ERMS CH 01

Chapter 1

“Well, as long as the water’s good, I don’t mind.”

“Thank you! I’ll catch some good ones and come back!”

When I asked the seafood stall vendors if they’d buy what I caught, one of the men—a skinny fellow with a round belly—rolled his eyes at me suspiciously before finally answering.

I gave him a polite bow and walked off with light steps.

Anyway, a positive response was enough to make me feel like I was floating.

If I sell seafood and make some money, I’ll buy soap, clothes… and food.

Kreee—

Right on cue, the cry of a passing seagull rang pleasantly in the air. The distant blue sea shimmered beautifully under the sunlight.

Today marked my second day since transmigrating into a romance fantasy novel titled This Princess Commits Marriage Fraud.

When I first opened my eyes, I had been alone in a hut that was barely better than a ruin.

The reflection in the dust-covered mirror showed a thin but beautiful woman—and clearly someone with no family to speak of.

Maybe I possessed someone who had just starved to death from poverty.

Still, a hopeful hum escaped my lips.

“At least the sea’s right in front of the hut. I won’t starve.”

In my previous life, I had worked myself to the bone at a traditional food factory in a rural seaside town. I even gathered seafood by hand at low tide and sold it just to make ends meet.

Even then, I died crushed under my father’s gambling debts.

Before or after transmigration, my financial situation wasn’t much different… but at least here, there was no family dragging me into the abyss!

Who knew the side job of gathering seafood would come in handy here too? See? There’s nothing useless about learning something.

Fortunately, I quickly figured out which novel I had entered.

“All hail the Ilpein Empire! Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”

It was thanks to the newspaper boy I ran into earlier.

“Buy a paper! His Majesty’s glorious victory—he’s annihilated the magical beasts in the Northern Mountains! Read all about this incredible news!”

The boy, brimming with excitement, praised the Empire as he sold his papers.

The Ilpein Empire. The Northern Mountains’ magical beast subjugation.

That’s right.

The novel I had transmigrated into was a romance fantasy where the heroine, Nelloa—who herself transmigrates into a book—demands marriage as payment in exchange for lifting the curse of the emperor male lead, Bloden Ilpein. The title? This Princess Commits Marriage Fraud.

And this place was Snoril, a small port city of the Ilpein Empire.

It was the setting of a serial child kidnapping case—one that Bloden personally intervenes in. The criminals had been disguising themselves as commoners and accidentally kidnapped a noble child, mistaking him for an orphan. That’s how the case became public. While tracking it down, Bloden first meets Nelloa.

Well, that’s the original story.

The important question was who I was—and what role I played in it.

My name is Hailey, but I was never mentioned in the novel.

Unfortunately, that knowledge didn’t come from this body’s memories. I found out when the bakery owner in town called out to me by name.

Hailey.

It wasn’t a bad name. But thinking of it reminded me of that bakery owner, which soured my mood.

The moment he saw me, he shoved bread into my hands, saying I must be starving and exhausted all alone.

I thought he was a good person—until he mentioned his wife had gone back to her parents’ home and suggested we “talk quietly, just the two of us.”

He even offered to vouch for my identity and hire me at his bakery.

In the original story, employing someone without proper identification was illegal.

Which meant he clearly had ulterior motives.

I had smashed the bread into his face and cursed him out, but even now, thinking about it made me angry.

“Ugh, think positive. I secured a buyer, didn’t I?”

Muttering to myself, I glanced at my reflection in a shop window.

It had only been two days since transmigration, but the more I looked, the more I liked this face.

Every step made my platinum-blonde hair ripple and shine brilliantly. Against skin as white as a blank canvas, two clear blue eyes—like the refreshing sea—sparkled like jewels.

Even dressed in a worn brown one-piece and looking painfully thin, I still looked this good. I couldn’t help but wonder how I’d look with some healthy weight and decent clothes.

“Alright! Let’s eat well, sleep well, and get healthy! I’ll see just how pretty I can become!”

But for now, I was flat broke.

“To eat well, I need money first.”

I pictured the terrain by my hut.

One side was mudflat; the other was rocky. There should be octopus, sea cucumbers, crabs, turban shells, spoon worms, sea snails—plenty of shellfish to gather.

Since I’d secured a buyer, once I earned some money, I’d fence off the empty land near the house and raise chickens for eggs.

I should buy soybeans and chili peppers to make fermented paste. Or… maybe geese would be better than chickens?

The food culture here was different from my previous world, but I’d seen soybeans and chili peppers for sale in town, so getting them wouldn’t be hard.

If I struggle for two or three months, I’ll at least solve my food problem. It’ll probably take a year to fix the house and get things properly established, though.

Lost in calculations as I headed toward the quiet outskirts—

“Oh dear, looks like our little friend here got lost?”

A rough male voice pretending to sound kind reached my ears.

“Let go!”

If that had been all, I might have ignored it. But the sharp cry of a child made me turn my head.

Two sturdy men were gripping the arms of a boy who looked about six or seven.

The boy had short black hair and wore shorts. He looked wary of them, but the men merely smiled as if unbothered.

“We’ll help you find your parents. Where are they?”

“I said let go.”

The boy resisted, but the men paid him no mind.

“Tut-tut, such rude manners.”

“We said we’ll take you to your parents.”

The child looked around, as if searching for help.

And then it hit me.

This is a kidnapping scene!

I rushed toward them.

In the original novel, the kidnappers only targeted children who looked like orphans.

Which means if they see family nearby, they won’t touch the kid!

If I were a child, I might’ve been kidnapped too—but fortunately, this body was clearly at least twenty years old. I’d easily pass for an older sister with a late-born sibling.

“Max! There you are!”

Pretending I’d been running around searching, I gasped for breath and pulled the boy into a tight hug.

And I was startled.

Goodness.

His black hair was slightly messy but incredibly soft-looking. His skin was milky white, and his cheeks resembled freshly made rice cakes.

What kind of child looks like this…?

His wide eyes—round with no double eyelids—were a clear violet. Even at his age, his nose bridge was high, and his lips were naturally rosy, full, and perfectly shaped.

Neat yet adorable. Handsome yet pretty. Refined and noble-looking.

It was impossible to imagine just how handsome he would grow up to be.

Please don’t grow up ugly.

The thought flashed through my mind.

Then his brows drew together slightly, snapping me back to reality.

This wasn’t the time to be dazzled by a kid’s beauty.

I quickly frowned and pretended to check him over.

“You disappeared—do you know how worried I was? Are you hurt?”

I spotted a scrape on his knee. It looked like he’d fallen. Perfect.

“Oh my goodness! You fell already? I told you to watch where you’re going!”

“…Huh?”

His voice carried confusion. He was still young—probably not quick to catch on.