Hiding in the thicket, I held my breath.
‘They’re coming. They’re here.’
After a long wait, the group I had been anticipating finally approached.
Their faces completely concealed by hoods, they moved without a sound, even in this rugged mountain terrain.
That was because they were none other than the infamous assassin guild, ‘Irregular.’
Countless lives had perished at their hands.
The mightiest knights.
Wizards well-versed in ancient magic.
Even omnipotent rulers.
The reason I, a mere child, was waiting for them in this wilderness was simple.
‘I’ll catch them.’
With my resolve hardened, I widened my eyes.
“Arghhh─!”
A scream-like battle cry erupted from me as fear made my entire body tremble.
And then, I leapt out from the pile of vines, rushing toward the man at the front…!
“Father─!”
I clung to him with a thud.
“What did you say?”
“Father?!”
The members of Irregular trailing the man wore expressions of utter shock.
Those who had drawn their weapons the moment they heard my scream also looked dumbfounded.
Especially the man whose leg I was clinging to…
“…Who are you?”
A chilling sense of intimidation gripped my entire body.
To think a voice alone could make me want to faint.
As expected of the leader of the continent’s greatest assassin guild.
My body trembled uncontrollably, but I clung to his leg like a leech.
“…I’ll serve you, my lord.”
“…”
“Please raise me.”
The members of Irregular stared at me as if I were insane.
I felt like I was going crazy myself, so how must they feel?
‘But this man is my only way to survive.’
I am Eustea Andres.
A 15-year-old who transmigrated into a game.
* * *
My life wasn’t always so desperate that I’d cling to the leader of an assassin guild.
My parents were bound by a political marriage.
My father was a marquess leading a prestigious family.
My mother was the head of a large merchant guild.
Father needed funds, and Mother needed backing.
‘They got along well at first.’
Enough to have me, at least.
‘Though it wasn’t exactly overflowing with affection.’
As it was Father’s second marriage, I had a half-brother.
My half-brother showed no affection toward my mother and me.
Father was so strict that I froze up at the mere sight of his shadow.
But I was fine because I had a mother who loved me endlessly.
The balance began to crumble a few years ago.
‘When Father’s first love appeared.’
He claimed he only realized true love after divorcing my half-brother’s mother.
But due to my late grandfather’s opposition, they had parted ways.
Because his first love was a maid.
And that first love had been raising Father’s child.
By chance, Father reunited with her and learned of his daughter’s existence.
‘And so, he brought that daughter into the mansion.’
That’s where the cracks began.
Father was endlessly strict with me and my half-brother.
But not with the maid’s daughter.
He pitied her for growing up on the streets.
And the maid’s daughter was naturally bright and charming, effortlessly breaking down walls.
Not just Father’s, but even my half-brother’s.
‘That’s when the suffering began.’
The maid’s daughter was blessed with extraordinary luck.
She easily befriended the noble peers I couldn’t even get a glance from, no matter how hard I tried.
She even won the love of the First Prince, my long-time crush.
As a result, even the vassals fawned over her.
Constantly comparing her to me.
‘Mother was heartbroken by it.’
She fought with Father every day.
“Don’t discriminate between her and Eustea.”
“Rein in the vassals.”
But nothing changed.
‘The worst pain came afterward.’
The maid’s daughter fell gravely ill after eating something bad.
Father, my half-brother, and her impressive friends went berserk, searching for the cause.
And the one they pointed to as the culprit was me.
“Poisonous herbs were found in Eustea’s room. The same herbs that poisoned Stella.”
“How dare you…”
Mother tried to protect me, but it wasn’t enough.
Everyone who loved the maid’s daughter banded together and even seized Mother’s merchant guild.
It was to strip her of her influence.
And so, my mother and I were cast out.
Mother, already shaken by the ordeal, worked tirelessly to raise me.
She collapsed and lost consciousness, and she still hasn’t recovered.
‘I went through real hardship after that.’
To care for Mother, I did every job imaginable.
Once a noble lady, I washed dishes in restaurants and carried fish in the market.
But our situation didn’t improve.
‘Meanwhile, that wretched father brought his first love into the mansion.’
Even thinking about it now makes my blood boil.
But struggling to survive, all I could do was work.
I even helped catch tuna at the harbor.
During one of those jobs, I fell into the sea and nearly died.
‘And at that moment, as I hovered between life and death…’
It came back to me.
Memories of my past life as a Korean.
And I realized.
‘This world is inside a game!’
The reason the maid’s daughter had such incredible luck and thrived.
It was because she was the protagonist of this game.
To make matters worse, I recalled the game’s story and learned the end of my life.
‘An organ bank…’
When the game’s protagonist, the maid’s daughter, faces a life-threatening crisis, my role is to provide her with organ transplants.
In the game, I sell my organs to save my mother’s life.
‘Organ trafficking is illegal, you know?’
