TMNGD 25🔐

Chapter 25 ….

The heroine suddenly appeared in the rear garden and was officially declared the Empire’s saint.

Obviously no one had bothered to ask her opinion, and although the imperial family and the temple would surely be wrestling for influence beneath the surface, everything above the water remained peaceful.

A grand banquet to honor the first saint in hundreds of years was scheduled soon, and the citizens of the Empire were happily running their mental victory laps, convinced that now that the saint had embraced them, their nation would enjoy peace for generations to come.

And—

I became Kim Yeoju’s temporary guardian.

…Huh?

“Then I’ll entrust her to you.”

“…I, uh… I don’t think you should trust me that much.”

Emperor Charlotte Lillian raised a brow in question.

As a stranger who had fallen into this world, I hadn’t really cared about grand dukes or dukes—but hearing that she was the nation’s supreme ruler made a servile instinct rise from my core and force me into politeness.

“I can’t teach Lady Yeoju how to be a proper lady.”

That didn’t mean my mouth knew how to stay shut, though. At this rate I might need to sew buttons onto my lips. Maybe make them detachable for situations like this.

“Why not?”

“Um… Your Majesty seriously thinks I’m a role model for a lady?”

“Not particularly.”

As expected of the Empire’s highest authority—her insight was sharp. No matter how quietly I’d behaved in front of the Emperor—basically not opening my mouth at all—there was no way she didn’t know about the time I mixed bomb shots at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet, or my recent verbal sparring with Duke Ro in the rear garden.

You might ignore someone fooling around in the northern territory, but still.

“Exactly. If you want to package Lady Yeoju as an elegant lady, a pure maiden, or a noble saint—well, I’m unqualified. I’m not that kind of person, and I can’t turn someone else into that either.”

And I didn’t particularly want to sell her off like that.

“Etiquette, history, and basic knowledge are already being taught by the best instructors. I know you’re different from other noblewomen. …If I place you by that child’s side, what kind of person do you think she will become?”

…Is this a pressure interview?

It reminded me of senior year of high school, running all over the place for interviews, polishing and trimming myself down just to land a job before graduation.

But I never asked for this interview. I didn’t want to get on her bad side, sure—but I didn’t exactly have a reason to impress her either.

“If you place me by Lady Yeoju’s side…”

What exactly could I even do? Teach her how to brew makgeolli the bootleg way? How to fry potato pancakes? Ah… I should make potato pancakes when I get back. Teaching Korean cooking in a romance fantasy world… actually, that might sell.

“She’ll just be Lady Yeoju. The Lady Yeoju she is now. Not especially wicked, not extraordinarily capable—just… herself. Just like now.”

With that answer, I became the ‘Emperor-approved’ guardian of the saint for the duration of my stay in the capital.

…Huh?

I can barely take care of myself—what do you mean guardian?

Guardian?!

I need a guardian too! No matter how brilliant my intellect and eloquence are, I’m still basically a kid. I’m baby, okay?! It wasn’t even that long ago I got scolded by my sister because I couldn’t make a single vegetable side dish with my own hands.

“…How did this even happen?”

“His Majesty must have thought highly of your virtues.”

He was definitely teasing me. I reached over and tugged at Kallian’s cheek. He endured it silently without even yelping, which made it less fun. These things only feel satisfying when the other person squirms.

“My virtues? Knowing the perfect ratio of makgeolli and soda? Turning into a mess when I drink?”

“So you do know you’re a mess.”

“Wow, your mouth’s getting freer by the day. That curse of yours—is it actually fake?”

“As if.”

Well… if he were normal, there was no way he’d only speak in stiff formal tones and refuse to even enter the kitchen or finish meals without permission from his ‘beloved companion.’ It really was a vicious curse.

“Ugh, seriously. It’s not like I can just go ‘Nope, can’t do it, I’m heading to Winter’ and run away.”

If I wanted to watch the heroine and the Crown Prince’s romance go through its trials and tribulations, staying in the capital was best. If things dragged too long, I could always step in a bit.

“I seriously hate meddling in other people’s love lives…”

Are you sleeping? You are. He was the type who would absolutely hate messy late-night KakaoTalk messages. Not that I’d ever received any—but there were always one or two friends who replied to those pathetic dawn texts, only for the sender to run back to the same person who made them cry.

“Anyway, in possession stories there’s usually a second male lead, right? A bunch of guys show up, confess their love in a wave, then exit in a wave.”

“Is that so?”

“You said you know the original, right? No matter how I look at it, the Crown Prince screams true male lead. He’s got that face. The kind you want to emotionally project onto and get hopelessly entangled with.”

“…What?”

“My kid is always set up as the top authority. The Crown Prince is the main lead, right? …Right? Wait—don’t tell me. Is it you?”

The Grand Duke, second in line to the throne?! Even though he personally has zero interest?!

“But you’re way too old…”

“Pardon?”

“Did you also get swept up in the great waves of destiny and fall in love at first sight when you saw the heroine? Is she the one? Did your heart start racing and your head spin?”

“Calm down—”

“…No?”

“What an unpleasant misunderstanding. My companion is only you.”

In other words, he’d never even glanced at her.

I exhaled in relief. Maybe Kallian’s original self could fall for a heroine close to his age—but the Kallian in his thirties absolutely should not. No matter how young his insides were, his outer shell was still thirty-something. Approaching a nineteen-year-old girl would be questionable aesthetically, morally, and legally.

“…Didn’t you say it yourself?”

…Wait, was it actually legal under imperial law? Anyway.

“That love has an age limit.”

