OBNVZ C7

The Decision Not to Stand Out

A third-year office worker, Yusara’s opinion on salary:

A salary is not payment for work done, but payment for endurance.

= Treatment cost for anger-induced illness

Company: a place that gives you illness and pays you medicine money.

Warning: The medicine is absurdly insufficient to treat all the illnesses you acquire.

But this isn’t even a company, is it? No one pays you just for enduring things.

Was I really supposed to tolerate this guy’s behavior right now? Just because I decided I shouldn’t stand out?

Even holding back what I want to say at work makes frustration rise to my throat—do I really have to hold back here too?

And I’m not even getting paid for it.

After working in a company, I’ve developed the habit of referring to everyone I meet as “that bastard,” “that guy,” or “that jerk.”

And based on that perspective, my conclusion was simple.

No. I’m not holding back. I don’t want to hold back.

I spoke to the nuisance man sitting diagonally across from me.

“Hey.”

“What is it, princess?”

“I am technically a hostage, but hearing that from another hostage—especially from you and those two well-built gentlemen over there—feels a bit unfair, don’t you think?”

The two male leads, suddenly labeled as “well-built gentlemen,” widened their eyes. Watching their surprisingly handsome, almost cute expressions, I let out a small laugh.

Whatever. I’m the villainess-type nuisance character anyway.

A character like that is literally made to talk back.

And no matter how rude I am, I can’t possibly be worse than my team’s assistant manager back at the office.

“Also, Lady Yujein isn’t a hostage. She has divine power. Who do you think cast the blessing on you just now?”

Honestly, I don’t even like the title “villainess.”

If I’m the villainess, what is he? A villain? A lesser villain?

“Have you considered that if you hadn’t taken her blessing, Lady Yujein might have already healed her own ankle by now?”

Of course, it wasn’t that extreme. Divine power wasn’t that all-powerful.

The nuisance man, who knew this fact, immediately retorted.

“What are you talking about? It’s a useless power anyway. How is she supposed to heal an ankle with something that barely fixes small wounds?”

“Oh, really? Just earlier you were saying someone died because she didn’t give that ‘useless’ blessing.”

So which is it? I pointed out the contradiction. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, unable to respond.

Watching him struggle, I continued.

“You’re happy to receive blessings when it suits you, but now you want to discard her the moment she gets injured? Is Lady Yujein a disposable object? Have some conscience.”

Even my robot vacuum at home doesn’t get treated like that. I clicked my tongue loudly.

The nuisance man, now red-faced, raised his voice.

“Who said we’re discarding her? We said leave her! The knight! The swordsman!”

“Why leave Sir Dazzling behind? By your logic, we should prioritize the least useful people. So Sir Dazzling should go, and you should stay. You’re also a burden.”

I pointed at his plump cheeks.

His face was so smooth it was hard to judge properly, but he definitely still had baby fat.

Maybe around twenty?

At an age full of confidence, already learning such ugly habits.

Tsk tsk tsk.

“If we’re going to talk efficiency, let’s do it properly. Wasn’t that your argument? Leave the burdens and save only the capable ones.”

“……”

“From the perspective of those armed guys, you’re also a burden. A heavy one, at that.”

“……”

“You probably weigh twice as much as Lady Yujein. Honestly, no one would be able to carry you.”

As I said it bluntly, his face turned even redder—now reaching his ears. He wiped sweat from his forehead, but that changed nothing.

Finally, he warned me.

“Princess, watch your mouth.”

“Why should I? I’m just stating the most efficient solution.”

“Let’s go then. Let’s go back. Let’s hide in that sealed room, starve all night without even a sip of water, holding nothing but a single dagger, and wait for rescue that may or may not come!”

I clenched my fist and raised it dramatically.

“Let’s go!”

I grabbed his elbow and yanked him upward. His arm was so fleshy it felt like grabbing overstuffed meat—honestly, even a Jeju croaker would be leaner.

“Also, if corpses show up while we wait, you can act as a shield to buy time. The rest of us—especially the women—can escape. With that body, it looks like it would take corpses a while to chew through you.”

“You…!”

“What? Isn’t that the most e.ffi.ci.ent option?”

It was clear no one had ever directly commented on his body before. He looked completely shaken.

Good. That was the point.

Working in an office full of men casually commenting on women’s appearances, I knew exactly how disgusting and suffocating it felt.

I never wanted to become someone who threw insults at appearance like trash.

And yet I hated that this was the method I defaulted to when attacking someone. I hated that this was the first thing that came to mind. I hated that the company had trained me into this kind of person.

Did they think women didn’t have mouths? That we were all just quietly enduring?

