A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 34

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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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These past few days.
Praha probably never thought of me, but I found myself thinking of him occasionally.
Why, you ask?
‘Because he’s the one who kills me in the future!’
The greatest variable in this entire life!
The man who had occupied a corner of my mind all this while was now entering this very place.
Following the nobles who knelt in unison, I too dropped to one knee.
In the silence, the Herald cried out.
“His Majesty desires the reverence of his subjects.”
A command to bow even deeper.
“Ugh.”
Mascarpone, suffering from muscle soreness, let out a low groan beside me.
“…Ruler of the continent….”
I was in the same predicament.
‘My precious knee cartilage.’
Did I have to endure this ordeal every time I met the Emperor?
“Reverence!”
Reverence should spring from the heart, not be forced through coercion—wasn’t that rather pathetic?
“During the recent war, His Majesty personally beheaded one hundred twenty-six barbarian chieftains who refused to submit to his authority….”
I revere him.
‘The Emperor of Blood and Steel, the Soldier Emperor, they called him.’
The Empire I had possessed had only recently ended a war that had lasted over thirty years.
When the previous Emperor, who had led a personal campaign, died without an heir, the current Emperor ascended the throne almost by accident.
He was the man who had sent Praha and Cyprus—mere teenage boys—into that war.
Yet contrary to everyone’s expectations that the Empire was finished, he led the war to victory.
By filling the positions of dead men with women, granting them opportunity.
An era where female succession was legally guaranteed, yet society’s consciousness lagged behind the system.
An era where discriminatory ideologies still lingered in the minds of certain people.
An era where figures like the Grand Duke—who believed a woman’s greatest asset was beauty—coexisted with female knights like Dazling.
‘And he was also the one who created the Maze Garden in the Villa we escaped to.’
“You may rise.”
Only after the Emperor had sufficiently enjoyed the sight of nobles kneeling before him did he grant permission to stand.
From his elevated judge’s seat, the Emperor gestured to Praha, who stood on the lower tier.
“Come here and sit beside me, my cold-hearted son. I grow lonely not seeing your beautiful face.”
He rose himself and took Praha’s hand.
“I am honored, Your Majesty.”
“Honored? But you are my son.”
Praha, who had greeted him with a stoic demeanor, took a seat in a chair one tier below the Emperor’s.
Only then could I observe Praha’s appearance in detail.
A crimson robe reminiscent of a jeogori, adorned with jade ornaments.
Unlike the Western-style garments he typically wore, his attire evoked the image of a Silla Hwarang warrior. Lips redder than the fabric itself.
The Emperor was right—he truly was beautiful.
‘As for the Emperor, on the other hand.’
Though she was Praha’s mother, she bore no resemblance to him whatsoever.
She was short in stature with a compact frame, and a massive scar marred one cheek.
What stood out was the long blade at her side, its handle worn smooth in the shape of a palm from constant use.
‘All the courtiers are unarmed, yet she walks in alone with a sword, deliberately cultivating an atmosphere of dread.’
The thought had barely crossed my mind.
My eyes met Praha’s, seated beside the Emperor.
Whoosh.
I quickly averted my gaze, hoping he hadn’t noticed me staring.
The Emperor surveyed the assembly.
“Let us begin.”
I stopped my wandering thoughts and focused.
Finally, this damned conference was starting.
First on the agenda were commendations for those who had sacrificed their lives to save the Imperial Family—the Knight of the Central Staircase and the Head Chef among others.
Next came the assessment of the situation.
“Chief Mage, speak. How did this even happen? Have you discovered anything?”
The Emperor pressed the matter while absently fingering the handle of the blade at her side.
I was curious too.
Why had the undead even appeared?
“There were no intruders recorded in the Portal.”
Mascarpone’s mother, the Imperial Family’s Chief Mage, calmly demonstrated that the Portal had no issues and that there were indeed no intruders.
“The phenomenon could be a naturally occurring disease, the work of a mage superior to myself, or alternatively, the will of the gods.”
“The will of the gods?”
“Divine power cannot be detected through magic.”
At those words, the Emperor’s displeasure was unmistakable.
Instead, one courtier ventured a question, gauging the Emperor’s reaction.
“Has there been any divine revelation from the Temple regarding this incident?”
“Indeed. Did they not say that Yujein awakened as a Saint and saved the lives of both Your Highnesses?”
Yes, gods. Why don’t you say something for once?
‘Come to think of it, are the priests not in attendance at all?’
I understood why Yujein couldn’t be here, but not a single priest was visible in this vast Imperial Court.
As I looked around with this question in mind, the Emperor waved her hand dismissively.
“Enough. I have no desire to allow those who call themselves the gods’ people into my Palace.”
“However, Your Majesty….”
“They’re desperate to expand their influence, so if they’d received any revelation whatsoever, they’d be loudly proclaiming it by now.”
“….”
“I’ve brought the Theology Professor from the Imperial University—question him instead.”
Faced with the Emperor’s resolute demeanor—a woman who had personally beheaded 126 people—the nobles dared not speak further.
The Theology Professor suddenly found himself the center of attention from every noble in attendance, and he faltered.
“It is true that the gods have often intervened in human affairs since ancient times. They have even cast curses upon us. However, in this case, the gods directly saved the lives of both Your Highnesses, so….”
“What’s your conclusion?”
