GFMS 09

Chapter – 09

Hmm.

My stomach twisted slightly from the tension.

I had to deceive not only Ian but the entire empire for that long?

Is that even possible, Lee Seoyeon?

I didn’t know. I wasn’t confident.

“Huuu…”

I buried my face in the pillow again and sighed, then suddenly lifted my head.

No. Whether I’m confident or not, I have to do it.

That was the only way to survive.

I had to fool Ian to survive him first. And if I could endure one year, I could use his help to escape from Nine as well.

And the knowledge I got from the original novel will be useful too.

I knew the major events that would happen in the future.

I also remembered quite a bit about the main characters like Ian.

For example, about a year from now, on the day the female lead makes her debut, a massive lightning storm will strike the capital.

That storm would become the event where the female lead first awakened as a saint.

Her ability was none other than weather control. After awakening, she calmed the lightning storm with her power.

After that, she saved many regions suffering from droughts and floods.

Most saint powers were specialized in saving lives.

Among them, the female lead’s weather control ability was especially suited for saving people during natural disasters.

Anyway.

If I gave people advance warning about that lightning storm, they could prepare for the flooding.

And then people would probably praise me, saying it was the grace of the Saint!

Of course, I had no intention of stealing the female lead’s credit. This was just an example.

The problem is… my memory isn’t that perfect.

Still, I had read “The Saint Doesn’t Know Love” three times.

I didn’t remember exact page numbers or lines, but I could recall the general plot.

I can do this.

I clenched my fist.

Under the guise of a “prophecy” ability, I could naturally tell people about events from the original story.

And since I plan to disappear from the world in a year anyway, the weakness of not knowing anything after the novel ends is covered.

Of course, I couldn’t overuse my knowledge of the original plot.

My interference might twist the story, and running out of information would also be a problem.

So I should only use it occasionally. For impactful moments!

“Good. Good.”

I clenched my fist and muttered.

If I predicted the future once or twice, maybe that terrifying Knight Commander would start treating me a little more carefully.

“Saint, did you call for me?”

At that moment, a voice came from beyond the curtain.

Oh right.

I wasn’t alone in this room.

“It’s nothing, Sir Joan.”

I answered with the most dignified voice I could manage.

“I see. Please call if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

Whew. I let out a small sigh.

Sir Joan was the knight Ian had assigned today as my personal guard.

A rapier user. Short in height but solidly built. Skilled in swordsmanship and also somewhat talented in magic.

Lucian had quietly mentioned that Sir Joan might one day even become a Sword Master.

Isn’t it a waste for such a talented person to guard just me?

That thought crossed my mind, but I decided to ignore it.

My enemy was Nine. No preparation was ever too much.

Dong… dong…

Then the sound of bells rang.

I glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight.

Time passed so quickly.

I closed the book and placed it on the bedside table.

It was time to sleep.

Starting tomorrow, an exhausting schedule awaited me.

First of all… the engagement ceremony is in three days, right?

Who holds an engagement ceremony in three days?

Even roasting beans in lightning would take longer than that.

Well… they probably need to act fast before the rumors get worse.

There were preparations for the engagement, and things I personally needed to investigate too.

First… I need to break this time-limit curse.

I slightly lifted my nightclothes.

The number 76 written on my thigh had faded compared to before, but its outline was still clearly visible.

If I failed to destroy Ian within one year, I would burn alive from that spot because of the curse.

Thankfully, the original story showed how the female lead broke this time-limit curse.

In the novel, Nine had once placed a time-limit curse on the female lead’s close friend.

A terrifying curse forcing her to poison the female lead.

Fortunately, the heroine managed to discover how to break it before the time ran out.

I planned to use that same method.

I hope it works.

No.

It had to work.

Otherwise, I was as good as dead.

Seriously… of all bodies to transmigrate into, why did it have to be this tragic one…

Muttering to myself, I pulled up the blanket.

Anyway, it was time to sleep for tomorrow.

I turned off the bedside lamp and said:

“Good night, Sir Joan.”

“Good night, Saint.”

And so, my first storm-like day came to an end.

* * *

“Mmm…”

I frowned as bright morning sunlight hit my face.

“Lady Irene, did you cough?”

Annette’s gentle voice reached me.

Hearing her voice reminded me again that everything that happened wasn’t a dream.

