Chapter 126: The Young Master and the Servant

The first thing Rin felt was warmth.

Sunlight.

It rested gently against his face, warm enough to make him instinctively turn away from it. A soft breeze passed through his hair, carrying the scent of grass and flowers.

For several seconds, Rin didn’t open his eyes.

He was still falling through darkness. Or at least, that was what he remembered.

The voice of Aelion. The voice of the first Kaelith. World screaming.

Kaelith reaching for him. His hand slipping away.

And then—

nothing.

Rin slowly opened his eyes.

Blue sky. Clouds. Sunlight. He blinked several times.

"This isn’t the sanctuary..."

He tried to sit up. His body responded immediately. His hands pressed against the grass. His breathing was steady.

His heart was beating quickly, but not from pain.

Rin looked at his hands. Something was wrong.

They weren’t his hands. They looked younger.

Smoother. He touched his face. His hair. His clothes. Everything was different.

"What..."

He stood carefully. His body felt unfamiliar, yet strangely natural.

Then someone shouted from behind him.

"Aelion!"

Rin froze.

The voice was young. Warm. Concerned.

"Aelion!"

The footsteps came closer.

"Are you alright?"

Rin slowly turned around. A boy was running toward him. He looked around seventeen.

Dark hair. Bright eyes. Simple clothes.

His expression was full of concern. The moment he reached Rin, he stopped.

"There you are!"

He breathed heavily.

"I’ve been looking everywhere for you."

Rin stared at him. The boy frowned.

"Aelion?"

Rin said nothing. The boy stepped closer.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Did you fall?"

"I..."

Rin looked around.

"Where am I?"

The boy’s expression became confused.

"What?"

"Where am I?"

"In the forest."

Rin looked around again. That much was obvious.

"I mean... what place is this?"

The boy stared at him for several seconds. Then he sighed.

"Elyria."

Rin repeated the name.

"Elyria..."

"Yes."

The boy looked at him carefully.

"You really aren’t feeling well."

Rin didn’t answer. Something about the boy was familiar.

Not to him. To Aelion. Then the voice appeared inside his mind.

Rin.

Rin froze.

You’re still here.

Yes.

Where am I?

There was a brief silence.

My home.

Rin’s eyes widened.

Your home?

Yes.

Then why does everyone keep calling me Aelion?

Aelion didn’t answer immediately.

Then:

Because that is my name.

Rin’s breathing stopped for a moment. He looked down at himself.

So I’m really inside your body.

Yes.

Rin closed his eyes.

Everything suddenly made sense. He wasn’t watching Aelion’s memories. He wasn’t observing the past from a distance.

He was living it. Feeling it. Breathing it. Every sensation belonged to him now.

The sunlight against his skin. The breeze. The weight of his clothes. The beating of his heart.

Everything. The boy in front of him waved a hand.

"Aelion?"

Rin opened his eyes.

"Sorry."

The boy smiled faintly.

"You’re strange today."

Rin looked at him.

"What’s your name?"

The boy stared. Again.

"You really don’t remember?"

"No."

He sighed dramatically.

"That’s insulting."

Rin almost smiled. The boy extended his hand.

"Eryndor."

Rin looked at it. Then shook it.

"Eryndor."

"Exactly."

The moment their hands touched, Rin felt something strange.

A memory. Two children running through the same forest.

Aelion laughing. Eryndor chasing him. Another memory.

Both sitting beneath a tree. Another. Training together. Another. Falling asleep beside each other after spending the entire day outside.

Rin quickly pulled his hand back.Eryndor looked confused.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Eryndor smiled.

"Come on."

"Where?"

"Home."

Rin frowned.

"Your home?"

"Our home."

Rin followed him. As they walked, Eryndor talked constantly.

He complained about how long he had searched for Aelion. He complained about the forest. He complained about being hungry.

Rin listened. There was something incredibly natural about the way they interacted.

They weren’t strangers. They had known each other for years. And slowly, Rin began realizing something.

Aelion wasn’t simply a young man living in a village. People they passed greeted him respectfully.

Some even bowed.One elderly man smiled.

"Good morning, Young Master."

Rin stopped.Young Master?He looked at Eryndor.

Eryndor merely continued walking. Rin hurried after him.

"What did he mean?"

"What?"

"He called me Young Master."

Eryndor looked at him.

"Because you are."

Rin stopped again.

"I am what?"

Eryndor laughed.

"You really don’t remember anything, do you?"

Rin shook his head. Eryndor sighed.

"You are Aelion of House Valen."

Rin stared at him.

"A young master of one of the wealthiest families in the kingdom."

Rin’s mouth opened slightly.

"What?"

Eryndor laughed.

"You’re going to make me explain everything, aren’t you?"

"Yes."

"Fine."

They continued walking.

"Your family owns several estates, businesses, and a large amount of land. Your father is one of the king’s most trusted nobles."

Rin listened carefully.

"And mother?"

Eryndor’s smile disappeared slightly.

"She..."

He hesitated.

"Your mother is strict."

"How strict?"

Eryndor looked at him.

"Very."

Rin frowned.

"Why?"

Eryndor didn’t answer. They reached the gates of an enormous estate.

Rin stopped. He stared. The mansion was enormous. Stone walls.Tall windows. Beautiful gardens.

Several servants stood near the entrance. The moment Rin walked through the gate, everyone bowed.

