For a long moment, I just sat there on the bed, grinning like a lunatic while Nina obeyed my every word.
Sit.
Stand.
Sit.
Stand.
Each time, she moved without hesitation, eyes calm, voice steady.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Yes, ma'am."
Mind control.
Real, actual mind control.
If this had been my old life, I would've assumed I'd finally gone insane from loneliness and exam stress. But the silk under my fingers felt real. The weight on my chest felt very real. And the maid in front of me was very clearly under my control.
My excitement cooled a little as I really looked at her.
Nina. Short brown hair. Soft, tired eyes. Hands folded in front of her apron, shoulders just a bit too tense.
In the novel… didn't Rose slap this girl once just because the tea was lukewarm?
My grin faded.
"Okay, stop," I said quickly. "Release mind control."
The faint pressure in my head vanished with a soft chime only I could hear.
Nina blinked once. Twice. Then focused properly on me again, as if a film had been wiped off her vision.
She straightened, confusion flickering for a second before her expression returned to polite neutrality.
"Is something wrong, Lady Rose?" she asked.
I swallowed.
For her, this was just another day with the crazy villainess who could change moods faster than a weather app.
"…Nothing," I said, forcing a small smile. "I was just… testing something."
Her shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Right. For Old Rose, "testing something" probably meant "deciding how to punish someone."
Guilt pricked at me.
"I didn't call you here to hit you," I blurted. "Or throw anything. Or… burn your dress. Or whatever I used to do."
Nina froze.
Slowly, her eyes widened just a little.
"I'm… not angry," I added, holding my hands up. "You haven't done anything wrong. Relax."
She stared at me like I'd just started speaking an unknown language.
"…Yes, my lady," she murmured at last, though the way her fingers clenched in her skirt told me she didn't believe a word.
I sighed inwardly.
Great. First day in this body and my reputation is already garbage.
"Do I… have a mirror?" I asked, changing the subject. "A full-length one."
Nina blinked, then nodded quickly.
"Yes. Over there, my lady."
She gestured toward a tall, ornate mirror standing near a dressing table.
I swung my feet off the bed.
Mistake.
The moment they touched the floor, my center of gravity lurched. My chest pulled me forward, my hair swung across my vision, and I nearly went face‑first into the carpet.
"Whoa—!"
Instinctively, I shouted in my head:
Body Control, activate!
A strange coolness shot through my limbs. My muscles adjusted on their own. My foot slid half a step to balance, my spine straightened, my shoulders shifted just enough to counter the weight on my chest.
I froze in a half‑crouch, perfectly stable.
Nina rushed forward, hands outstretched. "My lady—!"
"I'm fine," I said quickly, standing up the rest of the way. "Just… stood up too fast."
So this was Body Control.
"Note to self," I muttered under my breath. "New body, new physics."
Carefully, I walked toward the mirror, each step guided softly by that cool, assisting sensation—as if someone had turned on auto‑correct for my movements.
When I reached the mirror, I stopped.
And stared.
The girl looking back at me was…
Beautiful.
Not "kind of cute if you squint" beautiful. Not "good lighting and filters" beautiful.
Striking.
Long, wavy hair the color of soft pink roses fell down to my waist, gleaming faintly in the light. Her skin—my skin—was pale and smooth, with the faintest peach tint on the cheeks. Her eyes were large and fox-like, irises a vivid, unnatural pink, framed by thick lashes.
A small, sharp nose. Full lips, naturally tinted rose. Slim neck, delicate collarbones showing above the lacy white nightgown. The fabric clung to a body that would've broken my old self's brain in half.
Curves in all the places I'd never had curves.
Graceful arms. Long legs.
I raised a hand.
So did she.
I touched my cheek.
Warm. Soft. Real.
"…This is me," I whispered.
In the reflection, Rose's lips moved with my words. My voice, soft and unfamiliar, matched the face perfectly.
