Morning sunlight streamed through the tall windows as Ethan stood in front of the mirror once again.
The reflection still felt…wrong.
Not because the face was unattractive.
If anything, Lucien Veris looked like the kind of noble who would be popular at the Royal Academy without even trying. Crimson hair framed a youthful face, and golden eyes seemed brighter now that they were filled with confusion instead of indifference.
Ethan raised his hand.
The reflection did the same.
"…I guess I'm really stuck with this."
No mysterious portal appeared.
No one shouted that this had all been a misunderstanding.
Just the quiet room and a face that wasn't his own.
He let out a slow breath.
"I should at least stop talking to mirrors."
A knock came from the door.
"Young Master?"
Clara's gentle voice reached him from outside.
"The carriage is almost ready."
"Okay."
The reply came naturally.
He frowned after saying it.
It was strange.
The words felt like his own, but his tone…his manner of speaking…sometimes slipped into the habits Lucien had before Ethan arrived.
It wasn't enough for someone to notice.
But Ethan noticed.
He opened the bedroom door.
Clara smiled.
"I'm relieved to see you're feeling better."
"I…guess I am."
She studied him for a moment.
"You seemed pale earlier."
"I had a headache."
It wasn't exactly a lie.
His head still carried a dull ache from the memories forcing themselves inside.
"I'm alright now."
She smiled again.
"I'm glad."
As they walked through the mansion, Ethan couldn't help looking around.
The corridors were enormous.
Portraits lined the walls.
Servants greeted him politely as he passed.
"Good morning, Young Master."
He awkwardly nodded back.
Every single person seemed to know him.
Meanwhile…
He only knew them because of memories that didn't belong to him.
It was an unsettling feeling.
.
.
.
The dining hall was almost empty.
A long table stretched through the room, large enough for twenty people.
Only one place had been prepared.
Lucien's parents had already left for the capital yesterday to attend a noble council meeting.
According to Lucien's memories, that wasn't unusual.
His father rarely stayed home.
His mother loved him dearly but was often occupied by social gatherings and charity work.
They weren't cruel parents.
Just…busy ones.
Ethan quietly sat down.
A servant poured tea.
Another placed breakfast in front of him.
Fresh bread.
Eggs.
Bacon.
Fruit.
The food looked far better than anything he'd eaten in while.
"…"
His stomach growled. "…Guess panic doesn't stop hunger." He picked up the fork.
Halfway to his mouth, he paused. A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"System."
Nothing happened. "…System?"
A blue window appeared beside his plate.
[Yes Host]
Ethan looked around. The servants continued working as if nothing had happened.
"They can't see you?"
[Correct.
Only the Host may access the System Interface.]
"…Good." At least people wouldn't think he was talking to invisible ghosts. He lowered his voice. "I have a question."
[Questions are encouraged.]
"If I change something…" He hesitated. "…Will everyone notice?"
[Clarification requested.]
"I mean…I'm not the original Lucien anymore. What if I accidentally act differently?"
The System processed the question for several seconds.
[Behavioral variation within normal human limits will not generate suspicion.]
"So if I'm a little different…"
[Acceptable.]
"What if I'm completely different?"
A brief pause.
[Recommendation: Avoid.]
"…Helpful." After breakfast, Ethan followed a servant outside. The morning air was cool. A large black carriage waited near the front gates. Its polished exterior gleamed beneath the sunlight.The Veris family crest was painted on each door.
Nearby, several servants loaded luggage into the back.
Ethan blinked.
"…That's a lot."
A young butler bowed politely.
"Only the essentials, Young Master."
He looked at the mountain of suitcases.
"…Essentials?"
The butler smiled.
"Yes."
Lucien's memories quietly informed him that nobles changed outfits multiple times a day.
Ethan almost laughed. "My entire apartment would've fit inside one of those." Just before climbing into the carriage, he stopped.
The estate stretched peacefully behind him.
Flower gardens.
Stone pathways.
Fountains.
It was beautiful.
Yet…
It wasn't home.
A strange emptiness settled in his chest.
"I wonder…" He whispered softly."Will I ever see my world again?"
The System answered.
[Mission completion will fulfill Host's request.]
"…Assuming I survive."
[Correct.]
"…You're really bad at comforting people."
The System remained silent.
The carriage began moving. The wheels rolled smoothly over the stone road leaving the estate. Ethan watched through the window as the mansion gradually disappeared behind the trees.
"So…"
He muttered.
"The Royal Academy."
Lucien's memories surfaced.
The academy accepted nobles and talented commoners from across the kingdom.
Future generals.
Court mages.
Scholars.
Knights.
Many of the novel's important characters would gather there.
Including…
Adrian Ashbourne.
The Hero.
Ethan remembered the first illustration from the novel.
Black hair.
Gray eyes.
Always carrying a sword.
Readers often joked that Adrian looked intimidating enough to scare monsters away before a fight even started.
Then Ethan remembered something else.
His expression slowly changed.
"…Wait." He sat up straighter. "System."
[Yes, Host?]
"The Hero…He doesn't actually like nobles."
[Correct.]
"…And I'm currently…" He looked down at the expensive embroidered clothes. "…A noble."
[Correct.]
"…That's a problem."
The System remained quiet.
Ethan frowned.
"No advice?"
[Host possesses knowledge of the original novel.]
"That's exactly why I'm worried!" He leaned back against the seat. "In the story, Adrian keeps everyone at a distance." Especially nobles.
Most of them either looked down on him for being a commoner or wanted to use him for their own benefit. Trust didn't come easily to him.
Which meant Ethan couldn't simply walk up and say—
"Hi, I'm here to stop your tragic death five years from now."
That would end with him being considered insane. Or dangerous.
Possibly both.
He sighed.
"I'll have to earn his trust."
The System chimed.
[Optional Objective Created.
Optional Objective: Become someone the Hero can rely on.
Current Progress: 0%
Reward: ???]
Ethan stared at the screen.
"…You really make missions out of everything."
[Efficiency increases Host motivation by 37%.]
"I would've been motivated without that."
[Noted.]
Hours passed as the carriage traveled toward the capital. The scenery outside slowly changed from quiet countryside to bustling villages. Merchants called out from roadside stalls. Children chased one another through open fields.
Travelers passed by on horseback.
For the first time since waking up in this world…
It felt real.
Not like a novel.
Not like a dream.
People laughed.
Argued.
Worked.
Lived.
A child waved excitedly at the passing carriage. Almost without thinking, Ethan smiled and waved back. The little boy grinned even wider before running back to his family.
Ethan watched them disappear into the distance.
"…"
These weren't background characters.
They were people.
The realization settled heavily in his mind.
If that was true…
Then Adrian wasn't just a protagonist.
He was a person, too.
Someone who had carried the weight of an entire kingdom alone. Someone who, in Ethan's world, had existed only as words on a page.
But not here.
Here, Adrian breathed.
Bled.
Smiled.
Suffered.
And if Ethan failed…
He would die.
The carriage continued toward the capital, carrying Ethan closer to the beginning of the story he thought he knew. Unseen by him, a second carriage was traveling the same road from another direction.
Inside sat a young man with short black hair, quietly polishing a worn practice sword across his knees.
His expression was calm.
Reserved.
Outside, the coachman smiled.
"We'll reach the academy before sunset."
The young man simply nodded.
"…Ok."
Neither of them knew it.
But in less than twenty-four hours…
Their paths would cross.
And from that moment on, the original story would begin to change.