Where am I…?
"What the hell…?" he muttered, but his voice sounded different. Younger.
He brought his hands to his face. They were smaller, less rough. He ran toward the full-length mirror next to the wardrobe and froze.
The reflection took his breath away.
A young blond teenager with silky hair falling to his shoulders stared back at him. Bright red eyes, almost glowing, framed by long dark lashes. High, aristocratic cheekbones. Perfectly shaped lips. Porcelain-pale skin without a single flaw.
He was… beautiful. Not handsome. Beautiful. In a way that transcended gender, almost angelic.
"Fuck…" he whispered, touching his face in the mirror. "Is this me?"
Even with his slim, fragile build, the beauty of his face was undeniable. It was the kind of beauty that made people stop and stare. The kind of beauty that could be both a blessing and a curse.
Suddenly, his head exploded with pain. He dropped to his knees, clutching his head as miles of memories that were not his flooded his mind like a torrent.
Cassian Valcrest. Bastard son of Duke Roderick Valcrest. Sixteen years old. Born from a maid named Elena, a woman of legendary beauty who caught the Duke's eye. She died giving birth to the twins.
He has a twin sister, Cassandra, equally beautiful. Two older half-sisters: Isabella and Elise.
He was always treated as defective. No latent ability. A disgrace to House Valcrest.
But his beauty… his beauty was the only thing that had saved him from being completely cast out. The Duchess hated him, Isabella despised him, but neither dared to get rid of him entirely. It would be a scandal if the "bastard angel"—as some nobles secretly called him—appeared on the streets.
Yesterday he turned sixteen. No one celebrated it officially. But several maids had left him small gifts in secret. Anna especially, always kind, always worried.
The original Cassian's memories were a mix of humiliation, loneliness, and a strange awareness of his own beauty. He knew he was beautiful. He saw it in the looks of the maids. In how some guards looked away in embarrassment. In how visiting noblewomen sometimes looked at him with barely hidden hunger before remembering he was just a powerless bastard.
His beauty was a golden cage. It kept him in the mansion, but gave him no real power.
And now… now he was here. In his body.
"Reincarnation?" he whispered, still on his knees. "Isekai? Seriously?"
Before he could process more, something appeared before his eyes.
A translucent window, floating in the air with glowing letters.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
[Loading… 45%… 78%… 100%]
[CASANOVA SYSTEM ACTIVATED!]
"What the fuck…?"
[WELCOME, CASSIAN VALCREST]
Age: 16 years
Race: Human
Magic Affinity: Neutral
[Scanning host's latent ability…]
[WARNING! CRITICAL DISCOVERY!]
Cassian blinked, reading the words with growing disbelief.
[LATENT ABILITY DETECTED]
Name: Essence Devourer
Rank: EX (Unique in the world)
Type: Absorption
Description: Permanently absorbs the latent abilities of women through complete carnal bonding. Victims do NOT lose their original ability.
Restrictions:
Only works with women
Requires complete carnal bonding
One ability per person
[NOTE: This ability was latent due to lack of activation. You were never "ability-less." You are the bearer of the rarest ability in history.]
[ CRITICAL WARNING ]
If this ability is discovered, you will be hunted, enslaved, or executed. NEVER reveal it.
Cassian read the information twice. Three times. His throat went dry.
"Wait… steal abilities by having sex?" A blush crept up his neck. "Seriously? That's my power?"
He swallowed. On one hand, it was absolutely ridiculous. On the other…
It's incredibly powerful.
If he could absorb any latent ability, that meant he could become… infinitely strong. There was no limit. He just needed…
His mind screeched to a halt at the key word: women.
"Great," he muttered sarcastically. "They really reincarnated me into an erotic novel."
The window changed.
[STATUS – CASSIAN VALCREST]
Level: 1
EXP: 0/100
Stats:
Charisma: 35
Attractiveness: 4
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Endurance: 4
Perception: 9
[ = Exceptional stat for your level]
Mana: 100/100
Magic Affinity: Neutral
Latent Ability: Essence Devourer (EX) [SECRET]
Absorbed Abilities: 0
Active Slots: 3 [Empty]
Active Bonds: 0
[NOTE: Your exceptional beauty grants +20 at the start of all social interactions. People tend to underestimate your intelligence due to your appearance.]
[NEW MISSION AVAILABLE!]
"Missions?" Cassian stood up, looking at the numbers. Thirty-five in Charisma. Forty-two in Attractiveness. Those numbers were high compared to his other physical stats that barely reached 4 or 5.
So my beauty is literally my only advantage in this world.
He focused on the last line. Instantly, another window appeared.
[MISSION TUTORIAL]
"The True Awakening"
Objectives:
Absorb your first ability (0/1) ✗
Maintain your secret (Mandatory) ✗
Rewards:
System fully unlocked
+100 EXP
Special Skill: [Mask of Falsehood]
+5 to all stats
[Mask of Falsehood: Allows you to display a false ability to those who can detect latent abilities]
Time Limit: 7 days
Suggested Target: Anna (Maid)
Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
Cassian stared at the name. Anna. He remembered the girl from the original Cassian's memories. Brown hair, green eyes, kind face. Maybe nineteen or twenty. She was one of the few people in the mansion who spoke to him with some warmth. And according to the memories… she definitely found him attractive. He could see it in how she blushed when she looked at him for too long.
"Am I really going to…?" He ran a hand through his silky hair. "Shit. This is too much."
Knock, knock, knock.
Three soft knocks on the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Young Cassian?" A female voice, timid. "I brought your breakfast."
Anna.
Cassian's heart skipped a beat. He looked at the door, then at the system window floating in front of him.
"J-just a moment," he said, his voice sounding like velvet even to his own ears. The memories told him that even his voice was beautiful—soft, melodic, the kind of voice that made people want to keep listening.
He walked to the mirror once more, checking himself. His messy bedhead only added a charming air of vulnerability. His golden eyes shone with an almost supernatural light.
Good. Let's use this.