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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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A Corporate Slave Becomes a Villainous Nuisance in a Zombie Apocalypse
Episode 24
Music drifted through the air.
The sound of instruments playing—a signal that this place was safe.
After all, ‌no one could play music so peacefully in a place where zombies roamed.
"...Your Majesty?"
"Your Majesty!"
Knights rushed toward us upon seeing our arrival, far earlier than scheduled.
"Your Majesty! Weren't ‌‌‌‌you ‌‌‌supposed to return this afternoon?!"
"...Has anything happened here?"
"Yes...? Yes, this place is... Wait, Your Majesty?!"
White armor. Azure cloaks. Blue roses emblazoned across their chests.
Imperial Family knights.
The Imperial Family knights guarding the Portal were shocked at our appearance, then immediately surrounded us and assumed defensive positions.
Through my blurred vision, I saw an Attendant rush away urgently.
"His Majesty has returned!"
"Summon the royal physician!"
"What happened?!"
A knight who appeared to be the commander questioned Praha.
"An attack?!"
The alarmed knight's demeanor showed no sign that ‌‌‌they had anticipated this.
My memory ‌‌‌‌was accurate.
The gate had only spilled zombies at the Imperial Villa on the Artificial Island where the three protagonists were located.
The Imperial Palace ‌‌‌‌remained untouched.
Nothing had happened here.
We had returned safely.
Those who returned were.
Me. Yujein. Crown Prince Praha. Grand Duke Cyprus. Mascarpone. Knight Dazling. Nuisance Man.
I bent down slowly and picked up a single slipper that had fallen on the Portal floor.
"Sound the alarm throughout the Imperial Palace!"
"Protect the two Majesties!"
"Your Majesty, give your orders!"
Consomme did not return.
'Aaaahhhhh!'
In the final moment, Nuisance Man had pushed Consomme—bitten by a zombie—outside the Portal.
'No!'
'Help meeeee!'
Consomme's terror-stricken eyes with a zombie clinging ‌‌to her cheek. Her mouth agape in agony. Her hands desperately reaching for help.
I witnessed all of it with my ‌‌own eyes.
And I could do nothing.
"Consomme...!"
My outstretched hand slipped through empty air before I could stop it.
The moment Nuisance Man shoved me into the light, infection began its work—those eyes turning crimson.
Tears welling up in those eyes.
"..."
I lifted my gaze.
Praha stood there, watching me intently.
"..."
"..."
"Am I pathetic?"
"No."
"..."
"I don't think that at all."
With just those words, he summoned the Imperial knights. I watched Praha and the Grand Duke converse gravely with them before turning away. ‌‌
There was Nuisance Man, awkwardly brushing dust from his clothes.
When our eyes met, he looked away.
My voice trembled shamefully as ‌I addressed him.
"They say women are burdens, yet ‌‌I've survived twice thanks to those burdens."
"What?"
"Why did you do it?"
I took two steps forward until I stood before Nuisance Man.
"Answer me. Why did you do it?"
There was nothing holding me back anymore. Consomme, who had stood between us, was gone.
"Why did you do it! Why!"
My scream tore through the silence around us.
The vigilant knights, Praha explaining the situation, Mascarpone sitting in stunned collapse—all froze and looked at me.
Nuisance Man, suddenly the focus of all eyes, flinched and pouted his lips.
I waited.
I wanted to hear his answer.
I desperately needed to understand why he did it, ‌‌‌‌how he could ‌‌‌‌possibly do such a thing.
After a long silence, all Nuisance Man said was:
"Why are you only coming at me?"
"What?"
"Why only me? So I should have just died quietly back there? Should I have meekly offered my neck to those corpses? Is that what you're trying to say—that I shouldn't sacrifice others? Is that ‌‌‌‌why you're squawking at me now, princess?"
There was not a trace of regret or remorse on Nuisance Man's face.
"Should I have quietly let myself become a corpse's meal? Is that the moral high ground you're preaching?"
"...ha."
"What's the point of assigning blame now? Either way, I survived and she didn't."
"..."
"If you're bitter about it, do the same thing I did when your turn comes."
So you pushed aside a living person, ‌a comrade you'd faced danger with together.
A hollow laugh escaped me.
'Why only to me?' was supposed to be my line.
You took my role.
"You could have just... just pushed the corpse aside."
"Ha."
"I'm not even saying kill. A single kick would've sufficed. ...We were moving anyway. It was all over."
If you'd dodged just once, Praha beside you ‌‌would've handled it somehow.
