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Prologue: The Transmigration
"What the hell is this?!!"
"I don't remember sitting in a room filled with books and vintage-style furniture straight out of that kingdom-building game I used to play!"
"Someone tell me I'm dreaming—right now!"
A strikingly handsome man with jet-black hair and piercing golden eyes sat in a grand chamber lined with mahogany bookshelves, velvet sofas, and ornate vintage furnishings that reeked of opulence. In his trembling hand, he clutched a parchment and a quill, his gaze darting frantically between the unintelligible script before him and the bewildering surroundings.
"This writing—wait... hmm?"
Just as he opened his mouth to protest, the symbols on the parchment shimmered and rearranged themselves into words he could suddenly read. "I must be dreaming."
Slamming the quill onto the desk, he staggered toward the floor-to-ceiling window. His reflection revealed a young, charismatic face framed by regal attire reminiscent of Western nobility.
"No way... This isn't me!" he shouted, voice cracking. Fragmented memories—foreign yet vivid—flooded his mind.
"Aliester... Hohenzollern? Who the hell is that? Is that my name now?"
He clutched his temples. "I don't understand, but I remember... what happened before this."
A bitter laugh escaped him. "Guess this is what they call reincarnation after... death."
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Flashback: The End of a Life
Streetlights bathed the bustling city in a cold glow as crowds swarmed past skyscrapers. Among them trudged a man in a wrinkled black suit, his blue tie loosened and eyes hollow. He glanced at his wristwatch.
"7:23 PM."
"Just another day in this cursed life," he muttered.
"Thirty years old, single, broke... How many more rejections can I take?"
He paused at a crosswalk, shoulders slumped. Beside him, a child cradled a Persian cat.
"Easy, Miki. We're almost home," the child cooed.
The man sighed. If only adulthood came with a manual. Jobs, relationships... even surviving feels impossible.
A sudden shriek tore through the air.
"MIKI! NO—!"
The cat leaped onto the road, freezing under the headlights of a speeding sedan.
Without thinking, the man lunged forward, scooping the cat and hurling it back to safety. But the screech of tires drowned his final thought:
Maybe this is mercy.
CRAAASH!
Screams erupted. "Call an ambulance!"
He barely heard them. Darkness swallowed him whole.
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The New Reality
Now, those memories burned fresh in Aliester's mind. He knew two truths: his past life was over, and this golden-eyed prince's body was his new prison.
Knock. Knock.
"Who's there?" Aliester barked.
A polished voice answered, "Your Grace, Princess Magdalene has awakened."
A butler—impeccably dressed in a tailcoat—bowed deeply. Aliester's pulse raced. Princess? Butler? What fresh hell is this?
Masking panic, he nodded. "Lead the way."
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The Princess' Chamber
The butler ushered him into a lavish bedroom where two maids flanked a canopy bed. Beneath silk sheets lay a sobbing girl no older than ten, her raven hair and golden eyes mirroring Aliester's own.
"Who is this child?!" he hissed under his breath.
Swallowing his dread, he turned to the maids. "You've done well. Her condition... has improved?"
The maids exchanged nervous glances. "Her fever has broken, Your Grace. Shall we prepare for your private audience with Her Highness?"
Aliester froze. What am I supposed to say now?
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To Be Continued...
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