EP.1

So there was this meme that was recently circulating online.

It’s called the “Monkey’s Paw,” and this wretched thing grants people their wishes, but not in a straightforward way—rather in a twisted manner.

For example, if you wished to resurrect your son, it might bring him back as a zombie.

“Oh, I want to be born into a world where I can only draw comics.”

I remembered that wish while lamenting over the flood of insults and nasty comments on the finale of my webtoon.

Typically, the final episode of a webtoon garners congratulations for the hardworking author and reflections on the completed work.

But my webtoon, “The Youngest Son of the Royal Family,” was met with nothing but curses.

Of course, it was an ending that warranted such reactions.

“The protagonist dies after being crushed by a dragon—I must be insane for having drawn that.”

This webtoon, adapted from the romance fantasy web novel “The Youngest Son of the Royal Family,” actually had a lot more story left to unfold.

But then—

“I’m sorry, but the publishing company that signed the contract for the original novel went bankrupt, so the rights have gone into litigation. You’ll need to wrap it up by next week.”

Is this even sensible?

Yet, since the webtoon platform holds all the power, as the lowly artist, I had no choice but to comply.

And thus came the dragon-crushing ending.

“I never thought I would see a dragon ending, of all things.”

“This will surely go down in Korean webtoon history, but of a terrible kind, damn that author.”

“Damn it, those who lack any storytelling ability let their ‘artistic spirit’ run amok and ruin the original work.”

I wanted to directly tell the readers that I didn’t want to end it this way either, but there was no opportunity to do so.

I had certainly written about 5,700 characters outlining the incidents and circumstances, but my editor easily cut that down.

I frantically called my editor, only to hear:

“Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”

Oh, the editor is trying to abandon me. What good would it do to keep calling?

I had come to realize the feelings of Soonwook receiving an empty lunchbox.

I thought to myself, chugging down four cans of 12,000 won beer I bought from the convenience store.

“Where did it all go wrong?”

I just liked comics since I was a child, and that’s why I started drawing them.

I believed I would succeed since I was told I drew well and had good story and direction.

“Huh, these days, web novel adaptations are all the rage; let’s give that a shot.”

The representative of the publishing company I signed with suggested the romance fantasy web novel “The Youngest Son of the Royal Family.”

Honestly, it was just a cliché romance fantasy, but it was hard to reject the proposal, and now here I am in this mess.

With this kind of ending, I probably won’t be able to draw webtoons again.

“[If I had a Monkey’s Paw, I’d want to send that author right into their own comic.]”

As I read through the ever-increasing comments, I emptied the last can of beer, deep in thought.
“Monkey’s Paw? I wish I could get another chance at anything.”

With that thought, I collapsed onto my computer desk and fell asleep.

*

When I regained consciousness, I found myself in an unfamiliar space, just like the unfolding of a web novel.

Next to me, a young girl was crying while holding on to me, and a middle-aged man exhaled a sigh of relief upon seeing me awake.

“Rupert, are you hurt anywhere?”

The moment I heard the name “Rupert,” it hit me.

I couldn’t know Rupert’s family, as they were neither in the original novel nor depicted in my drawings.

But “Rupert Somerset” was a name I recognized.

After all, he was a character I had originally drawn, so I couldn’t possibly forget him.

Rupert was a character in “The Youngest Son of the Royal Family.”

In the story, he was the typical supporting character who had a crush on the female lead but always missed his chance to get closer to her.

“He was a foolish guy, smiling while being played with.”

I wasn’t fond of the female lead either, who had no real feelings for Rupert but still didn’t reject his advances.

What annoyed me more was that, even while being treated like this, Rupert always lingered by the female lead’s side, rushing to help whenever needed, as if he were some kind of slave.

“But I’ve reincarnated as Rupert… what a ridiculous turn of events.”

I couldn’t fathom why I had possessed Rupert.

All I’d heard was that the original Rupert had fallen off a horse and lost consciousness.

