He opened his eyes in darkness, and then there was nothing but pain. Wait—no pain. No worries, nothing at all, just the emptiness of the void stretching endlessly around him.
Don't think I'll get another life now. Well, I did die as a good boy this time, so maybe she will make a statue of me or something.
A screen popped up in his vision, glowing with that familiar blue light.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: STATUS CHECK]
Oh, do I have enough plot armor to regress again?
[IDIOT, WHY DO YOU GOTTA ACT HERO]
So it's you, god. You ran away last time and didn't even save me.
[I GAVE YOU THIS FUCK EM ALL POWER WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED]
He couldn't answer because the god was right in some way, and it annoyed him that even in death the system was still talking to him like this.
Now what? Another regression?
[YEAH RIGHT, AS IF I'VE GOT THAT MUCH POWER TO KEEP REGRESSING YOU EVERY SINGLE TIME]
So what happens to me now?
[YOU'LL SEE]
No... wait. If you put me in that basement of breeding again—
The scene shifted to maids and assassins running desperately through jungles, their feet pounding against the earth as they tried to escape. A huge slash of fire erupted from above, cutting through trees all around them like they were nothing but paper, burning everything in its path with terrifying ease.
They stopped, breathing hard and realizing they were surrounded with no way out.
"Shit. We didn't know you liked that son of yours," one of the maids said breathlessly, her voice shaking with fear.
It was him—Ryan Midgar, the retired head captain of the imperial guards, the man who'd won 41 battles throughout his entire life without a single defeat. His presence alone made the air burn hot with murderous intent.
"I don't especially like that son of mine," Ryan said coldly, his sword already blazing with red qi that made the ground beneath him crack from the heat.
"Then we—"
"But family is a different thing entirely. As long as even an ant has my blood running through its veins, I will protect it. And you peasants had the audacity to ruin the banquet in front of the king himself," Ryan said, stepping forward with each word carrying the weight of absolute power.
"That son of mine, whatever his name was, fought bravely,"
Ryan thrusted his sword into the ground and lava erupted upward in a massive column—not real lava but energy so incredibly hot it burned like fire itself, consuming everything around it without mercy. The whole circle of 800 meters diameter became an inferno of pure energy, with Ryan standing completely still in the middle of it all, his hands resting calmly on his sword hilt.
There was something about Ryan that most people didn't know or understand about him. They all thought he was only a novice 8th rank cultivator who'd left the world of magic to start cultivation like everyone else, giving up his old powers for new ones. Those people had completely forgotten about his bloodline though—it enhanced both magic and qi together seamlessly, meaning his body was literally made and designed to produce both simultaneously at terrifying levels.
The 8th rank cultivation level was just a disguise he wore for those who tried sneaking attacks on him, keeping his real power hidden from prying eyes. For those who actually knew better about his true strength, like these assassins and maids, there was only one possible outcome: death.
About 100 or so assassins screamed as they burned in that circle of energy, their bodies unable to withstand the heat for more than a few moments before they simply ceased to exist.
Morning happened, and sunlight streamed through the windows into his room.
Cale lay on the bed when a soft voice called out, pulling him slowly back to consciousness.
"Young master," a gentle voice said.
"Ugh... who?" he groaned weakly, barely able to open his eyes against the brightness of the morning sun.
It was Rexa standing there in the doorway. She slowly combed her hair back with her fingers, looking down at him with those distinctive crimson eyes that watched him so carefully.
"It's me, young master,"
"Re... xa?"
Wasn't she with that maid group or was all that dream fake anyway? he wondered, trying to piece together what was real.
She came ahead, bending over him until her head was right above his face, looking down at him with genuine concern written all over her expression.
"Are you feeling well? Do you need me to call the doctor?"
He tried to get up, pushing himself on his elbows, but his body wouldn't cooperate with his intentions.
"I need to go to the toilet for—uh—"
He fell immediately, his body too weak and broken to support even his own weight anymore.
