She knew a secret about this world that no one else did. This was a world inside a novel.
Donât lie? Yeah, you may think itâs a lie. Since she couldnât believe it at first either.
The Tyrantâs Tamed Heart
Rosaline closed the book. She tangled her light purple colored hair and stroked the the cover of the book, which was made of brown velvet.
Rosaline Berit was possessed in the book. On top of it, it was on a day where she had thrown her boss a resignation letter after 6 years of working, saying that she wanted to enjoy her life now that all her younger siblings had graduated college. She rolled around on her bed and played on her phone. She was bored but couldnât think of anything in particular to do.
âShould I read a book?â
She had once registered in a novel updates platform because of the secretary who sat next to her at work. She had just been clicking around randomly but landed on the story âThe Tyrantâs Tamed Heartâ. âA tyrantâs pure loveâ was the main topic. The writer probably wanted the readers to pay attention to the female lead, who received the love of the tyrant, but she couldnât.
She became emotionally attached to the secretaries who worked under the tyrant. The tyrant told his secretaries to complete tasks that would normally take three or four days in one day, and she furiously kicked the blankets in anger whenever he forgot about it.
While crying, laughing, and raging over what happened to the secretaries, she had finished reading the entire book. She had spent the entire night reading. Then she fell asleep as she saw the light seeping through the blindsâŚâŚ.
âItâs a world within a book.â
On the first day, after realizing that she had been possessed as a character in a book, Rosaline had jumped out the window. She believed it was all a dream. Or she expected to wake back up in her room after dying.
It would be difficult to buy a house in seoul even if she worked as the secretary of the president of a huge company, but it was still better to be living in a familiar place than a completely unfamiliar one. And most of all, it didnât make any sense. Being possessed in a book? It wasnât something someone who was still sane could accept.
But whatâs this? There wasnât a single wound on her body. From then on, she continued to involve herself in dangerous activities. Poking at the beehive in the garden or eating a poisonous plant that would kill her.
Each time Rosaline ended up completely fine.
People told her it was a miracle. But Rosaline knew.
âItâs just that itâs not time for me to die yet!â
Rosaline gave up on dying. When she did, she could finally pay attention to the other things. It wasnât much, but she had pretty dresses, and it wasnât many, but the people who worked in her house treated her like a princess, and her parents were people who would absolutely die for her.
âAh, well, Iâll just enjoy it till I die.â
Rosaline reconsidered her plans. And she slowly adjusted to this world. It was a very satisfying life. Her life was very peaceful because she wasnât the female lead or the villainess.
She lived comfortably for 5 years. She had completely adjusted into this world. It was the result of Rosalineâs wit, adjustability, and sociability. No one even suspected Rosaline of coming from a different world.
It was peaceful, it will continue to be peaceful, and Rosaline would peacefully end her life as well. This was how she had been thinking, and it was also the reason as to why she had forgotten something very important.
The death of Rosaline in the novel was not peaceful at all.
âRoy, they say his majesty is hiring a secretary.â
Viscount Berit told Rosalineâs brother, Roy, and Rosalineâs eyes widened in shock.
âSecretary?â
Why does that word sound like a terrible idea?
Rosaline put down the tea she was drinking and quickly ran into her room. She took out a small box she had hidden underneath her bed. She unlocked the box with the key on her necklace and opened it, and found a book on top of the brown velvet.
The Tyrantâs Tamed Heart
The book was falling apart because of how many times she read it. Rosaline didnât know why this book was here. The only thing she knew was that the book was under her waist on the day she had been possessed.
âIt must be a gift from God, who took pity on me.â
Rosaline did not think too deep. She simply thought that it would be better for her to have the book than to not.
Rosaline flipped the pages quickly. Her name was not in the book for the first half.
âI found it!â
Rosaline stopped. In the entire 687 page book, her name only appeared once, on page 399.
Rosalineâs long, fair finger followed the text in the book.
Roy failed to confirm Cahirâs schedule. Because of this, Cahir was unable to keep his promise with Ella to eat with her. Cahir was enraged and killed Royâs entire family. Even his sister Rosaline, who was famous in the social circles for being beautiful, could not escape his wrath.
Oh my goodness!
Rosalineâs face paled. She suddenly felt a chill at her neck. Rosaline raised her hand and stroked her thin, pale, neck. While she had been enjoying her life as a noble, her death had also come up extremely closely.
Rosaline didnât want to die. There were too many good things in this world to leave her lifeline to her destiny as she had planned before. Sweet desserts, caring parents who were different from her original parents who only saw her as a money making machine, and Roy, who always fought with her but ended up losing to her all the time anyway. Everything was so precious to her.
And the reason for her death was so dumb! If she died because she messed with the female lead, or because she was the villainess, or if she was the one who made a mistake with the tyrant, it would make more sense, but to die because of Royâs mistake,
âThatâs such a waste!â
Rosaline put the book back under her bed and lay down. The soft blankets wrapped her body. The canopy danced in the wind.
âAh, itâs so peacefulâŚâŚ.â
But just thinking about how this peace was going to end was so unfortunate.
âI donât want to die! I canât die like this!â
It was unfair. A desire to live shot out. There could be a way to not die.
âYes, Iâll train Roy to work well!â
But Rosalineâs face soon turned dark. Roy was her brother, but he wasnât too bright. He was a good person, but that was it. Even if people hit him or made fun of him, he would just laugh it off. He was basically like buddha.
Cahir was someone who could change more than twelve times a day. You needed to at least be a fox with nine tails to be his secretary. At least.
Could she turn buddha into a nine tailed fox?
