Episode 3
Marin sat nervously on a sofa in the servants’ waiting room, shaking her leg.
She had finally made it this far.
Could she really do this?
While trying to calm herself.
Click.
The door opened.
A handsome man with kind-looking eyes walked in.
His soft brown hair curled slightly, his warm brown eyes were gentle, and a friendly smile rested naturally on his lips.
Olive Lion.
One name immediately came to Marin’s mind.
He was one of the supporting characters from the novel and Duke Vines’ aide.
“Miss Marin?”
“Yes. I’m Marin.”
She jumped to her feet and bowed.
“I’m Olive Lion.”
So it really was him.
“Please, sit.”
His voice was gentle.
“Yes.”
Marin sat back down and swallowed nervously.
For the first time, it truly felt real.
She was living inside the novel.
Meeting a character from the story made her heart pound and cold sweat run down her back.
She sat stiffly, her back straight with tension.
“Your handwriting is very neat.”
Olive held up the fake résumé she had submitted.
“Thank you.”
“Where did you learn to read and write?”
“I worked for a noble family for a long time when I was younger. The young master and young lady were around my age, and they taught me a lot.”
Marin lied as naturally as possible.
“I see. It was unusual for a woman to know how to read and write. That’s quite an interesting background.”
“Yes…”
Her voice became quieter.
She knew how strange it sounded.
Most noblewomen didn’t spend much time learning letters.
Instead, they studied music, art, etiquette, and other refined skills.
But Marin had begged her father to teach her.
Afterward, she even stopped socializing with most noble girls her age.
Reading books at home was far more enjoyable than wasting time at gatherings.
Maybe it was because she’d been a book addict in her previous life.
After her family’s downfall, finding work as a noblewoman had been nearly impossible.
So she had no choice but to borrow her deceased brother’s name and pretend to be a boy.
Before regaining her memories of her previous life, she would never have dared to do such a thing.
Back then, she had been an ordinary noble lady.
The employers she worked for liked her efficiency and wanted to keep her around.
But because she had to hide her disguise, she frequently changed jobs.
“Honestly, if you hadn’t been recommended, this interview wouldn’t have happened. You know that, right?”
Olive’s voice pulled her back to reality.
“Yes…”
Her answer came out weakly.
This opportunity only existed because a former supervisor had recommended her.
“I was told a boy named Marion would be coming to assist me, so I was surprised when a woman showed up.”
“Marion is my younger brother. He left for the capital because he wanted to work there. I didn’t want to miss the chance to work for the Duke of Vines.”
Another carefully crafted lie.
She had briefly considered cross-dressing again.
But helping the duke would be much easier in her real appearance.
“I see. But the ducal household already had enough female servants. And hiring female servants isn’t my responsibility anyway—it’s the head maid’s.”
“I’m not applying to be a servant. I’m applying to be your assistant.”
“Ah… that’s a problem. In that case”
“You need me!”
Marin suddenly interrupted him.
“Me?”
Confusion appeared in his brown eyes.
“No. The duke does.”
The warmth vanished from Olive’s expression.
His gaze sharpened instantly.
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Everyone in the western region knows about the unfortunate accident that happened to His Grace.”
Marin swallowed nervously and continued.
“Miss Marin. Do you realize what you’re saying?”
The friendly smile had disappeared completely.
His face was hard as stone.
Pretending not to notice, Marin stood up and looked around the room.
“Miss Marin?”
Olive called her name, trying hard to stay calm.
But Marin continued searching.
A book.
I need a book.
Unfortunately, this was only a servants’ waiting room.
There weren’t many books around.
“MISS MARIN!”
Olive finally snapped.
Then she spotted one.
A book tucked away near the window.
She hurried over, grabbed it, and began reading.
“Where do monsters come from?”
“What exactly are you doing?”
Olive’s voice had become ice-cold.
Marin ignored him and continued reading.
“Why do they come?
Many scholars have debated this question, but no one has found the answer.
Perhaps because of that, some scholars became fascinated with a theory that cannot even be proven.
The theory claims that monsters gradually adapt and evolve according to their environment.
Most scholars reject this idea.
Count Blusher, the historian who famously called this theory complete nonsense…”
She looked up.
“Should I continue?”
Olive suddenly opened his eyes.
Only then did he realize that he had unconsciously closed them while listening.
His face showed clear surprise.
“When His Grace can’t comfortably read documents himself, I can read them for him like this.”
She smiled.
“And I think my voice would be easier to listen to than yours, Sir Olive.”
That was her secret.
In her previous life…
She had been an audiobook narrator and voice actress.
Even after regaining her past-life memories, she had never planned to use those skills.
If she hadn’t been desperately poor, she never would have.
“Please sit down.”
Olive quickly hid his confusion and gestured toward the sofa again.
“Yes.”
Marin sat, clutching the book as if it were her savior.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have the authority to hire you.”
“Ah…”
Her heart sank.
Rent.
Medicine for her mother.
Food.
And winter was coming, which meant firewood costs too.
She could practically see gold coins growing wings and flying away.
Her shoulders drooped.
“But you really are an excellent reader.”
Olive looked at her with genuine admiration.
“Honestly, I’m impressed. That’s a very special talent.”
“…Thank you.”
She mumbled without looking up.
At the moment, compliments meant nothing.
“If I were only hiring an assistant for myself, I could decide immediately. But reading documents for His Grace is another matter.”
He paused.
“So I’d like to recommend you directly to the duke.”
“What?”
Marin’s head snapped up.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Olive smiled faintly.
“Let’s try it. To be honest, this has already been a problem I’ve been struggling with.”
Ever since the duke lost his sight, reading documents had become Olive’s responsibility.
The duke was extremely meticulous.
He inspected every single document thoroughly.
There were mountains of paperwork.
Some days, the duke would listen to them.
Other days, he wouldn’t.
As a result, important matters of the ducal household kept piling up unresolved.
Olive quietly studied the nervous young woman sitting before him.
Her dress was clean but clearly old.
Thin wrists peeked out from beneath the sleeves.
She was small and extremely slender.
Her platinum-blonde hair was tied up neatly, but it lacked shine and looked dry.
Her pale skin, large light-green eyes, and soft pink lips gave her a cute appearance.
Overall, her colors were so light that she almost seemed faded.
But her voice…
Her voice was the exact opposite.
