《I Reincarnated As an Ugly Woman》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 *** Emily, the eighth concubine of the Serbian Empire, was loved by the Emperor despite being a commoner, but Emily, who ignored the Empress and the concubines, was framed and hanged as soon as the old Emperor died. ¡°Your Highness! I have not committed any crime! Empress! The Empress framed me!¡± Emily stared at the indifferent Crown Prince. He looked at her with a stiff face, as if he was a stone statue. Her beautiful blonde hair was covered in dust, and her pure white face was dirty from not washing. Emily, the old emperor¡¯s concubine, was the same age as the Crown Prince. A simple commoner woman¡­ How could an empty-headed woman who lived for the pleasure of dressing up in gold and silver try to poison the rest of the rearguard? It seemed obvious that it was a ploy by the empress, but there was no need to let his father¡¯s concubine live when he was already dead. Even though he felt sorry for her. The Crown Prince looked at Emily, who was the same age as him, and felt pity for her. It was the first time he had ever seen a concubine who wasn¡¯t afraid of the Empress, and it was interesting to watch. ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up and execute the sentence.¡± But that was it. It had nothing to do with him. He could see the Empress smiling in the distance. ¡®It¡¯s the Empress¡¯s turn next.¡¯ The Crown Prince stepped out of the execution chamber, raising both ends of his mouth. Emily bowed her head. Twenty-eight years old, just when her life was about to bloom, she had to die. ¡®If I were a commoner, I would have lived for a long time. Why did I come into this palace as a concubine of the old emperor¡­.His Highness hates me, too..¡¯ Emily was glad that the emperor liked her. She couldn¡¯t believe the emperor of this country loved her. Her nose went up in the air and her heart filled with joy as if she was the empress. However, when she saw the Crown Prince, she despaired. The moment she saw him for the first time, she fell in love. She wished she could be the Crown Prince¡¯s woman for just one day. If only the Crown Prince would look at her¡­. The Crown Prince was a man who looked at women like they were rocks, and there was no such thing as a common scandal. The commoners who were watching started throwing stones at her, accusing her of being a witch. A stone hit Emily on the head, causing blood to spurt, bruises and scars all over. Tears welled up in her eyes and she could not see ahead of her. They put her head in a trap made of rope, and the rope tightened around her neck. This face caught the emperor¡¯s eye. If she didn¡¯t have this face, she wouldn¡¯t have become the emperor¡¯s concubine. This face was a curse. ¡®God, if I were to be born again, I would like to live a long and ordinary life.¡¯ The foothold that had been supporting her was gone, and Emily¡¯s body drooped. *** ¡°Ugh¡­no!¡± Emily sat up quickly and looked at my hands, her tattered clothes were the first thing she saw. She stroked her slender neck with my hand. ¡°Am I alive? Where¡¯s the rope mark on my neck?¡± It was an old room in the crumbling shack where she had lived with her parents. In her room, Emily began to look around for her favorite item. It was the wall mirror that her parents had given her for her fifteenth birthday. Emily quickly ran to the mirror. She couldn¡¯t help but look at the mirror with disbelief. ¡°No way!¡± There was a strange woman standing in front of the mirror. She was short and thin with tousled black hair. She had a square-shaped face with small eyes. Her skin was dark with many freckles and moles. Her eyes were small and purple, and she looked like she was a sick person. ¡°¡­Who is this woman?¡± This was her room. But who was the woman reflected in the mirror? Suddenly, the door opened and Anna, Emily¡¯s mother, came in. ¡°Emily! Are you awake now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ mother?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you even recognize your mother¡¯s face?¡± Anna was quite pretty, and like her, Emily should have been pretty too. Emily¡¯s father, Jackson, who followed her mother, complained. ¡°She¡¯s so weak¡­Tsk, tsk. Where do you want to use her? Are you thinking of marrying her to someone because she has a happy face?¡± Emily¡¯s eyes darkened when her father, who had always said she was beautiful, said something like that. She was fifteen years old and had collapsed while helping with the farm work, so it seemed like now was the time. However, unlike before, her face and body were not the Emily of her previous life. Emily returned to being an ugly woman. She had a poor family and six younger brothers. As the eldest daughter, Emily had to go out and work. And because she had a pretty face, she got a lot of money for her vegetables and free grain from the neighbors. ¡°Hey! I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing that face in the morning! It¡¯s not a good day.¡± ¡°Oh. Is that a human face?¡± The people in the village were startled by the mere glimpse of Emily¡¯s face, as if she had something dirty on her. The grocery store didn¡¯t want to sell vegetables. The fruit stand didn¡¯t sell any fruit. She thought her father would complain if she went home without anything, so she sat in the clearing and looked up at the sky. ¡®My face in my previous life was cursed, but I never thought that I would live again with this face.¡¯ The sky didn¡¯t seem to know what ¡°appropriate¡± meant. With a face like this, she would never be able to go to the imperial palace, and would never become the emperor¡¯s concubine. ¡°Is it rather good?¡± With six younger brothers and parents, she had to worry about her living first. Emily jumped up and plucked up her courage again and went around several stores. ¡°Excuse me, if you let me do any work, I¡¯ll do it!¡± The shopkeeper looked her up and down and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to look elsewhere. All the customers are running away.¡± Emily came back home in vain. At home, she ate boiled water with a few vegetables in it, but the soup, with only the vegetables floating in the bland water, was not good. ¡±It¡¯s not good. I want to eat meat.¡± But they had only one meal a day. Her younger siblings gobbled and her parents ate even less. Her mother got paid to sew for other people¡¯s houses, and her father got crops from helping other people farm, so they were very poor. Her siblings didn¡¯t have enough to eat, and they were so thin that their ribs were seen clearly under their skin. In her previous life, Emily became the emperor¡¯s concubine, and her parents and younger siblings lived plentifully. In the end, Emily couldn¡¯t eat and put the spoon down. She could still vividly recall the food she ate in her previous life, so there was no way this kind of food was good for her palate. ¡°¡­.. sister. Can I eat the rest of the food?¡± Her second brother, Noah, asked Emily cautiously. Looking at her brother¡¯s dented cheeks, Emily nodded. She felt sorry that her siblings were suffering because of her. ¡®I must find a job tomorrow.¡¯ The mirror she once wanted so badly, but now she covered it with a black cloth. Emily didn¡¯t want to look at her ugly face. She hated mirrors the most in the world now. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 *** Emily had a dream. At the imperial palace, she was eating a delicious turkey. [It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t eat a lot of it because I have to keep in shape. But the cook changed? The food tastes different.] The maid standing by Emily¡¯s side clapped her hands in surprise. [It¡¯s amazing! The former Imperial Chef¡¯s father died yesterday, so he¡¯s going to be absent for seven days. We invited another chef. How do you know that?] [Hmm¡­The sauce tastes different. It kind of smells like orange.] [Oh my. Did you guess that?] [Do you want to try it, too?] [No. How can I¡­] [It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m the only one here. It¡¯s boring to eat alone every day, so let¡¯s eat together.] Emily and her maid cleanly ate the delicious turkey and even dessert. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Yum, yum.¡± Emily woke up from her dream drooling. However, this was not the beautiful imperial palace she had dreamed of, but a shabby house. She still remembered the taste of the turkey and the strawberry cream cake that was served for dessert that day. She left it out every day, claiming that she had to be in shape, and she would give it to her maid. ¡®Come to think of it, I was a good master.¡¯ None of the noblemen¡¯s maids wanted to take care of Emily. She was the Emperor¡¯s concubine, but no one recognized her. She was accompanied by a group of commoner maidservants, and when she was in a good mood, she gave all the bags, clothes, shoes, and colorful accessories to the maids. The maids were always grateful to Emily, and she felt good too. ¡°Lady Emily told me to poison Lady Grace¡¯s tea!