Chapter 6
They were right.
The competition for those two seats was fiercer and more frightening than ever.
“Hello, Vivy? We don’t get to see each other much since we’re on different floors, right? I’m Scarlett. I work in the reference room on the third floor……”
“Vivy. We had lunch together the other day, remember? Huh? You don’t remember me? Think carefully. I was sitting right behind you at lunch just two days ago.”
It wasn’t just the people in the reading room. Even the women working in the reference room and offices had heard the rumors and came looking for me.
I wanted to generously give up my own seat for them, but Julia insisted that since the seats had been created because of me, I absolutely had to go.
So that wasn’t possible.
“I just want to make sure, but you’re not planning to go like that, are you?”
At last, our working hours were over, and I was changing out of my work clothes in the break room.
Julia looked at me disapprovingly.
“What else am I supposed to do?”
“Just look at Katrina and Georgia. That’s the bare minimum, Vivy.”
“What is?”
“Makeup! Makeup! Were you seriously planning to go with your bare face?”
I looked at Katrina and Georgia, who were sitting in front of the mirror and dressing themselves up as much as possible.
They were the two civil servants from the administrative office on the second floor who had claimed the remaining two seats.
“Since you can’t wear pretty clothes, you should at least put on some makeup. Especially you. You’re the face of our library! This won’t do.”
“W-wait!”
Julia grabbed my arm and dragged me in front of the mirror.
Katrina and Georgia also approached me with their cosmetics.
They were really planning to put makeup on my face.
“Close your eyes!”
“Pout your lips!”
“Turn your head a little.”
I had no choice but to obediently follow every command that came flying at me.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Something strange touched my face.
Everything that touched me felt different, and it was frightening.
“Is-is it finished yet?”
I sat quietly for a long time before I was finally allowed to open my eyes.
“Vivy. You look incredibly beautiful.”
Julia smiled brightly as she looked at my face.
“She really is pretty!”
“I’m actually a little jealous.”
They practically dragged me forward.
Unlike my seniors, who kept telling me how pretty I looked, I felt awkward looking at myself in the mirror.
Was it really okay to paint my lips this red?
“Don’t secretly wipe off the color! Now let’s go!”
When I started fiddling around my eyes, Julia grabbed my arm.
Before leaving, I fixed my hair, which fell all the way down to my chest.
As we walked down the stairs, I saw the men standing in front of the main entrance of the library.
Perhaps because they were navy officers, they were all tall and slender.
Katrina and Georgia patted me on the back.
“What is this? Vivy. Aren’t they incredibly handsome? Even more than I expected!”
“If I’d known this was going to happen, I should’ve stopped by a store during lunch and bought a pretty dress……”
“Ouch, Senior.”
I frowned slightly as I walked forward.
Lord Costance’s face, which had been hidden from view because of the angle, finally came into sight.
I had seen him that morning, but strangely, his appearance looked somewhat unfamiliar.
I wondered why, then quickly realized that his hairstyle had changed.
He had exposed his forehead.
My mouth fell open.
Surely he hadn’t exposed his forehead just because of what I had said?
The timing was almost too perfect to deny it.
“Georgia! Look at Lord Costance’s hair.”
My seniors belatedly noticed Lord Costance’s hair and exclaimed in admiration.
It really did suit him.
He had always kept his forehead covered with his bangs, so I had never known what his forehead looked like……
Apparently, God had unfairly given Lord Costance a beautiful forehead as well.
He normally had a youthful-looking face, but simply exposing his forehead made him look much more mature and grown-up.
Looking closely, I noticed that while his shirt had been perfectly neat during the day, two or three buttons were now undone.
The skin subtly visible between them looked more provocative than if he had taken off his entire shirt.
“Oh? Major Lance, it looks like the ladies have finished work!”
One of the men turned around.
When he spotted us, he waved his hand in the air excitedly.
My seniors swallowed their screams and struggled to hide their excitement.
“You came early. You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”
At Julia’s words, the man who appeared to be the highest-ranking officer shook his head.
“No. We just arrived as well.”
From what I heard, this man was called Major Lance.
“That’s a relief. Ah, these two work at the library with Vivy and me. They’re both civil servants.”
“I see. Shall we introduce ourselves properly after we get inside the restaurant? The jazz café I mentioned this morning is quite popular, so the seats fill up quickly.”
“Of course.”
Major Lance and Julia seemed to get along well, as their conversation flowed smoothly.
