I walked down the corridor following the chambermaid. Just by looking at the corridor, I realized that this building is surprisingly spacious.
The corridor is endlessly straight. The walls on either side of the corridor are lined with countless doors. This is what a huge hotel must look like. I have never been to a huge hotel, so this is just my imagination.
Many people were walking along the corridor.
Women wearing the same maid's uniform as the woman walking in front of them, called Liz. The men are in suits, perhaps more like tuxedos. Rarely do you see a man in armor, perhaps a knight in a guard uniform.
It is similar to a scene I saw in a movie or something like that in medieval Europe.
They look at people they pass through the gap in their bangs, which extend to their eyes, as if they are trying not to be noticed, but the other person is staring at them without hesitation.
You don't have to ask what the dirty kids are doing to know what they are thinking.
How far had I walked? I went outside when I got down to the ground floor and arrived at the fountain in the garden.
Wash yourself here."
Yes?"
I'll leave the towels here. I will pick you up when I am finished, so just wait until then."
"... haha"
He ignored his own questions. After finishing what she wanted to say, the maid of honor left the place.
Is it that a bath is too good for an orphan in a poor town? Or is it that bathing is a luxury in this world, and other people do it too?
I tried to ask questions in my head, but all I knew was that my other self had never taken a bath.
A round tube extends from the fountain, from which the water flows down. There are several tubs placed where the water flows down. At least it is not just a fountain, but it seems to be used as a watering hole. I picked up one of the tubs and filled it with the flowing water.
I am glad it is not winter. I don't even know if there are seasons in this world to begin with - but it seems there are. I wonder if this time difference can be worked out.
I take off the robe-like garment I was wearing. I wear nothing under it. I am naked in the garden. I am embarrassed, but I am a child now. I convinced myself that I was a child and put up with the embarrassment.
I covered my head with water. I felt sick when I saw the water running down my skin and pooling at my feet. The water became muddy just by covering myself with it. How dirty am I?
I drew water again, this time scratching my head with my fingers and covering myself with the water. The water became even dirtier, but if I didn't mind that, it felt pretty good. I covered myself with water while scratching my hair. I repeated this over and over again.
It seemed that this was the first time the other me had ever used such clean water in this way. I felt a surge of joy.
Once the dirt in the water was diluted, the next step was to cover myself with water while scratching my scalp. It was too much trouble to fetch water every time, so I decided to kneel down and hold my head out under the tube extending from the fountain to wash it.
The child's small body makes this easy.
Although I do not like taking a bath, this bathing does not bother me at all. The feeling was so good that I was almost addicted to it.
I want soap even if I can't use shampoo. Is there soap? If so, I could imagine that it must be very expensive.
Having lived in a world of affluence, I was sure that I would have a hard time in many aspects in this world. Such thoughts came to mind, but I quickly forced them out of my mind.
I know that if I think about it, only pessimistic thoughts will come to mind. For now, I just wanted to enjoy bathing in the water.
Once my head was refreshed, I moved on to my body. I bathed in the water and rubbed it with my hands, and that was enough to remove what looked like grime from my body. I left the fountain and looked around for something.
I found what I was looking for more easily than I had expected.
It was a stone with a rough surface. Returning to the fountain, he scrubbed his body with the stone. It hurt a little, but the dirt fell off in an interesting way. Since I could not reach my back, I wrung out a towel and scrubbed there.
I really wanted to get into the fountain and wash my body, but I decided not to do so because I was sure I would get in trouble.
I continued to bathe in the water without worrying about my body getting cold.
He had been bathing for quite some time and was still bare-headed when he was seen by the maid of honor.
He may look like a child, but inside he is a fine boy. Ashamed to be seen naked, he only wiped himself quickly with a towel and quickly put on his clothes.
My hair was still soaking wet. I covered myself with a towel and hastily wiped it off. His long hair, which is growing like a woman's, is depressing.
Are you finished?"
Yes. Just wipe your hair a little and that's it."
If you're going to wipe, wipe with this."
So saying, the maid of honor offered me a new towel. I took it and wiped my hair. Of course, a dry towel is easier to wipe. It would have been better if she had put two towels on the table from the beginning. This thought came to my mind, but I did not say it out loud.
