Prologue
It's the most common trope in any novel's world: the protagonist or someone close to them transmigrates.
Of course, it's always been just a cliché. It wasn't always true.
That's because I was the exception.
Ismail.
The character who gets mentioned in one single line from the romance fantasy novel Isabella of Hawar — in the southern kingdom, a line from the villainous love interest: “Such a person existed, didn't he?”
That was my name.
“Shame, though. I don't seem destined to connect with any of the characters in this story.”
The southern kingdom only appears a few times in the early and late parts of the work, never again.
How could they even just slap the name “southern kingdom” onto an entire nation?
Anyway, since it had come to this, I decided to completely ignore the original novel and live out the life of a normal transmigrated protagonist in this world.
It was perfect timing — my father had just assigned me as governor of the coastal port city of Meknes.
Two months into my new post.
The fleet that had been on expedition returned and brought tribute to me, the governor.
“They captured a beauty from a neighboring kingdom!”
“Moulay! The most glamorous captive in the enemy's flagship was a blonde with beautiful blue eyes!”
… Wait a second.
“Please… hick… don’t touch me… I beg you…”
The woman being dragged in by my loyal black subordinates.
“Isabel de Austria…?”
“W-what, how did you know my name?”
She’s the original heroine of the work.