episode_0032

In my previous life, I was a civil servant.

A civil servant who was lucky enough to pass the civil service exam and just spent their days frittering away their salary.

Working as a civil servant, I handled all sorts of administrative processing and paperwork.

Therefore, it was a natural progression for me to become skilled in Excel.

Since I replaced all sorts of tasks with Excel, I couldn’t help but become familiar with it.

Fortunately, this knowledge remained intact even after reincarnation-

“What is this again….?”

And it brought me pain.

—

Graphs that help understand data in modern society were invented in the 18th ~ 19th centuries.

This means that the concept of graphs itself did not exist in the Middle Ages.

Naturally, in my world, which was modeled after the real Middle Ages, tables and graphs were not used for paperwork,

and the result came back as a tower of documents that completely filled the tent.

It’s not that small of a tent either…. Oh, my head.

I clutched my head.

No, they said it was simple administrative busywork. They said it was a task that would finish quickly.

But goddamn, what are they building a tower with documents for?

No, this is the Middle Ages, you can’t mass-produce paper, so where did they get this much paper?

It’s truly mind-boggling.

I let out a deep sigh and picked up the document placed on top.

The task Mikhail gave me after much thought was administrative processing. They said they needed skilled personnel because there were so many illiterates.

Since administrative processing was something I did like eating in my previous life, I took it lightly, but….

This is the medieval world. A place where the weak cannot survive.

The documents had nothing but rows and rows of text, without simple tables or graphs.

[Unit 1: Helmets 53, Armor 55, Shields 32….]

“I really can’t do this. What am I supposed to work with using data like this…..”

This won’t do. I really didn’t want to use it, but working with these documents seemed like it would drag on endlessly.

I left the tent and headed towards the training ground where Mikhail would be.

As I walked down the road, people glared at me with fierce eyes.

“Just my luck…. Damn it.”

Some among them even cursed, as if deliberately wanting me to hear.

‘No matter how much I experience this, I don’t get used to it.’

It would be strange to get used to it. Let’s quickly find Mikhail and go back.

I needlessly rubbed my arm as I entered the training ground.

Fortunately, Mikhail was at the training ground. He was supervising the soldiers’ training along with a few knights.

I went behind Mikhail and tapped his back.

Tap, tap.

“Misha (Mikhail’s nickname).”

“Huh, who… Asha? What brings you here?”

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

Mikhail told one of the knights to take over for a bit, then followed me.

Mikhail and I went to a corner where no one was.

“Is there something you want to say?”

“There’s a document creation method I came up with….”

*scrape*

“You? Hmm…..Tell me about it.”

Perhaps sensing the conversation would be long, Mikhail dragged over a wooden box and sat down on it.

I also sat on the box right behind me and continued speaking.

Explaining as simply as possible so that medieval people could understand, I appealed for the necessity of tables and graphs.

Even if someone is illiterate, they can easily understand if they just know numbers.

Furthermore, using this method rather than writing everything out in text would save more time and effort.

“Hmm….”

However, no matter how much I emphasized the necessity, it seemed difficult for Mikhail to understand, as it was an unfamiliar concept to medieval people.

“So you’re saying if we use this, efficiency will increase significantly?”

“Yes.”

“Then show me how it’s used. I think I need to see it to understand.”

“Let’s go to where I work. I’ll show you an example.”

I led Mikhail and went inside the tent where I work.

In the tent, the tower of documents was still piled up.

“Ugh, cough, cough! Why is there so much dust? And it’s not even a room. You mean you’ve been working here?”

Mikhail kept coughing, as if the air was stuffy. It’s not that stuffy, is it?

“They told me to work here for now because there aren’t enough rooms. Anyway, come here. I’ll show you.”

I picked up one of the documents I was processing.

Then, on the back of a paper next to it, I began drawing the numbers from the document as a table and a graph.

Mikhail was indifferent at first, but as the table and graph were completed, his eyes began to widen.

Not long after, when the table and graph were completed, Mikhail could not hide his surprise.

“These two have the same content, right?”

“Uh, yeah. How is it? Doesn’t it seem convenient for paperwork?”

“This is really something!”

Mikhail kept looking at the two papers, unable to contain his admiration.

Is it really that amazing? I scratched my head with a somehow awkward feeling.

“This is good enough to use in practice right away. How did you come up with such a method?”

“I saw it in the library. But it was so old and worn out, a maid might have already thrown it away.”

I couldn’t bring myself to brazenly claim I invented it, so I vaguely glossed over it.

“Really? That’s too bad.”

Mikhail clicked his tongue regrettably, rolled up the two papers, and put them in his pocket.

Phew, now I won’t have to worry about paperwork.

Anyway, why isn’t he leaving? Does he have something more to say to me?

“Do you have anything more to say?”

“You have to give me a kiss goodbye.”

“What nonsense are you talking about again…. You already did it this morning.”

It was something Mikhail and I had agreed upon to pretend to be lovers. To kiss at least three times a day.

Like it or not, publicly, Mikhail and I were deeply in love, so minimal physical contact was essential.

