The World Shouldn’t Recognize Me

Awakening in an Unfamiliar Room

The first thing Claude noticed was the silence.

Not the quiet of a peaceful morning, nor the stillness of an empty apartment, but a heavy, unnatural hush—the kind that doesn’t belong in the modern world.

Slowly, his senses adjusted.

A faint scent of lavender and polished wood. The subtle weight of silk against his skin. The warmth of sunlight filtering through lace curtains, casting soft shadows on marble floors polished to an impossible gleam.

Everything was elegant, refined… foreign.

Claude’s gaze flickered to the gilded furniture, the antique bookshelves, the intricate embroidery on his own sleeve. A slow, creeping unease settled in his chest.

This wasn’t his room.

He had never been here before.

And yet—

His fingers twitched against the porcelain cup in his hands, and the moment they touched its cool surface, memories that weren’t his own flooded his mind.

A noble house. A strict education. A name.

Claude Arden.

His breath caught.

The knowledge settled too seamlessly, too naturally into his mind. It wasn’t just a name—it was an identity, complete with years of upbringing, etiquette lessons, and family history.

And yet, deep inside, something screamed that it was all wrong.

Across the table, a woman regarded him with an unreadable gaze.

“Claude,” she said, her voice smooth as glass. “Do pay attention.”

Claude.

That name shouldn’t have meant anything to him.

But now, it did.

The Reality of This World

He barely touched his breakfast, mind working at a feverish pace.

The woman sitting across from him—his “mother”—held herself with the poised elegance of nobility. Though she hadn’t spoken much, her presence alone made it clear: she was someone important.

Claude knew her name.

Lady Marianne Arden.

A widow of high status. Strict, intelligent, and respected among the nobility. She had raised Claude Arden, her only son and heir.

He shouldn’t have known this.

And yet, the moment he thought about it, the details settled effortlessly in his mind like pieces of a puzzle clicking into place.

A noble heir.

An academy student.

A life that wasn’t supposed to exist.

Claude slowly placed his teacup down, staring at his own reflection in the dark amber liquid.

This world. This setting.

He recognized it.

Crown’s Belles and Blades.

A fantasy otome game centered around political intrigue, romance, and betrayal. A world where powerful noble families vied for influence, and where the protagonist—the heroine—would navigate between potential love interests, each tied to a different faction.

It was a game he had played before.

But there was one problem.

Claude Arden did not exist in the original story.

His heartbeat quickened.

The world was following its set course—the academy, the noble factions, the key players—but he was an anomaly.

And if this world ran on a fixed narrative, then anomalies were a threat.

That meant staying unnoticed was his best chance at survival.

And it started with Veltrane Academy.

The Entrance Ceremony & A Flaw in the Plan

A few years passed, and it was time for Claude’s biggest life challenge.

Veltrane Academy was a fortress of prestige.

Towering ivory pillars lined the entrance, sprawling courtyards and lush gardens stretching beyond them. Students gathered in clusters, dressed in finely tailored uniforms, their family crests displayed with quiet pride.

Claude moved through the crowd, keeping his head down.

His plan was simple.

1. Avoid unnecessary attention.

2. Stay away from the heroine and the villainess.

3. Graduate quietly, without getting involved in noble politics.

A perfect strategy.

…Or so he thought.

Because the moment he turned the corner—

He collided directly with Evelyn Von Estera.

The Villainess Who Sees Too Much

The impact was barely more than a brush of fabric, but to the surrounding nobles, it was enough to make them pause.

Silver hair gleamed in the afternoon light, cascading in perfect waves.

Violet eyes met his—sharp, cool, and unmistakably intelligent.

Evelyn Von Estera.

Daughter of Duke Estera. The villainess of Crown’s Belles and Blades.

Her presence alone commanded attention. The nobles near them instinctively shifted away, keeping their distance. No one stood too close unless she allowed it.

Claude stiffened, already stepping back.

The best course of action? Apologize and leave.

But Evelyn didn’t move.

Instead, she watched him.

Not with annoyance.

Not even with suspicion.

But with recognition.

Claude’s pulse quickened.

That was impossible.

He wasn’t in the original story. There was no way she should recognize him.

And yet, as the silence stretched between them, Evelyn’s lips curved into the faintest smirk.

“Interesting,” she murmured, tilting her head slightly.

The air between them shifted.

Claude held his breath.

And then, in a voice so soft that only he could hear—low, amused, certain—

“You’re not supposed to be here, are you?”

