I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 112

“This should be the place…”

I circled the large building twice before stopping. It was twice the height of the surrounding structures, yet there were no people coming and going, nor any visible security.

A strange chill ran down my spine. Rubbing my arms, I stepped inside the building. I had no time to waste—if not today, I wouldn’t have another chance.

Pushing open the heavy glass doors, I was left speechless at the sight of the gleaming lobby floor. A golden hue, something eerily familiar, caught my eye. It was as if golden waves rippled across the floor.

Blinking rapidly, I refocused and realized it was simply the reflection of the ceiling lights on the polished surface.

Still, for a company lobby, the atmosphere was excessively sacred. With a setting like this, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Orias himself suddenly appeared from behind the information desk.

I walked toward the central reception desk. Of course, Orias did not appear. Instead, a staff member, smiling mechanically, tilted their head slightly toward me and spoke.

“What is the purpose of your visit?”

Their robotic movement made me frown. The bold confidence I had walked in with wavered at the employee’s unsettling stiffness.

This place is creepy. Not too much, but just a little.

Suppressing the urge to turn around and leave, I forced myself to respond.

“I’m here because of the reward I received from—”

“Are you a player of The Saintess is a Spy!?”

“Ah, yes.”

“May I check the device you used?”

“Go ahead. But I deleted my play records already.”

Before I could finish speaking, the employee maintained their stiff smile and reached out a hand. As soon as I handed over my phone, he quickly logged into the game, moved his fingers rapidly, and connected it to an electrode device on the reception desk.

“Player Lee Juha. Confirming identity.”

“Huh? Wait a sec—”

A tingling sensation pricked my forehead and temples. Without giving me a chance to protest, the employee had attached the electrodes and was already tapping away again, speaking in a mechanical tone.

“Deleted play records confirmed. All six connections have been established.”

I had no idea what he was seeing, but he wasn’t just looking at my phone screen. This person was eerily machine-like. My hand twitched, wanting to remove the electrodes, but before I could, he swiftly detached them.

“If you wish to receive an in-game reward, proceed to the 6th floor. If you prefer a real-world reward, go to the 12th floor.”

“Did I ever say I wanted a reward?”

I rubbed my forehead and asked with displeasure. The employee simply repeated his instructions with another mechanical smile.

“If you wish to receive an in-game reward, proceed to the 6th floor. If you prefer a real-world reward, go to the 12th floor.”

Ah, seriously… Why is he acting so creepy? I really hate horror stuff…

Gathering my bags, I stepped backward toward the elevators, keeping my eyes fixed on the employee.

With no one else around, the eerie atmosphere intensified. The employee continued to watch me with an unsettlingly polite expression.

The forced friendliness made it even scarier. Swallowing back a whimper, I entered the elevator. 12, 12th floor… The real-world reward was on the 12th floor, right?

As I pressed the button for the 12th floor, the employee’s expression twisted in apparent surprise. He suddenly shouted loudly.

“Player Lee Juha! The in-game reward is on the 6th floor!”

“I know!”

“You have selected the 12th floor!”

“I know that too!”

“Shall I change your selection to the 6th floor?”

“No thanks!”

Why is he so persistent?

Rubbing my goosebump-covered arms, I leaned against the elevator wall. Finally, the employee’s face grew distant. Just as I exhaled in relief and watched the doors close, a pale hand suddenly blocked them.

“Wh-what are you doing…?”

“The in-game reward is on the 6th floor, Player.”

It was the employee. Somehow, he had sprinted from the reception desk to the elevator in an instant and was now blocking the doors with his stiff posture. Without hesitation, he pressed the button for the 6th floor and smiled in satisfaction.

I quickly canceled the selection for the 6th floor, and he tilted his head as if confused.

“If you claim the in-game reward, you will be much more satisfied—”

“No thanks. Who said I want to stay in the game forever? I’m going to the 12th floor.”

Even if I claimed an in-game reward, I would eventually have to return to reality. The game was fun, but in the end, a game is just a game. Reality is reality.

I didn’t come all the way to headquarters just to receive some in-game currency as a reward.

The employee finally seemed to understand and took a step back. As the elevator doors closed, he maintained a calm smile while watching me.

“Since someone is already connected, I recommend the in-game reward… However, if you insist on the real-world reward…”

I could hear him mumbling something, but his expression was too unsettling to pay attention to. If this company wanted to succeed, they should start by replacing their front desk employees.

I blinked a few times inside the enclosed elevator and straightened up when I heard the announcement that I had arrived at the 12th floor.

***

“Assistant Manager Lee?”

“Ugh… Yes, Team Leader.”

“Ugh? What kind of response is that? You were sick, and now you’re spacing out at work?”

I had only glanced at my phone during work, but I couldn’t hide my rising astonishment. Staring blankly at the numbers on my screen, I repeatedly checked them before I unconsciously muttered my thoughts aloud in response to the team leader’s voice behind me.

Ugh, ugh….

Today was the day the promised compensation from The Saintess is a Spy! was being deposited.

Yes, the compensation…

I turned off my phone’s screen and naturally smiled at the team leader. Seeing my warm expression, he looked taken aback.

“I apologize, Team Leader. I’ll make sure to take care of my health so it doesn’t interfere with my work.”

“Oh, well… Sure.”

“Thank you for your concern. Ah, here’s the document you mentioned this morning.”

The team leader was the type who liked being treated with respect. He enjoyed it when his subordinates spoke politely and acted deferentially toward him. In the past, I had failed to do so and was treated unfairly as a result. But now, I didn’t see any harm in playing along.

