Chapter 8
Chapter 8
‘I’m possessed by a novel?’
Angela Goldrun didn’t despair as much as one might expect when she first realized it.
She was surprised, of course—anyone would be.
She had been living a perfectly ordinary life in the modern world, only to wake up as a baby in a medieval fantasy world. Not just any fantasy world, but the one from a romance fantasy novel she had read.
But soon her thoughts settled.
‘I’m neither the heroine nor the villainess.’
That was a relief.
In modern romance fantasy novels, those roles were always the most stressful.
The villainess struggling to avoid ruin, the fiancée searching for a better husband, the reincarnated character seeking revenge—they all had exhausting lives.
The heroine attracted incidents, the villainess got trampled, and the fiancée was abandoned by the male lead.
So just by not being any of the three, life was comparatively easy.
Moreover, this world was not that bad to live in.
If it had been a male-oriented fantasy, it might have taken years just to install basic plumbing. Soap, shampoo, hot water, heating—everything would have needed to be reinvented.
But female-oriented romance fantasy was different.
It looked medieval on the outside, but all conveniences necessary for noble life were already in place. There were shower-like devices with hot water, magical tools to keep summer cool and winter warm.
It was a perfectly “romance fantasy” world.
And Angela immediately remembered the title of the novel she had entered:
[The Auto-Hunting Prince]
The name was unusual, but she had read it all the way through because she was familiar with the author. Even when other works leaned heavily on villainess plots, regret, or revenge, this one had an older style.
It wasn’t flashy or dopamine-packed—it read smoothly.
The prince fell in love with a saintly heroine who understood him, while the fiancée villainess tried to oppress them. The prince ultimately crushed the villainess and dismantled the noble houses and church that tormented the heroine.
Thanks to the heroine, no one died unnecessarily, but the prince’s hands were fairly ruthless.
Revenge was complete, and romance developed steadily.
It was classic and satisfying.
‘Where exactly do I fit in this plot as an extra?’
That was the problem.
Angela remembered the Goldrun name had appeared once or twice in the novel, but she couldn’t recall exactly where or in what context.
It was slightly disappointing, but not enough to matter.
Being a non-main character wasn’t so bad. She could meet the protagonists in person eventually.
She decided to adapt to the world of the novel with that in mind.
The Goldrun family was a newly established noble house in the Human Empire.
During the reign of Louan’s grandfather, the former emperor, the family had generously funded the emperor’s Western campaign and even followed him as merchants, supplying vast amounts of provisions.
Of course, it wasn’t free. They were rewarded appropriately and became one of the wealthiest families in the capital.
But the former emperor didn’t stop there.
After the war’s victory, many titles and honors were distributed. The Goldruns, despite their commoner origins, were recognized for their contributions and became nobles.
A noble family born of opportunity.
And the eldest daughter of that family was Angela Goldrun.
What benefited Angela was that her family wasn’t a traditional, ancient noble house.
Had they been, she would have had almost no voice in family affairs, merely waiting for strategic marriage while receiving “noblewoman training.” Any interest in developing skills would have been suppressed under the guise of etiquette.
But the Goldruns were different.
Even after gaining noble status, they lived in a merchant-like manner.
The emperor had expected this. Both Angela’s grandfather and her father, Giovanni, had received no formal aristocratic training.
So Angela, while a noblewoman, grew up like a merchant heir.
“Father, I came up with a new product idea.”
“Hmm… this?”
It began as a small suggestion.
Angela had thought of a way to make perfume more elegant and refined by controlling the scent’s release: how it hit the nose first and how it lingered at the end.
“This method will make the fragrance spread more harmoniously.”
Giovanni smelled it carefully and asked,
“Other artisans wouldn’t be able to replicate it easily, right?”
“It requires secret ingredients. It would be difficult.”
“Secret ingredients… good. Then I’ll entrust this perfume business to you.”
“Me? Really?”
Angela was surprised, but Giovanni remained calm.
“Our family can’t live blending with other nobles, so it’s better you learn to live like a merchant in advance.”
“Why? Is there a problem with our family?”
Angela’s heart skipped a beat. What if she never got to meet the protagonists in the novel?
Giovanni, unaware of his daughter’s thoughts, gave a wry smile.
“I looked for etiquette tutors to prepare you for the ball, but no one would take the job, even for a large sum.”
The truth was clear.
