《Civil Servant in Romance Fantasy》
Chapter 0: - Prologue
? Prologue ?
Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but aedy in long-shot.
It was a very famous saying and one that I felt identified with. That phrase perfectly described my life as a civil servant.
From a distance, I might have looked like a gangster with unlimited power. However, once you took a closer look, I was just a mid-level manager who received pressure from the higher-ups and was constantly being chased up from below. Civil servants indeed have a lot of authority, but once you look closer, you will see them everywhere, just like dogs.
Who cares if I¡¯m from a good family and have a good sry? There are Dukes, ministers, and all kinds of people above me. Even if you were lucky and became a civil servant, you couldn¡¯t rx because there were people that belonged to royalty on top of you. Cast the royal family aside? That would be the perfect excuse to hold a three-generation family reunion in the Heavens.
That¡¯s why the life of a civil servant is sad. Higher-ups put pressure on you, peoplepete with you to ascend, and there were also newbies who were climbing up thedder at a frightening speed. And amidst such a situation, you had to deal with your work. And if you didn¡¯t do it properly, they would punish you physically. Ah, it¡¯s too scary.
¡°Executive Manager, the minister said that if you don¡¯te immediately, he will kill you.¡±
Even now, the higher-ups didn¡¯t mind threatening the poor civil servant.
¡°Tell him I¡¯m going to take responsibility, and I¡¯m going to resign.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you use that before? I remembered that he threw the inkwell. It was no joke.¡±
¡°Did that happen at that time?¡±
I looked out of the window. The rainstorm seemed to be expressing my broken heart. How strange; weather-controlling magic is quite rare¡
¡°Is he angry?¡±
¡°As angry as usual.¡±
¡°So he¡¯s really angry, huh?¡±
I would feel bad for him if I didn¡¯t see him often. After all, if he keeps getting angry so often, he will die early. The Deputy General Manager silently nodded. You, who¡¯s working as a messenger, are probably struggling too.
¡°I¡¯ll be going then. Also, gather all the managers.¡±
¡°I hope you return alive.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡±
After leaving the Deputy General Manager behind, I took some heavy steps. I wasn¡¯t a manager who had toe when called upon and had to go when ordered to do so. But sadly, the one who called me was the minister. I hope one of the two resigns as soon as possible.
¡°How the fuck do you deal with the given work?!¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡±
As soon as I entered the minister¡¯s room, I heard shouting. And I instinctively lowered my head.
Today was the same as always.
Just another shitty day.
TLN:
Hi everyone! This novel is an award winner and very popr and highly rated in Korea.
The novel¡¯s start may be a little hard and slow but it will get really good after chapter 20, so don¡¯t give up before that!
Enjoy!
Chapter 1: - I’m a Civil Servant (1)
? I¡¯m a Civil Servant (1) ?
It happened 5 years ago.
¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°KYAA! YOUNG MASTER!¡±
¡°A doctor, call a doctor right now!¡±
¡°Young Master, are you okay? Can you see how many fingers I have extended?¡±
In five minutes, I was shocked three times in total. The first time was when I found myself in the center of an unfamiliar room. The second time, I found myself surrounded by people I didn¡¯t know. Lastly, the third time was from the reaction of the person I asked the identity for. That was the first memory of my possession life.
I could feel my eardrums ringing when I remembered that tune. But thinking back, they had a reason to react in such a way, so I felt sorry. The first thing the eldest son of the family copsed, and the first thing he said after waking up was something that made everyone think he might have amnesia. If I had maintained that attitude, a few servants would have been made responsible, and their necks would¡¯ve been cut.
¡°Are you really okay¡?¡±
¡°Yes. I just felt dizzy for a moment. That¡¯s all.¡±
Thankfully, the memories of the original owner of the body came back to me, and that incident was considered solved. Thanks to that, I was able to kick everyone out of the room. I¡¯m not sure if it was because of the desire of the original owner to protect the attendants that had served him. Or it was because of the generosity of the one who¡¯d put me here. The second one probably wasn¡¯t the case. After all, if that were the case, that being wouldn¡¯t have put me here.
¡°Why me¡?¡±
Returning in time, possession, reincarnation. All of these tropes used to be new and fresh, but as time passed, they became so clich¨¦ that it was hard to find a novel without them. And among all of these, I became in charge of possession. Woah! How fun!
The problem was that I didn¡¯t know why I was chosen for this. I had never finished reading a novel, I hadn¡¯t written a draft of 5,700 characters, the monitor didn¡¯t suddenly shine, and I wasn¡¯t hit by a truck. After I went to sleep, I suddenly woke up in this world.
Let¡¯s say that up to this point, it was understandable. Possession was always something unreasonable and sudden. So trying to guess a reason made no sense. It wasn¡¯t that other possession protagonists did so because they wanted to.
¡®You should have picked up an avid reader, at least.¡¯
The biggest problem was that I had reincarnated in a novel I knew nothing about. No, to be more precise, I knew it. But I hadn¡¯t taken my time to go through it properly.
The title was ¡®The Esteemed Daughter is in Love¡¯¡ or something like that. After reading the news that a popr novel had been made into a webtoon, I read the free chapters. But that was it.
It didn¡¯t suit my tastes. I quickly forgot about it since I found other more interesting novels.
Although I felt bothered by the fact that I had woken up in a novel I knew nothing about, I realized it wasn¡¯t that bad once I thought about it. It wasn¡¯t that a Demon King trying to destroy the world would appear. There was also no risk of gue appearing because the characters of a romance fantasy novel would probably be busy by showing a sweet romance.
Huh? Didn¡¯t I wake up in a world where the author made sure it was easy to profit from? Not only that, but the body I possessed belonged to the eldest son of the Empire¡¯s Earl. He was a noble with blue blood. I¡¯m not sure who you are, but thank you for waking me up in such a body¡!
¡°I unlocked an easy-mode life.¡±
As I organized the memories that came back to me, I couldn¡¯t help butugh. The original owner of the body, Carl Krasius, was a 16-year-old boy. He was the eldest son of the Krasius family. He wasn¡¯t a genius or someone crazy out of control. He was just a normal noble boy.
This meant I didn¡¯t need to act in a certain way or show how I changed positively. I could just live a happy life as a noble.
The only thing that bothered me was what had happened to the body¡¯s original owner. But I decided to think that he died. Because, after all, I had no way to return it to him. So from now on, I was Carl.
That was how I began enjoying my life in another world.
¡°Our family¡¯s riches came from the grace received from the Imperial Family.¡±
Just for a year.
On the second day of the year I would be 17 years old, the Patriarch summoned me. I subconsciously nodded to everything he said.
¡°In reality, our family¡¯s blood used to be red instead of blue.1Blue blood refers to nobility while red refers tomoners But 300 years ago, our ancestor made a huge contribution to the Apels Invasion.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why Emperor Amanka offered our family a territory and a title. That¡¯s how we were able to be nobles. The one who followed him, Amnaka 2nd, made the Krasius family Earls of the Empire. The Krasius family¡¯s descendants have never forgotten that.¡±
¡°Yes, so you remember it well.¡±
¡®Someone who can¡¯t remember something he hears every week isn¡¯t worthy of being called a person.¡¯
I brushed past it while looking at the Patriarch¡¯s satisfied expression. He was probably going to say something like, ¡®work hard for the Imperial Family from now on,¡¯ and then he¡¯d probably send me back. It was obvious.
¡°An opportunity to answer to that grace hase.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
This was an unexpected development.
Regardless of my inquiry in surprise, the Patriarch took out a document.
¡°An incident has happened in the North. Naive people that don¡¯t know how scary the Empire can be have been causing a stir. The size of that stir isn¡¯t one that can be ignored. So the Emperor has called us.¡±
¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±
¡°Yes. That¡¯s why the Krasius family, as vassals of the Emperor, have decided to contribute to rooting out the troublemakers that have been bothering him.¡±
¡°Are you moving?¡±
The Patriarch nodded. The Krasius family members were direct vassals of the Emperor. They had the title of Earl of Tileglehen.
If the Patriarch took the soldiers of Tileglehen and decided to contribute to calming down the situation in the North, the Emperor would ept. He was probably going to ask him to administrate the Earl¡¯s territory while he was away.
¡®Well, it¡¯s nothing important. The butler is going to do most of the work, after all.¡¯
Sessor, Earl¡¯s representative. The only thing he had to do was to stamp documents. Even the Earl left most of the work to the butler. Because the topic of the conversation changed suddenly, he became worried. But it wasn¡¯t a necessary one in the end.
As if the patriarch had read such thoughts of his, he changed the topic once again.
¡°It¡¯s about time you be a government official.¡±
¡°Huh? Me?¡±
¡°Yes. You know that at 17 years old, one can choose to attend the Academy or be a government official, right?¡±
¡°If I¡¯m not here, who¡¯s going to deal with the Earl¡¯s work?¡±
¡°Most of the work is done by the butler, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±
You low-ranking lord, how can you say something like that with your mouth?
¡°I already found a position. You just have to go there, and they¡¯ll teach you.¡±
¡®You bone marrow Emperor¡¯s follower¡¡¯
It was possible to be a government officer at 17 years old. But it was preferred for someone to go to the Academy.
What would a 17 years old who¡¯d just be an adult do even after bing a government officer?
It would be better for me to go to the Academy to learn about numerous things, be friends with other noble family¡¯s sons and daughters, and build rtions with capable normal people.
But the Patriarch was trying to ignore that and send him to the government. Why? Because the Emperor had a headache. So he had to use the family¡¯s workforce to help him.
And then he would confidently say, ¡®Our family¡¯s heir, who just became an adult, already became a government officer to serve the Imperial Family and the Empire!¡¯ It was obvious how the Emperor would receive that news.
¡®I guess it might not be that bad¡?¡¯
Maybe it wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought. Academy? In his previous life, he¡¯d gone through primary school to the university without taking a break. Thinking about how he lived before being taken by the postgraduate school made him not want to go there. Even without going to the Academy, most important nobles receive private tutoring. Not only that, but they also have the opportunity to build connections before and after the 3 years that the Academysts.
On the other hand, this was a job given to him by the patriarch of the Krasius family. There was no way the Patriarch of Earl¡¯s family, that served the Emperor of the Kefellofen Empire directly, was waiting for a 17 year old to achieve many things.
Because of my background, I am probably going to be able to workfortably¡ It sounds good.
¡°I¡¯m going to work with everything I have for the Emperor.¡±
The Patriarch smiled upon hearing my words, and I too smiled in response. However, the reason each had was very different.
The Patriarch joined the forces that were in the North. And I went to warm up thefortable ce the Patriarch had found for me.
4 years had passed.
¡°Fuck, I should¡¯ve gone to the Academy.¡±
The job the patriarch had found for me wasn¡¯t afortable one. It was a position where you couldn¡¯t help but shed tears and blood. A ce where you could hear people agonizing.
These past 4 years had been enough to turn a naive and innocent 17 year old into a 21 years old adult that already dreamed of retiring. For example, I had just spent two hours listening to the Minister scream at me for two hours.
¡°This damn civil servant life.¡±
Will the Academy¡ ept someone who¡¯s 21 years old¡?
Footnotes:- 1Blue blood refers to nobility while red refers tomoners
Chapter 2: - I’m a Civil Servant (2)
? I¡¯m a Civil Servant (2) ?
After being kidnapped by a Demon King called Minister, the Princess in the form of Executive Manager managed to escape on his own and return.
¡°I¡¯m home.¡±
¡°Wee. You came earlier today.¡±
¡°It seems like the old man¡¯s stamina has gone down. That¡¯s why he shouldn¡¯t get that angry so often.¡±
While I was replying to the Senior Manager, three Managers that were sitting with him tried to stand up. But I waved my hand and made them sit again.
¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need to stand up.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been scolded by the minister instead of us, so this is the bare minimum.¡±
¡°You son of a bitch, stand up.¡±
The 2nd Manager provoked the Executive Manager as he applied pressure on him with his power. It was aplete mess. But it seemed like they were familiar with each other, so they settled down whileughing. After I sat down at the head of the table, the 5 people present saluted me. I also nodded while checking out the members present there. Senior Manager, 1st Manager, 2nd Manager, 3rd Manager, and 5th Manager. Good, everyone¡¯s here.
¡°Good, my dear fellow ves. I apologize for calling you out when the time to get off work is right before us.¡±
¡°I have a date. Is it urgent?¡±
¡°Just because of what you¡¯ve said, you will be on duty.¡±
¡°Fuck.¡±
As the 2nd Manager, who shouldn¡¯t have talked that much closed his mouth while making a depressed expression, I waved a piece of document. The reason why I was called to the room of the Minister and why I called the executives right before it was time to get off work. Whileing here, I tried to control my desire to tear it down.
¡°Can you see this?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure what that is, but I can see it¡¯s a ministerial post.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the content? It¡¯s been a while since we all gathered here.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the beautiful piece of art you guys did that made me waste 2 hours of my time.¡±
I threw the documents. As if they represented my entangled heart, they danced in the air but ended up falling exactly at the center of the table. The executives checked the contents of the documents and turned their faces around. The Senior Manager sighed, and the other Managers either coughed or did their best to avoid looking at me directly.
¡°Who took the lead on investigating Earl Yorun?¡±
I opened my mouth after looking at them. I resembled one of those parents who seemed to be saying, ¡®If you tell me the truth, I won¡¯t punish you.¡¯
¡°I¡ I did it.¡±
The 3rd Manager carefully raised his hands. I smiled gracefully while looking at the culprit speaking out.
¡°You listen while banging your head into the ground.¡±
¡°Yes¡¡±
Everyone knows that I wouldn¡¯t let it slide even if they answered the ultimatum. But if they didn¡¯t recognize their mistake, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the aftermath. The 3rd Manager stood up and banged his head into the ground while tearing up. The other Managers did their best to avoid being burned because of it.
Although it was something that the 3rd Manager had executed, it didn¡¯t change the fact that everyone had taken part in it. So I red at them and sighed.
¡°Dear fellow ves. Our job, indeed, is to be a hunting dog. But if you bit anyone without thinking about it carefully, instead of fellow ves, I¡¯ll have to say, dear son of the bitches.¡±
The sector I was in charge of.
The prosecutor¡¯s office was in charge of controlling the imperial treasury. On paper, it was an organization whose only higher-ups were the Minister of Treasury and the Emperor.
And just like I had said before, we were like hunting dogs. We had to control the flow of money, keep an eye on the Empire¡¯s budget, and stop if something illegal was detected.
The Prosecutors were so important that one couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was okay for such an organization to be under the control of the Minister of Treasury instead of the King.
And if we picked the wrong target, we would receive criticism from all directions.
¡°This month, after Yorun¡¯s Earl¡¯s hand was cut, many higher-ups have also be affected.¡±
¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±
¡°Because of that, the Gold Duke has expressed his concerns to the Minister.¡±
¡°¡¡±
The Senior Manager, who¡¯d been silent, flinched after hearing the name Gold Duke. He red at the 3rd Manager. He¡¯d heard that an Earl had be affected because they¡¯d selected the wrong target. But if he knew that the Gold Duke was also involved, he would¡¯ve stopped them before the Minister called me.
¡°What did the Gold Duke¡?¡±
¡°You know he¡¯s crazy about money. Right? Rather than punishing the person in charge, he wants marypensation.¡±
¡°I have a list of families thatpete against the Gold Duke¡¯s faction. To what sector should I give this?¡±
¡°3rd.¡±
After I said that, the 3rd Manager stood up. I wasn¡¯t looking at him with merciful eyes. But what else can I do? The 3rd sector was the perfect one for this job.
¡°You should clean your shit by yourself. Right?¡±
¡°Yes. Yes, of course.¡±
¡°The Gold Duke isn¡¯t someone who cares as long as we can cover his losses. So do your best.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t forget what happened today, and be more careful from now on.¡±
¡°Good, you¡¯re free to go.¡±
The 3rd Minister quickly walked out. Despite being big and muscr, he was quite fast. It made me wonder if he¡¯d put all his stats into Agility. Was it because he received less resistance from the air because it was hollow?
¡°Everyone else, be careful too. If something like this happens again, you¡¯re all also going to be med equally.¡±
After I waved my hands, the other Managers could finally walk away from the room. They were probably going to unleash their anger against others after they reached the office. But that was not my concern. If they¡¯d done their job properly, something like this wouldn¡¯t have happened.
When I first entered the public sector, I was careful even about falling leaves. But the new ones were too careless. I didn¡¯t like how they did their j¡
¡°Fuck.¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s just that I remembered the past.¡±
The Senior Manager, who was about to walk out, turned around and asked. I smiled and just told him to leave. I was scared about the condescending elderly attitude.
The 4 years of working as a civil servant had messed him up¡! He was just 21 years old, yet how dark of an evolution was he going to have that he already got thoughts like that?!
¡®Should I take the money and escape?¡¯
Then he would definitely be able to escape life as a Civil Servant, but his life would be over too. Even if he had a good family background, the prosecutor escaping with money was a huge crime.
His new life ending with execution was too bad. He hadn¡¯t resisted so much until now to have such a horrible ending.
I looked at the sunset from the window. The reunion had ended quicker than expected. But I had called them before the time to get off work. So it was already past that hour.
Thanks to this, I had sessfully failed to go back home on time for 40 consecutive days. With whom should I share this happiness?
Maybe it was because a Duke was involved, but the situation ended up quicker than expected. The Minister said the Gold Duke was satisfied after seeing fourpeting families crumble.
I was already thinking about how I should blow them away. But a reason appeared. So I couldn¡¯t help but enjoy while looking at them get blown away. They did a good job if they tried. So why not do a good job from the beginning?
¡°So¡ Most of the money we confiscated was given to the Earl Yorun. We gave it to him after washing it a couple of times. So it¡¯s not going to cause any problems in the future.¡±
A few dayster, I pped after hearing a satisfying result. Yes, our kids could do a good job when they try.
¡°As expected, how well the 3rd Manager deals with his job never fails to surprise me.¡±
¡°Executive Manager, you said you wanted to cast him away because the only thing that shone from him was his head.¡±
¡°Shut up.¡±
¡°Sob¡¡±
I quickly interrupted the 1st Manager mid-sentence, who was trying to break the trust and friendship between a higher-up and his subordinate.
The 1st Manager had suddenly revealed internal stuff, the 2nd Managerughed while touching his hair, the 3rd Manager¡¯s head shone silently, and the 5th Manager was looking at the ground. The 3rd Manager¡¯s trembled while clenching his teeth after suddenly bing the center of making fun.
Only the 1st Manager tilted her head in confusion while looking at the 3rd Manager. The worst part about her was that she didn¡¯t harbor any ill intentions.
Because the topic was changing about the 3rd Manager¡¯sck of hair, I hit the table a few times.
¡°Stop making fun of the guy who came here after working hard.¡±
¡°But it was just the Executive Manager and the 1st Director who talked. We didn¡¯t say anything.¡±
¡°You have so much hair that just your presence is like making fun of him.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±
¡°Then¡¡±
Oops, I was supposed to stop this.
¡°Anyway, 3rd Manager, good job. You know you were lucky this time, right?¡±
¡°Yes. Well, all the necessary documents to execute the n were already prepared. So I was able to do it quickly.¡±
¡°Not that. But if you¡¯re going to have some issue with a Duke, it¡¯s better for it to be with the Gold Duke.¡±
¡°Ah¡¡±
The 3rd Manager nodded in agreement. It would be better not to have any incident with a Duke. But if it were inevitable, the best possible oue would be the Gold Duke. Because among the five Dukes of the Empire, he was the only one close to a normal person. In many ways, the other four were worse than the others.
¡°If you got into trouble with another Duke, I will offer you to the Duke with my own hands. So don¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°Eh? That¡¯s worrying¡¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t like it, change to another sector. If you can.¡±
I heard them cursing me, but it didn¡¯t matter. Because I also cursed the Minister a lot.
Of course, I did that in a ce where I couldn¡¯t be heard. 2nd Manager, you¡¯re doing overtime again today.
T/N:
Hi everyone, hope you enjoy this teaser for now.
This novel is an award winner and has been topping Novelpia¡¯s charts in recent months.
The start of it might be rough but it will get really good after chapter 20 so be sure to give it a chance!
Chapter 3: - I’m a Civil Servant (3)
? I¡¯m a Civil Servant (3) ?
It had been a week since the thrilling reunion with Duke Gold almost happened. Until four days ago, I dreamt of the 3rd Manager exploding and Duke Golding to the Prosecutor¡¯s office.
In my dream, I felt helpless while being verbally thrashed by his smiling face. I,ter on, hit the table in regret while saying, ¡®I should have replied like this!¡¯ It made me even angrier because the dream was so detailed. Was someone controlling my dreams? How could I have dreamt the exact same thing four days in a row?
¡°You sleep so peacefully that you even had a dream?¡±
¡°You slept for four days consecutively¡?¡±
¡°You¡ Slept¡?¡±
¡°The Prosecutor¡¯s office working condition has reached rock bottom, sigh¡¡±
What¡¯s wrong with thest one? What did you even do without sleeping for an entire week?
¡°Executive Manager, you gave me more work, and I was forced to move the date schedule. I couldn¡¯t sleep because I was dealing with the messed up schedule.¡±
¡°I think not letting you go was the best possible thing for thedies.¡±
What a guy. So it was possible to date even in such an atmosphere. The 3rd Manager looked bitterly at the 2nd Manager after he said something that provoked all singles. There¡¯s no way that the guy would seed.
Of course, that was also the case for me. His gaze turned to me. We realized we were bothrades in the same situation. But I didn¡¯t want to get used to this.
The 1st Manager, who was looking at the scene, opened her mouth after scratching her head for a while.
¡°Executive Manager, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±
¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t you already finish the report?¡±
¡°Yes. Besides the report, there¡¯s something I have to tell you.¡±
¡°The Minister was looking for you. He said you should go to his office after the meeting.¡±
My body stiffened after hearing that the Minister was looking for me. But I soon rxed. Seeing that he asked me to meet him after the reunion was over, probably no ink bottle would fly through the air.
I felt sad about my own situation as I subconsciously flinched after hearing the word Minister. I didn¡¯t have many higher-ups. But sadly, the one I had wasn¡¯t a normal person. Would it not be better to have ten normal ones for my mental health?
¡°Why does that old man always uses someone to send a message instead of amunication device? Thest time, he used the Senior Manager.¡±
Upon hearing those words, the 1st Manager looked at me. It was as if she was asking if I really didn¡¯t know why.
¡°Executive Manager, the Manager said you often don¡¯t receive his calls. ording to him, out of 10 calls, you only receive 3 ~ 4 of them.¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong with someone not receiving a call if you¡¯re in the middle of doing something important?¡±
There was nothing wrong with a Civil Servant being unable to take a call. After all, a Prosecutor wasn¡¯t a rural security guard. It was one of the Empire¡¯s core departments. So wouldn¡¯t receiving all of the Minister¡¯s calls mean I was doing nothing? He should be happy instead of getting angry.
The 2nd Managerughed at my answer. It was as if he was saying, ¡®That¡¯s why you¡¯re a frequent customer of the Minister¡¯s room.¡¯
¡°If I were the Minister, I would have already stuck a pen in the Executive Manager¡¯s head.¡±
¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why he swings it every time he sees me.¡±
s, I got the answer to one of the questions I always harbored in my mind.
¡°Haha¡ Anyway, shouldn¡¯t you get going? It isn¡¯t that he¡¯s angry, but if you¡¯rete, he¡¯s for sure going to get angry with you.¡±
¡°I always see him in that state, so it really doesn¡¯t matter.¡±
Although I said that, I quietly got up from my seat. Because even though it was a sight I was ustomed to, I really didn¡¯t want to look at it this time around. My eyes felt drowsy. I felt like I was about to go crazy. The Minister always got angry and reacted in a new way.
¡°If you keep acting like that, I¡¯ll name you the new Minister once I retire!¡±
I still couldn¡¯t forget what he¡¯d said. To think that he would threaten someone with what they feared the most¡
¡°Anyway, there was nothing more to discuss. So you¡¯re dismissed.¡±
¡°Yes~¡±
¡°Please, return safely.¡±
Knock knock-
¡°Minister, it¡¯s me. The Prosecutor Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Come in.¡±
As I opened the door, I seriously thought about closing it again. I saw the middle-aged Minister training with dumbbells. Ugh, my eyes.
¡°What are you doing¡?¡±
¡°Why did such a young man had already be senile? I¡¯m training.¡±
No, that isn¡¯t why I asked. Why is a Minister training in the middle of his work time?
¡°Ah, yes. Understood.¡±
The Minister was right before me, so I couldn¡¯t say that.
¡®It¡¯s better for him to be training than be angry, so¡¡¯
When he was angry, those muscles came flying in my direction. So there was no way I¡¯d be able to stand it. I wish he trained all the time.
After looking at me carefully entering the room, he threw the dumbbells to the side. The floor shook, along with a loud sound. Crazy¡ Crazy bastard¡
¡°Why are you so surprised? Can¡¯t you even lift that?¡±
¡°Yes? Why do you think I can?¡±
The Minister, who had a huge presence that seemed to be asking to be seen, walked towards me. It was as if a giant bear had stood up on its feet and was approaching me.
I was almost prepared to fall to my knees and beg for my life. I wasn¡¯t sure what I did wrong, but it was my mistake¡ He hit me on the back while frowning.
¡°Agh!¡±
¡°You, why have you be so skinny? You¡¯ve lost a lot of muscles because you¡¯ve been stuck in the office!¡±
¡°No, I¡¯ve never heard that before¡.!¡±
I¡¯m sure that most people seem skinny to you!
As I replied angrily while feeling the paining from the back, the Minister answered with augh.
¡°You never go outside, so you have obviously never heard that.¡±
¡°No f, ah. It angers me more because it¡¯s true.¡±
¡°Anyways, take a seat. There¡¯s something I wanted to tell you.¡±
Because the Minister took a seat, I was also forced to do it.
¡®Why did he get bigger in just a few weeks?¡¯
As I scanned him up and down, I noticed his muscles had grown bigger. Are these muscles that can grow endlessly? Who lets such a monster roam around freely in the world? There¡¯s no way he¡¯s a human. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was at least a half-ogre. However, what I was certain about was that he wasn¡¯t someone who should be stuck as an Administrative Minister.
As proof of that, every time we celebrated the incorporation of a new member, one could see their eyes tremble nervously. It doesn¡¯t matter how you look at it. He should be a Defense Minister or an enemy. He¡¯s too big to be a simple Administrative Minister.
¡°What are you thinking about?¡±
¡°Nothing. Just that you¡¯re amazing.¡±
If I tell people that I work for such a person, what would others think? They would probably think I¡¯m a gangster¡
After hearing me say he was impressive, the Minister seemed like he wasn¡¯t interested anymore. So heid back on the chair and stroked his chin.
Woah, even the chair looks small.
¡°Recently, I haven¡¯t given you any task. Right?¡±
¡°Well, yes. If I¡¯m doing something, it¡¯s usually a task given by you. So you should know. Right?¡±
I had to deal with a lot of reports. But the Executive Manager didn¡¯t have any task to do personally. I was almost forced to go to the field because of the Gold Duke incident. But thankfully that situation got resolved by the 3rd Manager.
¡°Hmm¡¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you want to give me some work? But recently, neither of us were given any task.¡±
¡°No, there¡¯s none. But.¡±
¡°Why did your sentence end with a but? Don¡¯t make me anxious.¡±
That means there¡¯s work now. I could already see my future being hit with a lot of work, so I frowned. But the Minister didn¡¯t seem to care.
¡®What¡¯s going on? Is it something huge?¡¯
He wasn¡¯t someone who would stand still while watching someone elsein. It wouldn¡¯t have been weird if a punch hade flying in my direction. Yet, he was just silent. They always said that no news was the scariest news. So it seemed like it was something big. Damn it, it¡¯s only been a week since the Gold Duke incident. Another thing happened so soon?
* * * *
On the other hand, the Minister had also fallen into deep thought. Something he had to deal with, had happened. The incident was too big for an Executive Manager to go. But it was too small for him to go personally. Of course, he could always force the Executive Manager to go. But if something big happened, there was a chance he had to go there hurriedly.
The issue was that recently, the Minister couldn¡¯t move without careful consideration. If that weren¡¯t the case, he would have gone without hesitation.
¡®As expected, I have to make this guy deal with it.¡¯
Carl was one of the Executive Managers of the Ministry of Finance. But thinking about Carl, who was in charge of the Prosecutors, you couldn¡¯t say he was just another Executive Manager. Although he wasn¡¯t as important as a Minister, he was clearly in a higher position than others.
¡°Hey.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You said you want to go to the Academy. Right?¡±
Carl¡¯s face brightened after hearing those words.
* * * *
My eyes widened after hearing his words, as energy coursed throughout my body. Yes, I did say that a lot. That I didn¡¯t want to be a Civil Servant and enjoy life at the Academy. Every time I said that, the Minister hit me and he asked me not to speak such nonsense.
¡®Was he asking me to retire?¡¯
If not, I couldn¡¯t understand why he thought about it this much. He was letting a fine talent like me go. So it was understandable he would think about it a lot.
In reality, I always believed in the Minister. I knew that behind that muscr body and aggressive way of speaking, there was someone kind. That was why he didn¡¯t ignore the desperate cry of his subordinate and epted his request! Although we¡¯d only spent 4 years together, those years had more meaning than 40.
Yes, of course.
¡°Minister! I¡¯ve always respected you!¡±
As I said that, the Minister looked at me as if he asking what was wrong with me. But I didn¡¯t stop. The Minister had listened to my request, and with that, he¡¯d be a personal hero of mine.
¡°It¡¯s too bad that I¡¯ll have to leave the Minister¡¯s side and live like a student of the Academy, but I¡¯ll never forget these 4 years that felt like 40. From the moment I met the Minister, I felt like my time had begun flowing differently from others. That¡¯s why instead of 4 years, I feel like I¡¯ve spent 400 years¡¡±
The Minister ignored my quitting discourse and gave me some documents.
¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense and read this.¡±
¡°- That¡¯s why the 4 years I spent with the Minister felt like 4000¡ What¡¯s this? Severance Pay Documents?¡±
That¡¯s when I finally grabbed the documents the Minister had given me. Usually, I would¡¯ve grabbed it carefully as if it were radioactive material. But the Minister had be a God-like being that existed to bring order into my life.
¡°Huh¡?¡±
After I read the first sentence, that God-like image started to crumble.
I order Carl Krasius, the Prosecutor Executive Manager of the Ministry of Finance, to go to the Empire¡¯s Academy as an emergency inspector.- Kefellofen¡¯s Finance Minister
Earl Deber Briad of Blotchen
I looked at the Minister with trembling eyes.
The Minister nodded.
¡°You wanted to go to the Academy. So for you, I especially considered this.¡±
¡°What the! I said I wanted to go to the Academy and study! What kind of crazy guy would say he wants to go there to work?!¡±
But the order was already given. The Finance Minister, who acted after receiving the Emperor¡¯s orders, had ordered him. So if he refused without real reason, that would be like going against the Emperor. Challenging the Empire.
I had to do what he had ordered. If I didn¡¯t want to follow orders, I could always change to another sector. What I usually did to the other Managers hade back to me. However, I learned this from the Minister. In the end, I was forced to leave the room with my ve certificate.
¡°You son of a bitch¡¡±
The Minister had fell from a God-like position to a son of a bitch.
Chapter 4: - I Was Dispatched (1)
? I Was Dispatched (1) ?
I order Carl Krasius, the Prosecutor Executive Manager of the Ministry of Finance, to go to the Empire¡¯s Academy as an emergency inspector¡. As an emergency inspector to the Empire¡¯s Academy.
¡ Empire¡¯s Academy¡
¡°I wish I could die.¡±
I returned to the office after experiencing paradise and hell in a fleeting moment thanks to being deceived by the Minister. I put the documents in the drawer.
I couldn¡¯t get myself to work. Woah, taking back something one has given away was the worst thing one could do. But he did it as if it was nothing.
Of course, the Minister had never said that he¡¯d let me retire.
¡°I¡¯ll be going first.¡±
¡°Yes? But it isn¡¯t time to leave yet.¡±
¡°You guys all go back too.¡±
¡°Well, it¡¯s indeed important to have flexible working hours.¡±
After I told them that they could go home early, the Managers quickly stoppedining. They didn¡¯t even dream about quitting work early. But to suddenly hear that they could go home early?
The 2nd Manager was especially happy. That guy has to get some sleep. But I saw him taking a weird route. I began wondering if I should call him back, but that would mean I¡¯d also have to stay. So, I just let him go.
The next day after the historical early leave day.
¡°Congrattions.¡±
¡°Congrattions.¡±
¡°Congrattions.¡±
As I entered the office, I saw the Managers pping for me.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve heard the news. Your dream became a reality, right?¡±
¡°What nonsense are you saying?¡±
Yesterday, that dream was burned down inva.
As I looked at them disinterested, the Senior Manager walked toward me and tapped my shoulder. And then, pointed to the air with his finger. I followed the Senior Manager¡¯s finger.
Congrattions!
Executive Manager confirmed to go to the Academy!
Ah! How envious! An Academy life in your youthful twenties!
Two cards were hanging.
¡°You mother fuck¡¡±
¡°Executive manager, were you moved?¡±
¡°Hehe, we found out about this yesterdayte at night and prepared it quickly.¡±
¡°You should have told us sooner if something like this had happened.¡±
In order, I looked at mother fucker 2, mother fucker 1, and mother fucker 3. As I turned my gaze towards the Senior Manager, I saw him avoid making eye contact. It was as if he was saying sorry for not being able to stop them. Yes, they probably dragged you in. You¡¯re the only one I can trust.
¡°Where¡¯s the 5th Manager¡?¡±
¡°We told him yesterday to prepare for a celebration party for you. But after that, we couldn¡¯t get in contact with him.¡±
¡°He hasn¡¯te to work yet. To think he wouldn¡¯te in on a good day like this.¡±
Good, the 5th Manager is added to the list of trustworthy people. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t able to convince the other three, so he decided to go for the no-contact route. It was a reasonable choice.
Iughed. Then, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Managers also beganughing and pping. The Senior Manager quietly walked out of the room.
* * * *
After the Senior Manager went outside, the sound of something being torn apart and the head of three people hitting the floor was heard.
¡°Are you done?¡±
The 5th Manager walked toward the Senior Manager, who was listening to the howls that were starting to sound simr to that of the Minister. Seeing how he came so quickly, he was probably looking at everything from a safe distance. It was truly a great attitude as a Manager from the Prosecutor¡¯s department. Although it was too bad that he used it to survive from the Executive Manager.
¡°No. It has just begun.¡±
¡°Hmm, did you eat?¡±
¡°No. I came running after hearing the news.¡±
¡°Ah, then let¡¯s go grab something to eat. This is going to take at least an hour.¡±
The Senior Manager nodded while looking at the closed door. It really seemed like this wasn¡¯t going to end quickly.
While the Senior Manager walked along with the 5th Manager, they could hear the screams from Helling from behind.
¡°YOU MOTHER FUCKERS, HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELVES HUMAN?!¡±
Maybe it was going to take two hours instead of one. While praying for the well-being of the Managers, the Senior Manager quickly walked away.
* * * *
The Prosecutor¡¯s office members spent an intense day thanks to the shenanigans of the three Managers. I was massaging the back of my neck because of how I had expressed my feelings after feeling moved by their actions.
What was going to happen first? Would I retire? Or would I copse because of an anger-rted sickness? It truly was an intense race.
As I sighed, themunication device in front of me began shining while emitting blue light. Blue light¡ It was a direct call from the Minister. I heaved a sigh. There is a saying that every time you sigh, a bit of luck seeps out of your mouth. But I had probably already run out of it. I couldn¡¯t find another reason why my life would be so messed up. Should I go to a church to receive some blessing? Maybe then my life would get better.
¡°Yes¡ This is the Prosecutor Executive Manager speaking.¡±
¨C Woah, howe you¡¯ve answered the call at once?
As I put my hands on themunication device, the face of the Minister appeared on top of it. The Magic Tower had gone too far. Why did they create something that showed the users¡¯ faces? Even before this life, I almost didn¡¯t do video calls.
¡°Yes. I justpleted doing a task, so I was taking a break.¡±
Making sure the Managers knew who was the one incharge, was one of the most important tasks of the Executive Manager.
¨C Really? That¡¯s great. Come to my office right now. It¡¯s urgent.
¡°You threw me a huge one yesterday. Yet there¡¯s another urgent thing!? Did you leave your humanity in the northern territories?¡±
¨C It¡¯s rted to what I told you yesterday. So shut up ande here.
And then he immediately cut off themunication. The Minister is a thug.
¡® I usually don¡¯t lose to others in terms of rank.¡¯
Although I often suffered because of the Minister, an Executive Manager was someone who was well-treated anywhere they went. Especially if they were the Executive Manager of one of the most important departments of the country. But sadly, the opponent this time was the Minister.
¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±
After informing the Senior Manager, I walked toward the Minister¡¯s room. I felt like I was starting to get called into the Minister¡¯s room more frequently these days. It probably wasn¡¯t my imagination. I really didn¡¯t like being called into a room where there was only the muscr Minister.
¡°Oh, Prosecutor Executive Manager. Long time no see.¡±
But that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to see more people in there.
¡°Minister of Foreign Affairs? No, what brings you here?¡±
A generous-looking middle-aged man was drinking tea with the Minister. I bowed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs greeted me. And then I red at the Minister. He should¡¯ve told me there was someone else.
The Minister put his cup of tea down while making an expression that seemed to be saying what do you want me to do about it.
¡°He came here because there¡¯s something important he has to tell you before you are dispatched. He¡¯s someone busy, yet he came all the way here for you. So be grateful.¡±
¡°Haha. The Prosecutor Executive Manager is going a long distance for the well-being of the Empire, so there¡¯s nothing he should feel grateful for.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t talk too highly of him. He¡¯s going to be too arrogant and try to act as if he were on par with us.¡±
¡°Does thate from experience? I¡¯ll take it into consideration.¡±
The Minister of Foreign Affairs said while smirking. Then he looked at me.
¡°So, Prosecutor Executive Manager, you were named as the emergency Prosecutor, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Up until now, sending a Manager to the Academy was good enough. There¡¯s a reason why we¡¯ve decided to send an Executive Manager. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard some details from the Finance Minister.¡±
¡®No, I haven¡¯t heard anything.¡¯
I naturally looked at the Finance Minister. Yesterday ended with that man shouting, and he didn¡¯t tell me any details.
It seemed like the Minister had nothing to say about it, so he silently sipped tea while avoiding my gaze. It seemed like the Foreign Affairs Minister didn¡¯t see our awkward exchange. He took out his handkerchief and wiped his forehead. Then, he kept talking.
¡°To tell you the truth, there are a lot of problems regarding the new students at the Academy this year.¡±
¡°Problems? Did the number of normal students increase too much?¡±
¡°That can¡¯t be called a problem. Please, take a look.¡±
After saying that, the Foreign Affairs Minister gave me a stack of papers.
¡°I¡¯ve made a list of the new students we must be careful about.¡±
¡°Just who are they for you to say that we must be careful of?¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but doubt the words of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Academy was the Empire¡¯s most important educational institution. So many people from important families came here to study. Even members of the Imperial Family have gone there to study. That was also the case for the five Duke families.
Except for special cases like his, most of the nobles of the Empire go to the Academy. Was there someone so important that even the Minister of Foreign Affairs asked us to be careful of¡?
I quickly tried to go through the list, but my eyes immediately stopped. It was because the first name was already eye-catching.
1. Rutis Robens
I looked at the Minister of Foreign Affairs in surprise. I was lost for words.
¡°It¡¯s¡ Not him, right?¡±
¡°He¡¯s the same Rutis you¡¯re thinking about.¡±
I frowned upon hearing that.
¡°Why is the Prince of the Armein Kingdom going to the Academy?¡±
¡°Why would we be like this if we knew the reason? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been turned upside down. We¡¯ve asked for an exnation from the Armein Kingdom. But they said that even they were surprised by the prince¡¯s determination.¡±
I annoyingly scratched my head after hearing a non-helpful answer. In this continent, the Armein Kingdom was the second most important after the Empire. He was the 3rd Prince of that kingdom.
Although there were cases of foreign studentsing to the Academy, there was no previous case of someone so important from another kingdoming here.
There were good educational institutions in their own respective countries. So whye this far?
¡°I think I¡¯m going to be crazy.¡±
¡°It¡¯s too early to react like that. There¡¯s more to read.¡±
The impact of the first name was so big that I forgot to read the rest of the list. Iughed in disbelief.
2. Lather Ostia
3. Tannian Enes
From order, they were the 2nd Prince of the United Kingdom of Yuben and the most probable Saint candidate of the Holy Kingdom.
I couldn¡¯t believe what I was reading. The Foreign Affairs Minister kept talking in a careful voice.
¡°That¡¯s regarding people from foreign kingdoms. I¡¯m sure you remember that the 3rd Prince of the Empire is entering the Academy this year. Right?¡±
¡°Yes¡ I know.¡±
That¡¯s why I was about to go crazy. A prince of the Empire, a prince of the 2nd most important Kingdom, a prince from the United Kingdom, and a saint candidate from the Holy Kingdom all gathered in one ce. If a terror attack urs in this ce, the entire continent would be turned upside down.
¡°Ah.¡±
Is that why I¡¯m being dispatched?
The Finance Minister,who was silent for a while nodded. It was as if he were saying what I had suspected was correct.
¡°Although the Academy is theoretically neutral, it¡¯s in the middle of the Empire, and most students are from here. That¡¯s why the soldiers of the Empire are handling the security of the Academy. But things becameplicated after these three decided to enroll in the Academy.¡±
The three countries were questioning the neutrality of the Academy. It was impossible for the Academy to be floating in the sky, so they understood that it was inside the Empire, but they were questioning the fact that the security was entirely handled by the Empire. Of course, it was obvious that an Academy that was in the Empire was being protected by the Empire. But from their perspective and position, they couldn¡¯t help but question it.
Of course, each of the foreign ministries of these countries struggled to question that. But the princes and the saint candidate were adamant about attending the Empire¡¯s Academy. So from their perspective, the priority of their royal family was of the utmost importance.
At first, each country said they would send soldiers as reinforcements to increase the security of the Academy. But there¡¯s no way that there exists a country that would allow soldiers from other countries to enter their territory. But the foreign ministries of these countries were desperate to increase the security of their VIP.
There were a lot of negotiations. Each of the countries offered many things in exchange for the Empire to allow some security guards to escort the students, like submitting the list of personnel, and retiring some security personnel except for the absolutely necessary ones.
¡°There were already peopleining that there was too many security personnel in the Academy. We were thinking about what excuse we should use to do that. But the three countries said they would offer money in exchange. So we epted.¡±
¡°Of course, forcing so many personnel to retire suddenly would cause an uproar, and we were trying to think of a solution. But in this period, we usually send someone from the Prosecutor¡¯s office to the Academy. Because this year¡¯s neers are too luxurious, the amount of money received as donations has increased significantly. So we got an excuse to send someone from the post of Executive Manager.¡±
I couldn¡¯t say anything upon hearing the words of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance. It didn¡¯t matter which civil servant went. They couldn¡¯t negotiate with the royal families directly. Then that meant that one would have to deal with the security forces below that. And they wanted to pressure them with the rank of Executive Manager. I understood the necessity.
The problem was that I was the one who had to do that.
¡®Was this an Academy piece?¡¯
Three important men wereing from a foreign country to join the Academy. All of them in the same year. It was as if the invisible hand of the creator was pushing the main characters into the Academy.
Fuck. In the free chapters, there was no mention of the Academy. I just read the chapters that were about infancy. So I didn¡¯t know anything about the Academy arc.
As I cursed from the inside, the Minister walked toward me and patted me on the back.
¡°Every time you¡¯re struggling, think about this. If you make a mistake, a war might happen.¡±
Woah, that really increases my motivation.
Anyway, I was forced to prepare to go to the Academy.
Since there was possession, was there no hope for regression? I would like to go back 4 years in the past.
Chapter 5: - I Was Dispatched (2)
? I Was Dispatched (2) ?
¡®If a problem urs and war happens because of that, it¡¯s your fault. So good luck!¡¯
I couldn¡¯t stand still and do nothing after hearing nonsense like that. I hurriedly exined things to the Senior Manager, assigned tasks to all the Managers, and prepared to leave for the Academy. I had already worked four years as a civil servant, but it was my first time receiving such a horrible dispatch order.
¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, except for the necessary personnel, most were transferred away from the Academy. If so, who¡¯s going to be my aid inside the¡¡±
¡°There¡¯s none.¡±
¡°Hmm, then how much funding will I receive?¡±
¡°You won¡¯t.¡±
¡°Then money for expenses?¡±
¡°None.¡±
¡°Then, what do I get?¡±
¡°Nothing.¡±
I¡¯m not sure who was the one who said you shouldn¡¯t spit on the face of someone smiling, but after seeing the Minister of Foreign Affairs smiling, I really wanted to punch him in the face.
¡°I apologize. It¡¯s just that the three countries have offered too many things, so officially, we were forced to take out almost everyone besides the essentials.¡±
¡°How can I work in such an atmosphere? Even in the North, they give you something to work with!¡±
¡°But still, you don¡¯t need to worry. You¡¯re an Executive Manager from the Prosecutor¡¯s office, so you won¡¯t need to do anything that requires aid or money.¡±
I was put in a situation where I had no choice but to worry, yet here he was saying that I shouldn¡¯t worry. I wasn¡¯t sure what his intentions were while saying such a thing. I sighed after remembering thest conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
I was already sad that I would be sent for a long-term dispatch. That ce being the Academy made me feel like I was about to go crazy. Not only that, but they weren¡¯t going to give me any kind of support. I was literally going to be on my own.
¡°But while on vacation, you can return and take a break. It¡¯s almost as if you were a student.¡±
¡°Please, shut up.¡±
I clenched my teeth while listening to the Minister¡¯s provocative words. What vacations? For a civil servant, the words ¡®vacation¡¯ had no meaning. The only thing that changed was the ce where you worked.
Seeing the Ministerughing as if saying, ¡®What will you do about it?¡¯ Made my insides turn upside down.
That kind of son-of-a-bitch was my higher-up.
¡°I¡¯ll be going. Just give me the dispatch order.¡±
If I couldn¡¯t change my fate of getting stuck in the Academy, I¡¯d rather go as soon as possible because I felt my mental health declining every time I looked at the face of the Minister.
The Minister smirked while looking at my face and gave me the dispatch order. He was poking fun at me because he found my expression hrious, but there wasn¡¯t enough time to waste keeping me here.
¡°You aren¡¯t a student, so your parents won¡¯t cover for you if you do something. Be careful.¡±
¡°Understood!¡±
He made fun of me onest time.
¡°1st Manager, try to investigate what I¡¯ve told you.¡±
¡°Yes~¡±
¡°2nd Manager, don¡¯t forget to sort your documents correctly. You need to finish fast. Okay?¡±
¡°Yes, yes, obviously.¡±
¡°3rd and 5th Managers don¡¯t have many things to do. So when something happens, deal with it the best way you can.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡±
¡°Senior Manager¡ Good luck.¡±
¡°Yes, thank you.¡±
I took a glimpse at my subordinates onest time. With my sudden dispatch, the Senior Manager was someone that had to beforted. The 5th Manager was someone withmon sense who knew how to act, but would the other Managers be fine in a Prosecutor¡¯s Office where their Executive Manager was absent?
¡®Should I take 2nd Manager with me?¡¯
If the three Managers are together, one didn¡¯t know what kind of incident they would cause. Weren¡¯t these bastards the ones who angered Duke Gold even while I was watching over them?
Who would they anger after Duke Gold? The Iron Blood Duke? If they did that, I would really have to offer them as a sacrifice.
¡°Why are you looking at me like that¡? How scary.¡±
The 2nd Manager trembled a bit after looking into my eyes and asked. It seemed like he¡¯d been able to see a parallel world where he was offered as a sacrifice.
¡°No. It¡¯s nothing.¡±
I began thinking if I should drag 2nd Manager along and make him suffer with me, but I shook my head. For the sake of peace between the countries, I had to go alone.
At this point, I couldn¡¯t take 2nd Manager, nor did I have a reason to take him. To be honest, I think I had more than enough reasons to do so, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that I still couldn¡¯t take him.
¡®Can I really go and leave everything to them?¡¯
I looked at the Managers in front of me, who wereughing. The future seemed bleak.
¡°I¡¯m going to make sure nothing happens. We can¡¯t make you worry while you¡¯re dispatched somewhere far away.¡±
The Senior Manager noticed my subtle change of expression and said that to calm me. Then I was finally able to nod. Yes, if the Managers aren¡¯t trustworthy, let¡¯s believe in the Senior Manager.
¡°Okay, but if something happens, call me.¡±
¡°Yes. I¡¯ll call you if something does happen.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡±
After silently whispering to the Senior Manager, I got on the carriage and went to the South.
¡°Fuck, why are the roads in such a state?¡±
After leaving my uneasiness behind, my body started wobbling up and down as I got closer to the Academy. The rhythm at which my body moved made it look like I was inside a club saying, ¡®Let¡¯s get this party started¡¡¯
From what I remember, they¡¯d received money to fix this road a while ago, but it seemed like they had done home-expansion work instead of maintenance work. You fucker, the first thing I¡¯m going to do after reaching my destination is go after you.
As I wrote the name of an unknown provincial governor¡¯s name inside the list of people to investigate, the carriage moved up and down as if agreeing to my decision. You are also struggling to run through a road like this, huh? Because I was being dispatched alone, I felt a sense of friendship from the carriage.
There was the person driving the carriage outside, but because of the difference in social status, he became surprised every time I talked to him. So, one could say that the carriage was my only friend.
Although I wasn¡¯t keen on this type of friendship, which made me move up and down.
¡°Damn it. How annoying that ¡®teleport¡¯ can¡¯t be used.¡±
Teleport wasn¡¯tmon magic, but there were teleportation magic circles installed in most of the important cities of the Empire. Considering the importance of the Magic Academy, there should be a teleportation circle here. However, because of the characteristics of the ce where the Academy was located, making teleportation magic circles around it was strictly forbidden.
When Kefellofen was still a kingdom, the biggest country on the continent was the Apels Empire. The Academy was located in the territory that used to be its capital.
The Apels Empire had made the Academy as luxurious as possible. When Kefellofen took over the control of the Apels Empire, they weren¡¯t able to destroy the Academy or move it to another ce, so they decided to use it as it is. Back then, they didn¡¯t have that much money, so they had to save as much as possible.
The Academy was inside what used to be the capital city of an enemy country, so if the city grew too much, there was a chance that rebels from Apels would try to use it to their advantage. That was why they hadn¡¯t put a teleportation magic circle around this area and why the Academy didn¡¯t receive permission to have a teleportation magic circle. Thus, people had to get there by using a carriage or hiring a magician who could use teleport.
That might have been a reasonable excuse back then, but it had been 300 years since then. There was no need to be so cautious about Apels¡¯ rebels anymore. After all, the Empire had extinguished them.
The real reason why they hadn¡¯t installed one was the price. Teleportation magic circles weren¡¯t something that anyone could make, so the price of building one was really expensive. There wasn¡¯t anything of significance around the Academy, and the Academy had most of the necessary facilities, so people didn¡¯t need to go out.
¡®You fucking Minister.¡¯
The reason was obvious since they¡¯d refused to build a magic circle around this area a few months ago. If he knew he would be sent to the Academy, the Minister would have made sure it was approved. No matter what. In the end, this was all because of the Minister.
¡°Executive Manager, I can see the Academy.¡±
¡°Woah.¡±
I came back to my senses after hearing a voice. Since there wasn¡¯t anyone to talk to, I was deeply immersed in my thoughts. Large castle walls became visible in the distance. Woah, how tall¡
¡°To think it¡¯d be so tall even at such a distance¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure the Executive Manager knows, but the scale of it increased after merchants that aimed at the students and teachers began to gather around this area. Not only that but as merchants that served other bigger merchants and their families appeared, it became a small city instead of just an educational institution.¡±
¡®Academy city¡¡¯
For some reason, I felt that in this city, there should be a student that¡¯s good with rail guns.
After that brief conversation, there was silence. The only sound that could be heard was the rattling of the moving carriage. Although we¡¯d finally exchanged some words, the rtionship between us was still somewhat awkward. The stifling silence only ended when we passed through the castle walls.
¡°It seems like the security personnel has decreased quite a lot.¡±
I checked out the city after putting away the dispatch order I¡¯d received back from the security guard. There were lots of people and shops, but no security guards could be seen.
¡°Hmm, is that so? It¡¯s my first time in the Academy, so I¡¯m not sure.¡±
¡°Back then, the castle walls used to be manned by at least four security guards.¡±
We¡¯d only passed two security guards. When I showed them my dispatch order, they began trembling as if they were phones in vibration mode. I just told them to do their best before entering the castle walls.
¡®It seems like they¡¯ve really only left the necessary personnel.¡¯
¡°You won¡¯t have any aid inside the Academy.¡±
¡°They¡¯ve all been transferred away, so no one will be able to help you.¡±
¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do about it. If you hate it so much, you should¡¯ve be the Minister.¡±
I remembered what the Minister of Foreign Affairs said (Although slightly distorted). I had understood what he said, buting and seeing it on my own, made me really feel that I had to endure while using my title of Prosecutor¡¯s office¡¯s Executive Manager in a ce I¡¯d never been to before. In a ce where there wasn¡¯t anyone I knew.
¡®When are the vacations¡?¡¯
In university, it used to be in June. I wonder if that¡¯s also the case here.
I once again felt the sensations of a university student that felt excited about the start of the semester but couldn¡¯t wait for the end of it. After entering the main building of the Academy, my long carriage life finally came to an end.
Chapter 6: - Academy Entrance (1)
? Academy Entrance (1) ?
The center of the Academy and its symbol. They say that the Academy¡¯s main building was built by the Apels Empire employing the most famous architects of that era. Although it had been a couple of hundred years since it was built, people often said it was one of the most beautiful buildings on the continent.
After looking at the building, a poet oftenposed a poem about it. And if an artist saw it, they often painted a masterpiece. There were many stories like that surrounding the main building. I think it had a name, but it didn¡¯t matter. After all, everyone calls it the main building.
I looked up at the main building.
An assembly of architectural techniques and art? One of the most beautiful buildings of the continent, and the muse of many artists? What do you want me to do? I would have dly entered the main building even if it resembled a shack. After all, what truly mattered was the inside and not the outside. However, it seemed people who visited this ce only cared about its outer appearance and not the inside. That way of thinking truly pissed me off.
I should¡¯ve joined the Academy four years ago, ignoring whatever the patriarch had to say. If I had graduated from the Academy and then be a civil servant, I wouldn¡¯t have lived like this. I can guarantee that. My life would¡¯ve beenpletely different¡
¡°I usually don¡¯t cry, but this makes me want to cry.¡±
Of course, tears didn¡¯t trickle down from my eyes.
I got out of the carriage while simultaneously excited and annoyed because while I had finallye to the ce I wanted to go to so badly, I was only here because of work. As soon as I stepped on the ground, I stumbled. Woah, fuck!
After recovering my bnce, I looked at the coachman. Thankfully, it seemed like he didn¡¯t see anything. The news that the Executive Manager, who was in his twenties, couldn¡¯t even handle his body properly almost reached the Prosecutor¡¯s office.
¡°You bastard, why did you lose so much weight? It seems like you¡¯ve lost a lot of muscles because you¡¯ve spent too much time inside the office.¡±
¡®Was that true?¡¯
I touched my legs while remembering the words of the Minister. How weird. That doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. Was it because I¡¯ve spent too much time in the office? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve ridden a carriage. So maybe my body isn¡¯t used to it anymore? Either way, it didn¡¯t seem like good news.
¡®Ugh, fu¡¡¯
Although I was fine while riding the carriage, I wanted to puke aftering down. While struggling with motion sickness, the coachman walked toward me and bowed.
¡°Then, I¡¯ll be heading back.¡±
¡°Ah, good job. Be careful on the way back.¡±
¡°Yes. Executive Manager, I wish you luck.¡±
After bowing again, the horseman left the ce at an incredible speed. The role of the coachman was to bring me here, so for him, it was better to leave as soon as possible. The three countries probably wouldn¡¯t make a big deal about a horseman being present, but if he stayed longer than necessary, they would probably begin suspecting things. If someone who shouldn¡¯t be at a location stayed there for a long time, it would probably bother them. I know it by experience.
After watching the carriage leave, I turned my eyes to the main building. Now, I really was all alone. I would have to work as a prosecutor at the Academy at 21 years of age. It was something horrible that didn¡¯t happen, even in my nightmares.
I entered the main building and was trying to find the Principal¡¯s office when I heard someone running toward me. Oh, did someonee to greet me?
A man wearing a blue cape that designated the teaching staff of the Academy came running toward me. He took a moment to catch his breath then smiled while looking at me.
¡°I¡¯m Raymond, the Vice Principal of the Academy. Are you the Executive Manager?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Ah, I wanted toe and greet you in time, but I waste. I apologize. The morning ceremonysted longer than expected, and it just ended.¡±
As the Vice Principal extended his hand, I grabbed it.
¡°Ceremonies never end on time.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re so understanding. I didn¡¯t feelfortable making someone important wait.¡±
¡°I also just got here.¡±
I really had just arrived. I came here after saying farewell to the coachman, so even if I had arrived a bit earlier, the time I had entered the main building would¡¯ve been simr. If possible, I would¡¯ve preferred it to be a bitter. I really felt like puking¡
* * *
After realizing Carl really didn¡¯t care, the Vice Principal¡¯s awkward smile became more natural. Even a prosecutor that just disappeared afterpleting the work he came to do could turn the Academy upside down if they were annoyed.
Not only that, but the one that was sent this time was the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s office. They¡¯d sent someone so important in preparation for the incredible lineup of new students that were going to enter the Academy this year. He would probably be around for at least a few months, so his heart sank after realizing he would bete to greet such an important person.
After calming down a bit, the Vice Principal asked Carl.
¡°I heard the Minister of Foreign Affairs sent you. May I ask for your name if it isn¡¯t too much to ask?¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t they tell you my name?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a tradition not to tell who from the Prosecutor¡¯s office ising until they arrive at the Academy, right? After all, if that were known, one could try to make contact beforehand and strike a deal.¡±
¡°I see. It¡¯s my first time being dispatched, so I didn¡¯t know.¡±
The Vice Principal seemed confused at my reply. He already thought the person dispatched looked very young. Not only that, but he also said that he didn¡¯t know what a dispatched prosecutor did. The Vice Principal didn¡¯t think he was someone weird. After all, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was the one who sent him, but he couldn¡¯t help but have some doubts.
¡°I¡¯m the Prosecutor¡¯s Office Executive Manager, Carl Krasius.¡±
¡°Oh, I¡¯m honored to have met an important Executive Manager. It seems like the Minister has really thought of our situation. I sincerely thank you.¡±
The Vice Principal wanted to brush it off naturally but couldn¡¯t hide his surprise. That crazy old man had unleashed a monster at the Academy.
As such thought crossed his mind, the Vice Principal became lost for words and began walking faster.
Prosecutor¡¯s Office Executive Manager, Carl Krasius. Even if he was someone who had been focused on education all his life, he¡¯d heard that name numerous times, but he wasn¡¯t someone he wanted to meet. If someone that worked for the Empire met the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, it meant they were about to go through a very rough situation.
The Vice Principal knew he hadn¡¯te to investigate him, yet couldn¡¯t help but break out into cold sweat. As soon as he reached the Principal¡¯s office, he looked as if he¡¯d encountered the Gates of Heaven and knocked at the door.
¡°Principal, I¡¯ve brought Mr. Prosecutor.¡±
¡°Let him in.¡±
After hearing that, he immediately opened the door.
¡°You can enter. It was an honor guiding you here.¡±
¡°It was also an honor to meet you.¡±
After the Vice Principal confirmed the Executive Manager had entered the Principal¡¯s office, he quickly escaped to his own office. They were going to meet more frequently from now on, but he really wasn¡¯t prepared for today¡¯s meeting.
* * *
An old man with white hair and a long beard. He looked like one of the sages that appeared in stories. The Principal looked at a young man entering his office.
¡®Did the Prosecutor¡¯s Office Executive Managere?¡¯
He was a young man with ck hair and eyes. Not only that, but he was wearing the characteristic ck clothes of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. He was apletely adorned in dark.
¡°Long time no see, Executive Manager. Has it been two years?¡±
The Prosecutor¡¯s Office Executive Manager nodded and opened his mouth.
¡°I met you the day of the ascension of the Minister, so it¡¯s been about that long. How have you been, Principal?¡±
¡°The young people work very hard, so there weren¡¯t many things this old man had to do. That¡¯s why I was able to remain healthy.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d.¡±
The Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office naturally sat down on the chair and looked at the Principal. As the pitch-ck eyes gazed at him, the Principal couldn¡¯t help but gulp. The Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office was someone the Minister of Foreign Affairs had sent to help the Academy with the new students that had decided to enroll. But even if they left that aside, he was someone who held a more important position than him.
Although the Academy¡¯s principal was treated as if he were the Executive Manager of the Education Department, the Prosecutor¡¯s Office Executive Manager was still in a higher position than him.
The Secretary of the Principal set cups of tea down before them. A very silent and diligent movement. Even the usually bright Secretary had be overwhelmed by his presence.
¡®To think that he¡¯s of the same age as the students who graduatedst year.¡¯
He couldn¡¯t help butugh in disbelief. Although they were calledst year¡¯s graduates, it seemed like he could still see them running around the Academy whileughing. But this man was the same age as them. He still couldn¡¯t believe it.
¡°It¡¯s a tea that was brought from the United Kingdom of Yuben. It¡¯s famous for the unique scent it has. I hope it suits the taste of the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.¡±
The Secretary offering tea to them was great to lighten up the atmosphere.
The Executive Manager took a sip of tea and put the cup down. He looked at the Principal and opened his mouth.
¡°I came after hearing the struggles of the Academy.¡±
¡°Leaving aside where they¡¯re from, I¡¯m d people areing from other countries to learn. Although it¡¯s a bit troublesome¡ I¡¯m just scared we might end up disappointing such eager students.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
The Prosecutor¡¯s Office Executive Manager nodded. It was as if he were saying I have nothing to say, so keep talking. The ones that were in trouble were the Academy, not him.
¡°I¡¯m feeling relieved by your arrival. I felt quite uneasy after the security was reducedpared to previous years because important students areing here. So I¡¯m finally feeling relieved.¡±
¡°You¡¯re ttering me too much.¡±
¡°Not at all. Everyone is aware of your fame. I still remember how you punished Earl Ne half a year ago and Marquis Asilon a year ago.¡±
The Executive Manager looked at his cup of tea as if he didn¡¯t care about such achievements. But still, the Principal didn¡¯t stop. After all, he was trying to mention his achievements and then say, ¡®I wish you use such capability for the Academy¡¯s order.¡¯
¡°Especially two years ago, in the northern area¡¡±
At those words, the Executive Manager looked at the Principal.
¡®Oh, damn.¡¯
It was the worst. He was trying to lift him up as much as possible, but ended up mentioning something he shouldn¡¯t have.
After seeing the surprised Principal, the Executive Manager¡¯s mouth tip went up. Although he was smiling, it was obvious that he was forcing it.
¡°I made a mistake, Executive Manager. Maybe because I¡¯m old, this kind of thing happens asionally.¡±
¡°Everyone makes mistakes. Please don¡¯t worry.¡±
He hadn¡¯t denied it was a mistake. The Principal smiled bitterly after hearing the answer. The Executive Manager stood up.
¡°I¡¯m going to do as much as I can, so Principal, you don¡¯t need to be worried.¡±
¡°I thank you for that.¡±
¡°Then, I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±
¡°Yes, understood. I will arrange a ce for you to stay.¡±
The Executive Manager nodded, then turned around and left the Principal¡¯s office. After seeing him leave, the Principal could finally rx andy his back on the chair.
¡°It seems like I¡¯m old indeed. To think I¡¯d make a mistake like that.¡±
After cleaning up the Principal¡¯s sweat, the Secretary carefully asked.
¡°By mistake¡ Are you talking about the North?¡±
Because the Secretary also had eyes and ears, she knew what words the Executive Manager had reacted to, but she didn¡¯t know why. He didn¡¯t seem interested when the Principal mentioned the Earl and the Marquis. Then, why had he reacted to the North?
The Principal shook his head at the interest of his Secretary.
¡°Please, forget about that. I¡¯m sure you could find out if you search for it, but I suggest you don¡¯t.¡±
¡°Ah, yes¡¡±
¡°Yes. He doesn¡¯t want to talk about it, so it¡¯s the correct thing for us not to mention it.¡±
What the Principal said was not only advice for the Secretary, but also for himself.
The North. Four years ago, some people from the North had rebelled, and a war raged for almost two years. The Prosecutor¡¯s Office Executive Manager was one of the people at the center of the incident.
* * *
¡®Oh fuck. I feel like I¡¯m about to die.¡¯
I quickly left the Principal¡¯s office and searched for a bathroom. I began feeling it after stepping down from the carriage. While talking with the Vice Principal, it reached a dangerous point. And while talking with the Principal, it had reached a peak. I felt like I was about to let it go, but I did my best to hold it in.
So that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t remember anything the Principal said very well. Paid attention to what he said for a short while after he mentioned the North.
¡®That damn old man.¡¯
Although two years had passed, I still felt ufortable talking about it, but it wasn¡¯t something I could keep hidden forever. It also wasn¡¯t something I had to.
That¡¯s why I used it as an excuse to leave the ce. I was sorry for the Principal, but I was also surprised. So let¡¯s consider this as a tie.
But more importantly, where¡¯s the bathroom? Why is this ce so big?
Chapter 7: - Academy Entrance (2)
? Academy Entrance (2) ?
While Carl was wondering if the problem was something he had eaten or the state of the road and the Vice Principal was dripping cold sweat while guiding him, the students were starting to wake up and getting ready to go to the Academy.
People were opening their shops, and students were preparing to attend their sses. Another busy day at the Academy had started.
The sunlight streaming through the curtain tickled the face of the girl. She tried to avoid the sun¡¯s rays, but gave up and opened her eyes once it became clear that trying to do so was futile.
The girl climbed out of bed and shivered upon feeling the icy breeze touch her skin. It had been 10 days since the entrance ceremony had taken ce. Now, they were in the middle of March, and the air was still chilly early in the morning.
¡°Yawn~¡±
It seemed like the sudden cold breeze had woken up the girl. She carefully got up and stretched her arms. There was still some time left before ss started, but time would pass quickly if she dawdled.
¡°Let¡¯s do a good job today as well~.¡±
The girl¡¯s positive attitude drew others¡¯ gazes, but made approaching her difficult.
¡°Hmmhm, hmm ?????? ¡°
The girl walked while humming something that didn¡¯t sound like a song, but she would probably insist it was. Her pink hair, which bounced in sync with her steps, looked like the cherry blossoms that had flowered earlier this year. Her eyes shone blue like the sky of a sunny day.
The people who turned their faces around after hearing someone humming would probably nod and ept they¡¯d heard it. Because, after all, what made humming perfect was the face.
¡°Louise!¡±
The humming girl turned her head around after hearing someone call her. After seeing who it was, she smiled.
¡°Irina!¡±
Louise ran towards Irina and grabbed her arm as if they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time. Of course, it wasn¡¯t their first meeting in a long time, they had had dinner together only yesterday. After the two friends got together, their walking speed was reduced to half, and the number of people walking behind them increased.
Whenever someone called out to Louise, she greeted them and made them join the group. That¡¯s how their speed kept decreasing as if they¡¯d been debuffed. But among the five people there, it seemed like no one was worried about the pace. Because if it was for friendship¡ Wouldn¡¯t one be willing to bete?
¡°Hey, if you keep walking like this, won¡¯t you bete?¡±
But there was a safety that prevented her from beingte, so she was able to arrive at the Academy on time.
¡°Ah, Erich! Good morning!¡±
¡°Yes, good morning.¡±
Erich smirked and epted the greeting. As he naturally walked toward Louise, Irina, who was right next to her, made a ce for him. Erich smiled awkwardly at that gesture, but it seemed he did not intend to refuse. So he began walking right next to Louise.
After looking at that, Irina and the other three girls started to whisper among themselves andugh in a low voice. Although their dating life was in a bad state, they said that looking at other people trying was as fun as looking at a fire from the other side of the river.
Although Erich had to try harder to get attention from Louise, that wasn¡¯t something that concerned them.
In the end, the group had increased to six people, but it seemed like Erich had some kind of speed buff. The amount of conversation had increased, but they were moving faster than before.
¡°Erich, you have gray hair.¡±
¡°That shouldn¡¯t appear yet.¡±
¡°I was kidding. It was just a strand.¡±
Louise plucked the thread from Erich¡¯s head whileughing. Irina turned away to protect thest remaining self-esteem of Erich, whose face had flushed red. She tilted her head while watching the thread that was flying away.
¡°Who¡¯s that person?¡±
Everyone first looked at Irina and followed her finger at those words.
¡°You¡¯re right. He doesn¡¯t seem to be a student or a teaching staff.¡±
¡°How weird. Is he an outsider?¡±
¡°Can outsiders enter the Academy at this hour?¡±
He wasn¡¯t wearing a uniform so he wasn¡¯t a student, but he also wasn¡¯t wearing a blue robe so he wasn¡¯t a member of the faculty. After finally calming down, Erich also looked in the direction Irina was pointing toward.
¡°Huh¡?¡±
Erich let out a flustered exmation after seeing who the unknown outsider was. It seemed like the other person had also seen Erich.
¡°Erich, do you know him?¡±
Louise asked Erich after seeing that they seemed to know each other.
Erich couldn¡¯t reply immediately to Louise¡¯s question. He definitely knew that person, but he shouldn¡¯t be here. He was someone whoined that he evencked time to return home, so why had such a persone all the way here to the Academy?
While he was shocked, that person had walked toward him and stood before him. He said while looking at Erich.
¡°Long time no see. How have you been?¡±
* * *
I was finally able to find a restroom once it had gone beyond peak, and the result was forcibly revealed. After seeing how much I relieved myself, I realized how tense my body had been. I had never heard anyone say I looked feeble, so why was my body reacting like this?
Recently, I¡¯ve been working overtime consistently, I haven¡¯t been able to see the sunlight, I haven¡¯t ridden a carriage in a long time, and to make things worse, the roads were in a horrible state. And, on top of it all, I had to eat while in such a state.
Hmm, so I had enough reasons.
After I finished analyzing myself, I walked out of the main building and walked around the Academy. Whether I liked it or not¡ No, although I really hated it, I would have to stay in the Academy for a couple of months. The Academy was really big, so I should at least learn itsyout a bit.
It would be embarrassing to lose my way when I needed to do something urgently. That news would probably somehow reach the ears of the Minister, and he would make fun of me, saying how, even though I was the Executive Manager, I couldn¡¯t find my way around campus. Just thinking about it made me angry, as if I had actually heard it.
I walked toward the nearest building. I couldn¡¯t handle a future where the Minister made fun of me because of something like this, so I decided I should figure out the structure of the Academy as fast as possible.
¡®What should I do?¡¯
He could hear the students mumbling while looking at him. It was an obvious reaction, considering he was an outsider. I decided that I should go to the main building while the students were entering the Academy, but then, something caught my attention.
¡°What¡¯s up with that?¡±
When others only moved in a group of two to three, there was a group of six people walking together. Not only that but there was a huge gender imbnce of one man and five women. I¡¯m definitely not sure who that man is, but he¡¯s in quite the envious position.
¡®But that someone is my little brother.¡¯
What a son of a bitch. Although his older brother was struggling, the little brother was living the dream of his bro as if it were nothing. He¡¯s worse than the 2nd Manager. Okay, let¡¯s go bother him.
I walked toward Erich with light steps. As I got close to him, I could see that his eyes were shaking a bit. How weird. I have never bothered him or anything, but he always seems quiet in front of me.
¡°Long time no see. Have you been doing well?¡±
¡°Y-Yes. And you, brother?¡±
¡°Just as usual.¡±
I wanted to say bad as usual, but there were more ears around us, so I decided not to say that. I shouldn¡¯tin about the life of a civil servant in front of students I¡¯ve never seen before.
As I turned my gaze to the other five, I saw them awkwardly bow their heads to me, except for one.
¡°Hi! Are you Erich¡¯s older brother?¡±
She said too energetically to think she¡¯d asked that for courtesy. It was enough to make me think that if this were a manhwa, there would have been a sound effect as she said that.
Blue eyes and pink hair. She was clearly someone eye-catching. A person who would get attention no matter where she went.
¡
¡?
It¡¯s my first time seeing her, but why does she seem familiar?
Pink¡ Blue¡
They reminded me of something, but I couldn¡¯t recall it well.
Was her picture on the list of students they¡¯d given me in the report?
¡°Yes. I¡¯m Carl Krasius. Are you Erich¡¯s friend?¡±
Usually, it was tradition for people to introduce themselves after the other person did. If I could hear her surname, I could at least know where I¡¯d seen her before.
¡°Yes, I¡¯m Erich¡¯s friend. Louise Naird!¡±
¡°I see.¡±
¡®Fuck.¡¯
Although my body was nodding, my head had switched to alert mode.
After hearing her name, I remembered. Louise, of Baron Naird¡¯s family. Pink hair with blue eyes. Just like the pied piper, she was someone who pulled people in. A woman who received the affection and attention of other people thanks to her appearance and personality.
¡®She¡¯s the protagonist.¡¯
I took a glimpse at Erich. Although his body was hardened, his eyes were still directed toward Louise. His cheeks were red. He looked like a dog.
¡°It wasn¡¯t four, but five¡?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°No. It was nothing.¡±
I ended up saying something that was supposed to be a thought.
I looked at Erich with pity. Erich shrugged, but I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him.
¡®What a pitiful guy. So you¡¯re the weakest one.¡¯
The Prince of the Empire, two Princes, and a candidate for the title of Saint. Although there was a difference between their status, they could at leastpete against each other. But the second son of an Earl familypeting against such people? That¡¯s a bit¡
I patted Erich¡¯s shoulders. It was to console my little brother, who seemed to have lost even before standing at the start line.
I met the protagonist on the first day I was dispatched to the Academy, and she was a friend of my little brother.
Not only that but a friend whose most likely ending seemed to be, ¡®I wish we could remain good friends.¡¯
Chapter 8: - Academy Entrance (3)
? Academy Entrance (3) ?
The reunion with the brother who had enrolled in the Academy to experience a bigger world was the worst. He was a kid that had been brought up in a family that loved and cared for him, but he ended up falling in love with a girl of Hell difficulty.
¡®How scary. A human capybara.¡¯
Not only that, he wasn¡¯t someone who used to be interested in the opposite gender so the shock was even bigger. If he were someone who was preupied with girls, I would have brushed it off, but that wasn¡¯t the case, so it was the worst possible reunion.
¡°I¡¯m d that you seem healthy.¡±
I was thinking about if I should say something, but I decided not to. Although my little brother was participating in a race with an obvious oue, he still hadn¡¯t said it on his own. Saying something in this situation would look bad.
I didn¡¯t think my rtionship with Erich was bad, but to be honest, we weren¡¯t that close. He would probably get mad if I said, ¡®Hey, you won¡¯t seed in your love life.¡¯
Erich nodded, looking a bit confused as I patted his shoulder. Irina, who was looking at the scene from a distance, opened her mouth.
¡°But Carl¡ Oppa, what brings you to the Academy?¡±
It seemed like she was wondering how to address me but decided to call me oppa at thest minute, so I answered while feeling satisfied. After all, I was usually called Executive Manager, ¡®you bastard¡¯, ¡®son-of-a-bitch¡¯, or other harsh words. So hearing something soft like ¡®oppa¡¯ made me feel good. I tried to ignore the fact that it was making me a step closer to bing an old man.
¡°What brings me here? Because of my job. I think that I¡¯m going to be staying for quite some time, so if you see me,e and greet me.¡±
¡°Job? Are you a civil servant?¡±
Irina asked in surprise. If he were a civil servant that came for work, he would be at least a mid- or high-ranking one, but Carl looked like someone who had just started to work.
¡°Yes. I¡¯m a civil servant.¡±
I was about to say something like, ¡®you guys should avoid bing one,¡¯ but ended up closing my mouth. It would be a problem if they really took my words into ount and decided not to be a civil servant.
The more ves I got, the morefortable my job would be. One day, things might work even if I wasn¡¯t there¡
Please¡
¡°Woah! I heard that recently, it¡¯s be harder to be a civil servant.¡±
Capyb, no, Louise¡¯s eyes shone after hearing I am a civil servant. Is it bing hard¡ To be a civil servant? That¡¯s bad news. That means the speed at which new ves appeared is going to decrease.
¡°I became one four years ago, so I¡¯m not sure how it is nowadays.¡±
Louise was about to say something more, but I cut off her words. Not only was she the protagonist of this world, but she¡¯d also even devoured Erich. I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if I kept her close to me. Of course, she didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡ But, I can¡¯t help but be cautious.
Was this the envy of a poor civil servant toward the protagonist who receives the love and affection of everyone? That makes sense.
¡°But, weren¡¯t you going to sses? You¡¯re going to bete.¡±
¡°We¡¯re still o¡¡±
¡°Ah, yes. We should be going.¡±
It seemed like Louise wanted to talk more, but Irina stopped her. It seemed like she noticed that I wanted to leave. How perceptive. Was this something she developed naturally after being close to the protagonist?
¡°Let¡¯s meet next time if the opportunity arises.¡±
After saying something simr to ¡®let¡¯s eat together the next time,¡¯ I looked at Erich. He was my little brother, so I should say something more.
¡°There¡¯s a lot of things you can do at the Academy. So put in the effort and advance.¡±
Of course, I wasn¡¯t sure what those things that he could do were because I never went to the Academy. You son-of-a-bitch.
After saying that, I turned my body around and was about to walk toward the main building when I saw a blond man surrounded by followers. I¡¯ve already met the protagonist and my little brother. If I met that person now, I felt my mental state would be messed up.
* * *
Erich sighed in relief after seeing Carl walk away. He wiped away the sweat dripping down his forehead. He didn¡¯t know he would meet his older brother at the Academy. To make things worse, it seemed like he would be staying around for a long time.
Louise noticed Erich was acting strange. His expression was stiff, and he was drenched in cold sweat. Just a nce was enough to know that something was wrong, it would be weird not to ask what was bothering him so she asked worriedly.
¡°Erich, are you okay? Does it hurt somewhere?¡±
¡°Ah, hmm. I¡¯m okay, don¡¯t worry.¡±
Although he smiled awkwardly, in reality, he wasn¡¯t okay. The encounter with Carl showed him what it feels like to be a mouse before a snake.
¡°Long time no see. How have you been?¡±
Unlike him, Carl looked simr to their father. He had pitch-ck hair and eyes. His low voice gave his presence an invisible pressure that weighed down heavily on Erich. Erich barely managed to make eye contact while answering him.
¡®Every time I get used to it, the pressure worsens.¡¯
Maybe as Erich grew, he became capable of perceiving previously imperceptible parts of his aura. Carl was a person who exuded pressure while simply walking. Were they really siblings born to the same parents??
It hadn¡¯t always been like this. When Erich was still a child, although they weren¡¯t close, they at least had a family-like cordial rtionship. They were normal brothers. Carl used to be a quiet person until he suddenly lost consciousness when he was 16 years old.
At that time, the house got turned upside down. After all, the heir of the Earl had lost consciousness. The atmosphere was so severe that it seemed like anyone with even a tiny amount of responsibility would be executed. Thankfully, he soon recovered his health, but from that day on, Carl seemed like a whole other person.
Carl, who used to be a quiet and timid person, became more extroverted. Erich found that weird, but he¡¯d woken up after being almost dead so maybe it was understandable that he had changed. But even if he thought about it as positively as possible, after Carl turned 17 years old, his previous self was nowhere to be seen.
Aftering home from work, Carl¡¯s expression hardened, and from a certain point onward, he didn¡¯te home from work at all. That time was too long to think he was simply busy. Thest time he¡¯d seen Carl, he seemed too tired.
Two years after Carl became a civil servant, when Erich was 15 years old, he finally returned to the house. The house became noisy after the news spread that the heir had returned. Erich hasn¡¯t been able to forget how he looked.
¡°Good job. You¡¯re a masterpiece of the Krausius family.¡±
Carl and Erich¡¯s father. The Lord of the family, whom he found awkward calling father. He was a loyal subordinate of the Emperor, a capable noble, and a good lord. But he wasn¡¯t a good father.
He just looked at his two sons as objects that were going to inherit the Krausius name. He just thought of them as cards that would be used for the Emperor and the Empire. He treated them well to make sure they grew useful, but hadn¡¯t shown any affection or attention toward them. The Lord was that kind of father.
But after seeing Carl return after a long time, the Lord smiled brightly. Even the house servants who had served the Lord for many years had never seen him like this, so they seemed surprised. Only Carl lowered his head as if it were nothing and calmly answered.
¡°I just did what had to be done.¡±
The Lord seemed very satisfied with that answer.
Only after the Lord had returned was Erich able to get close to Carl. Even if they weren¡¯t close, it had been a while since he¡¯d seen his older brother. It was obvious he¡¯d be happy to see him, but Erich felt chills after seeing how Carl was looking at him.
Carl looked at him with the same eyes as the Lord. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t looking at a person, but just checking out how much he¡¯d grown.
Carl patted Erich¡¯s shoulders a few times and left the ce. After being left alone, Erich stood there alone for a while.
It had been two years since that day. Once again, Carl¡¯s eyes looked the same as that time.
* * *
¡®He¡¯s growing well.¡¯
I turned around and took another route toward the main building after seeing a blond man. Only after some time had passed was I able to think about how much Erich had grown. It had only been ten days since the entrance ceremony, but the protagonist had already devoured him. He looked a bit pathetic, but still, he¡¯d grown healthy and strong.
I felt sorry for Erich. A Lord that doesn¡¯t act like a father. A mother who either didn¡¯t want to or couldn¡¯t talk to the Lord about how he¡¯s raising his kids. And me, who had taken control of this body in ce of the original owner. Because of this triad, Erich had, in reality, grown on his own.
When I took control of this body, Erich was 12 years old. From that point onward, Erich basically had to learn how to stand on his own. The first year, I was able to take care of him since we lived in the same house, but after bing a civil servant, that was basically impossible.
After I returned from the North and saw how much he¡¯d grown, I felt my heart ache. While feeling proud, I patted him on the shoulders and turned around. It seemed he had been feeling awkward because it had been a while since hest saw his brother. He had stood still while making a stiff expression.
Today, once again, I was moved by how much he¡¯d grown. So I once again put my hands on his shoulder, but he stiffened again. As expected, a family has to live in the same house and see each other frequently. He¡¯s feeling awkward about his brother.
¡®I should take this opportunity and visit Erich more often.¡¯
If Erich discovered the thought, he would be torn between the thought of leaving the Academy and enjoying school life with Louise.
On the other hand, if Carl realized that Erich had thought his eyes reminded him of the Lord, he would get surprised.
Each brother had a weapon that could cause huge mental damage to the other¡
Chapter 9: - Academy Entrance (4)
? Academy Entrance (4) ?
I waited until after sses started before I walked to the main building in order to avoid the gazes of the students. I could see students attending ss through the windows as I walked through the now empty campus.
Although I managed to avoid the students, I wished I had walked the other way. It would¡¯ve taken me by the Principal¡¯s office, and I could¡¯ve gotten some tea.
I thought that perhaps Louise was catnip instead of a capybara. The man I dodged as soon as I saw him, aside from the three that hade from foreign countries, was the only person from the Empire I had to be careful about. The 3rd Imperial Prince, Ainter Livnoman.
Woah, to think that the third prince of the Empire would suddenly appear. Was someone messing with me?
Although the Academy was huge, I¡¯d encountered Ainter at a ce that was near Louise. I couldn¡¯t help but feel chills. Ainter himself was already a problem, but if I saw him around Louise, there was a chance that I¡¯d end up encountering the other three as well.
I didn¡¯t want to be here where I could get involved with all the important characters at the same time. If they wanted to force me into such a situation, they should¡¯ve at least given me something that allowed me to calm down.
I suddenly imagined being surrounded by the four most important people at the Academy in the same ce.
Something not even the Minister of Foreign Affairs had been able to experience.
Just thinking about it stressed me out. I looked up at the sky in a daze.
Being like this at the Academy made me feel like a university student waiting for the shuttle bus, but at the Academy, there wasn¡¯t anything like a shuttle bus, and I wasn¡¯t a university student.
I grabbed my forehead. My four years of experience as a civil servant were telling me that things were about to get quite troublesome. The problem was that there was no way to heed the warning.
It was as if I could see the punch flying toward me, but I couldn¡¯t do anything to dodge it. My reason and instinct told me thating here was a bad idea, but I was here anyway because I couldn¡¯t disobey my superiors. The scariest force in the world is authority.
There weren¡¯t any students walking around at this hour, so I stopped figuring out theyout of the Academy. I clicked my tongue, got up from my bench, and headed back in the direction I hade from.
Since it was an educational institution attended by many blue-bloods, there were many big and extravagant buildings. I sometimes changed buildings, and because it was break time, some students were passing by.
At the entrance hour, too many people were looking at me, so I felt like a zoo animal, but that wasn¡¯t the case now. In the first ce, I wasn¡¯t nning to spend my time here avoiding students.
¡®Until tomorrow, I¡¯ll say I¡¯m the Prosecutor¡¯s office Executive Manager.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t keep walking around and saying to everyone I saw, ¡®Hi, nice to meet you. I¡¯m the Prosecutor¡¯s office Executive Manager.¡¯
I kept wandering around the Academy, memorizing itsyout. Then I looked around and took out themunication crystal. I finished everything I needed to do, so it was time to deal with something before I forgot about it.
I took out themunication device and called the Senior Manager. Soon his face appeared.
¨C Long time no see, Executive Manager. Did you arrive well at the Academy?
¡°Yes. I arrived in the morning, but I couldn¡¯t contact you earlier because I was dealing with some things.¡±
¨C I¡¯m d that everything seems to be okay.
In reality, many problems appeared as soon as I arrived at the Academy. Louise, the protagonist, Erich, who seemed like he was going to get the ending ¡®you¡¯re a good friend,¡¯ and Ainter, who approached after getting lured in by the catnip or capybara.
However, there wasn¡¯t any need to mention those issues and make the Senior Manager worry because he couldn¡¯t do anything anyway. I cast aside issue of Louise and the others.
¡°Well, yes. But I saw something strange while traveling to the Academy.¡±
¨C Yes, please tell.
¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s been money spent to fix the roads leading to the Academy, yet they were in a horrible state.¡±
Follow that trace and mess them up.
The Senior Manager nodded at orders that were said in such a tone that it seemed like he¡¯d been asked to go and buy something at the local market. The fate of that unknown provincial chief was sealed.
It was myst gift to the special carriage with whom I shared a small friendship during the journey to the Academy. I¡¯ve upheld our friendship, special carriage.
¨C I¡¯ll deal with it and then send you a message. Is there anything else you need?
¡°No. Is everything okay over there?¡±
¨C Yes, everything¡¯s okay.
Thankfully, it seemed like the Managers were behaving. My face rxed with a sense of relief. Seeing how the Senior Manager hadn¡¯t contacted me, it seemed like everything was okay. But still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy.
¡°Yes, good job. And if something happens, contact me.¡±
¨C Understood.
Because I had nothing else to say, I cut the call. I felt rxed after seeing that the Senior Manager was at the office. If he wasn¡¯t there, it was obvious the other managers would cause all sorts of disastrous incidents. The Prosecutor¡¯s Office would¡¯ve been turned upside down.
¡®Maybe it¡¯s better that way?¡¯
If the office created too much trouble, the Minister would dissolve it. Then, I would probably be made responsible and forced to resign. Of course, there was a chance the Minister would create a new office that didn¡¯t exist before, put me there, and force me to work.
But thinking about the possibility of retiring made me feel good. I put aside themunication device and began moving again.
* * *
The Senior Manager opened the door after the call was over, and he put aside themunication device. He had walked out of the room because of how noisy it was. The environment wasn¡¯t suitable to talk to the Executive Manager in.
As soon as he opened the door, a party scene unfolded before him.
¡°The talent show of the 3rd Manager! I¡¯m going to show you something!¡±
¡°Hi, hihehe.¡±
¡°Hey! The cup of the Executive Manager is empty!¡±
Among the three sons-of-bitches, the 2nd Manager was the noisiest. Not only that, he was pouring alcohol for the Executive Manager even though he wasn¡¯t there. The Senior Manager turned his head around and saw a human-sized doll. A picture of Carl¡¯s face was stuck over the doll¡¯s face. The 2nd Manager walked toward it and poured alcohol into the cup in front of it, then threw the contents of the cup at the portrait of Carl.
¡°The Executive Manager is good at drinking!¡±
The 2nd Manager started tough out loud and poured alcohol again. The doll they had set out to improve the atmosphere was turning into the real Executive Manager in the eyes of the 2nd Manager.
The reason behind this party was simple. Because of Carl¡¯s rage after seeing the card and party, the farewell party had been scrapped.
The Managers of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office didn¡¯t give up, however. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Managers said that if they couldn¡¯t hold a farewell party, they could hold a party to celebrate the Executive Manager¡¯s arrival at the Academy.
Earlier in the day, they had finished what they needed to do and put off what they didn¡¯t forter, emptied their afternoon schedule, and started preparing for the party.
¡°I guess this is about the size of the Executive Manager?¡±
¡°Woah, the portrait was beautified.¡±
Because Carl wasn¡¯t there, in his ce was a doll with a portrait of his face. Then, they put together the card Carl had destroyed and put it on top of the doll.
[Ah! An Academy life in your youthful twenties!]
They¡¯d thrown away the meaningless letters. A new,pletely messed-up card was born.
While the 3rd Manager was dancing and the 2nd was pouring alcohol into a portrait, the 1st Manager walked toward the Senior Manager and offered him a cup of alcohol.
¡°Senior Manager, you too. Have a cup!¡±
The Senior Manager grabbed the cup the 1st Manager had offered him and emptied it. Before Carl called, he had already drunk 6 cups of alcohol.
¡°Everything¡¯s okay?¡±
When Carl had asked with uneasiness and anxiety, the Senior Manager replied that nothing much had happened. You could say that he¡¯d deceived his superior¡
¡®Them not having caused any incident is making me more uneasy.¡¯
The Senior Manager thought while looking at the Managers that ¡®hadn¡¯t caused any incident¡¯ going crazy while partying. What Carl didn¡¯t know was that the Senior Manager¡¯s criteria for when the Managers had messed things up were quitex. The Senior Manager didn¡¯t care unless it affected people outside their office because he thought that if he got angry because of what happened in their office, people from the outside would discover how messed up things really were.
Up until now, the Managers had controlled themselves because of Carl, so the Senior Manager¡¯s way of thinking wasn¡¯t known. But sadly, Carl wasn¡¯t there right now.
While looking at the 1st Manager pouring alcohol, the Senior Manager looked at the 5th Manager. He nodded. Although they were like this right now, they would be sober once it was afternoon and time to work. So it wasn¡¯t a big deal.
That¡¯s how the party for Carl, where Carl wasn¡¯t present, kept going on.
Chapter 10: - Unwanted Gathering of Stars (1)
? Unwanted Gathering of Stars (1) ?
After I finished my call with the Senior Manager, I saw the Principal¡¯s Secretary running toward me. She told me she would guide me to my lodgings for the duration of my stay at the Academy.
¡°You were probably ufortable because of the stares of the students. I¡¯m sorry for not apanying you before.¡±
Although the Secretary said that, I felt the real reason was different. It¡¯s likely many people had mentioned that an outsider had been found wandering around the Academy. So the Academy staff, tired of being asked the same thing by the students, quickly sent the Secretary toward me.
¡°There¡¯s no need to be sorry.¡±
I closed my mouth after saying that. Seeing as how she¡¯de looking for me to a ce that was quite far away from the main building, it seemed like she¡¯d really been diligently searching for me. She probably didn¡¯t dare stop the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s Executive Manager, but was also troubled by the students asking what was going on. We¡¯re going to be seeing each other more frequently, maybe I¡¯m being too harsh.
¡®Did I spend too much time with idiots?¡¯
It¡¯s been four years since I became a Civil Servant. During those four years, lots of things happened. I ended up being promoted to Executive Manager. Then, I got saddled with three idiots for nearly two years.
I began having troublemunicating with normal people. One can sue ckpanies, but what happens if the one exploiting is the state?
I sighed and quietly followed the Secretary to where I¡¯d be staying. Was it because it was a room that Managers used before? It was quite decent.
¡°It¡¯s a bit shabby for the Executive Manager to use, but right now, we don¡¯t have anyrger rooms. As soon as one empties, I¡¯ll¡¡±
¡°Ah, there¡¯s no need. I like it.¡±
I thought it was quite decent, but if I said that, what did that make of me? I waved off the Secretary, who was trying to bow, and sent her back. Having her next to me would only make things ufortable. I was someone who could turn the Academy upside down, so she was probably really nervous.
They¡¯re scared of me, but I wasn¡¯t the one that wanted toe here If they¡¯re going to me someone, I hope they me the Minister who sent me here in the first ce. Because of how much I¡¯ve insulted him behind his back, however, he¡¯s probably going to live a very long life.
I sat on the bed, wondering maybe if I said something good about him, something bad would happen. After seeing the Academy and Louise, the protagonist, I finally felt like I¡¯de to the Academy. It felt simr to the first day of doing military service.
Anyway, from tomorrow on, I will have to live as the Prosecutor¡¯s Office Executive Manager in the Academy¡
¡®Damn.¡¯
Thinking about everything I had to do here made me feel tired. The normal job I had to do as a member of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office wasn¡¯t hard. It was just checking out a few documents so even if it took me longer, a week should be more than enough to do everything.
Furthermore, the Academy was a very important institution and had very strict oversight, so there wasn¡¯t much for me to investigate.
There was a rumor that most people wasted time idling away here so they could avoid going back to their normal job.
But that didn¡¯t apply to me.
¡®Louise, Erich, Ainter, Rutis, Lather, and Tannian.¡¯
Although there was an imposter among that group who shared the same blood as me, I had to keep an eye on these six people. The problem was how I should do that.
After dignitaries from the three countries suddenly announced they would enroll in the Academy, their ambassadors began to desperately bang on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs¡¯ door.
Some went as far as asking if it was okay for them to send their country¡¯s entire army. The Empire, of course, said no to all that bullshit.
However, the destiny of members of the royal families and a candidate for Saint was on the line, so they kept trying desperately. Eventually, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conceded, saying they would provide a list of personnel, retire part of the Empire¡¯s security forces, and allow a retinue at the Academy.
The list that the Minister gave me was seriously stacked. There were knights of the royal families and Holy Knights, among others. It was no joke.
¡®They were few only in numbers.¡¯
Their actualbat strength was considerable.
Because of this, the Empire also reced their forces with a few elites. They ensured they were stronger than the ones sent by the other countries, but the Empire had reduced the number of their forces, just like the other countries had asked. What could they do even if they didn¡¯t like it? The Empire was the most powerful country.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, thanks to this, ended up receiving a lot of concessions from other countries, but I was the one being sold. Why did the bastards from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs receive the proceeds?
Anyway, what mattered was that there were numerous people from the three countries here. They should¡¯ve also noticed that there was a change in the representative from the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. The Empire had stationed someone from the Prosecutor¡¯s Office long term, but it was just an excuse they used to put someone else in the Academy.
Someone like that would be taking a closer look at the important people of each country? Ah, even I wouldn¡¯t be able toin. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if someone in protective detail came running toward me and grabbed me by my throat.
¡®Not only that, but it was a fact that the number of people had decreased¡¡¯
Although there wasn¡¯t that much of a change in terms of the strength of the forces, it was true that the number of people had decreased. Even a superhuman had only one body, after all. Unexpected things might happen unless they were able to create multiple copies of their own body.
The good thing was that there used to be too many forces in the Academy, so even if many of them were transferred away, there were still a decent number of people. Regardless of that, I had to be careful.
¡°How shitty.¡±
I had finished organizing. Just as I thought, my situation was horrible.
I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. In the Academy, there were forces of the three countries and the staff of the Academy. Unless someone crazy appeared, nothing much was going to happen. Basically, the problem was the miracle six.
To be honest, Erich seemed to be the one whocked the most among them, so wouldn¡¯t it be okay to say five? Although he was my little brother, it was true. There¡¯s nothing I could do about it.
Getting close to them naturally was of the utmost priority, but right now, they would be impossible to approach because of how suspicious the three countries were. Although security wasx during sses, I couldn¡¯t take advantage of this because of my identity as a Prosecutor.
Prosecuting a student? Hey student, I¡¯m a Prosecutor. Could I check out your wallet? There¡¯s no way I could do something like that.
I had no other choice but to observe from a distance and try to find my opportunity. After making a negative conclusion, Iy down on the bed. Would I get the opportunity to approach them?
* * *
The second week of the new semester. The students had to choose one of the many circles to join. Of course, since most of the students were of blue blood, rather than for their personal interests, they picked a circle that was better for making connections.
Not only that, but there was a chance they¡¯d be able to build rtionships with Academy alumnus who had been part of the same circle. So circles were primarily ces used to build connections.
Louise just liked being around people, so these kinds ofplex things weren¡¯t of her interest. She just liked the idea of hanging out with her friends and spending time with them while sharing a hobby. After casually hearing about circles from her father, she had really high hopes for them.
Were the heavens trying to obstruct her? After realizing that instead of joining a circle, she could create one, Louise tried to start her own, but she ended up encountering a wall. To create a circle, you needed to gather at least three students. Louise thought she¡¯d be able to do that easily, but failed.
She¡¯d heard from Irina and other students that they¡¯d already joined other circles. Although they liked Louise, they couldn¡¯t give up on their duty as nobles and build connections. If Louise were really desperate, they¡¯d have thought about it, but wasn¡¯t it just a circle?
¡°Louise, let¡¯s just join a circle.¡±
Louise lowered her head sadly at the proposal of Erich, the only one who¡¯d epted her request. She wouldn¡¯t have been so disappointed if she never knew she could create a circle.
¡°But¡ I wanted to create a pastry circle¡¡±
Tears appeared in her eyes that were clear as the sky. Erich felt bad while seeing that, but there was nothing he could do about it. After all, it wasn¡¯t like he could sign up as ¡®E¡¯ and ¡®Rich.¡¯ But as if the sky were saying that it had made fun of Louise enough, it gave her a hammer that could break the wall.
¡°Ms. Louise. Did you get members for your circle?¡±
A young gentleman with blonde hair and purple eyes that characterized the royal family. The third prince of the Empire, Ainter Livnoman. The person Carl had done his best to avoid in the morning walked toward Louise.
¡°Ah, Prince!¡±
¡°Your Highness.¡±
As Louise and Erich quickly got up, Ainterughed and tried to stop them.
¡°Don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯re all here to learn, after all.¡±
It was true that, on paper, all students in the Academy were equal. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that the Academy onlysted for three years while life after the Academysted for way longer¡ Leaving that aside, Ainterughed after reading that only two members were written in the list.
¡°Thankfully, it seems like including me, it will just be three people.¡±
¡°Yes¡?¡±
Louise¡¯s eyes widened after hearing that. Erich also looked at Ainter in surprise. Regardless of how they looked at him, Ainter wrote his name on the paper.
Then finally, Louise was able to smile. After seeing her happy, Ainter also made a satisfied smile.
That¡¯s how the third prince of the Empire became the second one trapped by the catnip called Louise.
The pretty girl with pink hair, Louise, grabbed the circle-forming petition with a smile and ran. Now, she just had to find a teacher who would help them.
¡®I can probably find one quickly!¡¯
Thankfully, there were many teachers that liked her, so she would probably be able to find one willing to be their advisor soon. Louise firmly believed so. She was already feeling happy and busy with thoughts of giving her friends the snacks she¡¯d made.
Chapter 11: - Unwanted Gathering of Stars (2)
? Unwanted Gathering of Stars (2) ?
I was lying in bed thinking about how to look out for the six when I fell asleep. After being sent away from the Prosecutor¡¯s Office and enduring the carriage ride, simply resting in a room was a luxury. The bed wasn¡¯t furniture but magic. That¡¯s how my second day at the Academy ended.
After waking up, nothing had changed. I still didn¡¯t know what to do. I even considered if I should go to each of the three countries and say, ¡®Just let them be. They already know how important those students and yet they still chose to send them here.¡¯
¡®Should I act crazy and go to the other countries?¡¯
If I do that, there¡¯s a chance the Minister of Foreign Affairs will try to kill me.
I scratched my head a bit but decided to go to the main building for the moment. Maybe I would get an idea while walking to the Academy. Not only that, but I should at least act as if I were working. After all, why would a Prosecutor who didn¡¯t work be at the Academy?
After arriving at the main building, something pink entered my sight.
¡®Why is she there?¡¯
I saw a pink-haired girl, Louise, walking. sses were about to start, so why was she here?
¡°Louise.¡±
I hesitated for a bit but ended up calling her. Although I¡¯d tried to avoid her on the first day, having a good rtionship with her would make things easier. After all, even if I did nothing, the foreign guys would probably get dragged to her. Thankfully, between me and her was a bridge called ¡®brother of her friend.¡¯
Now that I think about it, I¡¯m not that d. Erich, you bastard.
It seemed like Louise remembered me. Vitality returned to her face. She came running to me and bowed. Indeed, she¡¯s a good girl.
¡°Mr. Carl, hello!¡±
I nodded and looked at the paper she was holding. Hmm, was that why she came here? Anyway, I opened my mouth as if I were happy to see her.
¡°It¡¯s been a day. So, what brings you here?¡±
¡°I¡¯m trying to form a club. I was looking for a teacher willing to be our advisor.¡±
¡°Club?¡±
I looked at the paper I¡¯d seen before. Was that paper she was holding so carefully the petition? After realizing I was looking at it, she showed it to me as if saying, ¡®This is the petition!¡¯ There was no need to do that.
¡°Can I take a look?¡±
¡°Of course!¡±
If she says that, it¡¯s okay. Oh well. I was wondering what kind of club the protagonist made. It was a pastry club. It seemed quite normal. The reason was also okay. To make delicious pastries that can revitalize the students exhausted by their academics.
The club members consisted of the leader Louise Naird, the second member, Erich Krasius, as expected, andstly, the third member¡
¡®Did a second one already get lured in?¡¯
The Empire¡¯s third prince, Ainter Livnoman. I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. Because I saw him near Louise, I thought there might have been a chance. But to think that he would be number two. I didn¡¯t expect that. Was there a number three yet? There was probably none because thest member was the third prince.
I looked at Louise in surprise. It had only been ten days since sses had started. She¡¯d probably never even seen the third prince before, yet he¡¯d already fallen for her. The third prince, is someone known for being socially adept.
¡°Ehm, it looks good.¡±
There wasn¡¯t anything to say, so I returned it to her. Despite my positive opinion, Louise replied in a sad manner.
¡°But, I can¡¯t get anyone to be the advisor¡¡±
¡®Obviously.¡¯
No one in their right mind would be willing to be in charge of a club containing the third prince. If you were lucky, you might leave a positive impression on the third prince. The problem was no one knew what would happen if you made even a tiny mistake. It was as if your life was a gacha with an unknown rate.
Of course, that didn¡¯t really matter to me. I¡¯ve seen members of the royal family a few times before, so I didn¡¯t feel overwhelmed by the third prince. After all, I¡¯de here to keep an eye on people. I couldn¡¯t get intimidated by the ones I had to watch.
¡®Advisor¡¡¯
I needed an excuse to approach important people. If it were a club made by Louise, other people would probably get drawn to it. Then, shouldn¡¯t I only focus on managing the club? I wondered if I could be an advisor. I should check this with the Principalter.
I told Louise that she would probably find someone soon and sent her back.
Of course, such a person wouldn¡¯t appear unless someone was chosen to be the sacrificialmb.
I was nning to offer myself before such a sacrificialmb was born. Louise would be able to create the club, the teachers would have avoided a bomb, and I would be able to do my jobfortably. Wasn¡¯t this the best choice for everyone?
The Principal tilted his head as if I had said something he¡¯d never expected. I understand. After all, I also didn¡¯t know I would be an advisor to a club in the Academy.
¡°Can I?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure. Because it isn¡¯t something that has happened before¡¡±
The Principal touched his beard while making a troubled expression. I would have been more surprised if this had happened before. What kind of idiot would try to be a club tutor while bearing the Prosecutor badge?
But the Principal knew that none of the teachers wanted to have anything to do with the third prince, and it was something that the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office had requested, so he nodded.
¡°I¡¯ll check the conditions. I¡¯ll tell you if it¡¯s possible.¡±
¡°Principal, I¡¯m sorry for asking a favor like this.¡±
¡°Haha. It¡¯s okay.¡±
Amazingly, a solution was found in just an hour. The Vice Principal, who was dripping cold sweat, was the one who¡¯d found the solution.
¡°Among what the Prosecutor can do, it¡¯s said that he can get involved in what happens in the Academy. It¡¯s probably an authority that was given just in case they required it to perform their duties.¡±
The Vice Principal had brought a book and began exining. If the Prosecutor could get involved in what happened in the Academy, one could say that he could get involved with a club, which was one of the jobs the faculty did.
¡°To be honest, it¡¯s a convenient exnation, but it doesn¡¯t say anywhere that a Prosecutor can¡¯t interfere with a club.¡±
¡°It seems like too much of a convenient exnation. Is that okay?¡±
¡°This is the only choice.¡±
The Vice Principal looked at me as if he were saying, ¡®hey, you were the one who wanted to be a club¡¯s advisor.¡¯ Yes, it was me¡
In the end, we decided to do as the Vice Principal said. It was based on a vague interpretation, but there was no other way.
I also asked the Principal to quietly watch the forces of the three countries at the Academy. As a Prosecutor, I was probably already the focus of his worries, so I understood that me bing an advisor of a club was concerning to him. I felt sorry for using the Principal as if he were the Senior Manager, but this was all for a greater cause. He would probably understand.
The answer was simple.
?Our kingdom respects the will of the Empire. As long as it doesn¡¯t do something that goes against our beliefs, we won¡¯t interfere.?
?As long as the Prosecutor doesn¡¯t do something beyond his station, we will leave this to the Empire.?
?God considers hard work as a virtue.?
In order, these were the replies from the Armein Kingdom, the United Kingdom of Yuben, and the Holy Kingdom. The Prosecutor was going to stay at the Academy anyway, so it seemed like they were trying not to make a huge deal out of something like this. After all, they didn¡¯t have anything to gain by refusing.
It would be better to take a step back to avoid having trouble with the Empire. They were probably nning to yield now in order to save their political capital for something more importantter. Given their information, they weren¡¯t wrong to do so.
¡®If they knew their dignitaries were going to join the club, they would have refused for sure.¡¯
Currently, the club only had three members, all from the Empire, but soon, important people from Armein, Yuben, and the Holy Kingdom would also probably join. Once that happens, those nations¡¯ people were probably going to lose their minds.
¡°Sadly¡¡±
It didn¡¯t matter what they said. They were beings that had to follow the orders of their superior. I closed my eyes at the sudden sense of empathy. I felt ufortable at the thought that I had put other people in a simr position to me in a very ufortable ce.
But there¡¯s nothing to be done about it. First, I should try to save myself. Only then should I think about others.
If they had any objections, they could also bring someone whose soul hade from another world. That is, if they had one.
Everyone ended up agreeing to me bing the advisor of the ¡®Pastry Club.¡¯ At around lunchtime, I saw Louise still searching for an advisor. I approached her and told her I ended up being put in charge. Her eyes became wide open, and then she smiled brightly. I only had a gloomy little brother, so looking at her made me feel like I was looking at a little sister.
Chapter 12: - Unwanted Gathering of Stars (3)
? Unwanted Gathering of Stars (3) ?
I took the bomb that no member of the Academy¡¯s staff wanted and defused it.
¡°I¡¯m Carl Krasius, the advisor of this club. It seems like I¡¯ve met everyone before. I hope we get along well.¡±
I looked at the club¡¯s members, whom I became able to monitor with the excuse of being their advisor. Louise was smiling brightly, Erich¡¯s eyes were shaking, and Ainter was grinning as usual. Thinking that three more people would join soon disheartened me.
¡°Since we¡¯ll see each other often, I¡¯d like to speak more casually. Is there anyone who isn¡¯tfortable with that?¡±
I was nning to talk to them without honorifics. It was something I had said for Ainter, but he just shook his head. It seems like it was okay. I was satisfied with the result.
¡°Although I¡¯m the club advisor, you don¡¯t need to be wary of me. If something happens, feel free toe talk to me. Treat mefortably.¡±
I didn¡¯t have anything special to say, so I finished my presentation. I¡¯d never been part of a club, so I wasn¡¯t sure what an advisor¡¯s job was. Based on what the Principal said, there seemed to be little to do. Just check in from time to time and make sure everything¡¯s okay.
That was just what I wanted. The other Academy staff might feel intimidated by the prince¡¯s presence, but I was the opposite. I was about to go crazy because I couldn¡¯t find an excuse to get close. I felt bad for the person that was in this position in the original novel.
However, I didn¡¯t need to feel bad about something that didn¡¯t happen. After all, I was now the one in that position. Louise, who had created this mess, looked happily at the ingredients and baking equipment. Her eyes were shining so much that if the staff that had brought the supplies heard about it, they¡¯d be happy for sure.
Erich was looking at Louise with a warm gaze. After his eyes met mine, he turned his face around. Now that I think about it, I had been nning to meet with Erich more often since I came to the Academy. Thankfully I¡¯d be the advisor, and he the club member. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to improve my rtionship with Erich from now on. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s also going to be happy.
* * *
As Erich¡¯s eyes met Carl¡¯s, he turned his face around. He knew he didn¡¯t need to do that, but his body couldn¡¯t help but react. He¡¯d struggled his whole life because of the gaze of the lord. It was understandable that his body would instinctively avoid someone whose eyes bore such a resemnce to the lord¡¯s.
¡®I shouldn¡¯t be like this.¡¯
They weren¡¯t close even when they were children, but it wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t have a rtionship at all. Erich didn¡¯t have any other brothers, so he couldn¡¯t distance himself from his only brother.
He¡¯d finally be able to enjoy the club life along with Louise.
¡®This is the perfect opportunity to be with Louise even during the hours when we have clubs.¡¯
There was also a chance they might be able to meet outside of ss, using the club as an excuse.
Although there was a third wheel called Imperial Prince, he couldn¡¯t give up on this opportunity. When he heard that Carl would be the advisor of the club, Erich felt like everything was about to crumble, but this was actually a good opportunity for him. If he couldn¡¯t ovee his fear of Carl, he wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy life alongside Louise!
That¡¯s how a man blinded by love gathered the courage to face the trauma that had been hounding him for years.
* * *
While Erich was moving out of the darkness and into the light, Ainter was feeling ufortable. The cause of his difort was Carl, who was looking at Louise as if he were impressed by her. She had assembled all the ingredients necessary to bake a cookie on the table.
¡®I heard that he was going toe¡¡¯
But he never imagined he¡¯d meet him like that. Ainter¡¯s eyes sank a bit.
Ainter putting his name down for Louise¡¯s club was an unreasonable move. Although members of the Imperial Family had joined the Academy before, none had joined a club. The reason was that they wanted to avoid putting an unnecessary burden on the staff member who would be the advisor.
Among the princes, there was a battle for session to the throne. If a prince joined a club and came in contact with other nobles, there was a chance those nobles would already be considered to be part of his faction. Even if he weren¡¯t, there was a chance that the other princes would consider that noble a part of that prince¡¯s faction, and they would be forcibly made part of his faction.
That¡¯s why, to avoid these kinds of incidents, the Imperial Family members avoided joining any club to avoid putting nobles in such an ufortable position. However, two years ago, after a longpetition, the first prince was chosen as the sessor to the throne.
But if the third prince, who¡¯d been living rtively quietly, suddenly vited the rule and joined a club? The first prince probably wanted to hang Ainter from a rope right now.
Just like the second prince, Ainter was also the son of the second wife of the Emperor, and he was the final remainingpetitor.
After the first prince was made the heir, the second wife of the Emperor and the second prince were cast aside. The des of the Prosecutors, which had previously been pointed at the second prince, turned towards him, and, because they had the backing of the first prince, he couldn¡¯t do anything against them.
¡°Your Highness, the prince is very satisfied with Your Highness¡¯s decision.¡±
At that time, the one who led the Prosecutors entering the third prince¡¯s pce was Carl Krasius. He was someone who had turned the Empire upside down after being the youngest person to be an Executive Manager.
¡°Your Highness, didn¡¯t join the second prince and remained quiet until the end. That was a wise choice.¡±
Ainter smiled bitterly after seeing Carl smile. His mother had shouted at him asking whose son he was and his brother from the same mother had red angrily at him, but still, Ainter remained silent. The second prince ended up dying a mysterious death, and the second wife of the Emperor was cast aside. Despite that, Ainter had survived.
¡°The prince doesn¡¯t want any more incidents in the Imperial Family.¡±
¡°Although we aren¡¯t brothers from the same mother, we have the same father, so I¡¯m sure that we wish for the same thing.¡±
¡°You¡¯re certainly wise.¡±
Carl had just warned him. If you don¡¯t want to die, shut up. After that brief conversation, Carl stood up while wearing a fake smile like a mask.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing an incident in Your Highness¡¯s pce. We weren¡¯t able to find anything. It seems like it had been a plot by people against Your Highness. I¡¯m going to punish them. I hope you forgive me.¡±
¡°It¡¯s something that can happen. I understand.¡±
After that, the third prince heeded Carl¡¯s warning and lived a low-profile life. With the backing of the Emperor and the first prince, the Prosecutor¡¯s office made the supporters of the second prince fall from grace. Not only that, but he maintained his silence when part of his mother¡¯s family, the Marquis of Asilon, was swept away. That was the reason why Ainter was still alive, and he had nned to continue living like that in the future too.
But Ainter¡¯s life changed after he met a girl. Ainter used to walk around the campus with followers that were, in reality, people put in ce to monitor him. A girl with pink hair entered his eyes. Like the first prince wanted, he nned to live a quiet life in the Academy. Him talking to that girl was on a whim.
¡°I, I¡¯m Louise Naird!¡±
Although he had no real authority, Ainter was still a prince, so the girl trembled while replying to him. Ainter encountered Louise many times afterward, and Louise became morefortable around him thanks to their increasing familiarity. Ainter began feeling a warmth from her that he¡¯d never felt from anyone else before.
It had started because of a whim. Their acquaintance was short, but the feelings were real. Ainter was sure of that. That¡¯s why he wrote his name down without hesitation when he heard that Louise was looking for members. There was a chance that the prince would want to deal with him because of this incident. There was a chance that Carl would be his de and eliminate Ainter.
But still, Ainter decided to push forward. He wasn¡¯t going to be silent this time, Ainter reassured himself while looking at Louise, whose face was covered in flour, and Carl, who was next to her.
* * *
¡®Is she doing well¡?¡¯
I began wondering that after seeing Louise working really hard. I¡¯d never baked anything so I had no way of knowing, but she was proceeding confidently, so I guess she was doing a good job. There was also arge variety of equipment and ingredients, so she probably wouldn¡¯tck anything.
I looked at the small oven. Since the original story was set in a fantasy, most of the items worked thanks to magic. I was astounded after seeing the telephone tapping device, location tracker, and trail camera, among many other such devices. In such a situation, I would¡¯ve been disappointed if there wasn¡¯t an oven.
I was looking at the oven when my eyes met with Ainter. He was still smiling, so I had no idea what he was thinking. Ist saw him in his pce two years ago.
¡®I was too harsh with him.¡¯
In this world, one bes an adult at 17 years of age, but when I spoke to Ainter for the first time, he was only 15 years old. Even if it was because of the first prince¡¯s order, I couldn¡¯t help but think I¡¯d gone too far with a 15-year-old kid.
Two years ago, the incident in the North hade to an end, and the first prince had won the fight for the throne. At that moment, there was such ack of personnel that if you¡¯d survived and had maintained your job in the public sector, you would¡¯ve gotten promoted. That¡¯s how much the Empire was struggling with theck of personnel.
The people who survived and proved their ability ascended. The Minister and I were among the victims. I feel like the Minister had be angrier ever since that moment.
No¡ Even before bing a Minister, that person got angry for nothing. I almost gilded his memory.
Anyway, I had gone through many things in the North, and not only that, I ended up bing an Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office so my psychological state wasn¡¯t normal. I was often stressed out because of the job, and I ended up pressuring Ainter more than necessary, although the prince seemed satisfied. What a weirdo.
I wondered why there were only people I felt apologetic to were in the club. Because of my guilty feelings, I ended up looking at Louise. Did she notice my gaze upon her? Louise tilted her head and looked at me as if she were asking what was wrong.
I¡¯m d I haven¡¯t done anything to you to feel guilty about. No, it¡¯s the opposite. You¡¯re the one who should be feeling guilty.
After all, if you weren¡¯t a capybara¡ I wouldn¡¯t have needed toe here¡
Chapter 13: - Unwanted Gathering of Stars (4)
? Unwanted Gathering of Stars (4) ?
Baking a cookie took more time than I expected. I thought it would be sufficient to work the dough a bit and then put it in the oven, but she did many other things as well.
¡°It¡¯s done!¡±
It waspleted while I was looking on nkly. After hearing it was done, Erich and Ainter got close.
Although the club¡¯s leader had started working, they hadn¡¯t helped at all despite them being members. Even if their ultimate goal wasn¡¯t baking treats, wasn¡¯t this too much? But thankfully, it seemed like Louise didn¡¯t mind that.
¡®You dumbass.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but think that while looking at Erich. He was the one with the worst standing. He only had a chance if he could manage to interact with her more. He needed to stand next to her at least and act as if they had a hobby inmon, but he wasn¡¯t even doing that.
It was surprising. I hadn¡¯t seen Louise many times, but regardless of that, I¡¯d always wonder why folks like him would act like that around people like her. Ainter was also just like Erich. Does falling in love decrease your mental capabilities? If they¡¯re both afflicted with the mind-down status, I should help Erich.
You dumbass. You need to do things like this to be able topete.
¡°Everyone, please have a taste.¡±
After hearing that, Erich expectantly turned his gaze toward Louise¡¯s cookies. Since she¡¯d already made it, I should taste it also.
As I tried to extend my hand toward the cookie, she grabbed one and gave it to me.
Is it elders first?
I was moved after seeing an Asian tradition in a romance-fantasy world like this. I could see the two ring at me from behind Louise.
Don¡¯t try to make me yourpetitor. Also, if you¡¯re going to be jealous, you should¡¯ve at least helped. How dare you get offended when you haven¡¯t done anything?
¡°Thank you.¡±
I grabbed the cookie Louise gave me and took a bite of it. Usually, in novels like this, the food tastes either delicious or horrible. Thankfully, it was good.
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°Hmm¡¡±
For some reason, the expressions of the two that ate after me weren¡¯t normal. As soon as they ate, they were sneaking glimpses of Louise. What? Why are they acting like that?
¡°It¡¯s delicious. You could sell them.¡±
¡°Ms. Louise, it¡¯s delicious.¡±
Unlike the wordsing out of their mouths, their eyes were honest. If Louise hadn¡¯t been so happy with our appraisal, she would¡¯ve noticed it for sure.
It¡¯s delicious. Why are they reacting like that? Are their taste buds luxurious and mine cheap?
I took another bite of the cookie. It was still delicious.
The problem wasn¡¯t me unless the cookie tasted like Russian roulette, but there was no way that was the case.
¡®You bastards who never had to worry about meals.¡¯
That¡¯s how the first club meeting ended.
I never imagined the cookie I ate yesterday would be the price I paid to cross the river to the other side.
¡°Oh, hello. I came here to join the club.¡±
I looked at the owner of the voice.
I¡¯m unsure how he found out, but Rutis Robens, the Third Prince of the Armein Kingdom, hade to see me and asked to join the club.
He came to the pastry club room which I was using as my quiet hideout and ruined my serene morning.
¡°I¡¯m in charge of the pastry club.¡±
¡°Then I came to the correct ce!¡±
Someone who looked like he could demolish a building with a single punch said while smiling.
Okay, I understand. You¡¯re the third victim.
This week, people had to choose a club, so I imagined that the foreign three would all gather. I epted Rutis¡¯s request while thinking what was bound to happen would happen.
¡°I heard I had toe and see you if I wanted to join the pastry club.¡±
Two hours after Rutis left, the Second Prince of the United Kingdom of Yuben, Lather Ostia, came to see me.
¡°¡¡±
¡®Did these bastards n this out?¡¯
Two came on the same day. What¡¯s up with the two hours of difference? Was it his way of giving me some time to prepare? Anyway, unlike Rutis, he was skinny. He was definitely Lather. I greeted the fourth victim of the capybara, who was looking at me with an icy gaze.
¡°Nice to meet you, sir. I heard you¡¯re the advisor of the pastry club and came to meet you.¡±
After another two hours, the fifth one came. After seeing Lather, I thought there was no way, but it became a reality. I wonder, why are ominous feelings always right?
¡°You came to join the club?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±
¡°Your name?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Tannian Enes, from the Holy Kingdom.¡±
I know. I just asked for courtesy.
I quietly wrote Tannian¡¯s name. To think that the number of members has doubled in just a day. I¡¯m sure Louise is going to be happy¡
After watching Tannian walk out of the club¡¯s room, Iid back into the seat. On the second day of the club¡¯s formation, all six had gathered. It was a sess. Now, I just had to watch over these six alone. It was a horrible future.
How strange. There¡¯s a game in which you win if you gather all five pieces, but I had gathered six. Why had nothing happened? Instead of something good, my struggles had increased.
I covered my face while looking up at the ceiling. There was some time left before the weekend so I had let down my guard. By some sort of miracle, all three had decided to join on the same day. It was something that seemed like a lie.
¡®She made the three fall for her in a single day?¡¯
How? Was that even physically possible? The only ones I got involved with were crazy people, never a love interest.
My resentment toward Louise quickly transferred to the three foreigners. Usually, if they fell for a nobledy from another nation, they would choose to suppress their feelings and cut ties on their own. What are they doing?
It was already toote. I couldn¡¯t stop them, and I couldn¡¯t help but go with the flow of the story.
I closed my eyes, hoping that when I opened them again, I¡¯d be in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.
¡°As you can see, we have three new members. Everyone, don¡¯t fight and get along.¡±
Please.
As I spoke as if I were talking to kindergarteners, Rutisughed as if he understood my feelings.
You bastard, how dare youugh¡?
¡°You¡¯re worrying too much! Everyone knows how to act properly, so don¡¯t worry!¡±
I just nodded at the words of Rutis, which made me even more worried, and turned my head around. I could believe in the capability of royals to restrict themselves, but because the original story was also involved in this, my trust was quickly lost. My heart began beating fast after remembering the original story that could hit me anytime.
¡°We met again. Were you also part of this club?¡±
While I was busy with Rutis, Lather approached Louise and greeted her. He joined because of her, yet he was trying to act dumb. Howme.
¡°Hello! You were Mr. Lather, right¡?¡±
¡°You can just call me Lather.¡±
Lather¡¯s cold expression had melted.
¡®Fuck.¡¯
Looking at such expressions of men wasn¡¯t among my hobbies, but because the number of members had increased, I could see at least one no matter where I looked. How horrible. Should I walk around with my eyes closed?
Anyway, because Lather had moved first, the other members also began walking toward Louise. It seemed like the two original members weren¡¯t expecting more people to join.
¡®This reminds me of something.¡¯
Seeing Louise surrounded by five men reminded me of a famous politician taking a stroll in the market. I sent my prayers toward Louise. I was resentful of her for being the cause of all of my problems, but then I remembered she didn¡¯t have any ill intent so I felt sorry for her instead.
I was thinking about that when I saw someone at the window. It was the Vice Principal.
As my eyes met with him, he bowed and showed me a letter in his hands.
What? Why did someone send a letter to me?
It seemed like the six were still greeting each other, so I quietly walked out of the room and walked toward the Vice Principal.
¡°What brings you here?¡±
The Vice Principal, who was slowly turning into my personal messenger because of the crime of not teaching any sses, handed me the letter he¡¯d shown me before and then said quietly.
¡°It¡¯s a correspondence from the three countries.¡±
That was more than enough. It seemed like the three countries had realized what had happened. After saying thanks to the Vice Principal, I quietly began reading the content. Leaving all the formalities aside, the essence could be distilled down to this.
We hope to meet the Prosecutor as soon as possible
¡®Not the advisor, but the Prosecutor.¡¯
It was as if they were asking if this incident was something the Empire had prepared beforehand. It was obvious that the three countries were troubled because of what had happened.
I looked at the six people from the window.
The Empire¡ gathered them on purpose?
Even if it¡¯s to rify the misunderstanding, I¡¯ll have to meet up with them as soon as possible. Because the six gathered faster than I had expected, the encounter with the three countries also ended up happening earlier.
Chapter 14: - Unwanted Gathering of Stars (5)
? Unwanted Gathering of Stars (5) ?
Due to an evil conspiracy of the Empire, the key figures of their kingdoms were ced under the surveince of a shady Imperial Official. This is the suspicion that the three kingdoms currently harbor.
¡®Bullshit.¡¯
And as for me, the ¡°shady Imperial Officer¡± who had been suspected, it was nothing but a heartbreaking misunderstanding. It was me who wanted to ask the three kingdoms. How was it possible for me to induce the actions of influential figures such as the royal family and saint candidates so easily? If I could do that, I would be working for the Special Service Agency, not the Ministry of Finance.
Of course, I could understand why the three kingdoms were suspicious. Logically, the possibility that it was the work of the Empire was slightly higher than the possibility of joining a club because of a girl. It¡¯s problematic because both possibilities are ridiculous, but one of them had actually urred.
¡°Tell them they cane to the club room tomorrow afternoon.¡±
After thinking about it for a while, I told the Vice Principal. If this misunderstanding is left alone for too long, it could grow in a strange direction. Right now, the three kingdoms may simply regard it as a trick to keep their key figures under surveince, but they might soon think that the Empire is using their key figures as bait tomit heinous acts against them.
The Vice Principal also understood that quick contact with the three kingdoms was important, so he epted it without resistance. Although the truth was that even if he had someints, there was nothing he could do about it. I felt sorry for using him as a messenger, but I¡¯m sure the other staff of the Academy would get scared if I talked to them.
¡°Yes. I¡¯ll send them the message immediately.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
As I returned to the club room after sending the Vice Principal back, I saw that Louise was still struggling in the middle. But no matter how much she was the protagonist of the story, it was strange that Louise, who was only from a baron family, is fine among them.
Still, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing, because the more Louise could hold onto those five, the morefortable I would be. Maybe Louise had the talent to be a tanker?
¡°Ah, oppa!¡±
As soon as I thought that, the aggro turned towards me. Louise turned her gaze to me, and so did the other five.
Aren¡¯t you ring at me too much? What¡¯s wrong with being called oppa? It¡¯s not my fault that I was born earlier than you were.
Surrounded by them, Louise broke through the human wall and looked up at me.
¡°Where did you go? I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d gone out.¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that someone came looking for me.¡±
I couldn¡¯t bear to say that ¡®Several kingdoms were turned upside down because the men who were bewitched by you gathered in one ce.¡¯ Louise nodded at my answer and then walked toward the shelf with a smile on her face.
¡°I was just about to share yesterday¡¯s leftover cookies, to celebrate the addition of our new members!¡±
Louise tilted her head after opening the cookie jar.
¡°Huh? Is this all that¡¯s left?¡±
I ate a few today. I became a bit dizzy after being mentally punched three times, so I needed some sugar. Sorry, I thought I was the only one who was going to eat them anyway.
I looked at Louise, who was giving the remaining cookies to the other members.
The next day, after confirming that the three new recruits also had picky taste.
¡°I¡¯m Vir Ganelli, a Knight of the Armein Royal Knights.¡±
A representative of the three kingdoms came to the club room. He had a blunt look, and when he keeps his mouth shut, I feel like I¡¯m looking at a tightly shut castle gate. As a Knight belonging to the Royal Knights of the Armenian Kingdom, it seemed like he was a higher-ranking Knight among those in the Academy. He was probably the 4th or 5th most important person among the Royal Knights.
¡°Nice to meet you, Sir Vir. Thanks foring.¡±
¡°We were the ones who asked to see you first, so this was the least that I could do.¡±
After exchanging a handshake, I invited Vir to take a seat. To think that only one person came from the three kingdoms¡
¡®It seems like they¡¯ve already agreed to coborate.¡¯
After reading the letter the Vice Principal gave me, I was expecting it, but seeing that only one person came, it seemed like the three kingdoms had indeed agreed to coborate. Well, I guess it makes sense. While in the Empire¡¯s territory, rather than each being on their own, a 1:3 formation should be more beneficial to them. That¡¯s probably why someone from Armein, the strongest among the three, came as a representative.
If the representative from the three kingdoms was the 4th or 5th most important Royal Knight, it would befortable for me to deal with. They sent me to the Academy to use my rank to overwhelm most people from the three kingdoms. But as expected, being the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office didn¡¯t suit me.
¡°We¡¯re probably going to be neighbors, but we didn¡¯t have the opportunity to meet each other before. If it weren¡¯t for Sir Vir, I don¡¯t know when we would¡¯ve met.¡±
In other words, I¡¯ve been busy these days because of you guys crawling up into the Academy and bothering me. I was actually hoping to avoid meeting you, but you asked for it, so here we are.
¡°As the visitor, it¡¯s our duty to ask first, but we weren¡¯t able to ask until now because we were scared that we would interfere with your duties.¡±
In other words, It¡¯s not like we wanted toe here or anything, but it seemed like you were doing weird things with the excuse of being the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.
I asked a few questions to test him, but he replied normally. They seemed cautious about important people gathering in the club that the Prosecutor was in charge of, but they didn¡¯t seem to have anyints besides that. Not only that, but they seemed to think that them being in the Academy itself was a problem.
¡®He seems to be the typical knight.¡¯
From the three kingdoms¡¯ point of view, the admission of their key figures was a sudden decision, and the dispatch of the escort force was the result of a fierce tug-of-war. That¡¯s why they probably couldn¡¯t find someone who was strong, had a high ranking, could talk well, and could negotiate. The result of that was the Knight in front of me. To me, he was afortable person to talk with.
Of course, it wasn¡¯t that I had all those qualities. It was just that because of being an Executive Manager and a Prosecutor, my authority was wide. Anyway, it was good that the representative of the three kingdoms was someone I would have an easy time dealing with.
I immediately smiled and opened my mouth.
Good, let¡¯s work together until the end.
¡°Thanks for your consideration. As you¡¯ve said, I¡¯ve been really busy, especially because I¡¯ve never worked as the Advisor of the club.¡±
Vir seemed surprised. Although the club was the reason why he came, it seemed like he wasn¡¯t expecting me to mention it first. He remained silent for a while but finally decided to speak directly.
Yes, you¡¯re also morefortable with this way of speaking.
¡°I heard the news. It seems like a noble of the Empire has decided to make a pastry club to make snacks for her friends. I haven¡¯t seen her, but she seems to be a good person. It seems like the Empire¡¯s Prince also thought that, seeing how he has joined the club.¡±
¡°Yes. People from the United Kingdom of Yuben and the Holy Kingdom also joined. I was surprised because of that.¡±
¡°I also heard that. You must be going through a lot.¡±
¡°Well, the club is open to everyone, so it isn¡¯t weird for anyone to join. I just need to be a little more careful, so it isn¡¯t that hard.¡±
I told him that people from the three kingdoms joining the pastry club was a simple coincidence. Vir noticed that I had chosen to speak honestly without beating around the bush, but he seems to be struggling with whether to trust me or not.
If so, then I should help him decide.
¡°I was surprised about how passionate those important people were about the club.¡±
If they were forced out of the club or the club itself was destroyed, we don¡¯t know how they would react after falling for Louise.
¡°I¡¯m also worried that some kind of fight might break out.¡±
If trouble happened because of the representative of the three kingdoms, I would also get into trouble. No, as the advisor, I would probably be the first to be held ountable.
¡°In reality, I want to put someone else in charge¡ Haha, but that isn¡¯t possible, so I¡¯m the one dealing with it.¡±
If I give up on this, one of you would have to take my ce. Do you want to try it?
When I gently patted his back as he struggled, Vir closed his eyes tightly.
***
¡®It seems like it all ended well.¡¯
Vir ended up going back after asking a few more questions. The higher-ups were probably already pressuring him, and he had to deal with his subordinates too. Not only that, but he became the representative of the three kingdoms. The other two kingdoms were probably going to pressure him from now on with questions like, ¡®Why can you only do this much? Is this the best you can do?¡¯
Not only that but kicking them out of the club or making it disappear was impossible. If something like that happened, their anger would be unimaginable.
In the end, if they wanted to keep the club going on without the eyes of the Empire, I must give up on being the Advisor. But what would happen then?
All the staff of the Academy would try their best not to get involved with this, and there¡¯s a chance that the three kingdoms will take over for removing a perfectly good Imperial Advisor.
If there was someone with a high chance of being my sessor, that was Vir. And while he¡¯s at it, he¡¯ll also be responsible for organizing the dreaded hellfire group.
That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t ask any further and went back. It seemed like he still couldn¡¯t understand why so many important people had decided to join the club, but he seemed to have understood that he could do nothing to reverse the situation. That¡¯s more than enough.
Even I still couldn¡¯t understand why those five had fallen for Louise. If I weren¡¯t originally a possessor, I would¡¯ve thought that they were nning to do something while in the Empire.
All of these important people have decided to join a club because they fell in love with a girl? Nonsense.
¡°Fuck my life.¡±
I popped a cookie into my mouth, freshly baked by Louise yesterday. Of course, the only thing that the other five members did was look, so it was hers.
I could hear the sounds of stepsing from a distance. It seemed like it was time for the club.
Do they even know how much I¡¯m struggling behind the scenes?
Chapter 15: - The Pastry Club that Can’t Bake (1)
? The Pastry Club that Can¡¯t Bake (1) ?
The three important people that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had gged ended up joining the same club, and I had also met the representative of the three countries. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that my job at the Academy had properly begun. It somehow felt like I¡¯d said this too many times, but whenever I thought, ¡®well, now it really begins,¡¯ something new always happens.
¨C Hahahahaha!
The Minister¡¯s breathlessughter echoed through themunication device. When he had heard that the key figures gathered in one club in an instant and that I am that club¡¯s Advisor, he burst outughing heartily. Naturally, I looked at the minister with a scornful expression on my face.
¡°Why are youughing?¡±
¨C You want me not tough after you said something so funny?
My emotions ended up getting hurt even more. What a shitty person. How could someone like that be a Minister?
The Minister barely managed to stop himself fromughing any further. It was a heartbreaking sight to witness in real-time. Apparently, my misfortune is aughing matter to him. Having exhaled, the Minister suddenly stared at me with a serious expression.
¨C So, you really don¡¯t know?
¡°I already told you. I have no idea at all.¡±
The official report said that the reason why such important people gathered in a pastry club was unknown. There is no better proof of ipetence than a Prosecutor reporting that they do not know the reason. However, it¡¯s not easy to say, ¡°The Pink Capybara poisoned the Academy!¡±
Every once in a while, something happens in life that makes no sense at all. That¡¯s why I decided to treat this as such.
After hearing my negative response, the Minister fell into thought. Although I always said that I wanted to retire, I never joked about something regarding work. That¡¯s why the Minister also had no choice but to ept that it was an unknown reason.
¨C I must give this news to the Pce and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. We need a good excuse.
¡°Can¡¯t we just say that other people who didn¡¯t know where to go had gathered because it¡¯s a club where there were three different princes?¡±
¨C Then, what about the reason why the Third Prince joined the club?
¡°I really don¡¯t have an answer for that¡¡±
After the fight for the throne finished, Prince Ainter had stayed silent. But that Ainter had suddenly decided to join a club?
¡®There¡¯s no way I can tell him the reason is a girl.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Was this how someone who had to keep an important secret felt?
The Minister waved his hand and spoke.
¨C Well, it¡¯s okay. I guess that saying that we¡¯re still investigating the reason will be okay for now. Since you were in charge of creating and managing the club, it will probably be okay.
¡°Yes, understood.¡±
¨C And if themunication device began shining with a purple light, just think that what was bound to happen finally happened.
¡°Ah, fuck. That¡¯s too horrible.¡±
The purple light meant that someone from the Imperial Pce was calling. If they began keeping an eye on the Third Prince closely, they would surely call me. Please, please, anything but that¡
The Minister smirked and cut the call. The Minister¡¯s face disappeared and themunication device lost its light as only silence lingered in the room where I was. Once again, another day had passed.
The daily pattern of the pastry club was simr. Although it hadn¡¯t been long enough since it was created, one could make such an analysis.
¡°Lady Louise, if you aren¡¯t careful, your face will be dirty.¡±
Once it was time for the club, it became Louise¡¯s one-person show. Around her, there was an audience of five people. asionally, one could see them trying to get her different ingredients. They didn¡¯t do anything pastry-rted at all, but if you looked at them from a distance, it seemed as if they were doing something.
As expected. Was it because they were people standing on top from the moment they were born? They seem to subconsciously know how to obtain as much result from the less amount of effort possible. Of course, if you took a closer look, it was true that they didn¡¯t know anything about pastry. They were just putting the spoon on top of already-made rice.
I saw the five that were surrounding Louise. They looked like they could earn money by working part-time as an audience. They might be able to gain her favor, but there was no chance they¡¯d be able to develop any romantic rtionship. Among those, there was also Erich. What an ugly bastard.
¡®I should give him some advice.¡¯
I was thinking of telling Erich that he should at least try to share her hobby, but I couldn¡¯t do that because of the three extra people that had joined the club. At the moment, the five of them were just looking from the sidelines, so Erich should be able to gain an advantage easily.
Good. I can just take Erich aside for a moment.
¡°I need someone to help me move the ingredients.¡±
I stood up and looked at them. Of course, there weren¡¯t any ingredients that needed to be moved. It was just an excuse to have some time with Erich.
¡°Erich, let¡¯s go.¡±
Erich flinched a bit after I called him, then he cautiously walked toward me. A member that followed the advisor¡¯s indication. That satisfied me quite a bit.
As Erich nodded and tried to walk out, Rutis raised his hand.
¡°Is two enough? If it¡¯s a hard task, I can help.¡±
¡®Why are you trying to intervene so suddenly?¡¯
Someone whose attention should be on Louise had suddenly tried to take a step forward. I had my doubts. However, he was someone with high spirits, so I decided just to let it go. Trying to understand those original novel¡¯s characters was too hard for me.
¡°It¡¯s alright. Two is enough.¡±
¡°Well, if you say so.¡±
Rutis shrugged his shoulders and turned his gaze back to Louise. Seeing how quickly he turned around, it seemed he¡¯d just asked for courtesy. Well, at least he has some manners.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°O¡ªokay.¡±
It was time to boost the weakest.
* * *
After the door closed, Rutis nced towards the door for a moment.
¡®Carl Krasius.¡¯
That was the name of the Prosecutor the Empire sent to the Academy in answer to the petitions of the three kingdoms. The man who unexpectedly became the Tutor/Advisor of the club. Somehow, Rutis ended up bing a member of it.
The first time he heard his name was two years ago.
After the Empire ended the war in the north and put the Crown Prince in charge, arge-scale personnel transfer took ce. It was natural for the Armein Kingdom, which was the second most powerful after the Empire, to pay attention to the changes inside the Empire.
So it was a natural thing to learn the name of Carl Krasius, who became an Executive Manager at just 19 years of age.
After hearing that news, the Armein Kingdom concluded that the workforce shortage in the Empire was worse than they had initially thought.
Nevertheless, if Carl became an Executive Manager, there must¡¯ve been a good reason.
Because of the war, thankfully, the anti-espionage mechanisms of the Empire had be more rxed than before and the spy from the Armein Kingdom was able to get information about Carl Krasius. Afterwards, they changed their opinion of him.
¡®It makes sense to give the position of an Executive Manager to the person who got Kagan.¡¯
Four years ago, there was a figure who unified the northern nomads that set their sights on the empire. He was Kagan, the Emperor of the Nomads. Of course, the only Empire of the continent, Kefellofen, didn¡¯t recognize that title. The Empire dered that Kagan was a traitor who¡¯d dared to challenge the Empire. However, it was a disgrace for the Empire that an inexperienced rebel had troubled them for two years.
After a long war that hadsted for two years, Carl Krasius slit Kagan¡¯s throat. It was someone else that hadmanded the army, but the one who killed Kagan was Carl Krasius. Strangely enough, the Empire hadn¡¯t made that public, but they also hadn¡¯t made an effort to hide it.
¡®And someone like that is a Prosecutor.¡¯
Rutis almost smirked. Leaving aside why Carl joined the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, it was as if the Empire was saying that if they dared to do something stupid in the Academy, they would turn things over immediately. There was the prestige of the three kingdoms and the concessions they had received from them, so the deployment of escort forces was allowed, but that was it.
If something happened, they¡¯d beat them up with the Prosecutor¡¯s strength. And then, the Empire would probably send more people to defend the talent who¡¯d gotten Kagan¡¯s neck. The words seemed to echo in his ears. Pretending topromise while trying to take advantage of the situation was the Empire¡¯s main diplomatic method.
Despite recalling the Empire¡¯s cruel intentions, Rutis didn¡¯t pay much attention. As long as the three kingdoms didn¡¯t show any strange behavior, the Empire had no reason to act. And while it was uncertain how Lather and Tannian would react, Rutis nned to quietly attend the academy. That¡¯s why he had nothing to be afraid of.
However, he wasn¡¯t sure what variable the Prosecutor would bring to the club where Louise, the woman he¡¯d fallen in love with, was. The reason why he raised his hand earlier was that he wanted to talk to Carl, but after being rejected, he didn¡¯t try to push it any further. No matter how many questions he had, right now, Louise was more important.
Rutis looked at Louise, who was baking with a smile on her face. Rutis had spent all those years locked inside the boring royal house, but Louise had made his heart flutter for the first time.
¡®Dear Advisor, good luck.¡¯
For the sake of seeing Louise¡¯s smiling face, the club must not copse.
* * *
¡°Do you like Louise?¡±
At the same time, Carl was hitting his little brother with a hammer to strengthen him.
Chapter 16: - The Pastry Club that Can’t Bake (2)
? The Pastry Club that Can¡¯t Bake (2) ?
Carl and Erich were walking silently. Carl was looking around for a quiet ce where they could talk, while Erich felt burdened to start a conversation with Carl first. From Erich¡¯s point of view, Carl¡¯s expression looked too serious, so he was struggling even more.
¡®A good person.¡¯
Those were the two words that crossed Erich¡¯s mind while looking at Carl. They were words he¡¯d never thought of in his life.
While growing up, Erich had never seen a good person. There was no need to talk about their father, the lord of the house. It was hard for him to make a judgment about his mother, and if someone asked about his brother Carl, it was also hard for Erich to say whether he was a good person or not. Before Erich met Louise, a good person was someone that only existed as an ideal.
The reason why the words came to his mind while looking at Carl instead of Louise was simple. It was because he had a conversation with Louise a short while ago.
Erich really liked the hours before they went to the club room because he could talk with Louise without having anyone interfere between them.
¡°Do you hate your older brother Carl?¡±
Louise asked Erich like that.
Erich was taken aback by Louise¡¯s question and looked at her in confusion. She blinked at him, looking genuinely curious and concerned, and Erich scratched his head. It seemed that Louise had noticed how Erich got nervous around his brother, so she became worried.
¡°No, it¡¯s not that I hate him. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m notfortable around him.¡±
¡°Why? Did something happen when you were little?¡±
Erich smiled awkwardly at her question. If he had to pick a time when he and Carl had gotten along better, it was when they were younger.
¡°Nothing happened. Maybe that¡¯s why I find it awkward.¡±
If something had happened, then maybe he would¡¯ve been able to talk with Carl more, and he wouldn¡¯t feel so awkward around him. However, it was already toote.
¡°It¡¯s just that the atmosphere around him is too grim. Not only that but after he became a Civil Servant, we weren¡¯t able to see each other frequently. That¡¯s the reason. It¡¯s nothing, really.¡±
He tried tough and brush it off, but his answer seemed to have confused Louise even more.
¡°Really? Because from what I see, Carl Oppa seems to care a lot about you.¡±
¡°Brother?¡±
Now it was Erich¡¯s turn to be confused. One could say that the Krasius brothers were negligent of each other. After he became a Civil Servant, they hadn¡¯t seen each other that often, yet she said that Carl cared about him. Even if it was Louise who said that he couldn¡¯t easily believe it.
¡°Yes. He seems to be looking at you frequently.¡±
ording to Louise, Carl seemed to look at Erich very often when they were at the club. She said that whenever she saw Carl from a distance around the Academy, he seemed to be looking at Erich. He didn¡¯t express it, but he seemed to always be concerned about Eric.
¡°When I first met Carl Oppa, he talked to you warmly.¡±
¡°Did he¡?¡±
Erich began wondering if those words were warm. However, Erich didn¡¯t argue because first, it was Louise who said it, and second, he began to have some expectations. What if Carl really did care about him like Louise said?
If so, there was a chance that they¡¯d be able to get along well like normal brothers. That possibility shook Erich¡¯s heart. After noticing his reaction, Louiseughed and spoke.
¡°I¡¯ve often wished I had a brother, and that¡¯s why I was surprised and happy when he said he¡¯d be the Advisor of the club.¡±
¡°It seems like brother unknowingly got a little sister.¡±
¡°Hihi, is that so? That¡¯s why I think I would¡¯ve been sad if I heard that the two of you didn¡¯t have a good rtionship.¡±
¡°Because from what I see, both Carl Oppa and Erich look like good people.¡±
Erich became speechless at Louise¡¯s words.
¡®A good person.¡¯
The words that Louise said while smiling were still roaming around his head. If they were both good people, it would be great if they could have a good rtionship. It was just that he subconsciously had trouble getting close to Carl.
However, that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. After Carl joined the same club, he gained the courage to face that trauma and after what Louise said, he began harboring hope that he¡¯d be able to get over it.
¡®Thanks to Louise, it seems like I¡¯m going to be able to get over it.¡¯
For years, Erich had avoided Carl out of his instinctive reluctance. Even if they hadn¡¯t talked properly, he was scared of him. But now, he finally got the courage to look at Carl.
Perhaps sensing his change of heart, Carl, who was walking ahead, turned around and looked at Erich. As they reached a quiet ce, Erich was about to open his mouth, but Carl was faster.
¡°Do you like Louise?¡±
Ah.
Is this a good person¡?
Everything became dark for Erich.
* * *
¡®I guess this ce will do.¡¯
After searching for a suitable spot, we were able to reach a ce where no one seemed to be around. It was a ce where we could talkfortably. I looked around and saw that Erich was about to say something, but I decided to speak first.
¡°Do you like Louise?¡±
It¡¯s a harsh and provocative way to start, but I hope he understands. Right now, Erich needs shock therapy to make him stronger.
I don¡¯t want to make him weak¡ I want to make him strong. What Erich needs is a shocking victory, not a kind defeat.
Unaware of his brother¡¯s intentions, Erich¡¯s mind tried to escape. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let him do that.
¡°I thought that maybe there was a deep connection between you two that I didn¡¯t know. But that isn¡¯t the case.¡±
That would¡¯ve been great because that meant that he had an advantage with memories that couldn¡¯t bepared to the other four.
¡°You also haven¡¯t expressed your emotions to her.¡±
Confessing his love increases one¡¯s chances of being rejected, but at least that could make the other person be conscious of him as someone of the opposite gender.
¡°If there¡¯s no reason to choose you¡ You know, right?¡±
You don¡¯t have anything like that. You have to build a connection with her.
Gradually approaching Erich, I ced my hand on his shoulder and made eye contact.
¡°Among the five, you¡¯re the one at a disadvantage.¡±
Erich was silent, and his eyes were clouded over. It seemed like he was shocked as I suddenly started to talk about his undisclosed love life.
However, there was nothing I could do about it. Destruction was necessary in order to rebuild something. I¡¯m sure this shock would help Erich. I believed in my little brother.
¡°¡But you don¡¯t n on giving up like this, right?¡±
Of course, if I end this conversation like this, Erich maye back with a knife and try to stab me. I won¡¯t die from it, but things will be awkward between us after that. So if I¡¯m going to shock him, I need to inject some hope into him as well.
I walked toward Erich and ced my hands around his shoulder.
¡°Remember, Louise started the pastry club herself.¡±
At the mention of Louise¡¯s name, Erich¡¯s hazy eyes turned towards me, reacting immediately.
¡°You know Louise loves baking, right? You should do it too. Even if you don¡¯t have any baking skills, you should pretend to do it next to her.¡±
Or maybe, just maybe, Louise will be happy to see Erich¡¯s inexperience and help him. After all, veterans tend to be fascinated by newbies.
¡°Watch her make it, and if you can¡¯t follow along, ask her. If you get to share the same hobbies, there¡¯s a chance you¡¯d gain an advantage.¡±
People with whom she has a great difference in social standing and a ssmate with less difference, but they share the same hobby. Who would she rely on if she ever had to rely on someone?
As I kept talking, life began returning to Erich¡¯s eyes. Yes, after giving him a shock, new knowledge was also easily absorbed. If I had just talked without giving him a shock, the effect wouldn¡¯t have been this great.
¡°Actually, a difference in status might work in your favor. What¡¯s the rank of the Naird family?¡±
¡°A Baron¡¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, Baron. There are only two ranks of difference between our family and hers.¡±
Of course, this is based on a simple ranking calction. Krasius is a family that cannot be treated as a mere Earl family. However,pared to the Imperial, Royal, and Saint candidates, it was much better.
Therefore, I could feel Eric¡¯s mind working quickly. He probably saw things from a new perspective. And I added to confirm that since three of the four were foreigners, they¡¯d have to return to their respective countries after they graduated from the Academy.
That day, Erich became stronger.
Now, he¡¯d leveled up from being a pastry club member that didn¡¯t know how to bake to one who can.
After Erich returned to his senses, he looked at me awkwardly, so I sent him back to the club¡¯s room first. If the members ask why he came empty-handed, I told him to just say that the ingredients hadn¡¯t arrived yet.
I was nning to take a bit of fresh air before going back.
¡°You idiot.¡±
Tsk, I clicked my tongue andid my back on the wall. I¡¯ve been giving him all the advice I can, but I don¡¯t like the fact that I¡¯m in the position of having to give it. It¡¯s not like I told him anything special in the first ce.
I can¡¯t understand it. If you really want to win someone¡¯s heart, there¡¯s something instinctive about it, isn¡¯t there?
Not only that, but from what I¡¯ve seen, Louise was a simple person. With listening to her worries, doing things she needed help with, cheering her while she worked, and showing a good reaction after eating what she made, one should be able to win her heart.
But there was no one among the five people who did that properly. Was it true that one¡¯s intellect decreased while in love?
If that¡¯s the case, she would end up with someonecking intelligence no matter who her partner came to be.
I should probably offer my condolences to Louise beforehand¡
Chapter 17: - The Pastry Club that Can’t Bake (3)
? The Pastry Club that Can¡¯t Bake (3) ?
They say that you cannot fix people, and I personally agree with this. When I think back on my four years as a civil servant, humans are not only incapable of being fixed but also capable of making you resent them. Dear nature, I¡¯m sorry for the people that live in this world.
But now, if someone asks me if people can be fixed, I can confidently answer that it can be perfectly done depending on your efforts!
¡®I¡¯m not someone who tears up easily, but this makes me want to cry.¡¯
Thanks to my advice a few days ago, Erich had changed. I smiled while looking at Erich, who was fully focused on baking alongside Louise.
¡°In situations like this, you just have to do it like this!¡±
¡°Oh, I see.¡±
Louise was teaching Erich enthusiastically with a smile on her face. Honestly, Erich seemed to enjoy listening to Louise¡¯s voice more than he was interested in baking, but that was exactly why I had given him that advice.
You¡¯re doing well, Erich. Win her over.
As Erich took the lead in the race, it seemed like the other four had begun feeling a sense of crisis, so they tried to start participating in baking as well. However, Erich, who had gained the upper hand for the first time, had no intention of losing it and skillfully pushed away the interference of others, enduring up until now.
This is making me angry. Why did this guy, who can perfectly do it if he set his mind to it, been acting like that until now?
¡®I guess he¡¯ll do well from now on.¡¯
Although I used the shock strategy on Erich because I was getting frustrated, I wasn¡¯t in a position to give someone else rtionship advice. So from now on, I have to just believe in him. After all, I was the Prosecutor or Advisor, not someone who yed matchmaker.
¡°Woah Erich, you¡¯re getting better!¡±
See how the corners of his mouth are going up.
As I watched them with a pathetic but proud heart, my eyes met with Louise¡¯s. She smiled and slightly bowed her head, so I did the same.
Thanks for treating myme little brother well¡ Although Louise made him fall in love with her, that was the power of the original work, so it was inevitable. From now on, that¡¯s how I¡¯ll think of her. Louise is an innocent and wless child.
The rebellion of Erich, the weakest, continued for a few days. No, I said it wrong. The advance of the strongest, Erich, continued for a few days. To think that he¡¯d take the lead in the race, I¡¯m sure the Lord would be happy. The Krasius family¡¯s son farm had a bountiful harvest!
¡°Advisor, do you have a moment?¡±
Feeling excited, I was about to go outside when Lather, who had stayed until the end for some reason, stopped me. Well, I knew that he¡¯d talk to me. If not, why would he have stayed behind?
¡°Yes, what do you need?¡±
However, I couldn¡¯t think of any reason, so after inviting him to take a seat, I grabbed a cookie jar that was on the shelf. It was a jar full of cookies made by Louise, whose production far exceeded that of Erich¡¯s.
Lather¡¯s mouth trembled a bit after looking at the cookie jar. What did the chef of the Royal Pce make for him that his taste buds became so picky? I brought them just in case the conversation got long, but I can just eat it myself. It tastes good.
As I naturally took out a cookie and put it in my mouth, Lather watched me silently. He tapped the desk with his index finger a few times, lost in thought. Then he opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.
¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy, so I¡¯m not going to beat around the bush.¡±
Unlike what Lather said, my life wasn¡¯t that busy at the moment. The six members who gathered in the club surprisingly behaved themselves, so I had nothing to fix. I guess I could say I¡¯m a little thankful for that.
No, fuck¡ What am I thinking about? They¡¯re the reason I came to the Academy in the first ce. Is this Stockholm Syndrome or something? I was about to say thanks to the perpetrators.
Oh, no.
Despite the terrible and mncholic thoughts, as I nodded my head and expressed agreement, Lather straightforwardly asked.
¡°Advisor, did you give Erich a push?¡±
I was about to put the second cookie in my mouth when I stopped and looked at Lather. I¡¯m not sure how he interpreted my silence, but he kept talking.
¡°A few days ago, after you went out with Erich, his attitudepletely changed.¡±
Well, how could one call himself a person if he didn¡¯t change after I said something like that? At least my little brother is a normal person.
¡°And after that, you¡¯ve been looking at Erich more frequently.¡±
I guess so. I believe that my little brother has changed, but I still watched with trepidation in case my advice didn¡¯t work. Thankfully, Erich took the lead in the race and put an end to my anxiousness.
¡°That¡¯s why I thought that Erich probably received some advice from you and began moving.¡±
After saying that, Lather silently looked at me. It seemed like he was asking me if his guess was correct. Well, anyways, only he knows what he meant, because his expression doesn¡¯t really change much.
¡°Yes. I gave Erich some advice as his older brother.¡±
After I answered, Lather sighed. I think I know what he¡¯s thinking. It¡¯s how a person reacts when they hear that a guess they hoped was wrong is actually right. I¡¯ve experienced that many times.
¡°An advice as his older brother. I understand.¡±
¡°Is there any problem?¡±
¡°Not at all. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect the Advisor to get involved.¡±
After saying that, Lather steepled his fingers and tilted his head to one side.
¡°The five of us, including myself and Erich, were all being cautious about each other.¡±
I know that very well since I¡¯ve been watching them closely.
Since I was just a spectator, I couldn¡¯t help but get annoyed. On the other hand, I also understood them. The five had met Louise only after they enrolled in the Academy, and although they had topete with each other, they knew nothing about each other. So first, they should figure out what kind of person their rival was to be able to know how to act.
To put it briefly, they¡¯d brought their social habits into the Academy.
¡°The standoff copsed after Erich took the lead, even earning the title of being proactive towards Louise.¡±
Lather seemed annoyed that the situation had been shaken up because of Erich. He sighed and kept talking.
¡°Although there was a chance that moving fast was the answer instead of taking time.¡±
At thosementable words, I couldn¡¯t help but be dumbfounded for a moment, even though the person in front of me was royalty.
¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯
If he noticed that the change in Erich¡¯s attitude was because of me, that meant that he hadmon sense. Therefore, there was a chance that he already knew the importance of taking the initiative.
Instead of being cautious about each other, Erich managed to leave that fight and take a step forward. Just like Lather said, taking the lead was the right answer when ites to winning Louise¡¯s heart.
After thinking about it for myself, I ended up saying what I thought. I guess it¡¯s okay for me to say this since he¡¯s the one who initiated the conversation.
¡°You knew that, yet you acted like that¡?¡±
At my words, Lather quietly looked away.
A suffocating silence descended upon us.
* * * *
Lather had left, and I was alone in the club room. I looked at the ce where Lather had been sitting down.
¡®What a weird fellow.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help butugh after remembering Lather¡¯sst words.
¡°Advisor, you should¡¯ve just kept watching.¡±
It was the purpose of this conversation, which Lather didn¡¯t mention until 10 seconds before he left, seemingly embarrassed. ording to him, I shouldn¡¯t have given Erich any advice. Not only that, but I should no longer interfere in theirpetition.
He was probably feeling uneasy. He probably concluded that if Erich kept receiving my support, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. However, he felt ashamed to ask me not to help Erich, so he expanded the scope to the entirepetition between the five of them. After all, it was obvious that I wasn¡¯t nning to help anyone besides Erich.
Of course, I had nned to leave thepetition to Erich from now on, so I nodded my head in agreement. Lather seemed relieved at my response. His expression rxed a little, and he even apologized for making that request. I wasn¡¯t annoyed at all, so I epted his apology.
¡°Did I ignore the kids too much?¡±
Without realizing it, it seems that I simply treated the five students like the male leads who had be blind because of love. Although I knew they weren¡¯t people that moved monotonously like the story in the novel, I easily dismissed them as such.
To be honest, looking at them being cautious about each other couldn¡¯t let me think of them as anything other than idiots. Any other person would¡¯ve probably thought the same thing as me. The shortest route is obvious, so why bother dancing around?
But still, Erich had changed after listening to my advice, and just like how Lather noticed that he was starting to be at a disadvantage, the five of them had a wide variety of action patterns and weren¡¯t simple characters. Seeing that made me feel joyful. I began thinking that they might have really fallen in love with Louise and that they were not simply influenced by the power of the original novel.
¡°Maintain a certain line and do your best.¡±
After saying that, I ate another cookie. As Lather wished, I wasn¡¯t nning to give more advantages to anyone, but I would have to interfere if thepetition bes unhealthy.
Now that I think about it, wasn¡¯t this joyful sensation a self-defense mechanism of mine? Because I needed something positive in order to at least survive among these five people.
Chapter 18: - The Pastry Club that Can’t Bake (4)
? The Pastry Club that Can¡¯t Bake (4) ?
If one person took a step forward, you could say that one person was standing out. But if two began standing out, everyone had to begin moving. Two would be three, and three would end up bing four.
That¡¯s why Lather entering thepetition shook the race.
Erich, who was trying to obtain the title of the only one who shared the same hobby, wasn¡¯t able to block Lather because it made no sense that he would stop a club member of the pastry club from baking. Erich had actually done well by preventing it until now, so he should at least be satisfied with having obtained points by himself up to this point.
As Erich and Lather stood next to Louise, the other three were forced to participate. That¡¯s how the club turned into a real pastry club.
Actually, even thinking such thoughts is a bit self-deprecating. While it can be said that the race was shaking up the pattern and evolving, in the end, it was ate start on something that should¡¯ve been done earlier.
¡®The future of the continent is bright¡¡¯
What a bunch of idiots. To think that they are the most important people on the continent.
I felt like the continent¡¯s future was as bright as the bald head of the 3rd Manager.
As I silently watched over the six people, my eyes met with Lather¡¯s. He greeted me awkwardly, so I just nodded in response. He then cleaned the tes and returned to Louise¡¯s side. After ourst conversation, Lather had been acting cautiously.
He was also probably ashamed. After all, he¡¯d asked me to stop advising my family member. At that moment, Erich had the advantage. Although that would make thepetition harder, it was still an unpleasant sight.
Lather was probably desperate to stop Erich, but after calming down, he probably realized that he looked pathetic.
Of course, I didn¡¯t care. It was better for me that they were being obedient. The little peace I gained in exchange for his dark history gave me great satisfaction.
¡°Is it really your first time?¡±
I turned my head around after hearing Louise¡¯s voice. She was looking at the cookies that Tannian had made. It seemed like he¡¯d even decorated the te, so it looked quite good.
But do cookies even need ting? Isn¡¯t leaving it in a jar good enough?
¡°Thankfully, I¡¯m good with my hands. Not only that but since sister Louise is so good at teaching, I was able to do it easily.¡±
Regardless of my thoughts, Tannian seemed to be in a better mood than usual as he replied with a faint smile, probably because of Louise¡¯s attention. It was a small happiness considering he was a candidate to be a Saint.
Or maybe it was, considering that among God¡¯s teachings, there was a saying that said that one must be humble.
While I mulled this over, the other members also began putting their cookies on the table. Tannian had definitely done a good job. The appearance seems to be on par with Louise¡¯s. Is this what you call talent?
It seems like the others were also thinking simrly to me, staring at Tannian¡¯s cookies with disapproval. It was weird that they were getting jealous of the cookies, but at least it seemed like they hadn¡¯t reached a point where they hated each other. So as an advisor, I was satisfied. As long as they didn¡¯t fight each other, it was okay.
¡°Now let¡¯s eat!¡±
Louise said after gathering the cookies they¡¯d baked. Yes, this is what you call a club. Up until now, it was Louise¡¯s one-person show.
While they were eating, I looked from a distance. There were many cookies on the shelf that I could eat, so I didn¡¯t need to join them. After all, Louise liked to bake a lot to the point where it fills up faster than it decreases.
¡®You bastards.¡¯
And my cookie jar, which had never be empty after the club was formed, would be filled today. Among the six¡¯s cookies, only the ones Louise made weren¡¯t decreasing.
The guys that ate some of Louise¡¯s cookies out of courtesy suddenly stopped touching her cookies as if they¡¯d reached an agreement. At first, I thought that maybe I¡¯d seen it wrong, but after seeing the other tes getting empty, I realized I¡¯d seen right. This isn¡¯t a food club, so why were they acting as if it were one?
I was starting to feel embarrassed, so I looked at Louise. However, she was busy talking with the other five, so it seemed like she hadn¡¯t noticed. That¡¯s good. I was worried she¡¯d feel betrayed and embarrassed.
¡°Did you leave these for me? To think that you care so much about your Advisor, thanks.¡±
Still, if left unattended, Louise might notice, so I sneaked up and took the whole te. It¡¯s a lot more than usual today¡ I¡¯m going to be full after eating this.
As I picked up the te that everyone was avoiding, the five pairs of eyes looked at me as if I were their savior. Louise also became happy after seeing that I had taken her te of cookies.
¡°I thought that oppa liked it, so I made more than usual!¡±
Yes, I noticed that¡
¡°I think that Oppa is kind.¡±
¡°Why are you saying that so suddenly?¡±
* * *
As the club time ended and the club room began to quiet down, Tannian stayed behind and talked to me. Not only that, but he said something I wasn¡¯t used to hearing.
¡°Weren¡¯t you once again considerate with sister Louise?¡±
Tannian¡¯s words that were spoken with a smile were even more difficult to understand. Why am I not aware of what consideration I showed? If I didn¡¯t know that, then what was the point? I¡¯m not yet a senile person.
¡°If you thought that¡¯s being considerate, why didn¡¯t you join me?¡±
You son of a bitch. Not doing it when you actually knew it is the worst.
With everyone gone, I could finally put down the te after eating all of the cookies in it. How could I put it down, when the kid who said she made more because she thought I liked them was staring at me like that?
As I frowned because of the sweet taste that lingered in my mouth, Tannian lowered his head while smiling.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother. Some things are harder than others, even with my best efforts. I¡¯ll be more careful from now on.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be expecting that.¡±
¡°Haha. I wouldn¡¯t call it a substitute, but if you don¡¯t mind, can I tell brother¡¯s future instead?¡±
I was organizing the tes when I stopped.
¡°My future?¡±
¡°If you¡¯re okay with it.¡±
Tannian was saying that he would perform something simr to fortune-telling. However, since this was a world with a God and holy power, its trustworthiness was higher than my previous world¡¯s. Only a small number of priests with strong faith and holy power could do it, so I had never received one before.
¡°Please.¡±
But the future that a Saint sees? It was great, no matter how I look at it. It would be a perfect opportunity to check out my luck, which had gotten as twisted as possible.
After seeing my change in attitude, Tannian burst into augh.
Was it because he told me he¡¯d look at my future? His credibility increased as he seemed to see an expert who was faithful to his duties. I¡¯m sorry for thinking you were a sly fellow.
¡°In reality, I could see brother¡¯s future from the first moment I saw you. There are sometimes people whose future I can see just by looking at them.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
¡°In cases like that, even with a blessing, I cannot interfere with it.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Why are you saying that? You¡¯re making me anxious.
As I looked silently at Tannian, he shrugged and kept talking.
¡°There¡¯s good news and bad news. It doesn¡¯t matter which you hear first, so I will tell you in order.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll listen.¡±
¡°You won¡¯t face any trials that are impossible for you to ovee.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good news.¡±
Even now, I was already struggling, so if a catastrophic trial were toe, I might really lose my mind. However, Tannian¡¯s words gave me a little hope and eased my mind.
¡°However, you may still face trials that are close to impossible to ovee.¡±
Ah, fuck.
I almost cursed out loud. It seemed like Tannian felt a little apologetic for saying such things, and he continued before I could protest.
¡°I was thinking about whether I should tell you this or not. After all, a blessing can¡¯t help you with what will happen, and in the first ce, the future isn¡¯t set in stone. I¡¯m just a creation of God. How can we, as creatures, see through what the divine has predicted? I was hesitant to say anything that would unnecessarily trouble your mind.¡±
He was right because my mind had be incredibly confused.
I wasn¡¯t able to open my mouth. So instead, Tannian did.
No, stop. I¡¯m afraid of what you might say.
¡°I¡¯ll say it again, but the future isn¡¯t set in stone. We might be able to see the future, but we cannot guarantee that what we¡¯ve seen is correct. In fact, there are records of Popes and Prophets who have seen the future incorrectly.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
That¡¯s reallyforting¡
Tannian left, leaving me alone in the club room.
¡°Even if a difficult triales to you, don¡¯t be discouraged and go forward, as it is a trial that you can ovee with your own abilities.¡±
Tannian¡¯sst words lingered in my ears. He said encouraging me was his goal rather than telling me about my future. He said he was looking for the opportunity to tell me before, but couldn¡¯t find the right time to tell me.
However, ording to him, the future could be wrong. So does that mean that there¡¯s a chance that something worse could happen? If so, would I be able to defeat it without hesitating?
I sighed. I thought that today would be another normal and safe day, but suddenly, the Saint candidate told me, ¡®Your fate is screwed. It¡¯ll be tough, but there¡¯s no way to help you. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯
Of course, just like Tannian said, the future wasn¡¯t set in stone, so I can just take it as something unpleasant a fortune teller told me. However, that fortune teller¡¯s identity was Nostradamus. Damn it.
I almost sighed again, but I closed my mouth and got up from my seat. Well, I never thought that I was lucky, to begin with. Thinking that I just heard something obvious made me feel better. Expectations are disappointing in the first ce, so what was I expecting?
After sorting out my thoughts, I returned to my lodging and finished the day.
¡°Prosecutor. That¡¡±
When the Vice Principal entered the club¡¯s room the next day, I realized that what Tannian had told me would be happening soon.
Chapter 19: - If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (1)
? If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (1) ?
Tannian¡¯s curse, which was disguised as fortune-telling, had been deeply imprinted in me. There were chances of it being wrong, and I had never been lucky anyways. But for some reason, I couldn¡¯t forget about it. A curse foretold by a Saint candidate? It¡¯s the end of the world.
I was feeling uneasy, so I couldn¡¯t get myself to sleep properly. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt this nervous. That Tannian bastard, was he trying to get revenge because I helped Erich? No, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case.
Anyways, thanks to Tannian, I said goodbye to taking a rest that night, and I felt the aftermath of that in the morning.
¡°Ugh, how annoying.¡±
While walking through the club¡¯s room, I ended up hitting the table¡¯s leg with my shin. Because of that, the table¡¯s leg shook due to the impact. Usually, things like this don¡¯t happen. This was all because of Tannian. How dare he give a debuff to the Advisor/Tutor?
Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t a desk I often used, and I thought that I should be able to fix it easily, so I fiddled with it. However, I then realized that one mustn¡¯t try to take someone else¡¯s job.
¡®I can¡¯t do this.¡¯
The desk with four legs degraded into a three-legged one. ording to Zhuge Liang, the three-legged form was important, but wasn¡¯t it actually the most beautiful form?
As I stared at the three-legged desk, I saw the vice principal walk by the hallway window, and then I heard a knock on the door. What¡¯s going on this early in the morning? It probably wouldn¡¯t be for a good reason.
¡°Yes,e in.¡±
When I put down the table¡¯s leg that I was holding and asked him to enter, the Vice Principal carefully opened the door and entered the club¡¯s room. His eyes were shaking a little. He was bringing bad news for sure. At that moment, I remembered Tannian¡¯s words, but I tried my best to calm down.
¡°I didn¡¯t know a visitor woulde so early in the morning. If I knew, I would have prepared some tea, at least.¡±
Although I greeted him with a smile, the eyes of the Vice Principal were still shaking, and he wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. He barely responded to my greeting and when he had calmed down, he spoke cautiously.
¡°Mr. Prosecutor¡ The n you presented the other day.¡±
¡°Ah, yes. Was there any problem with that?¡±
Yesterday, during the club¡¯s time, Louise proposed that everyone go outside for a pic. That¡¯s why I had submitted an application. Even if it was outside of the Academy, it was just a small hill outside of the castle¡¯s walls, and it was also a manageable distance.
I was also going to go, so they epted the proposal without any problem. But considering that the Vice Principal hade so early in the morning, something had definitely happened.
The Vice Principal sighed and opened his mouth.
¡°A Dungeon has appeared around the pic area.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Fuck, why did something like that appear?
An artifact that the Academy possessed had noticed that a Dungeon had been created/generated. Well, although it was called a Dungeon, it wasn¡¯t a ce where you went inside a Gate and obtained treasures after hunting monsters.
The first moment I learned that there were Dungeons inside this world, I thought that maybe the original novel was a mixture of romance and hunter genres, so I shouted ¡®status window¡¯ while I was alone in the room. Of course, nothing popped out.
Although it was a shameful past, it was something that happened many years ago.
Anyway, this world¡¯s Dungeon was a ce that was created when a lot of mana gathered in a certain ce and ended up distorting the surroundings. Every year, the papers say that there are other causes, but the basic idea is that it¡¯s mostly because of umted mana.
I looked for information about it because I was surprised that there were Dungeons inside a romance-fantasy world, but I quickly lost interest in them. I haven¡¯t read the original novel, so I wasn¡¯t sure why there were things like that in this world. However, there was something that I could think of.
¡®This is creating a crisis.¡¯
Although it was safer than the Dungeons from other worlds, harmful beings that weren¡¯t like the other biological life forms from that area appeared, so it was quite troublesome. To make things worse, there was nothing that marked the entrance of a Dungeon, so one could identally enter a Dungeon while walking around.
And it so happened that a Dungeon had appeared around where the pastry club was nning to go for a pic.
¡®Fuck.¡¯
An Advisor/Tutor that went with important people to an area next to a Dungeon? Only a crazy bastard would do something like that, and I was about to be that crazy bastard.
¡°Doesn¡¯t the local Governor manage the Dungeon? If the umted mana was released, they should¡¯ve been able to avoid a Dungeon from being created/generated.¡±
Since the dungeon is basically formed by umted mana, local Governors or lords from all over the empire have the obligation to prevent Dungeons and are in charge of their jurisdiction. It is not a difficult task to wave the artifact made from the Magic Tower to disperse the umted mana.
The Vice Principal answered in a troubled tone.
¡°The Governor that managed the area around the Academy has recently been recalled. The sessor hasn¡¯t arrived yet, and it appeared during this time.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
It was only then that I remembered something that I had left aside in the corner of my mind.
¡°Get the bastard that yed with the money destined for the road.¡±
The day I arrived at the Academy, I had given an order like that to the Senior Manager. It seemed like the sessor still hadn¡¯t arrived yet. I never expected that the small ball I had shot would return like this.
¡°Then I¡¯ll deal with it. Thanks for telling me.¡±
It wasn¡¯t intentional, but since it happened because of me, I should deal with it.
Thankfully, there was still some time until the pic, and since the dungeon has just appeared, the danger is rtively low, so it was less burdensome. I can¡¯t cancel the pic, so I¡¯ll just have to deal with it. As long as I deal with the harmful creatures, the Dungeon itself wasn¡¯t that dangerous.
¡°If you do, we would appreciate it. We¡¯ll be in your care.¡±
The Vice Principal seemed relieved to hear that I would handle it myself. He should know that the Governor was kicked out because of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. I¡¯m just d he isn¡¯t ring at me because I would feel sorry if I had to get the Vice Principal arrested for sphemy.
The vice principal looked at the three-legged table that was behind me. Ah, that¡
¡°There seems to be a broken object. We¡¯re going to rece it with a better one.¡±
I didn¡¯t say that I had destroyed it myself.
* * *
I wouldn¡¯t feelfortable not being here during the club¡¯s hours, so I decided to do that while the others were in their sses.
I¡¯m sure there weren¡¯t many Advisors/Tutors willing to sacrifice like this for the members. I wonder if they know all of my sacrifices.
At moments like this, I¡¯m d that there are sses. Sometimes, I think that if there were sses thatsted until the night like in my previous world, I wouldn¡¯t need to struggle this much. However, that might turn all of the nobles into my enemies.
¡®It really is right next to us.¡¯
As I went to the ce the Vice Principal told me about, I saw the Dungeon in a forest next to the ce where we were going to have the pic. Since I knew it was a dungeon, I noticed it. Otherwise, I would have thought it was an ordinary forest. Thinking that we were about to stay around this area without knowing anything gave me chills.
Seeing the Dungeon made me once again realize that my bad luck was truly terrible. A Dungeon had appeared around the Academy while I was here, and I had toe here to deal with it.
Moreover, the Dungeon had appeared in a territory belonging to the Empire, so the forces of the three countries couldn¡¯t do anything regarding it, not to mention the few forces of the Empire that were left in the Academy, which already had a lot of work.
¡°Why is this happening to me?¡±
I wasining out loud, but no one could hear it. An Executive Manager rarelymands the scene, let alone go to the Dungeon and do the work themselves. I¡¯m probably the first person in the Empire¡¯s history to do so. If I wasn¡¯t, that by itself was a problem.
If I had a helper at least, I wouldn¡¯t be struggling this much. In such situations, I often wished for the 2nd Manager to be there.
No¡ Now that I think about it, anyone but the 2nd Manager. I must¡¯ve gone crazy for a moment. Even if the sky copses, I don¡¯t want that guy.
¡®That son of a bitch.¡¯
The 2nd Manager made me realize I had to do it alone, so I began walking toward the Dungeon.
As it was recently built, the inside of the dungeon didn¡¯t show anything particrly special. The trees were a bit denser, and the animals roaming around were slightlyrger. However, the sight of a rabbit devouring a squirrel was quite impressive.
Of course, the moment one of those left even a mark on the six members, my life as a Civil Servant would be over. I hope in the next life, you¡¯re reborn in a ce that isn¡¯t a Dungeon.
But unlike what I thought, there weren¡¯t that many dangerous animals. Even though it had just been created, there was often at least one animal that could threaten a vige. I¡¯m sure the rabbit I just killed isn¡¯t a max-level one. There should be at least one bear or a lion.
As if it had reacted to my thoughts, something with ck fur appeared between the bushes.
¨C ROOAARR!
Oh.
Yes, something like that.
The bear that appeared out of nowhere charged towards me. It stood on two feet and swung its right hand toward my head.
It seems like this guy is a well-educated one. He knows how to greet people. I like him.
Chapter 20: - If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (2)
? If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (2) ?
I was moved by how the bear tried to high-five me as soon as it saw me. Although it was just a beast, it was better educated than the average person. I was feeling grateful for its greeting, so I replied. Seeing how it fell to the ground and rolled, it seemed that my reply also moved it.
Poor guy. It seemed like it didn¡¯t receive love while growing up and it was desperately seeking for affection. To think that it would show its belly at the slightest touch.
¡®How reassuring.¡¯
Well, kidding aside, I hit its lower part intending to kill it. However, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯d used my fists, so I misjudged my strength and the result of that was that it just ended up rolling and lying there on the ground. Perhaps because it was a creature from the Dungeon, it was stronger than an average bear.
Although it was a bit disappointing, I was d. If this guy had appeared while the others were present, something unexpected might have happened.
¡®It¡¯s also considerably big.¡¯
I looked at the bear that had barely managed to get up. The Dungeon was a bit too wide for me to walk, and luckily, this creature wasrge enough to serve as a means of transportation. Yes, this must also be fate.
As I walked to the bear, it freaked out. But as I showed it my fist, it calmed down. Not only was it strong, but it was also clever. Was this also one of the wonders of a Dungeon? I touched the nose of the bear and opened my mouth.
¡°Hey, work with me.¡±
Lend me your back.
As expected, a person wasfortable when there was something to ride on. I was able to roam around the Dungeon quickly. Apart from that, I didn¡¯t have to worry about any harmful creatures that needed to be disposed of, as Ungi could sniff them out like a ghost.
Ungi was the name I gave the bear I was riding. I was nning just to call it ¡®bear¡¯, but he was very helpful, so I decided to give him a name at least. I was going to call him ¡®Gomi,¡¯ (Bear Cub) without much thought, but it seemed too much, so I settled on ¡®Ungi.¡¯
¡°You also prefer Ungi, right?¡±
¨C Roar¡
¡°Good bear.¡±
It seemed like he liked it. As I patted him, I could feel him trembling.
Although I¡¯d heard that the animals inside the Dungeon were stronger than the normal ones, I had never heard that they were also cleverer. Was this guy a special case? Well, whatever. I¡¯m not a researcher studying the Dungeon ecosystem anyways.
While riding on top of Ungi, I looked around the Dungeon for one more hour because I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen on the pic day if there was something I missed. I¡¯m d I learned that a Dungeon had appeared before the pic day. Although, if I were really lucky, a Dungeon wouldn¡¯t have appeared at all.
¡®What a shitty terrain.¡¯
Although I was going through the forest while breaking the trees, thinking of what would¡¯ve happened if I had walked here with the six members gave me chills. If one of them got hurt, the entire continent would be turned upside down and to make matters worse, the terrain isn¡¯t good.
Of course, I had destroyed that hellish future with my own hands. As I got off Ungi¡¯s back while sighing in relief, he also looked at me with relieved eyes. It seemed like he had noticed that I was about to leave.
¡°There isn¡¯t anything left, right?¡±
There was no answer, but I could guess just by looking at him in the eye. It was as if he was saying ¡®There¡¯s none left, so please leave.¡¯ I smirked while patting him.
¡°There¡¯s none? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s one left.¡±
¨C Grr?
Uneasiness appeared in Ungi¡¯s eyes. It was as if he were hoping that his thought was wrong.
¡°You¡¯re left.¡±
After saying that, I hit his head. Thankfully, this time, I could end him in one hit. We had gotten close to each other by exploring the Dungeon together, so I did my best to kill him in the most painless way as possible.
I felt bitter while looking down at Ungi, whose head had exploded. He was quite intelligent and seemed to have a good personality. For a moment, I wondered if Louise entered the Dungeon in the story and took him as a pet, but I soon shook my head. He was too big to be someone¡¯s pet.
The only crime this guy hadmitted was being born inside a Dungeon. If I had let him go and he suddenly appeared at the pic, it would¡¯ve been embarrassing.
¡®I hope that in the next life, you¡¯re reborn as the pet of a noble family.¡¯
After praying for Gomi¡¯s rest, I turned around. It was time to leave this dreary Dungeon.
Oh, was it not Gomi but Ungi? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s a name that no one will call now, anyways.
As I returned after I finished organizing the Dungeon temporarily, it was fortunately before the club time began. I¡¯m d the Vice Principal told me early. If not, the six members would¡¯ve ended up meeting alone. Thinking of that possibility scared me. Who knows what would happen if I wasn¡¯t there¡
¡®How terrifying.¡¯
Just thinking about what could happen during regr sses makes me nervous. But in the club¡¯s room when only the six members were present? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised even if one of the five suddenly lost his mind and asked another one for a duel.
Although I wouldn¡¯t be surprised, that would probably have disastrous consequences. If someone says anything about a duel, I will take a step forward. I¡¯ll definitely beat them up.
With that thought in mind, I settled down where I usually sat in the club room. Somehow, I felt that something had changed. It had be cleaner and more luxurious.
As I turned my head around to look in more detail, I saw that there was a letter left on top of the table. It was a letter from the Vice Principal.
¡®Huh?¡¯
We¡¯d seen each other in the morning. Was there a need to leave a letter? Although I have to read it since he¡¯d left one.
Since a desk needed to be reced, I took the opportunity to change the others too. I did it while the Prosecutor wasn¡¯t present so we wouldn¡¯t bother you. I hope you¡¯re satisfied with hope you will be satisfied with the newly renovated club room.
¡°Ah.¡±
As expected of the Vice Principal¡!
I couldn¡¯t help but be moved by the letter.
I was impressed by the Vice Principal¡¯s artistic behavior, which perfectly handled up to 10 tasks simultaneously while doing 1. He was truly a hard worker.
No wonder he became the Vice Principal of the most important educational institution of the Empire!
If one of the three bastards worked half as hard as the Vice Principal, my job satisfaction would have skyrocketed. If I had taken the decision to retire, I would have considered them for my recement along with the Senior Manager.
Although, this was all pointless thought. Damn it.
¡°Huh? Oppa, did you change the desk?¡±
Louise asked as soon as she entered the club¡¯s room. As expected of the most sincere child in the pastry club, she noticed what had changed as soon as she entered the room. The other five only noticed after Louise mentioned it. This is normal for them, so I wouldn¡¯t me their intelligence.
¡°It was reced because it broke. And since one was changed, the others were too.¡±
¡°Did you do it alone? You should¡¯ve told us.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t. It was the Vice Principal. So if you see him, say thanks.¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Louise looked around the club¡¯s room with her eyes that were as blue as the sky. She probably wanted to see what had changed. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t able to tell exactly what had changed. The changes were subtle and I wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint with precision what it was that had changed.
Louise was looking around when she turned around and looked at me as if she¡¯d remembered something.
¡°Ah, now that I think about it, I saw you leaving early in the morning, oppa. Did something happen?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
How does she know?
It seemed like she noticed my confused look, so she kept talking while ying with her hair awkwardly.
¡°I saw you leaving through the Academy Gate early in the morning.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s how you say you¡¯re not paying attention in ss.¡±
If Louise saw me leaving the building, that meant she was looking outside the window during her sses.
To think that she would waste the sses I couldn¡¯t even attend if I wanted to. As I looked at her with disapproving eyes, she turned her gaze with an embarrassed smile.
Fine, I¡¯ll let it slide. What would I get by bing angry with you¡
¡°So, where did you go? Did you have any ces to go around here?¡±
Was it because he was worried about me talking alone with Louise? Or was he simply curious? No matter the reason, Rutis joined the conversation. After Rutis asked the question, Louise¡¯s eyes turned back to me again.
¡°I went to investigate the ce where we¡¯re going to have the pic.¡±
¡°Was there a need to investigate the terrain? It¡¯s just a pic. There¡¯s no way something would happen.¡±
As Rutis spoke, I turned my gaze towards his throat. I wanted to hit him once, just once. If only it wouldn¡¯t be an international problem¡ Is that something you should say to the Advisor who solved the problem before it happened?
After hearing Rutis¡¯s words, I became 100% sure of it. If we had gone to the pic ce without knowing, they would¡¯ve entered the Dungeon for sure. I became sure of it after hearing those death-g-like words. Although I had already solved it, I couldn¡¯t help but get angry.
¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being careful.¡±
After saying that, I turned around, trying to suppress the urge of grabbing him by the throat, because when my instincts won over my reason, the Minister of Foreign Affairs would alwayse running angrily at me.
¡°I heard that the cherry blossoms that can be seen from that hill are really beautiful!¡±
As I turned my eyes from Rutis, Louise caught my eye. Cherry blossoms. It was a flower that really suited her.
She said, ¡°I heard.¡± That means someone had told her that, which was the reason why we were going to a pic there. Who the fuck was the one who told her something like that and caused me such trouble¡?
¡°Ah, what Irina told us thest time?¡±
I could immediately figure out the culprit from Eric¡¯s words. Ah, Irina¡ it was her. She was next to Louise when I first saw her.
Quietly closing my mouth at the unexpected identity, I simply listened to Louise¡¯s excited words. If Irina was the culprit, I couldn¡¯t me her.
Irina was Louise¡¯s closest female friend. Although Irina wasn¡¯t as important as these five, she was still one of the people I was cautious about. That¡¯s why every time I had the opportunity, I checked out how she was doing.
Her full name was Irina Yorun.
She was the daughter of the family who was struck by lightning due to a misfire from the Prosecutor¡¯s Office before being dispatched to the Academy. 3rd Manager, you bastard. Your messed up shit is still here.
Hearing about the living witness of our professional negligence in an unexpected ce stimted my sense of guilt.
Chapter 21: - If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (3)
? If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (3) ?
If a family has been harmed due to a mistake by the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, you have to offer a benefit that goes beyond what the family lost. That¡¯s what I learned before joining the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. It meant that there were many families that the Prosecutor¡¯s Office had affected mistakenly.
However, from the perspective of a family that has been mistakenly prosecuted, cursing their situation seems to be inevitable. The problem was that the families that could actually resist until it was proved that they were innocent were few in number. Most of them died almost instantly.
This is why Earl Yorun was fortunate, as was I. The Earl Yorun managed to survive and received substantialpensation. I dodged the bullet of receiving the title ¡®The guy who blew up an Innocent Earl.¡¯ There was an Executive Manager who, by mistake, blew up 5 or 6 families, and he ended up being executed.
¡°Oppa, are you alright? Your expression seems dark.¡±
¡°Ah, I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s nothing.¡±
Louise¡¯s worried expression brought me back to my senses.
It seemed like my expression had turned grim as I remembered a situation that still made me nervous.
That¡¯s why I made the 3rd Manager stick his head on the ground in front of everyone. If things went worse, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten executed, but he still would have received a huge punishment.
So it was no surprise that I felt weird after realizing that the daughter of Earl Yorun, the victim of that incident, is friends with Louise.
¡®It feels like she knows that I¡¯m the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¡¯
Irina stopped Louise from keeping me there the first day I met Louise when I wanted to leave. At first, I just thought that she was a quick-witted girl. But now that I think about it, she was just afraid of me.
Of course, I had sent the 3rd Manager to Earl Yorun¡¯s house and made him ask for forgiveness and give him the appropriatepensation. I also sent a letter myself expressing my regret and apologized to him. And everything had ended well officially. But from Irina¡¯s point of view, the leader of the organization that almost destroyed her family had appeared before her. I had nothing to say, even if she became scared of me.
¡°Now that I think about it, Irina sometimes asks about oppa. Do you know each other?¡±
I almost sighed after hearing Louise¡¯s question. Irina¡¯s probably scared that someone she doesn¡¯t even want to see in her dreams is hanging out with her best friend. She probably asked in fear of meeting me.
¡°No. She probably asks because she¡¯s surprised that the Prosecutor is working as an advisor.¡±
I couldn¡¯t just say, ¡®My subordinate almost destroyed your best friend¡¯s family.¡¯ But Louise started to get suspicious. She¡¯s probably worried that I have a problem with her friend, and she wouldn¡¯t be wrong if she thought that. Which was unfortunate.
¡®Should I go talk to her?¡¯
Damn it. That¡¯s probably going to make her even more afraid. But to improve the rtionship, I should at least try to talk to her.
While Louise looked at me with suspicion, I couldn¡¯t say anything.
The day I received sharp looks from Louise, I received a contact through amunication device I had obtained recently as I felt sorry about using the Vice Principal as a messenger.
¡°Sir Vir? What makes you call me during such hours?¡±
¡°I apologize, I¡¯ve made the call despite knowing I couldn¡¯t bother you.¡±
What Vir told me was a tragic story.
As the three essential people from other countries decided to pic outside the Academy, their bodyguards couldn¡¯t stay still. But the three of them had refused until the end.
¡®Are they stupid?¡¯
That was my first thought after Vir finished.
The bodyguards were in charge of protecting them at the expense of their lives if necessary. There was no way they would stay behind just because you told them not to follow you. But from the point of view of the bodyguards, the ones they had to protect kept refusing. So they were put in quite a tricky situation.
Sir Vir had called me to tell me this bad news.
How could they even refuse to be watched from a distance? Even if I hadpletely cleaned the Dungeon, not even I knew what could happen. I had agreed to go on a pic because I thought the bodyguards would apany us. There was no way I was willing to do all of the protecting.
I almost cried, looking at Sir Vir¡¯s expression. Because the higher-ups were idiots, those that were underneath them suffered. That fact was also applicable to other countries besides the Empire.
That¡¯s why I suggested that the bodyguards hide in the forest near the hills where we would have the pic. From there, they could easily figure out if someone else was there. And from the outside, they couldn¡¯t tell that their bodyguards were there.
¡°It should be perfect for hiding.¡±
¨C Thanks for your suggestion.
I didn¡¯t feel like this was something worthy of being grateful for, so I replied with a smile. It made no sense that the bodyguards had to hide from the people they had to protect in the first ce. If someone outside saw the situation, they would think they were assassins. Those bastards.
While sharing the pain of those underneath, we silently cut the call.
The non-awaited morning of the pic came. Erich and Louise said they would bring the food that would be eaten while looking at the cherry blossoms, so all I had to do was go to the pic.
But I wasn¡¯t rxed because of the conversation that took ce yesterday. Is this what they called plus-minus equals zero? I¡¯d rather struggle physically.
I felt sad looking at the bodyguards marching toward the forest in the early morning. I said that if they were found out, they should tell them they came to subjugate the Dungeon as there was a Dungeon after all¡
After hearing the word Dungeon, Vir made an expression that seemed like he would go running at any moment. So I told him I had already subjugated it yesterday. His face changed after hearing that. Then he said thanks for the consideration. It was nothing. We civil servants should help each other out.
¡°Since everyone is here, let¡¯s go.¡±
Unlike the bodyguards that left early in the morning, the pastry club members left in a carriage provided by the Vice Principal once it was time for the pic. It was one where the six of them could ridefortably. I sat next to the coachman.
I noticed the coachman¡¯s body was trembling, but I felt he understood my situation. Not even I feelfortable staying next to those six. He stopped trembling almost immediately when I gave him a couple of silver coins.
¡°I¡¯ll take you there as fast as possible!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Safety first.¡±
I didn¡¯t mention that if a single person inside the carriage got hurt, he would lose his neck.
Anyway. After he became less anxious, he seemed more motivated. As expected, the money treatment is the best; that was something I learned from Duke Gold.
After that, I sat silently next to the coachman. He¡¯d just managed to rx. So if I tried to initiate a conversation, he would be nervous again. But since the coachman became silent, I could hear the conversation from inside.
¡°Dungeons appear out of nowhere on the fields, sometimes.¡±
What kind of bastard is talking about the Dungeon g I already solved? Is it you, Rutis? Judging by the voice, that seems to be the case. He caused quite a bit of trouble due to his mouth in the original novel.
¡°Isn¡¯t that the reason why artifacts were made? It¡¯s be hard to see Dungeons since a few years ago.¡±
This time, it was Lather who stuck some nails in my heart. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s rare to see Dungeons, and I never imagined one would appear here at this time.
¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Dungeon. What kind of ce is it?¡±
¡°Ms. Louise, it¡¯s better for you not to see one. The beasts inside the Dungeon are quite aggressive.¡±
For some reason, the flow of the conversation changed to Dungeons. So Louise and Ainter also kept talking about them. He probably didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity to continue a conversation.
¡°There¡¯s a record that says that even a small Dungeon needs at least 10 soldiers guided by an experienced soldier to subjugate it.¡±
¡°Woah, there¡¯s a record like that?¡±
¡°The Dungeon emerged in our territory after the development of artifacts, so we were quite surprised.¡±
I¡¯d also heard what Erich had said. Was it 10 years ago? That¡¯s why Lord Krasius was made fun of by his friends. They asked what one has to do so a Dungeon opens in your territory.
But surprisingly, soon, a Dungeon appeared in the territory of his friend that had made fun of him. So the lord of the Krasius family didn¡¯t let the opportunity to make fun of him go.
¡°Well. That¡¯s from the perspective of soldiers; I¡¯m sure we should easily be able to subjugate a Dungeon.¡±
¡®What a son of a bitch.¡¯
After hearing what Rutis said, I almost jumped inside the carriage. Leaving the subjugation aside, if one of them got hurt while doing that, all their bodyguards would lose their necks. A minor bad decision by the higher-ups can cause an earthquake to their subordinates.
This is what¡¯s wrong with the people who had everything given to them since birth. They can¡¯t understand those that are underneath them.
I closed my eyes. Let¡¯s just sleep until we arrive there.
¡°We¡¯ve talked so much about Dungeons that it makes me want to explore one!¡±
¡°¡¡±
I didn¡¯t hear anything because I was sleeping. What a bastard.
During the journey to the pic spot, I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears and cried inwardly.
Chapter 22: - If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (4)
? If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (4) ?
A cherry blossom fell on top of the cookie. As I blew it softly, it flew away and joined other cherry blossoms; I felt like I was looking at a rain in the shade of pink.
¡®How pretty.¡¯
I can¡¯t remember how long it¡¯s been since I¡¯vest seen a cherry blossom; I wasn¡¯t someone who liked to go and see flowers in the first ce. I ate a cookie while looking at the pink rain, which was delicious.
I looked up and saw the other members. They were eating either sandwiches or toast, and it seemed like they found those delicious even though their taste buds were privileged. If they eat those things so well, why not eat a cookie?
Thanks to that, I, once again, became responsible for eating Louise¡¯s cookies. I was surprised after seeing those five refuse to eat her cookies and Louise, who continued to make them despite that.
Is she okay as long as there was one person who ate? What incredible conviction.
¡°I just realized I can¡¯t tell the difference between sister and the flowers.¡±
¡®Oh, my god.¡¯
I silently turned my gaze around at the sight of Tannian, who was taking off a cherry blossom that had fallen into Louise¡¯s head.
Tannian lived his whole life in the Holy Kingdom, which was probably why he didn¡¯t have the talent to make a good expression.
¡°Thanks.¡±
Louise seemed embarrassed to hear things like that and said thanks while smiling awkwardly. It seemed like Tannian was satisfied by her reaction, so he nodded. I guess what makes people happy truly differs from person to person.
Is that what they mean by saying that you could live a happy life if you don¡¯t have any desires? I didn¡¯t want to live like that myself, of course.
¡°As expected of a Priest, your expression is quite fancy!¡±
For some reason, Rutis hit Tannian¡¯s back a few times. That¡¯s fancy?
¡°Rutis, don¡¯t make fun of him.¡±
I sighed in relief after seeing that Ainter was trying to stop Rutis. So my tastes weren¡¯t wrong. Ah, what a relief. A lot of things have been happening recently. So I didn¡¯t notice it was a light joke.
¡°Oppa, are you okay not trying the other things?¡±
¡°Yes. This is more than enough.¡±
Louise, who had been talking with the others, began to speak to me. She tried to give me a sandwich, but I really was fine with just the cookies. After sitting underneath a cherry blossom tree, I continued eating the cookies. Will I be able to eat them all before we return to the Academy?
¡°But the other things are also delicious¡¡±
¡°I like these the most. So it¡¯s okay.¡±
So don¡¯t offer anymore. One sandwich is equal to six cookies¡
I looked at the air to avoid Louise¡¯s gaze. Woah, the cherry blossoms are indeed beautiful.
* * *
I looked at Carl Oppa. Who¡¯d refused to eat a sandwich and kept eating my cookies. Although Oppa doesn¡¯t seem to have noticed because he¡¯s busy looking at the cherry blossoms.
¡®But they don¡¯t taste good.¡¯
I¡¯m not dumb; I knew my cookies weren¡¯t delicious. Even the other members that treat me with a smile on their faces avoid the cookies I make while having an awkward expression.
Of course, it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t make cookies. If that were the case, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to teach them how to bake; I can do the basics quite well. But I wanted to go beyond that and make my own unique cookie. That¡¯s why I tried numerous things, but the results weren¡¯t good.
But Carl Oppa always ate those results. Even if they didn¡¯t taste good, he ate them anyways without making any weird expressions. As if he were cheering me on, he always ate them daily.
¡®A good person.¡¯
Like I told Erich, I think Carl Oppa is a good person. Although one might look like a cold person, what one says and does reveal that person¡¯s true nature.
The first day I saw Oppa, how he looked at Erich were the eyes of an ideal brother who was worried about his younger sibling.
That¡¯s what I thought was Oppa¡¯s true nature. No matter how cautious a person was, one couldn¡¯t hide their subconscious nature being reflected asionally. If he was someone who could act like that, he probably treated Erich coldly. Someone who isn¡¯t good at expressing his thoughts. That was my first impression of Oppa.
After that, I haven¡¯t thought much about him. I heard he would stay in the Academy because of his work, but that had nothing to do with me, so I just greeted him when I saw him. That was it until I decided to create the club.
Although I managed to gather three people, I couldn¡¯t get an advisor. Something I thought would be simple, and the pastry club I wanted so much was about to be blown away.
