For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 9 - The Long And Arduous Path Of Formal Employment

#9. The Long And Arduous Path Of Formal Employment

Sweat dripped down relentlessly. Despite wearing the necklace she received upon entering the Desert Climate Plant Management Department, which surely regulated body temperature, it seemed ineffective in preventing the rise of heat within her own body. The external temperature might have been blocked, but it couldn’t stop the heat from building up internally. 

However, Lia, who was already using both hands, couldn’t even wipe the sweat away. Fortunately, she could carry one bag of fertilizer at a time. But being weaker than the other employees, Lia had to move much slower, making several trips back and forth. Her stamina was rapidly depleting. Her limbs felt heavy and sluggish, as if laden with sandbags. Her mind was becoming increasingly foggy.

“Is this all you’ve done so far?”

Kevin’s voice rang out above her head. Lia, her consciousness clouded, didn’t even consider responding as she continued to carry the fertilizer. After spreading the fertilizer in the designated area, Lia straightened her back for a moment and looked up at the ceiling. 

Whether it was the ability of some skilled individual or not, the interior was bright like a real desert, with the sunlight shining brightly. As dizziness intensified, she felt as if she were standing in the middle of a real desert. The environment looked exactly like a desert, which made it even more disorienting.

“Are you already exhausted?”

“…No, not yet.”

Kevin watched her with eyes full of disdain, offering no help whatsoever, only supervision. From his attitude, it was evident that he didn’t particularly like Lia. Why did he dislike her so much? Was it because of her background? That was the only speculation she could make. However, there were quite a few nobles among the palace staff. There was no reason for her to be disregarded just because she was a noble.

“What are you looking at like that?”

“It’s already lunchtime. Can I finish after eating?”

“Has it already reached that time? …Fine.”

Kevin blatantly scanned the remaining bags of fertilizer and returned to the tent. Pretending not to notice Kevin’s actions, Lia turned away from her spot. In truth, she wanted nothing more than to go back to her room and collapse. But if she fell asleep now, she felt she wouldn’t be able to wake up for a while.

* * *

“Lia!”

When she entered the dining hall, May was already there. It seemed she had come to eat with the same department colleagues. Seeing Lia, who looked disheveled compared to her neat appearance in the morning, May was taken aback.

“Enjoy your lunch, May.”

“What’s wrong? Did that jerk Mr. Perth take you and harass you or something?”

“No, Mr. Perth didn’t harass me.”

“Then who did?”

Instead of answering, Lia gave a faint smile. Seeing May’s fierce expression, it seemed like she would chase after whoever it was right away if Lia told her. Feeling a bit relieved at May’s anger, Lia turned to leave as May’s colleagues called out to her from afar.

“Then I’ll go have my meal too.”

Lia left first for May’s sake, then stood at the end of the line to get her meal. It wasn’t something she was accustomed to, but she didn’t feel repulsed. It was a modest meal, not much different from breakfast.

Taking a seat in a quiet corner of the bustling dining hall, Lia began her meal. Once seated, she felt a sense of relief in her body. Dipping a piece of bread into the vegetable soup, she took a bite and instantly felt a wave of happiness. Perhaps because it was a palace, the chefs seemed skilled in the dining hall. She didn’t think her taste buds had developed to this extent before. Lia realized for the first time in her life that meals after work could be delicious.

Even after finishing her meal, there was still some time left for the lunch break, so she decided to go outside for some fresh air. Confirming that no one was around, Lia neatly placed her shoes on the ground and lay down in the space. Despite being called a noble lady or a young lady, Lia felt most comfortable being away from formalities and amidst the lush greenery.

Perhaps it was because of her abilities, but as long as she was around plants, she was happy. That’s why she wanted to come to the palace to learn about plants properly. She wanted to use her abilities to save dying plants. Lia found plants more comforting than people.

Contemplating the miracles of the desert was enjoyable, but thinking about relationships between people was tiresome. When she thought about Kevin, who seemed to dislike her for no reason, her heart grew heavy.

“Can I manage?”

Crunch.

The sound of rustling grass was heard, and eventually, a familiar figure appeared.

“Um… just to make sure, did you happen to fall?”

Surprised, Lia sat up. She thought no one was there. Her current appearance wasn’t something she wanted anyone to see. As she tried to stand up, Perth reached out his hand to help her up.

“If you were resting, I apologize for disturbing you. I’ll step aside.”

“No, you don’t have to. Are you here to rest too, Mr. Perth?”

“Yes. I don’t prefer eating in crowded places.”

Come to think of it, Perth held a bowl of bread and vegetable soup from the dining hall. Lia made room for him to sit beside her.

“Would you like to sit and eat?”

