Chapter 06
As soon as Isabella returned to her room, she pulled the smartphone from the pocket of her nightgown and unlocked the screen. A notification immediately appeared.
『 The first mission for Player “Isabella” has begun. 』
▶ “Please make use of your unique trait during this mission!
If you succeed, you will be granted a discount voucher for dimensional travel fees.”
“…Just how expensive is this dimensional travel fee supposed to be?”
She was already paying an absurd monthly charge like a ruthless scam, so she couldn’t even begin to imagine how much the system’s so-called “dimensional travel fee” would cost.
Skipping over the notification that seemed to be urging her on, she let out a sigh and gathered everything she needed for going out into her bag.
Even Isabella, now accustomed to Korean and modern civilization, still had one lingering question.
‘If you can just pay the travel fee and move dimensions, why not just go right away? Why force me to do missions like this?’
To find the answer, she would need to track down the suspicious man who had handed her the smartphone and then vanished. She had even gone back to the park where she had met him several times, but she had never seen so much as a strand of his hair again.
Staring briefly at her face reflected on the black screen, she tucked the phone into her bag and left the room.
Her sudden departure made Selly, who had been following anxiously behind her, speak with concern.
“Miss… are you really going out alone?”
“Yes. I’m meeting a friend I was close with at the academy. You stay at the mansion, Selly.”
“But going alone is still—”
“I’m not a child. What are you so worried about? I’ll be back before it gets late.”
After barely convincing Selly not to follow her, she finally left on time.
At last, it was time to carry out the first step of her plan to return to Korea.
Isabella safely arrived at the main gate of the imperial palace and carefully stepped out of the carriage.
Unlike usual, she was wearing a shabby dress, and her bright blonde hair was completely hidden beneath a brown wig.
Standing before the massive gate, she pulled out a forged ID and a temporary employment certificate she had secretly prepared.
“…As long as I’m not caught. Yes. As long as I’m not caught.”
She had prepared confidently, but now that she faced the heavily guarded atmosphere, she couldn’t help but feel tense. When she reached the security post, a small window slid open.
“State your purpose for visiting the imperial palace.”
“I’ve been hired to assist with Princess Elena’s birthday party preparations today.”
“Present your identification and employment certificate.”
Isabella handed over the ID and documents she had prepared. The knight carefully examined them before issuing a pass.
“Do not lose this pass.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“The Gloriam Hall, where the party is being held, is to the west from the main gate.”
“Thank you for your service.”
Having passed the first checkpoint without issue, Isabella checked the pass in her hand. Both the pass and ID bore Selly’s full name instead of her own.
Selly… I’m sorry.
Now that she had passed the first hurdle, all that remained was to complete the mission without revealing her identity.
Since she was told to use her unique trait, perhaps she was simply meant to clean quietly during the entire event.
Reassuring herself with that somewhat unfriendly interpretation of the mission, she quickly headed toward the Crown Prince’s palace.
The palace where Crown Prince Kaelus resided was so vast it was divided into the main palace and a separate annex.
And within the main palace, Gloriam Hall was well known even to Isabella, who rarely visited the imperial palace. It was said that the moment one entered, they would be overwhelmed by its grandeur and classical elegance, as it hosted the empire’s most important events.
‘Well, to me it’s just a much larger area to clean.’
If possible, she hoped to avoid encountering people as much as possible.
With that modest wish, she showed her pass to the knights guarding the main building and stepped inside.
Inside the wide lobby stood several others who had been hired alongside her. Isabella naturally blended into the group.
The head maid of the palace, Jessica, who was in charge of preparations for Princess Elena’s birthday party, was checking the faces of the workers while assigning tasks.
Finally, it was Isabella’s turn. Jessica checked her employment certificate and ID, then met her eyes.
“Selly Brown?”
“Yes.”
“The recommender is Martin, the head butler of House Redia.”
“That’s correct…?”