I tried to negotiate for just holding hands or hugging, but…

Compared to our public relationship, this level of physical contact was too weak, so we had no choice but to replace it with kisses.

After that, Mikhail kept nagging me to kiss whenever he had a chance. He’s like a kiss parrot, why is he so obsessed with kissing?

“That’s that. If others see us, they’ll think we had a secret meeting, right? But there’s no physical contact? I think others will find it strange.”

I couldn’t refute him at all. I glared at him out of unnecessary annoyance.

“If you don’t like kissing, leaving a kiss mark is fine too.”

A kiss mark? Hmm…. That seems better than a kiss. At least I won’t have to touch lips with that guy.

“Haa…. Then let’s do a kiss mark.”

I sighed heavily and stood in front of Mikhail.

Since my mouth wouldn’t reach his neck, Mikhail bent his knees to meet my eye level.

“Shall I go first?”

“I’ll go first.”

It’s better to get the beating over with. I tightly closed both eyes and buried my face in Mikhail’s neck.

As I buried my face in his neck, the smell of sweat along with a strong male scent rushed in.

Mikhail’s body odor was intense, as if I were inhaling testosterone itself.

But strangely, it didn’t make me nauseous. No, it seemed subtly addictive.

‘Subtly addictive like the smell of a dentist’s office or paint…. No, what are you doing! Snap out of it!’

I startled myself and bit his neck hard.

*Crunch*

I bit it quite hard, or so I thought, but Mikhail showed no particular reaction, as if it didn’t even tickle.

“Are you done?”

“Uh… yeah….”

I pulled my mouth away from Mikhail’s neck. A silvery thread stretched for a moment before breaking.

The kiss mark was successfully imprinted. A clear red tooth mark remained on his tanned skin, making it look obvious that something had happened.

“Did it leave a good mark?”

Mikhail asked while touching the kiss mark with his hand. Fortunately, no saliva came off.

“You can see it well from a distance. That’s enough, right? Leave.”

“What are you talking about? You have to do it too. It’s a bit awkward if only I have it and you don’t.”

Mikhail grabbed my shoulder as I was about to turn around and pulled me towards him.

*Grab! Pull!*

“Ugh!”

Then, in an instant, the distance between us narrowed to the distance for a kiss.

A distance where each other’s breaths could be felt. My and Mikhail’s hot breaths mixed together and scattered into the air.

“Then I’ll begin.”

“Uh… okay….”

Mikhail pressed his mouth against my neck.

*Smooch*

It tickled as another person’s breath and lips touched my soft neck.

“Ugh….”

As I let out a slight moan, Mikhail completely sealed his lips against my neck.

*Suck*

And then he immediately started sucking. As a result, a wave of heat spread right away.

“Hngh…. Ugh….”

Was it because of the subtly excited atmosphere, or the tension of being alone together in the dark tent?

Something felt strange. It was somehow a little embarrassing, but…. It felt good.

Not only that, but my body also seemed to be getting slightly aroused. My body was getting warmer little by little…

‘I have to stop here.’

“S-Stop….!”

I felt like something big would happen if this continued. So, I blurted out the words without thinking.

“Is it because it hurts? Does it hurt a lot?”

Then Mikhail immediately pulled his mouth away and asked me. I forced a smile and said I was fine, then sent him out.

Mikhail kept asking if I was okay, but when I even pushed his back, he finally left the tent.

When I was the only one left in the tent, a chilly atmosphere lingered. Along with a strange sense of loss as a bonus.

In that strange atmosphere, I sat down, touching the kiss mark.

The mark was still hot.

—

The man leaving the tent, Mikhail’s cheeks were flushed.

What’s more? The front of his pants was bulging, showing its presence.

“Thank goodness….”

It was truly a relief that she didn’t know this. Mikhail secretly let out a sigh of relief.

If Anastasia had known, she would have been startled, wouldn’t have let him hold her hand for a week, and would have lowered the intensity of physical contact.

Then the chance for a kiss he had just managed to get would be lost completely.

He would never let that happen. How far he had come.

Mikhail buried his face in his hands and breathed slowly.

His flushed cheeks gradually cooled, and the bulge in his pants also began to subside little by little.

Soon, his cheeks returned to their normal state.

According to his schedule, he should have gone straight to the training ground.

“Things that need to be sorted out must be sorted out.”

However, the place he headed to, with a cold expression, was not the training ground.

He entered the mansion.

The place that was previously called the Voronezh lord’s mansion. After they took control of Voronezh, it was the location they were using as an office.

After walking down the corridor, he entered a room.

There, a woman with charming red hair was looking at documents.

“Are you busy?”

“Oh… no, not at all!”

The woman, who had been frantically looking at documents just moments before, was startled when Mikhail entered and greeted him.

Naturally, she guided him to the sofa and made tea. Soon, the fragrant aroma of tea spread throughout the room.

Serving Mikhail tea with her hands, which were as red as her hair color, the woman sat down opposite him.

