"Lord Harutaka, Lady Elira... look, he's awake!"
The faint voices reached me before anything else. Soft, excited, almost trembling. Slowly, I forced my heavy eyelids open.
A ceiling. Not the gray ceiling of my old room, but something brighter, elegant, painted with designs I didn't recognize. My whole body felt weak, small… fragile.
That's when it hit me.This isn't… my world.
I tried to move, but only managed to wiggle tiny fingers. A soft cry escaped my mouth before I could stop it. The sound wasn't my voice—it was the cry of a newborn.
Warm arms lifted me up. A beautiful woman with gentle eyes looked down at me, tears sliding down her cheeks as she smiled. "Asami… my dear son."
Asami? That name echoed strangely in my head, but at the same time, it felt like it belonged to me now.
Beside her stood a tall man with sharp features, his presence commanding yet softened by pride. He placed a hand gently on my mother's shoulder before glancing at me. "So this is my son… Asami Shijo. The heir of House Shijo."
House Shijo? Heir? Count? The words spun around in my mind, but all I could do was stare back at them, lost between confusion and warmth.
Two servants stepped closer, both smiling as if I were the most important thing in the world. One whispered, "Congratulations, Lord Harutaka, Lady Elira. The young master looks healthy."
The room was filled with quiet celebration—my mother holding me close, my father looking proud, the servants bowing with joy. It was nothing like the lonely life I had left behind.
Somewhere deep inside, I felt the truth settle in.I've been reborn.
The Shijo family now had an heir. And as if the world wanted to remind me of that, I heard my father's voice, calm yet firm: "Prepare the announcement. Tonight, Lilyfield will celebrate the birth of my son."
My new life had only just begun… but it was already stirring the world around me.
And for me… it was only the beginning.