I was seated across from an old lady in a magenta cloak who smiled forcefully at me, obviously irritated that I had dozed off. Wait... dozed off? Wasn't I dead? What happened to me?

"Are you sure that you would like to adopt him, sir? He is a commoner after all." She spoke to someone behind me. I turned around in my seat to face a tall man.
The man didn't say anything but instead glared at her.

The lady leaned back in her seat, "Oh, my apologies sir. I was being presumptuous, that was out of line. Your excellency must have a good cause that I cannot dare to question." She bowed before pulling out a key from a drawer and using it to unlock the armlet on my left hand. The heavy metal fell to the floor with a thud, and I could feel the blood rushing to my wrist.

Where was I?
What was going on?

I heard that hallucinating was a common occurrence before death but didn't expect it to have been in so much detail.
The dream carried on as I dumbly followed the man out of the orphanage. I seemed to be in the body of a child from my height and build, but I couldn't see my face as I hadn't yet come across a mirror. What a strange dream. I'd have expected to go to hell straight away because of all the people I'd killed as a soldier but this was quite peaceful. Was this what death felt like?

Wait... did I really die? At such a young age? WITHOUT EVER GETTING A GIRLFRIEND?

The man paused at the bottom of the steps and sighed.
"I am the greatest swordsman in history, Duke Arman Van Kim, the brother of King Harman Van Kimaron." He introduced himself with a grim expression. I kind of cringed at the self-flattery but he mistook it for me being daunted.
Back on topic though, I was unsure what exactly he meant. The names Kim and Kimaron were ones I knew of, but they were borne by different people. I guess dreams aren't perfect, I thought as I decided to play along.

"The eldest of my three children was a boy named Mesgen Van Kim. I... I say 'was' because he's no longer with us in this world." He spoke in a solemn voice, and I nodded to show I understood. Losing a child must be hard, and though I can't relate directly, I raised my brother for twenty years before he died in front of me. But me being dead, I guess I will see him soon enough.

"He was murdered... not even six years old. But for the honor of my family, I cannot let the world hear of this." He continued as he bent down to meet my eyes. "You may look like him, but to me, you won't ever replace him."
I was confused as to what exactly was happening, but once again, I nodded.

"You aren't very bright, are you? Can you not conclude the reason you were adopted by me yet?" The duke pressed, and I realized I would have to speak.

"Your Excellency needs to find another child who looks like your son. To pretend to be him." I answered in a high-pitched voice, and spoke as respectfully as I could. The way my vocal cords vibrated annoyed me but I remembered that this was the body of a young child and that was probably normal. It was a far-fetched idea, but that was the only explanation I could think of.
"Very good. It seems you have the intelligence needed for a five-year-old noble." The duke patted my head before rising to speak to a servant who I hadn't noticed.

"Chamberlain Hugo,  keep this affair a secret. I will let you be responsible for educating him in the ways of a noble." The duke said as a fancy wooden carriage pulled up.
"Yes sir." The chamberlain nodded before glancing at me. He seemed annoyed at the extra work, so I smiled to try and be polite.
The man was not pleased at all to see my teeth though as he gagged and walked away, but I can't blame him. I doubt this body had ever seen a toothbrush.

***

I sat across from the duke, wondering when this little illusion would end. I could feel the duke before me observing me quietly, and to be honest, it creeped me out.

He greatly resembled the duke Kim I knew, having the same light hair, and deep blue eyes. I wouldn't be shocked if they were related, and they probably were because... of everything I've said so far.

To avoid the intimidating sight, I turned my gaze to the window, and analyzed my reflection.

The thick glass reflected an unpleasant sight of a starved young boy, and I shuddered at the thought that this kid was me. Could this dream not have made me more good-looking?

After almost an hour, the ride in the carriage drew into its final leg as we approached a large mansion.

I tried remembering the situation I was in. The technology seems quite advanced compared to when I was alive, so this was definitely not the real world. It would make the most sense to conclude that I was dreaming.

The carriage stopped, and the jolt brought me back to my senses. Okay, maybe they never bothered to improve on the suspension for carriages, but it was still a lot less bumpy than carriages in my day.
"Get off." Duke Arman commanded.
I did as I was told and stepped off the carriage onto the hard ground and looked at the mansion. I recognized this place easily. The imperial house reserved for the Kim family glittered before me.

"Your name will now be Mesgen Josepy Van Kim. Be thankful I let you keep your former name, but try to respond to only Mesgen from this point. You are now my son, the eldest child of Duke Kim, and you will act as such." He spoke to me, before shaking his head and walking away.
"Master Mesgen, please follow me" The chamberlain from earlier appeared behind me, with a peg on his nose, and a handkerchief around his mouth. Okay, I must really stink.
I followed him around for the rest of the day, first to the showers to get clean, then to the tailor to get some new clothes (as I was somewhat taller than Mesgen due to being a year older), and lastly to the salon, where a barber trimmed my hair.

It was around eight in the evening when we returned to the manor, and about ten hours had passed since I found myself in this body. When is this gonna end? I'd expected to be suffering in hell by this point.
"You will now dine with your family. Be prepared to meet your mother and sisters. Please remember the table manners I have taught you today young master." The chamberlain told me as he led me to a large set of doors. Beyond those doors, at a long table, Duke Arman sat with a woman I presume was his wife, and two children who were probably his daughters.

Afterward, I was escorted to a room where I was given a comfortable bed, and for the first time today, some privacy. But the real shocker that captured all the limelight was the calendar on the table.