A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 163

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Ah.”
“Finally….”
“Yes. We’ve finally returned.”
Buildings of pale yellow, as if sculpted from whipped cream.
The Imperial Palace visible in the distance, its yellow and green towers gleaming.
The brilliant azure sky stretching across the horizon.
A landscape of peace and prosperity.
A crimson train cutting through it all as it pulled into the station.
We had returned to the Capital.
I’ll simply say it was an extraordinarily long and grueling ordeal—one where we showed up at civilian homes covered in zombie blood, nearly got chased away as a gang of serial killers.
For the record, we now know quite a lot about zombies.
We know which city will be struck next (according to Praha’s constellation reading), and we know how to protect ourselves from them (the Temple).
Q. But why have you returned? Shouldn’t you be heading to the next region where zombies will appear?
A. Because there’s a more efficient method than us going ourselves.
Zombies can be contained by the Temple.
So there’s no need for us—who are neither priests nor architects—to go.
It would be far more efficient to send priests and mages, while we provide support from the center to ensure they can depart with haste.
“Whoooee! Home!”
…We’d also agreed that we couldn’t keep dragging children—and my younger brother, who isn’t a child but needs even more protection than one—into dangerous territories anymore.
As the noisy train prepared to enter the platform, I gazed around with fresh eyes.
So much had changed since I first left the Capital.
‘I wanted to return to my own world’—that’s how this all began, yet I still don’t know how to get back.
Praha said he would ‘follow me’ if I returned, but I don’t even understand how that’s possible.
I haven’t resolved the zombie crisis, nor have I proven my own transformation through it and won the wager against God.
And yet.
So much has changed since I departed.
“Sigh….”
“What troubles you, Yusara? Is it perhaps a shortage of cheese for dipping your fries!”
“No, Tangerine. The cheese is plenty….”
For one, the way people address me has changed.
And my judgment of those people has changed too.
I asked Cyprus, who was beside me having his fries stolen by Tangerine.
“Did you write to your sister?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell her to build temples?”
“The Southern Region already has plenty of temples. It looks like we just need to adjust their positions slightly. Your sister said she’d handle that herself.”
“I see. And Cherry and General?”
“They’re doing well. Apparently General turned out to be male? He just finished neutering recently.”
“Oh.”
“Muffin and Cheese’s younger sibling arrived safely too. Your sister said she’d care for them directly until they adjust.”
“Ah… that worked out perfectly.”
“And I told her about you too.”
“…About me?”
“Yeah. I said I came on strong and got rejected spectacularly.”
“…What did your sister say?”
“She said it served me right.”
Cyprus spread his hands wide, saying his sister had written laughter marks this long in her letter.
Contrary to Cyprus’s worries, his sister Kiriel hadn’t blamed him for being a family traitor or questioned how he could possibly like that woman.
She had simply mocked her younger brother’s failed romance.
Despite receiving mockery of that magnitude, Cyprus’s expression looked noticeably more at ease.
“Still, thanks to you, the kids are doing well.”
“Right. I’m that kind of sensitive man. Remember that well. Unlike Praha, who can’t even tell sapphire from spinel.”
“Shut up. Want to get neutered?”
“Yikes.”
“I’ll slice you up right now.”
“Kyaaah!”
“Why are you two fighting again….”
I watched the bickering Cyprus and Praha—like a dog and cat growling at each other—with weary eyes and turned my gaze toward the window.
Now the landscape of the Capital’s central district came into clear view.
‘The scenery must have changed quite a bit.’
Currently, the only way to protect against zombies was to install Temples.
The Capital originally had no Temples at all, but things would be different now.
At minimum, God’s Altars would be installed in major buildings like the Stock Exchange and the Public Security Bureau. Perhaps they’d even built Temples encircling the Imperial Palace?
‘I should call it the Divine State rather than the Empire.’
I gazed out through the train window, imagining statues of God occupying the spaces where fountains once decorated the Capital.
And I was shocked.
“Nothing has changed?”
“Uh, um….”
“Your Majesties, do you see any changes?! I can’t see any at all!”
“…No.”
“I don’t see any either.”
The Capital was completely unchanged from before.
It remained bright and peaceful, still a city without religion.
“Did I not inform Your Majesty that Temples were the countermeasure?”
“No. I already told you.”
“When was that?”
