Jeffrey remembered going to sleep after spending a wonderful day with his family. His brothers and sisters, along with his nieces and nephews, came to visit him. He had difficulty walking around that day, and his body was experiencing some pain, but he was happy that they were there for his birthday, especially his niece Carol, whom he raised after the death of his brother, who gave him some exciting news.
"Uncle, you are going to be a great uncle!" She exclaimed so happily. She was pregnant with her first child, something that she and her husband had been trying for years. She cheerfully announced she was going to name the child after him, which he is very grateful for.
Jeffrey's first life was full of regrets, but his second one was full of happiness. It was not perfect, but he is very grateful to have lived a good life with a great family. Knowing that his first life was in a novel was difficult to comprehend. It made it sound like his first life wasn't real.
After that day, he lay down to sleep, but everything started getting painful. His body was aching, and then suddenly, he felt very light, like his body was no longer being pulled by gravity. Everything was so dark and very cold. Where is that cold coming from? He remembers making sure his room was warm before going to bed. The cold always makes his knees hurt. His body was not what it used to be, after all.
Then he drifted on and off beyond consciousness, hearing and seeing stuff like someone shouting and seeing a blade heading straight at him. He recalls experiencing extreme pain, and everything was either too bright or too dark. Was he having another nightmare?
'Ugh'. Jeffrey groaned. His back feels so hard. Whatever he is lying on is not very comfortable. And his neck is hurting badly. He opened his eyes, and everything was so bright he had to close them again. 'Ugh'. "I need to call my doctor," he muttered in a hoarse voice. His throat feels really dry. When was the last time he drank water?
He paused. That wasn't his voice. Also, why are his hands bounded on something? He opened his eyes again and stared at the ceiling. Instead of a white wooden ceiling, he sees fabric. It looks like he is inside a tent. Except this tent looks large enough to house more than one bed. He tried to turn his head, "AHHHH!!!!" he cried in pain when his neck hurt so much, and his entire body shivered that he couldn't move.
"Your Highness!" A man hurriedly entered the tent. "You're awake! Quick, get some water!"
"Your Highness, please calm down. Don't aggravate your wound."
The pain was too much to clearly hear what the man was saying or even see him properly. Did he just hear, "your highness"? He hasn't heard that term in decades. Jeffrey heard some rustling beside him and felt a cool object near his lips.
"Please drink, your highness."
Jeffrey felt a cold liquid going down his throat. His throat felt relieved from the liquid, but the taste of that concoction made him cough, which only made the pain in his neck worse.
"Give it time. The pain-relieving potions should calm him down in a while."
"We don't have any healing potions yet. We can make do with these at the moment." And then, there was some argument in the background, but the words sounded very muddy to Jeffrey.
He was still heaving from the pain, and he was sweating from it. He turned towards the people right beside him. They were so noisy, and it was giving him a headache.
"Your Highness. Please relax." One of the men walked toward him, and he pulled up the blanket to his chest. He didn't even realize that the blanket fell off. The man was tall, lean, in his mid-forties, and was wearing a pair of spectacles. He even has a short full beard, and his pinkish white hair is tied neatly behind - wait. 'Pink hair? Did he see this right?'
There was only one man he knew that had this hair coloring.
Jeffrey looked at the man again, trying to see his face and his eyes despite the pain.
"Rufus?"
"Yes, your highness?"
It's Rufus!? It can't be! Rufus Helman? His butler. The man who died saving his stupid ass in his first life as Prince Victor from the raids of the sixth prince. The man who, unlike his parents, was the one who truly raised and took care of him, and he has taken him for granted all those years.
Jeffrey couldn't help himself. The sight of the man who was more of a father to him speaking and standing right in front of him made him feel so many things and made him forget his current pain. His regret for not being able to protect this man came barging into his memories and his emotions, and he wanted to hug the man right now. His memories of this wonderful man came barging into his head and made him feel so overwhelmed. He could feel his tears falling on his face.
Rufus looked at him in shock. "Your Highness?"
And everything went black.
"Get help! Your Highness has fainted again!"