'I literally couldn't have had any worse body than this to be reincarnated in.'
He grimaced, worried about his future.
He was thrown into the literal den of the lions.
It was so over.
Wheeze!
He had a sudden urge to throw up, and he felt lightheaded.
Throwing away the bedsheets, he wanted to rush to the bathroom, but he overestimated his current condition.
Thud!
He fell hard, face planted in the floor carpet, and then,
Huuuurgehh!
Vomit came gushing out, right in front of him.
He didn't even have enough energy to move, as his body involuntarily expelled the unwanted leftovers and acid.
Heave!
His stomach churned, pushing out air from his empty stomach.
Urgh!
He groaned in discomfort that his stomach was making him feel.
'Fuck, this is rancid,' He thought, his face uncomfortably close to the pool of vomit.
His nose scrunched from the foul smell he was experiencing.
'I can't even move my fingers,' He thought, scoffing at this woeful state of his.
What kind of dignified human being ends up in such a pathetic state?
Clank!
All of a sudden, the door opened without a knock or any prior warning.
"Whoa!" A soft, feminine voice entered his ears, making him curious.
He looked up to a feminine figure at the open door, looking at him with… distaste.
The familiar black hair with bluish luster, with Amethyst-like eyes.
She had a very pretty face and a well-proportionate body.
The uncanny familiarity from Raven's original memories made him recognize her immediately.
The middle child and his older sister.
Jennifer Marlowe.
"You're a mess… to say the least."
Saying that, she tended to leave, but Raven stopped her.
"Wait," he called out, despite her clear indifference.
This wasn't the time for this. "Help me."
Hearing this, a triumph yet annoying grin was etched on her face. "Manners."
Raven gritted his teeth, but he had no choice. "Please, help me."
"Better," She nodded, as she called out, "Maids, help this poor child."
'This nasty-'
"And someone inform Eve, the youngest is back alive."
A group of maids appeared in no time and carried his limp body to the bathroom.
And before he realized, he was stripped naked and being washed by those beautiful maids.
"Hey-hey, wait, at least bring in male-"
He paused mid-sentence and realized, 'But that'd make it gay.'
"Did you say something, young master?" One of the maids asked.
"Never mind, just don't touch me in the wrong spots."
She nodded courteously.
He wanted to be left alone, but he didn't even have the strength to move his arm on his own.
So he left his fate, honor, and dignity to the maids and his self-control.
While he was getting bathed, he decided to distract himself by looking around.
'This bathroom alone is bigger than two of my previous bedrooms combined.'
Then his eyes wandered off to his own body and the reflection in the pool-sized bathtub he was bathed in.
'Damn, I really reincarnated.' He thought somberly.
After inheriting some of Raven's memories, he was finally able to swallow his current situation.
'I need to plan this.'
He let his body free and started to organize his thoughts in the time he was given.
Meanwhile, the maids took him out after a thorough cleaning and wiped his body clean.
"How would you like to be dressed today, young master?"
"Something comfortable, please." He answered absentmindedly.
'Please?' All the maids were taken aback slightly.
But they didn't dare speak out, and just put on some comfortable but presentable satin white shirt, cotton trousers, and some socks.
Raven was still dazing out, but as soon as he got out of the bathroom, he was alerted by the number of new presences there.
But who stood out the most was a domineering lady with pristine white hair and an overwhelming sense of power emanating from her.
Her complexion was pale like a ghost, but she was beautiful regardless.
Her sharp features, beautiful face, and focused gaze only contributed to her charms.
Her icy blue eyes were sharp and disciplined, like a predator, and her physique was athletic.
'Eve Marlowe.'
He recognized her immediately.
The oldest of the Marlowe siblings, the Ivory Huntress, and the bane of his existence.
One of the most powerful beings in the entire world, and the newest addition to the Cardinals of the church of Solis.
"Leave him on the bed and leave." She ordered in a chilling tone, and the maids complied almost instantly.
If there was someone who held the most power after the patriarch himself, it was her.
Some might even argue she was equal to the patriarch, but she was a filial daughter.
As they left the room, Eve sat down next to him on the bed.
"Open your mouth," She said, her voice completely opposite of the chilling tone she had used to address the maids just now.
It left Raven puzzled for a second.
But from the original body's memories, he knew Eve liked everyone in the family and especially adored the youngest.
So he complied and immediately felt a cool liquid sliding down his tongue.
"This was a low-grade energy potion; it should be enough for a few hours. You should naturally gain your energy yourself." She explained herself for no reason.
Raven nodded, and knowing her unsociable personality, he kept his silence.
"Do you remember anything from the hideout of those zealots?" She asked, after a moment of consideration.
"What hideout?" Raven replied, feigning ignorance.
After all, the original Raven….
Died there.
His memories were hazy, but he was pretty sure the followers of the White Moon had killed the original Raven, and the next thing he knew, he woke up as him.
He couldn't afford a single slip-up here, or he might be busted.
It was better to dodge the entire thing.
"I see." She nodded, her expression soft and somber, "That must be traumatic for you. Makes sense."
"I wouldn't go into much detail, but the gist of it is that you were kidnapped by those zealots of White Moon Church, and a fellow Cardinal died in this rescue mission."
Raven frowned visibly, looking at his sister with utter confusion.
"Why would they dispatch a cardinal to save a single person, who is not even that important?"
Sure, Raven was a member of an influential family, but he was just the youngest of the siblings.
And since a cardinal himself died, this must be huge.
"It wasn't a simple kidnapping, Raven."