Chapter 08
Actually, Jeremy’s fighting skills were quite crude.
You could say they lacked the force of the wrestling the sailors at the former trading post used to do for fun.
But the problem was that he wasn’t seeing anything in front of him right now.
I barely dodged Jeremy’s second attack, which came at me wildly.
“Shut up!”
Smack!
Before I could even steady myself, it was my broom that reflexively blocked Jeremy’s outstretched arm.
I tried with all my strength to push Jeremy away with the broom, but the difference in physical strength was too great.
Jeremy’s face, slowly tilting toward me, grinned nastily.
“You’re the one who needs to know your opponent before picking a fight. How dare you attack me so fearlessly?”
It seemed my muttering about “knowing your opponent” had struck a nerve.
The “opponent” I meant back then was Aden! Not me!
But before I could snap back, Jeremy started putting even more force into the hand pushing against the broom.
“Ugh!”
“So you’d better tell me right now who sent you. Before I wring that neck of yours!”
‘Think. I have to think.’
Even with Jeremy’s imposing face right in front of me, I desperately racked my brain.
How did the sailors fight?
Come to think of it, I recalled the words of a sailor who, despite his small build, often won easily at wrestling.
“I’m not that strong. So it’s hard for me to actually throw my opponent.”
“Then how do you win?”
“Well, I make my opponent fall on his own. By taking advantage of him underestimating me. Like this, just subtly redirect his momentum…”
‘Right, that’s it…!’
I quickly glanced around and made up my mind.
Then—
“If you don’t speak up now— Waaah!”
Instead of pushing the broom forward, I suddenly pulled it toward me.
Combined with Jeremy’s pushing force, my pulling made him lose his balance for a moment.
My glasses, brushed by Jeremy’s arm, flew off in the process, but—
“Hah, hah.”
I managed to slip out just before Jeremy’s body crashed down on top of me.
Rolling almost as if running to the other end of the corridor, I stared at Jeremy approaching with an expression far more ferocious than before.
Cold sweat soaked my hand gripping the broom, but I did not look away.
‘I have to wait. I’ll only get one chance!’
Remembering what I had seen when I scanned my surroundings, I adjusted my grip on the broom.
“You damned girl…!”
Creak, creak.
It was the moment my eyes met Jeremy’s as he slowly walked toward me, stepping on the groaning floorboards.
“…Huh?”
He paused for a moment.
‘What is it?’
I couldn’t tell why.
But—
‘Now!’
Not missing the chance, I stomped with all my might on the opposite end of the creaking board Jeremy was standing on.
The weight of both of us pressed down on it at once. And then—
“Ugh, aaaah!”
Crack!
The board, already old and lacking supports due to a dug-out tunnel beneath it, gave way.
At the same time, Jeremy’s foot plunged through the gap.
Perfectly timed, the broom I swung struck—
“Guh!”
Thwack!
—Jeremy’s head, hard.
“…”
“…”
So here I am now.
“…That is all.”
Summoned to Aden’s office.
Damn.
“…”
Aden, who had maintained his silence throughout my report, still said nothing even after I finished.
And for good reason. He must have found the whole thing absurd.
‘If I’d come back from an outside assignment to find the corridor floor smashed and a new employee having tied up a senior staff member, I’d be dumbfounded too…’
To begin with, it was unclear whether Aden would even believe me.
It was true that Jeremy had first picked a fight and attacked me, but there was no proof.
After all, I was a trainee on my first day, while Jeremy had worked at La Mer for six months.
If testimony clashed, Aden might side with Jeremy.
‘Given the situation, I had no choice but to explain about the paper company and finding the tunnel. But his expression didn’t change at all after hearing everything… Huh. Could it be that the embezzlement wasn’t Jeremy’s doing alone, but something Aden secretly orchestrated? Like a slush fund scheme?’
What if he planned to pin it all on me and cut me loose?!
‘But Jeremy definitely mentioned the “Chairman.” That’s why I thought he was a spy from Crimson.’