¡± Grace Willis was the emperor¡¯s third concubine. She requested a tee time with Emily, which Emily happily accepted. As a noblewoman, she had always been bullied by the girls, so she was flattered that she would be able to make this teatime a grand success and get along with them. With the death of the old Emperor, the atmosphere in the imperial palace was not good, but that was why she was so lonely. When the Emperor died, the Emperor¡¯s concubines would either go to monasteries or return to their parents¡¯ homes. Perhaps they were depressed at the thought of not being able to see the Crown Prince, even though their freedom was at hand. But Grace, the third concubine, died after drinking the tea. As they watched Emily sitting in amazement, all the servants and maidens spoke in unison, saying that Emily had poisoned the tea. It was probably because the Empress grabbed their lifelines and threatened them. Behind them was the Empress. Emily shook her head lightly, not wanting to think too much. Now she didn¡¯t have to go back to her previous life anymore, so she didn¡¯t have to think about things that wouldn¡¯t happen. When she looked at her arm, she thought of a wooden stick. In her previous life, she used to starve herself to keep her body in shape, but now she was starving. The people who go there are going to die. Emily untied the cloth that hid the mirror and looked at her face, pausing in the direction of her reflection in the left and right mirror. ¡°It¡¯s ugly, but not terribly bad. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m sick.¡± Her thin black hair was rather good at hiding it, so she would have to buy a hat when she could afford one. Buying cosmetics would hide the freckles and moles on her face, but cosmetics were expensive. Therefore, they were used only by wealthy commoners and nobles. Rumble. Emily hugged her empty stomach and walked out, saying she would get a job today. One meal a day was too bad. After walking around a bit, she saw an advertisement for employment on the town bulletin board. It said that they were looking for people to work in a Lord¡¯s castle. ¡°This is it!¡± Running to the castle, Emily found a large crowd there, and they hired all the people they could find on a large scale. Emily was lucky enough to be hired right away, but the butler frowned when he saw her. ¡°You¡¯re ugly, where will I put you..?¡± The butler couldn¡¯t cancel the hiring now, so he took Emily to the kitchen. The kitchen was dark, but she could smell delicious food and the sound of knives chopping vegetables busily. ¡°Hans! Chef Hans! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The butler called Hans, and a huge man boasting thick arm muscles stood in front of the butler wearing an apron. The man was holding a large kitchen knife, and he looked truly intimidating. He looked down at the short Emily, and the butler said in a troubled tone. ¡°I¡¯ve hired you as a servant, but as you can see, her face is a bit¡­ Well, anyway. She can stay here and do the dishes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The butler gave Emily a firm warning as well. ¡°The lord hired everyone because he¡¯s very generous, but because of your face, you must use the back door. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. Thank you very much. I¡¯ll never forget your kindness.¡± Emily was very happy because she didn¡¯t think she would be hired. The butler also told her what else she should pay attention to and when she would be paid. Emily bowed to Hans, her new boss, and began to wash the dishes. Count James, who ruled Emily¡¯s land, liked people, so he didn¡¯t raise the land¡¯s rent and was generous to the common people. However, Count James¡¯ son preferred luxury and ignored the commoners. After the death of Count James, the fief was returned to the country to pay for the gambling debts of his son who became a Count. But it didn¡¯t matter to Emily now. She was just a commoner with an ugly face, that was all. Emily hummed and busied herself with the dishes. She couldn¡¯t afford to worry about others right now. Because she had mouths to feed. Emily told her parents that she got a job at the castle, and they and her siblings celebrated. At first, Emily was paid very little, but Emily was a good daughter who gave her parents her small salary every month. However, all the people who worked in the castle disliked her because she was ugly. A servant working in the stable spoke to Emily with a look on his face as if he was looking at something dirtier than horse manure. ¡°Where did you come from? Go away!¡± In truth, Emily was treated no better than livestock in the castle. She cried from time to time because of the attitude of the others. But what should she do? She wished for a second chance at life. If she had an ugly face, at least she wouldn¡¯t have to be the old Emperor¡¯s concubine. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 *** *The past* [Emily! Ah! That¡¯s good! That¡¯s good. ¡­..! [Ah¡­¡­Your Majesty!] Emperor Jacob Frederick spread Emily¡¯s legs and pushed in his thick manhood. Her red maiden¡¯s blood stained the sheet. Frederick was pleased to see it. ¡°You¡¯ll be my eighth concubine. Hmm? Your inside is better than anyone else.it it wraps around me so tightly¡­ah!] [Ah¡­!] Tears spilled from Emily¡¯s eyes. She just turned twenty, and her first experience was very painful. Frederick was an emperor who was reluctant to caress; he had many concubines. But what does it mean to be a concubine? In Emily¡¯s position, it was like a star in the sky. And for Emily, the emperor was the unreachable sky. If she remained in the territory, she would not have had the good fortune to become his concubine. Emily forced a smile on her beautiful face. But every time the Emperor slammed in, she couldn¡¯t stand the pain and had to scream out loud. [¡­Ah!] The Emperor held her legs tightly, seemingly impatient to get in more. The marks of the Emperor¡¯s fingers were still bright red on her ankles. [Emily¡­! Hahahahaha!!!] [Ah! Ugh! Ah!] Eventually, Emily burst into tears. She tried to hold back, but seeing the old emperor violating her young body made her feel miserable about her situation. [Ugh! Emily, I¡¯m coming! I¡¯ll fill your womb with plenty of my seeds!] [Ah!] The short, overweight emperor hugged Emily, shaking his hips as he squeezed the excess seeds into her. The heat of his seeds could be felt in Emily¡¯s sensitive womanhood. [Ha¡­] Emily lay still as he held her. What was more disgusting was that he opened his mouth and demanded a kiss from her. Seeing his tongue as gross as a snake¡¯s tongue, Emily closed her eyes. The emperor began to lick Emily¡¯s chest. [Ha, ugh, ugh.] [It¡¯s good. Ah¡­] Emily felt it, even though it was disgusting and she hated it. The Emperor Jacob Frederick smiled, baring his gold teeth. He sucked her nipple and wouldn¡¯t let go, so Emily could only watch him. She had been warned beforehand not to say ¡°don¡¯t¡± or ¡°no¡± to the Emperor. When the Emperor called for his maidservant, she came in and wiped Emily¡¯s important parts clean with a wet towel. When the maidservant left, the Emperor¡¯s manhood hardened again. He once again shoved it into Emily¡¯s weak hole. [Ah¡­Your Majesty!] [Emily¡­.] Emily found it very painful. She wanted to ask him to stop, but she couldn¡¯t. Who could say such a thing to the Emperor? Perhaps he knew how she felt, he applied plenty of lubricant to his manhood. [It won¡¯t hurt anymore.] If there was such a thing, why didn¡¯t he use it from the beginning? The emperor pushed into Emily again, not even bothering to look at her. It didn¡¯t hurt as much as before, but Emily was still shaking under him like a piece of paper. Her first experience left only bitterness and pain. However, she soon forgot that thought. The Emperor gave her jewels and dresses, not to mention things she would never be able to have in her life. Seeing the other concubines craving his love, Emily felt a relative sense of satisfaction. Of course, that was before she met the Crown Prince. It wasn¡¯t until she experienced life in the imperial palace that she realized how short her thoughts had been. *** *Present* ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Hans tasted the pastry the apprentice made and threw it on the floor. Once a month, the apprentices made exactly what Hans ordered and were evaluated. Today¡¯s dish was Raisin Cookies. ¡°What a waste¡­!¡± Even if Hans didn¡¯t like them, they were still cookies that contain sugar. Emily licked her tongue when she saw them being thrown away. Emily stared at the cookies, unsentimental. Hans pointed at her. ¡°You¡¯re no better than that girl who only washes dishes! The sweets you make are a waste of precious ingredients and no one will eat them!