Edited by: bafflinghaze
Seeing that Rainier had fallen silent, Neo observed his unmoving posture and gave a self-deprecating smile.
What may have been decades to him was a few years for his servant.
Neo hardly remembered what he had been thinking when he gave the man the blindfold. Resentment was at the forefront of his mind.
And perhaps a bit of envy.
It was because of his eyes.
Rainier had a pair of cornflower eyes that could rival the sapphire blue of the Odum Family. Many found them to be beautiful. They were a mix of soft violets and deep blues and shone brightly in the light.
In the past, before he had forced the blindfold upon him, Nazareth overheard a conversation between some gossiping maidservants:
“Are you sure he’s not related to the Duke? Maybe a distant cousin or something?”
“Of course not! The Duke took Rainier off the streets. It’s a bit similar to Young Master Nazareth if you ask me.”
“I sometimes question whether or not he’s illegitimate.”
“The Young Master?”
“Well, yes. Besides the hair, I don’t really see many similarities between him and his Excellency. Maybe the nose…”
His own personal servant had a higher chance of being an Odum than him.
What a wretched bastard.
He despised the valet even more.
In the beginning, his annoyance was mild. Rainier was too dedicated to him, too loyal and capable.
Nazareth had grown up in the Red Light District. He knew there was no free meal in this world.
What Rainier provided him the dedication—the loyalty—, he felt obligated to pay back his dues. He was rather paranoid and believed the servant required him to settle his dues when the time was right.
Therefore, his thirteen-year-old self had concluded, the only way he wouldn’t have to return the debt was to get rid of that sickening devotion.
It was only after overhearing the conversation between the maidservants regarding his illegitimacy did a malicious plot began to form, sowing the discord between him and Rainier.
Neo’s thought process had been thus:
He had no need for a devoted servant who dared think himself closer to the Odum Family.
Why was Rainier Mosely fortunate enough to be born with blue eyes?
He’d never contemplated this before until now.
The gods were simply unfair.
And Nazareth resented it.
Even if he despised the nobility and their inability to care for the lowborns, the Odum Family was his. He had already laid claims to it. His to hoard, his to protect, and his to destroy. This was his territory, not Rainier’s.
A few nights later, he did what he did.
Acquiring some plants that burned the skin, he carved a talisman of his own making.
The Slave Emblem.
The paint was mixed with different poisons and herbal plants, woven with his life energy, and etched with his vast knowledge of runes and symbols. The last was to pay an adequate price. Sacrifices must be made when performing deadly incantations.
All this effort was used to entrap his servant, who he despised more and more whenever he took even a single glimpse of those cornflower blue eyes.
He came to regret his actions in the Modern World. It wasn’t just the Slave Emblem and the implementation of the blindfold, but also what came after.
In the Modern World, he had a lot of time to think about what kind of person he wanted to be. Nazareth was not an exemplary example of a kind human being.
He had inflicted injuries on Rainier after giving him the blindfold, and this was what evidently caused him to lose the man’s loyalty.
Rainier had sworn the oath of a servant and been his best supporter during his early years in the manor. He had defended him from the servants who questioned his illegitimacy. He served him and took care of him and saw him at his worst, yet continued staying by his side.
Of course, the servant betrayed him eventually, but the fault lied with Nazareth.
He had been blind to his own irrationalities and ignorance.
Neo could only blame himself.
To put it bluntly, he was a horrible person who did horrible things.
He looked at his reflection in the mirror. A teenage boy was reflected back.
He was sixteen again, but blood still stained the tips of his fingers.
His track record was already filled with violence. He couldn’t take those actions back.
Now, the only way was to change and be better.
Be better and be happy, if life allowed it.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
—
Rainier stood still for the oldest Young Master as he felt a pair of hands undoing the tight knot of his blindfold.
The hands were nimble and quick, a bit callous in some areas and smooth in others.
