Perhaps hearing their footsteps, the little boy lifted his head.
Adan stared at the familiar yet youthful face—the same face that had haunted his dreams for years in his previous life.
That's right.
He had been reborn.
He had died in a plane crash alongside his wife at the age of fifty-six. Then, he regained consciousness to—
The smell of disinfectant.
The short arms.
The tiny hands.
It took him hours to accept the impossible truth.
He had turned into a child.
At first, he assumed he had reincarnated into a completely different life. But after overhearing conversations and piecing clues together, he realized the truth:
He had returned to his own past. Only this time, his mother had married a different man.
After staying a few days in his stepfather's home, he was sent to the orphanage.
In the beginning, he had been excited about getting another chance at life. He even fantasized about rebuilding his wealth faster and stronger than before.
But reality was cruel.
He was no longer the naive child he once was. He knew how harsh the adult world could be.
And he wasn't a genius. His success in his previous life had come from relentless effort, not natural talent.
Without his biological father's support—
Who would pay for his education?
How would he gather capital to start a business?
How could he rise again with nothing?
The future—once filled with limitless possibilities—now felt terrifying and suffocating.
And now, standing in front of him, was the man he had once disregarded in his past life. A storm of emotions surged inside him: grievance, anger, relief, joy… and a faint, bitter guilt.
Before he even processed what he was doing, his small legs were already moving. He rushed toward the man like a cannonball, tears streaming down his face.
But the man didn't catch him as expected. If the dean hadn't reacted quickly, Adan would've fallen face-first onto the ground.
Adan lifted his teary eyes, filled with accusation—and a flicker of anger. But the moment he truly looked at Aeris, he froze.
The face before him was nothing like the tired, wrinkled figure etched into his memory. This Aeris stood straight—tall, sharp-featured, radiating confidence and authority.
He was familiar… yet completely different.
Seeing the dean's disapproval, Aeris rubbed his nose awkwardly.
What puzzled Aeris most was the boy's expression.
He looked like he knew him.
But this was their first meeting… wasn't it?
Or had Mira mentioned him?
Aeris guessed silently.
He crouched down, meeting the boy's eyes. His tone softened, though his gaze remained sharp and assessing.
"Sorry, little guy. You startled me. Did you get hurt?"
Adan blinked—then suddenly wrapped his small arms around Aeris's leg, clinging tightly. His voice trembled, carrying fear and heartbreak far beyond his age.
"Dad! Why did you leave me here?
Please take me home. I don't want to stay here."
Aeris ignored the dean's suspicious stare.
He needed to confirm something.
He gently pried the boy off his leg.
"Little one, I'm not your dad. Your mother is my friend. You should call me 'uncle.'"
"No! You're my dad! You're lying!"
The boy cried loudly—sniffling, drenched in tears and mucus.
No matter how Aeris tried to reason with him, the boy clung stubbornly to one truth:
"You're my dad."
But when Aeris finally asked him how he knew, the boy couldn't answer. He only cried harder.
And in that moment—Aeris understood.
It was confirmed.
Since Aeris himself had been reincarnated into another body, it wasn't impossible for others to experience the same.
No matter how convincing the act, falsehood always left traces.
The guilt in Adan's eyes, the forced childish tone, the way he avoided his gaze—none of it escaped Aeris's sharp perception.
He wasn't a curious person to begin with. Reincarnated or not, only one thing mattered:
His enemies would never live well again.
Besides, it might not be a bad thing. With memories, the boy could repent twice as much.
Since he had already achieved his purpose, Aeris no longer stayed.
"Dean, I'll take my leave now. Thank you for your time."
But the dean responded sharply, "Mr. Aeris, abandoning your own child is not only immoral—it's a crime. I can report you to the police. You should think carefully."
Before Aeris could reply, Adan ran forward again, desperate.
"You can't leave!"
He clung tightly to Aeris's leg, tears and mucus smeared across his face.
"Dad, please—take me with you. I'll be good. Don't abandon me!"
Aeris's eyes turned cold. He was disgusted by the exaggerated acting.
Knowing the kind dean had misunderstood him, he showed her the previous court case.
The woman's stern face flushed red with embarrassment.
"I… apologize," she muttered.
Aeris wasn't offended. He accepted her apology and left the orphanage after forcibly prying Adan's hands from his leg.
Behind him, Adan struggled desperately in the dean's arms.
When he finally broke free, he sprinted toward the gate like a madman.
But Aeris's car had already disappeared behind the closing door.