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Chapter 3
Marin sat on the sofa in the servants’ reception room, nervously shaking her legs.
She had come this far. Could she do it well?
As she tried to steady her trembling heart—
Click.
The door opened, and a handsome man with a gentle aura entered. His eyes slightly slanted downward, giving him a kind expression.
Softly curled dark brown hair, warm dark brown eyes, and a naturally gentle smile formed at his lips.
Oliver Leon.
A name from the novel flashed through Marin’s mind—one of the supporting characters, the Duke of Vines’ aide.
“Miss Marin?”
“Yes. I am Marin.”
Marin quickly stood up and bowed.
“I’m Oliver Leon.”
So it really was him.
“Please, have a seat.”
He offered her a seat in a soft, courteous voice.
“Yes.”
Marin replied and swallowed hard.
Never before had she felt so strongly that she was truly living inside a novel.
Meeting a character from the story in person made her heart pound, and cold sweat trickled down her back.
Seated again, Marin sat upright, tense with nerves.
“Your handwriting is very neat.”
Oliver admired the fake résumé she had presented.
“Thank you.”
“Where did you learn to write?”
“I worked in noble households since I was young. The young lady and young master I served were close in age, so they taught me quite a lot.”
Marin fabricated her story with as much care as possible.
“I see. It’s unusual for a woman to be literate. Quite a unique background.”
“Yes…”
Marin replied in a small voice.
A commoner woman who could read?
She knew very well how strange that might seem, and instinctively shrank back.
Even noble young ladies were often not taught to read.
Instead of spending time learning letters, they were expected to refine their education through music and the arts.
But Marin had begged her father to let her learn to read. After that, she cut off contact with most noble ladies. Spending time reading at home was far more valuable to her than wasting time in idle gatherings.
Perhaps, having been addicted to written words in her past life, she remained obsessed with reading even in this life.
After her family fell into ruin, finding a job that paid well as a noble lady was difficult.
So, she had no choice but to borrow her deceased older brother’s identity and pretend to be a boy.
If she hadn’t known about her past life, she never would have dared do such a thing. She had once been just like any other noble lady.
Employers who appreciated her efficiency often wanted to keep her, but to avoid being exposed as a woman, she had no choice but to change jobs frequently.
“Actually, if it weren’t for a recommendation, this position wouldn’t exist. You understand, right?”
Oliver’s voice pulled Marin back to reality.
“Yes…”
Her voice weakened, her confidence shrinking.
This position had been arranged through a recommendation from a former superior she met while working in disguise as a man.
“I was told a boy named Marion would be assisting my work. I was quite surprised when a woman showed up.”
“Marion is my younger brother. He left for the capital to work there. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to work for the House of Vines.”
Marin spoke as politely and convincingly as she could.
She had briefly considered disguising herself as a man again, but to be useful to the Duke, it was more practical to present herself as she truly was.
“I see. However, the ducal household already has enough female servants. And hiring them falls under the authority of the head maid, not me.”
“I… am not applying as a servant. I’m applying to assist you as an aide.”
“Oh, that’s a bit difficult. Then I’ll take that as—”
“I will be useful to you!”
Marin cut him off before he could dismiss her.
“To me?”
His dark brown eyes filled with curiosity.
“No. To the Duke.”
Oliver’s kind, downward-slanting eyes sharpened instantly.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The unfortunate accident that befell His Grace is known throughout this entire western region.”
Marin swallowed dryly and continued, gaining a bit more courage.
“Miss Marin… do you understand what you’re saying right now?”
Oliver’s previously gentle expression hardened like stone.
Ignoring his piercing gaze, Marin stood up and looked around the room.
“Miss Marin?”
Oliver called her, trying to remain composed.
But Marin persisted, scanning her surroundings.
Books. She needed books.
However, this was a servants’ reception room, and no books were in sight.
“Miss Marin!”
Oliver’s voice grew sharper, his patience wearing thin.
At that moment, she spotted a book standing near the window, almost hidden.
Quickly picking it up, she began reading aloud with great care.
“Where do monsters come from?”
“What are you doing right now?”
Oliver asked again in a voice as cold as ice.
But Marin ignored him and focused on the book.
“Why do they exist? Many scholars have posed this question, yet none have found an answer.
Perhaps because of this, some scholars have become drawn to a theory that cannot even be proven.
The idea is that the ecology of monsters gradually changes according to their environment.
Most scholars do not agree with this.
The historian Count Blusher once called this theory utter nonsense… Shall I continue?”
At some point, Oliver had closed his eyes and was listening to her reading. He suddenly opened them, startled, as if realizing he had been listening with his eyes closed.
“When His Grace cannot… or finds it difficult to read documents, I can read them aloud like this. My voice will likely be easier to listen to than the aide’s.”
That was right.
In her past life, she had been a narration voice actor (audiobook narrator).
Even after regaining her past memories, she hadn’t planned to use that skill—if not for the fact that she was desperately poor.
“Please, have a seat for a moment.”
Oliver, masking his confusion, offered her the sofa again.
“Yes.”
She clutched the book in her hands tightly, as if it were a savior.
“Unfortunately, I do not have the authority to hire you, Miss Marin.”
“Ah…”
Marin bit her lip, unable to continue.
Rent, her mother’s medical expenses, food costs—and winter was approaching, meaning fuel expenses as well.
In her mind, she saw imaginary wings attached to gold coins flying far away into the sky.
Marin lowered her head in frustration.
“But you read very well. To be honest, I’m impressed. It’s a truly special ability.”
Oliver, now relaxed, looked at her with clear favor.
“…Thank you.”
Marin mumbled with her head still lowered. Even compliments didn’t bring her any joy at the moment.
“If it were just a general assistant, I could handle it myself. But reading documents for His Grace is a different matter. So I may recommend you to the Duke.”
“Pardon? Really?”
Her head shot up from the floor.
“Yes. Let’s give it a try. I’ve been thinking about this issue myself.”
Oliver smiled wryly.
Since the Duke had lost his sight, reading documents aloud had fallen to him.
The Duke was meticulous and never skimmed a single document.
Depending on his condition that day, Oliver would either read or not read the documents, causing delays and inconsistencies.
As a result, important matters in the ducal household were piling up unresolved.
Oliver examined the woman in front of him, who was nervously clutching the book with both hands.
A clean but worn-out dress, thin wrists exposed beneath the sleeves, a small and slender frame, pale platinum-blonde hair tied up loosely that lacked luster despite catching the sunlight, fair skin, large light green eyes like fresh spring buds, and soft pink lips.
She had a cute appearance, but her overall pale coloration gave her a somewhat faint, indistinct impression.
However, the voice she used while reading the book was the complete opposite.