The other two seniors walking behind them paired up with the blond-haired man and the youngest man.
That left me and Lord Costance.
Even if we had to pair up, I wanted to avoid Lord Costance.
Besides, he had been staring at me for a while, and it was making me uncomfortable.
“……Um.”
I carefully opened my mouth.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Ah.”
Lord Costance’s face turned slightly red, and he looked startled.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was doing it……”
“No. If there’s something on my face, please tell me. I’ll wipe it off quickly.”
“It’s your lips……”
Was there really something on my lips?
I hurriedly ran my finger over them, but nothing came off.
I was about to take out my handkerchief so I could wipe away the lipstick completely when—
“No.”
Lord Costance grabbed my wrist.
“……Lord Costance?”
“There is nothing on them, so you don’t need to wipe them.”
“What?”
“Actually, this is the first time I’ve seen you wearing makeup, so my eyes kept going to you.”
His words made me wonder if there was something wrong with my makeup.
“I’m sorry. Does it look strange?”
“You’re so beautiful that I can’t take my eyes off you.”
Lord Costance said something embarrassing as casually as if it were nothing.
“If my gaze made you uncomfortable or burdened you, I won’t look at you again without your permission.”
Despite his words, he didn’t take his eyes off me.
Lord Costance was staring at me as though he were completely captivated.
His dark eyes openly took in every detail of my face.
“Y-you don’t have to go that far.”
I stammered.
“Even so, I made you uncomfortable.”
“I was just a little embarrassed.”
I subtly wiped away some of the lipstick with my handkerchief.
Lord Costance noticed, but he said nothing.
He only smiled bitterly.
“Ah, we’ve arrived.”
In the meantime, we had arrived at the jazz café.
It was a large café located along the road crossing the square.
The exterior was neat and clean.
As we approached, the savory and delicious smell of food drifted out from inside.
And, true to its name, lively jazz music was playing.
Just as we’d heard, the place was very popular, and almost every seat was occupied.
Fortunately, there was exactly one table left, and it became ours.
“As you’d expect from a jazz café, they sell coffee and alcohol, but they also serve meals. Shall we order our food first?”
Major Lance seemed to have visited the place several times before, because he naturally recommended several dishes.
There were a few unfamiliar foods, but most of the menu was familiar enough, so ordering wasn’t difficult.
We quickly placed our orders, and while the staff prepared the table, we continued with the introductions we hadn’t been able to finish earlier.
“I am the head of the Logistics Department at Fleet Command Headquarters.”
Major Lance had short brown hair and tanned skin. He said he was in his early thirties.
“I’m Elvin. I work under Major Lance. I’ve known Costance since we were cadets.”
The man’s name was Elvin.
He had typical blond hair and blue eyes.
He wasn’t exceptionally handsome, but he had a pleasant, well-balanced face that made him easy to like.
His rank was captain, just like Lord Costance’s, but he was senior in terms of service.
Major Lance looked at Elvin and added,
“He’s the mood maker of our department.”
“I’m Costance Dite Orsy, from the Operations Department under the Chief of Staff.”
Lord Costance introduced himself next.
This was the first time I’d learned that he belonged to the Operations Department.
Then the youngest one, Finn, said that he also worked in the Operations Department alongside Lord Costance.
Finn explained that because he was the youngest officer in the Operations Department, he had quite a lot of hardships.
“Vivy is the same.”
Julia immediately picked up on that.
“Our Vivy is the youngest one too. So she has quite a few hardships. Come to think of it, Lieutenant, you and Vivy look pretty good together, don’t you?”
Julia was blatantly trying to set Finn and me up.
“Captains have plenty of hardships too.”
The one who poured cold water on the atmosphere was Costance.
“Just because he’s the youngest doesn’t mean that fellow has the most work. Captains have the most work.”
After saying that, Lord Costance put down his cup.
As the atmosphere became strange, Elvin burst into exaggerated laughter.
“Haha! That’s right. Captains have it tough too. Plenty of hardships. Ah, then, would the ladies introduce themselves?”
At Elvin’s request, Julia introduced herself first.
Unlike the men, who had given short and simple introductions, Julia went into great detail.
She talked about her hometown, what her siblings did for a living, and even other personal details.
The other two seniors did the same.
“Then, lastly, Vivy.”
Now it was my turn.
At that, the previously sullen expression on Lord Costance’s face suddenly brightened.
“It’s Vivy’s turn to introduce herself last.”
