Upon awakening, I was greeted by a compassionate voice that I initially confused with my mother's. As I blinked my eyes open, I discovered a stranger cradling me, dressed in a white apron and a head covering adorned with a few black lines, suggesting she was either a maid or perhaps dressed up as one. The attire resembled those worn by maids in old-fashioned films and literature.
With each passing moment, my thoughts became clearer, and I gradually comprehended that I had regressed into the state of a baby.
"She's awake!" exclaimed the maid as she realized I was observing her.
A group of people hurried into what appeared to be an opulent bedroom, and that triggered a memory of what had happened before I woke up.
I recollected staying up late, engrossed in watching anime. Despite knowing that I had school the following day and midterm exams approaching, I lacked the motivation to start studying. So, as usual, I turned to anime to lift my spirits. I must have dozed off at some point. However, that still didn't explain why I found myself in such a situation.
"I probably shouldn't have stayed up so late when I was already exhausted. This could be the result of overwork or accumulated stress," I berated myself, expressing my annoyance by facepalming and groaning. It seemed that I had not only missed school but also my part-time job today. My boss would surely give me a severe scolding.
Suddenly, a loud woman burst into the room, tears streaming down her face. Strangely, I didn't recognize her at all. She appeared to be an affluent noblewoman.
Overwhelmed with joy, she held me in her arms and exclaimed that she finally had a daughter, her voice filled with emotion.
At that moment, everything clicked.
I never expected to be reborn, but it seemed that Death wasn't going to release its grip on me so easily.
Well, I might as well make the best of this unexpected turn of events.
However, there was one pressing matter at hand.
"Death, you scoundrel! If I end up becoming the World's Greatest Detective, I'll make sure to hold you accountable for this!" I thought defiantly.