He was sure the news had spread about his miraculous escape from death. Briefly, Rahey wondered what was left of his old life.
As he sat on the comfortable bed drinking the very plain water that the servant had brought him- he felt somewhat nostalgic. He didn't think his parents would miss him that much but he was sure they'd be a little shocked. As for friends...he had many but none of them would really be ruined by it either.
If there had been people who wouldn't be able to bear his loss then he would have never overdosed as cruel as it sounded. He wasn't the type to live for others but the world he used to live in didn't let him live for himself.
Thoughts of his old life were easily submerged by the situation before him. Rahey was terrible at many things but adapting wasn't one of those things and in those few minutes of consciousness, he had registered as many factors as possible.
First, he was someone important and someone had tried to kill him. Second, it was dangerous to meet anyone when the perpetrator might try again. Since he had just woken up, if he ended up dying again in a short span of time then people might assume that the poison hadn't completely left his system. Then again, killing him would clearly be an act of desperation. Would anyone be impulsive enough to try it?
Having said all that- none of it mattered. If he died again, he didn't think he would be sent to another world for a third chance so his main priority was to stay alive. Instead of acting rashly, the best plan was to wait and watch.
Rahey finished drinking the water and set the glass down, sighing. The only person he was going to be seeing in the mean time was that servant from before. Rahey didn't want to trust that servant either but he couldn't just shut himself up in that room the way one could have in his past life.
"Hey you!"
There was the sound of shuffling sound as the door opened.
"Yes, young master?" The servant still didn't look fully convinced of his sanity.
"What's your name?"
"Er..." The servant's facial expressions rapidly shifted from hesitance to relief to fear and then to disbelief. Considering the relief, there was a chance that the previous young master was a compassionate person. That made perfect sense. A scheming person wouldn't have been poisoned with such ease.
Rahey quickly adjusted his tone of voice into what he hoped was a more relaxed, patient tone.
"What's your name? My memory is a bit strange right now so I might have scared you earlier." He paused and then added, "I want to apologize for that."
It seemed his words did the trick because the servant loosened up.
"My name is Vitter, young master...pardon me if this is out of line but I was your personal servant for many years."
"You were?"
Vitter nodded, maintaining what he must have thought to be appropriate distance. "You dismissed me-"
Dismissed? That didn't sound like the work of a courteous person. Was the previous young master actually two-faced?
"-because you wanted me to spend more time with my family."
Oh never mind. His intuition was spot on as always.
"I see." Rahey smiled. "I'm glad to see you again. I know it's a bit unfair to ask but could you please help me out until I regain my memory?"
Vitter looked to be at a loss for words. "It should be me requesting you, young master! It is my honour to be able to serve you again!"
The sudden outburst seemed to fill him with embarrassment because he took a few steps back.
"Thank you Vitter, I knew I could count on you."
Asking for his name wasn't an innocent gesture for a name is an identity. People cherish names because it allows them to be recognized. In his old life, Rahey had made plenty of friends just by remembering the names of the people he interacted with. On their second meeting, he would call out to them with familiarity and instantly secure a relationship. He could tell it was working in the current situation too by how pleased Vitter seemed.
"Of course, young master."
The issue was that Vitter wasn't using his name. Rahey, ironically, didn't think it was important to know his new name because everyone would just call him by some title. Even if they did use his name, he would be able to figure it out the first time. The real concern is if someone were to try and test him before he learned what his name was.
It was unlikely but asking someone if they know their name when they wake up from unconsciousness is normal so if a doctor were to come and ask him that and subsequently spread news of his 'memory loss' then that could work out perfectly or horribly.
"I request you not to tell anyone of my present state, Vitter. I don't want to trouble anyone over something that will resolve itself soon. Instead, is it okay if I ask you for a list that should help me remember?"
"A...list?"
"Yes. A list of the names of my family and friends, the things they like and dislike and how close I am with them. Since you used to be my personal servant, anything you know about me would also be helpful."
Vitter paused uncertainly. Rahey decided to give him a moment to think and turned to the window. It looked like it was already dark outside. A crescent moon was suspended in the night sky and an abundance of stars surrounded it. The minutes ticked by.
"You would truly be my saviour if you did that." Rahey interjected before Vitter thought for any longer. He tried to make the comment sound as off-handed as possible.
"Of course, young master. I'll make one right away." That did the trick.
"Thank you, Vitter. I'll see you tomorrow."
Vitter bowed and left. The door closed softly behind him. Rahey stood up for the first time since waking up and his legs trembled slightly. He felt a bit dizzy from the sudden motion and leaned onto the wall for support.
He eventually reached the window, eyes widening as he looked outside. The pollution in the city made it so that he hadn't seen a clear night sky in a long time. Below the endless sky was a garden of sorts. There was a small pond a bit further away and many carefully cared for plants. He turned his head back to the sky- a cloud was floating by.
Staring up at the silence, he felt peaceful.
How many years had it been since he felt like this?