Butter Up The Crown Wolf

<ARE you sure you want to skip the story mode?>

<Yes, skip.>

Skipping the game's story mode was Gypsy's first major mistake as a transmigrator.

Looking back, she couldn't blame herself for that.

In her defense, she was drunk the night before she transmigrated. When she opened her eyes and experienced a splitting headache, she thought a hang-over caused it. So when a window popped up right in front of her face, she didn't take it seriously.

<Welcome to the world of 'The Crown Wolf,' Miss Gypsy Baek.>

Her Korean name was Baek Si-a, but her English name was 'Gypsy.' She wondered why the system saved the latter as her name. But she set that thought aside when she realized where she had heard 'The Crown Wolf' from.

If she remembered it correctly, 'The Crown Wolf' (aka TCW) was the latest game that she watched her brother play. She wasn't a gamer, but the visual of TCW caught her eye. She didn't have the patience to play the entire game, though. So she just watched the walk-through videos on Y*utube after her brother called her a nuisance.

Then she read the summary of the entire plot on W*kipedia.

[The Crown Wolf is about the main character, Yvo Woolsey– the young duke of the North, and the secret heir of the cursed Wolf Clan. Helion Empire and its royal family deem the Wolves as traitors and banished the entire clan. Thus, he must hide his identity as a Wolf.

But Yvo, the 'Crown Wolf,' intends to unravel the truth behind his clan's "betrayal." He strongly believes that the man-eating wolf-like creatures that once terrorized the empire weren't from his clan– but from the monster-infested dungeons that mysteriously appeared one day. Unfortunately, the dungeons disappeared before the Wolves could prove their innocence.

However, before the major conflict begins, Yvo has to gain power first. The problem is he hasn't come-of-age yet. His older sister, the "marionette" of his greedy relatives, threatens his position as the next duke.]

Gypsy remembered Yvo's sister because of her name, but she learned the sister's role in the game by lurking on R*ddit for some spoilers.

<Do you accept the role of Lady Gypsy Woolsey?>

<Accept.>

Accepting to play the role of Lady Gypsy Woolsey, the character with the same name as her, was her second major mistake as a transmigrator.

After all, Lady Gypsy Woolsey was Yvo's FAKE sister.

[Yvo's older half-sister is named Lady Yvette Woolsey– a character who stayed as a comatose patient in the first half of the game. After exhausting her Mana because of an undisclosed incident, the young lady fell sick and didn't wake up until the story reached a turning point.

The Grand Duke Evan and the Grand Duchess Rosette Woolsey both know that their family will fall into the hands of their greedy relatives if they passed away while Yvette is still in a coma, and Yvo is still underage.

To prevent that from happening, the couple adopted an orphaned girl who resembled Yvette.

And that is Gypsy– a commoner with golden hair and amber eyes, just like the young lady. But the grand duke and the grand duchess chose the orphan for another reason.]

Gypsy regretted accepting the role of Lady Gypsy Woolsey, for the latter was a villainess.

If she remembered it correctly, the grand duke and the grand duchess used Lady Gypsy's sick younger brother to lure the orphan into becoming Yvette's replacement. But when the couple died, something caused Lady Gypsy to snap and attack Yvo.

But of course, the main character survived unscathed. Yvo, two years younger than Lady Gypsy, killed her fake sister.

Too bad Gypsy skipped the back story tutorial and so, she didn't know what made Lady Gypsy go insane. But luckily, Lady Gypsy's memories were etched in her mind. Those memories had nothing to do with the main story, though.

<Would you like to activate or disable the System Guide once the game begins?]

<Disable.>

Switching off the System Guide was obviously Gypsy's third and biggest mistake as a transmigrator. She hated being bossed around, but she failed to realize how dire her situation was. After all, she assumed that everything that happened was just a long, bad dream.

But the cold reality soon hit her hard.

The first month after she transmigrated into that world was her adjustment period. Luckily, she could use the foreign language used in that world just fine. In fact, even though she knew it was an unfamiliar language, the foreign words would register in her mind in the Korean language.

[It made my life a little easier.]

After a while, she finally accepted the reality that she was indeed inside the game. Of course, she didn't exactly stay calm. She even tried to kill herself several times to see if she would get sent back to her world.

