SSS Ranked Awakening: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 39 – Back Home

A soft white cover rested over Leon’s body—placed there sometime during the night. Seraphine didn’t like the way the cold touched his bare skin. He wasn’t wearing much, after all. Just a cloak and what was left of torn underlayers. So without a word, she had taken one of the thicker traveling linens and gently draped it over him. A quiet act. Thoughtful. Protective.

She glanced at him again. Still sleeping. Even now, in this calm morning light, she could hardly believe it. He had slept the entire journey back to the estate. Even when she herself had dozed off for a short while—tired from days of worry, tension, and the silent relief of his return—he hadn’t stirred. And now, the golden hue of morning had begun to pour through the carriage curtains, casting long shadows across the polished wood interior.

They had arrived.

Seraphine opened the door. The estate grounds greeted them, peaceful and silent. Morning mist clung to the stone pathway as a few stationed knights bowed from a distance. She ignored them for now. Her attention was only on the boy beside her. Carefully, she moved to lift him—arms under his knees and back.

But the moment she began to carry him bridal-style, his silver-white lashes fluttered. His eyes opened. He didn’t say a word. Just blinked once... then let her carry him.

She paused mid-step. He’s awake? Leon didn’t resist. He didn’t protest. He simply laid still in her arms, watching the world go by with quiet curiosity. She could feel it—he was letting her do this. Letting her fuss. And something about that made her heart ache in the best way.

She carried him through the mansion doors. The staff rushed to greet them, wide-eyed and whispering, but a single glance from Seraphine silenced the room. They moved quickly. Quietly. Finally, after reaching the second floor, she gently lowered him in front of his room’s door.

”You good now?” she asked, still not fully letting go of his shoulder. Leon straightened, adjusting the white cover still wrapped around him.

”Not the least bit tired,” he replied casually, his voice clear. ”I’m fine.”

Seraphine nodded, her amethyst eyes scanning his face once more just to be sure.

”Good,” she said. ”Then take a long bath. I’ll have new clothes sent to you in a bit.”

She didn’t wait for a reply—only gave his hair a soft pat before turning toward her own quarters. But her steps were slower than usual. Because her heart... still hadn’t stopped feeling warm.

Leon stood in the hallway a moment longer, the warmth of the cover still draped around him, the scent of Seraphine’s cloak faint in the air. He slowly stepped into his room and closed the door behind him.

Only then did his thoughts catch up. Why... did I let her carry me like that? It wasn’t like him. Not the old him, not the one who used to snap and squirm away the moment someone tried to treat him like a child. But this time... he hadn’t moved. Hadn’t said anything. And now, thinking about it—there was only one answer.

I know how much she cares. It wasn’t just duty. It wasn’t just training or obligation. It was more. Deeper. Genuine. She wasn’t like his previous parents. The ones who tossed him a platinum card and disappeared for months. The ones who met him maybe four or five times a year, and even then, it was all surface smiles and hollow words.

He didn’t remember warm arms. He remembered a nanny. A woman hired to keep him clean, fed, and out of the way. That was his childhood. That was the version of ”family” he knew. Until now.

Leon looked down at his hands. They didn’t shake anymore. They didn’t fidget, or curl, or clench like they used to. Something had changed.

So this is what it feels like... To be cared for. To be carried not because he was weak, but because someone wanted to. To be treated like he mattered. And not just as a student. But as something more.

He took a quiet breath. His master was... warm. And this strange, unfamiliar feeling rising in his chest? It wasn’t bad. Not at all.

Leon stepped into the bath chamber and let the door click shut behind him. The moment his foot touched the warm stone, a soft mist wrapped around his legs, carrying the scent of calming herbs. The bath had already been prepared—no doubt Seraphine had seen to it.

He didn’t call for the maids like usual. Not this time. He didn’t want them fussing over him, and more importantly, he wasn’t ready for the flood of reactions his new appearance might cause.

They’ll recognize me... eventually. Even if he looked older. Taller. Sharper. His face still held enough of the old him that anyone who’d known him long enough would figure it out. But he’d rather let the commander handle that part.

He sank slowly into the water, letting the heat draw the tension from his body. Muscles loosened. Breath slowed. The lingering battle-edge he’d carried since entering the dungeon finally dulled at the edges. It was peaceful.

For a while, he just sat there—soaking, thinking, not rushing a thing.

Then, soft footsteps echoed outside the door. A quiet knock. Light creak. A maid entered, keeping her head respectfully down, carrying neatly folded clothes in her hands. She approached the rack near the wall, placed them down carefully—

Then their eyes met. Just for a second.

Her hands froze. A blush shot straight across her face like a streak of flame, and she bowed quickly—so fast it looked like she almost tripped on her exit.

Leon blinked once. ...Right.

He looked away, sighed faintly, and sank deeper into the bath. That reaction’s going to be a problem.

Leon slipped into the white shirt and black formal pants the maid had delivered. The fabric was soft, luxurious—clearly something Seraphine had arranged. It felt strange wearing such fine clothes after everything that had happened, but they fit him perfectly, as if tailored for the boy he had become.

He didn’t know how Seraphine got the perfect fit for even after the change in his body, she was just different.

He gave himself a quick glance in the mirror. Silver-white hair, still a bit damp from the bath. A pair of mystical eyes stared back—white cross at the center, surrounded by every shifting color imaginable.

Still not used to these eyes... but I can’t say they don’t look cool.

He adjusted the cuffs slightly, then turned and stepped into the corridor. The estate’s halls stretched ahead—sunlight slanting through the high windows, footsteps muffled by velvet runners, familiar walls now feeling a little unfamiliar. Or maybe that was just him. He wasn’t the same kid who used to trail behind Seraphine’s stride.

And the whispers began the moment he turned the corner.

A pair of maids passed by behind him, failing spectacularly at subtlety.

”He has Young Master Leon’s cuteness,” one whispered. ”But sharper... older. More handsome.”

”Did you see his eyes?”

”They are mesmerizing, I had never seen anything like it before.”

”But he do remind me of young master Leon.”

”No, no—he’s definitely older. Maybe a cousin? Or an older brother?”

”I thought the same! Like—if Young Master Leon had an older brother who was born from a romance novel.”

Leon kept walking, expression unreadable. But his thoughts?

...A romance novel, huh?

More murmurs followed from around the corner, down the hall, behind the curtains. Every maid he passed either paused, gasped, or turned away too late to hide their stares. Nobody recognized him. Not yet. Not with his height. His voice. His face.

So I’m handsome now and still cute. That’s going to be a problem.

He knew he still looked like a 15-year-old kid, only one year away from his age in the previous world, but mentally he was 19, but he considered himself quite a level-headed person despite his age.

He exhaled lightly and straightened his posture. Because right now, he had somewhere to be—before she called for him. Seraphine’s office. The place where all questions would be waiting. And maybe... a few answers, too.