Gerard flinched at Eloise's moist eyes.
But he held his tongue.
He leaned against the wall of the ultra-high-speed elevator, powered by a massive Yellow Gem, waiting for Eloise to compose herself.
Eloise gazed up at the Yellow Gem that blanketed the entire elevator ceiling.
The larger the Rainbow Hole, the tougher the conquest—and the bigger the gems you could harvest from it.
'A Yellow Gem that size... dozens of mages must've raided it, huh? Man, if I sold that thing, I'd be loaded.'
As Eloise stared fixedly at the elevator ceiling, Gerard spoke up.
"Do you like it?"
"Yes."
A hush settled briefly over the elevator.
Eloise realized too late that such clipped exchanges were prime breeding ground for all sorts of misunderstandings.
Gerard was the kind of guy who fielded surprise love confessions out of nowhere.
And on top of that, the two of them had history with something similar.
'Last time I said I liked him, he got all stone-faced. I meant as a person—as a friend.'
Back then, Gerard had given her the cold shoulder for days.
This time around, she wanted to dodge any such mix-up.
Eloise jumped in hastily.
"Ah, I-I mean, what I like is the gem! The gem! That Yellow Gem up there! Not you, Sir Gerard—definitely not!"
"You dislike me?"
Tension furrowed Gerard's brow.
"No! Not at all!"
Eloise freaked out.
"Definitely not?"
Eloise wanted to stay on good terms with him.
She couldn't bear leaving any impression that they hated each other.
'What if he thinks I hate him and turns down my healing?'
No way—that couldn't happen!
"Yes, definitely not!"
Eloise clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest and locked eyes with Gerard.
Take a good look at the affection for you swirling in my eyes, won't you?
Maybe that desperate gaze did the trick.
A charming smile lit up Gerard's face.
'Whoa, laying on the charm offensive?'
Eloise forgot her panic and stared, utterly captivated by his smile.
"Good, then. I was asking if you like gems too. You were staring holes through that Yellow Gem."
"Ah... yeah? That's what I thought."
Tension draining from her, Eloise let her arms drop.
She was relieved he'd gotten her real meaning, but mortified at how close she'd come to brewing an absurd awkwardness with her overthinking.
Eloise ducked her head and swallowed a grumble under her breath.
'Ugh, gotta fix this habit of jumping the gun with words and actions.'
Meanwhile, Gerard's gaze clung tenaciously to Eloise.
Ding.
Only when the elevator dinged to a stop at their floor did Eloise's self-recrimination—and Gerard's probing stare—finally break.
The two exited as if nothing had happened.
"I think we got off on the wrong floor, Sir Gerard."
Eloise pointed at the directory sign looming right across from them.
"This is your office."
"Right. And Eloise's office is right over there."
Eloise whipped her head toward where Gerard pointed.
Her eyes went wide.
"That one...?"
"Right next to my office."
The two had just become next-door neighbors.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Eloise sat there in a daze amid the sprawling office.
"Forecast Team office is right here. Ring the band if you're missing anything—anytime."
Gerard showed her in, then headed back to his own office.
Alone now, Eloise took in the pricey furniture, premium carpet, and expansive space where one wall brimmed with Scrying Orbs.
It felt less like sightseeing and more like touring a museum—every single item screamed luxury.
Including the chair she was parked in...
"Gold lions on the armrests, huh."
Eloise yanked her arm back in shock after absentmindedly resting it there.
Putting her ink-smeared hands on a treasure like that felt downright sacrilegious.
Gerard had said to get comfy, but Eloise couldn't even dream of touching a sheet of that premium paper—the kind where the fountain pen nib might glide right off.
She half-expected a mob to burst in yelling.
"Mistake! Hold it right there! This ain't no spot for a grunt like Eloise Luvellia! You didn't touch that paper, did you? Good lord—we'll dock your pay!"
Picture an arrogant official storming in—Eloise shuddered at the thought.