¡± At these words, Emily stopped washing the dishes, picked up a discarded cookie from the floor and ate it. Everyone looked at her with astonishment. ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s delicious, but¡­you added too much sugar. I heard that the aristocrats like a moderate taste. I think you should add more raisins to make it crunchy. Then there¡¯s that.¡± Emily pointed to the salt. ¡°It tastes even better with a little salt in it.¡± Hans looked at Emily with a surprised expression. It was a secret that Hans never shared with anyone. Salt in every dish! Even sweet foods can be enriched with salt. Fewer people knew this, and many chefs didn¡¯t know this either. Salt was so expensive that the commoners could not even look at it. It was amazing that Emily, the farmer¡¯s daughter, knew what the apprentice did not. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± She had been washing dishes here for such a long time, but only now did Chef Hans notice her presence. Emily smiled and said. ¡°My name is Emily.¡± Chef Hans was proud of her. ¡°You were brave to pick up the cookies from the floor and eat them! You¡¯re the child who will become the cook¡¯s lumber.¡± Chief cook Hans was a strict man, but Emily took his moods well. Above all, Emily was sincere and liked him very much. Chef Hans was a man of ability. He was hired at a high wage because of his background as an imperial chef, and he couldn¡¯t care less about the butler. When he heard about Emily¡¯s situation, he gave her a little bit of leftover ingredients every day. *** Five years later. Emily¡¯s mother, Anna, opened her mouth in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± Emily shrugged at Anna¡¯s response. ¡°Since I work in the kitchen, the chef gave me the leftover ingredients.¡± Emily brought home a bag with a large loaf of bread, potatoes, onions, leeks, flour and eggs. Emily¡¯s father, Jackson, was amazed. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Emily.¡± Emily smirked. The bread was hard and crusty, but it was a food that was hard to find at home. Emily rolled up her sleeves. ¡°I¡¯ll do the cooking. Hans taught me a few things.¡± ¡°Hans?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the head cook. He told me I have a talent for cooking.¡± Whenever Hans developed a new menu item, he would bring it to Emily and ask her to taste it. If Emily said it tasted good, it was usually a successful dish. Emily even guessed most of the ingredients that went into the dishes, so Hans gave her the rest of the ingredients each time he was satisfied. Emily made a simple stew. She kneaded the flour, cut it into little pieces, added the potatoes, beat the eggs and cooked it like a soup. Then she fried the hard bread a little to make it more fragrant. All six of her siblings looked at Emily with respect. That day, they all enjoyed their dinner together, laughing and talking. Emily woke up early in the morning and stretched. Before her regression, when she was twenty years old, she was helping out in the banquet hall of the castle when she caught the eye of Baron Wright and went to the Imperial Palace and became a concubine. This was not the case now. She was the same age as she was then, but her face was different. She only worked in the kitchen, so she did not attract the attention of the nobles. When she arrived at the castle, Emily ran quickly through the back gate when she bumped into Carter, the son of Count James. Carter was hurt, and he grabbed his head and stood up. ¡°Oh my! You¡¯ve gone crazy¡­! You¡¯re ugly!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Carter James hit Emily in the face with his fist . Emily¡¯s mouth bled, but Carter didn¡¯t let go of his anger and started kicking her legs. Emily lay down and covered her face. She had often seen cases where a nobleman would beat the servants until they were badly hurt. ¡°If I see you again, I¡¯ll kill you! Ha!¡± Carter spat at Emily, then turned away. The old maid, who had been watching from afar, came running over and wiped Emily¡¯s blood off with a towel. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a lunatic. He must have lost money in gambling again. The Count is a good-natured man, but how did his son end up like that? ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Emily was grateful for the maid¡¯s kindness. Carter James was the tyrant of the realm. Too many people were killed by him. Carter lost money by gambling and often took it out on his employees. A man upstairs was watching the scene where Carter was beating Emily. That was when he heard a voice calling him. ¡°Your Highness. ¡­If we support private armies, what will you do for us?¡± The Crown Prince turned his head and the Count sat in his study, staring at him. The Crown Prince was twenty years old. The current Empress was the mother of the second Prince, and the Crown Prince lacked power. If the Crown Prince became the emperor, more benefits would fall on Count James. The second Prince was already solid in power, so there was no room for Count James to intervene. Nothing is free. Either you use or are being used. The Crown Prince grabbed the pitch-black hood with both hands and pulled it down. Next to the Crown Prince was Oliver, the Crown Prince¡¯s confidant and escort knight. ¡°¡­The Count has a lot of debts.¡± The Count¡¯s face darkened at the word debts. His only son, Carter, gambled every day, and his daughter, Emma, bought so many new dresses and precious metals that he was in debt for a long time. ¡°When I become emperor, I¡¯ll get rid of all your debts.¡± The Count nodded happily at the Crown Prince¡¯s words, but soon began to cough in pain. The handkerchief covering his mouth was covered with blood. ¡°Gosh, gosh! As you know, I don¡¯t have long to live. I¡¯m not afraid of dying, but I¡¯m most worried about my children after I die. Their mother died, and they don¡¯t know better. If my son becomes Count, will you look after him?¡± The Crown Prince looked out the window earlier and saw the scene where Carter bumped into the maid. He punched and kicked her. He was merciless, arrogant and selfish. If he became Count, the future of this territory would not be bright. But Count James was needed. He was well-liked, and there were many nobles who respected him. The Crown Prince had to get him on his side by any means necessary. ¡°A little beating would rehabilitate him, wouldn¡¯t it? Then I can keep him as a subordinate.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The Crown Prince then put on his mask. He left the Count¡¯s office with his escort dressed in the same outfit as he first came here. Carter was standing in front of the Count¡¯s office, mumbling. ¡°Oh, what am I going to tell father? I¡¯m sure those guys will come to get the money. Oh my God!¡± Carter was surprised to see two armed men in black coming out of his father¡¯s study. The masks on their faces looked suspicious, but seeing that they were holding swords, they looked like knights. Carter reached out to shake their hands. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m Carter James. I¡¯m the one who will inherit this castle. What brought you here?¡± Looking at him arrogantly, they didn¡¯t say a word. Carter felt angry because they didn¡¯t shake his hand or respond. ¡°You¡¯re just a knight and you dare to ignore me?¡± Hearing Carter¡¯s angry voice, Count James was startled and quickly ran outside. ¡°Carter! You punk!¡± ¡°Father! These knights ignore me, the Count¡¯s son¡­!¡± Count James hit Carter on the head before Carter could finish speaking. He then put his hand on Carter¡¯s head and lowered it to the point where it almost reached the floor. Count James bowed down in a cold sweat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think he ate something by mistake. Please go on your way.¡± The Crown Prince nodded and left the mansion, as did Oliver. Carter clenched his fist feeling frustrated. ¡®I¡¯ve never once bowed to anyone else! How dare you insult me!¡¯ Oliver opened his mouth as they left the mansion. Oliver would talk to Ryan in a casual manner when they were alone. Ryan was the Crown Prince, but the two had been friends since they were young. ¡°Ryan. Pulling Count James to our side is a good decision, but that son of his is a bit sketchy¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I hope the Count lives long enough. After all, we need him.¡± Crown Prince Ryan and knight Oliver mounted their horses and headed elsewhere. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 James Castle was busy as usual, and so was the kitchen. Hans sighed as he looked at Emily, whose eyes were swollen from Carter¡¯s beating. ¡°Emily. Go home early today. I¡¯ll do the rest of the work.¡± ¡°¡­Can I do that?¡± Clatter! The plate broke again. Emily made many mistakes today because she couldn¡¯t see well with her swollen eyes. That was why Hans¡¯ words made Emily happier. ¡°I¡¯ll go then.