After dealing with Mira and Dora, Victor immediately moved to his next destination. As he stepped into Rosavereās company, he changed his mask, replacing it with a rabbit one.
Lackey sighed inwardly.
The Project was supposed to be delivered weeks ago, and he had not answered her call either... She was so furious that she must have finally given up.
Now, he had to face her wrath.
After all, he was a partner who had taken the Origin Core Crystals and never returned.
No explanation and no answering... It was like a freaking scam!
Pure betrayal!
If he were in her place, he knew exactly how he would feel.
Lackey had no idea how he was supposed to explain this mess to her.
āFuck... letās just hope sheās not still pissed as I thought she would be,ā he thought grimly as he walked forward.
He approached the reception desk, hoping to see the familiar receptionist first. If he could gather even a little information before facing Amara, it might save his skin.
However, as he neared the desk, he stopped short.
Another woman sat there instead, scribbling rapidly across a document with a stern, focused expression.
"Hello?" Lackey said cautiously, trying to sound neutral.
The woman lifted her head slowly, her indifferent eyes narrowing as they settled on the masked figure before her.
"And whom might you be?" she asked.
"Well," Lackey replied, glancing around briefly, "there was another girl working at the reception before. Is she still working here?"
"Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked flatly, her expression unchanged.
Lackey clicked his tongue, "Iād like to meet Ms. Amara Rosavere," he said evenly.
"Do you have an appointment?" she repeated, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Please inform her that Mr. Lacā" Lackey began, attempting to push forward.
"Mr. Lackey?"
Before he could finish, another voice echoed from behind him.
Lackey spun around sharply and froze.
Standing there was the receptionist who used to work here, her expression tense and alarmed.
The woman at the desk immediately stood up, her posture straightening with visible respect as she stepped aside.
Meanwhile, Lackey let out a long sigh and nodded, lifting his right hand in a tired greeting.
"Hello. Itās been a while."
"What have you done?!" the receptionist shouted suddenly, her voice filled with genuine horror.
"What?" Lackey blinked, completely caught off guard by her reaction.
She grabbed his right hand without warning and began dragging him down the hallway with alarming urgency.
Lackey flinched and stumbled slightly as he followed. "Slow down," he protested, struggling to keep up.
The receptionist shook her head sharply, her grip tightening rather than loosening. "Youāre really in trouble, Mr. Lackey," she said, her tone grim and serious.
Hearing that, Lackey frowned deeply, his unease growing by the second as he hurried after her.
"What do you mean?"
The receptionist bit her lip, her expression twisting as if she were tangled in something far beyond her role.
"Itās been a month since you last visited," she said quietly as they walked. "Almost every single day, Madam Rosavere came to the desk asking about you. Each time, her patience thinned little by little, until..." Her voice trailed off as they stopped before Rosavereās office door.
The receptionist swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the file she carried.
"You should be prepared to face her wrath," she added with faint pity.
Lackey nodded with a weary sigh, straightening his posture as he mentally braced himself for what awaited inside.
The receptionist knocked softly on the door. "Madam, may I come in?" she asked politely.
A slightly furious voice answered from within. "I am busy right now."
"Itās... Mr. Lackey, Madam," the receptionist added carefully.
"..."
A heavy silence followed. Then, at last, the voice spoke again, colder than before.
"Come in."
The receptionist opened the door and stepped aside as they entered. Lackey immediately noticed the group inside, his eyes scanning the people seated neatly in chairs facing Rosavereās desk.
His gaze shifted to Rosavere.
She stared at him with a dead, unblinking glare, her expression devoid of warmth or surprise.
Without saying a word, Rosavere reached beneath her desk and placed a stack of documents on the table with deliberate force. "Here," she said flatly. "These are the documents for terminating the contract, along with your Origin card."
"Sign it and take it."
Lackey blinked slowly. āShe prepared everything already,ā he realised grimly. He opened his mouth carefully.
"Ms. Rosavere, if you would just listenā"
"I am trying to finish this as peacefully as possible," she cut in, nudging her brows with mild irritation. "Please sign and leave now." She didnāt even bother looking at him.
Lackey clicked his tongue under his breath and stepped forward as he reached for the papers.
Rosavere shot him a sharp glance before adding coldly, "And donāt forget to return the raw materials."
Lackey nodded weakly, picking up the pen. His fingers hovered over the signature line, moving slowly, hesitantly. He paused, then spoke again in a restrained voice.
"Can you please justā"
"Sign. Leave."
Lackey swallowed, āTsk... what the hell do I do now?ā he thought. Rosavere was his only path toward the Terra Empire.
If he lost her now, this chance might never come again.
āThink... think,ā Lackey urged himself, clenching his fist. He had prepared to trick her if necessary, but she wasnāt even giving him the slightest opening.
The pen was just about to graze the paper whenā
"M-Madam," the receptionist suddenly stepped forward, her voice hesitant yet earnest. "Why donāt we listen to him first?"
