It was a strange sensation, as if past and present had been mixed together.

  A dreadful cold, an overwhelming weariness, the sound of screams, the echo of footsteps. And pain as well—but that, that was fleeting, just like the darkness that followed.

  Useless, useless, useless.

  Throughout it all, he could hear that voice. A voice that was his, then wasn’t, and then became his again.

  How much time had passed? When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the ceiling of his bedroom. It looked the same as before, yet somehow different. No—different wasn’t the right word. The correct word was alien.

  How long was I unconscious?

  Raising his body, he leaned against the headboard. That was when he noticed he wasn’t alone. Sitting on a chair against the wall was one of the family’s maids: a young woman with green hair tied into a simple bun, her serene face relaxed in sleep.

  He didn’t recognize her, so he assumed she must be new, which wasn’t surprising, given how often the head maid complained about being understaffed.

  Lucius wanted to ask what she was doing there in his room, but when he opened his mouth to speak, all that came out was a hoarse, incoherent groan.

  That sound alone was enough to wake the maid. Confused, she swept her gaze across the room until it landed on Lucius. As she fully woke, she revealed a pair of large, bright green eyes, giving her an air of innocence and childishness.

  “Y-young master…? Ah, you’re awake!”

  She immediately sprang up from the chair.

  “I-I must inform Your Excellence”, she said before rushing out of the room.

  Lucius merely watched her leave. Even if he wanted to stop her, he had no voice to do so.

  So this is it.

  Touching his neck, he noticed several bandages wrapped around it.

  Ah, yes. That really did happen.

  Nodding to himself, he decided not to tamper with them. He didn’t feel any pain there, but if the bandages were still in place, there had to be a good reason. It was best not to mess with them.

  Thirst. I’m thirsty.

  Only now did he realize how dry his throat was. It felt as though he hadn’t drunk anything in days.

  I want water.

  If the maid were still here, he would have asked her to bring some, but she had left so quickly that he hadn’t had the chance.

  No… it seems I can’t even speak right now.

  To confirm it, he tried saying a few words out loud, but once again, all that came out was a rough, animal-like groan.

  Is this permanent?

  As he contemplated that possibility, he heard footsteps in the hallway. Almost immediately after, the bedroom doors opened, and Cédric entered, accompanied by the same maid as before.

  His father stared at him for a moment before ordering the maid to leave, then continued to look at him for a much longer time.

  “The priest said you would be fine,” Cédric finally said after what felt like minutes. “You may feel pain in your throat and won’t be able to speak for a few days, but nothing permanent.”

  Lucius nodded. Knowing that the loss of his voice wasn’t permanent was good news.

  “I spoke with Johan,” Cédric said suddenly.

  Yeah, I figured.

  Given Johan’s personality, it would have been strange if he hadn’t contacted Cédric after what happened.

  “You should stop your physical training. From now on, focus on academic studies. You have a good mind. The territory needs intelligent people who can handle administrative matters.”

  That’s your conclusion?

  That was what Lucius wanted to say. But this time, what stopped him wasn’t hesitation—it was his voice, which had failed him again.

  It was almost amusing. You wouldn’t tell someone who still had a chance to achieve their goal to give up just because there were obstacles in the way. No—you only did that when the goal was far beyond that person’s capabilities.

  Well, I suppose this is the consequence of my actions.

  “You were unconscious for days and barely ate. Rest a little longer. I’ll have a maid bring you water and food,” Cédric said before leaving.

  Shortly after, the same maid returned, this time carrying a tray with food and drink.

  “The priest said you need to eat slowly, young master, because of the injury to your throat,” she said hesitantly.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  But her words barely registered in Lucius’s mind. As soon as he smelled the food, he realized how hungry he was. He grabbed the plate and emptied it completely, though not before drinking all the water straight from the pitcher—his thirst was even worse.

  I feel much better, Lucius thought after finishing his meal.

  Feeling as though he had regained his energy, he decided to stretch his legs. He got out of bed and went to change his clothes.

  “What are you doing, young master? His Excellency said you were to rest. You can’t go out now,” the maid said as she hurriedly grabbed his hand.

  What is she doing?

  Lucius looked at his hand, then at the maid, who quickly let go as panic colored her expression.

  “Ah, I—I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

  Lucius ignored her and turned back to the wardrobe. He grabbed the first outfit he saw and began changing.

  Embarrassed, the maid turned her back while he dressed.

  “Y-young master, you really shouldn’t go out. Your body is still weak, so please return to your bed.”

  But Lucius ignored her and left his room. Panicking, she rushed after him.

  As he walked, he occasionally passed other servants of the mansion. They greeted him as usual, but the emotions reflected in their eyes varied greatly. Some showed sympathy and pity; others, confusion and disdain.

  Leaving the mansion, he walked to the garden at the back. It was a beautiful place, filled with many kinds of flowers: lilies, roses, jasmines, irises, dahlias, tulips, and camellias, all arranged in well-kept flowerbeds.

  This had been his mother’s favorite place. When she was still alive, Lucius remembered how she used to bring him here often to play in the garden.

  After her death, his father had made sure to keep the garden just as she had left it—perhaps his way of showing the affection he had felt for her.