The feeling of Young Master’s hands was inconsistent, not unlike his mood swings.
His mind flashed back to when the Young Master did a similar gesture–right before branding his face.
He wasn’t given time to prepare when the blindfold slipped loose from his face and revealed his eyes to the world.
He squinted, the comforting darkness of the blindfold giving way to overwhelming light.
A Capable Servant must keep calm in all situations.
Regardless of whether the blindfold he had worn for years was suddenly stripped away.
Instinct and training forced him to adjust and integrate back into the seeing world.
He gave a few blinks, his eyes watering at the brightness of the room.
He looked around.
It had been a long time since he saw the oldest Young Master’s bedroom.
His eyes caught the mirror and he saw the intricate black marks against his skin.
He glanced at it for a long moment, unable to look away.
A cool hand touched the side of his face; the thumb brushing close to the corner of his left eye.
“Rainier?”
Neo saw what was hidden beneath the blindfold.
The Slave Emblem appeared so boldly on the upper portion of the servant’s features.
The lines connected and weaved, parting and meeting.
The design had been based on the idea of what a slave and his master were meant to be.
Prey and predator.
Parting and meeting.
The slave could never outrun his master.
Neo banished the thought.
“Sorry…”
He furrowed his brows slightly, his lips turning downward at the sight of the emblem.
Rainier met vermillion eyes and almost showed a look of shock.
Who the hell is this kid?!
The teenager before him was clean-looking and sported neat short hair. There were still a few strands of black locks remaining somewhat long, long enough to be pulled into a small tail, but by no means necessary. He was also frowning with a hint of distress beneath his cool and bland expression.
Unable to form a logical conclusion, Rainier remained frozen.
“Young Master…?”
“En?” the youth replied softly.
He felt the Young Master’s hands tracing the lines of his brand and all remnants of confusion left.
What was this scummy troublemaker doing?
His gaze sharpened somewhat but the smile of a Capable Servant remained.
Neo pursed his lips when he saw the scars protruding from the Slave Emblem.
He hadn’t lived long enough to see if Rainier found someone to remove the markings.
It was possible that the servant spent the rest of his life with the brand on his skin.
Just as Nazareth intended, for he had been a wicked and cruel man.
“What are you doing?”
Rainier gave him a look of distrust.
It wasn’t obvious, but Neo could tell when he was pushing boundaries.
Removing his hand, he met Rainier’s gaze and replied, “I’m looking,” before he raised an imperious brow, “Can I not look at it?”
He held out the blindfold to the servant and waved it in front of him, watching as the other tensed subtly.
The next sentence came out before he could stop himself, “I think you look better without it.”
Rainier’s bewilderment soured into resentment.
Did the oldest Young Master want him to reveal his scars for everyone to see? What kind of humiliation was this?
Seeing the obvious shift in mood, Neo quickly retracted his statement.
“Nevermind. I was joking,” he handed back the blindfold, “Just do whatever you want.”
Neo wanted to hit himself. What the hell is he doing?
Meanwhile, Rainier frowned.
Is… is the Young Master bullying him?
For what purpose? Did he want to look at his scars with a sense of accomplishment?
And why is he so soft-spoken today?
Rainier was confused and had no words to convey how he was currently feeling. He finally opted to respond with the usual, “As you wish, Young Master.”
He couldn’t hide the growing bitterness in his chest.
Neo nodded expressionlessly, “It’s not an order—”
“As you say, Young Master,” the servant snapped.
The youth tried not to flinch at the sharper-than-usual response.
Rainier didn’t owe him anything. He shouldn’t be frustrated with the man’s distrust when he was the one who induced it in the first place.
Nazareth had been awful to him, so Neo had no right to complain.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Rainier covered his eyes once more and finished making Neo look presentable.
The servant silently wondered what was wrong with his charge today. Did he accidentally poison himself?
Once everything was ready, they left for the dining room.
Walking through the winding corridors, Neo knew he had many things to think about.
