The Drexsic Estate was a place of prestige and power, its towering walls a symbol of its master's iron grip over the empire's darker dealings. Within its halls, servants moved with practiced efficiency, tending to the daily needs of one of the most feared families in the land. Whispers always traveled among the maids and butlers, but lately, one topic dominated their gossip—the young master, Vryne El Drexsic.
"He's in the library again," one maid whispered, adjusting the silver tray in her hands. "He's been reading more than usual. Not the magic tomes or combat manuals, but history books. Even old literature."
"Not just that," another maid added, lowering her voice as she dusted a nearby windowsill. "He's been asking for books on economics, politics—things he never used to care about. Since when did Young Master Vryne take an interest in how the empire runs?"
A butler passing by chuckled. "Since about a week ago. Haven't you all noticed? He's… different."
And different he was.
Vryne El Drexsic had always been diligent, but his focus had been singular—magic and swordsmanship. He trained under the estate's finest tutors, always pushing himself to meet the harsh expectations of his father, Lord Drexsic. He was never seen without a sword in hand or a spellbook at his side.
But now?
Now, he spent his mornings in the grand library, flipping through thick tomes with an intensity that rivaled his former training. When he wasn't reading, he was outside in the garden, not just sitting idly but helping—helping—the estate's staff with their work.
"He was out in the garden again today," an older maid murmured, shaking her head in disbelief. "He helped me trim the hedges. At first, I thought he was mocking me, but no—he actually wanted to help."
"Yesterday, he carried water buckets with the stable boys."
"Three days ago, he complimented the chef's stew. Do you know how rare that is? He never used to say anything about the food!"
"Not to mention," a younger maid added hesitantly, "he's more… approachable now."
They all nodded at that. Vryne had never been cruel to the servants, but he had always been distant, cold. A noble through and through. He never went out of his way to acknowledge them beyond what was necessary.
But now, he asked them how they were. Thanked them for their work. Even joked with some of them.
It was unnatural.
Not unwelcome, but definitely strange.
And all of it had started no more than a week ago.
—
Meanwhile in the room of Vryne. He sat at his desk, flipping through a page of a book on economics.
However his gaze lingered, over to a
polished steel ornament atop his desk reflected his image back at him.
Bright amber hair, slightly messy yet effortlessly stylish, as if no matter how unruly it got, it still suited him. Obsidian-black eyes, deep and piercing, gleamed under the soft candlelight. His face, though still youthful, carried a natural handsomeness that could only be described as noble beauty—sharp jawline, straight nose, high cheekbones. It was a face that, in another life, he might have envied.
But it wasn't his.
It was Vryne El Drexsic's.
And yet, he wasn't Vryne.
Not on the inside, anyway.
Dante sighed, rubbing his temple before adjusting the thin-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose—an instinctual habit, despite the fact that his new eyes didn't actually need them.
The glasses were an accessory. A purely aesthetic choice in this world.
How ridiculous.
His gaze flickered back to the book in front of him. It was a text on the economic structures of the empire. He had read similar books back in his old world—principles of supply and demand, taxation policies, wealth distribution. Surprisingly, despite being a fantasy setting, this world's economic structure wasn't that different from the one he had known.
Maybe that was why he found himself so drawn to books lately.
It was the one thing he could hold onto.
The one thing that made sense.
He closed the book with a soft thump, exhaling through his nose. His mind was still reeling from the past week—the week since he woke up in this body.
At first, he thought it was a dream.
Then a nightmare.
Then, as the days dragged on and the weight of reality set in, the truth became clear—
This was real.
Somehow, he, Dante, a mere novel editor, had woken up as Vryne El Drexsic, the son of the main villain in The Hero's Ascent, the webnovel he had spent weeks editing.
The same webnovel where Vryne's fate was already sealed.
A tragic, cruel end at the hands of the protagonist.
And the worst part? Dante had edited that very scene himself.
A chill ran down his spine.
He leaned back in his chair, pressing his fingers against his temple. He had spent the past week trying to figure out why this happened, how this happened—but no answers came.
All he knew was that he was here now, and if he wanted to survive, he needed to act.
He couldn't follow Vryne's original path.
Or rather, he wouldn't.
That meant changing the way people saw him. He had to be more than just the "villain's son." He needed to be someone they wouldn't see as a threat—someone valuable, someone irreplaceable.
Hence, the books.
Hence, the helping around the estate.
The staff had noticed, of course. The way they whispered when they thought he wasn't listening was almost amusing.
But that was fine. Let them talk.
So long as he was in control of this life, he would shape it into one worth living.
Or at the very least—one that didn't end in his inevitable demise.
He ran a hand through his amber locks before resting his gaze back on his reflection.
Vryne El Drexsic.
That was his name now.
Or rather, it was the name of the body he now inhabited.
His lips curled into a dry, humorless smirk.
"Oh yeah," he muttered under his breath, voice laced with irony, "I'm so screwed."
And with that, he returned to his book.
For all he knew, knowledge might be the only weapon he had.