NOVEL NEXT After Resignation, I Refuse the Obsession from the Male Leads
Chapter 23
From Layla Lowell emanated a deep sense of betrayal, despair, and self-loathing.
Edgar, who was moved by those feelings, narrowed his eyes. ‘Oh, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way.’ When he was ten years old… It was the same feeling he felt when he looked up at the sky, having survived alone in a mansion that had suddenly become ruins. Edgar rubbed his heart. ‘Oh. This hurts quite a bit.’ He was starting to get worried. If he was feeling this much pain, Layla Lowell’s mind might have cracked… At that moment, Layla Lowell let out a strange sound and opened her eyes wide. “Ugh!” Layla coughed frantically and then looked up at Edgar with tearful eyes. “Mi—nister, when did you come up?” “….” “The kids! The kidnappers—cough!” “Well, you don’t need to worry about that.” Edgar used a simple healing spell to soothe her cough. “Miss Lowell, are you okay now?” “Yes, yes, cough, yes.” “What day is it today?” “F, friday?” “19 times 19?” “….” Layla looked at him with a face that seemed to ask him all sorts of strange questions. After quickly calculating in her head, Layla asked back. “361?” “Huh? This is really normal…” “….?” Layla widened her eyes and stared intently at him. 『Is this guy for real? So, did he actually wish I wasn’t normal or what?』 Edgar could hear her cursing, but he smiled happily. The black magic artifact that the kidnapper threw earlier damages the minds of those caught in its effect. Those who have collapsed now will suffer severe aftereffects for quite some time. However…according to a simple mental calculation question, her mind was clear. ‘That’s some impressive mental strength.’ She was even managing to recover her own mind, which had been tainted by black magic. ‘She’s really an interesting being.’ Words like ‘original’ and ‘mastermind’ are like that. Knowing that he collects dark magic cores is also true. As expected, it was a good thing to keep her tied up even though it was a little suspicious. He reached out his hand toward Layla Lowell, who was still sitting on the ground. ‘Layla Lowell. She’ll become incredibly important to me beyond just her ability to see cores.’ As a crucial chess piece needed to fulfill his wish. And that night, all the kidnappers were arrested. * * * Chirp chirp… Chirp… your life has become a bird… chirp… The birds that inhabit the palace announced the morning beautifully again today. “Wow. I want to quit.” I muttered while looking at the ceiling of my bed. ‘How many days have I been working overtime now?’ It was good that we captured all the kidnappers and solved the case. But at the same time, a huge mountain of documents covered the office. Just seeing a blank sheet of paper makes me break out in hives. “Whoo, but at least I’m busy with something good, so I shouldn’t complain…” I woke up and consoled myself. Late-night work may be sucks, but at least there are three pieces of good news! The first, of course, was rescuing Henry and the children. ‘I’m glad the previously kidnapped children are safe as well….’ The kids were locked up in the second basement of the hideout. Unfortunately, they were weak and had no memories of their time being kidnapped, but it was such a relief that they were alive. This brought me closer to my goal of twisting the original plot. Because I captured the bad guys. ‘Now all that’s left is to shake out the information. Hehe.’ Next, the second piece of good news. That was the dismissal of the director! ‘I never thought it would be solved by being linked to this kidnapping incident.’ It felt like a tooth had fallen out. I had been planning it too, but with so many kids, I never had the nerve to go through with it. But the one who provided the clue was none other than the male lead. He explained the situation in more detail. “When the child was kidnapped, he ignored several calls and went to enjoy some gambling.” “Ohhhh…! But does that really justify his dismissal? If it was with his personal money, honestly…” “It turned out that the funds paid to the daycare center were used for gambling.” “….!” “I’m just too relieved now that my body is feeling more comfortable.” That’s right. Normally, he wouldn’t have let my guard down, but of all days, it was the day Henry was kidnapped right after a big score. ‘That’s why he was caught.’ The children were scheduled to be transferred to a different district’s daycare center for a while. And it was bigger than before, and the teachers were better. ‘Whoo, I’m relieved.’ But the strange thing is… “Come to think of it, even though I wrote District 20 in the report, you found Henry quickly.” “Actually… I had the family’s servants dispatched to the orphanage as additional support.” My eyes widened. ‘Come to think of it, didn’t the director say anything about the Grand Duke’s staff?’ I was in such a daze when I got the call that I couldn’t dig into the details. “That, when exactly did you start doing that?” “It was the day you moved to the dormitory.” “Yes?!” The male lead subtly avoided eye contact. “I thought you were so worried when you were packing up and coming out of there…” “That’s true, but…” I stared at the male lead with a puzzled look. ‘Is that kind of thing covered by the department’s budget?’ No, there’s no way! Then it must be handled internally, so why go to such lengths? ‘Even though we refer to each other as seniors and juniors, we’re just coworkers, right?’ In my past life, there were colleagues who treated me well, but I never received this level of consideration… ‘Huh? No way?’ Am I twisting the original plot so much that I’ve even twisted the romantic flags? ‘Is it really possible to have that in a hyper-realistic occult romance fantasy office story?’ I was so surprised that my heart almost jumped out…! ‘…What reason would the male lead have to raise flags for me?’ I looked at myself objectively. ‘The female lead is kind, warm-hearted, and still so youthful.’ I have a dull look in my eyes. I won’t deny it. ‘And even if you raise a flag, what are you raising it for? My report ability?’ The knowledge to adjust the spacing? Just as I was thinking about that, the male lead glanced down at me. “Isn’t it wrong not to be able to rest properly when you return after work?” “Ah, right.” “As long as you have the physical stamina, you can reach greater heights with that passion and ability.” The male lead crossed his arms and his eyes sparkled. “So I handled it as a mentor.” “….” …That makes sense. I decided to erase the romance twist from my mind right away. ‘Wow, you’ve painted a big picture of wanting me to work with my stamina fully charged.’ This guy was scarier than I thought. And the ‘mentor’ in this fantasy world might have a meaning different from what I know He might be someone who takes care of all the little, annoying external factors in order to raise a perfect workaholic junior. “…Thank you!” Anyway, let’s accept the help. Kieeek… But at that moment, as if they heard the sound of the conversation between the male lead and me, the hospital room door opened. Finally, the third piece of good news. “Henry!” “Sisteeer!” Henry, who was hospitalized in the royal palace ward, regained consciousness! The child in the single room was very healthy. I hugged the child and asked. “Henry, are you okay…? Is there anything that hurts?” “Mhm!” The male lead awkwardly smiled and gestured for Henry to sit in the chair. “Hello. Henry.” “Hello, Uncle!” “Cough!” By the way, I was the one who almost vomited blood. I would greatly appreciate your continued support by leaving a positive rating on NU so I can continue translating this novel. Thank you.
Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.