[Even if Si-woo, my younger brother, is already an incoming college freshman, he'll always be a baby to me. I can't leave him alone.]

Was she already dead?

If she was, then Si-woo would be devastated. Although their aunt and uncle who adopted them when their parents died were good to them, her bond with Si-woo was strong. So even if killing herself went against her personal principles, she still did it out of desperation.

Unfortunately, she was saved every time she tried to take her own life. The nuns running the orphanage thought she went insane. Thus, they locked her up in her room.

The peace helped her clear her mind.

She jotted down everything she remembered in the game about Lady Gypsy.

During her second month in that world, after figuring out the timeline, she devised a plan to avoid her death flag. Although she didn't play the game, she merged her knowledge from the spoilers she read and her imagination as a webcomics creator.

[I didn't go to college. Our aunt and uncle own a small restaurant that serves tteokbokki. But Si-woo chose a prestigious university. As his older sister, I thought I should shoulder at least half of Si-woo's expensive tuition fee. Luckily, the summer after I graduated high school, a famous global webcomics platform launched a comic-making event.]

She joined the contest and created a short web comics series. After winning the grand prize, her webcomics got serialized.

<'Bite Me Not'>, her fantasy romance series about a human girl and a male gumiho (nine-tailed fox), became a huge hit in just a year. Then it was adapted into a Kdrama. Thanks to the success of her series, she could give her brother a comfortable life.

[I'm only starting to give my brother the life that he deserves. I can't die like this. No matter how long it takes, I'll return to my world.]

And so, she devised a plan.

She considered running away from the orphanage to change her fate, but she realized it would be futile, since she didn't even know her exact location.

Getting on Yvo's good side remained her best chance at survival.

[If I don't wrong him, he won't kill me. Plus, if I prove my loyalty and usefulness to him, he won't throw me away. I have to earn his trust first before I reveal that I'm not from this world. Then I'll ask him to help me find my way home.]

Telling Yvo the truth about her identity was also an option. But the main character was the type of person to doubt even his closest aide.

[Yes, let's suck up to Yvo first.]

She didn't think things would be easy, but she also didn't expect them to be very difficult.

On the third month since her transmigration, Grand Duke Evan Woolsey appeared in the orphanage to adopt the fifteen-year-old Gypsy.

It was literally a bloody day.

Gypsy found her blonde hair and pale skin covered with blood.

The grand duke gathered the nuns and all the orphanage's employees. Then, the knights that he brought massacred everyone in the room.

Everyone except her and the grand duke himself, of course.

[This isn't my first time witnessing someone die in front of me. But this is the first time I witnessed a mass murder!]

Her body trembled, then she covered her mouth with her shaking hands. She wanted to throw up when she saw the amputated limbs scattered on the floor. The smell of blood also made her feel nauseous.

But she endured because she felt Grand Duke Evan Woolsey's calculating gaze on her. He was obviously testing whether she had the guts to become his fake daughter. If she failed that test, she had a feeling she'd get killed.

[Let's stay calm.]

She soothed her mind by thinking of her brother.

[Si-woo is waiting for me, so I have to survive.]

Thanks to her resolve, her body finally stopped trembling.

"Is there anyone else who knows about you?"

It was the grand duke who asked that question in a chilly voice.

She clenched her hands before she faced Evan Woolsey.

Blond hair, ocean blue eyes, pale skin– the man was already in his late thirties but he still looked fine. He was also dressed like how a person of his stature should. Everything about the grand duke screamed power and wealth.

"I was born and raised in this orphanage, my lord," Gypsy said politely. "Please spare the children."

She had only been with the children in the orphanage for three months, but she already felt responsible for them. She didn't get attached to the nuns and the employees who mistreated her. However, the children were innocent.

"I'm not that heartless to touch the children," Evan Woolsey said. "I brought mages to erase you from the children's memories."

[Then why didn't you just erase the adults' memories?]

The grand duke smirked as if he could read her mind. "You must be wondering why I killed the adults instead of erasing their memories."

Ah, she probably couldn't hide her facial expressions.

