If You Are Suited for the Villain's Secretary - Chapter 26
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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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If the Villain’s Secretary Suits Me
Chapter 26
3. The Rolling Stone and the Embedded Stone
The unexpected day off passed quite busily.
First, I moved my belongings in the early morning.
Since I didn’t have much to begin with, organizing didn’t take long,
“Where should I put this? …Ahhhhh, a spider!”
“Ahhhhh, be careful!”
Hunting down the escaped spider took quite a while as I rummaged through every corner of the spacious Company Residence.
“Ah, and we’ve finished repairing the ‘door panel’ too! The CEO specifically asked me to tell you!”
“Yes, thank you….”
After the workers left, having delivered a message that oddly emphasized the ‘door panel’ for a simple information transfer,
the next visitors were Luther and Lenox.
“I heard what happened yesterday, Protagonist. Are you alright?”
Unlike the worried Lenox, Luther wore a peculiar expression.
He forgot to set down the fruit basket and kept muttering only the words “probably” and “as expected” before suddenly asking,
“So, how did the CEO end up going to our secretary’s house?”
“He said my report didn’t satisfy him.”
“As expected….”
“What?”
“Nothing! I was already worried about you living alone in that old, *cough*, place, so it worked out well.”
Luther, who snorted every time my old house came up—apparently it had made quite an impression—casually asked,
“By the way, that guy who came looking for you, what does he do? Do you know anything about him?”
Lenox, who had been skillfully peeling an apple, grimaced and smacked Luther’s ribs hard.
“Hey, you’re the one who made her take sick leave, and you want to bring that up first? It’s obviously scary, but you have no sense!”
“No! Lenox, you don’t know how gutsy our secretary is!”
“I do know! But you should ask about it more tactfully! Though I suppose someone who solves problems with bicep muscles alone wouldn’t understand the world of profound conversation.”
“You’re so annoyingly full of yourself. If you’ve got a good body, your brain doesn’t need to work hard, right? And listen, my intuition! My intuition is extremely sharp! It’s animal instinct!”
“Sure, good for you. Congratulations on being less human.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The two bickering men stopped in their tracks at my answer.
“He’s a debt collector for the Southern Region loan shark organization Fang. The name I know is Jack, but I’m not sure if that’s an alias or his real name.”
Luther puffed up proudly at my straightforward answer, saying “See?”
Lenox, who had been glancing at Luther, changed his expression at what I produced next.
“I don’t know anything else, but I did copy down the notebook that man was carrying.”
“Really? How did you even get the notebook? Our secretary really is something….”
“Luther, be quiet for a moment. Protagonist, can I see that notebook?”
I hadn’t just found Thomas’s contact information. I had carefully copied everything from Jack’s notebook.
Unfortunately, there was no information about my father inside it.
No hints about where my father was being held, or the location of Fang’s secret operations.
Still, it might serve as a clue for Lenox.
‘I was worried about how to show him the notebook naturally, so I’m glad he asked.’
Judging by Lenox and Luther’s reactions, it seemed they were about to launch a full-scale investigation into my background, spurred by yesterday’s incident.
It was exactly what I wanted, and things were working out well.
“Protagonist, would it be alright if I copied this notebook for reference too? …I mean, if you get tangled up with those rough types, it’d be problematic, right? If the Trading Company gets involved, you might inevitably end up facing those Fang members.”
But….
“So we’re planning to add the people in this notebook to the Trading Company’s blacklist for management purposes. That okay?”
Even knowing this was a smokescreen for data collection, I felt a twinge of concern for these two people who were genuinely worried about me.
‘How vicious are those Fang members anyway? What if I accidentally get caught up with them badly?’
“Secretary?”
“Protagonist?”
…But seeing Lenox and Luther’s fierce expressions again, my worry vanished like it had been washed away.
It was like a rabbit worrying about a tiger.
After all, these two were among the most talented resources at La Mar and were Aden’s close associates.
