[Leo's POV]
I stepped out of my mother's room and closed the heavy oak door behind me as quietly as I could. I leaned my back against the wood for a second, letting out a long, shaky breath.
My heart was still thumping against my ribs. Convincing Mom had been harder than I thought. Seeing her cry like that... it did something to me. It made this whole "transmigration" thing feel dangerously real.
This wasn't just a game anymore where I could hit 'reset' if I messed up. If I died in that Path Awakening trial, that woman's heart would literally shatter.
I have to survive, I thought, clenching my fists. Not just for the quest rewards, but because I'm the only Leo she has.
"Young Master Leo."
I jumped slightly and looked up. Lyra was standing a few feet away, her hands folded neatly in front of her. She looked at me with those calm, observant eyes.
"Lyra," I nodded, regaining my composure. "You're still here."
"I was waiting to see if the Duchess required anything further," she said, bowing slightly. "And to see if you were... alright."
"I'm fine. She's resting now. Make sure no one disturbs her unless it's urgent," I said in a low voice.
"As you wish, Young Master," she replied. There was a small, almost invisible smile on her lips. It seemed she was pleased with how I was handling things.
I started walking down the long, carpeted hallway. My mind was already racing toward the next step. I had forty days. Forty days to turn this "F-rank" body into something that wouldn't get instantly pulverized inside a soul-realm. I needed to see my father, get into that treasury, and find a breathing technique that didn't rely on brute strength.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the small blur of black and blue sprinting toward me from around the corner.
"LEO!"
I barely had time to react before something small and surprisingly heavy slammed into my knees.
"Oof—" I stumbled back, looking down.
Wrapped around my legs was a tiny girl with a mess of long black hair and the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. She looked like a miniature version of my mother, wearing a frilly white dress that was definitely too expensive to be used for running in hallways.
This was Mia. My six-year-old sister.
In the original game, Mia didn't have a huge role, but I remembered the lore mentioned that she was the only one in the family who never spoke ill of Leo. Even when he was coming home drunk or shouting at the servants, she would just watch him with big, sad eyes.
And surprisingly, the original Leo—as "scum" as he was—never raised his voice at her. He usually just ignored her or gave her headpats to make her go away, but he was never cruel to her.
"Mia," I said, my voice softening automatically. I reached down and ruffled her hair, a habit I seemed to be picking up lately. "What are you doing running in the halls? You'll trip."
She looked up at me, her pouting face turning into a wide, toothy grin. "I heard you were awake! Lyra told me you were with Mama, so I waited. But you took forever!"
"I had things to talk about," I said, crouching down so I was at her eye level.
She immediately grabbed my cheeks with her tiny, warm hands, squishing my face. "You look better. You don't look sleepy anymore."
I let out a small laugh, despite myself. "Yeah, I'm not sleepy anymore. I've got a lot of work to do."
"Work?" She tilted her head, her big blue eyes blinking. "Does that mean you can't play? I found a cool frog in the garden! He's green and very fast. I named him Sir Hops-a-Lot. You have to see him!"
I felt a pang of guilt. The old Leo would have probably just pushed her aside and walked away. But looking at her hopeful face, I realized I couldn't do that. She was six. To her, a fast frog was the most important thing in the world.
"A frog, huh?" I smiled, poking her nose. "Sir Hops-a-Lot sounds like a very distinguished gentleman."
"He is!" she chirped, tugging on my sleeve. "Come on, Leo! Let's go! He's waiting!"
I hesitated a little. But seeing her bright eyes, I didn't think I could reject her.
I sighed.
"Tell you what," I said, picking her up. She was light, like a feather. She let out a squeal of delight as I swung her onto my shoulder. "I can't play for long. I have to go see Dad in the study. But I can go look at your frog for five minutes. Only five, okay?"
"Ten!" she bargained, holding up four fingers.
I chuckled. "You're bad at math, but fine. Ten minutes."
As I carried her toward the garden, she babbled away about her day—how the tutor was boring, how she ate a strawberry that was shaped like a heart, and how she missed me when I was "sick."
It was a strange feeling. Back on Earth, I was always alone. I didn't have siblings, and my parents... well, I just push them myself. Having this tiny person look at me like I was a superhero—even though I was currently the "Scum of the Human Domain"—felt... good. It felt like I finally had a reason to actually try.
We reached the garden, and she led me to a small stone pond. True to her word, there was a very fat, very green frog sitting on a lily pad.
"See!" she whispered, pointing. "That's him."
"He's a big one," I admitted.
We sat by the pond for a few minutes. I watched her talk to the frog, explaining to him that I was her "big, strong brother" and that he should be on his best behavior. I sat there, leaning back against a marble bench, feeling the sun on my face.
This is what the Abyss King wants to destroy, I thought grimly. This peace. This little girl's smile.
Suddenly, Mia turned to me, her expression becoming unusually serious for a six-year-old. "Leo?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you going away again?" she asked, her voice small. "I heard you're going to a very scary place soon."
Huh. My eyes widened a little. How did she know? I looked toward Lyra, but she averted her gaze. So that's how she found out.
I sighed and pulled Mia into a side-hug. "I am. But I'm not 'going away.' I'm just going to go get a bit stronger so I can keep Sir Hops-a-Lot safe."
She looked at me for a long time, then nodded solemnly. She reached into the small pouch at her waist and pulled out a crumpled, dried-up flower—a blue star-lily.
"Here," she said, thrusting it into my hand. "It's a lucky charm. I found it yesterday. If you take it, the scary place won't be so scary."
I took the dried flower, feeling its brittle petals. It was worthless in terms of mana or power, but as I tucked it into my vest pocket, I felt more prepared than any legendary sword could make me.
"Thanks, Mia. I'll keep it with me."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
I stood up, giving her one last headpat. "Now, go with Lyra. I really have to go see Dad now. If I'm late, he might start thinking I've run away again."
"Okay!" she shouted, already running back toward the manor. "Don't forget the frog, Leo! He likes you!"
I watched her go, a small smile stuck on my face.