When you pulled Consomme ‌‌‌toward you, Praha had already disposed of the zombie rushing at him and was watching your direction.
It was far easier and simpler than grabbing someone next to you and shoving them forward.
Why? Why? Why?
"She was alive. She was talking to me. Just moments before, she was...."
Smiling.
Nuisance Man shrugged at the weakness in my voice.
"What if I got bitten?"
"...."
"It's survival instinct. I couldn't help it."
"Survival instinct...."
"Put yourself in my position back then. You wouldn't do the same? Not a chance. Everyone's the same."
"...."
"Honestly, shouldn't you be grateful to me?"
If I hadn't pushed her, this place would be chaos right now. Without me, we'd all be dead.
"...Ha."
"It's easy to play the good person with words. You got your life saved because of ‌‌‌‌me."
Nuisance Man sneered, calling it ‌‌‌all hypocrisy.
...I had nothing left to say.
"...You're right. I'd do the same in your position. Because that's 'instinct'. So ‌‌‌here's the thing."
I stopped speaking and turned around.
Everyone was looking at me.
I undid Praha's magical rope still wrapped around my wrist. I tried to return it, but he wouldn't take it. I had no choice but to hand it to the knight standing nearby.
Then I whispered so only Praha, standing close, could hear.
"Your Highness."
"...Yes."
"Paprika needs to be isolated. Right now."
Looking closely at Nuisance Man's hand, there were scratches on the back of it... drops of blood.
"He got scratched on his fingernails when he pushed Consomme. It's fine now, but as time passes, infection will begin to...."
"...My ‌‌lady?"
"...."
"My lady!"
The Imperial Palace is peaceful.
A peach-colored floor laid ‌‌with a sky-blue carpet.
Roman shades draped ‌‌across the windows instead of curtains.
A golden crystal chandelier.
A palace that seemed crafted from cream and sunlight—lovely and dignified.
That was the last thing my memory held.
* * *
It was Praha who caught Yusara as she lost consciousness and collapsed.
The knight who had been closest to the princess and ‌‌‌‌had tried to catch her was startled when the Crown Prince suddenly intervened, and he stepped back.
A soft sound.
Her bound hair came loose, and black strands cascaded over Praha's wrists.
It tickled.
"Look at her, pretending to faint because she has nothing to say."
Paprika spoke as he watched Yusara.
"She acts so ‌‌‌superior all by herself, but what's this? She's just the same as everyone else in the end."
"...."
"Even back in that strategy room—what was it? 'The weak first'? Hearing that from behind, I was speechless. ‌‌‌We're trying to survive, and where's the room for such courtesy? ‌‌‌‌It's all just an act of kindness, pure hypocrisy."
No one else spoke.
Not Praha, not Cyprus, not Mascarpone, not Dazling, nor the knights and attendants who had grasped the situation.
Only Paprika's voice echoed through the silence.
"You have to read the room when you're acting virtuous. Idiots who don't even realize their lives are precious while playing the good person? Does anyone appreciate that?"
"Paprika."
It was Praha who cut off Paprika's words.
Praha, who had been staring at Yusara's hair wound ‌‌‌around his hand, asked quietly.
"Did you forget ‌‌‌so quickly ‌‌‌that my guest is my responsibility?"
"What?"
"You're not very bright, are you?"
Even ‌‌‌as he spoke to Paprika, his gaze remained fixed on her hair.
"Paprika."
Praha continued.
"I'm not asking you to sacrifice your life for an elderly person ‌‌‌trapped ‌‌in a burning mansion, or to lead a resistance ‌‌‌when the nation falls."
Black, soft hair.
"But at the very least—when someone performs a good deed, do not diminish them simply because it is something you cannot do."
Everyone will recognize that your motivation stems from inferiority.
"I tried to build a society where everyone would understand those fools who don't realize their lives are precious while acting virtuous. It seems I've failed at governance."
"...Brother?"
Finally, Praha lifted his gaze toward Paprika.
"Yes, Paprika."
Without taking his eyes off Paprika, he issued an order to the knights.
"Paprika ‌‌‌‌is infected with 'that disease.' Restrain him."
"...?!"
At those words, everyone's gaze shifted to Paprika. He stumbled backward, panic flashing across his face.
In that moment, Mascarpone murmured ‌‌‌something.
"Your hand..."
Startled ‌‌‌‌by her words, Paprika glanced down at the back of his hand and quickly twisted his arm behind his back to hide it.
"No, no! This isn't—!"
But Praha spoke first.
