ONE.

“Charlie, are you home?”

It was early morning, just after dawn.

Charlie opened her eyes to Nova’s voice, which rang like an alarm.

“Auntie is coming in.”

Just as Charlie expected, bustling sounds came from downstairs.

What’s the point of locking the door? The front door of this house might as well be automatic.

Charlie rubbed her still-heavy eyes and got up.

The rising smell of stew made her nostrils flare and chased away the remaining sleep.

“Come down quickly. You need to eat before you sleep.”

Nova, who could be mistaken for her mother, was actually not even related to her by blood and was just a neighbor.

“Yes.”

Charlie held her growling stomach and headed to the kitchen on the first floor.

“Oh dear, what is this on your pretty face?”

Nova, who had approached unnoticed, removed the sleep from Charlie’ eyes.

Her red-brown hair matched her gentle demeanor well.

“You must be hungry. Just wait a little longer.”

Nova, who had patted Charlie like a finishing touch, returned to the stove. Charlie sat at the table like a good child, waiting for her share.

Soon, a bowl of stew with dry bread and chicken was placed in front of Charlie.

But knowing what was to come, Charlie didn’t pick up the spoon and waited.

“How shocked you must have been… This poor thing.”

Sniffle—

As expected, Nova wiped away her tears and turned her head.

“……”

Actually, she hadn’t lost her memory from shock.

Charlie, who was the protagonist of the common cliché ‘woke up here after a car accident,’ was actually a transmigrator.

But instead of telling the truth, Charlie awkwardly smiled.

“It’s okay, Auntie.”

“Okay? This angelic child…”

Sniffle-

Another tearful breath was taken.

“……”

Charlie Frazer.

That was the name of the body he had transmigrated into.

She must have lived such a good life. People adored her, calling her an angelic child.

With ordinary chocolate-brown hair and ash-brown eyes. But her face was so beautiful that she was called an angel.

If she had been blond with blue eyes, she would have dominated the social scene.

Of course, she had Zero magical power.

Still, if she had to live her life with such a pretty face, it wouldn’t be too bad.

Except for the situation she was in.

“Heaven is so heartless.”

Nova muttered to herself as she wiped her tears.

Charlie nodded in agreement.

Her parents had died in a carriage accident. People pitied Charlie, thinking she had lost her memory from the shock of losing both parents at once.

Because she had transmigrated into this body the day after her parents’ funeral.

No one doubted her completely different personality because of that.

‘They probably think I’m crazy.’

Her family, working day to day, had no inheritance.

All he had was his Zero-magic body and an old cottage.

Suddenly, Charlie found herself in a dire situation, with no way to make a living.

So, there was no time to sit and cry over being transmigrated into an R19 erotic novel full of crazy yandere characters.

After all, she was just an ordinary citizen number 1 in the original work, whose name never even appeared.

Fortunately, the neighbors who pitied Charlie took turns bringing her food.

They also provided her with small jobs to earn enough money to buy bread, which was practically the same as giving her pocket money.

If it didn’t hurt her pride, it would be a lie.

However, she was in a position where she needed to beg for food.

Thus, Charlie gratefully accepted the neighbors’ kindness without discrimination.

“I’m really okay. Even though Mother has passed away, I have Auntie Nova, who takes care of me like a mother.”

Charlie folded her long eyelashes and smiled to appear as kind as possible.

She didn’t forget to emphasize the word ‘Mother.’

“Oh, Charlie.”

Despite her lines sounding like they came from a textbook, Nova was moved and hugged Charlie, rubbing her cheek against hers.

“I’ve always thought of you as a daughter.”

Charlie smiled slyly in Nova’s arms.

With this, tomorrow’s bread and stew were secured.

* * *

“Did you bring another envelope?”

Charlie, who was heading home with her handmade crafts, stopped in her tracks.

“Even if you paste those all day, you won’t be able to buy a single piece of bread.”

A freckled face smirked unpleasantly.

‘Look at this potato that’s been stepped on a few times. He knows I’m pretty. Why doesn’t he just get lost?’ —she wanted to curse, but Thomas was Nova’s son.

‘Bread and meat stew. That guy in front of me is bread and meat stew.’

Taking a deep breath, Charlie glared at Thomas and quickened her pace.

Thomas, not wanting to lose her, followed closely behind.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just get married quickly?”

“To you?”

“Well, if you really want to… I feel sorry for you, and we’ve been friends since childhood…”

Thomas stammered, flustered by the direct question.

His earlobes turned as red as his red-brown hair.

In the past, Charlie would have hung her head in embarrassment or shown tears. But since losing her memory, her unpredictable reactions often left Thomas bewildered.

