SOLIRF~12

Chapter 12

There’s Something Worse Than Useless?

“I’m home.”

I returned from work feeling even more drained than usual.

“Sis, you’re back!”
“Welcome home, noona!”

Julie and Rio dashed toward me, wagging their tails, greeting the weary office worker.

Thanks to steady medication, Rio’s condition had improved enough that he could now run around the house. Seeing that made all the money spent feel worth it.

I patted the two adorable dogs—too cute to ever be called ugly even as a joke—and stepped inside. Spending every day together had made me a bit more comfortable around them.

“You’re back.”

My second brother, Marchella, raised one hand in greeting. He’d scavenged some decent planks somewhere and was hammering away, building a table and chairs.

Julie said the neighborhood women cheered every time he swung that axe.

He frowned slightly when he saw me, then stood up.

“What’s wrong? Something happen?”
“Not really.”
“You sure? You look like hell.”

Then he headed into the kitchen and began making something.

After a few clinks and chops, he placed a steaming bowl in front of me—a simple soup.

The moment I took a spoonful, the tension in my body began to melt away.

“Didn’t you say work problems should stay at work? What’s this about?”

So it was showing after all.

Julie and Rio sat down with us to eat dinner. I didn’t really want to talk about it, so I changed the subject.

“Everything okay today?”

Marchella twirled his fork idly between his fingers and shook his head.

“Nothing much. But man, prices in the capital are insane. Even basic stuff costs one and a half times what it does in Ophel.”
“Well, land’s expensive. Rent’s high, so they raise prices to match.”
“How do you even know that?”
“I told you, I’m not from around here.”
“Yeah, right. You probably picked that up from someone in your trading job.”

They still didn’t believe that I wasn’t really part of their family.

I wanted to grab him by the collar and shout, Just believe me, you idiot!—but I was too tired.

Life in the capital wasn’t easy. Marchella was still bouncing between exhausting day jobs, and with prices rising, our meals were stuck at thin soup and hard, rocklike bread. That part always made me the angriest.

“Did you check on any physicians?”
“Yeah. Apparently temple healers only take high nobles, so I’m looking into regular clinics now.”

Because of our low status, divine treatment was out of reach, and private doctors were expensive.

“We’ve still got some medicine left, so let’s keep looking.”

Marchella tried to stay optimistic, saying at least we’d come this far.

He wasn’t wrong. Compared to when we couldn’t even afford medicine, things had improved a little.

I pulled out some fruit and snacks my seniors had given me from work.

“Wow, apples! Oranges too! Are these really for us?”
“Cookies! They look delicious. Who do we give them to, noona?”

They automatically assumed the food couldn’t possibly be ours. And honestly, given how tight our finances had been, it made sense—they hadn’t had fruit in ages.

Tears pricked my eyes as I told them to just eat, that I’d received it at work.

Julie and Rio cheered and immediately started munching.

Meanwhile, Marchella took a bite of a cookie, barely chewed it, and stared right at me.

“Come on. Spill it.”
“What.”
“Why the long face.”

Wasn’t this over already?

He could be ridiculously persistent.

“What’s the point? Talking won’t solve anything.”

They weren’t even really my family—I didn’t want to worry them for no reason. I was about to change the subject again when—

“Ow!”

A sharp flick hit my forehead.

“What the hell was that?!”
“Because you’re saying stupid things. Don’t you know staying silent and sulking just makes us worry more?”
“……”
“Just let it out. Rant, curse—whatever. I’ll listen.”
“Yeah, Sis! Say it! We’ll curse with you!”

Julie chimed in.

“Whoever’s bothering noona is a bad person! I’ll go beat him up!”

Rio added fiercely.

Their reactions made me snort out a laugh.

What kind of kids are these…

I gave in halfway.

“It’s just… there’s this total jerk at work…”

A moment later—

“What?! That bastard’s insane! Who is it? I’m going there tomorrow!”

I hadn’t even told them half the story, but Marchella was already fuming, with Julie and Rio ready to riot behind him.

“That man’s weird! He’s a bad person!”
“Bad! Person!”

It took all my energy to calm them down before they actually stormed my workplace.

But strangely enough, the gloom I’d felt after work had completely disappeared.



During work hours the next day—

“Gemina, senior?”
“Mm? What is it?”

Something felt… off.

“Where should I put these documents?”
“Uh, um… that one? Give it to me. I’ll handle it.”

She was stammering—but differently than usual.

Weird. Something feels off.

“Bator, what did you say we should do with this?”

Wait. She’s asking that jerk for help? And she barely stutters?

“Here.”

Even Bator didn’t act his usual way—no snide remarks, no mocking tone. Just curt cooperation.

Is this what they’re normally like? Maybe things just settled back to normal after all the drama.

Maybe I was just being paranoid.

I decided to clear my head and stepped outside for a short walk behind the building. That’s when I ran into a familiar face.

“Coco!”

Pinea threw her arms around me.

“I wanted to come see you sooner, but I’ve been so busy adjusting to my new work! You’ve been okay, right?”

Since we’d agreed she could call me Coco after moving to the capital, we’d grown close quickly.

She ruffled my hair with a bright laugh.

“Hey—stop it.”
“Okay, okay, sorry!”

Pinea worked in the External Affairs Department—handling publicity, trade, and coordination with outside groups.

Ugh, sounds like a headache. PR, marketing, partnerships—all rolled into one? No thanks.

“You must be exhausted.”
“Don’t even get me started. It’s all overtime, even when there’s no work.”

Apparently, her department head believed working late was a sign of dedication, so everyone stayed late just to look busy.

What era is this even supposed to be? Oh right… technically the past—but there’s magic everywhere, so does that even count?

I was lost in that thought when another voice suddenly called out—

“P–Pinea! The senior’s looking for you!”

That voice… I knew it. It was Gemina’s.

“Huh? Wait… that voice—”

The man Pinea introduced looked exactly like her.

“This is Gemini, my senior from External Affairs.”
“What? Gemini?”
“Yeah, they’re twins! Pretty famous here actually—since twins are rare. People say they’re complete opposites in personality too.”

“Really…”

I remembered the odd behavior earlier and slowly stepped closer.

“Hello, senior. I’m Cornelia from the Management Department. I work with Gemina.”
“Ah—y-yeah. H-hello…”

“Coco,” Pinea explained softly, “his throat’s not feeling well today, so he can’t talk much.”

“I… see.”

The closer I got, the more his eyes trembled.

“Coco?” Pinea tilted her head, sensing my suspicion.

Something was definitely wrong.

And my instincts—honed from surviving countless corporate nightmares in my past life—never failed me.

“It’s strange. Why would my direct senior be here in the External Affairs Department?”

“What do you mean?”

Before Pinea could finish, the man turned and bolted. He stumbled after a few steps, and I caught him easily.

“Senior, what’s going on? You two switched places, didn’t you?”
“What?! Wait—don’t tell me…”

Pinea gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

“Ow… it hurts…”

“Gemini”—no, Gemina—whimpered as I held onto her arm.

No way… she’s hurt this badly?

I pulled up her sleeve without hesitation.

“Huh?! What the—”

Pinea clapped both hands over her mouth this time.

Gemina’s arm was covered in dark, blotchy bruises.

“Excuse me for a moment, senior.”

I crouched down and rolled up one leg of her pants.

Same.

Bruises everywhere.

I didn’t need to ask who did it. There was only one person cruel enough to make her swap shifts just to hide it.

That bastard… an absolute bottom-tier scumbag.