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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 4
How does an ordinary person who's never swung a sword survive a ‌‌‌‌zombie catastrophe?
1. ‌‌‌Don't stand out.
2. Follow the orders of armed personnel.
I've ‌‌already broken rule one. To prevent the knight's death. And I failed spectacularly.
I stared at the dead knight's face—silent now, forever—for a few seconds before turning away. ‌‌‌‌
What can I do? I have to survive.
I warned them clearly. It's their fault for not listening.
"How is this possible.... ‌‌‌Actually, that Attendant isn't really dead, is he? He's just pretending to be dead for a moment...!"
"No."
"But it doesn't make sense! Dead people waking up and moving, infecting the living...!"
"No matter how impossible it seems, if it's happening before our eyes, it's reality." ‌‌‌‌
Chaos and confusion.
The Crown ‌Prince and Grand Duke skillfully managed the panicked, wailing crowd.
More precisely, the Grand Duke managed the people while the Crown Prince severed the corpse's legs to prevent it from rising again.
Those watching looked ready to faint at the sight.
The Grand Duke, wearing an awkward smile, positioned himself between the Crown Prince and the crowd, blocking their view with his body.
"Don't mind that over there. Everyone, shall we focus on me instead?"
He looked slender, but his frame was surprisingly large. Simply by standing before them, he could obstruct everyone's line of sight.
The Grand Duke explained.
"The rules are surprisingly simple. First: corpses move. To stop them, you must sever their necks. Second: if bitten by one, you become infected. Third: from now on, we escape this Island."
"Escape?"
"Yes, escape. Without being bitten, without dying. Simple, right?"
His tone was like explaining a game's rules, but such words would never dispel their terror.
"But Your Grace the Grand Duke, aren't those corpses wandering outside right now? Wouldn't it be better to wait for rescue here...!"
It seemed everyone wanted to barricade themselves in this room, lock the door, and wait for someone to save them.
The Crown Prince, having ‌‌‌finished severing the corpse's legs and standing up, refuted this.
"Rescue won't come."
With only those words, he moved to the window to observe outside. The Grand Duke, sighing, supplemented the Crown Prince's statement.
"If something ‌‌‌like this is happening on this Island, the Imperial Palace likely isn't peaceful either. In that case, they won't come to rescue us anyway."
"That means...."
"If the Imperial ‌‌Palace is peaceful, they can't even imagine corpses walking around here. In that case, those sent to retrieve us will fail to handle the situation properly and likely become infected from being bitten. We'd just end up creating more corpses wandering outside while waiting for rescue."
Right. If ‌‌‌those corpses occupy the escape route, we're finished.
"We must leave this place as quickly as possible. If we delay and they swarm toward us...."
"Then what should we do?"
"We must use the portal. It's the only way to leave this Island." ‌
That's when the protagonist Yujein interjected.
"What about the other people?"
Those who hadn't even considered anyone besides themselves looked startled at Yujein. She spoke.
"There are likely people hiding throughout the villa who couldn't escape in time. We need to find and rescue them before we leave."
Her voice was thin but clear.
'Hmm. A statement that reveals how the male leads will react.' ‌‌
What will you do, all of you?
Will you listen to the beloved protagonist's words in this dire situation?
'Of ‌‌‌course you will. This is some kind of adult romance novel after all....'
"I apologize, but Miss Yujein. We cannot wander through the villa searching for people when we're not even certain anyone needs rescuing."
No, they won't listen.
"Especially not when five of us are unable to fight right now."
"But!"
"Escape must ‌‌come first. We can only ‌‌‌‌save others if we survive ourselves."
Though his face wore a smile, the Grand Duke was ‌‌resolute. Rejected, Yujein turned her gaze toward the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince, who had been contemplating, finally spoke.
"The other people here."
"Yes?"
"By now, we should assume they're all dead."
"What?!"
This one's even ‌‌‌more decisive.
The Crown Prince, who ‌‌‌had hesitated briefly, offered a more detailed explanation.
