Chapter 8. Corvos and his variant
Early in the morning, people in this world began their day with noise. For example, mothers urged their children to get up because school was about to start, or the sound coming from the television because the volume was turned to the maximum, or the sound of car horns.
"Did you sleep well?" Corvos asked that but from Juwel's state he already knew that Juwel did not have a pleasant dream. Or maybe he did not sleep at all. Corvos could not know which option was correct but the result was the same.
Juwel did not reply. Because of the lack of sleep, Juwel's mood was terrible. He saw Corvos move toward a cabinet to take out a medical kit to re-treat the wound Juwel created yesterday.
Pale sunlight slipped through the curtains and fell upon Corvos's calm face, although the bruise on his cheek ruined that perfection.
His hand held a cold cloth, pressing it lightly against his cheek to reduce the swelling.
Juwel's punch still kept its remarkable strength. At the very least, it was strong enough to make him recall the punch that nearly made him lose his human shape in the previous life.
The boy's hatred did not fade even after dying and being reborn.
That was a person who lived with a fiercely burning emotion. He was completely different from Corvos, who looked like a pile of ashes about to go out. And because of this interesting contrast, Corvos had taken an interest in Juwel from the very first confrontation.
After finishing with the wound, he glanced at the clock and stood up.
He knew that a bánh bột lọc vendor would bike past this area at this hour. Recently, this simple food had become something he was particularly interested in.
But he suddenly saw Juwel's silhouette blocking the door. Juwel had already changed into modest clothes the moment he realized Corvos intended to go outside. Juwel did not want to meet anyone yet, but that was a matter of sooner or later. If he lived here, he would eventually have to meet the people known by the original owner.
"Put on a mask."
Corvos handed Juwel a brand new medical mask he had taken from a pack. Juwel stared at the object in Corvos's hand for a while because he could not imagine how it was supposed to be used. Then Corvos demonstrated. Juwel saw that it was useful for hiding his expression, especially now when he did not want anyone to notice any difference between him and the original owner of this body.
So Juwel accepted it without any reluctance.
"I will take you for a small walk around here."
Corvos informed him of the plan.
The streets in this area were usually quiet in the early morning. The security system was good enough to keep thieves and troublemakers out.
Corvos walked calmly. He had replaced the mysterious demeanor he usually used when facing Juwel with a gentle and relaxed smile.
Anyone who saw him in this state would never believe that he was a notorious crime lord.
The street vendor was a middle-aged woman with a friendly face and a constant smile. When she saw Corvos, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh my heavens, Corvos! What happened to your face? Who would raise their hand against a kind person like you?"
Kind? Juwel's ears bumped into a definition that should never be associated with Corvos. He completely ignored the accusation the woman directed at the bruise on Corvos's face.
Corvos smiled, a gentle smile that made it hard for anyone to stay wary.
"It is not that serious and I already handled it, so there is nothing to worry about."
While he said this, he did not even glance at Juwel.
The vendor shook her head as she looked closely at his face. She handed him the bag of bánh while giving advice.
"But you should be careful. You do not look like the type who goes around causing trouble, but there are many dangerous gangs and thugs out there."
Corvos accepted the food bag and nodded with gratitude.
"I understand. Thank you for your concern."
"Here, I will give you a good price!"
Corvos did not refuse the good deal.
"Please give me one more portion."
Only then did the woman notice the person standing behind him.
The clothes were modest but perfectly neat without a single wrinkle. The upright posture and the air that was clearly out of place in the street around them immediately told her that this person did not belong to the same world as her.
She had never met Corvos's spouse, though she knew he was married.
"Do you want to try mắm cay or not?" the street vendor asked Juwel.
Juwel did not know what "cay" meant because that flavor did not exist on the menu of his previous life.
Corvos answered for him.
"Give them both to try, please. This is their first time eating this dish."
Juwel frowned at Corvos's intimate way of addressing him, but there was nothing he could do about it. In private they could use any names they liked, but in front of others, especially in front of people who knew this "husband-husband" couple, Juwel had to stick to what he had said earlier. He could not let on that the soul inhabiting this body had changed.
"Alright then, no extra charge."
Corvos carried the food bundle. To the vendor's eyes, that made him look even more likable.
Juwel asked, "Does she know the two of you?"
Everyone understood he meant the two original owners of the body.
Corvos: "No, she only knows me, but her food is pretty good. If you like it you can buy it again."
