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Chapter 1
It Was a Childcare Story
“D-Da…dda!”
A baby with honey-blonde hair and fresh green eyes beamed brightly.
From dull black hair to striking red eyes, the man—who didn’t resemble the child at all—curved one corner of his lips upward.
“…You’re smiling. Without even knowing your fate.”
At that moment, I realized the genre of this romance fantasy.
Ah… this is a childcare story.
I thought it was one of those “Northern Duke male lead” stories.
Go Joo-eun, 25 years old.
A full-fledged job seeker who had spent a year after graduating college—ended up in a traffic accident.
On a green light. Perfectly fine. Just crossing the street.
It happened right as the person next to me played a video on their phone—an ad came on.
—“After enrolling in Korea Cyber University, my golden days began!”
A CM song that tugged at the heartstrings of every Korean job seeker rang out. Without realizing it, I almost hummed along.
Should I go back to school? It was so catchy it practically brainwashed you.
It was late February, when the cold wind still cut through you. And I had just been rejected from the one and only final interview I’d passed.
I believed the saying, “As long as it’s in Seoul, it’s fine,” and graduated from a mediocre university. Turns out, that didn’t apply to humanities majors. Everyone had the same specs as me.
—“After enrolling in Korea Cyber University, my life bloomed!”
The forbidden exam song wrapped up cheerfully. As the cold wind smacked the back of my neck, I thought:
Will my life really bloom…?
And then—bang.
I must have died instantly.
Because when I opened my eyes again, I had become a twelve-year-old girl named “Annie.”
“Ah, Annie! You finally woke up!”
“Aaaannie… sob… waaah…”
It was definitely a language I’d never heard before—but I understood it perfectly. Thanks to Annie’s memories.
“I thought I’d lose you like your mother. Thank you, oh God…”
The person hugging me and crying—I’d never seen her before, yet I knew exactly who she was.
Beth Carter. My mother’s best friend. Mid-thirties. The one who had raised Annie for 12 years.
“Waaah… I thought I’d never get to play with you again…!”
The girl sobbing beside her was Holly Carter. Beth’s daughter. Thirteen. She had grown up in the same house as Annie since birth—more like a sister, now even a roommate.
With reddish-brown curly hair, chestnut eyes, a round nose, and slightly upturned lips—she looked just like a poodle.
Annie’s mother, Sarah, had been a maid for the Grand Ducal House of Trisen. She gave birth at twenty and died of a fever soon after.
Annie had suffered the same symptoms—but woke up after five days.
With someone else inside her.
So this is what they call transmigration?
As for Annie’s biological father—unknown. No marriage contract, no surname.
It wasn’t unusual for commoners in this world to have no family name, but… Sarah’s early death was probably because of that bastard. Damn him.
Annie had followed her mother’s path and was raised to be a maid. Maybe it ran in the family—she was naturally suited for it.
And… surprisingly, so was I.
It felt like I had finally discovered a talent I never found in my previous life.
Like someone born to be a rickshaw puller being born in an era where rickshaws no longer exist—my talent only made sense in a medieval noble household.
Well, not exactly medieval—medieval-style.
If I had to deal with literal chamber pots being thrown out of windows after living in the 21st century, I’d be depressed.
But this world, blending medieval aesthetics, modern romance, and a bit of convenience—was manageable.
To think I achieved the dream of 800,000 job seekers overnight.
Ta-da—die once and wake up employed!
A job perfectly suited for me!
Lifetime employment if I behave!
Three meals a day! Uniform provided! Even a room with no rent!
Is this the legendary transmigration buff?
The more I scrubbed and polished the grand castle, the more my worn-out unemployed mind healed. Repetitive labor was surprisingly therapeutic.
But the real game-changer for quality of life was something else.
An incredibly strong body!
A well-trained twelve-year-old body!
Waking up before dawn with ease, climbing dozens of stairs without losing breath—this was nothing like my weak old body that needed five alarms and gasped for life without escalators.
My previous life ended pathetically.
So this time, I’d live long and healthy—with strong core muscles!
Sure, the class system sucked—but it wasn’t all that different from before. Bowing to someone who feeds you and pays you regularly? I can handle that.
Especially since my master wasn’t just anyone.
The Trisen territory was in the northern part of the Catreyan Empire. Rivers, plains, mountains—all his land. Huge.
