Inside the carriage returning to the mansion.

Wendy couldn’t tell if it was the carriage or her own body trembling.

‘I messed up… I really messed up!’

Wendy had followed Tristan to visit the Izakhel Duke Family.

Originally, that should have been the job of an exclusive butler or maid.

But for some reason, Tristan had asked Wendy, the youngest in the mansion, to come along.

No. No. What’s important now is not that, but the fact that she made a mistake.

Wendy, who makes mistakes as often as she eats, had really messed up big time today.

She spilled tea in front of the young lady of the Izakhel Duke Family.

A once-in-a-lifetime mistake.

‘Ugh! You idiot…! Why did you do that?!’

Wendy scolded herself.

The only silver lining was that the young lady was very kind.

Not only did she forgive her, but she even offered to pay for the spilled tea.

The problem was Tristan.

Even if the princess forgave her, Tristan wouldn’t.

He would definitely punish her.

Wendy had to brace herself.

Her hands on her knees clenched tightly.

‘But…’

Despite being sure of her misfortune, Wendy couldn’t help but recall what had happened earlier that day.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

That kind word.

Something Tristan would never say under normal circumstances.

‘Sob… If only it were a ghost…’

To Wendy, Tristan was scarier than a ghost.

A ghost that looked exactly like Tristan but was kind.

She’d rather be punished by the ghost.

No, maybe she’d get lucky and he’d let it slide.

Wendy decided to muster her courage and hold onto hope.

“Um, um…”

“Wendy.”

“I-I’m sorry! Please punish me!”

Of course, that wasn’t going to happen.

The moment Tristan called her name, Wendy realized.

That low voice filled with arrogance and anger.

It was undoubtedly the tyrant Count Tristan she served.

The best Wendy could do was to preemptively ask for punishment.

“…Punishment, you say.”

Muttering that, Tristan pulled something out from his pocket.

A short whip.

The tool he used to hit the servants.

Wendy braced herself.

“…?”

But no matter how long she waited, the whip didn’t come.

Only Tristan’s muttering.

“I don’t like it.”

“?!”

The next moment, Wendy couldn’t believe her eyes.

Tristan threw the whip out of the carriage.

And he looked down at the bewildered Wendy and said,

“It seems that whipping you is no longer useful.”

“Huh…?”

Wendy grew anxious.

When she looked up, Tristan’s cold eyes were staring down at her.

As if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Ah, then perhaps…

Wendy bowed her head.

Her forehead brushed against the carriage floor, but she didn’t care.

“You, you can hit me. You can scold me and slap me. But please… please don’t send me away. Don’t send me back home…”

Wendy pleaded.

Of course, the master already knew.

What she feared the most.

Tristan spoke in a chillingly cold voice.

“I don’t like you.”

Wendy’s shoulders flinched.

“You cry at the drop of a hat, you’re always sickly, and you’re so skinny you have no strength.”

Wendy could only tremble in place.

Overwhelmed by Tristan’s quiet anger, she couldn’t move.

“Tell me. What exactly are you good for?”

It was all Wendy’s delusion.

Tristan hadn’t changed.

In fact, he had become even more vicious.

Now he had her heart in his grasp.

Wendy spoke in a choked voice.

“I, I have… family. Please… Count… please let me keep working…”

“That’s none of my business.”

“I, I’ll do anything… anything you say…”

“Anything, you say?”

At that, Tristan sneered.

“That’s ridiculous. What can you do? Break dishes? Trip over nothing? Or spill expensive tea like today?”

“……”

“Wendy. Answer me.”

“Sob… I, I’ll do my best… at anything you ask…”

By now, Wendy’s face was a mess of tears and snot.

Every second since she bowed her head felt like a minute.

Tristan’s mouth remained tightly shut.

Even as the carriage stopped at its destination.

Eventually, he slowly got up.

“I’ve decided.”

“Hic?!”

“I’ve decided on your punishment.”

As Wendy looked up, Tristan was about to get out of the carriage.

As if he was leaving her behind.

‘Please don’t abandon me…’

Just as Wendy was about to plead again.

“Please…”

“From now on, you will be my exclusive maid.”

“I, I’ll do anything… huh?”

Exclusive? Exclusive maid? Who?

Wendy couldn’t keep up with the conversation.

Tristan sighed and said,

“Didn’t you say you’d do anything? From now on, you will be my exclusive maid.”

“Huh… huh?! Me? B, but!”

“If you can’t do it, I’ll kick you out.”

“Eek!? I, I’ll do it!”

Wendy quickly shook her head.

Going from the youngest in the mansion to the master’s exclusive maid overnight.

