The Doomed Prince Awakens
The novel's latest chapter opened with a grim declaration: The Shadow War Begins.
"What?"
I'd been deep into the story when my mind went blank. Almost against my will, I scrolled down.
Across the northern, southern, eastern, and western territories, the noble houses had ignited a war of love—all for the sake of a single woman. Some even called it a holy crusade, the Saint's way of proclaiming God's true will.
"Holy crusade, my ass." If a bunch of nobles started slaughtering each other just because they felt like it, what happened to everyone caught underneath them? In any large-scale war, the only ones who truly profited were the ones sitting back and giving orders. Even someone as politically clueless as me knew that much. Just look at the news—every war started by those bastards ended with ordinary civilians paying the price in blood.
Still, getting angry and dropping a five-thousand-word rant in the comments would only make me look pathetic. No point making enemies for no reason. I refused to fall into this dog-eat-dog world. The moment you did, you were rolling around in hell with the rest of the starving and dying.
After leaving that little bit of goodwill, I closed the novel and went to bed feeling oddly satisfied.
.. ... ....
"Please wake up, Your Highness."
"Fuck."
The moment I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling and an unfamiliar voice, I knew my careful plans had gone completely off the rails.
I gathered my thoughts and found myself staring straight into a pair of beastly pupils.
"What?"
"It is time to rise."
The owner of those sharp, cold eyes looked down at me as she spoke. Only then did I take in my surroundings. Yesterday I had fallen asleep in my tiny studio apartment, phone in hand. Now I was somewhere completely foreign.
Right in front of me stood an absurdly beautiful woman wearing a perfectly blank expression.
"Ren."
"Yes, I am here."
"My head feels like it's splitting open. Like I've become someone else entirely."
The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Wait—how did I even know her name?
Memories were currently wrestling for dominance inside my skull. The sensation was so nauseating I never wanted to experience it again.
Ren tilted her head slightly. "Shall I summon a physician?"
"They wouldn't come even if you did, right?"
"Strictly speaking, it would take roughly three days. That is how long it takes for a doctor from the Main Palace to arrive."
"Then I'll just rest a bit."
"Understood."
Ren nodded and returned to her usual spot—
"However, Your Highness."
"...Yes?"
"You have a morning schedule to attend."
"Ah."
Morning schedule. A bird chirped outside the window. Dawn was breaking. I rummaged through the jumbled memories and found the relevant information. The original owner of this wretched body was expected to follow the daily itinerary sent from the Main Palace, proving he was a worthy member of the imperial bloodline. It was less a duty and more a curse tied to his lineage.
"My body feels terrible. I think I need to cancel today's schedule entirely."
"You attempted the same excuse last time and received a warning from the inspector."
Inspectors too? Like some kind of royal hall monitor. I wanted to force myself up, but right now I desperately needed time to sort through everything.
"I'm serious, Ren. I really don't feel well."
"Hmm."
She placed a cool hand on my forehead, her expression indifferent.
"You are correct. You have a rather high fever."
"See?"
"That is not the point, Your Highness. Most people would be dead with a fever this severe."
Really? Aside from the headache, I felt fine. My limbs moved without issue and my thoughts were clear.
"Still, I think I'll be all right after a little rest."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Very well. However... please speak more casually with me. I am merely a servant assigned to Your Highness."
"Oh. Right."
Ren looked satisfied and returned to her designated seat—a small table and worn chair tucked into the corner of the vast room, existing solely for her.
I let out a long breath and lay back down, closing my eyes to organize the flood of information.
.. ... ....
Arzen von Eternia. The name "Eternia" marked him as royalty, the middle name "von" added a touch of grandeur, and "Arzen" was the name that now belonged to me—the owner of this body and this suddenly changed life.
I vaguely recognized the name. The problem was that in the original novel he was treated as an extra who quietly retired on his own. A pathetic extra among pathetic extras.
What the hell was this guy even doing?
I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. His position was so ambiguous it was almost impressive. He wasn't a commoner completely unrelated to the imperial family, yet he held no meaningful status either.
