They dressed me without asking again.
Warm water from a bath washed over skin that didn't feel like my own, hands moving with practiced familiarity, as if they had done this a thousand times before.
Someone adjusted my collar. Another brushed my hair back.
Most of the time, I wasn't allowed to do anything on my own since I had only recently been allowed to walk around.
It had only been about a week since the doctor returned and gave me a checkup, but he allowed me to be free from being bedbound in the meantime until the next checkup.
"Prince Caelum, a moment if you will."
Standing in front of my door was the large man covered in armor from last time.
His eyes looked over my body, darting from scar to scar — the most prevalent and obvious one being the scar on the left temple of my head.
It was so large that I tried my best to hide it with my hair, but unfortunately, it wasn't long enough.
I nodded, inviting him inside to talk more privately.
He was oddly polite to me, respecting my space, unlike the maids and butlers who were so pushy about doing things for me.
I can't say I hate it, though. Being cared for like this was really bringing out a side of me I never knew I had.
At least this body swap had given me plenty of things to enjoy and use.
"Prince Caelum, I wanted to ask about the day of the accident. Do you remember anything at all about what happened to you and the guards that were stationed there?" the man asked.
The feeling of being dunked into an ice bath rushed through my body as I gripped my knees at the mere remembrance of what had happened.
"Listen, I know it must be hard to remember, but if we can get even a single trace of the culprits, then we can avenge what happened and bring justice to everyone," the man said.
I paused.
"I'm… I'm sorry, sir, but I really don't remember anything about what happened that day."
The man stared at me for a second before sighing.
"It's okay, Prince Caelum. Honestly, it makes me feel a little better that you don't remember. I'll be taking my leave, then. If you need anything, please feel free to come to me," the man explained as he left the room.
I did feel a little bad for lying, but at the end of the day, nobody would believe my story even if I told them.
My best bet was to forget what happened and live the life I never had.
I hoisted a teacup from the table and took careful sips, not wanting to drink all of it in one go. With the way things looked, the likely suspects would revolve around demons, due to the royal family's past history.
It was common knowledge throughout the kingdom that most of the king's sons and daughters were sent off to help eradicate the last remnants of the Demon Lord's army. Although they were remnants of something great, that didn't mean they were weak.
In fact, they had only grown stronger after the Demon Lord was slain.
After eavesdropping on the maids outside my room for the past week, I managed to find out that a few of them had died in battle.
"Excuse me, Prince Caelum," a maid said, entering after the man.
"Your father has requested your presence for dinner."
Tea flew out of my mouth, drenching both my furniture and myself.
I slowly turned toward her, my jaw feeling as if it had been dislocated.
This man hadn't tried to talk to me once since I'd awakened a week ago, so why now?
If he found out I wasn't the real Caelum, I would be executed — no, worse.
They might chain me up in the dungeon and torture me until I spilled the truth about what happened to the real Caelum.
My throat went dry as I swallowed.
This was His Majesty we were talking about.
If I outright denied him, it would only seem more suspicious, especially since Caelum likely ate dinner with his family often.
I was backed into a corner.
My shoulders slumped along with my head as I begrudgingly accepted the invitation.
The hours were long and tedious as I waited for supper.
I even spent another hour packing an emergency getaway bag and stashing it beneath my bed, though I doubted I'd be able to reach it before being beheaded.
When the time finally came, I stood before the double doors leading into the dining room and pushed them open.
A massive table stretched across the room, large enough to seat at least twenty people.
At the far end sat Caelum's father, who greeted me with a warm smile.
After offering my greeting, I quickly took a seat.
The maids soon presented dinner — a magnificent meal fit for a king.
"Are you feeling better, Caelum?" the king asked.
A light sheen of sweat formed on my forehead as I smiled and laughed awkwardly.
"I'm fine, Father. Just a little sore here and there. A few more days of rest and I should be back to normal."
"That's good. Please enjoy your meal. I had them prepare your favorite."
"Oh? Really? Thanks a lot!"
Looking down at the food, my mouth began to water as I dug in.
It was magnificent — every bite bursting with flavor, hitting every perfect note.
At one point, it felt as though I were eating a meal prepared by angels themselves from the Church of the Divine.
Midway through my meal, I noticed my father staring at me.
His eyes widened slightly, as if he'd seen a ghost, before he quickly looked away.
"Is something the matter, Father?" I asked.
"No, son. Nothing at all. I was just lost in thought."
"If you don't mind me asking… about what?"
His face broke into a wide grin as he motioned for a maid to bring him a book.
After a moment, she returned and handed it to me.
It was heavy, its pages filled with dissected insects carefully preserved and labeled.
Despite myself, I flipped through several pages, reading about their anatomy and habits.
"Were you always this interested in insects?" I asked.
"No, not particularly. It was a gift from an old friend. I found it creepy at first, but it eventually grew on me," the king replied.
"I see."
An awkward silence fell over the room as I resumed eating.
"It's gotten pretty quiet around the palace lately, hasn't it?" the king asked.
My fork froze midair.
I looked at my father, his expression shadowed with sadness. He was referring to them.
"It… it has, Father."
He offered a faint smile and took another bite.
"I was so worried about you, Caelum.
Thankfully, I still had a few favors with the Church, so they sent one of the best healers they could spare. I hope he did his job well."
