02
I really tried my best.
After getting possessed into this novel—into Veroni—I tried very hard.
“Oh no, I dropped my handkerchief…”
“Let me pick it up for you.”
“No, I’ll do it—”
I pretended to make mistakes so I could touch men’s hands.
“Ah… I feel dizzy…”
“My lady, are you alright?”
I even pretended to feel faint and leaned on their shoulders.
But why—why is it—
Why does the battery barely go up?!
No matter what I did, the battery wouldn’t turn green. It stayed in that dangerous yellow zone, barely keeping me alive.
Thankfully, Veroni had plenty of men around her, so getting dates was easy.
But what’s the point?
I couldn’t bring myself to go any further with physical contact.
When a man boldly suggested spending a “hot night” like before, I flipped him off and ran away.
This is not easy.
Eventually, when the battery dropped from yellow to red, I completely panicked.
“Why?”
Because the moment it turned red, my body started changing.
No matter how much I slept, I was still tired. No matter how much I ate, I had no energy.
Every morning, I felt dizzy. Later, I couldn’t even lift a glass of water by myself.
That’s when everything changed.
Whenever I saw a man, I rushed toward him and tried physical contact first.
I felt like I was going to die, so I didn’t care about anything else.
“Forget reputation—I’m going to die at this rate.”
Still, I couldn’t go as far as Veroni did and sleep with men.
“Well… I somehow managed everything before that stage.”
But unless the contact was intense, the battery barely charged.
What kind of crazy system is this?
Her diary wasn’t lying—I really did need more men.
Because I kept approaching men looking pale and desperate, they slowly started avoiding me.
And that nearly killed me.
“Please… just hold my hand…”
“Ahhh!”
Even though Veroni was beautiful, I must’ve looked like a zombie chasing them, because they ran away.
Even after trying so hard…
The battery still refused to turn green.
So I attended every social party I could.
Because that’s where the men were.
Or so I thought…
But I still couldn’t find anyone who could fully charge my battery.
Damn it. I feel like I’ve met every noble man in the Epona Empire. I searched everywhere, but no one could satisfy this condition!
And while I kept complaining, time kept passing.
I let out a deep sigh and leaned against the carriage window.
“Will I find someone this time?”
The bright red battery above my head made me anxious.
Cough, cough.
“My lady, are you alright?”
The person with me was Jenny.
After my battery dropped, my health got worse, so a maid named Jenny stayed by my side all the time.
“I’m fine…”
But I wasn’t.
“How did Veroni survive this?”
There must have been times when her battery dropped to red too.
Right now, I felt like someone with a terminal illness—just waiting to die.
“Why do I have to go through this?”
While I was thinking, the carriage arrived at the party.
Apparently, it was hosted by a duke from the north who guarded the border.
He had recently been granted the title of duke after defeating monsters and came to the capital.
The Duke of Brilliant… or something like that.
Honestly, I didn’t care. I was just grateful he threw a party.
I could at least charge enough battery here to survive a day.
“Other people get into novels and live happily… why me?”
Why did I end up in a body that needs charging like this?
Complaining won’t change anything.
Holding Jenny’s hand, I stepped out of the carriage.
Many nobles had already arrived.
“Let’s see…”
The first thing I always do at a party is look for men.
Since only nobles attend these events, they all look similar.
“Same faces as always.”
I’m so sick of it.
As I entered, people stared at me.
“Lady Ios is here!”
“Be careful.”
I glanced at them coldly.
“I don’t want to touch you either.”
Like I enjoy this.
The party had already started.
There was plenty of delicious food, but I had no appetite.
Leaning against the wall, I scanned the room.
Then—
I noticed a man.
“Oh?”
I’d never seen him before.
He was surrounded by people but looked completely bored.
His dark blue hair looked like the night sky, and his deep red eyes gave off a cold, sharp feeling.
“Who is he?”
Before I could think, my instincts took over.
I was drawn to him.
Not romantically.
This was about survival.
Like a zombie chasing a human, I staggered toward him.
People moved away from me like I was contagious.
The crowd around him quickly cleared a path.
Up close, his eyes looked… empty.
No emotion at all.
Maybe even disgust.
When I stood in front of him, he frowned.
“What is this?”
His voice was as attractive as his face.
“That’s not important.”
“Grab him.”
“His hand.”
The moment that thought hit, my body moved.
I reached out and hugged his waist.
Well—
I tried to.
“Ugh!”
He stopped me by pressing his hand against my forehead.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
My arms were left hanging in the air.
“Your Grace, she is the daughter of Count Ios. There are rumors she’s lost her mind lately…”
Duke?
There’s only one duke in the empire.
“Then… is this Duke Calhart Brilliant?”
The host of this party?
The man who defeated monsters?
I blinked in shock.
“Why let a crazy woman inside?”
He spoke through clenched teeth.
But something felt strange.
Was it because he touched me?
I suddenly felt… better.
I grabbed his hand like a crazy person.
Smack!
He slapped my hand away.
I didn’t care.
“It’s charging… isn’t it?”
I could feel energy returning to my body.
Just moments ago, I couldn’t even walk properly.
But the moment he touched me, I felt instantly better.
This energy… I hadn’t felt it since coming into this world.
My eyes lit up as I looked at him.
“Take her away. Get her out of my sight.”
His cold voice snapped me back to reality.
“W-wait!”
I can’t get dragged out now—I finally found someone who can charge me!
“I almost tripped! It wasn’t on purpose, Your Grace!”
“….”
No reaction.
I’m doomed.
“It’s true! My heels were too high—”
Still nothing.
“Haha… the weather in the capital is nice, right?”
That didn’t work either.
People started whispering.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Who knows…”
“She must be crazy, acting like that toward the Duke.”
If I had known he was the duke, I wouldn’t have approached him like that.
And honestly… he feels dangerous.
“What do I do?”
Before I could think further, someone called him.
“Let’s go.”
He left—but not before glaring at me again.
I forced a smile and stepped back.
“Still, I charged up—worth it!”
I hadn’t felt this healthy in so long.
My body felt light.
I quickly went to the powder room and checked the mirror.
As expected—
The battery, which was almost empty and red, was now around 70%.
Bright green.
This could last me 3… no, maybe 5 days.
“What is this? I’ve never charged this much from just this level of contact.”
I need to test this more.
Even if the Duke clearly hates me.
“Lady Ios, would you grant me the honor of a dance?”
“Of course.”
I think I went on a date with him about a month ago… I don’t remember his name.
“Since I feel good, maybe I’ll enjoy the party today.”
I can think about the Duke later.
For the first time since coming here, I felt healthy.
I drank a lot, ate desserts, and enjoyed myself.
Maybe because of that—
Even though I used to handle alcohol well, I got drunk quickly.
If I had just quietly gotten drunk, it wouldn’t have been a problem.
But—
“What are you looking at?”
That’s where things started to go wrong.