"Welcome home, Young Master."

Rin looked around.

So this is Aelion’s life.

He was a noble.A young master.Someone born into wealth.

And Eryndor—

Rin looked at him.

Eryndor didn’t enter through the main doors.

He walked around the side of the estate. Rin followed.

"Where are you going?"

Eryndor looked at him.

"To the servants’ entrance."

Rin froze.

"Servants?"

Eryndor nodded.

"I need to return to work."

Rin stared at him.

"You work here?"

Eryndor smiled awkwardly.

"I’ve always worked here."

Rin felt something twist inside his chest.

"You’re a servant?"

"Yes, what is wrong with you today?"

The word sounded too simple.

Too casual. As if it meant nothing, but Rin understood immediately.

Eryndor wasn’t merely a servant. He had grown up beside Aelion. He was Aelion’s childhood friend.

And yet, their positions were completely different.

Aelion was the young master. Eryndor was the servant.

Before Rin could say anything else, a woman’s voice came from behind them.

"Aelion."

Rin turned. A beautiful woman stood at the top of the stairs.

Elegant clothes. Cold eyes. Several servants stood behind her.

She looked at Rin first. Then Eryndor. Her expression immediately hardened.

"Why are you with him again?"

Rin frowned.

"Mother?"

The word came naturally from Aelion’s body. The woman walked toward him.

"I told you to stop spending so much time with him."

Eryndor lowered his head.

"My lady."

"Don’t speak."

Her voice was cold. Rin looked between them.

"Why?"

His mother stared at him.

"Because you have a future to prepare for."

Rin didn’t understand.

"What future?"

"The marriage."

Silence. Rin’s expression changed.

"Marriage?"

"Yes."

His mother looked at him.

"You are promised to the Crown Prince."

Rin’s heart stopped.

"The Crown Prince?"

"You will marry him."

She turned her attention toward Eryndor.

"And you will stop allowing this servant to distract you."

Rin stared at her. Eryndor remained silent.

"Mother, he hasn’t done anything."

"He doesn’t need to."

Her voice became colder.

"You spend all your time with him. You refuse every conversation about your marriage. You refuse to meet the Crown Prince properly."

Rin frowned.

"I don’t understand."

"You don’t need to understand."

She turned toward the servants.

"Take Eryndor away."

Rin stepped forward.

"Wait."

His mother looked at him.

"You will go to your room."

"But—"

"Now."

Eryndor bowed.

"Yes, my lady."

Rin watched him walk away. Something felt wrong. Very wrong. That evening, Rin learned just how serious the situation was.

He had barely finished dinner when he heard shouting from the courtyard. He immediately stood.

"What is happening?"

His mother didn’t answer. Rin rushed outside.

Eryndor was standing in the courtyard. Two servants were holding him in place.

Rin’s heart dropped.

"Eryndor!"

His mother stood nearby.

"You disobeyed me."

Eryndor lowered his head.

"I apologize, my lady."

"You think apologizing will change anything?"

Rin looked at his mother.

"What did he do?"

"He encouraged you to refuse your marriage."

"I didn’t refuse because of him."

His mother turned toward him.

"Then why have you refused?"

Rin couldn’t answer.

Because he wasn’t actually Aelion.He didn’t even know what Aelion had wanted.

His mother pointed toward Eryndor.

"Twenty."

Rin froze.

"What?"

"Twenty strikes."

Eryndor’s eyes widened slightly.

"My lady—"

"You will learn your place."

Rin stepped forward.

"Stop!"

His mother looked at him.

"This is necessary."

"No!"

"He is the reason you don’t want to marry the Crown Prince."

"He isn’t!"

Rin’s voice echoed through the courtyard.

Everyone went silent. His mother stared at him.

Then she turned away.

"Begin."

Rin could only stand there. He heard the first strike. His heart twisted.

Eryndor didn’t scream. He simply endured it.

Rin clenched his fists.

"Stop!"

His mother didn’t listen.

Another. Another. Rin felt each sound as if it struck him instead.

Not because he was being punished. Because he was watching someone who had grown up beside Aelion being punished for simply being close to him.

When it finally ended, Eryndor remained standing, though he was clearly exhausted.

His mother looked at Rin.

"Now perhaps you’ll understand."

Rin stared at her. He didn’t answer. She walked away.

Rin immediately rushed toward Eryndor.

"Are you alright?"

Eryndor gave him a tired smile.

"I’ve been through worse."

Rin’s chest hurt.

"You shouldn’t have had to."

Eryndor looked at him.

"You’re crying."

Rin touched his face. He hadn’t realized tears had fallen.

"I..."

He didn’t know what to say. Eryndor smiled faintly.

"Don’t worry."

Rin looked at him.

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because you’re my friend."

The answer was simple.

Natural. Certain. Rin stared at him and somewhere deep inside his mind, Aelion whispered:

He always was.

Rin closed his eyes. Now he understood.

He hadn’t been sent back merely to discover how Aelion met Eryndor.

He had been sent back to experience the world that existed before everything changed. A world where Aelion was a young noble.

Where Eryndor was his servant. Where their friendship existed despite the difference between them.

And where a marriage to the Crown Prince already stood between them.

Rin opened his eyes. He looked at Eryndor.

Then toward the mansion. The story had finally begun.

And this time, Rin would live every moment of it.