ARML 07

Chapter 07 

It was clear just by looking: our team leader, Allison, was scolding the heroine who had been waiting outside for us.

“What is this? Were you trying to avoid me after seeing me? No greeting at all?”

“No, Team Leader. It’s not that I ignored you—really…”

“You just married well and became a government official to have an easy life, pretending to be nice…”

“Team Leader, I think that’s a rude thing to say.”

For once, the heroine lifted her head and spoke clearly.

“I came to the palace because I truly wanted to help people. Please don’t say things like that every time you see me.”

I almost clapped my hands.

‘Ahhh, well done!’

All my efforts to teach her that work isn’t everything had paid off!

But Allison just gave a short laugh.

“You sure know how to talk back. Did your parents teach you that?”

“…!”

“Oh, that’s right. Like Lowell, you don’t have parents either, huh? Now I see—two rookies with no proper upbringing, working together.”

In my case, fine. But the heroine—her parents were murdered because of dark magic.

After stabbing at such a painful wound, Allison finally turned away, satisfied.

Yep. I made up my mind.

“Let’s report her!”

This wasn’t something I could just ignore because “we won’t see her often anyway.”

Even if I’d been marked as a troublemaker early on, I should at least contact the HR department.

But first, I quickly ran over to the heroine.

“Yuliana!”

“Huh? Layla…?”

Yuliana turned red in embarrassment as if ashamed that I had seen what happened.

“Are you okay…? Just now…”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

She forced a smile while wiping her eyes, but her lips were trembling.

“The comment about my parents… yeah, it did hurt a bit…”

I quietly nodded.

‘I understand.’

Words about Layla Lowell’s parents didn’t really affect me.

‘They just left me at an orphanage with a note—what’s there to say?’

But if someone talked like that about my parents from my previous life, I would’ve grabbed their hair and fought.

‘Because my parents… they died in an accident.’

But for now, I focused on Yuliana.

I reached out to pat her on the shoulder when she suddenly stopped walking.

Even her breathing felt… strange.

“Yuliana?”

“…”

“Why are you…?”

“W-Wait.”

Yuliana stepped back slowly. She clutched her chest and started gasping for air.

Her face quickly lost all color and turned as pale as a corpse.

“G-Get away from me!”

“Yuliana?”

“Aaah…!”

Just as she bent forward with a groan—

A terrible tearing sound ripped through the air.

Crackle, crack-crack…!

Electric sparks crackled in the air.

‘Huh?’

From where she was standing, I heard a voice like nails scraping a wall.

“…Run…away…”

At the same time, her shadow twisted violently, and black smoke burst out from within her.

The smoke instantly spread out like plant roots, splitting into several thick strands.

One especially large strand surged up and down.

“Ah!”

The smooth stone pavement shattered instantly!

Black smoke filled my vision.

I heard someone shouting from behind me.

“Lowell! Get out of the way!”

But even in that life-threatening moment, one strange thought crossed my mind:

‘Male lead, I told you.’

Hardships don’t make people stronger.

They just mess with your mind!

At the Black Spoon Division, all anyone had done for days was sigh.

“Sigh…”

Carlyle held his head and let out a long breath.

The rookie officials scheduled for this week’s field trip had already rushed home.

Not that they were helpful anyway.

In fact, they’d made a bunch of little mistakes and just increased Carlyle’s workload.

But that wasn’t why Carlyle was down.

‘Why did I mess up like that?’

Wasn’t he supposed to convince Layla Lowell?

That’s why he had been hanging around the protocol team’s building!

He even bought the drink she seemed to like!

‘But instead, I ended up lecturing her without even realizing it.’

Allison Capres’s actions were never right. Ruining good talent was not an efficient strategy.

‘But it’s just a week. Can’t she hold on?’

I used to believe that hardship made people stronger.

About 300 years ago, the House of Grand Duke Lupesque was cursed because of dark magic.

Even if you were born with strong aura powers, if you couldn’t control your intense emotions, you’d turn into a black wolf and lose control.

You’d become a monster—unable to recognize even your own family.

“…”

Carlyle frowned as dark memories surfaced without warning.

Blood everywhere, the grand duke’s family lying on the ground, the people of the estate…

‘That’s why… there has to be a reason for suffering.’

He wanted to believe that misfortune didn’t come for no reason.

But…

[Hardships don’t make people stronger.]

[They just mess with your head…]

The look Layla Lowell gave him then…

Was the same look she gave Edgar when he was saying nonsense.

‘I’m doomed.’

Just then, his annoying boss—and the head of the Black Magic Division—Edgar Crow sneered.

“Wow. Our oh-so-perfect future Grand Duke Lupesque.”

“Be quiet…”

“Did you get rejected by a rookie? Boo hoo, so sad.”

“If you already read my thoughts, why even ask? And I didn’t get rejected.”

“I like seeing you embarrassed. And yes, you got rejected, Lupesque.”

Carlyle clenched his fist before he could stop himself.

‘That damn sadist Edgar Crow.’

With pure silver hair and deep green eyes, Edgar looked noble from head to toe.

The Crow family, managers of the central temple, was one of the empire’s most prestigious families.

But behind that smiling face, he was twisted. He could read others’ thoughts whenever he wanted.

And like Carlyle, he hated dark magic just as much.

Carlyle hadn’t agreed to join his plan for revenge against “them” lightly.

Just then, the floor began to tremble slightly.

Rumble…

The shaking didn’t stop after just one time.

Twice. Three times.

The mountain of paperwork wobbled and began to collapse.

Even Edgar frowned and muttered urgently.

“An earthquake? But…”

The Arpelt Imperial Palace was protected by ancient magic so that even natural disasters wouldn’t disturb government work.

So this couldn’t be a regular earthquake.

Edgar’s eyes lit up at the only possible explanation.

“Don’t tell me…”

Just then, something flickered outside the window.

Black particles shimmered ominously in the air.

A red magic symbol appeared beside Edgar.

It was an emergency message from the surveillance unit.

-Minister Crow! Team Leader Lupesque! This is an emergency! Dark magic has appeared in the palace!

“I’m going. Where?”

-It’s on the main road connecting the central building and the plaza! Support can’t even get near!

“Anyone caught in it?”

-Some rookie officials are stuck inside!

“…!”

-Seamus Finley, Yuliana Crosswell, and one more…

Carlyle didn’t even wait to hear the last name.

He had already run out the door.