Harem Stealing System
Chapter 41: Guilty conscience

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Guilty conscience

The morning began not with birdsong or the soft caress of dawnlight but with Sasha’s voice detonating through Eiden’s room like a military-grade alarm clock set to "soul evacuation."

"Eiden! Wake up already!" Buried beneath layers of blanket, Eiden groaned. A hand crept out from under the covers to shield his eyes from the dim morning light filtering through the curtains. One eye cracked open, bloodshot and bleary, to find Sasha standing beside his bed with all the menace of a school prefect inspecting dorm infractions. Arms folded. Eyebrows furrowed. Disappointment levels: mother-tier. "...What time is it?" he croaked, rubbing sleep from his eyes with slow, disoriented fingers.

She ignored the question entirely. "Go wash up and come downstairs. Breakfast is ready," she declared, pivoting sharply on her heel before striding out of the room like a general leaving behind orders.

"Okay, okay... geez..." Eiden yawned long and hard, his body protesting every move. He dragged himself out of bed with the sluggishness of a zombie halfway through a transformation, stumbling toward the bathroom with hair like an overgrown tumbleweed.

Splashing cold water on his face jolted his thoughts into some semblance of focus. A sigh escaped him as he stared into the mirror, droplets clinging to his lashes. This routine wasn’t new. Sasha barging into his room like she owned the place had become as common as brushing his teeth. Whenever she stayed over, she basically treated the house like her own personal territory. Somehow, she’d evolved from "friend of the family" into "honorary co-resident" without anyone officially recognizing the change.

And if the delicious smells wafting up the stairs were anything to go by, she’d already staged a successful coup in the kitchen as well. When Eiden descended the stairs, he was greeted by a dining table that looked like it belonged to a brunch buffet at a luxury hotel. The usual modest spread had been transformed into a mini-feast eggs, toast, sausages, pancakes, something that smelled suspiciously like garlic butter, and a small mountain of fruit.

As expected. Ever since Sasha had taken those cooking classes, she’d become his mom’s unofficial sous-chef. Especially when she stayed over. More hands meant more dishes. More dishes meant more food. More food meant Eiden got to eat like a king until the dishes needed doing.

He took his seat with a soft, "Morning." His mom smiled warmly. "Good morning, sweetheart." At the far end of the table sat Dally, unusually quiet, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her napkin. The mood around her was noticeably heavier. Eiden picked up on it almost immediately and, after a few bites, asked, "Where’s Dad?"

Dally looked up, her face subtly pinched with concern. "He’s not feeling well today... so I took his breakfast to the room." Eiden paused mid-chew. "Oh. Is it serious?"

She shook her head, but her expression didn’t ease. "Just said he felt dizzy. Probably fatigue." He nodded silently and resumed eating. No further questions were asked.

The rest of breakfast passed with the quiet clinks of cutlery and the occasional compliment about Sasha’s garlic butter mushrooms. Eiden only half-tasted the food. Part of his mind had wandered to his father’s condition, but most of it was simply numbed by routine.

Afterward, he and Sasha left for college. Their walk was quiet, their footsteps syncopated on the sidewalk like the ticking of a familiar clock. They didn’t speak much, but it wasn’t awkward just the silence of people who didn’t need to fill space to feel comfortable.

Upon reaching campus, they parted ways. Sasha drifted off toward her group Crysty and the others while Eiden made his way toward his own circle. "Yo," Harry greeted, giving him a casual wave. Eiden nodded. "What’s up?"

Harry didn’t waste time. "Did you submit the project?"

Eiden blinked. His brain stalled. A beat passed. "No..." he muttered, guilt forming in his stomach like lead. "I’ll do it today." And just like that, a horrifying realization hit him square in the chest. Right. Harry’s in my group. Guilt struck him like a sucker punch. A wave of heat crept up his neck.

Sht. I totally forgot we were in the same team. The feeling worsened as the rest of the group joined in, chatting about submission deadlines, upcoming evaluations, and how badly they were all procrastinating. Eiden laughed when prompted, but inside, his thoughts were spiraling into a pit of self-loathing. Sorry, guys... I really screwed this one. You’re all going to get a crap grade because of me.

He wanted to say it aloud. He wanted to apologize to take responsibility. But the words caught in his throat and dissolved somewhere between guilt and pride. So instead, he just followed the conversation like driftwood on a current. Eventually, they dispersed to their respective classes.

As Eiden walked toward his next lecture, he spotted two familiar silhouettes approaching from the opposite end of the hallway figures that caused the air to change, just subtly, like the scent of ozone before a storm.

Linda. And Lyra. But this time, something was different. Linda was leading the way. Her posture was tense, her eyes fixed on him. Lyra followed just behind, her expression unreadable.

The guys Eiden had been walking with took one glance at the oncoming duo and immediately peeled off in different directions like civilians sensing an impending explosion.

"Cowards," Eiden muttered under his breath.

He turned his focus to the approaching storm. Linda’s steps were deliberate. Her gaze never wavered. And then she stood in front of him neither aggressive nor cold but with a nervous tilt to her stance that betrayed hesitation.

"The project..." she said, voice slightly hoarse. "Is it done?" Eiden gave a single, wordless nod. "Yeah." She bit her lip, avoiding his gaze. "Did you... finish my part too?"

"Yeah." A pause. "I’m really sorry," she murmured. "I totally forgot about it."

He didn’t respond. Not because he was angry. Just... tired. It wasn’t entirely her fault anyway. The mess-up was mutual, unintentional but still, the damage was done. "I’ll make it up to you," she added softly.

You’ll be even sorrier when you see the grade we’re gonna get, Eiden thought. If anyone deserves an apology, it’s the rest of the team. Not just me. Not just you. But again, he said nothing. Sometimes silence made the point better than words ever could.

Linda lingered, her expression a cocktail of guilt and regret, then eventually stepped aside. Lyra followed after her, her gaze brushing Eiden’s briefly calm, unreadable. No accusation. No pity. Just... acknowledgment.

Eiden let out a long breath and turned to enter his class. Ding! A familiar sound rang in his ears it was System chan.

Skill Quest Unlocked!

[Get close to Airie as a friend]

Reward: Skill – Equal Exchange

He blinked, stunned.b"...Airie?" he whispered to himself.