By Zephyria 
Cecile stumbled out of bed as if he had rolled off. His knees and hips collided with the sharp wooden edges, but in his half-conscious state, he didn’t even have time to feel the pain.
He immediately dashed to the window and flung open the glass. The dazzling sunlight poured down onto his sweat-drenched forehead. The peaceful view of the palace filled his eyes. Everything was just as unbelievable as it was before.
“No way… This can’t be.”
He muttered as he felt his chest. The clothes he was wearing were only slightly damp with sweat, and there was no smell of blood or filth. Even the sensation wrapping around his fingers was soft.
Cecile stretched out both hands. His fingernails were definitely all gone, and there wasn’t a single healthy spot, yet now all ten of his fingers were clean.
Suddenly, he caught sight of a full-length mirror in the corner. Cecile stepped closer to it. Although he looked dazed, it was indeed his face. It even appeared slightly younger than he remembered.
In disbelief, he touched his face for a long time.
“What on earth is this? Have I really gone back in time?”
Could it be that I’m dreaming? It doesn’t make sense. It feels too vivid to be a dream.
In a daze, he took off the nightgown he had been wearing. There were no visible wounds where he had been stabbed. Instead, a very small number was engraved near his chest.
At first glance, it looked like a scar, but it was an ancient language primarily used in temples, meaning the number 1000. As Cecile scratched the number embedded in his skin with his fingertips, he suddenly snapped back to reality and quickly put on his clothes.
“Let me grant my poor child a thousand days.”
The words of the goddess Gaia came to mind, and he cautiously pressed the spot where the number was engraved. His heart raced uncontrollably. Cecile had to take several deep breaths to accept this situation.
Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he turned around and firmly pulled the bell rope next to the bedpost. The sound of the bell brought in the attendants, who entered as if they had been waiting. The familiar faces all bowed with their hands gathered above their navels.
“Have you awakened, Sir Cecile?”
“Felix. What day is it today?”
The head attendant, Peridot, who stood at the front, raised his head.
The old man, whose hair had turned completely white, hesitated at the unexpected question but soon bowed his head.
“Today is the 24th of April, in the year 628 of the Empire.”
“Ha.”
Upon hearing the answer, Cecile let out a long breath. He had truly returned to the past.
“Then I must be twenty years old.”
Cecile swept his sweaty bangs aside. The situation required him to recall events from nearly three years ago, not the present, causing his brows to furrow involuntarily.
“Alexis… the Crown Prince is currently on the battlefield, right?”
It was quite strange for Cecile to ask a question that was obvious to the attendants. Was he still not fully awake? Felix, observing the situation, cautiously asked.
“Sir Cecile, are you alright?”
“No, I can’t be alright.”
“Your complexion doesn’t look good. Should I call for a physician?”
“No need. I need to take a bath first.”
Cecile flicked the thin fabric of his nightgown that clung to his chest. He wanted to wash off the sweat that covered his entire body. It might just be his imagination, but he still felt sticky as if he were trapped in the underground prison.
As soon as he finished speaking, the attendants moved busily. Beautifully crafted silver trays continuously entered and exited the bathroom connected to the bedroom. The fragrant scent and the warm, humid air rising from the hot water wafted into the bedroom.
Cecile dismissed all those who offered to assist him with his bath and stepped into the marble tub alone. The water, turned lavender by the salt, rose to his chest. In that state, he leaned back in the tub and thought for a long time.
Looking back, the most reckless period of his life had been the last three years. The goddess Gaia must have returned a thousand days to him to correct his past mistakes.
It was enough time to change the future. Additionally, Cecile reflected on the fact that he was on borrowed time. Having experienced death once, he wasn’t afraid. Rather, it made him let go of his greed.
This time, he would definitely establish a friendly relationship with Alexis. Saving him and ensuring he became Emperor safely became Cecile’s only goal.
