I woke up screaming.
Which was rude of me, because the bedroom was very nice.
Sunlight filtered through lace curtains. The bed was soft. The air smelled faintly of lavender and money.
…Promising.
I slapped my own face.
"Ow."
Good. Sensation confirmed. Still alive. Again.
I lay back down and stared at the canopy above me, my mind spinning at a speed that would absolutely get me scolded by a concerned doctor.
Before waking up here I was playing an otome game called Crown of Thorns and Roses at three in the morning, fueled by spite and instant noodles.
And before waking up in this random body?
Han Joon-ho. Studying for university entrance exam. Chronic insomniac. Excellent at making doubious life decisions.
…Yeah. This was definitely reincarnation.
I rolled onto my side and groaned into a pillow.
"Tsk. How did I even die? There was literally no truck-kun or partner cheating on me with a random two faced-bitch who pretended to be my best friend. Also, I wasn't an orphan or abused."
There was no answer. Of course, that was a good sign. If the pillow started talking back, I'd have to worry about being inside someone mentally incapacitated.
I pushed myself upright and took in the room properly. It looked certainly beautiful, with ornate furniture and soft colors.
The exact layout that I never once saw in the godforsaken game, because this boy was probably just that unimportant. Now that I looked better, there was a huge mirror in front of my bed, awaiting for my reaction.
Which meant—
"Oh no."
Not oh no like mild inconvenience.
Oh no like this world has four male leads who are obligated to murder me in different ways.
I scrambled out of bed and rushed to the mirror.
Brown hair. Soft blue eyes. A face not handsome enough to be noticed or interesting enough to be remembered.
Okay. Checklist time.
Name: Atlas Vale.
Status: Minor noble. Background character. Human disposable cup. No personality.
Last memory I have of him: dead.
I pressed my forehead to the glass.
"Okay. Calm down. This is fine."
It wasn't fine. But panic never improves survival rate, especially since I didn't have any kind of divine protection.
I inhaled deeply and reviewed everything I knew.
This was an otome game. The heroine, Sybille, would arrive at the academy in exactly four months as a saintess candidate. Romance routes would trigger and, of course, tragedy would ensue.
And Atlas Vale...
He existed to demonstrate how dangerous the male leads were.
Basically a narrative sacrifice.
I ticked them off on my fingers.
Lucien Aurelian, the beautiful, sexy Crown Prince. Of course, he was ruthless and killed people like it was nothing. He executed Atlas for 'knowing too much about Sybille'. Let's just call it petty jealousy, since this too much was never mentioned.
Cassian Nocturne. Duke of the North. Like, the cliche cold stone one. He killed this dude during a political purge I skipped. Not my fault, okay? Nobody reads political filler. Either way, he didn't look regretful about it for even half a second.
Elinor Seraphim. The apprentice of the mage master. I, of course, don't know why but he turned this pitiful character into a some kind of test subject in his research journal.
Rowan Hale. Knight Commander. Kitty yandere, I suppose. He stabbed without second thought because he was worshipping a major villainess that bullied Sybille.
…Worst harem ever.
I got up.
"But," I said aloud, pointing at my reflection, "that only happens if I get involved with the plot."
Atlas Vale only died when he crossed paths with the heroine or the male leads.
Which meant the solution was obvious.
I. Must. Avoid. Everyone.
No conversations. No coincidences. No being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
I would live quietly. Breathe quietly. Exist quietly.
I would be so irrelevant even my own family would forget my name.
Satisfied with my flawless logic, I rang for my maid.
She entered promptly, curtsying. "Good morning, Lord Atlas."
"Good morning—"
Not even the time to finish that she stripped me naked.
Um. Excuse me but, what are we?
To be honest, getting bathed, dressed and braided made me feel like I was some kind of toy. A doll?
Which, of course, didn't bother me that much. Actually, it didn't bother me at all. If I graduate quietly without dying, I might as well just live like this for the rest of my life.
"Lord Atlas, have a good day."
"Ah, of course. You too."