Wiggling her fingers, the woman shyly gazed at Mikhail.

However, when her gaze fell on Mikhail’s neck, she froze stiff.

A clear tooth mark. The kind of mark a man and woman who had a relationship might leave.

“Your… your neck, what is that?”

Mikhail was puzzled by the woman’s words, then immediately remembered something and deliberately touched his neck for her to see.

“Ah… Looks like a mark was left. I met Asha just now. I showed you something unsightly. My apologies.”

“Oh… no, not at all…”

At Mikhail’s reply, the woman’s face darkened, and she gulped down her tea.

Mikhail noted the woman’s reaction and took out two pieces of paper from his pocket.

It was the paper with the table and graph that Anastasia had drawn.

“What is this used for?”

“They say it will be helpful for processing documents.”

“Hmm…..”

At first, the woman raised an eyebrow and didn’t seem pleased, but as Mikhail continued his explanation, she realized its usefulness and marveled.

“It seems like it could instantly reduce the time and effort for document processing…. Who made this? I’d like to bring them here right away and have them work…”

“Princess Anastasia. She is also my lover.”

At that, the woman’s face stiffened. The mouth that had been continuously praising Anastasia without even moistening her lips closed shut.

“…… Now that I think about it, it seems inefficient….”

“Didn’t you just finish praising the person who made this table and graph? Your thoughts change remarkably fast.”

Mikhail thoroughly mocked the woman in a contemptuous tone.

The woman buried her head deeply, seemingly aware of her own embarrassment.

Normally, he would have stopped there, but seeing the treatment she had given Asha, he had to go further.

“I saw where Asha was working earlier. A dusty tent filled with countless documents…. I didn’t know you would stoop to such petty behavior.”

“Th-That! It’s because there aren’t enough rooms! The cleaning isn’t finished yet…”

“Didn’t you say the cleaning of the top floor was finished two days ago? Don’t make ugly excuses.”

“…..”

The woman couldn’t argue back and just kept fidgeting with the teacup. Mikhail sighed deeply and opened his mouth to deliver the final blow.

“Alexa, or rather, Alexandra. I know how many contributions you have made. And I even know what feelings you harbor for me.”

The woman, Alexandra, flinched as if startled.

“I am well aware of the terrible death your family met at the hands of the Mad King. Even the deep-seated grudge you hold because of that.”

Mikhail’s throat was dry, so he took a sip of tea. The tea was very bitter black tea.

“That’s why I turned a blind eye. To the atmosphere and rumors you subtly created. I tolerated it to the extent that Asha could endure.”

Mikhail’s tone began to get slightly heated. Mikhail began to express a little anger.

“But you shouldn’t cross the line. To give her a tent rotting in the corner of a warehouse and dump all sorts of tasks on her!”

Indeed, unlike Asha’s tent where a tower of documents was piled up, only a few documents were placed on Alexandra’s desk.

It was truly a petty revenge. She must have dumped all the work she was supposed to do onto Asha and then spent her remaining time trailing behind him.

He could clearly see what had happened without even seeing it.

“I feel like punishing you right now, but…. Seeing the devotion you’ve shown so far, I will let it pass this time.”

“Yes, I underst….”

“But! There will be no next time. If I see it in my eyes again….”

*Clang!*

Mikhail crushed the teacup he was holding, breaking it. Shards of the cup and hot tea spilled onto his hand, but Mikhail didn’t even blink an eye.

“There will be no mercy.”

Mikhail placed the teacup shards on the table and stood up from the sofa.

Alexandra followed Mikhail’s movements with resentful eyes. Soon, resentment poured from her mouth.

“Why! Why! Wasn’t it me…. What on earth is that bitch! That princess…!”

She had devoted everything for Mikhail. She sold off her remaining assets and contributed them, and fought across the line of death by participating in actual battles.

Of course, one reason for participating in Mikhail’s rebellion was revenge for her parents, but it was also for her love. Only for Mikhail!

But cruelly, Mikhail didn’t spare her a single glance. He merely praised her officially and didn’t give her even a corner of his heart.

Alexandra glared at Mikhail with eyes full of suppressed rage.

But Mikhail showed no particular reaction to her gaze either.

“She is everything to me. She pulled me up and embraced me when I was insignificant and miserable.”

It was still vivid now. The moment when she, with her still young face, saved him from the king.

The way she had no choice but to use the whip to drive people away, and then immediately apologized repeatedly and treated his wounds as soon as they left.

She, who led him, unable to escape his family’s tragedy, and showed him all sorts of joys.

Mikhail’s life was saved by Anastasia, and he learned everything from her.

From the moment he met her, Mikhail’s entire heart was taken by her and he was bound.

Anastasia was everything to him.

“She is not someone you should treat carelessly.”

*Slam!*

With those words, Mikhail left the room.

Alexandra watched the door close with empty eyes, then suddenly began to laugh.

“Hahahaha… It was already too late… Already…. Already….”

Only now did she realize the fact that she could never win against Anastasia, ever since she met him.

It was a realization that came much, much too late.