Chapter 1

I held my breath as I hid among the thick vines.

They’re coming. They’re finally coming.

After waiting for what felt like forever, the group I’d been expecting finally appeared.

Their faces were completely hidden beneath their hoods, and even on this rough mountain trail, they moved without making a single sound.

Well, they were the infamous assassination group known as Irregular.

Countless people had died by their hands.

The strongest knights.

Mages who had mastered ancient magic.

Even rulers with absolute power.

There was only one reason why I, a mere kitchen worker and a fifteen-year-old girl, had been waiting for them.

I’m going to catch them.

Strengthening my resolve, I widened my eyes.

“Aaaahhh!”

The overwhelming fear made me scream without thinking.

Then I burst out from the vines and ran straight toward the man at the very front.

“Dad!”

I threw myself at him and clung tightly to his leg.

“…What?”

“Dad?!”

The Irregular members following behind him stared at me in shock.

Some had already drawn their weapons the moment they heard my scream, but now they looked completely dumbfounded.

Especially the man whose leg I was hugging.

“…Who are you?”

Just hearing his voice made it feel as if an invisible pressure were crushing my entire body.

To think someone could make me want to faint with nothing but their voice.

As expected of the leader of the continent’s greatest assassination organization.

My whole body trembled, but I clung to his leg like a leech.

“I… I will serve you as my lord.”

“…”

“Please raise me.”

Every member of Irregular looked at me as though I had lost my mind.

Honestly, I felt the same way.

But this man is my only chance to survive.

My name was Eustea Andres.

I was fifteen years old.

And I had been reincarnated into the world of a game.

* * *

My life hadn’t always been so desperate that I’d cling to the leader of an assassin organization.

My parents had married for political reasons.

My father was a marquis who led a prestigious noble house.

My mother was the head of a powerful merchant guild.

Father needed money.

Mother needed political backing.

At first, they got along well enough.

At least well enough to have me.

That doesn’t mean they loved each other.

Father had been married once before, so I had an older half-brother.

He never cared about my mother or me.

Father was so strict that I became terrified whenever I merely caught sight of his shadow.

Still, I had my mother, who loved me with all her heart.

That was enough.

Then, a few years ago, everything changed.

Father’s first love came back.

After divorcing my half-brother’s mother, he claimed he had finally discovered true love.

But his late father had opposed the relationship because his first love had only been a maid.

Then it turned out…

She had secretly been raising Father’s child.

By chance, Father met her again.

He learned not only that she was alive, but also that he had a daughter.

He brought that daughter into our mansion.

That was where everything began to fall apart.

Father had always been strict with me and my half-brother.

But not with the maid’s daughter.

He pitied her for growing up on the streets.

She was naturally cheerful, adorable, and full of affection.

She effortlessly broke through everyone’s walls.

Not just Father’s.

Even my half-brother’s.

That’s when everything became painful.

The maid’s daughter had incredible luck.

She easily became friends with influential young nobles whom I had desperately tried to get close to without success.

Even the Crown Prince, whom I had secretly loved for years, fell in love with her.

Even the servants adored her.

And constantly compared me to her.

Mother suffered every day because of it.

She argued with Father constantly.

“Stop treating Eustea and that girl differently.”

“Control the servants.”

But nothing ever changed.

Then the worst thing happened.

The maid’s daughter accidentally ate something poisonous and was left at death’s door.

Father.

My half-brother.

Her powerful friends.

Every one of them desperately searched for the culprit.

And they blamed…

Me.

“They found poisonous herbs in Lady Eustea’s room.”

“The same herbs used to poison Stella.”

“How dare she…”

Mother tried to protect me.

But she couldn’t.

Everyone who loved the maid’s daughter joined forces.

They even stole Mother’s merchant guild.

It was all to strip Mother of her influence.

Then…

We were thrown out.

Mother, already devastated, worked tirelessly to raise me.

Eventually, she collapsed.

She lost consciousness.

Even now, she had yet to recover.

After that… life became miserable.

I did everything I could just to survive while caring for my bedridden mother.

A noble lady who had once lived in luxury now washed dishes in restaurants…

Carried fish at the market…

Anything that earned money.

But life never got any better.

Meanwhile, that damned father even brought his first love into the mansion.

Even now, the thought made my blood boil.

Still…

Someone struggling just to survive had no time for revenge.

I even worked helping fishermen catch tuna.

One day, while working…

I fell into the sea and nearly drowned.

And while I hovered between life and death…

I remembered.

My previous life.

The life I had lived in Korea.

And I realized something.

This world was the setting of a game.

That was why the maid’s daughter had been unbelievably lucky.

Why everything always went her way.

Because…

She was the game’s heroine.

To make matters worse, I also remembered the game’s entire story.

Including my own ending.

A living organ storage…

That was my role.

When the heroine was dying later in the story…

I donated my organs to save her.

