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Originally, you’re supposed to return what you receive.

Regarding impressions… it’s true that I had considerable prejudice and evaluated him with sarcasm. I won’t deny the mistake.

I averted my eyes from Wiseman, whose lips were twitching as if I was a tremendous waste of time, and subtly scanned the room.

You could call it desolate.

With no particular decorations or personal belongings, only a chair and a desk. And an extremely practical scene filled only with electronic devices for work.

The way he scrutinized and judged me, emphasizing the expression “worthless” like a Paradise executive, trying to sharply assess my value, he must have just drawn a clumsy conclusion due to limited information, but he’s definitely not an incompetent person.

…Still, what if I gently scratch at his pride to provoke him, maybe an expulsion order will be issued. Let’s give it a try.

“…I still haven’t heard exactly why Mr. Wiseman arranged this meeting.”

“……”

I grabbed onto Wiseman’s sleeve, trying to arbitrarily end the interview, and clung to it.

Despite being openly ignored, his eyes flickered at my clueless behavior of holding my head up and persevering.

The unpleasantness I felt inside me just moments ago was completely gone. Gratitude is enough emotion to hold for someone who will provide me with an escape route, as well as personal information about Dreyfus.

“It seems… it was a surprise gift for his lover. Not long ago, your husband notified the general affairs department that he would create a vacancy in the electronic warfare response team in the strategic planning department. I was going to offer a position in the general affairs department instead, hearing the news that he was personally enthusiastic about hiring new recruits… tsk.”

‘Lover… husband…? Hehehe…’

…As expected, is it because he’s a person of high status? My neck felt slightly stiff and a migraine came on from his very sophisticated choice of words.

Still… still, if they think of me that way, I can worry less about being suddenly murdered, so let’s think positively.

So, it’s not time to back down yet.

At least, I have to create a situation where this man can confidently answer that he kicked me out himself when Dreyfus checks later.

“Then… what should I do now?”

“That’s not something I should be involved in. Go upstairs and do whatever you want with that sly bastard, whether you have a tryst or stick together. …Just remember that there’s no room for parasites to cling to in Paradise.”

I felt something complex in Wiseman’s venomous words and blazing eyes.

I mull over each word thrown at me, and analyze this absurd encounter from his meticulous perspective.

A fellow executive who brought in a personal connection to the company during the day, even near the high floors of the headquarters.

The identity of the guest is completely different from expectations.

Precious time leaking out to a lowly girl who would never have been involved otherwise.

What’s most obvious is his pride in his position, a faint disappointment in his rival, and… one intense emotion that’s hard to define.

Although he is the head of the general affairs department, his enthusiastic businessman’s attitude of worrying about company expenses, not his own, doesn’t seem to be rooted in simple ambition.

It may be that I’ve never held power in my life, so I don’t understand it clearly, but this is something that bloomed from a place contrary to public spirit… like a lotus in the mud of Mega Corp….

“……Ah.”

“Do you understand now? If you do, get out of here. I’d like to claim damages, but… tsk, it wouldn’t mean anything if I thought about it.”

His tongue-clicking figure overlapped with someone else’s image.

Not just his appearance, but I also found the reason why I felt déjà vu in his unreserved personality. In addition, I could see the basis for his decision to interfere.

Loyalty.

The fervent courtship sent by those who were impressed by the Paradise Chairman, that crazy self-righteous old hag at the top of this demon’s den.

I never thought I would learn the secrets of Paradise Corporation, which was described as having a relatively solid governance structure, like this. As a fan, it’s interesting… and it’s also easier to understand the situation.

I wondered how the chairman smoothly handled things with just a few phone calls and jokes, not even orders, in the original story, but if there was a background where these loyal subordinates were working hard behind the scenes, it makes sense.

This… maybe Dreyfus’s desire for talent is also an obsession that resembles the person he serves.

A plausible emergency breakthrough may have been prepared….

