Prev I TOC I Next

Time passed, and the morning of the engagement ceremony arrived.  

“Sigh….”  

The weather was remarkably clear, even compared to past days.  

However, having spent several nights in my office without sleep, I could only let out a heavy sigh, feeling gloomy.  

‘I’m screwed.’  

The engagement ceremony approached far more quickly than I had anticipated, leaving me with very little time to prepare.  

Of course, knowing the storyline of the original game, one might wonder what there was to worry about.  

However, the prologue of ‘Black Tail Fantasy 3’ unfolds differently depending on the scenario and player character chosen.  

For that reason, I had to at least secure Bergen, my informant, and, based on the information he uncovered, coordinate a detailed plan with Parsha.  

Unlike Parsha, who seemed to take quite a liking to me—whether because of Alfred or the high salary—Bergen was not someone who could be recruited just because I knew his whereabouts.  

His circumstances were quite complicated, making it impossible to take action with the little time left.  

Thus, I had no choice but to plunge into a prologue riddled with unknowns and unpredictable variables without any solid information.  

‘Should I pretend to be sick and say I can’t go?’  

It wouldn’t even be a complete lie—my head ached from lack of sleep, and my whole body felt stiff.  

But the moment I said that, the engagement would be off, and just as Parsha had warned, my family would be in ruins.  

—Bang, bang!  

“Young Master, the carriage is ready… Hic!”  

I was sitting at my desk, holding my head in my hands, lost in dilemma, when Sasha opened the door to my office.  

Upon seeing my miserable state, she gasped and immediately shut the door again.  

“…Come in.”  

Though I had shown her an embarrassing sight, I gave up on trying to salvage my dignity and calmly called her back inside.  

“I-I didn’t see anything….”  

I had something important to tell her anyway.  

“Sasha, have you gotten closer to Parsha?”  

“Oh, yes!”  

Upon hearing my question, Sasha’s face lit up for the first time in a while.  

“At first, I was worried because she seemed so smart, but fortunately, we get along really well. Hehe…”  

Well, she was still quite young, so it made sense that she was happy to have found a friend her age.  

“In that case, I have a personal favor to ask of you….”  

“Gasp.”  

It seemed she would be perfect for this mission.  

“Stay close to Parsha and maintain a good relationship with her from now on.”  

“Oh, if it’s just that…!”  

“And if you notice anything unusual, give me a little heads-up.”  

“Huh?”  

At first, Sasha looked relieved, but her expression quickly stiffened again.  

“Someone with her talents would be a great loss if she ever had second thoughts, right?”  

“Ah….”  

“If that happens, I’ll have to take action myself.”  

I wasn’t sure if someone as timid as Sasha could handle this task well, but I desperately needed her help to keep Parsha on my side.  

For now, Parsha seemed satisfied with her job, but it was too soon to say she was completely loyal to me.  

If she proved herself in the future, she might receive offers with better conditions elsewhere—even if it wasn’t from Meredia.  

If she ever showed signs of wanting to leave, I needed to be ready for immediate salary negotiations.  

‘Even if I have to tighten my belt, I must keep her under my command.’  

In both my past and present lives, money always held power.  

“F-Friend….”  

“…?”  

Something about Sasha’s demeanor seemed off.  

“She’s the first friend I’ve ever made in my life….”  

Watching her murmur to herself with teary eyes made me feel like I was forcing her to do something cruel.  

It wasn’t as if I was sending her to infiltrate an enemy nation as a spy—just asking her to keep an eye on a friend and let me know when it was time for contract negotiations.  

“Do you not want to do it?”  

Though I felt slightly uncomfortable, I was still a good superior who respected my subordinates’ opinions, so I asked her in a low voice.  

“…I-I’ll do my best.”  

With her eyes tightly shut, Sasha finally gave her reluctant consent.  

“As expected of my closest aide, Sasha.”  

“Eek….”  

Despite saying it herself, she trembled with fear as she left the room, eyes still shut tight.  

Seriously, she really was hopelessly timid.  

‘Well, I should get going now….’  

I sat in my chair for a moment, smiling wryly.  

Then, just as I was about to stand up, feeling the weight of the approaching royal engagement, it happened.  

“U-Um.”  

“Hm?”  

For some reason, Sasha, who had just left, opened the door again and spoke in a trembling voice.  

“I-I found something suspicious….”  

“What?”  

I blinked in confusion at her words. Her face was even paler than before.  

“Phew… Thank goodness….”  

“Parsha?”  

Peering past Sasha, I saw Parsha staggering into the room.  

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in shock.  

“I’m not… too late, am I?”  

“What happened to you?”  

Just a few days ago, she had been perfectly fine, yet now she looked utterly exhausted, her face gaunt as she forced a weak smile.  

“I used too much mana because I didn’t have enough reference materials….”  

“What are you—”  

“Ah, but that’s not important right now.”  

I shot up from my seat in alarm. If Alfred saw her like this, he’d probably have a fit.  

However, before I could say anything else, Parsha’s eyes suddenly sparkled, and she handed me something.  

“Take this.”  

“This is…”  

I stared blankly at the shimmering object in her hand.  

“You’ll need it.”  

“Ack.”  

She left those words behind and collapsed backward with a satisfied smile.  

I barely managed to catch her in time and turned to look at Sasha beside me.  

“…Sasha, this is—”  

“P-Parsha must have caught a cold! R-Right?”  

“Haha….”   

It felt like another strange rumor was about to spread in the mansion. However, with the engagement ceremony just around the corner, there was no time to handle the aftermath.  

*****  

A few hours later.  

“…It seems I misjudged someone.”  

The Lady of Meredia stepped out of the carriage bearing the crest of the Embergreen Duchy, muttering coldly as she made her way toward the ballroom where the prince’s engagement ceremony was being held.  

“Isn’t that Lady Meredia?”  

“Even on a day like this, she has no escort? She really is something else.”  

