Everyone with eyes could agree that Albert Grey was a handsome man.

With gray hair that was a subtle mixture of black and silver, and crimson eyes that were like rubies perfectly embedded on his face—anyone would be captivated by him.

Further enhanced by his tanned complexion, his statuesque features made anyone think that he’s the word ‘beauty’ personified.

No matter who it was that passed by, they would stop in their tracks just to admire him.

But God wasn’t satisfied with his creation yet.

Having the skills that surpassed even a sword master, Albert’s entire body smouldered with muscles, so it was safe to say that even his body captured the hearts of many people.

Everyone just knew that he would one day be king.

However, the current king, Rosteratu Grey, detested Albert.

Envious instead of proud, the current king hated the prince because Albert was not his son.

Why, you ask?

Rosteratu Grey was impotent.

This was an open secret amongst the people. This was why he brought in a suitable heir who had mixed royal blood, and that heir was Albert Grey.

Albert had no parents, no brothers, and no power.

When he was brought into the palace, Rosteratu was relieved. Albert wouldn’t be able to gain more power than him.

But he was too complacent.

Albert grew up to become a great man.

Seized by an overwhelming sense of inferiority, Rosteratu framed Albert for a crime he didn’t do, and locked him up in the tower.

Inside the tower that was imbued with magic that confined him within, Albert was left alone with one maid. However, this was not for his convenience.

Rosteratu wanted to destroy Albert—to make him miserable.

So he chose a lustful woman who wasn’t shy about showing her desire for Albert, and chose her to become his maid.

The current king even gave her a magic wand to torment the prince.

The maid played with Albert to her satisfaction, and so she controlled him relentlessly with the wand just to fulfill her desires.

A kiss or a hug were easily coerced out of Albert. Everything went according to Rosteratu’s plans.

But Albert was not a fool. He gradually regained his strength, and one day, he succeeded in coaxing the maid to give him the wand.

Being the munchkin character that he was, he knew how to handle mana, and he used the wand to contact his allies outside the tower. From then on, he quietly sharpened his blade of revenge.

After only one year of captivity, Albert eventually left the tower. Then, he exacted his revenge.

Can you guess what the first thing he did after he got out?

Ding ding ding! If you guessed it right, then you get a prize!

He lopped off the head of the impish maid right away.

The maid died at once, not even having the chance to beg for her life. It was the rightfully futile death of a third-rate villain.

* * *

That’s right. The maid who died from getting her throat slit.

But why do you think I’m explaining this?

Rosé Artius, the maid who toyed with Albert Grey.

I reincarnated as her.

There was once a time when I read a book that detailed Rosé Artius’ exact characterization and actions.

I read all about the first day she came to the tower as she greeted Albert—

. . . and even what they were doing right at this moment.

The breath that lingered on my lips disappeared as the stranger moved away.

I stared at the man who kissed me just now.

Under those dark eyebrows were half-lidded eyes that glinted with intellect, with a certain elegance exuding from that gaze that no one would be able to look away from.

But those eyes that were as red as blood . . . made him look as if he wanted to eat me whole.

I was instantly bewitched. I couldn’t look away, as if there was an irresistible force coveting my gaze. Because he’s so handsome.

He was more handsome than any other celebrity I’d ever seen, with distinct features that made you think that he may just be a statue accurately created out of God’s image.

That’s why it was inevitable for me to gape dazedly at him. I really wasn’t being absent-minded on purpose.

“Rosé, how long do we have to do this?”

I shuddered as the sweet voice whispered next to my ear. Only then did I come to my senses.

I laughed awkwardly to fill the silence. Ahaha, I really don’t know . . .

“I-I think we can stop now.”

At my words, Albert grinned. It was the soulless smile of a salesman.

I couldn’t help but notice the smile because it reminded me of my own forced smile when I was at work.

Despite his soured mood, he was breathtakingly beautiful nonetheless.

“Then, can I see it now?”

“. . . Yes.”

He took the wand that I had been holding.

In the novel, the maid Rosé always asked for a kiss from Albert in exchange for letting him see the wand.

In short, at this very moment, I was digging my own grave.

. . . Damn it.

