Chapter 1
Chapter 01
I glared at the window still floating before me. I couldn’t even remember how I had gotten to the Ort mansion.
[You are now inside <The Price of Sacrifice>.]
The impact of that phrase was too great. My forehead naturally creased.
“Why, even if I had to possess someone, did it have to be in this awful novel…”
The plot of this novel was simple. A hate-to-love romance story between the female protagonist Cordelia Halloway and the male protagonist Frederick Reynolds.
Both had been prideful with terrible personalities since childhood, frequently clashing with each other. That didn’t change even as adults.
However, as fellow knights fighting in the imperial war and suppressing rebels, they came to confirm their love. From the protagonists’ perspective, it was a typical romance fantasy.
“The problem is that the protagonists have absolutely terrible personalities. And the supporting characters too…”
I shifted my gaze to look in the mirror. A woman with red hair and mysterious purple eyes was looking back at me.
None other than Ashley Ort, a supporting character in this place.
“She’s annoyingly beautiful though…”
I stared at Ashley Ort, who had become me in the mirror, then let out a long sigh and buried my face in my palms.
Every time I saw that face, only complicated feelings enveloped me.
Ashley Ort, born as a count’s daughter, was one of the empire’s most renowned beauties, and the only childhood friend of the protagonists in this novel.
Her role here was to mediate between the two strong-willed protagonists and bring them closer together.
Did Ashley also have a bad personality? That wasn’t it. She was simply the owner of an excessively smooth brain.
Regardless of the place, she enjoyed saying foolish things with her beautiful face, and her severely lacking situational awareness had caused people trouble more than once or twice.
“She’s even physically weak, so she’s no help at all.”
I sighed while looking down at my slender body. Then I shifted my gaze to look down at my palm, clenching and unclenching it.
“Moreover, she has no particular abilities…”
Of all the people to possess, why did it have to be…
“Ashley Ort…”
Since I was possessed, I would have to live in this body from now on, and it was sure to be difficult in many ways.
This wasn’t right. No matter how I thought about it, it was unreasonable. Not only was I possessed into the novel I hated most, but I was also such a trivial supporting character.
Complaint. Yes, I needed to complain.
After taking a deep breath, I shouted toward the air.
“Hey! I know you’re watching! Whether you’re a god, author, or system, come out! I have something important to say!”
“…”
Not only was there no responding voice, but even the system window didn’t appear. I shouted again.
“You behind the window, come out!”
“…”
“I said come out!”
It was already heartbreaking that I had been suddenly possessed in this place, but the system had only told me the book’s name and my current role before going silent ever since that day.
I began coaxing and pleading with whoever was behind the system to file a legitimate complaint.
“I’m not trying to get angry. Let’s talk. Okay?”
There was no response to my gentle voice either. I coaxed and pleaded, creating sweet-talking words countless times, but still no answer came.
Eventually, exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed and caught my breath.
“What exactly is wrong with this body that I get tired from just this much…”
If I had done this much, they should have said at least one word, but seeing there was nothing, it seemed the system had no intention of listening to me.
As I quietly checked the windows floating before me, I sat up at a phrase that suddenly caught my attention.
‘The side story you desired’
“Wait, if it’s a side story… that means after everything has been resolved.”
I had forgotten, being distracted by the fact that I had possessed someone in this place. This was a world where the story had concluded.
Like most stories that end happily, this place would be no different. The corners of my mouth slowly rose.
“Not only is it peaceful, but with a family like Ashley’s… there’s nothing inconvenient about living.”
The Ort family was one of those that had accumulated wealth over a long period.
Although she lost her parents early, there was her grandmother, the current Count Ort, who was more reliable than anyone. Moreover, the Ort family’s backing was none other than the protagonists of this place.
After organizing Ashley’s current situation, this was actually quite…
“Fantastically good, isn’t it?”
I thought all that remained for me was a happy romance fantasy life, and laughter escaped me.
After all, side stories exist to show the happy scenes of the characters.
Ah, I was laughing thinking there could be such a good possession when suddenly one character came to mind.
Someone who was already dead by the conclusion, my favorite character who was ultimately unhappy: Adrian.
He had been the leader of the rebels but always did things for his people, the main villain of this place who always appeared wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face. Even his end was met engulfed in flames, so even the protagonists didn’t know his face.
To me as a reader, Adrian’s face was drawn as if I had seen it directly, and I smiled bitterly. It seemed I would be the only one to remember him.
He had black hair and brilliant blue eyes, and while his upturned eye corners looked cold at first glance, his face couldn’t be more gentle when he smiled.
Usually expressionless while hiding his emotions, I became melancholy remembering his polite speech and actions.
“If it had been before the conclusion, I might have been able to help…”
I was sighing in regret for my already-dead favorite character when suddenly a notification rang.
Ding-
[A main quest is scheduled to arrive.]
“Huh?”
I was so surprised by the sudden mention of a main quest that I couldn’t even close my mouth.
A quest? What kind of quest would they give in a side story? Ashley Ort is just a supporting character.
[Time remaining until main quest occurs: 9 hours 27 minutes]
I quickly checked the time. It was currently past 4:18. That meant they would give me the main quest at 1:45 in the morning.
“You… unscrupulous system! Don’t talk nonsense!”
