A ball bounced into the air inside a room, fell, and then rolled toward a bookshelf. A few seconds later, a 5-year-old boy approached the ball and picked it up. The boy was Ryan, wearing a white striped shirt and cream-colored socks. It had been three years since he had experienced that sudden fever.
He still didn't know what was causing the fever. Was it a side effect of being reborn? Or was he awakening some kind of special ability? Various theories popped into his head, but it remained a mystery to him. Ryan walked over to the toy box near his baby crib and put the ball he had just picked up into the box. This has been his daily routine for the past three years: playing all day while trying to understand his situation, then being carried by the woman with long brown hair in a ponytail and eating soft food that he believes is baby porridge.
Talking about women, Ryan has been able to understand the words spoken by those two women who visit him every day. Strangely, the language and word structure they use is the same as the language in his previous life. Based on the fragments of conversation he overheard, the woman who usually carried him was Olivyn, and the maid who usually accompanied him was Helina. Every day for the past three years, the two of them would stop by Ryan's room, carry him, talk about how he was growing up healthy, sing songs to cheer him up, or simply chat about the state of the house.
"Hmm... Mother, huh?"
For Ryan, who was once an orphan, the presence of his biological mother, Olivyn, leaves him with mixed feelings. On one hand, he is happy to have been given a second chance to have a complete family since birth, but on the other side, he feels nervous when facing Olivyn. Should he act like a typical child or treat his new family like friends or colleagues? Ryan doesn't know what to do about all this. Although he can already speak like a child, sometimes he still finds it difficult to express his feelings.
Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind and stared out the open window of her room. The weather outside looked bright, the sun partially covered by early clouds but still able to radiate its warmth, a gentle breeze blowing throughout the room and touching his cheeks. Amidst this peaceful atmosphere, Ryan's mind became calmer and he once again convinced himself that everything would be alright.
At the same time, his bedroom door opened and, as usual, two women entered. Ryan looked at the two women and remembered that every day around noon, they would visit him. Despite his nervousness about his new family, he was still happy to have been brought together with two kind-hearted people who always cared for and looked after him. A sense of warmth filled his heart, and with a wide smile, he slowly walked toward the two women.
"Oh! My son is walking to greet his mother! You look happy today, don't you? Are you satisfied playing with your toys?"
"Y-yes, Mother! I've been playing...with those toys..."
"Allow me to tidy up Young Master Winfred's bedroom, Lady Olivyn."
In his new life, Ryan has a new name, Winfred, which he only learned after eavesdropping on their conversations for the past three years. He is still not used to his new name, so he sometimes gets confused when someone calls him by it. Helina quickly tidied up the remaining toys scattered around the room. Ryan smiled wryly and felt embarrassed for forgetting to tidy up his toys. As usual, Olivyn carried Ryan and spoke to him.
"Are you hungry?"
"Uhm… no, Mother. I already ate this morning."
"Are you sure? Eat a lot so you can grow up healthy, okay?"
"Um... Um... I understand."
Hearing his mother's words, Ryan felt happy about her attention. In the corner of the room, Helina had finished cleaning his toys and approached the two of them. Helina did it quickly and stood beside Olivyn. Ryan looked at Helina's face and thought that she always had a straight face. Was that the standard for a maid?
"Oh yes, Helina. Is there any news about his arrival right now?"
"Ah, forgive me, Lady Olivyn, I haven't heard anything about his return right now from the Head Butler."
"Hmm...I see. I wanted him to see our son right now..."
"Him? Who are you referring to, Mother?"
"Oh, I haven't told you yet? It's about your Father. He always comes home late because of his job. I hope he could see you like this. But... it can't be helped, he must be truly busy with his work."
Ryan knew that he also had a biological father in his current life, but he never asked about him directly because he was nervous about his new family. From this, he could conclude that he had a biological father and mother who were still alive, but he had never met his biological father face to face. While his mother patted him on the back, Ryan continued to eavesdrop on his mother and Helina's conversation.
"Hmm...what about Madam Leni and her son? Any news?"
"Yes. From what I've heard, Young Master Ardyn has been practicing magic lessons, while Madam Leni is still hanging out with her social circle."
"Madam Berthy and her son must be the same as them. It is indeed time for Lord Victor's two older sons to hone their talents and abilities."
"As for Young Master Gerdan, it seems that he is more talented in the physical field. I heard gossip from the maids that Madam Berthy called a knight from her house as an instructor for Young Master Gerdan."
"Oh my, is that true? It seems that the House of Emerdine will prosper in the coming years. The eldest son has the potential for magic, while the second son is blessed with physical abilities. Of course! My son must be the same as them, right?"
