"Feel free to talk to me formally if it makes you comfortable, Miss Helena," he said, his voice returning to its professional silkiness. "But for now, please finish your food. You need your strength. You're going home tonight."

Aika paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. She looked toward the window, where the orange glow of sunset was fading into a deep, bruised purple. It was almost night.

"Home?" she repeated, her voice small. She thought of the cold, massive manor she had read about. "I mean... why? Why would I go with you?"

Ren's expression faltered for a fraction of a second, a look of genuine confusion crossing his handsome features. He looked at her as if she had just asked why the sun rose in the east.

Aika quickly realized her mistake. To everyone else, Ren was the trusted assistant; of course he would be the one to take her home. "I mean... right. Yeah. I'm going back 'home,'" she corrected herself, trying to sound confident. "I just... I forgot the procedure."

Ren's gaze softened. He seemed to realize she was just overwhelmed. "The doctors have confirmed you are stable. There is no reason to keep you in this sterile place any longer. Pack your bags; I am going to complete the discharge procedures now."

He turned to leave, but stopped at the door, looking back over his shoulder.

"And don't worry," he added, his dark eyes locking onto hers. "Your brother Julius specifically told me to stay next to you. He was quite adamant that I don't leave your side until you are safely inside your room."

Aika watched him walk out, the door clicking shut behind him. Julius? She racked her brain. That was another brother—one she hadn't met yet. If Julius was the one who sent Ren, then maybe she had more than one ally in that house.

She looked at the crumpled orphanage contract sitting on the bedside table. She had one hour before she was trapped in that manor. One hour to decide if she was going to be a victim, or the new boss of the D'Arven family.

"Alright," Aika whispered, shoving the last of the protein bar into her mouth. "If I'm going into the viper's nest, I'm going in with my head held high."Ren watched as Aika finished the food, his expression unreadable but attentive. As he turned to handle the paperwork, Aika looked at her reflection in the darkened hospital window.

"Julius sent you," she murmured, testing the name. Julius was her blood brother, yet in the novel, the relationship had been strained. If he was the one looking out for her now, she needed to know why. "And what about Marcus? Or Clara? Are they also 'anxious' for my return?"

Ren paused at the door, his hand on the silver handle. "Your brother Marcus is currently with the Chairman. As for Madam Clara... she is busy preparing the manor for your 'recovery.' Whether that is a welcome or a cage, I believe you already know the answer."

Aika stood up, smoothing out her hospital gown. "A cage only works if the bird inside is willing to stay small, Ren."

She looked at the orphanage contract on the table. In her mind, she saw the faces of this complicated family: Noel's guilt, Airon's creepiness, and the unknown faces of Marcus and Clara waiting in the shadows.

"Let's go," Aika said, her voice firm. "I don't want to keep my 'loving' family waiting."

Ren bowed deeply, stepping aside to let her pass. "The car is waiting downstairs, Madam. I've taken the liberty of ensuring the drive is smooth."

As they walked down the sterile hospital hallway, Aika didn't look back. She was leaving the "Quiet Aika" behind in that hospital bed. The girl walking toward the elevator was someone the D'Arven family wouldn't recognize.Ren stood by the door, his hand on the handle, waiting for her to move. Aika looked at him, her expression innocent but curious as she tried to piece together her family tree.

"And what about... stepmother Clara?" Aika asked, tripping over the name for a second. ". Did she also say anything about me coming home?"

Ren's hand tightened almost imperceptibly on the door handle. His eyes widened for a split second—a rare break in his perfect mask. In all the years he had known Helena, she had never called Clara "step mother." She had called her a gold-digger, a snake, and a home-wrecker, but never something like that.

He quickly recovered, his face returning to its calm state, but his heart was likely racing. Who is this girl? he must have wondered.

"Madam Clara has been... occupied," Ren replied carefully, his voice a bit more formal than before. "She is currently supervising the staff. But I suspect she will be quite surprised to hear you refer to her as 'Aunt' when you arrive."

Aika noticed the slight shift in his tone. Did I say something wrong? she wondered. In the novel, wasn't she the stepmother? Isn't calling her 'step mother' a polite way to handle a new wife?

She didn't realize that in Helena's world, The True Master

Aika reached for her small bag, but Ren was faster. His fingers closed around the strap with a firm but gentle grip, pulling it away from her.

