1.1. Yandere Prince's Royal Butler
*CLICK*
Waking up, Taeyun never expected to be greeted with the cold barrel of a gun shoved between his teeth.
A sharp jolt of fear gripped him, his body freezing as the steel pressed against his tongue. His breath hitched. His heart pounded against his ribs like a war drum.
"So, you still think of leaving me for him?"
The voice dripped with venom, like a scorned lover confronting a cheating boyfriend.
But that wasn't the case. The truth was far, far different.
---
Four Years Ago…
*Dizzy.*
Taeyun's world spun around him. No matter how many times he transmigrated, he never got used to the nausea that followed.
[ System Pluto:Host, are you okay? Do you need a pill to counter the effects of transmigration? ]
"THERE'S A PILL FOR IT?!" Taeyun exclaimed, gripping a nearby table for support.
[ System Pluto:Yup! But it costs 254 points. Do you want it? ]
Taeyun: ರ_ರ
Taeyun:No. I'll manage.
[ System Pluto: Tch. Such a stingy host! ]
Taeyun: You son of a—
Before he could finish cursing his so-called guide, the door burst open.
"Russ! You're still not ready? Hurry up—you have an audience with the king!"
A woman stormed into the room, her sharp gaze locking onto him with disapproval. Her voice was firm, urgent—leaving no room for argument.
Taeyun blinked. 'Russ?' Who the hell was Russ? And why was she looking at him like that?
[ System Pluto: Host, you are Russ! And this lady is your mother. ]
Right. Of course. Another role to play.
He stood up unsteadily. "Right… I'll be ready in a moment."
His mother didn't say anything else, merely sighing before leaving the room to give him privacy.
[ Taeyun (Russ): Pluto, give me the plot.]
[ System Pluto: Yes, Host! Transferring plot in 3… 2… 1… ]
A flood of information surged into Taeyun's mind. As he dressed, he quickly sorted through the details.
---
In this world, he was 'Russ Brasc', the personal butler of 'Prince Lucius Montgomery', Crown Prince of the Solarisfin Empire.
The novel he found himself in was titled "Trapped in the Golden Cage Made by a Two-Faced Prince."
It wasn't a love story.
It was a freaking tragedy.
"Lucius Montgomery", the protagonist, was born into a life of suffering. Abused by his family, tormented by those around him, and subjected to brutal punishments, he grew up into a two-faced, manipulative tyrant.
Everything changed when he met "Saint Julian", the novel's male lead, during his coming-of-age ceremony.
Julian, the Holy Saint of Nirvana Church , radiated warmth and kindness—something Lucius had never known. From the moment he saw Julian, he was captivated.
Every smile. Every word of kindness. Every fleeting moment of attention.
Lucius had never seen or felt something so warm . He wanted it all.
But Julian's heart belonged to someone else—the Duke of Sarvine, the novel's second male lead . He tried to dodge Lucius advances while not being explicit about it.
Lucius wasn't blind. He saw the way Julian avoided his advances, how his heart belonged to another man.
That only fueled his obsession.
Lucius was never the type to take rejection well. What he couldn't have, he destroyed.
First, he framed his parents for treason and had them executed.
Then, he sent the Duke of Sarvine to the border, ensuring he never returned alive.
Lastly, he razed the church, leaving Julian with no one and nowhere to run.
"Didn't I tell you before? You belong to me. No one else."
The novel ended with "Saint Julian trapped forever in the golden cage of the two-faced prince."
---
As Russ followed behind his mother, he couldn't help but wonder…
"If Lucius had been loved and protected, could his blackening have been prevented?"
[ Taeyun (Russ): Pluto, how old is this body?]
[ System Pluto: Host, you are 13 years old. The prince is only six years younger than you. ]
[ Taeyun (Russ): And when does the plot begin? ]
[ System Pluto:The day Prince Lucius turns 16. ]
That meant he had three years before everything went to hell.
"Plenty of time to prevent his downfall."Russ thought optimistically.
He was underestimating the power of the plot.
---
Soon, they arrived at the royal hall.
Towering golden doors, adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and celestial emblems, loomed before them. At the guards' signal, the doors creaked open, revealing a vast chamber bathed in the glow of crystal chandeliers.
At the far end of the hall, seated upon an ornate gem-encrusted throne, was the emperor. His piercing gaze fell upon Russ the moment he entered.
Russ and his mother stepped forward, bowing deeply.
"Your Majesty," his mother spoke first, her voice smooth and practiced. "We humbly greet the ruler of the empire."
"Rise. Introduce yourself," the emperor commanded, his gaze still fixated on Russ.
Russ straightened. "Your Majesty, I humbly present myself as Russ Brasc, eldest son of Lina Brasc and Alen Brasc. I am thirteen years old."
Silence.
The emperor studied him, his eyes sharp and unreadable. The weight of his scrutiny pressed down on Russ like an invisible force.
"So, you are Lina's son," the emperor finally spoke.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Russ answered, his pulse quickening.
The emperor's expression remained impassive before he delivered his decree.
"I assign you as the personal butler of Crown Prince Lucius."
The hall erupted into murmurs.
Ministers exchanged shocked glances. Even Russ's mother paled, her eyes widening in alarm.
"But, Your Majesty—" Lina began, stepping forward in protest.
The emperor cut her off.
"My decision is final."
A chill crawled down Russ's spine.
His fate was sealed.
---
Russ followed the guards through the palace corridors, his stomach twisting with unease.
Every servant dreaded working under the Crown Prince. Rumors painted him as a monster—short-tempered, violent, and possibly even a **murderer**.
The last few butlers and maids assigned to him had either resigned or vanished.
Russ braced himself as the guards opened the doors to the prince's chambers.
He stepped inside… expecting an explosion—a vase thrown at his head, a tantrum, something.
Instead, the room was eerily silent.
His eyes landed on a small figure curled up in bed, covered in layers of blankets. A head of messy silver hair peeked out.
Big, glassy golden eyes stared at him—not with malice, but with fear.
[ System Pluto:…Wait. This is Prince Lucius? Our protagonist? ]
Russ's mind short-circuited.
"This… timid little thing is supposed to become the future tyrant?"
For some reason, his heart ached.
The boy was pale , week , thin and too sickly to live upto the rumours of being a monster .
This was the boy who would one day destroy an empire?
Russ find it too hard to believe.