Huh, so the second year of college finally starts, hm?
People always say it's supposed to be "the best time of your life."
For me, it's just the cracked phone and the same empty contact list.
no friends, no girlfriend, no talent, no money, leave it...
My studies were going nowhere. I wasn't failing, but I wasn't exactly top of the class either. Just average. Boring, forgettable, average.
To make it worse, the one girl I actually liked, who I at least considered a friend... had stopped talking to me completely.
She didn't give any explanation; she just drifted away.
And then she started hanging out with two other guys.
when I saw those two, rich, handsome, and tall.
Perfect hair, expensive clothes, perfect smiles.
They had everything.
They took holidays to Japan and posted pictures online with captions about "living their best life."
And me?
I was still in my cramped little one-bedroom apartment, taking the same cheap train back to college, day in, day out.
I sighed and turned my head to look out the train window.
The sky was dark, the city blurry as the train rattled along the tracks. For some reason, tonight felt… different.
Then I saw it.
"The moon… is red?" I muttered. "Huh. Why?"
Up in the sky, the moon glowed a deep, eerie crimson. It looked less like a moon and more like a warning sign.
I stared at it for a while, then laughed quietly to myself.
"Well, if there are gods or systems or whatever out there," I said under my breath, "I have a wish too."
In my heart, very softly, I wished:
"In my next life… please let me have all that. Money, comfort, maybe some love… I don't care if I'm a boy or a girl. Either is fine. I just want to be joyful at least once."
My whole life, money had always been the problem.
My parents abandoned me because I wasn't "good enough" in their eyes.
They didn't like how I looked and didn't think I'd amount to anything. They just… left.
My grandmother raised me instead.
She'd often look at me and cry, saying, "How did I end up with a grandson with a face like this?"
I'd joke it off, but deep down, it hurt.
I thought of the one guy I used to call a real friend.
Then I pushed that thought away too. There's no point in going there.
"It's not like my wish will come true anyway," I sighed.
The train rocked gently, the sound of the tracks becoming a dull, steady rhythm.
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.
I wish my wish would come true…
Darkness swallowed everything.
When I opened my eyes again, I knew instantly something was wrong.
First, I was lying on something soft.
Not the hard, cracked plastic of a train seat. This was… incredibly soft. Like a luxury bed you only see in dramas.
Second, it was too quiet.
No station announcements, no people talking, and no baby crying in the distance. Just a calm, warm silence.
I slowly blinked my eyes open.
A high ceiling. Carved wood. Golden decorations. White curtains swaying in a gentle breeze. A huge bed under me with silk sheets.
"…What the hell?" I whispered. "Where am I?"
My voice made me freeze.
That was not my voice.
It was higher. Softer. Almost… pretty.
I swallowed and tried again.
"H-hello…?"
Yep. Still high. Still soft. Still very much not my old voice.
I shifted to sit up, and something on my chest moved.
Heavy.
Soft.
…bouncy.
I looked down.
I saw pale skin. A smooth, slim waist.
And on my chest—
"Fuck… fuck… fuck…" I hissed. "Is this real?!"
Those were definitely breasts.
On my body.
Attached to my body.
"Is this some kind of isekai?" I muttered in disbelief. "Like those stories where you reincarnate as a hero or something…?"
Right on cue, a glowing blue window popped up in front of my face.
SYSTEM
[Name: ROSE]
[Ability:
– Mind Control: 1
– Body Control: 5]
I stared at it.
"… What the hell is this?" I said. "Name: Rose? Abilities? Mind control? Body control? I'm Sam, not Rose!"
As I was freaking out over the screen, I felt something else.
Something warm.
And fluffy.
Pressed against my side.
"Wait… What's this fluffy thing…?"
I turned my head.
There, lying right next to me on the same bed, was a huge… thing.
From the neck down, he looked human.
Muscular chest, tan skin, powerful arms...he was massive, the kind of body that looked like it had been carved out of stone.
From the neck up?
A lion.
Golden mane, fur, fangs, sharp golden eyes (currently closed), rounded ears.
A long tail with a tuft of fur at the end lay lazily across the sheets.
My brain shut down for a full second.
"L-lion…?" I choked. "Why is there a fucking LION in my bed?!"
As if hearing my insult, the lion-man stirred.
His heavy arm tightened around my waist. His ears twitched. Slowly, his eyes blinked open.
Golden. Bright. Focused right on me.
He looked at my face for a moment, then spoke in a low, rough voice:
"Rose. You're awake?"
The way he said "Rose" sent a weird shiver down my spine.
"Huh? Who's Rose?" I blurted. "I'm Sam!"
He stared at me for a beat.
Then he huffed a soft laugh.
"Ha, ha, ha. Rose, what are you talking about?" he said. "You are Rose. Why are you talking like this? Or did… last night's fun mess up your head a little?"
Last… night?
Fun?!
I felt my stomach flip.
"H-hh…" I tried to speak, but my brain completely glitched.
I genuinely thought I might throw up.