But the Theology Professor could not offer a clear answer either.
In the end, everything remained shrouded in mystery.
-Let me summarize what we’ve learned so far-
When: Four days ago
Where: The Imperial Villa
Who: ?
What: Zombies
How: ?
Why: ?
– Hypothesis 1. An assassination attempt targeting the Imperial Family. (Bioterrorism or magic)
– Hypothesis 2. A naturally occurring plague.
– Hypothesis 3. A curse from the gods.
(If that were the case, the gods wouldn’t have helped us!)
Conclusion: ???
“So the so-called brains of the Empire are useless!”
The Emperor brought his armrest down with a crash.
The nobles flinched at the Emperor’s wrath—a fury that could order their execution at any moment.
Only Praha remained composed.
‘Usually in situations like this, the possessed one steps forward brilliantly and displays their insight.’
People who were dismissing me as spouting nonsense would fall silent as my words continued.
The male protagonist should look at me with eyes that say ‘that’s unexpected.’
But me?
I know nothing.
‘People can be possessed by incompetent individuals too. If you don’t like it, give an IQ test before possessing someone next time.’
“This and that….”
“This or that….”
In the end, opinion coalesced around the theory of an assassination attempt targeting the Imperial Family—though the method remained unclear.
“Could it be a conspiracy orchestrated by remnants of the fallen kingdom?”
“Do they possess that kind of power?”
“To be safe, let us investigate whether similar incidents have occurred in other regions.”
The response strategy leaned toward keeping the matter quiet and hidden while searching for and eliminating the cause, rather than stirring up the entire nation prematurely.
“If we capture several of these moving corpses, can we create a cure?”
“For that, we would first need to reopen the sealed Portal.”
“That’s far too dangerous. The proposal is rejected.”
“Then….”
“The conclusion is.”
“We must first assemble an Investigation Team.”
‘Is this how the novel goes?’
I glanced sideways at Praha, who sat motionless before me like a painting.
The Emperor, stroking his chin, spoke.
“I have no desire to plunge my nation into chaos just as it enters a period of stability. First, we must investigate this matter with precision and discretion.”
“Yet Your Majesty, according to the Crown Prince’s testimony here, this illness is highly contagious. Your words about not throwing the nation into chaos are absolutely correct, but….”
“But?”
“If the disease spreads among the people without any preparations in place….”
“Then you believe.”
The Emperor, fixing his gaze on the stammering official, lifted the corners of his mouth.
“What do you think people will say if the Imperial Family announces such an absurd story? No, before that—do you think they’ll even believe it? That corpses are walking about?”
“That’s——”
“Enough. I have already made my decision.”
The Emperor added.
“Great undertakings always demand sacrifice. Since I already know how this disease spreads, a few measures will suffice to prevent its expansion. I am prepared to accept the loss of several cities in that process.”
‘Hah.’
Shouldn’t we be trying to minimize casualties instead…?
I withdrew my respect for the Emperor.
“I shall personally appoint the key members of the Investigation Team.”
The Emperor announced, still resting his chin on his hand.
“First, Yujein, priestess of the God of Light. The Temple claims she has become a saint.”
“….”
“Being a sacred person, you must be prepared to gladly sacrifice your life for the Empire, yes?”
“….”
“And. Crown Prince Praha and Grand Duke Cyprus de Mer. My children.”
“…?!”
I stood up involuntarily, then sat back down.
He’s sending his own sons?
‘In the original work, he bore responsibility for failing to protect the nobles. Why this time?’
Why is he throwing his own sons into danger?
If they accidentally died, there would be no heir left.
I looked at Praha.
Our eyes met immediately.
Amber eyes greeted me with composure.
I suddenly understood.
‘He’s been watching me this whole time.’
“The Crown Prince shall accept this duty.”
“Yes.”
The gaze that had been fixed on me withdrew. Praha stood up.
And I realized.
‘What was it that Mascarpone said earlier?’
Only the Emperor possessed the authority to summarily execute a member of the Imperial Family.
Praha himself could face punishment for what he’d done to Papri.
And that Emperor.
“I trust you.”
He smiled, yet the Emperor had not forgotten that his son Praha had encroached upon his authority.
“I shall obey your command.”
“Yes, that’s how it should be.”
The Emperor’s gaze upon Praha turned glacial.
The Emperor was the type for whom his own power was paramount.
The type who could not share even a fragment of it, not even with his own blood son.
Rather, the type most wary of his successor.
For a successor meant the second-in-command of power itself.
The Emperor feared that Praha’s influence—having swiftly contained the incident at the Villa—would grow to exceed his own.
‘That’s why he means to eliminate Yujein and Cyprus from the Capital, binding them to Praha.’
There was still a successor in Praha’s younger sibling. Young still, but present.
“Do not forget.”
Without raising Praha from his knees, the Emperor spoke with gentle affection.
“Everything you enjoy flows from me, and the only reason I respect you is because you are my son.”
“Yes.”
Praha replied with composure.
Watching the two of them—less like parent and child, more like a capable retainer and a sovereign sharpening his blade against such a servant—I understood.
Whether in the original story or now.
Praha had not volunteered for the Investigation Team.
He had been exiled by the Emperor’s displeasure.
[(Temporary Safe Zone) Imperial Palace]
– Yusara, Praha, Mascarpone (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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