The reason this guard had died was quite simple for everyone—except for Leon. He had gotten too close to his sister, so Leon killed him at night when they were alone. Even Enrico, now in Leon's body, began to feel a certain irritation toward the man escorting him to the banquet.
'Having these kinds of feelings is awful'
He sat inside the carriage, looking at the guard in front of him, who was sweating under his gaze. From what Enrico knew, the man had built a friendship with the girl over a year of interaction, which led him to develop feelings for the protagonist, even though she wasn't very interested in him.
"Your name is Uril, right?"
"Yes, sir"
Uril Marthe was a young guard with an honorable appearance, though visibly pressured by the situation. His face was fine and slightly angular, with delicate features that contrasted with the rigidity of his armor. He had clear, expressive eyes marked by nervousness, and short brown hair, slightly messy, reinforcing his youth.
[You're scaring him]
'I can't do anything about that'
His skin was pale and now covered in sweat, clearly showing his fear in front of Enrico. He wore well-maintained silver armor with elegant details and a blue cloak over his shoulders, indicating his position as a royal guard. Despite his formal posture, his body showed tension, like someone trying to maintain composure in front of a danger he couldn't face.
"You don't need to be so tense in my presence"
"I'm not tense, sir… just a bit nervous"
'How could I not be tense? This man is known as the lion of the battlefield'
Uril knew very well who the man in front of him was, especially because of his history on the battlefield. He was considered one of the five most active warriors in the war that had only stopped a week ago—a war that lasted an entire year against an enemy kingdom with many powerful knights on the front lines.
'He may be the weakest of the five, but he's still far too powerful for a knight like me'
"Anyway, I'd like you to take me home"
"B-But, sir… the prince's banquet. He asked me to bring you"
Leon rested his closed fist against his cheek while looking out the window. The memories were beginning to return to the body much faster compared to the original. With his head aching—and to avoid meeting the protagonist—it was better not to go.
"Don't worry. Just tell him that since I just returned, I need to rest"
"Rest?"
"What is it? Are you surprised that I seem human?"
A faint smile—somewhat arrogant—appeared on his face. The guard in front of him seemed flustered for a moment before shaking his head with slight panic.
"No, sir… I just thought you would have already rested before I came to get you"
"It may have been a week since the war stopped, but I still had many issues to handle and had to stay alert, since I'm one of the commanders"
"I understand, sir. And I apologize for my words"
Leon simply waved his hand, dismissing the apology as if he didn't care much about it. From what he had gathered from his memories, he had been at that lake to take a bath, and just as he was about to undress, the crown prince contacted him through the communication stone. After learning he was nearby, the prince sent a guard to fetch him. After that call, Leon stood thinking for a while before approaching the lake to undress—and when he looked at his reflection, he fell into the water with his clothes still on, which was the exact moment Enrico entered through the fountain.
"Are you sure the prince won't be furious, sir?"
"Don't worry. It won't fall on you. Besides, he and I are good friends"
'At least at this point… and I think I've changed my mind about who will inform him'
Before committing his crimes, Leon had been one of the crown prince's most trusted men—someone his parents favored for appearing the most loyal. Of course, all that loyalty was just a façade to rise in status and elevate the family that adopted him.
'And to think he literally killed the entire family that worked so hard to rebuild, all because of an obsession'
At that time, the protagonist's family was declining and losing all their wealth, being labeled a disgraced noble house. They once held great power, but now they were treated as if they didn't exist, even on the verge of accepting a marriage proposal just to save their family. They were about to bow to a noble house that would treat them worse than trash if possible. Their life was like that until they found Leon—and everything changed for the better.
'Now they have high status thanks to Leon, and even so, they're still considering accepting the proposal from that rival noble house'
[Well, they'll be rejected just like in the original story]
'You're right. The relationship with the new protagonist must have already started developing'
There was something strange about this story. The villain Enrico mentioned only appeared two arcs before the end, replacing the protagonist—something that shocked readers, since the story took a completely different direction from what they had followed from the beginning. At the time, Enrico thought of two possibilities: either the author was extremely bold—or completely insane.
"Sir, we've arrived"
Uril opened the door, revealing a mansion with several knights guarding the entrance. As if waiting for his arrival, Enrico raised an eyebrow and looked at the one driving the carriage. It was another knight with green hair—someone the original Leon had rescued as a child and who remained loyal to him until the end.
'Surfien Mandrade'
[He must have informed them you were returning]
With a sigh, he asked Uril for the communication stone, deciding to inform the crown prince himself. Uril, visibly relieved not to be the one speaking, handed it over. Activating the stone, a somewhat cold voice was heard.
"So, are you bringing Leon safely, Guard Uril?"