He had come back to his second year of senior high at the Noble Academy. It was spring, so the school year had only recently started. The commoner boy would enter the school next year, and within a year, he was going to die.
The events that led up to his death were crimes and schemes he committed against many people. Not only did he offend his brother’s group, consisting of those from powerful families, but he also ruined many lives along the way and caused misery for everyone.
In Neo’s heart, it didn’t matter if he died again. What he wanted was to make up for all he had done. He wanted to repent. Repent for his sins. Grovel and kneel and pray. Wash himself clean of these evil deeds, or at least make up for his crimes. God, please let him repent, please forgive him. Please, please, please…
“Young Master, we have arrived.”
Rainier’s voice broke Neo from his thoughts.
Standing in front of the dining room entrance, Neo gazed at the mahogany door with a vacant stare on his face, almost as if he was seeing something else, before schooling his features into a passive expression.
“En.”
His family was beyond this threshold. He took a breath and stepped inside.
All heads turned to him.
From the servants lining the corners to the four figures seated at the table, they all stared at him with bafflement clear on their faces.
He frowned, and then awkwardly greeted them, “Good morning.”
No one said a word.
—
They looked exactly as he had remembered them.
Too attractive and cold as ice.
It was a well-known fact that the Odum Ducal was a very good-looking family.
Officially, the family was made up of four members before Nazareth came into the picture.
Neo stared at this table and committed each of their faces into his memories.
There was his father, Duke Gareth Altarius Odum, who still looked like he was at the prime of his life.
With silky long, jet black hair that Neo tried so hard to emulate in his past life, paired with the famous Odum sapphire eyes, he was a sculpture of solemn dignity and pride.
His face and colorings were marginally inherited by his second son and heir, Aurelion Briseis Odum, whose cold temperament was similar to his own.
Neo briefly peered at this half-brother of his, who sat beside their father, and nostalgia overcame him in waves.
Aurelion was a year younger than him, and the presumed favored son. Not only did he look quite similar to their father, but being their father’s heir meant he was unlucky enough to be the target of Nazareth’s numerous crimes.
Looking at the boy now, Neo realized Aurelion didn’t really resemble their father as much as he had initially assumed.
Unlike the Duke, who wore his hair long, Aurelion had no patience to maintain such lengths and sported short locks instead.
His jaw was also softer compared to their father’s, his eyes more narrowed. He had his mother’s sword-like brows, making him appear quite fierce and intimidating. Of course, the Odum nose was a prominent feature, but all Odum children seem to inherit this specific trait.
Sitting across from the Duke, Duchess Vespera Odum nee Arcadia was the next person Neo took notice of, mostly because she made eye contact with him for exactly three seconds before returning to her meal.
She barely batted an eye at his new change in appearance.
His stepmother, Vespera, truly deserved the title of the Odum Duchess.
She had no need of any sapphire eyes or black hair or the blood of Odum flowing in her veins. Her marriage to the Duke was valid and her cool demeanor and detached gaze made her an Odum through and through.
Similar to his father, she still looked like she was in the prime of her life. A great figure, very fit, and beautiful in every way… although her face could not be described as anything but that of an ax murderer…
Lastly, there is the little Young Miss of the Odum Family—the white snow in the winter wind.
His little sister.
Guinivere Isolde Odum.
At this time, she should be fourteen.
Guinivere stood out for something she couldn’t control, which was the reason why he had been the fondest of her.
Although he hated Aurelion, he adored his younger sister.
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She was an innocent person in all the chaos, and nearly became a casualty of his schemes.
Neo observed his family a moment longer, his feet fixed in place as he stood there awkwardly.
They were all still here, well and uninjured, with fewer signs of trauma than when he last saw them.
He had never been more grateful to see his family’s emotionally constipated faces. It was better than the anguish they showed when all his evil deeds were brought to light.
“You are late.”
His father stated the obvious.
