Chapter 2

Itrium, the institution of the Great Empire of Ivan. A city boasting a state-of-the-art civilization on the continent that takes about five hours by two carriages from the mansion of a slave merchant.

‘Wow! It’s huge.’ 

The imperial castle and the garden, which spread endlessly around the Imperial Palace in the center, were huge scale items that I had never seen before in both of my lives.

‘It’s definitely different from what I imagined reading the book.’ 

Even during the Emperor’s tyranny, the empire stood out in its own right, but since Namjoo took over, it has changed its rank.

As soon as he was enthroned, he killed the fallen royal families or expelled them to of her countries in the name of saving the empire, and freely purged the nobles who did not follow him.

Thanks to this, it is said that the screaming and bloody odor at the imperial palace did not cease for a year after the imperial power changed.

‘And in 3 years, the empire became the most powerful country ever.’

I knew it by reading it in a book, but when I actually put the majesty and his kingdom in front of me, I realized it after inspecting.

“Come this way.”

Raven called me, as I got off the carriage and looked at the Imperial Palace for a moment.

He put on a hooded cloak over me just before getting off the wagon. Then he took me to the back of a building and handed it over to the women who were waiting there.

“Elmeria’s maid, this is the new ‘doll’.”

The gray-brown haired woman, who seemed to be in her 50s, glanced at me and soon turned her gaze to Raven.

“You’ve had a hard time, Sir Isteban. Now the palace will be quiet a little.”

I became a little sensitive to their conversation. It was like telling a story that he had been looking for food to throw to a hungry lion.

t/n: I think this means, “It was like telling me that they had been looking for food to throw to a hungry lion.” This means, she feels like the meat/live animals zoo-keepers/tamers would throw at hungry beasts/animals.

As soon as he handed me over to a woman called the maid, he didn’t even look back twice and went away.

Even so, I’ve been riding a carriage, it’s been five hours since dawn, but you don’t even look at me. Yes, that’s the charm you are.

When Raven went away, the maid took me straight to the back door of the Imperial Palace.

What seemed familiar was that there weren’t one or two women who came here as dolls.

“This is His Majesty’s bedroom, and where you will work.”

As I walked through the corridor decorated with gold leaf and jewels, I expected it, but the emperor’s bedroom on the second floor was much larger and more luxurious than expected.

‘It’s amazing, it’s also the emperor’s room.’ 

And there was a small side room, but it was simple. One single bed, one chair, one sink and one closet. That was it. In addition, there were still small items used by my predecessors.

‘I still have everything there.’ 

While I was looking around the side room, the maid said in a clerical tone that I came into the Imperial Palace as a living doll of the emperor, and that I will live in this side room in the future.

In fact, the original story only describes the role of the emperor’s dolls, but does not mention how the doll s lived and how they were treated.

I can only guess that I will live a pretty hardcore life in line with the position of ‘doll’ and the tendency of the tyrant emperor.

In the original work, the time when the heroine took on the role of a doll, was a time when she was already becoming a precious person to the emperor, so the expression of an exception was followed.

Therefore, the role that the heroine lived as the ‘doll’ was not the same for me.

‘I can’t even sleep at night normally, and now I have to play with the emperor every day, right?’

I had a strict imagination, and my spine was creepily tingly. Then the maid told me.

“I will tell you what you will do in the future.”

I looked with my eyes brightly at the maid who would tell me about the ‘doll’ job I had been curious about. But I soon had to doubt my ears.

“You can open your eyes in the future after your Majesty leaves the room. After an hour of etiquette training in the morning, you’ll be waiting in this bedroom for the rest of the day. And your dedicated maid will take care of your schedule management and service.”

‘Really!?’ 

If I could speak, I would have screamed reflexively.

‘A dedicated maid? Besides, can I wake up later than the emperor? Even listening to manners and waiting all day. Is this a true story? Could this be the honeybojik you only heard in words?’ 

t/n: It directly translates to “honey-texture”, so what I’m assuming is, it means like sweet-deal. Or like something good. You know how honey is sweet and golden, kind of warm and amber undertones? yepp—im just assuming.

In my previous life, because of my family, I worked hard to death, and even after being reincarnated, it was like the sound of a heavenly trumpet to me, who was sold as a slave to work.

No, rather, the conditions were so good that it was a surprise.

It’s not like the last supper served before I’m is offered as a sacrifice, right?

t/n: she’s basically feeling like she’s about to be sacrificed because of all of the golden conditions, how it’s almost too good to be true. she feels similar to the criminals who have their “last meal” before their execution.

If the original herione appears anyway, the emperor wont even look at her, the other doll. So, endure, and not die, and when she appears, you can leave the emperor and run away.

