BVSSA 04

Chapter 04

***

Should I make a run for it or not?

The sudden notice that I’d been accepted had left me agonizing over the decision hundreds of times, even as I changed my clothes.

In the end, however, all that worrying had been pointless.

“Why are you still here, Director?”

“Ah, I have some documents I need to collect from the other side. You haven’t been in the capital long, so you probably don’t know your way around yet, do you? Since we’re heading in the same direction, I’ll take you there. Hahaha!”

The director of the employment agency was far more meddlesome than I’d ever imagined.

Actually, I wasn’t even sure this counted as kindness.

Did Arden tell him to do this so I wouldn’t have a chance to run away?

And so, trembling like a leaf, I accompanied the director until…

“…Hello. My name is Ilian Gresia. I look forward to working with you. Cough, cough.”

Before I knew it, I’d arrived at La Mar for my first day of work.

Who would’ve thought I’d ever have to see this gloomy office again?

“Miss Ilian Gresia.”

And who would’ve thought I’d have to face this gloomy man again!

Arden hadn’t even bothered to read my employment documents. He simply set them down on his desk and called my name.

His voice was chillingly low and cold. For some reason, it made me feel as though I ought to gather up every crime I’d never committed and beg for forgiveness.

“Yes, Director…”

“As stated in the job posting, your probationary period will last one month. Whether you’re offered a permanent position will depend on your performance.”

“Yes, I understa—”

“You will receive instructions from your senior, Jeremy Sand. The work shouldn’t be particularly difficult.”

“I’ll keep that in mi—”

“So.”

Could you stop cutting me off? Do you even know how a conversation works?

He’d done the same thing during the interview. Apparently, interrupting people was just a habit of his.

Was my response so meaningless that it wasn’t even worth hearing? And if I stopped answering, he’d probably turn around and say, ‘Miss Gresia, shouldn’t you respond?’ before finding something else to criticize!

I was silently venting my frustration when Arden continued. This time, I couldn’t bring myself to answer.

“I hope to see an improvement over your performance during the interview, Miss Gresia. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

“……”

“You may leave.”

His words were nothing particularly unusual.

And yet, hearing them in Arden’s voice sent a chill down my spine.

“Director! It’s time for us to leave.”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

Perhaps they had some business outside, because Arden and Luther promptly left the trading company.

I stood awkwardly in the middle of the hallway for a moment before finally locating my desk.

[Probationary Secretary]

I fiddled with the nameplate, which didn’t even have my name on it yet, and glanced around the desolate office.

For a trading company of its reputation, there were strangely few employees. Aside from me and my supposed senior, Jeremy, there didn’t seem to be anyone else.

A sudden thought crossed my mind.

Should I make a run for it right now?

I pulled out a sheet of paper and began hastily scribbling a resignation letter, but then stopped.

…No. If I’m going to escape properly, I need to get out of the capital first. Where am I supposed to find a new place to live? And what about this month’s debt payment?

I’d put my old house up for sale and moved to the capital, where there were more job opportunities.

All because of my debt.

The problem was that my house back in my hometown still hadn’t sold, leaving me with barely two million gold to my name.

Of course, there is one other way I could get my hands on some money.

I could sell my mother’s belongings.

She had passed away fourteen years ago, and I still had a few of her possessions.

But I firmly shook my head.

No. Absolutely not. The whole reason I’ve been struggling all these years, working two jobs and even three at a time, was to avoid touching those things in the first place.

I was still desperately trying to calculate a way out of my financial predicament when something caught my eye.

“Hm?”

There was an envelope sitting on one corner of my desk.

What was this?

I casually picked it up and checked its contents.

Then I shot to my feet.

“Um, Mr. Jeremy?”

My senior, Jeremy, didn’t even look in my direction. He answered with an irritated tone.

“What?”

“There’s a bundle of money on my desk. What is this?”

Even as I asked, my instincts were already estimating its value. I could tell just by handling the stack once.

This was exactly three million gold.

Added to the money I already had, it was precisely enough to pay this month’s five-million-gold interest!

