"You!"
The duke's angry voice rang in the mansion. The guy just chuckled and left as if nothing happened there. And at the same time, Henry saw the snake crawling into the man and resting on his shoulder.
"Good job, my kitty."
He patted the snake and left there while the duke trembled in anger.
"Someone call Arthur, Quickly!"
As the duke shouted, he picked up Henry and ran to Henry's room. Ricarda, the girl who had a peaceful smile on her face, remained there on the bloody ground slowly getting her golden hair wetted with the blood.
'I can't breathe!'
Henry couldn't breathe suddenly. Let alone the pain, what made me feel powerless was the sudden hardship of breathing. He felt like he was dying. It felt horrible.
'Am I really gonna die? But why?'
No one answered him. His eyelids slowly felt heavy as they closed covering the horrified beautiful eyes.
Henry died that day.
But why?
He woke up again!
He woke up feeling uncomfortable when the bright light fell on his face. He flipped around but finally woke up lazily groaning.
'I died. But I didn't die!'
He was not as surprised as the first time. Because he already experienced this once.
'This is still that same room.'
He looked at the familiar room and said in his mind.
"Young master, the duke called you."
A maid came in and said to him.
"Okay."
He mumbled upset mindly. He recalled how the duke reacted to his condition last time. He felt very cared for by him. It was actually unexpected from that man.
'I can consider being an obedient child.'
He got off the bed but stopped again.
'This time how old am I? Am I younger than before? Can I see Ricarda again? She must be alive then!'
He quickly got off the bed and stood in front of the mirror, but dumbfounded.
'Fucking shit! Why do I look older, not younger? Don't tell me I am that bully again?'
He looked like a young man. He looked even older than when Henry was 14 years old. He rubbed his brows as he guessed he was at least 16 years old.
He had grown up into a handsome man.
But it confused him because the real owner was supposed to die at 14. So how did he reincarnate into his 16 years old?
Along with those questions,
His head started aching whenever he thought of how to clear his name after bullying others. It felt impossible from his perspective.
It didn't make any sense. He transmigrated and possessed the bully, Henry. Then again died and possessed 8 years old little cutie, Henry. But even before he started his life again, he died again and possessed this bully who was even older again. Just why? He didn't know.
He walked to the duke's room while he observed the surroundings. When he passed the place where that bloody scene happened before, he cringed. He looked at the clean ground with no blood stains. He felt kinda relieved because he thought Ricarda was still alive no matter what.
Without taking much time, he had arrived. He stood in front of the duke's room hesitantly.
He knocked on the door, opened it, and stepped in. When he raised his head and looked at the man staring at him, he suddenly felt nervous.
'Should I call him father?'
He thought when he saw the duke part his lips to talk.
"Henry, I lost my last hope in you. I am really disappointed. As I said before, you will be studying under Killian for the next three years.
You won't be able to play your dirty tricks with him. I hope you will come back to this mansion as a well-disciplined successor. Now, go and pack your things. I don't want to hear any excuses."
Henry listened to him talking. But he had no clue.
'Who is Killian? Study?'
He said okay and left the duke's room because the duke didn't look like he would listen to anything.
While he walked back to his room, he saw the maids whispering while peeking at him. Of course, his bullies and arrogance must have already ruined his reputation. He was that same bully.
"Henry."
Henry froze on the spot. Hearing the familiar voice even though with a different tone with no affection, it felt very exciting for him. Ricarda's figure stood behind Henry as she called him with a cold voice.
But Henry suddenly felt happy at least to hear her voice. Even though she killed him before, at that moment, what mattered to him most was the fact she died instead of him. He had to be grateful for that.
He turned around and saw her a little differently. She had grown taller and she stood in front of him very proudly. She was a very beautiful young woman. Any man would bow their head to her. She had got more prettier and mature as she had grown older.
"I hope you will understand you are the one who dug your own grave. So don't put the blame on the others."
She walked past him very closely. Her smell lingered in Henry's nose making him feel an itch. When he just rubbed his nose, the maids watching them thought he was angry and that's why he did such a thing. They gasped and cursed that innocent guy who just wanted to scratch his nose.
He watched Ricarda disappear slowly through the hallway. He sighed and continued walking to his room.
"Help me pack up my things. I am gonna leave soon."
Even though he didn't know where he had to go and who was that guy he still obediently packed up his things just because he felt he could.
"Young master, are you really leaving? But you didn't do anything this time. They framed you. Didn't you explain it to the duke?"
The maid looked worried. Her voice sounded concerned and it made him feel calm in that messed up situation.
"Ah...He won't believe me anyway. But who is Killian?"
"Young master?"
She looked at him with her surprised eyes. She looked confused too.
"Ah! Just tell me."
If only he had a way to recall Henry's memories, he wouldn't have to ask such questions.
"Sir Killian is one of the duke's friends and everyone said he is very fierce. He had taken a few students lately and all of them ended up getting stressed to the point they tried to kill themselves. Our duke wanted to punish you by sending you to be his student. That's why he said if you make any mess again, he would directly send you to be his student. And it's really happening. It's unfair, you didn't do anything this time."
Henry finally got it. The duke had warned him to behave well, but he failed and now he was assigned to that harsh teacher to become a disciplined child.
'Agh!'
"In three years, what will be my age? That's when I am gonna return."
Instead of asking questions straight, he beat around the bush.
"In three years, you will be 21 years old."
She thought and said while her finger rubbed her chin.
'21? Then I am 18 now! But this doesn't make any sense!'