Episode 3| A deal with the devil
Mikayla or rather, Riley...rose from her bed with a renewed sense of determination.
If this world insisted on giving her a second life, then she would live it the same way she had lived the first.
By scamming people.
More specifically-
Scamming people who deserved to be scammed.
With that firm decision in mind, Riley pushed open the door to her small room.
The moment she stepped into the hallway, the warm scent of toasted bread and fried eggs drifted toward her, making her stomach growl instantly.
The modest house was quiet and humble, but the comforting smell of breakfast filled it with a warmth Mikayla had never experienced in her previous life.
In the original Riley's memories, her mother had died years ago from an illness.
An illness that could have easily been cured.
The High Priest of the Temple possessed powerful light magic capable of healing even life-threatening diseases.
But the man had refused.
Why?
Because Riley's family were commoners.
The temple rarely wasted their divine miracles on people without status or wealth.
And so Riley's mother had died without ever receiving the care that could have saved her.
The memory stirred a faint anger inside Mikayla.
All the more reason to infiltrate that rotten temple, she thought coldly.
If she was going to live in this world, then she might as well dismantle a corrupt institution while she was at it.
Riley stepped into the small kitchen.
"Father, that smells good!" she said brightly.
Gerald Scott turned around from the small stove, his tired face immediately lighting up when he saw her.
Despite the lines of stress on his face, his smile was gentle and warm.
He walked over and wrapped his daughter in a brief hug.
"I made your favorite," he said proudly. "Toast and eggs."
Riley sat down at the small wooden table, but a slight frown tugged at her lips as she looked at the breakfast.
According to Riley's memories, her father's merchant business had been struggling for years.
"Father... are you sure we can afford eggs right now?" she asked cautiously.
Gerald chuckled softly as he placed a plate in front of her.
"Don't worry about that, sweetheart," he said reassuringly. "Just trust me as your father."
Riley nodded slowly.
But inwardly, she made a silent promise.
Once her plans started working... she would make sure her father lived comfortably.
Gerald Scott was a capable merchant who should have been wealthy.
Unfortunately, corrupt nobles had taken advantage of him repeatedly over the years, squeezing him dry with unfair taxes and contracts.
That would change soon.
Very soon.
The two finished breakfast together in peaceful silence.
Once the meal was done, Riley grabbed her cloak and stepped outside.
Fresh morning air greeted her immediately.
The town was small but lively. Merchants were opening their shops, carts rolled along cobblestone streets, and townspeople chatted as they began their day.
Riley looked around with sharp, calculating eyes.
She had one immediate priority.
If she intended to avoid the original novel's plot-where she would eventually become the Saintess surrounded by obsessive male leads-then she needed a new path.
And that path required a disguise.
Women were not allowed to rise through the higher ranks of the church.
Especially not to the position of High Priest.
Which meant Riley needed something very specific.
A powerful magical artifact capable of disguising her as a man.
Fortunately, she remembered something useful from the novel she had read.
There had been a certain guild hidden within the city.
An underground organization that dealt in information, rare artifacts, and questionable services.
And within that guild worked a mysterious figure known only as Frankie.
A minor side character in the story.
But an incredibly useful one.
Riley followed the memories from the novel until she arrived at a quiet tavern tucked between two larger buildings.
It looked completely ordinary from the outside.
Which meant it was definitely the right place.
She stepped inside.
The tavern was dimly lit, filled with the quiet murmur of conversation and the faint scent of alcohol.
Riley approached the counter where a bored-looking bartender wiped a glass.
"I'll have rum with no ice," she said calmly.
The bartender barely looked up.
"With the secret ingredient."
That got his attention.
He studied her face for a moment before giving a subtle nod.
Without another word, he gestured for her to follow.
The bartender led Riley through a narrow hallway and stopped at a hidden door at the back of the tavern.
He knocked once before opening it.
"Your guest," he said simply.
Riley stepped inside.
The room was small and dimly lit.
A single man sat behind a table.
He wore a dark mask that concealed the upper half of his face.
Frankie.
Riley felt a small sense of victory just seeing him.
She carried two silver coins in her pocket.
In this world, silver coins were quite valuable.
The original Riley had carefully saved them over many years.
Frankie leaned back in his chair, studying her curiously.
"And how did you find this place, young girl?" he asked as he gestured for her to sit.
Riley calmly took the seat opposite him.
"A friend referred me," she replied smoothly.
It was an obvious lie.
Frankie tilted his head slightly.
"Is that so?"
There was clear doubt in his voice.
But he didn't press further.
"Anyway," he continued casually, "how can I help you, young miss?"
Riley reached into her pocket and placed one silver coin on the table.
"I need a magical artifact that can disguise me as a man," she said directly. "Can you do it?"
Frankie chuckled softly.
"Yes, I can."
He tapped the coin with one finger.
"But one silver coin won't be enough for that."
He leaned back comfortably.
"I obtain those artifacts from a very powerful mage," he explained. "They come with a... rather heavy cost."
Riley had expected that.
Still, she hesitated slightly before pulling out her second silver coin.
It was everything the original Riley had saved.
She placed it carefully on the table.
