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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 30
"The Diane Family has refused to acknowledge Consomme's death."
The Grand Duke broached the subject I'd been desperately trying to avoid.
"The Diane Family?"
"Consomme's mother."
He paused for a moment, then exhaled quietly.
The Grand Duke's voice grew even softer, reaching my ears like a whisper.
"The Diane Family will not hold a funeral for Consomme. They ‌‌will not accept ‌‌‌the fact that she is dead at all."
"...."
"They cannot confirm the body, and they cannot go searching for it."
I cannot accept my daughter's death until ‌‌‌I see it with my own eyes.
Besides, if what you say is true—that my daughter still moves, still hears, still smells human—then how can that be called death?
"That is what the Marquis said."
As the Grand Duke ‌‌spoke, I stared into my cup, my mind elsewhere.
So Consomme's surname was Diane.
Consomme Diane.
I'd always found her first name a bit ridiculous, but her surname was better than that.
"The Diane Family has challenged Paprika's father to a duel on behalf of their deceased daughter. Though the Marquis is a renowned Knight, he is nearly sixty years old and lost an eye in the last war, so if fortune does not favor him...."
The Marquis will lose his life.
I didn't need to hear the rest to understand what was left unsaid.
I said nothing, only staring down at the cup in my ‌‌‌hands.
'How irritating.'
I yanked out the straw that was in the way, crumpled it carelessly regardless of the coffee spilling on my hand, and shoved it aside.
The Grand Duke continued.
"The Marquis did not resent us. In fact, he thanked us."
"...."
"He thanked us for not leaving his daughter's name tarnished in history. He said he would have chosen to remain there himself rather than have his daughter return infected and threaten the Empire's peace."
No.
Consomme was afraid.
She didn't have time to think about things like that.
She was simply afraid.
Lukewarm coffee spilled across the back ‌‌of my hand. I was gripping the cup far too tightly.
I couldn't release the pressure.
The Grand Duke spoke as he watched the brown liquid stream down my hand.
"Failing to save Consomme is not your fault."
"...."
"Yusara, are you listening? It is not your fault."
Green eyes met mine directly.
I barely managed a response.
"I know. It's not my fault."
"Right, so...."
"But even if it's not my fault, what if I can't ‌‌‌‌stop thinking about it?"
"...."
It wasn't my fault.
I did my best.
But what if I keep thinking about it anyway?
What if I start believing my best wasn't enough?
Then what do I do?
"Your Highness, the ‌‌‌Grand Duke."
"...Yes."
"You were a Knight, and you've been to war, haven't you?"
"...Yes."
"Did you feel like this every time?"
On battlefields ‌‌‌where people died almost daily.
Every time you witnessed ‌‌the death of someone close to you.
Did you feel like this every single time?
I try to stay composed, but my throat keeps tightening.
Does a person ever become numb to this?
I lowered my gaze and muttered.
"...I know I have to get used to it."
This is a world where zombies appear, after all.
If I grieve over every single death, I won't even be able to guarantee my own survival.
"But no matter how hard I try, I can't become indifferent."
If I keep experiencing things like this, can ‌‌I possibly remain intact?
'How ridiculous. I used to find it frustrating when the protagonist acted like this in movies, and now here I am doing it.'
If ‌‌only I'd stayed at that Villa instead.
If my life had been constantly threatened every second, maybe I wouldn't have had time to think about Consomme.
But sitting here in a cafe on a warm, sunny afternoon like this, holding a lukewarm cup of coffee—
I couldn't shake the feeling ‌‌‌‌that I alone had survived.
"It's heavy. Just heavy. Why do I have to go through this?"
I'm just an ordinary corporate employee.
"When does this ‌get lighter?"
"...."
"Will there ever be a day when it does?"
Unfiltered words spilled out of me. ‌‌‌
In front of a man who wasn't ‌‌‌even a friend—someone I'd only shared that ordeal with.
Spilling out.
The Grand Duke, who had been listening to me in silence, answered gently.
