Chapter 1: Flower Devil

There was a web novel called ‘Haelan Chronicles’.

The title itself suggested a traditional fantasy, making me think it would be a rather plain story.

As expected, the beginning was plain yet the elegant writing style was captivating, and it threw several exciting hooks within the first 10 chapters, grabbing my attention.

Even I, who usually dislikes the traditional fantasy genre, was so impressed that I followed along – that says it all.

However, right after the initial part ended and the ‘paid chapters’ began.

-Lycoris radiata stretched straight out. The most heinous and worst evil that would swallow villages, swallow cities, and furthermore, swallow the continent. Its root cause was my childhood friend and my fiancée.

“?”

Suddenly, my childhood friend became a demon.

-The Frost Queen’s end was horrific.

Having already lost her voice, she resisted with all her might, but she was helplessly subjected to the humiliation by those who had lost their hometowns to her.

She became a body that was neither dead nor alive.

Hearing the news, I went to save her belatedly, but her eyes, nose, and mouth, along with all her limbs, had already been cut off.

She was taxidermied in a corner of the village, becoming a toy for the vengeful.

“??”

The heroine, who had been having a sweet relationship with the protagonist, suddenly fell into corruption, destroyed a kingdom, and then was abruptly NTR’d.

Naturally, all the readers, including me, poured out our rage at this insane development.

If it had been a sad tragedy that was truly understandable, it would be one thing, but wasn’t this just a development the author created solely to screw with the readers?

Furthermore, we were even more indignant because the development twisted precisely from the point the paid chapters began.

There was no mention of tragedy or regret in the novel’s tags, so this was clearly an act of deception.

If the writing had been poor, I would have just spat and left, but the writing skill provided such an unpleasantly ‘immersive’ experience that I kept following the novel, even while cursing.

As the story progressed, various main and supporting characters fell, were broken, and died.

In fact, some readers theorized this was the first playthrough before a ‘regression,’ but by the extreme late-game, the development completely negated even that possibility, making them curse and leave.

This novel, which inflicted internal wounds on countless others, ended with the author’s declaration of an indefinite hiatus right before the conclusion.

Up to this point, it could just be seen as a disastrously failed ‘drift’ novel.

If only I hadn’t come to this world.

‘….’

“What did you just say?”

“Ah, nothing. I was simply mesmerized by your beautiful appearance, young lady. This humble servant dares to beg for your forgiveness.”

“···Hmph. Still, you have quite the eye.”

A girl who was still immature, yet her beauty alone was enough to be called world-shattering.

Philia looked at me with a gaze of contempt and then left.

‘I really feel like flicking her forehead.’

Sighing, I quickly hid in a corner of the mansion, avoiding Philia’s eyes.

I, who died in a traffic accident in my previous life, had transmigrated as a servant in ‘Haelan Chronicles’.

***

“Hey, Ian! What in the world did you do to the young lady?”

“Butler, it’s not that… the young lady seems a little sensitive.”

“You must have done something wrong. You have no idea how kind the young lady is!”

‘I don’t think that’s the case…’

Philia, who was rumored to be kind to servants and had a good reputation, picked fights with me abnormally often.

At first, I thought it was simple capriciousness, but afterward, whenever she saw me, she would subtly pick fights, creating awkward situations more than once or twice.

‘In the novel, was all that just pretense…’

Before awakening as a demon, she was depicted as kind and polite to the protagonist and surrounding characters, so I felt safe even as a servant…

I never imagined there would be such a twist.

Even thinking it might be due to the difference in status, she was incredibly kind to servants and maids other than me, leaving me only feeling bewildered.

‘Maybe she just doesn’t like my face?’

The body I transmigrated into, ‘Ian,’ had eyes so squinted that his pupils were barely visible.

In other words, he looked like a very sneaky fellow on the surface.

‘Even the Middle Ages has lookism. Damn it.’

Of course, Philia didn’t literally torment me to death, but what kind of world was this?

Isn’t it the fate of commoners to die with a sigh when a noble speaks a word?

In such a world without dreams or hope, I didn’t want to lose my life due to someone’s mood.

After realizing Philia hated me.

To keep as much distance from her as possible, I volunteered for outdoor work, even if it was a bit tough… but unfortunately, I ran into her again today.

