When I woke up as Daniel, the first thing I truly remembered was my mother's eyes.
That sense of relief—
of being born again—
and the strange warmth that bloomed in my chest for the first time in my existence.
Someone loved me.
Someone expected nothing from me.
Even God had expectations.
Yet here I was—a former serial killer—longing for something as ordinary as unconditional love.
It had been more than a month since my rebirth, and in that time, I had carefully grasped my surroundings.
My mother's name was Leslie Heartlock.
She worked as the head housemaid to the Baroness of this town—Silver Lake Town, located far east of the capital.
Silver Lake Town was beautiful.
A massive lake stretched across its heart, filled with crystal-clear water. When the sun stood high above, its reflection shimmered so brightly that the lake truly looked as if it were made of silver.
That was how the town earned its name.
The people here were kind.
They treated my mother gently, often offering food and rations without asking anything in return. Everyone knew she was raising a child alone.
She never complained.
She never cried in front of me.
She carried me with her everywhere—to work, to the market, even to the baron's mansion.
She had already bleached my hair.
Crimson hair was the symbol of royal blood.
Only the king and his direct lineage possessed it.
Not once in history had a royal child inherited their mother's hair color—it was a mystery, but also a curse.
My mother made sure no one would ever know.
As for my father…
She never spoke of him.
Not his name.
Not his face.
Nothing.
Silver Lake Town itself was modest.
A blacksmith's forge, an alchemist's shop with a simple alchemy bench, a trading post, a few taverns.
The people weren't wealthy, but they weren't poor either—what my previous world would call upper-middle class.
We, however, lived just outside the town.
In a small clay house.
We were poor.
Before working for the Baroness, my mother had been a waitress at a tavern.
I often wondered if that was where she met my father.
Now, thanks to the blacksmith—who had good connections with Baron Saint John—my mother worked directly for the Baroness.
The Baron and Baroness were what people called good nobles.
They treated my mother kindly.
They even allowed her to rest whenever I needed feeding or relieving.
I made sure never to trouble her.
I stayed calm.
I pretended to sleep.
The Baroness adored me.
Perhaps too much.
At times, I spent more time in her arms than in my mother's.
That should have been comforting.
But it wasn't.
---
One afternoon, while the Baroness rested in her private chamber, I lay quietly in my mother's arms.
Baroness: "Leslie."
Leslie: "Yes, my lady?"
Baroness: "Is it hard… raising Daniel alone?"
My mother didn't hesitate.
Leslie: "No, my lady."
Leslie: "You and my lord have given me more than enough."
Leslie: "And the townspeople are very kind."
The Baroness looked away.
Baroness: "I have tried for two years."
Her voice trembled.
Baroness: "Everything a woman could ask for… and yet I cannot conceive."
Baroness: "You are the only woman I feel jealous of."
Leslie lowered her head.
Leslie: "Please don't say that, my lady."
Leslie: "I will pray to God that you have a child soon."
The Baroness hesitated.
Then—
Baroness: "Leslie… would you allow me to adopt Daniel?"
My blood froze.
Baroness: "We can give him everything."
Baroness: "Education. Status. Protection."
Baroness: "You can remain by his side as my exclusive maid for life."
Baroness: "I don't think I'll ever have a child of my own."
What the hell…
So that was it.
No wonder they had treated my mother so gently.
No wonder they welcomed a single woman with a newborn into their household.
This wasn't kindness.
It was a choice.
Motherhood… or her child's future.
Rage exploded inside me.
I had never felt anger like this—not even in my past life.
But then I looked at my mother's face.
She was always smiling.
Always gentle.
Always radiant.
Yet now—
Her eyes burned.
Leslie: "My lady…"
Leslie: "I know you believe you are doing what's best."
Leslie: "But I am his mother."
Leslie: "A mother can die."
Leslie: "But she will never abandon her child."
The room fell silent.
Leslie: "I'm sorry."
Leslie: "I will raise Daniel as a Heartlock."
Leslie: "If you wish, I will stop coming to work from tomorrow."
The Baroness flinched.
Baroness: "No—no, Leslie, I'm sorry."
She covered her face.
Baroness: "I was desperate."
Baroness: "I would give up every title and every coin just to become a mother."
Her voice cracked.
Baroness: "My lord is searching for a concubine."
Baroness: "I refused polygamy when he asked for my hand."
Baroness: "He promised we would belong only to each other."
Baroness: "But now…"
Tears streamed down her face.
Baroness: "Soon, some whore and her bastard will enter this house."
Baroness: "And take what was meant for me."
Baroness: "And I can say nothing… because I cannot give him an heir."
My mother went silent.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then she smiled.
A sad, knowing smile.
Leslie: "Yes, my lady."
Leslie: "No one welcomes a whore… or a whore's child."
The Baroness looked up, relieved.
Baroness: "I knew you would understand."
Leslie: "Yes, my lady."
As my mother poured tea into the Baroness's cup, I saw it.
Tears.
Quiet.
Falling without sound.
All I wanted—
All I desperately wanted—
Was to grow up instantly and hug her.
To tell her she was enough.
That she had done nothing wrong.
But I couldn't.
So I grabbed her finger.
And I didn't let go.