diff --git a/backend/Cargo.lock b/backend/Cargo.lock
index e7b0b35..a2bcb53 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.lock
+++ b/backend/Cargo.lock
@@ -1558,7 +1558,7 @@ checksum = "c41e0c4fef86961ac6d6f8a82609f55f31b05e4fce149ac5710e439df7619ba4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.115.2"
+version = "0.116.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "argon2",
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.toml b/backend/Cargo.toml
index 15bb0c6..90e7ffb 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.toml
+++ b/backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.115.2"
+version = "0.116.0"
 edition = "2021"
 default-run = "mangalord"
 
diff --git a/frontend/e2e/detail-cta-preload.spec.ts b/frontend/e2e/detail-cta-preload.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cec7654
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/e2e/detail-cta-preload.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import { test, expect, type Page } from './fixtures';
+
+// The detail page's Continue/Read CTA is the highest-intent link to the
+// heaviest route in the app. It should be programmatically preloaded so the
+// reader's data (and first page images) are warm before the tap — proven here
+// by the reader-only chapter-pages endpoint being requested on the detail page
+// without any click.
+
+const mangaId = 'c1111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111';
+const chId = 'cc111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111';
+
+async function mockDetailAndReader(page: Page) {
+    await page.route('**/api/v1/auth/config', (r) =>
+        r.fulfill({
+            status: 200,
+            contentType: 'application/json',
+            body: JSON.stringify({ self_register_enabled: true, private_mode: false })
+        })
+    );
+    await page.route('**/api/v1/auth/me', (r) =>
+        r.fulfill({ status: 401, contentType: 'application/json', body: '{"error":{"code":"x","message":"x"}}' })
+    );
+    await page.route('**/api/v1/auth/me/preferences', (r) =>
+        r.fulfill({ status: 401, contentType: 'application/json', body: '{"error":{"code":"x","message":"x"}}' })
+    );
+    await page.route('**/api/v1/me/bookmarks*', (r) =>
+        r.fulfill({ status: 200, contentType: 'application/json', body: JSON.stringify({ items: [], page: { limit: 50, offset: 0, total: 0 } }) })
+    );
+    await page.route(`**/api/v1/me/read-progress/${mangaId}`, (r) =>
+        r.fulfill({ status: 404, contentType: 'application/json', body: '{"error":{"code":"x","message":"x"}}' })
+    );
+    await page.route(`**/api/v1/me/reactions/${mangaId}`, (r) =>
+        r.fulfill({ status: 404, contentType: 'application/json', body: '{"error":{"code":"x","message":"x"}}' })
+    );
+    await page.route(`**/api/v1/mangas/${mangaId}/similar`, (r) =>
+        r.fulfill({ status: 200, contentType: 'application/json', body: JSON.stringify({ items: [] }) })
+    );
+    // Chapter list (detail + reader both use this).
+    const chapters = [
+        { id: chId, manga_id: mangaId, number: 1, title: null, page_count: 3, created_at: '2026-01-01T00:00:00Z' }
+    ];
+    await page.route(`**/api/v1/mangas/${mangaId}/chapters*`, (r) =>
+        r.fulfill({ status: 200, contentType: 'application/json', body: JSON.stringify({ items: chapters, page: { limit: 200, offset: 0, total: 1 } }) })
+    );
+    // Single-chapter fetch (reader only).
+    await page.route(`**/api/v1/mangas/${mangaId}/chapters/${chId}`, (r) =>
+        r.fulfill({ status: 200, contentType: 'application/json', body: JSON.stringify(chapters[0]) })
+    );
+    await page.route(`**/api/v1/mangas/${mangaId}`, (r) =>
+        r.fulfill({
+            status: 200,
+            contentType: 'application/json',
+            body: JSON.stringify({
+                id: mangaId, title: 'Berserk', status: 'ongoing', alt_titles: [], description: null,
+                cover_image_path: null, created_at: '2026-01-01T00:00:00Z', updated_at: '2026-01-01T00:00:00Z',
+                authors: [], genres: [], tags: [], content_warnings: [], chapter_storage_bytes: 0
+            })
+        })
+    );
+}
+
+test('programmatically preloads the reader from the detail CTA', async ({ page }) => {
+    await mockDetailAndReader(page);
+
+    // The chapter-pages endpoint is fetched only by the reader's load.
+    let pagesRequested: () => void = () => {};
+    const pagesHit = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+        pagesRequested = resolve;
+    });
+    await page.route(`**/api/v1/mangas/${mangaId}/chapters/${chId}/pages`, (route) => {
+        pagesRequested();
+        return route.fulfill({
+            status: 200,
+            contentType: 'application/json',
+            body: JSON.stringify({ pages: [{ id: 'p1', number: 1, image_path: 'x', width: null, height: null }] })
+        });
+    });
+
+    await page.goto(`/manga/${mangaId}`);
+    // Detail rendered (so ctaTarget is resolved to the first chapter).
+    await expect(page.getByTestId('manga-title')).toHaveText('Berserk');
+
+    // Preload fires the reader load (hence the pages endpoint) without a click.
+    await expect(pagesHit).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+});
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index 916882a..093b2f0 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "mangalord-frontend",
-  "version": "0.115.2",
+  "version": "0.116.0",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/+page.svelte
index db83056..87f8569 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/manga/[id]/+page.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <script lang="ts">
     import { browser } from '$app/environment';
-    import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
+    import { goto, preloadData } from '$app/navigation';
     import { fileUrl, ApiError } from '$lib/api/client';
     import { createBookmark, deleteBookmark, type Bookmark } from '$lib/api/bookmarks';
     import {
@@ -143,6 +143,15 @@
         }
     }
 
+    // Warm the reader (its load + first page images) for the highest-intent
+    // link on the page — tapping Continue / Read then feels instant. Re-runs
+    // only when the target chapter changes.
+    $effect(() => {
+        const href = ctaTarget?.href;
+        if (!browser || !href) return;
+        preloadData(href).catch(() => {});
+    });
+
     // Tell the root layout to drop its top padding so the hero can sit
     // at the viewport top under the page-specific app bar. Scoped to
     // <html> so the rule survives sibling re-renders; cleaned up on