Surviving in a Romance Fantasy Novel

Prologue

The early autumn breeze felt chilly.

With every step leaves scattered beneath the feet.

Autumn had fully arrived even in the back alleys of the once desolate White Immortal Palace.

Jang Rae walked along a deserted stone wall path.

As he walked while brushing off a few maple leaves that landed on the shoulders of his official robe, he felt the crisp autumn air refreshing his lungs.

He was struck anew by one realization in such moments. The long intense heat of summer had ended and autumn was truly here.

Jang Rae, the warrior commander of Red Palace tasked with guarding this imperial palace, was widely respected among the palace warriors.

—

Even Emperor Woon Sung personally praised him with such words. Indeed, he was a man without fault, except for the fact that he had risen to success at a very young age.

Even those who were paragons of diligence sometimes wished to set aside their heavy burdens and rest.

Stepping away from the peering eyes of the court’s key positions and wandering alone within the grounds of Cheongdo Palace was how this diligent warrior found his respite.

The stone path behind White Immortal Palace, on the outer edges of the Inner Palace, was one of his favorite walking routes.

Normally, it was a dense and shadowy place that gave off a damp and gloomy atmosphere, but it transformed into a place of vibrant beauty when autumn arrived and the leaves changed color.

This pathway was a secret known only to Jang Rae within the vast expanse of the palace.

However, today, there was another visitor.

As he stepped onto the path blanketed with autumn leaves, it seemed as if he had entered a painting, and such thoughts crossed Jang Rae’s mind.

Near the stone wall path, a court lady was seated on a stepping stone while catching her breath.

(TN: A court lady, and specifically here, is a girl of lower rank serving and attending to noble women.)

Her neatly tied hair and snugly rolled-up sleeves gave off a strong sense of vitality.

Given the wooden water container placed near her feet, it appeared she was taking a brief rest after becoming weary from fetching water.

The court lady sitting atop the stepping stone bore no signs of artificial decoration.

Her innocent face without even a hint of makeup radiated both fatigue and a refreshing simplicity. One might wonder about her age, but she was likely a few years younger than Jang Rae.

Surrounded by the colorful tapestry of falling leaves and enjoying the cool autumn breeze, her resting figure was… indescribably peaceful.

Jang Rae felt as if time slowed in her presence.

For a while, he found himself captivated and unable to look away from the court lady.

“Ahh!”

And with that, the paused moment resumed its course.

This was because the court lady recognized Jang Rae before she leaped from the stone in surprise and bowed her head.

“I am ashamed. I was fetching clean water as instructed by the senior maid and took a moment to rest due to exhaustion.”

“……”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Jang Rae-nim, warrior commander of the Red Palace.”

She seemed to be embarrassed and in her mind, she might have thought she was caught slacking off.

But even though Jang Rae was known to be strict in his training as a warrior, he was not one to reprimand a court lady simply for taking a brief rest from physical labor.

In fact, the water container seemed too heavy for the young court lady to carry on her own. While it was good to be enthusiastic, taking on more than one could handle often led to harm.

Jang Ra lifted the container that the court lady was holding without changing his expression.

“Ah, no! Jang Rae-nim! I shall carry it myself.”

“Next time, make sure to carry a smaller weight, even if it means making several trips.”

“Ah, yes… I am ashamed…”

When Jang Rae spoke in a low voice, the court lady bowed her head and looked even more dejected.

It seemed she took his words as a reprimand, even though that was not his intention.

Usually, Jang Rae would have moved on to his own affairs regardless, but for some reason, he found himself relenting in the face of this court lady.

Feeling somewhat guilty for having scared her, Jang Rae

Though there were reasons not to openly do that…

“…. Ran-noonim.”

She was the protagonist of the fantasy romance novel “Heavenly Dragon Love Story”.

The future Heavenly Maiden, Seol Ran, was my sister.

******

TN: I found this one to be a breath of fresh air, so I picked it up. Though it’s really tough this one. But I promise to correct anything I messed up at least.

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KzalcaMay 7, 2024

What a way to start. Instantly got my attention! Love the descriptive writing style as well.

Thanks for the translation!

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ReaderJune 7, 2024

Oh that’s interesting so his sister got isekaied with him into the book basically?

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ShinLena86October 29, 2024

A Great Start.. thank you for the translation!!!

Surviving in a Romance Fantasy Novel