Chapter 1
Chapter 1
“Raon, how does my dress look today?”
“That is…”
A woman with radiant silver hair intricately braided up, wearing a deep blue silk dress that looked as if the Milky Way itself had been transplanted from the night sky.
The sight before me could only be described with one word: breathtaking.
The greatest beauty in the Empire, and the heroine of the romantic comedy game I had possessed into, “Rose of the Empire,” Miss Charlotte von Roswell, turned gracefully and looked at me.
She was ridiculously, unbelievably beautiful.
But even a face like that, after staring at it for five years, you build a tolerance.
Like a well-trained butler, I bent my waist at a perfect 45-degree angle without the slightest disturbance. My fingertips, placed near my chest, could have trembled, but I restrained my emotions thoroughly.
Because the person in front of me wasn’t a lovely woman.
She was my “10,000 gold retirement fund.”
“You are dazzling enough to blind the eyes, my lady. Every gentleman attending the ball tonight will lay their hearts at your feet. Especially… His Highness the Crown Prince.”
I emphasized the last sentence deliberately.
That’s right. Today’s banquet was the day Charlotte and the main male lead, Crown Prince Kyle, would have their first “fateful dance” in the original game.
To reach this route, how much blood, sweat, and tears had I shed over the past five years?
I protected her from the venomous tongues of high society,
taught her how to melt men’s hearts as easily as ice cream,
and even traveled myself to a valley swarming with magical beasts to create the “blue rose fragrance” perfume that suited the Crown Prince’s taste.
All of this was solely to make her the Crown Princess, so I could be recognized for my contributions, retire to an estate, and live a peaceful life.
Making the heroine the happiest possible along the hardest route was just a bonus.
But Charlotte’s reaction was strange.
Her smiling eyes narrowed in an instant.
Her neatly painted red lips jutted out in a pout, and the bright atmosphere around her froze cold in a moment.
“The Crown Prince? What’s the point of that muscle-brained idiot looking at my dress? That’s not what I asked, Raon.”
She took a step toward me. A subtle rose fragrance tickled my nose.
She toyed with the silver button on my chest with her slender fingers and tilted her chin up.
“I asked how it looks to you. Do I look pretty today, in your eyes?”
“…My opinion is not important. I am merely your butler. My aesthetic standards exist solely to complement your brilliance, my lady.”
“Ah, that again! How boring.”
Charlotte clicked her heels irritably as she turned toward the full-length mirror. I wiped the cold sweat running down my back.
What is wrong with her? Why is she doing this to me, her butler?
I had never seen this side of her before and had no idea how to respond.
In my previous life, I was just a worn-out office worker, and “Rose of the Empire” had been my only escape.
I poured countless hours into it, conquering every route to give Charlotte the happiest ending.
The Crown Prince route, the Archmage route, the Knight Commander route… even the all-capture ending.
Then, after collapsing from overwork, I opened my eyes to find myself as Raon, the personal butler serving Charlotte five years before the start of the game.
Right after possessing this body, I had cheered.
To make my favorite character happy with my own hands, and enjoy wealth and glory as a bonus?
But reality didn’t follow the game guide.
“Raon, come here and look at this. I think the back of the dress is wrinkling a bit.”
At Charlotte’s call, I stepped behind her again.
In truth, the dress was perfect. There was no way the masterpiece crafted over a full month by the Empire’s greatest designer would have flaws.
But knowing her intention, I quietly bent down and touched the hem of the dress.
“It is perfect, my lady. With my humble eye, I cannot find a single flaw.”
“Liar. You’re just glancing at it carelessly, aren’t you? Come closer and look properly.”
She suddenly turned her body.
As a result, my nose almost brushed against her… her ample chest.
Wow, seeing this up close is really—
Startled, I quickly stepped back, but Charlotte grabbed my collar tightly instead.
Then she looked up at me with the pitiful eyes of a drenched kitten.
“Raon, do you really want to see me dance with the Crown Prince that much…?”
Her eyes wavered deeply, filled with affection, disappointment, and an indescribable possessiveness.
That upward gaze.
And because of the height difference… that overwhelming… valley.
Even though it was a technique I had taught her, my heart pounded uncontrollably, and I swallowed hard.
Snap out of it!!!
I had to calm down.
I couldn’t fall for it.
Just because it’s beautiful doesn’t mean you should grab the rose.
This was clearly just her teasing me.
“That is the best choice for your future, my lady. His Highness Kyle is someone who can do anything for you.”
“Do anything? Like what? Money? We have plenty of that in our family. That’s not what I want.”
Her voice trembled.
Has her acting really improved this much…?
Pretending not to notice, I changed the subject.
“Then what is it that you desire? Just say the word. I will risk my life to obtain it for you.”