For once, Rosaline was pessimistic. Rosaline buried her head in her pillow.
âWhat should I do?!â
Her light purple hair fell apart onto her pillow.
* * *
âDid you find a secretary?â
âNot yet.â
Cahir slammed his fist onto his desk. He was a very busy person. The number of things he needed to take care of in a day exceeded thirty. There were also people in line to meet him.
There were even more things to take care of now because he had just finished a war.
The thousand days war.
Six months ago, Cahir had returned from his thousand days war. When the war began, he was the crown prince. After the war, he had become the emperor.
It wasnât because he had wanted the position. The heir his unloving father had earned from Cahirâs stepmother was kind of stupid, so Cahir had to take on the role of the emperor.
An unexpected change in position and endless work. Cahir had been unable to sleep or eat properly in the past few months. He almost felt like fighting in the war had been more comfortable.
âFind one immediately. If you canât find one by tomorrow, Iâll take that as you wanting to do all this work yourself.â
Might as well say youâre going to kill me. Dereck smiled awkwardly and bit the inside of his mouth.
* * *
âSir Berit, we are in a hurry.â
That night, Dereck visited Viscount Beritâs house. It was rude to visit someone late in the night, but now wasnât the time to be considering manners. Even now, he had left the pile of work he had to come visit the Berit household.
âWhy does it have to be our family? Iâm sure there are much smarter and more efficient workers in the academy.â
Viscount Berit knew about the rumors surrounding Cahir.
Although he was a young emperor who led the empire to victory, the violent stories of him on the battlefield made it hard for people to praise him. Although the empire did in the war, it wasnât like his violent nature would suddenly disappear. This led to a violent rule, and the people, including the nobles, shook in fear of him.
The stories of him taking the position as emperor as soon as he returned from war and assigning the former empress to the abandoned part of the castle and turning a noble into a slave just because he went against him were famous.
It was something the kind Viscount Berit could not understand.
Giving his son away to a tyrant like that? Unbelievable.
âHe is your precious son.â
Dereck spoke as he stroked his teacup. The Viscount lowered his suspicion at Dereckâs understanding tone.
âHe is not someone who can serve the empireâs sun.â
Viscount Berit added. He cared about Roy. But that wasnât the only thing he worried about.
âHeâs my son, but heâs too soft. And he isnât witty at all.â
His son somehow reminded him of a moth flying into fire. Viscount Berit smiled in remorse.
âHis majesty will not wait long, Sir Berit.â
Dereck put down his teacup. He had not taken a single sip. Dereck looked extremely busy. He had glanced at the clock several times since he had entered the room. Because of his workload, he could not even drink a cup of tea in peace. Although the Viscount felt sorry, it just strengthened his determination to not send Roy.
Viscount Berit gazed at Dereck, who was similar in age to his son, with unfortunate eyes.
âIs it not possible to choose someone who isnât from our family?â
âUnfortunately Sir Berit, Iâve heard that same statement several times.â
Viscount Berit inhaled. He covered his eyes with his hand. Then he stroked his face with his dry hands.
âPlease send him to the palace starting tomorrow.â
Dereck took out a small box from his pocket. When he opened the box, a round badge with a deer engraved on it appeared. It was the sign of the emperorâs secretary.
Viscount Beritâs face became dark quickly. He stared at the badge. The emperor had sent his closest secretary with a badge. He could not go back on these orders.
âBring Roy in.â
Viscount Berit shouted after biting then letting go of the inside of his mouth.
There was silence after the butler left to find Roy.
âWhat kind of person is his majesty?â
The viscount asked carefully. Dereck looked back at him after checking the time once more. Dereck did not understand why the viscount was asking such a question.
âAh, well, I thought it would be good to give my son a few tipsâŚâŚ.â
Because Dereck did not have any children, he could not understand the Viscountâs feelings one bit. If he did, he wouldâve told him a hopeful description of the emperor.
âHis majesty is unforgiving. He does not forgive any mistakes. He believes that efficient people do not make mistakes, and believes that only those who are efficient and doesnât make mistakes should be around him. Because he is that perfect. Just a while ago, a soldier was sent to the forefronts of war for accidentally dozing offâŚâŚ.â
âT-thatâs enough!â
Viscount Berit turned pale and waved his hands. Dereck was a little disappointed that he did not get to keep telling the stories.
Dereck liked talking about Cahirâs cold and violent side. He felt as if it proved his worth by showing that he worked under such a ruler.
But everyone who asked him about Cahir stopped him in the middle.
âEveryoneâs so weak. Everything will be fine if you just donât make any mistakes. If you donât make any mistakes, his majesty is a very good person.â
Dereck could not understand how hard it was to not make mistakes because he was a genius. Dereck closed his mouth and looked at the clock again.
Knock knock.
Just as he was getting tired of waiting, there was a knock at the door.
âOh, he must be here.â
Dereck stood up to greet Roy. His body moved on its own at the thought of a companion in his sufferings. He wanted to dance when he thought of the decreased amount of work.
The door opened. Viscount Berit did not look back. He felt like he would start sobbing if he saw Roy. Poor Roy. Viscount Berit sighed endlessly.
âNice to meet you, RoyâŚâŚ?â
Dereckâs greeting was not smooth at all. His eyes gleamed in confusion. Viscount Berit slowly turned his head.
âRosaline!â
Rosaline, who had her light purple tied in a ponytail onto one side, ran across the drawing room. She grabbed her skirt and lifted it slightly, and bent her knees in a greeting. It was a perfect greeting, as if she were a textbook for manners.
âIâm Rosaline Berit.â
âRosaline, there must have been a mistake. I asked for Roy.â