The young ladies walking beside her, arm in arm with their escorts, cast curious glances in her direction.  

Though she had long abandoned such trivial formalities, today, of all days, she had planned to uphold them.  

“Is it a lack of proper education, or simple rudeness?”  

Whitney, who was supposed to be waiting for her at the entrance, was nowhere to be seen. At this point, she didn’t care anymore.  

“Milady….”  

“Don’t overstep your bounds. Just go find him.”  

“…Understood.”  

The elderly butler, whom she had brought merely for formality, hurriedly tried to take over as her escort. However, at Meredia’s frigid command, he bowed his head and rushed into the crowd.  

“Come to think of it, it’s about time I replaced that butler….”  

Muttering to herself in displeasure, Meredia continued walking toward the ballroom—until she suddenly stopped in her tracks.  

“This is astonishing! The sword prodigy has returned!”  

“You flatter me.”  

“Huh?”  

Her gaze fell upon a scene she had not expected.  

Surrounded by people was Runiel, who, just a few days ago, had been nothing more than a maid standing beside Whitney.  

“Flattery? I’ve already faced your swordsmanship firsthand. Excessive humility doesn’t suit you.”  

“…Thank you.”  

As someone stripped of her noble title, Runiel had only one way to attend this event—by accompanying a noble who had received an invitation.  

A mere maid could not step into a hall full of aristocrats without causing offense.  

Of course, if she had been granted the official status of an attendant, that would be a different matter. But in that case, she wouldn’t be wearing such an expensive-looking dress.  

So then… could it be that Whitney had entered this place with Runiel instead of her?  

But Meredia had no time to be angry about that.  

“Haha, but Prince, your swordsmanship is just as impressive.”  

“Is that so? Hahaha!”  

“Even though you only placed second in the last tournament, the way you and Sir Runiel clashed, sending sword energy flying, is still unforgettable.”  

“Well, that’s just the basics. Ahem.”  

What truly caught her attention was not just Runiel’s presence, but the people she was speaking with.  

Among them stood the prince—the star of today’s engagement—and Meredia’s own brother, Mayer Embergreen.  

Both of them were people she despised with every fiber of her being, the last people she ever wanted to see.  

Meredia scowled and turned away.  

“Well, well, look who it is.”  

Just then, a voice dripping with amusement stopped her in her tracks.  

“I had my doubts, but isn’t this Lady Meredia?”  

Thanks to that, the attention that had been on Runiel now shifted entirely onto her.  

“You used to claim you never wanted to see me, not even a single strand of my hair. What changed?”  

“…….”  

“Haha, my sister has always been bad at expressing herself.”  

With the prince and Mayer grinning from ear to ear, Meredia’s irritation steadily grew.  

“If only you had set aside your pride and proposed to the prince sooner, you would have already secured the heir’s position.”  

“Sir Mayer, you seem to be forgetting my opinion on the matter.”  

“Oh, my apologies. But then again, even as my sister, I doubt you’d be a good match for the prince.”  

The already tense atmosphere grew colder, yet the two of them continued their conversation as if rehearsed.  

“In any case, I wonder if there’s any man in this empire who would suit my sister.”  

Mayer sneered, adding in a low voice, “Just be grateful if your husband doesn’t flee on the first day of marriage.”  

His smirk deepened as he cast a mocking glance at Meredia.  

“Lady Meredia, given the circumstances, it’s best for you to give up on me.”  

As if to pour salt on the wound, the prince’s next words stabbed through her patience.  

“I am, after all, a man who is already spoken for.”  

“You should at least watch what you say.”  

“Haha! Overreacting like that only makes you look more suspicious.”  

Meredia’s patience had reached its breaking point, and her voice turned icy. Yet the prince merely chuckled, brushing it off.  

“Such a sharp tongue.”  

“You’re truly bringing disgrace to our family, sister.”  

Mayer stepped forward, lowering his voice as he spoke with frigid disdain.  

Meredia clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.  

“Soon, that family will be mine, so what does it matter?”  

“Yes, of course. But that means you’ll have to share both your body and power with someone you don’t love.”  

Mayer, unfazed, exuded a chilling aura to match hers.  

“Why not kneel before the prince right now and beg?  

Honestly, I think you’d be much better suited as the prince’s wife than as the head of the family.”  

“You—shut that—!”  

The tension in the air thickened to a dangerous degree.  

And then—  

—Shaa…  

A sudden wave of eerie energy swept through the ballroom entrance, washing over everyone present.  

“Ugh.”  

“What the…?”  

Unlike the killing intent Meredia had been radiating, this aura was something entirely different.  

Both the prince and Mayer instinctively reached for their swords, despite them not being drawn.  

“My apologies for interrupting such noble conversation, but I must ask for your pardon.”  

A young man, seemingly unaffected by the heavy atmosphere, walked toward them with a lighthearted smile.  

“The lady I am to escort is standing among you.”  

“Who the hell do you think you are to—”  

Mayer, eyes sharp with hostility, was just about to step in.  

“Wh-Whitney?!”  

But before he could, the prince, his face suddenly breaking out in a cold sweat, cut him off.  

“You were supposed to be waiting in the ballroom. What are you doing here?”  

The prince was infamous for his inability to remember the names of even high-ranking nobles.  

So for him to recognize someone on sight—  

Mayer, along with everyone else, fell into stunned silence.  

“Haha. I just told you, Your Highness.”  

Yet the real shock came from Whitney himself, who had now closed the distance between them.  

“I’m here to escort Lady Meredia.”  

“Whitney, you—”  

Caught in the eye of the storm, Meredia, uncharacteristically frozen, could not hide her surprise as she turned toward her supposed partner.  

“I’m quite late, aren’t I, my lady?”  

With an all-too-familiar smirk, Whitney waved at her.  

‘I just need to keep Lady Meredia from losing control here…!’  

In truth, the most nervous person in the room was none other than Whitney himself.  

