Chapter 36: Chapter 36 – Corporate Slave Mentality Stays

Author's Note:

Oh my god, I forgot to update this series in ScribbleHub too, I'm so sorry for the long wait ;___;

Happy reading!

 

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Around four months have passed since Ann transmigrated and occupied the villainess, Arlea’s body. A lot has happened so far, and Ann hadn’t had the time to let this reality sink in. Until today, when she finally had nothing to do. The amount of the tutoring she received was a lot less than it was before. More free time was finally coming her way, which meant it was time to do all she wanted to do, right? She’d be happy, right?

…But wrong.

Ann was currently plopped on the bed, zoning off as she looked emptily at the lamp.

She was way too spirited up when she realized she had second chances to do lots of things she wanted to, and by now…she was more or less running out of the things she wanted to do. And she was so bored.

The things she hadn’t crossed out from her essential to-do list were quite NSFW and that depended on another person. But even if she never experienced them, it would be fine.

“…What am I doing with my life…,” Ann muttered.

She thought of all the novels she read and the games she had played. What do noble girls usually do?

…Socializing, tea party, perfecting their etiquette and mannerism, trying to become prettier, and then…what else?

They were all boring in her eyes…

Playing with magic seemed fun, but she had played a lot these past four months and she was getting tired of it already. Humans are awesome, huh?

The town…nothing much was in it. Going to opera? Check! Seeing some play? Check!

…Should she ask for a travel permit? …Not like she’d get it.

 

This could be Ann’s ‘first time in forever’ getting a lot of spare time with nothing to do. As she recalled her modern days, she reflexively muttered, “Ah…I want to work…”

The words didn’t register to her mind for a solid second, but when it finally clicked in her mind, Ann immediately covered her mouth with her hands—so fast and so powerful that she almost slapped her own lips.

Her face twisted in horror.

Oh no-! What the hell did I just say?! Could it be that my long arduous work as a corporate slave had ingrained the corporate slave mentality in me? Oh, the horror! My living coworkers, I hope you’d be spared from this horrendous mentality!!

It completely slipped Ann’s mind that she could be one of the ‘career women’. If she were to do nothing, she’d be so stressed. But when she was too busy in work, she was stressed as well.

But Ann was in denial, so she slapped her cheeks real good and forced herself to stand up.

“No, no, I can’t be like this! Let’s spend the rest of my time with fun stuff!”

And off she went to the library.

She read more books…then fell asleep on the desk. Birdie’s loud voice or nudging woke her up.

She decided to play with Birdie and Faye…then when it was done, she zoned off in boredom again.

…Life was supposed to be good when she had nothing to do and so she could do whatever she wanted, so why??

 

Faye noticed that something was off with her mistress lately, so she said while Ann was dozing off, “Arlea-sama, what’s the matter?”

“Huh, Faye? No, it’s nothing. I feel like I’m bored lately. I should be happy that I don’t need to do anything, but hmm…it feels so empty somehow? Ah, I’m not bragging at all about how I don’t need to do anything,” Ann said as she sighed.

“No problem, Arlea-sama. Gwen said the other day that it might be good for you to go out and socialize with other noble women, for example having a tea party or going out together with them. What about doing that?” Faye asked.

Ann shrunk in horror. She thought of that possibility, but she disliked having tea party or shopping together with noble women while having to maintain her image. It’d be very stressful for her, so she crossed out that possibility.

Furthermore…She was scared of making more connections in this world before she passed away. She was also scared that her socializing more with other nobles would make it easier for Arlea’s fatal secret to be found out.

It was simply not worth it.

 

Ann just sighed before she thoughtlessly said, “Should I try working as a maid myself hmm…”

Now it was Faye’s turn to twitch in horror.

If her tasks were all taken by her own mistress, what would be left for her then?

Faye profusely shook her head.

Looking at Faye’s blatant objection, Ann decided to drop the idea. When she looked at Faye, she thought of teaching Faye some more lessons, but all the important things that could be used in this world had all been learned by Faye.

Too bad, she couldn’t teach Faye things she would never use here, right? For example, algebra…

Or should she just do it anyway so Faye would have more knowledge, no matter what it was?

The thought crossed her mind, and when she eyed Faye with a bit of nasty look…Faye shivered, not knowing why.

“Fa~ye~ How’s your studies? Do you think you need mo-re?” Ann asked with a tone that couldn’t hide her sinister plot.

Faye had learned basic alphabets and arithmetic from Ann and was extremely thankful for it, but if there were more useful lessons she could learn, she’d be glad to. However for some reason, she felt like she shouldn’t say ‘yes’ to this question…

“Chirp,” Even Birdie decided to go away from Ann’s shoulder. This didn’t sound good at all, so Faye thought.

 

“Arlea-sama, do you like teaching?” Faye tried to switch the topic.

“Huh? Well, kinda?” Ann was caught off guard by Faye’s question. But she had tutored her pals and her little sister before.

(Author’s Note: This is just a fun fact but my great head mistyped ‘tutored’ as ‘tortured’, and I laughed alone in front of my laptop)

 

She even took a part-time job of a private tutor during her times in university. Overall, she quite enjoyed it.

