The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 25

Before being reincarnated into the novel, I had double-majored in Economics and Trade at a university I struggled to get into through sheer hard work.

I wasn’t a natural genius who went to school on a full scholarship… but I never missed out on academic scholarships.
If you’re wondering why I had so many loans despite that, it was due to the outrageous housing prices and cost of living in Seoul.

Damn it. Even thinking back on it, paying off all those loans before being reincarnated felt like a terrible injustice. The countless nights I spent paying off not just tuition but also living expenses loans—it was exhausting!

“If you walk out now, Lady Diane, I won’t tell anyone that you were here. I’m saying I’ll protect your honor.”

The man spoke to me as I sat down, staring at the questions. I must have looked particularly dark recalling my loans.

“Although, I doubt there’s any honor left in the bankrupt Diane family.”

He smirked, deepening the wrinkles around his eyes. I felt nauseous as I grabbed the pen.

These questions were likely to intimidate and overwhelm someone without knowledge—tables, figures, and unfamiliar symbols. But for someone like me, who toiled for four years of university life, they weren’t particularly difficult.

As I began writing answers beneath the questions without hesitation, the man holding his mustache faltered.

“What the…”

“I thought it would be really hard since you tried to scare me, but it’s not hard at all.”

I added with a deliberately bright smile.

“Oh, sorry. It could seem difficult depending on the person. I was being thoughtless.”

The man’s clenched fist trembled, but I pretended not to notice and swiftly completed the rest of the answers.

Unlike the previous three, the last question was trickier.

It asked if I would invest in a hypothetical company based on a brief description and to explain why or why not.

The man didn’t miss my moment of pause.

“My lady. After all that showing off, are you stuck now? The first three were just warm-ups to ease you in. The last one’s the real deal that determines if you’re qualified to write a column.”

“Then give me a proper question.”

“What…?”

“Deciding whether or not to invest in a company isn’t just about looking at its main business or revenue. You need to see its financial statements to understand its financial health.”

“Financial… what?”

The man looked like he didn’t even know what a financial statement was.

“Deciding on investments with this level of information is practically gambling, don’t you think? What do you say?”
I flashed him an annoying smile, and a vein bulged on his forehead. I feigned handing the paper to him to read his mind as our hands lightly brushed.

“This brat, using her backing from the Chaield family…!”
The emotion I read was so intense that I knew he was about to raise his hand.

Swish—

Easily dodging his sudden attempt to strike, I used the momentum to pin him onto the desk.

As the daughter of a commander of the Gun Corps, I had considerable strength, and the man was weak enough that it wasn’t hard to subdue him.

“Was it really necessary to resort to violence? Especially when you weren’t even the one who set the questions.”

I shot back, and the man fumed. A calm voice interrupted just then.

“I was the one who set the questions.”

Both the man under me and I turned our heads toward the voice at the entrance.

There stood a middle-aged gentleman with a gentle demeanor. He was tall, with a round belly and a mustache that curled at the ends, giving him a soft appearance.

He nodded at me before approaching the man who was still seething, speaking in a low voice.

“Paul. I saw everything. Treating a guest like this… You’re fired.”

As the tension dissipated, I released the man—Paul. He didn’t seem to accept his dismissal.

“What the…! Sir, you’ll regret treating me like this.”
Bang!

Paul banged the desk with a soft, ineffective fist. The middle-aged gentleman maintained his calm smile.

“Paul, I don’t like fighting. Whenever I fight, the other person can’t get up.”

“…!”

“See? You shouldn’t behave rudely in someone else’s company.”
The gentleman escorted Paul out with a formidable hand that looked like it could knock someone out with one hit. Then he politely bowed to me.

“I apologize for the discourtesy, my lady. I’m Pringles Sharptail, the owner of High Times.”

Hearing his name and seeing his face, I couldn’t help but think of a certain chip mascot. I nearly introduced myself as Amelia Diane out of reflex but paused.

To work long-term, it would be better to use an alias and a fake identity.

Alright. Let’s use an alias. Something so common that it would be impossible to trace by name alone. Sam, Bob, Ann, or John—something like that.

“I’m Ann Smith. It’s an honor to meet you, President Pringles.”
It was a sudden choice, but it was as common a name as any in the capital of the Hail Empire. Perfect for avoiding suspicion.
President Pringles smiled and extended his hand for a handshake.
“Can I call you Ann from now on?”

“Of course. But by ‘from now on,’ do you mean…”

“The questions Paul gave were meant for hiring professional analysts, not columnists. But you solved them splendidly, so you’re more than qualified to write columns.”

President Pringles said with a warm smile.

“Ann, would you like to join us at High Times as a columnist?”
That’s how I landed a job, something I couldn’t do back in Korea. And this time, with a scouting offer from the president himself. Though my Excel certifications and TOEIC scores were now useless.

I nodded fervently, my face full of excitement.

“Yes! I’ll do my best!”

“I didn’t expect to find someone so capable. I’ll be watching closely.”

I responded to his handshake, carefully hiding the Chaield engagement ring on my left hand.

“I have some matters to attend to today, so let’s discuss your schedule over tea next time. I’ll tell my secretary to prepare the necessary paperwork for you to complete.”

After filling out the necessary documents in the waiting room, I left the High Times building. Typically, a columnist was paid per article submitted.

However, President Pringles, who took a liking to me, suggested that he’d pay me a monthly salary equivalent to a full-time employee if I committed to writing exclusively for High Times for the next three years.

It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. I hadn’t planned on contributing to multiple outlets, as that would risk exposing my identity, and it meant I wouldn’t have to worry about losing work for three years.

Moreover, High Times was the newspaper that prominently reported the end of the war in the original story.

It was worth dedicating myself to this place, which had survived the war started by Kylean Chaield.

‘Ah, the breeze is nice, and the sun is warm…’

Feeling relaxed, I decided to walk back to the Diane estate, saving on transportation costs.

As I walked, planning to celebrate my employment with some ice cream, someone blocked my path.

A person draped in a dark robe in broad daylight, the kind of person one would prefer not to interact with…

“Amelia Diane. I need a word with you. Don’t worry, I’m not suspicious.”

Verdrelevan de Hail. The Crown Prince.

Even with a sloppy disguise that revealed most of his face and a voice that was unmistakable, it was clear. The same eccentric who had dressed as a woman and gotten kicked by me in a critical area.

I resolved to pretend to be frightened and make a run for it. Since he hadn’t revealed his identity and was in disguise, I could simply claim I didn’t know it was him.