"I'll be okay, Ren," Aika said, watching him. "It's not heavy at all. I can carry my own things."

Ren paused, looking at her with an expression that was both respectful and deeply serious. "Please, Miss Helena. Let me."

He lowered his voice as he stepped closer, ensuring no nurses or lingering family members could overhear. "I think, since you don't remember anything, I should clarify something. We are not going to the Chairman's house."

Aika froze. "We aren't?"

"No," Ren replied. "I am not actually your father's assistant. I serve your Grandfather. He is the one who returned with me from abroad today. It is his direct order that I bring you to his estate, not the D'Arven Manor."

Aika's heart skipped. A grandfather? In the books, the elders were often the most terrifying and he is so much confusing now his words making me confuse—or the most powerful allies.

"He has been worried sick since he heard about your accident three days ago," Ren continued, his eyes searching hers for any sign of pain. "He knows you have lost your memories, and it has pained him deeply. So please... if you are feeling well enough, could you pretend for a moment? Even if you don't remember him, please act reassured so he doesn't collapse from worry. He needs to see that you are okay."

Aika swallowed hard. The pressure was mounting. She wasn't just going to a house; she was going to meet the "Final Boss" of the family—the only man her father probably feared The Truth and the Tingle

Aika's playful mood vanished. She looked at Ren, her expression turning sharp and serious. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier, Ren?" she asked, her voice dropping an octave. "When you first walked in, you said you were my father's assistant. Why lie?"

Ren didn't flinch. He adjusted his cufflink, his eyes remaining steady on hers. "Because, Madam... in the memories I have of you, you were always so desperately attached to the Chairman. You craved his approval above all else."

He took a step closer, his voice softening into that silky, dangerous gentleman tone.

"I feared that if I told you directly that we weren't going to his house, you would be disappointed. You would look at me with sadness... and that is a look I never want to see on your face again."

Processing... Processing... System Error.

Aika's brain hit a wall. In her previous life, through twenty years of school and work, she had been a ghost. No one had ever said something so... cheesy... so protective... so direct to her. She hadn't even had a best friend to share a snack with, let alone a handsome man in a suit telling her he lived to keep her from being sad.

Her reaction was immediate and uncontrollable.

"Ah..." she squeaked. Her eyes squeezed shut, her head tilted, and a strange, frozen smile stretched across her face. She looked like a cartoon character that had just been hit with a "Confusion" spell. Her heart wasn't just fluttering; it was doing a drum solo against her ribs.

Stop it! Stop it right now, Aika! she screamed internally. He's just an NPC! He's just being a professional! Don't let your 20-year-old virgin soul crumble just because a guy in a ponytail used a nice adjective!

But she couldn't help it. The "cheese" was too strong. She was completely paralyzed by the sheer kindness of it.

Ren blinked, looking at her tilted head and squeezed-shut eyes. "Miss Helena? Are you... having a migraine?"

"I'm fine!" she shouted, perhaps a bit too loudly, finally opening her eyes. Her face was flushed pink. "I'm perfectly fine! I just... I had a bit of... hair in my eye. Yes. High-speed hospital hair."

Ren didn't look convinced, but he was too much of a gentleman to call her out on it. Too Many Men, Too Little Time

Aika took a deep breath, forcing her face to turn cold despite the pink blush still dusting her cheeks. She stood up straight and looked Ren right in the eye, her "Boss" persona snapping back into place.

"Sir, please be respectful," she said, her voice sharp and formal. "Stay in your line. I really do not like it when people use those types of cheesy lines on me. Remember your position. It's not even appropriate for an attendant to speak that way to me, okay? I would appreciate it if you do not do that again."

Ren's eyebrows shot up. He hadn't expected the "Cold Helena" to return so quickly, especially after her "system crash" a moment ago. He bowed his head, his face a mask of professional calm once more.

"I apologize, Miss Helena," he replied smoothly. "As you wish."

[Aika's Inner Monologue: SOS!!]How many more?! Aika screamed in her head. How many more men is this author going to add? Did this girl Helena even have a single normal bestie? Or a female friend? Or just a normal dog?! No! It's just handsome man after handsome man!

