Even Ghosts Get Paid to Babysit the Prince - Chapter 2

She saw me arrive and broke into a bright smile.

—Your Highness! I was just about to go get you. Perfect timing!

Her cheerful smile didn’t match her actions at all—she tossed dresses onto the floor without restraint. Soon, she must’ve found one she liked, because she let out a small cheer.

—Ah! Finally found it!

Then she rushed toward me, holding the dress tightly in her arms.

It was the sky-blue dress I had loved most before I died.

—How about wearing this one for today?

—Ha… Saren. I’m a ghost. What would I even need a dress for?

—Tsk. Your Highness. You can’t walk around in a see-through nightgown in broad daylight. You still have the dignity of a princess of a kingdom.

—Do I seriously have to wear dresses even after death?

Saren shot me a sharp little glare, puffing up in indignation.

—Other ghosts come and go, you know? They’ll see you!

—Ha…

I had no choice but to let Saren help me into the dress.

Luckily, I didn’t have to endure being alone for too long.

First was Saren, my most devoted lady-in-waiting.

Then it was Marie, my nanny. Étienne, the knight who pledged his oath to me after I transmigrated, came after. Benoît, my tutor and retainer, who taught me everything from reading to royal history to court etiquette. And lastly, Morris, the royal head chef, who used to sneak me desserts every night.

All of them remained by my side, unable to ascend. No, to be precise, everyone had chosen to stay.

For me.

Because I had no choice.

They’ve all declared they won’t go until I ascend first, but what can I do…

Even the grim reapers had given up. Judging by their attitude, there must’ve been some rule that prevented them from forcibly ascending a soul that didn’t want to go.

Once Saren had finished fussing with the unnecessarily extravagant gown, I floated lazily back up and plopped myself onto the soft bed. I could hear her chattering about something, but I let it go in one ear and out the other.

I stared blankly at the ceiling, painted and carved by famous artists and sculptors to celebrate my birth. It wouldn’t have looked out of place next to the masterpieces in the Va*ican.

A sigh escaped my lips.

Ahh. Those three dreamlike years.

My previous life—or more like my previous previous one—was now little more than a faint memory.

I had been a modern Korean living in 202X. The economy had gone to hell, dragging out the job-hunting period, and at the end of that grueling slog, what welcomed me was the petty political games of a certain small enterprise.

In that so-called ‘family’ business, I was, of course, ostracized. I was compared daily to the CEO’s daughter, who had joined at the same time as me. The endless late-night overtime, the bathroom cleaning, restocking snacks in the break room, brewing coffee for visiting clients… all of that naturally became my responsibility.

In short, I’d traded my health on an installment plan for about 2 million won a month.

Why didn’t I just quit back then?

Sure, I had debts—family living expenses, student loans, my parents’ failed business loans, and the tiny one-room* rent every month. But even so, that company was not where I should’ve stayed.

I’d convinced myself that getting fired meant the end. How foolish. In the end, I stayed trapped inside that tiny gray partition, suffering silently until I died… not from overwork but because of a fire at home.

And when I opened my eyes again, I was a princess in some rofan-style fantasy kingdom. At first, I tried to figure out which novel it was, but I gave up quickly.

I’d read way too many rofan web novels and webtoons on the subway to work. And I’d dropped just as many midway. Pinpointing the exact one was nearly impossible.

What if I’m a side character who shows up near the end of the story?

Judging by the signs, the original princess whose body I now inhabited had been suffering from severe depression. Not long after transmigrating, I’d found what looked like a poison bottle she’d drunk from and a suicide note she had left behind.

I burned the note and got rid of the bottle immediately afterward. After that, I gave up trying to figure out what world this was or whether I was cannon fodder. My new goal was to adapt quickly to this body I’d found myself in.

Life as a princess was far busier than I’d imagined.

Aside from eating and sleeping, I had to devote all my time to studies and official duties. Still, it was less hectic and more meaningful than being a corporate slave, so I was happy.

But the reward for my previous life’s hardships lasted exactly three years.

Three years after I transmigrated into this world, a minor diplomatic spat between two kingdoms escalated into a war, which then spread across the entire continent.

The Horgreyson Kingdom, the largest on the continent and on the verge of declaring itself an empire, held out for a few years. But at the very last moment, we finally knelt before one man.

