TITULO: Ch. 01
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Chapter 1
This was, morally, very, very wrong.
Eugenia knew that all too well, and yet, she rummaged through the room with clear desperation in her movements.
“I don’t have a choice,”she muttered to herself, as if trying to justify her actions.
“If I want to escape, I need money.”
Of course, in this utterly ruined marquisate, there was no money to be found. So her goal now was to find something she could exchange for it.
This was the room of the Marchioness of Kerayton, currently unoccupied.
But the condition of the place was far from what one would expect from the quarters of a noble lady.
The curtains were half-torn and fluttering in tatters, and the blanket—once always crisp and sun-dried—was now wrinkled and soiled, as though many hands had touched it.
Whooooosh—
“Eek!”
Eugenia pressed her hand firmly against her pounding chest and exhaled slowly.
The cold wind continued to whistle through the broken windowpane, adding an eerie chill to the already gloomy atmosphere—probably caused by someone throwing a rock from outside.
“What a mess…”
As a maid of the marquisate, Eugenia was supposed to keep this place clean and tidy.
But instead of tidying, she chose to make it worse.
The blankets, under the bed, inside the wardrobe, between the pages of the Bible, behind the curtains—even the vanity drawers!
“…Damn it.”
She had searched everywhere, but found nothing. All she got was a face full of old dust.
She blamed herself.
“It’s too late. I’m way too late! I should’ve come to steal this stuff sooner! Idiot! You sluggish fool!”
She shouldn’t have wasted time debating her conscience, going, “Should I steal or not? Should I? Should I not?”
Turns out, timing is important even in theft.
And she had missed hers. Now she was just scrambling after everyone else.
“Ugh, seriously. Looks like they already cleaned the place out.”
Eugenia scowled in frustration.
“Loyalty, my foot.”
Cursing the former coworkers who had looted the place before her, she let out a raspy cough.
Though there was clearly nothing left to find, she still lifted the carpet again and rummaged through the torn pillows, clinging to false hope. But of course, no hidden treasure magically appeared with a ta-da!
“Time to go.”
Just as she clapped her hands clean of dust and regret—
“Stealing’s a habit now, huh?”
A snide voice rang out behind her, and Eugenia froze in place.
The voice was young, yet carried a chilling weight that was hard to ignore.
Turning stiffly, she twisted her neck to glance over her shoulder.
Gasp.
In the darkness stood Joshua Ron Kerayton, just nine years old, arms crossed and looking down on her with an arrogant expression.
“Y-young master…?”
She swallowed hard and quickly stood upright.
Joshua stared up at her coldly, his expression full of disdain.
Despite being so much younger and smaller than her, there was something unnervingly intense about his presence.
“Ah, he really is a main character—from the moment he sprouts, he’s different.”
Even in that tense moment, Eugenia found herself inspecting his face. Or rather, she couldn’t not look.
“That aura… but more than that, he’s got a face that screams ‘main character.’”
Flawless skin. Hair that looked soft as cotton. His eyes tilted up like a cat’s, hinting at a proud and sharp personality.
Eugenia’s eyes darted around as she stumbled to explain herself.
She couldn’t afford to make things worse.
If she lowered her standing any further, she’d be one step closer to death.
Desperately, she tried to excuse herself.
“T-that’s not it… I was… I was just cleaning… Ha ha, ha ha…”
The moment she spoke, Joshua’s brow furrowed.
She knew full well how ridiculous that excuse sounded, but it was all she had.
“Like I’d remember how people actually talked back then! I don’t recall the details that clearly!”
And even she knew that was a completely implausible excuse.
Joshua snorted, clearly not buying it, and cut her off without mercy.
“Cleaning? The ruined marquisate?”
“…”
“And you, who got fired last night?”
Eugenia let out an awkward laugh, trying to salvage the situation.
“Y-yeah, even I… realize how weird that sounds… Ha ha… ha…”
Joshua’s eyes narrowed further.
“Are you laughing right now?”
Eugenia shut her mouth tightly and read his expression.
“Do I look like a joke to you?”
Her lips clamped shut again.
She folded her hands neatly above her belly and shook her head quickly.
“N-no, sir. I wouldn’t dare.”
Joshua glared at her in silence, his expression indifferent yet sharp, then finally turned his body away.
“He’s letting me off the hook…”
Eugenia sighed in relief and relaxed her shoulders.
“Thank goodness. Forget the money, I’m getting out of here. I should’ve run sooner.”
From the moment she realized whose body she was now in, she knew she had to leave.
But she hesitated—for money. Always money.
“I need to leave before she arrives.”
She didn’t know how long it had been since she died in the other world.
“It must’ve been instant.”
It was like falling into a long sleep and waking up in this world.
Either way, she didn’t want to die again.
“As soon as Joshua turns his back, I’m getting out of this cursed mansion.”
But just as if he had read her mind, the boy turned to face her again.
He seemed to be thinking something over, then finally, with a serious expression, he spoke.
“Eugenia.”
“Gasp! Y-yes, young master? What is it…?”
Startled, she trembled, but did her best to remain calm and respectful, placing her hands in front of her and answering politely.
Joshua, with the arrogance only a nine-year-old noble could have, lifted a finger and beckoned her.
“Why that little brat—what an attitude!”
“I know you’re the male lead, but seriously, can you not be so rude?”
If he had been just a nephew and not the one holding her fate in his hands, she would’ve clucked her tongue and smacked him upside the head. But that wasn’t an option now.
“Damn this class system!”
Eugenia clenched her teeth and swallowed her anger.
“I’m the underdog. I’m the underdog. I’m the underdog.”
She kept repeating it in her head.
Joshua kept beckoning her with his finger.
“Follow me. I need to talk to you.”
“M-me? Why? We’re already talking here… Can’t we just stay here?”
Eugenia’s face twisted with dismay.
“Ugh, I really don’t want to get involved with this kid!”
When she continued hesitating and showing her reluctance, Joshua scowled and snapped.
“I said come. This isn’t something to talk about here.”
“…Yes, young master.”
She sighed deeply and reluctantly followed him.
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