A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 32

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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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Chapter 6. And Then I Got Locked in the Grain Storage
“What am I to do about your brother!”
The day I entered the Imperial Palace.
The day we finally held that not-so-urgent emergency meeting.
The Grand Duke came to my room in the morning, wailing.
“He hasn’t come home in days… and no word from him! My innocent boy must have fallen in with the wrong crowd….”
“…He didn’t come back yesterday either?”
I stopped the Maid who was combing my hair and straightened up.
My Younger Brother, who had left around the same time I possessed this body, still hadn’t returned.
Was it coincidence?
Right when zombies appeared at the Imperial Palace Villa, the villainess’s Younger Brother suddenly vanished without a trace?
“Do you have any idea where he might be?”
“Probably at the Horse Racing Track or the Hunting Ground. He might have gone to the Lakeside on the outskirts.”
“The Lakeside?”
“They say duck racing has become quite the trend there lately. Anyway!”
For someone who had come complaining since morning, she didn’t seem particularly worried.
Raising sons is all for nothing, they say when they’re young it’s only mother they need but he’s changed, he doesn’t even think of his lonely mother in this grand Mansion (well, what about me?) ….
‘She just needs someone to vent to unilaterally.’
I asked just in case.
“Would you like me to find him?”
“Nonsense! What business does a girl have going out!”
“Then what if you send the Knights?”
“You fool! If the Knights drag him back by force, how mortified would your brother be! Really!”
What exactly was she expecting me to do?
That’s when I tuned her out.
The Grand Duke, who clearly couldn’t say a word to her son, whined at the defenseless Yusara for quite a while.
“But you, did you not sleep well? The dark circles under your eyes make you look just like a corpse!”
And with that parting shot about my appearance, she left.
I felt deflated.
‘Wherever my brother went, it’s not like I can find him anyway.’
My own matters are more pressing right now.
“Don’t mind what the Grand Duke said, Miss!”
“Your skin is absolutely radiant!”
The moment the Grand Duke left, the Maids drew back the curtains to let light flood the room and began offering compliments while gauging my reaction.
Multiple hands applied powder to my face and massaged my neck and shoulders.
‘This is nice. Free massage.’
I only get massages like this when traveling abroad, but here I can have them for free. Isn’t this the only advantage of possession?
‘If only I had more time, I could have gotten free personal training from the Family Knight Order.’
If I ever possess another character next time, I’ll definitely get it—free personal training….
“What would you like to wear today, Miss?”
The Maids, having finished their preparations, brought forth a large rosewood box and opened it before me.
Inside lay three palm-sized dolls bearing my likeness, each dressed in a different gown, styled with different coiffures, and adorned with distinct jewelry. Even the miniature faces had been meticulously painted with cosmetics.
As if to say: this is precisely how we shall dress you.
I cut off a Maid who had begun to explain while gesturing toward the dolls.
“Trousers.”
“Pardon?”
“Long, sturdy trousers. Comfortable shoes. A long-sleeved top that won’t snag or tear. That’s what I’ll wear.”
“….”
“While we’re at it, would you trim my hair as well?”
* * *
“Do you wish to be beheaded?!”
Upon seeing my freshly shorn hair, the Grand Duke snarled at the Maids.
Do I wish to be beheaded, she asks.
What manner of profanity is this….
I restrained the Grand Duke in her fury.
“I requested it myself, my lady.”
“What?!”
“I’ve committed so many wrongs in my time that I feared someone might seize me by the hair wherever I go.”
More precisely, I feared the zombies might seize me by it.
I had wanted to cut it into a bob entirely, but the Maid warned that the Grand Duke would have her head if I did, so I refrained.
‘Even this length is excessive.’
I’m no Samson, and there’s no reason I should cling to hair that cascades to my waist.
Whether the Grand Duke shrieked beside me or not, I donned my overcoat.
“I shall take my leave.”
For the record, the Grand Duke is not attending today’s meeting.
She does not venture out while the sun is in the sky.
Reason: she fears her skin will be damaged.
My Younger Brother has vanished, and the Grand Duke is little better than a vampire, so I am the only one from this household attending the meeting.
‘Is this truly a Grand Duke’s family?’
I departed the Corridor with the 【Imperial Criminal Code: Special Provisions】 tucked beneath my arm—the book I had been reading before falling asleep last night.
I declined when the accompanying Maid offered to take the book, observing her covertly.
She was the Maid who had gone searching for Consomme’s slippers after hearing the Head Maid’s whispers when I regained consciousness.
‘It’s time to begin.’
After confirming no one else was within earshot, I asked.
“Did you find the slippers?”
“Yes, Miss?”
“Did you find my slippers?”
“What do you….”
“The ones I had placed in my pocket, which you all carelessly disposed of.”
“Ah…!”
Her severe panic made it clear she had indeed forgotten about it.
The fact that she hadn’t mentioned it until now only confirmed it.
I pressed the frozen Maid.
“Did you fail to find it, or did you not even bother looking?”
Whether you find something or not, you’re supposed to report back—did you think I’d just let it slide because I said nothing?
Quite the professional attitude you’re displaying.
The hesitant Maid finally began making excuses.
“Well, you see… by the time I went down, it had already gone into the fire. I was afraid you’d be upset, so I didn’t tell you right away. Since you seemed to have forgotten, I felt too sorry to remind you….”
“I see.”
But the thing is, I found it.
Two days ago, right after meeting Cyprus and coming home, I stopped by the Incinerator. I handed out a few pieces of bread, and the Knights kindly showed me around.
It was lying on top of a garbage bag.
“So it burned away completely?”
“Yes… I’m so sorry, Miss.”
“Hmm.”
I would have let it go if you’d been honest about it here.
