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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 56
To Yujein, the Grand Duke's daughter Yusara was a formidable adversary.
The Grand Duke's daughter who disliked Yujein.
The Grand Duke's daughter who made no effort to hide ‌‌that negative sentiment.
A status so elevated that no one would dare point ‌‌‌out such behavior.
Yet at some point, the Grand Duke's daughter began acting as though there were no difference in station between the two of them.
'G-good morning, Grand Duke's daughter...!'
'Yes, good morning.'
In other words, ‌‌it wasn't that the two of them had become equals in status—
Rather, it seemed as though the very concept of a class system didn't exist in this world ‌‌‌‌at all.
'Oh, I'm sorry.'
As they climbed the Mountain, their elbows brushed lightly against each other, and the Grand Duke's daughter offered an apology as light as a feather.
'Would you like to try some?'
When pouring drinks, she would pour one for Yujein as well and share it.
'Be careful, it's hot.'
When the Grand Duke handed soup to the Grand Duke's daughter, she made ‌‌‌sure to attend to Yujein first, who was sitting farther away.
'Oh, I'm sorry...!'
'Hmm? Ah. Don't worry about something like this.'
If a bit of soup got on her thumb, she would casually lick it clean ‌‌‌with her tongue and turn away.
It was an effortless kindness.
Distributed equally not only to Yujein but to everyone around ‌‌‌‌her.
Yet Yujein's heart swelled with hope.
'Does she no longer hate me? Or is she simply ‌‌hiding her dislike?'
I hoped it was the former.
'Regardless of how the Grand Duke's daughter feels, I ‌‌don't dislike her.'
People naturally believed the two of them disliked each other.
Even if kind Yujein didn't, surely Yusara at least hated Yujein.
That had been true until not long ago.
It was strange that the two of them got along at all.
There were ‌‌far too many factors driving a wedge between them.
For instance, the people around ‌‌them who treated the two as rivals over the two Crown Princes, who had no such intentions—
'So, which ‌of the two Crown Princes has captured Yujein's heart?'
'It's not like that. The two Crown ‌‌‌‌Princes are interested in my sacred power.'
'Oh my, how coy!'
'You don't have to lie to us~'
'Yujein is wonderful in every way, but sometimes when you play dumb like this, it's a bit irritating, you know?'
'Well, that's probably why the men like Yujein so much!'
'Still, it's nice that you're beating out that wicked Grand Duke's daughter, right?'
'If the Grand Duke's daughter bothers you again, go tell the Crown Prince!'
'That's not it ‌‌‌either. I don't dislike you, Lady Yusara. In fact, ‌‌‌you rather....'
'There you go again!'
'No, that's not what I mean. Really....'
'I get it, I get it. I know you're a good person, Yujein. Just stop now~'
Even two people who got along perfectly fine would grow awkward if those around them kept treating them this way.
Yujein's heart wasn't like that, but it seemed everyone around her kept positioning the two of them as rivals.
'I can understand why Lady Yusara would hate me for this.'
I'd clarified it wasn't true whenever the opportunity ‌‌‌‌arose, but ‍‌‌people refused to believe me.
What people wanted was obvious.
For the kind-hearted commoner Yujein to fail and crush the high-born Yusara instead.
But Yujein and Yusara had never even fought.
'The idea that receiving love from the ‌‌two Highnesses is a competition, with victory as the measure—that's what's strange to begin with.'
Since Yujein had never viewed such things as a competition from the start, she felt no jealousy seeing the two Highnesses and Lady Yusara growing closer lately.
It wasn't strange at all.
Yujein herself wanted to be on good terms with Lady Yusara too.
'I didn't know she was ‌‌like this.'
I'd only thought of her as someone frightening.
The side of Lady Yusara she'd shown since this incident began was truly unexpected.
If anything, I felt jealous of Cyprus.
'Because ‌‌‌‌the Grand Duke is so comfortable around Lady Yusara.'
