table near the center.

Jet-black hair.

Even rarer than blonde in this world, and clearly something Rin had inherited.

He looked up as I approached.

The man sitting there... looked just like me—or rather, like Rin Evans.

Same black hair. Same blood-red eyes.

But the aura he gave off was on another level entirely.

Even from a distance, it was obvious: Don't approach me.

He didn't need to say a word. The atmosphere around him did all the talking.

A few waitresses across the room were clearly smitten—sneaking glances, giggling behind trays—but not one of them dared to walk over. That heavy, aloof presence of his made it clear he wasn't the type to entertain attention.

Except maybe from me.

His son.

"It's been a while, Dad."

I kept my tone casual, trying to avoid that painful kind of awkward silence where no one knows what to say.

He looked up at me, and for the first time in years, our eyes met.

"Oh? So it's true then. Your sister wasn't lying," he said, amused.

"What...?" I blinked. What kind of nonsense was he about to throw at me now?

His crimson eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of his mouth curved into the faintest smirk. There was even a flicker of surprise in his gaze.

Why? Why is everyone always shocked when I act like a normal human being?

Seriously... just what kind of life did the old Rin Evans lead?

"You never used to talk to your sister properly," he said casually. "But I heard you actually called her 'sister' on the phone the other day."

Wait—what?! Since when was that breaking news?

I didn't know how Rin used to talk to his family! If I had known just calling her 'sister' was that out of character, I'd have prepared a script.

"...And now here you are, looking me in the eye while greeting me," he added, eyes fixed on mine. "I have to admit... you've changed, son."