Chapter 11
“Nobles have their own kinds of difficulties too.”
Instead of answering, I just shrugged my shoulders and drank my share of the ‘Blue Monday’. It started with the refreshing orange taste of triple sec, followed by the bold flavor of vodka.
Just one glass left my head spinning a bit. Perhaps the intense Blue Monday is meant for quickly getting drunk, since it’s hard to stay sober on a Monday.
“Anyway, I’m sorry. It’s unlike me to show such a crumbled state.”
“What’s there to make a fuss about? That was just your usual self.”
Seeming embarrassed by my words, Eve kept fanning herself.
“I was waiting for you. I kept lingering around the fruit trees whenever I had a chance, but I finally got to meet you now.”
“I see.”
“Just listen for a bit. What should I do? It was fine reconciling with my family. But then the Crown Prince suddenly took an interest in me. Rumors are spreading about a marriage proposal!”
“Is that so?”
“This Crown Prince is the one who ruined our family. He tore my family apart to steal my power.”
“I understand.”
I decided to have another round with Eve’s ramblings as the snack accompaniment—a ‘Bloody Mary’ for hangover relief.
‘Mix vodka with tomato juice.’
Tomatoes are the best for hangovers.
It’s a pity there’s no celery though, the signature garnish of a Bloody Mary.
“If I marry that guy, my life is over. No point in having regressed… Hey, are you even listening?”
“I’m listening.”
“Then tell me where I left off.”
Eve looked at me with raised eyebrows.
Feeling put on the spot, I rolled my eyes before speaking.
“So, um, you said your life is over, Unnie.”
“It’s not over yet!”
Eve sighed before continuing.
“Keep this up and I’ll cancel the fruit contract, got it?”
That would be problematic. I haven’t even properly taken advantage of it yet!
“Why don’t we make a special cocktail for the Crown Prince? One with flammable alcohol, lit on fire.”
In other words, a ‘Molotov cocktail’.
It’s called a ‘Molotov cocktail’ in Russia too, so in a sense, it counts as a cocktail.
“That, that’s too dangerous… Would you really do that for me?”
“You’d have to throw it yourself. I’ll just make it.”
“I figured as much.”
Eve looked a bit disappointed, as if she had hoped I would actually throw the firebomb myself.
“Instead of such an extreme operation, there’s a more moderate one. The only way to avoid marrying the Crown Prince is…”
What is it? I looked at Eve, who paused.
“A contract marriage.”
“Oh? With who?”
This piqued my interest too, since contract marriages are a favorite trope of mine.
“That’s the problem. To keep the Crown Prince in check, they’d need a high status, right?”
“Indeed. Like maybe the Northern Duke?”
The male leads in most contract marriage stories I’ve seen were Northern Dukes.
It’s just the best when the warm female lead melts the cold Northern man. That familiar flavor is delicious…
“But he’s already married. He has a daughter around my age. Though after his wife passed away last year, he’s been looking for a new one, apparently.”
“At that age, he’s more like a father figure, isn’t he? No sons?”
“He had a late child at three years old…”
“Rejected.”
I crossed my arms to make an X shape. A genre with a 3-year-old as the lead can only be about parenting.
“Who’s the next candidate?”
“I was considering the Tower Master….”
“The Tower Master, that’s a good one.”
As the Tower Master wields influence that transcends social status, they could likely keep the Crown Prince in check.
“But he’s spent his whole life researching magic, so he’s quite old.”
“How old exactly?”
I already felt uneasy because she said “old” instead of “age,” but I asked just to be sure.
“Probably 120… no, 130 years old? Around there. Ah, but of course they’ve stopped aging…”
“Rejected.”
Again, I made an X with my arms.
A dull headache was starting to set in.
“Hopefully, the next candidate is a sensible person.”
“The Admiral of the Southern Seas! But he’s a gambling addict.”
Eve said with a sullen expression.
“Are there really no decent husband candidates in this country?”
I asked while massaging my temples. While it may be rare to find someone capable of deterring the Crown Prince, this was just an abysmally low hit rate.
“There’s the Duke who rules the West…”
“And what’s the problem with him?”
After already mentioning a married man over 100 years old, and even a gambling addict, what other issue could there be that has her looking so concerned?
I felt prepared for whatever answer came next without being fazed.
“There are rumors he’s killed people.”
“Huh? Sounds pretty normal to me.”
“He’s k-killed people?”
Whether Eve was shocked or not, I declared without an ounce of hesitation.
“That’s him! Catch that guy!”
Originally, male leads are bound to have some sort of public misunderstanding about them. The female lead gets close by being the only one who doesn’t buy into that misunderstanding.
“Any chance you know his weakness? The weakness that forces him into a contract marriage?”
“You had a really scary look on your face just now.”
Eve shifted a little further away as she said this.
“So, is there one or not?”
“Ah, this isn’t really a weakness though.”
As if something came to mind, Eve continued while tapping her palm with her fist.
“The land he rules over is a desert. An abandoned wasteland now, but…”
“Something is buried there?”
“Yes. A top-grade magic stone called the Black Gem.”
It seemed to be this dimension’s equivalent of oil.
