'Oh, man!' Ian shook his head. 'He didn't react like this even when I ended his bloodline. Did he perhaps go crazy?'
He watched the scene in silence, akin to a bystander. This peculiar situation was making him rather entertained.
'Normally, before I regress and make changes, nothing in a timeline should transpire differently than normal, especially the events that have already happened before the starting point of my regressions. But something unexpected happened on the same day that I regressed.'
And today was also the first time he regressed without dying. Ian couldn't consider this a coincidence.
As Ian evaluated the situation, Alaric was slowly curling up in a corner, watching the room with his round, amber eyes. As if seeing everything for the first time, his gaze paused on every small and significant piece of furniture before moving to the other.
"Don't you want the water?"
The young man flinched once again before shooting a suspicious glimpse at the glass of water in Ian's hands. Ian gently sighed.
"It's not drugged."
Why was it so easy to read Alaric's face?
"..."
The young master obediently took the glass of water and stared at it for a bit.
"Huh...?"
His gaze lowered to his fingers, his hands, then his arms. He frowned slightly before hesitantly touching his face and nose, rubbing, and pinching his smooth skin. At that moment, Alaric pushed the glass of water back to Ian and jumped out of bed. He stopped in front of a full-body mirror and stared at his reflection.
"...????"
The more he observed himself, the paler his expression became.
"What the hell is going on...?"
He didn't mumble it too loud nor too quiet, only enough for Ian to barely hear it. Just then, a doctor entered the room, accompanied by an old man in a black and white uniform. They rushed to their master's side, tense with anxiety.
"Young master, is everything alright?", asked the old man with dark blue eyes and a white head of heirs. Alaric didn't answer.
"Sir, what's the problem?"
It was the doctor who talked this time. Alaric, still in a daze, took his eyes off of the mirror with difficulty and faced the half-bald doctor.
"Nothing..." He shook his head, "...Everything is fine."
His pale face and weak voice betrayed his words. His soul appeared to be completely out of his body.
"Is it your illness again? Please tell me where you feel uncomfortable!"
"Ah? N-no no!"
At the same time that Alaric was being questioned by the doctor, the blue-haired servant had a rarely seen serious expression. For some reason, seeing these out-of-character actions of his master reminded Ian of something that happened far in the past.
He couldn't help but think of the first time that he regressed.
That day was as clear as yesterday in his memories. The pain from his first death still felt real to him despite having experienced the same thing again later on, and even worse.
Ian has long grown accustomed to his cursed life. He's come to terms with the fact that he'll never be accepted by death. He's gotten over the reality, that each one of his lives is but a fleeting moment for him, and nothing of him, no trace of his struggles, not a flickering hint of his past efforts, will remain in the history of this world, nor in the memories of his loved ones. Everything will be reset and erased. He's acknowledged that he shouldn't take a life seriously and forget as much of it as possible if he wants to remain sane.
Despite all that, his first life was a special remnant embedded in his soul. It was the root of his existence; so how could he erase it from his memories?
The first one wasn't an unexpected death, but it was indeed, unfortunate. He wasn't unwilling to die but he wasn't willing to give up on everything. He's tried so hard. He's grown so much. All those fell to nothingness cause of a mere decision. Ian never regretted it, though.
All he wanted was to make sure the person he gave up all his goals for would live a proper life. He was filled with rage and sorrow as he saw the curtains of his end fall.
Would things have developed in another way if Ian made different decisions? If he knew the future, if he had more power, would he be able to stop it? That time, as the glimmer of his life gradually faded away, Ian wished he had a chance to change things. Once the darkness of death embraced his soul, as if the gods heard his desperate pleading, a sudden burst of light obstructed his vision.
Ian never saw what kind of expression he made that day when he found himself a few years back in time, but he was sure that his actions felt strange in the eyes of the others, just like how Alaric's behavior seemed right now.
"I'm... I'm fine!"
Alaric mumbled weakly as he shook his head while still watching his reflection in the mirror. Gradually, realization dawned on his face.
"You look pale!"
The nobleman glanced at the old man before hurriedly retreating his gaze.
"I must've had a nightmare..."
Under everyone's gaze, the nobleman walked to his bed. He didn't even look at Ian who was still sitting on the bedside, and threw himself on the soft mattress. Ian wasn't sure if the others had also noticed it but, as the closest person to the young master, he could see Alaric's hands slightly shaking, and also hear him softly mumbling, talking to himself in a low voice, though he couldn't make out what he was saying.
The first thought that crossed Ian's mind was clear. 'Did he also regress?'
The thought was purely a guess without any solid reasoning and proof, something he couldn't blindly rely on, yet it was the first thing that came to his mind due to his personal experiences.
'What should I do? How should I react? Should I grab his hand and directly ask 'Master, did you also go back in time?'? What if he'd really only seen a nightmare? Is it possible that his illness worsened all of a sudden for no reason?'
