I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 1

Chirp chirp―.

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping.

The familiar ceiling came into view.

No, the ceiling that had now become familiar came into view.

‘…I couldn't go back today, either.’

Today marked exactly one month since I had come to this world. During that time, every day as I fell asleep, I prayed, 「“I hope I’m back when I open my eyes tomorrow.”」

However, once again today, no such miracle occurred.

Hoo―.

My mind was still hazy as I had just woken up. As I savored the soft blanket for a moment before starting the morning, a maid opened the door and came in, just as she always did.

“Your Highness, it is time to wake up.”

The name of the maid who just entered the room was ‘Elly’. She was my only maid, and though I didn't know her age, she looked to be in her late teens.

Generally speaking, a ‘crown prince’ would have several maids and vassals at his beck and call. After all, one could say he was second in the kingdom's hierarchy, succeeding the king.

However, here in the ‘Plank Kingdom’—where royal authority had long since collapsed—such a luxury was not permitted for me, the crown prince. It was only possible to barely maintain the dignity of a crown prince.

‘The original owner of this body might have felt his pride wounded by his situation… but I just accepted it.’

Before coming to this world, I was an ordinary university student in the Republic of Korea. An ordinary university student who grew up in a rather poor family, spent a decent school life, got a decent score on the college entrance exam, and entered a decent university that matched the score.

Because of who I was, I could easily laugh off being ignored by the nobles and having only one maid.

I didn't need many maids in the first place, anyway.

Well… to be honest, it was upsetting when the nobles occasionally crossed the line as human beings. I was, after all, only ‘human’.

However, I tried to take the nobles' sarcasm and insults as lightly as possible. There would be nothing more foolish than for a sickly crown prince with no power to needlessly assert his pride and get caught in the nobles' crosshairs.

“Ah, you’re awake. Did you have a restful night?”

The maid—Elly—smiled brightly, approached me, and handed me some water. I didn't know if she was being sincere in serving me with such a bright demeanor.

Still, I felt a small sense of gratitude toward Elly. If it weren't for that maid, I wouldn't have even been able to eat properly.

While I took the cup of water and drank, Elly drew the curtains and opened the window wide.

“Your Highness, do you have any special plans for today?”

Special plans.

There was no way I had any.

“No, I don't. I plan to go to the library as usual.”

Before coming to this world, I wasn't much of a book lover. But as I searched for a place to avoid the nobles' eyes, I found out that for some reason, the nobles didn't frequent the library, so I made the library my sanctuary.

As a result, I had somehow become a reader, something that wasn't in my destiny.

‘Reading books every day is a bit boring, but it’s a hundred times better than being dragged to a nobles' party and getting ridiculed.’

The nobles of this kingdom held balls—parties—at the royal palace almost every day. As if they owned the royal palace.

I had never been to those parties, but I had heard that they were very extravagant and lavish. The people of the kingdom were said to be selling their children, turning to banditry, and eating grass because they had nothing to eat, yet I didn't know how the nobles could be so wealthy.

‘Well… the nobles being well-fed while the commoners starve to death isn't a problem unique to this kingdom. It was a common occurrence in the history of the world I was in, too.’

As I mentioned before, I was a university student before coming to this world. My major was public administration, which is a discipline created by combining various fields such as economics, philosophy, history, and political science. A so-called hodgepodge of studies, I guess.

I didn't study very hard in university. The lectures of the professor who taught ‘Korean History’ and ‘World History’ were interesting, so I studied history a little harder, that's all.

Anyway.

As I was spacing out and staring into the air, Elly prepared a meal on the table next to my bed. My breakfast today consisted of a few pieces of dry, hardened bread, bacon, an egg, a few pieces of fruit, and milk.

As I picked up my fork, Elly bowed her head deeply and spoke like a sinner.

“…I am sorry that I could only prepare this much again today.”

“It’s alright. I’m fortunate to have something to eat.”

“…Your Highness.”

“You don't have to be so gloomy. There are many people who eat less than I do.”

