The glowing message hovered in front of her eyes like a ghost. Yoon Haejin, 19, introvert, manga addict, and full-time NEET, blinked groggily at the screen. Her fingers twitched. She didn't remember clicking anything.
But she must have.
Because the next thing she knew—
Crash.
She fell.
Not onto her keyboard. Not onto her bed.
Onto a man.
A very handsome man.
With blonde hair, a red brooch, and a startled expression that quickly turned into something else—something like awe.
He caught her mid-fall, arms strong, eyes wide. For a moment, he stared at her face, mesmerized.
Then he dropped her.
"Ow!" Haejin winced, rubbing her hip. "My glasses… where are my glasses?"
The prince blinked. "Glasses?" he repeated, clearly confused.
She squinted up at him. "I can't see without them! Did you drop them? Did I drop them?"
Before he could answer, a maid rushed in, breathless. "Princess! We must hurry! The engagement ceremony is tonight!"
"Princess?" Haejin echoed, stunned.
The maid didn't wait. She grabbed Haejin's arm and dragged her through a corridor into a room bursting with maids, fabrics, and perfume.
"Quick! The princess must be ready!"
Haejin stumbled, still blind, still confused. "I'm not a princess! I'm—"
She stopped.
Across the room stood a girl with blue eyes, graceful posture, and a face like porcelain.
The real princess.
Haejin stared directly at her, unable to process anything. A maid shoved a folded dress into her hands.
"Iron this. Quickly."
"Wait, what?"
Suddenly, a screen popped up in front of her again.
Mission: Iron the Dress
"I can't see!" Haejin cried.
The system responded instantly.
Display enhanced.
Her vision sharpened. The room came into focus. The dress shimmered in her hands.
"What is going on?" she whispered.
The system answered.
You have been selected as an NPC for the special event: The Engagement Ceremony.
Upon completion of the event, you will be discarded.
"Discarded?" Her voice cracked. "You mean… I'll die?"
Correct.
"When is the event?"
Tonight.
Her hands trembled. The dress nearly slipped from her fingers.
She had just arrived in this world.
And she was already scheduled to disappear.
Yoon Haejin – NPC Status Screen
Stamina: 45
Intelligence: 88
Dexterity: 52
Luck: 10
Charm: 3
System Access: Limited
Role: NPC
Rank: SSS+
Special Trait: Unknown
To be continued...