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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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Chapter 4: Time Limited Prince
The dim light of dawn crept through the curtains, illuminating the sleeping objects in the room.
As the distant sounds of a bustling morning filtered in, I found myself staring into the void of an unfamiliar room.
"Ah."
When focus returned to my blurry vision, my scattered consciousness also came back with it.
'So you're telling me that I, Karzan the Mad Dog was reborn as some precious young master?'
My past life felt as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. It felt like waking up from a very long sleep.
But perhaps due to the flood of memories rushing in, my seventeen years of life as Allenvert now felt hazy, like a dream from last night.
Unable to distinguish which was truly me and which was the other one, I sat dazed for a while before suddenly turning my head from side to side and getting out of bed.
Sure, I had ranted about wanting to be reborn as a dog to tear out Ivan's balls, but who would have thought it would actually happen?
"This is driving me crazy, truly."
It felt incredibly awkward to hear such a smooth, pleasant voice coming from my mouth.
- Boss, please never sing. We thought it was the wail of a ghost.
- Karzan is a fine man, but his voice is terrible.
I used to wonder why people made such a fuss about my voice, but now I understand why.
'First, I need to organize the situation.'
I suspected that while I was delirious with fever, somehow Karzan's dormant memories had awakened.
As for how? I don’t know.
'So this body's original name is Allenvert Grunewald. Age 17.'
If my memory serves right, this should be a ducal clan of kingdom on either the Central or Southern side.
And...
'That's all I can remember?'
‘So where exactly is Grunewald, and what's my father's name? It was frustrating how the memories seemed just out of reach.’
Having just recovered from one bout of amnesia, I found myself struck with another.
"This is messed up, good lord..."
The difference between being Karzan the orphan and a person who can't even recall his parents' names? It felt almost insane—I could remember a past life, but not the one I'm living now.
'Is Ivan dead?'
I couldn't figure that out either.
I had completely forgotten how I even managed to cut that solid jewel box. Well, having been asleep for 17 years, it's no wonder such detailed memories wouldn't remain.
'Let me at least see what I look like.'
Just as I was looking around for a mirror...
"Y-young master! Good heavens! You've truly awakened! Oh, this is the Lord's blessing, a miracle!"
A young man with a disheveled appearance, likely having rushed here from sleep, came running towards me making a fuss.
"How do you feel? Where does it hurt? May I examine you for a moment- AAACK!"
"Whoa! You startled me."
So he was a doctor. He looked on the verge of tears as if someone had threatened him that he would die if the young master died.
"W-whoa, you say?"
Noticing the doctor's confusion at my crude language, I quickly caught myself.
"Ah, my apologies. Perhaps I'm still a bit dazed from having just awakened after so long."
Though I had spent my entire life in back alleys and the Underworld.
Even in the Underworld, I occasionally had to deal with important people. Pretending to be a young master wasn't particularly difficult.
"Oh yes, of course. Young master, you've been asleep for days with a fever. You shouldn't overexert yourself, please lie back down and let me..."
"Lie down? Why?"
"Well... I need to examine you..."
Seeing the doctor's bewildered expression, it seemed that Allenvert was usually quite a docile young master.
Either way, that's no longer who I am.
I crossed my legs and sat arrogantly in the chair beside the luxurious bed.
"By the way, doctor. What should I call you?"
"P-pardon?"
Looking at the young doctor's dumbfounded face, I made a plausible excuse.
"Truth is, I can't remember anything."
Of course, this was half true. What I couldn't remember were this young master's memories.
"I barely remember my own name, but I can't recall where this is or what kind of person I was."
"Ah...!"
Judging by the doctor's dismayed expression, he seemed like someone who'd spent his whole life studying and couldn't hide his emotions at all.
"T-then I must inform the master immediately."
"Wait."
I grabbed the doctor's arm.
"May I ask something first?"
The doctor answered while breaking into a cold sweat.
"Of course, young master."
"It seems I suffered from a severe fever. Is that right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Is it contagious? Any aftereffects?"
"The contagion disappears after three days of symptoms. There are no reported aftereffects."
Watching the doctor unconsciously fall into answering patient questions, I asked again.
"Now, what was your name again?"
"Joseph, young master."
"Ah, hearing it now, I think I'm starting to remember something."
The doctor's face brightened at this.
"Oh! That's wonderful. Please ask anything you're curious about."
That's quite helpful.
"Joseph. Where exactly is this?"
"This is the capital city of the Duchy of Grunewald, one of the foremost cities in the Kingdom of Litvaleur in the Central Continent."
The Kingdom of Litvaleur? That name was certainly in my memory.
"Which child am I? Who are my father and mother?"
"Young master is the child of the Grunewald ducal family."
"I'm not a bastard or anything like that, am I?"
"Pardon? Ah, of course not. You are undoubtedly the Duke's legitimate child."
"That's a relief."
Just checking.
"Above you are three elder brothers and one elder sister."
"Am I the youngest?"
"No, you have one younger brother."
"So I'm the fourth son among five sons and one daughter of the Grunewald family."
"Correct. Your father is the great Duke Georg Grunewald, and your mother is Lusatia Grunewald, the fourth duchess."
"...Fourth duchess?"
The fourth wife? What an impressive man. Among the nobles I knew, he had the most wives by far.
I couldn't tell if he was a womanizer or just power-hungry. After all, nobles were typically a breed that harbored more secrets and stunk worse than those of us from the Underworld.