Rexa caught him smoothly before he hit the ground, her arms steady and strong as she held him against her.
"Sorry... I feel so weak... felt limp and fell," he said, feeling utterly embarrassed at his current state.
Rexa held him against her body, supporting his full weight easily as if he weighed nothing at all.
"It's okay, young master. As your maid, it's my job to help you,"
"So how many days have I been unconscious?"
"17 days," Rexa answered before he could even finish his question.
"What about my... what happened while I was out?"
"I've been assigned as your maid from feeding to... urinals. Even sometimes your morning—"
"Stooooop! I get it, okay? I get it," he said quickly, his face burning with embarrassment at the implications.
His dick bulged in his underwear—just to pee this time, nothing else—but Rexa still noticed it immediately.
She pointed at it and smirked, clearly enjoying his discomfort and embarrassment.
"Should I—"
"No, fuck no. Just take me to the bathroom right now,"
He was waiting for her to give him a shoulder to lean on, but instead she lifted him up completely and started carrying him like he weighed nothing at all, her strength far exceeding what a normal maid should possess.
This... is too embarrassing as a man, he thought, mortified beyond belief at being carried like a child.
"Your body is weak now from the poison and blood loss. I can't let it fall," Rexa said, carrying him through the hallway while he was completely naked except for his underwear, exposed to anyone who might pass by.
His dick bulged again despite his embarrassment and she saw it, smirking even wider at his discomfort.
Finally inside the toilet room, he tried desperately to get her to leave him alone.
"Hey,"
"Yes, young master?"
"Can't you go out and give me some privacy?"
"No. What if you fade or fall again?"
"Go out. It's embarrassing,"
"Should I help you hold it then?"
"Oh hell no. Go out right now,"
Any random woman would do but a childhood friend? No way, absolutely not.
He pushed her out while she was resisting and finally getting her to leave after seeing just how shy and embarrassed he actually was about the whole situation. She closed the door, giggling to herself the entire way.
After taking a long shit for 20 minutes, he came out feeling lighter and more human than before. She took him back to his room the same embarrassing way, carrying him like a bride over the threshold while servants watched with knowing smiles on their faces.
He lay on the bed now, completely exhausted just from that short trip through the hallway.
"Hey. What happened in the time I was passed out unconscious?"
Rexa stood holding his tea and medicines in her hands, her expression soft and caring as she looked down at him.
"It was the princess who called the royal physicians here, which led to your quick healing,"
"So it was her who saved me?"
"Due to heavy blood loss and the poison on that blade, you had been unconscious for those 17 days," Rexa continued, providing more details about his condition.
"Is that so?"
I remember what batshit I said as my so-called last words to her
"Hey... did she leave a message for me? Or say anything about me while I was unconscious?"
"No, not at all," Rexa said, and something flickered in her eyes—yandere tendencies rising up suddenly within her at the mention of the princess.
"Hooo. Thank god,", relaxing back into his pillows, glad that the princess hadn't left him a message,little did he know,
She stared at him intensely, her crimson eyes boring into his face.
"It seems she did say something to the king though,"
He sat up suddenly, ignoring his weakness and the pain shooting through his body.
"Wha... what did she... say to the king?"
"The king was furious and searched extensively to find one of his sons was responsible,"
"But to blatantly hide it, it was pinned on the black market gangs instead of the royal family," she continued.
"Although the duke was technically innocent, he had to take some blame since the assassination attempt happened in his estate,"
"Him capturing a few culprits helped reduce your sentence, which in that situation could've been really problematic and gotten you exiled or worse,"
"However, the next day the duke returned to the estate safe and sound. The princess had somehow convinced the king to not punish him further,"
He sighed deeply in relief, sinking back into the bed as the weight lifted off his shoulders.
"Please speak clearly next time instead of jumping around. Your master has a weak heart and can't handle these surprises," he said, clutching his chest dramatically while a small smile played on his lips.
Rexa closed up on him, bending over until her face was very close to his, her expression suddenly serious and intense.