"The magic stones that the mages needed to perform the spell they used are expensive," the grand duke explained. "Moreover, the owner of this orphanage and his people demanded an unreasonable price for their silence. They even dared to blackmail me. Since the negotiation wasn't going anywhere, I decided to just get rid of them."

He said it as if he wasn't talking about human lives.

[This is where Yvo got his cold-heartedness from.]

"You have a sick brother, don't you?"

That question sent a shiver down her spine.

To be honest, she hadn't met the original Gypsy's younger brother yet. Based on the memories of her body's previous owner, they confined the younger brother in question to a charitable hospital for the poor.

[But as someone who has a younger brother as well, I'd like to look after the child in Lady Gypsy's place.]

"I will take care of your brother. A better treatment, a safe house, warm meals– I will provide all of that," the grand duke said. "In return, you have to enter my family and do my bidding."

It wasn't like she could refuse that "offer."

But it didn't mean that she would follow the original story without securing her safety first.

[I didn't spend the last three months just lazing around.]

"My lord, I wish to make a contract," she said boldly. "I may be a commoner, but I'm not ignorant. If we're going to have a relationship where we will benefit from one another, then I'd like to form a contract."

The grand duke looked shocked by her demand.

Honestly, her knees almost buckled when she heard the knights behind her whisper that she was asking for a death wish.

But thankfully, the grand duke laughed.

[It's the amused 'you're-amusing laugh' and not the scary 'you're-dead laugh.']

"You're a smart girl," Evan Woolsey said while smiling. "Alright, let's do that."

Gypsy bowed her head to hide her snicker. "This humble servant is indebted to my lord's generosity."

***

AFTER making the contract with the grand duke, Gypsy found herself in a fancy carriage headed to the North.

[Why is the setting of most Korean stories under this genre always in the North? And the main character is often a duke, too. I bet there are monsters in the duchy as well. The story wouldn't be complete without them, right?]

She didn't really enjoy the view because all she saw outside the window was snow.

[I guess I'm really in the North now.]

"My lady, we're here."

She was a little startled to be addressed by the coachman as "lady." But perhaps the grand duke had already instructed his people about how to treat her from now on.

[Here goes nothing.]

The coachman opened the carriage door for her and helped her get down. She didn't really need help because even though Gypsy was only fifteen years old, her legs were long.

[Oh, they weren't kidding when they said it's cold in the North!]

Now she understood why Evan Woolsey prepared several layers of coat for her.

She wished her teeth would stop clattering when she saw who greeted her in front of the mansion.

Speaking of the mansion…

[Wow. It is as grand as the mansions that I bought in an app that I used to make backgrounds for my webcomics.]

But what caught her eye the most was the boy standing next to the grand duke.

[The main character is here.]

Her heart thumped loud and fast against her chest as she walked towards the young boy. If her calculations were correct, then the main character would be thirteen years old at the moment.

Yvo was a lanky, handsome boy with pale blond hair and deep blue, jewel-like eyes. His skin was as white as the snow she was stepping on, and his complexion complemented the dark navy school uniform that he wore.

[Ah, right. Most nobles in the empire enter the academy at twelve years old and stay there for six years or fewer– depending on a student's performance.]

"Welcome to the Winterbone Duchy, my daughter," Evan Woolsey greeted her casually, then he gently patted Yvo on the back. "Gypsy, I'd like you to meet Yvo– your younger brother from today onwards."

Her new younger brother was as tall as her, despite being two years younger.

"G-Greetings, Y-Young M-Master Y-Yvo," Gypsy greeted him in a shaking voice because her damned teeth wouldn't stop clattering from the cold. "M-My n-name i-is G-Gypsy…"

[Argh.]

She wanted to say more, but she didn't want to be embarrassed further, so she just shut her mouth and smiled at him.

Yvo's stoic face didn't change. "Please speak informally to me, Noonim."

Oh?

The term for 'older sister' in this world registered in her mind as 'noonim'– a Korean honorary title used by younger males to address older sisters or older females. 'Noona' was the casual version, while 'noonim' was the more formal version that suited the setting.

"Yvo is right– you shouldn't address your younger brother as 'young master' since you're now the young lady of the family," Evan Woolsey said, then he turned his back on them as he walked towards the entrance of the grand mansion. "Come– your mother is waiting."

