The room was dark. A bed sat in the corner.
A guy curled up on it, eyes bloodshot from staying up all night, reading his favorite novel on his phone.
Liam. A 20-year-old college student obsessed with stories.
That obsession? Might've been his biggest mistake… or not. Who knows. Haha.
Let's see what happens to him. Shall we keep going?
---
"Oh, you dumb noble. Dying right at the start?!
Swear, if I was you, I'd do better."
Liam muttered, red eyes locked on the screen.
And then—his phone froze.
"Huh?
What the hell?"
He shook it left and right. No use. Still dead.
Tried plugging it in… nothing.
He sighed, setting it down.
"Guess… that's my cue to sleep."
Eyes closed. …ding.
The screen lit up again. But now, just one message glowed:
[Liam Carter. You've been chosen to "fix the path" like you asked. Enjoy your trip… or not. We'll see.]
"A wha—"
Dragged. Sucked straight into the phone.
So fast he didn't even realize it.
And then silence filled the room.
ـــــــــــــــــــــ
(Current Location: The Grand Ballroom)
Everyone was busy chatting, talking politics, gossiping about the kingdom… when suddenly, Noble Edrian von Crossfield just… collapsed. Right there.
No movement. No breath.
People rushed around him immediately, guards sprinted in, but his personal aide… just sipped his glass of red wine and muttered:
"Finally… that man was about to drive me insane."
---
At that moment, Edrian's eyes cracked open slowly. The blinding lights above hurt. Everything blurry. Shapes of people all around him.
Ugh… my head… feels like it's on fire.
Has my suffering not ended yet? …Fk.*
His aide grumbled again, calling for another glass of wine.
---
"W-what?
Where am I?
Who are you?"
Lord Edrian's voice was shaky as faces around him started coming into focus.
"You're in the royal palace, my lord. Are you alright?"
One of the guards answered nervously.
"S-sir, wait—why are yo—"
---
"EDRIAAAAAAN!!"
A soft yet commanding voice cut through the noise.
Everyone stepped aside. A figure in a detailed red dress pushed through the crowd, shoving people aside without hesitation.
She knelt next to Edrian in an instant, cupping his face. Her golden hair slid over her shoulders, and the strong scent of perfume filled the air.
"Are you okay?! What happened to you?!"
She spoke so fast Edrian barely understood a word. He only managed:
"Uhh… who the hell are you?"
---
"I'm Valeria. Your fiancée.
Why are you acting like this?
Did something happen when you collapsed, Edrian?"
Valeria's words rushed out again. He didn't get a thing… again.
The crowd whispered theories and rumors around them. Even his aide, Victor, muttered under his breath:
"Uh… another escape attempt. Brilliant, my lord. Truly brilliant."
---
But inside Edrian's head, chaos was breaking loose:
Who even is Edrian?!
Where am I?
Who are these people?!
Why am I dressed like some stupid medieval noble?!
And why's everyone calling me Edrian?
I'm Liam. Just Liam.
---
As his thoughts spiraled and his fiancée's voice cracked in sobs because he'd "forgotten her,"
A blue screen popped up right in front of his face:
[Congratulations. You've successfully entered the novel.
Current name: Edrian von Crossfield.
First mission: Blend in.
Any failure will result in punishment… up to death.
Have a lovely day in social hell.]
The screen blinked out as soon as he finished reading.
Edrian tilted his head slightly toward the "imaginary camera" and muttered through his teeth:
"Why did I have to comment… while reading?"