PROLOGUE +CHAPTER 01
A fierce blizzard raged outside.
Inside a decrepit building that looked ready to collapse at any moment, icy wind knifed through the gaps where bricks had fallen away. Yet despite the bitter cold, the eyes of everyone gathered there burned with unwavering resolve.
At the head of the room sat a man with jet-black hair, cold in appearance, and deep blue eyes like a tranquil lake.
His name was Ethius von Clyde.
Had the late emperor not died prematurely when he was only five, allowing his uncle to usurp the throne, he would have become emperor himself.
Now, he had taken the first step toward reclaiming both the magnificent Cambute Palace and his rightful place as ruler of the Oswell Empire.
Everyone present had gathered for that same purpose.
“We’re planning to infiltrate Count Rusler’s estate and steal the Emperor’s letter. To bribe someone on the inside, we’ll need about 5,000 den.”
The moment the number was spoken, uneasy murmurs spread through the room.
“Five thousand den? Where are we supposed to get that kind of money?”
“We’ve run out of spare funds a long time ago.”
Every one of them wore ragged clothing, and even buying basic supplies had become difficult.
After stealing Ethius’s throne, the current emperor—his uncle—had frozen every asset Ethius possessed in the banks under one pretext after another.
All to keep him under control.
“…”
The reality was cruel.
They had no choice but to sleep while freezing winds seeped through the cracks of this crumbling building.
Crash—
Just as silence settled over the room at the impossible sum they needed…
Something suddenly landed outside the door with a heavy clatter.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
One of the men went outside and returned carrying a heavy sack onto the table.
“This is…”
They hurriedly untied it.
Snap.
The rope broke, followed by the bright, metallic sound of coins pouring together.
“…!”
The sack was packed full of glittering gold coins.
Ethius’s blue eyes rippled with emotion.
“It looks like… around 50,000 den, Your Highness.”
It was far more than enough to finance the infiltration of the count’s estate and still leave them with an enormous surplus.
“There’s… another note.”
The note read:
Move somewhere warm! (๑’ᗢ’๑)ฅ
Holding the small note in his large hand, Ethius’s eyes trembled ever so slightly.
Slowly, he lifted his gaze toward the blizzard raging beyond the window.
“…”
Someone who read the note after him pinched the bridge of his nose, as though holding back tears.
Voices of heartfelt gratitude erupted throughout the room.
“How can someone this angelic even exist…?”
“When the revolution succeeds, we have to repay our benefactor somehow!”
Ethius’s lips parted ever so slightly.
In a quiet voice, he murmured,
“Our benefactor…
…Is it you again?”
***
Winter in the Empire was merciless.
Blizzards so fierce they could erase everything only a few feet ahead.
Huff… huff…
Fortunately, I’d run this route enough times after secretly dropping off money that finding the carriage I’d hidden in the distance wasn’t difficult.
Brushing the snow from my hands, I climbed aboard.
My butler, Heros, dusted the snow off my shoulders.
“My lady… where exactly did you leave all that money?”
Handsome and gentle, with brown hair and matching brown eyes, Heros looked at me curiously.
I flinched before deliberately knitting my brows into a haughty expression.
“Must I report every little thing to you?”
“M-My lady! No, of course not. I didn’t mean it that way…”
A twinge of guilt struck me as I watched him panic.
But it couldn’t be helped.
I was secretly funding a revolutionary army plotting treason.
“Enough. Let’s head home.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
The carriage began moving.
As darkness gathered outside, my reflection appeared in the window.
My name was Katrin Elemore.
With dazzling pink hair and brilliant violet eyes, I was the only daughter of one of the three wealthiest noble families in the Empire.
I was also infamous as the Poison Rose of House Elemore, feared for my arrogance and cruelty.
“Oh, right. Father’s treasures.”
My father was Duke Luciano Elemore, the Emperor’s right-hand man.
A man whose authority was so immense that even birds supposedly fell from the sky at his command.
Neither he nor my mother had ever been affectionate people.
Both were cold by nature and endlessly busy.
Even as their only child, I was never showered with parental love.
I wasn’t neglected.
Nor was I abused.
I simply grew up in a detached household where I spent money however I pleased and threw childish tantrums whenever I wanted.
“So… how much did everything sell for at the auction?”
Heros quickly pulled a notebook from inside his jacket and checked his records.
“All seventy-eight items sold.”
“The total came to 3.1 million den.”
“Not bad.”
A satisfied smile curled across my lips.
Since 10,000 den was roughly equivalent to one hundred million won, that meant about 31 billion won.
“My parents certainly left behind a profitable inheritance.”
“I… suppose they did.”
Ah.
A few months ago, both my parents had died in an accident.
That made me the owner of the vast fortune of House Elemore.
What?
You think smiling while selling your dead parents’ possessions is heartless?
If I had really been Katrin Elemore, then yes.
***
That’s right.
I was someone who had transmigrated into this world.
A few months earlier, on the very day of the Duke and Duchess of Elemore’s funeral, I had awakened in Katrin’s body, flooded with all of her memories.
The novel I’d transmigrated into was called Star of the Revolution.
It was a story about a revolution that unfolded in the Oswell Empire, featuring numerous characters—including Katrin herself.
Ethius von Clyde was the novel’s protagonist.
Although his uncle stole the imperial throne from him, he never gave up.
After overcoming countless hardships, he successfully led a revolution and reclaimed the throne.
More importantly… Ethie was my absolute favorite character.
There had been a time when workplace bullying had made my life miserable.
Back then, watching Ethius endure endless hardships and continue moving forward had comforted me.
His unbreakable determination—his refusal to surrender despite walking a path covered in thorns before finally earning a glorious victory—
I’d fallen hopelessly in love with him all by myself.
In the novel…
His revolution succeeded.
The problem was that the ending was unbelievably awful.
After suffering through unimaginable hardships to reclaim the throne, he became emperor…
Only to die not long afterward from all the accumulated damage to his body.
After becoming completely absorbed in the story and cheering him on the entire time, I couldn’t stop myself from leaving the author a furious comment.
Author, are you seriously a psychopath?
I endured watching him crawl through the mud, starve, and get beaten half to death. But after he finally survives all that and finally becomes emperor…
You kill him?
What grudge do you possibly have against Ethius to treat him like this?
Do you have any idea how much he suffered?!
You terrible author!
Did you really have to kill him just to feel satisfied?!
After venting all my rage, I angrily fell asleep.
When I woke up…
It was the day of the Duke and Duchess of Elemore’s funeral.
Anyway, after realizing I’d transmigrated and struggling to process Katrin’s memories flooding into my mind, I finally steadied myself.
That’s when I noticed a single letter lying in the corner of my vision.
To Our Beloved Reader,
As a special gift for the reader who loved Star of the Revolution and its protagonist, Ethius, we have prepared an exclusive transmigration event.
Do you like it?
Leave behind the frustrating confines of printed words and step into the story itself, where you can personally help the protagonist, Ethius.
If you fulfill the following conditions, you will be given the opportunity to return to your original world.
Conditions
- Ensure Ethius von Clyde’s revolution succeeds.
- Ensure Ethius von Clyde survives for three years after the revolution’s success.
But that’s not all!
If you fail to meet these conditions…
You will simply die.
So please don’t worry too much.
We wish you the best of luck.
One more thing.
The item placed beneath this letter should prove useful.
P.S. It would be best if the person you’re supporting never discovers that you are his benefactor.
If you wish to return home safely, that is.
