Chapter 4

During the long years spent nursing my mother, I had managed to become quite proficient in the field of herbalism.

It was a skill born entirely out of necessity. The moment the physicians gave up on my mother, they stopped setting foot in our isolated forest cabin altogether. Left with no other choice, I had pored over the herbalism books my younger sister, Dana, brought home, reading them until the pages frayed in a desperate search for anything that might offer a shred of relief. Fortunately, the forest had been overflowing with plant life.

“So, they call this particular herb Atherin here,” I murmured to myself.

I was currently dusting the shelves in the Count’s study, surreptitiously stealing glances at an open herbalism text. The book had been shoved into the furthest, most neglected corner of the shelf, likely because it wasn’t the sort of subject matter that held much appeal for the nobility.

Though the herbs in this world bore slightly different names than the ones in my past life, their appearances and medical properties seemed virtually identical. The only real issue was figuring out the correct methods of preparation.

“Maylin! If you’re finished in there, get out here this instant!”

Startled by the head maid’s piercing screech, I flinched and hurriedly scurried toward the doorway.

“Look at you, always dawdling!” the head maid snapped, glaring down her nose. “Stop wasting time and go attend to the old madame. Since you were the one who practically begged to be assigned to her care, I expect to hear absolutely no complaints. Understood?”

The older woman clearly assumed my sudden request was nothing more than a passing whim. Her stern expression made it perfectly clear that there would be hell to pay if I tried to back out now. As the head maid pointed a rigid finger down the corridor toward the elderly lady’s quarters, I offered no resistance, simply bowing my head and walking away.

“Madame, I’ve arrived,” I said softly as I slipped into the quiet room. “Did you sleep well?”

As usual, the elderly woman offered no verbal response. However, I had come to realize that the silence wasn’t born out of a desire to ignore me.

Intentionally chattering away to fill the quiet void, I set about wiping the woman’s frail body down and helping her take a few sips of water. I was midway through the routine when the heavy door suddenly swung open, and a middle-aged man stepped inside. He was a somewhat portly figure, dressed in an expensive brown velvet vest.

“Who are you?” the man demanded.

Considering the luxury of his attire, his arrogant tone, and the fact that they were in the old madame’s room, there were only two possibilities that came to mind. He was either Count Kotner himself, or he was the estate’s butler.

I had crossed paths with the butler a few times before, and the man standing before her didn’t match that description at all. Realizing the truth, I immediately bolted to my feet and bowed deeply.

“I am Maylin, the maid currently assigned to tend to the old madame, Your Grace,” I replied.

The moment the name left my lips, a peculiar gleam flared in the Count’s eyes.

“So, you are that Maylin,” the Count murmured, his gaze narrowing. “You certainly are beautiful…”

That Maylin? I had no inkling where he had heard of me, but the way his eyes shamelessly swept up and down my body made a cold shudder run straight down my spine. Yet, the creeping dread that seized my chest wasn’t merely from his predatory stare—it was from the stark realization of who he was.

If the plot of the original novel held true, this man and his wife were the very people destined to murder Maylin. And all because the original character had dared to dream of marrying their son, Joel Kotner.

“W—Wa…ter…”

The suffocating silence brought on by the Count’s lingering gaze was abruptly shattered by a frail, raspy sound. Both the Count and I flinched in surprise, our heads instantly snapping toward the bed.

“Water…”

The old madame was speaking, her voice so incredibly faint it sounded as though it might snap at any moment.

“Yes, yes! Just a moment, Madame,” I said hurriedly.

Stepping past the Count, I brought a fresh glass of water to the elderly lady’s lips. The woman drank, her thin lips parting in tiny, delicate movements like a small bird pecking at seeds.

The Count stepped closer, an expression of profound shock filtering over his features. “Mother… are you alright? I cannot even remember the last time I heard you speak.”

However, those two whispered words were all the elderly lady managed to muster.

The Count attempted to coax another response out of her a few more times, but he eventually gave up. Turning toward the door, he paused to deliver a final command over his shoulder.

“Continue to tend to her well. If my mother’s condition shows any sign of improvement, I shall personally reward you with a gold coin.”

If you’re truly looking to reward me, I’d much prefer it if you nullified this magical servitude contract, I thought grimly. Yet, driven by a raw instinct for survival, my mouth automatically spat out a polite response. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

The moment the door clicked shut behind the Count, a long, ragged sigh of relief escaped my lips.

I turned back to look at the old madame, but the woman’s gaze had already drifted back to the empty air, completely devoid of focus. When I gave it some thought, the timing struck me as incredibly bizarre. The elderly lady had already had plenty of water just a few moments prior. It made little sense for her to suddenly be so parched that she would go through the immense agony of forcing her voice to work.

Could it be that she had spoken up intentionally, just to break the uncomfortable tension and protect me from the Count?