For a second, another face flashed in my mind.
A tired boy. Uneven features. The kind of face that made relatives click their tongues and say, "Poor thing."
My grandmother's voice echoed faintly:
"How did I end up with a grandson with a face like this…"
I swallowed hard.
"Sorry, Grandma," I said in my head. "Looks like your grandson is… something else now."
A girl. A beautiful, dangerous girl.
"Lady Rose?" Nina's careful voice broke the silence. "Do you… require anything else?"
I tore my eyes away from the mirror.
"Yes," I said. "Information."
Her shoulders tensed again.
"Y‑yes, my lady?"
I forced myself to smile just enough to seem… less terrifying.
"What's… going on today?" I asked. "Any important events? Meetings? Visitors?"
Nina hesitated.
"Well," she said slowly, "today Lord Karl was summoned to the palace. There are rumors of… tensions at the border. They called for Lord Joe as well."
So the war plotline hadn't exploded yet, but it was simmering.
"And me?" I asked. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Rest," she said. "The doctor said your… condition last night strained your body. Lord Karl ordered that no one disturb you without permission."
Condition last night…?
I did NOT want details.
I grimaced. "Right. Rest."
The system, which had gone quiet, chose that moment to chime.
DING!
STATUS UPDATE AVAILABLE.
"Open status," I said in my head.
A translucent window unfolded beside my reflection.
Host: Rose
Soul Origin: Other World (Sam)
Species: Human (Female) – Rarity: EXTINCT
Body Stability: 23%
Skills:
– Mind Control (Lv.1)
– Body Control (Lv.5)
Under that, a new section blinked urgently.
MAIN SURVIVAL QUEST UNLOCKED
Your soul and body are not fully synchronized.
If stability reaches 0%, your soul will be rejected.
Current Stability: 23%
Time until Critical Collapse (estimated): 72 hours
Objective: Increase Body Stability to at least 70% within 72 hours.
Methods (examples):
– Maintain close physical proximity to a bonded mate (Karl, Joe, …)
– Increase emotional favorability with any husband
– Strengthen physical health and adapt to this body
– Complete side quests issued by the System
Failure: Soul erasure. Permanent death.
My skin went cold.
"Seventy‑two hours," I whispered. "Three days…"
SYSTEM:
Correction. Approximately three days.
If you strain the body, collapse may occur earlier.
"Wow," I said weakly. "So comforting. Thank you."
SYSTEM:
You're welcome.
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Let me guess," I muttered. "Being near these husbands increases stability because this body was… built to be with them?"
SYSTEM:
Bonded mates serve as anchors in this world.
The original Rose formed strong physical and magical bonds with them.
Your soul has inherited the body, but not the bonds.
Proximity and affection will repair the connection.
In simple terms:
Stay close, don't die.
"Stay close," I repeated flatly. "To the lion general and the silent killer. And three more future beast husbands. Great."
I glanced at Nina, who was watching me carefully, obviously trying to read my mood.
If I wanted to survive here, I couldn't just rely on skills. I had to fix this girl's wrecked relationships too. Starting with the people under this roof.
"Nina," I said.
She straightened. "Yes, my lady?"
"What…" I hesitated, then decided to be blunt. "What kind of person have I been to you?"
Her fingers twitched.
"I… I do not understand, my lady."
"You do." I met her eyes through the mirror. "I won't punish you for answering. I honestly want to know. How have I treated you?"
Nina bit her lip.
Silence stretched.
Then, very quietly, she said, "You… are very generous, my lady. With gifts. With clothes. With money."
That sounded… not bad?
"But," she added, voice barely above a whisper, "your anger is… frightening."
She swallowed.
"When you are displeased, you… break things. You shout. Sometimes you hurt people. You never hit me directly but…" Her hand drifted unconsciously to her arm. "I have seen what happens to others."
My stomach sank.
Villainess. Right.
"Do you… hate me?" I asked softly.
