TMSTGH 12

Chapter 12

A Surprisingly Good BossI thought back to when we had first discussed the terms of my contract.

“Your annual salary will be one hundred million. I can’t guarantee that you’ll leave work on time, but I promise you’ll receive time off equivalent to any overtime you work. There will also be additional compensation based on your performance.”

People might have had different opinions about these working conditions, but the very first thought that crossed my mind was—

So he expects me to work overtime like it’s part of my daily meals.

Still, I hadn’t been particularly dissatisfied. At my first workplace, that massive trading company, working overtime had been as natural as breathing.

Time off equivalent to any overtime I work.

Just getting that promise made this job better than my previous one.

But leaving work before midnight?

I blinked as I checked the time on my pocket watch.

I was currently inside Rashak’s carriage, sitting opposite him while Mr. Fidel, the head of the assassination squad, drove us.

Watching me close my watch and slip it into my pocket, Rashak asked,

“Do you have something urgent to take care of?”

“Huh? Ah, no. Not at all. It’s actually the opposite…”

“The opposite?”

I hesitated, trying to gauge his reaction, before asking,

“…Are you really sure it’s okay for me to leave work now?”

For some reason, Rashak’s brow furrowed at my question.

He folded his arms, leaned back against the seat, and asked,

“When did you say you came to the capital?”

“When I was twenty-one.”

“And before that?”

I carefully explained my background to him.

I had spent three years as a trainee knight from the age of fifteen, followed by three years studying alchemy. After that, I had come to the capital and joined Crowell, but…

“…I never expected to run into a sexual harasser there.”

“And that’s why you opened your own magic potion shop when you were twenty-four?”

“Yes. My maternal grandfather gave me the building, and before getting married, I wanted to… try running a business of my own.”

I wanted to use the knowledge I had brought with me from my previous life, along with the information I knew from the original novel, Taking the Leash of Your Arrogant Self into My Hands.

With those two advantages, I had wanted to succeed and prove something to my parents.

I wanted to show them that I could do well on my own, too. That they should stop looking down on me and treating me as someone who couldn’t accomplish anything.

“…But haven’t you already investigated my background?”

At my question, Rashak let out a quiet chuckle.

“Hearing it directly from the person herself is different.”

I wasn’t sure what the difference was, but I nodded anyway.

Well, I suppose the boss of an organization has his own way of doing things.

“Then staying up all night to submit reports must be a habit you picked up at Crowell.”

“A habit…? Well, everyone there does it. Whatever happens, you’re expected to write a report and submit it by the following morning.”

“And what else?”

“Huh? …What else?”

“The things you used to do at Crowell. The things you were planning to do in my organization. Tell me all of them.”

I rolled my eyes for a moment before answering cautiously.

“I was planning to arrive at the office at six in the morning, clean the office and the surrounding areas, prepare your tea, and then review the day’s work…”

“Six in the morning? Wait a moment.”

Rashak looked at me seriously.

“Then when exactly do you sleep?”

“…In little bits and pieces?”

“In little bits and pieces?”

“Well… during lunch breaks and things like that…”

“And what about lunch?”

I couldn’t exactly tell him that I either skipped meals or ate something quick and simple.

His expression had already turned utterly incredulous.

“Tsk. You’re practically begging to die.”

“Pardon?”

“Do you know what happens when you live like that? You keep going without realizing when or where your body is breaking down, and then one day, you suddenly die in your sleep.”

“Pardon?!”

“I’m saying that your life expectancy is shorter than that of the men in my organization who get stabbed or poisoned, Hiel Caveron.”

His brow furrowed sharply.

I knew exactly what that expression meant.

Why do I have to explain something this obvious to you? Are you a complete idiot?

…No, it wasn’t that Rashak was actually saying those words.

It was more like the look someone might give a person with a hundred percent P-type personality who never planned anything in advance.

“If you’re leaving work early, don’t go to bed past midnight. Arrive at work on time, eat during your lunch break… Right. I should arrange a health checkup for you, too.”

I was wondering what kind of twenty-first-century employee benefits I had stumbled into when another question suddenly occurred to me.

How exactly does a mafia-style health checkup work?

“And cleaning? Preparing tea? Are you deliberately trying to make yourself look like a spy?”

“Pardon?!”

