Chapter 2
It was a warm spring when Asher manifested, as fresh sprouts were emerging from the ground. Like all living creatures waking up from their winter sleep, Asher woke up from his usual slumber. However, the moment he realized he had manifested in someone else’s body, he nearly fainted.
In the original story, Asher was born as the youngest son of the Anest Ducal Family and was raised with abundant love and care. He was never satisfied until he got what he wanted, and he frequently mistreated and abused the servants. Because of this, people secretly referred to him as the troublemaker of the ducal family, pointing fingers at him behind his back.
Then one day, while Asher was leaning against a window reading a book, an incident occurred where someone pushed him down. Since Asher had committed so many wicked deeds, the culprit was never caught, but as a result, he remained in a comatose state for a week.
That’s when he manifested in Asher’s body, and the duke was deeply troubled by his sudden change. Eventually, he summoned a capable priest from the temple to examine Asher.
“Are you really alright?”
“Yes, I am.”
“But how can a person change this much?”
The Duke of Anest raised his voice while looking at Asher lying in the bedroom.
“…It seems to be temporary amnesia caused by the shock.”
“Temporary amnesia? Even so, how can someone’s personality change so drastically?!”
Unable to contain himself, the duke emitted a terrifying aura. The priest’s face gradually turned pale as the air became increasingly oppressive, though subtle.
“I-I’m sorry.”
Since there was no specific pain or injury, the priest had nothing more to say at the moment. Disappointed by the lack of a satisfactory answer, the duke left the room with a look of disappointment.
“I’ve prescribed some medicine, so please take it diligently for the time being.”
“…Yes, thank you.”
At Asher’s words, the priest left the room quietly with a tired, bitter smile.
Finally, Ember, the eldest, who had been watching quietly from behind, called out to him with a displeased expression.
“Hey.”
Asher’s shoulders flinched at Ember’s call. Normally, Asher would have retorted with a “What?” but Ember’s brow furrowed slightly at this different reaction.
“Do you really not remember anything? Or are you pretending?”
“…I really don’t remember anything?”
Asher softened his gaze at Ember’s question. His face was full of innocence. Shaki, who had been watching the two, approached Asher sitting on the bed.
“Did you forget that you didn’t wake up for a week? You couldn’t act like this even if someone told you to.”
Shaki Anest. He was Asher’s second older brother and someone who cherished Asher more than anyone. However, after discovering that Asher wasn’t a real son of the Anest family, he callously pushed him away and joined hands with Ember to lead Asher down a path of destruction.
“This doesn’t make sense. Even if you lost your memory, how can someone’s personality change in an instant?”
“Brother.”
“Obviously, you must be pretending. What kind of prank are you trying to pull this time?”
“Why are you so on edge? Whether it’s an act or whatever, it’s our cute youngest brother doing it. Can’t you just look at him kindly?”
Shaki retorted to Ember’s sharp response. From Shaki’s behavior, it seemed like he always stood by Asher’s side to protect him whenever conflicts arose with Ember.
“You. How long are you going to keep saying ‘youngest, youngest’?”
“Hmm, maybe until I die of old age?”
“…”
Ember’s face stiffened at Shaki’s playful tone. But Shaki paid no mind and looked at Asher with sparkling eyes. Like someone who didn’t know what to do with such cuteness, he gently touched his own cheeks and smiled prettily.
“How can our youngest be so pretty? Even after being sick, those adorable chubby cheeks are still the same.”
Asher was flustered by the honey-dripping voice. When he slightly blushed from embarrassment, Shaki’s face stiffened slightly, like someone who had just received a shock.
“What’s this? Did you really lose your memory? In the past, you used to say, ‘Give me more, Hyung!'”
“…”
‘Give me more, Hyung’? Just hearing it made Asher cringe, and he awkwardly smiled.
“I’m sorry. I really can’t remember…”
Shaki’s face stiffened once more at Asher’s formal speech, showing a small crack.
“…Did you hear that? He’s speaking formally?”
