Chapter 2
“Finally, I’ve seen every ending!”
On the phone screen appeared the image of a woman in a pure white wedding dress—
the heroine, Valerie Dona.
“All that time I spent stuck to my phone for a whole month was worth it. I bet I’m the first person to clear the Empress Ending.”
The game was a raising simulation called Empress Maker.
The player took the role of a guardian fairy, helping the heroine Valerie become the Empress. It had a similar system and storyline to that famous childhood game, but there was one major difference.
“If there had been only one male lead, I wouldn’t have taken this long.”
That difference was: reverse harem!
And not just one or two, but five drop-dead gorgeous male leads!
The illustrations were said to be so beautiful that the artist had poured their very soul into them.
Depending on who Valerie ended up with, there were five possible endings: Empress, Queen, Archduchess, Duchess, and Saintess. Out of them, the hardest to achieve was the Empress Ending—the one I had just finished.
“Whew… It took me ten whole days to conquer Prince Hector’s route. But it was worth it.”
— Fairy, thank you so much for helping me. I’ll become a splendid Empress.
Valerie’s clear, gentle voice rang out. The ornate crown and bridal veil sparkled atop her soft pink hair, and my nose tingled with emotion.
“Ugh, it’s really like sending my own daughter off to get married.”
Even as I flopped down on the bed, sniffling, I couldn’t take my eyes off the phone. I was just about to turn off the lights and finally sleep when—
Bam-ba-ra-bam!!!
A loud fanfare blasted, and the screen suddenly lit up again.
“Ah! You scared me!”
Bzzzz.
With the vibration, bold letters appeared on the screen.
[Congratulations, Player!]
[You are the world’s first to collect every ending in Empress Maker.]
“Wow… never thought I’d ever be first in the world at something.”
I scratched my head, embarrassed.
‘Well, since I cleared every ending within just a month of release, I bet even the developers were shocked.’
[Since you have cleared all endings, the Hidden Route has been unlocked.]
[Would you like to play a New Game?]
“Hidden route? There was such a thing?”
[Y / N]
Before I knew it, my finger had already pressed Y.
Bzzzz.
[Save function will not be provided. You cannot return.]
[Y / N]
‘So since this is a special event, you can’t replay it, huh?’
It felt a little odd, but there was no need to think too deeply.
“I’ve got nothing to do tomorrow anyway. Of course I’ll play!”
Tap-tap-tap.
Without hesitation, I hit Y repeatedly.
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, my body felt as if it dropped downward.
That eerie, stomach-lurching feeling—like falling on a gyro drop ride.
By the time I regained my senses, everything had changed.
“What the—an ocean?! Pfft!”
The sea. An endless sea stretched out before me.
I didn’t even have time to question why an ocean appeared so suddenly before massive waves crashed toward me.
‘I should’ve taken swimming lessons…’
I flailed desperately, barely managing to stay afloat. But with my pathetic swimming skills, there was no way I could last long.
Luckily, I spotted a small reef not too far away.
‘It’s not big enough to climb, but I can at least hang on!’
Clinging desperately to the rock, I shouted,
“Help me!”
‘Will I even last until someone comes?’
Even as I yelled, I doubted it. To make matters worse, snow began to fall from the sky while the waves kept battering me.
Truly, when it rains it pours.
“……—nim! ……—nim!”
A voice, so familiar that my eyes flew open.
‘No doubt about it. That’s Valerie’s voice!’
The voice of Valerie Dona, the heroine of Empress Maker.
“Cough, it really is Valerie?!”
Sure enough, I spotted her pink hair in the distance. She was calling out desperately in my direction.
She was definitely calling to me.
‘Wait—so the Hidden Route is me actually becoming a character inside the game?’
Seeing my beloved girl in 3D after only ever seeing her in 2D—it was deeply moving.
But I wasn’t in any state to wave back.
Splash!
Valerie dove into the sea and began swimming toward me.
‘She’s coming to save me!’
But the waves only grew taller. With her frail body, it looked nearly impossible for her to break through them.
By the time she reached me, I’d probably already be a corpse.
As expected, my grip on the reef weakened. My vision grew blurry.
‘No way, am I going to die right after transmigrating?’
[Save function will not be provided. You cannot return.]
If that were true, then dying here meant game over.
‘What the hell! At least start me off somewhere safe!’
Frustration boiled up inside me. Normally when you transmigrate, you wake up in bed, right?
What kind of bastard developers throw you into the ocean instead?!
“Ugh!”
The moment my fingers slipped, a strong hand grabbed my wrist.
And then, everything went black.
“Hah!”
My heavy eyelids flew open.
Blink, blink.
As my dry eyes adjusted, darkness slowly receded. The first thing I saw was the pale, wrinkled face of an old man.
“Heavens, she’s awake!”
