Chapter 43

Lillian knew this look very well. In the past, when she was a student, one of the professors used to look at aspiring actors with eyes just like Flanders’. In return for an appearance or an introduction, he asked aspiring actors to repay him with sex. Because of this, there was a scandal.

“It’s been a long time. Let’s talk. Come on, follow me. Hurry!”

Sure enough, Flanders gave Lillian a mean smile and nodded his head. And he strode ahead without giving her an opportunity to say no. There were curious and worried eyes around her.

‘Damn it.’

Only then did Lillian get a rough idea of her situation. Her colleagues were cautious around her as if she were an abscess. When Lillian had mentioned she was going to move departments; those expressions were outright agitated. Lillian must have been taken by Flanders, the leader of the 4th Knights. She was a target of workplace sexual harassment!

Lillian dragged her feet and reluctantly followed in Flanders. Holding the “Temporary Aide Confirmation Certification” in her hand like a lifeline.

“I’ve already heard. You’re going to serve as an interim aide to the Knights Commander General Evans, aren’t you?

Unexpectedly, Flanders brought up the main point first. Lillian blinked; she thought he would flirt and throw various sexual harassment remarks. However, Lillian couldn’t miss this opportunity. She responded quickly by giving out the confirmation letter she received from Enrique.

“Yes, that’s right. He asked me to get your signature here at the bottom.”

Flanders did not sign. Instead, he stared at the confirmation without saying a word. Lillian was very nervous. Flanders, who was fiddling with a pen in her hand, asked her a question.

“How did you get to know the Knight Commander? As far as I know, you two have never been close before.”

Flanders’ eyes as he looked at Lillian were glistening. Seeing this, Lillian could quickly read his thoughts. He was now trying to figure out if Lillian was connected to the higher-ups.

‘You cowardly bastard.’

It was obvious why Flanders targeted Lillian in the first place. She depended on the livelihood of a knight so that she couldn’t quit or fight back easily. Besides, there was no one to protect Lillian, a fallen aristocrat.

A bonus was that she even had a pretty face; Flanders would have seen her as fine prey. But suddenly Lillian, the pushover, became Enrique Evans’ assistant! Although temporary, Enrique, the Commander-in-Chief, was an elite with guaranteed success. No random could become his aide.

So Flanders was suspicious of Lillian. Maybe she had a connection he didn’t know about—and if she had a chance to retaliate against him? Lillian responded by pretending to be innocent.

“During vacation, I accidentally ran into Evans and received an offer.”

“He just met you but offered you a position as an assistant? That’s weird. He’s not an emotional man.”

Flanders was not convinced by Lillian’s excuse. He was as persistent as he looked. So Lillian took a breath and decided to get emotional.

Her excellent acting skills squeezed the juice out of her tears.

“General Flanders.”

Lillian set the mood with a calm voice. Then Flanders stared at Lillian with wide eyes.

“Are you crying?”

Flanders’ pupils quaked. Lillian, who he knew, was strong and did not break down easily. For this reason, she wasn’t for those with gentle taste, but she was quite cute when insults bounced off her. Lillian, who was stiff despite many tricks he played on her, suddenly shed tears–Flanders was embarrassed and flustered.

Taking advantage of the lapse, Lillian continued,

“You know, things are a little…… difficult with my family. I just ran into Evans, the Knight Commander, while making some money on vacation. So the Knights General feels sorry for me…… He’s doing me a favor. That’s all.”

It was a brief explanation of the situation. However, Lillian’s expression and nuance were never transient. Tears that seemed to fall at any moment filled her green eyes. It was a pitiful demeanor of a girl who was suffering from the circumstances of her family.

After seeing this, Flanders’ face softened. Lillian’s explanation made perfect sense. Enrique was sympathetic and generous to the weak; it made sense.

In addition, Flanders was satisfied that Lillian was still a powerless pon and that he could exert his influence at will. Having coughed in vain, he quickly signed the confirmation of being an aide. And he promptly showed off:

“I don’t like this kind of transfer, but I’ll permit you because I feel sorry for your situation—just this time. But you’ll have to come back to me in a month. I mean, you know what I mean, right?

Flanders smiled with a greasy serpentine look in his eyes, reached out, and stroked Lillian’s shoulder. Lillian flinched and smiled awkwardly. There was only one thought in her head:

‘Escape! Escape is urgent! ‘

It was terrible to imagine having to keep working for this guy! It seemed that she would have to move to another knight’s corps within a month, regardless of means or methods. Of course, the process wouldn’t be easy, but she had to do it. Otherwise, she would have to suffer from the sexual harassment by Flanders again in a month.

Lillian, who finished her business, left his office as if she were running away. She checked. There was no one in the hallway. They must have all gone to lunch.

Lillian’s expression soon distorted.

‘I can’t live! This beggar-like supporting role of a life!’

***