ARML 14

Chapter 14  

I was so lost in thought that I started laughing like someone who’d gone a little crazy.

“Hehe… heheheh.”

In other stories, people who possessed someone else’s body would twist the future for big reasons.

To avoid death. To save a loved one. To take revenge for their family, and so on.

But me?

I just want to quit this job safely! That’s why I’m going to mess with the original story!

This horrible “Black Spoon Department”? Three years of mandatory work?

“Screw that!”

But I already signed the employment contract. What now?

“Wait… if the department disappears, I won’t have to follow the contract anymore, right?”

Unlike other departments, the Black Spoon Department is newly formed and has a special purpose.

Its public goal is “to eliminate and stop black magic distribution,” but its real mission is to remove people who abuse it.

“And that’s connected to the events in the original story too.”

There were three major incidents in the original novel Beyond the Golden Gate.

First:

“The kidnapping case.”

Even the mastermind mentioned it in front of the Prime Minister.

[The people behind this are now strong enough to break the palace’s barriers.]

Second: The black magic artifact smuggling case inside a hospital later this year.

Third and final: The contamination incident at a southern resort in the third year.

In that last event, they almost revealed the true mastermind… but…

“I died before I could read that part.”

Too bad. But I’ll make a plan and scratch my head like using a back scratcher.

“If something’s about to happen? Yeah, right.”

I’ll crush those problems before they even start.

And if I can catch the mastermind? Then I’ll finally be free!

“Hoo… hoohoo. Hahaha.”

I laughed like a mad genius, shoulders shaking.

Just thinking of this plan made me feel better.

“Ha… maybe I should go get the male lead from downstairs.”

Maybe I should’ve just used his ‘main character glow’ to convince Director May from the start…

“Huff, huh?!”

But as I turned around and stood up, I nearly screamed.

The male lead was standing right outside the door, staring at me.

“When did he even get there?!”

I was so angry earlier that I didn’t even close the door properly!

“M-Mr. Male Lead—no, senior? Why aren’t you waiting in the lounge…? Gasp!”

Right then, the male lead suddenly dropped to one knee and looked up at me.

“Lowell.”

Even though nobles and commoners work together now, the class system still exists.

You’re expected to bow to those above you. Promotions and positions are often decided in advance.

“There’s still an invisible class system.”

Even if we both have dark circles under our eyes, he’s a duke’s son. I’m still a commoner orphan.

But now…

“Isn’t that… the ‘vow position’ I saw in textbooks?”

Kneeling on one knee—this is how nobles made sacred oaths in the old empire.

“Wait, why is he doing this to me?!”

Is his knee that cheap? Did I even clean this floor today?

“Just saying sorry isn’t enough. I know that.”

“Huh?”

What is he saying? No, forget that—just get up already!

“Senior, your pants are getting dirty—”

“But I need you.”

He looked straight at me, and even though I thought I’d gotten used to his face, my heart dropped.

His deep red eyes were shining—not from work stress, but from something else.

He had sharp features, a cool and noble look—but the fire in his eyes showed strong determination.

“I swear on the Lupesk family name—I will protect you.”

In that moment, he finally looked like a real male lead from a romance fantasy novel.

So dazzling that even his dark circles didn’t matter.

I was briefly stunned by his looks, but then I looked down at the dirty floor and snapped back to reality.

“Okay, okay! Can you please get up now…?”

“I’ll get up if you accept my words.”

“Fine, fine, I accept! Just stand up already!”

His pants look expensive—I couldn’t take seeing them get dirty anymore!

As he got up and dusted himself off, I bit my lip.

“How desperate must he be…?”

He was so worried his junior might quit that he went this far.

“To be honest, I was mad at him too.”

But remembering my past softened me a little.

Isn’t it amazing? Office workers suffer equally, no matter the position.

Later that night… after taking me back to the palace dorm…

Carlyle returned to the Black Spoon Department, which still had its lights on.

As expected, Edgar hadn’t gone home either.

Also as expected—he didn’t like Carlyle’s decision.

“You’re not taking her into the field?”

“Yes. I want Lowell to stay here for now.”

“Hah… you’re really not in a hurry, are you?”

Edgar’s usual sly smile twisted into a sneer, like he’d taken off a mask.

“I brought her here so you could take her out to the field right away.”

“…”

“When I said be a good mentor, I didn’t mean be soft, Carlyle Lupesk.”

“I know that already, Edgar.”

Carlyle finally dropped the formal speech.

Inside the palace, hierarchy matters—but he and Edgar always talked casually anyway.

“I can’t take someone with zero stamina out there. It takes time to train her.”

“Then what about her ability to see cores?”

“I’ll ask the magic knights to make an artifact for her.”

“Hmph.”

“She can connect with the field team via shared vision or voice—shouldn’t be hard.”

If he requested it from the Artifact Production Team under the Magic Knight Division, it would be done fast.

Edgar eventually nodded at the logical response.

“They’ve been a bit unstable lately, but… fine, Lupesk. Do as you like.”

“Thank you, Director.”

“But since you’re being nice, I’ll be the one to test Miss Lowell.”

“I told you—don’t mess with her, Edgar.”

Carlyle released a bit of aura as a warning, and Edgar gave a bitter smile.

“No wonder they say you’re like a wolf.”

The Lupesk family’s curse was a secret, but Edgar knew about Carlyle’s ability to read thoughts.

Still, Layla Lowell… she was also extremely interesting.

“She knew my real goal.”

She wanted to find the black magic artifact she needed more easily.

But maybe that’s just because she’s the ‘mastermind’?

“Mastermind,” huh? What a strange word to use. She’s such an intriguing person.

“Just what is Layla Lowell’s true identity?”

At that moment, Carlyle spoke again.

“Edgar. One more thing—about the temple donations.”

“Huh? Donations?”

“Yeah.”

Carlyle frowned as he recalled something he saw while picking up Layla.

“There’s something suspicious about the donations being sent to the orphanage.”

Chirp chirp… chirp chirp…

The morning sparrows kindly let me know that my life was turning into a bird’s.

“The birds at the palace sing so sweetly.”

In the end, I moved into the palace dorm with the male lead dragging me along.

“Director May didn’t even get mad, surprisingly.”

I thought she’d be upset that I couldn’t help after work anymore—but she wasn’t.

It felt a bit off, but the dorm room itself was really nice.

There was even a balcony with a view of the city!

“I’ll drink a beer here someday.”

And when I went down to the first-floor cafeteria—wow.

“Nice!”

Since nobles also stayed in the dorms, the food was fancy.

But just as I was about to grab the “Set A: Today’s Hamburger Steak with White Bread Roll”…

A dorm worker rushed over to me.

“You’re Miss Layla Lowell, right? First time using the cafeteria?”

“Ah? Yeah, it’s my first time.”

“Then you know the meals are all deducted from your paycheck, right?”

“…What?”