IDWM 06

CHAPTER-06

“Ah, hello, Senior Lupesque.”

“Mm. Good afternoon, Lowell.”

“Um… how much of that did you hear?”

The male lead awkwardly averted his gaze before muttering quietly.

“You’re good at comforting people.”

“……”

Ah, crap. He heard everything.

Then he probably heard me badmouthing Allison too.

Maybe my expression gave away my concern, because the male lead nodded.

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about what happened today.”

“Ah……”

“Not even Team Leader Capress.”

“Gasp. Thank you!”

“Ahem. Anyway, there isn’t much time left, so endure it a little longer. You won’t be officially assigned to this team, so don’t worry.”

“Pardon?”

He seemed to be trying to reassure me.

But something about the way he phrased it sounded strange, so I tilted my head.

“Do you mean… no one gets assigned to the Protocol Team at all?”

“There have already been plenty of complaints.”

“Ah. Haha. I see.”

So the higher-ups knew exactly what this place was like.

Come to think of it, I barely saw any of the actual team members while working here….

They probably couldn’t stand it and ran away.

And the one lunatic left behind was using this opportunity to bully the new recruits and vent all the stress she’d accumulated.

Just then, the male lead stared down at my face.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Pardon?”

“You’re smiling strangely.”

I touched the corner of my mouth.

“No, I’m not smil—”

But just as he said, the corner of my mouth was slightly twisted.

Because I wanted to scoff at what he had said.

Hold it in, me. Even if it’s the Imperial Palace, it’s still a workplace.

I’m nothing more than an intern starting all over again from the very bottom of the pyramid.

I really need to stop letting things show on my face….

“If you have something to say, say it, Lowell.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“You have the face of someone who has something to say.”

Why was he so persistent?

Instead of comforting the female lead, why was he interrogating someone who’d be moving to another department soon?

“I want to know what you think. Tell me.”

Why was he using that handsome face to interrogate me?

I’d never met anyone this handsome at my old workplace, so I hadn’t known.

Apparently, when someone looked that good, even a veteran of corporate life could lose all her defenses.

“If no one is going to be assigned here anyway, then why…?”

“Why what?”

“Why deliberately let new recruits be treated unfairly in the first place?”

“I know that team has a terrible reputation. But it serves a purpose as a place where new recruits beginning their careers can experience hardship.”

“……”

“If they can’t endure even that much, what are they going to accomplish anywhere else?”

I hated admitting it, but there was some truth to what he said.

The harassment Allison inflicted was, in reality, painfully ordinary even in the modern world.

But still….

I muttered, barely suppressing my irritation.

“Hardship doesn’t make people stronger.”

“…Hm?”

“Hardship just drives people insane….”

Especially when that hardship came from someone in a position of authority.

That was how people ended up needing psychiatric treatment.

“Lowell….”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I came out in the middle of work, so I’ll excuse myself first.”

And with that, the trainee who had apparently thrown etiquette out the window gave him a one-sided farewell and walked away, leaving the male lead behind.

Hmm. He seemed so cool in the novel. Dependable, too.

But in reality, he was just another exhausted corporate slave.

Whatever. It doesn’t matter. I just have to do well in the next department.

And if my prediction was correct, the next place I’d be going was—

A land flowing with milk and honey!

The Magic Medicinal Materials Laboratory, headed by the gentle, nerdy second male lead, Marquis Theodore Wordsworth, was waiting for me!

In the original novel, the female lead spent most of her time in the Dark Magic Department.

But given her kindhearted nature, witnessing the horrors caused by dark magic sometimes became too much for her.

Whenever that happened, I think she went to the laboratory to recover.

Theodore, the kind brown-haired man with glasses, would always comfort her warmly.

“Miss Crosswell. If you’re ever having a difficult time… please come see me whenever you wish.”

“N-no. I couldn’t possibly impose on you like that….”

“It isn’t an imposition.”

Theodore served her fragrant tea and murmured shyly,

“I want to put your heart at ease, Miss Crosswell. Even if that’s the only thing I can do for you….”

“Ah….”

Yuriana quietly lowered her head at his warm words.

Just being here seemed to gently untangle all the knots in her mind.

