"Clorinde… ever considered a career change?"
Clorinde paused at Richard's words. What did he mean by that?
"I don't understand what you're getting at." Clorinde felt that, although her current job was demanding, it was stable. Besides, Furina was her friend, and she had no intention of switching jobs.
"Furina needs a personal secretary. I've been handling the role myself, but it's not sustainable. I have my own responsibilities to attend to, and this position requires someone truly competent. After much thought, I realized you are the perfect candidate."
Richard knew Clorinde wouldn't agree easily, so he flipped the document in front of him around and slid it toward her. Then he got up from his desk and walked over to the display cabinet.
"Tea or coffee? I've also got some Fonta," he said, looking at the beverages.
"Anything is fine, even plain water," Clorinde replied.
"Then Fonta it is—no brewing needed, just pop the cap and enjoy." Richard weighed the canned drink in his hand and tossed it to Clorinde.
Catching the can, Clorinde chuckled. "Nice advertising pitch."
"There's an even better perk. The personal secretary job has a light workload, regular hours, free afternoon tea every day, and primarily involves planning Furina's schedule, making it easier for you to protect her."
"Additionally, you'll still be the strongest Duel Agent, but without the same level of stress. The biggest bonus? Weekends are off." Richard stood beside her, smiling as he raised his can for a toast.
"Sounds good… but will the Court let me go?"Clorinde clinked her can against his, the fizz sounding softly from inside.
"Leave that to me. With Lady Furina's influence, I doubt they'll make things difficult."Richard had already taken care of the arrangements with the Court. Transferring Clorinde's file to Administration was no problem.
"You went through all this effort just to find Furina a secretary?" Clorinde was astonished. She hadn't expected Richard to go to such lengths.
Given the Court's special status in Fontaine, they were usually the ones poaching staff from other departments. For Richard to turn the tables like this was unheard of.
"Never underestimate the importance of a personal secretary; it's key to keeping City Hall running smoothly," Richard said seriously.
If Furina were to actually carry out that borderline self-destructive proposal of hers, there might not even be a City Hall left in Fontaine afterward.
"Given Furina's position, her secretary needs to be trustworthy. Can you imagine what would happen if someone with ill intent got close to her?"
A scene flashed through Clorinde's mind: Furina happily counting Mora, unaware that Richard had just struck a deal with someone for the exact same amount, and Furina even cheerfully confirmed the total afterward.
With Furina's naivety, if she ended up with a malicious secretary, she'd probably get sold off and still help count the money.
At this thought, Clorinde's expression grew serious. But she still sounded a little unsure. "I understand… but can I really do it?"
She'd never worked as a secretary before. Her approach was typically to solve problems through force; there wasn't really a Plan B.
And the role of a secretary meant interacting with people, something Clorinde didn't exactly consider a strength. While not socially inept, she wasn't especially eloquent either.
In fact, due to her cold demeanor and stoic attitude, many had labeled her "difficult to deal with." Only a few knew that this top Enforcer was actually pretty approachable once you got past the ice.
She was classic "cool outside, warm inside."
"You're more than capable. Out of all the candidates, you were my first and best choice," Richard pressed, sensing her wavering.
"What about Lynette, then?" Clorinde felt Lynette would also be a good fit, hadn't she been handling Furina's schedule all along?
"Are you thinking of taking my secretary?" Richard gave her a bewildered look. Did she not realize Lynette was his personal secretary?
Richard was the type to poach others but never let anyone poach his own. There was no way he'd give up his cat-like secretary, whom he had painstakingly taken from the Fatui, not even for Furina.
"Not impossible. Fine, I'll do it," Clorinde said. She knew Richard was half-joking, but also understood that the role had been unofficially reserved for her.
"In that case, looking forward to working with you." Richard extended his hand.
"Likewise." Clorinde took off her glove and shook his hand, officially accepting the position of personal secretary to the Minister of Administration.
Under Richard's guidance, she quickly completed the onboarding process and even tied up loose ends at the Court.
Before Furina even noticed, Clorinde had become her personal secretary.
To welcome their new colleague, Richard and Lynette prepared a small tea party that doubled as orientation.
Of course, the most important detail, Furina wasn't invited.
Clorinde had thought about calling her in, but Richard stopped her.
"Are you kidding? We're meeting to figure out how to handle Furina. You want to call her here and scheme right in front of her?"
Furina was naive, not stupid. You don't plan a rebellion with the target in the room.
As the saying goes, "Move quietly, don't fire your gun."
And so, in Richard's office, two beautiful women with very different styles sat on the couch. Both were now secretaries.
Keywords: Office, secretaries, one man and two women...
Clorinde had already shed her Duel Enforcer uniform and changed into a proper secretary outfit.
A tailored blazer with a slightly open collar exposed her fair neck and delicate collarbone. A form-fitting pencil skirt outlined her curves, professional yet alluring.
She wore sheer black tights that accentuated her long legs, with a leather garter wrapped around her thigh, its slight indentation adding a touch of visual tension.
Clorinde wasn't slim; she had a full, curvy figure, the epitome of voluptuous elegance. Richard, well-versed in worldly affairs, knew this kind of beauty could eat a man alive and leave no bones behind.
And this very "man-eater" now sat properly on the sofa, listening attentively to advice from her seasoned colleagues, Richard and Lynette.
"Now, onto today's topic: how do we stop Lady Furina's so-called 'Total Overhaul' plan proposed yesterday?"