His tone was tired and worn out. Maybe that advice had been a bit too advanced for a twenty-year-old to hear.

“I—this is my first time leaving the imperial palace!”

“Oh really?”

“Yes! I’m so excited! A dress—it really feels like I’m a princess!”

“Oh yeah?”

“What kind of dress should I get? They say everything here is custom-made, right? What’s trending these days? Judging by what you wear, Lady Adriana, it must be practical but elegant!”

“Oh, really?”

“…Huh?”

“…Oh.”

Oops. I got caught giving half-hearted replies like a soulless male idol. I swear this had happened before.

Normally I’d match the heroine’s enthusiasm—but my condition was awful. Even the Empire’s finest carriage still rattled on the road, and my stomach—after mixing every kind of alcohol last night for the first time in a while—was in absolute ruins.

Originally, like other royals and nobles, the tailor was supposed to come to the palace to fit Yeoju’s dress.

If only the heroine—who had never stepped outside the palace since arriving in this world—hadn’t suggested an outing.

“You probably shouldn’t use my outfit as reference.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I just wear whatever I want. It doesn’t match the trends. Just have them make what you want. I don’t even know what’s popular these days.”

Honestly, I understood. No matter how grand the palace was, if you dropped into another world, of course you’d want to see how ordinary people lived.

I didn’t blame the heroine.

I just resented Adriana’s alcohol-weak body. This pathetic liver with zero alcohol tolerance…

“Sir Knight? Do you know what kind of dresses women wear here?”

“My apologies. I’m not very knowledgeable in that area.”

“Ah, that’s okay! It’d be kind of funny if you were an expert in dresses, Sir Knight!”

“Please call me Sir Bernhardt.”

“Oh! Right! Okay, Sir Bernhardt.”

As the heroine became absorbed in the scenery outside the window, the carriage quickly fell silent.

The saint who needed a banquet dress, her guardian, and the knight commander escorting them both.

“Sir Bernhardt, how old are you?”

The heroine clung close beside me while sneaking glances at the knight commander. The knight commander, meanwhile, gave me a meaningful look.

…The world’s most perfect triangle? Don’t tell me this is already a love triangle.

“I am twenty-four.”

But if Adriana got involved in the romance, Kallian would inevitably be dragged in too—and then the genre would shift from a fresh idol-style possession story into a full-blown messy affair drama.

“Wow! You’re younger than the Crown Prince!”

I quickly shook the pairing chart out of my head. Man, I’ve been way too immersed in trashy romance novels lately.

Knight commander. Heh heh—Bernhardt. I’d briefly forgotten his name, but that magnificent chest and upright—no, sharp—gaze stirred memories of my past.

“You’re amazing though, being the knight commander!”

“You flatter me.”

“That’s not flattery! People shouldn’t be too humble! Be confident.”

The heroine clapped her hands brightly, her curled hair bouncing with the carriage’s sway.

“…Thank you.”

Wait—don’t tell me she’s falling in love already?

The knight commander scratched his cheek awkwardly; there was still a youthful air about his profile. Though honestly, since he was around my age, I didn’t find it particularly cute.

The shop was large and luxurious, befitting a place that did business with the imperial family. Tastefully refined, with timeless antiques decorating the interior here and there. Clearly a shop with deep history.

This was an era of full custom tailoring. The heroine had to decide everything—fabric, overall color scheme, accessories, even sleeve shape.

If it were me, I would’ve said “Please just do your best” ages ago—but whether it was because she had just finished the college entrance exam, because she was the protagonist, or just her personality, the heroine energetically debated with the head tailor without showing a hint of fatigue.

“…I’m exhausted.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. I only feel like throwing up a little, I’m fine.”

When we first entered the shop she clung tightly to my arm like a meerkat, but now she was across the room touching every fabric in sight. Whew… the energy of a post-exam student.

“Sir Bernhhh—aren’t you tired?”

“I’m fine. …It’s Bernhardt.”

Tch. Thought I could slur it and get away with it.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“About what?”

“Grand Duchess Adriana.”

“Yes, Sir Bernhororor.”

“That day in the plaza, you clearly—”

“Oh, that? I just couldn’t be bothered to answer. Saying it wouldn’t have changed much. Matching your identity, Sir Be-da-ra-ran, was honestly just coincidence. I haven’t done any background digging.”

Though honestly, among high nobles, not recognizing the knight commander would be stranger.

Not that I recognized him!

The Empire’s pride—the youngest knight commander in history—seemed satisfied, or perhaps too distracted by the heroine now modeling a display dress to continue the conversation.

“How is it?”

“It suits you. Even if you won’t be able to eat in it.”

“Huh?”

“Is your waist okay? Not too tight?”

“I think it’s fine?”

Truly the power of a possession-story protagonist. The blue dress—narrowed dramatically at the waist before flaring into a full skirt—matched the heroine’s black hair perfectly.

…Winter cool tone, maybe.

“Um, can I try on a few more?”

“Try as many as you want. We’ve got time.”

“Yes! But Lady Adriana, are you okay? You totally look like a zombie right now. Oh, and a zombie is—”

I was already very familiar with zombies, thank you.

Can it run?
Zombie × | Drunk me ×

Makes weird noises?
Zombie ○ | Drunk me ○

Infects others?
Zombie ○ | Drunk me ×

…Actually, drunk me isn’t that different from a zombie.

“I’m just hungover. I’m fine.”

Ugh, one hot bowl of spicy hangover soup with tons of chili flakes would fix me instantly. But I overslept and rushed out without even having soup.

The elegant Grand Duchess didn’t need to worry about such things—but being late to an appointment was something my will simply wouldn’t allow.