Anyone who owned a pair of eyes could agree that Albert Grey was
a handsome man.
With gray hair that was a subtle shade between black and silver, and
crimson eyes that were like rubies perfectly embedded upon his face
—everyone 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.
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
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 did not 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 utterly miserable.
So he chose a lustful woman, who wasn't shy about showing her
desire for Albert, 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 overpowered, 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 confinement, 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 then and there.
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. Once upon a time, 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, 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 devour me whole.
I was instantly bewitched. I couldn't look away, as if there was an
irresistible force coveting my gaze. He was just 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 gawk 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 sales
team member.
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, enough that I could 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.
The small but certain happiness I had 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's one big problem.
Because I had come to possess the body of 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 shouln't act like the
original Rosé.
There's a saying that went like: 'Even if you're rolling 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
confined together. 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 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, he 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 king. Life was
all about getting the right connections. If I would just stick close to his
side, then it's like winning the lottery.
Let's write a contract.
If I do that, I'd 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 was reading 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's 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 were to say, 'I'm not Rosé Artius. I'm Yoo Jung-in and I don't have
feelings for you,' it's 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 right away.
"Yes. More than anyone else, I want Your Highness out of here."
"Don't 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 stay calm. I took a moment before answering 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[1] 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 get
carried away.
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 delegate 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 sincere 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 wouldn'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 my actions 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[2]?"
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 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 could 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.