<Chapter 3>

‘House Valerio… Don’t tell me it’s that Valerio?’

Yurenia could hardly believe her eyes when she saw the notice.

Valerio was the family name of Kailas, the male lead in Chains of Obsession, the novel she had been reading right before she died in her previous life.

What were the odds that a family with the exact same name and the same duke title would exist in this world too?

‘Did I get reincarnated into Chains of Obsession?’

Yurenia furrowed her brows.

In the original story, the House of Valerio was infamous for its terrifying, bloodthirsty duke. But there were no such rumors here.

If there had been, she would’ve heard about them long ago.

‘Then does that mean this is before the story starts? Or after?’

Sometimes, reincarnators ended up in the world either before the original plot began or after it had already ended. Given the presence of the House of Valerio, Yurenia figured there was a good chance that applied to her too.

‘Whatever the case, it has nothing to do with me.’

She wasn’t getting involved.

For the sake of a peaceful life, Yurenia was about to move past the job posting.

But then her eyes landed on the last line under the “Special Notes” section.

※ Additional 100 gold per month if employed for over 3 months.

The base salary alone was already double the average private tutor’s rate. And now they were offering 100 extra gold on top of that?

…That was way too much money to ignore.

* * *

Standing in the head of household’s office, Yurenia gripped her bag tightly.

She always felt a mix of nerves and excitement when entering a new home. But this time, her nerves were for a different reason altogether.

‘The House of Valerio, seriously!’

Because she’d just walked into the family of the original story’s male lead.

‘I wonder who the child I’ll be teaching is.’

Yurenia tried to reason it out. The posting had mentioned a seven-year-old boy. But there hadn’t been any children in the original novel.

‘Could this be the timeline of the epilogue?’

That actually made sense.

In the novel’s epilogue, Kailas and Emilia have a child. If they were hiring a tutor for that child, everything lined up perfectly.

‘To think I’ll be the one teaching their kid.’

Yurenia’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. Still, she kept her excitement in check in front of the butler.

She was only twenty-three, but she had three solid years of experience as a private tutor. Keeping things professional was basic etiquette.

“Please wait here. The Duke will be with you shortly.”

“Thank you.”

With Yurenia’s polite response, Branson exited the office. Left alone, she took the opportunity to look around the room.

Heavy, dark-toned furniture and neatly arranged writing tools for paperwork filled the space. Every item radiated wealth and refinement befitting a high-ranking noble.

‘Kailas will probably show up soon, right? Or maybe Emilia?’

Usually, the head of the house handled interviews for private tutors. Sometimes, however, the lady of the house would step in.

And if the couple was especially close, they might even interview together.

‘I hope they both come.’

She had planned to keep her distance from the main characters as much as possible. But now that she was here, she intended to fulfill her duties as a background character.

This was, after all, Chains of Obsession.

There had been lots of controversy over Kailas, dubbed the “trash mouth man,” but to Yurenia, Chains of Obsession was her favorite novel.

And Kailas, the male lead, was her ultimate favorite.

Tall and well-built, with tightly packed lean muscle and broad shoulders.

She could still remember the breathtaking cover art that had compelled her to start reading the novel in the first place.

‘To see that face in real life…’

Kailas was the definition of a stunning beauty.

His features were strikingly attractive, elegant yet carrying just enough roughness to make him dangerously alluring.

His looks were part of what kept readers hooked, no matter how much they cursed his character.

Glossy black hair, vibrant lime-green eyes… And that heart-wrenching backstory of being abandoned by his parents as a child.

Kailas Valerio was, quite literally, the kind of man you’d want to cradle in your heart. And then there was sweet, pure Emilia. What a pair they made.

They were the perfect couple.

Just imagining the scene where Kailas clung to delicate, tearful Emilia made Yurenia’s heart ache all over again.

And now, she was going to take care of their child?

To work in the home of her favorite characters and get paid a fortune?

The unease she’d felt when first reading the job posting was now completely gone, washed away by an outrageously generous salary.

‘Five hundred gold a month if I stay more than three months!’