What a damned game that only cares about the protagonist.
Of course, I could refuse to sell my organs.
But when the protagonist is in danger, would that blasted protagonist’s loyal guard, Father, my half-brother, the First Prince, her noble friends, and so on, leave me alone?
In the game, it was Father who tracked me down.
If I don’t comply, they’ll drag me away by force.
‘So, to protect my organs, I need a savior to shield me from them.’
Someone powerful, with no ties to the protagonist’s guard.
That’s why I chose this assassin guild, ‘Irregular.’
This is inside a cave.
A hideout used by the Irregular when they operate in this area.
Right now, I’m trembling, surrounded by its members.
Like a squirrel thrown into a den of beasts.
‘And it’s not just the members, there’s the elite squad too.’
The elite squad of Irregular, consisting of exactly seven members, including the leader.
Two of them are here right now.
The leader and a man named Antonio.
‘It’s said one elite member can take down a hundred soldiers…’
Swallowing hard, I noticed Antonio, one of the elite, approaching me closely.
“Are you really not the leader’s daughter?”
The other members burst into laughter.
“No way the leader would do that.”
“Who knows? Maybe he messed around somewhere and… argh!”
Antonio, who had been joking while grabbing my chin to inspect me, screamed.
A coin, flicked by the leader’s hand, struck his eye with a loud crack!
‘Wow…’
How could a coin make such a sound?
Just a flick of his fingers, and it flew like that.
‘Should I run away now?’
But I quickly shook my head like a rattle.
‘The leader is my only answer.’
The leader stared at me silently.
It felt like the blood in my body was turning to ice.
I may have caught tuna, but I couldn’t handle the aura of a true assassin who kills people.
‘Calm down.’
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Of course, I was terrified.
If I could, I’d faint on the spot.
But I was someone who had done all sorts of jobs since being cast out from the Andres family.
And at home, my rabbit-like mother was waiting for me.
I couldn’t back down.
As I thought this, the leader slowly removed his hood.
For a moment, I thought I couldn’t breathe.
‘What kind of face…’
Not even idols or actors could hold a candle to his stunning appearance.
I’d never seen such looks, even in my memories as a Korean.
Jet-black hair.
Crimson eyes like crystallized blood.
To think a man could suit those red eyes so perfectly.
A sharp jawline, features carved with divine precision, and beautiful eyes framed by long lashes.
Even his toned chest peeking from under the hood and his broad shoulders seemed like they belonged to a luxury brand model.
But even his beauty couldn’t mask the menacing aura he exuded.
The moment our eyes met, it felt like all the blood in my body sank to the floor.
‘There’s no turning back now. I’ve seen the face of the assassin guild’s leader.’
For someone whose identity must remain hidden, revealing his face meant one thing.
If things went wrong, he could kill me and leave.
The leader stared at my pale face.
“Who are you─”
“Eustea Andres, 15 years old! The daughter of the Andres marquess, cast out three years ago! Since then, I’ve done jobs like washing dishes in restaurants, spreading misinformation, running errands in the market, catching tuna, and occasionally assisting herbalists! I was kicked out with my sick mother, and now I live with her in a rented basement at 115-A, District 5…!”
“How did you know our location─”
“I saw the annihilation of the Gallego count’s family last night and figured it was Irregular’s work! Only Irregular could secretly wipe out a count’s household in a single day! Considering the imperial army’s deployment, I judged it had to be this mountain! So I staked out here…!”
“You are─”
“Eustea Andres, 15 years old! Three years ago…!”
“I’m not asking about your identity.”
“Gasp.”
In my nervous rambling, I clamped my hands over my mouth.
The members burst into laughter.
“She’s cute.”
“No way! How is that cute? Cute is for someone like me.”
“Her head’s not bad, though. Shouldn’t we at least test her skills?”
“Test her skills? We don’t have time for that. We’re on a tight schedule to shake off the imperial army.”
Amid the chattering members, the leader remained silent.
His expression was unreadable, but he clearly had no intention of accepting me.
“Um, excuse me.”
I cautiously raised my hand.
“You don’t have to worry about the imperial army…”
The leader narrowed his brow.
“What do you mean?”
“The third division in charge of searching this area ran into some trouble.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I caused it…?”
I rummaged through my bag and pulled something out.
At a glance, it looked like bracken, but it was an herb used in this world.
The members who recognized it flinched.
“Betium?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Betium is highly effective for abdominal bloating and constipation caused by foreign substances.
In simple terms, it’s a powerful laxative.
“I put a ton of it in the barracks’ food yesterday.”
Their stomachs must be roaring like thunder.
It’s tough on them, but diarrhea wouldn’t be enough to halt a search.
More importantly, the commander of the third division in this area was desperate for a promotion.
He’s the type to drive his soldiers out into the streets even if he’s stuck in the bathroom.
