Chapter 7 

So I got fired on my first day!

I asked with excitement, but for some reason, Toma Harens only frowned more deeply and turned away.

“Am I not fired?”

I asked again, but there was no response.

The team leader glanced at me sideways, grabbed a rolled bundle of documents, and walked out of the office.

‘What? So I’m not fired.’

He must have just meant for me to get out of his sight.

And since I didn’t understand, he got so annoyed that he left himself.

‘His mentality is weaker than I thought.’

If that’s the case, maybe I could get the answer I want by provoking him a little more.

Even though I failed to get fired on the first day, it seemed like I succeeded in making them dislike me.

If I repeated this a few more times, wouldn’t I get fired?

The hope that had faded began to rise again.

Hoping that day would come soon, I looked around.

Since I had come to work, I needed to sit somewhere—but I didn’t see any empty seats.

“Excuse me, where is my seat?”

I asked the nearest employee, but he completely ignored me.

The others were the same. They didn’t even look at me.

‘Well, can’t be helped.’

Since I couldn’t find a seat, I went back and sat on the sofa.

I even took off my shoes and half-lay down. Only then did they finally look at me—all with expressions of disbelief.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

A man with a thin face but a muscular build stood up and asked.

“No one is telling me where my seat is, so I’m just going to rest here until someone does.”

“W-what?”

The man’s mouth fell open in shock.

Even I found what I said ridiculous, so I understood their reaction.

“Hah, are you a child? Do we have to tell you everything?”

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I’ll just keep sitting here.”

“W-wait!”

As I pretended to lie down again, the man panicked and shouted.

“Your desk and chair are in the basement storage. Go get them yourself!”

Wow. Even if they didn’t like a new recruit, they usually at least provided a seat.

But telling me to get it myself?

[Q. Retrieve a chair and desk from the storage.]
[Reward: 500p]

I was about to refuse like a proper useless rookie—but a new subquest appeared.

‘Ugh, how annoying.’

Well, if I kept pushing too hard, it would be too obvious that I was trying to get fired.

I needed to balance things a bit.

“Alright.”

Since there was a reward too, I obediently went down to the basement.

“…It’s locked.”

The moment I got there, I regretted it.

Of course they knew it was locked. They just didn’t tell me to mess with me.

“So childish.”

People here and back in my old world—same thing. Big bodies, childish behavior.

Though, thinking about what I had done, I guess it made sense.

Clicking my tongue, I asked a passerby where I could get the key.

They kindly told me to go to the administration office on the first floor.

So I headed there right away.

“Hello! I’m Aileen, the new recruit in the Urban Planning Department!”

The moment I finished speaking, the office stirred.

“A woman joined the Urban Planning Department?”

“That stubborn team leader allowed it?”

Judging by their reactions, the team leader didn’t seem very well-liked.

Well, he did seem difficult.

Thinking of Toma Harens and his thick, messy mustache, their reaction made sense.

“Oh, isn’t she the one from the rumors?”

One employee pointed at me.

The atmosphere immediately turned cold.

“So it’s her… the one the lord…”

“Wow, she’s younger than I expected.”

They glanced at me and whispered, some even shaking their heads.

What kind of rumors had spread?

I was curious, but it didn’t seem like they’d answer even if I asked.

Right now, getting the chair and desk was more important.

So I got the key and went back to the basement.

Inside the storage, there were piles of clutter, but I managed to find a desk and a chair.

The chair I could carry alone.

But the desk was impossible.

No matter how hard I pushed, it didn’t budge.

“…I’ll need someone’s help. But who?”

Definitely not the Urban Planning staff.

They probably expected this and told me to get it myself. No way they’d help.

“And judging by earlier, the admin staff won’t help either…”

The only person I could think of was the guard at the annex entrance.

He looked strong.

“Let’s move the chair first.”

Maybe I’d at least try asking the department staff.

Carrying the chair, I climbed the stairs.

Walking on flat ground was fine, but climbing made my arms ache.

“Hah… hah… I’m dying…”

I barely made it to the first floor and collapsed into the chair, breathing heavily.

“Why is this so heavy? Is it made of stone or something?”

As I caught my breath, I glanced at my reflection in the window.

Reddish-brown hair.

Blue eyes like the sea.

Freckles scattered across my nose.

“…I still can’t get used to this.”

It had been almost two months since I entered this body, but it still felt unfamiliar.

Sometimes, when I saw my reflection in the morning, it startled me.

I wondered when I’d get used to it.

“Miss Aileen?”

As I stared at my reflection, I heard a familiar voice.

“Assistant, hello.”

It was Noah Roheim, the lord’s aide.

I quickly stood and bowed politely. He smiled gently.

“You don’t need to be so formal. But what’s with the chair?”

He stepped closer and pointed at it.

“This is the chair I’ll be using.”

“…Pardon? From where?”

“The Urban Planning Department. They told me to get my desk and chair from storage, so I’m in the middle of moving it.”

For a moment, Noah’s expression hardened.

Seeing someone who always smiled make that face sent chills down my spine.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

He rubbed his face and then smiled again.

The way his expression changed so quickly was even more unsettling.

“Well, Miss Aileen, you may not realize this, but this is the staff giving you a hard time.”

Of course I realized. I knew it too well.

“In that case, I’ll go and say something to them—”

“Wait!”

I quickly grabbed him before he could move.

“No! Please don’t!”

If the lord’s aide got involved, my plan to get fired would fall apart.

I had to stop him.

“I’m really fine. Please don’t do anything.”

“But…”

“I’m really okay. And if this is just hazing, then if I do well, they’ll acknowledge me eventually, right?”

As I spoke firmly, Noah let out a small sigh.

“It won’t be easy.”

“I know. But I still want to try. In a way, this is part of social life. I want to handle it myself first.”

“Miss Aileen…”

He looked at me, clearly moved.

But I was just trying to get fired, so his reaction made me feel a bit guilty.

“Then I’ll get going.”

“The chair looks heavy. I’ll carry it to your office.”

“No, it’s fine. I can handle this.”

As I lifted the chair, I remembered the desk in the storage.

I actually needed help with that.

“Could you help me move the desk? I can’t lift it alone…”

“Of course. It’s in the storage, right?”

“Yes. But it’s heavy, so let’s go together—”

“No need. I can handle it alone. Please wait here.”

With that, Noah confidently went down to the basement.

“…There’s no way he can carry it alone.”

That desk was extremely heavy. With his slender build, there was no way—

“Is this the desk?”

…He brought it.

And not only that—he looked completely relaxed.

Startled, I stared at him. Noah tilted his head.

“Is this not the one?”

“No, it is… Isn’t it heavy?”

“Not at all. If you want to serve the lord well, this is the bare minimum.”

I had no idea what being strong had to do with serving the lord.

“…Right.”

But the way Noah smiled so harmlessly made me nod along without thinking.