It felt surreal that the famed Grand Duchess Rosette Woolsey was now her mother.

She noticed Yvo was still looking at her, so she smiled at him although she felt awkward because of his poker face. "L-Let's h-head i-inside, Y-Yvo."

"Call me 'Young Master' when we're alone," Yvo said coldly, his face still as stoic. Then, he turned his back on her to follow his father while still talking rudely to her. "We don't have to pretend as siblings when we do not have an audience, Noonim."

What a douche.

But Gypsy couldn't say that she was surprised by Yvo's unfriendly attitude. It was just like how he was described in the game. And that difficult personality of his was exactly the reason she couldn't come clean yet.

[He'll probably say I'm crazy and kill me if I tell him his world only exists in a game.]

She must win his favor first.

[You just wait, Yvo Woolsey,] Gypsy thought to herself while following Yvo who didn't look back to check on her– not even once. [I'll butter you up until I get in your good graces.]

***

"GYPSY, I'd like you to meet my wife– Grand Duchess Rosette Woolsey," Grand Duke Evan said when they entered the grand duchess's office. "She'll be your mother from now on."

Gypsy wanted to say her greetings, but Rosette Woolsey's beauty stunned her.

[Wow, how can someone so beautiful exist in this world?]

The three things that caught Gypsy's eyes were the grand duchess's shiny golden wavy hair, lemon-colored eyes, and milky-white skin.

[Yes, she's beautiful, but she doesn't really look like Yvo.]

It didn't surprise her because she knew that the grand duchess wasn't Yvo's biological mother. But of course, in this world, it was a secret that hadn't been revealed yet.

After all, Yvo's mother was the last Wolf Queen.

Thankfully, the main character looked like a carbon copy of the grand duke. The father-and-son duo's eye color, albeit having different shades, was both blue. Plus, Yvo and Evan Woolsey were both blond, just like Rosette Woolsey– the grand duke's legal wife.

Thus, the Woolseys could hide the fact that Yvo was an illegitimate child of the grand duke. Only the most-trusted employees were aware of the truth.

"Rosette, this is Gypsy," Evan Woolsey introduced her to his wife. "Yvette's temporary replacement."

[He really said "replacement."]

The grand duke's tactlessness didn't surprise her, though. After all, Evan Woosley, despite having a high social status, wasn't a refined man.

[The grand duke only took the late Wolf Queen as his mistress because of his sick and disgusting interest in "non-humans." The game described him as a man whose hobby is "collecting" women from various races.]

"This humble servant greets Her Grace," Gypsy greeted the grand duchess respectfully, then she tried to give a curtsy. [Can't I just bow like the Korean that I am?]

"You don't need to pretend you know proper etiquette," Rosette Woolsey said in her naturally icy voice. "Raise your head."

Gypsy did as she was told.

"I will teach you etiquette," the grand duchess said. "You'll be pretending as Yvette from now on, so I will monitor you to make sure you won't tarnish our family name."

Rosette Woolsey's icy gaze demanded a response.

Gypsy immediately bowed. "As you wish, Your Grace."

"'Mother,'" the grand duchess said. "You are now my daughter, aren't you?"

"Yes, Mother," she said obediently.

"Then you should call me 'Father' as well," the grand duke said.

"I understand, Father."

"Darling, go to work," Rosette Woolsey said to her husband. "I'll introduce the child to the servants."

"Works for me," Evan Woolsey said, then he kissed his wife on the forehead. After saying goodbye to the grand duchess, he looked at her with amusement. "I expect an excellent job from you, Gypsy."

"I won't disappoint you, Father."

The grand duke then left the grand duchess's office.

"Have you met Yvo, child?"

She nodded politely. "I have met him, Mother."

According to the game, the grand duchess wasn't cruel to Yvo. But Rosette Woolsey wasn't particularly kind to the main character either. The two were just civil to each other, but in front of an audience, Yvo and Rosette Woolsey would act like a picture-perfect mother-and-son duo.

[The grand duchess can no longer bear another child, so she agreed to take Yvo in. Apparently, she believes that any child of her husband is also her child.]

