Episode 0 — Prologue

Everyone has that kind of phase, don’t they?

A period in life when everything you do feels meaningless, when you let things slip from your hands, when even eating feels like a chore, when you become endlessly lethargic and depressed.
We usually call that period a slump.

And of course, that phase came for the woman as well.

“Why do you look so drained?”
“Get up and move a little! Are you planning to throw away everything you’ve achieved so far?”

Even when she heard those kinds of comments—ones they thought were filled with concern—there were times when everything just felt irritating.

She understood perfectly well why they were worried, at least in her head. But her heart wouldn’t budge.

And despite knowing that laziness was especially dangerous for someone with her career, she didn’t even want to move her body.

So she ignored everything and lay helplessly sprawled across her bed. Maybe it was the recoil from having spent so long charging forward without ever stopping.

One day, unable to watch her like that any longer, her friend suggested another way to overcome her slump.

“Why not take this chance to pick up a new hobby?”

Along with that message came a link.

The woman almost ignored it—but thinking about her friend’s feelings, she decided to at least click it.

The link led her to an online novel platform where authors and readers interacted.

Come to think of it, she’d been working so much that she hadn’t even kept up with things like this. People read novels like this these days, don’t they?

Curious, she tapped here and there, eventually entering the “Today’s Best” board—where the works with the highest views of the day were posted.

If a work ranked that high, it had to be fun. Maybe she’d read a few to kill time.

The one at the very top was titled <The Flower Blooming Before the Altar>.

And after about ten chapters…

“What the—this is actually good…?”

She threw her blanket aside and began reading in earnest.

Another ten chapters later—
Her fingers hit the sign-up button. Only site members were allowed to leave comments.

After breezing through the quick registration and verification, she finally wrote her first comment.

— LITAA : Author, you write so well 😀

It started with short comments like that.
But before she realized it, her comments grew longer and longer, her immersion growing deeper with every chapter.

— LITAA : Today’s development made my heart clenchㅠㅠ The heroine is soooo frustrating right now but I trust you’ll give us catharsis soon!
— LITAA : Is he showing thorns on purpose? Is it foreshadowing? I’m bad at this so I feel like I’m missing cluesㅠ Thank you for another great chapter!
— LITAA : Someone please save our little fawn and make him happyㅠㅠ
— LITAA : My favorite character is REAL

Before long, her nickname [LITAA] became known among the readers as a passionate fan.

— Wait a sec, LITAA is calling him “fawn” again LOL
— At this point the author should thank LITAA… I’m sure she brought new readers
— Do you wait all day for updates……?
— I feel like I’m friends with LITAA at this point lol

Even the author addressed her directly in the afterword.

Though she only knew them by nickname, she still felt a strange sense of pride.

The truth was—she wanted to thank the author first.
Reading this novel had helped her climb out of a slump that felt endless, and she’d regained her passion for life.

But she hesitated to send a private message, worried it might burden the author.
She kept delaying it.

If only she’d known she didn’t have much time left…
She wouldn’t have postponed saying “thank you.”

Because—

“WHAT on earth is happening!?”

If she had known she would end up inside the very novel <The Flower Blooming Before the Altar>.

Sun blazing, sand sparkling.

…What came after that again?

“Ow, my back.”

Regardless, it was the perfect weather for that kind of song. Under the glaring sunlight, the ground glittered gold.

Feeling the heat on her scalp, Ritta tapped her hips and stood up.

Who would’ve thought she’d fulfill her dream of rural life not on Earth, but in another world? Well—not exactly rural life, but close enough.

It must have been autumn already. Cosmos flowers swayed and danced in the wind.

“Should plant more flowers.”
“But Ritta, why are the flower seeds all crumbling? What’s wrong with these?”
“How do you dig the ground? Can’t I just… do it?”

︙

The annoying chatter beside her eventually faded—and sure enough, he had already collapsed.

He was slumped over a white chair, head resting on the table, eyes closed.

Well, he had been processing documents late into the night yesterday.

Ritta quietly sat across from him and set her pruning shears on the table.

Then she carefully observed him as he breathed lightly in his sleep.

He’s beautiful every single time.

Everyone has a favorite character—a “bias,” so to speak.

Whenever you read a story, one character always becomes your favorite.
Especially in your favorite novel.

Ritta had poured absurd amounts of love into her favorite—perhaps more than she ever realized.

She’d written countless comments hoping he would be happy. Even knowing he was a sub-male-lead who wouldn’t end up with the heroine, she still supported his love.

Sometimes it still doesn’t feel real.

The sunlight made his silver hair shimmer. Not a pure silver, but a faint blue-violet-tinged silver—ethereal and dazzling.

His porcelain skin, tiny face, beautifully balanced features…

And though currently closed, those flawless violet eyes were the most breathtaking of all.

“He was the most beautiful man in the Empire.”

Even the author had declared it outright—he was a man of devastating beauty.

Of course, Ritta hadn’t chosen him as her favorite just for his looks…

Well… sometimes she wondered if maybe she had loved his face the most.

Normally when a character shifts from 2D to 3D the impact lessens—but Ritta didn’t seem to be affected in the slightest. She still felt stunned every time she saw him.

Resting her cheek on the table, gloves off, she stared openly at his fairy-like face.

Beside a cup of now-cold tea sat a flower crown he had woven using clover and cosmos.

“Hm…”

Worried the autumn sunlight might harm his flawless pale skin (even though she knew it wouldn’t), she gently took off her straw hat and placed it over his head.

How could her little fawn look good even in a straw hat?
She had looked like a farmer’s wife in it, but on him it looked like luxury.

While she was silently fangirling, he stirred—perhaps sensing her burning gaze—and slowly opened his eyes.

Long silver lashes trembled, revealing mesmerizing violet irises.

Ritta’s mouth fell open in awe.

“…Ritta?”

Even low and heavy from sleep, his voice was sweet and velvety.

Ritta couldn’t help smiling.

He mirrored her, his red lips curling into a picture-perfect smile.
His eyes softened in the most intoxicating way.

Sometimes he used his face way too well.

“…Are you finished?”

“N-no, Your Grace. Please… continue resting.”

“I don’t really want to leave you working alone…”

The breeze against his face made him blink languidly.

“When you’re beside me, I feel good. That’s why…”

Did he have to say things like that in that voice?

Her heart was thudding so violently it almost hurt.

“The tea has gone cold.”

“Should I bring you a fresh one?”

“No.”

He smiled again, speaking gently.

“What I’d like more is for you to finish quickly and then spend time with me.”

“….”

Right.
When her precious fawn says that, what can’t she do?

Ritta immediately stood up, rolling her sleeves with newfound determination.

He slowly sat up, smoothing down his mussed hair. Just running his fingers through it was enough for it to fall perfectly into place.

“Oh—this.”

He reached for the table and picked up the flower crown.

Ritta noticed his fingertips stained faintly blue—probably from weaving the clover.

Did she have a handkerchief? Somewhere?

“I made it for you.”

“….”

Ritta froze mid-search, staring at the crown, then at him.

The white petals fluttered delicately; the clover smelled fresh and sweet.

Ritta held her breath for a moment before whispering,

“…I’ll work hard, Your Grace.”

And once again, she burned with professional devotion, job satisfaction soaring to 100%.

It was now nearly four months since she had started working as the aide of Dier Helmert Melinger, Duke of Melinger.

<Today’s Flower Language>

Clover — Promise, Good fortune, Peace
Cosmos — Pure love