“Where am I?”
I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.
All right, so I’m not at home.
I sat up and scanned my surroundings, finding only furniture that I’d never seen before. I racked my dazed brain to remember what had happened and recalled that I’d passed out while waiting at the crosswalk.
Was I brought to a hospital afterward?
Judging from the furniture and atmosphere of this room, that theory was probably wrong.
“Huh...” Something felt off. I climbed out of bed to figure out what the abnormality was and quickly discovered the problem.
My limbs are small? No way... Can it be?!
I hurried to the vanity near me and looked into the mirror.
“Who the heck is that?!” I screamed without thinking.
The mirror reflected a pretty face with silvery-white hair and complementary purple eyes. First things first: That wasn’t me. I wasn’t this good-looking. I held my head in my hands, racking my brain in an attempt to figure out what was happening. Just then, I heard a woman’s voice.
“Sir Reid!” the woman exclaimed upon seeing me. “You’ve woken up! I must inform everyone at once!” She immediately ran off somewhere.
Though her behavior was jarring, what stood out most to me was that the woman was dressed in a maid’s uniform, which left me stunned.
“What’s going on? Huh? Reid?”
As I repeated that name, a sharp pain caused my head to throb. I felt my own memories and experiences mixing with someone else’s, and the whole world felt like it was spinning. I began feeling worse, to the point of nausea. After some time had passed, my mind became clear and my body calmed down. I opened my mouth to speak to no one in particular.
“That’s right—Reid!” I exclaimed between heavy breaths. “I am... Wait, no...” I adjusted my tone to better fit the younger body I was now in. “I’m Reid Valdia!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Someone I presumed was a doctor thoroughly inspected my eye movements and the functionality of my entire body, including my arms and legs. “Well, there don’t seem to be any physical issues,” he muttered. “I don’t foresee any problems, but if something does happen, please reach out right away.”
The exam concluded, and the doctor got up and left the room.
“I’m glad to see that you are all right, Sir Reid,” a man remarked. “After you suddenly collapsed in the garden, we were worried that something was wrong.”
Several people had gathered in the room where I’d woken up. I couldn’t quite connect their faces to any names.
“I apologize for worrying you, um...” I replied with a troubled countenance.
“I am Garren, the butler,” the man said, identifying himself. He was a dapper man with gray hair and dark-brown eyes who looked to be in his late forties.
“Sorry, I seem to be a little mixed up. I’m sorry for worrying and troubling you, Mr. Garren and everyone else.” I apologetically bowed my head.
Garren and all the maids standing behind him stared, their eyes wide with shock. Still appearing surprised, Garren cleared his throat and smiled at me.
“Thank you for your generous words, Sir Reid,” Garren said in a kind tone. “However, you should not be speaking to a butler or maids in such a manner. Please call me ‘Garren,’ as always. I must reiterate, though, that your words are greatly appreciated, Sir Reid.”
“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind,” I replied. “Thanks, Garren.”
He seemed satisfied with my response and left a service bell near my bed, instructing me to call him right away if I needed anything, before leaving with all the maids. Now that I was alone, I crawled under the covers and held my head in my hands.
“Not only am I in the world of an otome game, but I’ve reincarnated as an NPC antagonist?!”