Prologue
“…Sigh.”
Even if the great age of transmigration has begun, isn’t it a bit much to find myself trapped in a novel I only sampled out of sheer boredom—one that has nothing to do with my usual preferences, and I only read out of curiosity?
And to make matters worse, I ended up in a female-oriented romantic fantasy novel!
Not only that, but I found myself as the character destined to end up in a messy situation in this romantic fantasy. Isn’t this a rather cruel twist of fate?
Well, I suppose I should count myself lucky that I didn’t end up gender-swapped as the female lead.
Anyway…
“…Damn it. I have no choice but to escape.”
I took a look around.
The room I was in was furnished with vintage furniture, most certainly designed as a private waiting area for four candidates.
This meant that by tomorrow, the four finalists would be starting their stay with the Third Northern Duchess, and the real romantic turmoil would begin.
Time was not on my side.
Once we started living together, escape would become much more difficult, so I needed to settle things today.
I glanced at my reflection in the mirror.
I saw glossy black hair and a lean but sturdy physique, along with slightly reckless and jaded crimson eyes.
Elden Raphelion.
A good-for-nothing who indulged in drinking and womanizing, a troublemaker who loved to stir chaos, and a cunning tactician unafraid of blood and pain—a complete battle junkie.
In other words, a character with a sharp mind but utterly unable to curb his primal instincts.
Luckily, since he was the sole heir of a declining earldom and his parents had already passed away, there would be no repercussions for my outrageous escape.
There wasn’t any real danger in breaking off the engagement with the Third Northern Duchess and going home—no harm would come to me whatsoever.
So, with that in mind, there was no need to think any longer.
“I forfeit.”
The plot of this novel revolved around the female lead, the youngest daughter of the Northern Duke and the heroine. Essentially, this world was made for her.
Getting involved with a woman like that would bring me nothing but trouble.
Besides, I didn’t want to compete in a marriage race for someone I had never even met, nor did I wish to become the Duke’s son-in-law; I could easily find myself buried in the troublesome affairs of the duchy until the day I die.
One might wonder, “Why doesn’t he just take advantage of being a transmigrator? Is he stupid? Why is he running away instead?”
Well, to answer that, I have just one thing to say. The heroine, along with me and the other three male leads, was headed for an awful and bitter fate.
For me, escaping this ridiculous romantic fantasy wasn’t just a choice; it was a necessity for my survival.
Click—
With that, I promptly left my room.
By tapping into this body’s memories, I was able to locate the office of the person managing the courtship contest for the female lead.
The official in charge was buried in paperwork and when he noticed me approaching, he wore a polite yet weary smile.
Unfortunately for him, however, he was about thirty seconds away from losing that smile.
“What brings you here, Lord Elden? Surely, you’re not here to make a special request about the cohabitation starting tomorrow, are you? Hahaha, haha—”
I’m sorry, but I refuse to drown in tears of regret, exhaustion, or obsession over mistakes I didn’t even make.
And I absolutely refuse to be entangled with the foolish trio destined for eternal regret while chasing after the heroine.
To me, a modern-day Korean man who suddenly found himself in a medieval setting, the suffering of those shackled by aristocratic decorum was far less appealing than my freedom.
And just like that, I declared my departure from the final candidacy.
“So, I hereby declare my forfeiture of the Third Northern Duchess’s courtship contest.”
And just like that, I announced my escape from being a candidate for the Third Northern Duchess’s engagement.
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