"This unidentified condition is highly contagious, ‌‌and the people outside are unprepared for this type of ‌‌illness. No one has come ‌‌to our room to warn us of danger until now. That means everyone on this island has fallen victim without resistance."
"That's right, Miss Yujein.... I understand your concern, but."
I tuned out the chatter and focused on preparing to survive.
'I don't even know why I'm here, and I'm not about to die bitten by a zombie.'
I worked like a dog all last year and got my performance bonus—it's still sitting in my account untouched. I'm not going to die as a zombie in some book instead of on Earth. That would be ‌‌‌‌unbearably unfair.
Move. We need to move.
"We're currently in the Second Floor Right Wing ‌‌‌‌Room. The main portal we used to reach this island is outside the villa, but according to the ‌‌‌interior map, there's a secondary portal for food supply transport in the Kitchen. Since the Kitchen is in the center of the first floor, we should prioritize moving there instead."
"Then how do we...."
Ignoring the voices around me, I looked at the paper knife on the table. I reached out to grab it as a last resort, but someone beat me to it.
It was the knight who had covered the head of the person that had rolled past my feet with cloth.
The knight approached and handed ‌‌‌me the knife. His long, beautiful hands were covered in calluses and scars.
"Thank you."
The knight's eyes met mine, and he hesitated.
"Um, my lady. Earlier...."
"Yes?"
"I was able to survive thanks to ‌‌‌‌you, my lady. Thank you. And... I'm sorry."
"Sorry? For what?"
"For not listening ‌to you, my lady."
Oh, here I go again.
"Don't mention it. I'm just glad you survived."
In a situation like this, having even one more person who knows how to wield a blade alive makes all the difference.
'Maybe I should butter him up a bit? Ask him to look after me.'
As an ordinary office worker, I had no skill to stand against zombies, so ‌‌‌‌flattery was the least I could do.
"What is your name, sir?"
"I am Dazling, my lady."
"Wonderful. Sir Dazling, congratulations on surviving. Please continue to stay alive. Would you care for a warm cup of water?"
Without waiting for a response, I poured water from the kettle and offered it to him.
"It's a bribe. A bribe asking for ‌‌your help until we return to ‌the Imperial Palace. ‌‌‌Is it insufficient?"
"Not at all, my lady. How could I presume to refuse? I shall drink ‌‌‌gratefully."
"Yes. Please have some pastries as well."
And take care of me too.
"I will only trust Sir Dazling. You're the only person here who has shown concern for me, aren't you?"
In that instant, the room fell silent.
I glanced around. Everyone had turned to stare at Dazling and me.
The Crown Prince, the Grand Duke, Yujein with a look of surprise, Supporting Character 1 with a blatant scowl, Nuisance Man, and even Supporting Character ‌‌‌‌2, barely visible in the ‌‌shadows.
"...Have I ‌‌intruded?"
"...Not at all."
The Crown Prince said it wasn't so, but his eyes were fixed intently on me before he looked away.
'What's wrong with him?'
Could it be because of ‌‌what I just said?
But it's the truth, isn't it?
When that severed head rolled past my feet earlier, was there anyone besides Dazling who showed concern for me?
* * *
After deciding on our destination, we armed ourselves.
The Grand Duke took the dead knight's sword, while Nuisance Man insisted on carrying the dagger and small shield, claiming it was only proper for a man to bear weapons.
The Crown Prince and Dazling already had their ‌‌own weapons.
Me? I had... a paper knife.
'Will this even work?'
"My lady, what are you doing?"
"Looking for a weapon."
"Heh."
What now?
I turned to see Supporting Character 1.
Meeting my gaze, she spoke with a sharp edge.
"It seems my lady values her own life ‌‌‌‌quite dearly. But what could my lady possibly accomplish with a weapon?"
Supporting Character 1.
The highest-ranking woman here besides me.
Her family runs a trading company specializing in magical artifacts.
'Like that magical rope the Crown Prince has.'