Nina's eyes widened in horror. "I would never—!"
I raised a hand.
"It's okay," I said. "You don't have to answer that."
Her mouth snapped shut.
I looked at my reflection again.
Perfect face. Beautiful body. Rotten history.
In my last life, I was unwanted because I wasn't "good enough."
In this life, people feared me because I was… too much.
"Fine," I said under my breath. "Then I'll just have to be someone else now."
The system pinged again.
SIDE QUEST UNLOCKED:
"First Step, First Change"
Objective: Perform one genuinely kind action toward someone who fears you.
Reward: +5 Body Stability, +5 Nina's Favorability.
"That's it?" I muttered. "No monster to fight? No dramatic duel?"
SYSTEM:
You can barely walk straight with your new chest.
Let's start small.
"…Fair."
I turned away from the mirror to face Nina directly.
She immediately dropped her gaze to the floor.
"I made things difficult for you before, didn't I?" I said.
She opened her mouth, then closed it again, completely lost.
"I won't ask you to suddenly believe me," I went on. "But from today on, I'll try not to make your life hell. If I… do something stupid and scare you, you can tell me. Quietly. I'll listen."
Her head snapped up, eyes wide.
"L‑Lady Rose…?"
"And," I added, glancing at the bed, "you can rest when you're tired. You don't have to stand all day just in case I scream for water or something. Sit if you want. Read. I won't punish you for breathing wrong."
For a second, I thought she might actually cry.
Instead, she bowed deeply, her voice shaking a little.
"Y‑yes, my lady," she whispered. "Thank you, my lady."
DING—
QUEST COMPLETE: "First Step, First Change"
Reward applied.
Body Stability: 23% → 28%
Nina's Favorability: -15 → -5
I blinked.
"Just that raised it by five?" I muttered. "So being a decent human being is actually a survival strategy here…"
SYSTEM:
Congratulations on discovering morality, Host.
I ignored it.
"Okay," I exhaled. "Next step. Clothes. I can't wander around in this nightgown forever."
Nina straightened. "Should I prepare your usual dress, my lady?"
Images from the novel flickered in my head—Rose sweeping through the manor in dramatic, luxurious gowns, heels clicking, jewels sparkling, expression cool and cruel.
"Something… simple," I said. "Nothing too flashy. And… flat shoes. No heels."
Nina hesitated as if I'd asked her to bring me a potato sack, but then nodded slowly.
"Yes, my lady. I will prepare it right away."
She turned and hurried out of the room, footsteps light against the polished floor.
The door closed behind her.
Alone again, I sank down onto the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping under my weight.
Three days.
Affection meters.
Beast husbands.
Villainess reputation.
I stared at my hands—slender fingers, soft palms.
"In my last life, I couldn't change anything," I said quietly. "No matter how much I wanted to. No money, no looks, no power."
I curled my fingers into fists.
"But this time… I have a system. I have power. I have a face people actually look at."
My reflection in the mirror watched me back, pink eyes bright, expression hardening.
"I don't know if I'll ever be 'happy,'" I admitted. "But I refuse to just lie down and die again. Not in this body. Not in this world."
As if answering, the system chimed once more.
NEW OBJECTIVE ADDED TO MAIN QUEST:
Optional Goal:
– Unlock first affectionate interaction with any husband within 24 hours.
Reward: +10 Stability, Unlock: "Affection Meter" display.
I stared at the text.
"Affection… interaction," I repeated slowly. "With Major Karl. Within a day."
I remembered his warm hand on my back. The way he'd said my name. The concern in his eyes.
And also the way he'd implied we'd had "fun" last night.
My face burned.
"This is going to be so awkward," I groaned, falling back onto the bed and covering my face with a pillow.
Through the fabric, I muttered:
"…But fine. Challenge accepted."
Outside the window, the sky of the Beast Kingdom burned with a different kind of light.
My new life had officially begun