But, if it’s such a honey job, shouldn’t she wish for the herione to appear late?

‘Are you trying to avoid my life now?’ 

As if I was going to drool, I was fascinated by the honey job, and the maid in a low voice asked as if yelling.

“Why is there no answer? Can’t you hear me?”

I tried to open my mouth reflexively, saying that it wasn’t, but my throat was sore and my voice couldn’t come out.

“Oh yeah. You said you couldn’t speak. I forgot about you.”

When I grabbed my neck and felt embarrassed, the maid shook her head with her hand on her forehead.

“First of all, there are three things you have to follow here.”

She raised three fingers.

“First, watch whatever you see or hear. Well, you can’t speak so I’m not worried about that.”

When the maid’s words were over, I could hear the maids and workers move around.

“Second, just act like a doll in front of his Majesty. You shouldn’t do anything yourself unless you are ordered. Conversely, when you’re not with him, you can do whatever you want.”

It doesn’t change the fact that she was a doll. It’s like giving away human rights for a dog.

‘That’s why they used the slaves has his dolls. If it weren’t for that, would these high-bridged aristocrats here have been brought as slaves for the Emperor?’

I didn’t have a choice anyway. If you are caught running away from this situation, I’d be dead in 3 seconds, not 3 years.

While I snorted internally, I nodded softly on the outside.

“Finally, your existence is kept secret and you cannot get out of this Imperial Palace. But remember, you can move with you anytime, anywhere you want.”

And the maid added a rule for the doll.

“This routine will continue until the day your Majesty says you do not need it. After that, I will send it abroad with the compensation money, so you can live as you please.”

If you play the role of a ‘doll’, you can play and eat in the emperor’s bedroom, with the help of a maid in charge, and then recieve compensation money. As long as I listened to their rules, there really was no better heavenly honey job.

‘If you didn’t know that there wasn’t a single doll that survived.’

I swallowed dry saliva.

‘I can survive until Yeoju appears, right?’ 

After that, I was handed over to the maids for a second bath, I was given an oil massage and hair treatment, and put in a pretty high-quality indoor dress.

Except for having a sandwich and fruit juice while having a lot people watching me (but it was delicious!), it was a very satisfying treatment.

While one of the maids tied the back laces on the back of my dress and finished the dressing up, I stared blankly at myself in the full-length mirror.

‘This is what I am.’

I knew it because I lived for 19 years, but it was refreshing when I recalled the memories of my previous life.

Pale skin, silky hair that curls up to my waist, lush lips, and sky-blue irises that were exposed only through the front of my head shone transparently.

Overall, the pigment was light, and her slim body and expressionless face gave off a strangely dreamy atmosphere.

I touched my wrist.

The bones were felt right under my skin.

‘It’s very bad.’ 

My whole life, I hadn’t eaten properly, but now I was suffering the consequences, from a fever high enough to die, and from a neck injury.

In my previous life, I was busy working, so I ate a lot of snacks and instant meals, so I was always obese without nutrition.

‘I’m sure you’ll be getting your beauty weight now that you have steady food?’

When she tried to turn her thoughts positively, the maid came back and picked up something from the box she was holding.

“Wear this.”

As soon as I saw the silver bracelet, I realized it was the magic tool from the original.

It was a crude bracelet with all small yellow-green mana stones only the size of a little fingernail. The dark marks, like bloodstains, bothered me, but I tried to ignore them.

As soon as I put on the bracelet, my platinum hair turned dark blond, and my sky blue eyes turned deep green. The pale complexion turned into a reddish face.

‘This is the color-plate the original heroine had. I think they dyed something.’

According to the original work, magic tools that change the appearance are extremely difficult to obtain, and they cannot entrust such national treasure magic tools to slaves, so they use magic tools that only change the color of the appearance.

The original heroine wore this as a doll, but the male lead who overcame the trauma later smashed the bracelet completely saying that he could not take it anymore.

‘No matter how exciting the scene was!’ 

I tried to subside my excitement and touched my hair that had changed color in an instant.

‘Shall I meet the emperor in this state?’

The sun is still in the middle of the sky, so there will be time for the emperor to return. As I know well what kind of trauma he has, I was worried about how he would react.

‘I would just cry when I meet, but?’ 

Then suddenly the door opened loudly and a pale, tired attendant came in.

“Hand-maid! This is a message from Esteban!”

The maid turned around calmly, but a strange anxiety-filled expression appeared on her face. When I saw that face, my heart started beating faster.

☾*✲⋆.

I’m excited for when they meet—ehehe.

I love you all, please take care and stay safe. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, of course, far from perfect so please feel free to reach out and point out any mistakes!