Endless darkness stretched in every direction.

  No sky. No ground. No sense of distance or time.

  Yet Jackson stood there as if gravity still remembered him.

  Before him floated the being that called itself a god — a shifting, featureless shape that refused to hold a fixed form. Sometimes it looked tall, sometimes small, sometimes almost flat like a shadow peeled from reality itself.

  Jackson watched it quietly.

  Black eyes studying. Observing.

  'So this is what a god looks like,' he thought.

  It wasn't majestic. It wasn't terrifying.

  Just… strange.

  The god’s voice echoed through the darkness again, smooth and calm.

  “Now then, Jackson Alistair Vale. You have been given the opportunity to reincarnate into another world. Normally, humans ask for power, wealth, or status.”

  The shape tilted slightly.

  “What is it that you desire?”

  Jackson didn’t answer immediately.

  True to habit, he thought first.

  He replayed everything that had happened: dying, waking up here, speaking to a cosmic entity like it was the most natural thing in the universe.

  His mind worked quietly.

  Observing. Connecting pieces.

  Then something surfaced in his memory.

  A game.

  Jackson lifted his head slightly.

  “I want to reincarnate in a game world,” he said calmly.

  The shape paused.

  “A game world?”

  Jackson nodded once.

  “Yeah. A game called Royal Hearts.”

  Silence filled the void for a moment.

  Then the god asked curiously,

  “Why that one?”

  Jackson rubbed the back of his neck, his posture still relaxed despite speaking to a literal deity.

  “Well… I finished it.”

  The shape flickered.

  Jackson continued.

  “It’s an otome game. Magic academy setting, noble politics, romance routes, hidden storylines.” He paused. “Pretty typical setup.”

  The god seemed amused.

  “And you wish to pursue romance?”

  Jackson immediately shook his head.

  “No.”

  Another pause.

  The god leaned closer.

  “Then what is your objective?”

  Jackson’s eyes narrowed slightly as if recalling something unpleasant.

  “The villainess.”

  The darkness around them shifted faintly.

  “The Crimson Empress.”

  Even here, the title carried weight.

  Jackson spoke her name clearly.

  “Victoria.”

  For the first time since the conversation began, something like interest stirred within the god.

  “Explain.”

  Jackson exhaled slowly.

  “She’s the main antagonist of Royal Hearts.”

  He began pacing slowly across the empty void as if organizing his thoughts.

  “In the game, she starts as the crown prince’s fiancée. Noble, powerful, terrifyingly intelligent.”

  He glanced toward the floating shape.

  “But every route ends the same.”

  His voice grew quieter.

  “She falls.”

  The god remained silent, listening.

  Jackson continued.

  “In some routes she’s executed. In others she starts a civil war. Worst case, she becomes the Crimson Empress and burns half the continent before dying.”

  A faint pause.

  Jackson looked down.

  “But none of those endings explain why.”

  The god tilted.

  “Meaning?”

  Jackson’s eyes sharpened slightly.

  “There were hints. Small ones.”

  Now his natural analytical side surfaced.

  “Lines of dialogue. Hidden events. Expressions she makes when no one else is looking.”

  He crossed his arms.

  “Something pushed her down that path.”

  The darkness hummed softly as the god absorbed his words.

  “And you wish to stop that.”

  Jackson nodded.

  “Yes.”

  The god asked the obvious question.

  “Why?”

  Jackson fell silent again.

  For a long moment.

  Then he shrugged lightly.

  “She was the most interesting character.”

  The answer sounded almost casual.

  But his eyes remained serious.

  “In every route she’s treated like the final obstacle. Something to defeat so the romance can happen.”

  He glanced upward.

  “But she was clearly written with more depth than that.”

  Jackson’s voice lowered.

  “And yet the game never gives her a chance.”

  The god observed him carefully.

  'This human…'

  Jackson shoved his hands into his pockets.

  “So yeah.”

  He looked straight at the shifting entity.

  “I want to go there.”

  The void grew quiet.

  The god spoke slowly.

  “You wish to enter a predetermined story… merely to save one doomed individual.”

  Jackson gave a small shrug.

  “Pretty much.”

  “You understand that altering such a narrative could have unpredictable consequences?”

  “Of course.”

  “You may suffer. You may fail.”

  Jackson nodded.

  “I figured.”

  The god remained silent.

  Jackson waited patiently.

  Seconds passed.

  Maybe minutes.

  Finally—

  The shape rippled.

  Then it laughed.

