"Hmm…" a soft groan escaped Yashiro.
When his eyes opened, he was greeted by a high ceiling that felt completely unfamiliar. Holding his breath, Yashiro forced his body to sit up.
"Ah… my head hurts," he muttered weakly, his hand instinctively clutching his head.
After the pain subsided, he focused his gaze and scanned his surroundings. Frowning, Yashiro realized he was in a place that felt entirely foreign.
The room was incredibly spacious, filled with luxurious decorations and objects he didn't recognize at all.
"Where… is this?" his voice came out hoarse.
Yashiro fell silent, his mind trying to make sense of what was happening.
Then, a faint memory began to surface.
He remembered sitting in his classroom. The school bell rang, and his classmates began packing their things. Meanwhile, he remained still, staring out the window.
In the distance… something streaked across the sky, glowing red with a blazing tail. Yashiro rubbed his eyes several times, thinking he had imagined it.
But then, one of his classmates shouted.
"Look at that!"
"A meteor?!"
The entire class erupted in chaos.
Strangely, instead of panicking, some of them pulled out their phones and started recording.
Idiots.
Only when they realized… that the meteor was actually heading straight toward them. Including himself, who had noticed it too late.
By the time it was already too close, panic finally set in. They ran, trying to escape the classroom to save themselves.
The memory cut off there.
"This… is real? Did I die because of that meteor?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Yashiro slowly lowered his head, looking at his hands.
Smooth. Pale.
Completely different from his own. He clenched them lightly, feeling a strange sensation that didn't belong to him, as if they truly weren't his.
Yashiro stared at them in silence for a few seconds.
Then, another memory surfaced. Stories he used to read in his spare time, about protagonists who died and woke up in someone else's body, in a completely different world.
His eyes swept the room again. The objects looked old-fashioned, arranged in a way that felt unfamiliar.
His mind began to connect everything.
'Could it be… I've experienced that too? A transmigration?'
A deep frown formed on Yashiro's face, clearly showing his disbelief at what had just happened.
He raised both hands, staring at them for a moment. They felt too real. Without thinking, he suddenly slapped his own cheek hard.
Smack.
"Argh…" a soft groan escaped as pain spread across his cheek.
A red mark instantly appeared, but he didn't care. His gaze fell to his hands, which had also turned red.
"This… is real," he whispered, his eyes turning hollow.
But just as confusion still clouded him, a surge of memories suddenly flooded his mind, accompanied by unbearable pain.
In an instant, the pain intensified, as if thousands of needles were stabbing inside his head.
"Argghk!" his voice broke.
Yashiro clutched his head, his body writhing wildly as he tried to endure the overwhelming pain.
"Wh-why… it h-hurts so much…"
Thud.
His body fell off the bed. He continued to writhe, like a fish thrown onto land, desperately struggling to return to the water.
*
Thirty minutes passed.
Yashiro had calmed down, lying back on the bed as before. But this time, he was not alone. Beside him sat an old man in a white suit, two fingers placed on Yashiro's wrist, checking his pulse.
Behind him stood five servants along with a well-built man with sharp eyes.
A moment later, the old man removed his hand and carefully placed Yashiro's arm back at his side.
"Well? Did you find anything wrong with the Second Young Master's body?" the well-built man asked, his tone cold.
The old man stood up and turned to face him. "Everything is fine. There is nothing wrong with the Second Young Master's body," he replied calmly.
The well-built man frowned. His gaze sharpened, probing. "You're not lying, are you?"
The old man in the white suit remained composed. "On my life, there is nothing wrong with the Second Young Master. You may call any doctor within the Virel Noble House. I can guarantee there is nothing wrong with his body, aside from a bruise on his forehead," he said firmly, without hesitation.
The well-built man stared sharply at the old man before shifting his gaze to Yashiro, who was still unconscious.
Earlier, as soon as he received the report from a servant, he had rushed to this room. Upon arrival, he found his young master screaming in pain, clutching his head, even banging it against the floor several times.
There had been no other choice.
He had been forced to knock Yashiro unconscious to prevent further harm. After that, he immediately summoned the doctor who worked within the Virel residence.
The well-built man looked back at the old man, his expression unchanged.
"Very well. You may leave," he said briefly.
Hearing that, the old man nodded and promptly exited the room.
Once the door closed, the well-built man turned his gaze to the five servants. They stood still with their heads lowered, none daring to look up.
"Which one of you entered the Second Young Master's room first?" his voice turned colder.
Silence.
A few seconds passed without movement. Finally, the servant on the far left stepped forward hesitantly. The other four quietly let out breaths of relief.
"You were the first?"
The servant hesitated, then slowly raised their gaze nervously. "Y-yes, Lord Edward."
"What did you see at that time? Was there anything unusual? Explain."
"I-I didn't see anything… I entered because I heard the Second Young Master screaming. I knocked on the door, but there was no response. So I… I forced my way in and saw him already rolling on the floor while clutching his head."
Edward frowned. His sharp gaze returned, as if piercing through the servant's thoughts.
'He's not lying,' he thought.
He then turned around, observing the room.
His eyes fell on the window, then the balcony door. With calm steps, he approached and examined them one by one. Perhaps something had been overlooked.
There was no way the Second Young Master would suddenly be in pain without reason.
Meanwhile, the servant quietly let out a sigh of relief for not being punished.
*
A few minutes later, Edward returned with a disappointed expression. He had found nothing.
'Nothing unusual. The window and balcony door are tightly shut, with no signs of forced entry,' he thought.
His gaze then shifted to the bedside table. 'There are no traces of food or drink either… then what caused it?'
As he continued trying to piece together what had happened, Yashiro's body on the bed began to stir slightly, showing signs of waking up.
Edward noticed immediately. He glanced at the servants and gave a brief signal.
Without a sound, the five servants understood. They bowed obediently and quickly left the room, leaving only Edward and Yashiro, who was slowly opening his eyes.
"Mm…" he groaned softly. His gaze was once again met with the same ceiling.
"Young Master, you're awake? Is your body feeling much better now?" a voice came from the side, carrying a hint of concern.
Yashiro glanced over.
A man stood there, tall, well-built, and proportionate. He wore a neat black suit paired with a white shirt. His gloved hands were positioned formally, one over his chest and the other at his side.
Without realizing it, Yashiro's brow furrowed slightly. The images that had caused his headache earlier resurfaced, showing the same man.
Edward.
A servant and protector who had been most loyal to the previous owner of this body.
Yashiro did not respond immediately. He slowly tried to sit up. Seeing that, Edward stepped forward at once and helped him without being asked.
"Thank you, Edward," Yashiro said softly.
"It's nothing." Edward replied, returning to his upright position at his side.
Yashiro looked at him for a moment, then said, "Edward, you may leave. I want to be alone."
"But, Young Master, what if..."
"It's fine. I'm okay," Yashiro cut him off coldly.
Edward did not move immediately. He stood still for a moment, staring into Yashiro's eyes as if confirming something. After that, he gave a short bow and turned toward the door.
The door closed slowly, almost without a sound.
'It seems Young Master Kael is still in shock from not having a Source,' Edward thought as he stood by the doorway.
However, instead of leaving, he simply stepped aside and stood there silently like a guard.
*
*
*