A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 56

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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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Yujein found the Lady Yusara to be a formidable opponent.
The Lady who disliked me.
The Lady who made no effort to conceal that negative sentiment.
A position so elevated that no one dared point out such behavior.
Yet at some point, the Lady began acting as though there were no difference in status between us.
‘G-good morning, my Lady…!’
‘Yes, good morning.’
In other words, our statuses hadn’t become equal—
It was as if the very concept of social hierarchy had ceased to exist in this world.
‘Oh, I’m sorry.’
As we climbed the Mountain, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, when our elbows brushed lightly, the Lady offered me an apology as light as a feather.
‘Would you like to try some?’
When pouring drinks, she would pour for me as well and share them equally.
‘Be careful, it’s hot.’
When the Grand Duke offered the Lady soup, she would first look after me, who sat farther away.
‘Oh, I’m sorry…!’
‘Hmm? Ah. Don’t worry about such things.’
If a bit of soup got on her thumb, she would casually lick it clean with her tongue and turn away.
It was an unconscious kindness.
Distributed equally not only to me, but to everyone around her.
Yet my heart swelled with hope.
‘Does she no longer hate me? Or is she simply hiding her dislike?’
I hoped it was the former.
‘Regardless of how the Lady feels, I don’t dislike her.’
People naturally believed we disliked each other.
Even if kind Yujein didn’t, surely Yusara must hate me.
That had been true until recently.
Honestly, it was strange that we got along at all.
There were far too many factors driving a wedge between us.
For instance, the people around us who treated us as rivals over the two Princes, who had no such intention—
‘So, which of the two Princes has captured Yujein’s heart?’
‘It’s not like that. The two Princes are interested in my divine power.’
‘My, how modest!’
‘You don’t need to lie to us~’
‘Yujein is wonderful in every way, but sometimes when you play innocent like this, it’s a bit irritating, you know?’
‘Well, that’s probably why the men like Yujein so much!’
‘And it must feel good to beat that awful Lady, right?’
‘If the Lady bothers you again, go tell the Crown Prince!’
‘That’s not it either. I don’t dislike the Lady. In fact, she rather….’
‘There you go again!’
‘That’s not it, I really….’
‘I know, I know. I understand you’re a good person, Yujein. Now stop~’
Even two people who got along perfectly would grow awkward if those around them kept treating them this way.
It wasn’t that Yujein felt that way, but it seemed like everyone around us kept casting the two of us as rivals.
‘I can understand why the Princess would hate me for this.’
I’d denied it every chance I got, but people wouldn’t believe me.
What people wanted was clear.
For the kind Yujein of commoner birth to fail and crush the high-born Yusara, trampling her underfoot.
But Yujein and Yusara had never even fought.
‘It’s strange from the start—making it a competition based on whether the two Highnesses love you or not, as if that’s the measure of victory.’
Since I’d never seen it as a competition in the first place, I felt no jealousy watching the two Highnesses and the Princess grow closer lately.
It wasn’t strange at all.
I wanted to be close with the Princess too.
‘I never knew she was like this.’
I’d only thought of her as frightening.
But the Princess showed me a side of herself that was truly unexpected after this incident.
If anything, I felt jealous of Cyprus.
‘Because the Grand Duke is so comfortable around the Princess.’
I want to be close with her too.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince and the Princess.
‘They seem awkward and uncomfortable.’
To be precise.
‘The Princess draws a line, and the Crown Prince hovers outside it.’
I could see it from where I stood.
Even when doing other things, the Crown Prince always kept the Princess in the corner of his vision.
The Princess, focused only on her own interests.
‘This painting you’re looking at is the pride of our house.’
‘Hahahaha! Hahahaha!’
On the day we first arrived at Promé.
When the Marquis Prome and his wife deliberately excluded the Princess while showing us around the castle.
Everyone was watching the Princess’s reaction.
‘All the artists whose works hang in this Corridor are still alive?’
‘Yes…? Yes, that’s correct…but?’
‘Do you also receive tax exemptions when trading works by living artists here?’
The Princess was actually interrogating a servant with questions I couldn’t even follow the context of.
It was the Crown Prince, not the Princess, who was angrier about the treatment she’d received.
‘And yet the Princess got angry when the Baron insulted his own retainer at the banquet.’
She knew exactly what made her angry and didn’t hesitate to show her aggression when the moment called for it.
I liked the Princess for that.
‘It seems the Princess doesn’t hate me anymore.’
If that’s the case, shouldn’t I be able to get closer?
But.
“Your Highness!”
The Grand Duke, who had been slammed into the wall and lost consciousness, was supported by Her Highness, leaving her alone in the Ancient Labyrinth.
She had used all her strength—strength needed to escape that wall—to save Yujein instead.
I don’t even want to recall what happened when we were left outside while Her Highness remained alone in the Ancient Labyrinth.
When we finally managed to open the labyrinth door again.
I can’t describe how shocked I was to see Her Highness collapsed on the ground.
“What happened?”
A deathly pale face. Trembling lips. Hair matted with sweat and clinging to her skin.
Hands covered in dirt.
Tears streaming down her cheeks.
Anyone could see the terror etched across her face, yet she pretended it was nothing.
Her Highness even bore bruises around her neck, her entire neck and shoulder darkened to a deep crimson, though she seemed unaware of it.
“Does it not hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. How is Yujein?”