She scooted her butt furtively to the chair's edge, perching there with trembling legs, braced for whoever might show up to call out the 'error.'
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
But time dragged on, and the office stayed dead quiet.
Then something caught Eloise's eye.
An engraved inscription on the fountain pen barrel.
[Eloise Luvellia]
Her name.
On impulse, Eloise stealthily checked piece after piece.
Sure enough—the nameplate, notebook, desk edges, bookshelves stuffed with tomes and references—all boldly emblazoned with Eloise Luvellia!
As if jabbing right at her wild imagination.
This is yours.
This is your office.
It hammered the point straight into Eloise's skull.
"For real."
Eloise dropped into the chair with a solid thunk.
This time, not teetering on the edge—she sank deep into it.
And gave it a slow, gleeful spin.
"All of this."
The vast office, brimming with top-shelf everything...
"Is mine?"
Her dazed eyes sparked to life.
From that moment, Eloise tested the fountain pen, cracked open books, wheeled the chair end-to-end across the room.
After thoroughly poking around, she froze mid-motion.
Her expression drained away bit by bit.
She'd realized something.
They'd spun up a whole team for her, handed her this office...
But they'd skipped one key thing.
"Salary negotiation!"
Duty changes meant pay bumps—that was just how it worked.
Factoring in the huge resources her forecasts would save the Magic Management Bureau, her salary deserved at least tripling.
Civil service pay ran on seniority scales, but hers was a special case—prime for bargaining.
'Duh! I invented a whole new department!'
Eloise shot up from her seat.
She set the fountain pen down, tugged her uniform vest straight, and psyched herself up.
'Minimum double the pay!'
Eyes blazing, Eloise yanked the door open.
And as she stepped into the hall... she halted dead.
There loomed a towering David statue—no, a towering Gerard, planted like a boulder.
Less than a step away, Eloise caught the faint quiver in Gerard's pupils.
His hot breath ghosted over her forehead.
"Ah!"
Eloise snapped back to reality and retreated.
She'd nearly smashed face-first into his chest.
"Why are you just standing here?"
Eloise clutched her chest and asked.
"I was about to knock."
Gerard lifted his fist in a pretend rap.
"Lunchtime's coming up. Anyone hungry?"
"Already?"
Eloise glanced at her wristwatch in shock.
Sure enough, per Gerard—just 30 minutes till lunch.
Eloise got antsy.
'Gotta catch Vice Director Morgana before she heads out to eat!'
Hitting her up pre-lunch was high-risk, high-reward.
A hangry Morgana might stonewall the talks.
Or she might rubber-stamp Eloise's demands just to bolt for food.
Eloise banked on the latter and peered up at Gerard.
"I've got someplace to be. 'Scuse me."
But Gerard didn't stir an inch.
"Lunch date already locked in? With who?"
"No! Heading to see the Vice Director—got business."
"Ah... Raven. Lucky timing. I've got business with her too. Let's go."
Eloise barely had time to reply before Gerard pivoted and hit the elevator's open button, waiting.
'Didn't he just ask me to lunch?'
Blinking in confusion, Eloise remembered the Yellow Gem power guzzling even on standby and hustled over.
She hopped in, and Gerard followed right after.
Come to think of it, where was the Vice Director's office again?
While Eloise racked her brain, long fingers jabbed the 20th-floor button.
One floor down from Gerard's office.
Eloise clocked anew how her office sat higher than the Vice Director's.
Higher rank got higher floors—that was the bureaucracy gospel.
The realization sent goosebumps racing over her skin.
Not from feeling the office was too fancy or undeserved for her lowly self.
No—Eloise's mind raced ambitiously.
'My office above the Vice Director's? Then my salary too?'
Hope blooming, Eloise rapped on the Vice Director's door.
Read More Chapter on Our Website:
- noveldex.io
New chapters released daily —don't miss out!