Entrance Ceremony 2

Leonard sighed and walked out of the room, his strides perfect and back straight, his clothes had no crease, like a noble obsessed with their dignity. But for Leonard this level of spotlessness is normal. 

Then on the way, Lenneza was walking down the corridor, her dress was a reddish bodycon dress. It was charming, Lenneza is. 

"That's a nice dress." Leonard complimented. 

"Leo!? Since when were you here?"

"I got here first. Before anyone."

Lenneza smiled, She could see the change in Leonard, he is already going to the stage of change. Though she could see that his attitude was the same as ever. 

"What happened there though? For you to leave already?"

"Bah! The speech later is going to kill me, I only came there to eat."

Leonard complained with a frown, he stood straight, as if etiquette was ingrained in him since birth. 

"Well, I'll come in first, see you later."

Lenneza waved bye to Leonard and he did the same, Leonard and Lenneza continued walking after. Though, when Leonard was about to exit the building, a black-haired and purple-eyed boy bumped into him. 

"Apologies."

That's where Leonard's eyes slightly opened, Walter had come in and already met him. 

[Mission—]

Leonard swiped off the mission, already obvious to its purpose. 

"I apologize as well."

Walter nodded and continued walking. Behind him is a girl, a girl with black hair and obsidian eyes looking at Leonard with a blush. 

Leonard was a bit startled, yeah, he knew her. Her name is Abigail, the sister of Walter. In his past life, she was… Kind. The kind that would put a mythical saintess to shame. 

"Excuse me."

Leonard walked out of the building leaving it behind, Though he didn't notice that Abigail looked at him with a hint of disappointment. Disappointed that Leonard cannot recognize her. 

Walking to the Dormitory building, Leonard lamented. Abigail in the first iteration was truly kind, she tried changing him, reasoning with him and even tried to save him multiple times. 

Though, thanks to the overlord, those efforts are null. When he was killed by Walter in his final act, she only looked at him with disappointment, disappointed by the fact that she couldn't help him. 

"Hm… I hope we don't cross."

Leonard turned a corner and a guy bumped into him, obviously tipsy and worse, with people behind him, them being a group. 

"Woah! What's your problem!?"

The guy bumping into Leonard yelled with a spit. Leonard had to take a few steps back not to be defiled by disgusting things. 

"This is the Dorm for nobles. What are you doing here with alcohol in your breath?"

The guy just chuckled, while drunk he tapped Leonard's chest and spouted some more arrogant words. 

"Of course, this is a noble dormitory! What is a servant even doing here?"

Leonard sighed, he was only wearing a vest suit, without a jacket, he really looked like a server though you must be stupid to think he actually wears a server vest, it just takes a glance to differentiate, and the style was enough to do that. 

"Ha… These people." Leonard sighed, annoyed. 

"Ha???"

Leonard just wanted to move on, but it seems this group won't let him, his brows furrowed as the trio closed into him and started circling him. 

"Your name?" Leonard asked. 

"A Peasant doesn't need to know that!"

His arm stretched out to a punch, Leonard tilted to the right, then reached to the tipsy guy's arm pulling it to overextend his footing and lose balance. Leonard just kicked his foot lightly for him to fall down in a disgraceful manner. 

"First of all, I'm not a peasant. Second, are you aware of punching a Duke's son?" Leonard said with a sigh. 

"D-dukes son?"

The others who surrounded Leonard backed off, they were also tipsy. But they're not stupid enough to test a bluff. The guy on the ground just had a confused expression. 

"Ha… Names." Leonard demanded. 

The group was forced to a standpoint, they are still in disbelief of Leonard being a duke's son, it might be his fault for not being more active, well so as Lenneza but that's for a different story. 

"Know the Martens?" Leonard's tone was sharp. 

"N-no way! The current Duke had brown hair."

"And the late mistress had red."

That's where they just stiffened as they looked at Leonard's hair. Yeah, Wavy dark red hair. The two that were currently standing got sober and bowed their heads. 

"We apologize young ma—"

"Names. I'm being civil here." 

But they were too late, if Leonard let this go it would snowball into a bigger problem, so rooting it out as early as he discovered them was the best course of action. 

Leonard simply asked for their names, they obliged after extreme reluctance and moved on. The group thought they were fine, they wouldn't know the punishment won't hit them till later. 

Leonard just moved to his dorm room, since he's of high rank he got a single room and the dormitory of the privileged is called Leva Dormitory. 

Opening the door to his room he closed it quietly and to his bedroom. Today was a busy day and tomorrow is not going to be different. 

Especially since tomorrow would be the first day, the introductions and the limited testing for ranking. 'An Academy with a ranking, how cliche' Leonard thought.  

With that, he closed his eyes. 

***

"Lenneza Heil Marchen has arrived!" The guard announced. 

A girl with pale white skin entered, her hair didn't really speak of her age even though it was white. Her eyes were as green as nature as she entered the hall. 

Many eyes fell on her naturally, but she didn't mind. She scanned the hall, she was looking for Yula, her expression blank. 

When she was walking forward near the table of foods and beverages a boy with blue hair approached her. 

"My, isn't it the eldest of the Family—"

"Move."

Her attitude was cold, her gaze was sharp, it would cut. While things known about Leonard were only gossip, Lenneza is widely known due to Richard's adoption. 

She is a weakness of the Marchen household, solely because her purpose within the house is merely a replacement. 

"Now, now don't be too cold."

If Lenneza's attitude could be relayed physically, then her surroundings would be cold. Her icy gaze didn't even bother to turn towards Charles. 

"This is an entrance ceremony. Everyone should enjoy it. Since you're here, why not socialize with us who are equal in standing as a Duke child?"

"I only talk to people who I approve of. And you're not one of them." Lenneza coldly replied. 

Charles' smile twitched. 

"Don't be like that, you're only lucky since you were adopted. I doubt Leonard even thinks of you as a sis—"

—ssshhhh

A fizzing sound could be heard, Lenneza's eyes were now on Charles but his smile didn't waver. He really wants a reaction and for him, people like Lenneza were perfect people to mess with. 

"Ha… you're really annoying."

"And you're truly interesting."

Charles moved away chuckling, the eyes on him were merely nothing as he brushed it off and moved away. 

For Charles this is fun. And rightfully so, he wanted to talk to Leonard but he left before getting the chance to do so. 

Lenneza walked towards the beverages to drink some apple juice, she was annoyed. She got reminded of things in the first iteration, was it her fault? No! It wasn't! She didn't know and she was being in a play of the Overlord, what can she do against a god?

The way she looked at Leonard at the first iteration placed a guilty wound in her heart, she was trying to change, she was, truly. But whenever she is reminded she always has a hard time accepting that she really had a second chance. 

Lenneza wanted to scream sorry at least once to Leonard but knew that wouldn't fix anything, and for all she knows, actions speak louder than words. She was truly trying, she was… she knew she was. 

"Lenny." Yula chimed. 

Lenneza looked at Yula, Yula moved forward and held her hand softly, this was the world before and it would never change. This was the only way she could give comfort. 

"I hate that shithead," Lenneza murmured. 

"We do." Yula softly smiled. 

Yula knows her struggles most. 

The way to change and seek forgiveness. The only thing they wanted to ask but needed to work for.