Prev I TOC I Next

Prev I TOC I Next

The day after Whitney offered Parsha the butler position as a replacement for the soon-to-retire Alfred, Parsha confidently entered the Lingard estate, setting a new record-high score in the servant examination.  

Of course, regardless of the test results, Whitney would have accepted her anyway, but Parsha’s talent was too exceptional to warrant such favoritism.  

“This financial situation is really a disaster, isn’t it?”  

“Haha….”  

Not even two hours into her role as butler, Parsha had already examined most of the estate’s ledgers and documents. With a bright and cheerful expression, she began to pierce through Whitney’s composure.  

“To be honest, this is practically financial suicide. Even if you try something new now, I doubt it can be reversed.”  

Of course, even as the granddaughter of the head butler, it took significant determination for Whitney to reveal financial records—potentially the family’s disgrace—to someone who had only been here for a single day.  

“…If things continue as they are, how long can we last?”  

“Well… I’d say less than three months before everything collapses.”  

Despite knowing her abilities better than anyone and going against opposition to hand over most of the ledgers, Whitney couldn’t help but feel a sense of bitterness at the doomsday diagnosis coming from Parsha’s mouth. That was how dire the family’s situation was.  

“But….”  

Just as she was about to add something, Parsha hesitated and shut her mouth.  

“As I said, if you have something to say, don’t hesitate.”  

Noticing this, Whitney spoke gently to her, who was sitting at the office desk in his place. Parsha, after briefly gazing at him, finally opened her mouth again.  

“…I think we might be able to last about a year.”  

“And what makes you think that?”  

Her eyes trembled slightly.  

“The engagement with Lady Meredia… It’s official, isn’t it?”  

When Whitney responded with nothing but a smile, her excitement grew, and she continued speaking.  

“Of course, Lady Meredia’s engagement has been a topic of gossip among the nobles, but I’ve also been following it quite closely. So much so that I spent my allowance from my grandfather entirely on gossip papers.”  

“…So, did you come across rumors about me and her in those gossip papers?”  

“Yes. Though most of the foolish reporters claimed that Lady Meredia was desperate enough to latch onto a mere count’s household, I’m sure of it—there must have been some kind of deal between you two.”  

She looked exactly like a model student, confidently answering a teacher’s question.  

“A few days ago, when I checked the estate’s management documents, I found some suspicious details. The maids suddenly took sick leave, records showed that tea and snacks for guests were taken out, yet the estate’s entry logs remained perfectly clean.”  

“Hm…”  

“From that alone, I can roughly guess who visited the estate that day.”  

After finishing her explanation, Parsha’s eyes sparkled as she subtly looked at Whitney, as if waiting for praise, ‘I did well in choosing you as my butler.’  

However, Whitney remained silent. Just as Parsha began to look slightly puzzled—  

“I do enjoy reading gossip papers myself.”  

Tilting his head slightly, Whitney muttered in a low voice.  

“But was my name ever mentioned in them?”  

“…!”  

Parsha flinched momentarily. Whether he noticed or not, he scratched his head and looked at her again.  

“Well, I’m sure everything you said is correct.”  

Though he smiled, the room’s atmosphere had suddenly turned cold.  

“I hold your insight in high regard.”  

The temperature in the room hadn’t actually dropped, but for Parsha, who had to endure Whitney’s unsettling smile, it certainly felt that way.  

“So, if you’re right and we have a year’s time, what do you think we should do?”  

“Huh?”  

Snapping out of her frozen state, Parsha refocused as Whitney’s soft voice reached her.  

“Can we stabilize the family’s finances?”  

This time, she responded immediately.  

“I will do my best.”  

“That’s the answer I wanted.”  

At last, Whitney’s smile shifted into one of satisfaction, and the previously icy atmosphere returned to normal.  

“Well then, I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”  

As Parsha took a brief moment to catch her breath, Whitney suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back.  

“Oh. I’ll grant you full authority over financial matters, so go ahead and use your talents without needing to report to me.”  

Just before leaving the room, he tilted his head slightly and added in a low voice,  

“I look forward to working with you, Chief Butler Parsha.”  

As the door closed, silence filled the office.  

‘I had my suspicions….’  

Sitting idly for a moment, Parsha’s face twisted into an expression of disbelief.  

‘He’s already figured everything out.’  

Of course, her intelligence was among the highest in the empire, but her true talent lay in ‘insight.’  

To be more precise, by consuming a large amount of mana, she could deduce the essence of a subject or reach a broad conclusion about an event.  

‘Did Grandfather give him a hint? No, even Grandfather doesn’t fully understand my abilities.’  

Her power wasn’t something just anyone could possess. She was one of the extremely rare individuals born with an innate blessing.  

And the rumor that the emperor was searching desperately for such people was well-known.  

To avoid catching the emperor’s attention—someone she had no interest in serving—Parsha had never revealed her secret to anyone.  

Yet, somehow, Whitney had uncovered it within a single day of meeting her.  

‘I never thought he’d deduce it just from my minor habits….’  

Parsha had a habit of stating conclusions first and loosely filling in the reasoning afterward.  

Until now, people had always been too focused on how precise her conclusions were to question her vague explanations.  

But Whitney had not only caught onto that flaw—he had gone as far as to outright acknowledge her ‘insight.’  

“Haha….”

For the first time, Parsha felt as if she were dancing in the palm of someone else’s hand, and her body began to tremble.  

“Amazing… really amazing….”  

Unlike others who faced Whitney and trembled from fear or dread, Parsha’s trembling was purely from exhilaration.  

‘Then… even this mess of a financial situation….’  

At that moment, even the finances of the Lingard estate, which had initially been incomprehensible even to her keen insight, were starting to make sense.  

At first glance, the family’s businesses and investments seemed completely inconsistent and erratic, but in reality, they all had one common thread.  

‘Just how big of a picture is he drawing?’  

Realizing this, the sheer excitement in Parsha’s expression was momentarily replaced by a faint trace of concern.  