In the game, I even agreed willingly after they promised to wake my mother.

Organ trafficking is illegal, you know?

What a rotten game that cared only about its heroine.

Of course…

I could simply refuse.

But when the heroine’s life was in danger…

Would her devoted supporters leave me alone?

Father.

My half-brother.

The Crown Prince.

All those noble friends.

They certainly wouldn’t.

In fact, in the original game…

Father himself was the one who found me.

If I refused…

They would simply drag me away by force.

So if I want to keep my organs…

I need someone strong enough to protect me from all of them.

Someone completely unrelated to the heroine’s supporters.

That was why…

I chose Irregular.

***

I was currently inside one of Irregular’s caves.

It was one of the hideouts they used whenever operating in this region.

Right now…

I sat surrounded by assassins, trembling violently.

Like a squirrel thrown into a den full of wild beasts.

Not only were there ordinary members…

Two elite members were here as well.

Irregular had only seven elite members, including their leader.

Two of them were present.

The leader himself.

And the man named Antonio.

They say a single elite member can defeat a hundred soldiers…

As I swallowed nervously, Antonio stepped closer.

“Are you really the boss’s daughter?”

The others burst into laughter.

“As if the boss would ever have a daughter.”

“You never know. Maybe he fooled around somewhere and—”

“AGH!”

Antonio screamed.

A coin had suddenly slammed into his eye with a loud SMACK!

The coin had been flicked by the leader.

Wow…

How can a coin make that kind of sound?

He had only flicked it with his finger…

Yet it flew like a deadly weapon.

Maybe I should run away while I still can…

I quickly shook my head.

No.

He’s my only hope.

The leader quietly stared at me.

My blood ran cold.

I had caught tuna before…

But facing the killing intent of a real assassin was on an entirely different level.

Calm down.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Of course I was terrified.

If possible, I’d love to faint right now.

But after being kicked out of the Andres family…

I’d survived every kind of hardship imaginable.

And my mother…

My sweet, helpless mother…

Was waiting for me at home.

I couldn’t back down.

Just then…

The leader slowly removed his hood.

For a moment…

I forgot how to breathe.

That face…

Even the most famous idols and actors from my previous life couldn’t compare.

Jet-black hair.

Blood-red eyes.

I had never imagined red eyes could suit someone so perfectly.

A sharp jawline.

Features sculpted with flawless precision.

Beautiful eyes framed by long eyelashes.

Above the hood, his broad chest and wide shoulders looked like those of a luxury fashion model.

Yet despite his breathtaking appearance…

An overwhelming aura of danger surrounded him.

The moment our eyes met…

It felt as though all the blood in my body drained away.

There’s no turning back now.

I’ve seen the face of Irregular’s leader.

Someone whose identity could never be exposed had revealed his face to me.

Which meant…

If he wanted…

He could kill me right here.

He looked silently at my pale face.

“Who are—”

“My name is Eustea Andres! Fifteen years old! Three years ago I was thrown out of the Andres Marquis household! Since then I’ve worked washing dishes at restaurants, spreading false information, collecting debts in the marketplace, catching tuna, and occasionally helping herbalists gather herbs! I currently live with my sick mother in the basement of House A-115 in District Five and—”

“How did you find—”

“After hearing about Count Galego’s family being wiped out overnight, I concluded only Irregular could have done it! Considering the Imperial Army’s deployment routes, I guessed you’d be hiding in this mountain! So I waited here!”

“You—”

“Eustea Andres! Fifteen years old! Three years ago—”

“I’m not asking for your life story.”

“…Ah.”

Still so nervous, I quickly covered my mouth with both hands.

The members burst into laughter.

“She’s adorable.”

“Adorable? No way! Someone like me is what you’d call adorable.”

“She’s not stupid. Maybe we should at least test her abilities.”

“We don’t have time. We need to shake off the Imperial Army.”

Amid all the chatter…

The leader remained silent.

His expression revealed nothing.

But one thing was obvious.

He had no intention of taking me in.

“Um…”

I timidly raised my hand.

“You don’t need to worry about the Imperial Army…”

His brows furrowed.

“What do you mean?”

“The Third Battalion searching this area has… encountered a little problem.”

“And how would you know that?”

“Because… I caused it.”

I reached into my bag and pulled something out.

At first glance, it looked like a fern.

In reality, it was a medicinal herb.

Several assassins recognized it immediately.

“Betiom?”

“Yes.”

Betiom was famous for treating bloating and constipation.

Simply put…

It was an incredibly powerful laxative.

“I mixed a whole bunch into the army camp’s meals yesterday.”

Their stomachs must be in absolute chaos by now.

The soldiers would probably continue searching despite the diarrhea.

Especially since the commander of the Third Battalion was obsessed with getting promoted.

Even if he were stuck in the bathroom himself…

He’d still force his soldiers to continue searching.