  It’s been a long time since I came here.

  Yes, it must have been several years at least.

  Lucius took a deep breath, letting the fragrance of roses fill his lungs.

  I should come here more often.

  Thinking that, he lay down on the grass and closed his eyes.

  “Ahh, y-young master, what are you doing?!”

  With his eyes already closed, he could hear the maid’s panicked voice.

  Ah, right. She’s still here.

  He opened his mouth to say he was taking a nap, but stopped when he remembered his voice wasn’t working.

  How troublesome.

  If he were the only living person in the world, he wouldn’t have to worry about such things. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

  He shook his head, dismissing the absurdity of his thoughts.

  Let’s sleep.

  True to that thought, he soon fell asleep. This sleep was different from before. It wasn’t the exhaustion-filled sleep that usually claimed him, but a calm and peaceful one—the first he’d had in who knew how long.

  When he woke up, it was already evening.

  What time is it?

  The sky was dark, a veil of stars covering the horizon.

  His gaze then shifted to the maid, who he assumed had stayed there the entire time he slept.

  “…”

  Ah, right.

  Lucius gestured, asking what time it was.

  “Ah, i-it’s seven o’clock, young master. We should return soon. Staying outside for so long could be bad for your health.”

  Hmm, I slept that long? Lucius wondered as he stood up.

  Brushing the dirt off his clothes, he walked back toward the mansion.

  “Are we returning to your room, young master? I-I’ll ask one of the maids to prepare another meal for you,” she said as she followed him.

  But he waved his hand, indicating it wasn’t necessary.

  Did she understand?

  If she hadn’t, it didn’t really matter.

  After entering the mansion, Lucius headed to the dining hall, where he found all the family members already present and in the middle of their meal.

  They started without me?

  Most likely, they had assumed he wouldn’t come and decided not to wait.

  Having reached that conclusion, Lucius took his seat and waited for a servant to serve his dish.

  As for the maid who had been following him, she remained at the entrance of the hall, frozen like a statue, unsure of what to do.

  She’s funny.

  With a glance, Lucius signaled for her to leave before someone scolded her.

  Lucius’s arrival caused the atmosphere in the room to plummet. Yuria, who had been in the middle of a story, gradually stopped speaking until her voice faded completely, her embarrassed gaze turning toward Cédric.

  Camille and Alex also seemed uncomfortable. Alex shifted nervously in his chair, while Camille’s eyes seemed to struggle to look in his direction—and when they did, they carried a glint… of anger?

  Lilia, the youngest present, looked the most confused. Her gaze moved between her mother and father, sometimes to him, but mostly to the latter two, before returning to the stuffed animal she held tightly in her arms.

  “I told you to stay in your room and rest,” Cédric said after a few seconds.

  Lucius simply looked at his father in silence. He didn’t know how to gesture that he was well enough to sit at the table, so he chose to remain silent.

  “Lucius looks much better, dear. I don’t think there’s a problem with him eating with us,” Helena said after taking a small sip of wine.

  Cédric frowned, his gaze fixed on Helena, but after a few silent seconds of staring at one another, he nodded and returned to his meal.

  That seemed to be the signal for everyone else to resume eating. The servants had already placed Lucius’s plate in front of him, so he began to eat as well.

  But unlike before, no one spoke.

  This is because of me, isn’t it? Lucius thought as he tore off a large piece of meat and shoved it straight into his mouth.

  He had eaten only a few hours earlier, yet he was already starving again. When he finished this plate, he would have to ask for another.

  Hm?

  Even though he was focused on his meal, he could still feel the others’ eyes on him.

  Yeah, I guess it’ll take a while before things go back to how they were, he thought as he finished the plate and gestured for more.

  “You woke up with the appetite of an ox, huh, Lucius,” Alex said lightly.

  But as soon as he spoke, his smile vanished. His eyes nervously scanned everyone present before dropping to his own plate.

  Unsure of what to do, he fiddled with his cutlery, stirring the food with a completely rigid posture.

  As for Lucius, he continued eating without worrying about his brother’s mannerisms. When he finished, he nodded to everyone in farewell and headed back to his room.

  How long does she intend to keep following me?

  As soon as he left the dining hall, the same maid accompanied him again, following him all the way to his room. And when he entered, she did as well.

  “Y-you may need something during the night, so I should stay nearby to attend to you,” she said when Lucius looked at her with furrowed brows.

  Hmm, I think I understand.

  She was likely there on his father’s orders—to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn’t do anything foolish.

  Though, if I tried anything, what could this girl even do to stop me?

  She looked two or three years older than him, but he had undergone rigorous combat training since childhood, while she was just a simple maid.

  Well, not that I plan to try anything like that again.

  Lucius shook his head. That had been a stupid, impulsive decision—the wrong solution to a problem he didn’t even fully understand.

  Ahh, I’m sleepy.

  Despite having slept all afternoon, his eyelids felt heavy. He must have underestimated just how exhausted his body was.

  It’ll probably take a few more days before I fully recover, he thought as he lay down.

  The maid sat on the same chair as before, watching him like a mother keeping vigil over a helpless newborn.

  Lucius tried to ignore her gaze, closing his eyes and letting the darkness swallow his consciousness.