‘Can I really pull this off?’  

If her guess was correct, Whitney’s plan wasn’t just about reviving the Lingard family.  

Once his grand scheme was complete, it wouldn’t just shake the nation—it might overturn the entire empire’s structure, something that hadn’t happened in centuries.  

“No… even if I can’t, I have to.”  

Her brief moment of hesitation faded, and her eyes sharpened with determination.  

“He trusts me this much, even though I haven’t accomplished anything yet….”  

In a world where one’s status mattered more than talent, even the most capable individuals found it difficult to truly rise.  

Parsha knew this well, having witnessed it firsthand through her grandfather’s experiences, and she was more aware than anyone of just how unconventional the treatment she was receiving was—given her status, age, and lack of experience.  

But in truth, none of that really mattered to her.  

‘Being the second-in-command to the Demon King… what could be more meaningful than this?’  

The chilling presence Whitney had exuded earlier, the kind that would send shivers down an ordinary person’s spine, was instead a boundless source of motivation for someone like Parsha, who harbored rather unconventional dreams.  

“Alright, then. Let’s start by acquiring additional shares in the Levertaine mine.”  

From that day forward, the Lingard estate’s remaining budget was funneled entirely into fueling Whitney’s ‘grand plan.’  

‘Since he entrusted me with full financial authority, there’s no need to report something as trivial as this.’  

Of course, if Whitney—who had never actually drawn such a grand plan—found out, he might have foamed at the mouth and fainted.  

*****  

“Phew….”  

Having made an excuse to make her leave the office as quickly as possible, I let out a sigh and hung my head.  

‘I can’t believe my name is already making rounds in the gossip papers.’  

Honestly, I was so embarrassed that I could barely control my expressions in front of Parsha.  

I had never been good at handling public attention, and the sudden shift to being a well-known figure overnight was deeply unsettling.  

But I had already committed to aligning myself with Meredia, so there was no turning back now.  

I would just have to accept it as fate.  

‘Still, now that I’ve entrusted the finances to Parsha, I feel a little less burdened.’  

I had worried that even Parsha might shake her head at the situation, but thankfully, with the time bought through my engagement with Meredia, she seemed confident that things could be turned around.  

Now, all that was left was to trust her completely.  

Since I had never managed finances before—let alone made an investment—trying to interfere would only expose my lack of knowledge and end in disappointment. It was far better to leave everything in her hands.  

Of course, if my father were still around, he would have been furious.  

But since I was the one cleaning up the mess he had left behind as acting head of the household, he wouldn’t have much room to complain later.  

“I should probably grab the ledgers and flee the estate as my final act of loyalty to the family….”  

As I pulled out the documents, Alfred muttered something under his breath with a grave expression.  

But I figured he was just grumbling about Parsha again, so I didn’t bother paying him any mind.  

‘She’ll handle it well, won’t she?’  

Truthfully, as Alfred pointed out, Parsha’s young age was a slight concern.  

But considering she had managed to turn around Meredia’s collapsing assets—multiplying them tens, if not hundreds, of times—I had no doubt she could do it again.  

‘Now that I think about it… how does someone so young possess such insight?’  

As my thoughts drifted, I recalled the description of Parsha from the game’s lore.  

‘A genius butler who rose to her position at an early age. Her insight is unparalleled, yet she never boasts about it.’  

Even in the lore, where most characters were detailed with thorough explanations, some parts—like Parsha’s backstory—were frustratingly vague.  

‘The descriptions of Meredia’s Jewel Eyes and the emperor’s mysterious abilities were also strangely ambiguous, just like Parsha’s abilities.’  

My guess was that these were plot points meant to be revealed in an upcoming DLC, and the developers had intentionally kept the details vague to avoid spoilers.  

Unfortunately, I had died before that DLC was released, so I had no way to confirm it.  

It left me with a lingering sense of unease, but for now, I needed to focus on the problems right in front of me.  

‘The prince’s engagement ceremony… that’s about a month away, right?’  

Thankfully, there was still plenty of time before my fate would be decided.  

For now, I would take some time to rest, recover my strength, and then seek out the final piece of the puzzle—Bergen. If he joined, they wouldn’t just secure military strength but also crucial intelligence, making the engagement scenario surprisingly manageable.  

For some reason, confidence suddenly surged within me.  

“Y-Young Master!”  

“Hm?”  

As I was strolling down the corridor with my shoulders lifted in confidence, a trembling voice called out from behind me.  

“A… A letter has arrived.”  

It was Sasha, her legs visibly shaking as she held out an envelope to me.  

She had seemed rather cheerful when Parsha arrived, likely because they were the same age and shared a similar name. So why was she suddenly acting like this?  

“Sasha, you don’t have to bring letters to me directly. You can just leave them in the office—”  

“I-I know that… but… it has an incredibly elaborate seal….”  

I turned my gaze toward the envelope and immediately understood why she was reacting this way.  

‘Looks like the engagement invitation has arrived.’  

The letter she was holding bore none other than the imperial prince’s seal.  

“Well, thank you—”  

Since I had already accepted my participation in the engagement through my deal with Meredia, I took the invitation without much thought.  

However, the moment my eyes landed on its contents, I instinctively shut them tight.  

—Whitney Lingard. Who exactly are you that Lady Meredia is so eager to send you an invitation? 

It wasn’t just the unexpected message from the prince hidden inside the invitation.  

—In any case, see you at the engagement ceremony—three days from now!  

‘Three days from now?’  

For some reason, the engagement ceremony had been scheduled much earlier than I had anticipated.  

*****  

Meanwhile, at that same hour, in the most opulent yet secretive place at the heart of the imperial capital—  

“Is this all the information?”  

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

Seated upon the grand throne, the most powerful figure in the empire flipped through the documents in her hands with a bored expression.  

“T-The Shadows did their best, but… aside from the disastrous state of his family’s finances, his records were shockingly ordinary….”  

