Chapter 1
“Fortune-teller, do you think I’ll end up well with him?”
A young noble lady, looking a bit nervous, asked cautiously. Her eyes were fixed on the mysterious woman sitting across the tea table.
The fortune-teller, dressed in a mystical robe, curved her red lips into a smile.
“Let’s ask the heavens about your fate, my lady.”
With graceful fingers, the fortune-teller waved her hand over the crystal ball like magic. As light began to swirl inside it, the noble lady’s eyes sparkled in amazement.
The fortune-teller opened her eyes and pulled a card from the deck on the table.
“Oh, you’ve drawn the Lovers card. Your romantic luck is riding a wave this month. Why not send a signal to the person you like?”
“Eek! That’s so embarrassing!”
The other young noble ladies gathered in the tea house started crowding around the fortune-teller, bombarding her with questions.
“What about me? Will I get married soon?”
“Well… you do have marriage luck, but your partner seems a bit of a flirt. You should be careful.”
“Ugh, no wonder that jerk hasn’t proposed after a whole year!”
The noble ladies of the Naroa Empire were soaring to heaven and crashing to hell with each word from the fortune-teller.
Cards chosen from her hands danced straight into their hearts.
After the flurry of tarot readings, the fortune-teller was left alone, holding a pouch full of silver coins.
Hehehe, I wonder how much all this will be when I exchange it. Rich girls sure are generous.
The fortune-teller, thinking rather greedily, removed her robe. Underneath was a stunning woman with sharp, cat-like eyes.
A single beauty mark near her eye made her face appear even more mysterious. Her purple curly hair flowed down to her waist, and her golden eyes glowed like lanterns in the dark.
This fortune-teller’s name was Yurita Synette. Surprisingly, she was also a noble lady. One who was especially famous among other nobles for her love fortune readings.
Her sharp insight and persuasive speech captivated the naïve noble ladies with ease.
But even all that wasn’t nearly enough to pay off her debt.
“Do you even know how much debt your father left? One thousand gold coins! One thousand!”
That was the shocking declaration from one of the debt collectors.
A thousand gold coins. Even if she did tarot readings every day for a year, it wouldn’t be enough.
“If you’re going to possess someone, couldn’t it have been a rich lady?”
Yes—another truth was revealed.
Yurita was someone who had possessed a side character in a romance fantasy novel.
Not a rich, successful noble, but the daughter of a ruined household chased by debt collectors.
The character I ended up possessing really got the short end of the stick.
Her father had failed in business and vanished to avoid the debt, and her mother had died of illness a few years back.
Their only remaining asset was a crumbling old mansion. The only help came from her uncle, Baron Synette, who sent them a single maid. Her younger brother Theo was also still a child.
And somehow, I’ve ended up as the responsible eldest daughter of the house.
To repay the debt, she was using her only talent to make money.
Even before possessing this body, Yurita had been doing tarot readings on the side to earn money for financial freedom.
Living comfortably and freely—that was her only wish before she ended up in this novel.
But it felt like that dream was now further away than ever.
With a sigh, Yurita packed up her cards and cash and left the tea shop.
“Let’s go home for now.”
She was already calling that run-down mansion “home.” She was adjusting to this world way too quickly.
Well, it’s not like I have time to be picky if I want to survive.
Just like she always had, in this world or the last, Yurita planned to do whatever it took.
As the sun dipped low behind her, she arrived at the mansion.
…Something feels off.
A jet-black carriage was parked in front, and the front door was wide open.
Sensing something was wrong, Yurita rushed inside.
They say a bolt from the blue—and today, the sky was truly clear.
Not a single drop of rain, yet a sudden lightning strike cracked down over the Synette mansion.
And Yurita, being obsessed with superstitions, was absolutely sure: that lightning struck because of the unwanted guest who had arrived.
Shattered windows. Broken glass scattered across the floor.
And standing on top of it all was a man with red hair.
Ash fell from the cigarette in his mouth onto the floor.
“Who are you?”
Yurita shouted at the large man standing in front of her little brother.
He slowly turned to look at her, his red eyes sharp and dangerous.
“You the eldest daughter of this mansion or whatever?”
His voice was smooth like honey but threatening in tone.
Yurita hated him the instant she saw him. Despite not knowing him, every instinct screamed that she despised this man. Glaring back, she replied firmly.
“I am. Who are you to barge into our house uninvited?”
“Our house? Try paying your debts first. Otherwise, this mansion will be mine soon enough.”
At his words, Yurita understood instantly.
He’s the leader of the debt collectors.
He must have lent money to her father, Sir Synette, and now had come personally to collect it.
He walked toward her with a thuggish swagger.
And yet, despite the thug-like manner, his ridiculously handsome face dulled the effect. His eyes looked half-lidded and lazy, but every feature was too perfectly sculpted.
He looks like a noble… but he collects debts personally? Total gangster vibes.
Yurita sneered internally. The man glanced around the mansion and spoke without emotion.
“This place is too old to have much value. Only the land’s worth something. Might as well tear it down and build a casino.”
“Tear it down? But we still have time left on the repayment deadline.”
“Everyone knows your father ran off in the middle of the night. Since you clearly can’t pay, the house is mine.”
He scowled as he answered—Yurita hated that smug, punk look more than anything.
“Clear out in three days. Otherwise, you’ll be crying in the ashes of your crumbling home.”
He blew smoke directly into Yurita’s face with a villain’s smirk.
Her brow twitched, but she exhaled slowly and composed herself.
With a cold expression, she pulled out a pouch of money and shoved it into his chest.
He scowled.
“What’s this?”
“Money. Twenty silver coins, equal to two gold.”
“Two gold? You think this is enough to even make a dent?”
“Just give me six months. I’ll bring you double this amount every day. My father may have run off, but I won’t. So don’t threaten my little brother anymore and please leave for today.”
For the first time, the man’s deadly expression wavered with a hint of curiosity.
“Where are you going to get the money? It’s not like you’re running a business. Or are you saying you’ll do something illegal?”
Despite the insult, Yurita stepped closer without backing down.
“I’ll start a business. I have a little talent, you see.”
“……”
“And I’ll also write to my uncle, Baron Synette, for help. He might be able to support us financially.”
He looked at her with a face that said, Are you actually serious about paying?
Yeah, you punk, I’ll show you I’m serious.
Yurita met his eyes and continued.
“So, would you please tell me your name, sir? I need to know who I’m repaying.”
“…Ha!”
He laughed in disbelief and leaned in close to her face.
“Let’s see if you actually keep your word. My name is Zachary Killerster. I’m a duke.”
A duke?! Zachary Killerster?!
Yurita screamed inside.
The man smirking at her like a villain was the final boss of the novel she read.
Now that her mind was finally processing the fear, she looked him over carefully.
Hair red like blood, red eyes, a body that could rival any top knight. A thuggish air that didn’t suit his noble title.
And a face far too handsome to belong to a villain.
It matched the villain in the original novel perfectly.
The notorious gangster of the peaceful Naroa Empire—
Zachary Killerster.
And that man was her debt collector.
“A mere noble lady should bow before a duke, don’t you think?”
