Two days.
Two days of enforced stillness, of staring at the same four walls, of listening to the muffled sounds of life going on outside. The silence, broken only by the occasional hushed whispers of my grandmother and doctor, had become a suffocating presence. I felt like a caged animal, restless and yearning for freedom. I never thought days would come when I would be so eager to leave my bed, so desperate to see this new world beyond these confining walls.
As the two moons disappeared, one thing became undeniably clear: I was reincarnated. The truth emerged with the slow inevitability of sunrise, finally breaking through the haze of uncertainty that had clouded my mind.
This child's — my name is Siegfried Fors. From what I overheard from servants and bits and pieces gleaned from… Siegfried's memories, this place is Fors barony. My grandfather, Throvald Fors, the lord of this barony.
Another thing I noticed was that this room was surprisingly large. There was a big, four-poster bed, a towering bookshelf overflowing with books, a fireplace, a large almirah, a sturdy oak desk, and a chair. Even after accounting for all this furniture, there was still a vast amount of empty space. It felt strangely… empty. During my enforced isolation, I had desperately wanted a mirror, a way to see myself, to understand what I looked like now. But there wasn't a single mirror in the room.
A knock at the door pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Sieg, are you awake?" A familiar woman's voice came from behind the door.
"I am. Please come in."
The door creaked open, revealing my grandmother and a maid carrying a basket.
Elara Fors, my grandmother, is the lady of the house. She is a very kind person who was by my side when I was bedridden, caring for me.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, hanging from the bed.
"Now let's get those bandages off," she said, her voice gentle but firm.
She gently started removing the bandages.
I have been locked in this room for the last two days recuperating, my grandmother was quite adamant about it, she didn't even let my grandfather and mother enter the room. Apparently, I got hurt while training with my mother while my grandfather was watching. My mother hit me with an axe, sending me flying… is what I heard from a maid. I do not have much recollection of it. But still an axe… My own mother… The thought was absurd, yet a shiver ran down my spine. Was this a normal occurrence in this world? Was violence simply a part of everyday life here?
I tried to push the unsettling thought aside, focusing on the present, As my grandmother peeled away the last strip, revealing the wound on my forehead. She threw the used bandages in the basket maid was carrying.
Grandmother pushed my hair back, looking at my forehead with a mixture of concern and relief. "Looks like there won't be any scars."
A hesitant smile touched my lips. "Thank you, Grandmother."
She looked at me with a slight surprise in her eyes.
"Is something wrong?" I asked hesitatingly like a child normally would.
"No, it's just why are you calling me grandmother?" Her words filled me with more confusion.
Why is she asking this? Is it unusual for a child to call their grandmother 'grandmother'? Or is there some other way to address grandmother here?
"No, it's just…" I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I thought I should try something new or do you like the old one?"
She smiled, a warm and genuine expression that softened her features. "Whatever you prefer, dear. Though, I am a little inclined towards 'granny', if I admit."
"Then it's Granny," I said, raising my hand in a small, cheerful wave. To be honest, it was embarrassing.
"It's rare to see a Young Lord so full of life," the maid remarked, her voice a soft murmur.
Grandmother chuckled. "He's just happy to be finally let out. He was getting quite bored."
I nodded, a genuine smile spreading across my face. She is not wrong, I want to see what type of place... world this is.
"But first…" Grandmother picked up an eyepatch from the bedside table. "Time to put this on."
An eyepatch? I blinked, confused. Why would I need an eyepatch? I could see perfectly fine. From the fragments of Siegfried's memories that surfaced, I realized he wore this eyepatch even before the… this incident. But why?
"Here all done," Granny announced, her voice soft.
I felt a cool, smooth fabric covering my right eye. It was a headband eyepatch, the black leather covering my vision completely. How did Siegfried even manage to walk around like this? I stumbled slightly, my sense of balance thrown off by the sudden darkness.
"Here," Granny said, offering her hand.
I hesitantly took her hand, feeling a surge of unfamiliar emotions — vulnerability, dependence, and a strange sense of… comfort.
With her gentle guidance, I stepped out of the room. The hallway was long and wide.
We descended the staircase, the wooden steps creaking beneath our feet.
"Let's go see your grandpa, he was dying to see you last two—"
Before she could complete her sentence, heavy footsteps echoed from below, followed by a booming voice.
"Sieg!!!!"
I was suddenly swept off the ground, enveloped in a crushing hug. My grandfather, a giant of a man, held me close, his chest a wall of solid muscle.
"Sieg! My boy! You gave me quite a fright!" His voice was a deep rumble, filled with genuine affection.
It was strange to be held like this again. How long has it been since someone hugged me with so much love?
"I am fine, Grandfa-grandpa," I managed to squeak out, struggling to breathe.
"Easy, dear. He is still recovering," Grandmother said, her voice carrying a note of authority that seemed to instantly subdue my grandfather.
He flinched, pulling back slightly. "Ah, sorry, lad. Got a bit carried away."
My grandfather, Throvald Fors, was a formidable figure. He was a big man, in his fifties I guessed, with broad shoulders and a muscular build. His hair and beard were streaked with grey, and he had a deep tan, the result of years spent outdoors. He had a strong jawline and a sharp chin, and a single, prominent scar ran down his left cheek. He looked every bit the warrior I imagined a lord of the land to be.
"Are you going to check the fields?" Grandmother asked.
"Right. This year's harvest is going to be even greater," Grandfather declared, his eyes twinkling.
Now that I had a good look at him, I realized that despite his imposing stature, he didn't dress like how I expected a baron, a noble, to dress. He was wearing a simple brown vest over a white shirt and sturdy brown pants, more like a seasoned farmer than a lord. Grandmother was similarly dressed, in a simple linen dress and sturdy boots. It didn't seem like there were any serious monetary issues in this barony, maybe they don't like being flashy.
Suddenly, my grandfather's eyes lit up. "Oh Sieg, why don't you come with grandpa? It would be fun!"
A chance to go outside? Heck, yeah I am coming along. "I would love-"
"Do you think I let you take him after last time?" Grandmother interrupted, her voice firm.
"That… I… sorry," Grandfather mumbled, the look of disappointment mirroring my own.
Grandmother sighed. "Just get going. You can play with him after completing today's work."
Grandfather flared up excitedly. "Then I will see you all in the afternoon. Take care, Sieg." He turned around and strode out of the house, his footsteps echoing through the hallway.
He came like a storm and went like a storm.
"He is such a handful," Grandmother chuckled, shaking her head.
No, no, you have complete control over him, I thought silently, though I refrained from saying it aloud. Even though she said that, a genuine smile played on her lips.
"Now…" She offered her hand again. "Let's get you cleaned up."
Putting on the smile I had practiced hundreds of times for corporate life, I took her hand.
"Yes, Granny."
As sunlight spilled through the window, the world beyond the hall shimmered with quiet life.
Yet beneath my eyepatch, something faintly pulsed, like a heartbeat that wasn't mine.