I was sitting on the cold floor of the cave, trying to gather my thoughts.
After a while, I decided that I should go outside and see what was happening. I didn't know how the original owner of this body had died, but the body was mine now. I had been given a second chance at life.
And this time, I wanted to live the way I wanted.
However, this world was far more dangerous and cruel than the one I had left behind. I didn't even know how much conflict existed within noble families—especially when it came to fighting for the position of patriarch. The memories I had inherited didn't mention much about such matters.
As I stepped out of the cave, I suddenly heard a voice.
"Young master! Where were you? We've been looking for you this whole time."
I turned around.
A young maid stood behind me. She looked to be about five feet tall and had bright green eyes. She was quite beautiful, and her sudden appearance snapped me out of my thoughts.
At that moment, I decided to face reality.
This was my life now.
And from now on, my choices would determine how I lived it.
"I just went to the cave to look at the pets," I said calmly.
She looked at my clothes, which were covered in dirt, and frowned slightly.
"Master Yan was looking for you," she said. "He asked you to come and see him."
I took a deep breath.
Now that I had decided to live as Aron Velton, I needed to start acting like him as well.
"Alright," I said. "Take me to him… ah… where is Father asking me to come?"
The maid looked at me strangely, as if wondering whether I was feeling ill.
"Yes, young master," she replied politely. "Please follow me. Master is waiting for you in his room."
"Okay," I said.
---
A few minutes later, I entered a building so large and magnificent that I almost thought I had stepped into heaven.
Everything—the walls, the pillars, even the floors—was made from pure white marble. The palace looked like something that belonged in the heavens rather than on earth.
Golden patterns decorated the walls, and gems and sapphires were embedded into the ceiling. The entire place was breathtaking.
Seeing this through memories and seeing it with my own eyes… the difference is unbelievable, I thought.
We walked through a massive gate at the entrance of the palace. It was so large that even enormous creatures—perhaps even dragons, if such things existed in this world—could easily pass through it.
The ceilings were incredibly high. I had to strain my neck just to look at them properly.
As I walked through the palace corridors, I noticed many people looking at me.
I wasn't sure whether something was wrong or if they were simply reacting to the dirt on my clothes.
Either way, I didn't like attention.
So I quietly asked the maid to walk faster.
After about fifteen minutes, we finally reached a room deep inside the palace.
Inside, a man was sitting behind a large table, carefully reviewing a stack of documents.
It was my father—Yan Velton.
"Master Yan," the maid said respectfully, "the young master is here."
My father looked up briefly before telling the maid to leave the room.
Once she left, an awkward silence filled the space.
I felt uncomfortable.
In my previous life, I had grown up as an orphan. I never had parents, relatives, or even close friends.
I didn't know how to behave in a situation like this.
For a moment, I just stood there, unsure of what to say.
Finally, the silence became too heavy.
"Dad," I said quietly.
From Aron's memories, I knew that he didn't have a very close relationship with his father. So after saying that single word, I didn't add anything else.
My father looked at me briefly before returning to the documents on his desk.
Then his eyes moved toward my clothes.
"What happened to your clothes?" he asked calmly. "Why are they so dirty?"
His gaze moved to my face.
"And what happened to you? Did you fight with your brothers… or cousins again?"
"No, Father," I replied. "I went to the cave where they keep the pets. I had a migraine and fell down. That's why my clothes got dirty. I didn't fight with anyone."
Even I was surprised by how easily those words came out of my mouth.
Father nodded slowly.
"…Hmm."
After a moment of silence, he spoke again.
"I called you here because tomorrow is the Annual Event Ceremony."
"You should begin preparing for it."
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
"I don't know what kind of talent you will awaken or which affinity you will receive. I also don't know which path you will choose after the ceremony."
"But remember this."
"Don't choose your path simply because everyone else is following it."
He looked directly at me.
"Trust your heart."
"You don't have to become a knight if you don't want to."
"Your mother told me yesterday that you've been very interested in learning about magic lately."
"So don't worry about what your cousins or anyone else might say."
"Just follow the path you truly want."
I nodded respectfully.
"Thank you, Father. I'll remember that."