Juwel did not reply.
After that, they ran into a few neighbors. Unlike the world Juwel had come from, where villas stood apart with broad gardens or whole slopes of hillside between them, here people lived packed like squares on a chessboard. Even when separated by iron gates and low walls, the space between houses was barely wide enough for a motorbike.
In this winding alley many families lived in multi-storey blocks called "mini apartments." Narrow corridors, balconies stacked atop one another, power lines like spiderwebs strung overhead, all gave a bustle he was not used to.
Corvos blended in quickly. He greeted people, shook hands, exchanged a few polite words with each person they met. His voice was soft, his steps unhurried. He treated it more like a stroll than a social call. Every time he spoke to someone and then left their sight, Corvos would mention that person's details to Juwel so Juwel would know how to handle them later.
Juwel mostly kept observing. Not because he did not know social etiquette. He had been an aristocrat at the top rung; conversing, offering compliments, and steering a talk were lessons drilled into him from childhood. But here everything was foreign, especially the networks around the original owner. He did not know how friendly he should be or how much distance to keep.
So Juwel stayed mostly silent. He answered with a polite smile and a few measured words only when someone's gaze landed on him or someone spoke to him.
Corvos put the gifts neighbors gave them into a cupboard and only unwrapped a lollipop to eat.
After discussing with Corvos the possible issues that could arise in their relationship, the compromises they must keep, and the conditions that could not be broken, Juwel faced an important choice: what would be his first step in this strange world?
The world moved fast, dragging people into a machine that did not allow stops. Juwel knew that if he hesitated he would be left behind and sooner or later disadvantaged. Strange as it seemed, he did not waste much time doubting. From the moment he realized he had been reborn here, Juwel had set one rule for himself: first, learn the laws of the place where you live.
All other ambitions, actions, and wishes could be put aside. If you do not know the rules, no matter how skilled you are, you might as well wander in a maze where every move risks self-destruction. In his old world Juwel had seen too many tragedies caused by people not understanding or ignoring society's rules. He would not let himself repeat those mistakes.
The legal code here was more massive than he had thought. Civil law, criminal law, commercial law, labor law. Every clause cast a huge net over daily life. He knew he could not memorize it all in a short time.
Juwel's memory might be extraordinary, but it was not absolute. He did not presume that remembering alone would be enough. His method was this: after grasping the key points, he would use analytical thinking to connect scattered laws into a system, so that every future action would be grounded and avoid falling into a dangerous legal gap. Juwel needed to picture real scenarios, hypothesize which matters would directly concern him, and decide which to prioritize.
For three whole days, Juwel buried his head in the law books. These books were not new at all. It seemed Corvos had gone through them before. Juwel did not like the fact that he and that bastard Corvos had the same ideas like this, but there was no other choice. Juwel devoured the texts and hid the invisible fear pushing at his back by forcing himself to adapt through intellect.
Three days were just a blink compared to the flow of this world. But for Juwel, those were three days of laying the foundation. A necessary foundation, because only when a person understands the limits can they truly be free.
"We need to buy replacements for the things that broke."
Sometimes, Juwel would go outside with Corvos when he went shopping.
Because of that, they went to the nearest market to buy things. Corvos showed Juwel how to use Google Map so he could reach a location according to instructions.
The room had been wrecked by them. When they listed the items they needed to buy, the number had reached dozens. However, Corvos and Juwel only bought the necessary things like window glass and an electric fan because buying too many would exceed the monthly spending. The remaining balance in the bank account was not enough for that.
Awakening in the middle of the night, Juwel gasped and sat up. His chest rose and fell with each hurried breath. Cold sweat clung to his forehead. His whole body felt uncomfortably damp. His eyes were wide open yet empty. From outside the window, the light cast a glow over half of his face as he was bent forward.
The nightmares had followed him into this life as well.
His eyes lowered slightly, heavy and tired. The feeling was not entirely unfamiliar, yet he could not identify it clearly. His pale blonde hair fell loosely, covering part of his face and deepening the loneliness and quiet around him.
Juwel raised his hand and touched his forehead. His palm was ice cold.
He sat still for a long while. His breathing gradually returned to normal. But his mind was like a surface of water trembling with ripples, unable to calm down. Not wanting to sink deeper into those thoughts, Juwel lifted the blanket and stood up. His body still carried a lingering chill from the nightmare he had just come out of.