“But with just this information, he won’t agree to marry, right?”
“You’re probably right.”
I answered honestly. Who would believe some random person claiming there’s a special magic stone hidden in those lands?
It would be lucky not to be treated as a weirdo.
“As expected….”
Eve hung her head. I had no intention of telling her to start digging up the land.
Why? Because I have to get off work.
“Use that mighty Spirit King for this. Tell him you can cultivate his desert lands with spirit power, so marry you.”
“That’s right. I have spirit power! But ah, can I really do it? I’ll probably just tremble like a newborn fawn in front of them…”
“Then you need to practice.”
“Will you be my practice partner?”
“I think there’s someone better suited for that role than me. Like a maid.”
Without warning, Eve cut me off and stuffed a handful of silver coins into my pocket.
<Notice> You have obtained 300 coins!
“Money alone may not convey sincerity, but…”
“No, si…no, Sister. There’s nothing more sincere than money.”
I took Eve’s hand and my eyes sparkled. The deposit reinvigorated me.
“So try thinking of me as the Duke.”
Would crossing my legs make me look like an arrogant duke?
But the image of a duke I had in mind was different. A man with a strict, stern air exuded a unique presence just by standing still.
‘That kind of aura can’t be easily imitated.’
While I was lost in thought, Eve seemed to have finished her mental preparation and stood up. She cleared her throat before speaking.
“Your Grace, I am…Evelyn Orleans. It’s not yet public knowledge, but I have made a contract with the Spirit King.”
Her initially trembling, tense voice gradually stabilized. Instead of lifting her own dress, Eve summoned the wind, as if proving her contract with spirits.
‘A good start.’
I nodded for her to continue.
“With my spirit power, I can turn that desert of mere sand into lush greenery. So please, marry me…”
“My lady!”
A maid who came looking for Eve, out late, glanced back and forth between us in surprise.
Seems she only caught that last line from the looks of it?
“P-pardon me, My lady!”
“Wait!”
As the maid turned to flee, Eve hurriedly chased after her.
‘That misunderstanding will take a while to clear up.’
But it’s not my concern. In any case, I got away from Eve sooner than expected.
“View dimension details.”
I skimmed through ‘Regressor Eve’ while skipping ahead a few chapters.
And then I realized.
‘That guy was originally the male lead, wasn’t he?’
I didn’t recognize him since he didn’t appear until almost the 500th chapter.
Even if the story flow is reversed and the keywords change, destiny remains destiny.
“My role ends here.”
Eve can clear up that weird misunderstanding herself.
And since the contract marriage partner is the original male lead, things should flow smoothly from here.
I took out a pen from my pocket and left a note.
[ Good luck. ]
Even if Eve marries and leaves this place, our fruit agreement should remain, right?
Well, I have the signed contract, so it’ll work out somehow.
I finished writing the note.
[ Let me know once the wedding date is set. I’ll attend as the bartender and make free cocktails. ]
After a momentary pause, I scribbled out ‘free’ and called out to return.
‘Come to think of it, when I view dimensions, the content that got twisted and changed by me isn’t reflected.’
Well, it would be too much of a cheat skill if it changed every time.
With that thought, I lay down on the bed. Having to solve other people’s problems instead of resting after clocking out, what bad luck I have.
‘Might as well sleep.’
I closed my eyes.
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Just as I was drifting off into a dream.
Thump.
Rustle rustle.
The noisy sounds jolted my eyes open.
“Who’s there. What rascal dares disturb my slumber…”
Muttering while rubbing my eyes, I suddenly realized—I’m the only one using this building. Which means…
‘An intruder.’
The sleepiness vanished in an instant. What’s going on today?
I frantically looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon. A utility knife? I pocketed it for now since it’s still a blade, but it was too much of a close-range weapon. If the intruder had the upper hand, I might not even get close.
A hardcover book over 500 pages?
‘Ah, nevermind. It’s an autographed copy.’
There weren’t as many suitable weapons as I thought. If I was on the 1st floor, I could have used a coat hanger like a spear.
“Ouch.”
As I got off the bed, I stepped on something.
“This is…”
It was the mop handle I had brought in to clean a few days ago but forgot about it due to laziness.
‘This will do.’
Gripping the mop handle tightly, I carefully descended the stairs.
Looking down from the high vantage point, the state of the bar was starkly different from my memory.
Chairs were overturned and the once clean floors were now streaked with dirt in various spots.
Most notably, a window was open with the curtains fluttering in the wind.
‘I definitely closed the windows before bed.’
With the safety rating being ‘lowest’, it seemed a burglar had broken in.
‘Wow, talk about shameless. Breaking into this run-down cocktail bar for a haul?’
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⋆｡‧˚ʚ Translator Note ɞ˚‧｡⋆
The Bloody Mary is a classic cocktail that is typically made with vodka, tomato juice, and various spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. It is often garnished with a celery stalk, pickles, olives, or a lemon wedge. The Bloody Mary is known for its savory, spicy flavor and is often consumed as a brunch cocktail, sometimes touted as a hangover cure.
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Thank you for reading! ♡