She started counting on her fingers mentally, her eyes twitching.First, I met Mr. 'Creepy' Airon. Then Mr. 'Stable' Julius and Marcus. Then there's the kid Ethan, and that emotional mess Noel. Then Vahn shows up acting like a CEO from a K-Drama. And now? Now I have a 'Gentleman Assistant' who is basically a walking flirtation machine!

What was I thinking when I read this type of shitty novel? It's not a story; it's a series of 'Too Many Men'! She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. Thank God Ren is just a background character. I don't remember reading about him at all in the original book. He's probably just a side character who disappears after I meet the Grandfather.

Her thoughts were suddenly broken as Ren stepped toward the door, holding it open with one hand while holding her bag with the other.

"The car is ready, Madam," he said, his voice back to its neutral, servant-like tone. "If you are quite finished with your... internal reflections, we should depart."The Silent Descent

The walk through the hospital felt like a blur of sterile white walls and the squeak of Ren's polished shoes on the linoleum. Aika followed a half-step behind him, her mind swirling in the silence. Ren didn't try to fill the air with more "cheesy" lines, which she appreciated, but the quiet gave her too much room to think.

How am I supposed to greet a grandfather? she wondered, her fingers twisting the hem of her sleeve.

In her previous life, "family" was a word found in books, not in her living room. She had grown up without parents, navigating the world as a solo act. She had survived twenty years of cold winters and lonely birthdays by being tough, by being smart, and by never needing anyone.

I didn't have parents, and I still made it, she told herself, trying to steady her breathing. A grandfather is just... an older boss. Yeah. That's it. He's just a CEO with more white hair. I can handle a CEO.

But as they reached the ground floor and the automatic glass doors slid open, the cool night air hit her face, and her stomach did a nervous flip. This wasn't a business meeting. This was a man who apparently loved the "old" Helena enough to be "worried sick."

"Miss Helena," Ren said, stopping beside a sleek, black car idling at the curb. He didn't open the door immediately; instead, he turned to her, his expression unreadable in the moonlight. "We are here. Remember... he only wants to see that you are safe. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to be you."

Aika looked at the tinted windows of the car. But which 'me' does he want? she thought bitterly. The 'me' that died ten minutes ago, or the 'me' that's trying to survive now?

She straightened her shoulders and gave Ren a sharp nod. "Open the door, Ren. I'm ready."The Gates of the Ancestors

The car ride was a blur of city lights fading into the dark, quiet suburbs. Aika stared out the window, her mind spinning. No parents in my first life, and now a whole army of family in this one. Life really has a sick sense of humor. When the car finally slowed, it wasn't a modern gate that greeted them. Instead, they pulled up to a massive, traditional estate. The dark wood of the gates and the curved tiled roofs looked like something out of a history book. It was beautiful, but it felt like a fortress.

Ren stepped out and opened her door, his movements back to being perfectly robotic. "We have arrived, Miss Helena."

Aika stepped out, the gravel crunching under her feet. At the top of the stone steps, the wide doors were already open. A row of servants stood perfectly still, but in the center was an elderly man leaning on a cane. Even from a distance, Aika could feel the "weight" of his presence. This wasn't a man who begged for respect; he was someone who defined it.

"He's waiting," Ren whispered behind her. "Remember, just be yourself... or at least, the version of you that is 'okay.'"

The car rolled to a stop in front of the towering wooden gates. Aika stared out the window at the traditional architecture, her hands cold and clammy.

My heart is literally pounding at 100 BPM. I can feel it in my throat. How am I supposed to meet a grandfather? I'm nervous as hell! All those novels I read made it look so easy to just slip into someone else's life and play the part. 'Oh, I'll just pretend to have amnesia and everyone will believe me!' Hell no. This sucks. Everyone feels like a total stranger, yet I have to act like I've known them for years. I'm stuck in a nightmare where I can't even ask for directions because I'm supposed to own the map!

She took a series of sharp, jagged breaths, trying to force the oxygen into her panicked lungs.

Okay. Focus. Whatever happens now, I have to face it. I can't give up. I don't even know if dying here means I go back to my old life or if it's just... game over forever. It's okay. Gwenchana. Gwenchana... Ding! Ding! Ding! Time to enter the ring.The Smiling Villainess

As the car door opened, Aika felt the bite of the cold night air. But it wasn't the cold making her teeth chatter; it was the sheer adrenaline