Immediately after I got reincarnated, I raised a death flag!

* * *

I finally pulled myself together to stop looking at Albert’s face so I could sort everything out.

Before I transmigrated into this novel, I was an ordinary office worker named Yoo Jung-in.

I got into a bus accident when I was on my way to work, then when I woke up, I opened my eyes to this world.

My small but certain happiness in my ordinary life was my hobby of reading webnovels. Even though I couldn’t buy expensive things, I paid for novel chapters everyday for the sake of that small happiness.

This novel that I transmigrated into was one of the novels I had read before.

It was frustrating to see Albert suffering from the evil plots of side characters, but it became exciting the moment he left the tower and found the female lead, Seo Ina.

It was the novel that I was thinking about right before I died.

Was that why I came here?

Sure, I could roll with that. But there was a big problem.

Because I reincarnated as an extra who was destined to die soon.

Rosé Artius was a depraved individual. Although her life wasn’t really given much detail because she had a small role, it was clear that she was someone who did everything just to capture Albert, who she fell in love with at first sight.

She somehow managed to strike a deal with Rosteratu and ended up being stuck alone with Albert in the tower.

Rosé might have been thrilled that she was locked up with the most attractive man in the world, but I, Yoo Jung-in, was not thrilled at all.

If I lived like Rosé, I’d surely die. And since I didn’t want to die any time soon after just getting a second shot at life, I didn’t want to act like the original Rosé.

There’s a saying that went like: ‘Even if you roll in sh*t, it’s still good to be alive.’

Albert Grey was incredibly handsome, and this fact was indisputable, but honestly . . . ‘Handsome’ was too weak of a word to describe him.

The mere sight of him really would mesmerize any person, and they’d surely want him to be theirs.

But no matter how beautiful he was, my life mattered a lot more, even at the cost of the story changing.

Plus, I was satisfied just looking at him.

Originally, my ideal types were more beautiful the farther they were from me. Because that way, I wouldn’t have to be hurt by unfulfilled expectations.

I tried to recall the first and last kiss Rosé had with Albert.

The memories swirled inside my mind like a blurry dream, and when I woke up here, they started disappearing.

I quickly grappled with the memories to remember how many days I had left to live with Albert.

. . . I could feel my gaze growing dark.

The crazy maid won a kiss from Albert just a week after being imprisoned. She really was greedy for him.

Should I be glad that she never went beyond that? But no, while Albert kissed me, I already knew what kind of person Rosé was.

And the more I thought about it, the more my headache got worse.

O, dear God. Why must you torment me so?

Albert wasn’t the only one who was suffering.

Another person was locked up with him in here, and that was me.

How the hell am I gonna live for a year in a place where there’s no wifi, no internet, no computer?? As a person from modern civilization, this is surely going to drive me insane.

But after I lamented for a bit, I pulled myself together and faced reality.

The first thing I did was recall the tower’s structure again. The tower had three floors in total.

The first floor had the kitchen, where there was a lone door where food came in and where we could communicate with people from the outside.

There was also a storage room where cooking utensils, bowls, pans, and pots were kept, and there were ingredients there as well. Of course, there was also space to light a fire.

Because the tower was round-shaped, the stairs were curved like a whirlwind along the wall.

If you go out of the kitchen and go up the stairs, you’ll be able to reach the one and only bedroom.

There was a bathroom next to the bedroom.

And that’s it.

This tower really shouldn’t have been called a ‘tower’. There’s only one bedroom in it.

Fortunately, the tower was large, so even if it had only one room, it was spacious enough. The ceiling was high, and there was a window so it didn’t feel stuffy.

The walls of the tower were painted with a warm beige, so it was strangely soothing.

Next to the window was a fireplace to be used during winter. It was small, but it warmed up the room enough.

Some distance away from the fireplace was the bed, and opposite that was a small bookshelf lining the other wall and a table in front of it.

There was a ladder, too, which you could use to climb to enter the attic, which was the highest floor of the tower. It’s also being used as a storage room.

With the wand, I could roam everywhere, but Albert was confined to just the bedroom on the second floor.

Because he had many limitations, she had to obey the maid’s whims. It was valid that he resented her.