As a bored regressor, Ian always liked to encounter new situations, but he wasn't sure how to react now that he found himself in one. After a few seconds of consideration, Ian suddenly grabbed his master's shoulders and raised his own body a little bit.
"I think it's better if the doctor checks the young master's condition. Such a nightmare also can be a bad sign."
He was talking to the old man who was watching Alaric with a worried face. The old man was the head butler of the mansion, Old Ranger. Ranger's eyes lit up upon hearing those words and led the doctor near.
Alaric jolted up a little when grabbed by a servant, trying to shake Ian's hands off of his shoulders, but he paused after a second and sat back down, his head dropped.
"There seems to... be something abnormal..." The doctor frowned after examining Alaric for a few minutes. "But I can't be sure what it is right now." He stood back and looked at Old Ranger.
"I guess, it's his illness again... But his body is still healthy. It might not be dangerous right now but I need to do further checkups!"
'His illness?'
Ian looked back at his master. The young man was deep in thought while wiggling with his fingers, glancing around from time to time, and frowning slightly after each round of examination.
'This doesn't look like he is ill, he's just too nervous.' Ian glanced back at the doctor, 'Man, he's so fake!'
He never liked this doctor for various reasons.
'Without me changing the past, nothing can go different than normal in the round... Unless... Another variable is involved...'
Something that could make changes in the timeline. Something that had never happened before.
'Is he a regressor or was he affected by a regressor?'
Ian narrowed his eyes.
'Either this Alaric is a variable, or he was affected by some sort of influence... Another regressor who started their round before mine?'
Noticing his gaze, Alaric raised his head and glanced at Ian's deep blue eyes. He stared at his servant's face for a second before softly muttering.
"Can I... Have a glass of water?"
The blue-haired servant smiled, bowed a little bit, and said in a firm voice.
"Sure!"
- - - - -
After a few minutes, Alaric seemed to have composed himself to some extent, not being too shocked but still on guard against the others. The room returned to its usual calmness after the doctor left, and everyone began preparing for a new day.
About half an hour later, the breakfast table was set and the nobleman was guided to sit behind the table while conversing with Severin.
"... All of these are mine?"
"That's right."
Alaric looked over the table and said with hesitation and doubt.
"Isn't there... Too much food for one person?"
"...You don't have to finish them all, master."
"Master?"
"Yes?"
"You called me a master?"
"...Well... Yeah?"
Severin paused each time Alaric said something, taken aback by every one of his master's sentences.
"Mhm... I see... I'm some kind of master..."
"...." Severin took a step back. "Young master, if you are feeling unwell I can-"
"No no! Forget it," The nobleman shook his head before pointing at the table. "This much food is more than enough for me, a lot will go to waste at this rate!"
"...You don't need to worry about that, master."
"Master... Ahem!" Alaric switched between being dazed and focused, "What do you mean? Food is too precious!" The young master glanced at the table once again and then at the servants standing inside the room, "Can't you all also eat with me? That way, nothing goes to waste..."
"...."
Alaric might've recovered to some extent, but he wasn't back to normal!
'His attitude changed... His choice of words, manner of speech, and tone are also not as usual. Even the fact that he's talking so much is out of character... Is this some temporary change because of his nightmare or whatever? But he is even doubting his status as a nobleman...'
Why would he doubt his own status if he was a regressor that came back in time? It's acceptable for there to be some minor differences in character due to the passage of time or an effect of death, but Alaric had changed like a room that was flipped upside down.
"What's wrong with him?"
"How would I know?"
On the other side of the room, Old Ranger and Ian were standing side by side, watching Alaric's interaction with the servants. The head butler didn't need to be in Alaric's room when he ate, but since something unexpected happened today, he decided to stay a little bit more and watch. The more he watched, the more questions he asked the carefree Ian.
"Can a nightmare have such effects?"
"How would I know?"
Ian, leaning on the wall with his hands in his pockets, shrugged his shoulders each time his old superior asked a question.
"The doctor said that something was wrong about his illness. Can it have worsened? Will our master be alright?"
"How would I know?"
Ranger rolled his eyes after Ian gave the same answer for the third time, huffing in annoyance.
"What do you know exactly? Why are you even standing here? Go to work!"
"I have nothing to do until my master is done eating his breakfast, Mr. Head Butler!"
Ian shrugged again and walked away from the over-worried old man. After he took two steps towards the door, Alaric suddenly turned to him.
"You too, blue hair! You should also eat breakfast. It's too much for me alone!"
Alaric had been telling the same thing to each one of the servants present, but they all refused the offer. It was unknown what he wanted to achieve by inviting others to eat with him, but to Ian, it was something he couldn't refuse.
'Food...'
A hint of joy flashed through Ian's eyes. He had long given up on acting as a servant and obeying his superiors, so he had no reason to refuse the request to share food!