¡± After Hans saw her off, Emily came home and stretched out in her small room. Her eyes were swollen and she had bruises all over her body. She never had this much trouble with her when she was beautiful. It was because back then, whenever Emily did something, the men around her said, ¡°Leave it to me,¡± and helped her. Before the regression, Carter stood in front of Emily. Emily was a maid working at the Castle, but she couldn¡¯t go forward even if she tried. [Emily. Don¡¯t you want to be my concubine?] [No, Master Carter.] Carter swallowed his spit when he saw Emily¡¯s face. [I have more money than most commoners. I can buy everything you want.] [Really? But I want to be a wife. A countess.] At Emily¡¯s abrupt words, Carter had no choice but to turn his gaze away from her. She had a great body for a commoner. A commoner can¡¯t be noble in the first place. [You have to know your position, Emily.] [Hmm. I understand perfectly. Of course!] Emily walked past Carter with a mop in her hand. Carter shrugged his shoulders. And immediately began to tease the other servant. This was how Emily used to get rid of Carter. But she was beautiful then, so it worked that way. Carter said she was arrogant, but he didn¡¯t touch her recklessly. That didn¡¯t happen to Emily today. It was unfortunate but on the other hand, there were no kind men. Perhaps that was why when she received kindness from others, she appreciated it many times more. She couldn¡¯t wait to move up from being a servant in charge of washing dishes to a kitchen assistant. Every day, Emily practiced boiling and frying by writing down the ingredients for her dishes on a piece of paper. All the ingredients were too expensive to get, so she would practice with things like dirt and straw. ¡®I have to work hard.¡¯ If she becomes a kitchen assistant, she gets paid a little more. Then Emily¡¯s house will be a little more settled. She wanted to save money, meet an ordinary man, and get married. She wanted to live a ¡°long¡± life, not die a quick death. That was Emily¡¯s goal in this life. *** ¡°What¡¯s the point of living for a long time?¡± The old woman who owned the grocery store murmured. On the street a woman was being beaten by Carter, bled, grabbed by the hair and dragged to the ground. Being the son of a lord, no one could stop him, so everyone just watched. ¡°Please help me. It was my fault. Master Carter¡­. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°How dare you ignore me.¡± The woman¡¯s face showed clear traces of violence, her hair was unraveling and blood clots were forming. She was a woman who owned a small restaurant. Carter was a regular at that restaurant, but today he staggered, drunk. ¡°What are you looking at? You ignorant commoners!¡± The woman might die. No matter how noble he was, he didn¡¯t have the authority to kill commoners. However, in trials, they were punished leniently because they were nobles, and only the dead commoners were unfairly ignored. ¡°Please save me, Master Carter. Please!¡± ¡°Why? Do you think I will forgive you if you apologize now?¡± Carter took out a small dagger. The dagger, which he carried for self-defense, looked very sharp. ¡°What would happen if I cut your throat with this? Huh? If I kill you here, the others won¡¯t be able to ignore me!¡± Just as he placed the dagger on the woman¡¯s neck, a small stone flew from somewhere and struck Carter¡¯s hand. ¡°Ahh!¡± Carter dropped the dagger and the woman took the opportunity to run away. He clenched his hands and shouted loudly. ¡°Who is it? Who threw a rock at me?¡± The people who were watching ran away, afraid that he would jump at them, so Carter could not catch anyone. Clutching his sore hand, he called for his servant. That day, a post appeared on the bulletin board saying they were looking for the culprit who threw the stone at Carter. He also offered a large amount of prize money, but no one talked about what happened that day. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s refreshing.¡± Emily felt as if a hundred years of stagnation were slipping away. Every day she practiced shaking the sand in the big cast iron wok, and her arms got stronger. She whistled, hoping that one day her arm muscles might be as thick as chef Hans, the kitchen manager. Cooking required finesse, but it was pure labor. You can¡¯t hold a cast iron wok without strength. *** A month later, Hans promoted Emily to the position of kitchen assistant. Emily¡¯s arms became much thicker and stronger. Her face was ugly, but her body became so muscular that you could mistake her for a man. ¡± Emily from ¡­¡­.Congratulations on being kitchen assistant. But it¡¯s a shame. If you are a man, you deserve to be a general.¡± The butler gave Emily her paycheck and clicked his tongue ruefully. Recently, Count James has been recruiting a private army, and many mercenaries have applied. Private soldiers were guaranteed a monthly salary even if they did not work. Needless to say, the kitchen was even busier preparing food for the soldiers as well. Emily also looked at her body. She thought she might have overdone it, but she had more energy and Carter seemed to be avoiding me, so it wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡°There¡¯s an important banquet being held today, so you¡¯ll have to be extra careful with your food. Hans.¡± *** It was the same banquet that was held in her previous life. As expected, it was held the year Emily turned 20. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll go into the imperial palace again.¡± Emily felt nervous and her heart palpitated. But no matter how she thought about it, she wasn¡¯t going to be the emperor¡¯s concubine with her current ugly face and this muscle-covered body. Not if the emperor was a pervert who liked ugly women, anyway. As the banquet began, the banquet hall of the castle became more and more crowded with people. Some nobles came from far away from the capital, some from territories nearby, and even nobles without territories gathered. Count James¡¯ banquet this time was special. It was an occasion to present his 20-year-old son, Carter, and his 18-year-old daughter, Emma to society. Many of the families wanted to be the Count¡¯s in-laws, so they brought their children to the banquet. And in secret, the Crown Prince also attended. He attended under a different identity, which was a secret known only to his entourage. Count James appeared when almost everyone else had arrived, and the musicians stopped playing at his gesture. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your presence. The reason we had the banquet today is because I wanted to introduce my adult son, Carter. Carter, come here.¡± ¡°Yes, father.¡± Carter stood beside his father with a nervous look on his face. There was no one here with a higher title than Count James. He didn¡¯t hear of any Dukes or Marquises attending. Count James grabbed Carter by the shoulders and said, ¡°I¡¯m not well and it looks like Carter will be taking over the title in a few years, but I¡¯d like to see my daughter-in-law and grandchildren before that happens. Ha ha.¡± The nobles who had gathered laughed at the Count¡¯s words. Carter looked at the noble ladies. Each of them avoided his eyes. Carter had the look of a vile weasel on his face. Rumors that he was not good were already spreading among the ladies. However, many nobles wanted to be related to Count James, so the ladies had no choice but to attend with their parents. Carter smiled slyly at the ladies. They were generally fair-skinned and had no spots on their faces, probably because they didn¡¯t have to struggle as much as commoner women. ¡®Your skin looks good, and your body is not bad either. It¡¯s certainly a different quality from the rough commoner women. Oh, is there such a beautiful woman?¡¯ Carter approached a Young Lady, who looked the most beautiful of them all. Pitch-black hair and perfect red eyes. The black dress suited her very well. She stood out among the women¡¯s colorful dresses. ¡°What is your name?¡± Carter asked, his heart racing with anticipation. **** Chapter 5 Chapter 5 In the kitchen, they were busy preparing many dishes. Since the event was held as a buffet instead of a dinner, it was hard to pay attention to every single dish. Crash! Chef Hans collapsed. ¡°Hans!¡± Emily called him in surprise. Chef Hans, who had never missed a day of cooking, collapsed. After all the apprentice chefs quit, instead of choosing a new chef, Hans cooked everything. Normally, Hans could do it all by himself because he didn¡¯t have to cook a lot, but the banquet that served a larger amount than usual even brought down Hans, who had a solid physical strength. ¡°What should we do?¡± The maid, who had been helping in the kitchen, looked at Emily. All the main dishes were done, so there was only dessert left. Only Hans knew the recipe for dessert, and Hans, who was making dessert, left the kitchen on a stretcher. ¡°I¡¯ll make the dessert. Everyone, please help me.