The morning light filtered through the grand windows of the manor, casting a warm glow over the long dining table.

  Dressed impeccably in a crisp suit, a middle-aged man sat at the head of the table and enjoyed the breakfast being served.

  After another sip of his coffee, the man’s free hand fell elsewhere.

  Another type of breakfast was served...

  Soon, the man’s sharp gaze fell upon the blond maid smoothly shuffling out on her knees from under the table.

  Her face was composed, professional, without a hint of anything improper. “Did master enjoy Cecelia’s breakfast special?”

  Staring into those eyes like red wine, enough to leave most men drunk, his praise was as calm as the deep sea. “Good.”

  The sage stood up, ready to go.

  Rising to her feet, Cecelia stopped her leaving master in his tracks, her fingers brushing against his tie.

  “Master, let Cecelia fix this for you. Today is quite important, after all.”

  He nodded wordlessly.

  While expertly tightening his tie, the professional maid chirped like a lark.

  “Today’s the big day, isn’t it? Master’s groundbreaking research will be unveiled, and soon, everything Master worked for will finally be recognized.”

  “As Merlin once said, fame and honor is but a chain. Exploring the truth and bettering the whole world is the crux.”

  “Mmhmm. But even Merlin will agree that today, everyone will witness the beginning of a new era...”

  Cecelia smoothed the final creases on his suit and stepped back. “There. Perfect, as always, Master.”

  Her words were accompanied by a smile that never quite reached her eyes, but the man didn’t think much of it.

  “Good. Make arrangements for the newsdigger upstairs. I should be back by tonight.”

  “Noted.” Cecelia gave him a slight bow and moved toward the grand staircase.

  A few steps up, she turned back and called out to her leaving master with a friendly wave, “Master, have a safe trip!”

  The man waved noncommittally while heading out the door.

  In the front courtyard right outside the mansion, a luxury ride fitting for a dark knight awaited.

  Opening the door for him was an elderly butler sporting a monocle over one eye. “Good morn, Young Master.”

  “I’m not young anymore, Alfred.”

  The older gentleman only smiled and gently shut the door.

  The man inside the car chuckled and went to pop a drink from the champagne chiller.

  When he relaxed on the reclining backseat, his butler-turned-chauffeur was already warming up the engine.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  The vehicle’s engine purred smoothly as they pulled around the fountain and rolled out into the estate’s road flanked by neatly trimmed hedges.

  Alfred glanced back through the interior rear view mirror. "Young master, if I may. Too much of anything is never good for one's health. Take it easy today."

  The man swirled his glass of rosy wine. “I’m just enjoying all youth has to offer. There’s no need to nag, Alfred.”

  The elderly gentleman sighed. “Ah… hope these aged bones will last to see the day young master finds a mistress. May Merlin bless us with a little master.”

  “Oh Merlin above, less with that set. Your days are still long, Alfred.”

  The man gave a dismissive chuckle and looked out at the estate gates opening up to a new era. His era.

  Then, without warning, his world exploded. BOOM!

  A deafening roar, then all was chaos—fire, smoke, and twisted metal.

  Inside the wreck, the man’s ears rang violently, blocking out all sound except the pounding of his own heart.

  Every breath was a battle and pain coursed through his body, but sheer will pushed him to move.

  A bloody hand punched through the cracked bulletproof glass, and slowly, he dragged himself out, choking and struggling to breathe.

  His blurred vision was swimming against the tide of flames but he could still make out a pair of high heels dark as ink standing just inches away.

  Above, a voice, familiar yet cold, crackled into focus.

  "...Target has been neutralized. Shopkeeper, I’ll take care of the loose ends. Over."

  His eyes struggled to focus as he forced himself to look up. There she was.

  An all-too-familiar blonde maid, yet her face has lost all the emotions they had not long ago.

  Letting go of the earpiece in her ear, her eyes fell upon him, yet now, they were as cold as the muzzle of the gun aiming down at him.

  "Master. Have a safe trip."

  Bang!

  Bubai’s eyes snapped open.

  Familiar canopy and ceiling. Familiar hard bed below. Familiar scent from the soft pillow in his arms.

  Everything was so achingly familiar, yet... they felt so unreal.

  “Awake?”

  His eyes shifted to the pillow intimately snuggling against him.

  Silently staring back at him was the iceberg secretary hugged by a lacy babydoll nightgown that was pure as snow.

  Those soul-gazing blue orbs of hers seemed to anchor his soul back in reality, allowing his parched lips to croak out an answer. “Um.”

  “...Okay?”

  Bubai wet his lips to calm the last remnants of his racing pulse. “Fine. Just… overdrawn spiritual power.”

  More like an excuse.

  Those piercing eyes stared at him, but she didn’t take apart his lie.

  "Remember. Balance." Her tone held that typical cool authority she always carried.

  "I know. I’ll be more careful next time…” Without waiting for her response, he hugged her waist gently, an apologetic gesture. “Sorry, Xiao Lan… I couldn’t watch the moon together with you."

  "Normal… I watch... alone every year."

  Her words were matter-of-fact, but seeing her eyes soaked in loneliness, Bubai didn’t hesitate to make a vow, “Next year, I promise we won’t miss it.”

  “...En.” The loneliness in her eyes was washed away by a subtle undercurrent he can’t quite place, but she showed no inclination of clarifying it.

  Just like how he wasn’t willing to openly speak of his secrets.

  Self-trust is the essence of heroism, but when hero meets heroine… trust is sometimes such a fickle thing.

  But the virtuous will always find other ways to communicate...

  Xiao Lan simply propped herself up, redirecting her focus elsewhere. “Your morning wood.”

  Bubai’s eyes darted down to the familiar pressure building up below. A normal outcome considering the dream he just had.

  Even death can’t hold down this little brave man!

  But some heroines love cracking tough nuts that even death can’t conquer.

  Giving him a “leave everything to me” look, the iceberg sword maiden drifted down to commence her special sword communication technique…

  Bubai crossed his arms behind his head and laid back, absentmindedly gazing up at the dissipating black mist above.

  The babbles were no more.

  The serene silence finally let Bubai do his routine analysis of the immersive dreamscape he just experienced.

  Another little nightmare. It wasn’t his first.

  Whenever the black out hits, these visions always crept in like an old ghost haunting his mind.

  In them, he relived another life.

  A multi-billionaire. Women at his beck and call. A total winner in life.

  To top it off, he was a researcher basking in all the glory available to a top achiever in a cutting-edge modern society.

  A decade of fragmentary glimpses was enough for Bubai to be dazzled by all sorts of strange marvels in that brilliant life.

  Strange alien creatures, crooked tech trees, wonders of the cosmos… the list only gets more absurd.

  That life was truly painted in colorful flavors.

  It’s just that there was one teensy weensy problem…

  Those memories. Bubai was pretty sure... they weren’t his.