Marcus fell back onto his bed, staring at the window where the world's twin moons' silver light shone through.
He tried addressing the "Harem Choice System" repeatedly, but the damn thing remained silent no matter what he said.
'Looks like I'll have to wait for this talent awakening ceremony.' He rolled over, trying to find comfort in the unfamiliar bed.
Sleep came eventually, dragging him under after hours of restless thinking.
...
"WAKE UP! Breakfast is ready!"
His door slammed open with enough force to rattle the hinges. Marcus bolted upright, heart hammering as Jasmine's silhouette filled the doorway.
"I'm up, I'm up," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
She huffed. "You have five minutes. Don't make us wait."
The door slammed shut again.
Some might think Marcus was too trusting, sleeping in a stranger's house without knowing what they might do to him.
But his logic was simple: if they wanted him dead, he'd be dead already.
Despite his new muscular physique, he couldn't even push Jasmine off him yesterday. And Elara? She could probably end him with a flick of her wrist if what he remembered about talented women in Empress Empire was accurate.
He splashed cold water on his face and looked up. The handsome stranger in the mirror still shocked him.
This body was built for battle or seduction, with lean muscles marking every inch of his torso.
"This is insane," he whispered, running a hand through his hair.
He grabbed a fresh shirt hanging in the closet, simple but well-made. This Marcus might have been a street orphan, but Elara had at least kept him decently clothed.
The smell of food pulled him downstairs, where Elara was setting plates on the table. Jasmine already sat with her food, pointedly ignoring him.
"Good, you're up," Elara said, her tone neutral. "Eat quickly. The ceremony starts in two hours."
Marcus nodded, sliding into his seat. "Thank you for the food."
Elara paused, giving him an odd look. "You're welcome."
Had the real Marcus been ungrateful? Maybe. From what he remembered of the novel, men in this world tended toward two extremes: spineless servants or rebellious troublemakers.
Neither lasted long.
"About yesterday," Elara began, sitting across from him with her own plate. "Kayla speaks without thinking. Don't take it personally."
Jasmine snorted. "She wasn't wrong, though."
"Jasmine!" Elara snapped.
"What? It's true. He's seventeen and still talentless. The odds of awakening anything useful now are basically zero." She stabbed at her food. "He'll probably end up as a labourer."
Marcus chewed slowly, studying them both. In the novel, talent awakening usually happened between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. By seventeen, most people considered it a lost cause. The chances of a person awakening at seventeen were less than 1 in 10 million.
"Maybe today will be different," he said quietly.
Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Sure. And maybe the Frost Empress will personally invite you to her palace.
"Enough," Elara said firmly. "Today is important for both of you. Jasmine, you need to focus on your awakening. And Marcus..." She hesitated. "Just do your best."
Marcus nodded, finishing his food quickly. Whatever happened at this ceremony would determine his entire future in this world. If the real Marcus was truly talentless, he'd be relegated to the lowest caste.
'Basically a slave.'
But he wasn't the real Marcus. And if this "Harem Choice System" was anything like the novels he'd read back on Earth, it might just be his ticket to something far greater.
After finishing the food, both Jasmine and Elara stood up and left for their own rooms to get ready.
After being left with the finished plates, he realised that it was probably his job to clean the dishes after.
'I hope she didn't get angry at me yesterday. Since I didn't clean any,' He thought, before taking out the dishes and washing them in the kitchen.
After washing the dishes, Marcus walked back to the living room and sat down on the sofa.
'Surely they wouldn't mind me sitting on the sofa. That would be ridiculous.' He thought.
Ten minutes passed with Marcus sitting down in the living room, alone with his thoughts.
His ears picked up footsteps echoing from the stairs.
He turned toward the sound, and the scene stunned him. Elara and Jasmine descended together, dressed in elegance.
Jasmine's dress, a soft shade of lavender, sharpened the green in her eyes and set off the warmth of her hazelnut hair. She moved with the grace of a swine, as if aware of his every glance.
Elara's black dress clung to her figure, highlighting all the curves. Waves of light brown hair framed her face and spilt over her shoulders, the loose strands softening the poise in her stride.
"Stop gawking," Jasmine said, rolling her eyes.
Marcus woke up from his daze and coughed.
"Let's go," Elara announced, holding what appeared to be a futuristic car key.