I want to be on good terms with her too.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince and ‌‌‌‌Lady Yusara.
'They seem awkward and uncomfortable.'
To be precise.
'Lady Yusara draws a line. The Crown Prince hovers outside it.'
Yujein, watching from the sidelines, could see it clearly.
The ‌Crown Prince always ‌‌‌kept Lady Yusara in the corner of his vision, even while doing other things.
Lady Yusara only paid attention to her own interests.
'This is what our house takes pride ‌‌‌in.'
'Hahahaha! Hahahaha!'
On the day we first arrived at Prome.
When Marquis Prome and his wife deliberately excluded Lady Yusara while showing us around the castle.
When everyone was watching Lady Yusara's reaction.
'All the artists whose works hang in the Corridor are still ‌‌‌‌alive?'
'Um...? Yes, that's correct...but?'
'Do you also get tax exemptions when trading works by living artists here?'
Lady Yusara was actually interrogating a servant with questions whose context Yujein couldn't even follow.
It was the Crown Prince who was more angry about ‌‌the treatment Lady Yusara received than she was.
'Yet that Lady Yusara got angry at the banquet when the Baron insulted his own retainer.'
She ‌‌knew exactly where her anger lay and didn't hesitate to show her aggression when the moment called for it.
Yujein admired the Princess for being that way.
'It seems the Princess no longer dislikes me.'
Then wouldn't it be alright for me to draw closer?
But then.
"Princess!"
The Princess, who had supported me as I lay unconscious ‌‌‌‌against the wall, was left alone in the Labyrinth.
She poured all her strength into saving ‌‌‌me instead of using it to escape from that wall, which would have required her full power to break free from.
I ‌‌don't even want to recall what happened when we were outside together while the Princess ‌‌‌‌remained alone in the Labyrinth.
When we finally reopened the Labyrinth door.
I cannot describe how shocked I was to see the Princess collapsed on the ground.
"What happened?"
A deathly pale face. Lips trembling uncontrollably. Hair matted and clinging with sweat.
Hands covered in dirt.
Tears streaming down her cheeks.
Anyone could see she was terrified, yet she pretended everything was fine.
The Princess even seemed unaware that her neck was bruised, her entire neck and shoulder darkened to a deep crimson.
"Are you in pain?"
"No, I'm perfectly fine. How are you, ‌Yujein?"
As she tilted her head and spoke, there were bowstring-shaped marks on the Princess's lips.
They were traces from practicing archery with the Crown Prince every morning and evening.
The Princess didn't even blame me.
Even though she'd nearly died trapped alone because of me.
Even though she'd been so terrified she wept.
'I'm the only one who isn't helping.'
The Princess, who wasn't born with divine power and hadn't been trained as a Knight, was still pulling her weight.
'I'm not just useless—I'm actually a burden.'
Even getting here required support from others, and every night I've been groaning in pain while Tangerine massages my limbs.
'I came to the Ancient Labyrinth because of me.'
When opening the door, when closing it, when deciphering ancient script, when finding the correct handle.
'I'm just dragging everyone down.'
If I weren't here, the Princess would never have been trapped alone.
I should be useful somehow.
Yujein grew ‌‌anxious.
* * *
Our strategy for crossing the Cliff where arrows rain down.
1. Cyprus and Tangerine cross first.
2. While they cross, Praha blocks the incoming arrows.
3. Once across, Cyprus and Tangerine trigger the mechanism.
4. Praha throws Yujein and me to the other side.
5. Cyprus and Tangerine catch us as we fly toward them.
6. Praha crosses over.
*My role: be thrown as lightly as possible.
"Will this ‌‌‌‌plan actually work?"
Since I kept doubting, Praha demonstrated it with his own body.
"Wow!"
It actually works!
"That's incredible, Your Highness!"
'So Praha was one of our people after all.'
Of everyone I've ever met, he's the finest archer I've seen.
At my continuous exclamations, Praha turned away without responding.
