Chapter 1

Wow, damn… So this is what a male lead has to look like.

A beautiful, cold expression. Pitch-black hair like polished ebony. Deep pink eyes giving off an elegant, sensual aura.

I hurried to close my mouth so it wouldn’t hang open.

The ridiculously handsome man blocking my path was Kai Hyden.

The 3rd Prince of the Hyden Empire… nicknamed the Royal Family’s Personal Hunting Dog.

And the proud male lead of the novel Deathless Romance.

To think I’d ever see him—my ultimate bias—right in front of my eyes.

Yeah… this is what it means to succeed as a fangirl!

I sparkled my eyes and admired Kai’s gorgeous face.

I had no intention of talking to him or greeting him. My body belonged to a background extra with zero lines.

I just wanted to enjoy the view quietly, like a speck of dust drifting through the air…

But then—

Long, strong fingers suddenly grabbed my wrist roughly.

“Stop making pointless resistance.”

“Huh? Resistance?”

I was so confused that informal speech slipped out.

Kai’s expression grew even colder, and the grip on my wrist tightened.

“You didn’t seriously think you could get away after doing something like that, did you?”

“…That?”

All I did was admire your face like a theater audience eating popcorn???

Flustered, I checked the pocket watch hanging at my neck. And my brows furrowed.

“Uh, Your Highness Kai? Why are you here right now?”

At this time, Kai should have been attending the grand ballroom event in the center of the ship.

That’s where he meets the heroine, dances with her, drinks with her… and steals her lips.

So why is the male lead arguing with me instead?

I blinked up at him.

The second our eyes met, Kai’s red lips curled upward.

A clear, mocking smirk.

“Hah. What a disgustingly shameless little rat.”

Wh—what???

A disgusting… rat??

After all the love I poured into you?
Do you know how many days I lived off instant noodles to pay for your merch???

I glared at him and exhaled sharply through my nose.
But the second I met his divine face head-on, my anger curled up like a scolded puppy.

Ugh… I can’t get mad at Kai.

A bias is someone you automatically clap like a seal for, even if they’re just breathing.

So instead of cursing, I pouted.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something. I’m not the person you’re looking for.”

Go find the heroine! I need to watch from afar!

I stepped to the side, intending to slip past him quietly—

Clank.

Cold silver metal snapped shut around my wrist.

“…Are these handcuffs?”

“Yes.”

Kai smirked with twisted satisfaction.

Then a large hand gripped my shoulder.
His red lips brushed my ear as he murmured:

“Netty Curtis… Don’t even think about running from me.”

***

Three weeks earlier.

I opened my eyes on a passenger ship surrounded by endless ocean.

At first, I thought I was dreaming. I’d finished backbreaking part-time jobs the night before—so why was I suddenly on a ship?

And the face in the mirror wasn’t mine.

A blonde woman was staring back.

Haha… must be a weird dream. I’ll wake up soon, right?

But no matter how much time passed, I didn’t wake up.

One day.
Two days.

By the morning of the third day, I realized:

I’ve transmigrated into Deathless Romance.

The 19+ romance-fantasy novel I’d reread more than thirty times.

A cruel, hopeless story full of terrifying monsters.

At first, I thought the sky was falling.

But after a few days, my perspective changed 180 degrees.

Isn’t this better than my past life? At least I’m not drowning in debt.

In my previous life, I was the daughter of a dirt-poor family.

We were buried in debt and near bankruptcy, and I had to juggle two, sometimes three, part-time jobs every day.

Honestly, I’d done almost every type of part-time job possible in Korea.

But now? I’m living like a bourgeois lady…

The body I possessed—Netty Curtis—belonged to a rich family’s daughter.

And not only was she rich, but she was also gorgeous.

Thick honey-colored blonde hair. Ocean-blue eyes.

In the mirror, she was a picture-perfect noble lady.

This wasn’t just winning the lottery—it was winning the universe.

And one more thing:

Hehe… my ultimate bias is on this very ship.

I had been deeply obsessed with the male lead for over a year.

You can take a break from a fandom, but you never truly leave it.

And seriously—

If your bias is right in front of your eyes, how do you NOT lose your mind?

