Chapter 07
I got fired on the very first day!
I asked with a hopeful heart, but for some reason, Toma Harens only frowned more deeply and abruptly turned away.
“Was I fired?”
I asked again, but there was no reply.
The team leader glanced at me sideways, then picked up a rolled bundle of papers and left the office again.
‘What, so I wasn’t fired?’
He just wanted me to get out of his sight.
But since I didn’t get the hint, it seemed he stormed out himself in frustration.
‘His mentality is weaker than he looks.’
Then if I provoke him just a little, I might be able to get the answer I want.
Even though I failed to get fired on the first day, it seemed I succeeded in being disliked.
If I repeat this a few more times, won’t I get fired?
The hope that had sunk down swelled up again.
Hoping that day would come as soon as possible, I looked around.
Since I had come to work anyway, I should sit down—but I couldn’t see any empty seat.
“Excuse me, where is my seat?”
I asked the nearest employee, but he pretended not to hear.
The other employees were the same. They didn’t even glance at me and completely ignored me.
‘Well, can’t be helped.’
Unable to find a seat, I sat back down on the sofa.
When I even took off my shoes and half-lay down, the employees finally looked at me. Every single one of them had an incredulous expression.
“What are you doing right now?”
A man with sunken cheeks but a fairly muscular body abruptly stood up and asked.
“Since no one is telling me where my seat is, I’m going to wait here and get a little sleep until someone does.”
“W-What?”
The man opened his mouth wide in disbelief.
Even I found what I said ridiculous, so how much more must they? I could fully understand.
“Hah, are you a child? Do we have to tell you your seat one by one?”
“If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to. I’ll just keep sitting here.”
“W-Wait!”
As I pretended to lie back down on the sofa again, the man shouted in alarm.
“The desk and chair you’ll use are in the basement storage! Go get them yourself!”
Wow. Even if they don’t like a new recruit, they usually at least prepare a place to sit—but telling me to go get it myself?
[Q. Bring a chair and desk from the storage.]
[Reward: 500p]
As befitted a useless rookie, I was about to refuse, but a new sub-quest popped up.
‘Seriously, what a hassle.’
Well, if I keep acting recklessly, it’ll be too obvious that I’m trying to get fired. I should adjust the pace a bit.
“Understood.”
For the sake of the reward, I obediently went down to the basement.
“…It’s locked.”
I regretted it as soon as I arrived at the basement storage.
There was no way they didn’t know the storage door was locked—so not telling me must have been their way of messing with me.
“How childish.”
On both sides, they’re all big-bodied adults, yet they act like children.
On the other hand, considering what I had done, it made sense.
Clicking my tongue, I asked a passerby where I could get the storage key.
The passerby kindly told me I could get it from the management department on the first floor.
I headed there right away.
“Hello, I’m Aileen, the new recruit in the Urban Development Department!”
As soon as I finished speaking, the office stirred.
“A woman joined the Urban Development Department?”
“That stubborn team leader allowed it?”
Judging by the management staff’s reactions, the team leader of the Urban Development Department didn’t seem to have a good reputation.
Well, he did seem to have quite the personality.
Thinking of Toma Harens with his overly thick mustache, their reaction made even more sense.
“Oh, isn’t she that girl from the rumors?”
At that moment, one employee pointed at me and shouted.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the office turned cold.
“That’s her. The lord…”
“Huh, I didn’t expect her to be that young.”
Everyone glared at me and whispered among themselves, some even shaking their heads.
What kind of rumor had spread to cause such reactions?
I was curious, but it didn’t seem like they would answer even if I asked.
Right now, getting the chair and desk was more important, so I received the storage key and went back down to the basement.
As I unlocked the door and entered, I saw a desk and chair among the cluttered piles.
I could carry the chair alone, but the desk was impossible. No matter how hard I pushed, it wouldn’t budge.
“Looks like I’ll need someone’s help… but who?”