¡°You don¡¯t have to search any further. I¡¯m willing to be the advisor.¡±
I was really happy when Carl Oppa said he would be the advisor. How brightly I smiled then still makes me a little embarrassed. I bowed a couple of times to express my gratitude. Oppa just patted my shoulders before turning around and going somewhere.
After bing the advisor, he always cared for us and never expressed any annoyance while doing that. It was as if he were saying he was doing what he had to do.
While Erich and the other members treated me embarrassingly well, he stepped back and looked over me from behind. That was a huge relief for me; It felt like the Oppa I always wanted to have supported me from the back.
From that moment, I felt like I had obtained a reliable Oppa. That¡¯s why I began looking at him more frequently. What was he doing? Where did he go? Could I do something to repay him?
¡°It¡¯s delicious. You could sell them.¡±
¡°If there are leftovers, I¡¯ll eat them. So put them here.¡±
But every time he did that, the considerate one was him. He was probably worried that my feelings would get hurt, so he ate all the cookies I had made. Thanks to that, my confidence grew. And recently, I began making some that were quite decent.
¡®Didn¡¯t I get better than before? At least a bit¡?¡¯
Oppa said everything was delicious.
So even if the taste changed, I had no way of knowing that.
I was about to smile because I felt thankful and sorry at the same time. But I bit my lips because I remembered what had happened yesterday. I told Carl Oppa that Irina had asked about him. But he tried to brush it off as if he were trying to hide something, and he only told me at the end.
I was sad that something I didn¡¯t know had happened between my closest friend and the Oppa I could rely on. And that he hadn¡¯t told me the reason. Of course, Oppa doesn¡¯t have any obligation to tell me. Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed.
While I looked at him with eyes full ofints, it seemed like Oppa noticed me. So he looked at me.
¡°What?¡±
¡°Give me a cookie too!¡±
As I said that, I took the cookie he¡¯d just grabbed. I didn¡¯t take it with my hands; instead, I took it with my mouth.
Seeing Oppa¡¯s surprised gaze, I couldn¡¯t help but smile at him. For some reason, the emotions of disappointment were leaving, and I started to feel good.
* * *
After the pic, I returned to my room. I sat on the bed and sighed because of tiredness.
Because of Louise¡¯s sudden prank, I almost ended up in a 1 v 5 fight. The other five were looking at me with a really sharp re. I would¡¯ve probably suffered much damage if they could harm me with just their eyes.
¡®Why did she suddenly do that?¡¯
I never expected Louise to grab the cookie in my hands with her mouth. As I saw her smiling after doing that, I began wondering if we¡¯d gotten close enough to do something like that. Although it wasn¡¯t bad news, there were five witnesses.
I washed my hair andy on the bed. Louise was always cheerful. So no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t tell the reason. She will greet me brightly anyways when we see each other in the club room tomorrow.
I was about to fall asleep when themunication device on the table began shining while emitting a purple light.
¡? Purple light???
¡°Ah fuck!¡±
I quickly ran towards it and epted the call. Then, the face of an old man greeted me.
¡°Long time no see, Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager. I heard that you were staying in the Academy a while ago. But I wasn¡¯t able to greet you until now. You¡¯re working hard as always.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just doing what I have to do for the Empire.¡±
¡°As expected. I¡¯m always surprised by the Executive Manager¡¯s patriotism.¡±
As the old manughed, I alsoughed awkwardly.
The person who called me was the one in charge of administering everything rted to the Imperial Family. Among the Empire¡¯s Administrative Branch, he was the overseer, the Minister of the Imperial Household. To put it simply, he was at the peak among Civil Servants. Only the members of the Imperial Family were above him.
He wasn¡¯t my higher-up. So if the representative of the Imperial Family had contacted me, that means that they¡¯d sent me a message. Ah, what was bound to happen finally wille true¡
¨C I¡¯m d you look healthy. The Prince became disappointed after hearing that the Executive Manager was sent somewhere far away. He worries that you aren¡¯tfortable where you are at the moment.
¡°The grace of the Emperor reaches all the territory. So there¡¯s no way I would find something ufortable.¡±
¨C Although the grace of the Emperor does reach everywhere, the reason why an order can be maintained is because of loyal subordinates like you.
¡°You¡¯re over-praising me.¡±
¨C Haha, not at all. This isn¡¯t just my opinion. But even the Prince has admitted this. Although your sacrifices for the Empire are necessary, your loyalty is undoubtedly admirable.
Although the Minister was talking to me lightheartedly, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a nervous sweat flowing down my back. Although I was expecting it, the order of the Prince was more direct than expected.
The true meaning of what he said was this: The Prince was ufortable about the third Prince, Ainter. The Empire¡¯s stability depended on the safety of the session of the throne. He was basically telling me this: Keep an eye on the third Prince, and deal with him if necessary.
¡®This is going to drive me insane.¡¯
The only good thing was that he hadn¡¯t told me to deal with him immediately; he was rather going to leave it to my discretion. Recently, nothing worthy of shedding blood had happened. So it seemed like the Prince had gained some mercy.
¡°I¡¯m thankful for that excessive praise. I will try harder so that the Prince¡¯s trust won¡¯t be ced upon me in vain.¡±
The Minister nodded while smiling after hearing my reply.
¨C I will tell the Prince about the Executive Manager¡¯s loyalty.
¡°Thank you.¡±
¨C I¡¯m sorry for having called suddenly. Then please, take a rest.
The call was cut off, and the light disappeared from themunication crystal. I sighed and threw themunication device again toward the table.
¡®The Prince is also quite annoying.¡¯
Now, I don¡¯t just have to be careful about Ainter as a candidate for Louise¡¯s affection. But also as the third Prince.
How troublesome. Damn it.
Chapter 23: - If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (5)
? If the higher-up points, the subordinate rolls (5) ?
Just as always, I was alone in the clubroom. To be honest, I wanted to organize my thoughts in my room. But for some reason, I had already gotten used toing to the clubroom early morning. A civil servant can only feelfortable after going somewhere early in the morning.
Although I felt relieved, my head was a mess.
¡®He says it so easily. Damn it.¡¯
Feeling frustrated, I leaned back on the chair andid my head back. So this is what the ceiling looks like.
I grabbed my hair while holding back a sigh. I was expecting it from the moment Ainter joined the club; a situation I didn¡¯t want to happen took ce. From my point of view, it was something I couldn¡¯t refuse.
I had received an order from the First Prince through the Minister of the Imperial Household. Although it wasn¡¯t an official order, he was set to be the next Emperor, so I couldn¡¯t go against his wishes. On paper, I was on the side of the First Prince, so even if it was a shitty request, I had to act as if I was following it.
But still, for him to ask me to ¡°deal¡± with the Third Prince if necessary, isn¡¯t that too much to ask? There was no way he¡¯d die because of a kitchen knife, so I would have to disguise it as an ident.I already had enough of that struggle with the Second Prince. If a Prince died, it was for sure due to the First Prince¡¯s order. When the Second Prince died, everyone knew the truth.
¡®Thankfully, he doesn¡¯t seem to be set on that.¡¯
If the Prince really wanted to, he would¡¯ve asked me to deal with him immediately. But Ainter had remained silent for a while. The session was decided with little trouble, and it seemed like he decided to show him a bit of mercy because of that. To think that he would show mercy.
But I was d. I felt sorry for Ainter, but I really didn¡¯t want to send a wine set to him if possible. The First Prince still hadn¡¯t lost this mind. So I had to resist as much as possible.
¡®What an asshole.¡¯
Although he was worthy of being cursed, it wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t understand him.
He hadn¡¯t been thinking about Ainter for a while. But then suddenly, he joined a club with princes from other countries and a Saint candidate.
But I knew the truth, so from my point of view, it would be a mistake. If the First Prince killed Ainter, he would obtain the title that he¡¯d killed in vain, an innocent Prince who didn¡¯t have the chance of seeding to the throne. He had nothing to win and a lot to lose.
And if Ainter suddenly died, it didn¡¯t matter how you look into it. Everyone for sure was going to think I was the one responsible, and I would then drag too much attention.
¡°I¡¯ll pay the debt out with this.¡±
In the end, I couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh.
I would pay back how I threatened Ainter two years ago.
If the worsees to pass, I¡¯m going to have to kill Ainter. So if I stand up for him, it should be more than enough. No, maybe that¡¯s too good.
I wished Ainter could see my efforts for him.
I was already struggling because of the quest ¡®Louise and the Kids.¡¯ But to think that I¡¯d have to deal with the side quest ¡®Determining Ainter¡¯s Future.¡¯
But what can I do? It¡¯s an order from the higher-ups, and the ones underneath have to roll in the indicated direction.
The good thing was that I could regte the direction a bit.
I wasn¡¯t sure if that was something I should be d about. But if not, I wouldn¡¯t be able to resist it.
As the club¡¯s time began, I became ufortable for another reason.
Although it wasn¡¯t as much as the other day, I still could feel the sharp gazes of the other five. So you guys were the type of people who held grudges for a long time, and I didn¡¯t know it¡
But what saddened me was that among those five, there was Erich. Did you already forget about the advice this brother gave you? The word ck-haired beast crossed my mind, but I ignored it. I believe that my brother wasn¡¯t a beast.
¡°Oppa, here. I made a new one.¡±
I guess that the reason why those five still looked at me with sharp eyes was because Louise kept talking to me. It seemed like Louise also felt ashamed of having yed a prank like that; she blushed a bit. Why did you do that? This became a battle with no winner because of that.
Anyways, since she said it¡¯s new, I¡¯ll have to try it.
¡°Fruits?¡±
On the te, there was a cookie with fruits. I¡¯ve never seen or heard about a cookie like this. I definitely think that Louise is good at this. No wonder she wanted to make a pastry club.
I took a bite. Once again, it tasted great. As I nodded, Louise smiled cheerfully.
¡°Should I also try one?¡±
¡®Woah.¡¯
Surprisingly, Rutis said that he would also try a cookie. Louise¡¯s eyes became wide open in surprise. It seemed like she was happy that someone who had dodged it all this time had taken a step forward on his own. So she put out her te toward him.
¡°Here! Have one!¡±
See that? Just offering to eat a cookie she¡¯d put so much effort into was enough to make Louise happy. Despite there being an easy road like this, the five were trying to take an arduous route. But it seemed like there was someone who¡¯d finally realized that.
I didn¡¯t like that he¡¯d realized that because of me. But what mattered was the result, right? Rutis had finally stepped forward to fulfill his role in a romance fantasy world. It was a moving moment.
¡°Hmm¡¡±
I was moved too soon. After taking a bite, Rutis couldn¡¯t hide his expression. I could see that Louise had shrugged in disappointment. So now they didn¡¯t even think of hiding it.
¡°I guess it isn¡¯t normal for fruit to be in a cookie. So I¡¯m sure there will be split opinions about it.¡±
After saying that, I took the entire te.
In situations like this, I always took care of Louise¡¯s cookies. Regardless of what happened in the middle, it was me who dealt with things.
After I took the te, Louise looked at me in a daze. Then she turned her head around as if she were embarrassed. Someone had said that what she¡¯d prepared with so much care couldn¡¯t be eaten. So she¡¯s probably embarrassed. I looked at Rutis.
¡®He was so confident that I had high hopes.¡¯
Rutis was just a moron who acted before thinking. But still, he should be given points for having at least tried. The problem is that his base point was minus.
I looked at Rutis as if he were pathetic. But he was looking at me with a different gaze than before. He was looking at me in awe¡? Why are you looking at someone in awe because he ate a cookie? What a crazy guy.
Turning my eyes from Rutis, I saw the other four standing while making awkward expressions. It seemed like when they saw Rutis confidently stepping forward to eat a cookie, they wondered if they should also try them; but decided not to after seeing his reaction. Pathetic; at least Rutis tried.
I carefully grabbed a cookie and ate another one. The sugar inside it made mefortable.
After that, the pastry club¡¯s activities continued. Besides Rutis, who became silent, nothing much had changed.
Hey kid, it was important to differentiate between confidence and recklessness. Although it was funny that I was saying that eating a cookie was something reckless.
While I was mourning Rutis, who tried to take the lead and finishedst, I felt themunication device in my pocket vibrate.
I took a glimpse at it. It wasn¡¯t shining, so it seemed like someone had sent a message. I thought that someone from the pce had decided to contact me again and was surprised.
It could be something important, so I stood up to check it outside. As I did that, my eyes met Louise¡¯s, and I showed her mymunication device. She nodded and turned her eyes to the right. I feel my eyes are meeting with hers more often.
Anyway, I walked out to the hallway and touched themunication device. Was there a need to send me a message?
¡ºCome to my office the moment you read this message. ¨C Minister of Finance¡»
My face hardened after reading the message. But as I read it carefully, I noticed it was the one he¡¯d sent me a couple of weeks ago, and it seemed like I¡¯d forgotten to delete it.
¡®I thought that maybe he became senile.¡¯
To think that he¡¯d ask for someone in the Academy toe to his office. There were two options, he either lost his mind or became senile, and sadly, it was neither.
I then checked out the most recent message.
¡ºI¡¯ve sent the information the Prosecutor¡¯s Office Executive Manager has requested. So please, check it. ¨C Special Service Agency¡¯s Information Executive Manager¡»
Ah, so it¡¯s this.
¡®They already sent it?¡¯
After it was decided that I woulde to the Academy, I asked for intel from the Special Service Agency¡¯s Information Executive Manager. Although the Prosecutor¡¯s Office could investigate, it couldn¡¯t bepared to those who exclusively dealt with information.
It seemed like my ardent request moved the Special Service Agency¡¯s Information Executive Manager. Although I had asked for a lot of information, he¡¯d already sent it. How I¡¯ve helped other Civil Servants has returned to me like this. Not bad¡
Before sending a reply, I checked the content. Judging by the title, it was the information I had asked for.
¡®Were these things different in the original novel?¡¯
I couldn¡¯t believe it. I would¡¯ve suffered a lot if I hadn¡¯t checked this information.
I quickly read through the information that I had received. It was the first thing I¡¯d searched for after hearing that important people would gather in the Academy.
¡°So there¡¯s this many people who are trying their best to destroy the Academy.¡±
I scraped together a list of all the organizations that had caused problems for the protagonists of the original novel.
Chapter 24: - Survival Guide of a Possessor Who Doesnt Know the Original Work (1)
? Survival Guide of a Possessor Who Doesn¡¯t Know the Original Work (1) ?
When I first came to this world, I regretted two things.
First, I didn¡¯t read the original novel on which this world was based. I was unsure how crazy the entity that had ced me here was. But I was sure it wasn¡¯t crazy enough to put someone who knows nothing about it here.
The other thing was that I had only read the free chapters. After it was adapted to a webtoon, I read the free chapters and then cast it aside. I would have read it all if I knew I woulde to this world.
To make things worse, there wasn¡¯t any useful information in the free chapters. For example, I only realized who Louise was after hearing her name. Basically, my knowledge about this worth amounted to almost nothing.
¡®Other people might use the information they know to avoid or change the route.¡¯
But I couldn¡¯t tell what was going on. Considering that I hade to a world I had previously heard about in my previous world, I was too powerless.
But after so much time, my time to shine finally came. Although I might not know the contents of the original novel, there were many things I could guess based on the fact that this world was based on something else.
Suppose the main protagonists gather in the Academy. In that case, some incidents were bound to happen, as things always happen around the main characters in novels. That means if I could figure out what organizations or people are more likely to cause problems, I could stop incidents from happening.
That was why I asked for information as soon as I learned I woulde here. And the Special Service Agency¡¯s Information Executive Manager seemed moved by my sincere request.
¡°I¡¯m going to make sure thest thing gets buried. So please, help me with this.¡±
¡°Hmm¡¡±
Of course, there was a small gift included. It¡¯s bad form to ask for something without giving something in return.
That was how I got a list of people trying to ¡®Break the Academy.¡¯ The list was longer than expected, which made me annoyed. The thought that I¡¯d have to y a defense game against them was exasperating. The only good thing was that I had this list in advance
Before something happened, I had to return to the clubroom. I quickly checked out the list of organizations that had a vendetta against the protagonists.
¡®There¡¯s nothing against Louise or Erich.¡¯
Louise was someone harmless. So there was no way she¡¯d gather the hate of someone. The only ones capable of doing something to Erich were people resenting the Krasius Family, not Erich himself. But because there was the Lord alongside with me, I had nothing to worry about that.
¡®I also don¡¯t need to worry about Ainter.¡¯
I was probably the most dangerous being for Ainter. But I had no intention of getting rid of him. There was no need for the first Prince to send another assassin as I was here. So Ainter was safe.
¡®The problem is the other three.¡¯
To make things worse, they were members of Royal Families or a candidate for Saint. If they received a terrorist attack in their respective countries, I wouldn¡¯t care. But because they were Academy students, the Academy and the Empire would be turned upside down if something happened.
The organization probably rted to Rutis¡¯s story was the ¡®Fifth Empire.¡¯
They were people that said that the Armein Kingdom should defeat the Kefellofen Empire. They called themselves the ¡®Fifth Empire¡¯ as they wanted the Armein Kingdom to be the fifth Empire after the Kefellofen, which was the fourth Empire.
Of course, they were ignored even in the Armein Kingdom. But people who are ignored can often do the worst things.
There was a chance they would try to cause a terrorist attack while Rutis was still in the Academy and cause a ruckus inside the Empire. Then, they would insist that the Armein Kingdom should go to war with the Empire. After all, Rutis wasn¡¯t even the crown prince.
But still, the chances of them sacrificing a Prince and taking the risk of putting the country in danger if they¡¯re found out were higher than the chances of a prince insisting that they would enter an Academy located in the Empire. Fuck.
Next, the organization that was probably linked to Lather¡¯s story was the ¡®Five Pirs.¡¯
They were an organization against the ¡®United Kingdom of Yuben,¡¯ going from a simple association of five kingdoms into one unified under Lather¡¯s country. They were an organization with tradition. So their size wasrger than the ¡®Fifth Empire.¡¯ From what I understand, the Empire was secretly supporting them.
Rather than trying to go to war with the Empire, they might try to eliminate Lather to send a message to his country. The other members of the Royal Family were surrounded by Knights and Guards. So Lather was the easiest target for them.
If they attacked the Academy, the rtionship with the Empire would undoubtedly worsen. So what was the chance that they would do this? Once again, higher than the Prince insisting on joining the Academy.
Andstly, the organization that was most likely rted to Tannian¡¯s story. The ¡®Twilight Cult.¡¯
The Holy Kingdom and most countries of the continent believed in a God called Enen. The Twilight Cult believed in another God; they were an organization that wanted the main God believed throughout the continent to be the one they believed in.
They were crazy bastards that had already caused a hugemotion in the Empire. Three years ago, when the Empire¡¯s eyes were set on the North, they¡¯d killed the Cardinal in charge of the Empire. And because of that, the Empire did its best to crush them, but the Twilight Cult still managed to escape and survive.
They were for sure going to target Tannian. He¡¯d received the surname of Enes because he was called the Son of God. So by killing Enes, they could deal a huge blow to the Holy Kingdom.
What are the chances of them getting crushed by the imperial wrath? If they were scared about things like that, they wouldn¡¯t be called a crazy cult. They had already killed a Cardinal in the Empire¡¯s territory, so nothing would surprise me.
These were the organizations that might target the Academy. There was also the Republican Terrorist Group ¡®Red Wave¡¯ and the ¡®Third Honor.¡¯ Which was a revived group of Apels soldiers.
¡®These bastards revived?¡¯
I had just learned that the people trying to revive Apels had appeared again after the Empire had tried really hard to eliminate them. But they came back at this point? It was apparent that this organization was forcibly created to build some drama into the novel¡¯s world.
It seemed like the Information Executive Manager also couldn¡¯t believe this revival. So he also wrote a review full of negative emotions. He said that rotten corpses had begun to multiply, and it was a correct conjecture.
Anyway, the organizations that might cause trouble were these five. I was in awe of the Executive Manager who¡¯d quickly brought such information.
I was also in awe at my destiny since I would have to deal with them in the future.
* * *
¡®Fuck.¡¯
This difficulty is messed up. Who was the one who set the difficulty?
This difficulty was too unreasonable.
My teeth trembled. Two or three evil organizations would already be a headache. But there were already five that might try to attack the Academy. I wasn¡¯t sure who this series¡¯ author was, but I was convinced that the author was really trying to destroy the Academy. Did she have a hard time with university professors¡?
I put themunication device aside and leaned my back against the wall. To think that I¡¯d have to defend against five waves, and I had never imagined that I would have to deal with such organizations. This was truly an unwanted surprise.
But the reason why I was sent to the Academy was to avoid things like this from happening.
Of course, not even the higher-ups were probably expecting so many organizations to be targeting the Academy.
I only figured this out because I was originally from another world. Who would¡¯ve imagined that these organizations would dare to target the Academy?
¡°If I had retired early, I wouldn¡¯t be going through this.¡±
I resent myself for not retiring early on.
Even if I sighed, nothing would change. Instead, the chances of something happening while I wasn¡¯t in the clubroom increased.
¡®I must do my best.¡¯
If something happened and a VIP was hurt or killed, I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen to me or the Empire. If that happens, it will be the end of my career. I want an honorable retirement, not to be exiled.
In the end, my goal was simple. I would figure out what organizations were trying to target the Academy and stop them before something happened while I stayed in the Academy. And to make sure the VIPs could graduate safely.
And, of course, make sure Louise¡¯s partner can be decided before that happens. If Louise doesn¡¯t select a partner even after graduation, those crazy bastards will try to cross the frontiers again. If the Academy were Part 1, that would mark the start of Part 2.
Now that I think about it, isn¡¯t sending a marriage proposal to the Naird Baron the best way?
The Naird Baron would have difficulty refusing a marriage proposal from the Empire¡¯s Earl Krasius. And at the same time, Erich would fulfill his love.
The Lord also wasn¡¯t the type of person who cared about who one marries as long as someone who could keep the family¡¯s lineage alive is born.
I shook my head. A brute force solution like that wasn¡¯t good. Not only that, but that solution didn¡¯t consider Louise¡¯s will.
My head was messed up, so I even thought of something like that. I was even feeling sorry for Louise.
Chapter 25: - Survival Guide of a Possessor Who Doesnt Know the Original Work (2)
? Survival Guide of a Possessor Who Doesn¡¯t Know The Original Work (2) ?
The more he walked, the clearer the voices he heard became. The pastry clubroom was located in a ce that was far away to prevent the poor students from meeting members of the royalty while casually walking through the hallway. Something happened in the clubroom if he could hear their voices from right here.
He¡¯d left only for a brief moment. What happened in such a short amount of time? Did an oven catch on fire?
I, thankfully, wasn¡¯t greeted by fire as I opened the door to the clubroom. I just saw two Princes discussing while fire came out of their eyes.
¡°Most of the Heroes that have marked an era were Knights. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard many tales of Heroes that have shaken up the continent with only a sword.¡±
¡°The body is limited. But the power of the mind is endless. Magic helps you develop your mind, and that¡¯s why it¡¯s the truth.¡±
What are those idiots doing?
After seeing Rutis and Lather¡¯s discussion, I quickly nced at the other members. Louise was just blinking, Erich was looking at them in silence, Ainter was smiling, and Tannian was looking at the oven while baking some cookies.
Hmm, it seems like I¡¯ll have to hear the exnation from Erich.
¡°Erich.¡±
I walked toward Erich and ced my hands on his shoulders. He figured out I¡¯d approached him only after I put my hands on his shoulders and turned around and shrugged. He was someone who was trained in martial arts. Howe he was so dull regarding people approaching him?
¡°Ah, Brother.¡±
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°That?¡±
Erich was looking at them pathetically. Ah, so they really were talking about something meaningless.
ording to Erich¡¯s exnation, Tannian had said, ¡®Magic equipment is quitefortable,¡¯ which started this discussion.
At the Saint candidate¡¯s pro-Magic deration, Lather from the United Kingdom of Yuben, a country specialized in Magic, became satisfied. On the other hand, Armein was a Knight¡¯s Kingdom, so Rutis was annoyed. That¡¯s why there was a discussion being held between Magic vs. Sword.
¡®These morons.¡¯
Regardless of Sword or Magic, both could kill you. Considering that I struggled so much while thinking about how to protect them made me feel dumb. They were so rxed and carefree that they fought because of things like that.
I was also feeling resentment towards Tannian. Since he was a noble priest, he wasn¡¯t interested in discussing those damage-dealingmoners. No, was a Knight a Tanker? Anyways, he was evil. To think that he would ignite the fire and move out alone.
Now that I discovered the reason, it was time to stop the discussion. The rtionship between Armein and Yuben wasn¡¯t that good in the first ce. One of the reasons being that each country specialized in a specific aspect, either Knight or Magician. Although it was a pointless discussion as of now, it could be a huge dealter on. Of course, I didn¡¯t think that members of the royalty would be dumb enough to do that.
You guys aren¡¯t that dumb, right? This advisor will believe in you guys.
When I was about to tap on the table next to me and focus their attention, Louise, who¡¯d been hearing the discussion of the two, said while tilting her head.
¡°Isn¡¯t Magic better than the Sword?¡±
At those words, the expression of Rutis hardened, while Lather made a victorious smile. The fight that had started out of nowhere ended abruptly.
So Louise belonged to the Magic side. I never knew.
It was as if, in a short span of time, Rutis had said, ¡®I don¡¯t like Louise¡¯s cookies,¡¯ and ¡®Unlike Louise, I prefer Knights.¡¯ Honestly, everything happened because of his doing, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him. Leaving the cookie aside, not even I knew that Louise preferred Magic.
I wondered if I should console him, but he was the sort of guy who would put another g tomorrow while smiling. So I decided to ignore him. My problem was that I get too attached to people. I¡¯d forgotten how much trouble he¡¯d caused me for a short while just because I¡¯d seen a pitiful sight,
¡°It seems like people struggle when their personality is weak.¡±
¨C Have you been drinking?
The person on the other side of themunication device replied to myint indifferently. How rude, and at least a part of that was true.
As soon as the club¡¯s time was over, I returned to my room and called the Information Executive Manager. I was thankful to him for sending me the information faster than I expected. Not only that, but I wanted to hear his sharp remarks, and I had more information to ask him.
Among the ones that have an Executive Manager rank, he was one of the busiest ones. So I didn¡¯t call him while expecting to get something. I nned to send him a message after he couldn¡¯t get the call, but surprisingly, he picked up. Was he on a break?
¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve sent the Prosecutor¡¯s Office Executive Manager the information I have until now. I will send you any extra information I get, so don¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°Thank you. I feel like I¡¯ve been bothering you too much.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just giving back as much as I¡¯ve received.¡±
It¡¯s true that to get a better stream of information, I ignored many things regarding him. I¡¯d seen a few fishy things regarding the family of the Information Executive Manager but decided to ignore it. The Emperor also didn¡¯t seem to care, as it seemed like he valued his capabilities more than his corrupt actions.
Not only that, but the problem wasn¡¯t the Information¡¯s Executive Manager himself, but his family members. The Information¡¯s Executive Manager was so busy that he didn¡¯t even have time to take a piece of the cake.
I could hear the sounds of him cracking his neck, which showed how tired he was.
¡°Are you doing the night shift again?¡±
¡°Just like always. I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±
¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±
¡°At least I¡¯m not in the Academy like you.¡±
Are you going to attack me suddenly like that?
I was feeling annoyed, but rxed after seeing himugh. I could see his pale face and red eyes. It¡¯s better for the Empire if the Information¡¯s Executive Manager can rx by making fun of me.
This was a secret I couldn¡¯t tell anyone: But every time I felt overwhelmed by the amount of work I had as the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, I felt rxed while looking at the Information¡¯s Executive Manager. Yes. At least I was in a better situation than that person.
He would probably get angry if he heard this. So this was my treasured secret.
¡°Ah, about those five organizations.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
The Information¡¯s Executive Manager corrected his posture and looked at themunication crystal.
¡°Among them, be careful of the rotten corpses. Traces of them have appeared around the Academy.¡±
¡°As we¡¯ve expected, they¡¯re starting to act.¡±
¡°After all, aren¡¯t they stupid enough to try to revive Apels?¡±
The ¡®Rotten Corpses¡¯ the Information¡¯s Executive Manager was talking about was the ¡®Third Honor.¡¯ The ce where the Academy was located used to be the capital of the Apels Empire. So they were expected to be around this ce, and it was surprising how obvious their movements were.
¡®So, are they the ones that are going to start it?¡¯
It was as if the organization that would be honored to take the vanguard position was decided. I was wondering when they would appear. But knowing who they were was already a huge step ahead.
¡°If they get close to the Academy, we will send soldiers.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±
As expected. The Empire wasn¡¯t crazy enough to ask me to stop an entire organization alone.
Right now, I was only searching for information about them, but since I had confirmed their goal was the Academy, I just had to ce some traps and wait. This was something that also applied to other organizations besides Third Honor.
If they moved towards the Academy, that was a good enough excuse for the Empire¡¯s soldiers to get involved. Although the number of soldiers in the Academy had decreased, that didn¡¯t mean that the number of soldiers around the areas where the Academy had also decreased. They¡¯d just move them back for a brief amount of time to be considerate to the other three countries.
I was preparing for things that might happen before the soldiers arrived, and in case they arrived, I just had to participate in investigating the scene. After all, that was the reason why I came here.
¡°He said that he¡¯d send specially selected soldiers in consideration of the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Did the Special Service Agency¡¯s Minister say that¡?¡±
¨C Who else would it be?
The Information¡¯s Executive Managerughed. We hung up after that exchange.
Soldiers selected by the Special Service Agency¡¯s Minister¡ I could more or less guess who they were talking about. I don¡¯t know when they¡¯de; it¡¯s also been a while since Ist saw them.
Thankfully, the ¡®Third Honor¡¯ didn¡¯te right after I finished talking with the Information¡¯s Executive Manager. I felt a bit of resentment toward myself, who was being relieved because of something so obvious.
The Third Honor would probably move all around the ce to make it harder for us to track them. One might ask what the point of something like that was when their goal was obvious, but the more they moved around, the more time they would take to reach the Academy, so it wasn¡¯t bad news.
I just had to stay in the Academy and wait for the Information¡¯s Executive Manager to send me more information. Then I just had to wee the people sent by the Minister of the Special Service Agency. Just with that happening, the difficulty of defending the Academy would go down from Hell to Hard or Normal.
That¡¯s why I went to work in a more sluggish manner than usual.
¡°Lady Louise, did you understand what I¡¯ve said?¡±
I saw Louise talking with someone in a ce that few frequented. No, rather than a conversation, it looked like she was one-sidedly being hit by words.
The only problem was that Louise was talking with a female student I knew. She had long red hair and was holding a fan in her hands. Although her face couldn¡¯t be seen, I could tell who she was based on her voice.
As I walked towards them, Louise smiled after seeing me. The red-haired student followed Louise¡¯s eyes and also looked behind.
¡°Oh, Sir Carl. Long time no see.¡±
Right? I feel like it¡¯s been at least a year.
Chapter 26: - Survival Guide of a Possessor Who Doesnt Know the Original Work (3)
? Survival Guide of a Possessor Who Doesn¡¯t Know The Original Work (3) ?
It was a day with a lot of coincidences. Louise always went to the Academy with Irina, but she ended up catching the spring flu. Even Erich had gone to the Academy earlier than usual because he had been summoned by the Vice Principal. All of her other friends also had things going on. So unlike usual, Louise was going to the Academy alone.
Louise had never gone to school alone before so she found it a bit awkward, but it wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to walk alone. While walking alone, the pace and energy is different from when you walk together with other people.
Louise was taking her time walking, enjoying the morning breeze and enjoying the flowers. Erich would probably be waiting for her by the time she arrived at ss, and once Irina returned from the infirmary, she¡¯d ask her if she was okay. That was how her morning was supposed to be.
If it weren¡¯t for the voice that called out to her.
¡°Lady Louise?¡±
Louise turned around at the unexpected voice she¡¯d never heard before. She had curly red hair that reached her waist and green eyes. She was covering her mouth with a red fan. She was looking down at Louise. She seemed to be the type of person used to standing on top of people.
¡°Are you Louise, the daughter of Baron Naird?¡±
Although it was a question on the outside, she seemed to know the answer. The confident voice of the female student spread through the surroundings.
¡°Yes. My name is Louise Naird.¡±
Although she suddenly started talking to her, to ignore her would be ill-mannered. Louise lowered her head and presented herself. The other student epted the presentation and opened her mouth.
¡°I¡¯m Marghetta Velenti, the Student Council¡¯s Vice President and your senior by one year.¡±
Louise¡¯s eyes widened at those words. Valenti, it was the family of the Iron-blooded Duke, one of the five dukes of the Empire. Marghetta was the youngest daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke. She was a daughter he¡¯d sired at ate age. The duke had grandsons older than her, which is why he pampered her.
¡°Lady Marghetta, nice to meet you.¡±
Unlike a simple greeting, Louise bowed properly. In the Empire, the dukes had a lot of power. Although there were five of them, that didn¡¯t mean they had less power because of that.
Marghetta shook her head and said.
¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. In the Academy, we¡¯re all equal. I¡¯m just one of the many seniors you have.¡±
¡°Yes, okay. Senior.¡±
No one took those words seriously. After all, life after the three years of the Academy was long. That was something even Louise knew, even if she was usually surrounded by princes and a candidate for Saint. Maybe Marghetta was scarier than her club¡¯s members.
The Third Prince had no real authority and the other club members would return to their respective countries after the Academy, but Marghetta had the power to make most nobles tremble in fear.
Marghetta smiled after looking at the trembling form of Louise.
¡°There were some things I wanted to talk about with you. Could you give me some time?¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
There was no way Louise would¡¯ve been able to refuse Marghetta¡¯s proposal. She just followed her silently.
* * *
While following Lady Marghetta, my body trembled a lot. After all, it was scary talking with someone important with whom you normally wouldn¡¯t interact with.
I had experienced it four times with Ainter, Rutis, Lather, and Tannian. But still, I couldn¡¯t get used to it.
¡®No. It¡¯s going to be okay.¡¯
At first, I was very nervous around them, but now, I enjoy being friends with them and hanging out in the club. Yes, it was probably going to be okay. After all, I haven¡¯t done anything to offend her.
Lady Marghetta suddenly stopped walking, turned around, and said something to me.
¡°Lady Louise, you need to reflect on your actions.¡±
Ah, so there was something¡ It seems like I¡¯ve done something that bothers her.
My head lowered at the first cold eyes I¡¯d received from someone. Although I had lowered my head, I could still feel her cold eyes.
¡°This year, something unprecedented happened in the Academy. You know what I¡¯m talking about. Right?¡±
¡°Yes, yes¡¡±
Marghetta¡¯s exnation was simple. VIPs from other countries entering the Academy was something that had never happened. In this situation, they should be very cautious and try to maintain distance, but not only had she not done that, but she was also in the same club as them.
As a blue-blooded noble of the Empire, one had to maintain appearances, but she had failed to do so.
I felt my eyes bing blurry. I was scared of this situation, and I found it unfair. Was it that wrong to have fun hanging around the club together? Was it wrong for them toe to the Academy and make friends instead of being alone?
I just wanted to be friends with those that looked lonely while eating cookies together.
¡°Lady Louise, did you understand what I said?¡±
It seemed like Lady Marghetta had finished talking. She called my name. While trying to hold back my tears, I lifted my head. Although I was scared, I couldn¡¯t just back off. If I admitted it was my mistake, I would have to say goodbye to the club¡¯s members.
I was about to open my mouth when I saw someone familiar approaching us from behind Lady Marghetta.
¡®Carl oppa!¡¯
As I saw Carl oppa, I rxed and ended up smiling. Lady Marghetta frowned while looking at me, and then she turned around.
¡°Oh, Sir Carl. Long time no see.¡±
At that moment, for the first time, I felt that Lady Marghetta¡¯s expression had melted.
* * *
I wasn¡¯t sure, but she really ended up being Lady Marghetta. I had heard she entered the Academyst year but didn¡¯t expect to see her here.
¡°Long time no see Lady Marghetta. How have you been doing?¡±
I bowed my head a bit and asked how she¡¯d been doing, but she just silently closed the fan and stared me in the eyes.
¡°Lady Marghetta?¡±
I asked again, yet there was only silence. She tapped her lips with the fan as if she were dissatisfied.
Ah¡
¡°Mar, how have you been?¡±
As I sighed and asked, Marghetta finally smiled and opened her mouth.
¡°I¡¯ve been well, Sir Carl. I heard it from my father, but it¡¯s good to see you in the Academy.¡±
¡°I never imagined seeing you here. How is the Duke doing?¡±
¡°He¡¯s been in bed sincest year. It seems like he became hurt after his proposal, which had taken him a lot of courage, was rejected at once.¡±
¡°I apologize for that.¡±
¡°Fufu, right? I¡¯m sure his mood would improve if you pay him a visit.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll pray for him instead.¡±
I silently shook my head. Hurt? If I really visited the Iron-blooded Duke, he would probably do a German suplex to me. Although he was the oldest among Dukes, he had more strength than the average youth.
I silently turned my head around to Louise. She seemed about to cry at any moment and was smiling awkwardly. Damn, it seems like she heard some bitter words.
¡°What brings you to Louise?¡±
¡°I was just giving her advice as her senior.¡±
It felt like it wasn¡¯t just simple advice, but I decided to let it go. If I pressed the matter, it would only result in the conversation getting prolonged.
As I didn¡¯t try to ask further, Marghetta covered her mouth again.
Now that I think about it, I feel like I have also seen that fanst year. Did she always carry it around?
¡°Then, I¡¯ll be going. Until next time we meet.¡±
And then, she just left.
As I was looking at Marghetta¡¯s retreating back, I felt Louise pulling at my sleeves.
Damn, I should have checked out how you were doing first, but I couldn¡¯t do that.
As I turned around, I saw Louise looking at me with teary eyes. Yes, you were suddenly pressured to talk with the esteemed daughter of the Duke. So your reaction is understandable. Although Louise was already used to hanging around princes, they weren¡¯t of any use in helping her be stronger emotionally.
¡°Are you okay? What did she say?¡±
¡°It was just some advice¡¡±
¡°You need to learn how to tell lies.¡±
Louise nervously looked around, opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, then she finally told the truth.
Hmm.
¡®She isn¡¯t wrong.¡¯
I¡¯m sorry for Louise, but Marghetta wasn¡¯tpletely wrong.
It was actually really great advice. If Louise weren¡¯t the protagonist, I would¡¯ve thought the same thing.
I was in a weird position where I couldn¡¯t stand on either side so I patted her shoulder and gave her a handkerchief. She looked really sad while wiping off the tears.
While looking at her, I began to think.
¡®She doesn¡¯t seem to be the antagonist.¡¯
The first thought that crossed my mind after looking at both of them was if Marghetta was the antagonist. From what I¡¯d seen, in romance fantasy novels, there¡¯s often an antagonist. Although I was not certain because I didn¡¯t read too many romance-fantasy novels.
However, Marghetta didn¡¯t suit the conditions of an antagonist. It wasn¡¯t like she was the fianc¨¦e of one of the five that had fallen in love with Louise. She hadn¡¯t done something to harm or harass her either. She¡¯d just given her true and honest advice as the esteemed daughter of a Duke of the Empire.
Yes. Five organizations were trying to destroy the Academy, so there was no way there was a viiness.
After rxing, Louise carefully asked me.
¡°Oppa, do you know Lady Marghetta?¡±
Louise carefully added that we looked close. I shook my head. Close? No way. Although we knew each other, I wouldn¡¯t call us close.
¡°I met herst year because something happened, but we aren¡¯t close.¡±
¡°But¡ She seemed to have epted you calling her Mar.¡±
¡°I also don¡¯t know the reason for that.¡±
I called her that because the daughter of the Duke had insisted. There was nothing more stupid than allowing my rtionship with the Duke¡¯s family to be ruined over a nickname.
The reason I agreed to that nickname was because I thought that I would never have the opportunity to say it. After I rejected the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s proposal of me marrying Marghetta, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have the opportunity to meet her again.
I thought that would be it, yet I ended up encountering her here again. As expected, one can never know what the future holds for them.
Chapter 27: - Villainess? Esteemed Daughter (1)
? Villianess? Esteemed Daughter (1) ?
Invincible Duke, Richter Nuren of Havlem.
Iron-blooded Duke, Oliver Valenti of Wulken.
Gold Duke, Laprose Osiden of Boyar.
Demon Duke, Beatrix Catoban of Servette.
Wise Duke, Arodel Salon of Cheness.
These five dukes stood atop all of the nobles of the Empire.
These five dukes¡¯ ancestors contributed the most to the foundation of the Empire. So after the Emperor, they were the most powerful and important people. Countless noble families rose and fell in the past 300 years, but these five ducal families remained unchanged.
No one was granted the title of Duke nor was the title stripped from anyone. The five ducal families remained on top with the Royal Family.
To the Emperor, the other nobles were merely subordinates, but these five dukes were treated as partners. Even so, the Emperor was still the sovereign.
Their status was such that even the Emperor would have to treat them with care; other nobles would struggle to even look at them. That was also the case for the family members of the dukes.
So how would it feel to receive such cold and harsh treatment from the youngest daughter of a duke?
¡°Hup, hup¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. We probably won¡¯t see her again.¡±
Because Louise seemed to be in a bad state, I had brought her to the clubroom. It seemed like being in a familiar ce helped rx her, but she was still trembling, interrupted asionally by a hup.
She wasn¡¯t in a state where I would befortable sending her off to ss, and I coulde up with a reasonable exnation for the teacher so everything should be fine. Authority is meant to be used for situations like this, after all. This task was a bit trivial though, for the authority I possess.
¡°O-Oppa¡¡±
I took out a tin of loose tea leaves I had kept in a corner and prepared her a cup of tea. She picked up the cup of tea I had set before her, and cradled it before her while trembling asionally as I kept patting her back.
What should I do with her?
I could understand how Louise felt. There was a huge difference between her family and the duke¡¯s. If I exaggerate a bit, the difference between a duke and a baron was greater than the difference between a baron and a normal citizen. No, maybe it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. How a baron could mess up amoner was simple, but a duke had countless ways to ruin a baron.
The esteemed daughter of a duke had treated her coldly? It wouldn¡¯t be strange if Louise¡¯s family were ruined in the future. Thinking that she could be the cause of that probably worried her to no end.
Louise managing to hold in her tears before Marghetta was already worthy of praise. Well done.
¡°She probably didn¡¯t have any ill intent. She approached you alone and in private. She would¡¯ve told you that publicly if she really had something against you.¡±
While sitting next to Louise, I kept trying to cheer her up. I didn¡¯t think Marghetta was trying to attack Louise. In the first ce, the Valenti family were the type to act before talking if they really wanted to get rid of someone. Marghetta saying that to her was just like a form of greeting.
Of course, I didn¡¯t tell Louise this because this would¡¯ve just made her cry even more.
¡°B-But¡ If my father¡ Because of me¡¡±
It seemed like I wasn¡¯t able to calm her down. Now she was talking while crying. To think that for our first meeting in a year, she¡¯d make a good girl cry.
Thank you. Lady Marghetta¡
¡°Even if she¡¯s the daughter of the Duke, she can¡¯t attack a noble family that hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. If something like that happens, I¡¯ll stop it. Don¡¯t worry.¡±
It was a bluff. If the Duke aimed for someone¡¯s neck, that meant they had the Emperor¡¯s approval. If I tried to stop them in such circumstances, I should be prepared and leave a testament at least.
Well, if I tried my best, I could maybe dy it for four days¡? After that, it¡¯d probably be my end.
It seemed like my bluff had worked and Louise recovered her smile, but her eyes were still red. It seems like I¡¯ll have to make her stay here for the rest of the day. If I send her out and she encounters Marghetta again, she will copse.
I couldn¡¯t help but be a bit angry with Marghetta.
In the end, Louise stayed here until the clubroom began. Louise said that she was okay, but there was no way that was the case. I told her to stay here. Her face was still red. So there was no way she was in a state to go out.
And from a distance, I could hear the steps of five peopleing from a distance. It seemed they had enoughmon sense not toe here in the middle of the ss. Although it was something that should be obvious, I¡¯m d.
¡°Lady Louise!¡±
The first one who entered was Ainter. I was sitting next to Louise, so his eyes met mine. So I greeted him. Yes, although you guys are idiots, your feelings toward Louise are real.
Since all the members came, I woke Louise up. It seemed like the mental fatigue after that was huge, so before I noticed, she was sleeping. I grabbed the coat I¡¯d used to cover Louise and stood up. Seeing 5 mene running was a bit scary.
¡°Louise, are you okay?¡±
Erich passed Ainter and tried to rush toward Louise, so I stopped him. She¡¯s just woken up. So this will just surprise her. I¡¯ve put a lot of effort into making her feel better. So please don¡¯t make it go to waste.
¡°She isn¡¯t hurt. So don¡¯t worry. She was surprised because of something that happened, so I made her rest.¡±
As I stopped Erich, the other 4 also stopped. I turned around and looked at Louise. It seemed like she waspletely awake.
Hmm. I think that now, I could let them go.
As I turned around and opened the way for them, the five finally rushed again toward her. I felt like I was seeing a group of tigers jumping toward a sheep.
Are my eyes weird?
Louise became surprised after being suddenly surrounded by the 5. But it seemed like she was happy at them worrying about her. So she greeted them with a smile. She¡¯d be depressed because of Marghetta¡¯s attack. So the club members treating her well in this situation made her feel better.
Let¡¯s forget for a moment that the reason why Marghetta attacked her was them.
¡°We¡¯re enjoying our time here because of Louise. So there¡¯s no need for you to worry about it.¡±
¡°The other people¡¯s view isn¡¯t important. What we care about the most is how warm your heart is.¡±
It seemed like Louise¡¯s exnation was over. They also started to console her. Don¡¯t worry about it. If something happens, we¡¯re going to protect you, etc. They all sounded reassuring.
Once again. Let¡¯s forget for a moment that the reason for Marghetta¡¯s attack is them.
¡°Yes, thank you. Carl oppa also said that if something happens, he will defend me.¡±
As Louise mentioned me with a bright smile, the five looked at me. Ainter sighed in relief.
I¡¯m unsure what you¡¯re thinking about, but you¡¯re overestimating me.
¡®There¡¯s no way a Civil Servant will be able to stop a Duke.¡¯
I think that I could go against a Marquis. Because from time to time, some Marquis families were destroyed. But a Duke was like a walking natural disaster. If the Duke began attacking, the only thing left was the praying meta.
But still, the one that bluffed was me. I smiled a bit and answered to the eyes looking at me. No, but there was no way the Valenti Duke would attack Louise in the first ce.
But still, I¡¯m getting this nervous. Is this the strength of the atmosphere?
Anyway, Louise¡¯s condition improved, and the day reached an end.
I told Louise we probably wouldn¡¯t see Marghetta again during the club¡¯s hours. But there was no way that was the case. She was probably going toe again to meet Louise. She didn¡¯t like Louise hanging out around important people from other countries. So the only solution to that was to disband the club.
But Louise wasn¡¯t going to disband the club, and I also didn¡¯t intend to do that. If the club disbanded, who was going to face the rage of those five? Also, how was I going to look over them? In reality, I should be begging Louise not to disband it.
But Marghetta didn¡¯t know this situation. The club would be kept operating, and Louise would keep hanging out around important people. So she was probably going to think that her advice was ignored. Then, she was probably going toe and meet Louise again.
¡®First, it was the Crown Prince. Now, it¡¯s the daughter of the Duke.¡¯
My head hurt. The only thing was that it probably wouldn¡¯t be the Duke himself attacking Louise. But Marghetta had many ways to mess up with Louise.
¡®I should go and see her soon.¡¯
Before Marghetta came to meet Louise, I should go to her first. I needed to tell her why the club was important and that I was taking a closer look, so nothing much happened.
But now that I think about it. It¡¯s weird. Marghetta should know that I was the advisor of the club. Then, why did she give Louise such a warning? Maybe she wanted to give her a piece of advice even though I¡¯m there? Or maybe she thought that it would be better if the club disappeared?
I wouldn¡¯t be able toe up with an answer here. I¡¯ll try to see if I can ask Marghetta about thister on.
¡°It seems like the opportunity came earlier than expected. Good morning Carl.¡±
The next morning, in the middle of ss time, Marghetta appeared in the clubroom.
I was nning to go and see her.
But it wasn¡¯t that I wanted her toe and see me.
I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit annoyed while looking at the smiling Marghetta.
Chapter 28: - Villainess? Esteemed Daughter (2)
? Villianess? Esteemed Daughter (2) ?
For a moment, I wondered if it was either the weekend or the club¡¯s hours. It should be ss hours right now, so why was a student here? Is the Student Council¡¯s Vice President allowed to skip sses?
As I looked at her with dubious eyes, Marghetta tilted her head.
¡°Sir Carl, are you going to keep your visitor here? You¡¯ve be quite rude in the time we haven¡¯t seen each other.¡±
Although her words seemed to be ming me, she couldn¡¯t hide the smile from her eyes. Marghetta¡¯s eyes had bent like a crescent moon. I almostughed in disbelief at the sudden visit and prank, but she was indeed a visitor.
¡°Of course not. Here, have a seat. I¡¯ll bring some tea.¡±
¡°No, there¡¯s no need. I have to go back soon.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
That¡¯s good news.
I nodded at those words, and Marghetta settled down in front of me. Thankfully, she said that she had to go back soon, so it seems like she was going to cut to the chase.
I wasn¡¯t sure why Marghetta came at this hour, but I was nning to go and meet her anyway. Although it was a bit surprising, that wasn¡¯t bad.
I looked at Marghetta¡¯s face. Although she was smiling, she still hadn¡¯t said anything.
Hey, if you¡¯vee here, shouldn¡¯t you say why you¡¯vee?
¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see Lady Marghetta at this hour. Did something happen?¡±
¡°Do we have to meet each other only when something happens?¡±
¡°It¡¯s been a year since we haven¡¯t seen each other, so that doesn¡¯t sound like a close rtionship to me.¡±
¡°We¡¯ve talked about getting married, so it isn¡¯t a normal rtionship either.¡±
I flinched at the sudden attack, but Marghetta justughed while saying it was a joke. Maybe the esteemed daughter of the Duke had thrown that rock as a prank, but a poor Civil Servant could die from being hit by that stone. I wish she understood that.
As I let out a faint sigh, I heard a snickeringughter. When I first met her, she wasn¡¯t like this, but at some point, she started teasing and ying jokes. However, I couldn¡¯t just ignore or counter it since she¡¯s the Duke¡¯s daughter.
Marghetta probably didn¡¯t know how I felt while rejecting the marriage proposal. I feared that Marghetta would shout at me while saying, ¡®How dare someone like you reject me¡¯!
I even dreamt of the Iron-blooded Duke torturing me. It was horrible. Fortunately, nothing happened so far.
¡°I came here because I need to ask you something.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You know that the club fair will be held soon, right?¡±
I knew. Although it was just on paper, I¡¯m still the club¡¯s advisor, so I knew at least that much.
Apart from that, Louise had been talking a lot about preparing things for the club fair, so there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know about it. Even now, Louise¡¯s voice still echoed in my ears. As I nodded, Marghetta kept talking.
¡°The club fair isn¡¯t a simple Academy event. It¡¯s a social gathering where nobles who have already graduated make contact with noble students currently attending the Academy.¡±
I don¡¯t get it.
However, I couldn¡¯t help but agree with Marghetta. Everyone would meet each other a lot because of the social events, so was there a need toe to the club? I understand the intention of strengthening factions and early talent discovery, but still.
¡°That¡¯s why the student council struggles a lot each year while preparing the exhibition. The amount of money spent isn¡¯t low, and there¡¯s no way for us to know if we¡¯re doing it well or not.¡±
¡°I apologize for that.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I think it¡¯d be great if you could help us.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but ask back in confusion at Marghetta¡¯s proposal. Help? Me?
¡°Are you talking about me?¡±
¡°Yes. I did itst year too. From my experience, checking out if the budget was distributed correctly takes the most time, and that¡¯s why I think it would be great to have Sir Carl¡¯s support.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not connected to the student council.¡±
¡°But you¡¯re the Academy¡¯s Prosecutor, right?¡±
I couldn¡¯t help butugh in disbelief at Marghetta¡¯s words. She was asking me to check if the budget was distributed properly because I¡¯m the Academy¡¯s Prosecutor?
¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever had someone ask to be audited.¡±
It was a proposal I had never imagined. Everyone tries to avoid inspections by any means necessary, but I didn¡¯t expect someone toe and make the request first.
Despite my bewildered gaze, Marghetta maintained her smile.
¡°It isn¡¯t like we did something shady, so is there a need to be afraid? I just want to have the budget checked properly by an expert¡¯s eyes. Would that be possible, Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager?¡±
It was too bad for Marghetta, but I hadn¡¯t reached my position because I had the talent she wanted. I, or the Minister, didn¡¯t reach our positions because of our abilities. We ascended by special means, so we were far from the average Minister of Finance or the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.
Because of that, right after bing the Executive Manager, I was busy dealing with the ones that supported the 2nd Prince and, on the inside, the faction that was already in the Prosecutor¡¯s office. Even now, thinking about that time makes my mind go nk.
¡But Marghetta knows this as well, right? The Ministry of Finance was such a mess at that time and it was so well-known that if you are a member of a ducal family, you will hear the news even if you don¡¯t want to hear it. She knows that and still wants my help?
It seemed like too many negative emotions showed on my face. Marghetta put her fan on her cheeks and tilted her head.
¡°Is it too much to ask?¡±
¡°If my name appears, it will hinder the student council¡¯s achievements.¡±
¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±
Marghetta sighed. It seemed like she was about to give up. How unexpected. Oh well, she said that she¡¯d done itst year, so she probably doesn¡¯t need help.
¡°Well, we can¡¯t be sure how long it will take. I¡¯m also not sure how much time it will take me.¡±
¡°If it¡¯s you, Mar, you¡¯ll do well. You managed itst year too, didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Still, It¡¯s troublesome doing it ourselves. Sometimes, I go out iming to take a break from the Student Council but end up wandering around for a long time. If Sir Carl is there, I can focus solely on the work.¡±
¡°¡¡±
I closed my eyes at Marghetta¡¯s words.
¡®So this is her condition?¡¯
Although it sounded like ¡®working is too hard, help me. Sob, sob,¡¯ it was easy to see her true intentions.
= I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want me to visit Louise. If you help me, I won¡¯t bother her.
She was saying that if I cooperated with her, she wouldn¡¯t go after Louise to bother her and she¡¯d stay quietly in the student council¡¯s room, working. What a crude deal. It¡¯s amazing.
¡®It¡¯s very effective.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe the reason why Marghetta went to see Louise yesterday was a build-up for this moment. By showing herself as a threat to Louise and the club, she could make sure that I¡¯d help her when she wanted.
Although it was easy to see what she really wanted, her next attack would be harder than the build-up. That could be troublesome.
After organizing my thoughts, I opened my eyes and smiled.
¡°I can¡¯t just stand still when I hear that Mar is having a hard time. If it¡¯s okay with you, I will help.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sir Carl. I knew that I could believe in you.¡±
¡°Hahaha.¡±
The result of the fight was decided from the beginning.
Although I said I¡¯d help her, I didn¡¯t expect her to take me to the Student Council¡¯s room immediately.
¡°The Student Council members are currently reunited in preparations for the fair, so I came out for a bit to bring you.¡±
I see. Well, there¡¯s no choice then.
After all, there were sometimes things that were more important than going to sses.
Feeling like a ve being dragged, I followed Marghetta to the Student Council¡¯s room. Yes, I¡¯d rather finish this as fast as possible. There¡¯s no reason to stay in the club room unless it¡¯s club time anyway.
After reaching the Student Council¡¯s room, Marghetta knocked a few times but then opened the door before anyone replied. If she was going to do that, was there a point to knocking, then?
Anyway, I nced inside the student council room and saw that there were already six people gathered. The student council consists of seven people, including Marghetta. I hadn¡¯t paid much attention because I had no interest in it, but I didn¡¯t expect to meet all of them like this. This is quite awkward.
¡°Vice President, who¡¯s that person outside?¡±
The male student sitting at the front seat, probably the Student Council¡¯s President, looked in my direction with a hint of awkwardness.
What¡¯s this? Howe that the people that asked for my help react like this? Marghetta went to get me, so it should be obvious who I am.
¡°It¡¯s the pastry club¡¯s Advisor, Sir Carl Krasius. I brought him to ask him for advice regarding the budget of the club fair.¡±
As soon as those words were spoken, my eyes met with the President, who was seated at the front. Only then did he seem to notice my face, and his eyes trembled uncontrobly. Looking around, the reactions of the other five members were simr.
Hey, don¡¯t tell me¡
¡°Mar, wasn¡¯t it agreed upon by the Student Council to listen to my advice?¡±
¡°No.¡±
Her response seemed to imply, ¡®Why do I need anyone¡¯s agreement on something I¡¯ve decided?¡¯
Ah, yes, she is someone like that.
I had forgotten about Duke Valenti¡¯s daughter had my way-type personality.
At Marghetta¡¯s clueless reaction, I looked towards the Student Council¡¯s President.
His face had turned pale and his body hardened. For the Student Council¡¯s President, this was probably an unexpected struggle. The Duke¡¯s daughter, whom he was already struggling with, had brought the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager. That action could be interpreted as ¡®I brought him because I don¡¯t like you.¡¯
However, it was a misunderstanding. I stayed locked in the clubroom because I felt my presence would put too much pressure on the students. I¡¯d lived a low-profile life, and I haven¡¯t met anyone besides the club members. If I knew this was something solely done by Marghetta, I wouldn¡¯t havee with such a light feeling¡
Feeling apologetic, I gave a slight nod, and the President tightly closed his eyes.
Hey, what are you thinking? That¡¯s not it.
I barely managed not to sigh. I thought that if I sighed in this situation, the President would stick his head to the ground.
Chapter 29: - Villainess? Esteemed Daughter (3)
? Villianess? Esteemed Daughter (3) ?
The current Academy¡¯s Student Council President, Demian Connor. He was born as the third son of a Viscount family, one of the manymon viscounts. Because of his weird position as the third son, he was a normal son of a noble family that dreamt of bing a Civil Servant.
His brother, the oldest son, was going to inherit the title, so as the third son, he had to choose his own path. That¡¯s why he¡¯d decided he wanted to be a Civil Servant, and that was the reason why he¡¯d be the Academy¡¯s Student Council President.
Unlike the clubs that aimed to make connections, the Student Council roles were traditionally run by students aspiring to be Civil Servants. That was the reason why students with an ambiguous status in their families often be members of the Student Council. Thanks to that, they could get a glimpse of what it was like to be a Civil Servant.
However, Demian had noints regarding that. This was a path that he¡¯d chosen, and his current struggles would be a valuable experience for the future. Since graduates from the Student Council often went on to be Civil Servants, the Imperial Administration tended to give extra points if you¡¯d been part of the Student Council while seeking a job as a Civil Servant in the Empire.
But sincest year, when Demian became a 2nd-year student, life in the Student Council has worsened.
¡°I¡¯m Marghetta Valenti. Nice to meet you, seniors.¡±
The Student Council was full of nobles that weren¡¯t relevant in society. In such a ce, someone important had appeared.
Demian almost copsed after the Duke¡¯s esteemed daughter appeared. The only reason he could withstand it was because his mind had be stronger over the past year.
Unfortunately for Demian, despite being recognized for his abilities and bing the vice president, he was assigned the role of taking care of the new first-year students who had joined the student council. Upon realizing this fact, Demian felt like he wanted to sit down and cry.
He evenined to the Student Council President, but he was silenced with just one sentence.
¡°Then do you want me to refuse the Duke¡¯s daughter?¡±
Demian cried inwardly.
After that, he went to the Student Council¡¯s room every day as if he were going to war. He also fervently prayed, begging for another day to pass safely, and begging for the nobledy to lose interest and leave the student council on her own. But unfortunately, she came every single day.
As time went by, an atmosphere was created during a student council gathering where the first-year students asked why they joined the student council. It was pure coincidence, but everyone gathered there was curious about one person¡¯s answer.
¡°There¡¯s someone in the Administration that I know. I want to see that person, so I was wondering if I should also be a Civil Servant.¡±
Demian fell into thought while looking at the Duke¡¯s daughter, who answered with a smile. Wasn¡¯t it easier to call that person rather than bing a Civil Servant?
¡®I don¡¯t know who it is, but I really don¡¯t like him¡¡¯
That day, Demian sincerely resented an unknown Administration Official.
Nevertheless, in the midst of his misfortune, the Duke¡¯s daughter went through her student council life without incidents and even showed some respect for the senior members. Of course, from the seniors¡¯ perspective, having a Duke¡¯s daughter as their junior was a form of severe violence, but overall, it was uneventful.
That¡¯s how a year had passed, and Demian became the Student Council President. Now he just had to graduate, and he wouldn¡¯t see the Duke¡¯s daughter ever again. He wouldn¡¯t need to walk on top of a de anymore. With the image of himself entering the Imperial Administration upon graduation, Damien persevered with unwavering determination.
However, it seemed like that dream would end today.
¡®Oh, Emperor, Enen, please, please!¡¯
In front of Demian¡¯s eyes, the man flipped through the documents submitted by the Student Council. Demian looked at the death reaper the Duke¡¯s daughter had suddenly brought and shut his eyes tightly once more.
The current Ministry of Finance¡¯s Executive Manager that was currently working in the Academy as a Prosecutor, Carl Krasius. Demian wanted to be a Civil Servant, so there was no way he wouldn¡¯t know his name.
The Emperor¡¯s hunting dog, the Crown Prince¡¯s sword, and the Ministry of Finance¡¯s crazy dog. He was the obedient servant of the Royal Family who barked when ordered to and bit whenmanded to bite. The notoriety he¡¯d gained the past 2 years was truly impressive.
The Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager was the one who tore down the Asilon Marquis¡¯s family, the person who was the biggest supporter of the 2nd Prince and a rtive of the Empress. Apart from the five Ducal families, they were absolutely untouchable, and this man tore them apart.
For nobles, a rank demotion was worse than losing their status. After giving him such a punishment, they said that Carl Krasius walked off while making fun of him. After that, the family¡¯s lordmitted suicide because of the humiliation.
¡And that person was going through his work.
¡°Hmm.¡±
¡®Dear God¡¡¯
The Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager was going through the reports. Demian and the other Student Council members trembled as if they were prisoners standing before the executioner¡¯s block. Only the Duke¡¯s daughter had a rxed smile.
¡°Not bad.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
After an eternity of time passed, Demian eximed in surprise after he heard a positive verdict. He closed his mouth after realizing his mistake, but the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager didn¡¯t seem to mind.
¡°There are some mistakes, but it isn¡¯t anything huge. I think you could take the exam to be a Civil Servant right now.¡±
At the Prosecutor¡¯s deration of innocence, the atmosphere rxed. Especially the Manager and the ountant, who looked like they were about to burst into tears at any moment. It was then that Demian could sigh in relief.
¡°Your name is Demian Connor?¡±
¡°Yes, yes! That¡¯s correct!¡±
Demian had just sighed in relief, but after hearing the voice, he became nervous again. However, the Prosecutor took a card from his pocket, jotting something down on the back.
¡°Take it.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
Demian carefully epted the card. On the back, his own name and the signature of the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager were written.
¡°Are you going to take the Civil Servant exam after you graduate? There¡¯s no need to do that. If you go to the branch you want and present that, they¡¯ll probably give you a suitable position.¡±
Demian¡¯s eyes widened. Although he¡¯d be part of the Student Council at his own will, he hadn¡¯t made that decision because he liked it. His position as a Viscount¡¯s 3rd son wasn¡¯t that great, and that¡¯s why he decided to be a Civil Servant. He¡¯d be part of the Student Council because of the extra points.
However, a golden connection had appeared in front of him. Although he said it would be a ¡®suitable¡¯ position, if it were a rmendation of the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, it would be faster to count the unavable positions rather than the ones he could. Even more, if it was in the Ministry of Finance.
¡°Thank you!¡±
Demian bowed and expressed his thanks to the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager. It was clear that the rumors he¡¯d heard until now had been lies. There was no way a person like this was so evil.
¡°Doing your best while working for the Empire is enough to show your gratitude.¡±
See, he¡¯s someone truly admirable.
* * *
I looked with pity at the Student Council President, who was trembling in fear. Unless there was embezzlement, I was nning to let him go, even if there were some troubles. From the President¡¯s perspective, it was a true stroke of misfortune, struck by Marghetta¡¯s mischief.
¡®Oh, not bad.¡¯
However, it wasn¡¯t necessary. Although I wasn¡¯t the typical Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, I had still seen and heard a lot these past two years. I could easily go through the reports. However, the more I looked into it, the more decent it seemed.
Of course, there were somecking parts, but these were things that he¡¯d naturally improve as he began working as a Civil Servant. It¡¯s actually quite good?
¡®Was he called Demian Connor?¡¯
I looked at the Student Council President with a newfound interest. I¡¯ve found a useful gem. It would be convenient to have someone like him, especially since he aspires to be a Civil Servant.
That¡¯s why I wrote a rmendation.
Because this reserve ve, no, gem, shouldn¡¯t change his opinion and give up on the Civil Servant exam. If I provide a rmendation letter like this, it¡¯s a done deal. After all, receiving it and not using it was considered rude.
¡°Thank you!¡±
The President seemed moved too, bowing in gratitude. Well, I¡¯m even more grateful. There should be more useful ves like him so I can retire faster. If it was for my retirement, turning one of my business cards into a rmendation was nothing.
Woah! Civil Servant! Cheaper than a presentation card!
With that, the sudden inspection concluded with a satisfying result for both the President and me.
I left the student council room, leaving the President, who was saluting me with effusiveness behind, along with the other Student Council members that were looking at me with longing eyes. I feel like I knew what the other members wanted.
Yes, I know that he probably hasn¡¯t made that alone. Don¡¯t worry. Once the timees, I¡¯ll also write rmendation letters for you, even if you don¡¯t want to. If you try to escape, I¡¯ll catch you and bring you to the Ministry of Finance.
¡°Thanks, Sir Carl. See you tomorrow.¡±
¡°Yes? Tomorrow?¡±
¡°The preparations aren¡¯t over yet. So I¡¯d be grateful if you could check it every time something changes.¡±
Marghetta, who followed me outside, said while smiling. I had no choice but to nod. If Marghetta went to Louise, things would get bothersome, so I had no choice but to ept.
¡°Would the same time tomorrow work for you?¡±
¡°If you wait for me in the clubroom, I¡¯ll go.¡±
¡°That¡¯s an honor.¡±
The esteemed daughter of the Dukeing to pick me up? It¡¯s an honor.
As I burst intoughter, Marghetta also started tough.
* * *
And on that night, after sses and club hours were over.
¨C I heard you met my daughter.
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
My knees involuntarily buckled, and my head gradually lowered. In front of me was the face of a man who appeared through the glowingmunication device.
¨C How intriguing. You¡¯d talked as if you weren¡¯t going to see her anymore.
¡°Haha¡¡±
The Iron-blooded Duke had suddenly called me.
¡Tomit suicide, drinking poison will be faster than hanging yourself¡ right?
Chapter 30: - Villainess? Esteemed Daughter (4)
? Viiness? Esteemed Daughter (4) ?
Most people my age were already married or at least have a fianc¨¦. In this world, you¡¯re considered an adult when you turn 17. So a noble that¡¯s 21 years old was at an age for marriage. Speaking frankly, I was already past the age of getting married.
Before reincarnation, I hadn¡¯t gotten married because of my age. Aftering to this world, it was the war. After the war, I kept pushing it because I didn¡¯t intend to get married yet. And that¡¯s how we got to today. Because the Lord had faith in me, he didn¡¯t pressure me to get married.
But still, the marriage proposals didn¡¯t stoping. And the Lord just sent every single one they received directly to me. It was quite hard working as a Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager while refusing the proposals.
But an incident happened duringst year¡¯s new year celebration when all the Empire¡¯s nobles reunited.
¡°She¡¯s my daughter.¡±
The celebration was held after so many battles and problems regarding the session of the throne, among other incidents, were settled, and I was finally able to catch my breath. I started presenting myself as the new Executive Manager, and while doing that, I met the Iron-blooded Duke. Next to him was Marghetta.
As the Iron-blooded introduced us, Marghetta bowed her head. And I also bowed while greeting her.
¡°I was worried that she doesn¡¯t have many friends her age. Thankfully, you¡¯re both of a simr age. Why don¡¯t you try to hang out with her while she stays here?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
It was only possible to ept the Duke¡¯s proposal. I epted it to get closer to the Iron-blooded Duke. But after that, I felt something was strange.
Marghetta often came to the Prosecutor¡¯s office. Not only that, but she also invited me to the Valenti¡¯s residence, which was near the office. Although it was hard, I resisted. After all, I thought I had to resist until the New Year¡¯s Ceremony.
But Marghetta ended up staying after the ceremony was over. Around then, the Iron-blooded Duke mentioned marriage, and I refused while sweating. The Iron-blooded Duke said while frowning.
¡°Tell that to Marghetta yourself.¡±
He was trying to make me tell Marghetta, who¡¯d just be an adult, that I did not want to marry her.
Ah, what a cruel person¡
But I had no other choice. If I refused, the Duke would probably cut my belly, and I barely managed to calm down. When Marghetta came to the Prosecutor¡¯s office a few dayster, I told her.
¡°You¡¯re going to regret this, Sir Carl. There¡¯s no other person like me.¡±
Unexpectedly, Marghetta didn¡¯t get angry or depressed; she just smiled and left. I trembled in fear for a while because I took the ¡®You¡¯re going to regret it¡¯ as ¡®I¡¯m going to kill you¡¯. But thankfully, after that, I had no reason to contact the Iron-blooded Duke or Marghetta.
But now that I think about it, I understand the Iron-blooded Duke. He needed to get Marghetta married, and if he tried to get someone at the same level, the age gap would be too big. And among people of her age, there were only people with whom there was too much of a rank difference.
In a situation like that, I suddenly appeared with the support of the Imperial Family. Although I wasn¡¯t good enough to be his son-inw, I was far better than the other options. Although, he probably never imagined that I¡¯d refuse.
But now that I think about it, I¡¯m thankful to him for not expressing his anger toward me.
I was being thankful¡
¡°I never expected to be rejected by a kid¡¡±
After contacting me for the first time in a year, he caused a buried bomb to explode.
¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking straight back then. I apologize.¡±
¨C Haa, does that mean you¡¯d ept if I proposed it to you now?
The Iron-blooded Duke snorted after seeing my reaction.
¡°Giving another chance to someone who¡¯d let it go is too much.¡±
¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±
¡°Now, if you want to get married to Marghetta, you¡¯ll have toe to my castle and kneel down to beg.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll remember it¡¡±
I didn¡¯t understand why he was talking about marriage again. But I had no choice but to lower my head.
The Iron-blooded Duke just silently looked at me. He was someone with a strong aura, so simply staring at me was enough to make me tremble. He was clearly older than the other Dukes, so why was he so vigorous? He had the appearance of someone middle-aged.
¡°The Valenti don¡¯t have much patience.¡±
The Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s sharp words came flying toward me.
¡°If you just keep dodging, you¡¯ll be devoured.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll remember it.¡±
After snorting another time, the Iron-blooded Duke cut the call.
I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep easily tonight as I would just dream of being tortured in front of the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s castle.
This time, instead of being gibbet, I dreamt of my neck being cut by a guillotine.
¡°Oh, father. Even if he likes Sir Carl, it¡¯s rude to call suddenly.¡±
Margheta¡¯sugh spread through the room.
After the forced meeting with the Iron-blooded Duke, Marghetta dragged me to the Student Council¡¯s Vice President¡¯s office. I mentioned the call with the Duke because there wasn¡¯t anyone else in the room. And after that, she¡¯d beenughing like that. My life was put in danger, yet you¡¯reughing¡?
¡°There¡¯s no way the Duke likes me.¡±
He probably disliked me. But Marghetta shook her head.
¡°How many people do you think my father cares about enough to call them himself?¡±
There were very few people, but the problem was that he cared about me for the wrong reasons. The person at the top of a killer¡¯s hitlist is also someone the killer cares about.
Marghetta burst intoughter after seeing my reaction. As expected, she can¡¯t understand how a Civil Servant feels.
¡°If you¡¯re so afraid of my father, you can solve everything by marrying me, right?¡±
¡°Please don¡¯t joke like that.¡±
¡°Fufu, is that so?¡±
I sighed and got up. I¡¯d finished everything for today, so returning was probably okay. Marghetta also stood up as I got up from my ce.
¡°Then I¡¯ll be going. Are youing tomorrow at the same hour?¡±
¡°Yes. I¡¯lle tomorrow too.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
I just wish this exhibition ended as quickly as possible. I feel like I¡¯m just going to work twice a day. Was there any other Civil Servant like me?
* * * *
After checking that Carl had left the Vice President¡¯s room, I sat on the sofa and hid my face behind my hands.
¡°Aah-¡°
If I see my face in the mirror, it would probably bepletely red. Being in front of Carl is already too much; this is what happens as soon as he leaves.
¡°You dull person.¡±
I mumbled with resentment. There¡¯s no way a woman would just mention marriage as a joke. On top of that, with someone who she had been in marriage talks with. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s really that dull or if he¡¯s just pretending to be.
If it was the first option, it was too frustrating. And if it were the second, it would be a massive blow to my self-confidence. Because of this situation, my resentment towards him only grew. That¡¯s why I asked my father to call him and poke him a bit yesterday. Thinking about how Carl struggled in front of Dad made me feel better.
I sighed and walked toward the window. They say that the one who falls first is at a disadvantage. But this is a too-hard fight, so I¡¯m d I met him again at the Academy.
¡®I didn¡¯t expect things to turn like this.¡¯
The first time I heard about Carl was two years ago. The youngest Executive Manager in the Empire¡¯s history was born, so it was inevitable that I¡¯d heard that name before. Not only that, he¡¯s been growing thanks to the Imperial Family, and he also seemed close to the ¡®Invincible Duke.¡¯
That¡¯s when I realized something. If I had to get married, it was probably going to be with someone like him. After all, I knew what my father was worried about. That person, Carl, seemed worthy of marrying into a Ducal family.
I was able to meet the husband candidate only a year after. It would have been pushed even further without the New Year Ceremony. Because of my dissatisfaction, I went to see him often and even said some harsh things.
Now that I think about it, I¡¯m a bit embarrassed.
After that, I became busy. Since he was someone who would be my future husband, I was nning to get close to him. However, it was too bad that they were one-sided feelings on my part.
It wasn¡¯t that some tremendous dramatic incident happened. I just enjoyed hanging out with Carl, talking with him, andughing with him. And this is how my feelings towards him ended up bing like this. There were many reasons to like Carl, and there weren¡¯t any to hate him. If it wasn¡¯t with Carl, who else would I get married to?
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not ready to get married to someone.¡±
As I remembered the time I fell for Carl, I couldn¡¯t help but bite my lips at the memories that followed. I thought that he was for sure going to ept it, but he ended up rejecting me. I escaped to the Duke¡¯s castle as calmly as possible, acting as if the rejection didn¡¯t affect me in the slightest.
I felt so embarrassed and humiliated that I kept hitting the pillow while crying. I could only calm down only with the help of my older brothers and sisters. They calmed me down as if they were dealing with their child and it was too much of an embarrassing memory.
¡®It¡¯s all Carl¡¯s fault.¡¯
I wasn¡¯t at fault. After all, if Carl hadn¡¯t rejected me, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.
Because of the shock, I stayed locked in the Duke¡¯s castle. But because of the Academy¡¯s entrance, I couldn¡¯t help but step outside. At that moment, I didn¡¯t care about the Academy or whatever. Still, I didn¡¯t want a rumor that the Duke¡¯s daughter had locked up herself inside the castle after being rejected by the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager to spread.
Hearing about the Student Council when I entered the Academy was destiny. The Student Council was considered a stepping stone toward bing a Civil Servant. It was an organization I wouldn¡¯t have considered, but now I had a reason to stick close to a certain Civil Servant.
He isn¡¯t ready yet?
Then I¡¯d stick to him until he was ready. After I pass the Civil Servant exam, I will enter either the Ministry of Finance or the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.
If I entered through a rmendation, I could bypass the exam. But if the person in charge of that sector refused, I¡¯d be rmended to another.
One might ask who would refuse the Duke¡¯s daughter, but that person had already rejected a marriage proposal.
¡®I was lucky.¡¯
But without me having to take the Civil Servant exam, Carl came to the Academy. I was really happy after hearing that news from my father. Although things happened in the middle, I could still meet him again.
Since he couldn¡¯t escape, I could now get close to him step by step. I want to change that nickname, ¡®Sir¡¯, first. Although he¡¯s calling me Mar, he makes me call him formally.
But thinking about how much I struggled because of him makes me want to pick on him a bit.
Yes, I will make him fall for me and make him beg me to call him informally. I will act like I don¡¯t want to but then ept.
I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised at my perfect n. In a ce like the Academy, there was no way I¡¯d lose track of Carl. It¡¯s as if he were already in the palm of my hand. The Valenti always obtained what they wanted; it was just a matter of when.
¡®Ah, it¡¯s Carl.¡¯
While I wasughing, I saw Carl walking out of the building. While covering my mouth with a fan, I watched Carl walk away. He might look back; if that happened, he might see meughing awkwardly.
As I saw him walking toward the Pastry club, I remembered the esteemed pink-haired daughter. Carl seemed to care about that girl. And she seemed interested in him. However, it didn¡¯t seem like one directed to a member of the opposite gender.
¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯
Once again, the Valenti family always got what they wanted. Although Carl seemed to be a bit pushy at the moment, in the end, Carl¡¯s ce was next to me. I could forgive him for walking around while lost; I was generous enough to overlook that.
It didn¡¯t matter what happened in the middle.
The one that wouldugh in the end will be me. Marghetta Valenti.
Chapter 31: - Tearful Tasting Event (1)
? Tearful Tasting Event (1) ?
Being taken by Marghetta because he was the Prosecutor was tiring. But sadly, he was also the advisor of the Pastry Club.
In the morning I had to check the Student Council bnce; in the afternoon I had to see what the Pastry Club nned to do in the Exposition.
¡®A concurrent employment is inhuman.¡¯
I had avoided doing concurrent employment even at the Empire¡¯s Ministry of Finance, where workers were exploited. I never would have imagined I would do this in the Academy. I hope the Exposition ends as soon as possible.
Although my body was okay, my mind was tired. While I was sitting, I could see the club¡¯s members talking with each other. You all are overflowing with energy; it would be great if there were Magic that allowed you to lend your energy to others. Was it because I overworked myself in my teenage years? I felt my energy levels had decreased even though I was only in my twenties.
Those six were busy preparing for the Exhibition regardless of how tired I was.
¡°I think it would be better to have a wider variety. I feel that just cookies aren¡¯t enough. Something¡¯s missing.¡±
Although Tannian had said it softly, it was clear what he was thinking. If they just offered cookies, people would end up taking Louise¡¯s. So they should also make other things.
¡°I can also make cakes or bread.¡±
¡°Louise, focus on the cookies. Leave the rest to us.¡±
Rutis quickly stopped Louise. They¡¯d instead learn to make stuff than leave things to Louise. Those bastards were nning to use Louise¡¯s cookies as a throwing card.
¡®They don¡¯t think about their tastebuds.¡¯
They didn¡¯t consider that their tastebuds were too refined. But considering most visitors would be nobles, it was a reasonable choice.
At first, I thought they were so picky with food because they were princes. But that didn¡¯t exin why even Erich couldn¡¯t eat Louise¡¯s cookies. Was the average tastebud of a noble that luxurious? I¡¯m not sure since I¡¯m not an average noble.
Anyway, the other club members nodded at Rutis¡¯s idea. After all, everyone doing their part looked better than just leaving everything to Louise. Although the real reason waspletely different.
That¡¯s how the baking hour, where the scent of flour could be smelled.
There¡¯s so much flour that I feel like it will enter my nose. Taking flour via the nose looks weird, so don¡¯t send the flour flying this way.
It felt refreshing seeing other things besides cookies. Were they really the pastry club¡¯s guys who couldn¡¯t bake anything until recently? I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. It would be great if theirmon sense also increased to this level.
¡°It¡¯s better than expected, and we could perfectly sell it during the Exposition.
That was Erich¡¯s reaction after eating a piece of bread; it seemed to suit his tastebuds. Maybe he was being generous because he was the one who made it, but it didn¡¯t matter in reality. These were snacks made and sold by influential people, so no one was brave enough toin about the taste.
In that sense, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem even if they only sold Louise¡¯s cookies. After all, no one would be able to tell who was the one that had made them. Thinking about that makes me feel that they¡¯ve struggled pointlessly.
I ate a bit of the cake, which was only slightly different from what Louise made. Let¡¯s just leave meaning in the fact that they¡¯ve made a varied menu.
¡°Oppa, how is it?¡±
Louise looked at me trying the new items. They needed my approval; after all, I was the advisor, and I nodded. Well, they weren¡¯t bad.
¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any issue with you selling them.¡±
¡°But haven¡¯t you only tasted the cake? Please try the other things too.¡±
After saying that, Rutis put a piece of bread before me. No thanks. If you guys are selling it, people would still buy them even if you sold flour and butter.
¡®Ugh¡¡¯
¡°There¡¯s too much¡¡±
I didn¡¯t notice it at first nce. But thinking I needed to taste everything made me realize there was too much food. Guys, the advisor wasn¡¯t a bread-eating guinea pig.
¡°It¡¯s hard to make an honest judgment since we were the ones that made it. That¡¯s why we think you should be the one to tell us how it is.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
I couldn¡¯t think of how to refute Lather¡¯s words. But wasn¡¯t it too much for me to eat all the food the six had made?
After feeling the eyes of the six, my hands silently moved. Once again, it seemed like I wouldn¡¯t need to have dinner.
¡°Now that I think about it. Isn¡¯t once not enough?¡±
While I was eating, Demon Mouth Rutis began to speak again.
You bastard, what are you going to say now?
¡°Cookies are one thing. But it¡¯s our first time making these other things. Although they may be good now, there¡¯s no guarantee they¡¯ll be okay during the Exhibition.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why we should keep making them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll taste better once our hands get used to it.¡±
Rutis and Lather looked at me. Ainter, who was behind me, said whileughing.
¡°It seems like the advisor is going to struggle.¡±
And then, the club members began making bread as if they were machines.
¡°How about this?¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±
¡°What about this?¡±
¡°Not bad.¡±
¡°Is this also good?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Although six people were offering, only one was demanding. The Gold Duke would have screamed if he saw what was going on. Such an amount of food was enough to kill a person.
The club members began whispering to each other while they looked at me eating.
¡°He says everything¡¯s okay. So I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s the case.¡±
¡°Now that I think about it, brother has always ate everything.¡±
¡°Hmm, we¡¯ve picked the wrong person to taste.¡±
¡®You sons of bitches.¡¯
I angrily red at the club members. Sadly, they weren¡¯t people I could overwhelm with strength. So I did my best to calm down; no, I think that at least Erich should be okay.
I barely managed to finish the bread and hit the table. Let¡¯s leave the bullshit here.
These bastards.
¡°This was enough. Let¡¯s leave it here for today.¡±
If you¡¯ve understood, fuck off.
I waved my hands and told them to go away. It was only then that the club members began to leave beside Louise.
¡°Louise?¡±
What, what happened?
Louise had never been thest to leave the room. Because, after all, those five were always willing to wait for her. I saw Louise saying something to the others. Did she tell them to leave first?
With my wary eyes, Louise took out a small box from her bag. As I received that, she began ying with her hair while making a shy expression.
¡°Oppa¡ Seemed tired recently, and I heard this tea is good for fatigue. So I¡¯ve brought it.¡±
¡°Woah.¡±
I was moved. To think there would be someone this considerate among the club members who didn¡¯t know how much I was struggling.
¡®If the others were half as considerate as her.¡¯
Just being here made me tired; on top of that, to make things worse, I was also being dragged around by Marghetta. I thought I was hiding it well, but it seemed like Louise noticed. As expected, Louise was a perfect kid who¡¯s done nothing wrong. The guilty ones were the other five.
¡°Thanks.¡±
As I replied with a smile, Louise also smiled.
¡°Oppa.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
I got up to put the tea jar next to the cookie ones when I heard Louise calling me.
¡°If something happens, feel free to tell me! If it¡¯s for oppa, I¡¯ll help you with anything!¡±
Then she bowed and left the clubroom. I couldn¡¯t help butugh at those words.
¡®Did I look that tired?¡¯
To think that I¡¯d hear that from a kid who¡¯d just be an adult. I was feeling guilty. Was it that obvious? There¡¯s no way.
I stared nkly at the door before turning my gaze away. Although it was hard to believe, it was true that Louise figured out my inner thoughts.
But besides that, I had to prepare for the visitor that would be arriving soon. He was the one who was going to help me get rid of such a vast amount of snacks, after all.
While I was thinking that, I heard someone knocking on the door.
¨C Knock, knock.
¡°Yes.¡±
A man opened the door and bowed.
¡°Have you been doing well, Prosecutor?¡±
¡°Of course. How about you, Sir Vir?¡±
So you¡¯re here. My daily victim.
I received Vir with a warm smile.
There are things that your Prince made among these snacks, so you should also eat them. Isn¡¯t that only fair?
Chapter 32: - Tearful Tasting Event (2)
? Tearful Tasting Event (2) ?
The appearance of Sir Vir was like a ray of hope to me. The enemy-like club members began making so many pastries that it looked like they were about to make a pastry revolution. There was so much food that there was no way I¡¯d be able to eat it alone. In such a situation, Sir Vir would be of great help.
Thinking of it as a Knight taking care of the misdeeds of his Prince, there was no need to feel sorry, and luckily, Knights usually have arge appetite. He¡¯s a talented person who was more than capable of handling daily tasks.
Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only reason I had called him. Would I be so crazy as tomit such a discourtesy? I was nning to meet today anyway, and coincidentally, this pile of snacks had umted.
¡®I¡¯m lucky.¡¯
Although I wasn¡¯t sure if Vir was also lucky.
I asked Vir to take a seat. Naturally, it was in front of a table filled with the passionate results of the members. Until all of this is taken care of, none of us can leave the room.
Vir¡¯s expression hardened at the mountain of snacks. He probably had never been offered such a huge amount of food before, but there was nothing I could do about it. After all, a huge part of what was on the table was made by his Prince.
¡°Because the club fair is about to happen soon, the club members were quite motivated. I felt bad eating alone, and that¡¯s why I¡¯ve called you.¡±
¡°Thank you for your generosity.¡±
Because I said it while smiling, Sir Vir had no choice but to nod. There¡¯s no way he could refuse something that was made by such esteemed individuals.
I got up and walked toward the shelf. There should be at least something to drink, right? Those bastards of the club forced me to eat without even giving me something to drink. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was being tortured. How should I pay this back?
As I thought about revenge methods against the members, my hand, which was unconsciously reaching towards the cookie jar, suddenly stopped.
¡®This is mine.¡¯
I quickly turned my hand and took out the tea leaves that I had put aside long before, instead of the tea leaves Louise had given me. It would be a waste to give away something I received as a gift.
¡°The Academy has be really lively because of the preparations for the club fair. I hope that¡¯s not troubling you.¡±
While preparing tea, I casually brought up a good conversation topic. The club fair was a huge Academy event and an opportunity for external guests to enter the Academy. Since they were people in charge of protecting VIPs from their respective countries, they were probably under huge pressure.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. It reminded me of my school days and got me excited as well.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±
I giggled and then sat before Vir. As I offered him a cup of tea, he muttered his thanks.
While the fair was a casually thrown topic during our conversation, it was also the reason I ended up face-to-face with Vir. The club fair itself was not the issue. It was the fact that the club fair marked the opening of the Academy, which was a troublesome matter.
¡®I¡¯m sure he¡¯s under pressure.¡¯
The club fair was an annual event deeply rooted in the history of the Academy. It wasn¡¯t something suddenly pushed forward by the Empire or the Academy itself. The three countries were aware that the club fair took ce around this time, so there was no room for ming each other.
But even if they knew and had prepared for it, experiencing it firsthand was a different matter. They might be preparing for it, but they¡¯ll feel an intense desire to resist as it approaches. Didn¡¯t he just say that he got excited thinking about his old school days?
¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯re excited.¡¯
Many important people woulde to the Academy, and it would be noisy. On top of that, they had to ensure nothing happened to their VIPs. If the people from the upper echelon moved, those under them suffered.
¡°It seems like there¡¯s going to be more guests this year,pared to before.¡±
After I said that, one of the eyebrows of Vir flinched a bit. He was probably wondering whether my statement meant that the number of visitors was really going to be higher or if the Empire would take this opportunity to increase its forces in the Academy.
It was the first option, of course. Thetter is thest thing we need.
I heard through the Student Council that the number of visitors would be higher this year. To prevent inconveniences caused by nobles or influential figures suddenly showing up without notice, the Academy collects a list of noble visitors who n to visit during the fair. It was simr to a reservation system of sorts.
But looking at the list, it was much longerpared to the previous years. With various unusual variables this year, it seemed like the number of guests had increased significantly.
¡°Recently, many things happened in the Empire. Now that things have calmed down, many people want to personally witness the potential leaders of the next generation.¡±
¡°Is that so? Even from my perspective, who always stays here, I see new talents every time. I can only imagine how surprised thoseing from the outside would be.¡±
¡°Your words are making me feel proud.¡±
Vir¡¯s expression softened rapidly when I mentioned things that the Empire¡¯s nobility wouldn¡¯t want to discuss. I made it clear that I was merely stating the increase in external guests was a coincidence and had no ulterior motive.
¡°In fact, there is something I wanted to ask Sir Vir.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Vir, whose expression had rxed, nodded. That expression was probably going to ease up even more. I¡¯m not someone who would do things like this, but I can¡¯t help but feel bad for Sir Vir as a fellow Civil Servant.
¡°Just like I¡¯ve mentioned, the number of people at the club fair will probably increase. That¡¯s why there¡¯s a chance that many people wille to our booth.¡±
Vir¡¯s expression hardened. After all, protecting the important figures within the crowded booth was his duty.
He was probably already expecting it from hearing about the increase in external guests, but there¡¯s a big difference between thinking about it alone in one¡¯s mind and hearing someone say, ¡®You¡¯ll have to guard them like hell in that crowded booth.¡¯
¡°That¡¯s why, if possible¡ I want Sir Vir and the other people from the other countries toe and help us.¡±
¡°Help?¡±
¡°Yes. After all, the more people in the booth, the better. Will that be possible?¡±
It was probably going to be possible. No, even if it were impossible, they would probably get as many people as possible ande. If it were the three countries who¡¯d asked for something like this, they would have probably needed to kneel and beg.
Originally, they would¡¯ve had to wander around the booth, and they would probably have to be wary about the bodyguards of the nobles visiting the exhibition. Just the thought of it is exhausting.
However, if they epted my proposal, they could stay in the booth as participants in the club fair. If so, they didn¡¯t need to be wary of other guards, and the people they had to protect would be right before them. It would be strange to refuse such a reasonable request.
See? Vir¡¯s eyes which had been tense are now shining.
¡°We owe a lot to the Prosecutor, so how could we refuse a small request?¡±
¡°Haha, thank you. I was worried, I was worried if I would be able to do well at the fair, but now I feel relieved.¡±
It was a satisfying negotiation. The forces from the 3 countries would be able to protect their VIPs from a close distance without shing with the Empire¡¯s forces, and I would have someone to keep an eye on the members instead of me. If those bastards got in conflict with other nobles, I was the one who would have to take care of the situation. I can¡¯t let that happen.
Furthermore, by demonstrating this considerate gesture, there is a higher possibility that the three countries will be more willing to amodate or cooperate with me when I need it. Since there is no loss in doing so, it¡¯s advantageous to umte this stack of concessions.
With a sense of relief, Vir picked up one of the snacks piled on the desk and put it in his mouth. It was one of Louise¡¯s cookies.
¡°¡It has a unique taste.¡±
After taking a few bites, Vir opened his mouth. As expected from a Knight, his reaction was quite calm, unlike the club members. Regardless of his liking or his not liking the taste, he probably couldn¡¯t show it.
After all, it would be troublesome if he frowned, and I said, ¡®Rutis made that.¡¯ What a sad situation.
¡°Right? I personally like the taste.¡±
Of course, I have no intention of disclosing who made what. That way, Vir will eat everything evenly.
After smiling, Vir silently ate the remaining cookie. I¡¯ll say it once more. Before we finished everything, neither of us could leave.
As expected from a Knight, he was able to eat a lot. When I told him that I¡¯ll be sending what the club members made to the other Knights from the three countries tomorrow, Vir quietly thanked me with a lowered gaze. He was probably happy with the idea of sharing these delicious snacks with his subordinates.
Well, even if he wasn¡¯t happy, there was nothing he could do about it. He would have to eat all this if he wanted to work inside the booth. He didn¡¯t have the right toin.
¡°I got more people to eat, so you can make as much as you want.¡±
That¡¯s why I was able to say that confidently. Regardless of how much they made, I had gotten a way to get rid of everything, so there was no need for them to hesitate. If there are leftovers, we can simply send them to the three countries. How can a few mouths there not handle the snacks made by just six people?
¨C I¡¯m thankful for the generosity of the Prosecutor, but there¡¯s no need to give us so much food.
They weren¡¯t able to handle it. Those crazy bastards really made as much bread as if they were a factory.
I could see the despair in Vir¡¯s eyes through themunication crystal.
Chapter 33: - Tearful Tasting Event (3)
? Tearful Tasting Event (3) ?
The reason why the three countries couldn¡¯t handle the snacks that six people had made was simple. It was because they were eating those after having dinner. How weak. They should¡¯ve eaten with the determination to substitute it for a meal. To think they¡¯d try to challenge the pastry circle with such a weak mindset.
Of course, they were the normal ones. I was eating these instead of proper food, so the abnormal one was me. And it wasn¡¯t that they had challenged the pastry club. They were just unterally attacked with bread. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t push Vir any further.
In the end, I returned to eating most of them. Still, at least the number of mouths eating had increased. Yes, I was satisfied with that result.
Even though I have to chew on cookies during video conferences with the Minister and regr reports, I¡¯m satisfied.
¨C Now that I think about it, the club fair will be held soon.
¡°Do you still remember that?¡±
¨C Unlike someone, I went to the Academy.
¡°Damn it.¡±
As the talk about the club fair was brought up, the Minister began talking while touching his chin.
I was wondering why someone who wasn¡¯t going toe knew about the club fair, but after asking that question, I ended up being attacked by him. Whenever the topic is about the Academy, I¡¯m always at a disadvantage. I momentarily forgot about that.
As I took a bite of a cookie, the Minister said to me.
¨C Didn¡¯t you hate cookies?
What nonsense is that? He should know that I don¡¯t have picky eating habits because we fought together on the battlefield.
I quickly chewed and swallowed the cookie that was in my mouth.
Why is he asking me questions while I am eating?
¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t like it. I just don¡¯t go out of my way to eat them.¡±
¨C You didn¡¯t have one for thest two years.
¡°Minister.¡±
He clicked his tongue and waved his hands at my reaction.
¨C Okay, okay. Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯ve said too much.
¡°No, I reacted too sensitively.¡±
¨C Then why did you?
There was an awkward silence. I was embarrassed because of how sensitively I had reacted, and the Minister was probably embarrassed because he¡¯d chosen the wrong topic to talk about. In truth, there shouldn¡¯t have been a need for such a reaction, but humans can¡¯t easily control their emotions.
After an awkward silence, the conversation returned to the club fair. I still haven¡¯t told him about the coboration with other countries.
I informed the Minister that we had arranged to bring some of the three countries¡¯ forces inside the booth so they could focus on guarding their VIPs. After all, it would be a problem if they hurt or shed with an Empire¡¯s noble while walking around.
The Minister seemed to approve of the measure as he nodded a few times.
¨C A multi-national booth. That¡¯s something I never imagined.
¡°Weren¡¯t there asionally foreign students in the past? It¡¯s the first time we have such high-ranking people, though.¡±
¨C The atmosphere wasn¡¯t good enough for international students to enroll in the Academy during my time.
Well noted, and thank you for sharing your story, Minister.
I casually nodded my head, only half listening to the Minister¡¯s old story. It wasn¡¯t particrly important. It seemed like the Minister mentioned it without much thought either.
¨C Anyways, good luck. Many people are going to go to the club fair.
¡°Yes, understood.¡±
¨C Don¡¯t be surprised if some officials from the Administration visit as well.
¡°What?¡±
With those words, the Minister unterally ended themunication.
Howe he saved the most important detail for the end Did he finally be senile?
¡®Please, just die already.¡¯
That had been my desire since a long time ago.
The next day, I had to deal with the 2nd part of the report. Sadly, the Minister wasn¡¯t the only person I had to report to.
¡°I thought that we¡¯d need help during the club fair, so I asked for help. They will be familiar people, so don¡¯t worry.¡±
Although it looked like an Advisor-member rtionship from the outside, in reality, I was nothing less than a babysitter for these guys. If anything happens, I had to inform them immediately. Giving a report twice? How horrible.
Anyway, the reactions were varied when I conveyed the news that some of the three countries¡¯ forces would be participating in the club booth. Louise was pleased simply because it meant more help, while Erich and Ainter had somewhat indifferent reactions. The problemy with the other three.
Because Louise seemed to like it, they didn¡¯t say anything, but their expressions said otherwise. Perhaps they were concerned about lower-ranked individuals being present where their (one-sided) romantic ventures are flourishing, or maybe they disliked the mere presence of outsiders who could even slightly interfere with their rtionship with Louis.
¡®They¡¯re crazy, anyways.¡¯
Those bastards probably didn¡¯t know how much Vir had struggled before I contacted him. Even if their subordinates followed them like NPCs since birth, I hope they valued them a bit more.
¡°They willingly agreed to fulfill our unreasonable request, so we can¡¯t afford to ck off. Everyone, do your best during the club fair.¡±
If interpreted bluntly, it meant they shouldn¡¯t wander outside the booth and should stay put. We had even gathered escort forces, so if they went out and returned after getting hurt, both me and Vir might really go crazy.
¡°We¡¯ve been looking forward to the club fair, so don¡¯t worry!¡±
Fortunately, it seems they understood this level of speech. Led by Rutis, the members showed a positive response. It would be troublesome if people with a higher social standing couldn¡¯t understand that. Thankfully, they had a bit ofmon sense.
¡®Son of a bitch.¡¯
I hated that I had to feel satisfied with only this much. What wrong have I done for me to have to control them as if they were Managers? At least in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, I had the Senior Manager and five Managers.
While feeling bitter, I looked at Louise. As her eyes met mine, she smiled and clenched her fists as if cheering me up. Okay, let¡¯s do our best¡
I also made the same pose while smiling awkwardly. The anger subsided.
¡°Let¡¯s start. We¡¯ve been making so much that I¡¯ve started to get the grasp.¡±
As Erich said that, the pastry factory started to resume operation. In cases like this, I was d there are only six members. From what I¡¯d seen, others had at least ten members. If that were the case, I would need to throw away some of these.
¡®It smells good.¡¯
I was d they were starting to get better. As expected, people improve with enough practice.
Even after separating the ones, I would send to the three countries, there was more bread left than usual. What you have to improve on is the taste, not the amount.
But thankfully, someone that could eat all of these with me appeared. This time, it wasn¡¯t Vir.
¡°Sir Carl, do you like deserts?¡±
For some reason, Marghetta visited me after the club time was over. Her eyes widened after looking at the amount of deserts on the desk.
¡°No, not really. I was eating them because it would be a waste to throw away what the members made.¡±
Upon hearing my reply, Margareta nodded her head and carefully sat across from me. In truth, even someone obsessed with snacks wouldn¡¯t eat this much. Marghetta wasn¡¯t surprised for no reason.
¡°But what brings you here?¡±
¡°I wanted to ask if you have time.¡±
I tilted my head while looking at Marghetta, who asked that while smiling.
Until now, Marghetta had only visited me early in the morning. She probably wanted me to deal with things early since I was busy in the afternoon. Although I didn¡¯t have much to do apart from supervising the club, Marghetta still respected my afternoon time. But why did shee so suddenly?
¡®It¡¯s not that I dislike it.¡¯
I¡¯m not sure what could have caused her to change her mind, since she¡¯s a stickler for keeping her word.
¡°Yes, I have some time. But did something happen?¡±
¡°Since the club fair is nearing, I was wondering if I could also get help from Sir Carl in the afternoon. It¡¯s nothing urgent, so you can refuse.¡±
I thought about Marghetta¡¯s words and then nodded. Although it wasn¡¯t urgent, she probably wanted to finish it as fast as possible. After all, you needed to have some space to deal with a situation if something happened.
¡°Yes, I have no problem with it.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
Marghetta replied while smiling. After looking at her, my gaze involuntarily went down to the snacks piled up on the desk. There was so much that there was nothing I could do about them.
¡®Hmm.¡¯
I looked at Marghetta and then at the desert. Since she was a visitor, I should probably offer her something to eat.
¡°Mar, do you want to eat together?¡±
¡°Are there any that you¡¯ve made?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±
Seeing Marghetta chuckle, I let out a wry smile as well. My role is sufficient just to eat. It would be chaotic if I even start baking, It would be seven instead of six then.
¡°Then, could you give me one that you like?¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
I was about to grab Louise¡¯s cookies, but my hands stopped. To me, this was the most delicious one. However, based on the reactions of other taste testers so far, it often doesn¡¯t suit their preferences. Is it fine for me to give this to Marghetta?
I didn¡¯t think for much longer. This was the one I liked the most, and there was a chance that Marghetta would also like it.
¡°Here it is.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
In the end, Louise¡¯s cookie made its way into Marghetta¡¯s mouth. She ate it quietly and gracefully without any change in expression.
¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±
She even nodded. Yes, I knew that it would also suit someone else¡¯s taste. I became happy and gave her a bit more. Marghetta didn¡¯t refuse, and she kept eating. Her expression remained unwavering.
¡®This is how it should be.¡¯
Those who desire Louise¡¯s love had to show this kind of behavior. Not Marghetta, who gave sharp advice to Louise, but the five clueless individuals.
The abnormal ones were the members of the club. As I turned my eyes from the club, people were normal.
¡°I apologize, Sir Carl. Although I¡¯m the one who suggested it, I think it will be hard today.¡±
I felt warm for the first time in a while, so it seems like I¡¯d been holding her back for too long. After eating a few more, Marghetta got up. Oops, it seems like I was too excited.
¡°No. It seems like I was the one who¡¯s been rude.¡±
In their of the one-eyed, seeing the two-eyed made me extremely happy.
* * *
That night, in Marghetta¡¯s room.
Marghetta, lying face down on the bed, trembled slightly.
¡°Ugh¡¡±
As soon as she returned from the clubroom, Marghetta copsed onto the bed, shedding tears and sniffling.
She¡¯d been too greedy. Because she wanted to stay with Carl for a bit longer, she went against her own words and went to see him in the afternoon.
Although it was a bit embarrassing, she didn¡¯t mind as long as she could stay with him for a bit longer.
Thankfully, Carl didn¡¯t seem to be against the idea. Not only that, but the atmosphere was good. He even offered her some desserts. That¡¯s how everything should¡¯ve been.
¡±What should I do? It was horrible¡!¡¯
The taste was horrible. Unable to refuse in the face of his continuous rmendations with a smiling face, she kept eating. Desperately trying to control her expression, she couldn¡¯t even express that the taste was unpleasant, afraid that Carl would be disappointed.
While eating, all sorts of thoughts crossed her mind. Did he give her such horrible cookies to scold her for not keeping her word? Or was it for pestering the already tired Prosecutor with her greedy desires? In that case, was he trying to push her away by rmending those dreadful cookies?
As soon as negative thoughts began appearing, tears threatened to well up. So, she struggled to get up, barely managing to leave the club room.
Did he begin hating her because she was too greedy? As her mind reached that conclusion, she began tearing up even more.
After seeing Carl receive her with a smile the next morning, such emotions melted down and disappeared as if it were snow on a warm spring day.
Marghetta Valenti. She was someone with a lot of self-confidence and, at the same time, an equally overwhelming sensitivity.
Chapter 34: - Fun and Entertaining Club Fair (1)
? Fun and Entertaining Club Fair (1) ?
Now that there wasn¡¯t much time left before the club fair, I was also very busy because I was the Prosecutor and an advisor of a club.
As a way of apologizing for wasting time feeding her cookiesst time, I worked with Marghetta during the afternoon and gave her some cookies whenever she came to the club room. Although she refused at first, she ended up eating well, and it was satisfying to watch.
It seemed like Marghetta also liked it. She seemed to be in a good mood when we went to work together after eating the cookies. I should get her more from now on.
¡°Now that the club booths are set up, the student council¡¯s tasks are finished.¡±
I walked around the Academy with Marghetta and looked at the areas where the club booths would be set up. It was the most troublesome task, even more than the budget allocation, since we had to determine the locations considering the number of club members, characteristics, essibility, and expected crowds.
The biggest problem was the pastry club. Although they had the fewest members, the individuals in that club held high positions, and even a part of the escort force participated under the pretext of providing assistance. It was quite a challenge to find a suitable ce that wouldn¡¯t get crowded while also not conflicting with the members¡¯ status. Additionally, it had to be easily essible for external visitors.
Considering all these conditions was quite a task. Fortunately, the Student Council President took the lead and arranged a good spot for the pastry club booth.
I couldn¡¯t wait for the Student Council President to graduate from the Academy. He would probably do a great job as a Civil Servant. New ves were always weed, after all.
After checking out thest booth, the job of the Student Council was over. It must be a lot of work for the Student Council to do this every year.
¡°Good job, Mar.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve worked hard too, Carl. Thanks to you, it wasfortable and easy.¡±
In reality, I¡¯d just looked through some documents and apanied Marghetta when she walked around, so it was embarrassing to hear such words of appreciation as if I went through a lot of hardships.
But seeing a project end made me feel good. As long as there are no incidents during the club fair, it would be perfect.
* * * *
Until yesterday, I couldn¡¯t wait for the club fair to start. But now that it was about to begin, I couldn¡¯t help but find it bothersome. The first day of the club fair had begun.
¡°Since we¡¯re a new club, I¡¯m not expecting much. Our goal is just to sell everything and aim for a top ranking.¡±
¡°It seems like you¡¯re expecting a lot.¡±
As I said that to the club members, Tannian silently mumbled. But still, it can¡¯t be helped. That was the bare minimum.
They had to sell everything they¡¯d made. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the remnants. The ranking in the club fair was given based on the number of sales and the evaluations of students and outside visitors. Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter if we don¡¯t make it to the top. Still, it¡¯s good to start off with a good result.
¡°Because of how hard you¡¯ve worked, the vor has greatly improved. You guys aren¡¯tcking in anything, so be confident in your skills.¡±
The members who seemed to steadily improve their skills were able to create a decent taste in the end. Since the improved taste was an objective testimony from Vir, it could be trusted.
Anyway, after cheering for them a bit, my job as an advisor was also over. I had already done more than enough. After all, I had gotten rid of everything they¡¯d made until now. Where else can you find an advisor like me?
¡°Everyone, let¡¯s do our best! I¡¯m sure we¡¯re going to have a positive result!¡±
After me, it was Louise who cheered everyone up. From their point of view, her words would probably encourage them morepared to mine.
Quietly observing their reactions, I turned my gaze away. I held back from saying anything unnecessarily, as they might becent and wander outside the booth.
But from the moment customer evaluations were factored into the rankings, the Pastry Club was destined to be in first ce.
Who would give a negative evaluation to a club where there were members of the royal family and a Saint Candidate? Someone who didn¡¯t have enoughmon sense wouldn¡¯t be able to survive in a society like this. Although it didn¡¯t matter if they ranked, just breathing is enough for them to be miraculously ced in the rankings.
It must feel unfair for a club that prepared so diligently, but what can they do? This was a byproduct of the people that had joined.
¡®They¡¯re useless except for times like this.¡¯
Club members, that only work during the club fair? They were people I wouldn¡¯t want to have in a club. I¡¯d prefer to give them money and kick them out.
I sighed and turned my head around. My eyes met with Vir, who was wearing an apron. A royal Knight that was wearing an apron instead of armor¡ªwhat a valuable sight.
It seemed like he was feeling embarrassed, as he had a dark expression on his face. We looked at each other and turned our heads simultaneously as if we¡¯d agreed beforehand. For Vir, I was probably a Prosecutor who walked around with his hands dirty with flour. However, it was still better than a Royal Knight wearing an apron.
After the sad exchange with Vir, the atmosphere became lively as the crowd approached, creating a bustling environment from a distance.
¡®Has it started?¡¯
Although the Academy only opened its doors during the duration of the club fair, the city built around the Academy can be visited before it began. As soon as the door opened, the people that had been staying near the Academy entered all at once. It seems like the club fair was more popr than I had thought.
¡°Are you ready?¡±
¡°Yes, but we should probably be more worried about how many people wille.¡±
¡°Our booth is a bit secluded, so it will probably take some time.¡±
The members gathered together, discussing the booth¡¯s opening time. The Academy was spacious and there were many clubs. Also, the pastry club booth¡¯s location was somewhat secluded, so they thought that it would take a while before people arrived. But while I was looking around.
As I silently looked ahead, I saw a blur of people. Yes, I expected this to happen.
* * *
The booth opening happened faster than expected. It was faster than they had anticipated, as outside guests would walk in a straight line from the main entrance to the pastry club¡¯s booth.
Although the club members were surprised, they soon regainedposure and received the customers. They gave them a few samples, and then they just had to give it to them if they wanted to buy something. Because of their social standing, there would probably not be any hard customers.
And no matter what the customers bought, their destination was the same.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s nice to see you here. How have you been?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been well. I regret not being able to meet you due to some circumstances, but it¡¯s nice to have met you like this.¡±
I replied with a smile to the smiling nobles that were talking to me.
Their destination was me.
I was one of the totems that were attracting customers.
¡°We met at the New Year¡¯s greetings ceremonyst year, so it¡¯s already been a year, hasn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°So you remember, haha. It¡¯s an honor.¡±
Rapidly recalling memories and who they are or when we met was not an easy task, but it was necessary for maintaining good rtionships.
Remembering people was enough to make them happy. A good social life starts by remembering the face and names of others.
¡®How many people are there?¡¯
While shaking hands with the other person, I nced around. There were several nobles using the booths, and more wereing behind them. Someone must have marked the coordinates, and they seem to have gotten it right.
The reason why this happened was simple. It¡¯s because I am treated as a mid-legendary Pok¨¦mon in the Empire¡¯s social circle, such as Entei or Suicune, since they were rare and hard to find. If it wasn¡¯t a big ceremony, I mostly wouldn¡¯t appear.
Even the social events I do attend are just toply with the customs and meet the Imperial Counts. A legendary Pok¨¦mon would be the Information Executive Manager, who never left his work. He was like Ho-oh. There¡¯s a reason why I feel so bad for him.
¡°Long time no see. How have you been?¡±
¡°Haha, I¡¯ve been well.¡±
While I was thinking about the Information¡¯s Executive Manager, who couldn¡¯t get out of the Bell Tower, the people before me changed. This time, it was a huge fish.
¡°I¡¯ve heard your son is preparing to be a Civil Servant. There will be good news soon.¡±
Proper ttery using your authority to smoothen your rtionship with others was also something that was necessary.
That¡¯s how the first wave ended.
¡°Everyone, good job. Take a rest for a bit.¡±
I spoke to the members who were sitting down one by one. They may not have suffered as much as my head and hands, but they did work hard. However, these guys are staring at me with strange eyes, whether they knew it or not.
I know I¡¯ve been acting like I¡¯ve been campaigning on the sidelines while they¡¯ve been doing their thing. But still, don¡¯t look at me like that. Did theye because I called them? They came by themselves.
¡°Oppa, good job!¡±
Louise, who¡¯d been giving water to the forces of the three countries and the club members, gave me a cup of water.
¡°Drink first. You haven¡¯t had any, either.¡±
I subtly pushed the cup of water that was handed to me towards Louise. She should take care of her first, instead of other people. It¡¯s more important for her to stay hydrated than it is for the physically fit men.
However, she didn¡¯t drink it and pushed it back towards me. I silently turned my hand around, and finally, hesitatingly, she took a sip first. Yes, good job.
¡°It seems like there are also some youngdies who are enjoying the fair properly.¡±
¡°How envious. If I have the time, maybe I¡¯ll take a stroll like that too.¡±
At that moment, I heard the voices of Rutis and Erich. When I turned my gaze in their direction, Rutis was looking straight ahead with a smirk. What¡¯s going on?
As I followed his eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but frown. A woman with white hair and red eyes walked while holding onto diverse foods. She was munching on a skewered chicken and walking cheerfully.
It wasn¡¯t a bothersome sight. After all, the club fair was some sort of festival, so it¡¯s natural to have guests who enjoy food like that. It¡¯s to be expected. The problem was the identity of that person.
¡®1st Manager, that bastard.¡¯
Why are you here?
Chapter 35: - Fun and Entertaining Club Fair (2)
? Fun and Entertaining Club Fair (2) ?
Her white hair was blowing with the wind, and her red ruby eyes were shining. A smile that never left her face was her defining characteristic, and if you were to stop any passerby and ask them, ny-nine out of a hundred would say she¡¯s beautiful.
Thest remaining one was me. I couldn¡¯t think of anything good about her. After all, I knew her real face.
¡®Why is that brat here?¡¯
If I had to write a testament before dying, I would definitely write about the Manager trio. She was one among them. The 1st Manager, who shouldn¡¯t be here, was here.
As I red at her, she looked back at me. When our eyes met, she smiled, which was extremely annoying and bothersome.
¡°Executive Manager!¡±
She rearranged the food on her arms and then waved one arm vigorously. Seeing that cheerful smile, I involuntarily sighed. Don¡¯t raise your voice when others are looking, it¡¯s a bit embarrassing.
¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±
After leaving the club members and their stares behind, I walked toward the 1st Manager. I wasn¡¯t sure what she would say if I made here to the booth. The scariest person in the world is an unpredictable troll.
¡°Long time no see, Executive Manager! Have you been well?¡±
¡°I was doing fine until just now.¡±
After looking at you, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll be having a good time.
¡°Hehe, I¡¯m d.¡±
Regardless of what I said, the 1st Manager kept smiling. Sometimes, I really wanted to p her, but I always held back. I had to resist. It was hard to find a recement if the 1st Manager disappears.
But for now, I need to figure out why she¡¯s here. I believe she didn¡¯te to the ce where I was working just to hang out.
¡°So, what brings you here?¡±
¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t the Minister tell you?¡±
The 1st Manager tilted her head at my question. The Minister? What did that person say?
¡®Ah.¡¯
¨C Don¡¯t be surprised if some officials from the Administration visit as well.
The Minister had said something like that thest time we talked. Tsk. I didn¡¯t know he was talking about her. I thought he meant that a few people woulde to see my face for socializing.
I frowned at the unexpected development of events, but the 1st Manager ignored that and kept talking.
¡°The Minister said that there¡¯s something I need to do once I get here.¡±
¡°Something you need to do?¡±
After pondering for a moment upon the 1st Manager¡¯s words, I roughly grasped the outline. If the 1st Manager came all the way here to do something, I could vaguely guess the reason.
¡°He said that corpses would appear and someone from the Special Service Agency woulde, too, so I just have to wait. But what did he mean by a corpse? Was he talking about the undead?¡±
¡°You¡¯ll find out when the timees, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±
¡°Hmph¡¡±
Undead? What undead? It¡¯s been a while since the Twilight Cult disappeared, and I haven¡¯t heard anything about the undead roaming the continent.
I nced at the 1st Manager, whose lips twitched in response to my words, and organized my thoughts.
¡®It¡¯s the perfect time to destroy the Academy.¡¯
Because of the Information¡¯s Executive Manager, the Apels Revival Soldiers, the Third Glory, received the code name ¡®corpses¡¯.
The fact that a corpse will appear soon meant that the Apels Revival Soldier ns tounch an attack during the Club Fair, and as the Information¡¯s Executive Manager mentioned, we just had to wait for the reinforcements to be dispatched from the Special Service Agency. To think they¡¯d really target the fair.
¡®Are they dumb?¡¯
Obvious goals at an obvious timeframe. At this point, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was someone from our side infiltrating them. Well, I guess there¡¯s a reason why they want to resurrect a country that was destroyed 300 years ago.
While I was finishing organizing my thoughts, I heard the voice of the 1st Manager.
¡°Executive Manager. This is the booth of the pastry club. Right?¡±
¡°Ah, yes. Why?¡±
¡°Which is better, bread or cookies?¡±
At that question, I subconsciously looked at the food the 1st Manager was holding. They were already more than enough for a meal, and she still wants to buy more food.
As if noticing my gaze, she puffed out her chest and proudly spoke.
¡°I have another stomach for desserts!¡±
I couldn¡¯t understand what she was talking about, but if she said so, I guess she was right.
Anyways, what¡¯s more delicious between bread and cookies?
¡°Bread.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll buy cookies.¡±
After choosing the other option without hesitation, she smiled while sticking out her tongue.
¡°I know that your taste buds are weird, Executive Manager. So the cookies should probably be better than the bread.¡±
After saying that, she quickly walked toward the booth. That audacious Manager has reached the point of using her superior for her own benefit, taking advantage of the time we have spent together. To think that a subordinate would try to use their superior.. Where is this world heading?
¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡¯
There¡¯s a reason why I said the bread was better than the cookie.
You still have a long way to go, kid.
I saw the 1st Manager tearing up after taking a bite of the cookie.
As expected, the 1st Manager¡¯s crying face is prettierpared to her smiling face. I¡¯m finally starting to feel better.
Ignoring the betrayed look in her eyes, I went into the booth and grabbed an apron.
¡°You don¡¯t have anything to do, do you?¡±
The 1st Manager smiled awkwardly at that question and opened her mouth.
¡°I was nning to go and see the juniors of my former club¡¡±
¡°So you don¡¯t.¡±
I wrapped my apron around the neck of the 1st Manager, whose hands were sealed with food. She turned her head this way and that, but it was a futile rebellion.
I wondered if it was okay to leave her in the booth, especially since she¡¯s an unpredictable troll. However, if she was here to stay at the Academy and not here to hang out for a while, I might as well keep an eye on her. It was better for her to be a bit of a nuisance than to wander around the Academy while out of my sight.
¡°Louise. If you need more help, ask her.¡±
¡°Ah, yes, brother.¡±
Louise looked awkwardly at the 1st Manager, who had a gloomy expression on her face as if she had been caught and sold by a ve hunter. Then, Louise turned to me.
¡°But brother, who is this person?¡±
¡°She¡¯s my subordinate, so you can treat herfortably.¡±
¡°This is violence¡¡±
As I grabbed the shoulder of theining 1st Manager, she twisted and sat on the floor.
* * *
Ainter watched as Carl argued with the woman he called his subordinate.
¡°The Advisor unexpectedly seems to have a good rtionship with his subordinate.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s totally unexpected.¡±
Hearing Rutis¡¯ voice mixed withughter from the side, Ainter answered appropriately and shut his mouth again.
Rutis also didn¡¯t seem to mind Aitner¡¯s reaction. He was too busy looking at the woman. From their point of view, she probably just looked like a young woman who was whining.
¡®So she¡¯s the 1st Manager?¡¯
Although Carl didn¡¯t explicitly mention who she was, Carl only had one female subordinate with white hair. After confirming it was the 1st Manager, Ainter¡¯s expression darkened.
While the divisions within the Prosecutor¡¯s Office may performmon tasks, they still had their own specialties. The 1st Manager¡¯s specialty was interrogation, or more tantly, torture.
The 1st Manager was infamous to the point where it was said that it was better to die than be captured by her. Once inside, one could never walk out on their own. It was even a joke that the number one reason for retirement among officials in the 1st Division was trauma caused by witnessing various tortures.
Ainter wasn¡¯t sure if people were serious about that or not, but it was clear that what happened there was worse than what one could imagine.
¡®The sense of disparity is quite severe.¡¯
However, the woman in front of his eyes was the one leading the 1st Division. Although the average age of the current members of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office was young, he didn¡¯t expect her to be such a carefree person behind closed doors.
She was rumored to be a witch, a sadistic woman who enjoyed bathing in blood, or someone who personally tortured prisoners for fun. That was the gossip surrounding Elizabeth Massello, the head of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s 1st Division.
Of course. Due to the notoriety of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office and the fact that they can be rarely met during peacetime, there were numerous bad rumors regarding the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s members. It was also why one shouldn¡¯t believe everything they say.
¡°Executive Manager! I bought that with my money!¡±
¡°Thank you. I¡¯m d to have a Manager like you as my subordinate.¡±
¡°Aah! Don¡¯t eat that!¡±
¡°Louise, do you want to have a taste?¡±
¡°Nooo!¡±
But still, that was a totally unexpected sight. Even if he ignored all of the rumors, it was true that the 1st Division specialized in torture. It was decades ago, but there was a time when they were called the Supreme 1st Division and stood above other divisions.
¡®Have things changed?¡¯
News about the Prosecutor¡¯s Office spread slowly. After all, it was a tightly sealed department. Even if they were to im that they were no longer involved in torture but in other duties, there was no way to know unless it was openly revealed by the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. It was especially true for someone like Ainter, who had no real authority.
He was thinking that when his eyes met the 1st Managers.
¡®¡It wasn¡¯t.¡¯
What changed was irrelevant.
When their gazes met, the beautiful red color of her eyes, reminiscent of rubies, instantly filled with bloodlust. After scanning Ainter with a quick nce that would have gone unnoticed if he hadn¡¯t been the recipient of the gaze, the 1st Manager looked away as if nothing had happened.
Ainter barely managed to hold back hisughter. He couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d wondered if the Prosecutor¡¯s Office had changedpared to its previous notoriety. The look in the 1st Manager¡¯s eyes was all too familiar and terrifying.
¡®A look that is wondering how she should dispose of me.¡¯
The same eyes of the Crown Prince who won the fight for the session, the eyes of the 2nd Prince who¡¯d almost won the fight for the throne, and the gaze Carl gave him two years ago.
Maybe the reason why the 1st Manager came to the Academy was rted to him. When Ainter reached that conclusion, he felt his blood run cold.
* * *
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
The 1st Manager suddenly whispered.
¡°Are you nning to get rid of the 3rd Prince?¡±
I suddenly grabbed her ears at that question.
¡°Ah, it hurts!¡±
¡°Absolutely not, so go away and stop giving off that vibe.¡±
If it were someone else, I wouldn¡¯t have minded. But hearing the 1st Manager say that gave me chills. Two years ago, the 1st Manager had asked me, ¡®When are you going to get rid of the 2nd Prince?¡¯ She showed clear intentions of trying to eliminate him.
At first, I brushed it off, but I was frightened as she made more and more explicitments. I went through so much trouble to urgently execute the assassination of the Second Prince (no witness reports, by the way) before a massive incident of the Prince being tortured broke out.
¡°You have your own tasks to handle, so behave yourself.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡±
As I let her ears go, she rubbed it gingerly. Based on the outside, she looks like a normal person.
Am I really supposed to take this person with me during the duration of the Club Fair, in the crowded Academy with peopleing from all directions?
¡®I think I¡¯ll go mad.¡¯
If they were going to send a Manager, the 5th one would have been better. Sadly, the best one at interrogating was the 1st Manager.
5th Manager, I miss you¡
Chapter 36: - Fun and Entertaining Club Fair (3)
? Fun and Entertaining Club Fair (3) ?
Carl Oppa said she¡¯s his subordinate, so I should treat herfortably. But there¡¯s no way I¡¯d be able to do that, especially since it¡¯s my first time meeting her. Unlike the people that came from other countries, she seemed like someone that has been dragged while passing by.
That¡¯s why I whispered to her that it was okay for her to take a break. As if deeply moved, she nodded repeatedly. Then she grabbed a skewer from the bag and gave one to me. Her twinkling eyes that shone brightly were somewhat overwhelming.
¡°Do you want to eat one?¡±
¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ve been eating while making all sorts of things.¡±
¡°Really? But it¡¯s delicious.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll eat it.¡±
Carl Oppa came up behind her and took the whole bag, not just the skewers she was holding. As she watched the envelope slip from her grasp with a puzzled look on her face, I felt a little bad for that sister.
¡°I brought you here to work. What are you doing?¡±
¡°Executive Manager, I think giving off-duty instructions is a really bad thing.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re bothered, you should have risen in the ranks faster than me.¡±
¡°Ugh¡¡±
Unperturbed by sister¡¯s disappointed appearance, he grabbed her hair with one hand and pressed it firmly. The more he did that, the more her expression melted, and her body trembled.
¡°I-It hurts¡¡±
¡°Louise, don¡¯t feel overwhelmed and make her work. If you don¡¯t make her work, she¡¯ll be all over the ce.¡±
¡°Okay, Oppa.¡±
I smiled awkwardly and said yes to Oppa. Sister looked at me as if I¡¯d just betrayed her, which made me feel guilty.
¡®But we just met today¡¡¯
I wondered why she put such faith in someone she had just met.
¡°If you find it too overwhelming, I¡¯ll use her. Is that okay?¡±
¡°Of course. You¡¯re the one who brought her, after all, Oppa.¡±
While saying that, I watched as Carl Oppa grabbed sister and led her towards a corner. Carl Oppa continued to pester her nonstop, while her shoulders slumped.
¡®They look close.¡¯
At the same time, there was a deep intimacy between them. Even though Oppa was acting imposing and bossy on the outside, I could see thefort underneath. It was apletely different side to him that I hadn¡¯t seen in the club. Sister also showed yfulness and friendliness beyond her tears.
I¡¯ve never seen Oppa like that. Although he looked and acted kind in the club, it was clear that he drew a line. But now, I felt like I was seeing his true self, without the restraint and lines.
That was his real self. A side he didn¡¯t show to me.
¡®It¡¯s my first time seeing him like that.¡¯
I bit my lips a bit. I felt frustrated in a corner of my heart, realizing that I didn¡¯t truly know the person who had been so kind to me, someone, I am indebted to.
It also happened when I met the Duke¡¯s daughter recently. Although Oppa seemed to be maintaining a bit of distance from her, she seemed to like him a lot. Unlike me, Oppa was someone important beforeing to the Academy, so they probably got close because of that.
The thought that there were more aspects to Carl Oppa that I didn¡¯t know made me increasingly frustrated.
He¡¯s a person I¡¯m really grateful to, and a valuable Advisor in the club, I¡
¡°Ah.¡±
I shook my head to clear my mind of the strange thoughts. What was I thinking? It¡¯s natural for Oppa to have friends, and he doesn¡¯t have to tell me everything.
Because of wanting to repay the kindness I received from Carl Oppa, I had a moment of strange thoughts, hoping that he would rely on me.
¡®How¡ weird.¡¯
What¡¯s this? I felt the suffocating emotions slowly turn into a throbbing ache, and I forced myself to look away from him.
* * *
Even for me, I was treating the 1st Manager more harshly than usual. However, it was the duty of the Executive Manager to maintain discipline between superiors and subordinates, and this much was necessary, especially considering how rxed they¡¯d probably be after I left.
From the start, no matter what I said, she only half-listened and brushed it off. So if I wanted to inject 100, I had to put in 200 to break even.
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
¡°What is it again?¡±
I answered while frowning. Whenever she calls me, it makes me feel uneasy. She¡¯d just talked about eliminating the 3rd prince. What would it be this time?
¡°Who¡¯s she? I don¡¯t remember her.¡±
I followed her gaze and saw Louise, who handed Sir Vir some bread.
¡°The pastry club¡¯s president.¡±
¡°I know that. However, she¡¯s too normalpared to the members.¡±
The 1st Manager¡¯s doubt made sense. Even Erich, the weakest among the members, was the son of an Empire¡¯s Earl. As a Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, she was in a position to grasp at least simple personal details.
On the other hand, Louise was the daughter of amon Baron. If I hadn¡¯t known the original novel, I wouldn¡¯t even know about Baron Naird¡¯s existence.
¡°She¡¯s a normal kid. You won¡¯t get anything from her, so don¡¯t worry about her.¡±
¡°Why would I do that? I¡¯m not the 2nd Manager.¡±
From my point of view, both of you are simr.
However, despite my cold gaze, the 1st Manager sneakily nced at Louise and let out a sigh.
¡°Woah, but she¡¯s really pretty. I¡¯ve never seen someone with pink hair like that before.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not amon color.¡±
¡°It wouldn¡¯t look good with red, though.¡±
¡°¡¡±
At those words, I quietly closed my eyes.
Is that what this bastard thinks when she sees someone else¡¯s hair color?
Oveing my mixed feelings, I opened my eyes again and saw the 1st Manger still looking at Louise.
¡°Come here.¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
I poured out a lecture of 400 words instead of 200.
The second rush began while the 1st Manager was being reprimanded. The second rush didn¡¯t change much. It was just that numerous clients came.
The only change was that the 1st Manager stood next to me as if she were a totem.
¡°To think I¡¯d see both of you here.¡±
¡°Haha, I also didn¡¯t think I¡¯d meet you here in the Academy.¡±
The noble that was shaking hands with me looked at the 1st Manager. She smiled brightly but didn¡¯t say anything. I¡¯d warned her to remain still without saying anything.
Having the 1st Manager here was a kind of announcement. It was already widely known that the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager was at the Academy, so it wasn¡¯t surprising. However, for the 1st Manager to be with the Executive Manager on the day the Academy opened? Clearly, something was up.
Someone who thought that the two of us being together here was just a mere coincidence wouldn¡¯t be able to survive in this world. Just the two of us standing together was enough to alert the nobles that something was about to happen.
¡®They¡¯ll probably be careful even if I don¡¯t say anything.¡¯
Even if the Third Honor managed to get into the Academy, all the nobles who already suspected that something would happen had probably increased their security. In that case, I could significantly reduce the amount of attention I give to the nobles.
For now, the fact that the Third Honor is approaching the Academy is not something that should be publicized. If the information leaks out, the Third Honor could go into hiding, the Academy would be chaotic in its own way, and there would be a high possibility of amotion from the three countries. So, I need to give this roundabout warning.
Luckily, the 1st Manager is actually a graduate of the Academy, so there is a pretext for her to havee to enjoy the exhibition, not for official duties. There¡¯s no need to worry about external justifications since it¡¯s simply participating in the fair.
That exnation worked on Sir Vir and the others. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but the appearance of the 1st Managering with a whole bunch of food was really helpful. That gave the impression that she¡¯d reallye here to enjoy the Club Fair.
¡®Thanks, Vir.¡¯
I was d he wasn¡¯t a Knight who got a distorted view. I felt sorry because it somehow felt that I was deceiving him. However, it was expected of a Civil Servant to put his country¡¯s interests ahead of his own.
While thinking such thoughts, the person in front of me changed. Now that the returning noble will inform the other nobles that the 1st Manager has arrived, the news would spread quickly among the nobility. The nobles¡¯ tongues could be both tight and light. Usually, it¡¯s thetter in times like these.
¡°Ah, long time no see. It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve met since the Council/Parliament.¡±
This person was also probably going to spread the news very well.
He shook hands with me once, then looked at the 1st Manager cautiously. Everyone reacted the same way. Then finally, there was only one left.
¡®Who is he?¡¯
He was someone I¡¯d never seen before. I don¡¯t remember their face, name, or anything about them. If it were the first meeting, it wouldn¡¯t matter, but if we had exchanged greetings in passing, it would be a really awkward situation.
But thankfully, he spoke first.
¡°Executive Manager. How have you been? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you since we met at the cafe.¡±
Ah, so it¡¯s you.
The word ¡°cafe¡± immediately reminded me of something, and I felt relieved.
¡°That¡¯s right. It was a cafe in the southern part of the capital, wasn¡¯t it? It was really good.¡±
¡°Haha. The cake over there was incredible.¡±
¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to visit again, but I¡¯m really busy these days.¡±
¡°Feel free to contact me when you have time.¡±
Then, we naturally shook hands and said our goodbyes. As I watched the back of the departing youth, I looked down at the hand that I used when we shook hands. There was a small piece of paper that had somehow found its ce in my palm. There were small words written on the paper.
In 1 hour, in the 2nd floor of the main building.
Cafe, South, Cake, No Time, and contact me when you have time. Those were like secret passwords that changed regrly. A password used by the Ministry of Information/Intelligence when they wanted to contact someone.
¡®How long are they going to continue doing this?¡¯
I sometimes pity them for holding on to tradition when times have changed. It must be a hassle for them too, but the Ministry of Information/Intelligence is supposed to be a fairly conservative group.
Moreover, the Information Division still had many senior officials who are alive and well, so even the Executive Manager of the Ministry of Intelligence can¡¯t simply abolish the traditions, no matter how cumbersome those traditions may be.
¡®Ugh.¡¯
The one who was slowly dying because of stress was the Ministry of Intelligence¡¯s/Information¡¯s Executive Manager. Along with the feeling of condolences to the Information¡¯s Executive Manager, I casually put the piece of paper in my mouth and swallowed it.
Of course, the same goes for the contacted parties suffering from the tradition of the Ministry of Information/Intelligence. If the Information¡¯s Executive Manager seeds in reforming these bad habits, I¡¯ll stop doing these things as well.
¡®It tastes horrible.¡¯
At least use better quality paper, please.
Chapter 37: - Fun and Entertaining Club Fair (4)
? Fun and Entertaining Club Fair (4) ?
As I swallowed the paper, resisting the disgusting texture, I could feel the wide-eyed gaze of the 1st Manager next to me.
¡°What, do you have something to say?¡±
¡°Is it the Ministry of Intelligence?¡±
The usually cheerful 1st Manager asked with a rare frown on her face. Ah, she¡¯s also been in contact with the Ministry of Intelligence a few times.
There were many victims of this tradition. The Prosecutor¡¯s Office was no exception. If things happened, they went to visit the Ministry of Intelligence. However, if the situation was not favorable, then an agent from the Ministry of Intelligence woulde to them.
If theye before you can get to the Ministry, you would just have to swallow the paper and destroy the evidence like I just did.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Ugh, why are they still doing that? Why don¡¯t they just use themunication device?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t ask that to the guys of the Information Department. They hate it more than we do.¡±
Once, I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and asked them about that. However, the other person looked at me with saddened eyes that contained all the sorrows of the world, and I didn¡¯t push further. Those who would protest after seeing such eyes could be deemed heartless.
¡°We don¡¯t have that tradition, so I don¡¯t understand why the Ministry of Intelligence does that.¡±
¡°That¡¯s because everyone who remembers our traditions has disappeared.¡±
The 1st Manager smirked. The Ministry of Finance was turned upside down 2 years ago and most of the traditions were lost. From what I heard, there were numerous bad habits before, but since there¡¯s no one left who remembers those bad habits, it doesn¡¯t matter.
At my words, the 1st Manager trembled as if she remembered what had happened at that time. I understood because I shuddered whenever I thought about it too. The noose shed before my eyes several times. At worst, I even carried around a vial of poison. Fortunately, I never had to use it.
¡°You¡¯re the only one who needs to go, right?¡±
¡°Do you want toe, too?¡±
The 1st Manager shook her head vigorously. After all, she really hated meeting people from the Ministry of Intelligence. I wish she found me at least half as hard to deal with as the Information Department¡¯s members.
¡°They only act docile in front of the Executive Manager. They¡¯re really harsh with the rest of us.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that a difference in respect?¡±
¡°Woah¡¡±
I felt bothered by how the 1st Manager rolled her eyes.
As the person from the Information Department was thest customer, there was plenty of time to go to the main building. They probably came here with that time in mind.
¡°I¡¯ll be going for a moment.¡±
If I leave now, I¡¯ll arrive at the main building exactly at the appointed time. It¡¯s better to go on time rather than showing up early and staying at the main building for a long time, as it would only arouse suspicion.
¡°Oppa, did something happen?¡±
Louise, who was preparing the dough, came running toward me. I was considering telling the Principal or the Vice Principal, but if something happened, that would just make thingsplicated.
¡°I just wanted to take a break. It was tiring talking to so many people.¡±
¡°There were definitely a lot of people who came to see Oppa.¡±
Louise nodded at my words. There were a lot, right? Perhaps she also noticed that there were so many trainers aiming for the semi-legendary Pok¨¦mon.
¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Don¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°You can take your time.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t do that when everyone¡¯s working so hard. Ah, don¡¯t forget to look after her.¡±
¡°Executive Manager, do you know aboutborws?¡±
¡°Hahaha¡¡±
After watching the 1st Managerin and Louise smiling awkwardly, I walked towards Vir. It would be rude and embarrassing for me to leave without telling him.
¡°If something happens while I¡¯m not here, please contact me immediately. I¡¯ll return as fast as possible.¡±
¡°Understood. We¡¯ll be looking over them until youe back.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
After hearing Vir¡¯s words, I turned around. This should be enough. Now I just need to go to the main building.
* * *
Vir nced at the Prosecutor¡¯s back as he walked away and then turned around.
¡®So something¡¯s going to happen.¡¯
The appearance of the Prosecutor¡¯s subordinate, the subtle reactions of the Imperial nobles that followed, and finally the Prosecutor¡¯s sudden departure. All the signs indicated that an incident was about to ur.
ording to the Executive Manager, his subordinate was a graduate of the Academy, so she came to enjoy the Club Fair. However, it was hard for him to believe that.
There¡¯s no way someone who can treat him so casually would simplye here to y around.
¡®He¡¯s probably asking us not to care.¡¯
They were saying that she came here by coincidence, so the three countries shouldn¡¯t pay attention. To put it more simply, they were asking us to shut up and not meddle in the Empire¡¯s affairs. If they came so aggressively, there was nothing the three countries could do.
They were in the Empire¡¯s territory, in an educational institution that belonged to the Empire. Even if some of the Empire¡¯s forces withdrew from the Academy through negotiations with the three countries, raising objections to the Empire¡¯s movements in such a unique situation carries a significant risk burden. One wrong move could be seen as interfering in their internal affairs.
The Executive Manager probably knew we wouldn¡¯t believe what he said, but he probably also knew there was nothing we could do about it. The conversation just now was a simple formality.
As he recalled the Prosecutor¡¯s words, Vir¡¯s gaze fell on the white-haired woman. He had spent his entire life as a knight and had been epted into the Imperial Knight for his skills and experience. As such, he had a knack for gauging the capabilities and moods of his opponents.
¡®Horrible¡¡¯
Vir¡¯s senses were telling him that the woman was someone dangerous. It was as if a scent of blood wasing out of her. To think that such a person came to the Academy. What¡¯s going to happen?
¡®¡It¡¯s not particrly surprising.¡¯
Even though he was on guard against the appearance of a dangerous person, he felt like it was pointless as he thought about how an even more dangerous presence would appear.
Vir looked in the direction where the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager had disappeared. The person who was more dangerous than anyone was already in the Academy, so maybe he was worrying about pointless things.
The scent of blood? A puddle of blood? That much was cute. The Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager was worse than that. He became scared the first time he met him. It was to the point where he wanted to protest, saying that it was against the rules for a monster like that toe to the Academy.
The only good thing was that he was someone that one could have a normal conversation with. He was even direct and honest. No one was close to a disastrous monster than someone whose real thoughts were hidden.
¡®Kagan¡¯s assassin concealing his intentions.¡¯
He was a monster who had protected the Empire¡¯s mandate and someone who was standing on top of countless corpses. If a monster like him hid his thoughts and yed with the three countries, it would be a catastrophe.
Vir sighed. Thankfully, the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager wasn¡¯t a monster like that. That was enough. At least his sword wasn¡¯t pointed toward the three countries.
* * *
Everyone went to enjoy the fair, so the main building was rtively empty. As I climbed up to the second floor, I didn¡¯t encounter anyone. The only ce where people might still be present was even higher than the second floor, so it was perfect for a discreet meeting.
As I stood and waited in the promised ce, I saw a middle-aged man walking toward me. He lookedpletely different from the young man who handed me the piece of paper.
¡®So he changed his appearance again.¡¯
However, they were the same people. He can change his appearance at will, so one hour is enough time for him to transform into apletely different look. Anyway, since even the young man¡¯s appearance was a disguise, it didn¡¯t hold much significance. I haven¡¯t seen his true appearance either. I wonder if the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager has seen his real face before.
¡°Executive Manager, how have you been?¡±
¡°Yes. It¡¯s been an hour. Information Department¡¯s Senior Manager, how have you been doing?¡±
The Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager never went out. On the other hand, the Senior Manager was almost always outside.
¡°It¡¯s always the same for me.¡±
He meant that it was always bad.
Usually, the Senior Manager would be in charge of supporting the Executive Manager. However, the Senior Manager of the Information Department, who possesses specialized skills in espionage, roamed around outside like a madman. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t have been doing well. I knew that, but I asked out of courtesy.
¡°Since you¡¯re probably busy, I¡¯ll make it short.¡±
¡°That¡¯d be great. What happened?¡±
¡°Tomorrow at 5 PM, a corpse will appear.¡±
I nodded. I knew they¡¯d appear, so I wasn¡¯t surprised. However, there was something more important than that.
¡°What about the support?¡±
¡°The Minister has sent the Masked Unit.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
I eximed in surprise. I was expecting it after hearing the Special Service Agency had gotten involved, but I never thought he¡¯d really sent them. After all, even among the Special Service Agency, they were in higher rankings, so it would be a waste to send them to a ce like this.
¡°It seems like they¡¯d been quite considerate.¡±
¡°Executive Manager, you¡¯ll be moving with the Masked Unit. Isn¡¯t that perfect?¡±
¡°And the Special Service Agency took them despite knowing that?¡±
¡°Haha, I¡¯m sorry. However, there was no way we could refuse the Emperor¡¯s orders.¡±
The Senior Managerughed. I also knew that very well. After all, I had to send the Masked Unit to them only because it was an order of the Emperor.
¡°The Masked Unit will send a message to the Executive Manager first. Of course, you may send a message to them beforehand. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be happy to hear from you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do that. Thanks for telling me.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just doing my job as a messenger.¡±
Aren¡¯t you doing too many things to be called a mere messenger?
Anyways, after we finished talking, the Information Department¡¯s Senior Manager disappeared, and I began walking back toward the booth.
¡®The Masked Unit.¡¯
My steps while walking toward the booth became lighter. I couldn¡¯t help but feel better. After all, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯d seen them.
The Masked Unit was part of the Special Service Agency, but if I were to call them morefortably, it would be the former Prosecutor¡¯s Office 4th Division.
Chapter 38: - A Corpse that Defies Fate (1)
? A Corpse that Defies Fate (1) ?
Although they were now called the Masked Unit, they used to be the 4th Division of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. Among the five divisions under the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, they were the ones that were the most specialized in force andbat. It¡¯s also the division that the Minister and I used to belong to.
Four years ago, the position that the Lord found for me was also in the 4th division. It was a division that focused too much onbat that it was often even deployed in wars.
¡®To begin with, the Lord wouldn¡¯t have arranged a normal position for me.¡¯
There¡¯s no way that annoyingly loyal Emperor¡¯s subordinate would¡¯ve gotten me afortable ce. Why hadn¡¯t I thought of that back then?
Anyway, the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, especially the 4th Division, is the most tangled and twisted. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m saying because I¡¯m biased; objectively speaking, it has been twisted since its inception.
Since it was created, the Prosecutor¡¯s Office worked as if they were the hunting dogs of the Emperor. Some even wondered why a team like that was part of the Ministry of Finance instead of the Special Service Agency.
Although they answered to the Emperor directly, there was a minister in charge of the Special Service Agency. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was the point of that. But either way, that was why the Prosecutor¡¯s Office was under the Ministry of Finance.
The Prosecutor¡¯s Office was created about 100 years ago. Unlike now, the Emperor wasn¡¯t putting huge pressure on the nobles back then. Thanks to this, the nobles were wary of the expansion of the Special Service Agency, which the Emperor treated like his own hands and feet. That was also why the Emperor hid his important weapon under the Ministry of Finance.
¡®Also, it was necessary to have a department that could impose sanctions on the budget.¡¯
That was the excuse they used to create the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. Everyone agreed that it was necessary, so there were no problems in establishing it.
And then the Emperor made the Prosecutor¡¯s Office an armed force focused on ¡°sanctioning¡± rather than ¡°monitoring¡± the flow of money.
Only after the Emperor¡¯s hunting dogs hit some nobles did they realize that something had gone wrong. However, eliminating a department was harder than creating one, so the Prosecutor¡¯s Office continued to exist and has been favored as the Emperor¡¯s weapon to this day.
The Prosecutor¡¯s Office was obviously a department created by the Emperor to crush the nobles, and its nature was specialized inbat. That¡¯s why the Prosecutor¡¯s Office members were treated as outsiders by others from the Ministry of Finance. After all, a scent of blood came from this department.
Because of that, most Civil Servants that belonged to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office retired after being ascended to the position of Executive Manager. Or some were transferred to other departments. For example, the Special Service Agency, the War Department, or the Army. However, two years ago, that tradition crumbled. Right after the Crown Prince¡¯s enthronement, he appointed the Minister, who was the 4th Manager back then, as the Executive Manager. Then he also appointed me, who was the team leader in the 4th Division, as the 4th Manager.
Up until that moment, there wasn¡¯t any problem. The Minister was happy that he¡¯d be able to retire after bing the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, and I was nning to escape to the military. The Invincible Duke had already told me he¡¯d ept me as his sessor when the time came.
¡®Crown Prince, that bastard.¡¯
The problem started when the Crown Prince began purging all those supporting the 2nd Prince. In his attempt to control the Ministry of Finance and the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, the Crown Prince tried to ce his own men in key positions, and the key positions were the Minister and me. We ascended again after just 15 days.
It was an unprecedented fast ascension. Naturally, there was an uproar within the Ministry of Finance¡¯s existing members, as well as within the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. That¡¯s why I spent my entire Civil Service career battling with the Second Prince¡¯s faction on the outside, and the dominant forces within the Ministry of Finance, and the opposition forces within the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.
In that process, the division I particrly cherished was the 4th Division. It was the division I originally belonged to, but after the incidents in the North, it had almost been wiped out. So, I¡¯d put a lot of effort into re-organizing it, but the 4th Division I raised with so much effort was sent to the Special Service Agency.
¡°Fuck.¡±
Thinking about that made me curse. If he were going to do that, why didn¡¯t he take all of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office? I didn¡¯t know why he only took the 4th Division. I was so frustrated when I heard a year ago that the 4th Division was going to be sold off. The 4th Manager also didn¡¯t like it. She followed me a lot, after all.
As soon as I heard the name ¡°Masked Unit¡± from the Information Department¡¯s Senior Manager, a vague and miserable memory rushed back to me in an instant. They say sad memories be cherished memories over time, but honestly, this memory was a memory of hardship that I would never want tobel as a cherished memory.
Thankfully, Sir Vir didn¡¯t contact me while I was returning. Fortunately, it seemed that nothing had happened in that short moment.
¡°Ah, brother. Are you back already?¡±
¡°Yes. Everything okay?¡±
As I returned to the booth, I saw Erich passing by while holding a carton of milk, so I patted him on his shoulder and entered the booth. Because we¡¯d spent so much time together in the club, we were able to greet each other naturally.
Sadly, that was it. Well, we spent a few years of awkwardness, so expecting our rtionship to improve in an instant would be unreasonable.
¡°Executive Manager, since you¡¯re back, can I go out and y around next?¡±
¡°Was I ying around?¡±
I pursed my lips and shook my head at the nonsense that the 1st Manager who sneaked up on me said.
I grabbed her cheeks. What came out of her mouth whenever she opened it was mostly nonsense. Why was it? I wish we could have an awkward rtionship.
¡°Ugh-!¡±
She grabbed my arm, so I grabbed her cheeks even tighter. It looked like this time, it hurt a bit, so she started to tear up. As expected, the best face of the 1st Manager is when she tears up¡
¡°Oppa, don¡¯t bully her so much. Unnie has been working a lot, so she probably wants to take a short break.¡±
As the 1st Manager struggled, Louise walked toward us. Even though her cheeks were being pinched, she looked at Louise with moved eyes after seeing she was trying to defend her. Oops, did it get a bit chaotic?
As I let her go, the 1st Manager hid behind Louise. A 25-year-old hiding behind a 17-year-old¡ How pathetic. As I looked at her in a disapproving way, she pouted at me.
¡°Executive Manager, you need to value your cute subordinate more.¡±
I was about to say something but decided not to because Louise was next to her. After seeing my reaction, the 1st Manager patted Louise¡¯s back while smiling.
¡°See? I told you. The Executive Manager is weak to you.¡±
¡°Hehe¡¡±
Louise scratched her cheeks after hearing the 1st Manager¡¯s words. I felt somewhat sorry because it seemed like she was struggling because of us.
¡°Don¡¯t hide behind someone much younger than you.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±
¡°Louise, can you leave us alone for a moment?¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
¡°Huh¡?¡±
Without hesitation, Louise moved from her side and came next to me. The 1st Manager looked while making an expression as if she¡¯d been betrayed.
Who¡¯s Louise closer to? Me or you? It¡¯s your loss for being unable to make such simple calctions.
After oveing the 3-minute rebellion of the 1st Manager, I decided to give her a bit of free time because of Louise. Yes, if I made her work, I should give her some free time as long as she doesn¡¯t go out of the booth.
¡°Is there something more pointless than taking a break in your working ce?¡±
Although sheined, she¡¯d sat in the booth¡¯s corner and was about to take a break. It seems like constantly adding unnecessary remarks was another talent of hers.
¡°But Executive Manager, what did the crow say?¡±
The 1st Manager asked in a low voice after looking around. ¡®Crow¡¯ was a ng term referring to the Information agents operating outside. It¡¯s also one of the many traditions in the Information Department. If I were called ¡®crow¡¯ by others, I would have bitten my tongue.
¡°You¡¯ll have to work with me tomorrow. I heard the Masked Unit is going toe.¡±
¡°Woah, really?¡±
The expression of the 1st Manager brightened after hearing the name Masked Unit. She was probably happy to see the 4th Division for the first time in a long while. From what I remember, she used to be close to the 4th Manager.
¡°But why are theying?¡±
¡°Apels Revival Soldiers are going toe tomorrow to the Academy.¡±
¡°¡Who?¡±
¡°Apels Revival Soldiers.¡±
After hearing the name Apels Revival Soldiers, the 1st Manager made an expression of a graduate student who has just learned that the professor who was supposed to be in charge of her is retiring. Indeed, it was unbelievable news. The Information¡¯s Executive Manager and I also couldn¡¯t believe it.
As I waited for her toe to her senses, her expression suddenly changed subtly.
¡®Her work instinct has appeared.¡¯
It¡¯s been 200 years since we hadst encountered the Apels Revival Soldiers. The 1st Manager had obviously never seen them before, much less tortured one. It was the perfect thing to make her work instincte out.
¡°Hehe¡¡±
As she burst intoughter for some reason, I quietly turned my gaze away.
The first day of the club fair was over. It¡¯s definitely the first day, but I feel like I¡¯ve been mentally exhausted for three or four days already.
¡°The 1st Manager was really happy. I feel like she¡¯s going to cause a stir.¡±
¨C But the 1st Manager is good at her job, isn¡¯t she?
¡°If she didn¡¯t even work well, I wouldn¡¯t have kept her next to me.¡±
The Masked Unit¡¯s leader was sitting on top of the bed while holding themunication device. I was having a conversation with 4th Manager, talking about what had happened, and exchanged updates. As soon as I got back to my quarters, I received a call.
¡°Having you around made things easier. Crazy things happen when you¡¯re gone. The void is too big.¡±
¨C You¡¯re being too kind.
At my words, the 4th Manager lowered her head. Her long silver hair also poured down softly, following her head.
¡°Well, let¡¯s talk again tomorrow. Would lunchtime be okay?¡±
¨C Feel free to do it when it¡¯s convenient for you. I¡¯ll answer your call at any moment.
¡°Okay. Ah, the 1st Manager¡¯s also missing you, so contact her if you have some free time.¡±
¨C Understood.
The 1st Manager was the one who was the next saddest person after me when the 4th Manager was sent to the Secret Service Agency. Among the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s high-ranking Civil Servants, they were the only two women. She was in an uproar, saying that if the 4th Manager left, she¡¯d be the only woman.
¨C Then, I¡¯ll be looking forward to working with you again. It¡¯s an honor, Executive Manager.
The 4th Manager bowed her head again and cut the call. I miss her more and more as time goes by. It¡¯s hard to find a level-headed and polite kid like her.
Thinking about the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Managers that wereplete messes made me sigh. But thankfully, there were three normal people, so it could be worse.
Chapter 39: - A Corpse that Defies Fate (2)
? A Corpse that Defies Fate (2) ?
The Apels Revival Soldiers had a grandiose name, like the Third Honor.
Stopping these corpses from getting close to the Academy was a safety measure for the nobles that were staying in the Academy, but it was also for the Empire¡¯s prestige.
Apels was a country that disappeared 300 years ago, and the Empire had killed off the revivalists and those who would be central to the movement. But now, the Apels Revival Soldiers appear again, transcending time.
¡®It¡¯s humiliating.¡¯
The size and capability of that army was not important. The fact that there are individuals who oppose the Empire¡¯s rule and long for a country that perished in the distant past was enough to strike a blow to the Empire¡¯s prestige. If other countries heard about the news, they would probably burst intoughter. How pathetic was it that such rebels appeared?
So, we couldn¡¯t miss the Third Honor, not even one. All of them must be killed or captured to win this defense. If we miss a single one, the existence of the Third Honor¡ªthe Apels Revival Soldiers¡ªwould spread externally, especially to the three countries, and mymunication device would be dyed a brilliant purple.
And that can¡¯t happen. The Crown Prince was already being aggressive regarding the 3rd Prince being in the Academy. So, if something that could harm the Honor of the Empire happened while I was in the Academy, it would be a huge blow for him. If something happened, the best-case scenario that could happen was a direct call from him. Worst-case scenario would be someone higher than him, damn it.
¡®I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯
I sighed, pressing my temples slightly in response to the rising difort.
If it were another organization, I wouldn¡¯t be this stressed. It wouldn¡¯t be necessary to maintain this level of security and clean up if it were any other organization, but it had to be the Apels Revival Soldiers, an organization that, if exposed, would inevitably cause trouble. Whether it¡¯s the Third Honor or the Third Bullshit, if we capture even one alive, they¡¯ll be sent to the 1st Manager¡¯s crash course.
That¡¯s why I decided to call the 1st Manager to discuss tomorrow¡¯s work.
¡°Executive Manager, you really shouldn¡¯t be calling mete at night.¡±
I hesitated to call her just in case she was talking to the 4th Manager, but the 1st Manager in front of me didn¡¯t even seem to realize my consideration. While ignoring the 1st Manager, I unfolded a map of the Academy and the surrounding area.
¡°Let¡¯s n a route for the first time in a while.¡±
¡°Woah¡¡±
Whether she liked it or not, she walked toward the map. After all, it was rted to the job.
The Third Honor will appear near the Academy tomorrow around 5 p.m. This information was ryed by the Information Department, so there should be no mistakes. Therefore, we need to n and think in advance about where to intercept them before they reach the Academy.
¡°If they have any brains, they¡¯ll try to sneak in stealthily, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right, but they¡¯re nning to appear at 5:00 pm when the sun is still up, so you can¡¯t let your guard down.¡±
Which attacker confidently shows up in broad daylight? If they were targeting the busy hours when there are many people, I could understand them. However, if they get discovered before the attack, wouldn¡¯t it be meaningless?
Perhaps, trying to understand them was harmful. The determination and obsession to revive a country that perished 300 years ago is the embodiment of madness that ordinary people cannotprehend.
They were an organization that appeared in the original novel for causing chaos among the protagonists, so they probably wouldn¡¯t be that dangerous or clever. Since they were the first to appear, they would probably be at a level close to a tutorial. The other four organizations had a bit of history and tradition, so I couldn¡¯t let my guard down.
¡°I think they¡¯lle from this direction.¡±
¡°Right? There¡¯s nowhere else they cane from.¡±
Since bing the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, I haven¡¯t had much experience with defensive battles. I¡¯ve had some encounters in the North, but they were mostly carried out under the orders of amander. That¡¯s why I was pondering which direction to watch out and wait for the Third Honor, but if I looked at it with the mindset of being the attackers, the answer bes clear.
If I were the Third Honor, I¡¯d choose this way toe, so we just need to defend that ce. Someone who was hit before knows where it hurts. However, it isn¡¯t like I became aware of it because of my own volition.
The 1st Manager and I focused on a forest that was northwest of the Academy. They¡¯d probablye in this direction if we waited.
¡°We can join with the Masked Unit here.¡±
We just had to hide there and watch the corpses marching.
On the second day of the club fair, around lunchtime, I contacted the 4th Manager after I stepped away from the booth and headed to a less crowded area.
¡°Let¡¯s meet here.¡±
After some small talk, I pushed the map towards themunication crystal and showed the 4th Manager the agreed meeting point and interception point. Seeing her nod without hesitation, I knew she would find her way without getting lost.
¨C Understood. I¡¯ll arrive as soon as possible.
¡°You just have to arrive by 4:00 pm. I¡¯ll also be there by then.¡±
¨C Yes, Executive Manager.
¡°Okay. It¡¯s been a while, so I want to see you soon.¡±
¨C It¡¯s an honor.
With a smile on her face, she lowered her head and ended the call. I may have said something a little too personal to a former subordinate who is joining the team for business reasons.
But isn¡¯t there always someone you want to take care of a little more? Since that person is the 4th Manager to me, I ended up adding unnecessary words that were not really important. When the Masked Unit was still the 4th Unit, the 2nd Managerined that I was toox with the 4th Manager.
Of course, I ignored it because it was the 2nd Manager who said that to me. If the Senior Manager or the 5th Manager said it, I would understand, but the 2nd Manager had no right to say that to me.
¡®There is still time left.¡¯
The distance from the Academy to the rendezvous area is a bit far, but there was enough time to get there by 4 pm. For now, I will stay in the booth and then go out when it¡¯s time along the 1st Manger.
* * *
After ending themunication with the Executive Manager, I carefully touched themunication crystal. Conversations with him were always honorable and nerve-wracking.
¨C Okay. It¡¯s been a while, so I want to see you soon.
Remembering the Executive Manager¡¯sst words, the corners of my mouth gently lifted. As expected, he hadn¡¯t forgotten about me. He always pays attention and watches over me.
¡°Captain.¡±
After hearing the voice of the vice captain, the corners of my mouth went down. He had distanced himself to avoid interrupting mymunication with the Executive Manager. It was a normal reaction expected from a member of the Masked Unit.
¡°What did the Executive Manager say?¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to meet up with him. We¡¯re going to the A-1 forest by 4:00 pm.¡±
¡°Yes, Captain.¡±
The Vice Captain saluted and then walked toward the other unit members. The A-1 forest was a temporary name given to it since it was the forest closest to the Academy. We¡¯d already shared the details before moving, so everyone probably understood.
The members began gathering before me moved more excitedly at the Vice Captain¡¯s orders. After all, everyone hadn¡¯t seen the Executive Manager in a while.
He was the 4th Division¡¯s hero. The one who rebuilt the 4th Division. When we¡¯d fallen to our lowest, he was the one who saved us. Who would dare to dawdle when we were going to meet someone like that? An ungrateful person like that would be dealt with by the members before I could do anything.
¡°Foolish corpses who defy their fate are heading towards the Executive Manager.¡±
As I began speaking, everyone¡¯s attention became focused on me.
¡°They¡¯re dirty beings who had dared to make fun of the Empire, denied the celestial will, and showed their filthy fangs to the Executive Manager.¡±
A quiet anger appeared in the eyes of the members. Publicly, it was the anger of a Special Service Agency member towards the rebels, and personally, it was the anger towards those who sought to harm a benefactor.
¡°Is there anyone rude enough to go empty-handed when we¡¯re about to meet the Executive Manager?¡±
No one replied. They just denied it with burning eyes.
¡°There¡¯s no need for the Executive Manager to personally step forward. We will not block their path but strike from behind. We will capture them all and offer them to the Executive Manager.¡±
They might be making their move, but in the end, they¡¯re nothing more than a weak and feeble makeshift army. These rebels are feeble andcking in both righteousness and resources. It would be easy to track their location and catch them from behind.
As I watched the members quickly disperse and dismantle the temporary camp upon receiving the practically given attack order, I recalled the instructions of the Minister of the Special Service Agency.
¡°Third Honor. They have quite a grandiose name taking into consideration how bad they are. We could easily wipe them out, but there¡¯s a chance that there might be someone coborating with them, so try to capture them alive.¡±
Before moving to help the Executive Manager, I had a meeting with the Minister. He was a middle-aged man with countless scars andyers of wounds on his face, the Emperor¡¯s loyal dog. Even though he could easily erase his scars with the power of magic and divinity, he left them as a reminder of his own inadequacy.
¡°And ensure that the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager doesn¡¯t have to deal with them. What we need are prisoners who can give us information, not corpses that have exploded.¡±
Unconsciously, I nodded at those words. It would be inconvenient if the Executive Manager intervened in an operation whose purpose was to capture prisoners. Of course, even if there were no instructions from the Special Service Agency¡¯s Minister, the Executive Manager would not have personally intervened.
There was no need for him to move because of feeble bugs like them. Although I had left his side ande to the Special Service Agency, the 4th Division still had loyalty toward him. He was someone loyal to the Empire, so we would follow his example since he¡¯s the one who saved us.
¡°For our esteemed Executive Manager.¡±
I quietly murmured those words as a resolution. However, as he was a noble of the Empire, there were words that I couldn¡¯t utter as they were thoughts that could create difficulties for him. Those words quietly came to mind.
For my beloved master.
* * *
It would be troublesome to let a single Third Honor member go. Wiping them out was easy. How stronger could some rebels be? No matter how many of them there were, they wouldn¡¯t be a match for the Masked Unit.
If it were the Masked Unit, the 1st Manager, and I, we should be able to crush them easily. They say that a General that can be sure of victory before fighting is the most useful one. As I thought, I shouldn¡¯t be in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office but in the Military.
¡°Executive Manager, over here.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
I checked out the de of the dagger the 1st Manager gave me. Because we were still in the Academy, it would be troublesome to have an eye-catching weapon, and because the fight would take ce in a forest, a shorter weapon would be morefortable, although this one looked too short.
¡°Hasn¡¯t it been a while since you¡¯ve been in the field, Executive Manager?¡±
¡°Recently, I didn¡¯t have many opportunities to do that.¡±
Because of the Minister, I ended uping to the Academy, and because of that, I ended up clearing a Dungeon alone. However, it had indeed been a while since I¡¯d been active on the frontlines.
I wasn¡¯t a crazy person who couldn¡¯t stand fighting, so I didn¡¯t take part in battles on purpose.
Still, it feels different to move my body after such a long time. If I don¡¯t use my body enough, it might stiffen up, so I should probably tell the 4th Manager to siege moderately.
Chapter 40: - A Corpse that Defies Orders (1)
? A Corpse that Defies Orders (1) ?
The grandiose and golden Apels Empire. It was a beautiful country that stood alone, reigning over a vast continent. As the third empire to rule the continent, Apels was indeed a great country.
Lights didn¡¯t go off in Apels, and all sorts of things could be found in the capital. Elegant gentlemen and beautifuldies walked across the roads. It was an ideal world where the nobles used to lead the foolishmoners.
As the countries of the continent bowed their heads, Apels, known as the Golden Empire, stood tall. However, there were criminals who dared to covet the gold and raise their heads, whose damned and despicable name was Kefellofen.
That was the criminal who made the Golden Empire copse, thieves who stole their glory, and a self-proimed Empire built with lies. If one follows righteousness, they must rightfully overthrow the false country and restore Apels. The third glory that shone brilliantly over this continent must be reinstated.
¡°Breaking the deceit and pretense of Kefellofen, we shall return to that glorious era.¡±
He still remembered the words the Captain had said the day they created the Third Honor. How can a country that has been hindered by nomads for two years be called an Empire? Only Apels was the true Empire.
Believing firmly in that, I headed to the Academy with myrades. It was the ce where the glorious legacy established by Apels and its system resided. We will reim that ce and dere the resurrection of Apels by killing the sinners who dared to trample upon Apels¡¯ legacy, the criminals of Kefellofen.
We can do it. We can rebuild Apels. We will undoubtedly achieve that.
Certainly, we will achieve it¡
That¡¯s what should have happened¡
¡®Oh, Enen¡!¡¯
How did things turn out like this?
The footsteps toward a great resurrection had turned into a fleeing gait, seeking the help of God. This can¡¯t be happening. I am undoubtedly the hero who will rebuild Apels. I won¡¯t be someone who bows down to a mere dog like Kefellofen.
¡°Aaah!¡±
Arade next to me got caught in a hook and was pulled up onto a tree. They screamed and struggled, but no one could get close. Many have already been caught on that hook and haven¡¯t been seen since.
Countlessrades have already fallen. The heroes for the revival of Apels have crumbled in vain. This can¡¯t be happening. We have justice on our side, and for the sake of the rightful continent, we must be victorious.
¡°You¡¯re fast despite being a bug.¡±
When a chilling voice came from behind, my body froze and leaned forward. I tried to stand up again, but something in front of my eyes shattered my spirit.
¡°Cutting his legs should be okay. Right?¡±
¡°I guess it will depend on the 1st Manager¡¯s mood.¡±
Two men were surrounding me. The men wearing white masks talked like I wasn¡¯t even there. However, my eyes were still fixed on something in front of me.
¡°AGH! M-my legs¡! My legs¡!¡±
I struggled because of the pain I felt btedly.. But soon, I couldn¡¯t even do that because they stepped on my back.
¡°What about their head?¡±
¡°The leader is tracking him.¡±
¡°So it¡¯s over.¡±
Soon, I saw the Captain being dragged by a witch with long, silver hair. I couldn¡¯t see if he¡¯d died or was just unconscious.
It was over. Our cause hade to a futile end.
* * *
It was about time to go to the forest, so the 1st Manager and I walked out of the booth. We just told the others that we were going out to meet with someone, so we had to return as fast as possible.
If I matched the speed of the 1st Manager, it would take us a long time, so we decided to run while carrying her.. We soon reached the forest where we were supposed to meet with the Masked Unit.
¡°We came first.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. I wonder what happened.¡±
Although it wasn¡¯t yet past the appointment time, the 4th Manager was surprisingly punctual. She often arrived much earlier than the agreed time. I was so moved when I once saw her wiping my desk before the Prosecutor¡¯s meeting, and even though I told her it wasn¡¯t necessary, she stubbornly insisted on doing it.
¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±
For a moment, the thought of trading the 1st Manger for the 4th Manager crossed my mind. I wondered if the Special Service Agency¡¯s Minister would agree if I proposed that. However, I shook my head. No matter how annoying the 1st Manager was, recing her was pretty hard.
Although there wasn¡¯t anyone who could rece the 4th Manager¡¯s loyalty, what she used to do could be distributed between the 3rd and 5th Managers. Of course, it was better when everyone used to be present.
¡°Let¡¯s wait. She isn¡¯t someone who¡¯d arrivete.¡±
I cut a tree to create a stump where we could sit and checked the condition of the dagger the 1st Manager had given me. After cutting the tree, I confirmed that the quality was good. Well, it¡¯s true that she isn¡¯t the type of person who would carry a cheap weapon.
With this level, it shouldn¡¯t break easily even if I cut a person¡¯s bones. How satisfying.
¡°Ah, there they are.¡±
The 1st Manager, who was sneakily using my back as a backrest, said while pointing somewhere. As expected, she is neverte.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
The 1st Manager and I eximed in surprise after seeing the Masked Unit approach. They were either carrying or dragging something.
¡°They¡ look like people?¡±
¡°¡¡±
That¡¯s right. Although some were missing body parts, they were still people. I wondered if there was an ident on the way and someone got injured, but there¡¯s no way they would be carrying an injured member like that. Not only that, but they weren¡¯t wearing the uniform of the Masked Unit.
I was looking confusedly when the 4th Manager walked toward me and saluted.
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
Upon hearing that, the other members behind also dropped what they were carrying on their backs and in their hands, and saluted in unison. Is it really okay for you guys to throw them away?
¡°Yes, good jobing here.¡±
But I couldn¡¯t scold them from the start, considering that they came to help me. They must have brought those people because they thought they were necessary. I stood up from my seat, received the salute from the 4th Manager, and then did she release her salute.
As if noticing that I had been looking at the people scattered on the ground, the 4th Manager immediately spoke up.
¡°They¡¯re the members of Third Honor. We encountered them whileing here and grabbed them all.¡±
¡°Woah¡¡±
Upon hearing the 4th Manager¡¯s words, the 1st Manager let out a small exmation of admiration. I, on the other hand, momentarily lost my words. They captured them? All of them? I was just sitting here resting, and it was already over like this?
¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±
I was curious about what had happened, but when I saw the 4th Manager¡¯s eyes, which seemed to be hoping for something amidst her expressionless face, myints disappeared. Yeah, even if the process was a bit strange, as long as the result is good, that¡¯s all that matters.
As I patted her shoulder, the 4th Manager¡¯s eyes began shining, and the dagger on my waist shone pitifully. Although I had borrowed a weapon, the only thing I did with it was to cut a tree. If it was going to end like this anyway, should I carry an axe from now on?
With the sessful capture of all the enemies, our roles were over. I felt quite embarrassed toin about my role when I had only been breathing.
Then, the Masked Unit installed a temporary campsite in the forest, where the battle was supposed to have taken ce.
Although the opponents were weak, they fought and engaged in battle, so they had to take a break. They gathered together and sat down, sharing water, which seemed harmonious.
¡°Executive Manager, please give me some water, too.¡±
As I threw the 1st Manager a water bottle, she caught it and poured it on someone¡¯s face. She hadn¡¯t asked it for herself, but to share it with someone else.
She even covered their face with a cloth to filter the water in case they choked if they drank it too quickly.
¡°©¤©¤! ©¤©¤!!¡±
¡°Haha. You were thirsty. Right?¡±
The leader of the Third Honor was tied to a chair, and his head was pulled back. It seemed like he was moved by the consideration of the 1st Manager and struggled to express his gratitude, but the 1st Manager was even more touched and continued pouring water.
¡°Can youy him back a bit more?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
The Masked Unit member pulled his head even further back. I turned my gaze away after seeing the 1st Manager nod satisfactorily.
¡®I guess she¡¯s going to do a good job.¡¯
For someone who usually starts by pulling out fingernails, it¡¯s a small start. But if you leave it to her, she¡¯ll extract the information herself, so I just had to leave it to the experts and wait for the results.
I was waiting while talking with the 4th Manager, but the mouth of the head was tighter than expected. If the 1st Manager wanted to, he would have a hard time even resisting for 10 minutes. However, because he was the leader, his mouth was heavier than expected.
As I walked toward the 1st Manager along with the 4th Manager and checked out the torture situation, I saw that his hands and feet couldn¡¯t be recognized anymore. The rest hadn¡¯t been touched yet.
¡®What the¡¡¯
My reaction wasn¡¯t because his mouth was heavy. The process was slower than usual, so it was still bearable. I had anticipated it since hearing about the Apel¡¯s Revival Soldiers, but seeing it in person made me quite irritated.
¡°Why is it so slow? Hurry up.¡±
¡°I¡¯m doing it outside and alone, so if I hurry things, there¡¯s a chance he¡¯ll die. But I¡¯ll make sure he talks.¡±
What she said while smiling wasn¡¯t wrong, so I couldn¡¯t say anything else. It would be troublesome if he died while being tortured. Not only that, but there wasn¡¯t any other member of the 1st Division, and she didn¡¯t have any of her tools.
The problem is that she¡¯s not the kind of person who would make such a ridiculous mistake by deliberately torturing them, but because she¡¯s using it as an excuse to proceed slowly.
¡®This brat is just getting better and better at it.¡¯
As I frowned, she looked away. Yes, it seems like she still has a bit of conscience.
¡°If you keep doing this, we¡¯ll move on to the next person. If you don¡¯t want that to happen, speak up now. You should value yourrades.¡±
In response to my stinging gaze, the 1st Manager tried to get a deal with him. If it didn¡¯t work, she would probably send him to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, and if he still didn¡¯t talk, that¡¯s when she would start torturing him properly. Anyway, she had this weird hobby.
However, the captain of the Third Glory didn¡¯t get angry or ignore the 1st Manager¡¯s words. Instead, he let out a lowugh.
¡°Kekeke¡¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have you touched his head too?¡±
¡°No. I didn¡¯t touch his head because it¡¯s dangerous to do so outdoors.¡±
If the 1st Manager isn¡¯t the culprit, he seems to have lost his mind due to the shock of the interrogation. It¡¯s already risky if he loses his sanity.
Despite my concerns, the head, who had been chuckling for a while, suddenly turned his gaze towards me with bloodshot eyes, giving me a menacing stare.
¡°Comrade? That person over there is someone who achieved sess through the blood of hisrades, yet you¡¯re spewing bullshit-¡°
©¤Whack!
Before he could finish talking, the 4th Manager rushed toward him and kicked his chin. In an instant, the head¡¯s neck snapped back, and he fell to the ground.
There was an awkward silence. The 4th Manager that rushed forward, the 1st Manager who was waiting to see what I said, and the Masked Unit¡¯s members holding his arms all looked at me without saying a word.
¡°Sigh.¡°
I let out a small sigh and scratched my head. How much had the rumors spread that even a retard like him said that?
¡®That son of a bitch.¡¯
Regardless of the information, should I just kill them all?
Chapter 41: - A Corpse that Defies Orders (2)
? A Corpse that Defies Orders (2) ?
I looked around in silence. Except for the stunned bug that was lying on the ground, there were still plenty of others to extract information from. Of course, confidential information might be known only to their leader, but it didn¡¯t matter. With this number, the quality of information can afford to be slightly lower.
It¡¯s fine even if only their leader knew the mastermind or coborator behind the Third Honor. In any case, they were the ones who showed their fangs to the Empire first, obsessed with their delusions of the Apels¡¯ revival. They will definitelye up with other tricks, and we just have to find and kill them.
Yes, there was no problem.
¡®Killing him won¡¯t be a problem.¡¯
After reaching that conclusion, I approached the bug. The Masked Unit members who were grabbing his arms quickly moved back, and the 1st and 4th Managers followed behind me.
I lifted the unconscious bug¡¯s head to wake him up, but something was wrong. His eyes were rolled back and white, his body was crushed and unrecognizable, and there was blood at the corner of his mouth.
¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±
At my words, the Masked Unit member¡¯s body trembled. He was already dead. It seemed like the 4th Manager failed to control her strength in her haste to kick him.
I looked at the bug¡¯s upturned eyes for a moment, then applied force to my hand and burst his head open. It was meaningless since he was already dead, but I felt like I had to vent my frustration somehow.
After roughly wiping off the blood on my hands, I turned around. The 4th Manager seemed lost, and the 1st Manager was nervous.
¡®What should I do?¡¯
The 1st Manager deliberately dyed the interrogation process, and the 4th Manager had killed him.
Both were reprehensible enough if you ask me.
After looking at both of them alternately, I sighed lightly. I didn¡¯t like how they were lowering their heads. Normally, I would¡¯ve cast it aside. After all, it was expected that the 1st Manager would enjoy having new toys, and I knew that the 4th Manager was proactive in matters rted to me.
Yet I didn¡¯t confront the 1st Manager right away, and I stayed still knowing that the 4th Manager would rush out. It would be a bit hypocritical to scold them after all that.
Although I heard something unexpected in an unexpected ce¡ª
¡®Fuck.¡¯
The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became. I was about to wipe this frustration off my face when I noticed that my hands were still wet with blood. The 4th Manager, who had been watching me from the corner of her eye, carefully gave me her handkerchief.
¡°Executive Manager, if it¡¯s okay with you, please use this¡¡±
Her voice was stable, but seeing her trembling hand holding the handkerchief made mepletely forget about reprimanding her. Yeah, luck wasn¡¯t on my side. What just happened was just bad luck.
¡°Thanks.¡±
I returned the handkerchief to her after cleaning my hands. And I patted her shoulders as if telling her that everything was okay now.
¡°There¡¯s really no one else who cares about me except for Fenelia. Thank you for getting angry in my ce.¡±
Although she¡¯d taken my work from me, she dealt with the target in my ce. It was done in good faith, so I decided to let it go.
I left behind the 4th Manager and walked toward the 1st Manager. She trembled even more, perhaps thinking that all my anger would fall on her. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t get angry at you.
¡°Elizabeth?¡±
¡°Yes! Executive Manager!¡±
It was funny seeing the 1st Manager shout with all her might and looking so nervous. I smirked and patted her shoulder.
¡°You just made a mistake. Right?¡±
¡°N-No, I should have done it faster.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a mistake. You¡¯ve been doing well so far, Elizabeth, so making a mistake asionally is fine.¡±
As I consoled her, her trembling gradually subsided. Where can you find a superior who thinks about his subordinates like this?
¡°But you¡¯ll do well this time, right?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
I was satisfied after hearing her answer like a soldier.
¡°Seeing how he¡¯s aware of what happened in the North, there¡¯s definitely someone coborating with them.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll figure it out!¡±
¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do our best.¡±
Seeing how she nodded, made me think she was definitely going to do her job this time. The 1st Manager always showed results when she was serious.
¡°I¡¯ll be going to the booth for a while. I need to show my face before the dayes to an end.¡±
We¡¯d gone out with the excuse there was someone we had to meet, so they would get suspicious if I didn¡¯t appear at all. I had to show my face at least once before returning.
* * *
I barely managed to calm down after watching the Executive Manager return to the Academy. My heart began beating really fast when he patted my shoulder and called me by my name instead of my position.
Hehe¡
¡®Fuck.¡¯
Things are really fucked up.
He was suppressing it deep down, but hisposure had definitely been shaken.
Most people that have experienced war before have their own jinx. The Executive Manager was one of those people.
He never called anyone by their names. No matter the situation, he always called them by their designation. His jinx was calling us by our names.
In his two years in the North, he¡¯d lost a lot of people he was close to by calling them by their names. Among all the people that were sent to kill Kagan, he was the only one who returned alive.
But calling me by my name instead of my position meant that he was so overwhelmed with rage that he didn¡¯t he care about his own long held superstition. This only happened when he was truly furious.
¡®Son of a bitch.¡¯
I red at the head of the leader of the Third Honor. I treated him well because he was a new toy, but I never expected him to cause something like this. I¡¯m d the Executive Manager didn¡¯t let out his anger. Now that I think about it, not expressing his anger and hiding it was even scarier¡
¡°Fenelia, are you okay?¡±
I turned my gaze from the headless son of a bitch to Fenelia. The Executive Manager, who had a special ce in her heart, called her by her name. I couldn¡¯t imagine how shocked she must have been.
She was still bowing her head and mumbling something. From Fenelia¡¯s perspective, who lived only by looking at the Executive Manager, it must have felt like the sky was falling. I sighed lightly and approached her to offer somefort.
¡°TheExecutiveManagerSaidHeOnlyHasMeTheExecutiveManagerSaidThanksTheExecutiveManagerCalledMeByMyNameTheExecutiveManager¡¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
It seemed like I was worried for nothing.
While leaving Fenelia behind, I walked toward the other Third Honor members.
I called out members of the Masked Unit. They also seemed angered. Well, it was expected. After all, someone had cursed the Executive Manager in front of them.
¡°Bring that here.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
I pointed to someone who seemed unconscious. They quickly walked toward him and dragged it to me. Since interrogation is only possible when they¡¯re conscious, I pped him to wake him up.
As soon as he opened his mouth to scream, a member of the Masked Unit put a gag in his mouth. Yes, they¡¯re quick to catch on, making it easier to work with them.
¡°I didn¡¯t want to go this far. But your leader was rude to us. That¡¯s too bad.¡±
Taking out a dagger from my pocket, I was speaking when I suddenly thought it was strange. Why do I feel regretful? We¡¯re the ones who suffered the damages unterally. Isn¡¯t he to me for not managing his leader properly?
¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯m not sorry.¡±
I could workfortably.
After nodding, I checked out the state of the dagger then cut the skin of the Third Honor member before me.
How many cuts will you be able to handle? Try to resist as much as possible.
* * *
I managed to stop bing a higher-up who unleashed his anger on his subordinates. It seemed like I¡¯d developed patience. I used tosh out immediately, without giving it a second thought.
¡°Someone who achieved sess through the blood of hisrades.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but frown at those words. Even if I¡¯ve developed patience, I couldn¡¯t help but feel horrible. The worst thing is that I couldn¡¯t deny those words. After all, they were right.
I barely managed to cast those thoughts aside when I entered the Academy and was about to reach the booth. Oh damn, was I toote? I began walking faster but noticed that the booth was empty. It seems like I¡¯mte, indeed.
¡°Ah, Oppa!¡±
I was about to return to the forest when I heard Louise¡¯s voice. It seemed like she was sitting inside the booth.
¡°Why are you still here?¡±
¡°I¡¯m the president of the club, so I wanted to wait at least until oppa¡¯s here.¡±
Iughed at Louise¡¯s words.
¡°What about the others? I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t want to leave yet.¡±
¡°People from the three countries took them.¡±
Louise simply answered. However, I could already imagine how much Vir had struggled to do that. Taking them away from Louise was probably really hard. But then, who dragged Erich and Ainter? Was it the work of the three foreigners who had to keep the two in check?
¡®They keep each other in check really well.¡¯
No one took the lead. But at the same time, they didn¡¯t let anyone take the lead. Their bnce matched weirdly.
¡°Oppa, can you give me your hands?¡±
¡°My hands?¡±
I extended my hands without thinking about it, then instantly regretted it. Although I had cleaned my hands, there was a chance there was still the smell of blood. She¡¯s someone who needed to grow, only looking at good things. It wasn¡¯t something she should smell.
But Louise didn¡¯t seem to mind that. She put a small pouch on top of my hands. Luckily, it doesn¡¯t seem to smell.
¡°I made it a lot sweeter this time!¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°They say it¡¯s better to eat something sweet when you¡¯re tired.¡±
My body hardened at Louise¡¯s worried words.
¡°It¡¯s just that Oppa looks tired. I wanted to be of help to you.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
¡°Eh¡ Oppa? Just like I¡¯ve said before¡¡±
¡°I should tell you if something is bothering me?¡±
¡°Hehe¡¡±
Looking at Louise¡¯s shy smile, I then looked down at the pouch. Sweet foods are good when you¡¯re tired. From who did I hear that before?
¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll eat it well.¡±
I smiled back at Louise, who was beaming.
After confirming that Louise had returned to the dormitories, I returned to the forest.
¡®It¡¯s better to eat something sweet when you¡¯re tired.¡¯
Then, I opened the pouch that Louise had given me and took out a cookie. It was a neatly shaped cookie that was carefully made by Louise. I couldn¡¯t have imagined something so neat back then.
¡°Carl! I¡¯ve prepared something good!¡±
¡°Ta-dah! How about this? I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t often get the opportunity to eat sweet things in the North!¡±
¡°Hey, have you checked yourself in the mirror? You look very tired.¡±
¡°Sweet things are the best when you¡¯re tired! I¡¯ve made these for you, so eat them!¡±
¡°Little brat, don¡¯t sulk alone. If something¡¯s bothering you, you can tell this noona anytime!¡± ¡°
Ah.
¡°Fuck.¡±
Perhaps it was because I heard those words right after hearing a simr thing from that damn bug, or maybe it was because I heard something simr from Louise. Memories from the past suddenly came rushing back to me.
I looked at Louise¡¯s cookie for a moment and then took a bite.
¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±
Yes. Louise¡¯s cookies are delicious.
The cookies I¡¯ve tasted in the North were delicious too. They are the best among the ones I¡¯ve tasted.
That¡¯s why Louise¡¯s cookies are also delicious, just like those I¡¯ve eaten in the North.
Yes. Louise¡¯s cookies are delicious. Definitely.
Chapter 42: - Our Fair is open for Business (1)
? Our Fair is open for Business (1) ?
I stood still for a while, looking at the pouch of cookies. It¡¯s been 2 years since that day. It was something that didn¡¯t mean anything special to me.
Many things happen in the midst of a war. Naturally, some people die.
But for some reason, I couldn¡¯t forget about it.
I guess I¡¯ll get over it one day. I put away the cookie pouch and began moving toward the forest. I had to finish everything before it got dark so that the club fair could proceed safely tomorrow.
After I reached the forest, I saw the 1st and 4th Managers talking. It seemed like they¡¯d finished the interrogations. As expected, they can do things effectively if they put their minds to it.
¡°Are you done?¡±
¡°Yes. I made them confess everything they knew.¡±
It seemed like both of them were still nervous. That wasn¡¯t something I could solve by telling them that everything was okay, so I left it at that. Even if your boss says, ¡®I¡¯m not mad at you,¡¯ how many people are going to believe that?
The state of the Third Honor members wasn¡¯t normal. Theycked some limbs, and they had cuts all around their bodies. Based on their state, the information that had been secure should be reliable.
¡°Anything worth mentioning?¡±
¡°They were carrying something strange.¡±
¡°Something strange?¡±
At my question, the 4th Manager handed me a piece of paper. Ha, look at these bastards.
¡°It¡¯s an explosion scroll.¡±
¡°Yes. It seems like one that¡¯s supposed to be used for mining purposes.¡±
A one-time usage scroll that had an explosive Magic stored into it. It was something that was usually used while working in the mines. Because of its destructive power, it was only made in the Magic Tower, and they were only supplied to individuals or organizations with certain identities.
If this scroll had exploded in the heart of the Academy, it would have caused an unimaginable disaster. Of course, it¡¯s useless to worry about something that hasn¡¯t happened yet. What is more important is to figure out how this scroll ended up in the hands of the Third Honor members.
Explosion scrolls were supplied to provincial officials, lords, or mine supervisors. Whoever it was, they were people who must pledge allegiance to the Empire. If these people had leaked the scroll to the rebels, it would clearly be an act of treason.
¡°So they are people willing tomit suicide?¡±
¡°It seems so.¡±
The scrolls were supplied to individuals or organizations with clear identities, and the supply records indicate who received how much. If we thoroughly investigate those records, we can find the culprit. If there are inconsistencies or suspicious points between the supply records and the usage records, then that bastard is the culprit.
Are all of the traitors this retarded? I can¡¯t understand why they would bet their lives on something that could be figured out so easily.
After briefly stroking my chin, I nodded my head. Since they only mentioned the scroll as a peculiar item, it doesn¡¯t seem like any useful information has been obtained. Now that it has been confirmed that the scroll has been leaked, we need to focus on that.
¡°We¡¯re done here.. Good job, everyone.¡±
Now that there is nothing left to handle on-site, we just need to report to the headquarters. The Special Service Agency would probably deal with those still alive, and they were probably also going to figure out who leaked the scroll.
The person in charge of the Magic Tower would probably be really angry once he figures out that the products they had made were being used for something like this.
Of course, once the Special Service Agency finds out the culprit, they¡¯d toss the rest to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. So, in the end, we are the ones who will suffer.
With the sessful capture of the Third Honor and the acquisition of information, our roles were over.
As the 4th Manager reported this to the Special Service Agency, Magicians came out of nowhere and took them away. Teleportation is quite convenient.
Not only that, but the Masked Unit was left behind just in case anythine else happened. Well, having them around until the end would make things morefortable. However, the nobles would probably panic if they saw the 4th Manager after the 1st one, so the Masked Unit ended up remaining in the forest.
Seeing that the 4th Manager also seemed a little disappointed, I decided to visit her every evening. I should show some consideration to the subordinate I haven¡¯t seen in a while. I should bring some food with me when Ie.
Unlike the 4th Manager, who stayed in the forest, the 1st Manager decided to continue working with me at the booth the next day.
¡°Executive Manager, I¡¯ll carry it. Leave it to me.¡±
If there was something that changed, it was that she¡¯d be more obedient.
¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll do it.¡±
I think I knew why she was acting like this, which made meugh. It was weird for one of the Manager-trio to be cautious of me, but at least she seemed to have some conscience. That¡¯s touching.
Despite being rejected, she still roamed around me. After all, one couldn¡¯t say she didn¡¯t have any responsibility for what happened yesterday. If it keeps going on like this, she might cry.
¡®I want to see that.¡¯
However, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for me to be a boss who unnecessarily makes his subordinates cry. Judging from how carefully she watches my every move, she probably won¡¯t cause any trouble if I let her off for a while. And since we¡¯ve already dealt with the Third Honor, there¡¯s no urgent matter either.
¡°You don¡¯t have anything to do?¡±
¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do it, so please take a break, Executive Manager!¡±
If she had a dog tail, she probably would be wiggling it. I nodded and handed her the luggage I was holding. As she took the luggage, the 1st Manager¡¯s expression became calm, as if a burden had been lifted. She didn¡¯t receive the luggage from me; she received peace of mind.
¡°Just leave it in that corner ande back after having some fun.¡±
¡°What?¡±
I untied her apron as she tilted her head. Since I captured her with this, I should be the one to release it.
¡°Now that there¡¯s no urgent matter, you just need to stay inside the academy. When else are you going to have fun?¡±
¡°Huh¡ Can¡ I really do that?¡±
¡°Even without you around, the booth will run smoothly.¡±
I gestured for her to leave quickly, and only then did the 1st Manager¡¯s eyes sparkle with energy. She quickly put down the luggage and made her escape, as if she was afraid that I would catch her again. It was quite an impressive sight, like releasing a Pok¨¦mon into the wild.
I looked around the booth after casually tossing the 1st Manager¡¯s apron aside, which had served as a Pok¨¦ Ball. The club members seemed to be getting used to running the booth, and the workers from the three countries were working diligently. The 1st Manager wasn¡¯t someone that was supposed to be here in the first ce, so it wouldn¡¯t be a problem even if she left.
Moreover, the number of noblesing to find me had significantly decreased over time. Most of them crowded around on the first or second day, so it seemed like there wouldn¡¯t be any more visitors. Now, I could spend my time without any worries. This is how a proper club fair should be.
¡°Oppa.¡±
I was about to sit on the chair and rest when Louise walked toward me and sat before me.
¡°Why? Did something happen?¡±
¡°No. I wanted to sit down for a bit.¡±
Louise was very busy during the club fair and rarely had a chance to sit down. Unless there were no customers, she couldn¡¯t even approach the chairs.
¡°If you work so much, you¡¯ll get sick. Try to take a break.¡±
Although I said it because I thought she was pushing herself too hard, Louise looked silently into my eyes without saying anything.
¡°Is there something on my face?¡±
Because this was a pastry club, I sometimes ended up with a bit of flour on my face. I thought that maybe this was one of those cases. However, Louise shook her head.
¡°Did you eat all of the cookies?¡±
¡°Yes. They were delicious.¡±
Louise smiled at my answer, but her expression seemed a bit bitter.
¡°You can leave the booth to us.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but smile at those words. Yesterday, she asked me if I was tired and today, she asked me if I¡¯d eaten all of the cookies. Now, she was asking me to take a break. Seeing her actively urging me to rest, it seems that Louise doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m doing well.
Just like when she worried about me receiving tea leavesst time, she¡¯s been concerned about me twice now. If the Minister knew, he would probablyugh.
¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m the Advisor, after all.¡±
¡°But it¡¯s not the same for other clubs, right? In the one Irina¡¯s in, the Advisor isn¡¯t there.¡±
So she caught on.
An Advisor was someone who just needed to supervise and ensure that no issues arise. They only need to asionallye and check from time to time. There wasn¡¯t a need for the Advisor to stay inside the booth just like me.
But the problem was that I didn¡¯t have the courage to y around while leaving those no-answer members behind. Apart from that, I had to make sure idents didn¡¯t happen, so I was doing my best. After all, my situation was different from other Advisors¡
As I smiled awkwardly, Louise pouted before continuing.
¡°I¡¯m really thankful to oppa. From the moment you became the Advisor up to now. Everything.¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t done much, so there¡¯s no need to say thanks.¡±
¡°Even the actions you didn¡¯t consider insignificant meant a lot to me.¡±
I had nothing to say at those words. After all, if we added everything I¡¯d done, it was a lot indeed.
¡°It seems like oppa is going through a lot on his own, so I want to help you even just a little.¡±
¡°Little brat, don¡¯t sulk alone. If something¡¯s bothering you, you can tell this big sister anytime!¡±
¡®Damn it.¡¯
I¡¯ve been like this since yesterday. Normally, I would have let those words pass without a second thought, but they keep connecting to the memories of that moment.
That idiotic bastard died after saying something she shouldn¡¯t have.
I subconsciously sighed. If the goal of the Third Honor was to break my mind instead of destroying the Academy, they¡¯d seeded in doing so. I haven¡¯t had such a damn annoying enemy in a while.
¡°Oppa¡?¡±
¡®Ah.¡¯
I quickly changed my expression, but Louise had already seen it. It seemed like she was tearing up.
¡°Having you worried about me is a bit embarrassing. Then, should I take a short break?¡±
Sighing in front of someone who worried about me was practically saying, ¡®Mind your own business.¡¯ There was no greater rudeness than this. It bothered me to leave the booth, but for now, it¡¯s better to do as Louise suggested.
Louise seemed to calm down as I said that while making a bright expression. Thankfully, I avoided bing a crazy bastard who made a girl the age of his little brother cry.
¡®That bastard.¡¯
This was all because of that retard. I shouldn¡¯t have stopped at destroying his head.
The danger had disappeared, thanks to us having eliminated the members of Third Honor. The Club Fair, which should have been peaceful, had started strangely.
Chapter 43: - Our Fair is open for Business (2)
? Our Fair is open for Business (2) ?
Oppa turned around a few times and smiled awkwardly.
¡°It feels weird going away. Will you really be okay without me?¡±
¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. We have enough people.¡±
Managing the booth was something the club members should do in the first ce, and we were receiving help from the three countries thanks to Oppa. With that in mind, I waved and saw him off, and he eventually headed for another booth.
Nevertheless, he kept looking back, so I stood still until I couldn¡¯t see him anymore. It was only then that Oppa hastened his pace as if fleeing. It was somewhat cute. He might get angry if I said it in front of him, though.
¡®In the end, he didn¡¯t answer.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly while thinking about the iron wall-like oppa.
I¡¯ve told oppa numerous times that I wanted to help him and that he could rely on me if something happened. Each time, he would give me a different answer, but never once did he say yes.
I wondered if it was because I didn¡¯t seem helpful or if it was because I was ipetent. Even though it was somewhat disheartening, I didn¡¯t take it to heart too much. Oppa was much more capable and remarkable than me. I didn¡¯t know it the first time I saw him, but after hearing he was an Executive Manager, I became really surprised.
That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been silently waiting for oppa to reply to me. I thought that insisting on it could be taken as if I were looking down on him, but after seeing how he looked yesterday, I couldn¡¯t stand still and do nothing about it.
¡°Oppa¡¡±
With a worried heart, I called out to oppa, who was no longer visible. The Oppa I saw yesterday seemed precarious as if he could explode at any moment or copse if someone touched him.
He didn¡¯t show it on the outside. Oppa was someone who always looked calm, after all. Even if he was deteriorating inside, no one would notice because he never expressed it outwardly. If I hadn¡¯t had the experience of seeing someone like oppa before, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed.
That¡¯s why the cookies I gave oppa yesterday were especially sweet. Although he ate everything well, I wanted to give him the best ones.
However, it was a mistake not to properly check the ingredients that were always used in the booth. Only this morning did I realize that sugar and salt had been swapped while I was moving around in a hurry. It was unfortunate that such an unfunny mistake happened to ur yesterday.
Even if oppa ate everything well, it was a different issue to tell him that it was sweet and hand him a lump of salt. I thought he might get angry or at least say that it was too salty with a smile.
¡°Yes, they were delicious.¡±
Oppa¡¯s reaction was totally unexpected. Because he hadn¡¯t said anything, I asked him. But he replied as if there would be nothing wrong with it. But there¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case¡
¡°Hyung always ate everything well. The chef always used to say that cooking for hyung was the mostfortable.¡±
I remembered what I¡¯d heard from Erich. However, this wasn¡¯t just about eating everything well. Although I wanted to ask him for further details, Erich had just started to get close with oppa. I didn¡¯t want to make him worry.
¡®Oppa.¡¯
Are you really okay?
I was afraid that oppa would not be able to hold on and copse, and that he would disappear without anyone noticing.
* * *
I thought I¡¯d make Louise cry if I pushed things further. However, I couldn¡¯t find many things to do.
¡®What should I do?¡¯
One could enjoy things if there were something to do. The only rxing time I¡¯d spent in this world was the first year after I was transmigrated. After that, everything was a mess. Even though Louise said that I should take a break, I had no idea what to do.
I thought about whether I should use the 1st Manager as a guide but soon cast it aside. In the first ce, I didn¡¯t know where she was. Besides, I didn¡¯t want to bother her with dealing with a higher-up even while she went around to y.
I¡¯ve been through that, so I knew how that felt. During the first vacations I¡¯d gotten after bing the Executive Manager, I met the Minister. Because neither of us had anything to do, we ended up hanging around together. I didn¡¯t want the 1st Manager to go through such a horrible thing like the one I went through.
Since I was too bored, I was thinking of meeting the 4th Manager a little earlier, but I ended up seeing familiar, red hair from a distance.
¡®Marghetta?¡¯
I saw Marghetta walking around and inspecting the booths with her traditional red fan covering her mouth. Now that I think about it, she¡¯d said that one of the duties of the Student Council was to check if the fair was going well.
I didn¡¯t have any ce to go, and if I were going to receive people¡¯s attention anyways, I¡¯d rather be with Marghetta. Because on the outside, it would look like the Student Council¡¯s vice president was hanging with the Prosecutor for business purposes.
¡°Mar.¡±
As I walked to her and called her out, she turned around.
¡°Oh, Sir Carl. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you here.¡±
A smile appeared on her face. She probably wasn¡¯t expecting to see me in a ce like this. After all, Marghetta knew that I had to stay in the booth because of orders.
Moreover, Marghetta promised not to visit Louise, so she hadn¡¯t visited our club¡¯s booth.
¡°Are you very busy?¡±
¡°Not really. I¡¯ve done thisst year as well, so I¡¯m used to it.¡±
¡°Still, it must be tiring to do it alone. Do you need another person to help?¡±
In response to those words, Marghetta tilted her head and answered in a voice mixed withughter.
¡°I don¡¯t hang out with just anyone. Maybe if it were Sir Carl, it would be fine.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great. If Mar¡¯s okay with it, I¡¯d like to apany you.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Marghetta¡¯s face turned red, and the fan that had been covering her mouth rose up to just below her eyes. However, because the fan covered her lower face, Marghetta¡¯s eyes, which were trembling, became even more noticeable.
