Chapter 121

Lunch at the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs was free.

At first, Annie brought a lunch box packed by Bat, but recently she ate with her seniors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hall.

Sitting with her was a young man named Wharton. Being a solid competitor for Demela, he always came to Annie’s place and suggested her meal.

It was the same today. When Annie and Wharton arrived at the imperial hall, she sat down at a table where he had already prepared a meal.

“Come on, make yourself comfortable.”

“Yes, Sir Wharton.”

As she faced him, Annie said she had a business smile on her face, but she wasn’t comfortable inside. No matter how good he is, a senior is a senior, so she can’t be comfortable.

She ate a small bite of the bread on the table, filling her stomach. She had to be careful; if she got an upset stomach, it could get in the way of her job.

Wharton, whose bright green eyes were impressive, didn’t notice. He chattered and asked a lot of questions.

“Lady Dsev, were you so good in language from a young age?”

“Ummm. Rather than being good at it, I was more interested. It’s also fun to learn to speak with an unusual accent.”

“You have a brother. Is Lord Dsev as good?”

“No. My brother liked science more than language. Now he is taking classes as the heir of the family.”

Wharton seemed to want to know someone new. Although it was a little burdensome, Annie did not have much trouble responding to the pure attitude.

But at the next question, Annie stopped taking a sip of tomato juice.

“Dsev, you announced that you are not married, but do you have any thoughts of dating?”

“…Huh?”

‘What. Are you even interested in me?”

Annie’s expression hardened subtly.

She happened to know that Wharton also had an old fiancée.

But how can he show such an active interest in an outsider? Her displeasure was greater than the joy.

At her silence, Wharton waved his hand as if not to misunderstand.

“No. Not me. Would you like me to introduce you to my younger brother?”

“…Your brother?”

“Our youngest doesn’t have a partner yet. Well, there’s a bit of an age difference, but if it’s Lady Dsev…”

Wharton spoke in an exasperated voice as if he didn’t even care about the gazes of his colleagues around him.

It was the attitude of a person who looked after her well, and Annie couldn’t even reject it right away.

How good was he to be willing to introduce his family to her? She just smiled awkwardly and said, “Yeah, later.”

Demela, passing by, patted him on the head with the white plate, and Wharton came to his senses.

“Huh? Demela?”

“Don’t make a fuss.”

“Uh, sorry.”

“And your younger brother is too young. I don’t know if he’ll just become the younger brother.”

‘…What are these people?’

Demela sat down next to Wharton, speaking in a voice that could hardly be heard as a joke.

He buttered the freshly baked bread and stared at Annie.

“Is it to your taste?”

“Yes, Senior.”

“I’m glad. Do you have time any time soon? I’d like to have a nice dinner outside.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. To boost your morale. Oh. And tomorrow…”

At that time, Annie’s colleagues passing by sat next to Demela.

The two men pretended to be friendly to Annie, like a fox.

“Oh my. Lady Dsev, were you eating here with the seniors?”

“I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

“Oh, yes.”

As Annie greeted them with a bright smile like a high-ranking master, the two men’s eyes became cold. They didn’t want to see her, who never gave up no matter how much they hinted at her.

What kind of woman was that crazy? The two men showed displeasure with their facial expressions. Demela and Wharton, sitting next to each other, were ignorant of what they could see.

Annie responded with a soft smile.

‘Childish punks.’

Meanwhile, Demela opened his mouth, looking at the three new recruits alternately, remembering something.

“It just so happens that everyone is here. We’re going to have a dinner party tomorrow. Are you okay?”

“Of course, we have to participate.”

“Yes. It’s our first get-together.”

The two colleagues responded as if they had been waiting. They somehow tried their best to make Demela look good.

But Demela nodded his head slightly, saying that he knew they would. His interest has always been focused on Annie.

“Okay. Dsev. How about you?”

Unlike a while ago, when he faced her colleagues, he was full of affection. Thanks to this, Annie could feel the subtle annoyance she had a while ago subside.

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t concerned about sexism until she got into office. But that never happened.

Although there was jealousy between the two colleagues, they demonstrated their abilities by being recognized for their abilities.

It was thanks to Demela.

Demela, who considers Porcaus the number one priority, recognized Annie’s abilities early and tried to push her.

He was very fond of even her secret and quiet devotion.