When the moisture was removed to some extent, I tied my hair up and tied it with a towel.
My body was refreshed. My vision is good. It felt good anyway.
Thank you for your patience.
"......"
I called out to the maid of honor, but she did not respond. I looked at her to see what was wrong and found her wide-eyed and frozen.
You know what?
I said, "... Oh, you're done. I'm going back to ... room."
The lady of the house had a complicated expression on her face, but without saying anything else, she started to walk toward the building.
I hurriedly followed her.
While I was returning to my room, the eyes of those around me were unreservedly directed at me. If anything, it seemed to be getting worse.
Some people looked shocked, while others frowned and showed their disgust. I knew it was getting worse.
I looked at my own body and rubbed my face to see if I had become strange after washing my body, but there was no way I could tell anything by doing so.
I had no choice but to walk straight ahead so as not to be bothered by the surrounding eyes.
We went up to the third floor and passed by a number of doors. We seem to have arrived at the original room, and the lady-in-waiting stops.
We have meals ready for you in your room."
Oh, thank you."
'... to stay quiet in your room.'
Yes. ...."
As usual, the samurai girls' gazes remain cold. Perhaps this world is more discriminatory in terms of status than I had imagined.
If that is the case, the fact that they let me into their house and provided me with a room and meals was a very generous treatment. This, too, is not something I can think of.
When I entered the room, I found a meal prepared on the table, just as the maid of honor had said.
There was a round loaf of bread, salad, scrambled eggs, and orange juice.
As soon as I saw them, I felt an intense hunger. Come to think of it, I hadn't eaten anything since I became conscious in this world. The other me had not had a meal for a whole day before that. It's a common occurrence and I seem to be used to it.
I sit down on a chair and take a sip of orange juice first.
... delicious."
It tasted so rich that I wondered what orange juice was in the original world.
With high expectations, I put the bread in my mouth - it was hard and dry. The bread tasted much better in the original world.
Next, the scrambled eggs - they were amazingly tasty. The eggs, too, were rich in flavor.
The salad was the same. Each vegetable had a strong flavor, and although there was no dressing, it tasted amazingly good.
The other half of me is delighted. I don't think I can remember ever having such a fresh meal - fresh?
I hurriedly drowned out the information that almost popped into my head. I had a feeling that it would be better not to think about it at mealtime.
The meal in front of me was gone in no time. I am far from full, but on the other hand, I feel full. The other me seems to have eaten a small meal.
My body is refreshed and my stomach is satisfied. I decided to take some time to think about my current situation.
There is no doubt in my mind that this is not my original world. It could be a dream, but there is no point in clinging to that possibility now.
How should I live in this world?
It may look like medieval Europe, but even in medieval Europe, I don't know what kind of society it was.
I rely on my other self, but this self does not seem to be very promising. As a child, I only know what I know about the particular environment of the favelas, and I seem to know very little about the rest of society.
As far as I can tell from the memories that come to mind, I have had quite a hard time.
When I can remember, I seem to have had people who looked like my parents. I remember living with adults. The place where I live seems to be a poor neighborhood, so I haven't had a decent life since then.
Still, it seems that they never had trouble eating. But, I don't remember that he had any problems with food.
The situation deteriorated drastically after the death of the adult who lived with them.
A young child has limited access to food. The only way is to scavenge for leftover food at the garbage dump. Even this scavenging is not easy. I am not the only one who seeks out leftovers.
Good quality leftovers are fought over, and I, who did not have the strength to win the fight, could only get what had rotted and turned into garbage rather than leftovers. I can't even count the number of times I almost died from a stomach ache.
My own tragedy was not the only one.
For reasons unknown to him, he was disliked by everyone around him. There were not one or two people who would not even allow him to approach them.
He was allowed to do whatever he wanted. There was such an atmosphere around me.
With no power and no one to rely on, I lived in the lawless zone of the favelas. I am amazed that I did not die.
I know why he was lying in that place.
