THSM 01

Chapter 1

“Wait a second. What…?”

Overcome by a strange, unbearable feeling, my hand instinctively pushed against his shoulder.

But his broad, solid body didn’t budge at all—like a rock.

“Why.”

His low voice echoed like a cave, and his hot breath pressed even closer against the back of my neck.

“This is a bit too much…!”

Something’s not right.

Just as my body tilted backward, unable to resist his approach, his large hand caught my back.

His thumb lightly stroked along my spine, and heat shot straight up my back.

At the same time, faint commotion could be heard from the hallway outside the door.

It seemed people were eavesdropping on us.

“Ha… Is this really okay?”

His lowered hair brushed against my skin, and the exposed part above my dress reacted sensitively. A tingling sensation shot all the way down to my toes.

“You said a kiss was nothing.”

“What?”

“Then this should just be child’s play too, right?”

His words were mocking, unlike the gentle touch.

Just as I was about to say, Who even said that?, yesterday’s memory flashed through my mind.

“It didn’t mean anything. It was just an accident.”

Right. I did say that.

The heat flooding my cheeks snapped me back to my senses.

“S-Shouldn’t we talk first…?”

Before things got any more out of hand, I grabbed his face.

Even without much strength, he easily lifted his head—and our eyes met.

My heart dropped.

Beneath his slightly disheveled golden hair, those blue eyes that were usually indifferent now looked cold.

“No.”

He looked somewhere between irritated and mocking.

While staring at me lazily, he took my hands off his shoulders one by one.

“Are you angry? Why?”

Despite his calm gaze, he pressed my hands down against the bedsheets so I couldn’t move.

“Why do you think I’d be angry?”

Why are you asking? You’re literally pinning my hands down.

“Uh… you just look angry?”

“That’s impossible.”

“…It’s not?”

“You really have no idea I’m helping you, do you?”

Helping me?

Before I could respond, he grabbed my waist and pulled me forward.

In the blink of an eye, I was sitting on his lap.

Pressed close to his chest, I saw his face up close—beautiful, elegant… and cold.

“Look carefully with your own eyes.
How far you can treat this like a joke.”

Until recently, I had been running through the middle of the night.

“Hey! Stop right there! Catch that b*tch!”

The dorm fees and tuition I had scraped together—working three part-time jobs every single day during my year off—were just taken by thugs right in front of me.

The bigger problem? They weren’t satisfied. They were trying to take me too.

“Would you let yourself get caught?!”

If I were being chased because of my own mistake, I wouldn’t even feel this wronged.

“She runs fast just like her dad! Catch her!”

Just as expected—they were taking their anger out on me because of my father.

Even I didn’t know where my father was.

Still… he said he’d come find me someday.

I wiped away the tears that slipped out and ran with everything I had.

My father was a genius con artist and gambler—someone who stole from those who built wealth illegally and returned it to the victims.

Because of his ridiculous “justice,” I had to grow up alone, hiding that I was his daughter.

Still, I knew he had always been watching over me.

He said we’d live together soon. Like a normal family.

…Was that all a lie?

“Stop right there!”

Their shouts chased right behind me.

My heart pounded as their footsteps got closer, but I couldn’t stop running.

The moment I turned the corner and ran onto the crosswalk—

HONK—!

The blaring horn cut everything off.

But the light was green…

Mister… it’s green… why are you driving…

CRASH!

My body slammed into the car and flew into the air.

Sharp fragments scattered—

My vision went white.

…Strange. I thought I died.

When I opened my eyes—

I was in another world.

And immediately, I locked eyes with a man staring at me with a blank expression.

“….”

Big.

That was my first thought.

His silk shirt draped smoothly over his broad shoulders, and his black pants fitted neatly below. His clean outfit made his large frame even more striking.

“What do you have to say.”

His low, clear voice made goosebumps rise.

“Something to say…?”

“Yes. Go on.”

Ah. I get it.

Nodding seriously, I clasped my hands together like I was praying.

His sharp eyes narrowed slightly as he watched me.

“I repent.”

“…What?”

“Please forgive all my sins. I’d tell you everything if I could, but I just got here and I’m completely out of it. But honestly, I didn’t really do anything bad. Really.”

The man frowned slightly.

Not a good answer.

“No, wait. Yes—I am a sinner. Of course I am. Everyone commits sins, right? I’ll reflect! I’ll repent! So… where am I going now? Heaven?”

He stared at me silently.

“…Don’t tell me… hell?”

I lived so hard though?!

As I looked at him resentfully, he suddenly turned his head.

There were several people standing nearby.

They looked like they were waiting their turn for judgment.

“Did you come here in your sleep?”

At his question, everyone looked at me in confusion.

Wait… what?

This doesn’t feel like the afterlife.

Everything looks too real. The man. Those people.

And their clothes… they look like something out of a historical drama.

Are they… alive?

I leaned closer and whispered,

“Can you see me?”

“Obviously.”

“Okay, this might sound rude, but… I definitely got hit by a truck. So I thought maybe you can see ghosts. You look… alive. Kind of… from the past though.”

“…The past?”

“Is this a drama set or something…?”

“Ha… what nonsense.”

“Then where is this?”

He leaned back in his chair, clearly annoyed.

“If you’re trying tricks, stop.”

“What?”

“You already look insane enough.”

Hey—listen to me first!

Just then, the door opened.

A woman entered with a trolley, and a middle-aged man approached us.

“Shall I prepare the tea, Madam?”

“…Ma’am?”

“Yes, Madam.”

The man nodded and gestured to the trolley.

“You specially obtained this tea for His Highness, who has returned after a long time.”

What is going on?

The woman began setting the tea neatly.

I glanced at the man across from me for help—

But his gaze was so cold I quickly looked away.

Not scary… but hard to face.

Then I noticed—

His arm was bandaged.

“Oh…? Your arm is injured?”

He stared at me, as if questioning my intention.

I shut my mouth.

The tea was served.

“This flower only blooms once every hundred years. I’m amazed you obtained it.”

Wait.

That sounds familiar.

“The name of that tea is…”

“Of course, Ramberu Tea. You requested it yourself, did you not?”

Ramberu Tea…?

That’s from the novel I was reading before I died—

“Emilia Loves a Villain.”

And that tea—

It’s drugged.

A powerful sleeping poison.

The Grand Duke drinks it, loses consciousness—

And gets murdered.

By his wife.

…And they just called me Madam.

Which means—

That’s me.

The wife.

The murderer.

The one who gets executed on the guillotine.

My head—chop—?!

“KYAA!”

Just as he lifted the teacup—

I screamed and smacked it away.

CRASH!

The cup shattered on the carpet.

Tea soaked into the fabric.

His gaze slowly lifted to me.

“What are you doing?”

What do I say?!

There’s poison in that tea.
I prepared it—but not really!
It was the original owner of this body!

That sounds insane.

But if he dies—

I become the murderer.

That’s not fair!

I grabbed his hand tightly, forcing the words out—

“Run.”