“…Forget it. There’s no point telling you.”
Charlotte let go of me as if deflated.
After staring at herself in the mirror for a long moment, she suddenly brought her lips close to my ear and whispered.
“Raon, did you know? At the end of tonight’s banquet, there’s going to be a grand fireworks display. They say the fireworks rising against the beautiful night view are absolutely breathtaking…”
“A perfect chance to capture the Crown Prince’s heart. I will make sure to escort His Highness there somehow.”
At my words, Charlotte glared at me for a moment, then turned her head sharply with a huff and stepped hard on my foot as she passed.
“Idiot.”
…Damn it. What is going on?
When I first possessed this body, Charlotte had been like a typical immature kitten.
She had no sense of decorum, wanted everything she desired, and yet was extremely guarded.
Because of that, I had to pour my utmost sincerity into winning her favor despite being constantly ignored.
When she was depressed, I used modern knowledge to make desserts that didn’t exist in this world.
After she was slighted in high society, I stayed by her side day and night, teaching her etiquette and conversation.
When she caught a cold, I even stayed up for a week nursing her and reading her favorite books aloud.
…It had been a truly exhausting time.
Anyway, as a result, Charlotte gradually opened her heart to me, and now I had become her most cherished butler.
On top of that, “Miss Charlotte” had become far more dazzling, enchanting, and intelligent than in the original work.
The problem was… for some reason, she showed not even the slightest interest in any of the other main characters.
The original Charlotte, who longed for love and yearned for a proper man to make her happy, now seemed to find her greatest joy in teasing me, her butler.
In other words, she had been constantly flirting with me.
Back when she first joked around, I hadn’t reacted the way she wanted.
Seeing my flushed face after failing to control my expression, she smiled like a predator that had found its prey.
That was when I realized.
I’ve been marked.
And just as expected, that “joke” has continued until now.
With a heavy heart, I followed behind her.
Her back as she walked down the corridor was the very embodiment of elegance.
Even the way her long dress swept across the marble floor looked like a special effect.
Just before boarding the carriage to the banquet hall, Charlotte suddenly stopped and turned to me.
“Raon, come to the terrace around the end of the banquet today.”
Here she goes again…
I’m not falling for it. Absolutely not.
“If it is for post-event arrangements, then of course I will.”
“No, not that! If you don’t come… I might really cause trouble. Who knows, I might even slap the Crown Prince.”
She stuck her tongue out playfully and slipped into the carriage. As the door closed, I stood there blankly.
Slap the Crown Prince? Then what about me standing next to you? Are you planning for us to be executed together?
When she teases me to this extent, I’m still a man—I feel a mountain-sized urge to just give in.
Even if I reveal it was a joke, I could put on a hurt expression and say—
“My lady, were you playing with my feelings…? This was my first love… cough!”
—and burden her with guilt.
But what if, just what if, Charlotte isn’t joking?
If I really end up with her, then what happens to me?
Scenario one.
I get beaten half to death by the furious Duke—Charlotte’s father—and thrown out of the estate.
That’s actually the better outcome.
Scenario two.
I get quietly killed by the Duke or one of the male lead candidates.
No matter how I think about it, there’s no good ending for me.
Besides, Charlotte’s current attachment to me feels less like romantic love and more like the affection for a teddy bear she’s cherished since childhood, mixed with dependence on a guardian.
If one day she realizes that and pushes me away…
That would hurt in its own way too.
Well, when my thoughts circle around like this, I always arrive at the same conclusion: a peaceful retired life is best.
Exchanging letters with Charlotte occasionally, maybe visiting her estate to see her happy face from time to time…
Yeah, that would definitely be a happy future.
“Raon? Why aren’t you getting in? You’re not trying to run away because you’re scared, are you?”
Charlotte poked her head out of the carriage window.
Her eyes sparkled, but behind them lingered an unspoken threat: Run, and you’re dead.
With a deep sigh, I climbed into the seat beside her.
“I’m coming, I’m coming. Where would I go, leaving you behind, my lady?”
The carriage rattled as it set off toward the imperial palace.
Tonight, the largest ball in the Empire.
There, I had prepared several perfect plans to bring Charlotte together with the male lead candidates.
But the back of my neck felt cold.
Call it intuition.
A feeling that this mischievous young lady, who had only grown in body, was going to cause trouble… no, definitely would cause trouble.
“Raon, if you stare at me like that, it’s embarrassing. Hehe.”
She gave me a sly smile at my gaze.
Yeah! Show that smile! To the other male leads, not me!!!
Shouting inwardly, I pressed my forehead with my fingers.
“Ha…”
I don’t know anymore…
I’m not even sure if I’m unhappy or happy right now.