Chapter 1 : A new World

Ding!

3rd floor

2nd floor

Lobby

Ding!

The elevator doors slid open, but no one entered or exited. I stared blankly at the closed doors, feeling utterly drained.

My fingers weakly pressed the button for the lobby. The doors opened again, but I couldn't muster the energy to step inside or even take a breath.

Ding!

.

"What...?" A woman with shoulder-length brown hair exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. Visible panda eyes and pale lips, a result of skipping makeup, marred her appearance further.

"What's going on? Are you suddenly unable to understand English, Celine?"

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man in front of her, with a protruding belly, seemed unfazed by her disheveled state. A cigarette hung from his mouth, while his other hand tapped away at a video game on his phone screen.

"B, but sir! I've met this month's customer target! I, I've never been late to the office! I, I..." Tears welled up in Celine's eyes, threatening to spill over. "Even when my grandmother passed away, the only family I had left!"

Her voice hitched, emotion choking her words. She hadn't meant to play the sympathy card, but after being unjustly fired despite her sacrifices for the company, she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Oh! Your grandmother! I almost forgot about her existence. She was a good woman, hahaha!" His belly shook as he laughed heartily, before continuing, "Even when you were just an intern, your grandmother always brought homemade rice snacks for everyone in the office. They weren't the best, but some of the employees liked them."

"What?" Celine stared at her boss in disbelief.

"Your grandmother truly had a kind heart! Unfortunately, she passed away on a workday. Naturally, you couldn't take a day off for that."

The man continued smoking without a hint of remorse. Meanwhile, Celine bowed her head, fists clenched in frustration. She bit her lip so hard it drew blood, trying to contain her anger.

"Just a day off for something like that, sir?"

"Of course! You're not a special employee. Ah, why are we even discussing such trivial matters? Now, get out and..."

Celine seized the coffee emitting a delightful aroma from her boss's desk and poured it over his face.

Silence hung in the air for a moment, before a scream erupted from the man, his face flushed red from the hot coffee.

"You bitch! I'll kill you!"

"Yes, sir! kill me now! Do it!"

"Celine!"

A tall man with a reddish-white complexion rushed over to Celine, who was poised to hurl a computer monitor at her boss.

"Quick, come with me!"

.

Ding!

"Celine."

Renald called her name once again, for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Celine!"

This time, his hands cupped her cheeks, forcing her gaze to meet his.

She saw the familiar look of concern, the same one he'd worn since childhood when she'd fallen off her bike and cried hysterically. His face, once reminiscent of a golden retriever's, now seemed on the verge of tears.

"What...?"

"Are you out of your mind?! Pouring hot coffee, riding up and down in the elevator, scaring off people who wanted to use it with your ghostly appearance!"

'Ah, so that's why no one entered the elevator for an hour.'

"Renald, I feel like I'm losing it."

Renald released her cheeks and rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"I feel like I'll be sleeping on the streets tonight. I haven't paid my rent."

"I have an idea!"

"What?"

"But first, let's get out of this elevator."

Ding!

The doors opened again, revealing three interns waiting to enter. Their faces turned red when they saw Renald but changed when they looked at Celine. They hurriedly bowed and stepped into the elevator.

"Crazy, right? Those rude interns! Do I look like a ghost or something!"

"...Didn't you hear what I said in the elevator earlier?"

Renald looked at her incredulously.

.

I sipped my matcha latte, scrolling through job listings on the 'Job Finder' app. I'd stumbled upon this app on an anonymous website, touted as a godsend in a world where job opportunities were scarce.

"At least I still have 500 lunar coins."

This matcha latte costs me 5 lunar coins, and the new accommodation I'd snagged earlier was 100 lunar coins per month. It was tiny, with just a bed and a small table, but I had to make do. My grandmother's debt still loomed over me,

"2 million lunar coins!"

The exclamation escaped my lips before I could stop it. All eyes turned to me. I coughed and hid my face in one hand.

"Haven't I paid off almost 80% already? But I still owe 2 million?"

I turned down Renald's offer to stay at his place. We'd been friends since childhood, but we were adults now. Living under the same roof would be awkward.

"Damn it, should I just accept Renald's offer? Huh?"

Job Vacancy

Status: Urgent

Position: Nanny

Hours: 3:00 - 5:00 AM daily

Requirements: Female, aged 20-25, attractive, diligent, hardworking.

Location: Kingdom of Craenitus

I blinked a few times. A job vacancy in the Kingdom of Craenitus?

It's been two years since portals suddenly appeared across Renkon City, the president ecen declared a third state of emergency. We braced ourselves for the possibility of monstrous creatures emerging from these portals.

To our astonishment, a man and a woman of stunning beauty, adorned in luxurious attire, emerged from the city center portal. They introduced themselves as the king and queen of the Kingdom of Craenitus, a realm within the portal. They proposed a partnership wherein Craenitus could hunt in the Ross forest, the largest forest on the continent, in exchange for sending several tons of gold annually. Naturally, the president agreed.

"But accessing that portal..."

