Where were we?
Oh right...I got reincarnated into that ridiculous manhwa.
Honestly, if I had ended up as a background character, a sidekick, or even an extra...regardless of gender, I wouldn't have complained. My life sucked anyway. But being reborn as the heroine's love interest? Or worse, the prince male lead? Yeah, the odds were slim.
And yet… somehow, I ended up in the prince's body.
Lucky? Maybe. But the real twist? I know this is a plot within a plot. It's confusing, I know.
But give me some credit...I haven't lost my mind. Not yet.
*Knock… knock…
A sudden knock snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts.
"Yes?" I replied, trying to sound calm and collected.
"…Excuse me, Your Highness. May I come in?" came a weary, anxious voice from the other side. An old man, by the sound of it.
If I let him in, he'll probably notice something's off. But if I don't? Same outcome. Suspicious either way.
"…" I hesitated, scrambling for a plan.
"…Your Highness?" he asked again, more concerned now. I guess he's starting to realize something's wrong. I haven't left this room once in the nine hours since I got reincarnated.
"...uhmm (coughs) not right now, I'm working on something," I said, trying to sound like the prince from the manhwa. Problem is—I don't know his accent, his tone, or how he actually speaks. I only skimmed a few speech bubbles.
"…Understood, Your Highness. I will leave now. If you need anything, please call," the old man replied. His footsteps faded down the hallway. For now, I was safe.
Sound of me sinking into the couch...
"Huuuuh…" I sighed, brushing my hair back with my hands and staring at the ceiling. "What do I do now?"
I tried to recall the plot again, still in disbelief over what just happened.
I looked down at my hands...clean, smooth, elegant. Even the tissue beneath the skin looked refined. Just from this alone, I could tell this body was gorgeous.
Yeah, I knew what the prince looked like. But experiencing it firsthand? Owning it? That's a whole different story. Six-pack abs, golden blond hair, cyan eyes, this guy was genetically blessed. I used to envy guys like this. Now I am living like one.
"…What the hell am I doing?" I muttered, pulling down my shirt and standing up. "I need to figure out my situation."
First things first...where am I?
Oh, right. I forgot to mention: I'm in the freaking Middle Ages. You know, knights, horses, carriages, kings, queens, the whole medieval package. And now I'm smack in the middle of it.
And, by the look of the interior and that old man, I think I'm in the capital's Palace.
In the original story, before the pig (the MC/Pig who also got reincarnated) enters the scene, there's a ball on the prince's 18th birthday. That night, the prince helps the heroine escape some trouble—don't ask me what—and they share a dance. He thinks she loves him for who he is. Cue the romantic clichés.
But here's the twist: his fiancée, the duke's daughter, aka the villainess...gets jealous and lashes out at the heroine. And honestly? She's 100% justified. The dumb prince never broke off the engagement. He was two-timing.
"…Huuuuuh," I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Freaking bastard."
My brain was spinning. This plot is a mess, and now I'm living in it.
"…Oh right. I just have to cancel the engagement and move far away from the palace," I muttered.
"The problem is, I'm the only son of the king. That's bound to stir up trouble."
I sank back into deep thought.
"What if I just leave everything to the pig?" I mused. "I mean, he ends up ruling the land anyway."
If you're wondering why I'd willingly hand over the kingdom to him and not fight for it...honestly, it's just not worth it. It's exhausting. Why would I bother? Even if I tried, he arrived in this world way earlier than I did and worked his ass off to climb the ranks… Wait, no. He didn't. He just exploited the future plotlines.
So yeah, walking away might be the smartest move. But I need to make sure he actually becomes king before I disappear.
"But… the timeline," I muttered. That's the real problem. I don't know when exactly I got reincarnated in the story. So, I'm stuck until I figure that out.
I started rummaging around for a pen and paper to jot down the plot, everything I remember, especially after the pig's reincarnation.
Sounds of drawers and cabinets opening…
"Yes! Found it."
I sat down and began writing everything I could recall. But when I looked at the paper, the characters were completely unfamiliar. I didn't recognize a single one but somehow, I knew how to write it… Must be the language of this body, this country speaks something entirely different.
"Well then… let's write everything in my hometown language."
…..
"And that's all, I guess…"
I scribbled down everything I could remember, from the plot before the pig's interventions, to the chaos that followed after. Five full pages.
"Only the major plot points matter, not the background," I muttered. I even disguised it all in riddles. If that pig ever saw it, he wouldn't understand a damn thing.
"Alright, time to get out of this fancy-looking room," I said, tying the papers together and stuffing them into my pocket.
"…Hmmm?"
Just as I turned toward the door, something shiny caught my eye on the drawer's table.
It's not that I'm greedy or trying to look rich now that I'm the prince. It's just… ever since I was a kid, I've had a thing for shiny objects. Rings especially. I used to dream of owning a Jewelry store filled with them.
"Daaamn, this one's insanely valuable," I whispered, staring at a diamond ring engraved with the letter 'A'.
"I think the prince's name starts with A… but I forgot it."
Yeah, I don't even know the name of the body I'm in. It was long and boring, so I just call him "the prince."
Funny enough, my real name also starts with A. So… win-win.
I slipped the ring onto my finger.
"Nice."
"Now I think that's everything…"
I braced myself, mentally and physically...for whatever lay beyond that door.
This isn't just some fictional tale anymore. It's my life now.
"Huuuuh…" I sighed.
"Here goes everything," I said, gripping the door handle and pulling it open.
.
.
.