Chapter 05
If things are going to succeed all at once, then I guess I really did suffer all that hardship for this moment!
The winning numbers printed in the morning newspaper were painfully familiar.
91, 81, 71, 61… 1
And the winner was the only ticket purchased at a shop on Centris Street.
Me.
My reversed-number ticket—just in case I got lucky—had actually won.
I clutched my clutch bag like my life depended on it and took a deep breath. My body trembled as I called for Susan.
“Let’s go. To the capital.”
“Pardon? Why?”
“Just do it. Do it!”
A burst of joy escaped me uncontrollably.
I forced myself to calm down and checked the redemption location printed on the edge of the newspaper.
‘It’s not a bank?’
The prize had to be collected from an institution operated by the Imperial Family.
‘Isn’t this too much government control over the economy?’
Well, whatever. I could just collect it under a fake name.
Without further hesitation, I headed to the capital, which took ten hours round trip.
‘Wait. Aren’t lottery winnings usually collected quietly?’
That’s how it worked in Korea. If you won the lottery, people would somehow find you and start demanding donations or pushing investment requests into their own businesses.
Collecting the money as discreetly as possible seemed like the safest option.
Before getting off the carriage, I pulled my hat low and told Susan:
“If anyone at the office calls me ‘young lady’ or accidentally says my name, don’t respond.”
“Why not?”
“Just… it’s for my safety.”
Thankfully, Susan followed my instructions well.
I wrapped myself in a cloak and checked my outfit.
Since I had rushed out, I was wearing whatever I could grab, so a plain cloth covered me and didn’t reveal that I was wearing expensive noble attire.
Looking highly suspicious, I entered the royal economic institution.
I nervously waited, afraid someone would recognize me, then stepped up to the counter.
“U-um…”
“Yes.”
“I’d like to claim this.”
I lowered my voice as much as possible and slid over the ticket.
The clerk examined it and looked surprised, then calmly replied.
“Please wait a moment. We need to verify its authenticity.”
“Yes. Please go ahead.”
I tried to sound calm, but my teeth were chattering.
It was the first time I would ever handle such a huge amount of money.
The clerk went into the back room to verify the ticket.
I assumed that in a world with magic, there must be some way to confirm authenticity.
After about ten minutes, the clerk returned leisurely.
He whispered so quietly that no one else could hear.
“Congratulations. You’ve won.”
“Um… what do I do now?”
“It can be collected here. You’ll be opening a vault within our institution, not a bank.”
The imperial family runs this system? I felt uneasy, but nodded as if I understood.
“So I need to reveal my identity to collect it?”
“No, you don’t.”
‘Not even an ID? This really is lawless.’
Well, that benefits me.
I created a vault under the alias “Lavender.”
After confirming my personal vault had been set up, the clerk smiled faintly.
“You are an unexpected winner.”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing. Please take care on your way out.”
He ushered me away.
His last words felt strange, but when I tried to turn back, he calmly placed up a sign:
[Lunch Break]
…Well, I can’t argue with that.
It was suspicious, but probably not a scam. I decided to let it go.
Now that I had capital, it was time to move.
“Susan.”
“Yes?”
“Before we go back… should we buy a townhouse in the capital?”
The capital was necessary. The original story’s events were too far from the ducal estate.
“It would be easier to adapt socially too. I’ll finalize the contract after the debutante anyway.”
“But… won’t the Duke find out?”
Even if my parents were emotionally distant, I couldn’t completely hide wealth.
“Then I’ll just tell them.”
“And Lady Ever will find out too… wouldn’t that be troublesome?”
“I’ll figure it out when the time comes.”
Everything has a workaround.
We were currently in Centris Street—the hub of trading companies.
“This shouldn’t affect the original plot too much.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. We’ll take it slow.”
I walked toward a newly established merchant company.
The one run by Selene’s father.
I planned to buy gemstones that would later become massively valuable.
‘Maybe I’ll meet Selene earlier than expected.’
I pulled my hood lower so she wouldn’t remember my face easily.
There was only one month left until the debutante.
I had seen too many cases of people getting entangled with the heroine too early and ruining their lives.
Meanwhile
“Damn it… I rigged the odds perfectly!”
In a basement filled with empty liquor bottles, a man grasped his head in despair.
“It’s over. Everything is ruined.”
He tore up the newspaper and the lottery ticket.
After leaving the Magic Tower, his business had collapsed due to failed investments.
To survive, he even used forbidden magic—but nothing worked.
Now everything was finished.
Even if he lived, debt collectors and hostile mages would chase him forever.
The only thing he regretted was his young son.
He began writing a will.
To his son, Patrick.
A child with ambition and intelligence far beyond his years.
But all he could leave behind now was debt.
‘Forgive your worthless father.’
He quickly wrote down complex magical formulas.
Perhaps his son could use them to change the world.
He sealed the letter and prepared a curse targeting himself and those who had ruined him.
Back to the story
‘Is that Selene?’
The moment I entered Swen Trading Company, I stopped abruptly.
A girl with golden hair tied neatly, wearing worn clothes, sat behind the counter.
Even her simple appearance could not hide her beauty.
‘This world is seriously unfair.’
Her pink eyes were bright and lively, full of warmth and energy.
‘Maybe I should just go back.’
But the capital was far, and I had already come too far.
I watched her quietly.
She worked here helping her adoptive father.
Soon, a gemstone sold here would reveal hidden truths and trigger the start of the original plot.
That gemstone was a “divination stone,” which would reveal the identity of Selene’s noble birth.
And that was how Selene would enter high society.
…That was the story.
I paced outside the shop.
What should I do?
Should I just leave?
‘No, it won’t affect the original story if I just buy something!’
I was just going to be a customer.
I gathered my courage and entered.
Selene greeted me with a bright smile.
“Welcome!”
Her soft expression made me hesitate.
After a moment, I asked,
“Is Mr. Swen here?”
“He’s meeting a merchant this afternoon, so I’m managing the shop today.”
“I see. I’d like to purchase one of the recently imported gemstones…”
“The troublesome one again?!”
Selene’s eyes sparkled.
Well, this shop was still small and struggling.
Only one person had ever tried to buy it before.
Dorsen Raymoon—Harriet’s father.
Even he had sent a servant under a false name.
‘I guess I should do the same.’
I pulled out my clutch and handed over the gold.
“I’ll purchase the gemstone under the name ‘Homer.’ As much as this money allows.”
Why Homer?
Because the half-eaten rye bread on Selene’s counter caught my eye.