“As expected, now I want to see for myself.”  

“Y-Your Majesty, do you mean—?”  

At her seemingly offhanded remark, the kneeling informant before her paled in shock.  

“Deliver this to the prince.”  

Without even sparing him a glance, she continued to stare at the portrait at the top of the documents—the image of a boy with narrow, smiling eyes.  

“I will be attending this engagement ceremony in person.”

Prev I TOC I Next

Prev I TOC I Next

“Haa….”  

That evening, after Lady Meredia had caused a commotion and left, I was processing the ever-mounting pile of documents in my office.  

I set my pen down for a moment and let out a deep sigh.  

“I was trying my best to stay out of the prince’s engagement ceremony…”  

Of course, considering the challenges ahead, sighing about it now is pointless.  

Still, I can’t help but worry.  

The prologue of ‘Black Tail Fantasy 3’ is so difficult that even veteran players who let their guard down for a moment end up restarting the game.  

Though I never had to restart after getting used to the game, that was just in the game—reality is different.  

“Haa….”  

The only fortunate thing is that there’s still some time left before the prince’s engagement ceremony.  

And, honestly, though I just took a gamble, I was lucky enough to secure a favor from Meredia.  

She might not think much of it, but I know exactly how to make the most of that favor.  

“Alright, then….”  

To clear my head, I’ll put off the paperwork for now and focus on finding a way to survive the engagement ceremony scenario.  

‘At least I have strong resistance to curses thanks to my white magic, which is a small relief…’  

In order to survive the engagement ceremony scenario, I need to take stock of my current weapons.  

First and foremost is my innate talent for white magic, something I’ve had since birth.  

Typically, white magic is mainly effective as a countermeasure against black magic and isn’t particularly useful in combat.  

However, with the right application, it can become a powerful weapon.  

Considering that the main cause of trouble in the prologue scenario is curses inflicted by black magic, my white magic will undoubtedly have its moment to shine.  

‘…But honestly, it won’t be enough.’

Given the difficulty of the prologue, relying solely on my white magic is nowhere near sufficient.  

After experiencing an intriguing incident at Meredia’s tea party a week ago, I had hoped my white magic might possess some special ability.  

So, in between crafting magic circles, I spent the past week researching my white magic.  

The result?  

The only thing my white magic excels at is emitting an unsettlingly unpleasant aura.  

No matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find any special ability.  

Though my research isn’t entirely complete, I tested my white magic repeatedly—on countless experimental subjects and even a sleep-deprived Alfred.  

Unless some miraculous new discovery is made, the conclusion won’t change.  

‘I really thought it would have some kind of reaction to black magic…’  

To replicate the tea party scenario as closely as possible, I even tested my white magic on some confiscated black magic artifacts my father had locked away—knowing full well I’d be scolded later.  

But there was no anomaly.  

My dull, grayish-white magic simply erased the curses on the artifacts as cleanly as any other white magic would.  

Given all this, it’s clear that I can’t overcome the engagement ceremony scenario alone.  

I’ll need to rely on the strength of others.  

Which means I need trustworthy allies.  

Fortunately, I already have my reliable bodyguard, Runiel.  

But she alone isn’t enough.  

Surviving the engagement scenario requires more than just brute force—I’ll need intelligence, strategy, and various other skills.  

Since I can’t handle everything on my own, I need a specialized organization to take on those tasks for me.  

And I’ve already decided on the founding members of what will become the strongest dream team in history.  

First, Runiel—the emperor’s guardian knight and the most powerful warrior in the game.  

Second, Parsha—Meredia’s butler, possessing the greatest insight in the game.  

And lastly, Bergen—the secret intelligence agent of the player, holding the game’s most extensive information network.  

As their titles suggest, each one is a brokenly overpowered character.  

But within the game’s system, they can never be on the same side.  

All three serve as the right-hand aides and closest confidants of different key figures, so it’s only natural that they can’t ally in-game.  

However, what if I don’t have to worry about such system limitations in reality?  

I already confirmed that no strange force is preventing me from recruiting Runiel, so there’s no reason I can’t bring the other two to my side as well.  

If I succeed, I’ll have assembled a dream team that is nothing short of perfection.  

But to make that dream a reality, I have to act quickly.  

I’ve already pinpointed Bergen’s location, so all that remains is finding Parsha—before she becomes Meredia’s butler.  

And here’s a seemingly minor yet crucial problem.  

‘Where on earth is she?’  

Until she officially becomes Meredia’s butler, her whereabouts are unknown—not just in the game but even in the game’s extensive lore archives.  

In the story, she quite literally appears out of nowhere one day as Meredia’s closest aide.  

Using utterly insane strategies, she pulls Meredia out of a dire situation and restores her standing.  

Her talents were so exceptional that even at a young age, she received absurd offers from all directions.  

But she never left Meredia’s side.  

No one knows why she was so fiercely loyal to Meredia.  

Regardless, she played a critical role in shaping Meredia into a near-demonic figure, remaining her devoted aide to the very end.  

Personally, I’d prefer Meredia to stay as just a moderately fearsome duchess rather than an overwhelming menace.  

That’s why I plan to recruit Parsha before she officially pledges her loyalty to Meredia.  

‘And as a bonus, it’d be great if her godlike insight could help with my family’s financial crisis.’  

To be honest, the fact that the Count’s estate is on the brink of financial collapse is another major reason I want to recruit Parsha.  

But none of that matters if I can’t even find her in the first place.  

“Sigh… What a headache.”  

Just as I was seriously considering putting up missing person posters all over the imperial capital, the door to my office suddenly burst open.  

A groaning voice filled the room.  

“My lord, what on earth is going on?”  

It was Alfred.  

“A rumor spreads overnight that a ghost is wandering around the mansion, and the maids all request sick leave at the same time….”  

Strange rumors about the mansion are nothing new, and if the maids suffered stress because of Meredia, I can just give them ample sick leave.  

