HOWSH~11

~Chapter 11~

Just as I was about to end up taking the fall for trying to save the department head, Carlos, having straightened his tie, cleared his throat and spoke.

“Let’s skip the formalities. Everyone, let’s go inside.”

It was a statement that marked the end of the situation.

Formalities, huh…?

Considering he had spent the whole time gauging what kind of people my team members were, it was an oddly fitting remark.

My tightly wound nerves unraveled unexpectedly, leaving my eyes darting around in confusion. I had no idea how to respond, my lips flapping uselessly.

It was Dice, the department head, who seemed to regain his composure first.

“Yes, sir!”

“There’s an urgent meeting scheduled, so I’d like everyone to take their seats promptly. Leander, could you handle the brief introductions?”

“Of course, sir! I’ll personally guide everyone. This way, please!”

Dice, who had just straightened his bent back, followed Carlos into the office, one hand brushing his lower back while the other thumb pointed at me.

It was as if he was silently saying, “Your department head thanks you.”

I dabbed at my dry, unyielding eyes and muttered politely.

Our sweet, innocent department head… really.

I’m sorry…

He had an uncanny talent for plunging someone into relentless guilt.

“Perfect timing.”

Isid, who had been moaning in despair just moments ago, moved up beside me. His reaction was the complete opposite of Dice’s.

His arm slowly wrapped around my shoulder. Whenever something made him proud, he had this habit of draping an arm around the nearest person.

Right… he had done the same countless times with Elchevita, under the guise of friendship, but always with a personal motive.

Recalling the original story drained the warmth from my blood.

At the same time, a flood of questions I wanted to grab Isid by the collar and demand answers to surged up.

I shoved his arm off and said, grinding my teeth,

“Isid. Explain this—right now.”

Since Carlos’s appearance, I had been biting my lips until they hurt. The sharp sting of that habit told me just how anxious I was.

Why did so many things have to happen right before I quit? It was a sequence of absurdities that no god could hate me enough to deserve.

As I scanned the spot Carlos had left, Isid’s excited voice followed.

I want to hit him.

“Wow, Rose! The prince seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“What?”

“No lie. Truly.”

“…Where did that ridiculous ‘truly’ come from?”

I gawked at his face, which showed no hint of deceit, and was left speechless.

“People just… have a sense for things. Sometimes, you get this feeling even when you don’t understand why. Earlier, when you were flustered, you looked completely silly—but the prince was smiling. Did you notice?”

“I didn’t notice—I ignored it. And just because someone’s smiling, does that mean they like everything about you?”

“Uh…?”

“How can you be sure that Carlos wouldn’t suddenly stab someone with a knife? I can’t promise that just because he’s smiling, he’s harmless.”

It made my skin crawl. My guess? Either a prelude to murder or a shortcut to making me his servant. One hundred percent chance it’s one of the two.

Damn you, Isid Fernando.

“Wait, Rose. Why can’t you just think of the romantic possibility? He smiled at you kindly. Surely that counts for something.”

“Romance? My foot.”

“Well… his smile carried some sort of atmosphere. I can’t say for certain yet, but you could definitely read it that way, don’t you think?”

“….”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Isid scratched the back of his neck, completely innocent.

I turned my gaze away bitterly.

Ah, now I see why you were such a pushover side character.

Ever since Carlos appeared, the office had become chaotic.

Team members reacted differently to the news that he had been assigned as team leader.

Dice and Isid’s unhealthy mental states aside, the last person to face him, Meichel, was utterly destroyed.

Even so, Carlos “Levin Seymour Delroad”—the first prince—clearly carried some serious weight.

During the short team meeting, Meichel, after finishing her first line of discussion, collapsed into her chair and whispered to me.

“Ugh… what do I do? Did I just present properly? I feel like my morning cheese toast is about to come back up.”

“That’s not my problem. Stop shaking your legs.”

You’re shaking my innocent desk too, you know.

“Hey, Rose Lutiens. Do you think I’m shaking because I want to?”

“How should I know? Maybe your body just reacts when meeting someone important.”

I shrugged and set down the pen I’d been spinning. My mind was just as frazzled.

No, maybe I was even more panicked than her.

A variable far beyond my very existence had just appeared. How was I supposed to process this?

Carlos wasn’t supposed to be employed here…

Three years ago, I had stayed up every night reading that story. I could confidently say, as a true fan, that Carlos did nothing but play the love game with Elchevita until the story’s end.

By his nature, a man like Carlos could never have become so diligently responsible.

And yet… here he was, showing up as a complete anomaly. Perhaps it was because I had saved him that one time.

But Carlos wouldn’t even remember that, right? The power from the ancient forbidden book should’ve worked perfectly. Everyone had forgotten yesterday’s incident, and the person involved hadn’t mentioned a word—so that couldn’t be it either.

I thought and thought, only to find myself panicking all over again.

What the hell is going on?

“Ugh… I’m going crazy.”

I tugged at my hair, flinging it about, only to release it and do it all over again. My stomach churned, my head spun.

Thirty minutes had passed since the emergency meeting with Carlos began, and I hadn’t absorbed a single word.

I shouldn’t be like this…

I knew I shouldn’t, yet I simply couldn’t focus.

If I forgot what was discussed, Dice would surely scold me. Big trouble.

Normally, our branch held weekly meetings. Each one packed with urgent agendas—security, treatment, every necessary detail for the territory. With so few people, full focus was required.

“…Yang.”

“….”

“Miss Lutiens?”

“…?”

My hand, which had been propping up my jaw, fell to my side. Every gaze was now on me.

Isid fidgeting across from me, Dice silently watching from Carlos’s side, Meichel glaring with her mouth shut—everyone waiting for me.

The pen I had been holding rolled to the floor, but I couldn’t bend down to pick it up. Carlos had already called my name.

“…Yes?”

I blinked, caught off guard. Timing, as usual, was entirely unfortunate.

Those violet eyes, sharp and intense, were fixed squarely on me.

Unfortunately, the target of that gaze was me.

“Miss Lutiens.”

Had he seen through me? My throat went dry, and I swallowed nervously.

But the words that followed were far from what I had feared.

“So, do you agree?”

His black hair, neatly swept back, revealed no hint of emotion. His serious tone mirrored the composed persona he always maintained.

Earlier, he had smiled freely… and now, nothing.

I raised my hand slightly, attempting to smooth down a stray hair, and thought:

This is terrifying.

“Agree?”

“Yes. I’m asking because your opinion matters, Miss Lutiens.”

“Ah… my opinion?”

I scratched my jaw, feeling embarrassed.

My opinion? Why was it suddenly being asked now?

I tried to stop the words that wanted to escape, rolling my eyes nervously.

Let’s think calmly. Had there ever been a moment in a meeting where a mere team member’s opinion was needed?

Thinking back, all agendas had been handled by Dice as acting team leader. Everyone else simply nodded, accepted instructions, delivered documents, and went on assignments.

This was new for me.

“Are you opposed to it?”

“…To what?”

“The thing we just discussed. If you don’t want it, I won’t force you.”

“…?”

So… what? I stared blankly as a relaxed smile spread across Carlos’s lips.

He seemed to be saying: Do as you wish.

It was just that the freedom to choose was maddeningly vague.

“Hey, Rose. Speak quickly. His Highness is still looking this way.”

Just then, Meichel jabbed my arm. I turned to her, frustration painted across my face.

One moment of zoning out, and suddenly I was being treated like a passive object between them all.