Chapter 03
2. Read the Contract Carefully
Having had her own death pointed out twice in a single day, Seol bit down hard on her lip.
So this is why people say you should count to three before reacting.
If she hadn’t held back, she would’ve loved to throw the rag in her hands straight at that pale-faced bastard.
No matter how much she thought about it, she’d never get used to hearing about death—especially her own.
And she’d never get used to these demons talking about it as if it were the weather.
“Anyway, do you seriously expect me to clean this entire Demon King’s Castle with one rag? This is labor abuse! Back where I came from, robot vacuums do all the sweeping and mopping these days!”
“I see. So what you’re really mean is that I should fire you and use a robot vacuum instead?”
“Yes! Huh? I mean… yes?”
Wait.
How did the conversation end up there?
She had only meant to ask him to buy one.
Then she remembered boldly telling him earlier to just fire her.
Is he finally going to let me go?
“That won’t do,” he replied calmly. “A robot vacuum costs money. You’re free.”
“…Ah.”
She had forgotten.
Ever since arriving at the Demon King’s Castle, absolutely nothing had gone the way she wanted.
“Go finish cleaning.”
Listening to the Demon King speak in a voice far gentler than anyone deserving the title should possess, Seol turned around once more.
Fortunately, none of the demons actually bothered inspecting her work.
So she only pretended to clean before sneaking back to her room.
Still… hearing someone say that right to your face is seriously insulting!
Dragging herself back into the central courtyard with a defeated expression, she found Babel waiting as though he’d anticipated her return.
With a smirk, he tossed another dry rag at her.
“Hey. Get back to cleaning.”
Gripping the cloth, Seol ground her teeth.
If I’d known it’d come to this, I never would’ve signed that stupid contract…
French New Wave director once remarked in one of his films:
“Our tragedy is that the world we live in is reality.”
Yoon Seol had been thrown into that tragedy the moment she was born.
Misfortune circled her life like a satellite, returning with uncanny regularity.
Her first misfortune was being abandoned and raised in an orphanage.
There were kind orphanages in the world.
Unfortunately, hers wasn’t one of them.
The next tragedy arrived when she turned eleven.
A massive fire broke out at the orphanage.
Thankfully, no children died.
But every child was scattered elsewhere afterward.
With nowhere to go, Seol spent the following years drifting from one foster home to another.
Ten years later came her final misfortune.
It could only be the last one.
Because her third tragedy…
…was dying at the age of twenty-one.
The Day Before Yoon Seol Died
She’d been unusually depressed that day.
An actress she admired had passed away.
Beautiful, mature, and blessed with incredible acting talent, she had long been Seol’s favorite.
Whenever another cycle of misfortune approached, they always appeared.
Calling them ghosts didn’t feel right.
They weren’t human-shaped.
They were far stranger.
Far more grotesque.
Those writhing black masses occasionally wandered before her.
Whenever they did, Seol instinctively held her breath and waited for them to pass.
As though trying to make sure they never realized she was there.
No one had ever taught her to do that.
Yet somehow…
she knew she had to.
I figured they’d show up soon…
Usually they don’t appear until after my birthday.
They’re early this time.
They must’ve smelled how miserable I am.
She quickened her pace, pulling the collar of her turtleneck over her mouth while refusing to breathe.
The black mass stubbornly pursued her.
Pedestrians walked by completely unconcerned, as though they couldn’t see it at all.
Damn it!
Turning sharply into an alley, Seol collided with someone.
“S-Sorry! I’m so sorry!”
Damn…
She regretted apologizing the instant the words left her mouth.
Her voice would let the creature know exactly where she was.
A chilling cold spread across her back.
She didn’t want to look.
Yet she forced herself to turn around.
Just as she’d feared.
The grotesque mass had raised what could generously be called its waist, preparing to swallow her whole.
This is bad!
An even colder presence suddenly enveloped her body from behind.
Eyes squeezed shut, Seol slowly opened them again.
Everything was silent.
Did it swallow me?
If those things swallow someone… do you become one of them?
“Could you get off?”
“…Huh?”
“I said, get off.”
The one who had swallowed her…
wasn’t the creature.
It was a man.
She’d never been hugged before.
Which meant he’d pulled her into his arms himself.
Then why is he talking like I’m the problem?
Pouting, Seol stepped away.
When she stiffly looked behind herself—
“…There’s nothing there?”
The black creature had disappeared without leaving so much as a trace.
