Chapter 3: Chapter 2

“I’ll go instead of my brother.”

Viscount Berit fainted because of Rosaline’s shocking statement. Thanks to this, the table was flipped over and the entire drawing room became a mess. The drawing room soon became chaotic with all the butlers and maids who came in to clean up.

“Then I’ll send a carriage the day after tomorrow. This is a simple file that I organized that will inform you on what a secretary needs to do.”

The only calm people at this point were Rosaline and Dereck. He handed a small notebook to Rosaline, who was looking over with concern as Viscount Berit was carried out.

“Congratulations. You now have the honor of serving his majesty, Cahir.”

He truly looked happy, which suddenly made Rosaline nervous.

* * *

“Rosaline, think again. Is there anything you’re upset over because of us?”

“Lady Rosaline, look at me! They say his majesty is a monster. His mouth is so huge that he can just swallow a woman whole! Miss, it’s not too late to say you don’t want to go.”

“Rosaline… there’s no need for you to do all this for me. I can’t watch you suffer in my place.”

Rosaline rubbed her eyes. As soon as she had woken up, people began speaking to her, drowning her in their words.

What’s going on? Rosaline blinked her large eyes. Everyone wore a sad expression.

I’ll go instead of my brother.

Because of this one statement, the entire Berit family was in chaos.

Viscount Berit was in emergency mode. His lovely, lark-like, lotus-like Rosaline was going to be the tyrant’s secretary! The viscount’s hands trembled. He ordered everyone in the mansion to stop her in any way possible.

At dawn, the viscount and viscountess wrapped a white band around their foreheads and entered the room with the help of a servant.

Following them was Rosaline’s brother Roy, her close maid Anne, and the butler, Hans.

“What’s the reason behind you making such a decision? Do you need more dresses? Rosaline, please wait just a little. I just invested in the gold mine. Soon I can buy you all the dresses you want.”

Ah.

Rosaline opened her red lips and let out a sigh.

Investing in the gold mine was a terrible idea. Rosaline had begun reading the book over and over in her room to figure out a way to survive ever since she had learned that Cahir was looking for a new secretary. Thanks to this, she learned useless things such as Cahir’s terrible deeds as a tyrant and even his sexual preferences, but she did learn some useful things as well.

The gold mine scam. That was one of them. In the novel, Roy had planned on returning home after a week of working as Cahir’s secretary. Cahir had a week long trial period, and very generously gave Roy a choice to stay or not after it. It was a very thoughtful process considering the fact that he was a tyrant.

But Roy could not quit. The gold mine that Viscount Berit had invested in turned out to be a regular cave.

Viscount Berit had put his entire fortune into investing in it too! He even took out a loan to do so. He went to find the people who had urged him into investing in it, but they had all run away, and it was too late.

It was a scam. The family needed money, and Roy could not quit; the emperor’s pay was quite good.

Rosaline chewed on the inside of her mouth as she thought of the original novel.

‘I wasn’t planning on quitting, but now I have a reason to keep working.’

“Rosaline, think again. Going to balls and hosting tea parties in a beautiful dress and fancy makeup. Rosaline, you’re eighteen now. You’ll become the flower of the social circles. It’s not too late to inform the palace that there was a mistake.”

If I do that, our entire family will be killed, mother.

It wasn’t like Rosaline wanted to become the secretary of a tyrant who ordered for her neck to be cut off either.

She wanted to debut in the social circles, go to parties, meet an amazing man, and enjoy a night so exciting that it’ll make her forget her single life from the past… You know? She wanted to live a life like that!

‘But to do that, I need to stay alive.’

It took only a moment to change her flower colored future into a gray, gloomy one.

“Father, mother. And brother- no, everyone here.”

At this point, Rosaline’s room was packed with people. They all looked at Rosaline.

“Just 5 years. I’ll just work as his majesty’s secretary for 5 years.”

“Why is it 5 years?”

Viscountess Berit, who was leaning against the Viscount, raised her head to ask. Her face was pale and her eyes were full of sorrow.

‘I’m not your real daughter.’

Her sorrowful expression was so pitiful that it made Rosaline want to tell the truth. Her tears made Rosaline feel hurt as well. But Rosaline did not want to shock her any further, so she couldn’t tell her the truth.

Why is it 5 years, you ask? Well it says in the book that I’ll die after 5 years, so I feel like I can live on safely after those 5 years.

They would definitely think that she was insane if she said this, so Rosaline had to make up an excuse.

“Because I need to get married once I’m 23?”

Everyone seemed to understand her now.

In the Etheus empire, one would normally debut in the social circles at the age of 18, and date freely until they were in their 20s and then they would start getting married.

In the case of nobles, marriages are another form of business, so it was common for them to be engaged as a child, so nobles generally get married early.

But because the Berit family was only a noble in name, Rosaline was not engaged to anyone.

“So I’ll go in place of my brother.”

Rosaline declared again. The viscountess fainted once more, and Roy sighed and teared up.

* * *

Etheus calendar July 5th, year 354

Rosaline stepped into the carriage sent from the royal palace.

5 AM. Although it was early in the morning, everyone in the Berit mansion came to see her off and were dabbing their teary eyes with a handkerchief.

It was a scene that told Rosaline how loved she was. She was only Rosaline on the outside, but she still felt moved.

