HOWSH~01

~Chapter 1~

Prologue

Life, Round Two

“No… no way.”

I scrolled through the notice over and over, unable to believe what I was seeing. But no matter how many times I checked, the result didn’t change.

[Correction Notice] 4th Round Physical Examination

• Candidate: Rose Lutiense (Female, 20)
• Affiliation: Velos Territory Security Team
• Correction Details:
  • Before: Disqualification for possessing healing ability confirmed; reverted to ordinary citizen.
    • Reason for change: Final grades F in rounds 1–3.
  • After: Reversion to ordinary citizen invalid.
    • Reason: 4th round final grade A+. Significant gap compared to previous rounds.

Please take note of this correction. For inquiries, contact the Velos Territory Administration.

“Correction notice… my ass.”

I clasped my hands over my mouth, stifling the sobs that bubbled up.

Ah… God, oh God, oh God.

“Why isn’t it F?!”

A+? That can’t be.

No matter how much I screamed into the void, the tightness in my chest refused to ease.

Three years of meticulous preparation—my big-picture plan—was collapsing before my eyes.

A future I’d never imagined, a future I’d never wanted, was now my reality.

I could feel my heart hammering in my chest. The heat boiling up from deep within demanded I run somewhere—anywhere—just to cool off.

‘No… calm down.’

I closed my eyes and drew the sign of the cross. One hand on my forehead, deep breath. Two more on my shoulders, slow exhale.

Right. To clear your mind, you have to step away from this shitty despair first.

“Huuu…”

Yeah, right. Calm my ass. Nothing changed. That damn notice was obliterating the tower I had so painstakingly built.

I touched the paper with trembling hands, tempted to just tear it up where no one could see. Or… just switch to Plan B altogether?

Footsteps echoed through the corridor. Then a voice—familiar, endlessly irritating—cut through the silence.

“That won’t do.”

“…?”

“Where do you think you’re running?”

I slowly lifted my head. And there he was.

A casual stride, a relaxed expression… almost smirking, as if he owned the situation.

“Gasp…”

Why him, of all people?

Shock washed over me. I couldn’t even respond, my shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

When did he get here? By the time I realized it, he was right in front of me.

Carlos. That infuriating name rolled around in my mouth.

Lately, he seemed to appear everywhere, unshakably suspicious, constantly pricking at my nerves.

‘No way…’

I bit my lip, meeting his gaze.

He closed the distance with an effortless grace, speaking almost in a whisper:

“Congratulations, my lady.”

As if he had predicted all this.

“Unfortunately, your long-desired disqualification has been canceled.”

“How… how did you know?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t? It’s obvious to anyone who looks.”

His slow, deliberate hand brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

I froze, dumbstruck by the casual tenderness of his gesture in a moment like this.

And then it hit me:

‘He already… knew?’

My shoulders stiffened. Carlos, never missing a beat, placed his palm on my cheek, murmuring:

“You’re back in my hands.”

And for the first time, he gave a radiant, full smile.

He had noticed everything—and was enjoying it.

“Well, isn’t this wonderful.”

‘Ah…’

I remembered that birthday gala from a month ago, regretting every moment of it.

Yes.

All of this had started because of my unbearably nosy nature.

Chapter 1: Big Picture, Round Two

For anyone who suffers from insomnia, the bliss of a long, uninterrupted sleep is a delight beyond words. Even if aided by medication.

Finally, I felt I had slept through the night without tossing and turning once.

‘Good thing I doubled the dose.’

In a fit of frustration, I had taken twice the usual amount of sleeping pills. The effect was incredible.

Ignoring the sweat dripping down my face, I welcomed the hazy, dreamlike view before me.

And that’s probably why…

“Gasp!”

I met a hollow, inexplicable death that day.

No—“death” isn’t even the right word.

I woke up in a world I didn’t recognize. A body that wasn’t mine.

At first, I was utterly lost.

“Milady! You’ve awoken safely!”

“W-who… who are you?”

I had just slept, yet the room was filled with foreigners, the architecture completely alien, yet somehow I understood their language perfectly.

Servants bustled in and out, claiming to be maids, claiming that the man and woman here were my parents.

I was too shocked to speak properly for the entire day.

It didn’t take long to find out what world I was in.

“Lady Rose Lutiense.”

“Miss Rose!”

The girl whose body I now inhabited was called Rose Lutiense.

Ah… so I was now a capable noblewoman protagonist.

From my previous life, I remembered reading countless novels whenever insomnia struck. Every tiny detail was burned into my memory.

For example, in the first chapter, it was briefly mentioned: Rose Lutiense, the protagonist’s friend, was supposed to fall gravely ill and die at seventeen. A minor character, with no chance to survive.

But now I had entered her body.

I was living the moment where the original Rose was meant to die—inside the novel itself!

Thus began my second chance at life.

Having survived a near-death illness, my path forward seemed smooth.

Though a minor noblewoman, I indulged in anything I wanted. My death was merely a minor incident at the story’s beginning. I had no influence on the novel’s plot—a character less important than an ant.

Still, I worried sometimes. If I lived when I wasn’t supposed to, would someone else pay the price?

Those fears didn’t last long.

The life of nobility—so serene compared to my expectations—was unexpectedly peaceful.

Eat, sleep, enjoy, repeat.

I fully adapted to my new life in just a year.

But one thing I had overlooked was the latent ability within Rose Lutiense.

“Wow! The wound… it’s gone, Milady!”

The Capable Princess had a stronger fantasy element than romance.

This world contained “special abilities.” Those who manifested them played key roles.

Abilities were divided into two: healing and attack.

Healing = defense. Attack = offense.

And, incredibly, I manifested the healing ability.

I, a mere minor character, now possessed powers.

A simple gesture—helping a passing maid heal a minor wound—changed my life forever.

“Rose, my proud daughter! Finally, the Lutiense family regains its honor!”

“Don’t forget to stay healthy, my dear. Your mother will visit often.”

And so came separation.

Because abilities were so important, those who manifested them were gathered, trained, and assigned by the Royal Security Bureau.

To put it bluntly, it was a gilded prison.

The rewards were extravagant. The kingdom showered our minor noble house with wealth beyond imagination.

All good. Wonderful, even. But this wasn’t the life I wanted.

I knew exactly how this world worked.

No noblewoman would willingly give up freedom to guard a territory, shooting healing magic day in and day out, chained to a life of service.

In short… it was hell disguised as honor.

I, Rose Lutiense, a flower of eighteen, had spent the previous day indulging in freedom.

‘No matter what, I need a way out.’

And so, from the day I was confined to the Velos branch by the Royal Security Bureau, I clenched my teeth and began planning a legal escape from the Bureau.

Three years have passed since then.