“…”
“My goodness. He apologized to me. Our Asher…”
Shaki couldn’t hide his bewilderment at Asher’s changed personality. Like someone half-dazed, his lips trembled before he sighed deeply and said,
“…It’s okay. I can understand it all. If that’s how our Asher is now.”
“…”
“Speaking informally is something you can start doing from now on, right? So, Asher, try to speak informally. I’m just grateful that you’ve opened your eyes again.”
He gently stroked Asher’s head as if willing to embrace the entire situation. Ember, displeased by Shaki’s behavior, crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
“If you’ve really lost your memory, there’s nothing we can do, but I hope you continue to behave quietly like you are now. It’s also good to think of you as becoming a different person.”
Ember made a stern expression, as if begging him not to cause trouble like before.
“Brother. Just think of it as him growing up. Though I did prefer our lively youngest.”
In the original story, due to his mother’s early death, Asher was particularly affectionate towards Shaki. Shaki didn’t dislike such behavior from Asher, and the two often got along like close brothers.
“You must be tired, so rest a bit more.”
Shaki perceptively rose from his seat and gave Ember a look. Ember left a cold warning with a deep sigh while pressing his brow.
“I don’t care if you change, but I hope you won’t disgrace the family like before.”
“…”
“Now that you’re twenty, you should at least behave quietly. Don’t bother others.”
“I will.”
“And don’t use formal speech. Speaking respectfully when it’s unnecessary is more awkward than you think.”
He spilled out his thoughts as if he didn’t want to hear Asher’s response. That alone showed how much he disliked Asher. Asher silently watched Ember leave, then turned his gaze when he felt a small hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry too much about what brother said. He’s just worried about you and that’s why he acts that way.”
“Yes, I will…”
“So, our youngest should live however he wants. From now on, don’t be conscious of anyone’s gaze. The rest will be taken care of by your brothers.”
He added while patting Asher’s shoulder. He was certainly a caring brother to Asher. But since that only applied until Braden’s return, Asher nodded, promising himself never to get too attached.
*
By the time a month had passed since Asher woke up here, he gradually adapted to life in this place. As he was learning about the culture and lifestyle here by reading books in his spare time, he received a letter stating that Duke Blake would be visiting the ducal family.
Luke Nason Blake.
He was the protagonist and main character of this novel. Like all protagonists in novels who have their own circumstances, he too was an illegitimate child of the imperial family. As he grew up, he was bullied by his older siblings, and the emperor disliked him, viewing him as a thorn in his side due to their striking resemblance. As a result, he was a pitiful character who had matured early at a young age.
During this process, the trading company operated by the Anest family gradually grew, and the emperor began to covet it as it expanded beyond the borders. There was only one way to obtain that power: by placing Luke in the position of Duke in the northern frontier and arranging a marriage alliance with the Anest Ducal Family.
Luke received the emperor’s decree to become a duke and had meetings with Asher once every two weeks. After meeting about twice, Asher had physical contact with Luke, who was reluctant to open his heart.
The reason was simple. He had the ability to read emotions through physical contact with others. However, this ability didn’t work if the other person was aware of it, making it impossible to read their emotions.
After reading Luke’s emotions this way, Asher’s feelings changed to a mix of love and hate, and he began to detest him. The emotion Asher had read from Luke was disgust. Eventually, Asher, backed by the Anest family’s power, crossed a line.
‘How dare you, a mere illegitimate child…!’
No matter how powerful and successful the ducal family was, Luke was a duke with the emperor’s blood flowing in his veins. But Luke seemed accustomed to such remarks and lightly dismissed Asher’s words, sending him back.
He discovered this not long after manifesting. Asher found a letter in the drawer written by the original Asher before his manifestation. He had left a letter to Luke, apparently troubled by his slip of the tongue, but for some reason, the letter was never delivered.
“But why did it have to be after saying those words?”
If only he had manifested before saying those words, things might have been better. Asher stood in front of the mirror, his face showing uncertainty about how to view him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