At Isabella’s questioning gaze, as if wondering if there was a problem, Jessica shook her head. She handed Isabella a task card and replied,
“If you were recommended by the Redia family’s head butler, your work can be trusted. I look forward to your help today.”
“Thank you, Head Maid.”
After offering a small smile, Jessica moved on to the next person. Isabella checked her assigned duties.
“Morning task is cleaning the east corridor and the study.”
She changed into the prepared maid uniform and, before starting work, tied a handkerchief around her head like a headband to secure her wig.
After finishing all preparations, she took her cleaning tools from the storage room and headed toward the east wing.
Most of the workers had been assigned to the west wing for party preparations, so the east corridor was completely empty.
“Hmm. The atmosphere is a bit…”
Creepy.
Only Isabella’s footsteps echoed softly through the silent corridor. Standing in the middle, she quickly began sweeping the dust with a broom.
Her movements were somewhat clumsy, but thanks to her unique trait, every surface she touched became spotless, free of even a speck of dust.
“Phew, the corridor’s done already.”
She then began wiping the stained windows with a wet cloth. The more she wiped, the more they gleamed as if they had just been replaced, giving her a strange sense of satisfaction.
“I think I might have a talent for cleaning.”
At that moment, her pocket vibrated strongly once. After glancing around and confirming no one was there, she quietly took out her phone.
『 Your unique trait has leveled up! 』
▶ < “Whether people or objects, all stains and grime disappear completely~!” Lv. 4 >
Instead of a mission completion notification, the screen displayed a level-up for her unique trait.
Isabella, slightly disappointed, put the phone back in her pocket and stretched her arms before continuing to clean the remaining windows.
Although the mission was taking longer than expected and felt a bit frustrating, the more she cleaned, the more satisfying it became.
Keeping herself busy also helped her forget her lingering thoughts about the broken engagement and Ikanel.
‘As expected, nothing clears the mind better than cleaning.’
Before she knew it, she was humming softly while working.
“Holding your hand that feels like yesterday~ I’m doing it for you, V.E.N.U.S!”
It was as if the corridor had turned into a small stage. Unaware that the knot of her handkerchief had come undone, Isabella performed a dramatic dance move in rhythm with her humming.
But her excitement didn’t last long. She suddenly froze, sensing a gaze from afar.
Could someone have seen her dancing?
“…?”
She looked around awkwardly. However, the corridor was empty.
“…It must’ve been my imagination.”
Picking up the cloth from the windowsill, she quickly gathered her cleaning tools and hurried out of the east wing. Behind her, a single yellow tulip-embroidered handkerchief was left behind.
The corridor, now empty of Isabella, was filled with heavy silence.
And at the very end of the hallway, a door slowly opened as a man stepped out.
The corridor, now freshly cleaned, was in better condition than usual. The man looked around slowly and murmured,
“So she really does work hard.”
He recalled Isabella’s back—so absorbed in her work that she hadn’t even noticed she was being watched—and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
He picked up the handkerchief lying on the floor. Instantly, his habitual motion of pressing his left hand against his temple paused, then slowly lowered.
The severe headaches that had felt like needles stabbing into his brain, and the burning heat that had tormented his eyes for months, were gone.
Even the heavy, murky air that always weighed on his head and shoulders now felt refreshingly light. No—it was clearly different.
It was because the fresh, cleansing energy in the air was being absorbed by his body.
“Could it be that woman just now…”
His gaze fell on the white handkerchief in his hand. In one corner, a delicate yellow tulip was embroidered.
A meaningful smile formed on his lips.
“Yellow tulip, huh.”
The refreshing energy still lingered on the handkerchief. His eyes sharpened like a predator locking onto prey.
As if tracking the owner of the handkerchief, his gaze turned toward the empty corridor where Isabella had disappeared.
“I think I’ll have to check this myself… where did the owner of this handkerchief run off to?”
Kaelus, the Crown Prince of the Vestras Empire and the master of this vast palace, stared for a moment in the direction she had vanished.
Then he folded the handkerchief neatly, and walked leisurely down the corridor.
