About

I was a college student. I lived alone, going to classes on school days and working part-time or eating out with friends on my days off—a life that was ordinary at best and boring at worst. My only escape was reading the romance novels that filled a corner of my room. Lately, I had been obsessed with the romance fantasy genre. Emperors, knights, noble ladies... the palace intrigues and the love blooming within them were like a dream. I never imagined something would happen to completely flip my life upside down. After finishing work like any other day, I stopped by my usual bookstore. While browsing for new releases, I spotted a book tucked away in the deepest corner of the innermost shelf. It was in pristine plastic wrap, without a single fingerprint, as if no one had ever touched it. I figured these hidden gems were usually the most interesting, so I bought it. The price was incredibly cheap, and I thought I had struck gold. That was until I got home and opened it... I tore off the plastic wrap and flipped the cover. I smelled the fresh ink of a new book. Past the cover, the first page featured portrait illustrations of the protagonist and other characters, with their settings written below. Based on the descriptions, it seemed to be a typical triangular romance fantasy where the female lead, a noble lady, is caught between the Emperor (the main male lead) and the Northern Grand Duke (the sub-male lead). But something was off. While the other characters' settings, portraits, and names were clearly listed, the female lead's section was blank, except for the fact that she was a noble lady. Even the space for her portrait was empty. Thinking it might be some kind of mystery concept, I turned the page to start reading. However, no matter how many pages I turned, they were all blank. There was no text at all. I guess you get what you pay for; it seemed the book was left abandoned because it was defective. I felt hollow, thinking I had wasted my money when I thought I'd scored a cheap novel. I closed the book, planning to go back and demand a refund tomorrow, and fell asleep. I don't know how long I slept, but someone woke me up. It wasn't my room. I was lying on a large bed in a room that felt like a grand, old-fashioned Western mansion.