She couldn’t tell if it was a dream or reality.

‘But why?’

Wendy couldn’t understand.

Tristan had already gotten out of the carriage.

“Hurry up and get out.”

“Y, yes!”

As she hurriedly got out, the sun had already set.

Tristan’s dark shadow loomed over the Ruelberta Mansion in the gathering darkness.

Wendy cautiously asked the shadow,

“C, Count… why, why are you making me your exclusive maid…?”

“Because it’s easy.”

“Huh?”

“Because it’s easier to torment you that way.”

Tristan turned his head and smirked.

Like a boy who had found a fun toy.

“I’ll keep you by my side and torment you directly.”

And so, Wendy’s ordeal began.

*

Ever since I was transported into this game, I’ve been thinking.

How to survive here as Tristan, whom everyone hates and despises.

It’s a fantasy world, so can’t I just use magic?

I wish I could.

But what can I do…

Unfortunately, due to a curse passed down through the Ruelberta family, Tristan can’t use magic.

Long ago, the Ruelberta family was a poor noble family.

Disliking the poverty, the head of the family at the time made a deal with a demon.

The content of the deal…

To make the Ruelberta family the richest in the country.

The demon granted the greedy head’s wish.

The Ruelberta territory flourished, and every business they undertook prospered.

But the price of the contract was steep.

The curse was that anyone with Ruelberta blood would be born without magic.

In the end, the Ruelberta family became rich enough to live comfortably, but grandfathers, fathers, and grandsons all became magicless eunuchs.

When my sister Sora told me about this setting, I thought it was hilarious.

Now I’m the magicless eunuch.

Talk about poetic justice.

I’m so grateful to my sister that I could cry.

Not that this body is physically strong either.

This lazy body is so fat that it sweats even when standing still.

I’m practically a character abandoned by the author.

Even if I manage to survive, there’s still the players’ invasion to deal with.

I know how cruel and ruthless they can be.

Surviving is almost impossible.

Unless I change the setting.

Right.

There’s only one way.

“Count. We’ve arrived.”

“Hmm.”

So we’ve arrived.

As I wobbled out of the carriage, the first thing I noticed was the strong scent of grass.

Before me was a vast forest.

‘It’s like a fortress.’

The endlessly long trees looked like giants holding spears.

“You’ve arrived, Count.”

Turning my eyes, I saw Bella.

She was staring at me, retaining the beauty from the original story.

“Yes.”

“Right. But… did you come alone?”

Bella glanced at the carriage with expectant eyes.

I could guess who she was looking for.

She can’t resist cute things.

“I left the servants behind. They still need training.”

“Hmm… Not that I was curious. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t tormenting that child. Anyway… You said you were sick, but you don’t look it. You look very healthy.”

“Serious illnesses often don’t show on the surface.”

“…Hmm. Is that so?”

Bella shook her head as if bored.

“This place is like the heart of our Izakhel Duke Family. It’s not a place just anyone can come to. Especially not someone like you, a sinner.”

Well, that’s true.

Even I, a magicless eunuch, can tell.

This place is extraordinary.

‘She’s wary of me.’

The wind blowing from deep within the forest is sharp.

As if warning me not to step foot here carelessly.

Bella seemed to feel it too.

“…Count. It’s not too late to turn back. You came here to recuperate, but you might end up spending the rest of your life in a hospital.”

She was warning me on behalf of the owner of paradise.

That this place is truly dangerous for ‘someone like me.’

I opened my mouth.

“Bella.”

“Yes?”

“Do you still hate me?”

“Yes. I hate you.”

An immediate answer.

A straight emotion like a sharp spear.

I didn’t avoid it and asked her back.

“Do you hate me enough to want to kill me?”

“……”

Bella hesitated.

Hatred and resentment towards me seemed to flash through her mind.

And then she shook her head.

“No. If I did, I would have thrown you into this forest. I’m not like you.”

Her eyes were incredibly transparent and beautiful as she said that.

So I was sure.

Bella from this time had no intention of killing me.

“I warned you, Count. Whatever happens here is your responsibility. But… you will never die.”

She promised me.

That she hates me but won’t kill me.

“I, Bella Izakhel, guarantee it.”

Bella took a deep breath.

And with magic in her voice, she shouted.

“I, Bella Izakhel, recognize you as a visitor to Eden.”

The forest trembled.

As if stretching.

Preparing to welcome the uninvited guest who arrived in broad daylight.

“Welcome to paradise, Count.”

Bella smiled at me.

“I welcome you, but I don’t know if this place will.”

I seem to be an uninvited guest in many ways.