And no, we didn't bathe together.
The bastard up there is probably laughing at my pathetic cowardice right now—same as you lot.
Screw it.
I'm too damn confused to even be horny.
So… what the hell just happened? Does Leon have a long-lost twin sister I, the actual author of this story, never knew about?
While I was still trying to wrap my head around it, the bathroom door opened, and the-girl-who-clearly-wasn't-Leon-but-looked-exactly-like-him stepped out with damp hair, a towel wrapped from her chest to mid-thigh.
And she smiled.
Yeah, no. That was way too out of character. Leon doesn't smile like that, not after series of regression and a painful death.
So, it's settled. This isn't Leon.
This is someone completely different…
…right?
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Her cheeks turned pink again. She stepped closer, and my brow furrowed.
By the time she got close enough for me to catch a fresh lemon scent off her skin, she reached for the corner of her towel and… started to undo it.
Grab!
I caught her hand before anything happened. "What… are you doing?"
She frowned. "Continuing…" Her voice wavered, a blush spreading over her face. "…what we were doing earlier."
I facepalmed, biting my lip to stop myself from yelling. That submissive little offer alone almost erased every last shred of reason I had.
Almost.
But then I reminded myself of one terrifying possibility—the person in front of me might actually be Leon. Or worse, someone very, very close to him.
If I went any further… there might be no way back.
"I think… that's enough for tonight."
"Huh?"
She looked at me, brows drawn, lips pouting—yeah, cute, I'll admit. But damn it, she might be Leon… and Leon was a guy.
"It's late. You must be tired. Get some rest." I patted her shoulder as I stood.
And smiled.
She froze, like I'd just caught her off guard.
Did I… mess that up somehow?
Awkwardly, I let go, tiptoed to the wardrobe, and opened it—only to find clothes I didn't recognize.
Alright, maybe they were perfectly normal modern wear, but I've never exactly been a style guy.
So I picked what I knew—denim pants, a denim jacket, and a gray T-shirt. "I'm going out for some fresh air," I muttered. "Make yourself comfortable, okay?"
And I bolted.
***
I stared at my door, a mix of dread and unease churning in my chest. Having someone—especially the opposite sex—in your room was a serious violation. The kind that could get you expelled from the Academy on the spot.
But… it's not like they enforced it strictly. If they really wanted to, they'd have installed CCTV here.
Yet there wasn't a single camera. Officially, it was for 'privacy reasons'. After all, getting into the Academy cost a small fortune, and the parents footing the bill didn't exactly want their kids' private lives watched by the people they paid.
Naturally, couples took advantage of that. Havel included.
But… if I remembered correctly, the girl in there should be Cella Attoney Damsgard—the seventh princess of the Human Kingdom. Leon's future wife.
Not "Leon" himself.
Damn it. Even saying that messes with my head.
"Lord Maggaelheis."
The voice was soft, almost like a whisper.
I froze, barely keeping myself from making a scene.
Turning, I met the gaze of the man who had addressed me.
A formal gray suit. A brown satin turtleneck, despite the warm weather.
His face looked young enough to fool anyone who didn't know his true age—or notice the faint natural white creeping into his hair.
Jacqueline Fernandez. One of the Academy's instructors. And someone who would eventually prove far more dangerous than Havel.
Right now, he looked at me with an odd, almost deferential air. "Everything is going as planned. You only need to name the time, and we'll begin."
I swallowed. "Begin… what?"
Confusion flickered in his eyes, as if wondering whether I was mocking him—or testing him.
And there was a reason he narrowed it down to those two.
"The assault on the Academy."
My chest tightened as the realization hit.
I knew exactly where in the plot I'd landed. The loop where Havel stopped being a comical villain… and became the main antagonist.
Because somehow, Havel had retained his past memories—memories of how he'd failed and been humiliated by Leon.
This time, armed with that knowledge, he rallied other villains, built his own organization, and attacked the Academy to kill Leon.
Only to be betrayed at the last second.
The traitor? Jacqueline—this bastard in front of me. He'd stab Havel amidst the chaos, revealing that Leon had known everything and had orchestrated the disaster as a sacrifice to eliminate an even greater threat.
The worst loop Leon had ever been through. The one where he gave up and chose the darkest path to stop a bigger evil.
"M'lord?"
I swallowed again. So this was why that bastard had thrown me into this loop.
He knew that, right after I was supposed to die—right after the assault—Leon would fail. And the threat in question would end the world.
That bastard… wanted me to survive past the end. Even when my body was swallowed by nothingness.
I clenched my fist. "There's… been a change of plans."
Jacqueline frowned.
"I want a meeting tomorrow. All the Templar members." I walked past him. "Same place as always."
And left him standing there—in the most awkward way possible.