Man

"Uhh... well, if you say so..." Lyra murmured, still trying to make sense of his surprisingly warm behavior.

"How about we head inside now? It's time for you to change out of that uniform, Carl," Silvia chimed in, seizing the opportunity to steer the conversation.

"Yes, Teac—Stepsis..." Carl agreed smoothly. The quest had been straightforward, completed the moment he wrapped his arms around Lyra in that sudden embrace.

"Then let's go inside," Lyra said, turning toward the doorway. Before she could take a step, however, Silvia reached out and caught her by the arm.

"What's the matter, Sil? Aren't you coming inside with us?"

"We will in a moment. I need to speak with you first, Lyra." Silvia couldn't delay it any longer—she needed to inform Lyra that Carl was being physically bullied at school.

"What is it, Sil? And what's gotten into Carl today? I mean... I know it's strange, but it's really refreshing, you know?" Lyra waved her hand toward the door, indicating for Carl to head upstairs first.

"It's because of what he's been going through... the real reason he was acting like that to begin with..."

Easy-peasy. I guess I'm going to strike it rich if I play my cards right, Carl thought as he navigated directly toward his bedroom. As unusual as the situation was, he was fortunate enough to possess the lingering memories of the body's original owner.

In typical transmigration web novels, the protagonist usually knows the entire plot beforehand, rendering personal memories unnecessary. But Carl's situation was different: he hadn't even finished reading the first chapter of this world's story before transmigrating, leaving him completely in the dark. Thankfully, the previous host's past memories provided a much-needed roadmap.

"Ahh, damn, I still can't believe I actually died. What a absurdly lame way to go..." Carl muttered, throwing himself onto his bed while preparing to inspect his system rewards.

Bang!

"Carl! Is what Silvia told me true?!"

Before Carl could even tap the floating notification panel, the bedroom door was forcefully thrown open by Lyra.

"Stepsis...!" Carl instinctively pulled the bedsheet over his waist, shielding his lower half.

"W-What... oh! I'm so sorry about that!" She quickly turned her head away, her cheeks burning. Carl had been completely bare from the waist down, leaving his impressive Excalibur on full, unmistakable display.

Goodness... Carl is huge... He'd really grown up, the stray thought flashed through her mind before she could stop herself.

"Ahem! No, enough distractions! Is it true?!" She coughed softly, her adrenaline surging right back to the surface as her concern took over.

"What are you talking about, Stepsis?"

"About bullying! How could you act like it's no big deal?!" She marched right up to the side of the bed, leaning down until her face was nearly touching his.

"Oh, you mean that? Don't worry yourself over it, Stepsis," Carl said, placing a hand against her cheek to gently push her back a bit. Up close, her soft scent filled his senses—a blend of sweet perfume and fresh mint.

"How can I not worry?! Why are you acting like it's none of our business..." Her eyes welled with deep regret and disappointment—not toward Carl, but toward her own negligence in failing to notice his suffering sooner.

"I'm a grown man now, Stepsis. You don't have to treat me like a defenseless kid anymore. And I'm certainly not a pushover, no matter what you might think."

Ding!

[ NEW LEWD STEPBRO QUEST ACTIVATED! ]

[ MISSION: MAKE YOUR STEPSISTER RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE A REAL MAN BY GROPING HER BREASTS. ]

[ REWARDS: 150 LEWD POINTS, CHARISMA +1 ]

[ FAILURE PENALTY: GIRTH REDUCED BY 50% ]

Jesus... what kind of sick joke is this punishment?! Carl internally cursed as he scanned the system prompt.

A fifty percent reduction in girth?! What was he supposed to do with length if he ended up with the thickness of a toothpick?!

"A grown man..." Lyra repeated softly. "Is that why you've been acting so cold and distant toward us all this time? I know it was traumatic when Father passed away, but why did you have to shut us out completely?" She reached out, taking his hand and gently stroking the back of his knuckles with her thumb.

"I know, Stepsis. You don't have to keep bringing it up... you're making me relive it," Carl replied smoothly. Accessing the fragmented memories of his predecessor, he recalled that his father had died in a tragic car accident on Carl's birthday while rushing home to deliver a surprise gift.

The tragedy had shattered the original Carl, leaving him hollowed out and emotionally detached.

"I'm sorry..." Lyra murmured, tightening her grip on his hand as guilt overwhelmed her.

"Don't worry about it, Stepsis. I'm doing fine now... I've grown up," Carl reassured her, subtly shifting his position on the bed so that his covered lap was resting right beside her forearm.

"B-But you could have just talked to us, you know? You never had to carry that weight alone. We're your family."

Ding!

[ LYRA IS EXPERIENCING AN OVERWHELMING WAVE OF EMOTIONAL INTIMACY! AFFECTION RATING INCREASED FROM 12% TO 16%! ]

Oh, just like that? Life is definitely sweet when things go this smoothly, Carl thought. He casually rested his free hand on her shoulder, looking straight into her soft, trembling eyes.

"Don't worry, Stepsis. I won't let anyone push me around ever again."

"How can you say that so easily after suffering in silence for so many years... You really are merciless, Carl..." A single tear escaped her lash line, tracing a glistening path down her cheek.

"Maybe I am, Stepsis. Or maybe today was just the day I finally woke up to reality," Carl said gently.

Reaching up, he brushed the tear away with his thumb before letting his hand slide slowly down from her shoulder, his fingers hovering just millimeters away from the swell of her bust beneath her thin fabric blouse.

"You can just tell us. Don't be shy..." Lyra murmured softly. She wasn't at all bothered that Carl was touching her like that... truth be told, a part of her actually loved the intimate closeness.