TERMS 01

Chapter 1 ….

“Well, as long as the water’s good, it doesn’t matter.”

“Thank you! I’ll catch some good ones and come back!”

I had asked the seafood stall vendors whether they would buy seafood if I brought some in. One skinny, pot-bellied man rolled his eyes skeptically before finally answering me.

After giving him a polite bow, I walked away with light, cheerful steps.

Anyway, the positive response made me feel like I could float.

‘Once I sell some seafood and get money, I’ll buy soap, clothes, and food too.’

Kki-ruk—

Right on cue, the cry of a passing seagull sounded pleasant. The distant blue sea shimmered beautifully under the sunlight.

Today was my second day since transmigrating into the romance-fantasy novel <This Princess Commits Marriage Fraud>.

When I first opened my eyes, I had been alone in a hut that was practically abandoned.

The figure reflected in the dust-covered mirror was thin but beautiful, and it was obvious at a glance that this body belonged to someone with no family whatsoever.

‘Maybe I possessed someone who had just starved to death from poverty.’

Even so, a hopeful hum slipped out of me.

“The sea is right in front of the hut, so at least I don’t have to worry about starving.”

In my previous life, I had worked myself to the bone at a traditional food factory in a rural seaside town. I even did tidal foraging, selling the seafood I caught to earn money.

And despite all that, I died hounded by my father’s gambling debts.

Whether before or after transmigration, my financial situation was equally miserable… but at least here, there was no family to drag me into the mud!

‘Who knew the tidal foraging I did as a side job would come in handy here too? Really, it never hurts to learn something.’

On top of that, I was lucky enough to quickly figure out which novel I had transmigrated into.

“Long live the Ilpein Empire! Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”

It was thanks to the newspaper boy I ran into earlier.

“Buy a paper! Victory news of His Majesty wiping out the demonic beasts of the Northern Mountains! Come read this amazing news!”

With an excited face, the boy energetically praised the Empire while selling papers.

The Ilpein Empire. The Northern Mountains’ demonic beast purge.

That’s right.

The novel I had entered was a romance fantasy where the female lead, Nelloa—who transmigrates into the book—demands marriage in exchange for lifting the curse of the male lead emperor, Bloden Ilpein: <This Princess Commits Marriage Fraud>.

And this place was Snoril, a small port city of the Ilpein Empire.

It was the setting of the serial child kidnapping case that would eventually draw in the male lead, Bloden himself.

The case became known when the culprits, disguised as commoners, mistook a noble child out alone for an orphan and abducted him. While tracking the case, Bloden meets the female lead Nelloa for the first time…

‘Well, that’s the original story.’

What mattered was who I was and what role I played in the novel.

‘My name is Hailey, but I was never mentioned in the book.’

Unfortunately, I hadn’t recovered this body’s memories. I only learned my name because a bakery owner called out to me while I was wandering the streets.

Hailey.

It was a pretty decent name, but every time I rolled it over in my head, I was reminded of that bakery man, which soured my mood.

The moment he saw me, he shoved bread into my hands, saying I must be starving and exhausted all alone.

So I thought he was a good person—but then he mentioned his wife had gone to her parents’ house and suggested we talk quietly, just the two of us.

He even said he’d guarantee my identity and hire me at his bakery.

In the original story, hiring someone without verified identity was described as illegal.

Which meant… his intentions were anything but pure.

I had slammed the bread into his face and thrown in some curses too, but the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I felt.

“Ugh, think positive. I’ve secured a buyer, haven’t I?”

Muttering to myself, I glanced at my reflection in a shop window.

It was only my second day after transmigrating, but the more I looked, the more I liked this pretty face.

Every step made my platinum-blonde hair ripple and shine brilliantly, and my two eyes—clear like the refreshing sea—sparkled like jewels against my paper-white skin.

Even in a worn brown dress and with my body terribly thin, I looked this good. I was actually curious how I’d look once I put on some healthy weight and wore proper clothes.

‘Alright! Let’s eat well, sleep well, and get healthy! I’m going to personally witness just how pretty I become!’

But right now, I was flat broke.

“To eat well, I need money first.”

I recalled the coastal terrain in front of the hut.

One side was tidal flats, the other rocky and full of stones—perfect for catching octopus, sea cucumbers, crabs, turban shells, spoon worms, whelks, and all sorts of shellfish.

Since I’d secured a buyer, once I made some money from seafood, I planned to fence the empty lot near my house and raise chickens for eggs.

‘I should buy soybeans and chili peppers to make jang… Hmm, maybe geese would be better than chickens?’

The food culture here differed from my previous world, but I had seen soybeans and chili peppers being sold in town earlier, so obtaining them wouldn’t be a problem.

‘If I struggle for two or three months, I should at least solve the food issue. Though fixing the house and building a decent life will probably take a year.’

I was doing my own calculations as I headed toward the sparsely populated outskirts when—

“Oh dear, looks like our little friend here got lost?”

A man’s gruff voice pretending to be kind reached my ears.

“Let go!”

I would’ve ignored it—but the irritated shout of a child made my head snap toward the sound.

Two burly men were holding the arms of a boy who looked about six or seven.

The child, with short black hair and wearing shorts, looked wary of them. But the men only smiled as if it didn’t matter.

“We’ll help you find your parents. Where are they?”

“I said let go.”

Even though the boy resisted, the men paid no mind.

“Tsk, this kid’s got a short tongue.”

“We said we’ll take you to your parents.”

The boy looked around, as if searching for someone to help.

That’s when I realized.

‘This is the kidnapping scene!’

I hurried toward the child.

In the original story, the serial kidnappers only took children who appeared to be orphans.

‘Which means if they see family nearby, they won’t touch the kid!’

If I were a child too, I might’ve been kidnapped along with him—but thankfully, this body clearly looked at least twenty years old. At best, I’d pass as an older sister with a much younger sibling.

“Max! There you are!”

Pretending I’d been running around looking for him, I caught my breath and pulled the boy into a tight hug.

And then I was startled.

Good heavens.

Though his black hair was slightly messy, the texture was incredibly soft. His skin was milky white, and his cheeks looked like freshly made rice cakes.

‘What kind of kid looks like this…’

Because I had suddenly intervened, his wide eyes stared at me in shock. He had no double eyelids, and his irises were a clear violet. Even at his age, his nose bridge was high, and his naturally rosy lips were nicely shaped and plump.

Neat yet adorable, handsome yet pretty, with an unmistakable air of nobility. It was impossible to guess just how handsome he’d grow up to be.

‘Please don’t have a glow-down.’

The thought flashed through my mind.

Then the boy’s brows twitched slightly, snapping me back to my senses.

This wasn’t the time to be dazed by a kid’s looks.

I quickly scrunched my face and pretended to check him over.

“I was worried sick when you disappeared! Are you hurt anywhere?”

Then I spotted a scrape on his knee. It looked like he’d lightly fallen somewhere—actually perfect.

“Oh dear! You fell already? I told you to watch where you’re going!”

“…Huh?”

Confusion colored the boy’s voice. Being young, he still seemed slow on the uptake.

If my family act got exposed now, that would be bad.

I deliberately smacked his butt a couple of times for show.

“You little troublemaker!”

When the boy sucked in a breath, I quickly continued,

“Honestly, you scared me! Just wait till we get home—your big sister is going to give you a proper scolding.”