Chapter: 02
Rian de Vichel—he suddenly invaded my life a month ago.
It was through Chase oppa’s introduction.
“Siena, say hello. This is Rian de Vichel. Starting today, he’ll be working at our center.”
“…Huh?”
“I met him when I studied abroad at Tiarosa Academy. He’s one of my closest friends.”
“…”
“Rian is from the Kingdom of Leharten, so he doesn’t know much about the Empire. That’s why I want you to take good care of him, okay?”
“…”
“Oppa trusts our Siena. You know how I feel, right?”
So basically, the center director had personally dropped a parachute in my lap.
‘Tiarosa Academy graduate means he’s a noble…’
I still didn’t understand why a noble from a kingdom would come all the way to the Empire just to get a job at a counseling center.
When I first saw Rian, my thoughts were simple:
‘Ugh… so annoying.’
Of course, he was handsome.
His face, physique, everything was superior, and his luxurious attire suggested he had money.
Anyone could tell he looked like he belonged among the thirty male leads in this game.
But the problem was, I absolutely despised personalities like Rian’s.
“Hello, Director. I look forward to your guidance. I’ll be expecting your consideration for me from now on.”
A ‘smooth + shameless + butter-type guy’ like Chase oppa.
‘Having observed oppa for so long, I know humans like that habitually flirt with every woman.’
In short, he was a person without sincerity.
‘Also, starting off by speaking casually only added to the bad impression.’
Anyway, Rian, who came in as the youngest, was technically the youngest but not really.
The youngest in a workplace should help seniors and handle menial tasks.
But Rian didn’t do any work—not even menial tasks.
From the moment he arrived to the moment he left, all he did was sit on the sofa, swinging his feet idly.
Yet the center staff couldn’t say a word to him.
‘Rian is a noble, and he’s the oldest among the staff…’
Even now, it was a similar situation.
When Rian reacted positively to a request, the atmosphere instantly became tense.
Everyone’s faces said it all:
‘Ugh, why is the youngest stirring up work when we’re already over it…!’
Whether he knew it or not, Rian spoke with a smirking face:
“But Director, why do we have to get the seniors’ approval? Didn’t we already accept the request?”
“…?”
“I saw the thick envelope you received earlier.”
He pointed to his red eyes and smiled darkly.
‘When did he see that…?’
Rian hadn’t been around when Johan visited earlier.
Isadora’s gaze grew sharp.
“Director, did you receive the advance payment?”
“Uh… yes.”
“How much did you receive?”
“Uh…”
“…”
“…50,000 gold.”
Immediately, her tired eyes cleared up as if washed by holy water.
‘From dead fish to lively fish in an instant.’
Heaven and Finn were the same.
“50,000 gold…?”
They looked at me blankly, then slowly nodded.
“That’s a lot.”
“A lot indeed…”
Ahem.
Isadora cleared her throat and pushed up her glasses that had slid down to the bridge of her nose.
“Director, I have one question…”
“…”
“Would you be willing to provide a portion of the amount submitted by the client as an incentive for us?”
I rolled my eyes.
‘I was only focusing on Johan and didn’t even consider that…’
I nodded affirmatively without hesitation.
“Mm… well, you’ve been here over two years, and with the remaining payment, it totals 100,000 gold.”
“…”
“…I’ll give 3,000 gold each upon successful completion of the request.”
The slouched staff immediately straightened their posture.
“Then we have no choice.”
“Indeed.”
“Let’s do it.”
The same people who had been negative just a minute ago suddenly changed their attitude.
‘Defeated by capitalism.’
Before I realized it, Rian had come up beside me.
He looked over the documents Johan had prepared and spoke.
“But Director, do you know this man?”
It was an unexpected question.
The red eyes that skimmed the documents now pointed at me again.
“Nothing in particular, but I noticed your gaze toward the marquis earlier… it looked… heartfelt.”
“…”
“Like you’ve known Marquis Veloster for decades.”
Rian’s half-lidded eyes curved thinly.
My heart started pounding at his gloomy, sharp gaze.
‘What a ghost of a man.’
Creepy enough that he watched the advance payment, and now he’s analyzing my expression too?
‘But I’ll never tell him I’ve known Johan for 19 years in my past and current life.’
I straightened my face.
“No, we don’t know each other at all…”
I knew it was strange for a director to speak formally to the youngest, but I had no choice.
‘I can’t casually speak casually to someone who’s a close friend of Chase oppa…’
Rian raised an eyebrow.
“Ah.”
“…”
“You don’t give ‘that’ kind of look to someone you don’t know?”
“…”
“Director, you’re an interesting person.”
Rian’s eerie smile spread across my vision.
‘What answer is he looking for?’
I had nothing to say, so I looked toward the staff.
The staff, who were watching Rian and me, quickly averted their gaze.
‘Why are they acting like that?’
I couldn’t understand any of it—Rian picking a fight, the suspicious staff… all of it.
Rian continued muttering as he examined the documents.
“Johan Veloster’s request target is Violet Bringer of the Bringer family…”
“…”
“…Ah, I remember now. This young lady is famous for being pretty, isn’t she?”
I unconsciously clenched my fist.
‘The youngest, a strange newcomer who does nothing.’
Even though I was already upset, did he have to hit me with the fact so bluntly?
Was it going to make him feel better?
Violet Bringer.
I had known about her for some time.
She was famous for being beautiful, just as Rian said.
A year ago, at the royal palace ball, I had first seen Violet.
‘Wow, she’s like cotton candy.’
Violet was truly a breathtaking beauty with a sweet, dessert-like aura.
But…
‘I never thought Johan would like Violet.’
Of course, men liked pretty girls, but I never expected Johan to feel that way.
In the novel Milaira’s Flower Garden, Johan was diligent and pure.
He was different from ordinary male characters.
He had started liking Milaira not for her looks, but for her kind heart.
‘I understand the novel’s setting isn’t fully applied since this is the game, but still… Violet?’
My illusions about Johan were shattered.
‘Johan Veloster, you’re corrupted.’
While I suffered from amnesia for 19 years, he had clearly experienced the world thoroughly.
Still, even though I was disappointed in Johan, giving up on him wasn’t easy.
He was literally my perfect ideal type and my favorite.
‘I didn’t expect leaving a fandom to be this hard…’
I forced my complicated feelings aside.
I had already accepted the request. What could I do?
“I’ll investigate.”
To facilitate a natural meeting between Johan and Violet, I first needed to track Violet’s movements.
‘I don’t want to go… but I have to.’
As I walked lazily to the doorway, staff members greeted me one by one.
“Be careful, Director.”
“Director, melon juice for your trip.”
“I’ll take strawberry, please.”
Even though I was already depressed… those people.
I shot a glance at oblivious Finn and Heaven and went outside.
But… I felt a presence behind me.
“…Why are you following me, youngest?”
Rian had somehow been trailing me.
“I’m just making sure the Director doesn’t get bored.”
“Bored? I’m going to work.”
“Don’t you know sharing work halves it?”
“Sharing work just doubles it.”
I shoved Rian, who was spouting nonsense, toward the center building.
“Stop following me and help the seniors.”
But Rian didn’t budge.
He just leisurely looked down at me struggling.
“Director, do you think I’ll be pushed around by that fist of yours? I think you secretly want to make me laugh.”
He added with a wink:
“I’m calling you cute.”
Habitual flirting, winking…
Realizing this world was the game, I thought:
‘Rian de Vichel… which novel’s male lead did you come from?’
