Chapter 26
The Unfireable Man
The young rabbit who had listened so earnestly to my advice left with a determined voice, promising to try it out for herself. She handed me her free trial coupon before she went.
…It was an hour-long consultation that earned me absolutely nothing, but I decided to think of it as an investment for the future.
Actually doing this isn’t as easy as I thought.
It drained me more than expected. Maybe I should only open the place every other day.
Still, I closed up the shop hoping the little rabbit’s troubles would be solved.
And that tomorrow, there would be another customer.
With that small sense of pride from handling my first client, I went to work the next morning—only to be immediately assaulted by a sight that made my eyes rot.
“Please, Advisor, don’t… don’t do that…”
“Why not? I’m just trying to get close to you. This is how I show my affection.”
Bartolo was harassing a maid. His oily hands were kneading her shoulders, and the girl, shrinking away, couldn’t even muster the courage to resist.
“You’re so cute when you act shy. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to the Marquis for you—make sure you’re treated well. Heh.”
His hands grew bolder by the second, sliding from her shoulder to her back and—
“Please, Advisor… stop it. I–I’m uncomfortable.”
Bartolo scoffed. “Uncomfortable? Do you even know who I am? With one word, I could have you dismissed. Is that what you want?”
“N–no! Please don’t!”
The maid’s desperate plea only made his grin widen, slick and disgusting.
“That’s what I thought. I’m not trying to bother you, sweetheart. Just stay still—I’ll handle the rest…”
His hand started sliding lower, to her waist and then—
Disgusting.
I strode up behind him and grabbed his filthy arm before he could go any further.
“What the—?” He spun around, irritation flashing in his face—until he saw me. Then his brows knitted in anger.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I can tolerate a lot of things,” I said evenly, trying for a polite smile. “But this is just revolting.”
“What?”
He blinked, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. I suppose the obedient little secretary had never talked back to him before.
“She said she’s uncomfortable. You should stop.”
“Un~comfortable? Please. If she was really uncomfortable, she would’ve said no.”
What a pathetic excuse.
“I don’t know,” I said coolly. “It’s hard to ignore a grown man harassing a young girl.”
He sneered, poking my shoulder with his finger. “And what are you going to do about it, huh? What can you even do?”
My body wasn’t built for strength, and I could feel myself being pushed back a little.
Ugh. I need to start exercising.
“Well? Tell me, Lady Chiara’s secretary—what can you do? Gonna go crying to the Lady again?”
“I could,” I said lightly. “Or, if you prefer, I could tell the Marchioness as well.”
My unflinching tone must’ve struck a nerve, because his expression twisted.
“What? You little—!”
“Are you two fighting?”
A strange voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Who’s that?
When I turned, I saw an unfamiliar man watching us with bright curiosity.
Lavender hair… green eyes?
“Y–young master!” Bartolo’s face changed instantly—from lecherous noble to obedient servant.
Young master? So this was the Marquis’s youngest son. He had the Marchioness’s hair and the Marquis’s eyes, with feline features reminiscent of Chiara. A catlike version of a cheerful puppy.
“If you’re fighting, I can help mediate,” the young man said, apparently unaware of what had just happened.
Bartolo jumped in quickly. “Not at all, sir! This is Lady Chiara’s new secretary. She made some mistakes, so I was giving her a bit of guidance.”
“What?”
I was too stunned to respond, but his survival instincts were sharper than mine today.
“It’s my fault,” I said curtly. “I apologize for the disturbance, young master.”
The young man’s smile curved like a crescent moon.
“Oh? For a moment there, I thought something wicked was going on.”
“O–of course not!” Bartolo laughed nervously.
The young man sighed, tugging off one of his gloves with his teeth. “My father trusts you, Bartolo. I’m sure you’d never do something indecent… right?”
“O–of course, young master! I’ll just, uh, go inform the Marquis of your return!”
And off he scurried.
I turned to the young man and bowed. “It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Cornelia Libertas, Lady Chiara’s secretary.”
“Libertas? Never heard of that house.”
“It’s a small family, sir. Not worth remembering.”
“I see. I’m Aidan, the Marquis’s son. Nice to meet you!”
He held out his hand cheerfully.
“Likewise.”
When our handshake broke, his green eyes sparkled mischievously.
“My sister doesn’t usually take to people easily. You must be special.”
That stare was… unsettling.
What’s with this family? First Chiara, now him. Why are they all so interested in me? I have nothing to give you people!
Before I could think of a polite response, a servant appeared. “Young master, the Marquis requests your presence.”
Aidan turned with a grin. “See you around!”
“Y–yes.”
He walked off humming, his energy radiating like sunlight.
For a supposed mage, he was nothing like the quiet, brooding type I expected—more like an eccentric firework. Compared to him, Lady Chiara seemed perfectly normal.
“Um…”
It was the maid Bartolo had harassed earlier.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“…Thank you,” she whispered, her face drawn with fatigue.
“This isn’t the first time, is it?”
Her voice trembled with bitterness. “Probably not a single maid in this house has escaped him. Advisor Bartolo… he…”
“Don’t call him that. Just call him the Oily Pervert.”
“…What?”
“I’ve decided that’s his new name. Oily. Pervert. Oilyvert for short.”
The maid blinked, then managed a faint smile. “Then… secretly, I’ll call him that too. The Oily Pervert goes after girls who can’t quit or the prettier ones. He gropes, whispers disgusting things… some quit, but most just endure it. The pay here is good, and the Marquis’s family—His Lordship, the Lady, and Lady Chiara—they’re fair people. If only that man didn’t exist…”
Fair, maybe—but keeping a man like that in their employ? That’s negligence.
No manager worth the title would tolerate it.
Still, even Chiara couldn’t fire her father’s trusted aide overnight.
There’s no way someone like him’s actually competent. How did he earn the Marquis’s trust?
Flattery, no doubt. Once again, I was reminded that it only takes one slippery eel to poison an entire pond.
For days, the anger didn’t fade.
Working alongside that Oily Pervert was impossible. I’d already sentenced him to death—in my head—but my position was too weak to make a move.
If he accuses me of slander, I’ll be the one in trouble.
And if the Marquis decided it wasn’t important enough, I’d just be digging my own grave. I still didn’t know him well enough to predict his response.
I sighed.
“Cornelia?”
Lady Chiara’s voice pulled me back to reality. She was reviewing the event plan on her desk.
“Apologies, my lady.”
“This section here is lacking detail,” she said, tapping the page for Black Diamond’s new product launch.
“Oh—that’s intentional. The contract’s already settled. We’ll proceed as planned.”
“Intentional?”
Given what I’d seen of Chiara’s social life, I knew we had to be ready for sabotage. Especially after what happened at the salon.
“I heard some people have copied your concepts before. I considered the possibility that someone might have planted a spy near you.”
“Someone… inside the household?”
“Most likely a servant or maid.”
Her eyes widened. “You…”
“If anyone else sees these documents, they’ll just think it’s a standard, elegant party. Nothing special.”
A flicker of surprise—and pride—lit her expression.
“Surprises are more fun when no one knows in advance,” I said with a faint smile. “Besides…”
All the frustration I’d built up lately needed somewhere to go, so I’d… gotten a little creative.
“I’ve prepared a small trick or two.”
This time, the party would be more than just an event.
It would be a revelation.
Maybe even a perfect chance to catch a big fish.