The assassins stared at me with open mouths.

Only one person remained suspicious.

The only female member of Irregular.

The same woman who had shouted,

“How is she adorable?!”

“Impossible. How did you even get into the military kitchen?”

“I used to work there.”

“You said used to. Why would they let you back inside now?”

“Well… apparently my cooking is so good that the commanders still welcome me.”

I casually pulled out several recommendation letters.

★★★★★

“Honestly better than home cooking.”

— Lieutenant Colonel Duroti

“Her cooking is incredible.”

— Colonel Ragoni

“Her food keeps me from wanting to punch my superiors.”

— Brigadier General Muñoz

***

“They’ve been begging me to come back. Whenever I don’t have work, I sometimes visit to cook for them.”

“…Just how good is your cooking?”

The assassins looked completely speechless.

Did I do something wrong?

Maybe they had already prepared another escape plan.

Wait.

Did I accidentally interfere with it?

My confidence immediately shrank.

“Should I go make them an antidote?”

The leader thought quietly before speaking.

“Go confirm whether what she said is true.”

“Yes, sir.”

The assigned member vanished instantly.

He moved so quickly I couldn’t even follow him with my eyes.

Looks like I didn’t ruin anything.

The leader stood.

“We’ll rest.”

“What about the girl?”

“She doesn’t seem likely to run.”

The moment I heard that…

I realized this was my chance.

“Then… would you like me to prepare lunch?”

“Huh?”

“May I see what ingredients you have?”

“The supplies are over there…”

“If you’re worried I might poison the food, someone can watch me.”

“Y-Yeah… someone should.”

As I immediately got to work…

One of the assassins muttered,

“…What kind of insane situation is this?”

* * *

Irregular’s leader, Aslan, silently watched Eustea.

One assassin stayed glued to her side while she began cooking.

She skillfully built a fire.

Stacked stones around it.

Placed a large pot on top.

Filled it with water.

Then frowned.

“We don’t have any vegetables.”

Antonio, one of the elite members accompanying her, replied,

“They spoil too quickly. Not practical to carry around.”

“I suppose… but meals without vegetables aren’t healthy.”

“Oh!”

“Could I borrow your dagger?”

After borrowing it…

She dragged Antonio outside.

About thirty minutes later…

Several assassins glanced at their watches.

“Why are they taking so long?”

“Did she run away?”

“Not while Antonio’s with her.”

“She handled him pretty well. Maybe she tricked him.”

Just as everyone grew tense…

Eustea and Antonio returned.

Both were carrying piles of vegetables…

And fresh fish.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. We cleaned the ingredients by the river.”

“Boss! She’s amazing!”

Antonio practically shouted.

“She bullied the mountain caretaker into giving us all this!”

“I used to work for a loan shark collection gang…”

Eustea explained casually.

Antonio remained excited.

The others could only stare in disbelief.

Then the cooking truly began.

Using a sword she had already washed in the river…

She chopped vegetables into large chunks.

They went straight into the pot.

She slowly simmered a vegetable broth.

Then cleaned the fish and added it as well.

She crushed dried shellfish from their food supplies with the handle of the knife before tossing them in.

Soon…

The cave filled with a mouthwatering aroma.

Several assassins were already drooling.

Even those who had remained wary gradually drifted closer to the pot.

“Isn’t it ready yet?”

“Just a little longer.”

“The turnips need to become nice and soft.”

“It’s been ages since I’ve eaten vegetables…”

“Really? Then I’ll give you extra.”

She chased away the impatient assassins…

Then insisted on cooking it for another ten minutes.

Finally…

She began filling bowls.

The assassins took one bite.

And immediately remembered the recommendation letters.

“Her cooking is incredible.”

It was true.

It was unbelievably delicious.

The next moment…

They attacked the food like a pack of starving wolves.

One assassin, who looked ready to lick his bowl clean, suddenly came back to his senses.

He cautiously offered a bowl to Aslan.

“Boss… it doesn’t seem like there’s anything wrong with the food.”

“…If there were, all of you would already be dead.”

Considering how much they’d already eaten.

Aslan sighed and tasted the soup.

One spoonful was enough to understand why his subordinates had gone crazy.

I see…

The cave became complete chaos.

“Put that ladle down! That’s already your second bowl!”

“Then stop reaching into the pot!”

“I’m still on my first!”

Just then…

Eustea quietly approached Aslan.

Is she trying to attack while everyone’s distracted by the food?

Ridiculous.

Those thin little arms weren’t a threat.

As he prepared to subdue her…

She quickly pulled something out of her clothes.

Then…

Held it out toward him.

“I secretly made this…”

“…Sausage.”

“…”

Just what is this child?

But there was one thing he knew for certain.

“That idiot’s stealing the whole pot!”

“Catch him!”

“…This sausage is definitely going to be delicious.”

Aslan accepted the sausage.