A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 173

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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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Why is she acting like that?
I stared at her intently, and then it came back to me.
Oh, this woman!
This woman—she’s that woman!
‘I once knitted a scarf for the Grand Duke, you see.’
‘…You did?’
‘Yes. I’ve always been terribly bad at knitting, so it took me forever. I couldn’t do it well, but I wanted to make something nice.’
Cyprus had accepted it with a grateful smile, and all my suffering seemed to vanish in that moment.
‘But when I went to a party the very next day, someone else was wearing it. They said it was a gift from the Grand Duke. They thanked me, saying they’d use it well. …And Cyprus was standing right there, smiling exactly the same way as he had the day before.’
‘Good heavens!’
‘That bastard!’
‘It’s fine. I just ran over, ripped that scarf right off them, and tore it to shreds with my bare hands.’
That was the moment I decided I would never, ever knit anything again.
The woman who had worn the scarf I’d knitted with my own hands, smiled brightly, and thanked me, saying she’d treasure it—that woman is standing right in front of me now.
‘So this woman’s backing was Cyprus all along.’
I remember punching this person before the guards dragged me away, yet here she is, fearlessly scratching at me again.
At this point, she’s clearly doing it on purpose, just asking to be hit again.
But I’m not angry.
I’ve aged enough since then to not fall for such childish tricks.
And this woman—it’s been years since that day. Is she still living like this?
The teenage queen bee act is only fun in your teens.
Once you’re twenty, thirty, doing the same thing—that’s just pathetic.
“Cyprus, do you know this young lady?”
Praha, sensing the strange tension between me, Cyprus, and the scarf woman (sorry, I can’t remember her name), asked Cyprus.
“The karma my past self is delivering to my present self….”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Ha ha….”
Cyprus laughed with only his mouth.
The scarf woman tried to link her arm through mine, but Cyprus smoothly dodged it.
And he glances at me.
“I’m sorry. You’ve just come back exhausted, and this is your first ball. I’m sorry about this.”
“It’s fine.”
Cyprus looks embarrassed and guilty, while the scarf woman, realizing the situation isn’t in her favor, begins to sense the shift in the air.
But Praha has already seen how the scarf woman was looking down at me and smirking just moments ago.
I explained it simply.
“I once gave Cyprus a scarf that I knitted myself.”
“I see.”
“And Cyprus gave it to her.”
“….”
“So you’re that person!”
Yujein, who had been observing the situation from the side, let out a small sound of indignation.
Praha’s gaze turned glacial.
“Did that young lady know what she was accepting?”
“Presumably.”
The cold gaze shifted toward the woman in the scarf.
The woman in the scarf, receiving the Crown Prince’s attention, stepped forward with the courtesy ingrained in her very being.
I really shouldn’t keep calling her “the woman in the scarf,” but for the life of me, I can’t remember her name.
“It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Crown Prince. I am….”
“I am not curious.”
“I… beg your pardon?”
“Your name, your house, none of it holds any interest for me.”
At Praha’s frigid declaration, the onlookers who had been pretending indifference gasped audibly.
Praha continued.
“I have, however, committed your face to memory, so I shall be able to avoid any gathering where you and that young lady are present. That alone suffices for me.”
It was a remark so cold and cutting that one could scarcely believe it came from the typically courteous Praha.
It was entirely unlike his usual demeanor.
Before everyone’s eyes, he had essentially erected a wall against a young, attractive noblewoman of excellent lineage (which explained why Cyprus had given her the scarf in the first place), declaring he would cultivate no friendship with her.
The flustered woman in the scarf could not muster a response, her eyes widening in shock.
I felt no sympathy for her.
‘She brought this upon herself.’
Hadn’t she already humiliated me thoroughly before, savoring her sense of victory and superiority? She should have been satisfied with that.
Yet here she came, deliberately trampling on me once more, and now she’s reaped what she sowed.
Praha likely harbored the same thoughts, which is why he spoke with such coldness.
Praha did not waste the attention now focused upon him.
Before everyone’s gaze, Praha took my hand.
“There is dust on the back of your hand.”
He raised the hand he held to a height where all could see, and carefully brushed away the dust from the back of my hand before turning his attention back to the woman in the scarf.
Praha spoke.
“I do not favor those who derive pleasure from a sense of superiority. Even less do I favor those who, having happened to rise above others, boast of it in such a petty manner and mock them for it.”
Praha regarded the woman in the scarf with eyes dripping with contempt, then looked toward Cyprus.
Cyprus, who normally would have bantered and parried whatever Praha said, now wore the expression of a cat caught in the rain.
Praha struck the final blow.
“Did you not bring a partner today? Have that young lady be your partner. She is precisely the match suited to you.”
Having delivered his parting jab, Praha interlaced his fingers with mine.