I felt this from time to time, but she was too soft, considering that she was the daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke. No, or maybe I just didn¡¯t know because I hadn¡¯t met his other descendants.
* * *
One of the tasks was to check the progress of the fair. Compared to the booths spread throughout the Academy, the Student Council had fewer members, so it was inevitable that I had to wander around alone.
¡®How boring.¡¯
I entered the Student Council to meet Carl. That¡¯s why I just focused on working. But this year, Carl came to the Academy, so I couldn¡¯t help but be more motivated. But still, the biggest reason why I worked hard was that I couldn¡¯t do things half-heartedly as a member of the Valenti family.
¡°Mar.¡±
While trying to suppress my annoyance, I heard a familiar voice from behind.
¡°Oh, Sir Carl. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you here.¡±
Carl, it¡¯s Carl¡¯s voice. As I quickly turned around, I saw Carl standing behind me. I¡¯m d that I¡¯m covering my mouth.
He almost saw me smiling embarrassingly.
To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect to meet Carl during the fair. Carl was an advisor to a peculiar club consisting of unique members, so he couldn¡¯t leave the booth. I also had no intention of going to where Lady Louise was, so I thought that it would be a boring fair. However, I ended up meeting Carl.
¡®As expected, we¡¯re destined for each other.¡¯
No matter how much I thought it would be impossible to meet, we ended up encountering each other. How romantic is that?
I was starting to feel good. Since I¡¯d met Carl, I wanted to talk for as long as possible. But, he probably has many things to do, so dragging him around would be bothersome to him. Let¡¯s be satisfied with this today.
I was nning to be satisfied with that much, but¡
¡°That¡¯s great. If Mar¡¯s okay with it, I¡¯d like to apany you.¡±
¡°What?¡±
My face hardened at Carl¡¯s unexpected words.
¡®With me?¡¯
Me? And Carl? Together? Wasn¡¯t he busy? Had Carl ever asked me beforehand?
Because I was starting to blush, I covered my face with the fan. No, I can¡¯t show him such a face.
¡®D-Date¡ Date¡! A date with Carl!¡¯
It was the first time. It was the first time that Carl asked to apany me. Not only that, but it was my first time going on a date with someone. A year ago, Carl was so busy that we only had tea together. I didn¡¯t even dream of going out with him.
¡®It¡¯s destiny!¡¯
It¡¯s destiny. As expected, Carl is already in my hands. To think that the cold Carl would ask me for a date first. It¡¯s as if he were already mine, in a sense!
¡°Mar?¡±
¡®Oops.¡¯
My brain had melted down because of happiness, so I hadn¡¯t answered him. No, let¡¯s not rush things. Didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯d tease him a bit? I shouldn¡¯t easily ept it here.
¡°Yes, okay. Let¡¯s hang out together.¡±
¡Still, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to ept it today? Carl must have gathered the courage to ask for a date. If I show a rejecting attitude, Carl would get hurt.
Yes, that¡¯s why I epted it. Really.
* * *
Fortunately, Marghetta allowed me to apany her. I was worried because it wasn¡¯t a budget-rted task, and I didn¡¯t have any reason to help with a simple situation check. Still, I¡¯m grateful that she epted my offer.
To be honest, even if we go together, there wasn¡¯t much to do. Marghetta would go around the booths and I would tag along, enjoying the sights. However, it was a bit disheartening to see the club leaders of the booths trembling and greeting us.
¡®I was short-sighted.¡¯
Marghetta, the daughter of the Duke, was already overwhelming. But now, the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager was walking beside her? It was a direct mental attack. I felt embarrassed that I wasn¡¯t able to foresee such a reaction. Even if I was absent-minded, bothering the kids felt bad.
¡°Thanks to Sir Carl, things ended quickly. Thank you.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±
But still, I was able to burn some time.
¡°Mar, could we go together again tomorrow?¡±
I felt like Louise wouldn¡¯t leave me alone at the booth anymore. She¡¯ll probably try to release me again tomorrow, so I needed to decide where to go in advance.
Marghetta slightly nodded in response to my suggestion, but she couldn¡¯t hide her blushing ears.
¡°Thanks, Mar.¡±
And I¡¯m sorry.
I inwardly apologized to Marghetta, a sorry she wouldn¡¯t hear. She was probably having a hard time after getting involved with someone like me.
I wasn¡¯t in a good state of mind, and it wasn¡¯t right to cause harm to someone innocent. I try to push the thought away, clenching my teeth and pretending not to know.
I¡¯m really sorry.
Chapter 44: - Our Fair is open for Business (3)
? Our Fair is open for Business (3) ?
After being kicked out by Louise and recruited by Marghetta, I had a bizarre exposition where I went out to the booth every morning as soon as I went to work. Sir Vir looked at me as if saying, ¡®What¡¯s that bastard doing?¡¯ but I couldn¡¯t say anything.
After all, I also didn¡¯t know I would be a wanderer. It¡¯s a situation where the person who had called for people due tock of manpower has run away first, so there¡¯s really nothing to say. Although Sir Vir and the others were there because of protection in reality, I couldn¡¯t help but think this was a bit too much.
But still, as a Civil Servant, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d be able to ignore Louise¡¯s words. After all, she was a citizen. I hope they understand.
¡°The Fair is quite silent this year. Last year, there was always something going on.¡±
While I was silently apologizing to Vir in my mind, Marghetta, who was walking beside me, spoke up.
¡°Is that so? I haven¡¯t been herest year, so I didn¡¯t know.¡±
¡°Back then, there was subtlepetition over booth locations andpetition to attract customers.¡±
That seems likely. Even if they didn¡¯t operate booths themselves, if visible results were achieved through booth operations, the proud nobles would naturallypete. If they had started, there would have been quite a number of ambitious nobles who would go to great lengths to win.
¡°Fufu, this is all thanks to Sir Carl. Thank you.¡±
Marghetta said while giggling, and I replied with a smile. Just as she said, I was probably one of the reasons.
The participation of the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager and all of the nobles that came to see me. Even if the sons and daughters of the noble households werepetitive, this lineup made them a little cautious. I¡¯m d I ended up helping Marghetta.
¡°I¡¯m d I was of help. Ah, do you want more?¡±
¡°Yes, thank you.¡±
While blushing, Marghetta grabbed a bit of corn from my hand. Seeing Marghetta blush, I almostughed.
At first, I thought that Marghetta was walking around without having breakfast, so I tried to give her something simple to eat, but she refused, saying it looked undignified.
However, it was also inconvenient to sit down and eat. If she had time for that in the first ce, she wouldn¡¯t have skipped breakfast.
¡°Then I¡¯ll carry it around so you can eat whenever you want.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
I bought corn that was nearby, tore off the kernels, and gave them to Marghetta. Seeing her eyes shake was memorable.
¡°By doing this, you wouldn¡¯t be the one carrying it around. Take as much as you want.¡±
¡°T-Thank you¡¡±
Marghetta hesitated a bit, then she lowered her head and grabbed the corn that was in my hands. I decided not to think about Marghetta¡¯s expression after that. It was my own fault for pushing my hand closer and causing misunderstandings. Marghetta¡¯s kindness in not giving me a hard time and epting it was admirable.
Anyway, I decided to leave it there because Marghetta¡¯s appearance while eating the corn looked like she was about to tear up at any moment.
Even now, she was blushing while looking at the corn.
¡°If you¡¯re ufortable holding it by hand, it¡¯s okay to take it like before.¡±
Seeing Marghetta chewing and then lowering her head was quite memorable. I couldn¡¯t help butugh at such a sight.
That¡¯s why I was sorry and thankful to Marghetta. Even though I¡¯d rejected the marriage proposal and hadn¡¯t seen her in over a year, how she treated me didn¡¯t change.
¡®I¡¯m d I¡¯m still alive.¡¯
If I felt this bitter, I wonder how the Iron-blooded Duke felt. The debt I owed to the Duke of Valenti was too big.
After hanging out with Marghetta, I returned to the booth in the afternoon.
Wandering around for the entire day was too tiresome for me, so I obtained permission from Louise to return to the booth in the afternoon.
To put it briefly, I y outside during the morning and rest inside the booth in the afternoon. Saying it like this makes me feel like an adult that doesn¡¯t do anything.
¡°Brother, make yourselffortable.¡±
¡°Brother, watching us from a distance is more than enough.¡±
As if they were bothered by my gaze from the corner of their eyes, the other club members said something. From their point of view, it seems like they were just trying to make me feelfortable.
¡®Am I a new recruit?¡¯
No matter how I looked into it, I felt like a new recruit that had been put in a corner. It was as if the more experienced ones were walking by while asking me to stayfortable. Their care and attention turned into poison and made me feel miserable.
As I looked at Louise, she turned around then she smiled, and shook her head. Because of that, I couldn¡¯t say anything. She was asking me to stay still.
I was thankful for her consideration, but it¡¯s hard to sit still when I know that others were working.
¡°If you¡¯re not going to rest at a moment like this, when will you take a break?¡±
As if he¡¯d been reading my thoughts, I heard a voice next to me. As I turned my head, I saw Rutis smile as he ran a hand through his red hair.
¡®The more I look at them, the more interesting they are.¡¯
Rutis having red hair was not surprising. It was that every club member had a different hair color.
Louise had pink hair while Erich had ck, and Ainter was blond. Rutis, Lather, and Tannian each had red, blue, and white hair colors. With only six people, what were the chances of each having a different hair color? I wonder if the original novel made such distinctions.
¡°Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±
I decided not to say that I couldn¡¯t help but think of a traffic light when I saw him standing next to Lather.
¡°Well, if you say so.¡±
Rutis smirked and sat down next to me, extending one of the coffee cups he was holding towards me.
¡°The aroma is quite good. Do you want a cup?¡±
¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±
As I looked at him as if I were asking, ¡®I¡¯m okay, but can you be here?¡¯ Rutisughed and said.
¡°Haha. We¡¯ve all gotten used to the work, so we¡¯re taking turns resting. It happens to be my turn to rest.¡±
Certainly, it¡¯s best for those who can rest when they have the leisure to do so.
Nodding my head, I drank the coffee Rutis handed me, but I¡¯m not sure if the aroma was as good as Rutis imed.
¡°Erich made it. He said he was worried about you, so he worked hard to make it.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
Now that I think about it, it tastes good.
Now that I think about it, it seems fine. Just hearing that the coffee was made by Erich made me keep drinking. I¡¯m not sure about the aroma, but at least I can tell that it was made with the dedication of my family.
¡°Are you hurt?¡±
After seeing me like that, Rutis, who was chuckling, spoke softly. My gaze involuntarily turned back to him at the sudden remark without context.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Did you really think we wouldn¡¯t know?¡±
¡°Haha.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.
Yes. There were many signs. The 1st Manager suddenly joined, and recently, both the 1st Manager and I disappeared side by side until it was time to close the booth. If he didn¡¯t notice anything weird after seeing those hints, he wouldn¡¯t be considered a royal family member.
Now that I think about it, it¡¯s a bit annoying. Why are those guys, who are disastrous when ites to love, thinking rationally in a situation like this? If Rutis knows, Ainter, Lather, and Tannian must know as well. Seeing that they were worried about me, Erich must be too.
¡°Of course, we don¡¯t know what happened. We just knew that something had happened.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. Nothing much happened.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
A moment of silence fell. The one who broke the silence was Rutis.
¡°Thank you, Advisor.¡±
I was about to take another sip of coffee when my hands stopped. A member of a Royal Family member mustn¡¯t easily say thanks or sorry. As the ruling family of a nation, they shouldn¡¯t easily express their emotions. It¡¯s a tradition that has continued since ancient times.
¡Of course, judging by the appearance they showed in the club, it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal, but it wasn¡¯t easy to bring up such words in a situation like this where only the two of us were talking.
¡°Is there anything you¡¯re thankful about?¡±
¡°Why wouldn¡¯t there be? You¡¯re the one who struggles the most because of us.¡±
If you bastards know that, then why?
I barely managed not to say that. I silently looked at Rutis. Regardless of how I felt, it takes great determination for a royal to express their emotions so honestly.
¡°I¡¯m always thankful. Not just me, but thanks to you, we can all study in the Academy without much trouble.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°I¡¯m aware that the Advisor is working hard to make that possible, just like this time.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
Awkwardly answering Rutis¡¯ sudden words was all I could do. Though our rtionship wasn¡¯t hostile, it was still a distant and reserved one. Hearing such words in this situation made me feel embarrassed.
It seemed like that was also the case for Rutis. He scratched his head a few times and sighed.
¡°I¡¯m not used to beating around the bush.¡±
¡°Seems like it.¡±
¡°What I want to say is that there¡¯s a lot of people who¡¯re thankful to you. There¡¯s probably more than the people that don¡¯t like you.¡±
¡°Ho.¡±
The one talking was Rutis, but for some reason, I was the one bing embarrassed.
¡°No matter what worries or troubles you have, there will always be people who are grateful to and willing to help the Advisor.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°©¤that¡¯s what Louise asked me to tell you.¡±
As Rutis changed the serious atmosphere and burst intoughter, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle. This brat suddenly did something, and it turns out that he received a messenger quest from Louise.
As I turned my eyes toward Louise, she flinched and smiled awkwardly. Since there was no reason to get angry, I lightly waved my hand to reassure her.
¡°Louise begged me so much that this makes me worried that we will also have topete with you.¡±
¡°Why? Do you want to blow me away beforepeting?¡±
¡°Are you someone that can be blown away just because someone wants to?¡±
For some reason, he beganughing, which also made meugh. They say thatughter is contagious. Seeing this situation makes me think that¡¯s really the case.
¡°If wepete, it won¡¯t be easy, but I¡¯ll have to do my best.¡±
¡°How unexpected.¡±
¡°I¡¯m alreadypeting with five people, so what¡¯s the problem with six? Besides, Louise isn¡¯t an object, so I have no reason to interfere.¡±
I thought that a royal who was caught by Louise would resort to any means necessary, but he¡¯s surprisingly speaking in a normal manner. That¡¯s truly unexpected.
¡°Why? Did you think I¡¯d say something like, ¡®If I can¡¯t have Louise, I¡¯ll destroy everything¡¯?¡±
Rutis then added, ¡°If I wanted to do that, I would¡¯ve tried to get her by using my power.¡±
I silently nodded in agreement. Indeed,pared to their status, thepetition for Louise was conducted on such a small scale to the point where the viewer was dumbfounded.
¡°An Armein Knight seeks a fair and clean duel and then epts the results.¡±
¡°There are too many people to keep in check to call it clean.¡±
¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s also part of thepetition.¡±
After drinking his cup of coffee, Rutis stood up.
¡°That¡¯s why, if I lose, I¡¯ll have to admit it. It¡¯s best if that doesn¡¯t happen, though.¡±
The other four also probably feel the same way.
After saying that, Rutis began walking toward the other members when he suddenly turned around.
¡°Ah, and I sincerely meant it when I said thank you. If I didn¡¯t have that mindset, I wouldn¡¯t have listened to Louise¡¯s request, even if it was about you.¡±
¡®Ha.¡¯
Seeing Rutis walk away made me think of numerous things.
If he had done half of that for things regarding Louise, he would¡¯ve advanced a lot.
In situations like this, he¡¯s definitely a royal family member. But why does he act like that in the most important situation?
After making some adjustments to my evaluation of Rutis, a bted sense of embarrassment washed over me.
¡®Was it that bad?¡¯
How bad did it look that Louise even ended up using Rutis? Even though I thought that it was different from my usual self, was it really that bad?
But what can I do? It¡¯s not something that can be resolved in an instant, considering that it¡¯s something I can¡¯t even resolve in the past two years.
Even now, I couldn¡¯t easily brush it off. If it were possible, I would have already done it. But even so, if I made someone the age of my little brother worry to this extent, it¡¯s something truly embarrassing.
Chapter 45: - Our Fair is open for Business (4)
? Our Fair is open for Business (4) ?
There might not be a miraculous solution to dispel my worries instantly, but I could at least make an effort to alleviate the gloomy atmosphere. And to be honest, being consoled by Rutis, whom I had considered as one of the dimwits, was a bit humiliating.
Even if he was conveying Louise¡¯s words, it had stille out of Rutis¡¯s mouth. If Louise had decided to use him in order to give me shock therapy, it was a good choice. Having someone like him worried about me was so pathetic that I couldn¡¯t help but return to my senses.
¡®Although I¡¯m grateful.¡¯
I was, of course, thankful for both Louise and Rutis. However, it felt like receiving candy from a 5-year-old kid that was passing by because he felt pity for me.
But I was the one who created the situation, so I couldn¡¯t me anyone else but me.
¡°That¡¯s why you can stop now.¡±
¡°Hehe¡¡±
As I looked at her with tired eyes, Louiseughed awkwardly while turning around. Louise¡¯s quest was not solely Rutis¡¯ responsibility, but a quest shared by the entire club. I wonder how relieved Lather and Tannian was when Rutis spoke to me.
I couldn¡¯t help but admire how well Louise distributed things. As expected from the protagonist of a romance fantasy novel.
Sir Vir looked at me with pity. It seemed like the next one was Ainter, so I stood up and walked toward Louise. I couldn¡¯t tolerate receivingfort from someone I investigated.
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡¡±
¡°Why did you do something you¡¯d be sorry about?¡±
Louise lowered her head, but she was still smiling. I also couldn¡¯t help butugh at that.
It seemed like she realized I wasn¡¯t angry.
¡°If I need your help in the future, I will tell you.¡±
¡°Yes, oppa!¡±
¡°And don¡¯t do something like this again.¡±
¡°Okay!¡±
Only after I gave Louise the reply that she wanted was I able to stop the ry of the five members. Of course, there was no way that I¡¯d be put in a situation when I needed Louise¡¯s help, so it was more like a bluff.
Soon, the final day of the fair and the booth came.
While hanging around with Marghetta, I never saw the 1st Manager around. I was only able to see her when I went to the forest to meet up with the 4th Manager. She was definitely hanging around somewhere in the Academy, but I wasn¡¯t able to see her at all.
¡°I¡¯ll be going.¡±
And I was still being kicked out in the early morning. Louise¡¯s work prohibition remained. I wonder if she would let me off the hook at the end.
¡°Yes.¡±
After seeing Louise reply with a smile, I realized that wouldn¡¯t be the case. After all, she was ranked 1st, and I was about the 7th.
As I nced at the disy area while leaving, Louise¡¯s cookies were ced less prominentlypared to the other snacks. The cookies didn¡¯t sell well until now, so there were many leftovers. That¡¯s probably why she initially made them in smaller quantities.
Thankfully, Louise didn¡¯t seem to care whether what she made sold well.
¡°They¡¯re going to announce the rankings tomorrow, right?¡±
¡°Yes. They¡¯re taking a long time topile the results, so they¡¯re doing it tomorrow.¡±
¡°I hope everything gets sold out since it¡¯s thest day.¡±
Although I can¡¯t interfere with the work, I left a word of encouragement as the Advisor and left the booth.
And on my way to the main gate of the Academy, I quietly took out themunication crystal when I didn¡¯t see anyone nearby. Since I had informed them in advance yesterday, it should be fine to ask them now.
* * *
Recently, oppa¡¯s face seemed to have brightened up a bit.
¡®I¡¯m d.¡¯
Although he didn¡¯t seem to bepletely over it, it was alright since I had expected that. If that were something he could be over with just a few words, he would¡¯ve already forgotten about it. I just wanted him to get a bit morefortable, so it was a satisfying result.
In reality, I don¡¯t know what was inside oppa¡¯s mind. In such a situation, getting too close could be harmful to him.
The reason why I got close despite that is that oppa looked like he was about to explode at any moment. Thankfully, oppaughed it off, but I was really scared that he¡¯d be angry.
¡°It won¡¯t be easy. The chains he put on by himself had to be freed by himself.¡±
I felt like I couldn¡¯t handle it alone, so I asked the club members tofort oppa, and in the process, Lather gave me serious advice. He said that the unknown shackles of oppa can only be released by him.
¡°But still, he could get over it faster with some help.¡±
Still, Lather listened to my unreasonable request, adding positive words.
¡®If someone helps¡¡¯
If someone helps oppa, will he be able to be free from his chains faster? I hope he doesn¡¯t copse like before¡
No, No. Oppa became brighter. So let¡¯s not think about dark things. Oppa will eventually ovee it, no matter how long it takes.
Yes, he will definitely do it.
I was thinking that when I saw a customer walking toward the booth. It was the Vice Principal.
¡®He also came yesterday.¡¯
I¡¯m d that he liked what we made. Yes, it¡¯s time to focus on work. If I get caught up in negative thoughts and neglect my tasks, it¡¯ll be troublesome. Yes, let¡¯s stay strong.
I greeted the Vice Principal with a smile.
¡°These cookies seem perfect for a quick snack.¡±
The Vice Principal bought all of the cookies I made.
¡Huh?
* * *
Because there was a meeting of the Student Council, I wasn¡¯t able to meet up with Marghetta. As the person in charge of my morning routine disappeared, all of my morning ns were blown up. How sad.
Because I had nowhere to go, I went to the forest. The 1st Manager was also there. They were nning to withdraw today, so it worked out well. Since we¡¯re all gathered in one ce, I could say my goodbyes here.
While we were talking and killing time until the afternoon, the request I made to the Vice Principal about buying the booth items became a topic of discussion.
¡°Executive Manager, that sounds like cheating.¡±
¡°Well, isn¡¯t it just someone else buying them?¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s not the problem¡ª¡°
¡°The Executive Manager is right.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have anyone on my side.¡±
The 1st Manager¡¯s tackle and the support of the 4th Manager. It was something I was used to seeing, which made me feel morefortable.
What the 1st Manager said about cheating wasn¡¯t that much. I was bothered that only Louise¡¯s cookies remained in the end, so I asked the Vice Principal to buy them all. Wouldn¡¯t it make her feel good if all the cookies she made were sold on thest day and remained in her memories?
Of course, I decided that I would give back the money that the Vice Principal spent on buying the cookies. Lousie¡¯s cookies didn¡¯t seem to suit his taste anyway, so I¡¯ll eat them and take care of it.
¡°How can an Advisor buy all the items in a club booth?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t buy all of them, just the cookies.¡±
¡°If you bought those, then everything will be bought. From what I¡¯ve seen, only the cookies were left behind.¡±
That¡¯s right.
Unable to refute their words, I kept silent as the 1st Manager¡¯s gaze felt like it was piercing me.
¡°Aren¡¯t you too lenient towards Louise? You seem to care for her more than about Penelia.¡±
The 4th Manager flinched at those words, then looked at me with faint eyes. The 1st Manager said something weird and just messed up with the 4th Manager¡¯s mind.
¡°But our kids worked really hard¡¡±
¡°Your juniors? They would have lost anyway.¡±
Even if I hadn¡¯t bought all of Louise¡¯s cookies, the pastry club would¡¯ve won. There¡¯s no way another club would¡¯ve been able to defeat members of the royal family and a saint candidate. However, even in the face of my realistic statement, the 1st Manager remained undaunted.
¡°My juniors won¡¯t submit to injustice!¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure about injustice, but I¡¯m sure that they at least learned how to adapt to society.¡±
I couldn¡¯t understand why she showed so much affection for her club juniors. It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d remember their faces once she returned to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. I really have no words for the 1st Manager¡¯s unique way of ying.
After chatting for a while, it seemed like enough time had passed, so I stood up from my seat.
¡°Good luck on your way back. I hope to see you in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office next time, not the Academy.¡±
¡°As expected, you miss us, right?¡±
It wasn¡¯t that I missed the Manager trio. I said that because I wished an incident that made the 1st Manager and the Masked Unite to the Academy didn¡¯t happen while I¡¯m here. Of course, this was a vain wish considering there were four other organizations besides the Third Honor. I¡¯m not sure about the 1st Manager, but I was definitely going to see the members of the Masked Unit again.
Anyways, as I pulled the 1st Manager¡¯s mouth, she moved her arms while struggling. I wonder when she¡¯s going to learn.
As I returned to the booth, Louise came running excitedly. As I looked at the shelves, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything left. It seemed like the Vice Principal had already visited the booth. As expected of the Vice Principal. He moved right away as soon as I asked for his help.
¡°O-Oppa!¡±
¡°What? Did something happen?¡±
As I reacted dumbly, as if I didn¡¯t know what was going on, Louise talked excitedly while moving both arms. Even if she didn¡¯t care about her cookies remaining, she probably couldn¡¯t help but feel happy at selling them all.
¡°They¡¯re delicious, so it¡¯s obvious that would happen.¡±
As I answered with a smile, Louise smiled brightly.
Thank you, Vice Principal. Let¡¯s keep this secret forever.
Chapter 46: - Our Fair is open for Business (5)
? Our Fair is open for Business (5) ?
We were able to conclude thest day of the club fair with aplete sold-out. Considering that it was a club we started this year, it was undeniably a splendid and legendary achievement. Every time my eyes met Louise¡¯s, she seemed happy. If I knew she¡¯d be this happy, I would¡¯ve sent someone to buy it every day.
¡°Thanks for listening to my request.¡±
¡°Considering how much you struggle, that much was nothing.¡±
¡°Nevertheless, you should receive the money. It would be troublesome if a Civil Servant doesn¡¯t handle their financial transactions with civilians properly.¡±
¡°Haha. Is that so?¡±
I met with the Vice Principal in front of my quarters to receive the cookies and despite his insistence that he didn¡¯t need the money, I managed to squeeze it into his hands. Anyway, it¡¯s true that I bothered the Vice Principal with a personal request and forced him to spend money.
And although it sounded like a joke, if the Prosecutor, as a Civil Servant, handles money affairs oddly with civilians, I would be in trouble. Being detained by thosew enforcement bastards is not a good thing at all. I don¡¯t even want to meet those guys.
¡°It seems like you like the club members quite a lot.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d you see it that way.¡±
I also smiled in response to the Vice Principal, who spoke with a smile. At least from his point of view, it meant that I look like an eptable Advisor. I¡¯m satisfied that my image has been properly established after all the hard work.
I looked at the Vice Principal walk away, then took a glimpse at the cookies.
¡®There isn¡¯t that much.¡¯
Thankfully, there weren¡¯t that many cookies, like the level of mass production that I experienced in the club room. It seemed like Louise thought they would end up throwing most of the cookies if she made too many. It was a good enough amount to eat it by myself.
Moreover, apart from the ranking announcement in the auditorium and the evening banquet tomorrow, there were no other schedules.
The announcement was scheduled for noon, so I can leisurely enjoy my meal. There¡¯s no need to go out in the morning.
Anyway, it¡¯s obvious that the first ce would go to the pastry club, so there¡¯s no need to go there personally. However, as the Advisor, I had to show my face at least. It was a bit bothersome, but there was nothing I could do about it. I had to fulfill my role.
* * * *
Until now, I had never been to the Academy¡¯s auditorium. At most, I had seen only the exterior while wandering around the Academy. I haven¡¯t seen the inside because there was no reason to go in, but from the outside, it was quite a massive building.
¡®How big.¡¯
The interior was quite luxurious. A vast first floor and a structure with a second floor overlooking that first floor. If the seats were packed tightly, it could easily be mistaken for a concert hall.
¡°The first floor will be crowded, so how about staying on the second floor?¡±
¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±
I was looking at the auditorium¡¯s interior when the Vice Principal proposed that I stay on the 2nd floor. I agreed because it seemed like a good idea. Being sandwiched between all the students and staff on the first floor would be ufortable. It¡¯s more convenient to watch from the second floor.
Once I went up, the stage didn¡¯t seem too far away either. I should be able to see Louise receiving the award properly.
¡®If I p from here, I feel like she should be able to hear it.¡¯
Satisfied, I nodded involuntarily. I made a good choice in selecting the location and now I¡¯m waiting quietly. Students started gathering one by one on the first floor. There was still some time left until noon, but I wasn¡¯t in a position to say anything. After all, I had gotten here before them.
The first floor quickly filled up with people, while only a few teachers and the student council came up to the second floor. Even though there were few people, it still felt awkward, so I can¡¯t even imagine how much worse it would¡¯ve been on the 1st floor.
¡®She isn¡¯t here.¡¯
I spotted the student council members here and there on the second floor, so naturally, I looked for Marghetta, but unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t there. Since I don¡¯t see the President either, it seemed like the two of them were doing the awards ceremony.
To think the President would have to give an award besides the Duke¡¯s daughter. I couldn¡¯t help but worry about the President¡¯s mental health. Still, he must have developed some resilience from their student council activities. As a future Civil Servant, I believe he can endure that much.
Soon, it became noon, and the announcement of the rankings began. Unlike my expectations, it wasn¡¯t the President and Marghetta who were in charge of the awards, but the President and the Principal. They were in charge of presenting and giving the awards. Where¡¯s Marghetta? Did something urgent happen?
¡®If that were the case, there would be no need for them to be here.¡¯
Except for the President on stage and the unseen Marghetta, all the student council members were on the second floor. If Marghetta had something to do on her own, someone among them would have volunteered.
Of course, it was not my concern as an outsider. I had other things to worry about.
As I turned my gaze towards the approaching footsteps, a brown-haired female student was walking towards me. She wasn¡¯t part of the student council, nor was she one of Louis¡¯s friends that I saw by chance on my first day. She was a student I¡¯d never seen before.
When she noticed me looking in her direction, she smiled but didn¡¯t stop walking.
¡°Hi, how have you been?¡±
As she arrived in front of me, she gently bowed her head and greeted me, but I didn¡¯t know who she was. It would be awkward to pretend that I know her unterally.
¡°I wanted to see you in the cafe, but ended up meeting you here.¡±
Ah.
I let out a small sigh at her words and extended my hand. In response, she shook my hand. I could feel the texture of the crumpled paper in her hand.
It was the Ministry of Intelligence¡¯s Senior Manager.
¡°You¡¯re still here?¡±
¡°I came back. Something happened, so there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±
As I asked while swallowing the piece of paper with nothing written on it, the Senior Manager shrugged lightly. However, there was a deep sense of exhaustion in every action. Interpreted, it meant, ¡®I came back here again for important information that couldn¡¯t be transmitted through amunication crystal.¡¯
¡°We¡¯ve finished burying the corpses. We thought it was an unidentified body, but fortunately, we found their rtives.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good news. How many were there?¡±
¡°About three? It was fewer than expected.¡±
I nodded at her words.
¡®Three traitorous families.¡¯
¡®Bereaved.¡¯ It was a term used to metaphorically refer to the three noble families who coborated with the Third Honor members, who have be corpses. To think that there were as many as three rebel families who had made contact with the rebels.
Of course, it was fewer than expected, considering how grandiose their Apels Revival chant was, but in the first ce, the Third Honor was nothing more than a shoddy organization that could be likened to a tutorial. It could even be said that three was a considerable number.
¡°Did I say something too boring? Let¡¯s just watch the rest of the ceremony.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
As we faced each other, the Information Department¡¯s Senior Manager and I turned our gaze to the first floor at the same time. When the Senior Manager quickly took out a small scroll from her bosom and tore it up, a faint curtain surrounded us and disappeared.
¡°For 5 minutes, no one will be able to hear our voices.¡±
¡°What about our appearances?¡±
¡°Our appearances remain the same, so we¡¯ll do it informally.¡±
The Senior Manager coughed and then said in a serious voice.
¡°Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager Carl Krasius, heed the imperial edict from the Emperor.¡±
I slightly bowed my head in front of the Emperor¡¯s decree. Usually, I would have needed to kneel, but it wasn¡¯t possible due to the informal setting.
As I lowered my head, she kept talking.
¡°When Emperor Amanca received the call from the heavens and established a new mandate, the entire continent praised the Great Emperor who reestablished the Mandate of Heaven that had been tainted by hypocrisy and greed. To this honor, Livnoman, the descendant of the Great Emperor, defended the mandate of Heaven and maintained order. How can anyone not be in awe of his dignity?¡±
The promation was quite lengthy. Seeing that it mentioned the Emperor and the mandate, it seemed that the Emperor was quite furious.
¡°However, there are those who dare to belittle thewful guardians of the mandate hidden in the darkness. It is trulymentable that there still exist those who do not worship Livnoman in the shadows, despite the efforts of His Majesty to punish all the loyal subjects and eradicate the disobedient ones.¡±
The promation reached its end. In this situation, it was obvious what kind of instructions would follow. The Emperor¡¯s displeasure was evident from the very first sentence.
¡°That¡¯s why I, Corvus Amanca Livnoman of Kefellofen, ruler of Kefellofen, order. The Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, Carl Krasius, should ept the order of the Emperor and punish those trying to shake up the peace of the Empire.¡±
¡°I shall heed the imperial edict.¡±
That was it. With just a few words, the fate of the three noble families was decided.
Finally, the Information Department¡¯s Senior Manager wiped off her sweat and sighed.
¡°Isn¡¯t it too harsh for a Senior Manager to be the envoy of the imperial edict?¡±
¡°There was nothing I could do. After all, the Emperor was that persistent.¡±
Giving an imperial edict wasn¡¯t something anyone could do, even more, if it was doing it informally. It required the rank of at least a Minister for a Civil Servant to perform such an action. However, the Information Department¡¯s Senior Manager, who was not even a Minister, delivered the decree in an informal manner. She must have wanted to cry on the inside.
However, there was nothing they could do about it. It seemed like the Emperor didn¡¯t want to waste time taking time to pick a Minister and send them here to the Academy.
¡®He probably became crazy after hearing the word Apels.¡¯
The revival army of a nation that had already perished 300 years ago happened to resurface during his reign. I could understand his wrath. Moreover, there were noble families who had made contact with that revolting revival army. He probably wanted to kill them badly.
¡°I¡¯ve also sent the information to the Prosecutor¡¯s Senior Manager, but we still don¡¯t know how much those three families are involved with them. There¡¯s a chance they might have contact with them without knowing they were Apel¡¯s revival soldiers, or they could have actively participated in the rebellious acts.¡±
¡°Is that important?¡±
The Information Department¡¯s Senior Manager shrugged her shoulders.
¡°Not at all.¡±
Yes, it wasn¡¯t important. Whether it was a mere transaction or active involvement, it couldn¡¯t be denied that they were involved in treasonous activities. The fact that they had made contact with the Third Honor and Apels remained unchanged.
¡°Someone who achieved sess through the blood of hisrades.¡±
I quietly closed my eyes as the memory resurfaced. That bastard died too easily. However, there were still those who had helped that bastard.
When I opened my eyes, the Information Department¡¯s Senior Manager wasn¡¯t there anymore, and the award ceremony was reaching its end. I saw the Principal giving the award to Louise. She seemed happy.
Louise looked around and then saw that I was on the 2nd floor. When she spotted me, she smiled, and I answered her smile with another smile. Congrattions, Louise.
¡®I¡¯m d.¡¯
That Louise made a memory she wouldn¡¯t be able to forget.
¡®I¡¯m really d.¡¯
That there were still people who had to be killed left behind.
I began pping.
Today, for some reason, themunication crystal in my pocket felt unusually heavy.
Chapter 47: - The Prosecutor’s Office at that Time (1)
? The Prosecutor¡¯s Office at that Time (1) ?
The daily life of the Prosecutor¡¯s Senior Manager, Deiras Croton, was the same as always. His superior wasn¡¯t that great at paperwork, and his subordinates weren¡¯t interested at all. So as the only person who was in charge of paperwork, once again, he was full of documents.
Within the Ministry of Finance, the Senior Manager¡¯s office which consisted of Deiras and his staff was openly called Division 0, so his importance couldn¡¯t be ignored. Of course, the duties of Division 0 primarily focused on paperwork and misceneous tasks rather than field activities.
Therefore, even in the event of the Executive Manager¡¯s unexpected dispatch, the Prosecutor¡¯s Office continued to operate smoothly. Initially, Deiras was already handling most of the paperwork, and when the Executive Manager left for the Academy, he entrusted Deiras with the authority of the acting Executive Manager. As a result, most approvals were processed under Deiras¡¯ scrutiny.
The only bothersome thing was the Manager Trio, who got off their leashes due to the absence of the Executive Manager. However, they¡¯d been behaving better than expected, especially the 1st Manager. After returning from the Academy, she seemed to be living a lethargic life. It was puzzling, but since it wasn¡¯t a negative development, Deiras left it alone.
In this way, Deiras was enjoying a rtively peaceful period as the acting Executive Manager.
At least, until just now.
¡®Executive Manager?¡¯
Themunication crystal on his desk was shining with a blue light. Although they exchanged periodic greetings and messages, there was usually no contact at this time.
¡°Yes, Executive Manager.¡±
¨C I received an imperial edict from the Emperor.
Deiras sat properly after hearing those words.
¨C I heard you¡¯ve received information from the Ministry of Intelligence.
¡°Yes. It¡¯s about the three families that have contacted the Third Honor. I received it this morning.¡±
¨C The Emperor is questioning the loyalty of these families.
Deiras nodded at those words. Those were families that had contacted the Apels Revival Soldiers. It was normal for the Emperor to question their loyalty and take action.
¨C That¡¯s why the Prosecutor¡¯s Office will act ording to the Emperor¡¯s will and eliminate any resistance.
¡°Understood. What¡¯s going to be the range?¡±
¨C No exception.
Deiras¡¯ eyes trembled a bit.
¡°Understood.¡±
But it onlysted for a brief moment.
¨C I would go myself, but unfortunately, I cannot leave my position.
¡°We¡¯re going to deal with them. Please don¡¯t worry.¡±
¨C Yes, I believe in you. I believe you will handle it cleanly.
¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±
As the Executive Manager nodded and cut the conversation, themunication crystal lost its light. Deiras leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead.
¡®Something big happened.¡¯
At the question of the range, the answer that came was to leave no exceptions. An order to eliminate any member of the designated family associated with the organization without exceptions, regardless of age or gender, as well as their servants.
Naturally, it was the right thing to do. Suppressing the rebels and eliminating anyone who had served them was the principle that had to be followed in the days when the Emperor¡¯s authority couldn¡¯t be ignored, even if it meant stepping on some loose ends.
But that was something that was applied in the past when their opponent¡¯s authority was still overwhelming and the dominant force.
In the present, when the imperial power had an overwhelming advantage, it was customary to sh only the ringleaders and demote the rest to very. After all, even if the seeds remained, they wouldn¡¯t be of any danger to the Emperor.
¡®There¡¯s something going on.¡¯
Of course, even if they ignored what was normally done and followed the rules, no one could say anything. The Prosecutor¡¯s Office was the Emperor¡¯s de, so there wouldn¡¯t be a problem with them eliminating the seeds of those that had put the Emperor¡¯s power in danger. It was clear that the Emperor would also be happy with their loyalty and actions.
However, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the Executive Manager who followed modern traditions suddenly decided to follow the rules. Something must have happened. Something he didn¡¯t know.
Deiras extended his hand toward themunication crystal. The Executive Manager had given his order, so there was no need to hesitate. He had to move.
As he was reexamining the information provided by the Information Department, a knock on the door interrupted his concentration.
¡°Come in.¡±
As the door to his office opened, four people entered in a rush. It seemed that all four Managers had gathered at the same time.
¡°Did something happen? It¡¯s been a while since we had a meeting.¡±
The 2nd Manager took a seat. Following him, the other three also sat down and looked at Deiras. Although the 2nd Manager expressed doubt on behalf of everyone, it was clear that the sudden meeting raised suspicions among them all.
¡°1st Manager.¡±
But before replying, Deiras looked at the 1st Manager. It seemed like she wasn¡¯t expecting him to call her, as she tilted her head in confusion.
¡°Something happened in the Academy, right?¡±
At that question, her eyes began trembling. It seemed like something had happened, indeed.
¡°Academy? Didn¡¯t they just catch those guys called Third Honor or whatever?¡±
The 2nd Manager said that while yawning, but Deiras was still staring at the 1st Manager. They had certainly heard reports that the Third Honor had been apprehended, but there was clearly something more that they hadn¡¯t mentioned.
The 1st Manager looked around nervously but ended up opening her mouth.
¡°The Third Honor member brought up the North in front of the Executive Manager.¡±
The 2nd Manager, who had been yawning, froze in that state.
¡°They mentioned the Six Swords.¡±
At the words of the 1st Manager, a chilling silence descended upon the room.
The one who broke that silence was the 3rd Manager.
¡°Why are you just bringing that up now?¡±
¡°What if I¡¯d told you before? Do you have a way to make him feel better?¡±
¡°Not at all, but¡¡±
The 3rd Manager sighed, then the 5th Manager asked the 1st one.
¡°How did the Executive Manager react?¡±
¡°What do you think? He just pretended to be fine.¡±
¡°So it exploded today.¡±
Deiras¡¯ words brought the managers¡¯ attention back to Deiras, and he put down the report the Information Department gave in the middle of the table and kept talking.
¡°We have identified the families that had contact with the Third Honor. They are the Viscount Gorpu, Baron Vendel, and Baron Dosil.¡±
¡°They¡¯re all insignificant families.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. Did they do that because they have nothing to lose?¡±
¡°The Executive Manager ordered us to eliminate them with no exception.¡±
Once again, the Managers fell silent and looked at each other, exchanging nces. Eliminating with no exception was something that was rarely ordered. Even during the great purge two years ago, the punishment without exception was something that only happened to a very small number of families. At that time, the Executive Manager was targeting the Asilon family a lot, but he only killed the Lord and the heir.
¡°If we don¡¯t do it properly, won¡¯t it be our turn next?¡±
¡°He said he believes it will be done cleanly.¡±
¡°Woah, I¡¯d rather be cursed at.¡±
The 2nd Manager was trembling, and the 3rd Manager swept away their sweat. Right now, the Executive Manager¡¯s anger was ced on the three families, but if the subjugation against those three families was even a little insufficient, the direction of his anger was obvious.
He couldn¡¯te here because he was in the Academy? If the Executive Manager really got angry, he wouldn¡¯t care about things like that. Despite the Crown Prince¡¯s words that there was no need to kill the Asilon family¡¯s Lord, the Executive Manager himself carried out the killings and disguised them as suicides.
He even mocked them before killing them. Thanks to that, the Asilon family was recorded as nobles whomitted suicide due to shame, rather than being murdered. They were recorded as foolish nobles who couldn¡¯t ovee momentary shame and took their own lives.
¡°The Emperor gave the order to punish the three families.¡±
Deiras tried to calm them down and opened his mouth. Yes, it was an order from the Emperor. It was an order of the angry Executive Manager, but it was also the Emperor¡¯s order. Even without the Executive Manager¡¯sment, they would¡¯ve needed to deal with them properly. It¡¯s just that they¡¯d extended the range.
¡°3rd Manager Leonard Hode and 5th Manager, Marcilio Viago, take each of your divisions and eliminate the traitors.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
The 3rd Division was in charge of the main force of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, while the 5th Division was in charge of eliminating the target the rest couldn¡¯t. These two should be able to eliminate the three noble families quickly.
¡°1st Manager Elizabeth Massello and 2nd Manager Lafayette Varon, before eliminating their servants, interrogate them before eliminating them.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°As youmand.¡±
It had been a long time since all the divisions of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office were mobilized, but what could they do? It wasn¡¯t a simple corruption issue; it was a matter rted to treason and rebellion, with bombs ready to explode right in front of their eyes. If they were even slightly negligent, at least two people would be furious.
¡°Let me say it again. There are no exceptions. There can be no dys. We will request cooperation from the Special Service Agency, so move quickly.¡±
If they went by normal means, it would take a lot of time, and there was a chance that the other two families would hear the news while they were dealing with one another and escape. Teleportation was necessary in this situation. Since there were traitors involved in this, the Special Service was probably going to coborate without saying much.
Watching the Manager disperse quickly, Deiras let out an unintentional sigh.
They talked about the ¡®Six Swords¡¯ before the Executive Manager?
¡®What crazy bastards.¡¯
If they wanted tomit suicide, they¡¯d achieved what they wanted. It would have been safer to insult the Executive Manager¡¯s parents instead. Deiras wondered if there were any bodies left.
* * *
I couldn¡¯t give an order to the Senior Manager while being in a ce with many people, so I walked out of the auditorium and gave him the order. Then, I sat on the bench to get some fresh air.
¡®I¡¯m sure they¡¯re going to do a good job.¡¯
It¡¯s regrettable that I can¡¯t personally take action, but I can¡¯t afford to empty this position recklessly. I can¡¯t neglect my official duties for personal reasons. If the Emperor¡¯smand had been given to Carl Krasius alone and not the Executive Manager Carl Krasius, I would have rushed without looking back.
¡®That¡¯s too bad.¡¯
I believe in them. Although the Prosecutor¡¯s Office looked like a group of crazy people, they were people who didn¡¯t disappoint when ites to doing their job. Of course, there have been some tragic mistakes like the misfire of the 3rd Manager, but when they had such a clear target, there was no room for error.
I was just disappointed that I had to leave this to other people.
Still, let¡¯s just be satisfied with that. If there had been no family that hade into contact with the Third Honor, I would have had to vent my anger by blowing up the heads in that forest. At least this is my order, and my subordinates are the ones moving.
¡°Oppa!¡±
I was looking at the sky when Louise came running towards me, clutching the trophy. The other club members were following her.
¡°You¡¯ll trip. Be careful.¡±
I let out a wry smile and stood up from my seat.
Yes, let¡¯s be satisfied with this. Today¡¯s a good day, so let¡¯s believe in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office and hope that they will send some good news soon.
Chapter 48: - The Prosecutor’s Office at that Time (2)
? The Prosecutor¡¯s Office at that Time (2) ?
The nobility should rule with dignity. They guide the foolish and ipetentmoners, receiving the respect of all and leading the world towards righteousness. That is the essence of nobility. Only nobles could lead the world.
Those who should humbly bow their heads and receive the guidance of noble blue bloods dare to raise their heads and seek equal standing. Even beasts know gratitude, so how can these ignorant beings not recognize the grace bestowed by the nobles? How dare they strive for equality with nobles?
Furthermore, the transformation of lowly red blood into blue blood is an uneptable act. Blue blood is a chosen existence from the heavens, so how can red blood ever be blue?
¡°What will be of the Empire in the future?¡±
I have alwaysmented. If I were in a secluded ce, I would sigh alone. As a noble burning with loyalty to the Imperial family and the Empire, I cannot help but worry.
Nobility ruling nobly andmoners obediently submitting to their roles¡ªit is the natural order of things. The preservation of this beautiful order is for the well-being of the Empire. Apels was a nation filled with corruption, greed, and arrogance, but it was able to rule as an Empire because of this very order.
Not to mention, the great Kefellofen is iparable to the likes of Apels. If such an Empire can establish order, how much more powerful will it be?
¡°The order engraved in blood must always remain strong.¡±
That¡¯s why I liked to talk with a merchant called Rier. They knew their ce and understood the truth. Though they aremoners, they are quite remarkable. Even if they are foolish and ipetent, as long as they understand their limits, it was enough to gain interest.
That¡¯s why I kept meeting with thatmoner. Thanks to thatmoner, I was able to negotiate some favorable deals.
¡°Recently, a mine has been discovered, but it faces obstacles in development.¡±
That¡¯s why I gave him an explosive scroll. I have gained many benefits through the merchant so far, and by giving them this scroll, I will gain even more. Though it weighs on my conscience to share it with others, if it is used merely for mine development, it should not be a problem. Yes, there wasn¡¯t going to be any problem.
There shouldn¡¯t have been any problems, but¡
¡°Baron!¡±
When I turned around at the voice of the head butler from behind, I saw a pale, horrified face kneeling on the floor.
How can the head butler of the Vendel Barony disy such an undignified appearance? How dare they raise their voice to their master? Even the nearby servants, not only the butler, are the same as me.
But I couldn¡¯t me them. After all, I was also in the same state.
As if mocking such a sight, a group dressed in ck uniforms emerged and surrounded the servants.
As the door of the house opened, a man of towering stature entered.
¡°This is unexpected. I thought there would be some resistance.¡±
I lowered my head at those words. The Prosecutor¡¯s Office had already informed me about Viscount Gorpu and Baron Dosil. Although they hired mercenaries to resist against the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, in the end, they were wiped out in an instant, and their entire family was exterminated in front of their burning mansion.
It is a futile rebellion. It would be better, much better, to prostrate myself t. Then, there might be mercy. I cannot escape my death, but my children might avoid suffering. They might evade annihtion.
¡°Tie him up.¡±
As the man in the front said that, two members of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office tied me up and put a gag inside my mouth. Then, they forcefully pressed my head to the ground. Now, I couldn¡¯t even see the face of the man that hade to take my life.
¡°Sinner Yohan Vendel of Camora, who tried to overthrow the Imperial Family and the Empire, listen.¡±
I felt a sense of difort from the words spoken by the man. Annihting the Imperial family and the Empire? Sinner? It¡¯s strange. The level of that statement is unsettling. It¡¯s not just a matter of discovering corruption.
¡°The sinner, while serving the noble Imperial family above and protecting themon people below, also had the duty to respect the imperial protectors and the right to serve the only Empire on this continent. However, the sinner dared to abandon the glorious duty and right by unleashing a wicked desire. How can one not be amazed?¡±
This wasn¡¯t a simple case of corruption. It wasn¡¯t something that could be solved by his death.
¡®Treason!¡¯
The Prosecutor¡¯s Office hade here to punish treason. I found it weird that Viscount Gorpu and Baron Dosil had offered pointless resistance.
I tried to speak up in defense, but my words were muffled by the gag. I tried to lift my head, but I couldn¡¯t escape the grip of the Prosecutors. Despite my struggles, the man¡¯s words continued.
¡°Therefore, His Majesty, the rightful and sole ruler of the Kefellofen Empire, has decided to strip the sinner of all rights and no longer expect any obligations.¡±
No, I never did that. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d try to overthrow the Imperial Family. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d rebel against the Empire!
¡°The barony of Camora will be taken by His Majesty the Emperor, and the Vendel family will perish with their filthy desires. The sinner Yohan has no right to defend himself, so do not defile the Imperial family and the Empire with futile words and obey His Majesty¡¯s decision. This is the Emperor¡¯s final mercy.¡±
It¡¯s wrong, this is a misunderstanding! My loyalty toward the Emperor hasn¡¯t changed at¡ª
* * *
The 3rd Manager shook off the blood in the axe and handed it to the team Leader next to him.
Yohan Vendel, the former Baron of Vendel and Camora. Now he¡¯s just a condemned criminal and a decapitated corpse.
¡°Clean everything up.¡±
At those words, the 3rd Division began cleaning the residence. The servants were captured and handed over to the 1st and 2nd Managers, and the members of the Vendel family were executed by cutting their throats, just like what happened to the Gorpu viscounty and the barony of Dosil.
¡®It seems like he wasn¡¯t.¡¯
The man who was initially quiet began struggling desperately as soon as he realized he was being used of treason. It seemed like he didn¡¯t know that the person he was dealing with was a part of Apel¡¯s Revival Soldiers.
But it doesn¡¯t matter. The Emperor and the Executive Manager wanted the three families to bepletely executed. Even if they thought it was unfair, there was nothing I could do. The fact that he dealt with the Apels Revival Soldiers and helped them didn¡¯t change. That¡¯s why he shouldn¡¯t have done something stupid like leaking something so important to someone he didn¡¯t know that well.
The servants were being dragged out. Now the only thing left was to hang them and burn the house down. Fortunately, we managed to avoid the Executive Manager¡¯s wrath from being directed at us.
¡®We survived.¡¯
We were able to prevent the Executive Manager from moving.
I walked out of the residence and checked out the ex-members of the Vendel family being hung.
¡®The Lord, the wife, the heir.¡¯
For situations like this, it was better to leave their faces intact. I had to check if the sinners had been dealt with properly, after all.
I was checking out the heads, but my eyes stopped at thest person. Because of the damage received, I couldn¡¯t check who it was.
¡°Who brought him?¡±
When I asked the Team Leader, he brought a member shortly after. By the way he was lowering his head, it seemed like he knew he¡¯d made a mistake.
¡°What happened?¡±
¡°The sinner was trying to escape and ended up falling. I¡¯m sorry for not dealing with him faster.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
After looking alternately at thest head and the member, I nodded.
¡°Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t remember seeing you before.¡±
¡°Yes. I was just assigned to the 3rd Division.¡±
¡°This must be your first assignment.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Okay, good job. You can go now.¡±
As the new recruit quickly bowed and retreated, the Team Leader opened his mouth.
¡°What should we do?¡±
¡°Eliminate him.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
I watched the Team Leader walking toward the ce where the newbie had gone, then took out themunication crystal.
¡®They should be contacting me soon.¡¯
Sure enough, not long after, themunication crystal started to glow.
¡°Hey, 5th Manager. Did he go that way?¡±
¨C Yes. Surprisingly, he managed to make it all the way here.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems like we lost him because he¡¯s so small.¡±
¨C Be careful. Thanks to that, our necks almost flew off too.
As the 5th Manager cut the call, some time passed, and the severely damaged head was removed and a new head was attached.
Later, in the report on the suppression of the Vendel barony and the two other families submitted by the 3rd Manager to the Senior Manager, it was written that one member from the 3rd Division had died during the operation. It was a regrettable incident.
* * *
They sessfully suppressed the three families who dared to participate in the rebellion. Now, they just had to submit the evidence they obtained during the operation to the higher-ups, and the suppression mission would bepletely over.
¡°You have such a bad memory. What should I do with you?¡±
In the underground basement of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, the 1st Manager tilted her head as if troubled.
The servants of the executed families were sent directly to the 1st Division for interrogation. It was to obtain testimony that the executed families had coborated with the Apels Revival Soldiers. Unfortunately, the servant in front of the 1st Manager couldn¡¯t remember the recent events. They seemed tense in the unfamiliar environment.
¡°You served the sinner from a close distance. You must have seen them associating with the rebels, right?¡±
¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡ I haven¡¯t seen a-anything¡¡±
The trembling servant stuttered and spoke. It was truly regrettable. The head butler had such a poor memory.
The 1st Manager sighed and sat on the chair. Nothing woulde from interrogating someone who didn¡¯t have a good memory.
¡°Your son was practicing to be a butler, right? I¡¯ve heard he also served the sinner a few times.¡±
¡°Y-Yes?¡±
¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯m sure the head butler¡¯s son was someone trusted. Then that means that he probably saw a lot of things. Right?¡±
As she said that, the head butler¡¯s eyes began trembling.
¡°It¡¯s unavoidable if you can¡¯t remember. I¡¯ll ask your son instead, so take a rest.¡±
¡°I-I remember! I remember everything now!¡±
As expected, this was the best way to make people recover their lost memories.
¡°T-The sinner¡ o-often expressed his disgust with the E-Emperor¡ And he said that Apels h-had to rise again¡¡±
¡°What a horrible line of thought.¡±
After receiving many testimonies and interrogations, the 1st Manager left the interrogation room.
¡°Are you done?¡±
As she left the room, the 2nd Manager, who was chewing on jerky, greeted her. Since the 1st Manager had taken all the servants, the 2nd Manager had nothing to do, allowing him to be there.
¡°Yes. We¡¯ve obtained all the testimonies. They were truly heinous traitors.¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
With the report of the 1st Manager, the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s subjugation n was officially finished.
* * *
The reports submitted by each division werepiled and summarized by the Senior Manager. Subsequently, the Senior Manager¡¯s report, being a direct order from the Emperor to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, bypassed the Minister of Finance and went straight to the Emperor.
The Emperor expressed his satisfaction with the report that had been given by the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, which waspleted in just a few hours.
¡°We have eradicated all the rebels without exception. Even His Majesty the Emperor was greatly pleased.¡±
¨C Well done. As expected, you guys don¡¯t disappoint me.
Someone in the Academy was also satisfied with the Senior Manager¡¯s report.
There were no objections raised regarding the process, and the results were a wless operation.
Indeed, it was a perfectly concluded mission.
Chapter 49: - The Executive Manager is Satisfied with You (1)
? The Executive Manager is Satisfied with You (1) ?
The Senior Manager reported faster than expected.
¨C We have eradicated all the rebels without exception. Even His Majesty the Emperor was greatly pleased.
In just a few hours, they¡¯d finished reporting to the Emperor. As expected of the Senior Manager. Despite not being in the office, the only thing that worried me was the Manager trio, not the Prosecutor¡¯s Office itself. The Managers were diligent when it came to their duties, and that was even more so when the tasks were assigned.
¡°Well done. As expected, you guys don¡¯t disappoint me¡± .
Theypleted the task I had assigned at noon before the day was over and reported back. If there were any superiors who weren¡¯t satisfied even after hearing about such efficient work, they must be brainless.
Since I wasn¡¯t brainless, I nodded in approval and praised the Senior Manager, who bowed his head and responded briefly with gratitude.
¡°Tell the Managers that they¡¯ve done a great job.¡±
¨C Everyone will be happy to hear that.
I hope that¡¯s the case.
I cut the call while smiling. With this, it was done. The Third Honor and all of those that had coborated with them had been eliminated.
¡®I¡¯m d.¡¯
Those who dared to insult them, and the informant who casually talked about them to that scumbag. Although I didn¡¯t personally handle it, my subordinates took care of them, so I had a stake in it.
I couldn¡¯t deny that I rose to this position thanks to their sacrifice. They couldn¡¯te back and I simply survived, which is why I ended up here. I could endure the insults directed at me.
But that bastard didn¡¯t hesitate to insult them. He dared to say that I rose to power because of their lives. Their lives aren¡¯t so cheap. Their sacrifices were not something that can be easily trivialized by my sess.
¡®How despicable.¡¯ ¡®
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I felt a wave of self-loathing. Even thinking about it myself, I couldn¡¯t deny that I rose to power thanks to their sacrifice, yet I became fixated on the fact that their deaths resulted in my sess. Like a kid who doesn¡¯t want to admit it when confronted with the truth.
But what can I do? Out of the seven, I alone survived. As long as I¡¯m alive, I won¡¯t be able to erase that stigma. The only thing I can do is get rid of that bastard who forcefully brings up that stigma.
And as that thing was dealt with, I felt refreshed. The banquet was going to happen soon. It seemed like I would be able to go with a light heart.
¨C Knock knock¡ª
¡®Who is it?¡¯
I thought I could take a quick nap before the banquet began, but as soon as Iy down, someone knocked on the door like a ghost. It couldn¡¯t be someone from the club room or the dormitory since no one hade here before.
¡°Sir Carl, it¡¯s me.¡±
¡°Mar?¡±
Even the person who came to see me was unexpected. If it was the Vice President or Vir, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised, but I didn¡¯t expect Marghetta toe. For a moment, I wondered how she knew where my room was, but it was originally a dormitory where the Prosecutors regrly stayed. If it was Marghetta, a student council member, she must have known already.
¡°I¡¯ll be right out.¡±
Anyways, I stood up and walked to the door. If she came all the way here, she probably needed to say something urgent.
¡°Mar, what brings you here¡ª¡°
As I opened the door, I became silent at the unexpected appearance of Marghetta.
¡°Sir Carl. If you¡¯re okay, do you want to go to the banquet hall with me?¡±
Before my eyes was Marghetta, who was smiling gently and was wearing a stunning red dress instead of her usual school uniform.
* * *
The night the awards ceremony of the club fair is held, a banquet opens. During the fair, their connections with foreign aristocrats were strengthened, so now it was time to build a bond of friendship among ssmates whopeted in good faith.
In truth, the pretext was not important. For the nobles, receptions, and socializing were a part of their daily lives. They will hold a reception immediately as long as there is a good enough reason. That¡¯s the nature of noble banquets.
Although I attended the reception that concluded the fairst year, I only briefly showed my face and quickly left. I entered the Student Council to meet Carl, but I was too tired after the club fair was over. I couldn¡¯t feel any merit in staying at the banquet despite being so tired.
¡®This year, that¡¯s not the case.¡¯
This year, Carl was here. Not only that, but he was also the Advisor of the club that won, so there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t go. I almost felt thankful for Louise, who made it possible. If it was a banquet where Carl was, I had to go even if my legs broke.
Carl rarely appeared in social meetings, so this was a fateful opportunity that the heavens gave.
¡°This is troublesome¡¡±
However, I didn¡¯t have enough time to prepare properly for this unexpected opportunity. Last year, I prepared a suitable dress for the asion, but I took it off immediately and left it in the corner of my closet.
And now, I just remembered it. The result is the in dress that I see in front of me.
I can¡¯t present myself in front of Carl wearing something like this.
¡°Nanny!¡±
¨C My Lady? What happened at this hour?
I felt sorry for the nanny, but I called her immediately.
Thankfully, it was still morning. There was no need for me to participate in the awards ceremony, so there¡¯s enough time until the banquet.
¡°Th-That dress! I need that dress!¡±
That dress. After I first met Carlst year, I bought it so we could attend a banquet together, but Carl was busy, so I couldn¡¯t wear it. Therefore, I carefully kept the dress to wear it at the engagement ceremony, but Carl refused the marriage proposal, and I hugged and cried with the dress several times.
¡It wasn¡¯t a dress that I had good memories of, but it was the best one among the ones I had because it was meant to be worn in a defining moment.
¨C That dress? Ah, that¡ Why are you suddenly¡?
¡°I can attend the banquet with Carl!¡±
At that moment, the nanny¡¯s expression changed.
In the blink of an eye, my nanny and the maids that served me at the mansion arrived at the dormitory with the dress and various essories. ording to the nanny, my father had enlisted the services of a teleportation wizard under duress.
¡®Father, thank you.¡¯
I should tell father that I love himter at night.
¡°Miss, let¡¯s get you dressed first.¡±
While silently expressing my gratitude and love towards Father, nanny grabbed me forcefully and dragged me away. Ouch, that hurts, nanny¡
¡°Miss, can you stretch your arms out on both sides?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
However, I couldn¡¯tin to my nanny, who came all the way to the Academy because of my request. I let her hands take control as the dress was quickly put on. It¡¯s fascinating every time this happens. It¡¯s not an easy dress to put on, but strangely, when nanny puts it on, it fits perfectly.
¡°Thank you, nanny!¡±
How embarrassing would it have been if I had gone wearing the dress I worest year? Not only would it be embarrassing for me to show that appearance to Carl, but Carl, who would be next to me would also feel embarrassed. There¡¯s no way Carl would like standing next to ady who looks shabby, no matter how indifferent Carl is. Yes, he definitely wouldn¡¯t.
As I said that to the nanny sincerely, she smiled at me and sat me down in front of the vanity dresser.
¡°There¡¯s still a lot to do, so I¡¯ll ept the thankster.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Oh¡ Ah¡
I quietly closed my eyes while the nanny and the maid¡¯s hands began to scurry about and around.
Yes, the makeup time was always the hardest. It was especially hard because the nanny wasn¡¯t satisfied with most results even if I thought that it was fine. I had forgotten about that because I was so distracted by the dress.
But let¡¯s endure it. I have to look my best, and I can trust nanny¡¯s skill and keen eyes. If I persevere, I¡¯ll be rewarded with something more.
¡°My Lady, you look really beautiful!¡±
¡°You¡¯re the best! I¡¯m sure Sir Carl will be captivated by how you look!¡±
At the end of the makeup session, I heard cheers andpliments mixed with the maids¡¯ voices from beside me.
When I opened my eyes, I saw nanny nodding while making a satisfied expression.
¡°Take a look for yourself. Do you like it?¡±
The nanny stepped back slightly so that I could see the mirror. Although she asked if I liked it, her expression was full of confidence that I would undoubtedly like it.
¡°Yes, I like it.¡±
The nanny¡¯s confidence was well-founded. The reflection of my face in the mirror was truly beautiful. It was embarrassing to say it myself, but it¡¯s true. That¡¯s how great the nanny is.
¡°Nanny, thank you so much¡ª¡°
¡°Now we just need to pick the essories.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
The dressing session ended when there wasn¡¯t much time left for the banquet. The result was incredible. Of course, everyone had put in a lot of work after all.
¡°Thank you, everyone¡¡±
As a price for that, I waspletely drained of energy before entering the banquet hall. I felt proud of myself for managing to make it to Carl¡¯s quarters despite that.
No matter how perfect the makeup is, it tends to wear off a bit over time. The most beautiful appearance is right after the makeup is done. If it was to show my most beautiful version to the person I want to impress the most, I could gather nonexistent energy.
Therefore, with the encouragement of the nanny and the maids, I headed to Carl¡¯s quarters.
¡°Mar, what brings you here¡ª¡°
Seeing Carl¡¯s surprised expression, I felt truly satisfied.
Tonight, I should tell my father that I love him twice. And nanny, too.
* * *
How would it feel when an unexpected person appears in an unexpected ce in an unexpected appearance? I never really thought about it, but I know now.
¡°Sir Carl?¡±
When I was silent momentarily, Marghetta tilted her head and spoke to me again. Oh, no.
¡°Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.¡±
¡°That¡¯s okay. It¡¯s my fault for showing up so suddenly.¡±
I smiled awkwardly at Marghetta, who was making a bright smile. I was a little taken aback by the unfamiliar appearance of Marghetta, which I hadn¡¯t seen in a while, and even brought up memories of her from a year ago.
Honestly, even from my perspective, who has no interest in makeup or essories, it was obvious that she had made a deliberate effort. It even felt perfectly bnced without seeming excessive. Even to my untrained eyes, it was remarkable.
¡°Did you ask me to go to the banquet together?¡±
¡°Yes, is that alright?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
Her face lit up with happiness at my response. She really had nothing inmon with the iron-blooded Duke. I hadn¡¯t met her mother before, but I guess her genes are really strong.
¡°You look especially beautiful today. I was really surprised.¡±
¡°R-Really?¡±
I blurted out without thinking while looking at Marghetta, and she seemed surprised by my words. She stammered at my suddenment, and her face quickly turned red.
She hurriedly covered her face with her trademark fan and coughed, but I¡¯ve already seen everything, so what was the point? Still, if Marghetta foundfort in it, then it¡¯s fine.
The corners of my lips went up. I knew why Marghetta had dressed up like that, and I wasn¡¯t cold enough to not praise her knowing that.
Anyone who doesn¡¯tpliment Marghetta after seeing her like this must have no heart. At least I wasn¡¯t that kind of person.
Chapter 50: - The Executive Manager is Satisfied with You (2)
? The Executive Manager is Satisfied with You (2) ?
Marghetta, who was taken aback by the sudden words, showed no signs of calming down even after some time had passed. At least her face had calmed down, but her ears still disyed a reddish hue. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so pleased with apliment. I somewhat felt sorry for being stingy withpliments in the past.
I thought that maybe I should start praising her, but I couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. It felt like that would be giving her false hope. It¡¯s aplicated and apologetic problem to figure out how to treat Marghetta.
¡°W-Well. Then, shall we go?¡±
Marghetta cautiously extended her hand and spoke. I waited because I thought she would hesitate if I spoke first, but fortunately, it seemed like she¡¯d regained herposure.
¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±
I smiled and grabbed Marghetta¡¯s hand. Holding hands while entering the banquet hall was natural, and I felt that not doing even this would be too much. Besides, ignoring ady when she reached out first would be rude.
¡°I look rather dullpared to the beautifuldy. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m going to embarrass you.¡±
Comparing Marghetta¡¯s attire to mine, I naturally became concerned. Compared to the bright red color, mine was in-looking. I don¡¯t even have suitable clothes to wear on formal asions other than my Prosecutor¡¯s Office uniform.
¡°Well, would anyone dare to make fun of us?¡±
¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside their hearts.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. In my eyes, Sir Carl looks cooler than anyone else.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help butugh at Marghetta, who was blushing after saying bold things. Marghetta lowered her head in embarrassment and I bit my lips slightly, fearing that she might run away if Iughed any louder.
Why did she say it so confidently if she was going to get so embarrassed at my reaction? Marghetta seemed to be the type of person who had a strong drive but is weak when ites to endurance.
Anyway, I opened my mouth tofort the embarrassed Marghetta. If she was embarrassed by what she said, wouldn¡¯t it make her feel better if I also said something embarrassing?
¡°I think that Mar looks more beautiful than anyone else right now, so let¡¯s call it even.¡±
¡°Ugh!¡±
She seemed like she wanted to let go of my hand and run away, so I held on tighter and didn¡¯t let go. During the journey to the banquet hall, Marghetta kept looking down and didn¡¯t say a word.
Marghetta Valenti is strong in offense but weak in defense¡noted.
No,e to think of it, she didn¡¯t seem that good at offense either. What a shame.
The banquet hall was not located within a building but was a separate building entirely built for banquets. It was natural considering it was built during the apex of luxury in the Apel¡¯s era. It was slightly smaller than the main building, but it was still quite a massive banquet hall.
As we got closer, we began seeing students. Some were alone, while others were apanied. There were also a few that were walking in groups. Everyone was going to the banquet hall.
Seeing them dressed up made me feel like I was walking on the city¡¯s streets instead of the Academy.
Ah,e to think of it, the city was unfamiliar to me as well since I rarely left the office and walked around.
¡°As expected. Sir Carl, you¡¯re the best.¡±
Marghetta looked around and whispered to me. Then, she grabbed my hands tighter as if she didn¡¯t want to let it go.
¡°I think the same as before.¡±
At my words, Marghetta nodded without trying to escape. This time, she seemed determined to act confidently, knowing that many eyes were watching.
Seeing her like that made me feel relieved. Thankfully, the Prosecutor Office¡¯s job ended up a sess, and I was able to relieve a bit of the lump in my heart. That¡¯s why I was able to react like this to Marghetta¡¯s actions.
What would have happened if the banquet happened a day earlier? I wouldn¡¯t have been able to respond to Marghetta¡¯s behavior as well as I¡¯m doing now. Of course, Marghetta would have still maintained a smiling appearance, but I don¡¯t know what kind of expression she would¡¯ve made when I¡¯m not looking at her.
¡°It¡¯s a great day for holding a banquet.¡±
¡°Haha, is that so?¡±
Marghettaughed at my random mumbling. Yes, it was a good and satisfying day.
Moreover, Louise¡¯s pink hair fluttered in the wind from afar, looking as if cherry blossoms were embroidered in the sky. How did she know that my tortured heart had be slightly more at ease? It felt as if Louise was personally congratting andforting me.
¡Pink hair?
¡°Louise?¡±
Why¡¯s she here alone?
¡®What about the others?¡¯
I thought she would¡¯vee here with the other club members.
¡°Oppa!¡±
It seemed like Louise had noticed me and came running, holding the hem of her dress in both hands. No, what if she trips while running in that dress? Those shoes were probably not the ones she usually wears.
For a brief moment, I was able to see the newspaper club publishing a headline that said, ¡®Louise Naird, esteemed daughter of Baron, falls over in front of the banquet hall while running without grace¡¡¯
¡°Mar, I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡±
I let go of Marghetta¡¯s hands for a moment and ran toward Louise in this potentially disastrous future. Sure enough, Louise stumbled and leaned forward. In her panic, she wasn¡¯t able to release her grip on the hem of her skirt. If she fell like that, she could get seriously hurt.
¡°Did you want to be alone in the infirmary while others enjoy the banquet?¡±
¡°T-That¡¡±
Fortunately, I was able to catch Louise¡¯s stumbling figure and prevent her from getting hurt. What would¡¯ve happened if I wasn¡¯t here? Although knowing Louise, she wouldn¡¯t have been running if I wasn¡¯t here in the first ce.
Louise, who was looking around in surprise, chuckled and let go of my arms to straighten up. Her face was as red as Marghetta¡¯s face when she was in front of my quarters.
I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because she almost fell before others or if it was because she was held in someone¡¯s arms to prevent falling. I¡¯m not sure. Maybe it could be both. For a youngdy of an aristocratic family, both were probably embarrassing.
¡°Thanks, oppa.¡±
¡°Why would you run while wearing high heels?¡±
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡¡±
I frowned as Louise thanked me. I was thinking about letting her go seeing how she was lowering her head in shame, but considering that she almost got hurt badly, scolding her properly was the right thing to do. To think that the club¡¯s president would get hurt while I¡¯m around. It was something I didn¡¯t even want to imagine.
¡°Still, thanks to oppa, I didn¡¯t get hurt. So it¡¯s fine, right?¡±
¡°Do you want to get scolded more before entering the banquet hall?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorryyyy¡¡±
I refrained myself from pinching her lips as I used to do to the 1st Manager for saying such a ridiculous thing. That would be too harsh for her for a first mistake.
In the end, I just told her to be more careful in the future and moved on. After all, Louise wasn¡¯t someone who would make such mistakes. It was probably because she was too excited about winning the club fair today.
¡°But why are you alone? I didn¡¯t think you¡¯de without the other members.¡±
¡°If we came together, everyone would¡¯ve had to wait a long time for me, so I told them to go first.¡±
Indeed, it seemed like it took more time for women to preparepared to men. Louise was wearing a dress that seemed like it would have taken a lot of effort to wear.
¡°You look pretty. Pink definitely suits you well.¡±
I nodded while looking at the pink dress Louise was wearing. Even beforeing to this world, I¡¯d never seen someone to whom pink suited so much.
¡°Sir Carl?¡±
Upon seeing Louise smiling happily in response to mypliment, I heard Marghetta¡¯s voice from behind me.
¡®Damn.¡¯
Although I¡¯de here as her partner, I had neglected her for too long. As I turned around, I saw Marghetta looking at me and Lousie with narrowed eyes.
* * *
I almost ran out on the spot after seeing Louise nestled in Carl¡¯s arms.
¡®I¡ I haven¡¯t been hugged like that yet¡!¡¯
However, I desperately restrained myself.
The Valenti family is firm on matters of propriety. We clearly distinguish between public and private matters.
The fact that the pastry club won and I brought Carl to the banquet as my partner and the fact that Louise was in Carl¡¯s arms represented the bnce of public and private. The scale tipped in favor of the ball, considering that Carl had to take responsibility for managing the club. Yes, Carl¡¯s actions were purely for the sake of being the club Advisor. It was an inevitable situation caused by Carl¡¯s kindness.
After thinking about it for a while, I concluded that Louise had done more good than harm. Although she¡¯d hugged Carl, thanks to her having won, he would participate in the banquet. However, I was upset with Carl because he kept talking with Louise even though I was his partner.
¡°Sir Carl?¡±
When I called his name, he turned around while making a troubled expression.
¡®So he knows he¡¯s done something wrong.¡¯
If that was the case, I could let it slide. It wasn¡¯t difficult to show leniency to someone who willingly admitted their mistake. As expected, Carl acted for the sake of the club, so it seems like he prioritizes me.
¡°Lady Louise, it¡¯s been a while. Oh, I heard the news. Congrattions on your win.¡±
¡°Thank you, Senior.¡±
As I greeted Lady Louise, I nced at Carl. It was satisfying to see him awkwardly raise the corners of his mouth. Carl was aware of my gaze, after all.
As I reached out my hand, Carl approached and held my hand again. It was deeply satisfying.
¡°Lady Louise, did youe here alone?¡±
¡°Ah, yes. I sent the others ahead because I thought it would take me a long time to get ready.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
When I checked Carl¡¯s expression beside me, he was looking at Lady Louise with a worried gaze. It seemed to bother him to leave the club president he was responsible for, especially when Lady Louise had just almost tripped. Although she seemed fine now, she could have sprained her ankle.
¡°Then, shall we go in all together?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Mar?¡±
I heard mixed reactions in response to my words. It¡¯s understandable that my words were unexpected.
¡®It¡¯s important to look at the bigger picture.¡¯
Anyway, Carl was already in my hands, so there was no need to push too hard. Carl would be tied to me after the Academy. That was almost a certain future.
On the contrary, forcing the issue and disying excessive restraint and jealousy could provoke Carl¡¯s resentment. That cannot happen. I cannot allow myself to receive a negative response from Carl for such a trivial action when we are supposed to spend our lives together.
¡®I should show some leniency.¡¯
Carl was worried about Louise in this situation while feeling sorry for me. In that situation, what would happen if I were to extend my hand to Lady Louise first?
I¡¯m sure this will move Carl. Yes, it will definitely work.
The generosity to not me him for being distracted, the generosity to fulfill the burdensome task first, and the generosity to be okay with it all.
¡®A perfect appearance!¡¯
In a short time, I managed not to be consumed by anger and thought of the best course of action. I¡¯m proud and impressed with myself.
¡°Mar, would that be okay?¡±
¡°Of course. I¡¯m fine now, but who knows if Lady Louise might have gotten hurt?¡±
¡°S-Senior¡¡±
I also showed concern for my junior. Even Carl was probably surprised and in awe. Louise was looking at me with sparkling eyes as if she was touched.
¡°Fufu, if you¡¯re sorry¡ then we could dance together at the banquet.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re okay with that, then I¡¯d be more than happy to.¡±
And naturally, I was also able to secure a dance with Carl.
¡®Hehehe¡¡¯
Everything had gone perfectly.
Chapter 51: - The Executive Manager is Satisfied with You (3)
? The Executive Manager is Satisfied with You (3) ?
I caught Louise before she fell, but because she was wobbling while wearing high heels, I couldn¡¯t help but worry about her ankle. Who in their right mind would run around while wearing high heels?
She seemed to be fine now, but the pain might hit herter. If the other club members were nearby, they would have taken care of Louise. Unfortunately, they were nowhere to be found, exactly when they were needed. What a useless bunch.
Although I wanted to stick with Louise, I came here with Marghetta as a partner. It would be impolite to be with someone else when I already have a partner. It would be more rudepared to rejecting her offer to be her partner.
¡°I apologize for not doing a proper job as a partner.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. I wouldn¡¯t feelfortable leaving my junior alone in such a state.¡±
Her response moved me. Seeing how Marghetta hade before to advise Louise and what she did now, it seemed she genuinely cared for Louise. Or maybe she¡¯s simply looking out for her junior. Either way, it was a warm heart considering she¡¯s a nobledy.
¡°Lady Louise, please be more careful in the future. You¡¯re lucky that Carl caught you, because you could¡¯ve gotten hurt badly.¡±
¡°Yes, Senior. Thank you so much!¡±
Louise also seemed moved by Marghetta. Her eyes were shining while bowing her head. It felt like it was just yesterday that she was scolded by Marghetta and stumbled into the club room. Now, it seems like she has ovee the fearful first impression. Though they may not meet often, it¡¯s a relief that they managed to make a good impression.
I entered the banquet hall with Marghetta on my left and Louise on my right. As mypany increased from two to three, numerous curious gazes fell on us. But soon, everyone turned their gaze away. It was better not to meddle in matters that won¡¯t bring any benefits, as the etiquette for the noble ss suggests.
¡°Woah.¡±
¡°Pretty.¡±
As soon as we entered the banquet hall, we were blinded by its splendor. It was absurd that such a big building was used as a banquet hall, and the interior was adorned with gold and jewels.
The only one who wasn¡¯t impressed was Marghetta, since she¡¯d already seen itst year.
¡°Oppa, look at that.¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯m also looking at that.¡±
As Louise whispered while pointing at the ceiling, I looked upward.
¡®Are these people crazy?¡¯
There were huge chandeliers everywhere. I didn¡¯t even want to imagine how much all of these costs. They were mostly made of gold with all sorts of jewels.
¡°We could put out the fire by selling off all the chandeliers in the Academy.¡±
¡°Are you drunk? I¡¯ve told you we needed money. What nonsense are you talking about?¡±
¡°A person whose final education was private tutoring probably won¡¯t believe me.¡±
¡°Why are you suddenly attacking me?¡±
These were the words the minister mumbled two years ago when the financial reserves were almost depleted. At that time, I thought they were just insane ramblings from crazy politicians. Even if it were to put out the fire, an astronomical amount of money would be required to do such a thing.
But he could do that by selling the Academy chandeliers? I obviously thought he was joking. After all, I hadn¡¯te here before. I thought he was teasing me, just like how one tells someone from the countryside to take off their shoes before riding the subway.
¡®So it was true.¡¯
The Minister¡¯s words were true. These crazy bastards of Apels. The more I dug, the more I discovered that it was a crazy country. Wasting so much money in a banquet hall? I could understand why the other nations turned their backs on Apels during the invasion. They probably concluded that the Kefellofen wouldn¡¯t be as bad as the rulers of Apels.
As I realized the reason why Kefellofen prevailed over Apels, the club members, whom Louise had sent first, found us.
¡°Go and have fun.¡±
I said while patting Louise¡¯s back. It wasn¡¯t great to have a 21-year-old among 17-year-olds. Moreover, I felt morefortable after my eyes met with Vir, who was subtly standing in a corner. If he were here, I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about anything.
¡°Oppa, have a good time. And you too, Senior.¡±
¡°Thanks, Louise. I hope you have a good time too.¡±
Louise was about to say something when her gaze turned to Marghetta and let me go. She probably didn¡¯t dare to hold me back, since I¡¯de here as her partner. Until now, there weren¡¯t any members to care for Louise. But right now, all five were here. So it was fine.
I took Marghetta¡¯s hands and stepped back. Now we just needed to take a spot and spend some time until it was time to dance.
¡°So brother is here, too. Would you like to have a drink to celebrate the victory? Of course, your partner is also invited.¡±
I wasn¡¯t expecting Tannian toe and talk to me.
¡°You¡¯re the ones who worked hard. So you should celebrate it. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t the Advisor also share the joy of the club¡¯s achievement?¡±
Why does he act like a normal person only at times like this? It would be easier if he consistently acted like a fool. It felt strange every time he acted normal.
¡°He¡¯s right. Let¡¯s do that, Sir Carl.¡±
¡°Mar?¡±
Before I could think of a way to refuse, Marghetta took a step forward and epted Tannian¡¯s proposal.
¡°Isn¡¯t it troublesome if the Advisor leaves the club members behind? A dance is enough for me, so don¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to always receive your consideration.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t concede the dance, though. Keep that in mind.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
If you couldn¡¯t fulfill a request of someone who kept being considerate to you, you shouldn¡¯t even be called a person. On top of that, it wasn¡¯t like dancing was something hard to do¡
¡®Now that I think about it carefully, I think it will be difficult.¡¯
After all, when have I ever had the chance to dance? In the first ce, I rarely attended social events, and when I did, I mostly mingled with older gentlemen, so I didn¡¯t get many opportunities to dance.
I looked at Marghetta¡¯s foot. She was wearing red high heels.
The thought I might step on those delicate-looking feet made my head spin.
¡®I feel like it might break if I step on it by mistake.¡¯
Marghetta tilted her head in confusion after looking at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.
* * *
Oppa and the Duke¡¯s daughter moved to the center. The other students stepped aside to make way for them, but their movements seemed so natural and expected.
¡°It seems like none of us will dance.¡±
¡°Why? Are you bored? If you¡¯re okay with dancing with a man, I can join you.¡±
¡°Haha, I¡¯ll pass.¡±
¡°I¡¯m also relieved. I was worried you¡¯d really want to do it.¡±
I watched the two while listening to Ainter and Rutis¡¯ banter. Perhaps I should go and dance next to them. After all, oppa might get bored while being there alone.
However, dancing was something that had to be done in pairs, so I would have to pick someone. Choosing one among the five, who were all good friends, would be difficult. I hesitated because I didn¡¯t want to upset the others who might feel disappointed if not chosen. Rtionships could grow deeper or shatter over trivial matters, after all.
¡°Dance? There¡¯s a chance that Louise has sprained her ankle, so she has to be careful. Although I won¡¯t stop you guys from dancing with each other.¡±
My hesitation must have been noticed by oppa, who then offered his support. It was fine, and I could dance as long as I was careful.
However, seeing oppae forward for my sake and the slight nod he gave me as if encouraging me, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to refute. Even the club members showed concern rather than disappointment when they heard that I might¡¯ve injured my ankle.
¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯
Out of guilt, my lips merely moved. I couldn¡¯t get myself to apologize. If all five of us could dance together, I¡¯d be happy to, but choosing only one among them seemed impossible.
I lowered my gaze and saw my legs and the high heels that had made me fall before oppa.
¡®How embarrassing¡¡¯
The memory of what just happened shed before my eyes, and I closed my eyes tightly. It¡¯s embarrassing. So embarrassing. If I could turn back time, I¡¯d stop myself from running forward.
I didn¡¯t expect the excitement of having won the trophyst for such a long time, and that was why I ran toward oppa the moment I saw him. I only noticed my shoes after I had already started running.
¡®Ugh¡!¡¯
I wanted to cover my face and crouch as I remembered how I fell into his arms. However, it was obvious that the club members would worry if I did that, so the only thing I could do was bite my lips. You idiot. Why did you do that¡?!
To make things worse, the Duke¡¯s daughter was behind him. She must havee here as his partner, and yet I had shown such a scene before her. I was sure she¡¯d get angry. After all, she¡¯d told me before that the daughter of a noble family must maintain her dignity, and I had done something that waspletely against it.
¡°Then, shall we go in all together?¡±
¡°Who knows if Lady Louise might have gotten hurt?¡±
But contrary to my expectations, she didn¡¯t get angry with me; instead, she showed me warm consideration. She seemed worried for me after I almost fell to the floor.
I was so touched that I felt embarrassed about how I had been scared of her until now. Yes, oppa had said before that she didn¡¯t have any ill intentions. He was right.
The Duke¡¯s daughter overlooked my embarrassing actions.
Since oppa knew her well, it seems like they were close indeed.
¡®He seems to be in a good mood.¡¯
Oppa seems happier than yesterday. It seemed like being with the Duke¡¯s daughter had a more positive effect on him than my attempt tofort him through the club members.
¡®I guess I¡¯m not much of a help¡¡¯
While I was happy that oppa was feeling better, my heart throbbed at the fact that my role was insignificant. But what could I do? The Duke¡¯s daughter¡¯s rtionship with oppa was probably deeper than mine.
¡®But I¡¯m d.¡¯
Still, I was grateful that oppa had someone close enough to confide in, especially since I couldn¡¯t fulfill that role. That¡¯s right. Even now, they are dancing so beautifully together©¤ huh?
I blinked several times as I watched oppa and the Duke¡¯s daughter. Something seemed odd.
¡®Oppa?¡¯
How many times are you going to step on her feet?
¡®Lady Marghetta?¡¯
It looks like you¡¯ve been stepped on the foot a bit harder just now. Are you okay?
I stared nkly at them. Before I knew it, they had finished dancing and wereing back to where we were.
Oppa¡¯s expression had stiffened, and his gaze was fixed on the floor. Inparison, the Duke¡¯s daughter wore a bright smile despite her slightly reddened face.
¡®Lady Marghetta¡¡¯
She was slightly tearing up. I could see it clearer than anyone else, but I decided not to say anything. After all, she looked happy.
Chapter 52: - Is the Executive Manager Really Satisfied?
? Is the Executive Manager Really Satisfied? ?
The banquet, which was thest event of the Fair, ended without any incidents.
¡°Mar, I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. Sir Carl did me a favor, didn¡¯t you?¡±
Excluding the tragically stepped-on Mar¡¯s foot incident, that is. Despite being cautious, I ended up stepping on her numerous times. However, I did my best to avoid putting too much pressure on her foot and avoid hurting her.
If I had properly stepped on her foot even once, a major disaster would have happened. Mar¡¯s foot would¡¯ve broken, and the news of the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager assaulting the Duke¡¯s daughter would have spread. And then, I would¡¯ve been visited by an angry, Iron-blooded Duke. Then I would¡¯ve probably been sent to prison.
¡°Next time, I¡¯ll be more careful.¡±
¡°Oh, are you asking me to be your partner for another time?¡±
¡°Only if Mar is okay with me.¡±
I felt relieved after seeing her smile. Luckily, it seemed like she wasn¡¯t angry. It was entirely my fault, so even if she had gotten angry, I would have humbly epted it.
Feeling apologetic, I wanted to escort her to her dormitory, but she strangely refused. It wasn¡¯t just a few polite refusals; she seemed genuinely determined to go alone, which caught me off guard.
¡°I want to take my time and go back leisurely on my own.¡±
She said that so what could I do about it? I nned to apany her out of guilt, but it would be wrong to drag someone who didn¡¯t want to by force.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for today.¡±
¡°I had fun. Carl, I hope you also had a good time.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve enjoyed it too.¡±
Watching Mar retreating, Louise, who¡¯d been standing behind me, quickly rushed toward her.
¡®I told her not to run.¡¯
She wasn¡¯t running, per se. But what¡¯s the difference between that and running?
Still, it seemed like she¡¯d gotten the hang of it as she arrived next to Marghetta without any incident. They exchanged a few words, but I couldn¡¯t see their faces, so I wasn¡¯t sure what they were saying.
¡°Did something happen?¡±
¡°There was something I had to tell Senior.¡±
Seeing how she smiled, I figured she had no intention of telling me. Since Marghetta didn¡¯t seem upset either, it probably wasn¡¯t a problematic conversation. Louise would know well enough to distinguish that much.
¡°Let¡¯s go back. Everyone, good job.¡±
Now that Mar was no longer in sight, I addressed the crowded members behind me. With the big event of the fair finally over, my mind felt clearer.
Although the exams were approaching, that was a schedule that had nothing to do with me. I didn¡¯t have to worry about torturing myself with studying.
* * *
I managed to walk as naturally as possible until Carl couldn¡¯t see me anymore.
¡°It hurts¡¡±
After checking that there was no one around, my legs finally rxed. My legs had done their best to resist as much as possible. I felt disappointed when I had to refuse Carl¡¯s proposal to escort me, but I wasn¡¯t confident that I¡¯d be able to resist until I reached my dormitory.
I saw my swollen red foot after taking off the high heels. The pain made me tear up, yet I couldn¡¯t help but smile while thinking about the banquet.
At first, when Carl identally stepped on my foot, I found it fun to think that even he makes mistakes. But as it happened two, then three times, it wasn¡¯t funny anymore. It reminded me of something I heard by chance.
Some young nobles pretend to step on their partner¡¯s feet during a dance if they don¡¯t like them. At first, I dismissed the idea, thinking that no noble with dignity would do such a thing. Besides, Carl wouldn¡¯t do that even if I were an inadequate partner.
But now that I experienced it myself, I realized how embarrassing it was. Just dancing with Carl made me happy. I¡¯d been holding on while waiting for this moment, but it seemed like I was the only one who was happy. Does Carl hate me?
I was about to cry when I thought about it, but I couldn¡¯t help but smile after seeing Carl¡¯s expression. He seemed to be embarrassed, and his eyes showed that he didn¡¯t know what to do. I could see that he was trying to make it as less painful for me as possible.
¡®He¡¯s just bad at dancing.¡¯
It was simply a beginner¡¯s mistake. It wasn¡¯t that Carl didn¡¯t like me. He didn¡¯t have any experience in dancing.
¡®I was Carl¡¯s first.¡¯
First partner. I was the first person who danced with Carl. I, Marghetta Valenti, was the first one.
Fufufu¡
¡°Hehehe¡ Ah.¡±
In a moment of distraction, I let out an undignifiedugh. Although there was no one around to witness it, I cleared my throat awkwardly and nced down at the small vial in my hand.
¡°If you apply it to the sore area, you should feel better.¡±
A while ago, Louise approached me and gave me the medicine. Apparently, it was obtained from the medical personnel stationed in one corner of the banquet hall, just in case of any unforeseen incidents.
¡°It was oppa who asked for them, but he felt embarrassed to give it to you himself, so he asked me to do it instead.¡±
¡®Liar.¡¯
I was watching where Carl was and where he was going. He didn¡¯t have time to get this medicine. However, I didn¡¯t say anything. I pretended not to know because of my junior¡¯s kindness.
Maybe she was worried that I would be upset after being stepped on by Carl, or maybe she was worried because I was suffering from pain. I was surprised by her consideration ofing silently and how she made sure that the others didn¡¯t notice before giving it to me. I also liked how she gave credit to Carl.
As ady Carl was looking after, this much was a must.
¡®As expected. Lady Louise, I can forgive you for today¡¯s incidents.¡¯
I forgive her for being caught by Carl¡¯s arms. After all, I would spend the rest of my life in Carl¡¯s arms. So I could tolerate that much, at least.
¡But for now, I should apply the medicine. Today was enjoyable, but it was too painful. Still, it was fine.
* * *
The regr report that came back as soon as I was about to forget about it.
¡ª If a knife gets stuck in your neck while walking on the road, just ept it as your fate.
¡°¡¡±
Before I knew it, I found myself mentioning the disaster at the reception, and there was nothing I could say in response to the Minister¡¯s reaction. To be honest, I was feeling the same way.
¡ªYou coldly rejected the youngest daughter he¡¯d raised so dearly, and now you stepped on her? Was the Duke¡¯s daughter able to walk properly on her own after that? Even if the Iron-blooded Duke kills you, the Ministry of Justice will deem him innocent.
¡°I was careful, though¡¡±
¡ªIf so, you shouldn¡¯t have stepped on her at all. It seems like you really are crazy.
There was nothing I could say to refute, as everything he said was true. If Marghetta had shed a tear, the Iron Blooded Duke¡¯s Knights might havee to the Academy. How terrifying.
¡ªSo, what happened today?
The Minister changed the topic. He was probably referring to that.
¡°We followed the imperial edict and eradicated the rebels.¡±
¡ª Do you think I don¡¯t know that? I¡¯m asking why you clung to some ridiculous custom out of nowhere, insisting on following it, and now you¡¯re doing things by the book.
¡°That¡¯s what His Majesty the Emperor wanted. He mentioned the ¡®Imperial Edict¡¯ and the Mandate of Heaven among other things, so that was my only choice.¡±
¡ª Like hell it was.
The Minister reacted as if I was saying nonsense. But once again, I couldn¡¯t refute him.
¡ª I told you before. The Prosecutor¡¯s Office must act strictly based on the principles to prevent mishaps. If you create strange traditions out of mercy, you¡¯ll be the one who¡¯s going to get tired in the end.
Why create a tradition that won¡¯tst even two years?
Those words of the Minister stabbed my chest like a dagger.
¡ª Just in case, let me make it clear; I¡¯m not ming you for doing things by the book. It¡¯s only natural for the Prosecutor¡¯s Office to act that way. What I¡¯m talking about is why you created customs that could be arbitrarily established and disregarded.
¡°I apologize.¡±
¡ª You¡¯re quick to apologize only in situations like this.
The Minister sighed and red at me.
¡ª His Majesty the Emperor was also satisfied with how you handled things. There were people in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office that found it strange that you suddenly began following the traditions, but there was hardly any bacsh.
¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±
¡ª If you returned to the principles after giving a thought, it would¡¯ve been okay. However, judging by the reactions of the officers, it seems otherwise.
I lowered my head at those words. The Minister already knew everything.
¡ª If you¡¯re acting under the pretext of caring for those fellows, think about what they might say when they see you and move ordingly.
¡°I will keep that in mind¡¡±
¡ª You idiot.
That¡¯s how the regr report ended.
Before long, I received a call from the Pce¡¯s Minister. This time, it was to ry the Emperor¡¯s words.
They weren¡¯t particrly memorable. They could be summarized as ¡®You haven¡¯t acted like yourself for a while, but it seems like you¡¯ve finallye back to your senses, and I¡¯m satisfied.¡¯
Yes, it seemed like he was quite satisfied. After all, the sword that had be dull was properly fulfilling its duty again.
¡ª A sword that can be used for a long time is one worthy of being called a masterpiece. Fortunately, the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office seems to know that.
Before ending themunication, the Minister¡¯sst statement was explicit and concise. It meant, ¡®It¡¯s a relief that you¡¯ve returned to your role.¡¯
My head became messy as Iy in bed. I thought that was the only thing I could do. It was a tradition I had made, so I thought it would be okay to ignore it. I thought that doing so made me feel refreshed.
¡ª If you¡¯re acting under the pretext of caring for those fellows, think about what they might say when they see you and move ordingly.
It seems like I was wrong.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
I am still a kid.
¡°Is it so hard to call me Noona? Seeing how shy you¡¯re, it seems like you¡¯re still indeed young!¡±
¡°Stop spouting nonsense and go. The Manager was looking for you.¡±
Was this why I refused until the very end when Hecate asked me to call her Noona?
Chapter 53: - The Hero Didnt Study (1)
? The Hero Didn¡¯t Study (1) ?
The temporary headquarters of the Imperial Army¡¯s northern expedition. Because of their ease of instation and dismantlement, there were some Gers that the Imperial Army used.
¡°Woah, is that guy the Chief Team Manager?¡±
¡°The world has really gone to hell. The 4th Unit has hit rock bottom.¡±
Inside one Ger, there were seven men and women gathered. Dressed in ck uniforms, their faces were full of fatigue, but they were giggling with amusement.
¡°It¡¯s an expected result.¡±
A man with ck hair at the center confidently stated. He had seeded in obtaining the title of Chief Team Manager, a position that had not been decided until then, and his face was filled with derision and disdain towards the other team managers.
¡°It seems like I won¡¯t be able to hang with an average team leader since they stink so much.¡±
¡°What should we do with him?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s teach him a lesson for now.¡±
At his remark, the other Team Managers knocked him to the ground and began to beat him up with all sorts of things.
¡°Fuck this! This is outrageous!¡±
¡°Since when was there a hierarchy among team managers?¡±
¡°Do you think you¡¯re above us because you¡¯re the chief? Hey, you¡¯re just in charge of scrap work.¡±
After a few minutes of beating him up, everyone stood up as if nothing had happened.
¡°Ah, this is why I love the 4th Unit. Where else can you get the opportunity to beat an Earl¡¯s heir?¡±
¡°You filthy blue blood.¡±
¡°Do you want to get beat up again?¡±
All seven burst intoughter. After all, pranks like this always happened.
¡°But still, it¡¯s impressive. They actually appointed a Chief?¡±
¡°The team managers have been dying fast. So what¡¯s the point of setting one when they¡¯re soon going to die?¡±
¡°True.¡±
The average lifespan of a 4th Unit¡¯s Team Manager wasn¡¯t very long, especially since war broke out in the north. Thus, they refrained from appointing a chief. But now, the Team Managers had survived for a period that exceeded the average, so a Chief was finally appointed.
¡°Let¡¯s make it through until the war¡¯s end.¡±
¡°Once the war ends, I¡¯m quitting this shitty Prosecutor¡¯s life.¡±
¡°I¡ I¡¯m going to confess to that girl from my hometown¡¡±
¡°You crazy bastard.¡±
Even the Team Manager, who had no history with women, began saying nonsense, swept up by the mood. If this were a y, it would be a scene that foreshadowed a sad ending. However, the seven didn¡¯t care.
After all, they were definitely going to survive and return to the capital. That¡¯s what the seven of them thought.
* * * *
I woke up as the morning sunlight that had entered through the curtain tickled my face.
¡°Ah.¡±
Fuck, that dream.
I sighed and got up. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been hearing too much about those guystely that they ended up appearing in my dreams. But still, I¡¯m d. At least it was one of the better memories that had surfaced in the form of a dream.
¡®I used to have a lot of fun back then.¡¯
At that time, being appointed as Chief Team Manager had made me secretly happy. These days, I would have avoided any additional responsibilities like the gue. Back then, it felt like I had been recognized as being superior to those guys. How funny.
What was even funnier was that the Manager and the Team Manager had now be a Minister and Executive Manager, respectively.
I got up from bed while touching my neck. I suddenly remembered how I¡¯d promised to quit the Prosecutor¡¯s Office after the war ended.
In a ce where we used to joke around, I ended up talking sincerely.
Caught in a sudden game of truth, the other guys also started sharing their real wishes.
However, no one knew back then that quitting the Prosecutor¡¯s Office was the most difficult wish of all. Not me, not that guy, nor any of them.
Thinking about that made me chuckle.
* * * *
As soon as I got to the club room, I opened the cookie jar only to find it empty. The cookie jar hadn¡¯t been filled because of the club fair, so it had been drained for the first time.
¡°Damn.¡±
I sighed at the disappointing situation.
My little stash of human food was gone. Eating the cookies alone in the empty club room when nobody else was around was my routine. And now, it was broken. I¡¯ll have to ask Louise to make a generous amount for me.
Turning away my gaze from the cookie jar, I sat on my usual seat and looked around. There were plenty of ingredients and tools. Whenever I was alone, I sometimes wondered if I should try to bake something. Being alone like this was okay if it was a day or two, but it¡¯s been a couple of months.
¡®I¡¯m having weird thoughts again.¡¯
I had to ovee this temptation. I know my cooking skills very well. I¡¯d tried to cook for the other officers before. The result was, of course, very bad.
I guess it was inevitable. After all, I¡¯d never cooked for myself. But the circumstances forced me to do it, so there was no choice.
¡®Should I bring some books?¡¯
I¡¯d been avoiding bringing any other objects other than cooking tools. After all, there was a chance of a potential mess due to the flour. But what else could I do while spending time alone?
I particrly missed the club time even more today.
After a few hours, the club members finally came. They were more diligent than I thought.
¡°I think that I¡¯ll have to study for a while.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
I just nodded at Louise¡¯s words. It was indeed exam season now. I don¡¯t know who was the one who made the Academy¡¯s schedule, but having them study for the exam after intensifying the atmosphere through the fair was truly artistic.
¡°It¡¯s the first exam since I entered the Academy, so I¡¯ll do my best!¡±
I couldn¡¯t say anything after seeing her talking while clenching her fist. I couldn¡¯t ask her to make some cookies for me instead since I was feeling dizzy. That¡¯s something even a grown-up can¡¯t say.
From what I¡¯ve seen so far if I ask, Louise would probably do it, but I didn¡¯t want to be the kind of adult who blocks others from advancing.
¡°Yes, do your best. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll obtain good results if you put in the effort.¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
In the end, all I could do was encourage her with cliche words. I guess I¡¯ll have to go to the library starting tomorrow.
¡°Studying here is great. It¡¯s quiet since there¡¯s only us.¡±
¡°We can talk to each other freely, unlike at the library.¡±
¡°Oh, right. In the library, we have to be careful not to disturb others.¡±
Erich and Lather¡¯s conversation confirmed my suspicions. It seemed like the club would be full of the smell of paper and ink instead of cookies for the time being.
In reality, grades didn¡¯t matter that much for the aristocratic students, who made up the most amount of students. They won¡¯t be going to higher educational institutions after graduation, nor will they be seeking employment somewhere. So what was the point of getting good grades?
Of course, some might go for Administration rted jobs or the military after graduation, but they have separate recruitment exams that don¡¯t consider academic performance. Not only that but getting a rmendation was better and more effective. This was still a world where a rmendation weighed more than an exam.
However, the aristocratic students still cared about exams. The reason was simple. It was because of theirpetitiveness. Pride was very important for those that had blue blood running through their veins. On the other hand, students that weremoners tried their best since that increased the chances of them being noticed by the nobles, which was something that could change their lives.
¡°It seems like there are a lot of exam subjects.¡±
¡°I heard that they¡¯d reduced thempared to before.¡±
I became surprised after seeing the number of textbooks that Louise had lined up. This is the reduced amount? It looks like the amount of books that one would need to max out credits in a university.
As I stared at the textbooks, Louise, who was tilting her head, smiled awkwardly as if she¡¯d just remembered something.
¡°It¡¯s indeed a lot, just like Oppa said.¡±
I moved on after seeing Louise¡¯s trembling pupils. She must have btedly realized what she¡¯d said.
¡®I¡¯m an adult that hasn¡¯t gone through the Academy.¡¯
Louise¡¯s initial reaction was as if she were asking me if I didn¡¯t learn more during my Academy days. Meaning, ¡®It used to be worse during your time, so why are you reacting like this?¡¯
However, I don¡¯t know about ¡®that¡¯ past. After all, I hadn¡¯t enrolled in the Academy, let alone graduate. Fortunately, Louise realized it before I said anything, so I was able to avoid an awkward moment.
Louise turned her gaze to the textbook, her ears red. Yes, I understand you. Don¡¯t worry. I know I¡¯m the special case.
¡°Ah, Advisor. You didn¡¯t attend the Academy?¡±
You bastard.
Rutis¡¯s words aimed at me made my body freeze for a moment, and Louise carefully watched my reaction. Even Erich, who was far away, seemed taken aback and turned his gaze towards me.
¡°Yeah¡¡±
¡°In reality, I also had some concerns about entering the Academy. After all, I don¡¯t need the diploma. Also, isn¡¯t it great to find a job you¡¯re suited for before others?¡±
¡®Shut up.¡¯
If the 2nd Manager was the one who said that, I would have already beaten him up. What was more annoying was that he hadn¡¯t said it with malicious intent. It was an honestpliment, and it would be weird to get angry at apliment like that.
¡°Maybe you should¡¯ve also looked for a different path instead ofing to the Academy.¡±
¡°Well, didn¡¯t I meet good people aftering to the Academy? I might have regretted it if I hadn¡¯te.¡±
Rutis burst intoughter while I smiled for a different reason. If he hadn¡¯te, at least the annoying number of troublemakers would have decreased from five to four, which would¡¯ve been great.
¡°Oppa? Even if you didn¡¯te to the Academy, you¡¯re already someone impressive. I think that¡¯s even cooler.¡±
Louise realized Rutis hadn¡¯t said it with any malicious intent, so she tried toe to the rescue. Unfortunately, those words weren¡¯t particrly consoling.
I wasn¡¯t bitter for not havinge to the Academy. What drives me mad is that the path I chose instead ofing to the Academy was this one.
Of course, just like Rutis said, I did meet many people because of this path. However, the thought of having chosen this path with my own hands, influenced by the patriarch, still haunted me.
¡°Thank you.¡±
I barely managed to reply after a brief moment of silence.
Chapter 54: - The Hero Didnt Study (2)
? The Hero Didn¡¯t Study (2) ?
Rutis¡¯s attack stunned me momentarily, but it was just for a short while. I wasn¡¯t dumb enough to get angry at an innocent remark like that. If that were the case, I would¡¯ve turned the Principal¡¯s office upside down on my first day of deployment.
Putting aside the North, having be a Civil Servant was something that I also used as a self-deprecating joke. For me, being a Civil Servant feels simr to going to graduate school. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect to be mentally assaulted by an unexpected individual¡¯s unwarranted remarks.
¡®If only he wasn¡¯t a member of the Royal Family.¡¯
If he weren¡¯t a prince, I would have given him a strong punch without any hesitation. Dealing with Rutis, a prince of Armein, which was a country with power second only to the Empire, required immense patience. I had to be patient with him, which drove me crazy.
If there was a way to legally hit Rutis, I¡¯d be willing to pay up to five gold coins. Just shut up and take my money.
¡°When I look at you, it seems like noting to the Academy was the correct choice.¡±
Leaving aside such thoughts, I saw that a few were still cautious, so I blew myself up first. The advisor isn¡¯t angry, so don¡¯t worry.
I felt moved after seeing the relieved expressions of Louise and Erich. It seems there were still people who were considerate of my feelings among them. The other three rarely changed their expressions, so there was no way to tell what they were thinking, and there was no point in discussing Rutis. This bastard.
¡°Enough with the chit-chat. Don¡¯t mind me and keep doing what you were doing.¡±
Fearing what Rutis might say next, I changed the topic. Seeing the members concentrating on their studies again made me think of an unpleasant memory.
¡°I¡¯ve found a position for you. Once you¡¯re there, they¡¯ll tell you what to do.¡±
Was it because they¡¯d brought up the topic of the Academy? A bad memory came back to me. It was the outrageous remark the Lord had said four years ago. Find a position? I just had to go, and they would tell me what to do?
¡®I was a fool for believing in him.¡¯
The position turned out to be a VIP seat on a one-way trip to hell, and the team leader who was supposed to tell me what to do died shortly after I joined. Even the experienced people left shortly after, leaving the team in shambles. What¡¯s worse was that I was promoted to team manager because my family had the highest status.
Even now, thinking about it gives me a headache. I ended up taking on the responsibility of leading the team, despite not having learned anything from someone else first.
Of course, someone who had just be a Civil Servant like me couldn¡¯t handle such a burden. The person who¡¯s now the Minister helped me a lot back then. I used to be grateful back then, but now, fuck.
¡®I was promoted strangely. Since then, things got twisted.¡¯
After bing a Team Manager, I was promoted to the 4th Unit¡¯s Manager. Then I was made an Executive Manager. I was promoted three times, and all three were done strangely, not to mention the incidents in between. When things get twisted, they end up going wrong like this.
Looking at the club members whose future hasn¡¯t been decided yet, I wished they would have proper jobs if they ever get a chance to be employed, even though most of them didn¡¯t need jobs like that due to their high status.
As time passed, a somewhat unique scene caught my eye.
¡°So, the proposition that an individual cannot defeat a group as big as a nation while the head of the enemy is alive has been firmly upheld. Even if a powerful individual makes a significant impact in battle, in the end, it¡¯s the nation as a collective that will win the war.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s what it meant.¡±
Lather was speaking in a softer way than usual, and Louise listened while nodding. A Prince from the United Kingdom of Yuben was teaching the history of Kefellofen to a noble from Kefellofen. He seems to be teaching her things that were beyond the exam scope. How far is he thinking of going?
¡®Is this right?¡¯
Shouldn¡¯t it be the other way around? Even if the Empire¡¯s history was part of the education of the continent¡¯s nobles, shouldn¡¯t the local nobility know better?
I was momentarily enveloped in a strange feeling, but I let it go after seeing Louise¡¯s serious expression.
Right, it was something that happened two years ago, so she might not know about the details. The Empire¡¯s history sses mostly focus on the aftermath of the event rather than the event itself, so there were many difficulties if you wanted to dig deeper.
The Empire put a lot of importance on teaching things from the point of view that favors the Royal Family, so they even put recent incidents in textbooks.
¡°Hmm?¡±
While watching a somewhat unusual history lecture, Lather hesitated for the first time.
¡°Six Swords? I haven¡¯t read this before.¡±
Ah.
¡°It¡¯s content that¡¯s been added this year. If you readst year¡¯s book, you might not know.¡±
¡°Is that so? That¡¯s a relief. I was a little worried that I hadn¡¯t studied properly.¡±
I answered Lather¡¯s question. The Empire hadn¡¯t fully revealed information about them, but I was familiar with this revision. After all, it was something that was rted to me. I was also contacted by people from the Ministry of Education.
It wasn¡¯t bad news for me. The name that had been kept hidden because of some particr circumstances had finallye to light. Considering that there were many people whose names had be buried forever, waiting for two years wasn¡¯t much.
¡°It¡¯s important, so I think you should pay close attention.¡±
A name that a foreign prince remembers. That should be considered a significant achievement, right?
* * *
Lather, who¡¯d been staring at Carl, looked back at the textbooks.
¡®Six Swords.¡¯
It wasn¡¯t a name extensively mentioned in the textbook. Only a few lines were written, but the short content was undoubtedly not something to be ignored.
Six Swords. They were six heroes who¡¯d sacrificed their lives in the final battle that took ce in the North two years ago.
¡®How strange.¡¯
The United Kingdom of Yuben had also closely monitored Kagan, the traitor. Just like he exined to Louise, this was an incident that proved that an individual couldn¡¯t win against a big organization like a country.
Until the Empire killed Kagan, there had been widespread public opinion in the continent¡¯s nations that a superhuman unaffected by a country could disrupt the nation.
Fortunately, that opinion was put to rest with Kagan¡¯s death at the hands of the Empire. However, it was a precarious moment.
He was confident that information regarding Kagan¡¯s death would be plentiful.
¡®I¡¯m sure that it was the Advisor who killed Kagan.¡¯
In the final battle, the one who led the Empire army was the Invincible Duke, and the one who killed Kagan was Carl. Among these, what the Empire extensively publicized was that the Invincible Duke led the Empire¡¯s army and led them to victory in the battle where Kagan died.
The Empire didn¡¯t turn a blind eye to Carl¡¯s achievements, but rather kept it quiet to highlight the Invincible Duke¡¯s contributions. In reality, even within the Empire, the knowledge of Kagan¡¯s killer did not spread widely among the lower nobility and the public.
In such a situation, why did they suddenly bring up the existence of the Six Swords when they haven¡¯t even extensively publicized the killer of Kagan? He thought that perhaps Carl was included among the Six Swords, but that wasn¡¯t the case either.
¡®There¡¯s something strange.¡¯
The Six Swords being mentioned could dilute the achievements of the Invincible Duke. However, the person who killed Kagan wasn¡¯t among the 6 Swords. He couldn¡¯t understand what the Empire was thinking about. Although to be more precise, these were the intentions of the current Emperor.
He never imagined that there would be such an explosive piece of information in this year¡¯s textbooks. Even in his country, they probably hadn¡¯t been able to check the information yet. After all, the Empire often corrected or added things.
¡°Lather? What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°I was thinking of something. Let¡¯s continue.¡±
Lather barely managed toe back to his senses after Louise called him. It seemed like an unexpected piece of information disconcerted him.
¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡¯
There was a limit to what he could discover while in the Academy. It would be more efficient to let his home country know about this and let them research.
Lather¡¯s gaze was directed at Carl, who was looking out the window. He was known as the Emperor¡¯s hunting dog and was said to have a close rtionship with the Invincible Duke. Carl probably knew a lot more about this. If possible, Lather wanted to ask him about it.
* * *
I could feel Lather¡¯s gaze. By now, he must be pondering things quite deeply. He must be suspecting that there¡¯s a hidden motive in this year¡¯s revision.
¡®And there is, indeed.¡¯
The Emperor¡¯s obsession with power heavily influenced the amendment. He was someone who didn¡¯t hesitate to exile people. It seemed like he thought it was time to start restricting the power of his father-inw, the Invincible Duke.
Once the story about the Six Swords spreads, the details of Kagan¡¯s killer will slowly be revealed, which will end up diminishing the power of the Invincible Duke, who was known to have led the war to victory. The prestige he¡¯d been monopolizing so far would be distributed.
¡®How troublesome.¡¯
Every move a politician made carried a reason, which was a headache. I¡¯m d that the achievements of those guys were finallying to light. The only thing that concerned me was that the Invincible Duke could get hurt.
However, the Emperor was merely trying to provide some restraint, so it should be fine. If the Emperor had really intended to deal with the Invincible Duke, he wouldn¡¯t have sent such minor warnings. This restraint was nothing more than a polite way of saying, ¡®I am watching you, so behave yourself.¡¯
Taking into consideration the usual Emperor¡¯s moves, this was very simple and quiet. If Lather thought about it in a more simple way, he might be able to find out the reason.
The next time I meet the Invincible Duke, I should greet him. After all, he¡¯s helped me a lot through the years.
Amon feature among all worlds was that time flies during exam periods. It felt like it was just yesterday that the club members were gathered around studying, but the theory exams had already ended.
Yes, just the ¡®theory exams.¡¯
¡°It¡¯s reassuring to have you all here.¡±
¡°We¡¯re always grateful for the Prosecutors¡¯ consideration.¡±
The day after the theory exam ended, I called Sir Vir to the club room to discuss an important matter.
¡°The Academy is also willing to cooperate with the three countries. After all, it would be troublesome if they were hurt.¡±
Whates after the theory exam? The practical exam, of course. And in the Academy, the practical exam meant fierce duels with swords and magic.
Fortunately, minor injuries could easily be cured with divine power and magic. A talented magician or priest could do things like reattaching a severed limb. Even if they were about to die, as long as they were breathing, they could ensure people¡¯s survival. I know it since I¡¯ve experienced it before.
But what kind of crazy person would say something like, ¡®Don¡¯t worry. Even if your arm gets cut off, we can reattach it!¡¯ to a member of a royal family? The first thing cut off would probably be that person¡¯s head.
¡°I¡¯ll be patrolling the dueling grounds to check for any unusual urrences.¡±
¡°Yes, understood.¡±
So that¡¯s why we were doing this. Starting from the day the practical exam begins, we¡¯ll be stationed at various locations in the arenas, preparing for any possible injuries.
In fact, it wasn¡¯t a difficult task. Preventing injuries while watching a duel was something that people that have some experience in knight or magician¡¯s squads often do. The problem was that the people that would be dueling were members of royal families.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for the students who¡¯ll be their opponents in the duel.¡±
The real difficulty is for the student who has to face royalty and wield a sword or use magic against him. They might cry after seeing the match table.
But what can we do? Luck is also a type of skill.
Just like how a character¡¯s status screen in a game has a luck stat, luck is also one of the elements that determine how life goes.
Anyway, that¡¯s how it is. It might be easier for that student to think that way, too.
Chapter 55: - The Hero Didnt Study (3)
? The Hero Didn¡¯t Study (3) ?
While in the Academy, all students were considered equal. Everyone received the same education regardless of their social standing. They cultivated camaraderie as fellow students without prejudice, and there was no hierarchy. The only difference that existed was between students and teachers. That was the Imperial Academy¡¯s policy.
It was like when at your work, your boss said, ¡°Go home first. I¡¯ll stay and work.¡± Or ¡°I¡¯m not angry, so tell me the truth.¡± Even if it might look like that, it wasn¡¯t the case in reality.
¡®But Ainter¡¯s the exception. ¡®
There were only four people who could make their opponents surrender while shedding tears. They were: Ainter, who didn¡¯t have any actual power, but still was a member of the Imperial Family. Rutis and Lather, who had a shield most average nobles wouldn¡¯t dare to try to prate. And then, there was Tannian, who was called the son of God.
Among these four, only Ainter didn¡¯t take practical lessons. After all, he was the type of person who mostly focused on academic studies and not swords, magic, or divine power. The Crown Prince was wielding a dragon-headed staff while threatening him, so cultivating strength would be madness and not courage.
¡®I also don¡¯t have to worry about Tannian.¡¯
Thoughbeled as a candidate, Tannian was practically the next Saint and received his divine powers from God. Nobody would dare evaluate Tannian¡¯s divine powers as it was bestowed by God, so the practical exam was a free pass for him. In the end, Rutis and Lather are the ones who remained.
The Royal Knights of Armein, including Vir, would be stationed in Rutis¡¯s arena. Meanwhile, the Yuben¡¯s Knights and Mage Corps would be watching Lather¡¯s arena. As Tannian gets a free pass, the forces of the Holy Kingdom would be distributed.
Considering their abilities, the chances of anyone defeating the two princes were extremely low. No matter how you think about it, the biggest victims of this practical exam are the sacrificialmbs, who are the opponents of the two princes. It¡¯s a pity, but there¡¯s nothing to be done. As long as those two are sacrificed, everyone else will be happy.
¡®I¡¯m d it onlysts for a day.¡¯
I sighed in relief after checking the schedule that the Principal gave me. There weren¡¯t many students taking the practical test and there were many arenas, so it could be done quickly. Just one day of tension and it would be over.
The students who took the practical test could be divided into those who took it lightly as if it were general education and people who went all out. Naturally, I¡¯m more interested in thetter. The first one would take care of themselves, so there was no need to get worried.
That¡¯s why I was walking around the arenas with the Principal to prepare for any possible situation. Although the Principal might look like a normal old man, he was, in reality, one of the most powerful magicians on the continent. As a mage gets older, they be more formidable.
¡°The Empire¡¯s future seems bright.¡±
¡°I think so, too. It makes my heart race to see so many great kidse in every year.¡±
I wasn¡¯t expecting to see anything special from the students. After all, I was mostly focusing on safety. However, they turned out to be more exceptional than I thought.
Some teased their opponents with techniques, overwhelmed them with their physical ability, or resisted until the end with their guts.
¡®They¡¯re good.¡¯
They are still students, so naturally, they have not reached their full potential. But with proper guidance, they will be a force that can be useful if deployed correctly. Just like the Student Council President.
¡Like the Student Council President?
¡®Oh.¡¯
I pulled out a notebook from my pocket as a sudden thought crossed my mind.
* * * *
¡°The Empire¡¯s future seems bright.¡±
The Academy¡¯s Principal, Bernhardt Mursch, nodded at the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s words. The Empire was big, and there were lots of talents. Seeing so many new talented people enter each year made him excited.
¡°I think so, too. It makes my heart race to see so many great kidse in every year.¡±
These kids would grow up to be the pirs that support the Empire. There was a time when he used to roam around battlefields along the Iron-blooded Duke, but now, he is old. That¡¯s why raising the future pirs made him happy.
Bernhardt was happily watching his students when he turned his head after hearing a rustling sound next to him.
The Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager was writing something. However, that wasn¡¯t what concerned him. What concerned him was the sharp gaze directed at the students, which he found unsettling.
¡°Executive Manager?¡±
¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡±
The Executive Manager closed his notebook, but Bernhardt couldn¡¯t shake off his uneasy feeling. Since the Executive Manager came to the Academy, everything he¡¯d done was for the well-being of the Academy, and he hadn¡¯t done anything questionable.
However, Bernhardt wanted to know why the Executive Manager was looking at his precious students like a predator looking at food. That was his duty as an educator and as an elder who was supporting the next generation.
¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. But as I got older, my curiosity seems to have increased. If it isn¡¯t too much, could you tell me what you wrote?¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing important.¡±
After the Prosecutor put away the notebook, his gaze was still directed at the students.
¡°I was just writing down the name of some talented people who can be good talents for the Empire.¡±
The Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager was making a satisfied smile.
¡°It¡¯s good. The Empire¡¯s future is indeed bright.¡±
Bernhardt struggled to answer upon hearing this. Students receiving the rmendation of a high-ranking official was good. What bothered him was that his gaze was unusual.
However, his worries were short-lived. Regardless of his notorious reputation, the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager was known to be someone patriotic, so he probably wouldn¡¯t do anything strange to the students that dreamed of bing soldiers or civil servants.
¡°Yes. I can¡¯t wait to see how they grow.¡±
Those children will surely have a bright future.
* * * *
The thought that crossed my mind. Yes, the Student Council President. I had discovered a gem like him and secured it faster than anyone else. The Academy was a ce where gems thatcked experience like him gathered, and that gem belonged to the one who found and picked it up first.
I could push the good ones to the 3rd or 5th Division. If not, I could also rmend them to the Special Service Agency or the Military. After all, they were alwaysining about theck of workforce. Sending potential officials would make things easier when I needed a favor.
¡®This is a gold mine.¡¯
Every time I recorded the arena numbers where noticeable duels urred, my satisfaction increased. Is this how a professor would feel when they see a prospective graduate student? Anyway, if I manage to pick around ten people from here, my path ahead will be smoother. If I send three of them to other departments, they would probably go crazy with joy.
My small Pokedex creation didn¡¯t stop until the Principal called me.
¡®I need to check again during the next exam.¡¯
New gems might appear then. It seemed like the Empire and my future were both bright.
Finally, Rutis¡¯s duel began in the swordsmanship arena. I noticed it because the spirit of the Armein Knights that were hidden all around the ce suddenly changed.
¡°I lost¡¡±
It ended disappointingly quickly. Even if it was a duel, his opponent probably didn¡¯t dare to swing his sword at a member of an Imperial Family. The only one capable of doing something like that would probably be a mindless rebel.
If Lather had chosen to do the knight¡¯s route, he would¡¯ve been put against Rutis. However, that guy just had to be a magician. He¡¯s not helpful at all.
¡°It was a fun duel!¡±
It was fun only for you.
I couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy for the opponent who was shaking Rutis¡¯s hands. His skills didn¡¯t seem bad, but his opponent was royalty. It was unfortunate.
¡®He¡¯s also good.¡¯
I stroked my chin while looking at the duel partner, who bowed his head, but probably wanted to bend his waist 90 degrees. If he gave up as soon as the duel started, it would be too obvious. Doing that wouldn¡¯t harm the royalty, but it would make them resent you. That¡¯s why he had to withstand being hit by Rutis.
He kept being hit and stabbed but did his best to ensure that he wasn¡¯t stabbed in his vital points. Losing on purpose without making the opponent notice it was something hard to do.
¡®There are many talented individuals.¡¯
I also wrote down the person who had to face Rutis in my heart. I don¡¯t know if this generation was golden or if the average level of the Academy¡¯s prospectives were this good. Well, either way, this was something good from the point of view of someone that had to choose.
¡°Oh, what a coincidence. It seems like Erich¡¯s duel is about to start?¡±
¡°Erich?¡±
As I was looking at the student from the Kaiser family who walked toward the opposite side of Rutis while limping and then started to do it normally, I heard the Principal¡¯s voice, who had been observing the other arenas.
¡°Would you like to watch it?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll have enough time.¡±
¡°Student Rutis¡¯s duel is over, so there isn¡¯t anything urgent, right? The Magic Department¡¯s duel will start a bitter on, so there should be enough time.¡±
I nodded my head at the Principal¡¯s thoughtful gesture. After all, it¡¯s true that I was curious about how much Erich had improved.
¡°Then it should be fine.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard that student Erich has been improving every day. It¡¯s my first time seeing it personally, so I¡¯m looking forward to it as well.¡±
¡°Hearing you say that makes me feel proud.¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t an emptypliment, so feel free to be proud.¡±
We exchanged pleasant words and moved to the other arena to see Erich, who¡¯d just stepped into it.
Erich¡¯s fighting spirit increased as soon as we appeared. It was by so much that it made his opponent startled.
As soon as the duel began, Erich leaped forward like a demon had possessed him. His skills were impressive, and it was enough to make me feel proud.
¡®Everything¡¯s good, but..¡¯
It¡¯s really good, but why do I feel like he gritted his teeth and charged after seeing me?
Was it my imagination? It didn¡¯t seem to be. His gaze was clearly fixed on me.
I thought we were getting along well, but maybe I¡¯m still a berserker totem in Erich¡¯s eyes.
Chapter 56: - The Hero Didn’t Study (4)
? The Hero Didn¡¯t Study (4) ?
The Krasius family was one of the most prestigious martial families of the Empire. While they were a bitcking to call the most prominent, it was a lineage that hadn¡¯t been left out of the discussion about the most prominent ones of the Empire¡¯s 300 years of history.
They were the Emperor¡¯s direct vassals and members of the Imperial Council. That was the Krasius family, and it was the name that was upon Erich¡¯s shoulders. Of course, the weight was somewhat less since he wasn¡¯t the heir.
Nevertheless, being the son of a prestigious martial family had a significant impact on Erich¡¯s career path. He received education within the family even before entering the Academy. Thanks to that, it was challenging to find an equal among his peers, including his upperssmen. The only exception might be Rutis. After all, status, educational opportunities, and skill usually go hand in hand.
¡®The match luck isn¡¯t bad.¡¯
While he wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone, it would probably have a slim chance of affecting the oue if a somewhat unlikely opponent emerged. It seemed like he would get a good score on the practical exam.
¡®It would¡¯ve been great if Louise was here.¡¯
Watching his opponent being nervous seemed to have made him lose his motivation. Erich felt sorry for him, but the victor here seems clear. He might have been motivated if Louise were here, but she belonged to the magic branch, and she was busy preparing. It was a shame.
¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯
He¡¯ll have to be satisfied with cheering for Louise during her match.
He grabbed the sword while thinking that when he saw a familiar figure entering.
¡°Hyung?¡±
He spoke, surprised. Fortunately, his opponent¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t shift, and it seemed like he hadn¡¯t heard him. However, Erich¡¯s eyes were stuck on the figure behind his opponent.
Someone he hadn¡¯t expected to show up in the arena had appeared. He btedly realized that the person next to him was the Principal. What was going on?
¡®I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯
Erich bit his lips. Carl was looking at him with his arms crossed. Erich had grown ustomed to Carl after spending time together. After all, he¡¯d spent more time with him after he came to the Academypared to the time they¡¯d spent together before Erich enrolled here.
Carl¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t make him nervous anymore. Their rtionship had recovered enough to naturally greet each other when their eyes met. There was no reason for their rtionship to be sour in the first ce. It was just that the time had magnified the awkwardness.
But their gaze met each other¡¯s when he grabbed the sword. Carl¡¯s eyes, which were so simr to their father¡¯s, looked down at him. Although the arena¡¯s tform was higher, it felt like he was being looked down upon.
¡®How embarrassing.¡¯
He grabbed his sword tighter. Being intimidated by someone who hadn¡¯t done anything but look at you was embarrassing, especially when that person was your family.
¡®How long will this go on?¡¯
He¡¯d heard numerous people saying in social circles that if he were half as good as his brother, he¡¯d truly be outstanding. However, Erich was never upset by thisment. After all, the difference between them was so great that he didn¡¯t even feel envy or self-loathing.
In the first ce, thosements were praising Carl¡¯s abilities and not belittling Erich. At that time, Erich hadn¡¯t even enrolled in the Academy.
But things were different now. ording to the Empire¡¯sw, he was officially an adult. He¡¯d even grown closer to his hyung, who¡¯d always felt distant. He didn¡¯t want to live in his shadow forever. He didn¡¯t want to be a younger brother who shrank under scrutiny. He wanted to be a dignified noble of the Krasius family.
¡®This is a good opportunity.¡¯
Those eyes, which were simr to their father, felt refreshingly challenging. Being recognized by those eyes felt simr to getting recognized by his father.
Determination reced the look of surprise in Erich¡¯s eyes. His initial intention to do it in moderation was reced with a strong determination to gain recognition. He would put admiration and satisfaction in Carl¡¯s eyes, which seemed to be looking at a tool.
Erich could feel that his opponent was flustered. He felt sorry, but he had a reason to go all out now. If the opponent got seriously injured, he would apologizeter on.
That day, Erich saw Carl nodding while making a satisfied smile.
* * *
I thought for a moment that maybe I might be some totem that made Erich go berserk, but it didn¡¯t matter as long as it helped him. Was there such a hyung elsewhere in the world?
In any case, with newfound energy, Erich fiercely dominated his opponent and soon achieved victory. He was already superior in skill, and with the added determination, his opponent had no chance of holding on. Still, Erich¡¯s skills impressed me more than I expected.
¡®He has trained a lot.¡¯
It was an appearance that befits the name Krasius. Well, there was no way that the patriarch would let his son stay behind while ying around, right? Nevertheless, it was rare to find someone at his age who can rival him. He deserved to be praised.
I didn¡¯t want to p since it might seem pitiful to the defeated opponent, so I nodded to Erich, who was looking my way. Seeing him grin, it seemed like my feelings were conveyed.
¡°As expected of the Krasius Family. Both brothers are outstanding, just like your father.¡±
While I was thinking of giving him a thumbs-up, I heard the Principal¡¯s voice. His tone suggested that he had a connection to the family¡¯s patriarch.
¡°Have you seen my father before?¡±
¡°Of course. He joined the military right before I retired.¡±
The Principal absentmindedly stroked his long beard, as if reminiscing about those days. However, something seemed off. If the patriarch had just entered the military when the Principal was about to retire, then it means that he reached the end of his military career by now. Yet, 20 years after that, he was still working as the Principal of the Academy.
¡®He¡¯s a veteran.¡¯
A veteran who¡¯s maxed out even his secondary job. As expected, magicians be more dangerous as they age.
¡°He was a quiet fellow who was poor at expressing his emotions, but he had a strong sense of responsibility and was surprisingly affectionate.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure about the affectionate part.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t he take good care of his people? I¡¯ve never seen someone among his partners or juniors who hated Wilhelm.¡±
If the standard of being affectionate was maintaining his own power, I understand. The people of the Krasius family were known for taking good care of their people and loyalty. If one was a master who follows strict rules and thoroughly punishes wrongdoers, then they can be considered top-tier.
After thest sword duel was over, we moved to where the magic duels would take ce. As magical duels had a lot of ranged attacks, using the same arena used for the sword duels often didn¡¯t match the standards.
Since the duel arenas were different, they could have conducted both sword and magical duels simultaneously. However, there was not an abundance of medical staff, so they proceeded sequentially. If a sword duel student was undergoing treatment for a cut leg, it would be chaotic if someone in the magic duel also had a burnt arm.
And now, I was watching a sacrificialmb that was pierced by the icicles which Lather had sent flying.
¡®So that bastard was an ice magician?¡¯
It seemed like he¡¯d picked skills that matched his hair color.
¡°That was fast.¡±
¡°Well, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d be able to resist that attack from such a distance.¡±
Rutis and Erich, who¡¯d finished their duels, were together. They had nothing else to do, so they probably came to see the magic duels. However, their goal was for sure, Louise.
As I looked around, it seemed like a barrier was set up that prevented other people from approaching. Having the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager and the Principal was already intimidating, but there were also members of royalty.
¡°Brother, over here.¡±
¡°Good job, Lather.¡±
Thanks to Tannian and Ainter, who were weing Lather, the barrier became even stronger. Even those who were not visible in the sword duel arena were inconspicuously joining. Anyways, the students seemed to be afraid at the thought of even stepping on their shadows, so they were doing their best to avoid us.
¡°Now, the only thing left is Louise¡¯s match!¡±
Rutis¡¯s words made me turn to look at him. I remembered the ridiculous discussion about sword vs. magic between Rutis and Lather.
¡®That idiot.¡¯
Rutis confidently said that the sword was superior. But ironically, Louise was learning magic. At that time, I didn¡¯t know what skill Louise had chosen, so I didn¡¯t think much about it. But what the hell was wrong with this guy?
His having said that while knowing that Louise was learning magic or not having known what ss the person he liked was taking were both a problem. If it¡¯s the former, he¡¯s crazy or brave. And if it¡¯s thetter, he¡¯s just a fool.
¡®It¡¯s probably the former.¡¯
Let¡¯s think of him as a prince of the Knight Kingdom, Armein, who went on a temporary rampage. I organized my thoughts that way to protect Rutis¡¯s remaining honor.
It was scary how they were talking with each other but immediately turned their heads around as Louise¡¯s duel began.
¡°Louise! You can do it!¡±
¡°Good luck, Louise!¡±
You crazy bastards, stop it.
I distanced myself from the five idiots. The cheers of the two loudest people echoed through the ce more than the others, but the other three were cheering as well.
As that went on, the expression of Louise¡¯s opponent hardened. Who else would be able to casually cast magic against someone cheered on by imperials, royalty, and the next saint? Even I wouldn¡¯t be able to do that.
¡®You poor thing.¡¯
Even Louise seemed a bit embarrassed by the cheers as her face turned red. Still, she awkwardly waved her hand in gratitude. As she did that, the five guys began cheering even louder. And then she waved again¡
¡®This duel will be filled with nothing but wounds.¡¯
It was truly a pitiful thing.
Rutis and Lather¡¯s duel went on smoothly, except for the torn heart of the two sacrificialmbs. I also took note of students with a great future, so I was satisfied.
Not only that, but I was able to check Erich¡¯s growth. So once this was over, I would probably be able to say that this had been a satisfying day.
That was supposed to happen, but¡
¡°Huh¡¡±
¡°Woah.¡±
The Principal seemed lost for words, and I just muttered in surprise.
What the hell was that?
No, damn it. Why?
¡°I-I¡¯ve lost!¡±
The opponent had been one-sidedly hit with the magic that Louise cast. The other person hurriedly surrendered while in a shocked state.
It¡¯s understandable. Louise¡¯s magic was really peculiar. There was clearly one projectile, and then suddenly it split into three parts. One part continued flying straight, while the other two parts came from different directions, shing in different trajectories. It was a sudden triple attack, and the opponent was so overwhelmed by this unexpected event that they went crazy.
¡°What¡¯s¡¡±
As I turned my gaze to the Principal at his stiff voice, he also turned his gaze to me.
¡°Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, don¡¯t tell me that this¡¡±
¡°Yes, your guess is correct.¡±
The Principal, who was hoping for a denial, grabbed his head as I nodded. If it weren¡¯t for the spectators, I would¡¯ve run back to the dormitory without looking back and turned on themunication device.
¡®Fuck¡¡¯
Why was Louise using the Mage Duchess¡¯s unique magic?
My vision darkened at thest-minute turn of events.
Chapter 57: - There are too many people above me (1)
? There are too many people above me (1) ?
Although it was called unique magic, in reality, it wasn¡¯t something that impressive. Any magician could create magic that didn¡¯t exist before. Creating magic that could only be activated by that magician¡¯s special way of using mana could only be imitated by those they personally taught. That¡¯s what people call unique magic.
That¡¯s right, it¡¯s not just a big deal. It was a huge deal.
The Mage Duchess¡¯s magic was a very valuable one. There were people all over the continent willing to crawl to the Magic Tower if given the opportunity to learn it.
The Principal sitting next to me could control himself due to his age, but if he were younger, he would¡¯ve immediately rushed toward Louise.
¡®He¡¯s going crazy.¡¯
The Principal¡¯s reaction made it clear. The fact that Louise could use the continent¡¯s strongest magician¡¯s unique magic was something not even the Principal knew. No one else besides Louise probably knew that. Well, no, I¡¯m sure the Mage Duchess knows it.
¡®I¡¯m sure that it was her who taught Louise.¡¯
Imitating unique magic developed by others wasn¡¯t easy to do. If, by a rare chance, someone created a simr unique magic through a simr idea, the resulting spell would still be different based on their mana maniption.
But what Louise used was definitely the Mage Duchess¡¯s magic. I¡¯ve seen that many times before. Not only that, but the Principal also thought that, so it was certain. That was the Mage Duchess¡¯s unique magic. I can swear it. If I¡¯m wrong, I¡¯ll resign from my job.
¡°Do you have time?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go right away. It seems like it¡¯s going to be a lengthy discussion.¡±
The Principal nodded. This was a matter that needed some discussion.
Before I turned to go with the Principal to his office, I made eye contact with Louise. She smiled broadly and waved, so I answered her with a smile. Congrattions on your win.
But it would¡¯ve been great if you¡¯d won with another type of magic instead.
***
Only the Principal and I were sitting in his office. Even the Secretary left after serving us tea. The topic about the Duchess was not to be leaked, even the trivial details.
¡°It¡¯s rather fortunate that the magic Louise used isn¡¯t widely known.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a silver lining, I guess.¡±
The Mage Duchess, thanks to her mind-blowing talent, had many unique magics. The one that Louise had used wasn¡¯t one of the most widely known ones. If it were one of the most famous ones, the duel arena would¡¯ve been turned upside down.
Despite that, I let out a sigh of unease. It¡¯s fortunate in a way, but the situation itself was unfortunate. It turns out that Louise, whom I simply thought of as a harmless capybara, is somehow connected to the Duchess.
¡®I¡¯m truly unlucky.¡¯
From my point of view, the Duchess was scarier than a powerless prince. All of the Dukes and Duchesses weren¡¯t ordinary people in many ways.
¡°We need to figure out Louise¡¯s rtionship with the Duchess.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to confirm it with the party involved?¡±
We were obviously talking about Louise. Neither of us had the courage to ask the Mage Duchess directly. We feared what might happen if we bothered her with something unnecessary.
¡°I thought that the Mage Duchess didn¡¯t have any children nor disciples.¡±
As we both remained silent, the Principal muttered that as ifmenting. The fact that there was a student rted to the Duchess itself wasn¡¯t a problem. After all, the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s beloved daughter, Marghetta, was currently studying at the Academy. The current Queen, the daughter of the Invincible Duke, was also an Academy student.
The problem was that we weren¡¯t aware of this situation beforehand. If we knew since the beginning that Louise and the Mage Duchess were somehow rted, we wouldn¡¯t be in such a shock. It was especially more so since the target was someone who had no connection to the Academy and was someone we hoped wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with it.
That¡¯s how our meeting ended.
¡®In the end, I¡¯ll have to ask her.¡¯
I was put in charge of asking Louise about her rtionship with the Mage Duchess. I took the task so naturally that I only noticed it after walking out of the Principal¡¯s office. Dealing with things as naturally as breathing. Is this what people call experience?
As I got closer to the club room, I could tell from the noisy sound that the members were already gathered. At least I won¡¯t have to go looking for Louise.
¡°Ah, Advisor!¡±
It was a bit disappointing that I was greeted by Rutis as I opened the door.
¡°Yes, so everyone¡¯s here.¡±
¡°We were nning to have a celebration party. We were thinking of going and looking for you since you weren¡¯t here, but you came just in time!¡±
I looked around the club room. The oven was already hard at work. To think that they¡¯d make their own party food. They were strangely diligent when it came to weird things.
¡°Good job, everyone. I didn¡¯t see the results of the theory exams, but the practical ones were great.¡±
I gave them somepliments while sitting down. After all, it was true that they¡¯d done a good job regarding the exams. The ones that had suffered were the two scapegoats and the unexpected third victim of the unique magic.
¡°Haha, thank you. But Louise was even more impressive than us.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. She drove her opponent into a corner with magic we hadn¡¯t seen before.¡±
As the topic of magic came out, Rutis picked the topic from Lather. Right, it should be the first time you¡¯ve seen it. If it were famous enough for you to know, it would have been really troublesome.
¡°She was amazing.¡±
Because the topic of the conversation flowed into Louise¡¯s magic, I could also ask naturally. I couldn¡¯t outright ask her, ¡®What¡¯s your rtionship with the Mage Duchess?¡¯ but I could ask it in a roundabout way.
¡°It isn¡¯t that I¡¯m very knowledgeable about magic, but that was an unusual magic. I¡¯m curious about where you¡¯ve learned it.¡±
I tested the waters first. She¡¯d been hiding her unique magic, and that could be because she wanted to hide her connection to the Mage Duchess. However, today, she¡¯d revealed the secret she¡¯d been hiding. That could mean that it was something that she could disclose. Well, I would get to know the answer once I heard Louise¡¯s answer.
¡°I learned it from a wandering mage I met when I was young. She called herself a wanderer, and we happened to meet near my house.¡±
Wanderer. It was a word the Mage Duchess often used when she wanted to abandon her duties and roam around. I¡¯ve heard that the magicians of the Magic Tower heard the word wanderer numerous times when they went looking for her traces.
¡°She had blue hair, like Lather. Is everyone with blue hair good at magic?¡±
¡°That¡¯s an interesting hypothesis.¡±
Louiseughed, and Lather just seemed happy. However, I couldn¡¯tugh.
¡®The Mage Duchess¡¯s hair is white.¡¯
If she¡¯d appeared with blue hair instead of white, that meant that she¡¯d made contact with Louise while being disguised. Then, Louise might not know who¡¯d taught her the magic at all.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
The quest I was stuck with had changed. Instead of asking Louise, I had to ask the Mage Duchess herself.
The fact that a student of the Mage Duchess was at the Academy was a headache, but it was a manageable incident. However, the fact that the Mage Duchess had raised a disciple while hiding her identity wasn¡¯t something that could be taken lightly.
The Mage Duchess had taught her strong magic in a ce where other people weren¡¯t aware of what was happening, so there was no guarantee that there wouldn¡¯t be more cases like this. That would also imply that there could be people with strong powers scattered all over the ce, unknown to the Empire.
¡®Do I really have to ask her about this?¡¯
My mind went nk in the face of such a dreadful situation. Being contacted by a Duke was already nerve-wracking, but now I had to reach out first. Not only that, but I had to say something like, ¡®There¡¯s something fishy with you.¡¯ Damn it, is this difficulty level insane?
¡®Should I throw this to the Special Service Agency?¡¯
That thought seriously crossed my mind. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought that it was a good idea. After all, the Special Service Agency was responsible for issues rted to special powers like magicians. Broadly speaking, this was something that fell under their jurisdiction.
Yes. I belong to the Ministry of Finance. As a Civil Servant, I should be faithful to my duties and not meddle in other people¡¯s affairs. After all, there¡¯s a reason why experts like them exist.
The firstmunication with the Special Service¡¯s Executive Manager went horribly wrong.
¡ª Did you finally lose your mind?
¡°It¡¯s rted to magicians, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡ª That¡¯s not rted to magicians; it¡¯s about the Mage Duchess, so it should be categorized ordingly. Don¡¯t put it under a weird category and try to push it to others.
The Executive Manager, who¡¯d calmly received themunication, showed a fierce reaction as soon as he heard it was something rted to the Mage Duchess. He was already really busy, so he probably didn¡¯t want to handle a bomb like the Duchess.
But what could I do? I also don¡¯t want to handle it. Do they think I have a lot of free time?
¡°It isn¡¯t something that can be overlooked. There¡¯s a chance that the disciples of the Mage Duchess are scattered all around the ce.¡±
¡ª I understand that it¡¯s a serious matter, but why are you asking this to the Special Service Agency?
¡°Don¡¯t you have any information?¡±
¡ª Oof.
Seeing his reaction made me feel a bit embarrassed. I¡¯d already guessed that they probably didn¡¯t have any information. After all, the five Dukes were nobles, even among nobles. They were loyal henchmen and partners of the Emperor. Even the Special Service Agency struggled to gather information about them without the Emperor¡¯s orders.
Still, I asked, hoping that the Emperor might have issued an order regarding this. However, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t.
After a few more disputes, the Special Service Agency¡¯s Executive Manager sighed and nodded.
¡ª I understand the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager. You¡¯re already busy monitoring key figures, so the Mage Duchess getting involved is probably too much.
¡°Thanks for understanding.¡±
¡ª But the Special Service Agency isn¡¯t exactly free either. Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, I¡¯m sure you know that.
¡°Of course.¡±
¡ª Anyways, since I¡¯m the one who¡¯s in the capital, I¡¯ll try to find a way. I can¡¯t expect much from someone that¡¯s in the province.
Finally, the Special Service Agency¡¯s Executive Manager understood my desperate plea and epted my proposal. I knew I could trust him, after all.
The next morning, as soon as I saw the message on mymunication crystal, such trust waspletely shattered.
[I tried my best, but I couldn¡¯t find anything. My apologies. ¨C Special Service Agency¡¯s Executive Manager ]
At first, I didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but I understood it after seeing the following message.
[Baby, contact me once you see this message.]
It was a brief message that didn¡¯t even reveal the sender. However, given the circumstances and the tone, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess the person behind it.
¡®That bastard.¡¯
Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d find a way?
Was the way that you were talking about involved connecting me directly with the Mage Duchess?
Chapter 58: - There are too many people above me (2)
? There are too many people above me (2) ?
Memories from the past surged up. The painful memories of identally tapping on a message that wasn¡¯t meant to be read, and then having to respond to it because the message showed ¡®read¡¯. Every time that happened, I pondered desperately if there was any way to revert it back to ¡®unread.¡¯
¡®I wonder if breaking it would make it like it never happened.¡¯
I struggled with the urge to throw themunication crystal against the wall. Would it be excusable to im that themunication crystal was broken and that I was unable to receive messages? But if I did that, it might lead to even more troublesome situations.
¡®That bastard.¡¯
No matter how I thought about it, the Executive Manager of the Special Service Agency was the worst. How could he do this to me? How many times had I turned a blind eye to what his family had done?
Feeling dejected, I closed my eyes and operated themunication crystal. It would be even more troublesome if I kept dying it and the Mage Duchess contacted me first. Just thinking about that was frightening.
I looked at the blinkingmunication crystal with a bitter expression. It would be great if she didn¡¯t receive the call so I could just leave a message instead. Please, don¡¯t pick it up. Please, don¡¯t pick it up. Please, don¡¯t pick it up¡
¡ª Baby? Long time no see.
She answered.
¡°I, heir of the Krasius family and Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, is calling Your Grace, the¡¡±
¡ª It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t need to bother with the formalities.
¡°Understood.¡±
She dismissed me as I bowed my head to greet her. The Mage Duchess didn¡¯t like bothersome procedures and ceremonies, so she often cut it off if she thought that things would drag on. Of course, those who shortened greetings without the Duchess¡¯s permission might find themselves in trouble.
¡ª My child, you¡¯ve be quite bold in the time we haven¡¯t seen each other.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what do you mean¡?¡±
¡ª I heard you were curious about ady¡¯s private life.
That bastard, he really said it all¡ Thanks for saving me the trouble of saying it myself.
While I was considering whether to investigate the Special Service¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s family one more time, the Mage Duchess¡¯s white eyes silently looked at me. I just can¡¯t get used to those white eyes. It was hard to distinguish between the iris and the white, which was somewhat startling.
Still, the owner of those eyes was a beauty, so they felt more mystical than scary. The iris was closer to silver than white, and the pupil was also pale. The Mage Duchess, who seemed deep in thought, opened her mouth.
¡ª I¡¯ll be going to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, so wait for me.
¡°Pardon?¡±
Did I hear her wrong?
I made the mistake of questioning the Duchess¡¯s words, but the words of the Mage Duchess were perplexing. To the Prosecutor¡¯s Office? The Mage Duchess herself? No. Not only that, but I¡¯m in the Academy in the first ce.
¡°I was assigned to the Academy. So unfortunately, I won¡¯t be able to wee you.¡±
¡ª Is that so?
The Mage Duchess tilted her head while her long ears perked up as if she¡¯d encountered an unexpected problem.
¡ª Should I go to the Academy, then?
¡°If you¡¯re going toe personally, it would be rude for me not to return to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office and greet you personally.¡±
¡ª My baby, as expected. You¡¯re so considerate of me.
¡°You¡¯re ttering me.¡±
And my struggle ended just like that. I simply bowed my head at the indirectment to stop fussing ande quickly. The Mage Duchess looked at me as if she were asking why I was squirming when I would submit anyways. It was a sad thing.
¡ª I¡¯ll send someone, so you canefortably.
¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±
She meant that she would send a teleportation magician to ensure I couldn¡¯t run off. I was so moved by the generosity that I felt like shedding tears.
There was no way to resist the call of the Mage Duchess. She was even going to send me a teleportation magician, so there was nothing I could do about it. I urgently contacted the Principal, Vice Principal, and Vir to tell them I had to go somewhere. At least those three needed to be aware of my absence so they could respond quickly in the case of an emergency.
As I waited for the magician to appear in the main building, someone popped out of thin air and dropped before me. They appeared faster than I thought. Well, he probably received a sudden order, so it was understandable why he hurried so much.
We looked at each other in understanding of each other¡¯s feelings.
¡°Executive Manager, I came here to take you.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
We didn¡¯t say anything unnecessary. For workrades, it was best to each do our part and part ways.
See? This magician also disappeared when we appeared before the Ministry of Finance¡¯s building. Disappearing after your duty was fulfilled was the attitude a good Civil Servant needed to have.
¡®I¡¯m back here again.¡¯
After being left alone, I silently looked up at the Ministry of Finance¡¯s building. When I left for the Academy, I wanted toe back soon, but this wasn¡¯t what I had in mind. Did someone gift me a monkey¡¯s hand? My wishes wereing true, but the process was a mess.
I sighed and was about to enter the Ministry of Finance¡¯s building when themunication crystal shone.
¡ª Executive Manager! We¡¯re in trouble!
As soon as I received the call, the 2nd Manager¡¯s face appeared. I reflexively shouted. Trouble? From the mouth of the 2nd Manager?
¡°You bastard! What did you do this time?!¡±
I instinctively cursed him. The Mage Duchess was going to visit, and yet the 2nd Manager said that there was a problem. Seeing how the message didn¡¯te via the Senior Manager, it must really be an urgent matter.
¡ª I didn¡¯t do anything! The Mage Duchess said she was going to pay a visit! We don¡¯t know what happened!
With a look of injustice, innocence, and exasperation, the 2nd Manager blurted out words, leaving me speechless. Ah, so it wasn¡¯t an ovepping incident. It was my doing, after all.
¡ª We¡¯re preparing to receive her, but can we handle this by ourselves? Executive Manager, shouldn¡¯t you be here too?
¡°I¡¯m already here.¡±
¡ª What?
¡°I¡¯ve alsoe.¡±
After a moment of silence, the 2nd Manager began shouting again.
¡ª What did you do while you were outside?!
It was the first time this year that I was lost for words at something the 2nd Manager said. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry¡ Fuck, I didn¡¯t know that bastard from the Special Service Agency would do this.
***
Beatrix Catoban of Servette, the Mage Duchess.
One of the five Dukes of the Empire.
It was said that the current Servette Duchess had reached the peak of magic. This wasn¡¯t something people said lightly. Even the mages of the magic powerhouse, United Kingdom of Yuben, were no match for her.
Other magicians would find it unfair to bepared to her. After all, she wasn¡¯t even human in the first ce.
¡°My child, you shouldn¡¯t make ady wait.¡±
¡°I apologize, Your Grace.¡±
Long white hair and pointy ears. The blood of elves runs through the veins of the Catoban family, And the Mage Duchess was a half-elf. Among the five Dukes, who were practically non-human in various ways, the Mage Duchess stood out as a non-human, not just in terms of race but also in abilities and personality.
It was said that the Iron-blooded Duke was the oldest one, but that was the case only if we took into consideration the human Dukes. The Mage Duchess was a half-elf, so she was the oldest in reality. So calling her ady was¡
¡°Take a seat.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
My thoughts were interrupted by the words of the Mage Duchess. Although I was the host weing the guest, the title of Duke was enough to overturn such meaningless things.
The Mage Duchess seemed rxed while drinking the tea the Senior Manager put on the table before he escaped. I wish she would realize how the pitiful Civil Servant before her felt. Or maybe it was better for her to just drink the tea silently.
¡°Baby.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±
The Mage Duchess, who was savoring the fragrance of the tea with her eyes closed, opened them and looked at me. She put the teacup on the table and looked like she was about to start talking seriously.
¡°Since when did the Prosecutor¡¯s Office be interested in a Duke¡¯s private life?¡±
¡®Damn it.¡¯
I was prepared for an attack, but this was too strong. The Mage Duchess seemed disappointed when I couldn¡¯t find a proper answer.
¡°I thought we had a close rtionship, but it seemed like it was one-sided. It hurts.¡±
¡°How could I not know Your Grace¡¯s affection? It¡¯s just that I failed to control my curiosity.¡±
¡°Come closer.¡±
I cautiously approached the Mage Duchess. She pointed downward with her fingers and understanding what she meant, I bowed my head. Her hand gently touched the top of my head. What was this? An implication that she would use a lightning spell to fry me?
¡°What hurt me the most was having heard the news about you through the Special Service Agency¡¯s Executive Manager. Do you understand?¡±
¡°Yes. Yes, of course.¡±
¡°Good. Be careful from now on.¡±
Although her words were soft, in reality, she was annoyed that I had found information about her through the Special Service Agency.
Still, instead of burning my head with lightning magic, she lightly stroked my head. It felt like I¡¯d be a dog for a moment, but I¡¯m d. It seemed she wasn¡¯t thinking of blowing up the test subject yet. On days like this, I felt d I had cooperated with the Mage Duchess¡¯s experiments.
¡°You¡¯ve seen a kid using my unique magic?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
It seemed like the Mage Duchess wouldn¡¯t just forgive me but answer the mystery, too. Today was a lucky day¡
¡°Isn¡¯t she a girl with pink hair and blue eyes?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±
It seemed like she remembered her appearance because she¡¯d taught her unique magic. Then, had she raised a disciple intentionally? I wonder if there were more like Louise.
¡°She¡¯s actually the daughter I gave up for adoption with tears in my eyes. I couldn¡¯t believe how beautiful she¡¯d be after growing up.¡±
¡°¡What?¡±
What?
I was frozen at Louise¡¯s unexpected secret of birth. It was disturbing enough that she was her disciple, but she was also her daughter¡?
The Mage Duchess nodded at my reaction and kept talking.
¡°I was just joking because you seemed tense. Did you find it funny?¡±
Ah.
¡°Your Grace¡¯s sense of humor is always admirable.¡±
¡°Fufu. Right?¡±
Seeing her satisfied smile, I managed to awkwardly smile back.
I momentarily forgot that this old woman liked to tell weird jokes.
Chapter 59: - There are too many people above me (3)
? There are too many people above me (3) ?
I was the Executive Manager, and yet, the Duchess was making jokes that I should be doing to entertain my superiors. What kind of torture was this? It felt a bit unfair. She was clearly bullying me using her status.
¡®Is it because of her age?¡¯
I felt a bit sorry when I thought of the Mage Duchess¡¯s age. Despite her age, she hadn¡¯t gotten married or had children. If she found joy in making such silly jokes, then it was the duty of a young person to endure them.
¡°Baby? What are you thinking about?¡±
It seemed like my sympathetic feelings toward the Mage Duchess were visible. She suddenly put more strength on her hands while stroking my head.
¡°I was thinking that my subordinates would do a better job if I had a good sense of humor like the Duchess.¡±
¡°Oh, you must have been having a hard time. Baby, don¡¯t worry. Things will get sorted out as time passes.¡±
¡®I¡¯d rather not.¡¯
That advice sounded like ¡®You¡¯ll be like me once you grow older.¡¯ They said that the words of magicians that have reached a higher ne carried a lot of weight, which made things scarier.
Regardless of my feelings, the Duchess¡¯s smile deepened. It seemed like she was pleased with my words.
¡°It¡¯s been eight years since I¡¯ve met that child you¡¯ve talked about. That was the only time when I taught someone magic.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
That¡¯s a relief. If Louise was the only one she¡¯d taught magic, then it meant that she didn¡¯t have secret disciples scattered all over the ce. Several would be a problem, but one could be considered a whim or hobby of the Duchess.
Even the Emperor¡¯s suspicions don¡¯t extend to such trivial matters. I was worried about what would happen if the Emperor started doubting the Mage Duchess as well. Well, she probably already thought about potential issues since she was a Duchess.
Anyway, eight years ago meant that Louise was about 9 years old.
¡®It¡¯s a one-year difference.¡¯
The free chapters only mentioned Louise¡¯s story up to when she was about eight years old. To think that the part where she learned magic after encountering the Duchess would be in the paid chapters.
¡°That kid isn¡¯t aware that the person who taught her magic was you. It¡¯s pitiful that she doesn¡¯t know how lucky she is.¡±
¡°I was traveling, so I didn¡¯t want things to get noisy.¡±
Thest question was also answered. It seemed like she¡¯d hid her identity because she was traveling and didn¡¯t want to be bothered. Indeed, it can be vexing to have disturbances during a trip meant for rest.
I felt relieved. Having a sudden meeting with the Duchess was flustering, but at least I heard the truth from the person involved. The Duchess wasn¡¯t someone who would lie about these things.
¡°Is that child doing well?¡±
¡°Yes. She¡¯s healthy and doing well.¡±
The Duchess, who¡¯d taken her hand off my head, asked me about Louise¡¯s well-being. Although she¡¯d taught her because of a whim, it seemed like she¡¯d gotten a liking to her since she¡¯d taught her.
¡°That¡¯s good to hear. When I first saw her, she had a gloomy expression despite being so young.¡±
I just nodded at her words.
The truth revealed by the Mage Duchess turned out to be a rather ordinary story of a romance novel heroine encountering a strange destiny by ident. It was a bit disappointing, considering the serious talk I had with the Principal. Of course, this was better than handling a major incident.
Since I had finished all my business here, I just had to return to the Academy.
¡°Baby, could you pour me another cup?¡±
¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±
But, ma¡¯am, why aren¡¯t you leaving?
I barely managed to suppress the words that were about to burst out of my throat. I carefully poured tea into the cup.
The reason why the Mage Duchess had summoned me here was due to an invasion of privacy. I asked for her apology and had been forgiven, and we¡¯d already talked about Louise, so there was nothing left to discuss. However, the Mage Duchess didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of leaving.
¡°How¡¯s life in the Academy?¡±
This felt like a grandmother asking her grandson how school was. However, that wasn¡¯t something I could or should say out loud, so I decided to keep it to myself.
¡°I¡¯m getting used to it as time goes by.¡±
¡°I see. I was excited to hear that you were going to the Academy.¡±
¡°Haha.¡±
Apparently, my pain was a form of entertainment to the Duchess.
¡°When I used to go there¡¡±
The Mage Duchess began talking about her school days then trailed off, sipping her tea. I just lowered my gaze.
Everyone knew that the Mage Duchess avoided talking about her age. Elves were usually indifferent to their age, but the Mage Duchess was a half-elf. Moreover, she lived along with humans, so her values were also closer to a human.
Even if she knew and epted that her age was overwhelmingpared to others, her human-like heart showed strong resistance. That¡¯s why she usually avoids talking about her Academy days. Even so, most people already know her age.
¡®Did she graduate about a hundred years ago?¡¯
But again, this wasn¡¯t something I could mention, so I decided to keep it to myself. I don¡¯t know how she will react if a mere heir like me brought up that topic.
¡°I heard that the Academy has changed a lot. I would like to visit someday if I get the chance.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure the Principal would be delighted if you came.¡±
¡°Really? I wonder if there¡¯s a teaching position avable.¡±
Oh, fuck.
My eyes twitched slightly at her sudden statement, and the Mage Duchess chuckled.
¡°But I¡¯m already busy with the Magic Tower, so it will be hard. However, it would be a good chance to spend more time with my baby.¡±
¡°I also think that¡¯s too bad.¡±
With a soft smile, the Mage Duchess put down her cup of tea and finally got up from her seat. I also got up to send her off when I noticed that she was looking at my arm.
¡°Do you need it?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I still have plenty left.¡±
I was about to roll up my sleeve when the Mage Duchess refused. She¡¯d drawn blood from me just before I was dispatched to the Academy, so she should still have some left. Even before I possessed this body, the blood donation cycle was about two or three months, so it was a little too soon if she was to draw now.
¡°I think there¡¯s going to be good results soon.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d to hear my blood is valuable.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a relief that you think that way. Come to the Magic Towerter. Take it easy on your journey back.¡±
¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±
After saying that, the Mage Duchess left the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. Her immacte white hair, which sparkled in the sunlight, always left a strong impression when it trailed behind her on the floor. It didn¡¯t get dirty no matter how much she dragged it around because she cast a spell on it.
¡®A robot vacuum cleaner¡¡¯
Seeing how the spot where the Mage Duchess had passed through became totally clean was proof of how effective the magic¡¯s effect was. She was a living vacuum cleaner.
While thinking about things that could be considered disrespectful, I sat back down. Now that I think about it, she mentioned that good results mighte soon.
¡®That¡¯s faster than I thought.¡¯
The war in the North had taught me things about my physical characteristics I wasn¡¯t aware of. A remarkably strong life force and an astonishing recovery ability. Thanks to these things, I could survive in the North through numerous dangerous situations. And that was also why the Mage Duchess took notice of my bizarre body.
I was surprised when the Duchess suddenly appeared and asked me to sell my blood for an experiment. I had no reason to object, of course. After all, I had previously exchanged my blood for two Choco Pies. There was no reason to refuse if she would offer a fair price.
¡®But how soon is ¡®soon¡¯ for the Duchess?¡¯
The standard of ¡®soon¡¯ for a half-elf that had been alive for more than 120 years might be different.
Someone knocked on the door not long after the Mage Duchess left.
¡°She¡¯s gone. Come in.¡±
My subordinates came in as soon as I replied. There were five of them in total. It seemed like they were all here without anyone wandering outside. Or it could be that they were summoned after the announcement of the Mage Duchess¡¯s visit.
¡°Are you alright?¡±
¡°Yes. There¡¯s no problem.¡±
I nodded at the Senior Manager, who¡¯d asked on behalf of the others. It was a harmless interview that ended without any problems. The Senior Manager sighed in relief after hearing that.
¡°Executive Manager, did youe here because you missed us? As expected, you aren¡¯t honest.¡±
After realizing the situation wasn¡¯t serious, the 1st Manager began joking. The sight of her rushing forward while waving her hands was unpleasant.
¡°Uuubb¡ª!!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. We didn¡¯t meet for work-rted issues. It was personal, so just keep doing your job as usual.¡±
I exined to the others while pulling the cheeks of the 1st Manager. This time, the Mage Duchess hade because of my mishap. However, thinking about that made me angry again about the Secret Service Agency¡¯s Executive Manager. That bastard.
¡°But why would the Mage Duchess herselfe here? She¡¯s someone that¡¯s hard to meet outside the Tower.¡±
The 2nd Manager asked while stroking his chin. I nned to keep it a secret since it was the Duchess¡¯s personal life, but it probably meant that it was okay for the other members of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office to learn about it if she¡¯d told me.
¡°There¡¯s a noble that has learned one of the Duchess¡¯s unique magic. I was trying to find more information when she kindly told me herself.¡±
¡°One of her unique magic? Whoever that is, they hit the jackpot. Everyone will try to recruit you if you¡¯re the Duchess¡¯s disciple.¡±
¡°It¡¯s Louise.¡±
Upon hearing this, the 2nd Manager bit his lip, and his expression became distorted. Everyone knew that Louise was the president of the club I was in charge of. He probably doesn¡¯t know whether tough, admire or offer words offort at the miraculous probability of my charge bing the Mage Duchess¡¯s disciple.
¡°That¡¯s surprising.¡±
The Senior Manager muttered words that probably represented everyone¡¯s feelings.
¡°Ub¡ªUub.¡±
¡°Ah, right.¡±
Just as I was about to sigh, I heard a pitiful moaning from the side. I nned to pinch her briefly but ended up holding her longer than I thought.
¡°Are you going back right away?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do during the morning, so I¡¯ll rest a bit before returning.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
The meeting with the Mage Duchess, which I didn¡¯t want to be summoned for, was also over. I had also informed the Principal, Vice Principal, and Vir that I might bete. Besides, there was still some time before the club hour started, so it should be okay to take a breath before returning. It was a small treat for myself who has been through a lot.
I was resting when mymunication crystal began shining.
¡°Ah.¡±
It seemed like the rumors had already spread, although I had just got back.
I should¡¯ve returned immediately and not tried to enjoy some peaceful time.
Chapter 60: - There are too many people above me (4)
? There are too many people above me (4) ?
No matter how ustomed I might be to the dispatched location, it was inevitable that my original workce would feel morefortable. Comparing my workce to my home might seem strange, but unfortunately, the ce I¡¯ve been staying longer than my own home was the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. What could I do about it?
So, since I¡¯m here anyway, I thought about taking a rest in afortable ce. While there were several important figures to consider at the Academy, there¡¯s no one above me in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. At most, I just need to be mindful of the Minister, who shared the same building.
That¡¯s what I thought.
¡®The news had already spread.¡¯
I felt bitter after seeing themunication crystal glowing. As a Civil Servant, I only have to worry about the Minister. There¡¯s the royal family as well, but at least they wouldn¡¯t contact me unexpectedly. Fortunately, I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the calls of the royal family for a while.
But before being a Civil Servant, I was also a noble from the Empire. The number of superiors I had as a noble far outweighed those I had as a Civil Servant. To put it bluntly, I didn¡¯t have a title yet. I was a mere sessor. For example, only taking into consideration the Dukes, I already had five superiors.
¡°I¡¯m the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager Carl Krasius.¡±
¡ª Carl, it¡¯s me.
I couldn¡¯t keep my superior waiting, so I took the call. A gentleman with a neatly grown beard and a warm smile appeared.
¡°Heir to the Krasius family and Executive Manager of the Ministry of Finance, Carl Krasius, greets Your Grace, the Invincible Duke. How have you been, sir?¡±
¡ª I¡¯ve been doing well. What could have happened to a man who merely holds his position?
As soon as I confirmed the other party, I bowed my head. The person on the other side was one of the five dukes, the Invincible Duke. First, it was the Mage Duchess, and now, the Invincible Duke. What a day.
¡ª I¡¯ve heard from the Mage Duchess. So you¡¯re in the capital?
¡°Yes, Your Grace. I had some business to attend to, so I came all the way here.¡±
The one who¡¯d spread the news was indeed the Mage Duchess. Olddy, your mouth is a bit too loose. She might have said it in consideration of me so that I could meet some acquaintances before returning to the Academy.
¡ª I regretted that I couldn¡¯t see you off before your dispatch. Do you have time?
¡°Of course. Even if I didn¡¯t have, I would make some time.¡±
¡ª Haha, thank you. I¡¯m at the same ce as always, soe whenever you¡¯refortable.
¡°Understood.¡±
I put themunication crystal back in my pocket after confirming that its light had gone out.
¡®I should greet him before going back.¡¯
It wasn¡¯t something that was in my ns, but I¡¯ll have to go since he contacted me. What kind of noble would refuse an invitation from a Duke?
I didn¡¯t have much time since I had to return before the club activities began. I had to move immediately if I wanted to return to the Academy on time.
The Imperial Military headquarters. The Invincible Duke was here. He was the one in charge of the Empire¡¯s army on behalf of the Emperor, who was nominally the Supreme Commander. The Duke was also the Emperor¡¯s father-inw, so not even the Minister of Defense dared to do anything regarding his control.
¡®Every time I see it, it¡¯s sad.¡¯
And originally, it should¡¯ve been the ce where I worked. The Invincible Duke said that he would get me a good position once he moved to the military, but I couldn¡¯t even get close to the headquarters due to the trick of the Crown Prince. I wonder if my life would¡¯ve been different if I hadn¡¯t been tricked back then.
I wonder what position I would have been in by now if I¡¯d stayed at the headquarters for two years underneath the Invincible Duke¡¯s halo. At least, it wouldn¡¯t be a bizarre position like the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.
With a bitter feeling, I entered the headquarters, and the guards greeted me with a salute. I felt like I was being treated like a military person rather than an outsider because of how frequently I came here before I was dispatched to the Academy.
¡°Keep up the good work.¡±
I reciprocated the salute and headed to the Deputy Commander¡¯s office. Exchanging greetings with everyone I met along the way was a job in itself. Two years ago, I naturally thought I would end uping here to the headquarters. That was why I became familiar with the people that worked here in advance by having frequent meetings.
¡®Crown Prince, that bastard.¡¯
Although two years had passed, I still felt a deep anger. I still remember how the people in the headquarters looked at me while congratting me on my promotion. From their point of view, it was as if someone with a promised promotion had been bluffing about how he woulde to the army.
But that was unfair. I only learned I was getting a promotion after it was announced. Normally, they would inform the people in advance, but the Crown Prince promoted me and the Minister out of the blue.
¡®I¡¯ve arrived.¡¯
While cursing the Crown Prince inside, I arrived at the Deputy Commander¡¯s office. Time always flies fast when you spend it cursing your superiors.
Knock, knock.
¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s Carl Krasius.¡±
¡°Ah, you came quickly. Come in.¡±
As soon as I opened the door, I saw the Invincible Duke walking toward me. He could have just stayed seated.
¡°Carl, wee. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±
I bowed my head toward the Invincible Duke, who patted my shoulder while smiling. Regardless of him being a Duke, I owed him a lot.
¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Your Grace. I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re doing well.¡±
¡°Why are you checking on my health twice? Even though you¡¯re so considerate toward me, you left without saying anything. I was quite upset about that.¡±
¡°I apologize. It all happened so suddenly that¡¡±
¡°Haha! I was kidding. I understand you, of course.¡±
He pulled me over and made me sit. I got up from my seat after seeing him turn toward the tea set that was in the corner, but he waved his hands as if asking me to sit down. This kind of harmless consideration was the most terrifying.
¡°I suppose you already had a drink with the Mage Duchess, but would you like to have another one with me?¡±
¡°It would be an honor.¡±
I stared at the Invincible Duke. I once offered to help but was forced to sit down. Since then, it¡¯s been like this. Woah, drinking a tee that¡¯s been brewed by a Duke. It¡¯s truly an honor¡
¡°I had a good dream today. Perhaps it was a sign that an important guest woulde.¡±
¡°I¡¯m surprised that Your Grace pays attention to dreams.¡±
¡°I guess that it¡¯s because I¡¯m getting old. Oh, please. Don¡¯t tell the Mage Duchess what I¡¯ve just said.¡±
¡°Haha, of course.¡±
I chuckled at the Invincible Duke¡¯s words as he brought the tea. It¡¯s been a well-known fact to those that knew the Mage Duchess that she became interested in dream interpretation. If she found out that the Invincible Duke had said, ¡®I seem to be paying attention to dreams because I¡¯m getting old,¡¯ the Mage Duchess would surelye for him.
It didn¡¯t matter if the person who said it was the Invincible Duke, because the fact that he¡¯d attacked her with her age didn¡¯t change.
In fact, no one cared that the Mage Duchess was 120 years old, but because she reacted sensitively to it, others started paying attention to it as well. Is this the kind of disaster that one brings upon oneself?
¡°I heard that several important bloodlines have gathered at the Academy.¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±
¡°It must be hard for you. I¡¯m sorry for not being able to help.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay, Your Grace. Don¡¯t worry. I appreciate your kind words.¡±
After saying that, both the Invincible Duke and I took a sip of tea. After a brief silence, the Invincible Duke opened his mouth.
¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do a good job, Carl. After all, the Crown Prince has shown that he trusts you greatly.¡±
¡°I¡¯m grateful for that.¡±
So this was why he suddenly called me. It wasn¡¯t just to have tea.
¡®The situation¡¯s still the same.¡¯
By saying ¡®important bloodlines¡¯ in this context, one would normally think of Rutis, Lather, and Tannian. However, from the Empire¡¯s point of view, the first one thates to mind is Ainter.
What the Invincible Duke wanted to say was simple. He regretted that I had to suffer due to the Crown Prince¡¯s order to oversee Ainter, but there was nothing he could do about the Crown Prince¡¯s wishes. However, he assured me that the Crown Prince had no further ns, so I could continue managing Ainter however I wanted to.
I felt relieved. I was worried that the Crown Prince might go crazy and order me to deal with Ainter, but the Invincible Duke managed to calm things down. He didn¡¯t unterally take the Crown Prince¡¯s side, his son-inw, and instead considered my situation. I was truly grateful for that.
¡°What¡¯s there to thank for? This was possible because of the foundation you¡¯ve built.¡±
The Invincible Duke responded to myment with a smile, and I smiled as well. However, I didn¡¯t feelfortable about the fact that the debt was piling up little by little.
Apart from that, the Invincible Duke didn¡¯t bring up any other work-rted topics. If there was an issue that was serious enough for a Duke to personally deliver, that by itself would¡¯ve been a bigger problem.
As we were having a simple conversation over tea, something crossed my mind, so I cautiously opened my mouth.
¡°How are the others doing?¡±
¡°They¡¯re probably doing well. Except for me and the Mage Duchess, most of them hardly leave their territory, so there¡¯s no way for me to know how they¡¯re doing.¡±
That¡¯s fortunate. I was worried about being summoned by another Duke. But if they weren¡¯t in the capital, there was no need for me to worry. Most Dukes only came to the capital when the Emperor called them. The Invincible Duke and the Mage Duchess were the special ones who had work to do in the capital.
The Iron-Blooded Duke was retired. The Gold Duke was immersed in his business, while the Wise Duke seemed to be enjoying ying SimCity in his territory. I knew that they rarely appeared in the capital, but having a confirmation was reassuring.
As I nodded in relief, the Invincible Duke smiled and said.
¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be asking you about Iron-Blooded Duke¡¯s news?¡±
¡°Yes? What do you mean?¡±
¡°Oh, I misspoke due to my old age. Forget what I¡¯ve just said.¡±
He burst outughing, but it was obviously an intentional remark.
¡®How far did it spread?¡¯
I awkwardlyughed along, as something roughly came to mind. Marghetta had probably told the Iron-blooded Duke about the ball, and he must have told the Invincible Duke. It must have been funny hearing that I, who had never danced before, suddenly danced with Marghetta.
¡®It¡¯s burdensome.¡¯
The Invincible Duke was among the few people who knew why I hadn¡¯t gotten married or engaged. Even though he was brushing it off as a slip of the tongue, he subtly mentioned Marghetta to see my reaction.
I understood that he was saying that out of concern for me and without any other intention, but it was a bit scary that he brought it up whenever I started to forget about it. He felt like one of those elderly rtives you visited during holidays.
I wasn¡¯t even pressured like this by the patriarch. Anyone looking from the outside would think that I¡¯m the Invincible Duke¡¯s son.
Chapter 61: - There are too many people above me (5)
? There are too many people above me (5) ?
The animosity of a person of higher standing can be dreadful, but excessive favor could be awkward as well. Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t facing that kind of hostility. Instead, I was currently dealing with an ufortable level of goodwill from the important individual right in front of me. How could you even imagine a situation in which the Duke would propose marriage to you? It was simply unbelievable.
Maintaining a strictly professional rtionship and parting ways with the Gold Duke as business partners was the most convenient thing. That noble was so predictable that if you were to input A, you¡¯d always get B. The other Dukes¡¯ reactions to the same input were unpredictable.
¡°These days, people tend to marryter in life.¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard the same.¡±
This was the first time I was hearing about it.
¡°My own daughter got married at the appropriate age.¡±
¡°I remember. I was quite surprised when I heard about it.¡±
¡°Haha, if you were, then how much more would I, her father, have felt?¡±
The Invincible Duke subtly mentioned the Crown Princess, indirectly suggesting, ¡¯Since you¡¯re not too old, consider it.¡¯ It¡¯s fortunate that he didn¡¯t mention anything further.
But wasn¡¯t the Crown Princess¡¯s marriage too unusual to be taken as aparison? The Crown Princess married not out of political strategy, but out of genuine love for the First Prince, who was struggling to survive against the Second Prince¡¯s faction at the time. He wasn¡¯t even the Crown Prince back then.
Due to that unexpected marriage, the session dispute which seemed to favor the Second Prince took a dramatic turn. Furthermore, a war broke out in the North as if it was scripted. If the Invincible Duke had fallen in the North at that time, the Crown Prince¡¯s marriage proposal would have to be epted.
¡°Oh no, I¡¯ve been taking too much of your time. You must be busy.¡±
¡°No, Your Grace. It¡¯s an honor to spend time with you.¡±
As I was envisioning an alternate reality where I bit my tongue and perished upon hearing about the Crown Princess¡¯ marriage, the Invincible Duke¡¯s voice interrupted my daydreaming. The conversation had taken more time than I had anticipated.
¡°Oh, Your Grace. I have something to give you.¡±
¡°Hmm? For me? Well, you must have rushed here; when did you manage to find the time to prepare me a gift?¡±
Although his tone was questioning why I would even bother to prepare something, he seemed to be genuinely pleased. Unexpected gifts were always delightful.
I took out the notebook from my pocket, tore out a page with a bunch of names on it, and handed it to the Invincible Duke. It was a seemingly insignificant gift, but one that would surely please him.
¡°There are many exceptional students in the Academy. The future of the Empire is truly promising. It¡¯s all thanks to the benevolence of His Majesty.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great news.¡±
The Invincible Duke epted the paper with satisfaction, expressing his appreciation. It was a preliminary list of potential Civil Servants that Ipiled the day before the Special Service Agency¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s unexpected betrayal. Among them, I put emphasis on the individuals suitable for military positions.
Although the rmendation was made without their knowledge, I had no doubt that those students would be pleased by it. It wasn¡¯t just any rmendation; it was a direct rmendation to the Deputy Commander, the head of the Imperial Army. It was a rare opportunity that might onlye once in a lifetime.
¡°Thank you, Carl. The thought of these young individuals filling the Imperial Army makes my heart flutter.¡±
¡°I feel the same way.¡±
By asionally rmending people suitable for the army, he could also rmend talented individuals for the Prosecutor¡¯s Officeter on. It was a win-win situation. What a beautiful sight.
¡°I shall take my leave now. Have a good day.¡±
After delivering the gift to the Invincible Duke, it was time to leave. If I stayed any longer, I might bete in returning to the Academy.
¡°Carl, I have onest thing to say.¡±
¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±
The Invincible Duke¡¯s voice stopped me as I was about to leave. Turning around, I saw that he had a small smile on his face.
¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. I¡¯m just returning what should never have been mine in the first ce.¡±
¡°¡Thank you, Your Grace.¡±
¡°No need for thanks. Take care ande back when you¡¯re done with your duties.¡±
Seeing the Invincible Duke, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to discuss the matter of the Six Swords. Regardless of my personal satisfaction, the rise in fame of the Six Swords would undoubtedly harm the Duke¡¯s reputation. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t speak up until the end, but he took the initiative to mention it, assuring me that he was fine.
I left the Deputy Commander¡¯s office with my head lowered. I thought I could repay some of my past debts by presenting him some new ves today, but they had increased instead. At this rate, I¡¯ll end up bankrupt, unable to even pay my interests.
While I saw a benefactor to whom I couldn¡¯t pay the interest, I was greeted by these damn bastards who wanted me to pay the interest.
Ah! How envious! An Academy life in your youthful twenties!
A tattered card caught my eye as soon as I opened the office door. It exuded a crazy presence that forcibly drew my gaze.
¡®It¡¯s still here?¡¯
I distinctly remember tearing it apart and then throwing it away. Those persistent bastards must have found it and pieced them back together. I should have burned it instead of throwing it away.
¡°Oh, Executive Manager! You¡¯re here!¡±
While I nkly stared at the card, the 1st Manager¡¯s voice came from beside me. I turned my gaze and saw the 1st Manager giggling, holding a bottle of liquor in each handughing and with a smile on her face.
¡°Since we had a party without youst time, we decided to do it again!¡±
¡°Without me¡¡±
I vividly rememberpletely ruining the party. Those bastards had the audacity to hold a party behind my back. Who was that party for? Its protagonist was missing, you crazy motherfuckers.
¡°Ta-da! Executive Manager, I didn¡¯t even bother bringing an ordinary cup for you, but an entire bottle!¡±
The 1st Manager offered the bottle cheerfully. I looked down at the bottle in her hand and then lifted my gaze to the 1st Manager¡¯s head. Would hitting her head with this bottle kill her? Can I control it enough not to kill her?
¡°You never know when you¡¯ll be back after you leave, so have a drink before you go.¡±
The 2nd Manager appeared, all smiles. Could I stab him in the belly with a broken bottle? How much control would I need so he wouldn¡¯t die, too?
¡°Cheers!¡±
The 2nd Manager eximed as he raised his ss, and the 1st Manager and 3rd Manager naturally joined in, appearing joyful. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the 4th Manager and the 5th Manager quietly holding their sses, seemingly holding their breath. They were one of the few conscientious people in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. I might have truly gone insane if it weren¡¯t for them.
¡°¡Fine.¡±
I forcefully suppressed the urge to make a mess out of everything at this moment. Starting a rampage right now would only dy my return to the Academy. If it was intentional, they¡¯re bastards; if it¡¯s idental, then they¡¯re idiots. Which one were they?
Contemting which one they were, I clinked sses moderately and left. I felt like I would copse due to high blood pressure if I stayed any longer. In the meantime, they kept on drinking even after I left. It¡¯s as if they used my arrival at the Prosecutor¡¯s Office as an excuse to drink.
¡®They used to drink so casually.¡¯
The Prosecutor¡¯s Office was a department where drinking was allowed during work. It¡¯s a department that frequently shed and argued with nobles, which resulted in considerable work stress. So as a favor, albeit somewhat necessary, they were allowed to deal with it through alcohol.
Of course, there were many individuals in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office who weren¡¯t in their right minds even when sober, so this level of consideration might¡¯ve been unnecessary. They probably would have been fine without drinking.
Just before returning to the Academy, I received both good and bad news.
The good news was that there was nomunication from the pce. After meeting two dukes in a row, I wondered if the Crown Prince might also summon me. Fortunately, the Crown Prince was apparently too busy to have the leisure to call me. I feel somewhat guilty for being relieved by this.
The bad news was that the Special Service Agency¡¯s Executive Manager went into hiding. I personally went to the Special Service Agency to make aint instead of just sending a letter since I hade all the way to the capital. However, he was reported absent. That damn bastard must have caught on fast and fled.
¡°I¡¯ll take you to the Academy.¡±
Despite having gone to the Magic Tower without having sent word beforehand, a teleportation magician greeted me. It was probably because the Mage Duchess had already given an order. I was able to move quickly to the Academy without the need to find anyone. If I had gone like this the first time I was dispatched, I wouldn¡¯t have suffered from motion sickness. It just so happened that the Magic Tower was exceptionally busy at that time.
¡°Executive Manager. The Mage Duchess left a message for you.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°She said not to worry about her, so you could do whatever you want.¡±
That was the message the magician gave me before he left. I flinched when he said that it was the Mage Duchess¡¯s message, but contrary to my concerns, it was just an ordinary message.
Although she taught Louise as her disciple without revealing her identity, she still showed concern. In that situation, it was probably a request for me to take care of Louise, considering that I was the Advisor to the club she belonged to. It wasn¡¯t a difficult request. After all, Louise was someone I was looking after.
Well, it wasn¡¯t like she was flying to the Academy to take care of her only disciple. I almost had a heart attack when she mentioned that she wanted to be a teacher at the Academy. It¡¯s hard to distinguish whether the Mage Duchess¡¯s words were sincere or just casual remarks. It¡¯s like saying, ¡¯Let¡¯s have a meal together sometime,¡¯ and then actually making ns for it.
¡®Why does today feel so long?¡¯
I sighed, feeling exhausted. It feels like I¡¯ve spent three days¡¯ worth of time on each of the Dukes, but in reality, not even one day has passed yet. My body is fine, but my mental energy has been drained.
Now, I¡¯m starting to forget why I was brought to the Capital in the first ce. Was it because Louise had used the Mage Duchess¡¯s unique magic? Actually, it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but I wonder if the Principal and I made too big of a fuss about it. It was natural for the protagonist of a novel to be able to use powerful magic. I might have not taken that into consideration.
¡®Damn.¡¯
Having such strange thoughts, I could tell that I was truly exhausted. Maybe I should rest a bit in the club room. Anyway, the members probably won¡¯t pay any attention to what I do.
Before I forgot, I pulled out mymunication crystal and called the Principal. I need to report my return and the situation. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s been anxiously worrying about the rtionship between Louise and the Mage Duchess up until now.
¡®I¡¯m so tired.¡¯
I just want to rest. Today, of all days, I really want to rest.
Chapter 62: - As I Returned, It Was Fairytale-like (1)
? As I Returned, It Was Fairytale-like (1) ?
Although I hadn¡¯t spent much time in the Academy, it was the first time I¡¯d seen such a rxed expression on the Principal¡¯s face. He seemed like a sage that had put down all of his worries. Would an expert who had devoted years to reaching the pinnacle of his field look like this?
Of course, I could understand him. As a magician of the Empire, especially as someone who served in the military, he must have encountered the Mage Duchess often. I had known her only for a couple of years, but I could easily guess how much struggle the Principal had gone through.
Just as he thought he¡¯d gotten free of the Mage Duchess¡¯s shadow after bing the Academy¡¯s Principal, seeing her unique magic being used by a student must have felt as if the world around him was copsing. He must have had a myriad of thoughts. Was Louise a disciple of the Mage Duchess? Won¡¯t shee and go from the Academy using that as an excuse?
¡°The Mage Duchess has asked me to take good care of Louise.¡±
¡ª I see. I¡¯m d that she seems to trust the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.
It seemed like my words had erased the Principal¡¯s anxiety. The Mage Duchess having entrusted Louise to me meant that the chances of hering personally to the Academy were slim. And that was also good news for me. Hosting a Duke at the Academy?
¡®Just thinking about it is horrifying.¡¯
If I had to take care of a Prince, 2nd Prince of the Empire, a future Saint, and a Duke all at once, I would be dered innocent even if I escaped. If there¡¯s any conscience in the judiciary, that¡¯s how it should be. Would they be able to endure it if a Duke was lodging in the judicial office?
I shook my head at the bitter thoughts that came to my mind and tried to rece them with happier ones.
¡ª Are you in a hurry? If anything happens while the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager is absent, we will do our best to deal with it, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry.
¡ª I¡¯m d to see that everything has ended well.
After ending the call with the Principal, I sent a message to the Vice Principal and Vir, telling them that I had returned. Their responses were touching. I was moved after seeing how worried they were about my well-being.
An elderly woman who might throw magic at me while talking, and someone I was thankful to but afraid that I¡¯d make a mistake while talking to them. I felt satisfied knowing I could have a normal conversation with such people.
¡®This is a properly-run workce.¡¯
The Prosecutor¡¯s Office stressed me out. Half of my subordinates were useless bastards who were an embarrassment. I wonder what they would have done if I hadn¡¯t raised them.
On the other hand, no one in the Academy was in a higher position than me, including the Principal. There were several nobles that I had to keep my eyes on, but that was only until their graduation. This was why I could stay herefortably. The Vice Principal and Vir were normal work colleagues.
¡®I guess there¡¯s a reason why they say you realize it was spring only after it has passed.¡¯
While I was at the Academy, I wanted to finish everything quickly to return to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. But once there, I realized that staying in the Academy was great. Dear Academy, I¡¯m sorry for having cursed you before. I never knew I had such a warm spring right next to me.
As I was enjoying the spring, I realized that there was someone in the clubroom who shouldn¡¯t be here at this time.
¡°Oppa, have youe back already?¡±
Louise, who was making whipped cream while hugging the bowl, greeted me with a bright smile as I hurried back into the clubroom. I wondered if I waste for club time, but that wasn¡¯t the case. If it was club time, there was no way Louise would be here alone.
Worried that something might be wrong, I scanned the clubroom and met eyes with Erich, who was standing before the oven.
Ah, so Erich was here too. He seemed to have noticed that I was here after Louise greeted me.
¡°Ah, hyung. You¡¯re back already?¡±
¡°Yes. But why are you both here so early?¡±
The unexpected situation surprised me a little. Of course, Erich and Louise being alone was great from my perspective, but taking into consideration my position, this was something I should be concerned about.
¡°The teacher in charge had something to do, so the ss ended early. We had nowhere else to go, so we came early. We didn¡¯t realize you wouldn¡¯t be here, though.¡±
¡°You too, Louise?¡±
¡°We¡¯re in the same ss.¡±
Ah, that¡¯s right. They were in the same ss. I had forgotten that they were in the same ss despite their practical skills being different.
When I nodded appropriately at Erich¡¯s words, Louise, who was still holding the bowl, cocked her head and asked.
¡°But oppa, where have you been since early morning?¡±
She¡¯s probably wondering why the club Advisor was away. Erich also seemed curious about the reason.
¡°I had some business to attend to. I¡¯ve been out since early morning.¡±
¡°Yes? But I didn¡¯t see you going out.¡±
¡°I told you to pay attention in ss.¡±
Just like when I went to clean the dungeon, it seemed like she¡¯d been watching outside the window and didn¡¯t pay attention to her sses. Well, her future was very bright since she was the Mage Duchess¡¯s disciple, but she wasn¡¯t aware of that. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for her to focus on her studies?
Maybe it was because I had pinched the 1st Manager earlier, so my hands were itching to pinch Louise. The 1st Manager was strong enough to endure it, but Louise might cry if I did that to her.
¡°Did you have to go outside, hyung?¡±
¡°Yes, to the capital.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Erich took over the conversation since Louise seemed embarrassed by my remark. She immediately epted my exnation.
Given that Erich was my family member, he knew that it wasn¡¯t umon for someone living off the country¡¯s wealth to be summoned to the capital. A Civil Servant has to go in a rush when called, even if you were doing something else.
What was regrettable was that it wasn¡¯t a work-rted issue. I was summoned formitting a vition of a Duke¡¯s privacy. That was quite embarrassing to talk about, so let¡¯s keep silent about it.
¡®Seeing how he understood immediately after I mentioned the capital, he¡¯s almost a civil servant.¡¯
I suddenly began wondering about Erich¡¯s future. Erich was more than enough to be considered a prospective ve. But did I need to pass on my job to my younger brother? Also, Erich had grown up looking at the patriarch and me, so I wonder if he¡¯ll easilye to this side of the world.
¡°Hyung?¡±
Ah, was I staring too much?
If I honestly told Erich, ¡®I was contemting whether to make you a ve,¡¯ the distance that had narrowed between us would widen once more. Even I would cut ties with a brother who was considering selling me into very.
Fortunately, I had an excuse, so I motioned for Erich toe closer. No, it wasn¡¯t an excuse. It was something I was curious about. In the meantime, I liked how he obediently came as told. It seemed like we were finally starting to have a brotherly rtionship.
¡°There¡¯s only two of you, so why aren¡¯t you a bit more proactive?¡±
¡°I was going to, but there¡¯s three of us now.¡±
As I whispered, Erich also replied in a low voice.
You were going to? Don¡¯t make meugh. I¡¯ve seen you more than enough to know that you wouldn¡¯t do anything.
¡°There¡¯s some cream in Louise¡¯s face. Didn¡¯t you think of cleaning it?¡±
¡°Ah, that? I was nning to tell her once she was done whipping.¡±
¡°¡¡±
I would¡¯ve cursed him if he wasn¡¯t my younger brother.
¡°Go and wipe it off for her.¡±
After saying that, I slightly pushed Erich toward Louise, and he seemed flustered. When Erich turned around in confusion, I jerked my chin at him to tell him to go, and he started walking away.
¡®You fool.¡¯
Even if he did everything he could, he would still be at a disadvantage. Yet, he couldn¡¯t even seize an opportunity that was given by the heavens to get closer. It was too frustrating. I felt sorry for Lather, who asked me to stay neutral, but that wasn¡¯t a problem as long as I wasn¡¯t caught.
* * *
Erich, who¡¯d been heading toward Louise, felt a nagging difort. Something was off. Something was strange, but he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it.
¡®Has it always felt like this?¡¯
When he looked back, Carl, who was looking at him, gave him another nod. His mouth was shut, but his eyes seemed to be cursing at Erich, ordering him to move faster. Erich quickly turned his head forward, but the difort only grew.
The strange sense of oppression he felt whenever he looked at Carl and the atmosphere that made him shrink wasn¡¯t as strong as before. It hadn¡¯tpletely disappeared, but it was bearable.
There was a reason for this change. In yesterday¡¯s match, he wanted to earn the approval of his only brother, and he was certainly able to get a positive response. It felt like he had gotten something more important than the Academy grades. It also felt like he had peeled off ayer of his brother¡¯s shell.
¡®He feels different.¡¯
He had gotten a bit closer to the person whose recognition he wanted. He said to himself that he would move forward without trying to feel suppressed. That¡¯s why it was natural for the pressure he felt from him to decrease. Or that¡¯s what Erich thought. But the exnation couldn¡¯t be so simple. There was something else mixed in.
¡®The butler?¡¯
The closest thing he could find was the feeling he sometimes got from the butler. There was that sense of sadness you feel when you see someone who looks tired, unkempt, and overworked. That¡¯s what he felt for Carl.
But it wasn¡¯t a feeling you could get from seeing someone who was simply tired because of the sheer amount of work. He knew that Carl had a lot of work. After all, the patriarch of the family also had a lot of work. It wasn¡¯t a sadness one could feel from someone who was suffering because of overwork. There was something else.
It was as if a piece of the puzzle had gone missing. However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t think of that missing piece.
¡®I really don¡¯t know.¡¯
Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t an urgent matter. His fear of Carl hadn¡¯t increased either, so he could take his time to think about it. His view of his only brother seemed to have normalized a bit.
¡°Louise, there¡¯s cream on your cheek.¡±
¡°H-huh?¡±
As Erich took out a handkerchief to wipe the cream on Louise¡¯s cheek, he saw her ears turning red.
¡®So simple actions like this can also have an effect¡¡¯
* * *
He kept looking back, so I was worried he would juste back. Thankfully, it seemed like my brother wasn¡¯t that stupid.
¡®This isn¡¯t a big deal.¡¯
It really wasn¡¯t, but I couldn¡¯t help but be happy. It was like seeing a child who didn¡¯t know the ABCs suddenly reciting the alphabet. Of course, he wasn¡¯t even at the level of reciting the ABCs yet, which was quite frustrating.
More than that, I¡¯ve been feeling drowsy since a while ago. I meant to rest my eyes when I got to the clubroom, but maybe I should just take a nap now. I should ask someone to wake me up if anyone elsees.
Chapter 63: - As I Returned, It Was Fairytale-like (2)
? As I Returned, It Was Fairytale-like (2) ?
Was it a penalty for breaking the promise I¡¯d made to Lather? For some reason, I couldn¡¯t sleep even though my eyes were closed. I definitely felt like I¡¯d fall asleep as soon as I closed my eyes. Could this be Lather¡¯s curse?
In the end, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep until the others arrived.
¡°So you were here first, Lady Louise and Erich.¡±
Ainter, who came in first, looked a bit surprised to see only Louise and Erich, then noticed me tucked in the corner and spoke with a rxed expression. He probably thought that not much had happened since three people were inside.
Unfortunately for Ainter, there was a time when only the two of them were here since I was away. However, nothing happened even when it was just the two of them. It was truly astonishing.
¡®I wonder if a decision will be made before they graduate.¡¯
Thepetition for Louise¡¯s heart had to finish before these guys graduated. They should return to their respective countries after epting their defeat. If thepetition kept going on after they graduated, things could get bothersome. Just thinking about that was fun. Too fun, if you ask me.
Still, I probably won¡¯t need to monitor these guys personally if it continues. Or at least that¡¯s what I hope.
¡°Ah, there¡¯s only the three of you? If I knew this, I would¡¯ve skipped ss ande earlier.¡±
I turned my eyes to the floor after hearing Rutis¡¯s words as he boldly mentioned how he would skip sses. I don¡¯t know if this series had a sequel or not, but even if it did, I prefer to end things at part 1, in the Academy.
I had to do it for my mental health.
* * *
Last night, I heard that Carl was summoned to the capital.
¡ª I heard that the Mage Duchess called that guy.
¡°Father.¡±
¡ª Yes¡ She was looking for Carl.
Although my father disliked Carl for refusing the marriage proposal, he was also fond of him in some ways, and so he still thought of him as a future son-inw. That¡¯s why he corrects himself whenever he says something rude about Carl and I asked him to correct it. My father really isn¡¯t someone honest with himself.
Anyway, Carl had been unexpectedly called to the capital. Fortunately, he came back in the afternoon, but I was worried after hearing that the Mage Duchess herself had called him. After all¡ She¡¯s someone who worries me. That¡¯s why I headed to the pastry club room as soon as the morning came.
¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯
My mind wandered to the Mage Duchess¡¯s appearance, then to her age, and finally to the fact that she had elven blood running through her veins. In just a few seconds, lots of thoughts crossed my mind. If what I was thinking was right¡
¡®What if she¡¯s also after Carl?¡¯
I bit my lips at the unexpected variable. I thought that it was only me. I thought that I, Marghetta Valenti, was the only one with the right to stand beside Carl. But what if the Mage Duchess interferes?
¡®No. There¡¯s no way.¡¯
I shook my head and shrugged off the anxious thoughts. She¡¯d lived alone for over a hundred years. She can¡¯t change her mind all of a sudden. It must have been a meeting due to official business. That must be the case. It has to be.
That¡¯s right. Right now, I¡¯m just going to see Carl, whom I haven¡¯t seen for a while. I just happened to hear some newsst night. I¡¯m not visiting because I¡¯m feeling uneasy. After all, if I neglect Carl too much, he might feel sad. Right? Yes, that¡¯s it.
After calming myself down a few times, I arrived in front of the clubroom, straightened my clothes, and knocked cautiously on the door.
¡°Carl, are you here?¡±
However, there was no response. Strange. He should be here at this hour.
¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡ again?¡¯
Had the Mage Duchess called him for two days in a row? That¡¯s impossible. Who would use their power like that? It was petty. I couldn¡¯t do it even if I wanted to.
Suppressing the bitterness rising from deep within, I opened the door. If Carl wasn¡¯t here, I would wait. Even if he¡¯s absent, he¡¯ll eventually return to the club room. Carl would probably feel sorry after realizing that I was waiting here.
¡°Carl¡?¡±
An unexpected sight greeted me when I entered the clubroom. Carl was there. The only difference was that he was lying face down on the desk, asleep.
So he didn¡¯t answer because he was sleeping.
Intrigued by a sight I hadn¡¯t seen before, I quietly approached him. This was my first time seeing Carl asleep, and I never thought I¡¯d see him like this until after we became a couple and lived under the same roof.