Ian. Saint. Lies. Fake engagement. Nine.

None of it was a dream.

…This is the worst morning.

I staggered up.

“Annette, is there water?”

“Yes! I’ll bring it right away!”

Soon Annette pulled back the bed canopy and handed me a glass of water.

Along with it was a tray filled with stacks of papers.

“I’ve also brought the newspapers for you to review.”

Various newspapers were neatly arranged on the tray.

Wow. I feel like a corporate chairman.

“Thank you, Annette.”

“Ah! Please speak more formally…!”

Annette said shyly.

I picked up one of the newspapers without thinking.

Unfortunately, it was The Empire’s Morning again.

The same paper that had printed my scandal with Ian in huge headlines yesterday.

“Ah! Lady Irene! That newspaper is…!”

Annette panicked after realizing.

But I had already seen the front page.

The headline read:

“The Mysterious Woman of the Knight Commander!
Reporters struggled to uncover her identity but found nothing. Is this Sir Esteban’s iron defense to protect his lover?”

Please mind your own business!

I screamed internally.

But honestly, I knew.

If I were just an ordinary citizen, I would probably be buying this paper with sparkling eyes too.

Annette spoke softly.

“I’m really sorry, Lady Irene. I forgot to remove that one in advance.”

“It’s okay. I should know these articles are circulating.”

Despite publishing gossip, The Empire’s Morning wasn’t a low-tier paper.

Almost every salon carried it.

That meant it had influence. And if I was on its front page for two days straight, it meant Ian and I were the biggest gossip topic in the capital.

Well… obviously.

I sighed and got out of bed. Annette asked:

“What is your schedule today, Lady Irene?”

I answered calmly:

“I’m going to the Magic Tower.”

“The Magic Tower?!”

Annette’s eyes widened.

I smiled lightly and nodded.

“I need to buy a few things.”

“Should I go instead?”

“No. I think it’s better if I choose them myself.”

“Understood! I’ll help you prepare right away!”

Annette spoke with determination, as if given her first mission.

Inside the wardrobe were several outfits perfectly fitted to my body. It seemed Lucian had arranged them.

I put on a simple outing dress and a cloak over it.

“You look amazing in the hooded cloak! It’s the latest trend! You look so beautiful, Lady Irene!”

Annette said excitedly, even waving her hands.

Good thing hooded cloaks are trending.

I pulled the hood low.

Thanks to it, I was able to reach the carriage without drawing much attention.

Annette told the driver the destination for me.

I can’t believe I’m going to a Magic Tower like in a fantasy novel. I’m suddenly nervous.

Watching the scenery change rapidly outside the window, my heart started beating faster.

What was the Magic Tower?

The embodiment of fantasy novel romance.

A place filled with genius mages and sages. A tower of knowledge.

Though… this novel’s Magic Tower is a bit different.

“We’ve arrived, Lady Irene.”

Sir Joan politely helped me out of the carriage.

Holding his hand, I stepped down and looked up.

It’s tall…

Seeing the Magic Tower in person felt quite awe-inspiring.

Unlike the pure white cathedral, the twin dark-blue towers radiated mystery.

Suppressing my nerves, I walked confidently inside.

“Welcome, valued customer. How may we assist you?”

The moment I entered, I was greeted by a perfectly trained service line.

At the front desk stood a very friendly-looking mage smiling brightly.

I pulled my hood lower and approached.

Thankfully, since many unusual customers came here, my behavior didn’t stand out.

“Hello. I came to purchase a magic tool.”

“I see. Is it for personal use or a gift?”

“For personal use.”

“Personal use. Then one of our staff will assist you right away!”

As the desk mage smiled, another staff mage guided me into a private consultation room.

The process was so smooth I couldn’t help but admire it.

I knew it was commercialized, but not to this extent.

Originally, the Magic Tower was purely a research institution for mages.

Like most fantasy novels.

But everything changed when the genius Tower Master, Rizello, took control.

Declaring Magic Tower reform, Rizello completely transformed the isolated institution.

In less than ten years, it became the perfectly commercial facility it was today.

I had also heard it now possessed astronomical wealth.

“This way to the consultation room, valued customer.”

The mage smiled brightly and pointed to a door.

I honestly couldn’t tell whether she was a mage or a top-tier customer service professional.