Chapter 1 - Prologue

[YOU DIED]

“…Is this for real?”

I stared at the black-and-white screen for a while. It was beyond belief, leaving me speechless.

It was because this playthrough had been going so well.

Starting as an illegitimate child of a noble family with a legitimate claim to the throne, I was on the verge of becoming the king through politics and wars.

I had even formed an alliance with the Empire.

‘But assassination… really?’

The game message explained that I had died due to sudden acute poisoning.

However, I could tell without confirming that I had fallen victim to an assassination scheme.

Of course, it was common for characters to die like this in the game.

Yet, the futile annihilation of the time I had poured into it never became familiar.

“I have no luck, none at all.”

A deep sigh escaped my lips. “Having no luck” was what gamers with insufficient skill always said.

But in my case, it was different.

…It was true.