. . . Maybe even to the point that it’s understandable that he wanted to kill her.

As I crouched in the attic, I sighed heavily.

Let’s calm down a bit.

Someone once said that even if you somehow transmigrated in a book, if you get your act together, then you’d be able to survive.

Who said that, you ask?

Me. I’m saying that.

This was an opportunity to live a new life after I died in vain due to an accident in my previous life.

Albert was a prince, and he was destined to become the king. It’s all about getting the right connections. If I just stick close to his side, then it’s like winning the lottery.

Let’s write a contract.

If I do that, I’ll be able to leave the tower and get my life and retirement guaranteed. And it’s better if both Albert and I could leave the tower soon.

What was the point of being alone here with him? I just needed to give him the wand and cooperate a bit.

It’s the perfect plan.

I just needed to put theory into practice.

As I went down the ladder to exit the attic, I saw Albert sitting elegantly on the bed as he read a book.

For a moment, I was mesmerized by his perfectly sculpted features, with his hair framing his face finely. Then, I called out to him carefully.

“Your Highness.”

Albert looked up. He looked at me and smiled. I trembled at the sight of perfection.

The maid Rosé didn’t know it, but she was risking her life for a smile that was obviously a business smile. And I knew this because I had lots of experience seeing and making that same smile.

This man’s smile didn’t reach his eyes at all.

“What is it, Rosé? Is there something else I can do for you?”

I answered the question, knowing what he was insinuating.

“No, no! I don’t need that!”

Ah, stop it! My life’s at stake!

Albert narrowed his gaze and crossed his arms.

“I guess you weren’t satisfied with the price I just paid, Rosé. I thought I did pretty well.”

“It’s not that it was bad . . .”

Gah, I must be out of my mind! But Albert was such a good kisser. Maybe this was one of the upsides to being the main character.

I added in a hurry.

“It’s not something that you wanted. You don’t have to force yourself anymore.”

“If I don’t want to do it, then I don’t have to . . . ?”

Albert raised his brows as if he couldn’t understand what I was saying. Meanwhile, I was thinking that my eyes must have been blessed to see a fallen angel right in front of me.

Inevitably, a ridiculous comment popped out of my mouth.

“Y-Your Highness is very beautiful.”

“. . . Rosé, just tell me what you want to say.”

Albert rose from the bed and approached me. I gulped and recalled what I was meant to do.

“I deeply apologize. For everything.”

I pushed the contract I wrote just now to him.

“I’d like to make a deal with you, Prince.”

“In exchange for my body?”

Why was he always twisting my words!

“No! I don’t want physical contact with Your Highness! I don’t want it!”

He furrowed his brows, still confused by my words.

Not long after, Albert muttered in a low voice.

“But you like me.”

I shuddered at his low whisper that echoed in my ears.

Oh my gosh. Why did that sound so natural coming from him? And that confidence didn’t seem forced at all.

I breathed out while controlling my expression.

If I said, ‘I’m not Rosé Artius. I’m Yoo Jung-in and I don’t like you,’ it was obvious that he wouldn’t believe me.

And if I explained that world was inside a novel and I transmigrated here, I’d immediately get locked up in the loony bin.

So I wrote a contract instead. I decided to take advantage of the power of a binding contract that every modern person knew.

I pushed the contract into his hands again.

“Your Highness, please take a look at this.”

Albert lifted the piece of paper, then murmured.

“. . . A contract to ensure the life and death of Rosé Artius?”

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

I nodded my head right away.

“Yes. I want Your Highness out of here more than anyone else.”

“Do you want to leave the tower and become Queen?”

Doubting my intentions, his eyes narrowed.

Albert was good at saying things in a threatening way. I’m sure he was just sounding me out.

I wouldn’t even dare to be a contract queen. It wouldn’t do to dabble in something she wasn’t prepared for.

Furthermore, don’t you know how much a queen had to do? And what about assassination threats? Absolutely not. That’s not me. I already have my life planned out.

“No! Just give me enough money to play and eat to my heart’s content in this country, for the rest of my life.”

“…”

“As you can see, I put a clause about the skinship that you hate so much.”

I conveyed my intentions to him clearly, and Albert read the words that I wrote down on the contract.