  A deep, amused sound that echoed through the endless dark.

  “Very well.”

  Jackson blinked.

  “That was fast.”

  The god seemed entertained.

  “Most humans request overwhelming power or divine blessings.”

  The shape rotated slowly around him.

  “You, however, ask for something… narratively disruptive.”

  Jackson scratched his cheek.

  “Is that bad?”

  “On the contrary.”

  The god’s voice carried a hint of excitement.

  “It sounds interesting.”

  Jackson sighed quietly.

  'Good. I thought I’d have to negotiate.'

  The god continued.

  “You shall reincarnate within the world of Royal Hearts.”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The darkness trembled faintly.

  “But understand this, Jackson Alistair Vale.”

  The shape loomed slightly larger.

  “You will not be the protagonist of the game.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “You will not possess automatic plot armor.”

  “Expected.”

  “You may die.”

  Jackson shrugged.

  “Already did once.”

  The god chuckled again.

  “Yes… I suppose you did.”

  A faint glow began forming beneath Jackson’s feet.

  The first sign that this empty realm actually had rules.

  “Before you depart,” the god said, “I will grant you one small advantage.”

  Jackson raised an eyebrow.

  “One?”

  “Yes.”

  “What kind?”

  The god answered calmly.

  “You will retain your memories of the game.”

  Jackson nodded.

  'Good. That's the most important thing anyway.'

  The light beneath him intensified.

  Reality itself began to loosen around his body.

  The god spoke one final time.

  “Jackson Alistair Vale.”

  Jackson looked up.

  “Go rewrite the fate of the Crimson Empress.”

  The light consumed everything.

  The endless darkness vanished.

  And as Jackson’s consciousness faded, one final thought crossed his mind.

  'Step one…'

  'Find Victoria before the story destroys her.'

  Then—

  The world began again.

  Wind rushed past Jackson’s ears.

  Light swallowed his vision.

  For a moment, he felt weightless — like reality hadn’t decided where to place him yet.

  Then gravity returned.

  Hard.

  Jackson hit the ground with a dull thud.

  “…Ow.”

  He lay there for a moment, staring up at a pale blue sky partially hidden by tree branches swaying in the wind.

  Birds chirped somewhere above.

  The smell of grass and dirt filled the air.

  Jackson slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head.

  “Okay… that worked.”

  He glanced around.

  A dirt road cut through a forest clearing, wagon tracks carved into the soil. Tall trees surrounded the path on both sides, their leaves whispering softly.

  Jackson stood up and dusted himself off.

  'So this is the world of Royal Hearts.'

  His black eyes quietly scanned everything.

  Observing.

  Analyzing.

  The road.

  The trees.

  The faint smell of—

  Jackson froze.

  Blood.

  Fresh.

  His gaze shifted forward.

  About thirty meters down the road sat a damaged carriage. One wheel was broken, the wooden side cracked as if something heavy had slammed into it.

  And around it—

  Monsters.

  Three of them.

  Low, wolf-like creatures with grey fur, jagged teeth, and glowing yellow eyes.

  “Dire wolves,” Jackson muttered under his breath.

  'Low-level monsters.'

  Not dangerous individually.

  But for normal people? Very dangerous.

  The wolves circled the carriage slowly, snarling and clawing at the wood.

  Jackson’s eyes narrowed.

  'Someone's inside.'

  He stayed still for a moment, watching.

  Two wolves clawed at the carriage door while the third prowled nearby.

  The door shook slightly.

  'Yeah… someone’s definitely in there.'

  Jackson looked around quickly.

  'Weapon… weapon…'

  Then he saw it.

  A sword.

  It lay on the ground a few meters away — probably dropped by a guard. The blade was simple but sharp, reflecting sunlight.

  Jackson walked toward it cautiously.

  He picked it up.

  He turned the weapon slightly in his hand.

  Balanced.

  Not too heavy.

  'Good enough.'

  One of the wolves noticed him.

  Its head snapped toward Jackson.

  Yellow eyes locked onto him.

  The creature growled.

  The other two followed its gaze.

  Jackson exhaled slowly.

  'Three monsters.'

  'First fight in a fantasy world.'

  'Great.'

  The wolves lunged.

  Jackson moved.

  His body reacted faster than he expected.

  Maybe adrenaline.

  Maybe luck.

  The first wolf jumped.

  Jackson stepped sideways and swung.

  Slash.

  The sword cut across the creature’s neck.

  It collapsed instantly.

  Jackson blinked.

