A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 191

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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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Have I ever mentioned this before?
During new employee orientation, I was the person who hated talent shows the most.
My talent was lying down.
But here, I have to dance while everyone—and Praha—watches. I can’t hide among my group members like in a talent show! Ugh!
‘Introverts will understand this feeling… wanting to abandon being an Empress just because I don’t want to dance…’
I stood in the center of the Hall, silently screaming inside. When Praha, facing me, saw my face—which must have been deathly pale—he lowered his gaze.
“Don’t hold back. Please smile.”
“Ha ha ha!”
“…But not quite that loudly…”
The orchestra, which had been preparing to play, faltered when they saw the usually expressionless Emperor actually laughing.
Thank goodness. Someone made a mistake before me.
As I took a breath, the music began.
‘And it’s been decades since I last danced at a Ball. Because of the regression issue.’
But fortunately for me, Praha dances beautifully.
Praha, who rarely attended Balls because he was always off at war fighting, and even when he attended the social season, he’d just hide somewhere reading books…
Actually, we learned to dance together while preparing for the wedding this time. But he memorized the choreography after seeing it just once.
He’s even quick on his feet. Flexible enough to gracefully cover up my mistake when I nearly stepped on his feet six times.
“My savior…”
When Praha saw me half-crying, he lowered his gaze again.
He said I could laugh without holding back.
“But why did you enter so quietly earlier? Shouldn’t you have made a grand entrance?”
“I intended to.”
“Intended to?”
“Because you were saving Pochacha.”
“I wouldn’t say I saved her…”
“For Pochacha, it must have been a salvation she’ll never forget her entire life.”
I suppose so.
Come to think of it, I came to like Praha because he helped me back then… I thought this while spinning, and nearly flew right out of the dance floor.
Praha skillfully pulled me back and steadied me.
I really can’t do this!
Just then, my eyes met Tangerine’s over Praha’s shoulder, and she raised her arm, waving it back and forth.
Right. This won’t work.
“Praha.”
“Yes.”
“Earlier, Tangerine said he’d help us slip away secretly.”
“…”
“What do you think?”
Would you like to leave and be alone together? At those words, Praha suddenly stopped dancing.
He stopped mid-dance, and the flustered orchestra this time truly faltered noticeably.
People who had pretended not to notice the Emperor’s mistake at first began exchanging glances as the silence stretched on.
Whether he did or not, Praha let out a heavy cough, his expression screaming ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’
He glanced around before calling out loudly.
“My… legs… are… aching…”
“….”
“I… need… to… rest… for… a… moment…”
“….”
Beyond Praha’s arm, Tangerine shook her head.
I shook mine as well.
“….”
This wasn’t exactly sneaking away discreetly…
* * *
“Hehehehe….”
“You have such a delightful laugh.”
“How could I not laugh! That leg acting!”
My… legs… are… aching…!
“Hehehehe….”
It was hilarious. I wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of my eyes. The Attendants’ eyes widened in surprise when they saw us return far earlier than expected.
Leaving them to their shock, Praha opened the bedroom door himself.
It was the bedroom we would share from now on.
But for now.
“Starting next time, I should set aside a month before the Ball for dance practice. I’ve already accumulated one embarrassing memory as Empress…”
I made a zombie-like sound and collapsed onto the sofa.
Praha followed me in and dismissed all the Attendants with a gesture. He approached me as I lay half-sprawled on the sofa and removed my shoes and gloves.
As he did so, he said.
“You don’t have to dance.”
“Huh?”
What was he talking about? I opened my eyes and looked at him.
“You don’t need to dance. You don’t have to attend banquets. Don’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
“But I should at least dance once… Isn’t that an obligation?”
“You don’t need to fulfill obligations.”
Praha set down the shoes he’d removed and gently squeezed my feet. Kneeling below the sofa, he placed my feet on his knees and began massaging my ankles and insteps with firm, practiced hands. My expression softened involuntarily.
Praha spoke.
“I married you to make you happy. You don’t need to do anything you don’t wish to. Just live doing only what you want.”
“Oh, you.”
I laughed, tapping his thigh with my free foot.
