# Chapter 20
“Still, shouldn't you take someone with you?”
Dante looked around anxiously. Everyone is buried in the papers, so who will I take?
"decent!"
“Okay, go and go straight home.”
"truly?"
“His Highness the Prince left early for today’s report, let’s finish early as well.”
Everyone cheered at Dante's words. Edmund left early to report on the progress of Project Umfa to the Emperor.
“Okay, I'll leave right away!”
When was the last time I left the palace and the sun was still shining?
I sang as I headed to the oompah.
“We will decorate with brightly colored flowers as you requested.”
“Yes, bold colors are better than pastels.”
“We'll talk later!”
I finished discussing with the shop owner, and the sun is still shining! I was so happy.
“You're Olivia, aren't you?”
I was thinking of buying snacks and hanging out at the temple when someone blocked my path.
He spoke in a tone reminiscent of old movie villains.
I was surrounded by a group of hostile-looking men. The weather doesn't look good.
“No, not me.”
In such cases, denial is best!
“Brother, this is it!”
“Yes, I saw her talking to residents’ representatives!”
They were not fooled. I would get over it.
"Okay, I'm Olivia. What's going on?"
I didn't get involved with people like them, so I asked boldly.
“Don't talk, come!”
"I don't want."
Their intentions seemed suspicious, so I started running.
I may have sat down to study, but I'm confident in my speed over short distances!
***
“…Can’t you let me go?”
I was confident in my speed, but...
I tried to escape from them, but they quickly caught me.
Now that I think about it, I haven't tested my speed since I moved into Olivia's body.
I was fast compared to the priests, but they sit to pray and read books, their fitness is weak, and their “running” is just a quick walk.
I had to give up the idea that I was fast.
“Can you at least hold me by the wrist?”
I was hanging between the arms of two men who were holding me by the armpits.
It was humiliating. If this demon was going to make me human, why didn't he give me a lithe body like Ecla?
I sighed, thinking of Ecla.
"If you're thinking about escaping, think again. We control Umfa."
The leader pointed, and the two men slowly lowered me.
I almost died from the pain in my armpits.
They dragged me like a pig to the slaughter and opened the door of a dilapidated house.
"Yes!"
They threw me like a bag. Fortunately, there was a mattress on the floor, despite its smell.
“By the way, who are you?”
You know me, but I don't know you, isn't that unfair?
The leader lit a lighter and asked: “Don’t you know me?”
"Yes."
I haven't seen someone as scary as you since I came here.
“Huh, I thought you meant to ruin my work!”
"Work? Spoil?"
I tilted my head. I'm not a business person, and I've never held anyone back.
"Oh my God! I'm talking about interest lending!"
“Ah, Blackwood the usurer?”
I hit my hand with my fist in understanding, and the leader began scratching his head angrily, and the crust fell like snow.
“Do you know how much I was making lending in Umbach?!”
I know, I know very well.
Those hideous benefits? And you call it work and come to me?
“Stop the loan project!”
“Oh my God, do you think I'm running this project alone?”
“I know the First Prince is after you! And I also know that you are his mistress!”
The leader shook his little finger.
I? since when?
They started threatening me with information I don't know.
“If the prince finds out that we kidnapped you, he will stop the project, right?”
He won't. Rather, he will consider me useless and get rid of me.
“There are two things that need to be corrected.”
I folded two fingers and cut him off: “First, the project cannot be stopped. It received the emperor’s approval today.”
Before approval, there might have been hope, but now it has been sealed.
“Secondly, I am not related to His Highness Edmund.”
"impossible!"
"This is correct."
To be precise, am I the one who flirts with him with one-sided enthusiasm?
“But you became an assistant after a month of work!”
“Yes, thanks to my skills.”
Did they think I got the position through nepotism? Well, it might seem that way.
A twenty-year-old girl, after a month of work, became an assistant? They might think I parachuted out.
But I stepped up with my real skills!
“So the hostage plan won't work?!”
“Of course, he might order my murder.”
I answered coldly, and they started to get more angry.
“What is this man?”
“No blood, no tears!”
“Even if you are not his mistress, you are his follower!”
What people do irrational things and speak rationally!
“HH Edmund says he doesn't need anyone who is useless.”
I vented and ended up unintentionally lashing out at my boss.
“If he knew I was here? He would say, ‘Useless, kill her.'”
I imitated his voice and pulled my eyes up.
“Why do you work under a man like that?”
“That's right, if you need money, I'll hire you!”
No, I want to make money legally.
“But appreciation is more satisfying that way.”
His looks when he accomplishes something good are amazing.
He doesn't say much, but his sharp eyes soften a little and he smiles.
Yes, he looks good. They say that appearance is justification, and an appearance like this deserves to be the hero of the story.
“His Highness works fast, and I learn a lot from him.”
Its appearance is pleasing to the eye, I take pride in working in the palace, and I have no worries about being fired or bankrupt unless war breaks out. Isn't a government job the best?
“What is this, one-sided love?”
"not so!"
Who loves who? I'm just... pretending to love to survive.
I buried my face in a dusty blanket to calm my redness.
***
Yesterday, Edmund heard the words “I expect much from you” from the Emperor. Early in the morning, he took the chocolate he ordered from the kitchen and headed to work.
“She deserves it for her efforts.”
Imagine her cheerful face, and smile rarely.
“Look, no one's here yet!”
"Where is she? Can we look somewhere else?"
There was a guard-looking soldier and a priest walking around in front of the office.
“What's going on here?”
They recognized Edmund and bowed quickly.
“This priest insists on visiting His Highness the First Prince’s office. Since he is a priest, we could not ignore him...”
The priest clung to Edmund anxiously: “I am Rowan, I work as a librarian in the temple!”
“Beyond definition, why?”
With a cold tone, Ruan was determined to persuade Olivia to resign and said: “Olivia!”
“Olivia?”
“Olivia has disappeared!”
The beautifully wrapped chocolates fell to the ground and shattered, just like his expression now.