For the One I Love #5
"My husband's been working overtime every day lately, so he gets home late. Why don't you come inside and wait? Would you like some herbal mint tea? Or maybe hyacinth? Asphodel?"
There was a cozy house with a yard near the thousand-year flower fields. The garden was so impeccably tended that even Orpheus had stopped his sniffling before I knew it.
"Mrs. Kshalri, was it? Your gardening skills are truly impressive."
"They really are."
I'd mentioned it while wandering around to pick a site for Cronus's office, but the soil in this Happy World was terribly barren, making it hard to grow flowers or plants. The dirt itself was just lousy. It couldn't be helped—this Happy World had been designed as a prison and exile ground, not farmland.
But this yard was bursting with colorful, dainty flowers that clearly showed immense care at a glance.
━Whirr, whirr.
That's when a bizarre plant caught my eye. A cactus in a small pot swaying side to side in a rhythm that felt oddly familiar.
"Ma'am, isn't that a Cerberus cactus?"
"That's right. As expected of such an outstanding employee—you're so knowledgeable. Most people don't go around memorizing cactus names."
"I bought one on Helmes Net not long ago."
"Oh my, it might be one I sold you. I'm the only one in Happy World breeding and selling Cerberus cacti. I call them hell cacti."
Whoa, the world sure is small. I never imagined I'd run into Crates's wife in a place like this. And she's the one who sold me the plant I've gotten hooked on lately.
Mrs. Kshalri gently stroked the cacti placed here and there, like she was petting a dog or cat.
"These guys were originally used as punishment tools for prisoners because of their prickly spines. But they're actually cute little things. If you give them affection, they don't even raise their spines like this."
A hedgehog? What an exotic cactus. I had one myself, but I had no idea it had traits like that.
"Plus, they do a great job catching hell cockroaches. They're such good kids. Just put one between every pot, and they keep the bugs from eating the flowers..."
"Ma'am!!!!! What did you just say!!!!!!"
"Pardon? That they catch cockroaches well... Why are you suddenly yelling...?"
No way! So this weird cactus had that feature too! I had no clue!
"Ma'am, that cactus! Could I buy them in bulk? Give me everything you've got! I'll pay any price! Please! I beg you!"
To me, who'd suffered endlessly from palm-sized hell cockroaches, this cactus looked like a straight-up savior. And Mrs. Kshalri, who bred and sold them, suddenly seemed like some enlightened sage or saint.
'Crates, this is the first time I've envied you since starting here!'
She really was a stunningly beautiful woman, tough enough to cultivate fields and gardens in barren land, with a relaxed demeanor that made her seem like a lady from a wealthy family.
"Ma'am, how do you raise these cacti so well? Teach me the secret!"
"...A secret? Nothing special, really... And lately, with that Daedalus sun shining so brightly, the flowers are growing much better too. My husband says it's thanks to you guiding Sisyphus."
"Just luck. Pure luck."
Thinking about the Sisyphus mess still made my stomach churn—I couldn't laugh it off easily.
Unaware of my inner turmoil, Mrs. Kshalri gazed at the fading sun in the distance.
"Dinner time soon. If you don't have other plans, may I show off my cooking a bit?"
"Sounds great! Meat dishes would be perfect!"
Orpheus jumped in before I could respond. Groooowl.
As his stomach rumbled loudly, Mrs. Kshalri let out a refined hoho laugh and asked, "By the way, if I may ask—who is this gentleman?"
"Orpheus."
"Pfft, our outstanding employee has a great sense of humor! If he's Orpheus, then I'm Helen of the golden apple? Come on in!"
Mrs. Kshalri's house was spotless and elegant. The flowers and orchids placed tastefully everywhere conveyed meticulous care without excess.
'Whoa, I wanna live in a place like this someday.'
Even Orpheus was awestruck.
"Worlds apart from my rundown multi-unit place. So this is what Penalty Execution Department employees in Happy World live like? Section Chief Jo, what's your home like?"
My home? The employee dorm crawling with hell cockroaches. Sure, Princess Melinoë had given me a key to a new place, but if I went there, I might never escape in one piece—so I hadn't even checked the location yet.
"It's thrown together hastily, so I hope it suits your tastes."
The moment we sat at the table, it felt like a buffet. Endless dishes kept coming.
"Delicious. So delicious! Even starving Tantalus couldn't feel this appetite! Mrs. Kshalri, your skills are amazing! Though the soup's a bit bland."
Orpheus devoured the food like a man possessed, but I hesitated amid the over 16 side dishes.
"Ma'am, you didn't overdo it on our account, did you? I feel bad now."
She must've gone all out because her husband's coworker showed up. But Mrs. Kshalri laughed gracefully again.
"We eat like this every day."
"That's right!"
A boy named Platan nodded. It didn't seem like she'd prepared extra just for guests.
At that moment, genuine rage boiled up inside me. Every day, a 16-course spread? Crates, you bastard! What kind of karma did you rack up to land a wife like this! Knowing someone else had achieved my lifelong dream filled me with anger, envy, and grudging respect all at once.
