'Her too.'
She was in the novel. Her name didn't come to him right away, but he remembered her role: an intriguing, manipulative figure working for the shady group that the original Lucious had gotten involved with.
With a calm he didn't know he possessed, he sat up straighter in his chair.
This wasn't just a dream. It was a second chance. An opportunity to rewrite the story.
To rewrite his story.
"Is the little puppy feeling ill?"
Alexandre stood abruptly from his chair.
"Excuse me, I'm not feeling very well, indeed."
The woman across from him looked at him. She tilted her head, almost mockingly.
"I see. We all have our moments of weakness."
Her words rang strangely, but Alexandre paid them no further mind. He left the room quickly. Once in the hallway, away from the woman's intimidating presence, he leaned against the wall, breathing deeply. His head was spinning.
"I need to think… Fast."
'Let's recap… I know the story, the events that are about to unfold. I know that Lucious' character had little time before his downfall. If I want to change his fate, I need to steer clear of the path laid out by the book. I can't repeat Lucciano's mistakes.
If I remember correctly, Crimson Saga begins in a time of great political unrest, and the Vampana house, though influential, is already in decline. The eldest, Jamal, is about to inherit everything.
As for Lucious, in his desperate attempt to prove his worth, he made a series of bad decisions. If I'm not mistaken, those mistakes led him straight to social exile and then to his tragic death at Solomon's hands…
Damn it! It's August 18th. On August 31st, Devon will arrive in the city to consolidate his political power. Meanwhile, Ouroboros has already started weaving its schemes behind the scenes, manipulating nobles and political forces for their own ends. And that's exactly the faction Lucious joined, thinking it was a fast track to glory and power.'
Alexandre began pacing the deserted hallway. "That gives me barely half a month to prepare… Okay, first rule: avoid the protagonist at all costs. But that won't be enough. I need to buy time and find a way to carve my own path in this world… The idea of being a mere background character doesn't thrill me. If this world follows the rules of Crimson Saga, then maybe I could…"
'The first obstacle is my family. The Lyon family always looked down on Lucious, constantly comparing him to his older brother. That dynamic pushed him into the arms of the wrong people.'
"Not this time."
Suddenly, footsteps echoed behind him. Alexandre turned to see the butler who had greeted him earlier approaching calmly.
"Young master, is everything alright? You left the dinner so suddenly…"
Alexandre did his best to smile, though his mind was still racing. He couldn't afford to appear weak.
"Yes, everything's fine. I think I just… need some rest."
The butler nodded.
"Very well, young master. If you need anything, I am at your service."
Alexandre watched him walk away.
'He seems reliable. Though he doesn't appear in the novel, the fact that he stayed by Lucious' side shows some loyalty. Still, nothing's certain…'
Alexandre returned to his room, locking himself inside.
In front of the large mirror, he looked at his reflection again.
Alexandre stood before the mirror for a long time, studying a face that wasn't his. This foreign body, these aristocratic features, that impeccably combed amber hair…
It should have terrified him. But…
"Hhh… khh… heh… Hhhn—hahaha… hahahah! Ah—ahahahaha!"
He doubled over, his shoulders shaking with sudden, unexpected amusement.
"Pathetic… Hahaha…"
He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, catching his breath, his smile stretching wider. He straightened, his gaze catching Lucious Lyon's reflection in the mirror again.
This despised noble, this minor character destined for an inglorious death…
"After all, isn't this exactly what I've always wanted?"
He remembered his days spent sitting in front of a screen, reading fantasy novels and dreaming of being thrust into worlds where anything was possible.
He was no longer Alexandre, the office worker with a monotonous life.
Here, everything was possible.
He was no longer bound by the rules of a dull life where each day bled into the next. No, here he was plunged into the unknown, facing dangers he'd never imagined. And that danger… wasn't it exactly what he'd always craved? That thrill, that rush of adrenaline. To live a life where every moment mattered, where every decision could change his fate.
Alexandre's smile turned sinister, almost unhinged.
Fear? He still felt it, somewhere deep inside, a remnant of the old Alexandre. But a stronger emotion overpowered it: an irresistible urge to have fun.
'I'm not the hero, that's true. But who says I have to be? Who says the protagonist has to stay at the center of the story?'
"I don't need to be the hero. What's stopping me from becoming something even greater?"
'Lucious Lyon, a despised figure destined to be sacrificed? Maybe in the original version. But now, this world is mine. And I'm going to enjoy it. I don't care about the rules. I don't care about fate… I'm free!'
"I'm going to have fun. Oh yes, I'm going to have fun…"
Alexandre, with his mundane dreams and frustrated hopes, no longer existed.
He was Lucious Lyon, the new Lucious Lyon.
Lucious stepped back a few paces, his smile still present.
Everything had become clear to him.
Fate? The script? He no longer believed in them.
Another laugh escaped his throat. This world, its rules, the destiny imposed on him… He didn't care.
"I'm going to play by my own rules."
"Young master? Do you need assistance?"
The butler's voice echoed in the hallway, knocking softly on the door, pulling Lucious back to reality.
Lucciano turned his head toward the door, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He adjusted his collar, his smile widening further.
"No, thank you. Everything is perfectly fine."
He cast one last glance at the mirror, satisfied with what he saw.
'The game has just begun, and I intend to savor every thrill, every moment, until the very last second. It doesn't matter if I don't survive to the end. I'm going to have fun! Who cares if I'm not the hero? I'll make sure it's me they never forget.'
He stepped out of the room.
The butler was waiting patiently outside Lucious' chamber, his fingers slightly clenched behind his back.
The door opened slowly, and Lucious appeared in the doorway.
"Don't worry, everything's fine."
He placed a hand gently on the butler's shoulder.
The butler frowned briefly but quickly composed himself, nodding respectfully.
"Is the meal still there?" Lucious asked with a faint smile. "I'm feeling a bit hungry now."