Selena stared sadly at her empty bank account, her head resting on an old pillow in a tiny apartment that barely fit her. No family, no stable job, but she did have one thing: an intense love for gold and money… and tons of sarcasm.
That night, she was reading an old romance novel titled "Moonlight Princess"—a story about a girl who falls in love with a brave knight.
There was also the villain, who secretly loved the heroine and crafted many schemes to keep her away from the hero.
But Selena? She liked neither the hero nor the heroine.
She fell in love with the villain. Simply because… he was rich.
She laughed and said, "If I were the heroine, I'd chase after him and say: Duke, drown me in gold!"
The novel was short—only twenty chapters.
After finishing the last chapter, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep...
Only to wake up somewhere else.
Not in her apartment.
But on a wooden bed, in a cold room, dressed in a maid's uniform.
"This… isn't my room," she whispered. Then screamed,
"No way! Where am I?! Have I been kidnapped?!"
"Aaaaaah!"
"Why am I screaming? Now they'll come in and kill me."
Sure enough, a group of maids rushed in upon hearing her shriek.
— "What's wrong, Julia?"
She blinked. "What? Julia? Who are you?"
The maids exchanged confused glances.
One of them asked,
— "Did you have a nightmare, Julia?"
Selena—or rather, Julia—responded,
— "Nightmare? Where even am I?"
They told her:
— "You're in Duke Valen's estate."
Selena gasped.
— "Valen?!"
It hit her. She was inside the novel.
— "No… it can't be! I'm that Julia?"
— "Of course, you're Julia," they replied.
A week passed. Selena—now Julia—began adjusting to life at the Duke's mansion.
Life was definitely better here: good food, decent pay, a warm place to stay.
Back in her world, she'd worked long hours as a cook only to return to a dingy apartment and still struggle to afford anything.
But the one thing she couldn't adjust to?
Cleaning. She hated cleaning.
So, she made a decision: she'd quit and move to the countryside.
Since she was a skilled cook in her real life, she figured she could work as one in this world too. With her knowledge of recipes no one here had ever seen, she'd get rich for sure.
The next day, she marched off to hand in her resignation.
— "At last," she said to herself, "a peaceful, luxurious life in the countryside awaits!"
She found the head maid in the hallway, sorting through some papers, standing alone.
— "This is my moment," Julia thought.
Putting on a serious expression, she declared,
— "Madam, I'd like to resign. Cleaning is exhausting, and I truly hate it."
Selena had always been blunt—her words often spilling out before she could think.
The head maid was stunned. Julia—the old Julia—had always been quiet, obedient, and hardworking.
Before the maid could respond, a cold, deep voice interrupted them:
— "You… what did you say?"
Julia slowly turned her head…
Standing behind her was the Duke himself, staring with his signature icy gaze.
She swallowed hard—but didn't back down.
Don't back down, Julia. Money, wealth, and a peaceful life are waiting for you.
"I said… I want to resign. Honestly, I hate cleaning. It's tiring. I deserve a better life than scrubbing halls and dusting rooms."
Silence fell.
Then the Duke said,
— "Denied."
Julia blinked.
— "What? Why?"
— "I want to see you work harder… so I can hear what else you'll say."
Unable to handle his response, Julia clutched her chest dramatically, staggered back…
And collapsed on the floor as if struck through the heart.
The Duke and the head maid exchanged glances—both thinking, Is she crazy?
Julia raised her hands, eyes filled with despair:
— "He… he rejected my resignation! My peaceful, luxurious dream life is falling apart right in front of me!"
She said it out loud. Then screamed,
— "Noooo! My beautiful future is slipping away!"
Both the Duke and the head maid were frozen. The girl had screamed, dropped to the floor, and acted as though she were in a stage play.
Suddenly, she jumped up and ran off down the hallway, heartbroken and overwhelmed—only to trip and fall immediately.
The Duke raised an eyebrow. The head maid gasped and covered her mouth.
Julia got up again, ran some more… tripped again.
— "Why do I always fall and embarrass myself in front of people?!"
She stood once more and sprinted off until she disappeared from view.
Silence returned to the corridor.
And then, for the first time in ages, a genuine laugh escaped the Duke's lips.
The head maid turned to him, stunned.
The Duke… laughed?
It wasn't easy to make the Duke laugh. But somehow, Julia had managed to do just that.