Ch.7878. I don’t know what scheme you’re plotting.

“Good morning, no. It’s evening.”

“You came down. Sit here for now.”

“What more do you want from this powerless and weak villain of a bygone era, Blanc?”

“Just sit down. We’ve already talked among ourselves, but we want to hear what you have to say.”

“Me? What kind of conversation are you trying to have?”

“Your vacation. Starting today, take a month off and go have fun with the kids.”

“What?”

“Go have fun. Ah, if I call it a vacation, you’ll refuse again, so… think of it as being a babysitter or something. You know, like spending the day playing with them.”

“I have a lot of work to do…? After seeing that mess last time, you’re telling me not to work and go have fun instead? Personally, I feel like I might snap and run away…”

“I’ll adjust your schedule accordingly. And as for work, if you tell us what to do, we can handle it. Everyone here except for two people are adults, you know.”

“You’re saying this because you don’t trust me, aren’t you?”

“But we’re good at following orders, you know?”

“Forget it. There’s no need for me to do this ‘having fun’ thing. Everyone’s busy. It’s not good to waste time because of just me.”

“Hmm? Ah. Don’t worry about our schedules. That’s just a matter of making small adjustments.”

“It’s fine. I’m more comfortable living as usual. I don’t want to be a burden to all of you.”

“Hmm… Vine, I think you’re misunderstanding something.”

“What?”

“This isn’t being done for your sake. Well, I can’t say we don’t want you to get some rest too, but we’re doing this because we want to have fun.”

“What…?”

“That’s what it is. I told you earlier. Someone who gets paid to play with others. You’re perfect for the job. Yes.”

“Don’t you have Ellie?”

“She’s on our side this time.”

I don’t understand at all what I’m hearing right now.

Ellie is sitting on the opposite side of me, cooperating with these magical girls to spend money to play with me…?

“Isn’t Ellie in the same position as me, hired by you for money?”

“I heard Suyeon has a lot of money?”

“What?”

“I don’t know about the villain Ellis who used to belong to Eden, but Association employee Kim Suyeon apparently has some savings.”

Hearing this, Ellie chimed in to support Blanc with additional explanation.

“Umm… the truth is, I dipped quite heavily into Eden’s secret activity funds. I have quite a bit converted into cryptocurrency, and plenty more laundered and hidden away… I have a decent amount, you know? Plus, I’m registered with the Association under the name Kim Suyeon. So I’ve been paid a substantial amount in advance as a contract fee.”

“Wait, Ellie…? Hold on, if you had that money, couldn’t you have helped me first…? The amount I need to pay back is… sigh…”

“Well… I don’t think I can help with that. At this point, I can’t access those secret funds anymore, can I?”

“…Ah. Everyone? You’re going to pretend you didn’t hear anything about secret funds just now, right?”

“I don’t care anyway. Blanc isn’t saying anything either.”

“No, sigh… aren’t you being too loose-lipped?”

“What does it matter? Anyway, the best I can do to help you is with the money I received from the Association. And I’m trying to support you with that money right now.”

“…What?”

“Playing with the kids for a month. Your bonus is coming from me.”

“What…?”

“Even though I’m employed here just like you, there’s a fundamental difference between us. I’m here by choice because of you, while you’re bound here because of debt.”

“We’re both villains tied to this place, so it’s the same, isn’t it?”

“That may be true, but I don’t have enormous debt like you do. I don’t really have a reason to be tied down here.”

“To be precise, I’m a released villain, and you’re a villain who hasn’t been caught yet. Despite having a lot of debt, I’m the one who’s legally in the clear. You’re actually the one in danger right now.”

“Ahem, hem! Anyway! The conclusion is that for this occasion, I’m your employer just like these magical girls! Not your junior housekeeper! Got it?”

“Sigh… why make things so complicated? Blanc, can’t we just forget about this?”

“No. I’ve already made a full month’s schedule. All you have to do is follow it. Oh, I’ve prepared this. I’ll put it on the refrigerator later.”

“…’Vine Usage Timetable’? What exactly do you all take me for?”

“A cute kid with more responsibility than anyone else?”

“That ‘cute’ coming from your mouth is really…”

“Why? It’s an objective fact. People still frequently call you cute on community sites and the internet.”

“Do those people say that even knowing what I’ve done? Still? Hasn’t it been long enough since I went outside that people would stop talking about me?”

“You know that you get photographed immediately when you go shopping at markets or stores without Ellie disguising you, right?”

“What? That’s… aren’t those paparazzi?”

“It’s unavoidable for famous people. It’s easier if you just enjoy it.”

“No, I’m infamous…”

“Anyway, just read through it. Tomorrow, Hyewon will go with you. We’ve arranged it so six people get five days each. If anyone wants to change dates, they can talk to each other directly and switch. Oh, and remember to tell Vine too, okay?”

“No, my opinion is—”

“Ah, the delivery is at the door. Arin, could you please?”

“Yes, unnie.”

With the sound of Arin running to the door to receive the delivery, my opinion was effectively ignored.

And the schedule in my hand showed signs of having been meticulously adjusted.

It seems they were making adjustments until right before I woke up.

No, more importantly. A month.

Ellie must have been part of the discussion too.

