Knowing yourself and your kingdom.

He leisurely slid his hands on the back of his head while lying on the bed. 'Dionisio... it's weird having a name, but I have to admit its fitting." The black knight, now Dionisio. Closed his eyes for a moment and remembered the enraged expression on his empress before he passed out and smiled with amusement. 'As expected, she doesn't remember.'

'Repeat fate.' A spell that must be cast right before one's death. One who'll allow the target to reincarnate in a life as similar as possible in circumstances to the previous one.

Dionisio closed his eyes and searched the memory of the body. Here, he was a child that was swapped with another baby upon birth, they were only able to find him eighteen years later, by then, Dionisio was already a crackhead who did street performances for drug money.

'This is the story they told, but it's really it?' Dionisio pondered while toying with a leaf that fell through the window. His empress's family, now his too, is rich and influential, why bring a useless son who nobody knew about to public knowledge?

Stopping there, Dionisio sighed and searched for more information on this world on his memories, but there was just too little, the man before him, hadn't even gone to college. But he found where he could clear his doubts, and thinking about it made him squint with interest.

"Where do I find this internet..." Searching more on his mind, he understood how it worked and took a laptop that was lying around the guest room he was put in.

It was early morning when he started, but when he looked at the clock on the computer later it was already four in the afternoon.

Dionisio stood up and looked through the window with a mesmerized expression, he couldn't believe in the world he was in.

The approximate number of people alive was twelve billion, they found weird and different ways to raise meat and vegetables en masse, so hunger was no longer a problem. And with the magic studies making mars hospitable, the countries who suffer from overpopulation will be cleared of it. It amazed him, that magic was not prohibited for the common people and instead it was taught in schools for researches and development.

'This is a world where humanity has gone beyond its atmosphere...is more advanced and way, way beyond in thinking.'

"Mr. Ira, I'm vera, the living in maid, may I come in?" A knock came through the door.

'A maid? She didn't probe or looked to know if I was awake, she nonchalantly noticed my presence in the room... So magic adepts are so common they can be servants? A sharp contrast from their revered status from before..'

"Come in." He answered.

Vera entered, and in a second frowned. Dionisio, the man brought from some backwater place was looking at her from top to bottom without the slightest intention of disguising it.

"Are you a painter?" He asked.

She opened her eyes in surprise.

"You have a faint touch of oil paint mixed in your natural scent."

She stilled, then remembered what he did before in the main hall and figured he was just trying to get close to her with other intentions 'Better nip it in the bud.' She thought.

"Mr. Ira has no regard to decency while staring, then disrespectfully comment on other people's smell. I think Mr. Ira, your father, made a wrong judgment by bringing you to his household."

Vera saw as his eyes turning wide in surprise then being replaced by a subtle smile. And felt a small relief, 'with clear mutual dislike, there'll be no need for anything beyond basic etiquette.'

He looked at her stern and frigid countenance and couldn't help it. Dionisio spoke.

"I'm sorry your grace I didn't mean to offend with my gaze."

"What?" Vera stilled.

He took a step forward, standing in front of her with a smile, "I always study the people I meet. I also didn't mean to call you smelly, your scent is, in fact..."

"What? What's happening?" Vera's heart quickened as he was now almost touching her. He gently lowered his face onto her neck.

She closed her eyes shut and slightly cowered with a blush on her cheeks.

"...Not smelly, but barely passable."

"Huh!?" Vera's eyes widened and hurriedly checked her odor, seeing there was nothing she glared sharply at him. But only saw his amused eyes, and teasing smile. In a second she was blushing like a girl, in another, she was called smelly, rage and shame for being played filled her chest.

But she didn't say anything as a twelve-year-old girl arrived by the door.

"Who's this puppy?" Dionisio asked.

The little girl with short hair glared at him "Sister kisser! Smelly Alabama king!" After her tomboyish snap, which made Dionisio surprise she turned to the maid.

"Vera, has elder sister said anything?" She looked with hope.

The maid almost said yes, just to no disappoint the little girl, but she couldn't. "I'm sorry little miss, she hasn't."

"Oh."The little girl's shoulders slumped and she walked away

His empress's regret passed by Dionisio's mind and he asked: "Why is the biting puppy like that?"

The maid regained her composure, but a light blush still remained.

"...She plays football and has a little league championship match next Saturday and wanted Miss Lilac to come, but I'm afraid she's busy with her work"

Dionisio stood still, pondering. When Vera suddenly came to her senses.

"Ah! I nearly forgot, Mr. Ira, your father called you to his office! Go, you already lost enough time!"

He just waved his hand and chuckled. "Where's my elder sister's office?." He needed more information in regards to the family.

Vera looked at him with pity.

'How can someone be so stupid as to disrespect the head of the house?'

But wanting to see him receiving an earful as revenge for teasing her, she told the address with details.