"No wonder Crates is called Team 1's ace. With such a wonderful wife supporting him diligently, how could he not thrive?"
"Team 1's ace... So that's what they call him."
"You didn't know?"
"No. He tells me about work often, but never about his own achievements. How's the company these days? He says overtime's killing him."
"Overtime... Yeah, well, with a massive audit coming up, everyone's swamped."
That's when it happened. Clank, creak!
The door opened, and someone appeared—Crates, lugging heavy bags.
"Honey, son, I'm home. Whew, the boss hounded me so much today, work ran late. But guess what I got? Ta-da, a NymphTendo Switch 2. You said you wanted this..."
Crates froze like a paused video. His eyes widened at the sight of me.
"S-Section Chief Jo. What are you doing here...?"
"Crates, tough luck on the overtime."
Crates was good at his job. The reason was simple: he'd studied various disciplines as a prince in life, and he needed a lot of money.
To earn big bucks, you had to excel. Before long, he'd become Team 1's ace and Happy World's star employee.
'Jo, you're the reason I missed out on star employee this year, but next time for sure...'
Crates glared at the "Star Employee of the Year" frame. After work and errands, he returned home expecting joyful faces from his wife and son.
Instead, the first thing he saw was a man wearing the exact same smug expression as the frame—Section Chief Jo.
The man who'd risen to section chief in two years, notorious even in the cutthroat Penalty Execution Department as the "devil," raised a hand toward Crates.
"Crates, tough luck on the overtime."
Crates's happiness plummeted straight into Happy World soil. He knew all too well what that phrase implied.
"Lucky bastard. Smart kid, beautiful wife who cooks like a pro and grows flowers like magic. I'm so jealous."
"Oh, thank you."
Mrs. Kshalri blushed demurely, but to Crates, it felt like chewing a spiky cactus.
The conversation made it all clear.
'You bastard, Jo! You devil! Taking my family hostage to blackmail me!'
There was no overtime in Happy World. Vice President Melinoë had banned it and off-hours work during the last dinner. Because of Section Chief Jo.
But Crates had been coming home late, using overtime as an excuse. He had a secret he couldn't tell anyone, and that's why.
Jo showing up and saying "tough luck on the overtime" meant he knew exactly what Crates was up to.
"Well, I'll be off then."
Pat pat. Jo clapped Crates's shoulder and left.
"NymphTendo!"
Crates ruffled his excited son's hair, then casually loosened his tie and asked his wife, "Honey, what'd you talk about with Section Chief Jo?"
"About our field. The thousand-year flower field you bought me for my birthday. He offered 30 gold for it—that's like several years of your salary, right?"
"Th-that field...!?"
Crates's vision swam. He'd bought it by embezzling from Penalty Execution accounts, fudging ledgers extensively. Uncovering it would require poring over 50 years of records.
He'd thought it foolproof—until the one person it couldn't be found out by discovered it.
Crates recalled Jo's nickname: devil. Or man obsessed with merit. It felt like fangs sinking into his neck. He couldn't breathe, reliving death all over again.
Death. That horrific memory snapped him alert. It could never happen again.
'My family must never go through that nightmare again! Never!'
Steadying his breath, Crates asked his worried wife, "Anything else?"
"He wanted to buy my favorite cacti in bulk."
Hell cacti! Spines that gushed blood on a graze. Why buy them en masse?
'Torture!'
Hell cacti were designed for punishment. Buying tons meant torturing someone.
'So Section Chief Jo knows I embezzled and is threatening me! He'll torture me and my family with cacti! I, Crates, can see through it!'
Chills ran down his spine. Too many thorns pricking his heart, like the cacti.
That flower field hid not just embezzlement, but a secret that could never be exposed—one that might destroy his happy home.
"...So, what happened with the field? Did you sell it to Section Chief Jo?"
"Yes, for gold coins. You've been slaving away with overtime for me and Platan. How could I enjoy my hobbies carefree? But now living expenses will be plenty—don't worry!"
"Ah, aah..."
Watching Kshalri's beaming smile, Crates clenched his fist. Simple embezzlement or real estate could be hushed up—but buying that field meant crossing an irreversible river.
'No time to hesitate! I strike first before he does! Protect my family from that devil! No matter what!'
A tune escaped my lips unbidden. Buying land full of flowers felt this good. No wonder everyone sang about real estate.
"Oh yeah."
Whistling on my way to work, everyone had a comment.
"Section Chief, something good happen?"
"I know what it is! The land, right?"
What? Word of my land purchase already out? I wanted to save the reveal for audit day for maximum drama.
But oh well—even if it leaked now, my rep taking a hit was inevitable. Star employee buys land with embezzled funds—what a picture.
Right then—flip.
Manager Bones thrust a newspaper at me.
"Section Chief Jo! Is this story in the paper real?!"
"Paper?"
"Tracking and grilling Crates averted a rebellion crisis! Jo, how high does your loyalty to the company goooo?!!!"