Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

[Earth.] "Is that him?" "Yeah, the killer." "Why is he here?" "I don't understand what little miss saw in this bum to employ him." In a bustling office room, the low mocking sound echoed as a trio from accounting snickered. The dissatisfaction in their voices was clear as day. The man they were complaining about sat alone at his desk. Even though he could hear them, he didn't give any reaction. His blue eyes remained locked on his screen, fingers tapping away, his posture eerily calm. Across the room, Megan, the ringleader of the trio, smirked. She crumpled a piece of paper and tossed it. It grazed his ear. "Oops," she drawled, her voice dripping with false innocence. "Must've slipped." Inder finally looked up. His blue eyes—icy, indifferent—met hers. Something about his look made Megan's stomach twist. Rage. Embarrassment. A hint of fear. She felt it all. "W-what are you looking at?" she stammered, glaring at him. Inder tilted his head slightly. "What do you want?" His voice was calm almost hollow. Megan scoffed, folding her arms. "What do I want? How about some respect? Do you even know who I am?" "I don't." His deep, flat voice shut her up instantly. Megan clenched her fists. Heat flooded her face. She shot to her feet, marching toward him, her hand raised to slap him— "What are you doing?" Before Megan could hit him, a voice interrupted, making the entire place quiet down. Everything went silent. Megan flinched. Slowly, she turned. And there she was. Delilah. She wasn't just beautiful. She was unreal. Long, raven-black hair framed sharp, flawless features. Crimson eyes gleamed with a quiet, suffocating authority. The tailored black suit she wore clung to her form just enough to hint at elegance—without losing an ounce of power. Her gaze pinned Megan in place. "I asked you a question." Megan swallowed hard. "M-Miss Delilah…" Delilah's crimson eyes didn't waver. "I asked you a question." Megan slowly lowered her hand, forcing a nervous laugh. "I was just… teaching him some manners." She tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "Manners?" Something in her voice made Megan's knees weak. "I—" Delilah took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "I don't recall hiring you to discipline my employees." The weight of her presence crushed any retort Megan had left. Inder, meanwhile, merely leaned back in his chair, watching silently. Delilah turned to him instead. "Are you alright?" Inder gave a slow nod. "I'm fine." She studied him for a moment before shifting back to Megan. "Good. Now, as for you…" Megan held her breath. "You're fired." Her world crashed in a single sentence. Megan's lips parted, but no words came out. Delilah had already dismissed her. Instead, she turned back to Inder. "Come with me." Inder stood up, walking behind her. She studied him for a long moment before sighing. "How many times has this happened in the last month?" "It's my first month," Inder murmured. "Some problems are bound to happen." Delilah let out a tired sigh. Walking further, she pushed open her cabin's door. Delilah leaned against her desk, arms crossed. "That doesn't mean you should let them treat you like garbage." "I'm someone who killed his family. I don't deserve anything." Inder said, his voice soft. "Even you're helping me only because of Senara." "...." Delilah turned silent. She had a lot to say. But. Now wasn't the right time. Inder glanced at the files on her desk. "Have you reviewed the characters?" Delilah nodded. "Most of them." "Anything you'd like to add?" he asked. She arched a brow. "Why? You have complaints?" "The game favors the antagonist way too much." He leaned forward slightly. "Some of them are nearly impossible to kill." Delilah smiled. "Everyone has a weakness." "What about Mortis or the immortal twins?" he asked, tilting his head. "They alone are too much for Elijah to kill." She hummed, reaching for a file. "Here." He took it, flipping through the pages. "What's this?" "A list of weaknesses for most characters." She smiled. "Memorize it. It might be useful." Inder nodded. Since he was part of the development and playing team, this information could be very helpful. Then, after a pause, he asked, "Who comes up with these stories? They're… insane." Delilah's expression shifted. For a second, something unreadable flickered across her face. Then she gave a strained smile. "My father writes them." Inder nodded. "I see." He closed the file and gave a small bow. "Then I should get back to work." As he turned to leave— "Hey." He glanced back. Delilah hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Are you free tonight?" Inder blinked. "Yes, ma'am." A slow smile formed on her lips. "Good. Let's have dinner." ****** My gaze fluttered open as the headache settled in. The world around me felt blurred while my body sank deeper into the bed. I sighed, rubbing my temples. A soft humming drifted in the air. I looked up. Zenith stood nearby, her back slightly turned, one hand raised as she tied up her hair. Her long, black strands slipped through her fingers like silk as she adjusted them into a loose bun. Unconsciously, she puffed out her chest. "..." Damn. Except for her height, she got everything from Yennefer. 'Definitely E-cup.' "Oh! You're awake!" As I admired them, Zenith exclaimed. I quickly forced my gaze to meet her bright, lit-up face. "How long…" "Wait! Let me bring some water!" She cut me off before I could finish, rushing out of the room. I sighed. There wasn't anything wrong with my body. Nothing felt out of place. I pushed myself up, sluggish but stable, and stepped out of bed. My movements were slow, but at least I could walk properly. Just as I entered the hallway, Zenith blocked my path, a glass of water in her hand. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed, glaring at me. "You should be resting—" "I'm fine," I interrupted, taking the glass from her. "Where's Yenna?" "In the hall room." Nodding, I walked past her, making my way there as she trailed behind me. The first thing that registered was the playful laughter of children. The next was Yennefer, kneeling on the floor, playing with them. Willis. Olivia. Iffa. "...What's happening?" All of them turned to look at me. "Papa!" Iffa was the first to sprint toward me, Olivia right on her heels behind her. Willis, however, remained by Yenna's side—not that I expected him to move. "How are you?" Iffa clung to my leg, peering up at me with wide eyes. "I'm fine," I reassured her, scooping her up into my arms. Olivia grabbed onto my other arm, holding it tightly. Her hair was styled in a neat, intricate braid. I smiled. "Who combed your hair?" "Yenna did," she answered proudly. I glanced at Yennefer, who rose to her feet and approached. "Are you alright?" she asked. "A little thirsty," I admitted with a small smile. She ruffled my hair before gesturing toward the couch. "Come sit down." I followed, settling onto the sofa. "Was the ritual successful?" Yenna took a seat opposite me, and Willis immediately climbed into her lap. "See for yourself," she said, gesturing toward my hand. I glanced down. A glowing pattern shimmered on the back of my palm. Subconsciously, I willed it to activate. A sphere of energy materialized, a tiny plant floating inside. "It's still in the growing phase," Yenna explained as I studied it. "It won't be of any use for a while." "It doesn't matter," I said, shaking my head. "Curing Mana Overdose was my main concern." Yennefer fell silent, watching me. "...What?" "You died for a few moments," she whispered. "What happened back then?" I chuckled awkwardly. "Must've been a side effect of the ritual." Though, in truth, I had a weird dream. Some crazy goddess tried to kidnap me. [] ...Let me live in my delusions. I let out a bitter laugh. Even now, I wasn't entirely sure what had happened. In one moment, I crossed Overlord rank, and the next, I was in the void. With some fucking psycho. [] Can't you protect me? [] '....' I rubbed my face in frustration. How should I deal with her now? What was her problem anyway? Did she think I was Amun-Ra because of my blessing? If so, that was a huge— "Himmel." Yenna's voice pulled me back to reality. "I examined your body," she said. "You've reached Overlord rank." I nodded. "I noticed that—" Then, I frowned. "But how? Don't we need to condense mana first?" "Somehow, your body was already at Overlord rank," Yenna explained. "When you received that influx of mana, your body condensed it on its own, forcing a breakthrough." "...I see." So, basically, I got lucky. "I will warn you, though," she said seriously. "Be careful about how you break through from now on." I frowned. "Why?" "Just as Primeval is the foundation for Overlord, Overlord is the base for Eternal." She met my gaze. "If you break through without proper preparation, you'll remain weak." That caught my interest. "How so?" "Do you know how one progresses through Overlord rank?" I shook my head. Yennefer placed Willis down and stood up, walking toward me. "To rank up from Low to Middle Overlord, one must create layers of mana in the space between their skin and muscles." She paused, watching how I would react. "With a minimum of ten layers, they break them down, allowing the energy to sweep through their body and concentrate it here." She touched just below my heart. Only then did I realize— I was shirtless. "That is where an Eternal's kingdom is formed," she continued, tapping my chest lightly. "The more layers you form, the stronger your foundation becomes." I gave her a slow nod. Now that I thought about it, there was a saying— If an Eternal cannot bear the weight of their kingdom, they are not truly Eternal. "Stay here for two more days, and I will teach you how to form layers safely," Yenna said, looking at me. "Normally, it takes two months to form the first layer, but we don't have that luxury." I frowned. "Wait… How long was I asleep?" "Ten days." She smiled slightly. "Your trip to the Uzume household is right around the corner." I slumped back into the sofa. Ah, fuck. Did I just waste my entire vacation sleeping? What the fuck. "I brought some food~!" Zenith's cheerful voice rang through the room. I looked up to see her walking toward me, carrying a large tray. "Zenny, I want some!" Iffa ran toward her, eyes sparkling. "Me too, Zenny!" Willis chimed in, following his sister. Zenith quickly lifted the tray out of their reach. "You guys can eat later! This is for Papa." "B-But…" "I'll make you cakes," Zenith bribed, flashing them a bright smile. "So don't worry." Pouting, Iffa reluctantly stepped aside. "Here," Zenith murmured, setting the tray down in front of me. "Eat." I grinned. "Thanks, Zenny." Her expression immediately twisted into one of regret. "Don't call me that!" Smiling, I stood up. "Where are you going now?" she asked, eyeing me suspiciously. "I want to try something," I replied, glancing back at her. "Give me a few minutes." "Come back soon, or I'll feed your portion to the kids." I simply nodded and walked outside. As soon as I stepped out, I noticed the sun just about to settle down. I drew in a deep breath. [] 'Yeah.' Since receiving El's blessing, I had only ever used its raw form—never the actual blessing itself. Not even in its first form. It was mainly because my body couldn't withstand it, nor did I have the mana capacity. But now— I have both. Drawing in a deep breath, I whispered. "Ismael's Blessing: First Form." My mana drained instantly. Then— "Rejection of Time." The world turned gray.