The Urban Development Department staff were out of the question.
They probably anticipated this and told me to get it myself—there was no way they’d help.
“Judging by their reaction earlier, the management staff probably won’t help either…”
The only person I could think of was the guard standing in front of the annex.
He looked strong and capable.
“Let’s move the chair first and think about it.”
Just in case, I should at least try bringing it up with the department staff.
I picked up the chair and climbed the stairs. Walking along the flat corridor was fine, but my arms started to ache badly.
“Huff, huff… I’m dying.”
After barely making it to the first floor, I collapsed onto the chair I brought and caught my breath.
“Did they make this chair out of stone or something? Why is it so heavy?”
While grumbling as I steadied my breathing, I suddenly looked at my reflection in the window.
Reddish-brown hair. Blue eyes reminiscent of the sea, and a nose sprinkled with freckles.
“…I still can’t get used to it.”
It had been almost two months since I entered this woman’s body, but it still felt unfamiliar.
Sometimes, when I woke up groggy in the morning and looked in the mirror, I would get startled.
When would I finally get used to it?
“Miss Aileen?”
As I stared at my reflection, a familiar voice called out.
“Assistant, hello.”
It was Noah Roheim, the lord’s assistant.
As I stood up and bowed politely, he smiled gently.
“You don’t have to be so formal. But what’s that chair?”
Noah Roheim stepped closer and pointed at the chair in front of me.
“It’s the chair I’ll be using from now on.”
“Pardon? From where?”
“From the Urban Development Department. They told me to get my desk and chair from the storage myself, so I was in the middle of bringing it.”
For a moment, Noah Roheim’s face hardened.
Seeing someone who always smiled make that expression sent a chill down my spine, even though I had done nothing wrong.
“Ah, I apologize.”
Noah Roheim wiped his face and then smiled again.
His expression changing so quickly was even creepier.
“Hmm, Miss Aileen, since you’re young, you may not know, but this is the department staff hazing you.”
Not know? I knew it all too well.
“So I’ll go to the office and say a word—”
“Wait!”
As Noah Roheim looked like he was about to head straight to the department, I hurriedly grabbed him.
“No! Please don’t!”
If the lord’s assistant intervened, it would interfere with my plan to get fired as soon as possible.
I had to stop him no matter what!
“I’m fine, so please don’t do anything.”
“But…”
“I’m really fine. And if this is hazing, then if I do well, they’ll acknowledge me someday, right?”
As I spoke firmly, Noah Roheim let out a short sigh as if he had no choice.
“It won’t be easy.”
“I know. Still, I want to try. In a way, this is also part of social life, so I want to solve it on my own first.”
“Miss Aileen…”
Noah Roheim looked at me as if he were moved.
I was actually struggling to get fired, but seeing him look at me like that made my conscience sting.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“The chair looks heavy. I’ll carry it to your office.”
“No, it’s fine. I can handle this much.”
As I picked up the chair, I suddenly remembered the desk in the storage.
I needed help anyway—this was perfect.
“Could you help move the desk? I can’t lift that one alone…”
“Of course. Should I bring the one from the storage?”
“Yes. But it’s heavy, so it’ll be hard to carry alone. Let’s go together.”
“No need. I can handle it alone, so please wait here for a moment.”
Answering confidently, Noah Roheim headed down to the basement.
“I don’t think he can carry it alone.”
That desk was incredibly heavy—someone with a slender build like Noah Roheim definitely…
“Is this the desk?”
…Wait, he brought it?
Not only that, he wasn’t even struggling and was smiling calmly.
As I stared at him in shock, Noah Roheim tilted his head.
“Is this not it?”
“Ah, no, that’s right. Isn’t it heavy?”
“Not at all. To properly serve the lord, this much is basic.”
I didn’t understand what serving the lord had to do with being strong.
“That’s true.”
But as Noah Roheim smiled harmlessly while saying it, I found myself agreeing without thinking.
