Yoon Haejin sat on the edge of a velvet stool, staring at the shimmering dress in her lap. Her fingers trembled. Her heart thudded.
"Less than eight hours?" she muttered. "Why would I be alive for less than eight hours?"
The system chimed in, voice cold and mechanical.
Reminder: Mission pending. Please complete the assigned task.
She scoffed. "Ironing? Seriously? I've never ironed a single thing in my life. I was a NEET, not a housewife."
The screen flickered again.
Would you like to use skills?
Haejin blinked. "Skills? What skills? I had no skills. Just trauma, regret, and a virgin soul."
Still, curiosity tugged at her. She tapped the screen.
Skill Tree: Accessed
B-Rank Skill: Maid's Arena
Ironing Level: 50
Her eyes widened. "Ironing level fifty? What even is Maid's Arena?"
She hesitated, then whispered the words.
"Maid's Arena."
Her eyes glowed red.
Her hands moved like a machine—swift, precise, flawless. The iron glided over the fabric with supernatural grace. In less than three seconds, the dress was perfectly pressed, folded, and gleaming.
She stared at it, stunned. "Okay… that was kind of awesome."
A maid peeked in. "You're done? Come quickly."
Haejin followed, her vision now crystal clear. The system's display enhancement still lingered, and for the first time, she could see everything—the gold trim on the curtains, the shimmer of perfume bottles, the anxious faces of the maids.
She sat down in the corner of the room, where a girl with flowing silver hair and sorrowful blue eyes sat quietly. Her beauty was ethereal—like an angel carved from moonlight.
Haejin leaned toward a nearby maid. "Who's that?"
"That's Princess Luna," the maid whispered. "She's getting married to Prince Alric tonight."
Haejin frowned. "So what's with the sad face? Isn't marrying a prince supposed to be the dream?"
The maid sighed. "She wants to study. But in this kingdom, only married women with permission from their husbands can pursue education. The prince denied it. Said it was useless. Told her to focus on etiquette and beauty."
Haejin's jaw clenched. She marched over to Luna and crouched beside her.
"So you're beautiful. Why do you need to marry a douchebag?"
Luna blinked. "Excuse me… what is a douchebag?"
Haejin sighed. "Someone who looks good but is rotten inside. You don't need him. Don't marry. Run away. Hide. Study. Live."
Luna looked at her, eyes wide. "But… the engagement is tonight."
Haejin froze.
Tonight.
The engagement.
Her mission.
Her death.
She stepped back, heart racing, and whispered to the system.
"Does the engagement have to be successful to complete the mission?"
Yes.
She smirked.
"Well then," she said, cracking her knuckles. "I've seen enough anime engagement breakouts to know exactly what to do."
To be continued...