Above all, the grand duchess knew that Yvette's constitution was weak and therefore, her daughter couldn't lead the family properly. Thus, Rosette Woolsey would rather have his husband's illegitimate child become the next duke than someone else from the vassal families.

"You must take a bath and change your clothes first before I introduce you to the employees," Rosette Woolsey said. "I can see you're beautiful enough to pretend as my daughter. But you must also learn how to carry yourself with dignity like Yvette."

A marionette, huh?

Gypsy smiled anyway. "I'll do my best, Mother."

***

"THERE are three important things that you must know about Yvette."

Gypsy listened intently to Rosette Woolsey while following the grand duchess closely. They were currently walking down the hallway leading to the grand mansion's main entrance. "I'm all ears, Mother."

It had been a week since she started living with the Woolseys.

She had already met the employees working for the family, and she had also finished sorting out the servants who obviously hated her. Number one on the list was Agatha– the head maid and Yvette's nanny. Lola and Pipa, the maids that the grand duchess assigned to her, used to serve Yvette. Thus, the two seemed to be looking down on her as well.

[I guess living as a fake princess won't be easy.]

Even her interactions with the Woolseys were awkward.

In the first place, their "family" would only be complete during mealtime. And even then, they would barely talk to each other since, according to the nobles' etiquette, one must be quiet when eating.

Yvo, the main character that she was supposed to be buttering up, ignored her all this time. That punk would only greet his "noonim" in front of an audience.

[He's an ice wall.]

"First, Yvette speaks formally to everyone except for the servants," the grand duchess said, interrupting her thoughts.

"I understand, Mother."

She said that, but she knew it would be hard for her to do that.

As an average Korean, she wasn't used to talking down to people, especially to those older than her.

"Second, Yvette only wears dark colors."

She wanted to pout after hearing that. [Aw, I love pastel colors. And isn't Yvette only fifteen? Bright colors should suit a teenager like her better.]

But then again, she used to be an edgy teenager as well.

"And lastly, Yvette doesn't eat meat."

"Excuse me?"

"She's not completely a vegetarian," the grand duchess explained. "Yvette could eat dairy products moderately. But meat is out of the question. I didn't tell you right away because I thought we must feed you first before we put you to work."

She felt a shiver down her spine.

[Wait, is Rosette Woolsey saying–]

"From today onwards, you can't have meat anymore," the grand duchess said firmly. "Yvette doesn't enjoy sweet things as well, so we will also lessen your sugar intake."

Her knees almost buckled from shock.

The only thing that she had been looking forward to the past week was the delicious food served during mealtime. But it would be taken away from her now?!

[This is against my human rights!]

Her mind protested, but her mouth said otherwise.

"I will act perfectly like Yvette, Mother," she said calmly while crying on the inside. [Goodbye, delicious juicy meat.]

"We allowed you to keep your original name because fortunately, Yvette has a second name that wasn't revealed to the public," Rosette Woolsey explained. "We can just tell people that our daughter likes her second name better than the first, and those who are close to her call her that way."

"That's a wise decision, Mother," she said. And even to her own ears, her voice sounded stiff. "Thank you for allowing me to keep my name."

She was truly grateful.

[I can't allow myself to forget who I am.]

No matter how long it would take, she'd definitely come home.

"If you do an excellent job during your etiquette class, we will allow you to communicate with your younger brother using a video-recording device."

She smiled because even though it wasn't her actual younger brother, she was happy for the original Gypsy. "Thank you, Mother."

Rosette Woolsey didn't respond.

After all, they already arrived at the main entrance, where the servants lined up on either of their sides.

And the two people standing in front of the fancy carriage were Yvo and Evan Woolsey. Actually, there were also knights around the father-and-son duo, but her eyes zoomed in on the main character immediately.

[Ah, yes. We're here to say goodbye to Yvo. His brief vacation is over, and he's about to return to his dorm in the Royal Sun Academy.]

"You're here," Evan Woolsey greeted her and the grand duchess. "Yvo will return to the academy now. I'm glad that the whole family is here to send him off."

"Take care, Yvo," Rosette Woolsey said in a formal, icy voice. "Don't cause trouble, and just focus on your studies."

Yvo bowed politely to the grand duchess. "I will act accordingly as a Woolsey, Mother."