“I apologize, Father. It won’t happen again,” Neo assured, looking at his feet as he ignored the strange feeling in his chest.
“Come sit down,” his stepmother told him monotonously. She sounded just as bland as he remembered. He used to hate her a lot.
“Yes.”
In the past, he had assumed she looked down on him for being a bastard.
She hardly spoke to him at all, merely giving him a glance from time to time.
He thought she was checking whether or not he actually existed, seeing as he was the literal stain in this family.
Neo pulled out a seat, three chairs down from Aurelion, and laid claim to the spot. The distance he put himself between him and his family was obvious to everyone.
This was his usual seat in the dining room.
He found it better to sit in a familiar area–a nostalgic area?
His current predicament was rather overwhelming.
The servants came from behind him and arranged his plate while the rest of the Odums pretended they didn’t notice the unusual change in the oldest son.
A maid walked over and poured him a cup of tea.
Neo stopped her.
She paused, staring at him with trepidation.
Neo stiffly handed his cup to her, “Can I have some coffee?”
Clang!
Aurelion dropped his cutlery.
—
Something was wrong with Young Master Nazareth today.
This was the first thought Lillian had when the Young Master handed her his cup.
Holy shit.
Was the second thought Lillian had when the Young Master asked for coffee.
The rest of the Odum family looked baffled, although they were masking it quite well under their frosty facade, going back to their breakfast as if nothing was wrong.
Lillian did as the oldest Young Master requested, bringing over the coffee pot that the Duke often kept with him on busy days. It was hard to hide her confusion when the strangeness of Young Master Nazareth’s current mood affected everyone around her.
She was very uncertain of why he was rejecting the blue earl grey he often liked for the Tea of the Commoners. It was far more bitter and energy-inducing compared to the teas nobles drink for the sake of luxury. Loose tea leaves are very expensive.
Alas, she chose not to question anything. If the Young Master wanted to drink coffee, then he would drink coffee.
Neo was silent as the maidservant poured him a cup of coffee. He looked at the neglected pot of tea and sighed quietly to himself.
He was used to drinking black coffee in the Modern World. It was already to the point of addiction when his career finally took off.
“Thank you,” he told the maid—Lillian, he remembered. She wasn’t a personal servant, but a Capable one. She often served his meals.
His gratitude was met with unfortunate silence.
Neo saw that the maid was staring at him with an intense gaze. He tilted his head in question. She looked at the ground and acted as if nothing was wrong.
“It is no problem, Young Master,” she responded belatedly. “Would you like some sugar and cream?”
“No,”
He much preferred to drown in the bitterness of coffee.
At the very least, it brought him some comfort. He’s glad to have this one familiar routine from the Modern World.
—
Step 3. Meet the family who you’ve hated for some irrational reasons and tried to destroy.
Thank you for the chapters💕
This look promising!!
Thank you for the chapter 😊
thanks for the chapter <3
Wow, if it was me, i would not know how to face them, I would ran away in the first opportunity!
Thanks for the chapter!
I was wrong.. It isn’t similar with Reincarnated as the Omega Villain in a BL Novel at all
What kind of stupid person is Neo? The blindfold isn’t there for him it’s there for the slave brand!
How insensitive is this fucking character! The way he died was too fucking easy!!!!!
Whoa there, He already repented and clearly regrets all of his actions no need to be so ryde
Is there troubling you in life?
You were so angry that I felt you were venting on Neo
And also neo knew what he did wrong He spent 35 years of his life trying to repent and change for the better and now in his 3rd reborn he is trying to repent again and change his ways and hope to be washed of his sins one by one and ask for Thier forgiveness, though Neo was indeed a crazy little shit back then also the shitty things that happened to him afterwards are what he deserves, he also deserve a bit of chance as long as he didn’t take this chance for granted and took revenge and really changed for the better that all that matters
This is so good ahh!!!
I need more backstory 👁👄👁
Ty!!!✨