BFKOM 01

Chapter 01 …

“Lorelia Leon.”

As her name was called, a thunderous cheer swept through the crowd.

“I hereby appoint you as the first Divine Beast Guardian.”

On the dais stood a woman wearing a reluctant expression. Her thick, wavy, vermilion hair trembled slightly.

“A glorious moment that will be recorded in the Empire’s history.”

A golden insignia was pinned onto her chest. Even the tail ornament was made of luxurious red silk.

“…Thank you?”

Her tone lifted slightly at the end, and the Emperor’s eyebrow twitched once.

Even after receiving such honor and a prestigious title, the woman did not look particularly pleased.

“Lorelia Leon, continue to devote yourself to your duty as a Divine Beast Guardian for the Empire.”

“…I will do so?”

Her tone still rose at the end.

“Lorelia Leon!”

“The great Divine Beast Guardian!”

People below the dais threw flowers toward her.

Beautiful petals scattered through the air like a painting.

“Then we will proceed with a commemorative crystal recording.”

One, two, three.

Inside the crystal, Lorelia Leon—forcing the corners of her mouth into a smile—was captured in a large, prominent image.

Thus, the Empire’s first and one-of-a-kind Divine Beast Guardian was born.

Not by choice, but by force.

The fragrant aroma of coffee with rising steam, warm sunlight streaming through a large glass window, a serene landscape outside, and freshly cleaned bedding.

“Mmm, this coffee tastes good.”

As expected, this peaceful moment of enjoying a leisurely morning coffee was the happiest time.

A thin curtain fluttered gently in the spring breeze. Watching it swaying calmly naturally brought a smile to my face.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

A mass of black fur cut through the tranquil scenery, followed by a high-pitched scream that shattered the calm.

“Lord Kalian did it again!”

“Catch it immediately! Hurry!”

“Kyaaak, it pulled my hair out!”

I calmly sipped the still-hot coffee. The beans here really were exceptional. I had never tasted coffee this good in my life.

“Lord Kalian! Don’t go over the wall!”

“Call Lorelia, call Lorelia! Quickly!”

As expected.

The coffee you drink before a noisy morning begins… is always the best.

It didn’t take long to get used to days like this.

I had wanted to work as a nurse at an animal hospital.

I knew how difficult it was to treat and care for animals that couldn’t communicate, but I loved spending time with them.

Unconditional love.

Blind affection.

Love that does not abandon me.

Having been abandoned by my parents and raised in an orphanage, I loved the affection animals gave me. I chose an animal hospital because I wanted to return the love I once received from children.

But in an era of severe job shortages, no animal hospital would hire someone with only a high school diploma.

【Only experienced applicants may apply.】

Frustrated, I threw my mouse after seeing job postings that all looked like copies of each other.

Thinking, ‘If they only hire experienced workers, where are beginners supposed to gain experience?!’

Then I found a job posting that had been up for quite a long time. No deadline, no requirement for experience or education.

“This is it!”

Without hesitation I submitted my résumé, and within an hour I received a message stating I had passed the document screening. The interview was scheduled for the very next day.

After hurriedly preparing, I went to the animal hospital—and it was strangely empty.

Literally empty.

When I entered the hospital, which felt like it didn’t even have flies, a man in a blue suit greeted me with an awkward smile.

“Welcome. Interview. Congratulations.”

A strangely structured greeting.

And the interview hadn’t even started yet—what exactly was I being congratulated for?

During the interview, the man in the blue suit asked meaningless questions. Before I even finished opening the door after the interview, he sent me a message.

【♨Accepted. Congratulations on your interview. ☎ Start immediately ♥ Good. Thank you. ♡ ▶↖^0^↗】

An… extremely strange person.

But it was the animal hospital I had dreamed of, wasn’t it? A small, warm place filled with loveable animals I could care for with my own hands.

Even after receiving such a bizarre acceptance message, I happily prepared the clothes I would wear the next day and hung them neatly on the doorknob before going to sleep.

‘So bright…….’

Did I leave the light on?

Living in a semi-basement studio meant I rarely ever saw sunlight, so I almost never woke up to bright light unless I slept with the light on.

Rubbing my heavy eyes, I sat up.

“……”

I was speechless.

A bedroom straight out of a medieval romance webtoon filled my vision.

I pinched my cheek repeatedly and even hit my head a few times. If this was a dream, I needed to wake up quickly. Today was my first and very important day of work.

“Ow!”

But I didn’t wake up. This was already reality.

Suddenly, titles of web novels I used to read flashed through my mind like a montage.

‘How to Live as a Duke’s Lady After Regression,’ or ‘I Became Possessed by a Count’s Daughter.’

Maybe some god of another world, pitying my miserable unemployed life, had sent me here?

Wearing jewel-studded dresses, attending social gatherings, falling in love with a handsome male lead, and eventually living happily ever after—

It didn’t take long to realize that was my arrogant misunderstanding.

“New recruits, please gather in the hall!”

