Chapter 10
I felt a twinge of self-loathing toward my past self for ever finding this interesting.
Thump.
Without hesitation, I closed the book and stood up.
Splitting firewood would be far more productive than reading some pointless dragon story.
“Ugh—haa.”
Stretching, I stepped out through the front door, and warmer air brushed against my skin.
It wasn’t particularly cold today.
Was spring already trying to arrive?
According to Nina—the one in charge of “Na” among the Ganada Maid Squad—Celeste’s winters were notoriously fickle.
One day it would be brutally cold, and the next, clear as if nothing had happened.
Then fog would roll in again, followed by days of frost, and no one would find it strange. That was Celeste.
Weather, she said, was little more than divine caprice.
I wholeheartedly agreed.
Still, on a day like this, tending a small vegetable garden didn’t sound like a bad idea.
“Has the ground thawed a bit?”
Ever since I’d fallen flat on my face while chopping firewood, Betty had hidden the hand axe somewhere.
But what she didn’t know—
“I know there’s a pickaxe behind the woodpile!”
Ha!
This would do nicely for turning the soil.
The backyard of the cabin was just the right size, and the soil quality seemed perfect for a small garden.
I’d plant lettuce. Tomatoes. Herbs.
And if this world had chili peppers…
I’d grow those too. Then cabbage or radishes—and make kimchi.
My life was far more satisfying than my previous one, but there was just one thing missing:
Rice and kimchi.
I’m Korean to the bone.
You needed rice to have the strength to work!
Though, admittedly, that excuse didn’t hold much water when the Ganada Maid Squad—built sturdy on bread and grains alone—stood living proof before me.
Still, I fully intended to ask around and see if rice farming or kimchi-making was possible here.
I crouched in the center of the yard and pressed my hands into the ground.
The soil was cold, but the snow had already melted.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I broke it up with the pickaxe?
“Hrrngh!”
Thoughts short, actions swift.
I raised the pickaxe and slammed it straight down.
“Ack!”
I immediately let go.
Or rather—it felt closer to my body being flung away.
The soil was soft enough that the pickaxe went in easily.
The problem was what lay beneath it.
Something hard. Like solid rock.
A jolt shot up the pickaxe, sending a shockwave through my arms. Every hair on my body stood on end.
“My hand!”
Right.
This body was even weaker than I thought!
Thinking of Betty—the smallest maid but the strongest among them—I wept silent tears of envy.
If she’d seen me like this, she would’ve fainted.
I absolutely cannot let them find out.
One overprotective Betty was already more than enough. I now had six guardians hovering over me.
If they discovered I’d been digging on my own—
No, swinging a pickaxe on my own—
They’d probably take turns standing guard so I couldn’t even step outside my blanket.
“That is NOT happening!”
Let’s pretend this never happened.
Just as I pulled the pickaxe out of the soil and tried to roughly fill the hole with my foot—
“Huh?”
Something was dangling from the tip of the pickaxe.
“What the—?”
Could you… fish something out of the ground?
That made no sense.
Stunned, I examined whatever had been caught.
It was an antique-looking silver goblet with handles on both sides.
Intricate patterns covered it—clearly something valuable.
If it were a bit bigger, it could’ve passed for a championship trophy.
And despite having been buried underground, it gleamed suspiciously brightly.
“…This feels ominous.”
The bad vibes were off the charts.
I really didn’t want to bring it inside.
Using the pickaxe, I scraped out a shallow hollow, put the goblet back in, and covered it with dirt.
“Nothing happened. Yep. Nothing at all.”
…That’s what I thought.
***
“Madam, are you feeling unwell?”
Ria—the one in charge of “Ra”—looked at me with concern.
Despite her impressive muscles, she was the softest-hearted of the group.
I forced a smile and shook my head.
But inside, I was rotting away.
“I-I’m fine…”
“You don’t look fine at all. There’s a shadow on your face.”
She hurried over with a hand mirror and held it up.
The face reflected back at me looked gaunt—even to my own eyes—with dark circles hanging heavily beneath them.
No wonder. I hadn’t slept properly for days.
In just a few short nights, my life genre had shifted from ‘calm, healing countryside slice-of-life’ to ‘psychological horror, sanity erosion’.
“Madam~ Time to eat!”
At that moment, Garnet, Nina, and Dora entered the cabin one by one, each carrying a tray and smiling brightly.
They even enter in alphabetical order…
Ever since declaring themselves my footstools—no, my devoted attendants—the Ganada Maid Squad had drastically upgraded the meals.
Too drastically.
The food was rich and oily—far from what I’d grown used to.
After sharing the first lavish meal together, I’d gently steered things back toward healthier fare.
They’d been devastated, begging at least to be allowed to prepare portions that satisfied their hearts.
I couldn’t refuse.
Hence the three trays…
“Madam! Today, we prepared wine as a palate cleanser! Dora and I stole it from the supplies meant for Lady Katarina!”
“It was terribly thrilling!”
Hahaha! Hohoho! Giggle giggle!
On any other day, I would’ve laughed along.
But today—
“Eek!”
“Oh my! Madam, are you all right?”
“What’s wrong?!”
“Who did this?!”
Even Betty and Mari—who’d been cleaning windows and sweeping the yard—came rushing in, instantly assuming battle stances.
I buried my face into Garnet’s broad chest, trembling.
Honestly.
I was terrified.
And the reason was obvious.
“That goblet! Where did it come from?!”
“The goblet? It was on your table this morning. It was so pretty, we used it…”
“Aaagh! You cursed thing! Cursed silver goblet!”
“Madam!”
Yes.
That goblet.
The suspicious silver goblet I’d dug up while foolishly trying to make a garden.
I was sure I’d buried it properly and that no one would ever know.
But strange things started happening that very night.
That night—after pretending nothing had happened—I washed up and flopped onto the bed.
“?!”
My back felt strange.
I lifted the blanket—
And there it was.
“That’s disgusting!”
Shuddering, I threw the goblet out the window.
That was the beginning.
“Aaagh!”
I threw it outside.
Buried it again.
Dumped it in the main house.
I even hung it on a tree in the back mountain—
Yet every time I came to my senses, the goblet was back beside me.
Like a beggar that just wouldn’t die!
This wasn’t some Ex—orcism movie or anything!
After days of this, I was on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
Just yesterday, I’d buried it beneath a tree in the Grand Fortress Garden, convinced that would finally be the end!
An evil spirit. This has to be an evil spirit.
Was this what they meant when they said I was cursed?
Was it actually real?
Had I not just been medievally gaslit for having red eyes—but genuinely cursed?
Then—
“Madam, look at this!”
Mari, who had relaxed from battle stance, stared wide-eyed at the goblet.
“There’s something reflected inside it!”
“What?”
Suddenly, an uncontrollable curiosity surged up.
And truthfully—spite.
I’d been desperately searching for a way to end this miserable game of tag.
If it was really an evil spirit, I was ready to exorcise it physically.
I looked back at my reliable allies—the Ganada Maid Squad.
Their magnificent muscles were still there, gloriously intact.
With their grip strength, an evil spirit would be nothing.
Right. I may be weak, but my side is absurdly strong…
Maybe we can punch a ghost.
Armed with the courage of a petty schemer, I cautiously peered into the silver goblet.
And inside it—
