They all believed he had suffered some kind of memory loss.
Given the way they had reacted when he failed to recognize Silvia, it was obvious that they had already come up with an explanation for his strange behaviour.
He could work with that.
The woman had also mentioned something about a mess at the boutique.
Whatever had happened there, it seemed serious enough to leave his body battered and bring armed soldiers to his bedside.
Great. So I've inherited someone else's body, someone else's problems, and possibly a criminal record.
What a bargain.
For now, he decided to play along.
If these people believed he had lost his memory, there was no reason to correct them. Revealing that he wasn't the person they thought he was would only invite questions he couldn't answer.
And until he understood where he was—or what had happened to him keeping his identity a secret was the safest option.
He would pretend to have lost his memory.
At least until he figured out what the hell was going on.
A brief silence settled over the chamber.
Then footsteps approached from the corridor.
A moment later, several figures entered the room. Following closely behind the maid.
Silvia immediately rose to her feet.
"Victor!"
Her voice was sharp with concern.
"You assured me Leo would be fine. Yet now he doesn't even recognize his own mother. What exactly is going on?"
The man called Victor stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"My lady, please remain calm. This may be a normal reaction given the young master's current condition."
"Normal?", Silvia's expression tightened.
Victor maintained his composure.
"The young master has suffered a severe injury and is still undergoing treatment. Temporary memory loss and confusion can occur during recovery. For now, we should allow him time to rest. There is a reasonable chance that his memories will gradually return."
Silvia studied him for a moment.
"You're certain?"
"While I cannot guarantee exactly when his memories will return, there is no immediate reason to assume the condition is permanent."
His measured response seemed to ease some of her tension.
Silvia released a slow breath.
For a mother, seeing her child fail to recognize her was a painful experience. But for Silvia, the fear ran deeper than that.
From the day Leonal had been born, she had doted on him endlessly.
Unlike many children of noble birth, he had grown up with a frail constitution. He tired easily. Struggled to keep up with others. Was often reminded of his physical limitations.
Silvia hated seeing him suffer.
She had vowed that he would never feel inferior to anyone simply because his body was weaker than theirs.
Whenever he wanted something, she had done her best to provide it. Whenever someone slighted him, she had intervened. And whenever his behaviour crossed a line, she had often found herself making excuses for him.
At the time, she believed she was protecting him.
But over the years, her indulgence had helped nurture an inflated sense of entitlement. The boy who had once been cheerful and kind had grown arrogant, impulsive, and increasingly cruel towards those around him.
She could have corrected him.
Instead, she had allowed her affection to cloud her judgment. Convincing herself that he would eventually outgrow his worst habits.
Now, watching him lie in bed, battered and unable to recognize her, Silvia couldn't escape the guilt weighing on her heart.
How much of his current situation could have been prevented if she had acted sooner?
She had no answer.
And that uncertainty hurt more than she cared to admit.
Silvia turned towards Leonal.
He sat quietly on the bed, observing the unfamiliar faces around him.
After a moment, she looked back at Victor.
"Everyone, please leave us for a while. I wish to speak with my son alone."
The physician bowed.
"As you wish, my lady."
The others followed suit. Leaving the chamber one after another. The maid closed the door behind them. And the sound of their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Silence returned to the room.
For a while, neither Silvia nor Leonal spoke.
They sat facing each other. Separated by a short distance and a gulf of unspoken questions.
At last, Silvia broke the silence.
"Tell me something, Leo." Her voice trembled faintly.
"Have you really lost your memory... or are you pretending?"
Leonal froze, For one brief moment, he forgot to breathe.
Damn it... How am I supposed to answer that?
He had expected questions. He had even prepared himself to lie about his condition.
But he hadn't expected her to confront him so directly.
One thing was painfully clear. The original owner of this body had been a troublesome young man. And now Leo had inherited every consequence of his actions without even knowing what those actions were.
Fantastic. The previous owner made the mess, and I'm the one stuck cleaning it up.
Silvia waited.
When no answer came, she reached across the space between them and gently brushed her fingers against his hand.
Her gaze searched his face. Filled with worry and uncertainty.
"Leo..."
Her voice was softer this time.
Leonal finally stirred. As though emerging from a daze.
He met her eyes.
"To be honest..." He hesitated. Carefully choosing his words. "I'm not even sure who I am anymore."
He lowered his gaze towards their joined hands.
"But judging by what happened just now, I really do seem to have lost my memory."
It was the safest answer he could give.
Not a complete lie. But certainly not the whole truth.
A flicker of concern crossed Silvia's face.
Yet beneath it, something else stirred.
She had expected confusion. Perhaps fear. Frustration. Or even a burst of anger.
Instead, the young man before her spoke with a calmness she scarcely recognized.
His voice lacked the arrogance and impulsiveness she had grown accustomed to. Even his pauses seemed more deliberate. As though he were weighing every word before allowing it to leave his mouth.
For a fleeting moment, Silvia felt like she was speaking to a stranger wearing her son's face.
The thought unsettled her.
But she quickly pushed it aside.
Leonal had suffered a severe injury. It was entirely possible that the trauma had affected more than his memories. Perhaps it had changed his behaviour, too.
There was no point jumping to conclusions.
She offered him a gentle smile and squeezed his hand.
"Don't worry, son. The physician believes your memory loss is temporary. You'll recover in time."
Leonal looked at her uncertainly.
Her reassurance was comforting. But it also presented an opportunity.
If he wanted to understand this world, he needed someone willing to explain it.
And who better than the woman who believed herself to be his mother?
He hesitated, then asked, "Um... could you tell me where I am?"
He glanced around the extravagant chamber.
"I don't know why, but I feel like I don't belong here. Maybe if you told me a little about this place, I'd feel more comfortable."
Silvia regarded him for a moment before her expression softened.
"Of course. Even if you hadn't asked, I was planning to explain everything to you."
Silvia leaned back slightly, seemingly trying to decide where to begin.
"Well, let's start with you."
Leo looked at her.
"You're Leonal Graythorn, the fourth child and youngest son of the Graythorn family."
Wait, what? I got siblings now?
Leo stared at her for a moment, unsure how to react.
Great. So I've somehow ended up in another person's body, and now I've got an entire family I've never even met. What the hell am I supposed to do with all this?
He hadn't even figured out how he got here, and now he was supposed to remember a family tree, too?
God, this was getting ridiculous.
Silvia continued, apparently unaware of the chaos in his head.
"My name is Silvia Graythorn. I'm your mother, and the Duchess of the Graythorn family. Your father is Duke Cassian Graythorn, a prominent noble of the Kingdom of Valerium."
Duke Cassian Graythorn, huh?
Leo remembered the armoured soldiers who had barged into the room earlier.
Isn't he the guy who sent those men to drag me away? Some father.
He almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.
He'd barely woken up in this place, and his supposed father was already trying to summon him to a trial. What kind of family had he landed in?
Those historical dramas Mom used to watch weren't so far off, after all.
Still, he couldn't say he was particularly interested in his father's title. Duke or king, it made little difference to him right now.
He just wanted to know what was going on.
But there wasn't much he could do except listen and try to make sense of things as they came.
"All right," Silvia continued. "Let me explain the five ruling houses of the Darwin Kingdom."
Wait. What?.Seriously?
Leo blinked.
What about introducing me to the relatives? and my so-called siblings?
But for now all he could do is keep quiet.