Zeldryn followed behind Hera at a slow pace, his entire body still aching. Whenever his feet struck the floor even slightly too hard, pain spread from his waist into his back. Even so, he kept his attention on his surroundings as they moved through the mansion.
The corridor was extremely long, with dozens of nearly identical doors lining both sides. Some stood slightly open, allowing Zeldryn to glimpse empty bedrooms that had already been cleaned and neatly arranged. When he passed one of them, he glanced inside and saw a large bed, a wardrobe, a table, and several other pieces of furniture. Everything someone might need was already there, yet the room did not look as though anyone had used it recently.
Zeldryn looked into several more rooms as they continued walking and quickly realized that most of them were nearly identical. Almost every room he saw was empty.
"What is this, a mansion or a hotel? Why are there so many rooms?" Zeldryn muttered quietly.
Hera, who was walking several steps ahead of him, gave no response. Either she had not heard him, or she had simply chosen to remain silent.
Several servants were cleaning the corridor farther ahead. The moment they noticed Zeldryn approaching, they immediately stopped working, stepped aside, and lowered their heads.
"Good morning, Lord Zeldryn," the servants greeted almost simultaneously.
Not a single one of them dared raise their face to look at him. Zeldryn continued walking while observing them closely. On the surface, the servants appeared calm and polite, but their fear was far too obvious to hide. One servant gripped her cleaning cloth so tightly that her knuckles whitened, while another seemed to be holding her breath. There was even a girl who began trembling slightly simply because Zeldryn glanced in her direction.
'All of their expressions are fake,' Zeldryn thought.
He was beginning to understand that the servants were not actually showing him respect. They were simply terrified of making a mistake in front of him. Even after Zeldryn passed, the servants kept their heads lowered until the sound of his footsteps had completely faded into the distance.
Not long afterward, a female servant appeared from an intersection in the corridor carrying a tall stack of cloth. The pile blocked part of her vision, so she continued walking straight ahead without realizing that Zeldryn was directly in her path.
Hera stopped, and the servant shifted the stack slightly. The moment she finally saw who was standing in front of her, her face immediately turned pale, and everything in her arms nearly fell to the floor.
"G-good morning, Lord Zeldryn," the servant said as she quickly lowered her head and forced a smile.
Zeldryn studied her face. The smile was obviously fake. Her lips were raised, but her expression looked more like that of someone waiting to be punished, and even her legs had begun trembling.
'She looks like she's about to faint just because she greeted me,' Zeldryn thought.
He could have simply walked past her. However, after seeing the girl continue bowing while waiting for some kind of response, Zeldryn eventually opened his mouth.
"Yeah. Good morning."
Hera immediately looked back at him, while the servant carrying the cloth became completely still. Both of them looked utterly shocked, but neither dared say anything.
Zeldryn naturally noticed their reactions.
'What the hell? I only returned her greeting,' he thought.
He did not think much more about it and resumed walking behind Hera. After standing still for another moment, Hera quickly regained her senses and continued leading him down the corridor.
Meanwhile, the servant carrying the stack of cloth remained where she was. She stared at Zeldryn's back until he disappeared around the end of the corridor.
A few moments later, another servant approached from behind and studied her friend's expression with concern.
"Are you okay?" the newly arrived servant asked. "Did that bastard lord hit you?"
The servant carrying the cloth did not answer immediately. Her gaze remained unfocused, as though her mind were still lingering on what had just happened.
Her friend eventually shook her shoulder. "Oi, what's wrong with you?"
The servant finally turned toward her.
"Tell me this isn't a dream."
"Huh?"
Without giving it much thought, her friend immediately pinched her arm.
"Ow!" The servant jerked away and grimaced. "Why did you pinch me?!"
Her friend stared at her own fingers before looking back toward the corridor where Zeldryn had disappeared.
"This is insane."
"What's insane?"
"This is a disaster."
The servant carrying the cloth frowned in confusion. "What kind of disaster?"
She leaned closer to her friend and lowered her voice.
"Lord Zeldryn returned my morning greeting."
Her friend immediately fell silent.
"What?"
"He said, 'Yeah. Good morning.'"
"Are you sure you didn't hear him wrong?"
"I heard him clearly!" The servant grabbed both of her friend's shoulders. "He returned my greeting! That bastard Lord Zeldryn answered me like a normal person!"
Her friend immediately covered her mouth.
"Keep your voice down, idiot! If someone hears you, we could be punished!"
