Early the next morning, Eros was rudely awakened by Wendine pulling off his blanket.
He opened his eyes abruptly to see his bratty sister holding the blanket triumphantly, her face full of smug satisfaction at her successful prank.
The spot beside him where Estelle had been sleeping was already empty—she had long since left.
Eros looked at Wendine helplessly. "What are you doing, you bratty little sister?"
Wendine lifted her chin proudly. "How old are you, and you still need Mom to hold you while you sleep? So embarrassing."
Eros curled his lip in disdain. "What do you know, bratty sister?"
"Call me sister!"
"Bratty sister."
"Call me sister! Call me sister!"
"Bratty sister, bratty sister, bratty sister!"
The two maids standing outside the door heard the commotion and immediately knew their young master was awake.
One entered the room and began helping Eros get dressed, while the other went to prepare his washing supplies.
The maids were already used to this sibling duo bickering the moment they met, and they merely chuckled quietly to themselves.
As for being served by the maids, Eros had grown completely accustomed to it.
This sinful old society had thoroughly corrupted him. He had tried to resist, but alas, the maids were far too charming. In the end, he had surrendered completely.
Wendine, watching from the side, proudly lifted her chin.
"I've been able to dress myself for a long time now."
"Wow, Sister Wendine is so amazing, being able to dress herself," Eros said, playing the perfect sidekick with impeccable timing.
Wendine's cheeks turned slightly red as she hummed softly, a little embarrassed.
The anger she had felt earlier over her brother refusing to call her "sister" had completely vanished.
The two maids watching from the side only pursed their lips, trying to stifle their laughter. Princess Wendine is completely at the mercy of her little brother.
After getting ready, Eros stepped into the courtyard, feeling refreshed. He looked at the bright, sunny world around him and took a deep breath. What a beautiful world.
The life of a feudal landlord was just so simple and unpretentious. Praise transmigration!
Time passed year by year, and during this time, Eros noticed something strange: Wendine, his bratty little sister, seemed to have disappeared for a few days after turning 18.
When she returned, she acted mysteriously, and no matter how much he asked, she wouldn't say a word. Instead, she would just lift her chin and smile smugly.
Around the same time, their father inexplicably gave the household servants a generous bonus, claiming he was in an exceptionally good mood.
The amount of the bonus wasn't small, which made Eros feel something was off.
It wasn't the fact that his father handed out bonuses—that wasn't unusual—but rather that it happened on the exact day Wendine returned after her disappearance.
There was no way this was just a coincidence, Eros thought. Something about it seemed suspicious, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Unable to make sense of it, he could only bury the doubts in his heart for now.
Two years later, on a day shortly after his 18th birthday, a manservant Eros had never seen before approached him, bowed, and said:
"Your Highness, the Duke requests your presence."
Hearing these words, Eros froze in place. It was as if the sentence acted like a key, unlocking a hidden lock in his mind.
Scenes of unfamiliar yet oddly familiar memories began flooding back into his head. These were his own memories, yet for some reason, he had forgotten them—until now.
The images in his mind finally stopped at a hazy voice, soft and feminine:
"I'm sorry, my child, for smothering your curiosity about the true world."
At those words, Eros snapped back to reality. It was as if he had suddenly come to a realization. He lifted his head, and his gaze met the manservant's eyes, which held a faint, knowing smile.
So it's finally happening? I see now!
This world truly had mysterious powers, and his family possessed such powers as well.
It all made sense now. Before he turned 18, it had been too dangerous for him to come into contact with these forces, so they had used some method to make him forget those memories.
And today, perhaps because the time had come, they had allowed him to regain what he had once lost.
Having pieced everything together, Eros didn't hesitate. He nodded and followed the manservant without a word.
Soon, he came face to face with his father.
Duke Lenka's expression was stern as he nodded and said, "Follow me."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and began leading the way.
Eros's lips curled into a slight smile as he stepped forward without hesitation. Finally, I'm going to learn the truth about this world.
The two walked in silence, one after the other, until they arrived at the small chapel within the duke's estate. Eros was familiar with this place—he had been here many times before.
The chapel housed the statue of the God of Death and Reincarnation, and it seemed that many of his elders were devotees of this deity.
Previously, he had assumed the gods worshipped in these religions were fictional, just like those on Earth. But now…
If the supernatural side truly exists, then doesn't it make perfect sense for gods to be real too?
To his surprise, his father didn't lead him into the main hall of the chapel. Instead, they headed toward the back entrance.
Entering through the rear door, they took a turn and stopped at the entrance to the basement—where the chapel's miscellaneous items were usually stored.
Duke Lenka turned to face Eros, his expression unusually solemn as he said:
"No matter what you see in a moment, you must not cry out. Keep reverence in your heart at all times, because where we are about to go is the hall of our ancestors—a hall dedicated to a Great One."
By the time Duke Lenka finished speaking, his voice had grown noticeably more fervent, his tone rising involuntarily.
Perhaps sensing the seriousness in his father's words, Eros straightened his back, his expression becoming solemn.
Seeing his son's demeanor, Duke Lenka nodded in approval and, without further hesitation, descended the staircase. He stopped at the wall directly opposite the bottom of the stairs.
He stretched out his right hand and began murmuring an incantation in a language Eros couldn't understand.
A dim, shadowy gray light gathered in the duke's palm, and with a swift motion, he pressed it against the wall.
In an instant, the entire marble wall turned pitch black, as if it could devour all light.
Eros's pupils contracted sharply as he watched his father step into the darkness, his figure swallowed by the abyss until he disappeared completely.
Despite the countless what the hells running through his mind, Eros remembered his father's warning: no shouting.
Taking a deep breath, he didn't hesitate further and stepped into the black wall himself.
On the other side, he found himself staring down a long corridor, its strange atmosphere piquing his curiosity. He looked up at his father questioningly.
Duke Lenka didn't disappoint. He began to explain:
"This is the Shadow Realm—the shadow of the world itself. Our ancestors cut a portion of the world's shadow and, through alchemy, forged it into a unique world."
Eros opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. You can cut a shadow? The shadow of the world?
But what disappointed him was that his father didn't seem inclined to offer any further explanation. Without pausing, Duke Lenka continued walking down the corridor.