Zeldryn followed behind Hera.
His steps were slow because his entire body still ached. Whenever his feet struck the floor too hard, pain immediately spread from his waist to his back.
Even so, his eyes continued scanning his surroundings.
The mansion’s corridor was extremely long. Numerous doors lined both sides, almost identical in appearance. Some were slightly open, revealing empty bedrooms that had already been cleaned and arranged.
Zeldryn glanced inside one of them.
There was a large bed, a wardrobe, a table, and several other pieces of furniture. Everything was complete, but the room did not look like it had been used recently.
He looked at the other doors they passed.
Empty.
Another empty room.
Almost all of them were empty.
“What is this place, a mansion or a hotel? Why are there so many rooms?” Zeldryn muttered quietly.
Hera, who was walking in front of him, did not respond. Either she had not heard him or had chosen to remain silent.
Several servants were cleaning the corridor. The moment they noticed Zeldryn approaching, they all stopped working.
They stepped aside and lowered their heads.
“Good morning, Lord Zeldryn.”
Their greetings came almost simultaneously.
Not a single one of them dared look at his face.
Zeldryn observed them while continuing to walk.
The servants appeared calm on the surface, but their fear was too obvious.
One gripped her cleaning cloth far too tightly. Another held her breath. One servant even began trembling slightly just because Zeldryn glanced in her direction.
“They’re all wearing fake expressions,” Zeldryn thought.
They were not showing him respect.
They were merely terrified of making a mistake.
Even after Zeldryn passed them, the servants kept their heads lowered until his footsteps faded into the distance.
Not long afterward, a female servant appeared from an intersection in the corridor while carrying a stack of cloth.
The pile was tall enough to block part of her vision. She continued walking straight ahead, completely unaware that Zeldryn was directly in front of her.
Hera stopped.
The servant shifted the stack slightly.
The moment she saw who was standing before her, her face immediately turned pale.
She nearly dropped everything in her arms.
“G-good morning, Lord Zeldryn.”
The servant lowered her head while forcing a smile.
Zeldryn looked at her face.
The smile was obviously fake.
Her lips were raised, but she looked as though she were waiting to be punished. 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, seeing her continue bowing while waiting for a response, Zeldryn eventually opened his mouth.
“Yeah. Good morning.”
Hera immediately glanced back at him.
The servant carrying the cloth also froze.
Both of them looked utterly shocked, but neither dared say anything.
Zeldryn noticed their reactions.
“What the hell? I only returned her greeting.”
He did not think much of it and continued following Hera.
Hera, who had stopped walking, quickly regained her senses and resumed leading him down the corridor.
The servant carrying the cloth remained standing in the same place.
She stared at Zeldryn’s back until he disappeared around the end of the corridor.
A few moments later, another servant approached her from behind.
“Are you all right?”
She examined her friend’s face with concern.
“Did that bastard lord hit you?”
The servant carrying the cloth did not answer.
Her gaze remained empty.
The other servant shook her shoulder.
“Oi, what’s wrong with you?”
The servant who had greeted Zeldryn finally turned toward her.
“Tell me this isn’t a dream.”
“Huh?”
The servant immediately pinched her friend’s arm.
“Ow!”
Her friend pulled her arm away while grimacing.
“Why did you pinch me?!”
The servant carrying the cloth stared at her own fingers before looking back toward the corridor Zeldryn had disappeared into.
“This is insane.”
“What’s insane?”
“This is a disaster.”
The other servant became even more confused.
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“What kind of disaster?”
The servant carrying the cloth moved closer and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Lord Zeldryn returned my morning greeting.”
The servant in front of her fell silent.
“What?”
“He said, ‘Yeah. Good morning.’”
“Are you sure you didn’t hear him wrong?”
“I heard him clearly!”
The servant grabbed her friend’s shoulders.
“He returned my greeting! That bastard Lord Zeldryn answered me like a normal person!”
The other servant 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 spread from one servant to another.
Some believed Zeldryn was planning something.
Others thought he was searching for his next victim.
A few even suspected that the injury to his head had made him even more insane.
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.”
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.
However, 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 is 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 it, only a few blurry fragments surfaced. There was no clear information about that family.
Zeldryn 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 may also change depending on the condition of the roads and the weather.”
Zeldryn gave a small nod.
They 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 its food and other supplies.
He also asked about the village he had seen from his bedroom window.
Hera answered everything she knew.
However, the more questions Zeldryn asked, the more confused Hera became.
Zeldryn should already have known all of this.
He had lived in the mansion for quite some time. Even if he rarely left his room, he should still have known basic information about his own residence.
Zeldryn noticed the confusion on Hera’s face.
“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 far too limited and disorganized. If he relied solely on those fragments, it could take him an extremely long time to understand his situation.
