‘What was that?’
As I turned my wrist this way and that, my heart started pounding again.
‘If he’s the first male lead, could he actually be the real male lead? Did I make a mistake by getting involved with him?’
I shook off the creeping unease, brushing it away like an annoying cobweb.
It wasn’t like a mere extra wiping a bit of blood from the protagonist’s face had any real significance.
Obviously, this was just a brief moment in the dazzling life of a potential male lead.
‘Sirinü must only walk the path of flowers…’
As Sirinü’s handsome face came to mind, my anxiety melted away, replaced by a strange sense of happiness.
What is this feeling, this desire to keep seeing someone I’ve only just met? Could this be… love?
I climbed into bed and hugged the pillow tightly in place of Sirinü, as sleep slowly crept in.
Recalling the employee safety rules, I quickly shut my eyes.
‘If anything happens, I’ll deal with it when it comes!’
“Transmigrating is the best!!!!”
Thank you to the greatest hotel of all, Transmigrator Hotel!
I’m even leaving a five-star review. Sniff.
Today marks my third day as a transmigrator, and I’m having the time of my life.
Why? Obviously.
If I just stayed still, they cleaned my room, did my laundry and brought it back, prepared my bathwater, and even delivered my meals, all for free!
Not even my mom treats me this well.
This place is paradise. A homebody’s paradise.
Of course, it’s not like I arrogantly demanded food or ordered them to clean my room from the start.
At first, I was a little awkward, unfamiliar with how a hierarchical society worked.
But even when I made obvious mistakes, the workers didn’t seem to mind at all.
I stopped worrying about being discovered as a transmigrator.
It’s not like I had a miserable life, was terminally ill, or was about to be put up for auction or anything.
But,
“Miss, let me ventilate the room for you!”
I didn’t understand why the room needed to be cleaned three times a day.
“I’ll take care of it myself.”
But when I said that with a bit of resolve, Lurie looked heartbroken.
“If I did something wrong, please tell me, Miss. I don’t want to be dismissed…”
Her expression, like she might burst into tears at any moment, filled me with guilt.
Come to think of it, Lurie was still practically a child in this society.
‘It feels wrong to take a young person’s job like this…’
Still, I was completely against the idea of cleaning three times a day.
So I asked the head maid to reduce it to once every three days and suggested they redirect that effort to delivering meals to my room instead.
The meals were like full-course cuisine. I ate eagerly, though a small pang of guilt lingered whenever I thought about all the work that must’ve gone into preparing and bringing them.
Each dish was crafted with such care. It was convenient to eat in my room, easy to clean up… wasn’t this basically royal treatment?
The tight line of the head maid’s lips was quietly ignored.
Everyone’s going to love it once they try it, after all.
The food here was absolutely delicious, and whenever it was time to go out, the workers—like ghosts—would quietly pack some bread to take along. It was a thoughtful touch.
No need to go to work, either!
I could sleep in, snack lazily, lounge around in bed… and still have time left in the day.
There was no phone, so whenever I needed a dopamine boost, all I had to do was open the window a little.
Voices floated in from outside. It sounded like there was a popular hangout nearby where workers gathered.
The conversations of the workers during their break were surprisingly interesting, enough to make time fly.
Lately, the hottest gossip was about a fight between Callart and Erylleon.
Apparently, the two were like the classic noble lady and her villainous rival—and they were infamous for not getting along.
“If they really hate each other that much, why do they keep showing up in the same place?”
“You know what they say—strong denial just means secret feelings. Maybe they actually want to be friends?”
“…If they wanted to be friends, they wouldn’t be out there pulling each other’s hair in the middle of the street.”
“True.”
Wow. So this wasn’t just a petty quarrel—they were actually throwing punches. Fascinating…
“Speaking of which, I heard a monster showed up outside the wall.”
“Grand Duke Lephrix will capture it, right?”
The moment Grand Duke Lephrix’s name was mentioned, my ears perked up.
“That must be it. I’ve always wanted to see him catch a monster in person.”
“I used to think Grand Duke Lephrix was cool, but the Crown Prince is even cooler. I’m dying to know who he’ll choose as Crown Princess!”
“They say even Viscountess Brielle is being way too forward with the Crown Prince. Sounds like she’s aiming to become his mistress, huh?”
“She really has no shame. I’ve lost count of how many men she’s messed with and left in tears.”
It was just too entertaining.
Every time the Grand Duke or Crown Prince came up, everyone would start chattering excitedly, and naturally, I started getting curious about the Crown Prince too.
If he was another potential male lead—a rival candidate to Sirinü—then he had to be just as handsome.
‘He’s probably the opposite type of Sirinü, right? If it’s the gentle male lead type, then the Crown Prince must be the big-dog kind with a charming smile.’
They say beauty comes in many forms.
At some point—I wasn’t sure when—I started looking forward to the day I could admire the Crown Prince’s face in person.
Not that I was going to go out of my way just to see him, of course.
Whenever the maids left for work and there wasn’t enough content to pass the time, I would head to the library and pick out a book to read.
