The old man bowed again and turned to leave the room.
Alexandre followed him.
They descended a grand spiral staircase, passed through a massive double door, and entered a large dining hall where a long table was laden with sumptuous dishes.
Alexandre, slightly overwhelmed, glanced around at his surroundings. An enormous crystal chandelier dominated the room, casting sparkling light over the silver cutlery and crystal glasses.
The butler gently pulled out a chair for him, and Alexandre sat down.
"What am I supposed to do now?" he muttered under his breath, staring at the mountain of food before him. He didn't even know where to begin. In his old life, it was more like pizza in front of a screen.
As he timidly reached for a piece of bread, a voice suddenly interrupted him.
"So, has the little puppy slept well, I hope?"
A woman, older but with a commanding presence, stood near the door. She wore a dark, elegant dress.
"Uh…"
She smiled faintly, but he sensed something was off. Her gaze held none of the warmth of the butler's or the fearful deference of the maids.
Alexandre stared at the woman, his throat dry. His newfound confidence wavered instantly under the weight of her sharp gaze.
'Who is she? A relative? Someone who knew the owner of this body?'
He swallowed hard, avoiding her piercing eyes while trying not to appear weak.
Alexandre stared at her, confused.
'Why is she talking to me like that? She doesn't seem to be in my service like the others. Damn it, why don't I have access to this body's memories? That's a crucial detail to survive in this new world, but all I know is… nothing. I know absolutely nothing.'
The woman took a few graceful steps into the room. She approached him, her smile widening.
She raised an eyebrow. "Could it be that our dear little puppy woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Or rather, this afternoon, given the hour?"
Alexandre tried to recall what he had learned so far in this unfamiliar house, but it was a black void.
'Why don't I have anything…?'
"Uh, I…"
The woman burst into laughter. She settled into a chair on the opposite side of the long table, resting her hands elegantly on the pristine tablecloth.
"Save your clumsiness for later. Please, don't ruin the atmosphere. The food here is far too good to let a gloomy mood spoil it."
Alexandre felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He wanted to say something, anything, but the fear of making a mistake paralyzed him.
'What does she expect from me? Who the hell is she?!'
As he pondered, a maid filled his glass with water.
Alexandre took a deep breath before hesitantly placing his hands on the table.
'Maybe I don't need to respond right away. Maybe observing and playing the role of the "young master" will be enough to avoid trouble for now. It's my only option, anyway.'
"So, little puppy, are you going to stay silent, eat, or keep staring at me?"
The woman casually speared a piece of fruit from the plate in front of her.
Alexandre finally met her gaze.
'I have to play along… The reactions of the butler and the maids prove I'm a noble. Given how she's addressing me, she's my equal… No, she's older than me. My older sister? Aunt? Guardian? Whatever. I just need to stay in the role of a young noble. No way I'm letting myself get exposed!'
"I guess you could say I'm not quite myself today."
The woman raised an eyebrow and leaned slightly forward. "Interesting. Very interesting. Come on, eat, before I lose patience."
Alexandre obeyed silently, grabbing a piece of bread and forcing a smile, though his thoughts continued to swirl.
'If this woman is an enemy, I'd better figure out this body's role in this house quickly…'
But as soon as Alexandre took a bite, a sharp pain exploded in his head. He dropped his fork, which clattered loudly onto the plate, echoing through the room.
The shock made him wince, his hands instinctively flying to his temples.
"Ow… what the…"
The pain was so intense it felt like his head might split open. A maid, alerted by the noise, hurried over.
"Young master, are you alright?"
The woman across from him set down her cutlery with an amused smile.
"Looks like the little puppy really didn't sleep well."
Alexandre took a deep breath, trying to ease the pain. The maid handed him a glass of water, which he accepted gratefully before dismissing her with a gesture.
'That hurt like hell…'
Alexandre ran a hand over his face, still dazed.
The pain in his head gradually subsided.
'Lucious. Lucious Lyon… How is this…?'
Everything felt unbelievably real, even if his mind refused to accept the truth.
He now knew who this body was.
Lucious Lyon. The youngest son of one of the country's most influential noble families.
But that wasn't what shocked Alexandre the most. No, what paralyzed him was recognizing this name and this world.
It was the world of the novel he loved so much, Crimson Saga.
As for Lucious, he was just a minor character, barely more than a background figure in the story. He was an arrogant noble, a young man proud of his lineage but so quickly swept aside in the narrative that he was almost a forgotten detail.
Alexandre clearly remembered the moment when the protagonist sacrificed him without a hint of remorse in the first volume.
Lucious had been an obstacle in the hero's path, a mere pawn eliminated to move forward. Alexandre had always thought he was an unmemorable character. He recalled laughing at how pathetic the character was.
But today, in this world, he was Lucciano.
Lucious' situation in the novel was, indeed, hopeless. He lived in the shadow of his older brother, a more talented, more beloved, and more powerful figure.
Lucious was seen as a good-for-nothing, barely worthy of his title, and the only reason he still had status was because of his family. His personality was bitter, filled with jealousy, and he was often cruel to those he deemed beneath him.
In the original story, his arrogance led to his downfall. His desire to prove his worth pushed him to ally with the wrong people. Ultimately, this led to betrayal and his tragic end, sacrificed without ceremony by the main hero for a greater purpose.
Alexandre tried to steady his breathing.
'If I have any chance of surviving in this world, I need to do things differently. I need to understand the rules of this new game and, above all, stay far away from the protagonist. Devon is ruthless. There's no way I can sway him. And if there's one thing I know for sure right now, it's that I'm not going to die as pathetically as that idiot. But how…?'
Alexandre slowly straightened in his chair, casting a furtive glance at the woman sitting across from him.
'Her too.'