¡± Emily rolled up her sleeves and persuaded two maids, and they nodded. ¡°Bass, knead the flour and butter mixture, and Izumi, cut up the apples and lemons.¡± The butler came rushing in as soon as he heard the news that Hans had collapsed. ¡°Hans collapsed?¡± ¡°Yes. So I¡¯ve decided to make the dessert.¡± ¡°You? Can you do it?¡± He had seen Emily make a lot of simple treats, but never once had I seen her make a fancy dessert to suit the palates of the nobles. ¡°If I don¡¯t do it, who will?¡± The butler nodded. It would take a while to invite a new chef now, and once dessert was served, the food was ready. ¡°Emily. I¡¯ll give you a bonus after the feast is over.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Emily was happy and worked even harder. The butler was impressed with Emily. Hans was very strict and there were not many people who could stand him. He thought Emily would quit soon, but she worked surprisingly hard and got along well with Hans. *** ¡°My name is Carter James. Can you tell me your name? I¡¯ve never seen a beauty like you before.¡± Carter was trying to speak as politely as possible in an elegant voice. The woman in front of him looked beautiful and dignified. The dress she was wearing was also made of pretty good material, and if you looked closely, you could see small opals inlaid in it. The small opals embedded in the black dress reminiscent of stars in the night sky. She was taller than Carter, but it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Hahahah.¡± The man standing beside the woman, who looked like a knight, was trying not to laugh. The knight had hair that looked like it had been replaced with carrots and wore glasses, but he couldn¡¯t hide his handsome face. The woman poked the knight in the side with her elbow. But he still laughed unstoppably. ¡°Oh hahahaha, I can¡¯t stop laughing¡­..¡± The woman smiled apologetically at Carter. Even that smile looked so dainty that Carter¡¯s heart throbbed. Her voice was much lower pitched than the other woman¡¯s, but not so low that it sounded funny. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My escort knight is a bit silly.¡± ¡°No. It looks like the knight is a commoner, but what can you do with an uneducated commoner? You must have a lot of trouble, Young Lady.¡± The Young Lady smiled at Carter¡¯s words and the knight glared at Carter. She placed her hand on her chest gently and said softly, ¡°My name is Abigail Wright.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Baron Wright¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡­.He¡¯s coming just in time.¡± Baron Wright and Count James were walking towards Abigail. The Count looked at Abigail and opened his eyes wide. ¡°You are¡­.?¡± Count James questioned, but before he could finish, Abigail greeted him by bowing her head and grabbing her dress, interrupting him. ¡°Count James. Pleased to meet you, I¡¯m Abigail Wright, daughter of Baron Wright.¡± James broke out in a cold sweat when he saw Abigail¡¯s bright red eyes. It was the same face he had seen a month ago, but why did this person come here dressing like this? ¡®She¡¯ seemed to have grown a little taller since then. ¡®Her¡¯ face was a bit more beautiful. No, why does ¡®she¡¯ look so good? ¡®She¡¯ said ¡®she¡¯ was coming in secret, but Count James didn¡¯t know ¡®she¡¯ was talking about this. However, the body shape could not be hidden. His son, Carter, was completely in love with ¡®her¡¯ appearance, but ¡®she¡¯ was tall with strong shoulders. A 20-year-old young man dressed up as a woman. James looked at Baron Wright and the Baron winked at him with a playful expression. Count James closed his eyes softly and said to Abigail. ¡°Yes, is there any inconvenience? I thought I¡¯d introduce you to my son¡­¡± Count James looked at Carter who was drooling over Abigail. It seemed that the introductions were already done, both a month ago and this time. ¡®When will Carter learn to see people for who they are?¡¯ Count James¡¯s use of honorifics with Abigail also fell on Carter¡¯s deaf ears. ¡°Father. I love Miss Abigail.¡± Carter said, his face turning red. It was the face of a man who had fallen in love. Count James gritted his teeth at his son. ¡®You fool. Can¡¯t you see his wide shoulders and his height? No, what the hell did he put in his chest? How come they¡¯re so big?¡¯ Abigail¡¯s breasts are even bigger than most women¡¯s. The Crown Prince would definitely flat chested. But Carter was fooled because of that face. Abigail¡¯s escort knight next to her kept giggling the whole time. *** For dessert, there were fruit tarts and apple pies. Then there were potatoes and various vegetables that had been dusted with flour and fried thinly. They had never seen such fried vegetables before, and the nobles were buzzing. ¡°Delicious! The tarts are great, but this is truly amazing.¡± Baron Wright couldn¡¯t help but marvel. He picked at the fried vegetables. The nobles were more interested in the new dessert than the mundane tart. Potatoes and sweet potatoes were usually avoided by the nobles because they were the lowest of the low. And yet it was a wonder they tasted so good. ¡°Father! Brother!¡± At that moment, Emma James accompanied by her maidservant came running in from afar. Unlike the aristocrat of her age, she was different. The gold necklace, bracelets, earrings, and hair decorations were shiny. ¡°It looked like Hans had collapsed and Emily had made dessert! She dusted it with flour and eggs and fried it in oil!¡± Emma usually hated vegetables, but fried vegetables with flour and eggs were very tasty. Emma was curious about the cooking method, so she ran to the kitchen to ask. Her cheeks, plump and fat at eighteen. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll have to fry vegetables like this from now on!¡± The sight of Emma adorned in gold brought more wrinkles to Count James¡¯ forehead. She wasn¡¯t bad looking, but there was definitely a reason why she didn¡¯t get any marriage proposals. Carter would inherit the count¡¯s title, but how much dowry would his daughter have to pay to get a match? ¡°I¡¯m going to go get some fresh air?¡± Abigail said and went out into the garden with her escort knight. Carter tried to follow, but was grabbed by Count James. ¡°Where are you going? Let¡¯s say hello to other young ladies.¡± ¡°As long as I have Abigail¡­¡± Count James hit Carter on the back of his head and grumbled. Carter couldn¡¯t help but follow Count James. Emma was busy eating her dessert. Baron Wright said as they ate their vegetable tempura together. ¡°I see that your chef Emily is quite good. Please introduce me to her later.¡± ¡°Of course! Baron.¡± Said Emma excitedly. *** ¡°You seemed to have fun out there.¡± The knight chuckled at Abigail¡¯s words. ¡°I believe the Count¡¯s son is about to propose to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Oliver.¡± The knight, who was called Oliver, stopped talking at the call. The trees around them were swaying and the sound of the wind was unusual. Abigail¡¯s eyes met Oliver¡¯s, and he took out his sword and said, ¡°One, two, three¡­ There are six. That¡¯s not good.¡± Before Oliver could finish, the shadows that had been hiding in the grass jumped out and started attacking them. Oliver began to fight, and Abigail also took out the dagger she had hidden in her dress. Meanwhile, Emily went outside to sharpen her knife. The kitchen was very crowded at the moment, so she wanted to sharpen her knives in the well to relax and enjoy the breeze. ¡°It¡¯s dark.¡± As she walked through the dark garden, illuminated by a lamp, she heard the sound of swords clashing. She turned her head toward the sound. Then she saw a young lady in a dress and a man trying to protect her, fighting with a sword. There were men with masks covering their faces, armed and ready to kill the woman and the man. Gasp. Emily hastily turned off the lamp. Nothing good would happen if she was caught watching.The man who seemed to be the Young Lady¡¯s knight was injured in the arm. The Lady was also fighting, not sitting still, but she seemed to be struggling. ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to help, right?¡± No matter how she looked at it, those men were suspicious, and if they weren¡¯t, why did they cover their faces with a mask? Emily took out the kitchen knife she had brought with her. It¡¯s an important cooking tool, but it was nothing compared to a human life. ¡°A knife is the basis of a cook¡¯s life, and only if you handle it well can you cook well.¡± Emily threw the knife at the men. The knife spun around and quickly approached the masked men. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Ah!!