I am the Monarch - Chapter 1 : Return (1)

Philip never expected his new life to be so… complicated. When a tragic accident in the modern metropolis of Bortinto abruptly ends his struggle for survival, he wakes up as the scandal-ridden heir of a ducal house in a world where magic and science coexist. Any fantasies of an easy, heroic life vanish the moment he realizes that the estate that he is tasked with managing is drowning in debt, and his reputation has been shredded by rumors involving his predecessor’s broken engagement to the socialite Lady Rosetta—the granddaughter of a prince.Even as he scrambles to rebuild his estate’s fortunes—grappling with contaminated land, mounting debts, and shrewed industrialists—he unearths troubling secrets about the original Philip’s heartbreak and suicide. A dark, hidden force seems intent on wiping him out for an unknown reason. As conspiracies emerge linking Lady Rosetta’s departure to these shadowy machinations, Philip struggles to separate ally from adversary, not knowing why this power in high places is so bent on destroying him.Meanwhile, the realm teeters on the brink of monumental change. Technological and social revolutions collide with century-old magical traditions, and war drums thunder on the distant borders. Armed with his modern knowledge of finance—now fused with the kingdom’s burgeoning industrial innovations—Philip attempts to ride the trends and transform his estate into a beacon of prosperity and secure his heirship to the ducal title. Yet each small triumph only attracts more enemies.Tasked by the System with cultivating a supernatural entity while uncovering the real reason behind Lady Rosetta’s canceled engagement and the original Philip’s tragic end, he must also shield those he grows to care about from the looming threats. Will he harness the synergy of magic, technology, and commerce to steer his estate toward greatness, or will malevolent forces quash his second chance at life? Will his second chance at life end the same tragic way as his first?

Level 1 civilization is a mechanical hunter

The second civilization is the Zerg fusion

Level 3 civilizations are interstellar nomads

The fourth-level civilization is the fusion ascender

Level 5 civilization is a blade changer

Sixth-level civilization is the ancient savior

Level 7 civilizations are giant builders

Eighth-level civilization is a wonder seeker

The ninth-level civilization is a natural disaster opponent

The past dominated the virtual world

The future is the creator of cosmic utopia

- Description from novelbuddy

“So, Diana, what's your excuse for betraying me?”

His amber glinted eyes bore into the woman with bloodied, broken blue hair, kneeling in complete disarray.

“... you're evil.”

“Oh, so, looking out for all of you makes me evil?”

The man narrowed his eyes, contemplating the echoes of protagonist halos and heroines' mentality, starkly real now.

Coming from a world far removed from such grim reality, he had read about these personalities in novels, but experiencing their shortcomings firsthand was a different story.

“How am I evil?”

He looked down at his foot where a young man, limbless and crushed, lay in a state of complete brokenness, mustering the little strength he had left to utter some words.

“... y.. you ba..stard, You killed millions.”

Hearing these words, the man's internal amusement grew at the absurdity of these hypocritical people.

He had eradicated all the evil organizations within the Empire after ascending to his throne.

Wars were waged to crush rebellious kingdoms that stood against his Empire, uniting the entire Heidal Continent under one flag—the Selvius Empire.

He shifted his gaze towards another woman with pink hair, her body completely broken, supported by a rock to maintain a semblance of balance amidst the devastation.

“Hmm, so what about you, Karina? Wasn't your family about to be executed by the Aidiac Royal family? Is it wrong for me to have intervened?”

“You killed them without mercy, and although you saved my family, it was not worth it.”

“I just saved—”

“It's bullshit. You could have solved everything peacefully without drawing so much blood.”

Hearing all this, the man began to understand why those novels depicted these people as hypocritical and low in intelligence.

If he hadn't saved them, they would have suffered the most gruesome fate.

Yet, despite being saved, these ungrateful individuals chose to blame him. The bitter irony of their ingratitude gnawed at him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Guess you all have the same reasons.”

The man looked towards the seven people, their disdainful gazes directed at him.

He had only aimed to change their fates, to rescue some from slavery, others from crippling circumstances, and a few from inevitable betrayal.

Yet, they all blamed him for saving them, unable to comprehend that he had severed the root causes that would have subjected them to excruciating suffering.

“Hahaha.”

“Indeed, now I see.”

He now understood what those novels had tried to convey—'these idiots think this whole world works like they think it would.'

'System.........

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As the other person’s stand-in, he humbly falls in love with the president.

Xue Yingshuang was a stand-in, and humbly fell in love with Xing Yun…’s salary pay.

As the other person’s stand-in, Xue Yingshuang wishes he could never be separated from the president for the rest of his life.

He is a stand-in, and he must get off work at one o’clock.

The president’s white moonlight came back, other stand-ins were sad, and depressed. They couldn’t handle the jealousy and finally left with a dead heart.

Xing Yun’s white moonlight came back, and Xue Yingshuang had no waves. He enthusiastically served white moonlight and shone brightly at work.

Xing Yun: Little stand-in, is this your little trick to seduce me?

Xue Yingshuang: Misunderstood.

Xing Yun: Do you want to suffer in silence and finally leave secretly, driving me crazy?

Xue Yingshuang: You think too much, how can I leave? I still have half a year of social security before I can receive unemployment insurance.

Xing Yun: ?

Xue Yingshuang: I also haven’t received the year-end bonus you sent me yet.

Xing Yun: ??

Xue Yingshuang: I didn’t get my paid annual leave either.

Xing Yun: ???

Xue Yingshuang: Wait until I get the money and put it towards a vacation.

- Description from Novelupdates