"Young master, it’s ti to wake up."
An elderly man with a dignified and poised deanor stepped into the bedroom.
He wore a tailored suit that left no doubt that he was a butler through and through.
He glanced down at the figure curled under a thick blanket. It was the person he had addressed as ’young master’.
With quiet steps, he approached the bed and gently nudged the sleeping boy.
"Arghh damn. Is it morning already? Got it, Sebastian! Stop shaking and wait outside!" Ca the groggy, irritated reply.
The butler paused. "Young master, my na is Sebas... I’ll wait outside." Knowing this wasn’t the ti to argue, he gracefully withdrew.
The young master slowly sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. As his vision cleared, he took in his surroundings. The room was warm and familiar with an air of comfort.
"Sigh... I could never get used to this." He muttered.
He was Lucien Lootwell, heir to a baronial family. Life had been good, stable, privileged and filled with the quiet luxury that ca with nobility.
That is... until a strange and sudden disaster struck the barony just a month ago. It began subtly, then escalated rapidly.
Even his parents, the Baron and the Baroness, succumbed to a mysterious "illness." Their deaths were sudden and unexplained. It left a void no one was prepared to fill.
The shock sent Lucien into a week-long coma. And when he finally awoke...
It wasn’t just consciousness that returned... Buried mories surged to the surface.
mories of a past life!
He had once lived in a world vastly different from this one. It was a modern and mundane place compared to the magic and nobility that surrounded him now. From the perspective of his forr self, this new world could only be described as sothing out of a fantasy novel.
Perhaps it was his body’s way of coping or a defense chanism against the trauma, as the mories of his past life began to overshadow those of his current one. After all, in this world, he was only a 12-year-old boy... but in his previous life, he had lived and died at the age of 22.
Lucien sighed. The weight of two lifetis pressed down on him and the mory of his death resurfaced.
In his past life, Lucien had been expelled from college, not for failing his studies, but for his violent temper.
He had a strong sense of justice and nothing enraged him more than seeing others being bullied. Ti and ti again, he stepped in... fists first.
He believed he was doing the right thing, standing up for the helpless. But the world didn’t see it that way.
Disillusioned and bitter, he gave up on the idea of "doing good." He never applied to another college. Instead, he drifted into isolation, sinking deeper into apathy and despair.
He drowned his days in video gas until his body gave out. Darkness swallowed him and then... this.
"Pathetic."
He muttered in self-mockery.
"Truly pathetic! I died a virgin?! Gahhh!" He exclaid while clutching his head.
Knock knock.
"Young master, are you alright?" Sebas asked in concern.
"Quiet, Sebastian!"
"It’s Sebas!"
Lucien sighed. ’Who doesn’t na their butler Sebastian?’ he thought with resignation.
He rose from the bed and began to change into his clothes.
His mind wandered to his parents. He rembered them as gentle souls. Perhaps too kind for their own good. Their lives were cut short so suddenly.
He hadn’t even been able to attend their funeral as he had been in a coma.
But what haunted him more was the thought of his sister. She had faced it all alone.
The grief.
The responsibility.
The weight of holding everything together.
He could only imagine the pain she must have endured in silence.
She didn’t even have ti to weep. While still grieving, she had to manage the barony, care for Lucien and maintain order amid the chaos.
As the only son, Lucien was the rightful heir. He should have been the one to take over the managent of the territory. But at just 12 years old, no one believed he could handle such a heavy burden. The barony was in chaos and hope was slipping through everyone’s fingers.
The mont his eyes opened from the coma, his sister rushed in and threw her arms around him in a desperate hug. In that fragile embrace, he felt the depth of her exhaustion and pain. Yet even through it all, she was the only one who still had faith in him.
But Lucien wasn’t convinced their parents’ deaths were natural. One tragedy was unfortunate. Two or more? Sothing sinister was definitely at play.
Finally dressed and composed, he stepped outside and gestured to Sebas. "Take to my sister."
Sebas led the way with confident steps. Lucien was following behind.
As they were walking through the corridor, Lucien fell into silence.
The once-vibrant manor now echoed with silence. Gone were the laughter and life they once had.
Only four servants remained including Sebas.
Lucien’s heart ached...
They reached the study.
Sebas bowed and waited outside as Lucien entered quietly.
There she was, Vivian Lootwell, hunched over a desk overflowing with papers. Despite the dark circles under her eyes, her gentle beauty still shone. Her long, chestnut hair fell like silk over her shoulders. Lucien paused, quietly admiring her resolve.
When Vivian looked up and saw him, her eyes lit up. A genuine smile spread across her face as she rose and embraced him tightly.
"My cute little brother, Lulu! You’re here."
"Ahem. Sister, please call anything but Lulu."
"Why not? I’ve always called you that."
"Just... Lu or Luc is fine." he insisted, cheeks slightly red.
In his past life, the word ’lulu’ had... unfortunate connotations. Lucien felt embarrassed hearing it from his sister.
Vivian tilted her head in confusion but she didn’t press him any further. Sothing had changed in her brother since the coma. He beca more serious and more mature.
’Puberty,’ she thought with a sad smile. ’Maybe that’s a good thing.’
She knew that Lucien must have felt depressed too when they lost their parents.
Vivian tightened her embrace. "We have a problem," she said softly.
Being a 12 year old boy, he was still a lot smaller than her 15 year old sister so she overpowered him and couldn’t resist her embrace.
Lucien stayed silent and let her speak.
"Tomorrow’s the day. Are you ready to take over, brother?"
Lucien’s eyes sharpened. After a pause, he answered with a firm and unwavering resolve.
"You don’t have to worry about a thing, sister. I’ve been studying nonstop and I’m a fast learner. By the ti you return, everything will be in order."
In the Kingdom of Vaultre, all nobles were required by law to attend the Academy upon turning fifteen. Refusal was considered treason. Vivian had no choice. She had to leave whether she wanted to or not.
Lucien clenched his fist. He would not let her down. She was all he had left.
Suddenly, a buzzing sound snapped him from his thoughts.
Bzzz... bzzz...
A bee darted into the room.
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
"Sis, don’t move," he warned, spotting the insect has landed on her.
Lucien was worried that it might sting Vivian.
In a swift motion, he slapped.
SLAP!
But...
"Kyaah!"
Vivian jumped, eyes wide. ’Did... did he just slap on the butt?!’
She didn’t notice the bee earlier and Lucien was too stunned to speak.
"No! We’re siblings!" she shrieked. Her reflex delivered a slap across Lucien’s cheek before she bolted from the room with her face redder than a beet.
Lucien stood frozen, one hand on his cheek, the other held up in disbelief.
"Sh*t! Now I’ve done it." He stared at his offending hand intently.
Then... slowly... He brought it closer to his face in stunned contemplation.
When suddenly...
[CONDITIONS T]
A cold, chanical voice rang in his mind.
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