The dining hall stood as a haunting relic of its former glory,broken, hollow, and defiantly clinging to life.
Cracked walls leaned in like curious spectators, eager to eavesdrop on the unfolding drama.
Above, the chandelier dangled like a ghostly reminder of luxurious past, swaying gently with every draft that whispered through shattered glass panes.
Dust danced in the faint beams of sunlight that managed to seep through, creating an eerie atmosphere filled with memories long forgotten.
Yet, around the battered table sat three figures who seemed to be playacting at normalcy,trying desperately to convince themselves that this was still a place worth gathering for a meal.
Lucius lifted his spoon with mechanical precision, staring into the thin porridge before him as if it were the very abyss.
His lips remained sealed; his thoughts churned silently beneath the surface.
Breaking the silence like a clap of thunder, Garran slurped his soup loudly enough to shatter any pretense of decorum.
Leaning back in his chair with a smirk dancing at the corners of his mouth, he addressed Lucius with feigned innocence.
"So, Master Lucius," he drawled mockingly, "now that the illustrious Arkwright clan has tossed you aside like yesterday's chamber pot and banished you to this godforsaken backwater estate,what exactly do you plan to do?"
Lucius froze mid-bite; his spoon hovered halfway to his lips as he turned slowly towards Garran, eyes narrowing like a predator sizing up its prey.
With deliberate calmness, he set down his spoon. "You take pleasure in kicking a man when he's down, don't you?"
Garran raised an eyebrow without remorse. "I prefer to call it… honesty."
Lucius gritted his teeth. "Your brand of honesty might just earn you a punch in the face one day."
Across from them, Elira piped up timidly, her small voice breaking through their tension.
She had been nibbling on her bread, crumbs adorning her lips like confetti from an uncelebrated event.
"M-Master Lucius," she stammered nervously while glancing between them with wide eyes full of concern, "Garran's right though... This place looks like… um…"
She paused mid-thought; her nose scrunched up as she waved her tiny hand in search of words.
Then suddenly her face lit up as if struck by inspiration: "Like a house that got sick and never got better!"
Lucius closed his eyes momentarily. "Thank you for your poetic imagery; it has greatly improved my mood."
Elira tilted her head curiously. "R-really?"
"No."
Her lips quivered slightly as she whispered, "Oh."
Elira glanced down, nervously fiddling with the edge of her apron, nearly tipping her cup in the process.
The cup wobbled precariously before she scrambled to catch it, sighing in relief as if she had just averted a disaster.
Across the table, Lucius massaged his temple, feeling the weight of his servants.
A sharp-tongued servant who thrived on his misfortune and a clumsy maid who could spill soup on the sun itself if given half the chance.
And then there was him...Adrian.
His spoon dipped into the porridge again, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
The vibrant scene around him blurred; the dining hall faded away.
For a fleeting moment, he was transported back to that sterile hospital room,the harsh fluorescent lights above casting an unforgiving glare.
He could almost smell the disinfectant mingling with the stale air.
A hospital bed loomed large, his body tethered to IV lines while machines hummed softly, keeping time with his fading breath.
Adrian...that was who he truly was. Not Lucius Veynar Arkwright or some exiled noble; he was Adrian from Earth.
Memories flooded back: fever burning through him like wildfire. His last moments on Earth had been lonely and suffocatingly quiet.
And when he opened his eyes again, he found himself here,in this unfamiliar body and this chaotic world,heir to a mess not of his making.
The old Lucius had succumbed to a severe fever, leaving behind an empty shell for Adrian to inhabit.
Shaking off those haunting memories, Lucius blinked back to reality.
Across from him sat Garran with that infuriating smirk plastered on his face while Elira chewed her bread as if it were a matter of life and death.
Lucius's lips twisted into a humorless smile. "What am I going to do? That's really the question."
Garran leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm with mock seriousness.
"Yes, Master! Enlighten us! Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like only rats holding hands in the basement are keeping this estate standing."
Elira's eyes widened in horror at Garran's words.
"R-rats?!"
She peered suspiciously into her porridge as though expecting one of them to pop out at any moment.
Lucius rubbed his brow in frustration. "Why do I even bother talking to you two?"
"Because," Garran replied smoothly, "we're all you have left."
That remark silenced him instantly.
The silence in the room stretched awkwardly, an invisible tension hanging in the air, broken only by the soft 'clink' of Elira's spoon against her bowl.
She attempted a smile, but it came out more timid than intended. "M-Master Lucius," she began, her voice wavering, "I-I know things are tough, but... what if we..."