"That ‌‌‌‌day never comes."
"...." ‌‌
"It never gets lighter. Not for the rest of your life."
"...."
"The faces of the dead, their smiles, their expressions, ‌‌the way they spoke—none of it ever becomes lighter. Because I still remember it vividly. When I was thirteen, going into my first battle—the face of my retainer who took the blade meant for ‌‌‌me and died."
"...Then what should I do?"
"You live while carrying the weight."
Bearing the weight of each person who died beside me, one by one, upon my shoulders. Striving to live in order to take responsibility for that burden.
"So please continue to feel that heaviness. That's proof that you're still alive."
"...."
"If it ever becomes light, that's when you should think, 'Ah, I've lost my humanity.'"
Remember, grieve, regret, and reflect. In the end, you survive.
"So don't cry."
"...."
"My heart won't tear apart just because you're crying, so stop it right now."
"...I'm not crying."
"You're ‌‌‌‌literally pouring coffee all over the back of your hand right now—isn't that crying?"
"...."
"How about it? Doesn't getting annoyed make the tears disappear?"
The man who thrust ‌‌his face toward me as I kept ‌my head down laughed with a snort.
His expression was so infuriatingly mischievous.
"...I really hate this...."
"Yes, yes~"
This man who teased me like that was Cyprus, Yusara's childhood friend.
The person who noticed the change in her spirit that even Yusara's ‌‌‌‌mother hadn't detected, and told her, "You seem strange ‌‌‌today."
Cyprus.
* * *
I ended up crying anyway.
And I cried hard.
After that, I felt ashamed.
'Crying in public. And in front of this ‌‌guy, no ‌‌less.'
Even as a newcomer at the company, I never cried there—I ‌‌always went home to cry. But here I am, crying after all.
My pride is wounded.
'Well, people cry sometimes in life.'
"You must be hungry. Should I buy you some bread?"
"Yes."
Apparently I looked so pitiful crying that Cyprus spent more money on me.
When I asked for all the bread here, only the owner was delighted.
I broke a steaming hot potato bread ‌‌in half and bit into it.
'Now that I think about it, I've been starving this whole time.'
That crazy household wouldn't even feed me.
Even if I suddenly fell into a different world, ‌‌I still crave coffee and my stomach still growls.
Cyprus, resting his chin on his hand as he watched me eat eagerly, spoke up.
"Seeing you like this reminds me of when we were younger."
"When we were younger?"
"You know, whenever you'd come home after getting scolded at the Palace, you'd always say you were hungry. I'd buy you bread back then too."
"I don't remember that."
"Of course you don't. But look at you now—eyes all teary, eating bread just like you did back then."
"Good grief."
It's not that I don't remember—I have no memory of it at all.
If anything, that was when I actually ‌liked you. Why would you bring up such an embarrassing moment from my past?
'This fool needs to experience heartbreak from a woman who doesn't care about him. Only then will he come to his senses.' ‌‌‌‌
"Still, it's unsettling for someone with an injured arm to wander about alone. Shall I escort you to the Palace?"
"Escort me? Aren't you treating me far too formally?"
"Of course I should treat you formally. We're not close, after all."
"To say such a thing so bluntly... my heart breaks ‌‌all over again."
"How much longer is that heart of yours going to break?"
Cyprus pouted after being scolded.
"Why are you so curt only with me? You're friendly enough ‌‌‌with ‌‌‌Praha."
"Me?"
"You kissed him on the neck yesterday."
"...."
"I saw it all."
"That wasn't a kiss—!"
It was an unfortunate accident!
Crash!
My attempt to explain the truth was thwarted when the maid spilled coffee for the second time.
'What is wrong with this person, reacting to every little thing?'
"Couldn't you just ‌‌overlook something like that, Grand Duke?"
"Ah, the way you overlooked me picking ‌‌up a stone from an Attendant's arms while sprawled across them?"
"...."
He came at me with that so suddenly?
Seeing my silence, Cyprus broke into a grin.