¡®He¡¯s really handsome.¡¯
I nodded in satisfaction while looking at Carl¡¯s face. How beautiful would the child born between me and Carl be? Will they have ck hair and green eyes? Or red hair and ck eyes? Maybe we¡¯d have a daughter who looked exactly like him or a son who looked like me.
Either way, it doesn¡¯t matter. ck and red go well together. So anything would be beautiful. Fufu, fufufu¡
¡®What about white¡?¡¯
I bit my lips at the sudden thought. ck and white? What kind ofbination was that? It didn¡¯t match at all.
I felt a bit peeved after seeing Carl sleepingfortably. I hadn¡¯t slept properly sincest night because of anxiety, and yet someone was sleepingfortably. Even if it was Carl, at this moment, I hated him.
Even if Carl was mine, I could wait for him to be fully mine, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious when he was wandering around.
¡®Mine?¡¯
My gaze drifted toward Carl¡¯s mouth. Mine. Although he was currently wandering around.
Then¡ doesn¡¯t he need his owner¡¯s mark?
As if mesmerized by something, I moved closer to Carl¡¯s face, then came to my senses and hastily pulled back. No. I couldn¡¯t waste our first time like this.
What was the point if Carl wasn¡¯t going to remember it?
Feeling embarrassed, I turned around and cooled my face with a fan. Even if I was feeling anxious¡ feeling anxious? Pft. Even if I had been neglecting Carl, I feel like I almost hurried things too much.
¡°Mar? When did you get here?¡±
And soon enough, I heard his voice.
T-that was close¡
* * *
Unlike yesterday, I fell asleep as soon as I arrived at the clubroom. When I opened my eyes again, I saw Marghetta, who seemed flustered.
¡®A disaster might have happened if I opened my eyes just a little bit earlier.¡¯
In fact, I had woken up a while ago. I was still sleepy when I heard the sound of the door opening, but when Marghetta came close, I woke up due to her presence. I tried to get up and greet her despite being tired, but my instincts stopped me.
Marghetta came so close that I could feel her breath. Since my eyes were closed, I didn¡¯t know what was happening, but there was something I was certain about. If I opened my eyes now, an awkward situation that would keep us from meeting for a while would unfold.
That¡¯s why I opened my eyes and got up as soon as I felt her move away. Thankfully, my instincts had sessfully helped me stop an awkward situation.
¡°Ah, Carl. Did you wake up?¡±
Marghetta greeted me nonchntly, pretending to be calm. However, her face was so red that it was hard to tell the difference between it and her hair. I tried to do my best to ignore it, but what could I do if the person in question remained like that?
¡°I¡¯m sorry for greeting you with a sleepy face, Mar.¡±
¡°That¡¯s okay. After all, I came without notice.¡±
She was smiling while covering her mouth with a fan. As I tried to change the subject, I could feel her desperately trying to go along. It was rather pitiful. If I had woken up sooner, I might have seen Marghetta crying and running away in distress.
Even though I couldn¡¯t see what Mar was trying to do, I could guess. No, I would be dumb if I hadn¡¯t realized it. I wasn¡¯t Erich.
¡°Thank you for saying that. I¡¯m really grateful.¡±
¡°Fufu, don¡¯t worry.¡±
I smiled bitterly after seeing Marghetta¡¯s smile. I felt like I had no right to call Erich a fool. In a way, I was worse than him.
¡°Ah, sorry for keeping you standing. Please have a seat. Would you like some tea?¡±
Not only that, but I hadn¡¯t even offered Marghetta a seat since the both of us were distracted in many ways. She politely declined my bted invitation by shaking her head slightly.
¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m more worried about Carl. You seem tired.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not. My body just feels a bit heavy.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what most people call being tired.¡±
Marghetta looked around the clubroom and opened her mouth again.
¡°If you¡¯re tired,e to my office. There¡¯s a ce to lie down in there.¡±
I knew that because I¡¯d visited that office numerous times while preparing for the club fair. The sofa there was big enough for one person to lie down.
¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t want to bother you, Mar.¡±
¡°Really? But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re bothering me, so feel free toe.¡±
The way she said it with a big smile on her face seemed to say that she wasn¡¯t going to take no for an answer. Although I could change the situation by saying, ¡®But Mar, what were you trying to do while I was asleep?¡¯
¡®It¡¯s a bit ufortable.¡¯
At best, the clubroom only had enough space to sleep on the desk. If I slept here to relieve fatigue, I would end up even feeling more tired. In the first ce, it would¡¯ve been weird if there was a ce to sleep in the pastry¡¯s club room.
However, lying in the dormitory would make me feel like a wage thief. Not only that, but the distance I would need to travel if something happened in the Academy while I was in the dormitory was even more troublesome.
¡°Then, could you do me that favor?¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
I felt like I had be a freeloader, but oh well.
If my body felt heavy while sleeping in the clubroom, my mind felt heavy while staying in the Vice President¡¯s office.
¡°Ah, Carl. You can sleep a bit more.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. I had enough sleep.¡±
Iid down because she told me to, but Marghetta started working. An adult sleeping while someone younger than him was working next to him? I couldn¡¯t do that.
I tried to get up, but Marghetta silently pressured me to lie down again. Thanks to her, I actually slept. The fatigue disappeared, but my heart hurt. What kind of expression would the Iron-blooded Duke make if he heard this news?
¡°Feel free toe here anytime when you feel tired. It¡¯s okay with me.¡±
Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t okay with me.
Chapter 64: - Bring Back My Fairytale!
? Bring Back My Fairytale! ?
Doing things you¡¯re apprehensive about bes familiar with continued practice. That¡¯s why people say that the borders in your heart will eventually wear down.
¡°Mar, I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°Good morning, Carl.¡±
And that¡¯s the case for me now. Although the pastry club room was created by the Academy with great care, it wasn¡¯t a ce where someone should stay. It was supposed to be a ce used briefly for baking purposes.
I felt thefort of the Vice President¡¯s office when I was starting to feel bored of staying alone in the clubroom for a long time. I was wondering if I should get some books, but being able to spend time with someone else was nice.
It seemed like Marghetta was really okay with meing over at any time. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve beening every day despite thinking that it was rude.
¡°I brought some more today.¡±
¡°Thanks as always. But it¡¯s really okay even if youe empty-handed.¡±
¡°How could I do that?¡±
Of course, constantly beingbeled as the ¡®grown-up fool who ys while a youngerdy works¡¯ was troublesome. However, helping Marghetta wasn¡¯t an option since the things she did were outside of my area of expertise.
So, after much consideration, I started bringing snacks every morning. That¡¯s all I can do at the moment. I¡¯m sure having something to eat while you¡¯re using your head would be helpful. Also, they¡¯re easy to eat since they¡¯re cookies.
However, Marghetta declined.
¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s good enough for you toe empty-handed.¡±
¡°If I don¡¯t do at least this much, I won¡¯t feel at ease. I won¡¯t be able to show my face.¡±
¡°If that¡¯s the case¡¡±
And with my persistent persuasion, she finally started epting the cookies. Even if you stayed in cheap lodging, you had to pay. That¡¯s why staying in such a luxurious room for free felt wrong. Marghetta, who hesitated in the beginning, was eating them naturally, which made me feel pleased.
¡®I should bring more.¡¯
I should ask Louise to make more than usual.
* * *
Carl brought cookies again.
¡®It¡¯s really okay even if he came empty-handed.¡¯
When Carl brought cookies for the first time, bad memories passed through my mind. There was that horrible taste I experienced before the club fair. It tasted so horrible like nothing else I had tasted before. I was also afraid that Carl might be using that to push me away.
I was relieved to know that wasn¡¯t the case and that Carl had given them to me out of goodwill. However, I didn¡¯t want to taste that vor again, and that¡¯s why I initially refused. But unfortunately, Carl said he wouldn¡¯te here unless I epted some cookies.
Choosing between enduring the terrible cookies and spending time with Carl or protecting my taste buds, I naturally chose the former. If I endured a moment of difort, happiness woulde, and I could bear it. And as soon as I tasted the cookies, I realized how meaningless my worries were.
¡®Why are they tasty?¡¯
Once again, I took out a cookie I had received from Carl and took a bite. It was delicious. It wasn¡¯t rtively good since I was expecting the worst, but it was tasty evenpared to other things.
The first day I received the cookies, I was ready for them to be as horrible as the ones I had tasted in the clubroom, but they were delicious. Why had he given me such a cookie when there were normal ones like these? Was he really trying to push me away that day, then changed his mind the next day?
I still couldn¡¯t forget what Carl said to me when my head was dizzy because of confusion.
¡°I brought more since it seemed like Mar liked them.¡±
He brought more cookies, thinking that I had enjoyed them. Judging by the look on his face, I could tell that he wasn¡¯t joking.
It¡¯s possible that he thought that. After all, I was always careful about my expressions while being before Carl. But to bring different-tasting ones while thinking I liked them? It had happened for too many days for it to be a simple mistake.
I nced at Carl, who was lying on the sofa, lost in thought. I knew that people who had experienced war often exhibited unusual symptoms. I¡¯d heard a lot about it from being part of the Valenti family. And I recognized some of those symptoms in Carl.
¡®What should I do¡?¡¯
It was a sad situation. I wanted to embrace him and console him right away, but he didn¡¯t seem affected. After all, he hadn¡¯t said a word. So, do I have the right to do that? Wouldn¡¯t it make things worse if I clumsily approached him?
In the end, I wasn¡¯t able to do anything about it. However, the opportunity woulde for sure. As time goes by, he will show his wound, and I will be able to soothe it. Yes, it will definitely be like that. I will stay by his side, so he can confide in mefortably.
¡®But anyways¡ Why is this delicious?¡¯
I understand why Carl brought a different cookie than before. But I still don¡¯t understand why that cookie hade out of the clubroom. After all, he had probably brought what he always eats. Then, why does this taste so different?
* * *
The club time was about to end when Louise handed me my cookie jar.
¡°Here! I made more than usual!¡±
¡°Thanks. Mar also enjoyed them.¡±
¡°Hehe, I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±
Louise smiled brightly. It seemed like she was happy to hear that someone other than me was enjoying her cookies too. I¡¯m grateful that she doesn¡¯t seem bothered by me asking her to make more than usual. Of course, when I asked her to make twice as much on the first day, she seemed confused.
¡°Isn¡¯t double too much? You won¡¯t be able to finish it in a day.¡±
¡°I¡¯m nning to give them to Mar as a gift.¡±
Louise¡¯s expression changed upon hearing that, and she put away the dough she was making and started anew. I told her that she didn¡¯t need to go to such lengths, but she was so firm that I couldn¡¯t dissuade her. It was quite admirable, like a craftsman¡¯s spirit.
Marghetta was eating the cookies Louise made with passion. She already ate them well, but these had been made with more care, so it was only natural.
¡°I¡¯ll count on you tomorrow as well.¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Having apetent club president was very convenient. I, as the Advisor, was very satisfied.
The Vice President¡¯s office was connected to the Student Council¡¯s Room, so passing through the Student Council room was inevitable. But that wasn¡¯t a problem. After all, I had given the President a free pass to be a Civil Servant. However, today¡¯s atmosphere was different from usual.
As soon as I opened the Student Council¡¯s room¡¯s door, all seven members simultaneously looked at me. What¡¯s going on? Why¡¯s everyone here when they¡¯re usually dispersed at this time?
¡°Ah, Prosecutor.¡±
The President, who was frowning, rxed his expression after seeing me. He was about to get up, but I gestured for him to remain seated.
¡°Did Ie at the wrong time? My apologies.¡±
¡°Not at all. We were about to finish the meeting.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d.¡±
It was about to end? It¡¯s pretty clear that I walked in during the meeting.
However, I decided to let it go since I was quite familiar with the President¡¯s intentions. He was probably aiming for the situation where ¡®We couldn¡¯t progress in the meeting due to having nothing to talk about, but couldn¡¯t end it either. Then, a superior came and we ended the meeting so we could greet him.¡¯ I could see it in his eyes. It seems that he¡¯s already practicing this sort of thing quite well, a testament to his excellent Civil Servant qualities.
¡°Vice President, please. Take care of the Prosecutor.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
And he naturally linked me with Marghetta, who was the reason why I came here. In just a year, a kid like him would be a Civil Servant. The future of the Empire looks bright indeed.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for greeting you in such a way, Carl. We had an important matter.¡±
When I entered the Vice President¡¯s office, Marghetta apologized, so I shook my head. That was my mistake, so I should be the one apologizing.
¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s interrupting, so I should be the one apologizing.¡±
¡°Fufu, I appreciate you saying that.¡±
¡°But Mar, what was that meeting about?¡±
¡°Ah, that?¡±
Marghetta let out a small sigh at my question and sat down. If there was a Student Council meeting scheduled for the morning, Mar would have let me know in advance. Moreover, now that the exams are over, there shouldn¡¯t be any matters important enough for the Student Council to convene. This meant that something unexpected had urred.
¡°Normally, the Academy¡¯s schedule is empty around this time.¡±
¡°Yes, I know.¡±
After the club fair and the exams, there wasn¡¯t much going on in the Academy. This was a form of consideration from the Academy to the students who were probably tired and to give them time to recover. Or at least, that was the case untilst year.
¡°Then, have you heard that school trips are returning this year?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Yes, I know. After my dispatch to the Academy was decided, I checked out the Academy¡¯s schedule. This was something that wasn¡¯t therest year, so I couldn¡¯t believe it after seeing it on this year¡¯s schedule.
School trip? Was it necessary in a fantasy world with a European atmosphere? Even if this was a romantic story made for the protagonists, this was too much. It¡¯s tantly setting an atmosphere for something to happen.
¡°There was a lot of deliberation since this was the first school trip. The original n was to go to a nearby territory, but¡¡±
Marghetta suddenly stopped and looked at me. What? What was she trying to say?
¡°Well, something came up in the middle of our discussion. So, we decided on Boyar.¡±
¡°What?¡±
My head went nk for a moment. Boyar? Was she talking about that Boyar? No. Maybe there was more than one ce with that name.
¡°By Boyar, do you mean¡?¡±
I asked, holding onto thest bit of hope, but Marghetta firmly answered while avoiding my gaze.
¡°It¡¯s that Boyar that Carl¡¯s thinking about.¡±
¡®Damn it.¡¯
I closed my eyes at the confirmation. Yes, there¡¯s no way there¡¯s more than one ce with the name Boyar. There was only one ce in the entire continent with that name.
It¡¯s quite astonishing. In just one day, I got caught by the Mage Duchess, faced the Invincible Duke, and now this. It all happened within a few days. And I was just finally getting out of the shock caused by that duo.
¡®So this time, it¡¯s the Gold Duke.¡¯
I achieved a triplebo. Boyar. Its official name was Duchy of Boyar. It was the territory where the Duke, known as the Gold Duke, lived.
Just when I realized that the Academy was like a fairytale, not only did they make me go outside, but also set the school trip¡¯s destination to Boyar. It wasn¡¯t even a remotely funny joke. Unfortunately, while Marghetta was good with most things, shecked a bit of humor.
Please say it¡¯s a joke. This is just crisis after crisis, after another crisis.
Chapter 65: - The World Outside the Academy is Dangerous! (1)
? The World Outside the Academy is Dangerous! (1) ?
It might seem slightly clich¨¦, but the Empire¡¯s Dukes that appeared throughout the 300 years of history were all remarkable figures. They either had extraordinary personal abilities, wielded great influence, or possessed both. All five current Dukes belong to thisst group. The Empire¡¯s future was certainly bright.
As the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, I was a direct subordinate of the Emperor, so I¡¯d met the Dukes many timespared to other Civil Servants. Maybe it was because we shared being used by the Emperor, but my luck was certainly terrible.
Anyways.
This wasn¡¯t a situation where I was summoned by a Duke to the capital, but a case of me going to the Duke¡¯s territory. This was too sudden and unexpected even to Marghetta and the other Student Council members.
¡°This is a document sent by the Duchy of Boyar.¡±
¡°Can I take a look?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
As she agreed, I started reading it. A document sent by the Duchy of Boyar. No, more precisely, a document full of the Gold Duke¡¯s will.
¡®It¡¯s amazing how consistent he is.¡¯
I felt at ease after reading the document. As the nickname Gold Duke implied, the Gold Duke was a noble obsessed with money. If he smiled, it was because he¡¯d make a huge profit. And if he moved, it was to make a profit.
In that sense, the reason why the field trip¡¯s location was set to Boyar was simple. He said he¡¯d built a new resort in the Duchy of Boyar, so he wanted to promote the newly built resort and revitalize the local economy with noble students.
¡°It¡¯s indeed the Gold Duke I know.¡±
¡°Right? It¡¯s reassuring to see that he hasn¡¯t changed.¡±
The Duchy of Boyar was already famous as a resort, and it was one of the economic centers. It wasn¡¯t some random rural area, so it was a ce where the students would like to go.
¡°I wanted to go somewhere close, but it didn¡¯t work.¡±
I could feel the fatigue in Marghetta¡¯s voice, who did her best to talk brightly.
There were two victims of this field trip. The first was me, who wanted to avoid the Dukes as much as possible. And the second was the members of the Student Council, who had to make a schedule to move hundreds of students and Academy staff. For the Student Council, who wanted to go to a reasonably close area, this must have felt like lightning on a clear day.
Considering the character of the Gold Duke, the Academy probably had received some help from him, so the Student Council now had to pay. Even if a Duke¡¯s daughter was standing as the Vice President, there was nothing she could do against a Duke.
¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do, I¡¯ll help.¡±
¡°Fufu, thank you. I¡¯m going to call you at any time, so be prepared.¡±
A familiar energy momentarily appeared in Marghetta¡¯s eyes as she made a faint smile. It was the eyes of a poor Civil Servant who was forced to drift from the original n because of a superior¡¯s will.
¡®A Duke¡¯s daughter as a Civil Servant.¡¯
I felt a mixture of novelty and pity. After all, she was going through suffering and pain she didn¡¯t need to endure. If one of the Managers had been in this situation, I would have patted their shoulder.
Marghetta, who tilted her head at my stare, looked pitiful today.
It seemed like the location of the field trip would be publicly announced today.
***
¡°It¡¯s my first time going to the sea!¡±
¡°Really?¡±
I nodded at the excited-looking Louise. To see her so happy at the mere sight of the ocean was a bit naive, but it¡¯s understandable upon considering the territory of the Empire.
The territory was incredibly big, but the only means of transportation was a carriage.
Of course, there was teleportation. However, it wasn¡¯t something anyone could use. That¡¯s why most people ind don¡¯t see the sea throughout their lifetime.
¡°Well. It¡¯s hard to see the sea unless you really need to. I¡¯ve also never been there.¡±
¡°Me neither. What a coincidence.¡±
I heard information I really wasn¡¯t interested in. Erich was a guy who¡¯d stayed in our territory, while Tannian had grown in the Holy Kingdom, which was an ind territory. Ainter, who was silent, had spent most of his life inside the Pce.
¡°So none of us have been there?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been to the sea before. Although it was to check the areas hit by a tsunami.¡±
¡°Does work count? I¡¯ve been there for a union meeting.¡±
It seemed like the two Princes had been dragged around for business matters. I might forget it, but those two were members of royal families, so them having international activities was inevitable. The weird one here was Ainter, who couldn¡¯t leave the Pce.
After hearing Rutis and Lather, Louise¡¯s gaze turned toward me.
¡°I¡¯ve also been there because of work.¡±
It was obvious what question she would ask, so I answered beforehand. The Sea? Yes. I¡¯ve been to the sea numerous times because of work. The most memorable incident was when I chased some smugglers who were trying to traffic forbidden goods out of the country. It was a fun game of tag that covered all corners of the Empire.
Eventually, we couldn¡¯t stop them from boarding a ship, so we sank their ship along with them. The thought of valuable goods sinking to the bottom of the sea was frustrating. Of course, the smugglers deserved it; they would¡¯ve faced execution even if we¡¯d captured them alive.
¡°So it¡¯s everyone¡¯s first time going for fun, right?¡±
Louise started rummaging through her bag and pulled something out. It was a thin booklet with a blue cover.
¡°Ta-da! It¡¯s the Boyar Duchy¡¯s pamphlet!¡±
¡®Why is that here?¡¯
While I was feeling confused, Erich solved my curiosity.
¡°A pamphlet? Where did you get it from?¡±
¡°I saw them at the library with Irinast week. There were lots of them.¡±
No matter how you look at it, they had deliberately stocked the Academy¡¯s library with these booklets in preparation for the school trip. It¡¯s a way for students to be better informed about what¡¯s avable in Boyar before they arrive and to n where they¡¯ll spend their money.
What a person¡
Since hundreds of noble guests would flock, he probably didn¡¯t want things to go to waste.
The Gold Duke is seriously something else.
¡°Oh, so there¡¯s something like that too.¡±
¡°Knowing about a ce before going on a trip isn¡¯t bad.¡±
The sight of five men rushing toward Louise as soon as they had an excuse to get closer was quite pathetic.
Wasn¡¯t it too much for six people to read a small booklet?
¡°The Boyar¡¯s Duchy is located on the southern coast of the Empire and has been a prosperous center of maritime trade since the Apels era.¡±
Just as I was about to tell them to move away, Louise¡¯s voice rang out. She began reading it.
After hearing Louise¡¯s reading session, I realized that those guys weren¡¯t interested in the content. Even Vir would probably give the same answer. Even though she was reading, they were just tantly staring at her.
¡°The development of vacation facilities began two generations ago¡¡±
I felt sorry for the hardworking Louise. She looked like a kindergarten teacher reading a book to five immature kids. Kids usually fall asleep when they read a book to them. What were these five guys doing?
I silently looked at them when I saw Erich. He had a bright expression on his face. That dumbass. You should¡¯ve offered to read it or brought more things from the library.
¡®Is there a sixth one?¡¯
Recently, I¡¯ve been asking that. There were five of them, yet none seemed to be able to make proper progress. Was this right? Was there a sixth person I wasn¡¯t aware of? Would things progress if someone could make them feel a sense of crisis? But if someone else joined, that meant I had one more headache.
While I was grappling with this serious dilemma, the miraculously attended reading session momentarily stopped. Even though someone was speaking, there seemed to be no one listening.
¡°The continent¡¯s best casino?¡±
It seemed like our pure, nobledy felt awkward at the appearance of the casino. She blinked several times and turned her gaze toward me. She looked flustered.
¡°All sorts of nobles gather at the resort, so the ie can be quite good if someone sets up a proper casino.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
She awkwardlyughed while saying that, but I could feel her rejection of the word ¡®casino.¡¯
¡®She really grew up innocently.¡¯
Was it because the original author was a modern person? This world¡¯s perception of gambling wasn¡¯t good despite the background of this world being medieval Europe. Thanks to this, someone so naive among the nobles was born.
And in reality, the Boyar Duchy¡¯s casino wasn¡¯t a ce that operated proudly. That ce was just an ATM of the royal family.
¡®I¡¯ve also used it, too.¡¯
asionally, some Civil Servants who went to the Boyar region for a business trip won some money at the casino. However, casinos were fundamentally designed for the house to win; the customers almost always end up losing.
So, loyal nobles who serve the Emperor go there, lose some money, and that money ends up with the Emperor. And a portion of the money that goes to the Emperor gets allocated as special budgets for the Special Service Agency or the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. Part of that bes my sry, which I then go and lose at the casino¡
What the hell? This circr economy sounded weird. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m losing my money at the casino or whether I was returning something that wasn¡¯t mine in the first ce.
¡°There are many other ces you can enjoy besides that, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±
I quickly added that in case these guys also got caught in the strange cycle I¡¯d fallen into. I received a sry or budget at least. If these guys lost at the casino, that was the end of it.
¡°Yes. I¡¯m nning to go to the beach.¡±
¡°If it¡¯s the sea, one should definitely go to the beach.¡±
¡°Right? I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±
Judging by their reactions, there was no need to worry. More than that, why was that bastard Erich kept saying ¡®of course¡¯ about a beach he hadn¡¯t even been to?
¡°Woah. It seems like there are many unique fruits.¡±
As Louise¡¯s reading session started again, I quickly fiddled with themunication crystal in my pocket. The students might be excited, but for adults dealing with various matters, there was a lot to prepare for.
Just considering what¡¯s immediately apparent, we needed to send high-ranking officials to the far southern edge of the Empire, not close to the Academy. This meant that the joint forces of the three countries must travel quite a distance. It¡¯s a situation where the Boyar Duchy had to allow the forces of the three countries to enter.
¡®The world outside the Academy is a dangerous ce.¡¯
The idea of going somewhere else was wrong from the beginning. Shouldn¡¯t we avoid sending the students out to dangerous ces?
Chapter 66: - The World Outside the Academy is Dangerous! (2)
? The World Outside the Academy is Dangerous! (2) ?
Who was the biggest victim of this field trip? Was it me, who shot at the Gold Duke¡¯s family earlier this year and was about to go to his territory? Or the members of the Student Council who originally intended to choose a decent territory and go leisurely? Regrettably, it was neither of us. The real victim was elsewhere.
¡°I¡¯ve heard that the destination was the Boyar Duchy.¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±
It was the forces of the three countries that prayed daily so that nothing happened to their escort target. But regrettably, the God of this world wasn¡¯t someone who listened to the people¡¯s prayers. If you went for the Pray-meta, you¡¯d fail unless you were at the level of Tannian.
¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Boyar Duchy. It¡¯s a ce with a beautiful sea, right? I think it will be a special experience for the students who spend their days in the Academy.¡±
¡°I agree.¡±
Although Vir had said that calmly, in reality, he was screaming, ¡®Why are we going from an ind Academy to the coastal city of Boyar?¡¯ I understand. If the decision was made within the Academy, I would¡¯ve suggested another ce. However, this was something that the Gold Duke wanted. No one could stop this.
¡°This is the first field trip, so many people are watching with great interest. It will probably be a major event for the Academy in the future, and that¡¯s why everyone¡¯s excited.¡±
= This is beyond what I can handle. If I do something reckless, I¡¯ll get destroyed.
¡°Escaping the routine by going on a trip is always a fun experience, but since it¡¯s the first field trip, I worry about potential mishaps.¡±
= I understand going on a field trip, but was Boyar really the best option? Isn¡¯t there another ce?
¡°Haha, I was also worried, but the Academy has put in a surprising effort. I think it will be a fun trip.¡±
= It¡¯s Boyar, no matter what.
Although we were talking with bright smiles on our faces, we weren¡¯t in good spirits. This wasn¡¯t a conversation leading in the direction I wanted; it was a situation where I had to inform Vir of something unpleasant. I¡¯m sorry, Vir. All of the Academy has been notified of this by the Gold Duke.
¡°The Boyar Sea is said to be charming. There are ces where it shines like an emerald and others like a sapphire. I hope Sir Vir can also take this opportunity to enjoy it.¡±
¡°Just hearing about it makes me excited. Thank you.¡±
Vir¡¯s face brightened a bit. Through my words, he¡¯d confirmed that in the worst-case scenario, he at least would be able to enter the Boyar Duchy.
They wouldn¡¯t have such concerns if things had gone as originally nned. The forces of the three countries could¡¯ve stayed at the Academy while being ready to rush out if an emergency happened, or they could have used the absurd excuse of passing by the area due to a request from the staff.
But Boyar? Waiting at the Academy made no sense. It was a ce that was too far, not to mention that excuses wouldn¡¯t work at all. Even if it were a nearby territory, it would be a bit of a stretch, but there¡¯s no question for Boyar. In such a situation, they¡¯re probably relieved that I¡¯m helping out.
¡®If you guys aren¡¯t there, I¡¯m doomed as well.¡¯
During the club fair, I pulled the forces of the three countries to prevent anything from happening. However, it was a resort area outside the Academy this time, and there would be a multitude of people. I wasn¡¯t confident enough to supervise the club alone.
The problem was that I still hadn¡¯t received permission from the Gold Duke to let the forces of the three countries enter. Still, the Gold Duke wasn¡¯t someone who ignored what other people said. If it were for the sake of escorting and protecting important foreign figures, he would surely understand.
The tricky part was that I needed to contact him directly to get that permission. I still felt awkward talking to the Gold Duke. After all, it hadn¡¯t been long since the Yorun Earl incident.
¡°I hope the Prosecutor also can relieve his fatigue through this trip.¡±
¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡±
As I closed my mouth for a moment, Vir began talking again. He meant that he would do his best to ensure I didn¡¯t have to get involved as much as possible. I did my best to help them every time something happened, so he probably wanted to do something about it.
But unfortunately, the only thing Vir could do with his limited authority was to reduce my concerns. At least he was trying to do something. He wasn¡¯t someone who just liked to receive and not give anything in exchange.
¡®Just return to your country.¡¯
In reality, I didn¡¯t need much. I just wanted him to take his Prince and go back.
After returning to my room, I kept touching themunication crystal for a while. In my head, I knew the best thing would be to contact him quickly and state my business promptly. It¡¯s just that my heart hadn¡¯t caught up with my head.
¡®I feel like he¡¯s going to ask for something again.¡¯
I could feel it. I felt that after reaching out to ask him a favor, I would end up with something to do. Although thest mishap was resolved through the tearful apologies of the 3rd Manager, the fact that we¡¯d nearly bankrupted an Earl rted to the Duke didn¡¯t change. He¡¯ll probably bring up that incident and subtly throw a quest my way.
Of course, the Gold Duke was a strict man of give and take. Even if they throw a forced quest while mentioning the past, the rewards for sess will be substantial. But wasn¡¯t it better to not get paid and avoid doing a troublesome thing?
¡®Refusing isn¡¯t an option.¡¯
After hesitating briefly, I sighed and contacted the Gold Duke. Regardless of what I thought, I was born with a lower social standing than the Duke, so there was not much I could do.
¡ª Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager? I¡¯ve been waiting for your call.
Soon, the face of the Gold Duke appeared. He was a middle-aged man with neatly groomed gray hair and a cigar in his mouth. I could see that he had documents nearby, indicating that he¡¯d been working.
I bowed and was about to greet, but the Gold Duke spoke first.
¡ª Let¡¯s get straight to the point. I¡¯ve heard that you have escort troops from the three countries.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±
¡ª You can bring them in. All of them if it¡¯s necessary. Just let me know the number.
¡°Understood. Thank you, Your Grace.¡±
¡ª It¡¯s for someone loyal to the Empire, so this much is nothing.
He casuallyughed. This was typical of the Gold Duke, who was known to deal with things straightforwardly. He¡¯d given me what I wanted before I even asked.
¡ª Ah, this is a personal favor.
And expected, the Gold Duke¡¯s forced quest arrived. A favor from a Duke? Although it was phrased as a favor, no one could decline.
¡°Yes, tell me.¡±
¡ª Hmm.
The Gold Duke hesitated a bit while stroking his chin. Although he might twist his words depending on the situation, I haven¡¯t seen him hesitate like this before. This wasn¡¯t a good sign.
¡ª Have you heard about the Kraken?
¡°Yes, I¡¯ve h¡ª¡±
Wait, could it be¡
¡°eard¡¡±
¡ª I see. Well, now you¡¯ll have the opportunity to see it firsthand.
¡®You bastard.¡¯
How¡¯s that supposed to be an opportunity?
The Kraken. It was a giant squid that roamed around the seas, crushing ships as if they were toys. It wasn¡¯t amonly seen creature, but it also wasn¡¯t a creature I¡¯d like to encounter. But now he¡¯s saying that there was a chance to see it directly? What a load of crap.
Had someone else said this, I would have cursed him right away. I was at a loss for words. The Duke, sensing this, gave a sheepish smile. Ah, so you still have a bit of conscience.
¡ª A Kraken habitat was recently found around the recentlypleted resort.
No way.
¡ª But don¡¯t get me wrong. We started building it after deeming the area safe. The Kraken lived in such a deep part that we didn¡¯t notice until we finished the construction.
¡°I¡¯m concerned about the safety of the resort.¡±
¡ª We¡¯ve cleared the habitat. All the adult Krakens have been subjugated as well.
After adding that the problem was that a baby had escaped, he stroked his chin.
Based on what the Gold Duke said, it seemed that only one offspring barely managed to escape. Anyway, it seemed like there wasn¡¯t much to worry about regarding the resort¡¯s safety.
¡ª But that baby is very clever. Maybe it is because it saw its kind being hunted down, so it¡¯s very cautious. Even if you find out where it¡¯s hiding, it won¡¯te to the surface. To do that, you have to send a lightning spell into the sea.
¡°How troublesome.¡±
Usually, a Kraken confidently appears when it senses a ship floating, knowing that it is overwhelmingly massive and powerfulpared to humans.
Of course, they had no way of knowing that the elite magicians of the Duchy boarded the ship. They would evolve into grilled squid as soon as they came to the surface. Wait, was it evolution or devolution? If we talk about taste, it¡¯s an evolution.
In any case, the offspring that witnessed its parents being treated as such must still be hiding underwater, enduring. How deep must it have hidden to avoid even surfacing when hit with a bolt of lightning?
¡ª We need someone capable of hunting down the Kraken the moment it surfaces.
I understood why the Gold Duke had paused for a moment.
¡®We don¡¯t know when the baby¡¯s location will be found.¡¯
I was going there for a school trip, so if he was asking me, the probable area where it was hiding had been pinpointed. The problem was that it was impossible to tell how long I would have to wait before they finished checking all the possible areas and it appeared.
There was a chance I might be on the sea for the entire school trip, and we¡¯d catch it on thest day. Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be ideal.
¡ª I¡¯m asking this from the busy Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, so I can do at least this much.
After saying that, the Gold Duke raised three fingers. He said he would give me 30% more money than the usual funds provided to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.
Hmm.
¡°For the safety of the young talents and students, it¡¯s only right to subdue that being.¡±
After a short consideration, I firmly nodded.
Of course, the one who destroyed the habitats of the Krakens that were quietly living was the Gold Duke, who¡¯d destroyed their habitat and killed all of its family members out of the blue. If it feels unfair, then it should reincarnate as a human.
The only good monsters were the dead ones.
¡ª Your patriotism is unparalleled, Executive Manager. I won¡¯t forget your hard work for the people.
¡°It¡¯s an honor, Your Grace.¡±
And with that, the conversation ended to everyone¡¯s satisfaction.
To think that a Kraken would be lurking in the seas where the students needed to y in. I couldn¡¯t resist it. You evil Kraken, I will send you to your parents¡¯ side.
Chapter 67: - The World Outside the Academy is Dangerous! (3)
? The World Outside the Academy is Dangerous! (3) ?
The conversation with the Gold Duke ended with a very satisfying resultpared to what I was worried about.
Because of the esteemed Gold Duke¡¯s request, I would have to deal with the baby Kraken. Fortunately, I could drag all of thebined forces of the three countries, so I could leave the escort duty to them and enjoy boating. A 30% extra bonus? How could anyone resist such an offer?
No matter how much I thought about it, it felt like I was dealing with a victim who¡¯d lost its habitat due to human environmental destruction. But that wasn¡¯t the main issue. What mattered wasn¡¯t the ¡®Kraken¡¯s Tears Trilogy¡¯ but the shining 30% increase event.
Also, wouldn¡¯t the baby Kraken prefer to be with its parents rather than suffer in this harsh world? I¡¯m just helping it reach that oue faster. How many people were as considerate as me?
¡ª Come to the casino first. We¡¯re going to have a detailed conversation over there.
I had a ce I had to rush to immediately after arriving in Boyar. It was weird that he¡¯d asked me to meet in the casino rather than the Duke¡¯s castle, but that wasn¡¯t something I should care about. After all, meetings inside the casino¡¯s VIP Room were something that often happened.
Anyway, I¡¯m d that I¡¯ll be able to give Sir Vir some good news. He¡¯ll be happy to know all of the three countries¡¯ forces can go to Boyar.
¡®I should also mention that I needed to deal with something.¡¯
Vir originally said he would ensure I wouldn¡¯t have to get involved. Because of that, I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be anyints about me taking a break after delivering the good news. He¡¯ll probably ask me to take a break.
Oh, I just remembered that I needed some cookies for Sir Vir. I ate more than usual today, so the quantity wasn¡¯t enough. I should ask Louise for more.
* * *
Oppa asked for more cookies again. It wasn¡¯t hard to do, but taking into consideration the amount, it seemed too much even for the Duke¡¯s daughter. The leftovers might get soggy and lose its texture. Will that be okay?
¡°Sir Vir¡¯s going toe, so I thought that we¡¯re probably going to need more.¡±
¡°Ah, is that so?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry. He ate well, so I wanted to take care of him.¡±
¡°Hehe, it¡¯s okay.¡±
I smiled at Oppa¡¯s apology, then opened the oven.
Sir Vir was a Knight that¡¯s from the Armein Kingdom, just like Rutis. He often meets Oppa, and he¡¯d been of great help during the club fair. That¡¯s why I know him. He probably has a good appetite since he¡¯s a Knight, so I guess it¡¯s okay to make a lot.
¡®They¡¯re all eating well.¡¯
The cookies I¡¯ve been making recently were normal, unlike the ones I normally made for Oppa. It would be embarrassing for him if the cookies he served to his guests tasted bad.
However, it was still a bit disappointing. I used to add many beneficial ingredients to the cookies for Oppa, who often looked tired. But I can¡¯t do that anymore. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been giving him tea leaves that were good for him, but I don¡¯t know how effective they were.
I looked at Oppa¡¯s expression. He still had dark circles underneath his eyes. Maybe the tea wasn¡¯t that effective? However, he didn¡¯t seem that tired.
¡®I should have continued giving him the usual ones.¡¯
I learned during the club fair that his taste buds weren¡¯t normal. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been focusing on ingredients with health benefits rather than taste. It was something I could do since Oppa couldn¡¯t taste them very well.
If those ingredients improved his health and restored his taste, he would probably notice that there was something strange about my cookies I could apologize for making them incorrectly by then. Oppa would probablyugh it up. I thought it wasn¡¯t a bad idea.
But these health-focused cookies might not suit other people¡¯s tastes, so I haven¡¯t been giving them out. What¡¯s the point of having a good idea if I can¡¯t implement it?
¡®Should I make something else?¡¯
I pondered about the desserts I could make. Something that couldn¡¯t be easily given as a gift, like cookies. If Oppa received it, even if it was for courtesy, he would eat it alone.
What could it be¡ Ah, maybe a cake? Should I make a big cake?
* * *
As the date of the school trip approached, the expression of the Student Council President became paler, and Marghetta¡¯s smile started to fade. It was a pity, given that they were both young kids who should be growing up happily.
Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do to help except for listening to Marghetta while she vented. Still, she seemed relieved to talk about work as if it helped her ease the internal pain.
The problem was that a faint sob started to creep into Marghetta¡¯s voice. It was so subtle that you wouldn¡¯t notice it if you didn¡¯t pay close attention.
¡°We need to secure carriages for hundreds of people, and we need to check the route they will take. We also need to identify some cities in the middle where everyone can rest. And we also need to find amodations suitable for their status¡¡±
¡°It sounds very challenging.¡±
The more I heard, the more ridiculous it seemed. The nning they were doing wasparable to a military march. This was why the Student Council members wanted to go somewhere nearby.
¡°Mar, have you been getting enough sleep these days?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sleeping whenever I can, so don¡¯t worry.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy after seeing her making a forced smile. Sleep was essential. It wasn¡¯t something that should be squeezed in whenever you had some free time. It seemed like she already had her mindset twisted after enjoying the taste of what it felt like to be a Civil Servant.
A few days ago, I found her asleep face-down on her desk in the Vice President¡¯s office. I didn¡¯t want to put her on the sofa because I thought she would wake up if I touched her, so I put a coat over her and waited for her. She woke up by herself not long after.
On the one hand, I wished she got a bit more sleep. However, I also knew how much pressure would be on her if the work was stacked.
I acted as if I hadn¡¯t noticed how surprised she was to see me. The coat fell to the ground and she said she would return it after cleaning it, but what returned was a new one. I also pretended not to have noticed that.
¡°But still, having Carl here is a relief.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±
I smiled and slid one of Louise¡¯s cookies toward Marghetta. She immediately grabbed one and ate it.
¡®She reminds me of the Senior Manager.¡¯
He ate for the nutrients rather than the taste. But why was Marghetta acting like this? I felt sad at the sight of the Duke¡¯s daughter.
¡°I hope that next year¡¯s destination is closer.¡±
Myment was meant as a form of constion. However, Marghetta stopped eating as if she were startled by thement. She then finished chewing and cautiously spoke.
¡°¡It seems like the destination will be Boyar from now on.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
The Gold Duke didn¡¯t seem to see this as a one-time event. Boyar was bing this world¡¯s equivalent to Gyeongju or Jeju Ind.
Watching Marghetta reach for the cookies with a slightly more mncholic expression, I couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the red-haired woman running away from the Student Council.
¡®Poor girl.¡¯
I silently poured tea into Marghetta¡¯s cup. I hope she makes it through this without breaking down.
With someone in the south of the Empireughing and people sighing in the Academy, the first day of the school trip came.
¡®They really managed to gather everything.¡¯
The sight of over a hundred carriages lined up made my heart swell with pride. Considering the number of students and staff, these many carriages were necessary.
But now that I think about it, it¡¯s strange. Why would all three grades go on a school trip together? Of course, it might be more convenient to go all at once rather than scheduling three separate trips from the Student Council¡¯s perspective.
¡°Carl, let me know if you change your mind.¡±
¡°Haha, understood.¡±
As I admired the impressive carriages, Marghetta approached me. It seemed like she was disappointed about my choice, but I hope she understands my circumstances.
These were four-seater carriages, so Marghetta¡¯s carriage had three people assigned to it. She had been trying to invite me since yesterday, but I had a different carriage in mind.
¡®Being next to Louise is the mostfortable.¡¯
Fortunately, there were also three people assigned to Louise¡¯s carriage, so I was able to join hers. The school trip itself was an event, but something might happen on the way there. Considering that, I¡¯d feel more at ease by staying close to her.
There was just one minor issue that bothered me about riding the same carriage as Louise, but I couldn¡¯t help it. After all, this was an official matter.
¡°Hyung, were you assigned to this carriage, too?¡±
¡°That¡¯s how it turned out.¡±
Erich greeted me as I walked towards Louise¡¯s carriage. I¡¯m sorry. You would¡¯ve been the only male member if I wasn¡¯t here. You might have been able to make some progress¡
¡®No.¡¯
Progress? I overestimated this guy.
I brushed off the absurd thought and got on the carriage. There was no one there except for Erich.
¡°Where¡¯s the other two?¡±
¡°She said they were going to get here soon. She¡¯s still talking with other people.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
As always, the pink capybara was at the center, receiving everyone¡¯s attention. She was naturally building friendships with others even at this moment.
Not long after, I heard somemotion outside of the carriage. And then, the door opened. A pink-haired figure hastily rushed in.
¡°Sorry! I¡¯mte¡ªhuh? Oppa?¡±
¡°I was also assigned here.¡±
I waved my hands at the surprised Louise, and a smile spread across her face. It felt good to be weed.
¡®So they came together.¡¯
As Louise smiled widely, I turned my gaze to the golden hair peeking out from behind her. Her body was hidden behind Louise and only her hair stuck out, as if she was trying to hide from my sight. Obviously, it had no effect.
¡°Hi. It¡¯s been a while.¡±
¡°Ah. Y-yes. Hello.¡±
Considering that we would ride the same carriage, I greeted her, and she responded while trembling. I felt sorry for her.
¡°Irina? What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s nothing.¡±
Irina replied awkwardly with a smile to Louise¡¯s concerned question.
I¡¯m sorry; I would have also preferred to avoid this if possible.
I felt like sighing after seeing a hint of fear in Irina¡¯s blue eyes.
Chapter 68: - The Surprised Heart Upon Seeing the Executive Manager (1)
? The Surprised Heart Upon Seeing the Executive Manager (1) ?
It was when I was staying at the Academy in preparation for the entrance ceremony. My father, with whom I used tomunicate every day, strangely didn¡¯t receive my calls for a while. It took a long time for him to finally leave a short message.
Although I found it strange, I assumed he got caught up with some work. My father was the head of an Earl¡¯s family, so there were many things he needed to take care of. We wouldn¡¯t see each other for a while once I entered the Academy, so he made sure to receive my calls every day. However, I understood that he might suddenly get busy.
It turned out that my father was busy indeed. The problem was that it was the wrong kind of busy.
¡ª Irina, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a misunderstanding.
¡°O-oppa. Is everything okay? How about father?¡±
¡ª He¡¯ll be fine.
I received contact from my pale and anxious older brother when my father stopped sending even text messages. The news I heard from him at that time was shocking.
Our family had be the target of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.
The Prosecutor¡¯s Office was a department under the Emperor¡¯s orders. They were in charge of punishing the disloyal nobles and even had the authority to act on their own judgment. Most families that they targeted were extinguished.
It didn¡¯t make sense. Why us? My father was more diligent and honest than other people. He was someone who was kind and warm even to themoners. He might love money too much, but that wasn¡¯t a crime.
¡ª I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s a mistake, so don¡¯t be shaken and focus on your studies, alright?
¡°Oppa¡¡±
¡ª I wanted to attend the entrance ceremony, but I won¡¯t be able to. I¡¯m sorry.
Oppa ended the call while making a bitter smile. I clung to themunication crystal and cried for a long time. The sudden disaster, the helplessness of not being able to do anything, the fear of what would happen to my family.
I was excited about starting the Academy¡¯s semester, but everything turned into hell instantly.
The bad news kepting. My mother had fainted and was bedridden. My younger siblings cried all day, missing our father, who¡¯d been taken away. If only I had been at the mansion with my family.
And then, a miracle happened.
¡ª Irina, are you okay?
¡°F-father?¡±
Amidst my despair, I received a call from my father. He looked like he¡¯d aged 10 years in a short span, but I was filled with joy. My father was safe. Our family was safe.
¡ª Everything ended well. Don¡¯t worry and focus on your studies.
¡°S¡ Sob¡ Y, yes¡ I, I will.¡±
It took me a while to reply while sobbing.
I heard from my father that the Prosecutor¡¯s Office had made a mistake. The Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office who was in charge of the inspection personally visited our mansion to apologize andpensate. Surprisingly, even the Executive Manager sent an apology letter.
Although the disaster had happened due to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s mistake, we couldn¡¯t me them even if it was unjust. It was simr to a natural disaster; all you could do was lie down and pray for it to end peacefully. In the Empire, the Prosecutor¡¯s Office was such an entity. None of our family members had died, and we¡¯d even receivedpensation. It truly felt like a miracle.
I wasn¡¯t right in my mind during the early days of the Academy because of my family¡¯s situation, but I quickly recovered thanks to a good friend.
¡°Hi! You¡¯re Irina Yorun, right?¡±
At first, I found her cheerful demeanor annoying. I was suffering, and yet she was smiling so cheerfully. Looking back, I feel embarrassed.
¡°Do you want to have lunch together?¡±
¡°No thanks.¡±
The pink-haired girl was kind to everyone. At first, I pushed her aside. But for some reason, I feltfortable when I was with her.
¡°Irina. Do you like it? It¡¯s pretty, right? It matches your hair color, so I got it for you!¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s pretty. Thanks.¡±
When I returned to my senses, I somehow became close to her. Maybe it was because I had eased my mind as the innocence of our family had been proven.
That¡¯s why I began spending time with the pink-haired girl, Louise. Thanks to her, I made many friends I wouldn¡¯t have made on my own. In the process, I met the younger brother of the Executive Manager. Erich, the younger brother, was innocent, so I overlooked it.
Suddenly, I found out that the Executive Manager had been dispatched to the Academy. Thankfully, I had no reason to encounter him, so I livedfortably. That¡¯s how time passed, and soon, the date of the school trip approached.
¡°Time seems to fly by.¡±
¡°Right. It feels like the club fair was just yesterday.¡±
Untilst year, there was no such thing as a school trip on the Academy¡¯s schedule. Because of that, I was prepared to spend all my time at the Academy except for the holidays, and I didn¡¯t think it would be tough.
The Academy had almost every facility one could think of, so going out seemed more troublesome. So I honestly thought it would be a hassle when I heard that there would be a school trip from the year I entered the Academy.
¡°Irina, is it your first time seeing the sea?¡±
¡°Yes. I¡¯ve never been to the sea before.¡±
But the destination chosen was the Duchy of Boyar. It was regarded as a top vacation spot across the continent, but I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to visit it yet. It was quite far, and hiring a teleportation mage for non-official business travel wasn¡¯t feasible.
But the Academy was sponsoring the trip, and all I needed to do was pack? My annoyance faded and excitement filled me. I had a lot of fun with Louise during the weekend while shopping for swimsuits.
I eagerly awaited the school trip every day. When I jokingly told my friend from the Student Council that I wished I could go tomorrow, she looked at me with teary eyes. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m really excited.
¡°Irina! Erich¡¯s going to ride in the same carriage as us!¡±
And to top it off, the random assignment for the carriages turned out well. Even though it was random, we were still grouped within the same ss, so my friends and I were grouped together. Good travelpanions, and a great location. This trip was going to be so enjoyable.
¡°Eh? Oppa?¡±
However, the enjoyable trip took a sudden turn on the day of the school trip, starting with Louise¡¯s words as we got on the carriage.
¡®Oppa?¡¯
Cold sweat ran down my back. I would probably see my eyes shaking if I looked in a mirror. Based on what I know, there was only one person in the Academy to whom Louise talked in this way.
¡±Why¡?¡¯
I know that he was Erich¡¯s brother, and I also know that he¡¯s close to Louise. Still, I thought he would be on a different carriage since he wasn¡¯t a student, so why now? I had never seen him since our first encounter, so I thought I¡¯d be safe if I avoided him.
I quickly hid behind Louise even though I knew it was pointless. I knew it was a meaningless action, but if I didn¡¯t do something like this, it felt like my legs would give out. Then, the voice I least wanted to hear greeted me.
¡°Hi. It¡¯s been a while.¡±
¡®He saw me.¡¯
When my urge to run away was about to burst out, he greeted me, so I couldn¡¯t hide anymore. I opened my mouth while holding back the tears, but my body wouldn¡¯t stop shaking.
Louise looked at me, confused and concerned. I hadn¡¯t told Louise about my incident with the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager. After all, I didn¡¯t want to worry her, and I was afraid that he might get provoked if she told him.
Carefully, I looked up at the ck-haired young man. The Executive Manager was sitting across from Erich. He looked rxed with his arms crossed and was leaning back, but his pitch-ck eyes looked down at me, making my heart race like crazy.
¡°Come on in. Your legs must be hurting.¡±
¡°Yes! Thank you!¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±
As I followed Louise into the carriage, a new problem arose. Erich and the Executive Manager were sitting in opposite seats. The only empty ones were beside Erich or the Executive Manager.
¡®Where should I sit¡?¡¯
Louise, what should I do? I feel sorry for sitting next to Erich, but I¡¯m too scared to sit on the other side.
The Executive Manager gestured to me as I was hesitating over a problem I couldn¡¯t share with anyone.
¡°Take a seat.¡±
¡°Ah, yes¡¡±
Mother, Father¡ I miss you so much¡ Will I be able to see you during the holidays?
* * *
Assuming that the n was to have Erich and Louise sit together, this arrangement was the best.
But that was from my perspective. For Irina, it must have been the worst. I could feel the faint sense of fearing from her even now.
¡®I¡¯m about to go crazy.¡¯
I¡¯m really sorry. But we should pair Erich and Louise in situations like this. If Louise faces Irina, wouldn¡¯t she avoid looking at me? It¡¯s better to sit side by side without seeing each other¡¯s faces. Traveling for a long time while looking at each other? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Irina faints halfway through.
In fact, the previous incident was solved smoothly. We adequatelypensated them for the damage caused, and we even sent an apology letter that said, ¡®We¡¯re going to turn a blind eye once even if it¡¯s something huge as long as it isn¡¯t an act of treason.¡¯ However, the aristocratic give-and-take and a youngdy¡¯s startled heart were two separate issues.
¡°Irina, are you really okay?¡±
Louise, who was chatting with Erich, nced and Irina and asked with concern. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems regarding Louise¡¯s worries. After all, Irina wasn¡¯t physically but mentally drained.
¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine, Louise. You know I¡¯m healthy, right?¡±
It was heartbreaking seeing the forced smile of a 17-year-olddy. It¡¯s hard to fathom who the heartless scoundrel was that frightened this poor youngdy like this. Damn you, 3rd Manager. Did you lose your conscience and shame after shaving your hair off?
Feeling awkward, I caught Irina¡¯s eyes. Her lips quivered, but she quickly lowered her head. She had blue eyes, just like Erich and Louise, which made me feel even more guilty.
¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap. Wake me up when we reach the city.¡±
¡°Okay, hyung.¡±
In the end, I took the emergency exit of sleeping. After all, it would be better for her mental health if the monster sitting next to her was asleep rather than awake.
And that¡¯s how the carriage headed for Boyar, with an excited youngdy, a happy idiot sitting next to his crush, and two others enveloped in suffocating awkwardness and fear.
Chapter 69: - The Surprised Heart Upon Seeing the Executive Manager (2)
? The Surprised Heart Upon Seeing the Executive Manager (2) ?
There wasn¡¯t any problem with the road to Boyar itself. The members of the Student Council had carefully chosen the road, and the lords of the nearby territories were also keen on maintaining public order out of fear.
After all, terrible consequences would ensue if something were to happen to the Academy students on their territories. The students weren¡¯t just children from normal noble families; there were members of the royal family and future saints among others. If even one of them said, ¡®That territory wasn¡¯t great,¡¯ a hard road ahead awaited them.
And as if that weren¡¯t enough, I heard that the Gold Duke pressured the lords. If there was an ident on the way to Boyar, people would remember it as an ident that happened on the way to Boyar rather than where it happened. They¡¯d investigate it thoroughly, so they had to be on high alert.
¡®If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡¯
I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know the Gold Duke had already warned you all.
To avoid something like a rockfall,ndslide, or bandit attack from happening, I sent a message to the lords of nearby territories. I don¡¯t even want to imagine how they felt after being pressured by both the Gold Duke and the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager. But still, it was good to see that everyone was paying attention to safety.
¡°I¡¯ll take a look around for a moment. We¡¯re leaving in 30 minutes, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
That¡¯s how things went smoothly without a fuss. Then, we stopped at a city for a short rest. This was thest rest stop before entering the tollgate, so we would have to stay inside the carriage until we arrived at Boyar. It¡¯ll surely be stifling, so now was a good time to get some fresh air.
Unfortunately, the one person I shouldn¡¯t have met shared the same idea.
¡°Irina?¡±
¡°Ah. H-hello?¡±
Irina talked like a broken doll. She was wandering alone, and I happened to run into her. I would¡¯ve taken another route if I had seen her while walking, but I met her on the way back to the carriage. This was the only way back, so there was nowhere else to go.
I was scared this might happen, so I came back early. However, it seemed like Irina had the same idea. Our hearts seem to be strangely connected¡ This sort of telepathy wasn¡¯t good.
For a moment, I considered rushing ahead of Irina or pretending I had left something behind to go back. But if I avoided her so tantly, it would make things even more awkward than this chance encounter.
¡®Or is it better to just be awkward?¡¯
Now that I think about it, there¡¯s no way things could get more awkward. That would be better than being alone with Irina.
Irina was trembling a lot. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she was biting her lips as if she was trying to hold back her tears.
¡®This is going to drive me crazy.¡¯
The actual culprit of the trolling, the 3rd Manager, hadn¡¯t met members of the Yorun family again after that incident. But I, who¡¯d been scolded by the Minister without knowing why, was still suffering like this. If Irina was a worn-out noble, I would have given her something, but she was still an innocentdy.
The stain of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office was too deep.
* * *
I barely held back my scream. It¡¯s clear that Enen despises me. I pray every morning and offer my tithes regrly, yet¡
¡®I should have just stayed in the carriage.¡¯
I inwardly cried with regret. The pressure of being in a small ce with the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, the uncertainty of when he might have a change of opinion, and the fear of disturbing the Executive Manager¡¯s sleep were all too much. All of these made me escape under the guise of taking a walk.
I knew the Executive Manager had gotten off the carriage before me, but what were the chances of running into each other in such a big city? I tried to return to the carriage quickly just in case, but this happened. My heart trembled even more as I tried to calm it down.
At least in the carriage, there were Louise and Erich in case of an emergency. The Executive Manager spent most of the time sleeping, so I had few chances to see him. Why did I foolishly go out? I ended up meeting him.
¡®Should I run away?¡¯
But how? We met on the main road, and there was no way to go. Would it be okay to avoid him in such a tant way? What if he bes offended?
I know that our family¡¯s innocence was proven, and we¡¯d even received an apology letter from the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. However, that didn¡¯t mean the incident had never happened. There was no guarantee that something like that wouldn¡¯t happen again.
They might be nning to take another jab at us to cover up their mistake. In the distant past, there have been cases where nonexistent crimes were fabricated to eliminate a family. If I make the slightest mistake, they mighte right after my family.
What should I do?
¡°Irina.¡±
¡°Y-yes?!¡±
The voice of the Executive Manager made me tremble reflexively. I¡¯ve never stood before a judge, but was this how someone felt while being on trial?
¡°Go ahead. I left something behind.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
I nkly stared at the back of the Executive Manager as he went back. He left something behind? But he only had a small bag with him, which he left in the carriage.
However, that¡¯s none of my business. Maybe he bought something in the city. I don¡¯t know what it was, but it was a relief that he forgot it. Thanks to that, I was able to get away from him.
¡°Sob¡ª¡±
The tension left my body, and I copsed to the ground. I felt like I was still tormented by the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, which made me tear up. However, I quickly got up and hurried back to the carriage. It¡¯d be problematic if he returned and we ended up walking side by side.
¡°Ah, Irina. You¡¯re back already.¡±
¡°Yes, I just went out to get some fresh air.¡±
Louise greeted me as I entered the carriage. Upon seeing her, an unexinable wave of sadness hit me, so I hugged her. Oh my God, I feel like I¡¯m about to cry again.
¡°Hehe, that tickles.¡±
Although Louise said this, she hugged me and didn¡¯t push me away. I was thankful for this. It was warm¡ It felt like I was calming down a bit¡
Erich looked at me with a confused expression, but I ignored him. Please, understand me. I was really scared because of your family.
¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯m notte.¡±
Not long after, the Executive Manager arrived.
¡®He¡¯s empty-handed?¡¯
Contrary to what he had said about leaving something behind, he returned in the same state as before. Did he lie? Why? Don¡¯t tell me it was to distance himself from me?
¡®Why¡?¡¯
Confused, I ended up staring at his hand. It felt like watching someone spit on the road and then pick up trash by the roadside. It felt like an act of kindness, but the person doing it confused me.
* * *
There¡¯s no way I had left something behind. I just used it as an excuse to distance myself from Irina before she caused a scene. In the end, I went for an unexpected walk before returning to the carriage. I almost didn¡¯t make it back in time.
Upon opening the carriage¡¯s door, I saw Irina nestled in Louise¡¯s arms. I¡¯m d that she seemed to have calmed down.
¡°We¡¯re heading straight to Boyar, right? It¡¯s really far away.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
I briefly replied to Erich¡¯s grumbling. Boyar was situated in the southernmost part of the vast Empire¡¯s territory, probably the furthest away from the Capital among the five Duchies. I always hired a teleport magician if I had a reason to visit Boyar.
Traveling to Boyar by carriage was like going to the Jeju Inds by boat instead of a ne. If this was a leisurely trip, I would¡¯ve enjoyed the journey. But doing it for work? You¡¯d have to be crazy to enjoy it.
Well, although the most important thing wasn¡¯t Erich¡¯sment or the distance to Boyar.
¡®Why is she acting like that?¡¯
She clearly wanted to distance herself from me as much as possible when we met on the street earlier. But now, she was sneakily looking at me. Of course, she wasn¡¯t tantly staring, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel her gaze in such a confined space. If I were someone who couldn¡¯t even notice the gaze of an ordinary student, then I would¡¯ve wasted four years of my life.
And yet, every time I shifted my gaze toward her or moved my hand, she immediately shrank back, trembling. It was like the reaction of a child who was scared of being hit by an adult, which made me feel uneasy.
¡®She did get hit that badly.¡¯
It wasn¡¯t that I had hit anyone, but her family as a whole had been beaten severely. The 3rd Manager was an asshole. To think he¡¯d inflict such trauma on a youngdy in her prime.
That¡¯s why I decided to endure Irina¡¯s stares silently. If I thought about the prank the Prosecutor¡¯s Office had yed on the Yorun family, such minor difort was bearable.
It didn¡¯t take long to reach the central city once we crossed the boundary of the Boyar Duchy. The Gold Duke had put much effort into the roads to ensure a smooth journey. He truly had the mindset of an artisan.
¡°It¡¯s magnificent¡¡±
Irina and Erich nodded in agreement with Louise¡¯s words as they gazed out the window. It was magnificent indeed. As the major economic city of the Empire, Boyar had a massive influence due to its strategic location.
The final destination of Boyar¡¯s roads, the vast harbor where ships that traverse through the continent dock, and the golden city where the ruler of gold, the Gold Duke, lived. I wondered if it was okay for a city that wasn¡¯t the Capital to have a grandiose name like the Golden City.
But anyway, we reached one of the ten major cities of the Empire, Pkope. It was the Boyar Duchy¡¯s center.
¡®That was a long journey.¡¯
I could finally escape from the awkward silence with Irina.
I nced at her. She was glued to the window like Louise, admiring the scenery of Pkope. She looked happy, which was a relief.
I¡¯ll be careful not to appear before you, at least during this school trip.
Chapter 70: - Warm Southern Territory (1)
? Warm Southern Territory (1) ?
Over a hundred carriages gathered at the same resort was an impressive sight, but what was even more impressive was the fact that a single resort could amodate all those carriages and still have room to spare. Now that was some serious nning. I now understood why they¡¯d destroyed the Kraken¡¯s habitat as soon as they¡¯d found it.
¡®The school trip¡¯s destination will be Boyar from now on.¡¯
Marghetta said that she thought that Boyar would probably continue to be the destination, but rather than a probability, it was a certainty.
Creating something this grand and then ending it as a one-time event would be impossible even for someone who¡¯s just out to make money.
Either way, the ce was certainly fancy. However, I wasn¡¯t sure for how long I¡¯d be able to stay here.
¡®I wonder if life on the ship will be bearable.¡¯
I had the mission of sending the baby Kraken to see his parents since living alone in this harsh world would be hard. And toplete that mission, a maritime game of that was inevitable. Until I caught it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to set foot onnd or the resort.
Still, I should subdue it if a Kraken was lurking near the resort. Neglecting it and having it emerge while the students were swimming at the beach would be disastrous.
¡°Oppa! Let¡¯s go in!¡±
¡°Okay, I¡¯ming.¡±
Louise, who was walking along with the carriage members to the resort, waved at me since I wasgging behind. I had a room assigned to me, so I had to quickly unpack my things and go to the casino.
Heading to the casino right after arriving at the resort. Without the context, I probably looked like a total degenerate. Anyway, it was about time to deposit money into the Royal ATM, so I would have to y some games.
¡®I really am a degenerate.¡¯
The first thing I did after arriving at the resort was to gamble. How sad.
I had an individual room separate from the students. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to use it, but it was quite spacious and luxurious for a single room.
¡°My room isn¡¯t far away from yours, Carl. Just so you know.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±
Marghetta told me where her room was while showing me my room. It¡¯s a bit unsettling to imagine what she¡¯s expecting by sharing this information, but I acknowledged it for now. I told her I¡¯de to visit when I had time, so she hopefully wouldn¡¯te to my room first.
The guards greeted me as I entered the casino after unpacking, as if they¡¯d been waiting for me. If I was a bitte, it seems like they would¡¯ve kidnapped me.
¡°Wee. His Grace has been waiting for you.¡±
¡°Already? I¡¯mte, then.¡±
¡°He¡¯s been inside the casino since early morning because he had some business here, so please don¡¯t worry.¡±
I wondered what business a Duke could have inside a casino, but I decided not to think about it.
Maybe he was depositing something into the ATM in exchange for securing construction projects from the Emperor. To deposit all that, he would need to work hard from morning.
With the guidance of a guard, I made my way through the casino and towards the VIP room. It was a chaotic mix of madness, excitement, and screams. I could never get used to the atmosphere here no matter how many times I visit.
¡°He¡¯s inside. Please enjoy.¡±
¡°Thanks. Good job.¡±
As soon as we arrived, I received the impression that these guards had received thorough training since he left without even looking back. Considering that they were guards for a ce whererge sums of gold coins flowed in and out, it¡¯s better if their training was impable.
Knock, knock.
¡°Your Grace, it¡¯s the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Are you here? Come in.¡±
I opened the door after the Gold Duke gave me his permission. Inside, there were three people seated, along with a dealer. The Gold Duke with graying hair was smoking a cigar, and the Boyar Duchy¡¯s Head Magician fiddled with his cards, his staffid aside.
¡®Who is he?¡¯
Thest person was someone I hadn¡¯t seen before. Judging by the atmosphere, he seemed to be involved with the Kraken¡¯s extermination.
¡°Wee. Please have a seat.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±
The dealer gave me some cards as soon as I sat down. Upon checking them, they were probably the worst possible cards.
¡°How much is the bet?¡±
¡°One great silver coin.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
I was nning to deposit today, but I couldn¡¯t help but grind my teeth at the greedy Gold Duke who took a great silver coin, which was worth 100 silver coins. Couldn¡¯t we start small with one silver coin?
With a heavy heart, Iid 50 gold coins on the table and immediately ced one as my bet. 50 great silver coins¡ It was the equivalent of 5 Gold Coins¡ Today¡¯s bleeding was quite bad.
¡°Ah, now that I think about it. You haven¡¯t formally met yet.¡±
After checking the great silver coins on the table which served as chips, the Gold Duke opened his mouth.
¡°He¡¯s the 2nd fleet¡¯smander. Buttely, he¡¯s been busier than anyone.¡±
If he was the one who¡¯d been wandering around with a team of magicians to find the location of the Kraken, then it made sense for him to be on this table. As I greeted him with a nod, the 2nd fleet¡¯smander responded with a smile.
¡°Since you¡¯ll be working together for a while, you should get to know each other. People get to know each other by ying rounds of cards.¡±
¡°I see. Thank you for your consideration, Your Grace.¡±
In gambling, rtionships normally tend to turn hostile as the game goes on. However, those that were present here weren¡¯t here for the money. It seemed like we¡¯d been summoned to discuss a strategy.
¡°The creature¡¯s range of activity is expanding.¡±
While swiftly going through the game, the Gold Dukemented. An increase in the range of activity was bad news, especially for a creature that was already unpredictable.
¡°Moreover, the time it spends above the water has been decreasing. It seems like it¡¯s learned how to endure underwater.¡±
¡°I¡¯m surprised. Krakens usually can¡¯t resist the urge to attack humans on sight.¡±
¡°It must have been a big shock for it. The problem was that we couldn¡¯t finish it in one go.¡±
Marine creatures often waited for you toe to them, but the Kraken typically leaped above the surface and attacked ships and humans before disappearing. But such Kraken had learned to increase its range of movement and endure underwater?
¡®How smart.¡±
It seemed as clever as the bear I¡¯d seen inside the dungeon. Or was it a different creature? Maybe it was a creature with a simr name.
¡°Hitting the Kraken effectively was already a challenge, and it¡¯s gotten even harder.¡±
I nodded in agreement. The Gold Duke¡¯s magicians probably had enough firepower to take down a Kraken. The issue was spotting it. As the Gold Duke said, it wasn¡¯ting out of the water. Even if we managed to find it and coax it to the surface, there wouldn¡¯t be enough time to deal damage because it quickly submerged itself again.
That¡¯s why the Gold Duke entrusted me with the task of subduing the Kraken. It was because I could deliver a fatal blow to the Kraken in a short span of time. Of course, there were others as capable as me, but it turned out convenient since I was already on my way here.
¡°You have no idea how relieved I was to hear that you wereing. I¡¯m d to know that the citizens won¡¯t get harmed.¡±
The Gold Duke chuckled while saying that. Although he might look like a benevolent lord, his ruthlessness when it came to business was unmatched. Was this his way of saying that he had enough of the chat and it was time for me to pay up and leave? What a bastard.
¡°The love and care Your Grace has for the citizens is truly admirable that I can almost feel how happy they are.¡±
I went all in with the remaining great silver coins with a smile. After all, the fact that the Gold Duke was doing this for the people wasn¡¯t a lie.
However, it wasn¡¯t because he cared for each individual but because of the losses incurred when a citizen dies and he had to givepensation money to the deceased¡¯s family.
But it was true that only 1% of the lords thought aboutpensating the deceased¡¯s family.
I lost all fifty gold coins in an instant and left the VIP room. All I got were terrible hands. Damn it, can¡¯t I win just once?
¡®Tomorrow lunch¡¡¯
They asked me to rest well and go to the port at lunch tomorrow since the Kraken¡¯s extermination would start then. Woah, so I would at least get a day¡¯s sleep at the resort.
As I was about to leave the casino with a strange feeling of fortune amidst misfortune, a familiar figure caught my eye.
¡®What the hell is this?¡¯
Although my head could recognize the figure, my heart couldn¡¯t ept it. Was it okay for him to be here?
I carefully walked toward the striking white-haired man who was standing among the crowd gathered around the roulette table.
The closer I got, the more certain I was that it was him.
¡°Tannian.¡±
¡°Ah, brother?¡±
Why are you here?
¡°How unexpected. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you here.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Why are you saying what I wanted to say?
I might have teased him about whether a priest should be gambling if he were a normal priest, but he wasn¡¯t just a priest. He was the next Saint, so I had to be careful with my words. A slight slip and I could end up offending the Holy Kingdom and get emunicated.
But seriously, why are you here?
¡°Ah, rather than me, I¡¯m sure brother¡¯s more curious.¡±
Noticing my questioning gaze, Tannian replied with a smile. But did he really have to address me as ¡®brother¡¯ here? It feels a bit off inside a casino.
¡°Our God has told us not to turn our gaze away no matter how dark the ce is. As a servant of God, I shouldn¡¯t just choosefortable ces to hang around.¡±
Tannian said that while sping his hands together. He truly looked like a Saint, except for the backdrop being a roulette.
¡°Even in ces where all sorts of lust and desires converge, there¡¯s the right to receive the teachings and mercy of God. There¡¯s no ce in this world that doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
In short, casinos were ces where people gathered. People had the right to follow Enen¡¯s will, so there was no problem with him being here.
Well, if he said so, it was probably right¡ If I get too involved, I¡¯ll just end up getting tired for no reason¡
Suddenly, shouts and screams erupted from the roulette table. Both Tannian and I turned our gazes toward it.
¡°Ah, it didn¡¯t work.¡±
¡°¡¡±
I closed my eyes after hearing the disappointed words of Tannian.
This bastard wasn¡¯t just watching; he¡¯d also bet money.
Chapter 71: - Warm Southern Territory (2)
? Warm Southern Territory (2) ?
Roulette King Tannian didn¡¯t stop. And by not stopping, I meant that he hadn¡¯t reached a level of satisfaction where he could leave. I saw him spin the roulette four times. How long is he going to stick around?
I¡¯m starting to get worried. I¡¯ve only seen him y four times, so he must have yed more rounds than that. Sadly, the amount of money Tannian had lost wasn¡¯t even 10% of what I had just paid to the Imperial Family.
¡°Take it easy. It¡¯s not good to see a priest behaving like that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just enjoying it lightly.¡±
Lightly? Have I been misunderstanding the word ¡®lightly¡¯ all this time?
¡°Brother, gambling is despised for risking everything on uncertain odds.¡±
¡°If you know that, then why don¡¯t you stop?¡±
This was worse because he knew better.
But despite my reaction, Tannian justughed and shook his head.
¡°I don¡¯t bet on the odds. I just pay money to enjoy the fleeting hope of making a fortune at once and the excitement during the game.¡±
¡°What¡?¡±
What nonsense was he saying?
I couldn¡¯tplete my sentence. It was myst bit of sanity trying to avoid making a scene.
¡°Don¡¯t people spend money while watching a y or going to a cafe? I just spend money on a game for a brief moment of joy.¡±
After uttering such madness, Tannian shrugged his shoulders. I stared nkly at him. If I didn¡¯t know he was a candidate for bing a Saint, I would¡¯ve thought he was a cult member. Was this the next Saint?
Wasn¡¯t he just a lunatic?
Mesmerized, I approached the roulette and was able to return to the resort with Tannian after losing five more great silver coins. I only needed to pay 50, but I ended up paying more extra tax. I didn¡¯t expect to win, but I never thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to win anything at all.
¡°So you also don¡¯t have good luck, brother.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡±
If I¡¯d been lucky, I wouldn¡¯t be here with all of you at the Academy in the first ce.
We saw some students wandering around as we entered the resort. It was a big resort, so they probably wanted to explore the interior. Even the lobby alone had spaces to sit and cafes, so I wondered how the other ces were.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s an unexpected pairing.¡±
After hearing Tannian¡¯s voice, I looked over and saw Louise and Marghetta sitting together. It was truly an unexpected pairing.
The two had bright expressions. Taking into consideration their first encounter, this was quite a dramatic turnaround. Originally, Marghetta had no animosity toward Louise, and vice versa. Louise didn¡¯t hate Marghetta; she was just intimidated by her.
¡°Ah, Oppa! Tannian!¡±
As Louise found us, Marghetta also waved her hand while smiling.
¡°Shall we go?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
I nodded at Tannian¡¯s question. I had no pressing issues, so avoiding them was unnecessary. I looked around and saw that Irina wasn¡¯t in sight, so it should be fine if I sat with them.
As we approached, Louise and Marghetta moved aside to make room. I sat down next to Marghetta, and Tannian dly sat next to Louise. Marghetta let out a soft chuckle. Was this what you call the happiness of the majority?
Louise opened her mouth after looking at me and Tannian.
¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen the both of you together.¡±
Just like I was surprised by thebination of Louise and Marghetta, it seemed like Louise was surprised by Tannian and me walking together. After all, I haven¡¯t hung out alone with the other club members very often.
¡°We happened to meet outside. We didn¡¯t go out together.¡±
¡°Really? If Tannian went straight there, it must be a fun ce!¡±
¡®Ah.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but remember our past conversation when I heard Louise¡¯s cheerful and expectant voice.
¡°The continent¡¯s best casino?¡±
¡°There are many other ces you can enjoy besides that, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±
I ended up worrying about it. Back then, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d go to the casino right at the beginning of the school trip.
I looked at Tannian, who was sitting across from me. He nodded while smiling. Yeah, you probably don¡¯t want to give Louise the bad image of a priest who went to the casino for fun. I believe you¡¯ll handle it well.
¡°I was in the casino. Brother was also there.¡±
Fuck. I didn¡¯t leave it to you so you could talk on my behalf.
Startled, Louiseughed awkwardly and looked at me. I could also feel Marghetta¡¯s sharp gaze from the side.
¡°I went there to meet someone. After all, it¡¯s safer than most ces.¡±
The casino was overflowing with security personnel prepared for situations like the casino absorbing funds and customers causing disturbances due to the instantaneous change of game oues. In fact, it¡¯s quite safe and secure. It was no coincidence that the Gold Duke wanted to meet people inside the VIP room.
My only wrongdoing was answering the call. I looked at Louise as if I were innocent, and she seemed to understand.
¡°Tannian, did you also go because of an appointment?¡±
¡°Ah, no. I went because it¡¯s famous.¡±
Louise seemed to be taken aback by such a frank statement. If the opponent was too confident, one tended to ept their reasoning. I also felt the same way.
¡°How could God¡¯s servant discriminate between ces? That ce is also a ce where God¡¯s children gather.¡±
Just like how he exined to me, Louise also nodded. Although he was definitely using excuses, it had a strange persuasive capability because the one talking was the next Saint.
¡°It was fun. I lost quite a bit because I got carried away.¡±
The problem was that he added unnecessary details. Because he publicly said that he had gambled, both Louise and Marghetta coughed awkwardly.
¡°R¡ Really? That must have been tough.¡±
Louise looked around and gave a vague answer. She¡¯s probably struggling with how to answer such a statement.
I hope you get better results next time? That would imply going back to the casino. Don¡¯t worry too much? It wasn¡¯t normal for a priest to like gambling. I felt pity for Louise, who was caught in extreme ambiguity.
¡°In fact, brother¡¯s probably feeling bad, too. He lost as much as I did.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡®You bastard.¡¯
Tannian¡¯sment, which had no ill intent, was directed toward me. Because of that, the gazes of the other two became fixated on me. They seemed to be questioning me with eyes that looked as if they¡¯d been betrayed.
¡°Junior, could you tell me how much Carl has spent?¡±
¡°He used about five great silver coins.¡±
After hearing him casually say the amount, Marghetta momentarily became silent before turning her body to face me.
¡°Carl, can we talk for a moment?¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
Marghetta¡¯s eyes had be much sharper.
* * *
This is bad. I never imagined something like this would happen.
¡®I was nning to entrust the finances to Carl once we got married.¡¯
The future I took for granted was shaking a bit. Carl was someone who worked at the Ministry of Finance, and that¡¯s why I thought he¡¯d be better at managing funds than me.
¡®What should I do¡?!¡¯
I understand that no one¡¯s perfect. I thought that Carl might have some ws I hadn¡¯t noticed, and I vowed to embrace any ws with a smile. But gambling? Isn¡¯t that one w a little too much?
Of course, I¡¯ve heard that the fortune Carl has amassed over the years isn¡¯t small. Also, the title of Earl that Carl will inherit belongs to a prestigious family with territories located near the capital. With the power of the Valenti Duke, they could easily buy a few casinos and give them to Carl.
But that can¡¯t be. If the father¡¯s addicted to gambling, there¡¯s a chance our children might be affected too. They might even start looking down on their father, and that can¡¯t happen. Absolutely not.
¡°Carl.¡±
¡°Yes, Mar.¡±
Seeing Carl¡¯s slightly lowered gaze as he replied pained my heart, but I can¡¯t back down on this. For the sake of our happy future and our children¡¯s future, I must firmly address this issue. I don¡¯t mind if he blows a few silver and gold coins now, but there¡¯s no telling what will happen in the future.
¡°Is what Junior said true?¡±
¡°Yes¡¡±
My hand tightened around the fan. This was Carl¡¯sst chance to deny it, but it was true. Still, I appreciate Carl¡¯s honesty.
No. That¡¯s not the point.
¡°Carl, nobles should always maintain their dignity. We should walk the right path even in tough times and not hope for shortcuts.¡±
I know the madness that goes around in casinos very well and the kind of people they attract. It¡¯s a vile ce. It was surprising that there was such a big casino in the city where the Gold Duke resides, especially when he was someone very noble.
However, the Gold Duke doing something unexpected doesn¡¯t mean Carl can do the same. Regardless of the surroundings, one must remain steadfast. A role model for all. That¡¯s what a noble is.
¡°I think Carl¡¯s an excellent noble.¡±
¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡±
¡°And I believe you will continue to be one.¡±
I carefully extended my pinky finger to Carl, just to reassure myself.
¡°Although I won¡¯t change my thoughts, Carl, can you promise me one thing?¡±
Promise me that you won¡¯t go back there in the future.
* * *
I felt overwhelmed as I watched Marghetta extend her little finger with a tense expression. I don¡¯t have a gambling hobby or anything like that. I did that earlier because of external influence.
But regardless of that, it¡¯s true that I yed roulette today. Even if I say I only did it here, it would just sound like a weak excuse an addict would give.
¡®I don¡¯t have the choice of not going.¡¯
I felt sorry for Marghetta, but I must go to the casino. The reward for defeating the Kraken will be given there. And I have to visit it asionally to deposit and withdraw money afterward.
Marghetta would probably understand these circumstances if I exined them to her, but the fact that the Boyar Duchy¡¯s casino was the Imperial Family¡¯s ATM was a closely guarded secret.
People from all over the continent came here to spend money. Imagine the chaos that would happen if rumors which said that the money you spend there would strengthen the Empire¡¯s military strength. It would be chaos. The casinos would immediately copse, and the Emperor would seek to punish the leaker.
¡°Carl¡?¡±
As I hesitated, Marghetta¡¯s voice trembled. Her eyes were moist. She looked like a pitiful woman who¡¯d just discovered that her lover was a severe gambling addict.
¡®This is going to drive me crazy.¡¯
I have no choice. I¡¯ll have to be careful and make sure I¡¯m not caught.
As I silently linked my pinky finger with her, Marghetta finally smiled brightly. Louise, who was across the room, also sighed in relief while Tannian quietly pped as if he was d about the development.
Was the virtue of the future saint candidate telling the truth? That bastard. I would¡¯ve considered throwing him into the sea if he¡¯d done it maliciously, but he hadn¡¯t.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 72: - Warm Southern Territory (3)
? Warm Southern Territory (3) ?
It seemed like Kaiji was about to be streamed on Marghetta¡¯s head. It felt like it stopped before the opening yed.
(E/N: Kaiji ¨C Gambling Apocalypse; a Japanese manga series)
She grabbed my pinky finger with full strength. She must have thought that I might change my mind and let go of that finger.
¡®Of all the times to get caught.¡¯
My heart ached from the cruel misunderstanding. Maybe this was how the secret royal inspectors of the Joseon era felt when they left the capital without being able to tell their families that they had be secret inspectors. Everything would be okay if I told her the secret of the casino, but that wasn¡¯t something I could do.
If I¡¯m caught going back to the casino, she might think of that as a betrayal. I might even see Marghetta trying to cut off my hand while crying.
¡°Tannian, don¡¯t go elsewhere and stay with us. There seems to be a lot of interesting ces.¡±
¡°Of course. I just went to the casino for a brief look. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be going there again.¡±
I heard the conversation between the two from the side. Until now, I thought Rutis was the one who would speak carelessly, but maybe I judged people too quickly. There¡¯s a chance that all the members have issues I haven¡¯t observed yet.
You won¡¯t know if someone has a light mouth until you experience it firsthand. It¡¯s like the Schr?dinger¡¯s cat. You can¡¯t be certain until you observe it¡
I tried to nce at Tannian sneakily but Marghetta coughed, so I looked at her again.
¡°We¡¯re nning to go to the beach tomorrow. Carl, would you like toe?¡±
¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I have things I need to take care of starting tomorrow.¡±
Marghetta¡¯s expression hardened again. The timing was bad. I should¡¯ve told her beforehand that I would be gone starting tomorrow.
Calming Marghetta down was harder than I thought. She was shaking because she suspected that I would be returning to the casino.
The next day, I finished all the tasks I had to do before embarking on the unexpected boat ride.
***
¡ª I hope you return safely.
I told Vir that I would be away starting from today. I exined to him that it was work work-rted issue, so he didn¡¯t ask any further. He¡¯d reassured me that I had nothing to worry about in Boyar, so I felt secure leaving things to him. It would be great if there were ten Virs.
I told the members they should talk to Vir in my absence if something happened, so everything should be okay.
¡®Right?¡¯
I hope they don¡¯t go somewhere strange without letting Vir know.
I¡¯m concerned about Rutis, who was way above Vir when ites to social standing. However, I have no choice but to trust him. I don¡¯t like the meta of relying on luck, but I had no other choice.
¡°Good afternoon.¡±
I was greeted by the Head Magician as I arrived at the harbor. It seemed like the caravel in the background was where I would stay for a while. Caravels were good for quick travel if there was the necessary crew, and there were three of them.
¡°We¡¯re ready for departure. You just need to board.¡±
¡°It seemed like the captain has been preparing since early morning.¡±
¡°He said that he should do his best since the Executive Manager ising.¡±
Iughed at the Head Magician¡¯s joke and boarded the caravel. He was someone who used tomand a galleon, so it seemed like he came earlier to prepare in advance.
¡°We¡¯ve prepared what you¡¯ve requested.¡±
¡°Ah, thank you.¡±
¡°It¡¯s no big deal, but¡ is that enough?¡±
I nodded at the worried question. Hunting a creature that appeared and disappeared almost instantly with just a knife or a fist was hard. You had to send it away as soon as it appeared.
¡°Yes, it¡¯s enough.¡±
As soon as I boarded the ship, I saw three spears leaning against the railing. They were in the perfect position, ready to be thrown. This should be enough. They¡¯d even generously brought extras in case of any misfire.
¡°The question is when it will appear.¡±
The issue wasn¡¯t whether we could catch it or not. It was about when it would appear.
¡°It might realize that someone hase to kill it and hide even deeper.¡±
¡°Haha, if it¡¯s that clever, then we have no choice but to wait.¡±
I replied to the joke of the Head Magician with augh. It was his way of saying, ¡°Let¡¯s do our best.¡± If it really was a creature that smart, things would inevitably drag.
Come to think of it, the Kraken had gone into hiding the moment its parents turned into a braised squid. It was definitely an intelligent creature.
¡®I hope my words won¡¯te back to haunt me.¡¯
That would be troublesome.
* * *
They said that there¡¯s a ce called Emerald Beach. It was named that because it shines like an emerald. Despite the straightforward name, it couldn¡¯t be a more perfect fit.
A resort staff said it was a must-visit ce if you came to Boyar. The original n was for the Duke¡¯s daughter to join us, but Oppa said he was busy¡ Not only that, but Irina also didn¡¯te. She¡¯d never seen the sea before, so I really wanted to show it to her.
¡°It feels empty without the Advisor.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to work aftering all the way here.¡±
Erich replied to Lather¡¯sment. I didn¡¯t expect Oppa to be so busy when we got to Boyar, either. This was a school trip, so wouldn¡¯t it be nice for him to rx during this time?
¡°Let¡¯s think of this as our reconnaissance mission. We can bring him hereter if he finishes early.¡±
Everyone nodded at Rutis¡¯s words. When we did the pic, Oppa went to scout the surrounding location in advance, so this time, let¡¯s think that we¡¯re the ones doing it.
I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be out for the entire duration of the trip.
While thinking that, we headed to the Emerald Beach. If this ce weren¡¯t as good as the rumors, it would be a waste of Oppa¡¯s precious time. Yes, we should definitely check it before bringing him. That would be better for him, too.
¡°It¡¯s beautiful. It looks like a gift sent from the heavens.¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s pretty¡¡±
Upon arriving at the beach, thendscape was so breathtaking that even Tannian, who had been quiet until then, couldn¡¯t help but admire it. Beforeing, I thought that this would just be a green sea, but seeing it up close felt different. It was definitely green, but there was something more to it.
Even the three ships passing by in the distance fit perfectly into this picturesquendscape. It¡¯s really beautiful.
I definitely want to show this to Oppa. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to love it. He enjoyed the cherry blossom viewing, so he will probably love the sea as well. It would be great if Irina and the Duke¡¯s daughter could alsoe along next time.
* * *
This damn green-tinted sea is driving me nuts.
Although the ships sailed at midday to where the Kraken wasst seen, there were no results yet. Of course, I wasn¡¯t expecting to find it on the first day, but waiting aimlessly on the sea wasn¡¯t much fun either.
The Head Magician had already been living on the sea even before I arrived at Boyar, so he was already tired and lying down on the deck. Was he resting, or had he passed out?
¡°Is everything okay?¡±
¡°Ah, Captain.¡±
I was looking at the Head Magician who was passed out when the Captain came to ask how I was doing. A navigator or the helmsman would probably handle the navigation, so he probably stepped out for a bit. I was thinking that I hadn¡¯t greeted him yet when he made a timely appearance.
¡°Yes. I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s just that the view struck me.¡±
¡°Is that so? That¡¯s a relief. The Head Mage is in that state as soon as he gets on a ship, so I was worried if my sailing skills had deteriorated.¡±
¡°For a magician, it¡¯s hard to adapt to a sailor¡¯s lifestyle.¡±
¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s true!¡±
The Captain was probably proud of his navigating skills, and seeing a passed-out passenger had probably made him worried. So, he probably couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved after hearing that he wasn¡¯t the problem.
Maybe it was because he appreciated me for matching the mood of a sailor. The Captain came closer to me, leaned on the railing, and looked out at the green sea.
¡°This is Boyar¡¯s pride. Many people here are willing to put their lives on the line for this sea.¡±
¡°Is that so? It¡¯s indeed beautiful.¡±
Putting their lives in line for the sea? Maybe their sentiments are different from mine since I¡¯m from ind.
¡°It isn¡¯t just beautiful. Here, you can catch a lot of fish. That¡¯s why many people havee here since ancient times.¡±
Ah, then it¡¯s understandable. From the perspective of coastal residents, a guaranteed fishing ground was as valuable as life itself. Although Boyar wasn¡¯t just a ce where you had to live off fishing anymore.
I nced at the Captain. He was looking at the sea with a distant look in his eyes. Although it had been many years since the people of Boyar mainly focused on fishing, he probably had an ancestor who¡¯d dedicated his life to it.
¡°And what took those people¡¯s lives was neither the sky nor the sea. It was the Kraken.¡±
Ah, so it was a buildup for this.
¡°Back then, the Kraken was an unstoppable disaster.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard about that. There was a time when it was worshiped as a Sea God, wasn¡¯t there?¡±
¡°Hahaha. A God of Disaster would be more fitting than a Sea God.¡±
After a moment of silence, the Captain¡¯s gaze turned to the distant shoreline.
¡°These days, the Kraken¡¯s just an annoying monster. But for ordinary residents, it¡¯s still a creature that could shatter their daily routine.¡±
¡°The Gold Duke also seemed very concerned about residents.¡±
¡°Yes, he¡¯s a great person. He even cares about the lives of the residents with the lowest social standing.¡±
A mix of emptiness and anger reced the nostalgia in the Captain¡¯s eyes. It seemed like the life the sea had imed wasn¡¯t a distant ancestor, but a close rtive. And apparently, it wasn¡¯t by choice.
¡°I was happy to hear that the Executive Manager had epted this request.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s apensated job, after all.¡±
The Captain chuckled at thement and shook his head as if that was a minor detail.
¡°From the perspective of someone being protected, a detail like that isn¡¯t important. The oue is what matters.¡±
¡°I hope many residents can enjoy that oue.¡±
¡°That¡¯s going to be easy.¡±
As he said that, the Captain pointed to the coastline where he¡¯d been looking. A dark shadow started to emerge from the green sea.
Ah, it¡¯s alreadying out.
¡°There seems to be a person who needs the help of the Executive Manager.¡±
As he said that, I took a closer look. A person was sitting on the sandy beach. Why now, out of all times?
Wait. Unless you cast magic into the sea, those creatures don¡¯t usuallye out. Could it be that this person was serving as bait?
As I clicked my tongue, the Captain handed me one of the spears that was leaning against the railing.
¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±
If there were casualties in such a situation, it would not sit well with me, either.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 73: - Warm Southern Territory (4)
? Warm Southern Territory (4) ?
I didn¡¯t think I¡¯de all the way here and end up walking alone. I brought it upon myself, but¡
¡°Why don¡¯t we go together, Irina? I heard it looks beautiful.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m feeling sick for having ridden the carriage for a long time.¡±
¡°Hmm. Then, how about we have fun together once you feel better?¡±
That was at yesterday¡¯s lunch. I told Louise it would take some time before I recovered and sent her back.
I didn¡¯t feel good while rejecting Louise¡¯s invitation. I wanted to say I would go with her as soon as I saw her making a gloomy expression, but I¡¯m definitely going to see the Executive Manager again if I hang out with Louise. That made me discard the idea.
I feel like the Emerald Sea would look bloody red instead of emerald if I saw it with the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager. I¡¯m really sorry, Louise. I also wanted toe here with you, but it will be tough.
That¡¯s why I went somewhere else alone after hearing that Louise had left. It would be a waste to stay still aftering all this way.
¡®It¡¯s beautiful.¡¯
I sighed softly at the sight, which felt like looking at a giant emerald. Thankfully, the sea was big, so there were many beaches. I probably won¡¯t meet the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager if I don¡¯t go where Louise went. That¡¯s also why I deliberately chose a less popr spot.
¡®It would¡¯ve been nice if we saw it together.¡¯
Although the scene was beautiful enough to make me sigh, I felt slightly disappointed. This was all because of the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager. I was nning to have fun while hanging out with Louise and watching the guys who like herpete with each other. But now, I found myself running away because of one person.
I sat down by the sea while dipping my feet into the water, feeling disheartened. I had even bought a new swimsuit and put it on, but what¡¯s the point if I¡¯m exploring alone?
¡®The one at fault is that person.¡¯
I pouted while digging my hands into the innocent sand. I couldn¡¯t help but feel fear when he was present, but I felt wronged and resentful when he wasn¡¯t in sight. My family suffered a great deal, and it was my family that was wronged. Why do I have to go through all this?
But there was one silver lining. While we were stuck together in the carriage, I hadn¡¯t seen him since we arrived at the resort. He doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of looking for me.
¡°Go ahead. I left something behind.¡±
For some reason, he seems to be considerate.
I buried my head in my knees. My head felt messy. No matter how much I thought about it, he was definitely showing me consideration.
¡®But why would he show consideration towards me?¡¯
Why would that wicked head of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office be considerate to me? I couldn¡¯t think of any reasonable answer. The image of Louise yelling and swinging her fists seemed more realistic.
I don¡¯t know. He just shouldn¡¯t appear before me instead of doing so and confuse me.
¡®Just because of something like this.¡¯
Why am I so shaken? What happened between us wasn¡¯t such a big deal.
Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m friends with Louise, or maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s Erich¡¯s oppa, so I wish he was a good person. Maybe I keep thinking that he¡¯s a good person to escape from reality instead of trembling in fear every time I see him. And maybe he really is a good person.
But if he¡¯s a good person and I can have a good rtionship with him¡ What about my family? My father who was unjustly dragged away, my mother who fainted, my Oppa who bore the burden, and my younger siblings who cried without knowing what was going on.
¡ª Don¡¯t worry about that anymore. It was just bad luck, an ident.
My father said that. He said that I should brush it off. That¡¯s the best way to deal with the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. Even if I have resentment or lingering feelings, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.
¡°I hate you¡¡±
Since there was no one listening, I quietly muttered those words. No matter how thoughtful he was, I couldn¡¯t help but tremble in fear whenever I saw him. So I just wish he remained in the distance, where I couldn¡¯t see him.
I lifted my head and stared at my toes. Even though it was a school trip meant to be enjoyed, my worries just seemed to be piling up¡ª
¡®Huh?¡¯
There was suddenly a loud ssh, and then a shadow appeared over me.
What¡¯s going on?
I raised my head and froze. It was impossible to even imagine what appeared right in front of me. A gigantic monster with ten tentacles and wasrger than most buildings was staring down at me.
¡ª Kuurr!
After hearing its cry, I couldn¡¯t think of anything, let alone running away. My body wouldn¡¯t move. All I could do was tremble.
¡®Why, why?¡¯
Why did such a monster appear in a resort like this? Was this my punishment because I lied to Louise, and because I foolishly imagined that someone who¡¯s basically our family¡¯s enemy could be a good person?
But still, wasn¡¯t this too much? I might have wished for the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager to be far away, but I didn¡¯t mean I wanted to go somewhere I¡¯d never see him again!
¡ª Kuurrgghh!
¡°KYAA!¡±
I lowered my body as the monster swung its giant legs. I don¡¯t want to die like this! If I die like this, myst words to Louise will be a lie, and thest person I thought of will be that man!
I don¡¯t want to die because of such a squid! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d be able to die peacefully if such a thing happened!
Extreme fear of impending death, mixed with a tiny bit of shame, left my body beyond my control. Even if I wanted to, my body wouldn¡¯t move.
Dad, Mom, Oppa¡
¡ª Boom!
Suddenly, I heard a deafening sound, and something fell from above my head.
¡®W-what¡?¡¯
Did something appear again?
¡°Irina, are you okay?¡±
As I carefully raised my head¡
I saw thest person who I wanted to see.
¡°Ah¡¡±
I could see the decapitated Kraken behind him.
Am I alive? I had survived the Kraken only to encounter someone even more dangerous. He was even holding a spear in each hand.
¡°Irina?¡±
¡°Sob-¡°
My body suddenly went limp.
* * *
It was a simple motion. He grabbed the spear with his right hand and twisted his waist. Pulling his right arm back, his right leg followed, setting his stance. It was an ordinary and unremarkable movement that anyone could do and one that you could see anywhere. That¡¯s what the Captain thought of the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s movements.
That¡¯s also how the sailors looked when they were about to throw their harpoons in their free time. The only difference was that the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager was preparing to throw it at a Kraken, not a mere fish.
He must be trying to divert the Kraken¡¯s attention. If he got lucky, the irritated creature would approach the ship and the magicians couldunch a coordinated attack. Even if it ran away, they could stop it from attacking the civilians.
¡°It might shake a bit.¡±
¡°What?¡±
The Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager spoke to him out of the blue while the Captain was trying to wake up the Head Magician. He couldn¡¯t understand what he meant, but there was no need to do so.
¡ª BOOM!
His body experienced it first before his head could understand it.
¡°W-what? Did that bastard attack us first?¡±
The Head Magician got up in surprise after hearing the loud noise.
¡°It did appear.¡±
¡°It used to run away all the time. Has it finally gone mad? Where is it?¡±
The Captain pointed to where he¡¯d been looking. The Head Magician, who¡¯d been preparing a spell, lowered his wand and stared nkly at one spot.
¡°Where is the Kraken¡?¡±
¡°It used to be a Kraken just a moment ago.¡±
¡°Woah¡¡±
Afterughing in disbelief, the Head Magician looked away from what used to be the Kraken.
¡°So that¡¯s how it looks under the sea.¡±
¡°This is also my first time seeing it like this, although I¡¯ve seen it while diving.¡±
The Captain nodded at the Head Magician¡¯s words. Carl had thrown the spear lightly, but the oue wasn¡¯t light at all.
The ship shook because of the spear-throwing motion. It was a ship that was covered with magical effects, so it shouldn¡¯t shake unless it was bombarded. Yet, the ship had tilted from a mere spear throw.
The sea from the ship to the shore split for a moment. Kraken? The sea had just split. Who cares about a random squid? The Kraken had already died. Its head had exploded because of the spear the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager had thrown.
¡°Luckily, it didn¡¯t miss.¡±
The Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager casually said that. He looked around at the beach where the Kraken had appeared. The sound of the Kraken exploding sounded like an explosion. If he had even missed a bit and the spear had struck the cliffs behind the sandy shore, what would have happened?
The Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager grabbed the other two spears and told the Head Magician.
¡°Head Mage, let¡¯s go to the beach.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
¡°Will three spears be enough? I know the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager is strong, but fighting onnd ispletely different from fighting on the sea.¡±
The Head Magician had expressed his concerns about the number of spears until they set sail, but the situation was solved with just one spear. The Head Magician might be asking himself what he¡¯d been doing all this time while floating on the sea.
The Captain, who understood the Head Magician¡¯s thoughts, felt slightly sorry for him.
* * *
It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve used a spear, so I asked for three, just in case. Luckily, I ended it with one. Yeah, could you even call it hunting if you couldn¡¯t capture a Kraken with just that? It will be their anniversary soon, so it would be troublesome if I had to bring embarrassing news.
If I hadn¡¯t ended it at once, that bastard Kagan might haveughed at me while burning somewhere in hell. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.
I headed to the beach to make sure the Kraken was dead and to check on the victim who had narrowly avoided being involved in the incident when I saw someone unexpected.
¡®Irina?¡¯
Irina was trembling while surrounded by pieces of the Kraken. I thought she would be with Louise, so why was she here alone? I told Louise yesterday that I would be away. Did the message arrive a bitte?
¡°Irina, are you okay?¡±
¡°Ah, aah¡¡±
She probably ended up in this situation while trying to avoid me. I asked her worriedly, but Irina couldn¡¯t give me a proper answer. It seemed like she was really surprised.
¡°Irina?¡±
¡°Sob-¡°
Irina, who¡¯d been shaking, suddenly started to cry and clenched her legs. It was certainly a life-threatening situation, so it¡¯s understandable that she would cry¡ Huh?
I covered the eyes of the Head Magician, who was looking at the corpse of the Kraken.
¡°Executive Manager? What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°You can go first. I¡¯m going to return with her.¡±
The Head Magician seemed puzzled by my sudden request, but he still turned around and left. He seemed curious about why I had covered his eyes, but that was a secret I couldn¡¯t reveal.
¡°Sniff, sniff¡¡±
¡°Eh, Irina?¡±
¡°Waaaah!¡±
Irina tried to hold back her tears while her shoulders were shaking, but she eventually burst into tears because of a mixture of fear and shame.
Sadly, Irina¡¯s tears didn¡¯t just flow from her eyes. Irina probably knew it too, as she cried even more sorrowfully.
I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 74: - Warm Southern Territory (5)
? Warm Southern Territory (5) ?
I think I can understand why a being that left a terrible curse after dying was called a God in the past. A Sea God? Nonsense. Just like what the Captain said, it was more like the God of Disaster.
¡°Waah¡! Waah¡!¡±
Irina, who couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore, started to cry out loud. I¡¯m d I sent the Head Magician back first.
In the midst of this, I discovered how people cried when they were in a truly miserable state. Soft noises like sobbing were possible only when you still had some sense left.
Of course, it wasn¡¯t information I particrly wanted to know, nor was it information that I should know.
¡®Should I have left, too?¡¯
Seeing Irina cry so sorrowfully made me wonder if I should leave as well. However, leaving a child crying among the dead body of a Kraken didn¡¯t feel right¡ Especially with someone who was crying from below, too.
I identally looked down but quickly looked up again. If Irina realized I¡¯d seen that, she might walk into the sea and never return.
¡®What should I do?¡¯
What should I say to calm her down?
I don¡¯t care, so don¡¯t worry? I was basically the enemy of her family, so there was no way she wouldn¡¯t worry before me.
I haven¡¯t seen anything? There¡¯s no way she¡¯d believe something like that. Me saying that contains a strong implication that I¡¯d seen something.
What should I say tofort a 17-year-old high school girl who was emotionally stricken? It was a difficult problem.
¡°Irina, wait.¡±
¡°Sob?¡±
I carefully lifted Irina, who seemed to have exhausted her voice with her crying. I felt sorry for touching a child who was afraid to be near me, but there was no choice. She might copse from dehydration at this rate.
Ignoring Irina¡¯s teary eyes, I waded into the sea with her.
¡°There was a bit of the monster¡¯s body fluid on you. If we wash like this, nothing should happen.¡±
In reality, nothing much would have happened even if she didn¡¯t wash it off. Krakens are troublesome when they¡¯re alive, not when they¡¯re dead.
However, I couldn¡¯t leave Irina in such an ufortable state, and I thought that it would be less embarrassing if we both got wet. I know it might not make sense, but this was the best solution I coulde up with.
That damned Kraken. If it was going to die, it should have done so gracefully.
¡°Let¡¯s go back. You must be shocked, so you should take some rest.¡±
¡°Yes¡¡±
Her short response indicated that she was somewhat calmer. It was a relief that her tears had stopped a bit even though she might be bewildered by being taken into the sea without permission. Emotional turbulence often breaks when something unexpected happens.
¡®How am I going to face her from now on?¡¯
But we¡¯d just ovee this moment. It wasn¡¯t that what had happened today disappeared. I won¡¯t be able to see Irina from now on. If I were her, I¡¯d do my best to avoid me.
Returning so fast after announcing my departure will probably raise some questions, especially if I returned dripping wet with someone unrted.
¡°Oppa? Irina?¡±
As if proving my point, we met with Louise, who came down the stairs. She looked at both Irina and me, a puzzled expression on her face.
¡°I¡¯m back. Things ended sooner than I thought.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear. It would be sad if you just worked during the trip.¡±
I was also worried about that, but thankfully, it ended in just a day.
The price was a bit cruel, though.
Louise quickly walked toward us and looked at me up and down.
¡°But why are you so wet?¡±
¡°The waves were a bit strong. I was hit by one while passing by.¡±
¡°You should¡¯ve been careful¡¡±
Unlike Irina, who was wearing a swimsuit, I had gone into the sea while wearing my everyday clothes. But thanks to that sacrifice, her tears had stopped, so it was worthwhile.
¡°Irina? When did you go out? Are you feeling better?¡±
¡°Y-yes. I¡¯m feeling better now.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. I was really worried.¡±
Irina¡¯s gaze dropped to the floor as she saw Louise, who was happily holding her hand. So she was faking illness. She probably doesn¡¯t feel good after seeing Louise¡¯s reaction.
¡°We met on the way back. She looked tired, so let her rest.¡±
¡°Ah, yes!¡±
It would be better to leave her to Louise instead of me staying by her. Since I asked Louise to let her rest, she will probably take good care of her.
¡°Ah, O-oppa.¡±
As I was about to walk past Louise, I heard Irina¡¯s voiceing from behind. It was a word she used once when she still didn¡¯t know that I was the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s Executive Manager.
As I turned around, I saw Irina lowering her head. No, you didn¡¯t need to go that far.
¡°T-thank you¡¡±
¡°It was nothing.¡±
I felt embarrassed to hear words of gratitude from someone from the Yorun family.
* * *
I felt like the sky was falling. I had shown a side of myself that I couldn¡¯t even show to my family or closest friends.
It¡¯s over. My life¡¯s over¡ As a woman, as a person. My life¡¯s over¡ I should¡¯ve just let the squid eat me.
I cried out loud for a long time, as much as my voice let me. Dignity? I¡¯ve already thrown it into the sea. My life was already over. Even if the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager said, ¡®Maybe it has the same color as your hair because it came out of you,¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything.
¡°Irina, wait.¡±
I wasn¡¯t expecting him to pick me up and go into the sea. There was no way I could go into the sea in this state.
¡®Is he nning to throw me in like this?¡¯
As he went further into the sea, I started to think that maybe he was nning to send me off while saying, ¡®I¡¯ve thought about it a lot, but the Yorun family is indeed guilty!¡¯ I wanted to do something, but my body wouldn¡¯t move.
But he went only far enough for my body to get wet. Not only did he not let me go, but he held me tightly so I wouldn¡¯t shake.
¡°There was a bit of the monster¡¯s body fluid on you. If we wash like this, nothing should happen.¡±
I just stared nkly at him.
¡®Why?¡¯
It was then that I could finally see the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s expression. He was holding me while making an expression that was neither annoyed, contemptuous, nor mocking me. He wasn¡¯t even emotionless.
He had an expression of awkwardness because of this situation, regret, and sorry.
¡®Why¡?¡¯
Why are you making such an expression? Why? Aren¡¯t you the enemy of my family? I¡¯m scared of you and I¡¯m doing my best to avoid you. So why do you care about me so much?
You should¡¯ve just ignored me. Then, I could pass it off as bad luck. Why do you keep showing me weird sides of you and keep making weird, considerate acts?
Why are you making me feel strange?
¡®Just why?¡¯
I hate you. I really hate you.
¡°Let¡¯s go back. You must be shocked, so you should take some rest.¡±
But what I hate even more than anyone else¡
¡°Yes¡¡±
Is me, because my heart keeps beating faster for someone like you.
I bit my lips and bowed my head. I didn¡¯t say a word on the way back to the lodging. My feelings were tooplicated right now, and I couldn¡¯t even understand what kind of emotion this was.
So when Louise found out I had gone out, I couldn¡¯t exin myself well. I felt sorry after seeing her concern. I¡¯m sorry. I wouldn¡¯t have lied if I knew things would turn out like this.
As I stared at the floor, I heard footsteps going up the stairs.
¡®Ah.¡¯
He was already going. He was leaving first, cowardly, after shaking up my heart.
¡°Ah, O-oppa.¡±
I called out in a hurry and then realized my mistake. Why call him oppa now? I¡¯ve been doing my best to avoid him. What would he think if I tried to act friendly so suddenly¡? No, the word oppa would be wasted on someone like him.
But he saved my life, so it isn¡¯t strange for me to call him oppa¡ Right? I called him that the first time we met, anyway. Yes. That isn¡¯t a problem. It isn¡¯t strange.
¡°T-thank you¡¡±
I¡¯m just expressing my gratitude. Even if he¡¯s my family¡¯s enemy, and even if I hate him, thanking someone who saved you is justmon decency.
¡°It was nothing.¡±
I closed my eyes at his indifferent reply.
He really is a coward. How could he shake up someone¡¯s heart with such simple words?
* * *
The Capitan saw me defeat the Kraken, and the Head Magician confirmed the corpse. I¡¯d sent him first, so the Gold Duke has probably heard about it already.
¡ª Good job. I never imagined you¡¯d finish it in less than a day.
But still, I didn¡¯t expect to receive a message as soon as I returned to my room. Ah, that¡¯s right. This resort belongs to the Gold Duke. I¡¯m sure an employee must have informed him.
¡°I was lucky.¡±
¡ª Don¡¯t be too modest. What would that make of my people who struggled when you still haven¡¯t arrived?
¡°I¡¯m just good at it.¡±
¡ª That¡¯s right. It¡¯s good to see you talk confidently.
I said that because I thought that was the reaction he wanted. But anyway, the Gold Duke¡¯s reaction is so unpredictable. What is confidence good for? As expected, all Dukes were peculiar in some way.
¡ª Ah, and about the reward. I think we need to adjust it a bit.
¡°Pardon?¡±
Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s trying to cut the payment?
No, that can¡¯t be. Even if it ended unexpectedly, there¡¯s no way the Gold Duke would do something so petty.
¡ª The creature¡¯s range of activity has increased unlike the first time I asked you, right? That wasn¡¯t discussed, so we should adjust it a bit.
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
¡ª And you also prevented loss. We could have suffered a blow to the tourism industry, so that needs to be considered, too.
After saying that, the God Duke showed me five fingers.
¡ª This should do it.
¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡±
It increased from 30% to 50%.
Yes, the Gold Duke has always been a just and fair person.
I knew I could trust the Gold Duke, the man of smooth and cool transactions.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 75: - Warm Southern Territory (6)
? Warm Southern Territory (6) ?
His Grace, the just and honorable Gold Duke, said that the funds allocated to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office would increase by 50%.
¡®A 50% increase with a single throw.¡¯
For a moment, I thought that maybe if I had thrown all three at once, that would¡¯ve resulted in an increase of 150%. Of course, saying that aloud would only result in rumors questioning the intelligence of the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.
Anyway, the result was hugepared to the effort I¡¯d put in. The reward was huge enough to make enduring on the caravel for the entire duration of the school trip quite bearable, but I had finished the subjugation in less than a day. Was this a gift from the heavens for all of my past struggles?
Although the heart of a female student was hurt in the process, at least she wasn¡¯t physically hurt.
¡ª I¡¯m d that you look satisfied.
¡°I¡¯m simply grateful for your excessive consideration.¡±
The smiling face of the Gold Duke truly represented how much of a generous person he was. As expected, the best remedy in difficult times was money.
¡ª Feel free toe to the casino when you¡¯refortable. Sending everything to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office is a hassle, so you should take some of it.
¡®Ah.¡¯
I realized toote what he meant by collecting it at the casino. I had forgotten the most important part due to the surprising 50% increase.
¡°Can you promise me one thing?¡±
Marghetta had looked at me with teary eyes as she cautiously extended her pinky. I made a promise back then, thinking I wouldn¡¯t get caught. But now, it seems like it would be hard to go unnoticed.
After finding Irina at a secluded beach, I don¡¯t trust my luck anymore. Moreover, I didn¡¯t think all Academy students were diligent kids who never visited a casino. News of my visit to the casino would eventually reach Marghetta.
Marghetta would probably get angry but forgive me in the end. Still, I didn¡¯t want to disappoint her. If I do that, it seems like I¡¯d be taking advantage of her kindness.
¡°Your Grace. I¡¯m sorry, but could you send the entire amount directly to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office?¡±
¡ª It isn¡¯t a small amount, so it will take some time to be processed if it doesn¡¯t go through the casino. Is that okay?
¡°If Your Grace is fine with it, I would like to request that.¡±
The Gold Duke paused for a moment before letting out a smallugh.
¡ª You aren¡¯t even engaged yet, but you¡¯re already too conscious of her.
I was speechless at the casualment from the Gold Duke. Considering that I had made the promise to Marghetta at the resort¡¯s lobby, there was a chance he¡¯d already heard about that. After all, his eyes and ears were everywhere.
¡ª A harmonious rtionship is very important, but it isn¡¯t good to be too controlled. Even a couple should have some autonomy, right?
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±
Coming from a man with twelve wives, it strangely carried some persuasive weight.
¡ª Well, if that¡¯s your situation, it can¡¯t be helped. If you change your mind, let me know.
¡°Thanks for your consideration, Your Grace.¡±
Even if it was inconvenient, the Gold Duke sent everything to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. Seeing how he epted this request, it seems like some credit was still left from the Kraken subjugation.
I moved themunication crystal aside andy on the bed. Yeah, I just had to let this one slide. I had visited the casino multiple times, but this was the first time I got caught by Marghetta.
This time, it was due to the fact that we were in Boyar together and the fact that Tannian was there. On my next visit, I won¡¯t have to worry so much, because there¡¯s no need for me toe all the way to Boyar with Marghetta, much less that bastard, Tannian.
¡®Finally, some rest.¡¯
I hadpleted my only task, the Kraken subjugation, and resolved the issue ofpensation. Meanwhile, Vir and the others would closely watch the club members.
Woah, it¡¯s been a while since I could rest properly. I thought I would lose my mind the moment I heard we were going to Boyar. But now that I¡¯m here, there¡¯s no ce like this.
***
Being in charge of a club made my bodyfortable, but not my mind. It was a sad fate.
As I casually looked back, I saw Louise, who¡¯d just gotten off the carriage. She came up to me with a bright smile.
¡°I heard it¡¯s a forest that¡¯s decorated like a maze. They even arrange flowers ording to the season, so it¡¯s pretty.¡±
¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. I¡¯m surprised you found such a ce.¡±
¡°Hehe, one of the staff members told me about it.¡±
I heard someone knock on my door in the evening. It was Louise. She told me that while I wasn¡¯t there, she found some ces where we could go together. Seeing her sparkling eyes made it impossible for me to refuse.
I had never been married or had children, but I could imagine that a child looking forward to going to an amusement park with their Dad during children¡¯s day would look just like that. I don¡¯t want to be the sad club Advisor who immerses himself in the club activities but fails to take care of the members.
Well, since I¡¯de all the way to Boyar, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to roam around. And also, I¡¯d never heard of a maze forest. Was it recently built?
¡°They say that people can¡¯t find their way out sometimes.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a terrifying ce.¡±
Just how had they built it so that people couldn¡¯t even find their way out?
Thankfully, it seemed like they gave people a re signal before they entered the forest, just in case. But was that really a good thing? It would be pretty embarrassing to have to call for a rescue team.
¡°I thought this ce was famous only for its beaches, but they have a lot of things.¡±
After Louise, Erich came out of the carriage. He was lying on the bed after eating, but he came out incredibly fast when Louise asked him to go. That was the case for the other four, too.
¡°The Duchy is huge. There aren¡¯t just beaches. It also has many tourist attractions.¡±
Boyar was also known for producing the most expensive wines of the Empire. If this territory couldn¡¯t produce wines, the Gold Duke would probably sell seawater, iming that it was ¡®Emerald Water.¡¯
As I shifted over, Erich took the seat next to Louise. When our eyes met, he nodded. He¡¯s bing more observant, but it would be great if he could grow up five times faster. This is driving me crazy.
¡°The day¡¯s long, but it will get dark if we don¡¯t hurry.¡±
The demon¡¯s mouth, no, Tannian, looked around and said. While it¡¯s true that the days were getting longer as summer approached, if we yed too leisurely, it might be dark before we knew it. Walking around a maze at night was a bit scary.
¡°Since we¡¯re already here, we should look around.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a tourist attraction, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s made for us to look leisurely. If not, we can always speed up.¡±
Rutis and Ainter wanted to take their time to look around. After all, that would let them spend more time with Louise despite spending the entire day with her. What a greedy bunch.
¡°You¡¯re right. It seems like I was worried for nothing.¡±
Tannian also changed his opinion quickly and was all in for a long-term tour. It seemed like we would return to the resort while looking at the stars.
Louise was examining the re with curiosity, while the map was in Lather¡¯s hands. ording to him, he was going to find the optimal route. Well, he seems capable of handling it.
¡°Well, magicians are smart!¡±
Rutis¡¯s voice was as boisterous as ever. However, a map was something anyone could read, whether they were magicians or not.
¡®It¡¯s a waste to worry.¡¯
I quickly made up my mind. The map was indeed moreplex than expected. Rutis was someone who was more action-oriented, so he might have a hard time with things like navigation methods.
Although, was there a need to use navigation methods inside a maze created for tourist purposes? Anyways.
Thankfully, the sun set quickly. It was already past dinner time, and those five were intentionally dragging the time since the beginning. So, there was no way it wouldst.
¡®Those good-for-nothing idiots.¡¯
They were simr in strange aspects. Even though they constantly checked on each other, why did they get along on things like this?
¡°It¡¯s refreshing and nice!¡±
As I turned around toward the cheerful footsteps, I saw Louise, who was wandering around. She seemed energetic despite the fact that we were wandering around in a dark forest. Are capybaras nocturnal? But it does feel cooler now that the sun has set.
¡°We weren¡¯t able to see many flowers.¡±
Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t see the flowers, which were the pride of the Maze Forest.
¡°It¡¯s okay. After all, we see flowers often.¡±
¡°Then why did wee here?¡±
I chuckled at the innocent answer. Louise often wandered around the flower beds in the Academy. Unless the forest was paved with flowers made of gold, she wouldn¡¯t really be surprised by the scenery.
It seemed like she just liked to walk around with people.
¡°This atmosphere seems perfect for ghosts to appear.¡±
¡°Ghosts? The next Saint is here, so there¡¯s no way one would appear.¡±
¡°Haha, I still wish they would. I¡¯ve never seen a ghost.¡±
It seemed like the forest had stimted the emotions of the lively teenagers. A strange chatter started to emerge. They started telling random scary stories as if they were trying to shoot a special scary tolerance test in this ce.
¡°¡ªI heard that because of that, the solution is to push them away with overwhelming strength before they can curse you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve learned something new.¡±
What are you talking about?
¡°¡¡±
¡°Louise?¡±
Louise quietly moved closer to me as the club members started telling scary stories.
Ah, her expression¡¯s stiff. It seems like she isn¡¯t good with these kinds of stories.
¡°Lather, don¡¯t you know anything?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s start one by one and decide whose story is the best.¡±
Regardless of that, the next target to tell a scary story was Lather. He hadn¡¯t been talking since he¡¯d been looking at the map while walking.
¡°Is a personal experience okay?¡±
¡°Oh, that¡¯s even better.¡±
Only then did Lather remove his eyes from the map and quietly open his mouth.
¡°We¡¯re lost.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°We¡¯ve been going around the same ce for a while. I¡¯m not sure where we¡¯re standing.¡±
Louise¡¯s expression became even paler. Even if there was a rescue team, the idea of getting lost in a pitch-ck forest was probably too daunting for her.
After a suffocating moment of silence, Lather nodded his head as if he were satisfied.
¡°It was a joke.¡±
¡°¡You win.¡±
Lather¡¯s story was unanimously voted as the scariest one.
And Louise didn¡¯t look at Lather until after we reached the resort.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 76: - Warm Southern Territory (7)
? Warm Southern Territory (7) ?
It¡¯s been a few days since we¡¯ve been in Boyar. The meals were fine, and the amodation was great. Boyar is a famous resort, so there are many things to see.
¡®He said he¡¯de.¡¯
But for some reason, I wasn¡¯t in a good mood. I was ring at the door. Why isn¡¯t it opening? I even told him in which room I would stay in. It took me quite some courage to say it, and he promised that he woulde.
¡®He even has a lot of time.¡¯
I hugged my pillow as my disappointment grew.
I could understand it if Carl was busy. I¡¯m not someone so narrow-minded.
But except for the first and second days, Carl had been staying exclusively at the resort. Aside from asional outings to nearby tourist spots with the pastry club, I hadn¡¯t seen him leave his room.
He said he¡¯de when he had the time, and I¡¯ve been waiting based on that promise, but there¡¯s still no news.
¡®How mean.¡¯
How cruel. He¡¯d made someone expect just to neglect them. He seems to be keeping his promise of not going to the casino, which is a relief. But why didn¡¯t he keep this one? Should I have crossed my fingers back then, too? As expected, when making a promise, you need to leave evidence.
¡®Should I really go first?¡¯
That thought crossed my mind, but I shook it off.
The desire to go to Carl¡¯s room crossed my mind several times already, but I must hold back. Ady going to a man¡¯s room is unseemly. It¡¯s important not to show too much impatience and to push and pull discreetly.
Yes, it¡¯s really important. It¡¯s not just my opinion; my sisters and nanny had also said so. This is definitely the right way to do things.
¡ª Knock, knock.
And finally, my patience paid off. Carl came first. He might have been pushing me away, but Carl belongs by my side, as expected.
The bitterness and disappointment melted away in an instant. Satisfaction filled my heart.
¡°Yes,e in.¡±
¡°Senior, it¡¯s me.¡±
And then, it immediately sank. The person who opened the door and came in wasn¡¯t Carl, but Louise.
I was disappointed, but I didn¡¯t show it. She was someone who probably came because of something. Besides, Louise was a decent junior.
¡°Wee. What brings you here since so early in the morning?¡±
¡°We were nning to go to the Sapphire Beach. Senior, would you like to join us?¡±
My mind quickly started to spin at Louise¡¯s question. By ¡®we,¡¯ she was probably referring to the pastry club, which probably meant that Carl was included.
Besides, it was in the location of the beach I had nned to visit on the second day but failed to do so. The only minor difference was that it was Sapphire Beach instead of Emerald Beach, but that was a minor issue.
¡°Oppa also said he wished to go since he couldn¡¯t thest time.¡±
A smile automatically spread across my face at those words. Knowing Carl¡¯s personality, I don¡¯t think he said that, but it was almost the same as a confirmation. And I also liked how Louise turned this as if it were his idea.
¡°Sure, let¡¯s go together.¡±
This was the perfect opportunity to bring out the swimsuit that I had bought but hadn¡¯t had the chance to wear.
He said I looked beautiful while wearing a dress, so I¡¯m sure he will he will like this too. He definitely will.
* * *
I was sleeping when I was summoned by Louise. This time, she said that we should go to the sea.
¡°Senior Marghetta is alsoing. I think she¡¯ll like it if Oppaes.¡±
Going to the sea was a bit bothersome, so I thought of refusing. However, I couldn¡¯t refuse since Marghetta was going. I had already refused Marghetta¡¯s proposal once because of the Kraken subjugation, so I didn¡¯t feel good about refusing this time as well. That would be a bit too much.
I thought that missing once could be attributed to bad timing, but if I missed it twice in a row, Marghetta might misunderstand and think I was avoiding her for no reason. Despite her outwardposure, she¡¯s quite sensitive deep down, so there¡¯s a good chance she¡¯d think that way. Fortunately, we¡¯re not going to the same green sea I got sick of looking at while searching for the Kraken.
It was a ce called Sapphire Beach because it glowed like a sapphire. But, wasn¡¯t the sea originally blue?
¡®It¡¯s better than green.¡¯
Well, who cares about the name? As long as the sea looked good, that was enough.
¡°I think that this ce is better.¡±
¡°The Emerald Beach felt like we were looking at a piece of art rather than a sea. The blue color gives off a fresher feeling.¡±
The reaction from the others was quite positive upon arriving at the Sapphire Beach. Although you might get intrigued by looking at a sea of a peculiar color, in the end, you¡¯ll alwayse back to the familiar blue.
¡°It lives up to its reputation. It¡¯s a wonderful ce. Carl, do you like it?¡±
I was watching the members joking around and tossing Ainter into the sea when a slightly trembling voice came from behind. Although she tried to speak calmly, her voice had a subtle tension.
I saw Marghetta as I turned around. She was smiling as confidently as usual, but she seemed somewhat rigid.
¡®She¡¯s the one who feels the most embarrassed.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but smile.
I had realized this at the club fair banquet, but Marghetta often ended up being embarrassed even when she deliberately set herself up for it. Her courage to keep going was truly remarkable.
¡°Yes, I like it.¡±
¡°Fufu, I¡¯m d. The blue light¡¯s pretty indeed, right?¡±
¡°I was talking about the red.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
Marghetta was wearing a red swimsuit that matched her red hair. She wore a bikini that was quite daring, considering that she was the daughter of a Duke who always cared to maintain a dignified image.
Her face turned red as Iplimented her, and her words slurred. It seemed like she was shocked when I suddenlyplimented her while she was talking about the sea.
¡°It¡¯s really pretty, Mar.¡±
¡°T-t-th¡¡±
¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen you, I would have regretted it.¡±
I finally understood what people meant by saying when someone looks like they will burst. Marghetta, whose face couldn¡¯t be redder, attempted to speak a few times and bowed her head. So she¡¯s still weak to offense.
¡°R-right? This is the first time I¡¯m going to the beach with Carl, so I paid special attention.¡±
However, she soon lifted her head and put on a nonchnt smile. Not only did she not fall at the offense, but she managed to counterattack. She¡¯d changedpared to before.
¡°Is that so? I¡¯m d that you dressed up especially for the situation. I feel like it¡¯s a shame that other people can also see it.¡±
¡°Y-yes¡ Thank you¡¡±
Sadly, it seemed like she couldn¡¯t resist a second attack. But still, two times was significant progress. It seemed like Marghetta had somewhat toughened.
As Marghetta fell silent, Louise came out of the sea and walked toward us. Her whole body was wet. It looked as if she¡¯d been a victim of a water bomb. I don¡¯t think those crazy bastards would throw Louise into the sea. Maybe she got hit by a wave?
¡®It¡¯s pink.¡¯
I¡¯ve also felt it when she wore a dress too, but pink does really suit Louise well. Was it because it¡¯s her hair¡¯s color?
¡°Eh? You haven¡¯t changed yet?¡±
She tilted her head while looking at me, who, unlike Marghetta, was still dressed casually.
¡°I¡¯m good. It¡¯s still a bit cold because it¡¯s the morning.¡±
¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Maybe we should¡¯vee at lunch.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t really like getting in the water anyway. Just watching is enough.¡±
Even though I said that, the weather wasn¡¯t particrly cold, and it wasn¡¯t that I disliked going into the water. It may be a cliche, but I had someplications that made it a bit awkward to take off my top.
¡°I will offer you as a final sacrifice to the eternal blue sky!¡±
I almost frowned after recalling Kagan¡¯s voice, one that used to echo with terror. That bastard had left me with a curse.
¡®If he was going to die, he should have died gracefully.¡¯
That bastard¡¯s final strike had hit me squarely. I thought I was going to die back then. Whatever he did to that sword, I couldn¡¯t even heal the wound that his sword had left behind.
Even with magic and divine power capable of treating severed limbs, it was a struggle to stop the bleeding and mend the flesh. Although I don¡¯t care about the scars on my back, I got a long scratch on my upper body because of that.
Still, in hindsight, it¡¯s a relief that none of my limbs were severed. If they hadn¡¯t healed properly, I might have gone through life with only one arm or be known as ¡®Red-legged Carl.¡¯
¡°I¡¯m d your face is fine¡ After all, you have nothing else going on besides it.¡±
¡°Did your head get hit or something? Howe that¡¯s the first thing you say?¡±
As Hecate said, thankfully, my face was unscratched. If it was, I would¡¯ve had to wear a mask. That would have been stifling.
Not only that, I was only shed on my torso. Considering that five out of seven people died at the hands of Kagan at that ce, it was a surprisingly light wound.
¡°Then stay with me. I¡¯m nning to go back after a break.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great. I was also nning to return., so it would be the three of us.¡±
The voices of Louise and Marghetta brought me back to my senses.
I cautiously touched the area where I was wounded through my clothes. It used to hurt just to touch it, but nowadays, it doesn¡¯t bother me anymore. It seems like Kagan¡¯s curse hadsted for about two years. Itsted for a damned too long of a time.
¡°Here, I¡¯veid out a mat!¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
I nodded at Louise, who was patting the mat with her palms. Since we came to rx, I should leave the unpleasant memories aside.
¡°Is it weird for a wife to worry about her husband¡¯s face?¡±
¡°Wife, let¡¯s cut the crap. The wound¡¯s throbbing and driving me crazy.¡±
¡Yes, let¡¯s stop here.
It seemed like I couldn¡¯t help but remember things because their death anniversary was approaching. Although there¡¯s no way I would have forgotten to pay my respects even if I wasn¡¯t constantly being reminded.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 77: - Warm Southern Territory (8)
? Warm Southern Territory (8) ?
The ongoing war that had been going on for two years was continuously eroding the Empire¡¯s prestige and national power in real-time. The more the war dragged on, the more the northern forces found themselves increasingly mired in a quagmire and struggled to contain their frustration.
The Northern nomadic tribes had never formed a single unified force before. Therefore, they were nothing more than targets that could be subdued whenever the Empire felt like it. Yet, it had been two years since the Empire had been hit hard by these very targets. A single nomadic person had managed to shatter the powerful military of the Empire.
It didn¡¯t matter how strong Kagan was or how scary the united nomadic forces were. All the continent would remember was that ¡®The Empire wasn¡¯t able to defeat some mere nomads.¡¯
¡°If we lose here, it¡¯s the end of the Empire.¡±
It was a single statement of the Invincible Duke. Although one could say that his words were disloyal and depressing, no one could say anything to him. Everyone knew that losing this war would mean the end of the Empire. Even if Kefellofen survived, the Empire was finished.
If we couldn¡¯t stop the man who called himself Kagan, the Empire would lose its justification to rule over the continent; if we couldn¡¯t stop the nomadic tribes and allow the birth of a new Empire, our national power would be questioned.
Of course, the other nations also knew how strong Kagan was, but that didn¡¯t matter. The Empire that used to dominate them was about to hit rock bottom, so they would probably start getting ready to tear it apart.
¡°The traitor was injured in thest battle.¡±
A battle against Kagan had taken ce a few days ago, and we managed to inflict some significant injuries on him. In exchange, the 4th Manager and other important forces were transferred to the capital to receive intensive treatment. At least they weren¡¯t dead.
¡°Carl Krasius.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±
¡°Can you do it?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do it, no matter what.¡±
And the Invincible Duke didn¡¯t miss that opportunity. No, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose it. This was the first time in two years that the usually invincible Kagan had been injured. When would such an opportunitye again? Certainly not while the Empire was still intact.
So now was the time. The Empire had to mobilize all avable forces to capture Kagan, and those forces included me and the Team Managers of the 4th Division. We¡¯d learned from past experiences that conventional tactics were meaningless against Kagan.
¡°Here¡¯s a teleport scroll. The Mage Duchess has worked hard to make it.¡±
We would use that scroll to send Kagan to where the suicide squad was waiting. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but it would be easier than killing Kagan. Once we got close to him, teleporting him would be simple.
¡°The Empire¡¯s fate rests on you guys.¡±
Fortunately, we managed to separate Kagan and his forces, and the Team Managers of the 4th Division who were waiting for Kagan seeded in killing him.
Although five out of the seven fell and never rose again, it was nothing short of a miracle that two had survived.
But perhaps the miracle was intended for only one.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Carl.¡±
While returning to the capital, Hecate followed the other five.
In the end, I was the only one who survived among the suicide squad sent to kill Kagan.
* * *
It¡¯s hard to stop remembering this much. No, they kept flooding back.
¡®It¡¯s not like I can erase the memories.¡¯
Unfortunately, memories weren¡¯t something one could control. Things you don¡¯t want to remember suddenlye back to you, and when you try to put them away, they don¡¯t.
Maybe it¡¯s because the wound was touched unnecessarily, or maybe it¡¯s because their anniversary was approaching. During the time I was sitting by the beach, so many old memories came flooding back.
Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like I¡¯d appeared too gloomy since neither side of me had asked how I was doing. Maybe it¡¯s because time has taught me not to show my feelings as intensely as before.
¡°It was fun!¡±
Louise said while smiling brightly on the carriage back to the resort. Although she said she would return after taking a short break, she never got up from the mat. Because of that, the other club members crawled out of the sea, and the mat became fully upied.
At least Louise went in and came out of the sea. But in the end, Marghetta never even dipped her feet in the water. It seemed like she didn¡¯t care. But anyway, I nodded my head in response to Louise¡¯s words.
¡°Yes. We enjoyed ourselves until the end.¡±
Of course, I wasn¡¯t talking about me, but Louise. We were going to return to the Academy after tomorrow¡¯s breakfast, so today was thest day.
¡°Can wee again next year?¡±
¡°Probably. It¡¯s a shame to end it in just one year.¡±
Marghetta, who was sitting next to me, seemed to flinch at those words, but I deliberately turned my gaze away from her. It was a sad reality that there were always those who had fun and those who suffered in the Academy¡¯s trips.
¡°Maybe we could go to another Duchy or the capital next year.¡±
Lather jokingly said, but the general response was good. Going to a different area didn¡¯t sound bad, and seeing the prosperity of the capital was worth seeing.
I felt pity at the sight of Marghetta lowering her head. It seemed like she¡¯d imagined herself nning a trip to the captial. Maybe we¡¯ll actually see Marghetta abandoning the Student Council next year.
¡®I also wouldn¡¯t like to go to the capital.¡¯
To think that the destination of the travel would be the ce where I work. What kind of nonsense was that? If someone said that to me, I might p them. Lather was royalty, though, so I couldn¡¯t do that.
That¡¯s how the carriage reached the resort, with people having mixed reactions to future possible destination ideas. It was when I was thinking that I should rest in the room before it was dinner time.
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
If the front employee hadn¡¯t called me, I could have taken some rest.
The staff member ced a box on the desk as I approached the front desk after sending the kids up first.
¡°It¡¯s something that His Grace the Duke has sent.¡±
¡°His Grace?¡±
¡°Yes. He said it was something you needed.¡±
Was there something he needed to send me? I told him to send the money directly to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, so there shouldn¡¯t be anything. Since he said it¡¯s something I needed, I hope it isn¡¯t anything weird.
¡®Ah.¡¯
Inside the box, there were six bottles of a familiar wine brand. Wine, one of Boyar¡¯s main products.
Wow, he remembered.
¡°Tell His Grace I said thank you.¡±
¡°Yes, understood.¡±
I closed the box again and took it. I had already received more than enough money for my service, but I have also received this. This was quite touching.
¡®His skills in managing people are impressive.¡¯
It was no wonder that the Gold Duke had such a broad influence.
Since I received something unexpected in an unexpected ce, I had to inform someone.
¡ª Who¡¯s this? Aren¡¯t you the guy who¡¯s just been having a good time by the sea all by yourself?
¡°I¡¯ve been working hard, so don¡¯t I have the right to y a bit?¡±
I called the Minister for the regr report. He picked up immediately, so he must have been on a break.
¡°I got some wine, so you don¡¯t have to buy it separately.¡±
I showed him the wine I had received from the Gold Duke. The Minister was originally the one who was going to buy it on my behalf, but since I had obtained it myself, he didn¡¯t have to.
The Minister became momentarily silent and then showed me a basket.
¡°Ah.¡±
¡ª I bought them today.
There were six bottles of wine neatly arranged in the basket. It was wine from Boyar, the same ones the Gold Duke had given me.
¡ª I even went out to buy it.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t they like two bottles per person?¡±
¡ª If they drink that much, they won¡¯t be able to return to the heavens. How much do you n to make them drink?
I touched the bottles at the words of the Minister. I thought this was great since the bottles of wine were expensive, so the Minister wouldn¡¯t need to buy them. However, the timing was a bit off.
¡ª By the way, where did you get those?
¡°The Gold Duke gave them to me.¡±
¡ª Did he rememberst year¡¯s event?
I nodded at the question since that seemed to be the case.
Last year, by this time, we¡¯d also tried to get some Boyar wine. However, due to various circumstances, the production was low and all avable stock was sold out, so there was no way to get it.
In the end, as ast resort, I asked the Gold Duke. He was initially reluctant.
¡°Alcohol to use in a ceremony? You should have said that first.¡±
After I exined the situation to him, the Gold Duke immediately provided us with a few. However, I didn¡¯t expect him to remember it this year, too, and provide them again.
¡ª Still, I¡¯m d we won¡¯t have to scramble at thest minute.
¡°Indeed.¡±
¡ª It was hrious to see how the guy who said he¡¯d handle it couldn¡¯t get them until the end.
As he revealed an embarrassing past, I had nothing to say about it. After all, I didn¡¯t know that Boyar¡¯s wine was so precious¡ I only thought of it as expensive wine.
¡ª I will send a magician to the main building, so don¡¯t forget.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. If we¡¯re talking about dementia, you should be more concerned about yourself than me.¡±
¡ª You bastard.
The conversation ended with us giving blows at each other.
¡®So he¡¯s going to send a magician.¡¯
I was nning to request one, but it seemed like he¡¯d already done that. It was convenient and good.
After seeing that themunication crystal had lost its light, I carefully put down the wine. Each one was very valuable, so I had to handle them carefully.
¡°They say that Boyar wine¡¯s delicious. Once we go to the capital, I will try it.¡±
¡°One ss probably costs your entire sry. What¡¯s with the extravagance? Do you feel a sense of kinship with the deep red color that¡¯s like the color of your blood?¡±
¡°You bastard.¡±
I never expected that the conversation I casually had with Ger would lead to this. Damn him; he could have just drunk any random wine. Why make such a fuss about Boyar wine and make me struggle like this?
Thanks to that, I was always struggling like this at their death anniversary. I wonder if those guys are aware of my hardships.
Gerard, you drunkard. If your soul still lingers somewhere, at least show up in my dreams. I went through a lot of trouble to get these, but we can¡¯t even have a drink together.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 78: - Comfortable Fairy, Academy (1)
? Comfortable Fairy, Academy (1) ?
The way back to the Academy with the box that the merciful Gold Duke bestowed was quite enjoyable.
After all, the trip I was so worried about ended up being quite profitable for me. A 50% increase in the support money and six bottles of Boyar wine was a very satisfactory oue.
¡°Is it ufortable? Give it to me. I¡¯ll hold onto it.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re also ufortable.¡±
¡°I have a lot of space since I¡¯m sitting on the inside.¡±
Irina, who I thought I would never see again, let alone talk to, was surprisingly calm. She even seemed more peacefulpared to when we were heading to Boyar.
Irina was already in the carriage when I got there. She didn¡¯t hesitate to tap the seat next to her. She even offered to hold the box I was holding.
¡®Is this the Kraken¡¯s effect?¡¯
She seemed to appreciate the fact that I saved her from almost getting hurt more than she cared about how I saw the tears that were streaming down her face. I¡¯m her family¡¯s enemy, so I¡¯d be d if she considered me a benefactor.
The real enemy wasn¡¯t me, but the 3rd Manager. However, a subordinate and a boss were part of the same entity, so there was nothing I could do about it. If that bastard¡¯s gain was my gain, his loss was also mine.
Anyway, I carefully handed the box to Irina, who was staring into my eyes with her hands outstretched. It seemed like she would keep insisting, so I gave it to her.
¡°You two seem to have gotten closer.¡±
I nodded at Erich¡¯sment. I¡¯m not sure about being close, but our rtionship has definitely improvedpared to before. If the friendliness level was at -80, it had now be +20, which was a whopping increase of 100 points.
¡°It¡¯s natural to get close if you¡¯re in the same carriage.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d. I noticed that Irina seemed a bit wary of you.¡±
A bit? I think it was more than that.
¡°Oppa¡¯s a good person, so it¡¯s good that you¡¯ve be closer to him!¡±
¡°Y-yes.¡±
Irina¡¯s ears turned red at thatment and she lowered her head. I guess there¡¯s still some resentment left, and it¡¯s hard to acknowledge such a tteringment easily.
¡°I guess we could have a good rtionship if we befortable with each other.¡±
What I meant was that I wouldn¡¯t make things ufortable for her if she didn¡¯t open up.
¡°Then it won¡¯t be long.¡±
I smiled faintly at the words of Louise, who was giggling. She probably said that because she wasn¡¯t aware of the details.
However, Louise¡¯s eyes were surprisingly urate. Was this the power of the protagonist?
¡°I felt likeing empty-handed was wrong¡¡±
After normal life at the Academy resumed, an unexpected guest visited during club time.
¡°This is a hawthorn. The flowers blossomed nicely, so I brought it.¡±
¡°Woah, how pretty!¡±
Irina brought a small flower pot and handed it over to Louise. It was a hawthorn sapling with white flowers. I don¡¯t know much about trees, but it looked quite beautiful.
¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll take good care of it!¡±
¡°Just remember to water it on time.¡±
Louise ced the flower pot in a ce where it could get plenty of sunlight. It seemed like Louise liked the flower a lot. She looked at the pot over and over again. If flowers could feel someone¡¯s gaze like humans do, it would have died from the pressure.
Irina then turned her gaze at me and nodded.
¡°Hello, Oppa.¡±
¡°Yes, hi.¡±
Was it okay for her to be here? What about her club activities?
¡°Today¡¯s club meeting was canceled, so I came to hang out. Am I bothering you?¡±
Irina must have sensed my question because she exined the situation first. She hade here because she had nowhere else to go. Well, in that case, there was nothing to be done.
¡°Not at all. Feel free to rx and hang out.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
Irina bowed again. She¡¯s so polite. To think she¡¯d been running away from me because of fear¡
¡°Huh? Irina, weren¡¯t you in the gardening club?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Today, the gardening club is off¡¡±
Erich checked Irina¡¯s face. Then, he briefly remained silent and added:
¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I confused it with another club.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry.¡±
I turned my eyes after hearing Irina let out a faintugh. Although I couldn¡¯t see her expression as she turned her back, I somehow felt like it was for the best.
* * *
I hesitated several times before the pastry club¡¯s door. I just need to knock. I just need to close my eyes and do it.
¡®Is this alright?¡¯
I had been avoiding him all this time. Was it okay for me to suddenly show up? Would he think I¡¯m weird?
No. I¡¯m just visiting a friend. And I haven¡¯t even given a gift as a token of gratitude for the help I received. Yes, I have a good reason to be here.
¡®It¡¯s up to me.¡¯
Oppa said we could get along if I feltfortable. Even though there were some bad experiences in the past, I can¡¯t keep my heart closed to someone who¡¯s done me a favor. That wouldn¡¯t be very noble of me.
As I gathered my courage and entered the clubroom, Louise and Oppa greeted me. They didn¡¯t seem bothered by the sudden visit, which was a relief. They also seemed to like the gift.
¡°The flowernguage of Hawthorn was probably tolerance or forgiveness.¡±
I consulted a senior member of my club on what gift to bring. And then, I heard the perfect flowernguage.
Tolerance, forgiveness. It sounded right. Saying it directly would be awkward for me and make things ufortable for Oppa, so this subtle expression should be fine. I¡¯m sure oppa will admire my meticulousness¡ª
No, no. It doesn¡¯t matter. After all, it¡¯s just a gift. It doesn¡¯t have any other meaning. It¡¯s just a small gift.
¡°Huh? Irina, weren¡¯t you in the gardening club?¡±
As I said, the gardening club¡¯s meeting was canceled; Erich asked me why I was there. Did he realize I was lying? Does Erich have another friend in the gardening club besides me?
¡°Today, the gardening club is off¡¡±
I stared at Erich, who was about to say something he shouldn¡¯t. He seemed to understand the message and closed his mouth.
¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I confused it with another club.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry.¡±
As expected, Erich is kind. He understands the sincerity of friends and overlooks small lies.
I spent some time in the Pastry clubroom for a while and left. Although there were some intimidatingly important people, they were kinder than I thought. My senior had told me that wandering during the club time was okay, but I should return before it was over.
¡°Feel free toe when you have time!¡±
¡°Would that be okay?¡±
¡°Yes! That¡¯s fine, right?¡±
¡°Yes. It isn¡¯t like it¡¯s a forbidden ce or anything.¡±
I even got permission toe back whenever I wanted. There was nothing to regret.
¡°Senior, I¡¯m back.¡±
¡°Ah, Irina.¡±
When I returned to the gardening club¡¯s room, the senior who had taught me the meaning of the hawthorn flower greeted me.
¡°Did you already give the hawthorn as a gift?¡±
¡°Yes. Did something happen?¡±
¡°Ah, it¡¯s just that there were also some other meanings.¡±
My mind went nk at thatment.
¡°I heard it also means ¡®my only love¡¯ and that it¡¯s more famous than the others.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Ah.
Aah¡
AAAAAAHHHHHH!
¡®N-Nooo!¡¯
W-what should I do?!
I never meant to go that far! I just wanted to say that I¡¯m fine now¡!
¡°Irina?¡±
¡°S-senior. Is that really the most famous meaning?¡±
¡°So you already gave it.¡±
As I nodded in embarrassment, my senior sighed.
¡°It will be fine if the person who received it doesn¡¯t know the meaning.¡±
¡°What if they know?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Senior?¡±
Senior didn¡¯t answer, but that silence weighed heavily.
Please, please. I hope Oppa doesn¡¯t know the meaning of the flower. It¡¯s okay even if he doesn¡¯t know about my thoughtfulness or gentleness, so please!
* * *
It felt like the nt had added some vitality to the clubroom. Although it was small, a nt was a nt, so it looked nice.
¡°Even if you spill some flour, it won¡¯t be noticeable.¡±
Rutis, who had a twisted sense of aesthetics, spoke as if he were satisfied. That¡¯s what that damned red-haired guy said after looking at the flower. Well, I guess nobody would notice if I poured hot sauce over you.
¡°A white flower also looks good. I used to think that flowers needed colors to be beautiful.¡±
¡°Something untainted is beautiful.¡±
After that, Erich and Ainter exchanged normalmentaries. Thankfully, not everyone had the same senses as Mr. Big-Hot-Sauce man.
Louise, who was wiping the flowerpot with a cloth, turned around and asked.
¡°What should a good return gift be?¡±
Ah, a return gift.
¡°I feel like she might find a return gift a bit overwhelming. I think that giving her some snacks whenever shees by should be enough.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
If this were an ordinary gift, it would be fine to give something in return. However, she looked at me while giving the flowerpot to Louise. No matter how I thought about it, it seemed like a thank-you gift for the Kraken incident.
It was a thank-you gift for saving her. If the other person gave her a thank-you gift for the gift, a bizarre chain would start.
¡°Irina likes macarons, so that should be good.¡±
Seeing how she was nodding, it seemed like many macarons would be mass-produced today. But anyway, does she even know how to make macarons? How impressive.
¡°I think Irina will be happy. Do your best.¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
While leaving behind the enthusiastic Louise, I looked at the flowerpot Irina had given me. What was its name again? Hawthorn?
¡®I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡¯
Some people even memorize the flowernguage based on their colors, but I don¡¯t know about such things. I don¡¯t even know which flowers bloom in which season. Knowing that cherry blossoms bloom in spring was enough for me.
Still, it does look pretty. Having a nt in a ce filled with flour makes the air seem cleaner. I should thank her again the next time shees.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 79: - Comfortable Fairy, Academy (2)
? Comfortable Fairy, Academy (2) ?
In response to Irina¡¯s gift, Louise decided to prepare some macarons.
¡°She said she couldn¡¯te because she¡¯s busy.¡±
However, Louise¡¯s macarons never made it into Irina¡¯s stomach. After giving a thank-you gift, Irina disappeared and wasn¡¯t seen again.
¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s not much we can do.¡±
Louise said it sadly, but it was to be expected. She said she was able toe a few days ago because her club was taking a break. If so, it would be hard for Irina to visit the club again unless she took some time off from her club activities.
Thanks to that, Louise¡¯s macarons were eaten by the club members, who rushed toward them like hyenas. Those bastards usually didn¡¯t even look at what she baked, so why now?
¡°Ah, Oppa. Irina asked if you liked the gift.¡±
¡°The gift? I liked it. Didn¡¯t I ask you to convey that?¡±
Since I thought it would be hard to see Irina in the clubroom again, I asked Louise to say thanks. Besides, she wasn¡¯t the type of person to forget what was asked yesterday.
¡°I did tell her, but she asked me if you hadn¡¯t said anything else.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
Wasn¡¯t just saying thanks enough? Judging by the way she asked, it seemed like there might be something more.
¡®Did she hide something in the pot?¡¯
Things like that happen sometimes. Important things were hidden inside a nt, disguised as a simple gift for transportation. It was a method asionally used since one could easily tuck money or documents depending on the size of the flower pot.
But would Irina go that far? The chances were low, but considering she had asked again, there seemed to be something more.
¡®Is it from her family?¡¯
It would make sense if this were a nt sent by the Yorun family, instead of Irina. I should probably check it when I¡¯m alone.
The next morning, I cautiously nted the hawthorn back into the empty pot after filling it with soil. If I wasn¡¯t careful enough, it might die.
¡®I must be crazy.¡¯
The problem was that I had measured the heart of an innocent 17-year-old girl with the malicious gaze of an adult. When I arrived at the clubroom and searched the pot, of course, there was nothing.
I felt guilty while looking at the emptied pot. Because of my delusions, I ended up tearing apart a fine gift. I¡¯m really sorry, Irina¡
I was worried about what expression to make if Irina came to visit while I was restoring the pot. Fortunately, my luck wasn¡¯t that disastrous.
¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡±
Although I said it in admiration, it was filled with guilt.
I managed to restore the pot sessfully. The pure white petals seemed to be scolding my dark heart. How embarrassing. Yes, it would be best to leave the pot as it is. The idea that there might be something hidden inside was ludicrous.
Irina had probably picked the nt carefully, so she just probably wanted a detailed impression. There probably wasn¡¯t any other intention.
¡®Fuck.¡¯
It hurt.
***
After consecutive major events like exhibitions, exams, and field trips, the Academy had be quiet.
Other than the final exams, the only thing left was the vacations. To make things better, the final exams were also quiet since they didn¡¯t include practical exams. So now, there was really only the vacation left!
Only then did I realize that the first semester of the first year had passed. How would I resist until the second semester of the 3rd year? Maybe they¡¯re going to drop out and return to their respective countries?
¡°It¡¯s almost vacation.¡±
¡°Yes, time flies.¡±
Sir Vir probably prayed, desperately wishing for them to withdraw from the Academy. Since he was tasked with protecting a royal family member, he would have some promotion in line once this was over. But if it were me, I¡¯d prefer not to get promoted rather than be involved in such a long-term mission.
If such a ridiculous mission was the reason for promotion, you¡¯d probably be stuck with simr assignments in the future if something simr happened. But then, why did I get stuck with something like this when I hadn¡¯t done it before? Fuck.
¡°Prosecutor?¡±
¡°Ah, sorry, I was thinking about something.¡±
As I closed my lips due to the sudden outburst of PTSD, Vir asked in a puzzled tone. It¡¯s rude to act like this in front of a guest.
¡°That¡¯s understandable. I also find my mind wandering around as the date to return home approaches.¡±
¡°I see. It¡¯s a shame that I won¡¯t see Sir Vir for a while.¡±
We bothughed.
It¡¯s a shame? No way. For us, it would be best not to see each other¡¯s faces if possible and livefortably in our own countries. But unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t possible.
¡°Is that so? But we¡¯re going to meet again in the fall.¡±
= I¡¯ll be in charge the next semester, too.
¡°Haha, I guess I¡¯ll have to find a gift for Sir Vir during the vacation.¡±
= You too? I¡¯m going to continue as well.
Although we were smiling, there was a gloomy light in our eyes. We expected that someone else mighte to rece us, but in the end, we had to admit that we¡¯d probably continue for another two and a half years.
From what I heard, the three countries would reorganize the escort forces during the vacations. The reorganized list would also be submitted to the Empire.
¡®It was too rushed, indeed.¡¯
The enrollment of key figures from the three countries was probably sudden for everyone. Considering that the movement of high-ranking people was made at least a month in advance, it was even more terrible.
Thus, the forces of the three countries were more like a makeshift gathering of readily avable personnel. To put it bluntly, it was a stopgap measure to extinguish the urgent fire first, as there was no room for a detailed reorganization. Therefore, a proper reorganization was necessary during the vacation, as I had mentioned earlier.
However, Sir Vir was the exception. He wasn¡¯t just part of the escort forces but also served as the point of contact between our countries. If they changed him now, it would just make things moreplicated. As a result, he¡¯s stuck watching his colleagues escape.
¡®Who am I worried about?¡¯
For the exact same reason, I would stay at the Academy while maintaining my position as Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. I recently made a joke to the Minister, and he told me to stop making unfunny jokes and asked me to continue. What a bastard. I was talking seriously.
If Sir Vir disappeared, I would have to build a new rtionship with the three countries. And if I go, Sir Vir will have to build a new rtionship with the Empire. If we both disappeared, both sides¡¯ rtionships would bepletely reset and explode. That¡¯s why they just told us to continue, damn it.
¡°Would you like another cup?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
Although it seemed like we were drinking soju, we were actually drinking ordinary tea. After all, we can¡¯t drink alcohol in an educational ce.
¡°Maybe the princes will appreciate stepping into their homnd¡¯s soil for the first time after a long time.¡±
= Can¡¯t your princes just return to their countries?
¡°They¡¯re strong-minded people, so who knows. Although the 3rd prince loves his homnd, he¡¯s quite stubborn.¡±
= There¡¯s no way it could be done. After enrolling in the Academy, he hasn¡¯t even looked back.
¡°How remarkable. Noble blood has indeed some exceptional qualities.¡±
= They¡¯re too stubborn.
And then, we quietly sipped tea from the cup. Seeing Sir Vir react as if I had said something absurd hurt my feelings. I shouldn¡¯t have spoken. I just ended up hurting myself. Those jerks. They should have just stayed in their own countries instead of causing so much trouble for other people.
I parted ways with Silr Vir after emptying a few cups of tea. That¡¯s right. Going away during the vacations to somewhere I couldn¡¯t see him wasn¡¯t too bad.
As soon as the sun rose, I grabbed the box I had received from the Gold Duke and walked toward the main building. I had already informed the Principal that I would be absent for a brief moment, so going somewhere for a brief moment should be okay. It felt like I was taking a half-day off in the morning.
¡°Executive Manager, I came to escort you.¡±
¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave things to you.¡±
As I quietly waited, a magician suddenly appeared out of thin air. Do these guys have a set of phrases they were supposed to say? They say the same thing every time I see them.
Anyway, I arrived at the building of the Ministry of Finance in the blink of an eye. Then, the magician went on his way. It felt a bit too abrupt, but they must be quite busy if you thought of them as human couriers. I wonder if they get some time to eat.
¡°Are you already here?¡±
¡°Minister? How long have you been here?¡±
While I was worrying about the working conditions of the teleportation magicians, the Minister spoke to me from behind. The sun hadn¡¯t been up for long, so howe this guy hade to work already?
¡°I woke up early, so I came ahead.¡±
¡°They say that you sleep less as you get older.¡±
¡°Then what¡¯s your excuse for being awake this early?¡±
Although I said that out of sympathy toward my aging boss, the answer that came back was stern. He doesn¡¯t even recognize I said that out of concern. I guess people who are always angry tend to twist things up.
¡°The homage is far off, soe in. The Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s team hasn¡¯t assembled yet.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
I would¡¯ve gone ahead if it was up to me, but there was nothing I could do since we had to move together.
Their anniversary was also the day when wememorated the end of the Great War. Of course, we didn¡¯t hold a special ceremony. After all, ¡®It was obvious that the Empire would win against some nomads.¡¯ However, we did gather at the National Cemetery to pay our respects.
The group vigil would be over quickly, anyway. I just had to endure things until then and, after that, go to their graves.
¡°Ah, the Earl of Tailglehen woulde as the person representing the Parliament.¡±
¡°What?¡±
That was unexpected. He hadn¡¯t been very active in external affairs since the war.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 80: - Dynamic Life Story (1)
? Dynamic Life Story (1) ?
It was unexpected for the Patriarch toe to a memorial since he hadn¡¯t been active since the end of the war. However, he probably came here as a representative of the Parliament.
No matter how morous the name of a member of the Parliament might sound, they are essentially a Civil Servant. If I¡¯m an Administrative Civil Servant, then he was a Legitive Civil Servant¡ and we must follow orders. Also, it wasn¡¯t like the territory of Tailglehen was far from here.
¡°Ah, you¡¯re already here?¡±
¡°Hi.¡±
As I sat in my office, waiting for the memorial to start, people started toe one by one. The first person to arrive was the 1st Manager, who came eating a piece of bread. It seems like she eats breakfast properly. No wonder she looked healthy.
¡°Executive Manager, aren¡¯t you on a dispatch mission? Howe I¡¯ve seen you three times during the dispatch period?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you three times, either.¡±
When I was first sent to the Academy, I thought I¡¯d be able to return asionally during vacation. But during the club fair, the 1st Manager came to the Academy, and then I was forced toe here because of the Magic Duchess¡¯s incident. I had already gone through two unexpected events¡
¡°Do you want some?¡±
¡°I¡¯m good. Thanks.¡±
¡°Okay~.¡±
She tore the bread in half and offered it to me, but I declined. It feels a bit like stealing my subordinates¡¯ food.
¡°Oh, I was just getting hungry.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
As soon as the 2nd Manager came to work, he stole the bread in the 1st Manager¡¯s hands. What a way to greet someone during the morning. After stuffing the bread into his mouth, he nodded at me. It would be better for him to run away instead of greeting me.
¡°Spit it out right now!¡±
The 1st Manager hit the neck of the 2nd Manager.
The 5th Manager had just opened the door, but after seeing that, he silently closed the door and walked away. It was a wise choice.
Unlikest year¡¯s memorial, several high-profile figures came this time.
The Minister of the Imperial Household was here. The Invincible Duke came as the representative of the army, while the Earl of Tailglehen came as the representative of the parliament. There were also those who had participated in the war, including me and the Minister of Finance.
I also barely managed to make some timest year, so there weren¡¯t many officials who could attend. But because the Emperor started talking about the Six Swords this year, there was a reasonable excuse toe.
¡°If it weren¡¯t for the sacrifices of the loyal servants of the Empire, how could the Empire have fulfilled its divine mandate?¡±
The voice of the Minister of the Imperial Household echoed through the National Cemetery as he read the Emperor¡¯s eulogy for those who had died during the Great War. The Empire¡¯s divine mandate was one of the highestpliments the Emperor could offer. After all, that was what allowed the Empire to rule over the continent.
¡°The dedication of the heroes who embraced the hardships will be the stepping stones of the Empire as it moves into the future. Their names will be forever immortal.¡±
¡®Immortal.¡¯
This year, he¡¯d put much more emphasis on each word, as if making up for the subduedmemorationst year. Or maybe the Emperor had some level of affection for those who had died for the Empire? Well, the ones who represent a threat to the Imperial authority were the living servants, not the dead heroes.
As soon as the Imperial Household¡¯s Minister¡¯s reading ended, everyone bowed their heads in silent prayer. Then, as we raised our heads, we exchanged greetings and began to disperse. The atmosphere was a bit more rxed thanst year, but these people were all busy.
¡°Carl.¡±
After exchanging eye contact with the Invincible Duke, who seemed to be in a hurry to leave because of work, I heard a familiar voiceing from behind.
As I turned around, I saw a man with ck hair.
¡°Patriach, long time no see.¡±
It was the Earl of Tailglehen, who hade in the representation of the Parliament. I thought we were each going our separate ways after making eye contact, but I didn¡¯t expect him to talk to me first.
¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have visited sooner.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It isn¡¯t your fault.¡±
Truthfully, I didn¡¯t really care. I¡¯ve spent years observing him, so I knew his disposition. If anything, going out of my way to visit him would probably have resulted in a lecture about neglecting my duties.
Indeed. He didn¡¯t seem to have any particrints. Rather than that, there was a slightly satisfied expression on his face. Seeing him like that with a face that resembled mine looked weird. I¡¯ll probably look like him once I get older.
¡°Earl Blotchen, how have you been?¡±
¡°I¡¯m just as always. I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re doing well, Earl of Tailglehen.¡±
Then, his gaze shifted to the Minister, who was standing next to me. Since they had some interaction in the past, they exchanged pleasantries at a level that sufficed. It wasn¡¯t a close enough rtionship for a long conversation, so it quickly fizzled out.
¡°How¡¯s Erich doing?¡±
After a moment of silence, the Patriarch spoke to me again. Woah, was this person someone who asked about his son?
¡°He¡¯s doing well.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Tell him this: For a warrior, it¡¯s more important to go far than fast.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
He nodded at my response and turned away without any lingering sentiments. That was a bit surprising.
¡°I thought he was someone unfriendly. That was unexpected.¡±
¡°Right?¡±
The Minister murmured as the Patriarch walked away. ¡®It¡¯s more important to go far than fast.¡¯ What he really wanted to say was, ¡®You might get hurt if you hurry, so take your time.¡¯ He was someone who tended to neglect his family, so it sounded strange to hear him say something like that.
¡°Well, people tend to change as they age.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but nce at the Minister when he said that. He had aged so much and yet remained the same.
¡°Let¡¯s go before it gets anyter.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
At that moment, the officers who were standing behind joined our group.
To reach their tombstones, we needed to walk across the section dedicated to the ones who¡¯d died during the ¡®Great Subjugation War,¡¯ and walk until we reached the section that belonged to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.
¡°I¡¯ll pour first.¡±
¡°Alright.¡±
As we arrived at where the six tombstones were lined up, the Minister stepped forward with a bottle of Boyar wine. Yes, it¡¯s proper for the eldest to pour the drink first.
The Minister poured a bottle into each tombstone. Drink up. This is something rare, so we can give it to you only once a year.
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
After sprinkling the alcohol, the Minister patted each tombstone and turned around. Then, I received the box from the Senior Manager. I could have carried it, but it might catch other people¡¯s attention if someone in the front row held onto something this big. It was a thoughtful act from the Senior Manager, so I just left it to him.
As I headed toward the tombstones with the box in hand, the Minister patted my shoulder while passing by. He¡¯s a bit sentimental today, too.
¡®Should I give this to you?¡¯
I chuckled after looking at the soaked tombstones. Boyar wine was already famous for being strong, so pouring two bottles in a row could really get them drunk. I hesitated for a moment but decided to pour it anyway. Does it matter if they get drunk during an annual event?
First, let¡¯s start with the drunkard, the main reason behind this tradition.
Gerard, Born in 1348 ~ Died in 1375
¡°You would have died young anyway, with how much you drink.¡±
I poured it over the tombstone as soon as I opened the first bottle. He drank more than the other sixbined, but this drunkard was incredibly skilled with a spear.
¡°Oh, not bad! In 300 years, you might be able to reach me.¡±
¡°Have you finally lost your mind?¡±
He really had no talent for teaching. Seeing how I had grown this much from learning from him made me the exceptional one.
Oliver, Born in 1346 ~ Died in 1375
In contrast, this guy rarely touched alcohol. He probably drank once or twice a month at most.
¡°It isn¡¯t proper for a man who serves God to indulge in pleasures like this.¡±
But sadly, the Saint of your church is the King of the Roulette. Maybe it¡¯s a good thing that you went to Enen without seeing that.
Drake, Born in 1351 ~ Died in 1375
He liked alcohol but wasn¡¯t good at drinking. Still, it was fun watching him trying to increase his tolerance.
¡°If you hold a sword in each hand, you can attack twice as much. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±
¡°Am I really the same rank as this guy?¡±
¡°Hey, don¡¯t go around saying you¡¯re from the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.¡±
The downside was that his intelligence seemed to get a little weirder as time passed. It was surprising how, despite that, he managed to master dual swordsmanship.
Walter, Born in 1350 ~ Died in 1375
However, Drake was finepared to this guy. He was extraordinary in many ways.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°Practicing walking on water. Shouldn¡¯t it be possible if I put the other foot forward before sinking?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it better to walk on thin air if you¡¯re going to do that?¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°Oh, my ass. Are you going toe out or not?¡±
In the end, he really managed to walk on water. Of course, it was thanks to him putting mana on his feet. But if he¡¯d lived a little longer, he would have probably found a way to fly. He would have been like the Wright Brothers from another world.
Idrid, Born in 1349 ~ Died in 1375
I opened the fifth bottle and poured it on Idrid¡¯s tombstone. I felt strangely at peace. Among the Managers of the 4th Team, who were all oddballs, he was the only normal person. Compared to the current members, he was like the Senior Manager or the 5th Manager.
¡°I¡¯m going to quit this shitty Prosecutor¡¯s life once the war ends.¡±
He was also the prophet who first dreamt of deserting this dysfunctional Prosecutor¡¯s Office, which became a joke. I was trying to fulfill his bucket list of deserting from the Prosecutor¡¯s Office on his behalf.
¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯
I still haven¡¯t managed to do it. My only chance, which was to go to the military, failed because of the Crown Prince. After that, the Minister wasn¡¯t willing to ept my resignation letter. I¡¯ve somewhat fulfilled the other guy¡¯s wishes, but it looks like you¡¯ll continue to have a hard time.
My body stiffened for a moment as I reached thest tombstone.
Hecate, Born in 1352 ~ Died in 1375
But like the other guys, I quietly poured thest bottle on the tombstone.
A feeling of emotion welled up deep inside, but I forced it down. Truthfully, it¡¯s really too much. When I think about the hardships I went through after you left me, I want to give you a piece of my mind at least once.
¡®Why did you do that?¡¯
I sighed while gently stroking Hecate¡¯s tombstone, which was soaked with alcohol. The National Cemetery¡¯s burial divisions were strict. Those who had died were buried together, but Hecate hadn¡¯t died in battle. She hadmitted suicide, so she originally shouldn¡¯t have been buried here with the others.
But somehow, I managed to change her cause of death to ensure she could be here by the side of these guys.
¡®Why did you do it?¡¯
I was the one who wrote how you died. How do you think I felt while I wrote a fake, manipted death? I went to meet the person who knew the truth and bowed my head multiple times, begging him to look the other way. It was the Invincible Duke, but still.
¡®Seriously, why did you do that?¡¯
In truth, I had a lot of resentment. It was sad that five had left before us, but we still managed to survive. I wanted to do with you what the others wanted to do, and I wanted to live with you while remembering what kind of people those guys were.
But how could you leave me like that? I was the one who found your body, and I was the one who covered it up.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Carl.¡±
Why did you do something that would make you apologize? Your choice was already painful, but it hurt even more to think that you left because I couldn¡¯t be your support.
I touched the tombstone several times before stepping back. Now that I think about it, this is ridiculous.
¡®Howe I¡¯m still the youngest?¡¯
Although I was the only one who got older among the seven, I was still the youngest one. How unbelievable.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 81: - Dynamic Life Story (2)
? Dynamic Life Story (2) ?
My gaze stopped at Hecate¡¯s tombstone. It¡¯s been two years since I started aging alone, but it would take me another three years to be the same age as her. Among the six of them, Hecate was the youngest.
¡®I¡¯m the weird one.¡¯
I started my life as a Civil Servant at a very young age. Even if I had started this year, it would have still been considered early.
I stared at the tombstone for a while. I should go back now, but my feet won¡¯t move. I usually avoiding here unless it¡¯s the memorial day. But once I came, I wanted to stay a little longer. People¡¯s hearts are really strange.
But what was the point of staying any longer? They¡¯d already drunk on two bottles each, so they were probably passed out drunk whether I was here or not. Even if they were sober, they would have asked me to leave and stop making a big deal out of it.
¡®See you next year.¡¯
Maybe I¡¯lle back before next year¡¯s Memorial Day. If I do so, I¡¯lle empty-handed, so don¡¯t expect anything.
But I had really poured a lot of wine. Even though I had touched it carefully, my palm became wet. My hands smelled of alcohol.
¡°Are you crying?¡±
¡°Crying? No way.¡±
The Minister said that to me as I turned around to say myst farewell. I almost became a psychopath whoughed after paying my respects. But still, that was his way of consoling me. Even the Minister was calm today.
After all, while they were my important colleagues, they were also his important subordinates.
¡°Executive Manager, here.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
The 1st Manager came running and handed me a handkerchief. It seemed like my wet hands had caught her attention.
After wiping my hands, I handed back the handkerchief that had turned purple. The 1st Manager pursed her lips.
¡°I gave it to you to wipe your tears. What am I supposed to do if you dye it?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not crying.¡±
I pulled the cheeks of the 1st Manager while chucking.
¡°Ugh-!!¡±
Why does she always do this when it clearly hurts? I ignored the 2nd Manager, who was touching his lips while nodding, making a satisfied expression. You just got what you deserve.
¡°Let¡¯s go. Do you want to show them that you¡¯ve grown to be an aggressive higher-up?¡±
The Minister intervened, but¡
¡°They probably saw that often while you were still a Manager, Minister.¡±
¡°You bastard.¡±
I was able to defend myself with one sentence. It was great to see the Minister walking away first, defeated with nothing to say. If I had grown to be an aggressive higher-up, whose fault was this?
I turned my gaze to the 1st Manager, whose cheeks I was grabbing. Of course, I learned a bit from watching these guys, too.
¡°Are you going to return immediately?¡±
¡°Yes. I have nothing to do in the capital, after all.¡±
I nodded at the Senior Manager¡¯s words. I had told the Principal that I¡¯d return during the afternoon, so I had to go back to the Academy.
¡°Executive Manager, the 1st Manager is about to cry.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
I let go of the 1st Manager at the 3rd Manager¡¯s remark. I had forgotten because it felt so good that I didn¡¯t want to let go once I grabbed it.
¡°Executive Manager, you must cherish and love your subordinates more.¡±
I ignored the 1st Manager, who was whining with teary eyes.
Since I had nothing else to do, I returned to the Academy. Of course, I didn¡¯t have anything to do in the Academy. However, staying in the capital would just increase my chances of being unexpectedly summoned by someone. There was no need to take unnecessary risks.
After spending some time alone, I sat Erich down as soon as the club members arrived.
¡°Have you called home these days?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Because my younger brother wasn¡¯t contacting home despite living in a boarding school far away, I had to convey their disappointment on their behalf.
¡°The Patriarch asked me how you were doing.¡±
Erich flinched as soon as the word ¡®patriarch¡¯ came out. He¡¯d always been ufortable around the Patriarch. It seemed like that was still the case.
¡°What did he say¡?¡±
¡°He asked me how you were doing.¡±
¡°Is that all?¡±
Erich looked at me with suspicious eyes. It seemed like he was saying, ¡®There¡¯s no way he¡¯d say just that.¡¯ I also felt the same when the Patriarch asked me how Erich was doing, but him reacting this way is a bit¡
¡®After all, I¡¯m not his biological son.¡¯
I was physically his son, and we shared the same blood. But what was inside of me waspletely different from him. Not only that, but because of what happened four years ago, we weren¡¯t that close. So Erich was practically the only child. That¡¯s why he shouldn¡¯t be like that.
¡°There¡¯s more.¡±
¡°As expected.¡±
¡°He said that for a warrior, it¡¯s more important to go far than fast.¡±
Erich tilted his head in confusion at those words. After all, it really was a typical greeting mixed with some concern.
In reality, the Patriarch didn¡¯t care how much Erich or I trained while we were in the mansion as long as we reached our goals, so hearing him talk about our well-being felt a bit strange.
¡°Since you¡¯re far away, try to stay in touch. Even when I was in the Capital, I used to call them at least once a weak.¡±
¡°You did? Who did you call?¡±
¡°The butler.¡±
Erich looked at me as if asking, ¡®You¡¯re joking, right?¡¯ Well, it honestly felt a bit awkward for me to contact the Patriarch or Mother directly.
¡°It seems like the head of your family is someone strict.¡±
As the family conversation ended, the members, who¡¯d been quietly listening, walked toward us. The one who initiated the light talk was, as always, Rutis.
¡°He isn¡¯t a warm person.¡±
Erich firmly replied, but that was actually a nice way of saying it.
Rather than not being warm, the correct way to describe the Patriarch would be to say that he¡¯s someone cold and indifferent. However, his demeanor at the National Cemetery today was different.
¡°Advisor, what do you think?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t remember. After all, I¡¯ve be independent many years ago.¡±
¡°Haha, I see!¡±
Four years ago, I became independent after bing a Civil Servant. I didn¡¯t have that much contact with him to be able to tell whether he was kind or strict.
¡°I have too many siblings, so I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to receive attention from a father.¡±
I knew that Rutis had at least two older brothers and two older sisters. Plus, he had a bunch of younger siblings as well, so he was one among many.
However, saying it like that made it seem like the King of Armein was cold toward his children. The child was jeopardizing the reputation of his father. I should have known it by his red hair color. It seemed like he was a fire-like son.
As a matter of fact, the King of Armein had many children so he couldn¡¯t pay much attention to them. However, he was actually quite famous for cherishing his children.
¡°If the Emperor was even half like the King of Armein, none of this would have happened.¡±
I remember hearing those words from the Crown Prince, who suddenly called me one day while drinking wine by himself. In the end, he gotpletely drunk, and I was at a loss for what to do. To this day, I still wonder why I was called to that ce.
Compared to the Livnoman Imperial Family, which wrecked at the smell of blood, the Robens Royal Family was famous for being harmonious.
¡°Isn¡¯t having many siblings a good thing? That would make the burden shared among you.¡±
¡°That might be true, but¡¡±
Rutis seemed to be lost for words at Lather¡¯s remark, who was the 2nd son out of three siblings. From an ordinary family¡¯s perspective, having three siblings might seem like a lot. But from the perspective of the royal family, it was quite precarious.
The more princes there were to rece the Crown Prince in case he died, the better.
Of course, if there were too many, they sometimes ended up killing each other to reduce the number. Ainter, who was silent, was an example of such a family.
¡°Is today¡¯s topic family stories? I¡¯m sorry, but I have nothing to say.¡±
Tannian, who¡¯d been silently listening to the two princes talk, said that while making a faint smile. Since the club meeting began, the conversation seemed to flow to family matters.
¡°Isn¡¯t your family the most impressive? After all, Enen is your father.¡±
¡°Haha, that¡¯s true from a religious standpoint. I¡¯m an orphan.¡±
Rutis was taken aback by Tannian¡¯s self-depreciating remark. Woah¡ To think that even he would be lost for words¡ How impressive.
Rutis¡¯s pupils shook while looking at me.
Why are you looking at me? I have nothing to say.
I tried to avert my gaze, but I changed my mind after seeing Louise¡¯s dark expression.
¡°Let¡¯s end the family talk here. If we end up hearing some royal secret, we might have to cut off our ears.¡±
¡°Oh, that¡¯s true. I was short-sighted.¡±
Rutis, who seemed to think this was the only way to change the topic, effusively agreed. I wasn¡¯t nning to help you, but I¡¯ll do it this time.
¡°Louise?¡±
¡°Ah, yes! Did you just call me?¡±
Louise¡¯s expression was still dark, but she quickly put on a bright expression when I called her. I¡¯m sorry, but I was also preupied today and temporarily forgot.
¡°The macarons you made thest time were great. Could you make some more today?¡±
¡°Yes, of course!¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
Louise returned to her bright self. I would have thought I might have seen something wrong if I didn¡¯t know her past.
¡®I should have paid more attention.¡¯
I smiled bitterly while feeling sorry. I was probably the only one who knew this besides the members of the Naird family, and I only knew it because I read it in the free section of the webtoon. No matter how much the members liked Louise, they didn¡¯t know about her past.
Erich avoided the Patriarch because of his childhood trauma, and Ainter had prepared himself to die after his older brother was killed. However, what Louise had suffered couldn¡¯t bepared to them.
¡®The author must have been crazy.¡¯
I hadn¡¯t seen the face of the author, but they have to be a madman. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way they would have made an 8-year-old kid go through such an incident.
Wasn¡¯t it too much to have her one and only sister resent her and die?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 82: - Dynamic Life Story (3)
? Dynamic Life Story (3) ?
There are various reasons why someone would drop a work they were reading. It could be because it doesn¡¯t suit their taste, or maybe they don¡¯t like the story¡¯s development. Or it could also be because they might have forgotten to keep up with it after missing a release, or maybe it¡¯s because the spring breeze was warm. There could be diverse reasons.
The reason why I dropped the original work of this world was because of the first two reasons. I found it while searching for something to read, and neither the story nor the development was to my liking. What shocked me the most was the development.
¡®How can you do that to a little kid?¡¯
It would have been understandable if Louise was a reincarnated or transmigrated character. Despite her appearance being young, she would be an adult on the inside. I could also ept it if she were a character going back in time. But sadly, Louise was just a normal kid.
The original author made an 8-year-old kid go through too many harsh situations. Seeing that made me drop it. I had never imagined that doing so could bring such consequences to my life.
¡°If only you weren¡¯t here¡¡±
That was thest line of Louise¡¯s sister.
The rtionship between the Naird sisters could be called a clich¨¦.
The weak, younger sister received all the attention of the family. Despite being born weak, she was always cheerful and was loved by everyone around her. The older sister liked her younger sister, but she began to harbor jealousy as the love and attention that should havee to her was also monopolized by her younger sister. However, everyone failed to notice it because nobody cared for her.
Her resentful eyes ring at Louise as she was about to die was truly memorable. To make things worse, the art was very good. Louise¡¯s pale face was also very well-drawn. I didn¡¯t really want to see all that in high quality.
Unintentionally turning my gaze to Louise, I saw her making macarons as I requested with her usual bright smile.
¡®She¡¯s amazing.¡¯
How could someone be so bright after going through such things at such a young age? Of course, Louise wasn¡¯t a psychopath who was unaffected by her sister¡¯s death. At that time, she became greatly shocked and depressed. That¡¯s when she met the Mage Duchess.
I don¡¯t know what happened in the middle, but Louise grew up to be a bright and kind person. Part of the reason why I didn¡¯t recognize her on the first day of the Academy wasn¡¯t just because she¡¯d grown. It was also because her expressions and atmosphere had brightened.
There¡¯s no way I could have guessed that a kid who¡¯d gone through such a thing would grow up to be so bright. I thought her ability to charm people would be based on something more mundane, and not something based on her brightness.
¡°It¡¯s done!¡±
As Louise announced that her macarons were done, the hyenas rushed in again.
For some reason, they seemed to like the macarons. What¡¯s up with these people? Was it not a matter of taste but rather extreme pickiness? Do they really hate cookies that much?
* * *
Because the topic shifted to family matters, I kept my mouth shut. After all, I wasn¡¯t in a position to talk happily about my family.
But I can¡¯t show my difort. Showing that would be like publicly announcing that I had family problems.
That¡¯s why I stayed still. If I stay quiet, no one would notice it. It¡¯s a fleeting topic, so I don¡¯t need to worry.
¡°I was also hurt, but why did they only look at you?!¡±
¡°If you weren¡¯t here¡¡±
As my sister¡¯sst words came to mind, I slightly bit my lips. It usually remained underneath, but it sometimes surfaced out of nowhere, regardless of my wish.
I¡¯d never be able to forget those words.
How could I forget?
It was my sister¡¯s will. She basically died because of me. If I hadn¡¯t been there, such a thing wouldn¡¯t have happened to her.
¡°Hilda left because of us. We¡¯re the ones that deserve to be resented. Louise, it¡¯s not your fault.¡±
That¡¯s what my father said. Despite having mourned her death numerous times, my mother never med me for her death. But what kind of parent would me their daughter?
If we were to distribute the me, I would have the biggest share. I enjoyed receiving attention and love from both of them. I enjoyed receiving the care of my family members. And because I wasn¡¯t even satisfied with that, I even coveted some of the attention that should have been directed at my sister.
¡®I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡¯
It was my fault. It was my fault for hogging the love that our family should have shared equally. If I hadn¡¯t been there, my sister would have enjoyed a happy life. Love was something that should be shared fairly, not monopolized by one person.
As the guilt grew inside me, my eyes met with oppa¡¯s.
No. I shouldn¡¯t show him my dark side. However, he already turned his gaze away. Maybe he¡¯s disappointed because I¡¯ve shown him my bad side.
¡°Let¡¯s end the family talk here. If we end up hearing some royal secret, we might have to cut off our ears.¡±
But contrary to my worries, oppa made others stop talking about it. He didn¡¯t show disappointment at my expression; instead, he seemed worried and reacted in a considerate manner. Then, he asked me to make macarons out of the blue.
Anyone could see that it was a tant act of consideration. He wanted me to make more macarons because they were good? He hardly ate any, to begin with. After all¡ He wasn¡¯t someone who could properly taste food.
¡®He must be flustered.¡¯
He must have sensed my mood, so he changed the topic. I took a glimpse at oppa¡¯s eyes, and as expected, his eyes were moving all around the ce.
I almostughed. At the same time, I almost cried. This was something he could have just ignored, or he could have be disappointed. I felt thankful that he cared even for trivial matters like this.
He probably doesn¡¯t know what I went through. He shouldn¡¯t know what I¡¯m thinking about. Yet, he still worried and sensed that something was wrong based on my expression alone.
¡®Thank you.¡¯
I muttered inwardly because I couldn¡¯t say it out loud. Saying ¡®thank you¡¯ out of the blue in this situation would only make others think I¡¯m strange.
¡°It¡¯s done!¡±
So I smiled cheerfully, just like always. I epted oppa¡¯s consideration and regained myposure. This was the only way I could repay him.
¡°Louise, it¡¯s delicious. You really are good at making these.¡±
I btedly realized something after hearing Ainter¡¯s words. I had forgotten to add medicinal herbs.
I always added some medicinal herbs to see if they could help oppa fix his tastebuds. The other guys also ate a lot of sweet things, so I should also care for them by making them eat something good for their health.
Well¡ I guess it would be fine to skip it only for today.
* * *
Fortunately, Louise was smiling until the club activities ended. Of course, I couldn¡¯t know what she was truly feeling inside.
For starters, I don¡¯t even know how Louise dealt with her childhood trauma. She might havepletely ovee it, but she could still be suffering silently. She usually seemed cheerful, so I thought it was the former. However, her expression today suggested otherwise.
¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯
I was worried, but there wasn¡¯t much more I could do. If she looks down, I¡¯ll cheer her up. If an unpleasant subjectes up, I¡¯d change it. Anything more than that was impossible.
After all, I was officially someone who didn¡¯t know about Louise¡¯s past. Why would I offer advice or worry about a past she hadn¡¯t told me?
¡°Carl oppa¡ How did you know that?¡±
That would be most likely her response. I would immediately be a crazy stalker right there. Because I¡¯m the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, I¡¯d go from ¡®Creepy Stalker¡¯ to ¡®Evil Prosecutor who investigated her and her family¡¯s past.¡¯
That would be enough to scare Louise away. My rtionship with Irina might improve, but it would wreck my rtionship with Louise. What a crazyw of equal exchange.
Anyway, Louise¡¯s trauma was something she had to share with someone she could trust. If she couldn¡¯t resolve it by herself, she should try sharing it with someone she can trust.
¡®Why does this kid have such a heavy mouth?¡¯
She told me to talk to her if I had any worries, but she kept her own mouth tightly shut.
It was a little bit infuriating, but it was mostly pitiable. That¡¯s why I ended up treating Louise well. Was it because ofpassion? Did this child even know what happiness was?
¡°These hopeless bastards.¡±
I spoke while sighing in frustration. The biggest problem was that Louise had no one she could confide in even if she wanted to open up. If one of the five were close to Louise, she could have told one of them. However, all they ever did was mess around and keep each other in check.
Louise thinks that it¡¯s her fault for monopolizing her parent¡¯s love, and that caused her sister¡¯s death. Maybe that¡¯s why she blocked the idea of getting closer to one of her friends. Perhaps that¡¯s why she avoided favoring just one person.
That¡¯s why it should be them who take the initiative, but these idiots were clueless about all of this even as the semester drew to a close.
For Louise to make a choice, she should ovee her trauma. However, she couldn¡¯t even talk about it.
¡®I¡¯m sure the esteemed daughter wants to love, too.¡¯
The Esteemed Daughter Wants to Love.
I recalled the title that only I knew in this world. It didn¡¯te to mind right after the possession, but one day, it suddenly popped up. Of course, knowing the title didn¡¯t mean anything since I didn¡¯t know the content.
Still, thinking about Louise¡¯s past and title, I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her. Hey, guys. Louise wants to experience love, too. So please, let¡¯s make some progress.
¡®It¡¯s probably not going to happen.¡¯
While I wish they would make some progress, my mind had already concluded that that wouldn¡¯t happen. Praying for a sixth character to appear might be more effective.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 83: - Members, You Stay There. The Advisor Will Return Home (1)
? Members, You Stay There. The Advisor Will Return Home (1) ?
I had concluded that praying for a sixth character to appear would be the best for Louise. However, that also meant that there was nothing I could do at the moment. At that thought, I felt like tearing up.
Still, I was holding onto a small hope. Only the 1st semester out of six had passed. Regardless of this situation where I had to endure this hopeless show for five more semesters, many opportunities would be left for the members.
Of course, it was a small hope. I wasn¡¯t expecting much. After all, you won¡¯t be disappointed if you don¡¯t expect anything.
¡®Was I always like this?¡¯
Suddenly, I reached a fundamental question. Was it frustrating because I was going through it in real-time, whereas the story skipped dates in the original series? From the reader¡¯s perspective, the dates are skipped reasonably, but from my point of view, it was infuriating.
I¡¯d rather have it that way. If someone else took over my position for the second semester, I wouldn¡¯t be so upset. After all, that would allow me to check the progress once every six months.
I could hear a voice in the back of my head whispering, ¡®With those idiots, things would remain the same even after six months,¡¯ but I just ignored it.
Today, instead of flour, the clubroom smelled of ink. That meant the final exams were approaching, which was a positive thing.
¡®It really is the end now.¡¯
I felt sorry for those who were flipping through textbooks while frowning, but I was really happy about it.
Normally, everyone looked forward to vacations, but it was especially severe this year. Even the Academy¡¯s Principal and Vice Principal were anxious. How could they not be when there were many people with a higher standing than them roaming around in the Academy? It seemed like their mood had improved at the thought that they would soon return to their respective countries.
¡®It¡¯s indeed something to be happy about, but¡¡¯
The vacation was a happy event, of course. I could be freed from the task of monitoring and handling key figures, the people who could have my neck cut off if something happened to them.
However, after being summoned to the capital by the Mage Duchess, I realized that the Academy was a paradise. If I returned to the capital, I didn¡¯t know when I would be summoned again by the higher-ups.
I should be happy, but I just couldn¡¯t. If I hadn¡¯t realized this, I would have happily returned to the capital. However, I ended up consuming the red pill and awakened to the truth.
¡°Louise, that¡¯s not how you solve that.¡±
¡°Ah, you¡¯re right.¡±
While my heart was mourning bitterly, I heard the voices of two women chatting. There was no way this should be happening. After all, Louise was the only female member.
¡°Thanks, Irina!¡±
¡°This one¡¯s wrong, too.¡±
¡°Oops!¡±
But if that someone was her close friend, it was possible. The one who took the gender ratio from 6 men and 1 woman to 3:1 was Irina.
Irina, who hadn¡¯t appeared for a while after gifting the hawthorn, starteding to the pastry club again a few days ago. However, I¡¯m not sure why she¡¯sing every day. Aren¡¯t you in a different club?
¡°Since the exams areing up, we decided not to have meetings. Would it be okay if I study with Louise?¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
When I asked, she said she did not need to go to her club. Since she said so herself, there was no reason to stop her.
¡®But they have meetings.¡¯
Since I¡¯m an Advisor, I had amunication channel with the other faculty members. That¡¯s why I knew the situation of the Academy very well, and that¡¯s how I also knew that clubs never skipped meetings, even if they had to gather to study.
Irina¡¯s club, the gardening club, had never skipped a meeting. Not even once. Not even on the day she came with the nt.
¡®But I can¡¯t ask her.¡¯
Irina was already cautious of me. The only change was that she¡¯d been looking out at the nt she¡¯d given a lot.
Anyways.
Given the situation, I couldn¡¯t say something like, ¡®Why are you lying?¡¯ That would only make her run away in panic. There had already been an embarrassing incident between Irina and me, so provoking her would be unkind.
Even now, she kept ncing at me from time to time. What¡¯s up with that? It was funny how she hurriedly looked away when our eyes met.
¡®I guess it will be fine.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t provoke Irina. Not only that, but this wasn¡¯t something I could me her for. After all, I agree that there was nothing wrong withing to a friend¡¯s club. Although she might be neglecting her own.
Even if she was a noble, she wasn¡¯t even in her twenties yet. When I think about my past life, that¡¯s the age when one would be the most excited about friends. So, her actions were understandable.
¡°This is wrong, too.¡±
¡°Sob¡¡±
Considering Louise¡¯s poor learning skills, it seemed like Irina¡¯s presence was positively affecting her.
¡°Irina, could you look at this, too?¡±
¡°Ah, that?¡±
And the other club members also didn¡¯t seem to mind Irina¡¯s presence.
While it might be ufortable to have someone else in the middle of their battlefield with Louise, thankfully, none of the members seemed to dislike Irina.
I was d there wasn¡¯t someone dumb enough to show hostility toward Louise¡¯s best friend.
¡°I¡¯m d Lady Irina is here. There were times when no one here knew the answer.¡±
¡°Your Highn¡¡±
¡°Haha, talk to mefortably. We¡¯re all fellow students, aren¡¯t we?¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
Even the Empire¡¯s Prince, the most intimidating figure for Irina, was being amiable to her. Since that was the case, the other Princes had no reason to push her out.
¡°I¡¯m really~ d Irina is here.¡±
¡°It tickles.¡±
Irina, who was hugged by Louise, gently patted Louise¡¯s head. Sometimes, they looked like sisters born in the same year rather than friends. Anyway, it was a heartwarming sight.
Except for the idiots who looked on with envy in the background.
* * *
The catalyst was trivial.
¡°I¡¯m going to focus more on studying starting today.¡±
A certain thought crossed my mind upon hearing Louise¡¯s determined words. If the pastry club would stop their activities until the exam, then it wouldn¡¯t be strange for the gardening club to do so, would it?
Of course, the gardening club had never paused its activities since the Academy¡¯s inception. But oppa, who was new to the Academy, probably wouldn¡¯t know that, right?
¡®This is an opportunity.¡¯
At first, I didn¡¯t go because I was too embarrassed to see oppa. But once I calmed down, I couldn¡¯t find an excuse to go. Even though he said it was okay, I couldn¡¯t say the club was on break every day. That would be weird.
However, if I say that the club meetings have paused for the exams, it should be enough as a reason. It¡¯s something that could easily happen, and studying with a close friend wouldn¡¯t be strange either.
I don¡¯t like the idea of using Louise, but¡
¡°Louise¡ Would you like to study with me?¡±
¡°Really? Is that okay?¡±
¡°Yes. I don¡¯t have anywhere to go, so¡¡±
¡°Yay!¡±
Louise said it was fine, and she seemed to like it. So, this wasn¡¯t using her.
¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯
I told myself that, but upon seeing Louise¡¯s cheerful face, I couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Even though Louise wanted it, it was still a cowardly act on my behalf.
¡°Ah, long time no see. Wee.¡±
Even so, I hated myself because I felt less guilty upon hearing oppa¡¯s greeting.
¡°Thanks for the gift. It really lifted the mood of the clubroom.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±
However, I hated oppa for not knowing the meaning of the flower. I¡¯m d he didn¡¯t know it. I¡¯m really d, but¡
¡®How mean.¡¯
I felt a weird mix of relief and disappointment. How could he be so indifferent to ady¡¯s gift? I felt like a fool for worrying about it.
If the most famous flowernguage wasn¡¯t ¡®only love¡¯¡ but ¡®tolerance and forgiveness,¡¯ I would have still felt bitter. Because either way, he wouldn¡¯t have known it. I had really put a lot of thought into the gift, yet¡
¡°Oppa has been taking good care of it.¡±
Louise¡¯s whispered words beside me eased my heart a little.
* * *
The six members of the pastry club and the one who escaped from the gardening club were preparing for their exams every day.
¡°Why are there so many subjects?¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t a practical exam, so I think it should be okay if they did it moderately.¡±
Erich and Rutis, who were physically oriented people, wereining loudly. As the days went by, their faces grew darker. Now, they were openly resenting studying. It seems that exams drive students crazy everywhere, regardless of which world they belong to.
¡°But there¡¯s only two days until the break, so let¡¯s hang on a bit more.¡±
Upon hearing Ainter¡¯s words, Erich picked up his pen again.
¡°Alright. I should hang in there. I have to return home in a good mood.¡±
¡°Ah, are you going to return to your home?¡±
¡°Why are you talking as if you weren¡¯t going home?¡±
¡°I won¡¯t go.¡±
I was chewing a cookie when I stopped upon hearing Rutis¡¯s words.
¡°Eh, you won¡¯t return?¡±
It seemed like Erich wasn¡¯t expecting that answer, either. You bastard. Why aren¡¯t you going to return?
¡°It isn¡¯t a short distance from the Empire to Armein. I¡¯ll be back in two months, anyway. It would be better to stay at the Academy.¡±
¡°You could teleport.¡±
¡°Magicians who can move that distance are too busy.¡±
You bastard. Why is it that you only show empathy at times like this?
¡°I agree. I was thinking the same thing.¡±
Lather, who was quietly writing something, also agreed with what Rutis said. You¡¯re not returning, too?
As I turned my gaze toward Tannian, I saw him nodding while smiling. N-not you, too¡ right?
¡°It seems we all think the same way. Haha. I guess our hearts became connected because of the time we¡¯ve spent together.¡±
For a moment, I imagined Sir Vir punching the ground while crying in frustration.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 84: - Members, You Stay There. The Advisor Will Return Home (2)
? Members, You Stay There. The Advisor Will Return Home (2) ?
I had six students I needed to watch over. Half of them were from the Empire, and the other half were¡ foreigners.
The students from the Empire could just return to their own homes during the vacation. Louise was from Baron Naird¡¯s family, Erich was from Earl Krasius, and Ainter was from the Imperial Pce. The foreign students without a home in the Empire could simply go back to their own countries.
Wouldn¡¯t it be better to return to their country and be treated well than be in a distant and unfamiliar Empire? Over there, they probably had tons of people they could boss around with a flick of their finger.
¡®But then, why?¡¯
Why won¡¯t you go back? Why are you nning to stay at the Academy during your vacation?
Of course, there were many students who stayed at the Academy during vacation. The dormitories were open, and the city built around the Academy was decent. However, most students who stayed in the Academy were usuallymoners whose lives depended on their Academy grades and those whose homes were really far away.
Why would these three foreigners care about their Academy grades? They had more to gain by doing something else during the vacations rather than staying here. Because their homes were far away? Then what the hell do teleportation magicians exist for?
¡°How unexpected.¡±
I managed to say, barely resisting the urge to smack the three of them over the head with the cookie jar next to me. I must hold on. If I lose my mind here, it will cause an international dispute, and I will have to go to prison. Adding another line to my criminal record would be problematic.
¡°Still, wouldn¡¯t it be better to go back since there¡¯s nothing to do at the Academy?¡±
In my mind, I wanted to say, ¡®Shut up and get out of here!¡¯ But either way, there really wasn¡¯t anything they could do at the Academy. Besides, Louise was also going to return to her territory¡
Fuck. Don¡¯t tell me¡?
¡°Once I graduate from the Academy, I won¡¯t get any other opportunity to visit the Empire. That¡¯s why I think now¡¯s my time to travel around the Empire and expand my horizons.¡±
Rutis¡¯s words confirmed my spection. He might say he¡¯s going to explore the Empire, but it¡¯s obvious where this damned guy was nning to go.
¡°We¡¯re busy during the semester, so vacation is the only time we have.¡±
Lather joined the conversation, advocating for their reason to stay at the Academy. Did they really have to say it one after the other?
They had definitely talked about this beforehand. If only one wanted to stay behind, it would be harder to justify their actions, but if the three agreed to it, it was a whole other story. This wasn¡¯t a random act.
¡®These cunning bastards.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but tremble in anger at the thought of Sir Vir. If Vir had known about this beforehand, there¡¯s no way he would have had such a bright expression. He would¡¯ve probably looked tired from trying to persuade these three idiots.
And those guys knew that and kept it a secret until just before the vacation. If they had told him in advance, Vir would have made things difficult for them. Ruthless bastards¡
¡°Is everyone going to stay at the Academy?¡±
Louise, who¡¯d been talking quietly with Irina, subtly lifted her head. Her eyes were on the textbook, but her ears were clearly listening to our conversation.
¡°You can¡¯t travel every day. Won¡¯t it be boring?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine, Lady Irina. After all, there¡¯s three of us.¡±
To be more precise, it¡¯s three plus a dozen others. Your escorts are also humans, you bastards.
Judging by their firm response to Louise¡¯s question, it seemed like they really wouldn¡¯t go back.
Damn it.
¡°If everyone¡¯s in the Empire during the vacation, it might be okay to meet during the holidays. Maybe we could do a holiday trip.¡±
I said those words after pondering for a long moment, and it received an enthusiastic response. Louise probably didn¡¯t mind, and the club members were happy because I had provided an excuse for them. Seeing that made me feel bitter.
¡®This is the best option.¡¯
Surprisingly, this really was the best option. If I couldn¡¯t prevent these three from staying in the Empire, it would be easier to manage them if all the club members were together rather than individually visiting Louise.
¡°We should decide where we¡¯ll meet up.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s decide leisurely.¡±
¡°Irina, do you want toe?¡±
¡°H-huh? Me too?¡±
Whenever I heard the club members¡¯ conversations, I quietly grabbed a cookie from the jar. It felt a bit crumpled, but it was okay. The semester was over, anyway.
***
I quickly summoned Vir as soon as the club meeting was over. I told him it was important, and Sir Vir arrived in less than five minutes. As he took his seat, I shared the dreadful situation with him.
Sir Vir¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t that of silence or anger. It was something that transcended those emotions. He quietly grabbed a cup of tea with a smile on his face.
¡®Is he really smiling in this situation?¡¯
There¡¯s something I heard in my previous life. Only a third-rate person cried in hard situations. A second-rate person was someone who endured. Then, what kind of person was a first-rate one? It was someone whoughed even when things got hard.
Vir is a first-rate person. Because of this horrible reality, he became someone transcendent.
But it seemed like he hadn¡¯t be aplete first-rate person. The hand holding the teacup was shaking. Yet, he was acting as if he were calm.
¡°I¡¯m surprised.¡¯
= Fuck.
Those were the first words Vir said while smiling. We both knew what those words meant.
Regardless of Vir staying here for the second semester, he was about to return to his homnd. He was on the brink of returning home and eating with his family. And suddenly, he was faced with extended duty.
The countries had been nning to reorganize the escort forces during the vacation. But now, they wouldn¡¯t be going back. The people from their homnd would ask him why the princes didn¡¯t return, and the people next to him were going to ask why couldn¡¯t they return. At this point, Enen can¡¯t say anything in defense even if Vir cursed him.
¡°It¡¯s an unexpected event.¡±
Vir took a sip of tea with trembling hands and sighed. As expected, Vir wasn¡¯t aware of this. If he¡¯d kept his mouth shut despite knowing this, I would have lost faith in people.
