ARML 27

Chapter 27 

Taking over the world felt like such a cliché villain goal, so I tried hard to come up with a better one.

But not long after, I stopped.

‘No, forget it. Stop.’

Let’s not overthink things.

I only want one thing: the complete disbandment of the Black Spoon Division and my resignation.

‘So today, I’m definitely leaving work on time!’

I tied my hair up into a messy bun, stabbed a pencil through it, and focused intensely on my work like I was going to war.

5:30 PM.

5:45 PM.

And then—5:58 PM.

‘Nice! Time to pack my bag and—’

Just as I started to get up…

The door swung open right on cue.

“Miss Lowell, Mr. Finley. Have you been well?”

The male lead and the hidden boss had returned.

“You all worked very hard these past few days.”

The hidden boss was smiling gently, but… why did it feel so scary?

“The Prime Minister would like to see you.”

With only two minutes left until I could go home, I silently put my bag down.

Why do high-ranking people…

…like late-night meetings so much?

Luella Halifax, Marquess.

In the empire, women could inherit noble titles, but she was the first woman to ever become Prime Minister.

Normally, she would’ve worked in the bureaucracy and retired at a decent age.

‘Ugh. And just look what shape the empire would’ve been in if that happened.’

She was utterly disappointed in the lazy imperial family and fed up with the incompetent officials.

[I can’t sit back and watch the empire fall apart!]

So, she fought tooth and nail to stay in the palace and eventually claimed the Prime Minister’s seat.

She didn’t care that people called her a “ruthless woman.”

[If it’s for a more fair empire than yesterday, I don’t mind.]

It made sense that the ‘Royalist’ faction hated her, a former noblewoman.

‘Tsk. If the imperial family wasn’t so hopeless, I wouldn’t have had to do all this.’

When Emperor Arpelt first took the throne, he seemed promising.

‘We could’ve had a decent working relationship. But something spooked him, and now he’s holed up in the palace all the time.’

In recent years, he hadn’t even shown his face at public events.

‘The Emperor… and his only daughter… something’s off.’

But at least tonight, she pushed aside those headaches.

There were people she needed to acknowledge.

“You did well, Minister Crow. And you too, Team Leader Lupesk.”

In front of her, Carlisle and Edgar gave a respectful bow.

“It’s an honor, Prime Minister.”

“Whew, now that the empire is finally calming down, foolish groups like this are popping up.”

Luella frowned as she read the report on the Black Spoon Division.

The group’s name—Selesdan—sounded dangerous, with their talk about “returning to the glorious past.”

‘Do they want to go back to the days when the royal family ruled everything?’

Do they plan to wipe out the noble faction?

“This can’t be allowed. Use whatever means necessary to root them out.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“And the new recruits worked really hard this time too.”

Luella looked toward two rookies standing quietly in a corner.

“Seamus Finley. I’ve already heard your name. Impressive from the start.”

“…Thank you.”

His voice made it clear he didn’t care at all about her praise.

But Luella wasn’t bothered. That’s just how people from the Magic Tower were.

She was more interested in the other one.

“Let’s see, and this is…?”

She pretended not to remember. Carlisle stepped forward.

“This is Layla Lowell, Prime Minister.”

“Ah…”

“She made a major contribution in this case.”

Luella raised her eyebrows at that.

‘Oh? Look at this guy.’

Carlisle sounded calm, but he was clearly proud and wanted her to know it.

Carlisle Lupesk, the nobleman who’d thrown away his title and become obsessed with work!

“So, Layla Lowell, is it.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Prime Minister.”

“Heh. You’ve got spirit. Must’ve had a hard time just after joining.”

“It hasn’t been too bad, but I’m grateful for your kind words.”

“Hm.”

Luella quickly glanced over her.

Layla Lowell. Orphan. Commoner. Dead last among the 218th class.

Her grades were terrible—clearly not promotion material.

‘I assumed she’d work for a bit and quit.’

But this confidential report said otherwise.

‘She investigated the kidnappers on her own, wrote a 15-page report for Lupesk… and even joined the field mission?’

Edgar had quietly removed the part about her being able to “see the Core” from the report.

Even so, Layla Lowell came across as passionate and capable.

Luella was pleased to be proven wrong about someone.

Who knows?

Maybe this girl would become the second female Prime Minister someday.

‘Just look at those eyes.’

They seemed dull now, but that didn’t mean she lacked passion.

No! It meant she was holding herself back from acting recklessly.

Like a seasoned pro—even though she was a rookie!

“She’s a real gem. No wonder so many departments wanted her.”

“Other departments…?”

Carlisle’s face twisted with shock—almost like someone was trying to steal his precious junior.

But Luella only shrugged.

“Well, the Magic Herb Lab, for one.”

“…!”

“Lord Wordsworth was furious that someone stole her away.”

Truthfully, even Luella had been shocked by how angry Theodore got.

[How could you just take her from me like that?!]

After Edgar recruited Layla to the Black Spoon Division, Theodore stormed into the office in rage.

She’d never seen someone usually so nice lose their temper like that.

‘I barely calmed him down and got him to leave.’

Luella shook off that memory and raised her hand.

“Well then. Hard work should be rewarded with meat and alcohol!”

She summoned a glittering, diamond-coated card between her fingers.

The Prime Minister’s personal corporate card.

“Go on, spend freely tonight. There’s no limit!”

Damn it… I knew this would happen.

How many company dinners had someone gone to after working 30 years in one place?

‘If someone hands you a card and says spend, how can you not?’

So, the hidden boss dragged us to our ‘first team dinner’…

And let’s be honest—it was very fancy.

The ceiling was made of glass so we could see the night sky, and the fountains and flower trees inside the restaurant sparkled under the chandeliers.

The four of us were guided to a private room with the perfect view.

“Enjoy your evening. If you need anything, just call.”

The staff member who brought us in gave me a jealous look.

I could already imagine what she was thinking, looking at the group in this room.

The most handsome man in the world with black hair and red eyes.

The elegant and noble-looking hidden boss with a smile.

The laid-back, mysterious colleague.

And me—the only woman at the table.

‘Trade seats with me right now, sis.’

But I was not feeling honored to be here.

Then the hidden boss raised his glass with a smile.

“This kind of gathering might be uncomfortable… but we need it to build better teamwork moving forward.”

…Why did it feel like he was subtly looking my way?

The hidden boss raised his glass higher, still smiling.

“Then, cheers.”

“Cheers.”

“…”

“Yes, cheers.”

As we clinked glasses, the awkward silence in the room was overwhelming.

I could barely breathe.

‘Damn it. Just let this end already!’

Let’s eat the meat and leave immediately.

I downed my drink, hoping it would all be over soon.

…And then I realized I’d overlooked three very important things.

First.

Since I became aware of my past life, I hadn’t had any alcohol in this world—so I had no idea how strong it was.

Second.

Layla’s liver was still completely pure—not even a drop of alcohol had touched it before.

Third.

I get drunk really easily.