Isaac followed the young woman, traversing hallway after hallway. Glancing out of a window, he caught a brief glimpse of a large garden filled with all kinds of decorations. It seemed to stretch for several hundred meters, so much so that he couldn't see the end of it.
Soon, they arrived in a lounge. Isaac scanned the room: sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and statues and exquisite paintings adorned the space from all sides.
So many ways to decorate a lounge! If the room he had woken up in seemed luxurious, this lounge was on another level.
I wonder how much was spent just on this room. As Isaac struggled to keep a neutral expression in the face of such extravagance, the maid who had guided him let out an audible sigh before quickly covering her mouth, realizing her mistake.
She slowly turned toward Isaac with a worried look and instinctively pointed to a corner of the lounge. Alfred was there, admiring a painting.
Isaac thanked the maid without correcting her demeanor and walked over to the butler, who didn't seem to have noticed his presence. Once close, he saw the painting Alfred was observing.
It depicted a young woman sitting by a lake, watching with a happy and nostalgic gaze two children, a boy and a girl, playing on the shore. The painting was simple and not particularly aesthetic, yet it seemed filled with life and sincerity.
Alfred finally noticed his presence. He wiped the corner of his eyes and slowly turned around. "Sir, I didn't hear you."
"…It's fine, I have an emergency, I need to go into town." Isaac didn't question the butler about the painting; the situation was truly an emergency, and he didn't want to pry into the old man's private life.
The butler nodded, perhaps used to such requests.
"Very well, sir. I'll have the carriage prepared; please rest in the meantime."
Without argument, Isaac, in William's body, sat down on a chair in the lounge. The comfort he felt in the seat almost made him want to stay there for the day.
"It's so soft…" He slowly closed his eyes and immersed himself in his thoughts.
The unique spell I invented and created is a failure. Its effects have even surpassed what one might expect from a typical failure. Generally, if a spell of this level fails, the person either dies or undergoes irreversible changes, turning them into a monster or altering their personality into something strange. There are many other side effects, but these are the most common.
I can't be sure, but I don't think my personality has been altered. Perhaps my original body has undergone changes, though…
There could be hidden dangers related to this body swap. I'll need to study that later, but first, I must confirm the condition of my body, my real body.
Another thought came to Isaac's mind.
If William has taken over my body, what should I do? Moreover, is the contract binding William and me still active?
If it is, I must be very careful in his presence to avoid punishment… No, in fact, I should already be cautious; the contract terms can be broken without him being present. In that case, I would undoubtedly die.
I should confirm if I'm still under the effects of the enchanted oath later…
The list of things to do seemed to grow longer the more he thought about it. However, Isaac harbored a sliver of hope in his heart.
If only William isn't in my body, perhaps I've managed to make him disappear in some way, maybe I've finally stopped that man…
This small hope kept echoing in Isaac's mind like a distant echo.
William is the man who destroyed his life, a man who didn't deserve forgiveness.
…
Tap tap tap.
Footsteps pulled Isaac from his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Alfred entering the lounge.
"Sir, the carriage is ready. You can leave whenever you wish."
Isaac was surprised; it hadn't even been three minutes since the butler had left.
"You're very efficient," Isaac commented as he reluctantly rose from the chair.
"Thank you, sir. Now, please follow me."
The two quickly arrived in front of the carriage, adorned with an emblem of a star, the symbol of the Moreau family. Two horses were hitched to the front.
The carriage was a deep blue and gold, reminiscent of a starry sky. On the doors, another symbol in the shape of a magic circle was affixed, indicating that it belonged to William.
Isaac had seen this carriage several times before and had even ridden in it. Without ceremony, he stepped onto the footrest and sat down.
"Sir, would you like me to prepare another outfit for you?" Alfred asked politely.
Isaac glanced at his outfit. Indeed, it didn't match those typically worn by William. This style was closer to his own: a white long-sleeved shirt and gray trousers.
Why should I wear what that guy likes? he muttered to himself.
"That won't be necessary," he declined.
Alfred remained silent for a moment before nodding.
Isaac gave the coachman the address, and the carriage set off. To avoid suspicion if an accident occurred there, he provided an address a few streets away from his actual destination.
During the journey, Isaac admired the scenery while pondering what might happen once he arrived.
The journey was smooth, and soon they reached the destination. Before the coachman could come to open the door, Isaac stepped out on his own.
Passersby on the street discreetly watched the carriage, whispers rising from the crowd.
"That symbol, it's the Moreau family, why is it here?"
"His face looks familiar; I feel like I've seen him before…"
"It's probably related to the accident that happened earlier this morning. He must be a sorcerer here to investigate!"
Isaac, in William's body, frowned. A bad feeling tightened his chest. He approached the man who had spoken last.
"What do you think I'm here to investigate? What happened here?" His voice came out much deeper and colder than expected, intimidating the poor man.
"Um, I-I thought you were here to investigate the house that exploded this morning in front of the bakery…," the man stammered, regretting speaking earlier.
Breath short, Isaac broke into a frantic run. He didn't even take the time to respond, rushing through the streets, forgetting the crowd behind him.
After about four minutes of running, he finally arrived at his destination. In front of him, several police and firefighter carriages blocked the way. He squeezed between the cars and the curious onlookers to get a better view.
Instead of the old, dilapidated house he expected to see, an immense pile of rubble and lingering smoke awaited him.
The house where he had spent the last few days was gone.