UDFLF CH 55

CHAPTER 55

Originally, Riana had planned to save 500 gold now and another 500 gold later—over the course of two months. That meant she’d have to survive here for two months to collect both paychecks from Droche.

But… if I stay in this castle any longer, I might not stay in this world at all.

She’d caught the prince’s attention in the worst way possible.

Before his sword tip ended up in her chest, it would be wiser to get out.

And besides… lately, my heart’s been…

Riana rubbed at the uncomfortable spot over her chest.

Recently, she’d been getting attached to the castle. Even meddling in the orphanage kids’ lives—completely unlike her—was probably because she’d grown comfortable here.

And Killian… he was starting to feel like a real person to her.

If I stay any longer, my heart will be in danger. No—maybe that’s even more dangerous than the prince.

Yes. Another midnight escape it would be.

She would leave right after her first payday.

Riana spun her pen between her fingers, deep in thought.

I can probably cover the missing 500 gold.

When Veloci Duke came back, she’d demand payment for “letting him meet Riana Epindor.”

It was shameless, sure—but better that than losing her life.

“The real problem is my retirement fund…”

She flipped to the page about Oliver.

One sentence was covered in stars:

☆☆☆ IMPORTANT ☆☆☆
Painted Killian and Deborah’s wedding → Became famous

Before the wedding, Oliver was just a boy who received small support from Deborah.

But the wedding portrait turned out to be a masterpiece, skyrocketing his name.

“The problem is… Deborah’s eyes are wandering right now.”

Two opportunities for scenes with Killian had already fallen through.

The first one, by the lake, had been thrown together last-minute by Riana herself…

“So that was a failure.”

It was clear Killian hadn’t left Deborah with any interesting impression.

This won’t do. At this rate, Oliver will die of old age before they marry.

Scribble, scribble—

Riana’s pen circled the word “wedding” over and over.

Deborah… Killian…

Her dear main characters.

“Sorry, but for my sake… you’ll have to get married sooner.”

A scheming glint appeared in Riana’s eyes.

This would be her final mission before she left.

Oliver’s paintings had a distinctive style and a clear signature—different from any other work. Collectors loved them. Once people started hunting for his older works, each one became a priceless treasure.

It’s such a good investment.

But even a talented painter could disappear into obscurity if they were unlucky.

If Oliver didn’t get chosen to paint the Droche couple’s wedding portrait, he might end up as nothing more than a forgotten genius.

That was why Riana needed to push Deborah and Killian’s marriage forward.

She turned the page to where she had written down the “cheat key” that could solve this problem.

<Deborah’s Business Item List>
– Love Potion
– “Grow, Prince Hair!” Attachment Hair Potion
– SSS-Rated Complete Meal Potion
– “Sleep Like a Baby” Sleep Scent…

The love potion.

With that, she could tilt the crooked path of love back in the right direction.

Even if Deborah’s attention is elsewhere now…

She would eventually love Killian anyway.

A few disrupted “story scenes” wouldn’t change the original romance entirely.

The butterfly effect? That only applied to ordinary couples—these two were cosmic-level destined lovers. Chance after chance would keep bringing them together, and one of those moments would make them fall for each other.

And they’re going to marry no matter what.

Regardless of feelings, both were serious about their work and couldn’t avoid the strategic benefits.

When Deborah’s own company failed, she’d propose a “household merger” to take over Droche. Killian would agree, wanting the copyrights to her magical creations.

And in a romance novel world like this, that contract marriage had a 99.99% chance of turning into real love.

“So… I’m just speeding things up.”

A flicker of guilt passed through her—planning to change someone’s feelings for her own benefit.

But when it came to choosing between meddling in the love lives of people who were guaranteed a happy ending and protecting her own life… Riana would always choose the latter.

After her peaceful morning shift at the Isolation Tower, Riana took her usual nap, then headed to the maids’ quarters for lunch.

But when she opened the dining room door, she thought she’d come to the wrong place.

“…What is this?”

