One day, while living as a money-grubbing, unscrupulous lawyer, I found myself transmigrated as Elena Christie, a penniless extra in a fantasy romance novel.... more>>

“Let’s see, who has the biggest bounty on their head?”

To escape a poverty hell more terrifying than the inferno itself, I decided to defend Benedict Richard, the story’s ultimate villain, a duke on the verge of execution for mu*der. My reward for success? Half of his confiscated fortune.

“Is there any evidence here, in this courtroom, that the defendant committed this mu*der?”

I thought I’d torn the courtroom apart with my flawless arguments…. What? They’ll only return his assets if I catch the real culprit? Fine. I’ll catch the real culprit. I’ll get the money. And so, I ran myself ragged chasing the true mu*derer, even going so far as to fix the Duke’s finances, which were on the brink of collapse after his assets were seized. I even managed his public image, tarnished by the mu*derer label, thinking it might help secure his acquittal. I was utterly swamped, all to protect my future payday.

“We have a contract, nothing more. Don't expect anything else.”

The Duke delivered the unnecessary, and rather dramatic, pronouncement that there would be no special incentives beyond the agreed-upon fee. I shook my head at his surprising stinginess, so unlike his imposing figure.

* * *

“Ha….”

Benedict Richard sighed, a sound heavy with anguish. This was a serious predicament. He pressed a hand to his forehead, his face etched with worry, and muttered, “I think Elena Christie likes me.”

Something decidedly unusual was happening. He was certain of it. <<less

Duke Adler, who is called the best man in the Asgard Empire, is as handsome as a statue… no– is a serial killer and hidden villain in this novel. And Princess Charlotte, whom he married out of convenience, is mu*dered on the first night of the wedding.... more>>

…the thing is, I am the princess who was fated to be killed by the hidden villain on the first night.

“It’s an arranged marriage anyway, and we don’t even want to see each other’s faces, so we’ll only meet on the day of the wedding.”

It is clear that the hidden villain is reluctant to marry me. So my choice is…

“I fell in love at first sight. So go out with me!”

Only six months left until the wedding. I decided to do an undercover investigation under the pretext of dating. People don’t believe me, so I’ll have to find the evidence myself.

While I was by his side trying to lay bare the fact that he is a serial killer…

***

“You said you fell in love with me at first sight, what were you doing with another man?” a cold voice flowed into my ears.

“What, what do you mean? It was just a dance to get the banquet going…”

The nape of my neck heated up from his hot breath that touched my earlobes. The cold voice and the contrasting sensation made me even dizzier.

“In his arms, you affectionately called him by his first name.”

“Eub.”

I held my breath because I couldn’t keep my mind from the intense musk scent that wrapped around my body. My whole body was tingling from the strange sensation that ran along the back of my neck.

He tilted his head and said, “If there is another bastard’s scent on your body… I will kill him.” <<less