But there’s no helping it now.
I flipped through the criminal law book I’d been holding.
It was a book I’d bought at the Bookstore the day before yesterday.
Let me see, where was that passage I was looking for….
Here it is.
“Are you aware that if a servant disposes of a noble’s property without permission, it constitutes theft?”
“Yes, yes?”
“And if it’s a gift from the Imperial Family, the punishment is enhanced.”
“Punishment…?”
“Yes. Punishment.”
The Maid stood there with her mouth hanging open.
She clearly hadn’t expected a young lady who never reads a single line of books to cite the law.
I hadn’t originally planned to go this far.
But looking through just a few precedents made it clear.
That your actions stemmed from complete disrespect toward me.
‘What on earth were you thinking? I’m still your employer.’
I understood that Yusara looked pitiful—criticized at home and cursed outside.
But that doesn’t mean you can cross the line.
‘I may call my company’s owner by name and speak casually about them on the internet, but I don’t do it at the company. I can’t even call them by name—I use a codename instead.’
Did the disrespect escalate bit by bit because you tested it once or twice and nothing happened?
In any case, that disrespect ultimately benefited me.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
I watched the Maid, her face drained of all color, bowing her head frantically, with an expressionless gaze.
“I’m sorry, Miss! I was wrong!”
I fell into deep thought and wept.
A swift shift in demeanor.
She never expected this when she lied without ever visiting the Incinerator.
I extended my hand and helped the Maid to her feet.
“I’ll grant you forgiveness.”
You’re not my target, after all.
“But there’s a condition.”
Phase one of my plan to shatter this mad household. Beginning now.
* * *
‘That’s right—you shouldn’t commit acts you can’t clean up afterward.’
I clicked my tongue in disapproval and made my way toward the carriage.
I could see a ragged group of common children following the Maid’s instructions as they returned to the Backyard.
I heard the Grand Duke was doing some sort of charitable work.
‘A person who dislikes sunlight but loves children….’
“Yawn.”
I was dying of exhaustion.
The Grand Duke was right—I truly hadn’t slept in two days.
My entire body ached, and I desperately wanted to sleep deeply.
But there was too much I needed to learn about this strange new world, so I’d spent the entire two days buried in books.
Why, you ask?
Consider this scenario.
Suppose some alien possessed my friend’s body to conquer Earth.
[Yusara’s Conversation Simulation]
Me: (to my friend) King Sejong the Great said~ blah blah blah.
The alien in my friend’s body: Huh? King Sejong? Hahaha, what was that? Is it food? Munch munch.
Me: …!!! (This bastard definitely isn’t my friend!)
I’d be exposed immediately.
And right now, I was in that alien’s situation.
To avoid being discovered as something amiss, I had to understand this society.
I needed to know history, etiquette, mythology and philosophy to grasp conversational context, imperial geography, historical figures….
For those of you who thought possession meant raiding restaurants and visiting art galleries—wake up!
The world isn’t that forgiving!
Fortunately, I had no friends and was notorious as a foolish villainess, so the difficulty was manageable.
Few people approached me, so there was little risk of exposure, and even if I acted strangely, they’d dismiss it as ‘that’s just how she is.’
Conclusion: Even inside the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace, I was studying.
“Yawn.”
Imperial criminal law and its precedents.
Theology. Magical theory.
And whenever I couldn’t bear it anymore, tax law as a diversion.
To summarize what I’d organized so far in broad strokes.
– Yusara’s Notebook –
This is a world where gods genuinely exist.
Examples: the God of Light, the Goddess of Beauty and Marriage.
But they’re incredibly stingy.
They’re reluctant to distribute their divine power.
: In fact, before her awakening, Yujein could only heal minor wounds!
Q. Then why do people believe in gods? Wouldn’t magic be better than stingy gods—it opens portals and shoots flaming arrows?
A. Only awakened mages can use magic, but divine power isn’t restricted that way.
If you believe in gods, anyone has a chance.
People without magical talent have no choice but to rely on the gods.
Besides, magic can’t be used on the spot like divine power. Magic requires formulas and calculations.
Most mages use magic by inscribing formulas onto objects.
A “wizard” like Harry Potter that we imagine appears once a century, if that.
‘So that’s why there was no mage at the villa.’
Mages who can cast spells on the spot are practically nonexistent.
When enemies are rushing at you, you can’t just say “wait an hour” and start calculating—so magical items are needed rather than mages.
‘Hmm.’
If I were a person of this era, I’d believe in science.
I have no magical talent, and I don’t know if the gods would favor me.
‘It’s not that Yusara had zero magical talent to begin with… but I’m not sure if it even counts as talent.’
Anyway.
“There are so many gods, so why aren’t there any temples in the Capital?”
The Guard Knight sitting across from me answered my murmur.
“His Majesty imposed taxes on the temples.”
“Ah. They didn’t pay taxes before?”
“No. When His Majesty returned after ending the war, he imposed tax obligations on the temples, and they all relocated to the outskirts.”
“Hmm.”
They must not have had the funds to maintain real estate.
“There must have been significant backlash.”
“Few forces can defy the newly victorious ruler of the Empire upon his return, my lady.”
“Ah.”
‘I should visit a temple sometime.’
Who knows?
‘We have been waiting for you, and we shall serve you properly’—maybe a god would actually descend with such words.
But I can’t venture outside the Capital alone in these dangerous times either….
“Ugh. My head.”
There’s too much to do. I’m getting dizzy.
I lifted my head, furrowing my brow at the sensation of someone tapping my skull with a spoon.
But then.
“Why aren’t we going?”
The carriage had not been moving since earlier.
[(Temporary Safe Zone) Inside the Carriage]
– Yusara (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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