Even though I said this, Elly couldn't hide her remorse and kept her head bowed low.

Of course, I too would like to have a luxurious meal if possible. A splendid medieval meal with a whole turkey, various fresh vegetables and fruits, soft bread, a simple soup, and a glass of wine.

But I knew better than anyone that I shouldn't wish for such things.

‘If you want to live, the answer is to quietly eat the food the nobles give you.’

It's not that I made this choice because I have no pride and am a pathetic fool. I lived this way simply because I concluded that living with my pride suppressed was the right course of action in the current situation.

‘I am a crown prince with no power. On top of that, the nobles pick fights with me over every little thing. In my position, staying still is the answer. Just as the crown princes in history who were in similar situations did to avoid death.’

Of course, there were cases in history where powerless crown princes used their wisdom to regain power. But most crown princes met terrible ends while trying to reclaim their power.

‘I have no desire for wealth and glory, nor do I have any intention of setting this kingdom right. So there's no need to take any unnecessary risks.’

Clatter.

After finishing the meal Elly had prepared, I got out of bed and said.

“I will wash up and go to the library. Elly, you don’t need to follow me, so you can go about your work.”

“Your Highness, even so, shouldn't at least one attendant maid accompany you?”

“It’s fine.”

“But….”

At my words, Elly’s lips parted, then she nodded. Until last week, Elly would say, 「“No matter what you say, I will follow you, Your Highness.”」, but now she followed my words.

‘Well… Elly still waited for me at the library entrance, though.’

I didn't know why Elly was so loyal to me, a crown prince with no power or authority. I thought about asking her why, but I felt it would lead to an awkward conversation, so I didn't bother to ask.

I went into the bathroom to wash up. Then, my reflection appeared in the full-length mirror in the bathroom.

The image of a twelve-year-old, blond, handsome boy, who was thin and sickly, but whose beauty could not be hidden by it.

‘Truly the very picture of a powerless crown prince.’

I observed my reflection for a moment before turning on the shower valve. Cold water came out of the hose.

I was a crown prince—or perhaps because I was a crown prince, I couldn't even use hot water when I showered.

***

I arrived at the library entrance.

Usually, I would run into a few nobles on my way to the library, but today, perhaps I was lucky, as I didn't encounter any. The only thing that bothered me was that Elly had indeed followed me all the way to the library.

‘I told her she didn't have to follow. She'll take care of things on her own, I'm sure.’

“I'll be in the library, so please let me know when it's lunchtime.”

As I entered the library, Elly nodded.

“I understand, Your Highness. For lunch, I will do my best to prepare something befitting of you.”

“You don’t have to do that. Bread, fruit, soup—that’s all I need.”

“…Your Highness.”

“It's fine. Well then.”

Leaving behind Elly, who seemed to have a lot to say, I entered the library. The library's unique musty smell of paper and dust brushed past my nose.

‘What book should I read today?’

As if to show that it was, after all, a royal palace library, there were well over a thousand books. I didn't plan to be cooped up in the library for the rest of my life, but it would be able to relieve my boredom for quite a while.

‘I read a book on religion yesterday, so I'll pass. Philosophy is… a headache, so I'll pass on that too. Should I read the monster encyclopedia? There was one I started reading last time.’

Just as I was walking between the bookshelves, looking for a book to read.

“?”

An unusually clean book caught my eye. To be precise, it caught my eye not because it was ‘clean’, but because of its ‘title’.

‘…Seo Jae-yoon?’

‘Seo Jae-yoon’ was my original name. My Korean name.

Moreover, the cover of this book was written not in the language of the Plank Kingdom, but in Korean.

‘How is my name, and in Korean at that, written here…?’

As if possessed by something, I took out the book and began to read it. Forgetting to even go to a desk.

Continental Calendar Year 896, March 19th.

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping. The now-familiar ceiling comes into view.

Today marks exactly one month since I came to this world, the ‘Plank Kingdom’. Last night, I went to sleep after praying, 「“Please, let me be back in Korea when I wake up tomorrow.”」

—but without fail, I remained in this world.

