In the grand dining hall of a luxurious villa, five people sat around the long polished table.
At the head was a stern, imposing middle-aged man whose presence alone commanded silence. The four young adults—three boys and one girl—sat on either side of him, posture straight, eyes lowered.
No one spoke. No one dared to. Even while eating, the room remained as quiet and controlled as a formal ceremony—every movement measured, every breath restrained.
When the man finally set down his utensils, the children immediately mirrored him, stopping mid-bite without hesitation.
His cold gaze swept across the table before settling on one of the boys.
"Don't do anything that will damage our family's reputation," he said, voice frigid—more like a superior speaking to subordinates than a father addressing his own children.
"Especially you, Xavier." His stare sharpened. "If I hear one more complaint from your teacher, you will pack your bags and leave with your mother. Understood?"
The boy's body tensed, fingers curling tightly beneath the table.
"…Yes, Father."
The man nodded, satisfied.
"Good."
Breakfast ended without another word. The waiting chauffeur opened the car doors, and the family silently separated, each leaving in their respective vehicles.
Aeris sat in the back seat, his eyes on the passing trees and distant mansions, yet his mind was far away.
He had awakened in this body only two days ago—again, with another set of memories and a familiar face.
At first, he thought it was coincidence—a fluke. But he could no longer deny it. Once could be called chance, but twice? Unlikely.
This was another reincarnation. Another him.
And unlike the previous world, this one felt different. He could feel the fear, the helplessness, the quiet desperation of the original owner far more intensely.
It wasn't gradual this time—the fusion had been instantaneous, complete.
He didn't know why. He could only attribute it to his soul getting stronger.
In this life, his name was also Aeris—Aeris Hunter.
The Hunter family had been a powerful and influential household for three generations.
Aeris's grandfather was a man of great wisdom and luck who had built the company from scratch. Afterwards, it was passed down to Aeris's father, Finn Hunter.
The men of the Hunter family valued profit above everything—love, affection, and family came second.
Aeris's father had married his mother, Ava, a woman from another influential family. After giving birth to his younger sister, Amara, his mother suffered complications and could no longer bear children.
With only one male heir, Finn feared that if anything happened to Aeris, the vast Hunter estate would fall into the hands of the side branches.
To prevent this, he fathered two illegitimate sons as "insurance," while the three illegitimate daughters were never even acknowledged.
Aeris's mother, already resentful of her husband's constant absence, finally exploded when the illegitimate sons were openly brought home.
She filed for divorce and left for abroad, leaving behind her two children.
Aeris grew up more capable than his brothers—a perfect heir. But just as Finn planned to make him the heir, Aeris suddenly changed—chasing after a poor woman like a lovestruck fool.
No one knew that Aeris was more aggrieved than anyone. From the moment he first saw Freya in college, he completely lost control of himself.
He would act like a mad dog whenever she was bullied, chasing her even after countless rejections.
He became the laughingstock of the entire university, yet he never gave up.
Finally, on graduation day, after twenty proposals, she accepted.
Even under the harassment of her biased parents and lazy, parasitic brother, he stood in front of her, shielding her from their demands and abuse.
Finn, who had initially brushed it off as a simple romantic fling, soon began to see it as a threat. Aeris, the heir he had carefully molded, was constantly getting into trouble because of that woman.
To put an end to it, he arranged a marriage for Aeris—a girl from a similar influential background.
But just when Aeris was fighting desperately for their love, Freya suddenly disappeared without a trace.