Magical artifacts were extraordinarily rare and difficult to handle, so it was safe to say that ‌ninety-nine percent of the empire's magical shops belonged to her family.
Her name was... Mascarpone, if I recalled correctly.
"Of course my body matters... it's precious, isn't it? There's only one of me."
I replied with reluctant irritation.
"And besides, isn't it more likely to accomplish something with a weapon than without one?"
"No, it's not. If ‌‌‌‌the Young Lady has a weapon in her hands, those of us nearby become anxious. How ‌‌‌are we supposed to know if you'll accidentally swing it and stab ‌‌‌‌one of us?"
"Mascarpone, that's enough."
Supporting Character 2 approached and tried to stop Supporting Character 1. But Mascarpone showed no signs of backing down.
"I'm already on edge, and you're making a fuss right next to me!"
Good grief.
"Your name is Mascarpone, correct?"
"Ha, so now you can't even remember my name?"
Hmm. Then the one next to me is...
"You would be... Tiramisu?"
"...No, I'm not."
"Ah, I see."
Oh dear, my apologies.
Fortunately, she seemed to think I'd at least tried to remember her, so she let it slide.
I turned to Mascarpone.
"Miss Mascarpone, I understand you're anxious, but does picking a fight with me actually ease that anxiety? I doubt it. What if I hold a grudge and stab you when you're not paying attention?"
"What did you just ‌‌‌say?!"
"If you ‌‍don't like me having a sword, then arm yourself with something too. I'm not naive enough to entrust my life solely to someone else's hands."
Without waiting for a response, I turned away.
This wasn't the time for this.
'Look at the state I'm in.'
My ‌‌‌‌long hair cascaded down to my waist in a tangled mess, ‌‌and this dress with its plunging neckline was so long that I'd definitely trip and fall if I tried to run in it. To make matters worse, I was wearing ‌‌‍heels.
There was no way I could even reach the Kitchen, let alone the stairs, dressed like this.
First, I tore the dress up to my shins. As the fabric ripped with a sharp sound and my calves became visible, the male leads over there hurriedly turned their heads away in embarrassment.
"The Young Lady's finally lost her mind."
I ignored Mascarpone's snide remark.
After tearing it to shreds, I gathered a usable piece of fabric and tied my hair back tightly with it.
Next came the shoes.
I found the severed leg of a dead knight.
Without hesitation, I pulled off the boots and put them on.
"She's... insane...!"
I ignored the gasps of shock around me.
As I tightened the laces of the military boots that came up ‌‌‌‌to my ankles, they became wearable enough.
I looked at Mascarpone, who stood with her arms crossed watching me, and then at Yujein and Supporting Character 2 behind her.
'They're definitely wearing high heels too.'
I retrieved the indoor slippers I'd spotted earlier in the corner. I would've preferred three pairs, but unfortunately there were only two.
'The dead Attendant's shoes would be too big for them anyway.'
There was no help for it. I tossed the slippers I'd picked up directly at Mascarpone, and before she could shout in protest, I made my move first.
"You're going to run in those shoes?"
I gestured toward Mascarpone's heels peeking out from beneath her dress, and she stopped mid-motion, closing her mouth. She let out a soft laugh and turned away. Soon I heard the two of them politely deferring to each other behind me.
"I'm really fine. ‌‌‌Please, both of you wear them."
"Thank you, Yujein."
I was concerned about Yujein having to move in high heels, but she'd manage ‌‌‌‌on her own.
'Finally getting out of here.'
I took one last look around the room.
I desperately hoped my smartwatch—the one I'd bought to record my boss's verbal abuse—would go ‌‌off soon and wake me from this insane possession.
"Young lady, aren't you coming?"
"I'm coming!"
'But what was that?'
Hadn't something glimmered on ‌the corpse's chest just now?
[Imperial Villa 2nd Floor Secret Room]
- Yusara, Yujein, ‌‌‌‌Crown Prince, Grand Duke, Mascarpone, Supporting Character 2, Nuisance Man, Dazling (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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