I Thought It Was a Fantasy Romance, but It’s a Horror Story

 "No one."

I couldn't find him. I sat dejectedly on the bench at the fountain. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find the gardener. Maybe my walking time wasn't the gardener's working hours.

Thinking about it, it makes sense. Who would want to work while their employer was there? Even if I worked at a convenience store, it would be uncomfortable to be stared at by customers while organizing the shelves. A job like a gardener handling delicate plants would be even worse.

I guess I just worked out hard... No, it's okay. Exercise is good for my health. I'm not in the best shape, so I need to take better care of myself. It was a good opportunity for physical conditioning. Trying to rationalize my situation, I turned around and headed back to the mansion, feeling frustrated.
 

As I thought about it, I realized that people around me probably took care of me because they thought I was weak. But to be honest, I don't really feel any inconvenience. I'm not even sure if I'm that weak, and besides feeling a little tired from walking for so long, I don't really feel sick or uncomfortable.

As I continued to think about it, a sudden realization hit me. Wait, could it be that the owner of this body was purposely pretending to be weak in order to be taken care of?

As I thought about it, it occurred to me that I probably have a lot of money at home and could enjoy a life of leisure without having to work. But maybe I pretended to be weak because I was concerned about how others would perceive me and wanted to live as a stay-at-home person... not so much that I would be a burden on my family, but just enough to avoid their concern... hmm.

"Could that be it?"

It's a shame that we couldn't have been good friends. If it were really like that, we could have been soulmates. But now I'm stuck in her body, how did that happen?

Sighing, I hit my shoulder, lost in thought. I have no idea where the owner of this body is right now, but I hope they're enjoying a more luxurious life in another golden spoon body, rather than being buried in assignments, exams, and part-time jobs like I was. Hopefully they're not in my original body, which is not a golden spoon body, but rather enjoying a more luxurious life somewhere else.

"It's dinnertime, miss. Shall I guide you to the dining room?"

"Oh, sure."

As I finished thinking, the sky was suddenly ablaze with a sunset. The rose leaves and fountain water were dyed in orange, and even the droplets rising from the fountain looked like flower petals in the vibrant light.

After spending the whole day today on outdoor activities, I couldn't help but think that if I lived as a wealthy stay-at-home person, I could live passionately like this. I looked up at the sky with a sense of satisfaction.

Since I was very active today, I would love to have a meat-heavy dinner menu. Maybe some marbled beef would be a good choice.
 

***

 

Hooray! Dinner is going to be pork barbecue on a charcoal grill! It smells wonderful! I tried to hold back the saliva that was flowing from my mouth and the tickling in my nose. It might look too eager, even though I'm dining with my family.

As always, the red-haired woman who looks like the mother of this body was smiling brightly and making small talk.
 

"Did you have a good day today?"

"Yes, mother. But I have a question for you."

Suddenly, everything went quiet. Wait a minute, is it possible that this body originally had a personality that only focused on food while eating and didn't talk much during meals...? Why was the atmosphere like this? My sister (I guess) who was sitting on my right side had no expression on her face at all. I was surprised.
 

"What is the question?"

"What are the working hours for the person who takes care of our garden?"

After saying this, I immediately thought that if I lived in a mansion like this, wouldn't I not know the working hours of the people working here? Or maybe it would be different? My (I assumed) mother smiled thinly and continued speaking.

"You always... You always took care of the garden."
 

The gardener must be very passionate.

"But that's not Rosé's business. Our daughter can enjoy the beauty of the garden and have fun in this mansion."

Mother, while it's very kind of you to have that nurturing attitude, it seems to me that it guarantees an overly idle life for a weak-willed person like me.

Well, I guess I'm one step closer to being a well-off NEET with a guaranteed comfortable life. I just chuckled and nodded, not saying much more.

"Oh, I see. I'm wondering why you suddenly became curious about that. Have you had a change of heart lately?"

Finally, the timing was right! I slightly furrowed my brow and took a deep breath before making my move.
 

"Oh, actually I've been feeling a little forgetful lately. I can't even remember things from when I was younger... is it because I'm not feeling well?"

"Oh no!"

Mother sighed and covered her mouth. The (probable) sister  of this body's face was pale and stiff, but when I looked again, her hand holding the fork was shaking. It's too much to worry them like this, so I feel a little guilty.

"We should call the doctor. Rest, dear Rosé, until the doctor comes. No going out. You need to take care of yourself at home as much as possible!"

Oh no, maybe using the trope of memory loss was too extreme. The reaction isn't good at all!
 

"Well, I'm not really that sick. I'm not having any problems with my daily life either."

"Oh no, you need to stay in the mansion until you get better. If you suddenly collapse outside, who knows what could happen? As your mother, I'm worried..."

Mother shook her head as if she were the one who would collapse. Oh, dear, you're overreacting. I put aside my feelings of frustration and eventually nodded my head.

It was only then that my mother's expression improved. I guess she was relieved.
 

"Eating nutritious food regularly is just as good for your health as anything else. You need to eat well."

"Okay."

I was moved as I watched my mother instruct the cook to finally bring out the main dish from the tray and put it on my plate. "This is the true bond of blood," I thought to myself.

I was able to eat a lot of marinated grilled pork that day. I'm starting to crave kimchi, but it's okay so far. Anyway, it was a very satisfying evening.

But my (I guess) sister, sitting on the other side, didn't even lift a finger this time. No, wait, it looks like she hasn't touched her food at all?? The dishes were very clean. There's no way she would do that unless she's only eaten the sauce. I'm a little concerned.
 

"It was a pleasant meal. See you tomorrow."
 

"...It was a pleasant meal."

"It was a great meal!"

Not all of us are, and it couldn't have been a pleasant meal. I thought about it and eventually decided to talk to my (probable) sister who was getting ready to get up after my mother left. Since they're sisters, they should talk, right?

"You didn't eat well. Do you feel sick?"

The girl seemed to be turning pale, but she clenched her teeth at me.

"You're not even a real daughter, so don't be presumptuous."

The secret of a sudden birth hits the transmigrated impersonator...!

Then he pushed me and left the dining room quickly. He has a slender physique, but the way he pushed hurt more than I thought it would. He hasn't even eaten dinner, but he's strong. I looked at his back in a bewilderment.

※※※

Working Rules

5. The basement and cooking room of the mansion are off limits. If anyone calls you to the place, report to Mrs. Perkins immediately and return to your original place of work.

 

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Notes:
 

This is machine translated so I don't guarantee that the translation is correct."Then he pushed me.." - this is not an error. The pronoun used was male 그. Which is weird since I was told Korean doesn't use gender pronouns much?Our MC used the "amnesia" defense, and it seems to have worked! Or did it really?