He flexed his arm with a ridiculous grin, trying to lighten the mood. Not only was he mourning his lost children — he was facing the potential loss of another.
"Do you remember when your grandfather let you run wild through the palace, trying his hardest to teach you magic? It got so bad we had to build a training ground behind the palace."
"Ah… I think I do. It's been a while."
Inside, I begged the gods to make the questions stop.
I was at least grateful to learn that Caelum's grandfather had been a mage — though the thought of explaining my lack of magic terrified me.
"I was wondering," the king continued, "if you'd like to help me set up his old workshop again."
I nearly choked.
"I-is he coming back soon? If so, I'd like to rest before meeting him," I said with a nervous laugh.
"Caelum… he's been dead for quite some time now."
The world froze.
The two of us stared at one another, unable to break eye contact.
It felt as though he were staring past the disguise — at the stranger wearing his son's face.
"You also hated the sauce on your meals," he said quietly. "Yet you ate it happily. The way you hold your silverware has changed. Even the way you speak to me is different."
Panic gnawed at my legs, crawling upward as my body trembled. My fork clattered against the plate.
At last, his eyes filled with tears. His fists clenched as his composed demeanor shattered.
"You… you don't remember anything, do you?"
My voice caught in my throat. I could have lied — I should have lied — but I couldn't.
An odd sense of familiarity washed over me as the king pulled me into a tight embrace.
"It's okay," he whispered. "You don't have to force yourself. You don't need to remember everything all at once. We have time. You're home."
Tears spilled down my cheeks as I clutched him back.
This felt disgusting.
I was hugging a father, who was worried for his son all this time without even knowing the truth.
Just as I was about to let go, a feeling of nostalgia swirled around inside of me, as it only strengthened my tears and grip.
Our sobs echoed through the room, drowning out the sounds of the palace beyond.
"I don't think I'm who you think I am," I said.
His grip tightened.
"You're here," he cried. "You're still here, Caelum!"
My throat tightened painfully.
"I'm here! I'm here, Dad!" I shouted as we collapsed to our knees together.
After a while, we both parted ways to our quarters, where I lay sprawled out on my bed.
I felt disgusted with myself. Eventually, my eyes closed, and I drifted off to sleep.
As the next day rose, I groggily emerged from my tomb and waited for the maids to come and dress me as they requested.
Surprise filled my face, as for once since I'd been here, I managed to fix my sleep schedule and beat the maids, who usually woke me late so I could heal.
I gave them a smug grin as they entered the room, then gave in to their forceful changing.
Walking down the halls after lunch, I noticed a maid looking around for something on the floor.
The way she searched made it seem like she was new here.
"Um, excuse me? Is something the matter?"
"P-p-Prince Caelum! I apologize for my behavior!" the maid said. "I accidentally misplaced my duster and can't find it anywhere."
She pouted in embarrassment, which I found oddly adorable.
Telling her to wait, I quickly made my way to the storage room, pulled out one of the many spare dusters buried beneath all the junk they kept there, and handed it to her.
Her face lit up with glee as she bowed deeply in thanks before hurrying off to continue her task.
The grin I had built up slowly faded as her figure disappeared behind a wall—when it suddenly hit me.
My head turned back toward the storage room.
How did I know that was there?
I've never been there before.
Puzzled, I continued on with my day, trying not to think about it too much.
"Well, that settles it. You're all healed, but I still recommend being careful.
We don't want you getting hurt like that ever again," the doctor said.
Two more weeks passed, and I had spent around a month living in Prince Caelum's shoes. People who knew the previous Caelum visited, asking if I was okay and whether I had recovered properly.
It was mostly a bunch of old people who were likely trying to use me for political reasons. Thankfully, the king noticed how uncomfortable I was around them and had been denying any further visits until I was fully recovered.
The debt I owed him was unfathomable.
As I relaxed on my bed, a knock rang at my door.
The moment I opened it, I was suddenly tackled to the ground as arms wrapped around my neck and head in a chokehold.
Squirming beneath the weight, a curtain of blonde hair fell across my face as a woman's features came into view.
When I got a proper look, my body froze in dread—those emerald eyes and blonde hair gave away her identity instantly.
It was the eldest daughter, Mael.
"Did you miss me, my dear little brother?"
Suddenly releasing her grip, she brushed my hair aside as she inspected the large scar on my temple.
Gently placing her hand over it, she rested my head on her lap and embraced me lightly.
"I'm glad you're okay."
"…Yeah. Thank you, sis."
The embrace continued for a few more minutes before a flick on my forehead broke the tension.
"Ow! What was that for?" I asked.
"Hahaha! Why are you freaking out so much? You usually don't react this funnily!" she said, holding her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably on my floor.
Picking myself up, I dusted myself off and looked toward Mael.
"Sis, what are you doing here? I doubt you came all the way from the academy just to check up on your little brother," I said.
"Can't your big sister be worried about her little brother when he's injured?"
"No."
She paused.
"Hoho, it seems you've picked up some investigative skills," she said jokingly.
Sitting down, we both drank some tea as she slid a letter my way.
Picking it up, my hands began to shake, and tea spilled from my cup.
I set it down and took a closer look at the letter.
"S-sis… you can't be serious," I said.
"I am. I think it's time you try to come back to school."