A loud voice echoed from outside.

And the moment I stood in front of a mirror—

“……What?”

A small, thin body, unnecessarily long wavy vermilion hair, pink eyes impossible for a Korean, and pale skin that looked like it had never seen sunlight. So far, not bad.

But this ridiculously oversized uniform—what even is this?

“U, uwaaaah!”

I had been scammed into employment by the man in the blue suit.

“New recruits, please sit in the chairs labeled with your names!”

The hall was chaotic.

Some looked excited, others had sour faces as if they had been dragged there unwillingly. Around thirty people gathered, like a classroom.

“Come on, quickly find your seats. The briefing will begin soon!”

I wandered around, being pushed left and right by people searching for seats.

Why?

Because…

‘What is my name?’

No matter how much I looked, there was no trace of the name “Seojun Won.” Only names like Regina, Cecilia Orgon, Serna, and others.

After twenty-nine recruits had taken their seats, I finally found an empty spot and hurriedly sat down.

‘Lorelia Leon.’

That was the name written on my uniform tag.

“From today, new recruits will stay in the dormitories provided at the Divine Beast Management Office. Although it belongs to the Crown Prince’s palace, it is separate from the palace itself, so there will be no danger.”

After that, an explanation I had never heard before continued.

“Each recruit will be assigned a young Divine Beast. Any questions?”

Excited recruits raised their hands one after another.

“Will we be assigned dangerous Divine Beasts?”

“New recruits are not assigned those. Next.”

“Th-then… will we be assigned c-cute Divine Beasts?”

“…It depends on preference. Next.”

The Q&A continued for a long time.

“Now, if there are no more questions, I will continue.”

I just listened blankly among them. I had nothing to ask. The Crown Prince’s palace, Divine Beasts, even this tacky uniform—I knew nothing about any of it.

“You will receive a Divine Beast from your mentor and follow the guide sheet to care for it. If you have questions, ask your mentor. They will kindly explain. Also, you must never leave the Divine Beast Management Office during working hours. Unless you want to be fired for abandoning your post.”

The strange administrator paused, then stepped forward again.

“Oh, I almost forgot the most important part.”

She said firmly:

“While working here, you must absolutely, absolutely never go anywhere near the Crown Prince’s palace. You must not encounter His Highness under any circumstances.”

【Name: Kalian
Type: Black Panther Divine Beast
Trait: ……fierceness?】

The creature I was assigned was a black panther with bristling dark fur.

When I received the sleeping bundle from my mentor, I nearly popped my eyes out.

‘A predator?’

A wild baby beast, something I would only see in a National Geographic documentary, was sleeping peacefully in my arms. Of course I was shocked.

But still…

“So cute……”

Soft fur, a jet-black nose, a triangular mouth, and plump paw pads.

Even though I had been thrown into a strange place and landed a strange job, the cuteness of this so-called Divine Beast named Kalian melted away my doubts like cotton candy.

“Right… what does it matter if I didn’t become a rich count’s lady?”

This place lets me take care of something this adorable.

I had no attachment left to my previous life where I was only ever abandoned. Having been left by my parents and raised alone, the only comfort I had in the orphanage was a stray dog with no owner.

‘Hey. Are you alone too?’

‘Woof!’

We became inseparable friends, and I named him “Chul-i.” He stayed by my side from when I was four until I left the orphanage at eighteen.

‘Are you… hurt somewhere?’

Even though I had to start living alone with just 2 million won, I wasn’t afraid as long as Chul-i was with me. Or so I thought. But…

‘…Thank you.’

Chul-i left me as suddenly as if it were a lie. Alone again, I struggled to survive. I wanted to share the unconditional love I had received from him with other animals.

So I decided that this place would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to return that love—to love animals freely.

That is what I thought.

Until Kalian opened his eyes.

There’s an old saying:

“Don’t judge by appearances.”

“You’ll get stabbed in the back.”

Kalian was exactly that kind of being. If you were fooled by his cute, soft appearance, a horrifying hell awaited.

As the sun slowly set, Kalian—who had been sleeping so deeply that no one would notice if he were carried away—slowly opened his eyes, looking disheveled.

‘Already this late……’

Checking the guide sheet from my mentor, it was time to prepare dinner.

“Did you wake up because it’s time to eat? How cute.”

The first eyes I saw were bright, amber-colored ones—clear and sparkling.

Every time his round eyes blinked, it felt like gemstones were shining.

‘So pretty……’

Kalian stared at me, then let out a long yawn. It didn’t seem intentional, but it was undeniably cute.

“I’ll get your food ready. Just wait a moment.”

That was when it happened.

The gate to hell opened.

[What is this?]

A blunt, sharp, irritated voice.

‘Can animals… talk?’

Before I could even process it, the irritated voice came again.

[Are you not going to let go of that?]

It happened in an instant.

Those small, adorable, sharp fangs—

“Aaaaah!”

Without mercy, bit down on my head.