The man I had killed. I was going to kill that man, Dan, and his friends. I gathered weapons, waited for my chance, and when the opportunity finally presented itself, I went through with it, only to be turned back in a spectacular manner and lie there, violently beaten to death.
Apparently, my other self is a proud child.
Even though I am in such a miserable situation, I have a strong heart that does not give in to it and takes action to change the situation.
Even though he is an orphan, he is very different from me. I was made aware of the magnitude of what I didn't have, gave up on my future, and just lived every day without thinking about anything.
When I think about that, I wonder if I am good enough. This body belongs to my other self. And the other me was living hard, not giving up on the future. Would I close myself off from the rest of my life?
That is not good. That is unforgivable.
I have to give this body, this will, back to myself. You can do it. I was not myself when I killed that man. I was acting on the will of my other self.
I will give it to you. I will give you this body. It belonged to the other me.
Now, wake up. You may be awake, but wake up. The rest of your life is yours. Live your life from now on according to your will.
If you can help me in any way, you can help ... yourself too ...
◇◇◇
A strange sensation. This is the second time I've had this sensation.
I am awake, that's what it feels like, but I also have memories of what happened before that.
The empty bowls lined up in front of me.
It was delicious. I had never had such a meal before. Not only did it taste good, but how long has it been since I've had food that smelled so good? At least, I haven't had it since he was alive.
I'm .... There's another me inside me. No, no. It's not me. Who am I that knows things I don't know?
There are so many memories I don't understand. There are towers so high that you can see them. What are they?
I know it's a building. But I've never heard the word "building" ... before, but somehow I know what it is.
A square box is moving without being pulled by a horse. What is this?
A car, an automobile. I have no idea what it is, but somehow I know it is something like that.
It is the night sky, but the surroundings are bright. Lights of various colors are shining brightly. Is this the magic I've heard so much about?
Not exactly, the one inside me replies. It seems to want to ask me something, but I ignore it.
What is it then?
A different world. The guy inside me was born and raised in a different world than this one. I can't believe it, but I know for sure it's true.
I don't know what it is. Mostly I thought I was dead. He hurt me that badly. The favelas are not the kind of places that would be so lenient as to let a man who tried to kill you live. But I am alive. And I killed him.
I was afraid. I had killed someone I hated so much, but the horror outweighed the joy. I couldn't stop shaking, I couldn't move, and I fainted.
This is that noble kid's house.
The treatment so far was not bad. But they are nobles. I don't think they would be indebted to a guy like me. The look in the eyes of the lady-in-waiting showed that.
She was the same as those in the favelas. A look that is nothing but discomfort mixed with disgust and something else. The guy in me didn't seem to understand it, but I've experienced it many times.
I guess I shouldn't be so greedy after all.
How will I live after I leave this mansion? The guy inside me knows a lot of things I don't know. I hope it will be useful.
I also heard voices coming from the hallway.
It seems that the sassy young lady has made an appearance.
The door to the room opens, and just as I expected, in walks the little girl. She's puffing her chest out, but someone should have told her that her tiny body is ridiculous.
"Apparently nicely ..."
The little girl who approached me froze with a huff.
Her reaction was a little different from those I had passed in the hallway.
"... clean."
What?"
I was more surprised by the unexpected words the little girl muttered.
Hey, those eyes. Why are they different colors?"
... colors?"
I don't know what the little girl is talking about. Different color means different people have different eye color.
Have you never looked in the mirror?
"Not ..."
How could an orphan from the favelas have such expensive things? Does the daughter of an aristocrat not even know that?
Then take a look."
The little girl pulled a small mirror out of her dress pocket and held it out to me.
I didn't need to take it. The mirror shows my face. It's too small to show the whole face, so I move my own face around.
The color of her eyes. Certainly different.
Not different in color from the little girl's eyes, but my eyes were a different color on each side. My right eye is blue and my left eye is red. I have never met anyone like this. It seems that I have a different appearance from other people.
See, no, right?"
I am puzzled, but the little girl talks to me happily. I don't know what she is enjoying so much.
Oh, ...."
At any rate, I'll give you a vague reply back.
Beautiful blue and beautiful red. You have a beautiful face, as do your eyes. Your hair is long and you look like a girl.