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± The knife flew hard at the back of one of the masked men¡¯s hands and hit it. The man missed the long sword he was holding. He held his arm and screamed as blood trickled down. Clank! The sword dropped to the floor. Oliver took the opportunity to try to subdue the men, but the masked men fled quickly. ¡°Who is it?¡± At the low voice, Emily stood up, thinking that she had heard that voice somewhere before. Emily was dressed in white and even wore a hat. It was a color that could be seen clearly in the dark, so she didn¡¯t look like an assassin. ¡°I¡¯m the kitchen assistant for this mansion. The young lady was in danger and I didn¡¯t think¡­¡± ¡°Did you learn sword fighting?¡± ¡°No, Lady.¡± Emily turned on the lamp. She picked up her knife from the floor, wiped the blood off with a towel, and placed it carefully in her knife pocket. Then she looked at the woman in the black dress, thinking she had a familiar voice. ¡°!¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¡®No way. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing this face again! But¡­can¡¯t be the Crown Prince. The person in front of me is definitely a woman.¡¯ Emily stared at the dark-haired beauty in front of her in confusion. The orange-headed and bespectacled person next to her seemed to be Oliver, the eldest son of Duke Garcia, the Crown Prince¡¯s escort knight. Oliver always went with Ryan. Emily, who had spied on Ryan every day in her previous life, recognized Oliver. Emily lowered her head. Even if he was the Crown Prince, he was no longer a part of her life. But her face turned red and her heart was pounding. ¡°I¡¯ll be going then.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Ryan¡¯s words made Emily stop in her tracks. ¡°You¡¯ve seen a lot. I can¡¯t just let you go.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°How can I believe that you¡¯re not with the killers?¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes became quite skeptical. Emily¡¯s physique looked too strong to just be a kitchen assistant. (*how big is she lol) Also she brought with her a knife at the same time of the struggle. Oliver stepped in. ¡°Yes. Who would use a kitchen knife like that? Pfft.¡± ¡°Ask the Count¡¯s butler¡­¡­ I¡¯m Emily, the kitchen assistant. I¡¯ve been working here for five years.¡± When she thought about it, she was framed for something she didn¡¯t do in her previous life. She pleaded innocent, but the Crown Prince didn¡¯t believe her. Emily glared at Ryan. Ryan looked at Emily, letting Oliver confirm. ¡°Why did you come here?¡± ¡°¡­ The kitchen is hectic, so I came here to sharpen the knife and get some fresh air.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a plausible excuse. Who sent you?¡± ¡°¡­No one sent me.¡± This was exactly the saying, ¡®If you save someone from drowning in the water, don¡¯t expect me to give you a wrapping cloth!¡¯* Emily gritted her teeth. (*I don¡¯t know the saying, if anyone knows please tell me.) She glared at him. ¡®I saved you, but you¡¯re being arrogant!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know grace either.¡± Emily was so frustrated that she stifled a burst of swearing at the Crown Prince. She hated him for it, including the memories of her past life. ¡®If I knew you were the Crown Prince, I wouldn¡¯t have helped you!¡¯ ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Said the Crown Prince. Emily stared at him as if he were an enemy, and Ryan wasn¡¯t open-minded enough to tolerate a commoner who was disrespectful. Their confrontational situation didn¡¯t last very long when Oliver brought the butler with him to make sure Emily was really a kitchen assistant. The butler looked at Emily and nodded his head. ¡°Emily! Why are you here? Young lady, she is the cook of this castle. She also made the dessert today.¡± ¡°Are you sure? ¡°Of course.¡± Ryan¡¯s eyes were shining dangerously, and the butler was terrified. The butler didn¡¯t know why a noblewoman with a beautiful face could be so rugged and deadly. The butler said, sweating. ¡°She¡¯s not a bad girl, even though she doesn¡¯t look very good.¡± ¡°I see. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to blame her just because she looks rugged.¡± Oliver patted Ryan on the shoulder. Ryan¡¯s face was serious. Emily¡¯s words earlier were hard to ignore. ¡®Arrogant. What? Ungrateful¡­.Ha¡­¡¯ Ryan pointed at Emily. Emily flinched as she remembered what she had just said. When the butler came in, she realized it. ¡°You¡¯re not going to fire me for talking to a nobleman like that, are you? I¡¯d like to go back to washing dishes now.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be taking care of me from now on. Butler, you¡¯re okay with that, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Please do.¡± The butler was about to say, ¡°But Emily is a chef,¡± but the mood seemed unusual, so he agreed with Ryan. It was Oliver who was taken aback by Ryan¡¯s words. He whispered to Ryan. ¡°Hey. What¡¯s wrong with you? There are so many mediocre kids here, why do you have to take this one?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± Ignoring Oliver¡¯s words, Ryan told Emily and turned around. Emily looked at the butler¡¯s face. When the butler nodded, she had no choice but to follow the Crown Prince. Ryan stayed in the room next to Baron Wright in the mansion. As soon as he entered, he took off his wig and threw it on the floor. When he took off the black wig, his hair was there, burning red like the sun. Ryan pointed to his shoulders. ¡°Massage my shoulders.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± When Ryan sat down in the chair, Emily stood up and rubbed his shoulders. His shoulders were hard. Oliver, who was watching them, stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to go heal my wound.¡± Oliver showed his bleeding arm and walked out. It must have been half an hour. Rumble. Emily¡¯s stomach clock chimed in the quiet room. Her face turned red from embarrassment. Today, the kitchen was too busy to eat anything. She was going to eat after sharpening the knife, but now she was caught by the Crown Prince. ¡°Oliver. Bring me some food.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Oliver answered quickly, as if he had been waiting outside the door. Still, Emily¡¯s face lit up at the thought of the Crown Prince worrying about her and ordering her some food. Emily sat still in front of the food she had brought. The Crown Prince picked up a piece of chicken with his fork and put it in front of Emily¡¯s mouth as he said, ¡°Here you go, say ah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Oh.¡± Emily had no choice but to do as he said, and the chicken slid easily into her mouth. Emily¡¯s face turned red. Before the regression, she was beautiful, so she accepted men¡¯s favors as a matter of course, but now she was an ugly woman. Emily was uncomfortable with this situation itself, feeling goosebumps all over her body. ¡°I¡­ I can do it myself.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. I can¡¯t be ungrateful.¡± ¡°Really¡­.I can do it.¡± ¡°I said no.¡± ¡°Oh, really! I don¡¯t want to! Do I not have arms or feet? I can eat it by myself!¡± Oops. Emily covered her mouth. How could a commoner talk to a nobleman like that? And he was the Crown Prince, too, although he hid his identity. The look of amusement on Ryan¡¯s face made Oliver look at him. ¡®Oh Ryan, you¡¯re a pervert.¡¯ Oliver swore at Ryan inside. Ryan seemed to like that child and tried to use her as his hands and feet. Oliver couldn¡¯t understand his taste, but Ryan liked unusual things since he was young. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve made a number of mistakes with me now ¡­¡­.¡± Emily quickly knelt down and lowered her head to the point of touching the floor. Emily¡¯s body shuddered. ¡°Lord¡­I have committed the sin of death.¡± ¡°The circumstances are suspicious, but you saved me anyway. So I tried to forgive you for your rude behavior, but¡­ You have destroyed my pride many times.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even if I die, I have nothing to say¡­¡± Emily closed her eyes, thinking she would probably die sooner this time. Her goal was to live longer, but?¡­.it was then that she heard Ryan¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡¯ll be my servant, working in the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°What?¡± Emily thought she had heard wrong and raised her head to look at the Crown Prince in front of her. Oliver said, ¡°That¡¯s enough of that,¡± and left the room. The Crown Prince looked around and said, putting one foot on the chair, brushing back his hair. His pose was like that of a stone statue in front of the Imperial Palace. It was usually done by heroes and kings. ¡°I am Ryan Frederick, Crown Prince of this country.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.yes.¡± Emily nodded. Ryan was perplexed by Emily¡¯s nonchalant reaction and said again. ¡°I¡¯m the Crown Prince of this country.