At my words, the members’ jaws dropped.
But some were still skeptical.
The lone female member of Irregular, who had shouted, “How is that cute!” spoke up.
“No way. How could you sneak into the barracks’ kitchen?”
“I used to work in the barracks’ dining hall…”
“You used to work there. They wouldn’t just let you waltz back into the kitchen now, would they?”
“Well, my cooking is kind of popular, so the commanders still welcome me…”
I pulled out a stack of recommendation letters from high-ranking imperial officers, which I carried to secure jobs.
[★★★★★. Honestly, better than home cooking. -Lieutenant Colonel Duroti]
[Her cooking is phenomenal. -Colonel Lagoni]
[This girl’s food soothes my urge to punch my superiors. -Brigadier General Muñoz]
“They always beg me to come back. When I don’t have work, I sometimes stop by to cook for them.”
“…How good must it be?”
The members looked flabbergasted.
‘Did I mess things up?’
They might have had other plans to escape.
Oh no. Did I interfere with them?
Feeling deflated, I asked, “Should I go back and make an antidote?”
The leader paused to think, then said, “Check the imperial army’s movements to verify her claim.”
“Yes, sir.”
The assigned member vanished instantly.
They were so fast, it was hard to follow with my eyes.
‘Looks like I didn’t ruin their plans.’
The leader stood up.
“Take a break.”
“What about the girl?”
“She doesn’t seem like she’s planning to run, so leave her be.”
I flinched at his words.
This was my chance.
“Should I prepare lunch, then?”
“Huh?”
“Can I take a look at what ingredients you have?”
“The food supplies are over there…”
“I might tamper with the food, so do you want to watch me?”
“Y-Yeah, we should.”
As I started moving briskly, one of the members muttered, “…What is this insane situation?”
* * *
The leader of Irregular, Aslan, silently observed Eustea.
Eustea began cooking, with one of the members tagging along beside her.
She skillfully lit a campfire, stacked stones around it, and placed a large pot on top.
After pouring water into the pot, she let out a small “Hmm.”
“No vegetables.”
Antonio, the elite squad member assigned to her, said, “They spoil easily, so they’re not ideal for carrying as supplies.”
“But without vegetables, the nutrition… Oh, right. Could you lend me a dagger?”
Borrowing the dagger, she dragged Antonio outside.
About thirty minutes later, the other members frowned as they checked the time.
“Why aren’t they back yet? Did she run off?”
“No way, not with Antonio-sama watching her.”
“She’s got some serious skills at handling people. She might’ve tricked him.”
Just as the members’ expressions turned menacing, Eustea and Antonio returned, arms full of goods.
Various vegetables and even fish.
“Sorry for the wait! I was prepping ingredients by the river.”
“Leader, this is incredible! She swiped all this from a mountain keeper!”
“I used to work with an extortion gang, so…”
As Antonio buzzed with excitement and the members looked dumbfounded, the real cooking began.
She chopped the vegetables cleanly with the sword she’d washed at the river, tossing them into the pot.
She made a vegetable broth, then cleaned and added the fish.
She even crushed dried meat from the supply bag with the hilt of the dagger and threw it in.
The cave filled with an appetizing aroma.
Some members were already salivating.
Even those wary of Eustea slowly edged toward the pot.
“…Isn’t it done by now?”
“You need to wait a bit longer. The turnips have to soften for it to taste good.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve had vegetables…”
“Really? Then I’ll make sure to put in plenty.”
She shooed away the drooling members and let the pot simmer for another ten minutes.
Then she served the finished dish into bowls.
The members who tasted it recalled the recommendation letters scribbled by colonels and lieutenant colonels alike.
[Her cooking is phenomenal.]
Indeed.
Her cooking was phenomenal!
After that, they devoured the food like a pack of wolves.
One member, eating so fiercely they might lick the bowl, suddenly snapped to attention.
He cautiously offered a bowl to Aslan.
“Leader, the food seems safe.”
“…If it wasn’t, you’d all be dead by now.”
With how much they’d eaten.
Sighing, the leader tasted the soup.
He understood why the members were eating like maniacs.
‘Impressive.’
The members were in a frenzy.
“Put that ladle down! That’s your second bowl already!”
“You’re the one who needs to get your hands off the pot!”
“I’m still on my first!”
As the fight broke out, Eustea quietly approached the leader.
‘Is she trying to distract me with food to attack me?’
How laughable.
A skinny hand, barely more than skin clinging to bones, posed no threat.
At that moment, Eustea swiftly pulled something from her bosom.
Just as the leader moved to subdue her, Eustea held something out.
“I made it in secret… a sausage.”
“…”
What in the world is this girl?
But one thing was clear.
“That jerk’s running off with the pot!”
“If you get caught, you’re dead!”
…This sausage was going to be ridiculously delicious.
Aslan took the sausage.
