I was Reincarnated as an Incompetent Leader with Zero Popularity who met his downfall early on. Instead of banishing the hidden cheat Protagonist, I decided to embrace him, and somehow, I ended up being treated like a Hero instead. - Chapter 5

Maybe, just maybe, I had described Chrono as an “androgynous pretty boy” in the original story. That would explain it. The thought settled uncomfortably in my mind as I stared at the protagonist’s delicate features.

It made sense in context. Chrono, a cheat-level character, would go on to encounter numerous captivating women after being banished from The Grey Hawks. Almost all of them would fall for him, of course. For that to work, he needed to be extraordinarily attractive—someone who could hold their attention. Even Alva, a minor antagonist, had been designed with a handsome face.

As I continued to observe him, Chrono shifted, mumbling softly as he rolled over in his sleep.

The movement caused his blanket to slip, revealing a slender, undernourished frame dressed in rough, threadbare clothing. Perhaps feeling too warm, he had loosened the collar of his shirt. The gap exposed his collarbones and a hint of pale, smooth chest.

I stepped forward, intending to adjust the blanket. Then I froze.

Chrono had a chest.

Sure, everyone has a chest. But this? This wasn’t flat, lean muscle like I’d imagined for a boy. No, this was undeniably feminine.

Even on his—or rather, her—thin, almost malnourished frame, there were clear signs of female development. Subtle, yes, but unmistakable.

“Wha—WHAT?!”

The words escaped me in a shout, louder than I intended. The quiet room echoed with my voice. The shock of seeing something impossible and the shame of seeing something I absolutely shouldn’t collided violently in my mind.

Why is Chrono a girl?! This makes no sense! He’s supposed to be the male protagonist! Did I mess up the story somehow? Was this always the case, and I just didn’t notice?

No, it couldn’t be. Chrono being a girl fundamentally altered the dynamics of the entire story. And yet… here she was.
I stumbled back, my mind spinning. Fixing the blanket was no longer an option—I needed to leave. Now. There was no scenario in which it was okay for someone like me—a mentally middle-aged man, reincarnated into a villain’s body—to linger around a sleeping girl. Just standing there felt like a criminal act.
Memories of my past life flooded in—those crushing, humiliating moments on crowded trains when I’d been falsely accused of inappropriate behavior. The trauma of those accusations washed over me, paralyzing me with fear.

Panic gripped me, and I bolted for the door, desperate to escape. My only thought was to put as much distance as possible between myself and Chrono.

But the kitchen floor, polished to a mirror shine by Chrono’s diligent hands, had other plans. My feet slipped, and I went airborne.

The back of my head collided with the floor in a deafening crack, and the world blurred. As my consciousness ebbed, a fragment of memory floated to the surface.

“Hey, Mian said the floor’s filthy. You’re not eating until it’s spotless—make it shine like a mirror!”

“Y-yes, Alva… I understand.”

“What’s with that look? If you’ve got a problem, just leave. Go back to your little countryside village.”

“…That’s not an option.”

“Then shut up and work. No other party would take in a failure like you.”

“Only someone as generous as us would bother with you, right?”

The voice was my own. My old self’s voice, laced with mockery and condescension.

The disgust and anger it stirred in me was overwhelming. As my vision darkened completely, I was left with one overwhelming thought: If I could, I’d punch the old Alva right in the face.