The 19th Century, But with a Horror Mod

[The next book is in the works]

You play a game called Nineteenth-Century Aristocratic Fiancée Simulator. The System tells you that if you win the hearts of three aristocratic targets in a nineteenth-century Western setting, you can be reborn and choose a new life.

You think pursuing them one by one would be too inefficient, so you decide to go after all three at once.

After all, if you fail, it's game over. You have nothing to regret.

[Target One]

You are the fiancée of Dorian Gray, heir to the famous Gray family.

Your fiancé is said to possess incomparable, world-shaking beauty that charms men and women alike. He's the darling of high society, always the center of attention.

He doesn't take the slightest notice of you, his vulgar, impoverished fiancée from the country.

To him, you are the only blemish on his perfect image.

He'd rather see you, the ugly duckling, die as soon as possible than fulfill your engagement.

[Target Two]

As a distant, impossibly distant relative of Roderick Usher, you inherit the House of Usher.

The family is mired in a curse, its numbers dwindling, its fortunes long since fallen into ruin.

Everything connected to the family has been buried in the graveyard, including your childhood betrothal to Roderick, which was buried along with him when he died.

But the dead Roderick doesn't seem to see things that way.

[Target Three]

You know Dorian Gray doesn't like you, so you urgently need to find a wealthy, powerful man to fall back on.

You set your sights on the pale-faced man sitting in the corner at the ball. He looks like he doesn't have long to live, so you might soon become a widow and inherit his fortune.

What you don't realize is that he's had his eye on you for a long time, too.

But it seems he's more interested in your blood than in you.

**

After clearing the game in one go, you choose a perfectly ordinary world where you can enjoy your retirement. But the world you've carefully picked isn't as plain and ordinary as you imagined.

A hidden palace beneath the sea slowly emerges. The monsters sleeping within whisper beneath the red moon, and the line between humans and monsters grows ever thinner. The people closest to you have all become unspeakable monsters, watching you hungrily as they prepare to devour and assimilate you.

Most importantly, the monsters who willingly put collars around their necks for you have come looking for you.

[Reader's Guide]

1. This story draws on The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Dracula. You don't need to have read the originals, since the author explains the settings and backgrounds clearly. You can also read it as a new story if you're unfamiliar with them.

2. At its core, this is a story about nonhuman beings, gloomy male ghosts, rivalry between men, and a reverse harem. Please respect the author's preferences. If these themes bother you, read with caution.

Blurb dated 2025/10/15

Theme: Love that lasts until death