I woke up in the body of Ramiel Se'Mortaniel De'Monttclairre, the last living heir and member of a ruined aristocratic family.
He was a kid with a troubled past. A child with a complicated life, and a twisted perception of self and reality. That was the body of who i was Transmigrated into now.
A significant influx of Ramiel's memories were transferred unto me sometime after i first woke up here. The surge of information included memories, vestiges of thoughts, feelings and vague emotions; along with other personality traits and distinctions.
The flood of information was so overwhelming it took me an entire two weeks just to not get drowned underneath all of it. There were numerous times, countless, during the entire period where the line between my consciousness as Aiden and Ramiel blurred as a result.
It felt like my life as Aiden on Earth was only a distant, wistful dream. And at others, the memories and feelings of 'Ramiel' were vague and discordant to make proper sense.
The clash of these two was maddening. Even now, i hadn't still fully digested the entire memories and personality of Ramiel for fear of losing myself as 'Aiden Walters'.
"This isn't me..."
The face...the reflection in the mirror, that wasn't me. Repeatedly, i had to constantly remind myself of this.
Aiden. Aiden Walters. My name is Aiden Walters. I'm a regular guy who works for a compliance company.
I sang the the same sentences over and over again like the chorus of a popular song. Repeating the same very words over like a mantra inside my head.
It didn't seem like much at first, but the constant and repeated declaration was what had held me together all this while. And while still unreliable, I'd managed to draw a small line between where Ramiel of Montclairre ended, and where Aiden Walters began.
My gaze against the mirror hardened and cooled.
That was right. I had no intentions on remaining here or fully embodying Ramiel. I was going to return back to Earth, back to my freinds and family regardless of whatever it takes.
I still had the deal with Moriah after all.
Of course, that subject on its own was another complicated matter. Even with Ramiel's memories and prior knowledge of this world, i was left even more uncertain about my decision or what to do.
I grimaced at my reflection from the mirror before walking away and headed for the door.
I paused once more and straightened again the edges of my outfit. Yet just before i could reach for door and step out, my body unconsciously moved on it's own by instinct.
'Oh, no. Not again.' i cried inwardly.
I walked straight back before my dresser where and assortment of cosmetics ranging from the finest skincare to some of the most expensive colognes and hair products where neatly and systematically arranged.
They were so placed in what i recognised was alphabetical order at disciplined angles.
This was one of the annoying and twisted traits of this body. It would never let me leave my room without a proper bath or sessions of applying cosmetics.
With a burning and frustrated expression, i reluctantly reached for some of the containers on the table and put them on.
Ramiel's body was a sucker for luxury and cleanliness it seemed. It was like a part of a twisted self-dignity, grace and pride.
The skincare and creams felt soft and silky to my touch, while the scented brush of oils and liquid spray felt cool against my skin.
After spraying on two or three layers of exotic scents, i forced myself to move.
And finally, i took my very first step outside my bedroom since my Transmigration two weeks ago. My heart quietly thumped inside my chest as i was overcome by a tinge of nervousness.
The next second i restrained the sense of insecurity and stood up straight, confidently, like i belonged. With a quiet exhale from my lips, my bearings changed.
I exuded an arrogance like i owned the halls and walls around me. And using bits and pieces of the original Ramiel's memories and feelings, i navigated down the hallway with startling familiarity like I'd lived here for years.
In which case, i really may have. Well, Ramiel, i mean.
All of a sudden, the wide, furnished and winding hallways didn't seem so unfamiliar and foreign to me any longer. Relying on the outward composure of this body, i appeared like i was taking a casual stroll along the walls of the manor while my heartbeat quietly raced inwardly.
In a few winding twists and turns, i arrived at the doorsteps of a particular room. Maintaining a deliberate and measured gait on my way, it only took me a matter of seconds to get here.
'This should be it...'
I stood before the door for a few seconds, contemplating quietly.
According to the memories and bits of thoughts and emotions i inherited from the original, Ramiel of Montclairre had some serious history. At only just the young age of 15, this child's experiences throughout his life were unimaginable and brutal.
It was rife with tragedy and suffering. All of this led to a twisted perception of self and the world around him. His perception of his reality was drastically unlike anything a teenager like himself should be.
Clenching my fingers into a fist, i knocked deliberately against the door. My mind half wandered against the voice that responded from inside the room, and the bits and pieces of thoughts fixing themselves in my head.
"Yes. Who is it?" A muffled voice came from the other side of the door.
Ramiel's family was wiped out. His parents, siblings and guardians were killed. His entire clan and bloodline had been erased in an unfortunate attainder, a purge ordered by the Emperor himself.
Young Ramiel, tender as he was at the time, was all that remained. The final heir and the only one left of his bloodline and legacy.
The Last Montclairre.
But while he was also supposed to have been killed along with the rest of his family and bloodline, Ramiel instead...became a slave. A servant without will...
"It is I, young master."
...and to the very Family responsible for the downfall of his.
There was a short pause in between, then the muffled voice from before came after again.
"...Come on in." It said.
With a steady gesture, i leaned forward and pushed the door in, the smell of polished wood tickling my nostrils.