According to both the novel and the memories now flowing into me, Arzen lived a life of quiet convalescence in the Detached Palace rather than the Main Palace, thanks to his frail body and lowly bloodline. That situation had continued until this very moment.
"Ren."
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"I suddenly want to go back to South Korea."
"....? Where is that?"
"The place with electricity, modern civilization, and all my personal utopia."
Ren tilted her head, wearing her usual stoic expression. She probably thought this was just another one of the imperial family's eccentricities.
Her wolf ears twitched atop her head.
Beastkin. In the empire, any race that wasn't human was treated little better than livestock. And yet the imperial family had deliberately assigned one to serve at my side?
They really don't give a damn about me.
Even if I threw a fit about sullying the imperial honor, it wouldn't matter. The original Arzen had despised Ren in his heart but never once considered dismissing her. Because he was a coward, and because he lacked the power to send away someone the Main Palace had personally assigned.
She's still a proper imperial servant.
Someone chosen directly by the imperial family couldn't be dismissed by a lowest-ranking weakling like Arzen.
"Ren."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I swear on the imperial name that I won't hold you responsible for anything you say in the next few minutes. So answer honestly."
"Understood."
Ren watched me with her usual blank face.
"How many attendants are currently in this Detached Palace?"
"Including myself—your personal guard and secretary—there is the head attendant and one maid. Three in total."
"What do you think that means?"
"...."
"No, really. You can be honest. I won't punish you. I'll even swear it on my family name."
"Your position, Your Highness, is the weakest among all members of the great Eternia bloodline."
"...Hah."
The owner of this body—Arzen—was currently a kite with its string cut. He could disappear at any moment and no one would bat an eye.
Yeah. This is what being an extra looks like.
The fog in my mind cleared for a moment as I accepted reality. To nobles who valued honor and appearances above all else, Arzen's current situation was nothing short of social death. In this enormous building, only three people were officially assigned to him. Anyone could walk in and slit his throat without consequence.
And according to the novel, the first member of the Eternia imperial family to die was the original owner of this body.
Because there's treasure inside my body.
"Ren."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"If someone came to kill me tomorrow, what do you think would happen?"
"I would stop them."
I looked at her. I didn't know how strong Ren was at this point in time, but the fact that Arzen had died meant she hadn't been able to protect him.
She can't protect me. Not really.
That truth settled firmly in my mind. Which meant this Detached Palace offered me no real safety whatsoever.
This goddamn fantasy world.
I needed information. I had no idea whether an assassin would come for my neck tomorrow or next year. I had to understand my current situation as clearly as possible.
—I want to live.
The thought triggered a small change in my body.
"...?"
A wisp of black smoke rose from my fingertips.
"Whoa."
While I watched in fascination, the smoke gathered into a single point.
"Beep."
A small, round black mass appeared in my palm. A liquid monster. If I took it back to the modern world, it would probably fascinate people who enjoyed squishy tactile toys. Two yellow dots for eyes on a black blob.
I held it up toward Ren, half in disbelief.
"Ren, look at this. This must be my ability."
"Yes, that is indeed Your Highness's ability."
"My brothers and sisters shoot fire and ice, and all I get is this one liquid monster?"
"More precisely, it appears similar to a slime."
Liquid monster. Slime. Either way, one thing was certain: this tiny, fragile-looking summon couldn't protect me.
I'm screwed.
I finally understood why the original Arzen had died so pathetically. Every member of the Eternia bloodline possessed powerful skills. That was why they held the highest status and authority in this fantasy world.
Because they are loved by mana.
Mana—the touch of the divine. Those who carried Eternia blood could manifest magic instinctively. While others had to painstakingly draw magic circles with their own blood, these people could simply think "magic, appear" and it would happen.
"...."
So why was I the only exception?
"Beep beep."
Staring at the small creature crying softly in my palm, the throbbing in my head seemed to ease slightly. They said cute animals helped during stressful situations. At the very least, this thing might work as stress therapy.
I spent the rest of the day lying in bed, desperately clinging to my sanity while flipping through the various imperial documents and newspapers Ren brought me.