Chapter 211 Internal Cleanup -8
Chapter 211 Internal Cleanup -8
In the end, Narsha couldn't finish her food.
Jiha said matter-of-factly.
"I told you not to leave leftovers. Next time, take only as much as you can eat."
"That gargoyle brought too much on his own...."
"If you'd gotten it yourself, this wouldn't have happened."
Narsha looked incredulous.
Her eyes accused him—hadn't he ordered this? Jiha explained.
"Stop just passively accepting whatever someone else gives you. From now on, learn to handle things yourself."
.......
In the mess hall, Jiha's subordinates brought him his meals, but that was a courtesy they extended on their own.
In contrast, Narsha had been acting like a queen, driving her escort guards with threats and force.
"Give it here. I'll eat it."
"What? That's disgusting, what are you...."
"You get punished for leaving food. Hand it over."
Jiha actually ate everything Narsha had left behind.
Narsha, who had lived a life of luxury until now, just blinked vacantly.
It wasn't as if Jiha had nothing else to eat.
It dawned on her, vaguely, that he was cleaning up after her.
"All done. Follow me."
Jiha rose from his seat.
Jiha's office.
Seated at his office chair, Jiha began processing work immediately.
First priority was splitting up and scattering the escort guards.
Various data on the escort guards had been compiled into a report by Uben.
It divided them by approximate combat strength, noted their personality traits, and assessed their leadership ability.
Concise but valuable material—a report Uben had made through blood and sweat, staying up all night for days by himself.
'I'll restructure the organization based on this for now, then adjust later as I observe...'
Narsha, who had followed him, stood there blankly, hesitating.
She looked around his office with curiosity. Only after Jiha had been reading documents for a good while did she finally ask.
"...What am I supposed to do here?"
"Standing around is distracting. Sit down."
.......
Narsha eventually sat on the sofa and stayed there vacantly for some time.
Still, as time passed, boredom seemed to get the better of her and she spoke up.
"The office is grander than I expected. That bookshelf, it's from the Duwel Family, isn't it? Cost something like 300 million to build?"
"There's a need to look impressive."
Jiha actually prioritized practicality and had little interest in outward luxury.
But certain types did pay attention to such things.
Spending money on this office was an investment meant to signal to them that Jiha was not someone to be taken lightly.
Narsha kept sitting, then frowned.
"...What is this? Why did you bring me here in the first place?"
"You'll be staying here from now on."
"What? You want me to change my lodging? I still have two months left on the lease."
"Get a refund."
As Narsha was about to protest, Jiha asked flatly.
"What are you going to do from now on?"
.......
Jiha's purpose was fixed, and the Commons and escort guards would naturally follow.
Enril, Yura, and Leticia had been Uniques stationed in Waris from the start.
Asira had come to Waris on an investigation assignment.
Now all four had been tamed by Jiha and followed him.
The tasks and missions Jiha gave them were now their purpose.
Narsha, on the other hand, was neither here nor there.
"What's your purpose in life, Narsha? How are you going to live from now on?"
"I...."
Narsha couldn't answer right away.
An ordinary person would have at least come up with some answer, but she had never even thought about such things.
She was adrift, lost after losing Lungtao, whom she had trusted and followed.
Jiha spoke.
"Can't get your head straight? Then for the time being, sort out your thoughts here."
"...Why should I?"
"So you don't cause trouble."
Narsha shot him an angry look, but Jiha cut her off.
"This is your last chance. Lungtao asked this of me, and Lijin stopped me as well. So I'm letting it go just this once."
.......
"If you have something to say to me, come and say it directly. Throw childish tantrums, and you'll lose your head."
"Who's a child...."
Still looking at his documents, Jiha said,
"I don't normally explain things like this. This is me being remarkably kind."
"What a laughable...."
"If you want to be fawned over, just be honest about it."
At Jiha's words, Narsha's mouth clamped shut.
Her face flushed bright red, and she shot up from her seat.
"Wh-wh-who's asking for that! Are you insane? Have you completely lost your mind? Do you even know who I am to talk like that?!"
No matter how much she shouted, her small frame—barely 140 centimeters—lacked any intimidation.
Right now, it was nothing more than her being stung and flying into a rage.
Jiha was thoroughly sick of high-and-mighty types acting that way.
Looking down at his paperwork, Jiha said calmly.
"Who are you? My plaything to pass the time. Something I play with occasionally at night."
"You...."
"As you are now, you have no greater value than that."
Narsha was dumbfounded by Jiha's words.
She was a Unique. Men who wanted her weapons and armor were a dime a dozen.
She would eventually take a Helper to have children, but even he would be a man who naturally bowed his head to her.
Yet this Common was openly disregarding her?
At a loss, Narsha's face lit up as if a good idea had struck her.
"Keep being insolent, and I just won't make you a weapon...."
"I don't need one."
.......
Jiha said, still not looking up from his documents. Narsha blinked.
Her face was blank, and she asked again, not believing it.
"...What? Wait. I'm serious."
"I said I don't need one. Dirga weapons make your skills rust."
Having one made you stronger. But it also made you dependent on the weapon.
Even so, Jiha wanted to get his hands on a Dirga weapon as insurance.
Jiha was Narsha's Helper now. He could receive a Grade 1 Dirga Weapon from her.