“If we’re going to abandon people in order of burden, then once we’re the ones left behind here, who do you think gets discarded next? Why don’t you understand that you’ll be next?”

“I’ve been hearing enough of this—”

He shoved my arm away. I staggered slightly from the force.

The nuisance man stood up abruptly, raising his hand toward my face. I lifted my chin without fear.

His breath smelled faintly of alcohol.

Great.

He was drunk?

“Pafri!”

Just as he raised his hand, everyone around us sprang up.

In an instant, the Crown Prince appeared behind him and grabbed his raised arm. He had been quite far away—did he teleport or something?

“Pafri.”

The Grand Duke called his name sharply, hand already on his sword hilt.

The Crown Prince twisted his arm behind his back and restrained both arms.

“Argh!”

The pinned man screamed.

“Brother, it hurts! It hurts!”

But neither of them cared. Their attention was fixed entirely on me.

Only after I shook my head did the Crown Prince release him and step back, issuing a low warning.

“Do not disappoint me.”

“Brother…!”

“Apologize to the princess. Otherwise, you will be the one left here alone.”

There was no hint of playfulness in his cold eyes.

…They looked genuinely angry.

“Is that really necessary? We could just use him as a shield instead.”

The Grand Duke added casually.

“The princess made a good suggestion. Let’s try it. As a shield.”

He spoke lightly, but the meaning was anything but.

Yeah. They were both definitely angry.

The nuisance man, sensing the pressure from his “older brothers,” sulked and stayed silent, rubbing his arm. But the two male leads weren’t letting it go.

Finally, the Crown Prince sighed.

“Pafri.”

At last, the apology slipped out.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. It’s fine.”

I replied casually.

“…We’ll rest a bit longer before moving.”

The men returned to their positions, resuming guard.

An awkward silence settled.

People like him—what exactly was their problem? At a time when everyone should be working together, they only complained.

I wasn’t exactly mature either for snapping back, but still—he started it!

Ugh. I want to go home.

I stretched lazily when the nuisance man, rubbing his elbow, muttered quietly while avoiding the Crown Prince’s gaze.

“Must be nice. Getting protected just because you’re a woman.”

Maybe I should be born a woman in my next life too. He grumbled so quietly it barely escaped his lips.

This guy really doesn’t quit.

I shot back.

“Protected, huh?”

More like—were you being protected?

Did he really think he wouldn’t get hit if he touched me? Absolutely not. I’d summon zombies if I had to.

Yujein looked anxious, eyes darting between us.

I spoke again.

“You were the one saying earlier to abandon the women, and now you’re jealous of being left out? Do you actually enjoy being discarded?”

“That’s because you were burdens!”

“So I’m a burden, but you aren’t? You were literally hiding behind women and knights a moment ago!”

I tilted my chin up, looking down at him as condescendingly as possible.

“Honestly, if I were a burden, I’d be the Crown Prince’s or the Grand Duke’s burden—not yours. And can you even carry me?”

He was slightly taller than me. I was around 169 cm in my original body, and this body—Yusara—was about the same. He was maybe 172 or 173, but soft and untrained.

I’d rather trust my thigh muscles built from swimming three times a week at dawn.

“Just shut up and move. We’re all freeloading in the same situation anyway.”

I laughed a little despite myself.

If only I could speak like this at work.

How refreshing it would be to say everything without filters.

So this is what people mean by “bamboo forest.”

“Also, one more thing I’ve wanted to say. What’s the point of Yujein’s blessings if you don’t put in any effort? Don’t you expect too much from it?”

“Pfft.”

Someone laughed—Supporting Character 2.

“Sorry…”

Even Mascarpone looked like they were holding back laughter. Even Sir Dazzling, slightly distant, seemed the same.

The nuisance man looked utterly humiliated.

He clearly wanted to hit me but couldn’t because of the others.

I glanced at him again.

A sulky, unpleasant expression. Careless, rough speech. No awareness of how much inconvenience he caused others. Zero consideration for people around him. Poor stamina, already panting from a short walk.

‘Was his name Paprika or something?’

Whatever his name was, I decided I would call him “Nuisance Man” until the end.

Until he turned black-haired Papri.

I was a typical office worker in Korea—“Yes,” “Thank you,” “Please confirm,” and “(Fuck)” solved everything.

But not here.

I was going to stand out. Say everything I wanted. Act however I felt like.

A grin slowly crept onto my lips, distorted by possession stress.

This was when it began.

The resolution I had been repeating—“don’t stand out”—which had never once actually worked… began to be properly broken.

[Imperial Villa, 2nd Floor Washroom]

• Yusara, Yujein, Crown Prince, Grand Duke, Mascarpone, Supporting Character 2, Sir Dazzling, Nuisance Man (alive)