The words I spat out in irritation quickly spread like wildfire, swept up in the tense atmosphere.
It wasnât like there werenât many people around. On the contrary, there were quite a few, and subtle yet heavy gazes were pouring in.
Well, it couldnât be helped. After all, it was the Star Kingâsâmyâfirst day at work.
Yes, work.
Just thinking about it made my stomach churn and my temper flare. If I had to pick the top ten things I hated most in my previous life, this would undoubtedly make the list.
And yet, here I was.
Damn it. The fact that I was here, in this place, for that reasonâit was already suffocating enough.
âYour subordinate management is absolute shit.â
But then, as if the situation wasnât infuriating enough, my mouth just kept running.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
The words, packed with all my irritation, burst out like an explosion.
ââ¦Whatâ¦?â
âDid the Star King just say something to the Azure Dragon Captain?â
âDid I mishear that?â
It wasnât a small voice, but because the surroundings were so silent, no one had missed it.
They just couldnât believe what theyâd heard.
Who couldâve imagined it? That someone would dare utter profanity inside the Martial Alliance?
And not just to anyone, but to Ilcheong Swordâthe man once hailed as the center of the Eight Captains?
But so what?
âIâm already pissed off. Why the hell are you making things worse on my first day?â
I didnât care.
I worked damn hard not to care about crap like this. And if this was how they were going to act from day one, then fine.
Donât mess with me.
âStar King.â
Ilcheong Swordâs expression as he looked at me was something to behold.
It was the face of someone wondering if heâd heard wrongâor maybe someone whose temper was steadily rising after realizing he hadnât.
ââ¦What did you just say?â
âWhy do you keep asking the same question? Is your hearing that bad? You heard me just fine earlier. Or do you need me to say it again?â
I tilted my head slightly and then repeated myself in the exact same tone.
âI said your subordinate management is absolute dogshit, Senior Ilcheong Sword.â
And I made sure to smile as I said it.
âCan you hear me now?â
ââ¦â
The words Iâd let out caused every trace of reaction in the room to disappear.
Everyone froze, their breath caught, staring straight at me.
I was no different.
I waited, watching Ilcheong Sword closely to see how he would respond.
Time seemed to stretch untilâ
âHahâ¦â