“…How much more of my office air are you going to consume?”

Oh dear, the owner of the room seems to be getting annoyed.

Anyway, what’s important now is not savoring the setting of Neo Haven, but a strong blow to stimulate Wiseman.

“If I leave like this, I’m going to tell Mr. Dreyfus all the harsh things you said… are you really okay with that?”

“……”

Oops! Was that a little too presumptuous…?

Since I was playing a role that didn’t suit me even if I pretended to be strong, I pushed my rival’s name to the front like a shield, but the atmosphere suddenly turned grim.

Creak…!

The chair is pushed back roughly.

As soon as the one-sided business was over, he, who had been sitting down and fiddling with his work computer, jumped up and approached me.

His somewhat agitated appearance made me think that being slapped wouldn’t be a bad excuse, so I prepared myself. But Wiseman barely maintained his dignity and only scolded me with words.

“Tell Aaron. If he acts arbitrarily just because he’s one floor above, I’ll crush all the Android collections he plays with. From the start, the strategic planning department and the general affairs department are key departments that don’t have a superior-subordinate relationship, but just because they’re divided due to the building structure…!!”

Of course, it wasn’t soft words, but closer to a whip.

Whether he accepted the moderately made-up lines of a third-rate villain as a battle of pride, he expressed his anger to someone one floor above, not even the person right in front of him.

Or, he doesn’t think that a mere lower-class person would make such a provocation, and he’s pointing to the rival flickering behind me.

…Just a little more in the future. I just need to try a little bit more.

“If you had so much to say, you could have resolved it between yourselves before I came…. Ah, maybe you didn’t have the courage to say it to his face…?”

Clack!

…Wow. I definitely heard the sound of teeth grinding just now.

I met his bulging eyes with blood vessels in his reddened face.

“You bitch… if you don’t get out of here right now, I won’t care about implicit lines or anything and I won’t let you….”

“Yes! I’ll disappear right away…!”

Finally, having received the instructions I was waiting for, I answered before he finished speaking and turned around.

“Oh my? Mr. Wiseman, you even stole my guest… are you now throwing such harsh words at the chairman’s departmental placements…?”

I collided head-on with the 48th floor resident who was gleefully backstabbing.

“Gak?!”

Slender but firm hands grabbed my body, which was about to fall over.

When, how?!

No joke, I didn’t notice at all that he was already eavesdropping from earlier, judging from his suddenly popping out, greasy tone and how familiar I’ve become with his way of speaking after only seeing him a few times.

No way, was I just being cheeky, saying I was going to snitch in front of both parties?

“……Good. Take your lover and get out. Even your skills at scratching at my nerves as a pair are a match made in heaven.”

“? Lover… you say? That’s quite….”

Aaron looking down from above and me barely lifting my head while being held by the shoulders.

I, who suddenly received such subtle glances, quietly appealed with a desperate heart.

No. Absolutely not. I have never claimed or affirmed such an absurd fact. He’s just misunderstanding on his own.

So don’t understand that that’s how you could improve your relationship… hey!!

Since when have we been so close!

Trying to communicate silently was slow, and the patience of the outfield quickly ran out.

With a clanging sound… a shotgun as big as my forearm suddenly appeared from under the desk.

“If the chairman asks for the reason for your absence, explain that you got shot for doing something deserving…!!”

“Oh my! Shall we go out quickly, Miss Anastasia? Unfortunately, it seems our affectionate appearance was too stimulating for someone. A love contract prepared for you is waiting upstairs?”

“……Please.”

I wanted to ask him to just pull the trigger once towards Dreyfus, but my body was quickly dragged outside and the door to the general affairs department head’s office was ruthlessly closed.

In an instant, the flower path going down was blocked, and the choice was narrowed down to a thorny path where a fierce war of nerves was expected.

…Fortunately, the only salvation is that I was able to realize what I had to present to Dreyfus thanks to Wiseman’s meddling.