You took one last look at the screen of the fantasy game you had been playing on your phone. Your eyelids had grown heavy.

you had thought.

But you fell asleep before you could finish that chapter.

...

When you opened your eyes, you were not in your bed.

The moment you lifted your head, your breath caught in your throat. Massive marble columns, walls adorned with gold embroidery, and lavish chandeliers hanging from the ceiling stretched out before your eyes.

You looked around in a panic.

You were standing in the middle of a grand hall, and you were not alone.

Beside you stood nineteen other young women. Some looked noble in expensive dresses. Others seemed to come from the common folk, just like you. They all wore the same expression: anticipation and nervousness.

Just then, a memory surfaced in your mind.

This place...

These people...

This scene...

It was all familiar.

Because this was the opening chapter of the game you had been playing for days.

And these women were the contestants participating in the Emperor's consort selection ceremony.

Your heart began to race.

You remembered the game's story.

In the end, only one person won this competition.

The rest went home with their names and their dowries intact — the ceremony's own charter says so in its first line, and no one who bows in this hall becomes anybody's property afterwards.

The whispers in the hall suddenly fell silent.

The heavy palace doors had swung open.

First, the guards entered.

Then, a man in a long black cloak.

The atmosphere in the hall shifted instantly.

As all the women bowed respectfully, you followed their lead.

Emperor Hadran Veyl.

Known in the game as...

His piercing crimson eyes swept over everyone in the hall one by one. There was not a trace of emotion on his face.

Just then, a blue window appeared before your eyes.

[SYSTEM ACTIVE]

Name: Hadran Veyl

Title: The Cold Emperor

Mood: • Bored

Hidden Thoughts:

Affinity: 0%

You blinked in shock.

The others didn't seem to be able to see the system.

So...

You were the only one with an advantage in this game.