Unable to fight off sleep, I was hiding in the soft blanket when a maid came in. Elly, perhaps the only maid in this kingdom who respects and serves me.

She told me she was sorry that breakfast was so meager. Of course, I also wanted a magnificent meal with a whole roasted turkey, but….

‘…This is my handwriting, though?’

It wasn't just the handwriting. It was unbelievable, but this book contained my daily life and thoughts, written exactly as they were.

My daily life and thoughts that I had told no one.

I got goosebumps.

‘…Is this some kind of magic book?’

I continued to read the book.

…Upon entering the library, the usual musty smell greeted me. The musty smell created by old paper and dust was now so familiar it felt nostalgic, and I took in the smell as I looked for a book to read today.

It was then that I found a certain book. A that was unusually cleaner than the other books, and even had my name ‘Seo Jae-yoon’ written on it in Hangeul.

As if possessed by something, I began to read the book.

But surprisingly, the book contained my daily life and thoughts, written exactly as they were.

My daily life and thoughts that I had told no one.

…….

Upon reading that far.

Thud―.

I unknowingly dropped the book, and a curse escaped my lips.

“Sh, shit… what is this.”

This world was a world of sword and sorcery. A fantasy world. So I knew there were skills or magic that defied my common sense.

But to find a diary I didn't even write, this was too creepy to just accept and move on. What's more, it was even in my handwriting.

Most surprising of all was―.

I found the diary I hadn't even written creepy. I dropped the book and muttered a curse.

「“Sh, shit… what is this.”」

…….

—that new content was being written in real time, or perhaps even before I actually acted.

“……”

Then, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

‘…Wait a minute. The title of this book was . Does that mean my future is written in it?’

On a whim, I flipped to the back of the book—the diary.

Flip, flip―.

Blank pages kept appearing one after another. I thought my future would be in it since it was called a future diary….

Then.

On the last page of the book, I saw my handwriting.

Continental Calendar Year ―, Month ―, Day ―

Poverty, hunger, monster attacks, raids by bandits, tyranny of the powerful.

The people of the kingdom, unable to endure these things, started a rebellion. Not only the kingdom's knight order, but also the mage corps and the nobles' private soldiers could not suppress the rebellion.

In the end, the two dukes of the kingdom—‘Duke Vaimal’ and ‘Duke Panshin’—put me on the gallows as a sacrifice to appease the anger of the kingdom's people.

“Here lies the root of all evil in our beloved kingdom! It is this very man, ‘King Leonardo’! This man squeezed the lifeblood of the kingdom's people to fill his own selfish desires and lived a debauched life! Your hunger and hardship are not the fault of the nobles, but due to the greed of the royal family!!”

They pinned all the blame on me, the crown prince—no, the man who was now king.

—Kill the king!

—Kill him!!

—Throw stones!!

—Bring back my son!!

In front of the angry mob.

A rope thicker than my arm was tied around my neck.

Soon, I would be hanged and die.

Perhaps because I'm on the verge of death, my mind is filled with thoughts.

‘…I shouldn't have stayed quiet as a mouse just because I was a powerless crown prince. To live, I should have somehow seized power and led this kingdom correctly. If I didn't want to meet this kind of end.’

My thoughts continue.

‘I had a chance. A chance to keep the nobles in check and gradually build my power.’

But I escaped from reality and threw away the chance. Cowardly.

‘Powerless crown princes in history… the end for those who gave up power and lived quietly to avoid death wasn't to live a peaceful life and die. Most powerless crown princes were used by the nobles as they pleased their entire lives before disappearing like dew into history. Why is it that I'm only now thinking of something so obvious?’

A belated regret.

But it was a regret that came too late.

But who was there to blame, when this was the end I had chosen.

“Carry out the sentence!”

“Execute him! With this, our Plank Kingdom will once again move forward correctly!!”

Duke Vaimal, Duke Panshin.

At the command of the two, the trapdoor opened.

Clunk!

I was executed by hanging and died.

After reading it to the end, I had only one thought.

‘…This is my future?’