After handing him the document and offering some appropriate flattery, I glanced at Manager Yoon, who was glaring at me. When he opened his mouth to speak, I could tell exactly what he was about to say.

‘Are you crazy?’

It wasn’t worth my attention.

Keeping my polite smile, I turned away without hesitation. Instead of wasting time worrying about an ex-boyfriend who added nothing to my life, it was much better for my mental health to check my newly received compensation again.

Lowering my phone beneath my desk, I turned on the screen. The amount displayed was something I had only ever seen in games.

No, I hadn’t misread it.

After confirming the sum, I quickly moved my fingers and sent an email.

It was a request for verification, asking if the amount deposited was correct, as it seemed excessively high. Anxiously awaiting a reply, I received a response shortly after.

[The amount deposited is correct.]

Great, I’m quitting.

As soon as I finish my current project, I’m resigning.

Closing my phone, I began humming as I worked. The melody came naturally. Even my passing coworkers noticed and asked if something good had happened.

When I responded kindly to each of them, they remarked that I seemed brighter and in a better mood than before before returning to their desks.

After confirming that my compensation had been properly processed, I deleted all the email addresses I had gathered from The Saintess is a Spy!’s rival companies and even removed a journalist’s contact information from my phone. With a smile, I resumed my work.

The Saintess is a Spy!’s developers were a great, flawless company.

***

For the first time, I attended a company dinner that I had always avoided with excuses. Knowing that this would be my last time experiencing office life, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sentimental.

With enough money to last a lifetime without working, I could finally live doing only what I wanted.

Even if that didn’t include the thing I truly wanted to do… Still, it wasn’t a bad outcome.

As I rubbed the faint scar on my index finger, a loud voice from nearby snapped me out of my thoughts, and I lifted my head.

Flushed faces surrounded me. It was hard to tell if they were drunk or simply caught off guard. Not that I cared to find out.

“Hey, I totally saw Manager Yoon and the intern holding hands.”

“At work?”

“Yeah! Near the stairs, they were completely stuck together!”

The employee who was talking had clearly drunk too much. He had lost the ability to distinguish between what should and shouldn’t be said.

The team leader, who had been sitting far away, furrowed his brows and shouted, “Workplace relationships are forbidden here! You all know that, right?”

“Yes! We know, Team Leader! Haha, I think the employee just saw something wrong.”

“No, I really saw it…”

The now sulking employee downed a few more drinks before filling my glass and muttering, “Assistant Manager Lee, I swear I saw it….”

His occasional sniffles made it seem like he was truly frustrated.

“I really… I saw it. Why am I lying… Ugh.”

“Don’t say anything you’ll regret tomorrow. Let’s stop here.”

When he started pointing accusingly at the intern, I quickly covered his mouth and whispered. I didn’t care what happened to me now, but this guy still had to stay at the company.

Manager Yoon—my ex-boyfriend, Yoon Kihoon—was a person who, despite appearances, was extremely skilled at office politics. Especially since he maintained close relationships with upper management, making an enemy out of him wouldn’t do anyone any good.

When I covered his mouth, the employee’s eyes widened in surprise. I adjusted his posture, pressing firmly on his shoulders as I spoke.

“Manager Yoon holds grudges.”

“Assistant Manager Lee, your voice sounds really nice…”

“…What?”

He shuddered slightly as he spoke. The subtle admiration in his gaze sent chills down my spine. He grinned and raised his glass toward me.

“Come on, let’s have a drink!”

He wasn’t even cute, so why was he talking like that? Trying to decipher his slurred speech, I forced a polite smile and downed my drink.

“Oh, Assistant Manager Lee, your glass is empty! Let me pour you—”

“[    ].”

Just as I was about to brush off his insistence on refilling my glass, an unfamiliar voice interrupted.

It was a deep, solemn male voice. It was a voice I knew well, but it had no reason to be here. The voice uttered something that my ears couldn’t fully grasp.

[    ].

The voice grew fainter, like a hallucination.

Ah, I must have drunk too much.

I turned my head, intending to decline the next drink. The employee, still holding the bottle tilted, was staring blankly behind me.

Mouthing words soundlessly, he finally managed to speak in a dumbfounded tone.

“Uh… Assistant Manager, do you… know that person…?”

Who?

I frowned at his foolish question, then suddenly realized how eerily silent it had become.

What’s going on? Why is it so quiet?

The people who had been chatting loudly had all turned their gazes toward me. More precisely, not at me, but just past me—above me.

“[    ]…”

The voice behind me spoke again. It was too distinct to be a hallucination. Pressing my fingers against my temples, I massaged my forehead.

I must be drunk.

“Does your head hurt?”

“Huh…?”

“[    ], …Lee Juha?”

Someone gently grabbed my shoulder and asked. My body instinctively turned.

Sharp eyes, well-defined brows, and strikingly dark irises filled my vision.

A familiar-faced man looked down at me with concern, his gaze locking onto mine. In an awkward tone, he spoke my name.

“Lee Juha.”

“[    ]?”

Seeing him pronounce my name so politely, I finally opened my mouth. But even as I tried to say his name, the sound wouldn’t come out right. Giving up on calling him, I reached out and placed my fingers on his face.

As if responding to my touch, the tall man leaned closer and pulled my hand toward him, pressing his lips against my fingertips. His once-cold expression softened instantly.

Ardal? Is this real?

The sensation of lips against my fingertips made me question whether I was still dreaming.

Behind Ardal, another familiar face appeared. Seeing his bright expression, I let out a long sigh.

Ah, of course. The moment I saw that ridiculous compensation deposited into my account, I should have realized this was a dream.

This has to be a dream conjured by my desires.