Upon hearing the name Leonard, his hand moved slightly, and a flicker of mixed emotions could be seen in his eyes.
"How old was he?" Leonard asked after calming himself.
"That's about all I heard of the matter," Melissa replied. She saw Leonard's strange reaction but didn't pursue the matter. Leonard gave her a nod.
'So my death happened two days ago.'
Leonard had previously thought that the moment he died, he met the Witch and was immediately put into Caesar's body. He hadn't known that his death had happened two days ago.
'How long was I in the Witch's world?'
Although two days might have passed here, perhaps more time had passed in the Witch's world. The most concerning thing about how he died was the fact that he was said to have died by "Corruption."
Corruption, sometimes referred to as Chaos, happens when the body has more Positive Qi than Negative Qi. Those who can use Qi possess two main types: Positive Qi and Negative Qi. These two must remain equal until Rank Four, where the body goes through a qualitative change with the amount of Negative Qi increasing. Once a person has more Positive Qi than Negative Qi, their body starts to experience changes—nails grow longer, senses heighten, and a murderous nature increases. The more Positive Qi accumulates, the more a person mutates until they become a mindless Demon. Once one is infected with Corruption, there is no way to reverse it.
The majority of people who encounter Corruption are those who can use Qi. Leonard couldn't use Qi in his previous life, but he belonged to a family that could; in short, Leonard did possess Qi, it was just at an extremely low level. Positive Qi can increase on a whim. For people belonging to a Royal family, they have ways to deal with this issue, but for an exiled family, they lack such methods. That was why being exiled was the equivalent of being sentenced to death.
Soon, their breakfast was brought. Leonard had three slices of fresh bread drizzled with honey, an egg sunny side up, and a sausage. On the side was a cup of coffee. Seeing the food, Leonard couldn't help but water up; it was the first time he had seen such food. Most of his life, he had eaten paste-like food that tasted horrible.
However, he didn't let his excitement show. He had to play the part of the dignified noble, Caesar. Although he wanted to eat quickly, he ate slowly, using a fork and knife when needed. Without Caesar's memories, just this task would have been difficult.
The food was simply delicious. The egg had the right amount of salt added to it, and when he split the yolk with his knife, it spread like a river toward the egg white. The bread was soft, and the honey gave it a sweet taste—a contrast to the salty egg. The sausage was soft and tender, perfectly cooked with juices flowing out with each bite. The coffee washed down these unique flavors, and before he knew it, he was done eating.
'I see why Caesar liked this meal.'
Once he was done, he grabbed a napkin and wiped his face. He noticed Melissa staring at him; her eyes held a mix of emotions. Leonard took out his watch to check the time.
'I should head to the Astra residence to get the details of my death.'
The Astra residence was where Lady Morgana came from—a family of swordsmen, one of the Twelve Classes. Leonard wanted to know the details of his death, whether for sentimental reasons or something else, he didn't know. Leonard stood up, gave the two ladies a short bow, and spoke.
"Darling, Lady Ariana, I'll take my leave now. I bid you two farewell."
"I pray for your safe journey, my Lord," Melissa said. Then Ariana added, "I hope we can meet again, my Lord."
After saying his goodbyes, he left for his room. Entering, he noticed his bed was nearly done and his windows were open, allowing fresh air and sun to enter, giving the room a vibrant glow. His table, which had scattered books, was now organized.
'Melissa truly is the same as when we were young.'
Leonard made his way to his table. He took out a piece of paper and a pen and started writing:
'Dear Astra Family, I send this message to inform you of my arrival at your quarters regarding the death of the boy Leonard whom Lady Morgana encountered. Yours truly, Caesar Valerion.'
He folded the letter and left his room. As he opened his door, he saw a maid cleaning the window.
"Anna," Leonard said.
Hearing her name, she turned to look at him.
"Yes, my Lord?"
"Here. Give this letter to Sebastian to take to the telegram office immediately. It should be sent to the Astra family."
Leonard extended his hand, gesturing for Anna to take the letter.
"Yes, my Lord," Anna said. She wiped her hands on her dress and took the letter. "I'll go give him the letter at once," she said with a bow and started walking.
Leonard re-entered his room. A distance away from his table was a door; opening it, he saw a bathtub and a toilet. He walked toward the bathtub and twisted the knob. Cold water started to pour out, filling the tub. There was a liquid soap that caught Leonard's attention; it was the first time he had seen liquid soap.
It had a yellowish color. He caught the bottle and brought it close to his nose.
Sniff. Sniff.
'It smells like an expensive fruit.' He then raised his hand and sniffed himself. 'I must have bathed recently.'
He noticed he smelled like the soap. Seeing the tub was almost full, he twisted the knob, stopping the flow of water. Once he removed his clothes, he stepped inside. However, once his body was submerged in the water, steam began to rise from Leonard's skin.