What was true?
Just as my imagination and doubts were spiraling out of control—
“All right. I understand.”
Aden’s low, emotionless voice pulled me back to reality with a thump.
But “understand”? He wasn’t the type to accept things so readily.
“So I’ll ask just one thing.”
I knew it.
‘What now?!
My mind was racing, but I pretended to adjust my glasses and nodded.
“Was there anything lacking in my explanation?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Then what?
I tried to keep my expression neutral, but I felt cold sweat trickling down my back.
Just as I was running every possible simulation in my head about what question might come flying at me—
“Are you injured anywhere?”
“Ex…cuse me?”
I genuinely hadn’t expected that question.
What? Aden had just asked if I was hurt…?
For a moment, I almost misunderstood. That he might have at least a tiny shred of humanity.
“Your opponent ended up unconscious, but you appear unscathed. I’m asking to confirm.”
Ugh, there it was.
So his suspicion was: you claim Jeremy threw the first punch, yet you don’t have a scratch on you?
How unfair. Unconsciously, my fist clenched.
“…I was lucky. Fortunately.”
“Have you ever been trained in martial arts?”
“No.”
But—but Jeremy broke my glasses! The temple is bent, and even after I tried to straighten it, there’s still a mark!
I barely swallowed those words and answered curtly.
If I mentioned that I had defended myself by recalling the sailors’ wrestling, this question-mark murderer would surely fire off another follow-up. And it was true that I had never actually been trained.
“I see.”
Then why was he looking at me as if to say, “I know everything, but I’ll let it slide for now”?
Suddenly, I felt exhausted. Muscle pain was starting to set in as well.
Still, there was a sliver of hope.
‘The way he’s acting, he must still find me annoying. Well, after causing an incident like this on my very first day, he might be laying the groundwork to fire me as an excuse!’
Was I finally going to be fired?
Just as I was carefully suppressing the corners of my mouth that were starting to curl up in anticipation—
“You will not be held responsible for this incident, Miss Gracia.”
I would much prefer if you did hold me responsible.
“On the contrary, compensation is in order. For the dedication Miss Gracia has shown to La Mer, despite it being ‘her first day on the job’ and ‘still a trainee.’”
Never mind compensation, why did he have to emphasize those words?
“Everyone has a place that suits them. Today’s events have given me sufficient grounds to judge you, and coincidentally, we now have a vacancy that should suit Miss Gracia perfectly.”
No way.
“A one-month probation period would be meaningless. So congratulations, Miss Gracia.”
No way?
“Effective today, Miss Gracia’s probation is lifted. You are hereby appointed as a full-time internal secretary.”
“…”
“I look forward to your continued efforts.”
Slide.
Right in front of my shocked eyes, an [Employment Contract] was pushed toward me.
And the expression that flickered across Aden’s face as he handed me the document was—
“What are you doing? You haven’t signed.”
Unmistakably, a faint sneer.
‘You villain!’
“Ugh… ugh…”
Jeremy groaned, his head still throbbing, as he opened his eyes.
It was dark. Where was this?
Trying to sit up, he was horrified to find his body tightly bound with rope.
‘Did that trainee tie me up and dump me here?’
But there was no time to be stunned.
He had to get out quickly before the trading post master and the others returned. This was probably the storeroom in the corner of the building.
Wriggling and struggling, Jeremy cursed.
“Crazy bitch—she tied me up thoroughly!”
Having no idea that Ilian had learned special knots from the sailors, Jeremy didn’t even dare try to untie them.
Beaten by a woman and tied up!
‘Come to think of it, my body froze the moment I saw that trainee’s eyes.’
It wasn’t because he was stupid. That girl had definitely used some kind of trick.
Could she have used some magical tool?
Unable to admit defeat, fuming, kicking at the air, Jeremy suddenly stopped.
His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he saw a silhouette.
‘Wh-what is that?’
And it was a very large silhouette.