¡°I¡¯m also a bit overwhelmed because I wasn¡¯t expecting this to happen.¡±
I spoke with a forced smile. I wasn¡¯t only a bit overwhelmed. If the people from the three countries decided to stay at the Academy, it wasn¡¯t just the escort forces that had to be tied down. Automatically, I had to stay at the Academy, too.
¡®Damn.¡¯
Staying in the Academy during the vacation was impossible for me. It might have been possible if I were a faculty member, but I also had a job as the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. Up until now, the Senior Managers and Managers had been holding on, but that was assuming that I would return during the vacation.
I had to go home. If I didn¡¯t return for the holidays, the Prosecutor¡¯s Office would be without an Executive manager for almost a year. And if this happens every vacation for three years, that would mean that the top decision-maker of the department would be without its head. Are you kidding me?
In the end, the meeting with Vir ended with only sighs. The issue was too big for us to resolve at our level. We also didn¡¯t have the authority to forcibly send the princes and the Saint candidate back to their home countries.
¡°What should we do?¡±
¡ª What the hell.
And it also wasn¡¯t something I could solve on my own. As soon as Vir left, I called the Minister. He was speechless for a while. If the Prosecutor¡¯s Office continued without an Executive Manager, it would also be bothersome to the Minister.
¡ª Are they really going to stay at the Academy?
¡°As far as I know, they¡¯ve never lied.¡±
¡ª A noble quality befitting of such important individuals.
In this situation, I wish they were people who lied all the time instead.
The Minister seemed to share my sentiment as he muttered something with a furrowed brow. Luckily, themunication crystal didn¡¯t pick up the low sounds. He was probably cursing in many different ways.
¡°I think we¡¯ll somehow be able to manage it this time.¡±
¡ª Yes, one year might be possible. But what about after that? Can you guarantee it won¡¯t happen again?
¡°That¡¡±
No, I can¡¯t guarantee that.
The people who had conspired among themselves to pull this off was beyondmon sense, and if I casually judged that ¡®this will only happen this once,¡¯ it would be careless of me. It would be probably easier for them to do it again next time.
¡ª The only good thing is that there isn¡¯t anything urgent.
The Minister, who rarely let out a sigh, began to think. It seemed like there wasn¡¯t anything urgent I had to deal with. Thankfully, it seemed like there wasn¡¯t anything I had tomand personally even if we expanded the scope to the second half of the year. At least, not yet.
¡ª For the time being, process things through themunication crystal.
¡°Yes?¡±
Why do we have to do it in such an inefficient way?
¡ª What can we do? You can¡¯t personallye to the capital, and the Senior Manager can¡¯t go to the Academy, either.
¡°That¡¯s right, but¡¡±
Unable to refute, I nodded awkwardly. It would obviously be inefficientpared to face-to-face, but somemunication was better than not being involved at all.
¡ª Hold on like that until we find another solution.
For now, the fire at my feet had been extinguished.
The fire that had scorched my feet was just extinguished, but in exchange, a meteorite fell on my head. This time, it was a disaster brought about through Tannian¡¯s mouth.
¡°We¡¯re nning to go to the capital.¡±
¡°The capital¡?¡±
The day after I had the first emergency meeting with Vir and the second with the Minister, a new bomb was dropped during club time.
¡°Is there a need to go all the way to the capital?¡±
Although I answered normally, my insides were burning. No, you guys can¡¯t go to the capital. You really can¡¯t go there. I¡¯d rather you visit Boyar again, but not the capital¡!
¡°How can we im to have seen the Empire if we haven¡¯t seen the capital?¡±
¡°It could be during a school trip.¡±
¡°Haha. It hasn¡¯t been confirmed that we¡¯re going to the capital yet, so we should go while we have the time.¡±
Upon looking around, I saw that the other members seemed to support Tannian¡¯s idea. It¡¯s either they had already conspired before, or they really liked the idea.
¡°The capital sounds great!¡±
Louise, who seemed to fall into thetter category, was already brimming with anticipation. The only one who could stop this madness also seemed hooked up on the idea of going to the capital.
¡°It will be too crowded.¡±
¡°Haha, brother. Won¡¯t it be weirder if a ce we¡¯re visiting is empty?¡±
He wasn¡¯t wrong, so I remained silent.
And then, I was left alone in the clubroom after the club meeting ended.
¡°Those bastards¡¡±
I gulped down a ss of water to soothe my burning insides.
Staying at the Academy only disrupted my primary duties. Traveling around the Empire would tire their escort force. Add the capital to that and the Principal was also done for.
However, the capital was different. If a foreign dignitary visited the capital for personal reasons other than the Academy schedule, the scale bes uncontroble.
¡®Fuck.¡¯
A lineup that couldn¡¯t bepared to a mere Executive Manager and a Principal had taken over the stage.
Chapter 85: - Members, You Stay There. The Advisor Will Return Home (3)
? Members, You Stay There. The Advisor Will Return Home (3) ?
The 3rd Prince of the 2nd strongest country. The 2nd Prince of the 3rd strongest country. The next Saint of the continent¡¯s main religion. If these awe-inspiring figures visited the Capital, the repercussions would be immense.
If they did that while on a school trip, there would be no need to worry about that. After all, they would just be ¡®another student.¡¯ Although they would be closely monitored, the Empire would not need to directly wee them. But what if they came on their own and outside of the Academy activities? If so, the Empire had to prepare for a proper reception.
If members of other countries¡¯ royal families came to visit, it was proper etiquette for someone from the Imperial Family to greet them. Even powerful figures like Dukes, Ministers, and Generals were subjects. So, it had to be someone of the same ranking.
¡®The Crown Prince is the only option.¡¯
The Emperor couldn¡¯t personally attend them, so it had to be one of his children. Resurrecting the 2nd Prince who was most likely in hell wasn¡¯t an option, and it was already a bitte to give some power to the 3rd Prince. So, the only option was the Crown Prince.
And if the Crown Prince stepped in, the Imperial Household¡¯s Minister had to be there.
If the Imperial Household¡¯s Minister moved, the Ministry of Intelligence had to be there, too. Because members of the royal family would go to the capital, the Crown Prince and the two Ministers had to be there.
¡®Who else?¡¯
I pressed my forehead while trying to sort out my thoughts. Receiving foreign royalty wasn¡¯t something the Crown Prince could casually do. Numerous people had to work hard from behind the scenes.
Firstly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs had to be there. Someone had to check the legal precedents and possible issues, too, so the Minister of Justice had to get involved as well.
As they were going to use the Empire¡¯s territory and roads, the Minister of Territory¡¯s help was required.
Since these events would take ce domestically, it required the Minister of Internal Affairs.
Escort troops and military bands would be brought in, which would call for the Minister of Defense.
All of this required money, so the Minister of Finance was also necessary.
Andstly, the Governor of the Capital had to be there. Of course, he was also considered as someone at the level of a Minister.
And now, I had to inform the people from the Administration that the pastry club of the Academy would be visiting the Capital, setting these ten figures in motion. How fun.
¡®Should I just jump out the window?¡¯
I absentmindedly nced out the window. It wasn¡¯t that high, but would I faint if I fell and hit my head first? It would be great to fall asleep for one or two months.
Iughed in disbelief. Ah, so this was how Vir felt. Laughter might not solve the problem, but I felt like I would lose my mind if I didn¡¯tugh.
¡®I think I¡¯m going to lose my mind.¡¯
The Crown Prince, eight Ministers, and one person equivalent to a Minister. Now, I had to go in the middle of all of them and get beaten up.
Had there ever been a time when I was this afraid of contacting the Minister?
¡ª What nonsense are you saying?!
The Minister¡¯s justifiable anger rang in my ears through themunication crystal. After hearing the situation, he began cursing me.
Of course, it was a shocking situation. If a Manager had told me this, I would have reacted simrly. That¡¯s why I sacrificed my eardrums and listened to the Minister¡¯s nagging.
If this was something the Ministry of Finance could have handled, I could bear it, no matter how annoying or frustrating. However, this had escted to the point where even the Minister of Finance was just another yer.
¡ª What have you done?!
¡°Why are you ming me?! I also just found out today!¡±
However, I couldn¡¯t help but find it unfair that he was ming me for this situation. This was basically like a natural disaster. If I were the one who invited them to the capital, I would have nothing to say. However, I was the victim here.
¡°How could I have stopped them froming?!¡±
This was basically something beyond my abilities. This continent had a deep-rooted notion that Civil Servants were servants of their superiors, someone who made the wishes of the higher-ups a reality. Someone who took them wherever they wanted. They were simply avatars or shadows.
No matter how kind-hearted someone was, no one thanked their leg for taking them where they wanted to go. Unfortunately, Civil Servants were beings at that level. Whether it¡¯s me, the Minister, or Vir.
Would a leg dare to say, ¡®I don¡¯t want to go there,¡¯ when a royalty wished to go somewhere? That was impossible.
¡ª ¡That¡¯s true.
The Minister said in a deted tone. He had nothing to say against my heartfelt argument.
¡ª I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that this situation is unbelievable.
¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand.¡±
I understood his emotions, so I wasn¡¯t about to me him.
¡ª Eight Ministers¡ I never expected that there would be a ministerial meeting during the summer.
I almost said to the Minister ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like all the Ministers are gathered like in a real ministerial meeting, is it?¡¯ but I held back. In this situation, saying that would be an insane provocation.
¡ª I¡¯ll talk to the Imperial Household¡¯s Minister. Wait for now.
¡°Understood.¡±
I felt relieved after hearing the Minister¡¯s offer to ry the message upwards. Even though I usually conversed with the Minister without hesitation due to our close rtionship, I still felt awkward with the Imperial Household¡¯s Minister. Rather than bing close to him, it would be faster to wait for someone else to be the Imperial Household¡¯s Minister.
¡ª They won¡¯t being immediately, will they?
¡°Yes. I¡¯ve only heard that they woulde during the vacation. When that will be hasn¡¯t been decided yet.¡±
¡ª That¡¯s fortunate, at least.
Having experienced a disastrous event, even such a minor matter was considered fortunate. It wasn¡¯t exactly good news, though.
¡ª Keep yourmunication crystal close. I¡¯ll proceed as quickly as possible.
¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±
Not being there to catch the call after my superiors finished coordinating would be a terrible mistake. Just thinking about it was frightening.
Anyway, it wasn¡¯t a full ministerial meeting but a mini one, so it would probably take about five days to organize.
¡®I hope nothing happens until then.¡¯
Surprisingly, mymunication crystal turned purple in less than five hours. I didn¡¯t think the result woulde out so quickly without giving time for an incident to happen.
¡ª Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager. I just received the gift you¡¯ve prepared.
¡°¡¡±
The person calling me had blond hair and purple eyes, just like Ainter. However, his atmosphere waspletely different.
¡ª How did you know that I¡¯m busy these days and managed to prepare such fun news? I¡¯veughed several times.
The Crown Prince had called me himself.
¡°I apologize¡¡±
¡ª Ah, don¡¯t. I¡¯m not so boring that I¡¯d get angry at a friend¡¯s gift.
Although the Crown Prince¡¯s mouth was smiling, his eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all.
¡ª I¡¯ve received the gift really well.
= How dare you throw this crap at me when I¡¯m already busy?
He couldn¡¯t me me for what had happened, but he was cursing at me with his eyes. Fuck, do you think I did this on purpose?
¡°I feared that it would disturb your Highness, but I couldn¡¯t prepare anything better. I have nothing to say if you don¡¯t like it. I know no amount of apologies would suffice, but I¡¯m grateful you¡¯ve taken it that way.¡±
= Not my fault. That came up suddenly, and there was nothing I could do. Fire me if you want.
¡ª Hahaha. Your loyalty is alwaysmendable, Executive Manager.
= You son of a bitch. Fine, I¡¯ll let it slide.
There was an intense undertone in the back-and-forth dialogue. I had nothing more to offer the Crown Prince, and he had nothing he could throw at me.
The best we could do was to exchange greetings filled with curses.
I don¡¯t think he was calling to reprimand me in the first ce. The Crown Prince probably contacted me because he was curious why someone who should be monitoring Ainter in the Academy would suddenly visit the capital with the club members. However, he didn¡¯t seem pleased at having more work thrown at him.
¡ª This gift was unexpected, so it was more enjoyable. Life would be boring if everything went as expected.
Coming from someone whose life had been a rollercoaster, it didn¡¯t sound like a joke.
¡ª Joy should be shared. Is the Academy going on vacation soon?
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±
¡ª After the closing ceremony,e to the capital.
I suddenly got a summoning order. I was secretly hoping for the Minister to handle everything, but it was a futile hope.
After all, it would be even more weird if the person who had sent this bizarre news to the administration didn¡¯t attend the meeting. Even if I had nothing to say there, there were a few people who probably wanted to see me so they could fuel their anger at me in person.
¡°Understood, Your Highness.¡±
¡ª Good, see you then.
I nkly stared at themunication crystal that had lost its light. While I did want to go to the capital instead of being stuck in the Academy, I hadn¡¯t wanted to go under these circumstances.
There was very little time left until the closing ceremony. I hoped a few times that their minds would change during that brief moment.
I would immediately notify the administration if their minds changed about going to the capital. Although I would probably receivements like ¡®Are you ying with the Ministers?¡¯ They would probably happily do a tap dance if the meeting was canceled.
But hoping often led to disappointment.
¡°Are you going to stay in the Academy for the moment?¡±
¡°Yes. After all, it takes some time to pack things up.¡±
¡°We can use that time to n ordingly.¡±
Until the veryst moment, there was no cancetion of the trip to the capital. When we parted ways, they were discussing the schedule.
Thanks to the teleportation mage personally arranged by the Crown Prince, I quickly arrived in front of the pce.
My ten superiors were already there.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 86: - I Didn’t Mean for Them to Come to My House (1)
? I Didn¡¯t Mean for Them to Come to My House (1) ?
The most important Ministry of the Empire was the Imperial Household. They were responsible for the Imperial Family¡¯s affairs and served as their secretaries, so it would be weird if they weren¡¯t ranked first.
If the Emperor were to rank another ministry as the most important, everyone would rush to the pce and plead to withdraw the decree. This was because the importance of the Ministry of the Imperial Household was directly rted to the authority of the Imperial Family, and that would merely be a loyalty test.
And because they had such status and authority, people who weren¡¯t affiliated with it were extremely reluctant to enter the Imperial Household¡¯s building. If something good happened, the Emperor personally delivered the news. However, if it was something bad, he punished them through the Imperial Household¡¯s office.
¡®I ended up here.¡¯
But I ended uping to that office. Thankfully, I hadn¡¯te here because I had angered the Emperor, but I had narrowly avoided the worst-case scenario. However, I was now set to be punished by everyone beneath the Emperor.
As I nced at the vicinity of the office, I noticed several splendid carriages. These were the carriages used by the Ministers of each ministry, but the numbers seemed unusually high. Was I thest one to arrive?
¡®Damn it.¡¯
Although these nobles were a bit slow, they seemed to move quickly when the Crown Prince was involved. However, I didn¡¯t expect them to gather so soon. After all, there was still 30 minutes before the meeting started.
Someone approached me as I hurriedly entered the building.
¡°I¡¯ll guide you.¡±
¡°Is everyone here?¡±
¡°His Highness the Crown Prince hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡±
That was a relief. It was better to be known as an Executive Manager who arrivedter than the Ministers than a mere servant who had arrivedter than the Crown Prince.
¡°It¡¯s here.¡±
I arrived at the main conference room. It was a vast space, considering that only a little over ten people would gather. But taking into consideration the title of those who were gathered, it made sense.
I took a deep breath and knocked on the door of the conference room. Once I opened this door and entered through it, I would be the weakest.
¡ª Knock, knock.
¡°It¡¯s me, the Prosecutor Office¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Come in.¡±
After hearing the voice of the Minister of the Imperial Household, I opened the door and entered. Nine pairs of eyes instantly turned to me.
There were many expressions among the high-ranking people who weed me, ranging from neutral to uninterested. Some were displeased, and others tired. Seeing that made my head spin.
¡°Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, long time no see.¡±
A white-haired elder spoke while adjusting his sses. He was the Governor of the Capital and a senior figure in the Empire¡¯s politics.
¡°Since you were dispatched, I thought you wouldn¡¯t make it here.¡±
¡°How could I miss a meeting where important matters are being discussed?¡±
¡°Since you hadn¡¯te yet, I assumed you wouldn¡¯t attend.¡±
The Governor was looking at me with displeasure. He had spent his entire life as a servant of the Imperial Family and had been recently given the position of Governor as a way to spend hisst days in peace. Now that he¡¯s suddenly been dragged into this situation, he must be in a bad mood.
¡°Haha. Wasn¡¯t the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s Executive Manager in the ce that¡¯s located the furthest away? He must have hurried to get here.¡±
The Governor nodded at the Minister of Foreign Affair¡¯s remark. I guess he wasn¡¯t really intending to me me. He just wanted to vent his unhappiness.
¡°That¡¯s true. I didn¡¯t think of that. My apologies, Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±
After saying that, the Governor slightly lowered his head. Had he fallen asleep? I¡¯m sorry, sir. I¡¯m sorry for having you dragged here when you look so tired.
¡°Don¡¯t stay there and take a seat.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
At the Imperial Household¡¯s Minister¡¯s invitation, I took a seat at the very end. When I greeted the Minister of Territory who was sitting next to me, he nodded indifferently. As always, he wasn¡¯t someone easy to read.
¡°So, Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, how¡¯s life at the Academy?¡±
There was about 30 minutes left until the meeting started. The Crown Prince would arrive precisely on time, so all ten of us had to sit in silence. Whether it was to break the awkward silence or to share information about the foreign figures, the Minister of Foreign Affairs broke the silence.
¡°It was an unforgettable time.¡±
¡°That¡¯s an interesting choice of words.¡±
¡°He was someone uneducated, after all. Having seen things he hadn¡¯t before, it¡¯s understandable that he found them unforgettable.¡±
¡°Pfft. Hahaha¡ª¡±
The Minister of Internal Affairs chuckled at the sarcasticment but quickly closed his mouth. A quick nce was enough to see that it was him whoughed, but he pretended that wasn¡¯t the case.
¡°Well, that¡¯s one way to think about that.¡±
My feelings hurt a bit at theughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. A way to think about that?
¡°Don¡¯t be like that.¡±
However, there was someone with a beautiful soul who put a brake on both Ministers.
¡°Theck of education isn¡¯t a crime.¡±
No, he was even more of a son of a bitch than the other two. The shoulders of the Minister of Internal Affairs started to shake at the words of the Minister of Justice.
However, I had some responsibility for this meeting, so I kept my mouth shut. I may not be fully responsible, but I definitely yed a part in triggering it.
¡®Damn jerks.¡¯
These were the people burdened with tedious and hard work. It was surprising that they seized any opportunity to mock and boss someone around legally. How astonishing.
30 minutester, the door of the conference room opened, and everyone stood up to bow. It was obvious who had entered.
¡°It¡¯s okay. Everyone, sit down.¡±
Before the Ministers could say anything, the Crown Prince waved his hand and took the highest seat. Observing that the Crown Prince had skipped the greetings, the Ministers quietly exchanged nces and then sat down.
¡°Sorry for calling you all when you¡¯re so busy with work. Something unexpected hase up.¡±
¡°This is also for the Empire; how can wein about being busy?¡±
¡°I¡¯m always satisfied to see the loyalty of the Imperial Household¡¯s Minister.¡±
The Crown Prince nodded in satisfaction. He fell into thought for a moment and then opened his mouth again.
¡°Did you say it¡¯s three?¡±
¡°Yes. It¡¯s Prince Rutis Robens, Prince Lather Ostia, and Tannian Enes.¡±
¡°It seems like Ainter has made some fine friends.¡±
There was an awkward silence at the Crown Prince¡¯s words that were spoken with a chuckle. After all, it was chilling to hear that when it wasing from someone who had eliminated Ainter¡¯s brother.
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±
¡°Is Ainter doing well?¡±
¡°He¡¯s diligent in his studies but reluctant to do physical activities, so I¡¯m concerned.¡±
¡°Oh. If he doesn¡¯t move regrly, he will be more sluggish. That isn¡¯t good.¡±
That statement was enough. Hearing ¡®He isn¡¯t doing anything strange, just like when you had him monitored in the pce,¡¯ seemed to satisfy him.
In fact, Ainter was more of a victim in this situation than me.
He originally lived in the Capital in the first ce, so he was naturally going toe here during the vacation. But now, Princes from other countries would alsoe? Going on a trip to a different area could be considered a club activity, but all of them going to the Capital could be considered that he was trying to curry favor with them.
Thanks to this, Ainter has been speaking less these days. To oppose the trip to the Capital, he needed to exin his current situation with the Crown Prince to them, which was an internal issue of the Imperial Family that couldn¡¯t be discussed with outsiders. It was unfortunate.
¡°I spoke about something too personal before you all. My apologies.¡±
¡°Your Highness, everyone knows your affection for the 3rd Prince, so you don¡¯t need to apologize.¡±
¡®Woah.¡¯
I was impressed. So that was the eloquence you needed to be the Minister of the Imperial Household. How does he evene up with such words in this situation? As expected, those who served as bridges between the Administrative Offices and the Imperial family were extraordinary.
¡°Let¡¯s stop the small talk here. Let¡¯s begin.¡±
Seemingly satisfied, the Crown Prince dered the beginning of the meeting.
Discussions about the general framework went back and forth. The details were going to be handled by the Ministers when they returned to their respective departments. After all, a Minister alone couldn¡¯t decide on every single matter.
They agreed on the responsibilities that each ministry should undertake and their scale of action. For example, if the roads were jammed when the escort troops and band needed to enter the Capital or if there needed to be more budget to decorate the street where the club members would pass through, it could be a problem. That¡¯s why they had to coordinate to avoid such annoyances.
¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like our ministry¡¯s job.¡±
¡°That¡¯s something the Minister of Internal Affairs should know.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t this a job for the Minister of Defense?¡±
Tedious arguments continued.
In any case, while the Ministers from each department were discussing, my role was just one.
¡®So it splits here again.¡¯
I was looking at the table¡¯s pattern.
Well, what else could I do? I¡¯m not a Minister. I was just the Executive Manager. Besides, my direct superior was the one directly discussing the budget with the other Ministers.
Furthermore, there was absolutely nothing the Prosecutor¡¯s Office could do about this matter. The reason why I was brought here wasn¡¯t to give my opinion during the meeting but to simply upy a seat.
¡®I am Groot¡¡¯
I was just a Civil Servant who came here running because I was told to do so.
¡°Are they going to continue to stay at the Academy?¡±
I was looking at the table¡¯s pattern when I looked up after hearing the word ¡®Academy.¡¯ The Minister of Internal Affairs seemed to be scratching his chin in concern.
¡°Since it¡¯s the vacation, the escort forces will naturally decrease. Is it right to keep them at the Academy?¡±
¡°That¡¯s true. Although the number of people that have to be protected will decrease, we can do nothing about the unease.¡±
The Minister of Internal Affairs¡¯s concern was acknowledged by the Minister of Defense. Due to certain individuals deciding to remain at the Academy during the vacation, they needed to reconsider the escort strategy. It was a troublesome yet concerning situation for the Minister of Defense.
¡°There¡¯s no need to stay in the Academy.¡±
As the Minister of Defense was about to discuss reorganizing the escort forces, the Crown Prince interjected.
¡°If they¡¯re going toe to the Capital anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be better for them to stay here during the vacation?¡±
The pupils of the Governor shook at the unexpected mention of the Capital.
¡°There¡¯s no need to mention how secure the Capital is. Also, we can use the Capital¡¯s teleportation magic circle to move them, so it will be convenient.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve made a valid point.¡±
The Minister of the Imperial Household, who¡¯d been looking at the Capital¡¯s Governor, eventually sided with the Crown Prince. Because it was a vacation, staying in the Capital would be much safer than staying in the Academy since the number of escort forces would decrease during that time.
From the perspective of the foreign guests, the Capital, which was connected to almost every major city through teleportation magic circles, would be far more convenient than the Academy, which didn¡¯t have such facilities. He wasn¡¯t wrong in that sense.
¡°I¡¯ll prepare amodations for the guests.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. I do understand that you want to wee them as a host, but keeping the guests in a ceremonious ce seems bothersome for the guests who want to enjoy their trip.¡±
In the pce, there were rooms that were used to wee distinguished guests. The Minister of the Imperial Household had said he¡¯d prepare a room for the guests, but the Crown Prince shook his head and turned toward me.
¡°Executive Manager. If I remember correctly, you¡¯re the Advisor of the club these distinguished guests belong to, right?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±
Wait, why are you asking me that?
¡°From what I remember, there wasn¡¯t only the Krasius family¡¯s residence in the Capital, but there¡¯s also the personal residence of the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
What is he trying to say¡?
¡°From the perspective of the distinguished guests, wouldn¡¯t it be morefortable to stay at the residence of the familiar Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager than the pce?¡±
Stop with the nonsense.
Seriously, what do you mean? Even if this world is based on a fantasy novel, this had just crossed the line. Why should I keep the members of a royal family inside my house?
¡°That¡¯s a brilliant idea.¡±
My teeth chattered at the words of the Imperial Household¡¯s Minister. What¡¯s so brilliant about it?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 87: - I Didn’t Mean for Them to Come to My House (2)
? I Didn¡¯t Mean for Them to Come to My House (2) ?
My eyes, hands, and feet started to tremble. The evil superiors didn¡¯t hesitate to ruthlessly tear apart the miserable underling.
¡°Having guests who came for travel purposes stay in the pce is too much. The procedures for entering and exiting can¡¯t be omitted, so wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of time?¡±
The Imperial Household¡¯s Minister, who supported the Crown Prince¡¯s idea, began exining what good it would do. But wasn¡¯t it him who first suggested a room in the pce? He had somehow eliminated the pce as an option. His ability to turn the tables around was impressive.
Of course, the pce wasn¡¯t a local inn, so it could be considered an excessive measure. Even diplomats on official visits had to go through all sorts of procedures to enter and exit the pce, and they could only move within a set range.
If we only consider hospitality, there was no ce capable of treating the guests asvishly as the pce. However, holding the travelers in the pce could be awkward and bothersome for both parties. A lodging where one couldn¡¯t move or go out as they pleased was a bit too much, right?
¡°Even if it isn¡¯t an Academy schedule, it¡¯s true that they are students and they belong to the pastry club.¡±
At those words, the expression of the Minister of Internal Affairs twitched slightly. It seemed like he was about to burst intoughter as the cute term ¡®pastry club¡¯ was mentioned while discussing serious ns for weing Princes from other countries and a future saint.
¡°Isn¡¯t the Executive Manager the advisor of the club? It wouldn¡¯t be weird for the advisor to stay with the members. Fortunately, the Executive Manager is known for having a good rtionship with the members.¡±
Good? Me, with them? What the hell is their standard for a good rtionship?
¡°You¡¯re right. Since it isn¡¯t an official visit, it would be hard for administrative officials to step in, but it¡¯s possible for the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Yes. After all, the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager has built a rtionship with them from the Academy.¡±
The Minister of Foreign Affairs nodded at the words of the Imperial Household¡¯s Minister. As the Minister of Justice also agreed with them, my hope for an escape route was cut off.
Still, I nced at the Governor, who might be reluctant to let the members stay within the Capital.
¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯
But after seeing his expression, I sensed my doom. That old man, who¡¯d lived his life as a loyal servant of the Imperial family, didn¡¯t seem to have the intention of going against the Crown Prince¡¯s opinion.
Yes, it was unlikely the Governor would have any trouble. After all, it would be rough only on the first day they came to the Capital. After that, I was the one who would deal with them, so there was no reason for the Governor to be bothered at all.
¡°Indeed. There¡¯s no one closer to them than the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
As the Ministers agreed or remained silent, the Crown Prince turned to me while smiling.
¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Just think of it as doing what you did in the Academy in the Capital instead.¡±
It¡¯s none of your business, so it¡¯s easy to say that.
My teeth were chattering, but there was nothing I could do.
It seemed like the Crown Prince and the other Ministers had no objections to this decision. From the Ministers¡¯s point of view, the weing process was important. Where the members stayed afterward was not.
¡°Still, it will be problematic if the Executive Manager iscking in treating the guests. Minister of Finance, provide him with ample support.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±
At least it seemed like I would receive proper support, which was a relief.
Anyways, I¡¯m d. I had to think that way to calm myself down.
The meeting ended smoothly for everyone except for one Executive Manager. From the beginning, the matter that brought the most headache was the members of foreign royal familiesing to the Capital, not the reception itself. It would be strange if the Empire, the center of the continent, couldn¡¯t handle a single reception properly.
Thus, the Ministers and the Governor left the conference room.
¡°You don¡¯t know how reassuring it is to have the Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡±
The Crown Prince and I were left alone. I initially intended to leave immediately, but this guy held me back, saying that he had something to say.
¡°I hope I¡¯m not bothering the busy Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager with something trivial.¡±
= Hey, are you annoyed?
¡°It¡¯s a subordinate¡¯s duty to follow Your Highness¡¯s orders.¡±
= If you know, then shut up.
His saying that was nothing more than trolling. Even if I¡¯m the advisor of the club, wasn¡¯t offering my residence too much?
When he said that it was better to stay in the Capital rather than the Academy, I naturally thought he would arrange a room in the pce for them. Even that sly Minister of the Imperial Household thought that at first. Why summon me to the Capital if he were going to attach them to me?
¡°You¡¯re already busy with work rted to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. To think you won¡¯t even be able to rest in your home. How sad.¡±
That doubt was immediately answered by the Crown Prince. The reason he brought me to the Capital was because I wouldn¡¯t be able to go to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office if I stayed in the Academy. The target wasn¡¯t the members, but me. Damn, are you even human? Since you¡¯re the son of the Emperor, maybe you aren¡¯t human.
¡°I will make efforts to lessen your burden, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±
While I was internally thinking of ways to troll the Crown Prince, he casually made a hopeful statement. Even the Crown Prince¡¯s sparse conscience seemed to think that he¡¯d gone too far.
¡°There are some extra hands in the Ministry of Intelligence, so they can provide some help to the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Thank you for your generous consideration.¡±
I began thinking about the Crown Prince¡¯s offer of providing me with support from the Ministry of Intelligence. I was surprised that the Minister of Intelligence had remained silent during the meeting, but it seemed like he¡¯d already talked with the Crown Prince beforehand.
While I had gone to the Academy alone due to negotiations with the three countries, the Capital was not the same as the Academy. It was natural for the Empire¡¯s forces to roam around, so those forces being seen around my residence could also be considered as just another coincidence.
It wasn¡¯t a bad support. It was better to have eyes and hands ready to intervene in situations involving the club members than to handle them alone.
¡°And it would be troublesome if the Executive Manager is absent often, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°That¡¯s true.¡±
I nodded vigorously at the Crown Prince¡¯s words. I even received permission not to attend the Prosecutor¡¯s office daily. Rather than going to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office every day and being tied upte, I was advised to stay at my residence most of the time and appear only when necessary.
I was prepared to do remote approvals from the Academy. If I couldmute from the Capital, there was no need to go to work every day. Even intermittent attendance was more efficient than working remotely.
But what¡¯s this? The terms were surprisingly good. Support wasing to me from both the Finance and Intelligence Departments. Not only that, but I didn¡¯t need to go to the office every day. Wasn¡¯t this too generous for the price of offering my residence?
¡®Why is he being so generous?¡¯
The Crown Prince smirked as if he¡¯d read my thoughts.
¡°You¡¯re going to take care of important foreign guests on behalf of the Empire, after all.¡±
In other words, he was taking care of me since it was something rted to the prestige of the Empire. With those words, the Crown Prince left first.
¡°It¡¯s a gift from His Highness.¡±
At that moment, the Crown Prince¡¯s secretary approached me and handed me a pouch. When I opened it, I saw ten shining gold coins. It was exactly twice the amount I had lost at the Boyar casino.
Indeed, His Highness the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t someone who overlooked the efforts of his subjects and warmly embraced them. He was someone who would be a great ruler in the future. I always believed in the Crown Prince.
¡®You jerk.¡¯
I will let this pass since the support was greater than expected.
* * *
I returned to my office after the unexpected meeting.
¡®How bothersome.¡¯
I massaged my stiff neck while sitting down in my seat. The Emperor was getting older, and my workload had increased. Hearing the news that royal members from other countries would being to the Capital made me wonder what was going on.
If it were for me, I would block them from entering the Captial and ignore them. However, this was an issue rted to the Empire¡¯s prestige. After suffering for two years because of the traitor, the Empire received suspicious and challenging gazes from various countries on the continent.
We¡¯ve finally been able to put many of those ufortable eyes to rest. But if we give a less-than-ster wee to royalty from other countries even if it¡¯s unofficial, they might rear their ugly heads again. What a nuisance.
¡®At least I don¡¯t have to worry about Ainter.¡¯
However, one thing had be clear through this event. Ainter had no ambition regarding the throne. If he did, this kind of situation wouldn¡¯t have happened.
Even if he had connections with foreign princes or future saints, so what? The Emperor and the nobles support me. If he were aiming for the throne, he wouldn¡¯t openly unt his connections ande to the Capital.
¡®He isn¡¯t someone who can¡¯t even do such simple calctions.¡¯
Ainter was a guy with good reasoning and social skills. If he had other intentions, he definitely wouldn¡¯t havee to the Captial. Even if he did, given the current situation, he wouldn¡¯t pose a threat. After all, this had proved that Ainter couldn¡¯t control the other princes.
A royal visit was annoying and bothersome, but I was able to reconfirm Ainter¡¯s intentions, so it wasn¡¯t bad in every sense. After all, I just had to show up for a short time and shake some hands.
¡®The only one who¡¯s going to struggle is the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡¯
I chuckled after remembering the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s bug-chewing expression. It was regrettable, but what could I do? It was the best solution. I would¡¯ve considered them if there were other options, but there wasn¡¯t.
Moreover, he always brought above-average results, even if heined. How could I not trust him? He quickly loosened up and moved if you gave him moderate support and greased the wheels.
¡®Not using him would be strange.¡¯
A subordinate who was capable, diligent, and didn¡¯t hold any grudges. Moreover, he was young. If someone else was in my position, they would¡¯ve probably used him more.
At least I was more human than that bastard Dorgos, who was probably in Hell.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 88: - I Didn’t Mean for Them to Come to My House (3)
? I Didn¡¯t Mean for Them to Come to My House (3) ?
The Crown Prince had offered me ten gold coins and numerous other supports, creating a situation where I had to move without questioning things. I had no choice. I couldn¡¯t pull off a spam against the Crown Prince. If I did such a thing, no country would offer me asylum.
I sometimes think it might be better not to receive anything and do nothing.
¡®It was something bound to happen, anyway.¡¯
From the moment the funds were deposited, I brainwashed myself. I¡¯m an advisor, so I was bound to be squeezed for services. If I was going to move anyway, it was better to do it and receive something rather than do it for free, right? I decided to think that way for my mental health.
And to be honest, it¡¯s not me who should be worried about my mental health.
¡ª Master, have you been doing well?
A middle-aged man appeared through themunication crystal and politely bowed when he saw my face.
He was the butler of a mansion where the master spent more time away than at home. He was also the person in charge of a mansion where a prince of the Empire, two members of foreign royal families, and a candidate for the next Saint were going to stay.
¡°I¡¯m doing well as always. How have you been?¡±
¡ª Thanks to the Master¡¯s grace, I¡¯ve been having pleasant days.
I chuckled at the butler¡¯s response. However, I felt a bit sorry.
I¡¯m sorry, but things won¡¯t be pleasant starting from today.
¡°I¡¯ll be returning to the mansion in a few days.¡±
¡ª That¡¯s great news. We¡¯ll prepare to wee you, even if it¡¯s today.
¡°I¡¯ll be bringing some guests.¡±
Describing the lineup of those guests required more courage to be hated than I had expected.
¡ª ¡We¡¯re going to prepare adequately to honor your name.
The butler lowered his head after a brief moment of silence. It was touching to hear that he was going to follow my orders. However, it was easy to see his eyes trembling even through themunication crystal. If the usuallyposed butler was reacting like this, it meant he was quite unsettled.
¡°Alright. See you at the mansion.¡±
I hastily ended the call to avoid saying anything unnecessary. I¡¯m sorry, but please understand. I¡¯m a victim, too. The Crown Prince is the asshole here.
After finishing the call that seemed to have umted a bit of resentment from the butler, I went to the Magic Tower and sat nkly. I hadn¡¯t managed to find a Magician who could teleport me back to the Academy yet. Back then, I couldn¡¯t make reservations since I wasn¡¯t sure when the meeting would end.
However, the Magic Tower wasn¡¯t that busy these days, so I should be able to get someone. There were times when the reservations were fully booked for three days straight when it was really busy.
While I was looking at the floor patterns of the Tower¡¯s lobby, a shadow loomed above me. Lifting my head, I found the Mage Duchess looking down at me.
¡®Fuck.¡¯
I was nning to grab any avable Magician, but I never had any intention of catching the Head of the Magic Tower herself.
¡°Baby? What brings you here?¡±
The Mage Duchess naturally sat next to me. Elder, why are you doing this to me?
¡°It¡¯s okay, sit down.¡±
As I tried to get up in a hurry, she pushed me down by my shoulder. No, I wanted to get up because I¡¯m not okay.
¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡±
¡°Who lets their guests stand?¡±
But saying what I thought might upset her, so I suppressed them. The Head of the Magic Tower tends to get easily irritated over minor things. Perhaps it was due to her age.
While fighting the urge to talk back, the Mage Duchess tidied up her long hair and asked me another question.
¡°When did youe to the Capital?¡±
¡°I came up today because His Highness the Crown Prince called for a meeting. I need to return to the Academy as soon as possible.¡±
¡°A meeting?¡±
Judging by her reaction, it seemed like the Mage Duchess was unaware of what had happened. Well, the Magic Tower had little to do with the administration, so there was no reason for her to be informed.
¡°The club I¡¯m in charge of wille to the Capital.¡±
¡°Oh, my.¡±
The Mage Duchess expressed her sympathy. Just saying those words was enough to exin my situation. Everyone has probably heard about what I did at the Academy and who was in the pasty club.
¡°The Academy isn¡¯t very close to the capital. It will be hard toe and go.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve decided to stay at my mansion during the vacation, so they just have toe.¡±
Even the Mage Duchess was lost for words after hearing that.
¡°Stay strong.¡±
Then, she started to pat my head gently. Was this how a dog shivering in the cold felt when someone patted their head?
¡®Mother¡¡¯
Somehow, it felt like a mother¡¯s touch, which warmed my heart. It felt like the wounds caused by the Crown Prince and the Ministers were being healed. Maybe I wanted to hear warm words of encouragement rather than cold support.
I¡¯m sure the Mage Duchess realized how I felt, even if I hadn¡¯t realized it myself. Of course, I didn¡¯t call her ¡®Mother.¡¯ If I had done so, magic would havee out from her patting hands, so I kept them to myself.
¡°If you¡¯re having a hard time, let me know. I¡¯ll help if I can.¡±
¡°Just your words are enough. Thank you.¡±
I felt like asking the Duchess for support when things were tough would probably make things even tougher.
After stroking my head for a while, the Mage Duchess got up and asked me to wait for a moment.
¡°Drink one a day. It¡¯s better if you drink it in the morning.¡±
She came back with a box full of small ss bottles and a Magician.
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good for you, so don¡¯t forget. One a day, got it?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±
The Mage Duchess smiled satisfyingly. Then she turned around and left, leaving me and the Magician alone in the lobby.
¡°I¡¯m going to take you.¡±
¡°Ah, thanks.¡±
Although the process had been weird, at least I found a Magician.
* * *
I could feel mana wavering outside of the tower. Someone had just teleported away.
¡®How could he be so indifferent?¡¯
It¡¯s frustrating how he came to the Tower and didn¡¯t evene to greet me, especially when I¡¯m sure he knows how much I care about him.
I felt hurt when I heard that my baby hade through the Vice Head of the Magic Tower and not because he came to greet me. I had told him before that I felt disappointed for having heard of him through the Intelligence¡¯s Executive Manager and not him, but this happened again.
I was nning to scold him this time, but I changed my mind after seeing his exhausted appearance in the lobby. How could I scold him after seeing him like that?
¡®He shouldn¡¯t suffer so much from such a young age.¡¯
Remembering his tired appearance made me worry again. Was he eating properly? Was he sleeping on time? He shouldn¡¯t be too immersed in work. Was he managing his stress properly?
He¡¯s still young and has much growing to do. He had more time to live than the one he¡¯d lived until now. Something must not go wrong. But still, I¡¯m d he visited after the potion waspleted.
¡®I was pondering about when to give it to him.¡¯
It would be difficult to go to the Academy, and it was too important to entrust it to someone else. I was waiting for my baby toe to the Capital, so the timing was perfect.
What I gave my baby was a potion made of my blood and his. Of course, just as I¡¯ve told him, this would be good for his body. It was something I put my heart and soul into making. It also contained my mother¡¯s knowledge.
¡®If only I hadpleted it during my mother¡¯s life.¡¯
Thinking of my mother made me uneasy. This wasn¡¯t something that could be easily made. I had been able toplete it after a series of miracles, but if my mother had seeded in making it, and if she¡¯d seeded in making it while my father was alive¡
¡°Trexy, you mustn¡¯t go through the same sorrow as I did.¡±
My father, who had been a pure human unlike my mother, had left her side early. My mother suffered deeply because of depression and threw away her God-given life to follow him.
My mother advised me not to experience the same sorrow as her by falling in love with someone who didn¡¯t have the same lifespan.
That¡¯s why I poured a lot of effort into researching how to ovee one¡¯s lifespan. I didn¡¯t know whether I would fall in love with someone or not, but I did it to fulfill my mother¡¯s wish and for the sake of those who would experience the same sorrow as my mother.
¡°I greet the honorable Mage Duchess.¡±
I never imagined my partner would appear before the potion waspleted.
However, thanks to him, I was able toplete it. It was truly a fateful encounter. Yes. My life was clearly given to me by the heavens to meet my baby.
Of course, drinking one potion wouldn¡¯t bring about a significant change. However, its effects will umte with consistent consumption, and eventually, the intended effect will bloom.
¡°Several decades¡¡±
I muttered, thinking about the time left ahead. Yes, several decades. I just had to make him drink that potion for about 40 years. Then, my baby could walk by my side.
I¡¯ve already walked alone for 100 years. I could walk with someone if I waited just a few more decades. My baby was only twenty-one. I could definitely that long.
* * *
The color of the potion was a subtle mix of red and brown. It reminded me of something I had seen before.
¡®Is it ginseng?¡¯
I heard it was good for the body. That¡¯s why it reminded me of ginseng extract. Even the instruction to drink one a day was the same. Well, it was something mommy Mage Duchess had made. Thank you for taking care of your son.
I opened one immediately since she said I should have one a day. The Mage Duchess made it, so its effects were guaranteed. Although it felt like I was drinking a beverage rather than medicine due to the subtle scent of strawberries, I trusted the Mage Duchess.
Maybe it was because I drank it with such a strong belief, but I immediately felt my fatigue melt away. The cebo effect was incredible.
¡®I should drink it every day.¡¯
I¡¯m not sure if the effects are immediate, but I feel good. Isn¡¯t that enough? If they sell this in the Magic Tower, I should keep buying it regrly.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 89: - I Didn’t Mean for Them to Come to My House (4)
? I Didn¡¯t Mean for Them to Come to My House (4) ?
I left the red ginseng¡ no, potion that the Mage Duchess had personally bestowed on me in my room and headed toward the clubroom. Today was the vacation ceremony, but why was my destination still the clubroom?
Moreover, it was unbelievable that all the club members were stationed in the clubroom without exception. They seemed to be discussing something fervently, but that sight didn¡¯t look pleasant after being pped by people simr to them earlier.
As I red at the members with irritation, my eyes met with an unexpected person.
¡°Ah, oppa.¡±
¡°Irina?¡±
Irina was awkwardly looking around among the club members. Based on her expression, she didn¡¯t seem to be here because of her own volition.
¡°You¡¯re here now, oppa?¡±
Louise turned around and greeted me. Following her, five pairs of eyes turned to me.
¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°We were making a schedule. Not all of us will stay in the Academy, so we have to set a time.¡±
Although being tied to the Academy without being able to return home must be inconvenient, Louise seemed genuinely excited about visiting the Capital. Yes, I was also excited the first time I visited the Capital.
Back then, I didn¡¯t know that the Capital¡¯s darkness ran so deep. I had no idea that the prosperity of the Capital had been built on the blood, sweat, and tears of Civil Servants.
¡°I have something to say. Everyone, listen.¡±
Pushing away my bitter feelings, I captured the attention of the members. I had to speak before they got too excited about deciding their amodation for visiting the Capital.
¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡±
¡®Of course there is.¡¯
I bit my lips to avoid cursing at Rutis as he asked that question.
That hot-sauce bastard. On his graduation day, I should p him under the guise of a congrattory gesture. Even Vir would agree. He might even want to join.
¡°How about staying in the Capital instead of the Academy?¡±
¡°The Capital?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Rutis¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing something unexpected. He most likely hadn¡¯t considered staying in the Capital. Of course, neither did I. Who in their right mind woulde up with such an idea?
But the Crown Prince did. If I call his name three times, will the Grim Reaper take his soul?
¡°Won¡¯t it be boring to stay at the Academy? There are many ces to see in the Capital, and it¡¯s easy to travel to other cities.¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t a bad idea¡ Although finding amodation for the holidays might be tough¡¡±
¡°My house.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You can stay at my mansion.¡±
Don¡¯t make me repeat it twice. It makes me want to use the gold coins I received from the Crown Prince and cause a meso explosion.
¡°House? But doesn¡¯t the Patriarch hate having outsiders staying in?¡±
¡°Not the family¡¯s residence, but my personal one.¡±
¡°You had a personal mansion?¡±
¡°Are you two really brothers?¡±
Tannian¡¯s words left me momentarily speechless. I only used my personal residence for short stays, so there wasn¡¯t much chance to talk about it.
Because of work, I hadn¡¯t been able to visit the main residence in the Tailglehen territory, let alone mention that I owned a property in the Capital.
Still, with my unexpected offer and provision of amodation, there was a slight dy. But from their perspective, it wasn¡¯t a bad offer; no one opposed it. As long as they weren¡¯t told to leave the Empire, they seemed to be fine with it.
¡°Louise, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. I also haven¡¯t visited the Capital often.¡±
Amid the chaos, I heard Louise and Irina whisper. I wondered why Irina was here, but it seemed like Louise had persuaded her toe.
Although it was an unexpected guest, the mansion wasn¡¯t so small that it couldn¡¯t handle a few more people. It might even be a relief to have one more normal person among the crazy club members.
¡®A sane person, huh¡¡¯
Looking at the club members gathered in the room made me realize that the proportion of sane people was dismal. Well, if outsiders were participating, there was no need to limit it to just one, right?
If many students voluntarily stayed at the Academy, some stayed due to personal circumstances. Thetter mainly consisted of Student Council members who had work left. And the outsider I was trying to recruit was also part of the Student Council.
¡ª Knock, knock.
¡°Mar, are you there?¡±
¡°Carl? Yes,e in.¡±
If Louise, Irina, and Marghetta were at the mansion, I could withstand the annoyances of the other hopeless members. And if the members tried to do something strange, Marghetta, who didn¡¯t fall behind in status, would step in and stop them.
¡°Carl, wee. I wasn¡¯t expecting you today.¡±
Marghetta greeted me with a cheerful smile. My determination solidified after seeing her. Now that things had turned out like this, I would also invite her.
¡°I heard Mar was still working, so I couldn¡¯t sit still. Am I bothering you?¡±
¡°No way. I was the one who said you coulde anytime, right? I¡¯ve almost finished, so don¡¯t worry.¡±
She was about to get up from her seat, but I quickly stopped her. Since she still had things left to do, I should just state my business and leave.
¡°I came because I have a favor to ask of Mar.¡±
¡°To me?¡±
I nodded at her.
¡°The pastry club has decided to visit the Capital.¡±
¡°I heard that. The Capital isn¡¯t close, so it will probably be a lot of work.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine. The Crown Prince has suggested we all stay at my mansion during the holidays, so there won¡¯t be any need to return to the Academy.¡±
¡°Yes¡?¡±
Marghetta¡¯s expression hardened.
¡°Do you mean, all the club members?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
The corners of her mouth started to tremble. If I hesitate right now, there¡¯s no telling how far Marghetta¡¯s thoughts would wander.
¡°So I¡¯d like to invite Mar to my mansion as well.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°I owe a lot to Mar, so it would feel empty without you on such a joyous asion.¡±
In reality, it wasn¡¯t a joyous event, but having Marghetta in the mansion would be like having an army behind you. This was a truth that cannot be emphasized enough.
And during thest trip, I ended up breaking the promise I made to her. I said I¡¯d visit her room, but never did until the end. Maybe Marghetta might consider it if I said it was an apology.
¡°Ah, that¡¡±
However, Marghetta¡¯s face turned bright red at the unexpected drift, and she began to stutter.
¡°Mar?¡±
I thought she¡¯d calm down if I waited silently. Instead, her hand on the desk started to tremble, too. No, this was a more intense reaction than I expected.
¡°Are you okay?¡±
¡°Ah, yes. Yes. I¡¯m okay!¡±
As I approached Marghetta cautiously and asked, her previously dazed focus returned, and she quickly covered the documents on her desk. Why the documents¡? There were some numbers written, but still¡
¡°Mar, my invitation¡¡±
¡°I-I¡¯ll go, Carl. I¡¯ll definitely go.¡±
Having received her eptance, I thanked her and left. I didn¡¯t stay longer as her condition seemed a bit off for a longer conversation.
It was within my expectations that Marghetta would be flustered. After all, I invited her into my mansion for the first time. But even considering that, her reaction was more intense than expected. Did something happen?
* * *
Only after Carl left the Vice President¡¯s office did my trembling hands calm down.
¡®The mansion¡ Carl¡¯s mansion¡¡¯
When I heard that the pastry club would stay at Carl¡¯s mansion during the vacation, I felt like the sky would fall. After all, Louise was also among the pastry club members.
I lost the chance to be the first to be embraced by Carl, and now I¡¯m also going to lose the title as the first to stay at his mansion? I can¡¯t allow that. There¡¯s no way another woman could be the first one in our love nest.
However, Carl seemed to share the same sentiment as he had invited me to the mansion, too. It was a bit disappointing that it wasn¡¯t just the two of us, but it was still a first, so it was eptable.
¡®Carl¡¯s mansion.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Louise might be visiting his mansion due to the club activities, but I would be going because I had received his invitation.
Inviting a singledy to his mansion? That must mean Carl has feelings for me too. He didn¡¯t need to be so straightforward about it.
¡®I should thank His Highness.¡¯
The Crown Prince, Gilbert Livnoman. I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to meet him until now, and he wasn¡¯t someone I was particrly interested in.
When I heard the club would be staying at Carl¡¯s mansion due to a proposal from the Crown Prince, I felt a bit resentful. However, it ended up bing an opportunity for me to get invited, and so my resentment melted away.
Releasing a sigh of satisfaction, my gaze drifted to the document I had been covering.
¡°That was a close call¡¡±
As I removed my hands from the document, the characters and numbers written at the top were revealed.
MA 5 CARL 7 R 4 K 3 GHE 4 RA 5 TTA 5 SI 3 VA 6 U 3 LEN 7 S 3 TI 4
My name and Carl¡¯s, along with the stroke counts.
I almost got caught with something I shouldn¡¯t have by the person I least wanted to find out.
¡°Vice President, have you heard of namepatibility?¡±
The secretary asked me the other day.
¡®Why did you make such ament¡?¡¯
Yet I was swayed by such ament, so I couldn¡¯t me anyone. But they said thatpatibility could be found through such a means. Wasn¡¯t it normal to be curious?
Of course, I believed without a doubt that Carl¡¯spatibility with me was the best, even without such trivial things. Our rtionship was a destiny made by the heavens. Of course, we¡¯re going to have the bestpatibility.
¡ªOr so I thought.
¡®Why is it 89?¡¯
The number written at the bottom was 89. It was strange even when I looked at it again. Why wasn¡¯t it 100? Shouldn¡¯t it naturally be 100? Is 11%cking between me and Carl? Lies. As expected, one cannot trust things like this.
To think I was almost caught by Carl while doing this. What would he think of me if he found out?
People in the Ministry of Finance were usually rational, so they didn¡¯t believe in superstitions like this. Some even looked down on those who did.
If Carl was one of those people¡
¡°Mar, you¡¯re surprisingly naive. I¡¯m seeing you in a new light.¡±
I imagined Carl looking down on me with cold eyes. No, that can¡¯t happen! If Carl despises me, I¡¯ll really die!
My trembling hands started to reach for the document with the name reading, intending to tear it up. I needed to get rid of this cursed thing immediately.
¡®Wait, but wasn¡¯t 89 rtively high?¡¯
However, a hint of regret remained, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tear it. Of course, it should have resulted in 100. But 89 was high too, right?
After hesitating for a while, I finally decided to keep it without tearing it.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 90: - My Home, but with Unexpected Guests (1)
? My Home, but with Unexpected Guests (1) ?
As always, things ended with a meeting with Vir when it came to matters rted to the members. Vir now felt like a fellow department Civil Servant. I wonder why he feels so familiar andfortable.
Since we¡¯re going to spend three years together, I feel like the affection between us will grow. I might even be tempted to offer him asylum. However, such a suggestion would be rude to a steadfast knight like him, so I must end it as a thought.
A steadfast knight. That¡¯s right, he¡¯s a steadfast knight.
¡°Are you getting enough sleep?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine without sleeping for about four days.¡±
The problem was that steadfastness and mental fatigue were different things. In a short time, Vir showed signs of rapid fatigue. Of course, a royal knight wouldn¡¯t die from being unable to sleep for three days. However, he would internally be a mess.
The day I sold the freedom of my house to the Crown Prince for ten gold coins, I invited Marghetta to my mansion and immediately contacted Vir. The conversation at the time was so short that it could be summarized in just two sentences.
¡°Our local dog told me to bring your dogs to my house.¡±
¡ª Fuck.
Of course, we didn¡¯t really have such a conversation, but our inner thoughts were simr to that.
Anyway, after hearing that he would have to spend the vacation in the Capital instead of the Academy, Vir obtained new things to worry about.
ording to the deal made by the Empire and the three country¡¯s forces, the escort forces could only be stationed around the area near the Academy. If things got twisted, they could enter the Academy, but the actual escort forces were stuck outside.
Fortunately, there was a precedent where the three country¡¯s forces were allowed to stay in Boyar with the permission of the Gold Duke. Considering this unique situation, the Crown Prince also allowed them to enter the Capital. The problem was that he put a number restriction on the numbers, unlike the Gold Duke. After all, it would be annoying to have foreign forces wander around the Capital.
¡°Since the number of people that had to be selected was so many, there was no time to sleep properly.¡±
¡°Good job.¡±
Sir Vir had to pick the people who would apany him to the Capital and those who would return to their respective countries to ensure other forces coulde. This reduced Vir¡¯s sleep time even more.
First, he had to send half of the forces back to their homnd to switch with the newly formed escort force. Meanwhile, the other half would be sent back once the new forces arrived at the Capital. Since everyone wanted to go first, there was a lot of discussion involved.
¡°I just did what I had to do.¡±
I could see the sorrow behind Vir¡¯s smiling expression. Having him select who would go first andst was quite a cruel task especially because he was someone who couldn¡¯t even go back.
¡°I can guarantee the prosperity of the Capital. I hope Sir Vir will take this time to enjoy it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to it. When else would I get the opportunity to tour the Capital?¡±
For some reason, it sounded to me like ¡®I never really wanted to see it in my lifetime.¡¯
¡°Since you¡¯re a guest staying at my mansion, I will take special care of you.¡±
¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡±
Vir bowed his head with a faint smile that was tinged with sadness.
Would I be able to see Vir smile genuinely before the graduation? I felt sorry for him. I¡¯d have to give Vir a good room.
***
Two more days passed as Marghetta finished her work in the Student Council, the members packed their luggage, and I arranged carriages that would carry dozens of people and their luggage.
Going by teleportation would have been convenient, but the road to the capital itself was also part of the trip. I recalled the hardships I experienced when I came to the Academy, but the newly appointed Governor fortunately seemed to be managing the roads properly. The same thing probably wouldn¡¯t happen.
¡ª I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten what I saidst time.
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
¡ª What did I say?
¡°That if I want to get married to Mar, I¡¯ll have to go and see Your Grace to kneel and then beg.¡±
¡ª So you do remember.
And during those two days, a certain father sent me a message after hearing that his beloved youngest daughter would be heading somewhere other than home. He had such a menacing look that I thought he would tear my body apart.
Fortunately, there were also other noble youngdies like Louise and Irina. If only Marghetta had been invited, he would have tried to surround my mansion with his knights. The Crown Prince would probably wee us to the Capital with apuse.
¡®That bastard.¡¯
It was okay to curse him from time to time, even though he hadn¡¯t done anything to be cursed at yet. They said one would live a long life if they were cursed a lot, so I was doing this as a loyal subject of the future Emperor. Long live, you son of a bitch.
¡°The preparations are done. Executive Manager, you can take the lead carriage.¡±
¡°Ah, thank you.¡±
Vir approached me while I was wishing the Crown Prince a long life. The three countries had an overwhelminglyrge amount of luggage and people, but Vir had offered to take care of it himself. It was fine by me, as I didn¡¯t have to do anything.
¡°Let¡¯s get going so we can arrive quickly and rest.¡±
¡°I hope we have a safe trip.¡±
Vir¡¯s remarks oddly sounded like a foreshadowing, but things would be fine. The Empire¡¯s vast territory meant that there were bound to be bandits and monsters we hadn¡¯t yet subjugated. However, this wasn¡¯t just anywhere. It was the road that connected the Capital and the Academy. If something happened, the new Governor¡¯s neck would fly.
Although the road before was okay in terms of safety, its state was a mess. How did they gather the courage to leave things like that? Maybe they didn¡¯t have any regrets in life.
¡°Carl, are you here?¡±
¡°Mar?¡±
Anyway, I boarded the carriage that Vir had casually mentioned and was greeted by a smiling Marghetta. The members who were inside the carriage were Louise, Erich, and Marghetta. What a uniquebination.
¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯
Except for one person, it was an oddly familiarbination. If Louise were somewhere else, I would feel anxious. On the other hand, I had invited Marghetta. It wasn¡¯t bad. Erich¡¯s presence was a bit surprising, but I could roughly guess why he was there.
¡®Anyone can see he¡¯s the weakest.¡¯
Vir had also learned about the true nature of the pastry club during his semester at the Academy. In reality, it was just a group of five men captivated by Louise. I felt sorry for Vir, who seemed lost for words after discovering the truth. However, I¡¯m d that it was only him who had discovered it.
And from Vir¡¯s point of view, sticking Rutis and Louise together would seem biased. Meanwhile, sticking another guy from the three countries with her would make Rutis¡¯s gaze toward him ufortable. Even Ainter was a member of an Imperial family.
The only choice was Erich. To think that even Vir would think of Erich as the weakest¡ I felt a bit sorry.
¡°Please sit down. We¡¯re going to leave soon.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
As I looked stiffly at Erich, Marghetta tapped the seat beside her. I would probably get thrown out if I were standing when the carriage started, so I¡¯d better avoid that.
¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been to the capital.¡±
Marghetta spoke as soon as I sat down.
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°Yes. I haven¡¯t been there sincest year¡¯s New Year ceremony.¡±
I turned my eyes after hearing what Marghetta said with a smile. If thest time she¡¯d been in the Capital was duringst year¡¯s New Year¡¯s ceremony, that meant she hadn¡¯t been to the Capital since I refused her marriage proposal. Having it brought up so suddenly was embarrassing.
¡°Afterst year¡¯s sad event, I hesitated to go back to the Capital.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Traveling with Carl and enjoying it makes me really happy.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±
My heart hurt a lot.
¡°I¡¯m d it could be covered with good things!¡±
¡°Fufu, right?¡±
Marghetta¡¯s gaze shifted to Louise, who wasn¡¯t aware of what had happened. Thank you, Louise¡
As expected, the journey to the Capital was smooth. We enjoyed the view outside, took short naps, talked a bit, and discussed what was famous in the Capital.
¡°Those carriages are also with me, so let them pass.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
We dered our entry and were able to pass through the Capital¡¯s gates without any issues. The carriages slowed down as we approached the center of the Capital.
¡°Is that your house over there, Hyung?¡±
¡°Uh, yes.¡±
Although the carriage slowed down, it didn¡¯t stop.
¡°Hyung?¡±
¡°It¡¯s been a while since I stayed in my mansion, so I forgot.¡±
¡°What did you do while staying in the Capital?¡±
We reached the mansion while I unintentionally showed off my life as a ck Civil Servant. Well, at least I remembered the address correctly. If I¡¯d gotten the address wrong, we would have ended up in the wrong ce.
As soon as I got off the carriage with thebel of ¡®Someone who can¡¯t even remember his own house,¡¯ I was greeted by the butlers and servants.
¡°Wee, Master.¡±
¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you in person.¡±
¡°I¡¯m also filled with joy to see you again, Master.¡±
¡°You¡¯re making me embarrassed.¡±
It seemed like the butler said it as a light joke. After all, there was nothing joyful about a rtionship of paying and receiving money.
¡°Is the person behind you Mr. Erich?¡±
As I turned around, I saw Erich getting down from the carriage. We had the same hair color and a simr face, so the butler noticed it right away.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°If he¡¯s the Master¡¯s brother, he¡¯s a guest more valuable than anyone else. I will do my best to serve him.¡±
¡°There are really important guests, so don¡¯t exert yourself too much.¡±
¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±
After patting the butler¡¯s shoulders a few times, I moved on to the mansion. Weing someone was the butler¡¯s area of expertise, and meddling would onlyplicate things. In fact, I didn¡¯t want to meddle.
Suddenly, my gaze turned toward the servants who were bowing to me from left to right. Because I only used this ce to sleep, I hiredmoners. That was also why there wasn¡¯t anyone who had noble origins among the servants or maids.
They were mostlymon-born male and female servants. Maybe they would find it burdensome to deal with a member of the Empire¡¯s Imperial Family and members from foreign royal families.
No matter how much I thought about it, the foreign trio was definitely the hopeless three musketeers. They were simr to a recipe for disaster to ordinary sry workers.
¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡±
¡°It¡¯s an honor!¡±
See? I just said a word, and yet their bodies became stiff. These people were scared of even a free and idle master like me.
I hope no one resigns during vacation.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 91: - My Home, but with Unexpected Guests (2)
? My Home, but with Unexpected Guests (2) ?
The servants busily moved. It must have been quite a task to park dozens of carriages and move the loaded goods. Anyone watching would have thought that the mansion had changed owners and they were moving in.
The butler greeted the club members as they starteding down from the carriages. They were no different than luggage, so I would have preferred to leave them to the other servants. However, to avoid any bacsh, the highest-ranking person in the mansion had to guide them personally.
Based on my experience with them so far, the trio probably didn¡¯t care about who guided them. Was it because allmoners and most nobles were underneath them, either way?
¡°This is quite a splendid mansion.¡±
¡°Such a scale in the capital¡¡±
I could hear the voices of the club members who were walking behind the butler. The mansion was indeedrge. Even for the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, it was too much to be used by a noble child who didn¡¯t even have a title yet.
But what could I do? The Crown Prince was the one who told me to use it. I wanted to refuse it at first, but I decided to use it with gratitude since it was where the Marquis of Asilon used to reside. It would feel great to tell them, ¡®I¡¯m using your mansion very well.¡¯
Thanks to that, Ainter, who was already quiet, became even more silent. It had been a while since he cut off rtions with the mother¡¯s side of his family, but this situation must feel strangely ironic to him.
¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯
However, this situation isn¡¯t my fault. me the Crown Prince for this situation, not me. Whenever something happened, it was because of the Crown Prince about half of the time. That was why cursing him was okay.
¡°So there¡¯s a reason why hyung didn¡¯t return to the territory.¡±
¡°Haha, with such a ce nearby, why would he take the long way?¡±
I heard Erich¡¯s mumbling voice. It seemed like he¡¯d interpreted that I hadn¡¯t returned to the territory because I had this mansion.
However, I just used this ce for sleeping purposes. I often slept in the Prosecutor¡¯s office. To think he¡¯d he would treat my hardships as wallowing in luxury because of this mansion¡
Once Erich graduates, I¡¯ll have to write him a rmendation letter. He has to experience the life of a Civil Servant to empathize with me. The family¡¯s patriarch handled legition and I handled administration, so sending Erich to the judiciary would be perfect.
¡®Krasis¡¯s separation of powers.¡¯
My chest swelled with pride.
I felt hopeless the first moment my mansion degraded into being an inn, but after arriving at the mansion, I found it peaceful. Well, the mansion wouldn¡¯t suddenly split in half or explode just because royalty wasing.
It was just regrettable that a space that should have been used for rest was being eaten up by work. Either way, I just had to suppress those emotions and things were more or less okay. Yes, it was no different from when I was at the Academy.
Since I had butlers and servants here, things would be morefortable than in the Academy. In a way, the situation here was better.
¡°I heard the square of the Capital is beautiful.¡±
¡°They did decorate it well.¡±
Everything was good until Rutis spoke. The kids had been quietly unpacking things, so I didn¡¯t expect them to demand to go out right after arriving. Weren¡¯t they tired from being in the carriage for a long time?
¡°Aren¡¯t you tired from that long journey? Why not rest today? There¡¯s plenty of time.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste only to see the Capital during the vacation? We have to travel a lot while we can.¡±
How much were they nning to roam around? Hearing him talk frightened me. It seemed like they were nning to fill the entire vacation schedule with travel.
I briefly imagined myself contacting the Governors of famous tourist cities every day, repeatedly saying, ¡°Members of the royal family areing today.¡± From the point of view of the governors, I would probably be like a grim reaper.
¡®I¡¯m going to get cursed in the social world.¡¯
People might even start saying that the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager beats up people with connections rather than strength. They probably won¡¯t think about the fact that I was also suffering because of those connections. They usually just do it because they want to.
¡°Shall we eat before going up?¡±
¡°Ah, we¡¯re nning to eat outside.¡±
¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go outter.¡±
¡°Haha, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±
Although it was bothersome, I said yes to Rutis and sent him back. They came here to travel, so I couldn¡¯t stop them. Many things had to be prepared because they were going to have to visit the square, which was usually crowded with people, and eat in a restaurant in the Capital.
However, I didn¡¯t really know any good restaurants in the Capital, and I couldn¡¯t take the royal family members just anywhere. I was afraid to ask the butler since he would probablye with a huge list.
After pondering for a while, only one person came to mind. So, I contacted him through themunication crystal.
¡ª Executive Manager? Did something happen?
¡°Do you know any good restaurants near the square?¡±
The 2nd Manger scratched his blonde hair. Since he actively roamed around the Capital more than anyone, he would probably be able toe up with an answer.
¡ª There¡¯s a three-story building with a red roof on the southwest side of the square. That ce¡¯s good.
As expected, he didn¡¯t betray my expectations regarding things like this.
¡°Any another ce?¡±
¡ª There¡¯s also one on the east side¡ But why? Are you thinking of conducting a tax investigation by focusing on famous restaurants? I¡¯m sure something wille up.
¡°I¡¯ll be going.¡±
¡ª Oh, are youing to the Capital?
The 2nd Manager spoke as if he really didn¡¯t know. This bastard was supposed to deal with information, but why is he so slow to pick up on news about me?
¡°I¡¯m already here. I came with the pastry club.¡±
¡ª Ah.
The 2nd Manager made an awkward expression. There seemed to be something bothering him.
¡ª So it was true.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡ª I heard from the 1st Manager that you were going toe to the Capital along with members of the royal families.
¡°You heard right.¡±
¡ª If she¡¯d just said that, I would have believed it. But she also said that they would stay at your mansion during the holidays, so I hit her and told her not to say nonsense.
For the first time in a while, I mentally agreed with the words of the 2nd Manager. Even looking at it from the point of view of a member of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, it was an absurd situation. However, the Crown Prince had pulled it off. The man who would be the next Emperor was different in many aspects.
¡ª I wouldn¡¯t have done that if I knew that was true.
¡°She¡¯ll get sulky for a long time if you don¡¯t believe in what she says.¡±
¡ª I also got hit, so we¡¯re quits.
I should be grateful that these guys belonged to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. If Managers from other departments had caused such a stir, they would have been caught long ago and locked up somewhere.
Anyway, I noted down the list that the 2nd Manager told me. He not only mentioned restaurants but also cafes and theaters, as he said that restaurants alone might not be enough.
¡®Damn bastard.¡¯
I felt unpleasant at the thought that this bastard had roamed around the city and enjoyed dates while I was napping in my office, but I held myself back since I was the one asking him for a favor.
¡ª I will inform the Senior Manager that you¡¯re here.
¡°Alright. Keep up the good work.¡±
After ending the call, I contacted Vir. We would have to send people to ces the 2nd Manager had told me to secure seats. It would be bothersome if all the escort force followed en masse, and it would drag too much attention.
¡®I guess sending three or four people should be enough.¡¯
I sighed while looking at themunication crystal. Although I was prepared, I still found it bothersome. Originally, I was in the position of receiving attention, not caring for someone else.
Thinking about these things made me pissed off towards the Crown Prince again. This bastard just doesn¡¯t leave my head.
¡®We should have just ended things as quickly as possible. Why wait until the afternoon?¡¯
Originally, the Crown Prince should have greeted the royal members when the pastry club entered the Capital. However, he said they would probably be tired after a long journey, so the schedule was postponed to the afternoon.
It would have been better if it had been held now. Then, they wouldn¡¯t have said anything about going to the square since I could use the excuse that there was arge crowd and that we should avoid it.
¡ª Executive Manager?
¡°Ah, Sir Vir.¡±
However, things don¡¯t work as I wish. There was nothing I could do about it.
¡°We¡¯re nning to go to the square soon.¡±
It¡¯s a good thing that there was someone else who would suffer with me.
***
The rmendations from the locals were always better than the tourist spots everyone knew. Also, the 2nd Manager was someone born and raised in the Capital.
¡°So there were ces like this in the Capital.¡±
Even Ainter was lost for words.
¡°Thanks to the advisor, we had a good time. How did you know about such ces?¡±
¡°I know someone who loves to y around. I asked, and he rmended them.¡±
¡°It makes me want to know who that person is.¡±
Lather nodded in agreement at Rutis¡¯s words that were spoken with augh. Fortunately, it seemed like it was a satisfactory schedule even for these high-ranking people.
Wanting to see him? Both of them make me want to smack them, so they might get along surprisingly well.
¡°Someone fun? I¡¯m also curious.¡±
Marghetta also chimed in.
Well, I¡¯m a bit scared to introduce someone like Marghetta to the likes of the 2nd Manager. She might get culture shock, so I¡¯d rather never introduce them if possible.
¡°You could meet him if the opportunity arises.¡±
¡°Fufu, I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±
That¡¯s how the full square tourism schedule that the 2nd Manager had built concluded with enthusiastic cheers.
After returning to the mansion, an unexpected figure caught my attention.
¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯
Certainly, the Crown Prince said that the Ministry of Intelligence (also mentioned as the Special Service Agency) didn¡¯t have much to do recently. The only people who had a rtionship with me in that department were the guys from the Masked Unit, so I expected them toe. However, I never thought of meeting them like this.
While I was flustered, the person who had been pruning the garden seemed to sense my presence and turned to look at me. She was wearing an oddbination of a straw hat and a maid¡¯s uniform. No, why were you pruning in the first ce?
¡°Master.¡±
The woman took off her hat and bowed.
¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you again.¡±
¡°Ah¡ yes.¡±
The 4th Manager had arrived.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 92: - My Home, but with Unexpected Guests (3)
? My Home, but with Unexpected Guests (3) ?
It wasn¡¯t unusual for the 4th Manager to be wearing ck clothes. The Masked Unit always wore ck clothes even when they belonged to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, and that¡¯s why I thought any ck clothes would suit the 4th Manager.
¡®It does suit her.¡¯
Although the maid¡¯s uniform had some white mixed in, it was still ck. However, I never imagined or wished to see the 4th Manager in a maid uniform.
¡®Why does it suit her so well?¡¯
Strangely, I felt angry because it suits her well. There was no particr reason to be angry, but I felt like the child I had taken so much care in raising had gone astray. It was an odd feeling that couldn¡¯t be expressed in words.
Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t anyone around. It was good that I sent them in first so we could have a conversation without any difort.
¡°When did you get here?¡±
¡°I arrived right after master left the house.¡±
¡°Eh¡¡±
I almost asked her to stop calling me master. However, she wouldn¡¯t do something like that without a good reason. She was one of the few sane people I could trust.
It seemed like she noticed my thoughts. The 4th Manager opened her mouth.
¡°There were many people who wanted to serve Master, but I thought it would be bothersome for you if the number of servants greatly increased on top of all the guests. That¡¯s why I decided toe alone.¡±
¡°That¡¯s very considerate of you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re praising me too much.¡±
The 4th Manager bowed again. After hearing her exnation, this situation kind of made sense.
Even if the Emperor had agreed to send the Masked Unit to support me, it would have been too much for the Empire¡¯s special force to stay where important people from other countries were staying. If Vir realized that, he would¡¯ve trembled because of a sense of betrayal.
That¡¯s why the other Masked Unit members were lurking near the mansion, and the 4th Manager came here dressed as a maid as their representative. So, this was just a natural guise. It was natural, right?
I quickly scanned the 4th Manager. Cold expression, sharp eyes, and a tall stature for a woman. Hmm¡
¡°Let¡¯s do our best.¡±
¡°Yes, master.¡±
I know that she wasn¡¯t a maid but the 4th Manager, and it didn¡¯t feel natural. However, she probably had a reason for havinge while dressed like this. Well, there could be taller maids. It¡¯s too discriminatory to assume thatmoners have small builds.
¡°Have you met the butler?¡±
¡°Yes. I¡¯ve met the other servants as well.¡±
¡°Then you should be inside. Why are you outside?¡±
¡°I wanted to be of help¡¡±
¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go in.¡±
I pushed the 4th Manager towards the mansion. She hesitated, but she finally followed me inside as I took the lead.
There were people who, if left alone, would cling and be burdens, while there were some kids who went out of their way to do things they didn¡¯t have to do. The 4th Manager was thetter, and she needed to be taken care of like this.
* * *
The Minister of Intelligence called me out of the blue. However, I wasn¡¯t feeling good since he called me as soon as I returned from the north.
¡°Go to the mansion of the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager. Once there, follow his orders.¡±
But if it¡¯s about seeing the Executive Manager, I would respond to the call even if I were on the other side of the continent. I had recently seen him at the Academy, but I could be with him in the Capital this time.
Hearing the news, the other members who were unpacking their things hurriedly repacked them, ready to run out at any moment. We would meet the Executive Manager, so that reaction was expected.
¡°By the way, can we all enter the residence?¡±
The warm atmosphere quickly cooled down at the words of the Vice Captain. Come to think of it, he was right. From what I heard, several important people would stay in the Executive Manager¡¯s mansion.
In that situation, we could bother him if we all visited at once. We cannot do that. I would rather bite my tongue and die rather than end up causing him trouble.
¡°Captain, since you mustmand the members, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±
¡°I¡¯m going.¡±
¡°¡There might be someone among the three countries that recognizes you¡ª¡±
¡°I will go.¡±
I quickly cut off the Vice Captain¡¯s suggestion. As the Captain, I should be the one with the Executive Manager. There¡¯s no room for such nonsense. Howe you can¡¯t even recognize who¡¯s on top and who¡¯s at the bottom?
That¡¯s how I entrusted the other members to the Vice Captain and was able to stay in the Executive Manager¡¯s mansion.
¡°Penelia unnie?¡±
¡°Huh, is it really you?¡±
As soon as I entered the garden, the two maids who were watering the flowers looked at me.
¡°Yuris, Sophia.¡±
As I called their names, they put down their watering cans and ran straight towards me. No matter how happy they were to see me, they shouldn¡¯t put away their work. I should scold them.
¡°Unnie!¡±
¡°Woah, the master just came back today!¡±
However, my heart softened while looking at the two children who were hugging me with a bright smile on their faces. They¡¯re still young, so it¡¯s understandable. It¡¯s okay to let things slide once in a while.
¡°Where¡¯s the Executive Manager?¡±
¡°He just went out.¡±
Sophia said with a giggle. I felt a bit disappointed. If I hade earlier, I could have greeted him immediately.
But it¡¯s okay. After all, I would stay at the Executive Manager¡¯s mansion for a while. Happiness was waiting for me, so there was no need to be hung up on small matters.
¡°Ah, I have to let Mr. Butler know.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure that everyone will be happy to hear that unnie is back!¡±
Each of the chattering children grabbed one of my hands and pulled me towards the mansion.
¡°Weren¡¯t you doing something?¡±
¡°The master said we could take it easy!¡±
Then it can¡¯t be helped.
While walking inside the mansion on my way to meet the butler, I met most of the servants in the mansion. They all greeted me warmly, which I was thankful for. It¡¯s been a while since I properly greeted them other than through letters.
¡°Ah, isn¡¯t it Lady Penelia?¡±
¡°You can just call me Penelia.¡±
¡°Seeing how you can¡¯t take a joke, it really is you.¡±
The butler greeted me while handing me some tea. Then he waved his hand, signaling Yuris and Sophia to leave, but they didn¡¯t want to leave my side.
I had to exin to the butler why I came to the mansion, so it would be troublesome if they stayed.
¡°I¡¯m going to be staying in the mansion for a while, so we can y togetherter on. Go back for now.¡±
¡°Really?¡¯
¡°Really.¡±
Only then did they leave us alone.
¡°Is everyone doing well?¡±
¡°Yes, everyone¡¯s doing well.¡±
The butler, who asked me about the well-being of the Masked Unit, seemed relieved by my answer. It was a miracle that all the members of a special force in charge of doing dangerous work were still doing well. It was all thanks to the Executive Manager, who trained us well.
¡°I was worried. After all, we¡¯re like family.¡±
¡°We think the same way.¡±
¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±
We bothughed. The Masked Unit used to serve the Executive Manager as members of the 4th unit, and the servants protected the Executive Manager¡¯s mansion¡ªwe were all like family.
We wererades who¡¯d experienced life at rock bottom and had lost everything in that terrible war. Thanks to the person who extended his hand to us, we were able to get new lives. That¡¯s why we were a family that served the master, each in their own way.
¡°The master has just returned to the mansion, so I¡¯m sure it isn¡¯t a coincidence.¡±
¡°I came on orders.¡±
¡°I see. Then, make yourselffortable.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask more¡?¡±
I was surprised by how easily the butler epted my exnation. However, he just smiled at me.
¡°What could be more important than having a family member return home?¡±
I became speechless at those words. As expected of someone the Executive Manager trusted with his mansion.
However, to prevent a collision with people from the three countries, I was the only one who entered the mansion. I informed him that the others were waiting nearby. Upon hearing this, the butler nodded a few times and then left, saying I should wait for a moment.
¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡?¡±
He brought a maid outfit.
¡°It wouldn¡¯t be strange for a maid to be in the mansion. I think this would be best to avoid any suspicion.¡±
His persuasive words made me nod involuntarily, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reach out for the uniform. After swearing my life to the Executive Manager and having lived my life while swinging my sword, it felt strange to wear such a light and airy dress.
Also, won¡¯t the Executive Manager be disappointed to see me like this? Maybe he¡¯d think it doesn¡¯t suit me.
¡°Now you¡¯ll be able to call him Master too, Penelia.¡±
At that, I reached out my hand as if I were under a spell.
After changing into the clothes given to me by the butler, I lingered around the garden, waiting for the Executive¡ No, the master toe. I did some unnned work, like pruning a troublesome section that I noticed.
I was spending time like that when Master came to the garden.
¡°When did you get here?¡±
¡°I arrived right after Master left the house.¡±
I was relieved after seeing that he was surprised instead of looking offended. I had been worried that Master might have wanted another squad and not us.
However, my heart hurt after seeing him scan me up and down. It seemed that I looked strange, even in the master¡¯s eyes. I felt grateful that he didn¡¯t say it out loud.
¡°Then you should be inside. Why are you outside?¡±
¡°I wanted to be of help¡¡±
¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go in.¡±
I silently followed Master back to the mansion, nning to change clothes as soon as I returned to my room. People should do things that fit them. Stepping out of one¡¯sfort zone can be a bad thing.
¡°You look ufortable in those clothes because they¡¯re different from what you usually wear.¡±
I ended up closing my eyes at the words that finally came. It seemed like Master couldn¡¯t hold his opinion back anymore.
¡°But I can¡¯t ask you to change since it suits you well.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
His unexpected words prompted me to ask back. I realized my mistake btedly, but Master just turned and looked at me as if he didn¡¯t mind.
¡°I said that it looks good on you.¡±
At those words, my anxious heart calmed down.
* * *
I could sense that the 4th Manager was ufortable with her new attire, even from behind. I wonder how she ended up wearing clothes that made her feel awkward.
She looked sad, so Iplimented her. I was relieved to see that she started feeling better after I did that.
Let¡¯s put ourselves in her shoes. I would go crazy if I had to wear servant¡¯s clothes like that for work while I was in my boss¡¯s house.
¡°Hahaha, you look terrible!¡±
At that moment, I imagined the Minister as heughed at me and mocked me. How terrible.
¡®She¡¯s amazing.¡¯
It probably took the 4th Manager a lot of courage to stand before me while looking like this¡
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 93: - Long Live the Crown Prince
? Long Live the Crown Prince ?
That was a small incident that showcased the courage of the 4th Manger. Either way, I felt relieved to have the 4th Manager on board. Except for the butler, most of the servants were inexperienced with fighting.
With the 4th Manager inside the mansion and the Masked Unit outside, any attempt at a terrorist attack would be subdued easily. If I had this level of manpower at the Academy, I¡¯d feel at ease.
¡ª That¡¯s an interesting opinion.
¡°Thanks.¡±
¡ª It was nothing. After all, it¡¯s the Executive Manager who¡¯s in charge of the field.
As I brought that topic up to the Minister of the Imperial Household, he just said that it was an interesting opinion and brushed it off. Of course, everyone in this line of work knew that the word ¡®interesting¡¯ meant ¡®stop talking nonsense and get back to work.¡¯
As expected, it didn¡¯t work. Last time, the Masked Unit came to the Academy because of the Third Honor. Keeping them in the Academy regrly would be a waste.
The reason why I was receiving this exceptional support was because I was robbed of my mansion. It would be difficult if I expected to have this good life constantly, so I should get rid of such foolish thoughts quickly.
¡ª How are the VIPs doing?
¡°We did a quick tour of the square. They liked it.¡±
¡ª Haha, the Governor will be happy to hear that.
I nodded at the words of the Minister of the Imperial Household. Because of his age, the Governor was usually quiet. However, he was strangely passionate about managing the square for some reason. He often said that the square was the face of the Capital.
It was simr to how elders spent their time managing flower or vegetable gardens, although the scale was iparable.
Anyways, if the square he managed was said to be good even by the members of different royal families, he would be very satisfied. He might even die because of extreme happiness.
¡ª It¡¯s good that they¡¯ve already seen it. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to do the weing ceremony in a familiar ce?
¡°You¡¯re right.¡±
I agreed to have the weing ceremony in the square. In reality, I didn¡¯t care where it was held. I was already struggling because of these guys, so where the weing ceremony would be held made no difference to me. I only wish it had been done by lunch.
¡ª The Crown Prince will be done soon, so the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager should also prepare.
¡°Yes, understood.¡±
Although I didn¡¯t want to go out, I forced myself to get up. I was scared of the possible retaliations if I neglected the Crown Prince.
There was a small disturbance when Ainter¡¯s pupils started to shake, but everyone decided to go to the square in the end. He was probably scared to see the Crown Prince even in his dreams, so he probably preferred the first option between going to meet him and ignoring him.
¡°Ainter, are you okay? Shouldn¡¯t you rest?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine, Louise. I think the motion sickness camete.¡±
I felt sorry for him as he forced a smile in response. This time, Ainter was also a victim of the other member¡¯s reckless behavior like I was, so I felt even more sorry.
¡°It will end soon, so don¡¯t worry. The Crown Prince is busy with other work.¡±
Upon hearing that, Ainter¡¯s expression rxed a bit. It was as if I had confirmed that the Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t touch Ainter during the ceremony. He was probably still scared to meet the Crown Prince, but at least he wouldn¡¯t be beaten up.
¡°It isn¡¯t an official visit, so it will end quickly. Once we get back, you should take a good rest.¡±
Latherforted Ainter by patting his shoulder. It seemed like they¡¯d built a good friendship while living together for a semester. From the outside, this looked like a heartwarming situation.
¡®Although this is all your fault.¡¯
If these three idiots hadn¡¯t proposeding to the Capital, none of this would have happened. It seemed like Ainter was thinking the same thing as me since he was looking at Lather with a gaze mixed with half gratitude and half swearing. So, this is what giving the disease and curing them simultaneously meant.
¡°Thanks for your consideration.¡±
It was admirable how Ainter thanked him with a smile despite that. That¡¯s theposure that allowed him to survive the Crown Prince¡¯s actions.
It seemed like the mental strength that should have gone to the 2nd Prince ended up going to Ainter. Those who were mentally weak didn¡¯t have the right to survive.
I think I¡¯ve realized one of the reasons why the 2nd Prince ended up falling like that.
With that realization, I turned my gaze elsewhere and saw the restless Irina.
¡°Irina.¡±
¡°Eek!¡±
She was so startled when I lightly touched her shoulder. I didn¡¯t think she would be this surprised.
¡°Ah, oppa.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t need to be so nervous. After all, the Crown Prince said it¡¯s okay.¡±
I could understand why Irina was rolling her eyes, looking like a meerkat. She was probably wondering if it was okay for a mere daughter of an Earl family to be in the presence of the Crown Prince and other royalty.
I had originally nned to bring only three of them, but the Crown Prince wanted everyone to attend, so I had no choice but to bring them all. That bastard had a talent for bothering as many people as possible.
¡°But still, for me to be in a ce with royalty¡¡±
Even though I said the Crown Prince had given his permission, Irina couldn¡¯t control her trembling body.
Actually, this was normal. Louise had gained immunity thanks to having spent much time with the club members. Meanwhile, Erich wasn¡¯t afraid when he was with Louise, and Marghetta was a member of a Duke¡¯s family, which was right next to the Imperial family in terms of importance. Only Irina was in a pitiful situation.
¡°It¡¯s not about royal status; we came here to travel, so it would be strange for others to be here and for others to be absent.¡±
¡°Is that so¡?¡±
Irina nodded, but sadly, I was lying. Even if the goal was traveling, there wasn¡¯t a need to call the entire group. This was just the Crown Prince¡¯s passive skill, ¡®Suspicion¡¯, being activated.
Domestic nobles who had a close rtionship with foreign royalty, and his half-sibling who had given up on the right to the throne, traveling with foreign royalty members. The Crown Prince probably wanted to take this opportunity to check everyone out.
Of course, saying this would probably make Irina cry again, so I put it nicely. Anyway, it was true that the Crown Prince said it was okay toe. I didn¡¯t lie.
¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯
I quietly muttered an apology that would never be heard. But other than checking their faces, there should be no issues.
The weing ceremony proceeded as intended without any issues. Since the Ministers had gathered and discussed things thoroughly, it would be weird if something happened. My only job was to sit in my ce and p or bow, so nothing could possibly happen.
¡®He also came.¡¯
I saw a middle-aged manmanding the escort troops as I looked around. He was the Commander of the 1st Army Corps and was in charge of protecting the Capital. He was appointed three years ago, and it seemed like he was still actively doing his best.
Ah, our eyes met. We both quickly turned away our eyes after exchanging a light nod. After all, this wasn¡¯t a happy asion.
¡°Do you know him?¡±
¡°It¡¯s harder to find someone I don¡¯t know in the Capital than someone I do.¡±
I bitterly answered Erich¡¯s question. I couldn¡¯t help but know the high-ranking government officials that were in the Capital. After all, they were all potential inspection targets, and that¡¯s why I needed to have their basic information in my head. Also, from their point of view, I was an unexpected guest who could visit them at any time.
¡°Amazing.¡±
I looked at Erich, who said that as if it were admirable. Seeing how he said my life as a Civil Servant was amazing, could he also be interested in bing one?
¡®I should really write him a rmendation letter.¡¯
If he didn¡¯t have anything to do after graduating, I should write him a rmendation letter for the Ministry of Finance, Justice or Defense right away. I¡¯m sure Erich will be pleased, too. A man of the Krasius family should experience life as a Civil Servant.
¡°Today¡¯s small meeting could lead to great friendships among countries. How can one not be happy?¡±
While I was pleasantly contemting my little brother¡¯s future, I heard an annoying voice. As I turned around, I saw that the Crown Prince was delivering the wee speech on the stage.
Since the Crown Prince, who tended to avoid long speeches was now speaking, the event was surely about to end.
I was listening to the Crown Prince¡¯s wee speech in a rxed manner when the normal content of the speech started to drift off course.
¡°An unexpected visit is always more wee than a known guest.¡±
Huh?
¡°There are times when light steps are more wee than the heavy ones.¡±
What?
¡°The Empire is the Empire because it¡¯s where everything and everyone gathers. Hence, anyone can visit it and will be weed with an open heart.¡±
Crown Prince, you bastard.
¡®So you¡¯ve also gone crazy.¡¯
I bit my lip slightly at the emotion that was welling up deep within to hold myself back. Otherwise, I would have burst out in a standing ovation and said something in support of the Crown Prince.
That¡¯s right, this is my country. This is a proper wee speech.
¡®As expected, status is everything.¡¯
A lowly sessor like myself wouldn¡¯t dare to, but someone as high as an Imperial Crown Prince could easily make backhanded insults against a royal prince or future saint. Even a Royal Crown Prince couldn¡¯t hold a candle to an Imperial Crown Prince, never mind some ordinary heir like me.
An unexpected visit is always more wee than a known guest? Light steps are more wee? Any visitor is wee? On the outside, it sounded like a normalment weing guests. However, there was a meaning behind it. After all, tantly cursing would cause diplomatic problems.
Speaking differently outwardly and inwardly was a basic etiquette of someone with a high rank. The Crown Prince was practically aiming at the bastard princes who made a sudden personal visit to the Capital without making any previous arrangements. The Empire weing them despite them having done that was just a bonus. It was like he was saying that the Empire had the generosity and flexibility to wee even such individuals.
¡®Thanks¡¡¯
The Crown Prince had just said something I couldn¡¯t. I was really happy about this unexpected situation.
Choked with emotion, I stared at the Crown Prince after he finished his weing speech. Our eyes met, and he nodded slightly before calmly descending from the tform.
In reality, I wasn¡¯t just the Crown Prince¡¯s supporter. It¡¯s more than that; it was a one-body-and-mind rtionship. From now on, any challenges towards the Crown Prince were the same as challenging me.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 94: - A Civil Servant Has No Vacations (1)
? A Civil Servant Has No Vacations (1) ?
The Crown Prince, the next Sun of the Empire, had personally scolded the foolish royalties. I was moved because he¡¯d said something I could not. However, nothing had dramatically changed.
It would have been fun if they returned after the day the Crown Prince gave a wee speech. However, if these three brats were normal people, they wouldn¡¯t havee to the Capital in the first ce.
They were a new type of human beings that could temporarily detach their intelligence when it came to something rted to Louise. What the Crown Prince said probably entered through one of their ears and went out from the other. Also, the Empire couldn¡¯t expel them immediately after bragging about their generosity.
¡®Anyway, they¡¯re annoying bastards.¡¯
No matter how annoying they were, the royal families of different countries tended to help each other without realizing it.
If a country neglected foreign royalty, there was a chance that the nobles would look down on royal family members. Right now, the Empire¡¯s Imperial family might not be affected, but there was no saying what would happen in the future.
That¡¯s why these three brats could enjoy a fun holiday in the Empire. What a bunch of bastards. Your status really is everything.
***
¡°Master, please don¡¯t move.¡±
¡°Ah, okay.¡±
As I sighed, I heard a muffled voiceing from behind. When I stiffly raised my slightly bowed head, I felt a hand touching my hair.
There was no need to take care of my hair that much. It would soon get messed up after dealing with the managers anyway.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±
¡°No. If your hair looks strange, I will be scolded.¡±
¡®But I¡¯m fine.¡¯
However, from this child¡¯s point of view, the butler or other servants were probably more scary than the master who asionally visited.
Besides, it would be rude to dismiss a child doing their best. There was some time before going to work, so it couldn¡¯t be helped.
¡°Master, you don¡¯t usually take care of your hair, do you?¡±
¡°Do I need to take care of my hair?¡±
¡°I asked something unnecessary.¡±
It seemed like my answer matched the kid¡¯s sense of humor since she let out a smallugh. Young ones oftenugh at trivial things, so it¡¯s fine.
As I looked into the mirror before me, I saw that the maid touching my hair had brown hair. If she had brown hair, based on how young she was, she should either be Yuris or Sophia. Was she Sophia?
¡°Sophia.¡±
¡°Ah, the butler asked Sophia to do something else.¡±
So you¡¯re Yuris. I¡¯m sorry. You two look so much alike that I got confused.
Thankfully, she seemed to think that I was looking for Sophia, so I could easily move on from this. I almost became a wicked employer who dered ¡®From now on, your name is Sophia.¡¯
¡°But Master, what¡¯s that?¡±
¡°That?¡±
As I remained silent, Yuris spoke first. I turned in the direction Yuris was looking. There, I saw a potted nt.
¡°A hawthorn. I received it as a gift.¡±
I brought it with me because I thought that it would end up dying if I left it in the clubroom during vacation. I didn¡¯t want to leave it unattended, especially since Irina would stare at it every time she came to the clubroom.
Upon hearing the word ¡®gift,¡¯ Yuris, who had been looking at the nt, giggled.
¡°It¡¯s pretty. Who did you get it from?¡±
¡°The blonde girl that came with me.¡±
¡°Ah, that person.¡±
Yuris nodded as if she understood who it was. Yuris, who¡¯d finished doing my hair, stepped back. Then, she nodded while making a proud face. It seemed like she¡¯d done a great job by her standards.
¡°You can get up now!¡±
¡°Okay, thanks.¡±
I patted Yuris on the shoulder as thanks, and she looked at me nkly. As I carefully moved my hand to her head, she finally smiled.
The other servants usually became rigid before me, but Yuris and Sophia were very bright, maybe because they were young. The first time I saw them, they were full of anger. I¡¯m d they¡¯d grown up so well. I just hope they keep growing like this.
After stroking her head for a while, I finally managed to pull my hand away. When I tried to withdraw my hand, she looked at me with pleading eyes. How could I ignore that?
¡°Ah, Master.¡±
¡°I really have to go now.¡±
¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to tell you.¡±
I was about to open the door when I turned around to face Yuris after hearing those unexpected words. She shouldn¡¯t have something personal to say to me. Usually, it was the butler who would deliver any message.
Not understanding the situation made me feel more anxious. Did something troublesome happen that I wasn¡¯t aware of?
¡°Do you know the flowernguage of the hawthorn?¡±
Ah, so it wasn¡¯t anything that important.
¡°It means tolerance and forgiveness. Since someone gave it to you, I thought it would be good if you knew it.¡±
¡°Thanks for telling me.¡±
¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±
I let out a smallugh at the sight of Yuris bowing politely. Tolerance and forgiveness, huh?
¡®It was an important gift.¡¯
Considering that I was someone who almost wrongfully destroyed her family, it was a huge gift. Tolerance and forgiveness. So there was a reason why Irina had given me that gift.
If Yuris hadn¡¯t told me, I would have never known. I should give Yuris a gift for that. She likes dessert, so the butler should get something good for her if I ask him to. And if I ask him to prepare something for Sophia too, I¡¯m sure she will like it even more.
But I had no idea about the meaning of the flower. I don¡¯t even know what it¡¯s called, so how could I have known what it meant? Irina overestimated my knowledge.
* * *
I straightened up after hearing Master open the door and leave. I guess this is what they mean when they say great expectations lead to great disappointments.
¡®I thought it was unnie¡¯s.¡¯
At first, I thought it was Penelia unnie who¡¯d given him the hawthorn. Considering how Penelia unnie normally acted, there¡¯s no way it would be her. But right now, she followed Master around while calling him ¡®Master¡¯ and wearing a maid outfit, and that¡¯s why I harbored some hope.
However, it was just my own delusion. Yes, there¡¯s no way Penelia unnie would have done something that bold.
¡®You dummy.¡¯
Unnie had been holding onto her emotions for more than two years. Everyone except Master had probably noticed, but she continued keeping it a secret. She¡¯s someone really cool, awesome, and reliable¡ except at this.
On the other hand, that noblewoman unnie, who hadn¡¯t known Master for even half a year, had made an aggressive move. To think she¡¯d express her feelings with thenguage of flowers. Considering that someone hadn¡¯t been able to express it for two years, it was a surprising speed.
¡®My only love.¡¯
My face blushed for some reason. Saying it that way was probably less embarrassing for her than to say it directly.
That¡¯s why I thought of telling Master that meaning since I want to support such a brave love. I was confident that Master wouldn¡¯t have noticed such a careful and shy confession and indeed, he hadn¡¯t noticed it.
But the only reason why I ended up giving the other flowernguage was that I was concerned about Penelia unnie.
¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯
I inwardly mumbled an apology that probably wouldn¡¯t reach the beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed noblewoman unnie. My wish is for my unnie and Master to be together.
Given that the daughter of the Valenti Duchy had already fallen for Master, it would be impossible for my unnie to be the first wife. It didn¡¯t matter who met him first. The difference between their status was too extreme.
Considering Master¡¯s personality, he would make unnie his first wife if they got together before the Duke¡¯s daughter. The situation was alreadyplicated, but in such a situation, another nobledy appeared. How far would my unnie be pushed back?
¡®I¡¯m really sorry.¡¯
But not yet. If Master realizes it himself, it can¡¯t be helped. However, I cannot increase the number of unnie¡¯spetitors with my own mouth. Once my unnie reaches her goal, I don¡¯t care if any otherpetitor appears.
I couldn¡¯t shake off the growing guilt. No, this isn¡¯t my fault. In the first ce, who would gift a flower with such an ambiguous meaning? If it had only one meaning, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to choose what meaning to tell him.
This happened because she gave him a flower that had two meanings. Also, Master didn¡¯t even know the flower¡¯snguage before I told him. Yes, this isn¡¯t my fault. It¡¯s the Master¡¯s fault.
Trying to clear away the guilt, I wandered down the hallway. Sophia, who was helping the chef in the kitchen, came over with a handful of snacks.
¡°Master said we can eat these!¡±
Now that I think about it, it¡¯s not Master¡¯s fault.
* * *
The Crown Prince said I didn¡¯t need to go to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office every day and that I should only show up asionally. But yesterday, I toured the square and other ces, so I should clear up some of the umted work today and leave.
If my work keeps umting, it might negatively affect me in the future.
¡°Congrats on your vacation!¡±
¡®Fuck.¡¯
Should I just go back?
As soon as I opened the door, I saw the 1st Manager holding a cake. Why are you congratting me? Civil Servants don¡¯t have vacations.
¡°Your first! Vacation! Congrattions!¡±
Iughed in disbelief after hearing the 2nd Manager emphasizing certain words. At the consecutive blows of the 1st and 2nd Manager, my intention of clearing up the work as fast as possible was quickly shaken.
I dropped my gaze to the cake. I saw six candles, but only one was lit. What¡¯s this? Because it was a nonsensical congrattions, the candles also made no sense.
Noticing my gaze, the 2nd Manager opened his mouth while giggling.
¡°Isn¡¯t this your first vacation? We n to light one more candle for each vacation.¡±
Is this bastard teasing me?
¡°You¡¯re going to graduate once all six candles are lit!¡±
¡°Hey, the Executive Manager didn¡¯t go there to study.¡±
¡°Oops!¡±
While I was clenching and unclenching my fist to calm myself down, I noticed the 3rd Manager, who was avoiding my gaze while cowering in the corner. It seemed like this was too much, even in the eyes of one of the crazy trio.
The Senior Manager and the 5th Manager weren¡¯t in the office. If trying to stop them failed, running away was always effective.
¡°3rd Manager, you may leave.¡±
¡°Th-thank you¡¡±
As the 3rd Manager left with a bow, I grabbed the cake the 1st Manager was holding.
That day, I discovered that the frosting on the cake was a simr color to the 1st Manager¡¯s hair, while the bread was simr to the 2nd Manager¡¯s blonde hair.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 95: - A Civil Servant Has No Vacations (2)
? A Civil Servant Has No Vacations (2) ?
The 2nd Manager copsed first after being hit with the cake. Then, I kicked out the 1st Manager, who wasining. She said that I¡¯d gone too far, although they had taken time to prepare. She seemed sulky, but there was a hint ofughter mixed in her voice. She was someone who had a great talent for provoking people. I hope you get a subordinate like yourself.
In the end, the first task I did as soon as I returned to work was to clean up the cake scattered on the floor. I should have told her to clean up before going out, but I shooed her out too fast.
¡®Am I cursed?¡¯
There was definitely something weird happening in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. Although the Team Managers treated the Managers with the utmost respect, they became defiant toward the Executive Manager once they became Managers. When the Minister was a Manager, I remember him raising his voice at the Executive Manager.
Sometimes, I miss how the Managers used to be scared of me. That was just two years ago. How did these guys turn out like that?
¡°The work of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office is hard, so let¡¯s get along with each other!¡±
The words Hecate had said while we were in the North shed across my mind. Hecate, you might be wrong this time. Maybe it was okay among us, but we shouldn¡¯t have let these jerks getfortable.
¡ª Knock, knock.
¡°Executive Manager, it¡¯s me, the Senior Manager.¡±
¡°Ah,e in.¡±
Ironically, the one whom I would be okay with misbehaving a bit was still respectful. I guess this could be called bnce.
The Senior Manager came in while carrying a pile of documents and flinched a bit after seeing me squatting on the ground. Then, he quietly put the documents down. I¡¯m sorry for showing you such a sight.
¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
They¡¯d brought an unnecessarily big cake. I heard that only one out of five people was usually useless, but why did we get so many?
¡°I will rearrange the night shift.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
The Senior Manager quietly said. He was probably saying that he wanted to give the night shift to them for causing this mess. He would probably feel disappointed if I let them leave on time.
While pondering what I should reply to that appeal, a 21-year-old and 32-year-old adult cleaned up the mess caused by an immature 25-year-old and 27-year-old adult.
The amount of paperwork the Senior Manager brought was considerable. Since the head of the department had been out for several months, there must have been many backlogs. After all, some agendas could only be approved by the Executive Manager.
¡°So the North¡¯s still in chaos.¡±
¡°The damage was severe, so there¡¯s still a lot of noise.¡±
There were many things that needed to be approved regarding the North in particr. The North had suffered the most during the Great War (war in the North), so it was still experiencing its aftermath.
The war mainly took ce beyond the border located in the north. Thanks to that, the territory itself wasn¡¯t destroyed, but the Northcked many supplies and manpower.
The problem was that there wasn¡¯t any clear leader overseeing the post-war recovery. The Invincible Duke was the one who was supposed to be in charge of those territories, but he was currently staying in the Capital. Also, the only high-ranking noble in the North was too busy monitoring the nomads.
¡°Send some of the work to the Judiciary. They wereining that we were taking all their cases.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
Despite the influx of recovery funds, there was no one of authority to oversee and distribute those funds. Naturally, an embezzlement party was bound to happen. And in parties like that, the Prosecutor¡¯s Office had to be present.
It was so bad that it became a tradition for the neers of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office to be dispatched to the North to gain some experience. It even came to the point that people in the Judiciary alsoined and asked to get some experience.
The amount and scale of the things they did was no joke. One mistake in the North was equivalent to two or three from other regions. Those cheeky bastards. Didn¡¯t they feel scared when someone who misbehaved alongside them was taken to the North to receive punishment? They were strangely persistent in weird aspects.
¡°The Minister will surely like this.¡±
A smile crept into my face as I pictured someone yelling and mming their desk.
Arranging the recovery funds was the job of the Ministry of Finance. Scraping together money we don¡¯t have and sending it to the North was part of the Ministry of Finance¡¯s duties, so the Minister would be the first to suffer if embezzlement scandals broke out there.
However, it didn¡¯t matter. It wasn¡¯t me who set the budget, but the Minister. The Minister¡¯s pain was my joy.
I was going through the documents when something strange caught my eye.
[Margrave Sorden¡¯s request to dispatch the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.]
¡®What?¡¯
It was a request from the only Margrave that was in the North. He was someone who should be busy monitoring the nomads, so why would someone like him ask for the Prosecutor¡¯s Office to be dispatched?
I briefly looked at the documents and turned to the Senior Manager. He was also frowning. Apparently, he also thought that it was something troublesome.
¡°It¡¯s a request that came early this morning. It seems they¡¯re having trouble keeping track of the supplies released in the North.¡±
¡°Ugh, how annoying.¡±
I heard thest thing I wanted to hear.
Even though we were fighting each other until two years ago, there were many nomads in the North of the Empire. That rtionship was maintained by paying a reasonable friendship fee.
That¡¯s why goods from the Empire flowed into the North through various routes, whether it was through official or illegal trade. However, some of the goods sent to the North sometimes couldn¡¯t be ounted for and vanished.
Historically, this had been a bad omen. Hoarding supplies away from the Empire¡¯s eyes meant that they were nning something problematic.
¡°And the Ministry of Intelligence?¡±
¡°They were already dispatched to the North. The Masked Unit also just returned from there.¡±
That¡¯s right. If Margrave Sorden requested the Prosecutor¡¯s Office, it must have already reached the Emperor¡¯s ears. From the Emperor¡¯s point of view, something odd happening in the North after having gone through Kagan¡¯s shock was rming news.
How annoying. The Empire had been searching the North for the past two years in search of Kagan¡¯s sons, and now another trigger button to detonate the Emperor¡¯s anger had been added.
¡°I hope it¡¯s just a misunderstanding.¡±
¡°I agree.¡±
I hope Margrave Sorden made a mistake while counting the goods. The Emperor would get angry at him then, but at least he would secretly feel relieved.
If a pro-empire tribe was stockpiling goods to fight another, it was okay. It didn¡¯t matter as long as a massive alliance like Kagan¡¯s didn¡¯t appear.
¡®Fuck.¡¯
A headache different from when I¡¯d seen the 1st Manager¡¯s cake washed over me. These nomads never rest. If the damage we¡¯d received from Kagan hadn¡¯t been so severe, I would have swept them all away.
I pressed my temple and sighed. At leasting to work today was a good choice. If I had tried to take a day off and there was such a request, I would¡¯ve had to rush in here in my pajamas.
¡°Dispatch the 2nd Division.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
For now, I¡¯m going to ept his request. His focus seemed to be more on tracking the flow of the goods than fighting, so it was appropriate for the 2nd Division to go.
Woah, the 2nd Manager somehow managed to avoid the night shift.
¡®Although he¡¯s going to be dispatched.¡¯
It seemed like someone had given the 2nd Manager, who avoided doing the night shift, a monkey¡¯s finger. Well, at least he avoided doing the night shift.
By the time I finished reading the documents the Senior Manager had brought, the sun had begun to set. It¡¯s been a while since I stayed past the official working hours.
Shouldn¡¯t the Empire¡¯s Council propose something like a Civil Servant¡¯sborw? Well¡ considering that all the Council members were like the Patriarch, there was no chance.
¡ª Knock, knock.
As I was about to get up from my desk and leave for the day, I heard a knock. I couldn¡¯t help but frown. Damn it. What is it this time?
¡°Executive Manager~¡±
Before I could even tell them toe in, the 1st Manager peeked her head through the door. My mood worsened after realizing that it was her who was hindering my departure. Why do you have to be the one who had to decorate the start and end of my day?
¡°I have to go.¡±
¡°Are you still angry?¡±
¡°If you know that, then get out.¡±
¡°Sniff.¡±
Don¡¯t.
¡°If you have nothing else to say, leave. I want to go home.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alreadyte, so why are you in a rush?¡±
I almost raised my hand at her annoying expression. Calm down. This will only dy my departure.
¡°Here, it¡¯s a gift!¡±
While I was fighting against my inner demons, the 1st Manager handed me something that she was hiding behind her. She was holding a massive cake. Is this bastard going at it again?
As I frowned, the 1st Manager hastily added.
¡°It¡¯s a gift! This time, it¡¯s really a gift!¡±
¡°So it wasn¡¯t a gift before, huh?¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
If this time was real, it meant that thest time was mockery. Hastily speaking often made people confess unintentionally.
Anyway, after seeing her anxious eyes, I sighed and stretched my hands. Then, the 1st Manager covered her lips with her free hand in a defensive reflex, and a moment of bewilderment rushed over me.
I was just trying to take the cake. Did I really pull her cheeks that often?
¡I guess I did.
¡°Give it to me. I¡¯ll eat it well.¡±
¡°Here.¡±
Although she often did things that deserved her cheeks to be pulled, I felt bad upon seeing her defensive reaction.
¡°Thanks.¡±
As I patted her on the shoulder to express my gratitude, she chuckled and removed her hands from her mouth. If I pulled her cheeks now, I would surely be able to see her cry.
However, I refrained myself. It wouldn¡¯t be right to do that to someone who was genuinely giving a gift.
¡°Executive Manager, are you not angry anymore?¡±
¡°I cooled down a while ago.¡±
I was just irritated because you bothered my departure. I wouldn¡¯t be a proper human if I were angry about something that happened in the morning. I would just be a carrier of a rage virus.
¡°Then, about my night shift¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±
¡°Ah! Executive Manager!¡±
I ignored the desperate cries of the 1st Manager that wasing from behind.
As expected. She wasn¡¯t someone who would gift me something with pure intentions.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 96: - A Civil Servant Has No Vacations (3)
? A Civil Servant Has No Vacations (3) ?
We often fail to recognize the value of some things while we have them. It¡¯s only when you lose it that you realize how precious it is. It¡¯s a heart-wrenching and regrettable thing.
Health was a prime example of this. While one¡¯s 20s were undoubtedly a vibrant age, I felt like I was steadily losing my health, probably because I pushed myself too hard during my teenage years. The Great War and internal purges were incredibly harsh.
However, thanks to the grace of one legendary and unparalleled archmage, I was rapidly regaining the health I had lost.
¡°Thank you, Mage Duchess.¡±
These days, my day started with gratitude toward the Mage Duchess. She couldn¡¯t hear it, of course, but that was the least I could do after receiving such a favor. I might have ck hair, but I wasn¡¯t a beast.
Starting a day full of energy just by drinking a small potion I received for free was certainly a joy. Thank you a lot, Mage Duchess!
¡®It really is amazing.¡¯
When I first drank it, I thought it was just a cebo effect. I drank it because she said it was good, but the more I drank it, the more I felt the benefits.
I even felt invigorated during the times when I would typically feel exhausted.
I had to resist the urge to drink two or three bottles a day. In some rogue cities, excessive potion consumption was believed to be good for stamina. But in this world, overdosing on potions would make you suffer. Doping might have immediate effects, but it would ultimately be harmful.
¡°Master, may Ie in?¡±
I was fiddling with the empty bottle when I heard Yuris¡¯s voiceing from outside the door. Ah, I kept her waiting for too long.
¡°Yes,e in.¡±
I quickly adjusted my hair, anticipating Yuris¡¯s touch. Another exciting day at work awaited me.
The backlog wasn¡¯t something I could clear in just a day. I thought it was done, but imagine my surprise when the Senior Manager said he would bring the next batch of documents the following day.
Well, it would be dishonest of me to wish for the work umted in a couple of months to be done in just a day. It would also mean that I wasn¡¯t needed there. It would be more economical to ce a doll in my seat.
¡®What the.¡¯
I didn¡¯t actually imply that it would be okay to put a doll there.
To my surprise, a doll was sitting in my ce when I arrived at work. It even had a portrait of me stuck to its face. Who would y such a prank?
As I turned my gaze, I saw the 1st Manager making a proud expression. She held her head high, which annoyed me quite a bit.
¡°This. Exin it.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve ced a new superior who cares for his subordinates.¡±
I pointed to the doll while suppressing a sigh and asked, expecting an exnation to resolve my doubts. However, her response only raised more questions.
Is she crazy? Did she go insane after just one night shift?
Should I just hit her?
While I was battling my inner rage, the 1st Manager clung to the doll and red at me. Fuck. At least take off my picture.
¡°I don¡¯t need a mean boss who torments his subordinates! Carl over here always shows his appreciation and love for his noona!¡±
¡°Have you gone mad?¡±
Calling one¡¯s boss by their first name was uneptable. If they started calling me by my name and using informal speech, I wouldn¡¯t be able to control them anymore.
That was a line that couldn¡¯t be crossed. Even during my previous life, when subordinates started speaking informally to their superiors, they were basically peers from that point onward.
As I approached the doll, the 1st Manager trembled without letting it go. What happened during the night shift to make her do this?
¡°Don¡¯te any closer! I¡¯ll protect the Executive Manager!¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to kill that recement.¡±
¡°N-no!¡±
I forcibly snatched the doll from the struggling 1st Manager and ignored her pleas. She said the doll wasn¡¯t hers and that the 2nd Manager made it, so I shouldn¡¯t mess it up, etc. I started by tearing its neck.
That¡¯s how the doll, Executive Manager Carl¡¯s life ended in 6 months after being made.
¡°Carl, I¡¯m sorry for not being able to protect you¡¡±
¡°Stop talking nonsense and take this.¡±
I threw a paper bag at the 1st Manager, who was collecting the plushie pieces with trembling hands. I wouldn¡¯t have brought it if I knew she¡¯d y a prank first thing in the morning.
Then, the 1st Manager discarded the plushie pieces in her hand and grabbed the bag. She smiled happily after checking out the contents.
¡°It¡¯s a gift in answer to the cake. The head chef made them.¡±
¡°Hehe, thanks.¡±
The 1st Manager took a piece of bread from the bag and bit into it with a happy expression. Her mood swings were too extreme.
While the 1st Manager ate the bread, I gathered the torn pieces of the plushie. Yesterday was a cake, and today was a plushie. What would she bring tomorrow? Flowers? It would have been a perfect gift set if I had received them simultaneously. It¡¯s all torn up now, though.
¡°Executive Manager, you¡¯re going to make the dust scatter. Clean it upter.¡±
Didn¡¯t you apologize to it because you couldn¡¯t protect it? What¡¯s up with this change in attitude? I haven¡¯t seen many people as crazy as her.
¡°¡Fine.¡±
Recalling the saying that you shouldn¡¯t bother a dog while it was eating, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hit her. Eat a lot and grow up healthy, our dog-like 1st Manager.
¡®Fuck.¡¯
If it weren¡¯t for the potion given to me by the Mage Duchess, I would have copsed from stress.
There was a small disturbance, but time continued to pass. If I wasted any more time, my workload would only pile up more.
The Senior Manager entered after I chased out the 1st Manager. He must have been waiting outside because the office was noisy. Sorry for showing you such a scene.
After exchanging an awkward nce, I cautiously asked.
¡°How much is left?¡±
¡°Two more days should be enough.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±
I nodded in satisfaction. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, and the day after. Yes. four days of struggle wasn¡¯t much. Once done, I wouldn¡¯t need to appear here for a while.
Moreover, there weren¡¯t any urgent documents, so it seemed like there weren¡¯t any major cases. I had already taken care of the dispatch incident yesterday, so there was nothing to worry about.
As soon as I thought that, themunication crystal on my desk started to glow.
¡°¡¡±
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Yes. I should take the call.¡±
I was tempted to ignore it, but upon hearing the Senior Manager¡¯s voice, I returned to my senses and took the call. I might have ignored it if the Senior Manager wasn¡¯t here.
¡°It¡¯s the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡ª This is the Minister of Intelligence.
As I received the call, the face of the Minister of Intelligence, which was full of scars, appeared.
It didn¡¯t matter how many times I¡¯d seen him. I couldn¡¯t get used to seeing his face.
Why keep the scars when they could be treated?
Some people went crazy because they wanted to erase them but couldn¡¯t.
Still, his face wouldn¡¯t change unless the Emperor himself ordered him to, so I let it go. I¡¯d be tired if I bothered.
¡°Yes, Your Grace. What can I do for you?¡±
¡ª Come to my office. We have important matters to discuss.
¡°Understood.¡±
¡ª The Minister of Foreign Affairs is here too, so you should hurry.
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
The Minister of Intelligence cut off the call after the unteral summon order. Meeting the Minister of Intelligence and Foreign Affairs simultaneously?
¡®No thanks.¡¯
This was the most annoying possiblebination. What had happened to make the two ministers coborate?
I stared nkly at the ceiling for a brief moment. Then, I lifted my body, which felt heavier than before. I didn¡¯t want to go, but ignoring the summons of the two ministers would be even worse.
¡°I¡¯m going.¡±
¡°Please return safely.¡±
The farewell, which sounded like a prayer wishing for my survival, didn¡¯t make things better.
***
Sure enough, when the two Ministers met, it meant trouble.
¡°We¡¯ve received information from the Holy Kingdom.¡±
It was evident that things had gone wrong. The Minister of Foreign Affairs had a stern expression, which was rare for him. As I turned my head around, I saw the Minister of Intelligence standing there with a stiff face and his arms crossed.
¡®He¡¯s also in this state?¡¯
This was a man whose face didn¡¯t change unless he was in a bad mood.
¡°What happened?¡±
¡°The Twilight Cult.¡±
The Minister of Intelligence, who¡¯d been silent after hearing my question, finally replied quietly. At that answer, the Minister of Foreign Affairs clicked his tongue, and I instinctively sighed.
This wasn¡¯t just an annoying incident. It was a filthy major one.
¡°The Twilight Cult ising to the Capital.¡±
¡°Are they crazy?¡±
¡°They¡¯re fanatics for a reason.¡±
I didn¡¯t have anything to say at that remark.
¡°While the Holy Kingdom was chasing the Twilight Cult, they found evidence of them infiltrating the Empire.¡±
This time, it was the Minister of Foreign Affairs who exined things. Although hisplexion had improvedpared to earlier, seeing him continually wipe his forehead with a handkerchief showed that he was still under significant mental strain.
¡°After a while of hiding, they suddenly decided to cross the border.¡±
¡°And their target is the Capital?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Although the Minister of Foreign Affairs was calmly nodding, I could see that his eyes were cursing. To think that the Twilight Cult would target the capital at this time. It¡¯s all too obvious what they¡¯re after.
¡°Tannian Enes.¡±
¡°Their goal is most likely assassination.¡±
Tannian, who was currently staying at my mansion, bore the fancy title of the next Saint. From the perspective of the Twilight Cult, he was simr to a Pope. If they could kill him, they could deal significant damage to the Holy Kingdom.
The only possible answer I coulde up with was an assassination attempt. If they had dared to enter the Empire despite knowing we were after them, they were probably after an important figure.
¡°How dare they underestimate the Empire.¡±
I heard a roaring voiceing from next to me. This time, I agreed with the words of the Minister of Intelligence.
¡®Those bastards.¡¯
How lightly did they think of the Empire to n such a thing?
Chapter 97: Religious Fanatics (1)
? Religious Fanatics (1) ?
The Empire had a good rtionship with the Holy Kingdom. Specifically speaking, the Dawn Sect was friendly toward the Livnoman Imperial Family. However, it was essentially the same since both controlled their respective countries.
The reason for this friendly rtionship was simple. Emperor Amanca, the one who founded the Empire, abandoned the previous calendar based on the Empire¡¯s founding and adopted the Sacred Calendar based on the year of the Dawn Sect¡¯s establishment. From the Dawn Sect¡¯s perspective, the Livnoman Royal Family probably looked lovely.
Indeed, the previous calendar was quite messed up. Every time there¡¯s a change in the Empire, the first year also changes. For instance, what was the Imperial Year 150 yesterday could suddenly be the year 400 B.C. The continent had to endure this absurdity twice.
¡°The entire continent follows Enen¡¯s teachings, so howe the history is based on human standards?¡±
However, instead of changing the calendar again based on the new Empire, Emperor Amanca introduced the Sacred Calendar. As a result, the already high status of the Dawn Sect skyrocketed even more.
When a new King was coronated, they sent a bishop to attend. However, when a new Emperor was coronated, the Pope himself came and gave a speech. Well, considering the amount of donations they received, that wasn¡¯t surprising.
Anyway, the Livnoman Imperial Family, and by extension, the Empire, had a friendly rtionship with the Dawn Sect. And if you get along with someone, you¡¯ll inevitably fall out with someone else.
¡°They¡¯ve shown their true colors to the Empire three years ago, too.¡±
The sight of the Minister of Intelligence openly disying his anger and contempt for the Twilight Cult made me nod unconsciously. That¡¯s right, those bastards had done something simr to the Empire three years ago.
Being friendly with the Dawn Sect would inevitably make the Empire the enemy of the Twilight Cult.
From the perspective of the Twilight Cult, which sought to oust the Dawn Sect and be the dominant religion, the Empire was no different from an enemy.
So, three years ago, when the Empire¡¯s attention was focused on the North, the Twilight Cult infiltrated the Capital and assassinated the bishop who was responsible for the Empire. They had caused a single incident and managed to offend both the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.
¡°They must think that it¡¯ll work again since it has worked once.¡±
¡°How distasteful.¡±
At my words, the expression of the Minister of Intelligence darkened even more.
I shared his sentiment. It was one thing to attempt an assassination when Tannian was at the Academy, but targeting the heart of the Empire?
This clearly showed that they were underestimating the Empire. The fact that these heretics thought lightly of the Empire was unforgivable.
¡®I won¡¯t let them take the Empire lightly.¡¯
For my honor and dignity, I must send these fools who belittled the Empire to hell. I¡¯m going to purify them with fire. These dirty heretics.
¡°I n to inform the Ministry of War soon. I assume they will also grind their teeth against the Twilight Cult.¡±
Leaving behind the Minister of Intelligence who was contemting ¡¯29 ways to annihte the Twilight Cult,¡¯ the Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke up. That¡¯s right. The Ministry of War also had a lot of grudges against the Twilight Cult.
The Ministry of War suffered greatly from the incident three years ago. They were criticized heavily by the Emperor. They were already in a precarious situation with the North, and then the Capital had been infiltrated. If the pce were to be breached, it would¡¯ve been a disaster.
The 1st Imperial Guard Division especially suffered a lot. The Commander, who was about to be promoted, was demoted and, soon after, was forced to retire.
Fueled by hatred toward the Twilight Cult, the retiredmander started a second life as a Holy Knight of the Dawn Sect with the sole purpose of capturing and killing the Twilight Cult. What a tragic story.
Mentioning the Twilight Cult to the War Department would definitely ignite their trauma, and they¡¯d rush to help. At least we won¡¯t have a shortage of manpower.
¡°We need to prepare to ambush them.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t let a battle take ce in the capital.¡±
That was true. If a battle, not a simple assassination, happened in the Capital, things wouldn¡¯t end with just a few officials getting demoted. At the very least, the three of us would be forced to take responsibility.
To make things worse, the Emperor¡¯s mood had been poortely. He must have been anxious due to the ominous signs in the North. And now, they want us to say something like, ¡°Those guys who came to the Capital three years ago have returned.¡± That¡¯s asking for a death sentence without a trial.
¡®These damn bastards.¡¯
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. They¡¯d remained quiet when Tannian was in the Holy Kingdom. They had also been silent while he was staying in the Academy, and now they were going to make a move when he was in the Capital?
It was true that the Twilight Cult had managed to kill someone in the Capital while they didn¡¯t have much sess in the Holy Kingdom. However, that was only because of the Mage Duchess¡¯s absence, a key figure in the Capital¡¯s defense, and the fact that the Empire had poured much effort into the North¡¯s war. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to get even close to the Capital.
If they think they can push us around, it¡¯s time to get at them. That¡¯s our duty as the Empire¡¯s Civil Servants.
¡°I have a favor to ask the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
While I was burning with a sense of duty, the Minister of Foreign Affairs told me why he¡¯d summoned me.
¡°I¡¯d like for the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager and the Masked Unit to participate in ambushing the Twilight Cult.¡±
I had expected this request, so I nodded. As long as Tannian was part of the pastry club, I had a reason to step forward to protect him.
¡°And I hope the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager can request support from the Mage Duchess.¡±
¡°Sorry?¡±
This was something I didn¡¯t seeing.
After promising me that they would inform me about the details after they talked with the Ministry of War, they guided me to the Magic Tower. This might have sounded like a polite send-off, but it was essentially a dismissal.
With a smile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs bid me farewell. However, as soon as the Mage Duchess was mentioned, the Minister of Intelligence quickly sent me to the Magic Tower. Damn, so he was listening.
¡®How annoying.¡¯
Going to see the Mage Duchess first felt a bit awkward, but it was doable. However, bringing up the Twilight Cult before her was quite ufortable.
¡°Baby, did I just mishear something?¡±
See? She gave such a passionate response.
When I first entered the Mage Duchess¡¯s office, she warmly weed me, saying she was pleased to see me. Thanks to that, we could have a reasonably pleasant conversation.
Just until the moment I mentioned the Twilight Cult.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Grace, but you heard correctly.¡±
I bowed my head to avoid the burning gaze of the angered Mage Duchess. I¡¯m innocent. I¡¯m just the messenger.
Fortunately, she seemed to recognize my innocence because her sharp gaze softened with a sigh.
¡°It¡¯s okay. Lift your head.¡±
¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡±
As I lifted my head, I saw the Mage Duchess with her eyes closed, immersed in thought. She was tapping on the desk. However, this silence seemed like the calm before the storm. Please, say something.
¡°It¡¯s been three years.¡±
After the silence, the Mage Duchess softly spoke. Her voice, although quiet, sent chills down my spine.
¡®These bastards.¡¯
It was shocking to see how many people¡¯s hatred they had obtained with one single action. Their efficiency was certainly impressive.
¡°How dare they. Is it because they don¡¯t know that they were only lucky thest time?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t they just blind and foolish fanatics? It¡¯s natural for them to act like that without understanding their position.¡±
Upon hearing my words, the Mage Duchess nodded. After all, she knew better than anyone how insane the members of the Twilight Cult were.
The peak of the Twilight Cult was about 90 years ago. It was at a time when the Mage Duchess was at her peak¡
¡°Baby.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
Her cold voice surprised me. For a moment, I thought she¡¯d read my thoughts.
¡°I wasn¡¯t here that time, so I couldn¡¯t deal with them.¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that.¡±
The day when the bishop passed away and returned to Enen¡¯s side, the Mage Duchess was in her territory. She was gathering reinforcements to send to the North.
The Mage Duchess was a key figure in the Capital¡¯s defense, so having that happen while she was away was a disaster. Some might think that she was somewhat responsible, but since she¡¯d been absent due to the war and not for personal reasons, she received the Emperor¡¯s sympathy instead.
¡°Now, they¡¯re targeting the Capital while I¡¯m here.¡±
The Emperor had acknowledged that the Mage Duchess was innocent and she had avoided responsibility, but she couldn¡¯t avoid the humiliation and disgrace. However, the Mage Duchess was a noble of the Empire, so she couldn¡¯t leave. That¡¯s why she¡¯d been enduring it all this time.
¡°To think that they woulde here on their own two feet to be executed.¡±
Those whom she wanted to catch and kill were finallying to her on their own feet.
The Mage Duchess willingly decided to help send off the Twilight Cult. Judging by her reaction, it seemed like she would have gotten angry at me if we¡¯d dealt with the Twilight Cult without telling her beforehand.
Well, if I had heard that the ones I wanted to kill had been wiped out without my knowledge, I would have felt both frustration and emptiness.
Anyway, it was fortunate. If the Ministry of Intelligence and War and even the Mage Duchess would step in, it was as if the situation was already over. How did those bastards gather the courage to charge toward the Capital?
¡®I don¡¯t understand them.¡¯
I never understood fanatics to begin with, but I couldn¡¯t understand them even more today.
No, it wasn¡¯t just fanatics; it¡¯s hard to understand people who were devout to their religion as a whole.
¡°Is there a good forest around the Capital?¡±
¡°Forest?¡±
It seemed that way, seeing as how Tannian was walking towards me and asking me that as soon as I returned to my mansion.
Why was he suddenly looking for a forest? Was he thinking of forest bathing?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 98: Religious Fanatics (2)
? Religious Fanatics (2) ?
I was preparing to return home for vacation when brother Rutis came looking for me.
¡°Isn¡¯t going back to our home country and returning to the Academy troublesome? How about we stay here until graduation?¡±
He then made an intriguing proposal to stay at the Academy even during the holidays. That was the best oue I could wish for.
Fortunately, the reason given by brother Rutis was reasonable. People like me, like brother Rutis and Lather, required a lot of money when moving especially if it was a distance that required crossing national borders.
Rather than wasting national resources every vacation, it would be better to save it by staying at the Academy. Having already acquired the status of an Academy student, it shouldn¡¯t be impossible to push for this.
¡°Touring the Empire wouldn¡¯t be bad since we¡¯re already here.¡±
¡°I knew you¡¯d like the idea.¡±
Brother Rutis nodded in satisfaction at my positive answer and left. That day, a temporary alliance was formed between three people from foreign countries.
Shortly after, I received a call from my Master, who was in my home country.
¡ª ¡It wouldn¡¯t be bad to take this opportunity to broaden your horizons.
¡°Thank you for your understanding, Your Grace.¡±
¡ª There are many faithfulpatriots in the Empire. Don¡¯t forget to maintain a harmonious rtionship with them.
¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±
Fortunately, my home country approved my decision. Since I and the other two brothers had decided to stay, there wasn¡¯t much they could do. Forcing us to return would be like advertising an internal issue.
Furthermore, the Empire was known for its diplomacy. As a future Saint, staying in the Empire andworking with high-ranking officials should be a great opportunity for me.
¡ª The Pope¡¯s going to be worried, so don¡¯t forget to call frequently.
¡°Hahaha, of course.¡±
After saying that, my Master hung up. Now, I just had to figure out how to spend the vacation with sister Louise.
¡°You can stay at my mansion.¡±
However, before we could arrange anything, it was decided that the entire pastry club would stay at the Advisor¡¯s house.
Hmm, this was unexpected.
Two people who weren¡¯t in the pastry club ended up joining the trip. And instead of the Academy, we ended up staying at the Advisor¡¯s mansion.
This surprise was weingpared to the worst-case scenario of returning to my home country for vacation and not meeting sister Louise. Besides, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve suffered any damage.
However, the Crown Prince¡¯s wee speech made it clear that he was unhappy about the unexpected visit, although it was understandable.
¡®But thepensation will be enough.¡¯
The news hadn¡¯t been formallymunicated to the Empire yet, but the ordination of several priests from the Empire was being nned in our home country. Once the Crown Prince hears this news, his displeasure should change to a weing demeanor.
We didn¡¯t n to stay in the Empire without preparing anything in exchange. It was only right to bring a gift for the host. Brother Rutis and Lather were no different.
With that, our peaceful life in the Capital began. Now, I just needed to n how to spend time with sister Louise.
¡ª The Twilight Cult started moving.
That was the n.
¡°The Twilight Cult?¡±
¡ª Yes.
My face hardened after seeing the stern expression of my Master. The Twilight Cult, that cursed name.
The heinous acts of those heretics still haunted me. Those foolish people who denied our God, Enen, and shouted the name of a non-existing God. They were cruel beings who hated the children of Enen and wielded indiscriminate violence.
They were hideous beings who had harmed my homnd, my family, and my neighbors.
¡°I guess their target is me.¡±
¡ª Probably. I¡¯ve already informed the Empire. After all, they also tremble in anger when it¡¯s about the Twilight Cult.
¡°Then¡ª¡±
¡ª Don¡¯t think of doing anything strange.
My Master cut me off before I could finish talking.
¡ª If you get hurt, our Sect will suffer a fatal blow. Stay in the Capital. There¡¯s no ce as safe as there.
¡°But it¡¯s rted to the Cult¡¡±
¡ª I¡¯m not saying we¡¯re going to back off. Some of the forces escorting you will join the mission to eliminate the Twilight Cult.
¡°¡¡±
¡ª Tannian.
¡°Understood.¡±
Only after hearing that I wouldn¡¯t get involved in suppressing the Twilight Cult did my Master withdraw his sharp gaze from me. He even warned me numerous times before cutting offmunication.
But how could I stand still? It was the Twilight Cult. They were my enemy, the traitors who denied our lord, and beasts threatening peace. They were that Twilight Cult.
Of course, the repercussions would be huge if I got hurt or killed by the Twilight Cult. I knew that staying in the Capital was the safest option.
But was it the right choice? It might be safe and efficient, but was it the right thing to do?
My master was a Cardinal. One must have something more than faith to be a Cardinal. You also needed to have political acumen. And from a political point of view, it was right for me to stay put.
¡°The Saint is a Saint because they head towards the light. Not for the Sect¡¯s existence or the Holy Kingdom¡¯s future, but just because they look into that light.¡±
That was the teaching that was passed from the first Saint of the Sect. Every Saint recited this teaching before the Pope as they walked the path of a Saint.
And I am a Saint Candidate. Whether it¡¯s efficient or not is none of my concern.
¡®I should do something. That¡¯s the right thing for me to do.¡¯
The Twilight Cult was targeting me. As long as I¡¯m in the Capital, they will try to infiltrate it, and in the process, innocent people might get hurt.
I should discreetly head to the forest. They will probablye after me eagerly.
¡®I¡¯m sorry, Master.¡¯
But what can I do? I just happened to be ying around in the forest when they ambushed me.
It isn¡¯t like I can predict the future. It was an unavoidable ident, so please forgive me.
* * *
I stared at Tannian¡¯s face for a while. I wonder if he was trying to enjoy the forest, but his expression was different than usual.
Moreover, Tannian wasn¡¯t someone proactive. If anything, it would¡¯ve been Rutis who asked me about the forest¡¯s location. Tannian wasn¡¯t someone who would take the lead. If I didn¡¯t know the members¡¯ nature by now, I would have wasted my first semester as their Advisor.
A different-than-usual Tannian, and a report that said the Twilight Cult was approaching.
¡°Is it the Twilight Cult?¡±
I sighed and spoke. Now that I think about it, there was no way Tannian wouldn¡¯t be aware of it. The Holy Kingdom had informed the Empire about the Twilight Cult, so there was no way the one involved wouldn¡¯t have been contacted.
¡°Ah, so you knew.¡±
¡°If a member¡¯s in danger, don¡¯t you think the Advisor should be aware of it?¡±
Tannianughed at thatment. I¡¯m struggling because you said you would stay in the Empire. If you had any shame, you¡¯d apologize.
I wanted to punch him for a moment, but I calmed down as I somewhat understood why he was searching for a forest.
¡®Is he trying to lure them out?¡¯
If Tannian were in the Capital, the goal of the Twilight Cult would be to infiltrate. Of course, conflict would inevitably arise, and there would be civilian casualties as well as soldiers.
No civilian casualties would happen if he left the Capital.
Yes, I understood that sentiment. It also seemed like a Saint candidate-like thought.
¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡±
But still, the right thing was for Tannian to stay still. The assassination target being in a safe ce was already concerning, but him being at the forefront? No matter how one looked at it, that was a bit too much.
The n wasn¡¯t to defeat them in the Capital but to intercept them in advance. The Ministry of Intelligence, War, and even the Mage Duchess were preparing themselves to kill them, so what Tannian was worrying about wouldn¡¯t happen.
¡°They won¡¯t even reach the Capital. After all, there are many people who get fired up when it¡¯s about the Twilight Cult.¡±
I patted Tannian¡¯s shoulders a few times. What Tannian asked was an unreasonable request, but given his position, it was understandable. Yes, that¡¯s a Saint. That¡¯s the image of a Saint that I have.
It would be nice if he showed this side more often. Not the one where he¡¯s blinded by love and loses his senses, intelligence, and conscience because of it.
¡®In fact, that would be more effective.¡¯
Louise might fall for him if she saw this saint-like side of him.
However, Tannian¡¯s saint-like side that I thought would make Louise like him wasn¡¯t something I could suppress with a few words.
¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll fight them myself.¡±
¡°Can you fight?¡±
¡°Hahaha, even a Saint has fighting capabilities.¡±
Tannian, whoughed lightly, quickly became serious again.
¡°The reason why the Twilight Cult is so threatening is all because of their stealthiness.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true.¡±
The reason those guys were still roaming around the continent was simple. They were so secretive and quick that it was hard topletely wipe them out.
They appear out of the blue, cause havoc, and then disappear effortlessly. Whoever the God they believed in was, he¡¯d given too much power to his few believers.
Knowing in advance that they wereing to the Capital was already a rare urrence.
¡°What if I could get rid of that stealthiness?¡±
That¡¯s why Tannian¡¯s words were quite appealing.
¡°Remove their stealthiness?¡±
Our n to intercept the Twilight Cult was to set traps on the likely route they would take and have the Mage Duchess bombard them with wide-area magic. Since they were invisible, the idea was to blow up the probable areas where they might be.
Of course, such a crude method had many drawbacks. We would have to restore the areas the Mage Duchess had blown away, and the shy bombardment would be seen by the civilians in the Capital, which in turn might make them anxious.
But what else could we do? It was a crude but sure method. Having even one of them reach the Capital would put my head at risk. But what if their stealthiness could be removed? Then, they would just be moving targets.
¡°Why do you think the Twilight Cult is targeting the Saint?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it because of symbolism?¡±
¡°It¡¯s because of mypatibility.¡±
After saying that confidently, Tannian looked around and then whispered¡ª
¡°That¡¯s possible¡?¡±
¡°They aren¡¯t targeting me for nothing.¡±
If Tannian was a video game character, I¡¯d be apuding the developer for screwing up the bnce.
Was he really the son of God? He¡¯s the perfect counter against the Twilight Cult.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 99: Religious Fanatics (3)
? Religious Fanatics (3) ?
The Dawn Sect wasn¡¯t always the dominant religion on the continent, and Enen also wasn¡¯t the only God from the beginning. When the Dawn Cult was just gaining poprity, the people in the continent believed in many Gods. That¡¯s why in the beginning, Enen was merely the Sun God.
It might be questionable if the words ¡®mere¡¯ and ¡®Sun God¡¯ could be used in the same sentence, but in front of the title of the one true God, even the Sun God was trivial. Was the God the Twilight Cult worshiped at that time the Earth God?
Maybe it was because of influence from that era, but the Dawn Sect preferred cremation, sending the souls of the people back into the sky. Meanwhile, the Twilight Cult preferred burial and to keep the bodies intact. Of course, that¡¯s not the point.
¡°Our God watches everything on Earth from the heavens.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s what it meant.¡±
The Sun God looked at everything from the sky. That¡¯s why the Earth God couldn¡¯t avoid it, and that¡¯s why the Twilight Cult members couldn¡¯t escape Enen¡¯s watchful gaze.
After they defeated other cults and achieved religious victory, Enen¡¯s power became even stronger. That¡¯s why finding a pagan who held the power of another God was easy.
It didn¡¯t matter how secretly the members of the Twilight Cult moved. It was meaningless for Tanian. For him, it was like seeing a transparent person painted in bright red.
¡°Of course, I¡¯m not omnipotent. I¡¯ve been temporarily granted a fraction of his power. The range of my tracking ability is limited, and it doesn¡¯tst long.¡±
I expected that to be the case, so I nodded. If Tannian¡¯s tracking ability covered the entire continent andsted 24 hours, the Twilight Cult would¡¯ve already been at the side of their beloved Earth God.
From the perspective of the Twilight Cult, who thrived on secrecy, someone negating their only strength must have been frustrating. Limited range? Short duration? So what? If they were caught, they were dead.
¡®No wonder there were more assassination attempts on the Saint rather than the Pope.¡¯
It seemed like they wanted to get rid of the counter first. I wondered why they were so obsessed with the Saint, but now I understand.
¡®Those idiots.¡¯
I understood the situation, but I still couldn¡¯t rte. If the situation was so twisted, why not convert? Why stubbornly cling to the Twilight Cult?
As expected, crazy cult members were people who couldn¡¯t be understood. I looked at Tannian¡¯s prideful expression. It would definitely be beneficial to ambush the enemies with him. Knowing where the enemies were would make the targeting easier.
¡°I¡¯ll positively think about it.¡±
¡°¡That¡¯s unsettling to hear.¡±
Tannian¡¯s expression changed at my response. After all, what I just said meant that I had no authority regarding this.
However, there was nothing I could do. I wasn¡¯t the person in charge of this matter. If I were to ept Tannian¡¯s offer now, the Minister of Foreign Affairs would get furious. What kind of lunatic takes an assassination target to the front lines?
Honestly, it was a bit scary. How the hell was I supposed to gather the two ministers and say something like, ¡®We¡¯re going to make it easier to catch the assassins by sending the target closer to them!¡¯
¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯
Still, seeing how bravely the member was volunteering to prevent civilian casualties, I should at least convey it as his advisor.
***
I managed to muster the courage to speak.
¡°Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, even if the work¡¯s hard, isn¡¯t it better than having your head chopped off?¡±
¡°I knew you wanted to retire, but I didn¡¯t know you were this reckless.¡±
Their response was intense. Damn, why couldn¡¯t they just curse? A short ¡®Are you crazy?¡¯ would be enough.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs smiled awkwardly, and the Minister of Intelligence didn¡¯t seem interested. However, I had expected such reactions.
¡°But it¡¯s going to be effective.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll grant you that, which is why I¡¯m still sitting here.¡±
If I hade up with a strange, ineffective alternative, they would have immediately turned the tables upside down. This was a positive sign. Even though the safety of foreign dignitaries was at stake, they hadn¡¯t outright rejected the idea. That meant that Tannian¡¯s tracking ability was very appealing.
The problem was that I had no more cards to y. I felt like they would ept if I pushed things a bit more, but I didn¡¯t have any means.
Still, just in case, I said something that might convince them.
¡°If we miss even one Twilight Cult member, there will be chaos in the Capital. Won¡¯t we be able to prevent such an oue?¡±
¡°As long as the Mage Duchess steps up, that won¡¯t happen.¡±
It didn¡¯t work.
¡°Won¡¯t it be good to get the future Saint indebted to us?¡±
¡°The nces of the priests from the Holy Kingdoms bother me more.¡±
That also didn¡¯t work.
¡°If we fight ourselves, won¡¯t the geography near the Capital drastically change? What if the Emperor gets angry?¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
¡°That¡¯s true.¡±
Oh, this worked.
If this failed, I was thinking of giving up. But fortunately, the third remark seemed to have struck a chord with the two Ministers. After all, from the point of view of a Civil Servant, the wrath of the Emperor was scarier than the anger of some people in a farawaynd.
Although it might be better than having chaos happen in the Capital, a visible war happening in the outskirts was also a problem.
Causing bombings that were eye-catching enough to catch the attention of civilians would make the Emperor angry for sure.
¡°If the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager wants it this badly, shouldn¡¯t it be okay¡?¡±
After pondering for a while, the Minister of Foreign Affairs cautiously spoke up. If Tannian stood on the front line, the Holy Kingdom would probablyin. But if they didn¡¯t do that, the Emperor would get angry at them. That¡¯s why they thought the second option was better.
Meanwhile, they emphasized that I was the one who wanted it, so the responsibility naturally went to me. It was true, but how they shifted the me was so smooth that it almost made me tear up.
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I believe the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager and the Masked Unit will be enough.¡±
The Minister of Intelligence eventually nodded, too. If I was with Tannian, he could leave the Capital under certain conditions.
¡°Of course, Your Grace.¡±
Naturally, I epted quickly. Even him getting a slight cut in his finger could put me in danger, so there was no way I would leave him alone.
Upon hearing my answer, the Minister of Intelligence sighed, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs wiped his sweat, showing his unease. As much as they feared the Emperor¡¯s wrath, foreign objections were equally troublesome.
Even after granting permission, they were probably wondering if it was the right decision. I understand. After all, we just picked between the lesser of two evils. I also felt the same uneasiness.
¡®Why did Tannian do something he hadn¡¯t done before?¡¯
His staying next to Louise andughing would have been enough. That¡¯s what I thought would happen when I brought him to the Capital, so it¡¯s not like I was hoping more from him.
¡°I might not be remarkable enough to prevent the soldiers¡¯ sacrifices, but we should at least prevent civilian casualties, right?¡±
But because he behaved like Oliver, I just couldn¡¯t ignore him.
¡®These annoying religious people.¡¯
I came from a world with more non-believers than devout religious people, so I find them hard to understand.
Well, I guess it¡¯s okay. I could understand this level of belief difference.
¡°Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, you should deliver this news to the Mage Duchess yourself.¡±
Damn.
Why do they have to give me thisst-minute task?
Eventually, I went back to the Mage Duchess after a few hours.
¡°Baby? What brings you here?¡±
The Mage Duchess¡¯s ears perked up, and she tilted her head upon my second visit. She probably wasn¡¯t expecting me to return a second time for the same reason as my first visit.
¡°Your Grace.¡±
Upon hearing my exnation, the Mage Duchess looked as if she¡¯d experienced culture shock. She seemed unable toprehend the new concept of positioning the assassination target at the forefront.
¡°¡You have a unique way of doing things these days.¡±
The Mage Duchess, who¡¯d been silent, finally spoke with a somewhat drained voice. The change was subtle, so it was hard to notice unless you listened carefully.
Maybe she thought that she couldn¡¯t understand the current trend due to being 120 years old.
It must¡¯ve been depressing for the Mage Duchess, who was already conscious of her age.
But she misunderstood. This wasn¡¯t a current trend, and it shouldn¡¯t be a future trend, either. It would be problematic to imnt strange notions into the elder¡¯s mind.
¡°It¡¯s a special circumstance. It won¡¯t happen again, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
Her voice regained strength, but her drooped ears didn¡¯t seem to lift. Was this more of a shock than I thought?
¡°Ah, Your Grace. I¡¯ve been gratefully consuming the potion you gave mest time.¡±
If I upset the Duchess and left, there might be repercussions. She might hold some grudge against me and seek revenge in some unusual way.
So, to change the subject, I brought up the potion and expressed my gratitude. Only then did her ears return to their original position. Indeed, expressing gratitude for receiving what the elder gave you is the best way to go.
¡°Did it suit your body well?¡±
¡°Yes. I¡¯m feeling its effects every day.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±
I felt relieved after seeing her nod with satisfaction. Now, I can finally return home without any issues.
¡°If you run out of them,e to the tower.¡±
¡°Ah, are you selling it?¡±
I was worried I¡¯d end up just tasting it because they don¡¯t really sell it, so this was good news.
¡°I¡¯ll just give it to you. You just have toe.¡±
¡®Oh.¡¯
Mother Mage Duchess¡¯s generosity was deeper and wider than I thought.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 100: Religious Fanatics (4)
? Religious Fanatics (4) ?
The project ¡®Tactical Temporary Totem: Tannian¡¯ sessfully obtained the approval of the higher-ups. However, it was still facing its final hurdle.
¡°You have to go alone. No one else can go with you.¡±
Tannian needed to give the others an excuse about why he had to go to a forest alone. Although the pastry club moved as a group most of the time, it wasn¡¯t feasible for them to move as a unit for this matter.
Tannian¡¯s request, his useful abilities, his role as the target, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs having epted despite his elerated balding in anticipation of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s protests allbined to make Tannian¡¯s participation possible. However, no one else would be permitted.
The Princes of Armein and Yuben taking ce in the affairs of the Empire and the Holy Kingdom? It would be a diplomatic disaster of a huge scale that would probably get the Minister of Foreign Affairs reced.
Thest hurdle was easier to ovee than expected.
¡°I¡¯m going to church.¡±
¡°Alright. Take care!¡±
That¡¯s it. It wasn¡¯t strange for the next Saint to visit the church, and no one would probably want to follow him there. It might have been different if Louise wanted to go, but even Louise quickly backed out at the mention of the church.
Frankly speaking, visiting a church during a trip could be quite boring.
¡®It worked perfectly.¡¯
Thanks to that, Tannian could leave the Capital without raising any suspicions. For me, the word ¡®business¡¯ was more than enough.
¡°I expected this reaction. However, it¡¯s still disappointing.¡±
¡°It¡¯s hard to expect a beliefparable to a priest from a civilian.¡±
Tannian felt a bit hurt after getting a free pass at the mention of the church, but that wasn¡¯t a big deal, so it didn¡¯t matter.
It was a bit scary how the members of the Masked Unit swiftly gathered around us as soon as I walked out of the gate with Tannian. Anyone would be startled if they were suddenly surrounded by a dozen people dressed in ck. Even Tannian flinched a bit, too.
The 4th Manager, who¡¯d been hanging around dressed as a maid, was naturally among the silent agents. She was cleaning the windows just before I left the mansion, but she seemed to move faster than me.
¡°We will escort you.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
We followed the 4th Manager to the temporary headquarters that had been set up to ambush the Twilight Cult. It¡¯s called a headquarters, but it only consisted of a few makeshift tents since the mission would onlyst a few hours.
¡°It¡¯s reassuring.¡±
Tannian smiled after looking around the headquarters and feeling the menacing atmosphere.
It was indeed reassuring. Although the hostile atmosphere might be fierce, it was aimed at the Twilight Cult, not us.
¡®Did the Holy Knights move, too?¡¯
As I turned my gaze to the corner, I saw a group of knights wearing silver armor. They were the Dawn Sect¡¯s Knights that were stationed in the church of the Capital. It seemed like they¡¯d been dragged into this operation as well.
The Twilight Cult was the natural enemy of the Dawn Sect. Even if the suppression was taking ce in the Empire¡¯s territory, the Dawn Sect couldn¡¯t just stand by. However, they probably didn¡¯t expect Tannian to participate.
¡®He¡¯s going to fulfill his wish.¡¯
Among them, I saw the former Army Commander who missed his promotion and was discharged. Congrattions.
He would fulfill his wish to take them down with his own hands. When someone holds a grudge, they could be tenacious and scary.
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
I became lost in my thoughts after seeing someone lead a passionate second life, but I quickly returned to reality after hearing the 4th Manager¡¯s cautious voice.
¡°Let¡¯s go inside. The Mage Duchess is waiting, so we shouldn¡¯t make her wait.¡±
Among the tents, the biggest one was the one in the middle. The higher-ranking nobles were all gathered there. Besides the Mage Duchess, there wasn¡¯t anyone with a higher rank than me. However, the one above just happened to be a Duchess.
¡°I¡¯m the Prosecutor¡¯s¡¡±
¡°The homnd said they aren¡¯t aware of it.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a decision that was made after much deliberation. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°Yes¡¡±
As soon as I entered the tent, I felt the urge to leave again.
There was a fierce argument going on between someone wearing silver armor and another one wearing the uniform of the Empire. The atmosphere was so intense that it made me feel suffocated.
But I think I know why they¡¯re arguing, and that¡¯s even more maddening. Even without hearing the previous conversation, I could easily guess. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had chosen to do it first and ask for forgiveness from the Holy Kingdomter.
And to make matters worse, the two that were fighting set their sights on me since I confidently introduced myself as soon as I entered. I messed up. Let¡¯s just pretend the greeting didn¡¯t happen.
¡°Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡°I see the God¡¯s son.¡±
The one wearing the Empire¡¯s uniform greeted me, and the man in silver armor greeted Tannian. Their eyes were burning fiercely, probably because they had been in the middle of an argument.
Or maybe not? Maybe their debate became hotter because the protagonist in question appeared. If so, that¡¯s not a good sign.
¡®She isn¡¯t here yet.¡¯
I looked around and noticed that the Mage Duchess hadn¡¯t arrived yet. If she were here, they wouldn¡¯t have been arguing before her.
For a moment, I felt resentment towards Mother Mage Duchess. I wouldn¡¯t have needed to witness this if she¡¯de earlier.
¡°Mr. Tannian, you don¡¯t need to get involved in something like this.¡±
While I was harboring a small resentment, the man in the silver armor quickly approached Tannian. Perhaps he thought that it would be easier to persuade the actual party involved than someone who simply apologized repeatedly.
However, that¡¯s going to be even more difficult. Tannian had a terrible mixture of the stubbornness of a high-ranking person and the beliefs of a future Saint.
¡°Since they came looking for me, I should greet the guests.¡±
¡°They aren¡¯t guests, nor do they deserve such treatment.¡±
¡°Yes. I know that, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m stepping in.¡±
I discreetly moved away from the one-sided plea unfolding right next to me. Good luck in convincing him. By his position, he seemed to be the head of the Holy Knights, but I wonder how assertive a mere Holy Knight could be towards Tannian.
As I turned my eyes from them, I looked at the Imperial Knight. Based on his badge, he seemed to be a high-rankingmander.
¡°I¡¯m Francis Neville, a Senior Commander from the 1st Army Corps.¡±
Ah, I was right.
As our eyes met, the Senior Commander lowered his head. The Commander of the corps did note in person, but he sent his Senior Commander instead.
If the Commander hade, an embarrassing scene would have unfolded. It would¡¯ve been a meeting between the former and the current 1st Army Corps Commander.
¡°I¡¯m Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager, Carl Krasius. Nice to meet you.¡±
Anyway, I returned the Senior Commander¡¯s greeting. There was the Masked Unit, the Holy Knights, a portion of the 1st Army Corps, and the Mage Duchess, who would soon arrive.
It was over for the Twilight Cult. Not only them, but any regr legion wouldn¡¯t be able to win against us. If they somehow managed to assassinate Tannian, they should be grateful for having killed Tannian and end it.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. Even if I die, you¡¯re all innocent.¡±
¡°Mr. Tannian, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about.¡±
I pretended not to hear the terrible wordsing from the side.
In the end, the Holy Knight¡¯s Commander failed to persuade Tannian and honorably withdrew. It was a result I¡¯d expected since the beginning, so I wasn¡¯t surprised by the oue.
¡°After cross-checking the information provided by the Holy Kingdom and the Empire, there are 32 members of the Twilight Cult heading for the Capital.¡±
Regardless of whether the Holy Knight¡¯s Commander was aze, the Mage Duchess had arrived, so the strategic meeting began.
¡°And we¡¯ve confirmed that the leader of the Twilight Cult is among them.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a big fish.¡±
I nodded at the words of the Mage Duchess. Throughout the Twilight Cult¡¯s activities so far, it was rare for the leader to appear in person.
It was also noteworthy that over 30 members were moving.
There were some inexplicable points. Regardless of their previous sess, targeting the Empire that had finished the subjugation war in the North and moving hastily enough so that the intelligencework of both countries caught them made it look more like a haphazard move than a thorough n.
But it doesn¡¯t matter. The fact that the leader was leading arge group towards death remained unchanged. Regardless of the circumstances, we would wipe them out today.
¡°Thanks to Mr. Tannian, the Twilight Cult has lost its advantage of stealth.¡±
Because it was a formal setting, I referred to Tannian with formality. As I said that, everyone looked at him, and he calmly spoke.
¡°I can use it right now.¡±
That answer was enough. While Tannian¡¯s tracking technique couldn¡¯t cover the entire continent, it could at least epass the area where those running toward the Capital would pass.
¡°As soon as Tannian uses his technique, the Mage Duchess will deploy arge-scale magic barrier.¡±
The Mage Duchess was ready to change thendscape of this area. A mere barrier could be made two or threeyers thick.
The minor issue was that neither the Twilight Cult nor we could go outside during the barrier¡¯s duration. But we had no intention of leaving until they were all defeated, so it didn¡¯t matter.
That¡¯s how the strategy meeting concluded. With the conditions overwhelmingly in our favor, there was no need to prolong the discussion.
¡°Enen protects the Empire, so there¡¯s no ce for filthy heretics to step in!¡±
After that, there were ry speeches from high-ranking people to the forces that would be deployed. However¡
¡°One great silver coin for a neck, two for live capture. Five for the cult leader, dead or alive. I¡¯m going to pay immediately.¡±
I kept it short. What was the point of having a long speech in front of guys who are about to fight?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 101: Religious Fanatics (5)
? Religious Fanatics (5) ?
The earth embraces everything and forms our homnd. Our God is the earth, the parent of all creation. How could one express its grace and majesty with words?
How could the scorching sun, who only ever looked down from above, ever be called the parent overseeing it all? Only our God, Rahandar, is the true god.
This continent doesn¡¯t need the dawn when the sun rises. Once the sun sets and the twilight covers the continent, the true God will reign once again.
¡°It¡¯s a pity that we won¡¯t be there.¡±
As the cult leader, this was something that I shouldn¡¯t say in a ce where all the members of the Cult were present. But what could I do? It was cruel, but that¡¯s the reality.
Despite our sincere and devout faith, our God¡¯s period of silence grew longer each day. Although each of our faiths wasparable to hundreds of others, it was like a speck of dustpared to the entire continent.
And the cunning followers of the sun didn¡¯t hesitate to erase us. No matter how much we spread our true faith across the continent, the Dawn Sect covered our teachings. They truly deserve divine punishment.
¡°We¡¯ve inherited the sacrifices of our ancestors. Now, it¡¯s our turn.¡±
In the middle of the silence, the elder spoke with a smile. Yes, this was also a teaching from our ancestors. They gave up on seeing our God reign in their time and passed on that glory to the next generation. Now, it was our turn to step back for the future.
The Dawn Sect was getting stronger with each passing day, while we kept declining. Now, we¡¯ve reached our limit. We had a glimmer of hope when we seeded in the great mission three years ago, but it was not enough to turn the tide.
¡°We will engrave our name on the continent.¡±
If we remained passive, we would silently drown. If so, then we would be a splendid me. A me so splendid that they wouldn¡¯t be able to cover our martyrdom.
That¡¯s why we decided to focus all our efforts on targeting the next Saint of the Dawn Sect. Our chances of sess? It was hard to say that it was high. But if we just wait until the odds are in our favor, then we would fall first. Even if the odds were low, it was time to risk it all.
Even if we fail, targeting the next Saint¡¯s life at the heart of the continent¡¯s strongest country was an undeniably huge event. Our name would echo throughout the continent, and some would sympathize with our ideals.
If that happens, then it was a sess. Even if we die, our will shall continue on to the next generation.
But¡ What was up with this situation?
¡°Great Silver Coin! Great Silver Coin!¡±
¡°Hand over your neck! Hand it over before you die!¡±
¡®Have they lost their minds?¡¯
I know that they call us fanatics. In that case, shouldn¡¯t they have avoided using these madmen? It seemed like the Dawn Sect wasn¡¯t doing well enough that they had to use people indistinguishable from the enemy.
For a moment, I even thought that maybe we might have seen the copse of the Dawn Sect if we had endured a bit longer. That¡¯s how chilling the madness of these people was.
¡°The one with the brown robe is the leader!¡±
¡°Ha.¡±
Iughed in disbelief. At some point, the blessing our God bestowed upon us didn¡¯t properly manifest. We were prepared for this oue from the moment the existence of the next Saint candidate came to light. Besides, we had been nning a frontal confrontation since the beginning.
However, thebination of the barrier they ced around us, the mana freeze that made our magic scrolls ineffective, and the oppressive feeling of an invisible hand weighing us down left us reeling.
¡®They really are despicable.¡¯
To think they¡¯d use such a cheap and dirty technique to tie their opponent down.
I cut down one of the soldiers who was rushing at me like a madman.
It might be bothersome, but such hardships won¡¯t stop us. The experience we gained throughout the years made us strong. After all, we wouldn¡¯t have survived if we were weak.
At least these guys would apany us on our journey to the afterlife. I¡¯m going to kill as many of them as possible.
¡®What the¡?¡¯
However, something unexpected happened.
A faint green light spread from the distance and covered the ground, spreading past where I was.
¡°Agh!¡±
I quickly turned around when I heard the scream of one of my allies. They were being stabbed by one of Enen¡¯s soldiers, who had copsed before.
¡®He got up?¡¯
Though I couldn¡¯t kill him with a single strike because of his thick armor, it should have been enough to immobilize him. But he got up again?
As I looked around, it wasn¡¯t just one of them. The heretics that had fallen started to get up one by one.
¡°The Great Silver Coin is moving!¡±
¡°What in the world¡?¡±
The loud shout of the guy who had been groaning in pain just a moment ago made my head spin. Did the bastards from the Dawn Sect dabble in some shady arts?
But these vile beings didn¡¯t even give me time to wonder about it.
¡°Leader!¡±
As I regained my senses at the elder¡¯s shout, a silver orb quickly flew from the direction where the green light came from. What¡¯s that?
I don¡¯t know what that is, but it doesn¡¯t seem like it will end well if it hits me. That¡¯s what my instinct told me.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
Anomalous phenomena that weren¡¯t in our records poured down on us.
¡°Are you the leader?!¡±
A man with exceptionally fiery eyes charged toward me.
¡°Receive my resentment for taking away my promotion!¡±
Damn it, there¡¯s another strange bastard.
* * *
The forces that had protected Tannian from the Academy and the Masked Unit were in the temporary headquarters.
¡®What a dirty way to y.¡¯
In a ce where only a minimal number of people were left, I couldn¡¯t help but praise Tannian. Wasn¡¯t he too overpowered? I¡¯m d that he¡¯s an ally and not the enemy.
¡°TheLordSaidOLambWhereAreYouGoingIAmWatchingOverYouEverywhereSoWhatAreYouAfraidOf.ThenHeRepliedLordPleaseGiveYourLoyalServantTheCourageToConfrontYourEnemies.PleaseGrantMeBravery¡¡±
As I nced to the side, I saw Tannian kneeling on the ground while spitting out prayers like a machine gun. It was even kind of scary.
Still, he said that he needed to chant an appropriate prayer to activate the Holy Spell. Actually, there¡¯s no need to speak that quickly, but Tannian was pouring out holy spells without any cooldown time.
¡®Poor them.¡¯
I used to want to tear the Twilight Cult to shreds, but I feel sorry for them now. From what I heard, the Twilight Cult members weren¡¯t weak. Both the Holy Knights and the Imperial Army had suffered casualties.
But Tannian was now serving as a wide area recovery panel. As long as it wasn¡¯t instant death, the soldiers could quickly recover and crush the Twilight Cult members again. He was even intermittently throwing some weird, translucent orbs.
¡°The Saint mustn¡¯t intervene in human conflicts.¡±
I remembered Tannian¡¯s words just before the operation began. Indeed, it would be dreadful if a Saint intervened in a war. A supporter with a map hack that clearly pinpoints the enemy¡¯s location and has a panel that allows soldiers to keep battling as long as they haven¡¯t suffered instant death? Just thinking about it was scary.
To make things worse, that same supporter could deal significant damage using long-range attacks.
¡®Just what in the world is a Saint?¡¯
I thought he could only do a map hack. Who knew he would be able to do such impressive surprise spells?
¡°Isn¡¯t the trouble with the Twilight Cult also a human conflict?¡±
¡°Haha, it¡¯s okay.¡±
A saint shouldn¡¯t intervene in conflicts between humans. In fact, thest time a saint was on the front lines was a long time ago, when they¡¯d exterminated the undead.
Unlike the previous case, Tannian was striking down the Twilight Cult with all his might. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t help but ask.
¡°The members of the Twilight Cult aren¡¯t human, so it¡¯s okay to interfere.¡±
¡°¡Ah, I see.¡±
That¡¯s what he said.
Yes, the heretics aren¡¯t human, so it¡¯s okay for a saint to kill them himself.
That¡¯s how I decided to think from today on.
¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±
¡°Ah, Your Grace.¡±
The Mage Duchess, who had nothing to do thanks to Tannian, approached me while making a small exmation. Normally, she would¡¯ve been using her mana to use explosion magic by now.
Still, the reason why the Twilight Cult couldn¡¯t escape despite being one-sidedly attacked was all thanks to the Mage Duchess. She¡¯d fulfilled her role very well.
¡°There aren¡¯t many records about the Saint. Thest time one participated in a war was about 800 years ago.¡±
¡°You mean during the war against the Death King?¡±
Having nothing to do and probably bored, the Mage Duchess kept talking.
The Death King, or the King of the Undead, was once a major nuisance of the continent. However, he got beaten up badly by the Saint of that time and, through that, achieved nirvana. There¡¯s been no record of a Saint directly fighting since then, so no one expected a saint candidate to fight this well.
¡°If the Saint can intervene in wars against humans, we might need to redraw the borders.¡±
I unconsciously nodded at those words. A single superhuman might not be able to ovee a group, but if that superhuman could empower an entire army, then that was a different story.
Shortly after, a mix of brown and ck light erupted from the battlefield, followed by silence.
¡°It¡¯s over.¡±
Tannian stood up with a satisfied expression. At the same time, mymunication crystal lit up. As expected, having a map hack is scary. He got up on his own as everyone died.
¡°It¡¯s the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡ª This is Senior Commander Francis Neville. 24 out of 32 were killed, and 8 were captured. The cult leader was also subdued sessfully.
It was a perfect victory.
24 people were killed and 8 people, including the cult leader, were captured. Although there was an expense of 43 great silver coins, I still had a lot left from the 10 gold coins given by the Crown Prince, which was reassuring.
¡°Good job.¡±
¡°I just did what I had to do.¡±
And the hero who captured the cult leader was the former armymander. Having caught his life¡¯s nemesis made him look relieved. Congrattions, you¡¯ve fulfilled your bucket list.
I handed over the coins I promised. No matter how disgracefully he retired, he once had a formidable position. The reward of five great silver coins wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d rejoice over. It probably felt more like amemorative medal to him.
¡°Brother.¡±
As the former armymander walked back towards the other Holy Knights without regrets, Tannian discreetly approached me. His expression was just as gentle.
¡°Thank you for amodating my difficult request.¡±
Seeing him bow made me feel a bit ufortable.
¡°Don¡¯t do that. The Holy Knights will make a scene if they see it.¡±
¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with expressing gratitude as a human being.¡±
He was good at picking words that were hard to refute.
¡°If anything happens because of today¡¯s event, I¡¯ll defend you to the best of my ability.¡±
¡°Okay, thanks.¡±
I nodded in gratitude. There might be some bacsh, but it will probably pass without much happening. I had previously coordinated with the two Ministers, after all.
Still, knowing that I could use the next Saint as a shield in case of an emergency gave me some peace of mind.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 102: There was a Brief Commotion (1)
? There was a Brief Commotion (1) ?
Compared to the notorious reputation of the Twilight Cult, their suppression ended quite smoothly. It didn¡¯t matter that they¡¯d been roaming around for hundreds of years. Their downfall came in an instant.
In fact, from the moment Enen won the religious battle, the downfall of the cults that worshipped other gods was inevitable. Only the Twilight Cult refused to acknowledge this and persisted until now. With such determination and effort, they would have seeded in anything, but what they chose was blind faith.
¡°We¡¯ve captured the cult leader, so he should be useful.¡±
The Vice Captain of the Masked Unit took the cult leader from the former armymander¡¯s spear and brought it to the Ministry of Intelligence. Since he was the leader, they would probably squeeze a good amount of information from him.
If he¡¯d died on the spot, there was a chance that his name would have been immortalized as a martyr. It was questionable if anyone would consider this heretic a martyr, but given that this heretic cult had survived for hundreds of years, one had to be careful.
¡ª Good job, Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager.
¡°Thank you.¡±
Shortly after returning to the Capital, I was contacted by the Minister of Intelligence, who thanked me for a job well done. The subjugation operation was now officially over.
¡ª They had a trick or two up to their sleeves. However, even that failed.
¡°It seems like some people are just doomed no matter what they do.¡±
¡ª I agree.
After the cult leader was sent to the Ministry of Intelligence, he immediately started giving information. It seemed like they had a n.
They nned to intentionally spread information about an assassination attempt on the next Saint candidate in the Capital to draw attention. Then, they were going to maximize their sacrifices through a spectacr self-destruction. They aimed to make the name of the Twilight Cult so notorious that neither the Empire nor the Holy Kingdom could ignore it.
Since their sole purpose was to give a blow to the Dawn Sect and the Empire, it was a usible n. At least, until they got beaten up.
¡®Did Enen curse them?¡¯
If some of the soldiers were killed or injured, rumors about the Twilight Cult would have inevitably spread.
But thanks to therge healing field, none of the soldiers fell. They also couldn¡¯t flee the battlefield to terrorize elsewhere. Not only that, but Tannian¡¯s Holy Spell suppressed the Cult leader¡¯s final attempt at self-destruction. It was surprising how unlucky they¡¯d gotten.
But what could I do? They should have converted. Getting on the right line was also a skill.
¡ª After the interrogation, the heretic will be sent to court, although the result will be execution.
I nodded after hearing the Minister of Intelligence say that the body would be cremated after the execution. The Empire was under the protection of Enen, so there was no need to respect the burial tradition of heretics.
¡ª I¡¯m busy, so I¡¯ll end the call here. Take care.
¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±
After conveying the information, the Minister of Intelligence cut the call. While the subjugation of the Twilight Cult had ended, each of us still had work left to do.
I nced down at the piece of paper on my desk. On the paper, there was a single word written at the top.
Report.
¡®Fuck.¡¯
The pressureing from these six letters was no joke. While the subjugation was over, the responsibility for documentation remained.
The result was good. By positioning Tannian at the forefront, we managed to ensure that there would be no casualties or disturbances in the Capital. Sessfully suppressing the Twilight Cult without offending the Emperor was undeniably a grand sess.
However, the very fact of having put Tannian at the forefront was a problem that couldn¡¯t be overlooked.
¡ª The Holy Kingdom has been fervently contacting us. It reminded me of my younger days when I was quite popr.
It seemed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs had to face some heated protests while I was away. He seemed so overwhelmed that he reached a breaking point.
At least, there was a justification that ¡®Isn¡¯t the real problem the fact that the next Saint Candidate is in the Capital in the first ce?¡¯ and since Tannian emerged unscathed, the situation didn¡¯t escte into a major problem. The obliteration of the Twilight Cult was a sess as well, so it was difficult for them to protest further.
Still, the Empire should at least show some regret about this incident. Thanks to that, I was in this situation. After all, I was the one who initially proposed involving Tannian. By now, the Ministers of Intelligence and Foreign Affairs should also be writing their reports.
¡®I¡¯m¡ Deeply¡ Reflecting¡ About¡ This¡ Incident¡¡¯
I wrote the report with a heavy heart.
¡®This incident concluded without any mishaps. However, in the future, to make sure something like this doesn¡¯t happen, I¡¯ll r, re, rectify¡¡¯
Damn it. You guys also did things wrong. Why is it that I¡¯m the only one getting all the me?
¡®Ah.¡¯
As I wrote how I felt, I ended up making a mistake. This is ink, so it¡¯s hard to erase. Should I just submit it like this?
I inadvertently looked out of the window behind me. Contrary to my gloomy mood, the sky outside is bright and blue. Shouldn¡¯t I also have the right to y freely under that sky?
Today was another day I desperately wanted to resign. I should also submit my resignation on my way to submit the report.
If it were something that happened at the Ministry of Finance, I would have dealt with it without writing a report. Unfortunately, this involved not only another department but also a foreign country, so I had to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
¡°You¡¯re here again?¡±
¡°Yes. It turned out that way.¡±
The moment I entered the disciplinary chief¡¯s office, the first greeting I received was cold. You¡¯re asking me why I¡¯m here again? I didn¡¯te here because I wanted to.
I presented the report awkwardly, and the disciplinary chief chuckled while rising from his seat. I had achieved the miraculous feat of having submitted a report nine times. Damn it.
¡°Usually, even Managers don¡¯t write reports often. But somehow, you¡¯re writing them more after getting promoted.¡±
¡°I guess I¡¯m doing this now because I didn¡¯t have to write them while I was the Team Leader.¡±
¡°Hahaha, you don¡¯t need to do those things all at once.¡±
The disciplinary chief nodded and quickly skimmed through the report I handed over. Although it was his job to check the reports, having him go through it before me was embarrassing.
¡°Your handwriting seems to be getting better.¡±
He even left a review. Don¡¯t do this to me.
The disciplinary chiefughed at my shameful expression and put the report on his desk. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t ask me to rewrite it. The first time I wrote a report, I had to redo it several times.
¡°From what I heard, the Emperor isn¡¯t angry. While it¡¯s important to show that some disciplinary action has been taken, we can¡¯t send the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager to the Ministry of Justice, right?¡±
¡°I¡¯m deeply grateful for His Majesty¡¯s mercy.¡±
A report was a very light form of punishment. It was even embarrassing to use the word ¡®punishment.¡¯ While it was embarrassing and irritating to write, there was no real harm done.
The fact that I was asked to write a report for this incident was a positive sign. At least it meant they didn¡¯t n to purge me because of this incident. I would have been more scared if they had ignored it.
It was a fortune among misfortunes. Honestly, I don¡¯t want tobel it as fortunate, but it is what it is.
¡°I¡¯ll be on my¡ª¡±
¡ªKnock, knock.
¡°It¡¯s the Minister of Intelligence.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡®Damn it.¡¯
Because I didn¡¯t run away immediately after submitting it, I encountered a superior who¡¯d also written a report.
How can embarrassing things happen to me until the very end? Is this thest curse of the Twilight Cult?
After the painfully awkward eye contact with the Minister of Intelligence, I fled to the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. I felt that if I stayed longer, I would run into the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Usually, my bad premonitions weren¡¯t wrong.
¡°Executive Manager? W-why are you here?¡±
That was how the Managers greeted me after I finally returned.
¡°Weren¡¯t you going to submit the report?¡±
¡°I did. It¡¯s just a submission, so what¡¯s all the fuss about?¡±
After I said that, the 3rd Manager looked at the 1st Manager, who was next to him. It seemed like he was saying that this was different from what she told him. So, it was the 1st Manager again. Since the 2nd Manager had left, she was causing trouble for two people.
The 1st Manager tilted her head in confusion.
¡°Don¡¯t you get penalized after submitting a report ten times? That¡¯s why I thought you went to your mansion.¡±
You bastard.
¡°How can you say that when half of the reports I wrote were because of you brats?¡±
Moreover, the fact that she counted the times meant that she secretly hoped I¡¯d get penalized, right? I grabbed the 1st Manager¡¯s lips in anger. I¡¯d been holding myself back since I thought I was doing it too often, but I couldn¡¯t hold myself back this time.
This was the 9th time I submitted a report. I still had one life left before I got the penalty.
¡®Fuck.¡¯
I closed my eyes after thinking about the number ¡®one.¡¯ Was I collecting the coupons of a restaurant? What kind of Executive Manager collects enough reports that would lead to a penalty?
I was relieved, thinking that I wouldn¡¯t have to write a report while I was dispatched to the Academy, but I had to write one as soon as I returned. At this rate, I might really get penalized this winter.
¡°If you¡¯re penalized three times, the next is imprisonment, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
I nodded at the cautious words of the 3rd Manager. Right, if one were penalized for the 3rd time, it evolved from a penalty into imprisonment. Although the period was just a few days at most, its symbolic significance was huge.
I¡¯ve already been penalized twice. There was no way out if I wrote one more report and got another penalty.
¡®I fuckingughed at him.¡¯
The Minister had already been imprisoned several times. Initially, I wondered what one would have to do to get there, but now I was close to it.
At least the Minister had a long career as a Civil Servant. But I¡¯ve only been working for four years. Not even the Minister got imprisoned in just four years.
¡®The problem has gotten pretty big.¡¯
To think that the price for having listened to Tannian¡¯s request would end up in possible imprisonment. I knew this could happen, but it hurt.
I decided to ignore the 1st Manager, who was patting my arm.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 103: There was a Brief Commotion (2)
? There was a Brief Commotion (2) ?
We were able to end the Twilight Cult, and many people became happy because of that. However, I wasn¡¯t. I was summoned by the Minister of Intelligence while I was caught up in my work, and there was still a mountain of tasks to deal with.
Because of Tannian taking part in the battle and writing the report, I had forgotten, but I hadn¡¯t joined the Twilight Cult raid after finishing my work. I joined it while dealing with them. Who will be responsible for the time I lost?
¡°Ubh-!¡±
¡°5 more minutes.¡±
It wasn¡¯t that my subordinate, who was shedding crocodile tears, was like an enemy to me. I was nning to let her go, but after seeing the tofu in the hands of the 1st Manager, I lost my mind. Only someone with an extraordinary amount of patience and maturity could withstand seeing that.
I didn¡¯t get penalized yet. It just ended with writing a report.
¡®Also, is tofu appropriate in a European setting?¡¯
I was thrown off by the unexpected appearance of something nostalgic from my homnd. Or was that the case? In the West, do they give tofu when someone is released from prison? Well, there was no way for me to know that. After all, I had never been to prison.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. If she thought that I had gone back to the mansion, then why did she bring the tofu? Was she nning toe to the mansion to provoke me?
¡°Executive Manager! Don¡¯tmit any more crimes from now on! Okay?¡±
I could already imagine what she would have said before the staff and the club members. It was so obvious. You bastard.
¡°I¡¯ve got some work to do, so I¡¯ll be going back.¡±
¡°Alright, take care.¡±
Lately, the 3rd Manager¡¯s survival skills have improved, and he sneakily tried to escape. The way he desperately avoided looking at the surprised face of the 1st Manager was impressive.
Come to think of it, I hadn¡¯t seen the 5th Manager. He silently appeared when he was needed, so it wasn¡¯t a problem. But what does he do in his spare time?
***
I had forgotten that the Ministry of Finance¡¯s members are obsessed with survival. That¡¯s why they¡¯re simr to a starving beast that can¡¯t help but bite when it sees the opponent¡¯s weakness.
¡ª Congrattions. I heard you wrote another report.
¡°Why do news like this spread so fast?¡±
While I was handling my business after sending back the 1st Manager, the person in charge of the Ministry of Finance called me to make fun of me. Damn it, can¡¯t you give it a rest? Why was someone in his 50s doing something like this?
Judging by the time, he probably contacted me as soon as he heard the news from the Minister of Internal Affairs. He was probably bored by his usual routine when something new to make fun of appeared. Making fun of others was a tradition of the Ministry of Finance.
¡ª I told you. I had a feeling you¡¯d also experience getting imprisoned.
Seeing the Minister smiling as if he were genuinely happy made me grit my teeth.
He definitely said something like that when I visited him and mocked him while he was imprisoned. Back then, I didn¡¯t think things would turn out like this.
¡°How did you manage to get imprisoned? I thought you needed to write about forty reports.¡±
¡°With a subordinate like you, who wouldn¡¯t get imprisoned?!¡±
¡°Ah, so you¡¯re unlucky with your subordinates. Maybe you should consider retiring.¡±
I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get so unlucky with my subordinates back then. I thought I¡¯d be able to handle about ten people like me. However, I ended up getting the miraculous lineup of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Manager.
But what could I do? Just like how I became an Executive Manager at a young age, the Managers also reached their positions at a young age. Because of that, everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and the repercussions of those led to me writing all those reports.
Now that I think about it, it¡¯s all because of that jerk, the Crown Prince¡¯s, fault. If he¡¯d promoted me in a normal way, then I wouldn¡¯t have had to write so many reports. One-body-and-mind rtionship, my ass; I wish he¡¯d just vanish from my sight.
¡ª But don¡¯t worry too much.
While I internally renounced my bond with the Crown Prince, the Minister chuckled.
Telling me not to worry suggested that he might cover for me if I really got imprisoned. After all, we¡¯ve been together for four years. If I got imprisoned, it would be a hassle for the Minister as well.
¡ª If you get imprisoned once, it¡¯s like starting from scratch. You have to write forty more reports before you get imprisoned again.
He ignored it. He threw away the four years we spent together.
¡°That¡¯s reassuring.¡±
I swallowed the curses that almost came from my mouth and barely managed to say something.
Thement from someone who¡¯d been imprisoned several times was helpful. I¡¯m so grateful that I almost want to gift him a sudden death as an appreciation.
¡®Damn.¡¯
I already wanted to go home, but that desire was even more intense today. I was promised that I wouldn¡¯t have to go to work every day in exchange for having unexpected guests in my mansion, but things happened and I¡¯d beening every single day.
Upon reflection, I had guests and was neglecting them. The club members were okay since they came officially. The one I was worried about was Marghetta, whom I invited.
¡®Is she doing well?¡¯
I need to quickly finish my work and attend to my guests.
* * *
Lately, even the smallest things seem beautiful.
¡®It¡¯s Carl¡¯s mansion.¡¯
Each window, curtain, and flowerpot felt lovely every time I looked around. This is Carl¡¯s mansion. The ce where Carl and I will live together.
Thinking of it as a ce to live with a loved one made everything look so beautiful. I would have been happy even if the mansion wasn¡¯t located in the Capital and was a shabby building in the countryside. I¡¯m sure of it.
Objectively speaking, Carl¡¯s mansion was excellent. After all, it used to belong to the Asilon family. Moreover, this mansion had been given to him by the Crown Prince, so it would have been meticulously maintained.
¡®As expected of Carl.¡¯
A sense of pride filled my chest. As expected, the mansion was the easiest way to see the owner¡¯s dignity.
That the Crown Prince bestowed such a mansion indicated that he recognized Carl¡¯s worth, and the fact that Carl was maintaining the mansion without any issues proved that judgment was right.
A mansion wasn¡¯t defined just by its appearance and size. The capabilities and dignity of the servants filling the mansion mattered even more.
In that sense, the servants of this mansion were impable.
¡°It¡¯s the first time Master has invited a guest for non-business rted reasons.¡±
That was ament made by the butler, who happened to pass me by.
¡°Madam? Mydy?¡±
¡°For now, you should call her ¡®mydy.¡¯¡±
Two young and adorable maids whispered.
¡°Master has no interest in the garden. Fortunately, it seems like thedy has an excellent aesthetic sense.¡±
Finally, those were the words spoken by the gardener.
Everything was so perfect and excellent. How they predicted the future and prepared for it made me smile.
And I also found out about Carl¡¯s not-so-honest side, which made meugh.
¡®Just how much did he talk about me?¡¯
He acted indifferently in front of me, but he spoke of me behind my back. Otherwise, the mansion¡¯s staff wouldn¡¯t consider me as his future wife. What a bad person. He¡¯s still leading me on even after rejecting the marriage proposal.
To be honest, I was upset until a while ago. I was so excited to live with Carl that I couldn¡¯t sleep properly. However, once I arrived at the mansion, I hardly saw Carl from early morning tillte at night.
Of course, I understood. Carl was the Executive Manager and the one of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office on top of that. I wasn¡¯t so narrow-minded to not understand his dedication to the Empire.
But as the days turned to three, then four, then five, I felt neglected. I had high hopes. Despite my father¡¯s pleas to return home, I chose toe to the Capital and not the Duchy¡¯s residence.
¡®He entrusted them to me.¡¯
But after hearing the servants talk, I realized the true intention behind the invitation. It wasn¡¯t about inviting me and leaving me alone. He trusted someone to look after the ce while he was gone due to work.
When the husband is away, it¡¯s only natural for the wife to manage the mansion. Yes, that¡¯s a given. It¡¯s obvious.
The resentment I felt toward him turned into regret. I had harbored resentment without realizing that he¡¯d entrusted me with the mansion.
¡°Fufufu¡¡±
Because I was alone in the room, I couldugh out loud without anyone hearing me.
I have to work hard. Right now, it was just his personal mansion. But once he became the Count, he also had to take care of the territory. So, as the Count¡¯s wife, I had many things I needed to manage and take care of on behalf of him.
(TL/N: We¡¯re changing it from ¡®Earl¡¯ to ¡®Count¡¯ now, guys. Thank you for your understanding! <3)
¡®I can do it.¡¯
I¡¯ve lived a life worthy of the surname Valenti. If I can¡¯t even fulfill the basic duties of a noblewoman, then the surname Valenti would be shamed.
Of course, Carl and I were not yet married. In time, of course, we will be husband and wife. The problem was that I couldn¡¯t get involved in the mansion¡¯s affairs right now since I didn¡¯t have the authority and was merely a guest.
¡®But I can get involved with the people.¡¯
However, interacting with the guests staying in the mansion was a different matter. I¡¯ll leave the mansion to the capable servants and focus on the people. The pastry club was probably the biggest headache for Carl.
Now that Carl isn¡¯t here, the servants won¡¯t be able to handle the unpredictable actions of the foreign princes or the saint candidate. But I¡¯m a Duke¡¯s daughter. I may not be above the Royal Family, but I¡¯m not far behind.
Using a polite demeanor and persuasive words, I can certainly prevent the actions of royalty. That¡¯s something I can do for Carl.
¡°The thoughts of those in high positions are different from ours. Sometimes, surprising things happen.¡±
It was something Carl told me during the semester. Although he said it with a smile, I could see the fatigue in his eyes.
Moreover, unlike in the Academy, Carl was also dealing with his work in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office. He might really copse from exhaustion if he had to worry about the pastry club as well.
¡®At least here.¡¯
Let¡¯s lessen Carl¡¯s burden.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 104: There was a Brief Commotion (3)
? There was a Brief Commotion (3) ?
The capital was so huge that it couldn¡¯t bepared to any city I¡¯d seen before. It was so big that it made me wonder if it was even appropriate to call it a city.
We¡¯ve traveled around various areas of the capital ever since the first day when we visited the square, but it felt like we hadn¡¯t even seen 10% of it. I think we wouldn¡¯t be able to see everything even if we stayed here until the end of the vacation.
¡®I guess we won¡¯t be going to other cities anymore.¡¯
Iy in bed, staring nkly at the ceiling. Honestly, 10% was a very generous estimate. Was there even a need to go to another city? The hassle of choosing another city and finding another amodation felt like too much.
¡®I¡¯m tired.¡¯
I hugged the pillow beside me. Traveling around was exhausting.
Traveling for a day or two was enjoyable, but constantly keeping that excitement up was hard both physically and mentally, and we¡¯ve had days of non-stop touring around the Capital.
Luckily, Tannian had church-rted matters to attend to today, so we got to rest. If we¡¯d gone out, I would have returned crawling.
¡°Ugh-!¡±
I stretched my body. I had to rest today as much as possible so I could move again tomorrow.
¡®I have to stay strong.¡¯
As one of the Empire¡¯s citizens, I could take my time. There was no need to rush whether it was the Capital or another city.
However, out of the group, three weren¡¯t from the Empire. If not now, then when else would they be able to explore the Capital, let alone other areas outside the city?
Even if it was a bit tiring, it was something I had to bear. While it was an experience I could always have, it was a once-in-a-lifetime memory for them.
¡°I should be apanying you, but I have things to deal with for a while. I¡¯ll leave it to the Manager. If anything happens, tell the butler immediately.¡±
I have to do my best for oppa, who started working the day after we got to the Capital.
Under normal circumstances, oppa wouldn¡¯t need to be with us during the vacation. However, after hearing that we woulde to the Capital, he opened up his mansion and even ensured ourfort. It was a gesture beyond consideration.
That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t make him worry. We should stay in the Capital without causing any trouble. If we were to travel somewhere else, he might have to move with us as well.
But then, something unexpected happened.
¡°Senior?¡±
I felt stuffy inside my room, so I went out to the garden and saw the Duke¡¯s daughter. Usually, I would just greet her and move on.
¡°Ah, Lady Louise.¡±
However, I couldn¡¯t just pass by after seeing her drooping shoulders and lifeless eyes. She smiled weakly and barely managed to react to my voice.
This was the first time I saw the dignified Duke¡¯s daughter in such a weary state. She sometimes looked like this due to matters rted to oppa, but she had never looked this lifeless.
¡®Is it because of oppa?¡¯
Seeing her current state, there was a high chance that oppa was the one at fault. After all, she¡¯d been invited here by him. In a way, she was more his guest than our travelpanion, although she did enjoy the tour with us.
Technically speaking, oppa had been neglecting his guest. Senior might understand his situation, but if this unintentional neglect kept going on, it was inevitable that she¡¯d get hurt.
Being ignored by someone you care about is probably the worst feeling.
¡®Senior¡¡¯
Upon realizing her situation, I felt sad for her. Unlike me, who had the club members and Irina, the position of a Duke¡¯s daughter was somewhat isted. She probably came here for oppa, but he wasn¡¯t here and she had no one to confide in.
While we were enjoying the sights, she must have been struggling a lot.
Not only that, but given her status, she couldn¡¯t even freely express her pain.
As a daughter of one of the Empire¡¯s dukes, she had to maintain her poise and dignity in the presence of foreign royalty. Because of her position, she had a lot of responsibilities.
¡®What should I do?¡¯
There was nothing I could do for her. It was unthinkable for someone from a Barons¡¯ household to offerfort or show concern for someone from a Duke¡¯s house.
Then, I needed to resolve the issue that was making her struggle. But oppa was busy, so there wasn¡¯t much I could do.
While I was contemting what to do, Senior, who seemed to be thinking about something, approached me.
¡°Lady Louise.¡±
¡°Yes, senior?¡±
¡°May I ask for your help?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
My help? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to help much.
I blinked in surprise at the unexpected words, but her expression was deadly serious.
Ah¡ can I really help her? Should I go to where oppa is and ask him to finish work early today?
* * *
Standing in the hallway, I felt my own inadequacy.
It didn¡¯t matter if the other person was a royal family member or a saint candidate. I am a daughter of one of the Empire¡¯s dukes. Even if I objectivelycked in status, there should at least be some advantage for me. After all, I was a noble of the Empire, and we were in the Empire.
I believed that with my dignified demeanor and persuasive authority, I could prevent rash actions. After all, it wasmon sense.
But that very thought was evidence of my inadequacy.
¡®If they were people who hadmon sense¡¡¯
They wouldn¡¯t havee to the Academy in the first ce.
It was a bted realization. After realizing that they wouldn¡¯t havee to the Academy or the Capital if they were rational, I felt dizzy.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to visit other areas than just staying in the Capital?¡±
¡°That¡¯s true. Since the purpose of our trip was to see the Empire, it¡¯d be better to explore different ces.¡±
While I was hovering near the royals to deal with unexpected behaviors, I overheard those shocking words. Go somewhere else? No way. It was already hard enough to see Carl although we were staying in the Capital. How much harder would it be if they went elsewhere?
Not only that, but they were figures too important for a mere governor to handle. If they could be stopped, then I should.
¡°The Capital is where everything in the Empire gathers, so why not experience the Capital first?¡±
That¡¯s why I cautiously stepped forward to dissuade the two princes. Fortunately, the saint candidate had left early for the church, and the third prince was elusive unless specifically sought out. So if I could stop these two, there should be no problems.
And after that, I honestly can¡¯t remember.
No, let me correct that. I don¡¯t want to think about it.
I did my best to stop them. I used every reason I could think of, and my points were valid and persuasive. Anyone sensible would have given up.
¡°While we understand your opinion, we can¡¯t help but be curious about the other cities.¡±
It was in vain. Once the royal family members decided that they were going, there was no stopping them.
¡®Carl, I¡¯m sorry¡¡¯
I wanted to lessen your burden. I really wanted to do well since you entrusted this to me.
Tears threatened to fall. Carl, what kind of battle have you been fighting all this time? Just dealing with them briefly made me feel like I was losing my mind.
¡°The thoughts of those in high positions are different from ours. Sometimes, surprising things happen.¡±
He hadn¡¯t muttered those words out of exhaustion. It was the words of someone on the verge of giving up. How foolish of me for not realizing it sooner.
I wanted to run up to Carl right now, to hug him, and cry. I wanted to tell him to quit everything and join my family as a son-inw, but I couldn¡¯t do that. Carl was a true noble, bound by duty and responsibility.
¡®What should I do?¡¯
I stood in the hallway for a long time, feeling lost and helpless.
¡°Senior?¡±
¡°Ah, Lady Louise.¡±
At least until Lady Louise showed up.
¡®This is it.¡¯
My once-nk mind started to work again. It¡¯s Louise. If anyone could handle this situation, it was her.
The center of the pastry club was Louise. It was no secret that the members gathered around her. Ordinary staff and students who don¡¯t frequent the club might not know, but anyone who¡¯d been around for a while couldn¡¯t help but notice.
¡°May I ask for your help?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
Louise blinked while making a puzzled expression. However, I firmly believed that Louise was the only one who could stop those irrational beings.
I believed in her, but seeing it unfold right now felt a bit surreal.
¡°Wandering around can be tiring. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just stay in the Capital?¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±
Why did they ept it so easily? When I was the one speaking, it seemed like they didn¡¯t even hear me.
¡®Carl, just¡¡¯
How had he managed to spend a semester with them? And how would he spend two and a half more years with these people?
I felt genuinely worried about Carl¡¯s health.
* * *
I heard amotion, so I went to check. There, I saw Louise talking to the club members while the Duke¡¯s daughter was watching from behind with a calm expression.
¡®I guess it¡¯s nothing important.¡¯
I grasped the situation and went on my way. The princes had probably said something weird again, and Louise was trying to stop them.
It was most likely something trivial. After all, why would she, an ordinary youngdy from a baron¡¯s family, concern herself with serious things?
¡®Everyone looks lively.¡¯
That¡¯s why they can afford to have time for those things.
I took an apple from the bag I held and took a bite. I nned to share it if I met someone, but looking at the situation, it seemed unnecessary.
¡®Was her name Yuris?¡¯
The brown-haired young maid suddenly gave me a fruit as a gift. She was unusually kind to me, so I asked for her name.
It¡¯s delicious. It should have been hard for a maid to prepare something like this. I should prepare a gift for her, too.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 105: There was a Brief Commotion (4)
? There was a Brief Commotion (4) ?
My summer working hours were simr to the sun¡¯s working hours. It was hard to guess the passage of time due to the long daylight, leading to an unfortunate overtime. How unfair. I don¡¯t work shorter hours in the winter because the days are shorter, so why do I voluntarily work longer hours in the summer? Maybe I¡¯ve developed a ve mentality over the past four years.
Ideally, I¡¯d like to enjoy punctual arrival and departure times. But then, the tasks I had to do would pile up, and things could get disastrous at the end of each quarter. This was just a matter of dying now versuster.
That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t get back to the mansion until it waste in the evening.
¡°Wee back, Carl.¡±
Marghetta greeted me at the mansion¡¯s entrance.
¡°Mar? Why are you out here at this hour?¡±
Although I saidte evening, it was practically night. By this time, everyone should have finished dinner, had a short chat, and retired to their rooms.
I wondered if the thing I¡¯d been worrying about had finally exploded. Yes, I had neglected the guests for too long. Such behavior would typically be considered a great insult.
The reason why things hadn¡¯t exploded until now was because Marghetta had been understanding given that it was due to work, but anyone else would¡¯ve felt slighted and left after two days.
¡°I will never forget this! I will formally protest in the name of the Valenti Duke¡¯s name!¡±
I could imagine Marghetta¡¯s face as she shouted these words, her face flushed with anger. It pained me to think that I had upset someone who¡¯d remained calm even after her marriage proposal was rejected.
First, I should apologize. The fact that she hasn¡¯t left without a word means there¡¯s still a chance to mend things.
¡°You must be tired. Here, drink this. I heard that honey water is good for fatigue.¡±
¡°Ah, thanks.¡±
Marghetta handed me a cup before I could say anything.
¡°You¡¯ve been working hard despite the weather being so hot. You aren¡¯t pushing yourself too much, right?¡±
I felt awkward after hearing her gentle voice, which was filled with concern. It felt weird being worried over by someone younger. It¡¯s always been a bit embarrassing, even when Louise used to fuss over me.
I nodded to reassure her, and she finally smiled.
¡°I¡¯m well aware of how hard you work, Carl. So you don¡¯t have to worry about the club anymore during the vacation.¡±
Marghetta then added that even advisors deserved a holiday break, which made the corners of my mouth go up a bit. I was thankful for her words, but it was hard. It wasn¡¯t that I was doing this because I liked it. It was just that there was no one else who could handle those idiots without me.
The moment I abandoned my post saying, ¡®An advisor deserves freedom!¡¯ the situation would explode. And the Crown Prince? He¡¯d probably demote me from a noble to a ve.
Wait¡ Maybe I was a ve from the beginning.
¡°I¡¯ve lived up to the trust Carl has ced in me, so I hope you can rest a bit.¡±
¡°What?¡±
What was she talking about?
I was feeling already guilty for neglecting Marghetta, so I would have been crazy if I had expected something from her under these circumstances.
I felt stumped, so I just stood still. It seemed as if she interpreted my reaction differently. She raised her head with a hint of pride, though it was more like she was looking up because she was shorter than me.
¡°Today, the princes were talking about going outside of the Capital.¡±
Damn it.
I was shocked by the words that came out of her mouth. Go where? Outside of the Capital? Those bastards. It was already troublesome to have them in the Capital; what nonsense was this?
¡®These damn build-ups.¡¯
Their intentions were clear. They weren¡¯t trying to do it out of genuine interest in other areas. They probably wanted to go to Louise¡¯s territory and make connections with the people who were close to her. But heading straight to Louise¡¯s territory would be too obvious, so they¡¯re trying to build a justification by exploring other areas.
You bastards. Instead of trying to court those around her, you should be courting Louise herself.
¡°They seemed more interested in the Capital, though, so they withdrew their words.¡±
I was trembling in anger, but Marghetta¡¯s following words calmed me down. It was fortunate. I almost had to undertake the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s duties and a business trip abroad simultaneously.
Only after calming down could I see things clearly. She waited for me outside untilte at night and had purposedly told me about what had happened. Then, that proud look on her face, and those words about me trusting her.
¡®So she stopped it.¡¯
Marghetta had stopped things from going out of control. Otherwise, there was no reason for her to act like this.
When I invited Marghetta to the mansion, I did hope she would stop them if they wanted to do something reckless. However, that was merely a faint hope. I never really thought of throwing such a massive responsibility on her.
It seemed that there was a small misunderstanding between Marghetta and me.
¡®I¡¯m d.¡¯
But thanks to that misunderstanding, I was saved.
¡°I understand. I must also repay Marghetta¡¯s trust.¡±
At those words, Marghetta smiled, but she seemed somewhat embarrassed. What¡¯s wrong? Was there something else?
¡°Lady Louise yed a significant role.¡±
Ah, so it was nothing serious.
¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you haven¡¯t done something important.¡±
I also relied on Louise when it was about stopping those princes, so it was only natural. No, Marghetta, who quickly realized that Louise was the only brake to stop them, was admirable.
When things are peaceful at home, one feels at ease while wandering outside. Thebo of Louise, who had the power to stop those ipetent members, and Marghetta, with the will to stop them, was unbeatable.
With my peace of mind restored, my work started progressing more rapidly. It really does depend on one¡¯s mindset.
¡ª The signs aren¡¯t good.
But no matter how peaceful things were internally, if something happened externally, there wasn¡¯t much one could do.
While signing some documents, I received bad news from the 2nd Manager who¡¯d been sent to help Margrave Sorden.
