Warm sunlight touched Hiroto's face.
For a moment, he thought he was still dreaming.
His body felt strangely light… almost too light.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a large white ceiling decorated with golden patterns.
"…Where am I?"
His voice sounded weak.
The room around him looked nothing like his small house back in Tokyo.
The walls were made of polished white stone. A tall window allowed bright sunlight to pour inside. The bed he was lying on was enormous, covered in soft silk sheets.
Everything felt… luxurious.
Hiroto slowly sat up.
His heart was beating fast.
Memories rushed back into his mind.
The park.
Ayaka.
The accusations.
The rooftop.
And then—
The mysterious woman.
The glowing words.
[CONTRACT ACCEPTED]
"…So it wasn't a dream," he whispered.
Hiroto lowered his gaze toward his hands.
They looked smaller.
Smoother.
"…Huh?"
His eyes widened.
"These… aren't my hands."
Before he could process the situation further—
The door suddenly opened.
A young woman wearing a black and white maid uniform stepped inside.
She froze the moment she saw him awake.
"Y-Young Master?!"
Her voice echoed through the room.
Within seconds, two more maids rushed inside.
"Oh my! He's awake!"
"Quick, call Lady Eleanor!"
Hiroto blinked in confusion as the maids gathered around the bed.
One of them leaned forward, staring at him closely.
"…Young Master, how do you feel?"
Hiroto hesitated.
"I… feel fine?"
The maids exchanged relieved glances.
"Oh thank goodness…"
"You worried everyone so much."
Another maid suddenly placed her hands on his cheeks.
"Ahhh… look at him! Young Master is still so cute!"
Hiroto froze.
"…Cute?"
The maids giggled.
"Of course you are! Look at those sleepy eyes!"
"He's like a little kitten."
Before Hiroto could react, one maid gently pinched his cheek.
"…Hey!"
But his protest sounded weak.
The maids burst into laughter.
"Did you see that? He's pouting!"
"So adorable!"
Hiroto felt his face turning red.
Why are these strangers touching me?!
Just as the chaos continued, the door opened again.
A tall man wearing elegant noble clothing entered the room.
His sharp silver eyes immediately focused on Hiroto.
"…Hiro."
The room instantly became quiet.
The maids stepped back respectfully.
The man walked toward the bed slowly.
For some reason, Hiroto felt a strange sense of familiarity when looking at him.
The man gently placed his hand on Hiroto's head.
"You're finally awake."
His voice carried both relief and authority.
"Father…" Hiroto suddenly heard himself say.
The word slipped out naturally.
Hiroto froze.
Father?
The man smiled faintly.
"I'm glad you're alright."
The maids bowed their heads.
"Lord Albrecht, the Young Master seems perfectly healthy."
Albrecht nodded.
"Good."
He looked down at Hiroto again.
"You collapsed while practicing magic yesterday. Your body is still young, so you must not overexert yourself."
Hiroto blinked.
"…Magic?"
The word echoed inside his mind.
The mysterious woman's voice returned in his memory.
"A new world."
Slowly… the truth became clear.
I… reincarnated.
Not only that—
Judging by the luxurious room and respectful maids…
I'm the son of a noble family.
Hiroto's heart began to race.
A new world.
A new life.
And most importantly—
A new chance.
Over the next few days, Hiroto slowly learned about his new life.
His full name was now Hiro Albrecht Valenhart.
The Valenhart family was a respected noble house within the kingdom.
His father, Lord Albrecht, was known as a powerful knight and mage.
And Hiro…
Was their only son.
One afternoon, Hiro stood in the garden behind the mansion.
A maid stood beside him, holding a small book.
"Today we will continue practicing magic basics, Young Master."
Hiro nodded seriously.
In this world, magic was real.
And apparently, nobles were expected to learn it from a young age.
"First, focus your mind," the maid explained.
"Imagine the mana flowing through your body."
Hiro closed his eyes.
At first, he felt nothing.
But after concentrating for a few seconds…
A strange warmth appeared inside his chest.
"Good," the maid said encouragingly.
"You're sensing mana."
Hiro slowly raised his hand.
A tiny spark of light appeared above his palm.
"…Whoa."
The maid clapped happily.
"You did it, Young Master!"
Another maid nearby covered her mouth.
"Ahhh! He's so talented!"
"And still so cute!"
Hiro sighed.
"…Please stop calling me cute."
But the maids only laughed.
One of them suddenly ruffled his hair.
"You're still a child, Young Master. Accept your fate."
Hiro groaned.
This world is weird…
Still…
When he looked at the small glowing spark floating above his hand…
A strange excitement filled his chest.
Magic.
Real magic.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Maybe this new life wouldn't be so bad after all.
Three Years Later
The training yard echoed with the sound of clashing steel.
A young boy stood in the center of the field.
His black hair moved slightly in the wind.
The boy raised his hand calmly.
A glowing magic circle appeared in the air.
"Fire Arrow."
A streak of flame shot forward and struck the training target.
BOOM.
The wooden dummy exploded into pieces.
The maids watching from the side clapped excitedly.
"Amazing!"
"Young Master keeps getting stronger!"
The boy sighed.
"…It's just basic magic."
Even after three years, the maids still treated him like a cute child.
But Hiro had changed a lot.
He was now ten years old.
Taller.
Stronger.
And far more skilled in magic.
Hiro looked up at the sky.
Three years had passed since his reincarnation.
Yet he had never forgotten his previous life.
The betrayal.
The humiliation.
The pain.
Those memories still burned quietly inside his heart.
But now…
He had power.
And this time—
He would never be weak again.
Suddenly, a faint blue window appeared in front of his eyes.
[SYSTEM ONLINE]
User: Hiro Albrecht Valenhart
Level: 7
New Ability Unlocked
Hiro's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Looks like the real fun is finally starting."
And somewhere in the distance…
Fate had already begun moving again.