The grand duchess looked satisfied by Yvo's response.

"Gypsy, say farewell to your brother," Evan Woolsey encouraged her. "You might not see Yvo for a long time since the security in the academy has become stricter after the Crown Prince enrolled."

"That's right," Rosette Woolsey agreed with the grand duke. "Even if Yvo comes home during his break, it might be difficult for the two of you to meet, since we'll be staying at the Icelyn Villa starting next week."

Icelyn Villa.

It was the warmest place in the North, and it was also where the comatose Yvette was hidden like a precious gem.

[How can I suck up to Yvo if it will be difficult for us to meet frequently?]

"Noonim?" Yvo called her politely, as if he was snapping her back to reality.

As usual, Yvo had a stoic look on his face. His eyes were also as cold as the weather in the North. In short, typical Yvo mood.

[Calm down, self. Yvo won't disappear. It will be difficult to meet him, but not impossible.]

"Please don't forget me, Yvo. My name is Gypsy. G-Y-P-S-Y," Gypsy said her heartfelt wish. Actually, she sounded like she was begging Yvo to remember her, but she didn't care about her pride anymore. Her survival depended on the main character's good grace, so she acted more passionately by gently thumping her fist on her chest. "This noonim of yours will always pray for your safety and happiness."

Yvo's stoic face cracked to grimace at her.

[Ah, I overdid it.]

***

<FIVE YEARS LATER>

THE first time Gypsy met Yvo at the main mansion again was during the funeral of Grand Duke Evan and Grand Duchess Rosette Woolsey.

Just like in the game, the duke and the duchess died after their ship sank in the ocean.

She tried to prevent that from happening, but she failed.

[Perhaps, it's because their death is pivotal to the story.]

After all, the couple's bodies were mauled by what seemed to be wolves. If she remembered it correctly, the monster-infested dungeons began appearing in the empire after the death of Evan and Rosette Woolsey.

[The return of the man-eating wolf-like creatures from the mysterious dungeons will shake the empire once again, and it will force Yvo to take drastic measures to protect the Wolves from the false accusations aimed at them.]

"Noonim, you look pale," Yvo, who was dressed in a funeral suit while acting like a worried younger brother in front of his relatives, said. His face was still as stoic as ever, but his voice sounded kind. "Please let me escort you to the drawing room, so you could rest a bit."

Then he offered his arm to her like a gentleman that he was pretending to be.

Gypsy, who was wearing a black mourning dress, anchored her arm with her younger brother's arm. "Thank you, Yvo."

He just nodded respectfully at her.

[Ohh, he's such a wonderful actor.]

They played like a pair of siblings with a good relationship before excusing themselves to the guests graciously.

She realized that instead of the drawing room, Yvo was actually bringing her to the late grand duke's study. To be honest, she already had an idea why her "younger brother" wanted to talk to her in private.

She prayed she was wrong, but her gut feeling was almost always correct.

[Did Yvo find out that his paternal uncle, the greediest one among his relatives, paid me a visit earlier?]

The sound of the door softly closing behind her snapped her out of her trance.

Then she realized Yvo was no longer beside her. The main character was now standing in front of her while looking down at her with cold, jaded eyes.

She also noticed that she had to look up at him now just to see his face.

[When did he become this tall?!]

"Kids really grow up fast," Gypsy said softly after realizing she barely reached Yvo's chest now. "I feel like my neck is about to break while looking up at you."

"Noonim has always looked small to me, though," Yvo said in a calm yet crisp voice. Then his hand slowly reached for her neck. Moreover, it was dark in the study. So when his jewel-like blue eyes glowed dangerously, it glowed brightly. "But Noonim looks especially smaller today, and I feel like I could snap your neck with my bare hand–"

"Young Master Yvo!" Gypsy said, cutting him off rudely. And to avoid his hand that was probably itching to strangle her, she kneeled on the floor and bowed her head. "I will never betray you, so please give this humble fake sister of yours a chance to explain!"

***

NOTE: Hi! Please consider ADDING 'Butter Up the Crown Wolf' to your LIBRARY. :)

I humbly ask for your support via comments, reviews, and power stones. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts~

Thank you!