"But this really is a disaster!"
"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"
"I'm not crazy!"
It did not take long for news of the strange incident to begin spreading from one servant to another. Some believed Zeldryn was planning something, while others thought he was searching for his next victim. A few even suspected that the injury to his head had somehow made him more insane than before.
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That was how a strange rumor began spreading throughout the mansion, all because Zeldryn had returned a simple morning greeting.
Meanwhile, Zeldryn had no idea what kind of commotion he had just created. He continued following Hera while examining the various rooms they passed.
"Hera," Zeldryn called.
Hera's body immediately stiffened when she heard her name.
"Y-yes, my lord?"
"Where exactly is this place?"
Hera looked slightly confused by the question, but she did not dare question him in return.
"This is a mansion belonging to the Giorry family, my lord."
"I know this is the Giorry family's mansion," Zeldryn replied with slight irritation. "I'm asking which territory it's located in."
Hera immediately lowered her head.
"P-please forgive me, my lord."
She thought for a moment before answering.
"This mansion is located in one of the Giorry family's border territories. It is fairly close to the land governed by the Mereon family."
"Count Mereon?" Zeldryn muttered.
The name felt somewhat familiar. However, when he tried to remember more, only a few blurry fragments surfaced. There was not enough clear information about the family, so Zeldryn eventually decided not to force his memories.
"How far is this place from the Giorry family's main territory?"
"If traveling by carriage, the journey to the main territory would take several days, my lord."
"Several days?"
"Yes, my lord. The duration can also change depending on the condition of the roads and the weather."
Zeldryn gave a small nod, and the two continued walking.
Throughout the tour, Zeldryn kept asking different questions. He asked where the kitchen was located, how many servants worked in the mansion, who commanded the guards, where the mansion obtained food and other supplies, and about the village he had seen from his bedroom window.
Hera answered everything she knew. However, the more questions Zeldryn asked, the more obvious her confusion became. He should already have known most of that information. He had lived in the mansion for quite some time, and even if he rarely left his room, he should at least have understood the basic details of his own residence.
Zeldryn noticed her confusion.
'I know this is going to make her suspicious,' he thought.
However, he had no other choice. The memories he had inherited from this body were too limited and disorganized. If he relied only on those fragments, it could take him an extremely long time to understand his situation.
'This is the fastest way,' Zeldryn continued inwardly. 'Besides, she's too afraid to tell anyone about it.'
Zeldryn actually felt slightly guilty about taking advantage of Hera's fear. For now, however, his own safety was far more important.
Several times, Hera looked as though she wanted to say something. Her lips would part slightly, only to close again whenever she remembered Zeldryn's earlier orders not to tell anyone, not to ask questions, and simply to follow his instructions. Because of that, Hera continued answering him without protest.
"This mansion has two floors, my lord," Hera explained.
Zeldryn looked toward the large staircase not far from them. Only then did he realize that they had remained on the upper floor ever since leaving his bedroom.
'So my room is on the second floor,' Zeldryn thought.
Hera continued explaining as they walked toward the stairs.
"The second floor mostly contains bedrooms. Your room is located at the very end of the corridor. There are also several guest rooms and empty rooms that are usually used whenever an envoy or guest of the Giorry family visits."
"Usually?" Zeldryn asked.
Hera fell silent briefly.
"Guests rarely visit this mansion, my lord."
Zeldryn glanced back, remembering the many empty rooms they had just passed.
"No wonder it feels like a bankrupt hotel," he muttered quietly.
Hera did not respond and simply continued her explanation.
"The first floor contains the main hall, dining room, kitchen, several storage rooms, the main entrance, and several rooms used by the guards. The servants' quarters are located behind the mansion."
They began descending the stairs, with Zeldryn holding the railing to maintain his balance because his body had not yet recovered. From that position, he could see the first floor much more clearly.
The space below was enormous. Its ceiling rose high above the floor, with a large chandelier hanging directly in the center. Several pillars stood on both sides of the room, while a long carpet stretched from the staircase toward the main entrance.
'Damn, this place is huge,' Zeldryn thought as he examined every corner he could see.
However, after gathering enough information, he slowly began to realize something.
The mansion was indeed large, but its atmosphere was far too quiet. Many rooms were unused, guests rarely visited, and the mansion was located several days away from the Giorry family's main territory. On top of that, out of every member of the Giorry family, Zeldryn was the only one who lived there.
