The morning sun pierced through the large stone windows of the Kaelthorn mansion. Golden light illuminated the dust motes floating in the air. For some people, morning was a time for new hope. But for me, morning was just the beginning of the same old torment.
Usually, before the sun had fully risen, I would already hear the shouts of Young Master Leonel from his room. Either calling for me in an angry tone, or throwing something just because breakfast was late.
But that day was different. It was silent.
I stood in front of his door, carrying a tray of warm water for washing his face. Carefully, I knocked.
"Young Master, it's morning. I've brought warm water for you."
There was no answer.
My heart pounded. Usually, Leonel would yell if I was even a second late. I swallowed hard and opened the door with a trembling hand.
Inside, Leonel was sitting on the edge of the bed. His hair was a mess, his face pale, but his gaze… was different.
He wasn't looking at me with the usual anger. Instead, his eyes seemed empty at first, then slowly turned calm.
"Ah… you're Rian, right?" His voice was soft, almost unsure.
I froze.
He usually called me by an insult, or just "stupid servant." Not once had he ever used my name.
"Y… yes, Young Master."
He gave a faint smile. "Thank you for preparing the water. Just put it here."
I bowed and placed the basin of warm water on the small table. My hands trembled, not from the weight, but from confusion. What was happening to Leonel?
The day proceeded strangely.
Leonel didn't rage when his breakfast was a bit salty. He didn't even kick the servant who misplaced his shoes. He just stayed quiet, observing his surroundings as if he were seeing the world for the first time.
Even to me, he spoke in a tone that was… human.
"Rian, have you had breakfast?"
That question almost made me choke. In my entire life, no noble had ever cared whether their servant had eaten or not.
"Y-yes, Young Master." I lied. I hadn't eaten, but I couldn't possibly tell the truth.
He nodded. "Good."
I kept my head bowed, trying to understand what was happening. Was he sick? Was this a new tactic to catch me off guard before torturing me again?
[Leonel's POV – The Night Before]
Darkness enveloped me. My body fell endlessly, until a light pierced my eyes.
[System Booting…]
[User: Transfer Complete]
[Welcome, Player]
[Chronos Codex v1.0 Activated]
I woke up in an unfamiliar place. This body was weak, fragile, and filled with hatred. Memories flooded in: the name Leonel Kaelthorn, heir to a great family, but branded as talentless trash.
[Main Quest Initiated]
["Fix the Ruined Life"]
[Failure Condition: Death of Leonel Kaelthorn]
I looked at these hands. Weak, but not entirely hopeless.
"If this young man failed in the past… then from now on, I will be the one to fix everything."
[Rian's POV]
That night, I couldn't sleep. Leonel didn't leave his room after dinner. There was no sound of things being thrown, no shouts.
The next day, something even stranger happened.
I entered the training room to clean, only to find Leonel already there. He was standing in the middle of the room, holding a wooden sword.
I almost ran, thinking he would use me as a punching bag again. But he didn't. He just closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly swung the sword.
There was no chaos, no anger. His movements were stiff, but full of seriousness.
"Young Master… what are you doing?" I dared to ask.
He opened his eyes, looked at me, and gave a faint smile. "Training. Shouldn't a Kaelthorn be able to use aura? I… don't want to remain a burden anymore."
I was stunned. Those words sounded impossible. Leonel Kaelthorn, known until now as the family's disgrace, was suddenly talking as if he wanted to improve himself.
"Young Master… but didn't you not…" I didn't dare continue.
He just shook his head. "Perhaps that was true in the past. But now, I want to try again."
I bowed my head. For some reason, for the first time, I felt his gaze was sincere.
However, one thing confused me even more.
As his sword moved again, I saw something. A fleeting, very faint glimmer around the sword.
Aura.
I stood still, my heart beating fast. It was impossible. Aura is the energy of life that can only be awakened by those with talent. And everyone knew Leonel had no such talent.
But my eyes weren't lying. I saw it myself.
Leonel Kaelthorn, the trash of the Kaelthorn family, had just shown the light of aura.
That day, when I returned to the servants' quarters, my mind was still in chaos.
"Impossible… it must have been an illusion," I muttered.
But deep in my heart, I knew the truth. Something had changed. The Young Master was no longer the same person.
And that change… could be a blessing, or a catastrophe.
I am just a lowly servant. But for the first time, I felt like I was standing at a great crossroads.
Should I be grateful that Leonel has finally changed?
Or should I be afraid, because I might be the only one who realizes how strange all of this is?
I don't know.
The only thing I know is this: from that day on, my life would never be the same again.