Chapter 80

Although I rejected his feelings, he said he was fine and promised not to let it affect work. After wrapping it up with a suggestion to act as usual, I left the office and walked away, but his shoulders looked slumped.

‘Who can be all right after being dumped?’

I couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable.

“Maybe I should change jobs.”

I confessed my troubled feelings to Pinea and Nicola, who had come to visit over the weekend. The rest of the family had gone out, so it was just the three of us and privacy was assured.

“Why, did you fail to get rid of the guy you don’t like?”

Pinea was busy applying a sample of the new nail polish that Black Dia would release.

“What’s bothering you, Coco?”

“As expected, only Nicola can help.”

I gave Pinea a fierce look, propped my chin on my hand, and said.

“There’s a workplace superior I keep running into and it’s awkward.”

Pinea blew on her polished nails and asked.

“Why, did he confess to you?”

“……”

I couldn’t say a word, as if hit in the nerve, and Pinea and Nicola, who had been quiet, turned their heads sharply.

“What?”

“Really?!”

“Yes.”

I hadn’t intended to reveal that far, but I was found out immediately. I didn’t name him and referred to him roughly as a high-ranking noble superior while explaining what had happened. Fortunately, the two weren’t upset since it was about affairs at the Imperial Palace.

“He says he’s fine with my decision but I’m not. I just want to go somewhere else. I even had his noble title restored as promised by the lady.”

“You should say it straight. What the lady wanted was for you to obtain a title equal to hers.”

“It’s still a miracle.”

“But your superior confessed? To you? That’s seriously creepy.”

Pinea hugged her own shoulders and shivered. Nicola also wrinkled his brow in agreement.

“He’s a superior from another department so it’s not to that extent. He’s also fairly young.”

“Is he a bit off in terms of romantic suitability? I suppose that could be.”

“It’s not exactly that though……”

For a moment I pictured the Duke shouting that only he fit someone’s ideal type. I shook my head violently to erase the afterimage.

“Anyway! I rejected him and now it’s awkward. If I keep going there I’ll be on edge and stressed, so I’m thinking about changing jobs.”

“What do you want to do? Honestly, if that superior would hold a grudge and punish you for rejecting him, then I think you’re right. But if that’s not the case, I’m against leaving the Chancellery — which you worked hard to get into — for this reason. You’re not even in the same department, right?”

Pinea gave a crisp opinion. Nicola followed up.

“If I were the one who confessed, I’d feel really heartbroken to hear Coco is resigning. He’d feel it’s because of me.”

It was a perspective I hadn’t considered at all. I hadn’t thought about the Duke’s position because I only imagined having to see him going forward.

“But Coco, you’re the priority no matter what.”

Pinea’s expression was firm, as if telling me not to waste thought on needless things. Nicola agreed.

“Right. I’ll support whatever choice you make, Coco! But I hope you won’t be prevented from doing what you love or get hurt in the process. It’s not a sin to refuse someone’s feelings.”

Maybe it’s not that simple.

“Thanks for the honest opinions. I’ll think it over.”

“Yes, even if you leave there will be a place to come back to. The lady will surely scold you a bit though.”

Thinking there was somewhere to return to made me feel a bit better.

‘Resignation……’

Lately, just as I became a first-class secretary and thoughts of changing jobs came first, as if reflecting my feelings, a new client appeared at Those Who Can’t Resign.

“Um, I want to change jobs but I don’t know where to start.”

It was a client wearing a baby Emperor penguin mask I had recently and carefully put out.

“This is Master Quokka. Let’s share Penguin’s concerns together. First, why do you want to resign?”

I naturally expected the full set of complaints about company, boss, colleagues, and work. But Penguin looked more depressed and tired than angry.

“It’s hard being beside… my direct superior.”

‘Is it workplace harassment?’

“Could you tell me in detail what’s difficult? That way I can understand Penguin’s situation and help devise alternatives.”

“Yes……”

Penguin hesitated and then slowly began to tell the story again.

“Actually, my direct superior confessed to me……”

“……!”

It sounded similar to my situation. I leaned forward involuntarily and pricked my ears more than usual.

“But he… is a married man.”

“Damn… no, I am sorry.”

Correction. It’s completely different from mine. The reason was more serious than I thought.

“Could you tell me slowly from the beginning in detail?”

“At first, we got along very well. He’s someone respected at work and kindly taught me a lot. I’m a newcomer, and since he’s my direct superior we had many chances to talk; he took good care of me so we became close. He often bought me meals. Honestly, I think I relied on him a lot.”

So far, this is something that can commonly happen at work. Up to this point.

“But I realized that when we ate together we talked a lot about personal things. Then after work we ate together a few times and it didn’t feel like colleagues eating together. It felt more intimate and odd. I thought it was my imagination, so I laughed and said, ‘You don’t seriously like me, do you?’… and he said yes. He said he liked me romantically.”

I reflected. I thought I’d seen all kinds of troublemakers, but here I keep encountering new types. The man’s case was a new category.

“But he’s a family man. So I refused. He apologized saying it was a mistake and asked to let it be and act like before. But I couldn’t. Knowing he had those feelings… I unconsciously drew a line. As a result, outwardly we were still a close superior and subordinate, but the relationship became awkward. Since I drew the line first, I thought it was natural to only discuss work. He stopped being as kind or teaching me work as before, but I thought it couldn’t be helped. Then I realized that since that day, our conversations were only gossip about others. He only sought me out when something displeased him.”

Her calm voice grew increasingly moist.

“I felt miserable. I felt hurt. I even thought maybe I had feelings for him which made me feel guilty. Still, I had no intention of doing anything and didn’t even think about it, believing if I just endured this period I’d be okay. I never showed it.”

“What happened?”

Penguin held something in and then let out a big breath.

“A while ago I had to go out for work, and when I finished and returned, there was a woman waiting.”

“A woman… surely not?”

Penguin nodded.

“It was that ‘surely not’. She was his wife. He introduced her to me, saying they were going to have dinner afterward. Then he held her hand affectionately and walked away, and I was stunned. I ran to the restroom and vomited. It was disgusting.”

“He considered neither his wife nor you, Penguin.”

Her voice gradually grew sharp.

“Exactly! Even if not me, you shouldn’t deceive your wife like that! He could have avoided having us meet. No matter if I looked unaffected, how could he…! I was so angry to realize that the reason I had held back and tried to make things right by behaving was because of that bastard. After realizing that I couldn’t work beside him anymore. That’s why I came to you, Master Quokka.”

It was a long story. I had seen such things even in the modern world — affairs between direct superiors and subordinates. Listening, a few questions came to mind and I asked.

“You said you ate together privately a few times, right? Didn’t you find it odd then?”

Penguin bowed their head deeply.

“There was a significant age gap… and he was known at work as a family man, so I naturally thought he came out with his wife’s consent. He often talked about his wife to me, even saying he was satisfied with married life. I was careless.”

My outrage was steadily rising.

“Penguin, excuse me, but how many romantic relationships have you had?”

The courage to innocently ask if he liked you — not the culprit. Also, unquestioningly going along just because a direct superior suggested it.

“Actually… I haven’t had any dating experience yet.”

“Ha, that bastard……”

“Yes?”

“Never mind. Some swearing is coming out today.”

He knew she had no dating experience and deliberately took advantage. By being ambiguously kind like that, she couldn’t pull herrself together. On top of that, the superior was unaffected while the person involved cut it off first, yet they’re the one suffering.

I leaned in deeply, coming close enough that our noses almost touched.

“I’ll sort this out for you, Penguin.”

“Yes……?”

“That direct superior is trash.”