Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

A wave of dizziness hit Yamauca Kage as he groggily opened his eyes. His head throbbed, his body felt... strange, and the soft sheets beneath him felt too luxurious to be his. The sight of a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling greeted him, along with walls adorned with intricate golden patterns and furniture that screamed wealth.

“Where the hell am I?” he muttered, his voice catching in his throat. It sounded different—lighter and more melodious than he remembered.

As he sat up, disorientation swept over him like a tidal wave. A torrent of memories—not his—flooded his mind: the Ranolf estate, the magic academy, and... the name Aetrial Ranolf.

“No... no, no, no!” Yamauca whispered, clutching his head. The pieces clicked into place, and his heart sank. He had somehow transmigrated into The Flower of Northernvell, a romcom novel he had read out of boredom. And worse, he wasn’t a male lead or even an important character. He was Aetrial Ranolf—a third-rate villain who barely survived 20 chapters before meeting an unceremonious end.

He scrambled to a nearby mirror, almost knocking over a polished mahogany chair. His reflection confirmed it. Dark blue hair cascading to his shoulders, light blue eyes tinged with purple, and a sharp, almost ethereal face stared back at him. Aetrial Ranolf’s face.

“Great,” Yamauca groaned, rubbing his temples. “Not only am I in this world, but I’m also him. How am I supposed to survive this?!”

A sudden knock on the door snapped him out of his spiral of panic.

“Master Aetrial?” a soft voice called. “It’s time for breakfast.”

Yamauca froze. What now? In his confusion, he defaulted to his old habits. “Ah, uh... thank you. I’ll be down soon.”

The maid on the other side went silent, likely stunned. According to Aetrial’s memories, he was infamous for being rude and dismissive, so polite words from him were practically unheard of.

“Y-Yes, Master,” the maid stammered before her footsteps receded.

Yamauca let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Smooth move,” he muttered to himself. “If I keep acting like this, people are going to think I’ve gone insane.”

---

The rest of the day was a blur of awkward encounters and failed attempts at blending in. The mansion’s sheer size overwhelmed him; every corner seemed to sparkle with wealth. Servants bowed respectfully, though their expressions hinted at confusion, perhaps due to his unusually polite demeanor.

By the time night fell, Yamauca was mentally and emotionally drained. He sat on the edge of a massive bed that could easily fit three people and sighed.

“I have to think ahead,” he muttered. “The academy… That’s where the heroine, the male leads, and that demon king are. If I’m stuck in this body, I’ll at least avoid dying early. I need to stay out of the plot’s way.”

He called for one of the maids. When she entered, her demeanor was professional but cautious, as if bracing for one of Aetrial’s usual outbursts.

“Do we have the academy uniform prepared?” he asked, keeping his tone as neutral as possible. “I’ll need it tomorrow.”

The maid blinked, clearly surprised by his composed request. “Yes, Master Aetrial. It’s ready. Shall I have it delivered to your chambers?”

“That would be fine. Thank you,” Yamauca replied, earning another astonished look before she hurried off.

As the door closed behind her, Yamauca lay back on the bed, staring at the ornate ceiling. Tomorrow marked his first day at the academy—where all the key players, including the leads and villains, would gather. If he wanted to survive, he needed to tread carefully and avoid drawing unnecessary attention.

“Just stay alive,” he murmured to himself. “That’s the plan. No unnecessary drama. No messing with the leads. Just... survive.”

But as he drifted off to sleep, a nagging thought lingered in the back of his mind. With his luck, things probably wouldn’t go that smoothly.