On the other side was an exclusive room twice the time more grand and luxurious than mine. It was double the size and draped with quality gold and white curtains. A massive king-sized bed took up space next to a wide open veranda.
Soft streams of sunlight poured through the wide windows, effortlessly illuminating every corner of the bed room like it was something out of a dream. Off to other sides, there were couches and a vintage looking coffee table at the center.
The smell of lavender faintly lingered in the air.
My eyes widened and i froze just at at the door step like a misplaced fool. Ramiel's 'memories' hadn't done any justice to the grand scale of this place.
"Oh..."
Just when i was about to make an incoriigible sound, the gentle voice of a young male came from an adjacent room.
"Ramiel...it really is you."
A beautiful young man stepped out of somewhere and into view. He had wet golden blonde hair, each and every strand like literal threads of woven sunlight.
He was like Adonis himself.
Each wet strands crowned a face of indescribable beauty, it was unfair to call it a man's. His upper body was bare, revealing beads and streams of warm water that caught the sunlight trickling down his skin.
His torso was lean, perfectly carved and sculpted like the Goddess of beauty's finest piece. A single spotlessly white towel wrapped below his waist and lower body, and one draped loosely over his soaking hair.
And judging from his appearance, he had just come out of the bath.
A pair of molten golden eyes locked gazes with mine and i had instantly forgotten all my initial admiration for the room. A much bigger spotlight had arrived; him.
While he's beauty and looks were trance inducing, i felt a tinge of reluctance and vague disdain for the sight of the person before me ripple through my body and snapped me out of it.
I sought through Ramiel's memories and immediately understood why.
He was Arthur Baratheon D. Vermont
"Yes..."
And Ramiel's Lord and Master.
Arthur was no much different from Ramiel. He was the same age with Ramiel, and was also of the main bloodline of a prominent and powerful Family.
And while Ramiel's Family, the Montclairres, were wiped out by Arthur's — the Vermonts — there were still some complexities between he and his family.
Ramiel's innate aversion and repugnance for Arthur, a Vermont, was understandable. No only was he of the same clan responsible for the extinction of his family, but he was also his Lord and Master.
But that was exactly the reason why he couldn't wear his malice on like a sleeve.
I politely lowered my head in a greeting.
"Good morning, young master."
"Good morning, Ramiel! What a pleasant suprise to see you." Arthur's sweet voice rang out in the air as she slowly approached me.
"Are you sure you're recovered enough to be moving again?" Said Arthur, his voice tinged with concern.
I slowly raised my head to meet his gaze. The moment i did so, i suppressed the urge to look away using Ramiel's adamantine will and self-pride.
"Yes, young master. I wanted to let you know i feel better now myself." I responded. I felt a wave of contempt course through me each time i pronounced the words 'Young master'.
Arthur looked straight at me, his eyes narrowing curiously for a few seconds. He hummed thoughtfully to himself and stepped closer again.
"Hmm...you seem different?" He tilted his head and leaned forward.
Arthur's sun golden eyes swept my body up and down and every inch of my face curiously as if trying to figure out something.
Standing this close to me, the smell of lavender was more obvious.
My heart skipped a beat and started racing at his suspicion.
Clenching my left fist tightly enough my nails bit, I forced myself to maintain a neutral expression using Ramiel's trait.
I leaned backwards with a step, hoping the sound of my pounding heartbeat wasn't as loud as it sounded in my ears.
"I hadn't noticed. Perhaps it's because it was a serious fever?" I vaguely responded.
Ramiel's memories i received from transmigrating were vague and in disorder. Under the pretense i was having a bad fever, i spent two weeks making as much sense from them as i could.
Arthur leaned back, seemingly convinced, but still full of concern.
"It was a bad fever. I guess i should be just glad you've recovered this much at least." He turned around and waved the matter off with a sweet smile.
I quietly breathed a small sigh of relief, my heart stull thundering beneath my chest.
Arthur was actually a kind-hearted fellow with a decent personality. But he was also too perceptive for his own good at times. Ramiel thought him to be a fool, but that was also why he often found it hard to deal with this eccentric Master of his.
When it mattered the most, it was hard to tell what he was thinking; Arthur could be aware of someone's true intentions, yet still continue to treat them no differently from a friend or an acquaintance.
Whether it was as a result of blind goodwill, or insidious cunning, Ramiel still had yet to figure it out. Hence the nickname for his master, The Fool.
This close interaction made the back of my throat tighten. I reminded myself i had to be extra careful and conscious around Arthur. And unfortunately, i doubted he was someone i could avoid for long even if i wanted to.
Arthur could turn out to be one of the closest risk to me. If Ramiel's memories were anything to go by, then, the two of them, despite their servant-master relationship, grew up together throughout their childhood.
If Arthur was as perceptive and sensitive as Ramiel's memories claimed he was, then this Lord and Master of his could likely be the most suspicious of me if i wasn't careful.
But even for Arthur, there's no way he could possibly know or find out that i wasn't the real Ramiel, right? Instead i was possessing his body for now.
'I can't be too sure. '
Yet, i couldn't shake of the risk of any possibilities.
...
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