Compared to the problems I’m dealing with, these are hardly worth worrying about, so I don’t understand why Alfred is making such a fuss.  

“Alfred, are you any good at finding people?”  

As I looked at Alfred with disapproval, I straightened my posture and asked a sudden question that came to mind.  

When I previously reviewed the recommendation letters for his successor, I figured he must personally know a lot of servants.  

“People… you say? As long as I have a description, there’s no one I can’t find.”  

“I’m actually looking for a servant I need urgently.”  

“Oh, if that’s the case, then that makes things easier.”  

As expected, Alfred, who had been staring at me blankly, cleared his throat and then smirked with confidence, shrugging his shoulders.  

“If the person you’re looking for is a servant and an imperial citizen, I can gather their information within a few days.”  

“Really?”  

“I may not look it, but I’ve been in this business for 40 years. Back in my prime, I received offers from all over the empire, and even now, I hold a position as an elder in the Imperial Servants’ Assembly.”  

I’ve always had a high opinion of Alfred’s abilities, but I never expected it to be to this extent.  

Now that I think about it, my father once mentioned in passing that Alfred was quite successful before he ended up working for our relatively insignificant family.  

If that’s the case, I might be able to find Parsha more easily than I expected.  

Considering that Meredia scouted her as a butler, she’s likely job hunting right now, submitting resumes to various mansions.  

Of course, no ordinary noble family would hire such a young child as a butler, so she’s probably being rejected repeatedly.  

And if someone like Meredia, who recognizes her worth, were to appear, she would undoubtedly offer her unwavering loyalty.  

“Then, could you help me track down this person?”  

“Oh, just leave it to m—”  

Hopeful, I handed Alfred the rough sketch of Parsha’s appearance, which I had drawn as a reference in case I needed to put up posters.  

However, as soon as Alfred received the drawing, his expression turned unusually serious.  

I doubt he recognized her immediately—could it be that my drawing is just that bad?  

“Young Master.”  

As I awkwardly scratched my head, Alfred slowly lifted his gaze, his expression incredibly solemn.  

“…Why are you looking for my granddaughter?”  

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but break into a wide smile for the first time in a long while.  

“Young Master?”  

So this is what they mean when they say, ‘The answer was right under my nose all along.’  

“Haha….”  

“Gasp.”  

Alfred, who had been studying my expression, suddenly covered his mouth in a panic as if he had realized his mistake.  

But there was no time to question him further.  

“I found her.”  

I had just discovered the second crucial piece for my survival.  

*****  

“Haa….”  

A few days later.  

In a small, unassuming hut standing alone on a nameless hill in the western part of the empire.  

“This just doesn’t sit right with me.”  

Inside the hut, a girl leaned against a worn-out chair, staring intently at a tattered notebook, her voice filled with disappointment.  

“Everything else is fine, but it’s missing something crucial.”  

Though her tone sounded like she was appraising an object, reflected in her eyes was none other than a portrait of the empire’s most noble figure.  

“Rejected.”  

With an utterly irreverent gesture, she tore the page with the portrait, crumpled it up, and tossed it carelessly into a trash bin behind her before flipping to the next page.  

“This guy has no charisma. Rejected.”  

“This one looks way too greasy. Rejected.”  

“This one has the face of a stubborn fool who will ruin everything. Rejected.”  

For a while, she continued ruthlessly tearing out portraits from her notebook.  

“Well, I suppose this person is the best option.”  

At last, upon reaching the final page, she finally paused, resting her chin in her hand as she tilted her head.  

“A fully-fledged demon lord is great, but a growing one isn’t bad either.”  

The portrait she was now admiring belonged to none other than Meredia.  

Treating the page as if it were a treasured artifact, she gently stroked it before carefully tearing it out and holding it close to her chest.  

“Either way, being the Demon Lord’s right hand is no different….”  

At that moment, her eyes trembled, glistening with intense exhilaration.  

—Knock, knock, knock…  

“Hm?”  

Suddenly, a knocking sound echoed from the entrance of the hut.  

“Oh, Young Master… please, I beg you. My granddaughter still has a bright future ahead….”  

“Which is exactly why I’m giving her an even brighter future with a job opportunity.”  

“Grandfather?”  

Hearing the familiar voice outside, the girl absentmindedly got up and walked toward the entrance.  

“But why are you here all of a sudden, without any prior—”  

The next moment, her words cut off abruptly.  

“Hello?”  

Next to her grandfather—who was now ashen-faced and on the verge of tears—stood a boy she had never seen before, smiling brightly and waving at her.  

“Wow….”  

For a long while, she simply stood there, staring at the boy in a daze.  

Then, her eyes sparkled with excitement, much like a child her age would.  

“This is insane.”  

The reason, however, was far from ordinary.  

It was because standing before her, alive and breathing, was the very embodiment of the evil she had only dared to dream about.  

“Would you be interested in applying for a servant position?”  

“Hey, by any chance, do you need a servant?”  

Their words overlapped in perfect unison, ringing through the hut.  

At the same time, the portrait of Meredia, which had been held so dearly in the girl’s arms, fluttered to the ground.  

“I’d rather die than grow old like this.”  

Beside them, Alfred, who could feel himself aging by the second, groaned in agony.  

But neither of them was paying any attention to him anymore.  

Prev I TOC I Next

Prev I TOC I Next

“…A son-in-law, huh.”

I was gripping my hands tightly, half-expecting a deadly curse to come flying at me.

Fortunately, instead of a curse, what came out of Meredia’s mouth was a cryptic mumble.

“If you’d like, I can even write a statement saying that I was the one who proposed it first. That would be good for you too, wouldn’t it, Lady?”

Grateful that I had once again escaped death by a hair, I quickly started running my mouth.

However, instead of answering, Meredia merely gave a faint smile and threw a question back at me.

“You seem to know my situation quite well.”

“It’s a famous story, isn’t it? Everyone in the capital probably knows.”