"By the way, Joseph. Looking at you warms my heart somehow. You must have taken sincere care of me."
As I spoke these words, moisture welled up in Joseph's small eyes.
"Th-thank you for saying so. Of course, I did my utmost to treat you..."
"So that means I wasn't exactly in good health."
What good could come from seeing a doctor's face often? Come to think of it, even when I grabbed the doctor earlier, my grip had been weak. It wasn't just a matter of being hungry for a few days – it felt like there was barely any muscle at all.
"Yes. I'm sorry, but you were quite sickly."
"Strange. These hands have never properly held a sword."
Looking down at my hands, Joseph hesitated to answer.
"Well, about that..."
"Please, Joseph."
"...Actually, young master, you've long been confined to your room and only eat rice porridge. You only allowed a select few, including myself into your quarters."
"Why?"
At this point, Joseph finally closed his mouth.
'Some noble family's private matter.'
There were many things in this world too delicate to speak of. So I didn't press further.
Though he had been swayed by my demeanor until now, pushing more would surely make Joseph defensive. That wouldn't be wise.
Besides, I could more or less gauge the situation from what I'd learned.
'An abandoned child, huh.'
The fact that a novice doctor who seemed to be just an assistant was in charge of my care.
The decorations and size of the bedroom seemed oddly lacking for a ‘precious young master of a ducal house.’ The ambiguous rank of the fourth son also bothered me.
Most crucially, the fact that the Duke had allowed his precious son to remain shut away in his room spoke volumes.
"I see there are circumstances. My apologies."
I didn't miss the slight guilt that crossed Joseph's face.
"No apologies needed, young master. Visually, there appear to be no major issues with your body."
"That's good to hear."
"Then I'll call for an attendant."
"Attendant?"
“I asked him on my way here, and he said he had already apologized for being a little late for work today. After all, there’s no telling when young master would wake up… … .”
Given how he defended the attendant, it seemed this servant had a decent reputation.
"I won't scold him, so don't worry about it."
"Ah, thank you."
Joseph blinked as if still unable to adjust to the situation, then bowed to me.
"I'll take my leave. I'll prepare some medicine to help restore your energy."
"Thank you."
Watching Joseph's retreating figure almost fleeing, I suddenly sighed.
'What happened here?'
Allenvert seemed to have been a loner, isolated like on a deserted island. Just like I was before Grandfather took me in.
'Ah, right. I was looking for a mirror.'
Finally, I could see my reflection in the mirror on the desk.
"Wow, this is insane..."
It was shocking, to say the least.
Silver hair as if liquid platinum had been poured over it. White, soft skin. Features as if carefully carved... All of these were perfectly arranged on a small, refined face.
The jawline was so sharp, just running a finger along it felt like it could leave a cut.
And what about the hair? It was puzzling how it wasn't even matted despite not being washed for days.
"Disgustingly handsome. To stay cooped up in a room with this face, you must have been out of your mind."
I might be crazy, but this Allenvert wasn't right in the head either. The sense of kinship I had felt toward him was melting away like snow.
"What an annoying bastard."
Mad Dog Karzan was masculine but never one to be called handsome anywhere he went.
'Only got fake compliments when buying drinks. Those bastards.'
In contrast, this Allenvert or whatever young master was truly beautiful like a sculpture. Even if he'd been born in the back alleys, he could have made a living off his face alone.
'But those eyes are really unpleasant.'
The eyes were dull, with drooping lids that gave an impression of weakness.
No wonder that young doctor found my changed demeanor strange.
"You lived like a fool, Allenvert."
In spite of being born with so much, this boy had to hide alone in his bedroom.
'Though I was briefly annoyed looking in the mirror.'
I didn't want to mock him for being weak without knowing his story. I know well enough that both nobles and orphans have their own hardships.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. In my mind's eye, Karzan's and Allenvert's faces appeared side by side.
Seventeen years since reincarnation. I reflected on the glory and shame of a life I'd forgotten for so long.
'How pathetic, Karzan. How did you not realize what you left behind?'
I wonder how everyone is doing. Are they safe?
A whole seventeen years. Surely they haven't all died? The kids I looked after must be adults now. How far am I from Grandfather's grave? Are those who betrayed me living well? So much time has passed.
And...
'...Ah. The emotions are burning up.'
I looked into the fire that was rising in my chest. A crimson flame? Are there fires of that color?
'Stay calm.'
When I opened my eyes again, the boy in the mirror had become a man with sharp, deep eyes.
"......"
Those eyes are quite intense. To think he went around with such weak eyes before.
But having walked countless nights with just a blade, it was natural for my eyes to carry a cold killing intent. Eyes are the windows to the soul, after all.
I relaxed my eyes again. The noble lords might wet themselves if they saw that look. That would be troublesome.
'I am Allenvert.'
Karzan died long ago. Don't forget that.
...However, if the shadows of the Underworld extend to this duchy as well, Karzan will never truly be dead, even in death.
"Well then."
Let's do something. What should I do first?
'First, I need to find the pieces of lost memories and put this puzzle together.'
Only then can I know what to do next.
And one more thing.
'There must be an Underworld here too.'
Perhaps in this life, I should follow the footsteps of the Dark King. Walking the path of a powerful figure straddling both light and shadow, the master of the dark curtain.
I've learned painfully that my downfall was in thinking I had to choose between light and darkness.
'It will be a difficult path.'
But hardship is my friend.
I closed my eyes with a strange feeling that might be fate or coincidence.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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