"If I can just stay under the radar, I might survive the final chapter."

Kim Jowoon woke up in a novel world as the illegitimate fourth son of a marquis, Julian Von Astrea, and it looked like every single character hated him.

It was a world where everyone looked like a protagonist—shining eyes, tragic backstories, destiny practically dripping off them. Everyone except him. He didn't even get a script.

Then the Affection System popped up and crushed his hopes in one clean line of text: every so-called “hero” in the capital had a solid 0% interest in his continued existence.

Naturally, Julian did the most reasonable thing possible—he ran. Straight into the safest job he could think of: tutoring the young son of the Empire's most reclusive (and famously cold) Duke. The plan was foolproof. Win over the kid, stay invisible, collect a fat paycheck, and live long enough to die of old age instead of plot relevance.

It didn't go smoothly at first. The child barely spoke, the Duke barely appeared, and Julian briefly wondered if he'd chosen the wrong kind of death.

But somehow… it worked.

The Duke's son slowly warmed up to him. Lessons became warm conversations, and silence turned into trust. And even stranger, the Duke's affection level didn't just rise—it skyrocketed into something Julian absolutely had not planned for. 

For the first time since transmigrating, he felt safe.

Then the Empire started falling apart.

A masked criminal began tearing through the capital, and Julian started waking up with missing memories and an unsettling sense of déjà vu. No wounds. No explanations. Just the feeling that something had happened—and that he was better off not remembering it.

He had thought he was the one being hunted.

But the higher the Duke's affection climbed, the more frequent the blackouts became, and the more a terrifying possibility took shape.

He came here to survive the story.

Now, he was starting to suspect the Duke wasn't protecting him from the plot at all…

He was protecting the plot from him.

Julian stared at the system window hovering in front of him.


> [MANDATORY QUEST GENERATED: THE IMPERIAL HUNT]


> Context: You have been invited to the Imperial hunt by the Emperor, who has a negative affection level concerning you. Its left for you to prove whether you're a threat or someone he doesn't need to care about.


> Hidden Objective: Identify the 'True Hunter.'


> Penalty for Failure: [Status: Deceased] or [Status: Imprisoned in the Royal dungeon].


> Reward: 400 SP, Affection level with the Duke's family increases exponentially, & Survival rate increases exponentially.


> [Note: "A King's invitation is a command. To refuse is to beg for a grave. Refuse again, and the King will see your actions as challenging his authority."]


Chapter 68 - The Imperial Hunt