I'm a bad person. One less, one more, it doesn't matter. Even if I died in an alleyway one day, no one would care. Ah… it's more common than you think to die in a corner of this city.
But this rarely happens in the Nest. So, even though I'm a worthless person, I can still survive, barely surviving. It's simply because—
I was lucky enough to be born in the Nest. I'm fundamentally different from those who racked their brains trying to get residency in the Nest, those who desperately fought their way in.
I'm protected by the Nest. I'm safe under its wings.
But if I'm really so lucky, why did I grow up in an orphanage?
Sometimes I wonder, if I had family, if I had friends, maybe I would have dreams, goals, things worth fighting for.
And that day… I met her, that black-haired woman standing at the head of the street, speaking passionately and eloquently. But no one listened. No one paid any attention to her.
Of course, no one would pay attention to someone who seemed to have "mental problems." In fact, I didn't even hear what she was saying. At that time, I was just thinking—
Why could someone live such a vibrant life?
It was a smile I had never seen before. At first glance… I was captivated.
[Giovanni, is this for me? Thank you!]
She put on the accessory I gave her, a crimson teddy bear hair tie. It was very cute, and very suitable for her.
It wasn't an expensive item, it was even quite common, very cheap. But she didn't dislike it at all. And afterward, it proved this… she always wore it. I was very happy.
But that didn't mean she liked me. I was very aware of that.
Actually, she was like this to everyone. Her smile was something everyone could see. She shared her warmth with everyone, like the sun, its light reaching every corner.
She just saw me as a colleague… or maybe a friend… perhaps… maybe a confidante? I'm sure she doesn't have any feelings for me beyond that.
But every time I see her happy and proud of her achievements, I immediately feel motivated… I think, if this life could last forever, it would be great.
… … …
… …
It's all gone…
… …
Why didn't "she" protect her…?
… …
Why…?
Why…?
...
"Netzach, I've said it, my reward isn't letting you unhook my belt! Are you even listening to me? The reward is within my permitted range. You're not allowed to go beyond that. This is forbidden!"
X barely managed to hold down the Safety Department Dean's hands that were groping everywhere. Her words couldn't stop the increasingly unrestrained girl. And her current posture wasn't good for exerting force. Combined with the alcohol, X was really starting to feel weak.
"X… agree… compensate me… Let me, just this once."
But the Safety Department Dean still didn't give up. She clung to X's collar, rubbing against her neck, intimately affectionate.
Netzach rubbed her face against X's temple. Her black bangs brushed against X's skin, which was slightly flushed from the alcohol.
The buttons of the black fitted t-shirt were askew. Her hand paused on the buttons. With a slight tug, she unfastened the already loose buttons.
The white coat and black uniform were always a perfect match, fitting X's aura. This harmony was not just in the overall feeling, but also in the contrast created when the neatness turned into disarray.
Weak yet irresistible.
"No, and no! Not once, Netzach. I can't agree to this."
X protested, her hand still protecting the buckle of her belt. She didn't even notice that the Safety Department Dean was already trying to unfasten her belt buckle. She was focusing on the other rewards.
So soft…
So cute…
Even though this body couldn't produce saliva, she still felt a dry mouth and restless anxiety. She couldn't help but want to test the limits of the black-haired girl's acceptance.
One try, she wouldn't get angry, right?
Desire had long since taken the upper hand. There was no rationality to speak of. But Netzach was still worried… she was worried that X would get angry, worried that she would make X cry.
If she just took a sip, nothing would happen.
She would… be disliked by X…
Swallowing the remaining champagne in her mouth, she gritted her teeth and suppressed her greedy desires. After resisting for a while, Netzach came to a conclusion.
Then… then she would try a different approach…
The Safety Department Dean had an idea, a way to take advantage of a loophole, an idea that perfectly aligned with X's logical thinking.
A method that wouldn't violate the black-haired girl's bottom line, but could still satisfy her empty desires.
"Wine? Okay, I can accept drinking wine, Netzach.
But I've said it many times, don't touch my waist randomly. The reward is limited to drinking and kissing!"
As the Safety Department Dean had expected, the black-haired woman didn't pursue her previous transgression. Her attention wasn't on those things… because the woman in front of her always missed the point, extremely slow-witted.
No matter what others thought, what other Deans thought of this "slow-wittedness," at least Netzach thought it was a good thing.
The tofu on the griddle, slowly turning golden, wouldn't necessarily be cooked perfectly. But as long as it was protected well, guarded closely, the hot tofu wouldn't be snatched away.
Whether or not it burned her mouth, at least, putting it in her mouth first would bring peace of mind.
Champagne was meant to be poured into tall glasses and sipped elegantly, a way of enjoying the drink, appreciating its beauty and the good intentions behind it, more than the wine itself.
But now, it was simply being used as a tool of seduction by the Safety Department Dean. Or perhaps… a despicable method to intoxicate someone, a huge waste.
The champagne wasn't very strong, only a little over ten degrees. But this alcohol content was much higher than ordinary beer, which usually had an alcohol content of three to five degrees.
In other words, getting X drunk with champagne was faster than getting her drunk with beer.
In reality, compared to beer, X preferred champagne. It was much easier to trick her into drinking a large amount of champagne than to trick her into drinking a lot of beer.
Even better, the black-haired woman in front of her had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Netzach was aware of X's capacity. X could get drunk and convulse from just drinking beer.
