ARML Side Story 4-2 🍒

Side Story — 4-2

When winter came, office workers had no choice but to face the unavoidable season: the year-end company party.

There wouldn’t be another extravagant feast like the one held for the new employees. Such things only happened once a year—there was no need to do it twice.

Still, the banquet hall was filled with delicious food. But the new recruits’ eyelids were heavy.

“Wow…”

Exotic and enormous fruits had been sliced lengthwise and hollowed out, used like bowls. And inside, wickedly strong cocktails were poured.

A senior official leaned in and whispered softly, almost dreamily:

“The Prime Minister really likes the Saintess’s cocktails.”

“….”

Everyone who heard it cried out silently in their hearts:

Saintess! Why would you do this?!

At that moment, someone from Seamus’s team whispered quietly:

“But, isn’t Team Leader Finley a bit weak with alcohol?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well, he hardly ever drinks at parties. This is the first time I’ve had a drink with him.”

“…!”

“I thought he avoided parties because he couldn’t handle alcohol.”

People’s eyes lit up.

Seamus Finley?! Weak with alcohol?!

‘Wow, I want to see this.’

Please, just get ridiculously drunk and make an unforgettable disaster!

They hesitated, not daring to offer him a drink first. Then, the Prime Minister, Luella, called out happily, her mood boosted by the year-end cheer:

“Finley! Crosswell! Come here.”

Naturally, this wasn’t good news for subordinates. A boss who loved company parties was already difficult enough.

“But Finley, when are you going to marry?”

The Prime Minister dropped a massive bomb fueled by alcohol…

Nearby officials barely suppressed coughs into their glasses.

How dare anyone ask Seamus Finley that question! Surely he wouldn’t tell the Prime Minister, “It’s personal, so it’s reasonable to keep quiet,” would he?

Everyone’s stomach twisted with curiosity and tension.

Seamus, however, just smiled faintly.

Young officials, regardless of gender, flinched.

A smile from someone who always looked sullen carried unbelievable impact.

“…I plan to stay at the palace for life.”

“Wow, that’s truly admirable.”

The Prime Minister expressed her admiration, while others were internally shocked.

The answer was unexpectedly practical, especially for someone from the Mage Tower.

Some were privately disappointed:

‘Does he really never date?’

The Mage Tower operated under completely different rules from the noble social circles. While cooperating with the palace, the Mage Tower had independent authority, and a Mage Tower master’s partner held a position of influence. Yet Seamus had never given anyone a chance.

Then Luella Prime Minister asked another dangerous question…

“But you two, Crosswell and Finley, get along so well. Don’t the two teams mix nicely?”

“….”

“Having the top two graduates of the 218th class together looks like a perfect picture, doesn’t it?”

“Uh-huh, Prime Minister.”

Yuriana smiled like a blooming flower, though her eyes shone black with sharp intent.

“I’m perceptive, competent, I take care of those within my circle, I’m not friendly with everyone, and unless someone is my partner, I have no room for anyone else—otherwise, I’ll live alone.”

“Wow…”

While the Prime Minister was startled by her rapid-fire speech, Seamus glared briefly at Yuriana.

“…Same here. I don’t engage with anyone who isn’t worth at least 30,000 points of existence value.”

Everyone thought:

What on earth is “existence value”?

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister shook her head, realizing the Mage Tower master acted like a Mage Tower master.

“Goodness. They’re both hopeless. Cheers!”

With a cheerful shout, everyone hurriedly raised their glasses.

Meanwhile, the new recruits licked their lips in disappointment.

‘If we had waited, we could’ve heard our team leader’s love story!’

No one’s expression changed, even as time passed. Others were slowly getting tipsy, but not them.

‘Ugh, it’s hopeless…’

Those who had secretly hoped for a Seamus Finley disaster were disappointed.

Elite people really are different. He can’t possibly be weak with alcohol.

‘There’s no flaw at all.’

Thanks to the continuous drinking at the central office, the Prime Minister’s teasing jokes fortunately faded from their minds.

As the year-end fatigue continued to pile up:

“Now, Finley.”

Thud.

Yuriana placed a bottle on the table with a sly smile.

“Time for me to win again, right?”

“….”

Seamus’s dark eyes darkened further.

‘Annoying.’

He found Yuriana Crosswell irritating. It wasn’t about evaluations or anything like that.

[Leila! I got promoted! I wanted to tell you first.]
[Oh! Congratulations, Yuriana. Dinner’s on me.]

Seamus noticed how Leila gave more attention to Crosswell, even during the same promotion celebration.

And what Yuriana had said earlier bothered him greatly:

[Perceptive, competent, takes care of those in her circle, not friendly with everyone, no room for anyone but her partner…]

Many around liked Leila too much.

“…Stop bothering Leila.”
“Nope. I’m going to stay close to her forever.”
“….”
“You’re the curious one, Finley.”

Yuriana tilted her head slightly, half teasing, half genuinely curious.

“When will you stop?”

“….”

Earlier, when the Prime Minister had joked, so many people had looked at Seamus with hopeful eyes. But he remained expressionless.

Even after some time, Leila’s words kept coming to mind:

[You’ll have to wait, Seamus.]
[…]
[Thank you for liking me. And I’m really sorry.]

Leila had always been right. Her perspective was far broader than his, trapped as he had been in the Mage Tower.

So he waited. To see if Leila had been right or wrong.

And…

“…Leila was wrong. So I’m not stopping.”

“Eh? Leila was wrong?”

Yuriana’s eyes went sharp and triangular. She had known he was hard to understand, but insulting Leila was unacceptable.

Seamus shrugged one shoulder.

“You don’t need to know.”

“Ah, really?”

Yuriana grinned, pushing a drink toward him.

“Then let’s see if you’ll confess or not.”

“….”

“You’re not going to chicken out, right? Seamus Finley.”

He clenched his teeth. He had developed a constitution that handled alcohol well since the first company party of the black-silver division, but…

‘This woman is seriously strange.’

Yuriana Crosswell had a terrifyingly strong tolerance for alcohol.