His legs practically thanked him.
For a while, he simply sat there. Catching his breath. Then his gaze drifted towards the mirror.
And he froze.
The face staring back at him belonged to a stranger.
A boy. Perhaps sixteen years old. Looked back from the glass. His pitch-black hair fell to his shoulders. Framed a pale face with sharp features. He looked somewhat malnourished. His cheeks lack the fullness of someone in good health. But his bright blue eyes stood out against his otherwise delicate appearance.
Leonal leaned closer.
He tilted his head slightly.
The boy in the mirror did the same.
...That's me?
He stared for several seconds. Unable to quite process what he was seeing.
Back on Earth, this kind of appearance would probably have earned him plenty of attention. The sort of face teenagers would envy. The sort that could make a decent living in modelling, if he wanted to go that route.
Not bad at all.
Actually, it was ridiculously good-looking.
Yet, despite his appreciation for his new appearance, something about it left him deeply uncomfortable.
This wasn't his face.
No matter how attractive it might be, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was looking at someone else's reflection. He still remembered his original appearance. The face he'd seen in the mirror countless times throughout his life. This boy was a stranger. No matter what anyone else called him.
And that brought another thought to mind.
His parents.
Mom... Dad...
Were they looking for him right now? Had they already reported him missing? He could imagine his parents worrying. Trying to figure out where he'd gone and why he hadn't come home.
The thought left a dull ache in his chest.
He had no idea whether he'd ever see them again.
Then he thought of his younger brother. A small measure of relief settled over him. His brother was already earning well for his age. If Leo really was gone, at least someone would be there to look after their parents.
Still, he couldn't help worrying about the burden it might place on him.
Sorry, little bro. Looks like I've left you with a pretty big mess.
Leonal dragged both hands through his hair. Gripped it in frustration.
There was simply too much to think about. He'd lost his old life. Woken up in an unfamiliar body. Found himself caught in the middle of a noble family's troubles. He didn't know how he'd gotten here. What had happened to the original Leonal. Or whether he'd ever find a way back.
Every time he thought he'd made sense of one thing, another question appeared.
How am I supposed to deal with all this?
He sat there for a while. Trying to organise his thoughts. Eventually, he forced himself to take a few slow breaths.
Panic wouldn't solve anything. If anything, it would only make things harder.
He had to take this one step at a time.
Literally, in his case.
After a minute, he placed one hand firmly against the chair. Began pushing himself upright.
The moment he put weight on his leg, however, the unpleasant sensation returned.
A dull ache spread through the muscles. Followed by that familiar numbness. His leg felt weak and unreliable. He quickly realised that trying to walk again would be a mistake.
He sank back into the chair with a frustrated sigh.
Well. So much for making it back to the bed.
With little else to do, he turned towards the mirror again.
His reflection stared back at him. Its bright blue eyes carrying the same exhaustion he felt.
He studied the unfamiliar face from different angles. Trying to get used to it. The more he looked, the more one thought kept coming to mind.
I've got to admit, this guy is handsome as fu—
"Watch your mouth, Leo!"
He caught himself just in time. Pressed his lips together.
Seriously? I'm even scolding myself now?
He let out a quiet sigh. Looked away for a moment. Then glanced back at the mirror.
Still, handsome as fu—
"Words, Leo. Words!"
He shook his head at his own reflection.
Right. Maybe I should stop talking to myself before I actually lose it.
So he stayed there. Looking at himself.
And looking. And looking some more. And then an hour passed.
By then, his mind felt just as exhausted as his body. Sitting in the same position had become uncomfortable. His leg still wasn't cooperating. He'd considered calling for help several times. But he wasn't even sure what he could ask for.
For the first time since waking up, he found himself wishing someone would simply come into the room and give him something else to think about.
Preferably something that didn't involve his identity, his missing memories, or the possibility that he'd somehow been reincarnated into another world.
A knock finally sounded at the door.
Leonal's head lifted immediately.
Finally.
"Please, come in."
The door creaked open.
But instead of Elira, the person who stepped inside was Silvia.
"Oh."
Leonal straightened awkwardly in his chair. He hadn't expected his mother to return so soon. For a moment, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to react.
Silvia, meanwhile, had stopped just inside the doorway.
Her eyes moved from the bed to the chair beside the mirror. Where her son was sitting. Surprise crossed her face. She took a moment to process what she was seeing.
Then her expression brightened.
"Leo... did you walk here on your own?"
There was unmistakable joy in her voice.
According to the physician, Leonal would need at least three days before he could stand properly. Possibly more than a week to return to his normal routine. Yet here he was. Sitting several metres away from his bed.
He must have managed to walk there himself.
For the first time in days, Silvia felt a genuine warmth spread through her chest. She had been worried sick about her son. Seeing him make such progress was a relief she hadn't realised she needed.
She hurried towards him.
Leonal, caught off guard by her reaction, gave an awkward smile.
"Well, my leg was feeling a little better. So I thought I'd try taking a few steps. I managed to get here, though it wasn't easy."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"But when I tried to stand again, I realised I'd used up pretty much all my strength."
He glanced down at his leg with a faint grimace.
"The numbness came back, too. So I figured it was better to sit here and wait for Elira rather than risk falling over."
He gave a small shrug. As though nearly collapsing after walking five metres were nothing worth worrying about.
Silvia stared at him for a moment.
Then a soft smile appeared on her face.
She hadn't expected him to be so casual about it. The old Leonal would likely have complained at length about his condition. Demanded that someone attend to him. Or thrown a tantrum over the slightest inconvenience.
Yet this Leonal had simply tried to manage on his own.
It was a small difference, perhaps. But one she couldn't help noticing.
Silvia stepped closer. Gently took hold of his shoulder.
"Come on. Let me help you back to bed."
Leonal opened his mouth. But before he could say anything, she helped him rise from the chair.
The moment her hand settled against his shoulder, he felt a significant portion of his weight being taken off his legs.
At first, he assumed she was simply helping him maintain his balance.
Then they started moving.
He realised she was supporting far more of his weight than he'd expected. Practically carrying him back towards the bed without showing the slightest sign of strain.
Leonal glanced at her.
Silvia's expression remained relaxed. She wasn't gritting her teeth or struggling to keep him upright. She looked like helping him was hardly an effort at all.
Just how strong is this woman?
He couldn't help staring.
She looked elegant and composed. Hardly the sort of person he'd expect to be able to support someone else's entire body weight so effortlessly.
Then again, this wasn't Earth.
He probably needed to stop judging people by appearances.
With Silvia's help, he made it back to the bed far more easily than he'd managed the journey to the mirror. She helped him settle against the pillows. Made sure he was comfortable.
Leonal let out a quiet breath.
"Thanks."
Silvia smiled. Gently patted his shoulder.
"Don't push yourself too hard, all right? You've only just started recovering."
He nodded.
Now that he was back in bed, his thoughts returned to what Silvia had been explaining before she left.
The Five Great Houses.
She'd told him about the Graythorn Family and its standing in the kingdom. Then explained the Cinderfall Family's divination abilities and its branch of Astramancy. But there were still other families he knew nothing about.
He was curious to hear the rest.
More importantly, he wanted to understand the world he had somehow found himself in.
But before he could ask, Silvia spoke.
"Leo, there's something you should know. Your father will visit you any time soon.
Leonal's attention sharpened.
My father? The Duke?
Silvia continued. Her expression is growing a little more serious.