A Korean Office Worker Who Became a Nuisance Villainess in a Zombie Story - Chapter 67

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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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“As I suspected, there was indeed a problem.”
I covered the documents I’d been scrutinizing with such intensity my eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.
Someone get me artificial tears.
There are boxes of them stacked at my desk in the office.
While I worked, Yujein—who had been bustling about fanning me and bringing snacks—suddenly brightened, her eyes gleaming with interest.
“Have you discovered something, my lady?”
“A bit, yes.”
At my words, Cyprus—who had been crouched in the corner after being scolded for making a fuss while peeling fruit for me—came over, along with Tangerine, who had been relentlessly extracting information from Smoothie about the lord’s embezzlements, secret passages, and even his infidelity from a decade ago.
‘Estate Manager Smoothie! Would you care to have a chat with me?’
‘I… I’d rather not…’
‘Don’t be frightened! It’s just a conversation, a simple conversation!’
And Praha, who had been frowning behind Tangerine, also approached me.
Behind them, I could see Smoothie slumped with the expression of someone whose soul had departed.
I showed my companions the documents I’d marked separately and explained.
“Smoothie was right. Marquis Prome has been deceiving the Imperial Family by omitting taxes he should have paid—using various methods, no less.”
I clarified to prevent misunderstanding.
I hadn’t uncovered all of this alone in such a short time just by examining documents.
Tangerine’s assistance had been invaluable.
‘Her intimidation techniques were quite effective.’
Pretending innocence while landing subtle blows here and there…
I had merely cross-referenced the ledgers with what Smoothie confessed—his face drained of color under Tangerine’s pressure—to verify the facts.
I was grateful the Empire’s tax code was concise and efficient.
If it had been like the British tax code, famous for being longer than the Bible, I wouldn’t have uncovered it even in days, let alone hours.
I rubbed my tired eyes and continued my explanation.
“So this is a type of carousel tax evasion scheme, you see…”
And so on and so forth. This and that.
I gulped down the water Praha brought me in the middle of my explanation.
“Now we simply need to use this evidence to blackmail Marquis Prome and force him to choose: either face imprisonment for tax evasion, or quietly open the path for us.”
“Impressive.”
Praha’s genuine admiration at my explanation made me feel slightly embarrassed.
“It’s nothing special.”
“Nothing special, you say? I never knew you were so knowledgeable about tax law, my lady.”
Cyprus chimed in as well.
The way he looked at me sparkled so intensely it felt burdensome.
Why didn’t I realize this before? Praha murmured to himself, staring down at the documents.
‘Of course you wouldn’t know. It’s not your profession.’
I only know this because I spent three years in Korea doing nothing but looking at these documents to make a living.
The fundamental framework of taxation is similar wherever you go in the world.
Even if it were a different world.
Even if it’s a different world.
“I still have much to learn. There are many areas where I fall short.”
“Me too. I spent my whole childhood on battlefields fighting, so my knowledge is lacking.”
“Could you explain this part in more detail?”
“Ah, yes.”
I tilted my head toward the documents Praha was pointing at.
As our heads drew close, soft strands of hair brushed against my forehead. I held my breath slightly, trying not to notice the warm body heat and subtle scent beside me.
“So this means….”
When the task of persuading the Local Lord was given to me.
The first thing that came to mind was actually my hypnotic ability.
Something I possessed in my first loop, and an ability I had reawakened before leaving the Capital.
Magic that could manipulate another person according to my will.
‘But that magic can only be used for a few dozen seconds.’
Besides, the target would be fully aware of having been affected by the magic.
After that, the next idea that occurred to me was this.
Leverage their weaknesses to negotiate.
“If we bring this card to the table, the Baron will have no choice but to surrender.”
“That’s right. Tax evasion is a serious crime in the Empire.”
“Yes! It’s as good as laying hands directly on the Emperor’s own property!”
“…The war expenses were substantial, so His Majesty will be even more sensitive about this. I doubt he’ll ever forgive it.”
“Those with enough wealth to pay the fine set by His Majesty might receive only thirty years, but those without…”
“At l-least life imprisonment or execution… Oh no.”
Yujein’s gaze, her hand covering her mouth in shock, turned toward Smoothie.
‘I can’t leave him like this.’
I knelt down before Smoothie, who was trembling with an expression as if the world had ended.
When I placed a warm teacup in his hands, he gripped it tightly so as not to drop it.
“Smoothie.”
“Y-yes…!”
“I know you had no other choice. You have six younger siblings to care for.”
“…!”
“There were originally seven, but the youngest one went missing shortly after you moved to Promé following him, didn’t he? You spent a lot of money trying to find that sibling too.”
To be precise, I had asked the Local Lord, and he had charged money in exchange for sending his knights to search.
‘What a corrupt bastard.’
So now Smoothie was in a situation where he received his salary from the Local Lord only to pay back half of it to him.
*Interest not included.
“Your father died in the war, and your mother passed away from consumption.”
“H-how did you know all that, my lady…”
“The maids told me.”
Thinking I had taken an interest in Smoothie, they had told me everything in meticulous detail.
They seemed to hope that the kind Smoothie might catch the eye of the lady from the Capital and improve his fortune.
‘Unfortunately, I’m also a stray dog, so I can’t fulfill that wish.’
I could inform the Crown Prince of this unjust situation.
I glanced at Praha.
