The first thing Ryo noticed when he woke up wasn't the silk sheets or the ridiculously ornate ceiling above him. It was the fact that his back didn't hurt like hell for the first time in years.
He sat up slowly, blinking at the unfamiliar room around him. Gold-trimmed furniture, tapestries that probably cost more than his old apartment's rent, and windows so clean they looked like they'd never seen a speck of dust. This definitely wasn't his cramped studio apartment in Tokyo.
"What the fuck?" he muttered, running a hand through hair that felt way too soft and clean. The last thing he remembered was collapsing at his desk after another eighteen-hour shift, his heart doing something unpleasant in his chest. Then nothing.
The bedroom door burst open with enough force to rattle the hinges, and a girl rushed in. She looked maybe twenty, with brown hair tied back in a practical bun and wearing what his brain immediately labeled as 'fantasy maid outfit.' Her eyes were wide with panic, like she'd just witnessed a murder.
"Young Master Ryouta! Thank the gods you're awake! I was so worried when you didn't respond to my knocking, and then I heard you speaking, and I thought maybe you were having another episode, but you look fine, although your expression is quite strange, and—"
"Hold up." Ryo raised a hand, and the girl's mouth snapped shut instantly. She looked terrified, like he might hit her or something. "First, what's your name? Second, where the hell am I? And third, why do you look like you're about to piss yourself?"
The maid's face went through several shades of pale. "Young Master, surely you remember me? I'm Anna, your personal attendant for the past three years. You're in your chambers at the Valdris estate, and I..." She wrung her hands nervously. "I look frightened because you've been acting... different lately. More aggressive. Your father is quite displeased with your recent behavior."
Ryouta. Valdris estate. Personal attendant. The pieces clicked together in Ryo's mind with the kind of clarity that only came with accepting something completely insane. He'd been reincarnated. Into some kind of fantasy world. As a noble's son, apparently.
"Right," he said, swinging his legs out of bed. The body felt younger, stronger than his old one. No chronic back pain, no stress headaches, no constant exhaustion. "So what's my reputation like around here? Be honest."
Anna fidgeted with her apron. "Well, Young Master, you're known for being... particular about avoiding work. The servants call you the Lazy Lord behind your back. Your father, Duke Valdris, often says you're a waste of noble blood who brings shame to the family name. Your brothers have distinguished themselves in military service and magical studies, while you..." She trailed off, clearly not wanting to continue.
"While I do jack shit and live off daddy's money," Ryo finished. Anna nodded reluctantly. "Perfect. That sounds exactly like the kind of life I want."
"Young Master?" Anna's voice cracked slightly. "Surely you don't mean that. Your father has called a family meeting this morning to discuss your future. He's... not happy about the incident at the academy last week."
Ryo had no idea what incident she was talking about, but he didn't really care. If this Ryouta kid had been causing trouble, that was his problem. Current Ryo just wanted to figure out how to live the most comfortable, low-effort life possible in this new world.
"Let me guess," he said, stretching lazily. "Dear old dad wants to ship me off somewhere so I stop embarrassing the family name?"
Anna's silence was answer enough.
Twenty minutes later, Ryo found himself sitting in what Anna had called the Great Hall, facing down a man who looked like he'd stepped out of a fantasy novel's cover art. Duke Valdris was tall, broad-shouldered, with perfectly styled silver hair and the kind of jawline that probably made women swoon. Right now, that jawline was clenched tight with barely contained rage.
"Ryouta," the Duke said, his voice carrying the kind of authority that made lesser men tremble. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"Probably something stupid," Ryo replied, slumping back in his chair. "But to be fair, I don't really remember it, so can we just skip to the part where you tell me what my punishment is?"
The Duke's eye twitched. "You don't remember challenging the Crown Prince to a duel? In front of half the noble academy? After calling his magical abilities 'flashy garbage for show-offs'?"
Ryo blinked. Okay, that was actually pretty funny. "Sounds like something I'd say. Was I wrong?"
"You were drunk!" the Duke roared, slamming his fist on the table. "You insulted the future king of Astoria in front of his peers, then passed out before the duel could even begin! The humiliation to our family name is beyond measure!"
"Mm." Ryo nodded thoughtfully. "So what's the plan? Military school? Magic academy? Arranged marriage to some poor girl who drew the short straw?"
The Duke leaned forward, his eyes cold. "I'm giving you one last chance, Ryouta. Prove to me that you can be a worthy heir to the Valdris name. Show me discipline, dedication, anything that resembles the noble bearing you were born to carry. Or..."
"Or?"
"Or I'll strip you of your inheritance and cast you out of this family forever."
The hall fell silent except for the crackling of the fireplace. Anna, standing beside Ryo's chair, looked like she might faint from the tension. The Duke stared at his son, waiting for some sign of remorse, desperation, or at least concern.
Instead, Ryo smiled.
"Can I get that in writing?" he asked cheerfully. "Because that sounds fucking fantastic."
The Duke's mouth fell open. Anna made a small choking sound.
"You want to be disowned?" the Duke managed.
"Hell yes," Ryo said, standing up and stretching. "Look, I appreciate the whole 'noble tradition' thing you've got going on here, but it's really not for me. All that responsibility and political bullshit sounds exhausting. I was actually thinking of opening a tavern somewhere quiet. Maybe a nice village in the countryside where nobody knows or cares about the Valdris family name."
"A tavern?" The Duke's voice had gone up an octave. "You want to abandon your birthright to serve ale to peasants?"
"And cook food. Don't forget the cooking part. I'm thinking somewhere with good fishing nearby, maybe a forest for hunting. Keep it simple, you know?" Ryo grinned at his father's horrified expression. "So yeah, if you want to make it official and cut me loose, I'm totally on board with that plan."
The Duke stared at him for a long moment, then slowly sat back in his chair. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet and cold. "Very well. If that's truly what you want, then you are no longer my son. Take whatever belongings you can carry and leave this estate by sunset. You will receive no further support from this family."
"Sweet," Ryo said, already heading for the door. "Anna, can you help me pack? I don't really need much, just some traveling clothes and whatever money the old me had lying around."
As they left the hall, Ryo could hear the Duke muttering something about disappointment and family shame. He didn't bother listening to the details.
Three hours later, Ryo stood at the estate's front gates with a traveling pack, a modest pouch of coins, and Anna hovering nearby with tears in her eyes.
"Young Master, please reconsider," she pleaded. "This is madness. You have no skills, no training for life outside the nobility. How will you survive?"
"I'll figure it out," Ryo said, adjusting the pack's straps. "How hard can running a tavern be? You cook food, serve drinks, collect money. Seems pretty straightforward."
"But what if bandits attack you on the road? What if you run out of money? What if—"
"Anna." Ryo turned to face her, and something in his expression made her stop mid-sentence. "I spent my last life killing myself with work and stress. This time, I'm going to take things slow and easy. Maybe for the first time in either of my lives, I'll actually be happy."
As he walked away from the estate, Ryo felt something he'd almost forgotten existed: hope. Behind him, Anna watched until he disappeared around a bend in the road, convinced she'd just witnessed either the wisest or most foolish decision in noble history.
She had no idea it was both.