Five Days of Preparation

The woman who looked slightly older than me smiled gently as she guided me into the room. "This is where you'll be staying. If you ever get lost on your way here, feel free to ask me again anytime."

"Thank you."

"It's nothing for a junior who's finally joined us after all this time. Oh, and there's one thing you absolutely must know."

Now dressed in the maid uniform I was growing somewhat accustomed to, she leaned in close to my ear and whispered.

"Unless it's a true emergency, it's best not to go anywhere near the third floor of the mansion."

"May I ask why?"

"Well... Her Grace the Grand Duchess resides there. You've heard the rumors, right?"

"Ah."

I knew them all too well. I shouldn't set foot on the third floor even if it meant my death.

"Then rest well until next week. If you have any questions, come find me anytime!"

With a bright smile, the senior maid took her leave. It felt like I'd met a surprisingly kind senior.

I really messed up.....

I let out a sigh so heavy it felt like the ground might swallow me, then immediately flopped face-up onto the bed. I should have refused. No matter what they said, I should have firmly turned down the job!!

But how the hell was I supposed to pass up a salary in the hundreds of millions...

For someone from my previous life, this was pay I couldn't even have dreamed of. The unimaginable amount had clouded my reason, and I'd ended up making an irreversible choice.

The moment I gave my consent, the interviewer—who also happened to be the head maid—immediately brought out the contract. I was pushed into signing it before I could even think it over again.

The head maid had worn a rather sinister expression while watching me look at the contract, which felt ominous, but since I'd read every single clause carefully, I wasn't worried about it. Of course, that didn't stop my heart from feeling endlessly heavy.

Let's think positively.

It wasn't a completely hopeless situation. When I'd asked the senior maid, she'd told me the current year was Imperial Calendar 1242. That meant roughly eight years remained until our capybara-like protagonist entered the academy and bewitched all the powerful male leads.

So for the time being, things should be fine. The story of the Northern Grand Duchess killing her own father and ascending the throne only began after the protagonist enrolled in the academy. And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the part where she suddenly appeared, beat everyone to a pulp, and threw the world into chaos happened much later.

In other words, none of the shocking events that would spread across the continent were going to happen anytime soon. Of course, no one could predict how life would turn out, but at least thinking about it this way made my heart feel a little lighter.

I'll just save enough money to open a cafe and then get the hell out of here.

I was Alice now. A filthy rich maid with an annual salary of 1,200 gold coins. Just thinking about that massive sum brought a smile to my lips even in this suffocating situation.

They'll probably take taxes, though.

The Great Empire wasn't exactly digging up land to sell. Running such vast territories meant taxes were essential. I didn't know exactly how much they'd take, but assuming it was similar to Korea, and with room and board provided here, I could save around 800 gold coins per year if I lived as frugally as possible.

According to my senior, building and starting a business in a remote village cost about 500 gold coins. Opening a shop in a place slightly removed from the Empire required 2,000 gold. And setting up a cafe in the Imperial Capital, where the most people came and went, would take around 5,000 gold coins.

The price difference was ridiculous, but when you considered the spending habits of the wealthy nobles living in the capital, it made perfect sense. If I just wanted to make a living, a remote village or a slightly distant location would do. But if I was aiming for a jackpot, the capital was the only choice.

And of course, I was aiming for the latter. I had no intention of opening my cafe half-heartedly. A man should dream big, after all. The first cafe I opened in this world would be a massive success no matter what.

A space where everyone could enjoy delicious drinks and desserts, chat and laugh, and heal their hearts. A fantastical place I'd only ever been able to imagine in my dreams. Such a building couldn't possibly be stuck in some remote village. I would make it capture everyone's attention on the Empire's hottest street.

I slowly pictured the future. People who tasted my drinks would spread the word one by one. After gradually building fame, I'd open chain stores one after another. If every person in the entire Empire started visiting my shops... I'd finally achieve the dream I'd longed for my whole life and have a massive fortune in my hands...!

"Hup."

In my ecstatic daydream, drool had begun dripping from the corner of my mouth. It was a good thing I was alone; if anyone had seen me, they would have given me a very strange look.

With my face burning from embarrassment, I wiped away the drool and calmly cooled my head.

First things first, I need to take care of myself.

The salary was high, but the reality was that I hadn't earned anything yet. For someone with no money like me, opening a cafe right in the middle of the Imperial Capital was still nothing but a delusion. To gather 5,000 gold coins, I'd need to work here for seven years.

In this place where that monstrous Northern Grand Duchess lived.

I just won't run into her.

The main story of Please Protect the Saintess's Private Life would begin in about eight years, when Lucy—the saintess and protagonist—entered the academy. That meant there was still plenty of time before the Northern Grand Duchess started causing major incidents.

If I worked hard for seven years to save up the capital for my cafe and fled before the original story began, there wouldn't be any problems. I'd do my best to avoid encountering the Northern Grand Duchess, and even if I did run into her, I'd stay as quiet as a dead mouse so as not to offend her. That way, I could probably avoid having my arm hacked off.

Besides, with Archduke Arvian still managing Valaxar, there shouldn't be any major dangers for now. In the novel, he was described as a righteous man who protected the North. Of course, he would eventually lose his life to his own daughter, Adriel, but...

I still need insurance.

You never knew what might happen to a person. Even if I made plans like this, things could always go wrong. This wasn't a safe world like South Korea. Even the 3-Circle mages scattered everywhere could easily kill an ordinary person like me.

Offending the wrong noble could get me imprisoned for a serious crime. And above all else, there was something else I needed to worry about.

Beasts.

Monstrous creatures so ferocious they would even devour their own kind. If I encountered a beast in my current state, my head would probably hit the ground in an instant. Moreover, this was the North, where those grotesque beasts were most abundant. Just thinking about them made it clear I needed at least some minimum level of strength.

In this fantasy world full of people who could be called villains and vicious monsters, I needed enough power to survive dangerous situations. At the very least, I had to become strong enough not to be killed instantly.

If I made use of my knowledge of the original story, it shouldn't be impossible.

My actual maid duties would begin five days from now. The head maid had said that if there were any places I wanted to visit during that time, she would gladly lend me a carriage. I should use this opportunity to gather as many things as I could.

The only things I could use right now were my knowledge of the original work and the storage scroll that damn author had given me as a gift. I took out the scroll I'd kept safely tucked away and examined its contents once more.

"I'll skip this part for now..."

I moved my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gaze to the text written in the bottom corner and read it.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Hmm. Let's see.

"Open Sesame."

Shrrrip—!

"Whoa?!"

With a loud noise, the scroll suddenly began stretching out lengthwise. Unlike before when it had seemed ordinary, the white surface of the unfurled scroll now emitted a soft glow.

So there's an infinite subspace inside here?

I picked up the pen lying on the room's desk as a test and touched it to the scroll's surface. The pen was instantly sucked into the scroll.

That's amazing.

The pen that had been in my hand just moments ago had completely vanished, making me realize all over again that I had transmigrated into a fantasy world.

If I picture it in my head, it'll be summoned back?

I slowly focused my mind and clearly visualized the pen I'd just seen. A soft light flowed from the scroll, and a single black pen popped out from its surface into my hand.

I see. So that's how it works.

I had completely grasped the scroll's functions in a single try. For the author to give someone with a good head like me only C-rank intelligence—he really had no eye for talent. Still, I was grateful for this gift.

A huge smile spread across my face at the thought that had just occurred to me.

This might turn out to be incredibly useful.