Chapter 7
“He recommended I don’t read it? Why though?”
I stared blankly at Caesar’s face. He glanced at me for only a second before turning his head away and muttering under his breath.
“You won’t be able to read it anyway.”
The words were so quiet they were barely audible—but I heard them clearly.
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
Hey, what’s with that! You can’t just leave it like some kind of riddle!
His black cloak swirled in front of my eyes, and before I knew it, Caesar was already striding out the door. Panicked, I called after his retreating figure.
“Ca—no, Duke Icarud!”
“What is it?”
As expected, his voice came back sharp and annoyed. His face wore an expression that said, What trivial nonsense are you about to spew now? Faced with that look, I couldn’t bring myself to ask. I wanted to demand what exactly this slip of paper in my hand was, but he didn’t look like someone who’d answer me in his current mood.
Idiot. Do you really think someone who can barely stand talking to you would kindly explain? You should be glad if he doesn’t end up hating you even more.
“If you called me, then speak.”
“Oh, um, that is…”
Ugh, just say anything!
“I wanted… to thank you!”
“…Thank me?”
“Yes. I never got the chance to properly thank you earlier.”
“…There’s no need for that.”
His voice softened slightly. His face was still cold, but I could tell—there was the faintest crack in that frozen mask.
This was an opportunity. I couldn’t hope to change his image of me overnight, but maybe I could at least be a little less unlikeable.
It’s not like I’m aiming to be friends. I’ll be sticking with Valeri from now on, so we’ll be seeing him often. As long as things aren’t too awkward between us, that’s good enough.
“No, I should do it properly. I can’t live with a debt hanging over me.”
“I don’t consider it a debt.”
“Then let’s call it a favor.”
“…A favor.”
“Thank you—for saving Valeri’s life. And mine too.”
“Why go this far?”
“Excuse me?”
“I was openly rude to you earlier. Even if you lost your memories, that’s still true.”
“Somehow, I don’t think you’re the type of man to dislike me without a reason.”
“And how can you be so sure of that?”
“Because you saved me twice already. In the sea, and just now—from my father.”
“…”
“You may not like me, but at the very least, I want to show courtesy to the man who saved my life.”
That part was genuine. If not for Caesar, I would have drowned. And if he hadn’t appeared at just the right moment, Valeri might have been struck dead. Thanks to him giving me the Royal Blood Potion, Valeri didn’t even have to spend days bedridden.
Come to think of it, I nearly hit ‘game over’ three times—and each time, it was Caesar who prevented it.
“I mean it. Thank you, Duke Icarud.”
I didn’t look away—I met his eyes head-on.
Caesar too held my gaze for a long while, before letting out a sigh. His voice dropped low.
“You said you lost your memories. Was that the truth?”
“Yes.”
Of course it is. I’m the one inhabiting this body from today. It’s not a lie.
“…Then you don’t remember what happened yesterday either?”
Not just yesterday—my head is completely blank of Tricia Ren Bey Kainan’s entire life.
“No. I have fragments of memory, but nothing of yesterday at all.”
“That’s a relief.”
A relief? Why would that be a relief? If he knows something, couldn’t he just tell me?
But before I could ask, Caesar spoke again.
“…Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Your wedding. May it go well. My congratulations in advance.”
Wedding?
I’m… getting married?
To who??
But Caesar was already leaving, as if running away. His black cloak flared as he exited the room. I stood there staring blankly at his back, utterly confused.
“Valeri, I’m getting married? Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
I’d just narrowly escaped death, and now this? A wedding? I wanted to collapse then and there, but instead I forced myself to ask calmly.
“Who am I marrying?”
“Grand Duke Twolln.”
Grand Duke Twolln? That’s Dorian, isn’t it? The Dorian, the most popular male lead in Empress Maker? The one whose route leads to the coveted “Grand Duchess ending”—Dorian Vladimir Twolln?
So that’s why Caesar mentioned the Grand Duke earlier.
“Milady. Could you look at your left hand?”
“My left hand?”
“Yes. You’ll see your engagement ring.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
Sure enough, on my left ring finger glittered an elegantly crafted gold ring.
“Perhaps if you look closely, some memories of your engagement will come back?”
“Maybe.”
“You used to fiddle with that ring hundreds of times a day.”
“It does look rather worn.”
“The engagement was three years ago. That ring’s been there since then.”
“No way—it looks like it’s been around for ten years at least.”
“That’s only because you’ve never once taken it off since.”
“I see. So it’s a very cherished item.”
I rubbed the ring, half-hoping for a miracle. But unlike in a novel, no memories suddenly came flooding back. It wasn’t a magic lamp. For now, all I could do was piece things together using what I knew of the game’s plot.
