Chapter 02 

A low ringing echoed in my ears, and my heart pounded like it would explode.

But then—

‘…Wait. Why doesn’t anything hurt?’

Several seconds had passed since the gunshot, yet I felt no pain.

I slowly opened my eyes… and froze.

A horrifying monster stood right beside me.

—Kyaaaaargh!

A blood-soaked figure stood on the staircase leading to the upper floor.

Its skin had rotted away, and thick black slime dripped from its body.

It looked vaguely human, but calling it a person would be wrong.

The creature let out a chilling shriek and lunged at me.

At the same moment— Bang!

A short gunshot rang out as Kai stepped in front of me.

“…Damn it. Persistent thing.”

He cursed under his breath and pulled the trigger again.

Splatter.

The monster’s head burst open—like a ripe summer watermelon.

Black blood sprayed everywhere, staining the carpet and walls.

“Wh-what is… what is happening…?”

My legs trembled uncontrollably.

What was that?

Why is a monster here already…?

—Kyaaaaargh!

Another sharp screech stabbed into my ears, making my heartbeat thunder wildly.

But I couldn’t afford to just stand there and panic.

I grabbed Kai’s sleeve and pulled him back.

“Your Highness, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?!”

I hurriedly tried to check his condition, but—

“Stop. Just… stop!”

Kai suddenly grabbed my collar and shoved me against the wall.

His breath brushed against mine—too close.

“Please. It’s not too late yet.”

His voice was desperate, filled with tangled emotions—

Anger, resentment, frustration, despair… and faint hope.

His bloodshot eyes bore into me.

“Tell me the truth. Why did you release the monsters? How do we turn those people back?!”

***

The “monsters” he spoke of—

They were caused by the Monster Virus.

Every incident in the original novel stemmed from this virus.

When a person is bitten—or when monster saliva enters their body—they become infected.

The incubation period is up to 12 hours. After that, the virus alters the host’s body to suit itself.

In less than a day, the victim turns into a slime-drooling, emotionless monster.

Thanks to rereading the novel over thirty times, I knew the timeline perfectly.

‘Monsters were supposed to appear a week later.’

So why are they here now?

But even that wasn’t the biggest shock.

Just moments ago, Kai accused me of releasing them.

“Me? Releasing monsters? What does that even mean? ”

The body I possessed belonged to a rich, spoiled young lady. Pretty face, sure—but a clueless twenty-year-old who knew nothing!

How would I release monsters on this cruise ship?

“Um, Your Highness… I think you’re misunderstanding something…”

“So you’ll deny it to the end.”

He glared at me sharply.

Trying to intimidate me, clearly.

But—

‘Really now. Like that would scare me.’

Kai made a mistake.

During the monster attack earlier… he couldn’t ignore me.

He had instinctively shielded me, even pulling me behind his back.

He even protected me from flying bullet casings.

And now he wanted to act scary?

‘I know you too well.’

My favorite character—Kai Hyden—was warm and gentlemanly.

He would give away his food to the hungry, drape his coat over the cold, and protect strangers without hesitation.

There was no way such a man would suspect me on purpose.

Something was definitely off.

Me? Releasing monsters? Absolutely not.

I clasped my hands and looked up at him.

“Your Highness, I’m just a normal noblewoman from the Berlotte Empire. I can prove it. My maid came with me—she should be nearby…”

I didn’t even finish speaking.

Kai grabbed my wrist.

“Then we’ll confirm it right now. I also have something to look for.”

And he dragged me up the stairs.

My ankles twisted in my heels, and the metal cuffs dug painfully into my wrists.

He only stopped walking when we reached a familiar room.

Room 414.

The luxurious cabin I’d been staying in for the past three weeks.

“Take it out.”

“…Take what out? ”

“The key. We need it to open the door.”

“Oh. I can’t reach it because of the handcuffs. It’s in my inner pocket.”

In other words—remove the cuffs, genius.

I held out my wrists and gave him a pathetic smile.

But Kai wasn’t moved in the slightest.

Without hesitation, he opened my jacket.

“H-hey! What do you think you’re doing?! ”

“Stay still. I’m not enjoying this either.”

His hand slid along my hip over the thin fabric, searching.

It could have looked like harassment, but his expression was cold—like he was touching something unpleasant.

That expression annoyed me even more.

“Your Highness, if you just remove the handcuffs, I can get it myself! I’m a lady! At least show some basic manners! ”

“Why should I be polite to a terrorist? ”

“Oh my god, I said it’s NOT me! ”

“…”

“Your Highness! ”

“…”

“Your Highness! Hey! ”

He ignored every word and continued the body search.

My frustration boiled over.

If he wanted to be rude? I could be rude too.

“Are you hard of hearing?! Should I write it down for you? Or should I yell it louder?! ”

I leaned toward his ear and shouted—

“I! DON’T! KNOW! ANYTHING! ”

The effect was immediate.

Kai finally spoke.

“…Say one more word and I will put a hole in your head.”

His bright pink eyes made it clear—

He meant it.

I stopped resisting, but anger simmered inside me.

Fine. Let’s see who’s right, Your Highness. Let’s see if any evidence turns up.

For three weeks all I’d done was shop, drink, and party.

Once he saw my room, my innocence would be obvious.

I imagined Kai apologizing and begging for forgiveness as I obediently let him search.

Soon—

He found the key and opened the door.

The room looked exactly like it had ten minutes earlier.

“You claimed you had a maid. Another lie.”

“…Maybe she went to the dining hall.”

“Another excuse.”

His accusing gaze stabbed into me.

Great. Now he thinks I’m lying.

But I wasn’t!

When I woke up on this ship, a mute maid had been assigned to me. She couldn’t speak and couldn’t read or write—only sign language.

She tried talking to me yesterday using signs…

But I didn’t understand any of it, so I just nodded randomly.

Maybe she got annoyed and left afterward.

…Did she get attacked by a monster?

My stomach twisted with anxiety.

Meanwhile, Kai stomped around the cabin searching.

My pretty dresses, cosmetics, and trendy novels fell all over the floor.

“See? I told you! You’re accusing the wrong person! ”

“…”

“Go on! Check all you want! You won’t find anything weird! ”

I lifted my chin smugly.

…Though honestly, I was a bit nervous.

This was the first time I ever checked the room thoroughly.

After all, I’d been busy gambling, partying, and drinking every day.

My maid handled everything else.

The longer Kai searched, the more frantic his movements became.

I sat on the vanity chair.

“If you turn back now, I’ll only file a complaint at your embassy.”

If he weren’t my beloved character, I would’ve sued immediately.

“You never listen to people, seriously…”

I grumbled under my breath.

But then—

Kai pulled a painting off the wall.

And my complaints turned into a strangled gasp.

“…Huh?”

Why… was that hidden here?