Chapter : 08
What was that just now?
As I turned the bracelet this way and that, my heart started pounding again.
If he’s Male Lead No. 1, does that mean he’s the real male lead? I didn’t accidentally get tangled up with him, did I?
I shook my head, trying to brush away the creeping anxiety.
There was no way an extra wiping a bit of blood for him by chance could mean anything that serious.
It was probably just a brief episode in the brilliant life of a male lead candidate.
Sirinew has to walk only on a flower-covered path…
As the handsome face of Sirinew came to mind, my uneasiness faded and my mood lifted.
I just saw him, but why do I already want to see him again? Is this… love?
Climbing into bed, I hugged the warm blanket as if it were Sirinew, and before I knew it, drowsiness crept in.
I closed my eyes, recalling the survival motto of every office worker.
If something happens, I’ll deal with it then!
“Possession is the best!!!!”
Thank you, best possession hotel ever!
Five stars, and I’ll even leave a review. Seriously.
Today marked my third day since possessing this body, and I was living the best days of my life.
Why? Obviously.
If I stayed still, the room got cleaned on its own. My clothes were washed and returned, bathwater was prepared, and when it was time to eat, meals were served.
All of it—for free!
Even my mom never treated me this well.
This place was heaven. An indoor-type person’s paradise.
Of course, I didn’t shamelessly start by ordering people to bring me food or clean my room.
I was still awkward because I wasn’t used to a class-based society.
But even when I made small mistakes, the servants didn’t seem to mind.
I decided to stop worrying about being exposed as a possessor.
My life wasn’t in danger, I wasn’t terminally ill, and I wasn’t being sold off to anyone, so what was there to worry about?
Still—
“Miss, I’ll air out the room for you!”
—I really couldn’t understand why they cleaned my room three times a day.
“Just leave the room alone. I’ll clean it myself.”
When I finally worked up the courage to say that, Lurie looked absolutely devastated.
“If I’ve done something wrong, please tell me, Miss. I don’t want to quit…”
Seeing Lurie on the verge of tears made me feel guilty.
Come to think of it, she was basically a rookie in the workforce.
Stealing a young person’s job doesn’t feel right…
Even so, three times a day was absolutely unacceptable.
I called the head maid and requested that cleaning be done once every three days instead, and that the extra labor be used to bring meals to my room.
I’d been eating enthusiastically because it was fascinating how meals came out like a full course, but suddenly I felt bad thinking about all the dishes that would need washing.
Wouldn’t a single-plate meal be better? Easier to eat in the room and easier to wash—two birds with one stone!
The head maid’s tightly pressed lips pretended not to hear me.
I swear everyone would love it if they just tried it once.
Anyway, the food here was amazing, and whenever I started to feel hungry, they’d magically appear with bread.
And I didn’t have to go to work!
Even after taking long naps, eating snacks, and rolling around in bed, there was still time left in the day.
When I felt deprived of dopamine without my phone, I just cracked the window open.
I could hear voices outside—apparently there was some kind of servant hangout nearby.
Listening to the servants chatting during their breaks was surprisingly entertaining, and I lost track of time.
The hottest topic lately was the feud between Lady Calat and Lady Erileon.
From the names, they sounded like the original heroine and the villainess, and apparently they were famously on bad terms.
“If they hate each other that much, why do they keep showing up in the same places?”
“Exactly. You know how they say strong denial is actually affirmation? Maybe they secretly want to be friends?”
“…If they wanted to be friends, they wouldn’t be grabbing each other by the hair in the middle of the street.”
“Good point.”
Wow, so it wasn’t just verbal sparring—they actually threw punches. Impressive…
“Oh, I heard a monster appeared on the outskirts of the capital.”
“Didn’t Duke Riprix take care of it?”
At the mention of Duke Riprix, my ears perked up.
“Probably. I really want to see him fighting monsters in person.”
“I like His Highness the Crown Prince more than the Duke. I’m dying to know who’ll become the Crown Princess!”
“Isn’t Countess Bruyel aggressively pursuing the Crown Prince? Maybe she wants to be his mistress.”
“She has no shame. I can’t even remember how many men she’s gone through already.”
This was way too entertaining.
Seeing everyone squeal whenever the Duke or Crown Prince came up made me curious about the Crown Prince.
If he could stand alongside Sirinew as a male lead candidate, he had to be seriously handsome too.
He’s probably the opposite type of Sirinew, right? If Sirinew’s the gentle type, then maybe the Crown Prince is the smiling, big-puppy kind.
Ever since ancient times, they said the more handsome men, the better.