As she tilted her head and spoke, I noticed the bowstring-shaped marks on her lips.
They were traces from her daily archery lessons with the Crown Prince.
And yet Her Highness didn’t blame Yujein at all.
Despite being trapped alone and nearly dying because of her.
Despite being so terrified she’d wept.
‘I’m the only one who isn’t helping.’
Even Her Highness, who wasn’t born with divine power and hadn’t been trained as a Knight, was pulling her weight.
‘I’m not just unhelpful—I’m actually a burden.’
I’d needed others to support me just getting here, and even then, every night I’d groaned in pain while Tangerine had to massage my limbs.
‘I’m the reason we came to the Ancient Labyrinth in the first place.’
When opening the labyrinth door, when it closed, when deciphering ancient script, when finding the correct handle.
‘I’m just dead weight.’
If I weren’t here, Her Highness would never have been trapped alone.
I should be useful for something.
Yujein grew increasingly anxious.
* * *
Our strategy for crossing the Cliff where arrows rain down.
1. Cyprus and Tangerine cross first.
2. While they cross, Praha blocks the incoming arrows.
3. Once across, Cyprus and Tangerine disable the firing mechanism.
4. Praha throws Yujein and me to the other side.
5. Cyprus and Tangerine catch us as we fly toward them.
6. Praha crosses.
*My role: be as light as possible when thrown.
“Will this strategy actually work?”
I doubted it so much that Praha demonstrated it with his own body.
“Wow!”
It actually works!
“That’s incredible, Your Highness!”
‘Praha must be of our people too.’
Among everyone I’ve ever seen, he’s the finest archer.
At my continuous exclamations, Praha turned away without any response.
Now his ears weren’t enough—his neck was flushed red too.
Watching Praha pretend not to hear, Cyprus chuckled.
Yujein bounced on her feet and raised her hand.
“Then, then I’ll help too!”
“Conserve your divine power. We don’t know what might happen ahead.”
Praha refused outright.
Me?
I’m in the middle of breathing exercises.
Trying to shed even 0.1 grams before being thrown.
“Be careful.”
I called out to Cyprus, who was preparing to rush forward first, and his eyes sparkled.
“Are you worried about me?”
“Of course I am.”
Your shoulder is injured too. I pointed to the shoulder he’d struck with shrapnel earlier.
“What if you overdo it and reopen the wound?”
“Then I’d better hurry. So the princess doesn’t waste time with needless worries.”
And whoosh.
Cyprus bolted before I could finish speaking.
“Oh, I want to go too!”
Patter-patter-patter.
Tangerine rushed after him from behind.
Whiiiing—
Simultaneously, arrows came rushing from the other side.
Praha blocked them by firing arrows of his own with perfect precision!
Praha kept watching the arrows fly until the end, then lowered only his eyes to look at me.
“….”
“….”
“Do you need praise?”
“Yes.”
“Splendid. Admirable. The best.”
“The device is broken! Come over here!”
I turned my gaze away from Praha, who was about to say something more.
Soon Yujein safely crossed to the other side, and it was my turn next.
I stood facing Praha, waiting for him to hurl me across like an American football player.
“….”
“….”
Why was he hesitating again?
“My lady. Are you certain you don’t wish to turn back now?”
“I’m sorry? Turn back?”
To the afterlife?
‘Right. She’s passed on.’ Something like that?
But Praha was serious.
“I fear I’ve made a terrible proposal to you. This is far too dangerous. If something were to happen to you, I….”
“My lady! Why aren’t you coming?!”
“Praha! Is something wrong?!”
The others on the far side waited for us, tilting their heads in confusion.
But Praha paid them no mind, his eyes fixed only on me.
He looked anxious.
And though I couldn’t fathom why.
He looked desperate.
“I’m afraid. Afraid that a moment may come when I cannot protect you, even if I sacrifice my own life.”
‘It seems being left alone in the labyrinth dealt Praha quite a shock.’
Without a word, I lowered the bow from my back.
Twang—thwack.
Crash.
I was no master archer like Praha, capable of striking arrows from the sky with arrows of my own.
But I could strike the weakest point of the wooden bridge and bring it down.
The collapsing bridge tumbled into the river far below the cliff.
I pouted my lips at Praha as he watched me.
“My skills have grown this much, and you want me to turn back? That hardly seems fair.”
“….”
“Don’t think you’ll save the world alone without me. I rather like the idea of becoming a hero too.”
“….”
I reached into Praha’s quiver, which had gone rigid, and took an arrow without permission.
It was a steel arrow.
One capable of piercing stone walls.
An arrow with destructive power that didn’t merely lodge—it obliterated entirely.
‘I noticed it earlier. It looked impressive.’
I placed the weighty projectile into my own quiver and spoke.
“If you’re truly so worried about me, then take responsibility if I get hurt here and become useless somewhere.”
I meant it as a jest to frighten him, but instead he laughed softly.
“Yes. I shall take responsibility for the rest of my life.”
“Why are you joking about something so serious?”
“Because it’s not a joke.”
“Good grief.”
He’s starting to resemble Cyprus more and more. Growing increasingly cunning.
I adjusted the quiver filled with metal-tipped arrows and shook my head in disapproval.
A truth I had yet to comprehend at that moment.
Praha hadn’t been joking at all.
[Ancient Labyrinth: Cliff]
– Yusara, Praha, Cyprus, Yujein, Tangerine (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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