That’s right.

Meredia’s unique circumstances were so widely known that one didn’t even need knowledge from a past life—just reading the empire’s gossip papers was enough to figure it out.

“Well, even a passing dog knows that the duke is dying to kill me.”

“Ahaha….”

To sum it up, a fierce war was raging within the House of Embergreen over the sole heir position of the family head.

Meredia, who currently held the highest ground in that battle, was being bombarded with attacks and schemes, the worst of which was what people called ‘marriage assaults.’

This situation stemmed from an ancient tradition of the House of Embergreen regarding the selection of heirs.

According to the rules, the duke could not directly appoint a successor.

Instead, a selection ceremony had to be held, allowing all qualified candidates to participate.

Of course, that didn’t mean the family head was entirely excluded from the process.

During the ceremony, the duke had the authority to announce one rule that the candidates must follow.

It was said that this rule existed nominally to prevent the duke from choosing a successor based on emotions while also recognizing the duke’s authority as the host of the selection.

But honestly, I wasn’t sure how effective it was.

Still, considering the overwhelming power the House of Embergreen had maintained since the founding of the empire, there had to be a reason for keeping such an old-fashioned tradition alive.

Anyway, the problem was that the current Duke of Embergreen, who despised Meredia, had declared a rule stating that “the successor must be married.”

For his sons, this rule was no issue at all.

However, for Meredia, who would likely be subordinated to her husband under imperial law, this was a disastrous condition.

Ever since the decree was announced, a flood of fools hoping to hit the jackpot had bombarded Meredia with marriage proposals, increasing the number of letters she received fivefold.

Fortunately, there was a way out of her predicament: finding a husband who would be subordinated to her family—a “son-in-law.”

However, no noble above the rank of count was willing to take such a precarious position, where they could be discarded like a chess piece at any moment.

At the same time, marrying a viscount or a baron would be too much of a blow to Meredia’s prestige.

Even if she used her usual tactics to threaten someone of a suitable status into becoming a puppet husband, the complex and notorious authority tied to imperial noble marriages meant she was more likely to get backstabbed in the end.

“If the rule had simply stated that women couldn’t be successors, I would’ve just staged a rebellion. But since it looks fine on the surface, it’s insidiously clever.”

Indeed, the Duke of Embergreen, who refused to let Meredia inherit the family even at the cost of destabilizing it, had come up with a truly devious scheme.

“But if you accept my proposal, all of those problems will be solved in an instant.”

“Hmm.”

“Oh, and I’ll make sure the reason for our divorce is found at a time of your choosing. That way, your political reputation won’t suffer as much.”

Even the duke wouldn’t have expected a fool like me to show up.

If things proceeded as I suggested, Meredia’s biggest dilemma would be solved smoothly.

She would immediately acquire a contract husband—one with a decent reputation, an appropriate status, and even a prearranged reason for annulment whenever she wanted.

“And what do you gain from this?”

“Obviously, the safety of myself and my family.”

And the only fool willing to take on all that, just for the price of a brief marriage, was undoubtedly me.

Honestly, I didn’t want to be sold off to a ducal family like this either.

But after meticulously reviewing my family’s financial records over the past week, I had no choice.

I discovered mountains of debt and countless business ventures that had swallowed nearly all of the family’s assets.

If my engagement to Meredia fell through, investors would immediately withdraw, and before long, debt collectors would be banging down the doors of the estate where my sister and I lived.

What the hell was my father thinking, getting us into this mess and then disappearing?

‘It seems like there’s a story behind it, but…’

At least my favorite character was Lady Meredia.

If not, I would have wanted to die.

“Hah, fine. I’ll trust you for now.”

As I quietly sighed to myself, Meredia chuckled again as if something amused her.

Resting her chin on her hand, she continued speaking in a gentler tone.

“Honestly, you seem suspicious in many ways, but at least you’re not just some fool blinded by power or lust for my body.”

Hearing her words, I wasn’t entirely sure yet, but there seemed to be hope.

“I’ve had enough of those kinds of men.”

“Well, I am personally attracted to you, Lady…”

“Still, let’s start with an engagement rather than a marriage.”

As expected, my half-mumbled words of disappointment were cut off by Meredia’s next statement, which actually contained good news.

“That’s fine by me.”

It was disappointing that it wasn’t a full marriage, but an engagement should at least stabilize my family’s precarious situation.

Of course, since an engagement came with an expiration date, I would have to work even harder, but at least immediate destruction had been averted.

For now, I could breathe a little easier.

“And I’ll add one more condition.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing major. You just need to help me take care of something that’s been bothering me lately.”

Just as I was smiling in relief at my temporary reprieve, Meredia poured cold water on my mood.

I could accept an additional condition, but what exactly was bothering her?

As long as it wasn’t an unreasonable demand, I was willing to comply, but why did I suddenly get chills down my spine?

“That’s why you’ll accompany me to the crown prince’s engagement ceremony.”

“…What?”

As I watched Meredia carefully, I felt my mind reel upon hearing the condition she had just laid out.

“That idiot, who has somehow convinced himself that I’ve liked him since forever, sent me a wedding invitation.”

“Ah….”

“After reading the incredibly insulting words written on that invitation, I just couldn’t sit still.”

Unfortunately, it seemed I hadn’t misheard.

“So, if you’re my fiancé, you’ll obviously help me take my revenge, won’t you?”

‘This is bad.’

Honestly, the idea of messing with the prince alongside Meredia wasn’t all that surprising.

Now that I was on the same boat as her, I was bound to get involved in even worse things in the future.

Still, the reason I reacted so strongly was that the prince’s engagement ceremony served as the tutorial of the original game, and it was designed in a way that ensured the player—the protagonist—would always win.

In other words, Meredia and I, who were positioned as the prologue’s antagonists, were destined to lose.

The real problem was that, in the aftermath, I would likely be the one to suffer the consequences, not Meredia.

