Chapter 1
“The Star of the Empire, His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, has arrived!”
At the announcement echoing through the ballroom, everyone’s attention turned toward the entrance.
A man dressed in a neat navy military uniform stepped forward through the expectant silence.
Then, beneath his perfectly styled black hair, his green eyes curved into a gentle smile.
“Oh my…”
Admiring sighs naturally spread throughout the hall.
With his presence alone, he dominated the atmosphere as he gracefully walked to the platform.
Ivan Pell Erzette.
With his beauty, manners, and flawless character, he was the most desirable bachelor in the Empire.
“I heard His Highness visited the slums in the eastern region again this year and personally cooked meals for the children.”
“They say he donated an enormous amount of money to help with the northern avalanche disaster. He must be an angel sent from heaven.”
“Just a few days ago, he even traveled to the dangerous borderlands to encourage the soldiers himself. He’s the perfect future emperor.”
While everyone continued praising Ivan…
“Haah…”
I was hiding in a corner of the ballroom, finally catching my breath.
“I can finally breathe again.”
The moment I saw Ivan’s face, I had completely forgotten how to breathe. I almost fainted before I managed to calm myself down.
Why was I reacting like this after seeing his face?
“No way… My favorite looks even better with his bangs down. His face is absolutely legendary! The two-hour trip to get here was totally worth it!”
Because Ivan was my favorite character.
When I secretly looked toward the hall again, his breathtakingly handsome face came into view.
Whenever he smiled, it was as if starlight poured down around him.
“Yes… this is it. This is what a perfect face looks like.”
“At this rate, I should just live in this world forever.”
Not long ago, I had been reincarnated into the romance novel I was reading, The Monster Duke’s Doll.
There was just one small problem.
The novel was still ongoing, so no one knew the identity of the final mastermind who had murdered hundreds of people.
Anyway, my favorite character, Ivan, was known throughout the story as the perfect future emperor and the greatest angel the Empire had ever seen.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t the one the heroine ended up with.
“That’s exactly why I like him.”
Like every tragic second male lead, Ivan secretly supported the heroine, Shana, and the male lead’s love.
He protected her.
Helped her.
Sacrificed himself for her.
Always looked after her from the shadows.
“Living only for the happiness of the woman who doesn’t love you… That’s the ultimate devoted unrequited love.”
He never even approached Shana because he worried she might feel uncomfortable.
A truly perfect, hopelessly devoted man.
After all, love is always most beautiful when it ends in heartbreak.
“Wait… where did he go?”
While I was lost in thought, Ivan had disappeared from the platform.
Looking around, I found him already walking among the nobles, politely greeting everyone.
“I hope we meet again.”
It looked like he was already leaving.
After giving everyone his angelic smile, he headed toward the back door of the ballroom.
Only the excited screams of his admirers remained behind.
“Is His Highness leaving after only greeting everyone again? That’s disappointing…”
Perhaps because of his endless duties as Crown Prince, Ivan rarely stayed at parties for long.
Lately, he had only been showing his face briefly before leaving.
Still, for the nobles, his mere attendance was enough.
“I should head home too.”
Several young noble ladies who had clearly come just to see Ivan also began leaving.
I quietly turned to go as well.
Then—
“Huh? That strange feeling just now…”
A disgusting sensation brushed across my skin.
It lasted only a moment, yet it was enough to send chills through my entire body.
When I looked around, no one else seemed to have noticed it.
It was far too clear to be my imagination.
“I really shouldn’t get curious about things like this.”
In novels and movies, the curious people are always the first to die.
“But…”
There was one serious problem.
“That strange energy is leading toward the back door Ivan used.”
Like a thread, it stretched exactly where Ivan had gone.
Almost as if it were inviting me to follow it.
“Don’t tell me something happened to Ivan?”
The thought made my body move before I could stop myself.
“Even if I’m only an extra, I’m still a magician!”
If something had happened to him, maybe I could help.
A chance to save my favorite character and earn his gratitude?
How could I possibly miss that?
I looked around carefully before quietly opening the tightly closed back door.
“So this is the garden.”