“Then, why don’t you try teaching in an orphanage? In the orphanage I was in before, there were some volunteers who’d come to help with us. I heard some taught the older children too,” Faye suddenly proposed.

“Huh? Volunteer?” Ann was surprised by Faye’s unexpected idea.

Teaching the children in the orphanage…She would be very happy if she could help some children who were like Faye! Add that it would increase her good deeds, so when she dies for real, she might be able to go to heaven, if it even exists?

“That is a great idea!” Ann quickly agreed. Life and energy finally returned to herself, now that she felt like she had something to look forward to. It was at this moment that Ann found out that she had lacked one thing in her life. Purpose.

 

But Ann couldn’t simply decide to start volunteering on her own. As a wife (though only in name), at least she needed to tell Allen. Though as a modern person, it upset her that she had to ask for someone else’s permission over what she wanted to do…So, Ann won’t take a ‘no’ as an answer.

 

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Ann never liked delaying things, so she quickly sought Allen the moment he returned home that day.

“I’d like to work,” Ann said with full determination. If there was a table between the two of them right now, she might have already slammed on it with full vigor.

Allen widened his eyes in horror upon hearing Ann’s words.

Is she lacking anything that she wants to work?! Is her money not enough?

Those were Allen’s first thought. As a man and a husband of this world, he felt a little bit slighted because of Ann’s request. Even though the two of them didn’t share a real husband and wife relationship…

But he had heard of noble women working—some were even married. They were minority and mostly worked in a prestigious setting, though. Perhaps this woman would like to be like them?

“Where?” Allen curtly asked.

“In the town,” Ann quickly answered.

 

In the town?

That crossed out the possibility of a prestigious court setting.

Various image flooded Allen’s mind. Arlea working as a maid in a cafe… Then as a chef in a restaurant… The image wasn’t quite…right…

In the first place, why would she want to work there?

It wasn’t like she was lacking any money, and she would gain no benefit from doing that…She’d benefit a lot more from working in a prestigious court setting.

Or was it her intention to slight him and the Schwartzen image?

“…No,” Allen said.

“Huh, why? Wait, you haven’t even listened to my full plans!” Ann protested. She sulked in the process. For some reason, looking at her like this, Allen’s building anger just vanished into nothing.

“Let’s hear it out then,” Allen said, and he was surprised of those words himself, for he didn’t plan on saying such words at all. They just flew out of his mouth automatically.

“So, hear me out. I’m going to volunteer at an orphanage near the town. I guess I’ll mostly be teaching them. I’m not sure if I should reveal my noble identity or not, so I’m also asking you about it,” Ann said. She carefully picked her words and nastily crafted them in a way that didn’t even ask for Allen’s permission at all.

Allen didn’t pick on that and was touched that Ann would think of him and their family’s image with her last sentence. His remaining suspicion that Ann was trying to destroy the Schwartzen image vanished as well.

Plus, volunteering for an orphanage would boost their image in a positive way! However…

“I think it’s wiser for you to hide your identity. It will be safer that way,” Allen said.

“I think so too. But security shouldn’t matter that much as I’ll have your hidden people following me anyway…,” Ann nodded as she muttered…then she stopped when she realized what she just said.

But too late, Allen was already staring at her in disbelief.

 

“You knew?” He asked her with wide eyes.

“…Errr, I mean, yeah?”

“Why didn’t you say anything then?”

“…They’re free bodyguards, why would I protest…,” Ann started to sweat. She should really learn to think twice before spewing nonsense!

Free bodyguards?!

Allen felt like he couldn’t comprehend Ann’s train of thoughts anymore. Normally, any wife would be furious that her husband would arrange someone to monitor her. But his wife thought of them as free bodyguards! Could she be so innocent and simple-minded that she thought they were the guards he hired in secret for her?

But no, she just said ‘your hidden people’, which implied she knew why he arranged them…

Allen felt like vomiting blood.

They weren’t as ‘hidden’ as they should be, then, if Arlea noticed them!!

 

“S…so, do you think it’s still necessary for me to hide my identity…,” Ann tried to steer the topic away from it.

“I think so, for better safety,” Allen said—he completely fell for Ann’s trick.

“Okay, noted, I’ll do that then. I’ll be going tomorrow to the orphanage closest to downtown. See you, good night!”

Before Allen could say anything, Ann fled with a lightning speed.

 

“Wait, when did I ever say ‘yes’…,” Allen finally said, but Ann was already gone…

This…

Allen was so stunned by the turn of the events. He should be mad for what Ann did but…He was laughing instead!

For some reason, he found it very amusing.

 

Well, it wasn’t like she was going out to do any harm. She even wanted to go out to do good deeds. Why don’t he just wait and see what’s going to happen?

Should anything go south, his hidden people would be there to intervene. They would report back to him, so he could just do something about it later on.

 

At this time, Allen completely didn’t notice that his trust towards Arlea was growing stronger…

As for Ann…

When she returned to her room, Ann waved her fist in happiness.

Mission succeeded!

 

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Author's Note:

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