“Oh, no. Since it’s for blacklist management, of course I should cooperate. I was just moved that you think of me that way.”
“Mm, yeah….”
Both of them wore expressions of slight guilt simultaneously, but I deliberately pretended not to notice.
So with different purposes but the same goal, we shared brief conversation while eating the apple Lenox had peeled.
Luther and Lenox said they’d stopped by briefly on their way to field work and business trips, respectively.
“The Director also left for field work early this morning.”
“Oh, what for?”
Though I had no authority yet, I asked as a matter of course for a secretary to confirm such things.
But the answer was unexpected.
“He went to apologize to our partner companies.”
“…An apology?”
“Yeah. There are companies that suffered damage because of that Jeremy bastard. He went to meet them formally with compensation plans. After all, Jeremy was a La Mar employee, so the Director went in person.”
He didn’t send a subordinate—he went himself.
And the fact that Luther and Lenox were here meant Aden went alone.
I was genuinely surprised, and Luther added while crunching on his apple.
“Just sending compensation money alone would be disrespectful.”
“Well… that’s true.”
It was such a valid point that I had nothing to say.
An apology naturally comes with interest.
‘The longer an apology is delayed, the more effort must be invested to restore trust.’
He probably did it to avoid leaving lingering problems, or perhaps judged that showing his face would be more effective.
Of course, that wasn’t bad in itself. It’s the people who stubbornly hold their heads high out of petty pride while knowing better who are the problem.
Still, I suddenly thought that Aden, before he went completely mad, was quite a capable businessman in many ways.
‘Both externally and internally for the Trading Company.’
That thought solidified a bit more when I saw the third visitor after Luther and Lenox left and rang the doorbell.
“The Company Physician of La Mar Trading Company?”
“Yes. Representative Aden sent me. I heard that Iliana Grecia was injured. Is that you?”
I discovered several minor injuries while showering—bruises and scrapes beyond just my ankle.
There were cuts from breaking the glass jar containing the spider, and bruises from when Jack grabbed me.
But since they weren’t serious wounds, I’d planned to simply apply some ointment from the first aid kit.
‘Well, I should be honest—truthfully, I couldn’t afford a hospital visit.’
Yet here Aden was, sending a house call physician.
At this point, even if Aden woke me in the middle of the night demanding I revise a report, I’d find myself thanking him first.
“Your ankle is slightly sprained, and the other wounds aren’t serious. Just change the bandages twice a day.”
“Yes, I will. Thank you.”
“Since we’re meeting like this, let me give you a basic checkup as well. First, please fill out this medical history form….”
The physician didn’t ask why I was injured.
Well, as the company physician for La Marque, she’d likely seen plenty of injured people.
Of course, including Aden himself.
‘This physician was mentioned in the original work too. She was the first person to witness Aden’s mana rampage.’
Since she didn’t understand mana rampage well, she’d mistaken it for an illness and examined him to treat it.
Unfortunately, she became contaminated by Aden’s mana and lost all her memories.
Of course, there was still time before that incident would occur.
‘I just need to make sure the original heroine never meets him. Then Aden won’t have any reason to rampage.’
But seeing the physician now made me think I should research ways to handle mana rampage in advance, just in case.
‘The original work had no way to stop mana rampage, but there must be clues hidden somewhere.’
Just as I’d resolved the blood contract.
While undergoing the checkup and recalling the original work, the physician tilted her head and asked.
“Hmm, but according to what you wrote on the medical history form, your eyesight is exceptionally good. Yet you’re wearing glasses?”
I felt a chill run through me.
“Your numbers might have changed since you last checked. Let me test your vision again. Would you remove your glasses?”
“…Yes.”
“Your eyes are….”
As I hesitantly removed my glasses, my father’s voice echoed through my mind.
“Your eyes torment me so much. Why do you keep taking me back to that day your mother left? Why….”
Did Father ever realize.
That every time I remove my glasses, I too return to that ten-year-old version of myself—the one who picked up these glasses while he wept drunkenly.
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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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