Yurenia smiled brightly as she recalled the job description. Working here for a single year would earn her enough to buy a two-room house.

In the heart of the capital, no less!

‘I’ve gotta do well!’

She hadn’t even passed the interview yet, but Yurenia was already prepared to give her soul to House Valerio.

“You’ve waited long enough.”

Just then, as she burned with determination—

The office door creaked open, and a low, heavy voice echoed from behind her.

A voice that instantly sent a chill through her chest, strong, deep, and commanding.

As the dignified baritone filled the room, a shiver ran down Yurenia’s spine. She steadied her breath and swallowed hard.

‘He’s here.’

Yurenia tightened her grip on her composure, then slowly turned around, careful not to let her fingers tremble as she bowed.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Grace. My name is Yurenia d’Aubigné, and I’ve come to apply for the tutor position.”

As she bowed her head, the Duke’s tall shadow stretched across her upper body.

Even without a word, he radiated a crushing presence. The air in the office felt suffocatingly heavy.

Having finished her greeting, Yurenia retrieved the documents from her bag. According to noble etiquette, she kept her gaze respectfully lowered.

“These are my résumé, my academy diploma, and a letter of recommendation from the Countess of House Cales, my previous employer.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

The Duke didn’t even take the documents. His tone was curt, with a clear hint of annoyance.

“I beg your pardon?”

Caught off guard, Yurenia instinctively looked up. What entered her view were the gleaming buttons of an expensive black uniform and a wide, firm chest wrapped in a tailored vest.

‘What…?’

Kailas was known to be tall, but Yurenia wasn’t exactly short either. Still, the height difference was more extreme than she expected.

As she blinked in surprise, the broad chest spoke again.

“I’ve already reviewed everything. No need to go over it twice.”

Tilting her head back, Yurenia finally raised her gaze enough to see the man’s face, sharp and cold yet undeniably handsome.

The moment she saw him, she inhaled sharply.

‘Good grief.’

The Duke was unrealistically beautiful. The novel’s cover hadn’t done him even a quarter of the justice.

Almond-shaped eyes with piercing intensity, a straight nose that looked carved by hand, and perfectly full lips moved to speak again.

“Most tutors have similar qualifications. What matters isn’t your background. It’s whether you can endure here.”

Gods, even his voice was incredible.

His words were rude and domineering, yet his low, velvety tone was so captivating it made her fingers twitch.

“I’d rather not have to hire another tutor. It’s a hassle to replace people over and over.”

And those blue eyes were elegant and carried an overwhelming presence.

They shone like gemstones. A pure, icy sapphire glow…

‘Wait a minute.’

Sapphire?

“Miss?”

Yurenia stared blankly at the man in front of her, forgetting even to blink.

‘Why…’

His thick eyelashes blinked slowly. Her pale pink eyes shimmered with confusion.

‘Why are his eyes blue?’

Kailas was supposed to have lime-green eyes.

The Duke of Valerio was extraordinarily handsome. His perfectly balanced, sculpted features put classical statues to shame.

But—

This man wasn’t Kailas.

‘So… this isn’t Chains of Obsession?’

This was undeniably a family named Valerio. A ducal house, just like in the novel.

And yet… it wasn’t that family?

“Hey.”

As Yurenia stood frozen, trying to piece things together, the Duke tilted his head and said,

“Having second thoughts? If you’re going to quit, best do it now.”

“N-not at all!”

Yurenia waved her hands in a panic and quickly tried to regain her composure.

“So, um… You are the Duke of Valerio, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right. Is there an issue?”

“Well…”

Yurenia shook her head, a bead of cold sweat trickling down her spine.

‘So this isn’t that Valerio.’

Had she jumped the gun?

It was a little disappointing that the employer wasn’t Kailas. But the terms were still incredibly appealing with room and board, 400 gold per month, and a 100 gold bonus after three months.

‘Right… What matters is the money.’

Steadying herself, Yurenia flashed a cheerful smile.

The kind of smile used in business.
 

<To be continued>

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