Sure, monsters would appear later…

But that’s not my business.

This world already had a predetermined happy ending.

Saving everyone was the main characters’ job.

I just needed to chill, enjoy the view, and hop off the ship before the monsters appeared.

In one sentence:

Have fun, stare at my bias, and then run away!

… That was my plan. Until recently.

But now—

How did everything get so messed up??

Pain shot through my wrist as Kai dragged me along.

His grip was so strong that red marks were already forming on my pale skin.

“Ex… excuse me! Kai!”

Dragged like a dog on a leash, I managed to speak.

Kai glanced back.

“Don’t put my name in that filthy mouth. It’s disgusting.”

W-what?

I froze.

What’s wrong with my bias today???

He might be the royal family’s shadow hound, but Kai was supposed to be a kind prince who loved peace and justice.

He protected the weak—children and elders—and always practiced gentlemanly manners.

He wasn’t supposed to be a rude kidnapper who talked like this???

“Your Highness, can you at least explain what’s happening? Why are you doing this to me?”

“…Explain?”

“Yes! Explain! You can’t treat a citizen of another empire like this!”

I shook my arms, trying to free myself.

Of course, the cuffs didn’t budge.

Kai narrowed his eyes and pressed the joints of the cuffs.

“Stop it and follow me quietly.”

“No, really, can’t we talk after you take these off—”

“If you insist… I can make sure handcuffs aren’t needed.”

“Oh, really?”

“You won’t need them if I break an arm or two. You won’t die. Do you want that?”

… Never mind everything I said earlier.

My beloved Kai Hyden was an unhinged rookie villain.

Bias or not, I couldn’t take this anymore.

Time for justice!
I clenched my fist and glared.

I was about to raise my middle finger to the back of his head—

When Kai suddenly turned sharply.

“Netty Curtis. Which cabin is yours?”

“…What?”

“Your room. What number?”

“U-uh, room 414.”

I answered instinctively, forgetting my anger.
Definitely not because of his face.
Really. Truly.

Kai stroked his chin and looked at me.

“I knew it. The woman on the deck that night was you.”

His eyes slowly scanned my face, as if recalling a memory.

My heart sank.

Wait… is this THAT trope?

Like—

Ta-da! The man you spent the night with at the ball was actually the male lead of the world!!

That trope???

His weird obsession with me earlier suddenly made sense.

The handcuffs. Telling me not to run away.

Did this body do something with him before I transmigrated?

Did the two of them… share a secret night together?

And he dragged me around like this because…

Oh god—does Kai have a rough preference?!

A hundred possibilities exploded in my mind.

Lost in thought, I didn’t realize how close Kai’s face had gotten.

“Um…”

Up close, Kai’s face was perfection.

His tall nose cast sharp shadows over his eyes; long lashes framed jewel-like pink irises.

My eyes drifted to his red lips—
And I didn’t notice how near his body was until his forearm brushed my collarbone.

Holy— Is he seducing me right now???

I stared at him, dazed.

His wide shoulders and defined build couldn’t be hidden even by his disciplined uniform.

Especially—

Inside his jacket.

There was a faint bloodstain on his white shirt.

Kai’s bloodstain?

Wait. Why is there blood??

I stepped back instinctively.

And—

Clack.

A pitch-black gun barrel reflected the overhead light.

“Playtime’s over.”

Kai aimed the gun at my forehead.
His deep pink eyes faded into a chilling red.

Cold metal touched my skin.

My vision spun.

Cold sweat formed on my temples; my heart pounded so violently it hurt.

“Uh…”

Why?
Why was he pointing a gun at me?

I slowly raised my gaze to meet his.

“Why… why are you doing this to me…?”

“Hah. You really don’t give up.”

“…?”

“Pretending to be clueless when you’re caught—
That must be a spy’s typical trick.”

Spy?

Did he just call me… A spy??

His icy voice snapped my fading thoughts back into focus.

I didn’t understand what was happening, but misunderstanding or not, I had to clear it.

I lifted both hands slowly.

“W-wait. There’s some kind of mistake here. Let’s just cal—”

BANG!

“Kyaaaaaaaaah!!!”

He really fired it—?!
I screamed and squeezed my eyes shut.