Let’s think this through. If I had died earlier, Dorian’s engagement would’ve been called off.
Valeri would’ve been kicked out of House Kainan, eventually meeting Caesar and later working at the Lawiny Hotel. From there, she’d meet Dorian and become his duchess. But now that I, Tricia Ren Bey Kainan, had survived, the storyline had gone completely off the rails.
Damn. By living, I’ve messed up the entire scenario. If I marry Dorian tomorrow, Valeri will never meet him. And if the hidden ending requires him…? No, that can’t be it. I’ve already seen the Grand Duchess ending.
“Aah!”
I shot to my feet. A sudden thought sent a shiver down my spine.
Wait. What if the hidden ending isn’t about choosing just one male lead?
“Now that I think about it, the official site’s promo said—”
— *○○ Games presents the reverse-harem simulation game, Empress Maker!
— Choose freely among five male leads and craft your own ending.
— You too can become the master of the harem!
‘Master of the harem’… That was the hint?
Shff.
The sound of pages flipping echoed, and suddenly a large book materialized above Valeri’s head.
[Ending Album function has been unlocked.]
“!!!”
“Milady, is there something on my face?”
“Huh? Oh, yes—come closer. Don’t move. Close your eyes.”
“Yes, milady.”
As the book’s pages turned rapidly, it finally stopped. My heart pounded as I peered at the glowing text.
[Hidden Ending – “Master of the Harem”]
[Capture all five male leads and make them prisoners of love. Become the true ruler of Empress Maker!]
I knew it! To reach the hidden ending, you need to capture all the male leads! This might actually be simpler than I thought.
My joy was short-lived. Reality quickly hit me.
No, this is bad. If I marry Dorian tomorrow, I won’t be able to see this ending.
Once I became his duchess, I’d be tied down as someone’s wife, making it impossible to freely interact with the other leads. And how would I get Valeri to meet them now?
“Why is everything so tangled up? Of all characters to get stuck playing, why did it have to be her? This is a mess.”
Frustrated, I ruffled my hair. Valeri blinked wide-eyed at me, startled.
“Milady, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Just a headache.”
“Did some memories return?”
I shook my head.
“Not at all. Just the headache.”
“Please rest. I’ll brush your hair for you.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and turned so she could brush. Her skilled hands combed gently through my hair, calming me.
Thud.
The slip of paper Caesar had given me fell onto the bed.
“Oh right, this thing.”
I picked it up, and Valeri peeked over my shoulder.
“That’s what Duke Icarud handed you, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Why would he tell me not to read it though?”
“Perhaps it’s originally yours, since it was found in your clothes.”
“Exactly. The problem is, I don’t remember.”
“It might be difficult, but why not try opening it?”
The paper was soaked through, nearly falling apart. Surely the ink had run, but with faint hope, I unfolded it carefully.
Strange. It’s been a while since it was pulled from the water, so why is it still this wet?
I brushed aside the odd thought. For now, all I could do was cling to the slim chance it was still legible.
“…As I thought. The ink’s all smudged.”
The letters were blurred beyond recognition. Defeated, I flopped back onto the bed.
Bzzzz.
Suddenly, the now-familiar vibration filled the room. A system window spread across the ceiling.
[You have obtained Hidden Item: “Decisive Fragment.”]
[Hidden Item: Tricia Ren Bey Kainan’s Will (Decisive Fragment).]
“Her… will?”
[Replaying the memory contained within “Tricia Ren Bey Kainan’s Will (Decisive Fragment).”]
Whumm.
The world went dark, as if all light had been snuffed out. Then, pure white snow began to fall from the sky.
“What the… snow?”
The night sky was pitch black, the snow dazzling white. A romantic scene. But before I could take it in, a harsh voice shattered the mood.
—“What do you mean by that? You used me?”
A woman’s voice, filled with despair.
I turned and saw two familiar figures facing each other. The woman who had shouted was none other than—Tricia Ren Bey Kainan.
It was me.
—“I stole my family’s heirloom for you! If my father finds out it’s gone, he’ll kill me!”
—“…”
—“You said you loved me. You’re not really going to abandon me, are you? Say something!”
Her voice turned from fury to desperation. Trembling, she clutched the man’s clothes.
What is this… what the hell am I looking at?
I turned my gaze toward the man. The first thing I saw was his silvery hair, gleaming in the snow. Behind his glasses, his gray eyes looked as pure as ever.
That unmistakable face…
“Dorian?”
It was Dorian Vladimir Twolln, the very man I was supposed to marry tomorrow.