"This should be enough... right?" she asked hopefully.
Frankie stared at the coins.
Then he laughed.
A surprisingly warm sound.
"Nope."
Riley froze.
"That particular disguise artifact costs two gold coins," he said casually.
Riley felt her soul leave her body.
Two gold coins?
That was an absurd amount of money.
How was she supposed to scam the temple without the disguise she needed?
She sat there silently, calculating her options.
Frankie watched her with amusement.
Then he suddenly leaned forward.
"However..." he said slowly.
Riley looked up.
"You can keep your silver coins."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"I'll give you the artifact in two days," Frankie continued. "But there's a condition."
He tapped the table lightly.
"One day in the future... you'll owe me a favor."
Riley stared at him.
Every instinct from her scammer past life screamed that this was probably a deal with the devil.
But she also knew something else.
She had no other option.
So Riley smiled and immediately nodded.
"Deal."
And just like that-
She unknowingly made a bargain that would tie her fate to the most dangerous man in the underground world.
“Deal.”
Frankie tilted his head slightly, as if he had expected her to at least think about it for a moment longer.
“You didn’t even ask what kind of favor I might request,” he said with mild amusement.
Riley simply shrugged.
“If you wanted something small, you wouldn’t bother making it mysterious,” she replied calmly. “And if it’s something big… well, that’s a problem for future me.”
Frankie let out a quiet laugh.
“Future you sounds like she’ll have quite the headache.”
Riley leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.
“Future me is very capable,” she said confidently.
Frankie studied her for a moment longer.
There was something strange about the girl sitting across from him. She spoke with the composure of someone much older, her eyes sharp and calculating in a way that didn’t match her youthful appearance.
Most people who found this place were desperate.
Or terrified.
This girl looked… opportunistic.
“Very well,” Frankie said at last. “Two days from now, return here and ask for me.”
He reached into a drawer beneath the table and pulled out a small slip of parchment.
“If anyone stops you before reaching this room, show them this.”
Riley took the paper and glanced at it.
A small symbol had been drawn on it—an intricate crest she recognized from the novel.
The insignia of the guild’s inner circle.
“This will make things easier next time,” Frankie said.
Riley slipped the parchment into her pocket.
“Pleasure doing business with you.”
Frankie leaned back again.
“Oh, one more thing,” he added casually.
Riley paused before leaving.
“What is it?”
Frankie rested his chin on his hand, studying her carefully.
“What exactly does a young girl like you need a male disguise artifact for?”
For a brief moment, the room fell silent.
Then Riley smiled.
The same charming smile Mikayla Edwin had used countless times in her past life.
“Oh, nothing suspicious,” she said lightly.
Frankie’s eyebrow twitched beneath his mask.
“I’m simply planning to join the temple.”
The words hung in the air.
Frankie blinked once.
Then he burst out laughing.
“You’re joking.”
“Nope.”
“You’re serious?”
“Very.”
Frankie wiped a tear of laughter from his eye.
“And let me guess,” he said, clearly entertained now. “You plan to disguise yourself as a man… infiltrate the temple… and climb the ranks?”
Riley nodded matter-of-factly.
“That’s the plan.”
Frankie stared at her for a long moment.
Then he laughed again.
“Kid, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard all week.”
Riley stood up from her chair.
“Maybe,” she said calmly.
“But it’ll work.”
Frankie watched her walk toward the door.
There was something oddly convincing about the way she said it.
“Hey,” he called out before she left.
Riley looked back.
“If you somehow pull this off,” Frankie said with a grin, “I might start believing in miracles.”
Riley smirked slightly.
“Good,” she replied.
“Because the temple certainly pretends to.”
With that, she left the room.
---
The tavern door creaked as Riley stepped back outside.
The afternoon sun hung high in the sky now, warming the busy streets of the town.
She took a deep breath.
Step one of her new life was already complete.
In two days, she would receive the artifact that would allow her to disguise herself as a man.
Once she had that…
Everything else could begin.
She would join the temple.
Climb its ranks.
And eventually become a High Priest.
A slow grin spread across her face.
“Scamming a mafia boss was one thing…”
She walked down the street, blending into the passing crowd.
“But scamming an entire religious institution?”
Her green eyes sparkled with excitement.
“That’s a challenge worthy of my talents.”
---
Far away in the capital city, towering white spires of marble rose into the sky.
The Grand Temple stood proudly at the center of the kingdom.
Priests in pristine robes moved through the halls with practiced dignity.
Golden statues of holy figures watched over the sacred grounds.
From the outside, the temple looked pure.
Holy.
Untouchable.
But deep within its walls, corruption quietly thrived.
Money flowed through hidden channels.
Political deals were whispered in dark corridors.
And power was traded behind closed doors.
At the highest balcony of the temple, a man in brilliant white robes gazed over the city below.
The High Priest.
His golden staff glowed faintly with holy light.
He smiled peacefully as citizens bowed in reverence beneath the temple gates.
None of them knew how carefully their faith was being manipulated.
None of them realized that somewhere far away…
A certain blonde girl had just begun plotting her way into their world.
And when she finally arrived—
The temple would never be the same again.