<CHAPTER 04>
Is the Price of Possession a Job Scam?!
After the audience ceremony on Friday.
One week later.
I successfully completed my first day at work.
My first workplace, Duffy Palace, had several things I liked.
A palace made of marble with a pale sky-blue roof, and a garden blooming with coral-colored flowers.
And.
“Woof woof!”
A pack of golden retrievers.
Golden puppies rushed toward me, wagging their tails like propellers.
Their warm, soft tongues licked my face eagerly.
Their fur, softer than anything I could describe—like a vest made of rabbit fur—brushed against my cheeks and tickled me.
“Ahaha, that tickles!”
“Pant, pant!”
I was pushed over onto the grass by a massive golden wave.
Golden retrievers, like a warm wool blanket, piled over me.
I patted their round heads, like freshly harvested potatoes.
The slightly heavy, big-pawed angels pressed down on me.
“Ugh, you guys are heavy! Too heavy!”
They were cute, but heavy!
“Oh my, Miss Rena, are you alright?”
A passing clerk stopped when she saw me buried under the giant pile of dogs.
She grabbed my hand and helped me up.
“Clerk, Duffy Palace must be heaven. There are fluffy angels walking around everywhere.”
I dusted off the dirt from my skirt and joked playfully.
She smiled softly at my remark.
“You like them that much? You always greet them first whenever you come to work.”
“They’re cute.”
The clerk smiled warmly.
“If you like dogs, would you walk them when you have time? There’s someone in charge, but they like it more when different people take them.”
“Of course, it would be an honor for my family.”
“Oh my, an honor for your family? Ahaha, you really have a funny way with words, Miss Rena.”
The clerk patted my shoulder encouragingly.
“Today marks exactly one week since you started, right? You’ve finished your handover, so are you getting used to things now?”
“Ah, yes! To some extent.”
“It won’t be too difficult going forward. Between us, there’s no better workplace in the Imperial Palace than here.”
The clerk placed a large basket on the desk.
“Here, this is a gift. It’s bestowed by the former Crown Princess.”
It was a brown basket woven from tropical plant leaves, mostly found in the south.
Inside were boxes wrapped in colorful paper.
I couldn’t help but admire it.
“Wow… what is this?”
“Snacks, stationery, notebooks. A welcome gift for new employees.”
The box tied with a blue ribbon was filled with bite-sized treats.
“Every time a new employee joins, the former Crown Princess prepares these personally. Be sure to thank her when you meet her.”
So they even prepare things like this.
Sugar was a luxury.
Sweet snacks were just as precious.
I should save them.
I lifted a sparkling fruit candy, admiring it.
That evening, on my way home from work.
Duffy Palace was dyed red by the sunset.
Ugh, I’m tired. I should hurry home!
I left the southern wing where Duffy Palace was located and headed toward the annex where the staff dormitories were.
In front of the maze garden, Lucas was standing there.
He rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
I waved widely and approached him happily.
“Oh, Lucas!”
It had only been a week, but I was glad to see him.
Lucas was mischievous and a bit cheeky, but not a bad person.
He seems like someone I could get along with!
In the imperial palace, where I had no one to rely on, building a harmless, friendly relationship was important.
Since we worked in the same place, I planned to greet him whenever we met and grow closer.
“Why are you in front of the maze garden again? What if you get lost again?”
Lucas tilted his head and raised one eyebrow.
“…Why are you still calling me ‘Lucas’? I think it’s about time that changed.”
“Ah? Why? Is it weird to call you Lucas? Should I call you Luke?”
We weren’t close enough for nicknames yet, were we?
Wouldn’t it seem too familiar if I used one already?
As I seriously pondered it, he responded as if I were saying something ridiculous.
“No, I mean the audience ceremony. Didn’t you see?”
Why was he suddenly bringing that up?
I asked back, puzzled.
“What didn’t I see?”
“The Emperor.”
I recalled what happened about a week ago.
I had been at the ceremony where His Majesty entered, but…
Since Rowen Green fainted foaming at the mouth, I didn’t see anything.
I answered honestly.
“Ah, my colleague fainted from nerves, so I had to deal with that.”
“Was it important? Honestly, it was too far anyway. Even if I focused, I wouldn’t have seen clearly. He just looked like a moving black dot.”
“No. It wasn’t important. Miss Powell, you’re unlucky.”
Lucas said nothing more.
Come to think of it, the Emperor was famous for being handsome.
If even someone from a direct department bragged about seeing him, he must really be good-looking.
I wonder if I’ll ever get to see him up close someday? I’m curious.
I hope I do.
I changed the subject.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m planning to propose removing the maze garden. I’m measuring it.”
“What? Removing it? The maze garden?”
“Yeah. Why hasn’t anyone removed this eyesore yet? It only gets in the way.”
I scrunched my nose as if I had bitten into something bitter.
Seeing my expression, Lucas asked.
“What’s with that look? It’d be better if it were gone.”
“Um… it’s not that simple.”
I waved my arms, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation.
“As you can see, it’s nicely enclosed? Kind of private? Right?”
“So?”
“So office couples use it a lot.”
The maze garden was a 대표적인 spot for secret meetings among workplace couples.
“There are over thirty couples I know alone. If you remove it, you’ll become a traitor to them.”
In a workplace where people often found partners within the same organization,
it was a small world where everyone was connected by just one degree.
If he proposed removing it, there was a high chance of a public uprising asking who suggested it.
He’d be lucky if he didn’t get hunted down and lynched.
I was genuinely trying to warn him, but Lucas responded indifferently.
“Whether they date or not isn’t my concern.”
“Alright, I’ll be honest. If you want to earn widespread resentment from an unspecified number of people, go ahead and propose it.”
“But I recommend submitting it anonymous lol