‘See! Because the Imperial Family mishandled politics, innocent citizens are suffering! What are you going to do about it?’
“So you were the head of your household since you were young, weren’t you? How old is your oldest younger sibling?”
“Eighteen years old….”
“If they’re Smoothie’s sibling, they must have been good at studying. Did they go to university?”
“They had talent in mathematics, had talent, but we couldn’t afford the entrance fee….”
“Oh no! What are they doing now?”
“They work in laundry at Promae Castle.”
“And you graduated top of your university class but couldn’t afford to prepare for the exam, so you couldn’t apply for the Imperial Tax Collector Position, and now you’re being exploited by the Local Lord here?”
As I spoke, I looked at Praha once more.
See! The nation’s talent is slipping away!
And despite committing such a high-risk crime, they didn’t even receive fair(?) compensation.
Lord Promé, in exchange for tax evasion, surrounds himself with countless artworks and hunts or indulges in luxuries while living a lavish life.
But Smoothie works overtime alone until this late hour without overtime pay, and must return half of his monthly salary to the Local Lord.
I looked around the office.
A worn-out jacket hanging on the chair, clearly patched multiple times; an office with no heating.
Glasses with traces of being broken and repaired.
‘I’m not trying to justify crime. But there is such a thing as mitigating circumstances.’
Is it right to punish only Smoothie when the person most guilty is standing right here?
“This crime would normally warrant execution, but fortunately for you, we have no intention of reporting this.”
Not reporting—blackmailing.
Smoothie’s eyes widened at my words.
I met his gaze directly and continued.
“Moreover, you are also our greatest collaborator. If you hadn’t spoken honestly, I could never have figured all this out just by looking at documents alone.”
“That, that is….”
“Whistleblowers are normally given reduced sentences, aren’t they?”
Right?
I turned to look at my companions, seeking their agreement.
Having learned of Smoothie’s circumstances that were impossible to hear without tears, my companions wore expressions of shock.
Especially Yujein—she was nearly crying.
I shot a burning gaze at Praha, the decision-maker, and spoke.
“Is there anyone here who still thinks this person deserves execution?”
“Absolutely not!”
“That’s right! If Smoothie is executed, what happens to his six other siblings!”
“We must consider mitigating circumstances!”
‘Praha, are you listening? This is the people’s sense of justice.’
I had been somewhat worried because Praha had been looking at Smoothie with an unusually cold gaze from the beginning.
“…Indeed….”
After a long silence, Praha finally opened his mouth.
“The princess is correct. It is a loss to the Empire that talented individuals like this cannot fully utilize their abilities due to financial hardship, and instead find themselves entangled in crime here. Moreover, this situation arose because the Imperial Family failed in its duty.”
“….”
“Not everyone turns to crime simply because circumstances are difficult, but I find myself questioning whether I, who bears primary responsibility for this failure, truly have the right to punish this man.”
Praha approached and extended his hand to Smoothie.
He grasped his hand and helped him to his feet, then offered an apology.
“Everything you have endured is the responsibility of the Imperial Family. I am sorry.”
His words carried far more sincerity than I had anticipated.
‘If Praha had said something like “You’re just defending this man because you’ve fallen for him, aren’t you?” I would have been prepared to be disappointed.’
Praha spoke to Smoothie.
“I will personally instruct the Local Lord to search for your sister again. We will repay all your debts and look into your sister’s tuition as well. Once matters are settled, would you consider joining the Imperial Tax Collector Position?”
“Pardon?!”
“You possess the skill to exploit loopholes in imperial law, and I would very much like to have you in my service.”
“…!”
“Praha! I had my eye on this man! Say, Smoothie was it? Would you perhaps consider coming to the Southern Region? An emerald sea and white villas await….”
‘That seems to be settled.’
I dusted off my hands and stretched.
“Well then, Smoothie?”
“Y-yes! Princess!”
I called out to Smoothie, who was on the verge of prostrating himself before Praha, tears streaming down his face.
Smoothie gazed at me with fervent intensity.
It was almost the look of someone worshipping a god.
‘I haven’t done anything for him.’
I spoke to Smoothie.
“So close your office immediately and go somewhere—a tavern, anywhere—to create witnesses who saw you there?”
That way, even if Lord Promé later rages about who informed the two Highnesses about him, you’ll have an alibi.
“You can even break a glass as if by accident, or cause trouble for the tavern keeper by pretending to be asleep.”
Make as much noise as possible and establish your alibi.
“And use the time to collect your thoughts as well.”
Your life is about to change completely.
Oh, but.
I tilted my head and asked.
“Smoothie, but why does the Local Lord dislike it so much when we go up his mountain?”
“Ah, that’s because… the entire mountain is the Local Lord’s hunting ground….”
“Pardon?”
“He was worried that the two Highnesses might disturb the hunting ground while exploring the mountain, and he fretted about it the entire time you were up there.”
“….”
So it was all just about hunting.
“Then perhaps you also know what exactly the Local Lord is selling from his merchant house? The ledgers are written in cipher.”
“I-I’m not sure…. I only know they’re artworks that the higher-ups favor.”
“Hmm. The Highnesses? Do you have any suspicions?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m not sure either.”
Right. I have no idea what it is.
It doesn’t seem to be one of our superiors….
[(Temporary Safe Zone) Smoothie’s Office]
– 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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