  'That was… easier than expected.'

  The other two wolves hesitated.

  Jackson didn’t give them time.

  He stepped forward quickly and drove the sword straight into the second wolf’s chest.

  The creature howled before collapsing.

  The last one tried to retreat.

  Jackson wasn’t feeling generous.

  He ran forward and finished it with one clean strike.

  Silence returned to the forest.

  Jackson stood there, breathing steadily.

  Three monster corpses lay around him.

  He looked down at the sword in his hand.

  “…Huh.”

  He tilted it slightly.

  'Guess muscle memory exists in this world or something.'

  Then—

  Creak.

  The carriage door slowly opened.

  Jackson looked up.

  Someone stepped out.

  And Jackson immediately knew who it was.

  'Oh.'

  'Wow.'

  Lady Victoria Celestine Valencrest stood before him.

  Even after everything she had gone through, she was unmistakable.

  Long blonde hair.

  Bright blue eyes.

  Graceful posture that practically screamed noble upbringing.

  She wore a soft blue dress, simple compared to the extravagant gowns she usually wore in the game, but it still looked elegant on her.

  Actually…

  Jackson stared for a moment.

  'She’s… pretty.'

  Not just pretty.

  Very pretty.

  The kind of beauty that demanded attention even when she wasn’t trying.

  But Jackson’s eyes quickly shifted to something else.

  Her hair.

  Or rather—

  What had happened to it.

  Jackson frowned.

  'No.'

  His gaze sharpened.

  'Absolutely not.'

  Victoria’s hair was normally styled into perfect, iconic ringlets — one of her defining features in the game.

  Elegant golden curls framing her face.

  Right now?

  They were a mess.

  Windblown.

  Half undone.

  One side was barely holding shape.

  Jackson stared in quiet horror.

  'Who did this.'

  'Who allowed this tragedy to happen.'

  'Those ringlets are part of the character design.'

  'They need to be fixed immediately.'

  Victoria stepped down from the carriage slowly.

  Despite the ruined carriage. Despite the dead monsters.

  She still carried herself like a noble lady.

  Her blue eyes studied Jackson carefully.

  Cold.

  Sharp.

  But… different.

  Subtler than the game portrayed.

  Jackson noticed it instantly.

  'She’s been humbled.'

  Not broken.

  Not weak.

  But reality had clearly sanded down some of that overwhelming arrogance.

  She walked closer.

  Her gaze moved briefly toward the monster corpses.

  Then back to Jackson.

  “You.”

  Her voice was calm.

  Elegant.

  Still carrying the faint edge of superiority nobles were born with.

  “You killed them.”

  Not a question.

  A statement.

  Jackson rested the sword on his shoulder casually.

  “Yeah.”

  Victoria crossed her arms lightly.

  “…They were attacking my carriage.”

  Jackson nodded.

  “I noticed.”

  Silence hung between them.

  She didn’t say thank you.

  Jackson expected that.

  'Yep.'

  'Still Victoria.'

  She studied him for another moment.

  Black hair.

  Messy.

  Black eyes quietly observing everything.

  Lean build.

  Ordinary clothing.

  A complete stranger.

  Victoria’s eyes narrowed slightly.

  “…You are not a knight.”

  “Nope.”

  “Nor a guard.”

  “Nope.”

  “…Then what exactly are you?”

  Jackson thought for a second.

  Then shrugged.

  “Passing by.”

  Victoria stared at him.

  Clearly unconvinced.

  Jackson, however, was focused on something else.

  Her hair.

  His eye twitched slightly.

  He finally spoke.

  “Your hair is ruined.”

  Victoria blinked.

  “…What?”

  Jackson pointed at it.

  “Your ringlets.”

  Victoria’s expression slowly turned dangerous.

  “My what?”

  “The curls.”

  Jackson gestured again.

  “They’re completely messed up.”

  Victoria stared at him like he had just insulted her entire bloodline.

  Jackson sighed.

  “Look, I’m just saying.”

  He pointed again.

  “That hairstyle is iconic.”

  Victoria’s eyebrow twitched.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  Jackson shook his head.

  “Never mind.”

  Then he muttered under his breath.

  “We need to fix that ASAP.”

  Victoria definitely heard that.

  Her blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

  Yet strangely…

  She didn’t lash out.

  Not like the Victoria from the early game.

  Instead, she simply lifted her chin slightly.

  Her pride still very much intact.

  “…You are an extremely strange man.”

  Jackson nodded.

