León stared at the screen with an expression of complete annoyance. 'Shadowend…'
That surname sounded way too familiar, and not in a good way. Closing his eyes, León tried to remember where from. He had read that novel months ago, but some characters had stuck with him because of how irritating they were.
And then it hit him. 'You've got to be kidding me.' León Shadowend was a side character who appeared at the beginning of the plot. Basically, an imbecilic noble, arrogant and abusive toward servants. The typical filler villain who existed only to make the protagonist look good.
In the novel, this idiot tried to get clever with one of the main heroines. Mark, the protagonist, defeated and humiliated him in front of the entire academy, then exposed how he treated his maids, and the character vanished from the story—ruined and despised.
'Great, they stuck me in the body of a loser.'
[Hey, hey! Don't be so negative, host. Yes, the previous León Shadowend was a disaster, but you… well, you're different, in a way. You have knowledge of the future and, most importantly, you have me.]
León could only grit his teeth. "And what good does that do me if everyone already hates me?"
[Well, technically they don't hate you yet. You're two weeks away from the start of the novel's events. You have two weeks before the school year begins at Eternveil Academy.]
'So, Eternveil Academy…' León thought. That was the name of the magic academy where most of the plot took place. A place full of geniuses, heroines, villainesses, and, of course, the protagonist Mark.
[Exactly. You have time to prepare and change your reputation among the servants. Train, and most importantly, avoid making the same mistakes the original León did… don't be an idiot.]
León simply sighed, running a hand over his face. 'Fine… I guess I don't have any other choice.'
Without another word, he stood up from the floor, brushing off nonexistent dust from his clothes, and looked around, taking a better look at the room. It was ridiculously luxurious, with hand-carved dark wood furniture, velvet curtains, and an enormous canopy bed.
'At least I didn't reincarnate as a beggar.'
At that moment, someone knocked on the door, making León tense up instantly.
"Your Excellency?" said a female voice from the other side, respectful and somewhat timid. "May I come in?"
León stayed silent, not knowing what to do.
[Relax, just try to act… normal.]
'Normal how?'
[Well, without stammering. Stay cold and disinterested. That's more or less how the original León was, remember?]
'All right.' he thought, swallowing hard.
"Come in," he said in a firm voice, though inside he was nervous.
The door began to open slowly and a young girl entered, making León blink when he saw her.
She was an elf with white hair that reached down to her waist, bright red eyes, and short stature—barely five feet tall. She wore an impeccable maid uniform, with a black-and-white apron.
She entered with her head bowed, not meeting his eyes. "Your Excellency," she said with a bow, making a small curtsy. "Your mother is waiting for you to have breakfast."
León observed her in silence, then realized he was much taller than her.
'I'm tall.' He looked down, noticing that now he easily measured six feet, nothing like his previous body.
'Well, at least that's an improvement,' he thought.
"Understood," he replied in an indifferent tone, just as the system had suggested. "Let's go."
The elf nodded and turned, walking toward the door, with León following behind, keeping a neutral expression.
Both left the room and began walking through the corridors of the mansion. León couldn't help but look around in awe, though he tried to hide it.
'This is a fucking palace.' The corridors were wide, with polished marble floors and walls decorated with enormous paintings. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, along with red carpets that muffled their steps.
There were too many servants: elves, dwarves, and even demi-beasts, all dressed in impeccable uniforms.
Every time León passed near them, they bowed without looking him in the eye. 'Shit, this is awkward…'
[Get used to it, you're a high-ranking noble. This is normal for you.]
León pressed his lips together, but said nothing.
As they walked, they passed by a young girl with short black hair and blue eyes. She wore an elegant white dress with gold details. Beside her was an older maid accompanying her in silence.
The girl looked at him with a small smile on her lips. León observed her for a second before looking away.
'That must be my sister.' He vaguely remembered that the original León had a younger sister, who was barely mentioned in the novel, but here she was.
[Correct. Her name is Seraphine Shadowend. She's seventeen years old and, according to the records, quite talented in magic.]
'Great… one more thing to worry about.'
They kept walking until they reached a pair of dark wooden doors. The elf opened them carefully and stepped aside.
"Your Excellency," she said with her head bowed.
Without another word, León entered in silence.
The room was enormous, much larger than his bedroom. In the center was a long polished wood table with chairs upholstered in red velvet. At the sides, several servants stood motionless like statues.
And at the end of the table, seated at the head, was her… his mother.
León observed her carefully. She was a beautiful woman, around forty, though she looked much younger. She had long black hair tied in an elegant bun, cold eyes, and perfect posture. She wore a black dress with silver details.
She looked at him with a neutral expression. "You're late," she said calmly, but with a tone that made it clear she wasn't pleased.
León stood still for a second, feeling the pressure of her gaze.
[Relax. Just apologize and sit down.]
"Sorry," León said indifferently.
His mother watched him for a moment longer before giving a slight nod.
"Sit," she ordered.
León walked to the nearest chair and sat down. Instantly, a maid approached and poured him a cup of tea.
The elf who had accompanied him took her place among the other servants, head bowed.
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. León held the cup between his hands but didn't drink, waiting.
His mother observed him in silence, with those gray eyes that seemed to pierce through him, and finally spoke.
"There are two weeks left before you start at the Academy."
León gave a slight nod, saying nothing.
'Here we go.'