“If you keep this up, I’ll become a tyrant.”
Come up here. I tapped the sofa.
When Praha sat up, his upper body sank into the voluminous folds of my dress. I reached out toward him as he began kneading my calves.
On the side table within reach lay a beverage the Attendants had prepared. I had him take a sip first, then brought it to my own lips.
Rolling the sweetness across my tongue, I spoke.
“You know what?”
“I’m listening.”
“In a past you don’t remember… Praha once said something to me.”
To me, who wanted to save you.
‘How can you save anyone when you can’t even save yourself?’ he said.
“Did I say such a thing?”
“Yes. I was deeply hurt by it.”
“I was garbage then.”
“…That’s not quite it.”
To be precise, I was the garbage back then.
Anyway.
“But now I understand what you meant by those words.”
I’ve changed. I saved myself, I saved Praha, and I even saved this world.
Just as Praha once saved me.
“And now I want to live my life making this world I’ve saved into a better place.”
I’m grateful you’re by my side through it all.
I lifted my upper body from where I’d been leaning.
Looking into Praha’s eyes from up close, I spoke.
“Please stay by my side forever.”
So close that I could see Praha’s eyes without a single blink, his throat tightening as he swallowed hard before responding in a low voice.
“…Yes. Please remain with me until my final breath.”
“Will we part when our time runs out?”
“No. I will chase after you to the very end.”
Praha’s hand, which had been resting near my calf, gently wrapped around my knee. Bowing his head toward me, he whispered.
“It’s truly a shame. I wish I could experience that world which created you as you are now… but I cannot.”
“That would be wonderful.”
It would be happiness itself.
If I could introduce that city, that society, my friends and my family to Praha.
Setting aside my regret, I spoke.
“But Praha.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t need to chase me even in death. I suspect we won’t be able to part even if we wanted to.”
Do you remember? We have a sacred relic that binds the souls of two people in love.
I pointed to the sacred relic displayed at the bedside.
“…Ah.”
He seems quite pleased about being unable to part even if we wanted to.
I laughed softly and slipped my feet into my slippers.
Praha followed me as I stepped out onto the Balcony. I leaned my arms against the railing and looked down below.
Though it was close to midnight, the Streets blazed with light everywhere. Yellow and green Buildings shimmered beautifully under the illumination. In the midst of a festival celebrating our wedding, crowds of people packed every path, floating about with food in their hands.
Everyone is smiling.
From behind me as I gazed down at the world below, Praha pulled me into his embrace.
Warm lips descended to my ear and spoke.
“Did I mention it? Back in the Banquet Hall when I saved Pochacha, I fell for you all over again.”
You make me fall anew every single time. Yesterday, today, and in a future yet to arrive.
“I think about you and study you every day, but I feel like I’m still far from knowing everything.”
Perhaps it’s a puzzle I could never solve, even if I devoted my entire life to it.
“So please, teach me. For a lifetime.”
“…I’ve said this many times before.”
Still held in his arms, I turned my head. My eyes met Praha’s as he looked down at me. I tapped his arm lightly, and he loosened his grip with a gentle ease.
I turned my body fully and wrapped my arms around Praha’s neck.
“You love me far too much. You’d call me amazing just for breathing.”
“It’s the truth.”
“What?”
Absurd. I laughed and pushed Praha away.
“Let’s go inside. Close the door and be alone together.”
Praha says he’ll study me for a lifetime, but I too intend to spend my life studying and exploring this person before my eyes.
As we study each other, we’ll spend our entire lives exploring this world together.
Next year, the year after. Forever and always.
We become each other’s salvation.
“I told them not to disturb us until morning. I want it to be just the two of us.”
“I told them not to disturb us until evening.”
“That’s practically 24 hours!”
Together with the people I love.
“I’ve been holding back wanting to be alone with you forever.”
“Why have you become so smooth-tongued!”
“Your casual speech is pleasant to hear. Please, say more.”
“Come to think of it, we agreed to speak casually with each other… at this rate, it won’t happen until the next life…”
And so it continued.
I closed the bedroom door.
-The K-Office Worker Who Became a Troublesome Villainess in a Zombie Story- THE END.

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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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