The main stronghold was Kerun Fortress, unconquered for over a century. In the dazzling white “Moonmist Castle,” the Trisen family and servants resided.
Long, brutal winters. Short, cool summers.
And beyond the castle walls—snowy mountains crawling with monsters.
Yes. Monsters.
This wasn’t Earth.
My master hunted those monsters—a Sword Master. The kind who could slice rocks with aura.
Poor Annie had seen him a few times, drenched in blood, and trembled, wondering if he was a monster himself.
My reaction?
“Wow. A Northern Duke male lead.”
A friend introduced me to romance fantasy in high school. I didn’t read much, but I knew one thing—Northern Dukes were the classic male leads.
And my master… was exactly that.
A face blessed by the gods.
A body forged like steel.
A cold personality.
Black hair, red eyes—perfect.
I’d never heard his name before, but he could easily be the protagonist of some romance novel.
But it had nothing to do with me.
Annie was basically Maid No. 82.
Brown hair, brown eyes, rough hands—a young maid.
Unless I somehow got promoted to the heroine’s personal maid, I’d never even get mentioned.
Whether the Northern Duke fell in love or became obsessively possessive—I didn’t care.
I had all of Annie’s memories.
I wasn’t borrowing her life.
I was Annie.
This was my life.
I was too busy planning how much money to save and what kind of retirement to have.
My plain, gentle appearance—once Annie’s insecurity—was actually perfect for a maid. I wouldn’t stand out.
Maybe I’d get used for poisoning someone? Nah. If he’s a Sword Master, he’d just cut their head off himself.
Let’s just do my job properly.
Save money. Avoid trouble. Build core strength. Live long and peacefully.
Perfect.
…At least, that’s what I thought back then.
“Annie! Annie! A carriage just arrived in the garden! I think it’s a guest!”
It was a sunny autumn afternoon.
Holly, who had been peeking out the window while I cleaned decorations in the reception room, made a fuss.
She loved making up stories. The first few times, I got excited thinking things like, “A southern heroine proposing a contract marriage?” But not anymore.
“Really? What kind of lady this time?”
“Hmm… I can’t see clearly…”
I should’ve noticed something was off.
“Call the Grand Duke.”
That line—clearly signaling an incident—was followed by the entrance of a beautiful woman with bright blonde hair and green eyes.
Anyone could tell she was from the South.
“You mustn’t cause such a disturbance!”
The butler Rupert followed behind, holding a baby.
About one year old? Clearly resembling the beautiful woman.
The baby, though held by a stranger, didn’t cry—just quietly looked around.
“…I won’t leave until the Grand Duke comes.”
The woman sat down firmly on the sofa.
“A beautiful woman. With a baby. From the South.”
My dormant romance-fantasy senses started flashing red.
Run.
Naturally. With a water bucket.
But the only exit was blocked.
A massive man, like a dark beast, stood there.
The Northern Grand Duke, Aeon Trisen.
Damn it.
His black cloak—more suited to a mercenary king than a noble—was soaked in blood. Must’ve just returned from hunting monsters.
The dripping blood on the floor… we’d have to clean that.
Still, at least he didn’t seem like he’d sit down.
Standing tall with arms crossed, observing the woman…
Very Northern Duke-like. Deadly.
“Ann… Annie…”
Holly nudged me. I had stared too long at his suffocating beauty.
I quickly lowered my head.
And then—
“That’s your child.”
A bombshell dropped.
Now I knew why my romance-fantasy senses had been quiet.
Aeon had already been married twice in his early twenties. At twenty-eight, he was a divorced man with two children.
Even if he’s a ridiculously attractive Northern Duke, a story where he raises someone else’s kids?
No thanks.
And now—there’s a third?!
“#PassionateMan” is supposed to go with “#FaithfulMan,” but this guy was just “#Playboy.” Disqualified as a male lead!
In the tense silence—
He chuckled.
“How do I know it’s true?”
The woman replied calmly,
“Because at the time, I was only with you.”
Aeon’s voice dropped, cold and threatening.
“Use that kind of address again, and you might lose your head.”
Getting a death threat right in front of a Northern Duke… I’d have had a heart attack.
“It is your child. You can confirm it.”
She didn’t back down.
In this world, temples could verify parentage.
It cost a fortune—maybe ten years of my salary.
After a moment of silence, Aeon let out a low laugh…
