“You know what, Lady Offensa?”

Those were Yulid’s words on my first day as his secretary.

“Yes?”

“Ah, I shouldn’t call you that in front of others. Let’s just say secretary. Anyway.”

He took a sip of the morning tea I had intuitively prepared for him, then set it down.

“I can’t stand seeing people I care about waiting on others. Even if it’s for my sake.”

“…Boss?”

Could the trust points I earned yesterday be taking effect already?

However, when Yulid handed me back the teacup he had been drinking from, I realized it was my misunderstanding.

“Too bland. Make it again.”

“…Didn’t you just say I shouldn’t wait on you?”

“Huh? Hahaha.”

Yulid pretended to wipe tears from the corners of his eyes, acting like he’d heard something hilarious. Hey, I can clearly see your bone-dry eyelashes.

“Did you seriously think you were someone I care about?”

“…”

“That will never happen. Besides, looking at your face somehow makes my blood boil. That’s partly why I wanted to kill you at first.”

“…”

“Still, it would be a waste if you died now, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

“What are you doing? Go make the tea again.”

That’s when I sensed it.

‘This guy won’t be easy to earn trust points from.’

My intuition proved depressingly accurate.

On the first day, Yulid didn’t assign me any particular tasks, but he didn’t give me even a single trust point either.

Growing anxious, I catered to his every whim for days. They say you can’t spit in a smiling face, so I even forced myself to flash pretty smiles.

The result?

‘He seems to think I’m trying to seduce him.’

The man who initially appeared indifferent started tormenting me once I began smiling brightly.

“Boss, here’s the coffee you requested.”

“I told you to make it more bitter. Make it again. Drink this yourself.”

“B-but this is already the third cup.”

“Want me to pour it for you?”

If I didn’t make the drink exactly to his taste, he would force me to drink it.

“Boss, I’ve polished your shoes as you asked.”

“You actually did it? Does a noble lady have no pride?”

“…”

When I diligently completed his tasks, he would deliberately rub salt in my wounds.

The misunderstanding about seduction was one thing, but did he need to show such blatant disgust?

‘Could he be staying faithful to whoever shares that ring with him?’

If that was truly the case, I would feel terrible. Even though the misunderstanding had nothing to do with my intentions. D*mn it.

Anyway, in this situation, I had been working for days without any progress.

‘No response from Lynen either.’

I had been resonating the Echo Ore at the same time every day, but Lynen had never answered.

Oh, was it possible for only one side to send sound?

‘I can’t just keep wasting time like this.’

Maybe I should just locate where Sharen and her close associates were imprisoned and escape?

“Lost your appetite?”

While I was pondering, Yulid asked from across the table.

We were having an early dinner together.

“I’ve been dragging you around all day so you’d get used to this place quickly. Is it too much for you?”

“Ah, no. The food suddenly tastes better. There are even dishes I haven’t seen before.”

I moved my fork, which had been still, and picked up a piece of steak.

To be honest, the food was just average. Still, it was much better than the terrible taste from before.

Yulid smiled and drank some water.

Unlike me, whom he allowed to have wine, he never touched alcohol.

“The chef changed.”

“Really? I don’t think you hired a new chef.”

“I didn’t hire one. I brought one in.”

“…Pardon?”

He continued in a casual tone, like he was talking about something that happened next door.

“He was a guy who took in and raised vagrant children. When he tried to resist, I destroyed his home and cut off his leg. Seeing how well he cooks, I guess he didn’t want to lose his arms too.”

“…”

My appetite vanished.

‘He did that to an orphanage?’

I must have been gradually seeing him in a better light without realizing it, because the shock was immense. Although he had been brutal at first, he hadn’t treated me carelessly while we lived together.

Well, except for his annoying harassment.

‘No, he was always this kind of b*stard. I had false expectations.’

No matter what kind of person he was, the fact that I would eventually have to hand him over to the executioner suddenly became clear in my mind.

‘Forget the trust points and just escape.’

Just as I decided not to cling to fruitless, meaningless tasks:

“Boss. There’s a problem with the transfer supplies.”

One of Yulid’s subordinates made a sudden report. It seemed like an unexpected situation.

“Transfer supplies…”

From what I knew, those were supplies meant for his collaborator, Henrik.

Sure enough, Yulid stood up to handle it personally, despite frowning.

“Let’s go. You too… hmm.”

“Boss?”

After frowning briefly, Yulid’s expression cleared.

“…It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

The subordinate, not thinking much of it, immediately followed him.

But I saw Yulid’s hand unconsciously move toward his abdomen when he frowned.

‘Is it because of the insects inside him?’

It seemed he experienced pain like that occasionally, even without the monster core. He was forcing himself to endure it since he couldn’t show weakness now.

‘Hmph. Good.’

Considering what he did to the orphanage, that pain was nothing.

※※※

Following Yulid, I was shocked to discover the true nature of the “transfer supplies.”

‘They’re children?!’

About a dozen children with disheveled appearances.

Since he had mentioned destroying an orphanage, they were probably brought from there. One child was visibly flushed with a high fever, gasping for breath.

Yulid observed the “supplies” indifferently, hands in his pockets.

“Who was in charge of managing this?”

“I was… ugh!”

Bam! The manager who answered was knocked down by Yulid’s fist. Kicks followed as the man lay on the ground.

“Didn’t I tell you to manage them properly? Huh? They need to be in good condition.”

“Argh! I-I’m sorry!”

Finding it difficult to watch, I stepped back for a moment.

The man who neglected the children and the one who brought them here treating them like supplies seemed equally despicable.

Just then, I overheard other subordinates whispering from a distance.

“Why is he making such a fuss? These kids would have died anyway if left alone. They were barely breathing even before coming here.”

What?

I turned and asked:

“What do you mean by that?”

“Ah, w-well.”

The whispering subordinates flinched, apparently not expecting me to address them.

“I wasn’t accompanying the boss when the children were brought in. That’s why I’m asking.”

“I see.”

After briefly regarding me with suspicion, they willingly shared:

“These are beggar kids who used to panhandle. Like all beggars, they weren’t going to live long anyway.”

“Panhandling…? Then, the chef the boss brought in…”

“Obviously the guy who exploited them.”

I was momentarily stunned.

‘I thought it was an orphanage.’

Then again, this was the Black Hand, unlike the surface world where all sorts of illegal activities took place.

No one would sponsor or support someone claiming to raise orphans here. If someone gathered children, they must have had a purpose.

“They were already in bad shape when we found them. Some were already crippled.”

“That’s right. I don’t understand why he keeps telling us to take care of them when it doesn’t matter if a few die. We can always bring in more…”

The subordinates grumbled, suggesting this wasn’t the first time.