I clapped a hand over my mouth. "Ugh… I feel like I'm going to vomit…"
He immediately pushed himself up on one elbow, the mattress dipping under his weight.
"Rose? What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, brows furrowing. "Your face is completely white."
The words slipped out of my mouth automatically, like a reflex:
"I'm fine… husband…"
As soon as I called him "husband," I froze.
He did too.
Husband.
Right. This lion-man… was my husband.
And suddenly, something in my mind clicked.
The name is Rose.
A beastman husband.
An overdecorated room.
A system window.
"I… I know this…" I whispered. "I've seen this somewhere…"
Late nights, cracked phone screen, bad internet.
I used to read this exact kind of trashy fantasy web novel—the one with a villainess named Rose, beast husbands, and a kingdom ruled by powerful nonhuman males.
If I were Rose… then this half-lion, half-man could only be one person.
"Major Karl…" I breathed.
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"You don't remember my name?" he asked slowly. "Rose?"
That confirmed it.
This wasn't just some random fantasy.
This was that novel's world.
If I were in Rose's body, then this half-lion wouldn't just be some stranger.
He was Major Karl, one of the top ten heads of the Beast Kingdom. A powerful commander. A war hero. And—lucky me—apparently my husband.
"Why me…" I thought miserably. "Why did I get dragged into this? I used to be a boy. Why am I a girl now?!"
Karl studied my face, confusion and concern flickering in his eyes.
"Rose, I have some important work," he said at last. "I need to go to the palace to meet Joe. I'll see you later."
Joe.
Right.
Joe, the "Silent Killer" of the army. One of the strongest beastmen in the kingdom. And, if my memory of the novel was correct…
"Yeah…" I muttered. "Joe. The Silent Killer. Also one of my husbands."
God. How deep was I in this mess?
I took a breath and forced myself to speak in a calmer, softer tone, trying to sound like a proper lady.
"Okay… you can go," I said. "I'm not feeling well anyway. I'll rest."
Karl's expression softened slightly.
"Take care of yourself," he said quietly. "I'm going now."
He stood, grabbed his uniform jacket from a nearby chair, and moved toward the door. Before leaving, he looked back at me one more time.
Then he was gone, the door closing firmly behind him.
Silence settled over the room.
I sat there on the bed, hands gripping the blanket, my thoughts spinning in every direction.
"Why am I in this state?" I muttered. "First of all, I need to remember what happened…"
Train.
Red moon.
That stupid wish for money and happiness—boy or girl, I said it didn't matter.
Then darkness.
Then this.
I exhaled slowly.
"System," I called.
A sharp chime rang in my head.
Another blue window appeared, this time rimmed with red.
ALERT
You cannot access any memories of the original story's future events.
for 24 hours.
Safety Lock: ON.
"…What?" I stared. "I can't get my past memory of the upcoming future for 24 hours? Why the fuck?! Why is it like this?!"
I glared at the screen.
"You shitty system!"
The text on the window flickered.
SYSTEM:
Huh, I am not shitty.
At least you have abilities you can use.
My eyes widened.
"You can talk?!" I said. "Fine then, what do these abilities even do?"
New text appeared:
SYSTEM:
Body control and mind control.
Like their names, you can use them on your own body.
and on other minds.
It's not that hard to understand.
I wanted to punch something.
"You shitty system," I snapped. "Because of you, I got stuck in this mess!"
SYSTEM:
Not because of me.
This was your own wish.
Remember?
I paused.
My own… wish.
Red moon. My whisper in the dark:
"Next life… Boy or girl, anything is fine. Just let me be happy."
I swallowed.
"My wish was just to be happy," I muttered. "I didn't ask for this."
"SYSTEM:
Sometimes, in the flow of space and time,
wishes become real in… unexpected ways.
You wished.
The system answered.
This world is yours now, Host Rose.
"I don't understand any of this," I said tiredly. "But fine. Let me at least test something."
I remembered one more thing:
In the novel, Rose had a personal caretaker.
"Nina," I called. "Come here."
The door opened quietly, and a young woman in a maid outfit stepped inside. She had short brown hair, soft eyes, and a slightly nervous expression.
"Yes, Lady Rose?" she asked gently.
So this is Nina, my caretaker…
I narrowed my eyes.
"All right," I muttered under my breath. "Let's see what this can do."
I focused.
"Mind Control skill, activate," I whispered in my head.
A faint tingle ran through my forehead.
I looked at Nina. "Nina, sit," I said calmly.
Without any hesitation, she walked to a nearby chair and sat down.
"Yes, ma'am," she replied, expression calm, eyes a little distant.
My heart skipped.
"Nina, stand up," I said.
She immediately stood.
"Yes, ma'am."
A slow grin spread across my face.
"Hah… haha… this is interesting…"
So, I was stuck in the body of a villainess in a beastman harem novel.
Trapped with a lion husband, more beast husbands on the way, and a system with locked future memories.
But I had mind control now; surviving in this world didn't seem completely impossible anymore.