“But was there even such a plot point in the original?”

Rupert wasn’t a significant character; he was merely a supporting role meant to elevate the female lead, so there were no detailed backgrounds about his family or past.

Descriptions about his appearance were limited to him having curly blonde hair and wearing glasses, so when I looked in the mirror to check my face, I was shocked by the discrepancy.

While the hair matched my earlier imagination of slightly curly blonde locks, I had expected a gentle look due to the glasses, but instead, I saw quite a sharp impression.

“If he had seen my webtoon, he might have been considering legal action against me.”

Don’t blame me; it was the original author who gave a vague description.

Fortunately, adapting to this body wasn’t difficult.

Thanks to the benefits of this new world, I could speak and understand freely, and most importantly, Rupert’s status was that of the second son of a count.

Back on Earth, or in my previous life, I was like a drawing slave receiving directives from the webtoon editor, telling me to fix this and that.

But here, pulling the cord hanging from the canopy of the bed summoned a maid instantly.

To organize my thoughts in this situation, when I asked for pen and paper, the family’s butler promptly provided them.

“Water.”

The moment I uttered a single word, an incredible event occurred: the maid who had been waiting outside immediately brought me a cup of water.

Had I become a dragon? Is this dragon magic?

To have this level of responsiveness just by saying one word when there was no water in sight was truly astonishing.

“Thank you, dear readers. It’s thanks to your hateful comments that I am able to enjoy such luxury. I dedicate this grace to all of you.”

It seems that being a good person is indeed essential.

*

The shock from falling off the horse wasn’t as severe as I thought; after resting for a day, my body recovered quickly.

Unlike my own body, which had deteriorated from countless sleepless nights spent drawing webtoons, Rupert’s body felt fresh and invigorated.

“At this condition, I could withstand six late-night sessions a week.”

Having obtained such a young and robust physique, it’s ridiculous that I would think this way.

I berated myself for still being trapped in the mindset of a cartoonist slave.

Having recovered, I used the excuse of confusion from the fall to inquire about various situations from those around me.

I’ve read the original novel of “The Youngest Son of the Royal Family” once to create my webtoon and revisited specific parts several times, so I had a general understanding of the world. However, since romance fantasies typically lack intricate world-building or detailed settings, there were many aspects I had to experience firsthand.

First, the “Goldfull Valley” region, where the Somerset count’s family resides, is known for its gold panning.

However, over time, it has transitioned from its prosperous days of gold extraction to becoming an ordinary place lacking special characteristics.

Still, being a noble, I figured I wouldn’t have to worry about food and sustenance.

“What’s important is that I must never get involved with the royal family or the Duke of Bluewell.”

It would be of no benefit to get entangled with the Third Prince, the male lead, or the Duke’s young lady, the female lead.

Due to a convenience-driven plot, whether it was an assassin group of unknown origins or evil factions aiming to destroy the empire, too many people inexplicably died in this romance fantasy, forgetting its fundamental purpose.

In that process, the love between the Third Prince and the Duke’s young lady flourished poignantly.

“I have no desire to be sacrificed as a stepping stone for that kind of love.”

After all, Rupert isn’t an essential character, so it wouldn’t matter if he subtly stepped back from the story.

His job was to just act as a clown whenever the female lead was hurt or troubled by the male lead.

“No matter how beautiful the female lead is, she’s ultimately someone else’s property, and there’s no chance of connecting with her, so I should avoid entangling myself altogether.”

The antagonists that appear in the story will be dealt with by the protagonists.

With great power comes great responsibility, and the protagonists are bound to have significant roles.

Just as there are roles for supporting characters like me.

What kind of role is that, you ask?

Since I possess the identity of a noble, I can do whatever I want while living leisurely.

So, am I meant to just eat and play in this other world? Such was my brief illusion.

But of course, that wasn’t going to happen. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a Monkey’s Paw.