The last day coincides exactly with the day Eden’s reconstruction operation begins.

…I’ll feel sorry for Arin who has the last day.

If it had been Blanc or Crybaby, I could have backstabbed them hard and left, as I always did.

No, did Ellie plan this when making this schedule?

No, she’s boldly taking up the middle of the schedule.

What is she trying to do with me…? If she returns to Eden, she could make plenty of time.

To spend money for this little time…

We already spend a lot of time face to face…

I suppose I should go along with it for now. It’s something that shouldn’t be discovered.

This is confusing.

“Excuse me, Blanc. Yes, fine, I understand. If I have to follow, I’ll follow. Yes. But the important thing is, what exactly am I supposed to do during the times listed on this schedule?”

“Hmm… Do what the kids ask you to do? I trust you’ll know on your own what’s too much. Still, they’re taking time to play with you because they want to. It would be good if you could accommodate them as much as possible, right?”

“Calling it a vacation but forcing me to play. What a cruel boss you are.”

“If we didn’t do this, it’s obvious you’d overwork yourself. Ah, Arin! Put it on the dining table. I’ll set it up! Vine, good luck starting tomorrow? Come sit here. Let’s eat. It’s getting cold.”

“Sigh… I’ve just woken up and there’s too much information coming at me to process…”

“Yes, it might be better to think about it while eating. Come on, chicken doesn’t taste good when it’s cold. Even spicy chicken isn’t good when cold. Hurry.”

Sigh. There’s nothing I can do about this either.

I’ll have to go along with it this time too.

Well, if I have to do it, I have to do it.

I’ll trust Ellie to take care of the housework instead… but that’s the problem.

Ellie isn’t exactly reliable.

Honestly, she shouldn’t treat me like this.

I’ve been… since Eden, I’ve…

Sigh. Never mind.

Well, she’s still my most precious friend who I can’t do without.

Yes, rather than lamenting, sometimes it’s better to move forward for a better future.

If I throw a tantrum here and say I don’t want to do it… they would probably listen. But I have my pride.

Right. Tomorrow’s schedule is with Hyewon, the Crybaby.

So I should ask her directly.

What she wants to do, if she has any plans.

For now, since they want to use me like this.

And I should also ask Ellie. If I need a disguise, I’ll have to ask Ellie for help.

From what Blanc said earlier, if I go outside looking like this, people’s gazes will pour all over me again.

“Crybaby, you’re up first.”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“Do you have a course in mind, or something like that?”

“No? I don’t.”

“What?”

Ah, right. She was the unplanned type.

Even in battle, she would just overpower with strength without a plan, making me realize how terrifying it is when expectations are shattered.

Her attacks would come from paths that couldn’t even be detected by Eden’s combat prediction system.

But I’m just now learning that this tendency appears in her daily life as well.

Subtly, no.

Extremely unplanned and living according to her whims.

The epitome of a simple person.

Someone who doesn’t discriminate when it comes to food, and is so insensitive that she can fall asleep as long as her head touches something.

Yet someone with keener intuition than anyone else.

I was wondering what such a Crybaby would want during our day together, so I asked.

And as expected, her answer came with a heavy dose of the anticipated annoyance.

“Well, I don’t particularly want to do anything. Ah, maybe I should call my sister?”

“If that’s the case, why did you take the first day?”

“Oh that, well… just because?”

“Huh?”

“Well, it just ended up that way. Vine, isn’t there anywhere you want to go?”

“I don’t have anywhere in particular. Rather, I was trying to accommodate what others wanted…”

“Ah, this is becoming troublesome…”

“Well, going out is one thing. Is there anything else you want? If you want me to appear as an ordinary girl 1 instead of this disgusting villain when we go out, I can ask Ellie.”

“Me? I don’t particularly want… Ah. When we’re outside, could you call me by my name instead of Crybaby?”

“That’s not difficult, but I didn’t expect you to want that.”

“Why? I prefer my name over a mocking nickname too.”

“You know very well what my criteria are for giving nicknames.”

“Ugh. Even putting that aside, being called Crybaby in public is a bit… Or you could at least call me by my hero name.”

“You’re too weak for that, Crybaby. You fall far short of my standards.”

“Ah… Fine. My name, my name is enough.”

“Whatever. Since you dislike it, I’ll call you by your name. Is Hyewon sufficient?”

“Then… could you call me unnie?”

“I’m the same age as Blanc. There’s no reason for me to call you unnie.”

“But there’s such a thing as feelings, you know.”

“You want quite a lot. It would be easier for you to give up on that. Think about other plans thoroughly. Ah, what time should I wake you up tomorrow?”

“No, I’ll wake you up, so get a good night’s sleep tonight.”

“Getting up early is nothing to me…”

“I’m saying this because I’m tired. Me.”

“Are you going on about being sleepy when you’re not even beautiful?”

“Hey, that’s not what I meant.”

“Fine. I suppose you have your own thoughts.”

“I really can’t talk with this one. Every single thing.”

So, tomorrow is a day for Hyewon…

I have no choice but to go along with it.

What would this simple friend like…?

She’ll probably manage well enough on her own?

And so, that awkward day passed in an instant.

While being employed as a housekeeper but forced not to do any work.

Why tell me to sleep more to grow taller?