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Chapter 1
There were black clouds over her life.
Even though it was clearly daytime, when she looked up at the sky—huh? There was no sunlight at all. Only pitch-black darkness greeted her.
Maybe it was just because she had her eyes closed that she couldn’t see anything.
Why was she closing her eyes? Because life was so distant, so absurdly hopeless that it didn’t even deserve to be looked at directly.
Around and around, always back to the same place. Harriet, having reached the conclusion that life was utterly pointless, struggled to keep her consciousness from fading.
“There are many rooms in the Sinia Palace.”
The emperor, twirling strands of silvery hair like fine silk between his fingers, looked like a painting come to life.
If those beautiful lips hadn’t been saying her name, Harriet might have even applauded him out of admiration.
“You could easily stay there without anyone noticing another maid living there.”
His thick eyelashes fluttered.
When he slowly closed and opened his eyes, his gaze settled directly on her.
“Harriet Brown, stay in the Sinia Palace. Near me.”
Maybe she should just faint.
Harriet squeezed her eyes shut.
If she fainted and woke up again, wouldn’t all of this just disappear?
“Your Majesty, that is…!”
“What’s the problem with a maid I like staying in my quarters?”
There are many problems, Your Majesty. Very big problems.
Harriet only let the words swirl inside her mouth.
Why was the sworn enemy of the Swan Empire’s emperor standing in front of her? And why was he telling her to stay in his residence?
Explaining all of that would take a long time.
It all started the day after she published a provocative article about the emperor.
Harriet Brown—who had been a bestselling author until the previous day, only to become a traitor who had angered the emperor—stared blankly into space while leaning against her bedhead.
“Life.”
She repeated it in her mind.
The drastic change in status played a part, but there was something even more urgent that she had encountered that morning.
After rummaging through her wallet and turning her entire house upside down, she had finally accepted reality.
“I’m broke.”
Her hands trembled.
She should never have quit her job the moment she saw her new book royalties.
Or maybe she shouldn’t have provoked the emperor at all!
“If I collect the royalties, I’ll get money… but then the whole world will find out I’m Elliot Dark.”
She had kept her pen name hidden from her family and relatives, hoping to reveal her success only after she had truly made it.
She had communicated with publishers only by letter and received small royalty payments through anonymous post office boxes set up by magazines and publishing houses.
That unintended secrecy had helped her maintain anonymity—so far.
But once she claimed the royalties for her latest book, her identity would definitely be exposed.
Money was right there in front of her—but she couldn’t touch it.
Harriet wept inwardly.
She stared gloomily at four bills rolling on the table.
That was her entire fortune—enough to survive two weeks.
‘If I’m careful, maybe even three weeks?’
If she ate just two pieces of bread a day and filled up on water… maybe she could stretch it. And find a job within three weeks. Surely she wouldn’t starve to death, right?
‘Let’s go back to the count’s household I quit.’
I’ll just say I was temporarily insane and ask for my job back.
Pride? What did pride matter when she was about to starve?
Thus she mentally rebuilt her future plan.
But as someone once said—misfortune comes in clusters.
Ding—
“Miss Brown, please open the door. I know you’re inside.”
The sharp voice piercing through the doorbell made Harriet instinctively check the calendar.
February 21st.
‘Oh God.’
She called out to a deity she rarely remembered.
“Miss Brown?”
“Yes, yes! I’m opening it!”
The moment she opened the door, her strict landlady shot her a sharp look.
A gaze that accused her of making someone wait unnecessarily.
‘It hasn’t even been thirty seconds!’
Harriet blocked the landlady’s attempt to peek inside the room with her body and forced a mask-like smile.
“What brings you here?”
“What brings me here?”
The landlady’s voice rose.
“I came to collect rent. You should pay on time, shouldn’t you? Were you planning to completely forget until I showed up? I thought you were a reliable tenant since you never missed rent, Miss Brown.”
“Oh my, I’m sorry. I was just about to bring it out!”
There was no way she could miss rent day—the landlady came knocking first thing in the morning!
Harriet turned around as if her soul were leaving her body.
Her trembling hand held out most of her remaining money—three bills.
If she didn’t pay immediately, this merciless landlady would throw her out into the freezing cold.
The wind outside slammed against the window like an angry beast. If she slept outside tonight, she would freeze to death.
The landlady snatched the bills and counted them.
Only after confirming the amount did her tone soften.
“Are you cold? Why are you shaking?”
“Ah… haha. Yes, it’s cold. I should add more coal to the stove.”
“It’s almost spring. Don’t overdo it—too much coal damages the stove, and repairs cost money.”
This woman would probably say even my corpse disposal costs money.
A vein throbbed on Harriet’s forehead, but she swallowed her anger.
After the landlady left, Harriet slumped against the doorway.
Now she had one bill left.
‘I can buy four pieces of bread. One a day… I can survive four days.’
“Ah, Miss Brown.”
“Yes?!”
Why are you back again?!
Harriet straightened up quickly.
“I saw your mailbox was overflowing. Check it and empty it. Do I have to tell you everything?”
It’s only been three days!
Harriet suppressed the urge to scream.
After the landlady finally left for good, Harriet sighed and headed downstairs.
Her room was on the fourth floor.
In the mailbox, there were only three items.
She checked them lazily.
Two letters and one telegram.
First, the telegram.
“Urgent visit requested.”
Sender: Count Pailen’s household.
Harriet tilted her head.
“What’s going on?”
She had planned to go there anyway, but they had never contacted her first before.
Next, a tax notice.
This cursed kingdom took taxes every month while providing nothing in return.
Her reckless actions from yesterday suddenly felt deeply regrettable.
Maybe Penelope’s furious words about ruining her life had become a prophecy fulfilled in less than a day.
“Maybe I should add a prophet character in my next novel.”
She muttered this as escapist thinking and collapsed into a chair.
The final letter made her head throb.
The handwriting was familiar.
Her mother.
She already knew what it would say.
“I’m proud you’re working as a maid for a noble family. Any good news? No affairs, but widowers or divorced men are fine. Titles cover all flaws…”
If this had arrived two days earlier, she would have opened it without hesitation.
And proudly replied:
“My daughter’s book is displayed on the bestseller shelf.”
“Damn emperor.”
If he had nothing better to do, he should focus on his own people instead of a small kingdom’s books.
So much for being a wise ruler.