The very man who would become the founding emperor of the current Kalmarh Empire.

And so, our dynasty came to an end. My family and the loyalists who had resisted until the last moment all had their heads thwacked off at the guillotine.

The sensation of the blade falling onto my neck was so vivid that I still unconsciously brushed a hand over my throat from time to time.

It was around the time the other souls were following the instructions of some beings dressed in strangely old-fashioned black robes—probably grim reapers—that I realized something was wrong.

I, too, waited quietly for a reaper to be assigned to me. But no matter how long I waited, none approached.

Saren, who stood by me and talked to one of them, noticed something was wrong and asked the reaper in front of her.

—Why hasn’t a guide come for Her Highness?

The reaper assigned to Saren frowned and shuffled through a parchment scroll.

—Hmm. What’s the name?

—Elisa. Elisa Astrid Horgreyson.

—…What? That name isn’t here.

He tucked the parchment away and hurried off to bring someone of higher rank. Soon, a senior reaper arrived, looking worn out from the surge of casualties.

—What is it? He asked.

—Sir, it’s just… the name of this blonde human girl isn’t listed. I mean, there’s no way, but… I wondered if… maybe she was omitted?

—Hey! There’s no way. Let me see… Huh?! What the—It’s really not here?!

Both reapers suddenly grew tense. They stepped aside, whispering to each other in low, urgent tones. After a moment, they returned to us and delivered their verdict.

—Since your name isn’t on the parchment, we can’t ascend you. We’ll go figure out what’s going on and come back.

But having collaborated with plenty of civil servants in my past life, I had a strong intuition: I couldn’t let these reapers leave like this.

I’ve never seen a civil servant handle something on time. They were probably busy with their own schedules and reporting chains, but from my perspective, it was endlessly frustrating. I can’t let them go like this. Absolutely not!

Resolute, I whispered something into Saren’s ear. She listened intently and nodded vigorously.

—Yes, Your Highness! Just trust your Saren!

The moment she finished, she shot her hand straight into the air.

—I object!

—…What? Object?

—Yes! If Her Highness the Princess isn’t going, then neither am I!

—Human. I don’t think you understand the situation. If you don’t ascend now, there’s no telling when you’ll get another chance.

The reaper tried to intimidate Saren, but it was useless. She crossed her arms and shook her head.

—I don’t care! I said I’m not going!

As her argument with the reaper dragged on, the others who had been close to me began to approach—yes, the same ghosts now lingering with me.

—What’s going on? What’s the matter?

—Why isn’t anyone leaving? Miss Saren, please explain.

As if she’d been waiting for this, Saren launched into a passionate speech, telling the gathered ghosts that she refused to leave until I ascended.

The moment she finished, Benoît, my former private tutor, picked at his nose and said,

—Well, I’m not going either. What kind of teacher abandons his student and leaves first?

That was all it took for the others to join in one by one.

—Me too. How could I possibly leave Lady Elisa here all alone? I’ve raised her since she was a baby. I’ll go to our Lord’s side when she does.

—Right, right. Even royal officials are slow, always saying they have to report to the higher-ups. Why would it be any different with the gods’ employees?

The senior reaper massaged his temples as if having a migraine.

—We can’t drag you by force… Who screwed up this assignment?!

—Eek! I-I don’t know!

The reapers pleaded desperately, clinging to the ghosts around me as if begging them to see reason, but it was useless.

If I didn’t ascend, neither would they.

I only meant to drag Saren into this… now this is becoming a headache. The rest should’ve just gone quietly.

I glanced sideways at the blue door that had opened beside the guillotine. Its blue light was gradually dimming, the door beginning to close.

Seeing this, the senior reaper panicked.

—Damn it, time’s already… It can’t be helped. I’ll go check what happened.

He moved to lead his subordinates toward the door, but suddenly spun back around. Without warning, he pinned a brooch to my chest. The brooch immediately sank into my ghostly body and vanished.

Then, he pointed a finger right in my face.

—And you! Especially you! Since you’re the most likely to run off, I’ve put a restriction on you. Don’t cause trouble and stay put until we return!

I can’ find the exact word to describe a goshiwon, but it’s a tiny single room where the bathrooms and kitchen are shared.