His eyes were still narrowed with suspicion, then he muttered, but still spoke in a voice I could hear.

“I can’t believe you’re the same person as before.”

…Because I really became a different person entirely. I tried to think of something else, because Albert might catch on.

Then, I told the truth with my expression hardened.

“The moment you kissed me, I realized what I should do with Your Highness.”

This was real.

“If you don’t believe it, then why don’t you think over the contract for a few days before you sign it? I’m confident.”

“…Confident, you say.”

Albert rested his chin on one hand.

“Wasn’t your original goal to have me by your side?”

Albert asked in a languid voice. I felt like I would be captivated just by his voice. I almost said ‘yes’ just now.

No. I have to keep my wits about. It took a moment before I talked slowly.

“But then I’ll die.”

“You’ll die?”

“You’re a great man, so I think you’ll be able to escape the tower one day, then I’ll be horribly killed the moment you leave.”

“…Horribly?”

Ah. A new word* that hadn’t been coined yet popped out. I changed my words.

“Instant death. Immediate.”

“…What the hell did you think while kissing me?”

…That you’d kill me, duh.

But instead of saying that, I started flattering him, hoping that I’d look as pitiful as possible.

“Don’t you think I’m not worthy of you?”

“…”

“Isn’t it right that your beauty can conquer the world?”

A soul that had mastered the ability of perfect flattery in the past life! This was the only thing I learned as a new employee!

I even winked as I delivered my sincerity to Albert.

Albert smirked.

He approached me, then raised his hand to stroke my cheek.

“Rosé, I’ve liked you from the very beginning.”

That must be something just to coax me. It must be.

I kept chanting this in my mind like a mantra just so I wouldn’t be swept away by him.

Otherwise, I really would fall for such a beautiful man.

“So I’d like to think over the contract more.”

I was quite relieved. He didn’t reject it outright. After all, he can’t easily trust someone who changed within half a day, so no wonder Albert didn’t believe me.

I had to act as though he could trust me.

Pouring my heart out with all my might, I decided to flatter and praise Albert as much as I could.

Jingle jangle mode, on!

I looked up at him with eyes full of determination, then nodded.

“Of course, Your Highness. Then, I’ll show it to you myself through my body.”

“…Body?”

“Yes. My body.”

I continued solemnly.

“I will devote myself to working for you wholeheartedly.”

* * *

The first thing I decided to do for Albert was give him the bed.

There was only one bed in the room, which was by the wall, and it was a double-sized bed. It was the perfect size for one man and one woman to sleep together. This was clearly a collaborative effort by the impotent king and Rosé.

But I had no intention of sleeping in the same bed as Albert.

It was hard enough to keep staying in the same room, so I decided to get my own personal space.

The attic up the ladder was small, but cozy.

It was fortunate that the original Rosé was a bit of a neat freak, so the attic was well organized. There was not a speck of dust anywhere.

Of course, there was no bed, but that’s fine since I’m used to sleeping on the floor.

I also bragged to Albert about this.

“I told you that I’d dedicate myself to Your Highness. Like this! I’ve prepared a space for you alone.”

“I never said I’d sign that contract.”

“This is the sincerity that I can show to you before the contract. You’re a Prince. It’s only right that I do this.”

I gave Albert a hearty wink.

Albert smirked, as if he were on the verge of laughing. He looked exactly like a cat playing with a mouse in front of him.

…Should I at least be glad that I won’t be eaten? How did it end up like this?

I’d have to be careful because I’m still being doubted for the contract.

I decided to change the topic and flatter him for his strengths. There’s no one in the world who doesn’t like compliments.

“Your Highness, you should be careful whenever you smile.”

“Why?”

“Your Highness is too handsome. Will you take responsibility if I die of a heart attack?”

“Too handsome…”

Albert smiled anyway, as if to say he wouldn’t listen to me. But I persisted.

Flattery was the best way to butter someone up and to let them know I’m on his side.

I intended to familiarize Albert gradually with constant flattery in the future.

“It feels like my eyes are so blessed just by looking at Your Highness. When I see you, I feel like even Shim Bong-sa** can open his eyes.”

