Chapter : 05
I opened the guidebook, and when I saw the writing inside, I sprang to my feet.
“You must have been surprised that your memories weren’t erased, right?”
How did it know?
I shook my head and looked around, but there was nothing there.
I looked back down at the guidebook.
“I want to convey my gratitude to you. I’ll help you as much as my power allows.”
Below the note was a single letter: L.
I felt a little moved.
That small act, done out of a sense of solidarity—hoping someone like me wouldn’t be scolded too harshly—had come back to me like this.
It really did pay to be kind to others.
Smiling contentedly, I turned the page.
The guidebook… was really closer to a bundle of memos than an actual “book.”
It was just a few thin sheets of paper, three or four at most, with hastily scribbled handwriting added next to the originally printed text.
“I wrote this in a hurry, so there’s a lot missing. If I find out more, I’ll send you a letter.”
I nodded and turned the page.
The next page listed my personal information.
My name was—
Selene Weden (20)
A count’s family. Lost her parents to the Demon King at a young age and currently lives with her older brother, who inherited the title of count.
“Demon King?”
That word bothered me a little, but I decided to keep reading.
Not yet debuted, and with no engagement arranged in advance, but there isn’t much pressure to marry.
“Since your parents died and you stayed at home, if anyone gets suspicious, just say you’ve lived a sheltered life and don’t know much about the world!”
Um… what?
Scratching my head, I turned the page. The next one was a character introduction section.
“I added what I personally think are their pros and cons!”
Male Lead 1: Sirinu Lifrix (20)
Born with a bloodline capable of defeating the Demon King. Closed off his heart due to a painful past caused by the Demon King. Black hair, violet eyes.
“Since he’s a male lead, he’s probably good-looking, but other than that, there doesn’t seem to be much to him? His personality seems bad. Not recommended.”
Male Lead 2: Noel Bradford (22)
The crown prince, called the future of the Empire. Bright and kind personality. Blond hair, green eyes.
“A bright and kind personality usually means he’s nice to everyone. Not great husband material. More of a good-friend type. Plus, being crown prince is kind of a burden. Not recommended.”
Original Female Lead: Eloy Calat (21)
Lively and cheerful personality. Possesses the power to defeat monsters, though she hasn’t realized it yet. Pink hair, pink eyes.
“If she’s lively and cheerful, she might be too energetic and drain you a bit. If you get close, you’ll probably end up hunting monsters together?”
Villainess: Viviana Erileon (19)
Youngest daughter of the wealthiest family in the Empire. Arrogant and tries to solve everything with money. Red hair, blue eyes.
“She seems like the type to flaunt her money. What if she literally slaps you with cash…? If she does, just let her and take as much money as you can!”
…….
What is this?
I stared blankly at the absurd notes for a moment.
When I turned one more page, there was the plot summary.
Don’t tell me this too?
“This is all that was in the database. I’ll let you know if I find out more details.”
Strangely relieved, I hurriedly read on.
A Demon King appeared in a peaceful Empire.
The Demon King sought to turn the Empire into a land of monsters.
The people of the Empire resisted fiercely, and many died in the process.
To seal the Demon King, the blood of the Lifrix family and the power of one blessed by prophecy were required.
When the prophesied person did not appear, the Duke and Duchess of Lifrix sacrificed their lives to seal the Demon King.
The Demon King left behind a curse, declaring that he would one day return to the Empire.
Perhaps because of that curse, the Empire became desolate after the sealing.
Then one day, a prophecy spreads that the Demon King’s resurrection is near.
When the jewel from the moon begins to shine, his time will move again.
Sirinu, who carries the blood capable of sealing the Demon King;
Noel, who bears the duty of protecting the Empire;
and Eloy, who has the power to defeat monsters, join forces and struggle to seal the Demon King once more……
…That’s it?
How do they struggle, exactly?
Who ends up falling in love with whom?
Who’s the real male lead?
Even movie trailer shows explain more than this.
After reading this far, I was certain.
This was a scam.
A massive conspiracy designed solely to mess with me.
I mean, isn’t this scale way too big just to prank one ordinary person like me?
A Demon King? You said it was just a normal story……
Sure, even if you’d told me there was a Demon King, I probably would’ve come anyway since I had nowhere else to go, but still……
At least give me time to prepare myself mentally!
I flipped through the guidebook again.
No matter how many times I reread it, there was nothing about Selene in the plot.