Claude’s blood ran cold.

She knew.

Somehow, Evelyn Von Estera—the most dangerous woman in the academy—had already noticed he didn’t belong.

And just like that, his perfectly foolproof survival plan was already falling apart.

A Name That Shouldn’t Exist

Claude forced himself to keep his breathing steady.

The words Evelyn had just spoken—You’re not supposed to be here, are you?—felt like a noose tightening around his neck.

This was his first real interaction with someone from this world. A world he shouldn’t exist in.

And yet, the very first person he met had already noticed something was wrong.

Claude was good at keeping a straight face, but against someone like Evelyn Von Estera? A noblewoman raised in one of the most powerful ducal families—a woman who had spent her entire life reading between the lines of noble society?

He knew he was at a disadvantage.

Still—he had to act normal.

“…I’m sorry, Lady Estera.” His voice came out even, practiced. “I didn’t mean to bump into you.”

Evelyn tilted her head slightly, her silver hair catching the sunlight.

“Is that so?” she murmured, tapping a gloved finger against her chin. “Then perhaps it’s my mistake.”

Her tone was light. Casual.

But her eyes?

They were studying him.

The students around them had already begun whispering. The moment Evelyn Von Estera spoke to someone, it became news.

Claude needed to leave.

“My deepest apologies,” he said smoothly, stepping back and bowing his head slightly. “I’ll take my leave.”

And with that, he turned.

One step.

Two.

Three—

“You’re not even going to ask why I said that?”

Claude’s feet halted.

The murmurs in the background grew quieter.

She was baiting him.

If he ignored her, it would only make her more curious.

Slowly, he turned his head, careful to keep his face neutral.

“…I assumed you were simply testing me, Lady Estera.”

A ghost of a smile played on her lips.

“Mm. A clever answer.”

She took a step forward—not enough to invade his space, but enough to make it clear that she was interested in his reaction.

And then, she spoke softly, just loud enough for him to hear:

“Claude Arden. A noble from House Arden, correct?”

Claude kept his expression blank.

But internally, his thoughts ran cold.

She was checking. Confirming.

Which meant—

His existence really was an anomaly.

The fact that she had even questioned it meant something was already wrong.

Evelyn’s gaze lingered for a moment longer before she chuckled.

“Well. I suppose we’ll meet again soon, won’t we?”

With that, she turned away.

And just like that, the tension eased.

The surrounding students—who had been watching with barely contained curiosity—moved on, their attention shifting elsewhere.

Claude exhaled slowly.

His hands were still relaxed at his sides, but beneath his sleeves, his fingers had gone cold.

This wasn’t good.

If Evelyn—the most perceptive person in the academy—was already suspicious of him on the first day…

Then, keeping a low profile was going to be harder than he thought.

The Academy’s Hidden Power Struggles

Claude walked through the grand halls of Veltrane Academy, his footsteps echoing against polished floors.

The academy wasn’t just an elite school—it was a political battlefield.

The factions:

• The Royalists, supporting the crown.

• The Reformists, seeking to change the noble system.

• The Neutrals, powerful houses waiting for an opportunity.

Each student here wasn’t just an heir; they were a future ruler, strategist, or power broker.

And at the center of it all were the key players of Crown’s Belles and Blades.

The Heroine. The one meant to change the balance of power.

The Love Interests. The ones who would shape the future.

The Villainess. The one meant to fall.

Claude Arden wasn’t on that list.

Which meant his best bet was to stay invisible.

But if Evelyn had already noticed him…

Claude clenched his jaw.

He needed to understand how the world saw him.

With that thought, he turned a corner and made his way toward the academy’s archives.

A Disturbing Discovery

The library was massive—towering bookshelves, stained glass windows casting soft light over ancient tomes.

Claude scanned the records, his fingers brushing against old parchment.

If he existed in this world, then there should be records of House Arden.

After several minutes, he found what he was looking for.

House Arden. A minor noble house.

• No significant political influence.

• No notable figures in history.

• No involvement in major conflicts.

And then—

Claude Arden.

His breath caught.

The record was thin. Barely anything.

His name was there. His birth. His status as heir.

But there were no personal details. No achievements. No record history of anything he had ever done.

It was as if he had only just started existing.

Claude shut the book, his pulse steady but his mind racing.

He had suspected it before, but this confirmed it—he wasn’t just an anomaly.

The world had only recently adjusted to include him.

And the worst part?

Evelyn had already noticed…