"@$##!"
"#%%@%&&*^"
"@^^#/#&&*"
…What?
What's happening?
What are these noises?
Why is it so dark?
Wasn't I supposed to be dead?
There's no point overthinking it. I can't even feel the darkness around me. But then, suddenly, I feel something warm and liquid flowing into my mouth.
I can feel it.
My throat… my lips… they're moving.
So I still have a body.
I try to open my eyes. At first, there is only darkness, but then faint traces of light begin to seep in.
Ah… too bright.
Damn, it's blinding.
I shut my eyes again, then slowly open them once more.
And what I see leaves me completely stunned.
In all my life as a playboy, I have never seen a woman this beautiful.
Standing before me is a woman who looks to be in her mid-thirties. She has wavy crimson hair, mesmerizing violet eyes with vertical pupils, and atop her head, a pair of soft fox ears.
Her face is flawless. The kind of beauty that could drive people mad.
I've seen countless women before, but I can say without a doubt that she's the most beautiful of them all.
But that's not the real issue.
The problem is the way she's looking at me.
With warmth.
With love.
"%#!&," she says with a gentle smile.
I don't understand a word she's saying, but what she does next makes everything clear.
Oh.
Oh, damn.
I panic for a moment, but eventually calm down.
I mean, who wouldn't?
Considering the warmth, the comfort… and the milk.
To explain my situation, I was driving home after a fight with my girlfriend. It started over something trivial, moving in together. I wasn't ready, and things escalated quickly.
Then she accused me of cheating on her with her best friend, saying that was the real reason I didn't want to live together.
I got furious and left.
While driving, she kept calling me nonstop. I ignored it at first, but eventually tried to turn off my phone.
That's when I stopped paying attention to the road.
Then I heard screams.
I looked up and saw a little girl running into the street, chasing a puppy.
I swerved hard.
People were shouting.
Everything turned into chaos.
And then the car flipped.
After that, there was only darkness.
And now… I'm here.
This beautiful woman… she must be my mother.
Otherwise, I'm seriously screwed.
That loving look in her eyes has to be real.
Yes, she's my mother.
Don't argue with me.
Please.
I don't want any more problems.
I've already died once.
Better stop overthinking and do what I'm supposed to.
Drink the milk.
After all, I'm just a baby now.
In the capital of Novalis
Inside a grand, ancient manor, in a room filled with warm light that contrasted sharply with the darkness outside, a woman with crimson hair and violet eyes sat upon a large bed.
In her arms was a newborn child.
She gently nursed him, gazing down with tender affection.
She didn't understand why the baby hadn't cried after birth, but after feeling his heartbeat and seeing his eyelids flutter, she knew he was healthy.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" a maid exclaimed.
"Congratulations, Mother! Can I hold my little brother?" asked a beautiful young woman, about eighteen years old, sharing the same crimson hair and violet eyes.
Though she called the woman "mother," one might mistake them for sisters.
"Not yet, dear," the mother replied softly. "He's still very fragile. You can hold him in a few days, alright?"
"Fine…" the girl pouted.
"Now, now. Mother is tired, and your brother needs to be fed. Come back later, please."
"…Alright."
The girl left with the maid.
The mother looked down at the baby again, her voice softer than ever.
"You must be hungry, my little one. Don't worry. Mother is here. I will always love you and protect you."
The baby opened his eyes and looked at her.
She smiled warmly.
Then gently lowered her robe and continued feeding him.
Days passed.
The young girl returned.
"Mother, can I hold him now?" she asked eagerly, her eyes shining.
"Very well. But be gentle, okay?"
"Yes, yes, just give him to me already."
The mother carefully handed the baby over, watching closely, ready to intervene at any moment.
What's happening now?
I feel something strange again.
I open my eyes, and I'm shocked once more.
Wait… why does my mother look younger?
And why is her chest smaller?
I try to react, but all that comes out is crying.
Just a baby's cry.
Someone quickly takes me back, and I see her again.
Ah… there she is.
So who was holding me just now?
I try to turn my head to look, but I can't.
Right.
This is the body of a newborn.
Makes sense.
"Mother, why did you take him back?" the girl asked, pouting.
"He started crying, dear. Perhaps he wasn't comfortable with someone unfamiliar."
"Hmph! You just don't want to share him. Don't make excuses."
"Oh my, it seems I've been found out," the mother said playfully.
She gestured for the girl to sit beside her.
The girl complied, lying next to her and looking closely at her little brother.
"Wow… he looks just like you, Mother."
"And don't you?"
"Well, I'm your daughter, so that's obvious."
Silence fell for a moment.
"Anyway," the mother said at last, "I've chosen his name."
"Really? Tell me! Tell me!"
"Calm down, dear."
She looked down at the child in her arms, her expression filled with warmth.
"His name will be Alaric."
"Alaric von Vulpis."