Only when his fingertips began to wrinkle from the water did Cecile break his thoughts and rise. He threw on a robe haphazardly over his wet body and stepped outside. The attendants waiting outside bowed their heads apologetically as they rushed in at the sight of water dripping from him.
Cecile rejected their hands that reached out to dry him. He roughly wiped off the moisture with a dry cloth and turned around to get dressed. Being conscious of the flustered attendants, he allowed them to tidy up his appearance, and only then did their hands move busily.
It was strange that no one found this odd. The owner of the Peridot Palace had always been sensitive and capricious, so it was nothing new.
While the attendants dried his wet hair, Cecile quietly gazed at Felix, who managed the attendants from beyond.
The old man with graying hair was one of the Empress’s long-time aides. He appeared kind on the outside, but inside, he was dark and sinister. He had served Cecile sincerely since he was young, but he was also the one who had encouraged him to seize everything Alexis had by teaching him various schemes and tricks.
“They say Lady Cornelia of the Duke Havel family is being considered as the Crown Princess. She is one of the most sought-after brides in the Empire. Moreover, if Duke Havel sides with the Crown Prince, he will solidify his political position. You must stop this.”
“I have placed my adopted son in the Crown Prince’s palace. He will be your eyes and ears.”
“Never let your guard down. You must seize the Crown Prince Alexis’s weaknesses.”
Naturally, those words came back to him.
“Felix.”
“Yes, Sir Cecile.”
Cecile fiddled with the small jewels adorning his sleeves. He glanced up at the head attendant, who was wearing a gentle smile.
“Isn’t it time for you to retire?”
“What do you mean!”
The old attendant was taken aback.
For a moment, he couldn’t manage his expression, and a flame of anger surged in Felix’s wrinkled eyes.
“I will serve you in the Peridot Palace until the day I die.”
But he quickly composed himself and replied skillfully. As his snake-like eyes rolled, Cecile pulled one corner of his mouth into a long smile.
“That’s quite a touching story.”
“Who else cares for you as much as I do, Sir Cecile? Please trust this old man until the end. Retirement? I can still work for another ten years.”
“Should I call that greed, or loyalty?”
Their gazes met. Felix swallowed hard, trying to read Cecile’s true intentions.
Today, there were more than a few strange things. From Cecile’s tone to the atmosphere, he seemed several years more mature, and it felt as if he was looking down from above, knowing everything.
As he held Felix’s gaze, Cecile suddenly smiled brightly.
“I just said that because it makes me uncomfortable to have an older person working for me. You should be enjoying your old age, yet you’re still doing menial tasks under me, so it’s concerning.”
Felix couldn’t shake off the puzzled expression on his face. It was because Cecile felt increasingly unfamiliar. Quick-witted Cecile, noticing that the head attendant might catch on, deliberately acted childish and said.
“As you know, I’m not of royal blood… I’m not sure if I can give you a proper reward when you retire later.”
Felix stepped forward, reaching out with his wrinkled hands to adjust Cecile’s shirt collar. The doll he had carefully dressed and raised was still boasting a beautiful figure today.
“Don’t say such things. The Empress will be very angry if she hears you.”
Felix leaned slightly and whispered in a voice only Cecile could hear.
“I say this repeatedly, but you will become a great star of the Empire, Sir Cecile.”
“Thank you, even if it’s just flattery.”
“Flattery? There’s not a single lie in my words. The Empress and I will make it so.”
“Indeed, you’re the only one I can trust.”
The two exchanged insincere smiles simultaneously. Cecile nodded, indicating that he was now ready. He had somehow managed to present a flawless appearance.
“Oh, by the way, I have a favor to ask. I want to have lunch with my mother. Could you go and tell her yourself, Felix?”
He specifically asked Felix to do something that could have been done by the younger attendants. Felix took a couple of steps back and bowed politely.
“I will obey your command.”
Afterward, the elderly attendant raised his chin and walked out of the room. As soon as Felix disappeared, the subtle smile that had been on Cecile’s face vanished completely.
Damn old man. I will definitely remove that man from my sight.