The maids’ dining hall looked like a wedding venue, covered in white flowers.

Not fancy ones—plain, charming wildflowers. The clumsy arrangement made it obvious someone had just pulled them from the roadside.

The room was also full of men in aprons, mopping the floor—most of them knights, judging from the familiar faces here and there.

“You’re here. Sit over there—don’t step on the cleaned areas.”

Mrs. Baker pointed to a corner table by the window—the dirtiest one left, with crumbs and spills all over it.

Riana obeyed and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Can’t you tell? It’s a big cleaning day. The knights are helping.”

“It looks more like the knights are doing all the cleaning… so I had to ask.”

Normally in this castle, cleaning was done by enchanted tools. People just commanded them—they didn’t do the work themselves.

Seeing actual humans sweeping and scrubbing was rare.

The maids themselves were sitting around chatting, laughing, and not lifting a finger.

Riana suddenly clapped her hands.

“Oh—is this because of the afterparty? A thank-you to the maids for working so hard?”

“What thank-you? Our knights are just naturally noble-hearted and often help others. Don’t you know what chivalry is?” Mrs. Baker grumbled as she set down Riana’s food.

“Mm-hm. Definitely a thank-you,” Riana muttered under her breath.

So this was how things worked.

The “knight fans” got eye candy from watching handsome knights. In return, they’d send gifts like food. Since the knights hadn’t actually done much to earn it, they’d feel the need to “return the favor” with some labor. That meant coming to clean the maids’ quarters—while the fans topped up their serotonin levels from the view.

“A perfect little give-and-take. Of course Mrs. Baker wouldn’t lose out.”

Mrs. Baker smacked her on the back of the head with an oven mitt before letting her eat.

Lunch was a warm onion stew, perfect for the chilly weather.

She was just about to spread duck liver mousse on some bread when a white flower appeared in front of her.

“For the Isolation Tower maid!”

It was a group of knights, taking a break from cleaning. They crowded around, each tossing in a comment:

“I think you were the one who helped carry food that time.”

“Thanks to you, I had fun… I think?”

“Pretty sure we shared a few drinks too… not that I remember.”

“She didn’t drink,” Gray said, appearing with his arm slung over their shoulders.

Even among the tall knights, he stood a head higher, grinning.

“She only served.”

“Ah… thank you. The flower’s beautiful.”

Riana smiled and thought to herself:

Like master, like knight. They all really love flowers.

She watched Gray go back to mopping, her spoon scraping against the bottom of her bowl.

Seriously, always picking a fight with me—so why on earth do Deborah or the prince think there’s something between us?

She shook her head.

If Gray had never slipped up with his “How did you know?” remark, things wouldn’t have spiraled into this misunderstanding.

But she didn’t blame him.

It’s just my fate as the villainess. Not really his fault.

She’d never told him to keep that promise a secret anyway. How could he have known it would cause such a mess?

She stopped scraping the bowl and rested her chin on her hand, tapping her spoon against her lips.

To make Deborah drink the love potion, I need three people.

Deborah to drink it, Killian to be the first man she sees afterward…

And Gray.

Deborah will never take anything I give her.

Not after the blueberry pie incident.

Gray was the only one who could deliver food to Deborah and guarantee she’d eat it.

How do I rope him in?

He had plenty of money now, so bribing him wouldn’t be easy.

And her funds were tight—she couldn’t afford a big payout.

If I want him to run an errand for just three gold like last time…

She’d have to butter him up and ask nicely.

Riana set down her spoon and turned to a curly-haired knight nearby.

“I have a question.”

“What is it? Ask me anything.”

“What’s the best compliment a knight can get?”

He seemed to think it was a very important question—he even set down his mop and frowned in concentration.

“Hmm…”

Feeling like she might actually get a useful answer, Riana’s eyes lit up and she encouraged him:

“The most satisfying compliment you can hear…”

“Oh, personally, I like compliments about my latissimus dorsi the most.”

“….”

Riana’s face went sour.

Not muscle compliments, you gym freak…