Free Web NovelChapter 13: Chapter 13: The Second Lesson
Chapter 13: The Second Lesson
Andras finished the entire bottle of rum by himself.
The dark glass bottle rested empty on the table beside him, while the sharp scent of alcohol lingered throughout the room.
Yet his expression barely changed.
His tolerance had always been absurdly high.
Even back on Earth, before becoming Andras Darkmoor, Alex had been capable of drinking far more than most people could handle.
It had started years ago.
When he was sixteen, he had come across an article claiming that people with certain antisocial traits often developed addictive tendencies, particularly toward alcohol and other substances.
At first, curiosity alone pushed him to try drinking.
Obtaining alcohol as a minor had not been easy, but eventually he found ways around the restrictions.
What began as an experiment slowly became a habit.
And habit eventually became dependence.
Alcohol gave him something useful.
When sober, Alex often found ordinary social interactions exhausting. Conversations felt rehearsed. Artificial. Hollow.
But when drunk—
Everything became easier.
He was more talkative.
More relaxed.
More convincing.
His reactions felt natural enough that nobody questioned them.
People laughed with him.
Trusted him.
Believed him.
Alcohol blurred the edges of his detached personality and made it easier to wear the mask of an ordinary person.
That alone had been reason enough to continue.
And even after transmigrating into this world, the effect remained much the same.
A faint warmth spread through Andras’s body as the alcohol settled into his bloodstream.
His thoughts felt lighter.
Quieter.
Across from him, Lyra remained seated in silence.
Her gaze lingered on the empty bottle.
Concern slowly appeared on her face.
---
LYRA’S POV
Young Master had finished the entire bottle by himself.
Every drop.
Lyra’s hands tightened slightly in her lap as she stared at the empty rum bottle.
She had heard stories before.
Too much alcohol could ruin a person’s health. Some nobles had even collapsed after drinking recklessly during banquets.
And Andras had only recently awakened after remaining unconscious for three days.
What if something happened again?
The thought alone made her chest tighten.
She didn’t want to see him lying motionless on that bed again.
Not after he had finally opened his eyes.
---
POV END
After several moments of silence, Andras lifted his gaze toward her.
Even through the haze of alcohol, he immediately noticed her expression.
Worry.
Again.
A faint smirk touched the corner of his lips.
"Do you have a problem?" he asked lazily.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lyra hesitated before answering.
"Young Master... I’m worried about you."
Her voice was quiet.
"This is your first time drinking, and you finished an entire bottle by yourself. Too much alcohol can be dangerous."
Andras leaned back in his chair.
Then he laughed softly.
Amused.
Dismissive.
"Do I look like someone who would collapse from a little alcohol?"
Lyra lowered her eyes.
"No, Young Master."
"Then stop worrying."
His tone remained calm, though slightly slower than usual.
A brief silence followed.
Then his gaze sharpened.
"And I hope you’ve reflected on today’s lesson."
The moment those words reached her ears, Lyra instinctively straightened.
Fear flickered across her face.
She still remembered yesterday clearly.
The pressure.
The embarrassment.
The overwhelming feeling of standing before someone she could never predict.
Lyra lowered her head.
"I have, Young Master."
Andras observed her quietly.
Interesting.
Even fear revealed a great deal about a person.
He slowly rose from his chair.
"Take the plates away."
Lyra nodded immediately.
"And bring a length of rope from the estate storage."
Her movements paused for a fraction of a second.
Rope?
But she did not question him.
"As you wish, Young Master."
She gathered the dishes before leaving the room.
The door closed behind her.
Andras remained standing near the table.
The alcohol continued warming his body pleasantly.
His mind felt unusually active.
More expressive.
More social.
Back on Earth, this had always been the reason he drank.
It made deception easier.
Made masks easier to wear.
Without it, people eventually noticed something was different.
A lack of emotional depth.
An emptiness behind ordinary reactions.
Alcohol softened those edges enough to fool most people.
Andras walked toward the large window overlooking the Darkmoor Estate.
Outside, night had swallowed the world whole.
Moonlight bathed the vast gardens below, while enchanted lamps illuminated the winding stone paths.
The Darkmoor mansion resembled a fortress more than a noble residence.
Towering black walls.
Silver spires.
Endless corridors filled with servants and guards.
A place built upon power.
And fear.
Fitting.
A faint smile appeared on his face before fading once more.
Several minutes later—
Knock. Knock.
"It’s Lyra, Young Master."
"Enter."
The door opened.
Lyra stepped inside carrying a coil of dark rope.
Her nervousness was obvious.
Andras found that mildly amusing.
She placed it carefully near the bed before lowering her head.
"I brought it, Young Master."
Andras turned toward her.
For several moments, he simply watched her.
The room felt strangely still.
Only the distant sound of wind disturbed the silence.
Lyra stood motionless beneath his gaze.
Even now, she became tense whenever he looked at her for too long.
Andras approached at an unhurried pace.
The alcohol made his movements seem almost lazy, but the pressure he carried remained unchanged.
He stopped in front of her.
"Are you afraid?" he asked quietly.
Lyra hesitated.
"A little."
Andras studied her expression.
Then he nodded.
"Good."
Her breathing grew uneven.
Even now, she could not fully understand him.
At times he seemed calm.
At times ruthless.
Cold one moment.
Reasonable the next.
Unpredictable.
Dangerous.
And yet she found herself unable to look away.
Andras glanced toward the rope resting nearby before returning his attention to her.
"Tonight," he said calmly, "you’ll learn why repeating the same mistake twice is never a good idea."
Lyra swallowed nervously.
Still—
She nodded.
"Yes, Young Master."
A faint smile appeared on Andras’s face.
It carried no warmth.
Only quiet amusement.
Outside the windows, cold moonlight continued spilling across the Darkmoor Estate while silence settled over the night.
