Lǐ Wéi stood from his bed, leaning on the side of the edge. He looked pale, dizziness slowly fading away. He breathed in. As soon as he walked to the closet, coincidentally, Nyxia the maid opened the door, rushing toward him.
Her eyes were pure, asking, How are you feeling? He froze, gazing straight into her eyes. When he saw her, he felt a sense of déjà vu. She looked more like Sū Lìyàn, his wife and only love from his past. Slowly, he saw her coming through more and more vividly.
Nyxia was worried. Even though the fact that she was expressionless didn't change.
Lǐ Wéi, who already had the worthless Prince Aric's memories—including the fact that he was skilled at reading people—found reading his own maid to be a breeze.
She approached him lightly.
A stoic person rarely shows feelings on their face but cares deeply beneath the surface.
From what I remember, Nyxia is concerned when her eyes soften, with a quick glance, or by quietly staying close—showing she feels but keeps it locked inside. Think of it like opening the door to emotions carefully, then choosing when and how to let them in.
Damn! Did I worry her too much? How long have I even been asleep with a lucid dream? Can't lie—for real, it was so long, even for me.
He was lost in thought. She held his hands and gazed into his eyes. "How are you feeling today? Are you feeling okay... Master! Master!"
"Ohh... sorry, I was lost in thought. I'm fine—just had a long sleep. It really felt like I'm healing. Mentally, physically... I'm healing."
He smiled faintly and turned his face away.
He burst open the door of his closet. The door swung open fast, waving like a hand. She saw the closet was perfectly ordered. She knew he had changed clothes but didn't know it would be perfectly ordered, just as she had left it.
Her eyes blinked slowly. She looked at the closet and let out a gentle smile. "So you're healing? I believe it."
She turned around and went to the door. She was about to open it, then turned around again. This time, her face was red. She retreated behind a blanket of hair, seeking the anonymity it offered from the overwhelming emotions and demanding light of her very first insecurities.
"I—I thought about it, and I guess I wanna go see the outside world, so... umm... so like... Thanks so much for all the help. I appreciate it. If there is any way I can repay you, let me know."
She turned around, opened the door, and it slammed against the wall as she nervously walked out like a retired athlete.
Lǐ Wéi smiled. So she wants to repay me. Maybe the fruit I planted in her wasn't fruitless after all. She is coming forward with her honesty. At least she is showing it only to me. That's good. Eventually, she will use her emotions for her own benefit. As girls are more into seducing men for manipulation, subtle clues of her trying to act as if she didn't fall in love will get countless men going crazy over her. And that's power. That's how she will be able to survive by deceiving people.
Now, let's focus more on me than her. So I have things outlined. What else do I need to do? Finding the programmer—who is one of the protagonists who got reincarnated—is my first priority. As of now, becoming the king is not possible since I'm 16 years old. So I will have to spend two years and return here.
Lǐ Wéi stepped near the balcony. Next to the balcony door, there was a chair that felt so relaxing and attractive to the eye.
It was filled with comforts, covered under a nice fabric. The edges of the chair were actual gold, carved into a masterpiece.
He took it out—the size was big, yet he managed to bring it to the balcony. Slowly adjusting it, he sat properly, back straight, legs straight, knees connected. His neck stretched upward as he breathed in air.
As soon as he exhaled, he was just like a balloon going through deflation. He leaned back on the chair and slid down a bit. His hips were at the bottom end of the chair. He used the edges of the chair to rest his head. His legs were boldly open, knees far apart. His fingers clasped.
Once he finished exhaling hard, he opened his eyes, glancing at the beautiful sky. The sky was bright red when he woke up; it had already been about a week.
At least he was lucky enough to wake up at the exact time when the sun sets. The eclipse of the sun was streaming right at the mountain of the castle.
Their family had huge land—almost bigger than an island. The family members had their own mansions inside the land, half-circling the mountain that held the castle.
As for Aric, the ungrateful, useless prince—otherwise known as the Worthless Prince—he was only able to live with one maid, taking over the entire mansion by himself.
Clearly, his stepmother, the one titled the Second Queen, would definitely hate even the fact that he had one—only one—maid, let alone a mansion of his own.
"Today is a day where I should heal completely. My goal is to get back to my world. I worked all day, every second, to make my dreams of sitting back, looking at my old self, and laughing, saying, 'Congrats.' Besides leading my family to a wealthy and healthy life come true, I have a true dream: becoming a great dad—someone who will make my child's life better in a way that my past self would only try to daydream about."
At the same time, the king was planning on calling everyone for an honored family dinner. He heard that Aric had been a bit different—uncharacteristic. He was almost someone else.
That was the new soul that had transmigrated into Aric's body: Lǐ Wéi.