¡°What happened?¡±
¡ª Margrave Sorden¡¯s concerns were valid. There are definitely many gaps in the movement of goods.
The faint hope that perhaps Margrave Sorden had miscalcted things vanished. Well, if reports have reached the central authority, I¡¯m sure he would have verified it multiple times. I was hoping for too much.
¡ª I¡¯m sure they¡¯re hidden somewhere, but¡
The 2nd Manager seemed frustrated as he roughly ran his fingers through his hair. It was evident that some of the goods that had been sent to the North were missing. Someone was intentionally hiding them.
The problem was that this was all he could find out. All he could do was confirm that what Margrave Sorden was worried about was true. But what else could he do? It hadn¡¯t been long since the 2nd Manager was dispatched.
¡°At least we¡¯ve found out now. Don¡¯t rush things.¡±
¡ª Yes, understood.
While making a grim face, the 2nd Manager lowered his head. His frustration from dealing with the Northbined with the anxiety that this could lead to a major ident caused his uneasy expression.
¡°Do you need more people?¡±
¡ª It¡¯s okay. Just our presence is already drawing a lot of attention.
Due to the gravity of the matter, I wanted to provide him with more personnel. However, the on-site worker refused. Damn it, so the North¡¯s still a mess.
The North originally had many pro-Empire tribes. But that bastard Kagan subdued or converted all the pro-Empire tribes in the north, making the aftermath of the great warplete chaos.
The Empire had suffered a lot due to the Great War, so it wasn¡¯t in a shape good enough to intervene or dominate the North. Not only that, but there were some internal issues regarding the session of the throne. Also, it had been a long time since the pro-Empire tribes were sent to heaven due to Kagan¡¯s really spicy punch.
The Empire was already struggling because of the Great War and session issues. Yet, it began sending a friend fee to the North. Compared to how strong the Empire¡¯s influence over the North¡¯s tribes was in the past, things were pitiful right now.
¡ª Back in the day, no one would bat an eye at an imperial citizen. Now, we stand out like sore thumbs.
¡°Damn it.¡±
The 2nd Manager was a testament to how things were at the moment. Before the Great War, interactions were vibrant and the Empire¡¯s influence was strong, so there were no issues with the Empire¡¯s citizens roaming in the north.
But now that everything was wiped out and was being rebuilt, every move of an imperial citizen was noticeable.
The nomads looked at the Empire¡¯s citizens with eyes that seemed to be saying, ¡®Excuse me, but why don¡¯t you leave the money and go? What business could you have at our ce?¡¯
It was infuriating. Would setting the northern ins on fire get rid of this mess?
¡°If something strange happens, contact me immediately. Keep up the good work.¡±
The only thing I was sure of was that there was nothing I could do to help apart from waiting for more information from the 2nd Manager.
¡ª Executive Manager, could you send me a¡ª
The 2nd Manager was about to say something when the connection was cut off. Judging by hisst words, it probably wasn¡¯t anything important. If it was, he¡¯d call again.
¡®It was probably alcohol.¡¯
It was obvious what that guy, who drinks alcohol like water, would ask. Well, since he was working hard, I should send him some.
***
I felt that there were many prying eyes on me from all around the ce. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be getting these kinds of things as soon as I finished clearing up the stacked work.
¡°Who sent this?¡±
Looking down at the letter handed over by the butler, I asked again. My happy n to just chill at home for a while since I had no work to do for the time being was shattered instantly.
¡°It¡¯s from the Countess.¡±
I received a letter from the woman who was the mother of this body.
¡®A letter from mother and not the Patriarch?¡¯
I really can¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 106: Single, 21 years old, and very influential (1)
? Single, 21 years old, and very influential (1) ?
The Krasius family was one of the noble families directly under the control of the Emperor, and it was a prestigious military family with a territory near the Capital. Simply put, we were like the Emperor¡¯s hunting dogs or pets.
However, a dog raised by a top official was more prestigious than amoner, especially when the owner was the Emperor. In that case, the dog also had a high status.
That was why noble families like the Krasius household were considered good marriage partners in social circles. Since we were closely affiliated with the Emperor, one would often receive unexpected benefits when marrying into a family like ours.
Moreover, if a noble from such a family subtly dropped a name in front of the Emperor like, ¡®My inw is¡¡¯ then it was a sure shot to sess. No matter how suspicious the Emperor was about someone, he wouldn¡¯t kill someone rmended by his beloved pet.
To sum it up, I was also considered a prime catch in social circles. The proposals have stopped sincest year for some reason, but I received quite a few besides Marghetta¡¯s before that.
¡°Don¡¯t sweat about the small stuff and focus on what needs to be done.¡±
The Patriarch spoke those words after the Great War. He referred to noble marriages as trivial matters and asked me to work harder for the Emperor.
Thanks to him, I haven¡¯t been concerned about marriage until now, but it was getting harder. While the Patriarch thought that things would naturally sort themselves out if left alone, Mother seemed to be running out of patience.
¡°Did ite today?¡±
¡°Yes, it arrived at lunch.¡±
I nodded at the butler¡¯s words and checked the letter¡¯s contents. If my mother had sent a letter, then there would probably be no other reason than a marriage proposal.
¡®She held out for quite long.¡¯
I¡¯ve been using the Patriarch¡¯s words as a shield, but it seems she¡¯s reached her limit. It was understandable. In a few more years, I would be out of the ideal marriageable age range. Which mother would sit by and watch her eldest son be a bachelor?
The letter began with the usual pleasantries. There werements about the weather, inquiries about my health, her being proud of my services for the Empire and the Imperial Family, and wishing me to visit the territory more often. Typical things a mother would say to her son.
Unfortunately, our rtionship wasn¡¯t as warm as the letter suggested.
¡°So I¡¯d like you toe to our territory.¡±
After scanning through the letter, I finally found the main request at the end. She was asking both me and my little brother to not only stay in the Capital ande to visit our territory.
Well, I guess I should show up. If I went to the mansion, I¡¯d probably be bombarded with marriage talks. However, rumors might spread that the Krasius family was crumbling if I didn¡¯t visit them.
Just as I was about to fold the letter, I noticed that there was one more sentence at the bottom.
¡°I heard you have other guests with you. If they¡¯re okay with it, bring them too.¡±
¡®What¡?¡¯
My mind went nk at the unexpected sentence. Bring those idiots along?
¡®Damn it.¡¯
They¡¯ve been looking for an opportunity to leave the capital anyway, so they would surely agree.
I stared nkly at the letter for a while until the butler cautiously spoke, pulling me back to reality.
I¡¯m sorry, Marghetta. You¡¯ve done your best to try and prevent the club members from leaving the Capital, but I¡¯m about to break it with my own hands.
***
I got to enjoy dinner in the mansion for the first time in a while instead of the office. I shouldn¡¯t be pleased by such trivial things, but I was.
¡°With oppa here, it finally feels like we¡¯re in your mansion.¡±
Louise said with a smile, and her words pierced my heart. Although Louise said it with positive intentions, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that I¡¯ve been neglecting my guests too much.
To make things worse, I had to leave the mansion tomorrow. It wasn¡¯t simply going to work either, but going to another region. Besides, it wasn¡¯t just me, but everyone.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
I was given the task of traveling with some high-ranking people as soon as I was released from work. What was wrong with this situation? Was I going to y golf or go on a hike with important people?
Of course, I could just go without telling the members as Mother said.
The problem with that was that the members would be left in a ce where I wouldn¡¯t be able to respond in case something happened. If I intended to do that, I wouldn¡¯t have brought them to my mansion in the first ce.
After much thought, I cautiously opened my mouth. I was going to tell them anyway, so let¡¯s just say it quickly and get it over with.
¡°Erich.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
First, I talked to my family member who absolutely had toe with me.
¡°Mother asked us toe and visit her at the territory. Let¡¯s go tomorrow.¡±
Erich¡¯s hands suddenly stopped. He must be perplexed. After all, he was summoned out of the blue while enjoying a peaceful and pleasant life in the Capital with Louise.
He was also probably concerned about his otherpetitors if he was the only one that had to go elsewhere. But honestly, I don¡¯t think either of them would make any progress even if they were left alone.
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll prepare.¡±
Still, the fact that he calmly responded to the summons suggested that he retained some affection or sense of duty towards the family. To think he¡¯d be able to feel affection in such a cold household. He grew up well.
So, I immediately gave him a gift.
¡®It¡¯s not just you who¡¯s going. We all are, so don¡¯t worry.¡¯
¡°Mother also invited the other members of the pastry club.¡±
At that remark, Erich¡¯s face brightened up again. The other four also showed a positive reaction. Why were they reacting exactly as I expected?
I felt that I would look at them with a pitiful gaze if I left my guard down, so I turned my gaze elsewhere. Unlike the members, there was someone with a dark expression.
¡°Of course, that includes Mar and Irina.¡±
Only then did the color return to her face. More people wore their hearts on their sleeves than I thought. Compared to the rest, she was on the cute side, so I let it slide.
¡°I¡¯m nning to depart tomorrow if everyone¡¯s okay with it.¡±
¡°Of course it¡¯s fine.¡±
Rutis spoke as a representative. Good, that¡¯s a relief.
Even though it was fortunate, I couldn¡¯t help but be angry. It seemed like I¡¯d developed anger management issues these days.
¡®Is this how the Minister felt?¡¯
It was a feeling I never wanted to know until the day I died.
It would be great if things had ended with everyone deciding to attend, but I had to report the situation to the territory. Not replying in time was almost simr to ghosting them.
So, I went to my room and contacted the territory as soon as dinner was over.
¡°Is tomorrow at lunch okay?¡±
¡ª Yes, that¡¯s enough. We were already preparing.
Seeing the fatigued face of the head butler over themunication crystal made me feel pity for him. I wonder if that¡¯s how other people see me. The head butler was a proud noble and was the second-inmand at the territory, so how could he look so exhausted every day for the past five years?
Apparently, it wasn¡¯t just me who was feeling that way.
¡ª Young Master, are you alright?
¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±
¡ª You don¡¯t look well. Are you sure you¡¯re not overworking yourself?
¡°¡¡±
If the head butler was concerned, then I probably looked like a victim of overworking to others. But when I looked in the mirror, I saw my usual face.
¡®Seems like being overworked has bemon for me.¡¯
Without realizing it, a fatigued expression became my default face. Four years was a long time.
As I was lost in those bitter thoughts, the butler brought up another topic, perhaps trying to change the mood.
¡ª Thedy had missed the Young Master. While Master Erich stayed in the territory until his enrollment at the Academy, you¡¯ve only been staying in the Capital.
¡°I¡¯ve been too busy to visit. Fortunately, the Patriarch seemed to understand.¡±
However, I wasn¡¯t particrly interested in the topic, so I answered with a hint of indifference. Mother missed me? I wonder if that¡¯s really the case.
She wasn¡¯t evil or abusive, but she also wasn¡¯t particrly affectionate either. In some ways, she was as neglectful as the Patriarch.
It wouldn¡¯t matter if it was just towards me, who possessed this body. However, she wasn¡¯t particrly affectionate towards Erich either, who was her son in both body and soul.
After noticing my mood, the butler awkwardly smiled and spoke.
¡ª The Young Master will understand her true feelings once you talk with thedy.
¡°That would be nice.¡±
Of course, I hadn¡¯t run away from home because I hated my parents but because I was too busy in the Capital. Knowing their true feelings now didn¡¯t seem like it¡¯d make any difference, either.
In the middle of all this, the head butler didn¡¯t say that the Patriarch wanted to see me. He must have thought that it wasn¡¯t very likely, which was very honest of him.
After I informed the butler of my travel ns¡
¡ª Are you going to the territory of Count Tailglehen?
There was one more person I had to report to.
¡ª I heard that you just managed toplete all the piled-up tasks today. What a pity.
¡®This bastard.¡¯
The Crown Prince, who provoked me as naturally as he breathed, was thest person I had to report to. A flock of royals would leave the Capital, so I should at least tell him where they were going.
¡ª At least you¡¯ll have some free time. Isn¡¯t that fortunate?
= You bastard. Are you taking advantage of my grace and going somewhere else since I said you didn¡¯t have to go to work every day?
¡°Thanks to that, I could prepare for unexpected events.¡±
= I don¡¯t like it either, so shut up.
From the Crown Prince¡¯s perspective, it must be both absurd and amusing. He¡¯d generously given me the privilege of not having toe to work every day and stay in the mansion. Yet, despite receiving such a benefit, I was about to leave the capital with the royals voluntarily.
He must be wondering what was wrong with me. I was leaving with the ticking bombs, though, so he probably wouldn¡¯t say anything to stop me.
¡ª If anything happens, feel free to tell me. Even if they¡¯re outside of the Capital, they¡¯re still guests of the Empire.
= I don¡¯t want to miss your struggling expression, so keep me updated.
The Crown Prince ended the call with a final taunt.
What a jerk. Was he really the next Emperor?
Well, he was better than the 2nd Prince, but was he really the best choice?
It was a day filled with sorrow as I thought of the Empire¡¯s bleak future.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 107: Single, 21 years old, and very influential (2)
? Single, 21 years old, and very influential (2) ?
The Crown Prince¡¯s relentless dealings were driving me crazy, but one thing became clear from our recent conversation.
¡®That bastard knew.¡¯
The Crown Prince¡¯s reaction to my report wasn¡¯t one of surprise from the sudden event. It felt more like the amusement one gets from watching a victim squirm after being caught on a hidden camera.
The imperial family already knew I was bringing the club members to the territory. To be more urate, it wasn¡¯t just something they knew; they probably had a hand in it.
¡®I thought it was odd.¡¯
Up to now, Mother had never reached out or sent a letter. But now, she sends me a letter asking me to go to the territory and bring the members in a situation where I was with them? Why now?
Of course, seeing how the butler defended Mother, she might¡¯ve had a change of heart. Maybe she was concerned about her eldest son, who was steadfastly heading towards bachelorhood.
But even so, her wish would have been limited to inviting me and Erich. The territory¡¯s true master was the Patriarch. Inviting royals without his consent was impossible, even for his wife.
That meant that the decision to invite the members was made by the Patriarch and not Mother. And the only person with enough influence to sway the Patriarch was¡ª
¡®The Emperor.¡¯
There was no one else but the Emperor. Even the Crown Prince couldn¡¯t directly meddle with the Dukes, who were under the Emperor. If the Crown Prince had initiated it, he would have mocked me to death before I even received the letter.
As my suspicion from when I first saw Mother¡¯s letter was confirmed, I decided to drop it. If the Crown Prince had been surprised, I would have known my guess was wrong and canceled my trip. But since the Emperor was involved, it¡¯d best to keep my mouth shut.
It¡¯s not like I was given direct orders, and I was just tangled in something the Emperor was orchestrating. There was no need to dig further.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed. Someone who¡¯d been in politics for decades usually developed a perspective that the average person couldn¡¯t understand. The Emperor? He had that, plus a hefty dose of paranoia to top it off.
Questioning the Emperor¡¯s actions would just tire me out. Besides, digging too deep might burn me instead.
But what¡¯s really going on? I don¡¯t really want to know, but it¡¯s making me curious.
***
We arrived at the territory, which I hadn¡¯t really missed. It was close to the capital and since there was a teleportation magic circle installed, we got there quickly. I only packed lightly since I nned to stay just a few days.
I didn¡¯t want toe with the idiots, but Mother personally sent a letter. Ignoring it would make it look like our house was in chaos. Plus, it had the Emperor¡¯s fingerprints all over it, so what could I do? I¡¯d have to obey.
¡°You¡¯re here.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Patriarch.¡±
When we reached the mansion in the center of the territory, the Patriarch, who had been waiting, greeted us. Given the VIPs in my group, it made sense for him to greet us in person.
I bowed to the Patriarch and noticed that not just Mother, but also the head butler and head maid were there. All the key figures of the territory were present.
¡°I am Wilhelm Krasius of Tailglehen, the Count of the Tailglehen territory. It¡¯s an honor to have such esteemed guests.¡±
¡°How could I miss the chance to see one of the pirs of the Empire? I¡¯ve always wanted to meet the renowned Count. We¡¯re grateful to thedy for her invitation.¡±
After exchanging brief greetings, the Patriarch turned to greet the club members. He first bowed to Ainter. Honestly, a prince from our own country took precedence over a foreign prince, even if he was without real power.
¡°Carl.¡±
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mother.¡±
When I shifted my gaze from him, Mother began to speak. In contrast to the Patriarch, who was decked out in ck, she was a woman with light brown hair and blue eyes, looking young enough to belie her age¡ªamon trait of nobles.
In response to my greeting, Mother nodded and took a few steps closer, silently staring into my eyes.
¡°I¡¯m d you seem healthy.¡±
Mother looked like she had something to say and kept moving her mouth as if she was about to speak. But in the end, she settled for a casual greeting. She would probably tell meter if there was something important.
She nced awkwardly here and there until she spotted Erich and gestured to him. Come to think of it, that guy should be greeting his parents now that he¡¯s home, and yet he¡¯s just standing there. I get the awkwardness, but still.
¡°Erich, how have you been?¡±
¡®No.¡¯
I almost closed my eyes at the sight of Mother, who was awkwardly trying to make conversation. Why was a mother feeling awkward with her own son? A teenage son could at least use puberty as an excuse.
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
Even Erich got caught up in Mother¡¯s awkwardness andmitted the mistake of giving a curt answer.
The conversation ended abruptly, with the both of them clearly struggling to find what to say next. Mother, already stiff, seemed even more at a loss.
¡°It seems we¡¯ve kept our guest standing for too long. You might have a lot to talk about, but let¡¯s go inside first.¡±
The stifling silence was finally broken by the head butler¡¯s intervention. True to his title, he really was the pir that supported the county.
I gave the head butler a thankful nod, and the small, reassuring smile he returned was moreforting than anything.
¡°Alright, let¡¯s go inside.¡±
Mother, not wanting to miss the opportunity, quickly agreed to the head butler¡¯s suggestion. Her retreating figure somehow looked pitiful¡ or was it just my imagination?
¡°Brother.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Did something happen to Mother?¡±
¡°That¡¯s for you to find out, not me.¡±
I left the territory way before you did. You were at the house until a few months ago, weren¡¯t you?
So, Erich and I nkly watched Mother¡¯s retreating figure until the Patriarch started walking towards the mansion.
I don¡¯t know why Mother was acting that way, but we would probably find out after staying together for a while. Since we¡¯d be staying in the territory, we probably have a lot to discuss, especially about the marriage issue.
***
After exchanging greetings with the guests, I headed straight to my office. Although I greeted the guests as the lord of the territory, the main host was my wife, so she could take care of it.
¡°Wife, how about inviting everyone?¡±
¡°Everyone? Even the imperial prince and the royal princes?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Please do that.¡±
Of course, this was a sudden request for my wife, who had intended to call only our two sons. Thinking of her flustered expression still makes me uneasy, but I¡¯m grateful she followed through with the request.
And thankfully so. I¡¯m d I was able to follow His Majesty¡¯s wishes.
¡ª I intend to send them outside the Capital. Since the Prosecutor¡¯s Executive Manager is their advisor, the Count¡¯s territory should be suitable.
The day my wife wasposing a letter to send to our son, His Majesty himself issued the order through themunication crystal. He wanted the foreign princes and the saint candidate to leave the Capital, and the chosen location, to our honor, was the County of Tailglehen.
Thus, we were hosting guests at the castle after a long while. It had been some time since we had guests, but how could a servant refuse themand of their master?
Since it was His Majesty¡¯s wish, all I could do was to dutifully follow it.
¡®No one is here.¡¯
I started walking, and I was in the office before I knew it. After confirming that no one else was around, I activated themunication crystal. What I was about to say was not for anyone to hear.
¡ª Count Tailglehen.
¡°Your humble servant, Wilhelm Krasius, greets the Sun of the great Empire.¡±
I fell to my knees, not daring to look up at the face of the Emperor. Even if it¡¯s just a projection from themunicator, how could a mere servant look directly at His Majesty without permission?
¡ª Lift your head.
Lifting my head at His Majesty¡¯smand, I saw the one and only legitimate ruler of the Empire. He might have aged and lost his healthpared to the past, but he was undeniably the Empire¡¯s ruler.
His once-golden hair had turned white and wrinkles marked his face, but his purple eyes, a symbol of the Livnoman imperial family, still shone brightly.
¡ª Have they arrived?
It was a short question, but anyone too dull to grasp what it meant didn¡¯t deserve to serve the Emperor.
¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±
¡ª Krasius, you always work swiftly.
¡°I¡¯m humbled.¡±
I bowed again at the undeserved honor. It was only natural for a servant to quickly carry out the Emperor¡¯s wishes. Being praised for doing one¡¯s duty felt surprisingly rewarding.
¡ª The Ministry of Intelligence will keep an eye on them from now on.
The Emperor meant that the notable figures who had arrived in the County of Tailglehen would now be monitored by the Intelligence Department. Since those people were handpicked by the Emperor, there would be no idental exposures. Some might have already infiltrated the territory.
It was simply a heads-up about the agents¡¯ activities within the territory and a reminder to cooperate if needed.
¡ª We¡¯ll soon know if they¡¯re guests or thieves.
Though His Majesty¡¯s voice was soft, the underlying message wasn¡¯t. He had been on guard since he heard that key figures from other nations chose to stay in the Empire instead of returning to their home countries.
Why did the foreign royals enroll in the Empire¡¯s Academy? Why did they choose to stay during the vacation instead of going home? Why did they evene to the Capital? Why did they want to tour the entire Empire under the guise of a trip?
There were a lot of whys.
Then, the Emperor concluded that they must be spies. With the Empire swaying due to the aftermath of the Great War and disputes over the throne¡¯s session, they might be aiming for the Empire¡¯s vulnerable moments, challenging the Empire¡¯s mandate.
That¡¯s why they stayed in the Empire and gathered information as spies. The reason for the spies being of royal blood was to exploit the fact that even foreign royals couldn¡¯t be treated carelessly.
Though His Majesty was suspicious, he had no concrete evidence. That¡¯s why he sent them out of the closely monitored territory. If they believe they¡¯re not being watched, they might reveal their true intentions, and that would provide the evidence.
¡ª Aren¡¯t you curious about the oue?
I simply bowed my head in response to His Majesty¡¯s words.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 108: Single, 21 years old, and very influential (3)
? Single, 21 years old, and very influential (3) ?
The club members came to the territory because of the Emperor, so it was safe to say that the Emperor had eyes and ears stered all over the ce. With that kind of security, one could argue that it was safer than my mansion in the capital, which was guarded by the Masked Unit.
Of course, just because the Emperor ensured the members¡¯ safety didn¡¯t mean I could let my guard down. cking off in the Emperor¡¯s presence was like saying, ¡®Since His Majesty is watching, I think I¡¯ll take a break,¡¯ with a straight face.
This was especially true when dealing with the Emperor, whose paranoia and obsession with imperial power were at their peak.
If a subordinate somehow sensed the ns the Emperor hadn¡¯t directly spoken to them about and tried to y smart, His Majesty would probably knock them down right away for being insolent. There had been countless times in history when a subordinate tried to rise above the monarch and ended up ¡®ascending to the heavens¡¯ (getting executed) instead.
¡°It¡¯s Erich¡¯s house, so tone it down.¡±
¡°Whoa, I can¡¯t wait to get back to the capital.¡±
That¡¯d be even better.
In any case, I needed to show my diligent work to the Emperor¡¯s eyes and ears, wherever they would be. That was why I was personally guiding the members to their rooms.
Honestly, I came here because of Mother¡¯s invitation, so there was really no need for all this. But with the thought that the emperor might be watching, I had to be active. Your Majesty, you¡¯re watching, right? Look how diligent I am.
¡°You can stay in this room, Mar.¡±
¡°¡?¡±
¡°Mar?¡±
¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was thinking about something else for a moment.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright. It happens.¡±
After assigning rooms to the pastry club and Irina, the only one left was Marghetta. However, she seemed quite distracted, unlike usual.
Ever since we entered the mansion, she had been looking around and she seemed preupied, even now. I hope there isn¡¯t something wrong with her.
¡°If you need anything, just ask the servants, ore to me.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do that. Thanks for your concern, Carl.¡±
I nodded to Marghetta, who smiled gently, and then moved on. After all, I had my own tasks to handle.
Before I showed them their rooms, Mother invited me to have tea with her once I was done. When a mother calls, a son must answer, right?
¡®I didn¡¯t expect her to call me so quickly.¡¯
Still, wrapping things up earlier was always good. It meant that I could head back sooner.
Mother was in the rear garden of the mansion. A tea table had already been set up, and refreshments were prepared. Did I arrive toote?
¡°Mother.¡±
¡°You¡¯re here. Take a seat.¡±
A maid immediately poured tea as I sat across her. Looking around, I saw the head maid behind Mother, and assisting her were about six other maids. It was quite the crowd for a simple tea gathering.
¡°Head maid, how have you been?¡±
I decided to greet the head maid first. Even though she was just an employee, she also held the unique title of Mother¡¯s childhood friend and also my nanny. Even the head butler would think twice before crossing her.
¡°Having the young master ask about my well-being takes away my fatigue.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±
The head maid responded with a smile that naturally warmed people¡¯s hearts. She had known me since I was a baby, so such fondness was probably understandable for her.
¡®I can¡¯t get used to it.¡¯
On the other hand, the affection the head maid showed me felt embarrassingly overwhelming. Even if she was my nanny, it wasn¡¯t like I personally experienced being raised by her.
Calling her ¡®nanny¡¯ was fine with me, but there wasn¡¯t any emotional attachment. I didn¡¯t really feel any fondness towards my own parents, either, so it would be odd to feel that way towards her.
So while Erich always affectionately called her ¡®nanny,¡¯ I was adamant about calling her ¡®head maid¡¯. At first, she seemed a little hurt by the title, but she eventually came around, thinking it was just teenage rebellion.
¡®Am I still going through puberty at 21 years old?¡¯
A nanny¡¯s heart towards a child was incredibly forgiving.
¡°How were the guests?¡±
¡°There were noints. I arranged everything, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief. I was concerned about impressing such esteemed guests.¡±
As I nced at the head maid¡¯s smile, I heard Mother¡¯s voice. There was a hint of fatigue in it. It seemed the recent invitation had taken a toll on her.
It wasn¡¯t surprising. After all, this was supposed to be a simple gathering with her sons, but royalty then showed up. I already felt worried after being invited, so I could only imagine how Mother, the hostess, felt.
¡°They¡¯re kind and cheerful people. They¡¯ll just stay here as guests and leave without any issues.¡±
I tried tofort her after sensing her distress. Having suffered from them myself, I couldpletely understand her feelings.
Besides, while those idiots had a reputation for causing trouble, they weren¡¯t the type to unt their status and cause a scene. They were genuinely here as guests.
However, saying that might make them look too idealistic. The problem was that they didn¡¯t show this side of them to their subordinates.
¡°Thank you for telling me that.¡±
Still, Mother seemed a little relieved by my words, and she smiled softly in response. The head maid behind her also wore a contented smile, but I chose to ignore it.
¡°¡Have you been well?¡±
After a brief silence, Mother finally spoke, though it felt a bit redundant.
The head maid, perhaps sensing the awkwardness, gently nudged Mother¡¯s back. Then, it seemed like Mother realized her mistake, her face filled with obvious embarrassment. She had already asked about my well-being earlier at the mansion¡¯s entrance. Why was she asking me twice in one day?
¡°Of course. It¡¯d beughable if a man from the Krasius family was weak.¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. That¡¯s a good point.¡±
¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯
Seriously, what¡¯s this all about?
I couldn¡¯t understand the context. I had no clue what topic she was hinting at or why she was behaving this way.
I nced at the head maid, wondering if she knew something. However, she looked just as confused.
¡°Speaking of which, about Erich¡¡±
After much deliberation, I finally broke the silence. Mother might never get to the main point if we just sat in silence, so I decided to steer the conversation until she was ready to speak.
So, I used Erich as a buffer. I¡¯m sorry, Erich. Just do Mother and me a favor and lend me your name for a bit.
***
This is strange. I¡¯ve already prepared what I wanted to say to Carl, but my lips won¡¯t move. I had so much I wanted to say, and so much that had to be said.
¡®This isn¡¯t right.¡¯
I had called him here despite his busy schedule. He must have just finished his tasks. I was already asking for a lot to make him stay, so I should quickly fulfill my purpose and let him return to his duties.
But all I¡¯ve done was repeat pointless greetings in front of him. It¡¯s so embarrassing especially when Laura nudged me from behind, looking just as bbergasted.
¡®This can¡¯t go on.¡¯
This was meant to be an honest conversation with Carl. A moment I mustered courage for, a chance to address our unconventional mother-son rtionship and bridge the gap.
¡°They¡¯re kind and cheerful people. They¡¯ll just stay here as guests and leave without any issues.¡±
Carl even tried to reassure me first. It was sweet, but this wasn¡¯t how it should¡¯ve been. As a mother, I should be the oneforting my child, not the other way around. I should be the one who was there for him.
But how do I do that?
Whenever I try to say what I had prepared, my mouth just wouldn¡¯t cooperate.
Do I even have the right to say these things now? That question kept haunting me.
¡°At Krasius family, we have our own way of doing things. We¡¯ve lived by it, which is why we¡¯ve earned the imperial family¡¯s favor.¡±
Those were the words Billy always said when our lovely sons, Carl and Erich, were born.
He meant to leave the upbringing of the kids to him since the Krasius family had their own methods. I simply agreed to it. After all, the two boys would carry on Krasius¡¯ legacy. If the family had its traditions, then we should follow them.
¡°The role of a wife is crucial, too. It¡¯d be a problem if the kids didn¡¯t have a ce to let loose.¡±
During their education, I was told not to be too indulgent with the kids. I couldn¡¯t understand. How could I not adore those small, cute kids? Did that even make sense?
But the living proof was right in front of me. Billy grew up that way. His father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and all the generations before them were raised the same way. And the result? The 300-year-old prestigious and noble lineage of Krasius.
Clearly, it worked. So, was I right to go against this 300-year-old tradition? Would my stubbornness and guilt ruin a lineage of 300 years? Was I willing to ruin the future of my two children and my rtionship with Billy?
¡°Okay, if it¡¯s for the kids.¡±
In the end, I followed Billy¡¯s words. Looking back now, I was so young and naive back then. If Billy had said that to me now, I would have grabbed him by the cor and shook him. It was only natural to show love to my children.
From then on, I only watched the kids from a distance instead of hugging them. If they got hurt, I had the caretaker send herbs. If their training was too intense, I¡¯d ask the chef to pay special attention to their meals. If they seemed to have caught a cold, I¡¯d send a priest.
Every time I did those things, I felt proud inside.
Yes, I love my children. I¡¯m always watching over them. I¡¯m fulfilling my duties as a mother.
Those were such foolish thoughts. Children crave their parent¡¯s simple touch or a hug more than anything. And by the time I realized that, it was already toote.
¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±
Five years ago, Carl fell from a horse and lost consciousness. Fortunately, he woke up soon after, but the expression on his face when he opened his eyes was something I could never forget.
It was as if he was looking at someone else and not his mother. It felt like he was resenting me for only worrying about him when he was on the brink of death.
From then on, I couldn¡¯t pretend to care from afar anymore. Nor did I have the courage to ask for forgiveness.
Time mercilessly moved on while I hesitated.
My child was changing into someone I didn¡¯t recognize. No¡ what did I know about him in the first ce?
¡°Eusenia. How long are you going to be like this for?¡±
During those days, I hid behind the excuse that Carl was too busy to meet me, and also when Erich left for the Academy, leaving me utterly alone. Laura, unable to stand it any longer, broke the silence. She asked me how long I was going to keep doing this and when I¡¯d stop turning a blind eye.
Laura scolded me for what felt like ages. From her perspective as the nanny of the two children, a birth mother with a strained rtionship with her kids must¡¯ve looked terrible.
But thanks to Laura, I gathered the courage. Yes, I should at least beg for forgiveness for the times I had neglected them. And if that¡¯s not enough, then even more.
Thankfully, Carl and Erich came to the territory. They gave another chance to someone they probably didn¡¯t want to associate with anymore.
¡°Speaking of which, about Erich¡¡±
Then, during a gathering I organized to individually ask for their forgiveness, Carl brought up Erich.
It was heartwarming. A mother and elder brother discussing the younger brother¡¯s life at the Academy. Such a harmonious and typical scene. Did I deserve such a moment?
I got too carried away, forgetting the fact that I was the guilty party, and blurted out¡ª
¡°I hope he finds apatible partner at the Academy.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
Carl¡¯s expression hardened slightly, as if to say, ¡®Do you have the right to say that?¡¯
I felt my tears welling up.
***
Mother¡¯s words left me speechless.
¡®Apatible partner?¡¯
Erich did have someone in mind. The fatal problem was that it was an unrequited love.
¡®What should I do?¡¯
Should I mention to her that Erich was in fiercepetition with an imperial prince, two foreign princes, and a saint candidate?
Hiding things from one¡¯s parents was unfilial, but so was causing them to worry. So, was staying silent the best way? But was it really right to hide things about someone¡¯s child?
¡®Damn it.¡¯
I found myself deep in thought for a moment. This was such a difficult problem¡
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 109: Single, 21 years old, and very influential (4)
? Single, 21 years old, and very influential (4) ?
I was torn between being a dutiful and undutiful son because of my love-struck brother. But when I thought about it, I realized that I was no saint, either. In a way, I was outshining Erich in the undutiful son department.
The nobility had a huge responsibility to continue the lineage, and it was a given that this duty weighed even heavier on the head of the family and the heir. But here, we had an heir past the ideal age for marriage and without even a hint of an engagement. From a parent¡¯s perspective, it was probably a huge letdown.
¡®It¡¯s like we¡¯re a matched set.¡¯
The older brother hadn¡¯t gotten married yet, and the younger one was making nearly impossible challenges. How did both sons end up like this? It was surprising that the Patriarch had remained silent for this long.
Was herment about Erich finding apatible partner at the Academy a form of indirect pressure? As if saying, ¡®Shouldn¡¯t the older brother find someone before the younger one does?¡¯
It was a tricky topic. I could dodge it if she was outright pressuring me, but it was harder to defend against it when it was only being hinted at.
¡®I suppose I¡¯ll have to do it, though.¡¯
Right now, marriage was thest thing on my mind. It had been two years since that incident, but those years felt more like ¡®not yet two years¡¯ than ¡®already two years¡¯ to me.
Of course, I couldn¡¯t be alone forever. Despite the unexpected way I came into this world, I¡¯ve livedfortably as a noble. Enjoying the privileges also meant fulfilling the responsibilities. If I had been amoner, I would be worried about survival, not marriage.
However, I don¡¯t want to jump into anything half-heartedly. Could I sincerelymit to someone right now? Probably not. I¡¯d end up thinking about someone else while with them. It was for this reason that I turned down the marriage proposal with Marghetta.
¡°If it¡¯s meant to be, then he¡¯ll meet someone good. There¡¯s still over two years left until he graduates.¡±
I managed to organize my jumbled thoughts and replied appropriately. I was speaking about Erich anyway, so it made sense to continue on that note.
And no matter how much I thought about it, it seemed better not to mention that Erich was after Louise. Saying that would just worry Mother and put unnecessary pressure on Erich.
There was no need for me to step in when he was keeping it to himself. What kind of brother would I be to spill my younger brother¡¯s secret?
¡°Maybe he¡¯ll meet someone after graduation.¡±
I added, thinking of my circumstances and the possibility that Erich would be defeated in the battle for Louise.
Erich might meet someone in the social circles after graduation. I¡¯m already in the social scene, so I might bring someone home someday, too.
It might not satisfy Mother, who had summoned me for marriage discussions, but this was the best I could manage right now. It was better than making promises I couldn¡¯t keep.
¡°So don¡¯t worry about it. He can handle it, right?¡±
I wrapped it up with a generic ¡®He¡¯ll figure it out¡¯ line. Looking at Erich these days, it¡¯s doubtful if he could manage on his own, but Mother didn¡¯t need to know about Erich¡¯s ugly sides. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
It would be nice if she left me alone while she was at it. I was honestly more dependable than Erich, right?
¡°Of course he can. He always has.¡±
Mother nodded slightly and responded in a soft voice. Erich¡¯s reliability might have taken a hit recently, but he was someone who trained diligently on his own before he entered the Academy.
¡°Yes, he¡¯ll do fine.¡±
Let¡¯s trust the Erich from back then. Even if he was strange and a little love-struck now, he was essentially a good kid.
***
The tea party ended without any results. Eusenia, who had been preparing her words for days, ended up not being able to say anything properly and sent Carl back.
¡°I will escort madam. Everyone else, tidy up and leave.¡±
I sent the maids away first, unable to let them see Eusenia looking so lost and silently staring down at her teacup. She was in no state to give orders.
Once the maids had left, I looked at the still-downcast Eusenia. What a fool. She knew forgiveness wouldn¡¯te easily. How would she cope if she was this broken already?
But no matter how foolish or silly she might be, she had been my friend since childhood. If I don¡¯t understand Eusenia, then who would?
¡°Nia.¡±
At the sound of her nickname, she finally reacted and lifted her head. Seeing her unfocused eyes made my heart ache. She was someone strong-willed, so why did she be like this when it involved the kids?
I handed her a handkerchief. Eusenia quietly epted it and stared nkly at the handkerchief. Then, tears began to form in her eyes and started falling one by one.
¡°There¡¯s no one else here.¡±
¡°Sob©¤¡±
The words ¡®there¡¯s no one else¡¯ triggered her muffled crying. Even though we¡¯ve seen each other at our worst, she tried holding back, maybe for the sake of her reputation as a countess.
¡°La-Laura, Laura¡¡±
¡°Yes, yes.¡±
Watching her stutter my name while dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, Iforted her, which made her cry even harder. Sometimes it¡¯s better to let it all out. It helps to ease the pain.
She rarely cried in her twenties, almost to the point where I wondered if she was devoid of emotion, but she cried often in her thirties. Would that change in her forties?
¡°So don¡¯t worry about it. He can handle it, right?¡±
I understand her, though. After hearing such words from Carl, how could she stayposed? No matter how strong she pretended to be, what mother could bear to hear such words from her son?
On the surface, it seemed like an ordinary statement and aforting reassurance. But considering the rtionship between Eusenia and Carl, it was hard to take it at face value.
Even from my third-party perspective, it sounded like ¡®We¡¯ll do fine without you, so don¡¯t bother.¡¯ Imagine how Eusenia must have felt.
¡®How disappointed she must be.¡¯
Carl was a gentle, quiet child. He worked diligently and was considerate of others. That¡¯s why he attracted less attentionpared to his brother;pared to the ever-active Erich, Carl didn¡¯t demand as much attention.
I always felt sorry about that. Carl said that it was okay and that he understood because he was the older brother, but who could really take such words as is? Despite being the older brother, Carl was still a child.
Nevertheless, Carl devoted himself to his training withoutining. It was surprising to see such a young boy work so hard without any tricks or shortcuts. I remember asking him why he was so diligent.
¡°Maybe father and mother will praise me if I work hard?¡±
Such an innocent child, barely used to saying ¡®father¡¯ and ¡®mother,¡¯ was already starved for affection. Even so, he never let that yearning turn into resentment.
He simply believed that they¡¯d notice and love him one day if he worked hard. That was the kind of child Carl was. And now, that same Carl had told her to her face that he no longer needed her attention.
Was it time that changed Carl? Or was it the near-death experience that made him lose his expectations for his mother, who only started to care when he was facing death? Was it the war, or the darkness of the Capital, that transformed him?
¡°I heard Marquis Asilonmitted suicide after being ridiculed by the Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Did you hear? Four noble houses copsed overnight.¡±
¡°I guess age doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Anyone who resisted them is now dead, so who¡¯d dare to speak out?¡±
The longer Carl stayed away from the territory and remained in the capital, the more sinister the rumors about him grew. And those rumors couldn¡¯t be denied; they were all true.
But I believed that Carl¡¯s actions were out of necessity and that he hadn¡¯t truly be a cold and brutal person. Thankfully, my faith was not misced.
I managed to make contact with the servants working at Carl¡¯s personal residence under the guise of coincidence. They recognized me as Carl¡¯s nanny, so they weren¡¯t wary of me. They had nothing but positive things to share. He was described as a considerate master who took care of his servants and someone who always made sure that themoners were well taken care of.
It confirmed my belief. Despite the notorious reputation attached to his role as the Prosecutors¡¯ Executive Manager, he was still that warm-hearted child I knew. I knew how fragile and tender he truly was.
¡®Yes, that¡¯s the kind of child he is.¡¯
Carl indeed expressed his disappointment in Eusenia, but there was still hope. If Eusenia sincerely apologizes and asks for his forgiveness, I believe that he will turn back toward her someday. He was that kind of child.
So I shouldn¡¯t waver. If I falter now, Carl and Erich might forever live without experiencing their mother¡¯s love, given Eusenia¡¯s troubled state.
¡°Nia, don¡¯t cry. There are still plenty of chances.¡±
First, I need to calm down this crybaby.
***
As I was walking down the corridor, I caught a glimpse of Erich¡¯s back.
¡®This punk¡¡¯
I didn¡¯t care before, but seeing him now just irked me. He was the one goofing off at the Academy, but I was the one dealing with the aftermath. Wasn¡¯t I justing back from having to fumble through a conversation with Mother about Erich¡¯s potential match?
If Erich had maintained regr contact with Mother, we wouldn¡¯t have been in this mess. Would she have spoken to me about her hopes for Erich to find apatible partner if she knew him well?
¡°Erich.¡±
The more I thought about it, the clearer it became. This was a problem due to Erich¡¯sck ofmunication with the family. I called him over to give him advice as an older brother, and he obediently approached despite flinching.
¡°Did you greet mother properly?¡±
¡°I did, at the mansion¡¯s entrance earlier.¡±
¡°Not that one.¡±
He quickly spoke as if he was trying to use the most obvious thing as an excuse.
¡°Make sure to keep in touch more often and talk to her. Mother seems to be worried about you.¡±
I ended up giving Erich an unnned lecture. I didn¡¯t feel much affection for Mother, but Erich was her biological child. It would be better for them to maintain regr contact and build a good rtionship to avoid future regrets.
¡°But, brother, you don¡¯t contact mother either©¤¡±
¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m busy. It¡¯s not the same since you¡¯re just at the Academy.¡±
Anyway, it wasn¡¯t my fault. This undutiful brat¡ If I don¡¯t educate him as his older brother, then who would?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 110: Single, 21 years old, and very influential (5)
? Single, 21 years old, and very influential (5) ?
There are times in life when things don¡¯t work out, and then there are times when everything is going so well that you might wonder if it was even okay to be that happy.
That¡¯s how it was for me right now. I hadn¡¯t even gotten used to the small joys yet, and here I was, facing a happiness so great that I never even dared to imagine it. Could it be that the heavens were favoring me?
Being invited to Carl¡¯s family residence might¡¯ve just been a small first step considering the life we would lead together, but knowing that only progressy ahead made it all the more exciting. After all, I would be the one by Carl¡¯s side¡ªthere was no rush.
However, it seemed like the heavens wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with just that. Otherwise, such an event wouldn¡¯t have happened.
I had been invited by Carl¡¯s mother toe to the territory of Count Tailglehen. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect an invitation from her and not Carl.
¡®Things are moving too fast¡¡¯
And I like it.
I left the room Carl showed me to and strolled down the corridor. I couldn¡¯t let this opportunity go to waste.
Was this a positive sign? It must be, right? Then, should I seek out his mother first and greet her? After all, it was only proper to thank the hostess who invited me.
So, I asked a servant and made my way to his mother¡¯s room¡ª
¡°Make sure to keep in touch more often and talk to her. Mother seems to be worried about you.¡±
For some reason, I stumbled upon Carl, who was lecturing someone.
I hid, not wanting to interrupt them, and their brotherly exchange continued. To be honest, it sounded more like a one-sided scolding from Carl.
¡®They don¡¯t really keep in touch, do they?¡¯
I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but it was hard not to overhear from this distance. The two brothers rarelymunicated with their parents.
It felt a bit odd. I had a strange feeling ever since I met Carl¡¯s parents outside the mansion. It was well-known in social circles that Carl¡¯s father was aloof and Carl had also mentioned it a few times before, so I didn¡¯t think much of it.
But there was something unusual about his mother. She wasn¡¯t brusque, nor was she overly warm. It couldn¡¯t be ack of interest in her children, given how her gaze often lingered on Carl and Erich. However, she wasn¡¯t proactive either.
I wondered what the reason could be, but it made sense if it was simply ack ofmunication.
I had worried that the mother-son rtionship might also be strained like the stiff father-son rtionship. It would be too pitiful if that were the case for Karl.
¡®So it¡¯s just awkwardness.¡¯
If it was just a problem arising from ack ofmunication, then that was a relief.
Our family also had awkward moments due to ack ofmunication.
Because father had retired and brother managed the duties in his ce with the assistance of my sister-inw, they were so busy that they had little time to pay attention to their children.
¡°Have you ever cared about what I do?¡±
That was how the heir of the Valenti family nearly went astray. Fortunately, after a heartfelt talk in what father called the ¡®Room of Truth¡¯, my brother and sister-inw began to show proper affection to their children and things got better.
So, a conversation with his mother should help Carl ease the awkwardness between them. He doesn¡¯t even seem to hold any grudges against her.
Carl was surprisingly honest with his emotions. If he really disliked his mother, then he would have already expressed his discontent several times.
What should I do? Should I encourage Carl to talk more with his mother, or should I tell his mother that Carl was just shy?
¡°The youngest should be the one to brighten the mood.¡±
¡°I¡¯m the one at fault, so let¡¯s stop this¡¡±
While I was thinking about it, Carl¡¯s lectures became even more intense. That must be his way of caring for his brother, right?
Watching Erich shrink more and more, I decided to intervene. After all, he was going to be a lord; it was only right to lend a hand.
¡°Carl, Erich.¡±
¡°Mar?¡±
¡°Lady Valenti.¡±
As I appeared, Karl¡¯s lecturing stopped and Erich¡¯s expression brightened. It seems you owe me one, young master.
***
In the midst of my efforts to rehabilitate the wickedly unfilial son, Marghetta¡¯s voice came from behind.
¡°I heard Carl¡¯s voice, so I came over. What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°Oh, I must have been too loud.¡±
It seems that my voice was the only thing that had grown as I grew up as the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager. Spending time with the minister had made me louder, too.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I forced augh and sneaked a nce at Erich. Now that the flow of the conversation was broken, it was time to end this.
¡°I was just giving some brotherly advice.¡±
¡°Did I interrupt you?¡±
¡°Not at all.¡±
Erich hastily replied to Marghetta, who was tilting her head. Perhaps he was worried that I might scold him again after she left.
Seeing Marghetta suddenly brought another thought to mind. The Valenti Dukedom was arge family spanning three generations, so would Marghetta¡¯s words be more convincing when talking about family warmth andmunication? Objectively speaking, I was also an unfilial son who left home and never contacted them.
To be honest, I was entrusting Erich with the duty of filial piety because I couldn¡¯t really call myself their son, but I was still a legitimate child from others¡¯ perspective. Here I was, the older unfilial son lecturing the younger brother about filial duties. The irony of it all wasn¡¯t lost on me.
¡°Carl?¡±
Ah, did I stare at her too much?
¡°Mar. How do you get along with the Duke?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
Marghetta¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at my unexpected question, and then she let out a smallugh. I felt a bit embarrassed for being so abrupt, but I was genuinely curious.
Wasn¡¯t there a significant age difference between Marghetta and the Iron-blooded Duke? Despite that, I¡¯ve never heard of Marghetta feeling awkward around the Duke, or him being indifferent to her. In fact, they seemed to have a close rtionship.
Their rtionship wasn¡¯t just parental but almost like that of a grandparent and their grandchild. Meanwhile, there was only a small age difference of twenty-two years between Erich and Mother.
¡°Is there a reason not to get along? Spending time together naturally brings closeness.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°Even if we¡¯re separated, we can still talk to each other every day using themunication crystal.¡±
That was exactly what I wanted to hear. Right, that made sense. Erich didn¡¯t seem to know that.
¡°Parents would be happy if their children did that.¡±
It was no longer just my opinion, but Marghetta¡¯s, too. If Erich had any sense, he wouldn¡¯t neglect to keep in touch from now on.
¡°If the eldest does it, they¡¯d be even happier.¡±
The conversation took a turn.
Marghetta¡¯s smiling face made me feel a bit sheepish. It seems she saw Erich and me in the same light.
¡°Parents always worry about the eldest. And when the eldest moves, the younger siblings follow. That was the case with the Valenti family.¡±
¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡±
Perhaps because he now saw an opportunity to counter-attack after being beaten down unterally, Erich chimed in from the side, subtly supporting Margareta.
Marghetta, who was solidly backing me just a moment ago, had now returned with a fatal blow. And it was even more difficult because she wasn¡¯t wrong.
¡°Of course, that¡¯s how it was for the Valenti family. Krasius must have its own ways.¡±
¡°We¡¯ve been getting by without a particr method.¡±
¡°Fufu, is that so?¡±
Watching Marghetta chuckle behind her fan, my thoughts became tangled.
I already knew it. If I take the lead, Erich will follow. How could a brother be any different if the elder doesn¡¯t care for their mother?
I was already aware of it. If I made the first move before scolding Erich, he would follow suit. After all, why would the younger be any different if the older brother doesn¡¯t pay attention to their mother?
¡®If I didn¡¯t know that, then there must be a problem with my brain¡¯
But I couldn¡¯t help but feel reluctant to approach Mother. Part of it was because she wasn¡¯t my real mother, but the bigger reason was because I wasn¡¯t her real son. Pretending to be her real son would feel too much like a deception.
Mother might not be the most proactive person, but she did show concern for my marriage prospects and health. She also considered Erich¡¯s potential partners ¡ªshe was willing to perform the role of a mother.
Deceiving such a person didn¡¯t sit well with me. That was why I¡¯ve been distancing myself, relying on the memories from before the possession and trying to act as the real Carl used to. I didn¡¯t expect Erich to build walls too, so now I was btedly trying to bring them together.
¡®It¡¯s shameful.¡¯
I don¡¯t want to do it, but you have to do it¡ªhow was that any different? I thought that inwardly, but it was quite embarrassing to hear something simr from Marghetta.
¡°I was just thinking of visiting your mother.¡±
Just as I was beginning to feel a twinge of guilt for lecturing Erich, Marghetta continued.
¡°As an invited guest, I should greet her properly.¡±
¡°Really? Mother would be happy to hear that.¡±
She was already struggling between the royals and nobility, so a greeting from a fellow noble of the Empire would be quite wee.
¡°Will youe with me, Carl? How about you, Erich?¡±
I hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.
¡°Mother was in the rear gardenst I saw her. She might still be there.¡±
After all the advice I¡¯d given, I couldn¡¯t just make an excuse and flee.
Upon reaching the garden, I saw that Mother and the head maid were still there. The maids had disappeared, perhaps leaving the two to get some fresh air before heading in.
¡°Mother.¡±
Mother, who had been looking at the flower beds with the head maid, flinched and turned our way. The head maid also seemed surprised, as if she hadn¡¯t expected the person who had just left to return so soon.
Honestly, I wasn¡¯t expecting toe back so soon either. Meeting again so soon after parting would be awkward, so I had hoped that she wouldn¡¯t be here.
¡°Oh, nanny is here too?¡±
Erich, who was following behind, waved to the head maid, causing her eyes to widen further.
¡°I brought them because the guest wanted to greet you.¡±
Watching them, I turned my gaze back to Mother. She nodded in a somewhat dazed manner but then turned her attention to Marghetta, who was standing behind me.
Observing Marghetta modestly bowing her head and Mother returning the greeting, I spoke again.
¡°The guest mentioned it would be fine for us to stay together. Are you alright with that, Mother?¡±
It took more courage than expected to do this right after finishing the tea party.
¡°I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll be able to visit our territory again, so I¡¯d like to spend as much time with Mother as possible.¡±
The head maid hurried off after hearing that, presumably to prepare some refreshments.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 111: Single, 21 years old, and very influential (6)
? Single, 21 years old, and very influential (6) ?
It was the first time I had seen the head maid run.
¡®She could run, after all.¡¯
It was already expected, but it was still surprising. The head maid was always so reserved and quiet that I had never even seen her walk briskly, let alone run. I had even wondered if she was somehow unable to run.
Of course, as the Countess¡¯s closest aide and a noble in her own right, it was only natural for the head maid to maintain her dignity. However, the head maid was meticulous to a fault. If you dressed her in a gown instead of a maid¡¯s uniform, she could easily pass for thedy of a distinguished house.
Apparently, I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought so, because the maids who returned with her looked flustered. Even I would be flustered if the head maid, who was always so poised, came running and was gasping for air as she urged me to go somewhere.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Lady. This may take a while.¡±
After the maids brought in the tea, Mother turned her gaze to Marghetta. Brewing a new pot would indeed take some time.
¡°No need to mention it. Rather, I¡¯m the one who should be thankful for being so warmly weed despite my sudden visit.¡±
However, Marghetta bowed her head in reply. Since her visit was unannounced, it was understandable if Mother didn¡¯t treat her with full hospitality. After all, one needed a heads-up to prepare something.
The fact that Mother called back the maids she had sent away seemed to indicate that she was quite pleased with Marghetta¡¯s greetings.
¡°It¡¯s only right to wee a friend of my son. Don¡¯t fret over it.¡±
Our eyes met as I nodded slightly, and Mother smiled faintly.
A friend¡ From Mother¡¯s perspective, Marghetta was probably the first friend I¡¯d brought home, right? It might not be as significant as bringing a marriage prospect, but it was still a happy asion.
Strictly speaking, Marghetta was invited by Mother, but let¡¯s not dwell on that. After all, I was the one who brought her.
¡°Thank you, madam.¡±
Marghetta seemed pleased by Mother¡¯s hospitality and let out a small smile.
***
Was this a dream? Or was I so overwhelmed that I was finally starting to see hallucinations of the things I wanted to see?
If it¡¯s a dream or an illusion, then I wish it would continue. I¡¯d like to be happy for a moment, even if it¡¯s going to be shattered.
¡°The front garden was beautiful, but the rear garden is also lovely.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the pride of our territory. The gardeners have poured their hearts into it.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right to hear that from someone who hasn¡¯t been to the territory for a long time.¡±
¡°Be quiet.¡±
However, it wasn¡¯t just my eyes that were receiving signals. My ears were also insisting that this was real and that the moment I longed for was actually unfolding before me.
The two brothers were sitting together amicably, along with thedy Carl brought along. I was there too, not as an intruder but as someone who was rightfully part of the gathering. Just moments ago, such a scene was beyond my wildest dreams.
I looked over at Laura, and she seemed just as stunned. But her smile soon reassured me. Yes, what I was seeing was real.
¡°Have we been talking amongst ourselves too much? I¡¯m sorry, madam.¡±
It seemed that Lady Marghetta took it the wrong way as I continued to stare at them. She¡¯s sorry? On the contrary, I was the one who should be the most grateful.
¡°It¡¯s nice to hear the conversation of the young people these days.¡±
I shook my head slightly. Indeed, it was nice. It was nice to hear Carl¡¯s voice and to hear Erich¡¯s stories.
Though they weren¡¯t speaking to me directly, the fact that they didn¡¯t mind my presence and freely carried on with their own conversations was so heartwarming.
Lady Marghetta smiled brightly at my response. How could someone be so lovely?
¡®Thank you, Young Lady.¡¯
I wanted to take her hands and bow several times to express my gratitude, but doing so might make her ufortable.
Anyone with half a brain would see that Lady Marghetta was the one steering this gathering. How could they not? My child, who had just left, returned with her by his side.
Even now, Carl¡¯s gaze frequently turned to Lady Marghetta as the conversation flowed. It must either be because she orchestrated this situation, or because Carl held her in high regard. Either way, it was a wee development.
Lady Marghetta even made an effort to include me in the conversation, allowing me to naturally engage with the children.
¡®She¡¯s so mature at such a young age.¡¯
Was it this year that Lady Marghetta turned eighteen? I gave birth to Carl when I was her age, but I was immature and pitiful back then.
Once she appeared beautiful, everything about her seemed lovely. Her red hair appeared warm, and her green eyes sparkled like jewels. Her smile was beautiful, and her maturity ran deep¡ªshecked nothing.
¡®If only I had known she was such a person.¡¯
I was, in fact, already aware of Lady Marghetta. After the New Year¡¯s Ballst year, rumors had spread quickly amongst thedies of the social circles.
The rumor was that the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s beloved youngest daughter had set her heart on Carl and that the Iron-blooded Duke was eyeing Carl to be his prospective son-inw. As that rumor spread, the flood of marriage proposals to the County of Tailglehen for Carl abruptly stopped.
Who would dare to pursue someone marked by the Iron-blooded Duke himself, especially when the Duke¡¯s daughter was the source of the rumor?
¡®I didn¡¯t like it.¡¯
At the time, Billy trusted that Carl would handle his own marriage prospects and did not interfere. He simply forwarded all of the proposals to Carl to let him choose.
I also thought that it was the right approach. It was more fitting for Carl to choose his own partner than for us, who were hardly parental, to choose for him. But the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s intervention robbed Carl of his opportunity to choose.
It was infuriating. No matter how much she loved Carl, using her family¡¯s influence to rob him of his choice and pressure him as if he were a hunted animal was distasteful.
But did I have the right to be displeased? Did I have the right to protest against it? What if my protest against the duke¡¯s family harmed Carl? What if Carl actually liked Lady Marghetta?
Although I was unable to act one way or the other, it now seemed like doing nothing was the right decision.
¡°Your cup is empty. Would you like more?¡±
¡°Yes, thank you.¡±
Carl, noticing Lady Marghetta¡¯s empty teacup, picked up the teapot.
Seeing him care for her so attentively made it clear that Carl had feelings for her. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be here, apanying her to the same table as me.
I was inadvertently watching this when Carl noticed my gaze and leaned towards me.
¡°Mother, your cup is empty too.¡±
¡°Oh, yes.¡±
The tea slowly filled my empty cup. It was a simple act, one I¡¯d seen several times today. But why did it feel so special now?
I almost shed tears. When Carl left earlier, I could only stare hopelessly at my empty cup. But now, Carl was filling it for me.
It was the same cup, and yet it felt different. Was it not just tea filling the cup but something more? Or was it not just the cup that was being filled? An indescribable happiness welled up inside me.
¡°Thank you, dear.¡±
My voice trembled slightly. I felt embarrassed about showing such an ugly side of me amidst the pleasant atmosphere, but Carl just smiled at me as if nothing had happened.
Suddenly, I wondered. How long had it been since this child smiled at me like this?
¡°You should have refilled Mother¡¯s cup sooner.¡±
¡°Carl, you¡¯ll tire out Erich.¡±
¡°Nanny, is there no sparkling water¡?¡±
Erich¡¯s request prompted Laura to pick up a bottle, her expression bright. I probably had the same look on my face.
The impromptu tea party didn¡¯tst long, which was a bit disappointing¡ª
¡°It was a pleasure to be with you, madam. If it¡¯s alright, may I visit again?¡±
¡°Of course, Young Lady.¡±
My sadness vanished instantly. How could I not be pleased at the thought that my benefactor might return? Apart from that, a faint hope arose that Carl might apany her again if she came.
With that hopeful thought, I casually looked toward Carl and caught his eye as he was whispering something to Erich.
¡°I¡¯ll see you at dinner.¡±
Carl¡¯s words left me momentarily stunned before I hastily nodded in agreement. Right, it was normal for the family to gather at mealtime. That was how it should be.
¡°Yes. Let¡¯s see each other then.¡±
Of course. It was only normal.
I bit my lip hard to stop the tears. If I let my guard down, I might cry like how I did in front of Laura.
With that, Carl and Erich left, saying we would see each other at dinner. Then, I briefly held back Lady Marghetta as she was about to leave.
¡°Madam?¡±
She blinked as if asking what the matter was, and I cautiously began to speak.
¡°I was worried about Carl living alone in the capital, but I¡¯m d that he met someone like thedy at the Academy.¡±
¡°You¡¯re being too kind. I¡¯m the lucky one to have met Carl.¡±
¡°I feel reassured knowing that you¡¯re by his side.¡±
And then, I let out a small sigh.
It was funny that I was saying this now.
Ideally, I should have met Lady Marghettast year when the rumors in society began to spread.
¡°Spreading that rumor in the social circles must have taken courage, and I¡¯m sorry for ignoring you for a whole year.¡±
¡°Oh, yes, yes¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m not against the Young Lady. I just want you to know that.¡±
Lady Marghetta bowed several times with a dazed look and then left.
Seeing her like that, I realized that she wasn¡¯t just a deeply mature person. She was also quite cute for her age.
***
Starting today, I¡¯m going to pray three times a day to Enen.
¡°I feel reassured knowing that you¡¯re by his side.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not against the Young Lady. I just want you to know that.¡±
It was clear that Enen favored me. I could be sure of it. Otherwise, this wouldn¡¯t be happening.
¡®Hehe, fufufufu¡¡¯
I desperately held back theughter that threatened to leak out since I was still in the rear garden. I couldn¡¯t let Mother hear such frivolousughter.
However, something felt off.
¡®The social circles?¡¯
And a year? What did she mean? I do remember something aboutst year, but she said she heard it from the social circles. So, it wasn¡¯t something she had heard from Carl?
¡®Why¡?¡¯
Why would Mother hear about me through the social circles? If it¡¯s that kind of news, then it could hardly be called good news.
Could it have spread? That Carl rejected me? Was it all over the social circles?
¡For real?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 112: Something I Would Overcome Someday (1)
? Something I Would Ovee Someday (1) ?
When I received Mother¡¯s letter in the capital, I had a vague sense of what would happen. I thought I would be badgered about the marriage issue. If she had called her son, who had been single for over twenty years, to her sitting room, it meant she was prepared to push the matter. Anyone would think so.
But in the days that followed our arrival at the territory, she didn¡¯t bring up the subject of marriage at all. We had three meals together and even enjoyed afternoon tea in the garden, but not once did she mention it.
¡°That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t rest properly during the preparations for the club fair.¡±
¡°It breaks my heart to see a student like you work so hard.¡±
¡°Thankfully, we had Sir Carl. Each person is crucial, and he also happened to be from the Ministry of Finance.¡±
Instead, she never directly addressed the issue. After all, Marghetta, who was beside me, was a living and breathing pressure card.
Ever since Marghetta greeted Mother in the garden, Mother warmly weed her. Every time we had a tea party in the garden, Marghetta was invariably invited. There were even times when they met alone without me.
It was hard to pretend not to notice such behavior. If I didn¡¯t notice, I wouldn¡¯t have survived as a civil servant.
¡°It seems that Carl gets along well with the youngdy.¡±
Mother¡¯s gaze briefly turned towards me after taking a sip of tea before returning to Marghetta. I¡¯m pretty sure that the head maid behind her was smiling while covering her mouth.
Wasn¡¯t this just the same as pressuring me for a marriage, just without saying the words outright? Should I be relieved that she wasn¡¯t pushing someone unfamiliar onto me and asking, ¡®How about her?¡¯
¡°Fufu, I think the same way.¡±
Marghetta¡¯s smile never left her face, as if she found this situation amusing.
¡®So this is how things turned out.¡¯
I knew very well that Marghetta favored me. It wasn¡¯t lesser thanst year; if anything, it had grown.
However, I didn¡¯t expect her to be so proactive in approaching Mother. When she first greeted Mother, I thought she¡¯d just make a mere introduction. However, this was clearly beyond mere pleasantries.
As I fiddled with my teacup, the three of them slyly focused their attention on me.
¡®Ah.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t respond because I got lost in thought for a moment. Not answering the statement ¡®you seem to get along well¡¯ was almost equivalent to saying that I didn¡¯t agree with it.
Marghetta seemed to interpret it that way too, as her expression, which was cheerful just a moment ago, gradually darkened.
¡°I feel the same way. Where else would I find someone like Mar?¡±
Her mood brightened again after my words.
¡°I see.¡±
Mother nodded lightly, seeming satisfied with the answer.
¡°The Count and the Countess also had a three-year age difference.¡±
¡°Head maid, why are you bringing up our story when we¡¯re discussing the children?¡±
¡°I apologize, madam.¡±
The head maid, who had been watching with a content expression, discreetly spoke. Even though Mother reprimanded her, her face showed no sign of real anger, and the head maid¡¯s expression remained calm.
She must have been waiting for the right timing to bring up that topic.
¡®I have no one on my side.¡¯
Mother, who kept throwing a prying gaze at me as she spoke, the head maid, who asionally threw in support, and Marghetta, who simply looked happy.
Except for the maids standing in the background, all of them were pressuring me. It wasn¡¯t that I disliked it, but it didn¡¯t feelfortable. For Marghetta, this situation must feel like torturous hope.
When I inadvertently looked at Marghetta, I saw her blushing face. The fact that Mother and the Patriarch had a 3-year age difference must¡¯ve triggered various thoughts within her. She didn¡¯t seemfortable, either.
¡®I feel sorry every time I see her.¡¯
Pretending not to recognize her evident favorability towards me was hard. And even when I feigned ignorance, her favor didn¡¯t diminish but grew stronger. If I remained unresponsive, then I¡¯d be heartless.
She was more than generous, and I felt grateful for that. Maybe that was why I couldn¡¯t meet her gaze directly; her favor was far too heavy for me to ept lightly.
When I look at Marghetta while carrying those past burdens, I couldn¡¯t tell if I saw her for who she was, or if I was seeing Hecate through her. I wasn¡¯t sure myself.
¡®How long will this continue?¡¯
I couldn¡¯t forget Hecate, but I couldn¡¯t be tied to her forever. Hecate wouldn¡¯t want me to do that, either. She¡¯d more likely nag and ask me why I was living this way. She was that kind of brat.
So, I always thought I¡¯d eventually get married. I would move on and see other people, but that was easier said than done.
But if I were to date someone¡
¡°Young Lady, try this as well. It¡¯s the chef¡¯s specialty.¡±
¡°Thank you, madam.¡±
It would probably be Marghetta.
Dating several people like what the Gold Duke did might be understandable, but honestly, if I was still human, then I couldn¡¯t ignore Marghetta.
***
Life in the territory was quiet and uneventful. Part of that was due to the fact that Tailglehen wasn¡¯t exactly famous for being a tourist destination.
¡°It¡¯s raining a lot.¡±
¡°It¡¯s summer, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡±
The weather today wasn¡¯t favorable for going out. In a way, wasn¡¯t that a relief? There was nothing to see outside anyway, so there was a reason to stay inside.
The club members also seemed reluctant to exert themselves in this gloomy weather and focused on indoor activities. Even now, Ainter and Lather were ying chess. Please continue to always be like this. Then, I¡¯d have noints.
¡°The knight must always be at the frontlines!¡±
¡°Even the bishop should stand before everyone!¡±
¡°Do you guys even know how to y chess?¡±
There were also some bizarre enthusiasts on the side who were giving strange instructions, but let¡¯s just ignore that. Starting their moves with the knights and bishops¡ª if they did that, then what were the pawns for?
Looking at the chessboard where the five idiots gathered, I turned my gaze toward the balcony. At some point, Louise had gone there. Even if the roof was providing some shelter from the rain, it must be quite chilly outside.
Judging by how these Louise detectors haven¡¯t noticed, she must have just stepped out. I should tell her toe inside before she catches a cold.
¡°Louise.¡±
Maybe my voice was buried in the sound of rain, because she didn¡¯t react even after I called her name.
¡°Louise?¡±
¡°O-oppa?¡±
It was only when I got closer and touched her shoulder that she turned around with a jolt. Recognizing that it was me, she took a deep breath, seeming genuinely surprised. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have bothered her.
Feeling a bit awkward, I quietly watched her. After a few deep breaths, Louise finally spoke with a faint smile.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was lost in thought and didn¡¯t notice you.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I just got here.¡±
I waved my hand and looked in the direction Louise was looking at.
¡®It¡¯s nothing special.¡¯
It was just the garden. A rain-soaked garden. I wondered if she hade out because she saw something, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.
¡°Why are you out here when it¡¯s raining?¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay because the coolness feels nice.¡±
Contrary to her chuckling response, the corners of Louise¡¯s eyes drooped weakly. Ignoring it wouldn¡¯t be right, but prying without context wouldn¡¯t be, either.
¡°Yes, it does feel cool.¡±
If so, then all I needed to do was to wait until she talked. If she really had something she couldn¡¯t share with anyone, she wouldn¡¯t have stayed on the balcony.
I¡¯m sure the others would have noticed and taken care of Louise even if I hadn¡¯t, but having seen her, I couldn¡¯t just ignore it.
As we stood side by side while observing the garden, I felt her sneaky nces. When I nced sideways, Louise hesitated as if she wanted to say something.
Let¡¯s wait. If I rush her, she might run away and dismiss it as nothing.
¡°Oppa and Erich seem close.¡±
After a moment of hesitation, Louise spoke first.
¡°You both enjoy tea and meals together.¡±
¡°Do we? I think it¡¯s just normal.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it? Not arguing is the most important thing.¡±
Having said that, Louise smiled faintly before looking back at the garden.
¡°I couldn¡¯t do that with my unnie.¡±
I stiffened at the casually dropped bombshell. I didn¡¯t expect this topic toe up so suddenly.
I instinctively wanted to offerforting words, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. After all, I officially didn¡¯t know anything about Louise¡¯s past. She might look at me with a disdainful and fearful look while asking, ¡®How do you know that, oppa?¡¯ if I said something.
¡°I had an older sister who was four years older than me.¡±
¡°That¡¯s just like the age difference between me and Erich.¡±
¡°Ah, I guess that¡¯s true.¡±
Although Louise tried to smile brightly, she looked even sadder. Weren¡¯t people who were trying to endure on their own more pitiable than those who openly showed their pain?
¡°But unnie and I¡ couldn¡¯t have the same rtionship as you and Erich.¡±
Resting her hand on the rain-soaked railing, Louise bowed her head for a long moment.
¡°I wanted to be close to unnie.¡±
Then, she lifted her head and looked at me. Before I knew it, her face was streaked with rain.
¡°But unnie went far away because she didn¡¯t like me. So, I guess we¡¯ll never have that kind of rtionship.¡±
When I didn¡¯t say anything, Louise awkwardly smiled. She must have felt embarrassed and sorry. After all, it was quite heavy to suddenly confide those kind of grievances to someone.
However, I think it was for the better. Releasing a trauma she had carried alone since her childhood to someone was important. After all, it was too much for a seventeen-year-old to bear alone.
Surprisingly, I was the one she confided in, rather than the other guys. Were they like this in the original story as well?
¡°I¡¯m sorry for suddenly saying something like this.¡±
Louise added that seeing me and Erich reminded her, so I ced my hand on her head.
And then, I ruffled her slightly disheveled hair.
¡°O-oppa?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for that.¡±
There was no need for the victim to apologize for seeking counseling.
¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±
Come to think of it, it was raining on the day that Louise¡¯s sister died.
What a coincidence. It was the same for me.
Rain seemed to symbolize tragedy in this world, didn¡¯t it?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 113: Something I Would Overcome Someday (2)
? Something I Would Ovee Someday (2) ?
That day was just like today. The same dark sky that seemed to mock me then seemed to beughing at me now. Louise must have felt the same way.
When you¡¯re having a bad day and it rains, the misery doubles, and the memories be embedded deeply in your mind. It rained that day, bringing me that sense of despair. Now, it inevitably brought back those memories every time it rained.
¡®I must have done something bad in my past life.¡¯
It felt like I must have betrayed something, maybe even a nation, and earned considerable hatred from someone. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have suddenly found myself possessing someone else¡¯s body in another world, nor would I have been dragged into a battlefield within a year of that possession. Whether it was Enen who hated me or some other being, I couldn¡¯t be sure.
To be honest, I could understand that much. Even in other novels, possessions usually happen out of the blue, and crises and trials are part of the package. But usually, after oveing such trials, there should be a happy ending. So why didn¡¯t I get my happy ending?
I don¡¯t know if someone is messing with my fate, but if there is, then I¡¯d like to grab them by the cor and ask them if they¡¯re satisfied with causing such chaos in my life.
If they disliked me so much, they should have just taken me instead of involving others.
¡®I should¡¯ve been the one to die.¡¯
It was such an absurd turn of events. It felt like the world was hell-bent on taking Hecate away from me.
Our fellow team managers, who were like family to us in the North, died. But Hecate could hold on back then because I survived.
She was severely injured in the battle with Kagan. Still, she held on because there were also people she needed to care for.
But then, those very people she needed to look after also died. Hecate couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. Once her reason to endure vanished, she just copsed.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Carl.¡±
Hecate left for a distant journey from the orphanage where she grew up. In a remote northern orphanage where she was sure there would be no one, amidst the bodies of those whom she believed to be alive.
Hecate didn¡¯t abandon the northern orphanage even during the war. She pleaded with the Minister, who was the Manager of the 4th Division back then, to ensure that the people of the orphanage could evacuate to safety. The Minister reported this to the Executive Manager of that time.
That bastard said he understood. After that, Hecate regrly sent money to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office to be used for the living expenses of the people in the orphanage. He agreed and took the money. At that time, the other team managers and I had also contributed.
The oue was devastating.
¡°Hecate. I¡¯ll also¡¡±
¡°No. I¡¯ll do it alone. Yes, it¡¯s my duty.¡±
I had considered them family even though I¡¯ve never met them since they were precious to Hecate. These were the people I had told Hecate not to worry about, promising to employ them as our servants once she became the Countess.
I had to witness Hecate silently burying those people. Unable to cremate the bodies which were burnt in the fire, she buried them following pagan rites.
Luckily, Hecate didn¡¯t have to dig for long. The rain had softened the earth, and most of the bodies were small.
And the next day, Hecate set off on a journey to join those people, a journey from which she would never return.
¡®If only I had known.¡¯
If Hecate had heard that news during the war, she wouldn¡¯t have been so devastated. Even though she would have been shocked, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen apart since there were many people to support her.
But with five of them gone and Hecate herself gravely injured, her spirit was unstable. How could she cope when she received such news on her way back to the capital?
¡°How could this happen?! We thought this issue had been resolved!¡±
Afterward, I was so infuriated that I felt like I was going crazy. The Minister and I stormed into the Executive Manager¡¯s office and confronted him.
That bastard of an Executive Manager spouted excuses like it was toote when he received the report and that he hid it, fearing it would interfere with our mission. Bullshit. If it was really toote, at least the bodies should have been recovered.
I was livid. I wanted to kill that bastard. The Minister seemed to feel the same as he grinded his teeth in anger.
So, we killed him. The Crown Prince, who was aiming to take control of the Ministry of Finance and the Prosecutors¡¯ Office at that time, fortunately provided us with backup. That allowed us to legally take action.
¡®I never thought I¡¯d be given the responsibility to handle the aftermath.¡¯
I assumed someone else would take over the Ministry of Finance.
After that, I learned that Hecate¡¯s severe injuries from the war would eventually leave her disabled. I was overwhelmed for a while, but time passed, and here I was.
¡°Oppa, I feel dizzy¡¡±
¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡±
I must have unconsciously applied too much force while I was distracted. Instead of simply ruffling Louise¡¯s hair, I ended up shaking her head back and forth.
I¡¯m sorry. I meant to be more gentle.
¡®You¡¯ve had it even tougher than me.¡¯
I watched Louise carefully fix her hair as I withdrew my hand. At least I was an adult when I had to let go of Hecate. Hecate even apologized to me until the end.
Louise, on the other hand, was only eight years old when it happened. Moreover, thest thing she heard from her sister wasn¡¯t an apology or a farewell but a curse. She suffered even more than I did.
Being the protagonist of the original story, her trials seemed fitting for a hero. But in this case, it would have been better if she wasn¡¯t the protagonist.
¡°Thank you for telling me.¡±
This time, I patted Louise¡¯s shoulder a few times. Yes, thank you for telling me. Ideally, I would have preferred it if she had confided in one of the members of the club¡ªlike Erich, for example¡ªbut I still felt happy that she trusted me as her advisor.
Louise¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She was probably expecting to be scolded for bringing up such a distressing topic but was instead taken aback by my words of gratitude.
¡°Talking to someone about it can at least bring somefort.¡±
¡°Can it really do that?¡±
Louise timidly lowered her gaze, and my heart ached for her.
Keeping it to yourself never solves anything. You can only resolve these things by facing them head-on or by sharing them with others.
¡°Like I said before, it¡¯s not your fault.¡±
It wasn¡¯t Louise¡¯s fault. To be precise, it¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault. If somebody had to be med, then it would be Louise¡¯s parents for not paying enough attention to her sister. But then again, parents naturally tended to focus more on the sickly youngest child.
It was just a tragedy caused by inexperience. ming the parents for their daughter¡¯s death seemed too harsh.
¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t wish for it to happen.¡±
Louise never wished for her sister¡¯s death. She wanted to be on good terms with her.
Neither did I. I wanted to be a couple with Hecate whom everyone envied.
¡°You didn¡¯t ignore it, either.¡±
Louise med herself for her sister¡¯s death. She didn¡¯t dismiss it as a mere coincidence but took it to heart.
I did the same. I med myself for not being a stronger support for Hecate.
¡°And you haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±
Louise still remembered her sister¡¯s incident. That was why she liked everyone but couldn¡¯t truly love anyone.
I was the same. I couldn¡¯t be with anyone else because I couldn¡¯t forget Hecate.
¡°That¡¯s why no one would say that it¡¯s your fault.¡±
She didn¡¯t wish for it, didn¡¯t ignore it, and hadn¡¯t forgotten it. Would anyone really me someone like that?
I doubt it. There was probably none, and there shouldn¡¯t be anyone who would.
¡°So, don¡¯t apologize for things like this.¡±
I held Louise¡¯s shoulders and turned her around.
¡°It¡¯s getting chilly. You should go in first.¡±
¡°Oppa?¡±
¡°Go ahead.¡±
She hesitated, so I gently pushed her back. She looked back several times while going in, but I just gestured silently, and she finally went back inside.
I guess saying just this much was enough for now. It seemed like Louise spoke impulsively, and holding her for a long session of mental counseling would just be awkward and troubling for both of us.
I just said the words she needed to hear, the words that would feel good to hear. That was easy enough to do.
¡®Those were the words I wanted to hear.¡¯
Louise, having experienced something simr, must have wanted to hear those words too. It didn¡¯t matter who said it; it could have been anyone.
I hope she¡¯d been able to verbally release her frustration. There was also a part of me that wanted her to ovee her trauma, because if she could get over it, then so could I.
I wanted to takefort from the fact that if a child who had been through worse could do it, then why couldn¡¯t I?
¡®How shameful.¡¯
Even I could see how shameful it was. Here was an adult who was unable to stand up on their own, seeking help from someone younger. It¡¯s utterly andpletely disgraceful. It¡¯s something I wouldn¡¯t even dare mention anywhere.
Still, I did provide somefort to Louise, so maybe it¡¯s not 100% shameful. It¡¯s a contribution in its own way, after all.
¡°The rain stopped.¡±
I looked up at the sky and unintentionally spoke out loud. The rain had stopped, and there were fewer dark clouds than before.
It could start raining again, or the day might clear uppletely. The weather these days was so unpredictable.
¡°It will clear up sooner orter.¡±
Even if it rained for a few days, it wouldn¡¯t stay gloomy forever. Someday, the sky would clear up.
¡°Oppa!¡±
¡°Why did youe out again?¡±
I was quietly looking at the sky when I heard Louise¡¯s voice from behind. I had just convinced her to go inside, and now she¡¯s back outside. My influence seems fleeting.
I turned around and saw Louise, who was extending a towel towards me.
¡°You got wet too, Oppa.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but smile back at her gentle, smiling face.
Chapter 114: Something I Would Overcome Someday (3)
? Something I Would Ovee Someday (3) ?
I quietly slipped out to the balcony, unnoticed by the others. For some reason, rainy summers always made me feel strangely unwell.
Actually, it wasn¡¯t really that strange, because I knew exactly why. I was still trapped in that day, the one from nine years ago that I couldn¡¯t seem to forget.
I looked up at the sky, which was filled with dark clouds. It was dark as ever, just like how I always felt when I saw it. It reminded me of unnie¡¯s feelings toward me, and it always brought me down. It was dark that day too, and it rained heavily.
¡®I¡¯m sorry, unnie.¡¯
It had been a long time since I surpassed the age unnie was. I¡¯ve even grown taller than her, who seemed so tall when I was younger. She stopped growing in the past, but I¡¯ve continued to grow. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m really sorry.
But it would never reach her no matter how much I apologize. They say the souls of good people stay as guardian spirits near their loved ones, but unnie hated me. She won¡¯t be by my side. She¡¯s probably in heaven.
Still, I couldn¡¯t stop apologizing. It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s because of me that she¡¯s gone now.
¡°¡ªise¡ª¡±
I doubt I¡¯ll see her even after death, but still¡
¡°Louise?¡±
Just then, I felt a weight on my shoulder and heard oppa¡¯s voice.
¡°O-oppa?¡±
The suddenness of it startled me. Only after turning around did I realize the potential awkwardness. I hoped I hadn¡¯t been crying. Were my eyes red?
It would be rude to appear gloomy to oppa, especially when I¡¯ve been invited into his family home and was supposed to be enjoying myself.
Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like I had cried, seeing as he didn¡¯t say anything in particr and just expressed his concern about me being out in the rain.
He noticed that I came out and followed to check on me. Oppa was truly kind.
¡®I wish I were more like him.¡¯
If I were half, no, even a quarter as good as oppa, then maybe unnie wouldn¡¯t have left. Seeing the bond between oppa and Erich, I can be sure of it. Yes, that must be it.
Thinking about it made me steal a nce at him. Standing next to me, oppa looked at the garden silently.
¡®Would it be okay?¡¯
Suddenly, I wondered if it would be okay to talk to oppa about my sister.
It was a spur-of-the-moment thought, but at the same time, it seemed like a good idea. It didn¡¯t feel right to tell the others.
I knew they¡¯ve been showing me kindness, but it would be selfish to unterally share my personal burdens with them. It might seem like I only reached out when I needed something from them.
But with oppa, who treated me like a sibling and was always considerate of me¡
¡°Oppa and Erich seem close.¡±
Of course, I was being childish for leaning on oppa¡¯s kindness and being selfish. He might be taken aback when I suddenly bring up something so heavy.
But the words were already out. I¡¯ve held back until now, but I just couldn¡¯t do it today for some reason. Maybe it¡¯s because of the weather that reminded me of that day, or maybe it¡¯s because I feel like oppa, who was kind, would listen to my feelings.
So, I let it out. Everything I¡¯ve kept to myself, and the ones I couldn¡¯t even share with my parents, who felt the same sorrow.
¡®I¡¯m such a fool.¡¯
And after I said it all, I came back to my senses. What a fool I am. Why did I say all of that? I must have bothered oppa, who was already busy enough as it was.
I added a bted apology, but I guess he must be disappointed already¡ª right?
¡°O-oppa?¡±
His hand suddenlynded on my head. It was so unexpected that I almost thought he was going to scold me, but he gently ruffled my hair instead.
¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for that.¡±
I found myself looking straight into oppa¡¯s eyes.
¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±
¡®Really?¡¯
The words rose to my throat, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say them. Just epting oppa¡¯s words seemed too unfair to unnie.
If I ept that it¡¯s not my fault, then it¡¯s as if unnie died for no reason. I felt grateful for oppa¡¯s words, but I couldn¡¯t just agree with them.
As I remained silent, oppa kept ruffling my hair without saying a word. Gradually, he applied more force, making not just my hair but my entire head shake.
Was he punishing me for saying something unnecessary? I¡¯m sorry, oppa. I feel dizzy. Or was it because I didn¡¯t respond? Either way, it was my fault.
¡°Thank you for telling me.¡±
But oppa wasn¡¯t trying to scold or punish me. It was just his way of showing intense affection.
¡°Talking to someone about it can at least bring somefort.¡±
I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look up at him. Maybe that¡¯s how it seemed. Maybe it looked like I wantedfort.
But I didn¡¯t. I just needed to get it off my chest. I¡¯ve never once thought I deservedfort.
Still, a part of me felt tickled. Even though I considered myself a sinner undeserving offort, his words almost brought me to tears.
¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t wish for it to happen.¡±
That¡¯s right. Who would wish for their only sister¡¯s death?
¡°You didn¡¯t ignore it, either.¡±
Yes, I didn¡¯t ignore it. After all, I was the reason why she left.
¡°And you haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±
Of course I haven¡¯t. How could I forget? It¡¯s something I could never forget even if I wanted to.
Despite feeling unworthy, I wanted to hear more of oppa¡¯sforting words. Just a little more, please. Any words would do, even if they weren¡¯t sincere.
¡°That¡¯s why no one would say that it¡¯s your fault.¡±
Really? Were there really no people who would me me?
My parents only med themselves. The servants who knew about it just pitied me and kept quiet. No one else knew because I never opened up.
Would the others not me me if they knew? Would they say it wasn¡¯t my fault?
¡®If it¡¯s oppa who¡¯s saying it¡¡¯
Oppa had always been considerate towards me, and he¡¯d never lied before.
Yes. If that¡¯s what oppa says, then it must be true. It should be.
¡I guess I just wanted to believe that. I wanted to trust the words I wanted to hear from someone I trusted.
¡°It¡¯s getting chilly. You should go in first.¡±
Despite my one-sided whining, oppa kindly suggested that I go inside first even though he must be cold, too.
Before heading inside, I noticed that he was a bit wet from the rain. I should bring him something so he could dry himself off. He might catch a cold if he stays wet.
As I looked around, I locked eyes with Erich, who was a bit apart from the others.
¡°Louise, were you outside?¡±
¡°Yes, I just needed some air.¡±
¡°But you shouldn¡¯t stay out long enough to get wet.¡±
Erich rummaged through a nearby drawer and handed me a towel. He sure knew where everything was since he lived here.
¡°Can I have another one?¡±
¡°Ah, is it not enough?¡±
At that, I subtly nced towards the balcony, and Erich followed my gaze. Then, he nodded and pulled out another towel.
¡°That¡¯s surprising. I thought he didn¡¯t like the rain.¡±
Thatment stopped me in my tracks as I was about to head back outside. Oppa didn¡¯t like the rain, either?
¡°Why? What happened?¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Erich hesitated for a moment and let out a sigh before finally speaking. He said it wasn¡¯t a pleasant story and that he couldn¡¯t go into details.
¡°A few years back, there was a big incident. Everyone was worried that hyung might not make it.¡±
His additionalment that it had also been raining then made my mind go nk. Did I just whine about my trauma in front of someone with their own trauma? And to oppa, to whom I owed so much?
My hand, which was holding the towel, trembled. Was heforting me while carrying his own wounds?
¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, okay?¡±
¡°Uh-huh¡¡±
I could barely nod in response to Erich¡¯s repeated request. How could I tell anyone? I¡¯ve kept my own issues tightly hidden, so what right did I have to talk about oppa¡¯s?
As I weakly headed back to the balcony, I saw oppa¡¯s back. The back that had looked so strong and imposing before now seemed different.
This was it. The reason oppa had seemed off all this time. He had things he¡¯d been hiding, avoiding, and bearing all alone.
Of course, I didn¡¯t know the details, and I shouldn¡¯t. Until oppa chose to tell me himself, I must remain oblivious.
¡°Oppa!¡±
I shouldn¡¯t show any strange behavior. I shouldn¡¯t let him see worry or pity in my face. If the kid who just went in came back out looking grave, he would suspect something.
So, I would smile. I could definitely smile in front of oppa.
He was the one whoforted and embraced me first. He was the first person I opened up to.
¡®Let¡¯s wait.¡¯
For the day when oppa would open up to me. For the day when I couldfort him.
Seeing oppa smile back at me, I made that promise to myself.
***
I was moved by Louise¡¯s kindness, who came back out in the rain. Thinking about how this sweet child has been suffering so much until now brought tears to my eyes.
¡®Please be happy.¡¯
If Louise ovees her trauma, then I, too, could find the courage to move forward. I still feel that way. But apart from my own courage, I also wanted to see this bright, unscarred child smile happily.
Hang in there, Louise. If there¡¯s any conscience left in this world, you, as the protagonist, should be destined for a happy ending.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 115: What a Long Vacation (1)
? What a Long Vacation (1) ?
Due to the rainy season, it rained for days on end. As a result, all activities were confined within the mansion, and in the meantime, chess was elevated to the official board game of the pastry club and was yed more than ten times a day.
Watching the real madness of Rutis, who always promoted his pawns to knights and operated with five of them, and the fake madness of Tannian, who ditched the bishop strategy for queens, was surprisingly entertaining. They both yed well, indulging in entric strategies like true veterans of the game.
¡°A knight killing a priest? What a sign of the end of times.¡±
¡°A fair and square victory is the true virtue of a knight.¡±
The only thing regrettable was that they were still stuck in their silly role-ying antics.
And every time they caused a ruckus, Lather looked at them with a subtly twisted expression on his usually expressionless face as if wondering, ¡®What on earth are these people doing?¡¯
¡®They¡¯re certainly not normal.¡¯
But from my perspective, Lather was just as weird as they were. How did such a bunch of fools end up here? It¡¯d be hard to gather such a group even if one tried.
I turned away from the embarrassing club members, worried about beingte for the tea party.
¡®I feel like I¡¯m drinking more tea than water these days.¡¯
Lately, tea felt like my regr drink, and today was no exception since Mother called for me again. A mere rain wouldn¡¯t dampen Mother¡¯s enthusiasm, after all.
Of course, there was no need to go to the rear garden. Why risk adding rainwater to our tea? The problem was that the tea parties held inside the mansion were bing morevish.
The bigger the event, the longer I had to sit with them. It would¡¯ve been easier to slip away unnoticed if only there were more people, but it was always the same members: me, Mother, and Marghetta. That was it.
At first, all of the guests were invited to these tea parties. It¡¯s one thing when it¡¯s a small-scale gathering, but it¡¯s tricky to invite some and ignore others when it¡¯s a grand event held inside the mansion. But after showing up once or twice, they started skipping the tea party altogether.
¡°The prosperity of the Krasius family is a blessing to the Empire.¡±
Wondering if something was amiss, I asked them. Ainter exined their reason, which roughly tranted to ¡®The atmosphere between you guys seemed nice, so we¡¯ll opt out as uninvited guests.¡¯
¡®Why are they so tactful only when ites to these kind of situations?¡¯
Why is it that they¡¯re so perceptive about other people¡¯s affairs when their own romantic rtionships are ruined?
I understood Irina¡¯s absence since she was a third party, and I get that Louise had sharp insight. But damn it, you guys shouldn¡¯t do this. Think of the hard time I¡¯ve been having because of you.
No matter how positively I tried to think about it, it was infuriating. If they had that level of perception, they should¡¯ve stopped acting like fools until now.
¡°Hyung, I¡¯m not that clueless.¡±
And the most annoying brat¡ªI mean, the most annoying person was Erich. How dare he say that in front of me?
He¡¯s not clueless? Does that mean he was just shy when it came to his own love life or something? How did these five idiots end up together?
¡®Damned fools.¡¯
But what was the use of getting angry? The fact that I had to go to the tea party alone didn¡¯t change.
¡°Sir Carl, wee.¡±
¡°You¡¯re here. Have a seat.¡±
At least there were two, no, three people happy about it, including the head maid. The smile she wore was too warm today.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte.¡±
Attending the tea party felt a bit awkward, but it wasn¡¯t an unwee gathering.
It was certainly better than being summoned by the Crown Prince while I was working. That bastard did nothing but mumble to himself while drinking wine.
For a moment, I imagined Marghetta whining drunkenly. The same action felt different depending on who did it.
¡°Sir Carl?¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡±
I quickly looked away from Marghetta, who blinked innocently. It felt rude to have those thoughts about her, especially considering her noble upbringing.
After that, the tea party went smoothly except for the incident where the head maid said, ¡®It seems the Young Master became shy because of the youngdy¡¯s beauty.¡¯
***
I couldn¡¯t just drop the pen from my life.
If that wasn¡¯t the case, then I wouldn¡¯t be here. Did I grab a pencil during my first birthday celebration or something? What¡¯s wrong with me?
¡°The work gets done quickly with the Young Master¡¯s help.¡±
¡°That¡¯s because the head butler had almost finished it.¡±
I handed over a document to the head butler while massaging the back of my neck. I didn¡¯t expect to be working even aftering to the territory.
Or rather, was it because I was here at the territory? Although it was natural for the heir of the family to oversee the work, I honestly haven¡¯t really yed the role properly until now.
¡®It feels strange.¡¯
Working in the territory and not in the Capital felt so unfamiliar.
And it was also sad that I was now handling other tasks when I had just finished my workload in the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
But what could I do? I couldn¡¯t ignore the head butler, who was clearly overworked. His dark circles seemed to sag further down his face every time I saw him.
¡°I¡¯ll be able to sleep soundly tonight.¡±
See, he even felt happy about such small things.
¡®Poor thing.¡¯
If the head butler had any fault, it was that he got stuck with the wrong superior. The Patriarch, except for military and diplomatic affairs, left everything else to the head butler.
Considering that the Patriarch was also a member of the imperial council, the head butler being overworked seemed inevitable. But just because it was inevitable didn¡¯t make the work any less exhausting.
¡®He should be healthy.¡¯
He had to be, so he could continue to work hard when I became the Count.
I briefly thought about sharing the potion I received from the Mage Duchess with the head butler, but then discarded the idea. Didn¡¯t they say that health drinks lost their effectiveness when shared? Then, it would be better to find something else for him.
¡°Young Master, could you please take care of this as well?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
I took the document the head butler handed me and quickly scanned it.
From what I heard, a chicken fed with ginseng tasted better, so a well-nourished head butler must be more capable, right?
But the head butler would probably run for the hills if he heard this, so I kept the thought to myself. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
¡°Oh. By the way, Young Master.¡±
I got nervous for a moment, thinking that he caught my train of thought.
¡°The Count of Horfeld changed just the other day.¡±
¡°The Count of Horfeld?¡±
It was an unexpected piece of news. The Count of Horfeld was one of the Empire¡¯s nobles and was a subject of frequent attention. How could this happen so suddenly?
¡°Peoplee and go so quickly.¡±
We often interacted with other imperial families, so I¡¯ve met him personally. I should offer my condolences¡ª
¡°He retired.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
That exined it. He seemed perfectly fine in thest report.
¡°The title was passed on to their young master. The reason wasn¡¯t disclosed, but he¡¯ll be the youngest Count of the Empire.¡±
¡°He¡¯s even younger than me?¡±
¡°He¡¯s only two years older than Young Master Erich.¡±
That would make him 19. Being a Count at an age when he hadn¡¯t even graduated from the Academy¡ that would be quite a heavy burden.
¡°He¡¯s still young; it must be tough.¡±
The head butler¡¯s expression changed slightly at myment, but I ignored it.
I was the exception. Wartime and peacetime weren¡¯t the same.
Either way, the imperial council would be bustling for a while due to the change of the Count of Horfeld. Just how much of the previous Count Horfeld¡¯s shares the current count would be able to inherit was still uncertain.
¡®It¡¯s going to be busy for a while.¡¯
And whenever such an incident urred, it was the Prosecutors¡¯ Office that moved. We had to thoroughly check the background of the new count, reassess his close associates, and monitor the scale of justice that was being administered.
Damn it, it looks like I would have to go back to the Capital and start working again. Why did the respectable gentleman retire and make things difficult for others?
***
The Count¡¯s office, which was inessible without permission, was an ideal ce for secretive conversations.
¡ª So there are no suspicious movements.
¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±
It was also a suitable environment for reporting to the Emperor.
¡ª The Information Department¡¯s report is the same as the Count¡¯s. It waspletely calm, without any movement.
I quietly nodded to His Majesty¡¯s words. Indeed, the guests staying in the territory showed no unusual movements.
They stayed inside when it rained and took a stroll when it was sunny, asionally attending my wife¡¯s tea parties. Just like guests at a friend¡¯s house.
Their calmness made me wonder if they were acting discreetly to avoid my watchful eyes, but it meant that they were genuinely cautious if the Information Department also reported the same.
¡ª Perhaps I was wrong.
¡°How can Your Majesty say that? It¡¯s only due to our shorings.¡±
The Emperor expressed doubt in his wise judgment, but that wasn¡¯t true. His Majesty was right. It¡¯s only because we haven¡¯t reached the level of His Majesty¡¯s insight.
¡ª These are the ones who yed the bold move of enrolling in the Academy. They¡¯re prepared for a three-year stay.
Yet, His Majesty continued without any agitation.
¡ª They aren¡¯t ones to act carelessly even if given the chance to.
I couldn¡¯t deny His Majesty¡¯s words. That¡¯s right. If they nned to stay in the Empire for three years, they would move cautiously. If they didn¡¯t want to be forcibly sent back after just one semester, then they would have to be discreet.
Yes, His Majesty was correct. If they were the kind to reveal their true colors as soon as nobody was looking, they wouldn¡¯t havee to the Empire so boldly.
¡ª Keeping them in your territory any longer might arouse suspicion. Send them back at an appropriate time.
¡°As youmand, Your Majesty.¡±
Despite the suddenness of their arrival, they were still royalty and guests of the Empire. Leaving them unattended for too long in a foreign territory rather than the Capital would be undeniably suspicious.
¡ª Still, it¡¯s a good thing that we have the Executive Manager.
¡°I am humbled by Your Majesty¡¯s words.¡±
I couldn¡¯t raise my head after hearing about the trust that was ced in Carl, the Executive Manager. This showed that His Majesty¡¯s trust extended not just to me but also to my son, the future of the Krasius family.
Indeed. He was the legacy of the Krasius family, a truly remarkable and excellent son.
And with those gracious words, His Majesty ended themunication.
As His Majesty hadmanded, it was now time to send them back at the right moment. I owed that much to my wife, after all.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 116: What a Long Vacation (2)
? What a Long Vacation (2) ?
Even if they weren¡¯t suspected of being spies, the guests shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly as they were foreign princes and a saint candidate. Even the fact that the 3rd Prince was staying in our mansion only added an indescribable weight to my wife¡¯s burden.
Normally, such distinguished guests wouldn¡¯t even have to visit the County of Tailglehen. If they did, it should have been at my invitation. The burden and responsibility of being the host fell on my wife, which didn¡¯t sit well with me.
Fortunately, His Majesty had now instructed me to send them back at an appropriate time. I¡¯m sure my wife would feel relieved.
¡°You¡¯re going to send them back?¡±
¡°Yes. It¡¯s impolite to detain such esteemed guests for too long. They¡¯re better off in the capital than in a mere county.¡±
So, I personally conveyed it to my wife. Perhaps surprised by the sudden news, her eyes widened.
¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time, wife.¡±
¡°Billy¡ Are Carl and Erich also returning?¡±
¡°Yes. Erich is apanion of the guests, and Carl is too busy with work.¡±
It was an obvious statement. After all, Carl wasn¡¯t just in any department but the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, and was trusted by both His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince. I almost felt guilty for having kept him in the territory for this long.
Moreover, the Count of Horfeld changed just the other day. When such a significant event like the change of an Imperial Council member urred, the Prosecutors¡¯ Office inevitably had to act. In fact, it was no different from having them sent back to the capital even before they began packing their bags.
¡°Carl could leave even today¡ª¡±
¡°No.¡±
My wife interrupted me.
I was somewhat surprised that ady like her, who valued dignity and decorum, would cut off someone¡¯s words. Of course, she must¡¯ve had her reasons.
¡°No, not yet. We can¡¯t send him back yet.¡±
¡°The Emperor and the Empire have high expectations for him. He¡¯s our child, but he¡¯s also a subject of the Empire. We need to send him back to where he belongs.¡±
¡°Carl belongs here.¡±
¡°Wife.¡±
It was unusual and somewhat endearing to see her being so stubborn, reminding me of how she was before our marriage.
However, it couldn¡¯t be helped. I couldn¡¯t let my personal feelingspromise the affairs of the Empire. I had no choice but to persuade my wife.
¡°I¡¯ve only just found a child for Carl to be with.¡±
However, I couldn¡¯t ignore what she just said.
¡°Wife, what do you mean?¡±
¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. I¡¯ve found a suitable match for Carl.¡±
¡°Send them back immediately.¡±
It seemed that my wife had been up to something strange in the meantime. A suitable match? What did that even mean?
I firmly shook my head and stopped her. This was something we shouldn¡¯t meddle in.
I didn¡¯t me my wife, though. It was my fault for not fully understanding what she was doing and for not exining things to her properly.
¡°Billy!¡±
Thinking it would be quicker to speak to Carl myself, I turned around, only to be tugged back as my wife let out a loud cry.
When I turned back, I was stunned. My wife, her face flushed red and tears in her eyes, was ring at me.
¡°Are you going to take my child away from me again, just when I can finally see his smile once more after all this time!?¡±
¡°Wife, what are¡ª¡±
I wasn¡¯t able to finish my sentence as she grabbed me by the cor.
***
Only after promising to send the guests, including Carl, in a few days was I released from her grip. Besides, His Majesty had said ¡®at an appropriate time¡¯, not ¡®immediately¡¯.
¡°My Lord.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±
I encountered the head butler on my way back to the office, who looked at me awkwardly. I must look like a mess right now.
¡°I won¡¯t give in this time! If you send Carl back without telling me, I¡¯m going to return to my family¡¯s home!¡±
I hadn¡¯t realized my wife could be so assertive. Even though I retired from the military and became a Count of the Empire, I was still active in the war until just two years ago. I shouldn¡¯t have been so easily overpowered by her.
I waved the head butler off and entered my office.
¡®A match.¡¯
That was an unexpected development. Ever since I told her to handle the marriage discussions herself, my wife hadn¡¯t been involved in Carl¡¯s marital affairs. But now, she suddenly found a ¡®match¡¯?
How could that child possibly have the leisure of finding a match? He had lost someone he cherished. After sending him away¡
¡°Where did it all go wrong?¡±
I sighed in frustration. To be honest, I knew where things started to go wrong. How could I not know?
It began four years ago during the Great War.
¡°The Prosecutors¡¯ Office also participated in the war. The 4th Division came.¡±
¡°What are you talking about? The Prosecutors¡¯ Office is supposed to handle domestic affairs.¡±
The Prosecutors¡¯ Office, the Emperor¡¯s sword, was meant for domestic and not foreign affairs. That was why I ced my eldest son, Carl, in that department and went to war myself. It was the most efficient, safe, and sure way.
But the war took a strange turn, and the Prosecutors¡¯s Office got involved. Carl, who was newly appointed there, ended up in the North. It was maddening. I wanted a son who lived to serve the Empire, not a hero who died for glory.
If someone had to die, it should¡¯ve been me, his father, to sacrifice for the future generation. That was the Krasius way. That was why I ced him in a somewhat safer position.
Thankfully, the training paid off. Carl not only survived the war but also achieved great feats.
Training the children thoroughly without letting my emotions interfere was the right decision.
I grew up disappointing my father. I experienced his expectations turn into disappointment, then anger, and finally, indifference. The feelings of powerlessness and self-loathing I felt back then were by no means light.
So, I didn¡¯t put emotional pressure on my children. I raised them with sufficient and thorough training, not wanting them to end up as failures like me. I had no doubt that it was the best path for them.
I never expected that the proof of their thorough training woulde in the form of the war.
¡®At least he survived.¡¯
Truly, it was fortunate that he survived. The Prosecutors¡¯ Office was a ce for proving one¡¯s ability and loyalty, and for gaining experience. Who could have known it would turn out like this?
That¡¯s why I sent Erich to the Academy and not to a government position. There was no guarantee that the same thing wouldn¡¯t happen to him, as it did to Carl. Risking my child¡¯s life once in such a gamble was more than enough.
Moreover, my wife wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it if Erich went off to war or faced a simr crisis. She had fainted upon hearing that Carl and I had both gone to war.
¡®Erich, at least¡¡¯
Carl and I had already rolled through the mud, but Erich had to stay unscathed. He mustn¡¯t experience the tragedies that Carl did.
Carl found his match in a ce where anyone could die at any time, leading to a tragedy. Living at the Academy, Erich shouldn¡¯t face such events.
¡®My wife is being unreasonable.¡¯
Thinking along these lines, I recalled what my wife had said. A suitable match for Carl? It wasn¡¯t something we should interfere in.
It was up to the child to heal his wounds and make his own decisions. There shouldn¡¯t be any artificial interference in that process. After all, Krasius¡¯s ancestors were meant to be mentors who trained the next generation, not meddlers interfering in the younger people¡¯s lives.
¡°Are you going to take my child away from me again, just when I can finally see his smile once more after all this time?!¡±
But recalling my wife¡¯s tearful outcry, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to impose Krasius¡¯s ways on her.
Although my wife now bore the Krasius name, she originally came from the Aras family. It would be difficult to force the ways of Krasius on her too much.
She already followed Krasius¡¯s method in raising our children. And now that the children were grown, it was over. Asking for more would be greedy.
Yes, it was only right to let her do things her way now.
***
I was summoned by Mother again. It was unusual for her to call me twice in one day.
¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯
Mother usually preferred to keep to herself and didn¡¯t engage in meaningless talk or actions. If she was suddenly calling me, then there had to be a good reason.
But wouldn¡¯t it be better for her to call me once and Erich once as well, instead of calling just me twice? Mother, aren¡¯t you interested in Erich?
¡®Is this the curse of being the eldest son?¡¯
It felt simr to family gatherings during holidays where the eldest grandchild was bombarded with questions about marriage. As long as I was single, Mother¡¯s attention wouldn¡¯t drift to Erich.
Erich should be grateful to me. I was cheering him on in his unlikely battle for love, and also drawing all of Mother¡¯s aggro during that battle. Where else would he find a brother like me?
If he couldn¡¯t make it work with Louise, then it must be fate.
¡°Mother.¡±
¡°Have you arrived? Sorry for calling you again.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t have much to do, anyway.¡±
I had just been ying with paperwork with the head butler, but I didn¡¯t mention that.
As I sat down, I noticed Mother looking around uneasily. She seemed anxious and worried.
ncing to the side, I saw the head maid. Judging by the subtle tightening of her lips, she didn¡¯t feel at ease, either.
¡®What¡¯s this about?¡¯
If they had been like this since my first day at the territory, I¡¯d understand. But why were they suddenly acting like this now?
¡°Carl.¡±
¡°Yes, Mother.¡±
After fidgeting with her teacup for a moment, Mother finally spoke.
¡°I believe you¡¯ll do well on your own, but you¡¯re over twenty now¡ don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to at least get engaged?¡±
Ah. So this was why.
Since I didn¡¯t budge even when pressured with Marghetta¡¯s presence, it seemed that Mother had switched to directly addressing the matter.
It was moments like these that I felt sad for being the eldest son. It would have been nice if I had an older sibling or two.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 117: What a Long Vacation (3)
? What a Long Vacation (3) ?
Since I possessed this body five years ago, shouldn¡¯t I be considered six years old instead of 21? If that was the case, then the eldest son wasn¡¯t me, but Erich. That¡¯s why the pressure to marry should fall on Erich and not me. That¡¯s how the universe should bnce things out.
Of course, this was all nonsense. I would probably be sent straight to the mental health facility at the temple if I said something like that.
¡°You¡¯re talking about getting engaged?¡±
¡°Yes. You¡¯re over twenty, aren¡¯t you? If you dy any longer, people might start spreading rumors.¡±
That was certainly true. For nobility, where producing an heir was seen as basic etiquette and the highest duty, how could someone be not engaged when they were past the prime age? Unless someone was visibly incapable of marrying, that wasn¡¯t something people usually epted.
Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t qualify for such exceptions even with my status in the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. Noble engagements were almost sacred.
I¡¯ve barely passed my twenties, so it was quiet for now, but give it a few more years and people would start questioning my sexual preferences. Just the thought of it fills me with dread.
¡®What should I do about this?¡¯
This was a legitimate concern for a mother. Even though I wasn¡¯t her real son but a counterfeit, we haven¡¯t officially severed our mother-son rtionship. It would be odd topletely disregard her worries.
But agreeing to an engagement right here and now? That wasughable. I already turned down Marghetta¡¯s proposal because I wasn¡¯t ready, and now I was supposed to ept another? It felt like a joke.
The problem was that rejecting it was even more problematic. Rejecting Marghetta twice? That would be inhumane. I would rather bite my tongue and die before being beaten up by the Iron-blooded Duke.
And there was also a slim chance that Mother might bring anotherdy if I turned Marghetta down again. That would be just as bad.
¡®Ah.¡¯
There was a good excuse. It was a good thing that I remembered it just in time.
¡°You¡¯re right, that might happen in a few more years.¡±
¡°Indeed. There are always those who want to tarnish people¡¯s purity.¡±
As I agreed, Mother continued unabashedly. Her high praise of me was almost embarrassing.
¡°But imposing my situation on someone else wouldn¡¯t be fair.¡±
Thatment made even my aggressive mother pause for a moment.
Mother seemed to have taken a liking to Marghetta. I wonder what happened in such a short time that she captivated Mother¡¯s heart, but suggesting that Marghetta had circumstances would make anyone think twice.
Maybe that was the reason why Marghetta and I hadn¡¯t formed any rtionship yet. Then, Mother would be the one making a fuss for nothing. That was probably what was going through her mind.
Of course, that wasn¡¯t true. It was just an excuse I came up with on the spot.
¡°Isn¡¯t Marghetta in the Academy¡¯s student council?¡±
Everyone knew that Mother considered Marghetta a suitable match for me, and that included me, her, and the head maid, so I went to the point.
¡°I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s very busy, but the engagement will be brief during the holidays. So, it shouldn¡¯t interfere with her duties in the student council, right?¡±
¡°The student council is a problem after graduation.¡±
I went on to exin. The Academy¡¯s student council was typically where students interested in government positions gathered. If Marghetta wanted to pursue a government career, being engaged or married to me would be a burden.
¡°If being a civil servant is her goal, then it¡¯s best to avoid marriage right after graduation. Marriage isn¡¯t a short affair, and time is needed to adapt to the partner¡¯s family afterward.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°Yes. And by the time she gets through that, the junior members of the student council will have graduated. Isn¡¯t it difficult if she had morepetitors?¡±
Mother, who had lived a life far removed from the Academy¡¯s student council or the life of a civil servant, quietly lowered her gaze at my words. She was unable to refute it since she had no experience firsthand, and because the person she was talking to was the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
If an expert said it, then it had to be true. Despite being pushed around in the administration, I was still considered a high-ranking official outside.
¡°Of course, engagement and marriage are different, but even an engagement could pressure Marghetta, who wants to be a civil servant. She might even give up her dreams because of me.¡±
¡°That would be wrong.¡±
¡°Exactly. So let¡¯s wait a few years until Marghetta has established herself as a civil servant.¡±
Mother nodded in agreement, and the head maid sighed softly as if there was no other choice.
¡®This actually worked.¡¯
To be honest, I didn¡¯t really know whether people avoid marriage right after graduation and wait until after they¡¯ve established themselves. I¡¯ve never had a normal civil servant life to know that. I just made it up after remembering a subordinate who once took a leave for his wedding.
It was a flimsy excuse to anyone familiar with my field of work, but Mother didn¡¯t know much about it. Besides, I was the Executive Manager. Who would doubt the Executive Manager¡¯s words?
Anyway, this would buy me a few years. How I would handle the pressure when it came was something I would leave to the future me.
¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯m just dying the inevitable.¡¯
I knew that this wasn¡¯t a real solution.
To solve this fundamentally, I would have to bring up Hecate¡¯s matter, but I didn¡¯t like the idea of going around and using it as a way to avoid marriage.
They say that sharing the pain lessens it, but why should people who were uninvolved in it bear any of it? Did Mother, who was just worried about her eldest son¡¯s match, deserve such pain?
And I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the sympathetic looks I¡¯d receive. The more I received those looks, the harder it would be to shake them off. The Minister and the Invincible Duke were enough for that.
¡°Maybe Erich will marry before me.¡±
¡°Even so, the eldest should marry first.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly at Mother¡¯s firm response to my attempt in changing the subject. Well, who knows when that eldest son would be ready?
At least the Patriarch wasn¡¯t pressing for a marriage arrangement. Mother was at least persuadable, but would persuasion work if the Patriarch had already made up his mind?
For a moment, I imagined the Patriarch repeatedly asking ¡®So, when¡¯s the marriage?¡¯ with an expressionless face. Hmm, that wouldn¡¯t be easy to answer.
After that day, Mother stopped bringing up the topic of marriage.
Of course, she didn¡¯t stop inviting Marghetta to the tea parties to subtly promote her. Only the verbal pressure stopped.
And the look in Mother¡¯s eyes when she gazed at Marghetta became more wistful, like a child told to wait even though there was a tempting fruit within arm¡¯s reach.
¡°Mother? Do you have something you want to say?¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±
It seemed Mother¡¯s heart had grown more fond of Marghetta, possibly out of sympathy. Her way of speaking to Marghetta had even be more casual.
Naturally, Marghetta was pleased. Perhaps she was one of those people who found joy in the little things and lived a happy life.
¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±
Feeling a vibration in my pocket, I discreetly stood up. I asked the Senior Manager to look into Count Horfeld¡¯s affairs, so perhaps the investigation wasplete.
Of course, I only gave him instructions over themunication crystal since I was unable to return to the capital immediately. It would only be the initial report, so I¡¯d have to see the detailed report in person.
Anyway, I excused myself from Mother and Marghetta and headed to a secluded part of the garden.
***
With a faint vibration, Carl stood up from his seat. It must be work-rted. After all, Carl never gets a day off as the Executive Manager.
I feel sorry for him every time. I hope he¡¯ll step down from his official duties one day and livefortably. Maybe he¡¯ll even spend quiet days with me in Tailglehen¡¯s territory.
¡®Someday.¡¯
Someday, that will happen. Yes, it surely will.
¡°It seems like being a civil servant isn¡¯t easy.¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±
I nodded and agreed with Mother¡¯sment. From her perspective, it must be sad to see Carl living in the capital instead of their territory.
After watching Carl¡¯s retreating figure for a moment, Mother turned to me and smiled gently.
¡°Choosing that path is remarkable.¡±
I blinked a few times at the unusualment. Not responding to Mother¡¯s words felt impolite, but she just nodded slightly as if it was okay.
¡°Carl told me that you¡¯ve set your sights on being a civil servant.¡±
¡°Ah, yes¡ that¡¯s right.¡±
The student council was typically a gathering ce for students who were aspiring to government positions, so that was technically true. And I did consider joining the Prosecutors¡¯ Office before Carl came to the Academy.
Of course, it didn¡¯t matter now since Carl was at the Academy.
¡°They said that entering government service makes it hard to marry for a few years, but I¡¯ll support you since that¡¯s the path you¡¯ve chosen.¡±
¡°Sorry?¡±
What?
My head went nk at the iprehensible words that came from Mother. Entering government service made marriage difficult? For several years? Really?
I didn¡¯t know that. If I had known that, then I wouldn¡¯t have even considered a career in the government. Why would I choose something that would hinder my time together with Carl?
¡®Oh no¡!¡¯
Mother said that she would support me. In her mind, I¡¯ve already be a prospective daughter-inw who would work as a civil servant for years after graduation.
No, that¡¯s not it at all! I have no intention of waiting for years to marry¡! We can do it right after graduation, or even today if Carl agrees!
¡°Choosing that path as a nobledy might not be easy, but even Billy would admire you for making this choice for the sake of the Empire.¡±
However, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak after seeing Mother continue speaking with a warm smile on her face. Saying ¡®You had it wrong¡¯ in this situation would likely turn her warm expression into a cold one.
She seemed content with the idea of me bing a civil servant and serving the empire. What if that suddenly changed? Her current contentment and satisfaction might turn into a sense of betrayal.
¡®This can¡¯t be happening¡¡¯
Why did I do that? Why did I make that decisionst year?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 118: What a Long Vacation (4)
? What a Long Vacation (4) ?
A few more days passed after I received the report from the Senior Manager, and it became difficult to stay any longer. It was time to return to the capital.
The main reason I came to the territory was because Mother wanted to see me for a bit, and having the others join was more of a bonus. If there was no more reason to stay, heading back to the capital made sense.
Honestly, it was hard to stay in the County of Tailglehen, which wasn¡¯t known for its tourism. Right now, the victims of Rutis¡¯s Five Knight y were quietly seething for a rematch, but who knew when these fools would mor to go out again?
¡°I¡¯m thinking of heading back to the capital.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll let the others know!¡±
So, I tasked Louise with spreading the news. No one would probably want to stay in the territory if Louise said that we were going back to the capital. Anyone who wouldn¡¯t be cooperative didn¡¯t deserve to be in the pastry club.
Even Marghetta, who I was worried about, agreed to return to the capital. She seemed a bit sad, but it wasn¡¯t like we could stay in the territory forever. We had to go back eventually, so she readily agreed.
¡°You¡¯re going back?¡±
¡°Yes. Since everyone is staying in the Empire for the trip, it¡¯s difficult to stay in one ce.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
Mother just nodded without much reaction. The eldest son she summoned for marriage discussions was using his career as a shield, so there was no point in holding him back.
Just like that, we suddenly decided to return to the capital like how we suddenly came to the territory. Life was full of such sudden changes, wasn¡¯t it?
¡°You must eat it every day. It¡¯s ineffective if eaten irregrly.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
This was also sudden.
On the morning of our departure to the capital, Mother bombarded us with a ton of gifts. After receiving the Mage Duchess¡¯s potions, I was now receiving healthy foods. It was really too much.
Even the head maid, and not just any maid, personally exined and handed me each item. When to eat this for the best effect, when to eat that, what it does for me, and so on.
¡°If you think you¡¯ll forget, tell the butler. He¡¯ll give it to you at the right time.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
I nced sideways and saw that Erich was barely holding the growing pile in his arms. I thought about offloading some of my items to Erich, but that seemed difficult to do now.
Then, Mother followed my gaze to Erich and shifted her target to him.
¡°I heard that the Academy¡¯s training can be intense, so make sure to take these.¡±
Erich nodded nkly. With that much, there might still be leftovers even at his graduation.
¡®It¡¯s Mother¡¯s way of caring.¡¯
It was heartwarming to see her consideration for the undutiful sons who rarely got in touch.
¡®If only it had been like this earlier.¡¯
Honestly, it would have been better if she had been like this before Erich entered the Academy. Perhaps she only realized the importance of her child who was always around after he¡¯d gone off to a faraway Academy.
But still, it was good that she was changing now. The Patriarch might not change over time, but a warm-hearted mother would surely make Erich happy.
¡°I have to go now, but I¡¯ll be in touch.¡±
After confirming the farewells from the Patriarch and the members, I bowed to Mother. Yeah, let¡¯s keep in touch, even if it¡¯s just asionally. Erich might not contact Mother if I didn¡¯t, and that would be troublesome.
The initial trip to the territory with those idiots felt daunting, but I was able to leave with a light heart in the end. If Erich and Mother¡¯s rtionship improved, then that alone made the trip to the territory worthwhile.
***
They¡¯re leaving. I want to hold them back for just one more day, but I can¡¯t.
I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t feeling sad. I¡¯ve just started to have normal, happy conversations with those kids, and I wanted to enjoy that happiness more.
But I managed to send them off, suppressing that regret. The happiness I¡¯ve experienced now won¡¯t disappear like bubbles; I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ll be able to experience it again.
¡®When they return¡¡¯
The kids wille back. They had to leave home temporarily due to their roles as a civil servant and a student, but they will return someday.
And then, I can enjoy that happiness again. Clinging to the present and being stubborn would only worsen our slightly repaired rtionship.
¡®Let¡¯s wait.¡¯
I neglected those kids for nearly 20 years. The time I actually looked at them properly was less than 20 days, and yet, I was able to restore a rtionship that I never dared to dream of in that brief moment.
I mustn¡¯t act hastily, for the sake of those kids who approached me as their mother even though I didn¡¯t deserve to be treated so. And also for the sake of my daughter-inw, who helped mend our rtionship.
It was only possible because of them, not me. So, I need to proceed carefully and gradually.
¡°Wife.¡±
¡°Billy.¡±
As I watched the children walk away, Billy approached.
True to his word, he waited for Carl to tell me he was going back on his own. I felt a little embarrassed after remembering how I shook him by the cor during that process.
¡°I¡¯m d the cor-grabbing was worth it.¡±
Billy spoke, reading my thoughts. I quietly looked down. No matter how excited I was and how angry I was with Billy, I was too harsh.
Still, I would do it all over again if I had to. How could he say such harsh words about sending those kids, who were just starting to talk, back? And especially when I hadn¡¯t even properly connected his son with his daughter-inw?
¡®She¡¯s quite impressive for her age.¡¯
Thinking of my daughter-inw, a mix of regret and pride surged within me. I wanted her to at least be engaged to Carl, but it failed. How could I me her, though? She was a child filled with amitment to serve the Empire.
I already knew she was deep and mature. I didn¡¯t expect her to aim to be a civil servant despite being a noblewoman, but that was a pleasant miscalction.
Of course, as Carl¡¯s mother, I wish she had chosen marriage to Carl over her career. The problem was that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say that. After all, I owed her a favor.
If Carl can convince her to choose marriage over being a civil servant and theye to Tailglehen after her graduation¡ª
¡®I¡¯ll have to teach her the duties of a hostess.¡¯
She¡¯d been preparing for a government position, so she¡¯d learn quickly.
***
The dissonance of being at home in the morning and at work by lunchtime was more heart-wrenching than expected, especially since it wasn¡¯t from the mansion in the capital but from the territory. It felt like working on a holiday.
¡®He¡¯s always bothering other people.¡¯
This was all because of the former Count Horfeld. I wouldn¡¯t have had to go to work if he hadn¡¯t retired so suddenly.
¡°Is he healthy?¡±
¡°Yes, he even enjoyed hunting yesterday.¡±
¡°So he¡¯s still strong. I see.¡±
I brushed through my hair roughly at the Senior Manager¡¯s calm response. A person whose health was so bad that they needed to hand over their title to a 19-year-old wouldn¡¯t be capable of extreme sports like hunting. What¡¯s the real story? Did he just retire to have fun?
If he had officially handed over the title, then the Emperor must have approved it. However, we had to figure out why, regardless of the approval. After all, there might be some schemes or backdoor dealings with the other nobles.
But no matter how much I looked, I couldn¡¯t find anything. It¡¯s most likely that he retired just to rx.
¡®How envious.¡¯
From now on, the former Count Horfeld would be my role model.
Anyway, I moved on from the sudden escapade of the former count to the other documents. The reason for the escapade was less important than the aftermath.
¡°He seems capable.¡±
And the aftermath was quieter than expected. The Imperial Council fluttered a bit with the sudden recement of a member, then settled down again.
¡°Most of the former Count¡¯s shares have been inherited. It seems he consulted with his vassals before retiring.¡±
¡°That makes sense.¡±
Abruptly announcing his retirement publicly was one thing, but keeping it a secret from even his own vassals would be crazy.
Looking closely at the details, the Count¡¯s vassals remained mostly the same, with the addition of just a few young subordinates. The amount of money circted to the other members of the imperial council to celebrate their session to the council was exactly as I expected.
And an appropriate amount of ¡®friendship money¡¯ was deposited to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
It wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it would be. I was worried that he might go on a ¡®young hothead¡¯ spree, refusing to give any under-the-table money.
¡®There are no issues.¡¯
I felt unjustly upset for having toe to work when there was no problem. It was fortunate, but why do I feel this bittersweet feeling?
Rubbing my stiff neck, I turned my attention to the Senior Manager. I came to work in a hurry today because of Count Horfeld, but I might as well handle any pending matters since I was already here.
¡°Is there anything unusual?¡±
The Senior Manager trembled at my question and cautiously opened his mouth.
¡°The 2nd Manager contacted me first.¡±
Damn it. I was just checking, but something popped up right away.
Just hearing that there was a call from the 2nd Manager, who was stationed in the north, was enough to make my mouth go dry.
¡°He asked for more liquor.¡±
¡°That bastard.¡±
I was an idiot for worrying.
¡°¡Send it over.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
I had the urge to call the 2nd Manager right away and curse him out, but I barely restrained myself.
Right, I should send it. He was struggling in the north, so that was the least I could do. I wouldn¡¯t have let it slide if he was just lounging around here and made that demand.
It was just regrettable that thest thing I had to hear before reporting to the Minister was the 2nd Manager¡¯s nonsense.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 119: What a Long Vacation (5)
? What a Long Vacation (5) ?
Reuniting with the Minister was the worst.
¡°Come in.¡±
¡°Please, no.¡±
The scene I had witnessed a few months ago reyed before my eyes. Where else would you find a Minister who would be exercising during work hours?
I hesitated to enter even after opening the door. The Minister¡¯s office was hotter than the already warm summer day due to his exercise, and it felt more like a sauna than an office. The Finance Ministry¡¯s building was a mess.
When I stayed by the door, the Minister jerked his chin at me with a look that said, ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Yeah, shit, I¡¯m going in.
¡°If you¡¯re switching to the military, please take me with you.¡±
¡°Did you get heatstroke? What are you talking about?¡±
I spoke up because his appearance was more fitting for an Imperial Commander than a Finance Minister, but I was scolded immediately.
Right, it was toote to switch to the military now. I knew it, but I still tried my luck. Sometimes you just have to try even when you know it¡¯s not possible.
The Minister frowned at myment and threw the dumbbells towards a noticeably dented area of the floor. Those weren¡¯t therest time. How much had he been throwing them?
¡®Is the floor below just a storage area?¡¯
Luckily, it seemed like no one suffered from the noise the Minister made. Well, who wouldin when the perpetrator was the Minister himself?
As I stared nkly at the dumbbells, the Minister finally spoke, holding his shirt.
¡°What happened?¡±
¡°There¡¯s nothing special. It was business as usual.¡±
I replied casually to his abrupt question. He would understand the meaning, anyway.
He nodded at my response, and then his expression turned stern again.
¡°The retirement of a man younger than me¡¡±
The escapade of the previous Count Horfeld seemed to have struck a chord with many civil servants.
Well, it made sense. Count Horfeld was only in his 40s, and it must have been infuriating for the Minister, who was still rolling around in his 50s.
¡°I do envy him. Retiring at that age isn¡¯t easy.¡±
Retiring in my 40s? That would be impossible. I¡¯d be lucky if I could retire before I died.
The more I thought about it, the more curious I became. How did he manage to retire, especially since he wasn¡¯t just a sideline but a significant figure? Did he have something on the Emperor?
¡®Such good things should be shared.¡¯
It would be selfish of him if he was nning to keep it to himself.
¡°I should retire soon, too. Then, I can make you the Minister.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t even joke about such terrible things.¡±
I cursed reflexively at his sudden provocation. Who would want to ruin their life by bing the Minister?
The job of an Executive Manager was already hard enough, but I would really die if I became the Minister of Finance. I was never cut out for administrative work to begin with.
However, the Minister justughed at my reaction.
¡®What a jerk.¡¯
If only his personality was half as good as his abilities.
The report quickly ended. The incident, despite its importance, ended too quietly.
Then, the Minister changed the subject.
¡°By the way, I heard you visited your territory.¡±
¡°Yes. I just returned today.¡±
¡°What did Count Tailglehen say?¡±
¡°He doesn¡¯t really care about other people, so he didn¡¯t say much.¡±
Despite another Count¡¯s retirement, his response was surprisingly unremarkable. I had expected him to call on me at least once since I was at the mansion, but there was really no reaction.
¡°Anything else?¡±
Oh, wasn¡¯t that the question?
I felt a bit awkward at the Minister¡¯s firm tone. I assumed he was talking about Count Horfeld, but I was wrong.
¡°If you were suddenly called to your territory, there must have been a reason, especially if they included those guests.¡±
¡°I was called by Mother. It had nothing to do with the Patriarch.¡±
At those words, the Minister¡¯s hands stopped organizing his reports.
He must have thought that the Patriarch had called me for work-rted issues. He wouldn¡¯t have expected a summons from my mother. After all, even I was surprised when I received her invitation.
¡°Perhaps she was worried about her unmarried eldest son.¡±
I lightly replied to ease the awkward tension as therge Minister fidgeted ufortably. Well, he knew that Mother and I didn¡¯t have a close rtionship. He must¡¯ve been worried if he had touched a sensitive issue.
¡°I can imagine how frustrated she must have been.¡±
The Minister immediately seized the opportunity as soon as the mood lightened, and I regretted my words.
¡°Exactly. She even mentioned an engagement.¡±
¡°An engagement?¡±
He looked puzzled at the strange topic, so I nodded.
I had braced myself for some pressure about marriage when I went there. However, I didn¡¯t expect to be put on the spot with Marghetta sitting right next to me, let alone having an engagement mentioned at the end.
If I hadn¡¯t thought of an excuse quickly, I might have actually ended up engaged, one with no date set for the wedding.
¡°She suggested that I get engaged to Lady Marghetta, but what¡¯s the point of me getting engaged right now? That¡¯s why I postponed it for the time being.¡±
After a brief exnation, the Minister sighed and gestured.
¡°Come here for a moment.¡±
¡°What is it? Just say it from there. My ears work just fine.¡±
¡°Come here, I said.¡±
I approached him reluctantly since he insisted, only to feel something jab at my chest.
¡°How do you like the taste of the fist that crippled the scoundrel who went against the heaven¡¯s mandate?¡±
He then added some iprehensible bullshit. Shit, had this old man finally lost his mind?
The surprise attack nearly knocked me out. Well, it had been almost two years since Ist took a hit from him.
***
What should I do with this idiot?
¡®Even saying that he¡¯s an idiot is putting it too kindly.¡¯
If there were a harsher term, I¡¯d dly use it. Watching him squirm and hold his chest, I barely held back a sigh.
I knew he had been carrying a deep wound in his heart since that day, a pain difficult to shake off.
How could I not understand? Even I, who was just her superior, found it overwhelming. Imagine how it must have been for him, who was much closer to her.
¡®I thought leaving him alone was the best medicine.¡¯
It turned out to be poison. If I had intervened actively, maybe this twisted situation wouldn¡¯t have happened.
¡°You can¡¯t even feel the punch since you¡¯re already a wreck, huh?¡±
¡°What are you talking about? You suddenly hit me!¡±
I almost raised my fist again at his loud protest, but I held back. This brat wasn¡¯t someone who was going to be fixed with brute force.
It waste, but now was the time to administer the medicine. Besides, an innocentdy had already be a victim.
But since it¡¯s toote, I¡¯ll have to make it stronger.
¡°Calling you an idiot wouldn¡¯t be enough given how you¡¯re ying with people. Should I call you the 2nd Prince instead?¡±
His eyes shed at thatment. As expected, calling him the 2nd Prince was effective.
¡°Come to think of it, even the 2nd Prince didn¡¯t toy with people¡¯s affections like you.¡±
There wasn¡¯t anyone crazy enough to like the 2nd Prince, so I wasn¡¯t wrong.
¡°Pushing thedy away like that? Are you out of your mind?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it more rude to ept when I¡¯m not ready?¡±
I sighed at his retort. He still didn¡¯t get it.
Yes, it was rude. It was a great insult to entertain another¡¯s affections while your heart harbored someone else.
That was why I said nothing when he refused thedy¡¯s proposal a year ago. It pained me that he hadn¡¯t gotten over Hecate yet, but his actions weren¡¯t wrong.
But now? His words suggested a postponement rather than a firm refusal. It was an indecisive situation in which he neither epted nor rejected her love. That was even worse.
¡°Did you exin to thedy why you can¡¯t marry someone else? Did you tell her about your reasons?¡±
If he had told thedy about Hecate, it would have been understandable. If she still chose to wait, no one else had the right to be upset.
Of course, I doubted he had told thedy, considering how he had bottled up these feelings for two years. Still, I asked just in case.
¡°How can I tell her that?¡±
I knew it, this punk.
He quietly avoided my gaze, making me sigh again.
¡°You¡¯re still a child despite your age.¡±
Maybe that was to be expected. He joined the war at seventeen and faced that incident at neen years old. What could change in just two years?
He was the youngest back then and still was. I treated him too much like an adult, but he¡¯s indeed still a child.
Damn it, I thought he could handle himself.
¡°If you can¡¯t ept her, then don¡¯t give her any hope. From thedy¡¯s perspective, it¡¯s just false hope.¡±
Realizing that he was just a kid, my tone softened slightly. It was partly my fault for leaving him alone.
¡°Yes, thedy is only eighteen, and she¡¯s not in a hurry to marry. But what aboutter?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°In a few years, will you still push her away? Can you take responsibility if she misses her prime while waiting for you?¡±
He fell silent at those words. He probably wasn¡¯t sure himself.
Thedy might be heartbroken for a while if he refused outright, but at least she would have the chance to find someone else. But what was the point in giving her hope and wasting her time?
I understand why he¡¯s behaving this way. He must be scared. He was afraid of getting closer only to have her leave like Hecate, or pushing her away and losing her forever.
That was exactly the kind of worry a child would have.
I continued speaking, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it had any effect. It was just an impromptu lecture, so I just said whatever came to mind.
¡®Damn him.¡¯
It was an unnned sermon. I never expected things to be this bad.
Holding my throbbing head, I sighed for the hundredth time. If he had shown any progress in moving on from the past, I would have continued to trust him, but how could I remain silent after seeing no change at all?
Of course, it was none of my business. A subordinate¡¯s well-being and ady I barely knew getting hurt? Strictly speaking, it was none of my concern.
But how could I ignore it? The subordinate in question was that bastard, and I couldn¡¯t let him go astray and end up joining those people.
¡®They were young and foolish.¡¯
Every year, I went to the graves of the brats I treated as my children, the brats who dared to die before me. The despair I felt with six was already overwhelming, and now there was going to be one more? The mere thought was unbearable.
After much contemtion, I reached for themunication crystal. The situation had worsened after two years of neglect, and I couldn¡¯t dy any further.
¡®I didn¡¯t want to resort to this method.¡¯
But its effectiveness was certain.
With that resolve, I contacted someone I knew would do the trick.
¡ª Minister of Finance?
Fortunately, the connection was sessful.
¡ª It¡¯s been a while. It¡¯s a shame that we couldn¡¯t see each other even when we were both in the capital.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t even been able to say hello.¡±
¡ª I understand that the Ministry of Finance is busy, so don¡¯t worry too much about it.
I hesitated for a moment at his lightughter. It was the first time I contacted him after a long while, and the reason wasn¡¯t particrly pleasant.
But it had to be done. He was the only one I could trust.
¡°Deputy Commander, I have something to discuss with you.¡±
Let¡¯s see if you can withstand what he has to say.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 120: It Will End Even If Its Long (1)
? It Will End Even If It¡¯s Long (1) ?
For the first time, I was defeated by the Minister not through force, but through words.
¡®You bastard.¡¯
However, my resentment was directed not at the Minister but at myself. There wasn¡¯t a single word that was wrong in the Minister¡¯s words. How could I refute when he spoke words that were so urate?
In my heart, I wanted to counterattack rather than passively endure it, shouting back, ¡®What should I do, then? What do you know about me?¡¯ However, that would be a clich¨¦d and insubstantial rebellion.
Also, it was impossible. He had exined in detail what I should do, and few knew my situation as well as the Minister did. No matter what I said, it was an argument that was in his favor.
¡®The Minister is indeed the Minister.¡¯
Maybe his speech had improved after spending two years as a Minister, or maybe I was so messed up that even this rough nobleman could find plenty to say. Or maybe it was both.
The path back to my office felt longer than usual today. Was it because my heart felt heavy?
¡°In a few years, will you still push her away? Can you take responsibility if she misses her prime while waiting for you?¡±
If I didn¡¯t feel anything even after hearing those words, then I wasn¡¯t human.
I would marry someday. If I did, then the only one who came to mind as a partner was Marghetta. But when? When would that somedaye?
After Marghetta passed the eligible age? After she gave up her expectations for me? When it was toote to find someone else? When she no longer had any tears to shed?
¡®Have I gone crazy?¡¯
There was no way even a damned bastard would be like this. I was being too selfish.
I thought that Marghetta, who showed me excessive kindness, would understand my situation without me having to exin it to her and would wait for me.
As if it were a given.
I sighed while roughly wiping my face. It wouldn¡¯t have been this frustrating if I hadn¡¯t given Mother that excuse about Marghetta being a civil servant.
No, that wasn¡¯t it. Even before that, I already did something unforgivable to her. My thoughts almost ran away in a strange direction.
As I was shaking my head slightly to clear my thoughts, a glimmer of light glowed from my chest. Who was it this time?
¡®Who¡¯s calling me now?¡¯
With my current state of mind, I might even interpret ordinary words differently.
Still, I couldn¡¯t ignore it, so I took out mymunication crystal.
If they had to initiate direct contact through themunication crystal, then it must be something urgent.
¡°Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager Carl Krasius speaking.¡±
¡ª Sir Carl, do you have a moment?
I hesitated for a moment, then confirmed the identity of the caller and quicklyposed myself. I hadn¡¯t expected the Invincible Duke to call me at this hour.
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
¡ª That¡¯s a relief. Pleasee over when you can. I have something important to discuss with you.
¡°Understood. I will be there shortly, Your Grace.¡±
As soon as I ended the call, I hurriedly made my way to the Imperial Military Headquarters.
The Invincible Duke maintained his usual gentle smile, but there was a subtle stiffness in the corners of his eyes.
It was extremely rare for him to initiate contact like this.
I was only in the Capital for a short time during the recent incident with the Mage Duchess, so he only wanted to see me before I left. But this time, it seemed like something significant had urred.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
I picked up my pace and clutched my chest, which ached both internally and externally due to the punch I had taken earlier.
¡°How do you like the taste of the fist that crippled the scoundrel who went against the heaven¡¯s mandate?¡±
The imposing voice of the Minister still echoed in my ears. He was quite spicy.
The Invincible Duke greeted me as usual. I was weed with great hospitality; he personally seated me and served tea. But now that I was face-to-face with him instead of through themunication crystal, his expression was decidedly filled with tension.
Something was deeply troubling him. For a Duke and even more so for the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Army to disy such emotions, the matter at hand had to be something extraordinary.
¡®Is it about the Emperor?¡¯
After all, the Emperor was the only figure who could dominate the Invincible Duke and the person who had recently started to counterbnce his influence.
As I reached that conclusion, I felt parched. Could it be that the Emperor finally made a move? If a conflict erupted between the Emperor and the Invincible Duke, the Empire would be shaken.
¡°Now, have some tea. It¡¯s a popr blend these days, so it¡¯s quite decent.¡±
¡°Thank you, Your Grace.¡±
I took the cup he offered, bowing my head slightly as I held it. I pretended to sip the tea while asionally ncing at the Invincible Duke¡¯s expression.
¡°Sir Carl.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±
It seemed like he was about to bring up what was bothering him, so I set the teacup aside.
If the issue was indeed rted to the Emperor, there might not be much I could do. Even my position as the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager was ultimately based on the Emperor¡¯s authority.
Still, there had to be some way. Perhaps I could find a way to halt the Emperor¡¯s actions or weaken them slightly.
¡°I heard from the Minister of Finance.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
Why would the Minister be involved in this?
¡°Marghetta¡ I know that child well. How can such a young child be so intelligent and charming?¡±
The following words made me anxious in a different way than earlier.
First of all, it wasn¡¯t an issue rted to the Emperor. That was good news. However, the Invincible Duke brought up the same issue that the Minister had scolded me for. This was a tremendous catastrophe.
¡°I was surprised when I heard that the child¡¯s proposal was rejected, but I understood when I heard that the other party was you.¡±
The Invincible Duke took a casual sip of his tea and smiled.
¡°But I can¡¯t ept the news this time.¡±
¡°Well¡ I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologize to me.¡±
I closed my mouth after the Invincible Duke¡¯s words.
And upon seeing my reaction, the Invincible Duke let out a bitter smile and continued speaking.
¡°I know your circumstances well, Sir Carl. How could I not know?¡±
That¡¯s right. The Invincible Duke was also well aware of this matter. During the Great War, I served under the Invincible Duke in the Prosectuors¡¯ Office¡¯s Division 4, and it was with his assistance that I could falsify Hecate¡¯s signature.
However, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak about it so openly even when he said that he understood my situation. Even though he knew it, my behavior this time was so vile that he called me like this.
¡°Sir Carl, I know that your wounds run deep. But I held back because I thought you could get up on your own, and that trying to fix you might only break you further. And I believe that the Minister of Finance felt the same way.¡±
¡°I apologize for disappointing you.¡±
¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to apologize to me.¡±
Of course, the first person I had to apologize to was Marghetta. But that didn¡¯t mean that I offended the others any less.
¡°Sir Carl, have you made any efforts all this time?¡±
I couldn¡¯t answer his iprehensible question. What effort was he talking about?
¡°In my opinion, Sir Carl, it seems like you haven¡¯t made any effort to move on from the past.¡±
It was a heavy blow to the chest, but I couldn¡¯t refute the words of the Invincible Duke. Moreover, it came right after the fact-based violence I received from the Minister, and it made me feel like an inept child.
When I cast my gaze downward in silence, I heard the Invincible Duke sigh. I didn¡¯t dare to look at him.
¡°It would¡¯ve been better if you could move on alone, but it seems like you weren¡¯t able to.¡±
¡°Yes¡¡±
¡°In that case, you should share it with someone. What difference will your efforts make if you carry a problem you can¡¯t solve by yourself all alone?¡±
I knew how heavy the burden was because it was impossible to handle it alone. I didn¡¯t want to pass on that weight to someone else. What crime had that personmitted to bear such a burden?
Even though it was impossible now, I believed that I could handle it alone someday. I thought that was the right way.
¡°By the way, wasn¡¯t it when you had just be the Executive Manager and when the Managers were still inexperienced?¡±
He suddenly changed the subject, but I didn¡¯t feel relieved.
¡°At that time, you said something like this to me. You found it frustrating that the Managers wereining alone when the department was designed for working together on tasks that others couldn¡¯t handle.¡±
¡°Yes, I said that.¡±
¡°Then why are you doing this?¡±
I felt the premonition of an attack as he turned the conversation that way.
However, the analogy felt somewhat unfair. A department was originally a unit designed to work together, but personal matters were, quite literally, personal.
¡°It seems like you consider that matter and this one to be different.¡±
¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s not it.¡±
I was taken aback by his words, which seemed as if he could read my thoughts. Did it all show on my face?
But regardless of my embarrassment, the Invincible Duke continued without hesitation.
¡°This is no different. If you can¡¯t solve it alone, then share it with others. The person who¡¯s willing to confide in you wouldn¡¯t mind sharing your burden.¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t believe my words, then look at me. Am I not your witness?¡±
¡°Your Grace, that¡¯s¡ª¡±
I opened my mouth since the conversation seemed to be heading in an unfavorable direction, but the Invincible Duke raised his hand to stop me.
¡°I originally had three children. Besides the child who would inherit my title and the child who would be the Crown Princess, there was one more.¡±
I felt ashamed. The person who had saved me was bringing up his own pain in order to persuade me.
¡°My youngest child was a son. He passed away before his father, but he would have been about your age if he had survived.¡±
The Invincible Duke then picked up his teacup with slightly trembling hands. No matter how much he had opened uppared to before, the pain of losing a child was something no one mentioned lightly.
¡°I first mentioned this to you about three years ago.¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±
¡°How did you feel at that time, Sir Carl? Did you resent me for suddenly burdening you with such a heavy topic? Were you wondering why I was talking about something so unnecessary? Or were you simply not interested at all?¡±
¡°No¡ I wasn¡¯t, Your Grace.¡±
¡°In that case, it¡¯s simple.¡±
The Invincible Duke nodded satisfactorily at my response. His hands were still trembling, but his eyes remained calm.
¡°Sir Carl, you already knew the answer yourself. You¡¯re just turning a blind eye to it.¡±
I remained silent for a while, my head lowered.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 121: It Will End Even If Its Long (2)
? It Will End Even If It¡¯s Long (2) ?
The undefeated Invincible Duke possessed remarkable strategic insight. He wasn¡¯t content with just defeating me, who was KO¡¯ed; he delivered the final blow.
But how could I have resisted? It was my fault for behaving so recklessly that the Invincible Duke had to intervene.
¡°I was really surprised when I first saw you, Sir Carl. You didn¡¯t look like him, but there was a strange resemnce. It must¡¯ve been because you had the same air about you.¡±
He added with augh that he might have adopted me as his son if we looked more alike, making it harder for me to raise my head.
¡°That¡¯s why I kept watching you. You are you, and that child is my child, but I kept seeing him in you. That was unfair to both you and him.¡±
During the Great War, the Invincible Duke showed unusual interest in a mere team manager he had just met. Thanks to that, the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s 4th Division, which wasn¡¯t under the Imperial Army but the Ministry of Finance, could establish its position smoothly.
Hearing the reason behind it was heartbreaking. He must have felt torn inside for seeing me as his deceased son, yet not being able to turn away because of the resemnce. He also offered me various kinds of support. The man who bore the Empire¡¯s fate couldn¡¯t find peace even within himself.
¡°Over time, I realized my mistake. I had trapped you in my prejudice of resemnce and failed to see the real you. I couldn¡¯t let go of the past.¡±
I heard this three years ago. The Invincible Duke was shackled by two burdens. It was the unforgettable yet necessary parting with his son, and the need to fully acknowledge someone else who waspletely different.
¡°So, I finally told you. Keeping it to myself seemed pointless. It wasn¡¯t good for you, the child, or me.¡±
That was the day I received a sudden call from an unexpected superior and an unexpected confession of the past. Yet, the Invincible Duke¡¯s expression was brighter than ever on that day. He wasn¡¯t smiling, but he seemed more radiant than ever before.
What did he say again back then? Ah. It was like finally taking off a blindfold that had been covering his eyes, and only then was he able to see the world as it truly was.
¡°I¡¯ve never been prouder of any decision I made than the one I made that day. Thanks to it, I gained a great man as a friend.¡±
¡°Those words are too generous.¡±
I bowed my head even lower, and the Invincible Duke gently lifted my head whileughing. Although it was meant kindly, it felt strange, like a warrior seizing their enemy¡¯s head.
He continued speaking.
¡°It took a long time to let go of that child and talk to you about it. What I deemed impossible to ovee was eventually resolved with time.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±
¡°Yes, indeed.¡±
The Invincible Duke nodded and quietly gripped his teacup.
¡°It¡¯s all about time. Perhaps, with more time, you will also be alright.¡±
I almost nodded absentmindedly at those words, but I held myself back. Agreeing in such a situation would be stupid of me.
¡°But it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯ll struggle during that time. How can I just stand by and watch that? It¡¯s already been two years.¡±
The Minister and the Invincible Duke trusted me and let me be for those two years. But today, they concluded that it would be problematic to leave me alone any longer.
¡°I¡¯ve experienced your pain, Sir Carl. I know how to resolve it.¡±
He patted my shoulder as if to acknowledge the hardships I had been through.
¡°Why should you go through the same lengthy process? It¡¯s the role of someone older like me to guide the younger ones and prevent them from wasting time.¡±
I bit my lip, speechless.
I understand your pain because I endured it myself. You don¡¯t need to suffer for years like I did. That was what the Invincible Duke was saying.
¡°If you can¡¯t handle it alone, talk to someone. It took me five years to find that solution. Two years should be enough for you, Sir Carl.¡±
¡°¡Maybe it was more than enough.¡±
¡°It¡¯s even worse because you¡¯re aware of it. Then, why did you do it?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry¡¡±
The Invincible Duke¡¯sughter filled the office.
***
After sending Sir Carl away, I sat back down. His action of looking back several times as he left was soical that it was hard to keep myself fromughing.
¡®He¡¯s still so young.¡¯
He was just over twenty, so he was young indeed. He always seemed rigid, pressured by the responsibilities of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager, so it was satisfying to see him act his age for once.
It was a pity, though. He used to be a joyful and lighthearted child, almost like a noble from the North.
¡°Please, Your Grace.¡±
¡°Sir Carl.¡±
¡°Please, I beg of you. I¡¯ll take the responsibility, so please¡¡±
He changed after Hecate left.
From my perspective, it was like a lightning bolt out of the blue. Although five had fallen, Sir Carl and Hecate had survived.
Even while bedridden from injuries inflicted by a rebel, Sir Carl invited me to his wedding, asking me to brighten the asion. So I felt relieved, thinking that at least these two had survived.
But upon returning to the Capital, only Carl remained, his head bowed while begging.
¡®Enen is being too harsh.¡¯
He was struck by the most terrible disaster at what should have been his happiest moment. It must have felt like falling from heaven into an abyss.
Back then, I could only send Sir Carl away with words telling him not to worry, which now seemed ironic. Hecate was already dead. Whatfort was there in merely overlooking the location of her grave?
¡®I should have reached out to him at that moment.¡¯
I trusted him to handle things on his own, fearing that meddling would only deepen his wounds.
In hindsight, it was a foolish thought. What I called trust was actually neglect.
How could a neen-year-old bear the grief of losing the woman he was about to marry and the tragedy of having to falsify herst moments? He might¡¯ve been legally an adult, but at neen, he was essentially just a student.
¡®It¡¯s the same with all the adults around.¡¯
Neither I nor the Minister of Finance were adept at caring for others. Instead, I often met with Sir Carl over work issues, amidst session disputes and internal purges.
Sipping my cold tea, I sighed. Expecting him to just manage on his own after neglecting him was conscienceless of me.
I hope he can start moving in the right direction from now on.
***
The Invincible Duke pushed me out as soon as the conversation ended, sending me back to the mansion.
¡°Resolve this while your emotions are still fresh. Talk to anyone¡ªMarghetta, your family, a subordinate, a servant, or someone indebted to you or whom you¡¯ve advised.¡±
¡°Your Grace, isn¡¯t this too sudden?¡±
¡°Do young people these days think that waiting for two years is too sudden?¡±
Each of his words felt like a sharp dagger.
With heavy steps, I headed towards the mansion. The Minister must have been informed by the Invincible Duke as I received a call from him on my way back.
¡°If youe back to the office, I¡¯ll consider you married to your work and report it directly to His Highness the Crown Prince.¡±
That was all he said before hanging up. That kind of statement alone would quickly kill off any intentions of going back, not that I had any to begin with.
And it¡¯s been a while since I left work while the sun was still high. However, this early clock-out wasn¡¯t exactly a good thing.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
I felt utterly lost. The Minister and the Invincible Duke had offered me advice, and it seemed right to follow it. But when it came to speaking up, the words wouldn¡¯te out of my mouth. It¡¯s impressive how the Invincible Duke confided in me. How did he even manage it?
I had to speak to Marghetta about everything I¡¯d been holding back. I even vowed to join the 2nd Prince if I didn¡¯t tell her today.
At the same time, imagining Marghetta¡¯s reaction made me hesitate again. Would she be angry because I didn¡¯t tell her? Would she cry, wondering how I could bear it alone? Would she thank me for finally telling her, or just embrace me?
The more I contemted the possibilities, the more my hesitation grew. Was I always this indecisive?
¡®I really am a child.¡¯
I was indeed a child, and the fifty-something Minister was right.
Experience was invaluable.
I¡¯m doomed. At this rate, I might end up in a forced meeting with the 2nd Prince.
¡®I didn¡¯t realize my mansion was this close.¡¯
I arrived at the mansion, which felt unusually close today. This was driving me crazy.
I lingered at the main gate, sighing. If I entered without the courage to speak and encountered Marghetta, I¡¯d likely say nothing, and things would just continue as usual.
That couldn¡¯t happen. The situation was already frustrating with everything that had been building up. If I dy any further¡ª
¡°Oppa?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Turning around, I saw Louise holding something in her arms. Did she go outside?
As if reading my thoughts, Louise extended the ingredients she was holding and spoke.
¡°I thought I¡¯d make something for a change. I bought some ingredients.¡±
They were indeed mostly cooking ingredients.
¡°There should be enough of the usual stuff in the kitchen.¡±
¡°Well, I use some unique ingredients.¡±
That was true. Louise¡¯s ingredients in the pastry club were anything but ordinary. Smiling at her, I nodded, and then a thought struck me.
Courage. It was the courage to open up to others.
Louise, who had known me for only a semester, found the courage to share her past with me.
¡°Louise, do you have a moment?¡±
Maybe consulting someone who had the courage to share their problems first would help me a bit?
To put it simply, I was desperate for any lifeline.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 122: It Will End Even If Its Long (3)
? It Will End Even If It¡¯s Long (3) ?
Oppa had to leave again for work as soon as we returned to the mansion. Being a civil servant is really a challenging job. I can¡¯t remember ever seeing him rxed.
¡®I should definitely avoid bing a civil servant.¡¯
I haven¡¯t decided on my career path after graduation, but I¡¯m sure I should steer clear of being a civil servant. I¡¯m not as capable as oppa, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.
That¡¯s why I¡¯m always worried about him. He looks so worn out, but how much more so must he be in reality? Unlike students who get vacations, my brother gets no such breaks.
¡®Should I make something for him?¡¯
I seriously considered it. At the Academy, I used to make cookies with all sorts of ingredients that were supposed to be good for fatigue, but I haven¡¯t done that since the vacation. After all, it was rude for guests to hang out in the kitchen.
In fact, the butler said we could use the kitchen as much as we wanted after hearing that we were in the pastry club, but I haven¡¯t ventured near it yet. The food prepared by the mansion¡¯s staff was probably better for oppa than my cookies. I shouldn¡¯t disturb the professionals.
But seeing oppa so overwhelmed with work made me want to help him, even if just a little. Maybe it would be okay to be in the kitchen just for a short while?
¡°No one would say that it¡¯s your fault.¡±
His voice seemed to echo in my ears, prompting me to shake my head.
Oppa had listened to myints that day and said exactly what I needed to hear.
Right, I hadn¡¯t properly thanked him for that yet. I should do something for him before it¡¯s toote.
Yes, that¡¯s why the idea came to me. It¡¯s because I hadn¡¯t yet repaid him for his kindness.
¡®It¡¯s just that. There¡¯s no other meaning.¡¯
Even though there was no one around to hear, I found myself making excuses. Wait, it wasn¡¯t an excuse.
I tried to calm my increasingly flushed face as I headed to themercial district. The kitchen wouldn¡¯t have the herbs I needed.
So I quietly left the mansion and bought a bunch of ingredients. I didn¡¯t want to get caught and turn a task that I could manage alone into something that required several people.
¡°Oppa?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
And on my way back, I ran into oppa near the mansion¡¯s main gate. It was hardly a street, but that was where we met.
I didn¡¯t expect to see him at this hour. Usually, he wouldn¡¯t return until almost sunset.
¡®I wanted to keep it a secret.¡¯
I got caught before I could make the surprise gift. I had deliberately chosen a time when I knew he wouldn¡¯t be around, but here we were.
It seemed like Enen was chiding me for trying to hide anything from oppa. After all, I had already shared all my secrets¡ª
¡®No, it can¡¯t be that.¡¯
My thoughts were veering in a strange direction. This shouldn¡¯t be happening.
My mind wasn¡¯t functioning properly. Was it because oppa was staring intently at me? Why? Was there something on my face?
Or did he have something to say? Here, when there¡¯s just the two of us¡?
¡°Louise, do you have a moment?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
My hands trembled.
I almost dropped everything I was holding at Oppa¡¯s words, but I managed topose myself. Why am I acting like this? This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve been alone with him.
I nced at oppa several times, and our eyes inadvertently met. I almost looked away, but that would have been even more awkward.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for springing this on you.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. I have plenty of time.¡±
I quickly shook my head at his apology. I was restingfortably in the mansion thanks to him, so I should make time for him when needed. It was only right.
Oppa smiled softly at my reaction. Did I overdo it?
¡°I need some advice.¡±
¡°Oh, of course! Anytime!¡±
The word ¡®advice¡¯ instantly dispelled any embarrassment I felt, recing it with a flutter of excitement.
At the Academy, I always told oppa to share his concerns with me since I owed him a lot and wanted to repay him in some way.
But instead, I ended up whining to him. Despite feeling thankful, it made me embarrassed at the same time.
¡®Finally.¡¯
Oppa was finally going to share his worries with me. Atst, I could give back a little of what I received from him.
And that means he trusts me now, right¡?
A feeling of excitement spread through my chest as I waited for him to speak.
¡°This is about someone I know¡ª¡±
I almostughed at the clich¨¦ but unexpected start.
Oppa, everyone knows that saying it¡¯s about someone you know is just an excuse.
He must have realized this too, as he mmed up and awkwardly stared at the ground.
***
My indecisiveness red up onest time.
¡°This is about someone I know¡ª¡±
What the hell? What kind of bullshit was I talking about?
A sense of self-loathing overwhelmed me. In such a situation, talking about ¡®someone you know¡¯ is obviously an excuse. It¡¯s like saying, ¡®I¡¯m about to share something very embarrassing, but it¡¯s not about me.¡¯
I showed my cowardice in a situation where I was supposed to gather courage. If there was a sanctuary for the super cowardly, I¡¯d be a VVIP.
¡°¡It¡¯s about me.¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s about you, oppa.¡±
Louise¡¯s slightly amused response made me feel even more miserable, but it helped me gather my thoughts.
¡°A few years ago, something unpleasant happened.¡±
I carefully began, cautious not to mention the incident directly.
I was asking for Louise¡¯s advice to gather the courage to tell Marghetta, not to unload my burdens on Louise. It would be unfair to add my own wounds to a child who hadn¡¯t yet fully healed from hers.
¡°I became somewhat withdrawn because of that incident. I think I pushed some people away a few times.¡±
From Marghetta¡¯s perspective, it wasn¡¯t just ¡®somewhat¡¯ or ¡®a few times.¡¯ I really owed her a sincere apology.
¡°I didn¡¯t even exin the situation to those I pushed away. I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±
I really didn¡¯t say anything. Not a word about my situation, nor did I ask for patience or understanding. I did nothing of the sort.
¡°It was wrong. If I pushed someone away because of my situation, I should have at least exined why.¡±
I made that choice entirely on my own. I couldn¡¯t ept Marghetta because I hadn¡¯t gotten over Hecate yet. It was an undeniable choice I made.
What about Marghetta, though? Was her choice entirely her own? No, it couldn¡¯t be. Aplete choice required all the information, which I deliberately withheld. How could she make a full choice when I deliberately withheld information?
I suppressed Marghetta for my own good. No matter how much I try to justify it, that fact doesn¡¯t change.
¡°I was scared to tell her. I feared it might ruin our current rtionship, or that it might burden her unnecessarily.¡±
I paused and observed Louise¡¯s expression.
Louise listened quietly, her blue eyes shining. There was no sign of difort or aversion in her reaction, nor did she look at me pityingly. She simply listened in silence.
It was, in fact,forting. I felt thankful for that.
¡°I was scared, in and simple. There¡¯s no other way to put it.¡±
I reached out and patted Louise¡¯s shoulder a few times.
I used to feel embarrassed whenever she, who was younger than me, worried for me.
Now, I wonder what made me any better than her apart from my age. At least Louise had the courage to speak up on her own.
¡°That¡¯s why I wanted some advice from someone brave.¡±
¡°You might have approached the wrong person.¡±
¡°Well, I think I chose the right one.¡±
We both smiled at that. It wasn¡¯t particrly funny, but theughter came naturally.
Louise, still smiling, looked me in the eye and spoke softly.
¡°If you¡¯re a coward, then wouldn¡¯t you rather lean on someone else?¡±
Her response was unexpected.
¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t say it out of courage, either. I just wanted to say it like a child seeking attention, thinking that oppa would listen.¡±
Louise smiled sheepishly but continued speaking.
¡°It was scary to keep such things to myself and it was also scary to share it with others, yet I still wanted to confide in someone and seekfort. Where else would you find a coward like that in the world?¡±
As she talked, Louise ced her hand over mine, which was resting on her shoulder. I instinctively tried to pull my hand away but she held on, not letting go.
¡°This coward just blurted it out, but oppa listened to that coward¡¯s words.¡±
Was the person oppa wanted to confide in someone who would ignore the cries of a coward?
I was speechless at Louise¡¯s added remark.
No. The Marghetta I knew wasn¡¯t that kind of person. She wouldn¡¯t lightly dismiss someone else¡¯s trauma, even if it wasn¡¯t mine.
¡°Or is it because you think that the incident you¡¯re bearing is your own fault? Is that why you¡¯re afraid to tell someone?¡±
Regrettably, I couldn¡¯t say no confidently. If I had been stronger, if I had been someone Hecate could depend on, then that incident might not have happened.
As I stood still, unable to speak, Louise smiled wryly.
¡°Oppa didn¡¯t want that incident to happen, did you?¡±
The words sounded familiar.
¡°You didn¡¯t ignore it, either.¡±
The familiar words repeated, but now the roles were reversed.
¡°And you haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±
My face flushed for several reasons. What was I thinking when I said those words back then? I was too bold in a situation where I couldn¡¯t even take care of myself.
¡°That¡¯s why no one would say that it¡¯s your fault.¡±
¡°¡That¡¯s what I wanted to hear.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to hear, too.¡±
A wry smile escaped me. Now I¡¯m even losing against Louise in a verbal battle.
¡°Yes, I wanted to hear that.¡±
But it was a relief that I had been outsmarted.
If I was good with words, her persuasion wouldn¡¯t have worked, and I would still be hesitating.
¡°Thank you.¡±
Well, she wasn¡¯t the protagonist for nothing.
¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±
Louise¡¯s bright smile gave me the courage to truly face Marghetta.
Or was it not courage, but the cowardice of relying on someone else?
Whether it was courage or cowardice didn¡¯t matter. The oue would be the same anyway.
¡®It took a whole year¡¡¯
Since I met Marghetta.
Now, I could finally show her my true feelings.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 123: It Will End Even If Its Long (4)
? It Will End Even If It¡¯s Long (4) ?
I couldn¡¯t stop worrying. The worries that started that day have grownrger and have never left my mind.
¡®What should I do?¡¯
I felt so lost. I had no idea that the choice I made a year ago would have such a critical impact.
Why was it so hard to get married right after bing a civil servant? Can¡¯t civil servants marry freely? Why was the treatment of civil servants so harsh?
¡®I should have looked into it more.¡¯
I sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time. It was a choice I made to stay close to Carl. But being close was just that¡ªnothing more was possible. Then what was the point? I wouldn¡¯t have made that choice had I known.
But I couldn¡¯t just quit the student council now. Showing such irresponsibility andck of principle would disappoint Mother.
Marrying immediately after bing a civil servant was also not possible. Ignoring the rules and customs among civil servants might make me look like an arrogant daughter-inw to Mother, a daughter-inw who relied on the prestige of her ducal family.
¡®What should I do?¡¯
No matter how much I thought, I couldn¡¯t find a way. On the bright side, I still had a year and a half until graduation. But honestly, it¡¯s only a year and a half. Will I find a way to meet both Mother¡¯s expectations and be practical at the same time during that period?
It was heartbreaking. I felt like I would cry if I let my guard down even a little. I¡¯m so embarrassed by myself for proudly mistaking a fatal restraint for a treasure.
Could Carl have been quiet until now because I was in the student council? Did he stay put while thinking I had no intention of marrying after graduation?
Thinking this, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitterugh. How strange must I have looked in Carl¡¯s eyes¡ªa person with no interest in marrying.
Maybe it¡¯s time to decide and act aggressively. Even if it disappoints Mother, I should deal with Carl first¡ª
Knock knock¡ª
¡°Mar, are you there?¡±
I was startled by Carl¡¯s sudden voice. To be thinking of him and then for him toe¡ our rtionship must really be fate.
The problem was that I had pushed him away with my mistake. Why did I do that? I wish I could turn back time.
¡°Yes, Sir Carl. Come in.¡±
I tried topose my voice, hiding my sadness. I couldn¡¯t send Carl away when he hade all this way.
¡°I¡¯m sorry foring so suddenly.¡±
¡°Fufu, it¡¯s your mansion, Sir Carl. Why would you apologize?¡±
Seeing him apologize as soon as he entered, a smile naturally formed on my face.
Still, seeing Carl made my heart feel a bit lighter. Yes, no matter how difficult the problem was, I had to ovee it. I must ovee these trials to be by Carl¡¯s side.
¡°Please sitfortably. Mother isn¡¯t here, but shall we have a tea party with just the two of us?¡±
I offered Carl a seat and moved towards the teapot on the other side of the room. It was always too much trouble to call a servant so I had it in my room, which was more convenient.
¡°That¡ Mar, I have something important to tell you.¡±
But Carl¡¯s voice made me turn towards him again. It was unusually somber and heavy.
He was still standing, his expression stiff and tense. It was an unfamiliar and unexpected sight.
¡°It might be a long conversation.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t care how long it is, so take your time and tell me.¡±
The atmosphere made me tense as well. What could he possibly want to say?
Still, I couldn¡¯t show Carl a tense face. I needed to respond calmly to help him feel at ease¡ª
¡°I was the one who told Mother that civil servants can¡¯t marry right after bing one. It was a lie.¡±
What¡?
¡°I did it to avoid an engagement with you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡?
For a moment, my mind went nk.
***
It¡¯s undeniable that I pushed Marghetta away with that strange lie. That¡¯s why I wanted to start by apologizing.
¡°S-sir Carl? Did I make a big mistake? I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m really sorry. It wasn¡¯t intentional. If you tell me what I did wrong, I will definitely correct it.¡±
Marghetta, who had been standing there dazedly, soon started to ramble and tremble. I felt ufortable after seeing that tears began to form in her eyes.
But I had to apologize for my mistake. I couldn¡¯t just let it go, considering the trouble Marghetta must have gone through with my talk about civil servants.
¡°Mar, you did nothing wrong. You really are a wonderful person.¡±
Even my words offort couldn¡¯t stop Marghetta¡¯s trembling. It was understandable. Words from someone who pushed her away would seem just polite.
¡°It was because I wasn¡¯t ready to marry anyone.¡±
¡°Ready¡?¡±
Marghetta asked tentatively, and I nodded. I had said the same thingst year. I had rejected her then too, saying I wasn¡¯t ready to be with someone.
And now I was finally telling her why I hadn¡¯t been ready. It¡¯s remarkable, and I meant it in a bad way.
¡°I was in love with someone else. We even promised to marry.¡±
Marghetta¡¯s eyes trembled with a different meaning at that. ¡®Was¡¯, ¡® promised¡¯. The implication was clear.
¡°I wasn¡¯t strong enough, so she left for Enen.¡±
It simply meant, ¡®not anymore.¡¯
Strangely, I felt nothing after I started speaking. I thought I would either feel relieved or regret while saying it, but I really felt nothing at all. It was as if I was saying something mundane like, ¡®We¡¯re having steak for tonight¡¯s dinner.¡¯
That was why I could continue speaking without hesitation.
¡°I really loved her. I thought I was going mad when she left. Despite the continuous misfortunes, I was there by her side, and I wish she had relied on me more and persevered.¡±
But what could I do? She had lost most of her friends and the people who were as close as family to her. She had even suffered wounds that made it difficult to move over time.
If Hecate had a family to care for, she might have endured. However, that family was gone. Feeling empty, Hecate must have feared bing a burden to me, fearing to be the one dragging me down.
I was fine with it. No matter what her condition was, I could have spent a lifetime happily with her¡ but she left.
¡°Over time, I realized something. I¡¯m not someone to be relied on, and even those I hold dear might leave someday.¡±
Even Hecate left. It seemed as if the world conspired to take her away with every possible misfortune.
Could I be certain that what happened once won¡¯t happen again? Could I be sure that Marghetta won¡¯t face simr misfortunes?
¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t have the courage to be with you, Mar. If you left me too, enduring it twice would drive me insane.¡±
If it happened twice, there wouldn¡¯t be a third time. I would go and beat Enen up before that third time happens.
Then, I looked into Marghetta¡¯s teary eyes. The tears had already rolled down her cheeks, but she didn¡¯t look away, staring into my eyes as if determined to listen to me till the end.
Perhaps the color green really does bring peace to the mind. Or was it just because I started opening up?
¡°¡In truth, I haven¡¯t forgotten her even after two years. Everything still remains vivid in my heart.¡±
I decided to tell Marghetta everything, even admitting that the person who left me still lingered in my heart.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have said thisst year, but I¡¯m only telling you now.¡±
At that time, I thought that just getting through the moment of discussing marriage with Marghetta would suffice. I believed I wouldn¡¯t see her again after politely refusing, so I didn¡¯t exin in detail.
But that was an excuse. It might have been right then, but not anymore. From the moment I met Marghetta at the Academy, when she showed me undeserved kindness, or even when Mother showed interest in her. At least by then, I should have told her.
¡°¡I¡¯m sorry, Mar.¡±
My head bowed automatically. I spoke toote to someone who has looked at me for a year.
Even worse, my long exnation was just a detailed reason for not epting Marghetta. Not a confession of eptance, but rather, a detailed rejection. It was even more cruel, in a way.
¡°Sir Carl, can you look at me?¡±
At her words, I cautiously raised my head. Then, Marghetta¡¯s hand reached towards my cheek.
Well, that was expected. I would rather have her be angry at me.
But contrary to my expectation, her hand gently rested on my cheek. It wasn¡¯t a loud p, just a soft touch.
¡°I¡¯ll let it slide because it¡¯s been only a year. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t stretch to two years.¡±
Her eyes were red, but she wore a gentle smile. I was lost for words at her reaction.
¡°Thank you. For trusting me and telling me.¡±
¡°Mar.¡±
I didn¡¯t expect to hear words of gratitude. I don¡¯t deserve such words.
¡°Sir Carl, does anyone else know about this?¡±
¡°The Minister and the Invincible Duke know, but¡ you¡¯re the first one I¡¯ve told personally.¡±
¡°So, you did trust me.¡±
Marghetta didn¡¯t me me for staying silent for a year. She was thankful that I finally spoke, even if it took a year.
How could she do that? I would have been angry if I were her and asked why it took so long.
¡°In fact, it hurt every time Sir Carl put up a wall. I wondered why you were so resolute when I wasn¡¯tcking.¡±
¡°Mar.¡±
¡°There was a reason, after all. A reason I can fully understand.¡±
Understanding why someone pushed you away, especially when that person was the man you love. How miserable must Marghetta have felt while saying those words?
However, she continued with a bright smile.
¡°Now Sir Carl will be honest with me, right?¡±
I nodded unconsciously at Marghetta¡¯s words. I hadid everything bare. There was nothing left to hide, and I shouldn¡¯t hide anything. I owed it to Marghetta to bepletely transparent. It was only right for a human being to do so.
¡°If Sir Carl honestly and fully faces me, then I¡¯m confident.¡±
I couldn¡¯t understand what she meant by that, so I wasn¡¯t able to respond.
¡°Someday, I¡¯m sure I will have a ce in Sir Carl¡¯s heart.¡±
¡°Mar?¡±
¡°It¡¯s probably impossible right now since you just started to open up to me. But that¡¯s okay.¡±
Then, Marghetta hugged me. It was so sudden that I couldn¡¯t react, but it wasn¡¯t like I could push her away, either.
Marghetta was trembling slightly in my arms.
¡°I¡¯ll wait until Sir Carl feelsfortable. I¡¯ll wait until then.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll wait until you call me Noona since the chances of me being called that would eventually be 100%, right?¡±
I wrapped my arms around her back. It didn¡¯t feel like I deserved to, but I wanted to.
¡°Mar, I have a request.¡±
I buried my face in her shoulder.
¡°If it¡¯s okay, instead of ¡®Sir Carl¡¯¡¡±
I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at her.
¡°Could you call me Carl?¡±
But I didn¡¯t want to let go, either.
¡°Of course, Carl.¡±
¡°Once more.¡±
¡°Yes, Carl.¡±
I was being selfish. Too selfish.
¡°If Carl wants me to, I¡¯ll call you that as much as you like.¡±
Then, I¡¯ll have to try to not be ashamed of myself.
Marghetta¡¯s shoulder, which was under my face, became slightly damp.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 124: Starting Over (1)
? Starting Over (1) ?
I know we were on the second floor, but would falling headfirst knock me unconscious? It would be nice to sleep for just a month and then wake up.
I remember having a simr thought before the vacation, but it resurfaced as the vacation neared its end. Perhaps it was because I felt so desperate to escape this situation that I¡¯d even wee fainting.
¡°Mar, you can let go now¡¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So you won¡¯t.¡±
Marghetta¡¯s firm refusal, far beyond a simple ¡®no¡¯ or ¡®wait a bit longer¡¯, made me wrap my arms back around her shoulders.
Seeing her snuggle deeper into my embrace stirred a strange new emotion within me, one different from before. I felt both grateful to her for forgiving my pathetic self and joyful that she promised to wait.
But hugging the victim and crying while apologizing for my actions was embarrassingly inappropriate. What a shameful act, especially towards someone younger than me. And when I looked down, the sight of Marghetta¡¯s shoulder marked with shameful traces was visible.
¡®I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯
Her wet shoulder seemed to mock me, saying, ¡®Hey, what are you doing?¡¯ It¡¯s humiliating. Facing this vivid reminder of my embarrassing self was mortifying, but Marghetta wouldn¡¯t let go.
Then what could I do? I couldn¡¯t dare push Marghetta away, so I¡¯d just have to live with a little embarrassment.
Well, honestly, it was more than just a little embarrassing.
¡°Carl.¡±
¡°Yes, Mar.¡±
¡°I just wanted to call you.¡±
I hear Marghetta giggle from within my arms.
¡°Could you call me Carl?¡±
I squeezed my eyes shut, immediately regretting my earlier words. Why did I say that during that time?
I cursed my past self. Feeling overwhelmed by intense emotions, I went and did something unthinkable under normal circumstances. If I were in my right mind, I wouldn¡¯t have done such a thing.
Still, maybe it was okay if Marghetta was happy. Yeah, that made it alright.
¡°Carl.¡±
Feeling her rub her face against my chest, I felt even more sorry. How much had I pushed her away for her to behave like this?
¡°Yes, Mar. I¡¯m here.¡±
I tightened my arms around Marghetta. It seems like we would be in this hug for a while.
I never expected it tost an hour, though.
***
Just a bit more, just a little longer.
I couldn¡¯t control my urge to stay close to Carl¡¯s arms. I had nned to stay only for a short while, but my body wouldn¡¯t move when I tried to pull away.
Luckily, Carl didn¡¯t push me away, which gave me the courage to pull back. It¡¯s already been so long when I nned to stay just a bit.
¡°¡Thank you, Carl.¡±
¡°I should be the one thanking you.¡±
I could stay longer in Carl¡¯s arms, but let¡¯s stop now. I¡¯ve already been in his arms for too long. Holding on any longer would trouble him. Yes, it¡¯s time to let go.
Reluctantly easing away, I finally saw Carl¡¯s face. I hadn¡¯t seen it while embracing him.
His expression, softer than when he first arrived, was mixed with a hint of embarrassment. It contrasted with his earlier grave appearance.
When Carl¡¯s gaze shifted to my left shoulder, I smiled lightly and touched it.
¡°It¡¯s dry now. Don¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°¡I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±
I refrained from adding that I actually enjoyed it because I knew it would only embarrass him more.
But it truly was a precious moment. Carl opened up to me to the point of tears, showing that he trusts me.
¡®I¡¯ll keep this.¡¯
From today, this dress is my treasure.
¡°Did I hold on to you for too long? I¡¯m sorry, Carl. You must have a lot to do.¡±
As soon as Carl leaves, I¡¯ll change to new clothes and treasure this one.
I¡¯ll save it for another special day, one that rivaled today¡¯s significance.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for suddenly saying something strange¡ª¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±
He had been carrying this burden alone, never sharing it with anyone. How could finally sharing it with someone else be wrong?
It wasn¡¯t wrong, but rather somethingmendable. Sharing one¡¯s burdens allowed healing, even if it was slow.
Carl¡¯s experiences were tragic and sad. If I show sadness too, it might burden him.
So, I smiled brightly and spoke, hoping to bring him somefort.
¡°Come back whenever you want to talk, Carl.¡±
I¡¯ll always be here waiting for you.
***
Today¡¯s events weren¡¯t just about me but also involved the hopes of many others.
¡ª How did it go?
¡°I told her.¡±
¡ª There¡¯s no need for me to report to His Highness then. You¡¯ve avoided bing a lifetime minister.
The Minister called as soon as the sun set. Many hopes were really invested in this.
Yes, the minister deserved to know how things unfolded. If it wasn¡¯t for him, then I¡¯d still be keeping everything inside.
¡ª You¡¯re just as annoying now as you were four years ago. If it¡¯s going to be like this, then why don¡¯t you go back to being a Team Manager?
I briefly imagined what it would be like to have those Managers as my superiors.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
Just the thought was dizzying. The 5th Manager was okay, but having the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Managers as my bosses? That would be a nightmare.
But I didn¡¯t respond with the usual harsh words or profanity. I understood why the Minister said that. He must have felt pity and frustration after seeing me struggle with problems I couldn¡¯t solve alone.
This time, I owed a big debt to the Minister. I don¡¯t want to admit it, but it was a huge debt.
¡°I¡¯ll try to make sure this doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±
¡ª Of course, you should.
The Minister¡¯s response, as if it was the most obvious thing, made meugh unintentionally.
¡ª You¡¯reughing?
¡°I apologize.¡±
Of course, myughter didn¡¯tst long.
I quickly bowed my head, and the Minister just clicked his tongue and moved on.
¡ª The Invincible Duke was also very worried. He¡¯ll be relieved to hear things have been resolved.
¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±
¡ª I can¡¯t imagine what would have happened if the Iron-blooded Duke had known about this.
His words sent a chill down my spine. If someone like the Iron-blooded Duke had found out about this incident, it wouldn¡¯t have ended quietly.
Thankfully, it seemed that the Invincible Duke hadn¡¯t informed the Iron-blooded Duke.
But if he had, the Iron-blooded Duke would have been furious at the scoundrel who trifled with his beloved youngest daughter.,
He would have stormed to the Capital armed, with his knights in tow. Even the Crown Prince, who would be curious about themotion, would have opened the gates to watch.
¡®I would have been broken in some way.¡¯
They wouldn¡¯t have killed me, but I would have ended up with broken limbs. Or worse, maybe even dead.
¡°I¡¯m truly relieved he doesn¡¯t know.¡±
¡ª Thank the youngdy, too. If she had cried and contacted the Iron-blooded Duke, nothing you said would have mattered.
¡°Yes¡¡±
There was no denying it. I was literally risking my life by tormenting Marghetta.
A mix of gratitude and guilt, something I felt for the umpteenth time today, swirled in my heart.
¡°I¡¯ll wait until Sir Carl feelsfortable. I¡¯ll wait until then.¡±
Seeing how my gratitude outweighed everything else, it seemed like I was really a selfish person.
Of course, I couldn¡¯t make Marghetta, who had already waited for over a year, wait any longer. I needed to sort out my feelings as quickly as possible.
***
Since that day, only one thing had changed.
Marghetta¡¯s way of addressing me was the only thing that shifted.
But that one change had significant repercussions. Even the least observant person would guess something was up.
And everyone in the mansion was perceptive. This applied even to the foolish club members, except when it was rted to their own love lives.
¡°Why don¡¯t you show the youngdy your office?¡±
Even the butler suggested showing Marghetta the mansion¡¯s office, a ce central to the household. This indicated that they considered her a key part of the mansion.
¡°It¡¯s too soon for that.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
They were already treating Marghetta like thedy of the house. It was too soon for that. We weren¡¯t even engaged, let alone married. I¡¯ve only just started being honest with my feelings. I need some time to breathe.
I managed to calm down the butler, who was ready to rush things. However, every servant I met greeted me with knowing looks.
And I also heard that Yuris and Sophia, the youngest maids, were especially attached to Marghetta. Were they taking sides? It was almost maddening.
¡°Oppa.¡±
Meeting Louise in such a situation was actually a relief. At least she wouldn¡¯tplicate things further.
¡°I¡¯m d things seem to be going well for you.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
I nodded absentmindedly at Louise¡¯s smiling face. Yes, things had worked out.
¡°It was all thanks to you. I appreciate it.¡±
I was referring to the conversation I had with Louise before I went to Marghetta. Although I didn¡¯t mention Marghetta back then, Louise was sharp.
My talk about feeling sorry and wanting to open up, and then Marghetta started to call me by my name. You don¡¯t need to be exceptionally perceptive to notice the connection.
¡°You¡¯re the one who did everything, oppa. You¡¯re amazing.¡±
¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to be called that.¡±
¡°Ahaha, is that so?¡±
Seeing Louiseugh made a smile appear on my face.
The Minister, the Invincible Duke, and Louise. Without even one of them, I would still be keeping my mouth shut, holding on to the strange idea of ¡®bearing everything alone to avoid burdening others.¡¯
¡®What a fool I was.¡¯
It was clear to me now. Keeping silent back then was foolish.
The gratitude I felt for Louise grew in proportion to the length of that dark history. It was all thanks to her that my ongoing dark history could be turned into the past.
¡°I¡¯m really grateful.¡±
I patted Louise¡¯s shoulder while expressing my heartfelt thanks.
¡°What I did is nothingpared to what oppa did for me.¡±
What a kind heart she had.
If only the club members were half as good as their leader.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 125: Starting Over (2)
? Starting Over (2) ?
Senior had changed the way she addressed Oppa. It was a subtle shift since she just started calling him by his name, but it was quite noticeableing from her, who usually used formal titles like ¡®Sir¡¯ or ¡®Lady¡¯ for everyone.
Originally, no one else addressed oppa by his first name, except perhaps his mother the Countess.
It also seemed that Senior¡¯s gaze towards Oppa had be warmer ever since they reached that level of familiarity.
¡®Ah, she¡¯s always looked at him that way.¡¯
It was only then that I realized that she had always looked at him with warmth. I was just confused.
Fortunately, it seems Oppa has resolved his issues.
¡®So it was Senior all along.¡¯
The one oppa pushed away and the one he wanted to confide in. It had to be her. No one else could have brought about such a change.
Yes, it made sense. Senior always showed special care and affection for Oppa; he must have felt the same about her.
It was only natural. That¡¯s right.
¡®It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡¯
Unlike me, who met Oppa at the Academy, Senior knew him long before that. She showed him kindness actively, unlike me who only depended on him.
And unlike me, a baron¡¯s daughter, Senior was from a ducal family. So, Oppa would naturally find her more trustworthy.
It was clear that he would confide in her more than me. I wasn¡¯t naive enough to not understand that.
¡®But why¡?¡¯
Why does it hurt?
It was a good thing, wasn¡¯t it? Oppa resolved his worries, and he grew closer to Senior. I also managed to repay a little of the debt I owed to Oppa.
I tried to ignore the ache. It was a happy asion, after all. There was no reason for me to feel this way.
¡°Oppa.¡±
But when I bumped into him in the hallway, the ache only grew stronger.
Why is this happening? It shouldn¡¯t be like this.
¡°I¡¯m d things seem to be going well for you.¡±
I managed a smile. I couldn¡¯t let my worries darken his bright expression.
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
I wondered if my smile looked forced, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case since he nodded lightly. I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t give him any new worries when he¡¯d just solved his problem.
Even on second nce, Oppa¡¯s expression was brighter than usual. He typically had a somber look, but now he appeared peaceful.
The dark circles under his eyes remained, though. Sadly, it seemed like it came from overwork.
¡°It was all thanks to you. I appreciate it.¡±
As I looked at him, he spoke. My contribution, however small, had helped him.
His words brought a smile to my face. I was d to have been of help to him.
However, the joy came with a twinge of regret. If I could be of help to him, then I wish he had confided in me, too.
I had shown my feelings only to Oppa, but I was the only one who did it.
¡®I wasn¡¯t the only one for him, after all.¡¯
The pain intensified.
¡°You¡¯re the one who did everything, oppa. You¡¯re amazing.¡±
It was an ugly and embarrassing emotion. What I had confided in Oppa was just my one-sided whims. It was foolish of me to expect him to reciprocate those feelings.
So, I didn¡¯t voice my selfish thoughts. I simply congratted him with a smile.
¡°I¡¯m really grateful.¡±
I nearly burst into tears when he patted my shoulder.
It¡¯s so weird. I keep getting these weird feelings about things that should be purely happy moments.
¡°Mar would be grateful, too. I didn¡¯t exin why I rejected her proposal before, and it¡¯s embarrassing that I only told her now.¡±
I nodded at my brother¡¯s embarrassed admission.
I hadn¡¯t known about the proposal between him and Senior, but it wasn¡¯t surprising given her evident affection for him.
It was impressive that Senior continued to show him unchanged affection even after being rejected, and it was also regretful that Oppa had his reasons for rejecting her.
¡°Oppa?¡±
¡°Hmm?¡±
A sudden thought struck me. If Oppa had a reason for rejecting the marriage proposal and had confided that reason to Senior¡
And if Senior had undergone such a drastic change as to start calling Oppa by his name after hearing that reason¡
¡°Um, sorry for the personal question, but¡ about you and Senior¡¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
It was too private a question. I knew I had no right to ask such a thing, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. It was like my instincts demanded an immediate answer.
My rational mind stopped me, so I couldn¡¯t finish the sentence. However, Oppa understood and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
¡°I don¡¯t know when, but maybe there will be a new proposal.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
I nodded hastily at his response.
¡°Congrattions!¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it too early for that?¡±
Seeing Oppa chuckle, I couldn¡¯t help butugh along. I had tough, or else a different expression might have appeared.
After a few more words, Oppa left while thanking me several times.
¡®Proposal.¡¯
I gently touched my chest, which had been aching since earlier.
¡®Oppa and Senior will be getting married.¡¯
The pain in my heart intensified.
Ah, so that was it. That¡¯s why.
¡®It wasn¡¯t just out of gratitude.¡¯
I realized it toote. It wasn¡¯t until I saw Oppa with someone else that I realized how I felt.
It wasn¡¯t just a desire to repay him. I wanted to be noticed by him and to receive his attention.
¡®I liked him.¡¯
A hollowugh escaped me. Why did I only realize this now?
Was I blinded by the past, or did I simply not listen to my own heart?
What did it matter? The result was the same either way.
¡®I¡¯ve been such a fool.¡¯
I should have realized it when I talked about my past with Oppa. It wasn¡¯t just a whim.
I spoke because I trusted him and because I wanted him to see me and ept me.
My head may have denied it, but my heart knew all along. That was myst chance.
¡®I¡¯m a fool and a coward.¡¯
I confided in Oppa because I saw him differently and because I hoped he would see me in the same way and share his past.
Yes, that must be it. Otherwise, why would I feel disappointed and regretful?
This was embarrassing. I unwittingly confessed my feelings without even realizing it and then felt sad about being rejected.
¡®I deserve this.¡¯
But who could I me? It was all my fault. I was the one who closed my eyes and ears to unpleasant things.
And I was the one who pushed people away because of my personal past. Erich, Ainter, Rutis, Lather, and Tannian¡ I pushed them all away.
Having ignored the feelings of others, I deserved to have my own ignored, too. Yes, I deserved this.
¡®If only I had realized it sooner.¡¯
If I was destined to realize it, it would have been better to do so earlier. Then at least I could have tried something before it was toote.
If it was impossible, then I wish I had never known. Then, I wouldn¡¯t have to feel this pain.
¡®If only back then¡¡¯
When Oppa consulted me¡
I pped my cheeks with my palms as I had a thought I shouldn¡¯t have.
Wake up, Louise. How much more cowardly can you be?
Senior was brave and persistent in her affection for Oppa, unlike me. I had no right to interfere.
Something trickled down my cheeks. Did I p myself too hard? It hurt so much that I¡¯m crying.
Yes, it had to be the pain.
Walking aimlessly, I ended up somewhere I hadn¡¯t intended to go.
Although to be honest, did it even matter where I went? I feel like I¡¯d be sad even if I ended up in heaven.
Either way, I found myself near a familiar ce. Of all the ces to go to, the ce where I came to was Irina¡¯s room.
Did Ie seekingfort? It was my own foolishness and cowardice that caused this. Did I also dare and want to beforted?
I stared nkly at the door, then turned around. I should just go back to my room after a while¡ª
¡°Oh, Louise?¡±
I heard Irina¡¯s voice as the door opened.
Is today just not my day?
***
I saw Louise just as I stepped out for a walk in the garden. It was perfect timing; I didn¡¯t want to be alone.
But I quickly abandoned that thought. Louise looked so downcast that dragging her along was impossible.
In the end, I practically forced her into my room despite her protests.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±
The urge to tell her to cut the nonsense rose to the tip of my tongue when I saw her forced smile.
There was no way nothing was wrong when she, who usually looked so cheerful, now looked so gloomy.
Although I tried to coax her into opening up, Louise remained silent. Why was she being so stubborn?
¡°Now that Lady Marghetta seems happy, you¡¯ve be strange instead.¡±
I sighed in frustration. Since we returned from Count Tailglehen¡¯s territory, the Duke¡¯s daughter had been brooding. But she¡¯d been noticeably happier recently, even calling Oppa by his first name.
¡°Oppa seems happier too.¡±
¡°Yeah, probably. Something good must be happening.¡±
I nodded at Louise¡¯sckluster response. It was obvious to any noble what was going on between Oppa and Lady Marghetta. If one couldn¡¯t see that, then how could they survive in high society?
It was all good, though. As expected, it seems Lady Marghetta will indeed be Oppa¡¯s first wife.
¡°Oppa won¡¯t have any restrictions then.¡±
I muttered, relieved. If the first wife was Lady Marghetta, then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about status when he took another wife. Even I, from a count¡¯s family, could¡
No, what am I saying? Oppa and I were just acquaintances. We¡¯re not at a level to discuss that kind of future.
¡Not yet, anyway.
¡°No restrictions?¡±
Embarrassed, I mmed up at Louise¡¯s puzzled voice.
¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. If Oppa marries Lady Marghetta, then he won¡¯t have to worry.¡±
But Louise still looked confused, as if she didn¡¯t understand.
What¡¯s wrong? Why doesn¡¯t she get it?
¡®Ah.¡¯
Louise was from a baron¡¯s family. Then, it was understandable that she might not know how higher-ranking nobles often had multiple wives.
¡°When taking additional wives, a man can¡¯t marry someone of higher status than his first wife.¡±
Marrying someone of higher status than the first wife could make her a figurehead. That was why there was an unspoken rule to protect the first wife¡¯s authority. It didn¡¯t matter for the second or third wives as the rule was for the first wife¡¯s sake.
This held especially true since there was no eligible princess in the current Imperial family. If the first wife was ady of a duchy, then everydy in the empire was a candidate.
¡°So Oppa doesn¡¯t have to worry about¡ huh, Louise?¡±
Louise¡¯s spirits seemed to have lifted a bit.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 126: Starting Over (3)
? Starting Over (3) ?
Today was myst day at work.
¡®Myst day.¡¯
The word filled me with emotion. The thought of going to work for thest time was so exciting.
Of course, it wasn¡¯t thest day of my career; it was just thest day before my break. If it were actually myst day on the job, then I¡¯d even crawl to the office from my mansion if I had to.
So please, just let me retire. I would do anything you ask.
¡°I wonder if I can retire in my 40s too,¡± I muttered, thinking of the former Count Horfeld.
However, the Senior Manager next to me quietly looked away. Yeah, I know that wasn¡¯t going to happen.
Yet, out of respect for my hope, he remained silent. I appreciated it, but sometimes a considerate gesture hurt more than a firm denial.
However, the Senior Manager was an angelpared to some.
¡°I¡¯m afraid that the only way you can retire in your 40s is by dying.¡±
¡°Shut it.¡±
Suddenly, the 1st Manager¡¯s bluntment struck a chord with me¡ªit was annoying, and yet I couldn¡¯t disagree. Damn it.
¡°You always say mean things to me. It¡¯s unfair.¡±
My hand instinctively flew to her lips as she pouted and whined.
Saying mean things to her? Anyone passing by could tell who started it.
¡°You deserve a subordinate just like yourself.¡±
¡°I already have one like that.¡±
¡°The world must be ending,¡± the 3rd Manager added, making me sigh.
As if dealing with the original the 1st Manager wasn¡¯t enough. There¡¯s a mini version now, too?
I red at her, but she just struggled under my grip. Go on, keep talking.
¡°If there were more of me, the Prosecutors¡¯ Office would be brighter and better! Turning a dull department into a pretty one deserves praise!¡± she eximed, managing to free her lips.
I grabbed her lips again, wondering if she had taken the wrong medication or had forgotten the right one.
¡®Brighter, my foot.¡¯
If her idea of brightness was the blood from torture and my tears of frustration, then I¡¯d rather prefer gloominess.
I finally let go of the 1st Manager¡¯s lips when the Senior Manager handed me thest document. Once I sign this, I will finally be free from paperwork for months.
¡°Executive Manager, did you cut your finger?¡±
¡°My finger?¡±
I turned to look at my thumb, which had turned red.
That¡¯s weird. I didn¡¯t even feel a cut.
¡°Ow¡¡±
Everyone¡¯s gaze shifted to the 1st Manager at her teary voice.
Her face was pale, but her lips and the surrounding area were stained red.
¡°Hey, are you hurt?¡±
Did I identally cause a disaster? Did I actually split her lip?
As I rushed over to her, she clutched her lip, sobbing. Wait, was this for real?
¡°¡Aren¡¯t injuries from assault punishable by suspension?¡±
¡°Fortunately, there are no more documents to sign. Take some time off.¡±
The Senior Manager and the 3rd Manager¡¯s remarks almost made me lose my mind. It seems I was already presumed guilty in the eyes of my subordinates.
What a dilemma. I¡¯ve never failed to control my strength before. If she was sobbing, then I must have really hurt her¡
¡°All my makeup is ruined now.¡±
Ah.
Relief and emptiness hit me at the same time.
Why did she even have to do something she never usually did?
¡°What, are you wearing makeup? I don¡¯t see any difference.¡±
¡°I did wear it!¡±
The 1st Manager screamed in response to the 3rd Manager¡¯sment.
Sorry, I honestly didn¡¯t notice.
If I had known, I would have grabbed her somewhere else.
***
After the Executive Manager left, I returned to my office. What was the point of staying in the boss¡¯s office when he wasn¡¯t there?
¡®Heh¡¡¯
I touched my lips thoughtlessly. The Executive Manager had chided me for wearing makeup to work, but his tone was unexpectedly gentle. It looked like showing vulnerability softened his heart.
¡°It looks strange. Just be your usual self.¡±
The Executive Manager grumbled as he wiped off my smudged makeup. Was it his way of saying I look pretty without makeup? He¡¯s so bad at being direct.
Feeling pleased, I nodded in agreement. After all, I did my makeup to impress him. If he prefers a natural look, then I¡¯ll adapt to that.
¡®Penelia was right.¡¯
The Executive Manager seemed more rxed and generous than before. He was also more active and talkative than usual.
¡ª It looks like Master has made progress in his rtionship with Lady Marghetta.
¡°Really? The Executive Manager?¡±
This was the news Penelia shared with me recently.
Lady Marghetta, the one most affected by the Executive Managers¡¯s iron wall, was now closer to him.
¡ª Lady Marghetta now addresses Master by his first name.
¡°Just do what¡¯sfortable. It¡¯s only between us, after all.¡±
It was surprising that the Executive Manager allowed her to use his first name. What was more shocking was Penelia¡¯s insistence on calling the Executive Manager ¡®Master.¡¯
Anyway, it was good news. The Executive Manager being kinder to Lady Marghetta meant that he was finally letting go of his past.
Of course, there wouldn¡¯t be any dramatic changes right away. But the fact that he was letting go was the most important.
¡®He¡¯s on the market now.¡¯
The Executive Manager couldn¡¯t forget Hecate. His inability to move on caused him to push everything away.
But now, he¡¯d stopped pushing people away? It was a sign that he was ready to move on.
What was once unattainable was now up for auction. I might have a chance to be by his side if I yed my cards right.
¡®Finally.¡¯
The opportunity had arrived. The insurmountable wall wasing down.
Until now, I couldn¡¯t even dare to try. Knowing how much the Executive Manager cherished the Six Swords and especially Hecate held me back.
Lady Marghetta, on the other hand, might not even know about his first love. And because I was aware of it, I couldn¡¯t risk his wrath by approaching him carelessly.
That would jeopardize our close boss-subordinate rtionship, which was too precious to lose.
¡®Thank you, Lady.¡¯
The fear of losing what I had kept me from taking risks, but now the situation had changed with Lady Marghetta at the center of it all. As expected, the color red was always the best¡ªI liked her from the start.
So, I¡¯m okay with having her be the first wife. I have that much generosity in me. Second ce was enough for me.
¡®It¡¯s a pity he had to go back to the Academy.¡¯
The boss was leaving soon after this great news, but it was fine. After all, there was nopetition in the Academy except for Lady Marghetta.
I can¡¯t stop her from being the first choice, so having him at the Academy was fine. If the Executive Manager stayed here, he might charm someone else.
So, I¡¯d wait until the winter break. Even if he didn¡¯t return, I¡¯m prepared to go to the Academy.
There was still a chance for me. After all, I was his closest subordinate, especially since Penelia left for the Special Service Agency.
¡°The Prosecutors¡¯ Office is tough. We should at least befortable with each other.¡±
I remember the day I first met the Executive Manager and started our Executive Manager-Manager rtionship. Being newly promoted along with the other Managers, I was quite nervous.
However, the Executive Manager¡¯s first words warmed my heart. At first, I thought, ¡®Why was the youngest boss so soft?¡¯ But his words were exactly what we needed after the exhausting internal and external purges.
¡°Is the Prosecutors¡¯ Office just for show? Did we create this department just to gather and y poker? If you can¡¯t do it alone, you should ask for help.¡±
¡°If it¡¯s an emergency, then do what you can. I¡¯ll take care of the reportster.¡±
¡°Who dares to mess with my people?!¡±
The Executive Manager was not just kind, but also a leader and motivator for the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
That was why I decided to be thefortable subordinate he desired.
¡°Damn it, I should¡¯ve been stricter with you guys.¡±
Despite his asional blunt remarks, the Executive Manager had always been considerate towards us.
He often said things like ¡®I wish you guys would just disappear¡¯ or ¡®Why do I only get these kinds of subordinates?¡¯ However, he was always there to help whenever we needed him.
I had known the Executive Manager for more than a day or two. If he really disliked us, then he would have fired us a long time ago.
So, yes. The Executive Manager and I had afortable, close rtionship.
¡®Now all we need to do is to get closer.¡¯
The Executive Manager was warm, yet decisive. He was also rational, yet gentle.
For two years, I had harbored feelings for him alone. Penelia, who shared simr feelings, was content just being by his side.
I felt relieved. I was worried I¡¯d stay single past thirty.
¡®This is perfect.¡¯
I lightly ran my tongue over the lips he¡¯d just touched.
