Chapter 6 - Aroma

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The boy leaves the room and walks down the hallway, descending the stairs without much thought, still drowsy.

As he steps down, the sound of his sneakers pressing against the wooden floor echoes throughout the first floor.

— Reeiii, good morniiiing — says Mia, sitting at the table, watching the boy on the stairs.

— Wuaaaa — yawn. — Good morning, Mia — he replies, now closer to the girl, taking a seat in one of the nearby chairs.

At that moment, Mia's friend appears outside the window, calling her to play in the garden of his house.

Mia waves as a farewell to those present and quickly runs off, heading toward Takayo, who, in turn, starts running as well.

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Curious about the silence, Rei asked:

— You haven't said anything until now. Is everything alright?

— M-me? I-I was just eating and thinking about some things… S-sorry if I gave the wrong impression — he replied, stammering, his voice hesitant as he looked away in embarrassment.

Finding his behavior suspicious, Rei simply ignored it and continued eating the pancakes on his plate.

…

— It might seem a bit rude and intrusive of me to ask this, but why do you live in this village? From what I can tell, you seem to be in a pretty good financial situation — he asked casually, still chewing his food.

Hearing the question, the man flinched, looking at Rei with a blank expression.

Right after that, the atmosphere turned mysteriously tense.

— You don't have to answer, it was just something that crossed my mind while I was walking down the hallway — Rei said nervously after noticing the shift in mood.

Hesitant, Kazuki thought about it for a few seconds and decided it would be best to answer honestly; after all, the person in front of him was his niece's savior and someone to whom he owed a great debt.

— I know you mean no harm… But, do you know my story? — he asked, locking eyes with the boy.

— I guess you have the right to know… I'll try to explain briefly.

— Before ending up in this village, I was from Zefry, the capital of the beastmen. At the time, I was considered the first prince and heir of the Arther royal family — he stated, placing his hands on the table and clasping them together.

— The third prince, Katsi, murdered my best friend and also my brother, the second prince, Theo… Mia's father.

— It was officially declared that Theo died from respiratory failure, but… I later discovered that he had actually been poisoned.

— Shortly after Theo's death, his wife, overwhelmed by postnatal stress upon learning the news, also passed away. And so, Mia was born in that tragic moment.

— Back then, I was only sixteen years old, and I had to flee in a hurry with the baby in my arms — he recounted, a melancholic expression crossing his face.

— Mia had no protection from her parents since they were dead. And if she were to die, everything would be covered up by the third prince's subordinates, who were also planning a rebellion to strip me of my title as heir.

— My father, the king, was a skeptic who didn't care about these small conflicts over the throne.

— Even after learning the true cause of his son's death, he didn't take any action.

— He said nothing… He treated the matter as something trivial — he added, furrowing his brow and biting his lip in an attempt to contain his growing anger.

— I didn't want to be in that suffocating place anymore.

— The moment I saw Mia being born, I was deeply moved. It was one of the few times in my life that I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility.

— And in that moment, I knew I had to flee… even if it was just instinct.

— There were countless times I nearly died at the hands of Katsi's subordinates. Knowing that I had abandoned and renounced my claim to the throne, he sent numerous assassins and mercenaries after me.

— Fortunately, thanks to the help of a few people I met along the way, I managed to survive while carrying Mia in my arms… From one place to another, I hid in countless locations until I finally arrived in this village — he said with a weary sigh.

— I later learned that three years after I escaped from my brother… Through a civil rebellion, he falsely incriminated the king and ultimately seized the throne for himself.

— Even though I was considered one of the greatest swordsmen on the continent… I couldn't fight back or change anything… I, I just… managed to run away — he said in a somber tone, looking down at the floor.

— When I found out that Mia had almost died yesterday, my mind went blank. If anything had happened to her… I don't know what would've become of me — he said with a trembling voice, gripping his hands tightly.

After hearing his entire story, Rei, seeing how shaken Kazuki was, tried to comfort him. He offered a few motivational words, hoping to ease the man's distress.

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After a few minutes, Kazuki, now calmer, said:

— Thank you for listening to me until the end. I got a bit too emotional… Sorry you had to see that — he said with a sorrowful expression.

— Don't put yourself under pressure. Like you said, you were only sixteen back then, and even so, you managed to escape with Mia in your arms. You're an incredible man — Rei replied confidently, looking him in the eyes with a wide smile.

Kazuki, who had kept his story to himself for so long, having never shared it with anyone, felt a weight lift off his shoulders at Rei's comforting words.

Sharing all of that was like shedding a burden he had carried for years.

Looking at Rei smiling in front of him, he suddenly felt his face heat up.

"It must have been hard keeping all of this to yourself for so many years… I'm glad he trusts me enough to share it."

Rei reflected after hearing the whole story.

"I feel a bit guilty for lying before."

(…)

After thinking about the situation, the boy gathered his courage, stood up, and said:

— You're not going to be the only one sharing something today.

— Actually… I didn't lose my memories.

Rei then explained his true situation to Kazuki, admitting that he had been afraid of being called crazy if he said anything about reincarnation.

He told him how he knew absolutely nothing about this world and had no idea what to do moving forward…

He recounted everything with a lost and confused expression.

For some reason, it was difficult for Rei to talk about it. However, he kept trying to explain as much as possible, even though he wasn't sure if he was expressing himself correctly.

(…)

— So… You're from another world? — Kazuki asked, still trying to process all the information.

…

— I believe you.

— I have no reason to doubt you, even if your case is a bit extreme.

— You can count on me! I'll help you with whatever you need — he said with a small smile, looking at him.

— You must have thought hard about whether or not to tell me… I'm happy to know that I'm worthy of your trust.

Rei smiled, deeply moved by Kazuki's support and belief in his story.

To be continued…