I didn’t know when it would be, but I was looking forward to the day I’d get to admire the Crown Prince’s face.
Not that I’d ever go out of my way to see him, of course.
When all the maids went off to work and I ran out of entertainment, I’d go to the library and bring back books.
The maids, seeing me lazing around all day, suggested hobbies suitable for a noble lady, like flower arranging or embroidery—but I couldn’t do them.
I’m… hopelessly bad with my hands.
I’d decided not to waste innocent flowers or thread.
Sometimes, when the air felt stuffy, I’d sit by the window to “photosynthesize.”
Below me was a flower garden.
Lettuce would grow really well there…
Days like this were so fulfilling and satisfying.
Even today, I spent almost half the day lying in bed, and no one said a word.
This is amazing. Should I just live here even after the story ends?
Meanwhile, outside Selene’s room…
The maids approached silently, faces wrapped in cloth, expressions grave.
“We have to deal with it today.”
Lurie whispered in a low voice.
“Won’t she resist? It looked like she was practically glued to the bed.”
When Yurie trailed off uncertainly, Lurie shook her head firmly.
“No. She was moving just fine when she ate breakfast earlier.”
“But still… can someone really not leave their room this much?”
“I don’t know… I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“What if she locked herself in because she’s afraid of making a mistake?”
The maids looked at each other, their eyes trembling with anxiety.
“She’s not going to disappear and go back, is she?”
“Let’s treat her well. She’s much kinder than the previous young lady.”
At Lurie’s words, Yurie nodded vigorously.
“Right! Staying in her room… once the Count returns, it’ll sort itself out.”
“Yeah. He said to let her do whatever she wants…”
“Anyway, we have to clean today.”
With determined expressions, the maids knocked on Selene’s door.
“Huh? Why?”
Selene’s confused voice came from inside.
“Miss, we’re coming in.”
The maids stormed into the room. Before I could figure out what was happening, I was dragged out of bed.
“Why—?!”
Without answering, they shoved me into the steamy bathroom.
“Please take a bath! Or would you like us to assist you?”
“No!”
I cracked the bathroom door open and peeked into the room.
One maid was tearing down the curtains, another was rolling up the rug.
No… the perfect temperature and humidity… and the lighting…!
My cozy bedroom… goodbye…
When I finished bathing and came out, the room was spotless and bright.
Shivering, I approached the bed.
“Today wasn’t the scheduled cleaning day, was it?”
Before I could even sit down, Lurie and Yurie grabbed both my arms and practically hauled me to the vanity.
“The Count is coming today. And even when you’re at home, you should practice dressing up.”
“But even if I dress up, I’ll just stay in my room…”
When I muttered that, their eyes instantly sharpened.
“It may have been fine in the territory, but you’re about to become a proper noble lady of the capital. Absolutely not!”
I immediately lowered my gaze and shut my mouth.
Who’s the maid here, exactly?
Lurie returned from the dressing room with a dress.
“Oh, by the way, Miss, a party invitation arrived.”
The moment “party invitation” was mentioned, Yurie’s eyes sparkled.
“You’ll need a new dress.”
“And new hair accessories and cosmetics!”
“Where’s the shop with the trendy shoes these days?”
I think I’m the maid here.
Listening blankly as they chatted excitedly like they were the ones attending the party, I accidentally said what was on my mind.
“Do I really have to go?”
“To where? The party?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you talking about?”
The maids looked at each other, confused.
“It’s a party hosted by His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“All the noble young ladies of the Empire will attend.”
“It’s the first major party in years.”
Under the barrage of question-mark-filled remarks, I stammered out an excuse.
“Ah… I think I’ll be feeling unwell that day.”
“We haven’t told you the date yet.”
“……”
“……”
“Oh, right, right. I have a party allergy. Allergy… you know?”
“We know what allergies are. But you’ve never attended a party before. How did you know you had one?”
“……”
When I couldn’t find anything more to say, the two of them started talking over me again.
“You absolutely have to go.”
“If you go to the Imperial Palace, you’ll feel better right away.”
“You can take medicine for allergies. I’ll bring a doctor.”
My mouth fell open.
“You’re really too much…”
It didn’t seem like they could hear me at all.
“We have to make our young lady the prettiest!”
“This is exciting!”
In the mirror, I looked utterly wilted.
Poor me… I have to get out of this no matter what.
They lightly half-tied my hair, pinned it with a pearl hairpin, and dressed me in a yellow-toned gown.
I smiled at my reflection.
No matter when I look, I really am pretty. Cute, too.
Just then, there was a knock, and the door opened.
