It’s now or never... I need to make the right choice. The maid had already been moved to tears because I hadn’t hit her. I felt sorry for the maid, but I had to admit that this was a golden opportunity for the fabulous redemption arc of the notorious Renee Blair. If I managed to comfort her well, then she would believe that I’d become a better person. The path forward was clear as day.

I seized my chance and awkwardly hugged the crying maid. And lo and behold... everything went smoothly. The maid took notice of my magnanimous kindness and promptly devoted herself to helping me prepare for the morning. How cruel of Renee Blair to have bullied such an innocent girl.

In any case, I started to feel a glimmer of hope. All I had to do was hug her and comfort her a little to let her guard down immediately. It was just a matter of time before I made good friendships.

However, I looked cautiously up in the air.

================================

TODAY’S MISSION

Slap a working maid.

Accept / Decline

================================

I shot a nervous glance at the translucent window and plopped onto the bed. The maid had left a while ago, and I was all alone in the big room. I didn’t have to worry about someone seeing me act strangely. I stretched my hand toward the translucent window. The tip of my finger felt cold.

“Oh my...”

Surprisingly, I was able to touch the rectangular window that was fixed in the air. It felt cold like glass. I rubbed against the surface absentmindedly. The window was certainly real.

But I guess I’m the only one who’s able to see and touch it. This I was certain of, as the maid hadn’t noticed the window at all and at one point had even walked through it unknowingly. So why was it only visible to me?

“No way, right?”

Renee Blair had always acted so vile to the point of seeming insane. The translucent window clearly detailed a mission.

What if... What... if... Had Renee Blair done all those cruel things because of that window? What if she kept acting like a villainess to complete all the missions?

Hmm... But no, there’s an option to decline right there. She must have been a sadist to keep accepting the missions willingly.

There’s no guarantee that the window even existed before I came into this world. There was no mention of it in the novel, either. I pushed the thoughts away and held up my hand. I wasn’t totally confident, but I was going to press “DECLINE,” hoping that it would make the window disappear.

The “TODAY” in “TODAY’S MISSION” could mean that the window would pop up every day, but I couldn’t just leave it be. Nervously, I pressed “Decline” and suddenly the window disappeared.

“Phew, at least it goes away. I would go crazy if that kept appearing.”

I felt a wave of relief, but there was no time to waste. I had to hurry up and be good to get rid of my bad reputation. I was thinking about what to do when I heard another noise.

Ding.

I had heard that sound before... It made my hair stand on end.

Please, please, please, let it all be in my head! Please don’t tell me it’s real! I was screaming on the inside, but I took a deep breath. Turning my stiff neck, I looked at the window.

================================

TODAY’S SECOND MISSION

Reuden Blair left the house! Go to his office and rip up all his paperwork!

Accept / Decline

================================

Ugh, why did it reappear? I got a hold of myself and grabbed the window with both hands. I couldn’t believe it. A second mission? This new word worried me.

“Please don’t tell me it’s going to keep showing up until I accept one.”

Hearing myself say that sent a chill down my spine. I read the window again. A name stood out to me. Reuden Blair. I remembered him as Renee’s older brother and a possible male protagonist. I frowned, trying to gather any scraps of information from what I remembered, and looked at the window as if it were my mortal enemy. One thing was for certain: the missions were all horrible.

Was this why Renee Blair kept doing bad things? Because of these mysterious missions? Personally, I had no desire to go to Reuden’s office and mess around.

I hit “Decline” again without hesitation. The window disappeared without a trace, but I kept my eyes in the air and did not remove my finger from the spot where I’d selected the option.

It was like a defensive stance, ready to press the same button again without even reading the new mission if another one popped up. Just as I predicted, the same annoying alert sound rang out again, and I readied my finger.

However, things took an unexpected turn.

================================

This is your last mission.

Are you sure you want to decline?

Yes / No

================================

Instead of completely disappearing, a new window replaced the old one. The text seemed ominous.

What in the world? Why does it say this? I was terrified by the implication that declining again would lead to something bad, but I simply couldn’t accept a harmful mission just because I was scared. I gave the option “Yes” a decisive tap.

This time, the window disappeared completely.

Yes! I stretched my whole body, feeling like I could finally relax. Feeling lighthearted, I started humming and climbing out of bed.

When should I see Anastasia? With that thought, I decided to go and see her today rather than wait. I was enjoying such carefree thoughts when...

Ding.

I stiffened up at the piercing sound of the damn notification.

But it had said it was the last mission! Freaking out, I looked again at the now familiar notification window. This time, it was bigger and instead of being translucent, it was red like a warning. I could feel that something was off, so I read the text with shaky eyes.

================================

You’ve declined both missions today. A penalty will be issued.

Penalty: Fever

Duration: One week (6 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes)

Missions do not appear while the penalty is active.

================================

“What? A penalty?”

I was about to repeat myself, dumbfounded at the unbelievable message, when a migraine shot through my head. That wasn’t all. I started heating up. My skin was getting hotter, and my body was starting to shudder. I felt so cold.

“H-how...” My teeth chattered as I mumbled and my hands were shaking heavily.

Why was this happening? Was I really getting a “penalty”? I could barely think. It was like my brain’s circuits were fried. My eyeballs felt like they were going to fall out of my head in a bloody heap. My bones ached as if I had gotten a beating.

“Ow...”

My vision started to blur, and I could no longer tell where all my pain was coming from. I wanted to cry. My body fell over onto the bed like a cotton doll. As all of this happened, the red window remained in my vision.

It’s all because of that window... I tried to stretch out my hand toward it, but I couldn’t move at all. My vision continued to grow more distorted. I found it a little funny that it was the same as when I was hit by a car.

I mumbled, “At least I have a bed. Without a bed, I would be on the floor.”

And with that, I lost consciousness.

***

Anastasia Solen sat in the palace chancery with a serious expression. The pen in her hand was so still that it was clear her mind was elsewhere. It was unlike her to allow a thought to interrupt her work. Even in her absentmindedness, she looked like a beautiful painting.

Someone was watching her: Aiden Budworth, who had been working from the adjacent seat. His eyes drank in her entire form, and then focused on the paperwork on her desk.

“Asha, your hand isn’t moving at all,” he said.

“You’re the one staring at me.”

She always had a comeback. Aiden clicked his tongue and moved the pile of completed paperwork to the side. He looked at her again. It seemed his words hadn’t reached her because she’d fallen right back into deep thought. Her eyes were unfocused, which was unusual, but if he was honest with himself, he was staring at her so intently and openly because it was a rare opportunity.

“What’s been on your mind all day?” he asked.

“I can finish this all today. Don’t worry.”

“You know that’s not what I meant. What’s troubling you?” His tone was relaxed and intimate, unlike usual.

As was Anastasia’s. She kept silent as if she didn’t hear him.

He shrugged, but his hand was fidgeting with his pen. “So you don’t even want to tell me?”

Finally, Anastasia’s eyes turned to him. Aiden met her gaze and gestured for her to go on. If anyone were to witness this friendly exchange, they would be rubbing their eyes in disbelief.

Anastasia sighed. Quickly realizing that she was about to confide in him, Aiden focused all of his attention on her.

Alas, the first word out of her mouth immediately offended him.