He always appreciated delicious meals, especially if it was free. He wasn't gluten, nor was he someone who'd work hard in order to eat his favorite food, however, food was one of the few things that didn't get boring to him through his various lives, so he usually didn't miss an opportunity to enjoy it.
"As you wish!"
He bowed his head, smiling, not looking at Ranger or the other servants in the room at all, as if they didn't exist. He'd probably get punished after being so rude to eat his master's food, but Ian didn't care.
Ian strode over to the table and sat right in front of Alaric, who had a mixed expression of surprise and delight. Without waiting for the other party to start, Ian picked up a piece of steak and began cutting it into smaller parts, not minding the cold gazes that were drilling holes in his back.
"Nice!"
With a gleeful face, Alaric clasped his hands and looked back at Severin and the rest, wanting to invite them again, only to see them frown and coldly glare at the blue-haired servant. Alaric coughed once before grabbing a piece of bread.
"But it's too awkward eating under so many gazes..." He mumbled.
"You man mormer nem no leame!"
Some incomprehensible stuff left the bluehead's mouth, making Alaric pause on his actions. All eyes turned to Ian, who was gobbling up a large piece of meat as if he had been saved from starvation, mouth puffed, looking about to choke.
"....."
"Ahem!" Ian barely swallowed his meat and coughed lightly. "You can order them to leave if they make you uncomfortable, is what I wanted to say."
"...."
"Uh..." Alaric looked around, a little bit uncertain. "Um... Can you guys, um, please leave?"
'Can you guys please leave...? What kind of order is that?'
The servants looked at the head butler before hesitantly leaving the room as per their master's order.
'It's delicious!'
Without a care, Ian continued to chew the food with determination. His full attention was on the plates placed on the table, his cheeks a little bit flushed red, and his eyes shining slightly. Ian never knew the chef at the count's mansion was such a skilled cook.
'Was he that hungry?'
As Alaric watched the bluehead, he relaxed a bit in his chair, no longer feeling so awkward. There was a slight smile on his face for the first time today.
"Uhhh... I wish I had black tea..."
"Yoo mold lecuest ne maims no bling yo blan ne."
"....."
"Ahem! I said you could request the maids to bring you black tea."
"Oh!" The young master peeked at the door before smiling awkwardly. "Maybe... Maybe later-"
"Oy!"
The servant's sudden yell cut off Alaric's words.
"Severin, bring in some black tea for the young master!"
A delayed response came from behind the door.
"...Sure."
"...."
Under the widened eyes of his master, Ian went back to attacking his plate.
'But since when does Alaric enjoy black tea?'
Ian didn't harp on the topic too much. His mind was occupied by food and nothing else.
The two people got busy eating. From time to time, Alaric, who held his fork and knife rather unskillfully, would drop them on the table, making jingling sounds echo in the room. The other time, he'd move on his seat a little bit, raising his foot as if wanting to change his sitting posture, but resisting it in the end. Sometimes, he'd look around the table and pick up something he hadn't tasted yet.
All of these continued until a knock came on the door. After Ian opened it, the doctor walked inside the room with a small package in his hands.
"I prepared some medicine that will help you feel better, young master. They'll replace the medicine you took previously so please take these every day instead of them. Please don't forget to take it like with your specially brewed tea every time."
"Ah?"
Alaric glanced at the package with a rather confused face. The doctor frowned slightly after noticing Ian sitting at the table, but he placed the package in front of his master without saying anything else and left.
"I have to take a pill every day? Why? I feel fine!"
Alaric frowned upon seeing the bunch of pills inside the bag, examining them with a suspicious gaze.
The young master's illness was trivial. The problem stemmed from the mana in his body. He was born with mana, but the mana flow inside his veins was rather chaotic. Fortunately, he didn't have much mana, and thus the problem didn't threaten his life, but he had to take care of his body and consume medicine in a daily routine to keep the illness in check.
Now, the doctor had diagnosed that there was something wrong with the flow, but as someone who didn't have any talent in magic, he couldn't be sure about the exact cause of the problem. Still, he concocted new pills to suppress the problem.
'How can he prepare medicine without being sure of the exact situation? And so quickly, at that...'
It was obvious that the pills were prepared beforehand. Wasn't anyone suspicious of him? Hello? Doesn't this man have any supervisors?
'Well, I guess they'll just accept it since he's the master's doctor. And also because they don't know what he'll do in the future!'
Ian was the only one who could see the balding man as a traitor in white clothes instead of a doctor. He'd seen his dirty side way too many times.
'These pills can't be a real cure. They're either effectless, the same pills from before, or poison.'
Ian shifted his gaze between the paper bag and his master. The third option was the most probable one.
'Anyone with a little reason can find this situation, Alaric's sudden change, a chance to execute their plans earlier than scheduled. That'd end things in a simpler and cleaner way.'
Ian could already guess what was happening to some extent. Now, his main question was one thing.
'Should I interfere with them or let things progress on their own?'
Or better to say,
'Shall I watch Alaric die or save him for now?'