"Okay. I can do this. It's just to seduce one man, how hard can that be?"
Nina paced the marbled floors, walking so fast she was a blur to anyone who saw her.
Mentally, she catalogued what she knew about Lev, Princess Orchid's beast husband.
Lev was a lion beastman, a pillar of strength and male dominance. He led the royal army as the General, and was said to be the greatest General the kingdom has ever seen, even more powerful than his father, the previous General.
At the beginning of the story, Lev showed a deep hatred towards Princess Orchid. He didn't even attend their wedding.
What happened?
Nina had no idea. It was something that maybe had been revealed in the later chapters of the book.
"Why didn't I finish the book?!" Nina wailed, stomping her foot in frustration. Maybe if she had information, her life here would be easier to navigate!
The book had over a thousand chapters. Nina had only read 15.
[fifty minutes left, hostie~]
"I know!"
Seduce Lev, the beastman who had vowed to rip Princess Orchids head from her shoulders if she ever got close to him.
And she was to use her spores.
Nina felt utterly lost. "How do I even use these spores?" She questioned the air, staring at her marked arms.
[figure it out for yourself,] the system shot back.
Nina decided to consult that sadistic system for nothing! She sat back down on the bed, her mind deep in thoughts.
"Okay. I survived the impossible for…twenty nine years. I survived Manager Park for nine years, and he was a monster! Think, Nina. You have less than an hour till you go blind! You can walk up to one beastman and seduce him. After all, he's your husband!"
Going blind in this world would be a death sentence!
She stood up, smoothed her dress, determination flashing in her eyes.
It was just seduction.
Easy peasy. She could do it.
Nina hurried out of her room, her face set in stone, her heart ready to face whatever happened next. Outside, she froze.
"Where does Lev stay?"
"Princess!" A familiar voice called. Nina turned to see Amy, the bump on her head slightly reduced but still there. Any went down on her knees and bowed, her forehead touching the ground. "How is your health Princess?!"
"You don't need to do that," Nina said, grabbing the shivering hirl and raising her up. "Don't go–"
Amy screamed and jumped back as if she had touched a venomous snake. Her face went red and she bowed again, her head slamming into the floor.
"F-forgive me, Princess! I didn't mean to touch you! Please don't send me to the dark room again! I'm sorry!"
Nina stood there, frozen, listening to the servant plead and cry.
"I was the one that–" she paused.
Right.
In this world, she wasn't Nina Williams, the spineless corporate slave. She was Princess Orchid, a ruthless and evil monarch.
Clearing her throat, Nina straightened her back. She didn't have time for this. "Get up, Amy. And tell me where to find my husband, Lev."
Amy rose to her feet, shaking and wiped fat tears off her face. "General L-Lev he…he's in the gardens w-with the king."
"The gardens?!"
Amy flinched. "Y-yes,"
"How am I going to seduce him if he's in the gardens?!"
[hostie~control your thoughts. I failed to mention, but you must never let it know that you're not the real Princess Orchid. Or you'll be punished.]
Nina huffed. Damn it! This just got even worse!
"Fine," she pushed her hair over her shoulder. "Lead me to the gardens."
When Nina heard gardens, she expected to see a cute scene from a children's picture book. Flowers and trees and cute things.
"This is the garden?!"
"Yes, princess. We're at the gardens now," Amy replied.
Nina's jaw dropped.
A hanging garden! What sort of sorcery is that?! How is it floating in the air? And the trees and flowers were unlike anything she had ever seen before.
[thirty minutes left~]
That voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Nina shook her head, gathered her gown in her hands, and marched forward.
Spotting the king, her father, was easy. But spotting Lev was even easier.
"Woah…you've got to be shitting me."
Nina barely focused on the king, who was more terrified seeing her in the gardens than to worry about her lack of a greeting.
All her attention was on Lev.
Nina did her best to control her thoughts as she walked up to the pair. She bowed to the king first, reminding herself that even if he was a stranger, he was the original body's father.
"Father, I pray for your good health," Nina said in a reverent tone.
The king was shocked! When did his daughter get such manners?
Nina looked up, putting on her best puppy dog eyes. "May I have a minute alone with my husband? I have something important to discuss with him." She didn't miss how he already looked ready to bolt.
"Of course you may!" The king replied in a booming tone. At the snap of his finger, two servants came up and accompanied him out.
Nina finally faced Lev.
He's hot. Was her first thought.
Lev was well over 6 foot 4, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. He looked like he spent most of his time in training. Dressed in full military regalia, Nina couldn't help but drool a little. His eyes were golden, and he had a thick mane of hair resembling that of a lion. Nina noted how he didn't have any beast characteristics, not a tail or ears. He looked perfectly human.
Wow. Is that a plot thing in this story? Can some beastmen hide their beast appearance? I wish I knew!
His eyes were pools of ice, even though they resembled flames. Nina didn't want to be intimated but it was so hard! Merely standing in his presence was overwhelming.
Calm down. Breathe. He's just a man. A hot, scary man, but still a man.
Lev had his hand on his sword hilt. And Nina instinctively knew that he was trying very hard not to draw the weapon and slice off her head.
"Hi," she greeted with a wave, as she did with her colleagues. "You must be Lev! Right! I'm Orchid, your dear wife!"
The tall, imposing beastman glowered at her with such hateful eyes she nearly pissed herself.
Damn, he did hate her.