Just as she spoke, her sleeve brushed against her cup, sending it toppling over.
Lukewarm porridge cascaded across the table. "Ahhh!"
In a flurry of movement, she scrambled to clean up the mess with her apron, only to make the situation worse.
Lucius groaned and pressed both hands to his face. "Gods, kill me now."
Garran's voice dripped with dark humor. "Looks like you'd welcome it at this point."
"Shut up," Lucius shot back, not in the mood for banter.
After some frantic attempts at mopping up the porridge, Lucius took a deep breath and tried to steer the conversation back to sanity.
"Garran, how much money do we have left?"
Garran leaned back, a smirk fading from his face. "Ten thousand gold coins."
Lucius blinked in disbelief. "That's it?"
"That's all."
He frowned, frustration bubbling to the surface.
"I've been stripped of my inheritance and cast out, and they didn't leave me even a penny? Not a single coin?"
Garran's eyes turned steely. "The family didn't hand over a dime. If your cousin Lucy hadn't slipped me these coins before we left, you wouldn't have anything."
"Lucy…" Lucius murmured, raising an eyebrow.
A flicker of curiosity danced within him, but he quickly pushed it aside.
Family,just hearing the word made his chest tighten.
Ten thousand coins. In his previous life, that would have been enough to live decently for a while. Here? He had no grasp of its true value,not yet.
With childlike sincerity, Elira leaned in, resting her chin on her hands, her wide eyes fixed on him.
"So… M-Master Lucius, what are we gonna do now? We can't stay here forever, right? If the roof crashes down, I'll be flat as a pancake!"
Garran snorted and smirked. "You're already as flat as a pancake."
Elira gasped, indignant. "M-mean!"
Lucius rolled his eyes so hard it nearly hurt.
But internally, his mind raced. Ten thousand coins,a ruined estate,a forgotten city at the empire's edge,no family,no allies. A new life thrust upon him without warning.
He needed information. Desperately.
Lucius's memories were a jumbled mess,full of arrogance and indulgence, yet utterly devoid of what Adrian truly needed: a deep understanding of the world.
He lacked insight into its people, its power dynamics, and its economy.
Sure, he grasped the basics, but that wasn't nearly enough to strategize or make any significant moves.
If he was going to transform this exile into something remarkable,if he was going to build a life from this pitiful existence,he first needed to comprehend the battlefield around him.
His eyes narrowed as a thought struck him. Money is meaningless without purpose.
"Ten thousand gold coins can either be a treasure trove or mere pocket change, all depending on how I wield them.
But before I spend even one coin, I must understand the value of everything in this place: the city itself, the bustling markets, and most importantly, the people within it. Knowledge comes first; planning follows".
He leaned back in his chair, a faint smile teasing at his lips.
Garran noticed immediately. "What's that look? You're not thinking about drinking yourself into oblivion again, are you?"
"No," Lucius replied flatly.
"Good! Because if you do that again, I'm not cleaning up your mess."
With an exasperated wave of his hand, Lucius dismissed Garran's comment.
"Enough with that nonsense. I need to get out there,to see this city for myself and figure out how things operate here. Only then can we decide what to do with our money."
Elira perked up like a puppy ready for adventure, almost toppling her chair in her excitement.
"O-oh! Can I come too, Master Lucius? Please? I'll be helpful! I can carry bags or… or keep watch!"
In her eagerness, she stumbled and nearly sent the bread basket flying off the table. "Ah! S-sorry!"
Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "You'll stay here."
Her lower lip quivered slightly as disappointment washed over her face. "Oh…"
Garran chuckled heartily as he pushed back his chair. "Finally! A plan that resembles something coherent! Took you long enough."
Lucius chose to ignore him and stared down at his cold porridge while tapping rhythmically on the table with his fingers.
The hall creaked ominously around them; wind whistled through a crack in the window nearby as shadows danced along the walls amidst cobwebs and remnants of an old chandelier.
This estate felt like a tomb but it wouldn't stay that way forever.
Not if Adrian..no, not if Lucius Arkwright,had anything to say about it.
The silence stretched uncomfortably until Elira sneezed loudly enough to startle both men; she nearly toppled off her chair again in surprise.
Lucius squeezed his eyes shut once more, feeling the weight of frustration wash over him.
"Am I really surrounded by idiots?" he muttered, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
Garran flashed a cheeky grin. "Absolutely, Master! But remember, we're your idiots."
For the first time that day, Lucius felt the corners of his mouth twitching upward, almost a smile!