Reborn as the Failed Lord with my Resource Gathering System.-Chapter 215: What’s wrong?

For hours, Dorian and the nobles debated how to counter the Witches when they eventually attacked.

If a single one had shown up in the capital, there was no doubt that a dozen more were hiding in the shadows.

Once they concluded their plan to secure the kingdom, the nobles returned to their respective territories, prepared to carry out the tasks assigned by Dorian.

They also bore the heavy burden of keeping Dorian’s true identity a secret until he granted them permission to speak.

All in all, the meeting forced them to accept that a real crisis was brewing. If they were not careful, the situation could spiral out of control.

With the nobles gone, Dorian decided to remain in the castle at Ravina’s request.

She had insisted that since the sun was already setting and the small home Dorian had bought in the capital to monitor the construction project was too far, she couldn’t have him walking around exhausted.

Furthermore, since Ciel wanted to have a word with Exlor, staying at the castle seemed like the perfect plan.

Or at least, it seemed that way at the moment.

Ravina had been inside the bathroom for the past hour.

Dorian sat on the bed, playing with Flare, while Ravina was supposedly "freshening up" for the night. He glanced at the locked door, hoping she would emerge, but there was no sign of movement.

’What the hell is that girl doing in there?’

A confused look played on his face before he flopped back onto the mattress, lying flat while Flare perched comfortably on his chest.

’I am still surprised I managed to convince the Council to agree with me... especially when I don’t even agree with myself.’

His thoughts turned inward, darker and more conflicted.

’Everyone is telling me I am the Dragon Monarch, but I don’t remember a thing about that. Before I came to this world, didn’t I use to be Jacob? Just a working man getting used by his girlfriend? Right?’

He closed his eyes.

Though brief, flashes of his former life flickered behind his eyelids. How he lived, the friends he made, and even the accomplishments he achieved—memories he hadn’t thought about once since entering this new world.

When he really thought about it, he had moved on way too fast from his reincarnation. Was it because he never really had a family outside of Yahoshi?

A deep sigh escaped his lips.

’On the plus side, at least now I know Yahoshi is out there watching me for some reason. I almost made the mistake of thinking that just because we dated, she wasn’t my enemy. I need to be more careful.

She could still kill me, which means I need to grow stronger.’

Clearing his head, Dorian sat upright, shifting into a meditative position.

’Maybe it’s time for a power upgrade. I have been so obsessed with the nation’s growth that I completely forgot about my own strength as a whole.’

[Current E-Points: 1,234,000]

He stared at the runes for a long moment. Every time he crossed a new benchmark of gathered points, the System would unlock a new feature.

As expected, the moment he crossed the one million mark, the System brought forth the best features he had seen in a long time.

[Plot Stage (Cost: 500,000 Points):]

You are capable of randomly viewing the future for key plot points and possible outcomes in the near future.

[Invisible God (Cost: 1,000,000 Points):]

You are granted the ability to win and crush any threat. As long as the threat remains uncrushed, you will not die or receive any type of harm.

[Note: You are required to give up a part of yourself as payment.]

Then, the System displayed another feature he had neglected for a long time.

[God’s Hand (Cost: 2,000 Points):]

You are granted the opportunity to snatch the ability of any God of your choosing for two weeks.

The only reason Dorian had avoided using the God’s Hand feature was that he was trying to avoid the Gods in general, and avoiding owing them any favors.

Another aggressive sigh left his mouth.

’Just kill me already. Then again, for the price of a million points, being invincible doesn’t seem all that surprising, does it?’

Click!

The sudden sound of the doorknob turning grabbed his attention.

Immediately, he scooted up to look. There stood Ravina at the bathroom entrance.

She was wearing a white garment. It was short and transparent enough that it was almost possible for Dorian to see exactly what she was wearing underneath.

He tried his best to maintain his cool so he wouldn’t make her uncomfortable, but he would be lying to himself if he said his "little brother" wasn’t struggling to keep up with the view.

Click!

Ravina locked the door behind her.

She had a shy look on her face, her hand tugging down the hem of her dress as she pressed her back against the door.

"Did I keep you waiting long?" she uttered.

Her tone was small, starkly different from the authoritative voice she was known for.

Dorian smiled slightly, realizing her charm might have already gotten to him. Sitting upright, he tapped the empty space on the bed beside him.

"No, you didn’t. Come, sit."

Ravina, her cheeks beet red, obeyed and walked toward the bed. She sat down beside him as requested, but her gaze remained glued to the ground, unable to look Dorian in the eye.

In that moment, if asked, she could have sworn her heart was about to leap out of her body.

She was constantly pulling down her dress, subconscious about how much skin she was exposing, despite the fact she had chosen that exact dress for this very reason.

Ravina had no idea why Dorian had summoned her for a "discussion," but she knew she had to look her best.

Dorian stared at her for a while. His gaze no longer lingered on her body, but rather on the expression on her face.

Ever since the worker at the construction site told him about Ravina’s behavior, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried.

He noticed it, too. something about Ravina was off. It was almost like she was trying too hard to be busy.

Even at the meeting, she had tried to be actively involved in every part of the conversation. The Ravina he knew would usually allow Alex to handle the talking after briefing him beforehand.

"Tell me, what’s wrong?"

The words blurted out of Dorian’s mouth before he could stop them.

Immediately, a look of surprise washed over Ravina’s face.

"I—I’m sorry?" She finally looked at him directly.

"Was that a difficult question to answer?"

Ravina blinked a couple of times.

"N-not necessarily," her words trailed off. "My Lord, is the reason you asked to speak with me tonight... to ask how I am?"

"Yes."

Ravina’s surprised expression lingered for a while longer, until she finally looked away, turning her gaze back to her lap. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"I see. I wasn’t expecting that."

Seeing the sad look slowly creeping onto her face, Dorian moved.

He grabbed her by the arm, pinned her to the bed, and placed one hand on her waist while holding both her hands above her head.

"Now, what is with that sad look? You’re only further proving my point, you know. So, what’s bothering you?"

Despite the flushed look on her face, Ravina maintained eye contact with him. In her mind, she thought,

’Why is the Dragon Monarch suddenly caring about my mental health?’

But to her surprise, Dorian replied as if he heard her thoughts.

"Because I care about you. Why else would I be asking?"

Ravina’s face turned even redder. A small whimper left her mouth as she tried to squirm away from Dorian’s grasp.

"I-I’m fine, My Lord! There’s nothing bothering me. I just... I’ve been busy," she stammered, the words tumbling out too fast. Her eyes darted everywhere but his, a clear sign of evasion, even while pinned beneath him.

Dorian’s grip on her hands remained firm but gentle. He lowered his face closer to hers, his expression softening but holding a serious edge.

He moved one hand from her waist to gently cup her cheek, stroking her skin with his thumb.

"Please," he murmured, his gaze searching hers. "I am your Monarch, yes, but I am also... Dorian. Tell me. Whatever it is, we will handle it. But you need to let it out."

The intimacy of the position, the warmth of his touch, and the sincerity in his eyes finally broke through her defenses.

A sudden, unexpected wave of emotion washed over her, and her meticulously crafted composure shattered.

Finally looking directly at him, she could not help but blush.

Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill.

"M-My Lord... I’m scared," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Dorian’s brow furrowed slightly. "Scared of what, Ravina? The Witches? They haven’t even attacked yet, and even if they do, we are ready."