“Thank you, Madame,” I whispered softly.

As always, no answer came from the quiet bed.

* * *

“Haa…”

This time, the one violently panting for breath wasn’t Seyron—it was me. With every single step I took, a searing pain shot through my thighs, making it feel as though my muscles were entirely on fire.

“Why on earth…is this body’s stamina so incredibly pathetic?” I muttered, resting my hands on my knees.

The face was identical to the one I had possessed in my past life, but the similarities ended entirely at the surface. The hair color, the physical strength—everything else was worlds apart. I couldn’t comprehend how a body accustomed to the grueling labor of a housemaid could possibly be in such a wretched state. Had the original Maylin truly slackened off and shirked her duties every single day, just as the other maids claimed? Simply walking a significant distance was proving to be a monumental struggle.

“Ah, I can’t take another step.”

Giving up, I collapsed straight onto the dusty ground. When I had asked the wagon driver to drop me off in the absolute middle of this desolate wasteland, the man had given me a thoroughly bizarre look. He had probably foreseen this exact pathetic display.

“Still… just a little bit further…”

Crossing the border of the county was the primary objective of this little excursion. I needed to verify, once and for all, whether the magical servitude contract would truly constrict my lungs and suffocate her the moment I attempted to flee the territory.

If I crossed the boundary line and nothing happened, it meant I would finally be free to plot a permanent escape in the near future.

With a low, strained groan, I forced myself back onto my feet and dragged my heavy legs forward. If my memory served me correctly, the territory belonging to Baron Teriton lay just beyond the next ridge.

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light erupted at the edge of my vision. Tilting my chin down, I gasped as I discovered a ring of glowing, ethereal light wrapped tightly around my throat.

“What in the—ack!”

It felt as though an invisible pair of hands had suddenly clamped down around my windpipe. As the crushing pressure rapidly intensified, I clawed frantically at my neck with my fingernails, thrashing in sheer panic, but my fingers passed entirely through the light. It did absolutely nothing to ease the strangulation.

I have to go back!

The frantic thought flashed through my mind like lightning. Turning on my heel, I mustered every ounce of my remaining strength and sprinted back in the direction I had come. I had barely crossed back over the threshold when the suffocating weight and the blinding light vanished as if it had never been there at all.

No, it hadn’t just vanished like magic. It was magic.

“Ugh…”

It was all real. The magical servitude contract, the existence of spells, the terrifying reality that I was trapped inside the world of a novel—every bit of it was the absolute truth.

Deep down, a small, naive part of me had clung to the hope that it was all a bizarre dream. Now, a profound sense of isolation and terror washed over me, striking me as heavily as it had the very first day I woke up in this body a month ago.

Though I had achieved my goal of testing the contract’s limits, she found absolutely no joy in the results.

After taking a few long minutes to steady my racing heart, I turned around and began the long, exhausting trek back.

Fortunately, after I had walked for what felt like hours, the carriage that had transported me earlier happened to pass by on its return trip. Since I had already paid for a round-trip fare, the driver willingly pulled over and allowed me to climb aboard, eventually dropping her off back at the village square.

“Make sure to call on me next time you need a lift!” the boisterous driver shouted with a wave before rattling away.

The man made his living hauling goods from one territory to another, and Hwylosen—Ephel’s boyfriend—had been kind enough to introduce him to me. He had turned out to be an incredibly useful contact.

I stood frozen in the center of the bustling square for a moment, my mind completely blank. The lingering phantom sensation of being choked still throbbed uncomfortably against my throat. Magic… it really does exist in this place.

Feeling entirely drained of energy, I contemplated heading straight back to the castle, but the secondary purpose of my day off suddenly flashed in my mind.

With my life dangling by a thread, I desperately needed the assistance of the Red-Haired Knight. I couldn’t afford to sit idly by and wait for a friendship to naturally blossom—especially not now that I had absolute confirmation regarding the rules of this world.

Historically, the sun was still high in the sky, meaning I still had some time to spare.

Leaving the village square behind, I made my way toward the tree line and stepped into the forest. Though my body felt as if it might collapse from exhaustion at any moment, the crisp, familiar scent of the woods brought a sudden wave of comfort. It was a strange irony; back when I had actually lived in a forest in my past life, I had wanted nothing more than to escape it.

“Ah, there’s one.”

Despite its proximity to the village, this particular stretch of forest seemed largely untouched by human footsteps. It took me no time at all to spot a cluster of wild medicinal herbs. Pulling a small wooden trowel from my pocket, I carefully dug the plants out by their roots and slipped them into a cloth pouch.

Unfortunately, the specific herbs I wanted most were nowhere to be found. If only I had more time, I thought wistfully. And a body that didn’t give out so easily.