'So that's how it is,' Zeldryn thought.
The former owner of this body had not simply been living in a secondary mansion owned by the Giorry family. He had been sent away to this place.
Zeldryn had been placed far out in one corner of the family's territory because his existence was considered an embarrassment to the Giorry name. The Giorry family most likely still provided servants, guards, food, and a place to live because Zeldryn still carried their family name. However, judging from the state of the mansion, it was obvious that they did not want to see his face.
'This little bastard was even abandoned by his own family,' Zeldryn thought.
He was not particularly surprised. Based on the memory fragments he had received, the previous Zeldryn's behavior had already gone far beyond what could reasonably be tolerated. The boy drank alcohol, visited brothels, beat servants, and used his noble status to do whatever he wanted.
What made everything even more absurd was the fact that he had done all of it while this body was only twelve years old.
Zeldryn suddenly held his breath when pain flared through his ribs again.
'But who gave me all these injuries?' he wondered.
The question was still occupying his mind when they finally reached the first floor. Hera walked toward the main hall, while Zeldryn followed behind her and continued observing every servant and guard they passed.
Their reactions were almost always the same. The moment they saw Zeldryn, they lowered their heads, remained silent, and did everything they could to avoid drawing his attention.
When they were close to reaching the hall, the sound of hurried footsteps came from ahead. A guard wearing a full suit of armor appeared from the end of the corridor, running quickly while holding the sword at his waist to keep it from swinging around as he moved.
At first, the guard did not notice Zeldryn. A few seconds later, he raised his head and abruptly stopped. His face became tense, and he hurriedly straightened his posture before approaching at a much slower pace.
Zeldryn stared at him.
'What is it this time?' he thought.
Seeing the way the guard approached and the change in Hera's expression, Zeldryn immediately had a bad feeling.
'Looks like something weird is about to happen again.'
The guard stopped several steps in front of Zeldryn and bowed stiffly.
"G-good morning, Lord Zeldryn."
His voice sounded nervous. Zeldryn did not answer immediately and simply waited for him to continue. The guard visibly swallowed, while his hand tightened into a fist beside his body as though he were trying to keep himself from trembling.
"I-I apologize for interrupting you, my lord," the guard said. He hesitated briefly before continuing. "Sir Henry and Sir Aeglo are already waiting in the main hall. T-they are waiting for you there."
He paused again before glancing at Zeldryn with extreme caution.
"A-as you previously ordered, we welcomed them and treated them as well as possible while they waited."
After finishing his report, the guard immediately lowered his head again. Judging from his posture, he seemed to be waiting for Zeldryn to answer with shouting, insults, or even a punch.
Zeldryn did not respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at Hera and noticed that the servant's expression had already changed.
Hera had looked nervous throughout the tour, but this time the tension was far more obvious. Her hands were clasped tightly together, while her face changed as though she had just remembered something she desperately wanted to forget.
Zeldryn immediately noticed the difference.
'Henry and Aeglo?' he thought.
He did not recognize either name, and no memory fragments immediately surfaced to provide an answer. Zeldryn wanted to ask who they were, but doing so in front of the guard would clearly be too risky.
He looked at Hera again. Her reaction was enough to give him a clue.
'Judging from Hera's face, those two must be trouble.'
The guard remained bowed in front of him. Zeldryn thought for a moment before finally speaking.
"Take me to them."
The guard immediately raised his face.
"W-what, my lord?"
Zeldryn narrowed his eyes.
"I said take me to the hall. Are you deaf?"
The guard's body immediately stiffened.
"N-no, my lord! Please forgive me!"
He hurriedly turned around and gestured toward the hall.
"Please follow me, my lord."
Although he obeyed, the guard still looked slightly surprised. Normally, Zeldryn would have responded to his report with an insult such as, "I already know that, idiot," or "Get out of my sight," before ordering him to disappear. This time, however, Zeldryn had actually asked to be escorted.
The guard found it strange, but he did not dare question him and immediately began walking ahead. Zeldryn followed behind, while Hera walked several steps behind them.
The three of them headed toward the main hall. The closer they came to the doors, the more uncomfortable Hera appeared. Zeldryn noticed, but chose to remain silent.
He still did not know who Henry and Aeglo were or what kind of relationship they had with the former owner of this body. The only thing he could be certain of was that the arrival of those two men had frightened Hera.
Whatever was waiting for him inside the hall was probably nothing good.