Fortunately, I managed to praise Philia using various flowery words; otherwise, even if I didn’t lose my life, I might have lost a limb.

As I silently bowed my head, the butler warned in a low voice.

“No matter how kind the young lady is, if you upset her mood one more time… it won’t end with just a scolding then.”

“···Yes. I will be careful.”

My teeth clenched.

I was angry, but naturally, I wasn’t in a position to resist now.

The place I was currently in was the city of ‘Katalvel,’ ruled by Philia’s family, the Varhens.

Having transmigrated as a servant of the Varhen family, I was extremely happy at the time of transmigration.

It was partly thanks to being resurrected from death, but also because, after realizing this was the world of the novel, I couldn’t help but have a certain ‘expectation’.

Starting from things like status windows, systems, or special perks, all the way to invisible special talents or knowledge.

However, my expectations were in vain; there were absolutely no such ‘cheat keys.’

Instead, I only heard talk of me being crazy among the other servants and maids.

Furthermore, after getting on Philia’s bad side, even fewer people tried to get close to me.

‘···No matter how I think about it, there’s no answer.’

Recalling the original story, the future of this world was too bleak.

It was a world where dreams and hope had died long ago, but afterward, when the heroines collectively went mad, it would transform into a world so terrible that the present would feel like heaven.

Five years from the current point.

Various ‘Demonic Realms,’ called the manifestation of hell, began to invade the world.

And the masters of the Demonic Realms, with a few exceptions, were all the main and supporting characters.

If only I had transmigrated as the original protagonist, I might have seen some hope, but the body I transmigrated into was an extra who didn’t even appear in the original.

If I had to pick a scene where I might have appeared, perhaps it would be as Innocent Servant 1, who died during Philia’s demonization.

It was clear that the world would be destroyed if things continued like this, so naturally, I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

Originally, I planned to gain some favor with Philia and leak some of the original story’s content… but I was blocked from the start.

‘···Do I have no choice but to make an impression at the upcoming ball?’

It was a high-risk action that I had been refraining from, but given the circumstances, there was no other choice.

‘Why in the world does Philia hate me so much?’

***

The place where the ‘Demon of Flowers’ resided, also known as the flowerbed of corpses.

A man was silently walking through the blood-soaked street.

Although called the flowerbed of corpses, paradoxically, in this place filled only with blood and debris, not a single corpse could be found.

Katalvel, which had been a large city, was immediately destroyed by the aftermath the moment the demon awakened.

At that time, there was not a single survivor except for one person.

Those who remained in the city were presumed to have all died at the demon’s hands, given the circumstances, but where did all those corpses disappear?

Just as the man was feeling bewildered.

Rustle-

Countless ‘hand flowers’ bloomed from deep within the ground.

The hand flowers pressed their hands together, beginning to overlap one by one.

Even in this bizarre situation, the man did not run or panic but quietly watched the scene.

The countless hand flowers merged and overlapped, soon forming a giant hand flower the size of a human.

And from within that giant hand, as if life was blooming, it began to expel a human form.

The Demon of Flowers, and a continental public enemy.

Blood Blossom, Philia von Varhen.

She looked at him with vacant eyes.

There was no question, no hesitation, no curiosity.

She simply extended her hand forward as if doing something familiar.

In response to her gesture, the ground began to tremble.

Rumble-

Flowers made using the people of the entire city as ‘fertilizer’ began to bloom all at once.

Bizarre monsters that seemed to be a mixture of flowers, humans, and even demonic beasts, sprouted simultaneously from the ground.

The man standing before the countless flowers, numerous enough to easily crush a single person, bowed his head to her first, as if showing respect.

Lowering his arm and crossing his legs.

After offering a greeting that seemed disciplined yet somehow unfamiliar.

The man raised his sword.

“It’s late, but I have returned to pluck the flower.”

“Please, be plucked.”

***

Afterward, the Demon of Flowers vanished from the continent.

The remaining few races in the world all cheered and rejoiced, albeit briefly.

And not long after, a strange rumor began to circulate.

A preposterous rumor that a single man was destroying the Demonic Realms alone.

It is said that wherever he passed, lilac flowers always bloomed.