Even though this was an entirely foreign world, I possessed enough common sense to know that staying in an unfamiliar forest after nightfall was a terrible idea. Furthermore, there was something deeply unsettling about these woods. It was entirely too quiet. The moment I had ventured past the outermost treeline, even the ambient chirping of insects had ceased completely, leaving a heavy, unnatural silence in its wake.

Deciding it was best not to push my luck, I turned to leave. I had barely taken a step when my entire body froze solid at the sight of a massive silhouette looming in the shadows ahead.

It… it wasn’t human.

The creature standing before me was an enormous monster, its towering frame covered in mottled green skin. It held a heavy axe clutched in one muscular hand, and while its build resembled that of a heavily built man, its face was nothing more than a grotesque, fleshless skull.

A monster.

The terrifying descriptions I had read in the original novel immediately flooded my mind. First magic, and now a literal monster. It felt as though the universe was actively punishing me for the weeks I had spent doubting the reality of my reincarnation.

A low, guttural snarl rattled in the creature’s throat as it bared its jagged teeth at me. The mere sound of it made my knees tremble violently.

I needed to run. But was it safe to turn my back on it? In my past life, whenever I encountered a wild beast in the woods, the golden rule was to avoid sudden movements, back away slowly without provoking it, and then make a break for it. The problem was, I had absolutely no idea if that logic applied to a fantasy monster.

Spurred by pure instinct, I took a slow, tentative step backward. The monster remained perfectly still, its hollow eyes locked onto me as that low, boiling growl continued to echo through the trees.

For a fleeting second, a spark of hope flared in my chest. Maybe I can actually survive this—

“Roaaaaar!”

Without warning, the monster erupted into a deafening shriek, swinging its massive axe as it charged directly toward me. Abandoning all caution, I spun on my heel and sprinted into the trees, fleeing for my absolute life.

Thwack!

The heavy blade of the axe slammed into a tree trunk I had passed mere seconds ago, splitting the wood with terrifying force. A cold sweat broke out across my skin.

I had only been trying to find a way to survive the Count’s machinations; I had never envisioned crossing paths with a literal beast.

In the original plot, Maylin met her end at the hands of the Count and Countess, not as monster fodder. This meant the current predicament was entirely my own fault for being reckless. I should have thought more deeply about why the valuable herbs in this forest had been left entirely untouched by the locals!

Though the looming threat of death forced my legs to move, my body had been thoroughly spent before I even set foot in the woods. Every time my footing faltered, the ragged, heavy breathing of the monster seemed to draw closer, sending waves of pure terror racing through my veins.

Just as I braced myself for the inevitable, I caught sight of a lone figure standing amidst a clearing in the distance.

Crimson hair. A scabbard slung loosely at his hip. However, his hair was noticeably shorter than Seyron’s, lacking the signature ponytail. Even with my vision blurring from exhaustion and adrenaline, I recognized him instantly. Driven by pure desperation, I screamed out with the last of my breath.

“Karon!”

At the sound of his name, the knight slowly turned his head in my direction. From this distance, his expression was impossible to read.

“Run away! There’s a monster right behind me!”

Despite my frantic warning, the man didn’t move an inch. Had he failed to hear me? If he stood there any longer, he was going to be dragged into this nightmare right along with me.

There were two red-haired knights on the estate, and I still hadn’t figured out which one was the legendary figure from the novel. If Karon didn’t happen to be the Sword Master, then we were both as good as dead. Even if he was a highly capable knight, that was a standard measured against human opponents—surely fighting a grotesque beast like this was entirely out of the question!

Grit-teathing against the burning agony in my lungs, I sharply veered off to the side, attempting to draw the beast away from him. Fortunately, the monster seemed entirely locked onto me, ignoring the stationary knight as it snapped at my heels.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, my foot caught the edge of a protruding root, and I went flying forward, crashing hard into the dirt. The monster let out a triumphant bellow, lunging through the air toward my prone form. In that split second, the faces of the villagers, my mother, my brother, and the brief, unfulfilled life I had barely begun to live flashed vividly before my eyes.

…Right up until the moment the monster’s head was cleanly severed from its shoulders.

Thud!

The creature’s emerald-skinned head and heavy torso parted ways, collapsing to the forest floor with a dull, resonant thud. Thick, dark green blood—not red—began to pool outward from the carcass.

Standing just behind the fallen beast, the knight casually flicked his wrist, clearing the green gore from the edge of his blade. His expression went beyond mere composure; he looked almost thoroughly bored by the entire ordeal.

A moment later, his dark, crimson-tinted eyes shifted downward, locking onto mine. As I instinctively flinched away under the weight of his stare, the knight slowly closed the distance between us.

He raised his sword, causing me to involuntarily catch her breath in terror. However, the gleaming length of the blade didn’t descend toward my throat. Instead, it dropped to the hem of my skirt. With slow, deliberate strokes, Karon casually wiped the remaining green blood off his weapon using my fabric.

“Did I ever give you permission to speak my name?”