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Samantha's first impression of Crystal was quite 'weak', to put it gently. She thought that this blonde girl lacked a backbone, and even if her little sister favored her, she couldn't amount to much in the end.
And the heroine's meekness in interacting with her only served to reinforce this image in Samantha's mind.
Of course, anyone with a good pair of eyes could see that the blonde girl had a crush on her little sister, or at the very least admired her. But when it came to people who lacked the courage to take initiative, they would never be able to get anywhere with her little sister.
After all, if just showing dedication and following her around was enough, wouldn't that Dixie girl be the biggest threat?
Against these types of girls who would always remain passive, Samantha didn't think there was anything to worry about at all.
Thinking so, her aversion to Crystal came to an end, and she even felt that the girl was a little pitiful.
Of course, certain matters still couldn't be discussed in front of her, so after the girl finished with her explanation, Samantha had Noelle lead her out to give her a 'tour of the office'.
Emilia gave the nervous heroine a reassuring smile. "Don't be so scared, just go. I'll catch up with you shortly."
How could Crystal not know that the two sisters wanted to talk privately? Even if she was reluctant to separate from Emilia, she could only follow Noelle out.
As soon as the two of them were alone in the office, Emilia of course abandoned her own seat to move over into the lap of her 'big sister', giving her a coquettish smile. "Sam is not mad at me, right?"
Samantha was of course very happy that her little sister would act cute like this for her, and immediately hugged her close. "Fufu… how can I get mad at my adorable little sister? But Emilia, how exactly do you plan to take care of that first step you talked about?"
Emilia twirled a few of Samantha's curly brown locks around her fingers as she planted a light kiss on the girl's cheek. "Don't worry about that, okay? I promise I have it figured out. Won't you trust me?"
"U-Uh, I trust you, of course I do!"
The younger girl smiled, brushing her lips against Samantha's briefly as the girl shuddered in shock. "Good. Once I'm done dealing with Michelle's matter, I'll come back home and fulfill that promise, okay? You won't think I'm abandoning you, right?"
"I-I won't! I'll wait patiently, un. T-Take your time."
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While Emilia was reprogramming her older sister's brain, Crystal followed the grey-haired lady called 'Noelle' curiously around the office as she introduced her to various staff and facilities.
With how courteous everyone was being to her, she almost felt like she was the new boss who had been just transferred in to lead this place.
Crystal couldn't help but give Noelle a curious glance. "Are they so polite all the time?"
Noelle smirked. "Not at all. But do they dare to show anything but their good side in front of you?"
"Me? But I don't even work here, right? No wait, do they even know who I am? You only introduced me to them by name."
Noelle of course had most of the events in the office completely under her control, and she knew most events before or as they happened. This included the circulation of pictures with Emilia and Crystal entering the building.
"You can never underestimate the flow of information in schools and offices, little girl."
The blonde girl nodded thoughtfully. Assuming that they really knew everything, their behavior made sense. After all, with her close relationship with their 'owner', she could pretty much ruin their career if she wanted.
As they reached the executive lift, Crystal looked at Noelle hesitantly. "Actually, there's something I've been quite curious about. I wonder if you mind?"
Noelle's hand paused over the elevator button as she gave the heroine a curious look. "What is it?"
"W-What's your compensation package?"
The grey-haired lady furrowed her brows, as the question was quite insensitive in her opinion. But thinking that the little girl was just curious about what she'll get if she ever started working here and got to her position, Noelle decided to let it slide. "No one in the White Deer gets any stock options, and most of our compensation is in the form of our regular salary and bonus. For me, it's around forty million dollars a month, including bonus."
Crystal could almost feel her jaw drop to the floor, and knew that she must look like an idiot. But who could blame her? Noelle's monthly salary was more than what many earn in a decade! She could probably buy her whole house and restaurant on a whim!
'I-Is this really a secretary's salary? Who pays their employees like this?! Moreover…'
Of course, the main reason Crystal asked such a question wasn't because she was interested in knowing her salary, but another important detail that Emilia had inadvertently mentioned. "Um, I know this is gonna sound weird, but like, uh, did Emilia ask you for a 'dinner date' sometime?"
Noelle sighed, as if feeling tired. "She told you about that? Goodness. You know what, since you mentioned this, I have to ask you for a favor. Tell her that there's no need to 'reward me for my hard work' this way, okay?"
The blonde girl couldn't believe it. It was true! The most valued employees here really got close to fifty million dollars a month and dates with the owner's daughter! What kind of insane corporation was this?!
Noelle continued to lament, unaware of how disgustingly greedy she appeared in Crystal's eyes. "Having dinner with my bosses has never been a chill time for me. The best reward for me is more money, so just ask her to increase my salary if she really feels like it! Ah, of course, don't quote my words exactly. Be more subtle."
Crystal almost coughed out blood.
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~ To be continued ~
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DustyDream:
Thank you for all your support!