  “Yeah.”

  Then he glanced at the destroyed carriage.

  “So… what now?”

  Victoria followed his gaze.

  The broken wheel.

  The claw marks.

  The dead driver lying nearby.

  For a brief moment…

  Something flickered in her eyes.

  Loss.

  Then it vanished beneath noble composure.

  She spoke calmly.

  “…I was traveling to Aurelius Academy.”

  Jackson’s eyes lit up slightly.

  'Perfect.'

  The main stage of the game.

  Victoria looked at him again.

  “…And now I appear to be stranded.”

  Jackson rested the sword on his shoulder again.

  “Well.”

  He shrugged casually.

  “Good news.”

  Victoria frowned slightly.

  “…What?”

  Jackson pointed down the road.

  “I was heading there too.”

  He paused.

  Then added casually,

  “So I guess we’re traveling together.”

  Victoria stared at him.

  Silence.

  Wind moved through the trees.

  Finally she spoke.

  “…You are making quite a number of assumptions.”

  Jackson smiled faintly.

  Dry.

  Subtle.

  “Well…”

  He gestured toward the monster corpses.

  “You could try walking alone.”

  Victoria looked at the forest.

  Then at the monsters.

  Then back at Jackson.

  Her pride clearly wrestling with practicality.

  Finally—

  “…Fine.”

  Jackson nodded once.

  'Step one complete.'

  He glanced at her hair again.

  'Step two: fix the ringlets.'

  The forest road stretched quietly ahead of them.

  Leaves rustled overhead as the afternoon wind moved through the trees, sunlight slipping between branches in long golden streaks across the dirt path.

  Jackson walked a few steps ahead, the sword he had taken resting across his shoulder.

  Behind him, Victoria walked with steady, practiced elegance despite the situation.

  Before leaving, Jackson had returned to the ruined carriage.

  Not out of sentiment.

  Out of practicality.

  He had searched through what remained of the luggage and storage compartments.

  Most of it had been torn apart by the monsters, but a few things were still intact.

  A small pouch containing twenty-three gold coins.

  A travel cloak.

  A half-damaged satchel with dried rations.

  Jackson had taken them all without hesitation.

  Victoria had watched silently.

  She hadn't protested.

  That alone told Jackson a lot.

  'Old Victoria would have called it theft.'

  'Current Victoria… understands survival.'

  He adjusted the satchel over his shoulder.

  Not bad for his first loot in a fantasy world.

  They walked for several minutes without speaking.

  Jackson didn’t mind silence.

  Victoria, however, clearly did.

  “…Jackson.”

  Jackson glanced over his shoulder.

  “Yeah?”

  She spoke while looking straight ahead.

  “You said you were traveling to Aurelius Academy.”

  “Mm.”

  “That is an unusual destination for someone like you.”

  Jackson shrugged.

  “Curiosity.”

  Victoria frowned slightly.

  “That is not an explanation.”

  “It’s the only one I’ve got.”

  She studied him from the corner of her eye.

  His posture was relaxed.

  Casual.

  Yet his eyes constantly moved, quietly watching the road, the trees, the shadows.

  Victoria noticed.

  “You are cautious.”

  Jackson glanced at her.

  “Forest full of monsters.”

  “…Most people would still panic.”

  Jackson gave a small shrug.

  “Panicking doesn’t solve problems.”

  Victoria didn’t respond immediately.

  Instead she looked forward again.

  After a few moments she spoke again.

  “…You arrived at an unfortunate moment.”

  Jackson hummed.

  “I noticed.”

  Silence returned briefly.

  Then Victoria spoke again.

  “…The monsters killed my guard.”

  Jackson already knew.

  In the game, the guard died almost immediately.

  But he simply nodded.

  “Yeah.”

  “My driver as well.”

  Jackson had seen the body.

  He nodded again.

  Victoria’s voice remained calm.

  But slightly quieter now.

  “My carriage wheel broke while we were trying to escape.”

  Jackson remembered the broken axle.

  “Mm.”

  Victoria folded her arms slightly.

  “I was forced to hide inside the carriage while those creatures attempted to tear it apart.”

  Jackson imagined the scene.

  Actually, he didn’t need to.

  The game had illustrated it quite clearly.

  Victoria continued.

  “…It was not a pleasant experience.”

  Jackson glanced back at her.

  She still walked with perfect posture.

  Her chin slightly raised.

  Her expression controlled.

  But there was something else in her eyes now.

  Something quieter.

  Jackson looked forward again.

