Pain.
The first thing Ronan felt when he woke up was a terrible throbbing in his head.
His eyes slowly opened, landing on a chandelier dangling above him. The crystals shimmered faintly as sunlight reflected off them, scattering across the ceiling.
Natural light.
Not the dim, artificial glow of his apartment.
His body felt… wrong.
He couldn't explain it, but it felt wrong.
His hands were larger than they should have been, and his legs—longer, more toned. Even the fabric beneath his fingers felt different. It wasn't the cheap bedding he was used to. It was smooth.
Silk.
And the way the mattress sank under his weight told him everything he needed to know.
Expensive.
His head throbbed as he tried to sit up.
"Where… am I?" he muttered.
"Young master, are you all right?"
The voice came from his left.
Turning slightly, Ronan saw a woman in a maid uniform standing beside the bed. Her expression showed concern, though she tried to mask it behind a composed exterior.
"I asked where I am," he repeated.
The maid glanced to the side, and only then did Ronan notice there was another maid standing to his right.
The two exchanged looks before the one on the left spoke.
The confusion that had been hidden before was now obvious.
"We are in the Ashbourne estate, young master."
Ashbourne.
The word echoed in his mind.
Fragments of thought tried to piece themselves together, but nothing fully connected.
The idea itself felt absurd.
"…Then who am I?" he asked.
This time, the maids didn't just look confused.
They looked alarmed.
"Young master," the maid on the right said carefully, "you are Ronan Ashbourne, second son of the Ashbourne family."
Everything clicked.
Ronan Ashbourne.
The incompetent noble.
The failure.
The man destined to die a pathetic death.
And now…
That was him.
"…Ha."
A quiet laugh escaped before he could stop it.
Of course.
So this was it.
He had wondered what would happen after he died. The thought had intrigued him more than he cared to admit.
But this?
This wasn't what he had expected.
Lowering his gaze, he forced his expression back to neutral.
Ronan Ashbourne.
The same Ronan Ashbourne he had been thinking about before his death.
A fictional character.
The door opened.
Both maids straightened instantly.
"Head maid Lucia," they said in unison.
Ronan looked up.
A composed woman stepped into the room.
"Young master Ronan," she said. "I see you are awake."
He hesitated.
What was he supposed to say?
His thoughts were still scattered.
Lucia didn't wait for a response.
"We do not have much time," she continued as she stepped closer. "Please prepare yourself with haste. You are to meet with the young lady of the Lockhart household today."
His mind immediately searched for context.
Lockhart family.
"Iris Lockhart," he said.
"Yes… that is correct."
A quiet sigh of relief came from his left.
Lucia's gaze shifted toward the maid, who flushed slightly.
"I apologize, head maid," she said quickly. "It's just that the young master woke up asking strange questions, so I was relieved to know he at least remembered his fiancée."
"Weird questions?"
Lucia's eyes narrowed slightly.
The maid on the right spoke up.
"That is correct. He was asking who he was and where he was."
Lucia turned back to him, one brow raised.
"Is that so, young master?"
Ronan paused.
"No need to worry, Lucia," he said calmly. "My mind was simply a mess when I woke up."
A brief pause.
"Forget that. I should prepare to greet Lady Iris."
Ronan wasn't sure how well his acting was, but he was still gathering his thoughts.
Lucia studied him for a moment, then nodded.
"I'm glad you're taking this seriously, young master."
Ronan returned the nod.
The maids quickly moved, gathering clothes and preparing him for Iris Lockhart's arrival.
As they worked, his mind spun.
He was Ronan Ashbourne.
And he had no memories to rely on.
No understanding of how Ronan spoke, acted, or carried himself.
All he had were fragments from the novel.
And Ronan had barely appeared in it.
But that didn't matter.
He didn't need to imitate perfectly.
He could simply act… normal.
Because he knew what was coming next.
The Academy exam.
Which meant pressure.
Nerves.
And from what little he knew, Ronan was especially vulnerable to that.
He had taken a demon contract just to avoid disappointing his father.
A decision that led directly to his death.
The maids returned with several outfits.
"Let's get started, young master!"
➜➜➜➜➜
The hallway outside was just as large and excessive as the room.
Polished floors, walls lined with portraits, and maids stationed at every corner—it was unmistakably a noble household. As Ronan walked past, the maids and servants lowered their heads in unison, a practiced and synchronized motion.
"Good morning, Young Master."
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Young Master."
Their voices overlapped as he passed.
Ronan was careful with every step he took. He didn't know how the original Ronan behaved, but he had been taught how to walk with a certain level of refinement from a young age. His father had drilled such habits into him in his previous life.
Even if he had no idea where he was going.
Thankfully, he didn't need to.
Lucia led the way in silence.
They soon stopped in front of a pair of large double doors, their handles lined with gold plating.
"Young Master Ronan, it seems Lady Iris has already arrived."
As she spoke, Lucia pushed the doors open.
And that was when he saw her.
Two sofas were arranged opposite each other with a glass table placed neatly in between, an assortment of biscuits and crackers laid out across its surface.
And there she sat.
Silver hair flowed gently with the breeze, catching the sunlight from the open window like shards of glass. Her posture was straight, composed—every movement exuding quiet elegance.
She wore a white dress that hugged her figure perfectly, yet revealed very little skin beyond her wrists.
Two bodyguards stood behind her.
She turned.
Their eyes met.
Her gaze was cold.
Not hostile.
Just… uncaring.
Iris spoke.
"Hello, Ronan."
Her voice was smooth. Controlled.
"We need to talk."
Before Ronan could reply, a bell rang in his head.
A blue screen materialized in front of him.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZED]
[Main Quest: Maintain Identity]
Status – Ongoing
Description – You are currently inhabiting the body of Ronan Ashbourne. Iris has above average instincts, and her suspicion rising prior to attending the Academy will cause problems
Goal – Avoid raising suspicion from Iris Lockhart during your first interaction
Warning – Significant deviation from expected behavior may result in suspicion
Penalty – Inability to escape your fate
Reward – Basic System Functions Unlocked