As I walked out, I could see why this was called the Imperial Academy.
'How did they even manage to fund all of this? There's gold, statues and flawless carpets everywhere. The uniforms are quite pretty, too.'
Breakfast was also delicious, full of desserts, it passed rather peacefully with no male leads on sight.
This was a day before the official start of the school year, to adjust and stuff like that. I'm currently a first year, just like the female lead.
Why not look around properly?
By mid‑morning, my confidence fully returned.
See? I'm fine!
Then I remembered something while I was strolling outside to explore.
"…The garden."
Atlas Vale's first canonical appearance.
It was a single line of dialogue. A polite greeting. And of course, a death flag.
I froze.
In the game, this was where the Crown Prince first noticed him.
Which meant—
"Nope. Absolutely not. I must be an idiot."
I turned on my heel and marched in the opposite direction.
Straight into someone.
I looked up.
Tall. Golden hair. Red eyes sharp enough to slice destiny in half.
Lucien Aurelian.
The Crown Prince.
My soul attempted to leave my body.
"…I apologize for my carelessness, Your Imperial Highness." I said automatically, bowing so fast I nearly broke my neck.
Why were such manners even required?
He studied me in silence, I could feel it.
God, he felt way sexier in real life. That was unfair.
Say nothing. Don't be memorable. Disappear. Say nothing. Don't be memorable. Disappear. Say nothing. Don't be memorable. Disappear...
As I straightened, I stole a glance.
'Wow. Who would've thought, he looks exactly like his sprite.'
Lucien stiffened.
'What the hell is he flinching at? I mean, he's crazy in the head, after all. I swear I don't know your life story, so, you know...just leave me be.'
He took a step closer.
"I've never seen you before," he said coolly.
Who would even know all the students attending this big academy, especially new ones? Either way, please keep it that way.
"I am Lord Atlas Vale," I replied, keeping my voice small. "If Your Highness will excuse me—"
He tilted his head.
For the split second I looked at him, his expression gave me chills.
Terrifying.
My stomach dropped.
That gaze was never a good sign.
I fled.
Literally. I turned and walked away at a speed just shy of running, my heart hammering.
Okay. Minor setback. Very minor. Besides, he didn't kill me on sight. That's not bad.
By afternoon tea—I don't know why this is mandatory—I had convinced myself it was fine.
Coincidences happened. This was an Imperial Academy, after all. Why wouldn't I run into the descendant of a founder?
"Have you heard? The saintess candidate was apparently raised in the slums. How ridiculous is that? Tsk, I don't want to share the same space as a dirty commoner."
...
'Dang. That's ruthless. I mean, I do know that the female lead is going to get bullied but isn't she still the candidate for a position compared to that of a high ranking noble? This makes no sense. I would know my place if I were them.'
Honestly, what sounded funnier was the word commoner. That's such a ridiculous word, in general.
"They say she's as ugly as a toad! No wonder, she grew amongst mold, after all!"
Their cruel laughs made my skin crawl. 'What would Atlas even say during such gatherings?'
That aside, the female lead was actually outstandingly beautiful. Shiny silver hair, beautiful purple eyes, soft features.
She basically outshines the sun.
"Hah, more than that, she simply won't ever compare to Lady Karen!"
Dude, she doesn't want you. Wait, did he say Karen...
Bright red hair flipped back elegantly. "Lord Shoo, your kind words flatter me."
Ah...
My dead mate.
More specifically, the main villainess of the first part of the story that I'm supposed to worship, who gets killed by Lucien.
Sitting at the same table as me, I almost forgot she existed.
Karen Neesha. A beautiful woman. A smart woman. In general, she was outstanding.
Just, not as much as Sybille, apparently.
None of my business.
"Excuse me," I discreetly said "I'll take my leave, my head hurts."
"Of course, Lord Atlas, get well soon. We'll see you tomorrow."
I smiled politely, nodding along.
'Damn, I'd rather not.'
As I walked away, I saw someone that made my blood run cold.
A certain knight childhood friend glaring at me.
Rowan Hale.