“Who’s Shim Bong-sa?”

Albert’s eyes narrowed at my continued fawning. Then, he crossed his arms.

“You’re saying a lot of mysterious things all of a sudden, Rosé. Do you like my face that much?”

“Yes. Your Highness can conquer the world with just your face, as I’ve said before.”

Jingle jangle. This was the best technique to survive the social world.

I praised his appearance because that was the easiest thing to praise. Furthermore, silly comments just pop out naturally in front of attractive people.

Albert’s swordplay was amazing, but I couldn’t see it now. He’s not always kind or friendly, so I should just stick to what I can see.

How nice would it have been if he was a kind man.

Albert was handsome, but he was certainly far from my ideal type—I just wanted to observe beautiful people from a distance.

There was nothing more stupid than having him as a type.

I laughed inwardly as I thought about it. This was such emotional labor gained from experience.

Still staring at me, Albert nodded. The way he raised his chin and moved his fingers was sexy, as if I was watching a photoshoot.

“Rosé, come here.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I walked forward immediately and stood in front of Albert, who was sitting on the sofa.

“Bring your face closer.”

“My face?” I asked warily.

Albert squinted.

“What do you think I’m going to do?”

“Aren’t you going to kiss me? I don’t think I’m wrong, I’m just saying this because I think you’ll actually do it.”

Albert got up from his seat, then stepped closer to me. He drew his face close to my ear, then said.

“That’s right. You don’t like it?”

Well, it’s not like I don’t like it. There’s no way I’d hate kissing a handsome man.

But the situation was different.

“I don’t hate it, but…”

“But?”

“You’re only trying to kiss me because you don’t trust me. That’s why I don’t want to do it.”

“What does kissing have to do with not trusting you?”

“You’re just trying to see if I’m just blowing hot air, or if I’m actually willing to fulfill my contract with Your Highness.”

Albert laughed at my explanation.

“I don’t know what the hell happened to you yesterday, but you certainly changed.”

“They say people change overnight.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“Then I believe… it’s my own insight?”

“You must have read my mind. But there’s one thing you don’t know.”

“What is it?”

Albert placed his hand on my waist and pulled me close.

“I haven’t checked yet.”

The distance between us narrowed in an instant.

“I’ll have to see.”

He was still suspicious even after my persistent persuasion. And through skinship!

Emergency bells rang in my head. Even so, I resented my own lack of self-control because I didn’t want to push him away. But my life depends on this!

“If you don’t like it, just tell me now.”

“Your Highness, I’ve written in the contract that I’m sure I don’t want to maintain skinship anymore. If you can’t believe that, then isn’t the Prince being foolish?”

I took this opportunity to insult Albert. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to care at all.

Albert widened his eyes with a pitiful look. He raised his fingers and began to fold them one by one as he counted.

“How many times have you tried to deceive me?”

…I couldn’t say anything back.

That maid!

That damn Rosé!

…I didn’t have a choice after all.

“Will it be okay if I don’t respond to your kiss?” I asked in a sullen voice.

Albert smirked when he saw my expression.

“No. That’s not it.”

Albert, who murmured as if he whispered, stared straight into my eyes.

His gaze was so intense that it left me bashful. I blinked a lot, trying not to show my real feelings.

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

Maybe he knows that he’s much scarier if he said he’ll do it now.

A crisis should be turned into an opportunity. I became determined.

“It’s a good chance to get you to trust me more. Then, this will be the last time you’ll have to be close to me like this, Your Highness.”

I said this with utmost sincerity.

Then, after gulping, I continued.

“Let’s do it, then. T-that.”

“What do you mean, Rosé?”

Embarrassed, I was trying to beat around the bush, my words trembling like a ghost’s whisper.

I sighed deeply, then shouted.

“Kiss!”

As soon as I said so, Albert kissed me.

The hot breath on my lips took over my mouth. It was such a long kiss that I was gasping for air.

My body was rigid with tension.

I didn’t close my eyes. I couldn’t even guess what Albert was thinking, so I shouldn’t be stupid enough to enjoy the kiss.

And I wasn’t the only one who didn’t close their eyes. Albert didn’t either.

Our interlocked gazes were intense.

His lips pressed harder. It was a strong kiss, one that was for a lover.

…Albert was a really good kisser.

That’s all I could think about.

Then, his lips left mine.

I finally caught my breath.

On the other hand, Albert looked as if nothing had happened.

He was staring at me with an unreadable expression, but one corner of his lips soon lifted up.

“Rosé. Let me see that contract again.”

I smiled broadly.

Of course, it was a service smile.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Thank you for your patronage, dear customer.

* * *

After reading the contract, Albert had some questions for me.

“How can I believe you’ll promise to carry out the contract’s terms?”

There’s a way, of course.

“Your Highness, we can use magic to sign the contract.”

“…Do you think I can use magic?”

It’s kind of confidential that he could use magic. It was a secret that he never told anyone.

But this was knowledge that readers of the novel knew about.

I continued speaking shamelessly.

“Your Highness knows how quick-witted I am, right? Why else would you want to look at the wand? Aren’t you trying to absorb the magic in the wand?”

“I didn’t think you’d notice.”

It was a roundabout way of saying he thought Rosé was stupid, but what he was insinuating was right anyway, so I kept my mouth shut about it. It’s true that Rosé acted stupidly in front of him.

But the inquisition wasn’t over yet.

“Then why did you allow me to use the wand at first? It wouldn’t benefit you at all.”

This was going to sound absurd, but I thought of a good enough reason for it.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

tl/n:

* The word used was 끔살 which takes the first syllables from ‘horribly’ and ‘killed.’

** A character’s name in a Korean folktale. Bong-sa means blind man.

I smiled brightly then spoke.

“I’m dazzled by your beauty.”

It would be ridiculous to rationalize in this way if it was any other person, but it’s Albert we’re talking about here.

He’d be able to understand that there were just some people who were weak to that face of his.

“It’s amazing that this turn-around happened in just a day. And you were absent for half of that time.”

Albert replied sardonically. This brief moment of hysteria was all for the sake of the contract. But it was suspicious for a maid to suddenly gain knowledge about contracts after a day.

And Albert deserved to be angry at the fact that he’s being controlled by a maid all this time.

With a determined expression, I continued.

“I’m in my right mind now, please don’t worry.”

“In your right mind…”

What, do you think I’ve gone crazier now…?

I laughed nervously, ignoring his stinging gaze. It’s always better to just smile when you’re in trouble.

Seeming as if he thought he wouldn’t be able to get anything else out of me even if he asked, Albert sighed and tilted his head to the side.

“It’s impossible for me to use magic now. I’ll have to take a closer look at the wand.”

“Then do you acknowledge the contract’s terms?”

I will, at least.

“If I could trust you, then I would.”

His eyes were cold. At that, goosebumps ran through my body. It felt like I was watching a horror movie unfolding.

But I can’t get scared here. I quickly gathered my wits about me.

Client.

Albert, who was in front of me now, was a client I’ll have to win over so that he’ll sign the contract.

This was one more thing I had to keep in mind.

On the surface, it seemed like we were on even grounds because of the contract, but Albert had the upper hand because I needed him to sign it first.

I mean, sure, I’ll bend over for him, but I won’t forget what I’m standing up for. This contract would be beneficial to both sides, so I needed to do what I had to do first.

I stared straight into his eyes.

“Your Highness. I’ve shown you all the cards I have. I’ve drafted a contract, moved to another room, and even kissed you to clear your suspicions.”

If he still didn’t believe me, then it’s his loss.

“Did I threaten or beg you for it? I want you to know that we’re on equal grounds under this contract.”

“Equal grounds.”

Albert smirked and raised his brows. A slight shadow dawned on his features.

Well, maybe he didn’t like the idea of being equals with a maid. But I cleared my throat and explained.

“Of course, this will only be applied while we’re inside the tower. The reason why I said this in the first place is because I don’t want Your Highness to misunderstand that I might be using you.”

“So you’re saying all your actions are in accordance with the contract?”

“Yes. I’m willing to fulfill my part in the contract faithfully. That is, if Your Highness respects my terms as well.”

There were three clauses that I included for my own sake.

First, that my life would be guaranteed after we leave the tower.