Well, he was a bit forceful, but who cared? As long as he was happy, then that was all that mattered.
***
When I came back from work, the 4th Manager greeted me.
¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Master.¡±
¡°Ah, thanks.¡±
I told her it wasn¡¯t necessary, but she insisted on doing her duty. A little less formality would¡¯ve been fine.
I suddenly thought of the 1st Manager, who was unusually lively today. She had always been energetic, but today felt different.
¡®How did these two be friends?¡¯
They were so different. The 1st Manager was the embodiment of enthusiasm and madness while the 4th Manager was the personification of silence and seriousness. Apart from being human, they had nothing inmon.
Yet, they¡¯ve somehow managed to be friends.
¡®If only they were a mix of both.¡¯
It would have been better if the 1st Manager was less boisterous and if the 4th Manager was less serious.
I felt worried because they were both so distinctive; would they ever find suitable partners and have a normal marriage?
¡®I hope they find someone good.¡¯
That went without saying for the 4th Manager, who was practically raised by me. But I also had a soft spot for the 1st Manager, so I hope she finds a good partner.
However, there were no signs of it so far. I just hope someone shows up for them.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 127: Starting Over (4)
? Starting Over (4) ?
Thinking about the two managers who each worried me for different reasons made my head spin. However, there was nothing I could do about it no matter how much I worried for them. After all, it was pretty shameful for a boss to pester their subordinate about when they would get married.
And that boss wasn¡¯t even married themselves. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it would be a terribly ironic situation.
¡®They¡¯ll figure it out when the time is right.¡¯
It wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t get married, but that they chose not to. They might have unique personalities or tastes, but they were certainly capable individuals. A little uniqueness should be fine.
The 4th Manager bowed her head politely when I nced at her. Even a vacation was enough for this valiant knight to transform into a perfect maid.
¡®¡It¡¯ll be fine, right?¡¯
I couldn¡¯t quite picture the 4th Manager getting married. The same went for the 1st Manager.
It was a disheartening thought. Could it be that the Managers were choosing to stay single because I was? Maybe I was setting a bad example.
After a moment of silence, I pulled out a small pouch from my pocket. Despite my feelings, I needed to give this to her before I forgot.
¡°Here, take this. It¡¯s a gift.¡±
¡°I¡¯m honored.¡±
The 4th Manager took the pouch with both hands, bowing even deeper.
No, you don¡¯t have to do that. It was just a small gift; I almost felt embarrassed for giving it.
The 4th Manager, who worked as a maid in the mansion, and the Masked Unit, who patrolled while trying to avoid drawing attention from the three countries, must¡¯ve had a tough summer.
¡°I know you¡¯ve all been busy and unable to take a break due to strange incidents. Here¡¯s a little something for everyone to use together.¡±
That was why I gave them some silver coins for a team dinner. They weren¡¯t exactly poor, but a dinner on someone else¡¯s treat was special.
¡°It¡¯s a shame that I couldn¡¯t see the rest of the Masked Unit except for that incident with the Twilight Cult.¡±
¡°If you could grace us with your presence¡ª¡±
¡°Don¡¯t say such things.¡±
I quickly cut off the 4th Manager. Having a high-ranking official at a casual gathering would be more of a torture than an honor. It would be better to meet them some other time.
Despite feeling shaken by her disappointed expression at my firm refusal, I couldn¡¯t tell her that I would go.
¡°This is all thanks to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager. The Krasius family is truly a blessing to the empire.¡±
¡°You honor me, Your Majesty.¡±
I once vowed never to dine with my subordinates at a dinner hosted by the emperor. I had to break that dreadful cycle. I couldn¡¯t even sleep properly that night because of an upset stomach.
***
I would be returning to the Academy soon. Thinking back, I had spent most of the vacation at the Capital.
I had thought that I would spend it traveling to various cities and dealing with the governors, and just thinking about it was already enough to make me dizzy with worry.
Fortunately, it seemed that the club members were toozy to travel. It was just as well; staying in the Capital was enough.
¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯
I had even prepared to visit Louise¡¯s territory in the worst-case scenario. Thankfully, I avoided the sight of the kind baron and his wife fainting on the spot.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
It was sad that I was even considering this a stroke of luck. I hope they return to their countries during the winter vacation.
¡ª There¡¯s no rule saying that what happened once can¡¯t happen again.
¡°Fair enough.¡±
= Cut the crap, you jerk.
My voice over themunication crystal betrayed my real feelings, but I managed to keep my words diplomatic. It was all thanks to thest shred of my sanity.
The Crown Prince spoke with a look on his face that reminded me of Ainter if he were to turn to the dark side. Someday, I really want to knock some sense into him without regard for rank.
¡ª I should prepare for your arrival this winter, too. It¡¯s exhausting to make hasty preparations like this time.
This could be interpreted as either a cautious statement or a hint that ¡®you¡¯re going to have a hard time this winter as well.¡¯ Strangely, thetter seemed to hold more weight.
I managed to calm my mouth, which was itching to curse him, and finally spoke.
¡°I wish Your Highness a peaceful winter.¡±
= I¡¯ll do my best to prevent them froming during winter vacation so that won¡¯t happen.
¡ª I am grateful for the Executive Manager¡¯s concern, but the unpredictable future is a gift from Enen to us.
= So are you saying you intentionally let things happen this time? Don¡¯t talk nonsense.
This bastard always left me speechless.
Failing to prevent the situation this time definitely left me crying inside. There was no guarantee that things would change during the winter vacation, either.
¡®This can¡¯t repeat during winter vacation.¡¯
Having the pastry clube to the Capital during the winter vacation would be a total disaster, especially with the New Year¡¯s ceremony. The result would be utter chaos.
The New Year¡¯s ceremony was where nobles with titles gathered in one ce. And with foreign royalty and a saint candidate in the capital during that time? The socialite nobles would be desperate to invite them.
The emperor would most likely invite those idiots as well. The prestige of the guests reflected the host¡¯s prestige, after all.
¡®It¡¯s inevitable.¡¯
Thinking of the emperor, I resigned myself to the bitter future. Maybe an invitation from the emperor would still arrive even if the pastry club had no intention ofing to the capital.
I could almost see it now¡ªbeing pulled in all directions at the New Year¡¯s ceremony.
¡ª By the way, Executive Manager. Did something happen between you and father-inw?
While I wasmenting the future I saw, the Crown Prince casually brought up that topic. Ah, it seemed that he had already heard.
¡°I was just expressing my gratitude to His Grace the Invincible Duke for his advice.¡±
¡ª I see.
After confiding in Marghetta, I had gone to thank the Invincible Duke, heavilyden with gifts. The problem was the equally heavy return gifts I received. Was this what they called a tribute trade?
After hearing my response, the Crown Prince simply nodded and then seemed to lose interest. At least he wasn¡¯t one to pry into personal matters.
¡ª The Crown Princess asked me to thank you for being a good conversation partner to her lonely father.
¡°That¡¯s very kind of her.¡±
¡ª And to send her regards to Dame Elizabeth.
Even in front of his wife, the Crown Prince was just a messenger. That was somewhat amusing.
¡°Yes, I¡¯ll pass on the message.¡±
And with that, the Crown Prince ended themunication. Was today¡¯s call just a casual check-in? He seemed busy, and yet he somehow always had time to spare.
Now, I had to send the Crown Princess¡¯ regards to the 1st Manager.
¡®I¡¯m still surprised.¡¯
It was unbelievable that the elegant Crown Princess and the unpredictable 1st Manager were close friends during their school days. What kind of ce was the Academy?
¡®Although it¡¯s not that strange, considering their families¡¡¯
Being the daughter of a Marquis, it wasn¡¯t strange for the 1st Manager to be close friends with the Crown Princess, who was from a ducal family. It wasn¡¯t unusual, but¡
No, I shouldn¡¯t dwell on it. The 1st Manager must have been a normal person during her academy days. Let¡¯s think about it that way.
¡®A normal 1st Manager¡¡¯
That meant that it was the Prosecutors¡¯ Office that ruined a perfectly gooddy. The sins of our department ran deep.
***
This is just too much, really too much.
¡°Yuris, are you okay?¡±
Sophia was trying tofort me, but I couldn¡¯t stop crying.
How could this happen? I was rooting for Penelia unnie.
¡°Sigh¡¡±
Penelia unnie was such a fool. If she couldn¡¯t do anything by herself, she should at least ept help from others. If she couldn¡¯t lead thepetition, then she should at least not fall behind.
¡°I am content just being by his side.¡±
Penelia unnie¡¯s words kepting back to me. What? She was satisfied just by being at his side?
¡®That¡¯s a lie.¡¯
Would someone who looked at their master with such longing eyes say that? Even Sophia wouldn¡¯t fall for such a lie.
Maybe Penelia unnie really thought that way. If so, she was a fool who didn¡¯t even know her own heart.
Feeling even more upset, I lowered my head, and Sophia became even more flustered.
¡®I was really cheering for her¡¡¯
Master would soon return to the Academy. Penelia unnie¡¯s time with him wasing to an end.
It seemed the Master was considering marriage, so the opportunity for Penelia unnie to approach him was ripe. She wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the red-haireddy from taking the lead, but Penelia unnie should at least try to catch up.
¡°I will be by his side¡ª¡±
I shook my head, casting off the foolish words. Anyone would think they were already in a romantic rtionship.
¡°Unnie! You know there¡¯s already someone else after Master!¡±
¡°The Lady? I¡¯m aware.¡±
¡°You foolish unnie! If it¡¯s only thedy, then I won¡¯t even need to bring it up!¡±
I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and brought up the blonde-haired sister. She was the nobledy who gifted the Master a hawthorn nt, confessing her love boldly.
What would Penelia unnie do with such a rival in y? That was the reason why I tried to provoke her, but she took it the wrong way.
¡°You hid it from Master?¡±
Penelia unnie got angry when she learned that I lied to Master about the meaning of the hawthorn nt. Why was she reacting like that?
After that, she scolded me for a long time, saying that we should be honest to Master, that hiding anything was wrong, and that interfering with someone¡¯s love was bad.
¡°Then why are you doing this, unnie?!¡±
I held back everything else, but I couldn¡¯t contain thosest words. It was absurd for someone who was sabotaging their own love to say such things.
I yelled those words to Penelia unnie and ran away. Now, it wasn¡¯t my problem anymore. Even if the blonde-haired unnie at the academy became Master¡¯s second wife, it would be Penelia unnie¡¯s fault, not mine.
¡®She¡¯s such a fool.¡¯
I¡¯ll never speak of the hawthorn nt no matter what. Honestly, the blonde-haired unnie might beat her to it even if I did nothing, especially considering how passive Penelia unnie was.
After biting my lip several times, I lifted my head. This was really, really thest time.
¡®This winter vacation.¡¯
If Master came to the capital during the winter vacation and there was no progress between him and Penelia unnie¡
¡®I will tell him.¡¯
I¡¯ll tell him everything.
Everything about Penelia¡¯s love for Master, and about the blonde-haired unnie¡¯s love for him, too.
They both deserved a fair start.
¡°¡Yuris?¡±
I heard Sophia¡¯s hesitant voice beside me, but I chose to ignore it.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 128: Starting Over (5)
? Starting Over (5) ?
I¡¯ve always heard that time flies when you¡¯re on vacation, but that wasn¡¯t the case for me. Maybe it was because I wasn¡¯t exactly enjoying the break, given the situation I was in. It didn¡¯t even feel like a vacation at all.
Looking back, each day passed in a blur, but the vacation itself seemed to drag on forever. And you¡¯re telling me that I have to go through this five more times? That¡¯s too much.
¡®If this keeps up, I deserve a diploma myself.¡¯
After three years of steadfastly sticking it out at the Academy, shouldn¡¯t I be considered an honorary graduate? If the principal had any sense of recognition, then he would give me a diploma. I trust the principal and his kind nature.
¡ª At least there¡¯s no need for you tomute to work while you¡¯re at the Academy.
¡°¡¡±
¡ª My apologies. Don¡¯t look at me like that.
The betrayal felt deeper because those words came from the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager, arade who suffered the same fate as me.
If I had to choose between taking care of the royalties at the Academy or just going to work, I¡¯d choose thetter. If they told me to go instead, I¡¯d refuse vehemently.
Realizing that he went too far, the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager quickly apologized. In fact, he had be somewhat milder since that day.
¡®That¡¯s how people should be.¡¯
When I found out that Louise was using the Mage Duchess¡¯s unique magic, I contacted the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager, wondering if they knew how she learned it.
But what I got in return was a stark betrayal. The Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager, who said he¡¯d look into it, miraculously chose a method that put me directly in touch with the Mage Duchess.
I was so furious. He even avoided me when I visited, anticipating my protest. How despicable.
¡ª Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager, have you been well?
¡°Wow, a traitor called me. I really missed you.¡±
Then, a few dayster, he contacted me as if nothing happened.
As if I could be well. I was summoned after being caught prying into the Duchess¡¯s private life. Luckily, the Mage Duchess just gave me a light warning.
¡ª I apologize. The Mage Duchess has a lot of eyes and ears in the capital.
He told me he was sorry, but he didn¡¯t seem sorry at all.
Was it really the Mage Duchess who had caught wind of the Information Department¡¯s actions, or did the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager simply betray me to the Mage Duchess? Only he knew the truth.
¡®You vile and ugly traitor¡¡¯
Still, the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s attitude softened somewhat after that incident since he knew what it meant to be offered as a sacrifice to the Duchess.
Thankfully, there was still some decency left in him. After all, it wasn¡¯t like I could take personal revenge by going after his family.
¡ª Anyway, I¡¯ve sent everything you requested through themunication crystal.
¡°Yes, I received them. Thank you for amodating my sudden request.¡±
And it was nice to be able to ask for information from the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager without feeling burdened.
¡ª That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already been closely monitoring those matters, so we had plenty of information.
The Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager lightly nodded in response to my thanks.
What he was referring to were the five organizations from the original story that seemed to have their eyes on the Academy¡¯s activities.
Among them, the Third Honor and Twilight Cult were already destroyed, but three potential threats remained. I had to check their status from time to time for my peace of mind.
Actually, I had half-forgotten about the Third Honor after we defeated them, but the Twilight Cult¡¯s infiltration attempt into the capital woke me up. I expected them to infiltrate the Academy, but I never imagined that they would try to hit the capital. Those crazy bastards.
¡®I can¡¯t let my guard down anywhere.¡¯
So, I requested additional information on the remaining three groups. It would be terrible if we were ambushed on our way back to the academy.
¡ª And as you¡¯ve probably seen, the Five Pirs have been rtively quiet among the three.
ording to the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager, the Five Pirs have been busy promoting traditionalism in the United Kingdom of Yuben while being secretly backed by the empire¡¯s support. So far, they seemed uninterested in heading to the empire.
Still, one couldn¡¯t be too careful. It was always better to prepare for the worst. In the first ce, there was a high probability that Lather came to the empire¡¯s academy because of that.
¡ª I¡¯ll let you know if more informationes in.
¡°Ah, thank you. I appreciate it.¡±
I nodded at his willing words. Automatic updates would certainly be wee.
After exchanging a few more parting words, we ended the call.
¡But then, I noticed that he was holding some documents in his hand.
¡®It¡¯s night already.¡¯
A moment of solemn realization hit me. I may have been sold to the Academy, but my work conditions were still better than his. Being sold to the academy was an issue, but anyway, that was how it was.
There was always someone going through something worse. Thanks to the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager, I was able to survive without going insane.
***
The day after I unintentionally spied on the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s live overtime, it was time to leave for the academy. I should start moving, considering the carriage ride.
¡°Are you heading back, baby?¡±
¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±
Our departure was scheduled for the afternoon, so I decided to visit the Mage Duchess in the morning before leaving.
She insisted on seeing me after the Twilight Cult incident. I couldn¡¯t just ignore her request, and there was something I needed to receive anyway.
¡°It shouldst you through the winter.¡±
At those words, a box that had been floating beside the Mage Duchess flew towards me. It was impressive how she used magic on mundane things.
¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll make sure to consume it well.¡±
But it didn¡¯t matter. It was magic intended to care for the health of this lowly civil servant, so why not?
This replenished my supply of the Mage Duchess¡¯s special potions. Judging by the quantity, it should be enough until winter.
¡®The color is quite nice, too.¡¯
The ginseng-like color of the potion naturally brought a smile to my face. Moreover, I had the items Mother gave me, so I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about my health for a while.
¡°Do you like it?¡±
¡°Of course, Your Grace.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯m relieved.¡±
The Mage Duchess¡¯s smiling face was truly fitting of the title ¡®Mother Mage Duchess¡¯.
But seriously, this was impressive. I had tried almost every potion avable on the market up until now, but I had never experienced this level of quality. It would be a sensation if she started selling these.
After staring at the potion, I turned to the Mage Duchess, who shook her head.
¡°I have no ns to sell it, baby. Mass production is impossible.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
Well, if the maker said so. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like the Duchess needed the money.
¡°It¡¯s based on your blood, so it won¡¯t be much effective for anyone else.¡±
¡°What?¡±
My¡ blood?
The unexpected revtion left me speechless. Was this red color because of my blood, not ginseng? I never imagined it.
As I became stunned by this shocking truth, the Mage Duchess¡¯s ears drooped slightly.
¡°Well, didn¡¯t I tell you that I¡¯ll give you good results soon? This was what I meant.¡±
¡°Ah, yes. I remember now.¡±
I recall her mentioning it the day she summoned me over the incident with Louise.
I had forgotten about it, thinking it would be muchter because of her half-elf origin, but it turned out to be really ¡®soon,¡¯ and by human standards at that.
¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯
I was surprised, but it didn¡¯t matter. What came out of my body was justing back into my body. It would be miserable if I had to drink it instead of water because I had nothing else to drink, but it was at least transformed into a super health supplement.
However, the Mage Duchess seemed to think I found it repulsive. Her ears stayed down and her gaze shifted downwards, showing her dejection.
¡°It¡¯s good. I¡¯m d the effort paid off.¡±
So, I immediately drank one. It felt ufortable having an elder look at me so intently, but I hope it didn¡¯t seem like I had intentionally made thatment.
Then, the Mage Duchess¡¯s ears perked up again. She might have a poker face, but her ears were too honest.
¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, baby. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible otherwise.¡±
I was relieved to see that her mood had improved.
***
After lifting the Mage Duchess¡¯s spirits, I returned home with loads of gifts. It reminded me of the time I met the Invincible Duke. Was generosity a trend among the dukes these days?
¡°Remember that it¡¯s only for you, baby. If someone else consumes it, it¡¯s no different from ordinary water.¡±
The Mage Duchess emphasized this several times with a grave expression before sending me off. The efficacy seemed extreme, though.
¡®If the pharmacist says so, it must be true.¡¯
Who else should I trust if not the expert? Even herbal medicine could be troublesome if misused, let alone a potion made from blood.
Yet, I felt a bit disappointed. I wanted to share a few bottles of it with others, but it was better to give them something else if it was no different than water for them.
¡°Master.¡±
¡°Why are you waiting here?¡±
The 4th Manager greeted me as I slowly approached the mansion. It was unusual for her to wait outside the fence.
Where would you find a maid who waited for her master outside the mansion? Her loyalty was too excessive.
¡°Today¡¯s thest day, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Seeing the 4th Manager¡¯s disappointed gaze made me feel a pang of sympathy. After all, I wouldn¡¯t see her for a while after today.
I felt the same. It would be so much easier if the 4th Manager and the Masked Unit could be stationed at the academy.
¡°I¡¯ll be back in winter, so let¡¯s meet then.¡±
I patted her shoulder, suppressing my own disappointment. The summer vacation might be over, but the winter vacation wasn¡¯t so far away.
Of course, I wasn¡¯t sure if the Special Service Agency would send the Masked Unit during the winter vacation, but they probably would as long as nothing happened. After all, it was typical of civil servants to assign the same task to the same people.
¡°Yes, Master. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±
The 4th Manager seemed to brighten up at the thought.
Still, I was relieved that I could conclude my time at the capital with the 4th Manager. If it had ended with the 1st Manager¡¯s provocation, I would have boarded the carriage while clutching my neck in frustration.
Just the thought of it made my neck hurt. Was this the effect of the 1st Manager?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 129: Villars Tears
? Vir¡¯s Tears ?
When His Highness, Prince Rutis, chose to stay at the academy instead of returning home, it felt like the sky was falling. And when I learned that it wasn¡¯t his unteral decision but a coboration with the other key figures, it even felt like the ground was crumbling beneath me.
¡®Is this hell?¡¯
I haven¡¯t lived a saintly life, but it wasn¡¯t as if I¡¯d led such a wretched existence that I¡¯d end up in hell. But what on earth did I do to deserve this punishment and to live in this kind of hell? I had nned to take a breather in my hometown during the vacation at least.
The news also threw the other escorts from the three countries into confusion. They were all eager to return to their homnds for the handover of escort duties, but now they couldn¡¯t due to this unexpected twist.
¡°Sir Vir! What on earth is happening?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t believe that His Highness is staying in the empire; it¡¯s absurd!¡±
The first to rush in were the escorts from the Armein Kingdom. They were the closest, which exined their swift arrival.
¡®The tables have turned.¡¯
Just a few days ago, they had beenforting and cheering me on. While they werepletely finishing the handover during the vacation, I had to continue this mission until graduation.
Back then, they were consoling me with all sorts of words, but they were now in a frenzy and rushing towards me. It seemed like they might end up in a situation like mine, so they came to see if there was a way out.
¡°Enough.¡±
I understood their feelings, but I couldn¡¯t ept it. How dare they make a fuss over something like this in front of someone who was forced to do it for three years?
¡°It¡¯s His Highness Rutis¡¯s decision. Following it is the virtue of a knight, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°But Sir Vir¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s the will of the royal family.¡±
Upon hearing those words, those who came to protest fell silent.
We are from Armein, a country renowned for its chivalry. In addition to that, we belonged to the Royal Knights, who could proudly im to be the best among everyone else.
We¡¯re the sword of the royal family and the people who served them with utmost loyalty. It was our duty to uphold their will, and that sense of pride was what drove us to carry out the wishes of the prince, no matter what.
They probably knew it in their heads, but they couldn¡¯t ept it in their hearts.
¡°What should we do about the recement of the escort unit for the prince? I heard the selection process is alreadyplete in our homnd.¡±
A knight finally spoke up amidst the silence.
Indeed, the selection of the recement escorts had already concluded. These were individuals our homnd had carefully chosen while we were at the academy, and not exchanging them would make the whole ordeal useless.
Saying ¡®Let¡¯s rece them next time¡¯ and simply returning everyone to their original posts would lead toplications. At the same time, waiting indefinitely was not a feasible option due to the shortage of personnel.
¡°I¡¯ve contacted our homnd. They are searching for a solution, so please wait.¡±
Thanks to that, they were also working to find a solution back home. It was a matter of the prince¡¯s safety, after all.
In any case, I dismissed the protesting knights with a simple instruction to wait. Maybe the act of protesting calmed them down because they left obediently.
¡°Sir Vir, we would like to speak with you for a moment.¡±
¡°Do you have time, brother?¡±
But why did you alle here?
The second group of visitors consisted of representatives from the United Kingdom of Yuben and the Holy Kingdom. They must have had serious matters to discuss, given the emergency, but I wondered why they hade.
This was not a matter that could be resolved by having the representatives from the three countries gather. Each of them should contact their respective homnds to find a solution.
¡°It¡¯s alright. Please have a seat.¡±
However, I couldn¡¯t just turn them away after they made the effort toe.
It wasn¡¯t long before I regretted that choice. It would have been better if I had turned them away, even if they had stood there stubbornly.
¡°Even though I don¡¯t know Prince Rutis well, I could tell that he is truly a knight. He¡¯s always brave and dignified, taking the lead.¡±
= Hey, you punk. I heard your prince led them this time.
¡°I also think so. I envy Sir Vir for serving such a person.¡±
= Can¡¯t you manage your prince properly?
They hadn¡¯te to discuss, but to protest.
¡®Fuck.¡¯
They sure had time on their hands. They even had time for a leisurely protest.
¡°You¡¯re right. Prince Rutis¡¯ bravery is a source of inspiration for the knights, but he isn¡¯t just brave. He is also a wise person who knows how to lead people side by side, and isn¡¯t someone who would stand alone.¡±
= So what about your prince or saint candidate? Aren¡¯t they all on it?
There was a momentary pause in the conversation as there wasn¡¯t much to say. Even though Prince Rutis did take the lead, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible without the consent of Prince Lather and Saint Candidate Tannian. With so many parties involved, it was hard to assign me.
Besides, they had approached the wrong person for their protests. I was also just a victim in this situation. It was just sad that even the victims were fighting among themselves.
In the end, the discussions among the representatives of the three countries only left wounds on each other. It was hopeless. My superior, Prince Rutis, was responsible for the trouble, while my subordinates were questioning me. Meanwhile, my fellow representatives were asking me to take responsibility. Was there anyone who was unluckier than me?
¡ª It seems like the pastry club ns to stay in the capital during the vacation instead of the academy, so they can stay at my mansion.
¡°¡That¡¯s surprising news.¡±
It was indeed surprising.
The Executive Manager, who had been absent after the vacation ceremony, suddenly contacted me. What he said made my head spin, but a sense of relief washed over me at the same time.
¡®His mansion.¡¯
The pastry club included not only Prince Rutis but also Prince Lather, Prince Tannian, and even the Imperial Prince of the Empire. And he was allowing such influential figures to stay at his mansion?
I imagined for a moment how it would be if the pastry club members were to stay at my mansion. It was horrifying, and it wasn¡¯t something anyone should go through.
¡ª The security in the capital is thorough, so you don¡¯t need to worry about the escorts. It might be a stretch for everyone, but how about taking some rest during this opportunity?
¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±
I nodded slightly in response to the Executive Manager¡¯s words. While it might be impractical for all three countries¡¯ forces to enter the Capital, it seemed that some individuals would be allowed.
It was quite convenient. Our homnd decided to rotate at least some of the personnel, and it would work out perfectly if those who couldn¡¯t enter the Capital were sent back to our home country.
Once the escort recement unit from our homnd entered the Capital, the individuals who had been stationed there initially would return as a second batch. It wouldn¡¯t be an easy process, but it was better than not having any solution.
¡®Why is it that the Empire seems better?¡¯
While the three countries, who were in the same situation, were left with nothing but wounded conversations, the Empire, which should have been the most cautious, was amodating.
Was this okay? It left a bitter and surreal aftertaste somehow.
¡ª The security of the distinguished guests will be a top priority for the Empire as well, so I hope you can rx during the vacation, Sir Vir.
At his words, I nced at the Executive Manager¡¯s face, almost unintentionally.
¡®More than me¡¡¯
You should be the one who should take some time off and rx.
With his stern expression and deep dark circles, the young Executive Manager, who was barely a few years older than my daughter, looked pitiable, regardless of his reputation or notoriety.
It would have been easier if the Executive Manager had been an indifferent miscreant, but it was even harder to ignore someone who had been a reasonable negotiating partner all along.
¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡±
Let¡¯s handle the matters of the three countries as quietly as possible. That¡¯s the maximum consideration I could offer to the Executive Manager.
***
Since arriving at the Capital, time had surprisingly passed without any major incidents.
Our travel was limited to within the Capital, and even our only trip outside the Capital was to the Executive Manager¡¯s territory. It wasn¡¯t as bad as I had feared.
Ironically, the most agonizing period had been before arriving at the Capital. Those included the protests of those who had failed to return home due to Prince Rutis¡¯s decision, the unexpected factor of being stationed in the Capital instead of the Academy as per the treaty, and the selection of personnel for the first batch, among other things.
¡®I don¡¯t want to go through this again.¡¯
It was terrifying. I would have already copsed if it weren¡¯t for the prior experience I had while working with the Royal Knights.
Surprisingly, the Executive Manager¡¯s words about feeling more at ease had some truth to them, and my worries about the escort had lessened somewhat.
I also sensed an unusual presence near the Executive Manager¡¯s mansion.
It was probably the Empire¡¯s forces, doubling as security and surveince. Since there were no visible threats, I pretended not to know. It would be better to ignore it than to protest unnecessarily and end up losing more than I gained.
I wish there were simr unidentified forces in the academy, but that would just be my wishful thinking.
¡®Now that it¡¯s almost time to return, I¡¯m starting to worry again.¡¯
I sighed and ran my hand across my face. Compared to the Academy, life in the Capital had been somewhat more peaceful. That¡¯s right. Time flies quickly when you¡¯re at ease.
Knock knock¡ª
¡°Sir Vir, it¡¯s Ludwig.¡±
¡°Come in.¡±
While I was feeling frustrated, I heard Sir Ludwig¡¯s voice as he knocked on the door and entered.
¡°The second batch of the escort recement unit has entered the Empire.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
As soon as he entered, Sir Ludwig began talking about the matter at hand, and I nodded in agreement.
It was all going as nned. Now that they have entered the Empire, they should arrive at the academy before the opening ceremony. Those who were going back to our homnd would also return a day after the second batch arrived, so they should be able to wee them properly.
¡°However, Sir Vir¡¡±
Sir Ludwig hesitated unusually while holding a few sheets of paper.
He was acting strangely. If someone else were to do this, I would just wait quietly. However, Sir Ludwig was someone who was known for his cool and collected demeanor.
¡°¡This is the list of the second batch of escort recement unit.¡±
Sir Ludwig finally handed over the papers and quickly left.
¡®Something is off.¡¯
I didn¡¯t know what it was, but it couldn¡¯t be something normal if Sir Ludwig was so shaken.
Of all times, this had to happen at the very end of our stay in the Capital. What bad luck.
I quickly examined the list. Maybe there was a problem with it; otherwise, Sir Ludwig wouldn¡¯t have acted this way. What in the world could it be¡ What?
¡®What the hell.¡¯
Did I read it wrong?
I checked the list several times because I saw a name that shouldn¡¯t have been there.
Perosa Ganelli.
That¡¯s right. I read it correctly.
¡®Why¡?¡¯
Why was her name on this list?
She was a young girl who wasn¡¯t even twenty yet, diligently training in our territory.
I did feel lonely during my time in the Empire and wanted to see my daughter. However, that was a desire to escape this hell and return home, not a wish for my precious daughter toe to this hell.
I stared at the list for a while, feeling powerless.
¡®Are there any people who are more unlucky than me?¡¯
At the very least, I don¡¯t think there would be more than one.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 130: I Dont Know That Person (1)
? I Don¡¯t Know That Person (1) ?
The journey from the Capital to the Academy was smooth. There were no boring ambush events and the road was in good condition unlike the first time I went to the Academy, making the tripfortable.
Thinking back to the time when the road was a mess still annoyed me. They wasted money in the name of road maintenance, didn¡¯t they? Of course, the disappeared funds were eventually recovered by raiding the local governor¡¯s assets.
Anyway, we arrived at the Academy without any problems. To be honest, I didn¡¯t really miss it.
¡®It¡¯s so quiet.¡¯
The quietness of the Academy as we entered felt oddly out of ce considering the usual bustling activity during the semester.
It was only natural since it was the vacation period. Most students had gone home, and without student customers, the businesses around here had slowed down a bit.
It would be different if the Academy was a den that kept students even during vacations, but the Academy fortunately wasn¡¯t like that.
¡°The Academy can be this quiet, too.¡±
As I turned to the voice from across me, I saw Marghetta looking out the window with an expression that seemed genuinely amazed. It wasn¡¯t anything special, but it brought a smile to my face.
¡°Is this your first time seeing it like this, Mar?¡±
¡°Well, I usually teleport in time for the opening ceremony, so I¡¯ve never seen the Academy during the vacation.¡±
Marghetta certainly wasn¡¯t some rural noblewoman, and there was no need for her to travel a long distance by carriage when she could simply hire a mage and teleport.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you go through all this trouble when you could teleport easily, Mar.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. Traveling by carriage has its own charm, you know?¡±
Marghetta smiled warmly and got up from her seat, then sat down next to me.
¡°And it gives me more time to be with you, which I enjoy.¡±
¡°In that case, then I¡¯m d.¡±
I awkwardlyughed at Marghetta¡¯s words. She was even speaking so casually now.
After I opened up to Marghetta at the mansion, she became even more proactive.
¡°Since Carl has been honest with me, I¡¯ll be honest with Carl, too.¡±
I was genuinely surprised by Marghetta¡¯s bold deration a few days before we returned to the Academy. Even though I had been trying to avoid other women, I couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to her.
I must have been blind or deaf to pretend not to notice her when she was so actively showing her affection. Was I really that good at hiding my feelings?
And now that Marghetta had removed her restraints, she had certainly be extraordinary. In the past, she would blush and panic even if I approached her just a little, but now she woulde closer first and say embarrassing things to me without hesitation.
¡®I guess that¡¯s not true.¡¯
Upon closer examination, Marghetta¡¯s face was slightly red. Her pupils were also trembling. It wasn¡¯t as if she wasn¡¯t shaken.
It was just that her resistance to embarrassment seemed to have increased, and even that alone was quite an improvement.
¡°Thank you for spending your precious time with me.¡±
I gently held Marghetta¡¯s hand and spoke, and the faint blush on her face gradually deepened.
I knew I was teasing her, but her shyness felt familiar and cute.
¡°If it¡¯s for you, Carl, I¡¯ll even give you my li¡ lifetime.¡±
She stammered as she opened her mouth, but her willingness to open up warmed a corner of my heart.
***
While the others all went to their lodgings, I headed to the main building since I had someone to meet. Even though most students had left the Academy, there were always people who steadfastly stayed behind to keep watch.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Executive Manager. Have you been well?¡±
¡°Of course. I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯ve been in good health too, Principal.¡±
This was especially true for the man who governed and lived in the Academy. Wasn¡¯t it an intimidatingbination when the workce was also their home?
I felt a bit sorry for the Principal, but it seemed like he didn¡¯t particrly care. I guess it was okay as long as he was fine with it.
¡°I¡¯m d there haven¡¯t been any major issues. It would be unfortunate if anything happened to the students.¡±
¡°I agree.¡±
I nodded in agreement with the Principal, who spoke while stroking his long beard. Although he was less involvedpared to Sir Vir or me, he was also one of the people who had been nervous about the pastry club¡¯s trip to the capital.
Having foreign royalties and a saint candidate within the Academy alone was already a handful, but to add a trip to the capital on top of that? It was pure madness.
If something happened to the students, the Principal would still be held responsible even if it happened outside the Academy. That was the role of a high-ranking official, no matter how unfair it seemed.
¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve worked hard, Executive Manager.¡±
Of course, he wouldn¡¯t shoulder the responsibility as fiercely as I did. The Principal knew that and offered words offort.
¡°Oh, Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
After exchanging a few more words of greetings and catching up, the Principal suddenly spoke as if he remembered something.
¡°I heard that a peculiar individual was included in the three countries¡¯ escort forces.¡±
¡°Is that so? That sounds interesting.¡±
¡®Damn it.¡¯
Contrary to my outward appearance, I instinctively cursed inside. Thanks to Sir Vir, I hadn¡¯t crossed paths with the three countries¡¯ escort forces until now. However, I heard that everyone except Sir Vir had been reced during the vacation.
It would be exhausting for both me and Sir Vir if there was someone who would challenge his authority among the new escorts. So, I just hoped that it would pass quietly.
¡®But if the Principal mentions it¡¡¯
How remarkable must this person be for the Principal to mention them personally? If the Principal was paying attention to them, that meant that they must either be a high-ranking or exceptional individual, perhaps even a formidable figure who questioned Sir Vir¡¯s authority.
That would be troublesome. Sir Vir was an eptable negotiating partner for me, and I hoped that he would stay that way until graduation.
¡°These are the escort recement unit¡¯s details. I received them two days ago.¡±
The Principal handed me a few papers from the stack on his desk. It was hard to believe that I was spending my time in a carriage only two days ago.
I quickly scanned the documents I received. Sir Vir was among the top five knights in Armein¡¯s Royal Knights. If anyone could threaten him, I¡¯d know their name at least.
¡®This is troublesome.¡¯
The simplest exnation I could think of was that it was a royal knight of higher rank than Sir Vir, but that was unlikely; if they were sending someone like that, they would have sent Sir Vir home in the first ce.
Then, was it a high-level mage from the United Kingdom of Yuben, or perhaps a cardinal from the Holy Kingdom?
Regardless of who it was, it was going to be a nuisance. If their position was too high, then it would be difficult for me to handle them during negotiations¡ª
¡®What was that just now?¡¯
My gaze, which had been scrolling down, suddenly shot back up. I felt like I had just seen something strange.
It was a name I had never seen before. As far as I knew, they weren¡¯t a high-ranking figure.
However, theirst name was familiar.
Perosa Ganelli
¡®What the¡¡¯
What the heck was going on here? Why was the surname Ganelli appearing here of all ces?
I repeatedly double-checked,pletely unexpected by the sudden appearance. Maybe it was something like Gadelina or Ganali, and I misread it.
¡®No, it¡¯s not.¡¯
Of course, the result was the same. It was indeed Ganelli.
In shock, I stared nkly at the documents. Perosa Ganelli, 17 years old, and a citizen of Armein.
It clearly stated under the name that she was Vir Ganelli¡¯s daughter. It wasn¡¯t even a coincidence that they shared the samest name. It was Vir¡¯s daughter, alright.
¡®Why?¡¯
Why was Sir Vir¡¯s daughter here?
It wasn¡¯tmon for any country on the continent to assign family members to other countries for the same mission. Moreover, the situation wasn¡¯t so urgent that it would require breaking such conventions.
¡°It¡¯s unusual, isn¡¯t it? I was quite surprised myself at first.¡±
¡°Oh, yes. It¡¯s really unusual.¡±
The Principal spoke as I struggled toe up with a response. Yes, anyone would react like me.
What kind of mission was so important that the daughter would follow her father to another country? It was touching to see her filial piety, but there was no need to express it this way.
¡®Somehow, his expression has been dark.¡¯
During our return to the academy, Sir Vir¡¯s expression was strangely dark.
I wanted to ask him what was going on, but I didn¡¯t have a close personal rtionship with him apart from work.
We did build some internal camaraderie from working together, but it might not be enough. So, I just let it slide, not wanting to intrude on his private life.
¡°¡It¡¯s an amazing thing.¡±
I couldn¡¯t say anything else. After all, it was indeed astonishing.
Maybe it was because Sir Vir couldn¡¯t return to his homnd and his family missed him. After all, it was only natural to miss your family and be missed when you lived in a foreignnd. That was a given.
But sending the family to a foreign country as a solution was a bit extreme. This was no longer about wanting to see your family in your homnd; rather, it was about wanting to have your family go through hardships with you.
¡®Armenians aren¡¯t normal either.¡¯
So Armein was also a troubled country. The future of the continent was bleak. To think that the two most powerful countries on the continent were troubled countries¡
Was this the continental average? Was I missing something? Were all countries at this level?
In that case, wasn¡¯t the Empire a better option? If they were all troubled countries, then wouldn¡¯t it be better to be in a more powerful one?
¡®It¡¯s terrible.¡¯
A continent where the Empire was considered a fairytalend. What kind of world did Enen create?
***
The next day, the arrival of the recement unit for the three countries¡¯ escort caused a bit of a stir in the quiet Academy.
Weing them was a matter that didn¡¯t concern me personally, but¡
¡°If you have the time, pleasee to the club room. How about having tea together?¡±
¡ª Alright. Thank you for the invitation.
As I thought of Sir Vir, who would meet his daughter today, and what I had heard from the Principal yesterday, I couldn¡¯t stay still.
Even if I didn¡¯t know someone, I couldn¡¯t help but want to help if I passed by and saw them drowning. Not to mention Sir Vir, whom I had known for months.
There might not be much I could do to help, but offering somefort was the least I could do.
¡ª Um, Executive Manager. I apologize, but would it be okay if one more person joins us?
And soon after I received a call from Vir, it became clear to me.
Sir Vir was weak-hearted when it came to his daughter¡
¡°Of course. The more people there are, the more enjoyable the tea party is.¡±
Hang in there, Sir Vir.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 131: I Dont Know That Person (2)
? I Don¡¯t Know That Person (2) ?
The pastry club room was surprisingly tidy, considering that it had been left unused during the vacation. I had expected it to be filled with dust and had even prepared to clean it.
¡°I heard you¡¯ve returned to the academy. The club room has been regrly cleaned, so you can use it right away.¡±
As I was preparing cleaning supplies, I received a message from the Vice Principal and set them aside. To my surprise, it turned out this ce hadn¡¯t been neglected but had received consistent maintenance.
Thank you, Vice Principal. For someone who ranked second in the Academy, he had quite the ability and sense. If only the Manager Trio were half as good as him.
¡®Perhaps I should recruit him.¡¯
I considered scouting the Vice Principal for the Prosecutors¡¯ Office for a moment. It might be a challenge to lure him away from the Academy, but I thought he would excel as the Senior Manager¡¯s assistant.
However, after careful deliberation, I decided against it. After all, people should work in ces that aligned with their talents. Even I was enduring my position in the Ministry of Finance because it suited my aptitude.
Suppressing a bitter feeling, I moved the hawthorn nt by the window. If I had known the Vice Principal would maintain the club room regrly, I wouldn¡¯t have needed to take it with me. Still, it yed the role of decorating my room while I stayed in the mansion.
Thank you, little white hawthorn.
¡®Grow up healthy and strong.¡¯
The little white hawthorn was indeed quite lovely.
Irina had given me a thoughtful gift. Moreover, considering the meaning of the flowers I had heard from Yuris, ¡®forgiveness and tolerance,¡¯ it was even more touching.
If I were in Irina¡¯s shoes, I would never forgive myself. How could I forgive and get along with someone who humiliated and beat up my family?
I delicately touched the branches, almost as if I were petting the 3rd Manager¡¯s head, and then turned away. I needed to start preparing for the guests who would arrive in a few hours.
¡®Perosa Ganelli.¡¯
I retrieved some snacks I had bought from the store and recalled the name of the guest.
She was the daughter of Sir Vir, a member of one of Armein¡¯s most prestigious families, the County of Ganelli. She had also officially been appointed as a knight at the age of 17.
That was indeed impressive for her age. However, whenpared to others her age, her skills were not extraordinary. After all, wasn¡¯t I already fighting in the Great War back when I was also 17 years old?
¡®No matter how I think about it, it seems like she volunteered.¡¯
In any country on the continent, there was a tradition not to put close rtives on the same mission. If everyone on that mission perished, it could destroy an entire family.
And right now, the situation wasn¡¯t so dire as to ignore that tradition, nor were her abilities overwhelming.
It was something I couldn¡¯t understand. Why did she volunteer for this mission? And what was Armein thinking by epting her as a volunteer?
¡®Did she want a family reunion that badly?¡¯
In a way, staying at the Imperial Academy was a peaceful mission. It involved guarding a prince, which also guaranteed future promotions. They sent his daughter here, turning Sir Vir into a ¡®crane father¡¯ in the process.
But that was only when you looked at it positively. The reality was different. They knew it too, which was why they hastily reced personnel on arge scale.
¡®Ah, I don¡¯t know anymore.¡¯
Well, how could I understand their circumstances no matter how much I thought about it? Let¡¯s just think of it as Armein being moved by Perosa¡¯s overflowing filial piety.
Unfortunately, from Vir¡¯s perspective, it burned him.
Footsteps were heard from a distance and stopped in front of the club room. They¡¯ve arrived.
Knock, knock¡ª.
¡°Executive Manager, it¡¯s Vir.¡±
¡°Ah, pleasee in.¡±
As the door opened, I almost looked away. Sir Vir¡¯splexion seemed even darker thanst time, and he looked broken. To think that his daughter was the one who caused him to break instead of those idiot royalties¡ What a pitiful situation.
Furthermore, Sir Vir¡¯s blonde hair probably looked more disheveled for a reason other than his mood. At this rate, his hair might turnpletely gray.
¡°Thank you for epting my invitation on such short notice.¡±
I greeted Sir Vir, trying to suppress my sympathy. This meeting was not for work but purely to offerfort, so I should wee him warmly.
Of course, the constion from a stoic man was as meaningless as it could get, but it should still be better than being confined in the three countries¡¯ headquarters.
¡°I¡¯m just grateful that you epted this unreasonable request.¡±
¡°Haha, is there anything unreasonable about it?¡±
After chuckling at Sir Vir¡¯s words, I shifted my gaze behind him.
To the one who was the subject of Sir Vir¡¯s unreasonable request and the person who would be the likely culprit if he copsed from high blood pressure.
¡°Who¡¯s this, Sir Vir?¡±
¡°She¡¯s my daughter.¡±
At his sighing reply, a knight with navy blue hair stepped forward and bowed.
¡°I¡¯m Perosa Ganelli.¡±
Her greeting was stiff, and her manners were rough. She appeared ordinary and unremarkable. At least, at first nce, she didn¡¯t seem like the heroine of the overwhelming filial piety.
¡®She looks like him.¡¯
Her rough and sturdy appearance resembled her father, while her navy blue hair was probably from her mother¡¯s side.
¡°I¡¯m Carl Krasius. Let¡¯s get along until graduation, Dame Perosa.¡±
¡°Yes, please take care of me.¡±
We briefly exchanged greetings before I had them take their seats. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to keep the guests standing.
As I set out the snacks I had prepared on the table, Sir Vir spoke up first.
¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had snacks in the club room.¡±
A small smile crept across my face at his words.
That was right. It had been a while indeed. Even though we¡¯ve had tea parties in the pce and the territory, I did miss the simple mini-tea parties in the club room.
¡°The only difference is that these snacks aren¡¯t homemade.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡±
However, there was no hint of regret on his face. It was probably better to have store-bought snacks than Louise¡¯s love-it-or-hate-it cookies.
I understood. There were far too many people who couldn¡¯t handle Louise¡¯s creations. Sir Vir likely didn¡¯t want to force his daughter to eat something that most people couldn¡¯t stomach. Even though his daughter was involved in a major ident, a father would still love his child.
I casually turned my gaze towards Perosa, but her expression remained as stern as ever. Well, it was probably best not to engage in conversation.
¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had a lot on your te, so make yourself at home.¡±
Let¡¯s just stick to my original n and focus on Sir Vir. It could be a problem if he suddenly got a meltdown and went AWOL.
Fortunately, it seemed like Sir Vir¡¯s mental state was gradually improving.
¡°Father, please try this.¡±
Surprisingly, Perosa was the one contributing the most to his recovery.
It was ironic that the person who had dealt him a mental blow was now helping him recover, but she was his daughter after all. Even if she hadn¡¯t reached her twenties yet, having her by his side seemed to bring some peace to his heart.
Knights usually had a stern demeanor, so having a daughter who was affectionate towards him would probably make him feel proud and find her cute.
¡°It would¡¯ve been nice if it had always been like this.¡±
I chose to ignore Sir Vir¡¯s muttering. It seemed that this wasn¡¯t how Perosa usually was.
Perosa looked embarrassed in response to Vir¡¯s words and lowered her head. Judging by her reaction, she seemed to be aware of her mistake to some extent.
Still, acknowledging her mistake earned her some bonus points in my book. Compared to the prince of her own country, she was practically a saint. That brat probably wouldn¡¯t realize it even if I was already insulting him.
¡°It seems like Dame Perosa really looks up to Sir Vir.¡±
So, I decided to interject and praise Perosa. She raised her head slightly, catching on to my attempt to defend her.
¡°I never thought this child would follow her father into the Empire.¡±
And then she lowered her head again. I¡¯m sorry, this isn¡¯t working.
Once my words got stuck, I couldn¡¯t think of anything appropriate to say. No matter how I looked at it, there was no way I could defend Perosa foring to the Empire.
Still, I managed to squeeze out some words. It would be awkward for both of us if I stopped here.
¡°Young knights often have this level of determination, though it might appear somewhat strange sometimes.¡±
To be honest, it wasn¡¯t just ¡®somewhat¡¯ strange; it was ¡®rmingly¡¯ strange.
¡°Furthermore, it¡¯s truly beautiful to see a knight who doesn¡¯t be conceited after bing a knight but continues to think of their father.¡±
Actually, it wasn¡¯t beautiful at all. It was a rather terrifying sight.
¡°If we have such knights in our ranks, we can rest assured about Prince Rutis¡¯s safety.¡±
That wasn¡¯t reassuring at all. With Perosa around, who knows if she¡ª
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯
What¡¯s with her reaction?
Perosa, who had been quietly observing us, suddenly brightened up and spoke.
Come to think of it, aside from the initial greeting, this was the first time she had spoken to me.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably the case.¡±
As I nodded in agreement, Perosa¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.
¡°It¡¯s an honor if I can be of help to Prince Rutis.¡±
Her tone subtly changed and her stiff expression started to show some life.
Something seemed to be going on, so I turned my gaze to Sir Vir, who was quietly sighing. Ah, was that it?
¡®She had a different purpose.¡¯
Perosa might have been motivated by her filial piety towards her father. She might have wanted to assist her father, who was toiling away in a distant ce.
But from the looks of it, there was something else that drove her toe to the Empire.
¡®Is she a follower?¡¯
So she hade here to protect her beloved prince. It was just her luck that the person in charge of this mission was her father, so she came with even greater enthusiasm.
The favorable impression I had of her earlier was now in jeopardy. It seemed that she had be headstrong and stubborn after following Rutis. It would have been better if she wasn¡¯t like that.
¡°You seem to admire Prince Rutis a lot.¡±
As soon as I said that, both pairs of eyes turned toward me simultaneously.
One of them was Sir Vir¡¯s rmed gaze, while Perosa¡¯s were filled with excitement. And then, both of them fell into a near-expressionless stare, although it was pretty clear that something was amiss.
¡°Of course. Prince Rutis is¡ª¡±
¡®Shit.¡¯
Only then did I realize that I had touched on something I shouldn¡¯t have.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 132: I Dont Know That Person (3)
? I Don¡¯t Know That Person (3) ?
Before possession, I heard this saying. They said the mouth was a door that brought disaster, and the tongue¡ what was it again? A knife that slit throats? It was something along those lines. Not that it mattered; it wasn¡¯t something I could look up, anyway.
But looking at the current situation, it felt more like a piercing needle than a throat-slitting knife. It was a pity that it was not my tongue but someone else¡¯s that had turned into a needle.
¡°Prince Rutis is said to have been born to be a knight. He trained alongside royal knights from a young age¡ª¡±
Was it apliment to call someone born from royalty a knight? It sounded more like an insult, didn¡¯t it?
More than that, my ear hurt. I couldn¡¯t understand why I had to hear about Rutis¡¯s past. Did I do something wrong to deserve this punishment? I mean, I wasn¡¯tpletely innocent, but I haven¡¯tmitted a serious crime that warranted this kind of torture.
I¡¯m sorry, I apologize. I don¡¯t know what I did wrong, but I must have done something. Please forgive me. Daring to summon the knights for such a trivial matter was probably a sin.
As I suppressed the urge to bang my head against something to make her stop, I turned my gaze to Sir Vir, who was calmly sipping his tea.
¡®He¡¯s detached.¡¯
He didn¡¯t even try to stop his daughter from going on a rampage and looked peaceful alone. But upon closer inspection, I noticed a subtle emptiness in his expression.
Sir Vir, who turned his head toward me, gently shook his head as if he had noticed my stare. His eyes seemed to say, ¡®It¡¯s easier if you give up. ept what you brought upon yourself.¡¯
¡®I¡¯m doomed.¡¯
Well, I was indeed the one who brought up the topic of Rutis, but who could have known it would lead to this?
Perosa¡¯s story that began with ¡°When I was in Radus¡ª¡± showed no signs of stopping. What kind of ce was Radus, anyway? What could it be that drove a perfectly normal female knight to madness?
¡°They say that most knights were no match for him when he was only twelve years of age. He was a very gifted man, and he also made the most of his efforts.¡±
¡°I see¡¡±
Her father next to her had risen through the ranks of the Royal Knights just five years after joining. Wasn¡¯t that incredible?
Of course, I didn¡¯t say that out loud. If I said it out loud, a 12-year-old Vir would be summoned andpared to Rutis, something that might break the heart of someone who used to be an ordinary apprentice knight.
So I decided to continue to be polite, which only made Perosa more animated.
¡®Stop it.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t care less about Rutis. The only news I wanted to hear about that guy was the news of his return to his country.
I thought it was strange how Sir Vir suddenly turned a blind eye to her. I guess experience had taught him that it was better to ignore her than to engage.
However, it felt awkward to ignore her even though I was the only listener. It would have been easier if we were on friendlier terms or if we had at least had a few conversations, but it was difficult to show a harsh attitude since this was our first meeting.
¡®She¡¯s the same age as Erich.¡¯
Thinking of her as my younger sister made it even harder to be mean. It was tough to survive in this harsh world for someone with a tender heart like mine. If only I had half of the Crown Prince¡¯s temperament¡
¡°It seems like Dame Perosa has shone at a young age since the person you admire is exceptional as well.¡±
After some consideration, I decided to continue being polite.
After all, she was Sir Vir¡¯s daughter, and I would have to get along with him until graduation. He seemed to be strangely attached to his daughter, so there should be no harm in leaving a positive impression on Perosa.
¡°That¡¯s right. Thanks to my father and Prince Rutis, I am who I am today.¡±
She nodded vigorously. Well, at least she acknowledged her father¡¯s role. She seemed to at least have a sense of filial duty.
When I turned my gaze back to Sir Vir, his expression was full of admiration. It seemed that a single word from his daughter could make him forget everything else. It must be a father¡¯s destiny.
¡°I nurtured my dream of bing a knight by watching my father and admiring Prince Rutis¡¯s fairness, courage, wisdom, and patience.¡±
¡®What?¡¯
Who the fuck was that? Seriously, where did this ¡®Rutis¡¯ live?
¡®I don¡¯t know someone like that.¡¯
The subject was clearly Rutis, but the adjectives that followed didn¡¯t match anything rted to that brat.
Maybe she had been talking about a different ¡°Rutis¡± all along? Was there another prince named Rutis?
Maybe the Rutis at the Academy was a fake. Yeah, a real prince wouldn¡¯t bothering to the Academy. They wouldn¡¯t go crazy for love and make a fuss.
¡®He¡¯s a fake.¡¯
He had to be fake. There was no way such a guy could be a real prince.
¡®Fairness?¡¯
¡°Well, I solved two of them, so you guys should eat two each.¡±
¡°No one told us to eat them, why are you¡ª¡±
Come to think of it, he was indeed fair. Back when the club members forced themselves to eat Louise¡¯s cookies even though they didn¡¯t like them, Rutis showed an unusual sense of fairness.
¡®Courage?¡¯
¡°If it¡¯s us, then we can easily conquer most dungeons.¡±
Now that I think about it, he was also brave. He showed courage beyond his status when he said he would personally conquer any dungeons that appeared.
¡®¡Wisdom.¡¯
¡°Chess is not about winning. It¡¯s about making the opponent angry so he can¡¯t win.¡±
¡°Just shut up and make your move.¡±
He did know how to win, so him having wisdom seemed to fit. He even made Lather lose his temper.
¡°Why aren¡¯t you checkmating me when you can do it?!¡±
¡°Wait. I just need to create one more knight.¡±
He had patience too. Just before winning the pastry club¡¯s chesspetition, Rutis intentionally dyed the game to create five knights.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
Why did everything seem to fit perfectly?
I got goosebumps. Surprisingly, Rutis was indeed a person of fairness, courage, wisdom, and patience. He strangely had those qualities, so it wasn¡¯t an incorrect statement.
Could Rutis actually be a prince worthy of admiration? Did hee to the Academy because of the power of the original novel only to end up ruined?
Of course, it was a pointless assumption. It didn¡¯t matter if he was originally fine or came to the Academy and became ruined. It didn¡¯t change the fact that I was caught up in this mess because of him.
¡®I¡¯m not in my right mind, either.¡¯
I almost deceived myself and tried to glorify that brat. Fortunately, I managed to avoid that pitfall.
As I continued to show a suitable attitude, Perosa¡¯s enthusiasm red up rapidly. When the listener¡¯s reaction is good, the speaker tends to get more enthusiastic as well.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems like I¡¯ve been talking too much about myself.¡±
At least Perosa realized that she had be overly excited and btedly lowered her head. Even from her own perspective, she must have felt that she had gone overboard.
I understood. Well, I didn¡¯t really understand, but I was trying to. Talking about someone you admired was an exciting thing, after all.
Moreover, I was the one who initially brought up the topic of Rutis. Damn it, I shouldn¡¯t have brought him up.
¡°It¡¯s okay. I found Prince Rutis¡¯s new aspects quite interesting as well.¡±
= In other words, don¡¯t repeat the same thing; it¡¯s not new anymore.
Perosa lowered her head further as if she understood. She didn¡¯t seem like a bad person.
I caught a glimpse of Sir Vir¡¯s stinging gaze on Perosa when I nced sideways. It seems that he was berating her since it was still best to maintain some distance when dealing with someone you¡¯d just met, no matter how casual our meeting was.
But if he was going to do that, then why didn¡¯t he do it earlier? What was the point of doing it now when everything was over?
¡°I felt sorry for Sir Vir because he was left alone here, but I¡¯m relieved to know that Dame Perosa is now here with him.¡±
Perosa cautiously raised her head at my words, seemingly examining Sir Vir¡¯s reaction.
How many fathers would criticize their daughters after hearing such words? Well, at least Sir Vir wasn¡¯t one of them. He let out a small sigh and diverted his sharp gaze.
¡°I never expected to meet her at the Academy, though.¡±
Instead, he didn¡¯t forget to throw in a pointed remark.
That¡¯s right. Who could have imagined a father-daughter reunion at the Academy?
¡°Still, thanks to the Executive Manager, I now have the opportunity to be with my daughter.¡±
¡°Haha, thank you for saying that.¡±
After that, the tea party proceeded quietly.
Sir Vir was originally a man of few words, and Perosa had already burned brightly. Thanks to that, the tea party ended calmly.
¡®It looks like everything is fine.¡¯
I let out a sigh of relief while drinking the remaining tea after the father and daughter pair left.
Although he hadn¡¯t wished for it, Sir Vir¡¯s expression quickly brightened after seeing his daughter. Fortunately, the possibility of his mental breakdown and escape had disappeared.
Perosa¡¯s sudden arrival at the Academy¡ didn¡¯t seem to be Armein¡¯s scheme. If even her fanatical devotion were to be used for some ulterior motive, then they would have no choice but to humbly ept their fate.
¡®I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to worry about.¡¯
Actually, I briefly suspected that Perosa¡¯s arrival might have had something to do with the original story.
A young knight, a noble background, and a tendency to follow and serve a prince¡ªit all screamed a ¡®viiness¡¯ concept.
Suddenly, I wondered if Perosa would go up to Louise and p her, screaming, ¡®You thieving cat who bewitched His Highness!¡¯
¡°His Highness Rutis is someone who always shines. As a knight, it¡¯s only natural that I would revere him and want to learn from him.¡±
But the more we talked, the more I realized that she wasn¡¯t a viiness.
I haven¡¯t read many romance fantasy novels, but I¡¯ve never seen an antagonist heroine so devoted to admiration and respect. Was it love for Rutis? At the very least, there were no visible traces of it.
¡®I was worried for nothing.¡¯
I had avoided the dreadful love triangle.
That was a relief. I almost copsed from high blood pressure even before the start of the school year.
¡But she wouldn¡¯t realize her feelings for him btedly, right? It wouldn¡¯t matter if she did, but I hope it happens after graduation.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 133: This Place Is An Excellent Source of Civil Servants (1)
? This ce Is An Excellent Source of Civil Servants (1) ?
The vacation was over, and a new semester had begun. It was the second semester of the first year, a time when the autumn leaves and snow would be beautiful.
Of course, I was trying not to think of the fact that there were still four semesters left.
¡®There¡¯s still two years.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t help but sigh internally, but I was grateful that it was only a three-year program. Imagine how terrible it would be if it were a six-year program like in elementary school. I¡¯d have to spend more time at the Academy than my entire civil servant career. That would probably render me a real student, not an honorary one.
So, I decided to be thankful and persevere.
¡°I¡¯m graduating next year.¡±
When I turned to the sullen voice, I saw Marghetta looking at me with her chin resting on her hand.
It was indeed regrettable. I sometimes forget, but Marghetta was one year ahead of the pastry club. I would still have to spend one more year at the Academy even after she graduated.
And once she did, I wouldn¡¯t be able to rely on the Vice President¡¯s office as much as I did now. Who should I rely on then?
¡°Is repeating a year not an option?¡±
If Marghetta took a year off, it would be good for both of us. Of course, it was just a joke.
¡°My grades have been too good until now. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d let go of me easily.¡±
However, her gloomy tone surprised me. It seemed like she was genuinely disappointed. No way. Was she seriously considering it?
If Marghetta actually repeated a year, it would undoubtedly be problematic. If the news got out that the precious and adorable youngest daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke repeated a year, he might just copse. He might even try to kill me if I showed up while he was investigating the reason why Marghetta was repeating a year.
¡®It¡¯ll be difficult if the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s animosity towards me increases even more.¡¯
He had already dered that I shoulde and beg on my knees if I wanted to marry Marghetta. It wouldn¡¯t end with just me kneeling if I provoked him any further.
With my feeble creativity, I can¡¯t even imagine whates after kneeling. The Iron-blooded Duke had walked quite a few battlefields in his prime, so he probably knew a lot of unconventional methods.
¡°Are you disappointed that I¡¯m graduating first?¡±
While I was lost in my thoughts, Marghetta smiled and spoke.
¡°Are you asking me when you already know the answer?¡±
¡°I wanted to hear it from your own mouth.¡±
Her smile grew wider as she spoke confidently. How had she endured all this time?
¡°I want you to stay by my side instead of leaving first.¡±
Then she nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.
¡®It¡¯s amazing.¡¯
What I was talking about wasn¡¯t Marghetta. She had already dered that she would be more proactive and honest.
What surprised me was myself. The fact that I could talk to Marghetta so casually and that my heart felt lighter than I expected.
Even though I told her about my past, getting closer to her was a separate matter.
But having a friendly conversation with her felt remarkablyfortable. It happened so quickly that it felt like a dam had burst inside me.
¡®How did I manage to endure it all this time?¡¯
I, who had endured for two years, finally burst when the opportunity presented itself.
***
I was used to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s visits. Before the vacation, he came every day at the invitation of the Duke¡¯s daughter.
The Student Council room was off-limits to all but the most senior members, but that was a trivial issue. How could we dare impose the Academy¡¯s rules on a capable and dedicated servant of the Empire?
There was just one small problem¡ª
¡®When should I go in?¡¯
The dessert I was holding had nowhere to go. I had nned to treat the Executive Manager with it as a celebration for the start of the second semester, but I couldn¡¯t find the courage to enter the Vice President¡¯s office after overhearing their conversation.
I naturally knew that the Lady had strong feelings for the Executive Manager. I had seen them together for months; I¡¯d be an idiot if I didn¡¯t notice.
However, the Executive Manager wasn¡¯t usually this warm. What happened during the vacation?
¡®Well, never mind.¡¯
I gave up on going inside. Desserts like this could be servedter.
If the Executive Manager was happy, then that was all that mattered. He was my lifelong benefactor, so he deserved to be happy.
As I admired the Executive Manager, a business card automatically popped into my head.
No, it wasn¡¯t just any business card. It might have started as one, but it had be a treasure ever since the Executive Manager had touched it.
¡°You¡¯ve done well, truly well! You have nothing to worry about from now on!¡±
The business card, now an immensely powerful letter of rmendation, had pleased my father greatly when he saw it during the vacation.
No wonder. I was the son of a mere viscount, not a high-ranking nobleman, and wasn¡¯t even the eldest son who would inherit the title.
It wasn¡¯t a future that could be described as particrly bright. I might not live in poverty and becking, but it was also unlikely for me to live a life of wealth and recognition.
But a letter of rmendation from the Executive Manager, a key figure in the Imperial Crown Prince¡¯s faction? This undoubtedly brightened my future and paved the way ahead, like a path adorned with flowers. My personal sess was assured, and if things went well, even the Connor Family¡¯s prestige could rise.
It had been a few months since I received the letter of rmendation, but my heart still swelled with pride. Thank you, Executive Manager. My loyalty lies with you. If I make it into the Ministry of Finance, then I¡¯ll be a person you could rely on.
He was going to be my boss anyway, so it was only fair that I be loyal to him in advance.
¡°Demian? What are you doing there?¡±
I was in the midst of pledging my loyalty to the Executive Manager when an impudent person dared to disrupt this sacred moment.
I suppressed my annoyance and turned to see the Treasurer looking at me nkly. Oh, it was this unchosen child.
¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about, so just focus on preparing for the civil service exams. You must be busy with that.¡±
As I said this, the pen the Treasurer was holding flew toward my neck. It would have struck me if I hadn¡¯t ducked.
¡°I was going to make sure you¡¯ll never be able to speak again.¡±
I was surprised by the Treasurer¡¯s audacity, but I quickly regained myposure. Winners always maintained theirposure; how could I react to every provocation from a loser?
¡°A jealous kid sure is pathetic.¡±
¡°You¡¯re really something, aren¡¯t you?¡±
I quietly closed my mouth after seeing the treasurer sweep her hair back with annoyance. I¡¯d have toy off on the teasing for now. If I did it again right away, I¡¯d be caught in a headlock.
The second semester of the third year was a sensitive time to be a Student Council officer. It was the final semester at the Academy, meaning we¡¯d have to take the civil service exams immediately after this semester.
If I hadn¡¯t received the letter of rmendation, I would have been living in a state of anxiety and sensitivity. Anxiety about whether I could be a civil servant, and the uncertainty of what I would do if I failed the exam.
¡®We were lucky.¡¯
It wasn¡¯t just me. We were all lucky.
¡°Mr. President, I have a question.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±
Those were the words the Excutive Manager mentioned just before entering the Vice President¡¯s office today.
¡°How are the other Student Council officers?¡±
I had a feeling that this was an opportunity for my treasure to be our treasure.
¡°Even leaving aside my bias of being their friend, I can say that they are all diligent and excellent.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good news.¡±
The Executive Manager nodded lightly and entered the Vice President¡¯s office, seemingly satisfied.
There was no doubt about it. After three years in the student council, I had gotten to the point where I could read people¡¯s expressions. It was an ability that came naturally when dealing with students who were high-ranking nobles.
¡°I¡¯ll pass the exam anyway.¡±
¡°If I rmend you, wouldn¡¯t your chances of passing increase?¡±
That was why I could provocatively say things like this without hesitation. After all, they would eventually receive rmendations too.
If I provoked them without knowing that they were receiving a letter of rmendation, then that was just inhumane. Did I go through all the trouble during the first semester for nothing?
But with exclusive knowledge about the letters of rmendation, this was my chance.
¡®Darn it.¡¯
When thedy became my nominal subordinate as the Vice President, how much did she mock me, who was her superior on the surface?
It was time to pay back the humiliation and disgrace I suffered back then. This was also thanks to the Executive Manager¡¯s favor.
Loyalty to the Executive Manager.
***
I started hearing chatter outside. It was quiet until a moment ago. Did someonee?
¡°It sounds like the President and the Treasurer.¡±
¡°That¡¯s surprising. Both of them seemed like the quiet type.¡±
There was the President, who had Marghetta as his subordinate (not exactly a subordinate), and the Treasurer, the de facto second-inmand of the Student Council (with a heavy workload).
Perhaps it was due to the challenging environment, but both of them generally had quiet personalities. Of course, the same could be said for other officers as well, except for Marghetta.
As I listened closely to the faint conversation, I heard the President lecturing the Treasurer. He had quite a way with words.
By the way, I mentioned earlier that I was considering kidnapping, or rather, rmending, the other officers as well.
¡°They seem close.¡±
If the President was doing that even though he knew, then he was probably just teasing the Treasurer.
¡°I heard there has been some interaction between their noble families for a long time.¡±
¡°That does happen.¡±
I found it fascinating because I¡¯ve never experienced such a situation. While the Krasius family did have interactions with other Imperial Families, I¡¯ve never personally made friends with anyone.
Maybe I was just socially awkward? Maybe even Erich had made friends without me knowing about it.
¡°It¡¯s unusual that they get along so well. Regardless of interactions between noble families, it ultimatelyes down to the rtionships between the heads of the families. It doesn¡¯t affect the children below them much.¡±
I felt relieved by Marghetta¡¯s words. Thankfully, I wasn¡¯t the weird one.
¡°If they have a good rtionship, then it might be a good idea to put them in the same department.¡±
Saying that, I took out a business card from my pocket, and Marghetta burst into a softugh.
¡°Fufu, that¡¯s right. They will definitely be pleased.¡±
I agreed. Skipping the bothersome exam and bing a civil servant right away would indeed be a cause for celebration.
But where should I rmend them to? The military would be better than the administration, right?
Invincible Duke, I¡¯m sending one your way now¡
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 134: This Place Is An Excellent Source of Civil Servants (2)
Chapter 134: This ce Is An Excellent Source of Civil Servants (2)
This ce Is An Excellent Source of Civil Servants (2)
The Student Council had seven officers including the President, Vice President, Treasurer, ountant, Secretary, Leader of the Student Body, and the P.R.O. Except for the Vice President, who was the only second-year student, all of them were aspiring civil servants about to graduate.
In other words, this meant that six outstanding interns with three years of experience were being produced each year. They even spent three years enduring andpeting against the noble children from higher backgrounds.
Theyre abundant human resources.
It wasnt an infinite supply, but having six fresh talents with clear identities and abilities? That was fantastic. Why bother with the cumbersome process of testing them? They should just be taken in.
You wouldnt find such a stable supplywork anywhere else. The Academy had existed since Apels era, so it wasnt like it was suddenly going under.
In my heart, Id like to increase the number of student council members to increase the number of prospective civil servants. However, the abilities of the current student council officers were the result of carefully chosen elites. Increasing their quantity would only lead to a decrease in quality.
Im looking forward to next years student council.
Dont worry. There are plenty of talented students among the second-years.
Oh, really?
If they dont catch Carls eye, then Ill train them diligently as the President.
I smiled awkwardly as Marghetta giggled. I had just decided the future of a bunch of faceless second-years.
Although it was a conditional statement If they dont catch my eye in reality, Marghetta would make sure to work them hard for a year.
Im sorry.
Still, enduring a year of hardship in exchange for decades of stability wasnt a bad deal, was it? It might be a bit harsh for the intern in charge to deal with a Dukes daughter for a year, but positively thinking, it was an opportunity to learn how to handle superiors.
Besides, regardless of the department, people from noble backgrounds tend to rise to higher positions. So, their resilience would definitely build up. It was actually a good thing.
I trust Mar.
I wont disappoint you.
Those words filled me with hope. If it was Marghetta, then she would definitely do well.
Im looking forward to the future.
We would have the officers, including the current President, next year. Meanwhile, the officers raised by Marghetta would be harvested the year after. Two consecutive years of excellent recruits would breathe life into the administrative department. It was satisfying oue indeed.
Mar, have you decided which department youll go to?
And what I was looking forward to the most was Marghetta. If she was a member of the nobility and was willing to volunteer for the student council, I could only imagine her enthusiasm.
Ah.
However, Marghettas body stiffened as she replied curtly.
Apart from her stiffening body, her trembling pupils worried me enough that it made me wonder if I had said something wrong.
***
If I were alone, maybe Id be clutching a pillow and rolling around.
Is repeating a year not an option?
Fufu
I want you to stay by my side instead of leaving first.
Fufufufufufu
This is the best.
I savored the happiness while barely holding on to my expression, which was seconds away from melting. I felt nervous because I might show a shameful side of myself to Carl if I let my guard down even a little, but even his trivial words were filled with affection towards me. It was remarkable how I was able to hold out for this long.
When he told me everything back in the Capital, I made a mental note to myself to wait even if his wounds took only a year or ten years to heal. I even promised myself that I would wait by his side even when I turned thirty or forty.
Carl showed me his wounds ahead of anyone else. He would eventuallye to me, so I chose to wait even though it would be a period filled with uncertainty.
But Carl looked at me right away.
Im happy.
One year? Ten years? Carl smiled in just one day. Of course, it didnt mean his wounds had already healed. He probably hadnt forgotten the past yet.
Still, true to his words, Carl showed his true self and was honest with me.
Carls sincerity.
Seeing such warmth, Im sure that Carl mustve had feelings for me, too. That meant that all the efforts I made werent in vain.
I have no regrets. I feel really happy right now.
Im already looking forward to having about five children with Carl and seeing the youngest get married. Once all our grandchildren had graduated from the Academy, I could say that I have truly lived a happy life.
I wouldnt mind if I died then
Of course, I would probably dieter than Carl. I cant leave before Carl does.
Ah. Its tough to live in a world without Carl, but I cant give him any more wounds. So, Ill have to endure.
To live longer than Carl, I would probably have to reach over 90 years old
Im looking forward to next years student council.
Dont worry. There are plenty of talented students among the second-years.
I quickly responded as Carls voice reached me while he signed business cards. Even to my own eyes, I responded quite quickly.
Anyway, when I would be the President next year
I must not have any ws.
I cant afford to disappoint Carl while Im the President. I must, absolutely, create the best student council to satisfy Carl.
I can do it. My time in the student council so far hasnt been just for show, and Ive learned how to run the student council while observing the President over the years.
The new civil servants need to bepetent to make Carlfortable. Carl needed to befortable for there to be more flexibility, and that way, wed have more time together.
Lets stay strong.
For the sake of our five future children.
Mar, have you decided which department youll go to?
My enthusiasm quickly cooled with that one question.
Right Carl thought that I would be a civil servant, too.
I dont really need that.
I wasnt really interested in being a civil servant. In the first ce, I only wanted to be one to get closer to the indifferent Carl.
But with Carl being sent to the Academy, there was no longer a need for me to be a civil servant. And as Carl warmed up to me, that wedge has been removed. If I could get closer to him without bing a civil servant, then why should I?
Besides, how often would Carl, the Executive Manager, and I, a new civil servant, have the opportunity to meet face-to-face? Even if we did, we wouldnt be able to engage in private conversations during working hours. It would be better to manage Carls mansion or territory during that time.
What should I do?
Carl hoped for the student council to be civil servants. But shouldnt I, as the future President, also be one?
Thanks to Mar, someone missed the opportunity to be a civil servant.
No, I cant do that. I might be seen as a viiness who ruined someones future on a whim.
Should I leave the student council before graduating, then?
So the student council was just for fun to Mar.
That didnt seem right, either. It might make me look like a fickle, frivolous woman with no perseverance.
Then, should I be a civil servant with my eyes closed? But it was a lie that I couldnt get married right after bing a civil servant.
I wish Mar would take care of the territory as its hostess, but its a shame.
Ah, no
As my thoughts started to flow in a negative direction, everything became frightening. No matter what I thought, it felt like I would disappoint Carl.
What should I do? Whats the right answer? Should I be a civil servant since he asked me which department I would go to?
Mar?
Oh, yes. Did you call me, Carl?
I hastily replied, and Carl looked at me with a strange expression. No, dont look at me with those eyes
As I instinctively lowered my head, I heard Carls voice above my head.
By any chance, do you have no interest in bing a civil servant?
My body trembled for a moment at the words that weighed heavily on my chest. He noticed even though I didnt directly say it. Carl and I are really in sync
No, thats not it. I must stop running off to strange thoughts.
Yes, thats right.
After much deliberation, I cautiously nodded my head. Since Carl had been honest with me, I decided not to hide anything from him. I made that promise, so I shouldnt hide something as insignificant as this.
As soon as I answered, I lowered my gaze. I was too scared to see how Carl was looking at me.
Thats a relief.
Huh?
I nced up at his unexpectedment and saw Carls smiling face.
I dont particrly want to rmend you to be a civil servant.
Is that so?
It felt strange, especially since it wasing from someone who had just written letters of rmendation.
If theres no other path for you apart from being a civil servant, then Id understand. But thats not the case for you, right, Mar?
However, Carl seemed to be speaking from the heart. It was as if he was genuinely relieved that I didnt choose to be a civil servant.
If you can avoid it, then its better not to be one.
There was a hint of sorrow in Carls eyes as he said those words.
***
Marghetta, who had been sulking, finally regained her spirits after a few more coaxings. Did she really think I would be disappointed?
On the contrary, Im d.
While I found Marghettas interest in a career in public service intriguing, it was probably because she genuinely had a dream of bing a civil servant. In reality, it was best not to be one.
I was already rolling in this role, and now Marghetta was going to join the fray? Even if Marghetta had concerns about her career, she was the beloved youngest daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke. Why should she need to worry?
No matter how many times I thought about it, it was best not to be a civil servant. Well, except for me and the prospective civil servants out there.
Your face is so dull; maybe thats why your personality is also gloomy.
Its your future thats dull and not mine, you unchosen one.
Its not unchosen one, its woman, you know?
So, when would these two stop fighting?
I went to the door while thinking of going back to the club room, but I couldnt open it because of the noise from the outside.
It seemed like the quarrel between the Presidents eloquence and the Treasurers mental stability had gradually escted into a physical sh. I could clearly hear the continuous sounds of someone grabbing anothers cor and hair-pulling.
Well, at least it seemed like they had a good rtionship. After spending three years together like that, it was safe to say their rtionship wasnt ordinary.
Mar, Ill go out now.
I deliberately spoke loud enough for my voice to be heard even through the door, and the UFC stopped.
I stood there at first because I found it amusing, but now it was time to leave.
Are you leaving, Executive Manager?
Yes.
When I opened the door, the President, who had a calm face and attire, greeted me as if nothing had happened.
However, upon closer inspection, the area around his neck was disheveled, and his hair floated strangely as if hed been dragged by something.
Andpared to the Treasurer, who lowered her head behind him, the Presidents appearance was even more pitiful.
He lost.
I guess he was someone who leaned more toward eloquence over physical prowess.
When I looked back at the Treasurer, her shoulders were trembling weakly. She seemed to still be in an excited state.
It feels like there might be a round two if I just left, so I should probably give her the letter of rmendation right away.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 135: This Place Is An Excellent Source of Civil Servants (3)
Chapter 135: This ce Is An Excellent Source of Civil Servants (3)
This ce Is An Excellent Source of Civil Servants (3)
The disaster of the President being turned into Brilliant President Fragment x8 by an enraged Treasurer was avoided. It was fortunate since collecting his fragments would also be quite a task.
Sirri Dared, is it correct?
Yes, thats correct!
Thats the right name. Take it.
Thank you!
The Treasurers booming voice felt satisfying. If such an enthusiastic friend entered the Ministry of Finance, then my future would be morefortable. It would be even better if she joined the Prosecutors Office.
Bowing her head, the Treasurer happily epted the business card with both hands. It was evident to anyone that her shoulders, which had trembled with anger, were now trembling for a different reason. She had the dubious distinction of being the second daughter of a noble, so there was no way she was going to get a letter of rmendation from anyone.
This is what a newbie should be like.
She genuinely enjoyed even the smallest opportunities. You must grow up properly. It would be really sad if such a fresh newbie were to undergo a dark evolution like the trio of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Managers.
Ive closely observed your efforts and abilities in the student council for a while. I wanted to give you a rmendation letter before, and Im d you epted it.
Its an honor! I will not forget this kindness!
There was no need to thank me to that extent. I should be more grateful.
I asked the President to keep it a secret, so dont feel too upset about it.
The Treasurer kept nodding when I said this while patting the Presidents shoulder next to me. This should prevent any potential second round of issues.
The President might tease her asionally, but one cant miss an opportunity to tea-bag someone else. I understand; I was the same when I was his age
Oh, damn it.
I bit my lip slightly as a dreadful thought naturally crossed my mind. What nonsense was I talking about when there was only a 2-year age difference between us? Im still young.
My mind seemed to be aging faster than my actual age. I need to snap out of it. I cant be an outdated youngster.
These are the letters of rmendation for the other officers.
Suppressing my dismay, I handed over four business cards to the President. I had already given one to the Treasurer. If I dyed handing them out to the other officers, they might think they were being overlooked.
These talents would serve the Empire for decades toe, and I couldnt afford to hurt their feelings over trivial matters. I trust that the President would handle it today.
Ill make sure they get delivered properly.
Very well.
There was need to worry even if the President forgot because the Treasurer was watching. Besides, it wasnt something that could be easily pocketed; it would be delivered to its rightful owners.
With Marghettas farewell at the Vice Presidents office, I left the student council room.
Its quiet.
That meant the Treasurer didnt grab the President by the throat as soon as I left.
That was a relief. It would be a loss for the Empire if two future civil servants fought and got hurt. After all, their bodies were no longer their own; they belonged to the Empire.
On my way back to the club room, I took out mymunication crystal in a rtively deserted spot.
A partnership?
If you want to put it grandly, yes.
It was important to act quickly on important ideas before you forgot them.
Of course, I could have done this in the club room, but I couldnt just sit still after spreading the letters of rmendation to the current student council and hearing from Marghetta that she would definitely grow next years student council.
If there were raw gems rolling on the ground, it would be more efficient to collect them professionally rather than picking them up individually. How frustrating would it be to miss out on potential ves or rather future civil servants due to such inefficiency?
So, I suggested to the Minister that we should create a system where the student council automatically entered civil service through cooperation with the Academy.
After all, the student council wants to enter official positions. And wouldnt it be beneficial for us if we had more neers?
Thats true.
Contrary to his response, the Ministers expression seemed indifferent, as if questioning whether there was a need to meddle when things were already going well.
This fiery old man had be aplete office worker after sitting at a desk for two years. He didnt even bother touching anything he didnt have to. Where did the passionate Manager who used to punch me in the jaw in front of the former Minister go?
These kids are aiming to be civil servants. Is there really a need for them to take the exams?
Nevertheless, I continued speaking because I needed the Ministers approval. Nowadays, even someone without any experience could be a civil servant just by having a letter of rmendation. Was it really a problem to give a free pass to kids who had rolled through the student council for three years?
Theyre already aiming to be civil servants, so theres no need to create such a system.
Its not a problem, but its a hassle.
Although he didnt say it out loud, the Ministers expression seemed to convey just that.
It was certainly not a simple issue. It involved the Academy, so the Ministry of Education would get involved. And everything had to be properly documented since new people would regrly join in. It wasnt impossible, but it would be extremely bothersome.
On the other hand, the existing system was sufficient if we were to continue and let them be civil servants by taking the exams. And if someone really wanted to pass the exam, they could follow my lead and secure a rmendation letter.
But that shouldnt be the case. Such a haphazard approach risked missing out on raw gems
Hey.
Yes?
I was about to start speaking again when the Minister spoke first.
How many are left?
The ministers nonchnt question left me speechless for a moment. Damn, why was he asking about that now?
There are seventy or so left.
Ha.
I finally managed to answer after hesitating several times, and I heard the Minister scoff.
Dont tell me you still believe in that, do you?
Why would you suddenly bring that up?
I felt annoyed. I felt really annoyed at him for bringing up a topic I was trying not to think about.
My hands and feet were shaking, but there was nothing I could do across themunication crystal.
Sometimes I cant tell if youck intelligence or if youre just too naive.
Just say that Im overly faithful.
And damn, arentcking intelligence and being too naive basically the same thing?
Damn it.
I sighed and irritably ran my hand through my hair.
I knew it, too. I was clinging to something meaningless and unreliable.
Leaving talented individuals unattended is likemitting a sin against the Empire. If you can bring in yes, a hundred or so talents to rece the Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager, then maybe Ill consider it.
Those were the words the Crown Prince told me on the day I went crazy, bypassed the Minister, and handed in my resignation directly to him.
The Crown Prince, after seeing my resignation, made a deal with me. Honestly, it wasnt so much a deal as it was teasing. The Crown Prince would probably change his words even if I really brought a hundred people, saying The Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager could be reced by two hundred people, not just one hundred.
I knew it well. What I heard was like promising a toy to a child who was causing a ruckus, saying, Ill give it to you if you behave well this year. But the desperate and needy often wanted to cling to something, or anything. I was no different
By the way, how did you manage to find thirty people?
I recruited all of them from the academy. The academy really is a great ce.
Since the minister had already seen through my intentions, I decided to go all out. Besides the student council, I had a bit of fun during thest practical exam.
Yes, this partnership proposal was full of my personal interests. I nned to automatically recruit all those prospective civil servants from the academy to fill up the hundred spots. Was something wrong with that? Was I doing this just for my own benefit? It was a win-win solution for everyone.
The student council would be happy not to suffer, I would be happy to retire sooner, and the Crown Prince would be happy to have new ves. It was perfect.
Sadly, it seemed like the minister wasnt included in this happy scenario.
Ill consider it, so just stay quiet.
Telling me hed consider it was pretty much the same as telling me to shut up because I was being annoying.
Understood.
But what could I do? If the person who needed to approve it remained indifferent, then there wasnt anything I could do.
I guess Id have to keep writing the rmendation letters myself. Still, I should be able to reach a hundred before I graduate.
The call with the Minister stretched on until well into the club hours. To be honest, it felt like more than half of it was me pathetically begging.
Still, it was so unfair. Couldnt he grant me this one favor after all the rolling around I did for the Ministry of Finance and the Empire?
What a waste of time.
It was already time for the club members to gather in the club room. They wouldnt have caused any trouble in the meantime, would they? If they did something strange tomemorate the start of the second semester, I just might cry out of sheer frustration.
When I was in the capital, it was easier to step away for a bit with Marghetta, the butler, and the 4th Manager around. Those good days were gone now.
Good times?
Come to think of it, it was strange. Was my working environment so bad that the time I spent with the club members at the capital now counted as good days?
I shook my head slightly to clear these thoughts. There was no use in reaching for some red pill that would only make things harder for me.
Although it felt like something difficult was already waiting for me.
Whats going on this time?
As I got closer to the club room, the indistinct noise grew louder. It felt like an ominous sign of trouble brewing.
My steps quickened involuntarily. It could lead to a full-blown diplomatic incident if theyve escted from a verbal dispute.
Oh, Advisor! Have you arrived?
But when I opened the door and entered, Rutis greeted me with a teacup in hand.
Youre unusuallyte.
I was held up with some work.
A quick scan of the club room showed that my worries were unfounded. They were just having snacks and chatting among themselves as usual.
They made me worry for nothing.
I felt foolish for rushing over in a panic.
Ah, we ate the snacks that were already in the club room. There wasnt time to make new ones.
Its fine. Just eat them all up.
I guess those were leftovers from when I invited Vir and Perosa over. It didnt matter much since theyd get stale over time anyway.
Haha, thank you. Were allmemorating getting rejected by Louise, so there really wasnt any time to make them.
?
Commemorating what?
With those words, Rutis shrugged and turned his gaze to one side. At the end of his gaze was Louise, whose face had turned red, her eyes darting around nervously.
Whats going on?
What on earth happened?
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 136: Capybara in the Water (1)
Chapter 136: Capybara in the Water (1)
Capybara in the Water (1)
I headed straight for the dorm as soon as I returned to the academy from the Capital. Once there, I automaticallyy down on the bed, feeling so numb. This was the first time Ive felt so unwilling to move.
It felt like I found out something I shouldnt have. There was no turning back now. Maybe I could have remained ignorant before I knew the truth, but I couldnt go back to the way things were now that I knew.
When taking additional wives, a man cant marry someone of higher status than his first wife.
That was what Irina said at oppas mansion. That simple sentence stuck in my mind like a thorn. I somehow couldnt forget it, and I couldnt just let it go.
I never knew it was possible to have multiple wives. Father had only one wife, my mother, and the other noble families we interacted with were the same. So, I thought having one wife was amon practice. I lived in that kind of world.
But on further thought, all those families were of lower nobility than barons. As someone from Naird, a baronial family, we didnt interact with the higher nobility such as counts or higher. How could I know how the higher nobles structured their families?
Oppa will soon be an Imperial Count, and his future position as a Minister is almost assured. Its not strange for him to have multiple wives.
Oppa was destined to be an Imperial Count directly under the Emperor and even be a Minister soon, given his age.
It wasnt strange for a man of such high status and position to have multiple wives. Hearing that, I almost burst into tears.
I thought it was toote. After seeing how close oppa had be to Senior, I realized my feelings for him and thought I had no chance. Even if I had realized sooner, I believed I couldntpete with Senior, who had fallen for him first.
If that were the case, then I should have never known. If I had never known about my feelings for oppa, I wouldnt have had to suffer so much. I cried so much inside in that moment.
Its not toote.
Having multiple wives wasnt an umon thing among the nobility. There were even rules for the first wife, so it must be amon practice. Then, then maybe I
When I ced my hand on my chest, it felt like my heart was racing more wildly than usual. I would inherit a title, too. It might not be as high as oppas or Seniors, but I could be one of the titled nobles. In that case, I wouldnt becking to be the wife of an Imperial Count.
Just in case Irina was mistaken, I even contacted Father, who held a noble title, to confirm. He should know for sure.
Thats right. The world of higher nobility isplex, and so are their marriages.
It was confirmed. Irina, a young countess, and father both shared the same opinion. With such cross-verification, it couldnt be wrong.
Father.
Whats the matter?
Um, what do you think about having multiple wives?
Father seemed puzzled by the sudden question, but he still answered.
He said there must be a good reason if a nobleman had to marry again, and that taking a new wife required the consent of the existing wives. He also said that it wasnt something for outsiders to worry about.
So dont think too strangely about it.
Ah, yes.
Luckily, Father didnt seem opposed to the idea of having multiple wives. Still, I didnt mention that I wanted to be one of them.
After all, Father had advised me not to think too strangely about it. He said there must be good reasons. He would understand. He would surely understand.
So, I shouldnt hesitate. I nearly missed my chance with oppa because I couldnt be honest. Now that Ive been miraculously given another opportunity, I cant let it slip away.
I need to be brave to be with oppa. But first
The consent of the existing wives.
Not only did I need oppas love, but also Seniors consent.
I rummaged through my past memories. Had I ever been disrespectful to Senior or made her dislike me?
Have I?
There was that one time I got scolded by her, but there werent any major incidents aside from that. In fact, we had a rtively uneventful rtionship as senior and junior.
However, this was my perspective. She might secretly harbor resentment towards me.
My heart started to flutter in a different way than before. If I couldnt earn oppas love because I wasnt good enough, then that was one thing. But I might just cry myself to exhaustion if I couldnt be his wife because of Seniors opposition.
I cant make her dislike me.
I must not be disliked at any cost. If I focus only on winning oppas love and ended up being disliked by Senior, it wont just end with me falling apart. They might even end up in a conflict.
I need to keep quiet for a while.
While it was true that oppa and Senior have be closer, the problem was they havent formalized their rtionship with an engagement yet.
There was a difference between being the first and the first to be officially recognized. If I show affection to oppa before theyre engaged, I might face Seniors wrath. She might think Im trying to steal her ce.
You sneaky cat!
I couldnt help but break out in a cold sweat at the thought of Senior grabbing me by the hair and shaking me mercilessly.
Truthfully, I dont want to stay quiet. I feel envious every time I see oppa and Senior getting along well. I wanted to love oppa like Senior did. I also wanted to be loved by him.
But if I acted on my feelings before Senior became his official fiance, I wouldnt receive love but something else entirely. So, I had to be patient. Rushing things could lead to a disaster.
I wish they would get engaged soon.
I wished for it so earnestly that it slipped out unintentionally.
Honestly, it seemed like it might happen soon. Maybe within this year? Surely they wont wait until after Senior graduated, right?
I had no future if I incurred Seniors wrath, so I have to restrain my feelings towards oppa for a while. However, that didnt mean I should just do nothing.
In fact, there was something I needed to quickly do before I could show oppa my feelings.
I cant dy it any longer.
I had been hiding behind my past and using my trauma as an excuse to pretend not to notice my fellow members affections.
It was a cowardly and foolish thing to do. What was even more cowardly was that I developed feelings for someone else while doing it.
I had sworn to treat everyone fairly without picking favorites, but that promise had crumbled. Treating my fellow members the same way as before in this situation would be a great discourtesy to them. I couldnt afford to make it any worser.
My heart already belonged elsewhere; neglecting my fellow members feelings any longer was a despicable act.
So, I waited until the start of the semester. I waited for the club time, where everyone would naturally gather.
Thankfully, or maybe due to Enens help, oppa was also absent from the club room.
Louise, is something wrong?
You look a bit gloomy.
I was relieved that oppa wasnt there, but I also felt guilty. I had been ignoring these kids who cared about me, and now I had to push them away.
Im sorry.
Im really sorry.
Now, I must tell them everything. That I intentionally ignored their kindness, that I knew but turned a blind eye, and that I was sorry for only saying this now.
I even had to say that I wasnt worthy of their feelings.
It was alreadyte for me to be saying this, but not saying it at all would be disrespectful to them
Respect?
Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with self-loathing. Did I even have the right to speak of respect? It sounded as if I was considering the club members feelings, as if I was doing this for them.
No. I wasnt doing this for them at all. I was just doing it because I couldnt be at peace. If I hadnt realized my feelings for oppa, I might have kept my mouth shut forever.
Ive been pretending to be considerate in such a brazen manner. I really was a cowardly and selfish person until the end.
My head drooped helplessly. I couldnt bring myself to look the club members in the eye.
Lady Louise.
Ainters voice seemed to scold me, making my body tremble. It was quite something for me, a barons daughter, to be rebuked by a prince.
Please speakfortably.
However, Ainters words were far from a scolding.
I dont know whats on your mind, or what you want to say. Unfortunately, I dont have the ability to read minds.
With a smallugh, Ainter continued. His tone was warm, as if trying to reassure me.
That said, I am curious to hear what Lady Louise wants to say. Im ready to listen to anything you have to say.
Upon hearing this, I cautiously raised my head and saw Ainter smiling at me.
Your Highness, youe not a very good speaker.
Youve already said what I was going to say.
Haha. Brother Ainter isnt much of a talker, is he? Well, they say that practice makes perfect.
Erich, why are you being so quiet?
Because Im an Imperial, unlike you.
The conversation behind Ainter inadvertently made me smile.
They were obviously exaggerating to lighten my mood. It was so obvious. Even a y wouldnt have such dialogue.
Um
But after seeing them like that, I couldnt hesitate anymore.
I have something to say.
Saying this might turn their kindness into resentment. It could even lead to the copse of the club.
Ive actually known all along, but pretended not to.
Still, I had to say it, just like I did with oppa.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 137: Capybara in the Water (2)
Chapter 137: Capybara in the Water (2)
Capybara in the Water (2)
Lady Louise cautiously opened her mouth, which, in a way, seemed rather dazzling. It was amazing how five pairs of eyes were instantly fixated on her with just a single word.
There was no way that we could ignore her words in the first ce, but her admission that she had pretended not to know was an unsettling start.
Of course, no one dared to interrupt Lady Louises words, which she had mustered the courage to say. At the moment, it was more important to hear what she wanted to say than to entertain minor doubts.
I had an older sister.
Fortunately, our silence seemed to give her more courage as she continued speaking. The statement about having had a sister allowed us to predict the oue.
And sadly, that prediction was not wrong. Oddly enough, negative predictions rarely missed the mark. Enen was indeed harsh on humans.
Lady Louise, who was fragile, the attention she received as the youngest, her rtively neglected sister, and her sisters untimely death.
Those were all sufficient to leave a profound impact, to the extent that she felt resistance towards someone monopolizing love. To the extent that she believed everyone should be treated equally.
So its like that.
To be honest, I had noticed that Lady Louise had drawn a faint line with us. It was something that couldnt go unnoticed.
For a whole semester, I, along with Young Lord Eric, Prince Rutis, Prince Lather, and Tannian, had all tried to express our interest in Lady Louise. And for a semester, we had been unsessful.
I wouldnt have been able to see it objectively if I was pursuing her on my own, but seeing others also hitting a wall made it impossible not to realize that Lady Louise had drawn a line with us.
So, I refrained from actively approaching her. Forcing oneself upon ady who had clearly drawn a line was not polite. If we do, the faint line would only grow thicker, and any potential wounds Lady Louise could have would be even deeper.
I simply hovered around her and waited for the moment when she would open up her heart, not just as a fellow club member but as a close friend.
Except for the fact that I wasnt the only one thinking the same thing.
It turned out like this in the end.
Whenpetitors who shared the same thoughts gathered, they secretly checked and bnced each other. However, none of us had managed to get closer to Lady Louise because we were preupied with keeping each other in check.
We did build friendships with her, and we could confidently call ourselves her close friends. However, none of us had be a presence close enough for Lady Louise to confide in.
And in this situation, if Lady Louise had opened her mouth first
Im sorry; I know its toote, but I wanted to say it now.
Rather than opening her heart to someone, what came was nothing less than a deration to firmly push everyone away.
It wasnt an apology for not speaking up until now, nor a promise not to do so in the future. From now on, the line she drew would be even more pronounced.
That much was obvious to everyone, which was why only silence hovered over the room. That included us, who were dumped before we even confessed, and Lady Louise, who dumped us before any of us could confess.
I looked down at Lady Louise, who was trembling with her head down. Did she think we would get angry? Did she imagine that we would think she was mocking us for not telling us until now and for daring to treat us this way?
It would be a lie if I said it didnt hurt. But well, we werent exactly meless ourselves.
Thank you, Lady Louise.
Ironically, maybe we were even more guilty of not being a reliable man to the woman we liked.
It must have been hard for you to open up, but thank you for telling us everything.
So, the image we presented was not of rational individuals simmering with anger but rather peopleforting a friend who had mustered the courage to apologize.
Wasnt that right?
Looking around, I saw that the other four were equallyposed. Well, they pretended to beposed, at least.
We even act simrly in situations like this.
I felt likeughing. We held the same person in our hearts, attempted to hover around them in the same way, had simr thoughts about keeping each other in check, and now, even our thoughts after being rejected were simr.
These were people I had met just this year, but why did our hearts resonate so well? It was really strange. Were they actually my lost brothers?
Since Lady Louise has been honest, should I also share my secret?
I spoke softly with a slight smile. The most important thing right now was tofort Lady Louise, who didnt seem like she would raise her head.
We should show that we didnt care about the fact that weve been rejected. We should show that we were thankful because she opened up about something difficult.
To be honest, I have an awkward rtionship with my brother.
Upon saying this, I was met with her startled expression. I guess she was surprised that I had spoken so casually about imperial affairs.
Still, Ive at least seeded in dispelling Louises guilt.
Mentioning His Highness the Crown Prince was a bit ufortable, but I had only described our rtionship as awkward, not as a threat to my life, so it should be within safe bounds.
Now that Ive spoken, its the others turn.
I dont have any secrets.
Neither do I.
I guess I spoke too soon.
We burst intoughter as we quickly brushed off the topic. Our hearts were indeed connected. This was how we lightened the mood.
When I startedughing, Prince Rutis joined in as well. Yes, he was the one who would join first in such an atmosphere.
I havent lost a single time, since taking up the sword, but it seems Ive lost to Louise for the first time.
I-Im sorry
Theres no need to apologize. Its only natural to reject someone who doesnt suit your taste.
Maybe that was also Prince Rutiss way of offeringfort, albeit in a slightly peculiar manner.
Im actually grateful that you were honest. Itd be sad if you couldnt reject us despite not liking anyone.
Prince Rutiss expression, which was originally cheerful, seemed even brighter now. It was as if he was speaking sincerely rather than just offering constion.
One-sided love is futile, after all.
Thats a rare thought.
Prince Lather, who had been maintaining silence, finally acknowledged Prince Rutiss words.
The real problem is if you didnt push us away out of consideration. Sticking together without knowing each others hearts would have been even worse.
Yes, that was a valid point. We could all remain friends after she confided in us like this; otherwise, we would have graduated with a rtionship that was neither here nor there.
My gaze inadvertently turned to Young Lord Eric and Tannian. It was now their turn since the other two princes had said their piece.
I feel the same way.
Youve said it all before, so I dont have anything to add.
What a pity.
After that, I had a hard time soothing a sobbing Lady Louise.
She looked so pitiful as she mumbled her apologies and thank-yous, seemingly on the verge of copse if we didntfort her quickly. Ironically, I wanted to cry, too. But I couldnt afford to cry considering my status as a prince, so I convinced myself that Lady Louise was crying on my behalf.
Wow, the second semester is off to a brilliant start.
Young Lord Ericsment made Louise, who had stopped crying, blush deeply. It certainly was an eventful start.
Its a memorable day. Isnt it a day when the five of us got rejected at the same time?
Do Armenians have a culture like that?
Celebrating being rejected was not exactly a cheerful tradition.
However, Prince Rutis, unfazed by such reactions, rummaged through the club room and spoke.
Today isnt just about being rejected. Its a day when Louise showed us her true feelings and became closer to us.
His optimistic interpretation was astonishing.
Prince Rutis wasnt exactly normal, but that was what made him appealing.
Its a pity the club advisor isnt here, but lets start by ourselves.
Even though it was an unheard-of celebration called a Rejection Tea Party and we didnt know what wed say when the Advisor walked in, we decided to go ahead with it. Everyone seemed a bit dazed, probably still in shock from the unexpected rejection.
Its been a while since weve eaten in the club room.
Of course, I felt the same way.
***
Ainter exined the situation while Rutis went to refill the tea.
Really?
Moments like these left my mind nk.
I thought they were joking when they mentioned celebrating getting rejected. I even thought they were exaggerating when they suggested we all go out somewhere in celebration.
But damn it, this was for real.
What on earth?
This was unexpected. I knew these idiots werent making progress with Louise, and I feared thered be no news until graduation.
But I never imagined an early ending where Louise rejected everyone before any of them could even confess. How could anyone anticipate such madness?
Could this also be part of the original story? Was it supposed to go this way? Was this a story where Louise, moved by the determination of those who were rejected, opened her heart to them?
But that cant be right.
If being unyielding was enough to move her, Louise would have been swayed dozens of times by now. These guys might bepeting with each other, but they were persistent.
I nced at Louise, and she quickly bowed her head when our eyes met.
You did well.
Trying to organize my chaotic thoughts, I patted Louise on the shoulder. This unexpected early ending was driving me crazy, but the fact that Louise had be open about her trauma was something to celebrate.
Half of her life had been consumed by that trauma, and she had finally revealed it to others. Now, all that remained was to move forward.
I didnt see thising.
In truth, I expected Louise to confide in one of the five. I expected it to be a decision-making event when she found someone she loved.
But instead of making a choice, they were all rejected after she revealed everything.
Thank you, Oppa.
Louise smiled as she raised her head cautiously. The sight of her made me realize how futile it was to even be thinking about this.
As long as shes happy.
For now, lets just be happy about her escaping her trauma.
Indeed.
As I continued patting Louises shoulder absentmindedly, I heard Ainters exmation from beside me.
I turned to look at him and saw him smiling while stroking his chin.
So thats why.
Why what?
Im about to lose my mind, so dont beat around the bush with strange hints and just give it to me straight.
But Ainter, seemingly oblivious to my frustration, turned his gaze to Erich with a look of deep sympathy.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 138: Quick-witted Reversal Club (1)
Chapter 138: Quick-witted Reversal Club (1)
Quick-witted Reversal Club (1)
The atmosphere in the club had changed ever since the madness-filled event known as the Rejection Tea Party.
Perhaps trying to maintain theirst shred of dignity, the idiots who were collectively rejected by Louise showed no hard feelings or ugliness towards her.
I honestly expected them to cling on with some lingering affection, but they just behaved like normal friends, as if there had never been any romantic feelings between them.
Its the same as before.
Upon reflection, there wasnt much of a difference before and after they got rejected. These idiots. How could they be so simr before and after being rejected? Calling it a rejection seemed almost excessive.
However, there was one notable change.
I should have said this earlier, but it honestly didnt taste good.
The macarons were passable, but the cookies were really terrible.
Without the need to save face or tiptoe around Louise, the club members began to vent things they had kept silent about. They didnt hold back in admitting that the food wasnt up to par.
Up until now, they had kept silent out of consideration for the person they liked, but the dynamic shifted now that the object of their unrequited love had be just a friend. As friends, it was moremon to be straightforward and not sugarcoat things.
A semesters worth of unspoken words exploded, and the intensity was significant. If I had to describe it, it felt almost like a departmental hearing with relentless questioning akin to, How did you be the leader with those skills?
Are they holding a grudge for being rejected?
You brats dont hold grudges, right?
I thought they didnt, but seeing them now made me doubtful.
Well, theyll taste good if I make them properly!
I see. If I do it right, then Ill also be a wizard surpassing the Mage Duchess.
Louises pleas were quickly dismissed by Lather.
It was hard for people to believe in something without seeing results. After all, anyone could talk big.
You said the macarons were good, right? Thats when I made them properly!
Maybe she only practiced making macarons?
Wow.
You guys have been holding back a lot. How do you immediately have aeback for everything?
In the first ce, I was the one who ate everything Louise had made so far.
The empty wagon makes the most noise.
Maybe their stomachs were empty because they were making so much noise. Back at the beginning of the semester, they had eaten only a bit and ignored the rest. How dare they act this way? If Louise got hurt by their words and gave up her dream of baking, Id lose my source of human food.
Fine. Ill make them properly, so just wait.
Fortunately, Louise had more pride in her baking than I thought. She didnt get discouraged but instead started pulling out flour in a fit of pride. It seemed like her ego had been bruised.
Her furious demeanor was there, but it was objectively no more threatening than a cat hissing it was non-threatening at all. So a capybara is just like a cat even though its angry
This actually worked.
Now well get to eat something good.
I deliberately ignored the whispers of the other club members. Werent you idiots moving on from your crushes too quickly? You did like her, right?
The rapid change in attitude was surprising, but it wasnt unsettling. It was better for Louise, who would likely recoil if someone clung to her after she had poured out all her trauma.
Im guessing those guys knew that and intentionally behaved this way. They probably wished for Louise to stay cheerful.
If it werent for romance, theyd be perfectly fine.
Once the category shifted from romance to friendship, their perceptiveness quickly returned. If their romantic intuition had been half as good, then someone might have ended up with Louise.
Of course, that was all in the past now. It cant be reversed, and it seemed like none of the parties involved were interested in going back.
Our club leaders true colors will be revealed today.
Well, our pastry club leader isnt good at baking, so who will be the next leader?
Since there are five of us, we can take turns each semester.
Suchments can only be made by those who have truly moved on. These guys were pretty good at tea bagging.
Even Erich was caught in the middle of all this.
I didnt do all that to see him like this.
I felt like I was going to cry. I did my best. I took pride in the fact that I didnt hold back on giving him advice that was well within my capabilities. However, I didnt put in all that work just to see my younger siblingugh and smile after being friend-zoned by the girl he liked.
I stifled the sigh that threatened to burst out and turned my gaze to Louise. She was wearing an angry expression, but the corners of her mouth were upturned.
Then, I looked back at those idiots. They seemed quite happy, too.
Well, who cares?
Well, this was the path they chose, after all. Louise decided to reject everyone, and the others epted that decision. Since then, they have maintained a friendship rather than romantic entanglements. It was all these kids choice.
As a third party, there was no need for me to feel pathetic or interfere with them. They had made their choices with courage, so who was I to meddle in their affairs?
They look better now.
Was it just my mood, or did the group look more intimate now that theyve all been rejectedpared to when they were all vying for Louise?
Louise had nothing left to hide, and the other members no longer held back or were being restrained by each other.
With everyone baring their hearts, it felt like a gathering of carefree, typical kids.
This is what our club should be like.
This form, built on friendship, was the best. At least they wouldnt do weird things just to impress Louise.
Yes, lets endure this for just another two and a half years.
Damn it.
No way. The best thing, after all, would be for these guys to go home early. I seem to havepromised with myself at that moment.
I even made such a dirtypromise. When did I be such a cowardly adult?
Contrary to my expectations, the movement to impeach the club leader intensified.
You made this properly?
I-It cant be
Unfortunately, the cookies Louise confidently presented ended up being inversely proportional to her confidence.
However, unlike before, everyone ate the cookies without any issues. It was a positive development.
They taste bad.
Theyre just mediocre.
However, the actual taste wascking. This was a negative oue.
No, whats worse was that it was called just mediocre. How bad were they actually before?
Louise, unable to hide her embarrassment, hastily put one of the cookies in her mouth and froze. I guess even she didnt like the taste.
I cautiously tried one myself.
Its fine.
Naturally, they were fine for me. They seemed slightly different from before, but it was no big deal.
***
No matter how much of a fool and cowardly I might be, I still had a certain level of awareness as a noble. Even though they seemed to be scolding me on the surface, I knew that my fellow club members were full of warm consideration on the inside.
In that case, I should ride on that consideration. It was embarrassing to rely on the sympathy of those I rejected not long ago, but I needed to ept it.
So, I worked hard to make them. It wasnt the experimental spirit of cookies from before or the healthy cookies that I used to make for Oppa; these were proper cookies.
Now, everyone would be amazed once they tasted these cookies. And with it, this y of overflowing consideration would end.
Yes, that was how it should have been.
No, this
Their reactions were strange. They were eating it, but their expressions didnt look good.
This was different from the earlier prank. Their faces genuinely showed confusion and dismay.
You made this properly?
I-It cant be
This cant be happening. Im confident in my baking skills. The macarons I made for Irina were enjoyed by everyone, and the cookies I made as a gift for Oppa to give to Senior were properly made.
I just used unconventional ingredients, but I could definitely make them well when I tried. This wasnt baseless confidence. Ive always done it right until now.
Trying to steady my trembling hands, I cautiously put one in my mouth.
It tastes bad.
If there was no one else around, I would have closed my eyes immediately. I thought I had made them well so I didnt taste them, but I never expected this.
Could it be that my skills rusted over the vacations? Was that why I failed at even this simple baking?
Or had my body refused to make them properly because Ive never given them proper cookies before?
Then its my fault.
I messed up. Instead of expressing gratitude to my fellow members who had enveloped me in their consideration, I betrayed them.
At this time, I should have given them properly made cookies. That was how the y was supposed to end.
Who wants to be the new club leader?
Prince Rutis spoke up in the stifling silence, but even he seemed confused. His smile was awkward, and his pupils were shaking.
However, no one responded to his words. Nobody could have predicted this situation.
Its better if the same person continues.
The silence that returned was broken by Oppa.
Well have to resubmit the member list if the club leader changes. That would be a hassle for me.
Oh, we didnt think of the advisors position.
Rutis quickly responded to Oppas words, as if he had found an escape route.
Well, someone with experience would do better.
Its better thanst semester, right? The improvement makes you a perfect fit for the club leader. No harm done.
Their follow-upments made my face heat up.
It was embarrassing. I didnt like this kind of consideration, no matter what
Since everyone agrees, theres no one else but Louise for the club leader.
As I was about to lower my head, Oppa patted my shoulder.
It might have been a light-hearted gesture for Oppa but that small action made my heart flutter wildly.
I barely managed to suppress my smile. It wasnt time yet. I was still far from showing my feelings to Oppa. I promised to endure until his engagement ceremony with Senior, didnt I?
But smiling should be okay.
Wouldnt it be weirder if I suddenly showed a serious expression only in front of Oppa?
Yeah, itd definitely be fine. I used to smile in front of Oppa often.
Thats right. This isnt a confession.
Im just smiling.
Thank you, Oppa.
This meant I wasnt trying to get ahead of Senior.
***
My perspective widened once I let go of my emotions and took a step back.
I just realized this now.
The way Louise looked at our advisor was different from how she looked at us. How could I have only noticed such a clear difference now?
Protecting ady was a knights duty, but I failed to fully understand the heart of thedy closest to me.
Louise begged me so much that this makes me worried that we will also have topete with you.
An Armein Knight seeks a fair and clean duel and then epts the results.
Thats why, if I lose, Ill have to admit it. Its best if that doesnt happen, though.
I remembered the conversation I had with the Advisor during the fair. Could it be that my instincts sensed defeat from that moment?
Of course, what I said then was sincere. I would ept the result and respect anyone, even if it was the Advisor.
Well, I guess it cant be helped.
It probably meant that the Advisor seemed more reliable than me.
While looking at Louises bright smile, I subtly averted my gaze.
As expected.
Erichsplicated expression caught my eye. If I noticed it, then Im sure Erich did, too.
Erich had gracefully epted being rejected by Louise. He didnt harbor any lingering feelings and he was even ready to congratte Louise, no matter whom she loved.
Still, it had to be strange and ufortable to congratte the person he liked when she fell for his brother. He probably felt a mix of wanting to congratte her but also feeling strange and ufortable about it.
Well, it was a problem Erich would have to ovee.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 139: Quick-witted Reversal Club (2)
Chapter 139: Quick-witted Reversal Club (2)
Quick-witted Reversal Club (2)
Louise, impeached and then re-elected by her club members, found herself in a cycle of repeated impeachments and reinstatements since then. The reasons were trivial: the weather was nice, the taste of the cookies was subpar, there were too many bread crumbs, or because the snacks turned out fine that day. Just things like that.
Thus, within just two weeks of the new term, Louise set a remarkable record of being re-elected as the leader of the pastry club seven times. And now, her seventh impeachment and eighth election was already scheduled for tomorrow. At this rate, it seemed like a daily quest.
Changing the leader meant having to rewrite the clubs member list, which was a tedious task. But Ive let it be since it had been Louise from the 1st to the current leadership. It was just the yful antics of teenagers, so there was no real need to intervene.
The club members friendship has grown stronger, which warms my heart as their advisor.
Observing the friendship blossoming through those pranks wasnt too bad.
It was a bit unusual, but what was wrong with that? A silly friendship among six was better than five in a love rivalry targeting one.
It seems everyone is approaching this new term with a fresh mindset.
Sir Vir nodded in agreement.
If the club members engaged in a love rivalry and harbored grudges, things could escte. Imagine the chaos if princes, heirs to thrones, and saint candidates started hating each other.
That would be aplete mess, and inevitably, those below get med for not managing the situation properly. Unfortunately, those below referred to Sir Vir and me.
So the current situation, where the five idiots have given up their love, was better. It at least spared us from bing casualties in the emotional crossfire of those above us.
Im curious to see how theyll surprise us next.
I agree. Im already looking forward to next year.
While the conversation was light-hearted, the underlying sentiment was not.
Its still too much.
With Louise rejecting everyone, the romance in this fantasy romance had disappeared. I even harbored a slight hope that they might leave the academy.
Their early departure would be a nice surprise, so I casually brought it up.
But Sir Virs response, See for yourself next year, dismissed the possibility of an early return. I expected as much, but it was still disappointing.
They didnte for Louise, after all.
While it was true that the power of the original story brought the club members to the academy, this ce wasnt only the setting of a story but also a world where real people lived.
Would royalty or individuals of such high status reallye to the academy just to see Louise, whom they dont know by face, name, or existence? Although I dont know their exact reasons, each of them must have had their own reasons foring to the academy, where they happened to meet Louise.
So, there was no reason for them to leave just because they were rejected by Louise. It was never about seeing Louise in the first ce. Plus, leaving now would practically tag them with thebel Fled after being rejected by a girl.
Do I really have to watch over them until graduation?
Still, lets think positively. Given the current atmosphere, there shouldnt be any horrific events like a dreaded second part after graduation.
Lets just endure it with our eyes closed. From now on, there wont be any trollish behaviors to impress Louise, nor will we have to watch the frustrating sight of the five of them in a standstill, constantly checking each other.
Sir Vir seemed to share my thoughts, nodding resolutely as our eyes met. Lets stay strong together.
***
Should I drop out?
That was the conclusion I reached after much thought. The urge to withdraw was overwhelming.
What in the world is happening?
A bitterugh escaped me. What were the odds of things turning out this way? I at least knew that an ordinary person would likely never experience this in their lifetime.
The probability of falling in love at the academy was high. The chance of having fourpetitors was also reasonably high, and the likelihood that all thesepetitors were of higher status than me wasnt insignificant. The chance that all five of us, including me, got rejected simultaneously wasnt impossible.
But the chances that the person I liked would have feelings for hyung were exceedingly slim, almost zero.
And yet, it happened.
But that near-zero probability came true. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have boughtnd instead. There might have been a gold mine there, which seemed just as likely.
It was an indescribable feeling. Just because I liked someone didnt mean they had to like me back. I was prepared for the toughpetition.
I was ready to ept the disappointment and sadness if Louise rejected me. After all, she was also a precious friend. At least, that was what I thought.
But the involvement of hyung was something I never anticipated or prepared for. If anyone foresaw this, Id question their sanity.
Howplicated
I muttered to myself in frustration. No one was listening anyway, so it didnt matter if I cursed.
At first, I thought it was a surprise party. That was how shocking and disorienting the situation was. I had no idea how to act moving forward, face Louise, or deal with hyung.
It wouldve been fine if it were someone other than hyung. Ive let go of my feelings, so I could happily congratte Louise, no matter who she chose.
Ill be in the bizarre situation of having my first love as a sister-inw if Louise ended up with my brother. Moreover, it would create an awkward situation for both Louise and hyung. How would we even breathe in such an ufortable environment?
Hyung doesnt seem to be aware of it.
Hyung, who only recently started getting close to Lady Marghetta after drawing a line with her, probably had no idea about Louises feelings.
I sighed involuntarily. If he had deliberately charmed Louise, I might have been angry enough to confront him.
But I know that wasnt the case. Hyung was unaware of Louises feelings and even hoped things would work out between her and me. He even helped me a lot.
So how could I me him? Hyung tried to help me, but I failed due to my own shorings. That was all there was to it.
Itll work out somehow.
Dwelling on it wouldnt provide answers, so I stopped thinking about it. Yeah, itd work out.
After all, it wasnt certain that Louise and hyung would end up together. I would just embarrass myself If I worried too much and nothing happened.
But I shouldnt forget to carry the withdrawal form with me just in case I have to rush to the main building and submit it.
Am I bing like hyung?
Both brothers entering official positions at seventeen. The Krasius family was truly a family of loyal subjects.
Haha, damn it.
I should just get some sleep.
***
It had been a long time since Ive used mymunication crystal for personal use instead of work.
Ive been eating the food you gave me regrly.
Good, make sure you keep it up.
It felt even more unfamiliar because I was calling Mother directly for the first time. Until now, I would contact the head butler or the head maid whenever there was something to discuss with the family. Bypassing them and calling Mother directly was a new experience for me.
Despite hesitating for a moment due to this strange awkwardness, I had promised Mother I would contact her more often, so I made the call. It wasnt a big deal, but breaking even such a small promise didnt sit right with me.
I was a bit surprised when she answered almost immediately after I called.
The heat is subsiding, but you should still take care.
I will keep that in mind.
I heard its easy to catch a cold if the temperature suddenly changes.
Yes, I understand.
Anyway, Mother kept talking non-stop, filled with concern and inquiries about my well-being.
Be careful about this, be careful about that, watch out for this, and watch out for that.
Where am I exactly?
I felt confused while listening to Mothers warnings. Was I working in hell? Why were there so many things I should be careful about?
Well, to be honest, it almost felt like hell, but this was still a little too much.
Do you understand?
Yes, I understand. Thank you for your concern.
Still, I listened silently, respecting Mothers concern. Lets think of it differently. Maybe she was catching up on several years worth of calls in one go. Well, I brought this upon myself.
How is Erich doing?
Mother continued talking and then brought up Erich. Why was she asking me about Erich?
That son of a bitch. Did he not contact Mother?
It wouldnt be surprising.
I was about to get angry at Erichs undutifulness, but then I remembered his situation and calmed down.
Erich was probably not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. Maybe he would to the other club members who shared the same sorrows as he did, but he wouldnt think to contact our mother.
He may seem unaffected,ughing off his rejection, but who knew what he was really feeling inside? He might be falling apart internally while maintaining a facade.
Should I tell her?
I seriously considered whether I should tell her about Erich being rejected.
During the vacation, Mother hoped he would find someone suitable at the academy. It was only natural that she would be curious about her sons romantic life.
At that time, I couldnt bring myself to say, Erich has someone he likes, but hes the weakest among thepetitors. But now, he had be arade rejected simultaneously instead of apetitor.
Well, Mother.
I cautiously started speaking after much deliberation.
This was Erichs private life, after all. Mother didnt need to know unless Erich himself spoke up.
However, if Mother, unaware of anything, asked Erich about his love life, it would be like rubbing salt in his wounds. Of course, keeping a secret came with its own responsibilities, but it seemed too cruel to let Erichs first heartbreak be exposed by our mother.
You see
Of course, Id have to ask her not to show any signs of knowing it in front of Erich.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 140: Quick-witted Reversal Club (3)
Chapter 140: Quick-witted Reversal Club (3)
Quick-witted Reversal Club (3)
Lately, my satisfaction with my working environment had soared significantly.
Now that the romancepetition was over, I no longer had to endure the frustrating antics of the five idiots. It also greatly reduced my mental fatigue. It felt something like how a melodramatic TV show I begrudgingly watched had finally ended.
With the fives mutual rivalry and desperate struggles gone, our club had be remarkably calm and peaceful. When those at the top were quiet, we, the subordinates, were happy.
Todays food is delicious.
Indeed, as expected from the clubs tenth-time leader. Your real skills are outstanding.
Thank you for your acknowledgment
This peaceful conversation warmed my heart. Yes, this is what the academy is all about. This is what a club should be. Living in constant fear of an imminent explosion was no way to experience the academy. This peacefulness is its true essence.
Of course, I didnt join the academy just to have fun, but I believe I had every right to enjoy this peace, howeverte it may be. This was especially true when I thought about the school life I missed out on.
Everyone has a happy ending.
A satisfied smile crept onto my face. It was a good ending for me, for Vir, for Louise, and even for those five idiots.
Had they been heartbroken over unrequited love, it mightve been different. But seeing them enjoy themselves like this proved that having them all get rejected was the right path after all.
You should have done this earlier.
Right? Its a bit annoying.
Are we going to have an 11th club leader soon?
I made a mistake, so please let it go.
Hearing the club members chatting around the cookies brought a smile to my face.
It worked like a charm.
Louises record of nine consecutive impeachments was enough to shake her with humiliation and shame. That was probably why she put all her effort into making these cookies, and it seemed she had finally won the members approval.
Being impeached every other day was too much. Thats why even the term 1 Louise became a unit of measurement in the club.
When is the counteroffensive?
Seven Louisester.
It meant roughly 14 dayster. When she heard this while kneading dough, Louise trembled so much that it was worrying to watch.
However, the people who said it seemed nonchnt.
Of course, it was just a joke, so it didnt lead to any hard feelings. Outside the club, they seemed to talk quite normally.
If the royalty used 1 Louise outside the club, other students might start using it too. Just the thought of it made me shudder. Maybe Louise would even end up dropping out in tears.
But thats unlikely.
They were already tonic friends; there was no point in pushing her away.
It wasnt just my imagination. The club members did seem closer now than before. It was quite surprising how the phrase lets remain as good friends really became true.
Oppa, over here.
I even wondered if the original story was actually more of a friendship fantasy than a romance fantasy after seeing how they quickly became close after reconciling. Then, a cookie suddenly appeared before my eyes.
Perhaps recognizing me as a regr who always enjoyed her cookies, Louise even personally delivered them. It was touching.
Thank you.
I smiled slightly and took the cookie offered by Louise.
The other idiots had also taken a liking to the cookies, so the amount I got to eat had decreased a bit. Maybe that was why each cookie now felt more precious. It was kind of bittersweet, as if my little hidden gem of a spot had be a well-known eatery.
Youve made these really well.
After chewing and swallowing a few bites, I patted Louise on the shoulder.
The taste had changedpared to before, but that was probably because she had been adapting the cookies to the other members tastes.
***
I looked at hyungs face. He looked as weary as usual. He seemed to smile sometimes, but it was honestly hard to tell unless you looked closely.
I also saw Louises face. Anyone could see the affection dripping from her eyes, her face flushed with emotion. It was unrecognizablepared to how she reacted like a cat with its tail raised whenever we teased her.
Hmm.
Is it winter already?
Why are my sides so cold?
I absentmindedly rubbed my side, but nothing changed. The winter seemed to be a fickle fairy visiting not this world but my heart alone.
Then, is my brain frozen, too?
Since Im even making these kinds of strange analogies, I guess my mind has also lost its edge. But its not my fault. ming this situation on me would be too harsh.
Given the precedent set by Lady Marghetta, I expected hyung to be oblivious to Louises feelings. I even braced myself to watch Louise break down in front of him.
It was bittersweet, but what could I do? As the rejected one, I cant exactly tell Louise to restrain herself in front of me.
But this was too much.
How can he be so oblivious?
Even a passing dog would notice. If I asked that dog about their rtionship, it would probably wag its tail to signal her obvious affection. Louises gaze towards him was that obvious.
Yet hyung, despite receiving such an obvious look, showed no response. If he was pretending not to notice, then he should be taught a lesson; but if he genuinely didnt notice it, then his obliviousness was worrisome to the point that I would be concerned for both Lady Marghetta and Louise.
Poor Louise.
If hyung is like this, then Louise should be more assertive. The courage she had to reject all five of us should be enough for anything. A simple love confession should be easy for her.
However, Louise said nothing. Not for 10 Louises (the 1 Louise unit that was mentioned before), and not even for 20 days. To be precise, she couldnt.
I guess shes still waiting for thedy.
The first, or perhaps the only wife hyung would have, was practically confirmed to be a nobledy. The problem was that even she hadnt officially established a rtionship with hyung yet. Expressing direct affection for him in such a situation could incur thedys wrath.
That would drastically lower Louises chances of bing his wife. Even though a husband could take a new wife on his own ord, being cautious was necessary when the first wife belonged to a ducal family.
Although honestly, given hyungs catastrophk of awareness, he might just go ahead regardless of incurring anyones anger.
Anyway, I just hope there will be some progress in their rtionship. Whether it leads to something or ends in failure, having the result would at least be morefortable than this torturous uncertainty. What was the point of being rejected if this was all I was going to see?
Are you looking at your future sister-inw?
Shut up.
I instinctively responded to Rutis, who was whispering and nudging me. I was already frustrated, so hisments were rather annoying.
Rutis chuckled at my response, then followed my gaze to where hyung and Louise were.
This is frustrating.
Youre right.
I nodded in agreement. Hyungs obliviousness was frustrating, especially since he was receiving the kind of looks we longed for. If he was my younger brother, I would have already smacked him a few times.
How did he survive with such obliviousness?
I sympathized with Rutis. As a high-ranking official, he must have navigated all kinds of political situations. How had he even managed to survive this long with such poor perception?
We probably looked like that to him.
Probably.
Rutiss sharpment took my breath away for a moment, but I managed to agree.
How I was looking at hyung now must be exactly how he felt in the past.
Did I really act like that?
Its horrifying. Im ashamed of my past self.
Even worse, I wasnt oblivious to affection; I was just frustrated by theck of progress in the rtionship. I was no better than hyung when it came to that.
At least the other four were in the same boat with me, which was a bit reassuring. Its good to know I wasnt the only idiot. Shame was lessened when it was shared, after all.
Lets just wait and see.
I was surprised by Rutiss unexpected suggestion. I thought that he, being the impulsive prince he was, would rush to help a friends romance.
As if reading my mind, Rutis chuckled and continued.
Help from five love failure experts doesnt seem particrly effective.
I couldnt argue with his logic.
***
I suppose I was finally able to rx after nearly three weeks of peace.
Carl, is something wrong?
If that wasnt the case, then I wouldnt suddenly be asked this.
Marghetta cautiously brought it up after observing me, making me flinch. It seemed like Id inadvertently shown that something was on my mind. Naturally, Marghetta would be curious.
But I couldnt just say to Marghetta, Louise rejected all five of the club members, so Im feelingfortable. This was especially true since one of those five included Erich. It would be sad if Id have the image of someone who rejoiced in the tragedy of his brother.
Its nothing much.
Really?
Seeing Marghettas downcast look made me realize that having her look so down was even sadder.
I made a mistake. I resolved to be honest about everything no matter how trivial, so hiding anything was a problem, wasnt it?
Its just club matters. The members have be closer.
So, I decided to be honest.
The members?
Yes.
Marghetta looked surprised, as if she hadnt expected that.
That was understandably so.
Since Marghetta was close to me, she was asionally involved with the pastry club and knew that it was a gathering of love-struck individuals. The idea of rivals in unrequited love bing friends must be puzzling. She might even wonder if Louise ended up with five husbands.
I see.
After I exined that it was the opposite, Marghetta nodded nkly. It was a miraculous story of a barons daughter firmly rejecting several princes and a saint candidate. I wouldnt have believed it if I hadnt possessed into this world, either.
I was worried the club might break up over it, but they actually became more united. Theyre as close as if theyve been friends for over ten years now.
Mar?
Marghetta, who had been silent, suddenly stood up and sat beside me.
Carl.
Then, she took my hand with a serious expression.
I will always be by your side.
Thank you for your kind words.
Ill be closer to you than anyone else.
Then Im even more grateful.
Her serious face contrasted with the cuteness of her words.
***
Carl was happy about the members getting closer, but the reality was different.
While they might have be closer as individuals, romantically speaking, it was apletely finished situation.
Did they suddenly clear the air between them?
There must be a reason for this sudden change.
Then, it struck meexcluding myself, Lady Louise was the closest female to Carl in the academy.
Hmm.
I think I know now.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 141: The Soaring Hawk (1)
Chapter 141: The Soaring Hawk (1)
The Soaring Hawk (1)
Enjoying a cup of tea alone in the club room was a simple pleasure. Drinking with Marghetta was nice, but being alone sometimes wasnt so bad either.
Actually, I didnt go because Marghetta mentioned that shed be busy today.
Its peaceful.
There was an old saying in the world I lived in before this world:
Every thundercloud has a silver lining.
It meant that good things often followed bad ones and that life wasnt just a series of misfortunes. What a beautiful saying. After all my struggles, I deserved this little bit of happiness.
Unfortunately, the opposite was also true. A disaster often followed a stroke of good luck. Hoping for only good things to happen was morally questionable. Happiness isnt unlimited, after all.
And so, I trusted my own luck.
Its about time for something to happen.
My luck had been at rock bottom, so Im pretty certain something will happen anytime soon. Anyway, wasnt bad luck still luck? Knowing that I was somehow doomed to be unhappy made me feel strangely at peace. Darn it.
Luckily, things inside the academy, or more precisely, within the club, were extremely peaceful. I didnt need to worry about any trouble here. The problem was that just because it was quiet inside didnt mean that the outside world was quiet, too.
In the original story, two of the groups that were supposed to destroy the academy had already shown up. It was only a matter of time before the other three made their move.
Please just disappear.
Louise managed to reject all the members, causing the original story to go up in mes. I didnt know the details, but could there really be a romance novel where all the male leads were turned down? So, it was very likely that the original story copsed.
The original copsed due to the heartbreak of five men. Thus, it should only be fair for the five viin organizations to disappear along with it.
Having to bring down two organizations shouldve been enough.
I felt somewhat wronged. It wasnt like I nned to defeat all five of them. I had already managed to get rid of two of them by myself in half a year. Hoping for the remaining three organizations to stay quiet was just my small wish.
But even that small wish seemed unlikely toe true. Well, it was unrealistic to expect the crazed terrorists to suddenly be gentlemen and say, Oh dear, you seem heartbroken. Well leave you be.
Damn it.
While the romance part in this romance fantasy had utterly copsed, the annoying fantasy part was still going strong, and even more so now. It was as if it had taken over the romances spot and was using it to its full potential.
A sigh escaped me as I nced at themunication crystal on my desk. A message from the Information Departments Executive Manager read:
The Dove faction within the Five Pirs has fallen. Expect more aggressive actions in the future.
Information Departments Executive Manager
This message arrived out of the blue yesterday. It felt as if it was just the other day when I heard that the Five Pirs was the one that was the most quiet among the three remaining organizations.
Damn it.
It felt dreadful every time I read it. The fall of the Dove faction was a clear sign that trouble was brewing.
Weaklings.
Just because they were named Doves didnt mean they should be as helpless as actual doves. With their fall, the remaining organizations would be uncontroble.
I ran my hand through my face several times, overwhelmed withplex emotions. What was once a controble and quiet group had suddenly be a threat, not just in my eyes but in the eyes of the empire as well.
What should I do?
Seriously. What was I supposed to do now?
Its a real headache. Until now, the empire has been anonymously funding the Five Pirs. From the empires perspective, the stronger the Five Pirs, who were opposing the United Kingdom of Yuben, the fewer potentialpetitors the empire had to face.
The issue was that the Dove faction was the recipient of this funding. Supporting the more aggressive Hawk faction and then watching them implode due to their foolishness would mean just throwing money away. But who could have foreseen the fall of the Dove faction?
Ive never raised a hawk before. It seems it will take a long time to prepare. Haha, pigeons only know how to eat and are of no help.
I quickly contacted the Minister of Foreign Affairs after receiving the Information Departments Executive Managers message, and he greeted me with a look of resignation.
The Dove faction, which the empire had been supporting for decades, fell from grace during his tenure. The thought of facing the Emperors criticism must be making him dizzy.
But there was something else that was driving the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the edge.
Hawks are hawks for a reason. Im worried they might fly away before we can tame them.
I agree. They are notoriously wild.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs was losing what little hair he had left over the same concerns I had.
The empire wouldnt have ignored the Hawk faction without reason. It seemed obvious that they would be like an eight-cylinder engine that woulde crashing into a wall and explode if they took the lead.
Then, the empire would lose its shackles on the United Kingdom of Yuben, and wed likely get entangled in the Hawk factions destructive ns for the academy.
But we cant just strike them down unterally.
The Five Pirs were tricky to mess with. They werent a mere rebel group like the Third Honor, nor did they attract continental-level aggro like the Twilight Cult.
They werent unconventional like the 5th Empire, nor upromising like the Red Wave.
For one, the Five Pirs had a significant presence within the United Kingdom of Yuben. They were practically in the position of the main opposition party in politics. That was why they couldnt be easily struck down like other groups.
Moreover, the fact that the Five Pirs bind the United Kingdom of Yuben wouldnt change even if the Hawk faction took control of the Five Pirs. From the empires standpoint, its impossible to take them down with our own hands. Its a terribly tangled situation.
Its still quiet. I guess the hawks are tired from hunting the doves.
Thats a relief.
But who knows when theyll regain their strength? You should be careful, too. Those hawks are particrly vicious.
Yes, sir. Ill keep that in mind.
I recalled my conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs as I fiddled with themunication crystal.
It seems the Dove faction wasntpletely ipetent. If they couldnt even stir after taking so much money, then they wouldnt be worth considering as humans.
For now, the Hawk faction seems to have exhausted itself purging the Dove faction and isnt immediately causing trouble. Thats a relief, to some extent.
Maybe its because of Lather.
The Minister of Foreign Affairss warning about the Hawk factions potential explosion was probably because of Lather. It seems theyve gathered whatever information they could on the Hawk faction to predict their next move.
What type of approach would the recuperated Hawk faction take with Lather? A fiery terror attack? Or an attempt at persuasion?
This is driving me crazy.
Not knowing anything doesnt help at all. Damn it, look at the trouble Im in because of those pigeon bastards.
I hate the Dove faction for causing this mess. I wouldnt have had to worry about this if only they hadnt fallen from grace. Damn them, Ive always preferred hawks over pigeons.
I should just wait.
If the Hawk faction resumed activity, either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Intelligence would tip me off. There was no use in wasting my energy to worry; I should just save my breath and wait.
***
After much thought, I decided not to meet Carl today. It was a painfully sad decision, but it was necessary for mine, Carls, and youngdy Louises future.
I need to be certain.
I bit my lip gently. It was frustrating that such things were happening even though Carl and I werent engaged yet.
But what could I do? A good man in my eyes was likely a good man in others eyes too. It was understandable. After all, it was something I was prepared for.
Even father had multiple wives, so it was only reasonable for Carl to do the same. After all, the Gold Duke had twelve wives. If Carl wished to have other wives besides me, I was willing to respect his decision. What mattered most was Carls heart.
But the first ce is mine.
But while I understand the concept of having several wives, I cannot ept being second to anyone. Even if Carl desired Lady Louise, I have no intention of giving up my first ce.
I was the first. I was the first to like Carl, the first to show my heart to him, and the first he confided to about his past.
This first was something I could neverpromise on.
It doesnt seem like shes coveting it.
Fortunately, it didnt seem like Lady Louise was after my ce.
From what Ive observed, its clear that she harbored feelings for Carl. But that was as far as it went. She hadnt even confessed her feelings to Carl yet.
If she had, Carl would have shown some kind of reaction. He would have told me the truth, or, at the very least, given some indication through his behavior or silence.
Its nothing much.
Carl spoke of his matter with Lady Louise as if it was just an insignificant event. Carl wouldnt lie to me, so it must have been nothing serious.
In that case, I could afford to be generous. If Lady Louise was being considerate of my feelings and was restraining herself, then Id be willing to ept that.
Seeing how she rejected the princes and nobles involved made it clear that her feelings for Carl were genuine. Besides, Lady Louise seemed to have a good nature and was neither rude nor disrespectful.
I still dont know for sure.
Of course, my assumption that Lady Louise was restraining herself was just that an assumption.
She might be coveting my ce without Carl noticing. My knowledge was secondhand since it came from Carl and not from my direct observation, so I need to verify it myself.
That was why I sacrificed my precious time with Carl and took action myself. Clinging to the present might cost me the future forever.
A Valenti must act swiftly.
Decisions must be made carefully, but actions must be swift.
Like a hawk diving from the sky, and like the red hawk that symbolized the Valenti family.
That was the lesson father taught me.
Following that teaching, I decided to find out Lady Louises true intentions myself.
If, and just if, she was eyeing my first ce
Im not sure how I might react.
I definitely wont let it slide. I swear to my familys honor that I will shatter it.
Anyone who dared to covet what belonged to me, Marghetta, would never be forgiven.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 142: The Soaring Hawk (2)
Chapter 142: The Soaring Hawk (2)
The Soaring Hawk (2)
Having a noisy space suddenly fall silent sends shivers down my spine. It always feels like Im being abruptly transported to a different world, even if I wasnt the reason for the silence.
It was unsettling enough even if I wasnt the cause, but what if I was? I didnt really want to know, but it seemed I might find out today.
Lady Louise.
Oh, Senior?
The ssroom went quiet as soon as the Dukes daughter appeared. Wow, I didnt know the ssroom could get this quiet. Its amazing.
It was like a hawk had swooped into a gathering of sparrows. The mere presence of one person subdued the entire ssroom. In fact, calling Senior a hawk seemed almost like an understatement.
Whats going on?
And why would someone of Seniors staturee looking for me in the ssroom? We got somewhat close over the holidays, but it wasnt club hours, and there was no reason for her to be here now.
She was also the Vice President of the student council and didnt usually move without good reason, so what could it be?
Oh no.
I broke out in a cold sweat as I realized a possible reason. There was indeed a reason for Senior toe to a ssroom full of first-years.
If it was something about oppa, then neither student council duties nor grade differences would stop her. This was especially true if someone was aiming to be by oppas side.
Have I been found out?
I gritted my teeth. I had resolved not to show my feelings for oppa until she became his official fiance. Acting too hastily might arouse suspicion and incur Seniors wrath and hatred.
But now, it seems like my feelings for oppa have been discovered. I cant figure out how she knew, but her presence here made no sense unless it was about oppa.
No, wait. There might be another reason Im unaware of.
Can I speak with you? Do you have a moment?
Yes, y-yes Of course.
Thank you.
I stammered after just looking into Seniors eyes.
Forget other reasons; it seems like my guess was right. Despite her gentle smile, her eyes were sharp and piercing.
Honestly, she was scary. It reminded me of the first time I saw her. No, this felt even more intimidating than that.
We shouldnt talk about this in front of others. Lets step outside.
Following those words, I cautiously followed Senior as she turned away.
Thank goodness.
Luckily, Irina and Erich were both away on other matters. At least I wont have to worry about them. Thats a small mercy
And a faint hope emerged within me. If Senior were furious, she would have publicly scorned me like a stray cat. But choosing a quiet conversation over open criticism suggested that she wasnt entirely angry.
Its going to be okay.
I reassured myself. If Senior wasnt angry, then it was fine. I wasnt aiming for her position. How could I even dare? Im content with being the second, and Im sure shell approve of it, at least.
Will she, though?
A troubling thought crept in. What if Senior didnt wish to tolerate any other woman at all? What if she wanted to be not just the first, but the only one?
A huge fear loomed behind my slight hope. Please, no. That would mean I wouldnt even be able to confess to oppa and would be cut off at Seniors decision.
I could feel my lips trembling, but there was nothing I could do. If Senior desired to be the only one, then what could I do about it? Did I have the right to ask for concessions from Senior, who loved oppa more than anyone and loved him way before me?
Oh, Enen.
Ill attend church more diligently from now on. Ill make sure toe with Tannian whenever he goes to church.
So please, let Senior ept another woman too.
As I fervently prayed a years worth of prayers, Seniors steps halted in a secluded spot.
This ce should be fine.
Her words sounded almost like, This is where youll meet your end.
Lady Louise.
Yes, Senior.
I dislike those who covet what is mine.
Senior said with a faint smile, turning my mind nk.
What did she meant by hers? The first position? Or oppa himself? If it was the former, there was hope; if it was thetter, then it was over. After such a direct warning, I cant imagine what punishment mighte if I upset Senior.
My first has always been Carl.
Senior, maintaining her smile, took a step towards me.
The first time I was involved in a marriage talk was with Carl.
Then, another step.
And the first person I ever loved was Carl.
Thest step she took brought her within arms reach.
The first gift I treasured was also from Carl.
Senior looked affectionately at the red fan she always carried. So the fan was a gift from oppa I didnt know that.
Carl has taken many of my firsts. So, its only right that I take the position of his first.
Her eyes, which earlier held warm affection, now zed with an unidentifiable emotion.
It was frightening. I felt an urge to run away right then. But at the same time, a flicker of hope rose within me.
She mentioned firsts.
It was clear now. Seniors non-negotiable line wasnt oppa himself but the first position. As long as I didnt cross that line, everything would be okay.
Then, I know what to say.
I think so, too.
I nodded quickly, speaking in the brightest voice I could muster.
I think its a beautiful thing when people exchange their firsts with each other!
The corners of Seniors eyes slightly softened.
This was it. Im safe.
***
I think its a beautiful thing when people exchange their firsts with each other!
Hmm.
If hes taken your firsts, then its only right for him to give you his!
Hmmmm.
Who else but someone of your stature could match oppa, Senior?
Hmmmmmm.
You two are a perfect match.
Mm.
Its a pass.
How does she always say such beautiful and fitting things?
I felt pleased. Lady Louise was indeed a wonderful junior. She was wise and kind-hearted; she also had a good eye.
But what pleased me the most was
Shes not overly greedy.
Lady Louise respected boundaries.
Having desires was tolerable. Wanting to be Carls wife was a desire, but a cute one at that. After all, it would be strange not to feel that way after seeing him up close.
It was a small, cute desire that didnt exceed bounds. As Carls first wife and someone who must care for the servants of the County of Krasius and the people of Tailglehen, shouldnt I have at least that much tolerance?
Of course. I could always be lenient towards a cute junior who didnt covet my position.
Good.
Once I calmed down, I realized that Lady Louise was actually quite suitable.
She was sincere about Carl and was even prepared to deal with the wrath of the royalties. She wasnt overly ambitious. She understood the situation immediately and responded appropriately.
Yes, she definitely passes. Shes someone who can approach Carl without issues.
Lady Louise. I said I dislike those who covet what is mine, right?
Ah, yes.
But I really like those who know how to respect others.
Louises expression brightened at my words. It seems she understood the meaning behind them.
Ill support you. Give it your best.
Se-Senior
I felt proud after seeing the touched expression on Louises face.
I remembered the times when I just circled around Carl and somehow hoped that my feelings would reach him. I couldnt just ignore a junior who was walking the same path.
Of course, what mattered the most was Carls feelings. If Carl disliked Louise, then there was nothing to be done.
***
Senior left with a gentle face. Unlike her hawk-like entrance into the ssroom, her departure resembled an elegant swan.
I bowed several times to Senior as she left gracefully.
She said shed support me.
I had imagined the worst scenarios. Senior might have been furious, thinking I was aiming for the first ce, or perhaps because she didnt tolerate the presence of another woman.
But instead of the worst, the best situation urred. She didnt just tolerate me or ept me; she even offered support.
And then
Give it your best.
She told me to try my best. She permitted me to act.
Can I make my move now?
My heart started to race, and I barely managed to suppress a smile.
I originally nned toy low until oppa and Senior got engaged to avoid any misunderstandings.
But todays events erased any chance of misunderstanding, and I even received encouragement to act. There was no need to just stand idly by.
So now I
Can I show my feelings to oppa now, and even get closer to him?
Senior had given her permission. It was fine as long as I didnt aim for the first ce.
Ahaha.
Theughter that escaped my mouth startled me.
I gently covered my mouth with my hand. Even though no one was around, I shouldnt let myself giggle so openly in the academy.
Pfft- Haha
This was strange. Myughter wouldnt stop even though I was covering my mouth.
No, it wasnt strange. How could I notugh?
Thank you, Senior.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity.
Thank you, Irina.
Thank you for showing me that there was still a chance.
Wait for me, oppa.
Ive never looked forward to club time as much as I did today.
***
I forgot for a moment that I was stupid and cowardly.
Louise, is something wrong?
Oh, its nothing. Nothings wrong.
I awkwardlyughed at oppas question.
Whats wrong with me? I even got Seniors permission, but what now? I couldnt even say a word.
How should I say it?
I felt embarrassed. I wanted to tell him, but I was too shy.
Why was I like this? Why couldnt I speak when the opportunity was right in front of me?
When I was holding back, I thought I could say it anytime. I thought I had the confidence to confess.
You fool.
I couldnt even take the chance when it was being served to me on a silver tter.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 143: The Soaring Hawk (3)
Chapter 143: The Soaring Hawk (3)
The Soaring Hawk (3)
Louise had been acting a bit strangetely. Well, that didnt sound quite right. It was more as if she had be more alert and careful.
Her gaze often seemed downcast as if she was deep in thought, and I noticed her biting her lips more frequently. Unlike her usual self, she wasnt leading the conversations and was often just sitting there, lost in her own world.
Is it because of the impeachment saga?
Maybe the continuous stress of being impeached had worn her down, leading her to retreat into silence. It made sense; when everything leads back to impeachment, staying silent might seem like the best option.
It was a pity, really. It was like a capybara finally yielding to the relentless hunting of five predators.
Mmph!
Maybe its six instead?
My eyes met Louises as she cautiously looked up. She quickly lowered her gaze again, making a strange sound. I guess I was counted among those relentless hunters, too.
Whats going on?
It surely wasnt just about the impeachment. That was just light-hearted content we all participated in forughs, and Louise had joined in, too. If she was worried about that, she would have shown it earlier. This sudden change was out of ce.
Was she feeling guilty about rejecting the members? That seemed even less likely. If that was the case, she would have shown it right after it happened. Besides, Louise knew that showing guilt would be more of an insult to them.
And if its out of guilt, she wouldnt need to be so wary of me.
Loui
Oppa, do you need more cookies?
Ah, yes.
Before I could even finish saying her name, Louise quickly changed the subject with a force that could make anyone flinch.
It was hard to ask her directly when she kept deflecting it like that. Well, I cant force her if she doesnt want to talk.
Thinking about it, she might legally be an adult, but she was just a seventeen-year-old girl in reality. Maybe her adolescence was just hitting a bitte.
A teenage girl in her adolescence, surrounded by six guys. The thought was somewhat horrifying.
If only Irina were here.
If she was, then Louise would at least have another girl to confide in. Unfortunately, I havent seen Irina since school started again.
Louise said that Irina was too busy with her club activities to visit after the semester began. Well. it was unavoidable. While Irina was almost like an honorary member of the pastry club, she was still an outsider.
Ma
Here you go!
Thank you.
I was just going to say that she didnt need to give me so many.
Thats a lot.
She had hurriedly scooped up a teful of cookies, probably to prevent me from saying more. The amount reminded me of the amount of pastries they baked in preparation for the club fair.
Im sorry. I wont call on you carelessly anymore. Ive been too thoughtless.
Ill eat them well.
Looks like Ill be having a light dinner tonight.
***
Although it was autumn, my insides felt like they were burning up in summer.
Ever since I started learning ice magic, I hadnt felt hot. However, I didnt expect to feel this kind of internal heat.
Is this going to be okay?
Was it correct to just watch and do nothing about her behavior?
The advisor quietly ate cookies while Louise sneaked nces at him, quickly looking away whenever their eyes were about to meet.
What a pity.
She had been like this for weeks, but it seemed to be worse recently. Her nces at the advisor became warmer and her escapades became quicker.
Well, I understood where she wasing from. With a designated first wife in the picture, she couldnt make the first move. As a prince, I knew all too well how noble marriages worked.
But it was frustrating to watch. The advisor seemed oblivious, so Louise should take the initiative.
Just as I was about to sigh, I felt a cold droplet fall on the back of my neck.
Are you alright?
I turned around and saw Rutis behind me. It was clear he was the one who had dropped the water droplet.
Yeah, I feel a bit better now.
I almost questioned what he was doing, but then I let it go. That thick-skinned guy wouldnt care what Id say, and he had brought me back to my senses. Otherwise, I would probably just be sighing.
Rutis chuckled at my response and naturally took the seat next to me.
People say that what goes aroundes around.
His words seemed out of the blue. Though this was a teaching of the Dawn Sect, it felt irrelevant to the current situation. But as if to clear my confusion, Rutiss gaze shifted towards Louise and the advisor.
I didnt expect it toe back this quickly, though.
He didnt need to say anything more. I quickly understood the implication of his words.
Yes, it was karma. Since we had caused painful situations in the past, now seemed to be our turn to face consequences. As Rutis said, I never imagined it woulde back this fast. It was as if the divine presence of Enen was watching over us because of the future saint among us.
What an absurd turn of events. Thinking about it now, feeling any contempt or scorn would be meaningless. It would be no different from spitting in my own face.
We cant even help.
Louise was holding back since she was being cautious of Lady Marghettas opinion, so there was nothing we could do to assist.
Wed just add another failure to the count and change it from five failures to six.
Rutiss words from before were quite convincing. Who were we to think we could help?
We wanted happiness for Louise, not to have her as arade in romantic failure.
Advisor, did you give Erich a push?
Advisor, you shouldve just kept watching.
How awful.
Just the thought of romance brought back the worst nightmares, and my brow furrowed automatically.
It was the worst nightmare of my life. Why did I ever say those things? I promised to do it right, but it ended up like this.
Wed probably be a hindrance instead of a help if we intervened now. Louise might even think we were trying to sabotage her out of spite.
Im sorry, Im really sorry. I messed up, so please forgive me
I wasnt a prophet, but I could almost see the future Id probably be desperately pleading after a misguided attempt to help.
Do you think well be able to survive this semester?
Well, hopefully. Lets pray for that.
The advisor suffered enough during the first semester; so I hope wed be able to put up with it for one semester, too. Anything beyond that would be truly sad.
Have some tea with us!
Thank you.
I quietly shifted my gaze away.
Itd be better not to look any longer.
Club hours finally ended just when I felt the urge to freeze my senses, and I was finally able to return to the dorm.
Thisll probablyst til the end of the term.
And that was just the bare minimum.
It was going to be a tough battle. Advisor, what kind of battles have you fought?
As I sighed softly, there was a knock on the door. I didnt feel like seeing anyone, but it must have been important if someone hade to my door.
Come in.
Yes, Your Highness.
The person who entered was Dame Amanda.
It must be something about the homnd.
Dame Amanda was in charge ofmunications with our homnd. In a way, she was the busiest person among our forces stationed at the academy.
If Dame Amanda hade personally, that meant that it mustve been no ordinary matter. Normally, she would resolve things herself or report to Sir Gardan, who was our representative.
Whats the matter?
I have a report from the homnd.
My bad hunches were never wrong.
The Five Pirs have made their move.
Thats rather urgent.
I couldnt help but sigh again at Dame Amandas report. I had heard that the Dove faction within the Five Pirs had lost power.
It was a significant shift in the politicalndscape, and even though I was in another country, I couldnt be unaware of it.
However, I didnt need to know more than that. Even the aggressive Hawk faction would take some time to regroup, maybe at least a couple of months. That time would have been enough for the royal family to respond, so it wasnt something I needed to worry about.
But to say that theyve already made their move? Were they out of their minds? The Dove faction hasnt beenpletely eradicated yet.
And, with all due respect
Dame Amanda hesitated unusually, struggling to continue. Her use of formalnguage suggested that the Hawk faction had caused a significant problem.
They dared to plot against Your Highness.
Against me?
This was unexpected.
Did I hear that right?
Why would those in the homnd target me, who was here at the academy?
Even Dame Amanda seemed just as stunned, her expression filled with disbelief. She looked as if she was questioning the validity of her own words.
Fortunately, loyalists within the Five Pirs exposed the traitors and quickly subdued them.
Thats fortunate.
I barely managed to get a response out. A major plot of royal assassination, foiled before it could properly begin, and by enemies within. To think that they would target me, someone so far from the homnd, and yet fail so miserably.
What are they even doing?
Did they even prepare properly before attempting this? It waspletely iprehensible.
Of course, understanding the thoughts of a madman was naturally impossible.
This is irritating.
It felt infuriating to be seen as an easy target by those lunatics.
His Majesty suggested that since Your Highness is the victim in this situation, you may return to the homnd to personally punish the traitors.
I appreciate his kindness, but please tell him that I will not return.
Yes, Your Highness.
Hearing my fathers subtle intention to call me back to the homnd made my head spin.
How could I return with my own two feet when I just left my homnd? Besides, only half a year had passed. I needed toplete the full three years.
What a mess.
Did I enjoy living in a foreign country? I was here out of necessity.
It seemed Father understood, hence the offer instead of amand.
I should have been bornter.
Or perhaps my elder brother should have been born earlier.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 144: The Soaring Hawk (4)
Chapter 144: The Soaring Hawk (4)
The Soaring Hawk (4)
Members of the royal family should be the kings strongest supporters and should rule over the nobility. For a small royal family to govern a nation, even a single royal was essential. However, I wasnt even by the kings side but was in a foreignnd.
Due to the sin of not being bornter, and my brothers sin of not being born earlier, I had to leave my homnd as if fleeing. Although it was akin to neglecting my royal duties, I had no choice. Fulfilling my duties could have endangered the royal family, and by extension, the nation.
A royal must bepetent. To stand tall above many nobles, a royal needed not just authority, but also matching abilities.
Thanks to Enens favor, I possessed said abilities.
Regrettably, I have nothing more to teach you.
The problem was that my abilities were too extraordinary.
A blessing to the royal family, a talent bestowed by the heavens.
Indeed, he is a great magician who will be remembered in history.
This wasnt baseless confidence or arrogance; my talents were universally acknowledged.
Perhaps even surpassing the crown prince
Yes, everyone thought so.
My abilities were superior even to those of my brother, the crown prince.
This wasnt just the opinion of the minority; the king and my brother saw it that way too, and that was the problem.
Well done. Continue to work hard.
The kings gaze towards me was unusual. There was a hint of regret in his eyes when he looked at my brother. In the magic powerhouse of the United Kingdom of Yuben, having magical talent was a significant advantage.
If I, an observer, noticed this, how could my brother, the subject, not know? The implication in that gaze was probably enough to drive him mad. After all, the throne was at stake.
If the session of the throne bypassed my eldest brother, it wouldnt just be a matter of pride. It was a matter of life and death for him.
Thats amazing, Lather.
Nevertheless, my brother suppressed his feelings. Instead of expressing his anger and hatred towards me, he weed the emergence of a talented younger brother.
If there had been a significant age difference between us, the royal family would have been peaceful.
But that wasnt the case. The age difference was small enough that the king could feasibly rece the crown prince.
As the kings worries deepened, other emotions began to mix into my brothers brotherly gaze
Im going to enroll in the Imperial Academy.
When I was seventeen years old, I suddenly dered my enrollment in the Imperial Academy.
It was a rash decision. For a royal, and not just any noble, to attend an educational institution in another country was unheard of, especially at an age when one should be engaging in social activities.
That was also why I chose to go to the Empire. No noble would support a prince who spent three years at a foreign educational institution. In my absence, my brothers foundation would solidify.
Lather, please reconsider it. Theres no need for such a long journey.
My brothers words as he stopped me were a mixture of concern and pity for his brother, happiness at his rivals elimination, and self-deprecation at himself for rejoicing in it.
If my brother was a viin, then I might have seriously aimed for the throne. But how could I bring down a brother who worried so much about a sibling who could take everything from him?
Its fine. I just wanted to gain various experiences.
Various experiences, none of which included the throne.
I enrolled in the Imperial Academy while ignoring everyones dissuasion. My standing in the homnd would plummet, which is what I wanted. I must be someone far removed from the throne for the stability of the royal family and the prosperity of the nation.
I probably wont be warmly weed in the Empire, either. The sudden arrival of a foreign prince would surely raise a few questions.
I never thought there would be another like me.
A chuckle escaped me as I recalled that time. Surprisingly, the prince of Armein and the next saint also enrolled.
I wondered what was going on. Perhaps Armein also had a session issue, or the Holy Kingdom had a new saint candidate.
But it was neither.
Anyway, that was what happened. Memories of the past came flooding back thanks to the foolish hawk that couldnt fly and fell.
I cant go back.
I chose this path, ready to face a weakened position and a tarnished reputation, all for the royal family and the nation. Even if the king suggested it, I cant return.
And then
Chess is not about winning. Its about making the opponent angry so he cant win.
Wait. I just need to create one more knight.
Where did the other chess yer go?
That voice still seemed to echo in my ears. Unwittingly, my fists clenched.
Going back now means losing.
I cant go back now. How could I return without ever defeating Rutis?
If I had lost conventionally, I would have simply epted that someone was better than me. But the unheard-of strategy of using five knights mocked my pride.
So I must win, no matter how long it takes. I would defeat Ryutis, even if it meant shoving a queen in his face.
By the time I win, Louise should have made significant progress too.
For that reason alone, I need to stay at the academy until graduation.
Its going to be an exciting time at the academy.
***
I felt a flicker in my fading faith. Did my prayers reach the heavens? Did Enen finally take pity on me?
You mean, the hawk faction?
Yes.
I almost bit my tongue when I got the call from the Information Departments Executive Manager. The Dove faction of the Five Pirs had fallen from grace. If the Information Departments Executive Manager was contacting me directly, then it must be a serious matter. Usually, it didnt mean good news.
This time, the usual odds were defied.
They overexerted and copsed.
Those fools.
The more I heard from the Information Departments Executive Manager, the more I was astounded, though negatively.
The hawk faction had ousted the doves and seized control. However, they hadntpletely eradicated the dove faction. The doves were still alive and alert within the Five Pirs.
So, the next logical step would be topletely eliminate the doves or assimte them, right?
Theyre definitely not normal.
The hawk faction, like a relentless V8 engine, didnt care about such trivialities. They undertook a project that would make anyone say, Are you insane? even if the faction was all hawks.
An audacious plot of royal assassination. I honestly anticipated it but never thought theyd actually go through with it. If someone asked me why they would undertake such a risky move, I wouldnt have an answer for them. I didnt understand it, either.
Anyway, the doves, ground down by the hawks, rushed to the royal family as soon as they realized the hawks spectacr self-destruction.
They really are doves.
Seeing their speed which was almost like a postal service made it clear that the doves lived up to their name.
Then, things moved swiftly. The United Kingdom of Yubens royal family gged an unexpected royal assassination attempt, and the doves quickly distanced themselves for fear of getting caught in the hawks self-destruction.
In fact, the doves had been severely beaten down by the hawks before they could even cut ties, so no one suspected the doves ofplicity. It was like a blessing in disguise.
So the hawk faction haspletely copsed. Senior members were executed, and the rest either defected or left politics.
Thats astonishing.
It is astonishing.
It was truly surprising that all these events unfolded in less than a month.
The Dove faction, the dominant faction of the Five Pirs for decades, lost its power. From the empires standpoint, it was annoying but possible. After all, politics were unpredictable.
The hawk faction recing the doves? It was also possible. If the doves fell from grace, it indicated an internal desire for new policies, and the hawks could do what the doves couldnt.
But I never thought that what the doves couldnt do meant royal assassination. That was something that neither the doves nor any sane person would do.
Are they brainless?
There was a limit to recklessness. I thought that the hawks would at leastpletely control the Five Pirs before messing up, but I didnt expect them to implode so quickly.
Were hawks always such mindless creatures?
Suddenly, my fondness for hawks seems to have diminished. Hawks were quite the fools, werent they?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is busy thanks to that, but its not a bad oue.
I nodded in agreement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was probably bewildered. They were nning to make contact with the hawk faction, but now the doves were back in power.
But, wasnt it always better to deal with a known weakling than to befriend a madman?
Well, that ended well.
From my perspective, this wasnt a bad oue, either. With the hawk factions downfall, the possibility of the Five Pirs targeting the academy was gone. Now, only two out of the three organizations remained.
I hope the rest self-destruct, too. Id like to have some peace.
Anyway, I thought it was right to inform you since Prince Lather was the target of the hawk faction.
Ah, yes. Thank you for your consideration.
Ill have to go now. Theres a lot I need to do.
As always, the Information Departments Executive Manager ended the call while unting his workload.
Im d I dont live like that.
I should retire before I end up like him.
My determination to retire grew weaker day by day, but seeing the Information Departments Executive Manager always reignited that desire.
Thank you, Information Departments Executive Manager
***
The next day during club time, I noticed that Lather seemed his usual self. He showed no signs of disturbance or anxiety whatsoever.
While it was a relief that he seemed unaffected, I was half hoping that the United Kingdom of Yuben would recall Lather for his safety. Looking at him now, that doesnt seem to be the case.
Damned doves.
Shouldnt this be the time for them to strongly argue about bringing the royals in foreignnds back home for safety? After defeating the hawks, they should at least put in that much effort.
I guess doves really are ipetent.
But hawks are cute, so its fine. Come to think of it, isnt the Valenti familys symbol a hawk? Hawks are cuter than doves, after all.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 145: Last Class Standing (1)
Chapter 145: Last ss Standing (1)
Last ss Standing (1)
Thanks to the hawk factions dramatic exit, I was able to enjoy a peaceful life at the academy. Its quite funny when I think about it. What were they thinking, plotting to assassinate royalty? Although Ive had my fair share of sending royals on a one-way trip to the afterlife, that was done in a justifiable context.
It was an event that would go down in the history of the continent. If there was a Darwin Award in this world, then they would be the clear winners. Maybe this continent could even start its own awards for such foolish acts. Just thinking about the name made me wince.
The same bird
My gaze fell on Marghetta, who was busily handling documents. While the Valenti ducal house also used a hawk as their crest, they couldnt be more different. If the Iron-blooded Duke heard about the hawk factions outrageous party, hed be furious, probably telling them to change their name to something more fitting, like chicken.
Or perhaps the Valenti family absorbed all the intelligence meant for the hawk faction. That would exin Valentis sin.
Carl?
Marghetta, who had been looking down, slightly raised her head after noticing my intense gaze.
You must have a lot on your te today.
I couldnt exactly ask, What do you think about having a birdbrain in the neighboring country? That would be like dering war on a house that used a hawk as its crest. I didnt want to pick a fight with Marghetta for such a bizarre reason.
Its the inter-sspetition season, after all. Its going to be like this for a while.
Thats unfortunate.
But having Carl around gives me strength.
Thats good to hear.
As if on cue, we both burst intoughter at the same time. It felt like I was talking to an answering bot.
And speaking of which, being preupied with thete Hawk faction made the time fly. It seemed like there were about two weeks left, but the inter-sspetition was already right around the corner.
The inter-sspetition was grand in name, but it was essentially the academys version of a sports festival. Unlike a normal sports festival, this one involved swords and magic flying all around.
It was a chaotic battleground where all sses, regardless of year,peted. But unlike fairs or exams, the inter-sspetition often took ce in a more rxed manner.
Its all just a rigged game, anyway.
There were third-year students in every club, and exams pitted students of the same year against each other. But in the inter-sspetition, first-years had topete against second and third-years.
For the nobles who were sensitive to hierarchy, defeating a senior could be a daunting task. After all, they had to smile and address them as alumni or seniors once they graduated. So, they wouldnt want to create sour rtionships unnecessarily.
Therefore, it was customary for a ss with third-year students, especially those of high status, to win the inter-sspetition.
This years going to be a headache.
Fufu, the student council is also worried.
Rules were one thing, but customs could be broken. This was especially true when a student of transcendent status enrolled.
When a royal enrolled, third-year students would practically beg for the first-years to take the victory trophy. A noble defeating a royal? Thatd be treason.
And this year was a miracle year where a prince, two other royals, and a future saint enrolled. They were also spread across multiple sses, and not just one.
Which ss do you think should win?
Thats a tough question.
I shook my head in agreement with Marghettas question.
Should it be Ainters ss, in consideration of the empires dignity, or should we favor the guests sses, like Rutiss, Lathers, or Tannians? And if we were favoring the guests, which one should we choose?
This is terrible.
Who made such a mess of the ss assignments?
Of course, it would be too pitiful for a teacher to handle a ss with all four of them in it.
It would be safe for Prince Ainters ss to win. Or maybe we should let the fourpete purely among themselves.
That seems right.
Marghetta agreed with my suggestion. If there was no better way, then they might as well just fight it out amongst themselves to decide the winner.
Those guys may act recklessly without considering their status, but at least theyve never demanded special treatment because of it.
In fact, they might even relish the academys sanctioned time of madness and fight fiercely. If things look like they might get out of hand, I could step in or call on thebined forces of the three countries, who were on standby. That should be interesting to see.
Having Carl around definitely puts my mind at ease.
I almost reached out to Marghetta, who was smiling brightly, but I pulled my hand back.
Ive picked up a strange habit.
Since I got used to patting Louise on the head or giving her a reassuring shoulder pat, I almost made the mistake of doing the same to Marghetta.
Patting someone on the head without asking them could be considered as condescending, although it was fine if it was Louise.
However, Marghetta noticed my hesitation, and her gaze shifted to my hand.
Carl. Please go ahead with what you were about to do.
She asked precisely and confidently.
It was nothing
Do it.
Yes.
There was no avoiding that request.
As I cautiously patted Marghettas head, she closed her eyes quietly with a content smile on her face. Well, that was good enough if she liked it.
Please dont hesitate next time.
Yes, I understand.
I couldnt help but smile at her cute request.
However, I had to be mindful of Marghettas dignity. I should probably keep my distance if others are around.
***
I had a lot of work to do, just like how the student council had a lot on their tes. Organizing the inter-sspetition schedule was the councils job, but supervising the members who would be running around ording to that schedule was my duty.
Well, Vir honestly had more work than me, but I still had my share.
Im sure they wont have any problems with it, given their experience during the practical exams.
Your confidence is reassuring, Sir Vir.
I nodded vigorously at Sir Virs confident assurance.
Certainly, things this time around were looking betterpared to the first-semester practical exams. I was just sighing and clutching my neck back then, but now they had prior experience.
Moreover, unlike the practical exams where one had to spar with someone, it was possible to just watch the inter-sspetition and not participate in any match.
Theyll probably participate in the key matches.
That seems likely. Those who like to set an example will want to.
Of course, thats what Id say if I were being overly optimistic. The idea of them just watching and not participating in such an event? Highly unlikely.
Even if theyve been like leisurely fishermen since getting rejected by Louise, their true nature hasnt changed. They grudgingly enrolled in a foreign educational institution and joined a club because of a girl.
Now that Louises control had weakened, there was even a higher chance that theyd go off the rails.
Is everything really going to be okay?
I suddenly felt uneasy. I was already nervous even when they were under control. And now theyre without anyone to hold them back?
The newly selected escort forces from each country specialize in escort and healing. Many of them are skilled in training, so theres no need to worry.
Vir seemed to read my thoughts and continued.
Thats a relief.
Knowing that there were training experts was definitely reassuring. One of their roles, after all, was to intervene in sparring to prevent injuries.
Yes, I should trust them. Last time went well, so this time should, too. I believe in the capabilities of the academy and the three countries. We were like brothers in arms, who were risking our necks together.
Though we were born on different days, we could all go down together in just a single crisis.
Still, the best oue would be to have no incidents at all.
Sir Vir subtly hinted.
So he feels the same way.
I thought as much. No matter how well-prepared and confident one was, they always preferred situations that wouldnt risk their necks.
The best oue would be if nothing happened and if none of the members participated in any of the games. That was the obvious choice.
I agree. Keeping things quiet is best. As an advisor, Id prefer not to see the members exhausted.
= Should I ask them on your behalf?
You truly have be an excellent advisor.
= Id appreciate that.
As a subordinate, it would be awkward to ask the royal family which games they nned to participate in.
So, what choice did I have? Id have to do it myself.
***
Even if it was something I expected, reality still hurt when it happened.
Ah, of course I n to participate.
I see.
Seeing Rutis dere this so confidently was disheartening.
He even said Of course. Were mine and Virs hopes so easily crushed?
Where else would I get another chance to face a Yuben mage?
I almost said that an Armein mage or a Yuben mage was a mage all the same, but I held my tongue.
This will be a new experience.
Haha! Im looking forward to it!
Even Lather, who was quiet, got excited by Rutiss words.
As usual, it was the fiery idiot causing all the trouble. No, even the blue-haired idiot was being problematic this time.
This years inter-sspetition will be intense.
Ainter said it lightly whileughing, as if it was none of his business. Given that Ainter strictly followed an academic path, that was probably to be expected.
Tannian wasnt particrly aggressive, while Erich didnt show off his skills much. There was also no need to even mention Louise.
These hot-headed swordsmen and magicians.
It was just an ego battle between swords and magic.
I dont get it. In the end, getting hit meant death, so why fight over such things?
So, only Rutis and Lather are participating?
Ah, me too.
Of course you are.
Having Erich participate was no issue.
Thankfully, Erich was among those students who could afford to get injured whether hepeted or not.
When I nced at Tannian, he lightly shook his head.
I am a candidate for sainthood, after all.
That was enough of an exnation. Saints didnt involve themselves in human conflicts, and that meant that he nned to just observe.
But treating a mere sports festival as a conflict seemed excessive.
What does it matter?
If they chose to opt out on their own, then that was fine by me.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 146: Last Class Standing (2)
Chapter 146: Last ss Standing (2)
Last ss Standing (2)
Ainter and Tannian were absent, and Rutis and Lather were participating. Meanwhile, Louise and Erich were the types that didnt cause much trouble even if left alone.
It was a very familiar situation, just like their positions during the first semesters practical exams.
The situation was so stable that it even brought about aforting illusion of peace.
Is it really those two causing the problems?
Today, the presence of red and blue stood out even more wildly and caught my attention. Perhaps 70% of the clubs chaos would disappear without these two.
But what could be done? It was like the prideful sh between the second and third most powerful countries, Armein and Yuben. Their rivalry in swordsmanship and magic felt like something that was a part of human history. There were even more reasons for Rutis and Lather to bicker than to get along, given their opposing personalities.
In a way, their petty squabbles which were not much different from those of neighborhood kids were almost appreciated. After all, they werent fighting with real malice.
I wish they would fight somewhere else.
Why cause trouble at the academy?
As I continued to watch them, I felt my patience burn up and I quietly shifted my gaze. Perhaps Apels, the founder of this academy, was the root of all evil. If so, it was a nation deserving ruin.
As I turned away, I noticed Louise staring nkly into space, lost in thought.
Whats wrong?
Just then, Erich spotted Louise and approached her first. Good timing. I was curious, too. Shes been freaking out whenever I tried to talk to her, so Ive been unable to talk to hertely.
I was just wondering which ss will win.
This yearspetition does seem fierce.
With that, Erichs gaze briefly shifted to the two idiots practicing their swordy, then to Ainter, who was quietly observing.
One of their sses would likely emerge as the winner. Tannian was excluded since he seemed indifferent to the oue.
We can just take it easy.
Following Erichs gaze to the likely winners, Louise spoke cheerfully.
The oue seemed pretty much set, so a regr freshman like Louise could just enjoy it like a school sports day. There was no need to aim for victory like during the fair, nor did it count towards grades like during the practical exams.
Exactly. Its not like winning gets you anything.
Erichsment was tinged with ack of romance. He had be a capitalist who only moved when there was profit to be gained.
Youve grown up.
Honestly, I felt the same. The noble thing to do was to stay put unless there was something to gain.
The final four-person event would be perfect.
What a coincidence. I was thinking the same.
And the two idiots, after some muttering, finally managed toe to an agreement.
The four-person event, huh.
As Sir Vir had hoped, I discovered which event those two would participate in. Yes, a four-person event was the most manageable.
In the four-person event, each ss would send a teamprising the teacher in charge, a swordsman student, a magician student, and a faculty member without an assigned ss.
I dont quite understand why thest member was included, but it was the final event that concluded the inter-sspetition. It was the perfect match for the show-offs.
Its a relief.
It would be easier to escort them if they were in the same event rather than different ones.
A four-person event.
My gaze inadvertently shifted to Erich, who automatically came to mind after I heard about the four-person event.
One swordsman and one magician student from each ss.
This event was meant for you.
My heart ached. Erich was the only one from the pastry club who was in the same ss as Louise.
Moreover, Erich was a swordsman, and Louise was a magician.
It should have been an event for Erich and Louise toe together, and an opportunity for them to grow closer.
Just hold on a little longer.
Unfortunately, they fell out before this event could happen. Would things have been different if they had participated in the four-person event?
Now that I think about it, nothing happened even when Louise and Erich shared a carriage to the Boyar Duchy. Things wouldnt have changed much.
My heart ached for a different reason now.
***
I informed both Vir and Marghetta that Rutis and Lather would be participating in the four-person event.
The academy was equally responsible for the well-being of its students. Apart from the principals rounds at the arena, the student council must also be prepared.
Its a relief. We can respond quickly even if something happens if its the four-person event.
I nodded while watching Marghettas relieved expression.
The four-person event, the grand finale of the inter-sspetition, was the most spectacrly held event.
Thanks to this, many magicians and priests capable of healing magic would be present, ensuring quick recovery in case of injuries.
Of course, it would be best if no incidents urred, but the peace of minding from knowing that there would be a safety was invaluable. It was easier to work when there was peace of mind.
It would be nice if the ss of the winning team among those two bes the champion.
I agree.
It would indeed paint a good picture if the ss that won the final event became the champion. It would be like giving out bonus points at the end of a school trip recreation.
This would mean that Ainters ss wouldnt stand a chance at winning this year, but there would be two more inter-sspetitions. Lets concede this year to the foreign students.
Marghetta smiled slightly at my agreement and then spoke again.
But, Carl, is everything alright these days?
Sorry?
The question was so sudden. What did she mean by is everything alright?
The pastry club is always so lively. I mean, I was asking if any of the members did something, or anything like that.
I quickly ran through the status of the members in my mind, but nothing new came up.
Apart from the inter-sspetition, there hadnt been anything noteworthytely. And I also informed Marghettea about the incidents rted to the inter-sspetition, so there was really nothing out of the ordinary.
Well. Fortunately, there hasnt been anything unusual.
Is that so?
The way Marghetta tilted her head in confusion made me feel a little uneasy. There had to be something if she was probing like this. After all, she wouldnt be doing this without a reason.
An issue within the club that Im unaware of?
The thought was troubling. Did something happen without my knowledge despite my careful watch?
Damn, I should be the first to know and handle it. If it was something that escaped my attention, then I would have no countermeasure ready.
However, Marghettas reaction suggested that it was still in its early stages. She wouldnt be this calm if something significant had happened, and I would have heard from the principal or Vir by now.
Mar, is there something going on?
My question seemed to plunge Marghetta into thought.
Why, though?
***
An unexpected development urred.
Well. Fortunately, there hasnt been anything unusual.
My head tilted at Carls answer.
Thats strange. How could there be nothing?
It was an answer that made me almost doubt Carl. He wouldnt lie to me, but his answer was surprisingly unexpected.
Looking into Carls eyes, I saw nothing but clear, unashamed pupils.
Yes, Carl seems innocent.
Why?
Confirming Carls innocence only deepened my questions.
I thought something would have happened by now. I had given her my permission, and it seemed she had understood what I said.
Lady Louise
What are you doing now?
My puzzlement was followed by an inexplicable sense of helplessness. Why did this happen?
If Lady Louise were indecisive or slow to act, I would understand. But, wasnt she the kind of person who would decisively manage all her club members? It wasnt something one could do with ordinary resolve and action.
Mar, is there something going on?
Carls words made me lower my gaze slightly.
There was indeed something. But I wasnt sure whether it was appropriate to tell Carl.
I permitted Lady Louise to be the second, so I had no intention of interfering with her. Im always ready to speak well of Louise if Carl shows more interest in her.
But this situation was tricky. What if Lady Louise had her reasons for staying quiet? Wouldnt I be overstepping if I interfered?
Recently, I noticed that Lady Louise seemed troubled.
After much deliberation, I finally spoke up. This way, Carl might pay more attention to Louise.
I thought it was a good disy of quick thinking and consideration. Its not something Id do for just anyone, but since we were going to share the same husband, I paid extra attention
Did you notice that too, Mar?
Wait, what?
Did I notice it too?
That would mean that Carl also thought something was wrong with Lady Louise.
Lately, shes been looking at me strangely.
Ah, yes.
Of course, she would be. Especially when the person she liked was right there.
Following that, Carl brought up various topics. The more I listened, the more my mind felt foggy. Maybe it was because I had some inkling about Lady Louises behavior.
She avoids or diverts the conversation whenever I speak to her.
I see.
Thats right. My suspicions were correct.
She must be feeling shy.
I barely held back a sigh. Lady Louise, how can you act like this when I gave you the opportunity?
I understood, though. The one who fell in love first would be at a disadvantage and would feel small and trembling before Carl. However, she needed to ovee that nervousness.
Did she think I approached Carl without any shyness?
On the contrary, I needed more courage because I had been dumped once. I always believed that Carl and I were fated by the heavens and were destined to be together, but that didnt make my shyness any less real.
Thats why Im so worried. It seems like she has concerns, but she wont open up.
Thats concerning indeed.
My worry was for a different reason, though.
But something didnt add up. Lady Louise, who was unable to gather thest bit of her courage, was one thing. However, Carl wasnt usually this oblivious.
If he were, then he wouldnt have risen to his current position. Besides, he even pushed me away before, which meant that he was aware of my feelings.
Then why doesnt he see Lady Louises?
Even I knew, so why didnt he notice her feelings for him?
Sure. I was more expressive, but Lady Louise was expressing herself with her whole being even without saying anything. A woman who recently turned down five men became hesitant and conscious only in front of him. How could he not see it?
This is strange. Unless he saw Lady Louise as something other than a romantic interest, its hard to believe that he wouldnt notice.
I wish there were other girls in the club. What a shame.
It seems like Lady Louise has a bit of a rough road ahead of her.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 147: Last Class Standing (3)
Chapter 147: Last ss Standing (3)
Last ss Standing (3)
The inter-sspetition, despite its grand name, was one of the nder and gentler events at the academy.
While the fair was a fierce rivalry where nobles staked their pride and while the practical exams were life-altering challenges formoner students, the inter-sspetitioncked both pride and profit. After all, the winning ss would naturally emerge as everyone just yed along, so why pour a lot of effort into it?
But for the past three years, including this one, the winner wasnt determined automatically but had to be chosen manually.
Even though its called apetition, its about walking together and learning from each other. Someday, all of you thats gathered here will lead the empire and, more broadly, the continent. Therefore, as an elder, I wish for thispetition to be a tform for harmony and not rivalry.
Thanks to this, the principals opening speech was long and touching, moving enough to bring tears to the listeners heart. There would normally be no need for such a lengthy speech, but it was necessary to prevent the atmosphere of thepetition from overheating.
What a hardship in hister years.
I looked sympathetically at the principals figure as he delivered his pitiful speech. The vice principal beside me probably shared the same sentiment.
Being the academys principal was the pinnacle of ones career. They would be the mayor of the city centered around the academy and the head of the empires top educational institution. It was an honorable and noble position. In the field of education, only the Minister of Education could rival this status.
Of course, this meant nothingpared to the royal family. What did it matter if you were a principal? The royal family couldmand civil servants with a mere gesture. And since their well-being was at stake, it was pretty understandable why the principal acted this way.
A healthy dose ofpetition and spirit of victory are catalysts for progress. But remember, today isnt your only opportunity.
The principal emphasized again not to get overly excited.
The speech was repetitive and tedious, but it couldnt be helped. The atmosphere among the first years was tense, especially since Rutis and Lather were confirmed to participate in the four-person event. Specifically, only the sses of Rutis and Lather were involved.
With these two royals throwing their hats in the ring, the favorites for victory narrowed down to their respective sses, and now their ssmates were effectively conscripted as bodyguards who were fighting for the honor of the royals.
Behaving casually in such a prestigious and solemn event? It would almost be simr to indirectly announcing ones withdrawal from social circles. They would probably rather participate in thepetition with gritted teeth.
What a mess.
The principal probably thought the same, but it honestly didnt seem like it would be effective. I just hope no one loses a limb or something. Maybe I should say a prayer.
May it be a pleasant memory.
With that mixture of anxiety and prayers, the inter-sspetition began.
Thepetition didnt have the ughter and frenzy permitted by the principal that some joked about as soon as it started.
Fortunately, the royalty were only participating in thest event, so there was no need to worry too much. Given the academys predominantly noble student body, the other events werent too rough either.
Or should I say that these were considered rough?
Theyre reallying up with everything.
I could hear the thundering of horse hooves from a distance.
Eighteen horses were racing across the academys grand sports field. The first event of the inter-sspetition, a horse race, had begun.
Theyre doing well.
As I absentmindedly watched, a deep-seated trauma stirred in the back of my mind.
The sight before me, with less than twenty horses, seemed almost cute inparison. Back in the north, I had seen thousands charging in unison. That was truly horrifying. And it was even worse because I wasnt watching from the side but head-on.
In the end, we somehow managed to win. But Im still baffled at how we caught those things. The Invincible Duke is indeed amazing
While I was lost in thought, a rider crossed the finish line. It was a blonde noblewoman riding a ck horse.
The first to finish isIrina Yorun from ss 1-3!
Wow.
I couldnt help but be impressed. So Irina is a good rider.
Irina smiled and waved her hands in all directions, looking even more majestic as she was sitting on therge, ck horse.
Shes impressive. Many youngdies can ride, but few can ride as well as she does. Its almost no different from a jockey.
Hearing this from beside me, I turned to see Marghetta looking at Irina with interest.
Indeed, there was a significant difference between just riding and racing as a jockey.
How about you, Mar?
Im not just any noblewoman, but a dukes daughter.
When I asked jokingly, Marghetta answered with a proud look on her face. She said that she naturally had the ability as she was a member of a ducal family.
I didnt quite see the connection between being a dukes daughter and a jockey, but I let it pass because she seemed proud.
Im not as good as Carl, though.
Thats modest of you.
I replied with an awkward smile.
Unfortunately and contrary to Marghettas belief, I wasnt good at riding. When would I have had the chance to ride a horse?
I never had the chance before my possession, and certainly not after. My family strictly prevented me from getting near horses. It would be a disaster if I fell off again, after all.
It seemed like the horses became possessed every time I rode in the North. Now that I think about it, those *Kheshig bastards must have targeted me.
Why did I only manage to ride properly after the war ended?
It wasnt until after the war and when I was least associated with horses that I was able to ride properly. After the war, I often apanied the crown prince on his hunting trips.
Thanks to that, I could now ride somewhat decently. Just enough not to fall off, at least.
Fufu, Id like to ride with Carl sometime.
Me too.
I didnt have the heart to disappoint her after seeing her excited expression.
I subtly turned my gaze back to the sports field, where Irina was doing her victoryp.
Hmm
Maybe I should learn from Irina.
When theres a top yer nearby, its best to learn from them.
Despite looking forward to thepetition in fun mode, Louises mood seemed uplifted thanks to her ss winning the first event.
However, that was thest victory for Louises ss. After expending all their energy in the horse race, her ss astonishingly lost the subsequent events in a row.
Although the horse race depended not only on the rider but also on the horses ability, making it hard to rig, theter events were different.
The students of the two sses who were desperately racing to win contrasted with others who participated more casually. This odd mix led to a predictable oue.
Its intense.
Yes, the students seem to be quite eager.
After seeing Marghetta off, who was busy with Student Council duties, I joined the principal. With the ss Competition in full swing, it seemed wise to stay close to him.
In fact, thepetition proceeded with intense battles between Rutis and Lathers sses after the horse race. If Rutis ss won one game, Lathers ss would win the next, and then Rutis ss would win again.
Even a rigged game wouldnt be this perfect.
If they werent royals, then there would definitely be suspicions of match-fixing.
Fortunately, thepetition was fierce but not serious enough to cause conflicts or bloodshed. It was just excessive enthusiasm for victory.
It looks like it will end smoothly today.
The principals expression softened a bit, perhaps feeling a sense of relief.
The inter-sspetition wasnt a one-day event, but at least one day had passed without incident. That was enough reason to be happy. Hopefully, the small joys of these overworked civil servants wont be taken away.
That being said, thest morning event had just finished.
Since the afternoon events are a while away, would you like to have lunch?
Thank you for the offer, but I still have other duties.
I see.
I nodded at the principals response. Indeed, other academy tasks dont disappear just because of the inter-sspetition.
Unfortunately, this was the same for Marghetta. It felt a bit awkward to join the members for lunch; itd be as if I was an adult who was intruding on kids mealtimes.
So, I went alone. If I wasnt with Marghetta or the members, then I had no one else to dine with. Itd be better to eat quickly and return before meeting anyone else.
Unnie, arent you eating?
I ate earlier.
Then, can I eat it all?
Yes. You have apetitionter. Eat everything.
I didnt expect to meet another person before I even picked up my fork.
This was surprising. I thought that everyone would be caught up in the sports day atmosphere and would be eating outside. I didnt expect to find anyone here.
Whats this situation?
Two students were huddled outside the cafeteria, and I could hear them whispering something.
I couldnt just ignore them and walk into the cafeteria, especially after overhearing their conversation. I already ate sounded like what someone who was actually starving would say.
After some thought, I approached them. An academy student struggling to get a proper meal was not just an issue for the academy, but a problem for the empire as well. Being at the academy meant that the student was either a noble or a talentedmoner.
Neither should be in a position to starve.
Hearing me approach, the older student who was referred to as unnie hurriedly turned around.
It would be rude topare her to a startled meerkat, but thats what she reminded me of.
Whats wrong, unnie?
The younger one who was munching earnestly turned to her sister. But the sister, her face pale with fright, couldnt respond.
I expected this.
I almost sighed at the predictable reaction. I didnt avoid contact with the other students for no reason. My dual role as the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors Office and the academys Prosecutor made even the staff wary of me, let alone the students.
As I took another cautious step, the sister visibly flinched.
If anyone saw this, theyd probably think I was bullying a child.
FOOTNOTES
*Kheshig An elite guard unit that served the Mongol emperors during the Mongol Empire (13th century), which was renowned for its cavalry.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 148: Last Class Standing (4)
Chapter 148: Last ss Standing (4)
Last ss Standing (4)
The student, who had been twitching nervously, trembled more violently as I approached. It was initially just slight jitters, but now she was almost vibrating like a cellphone.
This is too much.
I admit that my first impression might be somewhat intimidating due to the nature of my job. However, it shouldnt cause such pitiful trembling. Just avoiding eye contact or being cautious would be more appropriate.
Unless they had a bad experience with the Prosecutors Office like Irina, there was no need for such an extreme reaction. The Prosecutors Office rarely bit without reason.
They must bemoners.
She wouldnt tremble that badly if they were nobility, so theyre likelymoners. An ignorantmoner wouldnt be scared, so she must have vaguely heard about the nobility.
Whats your name?
Ah, its Amelia!
I asked for her name just in case she was a timid noble, but she turned out to be amoner. Nobles usually stated their family name as well. This avoided the mistake of mistaking a noble for amoner.
I surveyed Amelia, who had now stood up. She had long, purple hair and purple eyes, as well as a slightly small stature, perhaps due to malnutrition. Her pupils and body were still shaking.
My gaze shifted to the younger sister sitting beside her, who was the opposite in everything except for her hair and eye color. She looked like shed been eating her sisters share instead, with a sturdy body and a nonchnt expression. Her hair, in contrast to her sisters, was short.
Olivia, you should say hello.
Oh, okay.
The still-trembling Amelia nudged her sister, Olivia, who then stood up btedly.
Hi, Im Olivia! Nice to meet you!
Despite her lively greeting, I couldnt open my mouth. My eyes were drawn to the object Olivia was holding, which she must have been chewing on earlier.
Whats that?
Isnt that a turnip?
An unexpected item appeared at an unexpected time. I had heard them talking about eating, so it must have been what she was eating, right?
I thought that they were at least eating bread, but a turnip? A student at the academy is living like this?
Unbelievable.
It would have been different if it were a potato. Eating potatoes wasnt umon amongmoners or soldiers.
But, a turnip? Theyre eating it not as an ingredient in a dish, but as a raw turnip? And it seemed like Amelia gave up her share as even that turnip wasnt enough for both of them.
Um, you see, its a bit sweet, so she was just snacking on it.
Amelia tentatively spoke, interpreting my bewildered stare at the turnip.
That was quick thinking. I had heard that turnips, with their subtle sweetness, were sometimes a snack formoner children.
If it werent for the sound of hunger from Amelias stomach, I would have called it perfect quick thinking and not just eptable.
Ugh, unnie! You said you already ate!
Shocked by the sound of protest Amelias stomach made, Olivia hastily split the turnip in half and handed it to her.
I was overwhelmed by the beautiful disy of sisterly love.
Do these children even know what a proper meal is?
***
The Imperial Academy was practically a paradise formoners. It might be a given for the high-ranking nobility and untouchable royalty, but formoners, being admitted was a blessing from Enen.
Unless they caused a major scandal,moners who entered the Academy were guaranteed a bright future. Being there meant that they had the skills; proving these skills meant a secure job after graduation.
If they caught the eye of someone important during their school years, their future would be even brighter. Therefore,moner students at the Academy focused on both grades and reputation.
Their efforts determined their future. They could be more than just servants to a minor noble; they could be civil servants in regional or even in the Imperial administration. Some even received titles, and a few lucky ones were permitted to pass them down.
Guys! I got into the Academy!
So when I first passed the Academys entrance exam, I felt like I owned the world.
Having lost my parents and caring for four younger siblings, I had only med Enen for our hard life. But that was the end of it; now, my happiness begins.
Commoner students get a full schrship, including living allowances. Of course, I had no intention of using it for myself. I would send it all to my siblings. I could handle being a bit hungry.
Take care, Amelia.
Yeah, Ive got this.
Are you sure? You can leave it to me.
I did everything for my future and my siblings. I worked hard to get noticed by the noble students. If I could make an impression on the nobility, Id do anything.
I would have preferred to speak formally rather than informally, but that was against school rules.
Unnie! Im here, too!
Olivia?
A yearter, Olivia enrolled. Unlike me, she got in through martial prowess.
I didnt know that she had such talent. If I had been a better sister, I would have recognized it sooner.
I was on the verge of tears, but I forced a smile because I didnt want to ruin Olivias good mood. It was a good thing. Olivias future was secured now.
There was no need for the four of them to share the money I sent anymore. Olivia would receive her schrship and living allowance. She could livefortably.
But strangely, Olivia always looked shabby.
Money? I sent it to our siblings, too.
What?
I was furious. Why was I working so hard? I was doing all this to provide for them. Why didnt they understand? Did she think I was doing this just to see her walk around like a beggar?
I told her to stop immediately, to either drop out or cut ties with me, and I hit her back several times.
But I wanted to help you, unnie!
Olivia, who was bigger than me, took the hits and cried out. I wanted to scold her, but I couldnt.
Seeing her tear-filled eyes stopped me. Instead, tears welled up in my own eyes.
In the end, I couldnt change Olivias mind. I told her to send less money since there were now more senders and fewer receivers, but she refused. She said that our siblings were still growing and were now eating more.
Then, it cant be helped. Were already grown up, so its only right to send everything to our siblings.
Theres a lot to eat in the nearby forest!
Youve been to the forest, too?
Yeah! I even made a small vegetable garden!
Thats impressive
I feel like I can survive any hardship with Olivia by my side.
Whats your name?
But I didnt wish for this kind of hardship.
As usual, Olivia and I were eating in a secluded area today. Nobles valued dignity and decorum, so theyd be displeased if they saw us eat. I cant risk getting on the bad side of our potential future bosses.
But instead of a future boss, someone who wielded immense power in the Empire appeared.
Its over.
It was a mistake. The cafeteria was empty because of the inter-sspetition, and we let our guard down. We tried to eat quickly and leave before anyone saw us, but we were caught in the act by the most dangerous person.
Even as amoner, I knew who this person was. In fact, it was even more important for amoner to be aware.
While the nobles were the people I had to be cautious around, this was the Executive Manager, whom even the nobles avoided.
What do I do?
Moreover, the Executive Manager also held the position of the Academys Prosecutor. What if he got angry? What should I do if he said that an Academy student wasnt maintaining their dignity?
Will I be referred to the Disciplinary Committee? If rumors spread, what about my reputation? What should I do if Im expelled?
My mind raced with negative thoughts. When my stomach growled in front of the Executive Manager, I thought the sky was falling.
Follow me.
After a moment of silence, the Executive Manager spoke and then turned away.
Running away would only add to my offenses, wouldnt it?
With my still trembling hands, I held Olivias and followed the Executive Manager.
Enen, please protect us.
I dont mind what happens to me, but please allow Olivia to graduate safely.
***
I only nned to eat quickly and leave, but I never expected to end up sponsoring starving children.
Unnie, unnie! Try this too!
Uh, okay
But who could just walk away after seeing that? Even the Crown Prince would have cried and fed them something.
The fact that it was turnips and not even potatoes was heartbreaking. Not being able to afford potatoes in this continent was like my past world without kimchi
What will happen to the future of the Empire?
Being amoner and being admitted to the Academy meant possessing significant talent. They could be high-ranking officials or key retainers based on their conduct.
But two such talents were nibbling on mere turnips? This was something the Ministers of Education and Welfare should be held ountable for.
I suppressed a sigh and looked at them. Olivia was eating happily, while Amelia was quickly and cautiously eating.
Eat this too.
I pushed some food from my te towards them.
Thank you!
O-Olivia!
Its okay. I gave it to her, so let her eat.
I felt like I would cry if I let my guard down, so I couldnt even eat.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 149: Last Class Standing (5)
Chapter 149: Last ss Standing (5)
Last ss Standing (5)
Theres a saying that just watching someone eat can fill you up. It could be because theyre eating so heartily, or maybe because the eater was so pretty that it was just delightful to watch. Ive heard of something like that, but I have never experienced it myself.
And today, I stepped into a new world.
They eat really well.
Both Amelia and Olivia were eating an astonishing amount, especially Amelia. It was a wonder how so much could fit into her small frame.
To think they eat this well.
These girls, who ate well when given food, had only turnip scraps. The elder sister wouldnt even eat since it wasnt enough for the both of them, so only the younger one did
An indescribable feeling of sadness rose in my heart. I havent felt this way since I found Yuris and Sophia starving to death in a back alley.
Olivia, who wasrger than Amelia, seemed to eat faster. However, her portion wasnt decreasing. Meanwhile, the food in front of us was quickly running out.
Well need more.
As I stood up to get more food, Amelia hurriedly followed.
No, no, its okay! Weve already eaten more than enough!
But yourepeting, right? You need to eat well.
I pressed Amelias shoulder down. She trembled, but then sat back down.
Olivia just looked on with sparkling eyes at the mention of more food.
Thmfk yff!
Okay.
I couldnt understand what she was saying because her mouth was full of food, but it seemed like she was saying thank you. This friend might have a light wallet, but she definitely had manners.
I nodded at Olivia and quickly turned away. If there were no eyes on me, I might have cried into my fist.
The Empire owes them.
A society where evenmoners with talent could seed and where active social mobility was possible. That was the pride of the Kefellofen Empire. Yet to see an academy student, a symbol of talentedmoners, in such a state
It was the Empires fault, and mine. If I had properly inspected the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Welfare, this wouldnt have happened.
With a heavy heart, I ordered arge amount of food, also including desserts this time.
Th-thank you
I almost cried when I saw Amelia sobbing as she bit into a macaron.
Im weak for this kind of thing.
I wonder if these children even knew what happiness was.
***
Fortunately, I didnt have to do a soul-crushing inspection.
Whether it was a good thing was debatable, but at least the Empire wasntpletely corrupt.
Do you have siblings?
Yes, theres three after Olivia.
I couldnt tell if Amelias shaking had calmed down because she was full or because she saw me as a kind person who fed her. Regardless, her trembling had lessenedpared to before.
When I gently inquired about their dire poverty, she cautiously opened up. She said that the money from the academy wasnt insignificant, but that she was sending it all to her siblings.
They are at an age where they need a lot, and with Olivia also enrolled, we needed to hire someone to look after them.
Her words were somber, but her face lit up with pride as she talked about her siblings growing up.
The poor girl was skipping meals to care for her siblings. Damn it, Im weak for this sort of thing.
I-Im sorry!
Interpreting my expression in her own way, the pale-faced Amelia bowed her head as if she were about to hit it on the desk.
Im sorry for using the money meant for my studies elsewhere! But my siblings have no other source of ie
I closed my eyes tightly.
Her words made it seem like I was interrogating her. After all, how a student used their schrship or living allowance was their own business.
Unnie didnt do anything wrong!
Ah.
Olivia, who had been quiet, also joined in.
Unable to stay silent as her precious elder sister trembled, she hugged Amelia, or rather, enveloped her, her eyes glistening with tears.
It was me who insisted on sending the money! Unnie tried to stop me, but I was the one who wanted to do it!
Please, dont do this to me.
From a distance, this would look like a noble oppressing twomoners. Its like something out of a morality tale.
Speechless, I simply watched the two impoverished sisters. Before I knew it, Amelia was pping Olivia on the back, scolding her for saying unnecessary things.
The Empires karma
If there had been a welfare system for Amelias siblings to live worry-free, none of this would have happened.
It might be an impossible utopia, but it was still the Empires karma. That was how Ive decided to think about it now.
Its not something to me yourself for, so be quiet.
First, I decided to calm down the two sisters who were gnawing away at my mental peace.
The story of them starving themselves to send money to their siblings was worthy ofmendation and not criticism. What kind of deranged noble would berate them after hearing that story and say, How dare you spend the money of the empire for your personal use?
Even the paranoid Emperor possessed a spirit of benevolence towards themon people. In fact, he would probablyment his own shorings upon hearing such stories of poverty among his subjects.
Of course,menting his shorings usually meant cracking down on those beneath him.
The money is the students once it has been given. Whether its used for family or gambled away is not something for us to interfere with.
Amelia nodded repeatedly, reassured by my firm response.
