—Gah. Fuck, where am I?
Zhan opened his eyes slowly and was met with a familiar sight that he had memorized perfectly, a plain white ceiling with a magic lamp hanging down from above. He had seen this exact view so many times before, and he knew right away that this was his own room in the mansion. His body felt heavy and strange, like he had been sleeping for way too long, and everything around him looked exactly the same as it used to years ago.
"Agh..."
Zhan clutched his chest tightly as he tried to sit up on the bed, feeling a sharp and annoying pain shoot through his body. He didn't like this feeling at all because it was bothering him and making it hard to move properly. The pain was still there from the battle, even though he had somehow traveled back in time, and it reminded him that everything that happened was real.
"I really have returned to the past."
Zhan muttered quietly to himself as he looked around his room, taking in all the details that he remembered from so long ago. He just couldn't get over the fact that he had actually gone back in time, but at the same time, he felt really relieved that he had been given another chance. This was his opportunity to fix all the mistakes he had made and save the people he cared about from dying.
"Well, within twenty years—I'll become as strong as I have been in the past, or future, I guess."
Zhan laughed at himself because the whole situation was pretty funny when he thought about it, talking about the past and future getting mixed up in his head. He was really glad that someone or something had given him this second chance to make things right. Now that he had accepted what was happening to him, it was time to start working on fixing the money problems that the VelArte family was facing.
"I'd better stand u—"
Before he could finish saying what he wanted to say, the door slammed open with a really loud sound that made him jump a little bit. When he looked toward the door, he saw a girl standing there, and their eyes met right away. She had beautiful blue hair that was long and looked really soft, along with blue eyes, blue eyelashes, and blue eyebrows that matched perfectly, and she was wearing the typical maid uniform that was black and white and looked really cute on her.
"M-Maria!?"
Zhan's whole body shot up from the bed instantly, his eyes going wide with complete shock, because he had missed her so much during the hundred years he spent alone. For all that time, he had to deal with the terrible loneliness, the constant pain, and the awful suffering of being killed by a selfish god who didn't care about anyone. Seeing Maria alive and standing right in front of him made his heart feel like it was going to burst with happiness and relief.
"ZHAN!"
Maria rushed toward him as fast as she could, throwing her arms around him in a big hug that made both of them fall backward onto the soft bed together. She held him tight like she was afraid he might disappear if she let go, and he could feel how worried she had been about him. Her whole body was shaking a little bit, and he knew that she had been really scared that something terrible had happened to him.
"Y-you idiot..."
She said in a quiet voice while burying her face against his chest, and he could tell that her voice was broken from crying and worrying about him. She had been holding in all her feelings while he was unconscious, trying to be strong, but now that he was awake, she couldn't keep it in anymore. He could feel her tears soaking through his shirt, and it made him realize how much she really cared about him.
"You're a noble Zhan! You should know better about your health! You were out for three days!"
She punched him lightly on the stomach, which made him grunt a little bit, but he knew she wasn't trying to hurt him seriously. She was always like this, getting angry at him when she was really just worried and scared, even though he had been a real brat in the past. But the fact that he had saved Maria from being kidnapped would never change, no matter how badly he had acted toward other people.
"I-I'm sorry Maria..."
Zhan closed his eyes and felt really guilty about making her worry so much about him when she already had enough problems to deal with. He knew that he had caused her a lot of trouble over the years, and now he wanted to make up for all of it. His voice was soft and sincere, completely different from how he used to talk to her before.
"D-Did you just say sorry!?"
Maria looked at him with complete surprise, because Zhan had never apologized to anyone before in his entire life. He always said that saying sorry would hurt his pride as a noble, and he refused to do it no matter what happened. But now he was acting like a completely different person, and she didn't know what to think about it.
"Y-yeah, what's wrong?"
Zhan asked her in a voice that was calm and gentle, so different from his usual bratty and demanding tone that everyone was used to hearing. It was like he had completely changed into someone else overnight, someone who actually cared about other people's feelings. Maria stared at him with wide eyes, trying to figure out if this was really the same person she had known for so long.
—Was I really that much of a brat in the past!? I already feel terrible for everyone who had to put up with my awful personality...
Zhan thought to himself as he scratched his head while still lying on the bed with Maria on top of him. He was starting to remember how badly he used to treat people, and it made him feel ashamed of the person he used to be. He couldn't believe that people like Maria and Daer had stayed loyal to him even when he was so horrible to them.
"Did you really lose your memories!?"
She quickly touched his forehead with her hand, filling it with mana so she could check if there were any problems or tumors inside his brain. She was really worried that the injury had damaged his mind somehow, because he was acting so different from normal. Her touch was gentle and warm, and he could feel the healing magic flowing through her fingers as she tried to figure out what was wrong with him.
"Maybe you did lose your memories! What's my name!?"
She didn't wait even a second before asking him the question, her face full of worry that he might have already forgotten about her completely. The thought of him not remembering who she was or all the time they had spent together made her feel scared and sad. She looked into his eyes, searching for any sign that he still knew who she was.
"You're Maria, forever, my maid."
Maria felt her cheeks turn red and warm when she heard that simple sentence come out of Zhan's mouth, because there was something about the way he said it that made her heart beat faster. His voice was so gentle and sincere, and the word "forever" made her feel special and important. She had never heard him talk like this before, and it made her feel confused but happy at the same time.
—When did he become this charming and sweet!?
Maria thought to herself as she cleared her throat and stood up from the bed, feeling embarrassed about how she had reacted to his words. She didn't want him to see how much his words had affected her, so she tried to act normal even though her heart was still beating really fast. She smoothed down her maid uniform and tried to look professional again.
"Sorry for that, Zhan..."
She held out her hand to help him get up from the bed, smiling at him in a way that was both shy and caring. Even though she was embarrassed, she still wanted to take care of him and make sure he was feeling okay. Her hand was warm and soft when he took it, and she helped pull him up so he could stand on his feet.
Zhan chuckled softly with feelings of nostalgia and relief flowing through him as he took her hand and stood up from the bed, looking directly into her eyes. It felt so good to see her alive and healthy again, to hear her voice and feel her touch, after spending so many years thinking he would never see her again. He wanted to remember this moment forever, because it meant everything to him.
"So, shall we go dine?"
"Y-yes, Zhan!"