Following Sylvia’s cautious lead to the annex, I was taken aback by the unexpected sight.

‘Is there such a filthy place in the Second Prince’s palace?’

“It hasn’t been used for a long time, so it’s a bit rundown…”

Sylvia spoke in a meek voice. The annex was significantly dirtier than I expected. It seemed poorly maintained, possibly due to its distance from the main palace. I noticed no other maids around.

“Where is everyone else?”

“Oh, there’s no one.”

“No one?”

Surprised, I asked again, and Sylvia nodded. Had she been managing this place alone all this time? The size of the annex was clearly too much for just one or two maids.

‘No wonder it’s in this state.’

I wondered why the maid distribution was so skewed when there were plenty in the main palace.

“Is there some mistake? Did you talk to the chief maid?”

“It’s no use.”

Sylvia hesitated before continuing.

“There’s a rumor that ghosts haunt this place, so everyone avoids it.”

“Ah, I see.”

That explained why everyone shunned this place, leaving it to an unassuming girl like Sylvia. With such neglect, even those higher up had an excuse not to intervene.

‘Wait, this could be good.’

If no one comes here, then even if I slack off, nobody would know. Plus, I’d avoid the prying eyes that judged me.

I cheered internally, but then Sylvia added something that dampened my spirits.

“I try to manage it after my work in the main palace, but I’m usually too tired…”

Damn. So, she does work in the main palace too.

However, I quickly recovered and rolled up my sleeves.

“Shall we start cleaning?”

Sylvia looked shocked at my enthusiasm.

“Why?”

“I thought you would leave when you saw the condition…”

“Do I look so irresponsible? Besides, I like this place.”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

Though it might be physically demanding, the annex felt like a personal hideout. I was eager to clean it up and enjoy it to the fullest.

Unaware of my cunning thoughts, Sylvia seemed genuinely moved.

“To be honest, I like it here too. It’s quite a romantic place.”
This was the brightest expression I had seen on Sylvia’s face so far. Her voice rose with excitement, clearly conveying her genuine affection for this place. It’s true, despite the current mess, the exotic landscaping surrounding the garden could be really impressive with a bit of tidying up.

“Ghosts, how romantic.”

Huh?

With her hands clasped together, Sylvia continued with sparkling eyes.

“Everyone finds it creepy, but I don’t understand that. It means there’s a mysterious presence here, right? I pray every day to see a ghost.”

One thing was clear to me now. My initial thought that Sylvia might be isolated or ostracized was unfounded. She was here because she loved this place.

I played along with Sylvia, who was hopeful about seeing ghosts.

“Have you never seen one?”

“No, unfortunately…”

Her face fell in genuine disappointment. I patted her back to comfort her.

“They say if you wish hard enough, it will come true. Maybe you’ll see one soon.”

“You’re the first person to say that to me, Renée. Everyone else just hates it because they think it’s gloomy…”

Sylvia’s eyes shimmered. After a brief hesitation, she continued.

“Renée, you seem like a good person, unlike the rumors.”

“Do you think so? Thanks for seeing me in a good light.”

I was slightly amused that such a small interaction had made such an impression, but it was genuinely nice to see someone warming up to me. After constantly facing hostility since entering the palace, I was grateful for her trust.

I reassured Sylvia, who looked at me with trustful eyes, and we entered the annex. The inside was a mess, despite Sylvia’s evident efforts to maintain it. I sighed inwardly.

‘It’s going to take ages to clean this up. Damn.’

Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.

The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…

Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.

Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.

The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”

When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…

The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced