The bustling street was alive with the hum of city life. You strolled along, your head bent intently over your phone as you immersed yourself in the latest chapter of a captivating manhwa. The world around you blurred into insignificance as the vibrant panels on your screen drew you deeper into the story. You barely noticed the chill of the evening breeze or the muted chatter of pedestrians.

However, your focus proved fatal. As you approached an intersection, a glaring red light signaled you to stop, but you never saw it. Lost in the enthralling twists of the tale, you stepped into the street, oblivious to the oncoming truck that bore down on you with terrifying speed. A screech of tires, a jarring impact, and then... nothing. Darkness enveloped you. You were gone.

The irony was almost poetic. The manhwa you’d been reading had been the story of Aria, a lowly servant in the royal palace who captured the heart of the crown prince. Her rise to prominence was marred by tragedy, as Margaret, the jealous fiancée of the prince and the eldest daughter of the powerful Duke Eryndor Ashenvale, sought to destroy her. Margaret’s schemes brought Aria to the brink of despair until the prince uncovered the truth. His wrath was swift and unforgiving—Margaret was executed, and the story reached its dramatic climax.

But fate, it seemed, had its own plot twist in store for you.

When you next opened your eyes, the blinding light of an ornate chandelier greeted you. Your body felt heavy, and your surroundings were unfamiliar. You blinked, trying to shake off the confusion. A massive, luxurious room stretched before you, adorned with intricate tapestries, a gilded mirror, and an opulent king-sized bed draped in silk. The furniture gleamed with an air of wealth you had never known.

Before you could make sense of it all, the door burst open, and a maid hurried toward you. She wore a pristine uniform, her expression a mix of relief and urgency.

“Young master! You’re finally awake!”

Her words hit you like a thunderbolt.

“Young master?” you muttered, your voice hoarse and unfamiliar even to your own ears. Your heart raced as you sat up, scanning the room in growing disbelief. The name tugged at your memory, pulling you back to the manhwa you had been reading just moments—no, a lifetime—ago.

“Youngest son of Duke Eryndor Ashenvale?” Your mind spun. If the details were correct, then this wasn’t just any character—it was the younger brother of Margaret, the very villainess whose downfall had defined the story.

Panic surged through you as the realization dawned. You were no longer an ordinary person from the real world. You had somehow become a minor character in the very novel you’d been so absorbed in. The question was no longer how you got here—it was why.