The traditional nobility of this world distrusted newly ennobled commoners.
It wasn’t exactly contempt—it was vigilance.
The power of commoners was rising, and the old nobility could feel their influence reaching their ankles.
New nobles, rewarded for war contributions but still connected to merchants, artisans, and commoners, were the problem.
To traditional nobles, this was both disrespectful and threatening.
Nobles were supposed to maintain distance from commoners, weren’t they?
Even if the old nobles maintained distance, they would still have dismissed the new nobles. But the fact that the new nobles continued to collaborate with commoners aggravated the issue further.
So the traditional nobility built higher walls.
They blocked outsiders from entering noble society and made it difficult even to learn noble etiquette and culture.
A petty fight to maintain entrenched privileges.
In this environment, Giovanni took a different approach.
Rather than seeking approval from the nobles, he decided to become wealthy enough that the nobles could not ignore him.
He would build a tower of gold.
Though those who built the Tower of Babel incurred divine wrath, Giovanni, a titled noble, could only draw the nobles’ disapproval without them daring to interfere directly.
And indeed, many merchants flocked to him.
The heirs, too, had to prove their talents.
Angela, from a young age, designed new products and sold them to noblewomen at high prices—a perfectly desirable outcome.
Perfume, followed by soap, then shampoo, and finally conditioner.
She made a name for herself as a merchant.
At the same time, her reputation as a noblewoman declined.
That was inevitable.
In noble society, a woman involved in money-making was never looked upon kindly.
Still, Angela didn’t care much.
‘Even so, our family is a legitimate noble line. Someday I should get to meet the protagonists.’
That was what mattered most.
One day, news arrived of Prince Manuel’s ball.
“Baron Goldrun, we hope you will attend Prince Manuel’s ball.”
Giovanni received an unexpected visitor: Mihai Gidian.
Mihai had been a brilliant general during the former emperor’s wars. Though he was promoted from baron to count and gained significant territory, he chose the capital over the provinces.
He valued proximity to the royal family more than land.
Serving near the current emperor, he recently became aide to the influential heir, Prince Manuel.
Mihai remembered the Goldrun family’s loyalty during the old emperor’s campaigns and came seeking to rekindle that bond with Giovanni.
Once Louan was sorted out, Manuel would be the confirmed heir.
Giovanni was asked to support the royal family from the side.
Money was important to nobles. Hundreds of gold coins were trivial for setting trends, asserting status, and flaunting authority.
Giovanni paused, then slowly spoke.
“Phew… I can’t go personally. My appearance would send too strong a signal.”
Indeed, Giovanni appearing at the ball would essentially declare his intent to curry favor with the royal family. It could unsettle the merchants under him.
So he offered another option.
“I’ll send my daughter. She’s wise enough to avoid major mistakes. Just attending quietly should suffice.”
Unfortunately, Giovanni had no adult sons. Angela was his only adult child.
Mihai judged that Angela Goldrun, already prominent in the social scene, would be sufficient.
He valued her ability as a merchant and saw that she could continue her family’s legacy.
And, as a woman, she could potentially be tied by marriage.
Angela was thrilled.
“Prince Manuel’s ball?”
Her eyes sparkled.
Giovanni cleared his throat, seeing his daughter so excited.
“Yes. It’s your first time—be careful and cautious.”
“But what’s the reason for this ball?”
“It’s to celebrate the prince’s wife’s pregnancy.”
Angela nodded but her mind was already elsewhere.
Prince.
Ball.
Capital nobility.
And…
‘Will the novel’s protagonists be at this ball? That’s the important part.’
There was one issue.
Mihai wanted only a brief attendance as a show of support for Manuel. There was no need to mention Louan’s attendance.
For ordinary nobles, there was no reason to approach Louan first.
He ignored etiquette, acted violently, and approaching him could invite trouble.
Why would any ordinary noble make the first move?
Right.
For ordinary nobles.
But Angela was different.
She was a reader-turned-extraneous character in the novel.
How could she resist the chance to meet the protagonists in person?
Angela spent that night clutching her blanket, tossing and turning.
‘Since it’s the prince’s ball, it must be a real noble gathering.’
‘Could I meet the villainess? Has the heroine appeared yet? No, the male lead! I might meet him!’
She stayed up all night, too excited to sleep.
The next day, she went to the ball.
And the moment she saw Louan…
She couldn’t hold back.