The little girl started saying this when I brought her face close to mine and stared into my eyes. I don't know whether I am being praised or shamed. Anyway, I should cut my hair. That's what I thought.
Dear Aeriel! Please get away from me!
Even though he was a kid, the maid of honor shouted at him, as if she thought the man and woman were getting too close to each other.
I want to get a good look at her face! I want a good look at this girl's face!"
A loud and angry voice above the voice of the lady-in-waiting flies out. The selfish young lady had no intention of listening to the maid of honor. Even so, the maid of honor didn't back down,
I don't want you to go near Odd-Eye! It is bad luck to approach Odd Eye!"
Odd eye?"
The little girl seems to have never heard it before. I've heard the word a few times.
I don't know what it means. But now I know one of the reasons why people don't like me. It seems that people with eyes like mine are unlucky.
What's an odd eye?"
Like this boy, his left and right eyes are different colors.
How can that be bad luck?"
It's ...."
If you don't have a reason, don't worry about it. I don't believe in bad luck. It's so beautiful.
But that being said, ...
Shut up! If you say one more word, I'll make it impossible for you to stay in this house!"
"..., understood."
If she doesn't obey him, she'll be fired, she's a very arrogant young lady. The lady-in-waiting has stopped saying anything as she is told, but there is a look of dissatisfaction on her face.
It seems that she is not well-liked. It's not surprising if she has such a strong personality.
The little girl is looking at me with interest without paying any attention to the situation of the maid of honor.
Hey, can you do magic?"
What?"
Magic. Magic.
There's no way we can use it."
Yes. All these beautiful blues and reds."
I don't understand the story. As a commoner, there is no way I can use magic. I've heard that only nobles of noble blood can use magic.
"Maybe if I teach you, you can do it. ..."
So it can't be.
Well, that's okay for now. You're going to live here, so I'll check it out bit by bit.
What?"
What are you surprised about?"
Do you want to live here?"
Of course not. You are your brother's pet. You are also my pet."
"... pets."
What's your name?
He asked me what my name was regardless of my confusion when he called me a pet. He doesn't care about people's reaction.
Name ..., I can't remember the name. It's not my name that comes to mind.
Who am I?
"You don't even have a name? Then I'll give it to you."
Oh, no.
I absolutely hate that. That's what I immediately thought.
If you have something to say, say it.
"...Ryo. Ryo Moriya."
I had no choice but to tell him his name. I regretted it a little. It's kind of a strange name.
"... reyo, rio."
The little girl seemed to think so too. I'm having a hard time saying it.
"... Leon. Yes, your name is Leon.
No, it's not.
It's Leon. It was my decision. What's your problem?"
"Not ..."
Giving in to the pressure of the little girl, I accepted. I can feel him complaining in my mind.
Patience. I'm a little patient too.
If I refuse here, he will surely give this little girl a very strange name.
Rion is a good name when you think about it--apparently he's convinced me.
Then, Leon," she said, "I'll do your hair next. Next we'll do your hair, and then we'll get you dressed."
"Hair? A change of clothes?"
I need to clean up my pets as they deserve."
"......"
Pets = pet animals = animals kept by humans to be cared for. In this case, animals do not include humans - an easy explanation. I finally understood the meaning of pet properly.
Unintentionally, I turned my gaze to the maid of honor, looking for help. Even though I knew she wouldn't do anything for me.
Sure enough, the maid of honor didn't say anything. She just shook her head with a look of pity on her face.
I found out that the lady-in-waiting has some kindness in her, but it doesn't mean anything because it doesn't solve anything.
I end up being taken around by the little girl and tossed around for the rest of the day.
She said she was going to fix my hair, but all she did was straighten the ends, leaving the length almost the same. She greased my hair and made me feel uncomfortable, and even smeared something on my face.
I was provided with a secondhand dress for a change of clothes, a little girl's secondhand dress. I was a man.
It was a day that added one more memory that I never want to remember again.
Transgender = transgressing gender boundaries = homosexual, bisexual - I've certainly been raped by a man.
But I'm not one of those beings!