“Wake up. I’m not getting married.”

To be precise, not to you. But Charlie snorted.

“What? Why? Why won’t you get married?”

Thomas leaned his face forward, shocked by the sudden declaration.

In contrast, Charlie leaned her face back.

“Because I don’t want to.”

“Why don’t you want to?”

“Just because.”

“So you’re going to live alone? You can’t live alone just by pasting those envelopes.”

“I’m going to get a job!”

“But you’re weak. You can’t do anything except be pretty.”

Does he have to hit where it hurts?

Charlie, who had stopped abruptly, glared at Thomas.

Her gaze was so fierce that Thomas took a step back.

But since he wasn’t wrong, Charlie’s shoulders slumped.

Charlie had no special perks as a transmigrator.

She couldn’t remember her past, and she couldn’t even read.

In this world, where power and status were determined by magical ability, her body was at the lowest level, a Zero.

All a Zero could do was cling to someone else to survive.

Even simple tasks like embroidery, laundry, and carrying were only given to those at the Bronze level or higher.

The envelope she was holding took her half a day to put together, but a Bronze could finish it in five minutes with magic.

If she had to transmigrate, it would have been better to be a saintess or a noble lady.

Even a villainess would be better than this.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m a Zero.”

As Charlie became sullen, Thomas didn’t know what to do.

“Still, even as a Zero, you’re pretty. Your pheromones are cute too.”

Is that supposed to be comforting?

Charlie ground her teeth.

Sensing he might get hit if he stayed longer, Thomas hurriedly handed over the package he was holding.

“What’s this?”

“…Your house doesn’t have any snacks.”

“What?!”

Charlie frowned at Thomas’ pathetic attempt at being a tsundere, implying her house lacked such things.

Thomas walked away quickly, speaking as he left.

“And just in case you forgot, I’m a Gold.”

Charlie made a disgusted face as she watched Thomas disappear.

Am I really going to end up living with that potato?

Ugh… Life sucks.

* * *

An impromptu meeting about Charlie’s future.

Neighborhood ladies gathered in threes and fives, discussing seriously under the pretense of taking care of Charlie.

“How about sending Charlie to the temple?”

Nova frowned at Paula’s suggestion.

“The temple? Why send a perfectly fine child to the temple?”

“It’s dangerous for her to live alone like this. Besides, Charlie is a Zero with only holy power.”

Taylor agreed with Paula’s opinion.

“That’s right, the temple is still safe. There’s no risk of her being r*ped or dragged into a brothel.”

“Charlie’s not alone; she has me!”

Nova got angry, and Paula shrugged as if it was nothing special.

Everyone in the village knew Paula had her eyes set on Charlie as a match for Thomas.

And they also knew Charlie didn’t see Thomas as more than a friend.

“Better the temple than marrying someone she doesn’t want.”

“What?!”

As the atmosphere grew tense, Charlie, caught in the middle, cautiously looked around.

There wasn’t someone here who’s not her source of bread and stew.

And the biggest provider was, undoubtedly, Nova.

“…The temple is fine.”

“See? Charlie doesn’t want to go.”

Nova cheered at Charlie’s words. Paula looked at Charlie with pity.

“Charlie, think carefully. If you get married, you’ll have to suck and lick your partner’s thing every day, they’ll put it in your hole, and shake it.”

“…”

Ah… Even in a world open about s*x, isn’t this too much?

Charlie’s mouth gaped open.

Then she suddenly remembered that her potential husband was Thomas, and she shuddered.

Sucking and licking Thomas’ thing…

No way. That’s not happening!

“Anyway, in the temple, the use of magic is forbidden, so even a Zero won’t be discriminated against and can work for a decent wage. They provide food and shelter, and it’s safe. You might even get a good marriage proposal.”

Paula added.

Charlie knew that too.

The female protagonist in the novel worked at the temple before her awakening.

She also knew that living a life of just breathing and working for a meager salary was what awaited her.

Charlie smiled, conveying her gratitude but firm refusal.

The temple was safe, and she didn’t have many choices, but she didn’t want to live a slave-like life with low pay.

“I’ll try doubling my envelope work.”

At that moment, Abigail seemed to remember something and turned to Charlie.

“Charlie, how about becoming a maid?”

“How could Zero Charlie become a maid? You need to be at least platinum for that.”

Nova gave Abigail a doubtful look.

Others felt the same.

“No, I heard it in town the other day. They said they were looking for a Zero maid.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Are they planning to sell her somewhere weird?”

“No way. Audrey said so.”

“Audrey?”

Audrey was the only diamond-ranked person in the village and an admired medical mage.