Second, that I’d be given enough money to live in comfort so I won’t need to rely on other people.

And lastly…

As long as I won’t touch him, then Albert shouldn’t touch me without my consent either.

“I believe that Your Highness can fulfill all these conditions.”

“I agree, I believe I will.”

Albert paused, then he stared at me with one eyebrow slightly raised.

“But you, Rosé. I don’t believe in you. What would happen if you fail to uphold these terms?”

I didn’t think that he’d believe me right away, so I prepared a countermeasure.

I was confident that I wouldn’t break any terms. That’s why my answer was simple.

“I will pay with my life.”

“Your life?”

“Yes, my life. If we’ll be walking this path together, shouldn’t we do it right?”

“Do you mean it, Rosé?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I’ve been sincere this whole time.”

Albert smiled as if he was having fun.

“Rosé, get me a pen.”

“Yes.”

He ordered me around so naturally. I handed over a pen with the sincere heart of a subordinate towards her boss.

Why make a fuss when the client’s about to sign the contract?

He stared at me while holding the pen in one hand.

“You won’t regret this?”

“Why do you think I’ll regret it?”

“Because you like me a lot.”

“Ahaha. In the face of death, all worldly desires are lost, sire.”

I spoke seriously.

He signed his name on the paper.

Then, I signed my own next to his name.

The signing went by so fast that I don’t think LTE networks would be able to keep up.

With both names side by side, the contract looked so lovely.

I gave him the other copy and looked at my own copy with a happy face.

Now, I was on track towards a full life until I grew old and wrinkly. Wherever I am, I just take from the bowl given to me.

Holding the contract with both hands, I bowed to Albert and spoke with a loud voice.

“Then, I’ll be in your care for the rest of our time here in the tower, Your Highness. I’ll make sure you won’t regret this.”

“I look forward to your cooperation, Rosé.”

Albert bowed as well, gracefully. Ah, it was like CG effects were added all of a sudden. I could see a halo forming over his head.

So blinding! I gaped at him for a moment, then I came to my senses and solemnly said—

“I’ll bring this up to my room then.”

“I’ll keep mine as well.”

I climbed the ladder to enter the attic and placed the contract inside a desk drawer.

Life Lotto—secured successfully.

Albert was no longer a person who’s a threat to my life. He was now a client I’ll have to be nice to from now on.

And with this, Albert can try getting out of this tower faster.

However, no matter how much of a genius he was, it might take some time to escape from the tower because he couldn’t use his magic properly here.

Now, it’s just like we’re roommates.

I remember living with a roommate before I found my own place. We had quite a difficult time living together because our lifestyles were so different from each other.

That’s why I’ll need to know Albert’s tastes first.

People who didn’t get along with each other would make terrible roommates.

Even if I couldn’t match him perfectly, it’s better if I lessened the possibility of tension rising. As long as I wouldn’t step on his toes, then he wouldn’t step on mine.

And the most important thing to consider when it comes to having a roommate is…

Going back downstairs, I stood in front of Albert with a grim face.

Albert, who was currently reading a book, raised his head and narrowed his eyes, expressing that he didn’t want to be disturbed at the moment.

“What is it?”

I put my hands together and smiled politely.

“Your Highness. There’s something we need to talk about right this moment.”

“And that is?”

“What do you like?”

“Pardon?”

“Food.”

The only right motto in life is ‘live to eat.’

“I would like to know if you like spicy, sweet, or salty food, Your Highness.”

As for me, it’s spicy and salty all the way!

* * *

The reason I could talk about spicy and salty food here was because the worldbuilding in the novel wasn’t a perfect medieval world, but a fantasy-fusion that existed in the author’s mind.

Albert Grey, the lonely and prideful king who was once locked up in a tower as ordered by the previous king.

In other words—and in my own interpretation of the author’s writing—Albert was like a wounded beast. There was no one in the world who could soothe his mental scars and heal his trauma. Everyone just focused on his outward appearance.

And his dazzling appearance became like poison to him.

”There’s no woman who can understand me…!”

Such was the fate of Albert Grey, who was likely to die a celibate throughout his entire life due to his chuunibyou mindset.

