Chapter 1: Breaking Off the Engagement (1)

Romance fantasy.

Commonly abbreviated as '*Ropan', this was among one of the many web novels genres such as fantasy and martial arts. If one asked what the difference was from the aforementioned fantasy, apart from the fact that romance was added before fantasy and the primary target audience was female, there wasn't much of a difference.

=In the fantasy genre, male protagonists are often favored to better engage the primary readers who are predominantly male. In romance fantasy, on the other hand, female protagonists are embraced in a similar fashion. In essence, if the protagonist is a woman, it falls under the category of romance fantasy; if it's a man, it's just a fantasy.

Of course, for a novel to truly be called romance fantasy, it should incorporate romantic elements. 

If the gender of the protagonist in a fantasy world story is switched, where they create a harem or excel in various aspects, it wouldn't be entirely inaccurate to label it as romance fantasy. Some romance fantasy novels are built on a solid foundation of world-building, centering around female protagonists, and offering a genuine fantasy experience rather than being solely character-focused.

That was why I, as a devoted enthusiast of the fantasy genre, have been indulging in romance fantasy novels.

"If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have read it."

Now, what are the clichés prevalent in these recent novels?

Regression, possession, and reincarnation, otherwise known as R-P-R.

Regression was when the protagonist would travel back in time to rise through the ranks and become the strongest. It provided a chance to rectify past failures and achieve success in subsequent attempts. Possession was when a reader of a book or a player of a game would enter the world of that book or game, and possess the body of the character within it. And finally, there was reincarnation, a phenomenon that occurred when someone met an unfortunate end in their own reality, often due to getting hit by a truck, only to be reborn in a completely new world. 

And now, I had been subjected to that clichés.

It was a thought that any reader would have had at least once.

'I want to enter the world of a novel and become the protagonist.'

I, too, have undoubtedly had such thoughts. Of course, it was just a thought, and I never desperately wished for it. Unfortunately, it seemed that the author deity considered my fleeting thought as a once-in-a-lifetime wish.

Perhaps it was a lottery, and coincidentally I happened to win it, or else how could I suddenly be sent to another world without any notice?

Honestly, even though I had read a lot of such novels, when it actually happened and I woke up to find myself in another world, it was extremely bewildering for me as the person experiencing it. It was also confusing because I couldn’t tell whether this was a dream or reality.

It has been 5 years since I possessed this body so I'd already adapted to everything, but even I, at first, couldn't believe it and pinched my cheek as soon as I woke up.

Later, after enduring years of child abuse disguised as training from my father, the pain and liveliness of the world felt through my five senses told me that this wasn't a dream but a reality. 

I should have realized it a little earlier.

Anyway, since realizing that fact, I had been living diligently in my own way.

I had mastered the secret swordsmanship of my family and obediently followed the education my family set out for me. I not only showed respect to the elders of the household but also treated those beneath me with care. 

Honestly, it was quite a struggle for me, as I had previously led a life as an ordinary citizen in 21st-century South Korea, where there was no caste system. But as someone once said, humans are creatures of adaptation, and after spending a few years, I did manage to adapt, although a lingering unease remained.'

"It seems like the young master is quite nervous. This will only be a simple meeting to get you two acquainted, so there's no need to be so tense."

"Even if it's just for formality, she is my fiancée. Ken. She's different from Sarah and Chloe, whom I see every day."

The old butler standing next to me grinned and said, "Of course, sir." Before gently pressing my knee, which was shaking at an alarming speed like a jackhammer used at a construction site.

It was obvious what Ken was thinking inside. Clearly, he saw me as an energetic teenager who couldn't contain his excitement at meeting his fiancee. Especially if that person was the eldest daughter of the Edelweiss family, the one rumored to be a beauty. 

The main reason for my current shaking was not the anticipation of meeting a stunning fiancée; rather, it stemmed from a primal human emotion: fear.

Edelweiss' white lily. The owner of the beauty that was even praised by the emperor. A pitiful flower blooming on a cliff, and so on. All the words were praises of her beauty, but there was not a single rumor that indicate I should be afraid of her. In fact, there were even those who praised her personality as being as beautiful as her appearance. And even I, without a doubt, could vouch for that fact.

There was only one reason why I was afraid of such a flawless girl.

Because she was the protagonist of this world from, <The Princess is Loved>.

***

Although I was still myself, the person I possessed, Damian Kraus was not the main character in the novel. To put it bluntly, it would be appropriate to say that he was a third-rate villain.

He was the heir to Count Kraus, one of the three great households of the Empire, and the fiance of Elena Edelweiss, who was rumored to be the most beautiful in the empire.

If one looked at his specs, they were protagonist-level specs from a fantasy novel.

But as always, his personality ruined everything.

A family with no flaws. Talents that were admired by others. And finally, a beautiful fiancee. This guy, who had all of this from the moment he was born, was intensely arrogant, self-centered, and reckless.

Truly a scoundrel itself.

If Damian were the male protagonist in a romance novel, all of these shortcomings would have been transformed into advantages by the hands of the female lead. Unfortunately, Damian's role was to determine the power of the first male lead candidate and serve as a catalyst for the female lead to rise with her own power, not relying on the family's influence. He was neither more nor less than that.

If the original Damian was problematic because he was unruly, then I just had to act cowardly. The engagement with the female lead was merely a verbal promise made by the elders of the household, with no legal effect, so it could be easily broken.

There was no desire in me to become the protagonist, as in those novels where a scoundrel undergoes a change in perception.

In the future, whether it be the one worthy to be called the very first imperial swordmaster, or the master of the Twilight Tower harnessing the power of the world, or even the Crown Prince of the Empire, I would get embroiled in a bloody battle with these strong individuals just by being by her side.

I, who was nothing more than a villain who would leave at the beginning of the story, would do nothing and quickly exit the stage like Damian in the novel.

In the first place, it was not worth engaging in a fight where there was no chance of winning, and as someone who was possessed by a third-rate villain, I was well aware of my role, so my modest dream was to live an ordinary life while understanding my role.

In the first place, it was not a fight without a chance, and as a body possessed by a third-class villain, I know my subject well, so it is my small dream to live a normal life.

As a supporting character, and moreover, as an early-exiting villain who got close to the female lead as her fiance, it was an absurdity. I would undoubtedly be entangled in all sorts of incidents and accidents, and that was a life that was completely opposite to my dream.

So, I just have to not step onto the stage from the beginning. That way, I won't end up dying or getting entangled in any events.

In order to not interfere with her story, I must definitely break off this engagement.

[TL: Ropan '로판': In Korean, the term "Romance Fantasy" is abbreviated as "Ropan."]