The other maids often recommended hobbies suited for refined noblewomen, like embroidery or flower arranging. But I couldn’t do any of that.
I… had clumsy hands.
I had already decided not to waste good fabric on my poor attempts.
When the air felt too stifling, I’d sit by the window to get some fresh air and sunlight.
From where I sat, I could see a flowerbed below.
‘If I planted lettuce there, they’d probably grow well…’
I passed my days with idle thoughts like that, and they were surprisingly fulfilling.
Today, once again, I had spent nearly the entire afternoon lying on the bed, and no one said a word about it.
Wow, this is amazing. Should I just live here forever?
Meanwhile, outside Selene’s room…
The maids moved quietly, careful to muffle their footsteps, their faces set in solemn expressions.
“We absolutely have to get it done today.”
Lurie murmured in a low voice.
“Do you think she’ll rebel? She’s been practically glued to the bed lately.”
Yurieth asked, concern creeping into her voice, and Lurie shook her head with a resigned smile.
“No, she was moving around just fine this morning when she came out for breakfast.”
“Still… isn’t it kind of weird for someone to stay in their room this much?”
“Yeah… I’ve never seen anyone like that before.”
“Do you think she’s hiding in there because she’s scared she’ll mess something up?”
The maids exchanged uncertain glances, unease flickering in their eyes.
“She wouldn’t just run away… right?”
“Let’s just do our best. She’s much kinder than the last young lady who stayed here, anyway.”
Encouraged by her words, Yurieth gave a firm nod.
“Right! She’s just staying in her room… Once the Count returns, everything will work itself out.”
“Exactly. He said she could do as she pleased, so…”
“Still, we have to clean today.”
With steeled resolve, the maids exchanged determined looks and knocked on Selene’s door.
“Hm? Why?”
A soft, childlike voice responded from inside the room.
“My lady, we’re coming in now.”
The maids pushed the door open. I was still lying in bed, completely clueless about what was happening—until they suddenly yanked the blankets off me.
“W-What…?!”
Without another word, they whisked me straight into the steamy bathroom.
“Please take a bath! Or shall we assist you?”
“N-No, that’s okay!”
One of them cracked the door open and peeked inside.
Another drew back the curtain, while the last one rolled up the rug with practiced ease.
No… the perfect temperature, the humidity… even the lighting…
Goodbye… my beloved bedroom…
By the time I finished bathing and came out, the room was sparkling clean and bright, as if no one had ever lived there.
Shivering, I took a cautious step back toward the bed.
“Isn’t today not even a cleaning day?”
Before I could even sit down, Lurie and Yurieth grabbed me by the arms and guided me to the vanity—as if afraid I might run off.
“The Count is arriving today. And from now on, even at home, you must maintain your appearance.”
“But I’m just staying in my room…”
At my small complaint, their eyes instantly sharpened.
“That may have been acceptable when you were just a guest. But now, you’re practically part of the noble family. You can’t slack off anymore!”
I quickly lowered my gaze and pressed my lips together.
‘Remind me again—who’s the maid here?’
Lurie, who had gone to the dressing room and returned with a dress in her arms, spoke up.
“By the way, miss, the party invitation has arrived.”
The moment the words “party invitation” left her lips, Yurieth’s eyes lit up.
“We’ll need to get a new dress made!”
“And buy new hair accessories and makeup too!”
“Which store has the most fashionable shoes right now?”
‘Guess I’m the maid now.’
They were chatting so excitedly, it felt like they were the ones invited to the ball. I just sat there, dumbfounded, watching them.
As their conversation continued, I finally blurted out what I’d been holding back.
“Do I really have to go?”
“Go where? The party?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you even saying right now?”
The maids exchanged baffled glances.
“This is a party hosted by His Highness, the Crown Prince.”
“Every noble lady in the empire will be there.”
“It’s the first major party in years!”
Their voices rose with the weight of all the unspoken obligations in the room.
“Oh, I just… don’t think I’ll be feeling well that day.”
“We haven’t even told you when it is yet.”
“…”
“…”
“Oh! That’s right—I have a party allergy. Yep, definitely an allergy. You get it, right?”
“A party allergy? But, miss… you’ve never even been to a party. How would you know you’re allergic?”
“…”
When I couldn’t come up with any more excuses, the two of them went right back to talking like nothing had happened.
“You absolutely have to go.”
“Even if you’re sick, the palace itself will cure you.”
“There’s medicine for allergies. I’ll call the doctor right away.”
My mouth fell open in disbelief.
“You two are seriously too much…”
But it was like my words didn’t even reach their ears.
“We must make our young lady the most beautiful one there!”
“How exciting!”
Inside, I was frowning bitterly at my reflection in the mirror.
Poor thing… I definitely have to avoid this.
After lightly curling my half-up hair and pinning it with a pearl-studded clip, I slipped into the golden-yellow dress.
I smiled at my reflection.
‘No matter when I look, I’m really pretty. What a cute little thing I am.’
Just then, there was a knock at the door—and it opened.
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