To convince Count Aegean, Rian Azure waxed poetic about how he understood the Count’s hard work and sacrifice to teach him what he needed to know to govern in the future.

To convince his Imperial Father, Rian Azure changed into the child-version of the clothes his father liked to wear, and emphasised how he was now twelve years old, and that it was time for him to take some small responsibilities to help his father. He gave evidence of the work and small errands that some other young fourteen-year-old heirs had done. He was younger than them, but he was also the eldest prince.

To convince his Imperial Mother, Rian Azure promised he’ll crystal-ball-call home every day.

Before Count Aegean comprehended what was happening, Prince Rian had ordered his senior manservant to pack and send his clothes in a carriage, jumped into a large horse, and rode off with a small group of Capital Investigators and a large group of his personal Royal Guards.

Meanwhile, in the Schauss residence, the servants were busy preparing for the new day. However, a certain room with south-facing windows was quiet. The room was beautifully and elegantly decorated, softly lit by the slanted sunlight glow through the embroidered cream curtains.

The young girl in the bed opened her sweet pink eyes. The light reflections were like little stars.

She was dazed.

Not long ago, she had finally graduated from high school! Immediately after, she played all the dating sims she wanted to play and read all the romantic fantasy webtoons and novels she wanted to read. Not long after re-reading her favourite novel, she went outside…and…

And what happened next?

She could vaguely remember a truck…

This didn’t look like her bedroom ceiling. This didn’t feel like her bed.

Confused, she sat up. Her hands were small, pale, and smooth. Her hair came into view: it was long and pink.

Her eyes widened. She jumped out of bed and hurried to the standing mirror in the room.

Long pink hair cascaded down her body in gentle waves. The exquisitely embroidered white night shift with airy lace gave her an aura of youthfulness and innocence.

Slow realisation…!

She looked at her body, up and down, and couldn’t help but burst into a smile.

She couldn’t believe it! It looked like…she had reincarnated into her favourite romance novel! She had all her old memories and all her new memories! She knew everything that would happen. Her life would be so smooth, and in the future, she’ll have a handsome husband and be the Queen! This was a lot better than studying and getting a boring job trying to make money in that kind of economy!

The novel technically wouldn’t start until she entered the Imperial Magical Academy a few years later. She was a little nervous about seeing the plague-curse for real in the future, but she also knew it would be all fine in the end, because she could cure people.

That reminded her—she was now a healer mage!

She closed her eyes, recalling the memories of her past magic lessons.

There was a deep well of magic inside of her. She opened her eyes and spoke the spell to create light…and there was light!

Happy!

She cast a couple more spells, delighting as each one worked.

Then she noticed a certain door: the door to her walk-in-wardrobe.

Eyes brightening, she padded over and opened the door. Seeing all the pretty dresses, her eyes turned into little stars and hearts.

A maid knocked at the door.

The girl hurried to sit on the bed. “Come in,” the young girl, Cassiopeia Schauss, said.

The maid walked in and bowed. “My Lady, are you ready to start your day? After dressing, your breakfast will be prepared. Today, Young Miss Alexandra Slate and Young Miss Ethel Silvercharm will come for afternoon tea.…”

Cassiopeia’s eyes curved with delight.

In the original history, the Rosewood summer manor would still be burning as the few surviving servants and gathered townspeople did their best to fight the flames. Alyssa would have left the secret room, trying to use her new powers to push back the flames all the while in a state of disbelief, grief, and soul crushing despair…

But right now, in the messy ground hall of the Rosewood summer house, ‘Ayden Rosewood’ was seated, safe and sound, on a cushioned chair. A servant stood next to him, holding a selection of breakfast foods for the young master.

Ren Xiyang avoided the bread and meat and selected the fruit. The fresh fruit tasted sweet and refreshing, without any weird flavours. Ren Xiyang had missed this. While he ate, he watched over proceedings. He had already assessed that these town guards were all weaker than the assassins, so it was his job to keep an eye over them.

The guards had given the assassins a gas to keep them unconscious for longer before starting to strip them for any hidden weapons.

A guard had attempted to tell the boy that it was unsuitable for a child to watch—especially since the boy was eating at the same time—but the cold look in Ayden Rosewood’s eyes made him swallow his words. Since the Captain didn’t say anything, he didn’t try to persuade further.

Soon, there was a pile of weapons, including multiple poisoned knives and trinkets and gems containing spells. After all weapons were confiscated, the assassins were roughly re-dressed.

At that moment, there was a loud commotion outside—a noble carriage with escorting guards had arrived! On the side of the carriage was the large sword-and-flame emblem of the Cordovan family, one of the lesser families in the kingdom’s aristocracy.

The front carriage door opened, and a man and woman quickly stepped out: Baron and Baroness Cordovan. They had dark red hair, verging on brown. The Lady Cordovan had tear tracks down her face. Lord Cordovan had a suitably grim expression. Although Lady Rosewood nee Cordovan was Baron Cordovan’s younger sister, it was Lady Cordovan’s job to show sadness in public.

A few servants came forward. “Baron Cordovan, Baroness Cordovan, welcome to the Rosewood summer manor,” they greeted politely.

“We heard the news and came as fast as we could!” Lady Cordovan cried. “Did my sister-in-law survive? Any of the Rosewoods? Have you investigated what happened yet?”

“Baroness, the investigation is underway—” a servant started to say.

“Tell us the details immediately,” Baron Cordovan ordered a nearby town guard.

“Baron Cordovan, the Captain is inside,” the town guard said.

“Take us to him!”

