Chapter 31
Chapter 31
“I’m Aileen.”
On second thought, it was better not to say anything.
I wasn’t even sure Calix would believe what I said.
Besides, I still didn’t understand the system’s identity or purpose myself, so it didn’t seem wise to reveal anything. I decided to keep it hidden.
“If you’re asking how I managed to prevent the damage from the autumn monsoon, I simply made the best use of the knowledge I have.”
That much was true. When it came to the drainage construction, the only thing the system had done was toy with me through the point loan system.
[What do you mean ‘toy with you’? I did my best to help!]
The tactless system suddenly interrupted.
I was already overwhelmed, and the semi-transparent window flickering in front of my eyes only made my head spin more.
Alright, I get it. Now move aside. I’m talking to the lord.
[Hmph. I’m sulking now. (•́•̀)]
The system used a fake-cute emoticon and disappeared.
Honestly, that system wasn’t normal either.
More importantly, why hadn’t the quest completion notification appeared yet?
I’d have to check once I left.
“You’re right. I asked something ridiculous.”
Calix Craubel muttered as if talking to himself, then patted my shoulder.
“Thank you for stopping the autumn monsoon damage.”
“You’re very quick with your thanks.”
The blunt remark slipped out before I could stop it.
His eyebrows lifted slightly at my tone, but when he saw the wound still on my neck, his expression settled again.
“I said that if you reduced the monsoon damage, I would grant your request.”
Calix walked back to the desk and slowly sat down.
“Tell me what you want. I’ll grant it.”
Finally, the moment had come.
“There’s only one thing I want.”
My hands clasped tightly together as tension rose.
“I want to leave the Urban Development Department.”
Silence filled the room.
Just from Calix Craubel’s expression, it was clear he wasn’t pleased.
“Why? No one bullies you anymore, and the work suits your talents.”
He asked as if he truly didn’t understand.
“Being suited to something and wanting to do it are two different things.”
I took a breath before continuing.
“Architecture isn’t what I want to do, so I’m quitting.”
“Even if I double your salary?”
Not a ten percent raise—double.
It was an extremely tempting offer.
“Yes. I’ll still quit.”
But my life was more important than money.
So I refused firmly.
Calix Craubel stared at me for a moment before calling the butler.
“Bring Noah Roham.”
A short while later, Noah Roham entered the office.
“You summoned me, my lord.”
“From today onward, Aileen is dismissed from the Urban Development Department.”
“…Pardon?”
Noah Roham’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at me.
I’m finally free!
The cheer rose to my throat, but I clenched my teeth and held it back.
“However, starting this moment, Aileen will be appointed as my adjutant.”
The lord’s next words made my eyes widen.
Noah Roham also flinched slightly, but soon nodded.
“Understood. Then I will prepare the appointment document—”
“W-wait!”
As Noah Roham turned to leave, I hurriedly stopped him.
“I clearly said I wanted to quit working. Why are you appointing me as the lord’s adjutant?”
“Because letting capable people go to waste is a sin.”
Calix Craubel replied as if the answer were obvious.
“You said you didn’t want to do construction work, so I’m assigning you something else. Is there a problem?”
Of course there was a problem.
I made that wish because I wanted to get away from you.
If I became his adjutant, it would defeat the entire purpose!
“I think you misunderstood my intention. I don’t want to work at all.”
“You mean you need a vacation? You’ve worked hard, so that’s understandable. Then take the rest of this month off and start next month.”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
The more we talked, the more trapped I felt.
I pressed my wrinkled brow.
There was a reason he agreed to let me leave so easily.
This had been his plan from the beginning.
And I had been foolish enough to celebrate without realizing it.
I absolutely have to stop myself from becoming this man’s adjutant.
Even seeing him occasionally made me nervous something might happen.
Seeing him every day was something I had to avoid at all costs.
“Then I’ll stay in the Urban Development Department.”
“Unfortunately, that won’t work. I’ve already dismissed you.”
“You can cancel it.”
“That would be difficult unless there’s a special reason.”
Calix rested his chin on one hand and looked at me.
Judging from the slight curve of his lips, he seemed to be enjoying this situation.
“If you ask me to cancel it as compensation for injuring you earlier, I can do that.”
So he had calculated even that far ahead.
No wonder he was the final boss of the novel—meticulous and calculating.
I rushed in without thinking things through.
I should have considered possibilities like this!
“So, what will you do?”
What choice was there?
“…Please do as you said.”
Although I lost the wish ticket in vain, I learned one thing for certain.
When dealing with Calix Craubel, I had to consider every possibility from A to Z.
“Did you truly intend to appoint Miss Aileen as your adjutant?”
After Aileen left, Noah Roham asked Calix, who stood by the window with his hands behind his back.
The lord’s adjutant was the closest aide to the lord.
That meant not only skill but also family background, status, and political considerations had to align.
But Aileen belonged to none of those categories.
Her architectural ability was impressive, but that had little to do with the qualifications of an adjutant.
If she became the lord’s adjutant, rumors would surely spread.
There was no way Calix didn’t know that.
Which made Noah even more unable to understand the order.
“Sir Roham.”
Instead of answering, Calix called him in a low voice.
“Has anyone who tried to reduce monsoon damage ever succeeded?”
“No.”
“But that woman succeeded. She accomplished what no one else could.”
Not only that.
He had spoken aloud something he had never told anyone before.
He could have just brushed it off with an excuse.
Even now, he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t.
Fortunately, Aileen didn’t seem to understand his words.
Of course she wouldn’t.
Even he, who was experiencing it directly, was still confused.
How could an outsider understand?
Still, that woman can change the future.
Hadn’t she proven it during the summer and autumn monsoons?
Once might be coincidence.
Twice never was.
Perhaps she was the only key that could end those endless nightmares.
As that thought crossed his mind, Calix’s eyes flashed sharply.
“Assign someone to watch Aileen.”
He turned to Noah Roham and gave the order.
“Report everything—where she goes, who she meets, and what she does. Leave out nothing, no matter how trivial.”
[Main Quest Completed.]
When I climbed to the third floor of the annex where the Urban Development Department office was located, the system window appeared.
[You will receive 28,000 points as a reward!]
If the monsoon had been completely prevented, why were 2,000 points deducted?
The question crossed my mind briefly, but I didn’t dwell on it.
More accurately, I didn’t have the mental space to think about anything else because I had lost my precious wish ticket.
Sigh… my hard-earned wish ticket.
I had stayed up for days working myself to exhaustion just to obtain it.
I had even shed real blood.
[All Main Quests in CH1 have now been completed.]
[You will receive an additional reward of 5,000 points.]
[New items have been added to the shop.]
[Title Acquired: Recognized Architect.]
The system windows sparkled in front of me, but I was so irritated that I closed them without properly reading them.
“Oh, Miss Aileen!”
At that moment, an Administration Department employee I had seen a few times greeted me warmly.
“I heard the news. Apparently you did something incredible?”
“Well… something like that.”
“Haha, I knew from the first time I saw you that you’d accomplish something great.”
He continued laughing heartily.
“If you need anything, just tell me. If it’s something I can support, I’ll help you with anything.”
What I needed right now was…
“Do you happen to know a way to quit my job without offending the lord?”
Even though I had stepped back for now, I hadn’t given up completely.
Before Calix Craubel left for his monster subjugation campaign, I would find a way to escape this place no matter what.