Champagne isn't meant to be gulped down… To be precise, it's not meant to be sipped delicately from a tall glass.
She drank directly from the bottle. Because she tilted it, some of it flowed down the sides of her mouth, spilling and dripping, soaking her collar and chest. The scent of alcohol permeated her body.
"Okay… okay, I… I finished… hic"
"Today… not… early… I should… go back… now."
When she put down the bottle, X's speech was slurred. The pallor on her skin had become a more noticeable, more alluring flush. Her tone was softer than before.
Netzach had requested a toast. But X, after finishing the wine, stood up to leave. Even though she was unsteady, her eyes were a little blurry… but she still struggled to stand.
She was stopped. The Safety Department Dean sat on her lap, preventing her from getting up.
"No, you haven't finished."
Netzach poked X's stomach, occasionally scratching it a few times. Clearly, she hadn't drunk a small amount of wine, yet her stomach was still flat…
"Where… where… how…"
X felt that her Dean was being unreasonable. The bottle was clearly empty.
"Of course, it's here. But… let me help you."
Netzach bent down and licked the spilled champagne from X's collar, cleaning up the alcohol stains. After cleaning one spot, she moved to another, carefully cleaning the champagne from X's chest, leaving no spot untouched.
This relatively long process created a strange sensation for X… or perhaps… a feeling of avoiding something.
It was an indescribable… a difficult-to-explain feeling. It was like a lighter's trigger being suddenly pressed, a spark igniting.
It was gentle. X couldn't feel any aversion. She couldn't find any reason to stop Netzach, because Netzach's actions weren't forbidden, they were within the permitted range.
Perhaps… perhaps…
Why was this feeling so strange…?
X felt something was wrong, but she couldn't explain what was wrong. In the end, she could only let the Safety Department Dean do as she pleased, assisting her.
Assisting… assisting with what…? Was this what assisting meant…?
X wanted to think, to resolve her doubts, but the alcohol was affecting her judgment, blurring her thoughts. Quickly, she stopped thinking.
That irresistible feeling had overcome her rationality. She couldn't help but speak. And what followed was a strange feeling of shame, a kind of inexplicable self-reproach.
Her clouded mind suddenly cleared, but a confusion and bewilderment appeared in her golden eyes. The Safety Department Dean was calmly and leisurely tidying X's collar, appearing completely innocent.
When she noticed X staring at her, Netzach grabbed X's finger, putting it in her mouth, delicately licking it. Her knee rested on X's waist, pressing down with moderate force.
"Do you like it… Manager."
Netzach precisely followed X's rules. She didn't touch the perpetually locked belt buckle. But she was also very cunning.
Although she couldn't directly taste the hot tofu on the chopping board, this could be considered seeing the tofu turning golden brown, smelling the aroma of the sizzling tofu.
All that was left was to add some sauce to the tofu, cook the other side, and then put it in her mouth.
Enjoying X's expression, Netzach felt extremely comfortable. Even though this satisfaction would soon fade, and a greater emptiness would follow, requiring more boundary-breaking behavior to alleviate that emptiness.
"Oh…"
X made a small animal-like sound, like a large quail, frightened and apprehensive.
She shook her head, not daring to look at Netzach, not daring to delve into… her own reaction.
Perhaps it was because the sofa was very comfortable. Perhaps it was because so much had happened today, she had expended too much energy, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted—
In short, X had simply closed her eyes to escape the current situation, but she had suddenly fallen into a trap. Her eyelids felt heavy. Once closed, she didn't want to open them.
Too much alcohol…
There was no more movement from X on the sofa. Only her slightly heavy… yet steady breathing could be heard.
"Manager, Manager… X, are you asleep?"
The Safety Department Dean lowered her voice and asked, whispering into X's ear. There was no reaction. Then, she cautiously poked the black-haired woman's face, checking. There was still no movement.
She seemed to be really asleep, and sleeping soundly.
When she was asleep, the woman seemed even more like a small animal… curling up her body, tightly clinging to the sofa, creating a confined space.
Clearly, the sofa was large enough to stretch out and sleep. There was no need for her to curl up.
But this seemed to be X's habit. Subconsciously, she would curl up, creating a small, confined space.
This was the first time the Safety Department Dean had seen the black-haired girl with short bangs sleeping.
She didn't look cold or cruel… Her loose hair gave her a gentler appearance, making her seem like a soft yet intelligent woman.
And it was at this moment that the Safety Department Dean realized what she had done.
How had she… ██. Even though she hadn't touched anything inexplicable, hadn't made negative contact… but… she had ██ X.
This… this was… something to be proud of!
The Safety Department Dean had no remorse. She quickly licked her lips and wanted to do more bad things.
But this seemed to be the limit of what others could tolerate—
The Safety Department office door was opened.
[Netzach, I'm here to take the Manager back.]
The AI Secretary's expression was calm, her tone flat. As she spoke, she walked toward the sofa where X was sleeping and picked her up. Probably for comfort, the AI Secretary used a princess carry.
She didn't pay any attention to the Safety Department Dean. She didn't seem to want to get involved at this moment.
She only glanced at the Safety Department Dean for a moment. Her cold, golden eyes opened for that instant, glaring at Netzach, then closed again. Maintaining her calm, closed-eyed demeanor, she quickly carried X away.