“What, do you not want to?”

“Ugh….”

Just when I thought I could finally breathe easy, the world suddenly felt like it was turning dark again.

***

“Well, I’m not forcing you.”

For the first time, Meredia saw Whitney’s smile falter, and she stood up with a satisfied grin, adding a final remark.

“If you don’t want to, you can give up.”

That smile remained on her face all the way to the garden’s exit, even as she stepped over the maids still sprawled on the ground.

“But if you’re not willing to take that kind of risk, I won’t be interested in you anymore, either.”

Was it because she had finally met a worthy opponent after a long time?

Or had she subconsciously found herself intrigued by the man in front of her?

‘Surely, you’re not backing out now, Whitney.’

As she walked away, Meredia’s gaze lingered slightly behind her.

“Wait.”

Perhaps because of that, just as her steps were beginning to slow—

“When did I ever say I didn’t want to?”

A now-familiar, energetic voice reached her ears.

“That’s more like it.”

“Ah, but I have a condition of my own.”

However, just as Meredia came to a stop with a satisfied smile, an unexpected proposal was made.

“If I successfully assist you with your plan, would you grant me a small wish?”

For the first time, her expression twisted slightly as she turned back.

“Demanding a blank check for something this minor? You sure have a lot of nerve.”

“Well, you can always refuse if you don’t want to.”

Yet Whitney maintained his ever-polite smile as he continued.

“I don’t really force people to do things they don’t want to.”

For some reason, that smile looked cold in Meredia’s eyes, as if he were completely serious.

“And besides, even if things go wrong, it’s not like I’d be in any position to harm you, would I?”

“Heh.”

Hearing words that were nearly a threat—even with her guards nearby—Meredia’s lips curled slightly.

‘He’s not bluffing.’

Despite her expression, she was actually feeling tense for the first time in a long while.

She had only just now confirmed with her own eyes the unsettling aura she had sensed from Whitney ever since their first meeting.

‘Well, if it was all bravado, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand my killing intent head-on.’

The proof was the grayish aura that flickered around his body like a heat haze, something only visible to her enchanted vision.

“Fine. If you’re giving something, you should get something in return.”

“A very reasonable statement.”

A part of her wanted to probe deeper into the unfamiliar energy she was witnessing for the first time.

However, at that moment, her rationality still held sway over her instincts.

“Of course, I won’t entertain any absurd wishes. Keeping things within reason would be best for both of us.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t make any excessive demands.”

At her dramatic agreement, Whitney’s lips curled up ever so slightly.

“After all, I do like you, Lady.”

“You really have no talent for jokes.”

At that moment, they truly seemed like a perfect match.

“In that regard, you’re quite a lot like me.”

‘Okay, I get it, now please just leave already.’

Of course, for Whitney, who was internally chanting protection spells at full force just in case she actually cursed him, this was an incredibly unfair assessment.

***

A few dozen minutes later.

After leaving the garden where Whitney had been, Lady Meredia arrived at the mansion’s front gate.

Just as she was about to board the waiting carriage, she paused for a moment.

‘As expected, he’s no ordinary man.’

Unlike when she had left the garden, her expression had cooled considerably.

‘He withstood my killing intent head-on.’

The fact that he had taken in that rogue Runiel as his subordinate, successfully restored a magic circuit that no one else could fix, and kept his true intentions hidden despite all her threats—those were things she could understand.

But the killing intent she had just unleashed wasn’t something that could be countered by mere willpower or protective spells.

It had been infused with her own mana, which meant that any ordinary fighter should have been left in tatters.

And as far as Meredia knew, there were only a handful of people across the entire continent—beyond just the empire—who could endure such an attack unscathed.

At the very least, Whitney should have shown a reaction similar to Runiel’s, gritting his teeth and bracing against it.

Yet for some reason, he had simply endured it without so much as a furrowed brow.

His half-lidded eyes, always unreadable, had remained still, showing not even the slightest flinch.

‘…And that aura from earlier.’

It had also appeared when he had seriously stepped in to stop Runiel and her, and again when he had halted her as she was about to leave the garden.

Though it was subtle, Meredia had definitely felt it.

Every time he showed an emotional reaction while seated, the dark energy lingering around him would momentarily surge outward in all directions.

Of course, the energy he carried wasn’t necessarily toxic or filled with killing intent.

It simply emanated an endlessly eerie and ominous wave.

But that was exactly the problem.

Even if such an unsettling aura constantly radiated from him, there was no way that those around him—or even he himself—could remain unaffected.

Unless, of course, Whitney was deliberately suppressing it.

So then, what would have happened if, in that moment earlier, Whitney had exerted his full force, just as she had?

“It seems I’ll need to investigate further.”

Whitney Lingard.

There was definitely something about him.

She didn’t yet know what it was, but one thing was certain—his latent potential was at least on par with her own.

“And, of course, I’ll still need to be cautious….”

As she organized her thoughts and continued walking, Meredia suddenly halted, her gem-like eyes gleaming coldly.

—CRACK!

A sharp, crunching sound echoed as something shot up from the tree beside her.

The object hastily unfurled its wings and began flapping furiously, but the moment Meredia’s gaze locked onto it, its strength drained away, and it plummeted helplessly to the ground.

“…It seems His Majesty himself has taken an interest in this matter.”

What had landed at her feet with a fractured shell was a magic artifact—a dove meticulously sculpted from glass.

The mana infused within it was all too familiar to her.

It belonged to the very person she was as wary of as the Duke of Embergreen.

“As expected, I’ll have to keep this in my hands for now.”

Looking down at the magic device with a cold smile, Meredia crushed it mercilessly underfoot.

Then, as she turned toward the carriage, she muttered in a low voice,

“You should be grateful for such a thoughtful wife, Whitney Lingard.”

Of course, had Whitney—who was still in the garden, clutching his head in frustration—heard that, he would have been utterly dumbfounded.

Prev I TOC I Next