By the time she knew it, it was already the end of the workday, but on her very first day at the job, she hadn’t actually done anything meaningful…
After tidying up the desk, there was still the mess of the green garden to deal with—after all, grass had even started growing through the floorboards. But a group of office workers in suits and ties who had never gardened before, picking up giant pruning shears and attempting to tend the garden?
That was just wishful thinking—such an insult to the profession of gardeners.
So after the four of them went at it like a whirlwind, this once vibrant and naturally beautiful garden ended up looking like it had been trampled by a pack of frenzied wild boars.
Seeing this would never do, Cecilia gathered everyone and declared:
“Listen up, you livestock! The ‘Dream Witch’ is giving you all a three-day vacation!”
At the mention of a holiday, Clara’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Ah? We get a break already, and it’s just the first day?!”
“Calling it a holiday doesn’t mean you get to slack off. Clara, you’ll take Miss Luciya to get familiar with Central City so you’re ready for fieldwork later; Fran is responsible for setting up all the equipment the company needs—if anything’s missing, go buy it. As long as the request is reasonable, the budget’s approved.
“As for me, I’ll be finding a professional team to renovate the reception area upstairs while also restoring this garden base…”
Cecilia sighed softly as she spoke, muttering under her breath:
“Sigh, it’s such a hassle not having a secretary around.”
Even though it was an underground base, a breeze stirred and easily knocked over the battered fence. As it fell, a leaf drifted precisely onto Clara’s head.
Cecilia reached out to brush the leaf off, holding her forehead as she sighed:
“Look at this. If I let you all keep messing around, this base is doomed for sure!”
In truth, the garden was in such bad shape partly because of her own “contributions.”
But since Cecilia was the boss, no one dared say so.
Fran, however, spoke up: “Wait! With this plan, it means I’m not really getting a break, right?”
“Hey, you want a vacation? Stay here and work to pay off your debts!”
“Ugh… okay…”
Fran immediately lost her temper and even ended up agreeing to stay for overtime.
After all, causing losses in the hundreds of millions for the company meant she had to work hard to make amends.
Still, moving all the experimental equipment from ‘Nightmare’ and setting up the new company’s system—finishing all that in three days would be a miracle.
But at least Clara and Luciya could actually have some time off.
Just as Clara was about to leave work feeling triumphant, Cecilia patted her shoulder again…
“Work hard, Clara! The manga promotion is in your hands! For these three days, you’re free to do as you please!”
“Uh… okay…”
No one else had been told about using manga as a promotional channel, so Clara felt guilty as she turned around—only to meet Luciya’s curious gaze.
Manga.
The moment Luciya heard that keyword, she squinted suspiciously…
After all, her brother Squirrel secretly liked drawing little figures on paper, so hearing about Clara’s manga naturally made her draw connections.
At this moment, Clara silently cursed—this little company president had unintentionally dug a pit for her again…
No, was it really unintentional?
She was the one who brought Luciya in, and from her point of view, the only way to truly use Luciya as an ally was to reveal her own identity to her…
But Clara obviously wasn’t ready to face Luciya as her brother yet.
She didn’t know how to explain, so she just followed Luciya into the elevator heading back to the underground garage. The slow ascent felt like torture to Clara, especially with Luciya watching her closely, making her feel like she had to say something…
“Ahem, Miss Luciya, what are your plans for these three days?”
Luciya simply replied, “Isn’t the boss having you show me around Central City? Let’s not spend too much money—just take the subway and wander around the city?”
Even if Cecilia hadn’t arranged it this way, as her brother, Clara felt it was her duty to show her sister the city when she came to Central City, so she didn’t refuse.
“Alright, then I’ll contact you again tomorrow morning.”
Then Luciya asked, “Huh? Clara, aren’t you staying at the dorm tonight?”
“Um, I have other things to do…”
“Is it about the manga?”
Thump thump thump.
Clara’s heart stopped for a few seconds. Avoiding eye contact, she answered:
“Yeah, I’m preparing a serialized manga for ‘Magical Girl Clara’ to help boost the hero’s image…”
“Can I see your manga, Clara?”
“I-it’s not finished yet. I’ve only completed the storyboard…”
Clara’s voice grew quieter and quieter. There was no way she could show Luciya her manga!
Her little sister had grown up watching her draw and was too familiar with her art style. This was the result of years of accumulation—not something you could just change on a whim. If Luciya saw the manga drafts, no excuse would hold up.
The commander’s suggestion to use manga conveniently coincided with the lie Clara had told Kami to hide her identity, so she didn’t refuse. She probably didn’t have the right to refuse either. This again cornered her into a dilemma.
But no matter how much she hid it, the ‘Magical Girl Clara’ manga was bound to be published eventually. And the moment it went online would be the moment Luciya saw through her identity…
What was she going to do?
The elevator doors opened, and Clara quickly changed the subject.
“Speaking of which, I haven’t treated you yet. How about we grab something to eat before heading back?”
“Sounds good~”
Luciya agreed at first but then showed an awkward smile, wringing her hands as she asked:
“But the restaurants around here are probably expensive, right? Is there any good, affordable place?”
Clara knew her sister didn’t have much money.
Since Luciya still had to take the subway back to the Blue Garden district and the dorm was near the company, Clara couldn’t ask her to come all the way back. They had to find somewhere nearby to eat…
[A restaurant nearby is currently offering a special deal—a very cost-effective two-person set meal.]
At that moment, Nyx sprang into action as Clara’s AI assistant, giving a timely suggestion.
Clara blinked and said:
“No worries, I’ll treat you!”
Though Clara didn’t have much money either, she couldn’t let her sister pay—that wouldn’t really be a welcome meal.
Besides, with a discounted set meal, it should be affordable…
[The originally priced 2,699-yuan aged steak set meal is now only 888 yuan with the deal.]
That was still insanely expensive! Was this set meal some kind of consumer trap!?
Clara should’ve remembered by now not to trust Nyx’s recommendations.
Whether intentional or not, this unlucky AI’s suggestions were nine times out of ten leading her into trouble—worse than the Go High Maps, simply ruthless.
But since the words were out there, she had to take her sister out for a good meal.
Weighing the balance in her account, and looking at Luciya’s hopeful expression beside her…
Clara grit her teeth and waved her hand.
“Let’s go! I’ll take you out for a great meal!”