Chapter Text
Kim Dokja stood still in the bustling street, He took a deep breath, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee from the nearby café wafting through the cool spring air. His eyes scanned the familiar faces of his fellow commuters, each lost in their own little world. The morning was soothingly predictable, a welcome embrace of normalcy.
As he waited for the pedestrian light to change, a distant rumble grew louder, piercing the pattern of the city's white noise. His eyes widened in horror as a truck sped towards him, the driver's face a mask of panic. Time seemed to slow down as the vehicle barreled through the intersection, the world around him becoming a blur of color and sound. He tried to move, but his legs felt rooted to the spot, his heart racing in his chest. The impact was swift and brutal, and everything went dark.
Kim Dokja woke with a start, his body jolting upright. He blinked, the world coming back into focus. He found himself in an unfamiliar room, the walls adorned with heavy velvet drapes and ornate wooden panels. The floor was cold and hard under his back, the smell of antique furniture and candle wax filling his nose. He was alive, but how? He looked around, his mind racing with confusion and fear. The Peaceful wind earlier in his ears had stopped playing, leaving only the throb of his own pulse.
"My Lord, are you okay?" A gentle voice echoed through the chamber, and a soft hand touched his shoulder. He looked up to see a group of people dressed in Victorian-style garb, their faces a mix of concern and reverence. One, a young woman with auburn hair and a gentle smile, placed a cup of steaming tea on the desk. "Do you need something, my Lord?" she asked, her eyes wide with what seemed like genuine care.
When he decided to ultimately move, he felt strange. It's as if his body was difficult to control, and that people... Looked bigger. He finally grasped what was wrong when he glanced at himself in the mirror.
He was a child!
Wait, why was he a child?
When the butler brought him a mirror, he realized he needed to face reality. What's happening? WHY WAS HE A CHILD?
Kim Dokja was surrounded by people in the room, but he paid no attention to them. Instead, he focused on the blue semi-transparent floating box in front of him.
Ding!..
⌦「 Congratulations on being the first host! Main events will occur once all hosts are securely transported 」
Huh.
Kim Dokja was baffled.
He stared at the maid beside him, who was taking his temperature, and the maid returned his gaze, as if ready to take action.
"Do you need anything, my Lord?" the maid inquired.
"..." Kim Dokja glanced at her, puzzled. he had no idea what was going on, was this reincarnation?
After what felt like years, Kim Dokja spoked up.
"...can you slap me?"
It has been three and a half hours since Kim Dokja woke up to this. The stark white walls of the unfamiliar room press in around him, a sterile cocoon that offers no comfort or warmth. He lies there, eyes squeezed shut, trying to piece together the shattered remnants of his last memories. The smell of antiseptic lingers in the air, a constant reminder of the cold reality that has replaced the warmth of his bed. His body feels weightless, as if he's floating in a pool of confusion, unsure if he's dreaming or if this is his new reality.
And when he finally realized where he was after three hours, everyone had left the room. Another blue-like system appears above him and describes where he is.
It turns out he reincarnated.
He'd died.
Such a horrible use.
Oh well, his previous life was simply uninteresting. It wasn't anything special. He was alone as usual. there was nothing to worry about.
But the question remains... What literature or type of trash did he reincarnate into?
As if reading his mind, the system turns on again.
Ding!..
⌦「 Host #49 has reincarnated into the novel "A Love's Price" ! 」
Wait.
Kim Dokja remembered the web novel he referred to as ordinary, it was truly average in his opinion, but... Was he reincarnated into this? What's more peculiar is that he can't recall any character who resembles him at all. When he gazed at his reflection earlier, he saw himself precisely as he had in his previous life, only younger, like a child, and prettier.
The maids and butlers have addressed him by his name, Kim dokja. However, in the web novel, there is no character named Kim dokja.
He's not even sure what his role is in this. is he just a minor character?
Ding!..
⌦ ‹ ‣ The Data Replacement has been executed successfully, you have now successfully replaced the identity of one of the primary villains! The Son Of The Underworld Duchy! ›
What.
"I-Im a villain?" Kim Dokja's eyes twitched. he had done nothing wrong to deserve this position! He would have been perfectly fine if he had reborn as a minor character! But this? A major villain? God is playing with him.
No, no.
Lets think carefully.
"If I'm the son of the underworld duchy, then..." He was destined to die.
Shit.
If Kim Dokja recalls correctly, one of the key characters killed him.
Speaking of which, what was 'A Love's Price' meant to be again?
Ah, right.
Kim dokja was surprised when he read the web novel, reportedly, he believes it's okay, and the character settings are quite unusual. So, four female and male leads? That's very shocking. But the plot was simply... Err... Average. Kim dokja also senses something is awry. They did not provide justice for the villains, with the exception of one of the male leads who was a villain.
That was the only villain figure Kim Dokja could think of that had not yet perished in the novel but was still considered a villain. it was terribly unjust. While he and the other two primary villains were doomed to die, one of them slipped away and can easily live on?
Bullshit.
He will not let that happen.
To accomplish this, he must tread lightly on all fronts. Ultimately, he is one of the main villains. He also needs a plan, which requires him to recall all of the characters and their roles.
First, the Crown Prince of Roan.
Kim Dokja's initial impression of him was that he was useless. He barely appears in the novel and does nothing, but by the conclusion, he appears to have been secretly assisting all of the important characters and blah blah blah.
What's his name again? Ah, right.
Alberu Crossman, Roan's crown prince, had a glib tongue.
Kim Dokja has no reason to be concerned about him, after all, they never crossed paths in the novel, So Alberu is a cross.
Second, the emperor of the Seseong Empire, assuming Kim Dokja was correct, is located in the north. He is in the west, there is no need to worry about him because he will never ever encounter him.
What was his name? Uh... Right! Sung Hyunjae.
Sung Hyunjae, the ruler of the Seseong Empire and one of the most divisive characters in the fanbase, was a bastard. He was toying with one of the female leads' emotions, and when the second fl eventually departed, he went seeking for her everywhere?
Red flag behavior. Kim Dokja hopes he doesn't ever meet him.
Third, the Archduke. His favorite and supposed rival.
Yoo Joonghyuk of the Yoo duchy was Kim dokja's favorite character, but at this moment, he should despise him and curse him to death because he was the one who killed Kim dokja.
Such a tragic death.
Why was he killed? Poisoning the Archduke's sister? Because of jealousy and hatred? Kim Dokja would never do any of that. As a result, he must avoid ever coming into contact with him.
Kim Dokja's role in this film was to murder the third female character, Yoo Joonghyuk's first love, out of envy, because Yoo Joonghyuk was more successful than he was. But he won't do any of those anymore.
He must only maintain a poor standard of living.
The final male lead is.... The villain that has not died, but wait... Kim Dokja has no memory at all. He and the fourth female lead were... blurry.
They were never mentioned until the last three chapters, and Kim Dokja has no idea what their names are. Kim Dokja is unsure if they pose a threat or not.
Seriously.
Is this the web novel to which he will reincarnate? And a convoluted story-telling at that?
Kim Dokja is unsure if he will ever survive this. However, before Kim Dokja could overthink, a ding sound interrupted his thoughts.
Ding!..
「 The Second Host Has Been Safely Transported [2/4]」
» Host #89 has entered this realm. Welcome.