"Uh... Umm..."
Hearing his mother's high expectations, Ryan or Winfred could only stare blankly and smile wryly. It wasn't that he was sad about the expectations placed on him, but rather that he was confused about how to respond to his mother's request.
"It's okay, it doesn't have to be now, my son. The important thing is that you grow up healthy and strong first, okay? Hmmm... Hmmm... Oh yes, Helina, when will your daughter come here? I think she will be a good friend and playmate for him."
"Forgive me, Lady Olivyn, but my daughter still undergoes strict training if she wants to become Young Master Winfred's maid. I don't want my daughter to disgrace my house and Lady Olivyn's family reputation."
"Huh... I wanted your daughter to keep Winfred company when we're both away. By the way, how old is your daughter now?"
"She's 15 years old, My Lady. As for that, given her training period right now, I think she will complete her training in the next few months. If My Lady agrees, next season I will call my daughter to work here."
"Really!? Alright! I will submit a request to the Head Butler and Lord Victor. Did you hear that, Winfred? You will have a friend and playmate!"
With his mother's warm embrace, Ryan tried to digest the recent conversation. It seemed that next season Helina's daughter would become his new friend, or more accurately, his caretaker. He didn't know how long her daughter would be his caretaker, but Ryan waited for that day to arrive with mixed feelings. Still looking out the window, Ryan continued to eavesdrop on his mother and Helina's conversation.
***
In the silence of the night sky, Ryan slept soundly. Moonlight entered his room through the windows, painting the walls with a dim white light. Inside the room, there were actually two people. The first was Ryan, who was asleep, and the second was a tall man standing near the baby crib. Ryan, who usually slept until morning, suddenly woke up that night and slowly opened his eyes.
When he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see a tall man with a sharp gaze looking into his eyes. The man had white blond hair combed back, bright green eyes, wore a long fur coat, and had a sword sheathed on his left side. In his five years of this life, Ryan had never seen or met this man. When no one spoke, the tall man opened his mouth.
"Hhmm... are you awake? Pardon me if my sudden arrival woke you up. Do you know who I am?"
"Uh... umm... no, Sir."
"I see. Miss Olivyn hasn't told you yet. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Victor Emerdine, Head of the Emerdine family, and… I am your father."
"F-father? Father Victor?"
Ryan was quite surprised to hear the man's words. He never expected his biological father in this life to visit him and talk to him normally like a father and son would. He thought that Victor was too busy and probably too tired to visit him.
"Indeed, Winfred. It seems like this is the first time we've talked like this. I always come home late because of work, I guess your mother never talks about me, huh?"
"Oh...no, Father. Dear Mother always talks about you. She says that you always come home late because of work."
"I see. Well, that is fine then."
"..."
"..."
"Umm…?"
"I was a little surprised when you woke up, because every time I come here, you always fall asleep."
Ryan opened his eyes wide. From morning to evening, he always played in his room, and during that time only his mother, Olivyn, and Helina visited his room. Only at night did he close his eyes and fall asleep like a normal baby. If his father's words were true, that meant that every night, after returning from work, Victor always visited his room while he was asleep.
"Oh-oh...really? Th-thank you, Father."
"Hmmm? It is alright."
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. None of them continued the conversation. Ryan stared at his father, Victor, and vice versa. In this silence, Ryan once again looked closely at his father's figure. His flat expression, sharp eyes, and serious aura as the head of the Emerdine family made him feel both uneasy and amazed. For some reason, the man standing in front of him reminded him of several characters from novels and comics he had read, in which the head of the family or clan always had a cold and serious nature, and often lacked expression or emotion for their family. As soon as Ryan thought about that, his body was enveloped by a wave of heat, just like three years ago. He panicked but tried to calm himself by maintaining his expression, clasping his hands, and bringing them to his chest.
"Hmm...it appears that you're too tired. Continue your rest, I shall take my leave then."
"Y-yes, Father."
Victor walked toward the door and left the room. After making sure his father had left, Ryan let go of his expression and took a deep breath. His entire body felt hot from head to toe, and he repeatedly assured himself that this incident would end well, just like three years ago. He repeatedly regulated his breathing and positioned his body leaning against the guardrail, meditating like a monk. Sure enough, the heat began to fade from his head to his feet, gathering in his chest before slowly dissipating. With a sense of relief, Ryan let his body fall into a lying position, facing the ceiling of his room. Once again, he questioned what had just happened to him and resolved to find out more about the new condition he had experienced.