“When we were in Promé.”
Praha’s expression hardened as he rose from his seat.
He refused the Imperial Palace Attendant coming in for protocol, and simply leaped out of the train as it was just entering the platform.
“I’ll go check too. Yusara, let me go see.”
Cyprus descended after him.
Those of us left behind stood with gaping mouths, watching Praha rapidly fire questions at the Imperial Knight and secretary who had come to greet him.
Praha, his brow furrowed, suddenly turned his head to look down at me sitting by the window.
His rigid expression softened the moment his eyes found me.
I opened the window slightly for Praha as he approached.
“Are you heading to the Duke’s Residence?”
“I have to. Otherwise, that brat of a younger brother will slip away somewhere else.”
“Hey, sister! What am I, some kind of object?!”
“Understood. Then I’ll see you this evening.”
This evening? To see me?
Before I could even ask, Praha issued instructions to Tangerine, who remained behind.
“Confirm that both of them return home safely, then come back.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Then.”
Praha nodded toward Yujein and me, then turned away.
Without even waiting for the carriage, Praha strode off with purpose, the tense Imperial Knights and Attendants trailing closely behind him.
Everything proceeded with remarkable efficiency.
The Attendants who arrived organized the luggage that Praha and Cyprus had left behind, while an Imperial Knight took custody of Pochacha, who, as the sole blood relative of the Lord of Sodom, needed to undergo investigation.
That the Imperial Knight was Dazling was likely due to Praha’s consideration.
“Dazling!”
“It’s been so long!”
I embraced him warmly.
As we exchanged updates, Cyprus, who had been walking beside Praha, turned to look back at me.
When our eyes met, Cyprus licked his lower lip with his tongue.
….
“Yusara! Doesn’t this make it look like we’re cheating behind Praha’s back?!”
….
You advertise your infidelity so loudly—how could anyone miss it?
After the whirlwind passed, only I, Yujein, Tangerine, and that brat of a younger brother remained on the platform.
“Where will you be going, Miss Yujein?”
“Oh, that. Well. I used to stay at a Priest’s house that I knew, but….”
“I see.”
But Yujein is no longer a saint.
So staying there would feel awkward.
“No, it’s fine. He said I could come by without worry.”
But it wouldn’t feel comfortable.
Hmm.
“If you don’t mind, Miss Yujein, would you like to come to our house?”
“Pardon?”
“Of course, our house won’t be comfortable either… and honestly, there’s a high probability you’ll witness all sorts of strange things. But it’s close by, and we have plenty of rooms. If you’re willing, Miss Yujein.”
“Yes, yes! I love it!”
Yujein’s face brightened instantly as she nodded.
“I really do love it!”
Then she linked her arm through mine and laughed cheerfully.
“Ahem.”
Behind us, my younger brother cleared his throat and called out to Tangerine, who was catching dragonflies in the back.
“Ahem, ahem. You there. Imperial Knight.”
“When we get back, I’m eating spicy chicken legs!”
“Say, was it Orange?”
There’s no way Aspara wouldn’t know Tangerine’s name, so where did Orange come from?
“Ah. Not Orange? Then Mandarin?”
After continuing to clear his throat and calling out random names, when Tangerine kept ignoring him, Aspara’s face flushed red before he finally called out the correct name.
“Tangerine.”
“Tangerine.”
Only then did Tangerine turn to face Aspara with an expressionless face and correct the title.
“Right. Tangerine.”
“What is it you need?”
“Would you perhaps like to come to our house?”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, it’s nothing special! Since we’ve met like this, it seems a shame to just let you go. Come have a meal with us before you leave.”
Aspara’s ears turned bright red as he made the suggestion.
Yujein and I exchanged a knowing glance.
‘It looks like the Minor Duke has fallen for Tangerine.’
‘Seems like it.’
How strange.
All Tangerine had done to Aspara was grab him by the collar and strike him in the chest.
Is this like Anne of Green Gables? Where hitting someone with a slate makes them fall in love?
Anne and Gilbert did end up together in the end, but this situation is absolutely the opposite.
Yujein and I exchanged another meaningful glance.
‘We’re not giving our Tangerine to someone like you.’
“We’re not giving our son to someone like you!”
[Capital]
– Yusara, Praha, Cyprus, Yujein, Tangerine, Aspara (Survived)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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