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A Corporate Slave Becomes a Villainous Nuisance in a Zombie Apocalypse
Episode 17
As the Crown Prince moved to leave the Cabin, he unwound the magical rope coiled around his wrist. His gaze swept across our group ‌‌‌‌standing in ‌‌‌‌‌‌awkward silence, then he came directly to me.
"Take this."
"What? Why?"
"The others here have no weapons."
No, that's not the point.
Why was he giving it to me instead of Yujein?
'Does he think I look the most ruthless at ‌slicing through zombies?'
Since he was offering it, I reached out to take it.
The moment my fingertips touched the rope.
Whoosh—the Crown Prince lifted his hand. My grasp closed on empty air.
I stared at him in disbelief.
"You'll hurt ‌‌‌yourself if you grab it that way."
The Crown Prince extended his own wrist as demonstration.
"Like this."
I awkwardly mimicked his movements.
My dress, which had been pristine but plain when I first possessed this body, was now nothing but tatters. The Crown Prince carefully grasped my tattered sleeve with both hands.
He pulled it down slowly, taking care ‌‌‌that our skin wouldn't touch, then wound the rope over it. ‌‌‌
Yet it was impossible for our skin not to make contact at all.
'I've been thinking about it since earlier—his hands are rough. From wielding a sword, probably....'
I had no choice but to stare at my own wrist and at the Crown Prince's hands, which held mine with the gentlest possible grip.
Large and beautiful hands, yet rough to the touch.
The sensation ‌‌‌of those hands against my skin.
Still keeping my gaze fixed on my wrist, I asked.
"Do you wear this rope on your arm all the time?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you never know when you might have to kill someone."
"Pardon?"
"I'm joking."
"...."
"...."
"...That's not a joke, is it?"
"No."
Done, the Crown Prince released my wrist.
The rope that had wrapped around his wrist only three or four times was wound around mine seven times over.
With this, I could sever zombie necks and bind them up....
"From the moment you put it on, it obeys the wearer's will. If you want it sharp, it becomes sharp; otherwise, it's no different from ordinary thread. If you want to cut off a piece of the rope, do it like this."
The Crown Prince demonstrated by wrapping two fingers around the rope and making a cutting motion.
"Would you like to give it a try?"
"Yes."
I nodded.
Let me see—what could I test cutting first?
There's a severed arm sticking out over there, but my conscience wouldn't allow me to cut that.
"Ah, there's a chair. Let me try cutting one of its legs."
"Very well."
As I crouched down and gingerly touched the rope, the Crown Prince stood beside me like an instructor, arms crossed, watching intently.
Snick.
It cut beautifully.
"You're quite skilled at this."
"I'm worried I might make it a profession."
"That won't be necessary."
Tsk.
"Return safely."
"Yes."
"I'll bring back a gift when I return."
After receiving words of encouragement from everyone, the Crown Prince, the Grand Duke, and Dazling opened the cabin door. ‌
Before leaving, the ‌‌‌Crown Prince pointed to a cuckoo clock hanging on the cabin wall and spoke.
"I'll ‌‌be back within an hour."
"Yes, Your Highness. I'll be waiting."
Yujein, clasping her hands tightly together, replied.
Two beautiful men swearing they'd return alive to her, tears glistening in her eyes as she pleaded with them to come back safely—and then there was Yujein.
Whatever. I just kept staring at the rope coiled around my wrist.
'Loot ‌‌‌acquired.'
A magical rope ‌‌that expands and contracts! Was this a goblin's club or something?
Despite the gravity of the situation, I felt oddly elated.
After making a promise with Yujein, the male leads turned toward me and saw me giggling as I pulled and released the rope repeatedly. ‌‌
"...."
"...Lady, I'm leaving now. Could you at least...."
"...Just go."
Creak. Thud.
He simply left.
From that moment on, anxiety settled into the cabin.
A pitch-black night. Corpses wandering outside. Our isolated predicament. Five people with no physical abilities armed only with a ‌‌magical rope. Wooden walls that looked like they'd shatter if struck. Corpses in one corner.
Screams echoing ‌‌from afar.
Without anyone saying a word, everyone naturally huddled together as ‌‌‌far from the door as possible.
"I'm cold...."
"I wonder how my parents are doing. What's happening in the Capital right now?"
"I just hope they're safe...."
Mascarpone and Supporting Character 2 whispered back and forth for a ‌‌‌moment before falling silent.
The feet of the two women in slippers were pitch black. The fine mesh of Mascarpone's expensive stockings had long runs in them, but no one bothered to notice or mention it.
A pathetic sight.
'Like five-year-olds abandoned by their parents.'
At least I understood what kind of situation this was, but they knew nothing.
Thinking about it that way, their slumped shoulders hunched in despair looked pitiful.
"...."
"...."
Blood flowing from the pile of corpses stacked in the corner had soaked through the sheet and stopped spreading.
Pretending to look around, I picked up a few more red stones ‌‌‌and pocketed them.
"...."
"...."
There was a lamp on the desk, but we weren't turning on any lights.
We were afraid the zombies might swarm if they saw the ‌‌light.
Even ‌‌‌‌though we already knew they had no vision.
I breathed warm air onto my hands, stiffened by the cold, and made a silent vow.
'Once I get out of here, I'm definitely learning self-defense.'
I'll pick up archery again—the sport I did back in university—and take taekwondo too. Build up my stamina!
'So please, just send me home....'
"Sniff."
The unheated cabin was chilly and reeked of blood. I couldn't tell if the shivers running through me were from the cold or ‍from anxiety.
Each time ‌‌‌a harsh wind rattled the windows, Yujein sitting beside me flinched.
In the midst of faint breathing sounds whose owner I couldn't identify.