No one is permitted free passage through the portal between both worlds. To enter, one must use teleportation devices in the form of ruby stones, only obtainable in the Kingdom of Craenitus.

Some locals work or do business in Craenitus, but the profits are limited to the wealthy due to the steep price of Craenitus ruby stones.

I pressed "More..." and delved into the details.

Job Description: Work in Evington County. Teleportation devices are available for 400 lunar coins. No need to bring personal items; all necessities are provided by Evington County.

Salary: 10,000 lunar coins per day.

The matcha latte slipped from my grasp, spilling.

Do you accept this job?

Yes No

.

"Today, as usual, 3 tablespoons. Celine! Remember, don't engage with Lord Caspiel, don't talk to him. Finish your task quickly and head home!"

Madam Lysa's grip on my shoulder tightened as she whispered urgently. The tray almost slipped from my hands.

Three months into this job, and I'm still uncertain of my role. The job listing said nanny, but here I am, dealing with Lord Caspiel. Indeed I was taking care of the Count and Countess child.

'But Lord Caspiel is older than me!'

Despite the mansion's luxury, my fear lingers. Stepping into the Kingdom of Craenitus felt like entering a fantasy world. The Victorian buildings, the elegant attire, it's like something out of a novel.

At my first day on Craenitus. Madam Lysa took me to a pastry shop for Duchess Anita's guests. A familiar old man caught my eye, a relative of my grandmother. With a pale face, he hugged me tightly.

"Celine, my dear! You've grown!"

Everyone heard it, but only I heard the extra words.

"Celine, my dear. We've been fooled! They're all demons!"

Tears filled his eyes for a moment before he smiled and left. When I asked him what happened at that day, Grandpa Frank claimed not to remember anything.

Shaking off the memory, I reached a grand white door guarded by two guards.

"Good evening, Miss Celine. Please wait while I announce your arrival to Lord Caspiel," one guard said. I nodded, offering a smile.

Knock, knock.

"Sir, Miss Celine has arrived."

"Come in."

His voice, soft yet cold, sent shivers down my spine. Every time he speaks, I feel drowsy and cold.

"Thank you, Josh," I said to the guard as I entered.

Lord Caspiel sat on his bed, covered by curtains. I couldn't see his face.

I bowed and then sat in the chair beside him.

"Excuse me, my Lord, here are your medicines for today. May I proceed to feed you, as usual?" I whispered softly.

No response, as usual. With my gaze fixed on the medicine, I worked quickly while reminding myself to stay calm.

As I prepared to feed him, he grabbed my wrist.

Thump!

'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Am I going to die?!' My hands started trembling, and the medicine on the spoon spilled little by little, dampening Lord Caspiel's blanket. All this time, I didn't know what was in the medicine or its color because the room was always dimly lit. However, with Lord Caspiel's white blanket, even with minimal light, I could still see the color of the medicine. Red, very close to the color of blood. Unconsciously, I trembled so hard that my whole body shook. I felt my eyes start to burn, and tears began to stream down my cheeks.

"Your name is Celine, right?"

It was the first time in 3 months that he spoke to me, no, it was the first time he made a sound while I was in this room. I didn't answer; I closed my eyes and kept my head down. Now I hoped Madam Lysa would suddenly barging in the room and save me. Even though she was also a demon, Madam Lysa always helped me whenever I encountered problems in this world.

"Do you dare to ignore your master's question? Have you forgotten your position? My father hired me for you. You are my servant."

'Oh damn, that's the longest sentence I've heard from this man. Is my life really going to end now?'

His grip on my hand began to weaken. The spoon I was holding fell to the floor. I clasped my hands to my chest. With all my might, I tried to speak.

"I, I'm sorry, Sir, this won't happen again."

My voice trembled and sounded like a kitten trapped and muffled. I didn't hear any response.

'Good.'

Rustling rustling

From the corner of my eye, I saw Master Caspiel take something from under his pillow. Intentionally, he showed it to me, even though I was bowing my head. It was a knife, a real knife. I knew it was very sharp, I didn't know how I knew, but I knew.

My vision darkened, my body started shaking violently. I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. I began to hear the sound of my sobbing, even though I intended not to make any sound at all.

'Grandma! Help me! God! Anyone!'

"Celine, look at me. Or I'll carve your neck with this knife."

Information Corner

Lunar Coin: The currency in the continent of Illuxar. 

Renkon City: The capital city in the continent of Illuxar.

Craenitus Kingdom: The largest kingdom in the world within the portal.

Evington County: One of the noble houses that played a significant role in the history of establishing the Craenitus Kingdom. However, due to matters known only to nobles and the kingdom, Evington County was relocated to the northern part of the Craenitus Kingdom, which is infertile. This has affected the economy of Evington County. Even Count Derrick Evington allocated his private funds for the needs of the people in his county.

Renald Anderson: A childhood friend who grew up with Celine on the outskirts of the western part of Renkon City. When Renald was a child, he lived with his grandmother in the village. When Renald was 15 years old, he was taken by his parents to live in the capital city.