Ndulou asked, "Are you sure you're ninety-three?" as he could not believe Ernesto because of his wide, annoying smile.
Ernesto continued to grin widely and happily said, "I am serious. I lived pretty lo-. Wait, don't move." He cut off what he was saying as he suddenly saw Ndulou's bruises moving.
"W-why is this spreading?"
Ernesto thought he still had time to use the mages and physicians who took Ndulou's blood to know the cause and cure of the unknown curse spread on Ndulou's body. He thought it was not yet the time when Ndulou's power exploded and made him confused about what to do next.
He can run away now and find out the cure later, or he can die now and try again.
He was not sure, but he knew he had two or three chances to return after dying, but he doesn't know what will happen to him if he can still return after a third try. That is why he doesn't want to waste his first chance, but he already messed up when he couldn't find him a month ago.
"Oh fuck."
It startled Ndulou as Ernesto cursed in front of him. He asked what was wrong, but Ernesto didn't respond and just hugged him, saying, "I'll make sure I won't be late next time."
Ndulou remained confused until his body glowed and made everything around him explode, including Ernesto, who was hugging him. Ernesto just smiled and let his flesh separate from his bone, and after a blink of an eye he was back again in his room, being dressed by his servant.
"What is the date today?" Ernesto asked his servant while staring at the mirror.
"It's the 389th day of the 3037th year, young master," the servant briefly responded.
Ernesto let out a deep, long sigh. It was the same exact date as his first regression. He clenched his fist and was determined to be more focused on this regression. He was determined not to miss any detail as he looked at the servant. The young servant was visibly shaken and anxious.
It reminded him that everything goes into reset when he regresses. His power, appearance, strength, and relationship to the people around him reset.
Ernesto looked into the full-length mirror in front of him and still felt awkward about his younger appearance. He didn't check on his appearance at his first regression because he ran aimlessly, looking for Ndulou, but now that he knows where Ndulou is, he could calmly look at himself in the mirror.
He has long, messy hair that is tied loosely; his skin is dark; and his eyes are purple.
"Oh, a mole." He touched his mole on his chin. He'd already forgotten about the mole. He sadly recalled his future self, who was covered in hideous marks and could not even see his original skin.
He stopped admiring his younger self and turned his gaze to the servant.
"What should I be doing now? What's my schedule?"
"Ah! I.. I.." The young servant is cowering in fear.
"What?" he asked, raising one of his eyebrows. He then realizes later the reason this young servant was shaking in fear. He suddenly felt bad for the servants he mistreated.
"They instructed me to get you back at the reception. The other young masters are still waiting for you. They said that the agreements weren't done yet."
"Is Baron Miyano's son out there? Bring me to him!"
Ernesto still asked about Ndulou's location even if he knew from his first regression where Ndulou would be. Strangely, Ernesto forgot where he found Ndulou and didn't even notice that he was forgetting something. He remains feeling determined and confident that this time he will catch Ndulou.
Ernesto only stole this power of regression and didn't actually know the rules or consequences of using it. In the end, he remained clueless while his focus remained in one direction: "Save Ndulou from the curse."
The servant guided Ernesto to the lobby, but Ndulou was not there.
"Where is he?"
"Ah! He y- usually passes his time here, or in the garden, or maybe in the drawing room." The servant can't help but stutter. "Actually! I really don't know the young master. Let me search for him first." The servant's nervous voice echoed in the lobby.
The poor servant was already expecting that he would be beaten up because he could not serve what Ernesto needed.
"He's loitering around our castle? Why?" he asked the servant. He does not remember the current Ndulou's whereabouts because his focus before was on the high-ranking noble. The only memory he can recall clearly was the time he endlessly tortured Ndulou at the underground prison.
"Every time you kick him out at the gathering, that child cannot go home early because his father will beat him up."
Ernesto's head turned as he heard Marquis Jose Oliva's voice speak in a low tone.
"Father."
Ernesto looked at his father nostalgically. His father has a sharp appearance. Marquis Oliva looks cold and strict, but his true nature was very lax and kind.
