Chapter 1
“Ugh…”
A faint groan slipped out from behind the wardrobe.
As soon as I arrived at the wardrobe, I heard the sound and cautiously opened the door.
Creeeak…
Through the small gap, I saw a boy curled up and trembling.
‘That kid…’
Why is he here?
As confusion swept over me, the faces of two boys, greedy and cruel, flashed through my mind.
My brow furrowed tightly on its own.
‘They bullied him again, didn’t they?’
Normally, I would have ignored the boy and moved to another wardrobe, unable to bring myself to intervene. But today felt different.
Carefully, I opened the wardrobe door and stepped out. I slowly approached the boy, stopping just a step away.
For a moment, I stared at him, as if in a trance.
Though his appearance was a mess, covered in dirt and dust, even the pained expression on his face couldn’t hide his beautiful features.
The sunlight streaming gently through the window illuminated him, enhancing his features.
‘Wow…’
The light made his face look even clearer. His deep black hair, which seemed to shine, softly swayed near his shoulders. His long bangs partially covered his eyes, but I could see them faintly.
His long eyelashes were slightly wet, with tears that were glistening like jewels.
His delicate facial structure, full lips, and even the red scabs on his skin—everything about him caught my attention.
I was studying him closely when his body suddenly trembled, snapping me back to reality.
“This isn’t the time for this.”
Closing the remaining distance without hesitation, I crouched down in front of him.
Up close, his black hair seemed even shinier. I resisted the urge to touch it and focused on his condition instead.
His clothes were a complete mess, with footprints scattered across them.
The signs of a severe beating were all over him, making my face twist with anger.
“Those bastards…”
At that moment, a warm breath escaped from his lips. I looked closely at his face and noticed a faint flush over his injured cheek.
‘Does he have a fever?’
I instinctively raised my hand to check his temperature but paused mid-air.
‘I’ve seen him around before, but I’ve never touched him directly…’
Carefully, I reached out toward his forehead, making sure not to wake him.
Just as I was about to touch him—
His long eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes shot open.
“…!”
“…?!”
We locked eyes directly.
His round, startled eyes roamed over my face and stopped at the horn on my forehead. His blue pupils shook violently.
Seeing his reaction made me feel a bit self-conscious.
Awkwardly, I rolled my eyes and raised my hand in a small wave.
“Uh, hi…?”
I tried greeting him kindly, but—
The boy flinched and suddenly sat up in shock.
Thud!
Our foreheads collided with a loud thud, and I fell backward from the impact, landing on my butt with a painful thump.
“Ouch!”
A sharp pain shot through my lower back. Holding my throbbing forehead, I rolled on the floor.
Since becoming a wardrobe monster, this was the first time I had felt pain so vividly. It was so intense that I almost teared up.
“Ow, ow…”
Peeking through tear-filled eyes, I saw the boy staring at me with an expression of disbelief, his forehead was just as red as mine.
His deep blue eyes, reminiscent of the ocean, were locked onto me, clearly focused.
‘So he can see me after all.’
The realization made my chest tingle with an odd sense of joy.
Since becoming a wardrobe monster, this was the first time I’d ever met someone’s gaze.
The thought of someone finally seeing me made me happy.
I was so happy, that I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
“Ehehe.”
But as soon as I smiled, the boy’s face turned pale with fear.
Was my smile really that creepy?
Quickly, I wiped the grin from my face and tried to explain.
“Sorry if I scared you. It’s just… you’re the first human who’s ever seen me.”
“…!”
The boy’s fear only grew, and he stepped back cautiously.
“Oh, is it because I said ‘human’? That’s just—”
Before I could finish, the boy jumped to his feet and ran out of the room without looking back.
Left alone, I rubbed my sore forehead and muttered, “Hey, you should at least let me explain…”
Let me first introduce myself. For this situation, a proper explanation might be necessary.
To put it simply, I’m not human.
I’m a monster that lives in wardrobes.
If I elaborate, I was a normal person in my past life. I even read a novel back then. In that novel, there was a minor character—a wardrobe monster.
And now, I’m that very wardrobe monster.