Is this money supposed to be sent somewhere? Even so, how can they just leave such a huge amount with a probationary employee without saying anything…?

While my mind raced with questions, my senior responded as though I were asking something completely obvious.

“That? It’s your welcome bonus.”

“……”

“And just so you know, your salary, performance bonus, and clothing allowance are paid separately at the end of the month.”

“……”

“What? Disappointed? Were you expecting more? Don’t get too ambitious just because you’ve landed a job, probationary employee. The welcome bonus is equivalent to one month’s salary, so that’s how much you get. If you’ve got a problem with it, take it up with the director.”

I alternated my gaze between the three million gold and the resignation letter I’d left unfinished.

Just a moment ago, I’d been determined to run away as soon as possible.

Maybe… I don’t have to leave right this second…

This must be what they called financial therapy.

Wait. Is Arden actually not the mastermind behind everything?

Surely someone who casually hands a probationary employee three million gold can’t be a villain, right? And on top of that, the salary is paid separately?

I’m sorry for insulting you for interrupting me, Arden. I was wrong.

“Your probationary period will last one month. Whether you’re offered a permanent position will depend on your performance.”

As I fiddled with the money, Arden’s earlier words suddenly echoed in my ears.

Continuing to work at La Mar was out of the question. I knew how miserable their eventual fate would be.

I had absolutely no intention of becoming bound to Arden by fate.

But working here for just one month… Surely that much would be all right?

I knew this was the textbook definition of rationalizing my own selfish desires, but I did have my reasons.

Let’s be realistic. Even if I can’t pay off my debt, my life is already going to be ruined. Besides, I still have to find my father.

My father, the man who had left me with his gambling debts, was currently missing.

The debt collectors had taken him away.

They said they wouldn’t tell me where he was unless I paid off the entire debt.

It wasn’t as though I was worried about him out of some sentimental affection. He was, after all, my only father.

Given the situation, I hardly have the luxury of worrying about the man who dumped all his debt on me.

There was something I absolutely had to get from my father.

Until I could confront him, I had no choice but to keep the debt collectors off my back.

If I could combine this welcome bonus with the salary I’ll receive at the end of the month, I’d have enough emergency funds to finally breathe a little easier.

With no telling when Sirena’s house would sell, I desperately needed this money to put out the fire before it spread.

And besides…

If I suddenly ran away without a proper reason, there’s no way Arden would just let me go.

That was actually the biggest problem.

In just one year, Arden would become a villain powerful enough to manipulate the entire empire from the shadows.

And that very mastermind was already holding my personal information, which I’d helpfully written down in neat, concise detail.

The last thing I need is to have both debt collectors and the worst villain in the entire story chasing after me.

So the conclusion I reached was simple.

I’ll make Arden fire me!

I clenched my fists.

I’ll act like a sufficiently incompetent employee! I’ll make myself so unbearable that he’ll have no choice but to dismiss me!

Today’s meeting had only made one thing even clearer.

Arden wasn’t particularly fond of me. So why had he hired me anyway?

The other candidates must have been so terrible that he had no choice but to settle for the lesser evil. Me.

In other words, if I gave him a good enough reason to fire me, wouldn’t he gladly get rid of a probationary employee he already disliked?

And then I could leave this villainous company safely, without having to worry about being hunted down!

Surely he wouldn’t demand that I return the welcome bonus, would he? I could earn some money and leave the company at the same time!

For the first time, I felt as though I’d found a way forward.

Of course, I can’t act too blatantly incompetent. That would make me look suspicious, as though I had some ulterior motive. …Well, I do have an ulterior motive, but that’s beside the point.

Arden was the kind of man who wouldn’t hesitate to throw me into the sea to feed the sharks if I got on his bad side.

So my ultimate goal was to become just incompetent enough to be irritating, and just annoying enough to be impossible to tolerate.

There was, however, one tiny problem with this seemingly perfect plan.

…Hmm. How exactly does one go about being incompetent…?

Who in their right mind sets out to build a career by making themselves the worst employee imaginable?