Chapter 1: The Unlucky Reader

Cebu, Philippines—

Miguel “Miggy” Santos was just an ordinary guy. He had a stable job at a call center, an unhealthy obsession with milk tea, and an equally passionate love-hate relationship with BL novels. Every night, after his exhausting shift, he’d curl up with his phone and devour the latest chapters of whatever spicy, dramatic, and utterly ridiculous yaoi novel he could find.

Tonight was no different. Wrapped in his blanket, he was reading his favorite ongoing series, *The Duke’s Obsession: Love at First Bite*, a fantasy yaoi novel featuring a cold, arrogant duke and his beautiful, reluctant lover. Miggy had a lot of opinions about this novel—mainly that the main character, Rin, was an absolute dumbass for resisting the sexy, overpowered love interest.

“What kind of idiot runs away from a rich, handsome duke? If it were me, I’d already be picking out our wedding theme.” 😤 Miggy scoffed, stuffing a spoonful of chocolate ice cream into his mouth.

As he swiped to the next chapter, he muttered, “Seriously, if some magical force put me in this world, I’d make sure to live a stress-free life. No unnecessary drama, no misunderstandings, just pure luxury.”

Just as he reached a particularly juicy scene, his phone buzzed with a strange notification:

**[Congratulations! You have been chosen as the Special Guest for ‘The Duke’s Obsession: Love at First Bite’!]**

Miggy blinked. “Huh?”

The next second, a blinding light burst from his screen, swallowing him whole. 😱

---

When Miggy woke up, he was no longer in his tiny Cebu apartment. Instead, he was lying in a luxurious, canopied bed, draped in soft silk sheets. He bolted upright, heart racing. The room was enormous, with high ceilings, gold-trimmed furniture, and an enormous mirror reflecting…

Himself? 😨

Miggy gasped, scrambling out of bed. His reflection showed someone that wasn’t quite him—his body was more refined, his features sharper, and his usually casual clothing had transformed into an elegant noble’s attire.

Before he could process any of this, a robotic voice echoed in his mind:

[Welcome, Host! You have successfully entered the world of ‘The Duke’s Obsession: Love at First Bite’. You are now Cain Villafuerte, a high-ranking noble and a key side character in the novel.]

Miggy froze. “Wait, I’m not Rin?!”

[Correct! You are Cain, known for your intelligence, charm, and unfortunate entanglement with the novel’s chaotic main characters.]

Miggy groaned. “So I don’t even get to be the main character? At least tell me I’m not some tragic cannon fodder.”

[That depends on your actions. Your role is to support the plot, but deviations may lead to unpredictable consequences.]

Miggy sighed. Okay, no problem. He could work with this. As long as he avoided unnecessary trouble, he could just coast through this world, right?

Wrong. 😩

Before he could celebrate his calm approach, the doors suddenly burst open, and a tall, dangerously handsome man strode inside. His piercing golden eyes locked onto Miggy’s, making him shiver.

“There you are,” the man purred, a smirk playing on his lips. “I’ve been looking for you, Cain.”

Miggy gulped.

Oh.

Oh no. 😨

He was in trouble.

---

The tension in the room was suffocating. Miggy forced a nervous smile, but his brain was already screaming.

This was Duke Adrian Lancaster, the novel’s main love interest.

And he was looking at him like a cat that had just cornered a particularly annoying mouse. 😬

“Uh, hi?” Miggy blurted out, trying not to sound like a complete idiot.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been avoiding me, Cain.”

Miggy’s brain short-circuited. Avoiding him? That didn’t sound good. He didn’t even know what Cain’s relationship with Adrian was! Was he a friend? A rival? Worse—a scorned lover?! 😱

“Uh, system? Help?” Miggy whispered urgently in his mind.

[Loading… Cain Villafuerte’s background…]

[Cain is a nobleman and Rin’s close friend. He is known for his wit, charm, and political influence. Duke Adrian views Cain as an obstacle to pursuing Rin.]

Miggy nearly choked. “Obstacle?! That means this guy hates me!”

Adrian took another step forward, closing the distance. “You’ve been meddling too much, Cain.”

“Meddling?” Miggy laughed nervously. “Oh no, Your Grace, I would never meddle! Meddling is not in my nature.” 😅

Adrian’s smirk deepened. “Then why do you always show up when I try to court Rin?”

Crap. Crap. Crap. 😰

Miggy had no idea what past-Cain had been up to, but apparently, he had been cockblocking the Duke without fear of consequences. And now, those consequences were staring him down with a deadly smirk.

“I assure you,” Miggy said, raising his hands in surrender, “I have no intention of interfering with your romantic pursuits. In fact, I wholeheartedly support your love story!”

Adrian narrowed his eyes. “Then prove it.”

Miggy gulped. “Uh… how?”

The Duke took another step forward, effectively trapping Miggy between himself and the bed. His golden eyes gleamed with amusement. “Stay out of my way.”

Miggy nodded so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. “Understood! No meddling! Zero interference! Good luck and God bless!” 🙏

Adrian studied him for a moment before finally stepping back. “Good.”

Miggy exhaled in relief, but his victory was short-lived.

[New Mission: Ensure Rin and Adrian's romance progresses smoothly.]

[Failure to comply will result in a penalty.]

Miggy felt his soul leave his body.

This was a disaster. 😭

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