This monster tormented the third son of the Blackwood family, Dedrick, the male lead of the story, during his childhood. It was one of the many hardships he faced in the novel.
The wardrobe monster had an unusual obsession with the male lead, who was the only one capable of seeing it. Unfortunately, that obsession manifested in all the wrong ways, becoming a source of trouble. It would deliberately set traps for him, provoke his half-brothers, tarnish his relationship with the Duke of Blackwood, and even cause him serious injuries.
‘The half-brothers bullied him. The father turned a blind eye. And the wardrobe monster stirred up trouble… What a disastrous collaboration.’
Although the wardrobe monster was the one behind all the accidents, the male lead took the blame for everything. Eventually, he was cast out and sent to the remote Herba Academy.
The wardrobe monster, left behind without anyone who could see it, became bored…
‘And then it dies.’
Taking advantage of the male lead’s absence, his half-brother, Somerset, who wanted to erase all traces of him, burned everything that belonged to him—including the wardrobe, which was practically the monster’s heart.
And so, the wardrobe monster turned to ashes and disappeared.
‘That’s me, isn’t it?’
Damn it.
When I regained my memories of my previous life just yesterday, I was overwhelmed with despair. But there was still hope.
If I could protect the wardrobe in the male lead’s room—the one connected to my heart—I wouldn’t have to die.
So, I had one simple goal:
Unlike the original story, I would stop tormenting the male lead and sincerely help him.
If I helped him enough, he wouldn’t be exiled to the academy. When he eventually became the head of the Blackwood family, he might not forget what I did for him.
‘A male lead is all about loyalty, right?’
But despite my resolve, it seemed far from easy to win the male lead over.
“Hey, Dedrick?”
“…”
“I know you can see me. Hellooo?”
“…”
“DeeDee!”
Even when I called him by the nickname only his mother used, Dedrick refused to acknowledge me.
Was he afraid I might be some kind of ghost?
There’s a saying—that if you respond to something inhuman, it might haunt you and make you disappear one day.
He’s still young, so it’s understandable if he believes such superstitions.
I spoke with utmost sincerity.
“I don’t haunt people. I’m not a ghost.”
“…”
“I’m a monster.”
“…!”
Dedrick immediately clamped his hands over his ears.
Hmm. Maybe now isn’t the right time.
‘It’s only natural for him to be startled by my sudden appearance.’
For now, I decided to back off. Before leaving, I placed an ointment on his desk and said, “Don’t hold back when you’re in pain.”
Quietly, I moved to another wardrobe so he could apply the ointment in peace.
Once the room grew silent, Dedrick slowly lowered his hands from his ears.
The inhuman voice that had kept echoing in his head and the face as pale as flour wouldn’t leave his mind.
No matter how much he tried not to think about the monster’s appearance, his thoughts were already filled with the image of the girl.
Her long, curly gray hair was so abundant that it trailed on the ground. On her head were two small, cute horns decorated with tiny blue, teardrop-shaped jewels. Her big golden eyes were so beautiful, and her round features made her look more adorable than scary.
She had a disarmingly gentle appearance that could even make wary people drop their guard.
But he couldn’t bring himself to respond to her.
It seemed like he was the only one who could see her. If someone overheard him talking to her…
‘They’ll think I’ve lost my mind. Just like my mother…’
His mother had been locked away in the tower and met a tragic end.
If anyone thought he was insane, he’d likely face the same fate.
Dedrick glanced at the ointment on his desk before turning his eyes away.
He prayed he would never hear that voice again. Just as he picked up his pen, the wardrobe door flew open with a loud bang.
“Dedrick! DeeDee!”
The girl’s urgent voice rang out.
“Somerset is about to ask you to have dinner with him! Don’t eat any meat with sauce on it! He poisoned it!”
Before her words could fully sink in, the door to the room burst open.
A boy with navy-blue hair strutted in with a triumphant smirk.
It was Dedrick’s half-brother, Somerset, who sneered cruelly.
“Hey, worm. Today, I’m feeling generous enough to dine with you.”
Dedrick’s pupils trembled.
