MTLNOVEL Chapter 1: The Protagonist was not him
'Darcy Edwood was the protagonist of this world, and he, Micah Ramsy, was just the vicious fake young master.'
The moment this thought flooded Micah's mind, he regained consciousness. However, before he could open his eyes and realise where he was, a sharp pain shot through his skull. His entire body felt like it had been struck by a truck, and the dull ache in his head throbbed painfully.
His fingers touched the cool rough sheets as his nose was filled with an intense disinfected smell, making his already chaotic head feel even heavier.
He tried to lift his heavy eyelids, desperately wanting to escape from those incomprehensible memories that did not belong to him. Yet, the jumbled information was stuck in his mind, causing his head to feel swollen and sore.
Micah Ramsy had been out drinking with a group of classmates, celebrating his university acceptance. He remembered the teasing of those so-called friends urging him to confess, otherwise, he would have to take shots. Being hot-headed and impulsive, Micah had drowned in too much alcohol. His head became dizzy, his ears ringing, and in a moment of imbalance, his foot had slipped, causing his body to tilt forward before his head made brutal contact with the edge of the table.
It was a total embarrassment that he had lost conscience just for that. He could guess what had happened after that. For sure, his friends fearing they would be held accountable for his fall, probably in a frenzy, had called an ambulance and sent him to the hospital.
What made Micah dazed was not related to the incident but the dream he had.
After his vision turned dark, the next thing he knew, he was standing in front of a book.
Not just any book.
A cliche, dog-blooded danmei where the real young master, Darcy Edwood, was the dazzling protagonist, the sweetheart of all, and he, Micah Ramsy, was nothing more than a pathetic vicious fake heir, a clown jumping up and down, desperately competing with the protagonist to inherit the company, and monopolise the family affection!
What the hell?!!
He was in a book!
Worst of all, he was the vicious fake young master!
Had he lost his mind?
Just a while ago, he had been laughing, carefree, his future full of possibilities, then in a second, he had to accept that his life was a joke.
His stomach twisted in discomfort, bile rising in his throat. In the dream, he skimmed through the book, seeing himself scheming, plotting and throwing tantrums, only to end up humiliated time and time again.
But the most heartbreaking part?
It wasn't even the real young master, Darcy, who ruined him in the end. No, it was those ruthless big shots!
The ones who were all hopelessly in love with the protagonist. They had crushed him under their heels like a worthless ant, trying to show their affection by exterminating him! He was not even worth appearing in more than one-third of the book in the eyes of the author. In the end, he was stripped of his wealth, his dignity and even his identity, he exited the story as if he were trash, worthy only of being thrown out.
Alone… penniless… cursed by the family and netizens.
"Bullshit!"
The furious cry echoed in the room as Micah abruptly sat up in the bed, enraged.
"What did you say?!"
The deep, familiar voice sent a shiver down his spine.
Micah's furious expression cracked as he turned his head, his gaze landing on the imposing figure standing by the hospital bed.
"Grandpa?!"
Micah's voice died down as he found the old man glaring at him.
The head of the Ramsy family, Albert Ramsy, was a legendary tycoon, feared by young and old alike. Even at nearly seventy, he stood tall with his back straight, while his broad shoulders and huge physique made his presence more suffocating. His thick, furrowed eyebrows framed his piercing black eyes. Just one look could make anyone tremble. He always wore an expression filled with cold discipline and authority.
In addition to his stern exterior, Albert Ramsy had a strong moral compass.
Not that Micah was aware of it until he read the book. The only person who did not give up on him and tried to correct his wrongdoings in the book was his grandfather.
Micah felt both respect and fear towards his grandfather.
Well, who was he kidding? It was mostly fear!
As the only son of Jacob Ramsy and Elina Palmer, Micah should have been groomed as the rightful heir to the Ramsy empire. But even before the truth about the baby swap was revealed, everyone, even Micah, knew he was unfit for the role.
It wasn't that his grandfather had not tried to mould him into one, but Micah's personality was the total opposite of what was needed to inherit the company.
Micah had been always reckless, impulsive and short-tempered. He spoke before thinking, acted on emotions rather than logic, and made enemies faster than he could count. These were three fatal flaws for anyone managing a business empire. The traits that could bankrupt a company in just one day by offending everyone or making wrong decisions.
It was no surprise that his father, Jacob Ramsy, had finally stepped in and shielded him from Albert Ramsy's relentless discipline two years ago, defending Micah and liberating him from his grandfather's grip.
Grateful, Micah worked hard to make his father proud. Studying like crazy to be admitted to one of the best universities in the country, albeit his major was art.
Contrary to his wild and unruly image, Micah had a natural talent for fashion and acting. He had always imitated famous anime characters, whether female or male. He even once participated in a major cosplay event, dressed as a she-wolf. But of course, it wasn't acceptable in his family, so it was all under an alias.
He had dreamed of being a top-tier actor or even a film emperor, not the least concerned about the Ramsy empire.
So, how on earth, in the book, had abandoned all of it to study finance?!
A deliberate cough snapped Micah from his thoughts.
"Sorry Grandpa, did you say something?!"
Micah blinked rapidly, feigning ignorance of his earlier cursing.
"How are you feeling? Your parents are still at the gathering, so I came as soon as the housekeeper received the call."
Albert Ramsy said as he tried to soften his voice, fearing to make his grandson's situation worse.
The dazed look on his bloodless face and the pitiful red eyes combined with the bandage wrapped around his head would cause anyone to feel sympathy for the young man. Well, if he did not open his foul mouth.
The old man sighed heavily and focused his attention back on the young man.
Micah hesitated, the unexpected warmth in his grandfather's voice, without any anger or harsh reprimand, had caught him off guard.
Had he ever truly noticed it before? He had always been scared of the old man, too caught up in his own childish pride to see the concern buried beneath his strict demeanour.
"My head throbs a bit, otherwise, I am fine. Sorry to disturb your sleep, Grandpa."
Micah said, hanging his head low.
Albert Ramsy reached out to caress his grandson's hair, however, he paused, feeling out of place. Usually, He was not the one to show affection so directly. Dropping his hand, he spoke slowly.
"Take some rest. I'll call the doctor."
With that, Albert Ramsy turned and left the room.
Micah's grip on the sheets loosened as he heard the sound of the door being closed. He had used all his willpower to appear calm and collected in front of his grandfather, even though he was in the blink of losing his sanity.
He was confused, needed answers, and desperately wanted to prove that all the nonsense mentioned in the book was wrong, just a nightmare.
Yes, before he panicked, before he let this insane dream consume him, he had to investigate the truth about his swap at birth.