But enter the stage—interdimensional traveler, Seo Ina!

After coming from modern day South Korea and travelling to another dimension, Seo Ina realized at once that despite the setting being like the Middle Ages, strangely enough, Eastern ingredients existed in this world.

The original story’s goal was catharsis! No need to think about it so hard! Therefore, the author intentionally messed with the worldbuilding and put in a mishmash of things.

Thanks to this, Korean ingredients such as red pepper powder, red pepper paste, and soybean paste were abundant over here.

One thing to note though, the ingredients weren’t popular. In fact, there were many people who didn’t even know how to use these ingredients.

No one knew the difference between red pepper paste and red pepper powder.

I didn’t understand what was happening in the novel when this part was mentioned, but the plot was interesting enough so I just didn’t think about it and kept reading.

Seo Ina took full advantage of being a Korean through and through. She captivated people through their stomachs by making delicious food like fried chicken, tteokbokki, samgyupsal, and so on.

And all the people who got to taste her food fell in love with her charms. She came here to conquer the world with Korean food!

Eventually, Albert came to meet Seo Ina… and that was the gist of the ******** I read back then.

I didn’t know what happened after that, but I’m sure those two hit it off.

I wish I had read it all. But then again, sleep was more important because I needed to go to work the next day.

If I knew I’d die in vain the next day and be reincarnated inside this novel, then I would have read more. But I had no way of knowing that.

In any case, the novel strangely overlapped with my experience as a new hire in the marketing team.

This was because I had two bosses.

The boss who I regularly report to, King Impotent, and Prince Albert.

I opened the lone window of the tower and looked outside. I made eye contact with the soldiers standing guard outside, then I waved at them.

The tower was surrounded by soldiers. They were guarding the tower in shifts, and they also hand over supplies to me once a week.

The usual routine was that I receive the supplies, then send in my report of all the torturing I’ve done to Albert.

This week’s report had already been written by Rosé, so I didn’t have to make something up. I had that going for me at least.

Holding the report in my hand, I opened the tower’s main door. The door could only be opened every Monday at 8 A.M. on the dot.

I schooled my features into a serious expression as I faced the soldiers. A serious face was necessary so they’d believe me.

These were men who worked for that impotent guy, but they weren’t considered lackeys because they were only following orders.

And currently, I was trying to persuade them.

“I want to torture the Prince more. I need everything that’s written down here.”

“…Why the hell do you need food to torture him?”

“Surely, it’s not enough to just torture him through the wand, hm? Food, clothing, and shelter are the very basic elements of a human being’s life after all.”

The soldiers nodded in agreement.

Then, I put on a ferocious look. After reading dozens of Romance Fantasy books where villainesses appeared, I tried to do my best to impersonate one.

“I’m going to starve the Prince and give him spicy food to mess up his stomach. Just leave it to me…!”

I have to look as evil as I can! I glared at them and cackled.

“So, get me everything on this list.”

“W-We will try.”

The soldiers were, fortunately, wimps.

Well, ingredients weren’t significant enough to write a report about and let the king know, so the soldiers were willing to listen to me.

The soldiers rushed back with my report with them, and I licked my lips.

What I wrote down were ingredients for tteokbokki.

Oh, how am I supposed to wait one entire week?

Well, at least for now I’ve convinced the soldiers enough. I hurried back to get ready for breakfast.

After placing the soup I’ve already prepared on the tray beside some bread, I closed the kitchen door behind me and went up the spiral stairs.

At the top of the steps was the door to the bedroom. When I opened it, I saw Albert sitting at the desk right next to the door.

He was looking at the wand with a monocle on one eye. His long eyelashes fluttered as he narrowed his eyes.

When he lifted his gaze to look at the top of the wand, his sharp jawline was revealed. But not only that—also his perfectly angled nose bridge and beautifully curved lips.

The sight of one handsome man a day was very, very good. As long as it was on the level of Albert’s face.

Hehe. Ah, I giggled without realizing it. Then, Albert, who finally noticed me, tilted his head and turned his gaze to me.

“Rosé, why are you laughing?”

“People live to eat. Isn’t it natural to be happy when you’re eating your favorite food?”

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