She clearly had no importance—just a supporting character who didn’t affect the story at all.
I tossed the guidebook aside and flopped onto the bed.
“A Demon King…… will I ever even meet him?”
From the looks of it, the protagonists would take care of him anyway.
I wasn’t even a proper supporting character—more like a supporting character’s supporting character.
No, I couldn’t even be called an extra.
Wouldn’t it be more helpful if I just stayed at home?
In webtoon terms, I was basically the faceless background character with no eyes, nose, or mouth.
“Then it doesn’t matter where I am. I shouldn’t wander around unnecessarily.”
It was a pretty decent conclusion.
I smiled in satisfaction.
Once my thoughts settled, I realized I was hungry.
“I wonder if the food here is good?”
I wasn’t picky, so my stomach could probably handle any flavor.
The bigger problem was that there were no cell phones in this world.
I could already feel withdrawal symptoms setting in.
But it’s not like I could make one appear out of thin air, so I had no choice but to endure it.
People do digital detoxes on purpose these days anyway, and staring at your phone too much isn’t good for you… so this was probably for the best.
Pouting slightly in disappointment, I suddenly wondered if my appearance had really changed properly.
“Judging by how sloppy their work is, maybe they didn’t change it at all.”
I glared at the guidebook, then hurried over to the mirror.
The pretty, cute face I’d seen earlier was staring back at me.
“This is it!”
My heart raced.
Even though I was already looking at it, I wanted to keep looking.
“Wow, this is fun. Pretty people are really unfair. They’ve been enjoying something this fun all by themselves?”
As I touched my cheeks and examined myself from every angle, the sleeve of my pajamas slipped down my wrist.
The bracelet I’d brought earlier was still there.
Even now, it wasn’t particularly flashy or brightly colored, yet I couldn’t understand why I liked it so much.
Looking closely, I saw that gray gemstones with a soft bluish glow were woven together—it was beautiful.
“Kind of like blue moonlight.”
The word moon lingered in my mind for some reason, but… it was probably nothing.
The Demon King, too… well, what can you do.
“Instead of thinking about that, I should admire my face some more.”
Knock, knock.
At last, the long-awaited knocking sound echoed.
I hurriedly dove onto the bed and shut my eyes, pretending to sleep.
“My lady. It’s time to wake up.”
I used all my strength to keep the corners of my mouth from twitching upward.
I decided I’d open my eyes naturally if they called me one more time.
“What kind of expression would look natural when I wake up?”
While I was pondering that, the person who came to wake me muttered worriedly to herself.
“Oh dear, why are her eyes twitching? Is she feeling unwell?”
……
“Should I call the doctor?”
“Aah! I slept so well!”
I snapped my eyes open.
A girl with crimson hair, dressed neatly, stared at me with wide eyes.
Aaaah! So embarrassing!
“Good morning, my lady. I’m Luri, from the House of Baron Obirte. I’ll be serving you starting today. I’ve prepared your bath.”
“Oh, thank you very—”
“Huh?”
I clamped my mouth shut in a panic.
Even if she looked younger than me, it was hard to speak casually to someone providing a service.
Luri looked at me with a puzzled expression.
This was a strictly hierarchical society.
If I acted strangely, she might realize I wasn’t really a noble lady.
I forced an awkward smile.
“Haha… thanks?”
“You’re welcome. Please come this way.”
I followed Luri as she led me.
When she opened the door, a spotless, beautifully arranged bathroom came into view.
A claw-foot bathtub I’d never seen before and a lavish mirror framed in gold immediately caught my eye.
It was far more beautiful than any romance-fantasy bathroom I’d imagined.
The tub was already filled, soap bubbles gently bubbling up.
Such a luxurious bath first thing in the morning—my life had really turned upside down.
So this was the taste of possession?!
I pressed down the smile creeping onto my lips and dipped my hand into the water.
The pleasantly lukewarm temperature, the bubbles softly wrapping around my fingers……
Of course, my personal preference was water hot enough to make you go “Aah, that’s refreshing,” like you’re being boiled alive—but still.
When would I ever get to enjoy luxury like this again?
Maybe this was what a hotel vacation felt like—something I’d never experienced in real life.
It was a shame I couldn’t take pictures.
All that was left was to step into the tub…
“Why… aren’t you leaving?”
Luri, who had led me into the bathroom, was still standing there, unmoving.