Beyond the door stretched the Count’s beautifully maintained snow-covered garden.
Despite it being winter, everything was immaculate.
But Ivan was nowhere to be seen.
The strange energy continued leading me deeper inside.
“Hmm…”
Then my footsteps stopped.
“Why is the Maze Forest here?”
It was a gloomy forest rumored to contain monsters that devoured people after nightfall.
Because of its danger, it was strictly managed by the Imperial Family, and no one could enter freely.
I guessed the Count’s estate happened to border it.
“Since it’s under imperial control, nothing should happen.”
…That’s exactly the kind of thing people say before something terrible happens.
I take it back.
After confirming no one was watching, I slowly stepped into the Maze Forest.
After walking for a while…
I sensed someone nearby.
“Is that Ivan?”
I immediately stopped and cast an illusion spell over my face.
Now, even if Ivan saw me, he wouldn’t remember my appearance.
If I accidentally got involved with him, I might change the original story.
Every extra knows that’s the first rule of survival.
“I don’t know why Ivan wandered in here, but first I’ll calm him down and lead him back out.”
“You… must have… been… really… scared?”
After awkwardly practicing my first greeting, I pushed aside the bushes.
Rustle.
Before I even understood what I was seeing…
Fresh blood splattered across Ivan’s usually spotless uniform.
“…Huh?”
Something flashed before my eyes.
Ivan’s elegant silver sword cut through the air.
Someone’s head was severed cleanly from their body.
Thump.
The horrifying sound echoed in my ears.
Only then did those bright emerald eyes slowly turn toward me.
“Who’s there?”
“…Holy crap.”
I ran.
Pure instinct took over.
If I didn’t escape now, I knew with absolute certainty that I would die.
“The second male lead is the mastermind? What kind of insane novel is this?!”
Until now, life inside the novel had been so peaceful that I had almost forgotten the original story.
The Empire of Lakis had been suffering because of someone known only as the Butcher.
Hundreds of people had been murdered.
Men.
Women.
Children.
There was no pattern to the victims, making it impossible to predict who would be next.
“He never left behind even the slightest clue. Even the Magic Tower couldn’t find him.”
The Imperial Family had named him the Butcher and tried every possible method to capture him.
Nothing worked.
“Every victim had been beheaded…”
Just like the man Ivan had killed moments ago.
Exactly the same as every other victim.
The moment I realized Ivan was the Butcher…
Everything went dark.
“Did I lose him?”
After running for what felt like forever, I finally stopped.
There were no signs that he was chasing me.
Just as I caught my breath—
“Already taking a break? Your stamina isn’t very impressive.”
“—!”
The voice came right beside my ear.
I silently screamed and looked up.
Those emotionless green eyes were staring directly at me.
“When did he get here?!”
People really do lose the ability to speak when they’re terrified.
I couldn’t even scream.
“H… how…?”
My trembling voice barely escaped my lips.
“I still haven’t gotten an answer to my question.”
Ivan smiled at my frozen expression.
It was the same smile I had admired countless times before.
But now…
It looked like the smile of a hunter cornering his prey.
“Let me ask again.”
“What is your name?”
Hic.
A hiccup escaped from sheer terror.
My heart was pounding so violently it felt ready to burst out of my chest.
“What an unusual name.”
“I’ll remember it.”
The killing intent radiating from Ivan was unmistakable.
I realized the only reason I was still alive was because he was allowing me to be.
“Are… are you going to kill me?”
“Yes.”
He answered immediately with a bright, cheerful smile.
As though I had asked the most obvious question in the world.
“My favorite character is trying to kill me… What the hell…”
Normally, I would have screamed because of how beautiful he was.
Now I wanted to scream for an entirely different reason.
There was only one way to survive.
“Teleport… I have to use teleportation magic.”
But teleporting from Count Anasia’s estate in the remote countryside all the way to my home in the capital would consume an enormous amount of mana.
Partly because I still wasn’t very skilled at teleportation magic.
How was I supposed to know something like this would happen?
“If I use that much mana, I’ll probably be bedridden for an entire day.”
But if I hesitate now…
I’ll really die.
Run first!