“His Majesty will be appearing soon.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“Before then, we should have a refreshment. If we go to the right balcony, they serve ice cream the size of a human head with chocolate syrup drizzled over it and hot coffee poured on top. Shall we?”
“Sounds lovely.”
Seeing the woman in the scarf trembling, I thought it best to whisk Praha away quickly.
As we walked away, I heard the woman in the scarf speaking to Cyprus.
“Grand Duke, are you all right? What should we do…. It seems the Crown Prince is angry.”
“Rather than worry about Praha being upset, shouldn’t you be concerned about the rudeness you’ve committed against the new Grand Duke?”
Cyprus’s voice was equally cold as he replied.
“What did I do? Surely you don’t mean that incident back then? Was it my fault? But we were just children then.”
“You’re not children now.”
“….”
“You came here to mock the Grand Duke, didn’t you? Not to apologize.”
“But….”
“You should be ashamed. I’m ashamed as well.”
“….”
-A somewhat random acrostic poem about scarves in this tense atmosphere-
Do you remember the scarf’s name?
(Round and round)
Am I already at the age where I should worry about dementia?
* * *
Despite the minor incident at the start, the Ball was quite enjoyable.
Though worries continued to pile up and my expression darkened whenever I thought of the future….
Being able to enjoy even a moment was something to be grateful for.
Once the Emperor made his appearance and the dance music began, I had agreed to dance with Praha.
“I don’t understand why we’re even having a Ball like this! The clothes are so restrictive!”
“Did you say Tangerine? Even wearing pants is restrictive, so how must we feel?”
“Mascarpone tiramisu tastes delicious!”
Mascarpone pressed her forehead at Tangerine’s cheerfully irrelevant response.
“…It’s certainly more of a display Ball. At a time like this, it would be better to gather the bureaucrats and have a thorough discussion on how to stop the zombies instead.”
The Investigation Team members I’d adventured with before, plus Dazling and Mascarpone.
We huddled together at the Ball, gossiping among ourselves, so other people couldn’t freely approach us and just circled around our group.
Even if I wanted to include them, I couldn’t.
We were talking about zombies, after all.
People who had initially found my presence in this group strange eventually adapted as time passed, and they were eager to greet me with a nod whenever our eyes met.
Earlier, Praha had even openly sided with me in front of everyone.
‘Yes. You all should bow your heads.’
“So, Yusara! When will you tell us that story you promised to share when we returned?”
“Right, yes! I’m curious.”
“What story?”
“Ah. That.”
My regression story.
It seemed better to move to a different location to tell that story.
That was when it happened.
“The ruler of the Empire blessed by the Twelve Gods, the king of territories where the sun never sets….”
A long string of titles, no matter how many times I heard it.
The Emperor’s Knights entered first and lined up against the wall.
In response, everyone knelt down.
“His Imperial Majesty has arrived!”
As always, the Emperor appeared at the banquet with a long sword at his side, striding purposefully to the throne and settling into it.
He glanced around and asked.
“Where is my son?”
Called upon, Praha rose to his feet. Naturally, as Praha’s partner, I rose as well.
I whispered to Praha.
“Do I need to approach His Majesty?”
“Yes.”
“I really don’t want to get close to someone holding a sword… What if he stabs me?”
“I’ll take the stab instead.”
“Shouldn’t you be saying there’s no reason to get stabbed at all?!”
“…I can’t promise that.”
Sigh!
Trembling inwardly, I steadily made my way before the Emperor.
The Emperor, who had been watching me approach with Praha’s arm linked through mine while resting his chin on his hand, asked.
“Are you the new Grand Duke?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed. Praha and Cyprus went to great lengths to grant you that title. Is that all? Half of what was written in my son’s report was about you.”
“It is an honor.”
“You’ve earned your merits accordingly. Quite clever, aren’t you?”
“Thank you.”
“And a radiant face at that.”
“It’s just heavy makeup.”
“Amusing. Intelligent and beautiful both.”
“Haha.”
My gaze kept drifting to that sword…
The Emperor, noticing my sidelong glances at the blade, chuckled.
“Does this frighten you?”
“Yes.”
“My son beside you likely has a dagger hidden somewhere on his person as well, doesn’t he?”
“I’m confident Praha won’t stab me, but…”
“You’re saying I might, then?”
“Yes.”
“Haha.”
The Emperor laughed.
What on earth is so funny…
After chuckling to himself for a while, he spoke.
“I like you. Which is why I’m telling you this.”
“Yes.”
“What if you became the Emperor’s partner instead of the Crown Prince’s?”
“…Pardon?”
Is the genre changing in Chapter 173?
[Imperial Palace]
– Yusara, Praha, Cyprus, Yujein, Tangerine, Mascarpone, Dazling (Alive)

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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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