Rosavereās head snapped toward her, "Do you want to sit in my place now?" she asked coldly. "And tell me what to do?"
The receptionist flinched and shook her head quickly. "O-Of course not. I just thought... maybe listening onceā"
"I didnāt ask for your opinion, Secretary," Rosavere interrupted with an indifferent and absolute tone.
Lackey wore a brief look of surprise as his eyes flicked toward the receptionist. āSheās the secretary now... ah,ā he thought quietly before shifting his gaze back to Rosavere, whose expression remained completely unmoved.
"What are you waiting for?" Rosavere said coldly, "Sign and leave now. I donāt have time to deal with people who canāt even keep their promises."
Lackey looked at her for a long moment, then slowly placed the pen down on the desk and stood up straight. "May I speak with you for a minute?" he asked.
"Sigā" Rosavere began.
"A minute for our past relationship," Lackey cut in firmly. "Please."
"..."
Rosavere stared at him blankly, her expression unreadable, her eyes devoid of emotion.
The receptionist... Well, Secretary, swallowed nervously and spoke again, her voice trembling.
"Please, Madam... heās not that kind of person. Just one more chance. Please."
Rosavere didnāt even glance at her. She merely closed her eyes.
Lackey let out a slow breath. āFuck,ā he thought grimly. He picked up the pen again, his fingers tightening around it as he prepared to sign the document.
"You have one minute."
Rosavereās sudden words froze him in place. She waved her hand dismissively toward the group seated nearby.
"Leave," she ordered coolly.
The group stood up immediately, murmuring polite excuses as they hurried out of the office, leaving the room in tense silence.
Rosavere finally looked directly into Lackeyās eyes, "You have exactly one minute," she said slowly. "Thatās the most I can give you, considering our past relationship." She placed a small mechanical timer on the desk.
"I will honour my word."
The faint click of the timer echoed loudly as it started counting down.
Lackey glanced at it.
One minute.
What the hell was he supposed to say in sixty seconds that could undo an entire month of silence?
What words could possibly earn her trust again?
There was only one chance.
One perfectly chosen truth... Anything less, and he was finished.
If he lost her connection, he would be forced to use other methods.
Methods he didnāt want to resort to, especially when the forces standing behind her were still unknown.
Mary? Morgana? Terra? Hunter?
"Time is running," Rosavere said with a faint smirk as half the minute slipped away in his silence. She shook her head slightly. āWhy did I even bother?ā she thought before speaking again.
"Mr. Lackey, the most important thing in our line of work is trust. Once itās broken, rebuilding it becomes painfully difficult."
Her voice hardened as she continued. "I called you again and again for an entire month. Do you know something?" She leaned forward slightly. "I have never done that for anyone. Two days. Thatās my limit. If they donāt answer, I cut them off completely, without hesitation."
Her fingers curled slowly into a fist. "But for you... for what we had... I waited." Her voice trembled despite her restraint.
"I fucking waited."
She slammed her fist onto the desk, the sound cracking through the room. "And what did I get in return?" she demanded.
"Betrayal? Fuck it!"
The timer ticked closer to its end, the sound growing unbearably loud.
Lackey remained silent.
"Say something," the secretary whispered urgently, lightly pushing him. "Please."
But Lackey didnāt move... He didnāt speak.
Rosavere shook her head, disappointed even more, "Youāre just wasting my time now," she said flatly as she reached toward the timer.
At that moment, Lackey suddenly raised his hands toward her.
Rosavere frowned, her eyes narrowing. To her, he looked almost pitiful, like a beggar spreading his hands in desperation. āIs he really going to beg now?ā she thought coldly.
But thenā
Ssshh...
"HOLY SHIT!!"
Rosavere shouted in horror... his left hand suddenly flickered like an illusion before revealing
Revealing a grotesque sight of twisted veins, pulsing blood, and exposed white bone. The edges looked torn rather than clean, as if the arm had been violently erased rather than cut away.
Seeing it from this close made Rosavereās stomach twist violently.
Lackeyās shoulders trembled as he spoke, his voice weak and fractured beneath the mask.
"W-When I tried to operate the Origin Core Crystal," he muttered painfully, "It... it exploded. It destroyed my left hand completely." His head dipped slightly.
"Shattered it from my arm... forever."
Rosavereās breath caught sharply in her throat, her eyes locked onto the ruined limb. Beside her, the secretary froze, lips parted in horror.
Drip...
A single tear slipped from beneath the mask, trailing down his chin before falling to the desk. The sound echoed far louder than it should have, striking the silence like a hammer.
Both women stiffened, the quiet suddenly unbearable.
"I... I am so sorry," Lackey whispered, his voice shaking uncontrollably. "I wanted to come back... I tried." His fingers curled weakly at his side.
"But I paid the price before I ever could."
Behind the mask, Lackey inhaled slowly.
It was time... Time for some bullshit~