Chapter 1

"Congratulations! The lottery ticket ending in 69420 has successfully hit the top prize this period. Your payout is ten million dollars!"

Looking at that massive string of zeros on my phone screen, I was so pumped I could jump around in joy!

"I’m rich! I never have to act like a corporate slave for that balding boss of mine ever again! Luxury cars, exclusive clubs, a massive mansion... I've finally made it!"

In my pure excitement, I chugged a huge gulp of beer. Just as I was about to jump onto my bed to pull off a celebratory backflip, my foot slipped right on a stray rolling beer bottle.

The back of my head slammed hard into the rusty corner of my metal desk.

A wave of agonizing pain hit me, and my vision went completely black.

Dammit! I hadn't even cashed out my ten million dollars yet!

...

"Master! Lord Valerius, please wake up! Your father just died on the battlefield. If something happens to you too, House Valerius will be done for!"

A frantic, loud shaking pulled me back from the dark void.

I forced my eyes open. What caught my attention was an elegant-looking but incredibly rundown ceiling, alongside a servant in historical clothing who wept so hard his face was a total mess.

Suddenly, a massive flood of memories that didn't belong to me rushed into my brain.

Alden Empire. The only son of the Grand Protector of House Valerius. He even shared the exact same name as me, Asher Valerius.

Unfortunately, the original owner of this body was a total deadbeat, a spoiled brat who was an absolute failure at both academics and martial arts.

His father had just been ambushed and killed by an enemy army at the border. Yet before his body had turned cold, his political rival—the powerful prime minister—had already sent local thugs to their front door to squeeze them dry.

The original owner of this body, already completely overwhelmed by grief, was brutally beaten by those thugs and literally died of pure shock and rage. That was the only reason an unlucky bastard like me took his place.

Just as I was frantically processing all this information, a sharp electronic chime suddenly echoed in my mind.

Ding!

[Host soul detected. Cold-Hearted Empress Conquest System has successfully bound to your soul!]

[Deploying beginner quest. Proceed to the main gates of the royal palace immediately, drop to your knees, and yell 'I love you, Your Majesty!' three times.]

[Reward for Success: Charm +10]

[Penalty for Failure: Executed]

I froze, completely stunned. Then, a wave of absolute fury rushed straight to my head.

"What the fuck?!

"I haven't even cashed out my ten million dollars, and you dump me into this godforsaken place as a total nobody? And now you want me to be a desperate simp?! Screw that! Not in a million years!"

The System had clearly never encountered a host with such a fiery temper. Its mechanical voice glitched and sputtered for a second.

[Host, please calm down. The system is designed to mold you into the perfect heartthrob. As long as you win over the empress...]

"Shut up! I'm a highly sought-after Ivy League graduate! I'm not some brain-dead main character from a trashy romance novel!

"Send me back right now, or we can both go down together!"

I refused to back down an inch, immediately channeling the exact energy of a miserable corporate slave absolutely ready to throw hands with a toxic HR manager.

Right at that moment, a loud bang shattered the air as the front gates of the estate were violently kicked open.

Several burly, scar-faced thugs carrying wooden clubs barged into the courtyard.

The leader, a guy with a nasty scar across his face, spat on the ground and shouted arrogantly, "Is that useless Valerius kid dead yet? If you're still breathing, hurry up and hand over the deed to this estate! The prime minister made it clear—as of today, House Valerius is history!"