  “Yeah.”

  Victoria looked slightly annoyed.

  “That is all you have to say?”

  Jackson shrugged.

  “You survived.”

  Victoria blinked once.

  Then scoffed quietly.

  “…Yes.”

  They walked a little further.

  Victoria eventually spoke again.

  “…Before this journey, I attended a gathering in the capital.”

  Jackson didn’t react outwardly.

  But internally—

  'Here it comes.'

  Victoria’s tone grew colder.

  “My engagement was… dissolved.”

  Jackson nodded slowly.

  “Unfortunate.”

  Victoria glanced at him sharply.

  “That is a remarkably neutral response.”

  Jackson shrugged.

  “You sound like you’ve already thought about it enough.”

  Victoria stared at him for a moment.

  Then she looked away.

  “…The prince made his decision in front of half the imperial court.”

  Jackson imagined the scene.

  Actually—

  He remembered it perfectly.

  The accusation.

  The heroine stepping forward.

  The prince announcing the engagement annulment.

  The entire ballroom watching Victoria stand alone.

  Jackson stayed silent.

  Victoria continued.

  “…Several accusations were made.”

  Jackson nodded slightly.

  “Politics.”

  Victoria frowned.

  “You speak as if you understand noble society.”

  “I understand people.”

  She considered that answer.

  “…Many of those accusations were exaggerated.”

  Jackson believed that.

  In the game, most of them were half-truths twisted by rival nobles.

  Victoria continued calmly.

  “My family is currently under investigation.”

  Jackson knew that too.

  'Valencrest political scandal arc.'

  She spoke as if reciting facts.

  “Our influence at court has been restricted.”

  Jackson nodded.

  “…And so I was sent to Aurelius Academy.”

  Jackson glanced at her.

  “Exile?”

  Victoria’s eyes flashed slightly.

  “…Education.”

  Jackson smiled faintly.

  “Right.”

  She gave him an unimpressed look.

  But strangely…

  She didn’t argue.

  They walked a little farther.

  The road curved gently through the forest.

  Victoria eventually spoke again.

  “…You are very strange.”

  Jackson looked at her.

  “How so?”

  “You do not react properly to anything I say.”

  Jackson tilted his head slightly.

  “What reaction were you expecting?”

  Victoria crossed her arms.

  “Shock. Curiosity. Sympathy.”

  Jackson thought about it.

  Then he shrugged.

  “You seem like you’re handling it.”

  Victoria blinked.

  “…That is all?”

  “Yeah.”

  She studied him carefully again.

  “You are either very perceptive… or very indifferent.”

  Jackson thought about that.

  Then answered honestly.

  “Maybe both.”

  Victoria didn’t respond.

  They walked in silence again.

  After a moment, Jackson glanced at her hair.

  He frowned.

  "What's your name?"

  It was a demand from the noble.

  "Jackson."

  "That's what I'll be calling you then."

  'Still terrible.'

  He sighed.

  Victoria noticed.

  “…What.”

  Jackson pointed at her head.

  “Your ringlets.”

  Victoria’s eye twitched.

  “Must we discuss this again?”

  “Yes.”

  “…Why?”

  Jackson spoke with absolute seriousness.

  “Because they’re iconic.”

  Victoria stopped walking.

  Jackson took two more steps before realizing she wasn’t beside him anymore.

  He turned.

  She was staring at him like she was reconsidering letting him save her earlier.

  “…Explain.”

  Jackson pointed again.

  “Your hair normally has those curled ringlets, right?”

  Victoria slowly blinked.

  “…Yes.”

  “They’re ruined.”

  Victoria’s eyebrow twitched again.

  “The forest was attacked by monsters.”

  Jackson nodded.

  “Still ruined.”

  She stared at him.

  “…You are an incomprehensible man.”

  Jackson shrugged.

  “Probably.”

  Victoria sighed quietly.

  Then she started walking again.

  “…When we reach the academy,” she said, “I will have it fixed.”

  Jackson nodded in approval.

  “Good.”

  Victoria shook her head.

  For some reason, the corner of her mouth almost moved.

  Jackson didn’t notice.

  He was too busy thinking.

  'Step one: save Victoria.'

  'Step two: reach the academy.'

  He glanced at the proud noblewoman walking beside him.

  Her posture still elegant.

  Her pride still unbroken.

  But now—

  Not alone.

  Jackson looked forward down the road.

  'Step three…'

  'Figure out how to stop the future Crimson Empress from ever existing.'