If he wielded that, he would become far stronger.
But he couldn't reveal that desire. Narsha would try to seize control.
Besides, it wasn't entirely a lie. The fact that Narsha tried to hold leverage with things like this was both irritating and absurd.
Numerous men had bowed their heads to Narsha?
Jiha had to show her he was different.
Narsha blinked her pink eyes.
"Th-that's a lie, right? You don't need my weapon?"
"What's so great about it that you act so high and mighty?"
"N-no. If I make you a weapon, you'd be stronger than you are now...."
"I'll handle that myself."
Realizing Jiha was serious, Narsha had a dazed look on her face, then... she asked, point-blank.
"...Then why are you doing all this for me?"
.......
She looked like a child wanting to know why he hadn't let her die, why he bothered to look after her.
A child's face, wanting confirmation that she was loved.
For Jiha, the starting point had been his promise to Lungtao.
But that was in the past now. He needed to give Narsha a new reason.
"Because at night, you're a fun toy to play with."
"Wh-who decided I'm your toy?"
"Try your hardest if you want to become something more."
Narsha, thrown into confusion, just shook her head.
She had firmly realized that Jiha was completely different from the men she had stepped on.
"Alright, that's enough of that...."
Just as Jiha set down the document he was drafting, a knock came at the door.
"Come in."
"You called for me?"
The half-elf Lijin entered.
She must have been told to come immediately once Jiha returned.
Jiha examined Lijin's face and shoulder, then nodded.
She must have been delayed by receiving additional treatment.
"Narsha, apologize."
"Pardon? No. Jiha, sir, you don't need to...."
"This is my way."
Jiha cut her off sharply.
Before Lijin was his woman, she was his subordinate.
And when subordinates clash among themselves, organizational discipline crumbles.
This could never happen again.
.......
Narsha hesitated.
Given her personality, she had likely almost never had to apologize to anyone—let alone be forced to by a man.
"...I'm sorry."
"Be specific about what you're sorry for."
At Jiha's pressing, Narsha flared up.
"I apologized the way Haran said to. What more do you want?"
"You think that was a proper apology? You've received plenty of apologies—don't you know? Or do I have to teach you step-by-step?"
.......
Narsha wore a look of complaint but didn't argue further.
This one had been spoiled rotten. She needed to be completely reformed.
When Jiha gave her a pointed look, Narsha spoke again.
"...I'm sorry for hitting you."
"No, it's fine now."
"What's fine about it? Is that a request to get hit regularly from now on? A well-matched pair?"
At Jiha's sarcasm, Lijin moved and stood in front of Narsha.
.......
A truly absurd sight.
Lijin, a Normal Grade, stood shielding Narsha, a Unique, while Jiha, a Common, looked on.
Lijin's expression was serious.
"You left Narsha's matter to me. So please, listen to my opinion."
.......
Jiha watched for a moment, then gave an order.
"Assign Narsha her quarters and come back."
"Understood. Will you follow me, Narsha?"
Narsha, who had been frozen by the confrontation between the two, quickly nodded.
She was clearly intimidated by Jiha's subdued mood.
30 minutes later.
Jiha sat in his office chair with his arms crossed when Lijin returned.
She locked the door, approached with a resolute face, and started to bow her head.
"I'm sorry—"
"Was that act of defiance for Narsha to see?"
"...Yes."
Jiha pointed out, lightly.
"So that she'd follow your word? Make her depend on you because you dared to stand up to scary me?"
"...When you keep hammering someone, Jiha, someone needs to be there at their side as a pillar."
Lijin looked straight at Jiha and spoke.
"That's why you put me next to Narsha, isn't it?"
"Correct."
Jiha partly accepted Lijin's view.
The path Jiha walked was one of overturning the world, a constant state of tension.
He could ease up around the women he had already fully tamed.
But with someone like Narsha, who hadn't yet been dealt with properly, a firm line had to be drawn. In such cases, Lijin acted as a buffer.
If Jiha was the harsh north wind, Lijin was the gentle sun.
Just as she had soothed Leticia, Lijin was now trying to soothe Narsha.
Defying Jiha just now had been groundwork to build trust with Narsha.
"Take it off."
.......
Following his meaning, Lijin removed her suit jacket and slowly unbuttoned her blouse.
He had noticed it earlier too, but now her touch was oddly clumsy and tense.
A black bra covering her softly full breasts came into view. Feeling Jiha's gaze, Lijin's hands unbuttoning her blouse grew even stiffer.
Her bared shoulders were pale and unblemished.
.......
Lijin closed her eyes and let Jiha examine her.
Gazing at the secretary waiting only for him to tell her to dress again, Jiha briefly shut his eyes.
Lijin was useful, but she was somewhat bold and tried to hide her inner feelings.
She was polite to him, truly obedient, but that was her nature.
'Lijin is starved for affection. That's why she never opens up her whole heart to me. It's not just a personality trait—she believes no one can give her unchanging affection forever.'
As part of the internal purge, he needed to correct this mindset of Lijin's as well.
That was why he had put her in charge of Narsha.
"Come here."
At Jiha's call from his chair, Lijin opened her eyes in surprise.
Seeing the rarely flustered elegant beauty, Jiha smiled.
"I'll spoil you."