“…Yes, I suppose so.”

After hesitating for a moment, Perth sat down beside Lia. It was the spot where he used to come every day for lunch. He was quite surprised to see her lying down, but he didn’t think her presence would disturb his meal. Moreover, it felt somewhat unpleasant to give up the spot he used to occupy every day.

“The lunch was delicious today.”

“Because it was made by palace chefs.”

“It must have been delicious! Are you going to eat, Mr. Perth?”

“Yes.”

He answered all the questions with short sentences. It was difficult to tell if he was doing it intentionally or if it was his true nature. While watching him eat nonchalantly, Lia brought up the question that came to her mind.

“How long have you been working at the palace?”

“Um… since I was seven years old.”

“Seven years old?”

“I caught Prince Alfonse’s eye at a young age and entered the palace.”

Considering that the average age to start working at the palace is usually around fifteen to seventeen, it was quite an early age. Lia wanted to ask for more details, but she had a feeling there might be some backstory to it. Instead, she decided to ask another question.

“When you first entered the palace… was it difficult?”

Perhaps because it was a story from a long time ago, Perth furrowed his brow. It seemed like he was reminiscing about when he was seven years old. Lia waited patiently for his answer as he chewed on a piece of bread and swallowed before starting his story.

“Well… Prince Alfonse was quite young at the time, and he seemed to want to tease me a bit or make me do strange things. He would ask me to do odd tasks like climbing up tall trees to pick fruits, hiding my shoes, or placing a bucket filled with water on top of my door frame.”

That level of harassment was quite blatant. Thinking about Perth enduring such things at the tender age of seven, Lia felt a pang of sympathy. However, Perth recalled the past with an indifferent expression.

“Who bothers you, Lady Lia?”

And suddenly, the question came back unexpectedly. Caught off guard, Lia was about to deny it, but then she decided to be honest.

“Well, I’m not sure if it’s that, but… somehow, it seems like my supervisor doesn’t quite like me… um, I’m not sure.”

Although Perth was known to be rational, Lia somehow wanted to consult with him. So, she inadvertently spoke honestly. Just as she had hoped he would answer her questions honestly, she also hoped he would respond properly to her concerns. But even after hearing Lia’s words, Perth continued to eat his meal expressionlessly. It was difficult to determine what he was thinking.

After waiting for a while, Lia realized that lunchtime was coming to an end. Since the prince’s palace was nearby, Perth could afford to stay a little longer, but Lia had to hurry to get back to the greenhouse.

“I’ll get up first. Enjoy your meal…”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Pardon?”

“Mr. Kevin, that is. Isn’t he making you do something difficult to bother you?”

“He’s not… bothering me. He just asked me to carry fertilizer bags.”

“Just one person like you?”

“Yes…”

“Asking one person to do such inefficient work seems like harassment. Or maybe he’s testing you.”

Lia also thought that she was being tested and tried her best accordingly. But she still felt afraid to return to the greenhouse with more than half of the fertilizer bags left.

“Well, then you just have to get it done.”

Perth concluded simply. Intrigued, Lia sat back down next to Perth.

“How so?”

“Lady Lia, how are you carrying the fertilizer bags right now? Even carrying one with your physical abilities seems quite challenging.”

“I’m barely managing to carry them one by one.”

“Indeed, you’re using a highly inefficient method. While it shows perseverance, it’s not suitable for proving your ability to handle tasks efficiently.”

It was true that she was trying to demonstrate her perseverance. But upon hearing that there might be a more efficient method, Lia felt intrigued and unconsciously leaned closer to Perth.

“Is there a more efficient method?”

“Well…”

As Perth turned his head towards her to respond to her question, he realized that Lia’s face was dangerously close. His eyes widened slightly as he became aware of their proximity. However, Lia didn’t notice his surprise. To her, finding a solution was urgent. Before they knew it, their faces were so close that their breaths were almost touching.

“What is it?”

“Our faces are too close.”

“Please, just tell me!”

With a serious expression, Lia tried to get even closer to Perth. Startled, Perth quickly moved back. Even though she was only asking a question, he couldn’t shake off the strange sense of danger, wondering what she might do. Due to her urgency, Perth had to answer despite his flustered state.

“You could utilize abilities. Perhaps telekinesis…”

“I already mentioned that, but Mr. Kevin said there’s no available telekinetic for dispatch to the greenhouse.”

In a split second, Perth thought of a telekinetic who could be dispatched. It was someone who came to Lia’s mind as well. However, Kevin’s statement implied that she should rely solely on her abilities. Perth paused his meal for a moment and pondered. Lia didn’t have much time left. He had to think quickly.

“Well, then how about this?”