Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1567: Rise of Receptionist

After testing the guns, the Secretary and her subordinates checked the containers that Lackey had brought.

They analysed the quantities, confirming each item before directing the workers to load everything into their building in a hurried yet controlled rhythm, as if time itself pressed against their backs.

Inside the office, far removed from the noise and movement outside...

Lackey and Rosavere sat across from each other, glasses of chilled juice in hand... even though Rosavere was the one drinking wine.

”I am thinking of visiting the Emperor tomorrow,” Rosavere said as she took a sip.

Lackey leaned back slightly, ”To make a deal?” he asked.

”Yes. The situation has become somewhat of a mess... You remember what happened two days ago.” Her eyes dimmed for a brief moment, but she quickly dismissed it with a faint breath.

”Now is the right time to approach them. If they witness the power of the artifact, they will become desperate to obtain it. And that desperation... will work in our favour.” She paused, her fingers lightly circling the rim of her glass.

”However...”

Lackey’s brows drew together slightly. ”However?” he prompted, sensing the shift in her tone.

Rosavere’s lips curved into a knowing smile as she met his gaze.

”Since you have delivered the goods in full, I was thinking... why not hold an auction instead? Invite the Five Rulers of the Empires.

Let them compete.

Whoever bids the highest... walks away with the artifacts.”

Lackey’s expression tightened with thought. ”I was under the impression you wanted to spread these as quickly as possible. You said even commoners should be able to buy them,” he replied, his voice carrying a quiet doubt.

She gave a slow nod, ”That was my initial plan. I had already prepared myself to accept the loss that would come with it.” Her smile deepened slightly, touched with amusement.

”But... I did not expect you to deliver everything. Not like this. This scale was never part of my original calculations.”

Behind his mask, an awkward smile slipped through his lips, ’The goods were ready weeks ago... it was only that bug that delayed everything,’ he thought.

Rosavere lifted her glass, taking a slow sip of the cool wine. Her cheeks puffed slightly as she swallowed... she looked adorable for a moment before, ”No, I will not be selling all the goods at once,” she continued, setting the glass down ”The objective remains unchanged. Only the method has evolved.”

Lackey’s eyebrows rose.

Rosavere raised her hand, extending her fingers one by one as she spoke,

”First, we sell a small portion to the rulers. Since it will be auctioned, the highest bidder claims them, ensuring maximum profit.”

”Second, we take another portion to the black market. The demand there is far less restrained, which means we can push the price even higher without limits.”

”And Third, the remaining items will be sold to the commoners... at a very low price. Accessible, widespread, and exactly as I originally intended.”

Lackey remained silent for a moment, absorbing the structure of her plan, before letting out a thoughtful hum. ”So the first two auctions compensate for the losses from the final phase,” he said, more as a confirmation than a question.

Rosavere inclined her head, a satisfied glint in her eyes. ”Exactly. This way, we minimise our losses while still achieving full distribution.” She gently brought her fingers together, as if closing an invisible calculation.

”And all of this is only possible because of you, Mr. Lackey. Without your delivery... I would have faced a rather severe loss.”

Lackey’s gaze lingered on her, his expression tightening slightly. ”But if you proceed like this... would that not anger the rulers?” he asked carefully. ”You would be placing them in competition, then undercutting them by selling to the masses. That is not something powerful men or women take lightly. Are you prepared to stand on their bad side? They might choose to eliminate you.”

For a brief moment, silence settled between them.

Then, Rosavere smiled.

”Could they?” she asked softly, her eyes locking onto his.

”Mr. Lackey... you seem to be underestimating me.” Her voice lowered dangerously, ”My family has been in this business for thousands of years. We have witnessed empires rise, collapse, and vanish into nothing. Emperors have come and gone, each believing themselves untouchable.”

She leaned back slightly, ”And yet... not one of them has ever managed to lay a hand on my family.”

Lackey studied her in silence, his gaze searching her face for any sign of doubt, any crack in that confidence. There was none. After a few quiet seconds, he gave a small nod.

”Very well, then I will leave the rest in your hands.”

Rosavere blinked. She leaned forward slightly, ”Wait... you are not coming with me?” she asked with a hint of surprise.

Her eyes lingered on him, ”Should you not be present for something like this? An auction of this scale... it is not exactly a minor event.”

Lackey shook his head slowly. ”I am sorry... I honestly need rest. And considering...” His voice trailed off as his gaze fell to his left hand, a quiet heaviness settling over his expression.

Rosavere watched him for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.

”As much as you want to trust me, this is still business,” she said, ”A single mistake... or even a lie from an outsider... is enough to break what we are building.” Her eyes held his, ”I would rather have you see everything for yourself than rely on written reports.”

Lackey gave a low hum, nodding as he rose from his seat. ”In that case, I will send my servant with you,” he replied.

”Contact me when you are meeting them.”

Rosavere inclined her head, a faint smile returning to her lips. ”Take care, then,” she said, lifting her hand in a soft, almost casual wave as she watched him leave.