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Emily blinked as she already knew. ¡®What do you want me to do?¡¯ When Ryan suddenly started to take off his dress, Emily didn¡¯t know where to turn her eyes. His flat chest and nipples were revealed. The bread that had formed his chest under the dress tumbled to the floor. Emily¡¯s face turned bright red. Ryan emphasized it again as he looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m a man.¡± ¡°Yes, you are ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really suspicious, aren¡¯t you?¡± Emily flinched by Ryan¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t want to be treated like she was in league with the assassins again. Emily¡¯s mind quickly turned around. ¡°Of course, even at a glance, Her Highness¡¯ amazing muscles didn¡¯t look like a woman¡¯s body! Who would be so radiant if their beauty wasn¡¯t royal?¡± Emily decided to praise the Crown Prince as much as she could. ¡®Have you ever seen anyone who doesn¡¯t like to be complimented?¡¯ Just then she heard Oliver, who was waiting outside the door, laugh. ¡°Hahahaha.¡± Oliver¡¯s laughter made Emily and Ryan¡¯s faces turn red. Ryan thought he was being deceived, but nodded because the servant¡¯s words seemed reasonable. ¡°¡­It¡¯s because of my shining beauty.¡± ¡°Hahahaha.¡± ¡°Oliver!¡± Ryan looked at Emily, warning Oliver. It was the color of Emily¡¯s eyes, the way she looked at him like she knew him from the first time they saw each other. Ryan didn¡¯t mind the way she looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re going to be my guard. You will train in swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Seeing you throw the knife, you have a talent for swords. Use it for me. Then you may become a nobleman. When I see your muscles, I also see your strength. Are you married? If you are married, you can bring your wife and children to the capital. I will prepare a house for you.¡± Apparently, the Crown Prince thought Emily was a man. Emily was at a loss as to how to explain. ¡°I¡¯m not married.¡± ¡°Oh, introduce yourself. I heard the butler call you something earlier.¡± ¡°My name is Emily. I¡¯m twenty years old.¡± ¡°You¡¯re younger than I thought. By the way, your name sounds like a woman¡¯s name.¡± ¡®Yes, I¡¯m a woman.¡¯ Emily looked up at the Crown Prince without saying a word. The Crown Prince misinterpreted Emily¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s alright. So what if your name is a woman¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Hahahaha.¡± ¡°Oliver.¡± ¡°Do you really think he¡¯s a man?¡± ¡°?¡± At Oliver¡¯s words, Ryan tilted his head and looked at Emily in front of him. Oliver went into the room at some point. With a mischievous look on his face, Oliver took Ryan¡¯s hand and shoved it completely inside Emily¡¯s jacket. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Something soft and warm was held across the cloth. Rubbing it with her fingers, Emily¡¯s nipples became harder and harder. ¡°Huh?¡± The feeling was strangely unfamiliar but not bad. Unlike men¡¯s nipples, women¡¯s nipples stuck out thick and hard. Ryan squeezed the protruding nipple with his thumb and forefinger. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Emily let out a low moan. Ryan pushed his face in further to check her breasts, and Emily had to stop him from putting his face close to her chest. Emily swung her hand reflexively. Slap! ???? (*I can¡¯t with this novel lol) Ryan turned his face away from Emily¡¯s slap. She actually tried to hit Oliver, but he avoided her hand and ducked behind Ryan. Emily¡¯s face was as hot as an active volcano. Ryan couldn¡¯t look at Emily. The innocent Crown Prince, who had never touched a woman¡¯s body before, fiddled her nipple with his hand. He could still feel it in his hands. ¡®Those soft breasts and hard nipples¡­¡¯ He hesitated and looked at Emily, unsure of what to say. The feeling was oddly good, but he had to deny it. Touching a woman¡¯s breasts recklessly would be a disservice to the Crown Prince. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do it.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it was your intention or not. It made me uncomfortable and I have no intention of going to the palace. If I was disrespectful to Your Highness, Your Highness was disrespectful to me too, so let¡¯s end this.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a woman in the first place.¡± At Oliver¡¯s words, Emily glared at him as if wanting to kill him. Oliver jerked and hid again. Emily stood up quickly. ¡°I have to go to work tomorrow, so I¡¯ll go home now.¡± ¡°Going to work? You belong to me. Didn¡¯t I say so to the butler? And your math is wrong.¡± As Emily turned to go, Ryan regained his composure. Whether this girl was a woman or a man, he had to catch her. He couldn¡¯t let her ability go to waste either. And most importantly, it would be fun to have her around. ¡°I can look down on you, but you can¡¯t look down on me.¡± Emily clenched her fist tightly at Ryan¡¯s words. The one who stood at the top of all humans was the royal family. And the one who reigned over that royal family was selfish in nature. ¡°If you follow me, I can give you anything you want.¡± Your Highness can¡¯t give me what I want.¡± ¡°Oliver.¡± Oliver sighed and said to Ryan. ¡°According to what I¡¯ve been able to find out, Emily¡¯s parents Jackson and Anna live here, as well as her six siblings.¡± Ryan smiled and said to Emily. ¡°If your parents suddenly have an accident¡­.. Your siblings would be sold to slave traders¡­¡­I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll love it¡­.¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7 *** Sponsored by Curufin. Thank you ???? (4/7) *** Ryan¡¯s mouth lifted in a sneer. His red hair and red eyes looked like he was a demon that had come up from hell to the human world. ¡®I knew the Crown Prince was unpopular, but I didn¡¯t know his humanity was so lousy that he would even make such a threat¡­¡¯ Oliver saw the serious look on Emily¡¯s face and felt sorry for doing a background check on her. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. The Crown Prince¡¯s Guard is well paid. And look at you, do you think you¡¯ll get married somewhere with that face? If you save your money, you will get someone who is blinded by money.¡± (???? oh Oliver) ¡°¡­¡­Master Oliver.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯d like to remind you that I still have this in my hands.¡± ???? Emily stared at Oliver as she patted the kitchen knife in her pocket. Oliver nodded, feeling fear in her cold gaze. Emily stared at Ryan, and Ryan¡¯s eyes wriggled. ¡®That gaze. Why do those eyes bother me so much?¡¯ It was because of those eyes that he was eventually going to bring her under his control. He even made threats that didn¡¯t fit his nature. There were many people who wanted to be his guards and maids. And yet, he couldn¡¯t figure out why he wanted to take her. It didn¡¯t matter if she was a man or a woman. He just felt kind of damp and he wanted to keep her close to him. He didn¡¯t know why. ¡®Why does she stare at me so bitterly? I¡¯d like to know why.¡¯ Ryan stared at her. Her face was very ugly, and she didn¡¯t look much like a woman. He had never seen a woman so muscular before. He couldn¡¯t believe she threw such a big knife, not a small dagger. It was also precisely aligned with the back of the hand of the assassin. Power and precision. She had it in her. It was a shame to waste that talent. ¡®Yeah. It¡¯s just that.¡¯ Besides, it was refreshing to see a commoner with so much pride, standing up to the nobility and speaking so informally. ¡®Is it possible that she is a fallen nobility?¡¯ Emily was not afraid of nobles. She seemed to ignore them, even the Crown Prince himself. Ryan, curious about Emily¡¯s past, decided to keep her close to him. This is going to be interesting. ¡®Keep her by my side, she¡¯ll expose every detail of it.¡¯ Emily said in a heavy tone. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can be your guard. ¡­. Because I have something I want to do.¡± Emily thought for a moment. She developed her dream, admiring chef Hans. But she knew it would never come true. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If I have to go to the Imperial Palace, then so be it. I¡¯m going to the Imperial Palace Chef!¡± She looked at the Crown Prince with sparkling eyes. Suddenly the Crown Prince looked like a wad of cash, and she rubbed her eyes in surprise. ¡°I can¡¯t give up my profession, cooking, and I¡¯m sure my cooking will be of great use to His Highness the Crown Prince!