Theodore’s space was always peaceful, a paradise without a single shadow.

…After finishing my recollection of the original novel, I swept my gaze around the office.

Just as the novel described, I felt at peace the moment I arrived.

Though maybe that’s inevitable with this much greenery around.

Even the people working here had relaxed expressions.

Theodore himself is the first one to leave work, so nobody has to worry about leaving before the boss!

Then was this only a temporary paradise?

Hehe. Of course not! Did you think I wouldn’t investigate something that important?

I’d already bribed one of the laboratory’s longtime employees with coffee and discreetly gathered information.

“We don’t really have anything like a busy season.”

“Oh my, really?”

“Yeah! The director is amazing at securing our budget, and he never yells at anyone either. It’s a really nice place.”

Perfect.

My glorious future flashed before my eyes, strengthening my resolve.

No matter what happened, I had to get assigned here.

And then came the final day of our laboratory rotation.

Because the Imperial Palace was so enormous, there were cafés for officials scattered throughout the grounds where they could enjoy their “coffee time.”

Generally, officials gathered there like walking corpses around nine in the morning, one in the afternoon, and eight at night.

But Theodore and I were enjoying a blissful break at three in the afternoon.

“Miss Lowell. Have you gotten used to the Imperial Palace?”

“Of course! It’s all thanks to you, Director!”

I desperately summoned the brightness I had lost sometime after becoming an assistant manager in my previous life.

“To tell you the truth, I already want to settle down here permanently. I’m sure the next department will be wonderful too, but I’m actually sad that our rotation here is ending.”

“Pardon? Hahaha! Really?”

“Yes. I’m completely serious. Working here has made me realize once again how much magical medicinal materials contribute to improving the health of the Empire’s people. Although I lack specialized knowledge, I would love to contribute to the Empire, even if all I can do is provide a little assistance to my seniors.”

“Haha, breathe, Miss Lowell….”

Theodore seemed slightly overwhelmed by my speech.

But there was no better time than when you were a fresh recruit to show this kind of enthusiasm.

More importantly, Theodore seemed pleased.

“I’d really like it if you joined us too, Miss Lowell.”

“Oh my, really…?”

“Yes. Everyone in the laboratory likes you.”

“Ah, thank you so much!”

“Then just hang in there through the rest of your rotations.”

Director Theodore’s eyes sparkled behind his glasses as he whispered,

“Once your training period is over, I hope we’ll work well together.”

Gasp.

Whoa.

Wasn’t this basically a done deal?

Director Theodore! I love you!

Apparently, my exemplary work ethic and fresh-recruit enthusiasm had created enough synergy to completely overshadow Layla’s poor entrance-exam ranking!

Now I could finally become a righteous salary thief in a peaceful workplace!

I was so happy that my steps practically floated on the way home.

Even Grape-Head flinched when he saw me.

“Why do you look so happy…?”

“Ah. Because the weather is so nice today?”

“It looks like it’s about to rain.”

“Perfect! No sunburn!”

Grape-Head stared at me like I was insane.

His gaze was slightly irritating, but—

Hmm. He buttoned his shirt properly.

Considering he’d actually listened to my advice, I decided to let it slide.

Thinking that my position at the laboratory was practically guaranteed had made me generous.

Ah, but… I’m still a little bothered that the male lead’s first romantic flag disappeared.

After all, while reading the original novel, I’d been rooting for him and the female lead to get together.

The story had comforted me right up until my death, so I did want the two of them to be happy….

But the male lead turned out to be a corporate slave who surrendered to society’s absurdities.

What good was being the most handsome man in the entire setting?

He was still a corporate slave!

What good was being cool and ridiculously competent?

He was still a corporate slave!

Thinking of the female lead, I offered her a halfhearted blessing in my mind.

He may be that kind of guy, but I hope the two of you can still be happy.

This worn-out office worker is heading somewhere comfortable!

“By the way, Finley. Where’s Yuriana?”

I’d planned on leaving with her. Had she already gone ahead?

Maybe she was waiting outside?

Just in case, I started toward the plaza.

But then I stopped dead at the scene I encountered along the way.

Because Allison and Yuriana were standing face-to-face in a confrontation!