****

After checking the goods thoroughly, the secretary returned and reported the total number of units to Rosavere.

”Alright. It is almost lunchtime. You may leave now,” Rosavere said without looking up, her attention fixed on the documents spread across her desk. One hand moved steadily as she reviewed the papers, while the other made precise calculations on a separate sheet.

The secretary nodded and turned to leave the office.

”Also...”

The single word stopped her in place. She turned back, only to meet Rosavere’s gaze, cold and piercing.

”Today, you stepped out of your boundary.”

The secretary flinched as if struck, her body stiffening before she quickly bowed her head. ”I-I am really sorry. I did not mean to say those words. Please forgive me, Madam... I will accept any punishment,” she stammered, her voice trembling along with her shoulders.

Rosavere stared at her in silence for a few seconds, her expression unreadable. Then, in a low and controlled voice, she spoke.

”I do not care what kind of relationship you have with Mr. Lackey. I neither have the time nor the interest for it.” Her gaze sharpened further.

”But if you speak foolishly again... mark my words, it will not end well.”

”U-Understood!” the secretary responded immediately.

Rosavere held her gaze for a moment longer before exhaling softly and waving her hand dismissively, granting her permission to leave.

The girl bowed again, her voice barely above a whisper. ”Please forgive me.” Then she turned and walked out, her steps quick yet restrained, as if afraid even the sound of her movement might offend.

Rosavere’s eyes lingered on the closed door for a moment, then drifted to where the girl had stood.

That girl... once a mere receptionist... now her personal secretary.

How?

The answer, in its simplest form, was clear.

She worked hard.

After the incident with Mr. Lackey, the very man who had ensured she remained in the company despite her mistake of making him wait for hours, something within the girl had shifted.

It was as if a switch had been flipped.

From that day onward, she never disobeyed Rosavere’s instructions. Not once. Even when pressure came from those close to her... her fiancé, her own family, even her grandfather’s threats... she did not bend.

She followed orders.

Rosavere’s Orders!

The hesitation, the weakness that once defined her, had disappeared completely.

Rosavere had noticed it, though she had not cared at first. Perhaps it was the influence of Mr. Lackey... or perhaps it was something the girl had found within herself.

Either way, Rosavere decided to test her.

She assigned her increasingly difficult tasks, watching closely, expecting at some point to see her falter.

But she never did.

To Rosavere’s quiet surprise, the girl handled everything placed before her with relentless effort and unexpected ideas.

It was as if the talent had always been there... waiting.

Waiting for a single opportunity to surface.

That was precisely why Rosavere had chosen her as a secretary. And the girl continued to give her best in everything... except when it came to Mr. Lackey.

Whenever it involved him, the girl became an open book, her composure slipping as if she forgot entirely the position she held and the discipline it required.

”Sigh... I suppose she is infatuated with him,” Rosavere murmured under her breath, leaning back slightly in her chair.

”After all, he saved her when she was about to lose everything. It is only natural... for someone rescued like that to open their heart.” Her voice softened, drifting into something more distant.

”Just like me...”

Her hand slowly rose, pressing against her chest as her fingers curled tightly, gripping the fabric as if to steady something fragile beneath.

With a quiet motion, she reached down and pulled open a hidden drawer beneath the piles of documents, revealing a small, secured compartment.

She unlocked it with a key that was hidden in her chest, the soft click echoing faintly in the still room, and carefully took out a single photograph.

Her gaze lingered on it, her eyes slowly brightening with a quiet, almost reverent glow... Fan girl?

The picture showed a black-haired boy dressed in a royal crimson outfit, flames swirling around him like a divine aura. He stood as if untouched by the world, his presence overwhelming, almost godlike. His expression carried a sly, amused curve, as though he looked down upon everything beneath him.

”Oh... My haughty boy... Mmm~”

***

Meanwhile, the secretary walked down the corridor toward the reception, her face tight with worry.

”I went and did it again... tsk...” she muttered under her breath, her fingers curling into a fist. ”I cannot lose this job... This is the last thing I have. I cannot... lose it!”

Her thoughts spiralled, but then, suddenly, an image surfaced in her mind.

A man wearing a rabbit mask.

The moment his image appeared, the tension in her body melted away. The fear that had gripped her chest loosened, replaced by a soft warmth that spread quietly through her.

”I was just... happy to know nothing happened to him...” she whispered, her voice gentler now.

Her cheeks flushed faintly as another thought slipped in. ”I-I cannot believe I wanted to hug him—”

”Hug who?”

”!!!!”

She froze.

The voice was unmistakable.

Slowly, almost mechanically, she turned around.

There he stood.

Mr. Lackey.

”A-Ahah... n-no one... I mean... nothing... nothing at all!” she stammered, her words tumbling over each other as her face turned a deep shade of red.

”I-I thought you had already left the office...” she added quickly, trying to steer the conversation away, her eyes avoiding his as much as possible.

Lackey looked at her calmly, ”Well, it is almost lunchtime,” he said. ”So I thought... how about having lunch with Ms. Secretary, just like that day?”

”H-Huh?”