Now his ears weren't ‌the only thing red—his neck was too.
Watching Praha pretend not to hear, Cyprus chuckled.
Yujein bounced on her feet and raised her hand.
"Then, then I'll help too!"
"Conserve your holy power. We ‌‌don't know what might happen ahead."
Praha refused outright.
Me?
I'm in the middle of ‌‌breathing exercises.
Trying to shed even 0.1 grams before being thrown.
"Be careful."
I called out to Cyprus, who was preparing to dash ‌forward first, and his eyes sparkled.
"Are you worried about me?"
"Of course I am."
You're ‌‌‌‌‌injured too—your shoulder. I pointed to ‌‌‌the shoulder he'd hit with shrapnel earlier.
"What if you overdo it and reopen the wound?" ‌
"Then I'd better hurry. So you don't waste time with needless worrying, my lady."
And whoosh.
Cyprus bolted before I could finish speaking.
"Oh, I'm coming too!"
Patter-patter-patter.
Tangerine rushed after him.
Whiiiing—
At the same moment, arrows came surging from ‌the other side.
Praha shot an arrow to intercept them with perfect precision!
After watching the arrows fly past, Praha lowered only his eyes to look at me.
"...."
"...."
"Do you need praise?"
"Yes."
"You're splendid. Remarkable. The very best."
"The mechanism is broken! Come across!"
I turned my gaze away from Praha, who was about to say something more.
Soon Yujein made it safely to the other ‌‌side as well, and then it was my turn.
I stood facing him obediently, waiting for Praha to hurl me across like a football player.
"...."
"...."
Why again?
"My lady. You don't happen to be thinking of turning back now, do you?"
"Pardon? You want me to turn back?"
To the afterlife?
'*Ahem.* She has departed.' Something like that?
But Praha was serious.
"I fear I made you a reckless proposal. This is dangerous. If ‌‌‌something were to happen to you, I...."
"My lady! Why aren't you coming?!"
"Praha! Is something wrong?!" ‌‌‌
The others on the far side waited in ‌‌‌confusion, watching for us to cross.
Praha paid ‌‌‌them no mind, his eyes fixed only on me.
He looked anxious.
And though I couldn't fathom why.
He looked desperate.
"I'm afraid. Afraid that there will come a moment when I cannot protect you, even if I sacrifice my own life."
'It seems being left alone in the Ancient Labyrinth dealt Praha quite a shock.'
Without responding, I lowered the bow from my back. ‌‌‌
*Twang—* Crack.
Rumble.
I wasn't skilled enough to meet an arrow mid-flight with an arrow, the way Praha was. ‌‌‌
But I could strike the weakest point of the wooden bridge and bring it down.
The collapsing bridge tumbled down the Cliff into the river below.
I pouted ‌‌‌‌at Praha as he watched me.
"My skills have improved this much, and ‌‌‌you want me to turn back? That wouldn't be fair."
"...."
"Don't think about saving the world without me. I like being a hero too."
"...."
I reached into Praha's frozen quiver and took an ‌‌‌‌‌arrow for myself.
It was a steel arrow.
One that could pierce stone walls.
An arrow with destructive power that didn't just lodge itself—it obliterated.
'I thought it looked good earlier.'
I placed the weighty projectile into my own quiver and spoke.
"If you're really that worried about me, then take responsibility if I get hurt here and lose the use of some part of my body."
I'd meant it as a joke to scare her, but instead she let out a ‌soft laugh.
"Yes. I'll take responsibility for you for the rest of my life." ‌‌
"Why do you say such jokes so seriously?"
"Because it's not a joke."
"Good grief."
She's starting to resemble Cyprus too. Growing more and more shameless by ‌‌the day.
I shook my head with a wry smile while adjusting the quiver filled with metal arrows.
A fact I hadn't yet realized at that moment.
Praha wasn't joking at all.
[Ancient Labyrinth: Cliff]
- Yusara, Praha, Cyprus, Yujein, Tangerine (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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