"This disease is highly contagious and unpredictable. Keeping Paprika at the Imperial Palace poses a risk of further infection. He will be sent to the Artificial Island ‌‌‌immediately."
"W-what?"
"Restrain him securely during transport to prevent him ‌‌from biting or injuring anyone."
"No, no... no, wait! Just wait!"
"Pay particular attention to the wound on his hand."
"No, I'm ‌‌‌telling you no! Brother! No! I'm fine!"
"The Portal will be sealed the moment Paprika reaches the Artificial Island."
"Brother!!!!!!!!"
"And convene an emergency meeting immediately. Summon everyone. Regardless of the hour."
"Hey, Praha. ‌‌‌Hold on." ‌‌
The Grand Duke interjected with a faint smile.
"Even so, sending him away entirely seems harsh. There's a chance—just a chance—he might not be infected."
"Y-yes! I'm fine! Look! I'm talking fine and walking fine!"
As the panicked Paprika tried to approach the others, they all instinctively retreated in unison.
The Grand Duke stepped forward ‌‌‌‌to block his path and spoke ‌gently.
"Paprika, my brother. Just endure there for ‌‌‌ten days. If you haven't turned into a corpse after ten days, I'll come retrieve you myself."
The Grand Duke's complexion was ashen as he spoke. His right ‌‌arm hung at an unnatural angle.
He'd broken the bone catching Yusara as she fell from the rampart earlier.
I'd been reckless. With a broken arm, I couldn't fight.
I must have known what would come next when I did it.
Yet strangely, I felt ‌‌‌‌no regret.
If my arm hadn't given out, Yusara would have been hurt instead.
Trading one arm to avoid that—it was a bargain.
She'd already been strange ‌‌enough today without getting injured on top of it.
No regrets.
"Hieee..." ‌‌‌
"What? Ten days. Just ten days. And don't reach for my hand."
Or would you rather stay forever? At the Grand Duke's question, Paprika shook his head frantically.
Knights surrounded Paprika.
"Wait, just wait. No, I'm really fine! Let me just stay here for one hour, okay? If I'm still fine after an hour, then I'm fine, right?"
It was the female knights, ironically, who restrained Paprika's flailing arms.
The very ones he'd dismissed.
"No, wait! Wait! Just wait! Let go!"
Dazling, who had bitten a fellow knight insisting he go receive treatment immediately, approached.
"Let's go, Paprika."
"W-wait, Dazling...."
"I'll escort the mad woman."
Dazling ‌bowed respectfully before wrenching Paprika's arm behind ‌‌his back.
"Ahhh!"
Paprika shrieked and thrashed against the hold.
"Brother! No, I'm serious! This is just a scratch from somewhere! Ah! Right, at the cabin! I got scraped on a nail while helping them set up traps back then! That wound!"
"...."
"Hey, say ‌‌‌something, you two.... Tell them I got scratched helping you! Hurry! Hey! You're supposed to be a saint!"
But Yujein merely pressed her lips together and shook her head. Mascarpone spoke plainly.
"The traps were set by the lady. Paprika was sitting down."
"Tsk!"
Paprika clicked his tongue and clung to Praha again.
"B-brother. Are you angry with me? Because I left you and went ahead earlier? That's... you... I wouldn't have...."
"That's right. I am angry with you."
Praha affirmed lightly.
"How dare you be born into this world. How dare you be born through the body of a woman you despise so much, ‌‌‌harm my guest, and insult my knight."
"...."
"Since the woman is taking back the life stolen from her, you have no right ‌to complain, do you?"
Dazling struck the back of Paprika's neck lightly as he wailed. Without touching his mouth, he gagged him skillfully.
Dazling, who had been hesitating, spoke to Praha.
"Um, Your Highness. Please take care of the lady."
"...."
"She must have ‌‌suffered greatly. So...."
It was an action the usual Dazling would never have taken.
Praha nodded carefully at her courage.
"It will take time for the Portal's mana to recharge, so please wait in the meantime, Paprika."
"Mmph? Ummph! Mmph, mmph!"
Click.
The door closed, and the Knight Commander asked the Grand Duke a question.
"Will you really come to pick him up in ten days?"
The Grand Duke answered.
"No!"
Meanwhile, Praha's attention had already turned to Yusara.
"...Lady?"
Yusara was bleeding.
[Imperial Palace]
- Yusara, Yujein, Praha, Grand Duke, Dazling, Mascarpone (Survived)
- Nuisance Man, Consomme (Deceased)

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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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