Three Years Later
The sun hung low, casting golden light across the tranquil lake beside the estate. Beneath a marble canopy—its pillars kissed by vines and age—Aurora sat with quiet grace, a porcelain cup nestled in her fingers. She gazed out at the water, her thoughts far from its surface. Beside her, a small cradle rocked gently, a child sleeping within—silent, peaceful, untouched by time.
From a distance, footsteps echoed over the cobbled path. A tall figure approached—his auburn hair gleaming in the sun, shoulders broad, posture commanding. His face, refined and beautiful, seemed almost too perfect for this world. This was Vincent.
He stopped beside her, smiled, and sat down with the air of a man who had longed for this moment.
"What are you doing here, my love?" he asked, his voice a gentle rumble.
Aurora didn't look at him. Her eyes were fixed on the sleeping child. "Nothing… Just wondering when he'll wake. It's been three years already."
Vincent reached over, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry. The doctor said his body has fully healed. He should be waking soon."
She exhaled, voice soft with sorrow. "I know. But I can't help feeling like I'm losing his childhood. If he'd been healthy, I know he'd be running around by now—getting into trouble, breaking things, laughing…"
Vincent chuckled, eyes gleaming. "Or maybe… he'd be curled up with a book like his mother. Quiet and wise."
Aurora's lips curved into a faint smile. "No. He's your son. Didn't you see the chaos he caused the moment he was born?"
"Hah, you're right." Vincent laughed. "Now that I think of it, he might be an even bigger troublemaker than I was."
The sound of his laughter eased her heart, if only a little.
Aurora looked around, curious. "Speaking of troublemakers—where's Roman? He went to train with you, didn't he?"
Vincent opened his mouth to answer—but paused.
He had felt it. The faintest shift in the air.
The cradle stirred.
Vincent stood, eyes locked on the child. "He's waking."
Aurora set her teacup aside and leaned in, heart pounding. Her hand hovered over the cradle's edge.
The boy stirred again. Then, slowly, his eyes opened.
Bright. Clear. Sharp—far too sharp for a child.
They locked onto Aurora's face. She smiled, radiant with joy. But what she couldn't see—what she didn't know—was the storm behind those tiny eyes.
'Where am I? So it wasn't a dream… I really died' he thought.
When I woke up last time, she was holding me… and my body, which should have been 20 years old, was the size of a newborn.
'Shit… to think those bastards even gave me my memories. Was the despair of my last life not enough for them that they had to give me memories in this one too?' he thought, as tears began to form in his eyes—though this time, his eyes didn't turn black.
Aurora saw the tears again and felt a sharp pain in her heart. Vincent's face turned pale, haunted by the memory of the last time the child cried.
Without hesitation, Aurora scooped the child into her arms, holding him tightly.
He found himself in the soft warmth of her embrace before he even realized what was happening.
' Damn, how is she so fast? I didn't even see her move,' he thought.
'Argh… why is she hugging me again? Did I cry? Last time she did this too. These damn tears… it's so embarrassing,' he muttered internally, wiping at his face.
'What the…' His eyes widened as he looked at his hands.
'How did I grow this much just in my sleep? Am I a giant? No, she looks like a normal human… and I'm their child, so I should be human too. Haah… how long was I asleep? What happened last time I woke up?'
He looked at the woman—her beauty so unreal, it confirmed what he already suspected.
This has to be another world. No woman in my last life came close to her beauty. And him… he turned his gaze to the man now standing, sword drawn.
What the hell is wrong with this guy? Why's he pointing a sword at a child? And a sword… so people here use blades? A perfect fantasy world, huh?
Things started to click into place. Judging by their looks, their clothes, their manner—this wasn't his old world. It resembled something from a medieval fantasy tale.
How long is she going to keep holding me like this? he groaned inwardly, attempting to push Aurora away.
"Lady, please move away! It's hard to breathe!" he shouted in frustration.
Aurora's eyes widened in shock at the sound of his voice. She looked at Vincent and said something in a language the boy didn't understand.
'Phew… finally got some air. But what language is that? I can't understand a word,' he thought.
Yet from Vincent's stunned expression, he realized—
'Not that I planned on hiding anything, he thought. I have my dignity. I won't ruin two innocent lives just to survive. My life isn't worth that much.'
He could've played dumb. Acted like a baby. Hidden the truth.
'But then what? Lived a lie for years? Betrayed them? What happens when they find out?Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, he thought grimly. So now, choose: will you kill me, abandon me… or accept me?'
His emotionless eyes stared at them both, waiting for their answer.