“If you’re wandering around before working hours, especially this early in the morning, of course people will find you suspicious. Don’t you think?”

He continued explaining.

“Besides, I don’t put just anything into my mouth. You only need to bring me what I need when I need it. If you prepare something in advance, I’ll have no choice but to suspect you.”

“……”

Why is she trying to make me consume this?

I swallowed nervously before answering.

“I-I absolutely won’t do that.”

“Good. See that you don’t.”

Only then did he smile with satisfaction before leaning his upper body toward me.

His golden eyes, filled with an unwavering determination, settled on mine.

“Forget every habit you picked up at Crowell. Forget every principle your parents taught you.”

“……”

“I’m your superior now, Hiel Caveron. You belong to me, too. And your schedule belongs to me.”

You belong to me.

Your schedule belongs to me.

Faced with that possessive voice, I could do nothing but nod.

“Y-yes… Understood. Then… what should I do for the rest of today?”

Just then, the carriage stopped in front of my house.

When Mr. Fidel opened the carriage door, Rashak motioned toward the house with his chin.

“Go inside and sleep. Until eight in the morning.”

In other words, he wanted me to get a full night’s rest so I could arrive at work promptly at nine.

I nodded again and gathered my bag.

“If you loiter anywhere near the office before nine, you’ll be in trouble.”

That was the teasing voice I heard just as I stepped out of the carriage.

He waved casually, and then the door closed.

I stood there, staring blankly at Rashak’s departing carriage.

Somehow, I couldn’t help thinking…

…He’s a good boss.

He made sure I got home safely, even late at night.

He didn’t make me do unnecessary work.

And he actually took an interest in what his subordinates had to say.

He’s nothing like the Rashak in the original novel.

The original Rashak had been something else entirely.

After all, Taking the Leash of Your Arrogant Self into My Hands was a regret-filled, dark romance novel.

Rashak had been the quintessential regretful male lead—or rather, a villainous male lead whose personality was even worse than the typical example.

Whenever the female lead felt even slightly wronged, hadn’t he snapped at her with words like these?

“Do you still not understand the situation? Do you know whose hands hold your life in their grasp?”

He’d said things like that.

And there was another line I remembered.

“Shall I remind you what happened to the people who dared to run their mouths in front of me?”

I shuddered just recalling those chilling words.

Honestly, he wasn’t even the sort of person who had the decency to regret his actions.

There was a reason for it, though…

The moment that reason came to mind, my body stiffened involuntarily.

That’s right. There was a reason Rashak had become such a terrible person.

An event that could be called the greatest misfortune of his life.

And right now, we were still in the period before that event took place.

What would happen if I told him about it?

Would the future change?

Or was there such a thing as the original story’s flow, something that couldn’t be changed no matter what I did?

Carrying all those complicated thoughts with me, I returned home.

For now, I decided to focus on taking care of myself first.

The following morning.

I arrived at work exactly on time, just as Rashak had instructed.

Pierce, on the other hand, arrived ten minutes late.

“Oh, Hiel! You’re early!”

You’re the one who’s late.

“Didn’t you get off work late yesterday? Come on, you should’ve arrived a little later today. Everyone would understand!”

“…Then did you work overtime yesterday, Mr. Pierce?”

“I left work on time.”

What a truly incomprehensible workplace.

“How’s the Sterling matter coming along?”

“Oh, I’ve been compiling the testimonies we collected yesterday. I’m planning to notify the merchants’ association about the case today and submit a formal complaint to the tribunal tomorrow.”

“Then you can start working on your report the day after tomorrow. Let me know if you need any help.”

I could only nod at his almost leisurely attitude.

Well, honestly, if the deadline for submitting the report was pushed back, that would make things easier for me.

“But… what about the boss? Has he not come to work yet…?”

“Oh, he’s here. He’s probably torturing someone in the interrogation room downstairs right now. You know, those rats Hiel helped us lure out and capture before.”

Torture.

At that word, my expression stiffened. I felt goosebumps rise along my arms.

“Y-you mean… those people?”

“Yep! They’re still alive, apparently. Isn’t that amazing?”

Pierce smiled brightly.

“You look curious. Want to go take a look together?”

And so, once again, I found myself thinking the same thing.

Pierce is definitely a complete lunatic.