“Yes, Baron Cordovan.”

The two Cordovans followed the guard, Lady Cordovan dabbing her eyes with a white handkerchief.

Before a servant could run ahead to notify Ayden Rosewood of the visitors, the two Cordovans had already entered the manor.

The guard led them swiftly to the main ground hall in the Rosewood summer manor house. It was far from the luxurious ball and dinner scenes from their past visits. Instead, guards and servants milled about, clustering around something to the side that wasn’t clear.

“Captain!” the guard called out. “Baron Cordovan and Baroness Cordovan!”

Captain Arthur Ward frowned a little. He told the guards to secure the assassins and started to walk over to the two nobles.

But Lady Cordovan ignored him. Her eyes skimmed over the low class guards and even lower class servants and landed on the unfamiliar boy with very familiar bright red hair. Her heart jolted. Wait, someone was still alive—But her face showed relief.

“A Rosewood child survived?” She strode over towards the boy, the servants and guards making way for her as a matter of course. “You…what is your name?”

Ren Xiyang glanced over at Lady Cordovan and her husband behind her, unsurprised by their visit.

For one, their arrival was on cue, as according to the novel. For two, Ren Xiyang had long sensed them via their heat output.

The Cordovans were distant relatives of the Rosewood family, and the ones who had ordered the murders.

Ren Xiyang couldn’t care less about the squabbles between noble families. The Rosewood family weren’t innocent and blameless, though the young sheltered Alyssa Rosewood hadn’t known that.

But since the Cordovans had come, Ren Xiyang had to communicate with them.

He didn’t stand up though. “Ayden Rosewood,” he said shortly.

“Ayden Rosewood,” Lady Cordovan repeated, softening her gaze. Inwardly, she was smirking. Oh, what a scandal this was! The old Earl Rosewood had a bastard child!

For a brief moment, Baron Cordovan’s gaze towards the boy turned a little schadenfreude. This bastard child hadn’t debuted into noble society and his family had been murdered. It wouldn’t be hard to make this child’s life be rife with suspicion from others.

Lady Cordovan held her hand out. “It is really unfortunate for us to meet like this.”

Ren Xiyang glanced at her hand and didn’t take it.

“I understand, you’re a little shy,” Lady Cordovan said kindly. She sighed, her eyes going sad. “Poor child. You have not even debuted into society, and your father has died. Ayden, I am your aunt-in-law. Won’t you like me to adopt you?”

After offering to adopt Ren Xiyang, Lady Cordovan didn’t even wait for a reply. Instead, she turned to talk to her husband Baron Cordovan and to the room at large.

“A young child cannot be left alone by such a scene of horrible deaths! Oh, poor nephew, you saw the murders? That must have been terribly scarring! How could anyone let a child live in the house where his family was murdered? After such a traumatic event, let him come live with me, so that he can be among extended family…”

Lady Cordovan quickly noticed that the faces of the guards and the servants didn’t look quite right. It was as though they were pitying her. It took all of her willpower to restrain her annoyance.

“I am currently the strongest mage present,” Ren Xiyang interrupted. “Unless you want to let these assassins go.” Ren Xiyang produced a stick of flame and used it as a pointer towards the unconscious men at his feet. “Do you know them?”

Lady Cordovan’s pupils shrunk. “The assassins? Ayden, get away from them!”

Ren Xiyang rolled his eyes, bored. “I was the one who caught them. Aunty, if you care so much about me, can you promise me something?”

“Of course I care!” Lady Cordovan made an offended face.

“If you care, will you help find and suitably punish the ones who ordered the assassinations?” Ren Xiyang asked. He glanced at them. “I am not talking about the servants sent out, but the lord and lady standing behind them.”

Lady Cordovan blanched slightly. “We won’t let you suffer, Ayden!”

“Of course, the murder of the Rosewoods is a big affair, Ayden,” Baron Cordovan said with a scoff. “We have your best interests at heart.”

“Then, take a seat next to these assassins and get in line for questioning. I called the Capital Investigators.”

“You dare to accuse us?” Baron Cordovan said frostily. “My own younger sister has died!”

“Everyone connected to the events need to be questioned, including myself,” Ren Xiyang said.

Lady Cordovan recomposed herself. “I am glad to see that the events have not caused you overwhelming distress, Master Rosewood,” she said. “We will comply with any relevant investigations.”

“We won’t overstay our welcome. We will take our leave,” Baron Cordovan said in a cold tone.

Ren Xiyang inclined his head. “Bye.”

Baron Cordovan bristled at the dismissive tone. He turned sharply, pulling his wife with him out of the manor. The moment the door of their carriage closed, Baron Cordovan’s face twisted.

“The nerve of that bastard!” he hissed. It wasn’t enough to insult them, the boy had to do so in front of all the guards and servants! He had seen and felt their presumptuous looks as he and his wife took leave.

“Calm down,” Lady Cordovan said, exhaling sharply. “Who is this person, really? Anyone with a bit of money can buy a hair-colour changing spell these days. There hasn’t been the slightest hint of a bastard child around, that boy’s a fake.”

Baron Cordovan snorted. “We’ll see how this child deals with reality, now that he’s out of whatever shelter he’s been living in.”

Back in the Rosewood summer manor, Ren Xiyang was pitying the original Alyssa. Alyssa Rosewood had been tricked and adopted by the Cordovans. At first, the Cordovans were sympathetic, but once they got some control over the Rosewood fief, Alyssa’s life had taken yet another downward turn.

Compared to the thousands of zombies he burned to ashes weekly during the apocalypse, human politics was much more annoying.