“The physician said so! Hurry, bring the Duke!”
‘Duke?’
Glancing around, I found myself in a grand, luxurious room.
Several maids—seven, maybe eight—stood anxiously by the bed.
I realized it immediately.
‘I’m definitely in a noble’s body. A high-ranking noble at that!’
“Since she has awakened, I shall take my leave.”
The physician bolted from the room as though there were a fire.
‘Sir physician… I’m still very sick. You’re just going to leave your patient?’
Though my body trembled with chills, I managed to push myself upright.
I pieced the situation together: someone must’ve rescued me at the harbor and brought me here.
“Achoo!”
Another sneeze wracked my body. No doubt I’d caught a bad cold from falling in the sea. A maid rushed over to drape a thick shawl around my shoulders.
“My lady, are you all right?”
‘My lady?! That means… I’m the daughter of one of the five ducal houses?! Jackpot!’
In Empress Maker, there were five duke families:
Aquilio: great magic power and fertile lands, monopolizing the throne for generations.
Twolln: high learning, noble bearing, pure bloodline.
Hilder: protectors of the royal family and temple, masters of the sword.
Ikarud: controlled trade and finance, holding the empire’s purse.
Kainan: owners of mines rich in jewels and rare minerals.
The empire of Bascor was a federation. These five dukedoms decided the Emperor through a traditional competition, but for centuries, House Aquilio—the mage family—always won. Twolln, related to them by blood, stood firmly as the Archduke’s house, assisting the throne, while the other three dutifully upheld the empire’s foundations.
And now, I was part of the Kainan Ducal family.
‘Just not being a commoner or slave is blessing enough, but to be the daughter of a duke? Looks like this Hidden Route will be way easier than I thought!’
I wanted to break out into dance, but as a duke’s daughter, I couldn’t act frivolously.
Lowering my eyes and lifting my chin proudly, I said, my voice raspy,
“…Bring me a mirror.”
‘The first thing to do after transmigration is obvious. Check out your new beauty in the mirror!’
“Yes, my lady!”
In a flash, a hand mirror was brought before me.
Since Empress Maker was known for its stunning character art, my expectations soared.
‘Here goes.’
Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes wide—only to gape in astonishment at my reflection.
‘Wow… Artist, I love you, thank you!’
The first thing that caught my eye was the clear amethyst-violet of my irises. Long, thick lashes fluttered as if dusted with gemstones. Sleek black hair framed sharp features.
Where Valerie had a pure, innocent aura, this character was her opposite. Arched brows and slightly upturned eyes gave me the elegant, catlike look of someone cold and haughty.
‘But wait… I’ve never seen this character before?’
I’d played this game a hundred times at least. A fossil among fossils. And yet, this face was completely unfamiliar.
“Huh?”
Before I could properly admire my looks, something strange happened. Rectangular boxes appeared in the mirror.
‘That’s… a notification window?’
Yes—just like in the game.
[Play Mission: View the Heroine Valerie’s Hidden Ending]
[Basic information of the player character will be provided.]
[Name: Triciarene Bay Kainan]
[Title: Lady]
[Family: Father—Duke of Kainan / Mother—None / Siblings—None]
‘Oh, how convenient. They even give me character info. But Triciarene? Never heard of her. And Duke Kainan… I think I’ve heard of him before…’
“Achoo!”
My fevered, aching head refused to work properly.
‘Come on, think. Who could that be?’
But the game didn’t allow me time. The info text faded, replaced by new words.
[Due to an in-game error, compensation will be granted.]
‘So it was a bug when I nearly drowned earlier! Guess the devs aren’t totally heartless after all. Sorry for cursing you guys out.’
[First Reward: Player’s health will be fully restored.]
Whoosh.
Warmth spread from my frozen toes up through my body. My shivering ceased, strength returning to my limbs. A glance at the mirror showed my pale skin glowing milk-white, cheeks faintly flushed.
‘Perfect. Now, first thing’s first: find Valerie.’
[Play Mission: View the Heroine Valerie’s Hidden Ending]
If my mission was to see Valerie’s Hidden Ending, the smartest move was to stick close to her.
‘She jumped in after me earlier, right? She even knew my name. That must mean she’s a servant in this household. Then she must be somewhere in this mansion. Valerie, I’ll power-level you myself. Where are you?’
Excited, I looked around, but she wasn’t in the room.
Bzzzz.
Just then, letters began to etch themselves into the air. I glanced discreetly—staring blankly at empty air would make me look crazy.
[Second Reward: You may track Valerie’s location for 10 minutes.]
‘Only ten minutes? What a rip-off. I could just ask the servants, you know.’
But then new words appeared, glowing ominously red.
Blink, blink.
The blood-red text shimmered with dread.
[TIP: Protect Valerie from danger.]
[If Valerie dies, the game will be over.]