"Shall we not speak of this matter?" ‌‌
"Yes."
'Don't ask. I don't even know what this stone is yet.'
Besides, that stone is still in my pocket right now.
Seeing my wariness, Cyprus winked at me. The way he smiled as if granting me a favor and changed the subject was irritating.
Cyprus casually rummaged through his own pocket and spoke.
"I'd like to wipe the bread crumbs from your lips, but I don't have a handkerchief. This is someone else's clothing, after all."
"That's fine."
"Would you like me to wipe your mouth with this?"
He suddenly grabbed the end of his necktie and tried to rub it against my lips, which made me ‌‌yelp and dodge away.
"Stop being inappropriate!"
"Inappropriate, you say..."
"You seem exhausted and out of it. Why ‌‌don't you go get some sleep already?!"
"Tsk."
What a ridiculous sound!
"You're really a strange person!"
"My teeth are perfectly fine. I can't believe you don't appreciate my dental health..."
"Ugh!"
Whether I was annoyed or not, Cyprus rambled on about his dental health for a good while before finally getting up. ‌‌
"Then I shall take ‌‌‌my leave now, Miss."
"Yes, please go."
"You should head inside too. This bread is all yours, so take it with you."
With ‌‌‌his injured hand, he picked up a bag of bread and handed it off to the Knight standing behind me.
Cyprus waved his hand dismissively, saying there was no need to see him off, and walked away with only the milk in hand.
Beneath his shirt, the prominent shoulder blades wrapped around his broad ‌‌back moved smoothly in the sunlight.
I watched that handsome retreating figure.
I slipped my hand into my pocket.
"..."
I pulled out the red stone that clinked inside.
"Sigh."
What on earth is this stone really?
I sighed and placed it in my palm, gazing at it. The moment I unconsciously shone sunlight on it.
"...!"
"Miss, shall I wipe your hand for you?"
"...Ha."
"...Miss? Are you alright?"
"..."
"Miss?"
"Oh. Yes. I'm ‌‌‌fine." ‌‌
"If anything feels uncomfortable..."
"No, I'm really fine. More importantly, is there a Bookstore nearby?"
"Yes...? ‌‌‌‌‌Ah, yes. There's one just two blocks further."
"Let's go."
"Yes."
"And if we pass a Law Office on the way, let's stop by there too."
I exhaled deeply and rubbed my shoulders.
I put the red stone back into my pocket.
This time, deeper than before.
'I've ‌‌‌figured it out. The identity of the red stone.'
"Let's hurry. We have much to do."
"Yes, Miss."
I rose with the beverage in hand, my reflection catching in the mirror tucked away in the corner of the Cafe.
"...."
I posed a question to that ‌‌‌‌familiar face wearing unfamiliar clothes.
Yusara.
If you could return to ‌‌‌‌yesterday, would you act differently?
Ideally, I'd ‌‌‌save Consomme before she's bitten by a zombie, but if I couldn't manage that—
would I simply give up, accepting that it's already too late?
'No.'
No matter how many times I go back, my actions remain the same.
I ‌will do my utmost to save her.
Until the very end.
Even knowing I'll fail hundreds of times, I'll try hundreds of times again.
'Then I mustn't look back.'
If I've done my best, I must accept whatever result comes.
Whether this is a dream, possession, or my own delusion—while this is my reality, I will give my all.
I will do my ‌‌‌best and never look back.
'The incident is only beginning now. If the protagonist falters here, there's no point in watching.'
I'm not the protagonist—I'm the villainess?
So what.
In my life, I am the primary protagonist.
And the genre ‌‌I've defined for my life is comedy.
I will never let it become melodrama or a thriller.
'Besides, I've found hope now.'
I clenched the red stone in my pocket tightly.
'But what about that insane ‌‌‌household situation?'
There's ‌‌one method that just occurred to me. I'm not sure if it'll work, but... I should at least try, right?
[(Temporary Safe Zone) Capital District 3 Cafe]
- Yusara, Cyprus (Alive)

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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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