The Meatloaf In The Cabinet

I caught my breath as I woke up, drenched in sweat. I sat down on the wooden bed and tried to process what had just happened to me.

As I recalled, I had gone to the pharmacy to pick up my mom's medication. However, on my way out, I ran into a group of delinquents whom I often encountered at school.

They led me to a dark, narrow, and foul-smelling alleyway, where they ganged up on me and beat me up. Then, they stuffed me into a sack and threw me into the river, but fortunately, I was rescued from the brink of death.

A man wearing a straw hat and a woolen coat walked in. His long gray hair and beard, which reached down to his chest, gave him a hermit-like appearance. He had a slender build, with hardly any wrinkles on his face, and to me, he looked quite young. He was carrying leaves in different shapes and sizes.

"You're awake, I see," he said, placing the leaves on the bedside table.

"My head still hurts, but I'm feeling okay," I replied. "By the way, my name is Phillip, and I'm indebted to you for saving me - I'm deeply grateful for your kindness." After introducing myself, I extended my hand for a handshake, but he just laughed at me. I felt embarrassed and puzzled by his behavior, so I dropped my hand.

"Don't pretend to be innocent, kid, because I know you," he said, his words catching me off guard. I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I'll go outside for a bit to check on what I'm cooking."

He left me in this room, and because I was getting desensitized and had questions bothering me, I decided to follow him. As I stood up, I suddenly lost my balance and fell to the floor. The bearded man quickly came to my aid, but before he could help me up, I had already managed to get up on my own.

"Don't force yourself, because you're not fully recovered yet," he advised me. "Just stay in the room and lie down." But what was this I was feeling? I felt incredibly light. When I touched and caressed certain parts of my body, I realized how thin I had become. I was thin but had muscles, and my abdomen was hard, as if I had been doing core strengthening exercises.

I quickly searched for a mirror to check myself. In my search, I even bumped into the bearded man because he was blocking my way. I couldn't find any mirror. What kind of house was this? It was only filled with pottery materials and ceramics.

I went to the river and, when I arrived at the boardwalk, I knelt down. The water was so clear that you could see your own reflection, but I was stunned when I saw that my facial features had changed. I rubbed my eyes because I thought I was just seeing things, but I wasn't. It seemed to me that my soul had merged with another body.

When placed in this kind of unexpected situation, as much as possible, I just wanted to calm down and think clearly. Apart from being in a different body, it seemed I had also been transported to a different world. The only way for me to gather information was to ask the bearded man.

I sat on a small wooden stool in his tiny kitchen, watching the bearded man hold a kettle and pour tea into a tea cup. Afterwards, he approached me to hand me the cup. He sat across from me and took a sip of tea.

"Sorry, but I don't remember anything about my identity," I said as he sipped his tea.

"It looks like you were beaten up badly, so you've probably suffered memory loss," he replied.

"It seems that's what happened to me. If you know me, can you tell me about myself?"

As I stared into the tea, its surface began to swirl like a miniature whirlpool. Visions started to take shape within it, though the faces remained indistinct, veiled by the tea's misty depths. Yet, I was convinced I wasn't succumbing to fantasy or illusion.

"Your name is Revaliant, and you hold the title of prince in the esteemed kingdom of Lovelrinth," he began. "Your illustrious parents, the former King Reglorious and Queen Dauphine, have instilled in you the values of royalty. You have two siblings, Princess Recontessa and Prince Revictor. From the one occasion I've had the privilege of seeing your family together, it's clear that your parents have raised you all with impeccable care and guidance."

Based on the image in the cup, I noticed that Revaliant's family had a remarkable physical presence. "Your father was a just and fair ruler, renowned for his bravery and devotion to his people. Your mother, equally admirable, possessed exceptional intelligence, compassion, and kindness. Yet, despite his admirable qualities, your father was accused of treason. He had formed a clandestine alliance with the kingdom's enemies, seeking to topple the monarchy. The National Convention found him guilty, and he was subsequently sentenced to death by guillotine."

It felt like my heart had been pierced by the information he revealed about Revaliant's father. "How could he betray the kingdom when he loved his subjects so much?" I asked.

"That's the question that has puzzled many: what drove him to commit such a heinous act?" he replied. "Following the incident, your mother was unable to pursue justice, as she was herself imprisoned on charges of treason and corruption. Moreover, she was implicated in the conspiracy to topple the kingdom and was also known to have recklessly squandered the kingdom's wealth on opulent attire and extravagant festivities. She was also sentenced to death by guillotine."

The pain I felt intensified when I discovered the tragic fate that befell Revaliant's mother. "Why is that? If they were good people, why did they meet such a fate?" I asked.

"I think your parents were surrounded by manipulative and deceitful people in the kingdom, and the accusations against them were fabricated and exaggerated," he explained. "And when the parents are labeled as traitors to the kingdom, their children are also considered traitors. According to the hunters who hunt in these woods, you and your siblings escaped from the palace, and by order of the new throne owner, King Leclerc, your father's cousin, a bounty has been placed on the heads of all three of you."

I just stood there, staring into space. Most people in my world either thought of me as a troublemaker or looked down on me, but Revaliant was labeled a traitor by the very people his parents once showed kindness to, and now he had a hefty bounty on his head and was being hunted.

In contrast, Revaliant's life was turned upside down after losing his parents. Witnessing their public execution must have been an unbearable ordeal for him.

Can I genuinely trust this bearded man? Perhaps he saved me because he knew about Revaliant's bounty and the substantial reward that came with it if he were to turn me over to the king. For now, he's putting on a facade of kindness to avoid arousing my suspicion, but I've seen through his ruse.

As I devise a plan to escape, I'll feign ignorance and pretend not to suspect that he's a psychopath.

"I know that you're thinking ill of me," he said. "If I were truly evil, I would have handed you over to the royal guards stationed here the moment I rescued you. I would be enjoying a hefty sum of money as my reward for turning you in, but I didn't do that."

His words struck a chord, and I felt a pang of embarrassment for my behavior towards him. He must be able to read minds, or maybe it's just obvious from my expression that I'm suspicious of him.

He makes a valid point - if his intentions were malicious, I'd be facing the king right now, not conversing with him.

But I suddenly felt a surge of anxiety when I saw his expression as he gazed out the window, as if he had just received some bad news.

"The royal officers are here, and they're definitely looking for you," he warned. "Hide under the sink in the cabinet before they see you, hurry!" I hastily stood up to follow his orders.

I wanted to sneak a peek at the royal guards through the window to check their bearing or aura, but I couldn't do it because my priority now was my safety.

When I opened the cabinet, I saw empty brandy bottles stacked inside, and I thought I could fit in there. I managed to squeeze in, but I ended up looking like a meatloaf.