“I’ll be back soon, don’t worry!”

Rosaline opened the carriage window and waved.

“Rosaline, can’t you change your mind?”

The viscountess held Rosaline’s hands tightly. Rosaline shook her head.

The carriage began moving.

This was just the start.

Whether she would die or live.

* * *

“A new secretary will come.”

“Is that so?”

“I’m sure you’re not interested but they’re from the Berit family. They have no ties to the empress and aren’t related to politics either. Is there anything else you wish to know?”

The one thing Dereck looked into most when picking out a new secretary was whether they were under the empress or not. This was the reason why he went to the Berit family rather than picking someone from the academy.

“I’m sure you took care of it well. I don’t want to know any more.”

Cahir brushed his golden hair back. He replied in an uninterested tone. Dereck scratched his forehead as he frowned.

Dereck was always unsatisfied with Cahir’s hair. He had suggested on using pomade to clean it up a bit since he was the emperor now, but his idea was rejected immediately.

“When are they coming?”

“Today.”

Still uninterested, Cahir picked up a mirror and checked his face.

He hated his father for torturing his mother and neglecting her, but his face was the only thing he couldn’t hate.

‘Perfect.’

He inhaled deeply. His shoulders stretched widely.

“Do you need your crown?”

Dereck asked as he fixed the red robe on his shoulders. The crown, which was full of rare pink and blue diamonds, was the treasure of the Etheus empire and a symbol of the royal family.

Cahir nodded. Just as Dereck was about to carefully place the crown on his head, a knock was at the door.

“Ah! The new secretary must be here!”

“You mean the secretary who’ll fix your mistakes.”

“Please don’t kick them out, Your Majesty. The new secretary I mean.”

Dereck shot back. Dereck didn’t usually talk back to Cahir, but it was different when the topic at hand was the new secretary.

‘At this rate I’ll die a virgin! It wouldn’t be strange even if I couldn’t get out of bed tomorrow!’

Dereck met Cahir’s eyes and didn’t turn away.

He must be tired from the work. Cahir clicked his tongue and sat in his chair.

“Let them in.”

The two doors opened as soon as Dereck commanded. Between the doors was Rosaline.

Cahir frowned.

He blinked, thinking that he was seeing things. His eyes scanned Rosaline from head to toe.

Her thick, wavy, light purple hair was partly braided and tied to the back so that the rest of hair went all the way to her hips.

Her fair skin sparkled in the sun and her blue eyes were more transparent and pure than the blue diamonds on the emperor’s crown. Her nose wasn’t too small or too big, and her red lips reminded him of a cherry.

She was wearing a yellow dress that was tight at the waist, and puffy below it. She was someone who was just as beautiful as Cahir himself.

“A woman?”

Cahir’s said in an irritated tone. He tilted his head to look at Dereck as if he was demanding an explanation.

“She’s Rosaline Berit, the new secretary.”

Dereck was smiling proudly as if he had done a great deed. He looked ready to clap any moment.

Rosaline looked around Cahir’s room and walked in another step. The door closed behind her.

“It is an honor to meet the Empire’s Sun. I am your servant, Rosaline Berit.”

Rosaline lifted her skirt and greeted him elegantly.

“Ah, so you’re saying the new secretary is a woman?”

“It’s just as you see it, Your Majesty.”

Cahir slowly got up. He closed the distance between himself and Rosaline quickly with his long legs. And it wasn’t so he could give her a welcoming greeting.

The air around them changed slightly. Rosaline inhaled sharply.

‘Huh? Something’s wrong here.’

The coldness from Cahir’s body felt like it could freeze the entire room.

Rosaline felt a shadow towering over her. He was right in front of her. The man who was described as ‘perfect and sexy’. She had laughed when she saw the description, but now that she was actually seeing him in person, she felt a knot at her stomach. Rosaline’s gaze slowly headed upwards.

Cahir’s eyes met Rosaline’s. If she didn’t know his personality, no, if she didn’t know that it wasn’t time for her to die yet, she may have said ‘Please spare me’ and begged for her life.

Cahir looked down arrogantly at Rosaline with an uninterested expression

“I hate women.”

“I’ve never heard you say that, Your Majesty.”

“What?”

Dereck and Rosaline both looked confused. Rosaline, who even knew of his sexual preferences, was even more shocked. was a rated R novel!

Rosaline was so shocked that her face froze.

Think again, Your Majesty. From what I know, you’re super into women!

It was so much to the point you actually took over an entire continent for a girl named Ella you fell for.

You like women. You do stuff like beep in bed at night. I’ll censor it, cough cough. Anyway, you do all that ‘hnngh, mmm, ahhh’ stuff you know? I already know it all!

Rosaline was speaking with her eyes. But Cahir only interpreted her expression as strange.

“Especially women who look glare at me like this.”

Me? Glare? In what way?

This was ridiculous. Cahir must have taken her desperateness and her desire to teach him about himself the wrong way.

“So send her back. How dare they send a woman as my secretary? Do a thorough research on the Berit family.”

Cahir returned to his seat after he had finished talking.

Doing a thorough research, getting caught for an illegal investment in the gold mine, naturally getting hanged? Wait, it’s not time to die yet, so maybe I’ll become a slave?

That was even worse than dying. This couldn’t be happening. Rosaline’s smile fell apart.