“This is the fastest way,” he continued inwardly. “Besides, she’s too scared to tell anyone about it.”
Zeldryn felt slightly guilty about taking advantage of Hera’s fear.
But for now, his own safety was more important.
Hera herself looked as though she wanted to say something several times. Her lips opened slightly, only to close again when she remembered Zeldryn’s earlier orders.
Do not tell anyone.
Do not ask any questions.
Just follow my orders.
Because of that, Hera continued answering him without protest.
“This mansion has two floors, my lord.”
Zeldryn looked toward the large staircase not far from them.
Only then did he realize that they had been 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 for a moment.
“Guests rarely visit this mansion, my lord.”
Zeldryn glanced back at the empty rooms they had passed.
“No wonder it feels like a bankrupt hotel,” he muttered quietly.
Hera did not respond and continued her explanation.
“The first floor contains the main hall, dining room, kitchen, 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.
Zeldryn held the railing to prevent himself from losing his balance.
From above, he could see the first floor more clearly.
The space below was enormous. Its ceiling was high, and a large chandelier hung directly in the center.
Several pillars stood on both sides of the room. A long carpet stretched from the staircase to the main entrance.
“Damn, this place is huge,” Zeldryn thought as he examined every corner.
However, after gathering enough information, he began to realize something.
The mansion was large, but it was far too quiet.
There were many empty rooms.
Guests rarely visited.
It was located far away from the Giorry family’s main territory.
And out of every member of the Giorry family, Zeldryn was the only one who lived here.
“So that’s how it is,” Zeldryn thought.
The former owner of this body had not merely been living in a secondary mansion.
He had been thrown away here.
He had been isolated in a distant corner of the Giorry family’s territory because they considered him an embarrassment.
Perhaps the Giorry family still provided him with servants, guards, food, and a place to live because Zeldryn still carried their name.
However, they clearly did not want to see his face.
“This little bastard was abandoned by his own family,” Zeldryn thought.
He was not surprised.
From the memory fragments he had received, the previous Zeldryn’s behavior had gone far beyond what could be tolerated.
Drinking alcohol.
Visiting brothels.
Beating servants.
Using his noble status to do whatever he wanted.
And he had done all of that while this body was only twelve years old.
Zeldryn held his breath as pain flared through his ribs again.
“But who gave me all these injuries?” he wondered.
He was still thinking about it when they finally reached the first floor.
Hera walked toward the main hall.
Zeldryn followed her while continuing to observe the servants and guards they passed.
Their reactions were always the same.
Lower their heads.
Remain silent.
Try not to be noticed.
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 around the corridor. He was running in a hurry while holding the sword at his waist to stop it from swinging around.
The guard had not yet noticed Zeldryn standing in front of him.
A few seconds later, he raised his head.
His steps immediately stopped.
His face became tense.
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.
“I have a feeling something weird is about to happen again.”
The guard stopped several steps in front of Zeldryn.
He bowed stiffly.
“G-good morning, Lord Zeldryn.”
His voice sounded nervous.
Zeldryn did not answer. He simply waited for the guard to continue.
The guard visibly swallowed.
“I-I apologize for interrupting you, my lord.”
His hand tightened into a fist beside his body, as though he were trying to suppress his trembling.
“Sir Henry and Sir Aeglo are already waiting in the main hall. T-they are waiting for you there.”
The guard paused, then glanced 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.
He seemed to be waiting for his report to be answered with shouting, insults, or a punch.
Zeldryn did not respond immediately.
He glanced at Hera.
The servant’s expression had changed.
Hera, who had already looked nervous throughout the tour, now appeared far more tense. Her hands gripped each other tightly, and her face twisted as though she had remembered something she desperately wanted to forget.
Zeldryn noticed the change.
“Henry and Aeglo?” he thought.
He did not recognize either name.
No memory fragments immediately surfaced.
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 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 immediately stiffened.
“N-no, my lord! Please forgive me!”
He quickly turned and gestured in the direction of the hall.
“Please follow me, my lord.”
The guard still appeared surprised.
Normally, Zeldryn would have responded to his report with an insult.
“I already know that, idiot.”
“Get out of my sight.”
Or he would have simply ordered him to disappear.
However, this time, Zeldryn had asked to be escorted.
Although the guard found it strange, he did not dare question him.
He began walking ahead.
Zeldryn followed him, while Hera walked several steps behind them.
The three of them headed toward the main hall.
The closer they came to its doors, the more uncomfortable Hera appeared.
Zeldryn noticed.
However, he remained silent.
He still did not know who Henry and Aeglo were.
He also did not know what kind of relationship they had with the previous owner of this body.
The only thing he knew was that the arrival of those two men had terrified Hera.
And whatever was waiting for him inside the hall was probably nothing good.