¡± ¡®Yes, indeed! In fact, if I¡¯m going to the Imperial Palace again, I¡¯d rather be a cook. And it would be very easy for the Crown Prince to get me in there! And if I were to become a chef, I wouldn¡¯t have to look at that face every day¡­¡¯ To become a chef at the Imperial Palace, she needed a recommendation from a noble with connections to the palace and an introduction fee. The word was an introduction fee, but it was a bribe for personnel petition. The Crown Prince had the power to let her in. The Crown Prince smiled as he saw Emily¡¯s shady mind. ¡°¡­ If you wish it that way¡­ I guess¡­ I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Emily happily shouted. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t forget to train in sword fighting, and if you go to the Imperial Palace, don¡¯t forget to go to the performance hall at the crack of dawn every day.¡± Emily was flattered by Ryan¡¯s words. Physical training was a daily thing, but after all, didn¡¯t the Crown Prince make her his guard? ¡®Let¡¯s think positively. Let¡¯s just assume I¡¯ll be learning self-defense.¡¯ Emily thought to herself. ¡®I¡¯m the Imperial Chef with muscles.¡¯ ¡®Hmm, with a little help from the Crown Prince, I¡¯ll probably become an Imperial Chef. With that title, I will have no trouble earning. Like Chef Hans, I may be invited to a certain nobleman¡¯s residence and will do well in the kitchen.¡± Oliver couldn¡¯t understand Emily¡¯s delight. He asked Ryan. ¡°Do the chefs at the Imperial Palace get paid more than the Crown Prince¡¯s Guard?¡± ¡°How can I know what you don¡¯t know?¡± ???? Ryan replied brusquely. Oliver stared pathetically at a delighted Emily. Already Emily seemed to be expanding her imagination. ¡®¡­By the way, for what it¡¯s worth, she looks like an idiot. I¡¯m sure the guard job will do it anyway. Why do you have to buy the hardship?¡¯ Oliver thought. ¡°Bring some alcohol. It¡¯s a good day, let¡¯s have a drink.¡± At Ryan¡¯s words, Oliver called his servant to bring him some drinks and food. *** On a quiet and dark night when everyone was asleep, silence flowed inside a luxury inn. A man, sitting gracefully at a round table made of luxurious wood and drinking black tea, drew a face. ¡°¡­What? You failed?¡± Masked men on their knees couldn¡¯t raise their heads. There was a stab wound on the back of one of the men¡¯s hands. The one who appeared to be the captain spoke desperately. ¡°I¡¯ve committed a crime of death. If you give me one more chance¡­¡± The silver-haired man shook his head as if he was disappointed. He sighed after another sip of black tea. The man spoke to the expressionless man who stood silently next to him. ¡°Wyatt.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Kill them all.¡±¡± A man called Wyatt pulled out a sword and quickly slashed the necks of the kneeling masked men. It was so sleek that it was invisible to the eyes. -slash! ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Gasp.¡± The masked men bled to death on the spot, unable to speak. The man who killed them was Wyatt Becker. He was the illegitimate son of Baron Becker. He entered the military as an adopted son of a baron who now has no children. He tied his long hair with a hair tie reminiscent of lavender. Unlike his beautiful face, he was wearing blood all over his body, and the silver-haired man was enjoying Wyatt¡¯s appearance. He looked more beautiful with blood splashing on the purple buds. Matthew touched Wyatt¡¯s bloody hair. ¡°Wyatt, open your mouth¡±. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± When Wyatt opened his mouth, Matthew¡¯s tongue came inside. Wyatt got goosebumps because it felt like a snake¡¯s tongue came in and stirred. Matthew¡¯s hand stroked Wyatt¡¯s behind. When he stroked his front, Wyatt hurriedly stepped back. ¡°Master Matthew¡­¡± Wyatt was taken aback. He was a man and Matthew was also a man. Matthew looked at the blood on his clothes and told Wyatt. ¡°¡­ You got blood on me, too. Wyatt. Hurry up and wash up.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Wyatt entered the bathroom with trembling legs. Matthew glanced at Wyatt and smelled Wyatt¡¯s body scent left in his hand as he disappeared from sight. As the front of his pants became harder, Matthew put his hand into his pants and released his hardened manhood. ¡°Oh, my Wyatt¡­¡± When he grabbed the pillar several times and shook it, the seeds shot out. Matthew was in shame when he saw the seeds on his palm. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m feeling this way to a man¡­It¡¯s all because he¡¯s so pretty for a man. You¡¯re my hound anyway, so you have to be with me until you die.¡¯ He didn¡¯t intend to have a relationship with a man. Matthew didn¡¯t have such a hobby, but he sometimes couldn¡¯t control himself when he saw Wyatt¡¯s physique. However, seeing Wyatt has the same private part as him, that idea was likely to disappear immediately. A servant carefully approached. He called Matthew, who seemed to be lost in thought alone. ¡°Master Matthew¡­ What should I do with the body?¡± Matthew Lewis, the eldest son of Duke Lewis. The Empress of Cernia was his aunt. Having gold eyes and shiny silver hair that seemed to have been sprinkled with silver, he was popular as the successor of Duke Lewis. However, he was so cold and indifferent that it was difficult for people to access. Matthew frowned at the words of the servant. ¡°Take care of it on your own. Do I have to pay attention to everything?¡± The servant could not grasp the situation well as it was very unfamiliar and scary. What was scarier was the son of the Duke who directed murder at random. He shook his hands and began to pack the bodies. ¡°Should I have used first-class assassins even if it took time?¡± Matthew had a headache. It was difficult to obtain information that the Crown Prince would only bring Oliver here, but he couldn¡¯t believe this happened. When he went to the capital, he had a headache about what excuses to make to his father. Before the assassins died, they said something about a knight. Was it Count James¡¯ personal knight? However, even if the private soldier was raised, the Count did not have enough money to keep the knights. Or was it the Prince¡¯s Guard? He might have accompanied him secretly. Then it¡¯d be dangerous. If they followed, the inn here might have been discovered. Matthew¡¯s face became contemplated. He grabbed Wyatt¡¯s hand and spoke urgently after taking a shower. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a Duke!¡± *** Next day. Carter James woke up early in the morning. Usually, I woke up late in the afternoon, but today he woke up even though no one woke him up. He wore the most colorful clothes he had and knocked on Abigail¡¯s door. (*Abigail is the Crown Prince) Knock knock knock ¡°Miss Abigail. It¡¯s Carter James. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll escort you to the dining room.¡± Suddenly, he heard a loud noise in the room, then it became quiet. Carter was a little worried. ¡°Is this too early for Young Lady?¡± But it was lunchtime soon. Carter¡¯s first attempt at a noble lady, he wondered if he had made a mistake. ¡®It takes time to dress up for a lady¡­.¡¯ ¡°Hey. Miss Abigail, if I came too early¡­¡± ¡°No, Master Carter.¡± The door opened, and Abigail appeared with Oliver, the escort knight. Emily was standing next to them. The three looked haggard with a hangover thanks to drinking and sleeping late last night. When Emily saw Carter, she suddenly felt nauseous and rushed to the bathroom. ¡°What¡¯s with him?¡± (They still think Emily is a man lol) ¡°¡­ He came to my service yesterday. I like him, so I¡¯m going to keep him around.¡± Carter was surprised to see Emily. Emily was very useful for venting his anger, but he was embarrassed to touch her due to the recent ups and downs. Carter, who was weak against the strong and strong against the weak, was instinctively reluctant to Emily. ¡®He probably didn¡¯t say anything bad to Miss Abigail about me, did he?¡¯ Come to think of it, Abigail¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good. It was also strange that the smell of alcohol vibrated in the room. ¡®Miss Abigail can¡¯t drink, so that commoner knight and Emily must have been drinking.¡¯ Carter concluded on his own and gently grabbed Abigail¡¯s hand. ¡°Shall we go?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Ryan looked at Carter¡¯s hair. It was shiny with so much oil he had applied. Moreover, he used so much perfume and Emily smelled it and ran to the bathroom. ¡®Since Count James is stuck in the mansion and lives in seclusion, his son and daughter are also immersed in the country land, and the countryside is flowing with rusticness.¡¯ Carter was violent, but he looked naive and foolish, so it was unlikely that it would be a fight with aristocrats like a thousand-year-old raccoon in the capital. ¡®This will be a fight between Maltese and Doberman. Maybe I should get them out there.¡¯ Count James, Emma James, and Baron Wright were already sitting in the dining room. Emma James was sitting next to Baron Wright and explaining things to him with a passionate face.