“What a miserable fate.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve noticed this for a while. Is ‘huh?’ the only word you know?”
“N-No, that’s not what I…”
“I said your fate is miserable.”
What is wrong with this arrogant jerk?
Though…
He wasn’t exactly wrong.
A bizarre black monster had chased her.
Running from it had led her straight into this insufferable stranger.
“I came looking because you reek of misfortune.”
“…Who are you?”
“You’re about to die.”
He said it with the casual tone of someone announcing tomorrow’s lunch menu.
Seol frowned.
Who says something like that?
“I kept you alive because I needed to speak with you first.”
“But it’ll happen very soon.”
“Could you stop saying creepy things before even introducing yourself?”
She deliberately emphasized the first half of “creepy things,” hoping he’d mistake it for an insult.
“Don’t remember me?”
Who is this confidently insane lunatic?
“You made a contract with me when you were eleven.”
…Eleven.
Suddenly, a chill spread through her body.
Her stomach churned.
Every instinct screamed at her to run.
To disappear from the sight of those lifeless purple eyes.
And despite everything…
she couldn’t help noticing how absurdly handsome he was.
His eyes are purple…
The moment she fully recognized their color…
the urge to flee became overwhelming.
But only her thoughts moved.
Her feet refused to leave the ground.
“You wanted to punish the orphanage director who abused you.”
“So you summoned me.”
“I-I don’t remember anything like that.”
“Humans are fortunate.”
“Forgetfulness is the gift your god gave you.”
His voice was empty.
Lonely.
Almost hollow.
Yet beneath it lay unmistakable irritation.
“S-So…”
“When exactly am I supposed to die?”
As she cautiously edged backward, trying to distance herself from the crazy man, he glanced at his watch.
“Right now.”
The instant he spoke—
A car with what seemed like completely failed steering hurtled toward her.
It slammed into her before she could react.
Looking down at her broken body lying on the roadside…
Seol finally remembered.
The “big brother” she’d met when she was eleven.
“Calling me ‘big brother’ was rather shameless of me.”
“…How old are you, anyway?”
“No idea.”
“I’ve never bothered counting.”
His indifferent answer made Seol puff out her cheeks.
Seriously.
His mouth alone could bring ruin to the world.
Like a true Demon King.
That tongue was capable of causing devastation darker than the abyss.
“…Just like back then.”
The day the crimson flames devoured the hell she had called home.
All the children had sat on the ground crying.
Only Seol remained standing.
She clutched her burned right arm and watched the entire disaster unfold from beginning to end with emotionless eyes.
That night…
The orphanage director, too drunk to escape the fire…
had screamed until the flames consumed him.
To Seol…
those screams sounded almost like beautiful music.
She wasn’t the only one listening.
The man standing beside her had listened too.
“If I’d known you’d die this quickly…”
“I would’ve written the contract differently.”
Long ago, when Seol had been locked inside a tiny storage room crying…
the man had appeared before her.
Like every storybook devil, he demanded her soul after death in exchange for granting her wish.
It was almost laughably traditional.
Once again carrying a rag, Seol marched up to the Demon King.
Eyes blazing, she protested,
“Can’t you assign me something besides cleaning? Why is it always cleaning?”
“What else can you do?”
“I’ve got plenty of life experience!”
“Too bad.”
“It would’ve been nice if you still had bones.”
He left the sentence hanging.
For some reason, a chill ran down her spine.
Silently, Seol gathered her cleaning supplies.
Please don’t let Babel show up today…
“So.”
“You want different work?”
“Yes!”
She rushed back so quickly it made a hamster on a wheel seem slow.
Standing before him with sparkling eyes, she shamelessly waited for the opportunity she’d been offered.
The Demon King chuckled.
“You really know how to push your luck.”
“Can you actually do it?”
He, too, had no intention of wasting this chance.
His elegant white fingers tapped rhythmically against the book he’d been reading.
Each tap sounded to Seol like it was striking her own heart.
“W-What is it?”
“Would you…”
“like to possess someone?”
Humans are foolish.
And they repeat the same mistakes.
Despite swearing she’d never recklessly sign another contract…
Yoon Seol accepted his offer almost immediately.
She couldn’t help herself.
The Demon King’s temptation was freedom itself.
He promised to reincarnate her however she wished.
Without hesitation she shouted,
“A chaebol family’s youngest daughter!”
She truly believed…
it would actually happen.