I was the first to break the silence.
"This is absolutely terrifying."
This is the kind of fear that demands profanity. Seriously, I'm scared out of my mind. Someone please get me out of here. I'm dying.
Of course, I ‌‌‌‌know this is inside a book! I know that once I escape this Island, things should be fine for a while!
But knowing the ‌‌plot of a horror movie doesn't make it any less scary!
"I really, truly want to go home."
-Yusara's Profanity Haiku-
Jon: I really want to go home.
Me: I want to leave, from here.
At my muttering—having completely abandoned all pretense of being a proper young lady—Mascarpone snorted, but Yujein and Supporting Character 2 giggled softly.
"Right? It's really terrifying."
"I really hope this is just a dream."
With ‌‌‌‌that ‌‌as a starting point, sparse conversation continued.
"How much time has passed?"
"Right? It feels like at least a hundred minutes. Yujein, can ‌‌you see the clock on the wall? How much time has actually gone by?"
"Nine ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌minutes...."
"That's all?!"
The frustration woven through my voice must have been quite evident. Yujein ‌‌and Supporting Character 2 burst into laughter again—this time, ‌‌louder.
I asked.
"This Garden here. How long would it take to cross it at a brisk pace without any interference?"
Yujein answered.
"I believe they said it takes about 20 minutes."
'Damn, that's huge.'
Isn't the walk from the National Assembly Building to Yeouido Station about that long? I'd walked it once after ‌‌‌‌lunch as a stroll, and ‌‌‌that's what it felt like.
'What time is it in Seoul right now?'
Humanely speaking, if I've been possessing this body for over four hours, shouldn't I get at least an hour to rest? A possessed person doesn't even get lunch breaks.
I'm enduring this incomprehensible suffering without earning a single coin, and I can't even rest comfortably in ‌‌between.
This grinding feeling right now—it's like Monday through Friday, Friday, Friday.
'No, not Friday, Friday, Friday. Monday through Friday, Monday, Monday, Monday.'
"But then, the two Highnesses and Dazling must walk through that 20-minute distance defeating wandering corpses, and then return to pick us up again?"
"...Yes, that's right." ‌‌‌‌
"That suddenly feels rather solemn...."
No wonder I'm called dead weight. Everyone's expression had turned gloomy in agreement.
As if to break through the depressed atmosphere, Supporting Character 2 spoke brightly.
"By the way, I ‌‌‌‌was truly amazed earlier."
"When?"
"Earlier, when... when the Princess struck down that corpse's head."
"Oh. That."
It was nothing special.
"We were right beside ‌‌you and didn't know what to do, but the Princess...."
She spoke with genuine admiration, then quickly became dejected. Supporting Character 2, her ‌‌‌‌shoulders drooping, said.
"It feels like only I'm not being helpful here. The Princess dealt with the corpses, Yujein cast blessings, Mascarpone found the portal ‌‌entrance... but me."
"Come on."
You're not the only one being unhelpful. There's Nuisance Man too. I waved my hand dismissively with that sentiment.
"In situations like this, it's actually normal not to be helpful. Has anyone here ever seen a moving corpse before?"
"I... haven't."
"Neither ‌have I."
Mascarpone, who didn't respond, probably hasn't either.
"When you're seeing something for the first time, how can you suddenly be ‌‌‌helpful? Just keeping your wits about you is already impressive."
Tasks you handle with your eyes closed after time passes are always awkward for newcomers. Isn't that just how it is?
"But... the Princess was helpful."
"I see them often."
I ‌‌‌‌watched a lot of zombie media in Korea.
I'm experienced staff, you're interns.
But I couldn't say it that way.
"You've seen moving corpses often?"
"Yes. Mannequins."
"The mannequins are moving?"
"Well, if you look with the eyes of your heart, they are? Since I'm absolutely obsessed with fashion."
Look at this dress I'm wearing right now. You can't wear clothes like this unless you have a deeply twisted passion for fashion.
As I straightened my chest with confidence, Supporting Character 2 laughed again.
"I didn't know ‌‌you were like this, my lady."
"Me?"
"Yes. Honestly, I never thought the day would come when I'd receive comfort from you, my lady." ‌‌‌‌‌
Supporting Character 2, her cheeks flushed, extended her ‌‌hand and offered a handshake.
"My name is Consomme."
"Nice ‌‌‌‌to meet you, Consomme. I'll make sure to remember this time. My name is Yusara."
Consomme, who had been glancing at Nuisance Man for a moment, leaned her upper body slightly toward me.
"Thank you for taking our side when Paprika was causing a scene earlier. Honestly, it felt refreshing."
At those words, Yujein nodded enthusiastically as well.
"I was so frightened. I was worried Paprika might say we should go back ‌‌to our room and wait since we're not helpful, just as he said. Of course, I know the two Highnesses wouldn't do such a thing."
Mascarpone said nothing, merely keeping her mouth shut and watching us, ‌‌though she didn't raise any objections either.
"Thank you, my lady."
"Don't mention it. I was just speaking the truth."
I glared once at Nuisance Man, who stood apart ‌‌‌‌‌from us with his arms crossed and his chin jutting out arrogantly, and spoke with only my lips moving.
'That bastard is really insufferable.'
Consomme and Yujein, their mouths covered, nodded vigorously. A subtle sense of camaraderie formed among the giggling women.
And so an hour and a half passed.
The Crown Prince, the Grand Duke, and Dazling had not returned.
[Imperial Villa Exterior Hunting Grounds Huntsman's Cabin]
- Yusara, Yujein, ‌‌Mascarpone, Consomme, Nuisance Man (Alive)

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team ‌‌and enjoy the latest releases, please read ‌‌‌‌directly on our official ‌site: valirscans.org
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