At the age of 8, Anya Lockhart realizes she's been born into a tragic dark romance novel she read in her past life. And unfortunately, she's the female lead destined to fall into the crazy emperor's clutches! So when his proposal arrives, she packs up and runs away from home. After years on the run, she meets Dale, a sweet mercenary living in a remote southern village. But is there more to Dale than meets the eye? The more she learns, the more he doesn't seem like an ordinary mercenary...