He missed his father, whom he had lost when he was 20 years old.
"Why are you looking for that child?" The Marquis felt suspicious about his son.
"I have a business with him."
The Marquis looked down at him with a piercing gaze.
"Don't bother the child. Just kick him off like you usually do."
"I won't be bothering him. I have an important thing to discuss with him right now. And also, I won't bully him in the future."
The Marquis looked at him doubtfully.
No, the Marquis thinks his child is scheming something bad.
His previously sweet and kind child, who became a rude, trashy teenager, currently has the worst relationship with him. The child hated him after discovering his misdeeds, which turned Ernesto into a rebel.
"Also, thank you, father, for always inviting Ndulou here." Ernesto genuinely thanked his father. He heard from the future Ndulou that his father treated Ndulou well. His father always gave Ndulou gifts in Ernesto's name, but those gifts always fell into the hands of his older brothers.
Jose eventually decided to constantly invite Ndulou to the castle to at least let him escape the poor baron's household and let him loiter around the castle, even though Ernesto kicked Ndulou out. By the time the royal family wanted to use Ndulou as a weapon, the Marquis had protected the mentally unstable Ndulou and kept him in the castle safely until Ernesto took over. That was the time the Marquis let go of Ndulou because Marquis Oliva did not want to go against Ernesto.
"Are you against that?" The marquis crossed his arms and signaled the servant to let them alone. The servant felt relieved that he wouldn't be beaten. He bowed down and hurriedly left the lobby.
"No, father, I sincerely thank you."
Ernesto kept his unusual smile, which caused the Marquis to worry internally, "Does he know? How, though? No. That would be impossible."
A cold sweat flowed down the back of the Marquis. There are a lot of secrets that he doesn't want to share with his child, but Ernesto has the tendency to learn more about him.
Jose also felt that the child in front of him was somewhat different. He feels like the child he is facing now is a bit more mature and gracious than the rude child he always knew.
"And father, I also know that Ndulou is your child."
Both arms of the Marquis fell down after being crossed. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times without saying a word. He wanted to deny his child's revelation, but he did not know how he would deny the truth.
"Am I amazing for finding this out? It is the second big secret that I discovered from the great Marquis of Oliva, and I like this second secret. Rest assured, I won't do bad things from now on."
Ernesto smiled brightly, like a pure, innocent child.
Right now, Jose's thirteen-year-old child shows no signs of resentment. It makes the Marquis wonder how this second secret made his child innocently smile and thank him, but the first secret made him rebel.
He doubted himself now. He thought it was a dream.
"Are you sure you will not kill him or hurt him?"
"Father, is that what you perceive me to do?"
The Marquis stares at his child, and Ernesto just lets his father observe him.
"No. I'm sorry." The Marquis shook his head.
Ernesto chuckled at his father's soft reply.
"Come on, let's meet Ndulou together."
Ernesto walked first, and the Marquis stared blankly at the open space of the hall. He clenched his fist and followed his child.
"You won't tell him, right?"
"Of course I won't. It's your job, anyway."
Marquis Oliva feels relieved. He was not ready yet. There are still a lot of things to be done before he can tell his firstborn child the truth.
The two walked until they reached the garden. They do not know where Ndulou was, but the garden was one place he frequently stayed.
But Ndulou was not there either.
"Father, who made this statue? This doesn't suit our castle," Ernesto randomly asked.
"Ah, that. The first Marquis built that. Even if you wanted to, you couldn't demolish it. I guess the first Marquis loved that statue so much that he even placed magic on it."
"He has the worst taste,"
The father and son observe the golden statue.
"Why would a cat pull a chariot? Why was the boar idly sitting there? This is too weird."
"Excuse me?" A servant interjected. "Young Master Ndulou has already left home."
"Already?"
For Ernesto, it was unfortunate that they had not met yet and thought it was not yet too late.
"Why? You can just visit him tomorrow if you need something. Just make sure not to scheme anything bad," Jose Oliva warned his son once again. "No scheming."
"Yes. No scheming."
The father and son both smile at each other.