"Did something unspeakable happen between you two in the room that night?"
He looked away, remembering the princess forcing herself on him in her aphrodisiac-induced haze, kissing him desperately.
"Haha... how can something happen between the princess and me?"
She nodded, seemingly satisfied with his non-answer, though something in her expression suggested she wasn't entirely convinced of his words.
She took out a tonic pot from the side table and came back with a bowl of dark liquid that smelled bitter and medicinal.
"Come on, young master. Drink this now while it's still at a decent temperature. It's not hot anymore," Rexa said, holding it to his lips carefully.
He opened his mouth without thinking, unsure of what it would taste like and bracing himself.
The moment it touched his tongue, he nearly choked and gagged at the overwhelming bitterness.
"Cough! What kind of medicine is this? Too bitter! My tongue's numb now!"
"This has blood-increasing properties that are necessary for your recovery, young master. And I've already put in sugar to make it less bitter than it normally is," Rexa said, trying to get him to drink more of the foul concoction.
"Now be a good master and say aah while I feed you,"
"This is not a question of agreeing or not! My taste buds are literally rejecting this with every fiber of my being!"
A few maids peeking from outside the door started whispering to each other urgently.
"The young master did change quite a bit, but will he punish her now?"
"Will he beat her for making such terrible medicine?"
"He doesn't like bitter taste, so he might even whip her for it."
"Just in case, let's report everything to madam about this situation."
He heard it—pretty much all of it, loud and clear.
"You dumbasses! I'm not so fickle and petty, okay?"
He snatched the bowl from her hand suddenly and gulped it down in one go without hesitation or thinking about the consequences. He didn't know he only had to drink a few drops at a time.
He stared at the maids between the opening in the door, his expression deadly serious and dangerous.
"Don't tell her about this. I... drank it all, okay?"
If she knows about this medicine thing, it's enough for other women to hear gossip about me being a sweet tooth who can't handle bitter medicine. Rumors lead from that—first sweet tooth, then it later becomes a guy who hits his maids for not giving medicine to his taste. Women's gossip is scary as hell.
Rexa stared at the empty bowl in surprise.
"This is the second course of 5 different tonics,"
"So... I... I have to drink this 3 more times?"
She nodded, confirming his worst fears.
He started complaining dramatically, throwing himself back on the bed.
"Aah... life sure is bitter. It's all death routes even from medicines,"
She understood what he meant and smiled softly at his dramatics.
"We can have pancakes and tea before dinner if you finish your medicine,"
He sat straight up immediately, his eyes suddenly bright with interest.
"Ooh! You sure deserve a raise for that bribe,"
"Then I shall take my leave to report on your conditions to the madam," she said, moving toward the door.
"Right. You sure like to snuggle up about me and report everything,"
"It is my job to keep the family informed. Ah, and a letter arrived signed to you today. Please take a look at it later when you're feeling better,"
He realized something suddenly that made him call out.
"Waiiit!" he called out urgently.
She turned back, her hand still on the door frame, waiting for him.
"If I was unconscious for 17 days, how the hell did you manage to feed me medicines?" he asked, his mind finally putting the pieces together.
She blushed deeply, the color spreading across her cheeks and down her neck.
"Is... it... what it is?"
"Yes... it was mouth to mouth," Rexa admitted quietly, blushing even darker than before.
He melted back into the bed completely, his face flushing bright red with embarrassment and a strange warmth.
Hehehehe. Maids are kissing me left and right now. Even Rexa did it... hehe... and it was even my first kiss being led by her.
Then he remembered the palace that night, the princess forcing herself on him. She was the first one.
Oh right, I need to read her letter, is it from her though, well who else is free enough to send letters to someone like me...
He reached for the letter Rexa had mentioned and opened it carefully with trembling hands. The handwriting was elegant and cold, befitting the princess perfectly, each letter perfectly formed and precise.
[I will treat you as half a man from now on.]
He stared at the words, completely confused by what she could possibly mean.
"???"