affection chapter 1

“Ugh…” A groan, heavy with the exhaustion of a difficult life, echoed down the empty hallway. Sienna knelt, clutching a worn-out brush. Her wrists trembled from the strain of scrubbing the floor without proper cleaning supplies.

“Oh, my life…” she murmured weakly, still gripping the brush. Just days ago, Sienna had lived in a world where vacuums cleaned and washing machines laundered. Now, inexplicably, she found herself in this medieval-style building, wearing a threadbare maid’s uniform, cleaning a dust-filled hallway.

Swish, swish, swish, swish. The thick layer of dust refused to yield, even after countless strokes. Frustration welled up as Sienna stared at the stubbornly dirty floor. With a cry of exasperation, she flung the brush aside. It clattered against the wall and tumbled to a stop.

“Forget it.” Sienna sank onto the recently cleaned floor, her back against the wall, legs stretched out. Her entire body ached from being bent over for so long. Even her palms, which she’d been using to massage the cramps out of her calves and thighs, throbbed with pain. She glanced down at her hands. The skin was puckered and raw.

“Eczema…” Constantly submerged in water from the endless washing and dishwashing of the past few days, her hands had quickly succumbed. In this world devoid of even rubber gloves, everything had to be done barehanded. It was a wonder she hadn’t developed eczema sooner.

“Ugh. It’s all because of that blasted book.” The old book she’d bought at the secondhand bookstore. The very cause of her transportation to this other world! If it were here, she would tear it to shreds and use it as kindling. Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found.

To elaborate, the book was a romance fantasy novel with the archaic title, Secrets of the Red Rose. It followed a simple narrative: the heroine and hero meet by fate, defeat the villain, and save the empire. However, to Soobin, a dreamy mountain girl, it was the epitome of romance. Even the most clichéd novel was a thousand times better than the tedious herbal medicine books in her father’s study. She’d reread the kissing and proposal scenes countless times, blushing under her covers. Soobin had fallen asleep dreaming of experiencing such a romantic love when she went to university. The next day, she woke up inside the book. Not as the heroine, but as Sienna, an insignificant extra, a maid working in the villain’s household.

The moment Sienna realized her predicament, she screamed. I wanted to experience a love like in a novel, not be stuck inside one! Born and raised with a strong faith, Sienna began to curse God without reservation. But nothing changed. No matter how many times she woke up, she remained Sienna, not Soobin. Eventually, she had to adapt to life in the villain’s…castle.

To briefly explain the villain: his name was Damon Owen Marbas. He was a young boy, barely twelve years old. Six years from now, at the age of eighteen, he would awaken and destroy half the empire. The first thing Damon would obliterate upon his awakening was this dilapidated castle where Sienna worked. Upon learning this, Sienna had abandoned her laundry, rushed back to her room, and packed her belongings. But she immediately ran into a very real problem. She had no money. Not a single penny.

From the moment she’d inhabited this body, Soobin had access to Sienna’s memories. She knew everything about her. Sienna was fifteen years old. A month ago, she’d lost her father, who had raised her alone, and had come to work at this mansion. Marbas Castle offered its servants plenty of work but meager wages. Why had Sienna come here? Because it was the only place that would employ a young girl without references. She’d been desperate. The work, however, proved too harsh for a child. Sienna, unable to endure the grueling labor, had died of a heart attack in the middle of the night. That’s when Soobin took over her body. How utterly tragic.

Soobin, in Sienna’s body, was more worried about her life after leaving the castle than the empire’s impending doom six years in the future. Even if she left now, no one would hire someone with no experience. And even if they did, she had no money to escape this remote, rural village. Sienna thought what most new hires would think when they realize they’ve joined a terrible company: I’ll just work here for a year to gain experience and then leave! But Sienna didn’t know. She didn’t know that this decision would drastically alter the course of her life.

***

That day, Sienna was diligently cleaning the hallway as usual. The old wooden building required constant cleaning; dust perpetually drifted down from the ceiling. Having started early in the morning, she’d managed to finish half the hallway by lunchtime. As she straightened up to take a break, a door burst open right next to her.

“Hello! Is anyone there?”

Startled, Sienna turned towards the sound.