But the fact that the money is meant for the student, and yet the student is in this state
She tensed up again.
This was troubling. The Ministry of Education and Welfare had done its part. They provided appropriate support to these sisters, and there were no issues in the delivery process from the Academy.
The problem was that what I thought was the final destination for the aid was merely a stopover and that the aid was passed on as soon as it was received. What could be done about that?
Theres no solution.
There was no way to help in this situation. We couldnt just increase the financial aid from the alreadypliant departments. And even if we did, these sisters would likely send any extra funds to their siblings.
Demanding them not to send the money to their siblings? That would be too harsh.
Do you have a moment?
After some thought, an idea came to mind.
No matter how much I thought about it, there seemed to be no other solution.
***
After a simple meal and some work, Carl visited. Although I had things to do, it wasnt so pressing that I had to send Carl away.
In fact, this was good. It meant that Carl was really into me if he wanted to see me despite knowing that I was busy.
Ah. Marghetta, hello?
Hello, senior!
But I was taken aback by the unexpectedbination.
I knew these faces. Amelia, being one of the rtively fewmoner students and in the same grade as me, was familiar to me. She was quite capable and affable, so I remembered her.
And Olivia was her sister and also amoner student. Her theoretical skills were poor, but she had enrolled in the upper ranks based on practical skills alone. The head prefect eyed her, but they never managed to bring her in since she was always with Amelia.
Hello, Amelia. And Olivia, nice to see you too.
It was an unexpectedbination, but it was impolite to ignore a greeting, especially when Carl brought them as guests.
I smiled warmly at the two guests and turned to Carl. There must be a good reason he brought them, but I had to hear it directly.
It seems you know each other.
I know them a little. Actually, Im more surprised that Carl knows them.
Carl, seeming a bit embarrassed by myment, ced his hands on the shoulders of Amelia and Olivia.
I felt a bit slighted to see him touching other women in front of me. If it were Lady Louise, maybe Id understand.
I heard the student council is short-staffed.
Hiding my feelings, I nodded in response to Carls words. Although there had never been a vacancy in the seven-member student council, we were indeed short on members for lower roles. The student council wasnt exactly a popr destination.
I nced back and forth between Amelia and Olivia. If Carl brought up the student council with these guests, then his next words were predictable.
It wasnt a bad idea. Olivia was already a talent sought by the head prefect, and Amelia was known for her good grades. It was indeed rare to find amoner studentcking in ability.
Were short, yes. Just two more members would give us some breathing room.
Thats good. How about these two?
What?
Huh?
Carls words surprised them both.
So he decided on his own.
Carl should have exined before bringing them here. Doing this without the parties knowing was a bit much.
I almostughed at the somewhat clumsy scene but held back, not wanting to make Carl aughingstock in front of others.
The student council is always open.
Then its just up to these two.
Carl then whispered something brief to them
Ill do it.
Well do it!
And just like that, we had new members in the student council.
***
I sometimes forget, but my official role at the academy was a Prosecutor. So, I was aware of the funds and resources used within the academy.
Thanks to that, I also knew about the very minor and seemingly insignificant privileges of the student council, privileges likely unknown to anyone not part of it.
Members of the student council can use campus facilities for free.
F-free?
Yes.
Ah, even the cafeteria?
Yes.
At my whisper, Amelia and Olivia eagerly joined the student council.
Free use of campus facilities might sound grand, but it really wasnt much. Whats so expensive about using campus facilities?
Noble students wouldnt care, and even ordinarymoner students, with their schrships and support funds, often overlooked such privileges. It was no different from offering free coffee from a vending machine to someone with a wallet full of bills.
I didnt expect anyone to actually use it.
It seems my tear ducts were working overtime today. Watching Marghetta happily sign the paperwork I offered made my heart ache.
Giving these girls more money would just mean more sent to their siblings. This was the right choice. Let them eat as much as they want.
Honestly, theyre humans; they must get hungry. They ate heartily when I offered them food, and they even looked like this after learning that they could use the cafeteria for free.
Poor things.
I suddenly realized that I had two more people to write rmendation letters for.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 150: Last Class Standing (6)
Chapter 150: Last ss Standing (6)
Last ss Standing (6)
The student council was happy to gain a manpower boost of +2, and Amelia and Olivia were relieved that they no longer had to go hungry. This was the creation of a world where no one gets hurt.
But for once, I couldnt bring myself to be happy about the prospect of recruiting future civil servants. All I could wish for was the happiness of those kids. As academy students, they were technically between nobility andmoners. And yet, they lived as if they were somewhere between themoners and the poor.
No, not in between they were practically living like the poor. If the academy hadnt provided uniforms for free, then they wouldve probably looked like beggars.
What happened, Carl?
After the two poverty-stricken sisters left, bowing and promising to work hard, Marghetta broke the silence.
Although she agreed to ept them due to my request coinciding with the student councils need for manpower, it was quite an out-of-the-blue suggestion. It would be even weirder to think that I did this all without a reason.
It pains me to see Mar struggle. Wouldnt things be easier withpetent students around?
In reality, I had invited them in just so they could at least have a meal. But seeing Amelias reaction, it seemed they were afraid of having their situation exposed. They were probably worried about their reputation among the noble students.
Of course, Marghetta wouldnt look down on them for their situation. Shed likely treat them with nothing but empathy and kindness.
But thats exactly the problem.
Amelia had been mingling with the nobles for a year and a half now. Shed immediately notice Marghettas sympathetic consideration.
That would be troublesome. Its one thing to keep secrets, but quite another for someone else to spill them. Plus, the thought of Amelia panicking, believing that someone from a Ducal house had seen them in a shameful state, was frightening.
Olivia might even write a letter dering her innocence and withdraw from the academy. Even the brief interaction I had with them today was enough to tell what would happen.
Hmm, really?
Marghettas eyes narrowed, questioning the truth behind my excuse.
I gently stroked her hair in response.
The matter involves their personal lives, so I cant share everything. Im sorry, Mar.
It was a cowardly way to dodge the question, but it was effective. Marghettas eyes softened, and she began to look more at peace.
Can you please understand?
If its a matter of privacy, then theres nothing we can do.
Her soft response eased my mind. I would have eventually had to tell her everything if she pressed on, but Marghetta let it go.
Since you rmended them while thinking of me, I will take good care of these talents, Carl.
That would be an honor.
I didnt know the exact reason, but I appreciated that she was considering my dignity in her promise to look after them.
I was truly indebted to Marghettas generous heart.
***
Shouldnt I just go home, wash up, and sleep after the sports festival?
Thispetition doesnt look like its going to be resolved anytime soon.
Thats actually better. Its no fun if the oue is decided too quickly.
Haha! Weve been getting along so welltely!
I dont fit in, so those who do should just get lost.
My precious little haven, the pastry club room, had been invaded by these evil forces. They technically had a right to be here since theyre members, but theyre still invaders.
I really didnt expect anyone toe during the inter-sspetition. There was no club time, so why bother?
But they all came, from the club leader to the five members.
Arent you tired? Why dont you go back and rest?
= Get the hell out of my sanctuary, you damned idiots.
I especially addressed this to the loud red and blue duo. If I were exaggerating, I wouldnt have spoken in such roundabout terms but would have physically thrown them out by now.
How can we be tired when we didnt even participate in the games? We just didnt feel like going home yet!
I found myself nodding at Rutiss words. Indeed, they were just spectators. If they had participated in other events in addition to the four-person event, escorting them would have been quite the headache.
That was a valid point. However, there was just a small difference between a valid point and a beating.
If I had to possess a body, then why didnt I possess royalty?
For a moment, I even had the thought that I was suffering because I was just from a counts family. Wouldnt I get away with beating them up if I were royalty? In novels, reckless princes were quitemon.
Come to think of it, thats actually the second prince. Damn, so it wasnt just in novels. It actually existed.
I see.
I eventually gave up. While it hurt to have my expectations betrayed, it wasnt unusual for the club room to be crowded at this hour.
I looked away, trying to distract myself, and saw Louise and Erich kneading dough.
Was it just me, or had Erich and Louise gotten closer after he was dumped?
Louise noticed my gaze and looked up.
Shouldnt you take a break on a day like today?
Its no fun if were just watching, so I thought it would be nice if we had something to eat together.
I nodded again at Louises reply, smiling slightly.
Indeed, just like watching a movie was more fun with popcorn, spectating was better with something to eat. Louise must be bored, too, since only the four members were participating in the four-person event.
You too?
Me too.
A brief conversation was enough with Erich.
Do you want some, too?
Ill make something for oppa.
Then, I guess I wont need some.
It does seem like theyve be closer after the rejection.
Anyway, I should gratefully ept since she was offering to make something.
Alright, Ill leave it to you.
Count on me!
It was nice to see Louise smile so brightly after a long time. I was worried because she had been avoiding me, but she seemed fine now.
And for the first time in a while, I saw the cookie jar, which I used frequently in the first semester, filled to the brim.
***
The inter-sspetition proceeded smoothly until thest day.
If Rutiss ss won, then the next game would be won by Lathers ss. Whenever the opponent won, the students in the ss containing royalty would evolve into berserk warriors under the guise (and pressure) of encouragement. The other sses watched from afar, like bystanders watching a fire across the river.
A few sacrificed for the peace of many. The greatest happiness for the greatest number. From a utilitarian perspective, it was the right oue.
The students in Rutis and Lathers sses might feel like it was unfair, but what could they do? Thats their fate.
Luck is also a skill.
I thought about it during thest practical exam, but luck was indeed a skill. Theres an ability score for LUCK in character status screens, isnt there? It was a legitimate skill. There was even a concept of a luck thief in games.
And if you thought about it positively, being in the same ss as royalty was a precious opportunity to build connections. When else would they get such a chance?
Of course, I would decline such an opportunity even if it were offered to me.
Im d it didnt happen to my ss.
Turning towards the voice, I saw Olivia gazing nkly at the field.
I hadnt nned to meet her, but I bumped into her while wandering around. I intended to just greet her and pass by, but she suddenly clung to me.
How pitiful.
She was a poor child without parents. This was especially true since Amelia, who yed the role of a parent, entered the academy, leaving her to take care of her younger siblings.
She must have suffered from ack of affection at an age when she should have been receiving it. Yuris and Sophia went through the same thing.
That was probably why shes so clingy I meant, why she came running to me just because I gave her some food even though I was someone others usually tried to avoid.
Shes like a dog.
It might sound strange, but Olivia really was like a giant dog. Like a purple retriever, if you will.
Wheres Amelia?
She was with me until a moment ago, but I cant see her now. Unnie sometimes gets lost.
That sounded more like youre the one getting lost.
I firmly closed my lips, which were twitching, as I pictured Amelia desperately searching for Olivia. It was a sad sight to imagine.
When I remained silent, Olivia turned her gaze to me. Or more precisely, to my hand.
Excuse me, Executive Manager. May I have some of that too?
Sure.
Wow! Thank you!
Noticing her interest in Louises homemade cookies, I willingly handed over the jar.
Thats strange. Im sure shes been eating well after joining the student council Maybe she was trying to make up for the times she went hungry by eating whatever she saw.
Regardless, Olivias expression quickly changed from a beaming smile to a grimace as she bit into a cookie.
Did it taste like the old ones Louise made?
I guess Louise reverted to her first-semester recipe, knowing that Id be the only one eating. The taste was supposedly so challenging that even members who liked Louise wouldnt dare to eat it back then.
I guess noble tastes dont suit me.
Olivia muttered dejectedly after a few hesitant bites.
No, thats an understatement. Some people couldnt even swallow those cookies.
Everyones taste buds are different. Theres nothing strange about that.
After that, Olivia never looked at the cookie jar again.
Before long, a panting Amelia appeared and whisked Olivia away. As she led her away, she bowed her head to me several times.
It seemed like her wariness towards me had lessened a bit since joining the student council, but she still seemed scared. Well, that was normal. Olivia was the odd one out.
I moved on after the purple meerkat finally collected the purple retriever. The four-person event was about to start, and I needed to find a spot where I could watch the field.
Did you just arrive?
Oh, yes. Im a bitte.
When I arrived, not only the Principal but also the Vice Principal and the student council were there. Since it was the final event, everyone seemed anxious. If this went smoothly, then the inter-sspetition would finally be over.
That was exactly the problem: I think something was happening.
Something seems to be going on.
As I said that while looking at the somewhat chaotic field, the Principal let out an awkwardugh.
Thats because
Instructor Alberto, a member of the faculty and a participant for 1st year, ss 3, had to leave urgently due to a summons from the Magic Tower.
Thats what happened.
I see.
The announcement echoed appropriately. It seems that Louises ss had managed to recruit an instructor from the Magic Tower.
That was a strong addition.
An instructor from the Magic Tower would undoubtedly be skilled.
However, the downside was that they must prioritize the summons of the Magic Tower over academy affairs in situations like these. And it was just their luck that this downside had toe into y right at this moment.
The most capable faculty members would have already been recruited by other sses by now.
The Principals face showed a subtle hint of regret as he stroked his beard.
It was indeed a troubling situation. The students were facing setbacks not due to their own mistakes, but because of circumstances outside the academys control.
The four-person event will be dyed until 1st year, ss 3 finds a new staff member. We ask for your understanding.
It was a nice gesture, but it didnt really make a difference. Honestly, any faculty members still avable at this point would likely not be the best for strengthening their team.
Its a shame.
Regardless, the victory in the four-person event was probably destined for Rutis or Lathers ss. It was just sad that Louises ss seemed to be doomed to fail without even showcasing their strength.
A few minutester, another announcement came through.
1st year, ss 3 has nominated a new staff member.
Nominated?
In such cases, the procedure of seeking the faculty members consent is bypassed. Its a measure of consideration for the ss suffering from an unexpected turn of events.
That made sense. There was already a significant gap in their lineup. Starting from scratch to persuade someone would be too harsh.
Th-th-the, f-f-faculty me-member t-the 1-1st year, c-c-ss 3 has n-nominated, is
What was going on?
The announcement suddenly stuttered. This had never happened before.
the advisor of the pastry club!
?
Was there another pastry club advisor I wasnt aware of?
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 151: Last Class Standing (7)
Chapter 151: Last ss Standing (7)
Last ss Standing (7)
A suffocating silence settled in. The Principal, who had been stroking his beard, the Vice Principal, who was exining the clean-up process to the student council after the four-person event, and the student council members, who were listening to the Vice Principals n, all froze in ce.
I was no exception.
Was there another advisor?
Each club was supposed to have only one designated advisor. So, there couldnt possibly be a second advisor that I didnt know about.
Ah.
Suddenly, I had an epiphany. Maybe I wasnt really an advisor. Perhaps I was just delusional and fooled myself into thinking that I was a club advisor. The real advisor was someone else, and I was just a self-proimed advisor all along.
I knew it. It made no sense whatsoever for a civil servant to be an academy club advisor. I had been living in a fantasy. I guess the kind people around me were just ying along with my delusion.
L-let me repeat the announcement. Instead of Instructor Alberto from the Magic Tower as their faculty member, 1st year ss 3 has appointed S-sir Carl Krasius the pastry club advisor.
No way.
The shaky announcement crushed myst hope. My name was mentioned clearly, cutting off any escape route.
Props to the announcer, whoever it was. They stayed steadfast in such a situation and didnt run away from the task at hand.
No, this cant be
Confusion spread across the Principals face. It was the same expression he had when he saw Louise use the Mage Duchesss unique magic.
Th-there has to be a mistake.
The Vice Principal quickly intervened.
The Executive Manager isnt a faculty member but an outsider. Erich and Louise must have been confused after spending a lot of time with the Executive Manager.
The Vice Principals desperate smile was almost pitiful. I could tell he was determined to stop me at all costs.
I nodded along with the Vice Principals words. Of course, I didnt want to participate. It would be too much of an inconvenience if I were to join in on kids y.
I cant hit them.
Honestly, I wasnt confident in controlling my strength. Ive had many close calls even if I fought with all my might in the north, and that was why I never really had the luxury of mastering such a delicate way of fighting.
Mistakenly hurting someone to the point of severing their limbs was one thing since they could be reattached but if only limbs were left, then they would have to be burned and sent to Enen. That was something I must absolutely avoid.
Uh, Vice Principal
But then, I heard a voice that extinguished my hopes.
The Executive Manager is also eligible
The silent student council president calmly delivered the verdict.
No. Judging by his expression, he wasnt calm. It was slightly distorted, showing that he too couldnt ept the situation.
The Executive Manager wouldnt be eligible if he held no position. But since hes taken on the role of club advisor, hes included.
Isnt the Executive Manager an external person affiliated with the administration and not a formal faculty member?
Instructor Alberto was also an external person affiliated with the Magic Tower. Isnt it the same case as the Executive Manager, who was here on assignment?
If they wanted to prevent my participation, they should have stopped Alberto from participating in the first ce. This implication made the Vice Principal mutter under his breath. After all, it wasnt exactly wrong.
ncing around, it seemed like no one could think of a reason to exclude me. It was hard to object once there was a precedent of including outsiders in the faculty. Creating exceptions to the rules would onlyplicate things afterward.
But to honestly say, The advisor is too strong, so its a no-go? What was the measure for being too strong? Frankly, the top ranks among the faculty could easily return unscathed from a war. So, should they also be excluded for being too strong?
The manual allows it, but theres no precedent Still, its technically possible
When I heard someone mumble, I turned to see Marghetta covering her mouth with a fan. She seemed so confused that she didnt even notice my gaze.
I understand. When precedent and manuals tied their hands, civil servants became infinitely weak. The manual could certainly be interpreted that way, but there was also no precedent for it. It must be maddening.
And Marghetta was now a civil servant, too. It was sad.
This is a headache.
Everyone knew who the pastry clubs advisor wasthey knew it, I knew it, we all knew it. Thanks to this, the spectators stand was quite noisy. It was like a new whale was joining the fight between two whales.
In contrast, the announcer was silent. Time had passed since I was nominated, but there was not a single word urging me toe down quickly to the arena.
But who would be urging me in this situation, really?
Ill go.
Pardon?
Carl?
My words drew everyones gaze.
What could I do? If there was no reason for me not to attend, then itd better to go down quickly. Dying the final match would only dampen everyones excitement.
Though it seems like its been dampened hundreds of times already.
Ill be moderate. I have that much sense.
I trust the Executive Manager, but
The Principals gaze returned to the arena. His face seemed to say that while he trusted me, whether he could trust the two whales there was another matter.
After a moment of silence, the Principal cautiously spoke up.
Ill trust only you, Executive Manager.
Ill be back soon.
Im going to end this war, no, this inter-sspetition.
All eyes were on me as I made my way down to the arena. It wasnt exactly the kind of attention I weed.
Oh, oppa.
1st year, ss 3. When I joined Louises team, she came running up to me.
Are you the contractor who summoned me?
What am I going to do with you if you call me all of a sudden?
I suppressed the sarcastic remark that almost leaped out and tousled Louises hair instead.
Of course, an original member had suddenly dropped out from Louises perspective, so it was unavoidable. But since I was also called out of the blue, I was entitled to a bit of grumbling.
Im sorry
Seeing her just lower her head without a word, my heart settled down.
Yes, Louise must have been desperate to call for me. They would have carefully picked the team members long before the inter-sspetition, but it all fell through, and almost everypetent faculty member was already picked up by other teams.
And since thest 4-person event was dyed, the pressure must have been huge. In the end, she called me, the most familiar option.
Hyung. Actually, it was me who suggested it.
This bastard.
My calm heart exploded again.
The way he awkwardly scratched his head proved that it wasnt a lie. It wasnt just to cover for Louise, but because he genuinely suggested it.
You called me because there was no one else?
No. I called you because they said that the oue is obvious anyway, so I should just call anyone.
With those words, Erich looked away. Following his gaze, I saw Rutis and Lather.
Hes been provoked.
The picture became clear. In a situation that was alreadyplicated by deciding who to nominate, hearing something like, Youre going to lose anyway, so just call anyone, would definitely make anyone lose their cool.
So, Erich really just called anyone. It was less a high strategy and more a move made out of spite, one made to give those idiots a taste of their own medicine.
I guess they were confident no matter who came.
Yeah.
So, part of the responsibility for this situation fell on them.
That eased my conscience a bit.
***
Why does my life have to be like this?
Am I just unlucky this year?
It had to be. Otherwise, this wouldnt be happening. Even inst semesters practical exam, I was paired with Prince Rutis, and now, the same impossible situation happened during the inter-sspetition.
Having Prince Rutis and Prince Lather participate in the four-person event was within my expectations. It was something I was mentally prepared for, so it was less shocking.
And those two werent just high in status but also skilled. We nned to fight moderately and then let the remaining two decide the winner.
Ha.
A bitterugh escaped me. This was too much to bear. Even bracing for the princes was one thing, but having someone even more daunting appear was just unfair.
The man who seemed out of ce stood in the 1st year ss 3s camp, his brow furrowed and his arms crossed without any weapon in hand.
The Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager.
Part of me wanted to dere a forfeit right away. Standing in the same arena as foreign royalty was already a big step, but the Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager? This must be some kind of joke.
But as a noble, I cant afford the disgrace. Even though everyone knows and wouldnt me me for my feelings, I cant be the one to forfeit first in an official match.
People might sympathize upfront, but theyd surely say, Its an academy-organized match, so was forfeiting really necessary? behind my back. Id be instantly branded a coward.
Charles.
I heard Roberts voice next to me.
Well go as nned.
I nodded at that. Thats right. The situation had changed, but that would make our strategy shine even more.
I looked to my left. They might be foreigners, but they were still royalty. Mishandling them couldbel me as the noble who disrespected royalty, forever barring me from high society.
I then nced to my right. Truthfully, this person, whom Ill probably never see again after graduation, is scarier than foreign royalty. Offending him could lead to immediate inspection, and hes young enough to dominate the empires power circles for decades.
Are you ready, Charles?
Of course, Robert.
Since we were caught between untouchable people, our course of action was clear.
Engage quickly with the other team. Avoid Prince Rutis, Prince Lather, and the Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager.
Then, self-destruct. If untouchable people were present, the best course was to vanish before even making contact with them.
Fall quickly.
Being the first to forfeit was uneptable, but being the first to be eliminated was somewhat bearable.
If anyone had a problem with that, then Id like to see them take my ce.
Damn it.
No matter how I thought about it, my luck this year was terrible.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 152: Last Class Standing (8)
Chapter 152: Last ss Standing (8)
Last ss Standing (8)
Apparently, Erichs summoning spell was triggered by the provocations of Rutis and Lather.
For me, who was suddenly summoned, it felt like a bolt from the blueannoying and inconvenient. I received VIP treatment wherever I went, and yet, they audaciously picked me like I was just another option from the shelf.
But as time passed, I found myself increasingly intrigued. If anyone watched that scene without feeling anything, then that would be even more surprising.
Block it! Block it even if it means using your body!
Dont dodge! Its better to die standing than to live sitting down!
I hadnt realized that the academy students were sopetitive. Or maybe only the particrly aggressive ones were selected for this four-person event.
The brawl that unfolded was fiercely intense. Every ss collided without holding back, as if they were determined tond a blow even at the cost of taking one themselves, aiming to knock their opponents block off.
The empires future looks bright, indeed.
I found myself nodding in satisfaction. The empires future seemed promising. These sses just might be the Academys golden generation.
Watching the practical exams felt like striking gold. This time, I also saw potential candidates worthy of rmendation letters everywhere.
The students are very enthusiastic.
Thank you for seeing them in such a positive light.
The man standing beside me responded when I casually spoke. He was the homeroom teacher of 1st year ss 3, who was now part of my unexpected team.
I smiled bitterly at his tense demeanor. He wasnt just some random person I met; he was my younger brothers homeroom teacher. Seeing him tiptoe around me was awkward, and it almost made me feel like one of those difficult parents.
But telling him to rx wouldnt really change anything. Itd be like having a Manager of a division ask a Team Manager, Am I that scary to you?
Theyre noting our way, so lets just wait.
Thats a wise decision.
I felt a bit embarrassed by the automatic ttery.
Perhaps itd be best to keep my mouth shut.
***
Something is wrong.
Damn it.
The n was perfect. The academy had 18 sses across years 1 to 3 with four participants per ss, for a total of 72.
Even counting out the two royal family members and the Prosecutors Executive Managers ss, that still left 60 participants. That was 60 people fighting in one arena.
I thought thatunching relentless attacks without concern for my own safety would quickly bring me down. Having sparred with Prince Rutis, I was confident in my ability to fall naturally.
These jerks.
Well, everyone had the same idea. All 60 of us, including me, acted as if the slightest attack was a fatal blow in order to go down before anyone else.
Gritting my teeth, I red at Robert, who had copsed next to me. When our eyes met, he groaned awkwardly and rolled onto his side.
You traitor.
I had a chance to fall. An attack came that would allow me to pretend to be hit and roll away.
I rxed my grip, happy to finally be able to rest like the others.
Charles, its dangerous!
Then, this asshole jumped out and took the hit for me. I wouldve kicked him if no one was watching. This bastard.
Oh, if it isnt Charles!
Dammit.
Being thest man standing drew the attention of the people Id been trying to avoid at all costs.
Thank you for remembering.
Its only natural! You were my first duel opponent, after all. I knew you were skilled, but I didnt expect you to be this good.
Prince Rutis burst into a heartyugh, seemingly refreshing to those who watched.
Of course, it was different for me. It went beyond refreshing, to downright chilling.
Of all the things to remember.
I really tried my best on the practical exam. I rolled around to make it look like I was fighting tooth and nail. I wouldve lost even if I had fought with all my might, but causing any harm to the prince during the duel would have been the end of me.
I thought I had managed to get through that ordeal unnoticed, but he even remembered my name. Not just in passing, but he even called it out right here in the arena.
Ordinary acting wont do. With the increased expectations and curiosity about me, any half-hearted attempt could backfire.
On the other side
I quickly scanned the surroundings. Unlike Prince Rutis, who had taken an interest in me, Prince Lather was observing the Prosecutors Offices Executive Managers camp.
Thats right. The Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager would be a bigger threat than me. That was a logical assessment.
And when my eyes met with the Executive Managers, my heart nearly stopped.
Dammit.
I felt a chill. The fact that our eyes met as soon as I turned to look at him meant that he had been watching me all along.
His eyes even seemed to be appraising me, making me feel as if I had fallen into a swamp.
This is exactly why I tried to fall quickly.
Being thest one standing would inevitably attract the Prosecutors Offices Executive Managers attention. That much wasmon sense. But Robert, that traitor, ruined my n.
I managed to steady my trembling hands. If Ive caught the Prosecutors Offices Executive Managers eye, then I needed to make a quick exit.
I need to fall quickly.
My goal remained the same, but now I had to act convincingly enough that even the Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager wouldnt find it awkward.
The difficulty level suddenly increased. That damned Robert.
You must want a revenge match, dont you?
I dont.
I almost shook my head at Prince Rutiss lightly spoken words. What madman would want a rematch after losing to royalty? I should be praying in gratitude for getting off easily.
However, Prince Rutiss eyes were already filled with anticipation, as if hed be disappointed if I didnt challenge him.
A prince who wanted me to challenge him, another prince who didnt seem to care, and a monster that might subject my family to inspection if provoked.
This is maddening.
But if I had to sh with one of them, it would rather be Prince Rutis. The other two seemed like a dead end.
Here I go.
I charged towards Prince Rutis.
Id rather choose the lesser of the three hells.
***
Indeed, he wasmendable. If he had been a noble in Armein instead of the Empire, he would have made a name for himself as a fine knight.
Charles Olreed.
It was definitely a name worth remembering.
Seeing Charles lying on the ground with a peaceful expression was satisfying. He had lost the rematch, and yet he epted the oue gracefully.
He was really good. Facing a worthy opponent made me feel satisfied regardless of the oue, and I even won. How could I not be happy?
That was a good match.
Its an honor.
The words brought a smile to my face.
But now was not the time to becent.
Is this just the beginning?
I turned my gaze towards Lather and the advisor, who had been waiting for the results of my duel with Charles.
They could have interfered if they wanted, either by joining the fray or casting magic from a distance.
But their choice to watch implied that they wanted a one-on-one match. It was understandable. I would have done the same if I were in their position.
Hmm.
Frankly, my odds against Lather were fifty-fifty. Duels with mages were too unpredictable, and Lathers skills were nothing to scoff at. I cant guarantee a win, but considering my abilities, Im confident I wouldnt lose, either.
On the other hand
Im confident.
The sight of my advisor put me at ease. Unlike Lather, I felt confident against the advisor.
Confident that I would lose.
Did I provoke him unnecessarily?
I chuckled to myself while turning my gaze towards Erich, who was standing behind the advisor.
Erich responded with a What are you going to do about it? expression. Sure, I told him to call anyone, but I hadnt expected him to call the advisor.
Hed make an excellent soldier.
It was a method that no one else thought of but was definitely effective. If Erich chose the path of a soldier, he would make an outstandingmander.
But anyways, this was too much. Even the most creative tactics had their limits.
Who else would bring the killer of Kagan to an academy match?
Winning is impossible.
Im well aware of the monster Kagan was. How could anyone beat the advisor who killed that monster? Itd be impossible to imagine a future where Id win the four-person event against the advisor.
Naturally, I cant see Lather winning, either. The victory of the four-person battle clearly belonged to Louises team.
So it ends in a draw.
Our team and Lathers team had the same points. The winner of the four-person event wouldve been the champion of the teampetition, but it looks like well both gracefully lose, ending in a draw. What a hollow ending.
Still, the opportunity to fight the advisor was a pleasant one. Where else would I get the chance to face off against Kagans killer without the risk of dying?
A duel with a strong opponent could be a stepping stone to reach higher levels.
Advisor, may I ask for a match?
By all means.
His light nod brought a smile to my face. Even if I lose today, Im sure itd be a pleasant defeat.
But something felt off.
Dont you need a weapon?
The advisor was unarmed. It made sense that he was unprepared because he joined suddenly, but he could have borrowed a sword from Erich by now, right?
However, the advisor simply nced me over and spoke indifferently.
I dont need it.
Those words were a bit of a blow to my pride.
Oh, I had no idea the advisor was a fighter.
You wouldnt know. Im a swordsman, after all.
Hmm.
I could feel my teammates widening the distance behind me even more.
A new goal formed before me: tond at least one effective hit on the advisor.
I clearly warned you.
No one would me the advisor if I got cut. After all, I was the one who pointed out first that he was unarmed.
Of course, the advisor must be confident in his abilities since he was going to fight me like this. So, should I be cautious?
What?
Suddenly, something vaguely familiar popped up in front of my eyes, and my view flipped along with the sensation of being grabbed by the cor.
My feet, which had been nted on the ground, were now dangling in the air, and my view shifted from the advisor to somewhere entirely different.
Whats happen
BOOM!
ning?
***
I brushed off pieces of the arena floor, or what used to be it, from my shoulder.
At least theres no explosion.
Fortunately, Rutis was unharmed and only the floor was destroyed.
Right, this made sense. No matter how you looked at it, using weapons would result in injuring him with cuts somewhere. It was best to stick with my safe and trusted bare hands.
And there was no need for a drawn-out battle, either. Dragging it out would just lead to jeers about ying favorites with royalty.
So, I ended it quickly. I grabbed him by the cor and mmed him into the ground.
There were no visible injuries or cuts, so it seemed perfect. Up to that point, everything was fine.
Is he dead?
He wasnt moving, so I couldnt tell whether he was knocked out or dead.
No way. It couldnt be that something inside him burst, could it?
Feeling uneasy, I poked Rutiss shoulder, who was lying crumpled on the ground.
Blood gushed from Rutiss mouth.
And that was with me holding back as much as I could.
Damn it.
This was bad. This wouldnt just end with a simple report.
Still, a small sense of satisfaction grew within me.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 153: Last Class Standing (9)
Chapter 153: Last ss Standing (9)
Last ss Standing (9)
It was important to know when to quickly give up on a battle with no chance of winning. Distinguishing between what was difficult and what was impossible was one of the most crucial life skills.
That was why I gave up as soon as the announcement mentioned the advisors name. The odds might be fifty-fifty against Rutis, but against the advisor, they were zero. Not close to zero, but absolutely zero.
With this lineup, its hopeless.
It wouldnt be enough even if my teambined with Rutiss and the eight of us attacked all at once. How could a hastily assembled team of eight from the academy possibly stand against the killer of Kagan?
In the past, the United Kingdom of Yuben had collected information on Kagan and concluded that confronting Kagan would require the full might of the royal mage corps just to achieve a stalemate. That conclusion was also the best-case scenario from highly optimistic simtions.
Several conditions were adjusted to reach this stalemate: if Kagan was alone without leading an army, if the intel about him was exaggerated, and assuming Kagans defense was only that of a normal superhuman. Only with all these limits did it seem like a fair fight.
And yet, Rutis seemed intent on taking on the advisor.
Hes out of his mind.
I couldnt help but click my tongue at this irrational behavior. Surely he wasnt trying to actually win, right? He must have just felt excited at the prospect of facing a strong opponent.
This is why I couldnt understand swordsmen. There should be a limit to how strong your opponent was; what was the point if the gap was too wide?
I should immediately surrender once Rutis falls. It might hurt my pride, but I was already fleeing from the throne, anyway. In a way, this was better.
Boom!
That decision was wise.
This is insane.
The distance between the advisor and Rutis was significant, a gap a trained knight would need several seconds to close.
Yet, the advisor appeared in front of Rutis in an instant and mmed him into the ground, creating a shockwave that almost shattered the entirety of the arenas floor.
It wasnt just any floor.
I inadvertently looked down at the floor. This was the empires top educational institution; even the most minor facility wouldnt be poorly maintained.
Moreover, this academy was built on the legacy of Apels, which was historically the wealthiest on the continent. I had heard that the arena was made of a material so durable that not even the sharpest sword or the strongest magic could scratch it.
I looked up again to see where Rutis was lying down. The floor around him was shattered, with only stone fragments rolling around.
Is he alive?
I was seriously concerned. If the impact was enough to shatter the floor, then it couldnt have been minor.
I surrender.
I sheathed my wand and raised my hands. The advisor had rushed over with speed I couldnt even see. Any hesitation, and I might end up lying next to Rutis before I get the chance to surrender.
Id rather not. Unlike Rutis, I havent trained my body much. If Rutis ended up like that, I would surely die instantly.
The final winner of the four-person event is 1st year ss 3!
The announcement came simultaneously with my surrender.
***
Whats the big deal about life? Everything will work out somehow, right?
Damn it.
Not really. There was indeed a big deal, and it seemed like it wouldnt work out by itself.
Lathers quick surrender, the announcement that followed immediately, and the healers rushing over.
Seeing this, I realized that my attempt to escape reality had failed. No matter how I thought about it, I was in deep trouble.
Ah, oppa! Is Rutis okay?
Louise ran over in a panic, her face pale.
It was an unprecedented situation where someone she knew had pushed another to the brink of death. She mustve been unsure of how to react.
Hes fine. Even if hes hurt, hell recover quickly with a good healer.
This was true. Coughing up blood? In a world where limbs could be severed and reattached, that wasnt a big deal at all. A few healing spells, and hed be up and heading home in no time.
The real issue was that I caused a royal to bleed.
Damn it.
No matter how hard I tried to think, all that came to mind was damn.
There were excuses to be made. It was an academy event, apetition where swords and magic flew freely, and injuries could happen. Rutis also wasnt the type to get angry over something like this.
But even considering all three of them, probation would be the minimum consequence. Even if Rutis were to defend me, saying, Im fine, though, my probation was pretty much guaranteed.
Hyung, that was too much.
That bastard.
Erichsment as he ambled over made my hand twitch. He might have ended up lying next to Rutis if he werent my brother.
However, I couldnt bring myself to curse him out. I also thought I had gone too far.
I should have just given him a flick on the forehead.
That alone would have been enough to make him roll around happily.
Sighing, I identally made eye contact with Sir Vir, who was in the stands.
Shock, resentment, and faint envy were mixed in Virs eyes.
Honestly, it was satisfying.
Im screwed, but at least I was happy for a second
***
The inter-sspetition ended with Lathers ss lifting the victory trophy.
Although the victory in the four-person event went to me, causing Rutiss and Lathers sses to tie, a joint victory wasnt an option. And so, they said that since Rutiss ss fell before Lathers ss, Lathers ss wins.
It must feel unjust for Rutis, who had been knocked unconscious from the first blow. However, second ce was stillmendable. He shouldnt be discouraged.
They said he recovered without any issues.
Thats a relief.
Yes, its very fortunate.
Though it seemed that I was the one who was going to suffer.
The principal led me directly to his office after the inter-sspetition awards ceremony and closing speech. Although I felt like a delinquent then, I felt more of an assaulter at this moment
I quietly lowered my gaze as the principal set down themunication crystal, clutching his forehead as if he had a headache. In this situation, I was nothing more than a traitorous bastard with no right to speak.
Ill trust only you, Executive Manager.
I remembered what the principal had said before I went down to the arena, leaving me even more speechless.
I didnt expect it to end in one hit.
Still, it felt somewhat unfair. Of course I had been cautious. Who would go so far as to make a royal bleed, regardless of any umted grievances?
But regardless of my intentions, this was the oue. The sin of not controlling my strength was indeed grave.
I understand that the Executive Manager was in a difficult position.
The principal broke the silence.
Had we shown leniency in that situation, it might have actually offended them more.
I nodded involuntarily at those words. The kingdom of Armein was and of knights. Being part of its royal family would naturally mean that Rutis would be the embodiment of theirpetitiveness and pride.
Fighting with bare hands could be seen as a skilled person showing mercy to a less skilled person, but showing open leniency or deliberately losing? He would have seen it as an insult, which would have been more problematic.
He told me that injuries during the match were natural and that he didnt care.
The subject wasnt specified, but it was clear. Rutis mustve woken up and had given a pardon.
Speaking of pardon made me feel like a real criminal. Well, I was, in a sense.
Fortunately, Armeins side had no intention of making a big issue out of it. Theyll only report that he was examined by a healer after the match.
Seeing the principal look relieved suggested that the matter had been resolved. From Armeins perspective, reporting that the prince under their protection had bled would probably be terrifying.
They probably coordinated with the other two countries and reported back to their own country in the most vague and minimal way possible.
However, the academy ns to report the truth to the Ministry of Education. Please understand.
Of course. I apologize for causing a disturbance.
I bowed my head at the principals words. Though he mentioned asking for my understanding, the principal had already shown me the utmost consideration.
He did his best to ensure that the incident didnt escte into a diplomatic issue by keeping it within the academy. It would be unconscionable to ask him not to report it to the higher-ups.
Afterward, I was able to leave the principals office only after expressing my gratitude and apologies numerous times.
Im doomed.
Armein managed to prevent the situation from escting, avoiding thebel Escorts who failed to protect their charge. Vir would likely be able toe out of this without much damage.
However, I couldnt escape my responsibility. Someone had to be held ountable for Rutiss injury.
It seemed like mymunication crystal would be glowing soon
***
A day passed, and it felt as if my blood had turned to ice.
It seemed that the Ministry of Education was stunned upon hearing about the sudden assault on a royal. After all, this wasnt something that should take a whole day to address.
What a life.
I had been on my toes yesterday, expecting to be summoned immediately. If I was summoned to the capital this time, then my probation was certain. I might not be able to return to the academy for a while, so I had to do what needed to be done.
First, I visited Rutis to apologize and check on him.
Since I asked for your guidance, an injury is only natural, isnt it? Please, lets do it again next time!
Naturally, he said something terrible. I couldnt even tell him off because of my guilt.
Then, I showed my face to the club members.
Oppa, dont worry too much since Rutis is okay.
Its his own fault. If he had surrendered like me, then this wouldnt have happened.
Theyforted me first. Perhaps they held some affection for me after all this time. I felt somewhat moved.
Myst visit was to Marghetta, but I couldnt bring myself to speak after seeing her distant look.
Her expression was like that of a mother who just caught her trusted son stealing from her purse. It was as if she had never imagined that I could cause such a major incident.
Carl. No matter what happens, Im on your side.
Seeing her smile gently while saying those words made my heart ache. Im the criminal, so please me me instead.
I sighed and turned my gaze to themunication crystal. This criminal now had to embark on a long journey.
[ Come to the capital immediately. ]
Just one day after the legendary assault incident, a direct message from the Crown Prince arrived.
Was it just my imagination, or did the Crown Princes curt message ry just how angry he was?
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 154: Freedom in Prison (1)
Chapter 154: Freedom in Prison (1)
Freedom in Prison (1)
The Crown Prince seemed to feel sorry for the long journey I had to make and spared no effort in sending a teleportation mage. To think that he would extend such consideration to a mere subject; he was really someone with the qualities of a sage king.
Although to be more urate, it was more like he was trying to pick up the traitorous bastard who caused a major ident so he wouldnt be able to run off to some strange ce.
As if I had anywhere to go in the first ce.
Since I was being summoned over an incident of assaulting a royal, running away would instantly make me a wanted person with a bounty on my head. In fact, I sometimes do wonder how long Idst after being dered a fugitive for hitting royalty. Was I supposed to be a shooting star starting today?
Of course, that was thest thing I wanted. Id rather live as an unemployed person in my humble, precious home.
This is driving me crazy.
However, after seeing the Crown Princes pce, I couldnt help but envision myself living not as an unemployed person but as a prisoner. Although I doubt that this incident would lead to my imprisonment, being under probation wasnt that much different from being locked up.
His Highness the Crown Prince is expecting you.
I stifled a sigh and approached, and the knight guarding the crown princes pce immediately opened the door for me.
Honestly, I was half-hoping for a No unscheduled visitors allowed! kind of scenario. But of course, the Crown Prince had already given the order for my free pass.
The bowing servants and guards I encountered made me feel awkward. After all, I might be soon bowing my head just like them.
No, it wasnt just that. Id be having my head stuck to the floor.
Executive Manager.
Youve been working hard.
Upon arriving at the Crown Princes office, his knight saluted and weed me. It had been a while so it was nice to see him, but the reason for our meeting was far from pleasant.
Knock, knock
Your Highness, the Executive Manager has arrived.
Let him in.
The knight reported, and the Crown Prince responded briefly.
You may enter.
Right.
Ah, I really dont want to go in.
***
The door opened shortly after I gave permission. As I shifted my gaze from the documents to the door, I saw the Executive Manager cautiously stepping in.
He knows hes done something wrong.
Normally, the Executive Manager exuded annoyance, as if hes been forced to deal with something as trivial as a bug. The way he looked so wary now showed that he was clearly aware of his disadvantageous position.
Of course, he should be. If wasnt, then he wouldnt be human but rather a creature with both the bravery and intelligence of a beast.
Ah, the Empires loyal servant hase.
Its an honor, Your Highness.
Werent you so worried about my weariness from my duties that you even went so far as to share such unique news? Could there be another as loyal as you in this world?
As I said this, the Executive Manager quickly bowed his head. It was practically a curse for bothering me with such nonsense amidst my busy life.
Well, it was indeed news that injected some vitality into my monotonous routine of work. The absurdity of the report from the Ministry of Education had me seriously wondering if my fatigue had damaged my hearing.
He had already killed an imperial family member, so did he think that assaulting a member of the royal family was merely exercising restraint?
It still sends shivers down my spine.
Id like to grill him further considering how I felt at that time, but the current state of the Executive Manager suggested that he didnt need not be provoked further. Agitating someone who was already admitting to their guilt would only lead to an outburst.
It might be a different story if the situation had turned sour, but this incident was fortunately smoothly resolved. Therefore, there was no need for me to get angry.
However, openly acknowledging that there was no issue would only embolden the Executive Manager, so I maintained a displeased demeanor.
Take a seat. This isnt a conversation to be had while standing.
Yes, Your Highness.
A strange anger welled up within me as I watched the Executive Manager quickly take his seat. If only he was half aspliant on a regr basis.
But I held back. After all, I was the one who ced him in his position, fully aware that he was not naturallypliant. It would be odd to start fuming over his personality now.
Ive heard about yesterdays incident.
Besides, there was no need for anger when I held an overwhelming advantage.
It seems that unfortunate idents happen often when energetic students gather together. It was the same when I attended the academy, and it appears nothing has changed.
Of course, this incident wasnt merely the result of overflowing energy. How did things escte to this point?
A vacancy unexpectedly arose just before the match, and the Executive Manager filled it, with royalty also participating in that very game. When coincidences stacked up like this, it almost felt like fate.
Fortunately, it seems to have ended with only minor injuries.
Thankfully, the Armenians didnt make an issue of it.
Participating in the match was the choice of Armeins prince, and getting injured during a game was not unusual.
Injuries during academy events were an unavoidable part of being a knight and a student in the academy. It would actually be more awkward ifints were made about a voluntarily participating prince getting injured.
Protests would publicly demand sympathy and call for the culprits punishment. However, behind the scenes, thered surely be murmurs of It happened because of his skill issue. From Armeins perspective, itd better not to stir things up.
Is the prince alright?
Yes. He has fully recovered.
I nodded at that response. Such assurance meant the prince was indeed alright.
I had already received news of the princes recovery through the Ministry of Education, but it was still important to hear the perpetrators side.
Theres no need to worry, then.
Making a fuss about this incident would only further tarnish the reputations of Armein and the prince, especially since the princes injury had already been fully healed. Moreover, the prince himself had stated that the incident was just an ident during the game.
Thanks to this, the major incident involving an assault on royalty was quietly resolved. It was truly fortunate.
Well, if it were truly fortunate, then such an incident wouldnt have urred in the first ce.
And now that it was over, it was time to tie the loose ends.
Executive Manager.
Yes, Your Highness.
You were careless.
The Executive Managers gaze dropped to the floor again.
Its fortunate that Enens intervention prevented this from escting into a major issue.
It was sheer luck that the situation was resolved by Armeins forces at the academy before the empire could act.
Well, framing it this way would make the Executive Manager think I was greatly displeased with how the situation unfolded.
Still, considering the dignity of the royal family, shouldnt we show some gesture?
In reality, there was no need. If Armein wanted to pretend the incident never happened, having the empire say, Were sorry, take this, would only cause more problems. The more the empire did, the more attention the incident of the prince getting hit would receive.
Naturally, this would make the Executive Manager believe I was considering a gesture of goodwill towards Armein.
Take some time to reflect on yourself.
I will heed yourmand.
The Executive Managers calm acknowledgment was almost surprising. Was this the same person who submitted a furious scribble when asked for a report?
Considering the Executive Managers hard work, a week should suffice.
Thank you, Your Highness.
The Executive Managers face brightened at the mention of a week-long probation.
Even if it was a disciplinary action, being under probation meant taking a break from work and staying at home. A week away from work could provide a much-needed breather.
It might provoke a bacsh if it were longer than a week, saying it was long enough for the Executive Manager to have a vacation.
Not a chance.
Why would I grant such a conventional probation for anyones benefit?
Still, the role the Executive Manager ys at the academy is significant, isnt it?
Indeed. The Executive Manager was responsible for monitoring important figures from other countries at the academy. It wouldnt do to tie such a talent down to their home for a week.
Your probation will take ce at the academys lodgings.
Probation usually urred at the individuals home.
But wasnt the Executive Managers home his workce? How dare he try to cheekily leave work? From today onwards, the Executive Managers home is the academy.
Bu
I raised my hand to stop the Executive Manager as he began to object, and he immediately closed his mouth and fell silent.
This is it. This is what I wanted. I wanted the Executive Manager to ept the arbitrary oue without protest.
Didnt I send a short summoning order and show my anger for this reason? It was to make sure that the Executive Manager wouldply with the punishment I imposed.
Not bad at all.
Of course, I was genuinely close to cursing out loud when I first heard about the major incident involving the assault on a royal.
But as time passed and I calmed down, it only made meugh. The fact that the Executive Manager participated in the event was amusing, and it was funny that he tried to control his strength but failed.
Most importantly, it didnt escte into a diplomatic issue, so I could enjoy the situation with ease.
Since the probations location isnt your home, youll need to prepare. I can extend that much consideration. Your probation will start tomorrow.
Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.
A sense of satisfaction filled me for the first time in a while.
***
Damn.
Damn damn damn damn
That fucking bastard.
I hope he lives a long life gued with illness.
Hearing the Crown Princes insane punishment nearly drove me mad. What kind of punishment is this? Who had ever spent probation at their workce?
Its right here.
That would be me, damn it.
No rest for me, then.
As if I could rest while being stuck in the academy. Ill likely spend my time anxiously waiting for something to go wrong. And if something did happen, Ill have to figure out how to fix it.
I wouldnt even be able to take direct action since I was technically under probation. Id have to find roundabout ways to handle things.
Damn this.
Its so unfair. This is so unfair that its driving me insane.
Working at the academy wasnt the issue. After all, doing my job wasnt something toin about.
But being under probation and still not being able to rest was something to scream about from the rooftops. If I was going to be under probation anyway, might as well let me get some rest.
I cant even argue.
I was the clear perpetrator in this incident. The Crown Prince mustve been out of his mind because of the news, so any careless word from me could escte this from a simple probation to something much worse.
This is my third penalty
After the frustration came the overwhelming sense of helplessness. With this, my record now included three penalties and nine written reports.
Just one more to go.
One more written report and Id be facing imprisonment.
This wasnt just about probation anymore. Next time wouldnd me some actual time in a cold cell.
Honestly, it feels like Ill end up there before this year is over. This is a disaster.
An Executive Manager with a criminal record.
My heart shrank at the thought. Was this really happening?
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 155: Freedom in Prison (2)
Chapter 155: Freedom in Prison (2)
Freedom in Prison (2)
I headed to the Ministry of Finance as soon as I left the Crown Princes pce. Part of me wanted to go back to my lodging in the academy and cry alone, but there was no helping it.
Since the probations location isnt your home, youll need to prepare. I can extend that much consideration. Your probation will start tomorrow.
How could I just go back after hearing that?
Preparations, my ass.
It wasnt like I wasmuting from home; I was already living at the academy. What was the point of preparing?
The statement Your probation will start tomorrow clearly meant that he wanted me to spend today working at the Prosecutors Office before going back.
Did something happen?
The Crown Prince never assigned tasks without a reason. He might drive people hard, but he wasnt the type to do so without purpose.
Nothing specific came to mind. There were no calls from the Minister or the Senior Manager, and there wasnt any routine business that needed attention around this time of the year. Itd probably be best if I went to check it out myself.
I hope it wasnt anything serious.
My heart was already heavy from the probation; Id be truly sad if something else went wrong.
And then, something did happen.
Executive Manager.
Huh? Executive Manager?
If nothing happened, then the scene before my eyes would make no sense.
Whats going on? Why is everyone gathered?
All the managers were present in the office except for the 2nd Manager, who had left for the far North.
Besides, they werent the type of people who would hold a meeting without me.
I had the managers sit back down before taking my seat. Unfortunately, something serious had indeed happened.
Wasnt it quiet on the inside? Is it an external matter, then?
Yes, the Senior Manager affirmed, making me sigh.
If it were a domestic issue, then the managers couldve handled most matters. If it was arge-scale case that even the Senior Manager couldnt handle, then it would have reached my ears sooner.
So, it had to be an international issue. Despite hoping otherwise, a troublesome situation had arisen.
Which area is it from?
The North. Theres been an armed conflict with some tribes.
This is maddening.
I couldnt help but be amazed at this double whammy of bad news.
An international issue was bothersome enough, and now it was even from the Norththe worst-case scenario.
No wonder the Magic Tower suddenly started summoning the mages.
International issues, especially those in the north, nearly always required military intervention. This was no exception.
And such matters usually involved the Special Service Agency or the Magic Tower.
Those bastards.
So, the North caused trouble, the Magic Tower summoned the mages, and I ended up substituting for that mage and also became the one to take the fall. It turns out that my probation was because of the North.
What a bunch of burdens in my life. Theyve never been of any help, really.
Wheres the 2nd Manager?
If the Magic Tower was involved to this extent, then the 2nd Managers assignment in the north must have be extremely difficult.
After all, the 2nd Manager only went to the north for intelligence gathering. If the situation escted to the point that it required military force, theyd be out of their depth.
About that
The Senior Manager hesitated unusually. Why is he making me feel uneasy?
After a brief silence, the Senior Manager finally continued.
The report from the 2nd Manager was due today.
Today?
Yes.
This was strange. Since the mage from the Magic Tower was summoned yesterday, the report should have been made yesterday at thetest. Even the Magic Tower cannot foresee the future.
The report from Margrave Sorden was made yesterday.
So the 2nd Manager iste.
The report from Margrave Sorden came yesterday, and the 2nd Managers report came today. A days dy
I almost sighed again at the unwee news. A report being a few hourste was understandable. Unlike Margrave Sorden, the 2nd Manager was out in the field with just his division, so gathering information would take time.
But this wasnt a matter of just a few hoursit was a whole days difference. That meant that there was a situation that prevented him from reporting for an entire day.
Has he already been hit hard?
This wasnt just a spike in difficulty to the hellfire level; it was as if theyd already been knocked out by a hellfire punch.
The 2nd Manager has decided to stay on site.
Bullshit.
The Senior Manager nodded at myment. Even he thought that the 2nd Manager should return.
Hes so stubborn.
He must have been initially shocked by the hellfire punch from the north. And then, his wounded pride must have made him insist on continuing his mission.
He alwaysined about being given tasks, but he also tried his best toplete them once he started. What a weird person.
So thats why I was sent here.
I rubbed the back of my neck absentmindedly. The reason why the Crown Prince suddenly told me to work before leaving made sense now; it was because of this.
The Crown Prince knew about the Prosecutors Offices deployment to the north. He must have found it odd that only Margrave Sorden made a report. And since the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors Office came to the Capital, he sent me to deal with it.
I really have too much bad luck. How could the timing ovep like this?
If he was beaten so badly, then he should have returned on his own.
With a sigh, I activated themunication crystal.
It was okay for this guy to get beaten, but Id rather be the one doing the hitting instead of other people.
What a weakling. How dare he let himself get beaten up? I should tell him toe back immediately.
Oh, Executive Manager.
The 2nd Manager visible through themunication crystal looked like hed been beaten up pretty badly.
Where did one of your eyes go?
Ah, this?
He fiddled with the patch over his right eye and burst intoughter, making me frown. What was there tough about?
I bet it on a gamble. Now I have to go get it back.
Stop talking shit ande back.
Oh,e on.
The 2nd Manager frowned at the firm order to return.
Isnt this a situation where every hand is desperately needed? It would be odd for existing personnel to leave when more people areing from the capital.
He didnt actively resist the order from his superior, but he started to argue his point.
If the 2nd Manager has sacrificed an eye, then thats enough. If Margrave Sordenins, tell him to talk to me.
Of course, it was a futile protest. What could a mere 2nd Manager do against orders?
And this situation warranted the Magic Towers involvement. It had grown toorge for a division specialized in intelligence gathering and notbat. Margrave Sorden would understand. After all, he was the one who requested the dispatch for information gathering in the first ce.
Come back and get treated.
Haaa Understood.
Why does he keep being stubborn when he has to obey orders in the end?
After ending the call with the 2nd Manager, I lectured the other managers a little.
You should contact me first when something like this happens. What kind of superior doesnt know when his subordinates are getting beaten up?
I nned to have the 2nd Manager return and then inform you. You were already stressed as it was.
The first managers words convinced me. They concluded that it would be better for them to convince the 2nd Manager to return rather than report his refusal and raise my blood pressure.
It made a lot of sense. If I hadnt shown up, it would have been a good n.
As if he had the same thought, the 5th Manager cautiously asked.
Executive Manager, what brings you to the capital?
I was momentarily speechless. Saying I came here to be disciplined for striking royalty required a considerable amount of courage.
Especially in front of the rebellious 1st and 3rd Managers. Wouldnt admitting that make me an even biggerughingstock in front of these two?
For disciplinary action.
But my hesitation was brief. Rumors of someone being penalized spread quickly in this small civil servicemunity.
The 5th Manager quietly looked away as if he regretted asking.
Its fine. Im willing to forgive the 5th Manager for making mistakes.
Pff!
Wow. You were writing a report just a while ago.
I wasnt, you damned bastards.
I felt a surge of irritation at the 1st Managersughter and the 3rd Managers astonishment.
It mustve been probation this time.
The 1st Managers giggles grew louder at the Senior Managers calm statement.
This is unfair. More than half of the penalties Ive received were because I was covering for their mistakes. I guess there was no use in being nice to my subordinates.
But what happened at the academy? You shouldnt be writing a report while youre deployed.
Its not a report.
An awkward silence fell in the office at that. If it wasnt a written report, then it implied a punishment more severe.
The 3rd Manager quickly shut his mouth, while the 1st Manager covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide. However, their reactions couldnt mend my wounded heart.
No way. What on earth happened?
Silence had a way of devouring words. The 3rd Manager cautiously started to speak again, but he couldnt ovee the silence and closed his mouth.
So, I decided to take control.
Do you see this?
I raised my right hand. This was the hand of the proletariat who proved that even royalty had red blood.
I struck royalty with this hand.
The way they suddenly backed away was a bit surprising.
Why were they acting like normal people all of a sudden? Since when did these guys start caring aboutmon sense?
Executive Manager Then, did you get a death sentence?
No.
It was just probation.
When I mentioned the incident that shocked the Crown Prince and had the principal wringing his hands,ughter filled the room instead of silence.
They spoke nonsense like You need the courage to hit royalty if you want to be an Executive Manager, Just hitting them is not enough; you need to draw blood, Executive Manager, youre probably going to stay as the Executive Manager for life, and even mocked that I had avenged the grievances of the unenrolled on a prince.
After all sorts of provocations flew around, the managers finally returned to their ces.
Executive Managerrrr~ Are you angry?
Except for the 1st Manager.
Since Im angry, you should go back before I hit you and make you write a written report.
As I waved her off, the 1st Manager pouted and looked at me with a sullen expression.
Isnt she embarrassed?
I sometimes wondered: Despite my higher rank, I was actually four years younger than her. Had she forgotten her own age?
I instinctively reached out toward the 1st Managers lips. It would be rude not to grab when offered
Executive Manager, you said that your probation starts tomorrow, right?
Yes.
However, she spoke before I could grab her mouth.
Then, how about we have a meal together?!
Seeing the 1st Manager smile so broadly confused me for a moment.
A meal?
With her?
I briefly imagined dining alone with the 1st Manager.
No matter how much I thought about it, all I could picture was us munching on military rations.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 156: Freedom in Prison (3)
Chapter 156: Freedom in Prison (3)
Freedom in Prison (3)
The 1st Managers invitation was unexpected. Even considering her unpredictable nature, I doubt she was suggesting we eat military rations in the office. She probably meant to suggest visiting the buildings cafeteria or maybe a well-known restaurant in the capital. Either option would inevitably consume time.
Its a tricky situation.
I wasnt supposed to be in the capital. Since I was summoned here for unleashing what would go down in history as the Spicy Proletarian Punch, I should be returning to my post as soon as my business was concluded.
Itd also be a pain in the ass if something happened while I was away. This was also the reason why I always returned as quickly as possible afterpleting my tasks during the first semester.
But this semester was different from the past one. Ever since the club members got rejected by Louise, the chances of having an incident happen had plummeted. Besides, it was noon and all the club members were in ss.
And considering the fact that I was going to be on probation starting tomorrow, did it really make a difference if I rushed back or not? Even the Crown Prince said that I should use today to prepare. That meant that I could afford to rx a bit.
So the circumstances do matter, after all.
Facing disciplinary action had surprisingly made me rxed. It felt like Id adopted a lete what may attitude now that I was at the edge.
Ill just have the meal and then go back.
Okay!
After giving it some thought, I epted. While there was no particr reason to have a meal with the 1st Manager, there was no reason to refuse, either. It should be fine since it wasnt like I, her superior, was the one who insisted on this.
I know a great ce. Let me take you there!
Sure.
I nodded at the giggling 1st Manager. She seemed confident, so she probably knew a good spot.
But then, wouldnt it be better for her to visit a ce like that with a friend or her lover? Whod bring their boss to such spots?
Is it because the 4th Manager is not here?
Among the managers, the 4th Manager was the only one with the same gender as the 1st manager. Itd be a little tragic if she lost her only friend and then ended up having to dine with her boss.
I followed the 1st Manager, who was gesturing for me to hurry. I somehow felt sorry that she had to work in a ce with only men.
Then, my sympathy vanished instantly.
Hey.
What?
Lets have our meal here.
I couldnt help butugh the moment I saw the ce the 1st Manager led me to. This was the dining spot?
This ce makes really amazing food.
Her confident deration left me momentarily speechless.
Had the culture of the capital changed while I was at the academy and was away?
No, no way. Even if the culture had indeed changed, it wouldnt be to this extent.
This is your house, isnt it?
It was my first time visiting, but I knew the locations of the major estates in the capital. The 1st Manager had brought me to her own mansion for the meal.
Sure, the cooking must be good here, given that it was the residence of a marquiss daughter. Would there be a mediocre chef in such a ce?
But then, if we were going by that logic, then wouldnt the empires best dining spot be the imperial pce? Would this really be okay?
Dining outside would only draw too much attention. Right, Executive Manager?
Why are you suddenly saying sensible words now?
And if she was worried about attracting attention, then we could have just gone to the buildings cafeteria
Lets go inside!
Ignoring my words, the 1st Manager pushed me into the mansion.
***
I sessfully nudged the grumbling Executive Manager into the mansion.
That settles it.
Actually, I wasnt expecting much. The Executive Manager tended to appear and disappear unpredictably, so I assumed it would be the same this time.
Still, I had to suggest it to him in advance and face his rejection a few times to have the grounds toin, Why do you always avoid it?! That was why I mentioned dining out together, thinking that I shouldy the groundwork.
Ill just have the meal and then go back.
But I was lucky. I didnt expect to seed on the first try.
His walls have definitely lowered.
In the past, I often asked him to eat with me. While I couldnt confess my feelings because of Hecates heavy shadow, I thought we could still at least be closer on a tonic level. Building rapport would make confessing my feelings easierter on.
But I was turned down every time for all sorts of reasons. The food wouldnt taste good with a superior around, he had too much work today, too little work today so he had to leave early, or that hed started a diet.
Thinking about it now, it felt unfair. Did he reject me for all those ridiculous reasons?
Nobody told me that I wascking in any area, either.
It felt frustrating. Infuriating, even. I suddenly felt the urge to smack the back of the Executive Managers head after seeing it.
There had always been people who liked me even before my academy days, throughout my school years, and even after graduation. I came from a reputable family. Im pretty and Im capable. I wasntcking in any aspect.
Even Senior Aria said that the person whod marry me would be lucky.
And hes younger.
Moreover, he was four years younger. If he was going to be a younger brother, then he should act like one and depend on and follow his beautiful noona.
Of course, the Executive Managers prickly demeanor had its own charm. But sometimes, I wanted to see a different side of him than the one he usually showed.
Youre going to put a hole in my head.
The Executive Manager bluntly spoke up. Was I staring too obviously?
He noticed my gaze even though I was looking at him from behind. Did this mean that the Executive Manager was also interested in me?
Ahaha.
I almostughed out loud, but I managed to hold it in.
He really seems like a younger brother whenever he acts all ticked off and dishonest with his noona. Now, I felt like petting the back of his head instead of hitting it.
Executive Manager, do you want to end up like the 3rd Manager?
You little
I tossed out the joke with that sentiment, but the Executive Manager turned around quickly. He seemed to be genuinely offended. Wasparing him to the 3rd Manager too much?
Did you just call your precious subordinate little?
As I pouted, the Executive Manager quickly grabbed my lips.
Ouch, that actually hurts.
But I like it.
My heart warmed. I hadnt managed to catch the Executive Managers attention in the office because we were busy rushing things. This made me disappointed with the timing.
But thankfully, I finally did. The Executive Manager had been at the academyst year, so I couldnt catch him every day.
Either way, this was an interaction that the Executive Manager shared only with me. Not with Hecate, nor with Lady Marghetta. It was an exclusive connection between us.
Those thoughts melted my expression. Anyways, its okay. The Executive Manager was doing this because he was hurt.
Young miss?
A voice from behind the Executive Manager made his hand fall away from my lips.
Ah.
A wave of disappointment and displeasure washed over me. How dare they interrupt my time with the Executive Manager?
ncing towards the source of the voice, I saw the butler. Butler, I didnt think you were this tactless. I wanted to scold him right there and then, but I held back since we were being watched.
Butler, prepare the meal. Make it for two since we have a guest.
I moved past the Executive Manager and towards the butler instead.
Make sure its done carefully and perfectly. Got it?
I whispered to the butler. The meal with the Executive Manager had to be perfect; any w would be embarrassing.
At my words, the butlers eyes darted quickly to the Executive Manager and then back to me.
It might take a bit longer.
Thats fine.
I nodded in satisfaction.
The Executive Manager might just eat quickly and leave if the meal was served quickly. To keep him around longer, the meal had to bete.
Alright, I take back what I said about the butler being tactless. It was a bit disappointing at first, but he handled this just fine, so Ill let it slide.
***
I sat down idly, looking around.
Its splendid.
Of course, the 1st Managers mansion was splendid. Officially speaking, it wasnt the 1st Managers but Marquis Massellos residence. But since other family members mostly stayed in their territories, it was practically hers.
After Marquis Asilon was demoted to a count, the Massello Marquisate became one of the top families between the marquisates. Therefore, it was only natural for their residence in the capital to be grand
But the owner is
The 1st Manager was fumbling when I turned to her.
It made my head hurt. I knew that the 1st Manager was from the Massello family, but seeing it with my own eyes now brought about a sense of mental conflict.
This kind of person was the owner of this mansion? It almost felt like an insult to the mansion.
Am I any different?
Truthfully, I wasnt in any position to talk. After all, I was the one who ended up with Marquis Asilons mansion (or what was left of it).
Both the superior and the subordinate were mismatched with their surroundings. It wasnt that different from putting a pearl ne on a pig. This wasnt something we should be mirroring.
Executive Manager, how have you beentely?
What?
Her unexpected question caught me off guard.
Since when did we exchange such pleasantries? It felt as awkward as being asked about your hobbies on a blind date.
As if noticing my confusion, the 1st Manager continued with a smile.
Since you knocked out royalty, I figured youd have other interesting tales to tell.
What a roundabout way to tease someone.
Nothing much. Im always careful.
I had really been cautious. Although it wasnt really my ce to say considering that I was the one who knocked out royalty, it wasnt my fault that Rutis faintedit was because of his own weakness.
Ive decided to think of it that way.
And how about Lady Marghetta?
I flinched, caught off guard. Why was she bringing her up all of a sudden?
I got the impression there might be some good news soon when I saw you during the break~
Her teasing left me speechless. Had I given it away in front of her? Was it that obvious, even in the office?
No. The 4th Manager was also at the mansion. The 4th Manager had probably shared some stories with the 1st Manager.
Im fine with this year. Ill pick out a nice gift for the both of you!
With all the student council work Marghetta has, this year is
Marghetta was already busy with the student council. I wouldnt want to burden her with more responsibilities on top of her student council duties.
Besides, proceeding with anything formal while she was still a student would be a disservice to her, who had waited patiently so far.
***
Sneakily asking I mean, asking rather tantly turned out to be informative. Did that mean that an engagement or marriage was nned right after thedy graduated?
Theres still over a year left.
Id be lying if I said I wasnt disappointed. Ive been waiting for two years, and now I had to wait another two years again.
But its alright. Even though it was disheartening, having a timeline was better than waiting indefinitely.
Where should we get married?
I havent even confessed to the Executive Manager yet, but here I was, indulging in these pleasant worries. Imagination was free, anyway.
Should we hold it in the capital? Or our territory? The Executive Managers territory could also be nice. Its so difficult to choose among the three.
Maybe I should just suggest doing it three times. I dont think anyone had ever held their wedding thrice.
That sounds good.
The position of the first wife would belong to thedy, anyways. So, wouldnt it be right for me to im a first in terms of the wedding ceremony?
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 157: Freedom in Prison (4)
Chapter 157: Freedom in Prison (4)
Freedom in Prison (4)
One by one, fancy dishes began to arrive at the table. There seemed to be quite a lot. It made me wonder if this was all for the sake of hospitality or if the 1st Manager always preferred luxurious meals.
Well, given that the 1st Manager usually only brought a single piece of bread to work, it was probably the former.
Isnt this a bit much?
No, not at all. If I were to neglect our guests, my father would scold me.
Right, it was the former. It was somewhat surprising that she would be concerned about what others thought.
However, this was a good thing for the Marquis. The fact that the 1st Manager was concerned about displeasing him suggested a deep respect and consideration for him as a superior or family member.
Thats a relief.
Marquis Iones, the 1st Managers father. Aside from seeing him atst years and this years New Years Ball, I hadnt interacted much with him. However, he was one of the people I felt bad for.
To think that the 1st Manager was his daughter he mustve been through a lot of emotional stress. Legend had it that he had vehemently opposed when she joined the Prosecutors Office. The oue, however, was as you saw.
Shes a bit headstrong and unpredictable, but shes thoughtful and kind-hearted. Please, take good care of her.
Ah, yes, I understand.
Maybe that was why Marquis Iones would grasp my hand with a pleading look every New Years Ball, earnestly asking no, more like begging me to take good care of his daughter.
In the midst of it all, the father saw nothing but beauty in his daughter, uttering iprehensible words. Thoughtful? Kind-hearted?
The Marquiss eyes were so wistful that I didnt even bother to refute his words with facts.
Thank goodness
Was the 1st Manager aware of her fathers feelings and was hesitant to upset him? Marquis, are you watching? Your love was not misced.
Executive Manager, would you like an *aperitif?
Snapping out of my thoughts by the 1st Managers question, I realized I had zoned out at the dining table.
I turned to see her holding a bottle in each hand. One was red wine, while the other was white.
White, please.
Hmm, the white one?
I casually chose, but the 1st Managers smirk made me uneasy. Was there something in the wine?
Actually, just give me the red
Here you go!
Before I could change my mind, the ss filled with white wine was handed to me.
Drink it up and think its me!
I hadnt even taken a sip yet, but why did it sound like she had already gone through several bottles?
I looked at the 1st Managers hair. It was white.
Then, I looked back at the ss. Although it was called white wine, it wasnt exactly white.
Damn.
But after being told to think of it as her, the 1st Managers hair seemed to merge with it.
This brat had learned not only to torture people physically but also to attack mentally
White is pretty, isnt it?
Yes.
She was still smirking, so I just nodded. Reacting too strongly here would only invite more teasing. Itd be best not to take the bait and to just eat and leave as normal.
Youre so lucky to have a pretty white girl by your side, Executive Manager!
Her confidence was so overwhelming that I couldnt bring myself to react in any way.
***
The meal itself went smoothly save for the 1st Managers asional odd remarks, which were normal enough for her. Itd actually be stranger if she made normal conversation.
ck matches well with red, but I think it also goes well with white, too.
I still couldnt decipher the meaning behind those words. Thinking of c, seasoned chicken, and radish sd in response was hardly normal, either.
Nheless, the 1st Managermitted the atrocity of mixing red and white wine in the same ss.
Why would you mix them?!
It matches well!
What she meant was beyond me. Id probably never understand it.
As I sighed at the thought of this innovative half-and-half wine, the voice from the other end of themunication crystal spoke up.
Sir Carl must be a good superior to be so approachable.
I guess theres a fine line between being a good superior and an easygoing one.
Hearing this, the Invincible Duke burst intoughter. Well, it was fine as long as it made him happy
After that, the Invincible Duke regained hisposure and continued.
I called because I was worried, but everything seems fine. Thats a relief.
If anything happens, Ill shamelessly contact you first.
Thats reassuring to hear.
Seeing the Invincible Duke smile again made me smile, too. It warmed my heart, which had be lonely due to the disciplinary action.
When I returned to my office after the meal, I was surprised by an iing call on themunication crystal. It was the Invincible Duke.
Sir Carl, I dont believe you would do something without a reason. There must have been a situation.
I was taken aback by his first words after I answered the call. It sounded like a teacher gently reprimanding a mischievous student.
Of course, there was a reason. Since I had achieved the legendary feat of assaulting royalty and ended up in this situation, the news must have reached the Invincible Dukes ears.
But assaulting royalty wasnt just a mischievous act; it was almost treason. I was touched by his understanding that there mustve been circumstances.
Thats what happened.
So I exined in detail while holding back tears. Had he known the full story, he might not have used the word circumstances.
Seeing the Invincible Duke struggle to contain hisughter was painful. Being openly mocked would have been easier than receiving such considerate pity.
Perhaps he knew how I felt because the Invincible Duke quickly changed the subject. We ended up discussing various matters, and that included my meal with the 1st Manager. This also led to me exining the oddbination of red and white wine.
Talking about a subordinates entric behavior in front of the Invincible Duke was embarrassing, but it was preferable to receiving painful sympathy.
Is this really better?
I found myself confused.
She acts that way because she looks up to you, Sir Carl. Dont be too harsh on her.
Yes, I understand.
I nodded at the Invincible Dukes words that broke me free from my thoughts.
In fact, Ivee too far to be upset over the 1st Managers antics. Being surprised by her yful behavior with food was one thing, but it wasnt really that strange.
And even if I were truly upset, I couldnt show it in front of the Invincible Duke. Unfortunately, the Invincible Duke saw the 1st Manager almost as his daughters sister.
This is driving me insane.
The fact that the Crown Princess and the 1st Manager were close friends when they were in the Academy kept surprising me every time and that they were both connected with the Invincible Duke It was really dizzying.
***
A long conversation took ce before I ended themunication with Sir Carl. I held onto what was meant to be a brief exchange for too long. I suppose talking morees with age.
Still, it was a relief. When I heard from His Highness the Crown Prince that Carl had been disciplined for assaulting royalty, I wondered what had happened. That child wasnt thoughtless enough to cause such a major incident.
Upon hearing from the involved party, it turned out to be an injury during an academy event. Then, that meant that it wasnt assault but a regrettable ident. While it could forcibly be tied to assaulting royalty, there was no reason for His Highness to specifically target Carl.
It seems hes not destined for a quiet life.
I couldnt help but chuckle. Ever since he became the Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager, Carl had been at the center of disturbances. However, I hadnt expected him to get involved in such incidents even at the academy. Or would it be more correct to say that he caused them?
Chuckling a few times, I operated themunication crystal. Since I had checked on Carls well-being, it was time to attend to other matters.
Father?
Your Highness the Crown Princess.
I bowed my head immediately after Aria answered the call.
I told you to just call me Aria in private.
I couldnt help butugh again at her pouting face. How had she not changed at all since her childhood?
How could I address the future mother of all our people in such a manner?
Im hanging up.
Sorry. Ive found out what you asked, so please forgive me.
Arias mood brightened. It was surprising how pleased she could be over matters that didnt concern her.
Sir Carl seems to think of her as just a subordinate.
I expected that.
Despite the somewhat unwee news, Aria remained calm. Maybe it was because that was within her expectations.
Thats typical of Eli. She probably just hovered around and provoked him. Its actually a relief if he doesnt dislike her.
She made a sharp assessment. Although Aria usually spoke softly, she was straightforward when it came to Lady Elizabeth.
Still, it was Lady Elizabeths request that led her to ask me to check on Carl. Harsh words aside, her feelings for Lady Elizabeth were genuine.
Well, at least he doesnt seem to dislike her. If Carl really disliked someone, hed ignore or avoid them.
For Carl, Lady Elizabeth was more of a subordinate than a romantic interest. However, there seemed to be a fondness due to their time spent together.
Carl would shudder and deny it if he heard, but it was urate from a third partys perspective. Carl didnt keep people he truly disliked around. If anything, the fact that they often shed yet remained close was evidence of affection.
Really? Eli would be happy to hear that.
Her words were blunt, but the slight smile on her lips couldnt be hidden.
Perhaps its because theyve been close since their academy days. I hadnt expected her to get involved in her friends love life, though.
Its going to be tough.
Carl was just beginning to open up to Lady Marghetta. Since Lady Marghetta had liked Carl for a long time, it wouldnt be long before they saw positive results.
And thats when Lady Elizabeth would make her move. Carl would likely be quite taken aback.
Its Carls issue to handle.
If Lady Elizabeth aimed for the position of Carls first wife, then I wouldnt have intervened even if Aria requested it. How could I, when I knew just how much the Iron-blooded Duke cherished Lady Marghetta?
But if she was aiming to be next in line, then there wasnt anything to worry about. While I didnt need to actively help, I also couldnt outrightly refuse Arias requests.
Thank you, Father.
The sight of Arias smiling face made me feel satisfied.
FOOTNOTES
* Aperitif
A small drink of alcoholic liquor that acts as an appetizer.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 158: Freedom in Prison (5)
Chapter 158: Freedom in Prison (5)
Freedom in Prison (5)
After having lunch with the 1st Manager and wrapping up an unexpected call from the Invincible Duke, it was already time to return to the academy, where I was supposed to spend my probation.
Thinking about it again frustrated me. Who in their right mind would make a workce the site of probation? I didnt say it out loud, but the thought of being stuck at home for the duration of my probation had me somewhat excited.
That jerk mustve lived as a jobless bum in his past life.
If he hadnt, then this wouldnt make sense. Given his hatred for others taking a break, he must have spent at least three generations living as a bum. That kind of attitude only came from a long line of karma.
The problem was that Icked a justifiable reason to shout at the crown prince, Civil servants these days are all so uptight! Sadly, the higher the position, the more intense the workload was. Shockingly, this wretched exploitation included the imperial family as well.
The emperor who now delegated his duties to the crown prince due to his frailty was famous for being a workaholic since the old days. Since his appointment, the crown prince had been on a relentless work spree.
I dont know what I should say.
If I were toin to the crown prince, Id risk being used of, Youreining about working? Are you a traitor? Thus, escaping through retirement seemed like the only solution. But for some reason, retirement requests were never approved.
Honestly, I think Id have to wait until I was old and on the verge of death before Id be able to retire. And even then, it was just a possibility and not a certainty, which was just in sad.
Damn it.
Lets stop thinking about it. The more I thought about it, the more depressing it became. Itd be foolish to hold onto hope in an empire that ground down its civil servants without mercy.
I should hurry back and report my probation. As insane as this probation was, it was still probation. I wasnt even allowed to go out, let alone stay in the club room as usual.
Id have to tell the Principal or Sir Vir toe to my lodging if they were looking for me, and Id also have to tell Marghetta I might not be able to visit her for a while
And take the new call.
While I was organizing my thoughts, themunication crystal began emitting a brilliant light again.
This is driving me crazy. Who is it this time? If it was nothing important, then Id just tell them to call backter and hang up.
This is the Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager.
Baby.
I hurriedlyposed myself. Unfortunately, it was a call from someone who could easily belittle my existence.
I heard you came to the capital.
Yes, I was just about to head back.
Is that so?
Then, the Mage Duchesss eyes narrowed as if she heard something displeasing.
What was the problem? Did I just say something weird?
Arent you short on potions?
I was actually about to ask for more before heading back.
When I answered after a moments thought, the Mage Duchess smiled slightly. It seemed that I had the correct answer.
I had received plenty of potionsst time, so running out was impossible. The Mage Duchess, who provided them, knew this best.
It was unlikely for the potions to suddenly deplete when they were only consumed once a day.
So, having the Mage Duchess bring up the potions out of the blue meant that it was an implicit summon.
And when I was summoned, I had to go. Although I wasnt sure why I was being summoned all of a sudden, who could refuse a duchesss invitation?
Good. I was just taking a break, soe to the tower immediately.
Yes, Your Grace. Thank you for your consideration.
I kept bowing until the call ended and only raised my head after it cut off. To think Id be caught right before I could leave
To be honest, I had to stop by the Mage Tower to hire a mage for my return to the academy anyway. So, it was just like being caught a bit earlier than expected.
I just wanted to go back.
I wanted to return without any contact. Coming here to face disciplinary action wasnt exactly something to brag about.
Greeting the Mage Duchess only to be asked why I came to the capital would leave me speechless. Telling the truth might just elicit a response like, Youre still so energetic, baby.
Thats already sad in its own way.
Hearing that would make me feel like a foolish child filled with self-loathing.
Anyway, I should just quickly say hello and leave. If I dy any further, then I might miss club time.
But thinking about it, something seemed off.
I was about to be put on probation starting tomorrow, and yet here I was, saying goodbye to everyone.
It felt like how someone who would be arrested tomorrow was saying goodbye for thest time.
Damn it, these goodbyes were unnecessary.
***
Once again, my baby didnte to me first. If I hadnt heard about his arrival, even btedly, then he wouldve left without saying a word.
That was infuriating. Despite treating him with utmost care every time we met, this still happened.
Of course, Ive kept my affection for my baby a closely guarded secret, so it was understandable if he hadnt noticed. However, Ive made every effort to show him special attention. Even if he was unaware of my affection, he shouldve at least realized how much I cared for him.
Is he avoiding me on purpose?
I even started to think that. Given his travels back and forth between the academy and the capital, I understood if he couldnte in person. It was understandable if he was busy.
The issue was that he didnt contact me at all, both while he was at the academy and when he was here in the capital. If he was doing it deliberately, I would never forgive him. I couldnt just overlook that.
Things have changed.
Yes, things were different now. My baby was now close to another woman.
Lady Marghetta.
The youngest daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke. The child who was sincerely so in love with my baby to the extent that rumors of their engagement spread within the circles of society.
When I first heard about Lady Marghetta, I wasnt very concerned. After all, it would take around 40 years for my baby to gain the same lifespan that I had, and I didnt think it was my ce to interfere with who he chose to associate with during that time.
After all, I could overlook that much since my baby and I would spend hundreds of years together. The position beside Carl that Lady Marghetta aimed for? I was confident that Id easily have it if I truly stepped forward.
It seems like a great celebration ising to the empire soon. The Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager appears to have found a partner.
But when I heard the Invincible Dukes words not long ago, my heart sank.
I couldnt turn a blind eye. Myposure vanished. Although I thought 40 years would be manageable, the thought of someone else being by my babys side made me shudder.
No, thats wrong. It wasnt the presence of someone else that bothered me. It was precisely the fact that I couldnt be there alongside him.
I cant wait.
So, my thoughts changed. There was no room for a 40-year grace period. If my baby was to be with another woman, then he must choose me first.
That was why I couldnt tolerate having my baby deliberately avoid me. If I saw another woman by his side while he pushed me awayI couldnt guarantee how Id react.
Knock, knock
Your Grace. Its the Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager.
Come in.
I braced myself after hearing my babys voice. Securing this moment correctly was crucial for our happiness in the centuries toe.
But my fiery resolve began to fade after seeing my babys subdued face.
Should I let it go?
We were going to be together for hundreds of years. Getting immediately upset over something so trivial would be problematic. This issue was but a speckpared to the long future we were about to paint together.
Yes, he must have been busy. There must have been some circumstances that prevented him from contacting me. He seemed so downcast, so I should at least be understanding.
Lets move past this.
After much deliberation, I decided to let go of my grievances.
Mother used to say that the one who fell in love first lost. Now, I understood what she meant.
***
The Mage Duchess greeted me with a smile.
Wee. Would you like some tea?
Ah, Ill make it.
Its okay. Its enough for a guest to simply sit.
With those gentle yet firm words, I carefully took my seat. I was indeed a guest, though I was invited unterally.
I thought about it several times on the ride to the Mage Tower, but I couldnt find any specific reason for being summoned. It wasnt like before when I was caught doing something strange, and there was nothing I owed or was due from the Mage Duchess.
What could it be?
The atmosphere didnt seem to suggest bad news. Could it be that she just wanted to see my face, just like how the Invincible Duke did?
It was a usible hypothesis. After all, if the Invincible Duke could do it, then there was now against the Mage Duchess doing the same. Considering that the Mage Duchess even took care of providing me with potions, she probably harbored a motherly concern for me.
I should have asked earlier. What brings you to the capital?
The Mage Duchesss casual question caught me off guard. I wanted to avoid this question, which was why I was trying to return quickly.
Well, I came here to face disciplinary action.
The Mage Duchess, who was preparing tea, quickly turned her gaze towards me. This was more humiliating than I thought it would be.
Disciplinary action?
Yes, thats what happened.
Her gaze demanded a detailed exnation, so I borated.
The instructor scheduled for the four-person event had to leave due to being summoned by the tower, and I somehow ended up filling in for him. I tried to control my strength, but Prince Rutis was knocked out with a single hit. Because of that, I was given a disciplinary action.
Even as I spoke, the ridiculousness and embarrassment of my situation was palpable. The Mage Duchess had aplicated expression on her face upon hearing this. In a way, the starting point was the towers summoning. Without that snowball effect, none of this would have happened.
After a moment of silence, the Mage Duchess gently patted my head.
It must have been hard on you. Im sure you had a lot of trouble while dealing with royalty.
I almost nodded absentmindedly. Any resentment I had towards the Mage Tower quickly dissipated.
The Mage Duchess had a different kind of warmthpared to the Invincible Dukes concern. Was this, perhaps, the feeling of a motherly embrace?
Still, it saddens me that you only spoke of it after I asked.
The Mage Duchesss ears drooped slightly as she continued to pet my head.
I didnt want to worry you with trivial matters.
At that, her ears perked up again.
Tell me immediately if something happens next time. Ill help you with whatever I can.
Thank you, Your Grace.
The Mage Duchess seemed pleased with my quick response. With the Mage Duchesss help, counting the impossibilities would be quicker than the possibilities.
Since it ended with just a written report, His Highness the Crown Prince must think that it wasnt your fault. Dont keep it too close to your heart.
What?
You said you were returning to the academy. If it were probation or imprisonment, you wouldnt be able to return right?
Her utterly logical statement left me speechless. Yes, that was correct. If I were under probation, staying in the capital rather than returning to my workce wouldve been the norm. Anyone could see that it ended with just a written report if the disciplined person was returning to their duty station.
But surprise, surprise. It was probation. The Crown Prince really was such a clever asshole.
Its probation.
The Mage Duchess tilted her head.
Ive been given a probation order at the academy.
Probation at the academy?
It was the Mage Duchesss turn to be speechless.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 159: Freedom in Prison (6)
Chapter 159: Freedom in Prison (6)
Freedom in Prison (6)
The Crown Princes behavior was so entric that it even left an elder who had lived for over a century at a loss for words. And that sight somehowforted me. I had been seriously wondering if people like the Crown Prince were the norm in the empire.
If that were the case, I would be a deranged civil servant who couldnt ept his punishment and shook with rage. I wouldnt be a subject of pity, but of contempt.
Its not that bad, after all.
While the empire might be a tough ce, it luckily wasnt the worst of the worst. The Crown Prince was just an outlier with a vtile temperament far below the average, and I was merely his unfortunate victim. Since this was confirmed by the Mage Duchess herself, this fact was undeniable. The only person allowed to refute it should be someone who has lived for at least 200 years.
What a unique approach.
A calm voice emerged, breaking the silence. Perhaps it was due to her extensive experience that the Mage Duchess quicklyposed herself
Or maybe not. Her trembling ears suggested that she still felt quite disturbed.
This wont happen again.
I hastily added to the disconcerted Mage Duchess.
It was crucial not to instill faulty beliefs in a long-lived civil servant. Just like the mishandled deployment during the Twilight Cult incident, presenting a one-time anomaly as a current trend could burden future generations.
The reassignment to a duty post wasnt a trend; it was just the product of the Crown Princes madness. The evil deeds of a monster who became as abyssal as the second prince he fought shouldnt be allowed to continue.
Considering the tasks Ive been given, it seems His Highness had no choice but to make this decision.
Thinking positively, it was an unavoidable decision. With a case such as a royalty assault incident, showing some form of discipline was necessary. And yet, enacting it could mean losing someone to monitor and control the royals.
Of course, that was just nonsense. If it werent for the royals, the Crown Prince would have turned the Prosecutors Office into my probation site while saying, This is your house now.
However, I couldnt just cry out in front of the Mage Duchess, That bastard is a real piece of work! No matter how motherly the Mage Duchess treated me, she might look upon me coldly.
If thats the case, then it would indeed be fortunate
The Mage Duchess nced down hesitantly, which was unusual. She did it as if to say, If you think so, then thats enough for me.
No, its not.
I really dont think so. Mother, I really hate that guy.
I felt a strong desire to curse the Crown Prince out, but I managed to restrain it with my logic.
When I hinted about leaving, the Mage Duchess handed me a box of potions.
Both of us knew that I still had a lot of potions left, but the official reason for my visit was to collect them.
I shoulde visit next time.
Dawdling just caused my baggage to pile up.
Baby, wait a moment.
Ah, yes.
I was about to leave with the box in my arms, but I got stopped. What was it now? Was she going to give me something more? Or was it finally time for a bloodletting after so long?
As I contemted rolling up my sleeves, the Mage Duchess donned a ck cape.
Ah. So she was going out.
Its been a while since Ive gone to the academy.
Sorry?
I doubted my ears for a moment. Why would the Mage Duchess go to the academy? Had the stress affected my hearing, too?
There are no avable mages at the moment. You cant exactly ride back in a carriage, can you?
So she intended to teleport me to the academy herself.
The mage tower was unusually quiet today. It was typically bustling with mages, but even those I did see were hurriedly moving about.
Come to think of it, even the magicians who were sent to the Academy were summoned. Of course, the same went without saying for the mages of the Mage Tower.
This damned situation.
It all circled back to the issue with the North.
I hope Im not bothering Your Grace
Dont worry about it. It wont take long.
I started to speak hesitantly, but the Mage Duchess swiftly cut off my words. Well, she was right. It wouldnt take long. It might not even take 5 minutes for the round trip.
But the thought of being alone with the Mage Duchess in an elevator felt suffocating, with every 50 seconds stretching into 5 minutes. It felt more like hitching a ride in a car driven by the boss himself rather than taking an elevator.
In short, it was a dilemma between feeling burdened and being rude. What an extreme choice.
Thank you, Your Grace.
I chose the burden, of course. The difort I felt was just a small price to paypared to upsetting my superior.
Maybe I should learn teleportation. Being a magic swordsman doesnt seem too bad, either.
***
In reality, there were magicians avable to take my baby back. No matter how busy we were, there were always staff on standby in case of emergencies. It would be an unparalleled disgrace if the Mage Tower, the pinnacle of the empires magic, couldnt manage a simple teleportation.
But I told him that there were none. Telling a lie weighed on my conscience, but the thought of spending even a little more time with my baby made it bearable.
Unlike Lady Marghetta, Ive been separated from my baby. That was why I had to do this much. This wouldnt have been necessaryst year. But now that Ivee once, returning wouldnt be difficult.
It remains unchanged.
As I looked up, the main building of the academy came into view.
Ive visited the academy a few times since my graduation, either to offer advice to the magic department teachers or to attend the principals inauguration. Despite the visits being spaced apart, the academy always looked the same.
That wasforting. In my life, I remained always alone and unchanged while everything around me changed. My parents couldve been my support, but I had no choice but to be alone after they left.
The mage tower has changed, though.
The academy, which was a legacy from the Apels era, was left untouched by the empire. However, the mage tower was the empires pride and was the essence of imperial magic. The mage tower evolved as magic did. It could be said that yesterdays mage tower was different from todays.
It was regrettable, but unavoidable. I understood it, but it also made me feel lonely. Sometimes, that feeling would drive me to visit the academy.
Baby.
Yes, Your Grace.
But not anymore. Ive found someone who wouldnt change with me.
Now, I dont have to remain alone and unchanged, and I also dont have to just watch everything else change.
Carl, my baby, would be like me.
How beautiful.
When I think about it that way, my already adorable baby seemed even lovelier.
It does seem well-made. But I see it every day, so I cant be sure.
I smiled at my babys response. He probably thought that I was talking about the main building. Though I meant for it to be understood that way, it still made me smile.
And I believe I would enjoy seeing my baby every day, whether it was 100 years or 200 yearster.
Youll know someday.
How happy the presence of an unchangingpanion could be.
When the timees, I hope I will be such a presence for my baby.
Thatd be after 100 years
My baby quickly shut his mouth as he looked at the main building. How he suddenly closed it suggested that it wasnt intentional.
Still, I felt a twinge of disappointment. Even though I was over 100, I didnt want to hear that from my babys mouth.
Even considering my elven heritage, which meant that my age differed from humans, my baby was only twenty-one. It hurt to think about my babys age no matter how much I told myself that it was okay and that I shouldnt worry.
It will always be that way.
Even if the potions did their job, my baby would always be younger than me. That would be something that not even the heavens could change.
Then maybe at least outwardly should I make him appear older?
I imagined my baby as a dignified, middle-aged figure.
Not bad.
It was worth considering seriously.
***
The Mage Duchesss gaze was quite chilling as she headed back for the Mage Tower. She looked like a predator eyeing its prey.
Im such a crazy bastard. Why did I bring up the 100-year talk at that timing? I couldve just said, Your long life has certainly refined your taste, Your Grace!
At least Im back now.
It had been a long and tense time since I confirmed that Rutis had red blood and not blue.
I spent a day anxiously waiting for a call. The Crown Prince made a crazy decision to confine me to my duty post. The 1st Manager served half-and-half wine, and I even dropped an age joke in front of the Mage Duchess
Did all this really happen in just two days? It felt more like two weeks had passed.
Damn it.
Ive been trying my best not toin, but I couldnt help it. If someone could be positive in this situation, then they were probably a Buddha.
I sighed and pulled out mymunication crystal. After all, there were plenty of people to tell about how things ended.
The Principal, Sir Vir, and Marghetta.
Haaah.
Carl? Are you back?
Yes, I just got back.
I chose to contact Marghetta first. It seemed too cruel to make her worry by contacting someone else before her.
Thank goodness. I was worried you wouldnt make it back.
I found myself smiling as she spoke with a sigh of relief. I definitely made the right choice in contacting her first.
His Highness the Crown Prince must have known that Carl couldnt help it. If you didnt get probation, then its probably just a show of discipline.
Ah.
Five secondster, Marghetta was also rendered speechless.
The Crown Princes streak continued on. That bastard.
***
My academy probation turned out to be a more heart-wrenching event in my life than I had anticipated.
Was it the frustration of being stuck in my quarters? Being confined was nothing new to me, thanks to my experiences at the Prosecutors Office. Was it the anxiety that something might happen while I was on probation? That was always a risk I carried with me.
I heard you have to stay in your room. I brought as much variety as I can, so just choose whatever youd like to eat.
Ah, yes. Thank you.
Seeing Marghetta smile despite tearing up made my heart ache.
She had been visiting my room since the first morning of my probation to bring me all sorts of food. It was a truly diverse assortment.
Ille again tomorrow. Do you need anything?
No, Im fine.
Really? If you need anything, just let me know.
I could only nod nkly at her words.
These are like prison rations.
All these were food given to someone who was locked up No matter how you looked at it, these were definitely prison rations.
I was just under probation and not imprisonment.
But in Marghettas heart, it seemed as if I was already in a cold, dark cell.
What should I do?
Just one more report wouldnd me in prison.
Im worried that Marghetta might really faint if that happens.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 160: Unshakeable Hawthorn (1)
Chapter 160: Unshakeable Hawthorn (1)
Unshakeable Hawthorn (1)
Ive been imprisoned in the academys dormitory for the crime of being an unfortunate civil servant. At this rate, there had to be a list of prisoners like me somewhere within the capital.
To be fair, my case was a special one. But even so, wasnt using the Academy as my ce of probation considered excessive?
I didnt even beat him up properly.
Strictly speaking, it wasnt as if I had beaten Rutis with fists or feet. I just grabbed his clothes and moved him elsewhere. It was nothing more than a tactical relocation.
The fact that the relocation ended on a hard stone floor was indeed a small problem, but what I did certainly wasnt assault. If Rutis had been just a bit sturdier, perhaps there wouldnt have been an issue at all. Walter, after all, could fall off a cliff and climb back up on his own.
However, Rutis ended up bleeding, and I was disciplined. The time to ask for leniency had long passed.
ording to Perosa, all is quiet, just as usual.
Still, I was lucky to have someone to endure in my stead.
Thatsforting to hear. Im relieved that we have Dame Perosa.
Since Perosa was the youngest of the three countries forces, she was the only one who could wear a school uniform without arousing suspicion.
Of course, those familiar with Perosa would immediately recognize her as an outsider, but those who knew had all tacitly agreed to turn a blind eye to Perosas scouting.
Its a pity she cant enter the club room.
It cant be helped. Even with a disguise, that would be too difficult.
As Vir said, the best way to properly monitor them would not just be to wander around but to enter the club room herself.
The issue was that there was a difference between donning a uniform to blend in and boldly entering a club room designed for six members. The club members might even be offended by such obvious surveince.
But it was not that big of a deal. Having Perosa watch from a distance was enough.
Fandoms are scary.
Entrusting Perosa, who adored Rutis, with the task of monitoring Rutiss club?
Shed surely exceed the limits with a flourish of enthusiasm. After all, it wasnt a personal deviation but a public duty. It was practically state-sanctioned stalking.
Please inform me immediately if anything happens. I will take action.
I brushed aside my thoughts of Perosa as a state-sanctioned stalker.
Regardless of Perosas job satisfaction, monitoring the members was originally my responsibility. Frankly, it was my duty that I had shifted to someone else.
So, promising to rush over if anything happened was only right. Honestly, the fact that the Crown Prince chose the Academy as my ce of probation implied that I was expected to spring into action in case of an emergency.
If he had a conscience, he wouldnt give me extra punishment for leaving my probation site. After all, being ced there to work and then punished for working would be absurd.
I guess not.
For a moment, I mistook a brute for a human.
No, well handle it as much as we can. Please rest easy, Executive Manager.
And Sir Vir firmly shook his head, as if understanding my sentiment.
Thats right. In Sir Virs eyes, I must seem like a poor soul in need of rest. His expression upon hearing the legends of the Princes escapades was unforgettable.
If Sir Vir had said, His Majesty ordered me to be on probation at the Academy, I probably would have looked at him with the same gaze.
Thank you for your words.
So, I decided to take Sir Virs advice and rest.
After all, even machines needed oiling to avoid breaking down.
***
My prayers must have reached the heavens since my days on probation passed quietly and peacefully.
The events that unfolded while I was confined to my quarters were too trivial to even be called incidents.
Being deprived of sunlight isnt good for your health, so you should at least make sure that what youre eating is enjoyable.
Thank you, Mar.
For example, the unwavering visits from Marghetta. She was also here today. I dont know why she treats me like Im in a dungeon or something, but I feel grateful. Thats why I make sure to serve tea every time she visits.
They never said that others couldnte in. I was the only one who wasnt supposed to go out, and Im proud of this one. I was on probation, anyways.
Although the reason were together is a sad one, its still nice to be in the same room as Carl.
Im sorry
But that pride vanished like a bubble with just a word from Marghetta.
If youre sorry, then could youe to me after your probation is over, Carl?
The following statement caught me off guard. Though she said it with a light smile, the content was far from light.
Saying that it was sad to be in the same room due to my probation implied that she wanted to properly be together in her room once it ended. The fact that she asked me toe also suggested that she was talking about her room.
Was Marghetta more shocked about my probation than I thought? I never expected such bold words from ady who always strived for dignity.
It will be difficult. But if Mar wants it, Ill try.
It was surprising, but Marghetta must have gathered her courage to speak. I shouldnt refuse her and cause an awkward atmosphere. After all, climbing into a dorm room through a window wasnt that hard.
However, Marghetta tilted her head at my determined response, then quickly shook it.
Im not talking about my room, but the Vice Presidents office!
Oh.
I guess the shock was on me, after all.
Did a lewd spirit take over my thoughts?
Thanks to that, Marghetta, who had entered smiling, left with a flushed face. That was the extent of incidents during my probation.
Oppa, are you doing well?
We met this morning, didnt we?
And then, the visits from Louise followed. She visited enthusiastically,ing before school and again after school.
I wonder if there was anyone who visited a family member in jail as much as she did. Well, I technically wasnt in jail, so it was probably easier toe by.
I epted the cookie jar she handed me and patted her head.
Once a day is enough. It must be troublesome for you toe so often.
I didnt forget to scold her, though. Marghetta might bring me meals every day, but Louises frequent visits seemed a bit much.
Actually, even once a day was excessive. A week was nothing; not receiving visitors for that period wouldnt be upsetting at all.
But Im worried, oppa.
But I couldnt push Louise away too hard after seeing her mutter dejectedly. I dont quite understand why she was so worried about someone who was just staying in their room, but she was.
Yes, I should be grateful for her visits. Too much would be better than scarcity, after all.
***
Oppa patted my head once and invited me in for tea.
This is good.
Oppa never turned away a guest who came to visit on purpose. He always offered hospitality and took care of them.
When I entered oppas room, my heart raced. Seniors words werent wrong.
Lady Louise. You spend a lot of time with Carl, but you rarely have time alone.
Two days after Rutis copsed and the day oppa began his probation, Senior came to me quietly to offer advice.
It was unfortunate that oppa was under probation, but she said that it was an opportunity. After all, my usually busy oppa would now have a week with nothing else to do. It was indeed a rare chance.
Being alone together leads to sincere conversations. With no one else around, youll feel more at ease to express your feelings.
I nodded continuously to Seniors precious advice.
The only ce I could see oppa was the club room, but the club room wasnt just made for me and oppa. Even when I wanted to approach him, the gaze of other club members made it hard to move closer.
Yes, it was because of their gazes. I didnt keep quiet because I was scared. If it wasnt for those stares, I would have confessed to oppa long ago.
I know that unrequited love is hard. I dont want my dear junior to experience that.
Senior
I decided it was because of their gazes all for Senior, who showed me such undue consideration. Thats what I chose to believe.
Ah, hows Rutis?
As we were having tea, oppa turned to me and asked. He seemed worried about the harm he might have caused.
And for a brief moment, I felt a pang of jealousy towards Rutis. How could oppa bring up someone elses name when it was just the two of us? That was something I could never tolerate unless it was from Senior herself.
Im d Rutis is a man.
If Rutis was a woman, our friendship might have been put at risk.
Hes getting by as usual. I heard that he was going to visit soon.
Just tell him that staying put and breathing quietly is the best help he can give me.
Iughed awkwardly at oppas firm response. Given Rutiss recent behavior, it was highly unlikely that hed follow any advice to stay away.
Rutis seemed uneasy since oppa received his probation. The absence of someone he saw daily, coupled with the guilt of being the reason for the punishment, seemed to weigh on him.
It seemed he was making his own preparations tofort oppa
Theres a nourishing dish in Armein for those who have been newly released from prison.
Though it seemed a bit off course.
Speaking of which, Louise. I have a favor to ask you.
Oh, yes! Please tell me!
I nodded eagerly at oppas unexpected request.
A favor, he was really asking me for a favor.
Oppa, who always handled things on his own, was asking me for a favor. He wasnt asking Senior, but me!
What is it?
A mix of worry and excitement rushed over me. I wondered what oppa would ask of me, and I also felt overjoyed that I was the one he asked.
Could you bring me the hawthorn nt from the club room? It feels lonely being by myself.
Ah.
This time, my heart started beating for a different reason.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 161: Unshakeable Hawthorn (2)
Chapter 161: Unshakeable Hawthorn (2)
Unshakeable Hawthorn (2)
I stared nkly at the hawthorn nt. It was usually just a part of the background that I didnt pay much attention to, but it caught my eye today for some reason.
No, I knew exactly why. I was painfully aware of the reason behind my fixation.
It feels empty without it around. Its something Im used to seeing in the club room.
His words echoed in my mind, causing me to bite my lip. Maybe I visited too much, making oppa miss the hawthorn nt more than me.
Should I visit less often? But as Senior mentioned, chances to be alone with oppa might be hard toe by again. What should I do?
Louise, whats on your mind?
My endless train of thought was broken by Ainters voice.
I was just looking at the hawthorn.
I flinched for a moment, but I was able to respond calmly. Although I was indeed looking at the hawthorn, it was too embarrassing to exin the reason.
At my response, Ainters gaze also turned to the hawthorn.
It looks lifeless. Maybe its missing its owner.
I nodded absently as he murmured sadly.
While I wasnt sure if it was really missing its owner or it was just our imagination, the hawthorn did seem less vibrant than usual.
Of course, we hadnt neglected it just because oppa was away. Wed been taking good care of it, especially since it was a gift from Irina
Irina.
I almost bit my lip again. I wouldnt feel this way if it was a gift I gave to oppa. The thought of cherishing a gift from someone else made me feel aplex mix of emotions.
I know that Im acting strange. Oppa has every right to receive and treasure gifts from others.
But why was it bothering me so much? Logically speaking, there was no issue with it. Yet, my instincts were sending me a warning.
Gifts
Ive given many gifts to oppa, too. The problem was that they were all consumables that would disappear after being used. A visible gift, like this hawthorn nt, would probably leave a stronger impression.
Yes, I should give him somethingsting, something that would remind him of me every time he saw it.
Would oppa like it if I gave him flowers?
I hesitantly decided to ask Erich. While it wasnt odd for Irina, who was in the gardening club, to give nts as gifts, it felt somewhat awkward for me.
Moreover, should I add another nt to the ones he was already caring for? It might be fine if he enjoyed gardening, but it might be a burden if he were obligated to grow them only because it was a gift.
Him?
Erich stroked his chin, clearly having never considered the idea.
Im not sure.
His response was disappointing. It reminded me that Erich and oppa used to be awkward around each other.
He doesnt have preferences.
Or maybe you just dont know them.
Lather said what I wanted to say.
Everyone had preferences; if they liked something, then there must also be things they disliked.
Its true. Hes always epted whatever he was given ever since we were children.
Erich protested, but his words hardly convinced me.
Oppa wasnt one to wear his heart on his sleeve. Even those close to him would find it hard to decipher his feelings, let alone Erich, with whom he had an awkward rtionship.
Reading my skepticism, Erichs exnation grew longer. He insisted that oppa kept every gift in his room, never threw anything away before it was broken, and never refused anything.
Hyung was solely focused on his training, showing little interest in anything else.
That makes sense. To achieve his skill level, he mustve dedicated himself entirely to training, Rutis agreed, nodding.
Really? Was he so absorbed in his training that he had no time to develop his personal tastes?
Even though they were known to be awkward around each other, it became more convincing when it came from both Erich and Rutis.
Thats too much.
My heart ached in a different way than I expected. So he has been struggling since he was a child.
But hes not picky, so whatever you give him should be fine. I think hell already be satisfied by simply receiving a gift.
Thats a relief.
I managed to say, finally finding something positive.
***
People outside the academy also reached out, perhaps worrying Id get bored.
However, there should really be aw to confiscatemunication crystals from prisoners under house arrest. How dare someone, who was excluded from duty as a prisoner, brazenly keep in touch with society?
Is your probation bearable?
On second thought it was definitely necessary, if only for the sake of my own mental health.
Why are you asking me that when you have more experience than I do?
Well, youre the first one to be put under probation at the academy.
Damn it.
Despite my harsh curse, the ministerughed heartily as if it was refreshing to hear.
So the world has finallye to this. My direct superior, who Ive worked with for four years, finds my suffering amusing rather than sympathizing.
Thats why I do the same. If you receive something, you should return the favor. Its only through give and take that rtionships grow.
Even if history forgets my name, yours will remain.
I couldnte up with a rebuttal to the ministers chuckling remark. He might be remembered as one among many Ministers of Finance, but I had plenty of reasons to be noted in history.
People say you die when youre forgotten, but at this rate, I might just be immortal. That thought alone was terrifying.
Whats the use of living long?
It would only benefit the royal family if I lived long. Ah, living a long life wouldnt be so bad if early retirement was an option. If only it was possible.
I wish you could join me in being remembered. Dont worry. Ill suggest it to His Majesty once its your time to be put on probation.
Dont y games with me.
I spoke sincerely, but the minister cut me off firmly. Hes really being too much.
The conversation continued with questions about what it felt like to be imprisoned and that I would soon find out for myself until the minister quietly mentioned it.
The 2nd Manager returned today.
That seemed to be the main point of the conversation.
Did he receive treatment?
A single eye is easy to treat. Plus, they prioritized his recovery since he was injured on assignment.
I felt relieved to hear that his injuries were properly taken care of. When there were too many injured people, some would sometimes have to live with their injuries for weeks.
How does that manager always get into fights wherever he goes?
Youve had your fair share of brawls, too. Its natural for subordinates to resemble their superiors.
So Im supposed to be like you, then.
How can he say such disgusting things so nonchntly?
And it was a situation where he couldnt avoid being hit.
Did he stumble into a dungeon or something?
If only it were that amusing.
The minister sighed lightly and irritably ran his fingers through his hair.
Why was he so agitated? It had been a while since I had seen him this annoyed.
He encountered the Chauzid tribe.
What?
Damn it. Why were those bastards showing up now?
It was a name I hadnt heard in a long time, and it wasnt a wee one.
They were one of Kagans minions during the war in the North.
Moreover, the entire tribe was notorious for their exceptional archery skills. The tribal chief was even one of the Ten Thousand Warriors, and they were a tribe specialized inbat. No wonder the 2nd Manager got beaten up.
Are they still around?
Given the threat they posed, they were one of the tribes that the empire utterly destroyed. They had high loyalty to Kagan, with most of the adult men participating in the war. We wiped them out in thest battle.
Are they still alive?
We cant be certain. Its just spection based on the 2nd Managers testimony. It could just be a simr tribe
The minister trailed off, seemingly displeased. The northern nomads had distinct characteristics for each tribe. If it was based on testimony, then the chances that it was the Chauzid tribe were high.
This was maddening. Dealing with Kagans lineage was troublesome enough, and now the Chauzid tribe was possibly still out there?
There could be more.
Theres a saying that worrying about things that havent happened is foolish. Yet, the survival of Kagans lineage had already urred.
Just because something happened once didnt mean it would happen again. However, following Kagans lineage, the existence of the Chauzid tribe had also been confirmed. If things continued in this way, then there was no guarantee it wouldnt happen a third or fourth time.
The thought of Kagans forces made my head spin. He was almost on the level of Genghis Khan, leading a near-indestructible force. Even if only half of that force survived, it would still be a disaster.
Im telling you this so youre aware. Dontinter that you heard it from someone else and ask why I didnt tell you.
Understood.
It would have certainly been disappointing to hear this from someone other than the minister.
***
My mind was spinning with thoughts, but I forced myself to calm down. It wasnt like there was much I could do about it anyway since I was under probation. Concern and hatred for the North were like a passive skill for an imperial civil servant; others would handle it well.
Ive brought what you asked for.
Besides, I couldnt show any anxiety in front of Louise, could I?
She didnt evenin despite the sudden errand to shuttle the hawthorn. I felt grateful. Truly
Whats this?
I looked at the hawthorn in Louises left hand and then at the pot in her right hand. Why did ite as a buy one, get one? I was pretty sure I only ordered one.
Its a gift from me!
Louise responded with a bright smile.
I cant help it if its a gift.
It was only proper to gratefully ept gifts.
Thank you. Ill take good care of it.
Since I was already tending to a hawthorn, adding another flower wouldnt be a problem. It might even brighten up the ce.
I chose it carefully because you said you felt empty.
Our club leader is the best.
We wouldnt needws if only everyone in the world were as kind as Marghetta and Louise.
***
Seeing oppas happy expression made me feel proud.
It seems I made a really good decision in choosing the lilies.
Just as I told oppa, I selected it with great care and with all my heart.
I even looked up thenguage of flowers.
I thought that the meaning behind it was as important as how beautiful it looked, so I researched each one. I chose lilies because its meaning appealed to me.
And during that process, I also learned the meaning behind the hawthorn.
Irina
My head went cold at the thought of Irina.
An unexpected challenge rose right from where I least expected it.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Advnced chpters vable on gnsistls.cm
Illustrtins on our discrd discrd.gg/gnsistls
We are Recruiting!
We are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server
Chapter 162: Unshakeable Hawthorn (3)
Chapter 162: Unshakeable Hawthorn (3)
Unshakeable Hawthorn (3)
I slumped over my desk as soon as I arrived in the ssroom. Lately, Ive been feeling utterly drained and unmotivated.
Howe I havent seen him even once?
I havent had a chance to meet with Carl oppa ever since the second semester started. It was as if all the time we spent together during the break had been subtracted from this semester. Enen seemed exceptionally harsh, strictly applying its rules whenever it suited it.
It wasnt just a string of coincidences that prevented our meetings. There were legitimate reasons why I hadnt seen him, which made it all the more frustrating. And there was nowhere to vent my frustrations, too.
If only we were in the same club.
Ive been thinking that every day since the second semester began. I should have just signed up for the pastry club when Louise said she was starting it. I had no idea things would turn out like this.
Last semester, I could visit the pastry club frequently and see him even though I was in the gardening club. But that was only because the gardening club had a rxed schedule, and the seniors were amodating.
Things get really busy at the start of the semester. Just hang in there.
Yes, senior.
Obviously, such amodations couldnt be expected if the club was busy. As senior said, club activities pile up at the beginning of the semester, and it was the samest semester. I was avoiding oppa back then, so it wasnt a problem.
It all came down to the club. This whole tragedy happened because I was in the gardening club and not the pastry club.
Its not like I can just quit now.
I felt more helpless the more I thought about it.
The clubs at the academy werent just for sharing hobbies; they were also a significant part of social circles. With histories spanning decades or even centuries, the number of club alumni spread across the empire was as equally proportional.
Unterally leaving such a socialwork after joining voluntarily? That would definitely make me unpopr with many alumni. I would have neither allies nor enemies if I hadnt joined any club, but leaving after joining would only create enemies.
Just a little longer.
Yes, I should just endure it. No matter how tough it became, it would eventually end. And once it did, I could finally see him again.
Will it be the same next year?
But this thought suddenly plunged me into deeper despair. I was trying to be optimistic, but everything seemed ruined now.
Feeling overwhelmed, I wanted to give up on everything. If I was already feeling like this during the morning, then it was bound tost the whole day. My day was already ruined, so I might as well just sleep it off.
I want to leave early.
Should I just say that I was feeling sick and go home? Being heartbroken also counts as being sick, right?
While I was plotting this minor escapade, someone touched my shoulder.
Are you sleeping, Irina?
I could tell who it was even without looking up at the voice. It was Louise.
I considered pretending to be asleep, but it must be something important if she had gone out of her way to talk to me. Besides, I didnt want to ignore Louise.
No, Im just lying down.
Are you not feeling well?
Lifting my head slightly, I saw Louise looking at me with concern. My mood lightened just a bit.
Im okay. Im just tired.
Really? Thats good to hear.
Seeing her smile made me smile, too. Thanks to her, my heart felt a bit more at peace
Can youe out for a bit? I need to talk to you.
Huh?
Although it was an unexpected request, I didnt refuse. We were just going to a quiet ce for a bit, and it wasnt like we were going far.
Besides, Louise rarely asked for private conversations. While I was curious about what was on her mind, I was also a bit worried. I hope it wasnt anything serious.
Ive never been to this ce before.
Following Louise, we arrived at a ce I had never seen. The academy was so vast that there were many hidden nooks unknown to the students. It was secluded and quiet, a spot seemingly untouched and unknown to others.
Louise really knew how to find such spots. It seemed like the perfect ce for a confidential talk.
Then, as I was looking around, Louise spoke.
Isnt it beautiful? I learned about this ce from a senior.
Yeah, its beautiful.
The area was strewn with flowers, and I couldnt tell whether they were wild or tended. They seemed even more beautiful than a well-kept garden.
As we admired the flowers, I naturally rxed. Although I didnt know why Louise had brought me here, I couldnt afford to be stiff when she was trusting me enough to speak up. I had to offer her the same trust.
Listen, Irina. I need to ask you something.
I braced and prepared myself, knowing that this conversation might be difficult for her. No matter what she said, I was determined not to let it shake me.
Why did you choose a hawthorn nt as a gift for oppa?
Ah.
My resolve crumbled instantly.
Th-that gift?
I tried to sound as nonchnt as possible, but my voice trembled.
It wasnt a recent gift; I had given itst semester. It wasnt a secret gift, either. But why would she ask about it now?
Did she notice?
My heart raced. Louise wouldnt ask me this if she thought that it was a normal gift. She must have realized something.
And the hidden meaning behind that gift was only one thing.
My only love.
Remembering the hawthorns symbolic meaning made my hands tremble. Although it wasnt my intended message, the hawthorn was more famously associated with the meaning of my only love.
Someone else had discovered it. That embarrassing, unintended confession had been exposed. I felt an urge to flee right then and there.
No.
I should calm down. Being found out wasnt necessarily a problem.
Yes, its embarrassing and awkward. I havent even confessed to him, and someone else found out about my true feelings. But whats wrong with liking someone? Theres nothing wrong with that.
I chose it because of its beautiful symbolism. I dont think he knows it, though.
Even if I was still too nervous to be honest with him, I didnt want to lie to others.
The hawthorns flowernguage means my only love.
So, I said it with confidence.
To me, hes exactly that.
It felt a bit strange that the first person I was opening up to about this wasnt oppa but Louise.
But it should be okay since it was Louise. It was quitemon to seek rtionship advice from a close friend.
Grit
What was that sound?
***
I unconsciously gritted my teeth after hearing Irinas confession.
It was true. Irina liked oppa, too. I had hoped that wasnt the case and wished that it was just my misunderstanding.
She liked him first.
No matter how I looked at it, she already had feelings for him from the moment she gave him the hawthorn. That was even before I came to terms with my own feelings during the vacation.
An inexplicable sense of anger began to spread through my heart. No, I knew the reason why. It was infuriating to know that there was someone else ahead of me other than Senior.
I would understand if it were Senior. If it were her, Id have no choice but to ept.
You stayed silent, too.
Irina wasnt proactive like Senior. She was silent, just like me, and had also given him many gifts.
But I met him first.
I was the one who was close to him first.
It should be me first. I shouldnt have to yield to anyone else
Louise, whats wrong? Are you feeling okay?
Irinas concerned voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
Seeing Irinas face reminded me of everything weve been through. Meeting her for the first time, bing friends, ying together,ughing together, and even fighting at times.
Im such a fool.
The bitterness consuming me turned into self-loathing. How could I feel this way about Irina, of all people? What was I thinking to harbor resentment against such a precious friend? Plus, it was thanks to Irina that I even had a chance.
If it werent for her, I wouldnt even know I had a chance. Senior may have given me permission, but it was Irina who gave me the opportunity. To harbor anger against such a person would be shameless of me.
Yes, shameless.
How ugly can I get?
I felt ridiculous while reflecting on my actions. Foolish, cowardly, and without dignity. Why was I acting like this?
Despite my frustrations and desires, there were feelings I shouldnt entertain. Blinded by love, I was about to throw away a precious friendship that had brought me blessings.
Even the question I asked earlier was strange. Why did I ask about the hawthorn? Was that something you should ask someone who gave a gift? What right did I have to interrogate Irina?
Tears welled up in my eyes.
***
It was disconcerting. Anyone would be flustered in this situation.
Im sorry, so so s-sorry
After standing there dazedly for a while, Louise suddenly burst into tears and started sobbing.
I couldnt understand why she was apologizing. However, calming her down was the priority, so Iforted her and wiped her face.
I-I also like him and hearing that you, Irina, like him too
As I dabbed her face with a handkerchief, she continued her fragmented, emotional confession through sobs.
So thats what it was.
I understood the whole picture after piecing her broken words together.
It was jealousy. She was jealous because I liked the same person she did.
I understood. Even though having multiple wives wasnt rare, it was only natural to feel sad when the man you love was with other women.
Its okay. Youve been honest about it.
Expressing such sadness openly was actually a healthy way to deal with it. Some hid their feelings only tosh out at critical moments or show cold disregard or contempt. Compared to that, crying and venting wereparatively cute.
That aside, it was unexpected. If Louise liked someone, I thought it would be one of the five.
Im really sorry, I was wrong
Its okay, really.
As I inadvertently looked at Louise, she started sobbing again.
Why did she call me out here if this was going to happen? It was hard to tell if she was strong or delicate.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 163: Unshakeable Hawthorn (4)
Chapter 163: Unshakeable Hawthorn (4)
Unshakeable Hawthorn (4)
I couldnt tell how long I held Louise in my arms,forting her as she cried more than I ever realized she could. After all, she was usually always smiling.
Are you feeling better now?
Mhm
She buried her face in my chest, seemingly too embarrassed to look up.
I guess you really didnt like me liking him that much.
I teased her gently, and she snuggled even closer as if to say that she was sorry and silently asked me not to say any more about it.
She was unexpectedly cute. Though it was Louise who usually soughtfort from me, her actions strangely reminded me of my younger siblings.
When would we get another moment like this? But pushing her further might make her cry more, so I should leave it at that.
But you know, getting angry with me wont change anything. The decision isnt mine to make.
I feltpelled to add that. Even if Louise hated the idea, hating me wouldnt change the situation since Lady Marghetta was the prime candidate for the first wife. If Louise wanted to be with oppa, shed have to plead her case to thedy.
Louise didnt even know multiple marriages were possible, let alone how crucial the first wifes approval was.
I already have seniors approval.
Hearing Louise mumble that within my arms made me doubt my ears. Senior?
If we were talking about the same person, it could only mean thedy. Louise had thedys approval?
Really? You mean Lady Marghetta?
Yes, she told me to give it my best. She said shed support me
I became speechless. While I was thinking that we were at a dead end, Louise had already cleared the biggest hurdle.
And it wasnt just any approval; it was practically an endorsement.
Already?
It was astounding. Thedy had be closer to oppa during the break, and it hadnt even been half a year since school resumed. The momentum Louise had gained by securing thedys approval was unbelievable.
And why did she use that momentum on me? With thedys approval, my feelings should seem trivial inparison.
Feeling almost deceived, I hugged Louise tighter. Was Louise, who had already been granted permission, keeping me, who didnt have it yet, in check?
Despite Louises squirming, I didnt let go. Just a little longer.
***
ss was almost starting, so we decided to meet again during the break. Louises jealousy subsided quickly, but I still had questions for her.
Tell me.
H-huh?
I pulled Louise aside for a heart-to-heart, or rather, an interrogation, as soon as break time started. The suspense had been killing me.
How did you get thedys permission?
I thought it would be difficult. Thedy and oppas rtionship had already been confirmed, so why would she allow another wife?
I figured itd be easier to create a good rtionship with oppa than to seek thedys approval.
I was wrong.
Someone who had negotiated with thedy before even dealing with oppa was right here. Whats going on?
I looked at Louise eagerly, and she avoided my eyes. Louise, I trust you. I believe in our friendship and that youd share it with me.
The truth is, I dont really know.
At those words, I began to doubt if our friendship was that shallow.
No, I mean it! Senior came to me first!
She mustve sensed my frustration because she quickly added.
Hearing that thedy sought her out for a conversation raised my eyebrows. I couldnt picture Louise initiating a meeting with thedy, but the reverse seemed equally strange.
A chill ran down my spine as I thought of thedy warning someone who could be eyeing her position. But the idea that she would willingly ept them if her position was respected made my heart race.
So, it wasnt about being the only wife, but being the first?
Thedy didnt desire to be the sole wife; she wanted to be the first.
Then, there should be no problem. I would never dream of surpassing thedy even in my wildest dreams.
I felt a spark of hope. I thought the door was firmly locked, but the key was here all along.
Hey, Irina.
Yes? What is it?
A smile naturally spread across my face as my mood improved, and my smile widened even more when I realized that I wouldnt have known the good news if it werent for Louise.
Louise really was my best friend. Ive always had faith in our friendship.
Would you like to go see senior with me?
She was truly the best friend anyone could ask for.
***
We decided it would be rude to just drop in on such an important matter without notice, so we agreed to make an appointment first.
Even if thedy was open to the idea of sharing her husband, showing up unannounced to say, Lets share your husband! was out of the question. If I were her, Id tell someone off immediately for suggesting such a thing.
Ill arrange the meeting. You should go see oppa.
Go see oppa?
Yes. Oppa is currently under probation.
It took me a moment to grasp what that meant. Probation? In the academy?
Wow
And when I finally understood, I couldnt help but sigh in amazement. The world of civil servants was a tough one, and it was definitely not for me. I made a mental note never to get involved.
Since hes under probation, you can at least offer him somefort.
I nodded at that. I had seriously considered visiting him after school hours if I couldnt meet him during club time.
But a student visiting the Prosecutors quarters without a proper reason would be difficult to justify, especially considering the dignity of a nobledy. However, the pretext of visiting an acquaintance under probation, would eliminate those two obstacles.
It wont be strange at all.
I could confidently visit oppa. For the first time since the semester started, I would have a chance to see him alone.
Its rare to get a moment alone with him, so you might as well take this opportunity.
Louise
I felt tears of gratitude forming. She must want to spend time with him, too.
Does this make up for earlier?
Louises giggles made me nod repeatedly. I wasnt really angry, but I decided to forgive her anyway.
***
I never understood people who grew nts instead of animals before. Buttely, I understood.
It gives peace of mind.
Watching my children grow so lushly filled me with pride. They didnt talk back, didnt cause headaches, and thrived on their own if left alone. Besides, all I needed to do was to ensure that they got enough water and sunlight.
Where else could you find such perfectpanions? It only took minimum effort for maximum joy.
Theyre beautiful.
The hawthorn and lilies looked even more beautiful next to each other. The fact that they were both white made me feel like I was being purified.
I gently touched the petals of both nts. While I didnt expect the lilies toe with the hawthorn, it was a cherished gift nheless. Lets stick together until graduation, away from this corrupt academy and to the Prosecutors Office
Well, the Prosecutors Office was no less corrupt. Was there really no more ce where corruption didnt exist?
Im sorry that you got such a lousy owner.
My poor children deserved a better ce to thrive in. And yet here they were, stuck with a civil servant for an owner.
As I was bonding with my nts, I heard a knock at the door. It was about time for Louise to arrive, and she was as punctual as ever.
The doors open. Come in.
I always left the door unlocked whenever I was expecting Louise. After all, no one else would visit except for Marghetta or Louise.
But as the door opened, a peek of blonde hair appeared through the gap.
Hello, oppa.
Irina?
My bad. There was someone else who visited.
My gaze briefly shifted to the hawthorn. Was it because of its presence that Irina came to my room immediately?
Maybe its a totem.
The idea that it could attract people was intriguing. I thought it was just pretty, but this nt seemed to be extraordinary.
Its been a while. How have you been?
Although I was curious, I redirected my attention back to Irina. It would be rude not to properly engage with a guest who made an effort to visit.
Ive been fine. I came after hearing news about you.
Embarrassing news, that is.
I couldnt help but let out a chuckle at Irinas words. She probably heard about my probation from Louise or Erich and decided to offer some constion.
Regardless, I felt grateful. Considering how Irina used to avoid me, this was significant progress.
But wheres Louise?
I told her it was alright toe, so it worried me not to see her when she was usually around. I hope nothing serious has happened.
Oh, she had other matters to attend to. Its nothing serious.
Thats good then.
Irina spoke nonchntly, but her bright demeanor was obvious to anyone passing by.
I guess it really wasnt anything serious.
***
An unexpected visitor arrived.
Oh, Lady Louise?
This was strange. Louise usually visited Carl at this time, didnt she? I heard from Carl himself that she visited him morning and evening.
Hello, senior. Im sorry foring unannounced.
Thats alright. Oh, please sit. Would you like some tea?
Yes, thank you.
I got up to prepare the tea. Well, she mustvee for something important. Louise wasnt one to act without purpose.
As I was brewing the tea, I heard Lady Louises voice from behind.
I have something to ask you, senior.
But I hadnt expected her to get straight to the point.
Yes, go ahead.
Still, I preferred directness to beating around the bush.
Lady Louise was fidgeting with her fingers when I turned around, seemingly mustering up the courage to speak.
Would it be alright to have three?
What?
Her unexpected question caught me off guard. Three what?
Is she talking about children?
Well, I suppose having at least three would be nice.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 164: Unshakeable Hawthorn (5)
Chapter 164: Unshakeable Hawthorn (5)
Unshakeable Hawthorn (5)
Thest day of my probation finally arrived. Its a relief that nothing happened over the week.
I guess Enen did have a conscience. Beating someone who had already been beaten by another was just too petty and cruel. There was a protection period for beginners even in games, and those whose main bases had been heavily attacked usually had a grace period where they couldnt be invaded again.
Was I being too nervous?
Thinking back, the club members have been quiet for the second semester. Instead of trying to impress Louise with outrageous antics like before, they seemed content to enjoy their school life in a more ordinary manner.
Besides, there were people like the principal or Sir Vir to support me even if something did happen. It seems that I just felt more at ease when I was handling things myself. This might be a problem.
Ive developed a ve mentality.
I sighed in frustration. After four years, Ivee to see the chains around my ankles as something normal. It wasnt like I was a servant who was trying to curry favor with a master.
What filled my sight when I lifted my gaze was Marghetta as she drank tea.
I dont think you should be a civil servant, Mar.
What?
Marghettas eyes widened in surprise at my out-of-the-blue remark.
To be honest, Marghetta had no particr desire to be a civil servant, and I also asionally mentioned that being a civil servant wasnt a good fit for me, either. It was just that I had never made such a contextless statement before.
However, the thought that Marghetta might end up like a servant as I did and how sad that would be made it impossible for me to hold back.
If youre not allowing me to be a civil servant, then what? Will you take responsibility for me?
Marghetta blinked for a moment then smiled mischievously. Seeing that made me smile as well. She was definitely getting more aggressive day by day.
Its a shame. She looked so cute back when she was bashful, but now she spoke so calmly and wasnt even blushing anymore.
No matter what you do, Ill take responsibility.
Really? Thats reassuring.
But the fact that her defense was still weak made it less disappointing. Thefort of seeing her be embarrassed after initiating a conversation herself was something else.
Is she seeking confirmation?
Seeing Marghetta blush quietly while sipping her tea made me think so. Perhaps this was her own way of seeking reassurance about affection.
I rejected her marriage proposalst year, and I also gently pushed her away when we met again at the academy despite being aware of her feelings. How could anyone remain unaffected after such an experience?
Even if she was outwardly fine, it wouldnt be surprising for her to develop an affection deficiency. Perhaps that was why she was seekingforting words to fill that void.
What a predicament.
Just exactly how much of an ass was I in the past?
Carl, I have a question.
Oh, yes. Feel free to ask.
Marghettas voice managed to dispel the creeping sense of self-loathing I had towards myself.
Um, by any chance
Her hesitation made me curious. It wasnt like Marghetta to hesitate, so what did she want to ask about?
But pressuring her would only make it harder for her to speak. I should just wait
What do you think about having multiple wives?
Patiently?
What?
What kind of question was that?
I mean, I understood the words she used, but what did she mean by them?
***
Seeing Carls confused look almost made me sigh.
I fully understood his feelings. Initiating this conversation was already making my head spin, so I couldnt even start to imagine how must Carl feel.
I didnt have to do this.
I feel both foolish and pathetic. Why was I doing this when there was no need for me to go this far?
Putting in a good word about Louise to Carl was something I could do. It was entirely within my capacity. However, giving these tant hints was on a different level altogether. It might even turn him off.
Still, what was done was done. Ive already let it slip.
Actually theres another person who likes oppa.
I remembered what Lady Louise said yesterday. At the time, I almost dropped the teapot. To think that her question about being okay with having three was actually about this
Thinking back on it, it wasnt such a shocking statement. If a man was attractive in my eyes, then he was likely attractive to others, too. It wouldnt be strange if others had a crush on Carl that I didnt know about.
The only thing that mattered was why she brought it up in front of me.
Irina also wishes to be with oppa. That is if you would allow it
She followed it up with a lengthy exnation, but it was easy to understand what she was getting at.
In summary, she wasnt aspiring to be the first wife but was asking for permission to be considered for the next position. She wanted to say this herself but couldnt just visit suddenly, so she hoped toe by tomorrow.
Honestly, hearing this from Lady Louise was quite abrupt, but it felt different from a surprise visit by the person in question or getting an early heads-up from a third party.
Its been a while, Lady Irina.
So, we finally met. Although I had my reservations, I didnt reject her.
I was aware that Lady Irinas family, the Count of Yorun, suffered due to the Prosecutors Office. Father even tsked, asking how such a mess could happen.
And now, the victim had fallen for Carl, the Prosecutors Offices Executive Manager. I couldnt even begin to imagine how tough that journey must have been.
Its not my ce to say anything.
How could one interfere with someone elses feelings, especially when she had been fretting over it in her own way?
If your feelings for Carl are sincere, then I wont stand in your way.
Th-thank you!
Seeing her disy of happiness made me feel like I had made the right decision.
But did Lady Irina know that my consent wouldnt be the end of it? Considering Carls past, the road ahead might not be so smooth.
If Carl doesnt ept Lady Louise and Lady Irina, if he pushes them away and they end up hurt
Its no good.
They would likely endure the same pain Ive gone through over the past year.
Polygamy ismon among high nobility, isnt it? I was just wondering what Carl thinks about it.
Well, yes. Its quitemon for some to have multiple wives.
That was how we hade to this point. I spoke up because I wondered if Carl might stick to monogamy, forever pushing those two away.
It was just nosiness on my part. I had nothing to lose by remaining silent. In fact, considering that I could have Carls love all to myself, it might even be better to stay quiet.
But how could I? I couldnt just keep my mouth shut after knowing that someone I knew was about to tread a thorny path.
Do they even know how hard Im working for them?
The thought of the twodies faces almost made meugh. No, this was all on me; I couldnt take credit or use it as an excuse to incur a debt.
Is there really anything to be considered a debt in the first ce?
What I was doing was merely asking Carls opinion and trying to positively influence him towards epting multiple wives. Regardless of what I say, there was nothing to be done if Carl himself disliked the idea.
Yes, this wasnt a debt. I was just doing this because I wanted to.
***
An insignificantment can sometimes stick itself in someones mind. That was the case right now.
Polygamy.
The word continued to echo in my mind even after Marghetta left.
Truth be told, Ive never really cared whether someone had multiple wives or only had one. Using the mindset of a modern person to protest How old-fashioned! wouldnt quite work here. After all, rofan settings often mirrored medieval periods or early modern Europe.
Moreover, wouldnt I have to challenge the ss system itself if I were to criticize polygamy? Itd be a bit odd for me to enjoy life as a noble and then suddenly make a fuss about it.
If their feelings are mutual, then it doesnt matter if there are many. Its not like we live in an era where people are forced into marriage, so it should be fine.
That was what I replied to Marghetta. With the emperor and the dukes having multiple wives, not to mention the nobility below them, opposing polygamy would only make me seem like a dissenter.
If the feelings are mutual Yes, thats what matters.
She nodded in approval, seemingly pleased with the answer.
What on earth is happening?
Although it seemed like I had chosen the right answer, I still wasnt sure what her intention was. But it should be alright since it passed without incident right?
Yes. It was enough as long as Marghetta was happy. What could be more important than that?
And since nothing happened up to thest day of my probation, it was more than enough.
***
I forgot the saying Its not over until its over.
Ah, Advisor, long time no see! How have you been?
Fine.
Things were really fine until you came. Why bothering when were going to see each other tomorrow anyway?
I managed to suppress the urge to retort and nodded. After all, I couldnt just tell someone who came to visit me to get lost or ask why he came.
Calm down. Even though this guy gave me a hard time in the first semester, he hadnt done anything now. Besides, this probation was a result of my actions towards Rutis. This was a heartwarming story of a victiming tofort the aggressor.
It took longer than I expected to prepare. I was worried it might be toote, but fortunately, its just in time for thest day!
Rutisughed and handed me a box.
This is invigorating food for a released prisoner.
This bastard.
Whats with the wording? Just call it invigorating food.
Its quite a famous dish, but Ive never had the chance to see it for myself.
I see.
Giving a prince food meant for a prisoner would make them a traitor, after all.
I cautiously opened the box at his urging despite the rising unease, revealing a white cake.
Cake?
Why is it so in?
And a cake for a released prisoner?
Upon closer inspection of the cakes surface, the number 1377 was engraved on it. What was that about?
Normally, the prisoners number should be there. But since the advisor doesnt have one, I used this years date instead.
Ha.
I burst intoughter. This bastard. His joke was actually funny this time.
After sending Rutis away, Iughed again when I found out that the cake was made of *tofu and not flour.
I guess being confined for a week makes even the smallest things funny.
FOOTNOTES:
*Tofu The idea of eating tofu after being released from prison is a very unique cultural concept tied to the Koreannguage and culture. For Koreans, the color white is a symbol of peace, freshness, and purity. In short, giving tofu to someone who has just been released is simr to congratting them on their chance at a fresh start.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 165: A Walking Textbook (1)
Chapter 165: A Walking Textbook (1)
A Walking Textbook (1)
I felt a warm and beautiful feeling after leaving the dormitory after a long time, although it had actually only been just a week. Now, it was time to return to being Prosecutor Carl Krasius.
[Congrattions on your release.]
Jerk.
But that warmth suddenly cooled. That damned Crown Prince mustve been excited about sending this message and timing it just right. Does he have nothing better to do?
But then again, I should put myself in his shoes. If the Crown Prince was going to be released today after being put under probation by the emperor, then I could somewhat understand why he was doing this. After all, I would have done the same. I cant stand being taunted.
Release, my foot.
I wish he would use the proper way to word it, though. It wasnt imprisonment; it was just probation. Why was he acting like it was imprisonment when he was the one who decided on probation?
I couldnt evenugh it off because writing just one more report wouldnd me in the actual prison. Were the capitals prisons warm?
Even if it were, it would probably be colder than mymunication crystal.
[Youve been through a lot.]
[Ive heard youre returning to work. Please let me know if you need anything.]
[There havent been any issues for the past week. Please return at your ease.]
The influx of messages warmed up mymunication crystal. In turn, my heart regained its warmth.
This was how it should be. This was the right way to send greetings. My time at the academy wasnt wasted, after all.
These areing from people Ive known for less than a year.
The Principal, the Vice Principal, and Vir were people I only met in March. Ive seen the Principal at official imperial events, but we only exchanged greetings.
Compared to that, Ive known the Crown Prince for two years, but what a piece of work he was.
[Congrattions to the end of your third penalty! Ill give you tofu if youe to the capital!]
I quietly put away mymunication crystal after seeing the message from the 1st Manager.
I was reminded again that there was a worst among the worst.
***
I promised Marghetta that she would be the first person I would visit after my probation ended. Though there was that small incident where the demon of lust influenced me, a promise was still a promise.
How can a person build trust if they cant even keep such a small promise?
You really came here first?
I promised Mar, so of course Im here.
Besides, I didnt really have anywhere else to go apart from the club room. I suppose she overestimated my range of activities.
Fufu, thank you.
But I didnt want to ruin Marghettas happiness, so I held back any unnecessaryments.
Meeting Carl is good, but please make it so that I dont have toe looking for you first.
Ill try.
She made a somewhat grumpy request for me not to undergo another bizarre probation at the academy.
I replied that I would try, but it was honestly not up to me. The Crown Princes mindset was beyond myprehension.
Moreover, Marghetta wouldnt be able toe looking for me even if she wanted to if I was penalized with regr probation or imprisonment.
There wouldnt be a need for her to look for me.
The prison was in the capital. Since Marghetta was a student, she wouldnt even be able to attempt a visit.
Anyway, it was no different from a monkeys paw wish.
Of course, I didnt say this out loud.
After lounging around for a few more hours, I headed to the club room. I wondered if she would bring up the polygamy topic like yesterday, but she didnt mention it. Why that came up in the first ce remained a mystery to me.
***
My steps to the club room felt light. Finally, it was the day oppa was released.
No, he wasnt released. It was just the end of his probation. Rutis kept calling it released, so I ended up saying it too.
I mustnt make a mistake.
Talking about release in front of oppa, who likely felt bitter about being put on probation, would only deepen his wounds. Thats something I absolutely cannot do.
It would be embarrassing to make a mistake in front of him when I havent seen him in a while. Although I visited him every day, seeing him in the club room felt different.
I liked our private meetings, too. But the club room was filled with my memories of oppa, and that made it even more special.
A week flies by, doesnt it?
Erich said nonchntly as I gathered my resolve.
Hearing that, I couldnt help but nce at Erich. Even if oppa wasnt facing severe discipline or a well-being issue, thatment seemed too indifferent.
Have you ever gone to meet oppa?
It was a question of whether he had done his familial duty.
Come to think of it, this mess started when Erich chose oppa for the four-person event. He also seemed apologetic when Rutis fainted.
I was going to, but then I changed my mind.
Erichs expression as he said this looked somewhat bitter.
Someone told everything to Mother.
Everything?
About her second son being dumped.
It was my turn to quietly lower my gaze.
Because I was the one who rejected him.
Moreover, the thought of my mother looking at me with pity after hearing that I was rejected by Carl oppa felt heart-wrenching. And I certainly wouldnt have the courage to face the person who spoke needlessly to my mother.
Oppa went too far.
This was definitely oppas fault.
That was something not even I can defend.
But something felt off. If oppa told their mother that Erich was rejected
How much did he say?
A chill ran down my spine. It would be considered unfortunate if oppa had simply said that Erich had been rejected. But what if he also mentioned who did the rejecting?
Then I would be thedy who rejected my second son to oppas mother. And such ady wanted to be the eldest sons wife.
Wow.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily. What a situation. Mother would probably disapprove.
I hope thats not the case. I hope oppa didnt go into detail.
Hes here.
Erichs words made me quickly lift my head. Light was spilling through the club rooms window.
Strange. I had been so eager to see oppa just moments ago, but now I felt hesitant.
However, the tension filling my chest dissipated the moment I saw oppa.
Oppa.
Ah, youre here?
Seeing him wave and greet me brought a slight smile to my face.
Thats right. What was the use of worrying now? If oppa had already told his mother in detail, then I just had to work hard on making a good impression from now on. And if he hadnt, then that was a relief.
Lets not worry.
Honestly, I was looking too far ahead right now considering the current uncertain state of my rtionship with oppa.
This was a sad assessment, but it was simr to trying to run before I could walk.
Rutis came, but you didnt even show your face.
I sent a gift instead. You received it from Rutis, didnt you?
Did you prepare that too?
I bought the box.
Oppa was having a strange argument with Erich when I turned to him again. He normally wouldnt act like this, but it seemed that oppa was quite bored during his probation.
***
Several days have passed since the probation ended. Still, nothing special had happened.
It was getting to the point where I was starting to feel anxious. How big of a storm was brewing beneath the calmness?
Its scarier when its quiet.
There was aw of effort conservation in this world. It was either you rx now and hustle like madter, or you keep a consistent pace. Either way, you had to meet your quota.
So, this peace was no different from the calm before the storm. Thankfully, it hadnt led to a situation where the ipetent one was revealed yet.
Itll work out somehow.
Ive been worrying alone while living the life of an Academy Prosecutor for several months. I suppose I was starting to learn how to think positively.
Yes, it would work out somehow. After all, I wasnt the only civil servant at this academy.
Thinking that while taking a bite of a cookie surprisingly soothed my mind.
Thanks, you jerk.
Months of struggling and then being under probation made me realize that what I needed to do was to let go.
Could it be that the Crown Prince took on the role of the viin to give me this realization?
Itsplicated, isnt it?
Is it because the names are different from ours?
Voices broke through my reverie.
Turning around, I saw the members fidgeting with pens instead of their usual flour and eggs.
Theyre hard at work.
There was always that teacher who enjoyed springing pop quizzes. It seemed that the academy had its fair share of them too since it was a ce where many people gathered.
Maybe it was their small mercy that they didnt give it as a surprise test this time, though being informed the day before an exam hardly seems merciful.
Thanks to that, the members were cramming knowledge as if their lives depended on it. Given their royal and noble statuses, failing wasnt an option.
How do you trante Sareitou Dobra G?
It refers to the G of the Dobra n, which rules over the Sareitou tribe.
Whats the difference between a tribe and a n again?
Erichs defeated muttering filled the air. He looked like a college student overwhelmed by assignments.
History, of all things.
The name sounded familiar, so it probably had something to do with the North. I didnt expect to hear that bastards name at the academy.
Watching them for a while, I approached the members. I had nothing else to do, and since I knew something, I might as well speak up.
Think of a n as a family. The head of the family would be the n chief.
The members attention focused on me.
A group of such ns forms a tribe. Usually, the chief of thergest n bes the tribal chief. Its simr to our concepts of territories and lords.
Oh.
Erich nodded, understanding. It wasnt tooplicated, anyways. It was just a matter of different terminology.
And this is written incorrectly. Its not Sareitou but Sarei, and not G but T.''
I corrected their spelling errors as well. Getting the tribes name wrong was one thing, but what was G? A show?
Despite my helpful correction, Erich just blinked.
Uh, oppa. The teacher taught us this way
I shook my head as Louise spoke.
They might have taught it wrong. The script in the North is different, so I guess they misinterpreted it.
I dont know who the teacher was, but they cant know better than me. Ive even been formally introduced to that bastard.
I am Sarei Dobra T! The sword of the great Kagan, the fury of the wolf!
Thinking back, it seemed absurd. What was he doing while running around with a knife in his throat?
But you should probably write it as he taught you to. Dont mind what I said.
Ah, okay.
The trantion error was funny, though. Mr. G Show, the fury of the wolf.
***
Apparently, it wasnt just Louise who cared.
The day after I corrected G to T, a teacher unexpectedly stormed into the club room. What was happening? It was still morning; werent there sses going on?
Prosecutor! Im really, really sorry, but could you possibly spare some time!?
However, his overwhelming enthusiasm made it impossible to say no.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 166: A Walking Textbook (2)
Chapter 166: A Walking Textbook (2)
? A Walking Textbook (2) ?
The people in the club room were pretty much the same: the club members, Marghetta, Sir Vir, the Vice Principal asionally, and sometimes, Irina. There weren¡¯t many others who came by.
In that sense, the person before me was the first new visitor I¡¯d seen in quite some time. Should I give them a gift?
¡°I¡¯m sorry for the sudden visit, but I was so eager to seek advice from the Prosecutor that I just had toe!¡±
And it seemed that this new visitor might actually be hoping for a gift from me.
Lucky me. I was worried about how to host them since I didn¡¯t really have anything to offer.
¡°Please take a seat. Let¡¯s slowly discuss what brings you here.¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
So, I guided the guest to a seat. It wouldn¡¯t do to keep them standing.
¡®Rumors do travel fast.¡¯
The visitor introduced himself as Gerhardt, a history teacher. His face was flushed with exertion, maybe because he came rushing in.
He must havee because of thements I made to the members yesterday. Otherwise, there was no reason for such an abrupt visit.
¡®How did he hear about it?¡¯
I told the kids to follow what they learned and not to worry about what I said. And yet, here we were, not even 24 hourster.
Whatever happened this morning was a mystery, but it didn¡¯t matter. Someone who seemed ready to spill everything without being asked had arrived.
¡°Is it alright if I call you Mr. Gerhardt?¡±
¡°Yes! Please, feel free!¡±
A mix of enthusiasm and excitement made Gerhardt¡¯s voice booming. I¡¯ve only ever heard such a voice from a minister who was demanding more budget.
I should probably start by making him feelfortable.
¡°A single gold coin can feed the children of an orphanage, and ten silver coins can ensure a warm winter for the poor people of an entire city!¡±
¡°Understood. Now, please go back. Isn¡¯t it enough if I just give more?¡±
Thus began what could only be described as a verbal sparring match, though it was more like a one-sided moral barrage from the Minister of Welfare.
Anyway, telling someone to calm down in such a situation tended to backfire. They would eventually settle down at their own pace.
¡°Understood. So, Mr. Gerhardt, you wanted my advice?¡±
I had a rough idea, but I still asked out of courtesy.
Gerhardt would surely calm down once he began exining his reason for visiting.
***
History was the culture of the nobility. It was important to know the events each country had gone through and the rise and fall of each noble house. This knowledge formed the basis of social interactions for nobles and was equally important formoner students who frequently interacted with nobility.
But that was as far as it went. While the education was broad because it was a required subject, it didn¡¯t delve deeply. It was treated as part of general knowledge rather than a subject for specialized study. That was the extent of history¡¯s significance in society.
Moreover, the current history curriculum was focused primarily on the empire. The histories of other nations were less acknowledged.
¡®What about the nomads?¡¯
Nomads were just that¡ªnomads. They were considered beings wandering the north, never united to form a significant force. Therefore, they were deemed unworthy of study and was known only for their ¡®way of life.¡¯
That was the historical view of nomads until four years ago.
Four years ago, the nomads united to form a significant force, establishing their own system and confronting the empire in their own way. They could no longer be dismissed as subjectscking research value.
¡®It was a challenge due to theck of sources.¡¯
The problem was theck of means to study, even if one wanted to. The academic world hadn¡¯t ignored the nomads for centuries without reason.
Indeed, they were deemed unworthy of attention. However, there were asionally adventurous schrs who attempted to study the nomads, only to end up wasting their time without any fruitful oue. There was a reason for that.
Nomads did have their scripts, but they varied from tribe to tribe. Even the lifespan of these scripts was short. Add to these the fact that nomads were bad at maintaining records, and you had a heap of challenging conditions.
There was a brief hope when the Gar tribe unified the nomads, potentially heralding an era of amon script. However, it copsed within two years without anyone having time to record anything significant.
¡®We have to face it head-on.¡¯
The thought alone was daunting, but there was no other way. Those in need must put in the effort.
Of course, it was far from easy. Records about nomads were scarce, and the nomads¡¯ own records were even scarcer. Moreover, the scripts used in the records varied greatly, including some that were no longer in use.
Because of that, we had to be meticulous in our research, almost like taking something apart piece by piece. Our progress was slow, but it was progress nheless. It was also highly likely that we made many mistakes, but at least we tried.
¡°Here it is, sir.¡±
¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±
And then, a breakthrough unexpectedly urred.
¡°Sarei Dobra T?¡±
My gaze froze as I scanned Tannian¡¯s submitted answer sheet.
My hand trembled for a moment. I had taught them ¡®Sareitou Dobra G.¡¯
¡®How can this be?¡¯
This name had been one of the most challenging to interpret. I had deliberated between ¡®Sarei¡¯ and ¡®Sareitou¡¯ before deciding on thetter, a decision I hadn¡¯t shared with anyone.
¡°Tannian, what is this answer?¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Tannian eximed as if realizing his mistake.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wrote it incorrectly.¡±
I was about to let it slide with a light smile, but I couldn¡¯t. This could be a significant opportunity for research and interpretation. Did the Holy Kingdom keep any separate records?
After that, I finally got the truth out of Tannian, who had been avoiding answering.
¡®The advisor.¡¯
The advisor of the pastry club and the academy¡¯s prosecutor.
Hearing the truth not only sent shivers down my spine but also a thrill. The answer was closer than I thought.
At that moment, my schrly passion overcame human fear.
***
I almost apuded Gerhardt¡¯s passionate speech. The courage he showed in seeking me out voluntarily to uncover the truth was truly touching.
¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell you as much as I know.¡±
¡°Thank you, thank you so much!¡±
So, I promised to offer whatever advice I could. Brave individuals deserve appropriate rewards.
Moreover, there was no need to be discreet since the emperor himself had allowed the name of the Six Swords to spread. The more people knew about the North, the faster their names would spread.
Then, I could assist as many times as necessary. A little inconvenience was a small price for a decent oue.
¡®The stronger the enemy, the better the reputation.¡¯
A prime example of this was how Guan Yu became famous for capturing generals like Yan Liang and Wen Chou. If he had caught only lesser figures like Mu An or Yang Hong, he wouldn¡¯t have been as famous.
***
Continuing the discussion in the pastry club room felt somewhat unbnced, so we relocated. That was when I sensed a familiar scent in the new location.
¡®This is a professor¡¯sb.¡¯
The realization was dizzying. I hadn¡¯t expected to encounter a situation simr to the one I had narrowly escaped from before my possession here.
Something stirred in a corner and caught my eye. This waspletely like a scene from a university¡
¡°Please, make yourselffortable! Miss Christina, could you prepare some tea for our guest?¡±
¡°Yes¡¡±
I nearly closed my eyes at the drawn-out voice. Yes, it was indeed the ve I was thinking of.
Still, I deliberately looked away. ves who had voluntarily forsaken their rights were the most hurt by the pitying gazes of others.
Though I couldn¡¯t fathom why they would make such a choice, they must have had their reasons. After all, I somehow ended up as a civil servant myself.
¡°I can¡¯t express how grateful I am that the Prosecutor has agreed to help.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
Gerhardt ced a stack of papers on the desk while beaming. Were these all sources?
¡®There¡¯s more than I thought.¡¯
I heard they were struggling with ack of sources, but perhaps this was still not considered enough for a schr.
Gerhardt seemed to understand my expression and smiled awkwardly.
¡°These include my personal interpretations and also some work by Miss Christina.¡±
¡°You must have put in a lot of effort.¡±
The thought of them wringing out everyst drop from the scant sources they had made me feel solemn. Such passion could lead to sess in any field, and yet it was invested in this challenging one.
Still, I couldn¡¯t just tell someone who had working hard that they were on a path to nowhere, especially since spreading the history of the North would benefit me as well.
I casually picked up a part of the stack and began to sift through it. I figured I should correct all the typos first before discussing anything else.
Then, something caught my eye that made me doubt what I was seeing.
¡°Excuse me. Mr. Gerhardt, what is this?¡±
¡°Ah, that is Miss Christina¡¯s thesis. As an assistant teacher, she needs to report her achievements in her field.¡±
He added that she had been working on it for months and that it contained quite decent content, making me hesitate.
¡®Of all the things¡¡¯
The thought that it was a master¡¯s thesis made it hard for me to speak. After all, a single word from me would automatically dismiss this thesis.
¡°Prosecutor? Is there a problem¡?¡±
Noticing my hesitation, Gerhardt asked cautiously. Christina, who was bringing in the tea, also looked at me with trembling eyes.
¡Yes, this was bound toe up sooner orter. It¡¯d be better to address it before submission than after, where it would create a bigger problem.
¡°About this thesis¡¡±
I put down the ve¡¯s¡ªI meant, the teacher¡¯s assistant¡¯s thesis and pointed at the title.
More specifically, I pointed at the two names written there.
[ Aridu Keza, Udesr Zairug ]
It wasn¡¯t a typo. To my knowledge, the names were correct.
The issue was that the thesispared these two, suggesting that they were different individuals.
¡°These two are the same person.¡±
¡°¡Sorry?¡±
Gerhardt¡¯s voice came out in disbelief.
Crash¡ª!
The sound came from behind Gerhardt as Christina dropped the tray.
However, I didn¡¯t look in that direction.
I¡¯ve actually been blind since yesterday¡
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 167: A Walking Textbook (3)
Chapter 167: A Walking Textbook (3)
? A Walking Textbook (3) ?
A suffocating silence enveloped the room. Neither Gerhardt, Christina, nor I could find the words to break it. It was understandable. Someone¡¯s entire world had juste crashing down, hadn¡¯t it?
The overwhelming guilt of being the person responsible for shattering that world¡ªor rather, life¡ªwas indescribable. I¡¯m sorry, truly sorry.
I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at her and turned my eyes away as much as possible, but I forced myself to nce in Christina¡¯s direction. It felt terribly wrong to drop such a bombshell and then pretend like nothing happened.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
And immediately regretted looking.
Christina¡¯s expression was the very picture of being shell-shocked. Her mouth was slightly open, and her gaze was fixed vacantly on the floor. She seemed to be trembling, but perhaps it was just my imagination.
I would have felt less guilty if she had yelled at me, told me that it was nonsense, or to not to speak rubbish.
Either way, I would have felt guilty regardless.
¡°Are you saying they are the same person?¡±
Gerhardt looked pitifully at Christina and quickly broke the silence.
That¡¯s right. As a teacher, he would naturally be curious. This held especially true since a thesis that took so much effort had been rendered worthless overnight.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±
Unfortunately, it was true. Aridu Keza and Udesr Zairug. Despite how it looked, these two vastly different names belonged to the same person.
We were quite taken aback at the time. A warrior we knew for wielding a sword had suddenly appeared wielding a bow, even changing his name.
¡°The Almighty One has guided me onto a new path!¡±
It sounded absurd, but it turned out that he was just scouted. Kagan thought he was a good fighter and, he had him join his tribe. They just gave him a new name because they didn¡¯t want to change the n name.
Amidst all this, Kagan hadmented, ¡®You¡¯re better suited to the bow than the sword,¡¯ prompting a change in his weapon choice too.
And he actually turned out to be better with the bow. Damn it.
¡°He was originally from the Aridu tribe, but he became a part of the Udesr tribe when the Emperor of the Nomads personally took him in. This changed the battlefields he was active on and his primary weapon, so it¡¯s understandable to think that he was a different person.¡±
¡°But there are records of Aridu Keza even after the appearance of Udesr Zairug!¡±
Christina interjected desperately before Gerhardt could speak.
It was unthinkable for a mere master¡¯s student to interrupt while a professor was speaking, but the situation allowed for it. Even Gerhardt closed his eyes quietly, moved by Christina¡¯s desperate voice.
And Christina had a point. It would be one thing if Aridu Keza disappeared after Udesr Zairug appeared, but there was a period when both names were mentioned together.
¡°That was a recording error. The sudden name change led to some confusion and misrecording.¡±
Unfortunately, it was just a mistake. Such was the nature of military documentation.
¡°Ah, ah¡¡±
The realization that the thesis she had poured her entire soul into was based on a mere error was probably devastating.
Christina let out a sigh and eventually slumped into her seat.
¡®I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯
Just before I looked away, I noticed something glistening in the corner of her eye.
How was I supposed to deal with this guilt?
***
Christina applied for sick leave with a mental breakdown as the reason but was denied.
¡°Actually, this turned out for the better.¡±
¡°Sorry?¡±
This is crazy.
The unexpectedment nearly drove me out of my mind. Christina, who had been quietly sipping her tea to calm down, gave Gerhardt a look that could kill.
¡®What¡¯s good about this situation?¡¯
I couldn¡¯t grasp what possibly could be considered ¡®good¡¯ here. Was he implying that writing a new thesis could somehow be beneficial for her academic progress?
Ah, the cruelty¡!
¡°There is no truth that stays hidden forever. If it¡¯s bound toe out eventually, it¡¯s better for it to happen before the thesis submission rather than after it¡¯s been approved.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
She fortunately nodded in understanding, realizing the logic. Indeed, it would be painful to have your master¡¯s thesis pulled from the abyss while you were a professor or a Principal.
I kept referring to it as a master¡¯s thesis, but what could I do when it was indeed one?
¡°It makes sense, but¡¡±
Gerhardt¡¯s words were true. However, acknowledging the truth didn¡¯t spare one from the pain.
It was better to endure the pain now to avoid future repercussions. That was a logically smart move, but would that providefort to someone in pain right now?
¡®It¡¯s hardly brief, too.¡¯
The shock would be almost equivalent to losing a limb.
¡°And thanks to the Prosecutor, you were able to immediately find a new thesis topic.¡±
I was at a loss for words. We had just obliterated a perfectly good thesis, after all.
¡°Ah.¡±
On the other hand, something in Gerhardt¡¯s words seemed to enlighten Christina, and her expression brightened.
¡°This is a groundbreaking discovery. To think they were the same individual all along!¡±
Gerhardt¡¯s voice rose with excitement, seemingly overwhelmed with emotion.
Indeed. It would be a significant discovery. I¡¯d be surprised too if I found out that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were the same person.
¡°The only issue is the submission deadline, but¡ for a discovery of this magnitude, I¡¯m willing to endure another year.¡±
¡®That doesn¡¯t seem right.¡¯
Christina¡¯s face was a mix of relief and sorrow. Finding a new topic so quickly was fortunate, but the thought of enduring another year of a dreadful master¡¯s program didn¡¯t seem to thrill her.
Well, there was nothing we could do about it. If a person made a mistake, then they had to deal with the consequences.
¡°May I know who oversees the thesis evaluation?¡±
¡°It¡¯s the Ministry of Education, specifically the Comption Department.¡±
Gerhardt answered, puzzled by the sudden question.
But the Comption Department? That was the department responsible for textbooks. Were they handling this, too? Well, it wasn¡¯t really my concern since it was another department¡¯s issue. The important part was that it was under the Comption Department¡¯s jurisdiction.
¡®I know someone there.¡¯
Fortunately, I¡¯m on good terms with the head of the Comption Department. It also happens that he has a small debt to clear with me.
This is exactly when connectionse in handy.
***
I sat there, staring nkly at the ceiling.
It felt like the storm had passed.
¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±
The Prosecutor, who had stepped out to make a call, returned shortly.
¡°You just need to submit it by next February. The approved theses will all be registered in March, so adding one more isn¡¯t a problem.¡±
He even came back with tremendous news.
That famously strict Comption Department made such a concession. It was the same department that normally never allowed a dy unless the thesis disappeared due to a natural disaster.
¡°Since Ms. Christina has to write a new thesis because of me, it¡¯s only right that I handle the situation.¡±
¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡±
Christina bowed several times to the Prosecutor, who downyed his gesture as if it were nothing.
Of course, I would have done the same.
¡®Passing is guaranteed, then.¡¯
While sticking to the original submission deadline might have been challenging, February of next year was more than enough time. It wasn¡¯t even a teacher¡¯s thesis but only that of an assistant teacher.
Even if it were a teacher¡¯s thesis, there would be no issue. It was a topic that overturned what was thought to bemon knowledge, after all. Unless the writing was exceptionally poor, the submission alone would almost guarantee approval.
Honestly, it was a topic too valuable to be used just for an assistant teacher¡¯s thesis, but this too must be Christina¡¯s luck. After all, luck was also part of a schr¡¯s abilities.
¡°Congrattions, Miss Christina. It won¡¯t be long before you¡¯re no longer an assistant.¡±
Seeing Christina, who was unusually lively as she organized her books, brought a smile to my face. It was as if she had moved from hell to heaven.
¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, teacher! I really appreciate it!¡±
¡°Ha, I appreciate your kind words even if they¡¯re just out of courtesy.¡±
Iughed and took a sip of my tea. How could this be my doing? It was all thanks to the Prosecutor.
Bringing him in was only meant to be a boon for the research on the nomadic tribes of the North. I had no idea it would lead to an upheaval from the very first day.
But I¡¯d dly ept such a miscalction. What was important was lifting the fog and revealing the truth.
¡°I¡¯lle by again tomorrow at this time.¡±
¡°Are you sure that¡¯s okay with you?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got nothing else going on outside of club time. I¡¯m more worried about whether Gerhardt is okay with it.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine! Absolutely!¡±
I even received a definite answer. This wouldn¡¯t be a one-time meeting but continuous encounters and proportionate advice.
Today was truly a joyous day.
***
I narrowly avoided bing a master¡¯s thesis assassin. Things could have really gone south if it hadn¡¯t been under the Comption Department¡¯s involvement.
¡®Thank goodness.¡¯
I tried to calm my still-racing heart and sighed. It felt embarrassingly awkward to suddenly contact someone I didn¡¯t usually keep in touch with.
Thankfully, owing a favor here and there to the head of the Comption Department meant that everything could end smoothly.
¡°Understood. I owe you a favor myself, so extending that courtesy is the least I can do.¡±
¡°Thank you. You¡¯ve saved a good-hearted assistant teacher.¡±
¡°Haha! That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll have to take some credit when that friend seeds.¡±
Indeed, life was all about connections. A colleague who supported and helped was far better than a boss who was always on your case.
But something felt strange. Such an incident urred on the first day; would things be okay moving forward?
¡®Today was thest day before the submission.¡¯
If they were unlucky, Gerhardt¡¯s submitted thesis might be targeted. Just the thought was frightening.
However, considering Gerhardt¡¯s passion, he might even consider it a good thing. After all, wasn¡¯t refuting a past work a proof of growth?
¡Let¡¯s just think of it that way.
***
During club time, I asked Tannian if he wrote the answer I told them back then.
¡°What you taught me seemed right, so I unconsciously wrote that. I can¡¯t write a lie after knowing the truth, right?¡±
He said as much while looking a bit sheepish and offering an awkward smile.
Yeah, that can definitely happen.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 168: A Walking Textbook (4)
Chapter 168: A Walking Textbook (4)
? A Walking Textbook (4) ?
Up until now, my routine at the academy had been straightforward. My mornings began with an early rise and breakfast, then off to the club room to ease into the day before casually heading to the Vice President¡¯s office to spend time with Marghetta.
After that, the rest of my day was spent leisurely waiting for club activities. It was a rather peaceful and rxed routine unless an unexpected event popped up.
¡°The Adume n and the Gariltio n were rivals, constantly shing over the leadership of the Ranka tribe. They might have restrained themselves in front of Kagan, but they were quite chaotic behind the scenes.¡±
¡°Oh, I see!¡±
A new addition to that simple routine was the exciting and heart-pounding discussion sessions with Gerhardt.
Technically, it was more of a one-sided information sharing, but the positive reaction from the listener made it exciting for me as well. It would be disappointing to receive an indifferent response after all that effort, but such a situation was unlikely since the one who initiated it was Gerhardt.
¡°Please have some food while you talk.¡±
¡°Thank you, I will.¡±
¡°Thank you, Christina.¡±
While we were deep in discussion, Christinaid out some snacks on the desk.
Although being a master¡¯s student meant that she had a gloomy expression as her default, her voice sounded oddly cheerful.
¡®I¡¯m d she¡¯s happy.¡¯
My minimal sense of human conscience kicked in. If I hadn¡¯t managed to exchange the thesis for something better, that master¡¯s student might have been devastated. It felt like I had saved a life.
Honestly, if I had given up on this life, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about such threats. But I couldn¡¯t really say much since it was their chosen path.
¡°How¡¯s your thesising along?¡±
¡°It¡¯s doing great! It¡¯s all thanks to you, Prosecutor!¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t write it, so there¡¯s no need to thank me.¡±
Her enthusiastic response made me chuckle. Christina was the one rewriting the perfectly good thesis I trashed, so it felt awkward to receive her gratitude. I did extend the deadline for it, but that was just turning a minus into zero.
I knew the frustration and anger that came with having to rewrite a thesis. I wrote my undergraduate thesis, after all. The anger when something went wrong with a thesis that everyone else seemed to pass was uncontroble, let alone a master¡¯s thesis.
¡°Feel free to ask me anything if you run into problems. I¡¯m here every day, so it¡¯s the least I can do.¡±
¡°Haha. Having you here is more than enough, Prosecutor.¡±
Gerhardtughed in response to my words, but he didn¡¯t discourage me. More knowledge spilled the more Christina asked, so he probably wouldn¡¯t want to stop her.
¡®Is thismon among schrs?¡¯
I wonder if all schrs were this passionate, or if Gerhardt was just exceptionally outstanding.
Considering his determination to delve into the severely resourcecking study of the North, it seemed like thetter. To exert one¡¯s talent in such a niche area surely required abilities surpassing the average.
¡®Why isn¡¯t someone like this in the administration?¡¯
Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with a deep sense of regret. While academy instructors were technically civil servants, they weren¡¯t civil servants who were involved in the administration.
Such ability, such passion. It should only be right for them to serve in the administration for the empire. What a pity.
***
That night, I received a call from the Minister.
¡ª What have you been up to these days?
¡°What?¡±
I flinched for a moment. I¡¯ve often heard phrases like ¡®What the hell are you doing right now?¡¯ when big trouble arose, so I instinctively tensed up.
But after calming down, I realized that it was a genuine inquiry. Even his expression seemed gentle. He was definitely not angry.
¡°I¡¯m doing well, as always. I wish every day could be like this.¡±
¡ª So you¡¯refortably admitting to being a sry thief. Doesn¡¯t that prick your conscience?
¡°Not at all. From today, my dream is to be the king of thieves.¡±
And damn, I should at least be entitled to a pension from the empire even if I stopped working now, if only for all the rolling around I¡¯ve done.
The Minister chuckled, perhaps not intending to tease. If he could have be a sry thief, he would have done it long ago.
Afterughing for a while, the minister broached the main subject.
¡ª I heard you made a request to the Comption Department.
¡°Ah, are you talking about that?¡±
I wondered why he was suddenly contacting me, but then I realized that it was because he had heard something.
The circles within the civil service grew tighter the higher up one went. The head of the Comption Department would have spoken to the Minister of Education, and the Minister of Education would have passed it on to the Minister.
They probably didn¡¯t do it with any particr intention; perhaps it was just something that came up as a topic of conversation amidst the routine bustle of work. After all, I¡¯ve been in that situation myself.
¡°There¡¯s an assistant teacher at the academy. I just asked for a dy in receiving that person¡¯s thesis.¡±
¡ª But why did you go and ask for that?
The Minister was in a hurry to get an answer as usual. He¡¯d probably hurry off elsewhere just as quickly.
Though I asionally wished for his sudden departure, it would actually be problematic if it happened. That bastard of a Crown Prince was just waiting for his chance to step in and ce me in the Minister position once it became vacant.
¡°That¡¯s because¡¡±
Anyway, I went on to exin the snowball effect in detail. How it started when I casually dropped a hint while the kids were studying, leading to the teacher visiting me. Since I had nothing much to do and thought that spreading information about the North would be beneficial, I decided to offer them advice.
And how I ended up pushing a fragile master¡¯s student into the abyss with just a few words, therefore creating another academy legend.
¡°How could I overlook that as a human being?¡±
Only those who felt no guilt about it should cast stones at me.
¡ª You madman.
See? Even the Minister couldn¡¯t bring himself to cast a stone and simply sighed softly.
But after a moment of silence, the minister seemed to recall something and asked.
¡ª What¡¯s the name of this assistant teacher?
¡°Christina.¡±
¡ª And herst name?
I hadn¡¯t asked about that.
When nobles introduced themselves, sharing theirst name was normally standard protocol to at least acknowledge which family they belonged to.
However, my first meeting with Christina was far from normal, so I still didn¡¯t know herst name.
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
¡ª You really are a madman.
After a natural pause, the minister continued while stroking his chin.
¡ª Could it be my niece?
¡°¡Excuse me?¡±
The unexpected revtion took me by surprise.
***
The shock from yesterday had me reeling. I can¡¯t believe that the master¡¯s student I had unwittingly doomed turned out to be the niece of my direct superior.
¡°There¡¯s a saying about the Rebel (Kagan) having eight war horses. It¡¯s a rare record from the Gar tribe, but I couldn¡¯t figure out what those war horses referred to.¡±
Gerhardt thankfully kept the conversation going, which helped me stay grounded.
¡°It¡¯s not a reference to actual horses. It refers to the eight most powerful individuals under the Rebel¡¯smand.¡±
I started writing down names on paper. The eight war horses under Kagan¡¯smand, roughly referred to as the Eight War Machines, were known for their formidable prowess.
There were instances where they were defeated one by one, barely managed to be subdued by grouped subjugations, and even some that managed to escape alive.
¡°The Eight War Machines are Chauzid Solr Ure, Sarei Dobra T, Udesr Zairug, Ranka Adume Kirytai, Zalyr Mog Karial, Mog Timuen, Ordo Kuman y¡¡±
Without Kagan, these monsters would likely have been known as Khans in their own right, ruling over their territories. It was a challenge to keep these formidable beings in check even when all our efforts and resources were focused on Kagan.
¡°¡And Udesur Dorgon. That makes eight of them.¡±
He was the only one of the Eight War Machines to have survived. And he wasn¡¯t just any survivor; he was Kagan¡¯s own son.
His lineage and abilities were the ultimate, to the extent that Kagan entrusted him with the leadership of Kesik.
¡®It¡¯s infuriating to think about.¡¯
This was the reason why the empire still couldn¡¯t look away from the North. After all, the most troublesome of them was still alive.
I managed to suppress a sigh, turning my attention from the paper to Gerhardt. His eager eyes somehow made me feel a bit more at ease.
It was strange. In the North, it was a name one would curse in their dreams. But now that they were dead, it had be a name that he could listen to fondly. Was this what they meant when they said people left their names behind after death?
¡®So these are things that find their worth in death.¡¯
May it serve as fertilizer for the growth of the empire¡¯s schrs.
¡°Thank you so much. It would have taken me years to figure this out on my own¡¡±
I smiled awkwardly at Gerhardt¡¯s bowing figure.
Give him one piece of advice, and he thanks you right away; share two, and he thanks you four times. While it was polite, it was also worryingly excessive.
¡®Better than having none, I guess.¡¯
Trying to think positively, I then turned my attention to Christina.
¡ª I heard my niece is working as an assistant teacher. I was worried because she insisted on pursuing a field of study with little practical use.
Those were the words the Minister said yesterday. The name Christina, the job as an assistant teacher, and a field of study with little practical use.
With all these details matching, there was no need for further investigation. Even if I didn¡¯t know herst name, it was obviously her if all the facts fitted.
¡°Miss Christina?¡±
¡°Oh, yes!¡±
Christina, who had been busily writing something, hurriedly looked up.
¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, but we haven¡¯t properly introduced ourselves.¡±
¡°Oh, ah¡!¡±
Realization seemed to dawn on Christina that this was our first proper greeting as she nodded repeatedly.
¡°I¡¯m Christina Iris!¡±
¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯
I was correct. That was thest name used by the minister¡¯s wife before their marriage.
I had inadvertently insulted the minister¡¯s niece¡ I see¡
¡®This is driving me insane.¡¯
And from that day onwards, I began to offer more enthusiastic advice to Gerhardt and Christina.
Honestly, I might not have paid much attention if it were just some distant rtive of the Minister. But the fact that it was his wife¡¯s niece changed everything.
¡°He may seem awkward and rough around the edges, but he has a warm heart.¡±
¡°Of course, ma¡¯am. I am well aware.¡±
¡°Thank you. Knowing that he has a subordinate like the Prosecutor really puts my mind at ease.¡±
Considering how different the minister and his wife were, it was almost puzzling how they ended up together. However, she was such a good person.
Damn. How did I get so entangled in this situation?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 169: Marghetta’s Woes
Chapter 169: Marghetta¡¯s Woes
? Marghetta¡¯s Woes ?
Lately, I¡¯ve been feeling off. No, to be precise, I simultaneously felt happy and a bit disappointed.
¡°Mar, I¡¯m going to head back now.¡±
Carl¡¯s visits to the Vice President¡¯s office have be noticeably shorter. It wasn¡¯t just my imagination; it was a fact.
This was the time of day I looked forward to the most. Of course I appreciate his daily visits, but I wish he could stay a bit longer.
¡°Are you leaving already?¡±
¡°Yes, I have things I need to do.¡±
So I cautiously spoke up, but Carl responded with a smile.
I felt tempted to cling to him and ask him not to go, but I couldn¡¯t do that. He said he had things to do, and I couldn¡¯t interfere with that.
Yet, I couldn¡¯t let him go just like that.
¡°Carl.¡±
After calling his name, I opened my arms wide. As I looked at him silently, Carl chuckled and then hugged me.
Yes, this makes everything better. My heart felt more at ease.
¡®I wish we could stay like this forever.¡¯
I wish he wouldn¡¯t go anywhere and just keep holding me.
As if he knew what I was thinking, Carl whispered in my ear.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mar. I¡¯d love to stay with you longer, but I can¡¯t.¡±
¡®My body, please stop shaking while we¡¯re hugging. It¡¯s embarrassing if he notices.¡¯
¡°It¡¯s okay. There must be a good reason for it. I understand.¡±
I managed to say, trying to calm my shaking body and heart. It would be a lie if I said I wasn¡¯t disappointed.
But Carl had always beenmitted to our time together. If he suddenly had to leave, I¡¯m sure there must be a significant reason. I¡¯m not sure why he¡¯s been so preupiedtely, though.
I didn¡¯t press him on where he was going or what he was doing. Showing this much trust might touch him deeply, after all.
¡ª It¡¯s your duty as a wife to take care of your husband, but you can¡¯t be too controlling. Being obsessive can cool his affection for you.
That was what my fourth sister advised during a recent call.
¡®She¡¯s probably right.¡¯
My sister had a happy marriage and many children, so she couldn¡¯t be wrong.
So, I let him go. We had plenty of time ahead of us; I couldn¡¯t start showing signs of a controlling and oppressive wife now.
¡°Being with you feels suffocating. Can¡¯t you just trust me?¡±
I shuddered as I imagined Carl saying that with a cold expression on his face.
No, that can¡¯t happen. I can¡¯t bear the thought of Carl hating me.
¡°See you tomorrow, Carl.¡±
I waved him off with the brightest smile I could muster.
I couldn¡¯t bear to be disliked by Carl, but I trusted him. If he wasn¡¯t telling me something, then it was probably because I didn¡¯t ask rather than because it was something needed to be hidden. I had to believe that.
Yes, that must be it. I trust Carl.
***
¡°I¡¯ll be going now. I had a great time today.¡±
The next day, Carl left early again.
But it¡¯s okay since I trust him more than anyone else.
***
¡°Ah, it¡¯s time to go.¡±
He left his seat the next day as well.
It¡¯s okay. I love and trust Carl more than anyone in this world.
***
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I think I need to leave first.¡±
¡I trust him¡
I bit my nails as soon as Carl left the Vice President¡¯s office.
¡®Why¡?¡¯
For a few days, I understood. Carl had to be busy with work or personal matters.
But as it stretched beyond a week and was reaching the end of the second week, I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. What was going on? It can¡¯t be normal for him to be this busy, right?
And we promised to always talk to each other and to share the truth without hiding anything. If was something this significant, then surely he would have mentioned it by now.
¡®Is it an issue he can¡¯t discuss with me?¡¯
At that moment, my mind went nk. If he had matters he had to hide from me, things he shouldn¡¯t tell me¡
¡ª Being devoted to him is important. However, if you pour out your heart too one-sidedly, the other party might grow tired of it.
Again, I recalled the advice given by my fourth sister. She said that while showing affection was important, the other person might take it for granted and be indifferent if it was too one-sided.
¡®Is it true?¡¯
I felt a chilling dread. Had Carl really grown tired of me? Could his heart have wandered to someone else?
No. Our rtionship isn¡¯t one-sided. Carl definitely loves me too. We¡¯re in a reciprocal and not a unteral rtionship.
¡®¡Are we really?¡¯
It was hard to stop the train of negative thoughts once they started.
Carl always said he would be honest with me. He said there would be no more secrets. And since then, we¡¯ve shared moments ofughter and togetherness.
But strictly speaking, we had never formallymitted to being together. There had been no talk of engagement or marriage.
Maybe I was the only one who was happy to be with him. Maybe Carl was only with me out of guilt. Maybe he harbored feelings for someone else¡ªthese terrifying thoughts lined up one after another.
¡®No.¡¯
I clenched my fists tightly.
***
Though it was unbefitting for ady of my status, I followed Carl. I needed to see with my own eyes what was happening to ease this growing anxiety.
Still, I avoided tailing him directly. Carl¡¯s knack for sensing someone¡¯s presence meant I¡¯d be easily caught if I attempted to follow too closely.
¡®Just like father.¡¯
Whenever I tried to sneak up behind my father as a child, he would suddenly turn around and startle me. Do all warriors have such keen senses?
Anyway, I asked passing students to track down Carl¡¯s destination and arrived at a building housing the teachers¡¯bs.
¡®What is this?¡¯
The location caught me off guard. While it would be surprising to find Carl anywhere, the teachers¡¯b were peculiarly intriguing.
I cautiously moved forward, peering into each researchb. Through the windows, I saw teachers engaged in discussions with their assistants or those left alone, possibly because the teacher was in ss.
After some time, I finally spotted a familiar figure.
¡®It¡¯s Carl.¡¯
I crouched down as soon as I spotted him, fearing he might see me through the window.
Lifting my head slightly, I saw a sign reading ¡®History Teacher Gerhardt.¡¯ History¡ I still couldn¡¯t see the connection to Carl.
¡®The swordsmanship department would be more believable.¡¯
That would have made more sense. After all, that was where Young Lord Erich belonged.
¡°¡ªway, ¡ªmuch¡ª?¡±
¡°¡ªyou¡ª!¡±
As I pondered the link between Carl and history, voices came from inside the researchb. Naturally, I couldn¡¯t make out the details.
I tried to calm my pounding heart and slowly stood up.
¡®Ah.¡¯
Then, I saw a woman with navy blue hair,ughing and talking with Carl.
***
Gerhardt had an urgent matter and had to leave his post. Usually, this would leave the room engulfed in silence¡ª
¡°No way, have you already written this much?¡±
¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the Prosecutor. Thank you so much!¡±
I¡¯ve made an effort to engage Christina in conversation since I found out that she was the Minister¡¯s niece.
She was a bit reserved at first, but time proved to be the answer. Now, we get along quite well even without Gerhardt.
¡®If only I hadn¡¯t known.¡¯
Knowing her rtionship with the Minister and then treating her poorly or indifferently could cause trouble. So, I made sure to be as kind as possible.
¡°Udesr Zairug was known to fire multiple arrows at once without missing a single shot.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fascinating.¡±
¡°He was also a part of the Eight War Machines, a group of exceptional individuals.¡±
Still, the conversation didn¡¯t stray from its original purpose of imparting knowledge.
***
Familiar spaces could sometimes feel strangely unfamiliar. This was one of those times.
¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯
An inexplicable sense of pressure seemed to weigh on my shoulders as I entered the Vice President¡¯s office. Everything was fine until yesterday, wasn¡¯t it?
I nced over and saw that Marghetta was quietly signing documents.
¡°Carl.¡±
After finishing her signature, she spoke softly.
Though she was smiling, it felt unusually forced. Even her eyes were strangely red.
¡°Am I not enough for you?¡±
¡°¡Sorry?¡±
She dropped an unexpected bombshell.
What did she mean, not enough? What was that supposed to mean?
It took a moment to gather my thoughts amidst the ensuing confusion.
¡°Carl, have you been keeping secrets from me¡ or seeing anotherdy¡?¡±
Marghetta tried to speak calmly, but her voice trembled uncontrobly.
And even if her voice had been steady, her face would have been a dead giveaway.
¡®I messed up.¡¯
It was only after listening to Marghetta that I realized my foolish mistake.
I hadn¡¯t mentioned what I¡¯ve been up totely. It wasn¡¯t intentional; I simply thought that it was enough to just say that I was busy with work without going into details. Of course, I would have exined if she asked¡ª
No, I should have told her without being asked.
¡®Experience does matter.¡¯
I almost sighed at my mistake.
Thinking back, I¡¯ve never had a normal rtionship before my possession and certainly not after. Hecate and I navigated the challenges of the North and shared our living quarters, so we easily understood everything without having to talk.
It was the only rtionship I had ever had, so I used it as a benchmark. But that was far from normal; it was abnormal.
¡°Mar.¡±
I took Marghetta¡¯s hands as her gaze fell. No matter how I framed it, this was my fault.
Having someone leave earlier than usual without a proper exnation would have made anyone anxious.
I assumed too much, thinking that Marghetta would immediately understand even if I didn¡¯t say anything. I was even unaware of the turmoil she was holding inside.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been too thoughtless.¡±
Then, I gave her a detailed exnation of how I ended up advising Gerhardt about the North, and how I was trying to be as polite as possible as Christina was the Minister¡¯s niece.
Of course, I kept adding my apologies.
¡°So that¡¯s it. I¡¯m sorry. I had a strange misunderstanding.¡±
Marghetta¡¯s face reddened for a different reason as I hurriedly tried to correct the misunderstanding.
But why was she apologizing? It was my fault that I didn¡¯t give her any hints and made her anxious.
¡®If only there had been trust from the start.¡¯
A minor misunderstanding like this could have been easilyughed off if we had a strong enough foundation of trust.
¡°Um, Mar?¡±
Then, wasn¡¯t it my responsibility to build that trust?
¡°After the New Year¡¯s Ball next year¡¡±
But now was not the time. At least, not until after the New Year¡¯s Ball, when we would finally have some time.
¡°¡Would it be alright if we go visit His Grace, the Iron-blooded Duke?¡±
¡°What?¡±
Marghetta¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at my suggestion.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 170: Smooth Sailing (1)
Chapter 170: Smooth Sailing (1)
? Smooth Sailing (1) ?
There was a noticeable shift in Marghetta¡¯s behavior after the incident. Calling it an ¡®incident¡¯ made it sound too dramatic, almost as if a cmity had struck. However,beling it a mere ¡®remark¡¯ would suggest a scandalous statement fit for the headlines.
From Marghetta¡¯s perspective, it was indeed a piece of news that dominated her thoughts for a while.
¡°To f-father?¡±
Her eyes fluttered restlessly, and her voice trembled pitifully. But unlike before, it was clear that the trembling was not from sorrow but from excitement.
¡°Yes. I¡¯d go right this moment if I could, but I still have my responsibilities, as Mar does too. How about we go together after His Gracepletes the New Year¡¯s Ball¡¯s greetings¡?¡±
I stopped mid-sentence, closing my mouth. It was because Marghetta had suddenly rushed into my arms.
¡°Thank you, thank you, Carl¡!¡±
Seeing her tears, I thought my heart might stop. It took thest ounce of my strength to hug her despite the stiffening of my body.
Seeing her care for me more deeply than I¡¯d ever imagined brought a sense of bitterness rather than satisfaction. Did I even deserve her gratitude?
¡®If I had known she would be this happy¡¡¯
Had I known a simple statement would make her smile so brightly, I would have said it sooner. The guilt weighed heavily on my shoulders.
How much had she suffered in silence, maintaining a facade of normalcy while internally battling her turmoil and anxiety? She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to speak first because she knew of my past.
¡®I was always going to marry Marghetta.¡¯
Recalling the thought I had harbored for so long made me chuckle. Marriage was inevitable. And if I were to marry anyways, it would undoubtedly be with her.
In my mind, she was already my wife.
But had I ever truly shown her my feelings? Although I promised to be honest in the future, I said nothing because I felt reassured by Marghetta¡¯s willingness to wait. Therefore, I also took no action.
¡°The elder should guide the rtionship with confidence! Come and hug your noona!¡±
¡°The elder needs to act like one to be deemed reliable.¡±
Hecate¡¯s words came to mind at that moment. At the time, I thought of her as a childish elder because of her odd behavior despite her age.
¡®But that¡¯s me, too.¡¯
Right now, I was the one who wasn¡¯t acting the part of a dependable elder. Considering my age before and after the possession, my concerns about age were trivial. Even in this body, I was still three years older than Marghetta.
It was indeed embarrassing. Perhaps I would not have felt this way if Marghetta had been the older one.
Either way, acting this way would still be despicable even if I had been younger than her. I almost rationalized my behavior for a moment.
¡®After the New Year¡¯s Ball.¡¯
I stopped rationalizing andy down, focusing on doing better in the future rather than dwelling on my past mistakes.
The New Year¡¯s Ball was less than three months away. After that time passed, it would be time for me to kneel before the Iron-blooded Duke.
¡°Come to the duchy, and I¡¯ll turn you into a half-wit.¡±
That was the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s terrifying deration¡ Wait, was that actually how he exactly phrased it? Either way, it felt simr enough.
Anyway, I should eat well before going. Who knew whether I¡¯d be kneeling for three or four days?
¡®It¡¯s possible.¡¯
The Iron-blooded Duke was known to be fiery and bold during his active days. Although he was now older, retired, and softened byte fatherhood, who knew when his spicy nature might resurface?
¡®¡It¡¯s all karma, anyway. I should just ept it humbly.¡¯
And so, I dreamt of performing a tearful, grand gesture before the Iron-blooded Duke.
***
Someone who was so happy that it was obvious to anyone passing by weed me.
¡°Wee, Carl.¡±
Marghetta greeted me with a bright smile as soon as I opened the door to the Vice President¡¯s office. She was standing there instead of sitting as usual.
¡°Have you been standing here all this time?¡±
She didn¡¯t even know when I would arrive.
¡°I saw youing.¡±
Marghetta chuckled in response to my question. That was a relief. I felt worried that a busy person might be wasting their time because of me.
¡°Now¡ª¡±
I was about to suggest sitting down, but Marghetta opened her arms wide.
I embraced her, understanding the gesture, and Marghetta wrapped her arms around my back.
¡°Can we greet each other like this every day from now on?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
I nodded happily at her adorable request. After all, I¡¯d stillply even if shemanded me informally. This hardly qualified as a request.
It was only after a long embrace that we were able to sit down.
¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the next time.¡±
Her words naturally brought a smile to my face.
***
I couldn¡¯t sleep at allst night. The sound of my heart pounding seemed to fill the room, making it impossible to calm down.
I¡¯d normally be worried about how this would affect my work the next day, but this excitement was the epitome of happiness. If staying up all night meant feeling this way, I¡¯d dly do it for three days straight.
¡®Finally.¡¯
I could finally have an official rtionship with Carl. Going to see Father can only mean one thing: he was going to seek his approval.
With no one watching, my expression softened, and I could feel my lips curving into a smile.
I had already received permission from Carl¡¯s mother. Father too considered Carl as his son-inw, so there was no chance of refusal.
¡°The problem lies in that man¡¯s eyes. Which man wouldn¡¯t like you? I guarantee it. He¡¯lle around on his own. If not sooner, then within three years.¡±
These were Father¡¯s words after Carl had rejected the marriage proposalst year. Honestly, I barely listened to what he was saying back then.
But in the end, Father was right. Of course, Father knew best, being so experienced and wise.
I only recently found out that those specific three years were the same duration it took for him to court Mother.
But now¡
¡®How do I wait?¡¯
It¡¯s funny how fickle the human heart can be. Until yesterday, I thought I could wait forever. But as soon as a specific date was set for right after the New Year¡¯s Ball, my patience started wearing thin.
It wasn¡¯t the 10 years I had braced myself for when I first learned about Carl¡¯s past. I didn¡¯t even have to wait until after graduation. It was just a mere three months away.
¡®Calm down.¡¯
Yes, three months will pass quickly. Carl isn¡¯t someone to change his words within that time.
With that thought, I tried to calm my heart and looked out the window. It was almost time for Carl to arrive.
¡®He¡¯s here.¡¯
Not long after, I saw Carl approaching the office.
I quietly stood up and straightened my clothes at the door. Carl promised me an official rtionship, so I should look the part.
¡°Maintaining a happy marital rtionship isn¡¯t hard. It starts with greeting each other warmly when onees home. It¡¯s a small act, but it makes a big difference.¡±
This advice, too, came from my fourth sister. It sounded right. After all, rtionships were built on the smallest of things.
¡°Wee, Carl.¡±
Perhaps that was why Carl showed a surprised but smiling face when he saw me.
Carl must like this, too. Beforeing to the academy, he mentioned that he had lived alone in the capital. He must have never been weed by his family like this.
¡®Family.¡¯
Yes, we¡¯re family. We¡¯re a couple who was closer than anyone else and was bound by the name of family.
I barely managed to keep my expression from softening too much. A little more and I might just keep melting like this forever.
¡°Now¡ª¡±
I opened my arms as Carl moved to step forward, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to hug me.
Since we¡¯re family, this is something we can do every day. Yes, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem at all.
¡°I¡¯m looking forward to the next time.¡±
Not just today, but tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow as well.
And eventually, it won¡¯t just be hugs¡
Yes, that next step¡ and the one after that.
***
In the past few days, Marghetta¡¯s expressions of affection had be more overt. Though she seemed to be restraining herself, it seemed the opposite from the recipient¡¯s perspective.
It was a dilemma. How should I respond?
¡®It¡¯s not that it¡¯s bothersome.¡¯
I certainly didn¡¯t dislike it. The issue was that I should also be reciprocating if someone was giving, but I was unsure of the proper bnce.
Acting too casually might leave her feeling neglected, but being too intense could overwhelm her. What exactly was the middle ground?
¡°Prosecutor?¡±
¡°Oh, yes.¡±
Gerhardt¡¯s call snapped me back to reality. I had been lost in thought, ignoring the person right in front of me.
¡°It seems you have something pleasant on your mind.¡±
Fortunately, Gerhardt didn¡¯t take offense to my rudeness and responded with a smile.
Was it that obvious? Gerhardt noticed even though we haven¡¯t known each other for long. It must have been written all over my face.
¡°Haha. I guess you¡¯re in a simr boat, Gerhardt.¡±
Too embarrassed to outright say ¡®I¡¯m about to get engaged to a beautifuldy!¡¯ I changed the subject, and Gerhardt chuckled softly.
¡°Things have been good ever since I met you, Prosecutor.¡±
¡°That¡¯s too generous of you.¡±
¡°Generous? Thanks to you, not just me but also the students have been able to learn the truth. It¡¯s a genuine expression of gratitude.¡±
That made meugh. Gerhardt was indeed working hard to enlighten the students with the truth.
And naturally, when a teacher worked hard, the students under them were bound to follow suit.
¡°The exams never end¡¡±
¡°Everything we learned recently is now useless. By tomorrow, today¡¯s lessons will turn to dust.¡±
Lately, the club room had been filled with the students¡¯ groans. Just hearing that gave me a clear idea of how hard they were being pushed.
But then again, it was none of my business.
¡°I guess I need to work even harder if I want to keep hearing your words of gratitude.¡±
¡°Ahaha! I¡¯m really looking forward to it!¡±
After all, my goal was for the history of the North to be widely recognized.
Hang in there. It¡¯s inevitable for students to struggle with their studies, anyway.
It¡¯d be better to be overstudied than undereducated, right?
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 171: Smooth Sailing (2)
Chapter 171: Smooth Sailing (2)
? Smooth Sailing (2) ?
I was greeted by a sight I hadn¡¯t seen in a while when I opened the door to the student council¡¯s room: the student council officers were gathered around, deep in a meeting.
It wasn¡¯t the first time I had interrupted them, but I always felt sorry whenever it happened. It felt like I was intruding during their busiest times. Moreover, being met with the stares of seven people all at once always made me flinch for no reason.
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
Recognizing me as the visitor who had interrupted their meeting, the President quickly put on a smile and stood up.
¡°I apologize for letting our esteemed guest see such an appearance.¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing for the interruption.¡±
Seeing the President take the me made me feel even more embarrassed. Clearly, this was on me. Saying otherwise almost felt like rubbing salt in the wound.
However, the President¡¯s expression seemed so genuine that it was almost frightening. I even got the impression that he¡¯d apologize even if I were to p him, saying that his cheek was in the way.¡°It¡¯s our fault for assembling despite knowing that the Executive Manager wasing.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. We were shortsighted.¡±
The other officers quickly got up one by one, echoing the president¡¯s sentiments.
¡®These guys¡¡¯
I almost let out a chuckle after seeing their united front.
They had been like this ever since receiving their rmendation letters. While they used to fear me more, distributing those letters turned them into something like my followers. Considering that I had a hand in shaping their futures, I guess their gratitude made sense.
¡®I would¡¯ve felt the same.¡¯
Imagine a professor who, instead of abducting fresh graduates for grad school, helped them secure actual jobs. Anyone would probably be moved to tears in gratitude.
¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯
Seeing their genuine happiness brought about a twinge of guilt. I wonder how long it would take for them to resent me.
Right now, I might appear to them as a hero for securing them a job without the need for an exam. But once they got worn down by the life of a civil servant, I¡¯d probably seem more like a devil.
However, the guilt was fleeting. These folks would have be civil servants with or without me; I simply made the process a bit smoother.
¡®At least they gained something.¡¯
Moreover, the empirepensated its civil servants with wealth and honor in proportion to the hardships they endured. It wasn¡¯tpletely one-sided exploitation.
The only issue was theck of time to enjoy that wealth and honor. Damn it. My wealth keeps growing, and yet I hardly have any expenses.
¡°Still, everyone should take their seats. I know you were busy with the meeting, but you have work to do.¡±
Trying to suppress the bitterness, I waved my hand, and they gradually took their seats again. They¡¯re quite obedient.
Feeling an unexinable satisfaction, I scanned the officers and locked eyes with Marghetta. She smiled and waved lightly, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile back.
Marghetta used to hold back in front of others, but now she didn¡¯t seem to care who was watching. It was as if she was saying, ¡®I¡¯m doing my job properly, so what¡¯s the issue?¡¯
¡®How impressive.¡¯
Her straightforwardness was admirable. She was so unlike me, who always hesitated.
¡°The meeting was actually just wrapping up.¡±
I was quietly exchanging nces with Marghetta when the President chimed in smoothly.
Bullshit. It was clear that the meeting was far from over.
¡°We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±
But before I could say anything, the President led the other officers out.
¡®But why are you leaving, too?¡¯
This is your office. What is a student council room without its president?
As I watched the six of them leave, thest boy to exit bowed politely before closing the door.
Who was he again? The Disciplinary Officer?
¡°The Disciplinary Officer has been very grateful to youtely.¡±
Upon hearing Marghetta¡¯s subtle hint, I nodded. It was indeed the Disciplinary Officer. It felt relieving to hear that my memory hadn¡¯t failed me yet.
But why was he thankful to me?
¡°Is that so? Well, I did distribute rmendation letters to everyone.¡±
It would make sense for the Disciplinary Officer to be grateful if the gesture was exclusive to him, but I handed them out to everyone. There must be another reason for the special mention.
However, nothing specific came to mind. I wasn¡¯t exactly close with each officer personally.
¡°Olivia joined the student council, remember?¡±
As soon as I heard that, I remembered something. The Disciplinary Officer had indeed made significant efforts to recruit Olivia to the Disciplinary Committee.
Olivia was inseparable from Amelia, like a buy-one-get-one-free deal, so his efforts failed. It wasn¡¯t until I intervened and pushed them both into the student council that his dream was fulfilled.
¡®So he¡¯s a collector.¡¯
He seemed like the type of person who couldn¡¯t let go of a talent until they had it.
I hadn¡¯t expected to find someone like that in the academy. He¡¯d likely be the kind of person who would significantly contribute to a department¡¯s sess once he secured a suitably high position.
¡°Judging by his gratitude, they must be getting along well.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re getting along wonderfully.¡±
Taking the conversation as an opportunity, I inquired about the well-being of the poverty-stricken sisters. The positive response was reassuring.
Good. It¡¯s a relief they¡¯re doing well. The sight of them gnawing on raw turnips had been quite shocking.
¡°Uh, Carl?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
Marghetta¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I turned to see her looking intently at me.
¡°No one¡¯s around right now.¡±
It took a moment for the meaning of her words to sink in.
¡°Good morning then, Mar.¡±
¡°Good morning, Carl.¡±
Hopefully, my immediate embrace made up for the dy.
Seeing Marghetta smiling happily first thing in the morning promised a pleasant day ahead.
***
Looking at it now, it didn¡¯t seem like today was going to be a particrly pleasant day.
¡ª What¡¯s with the look on your face, Executive Manager?
¡°It¡¯s nothing. A bad memory just came to mind.¡±
I considered ignoring the message from the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager when it came through themunication crystal. If he contacted me first, it usually meant trouble.
This was strange. I definitely thought I had the ¡®buff¡¯ of Marghetta¡¯s smile today¡ Or did that not matter? Trouble always seemed to find me regardless.
Regardless of my confusion, the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager continued calmly.
¡ª The Five Pirs have managed to stabilize the situation. The downfall of the Dove faction won¡¯t repeat again.
¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±
At least there was some positive news.
Despite the Hawk faction¡¯s spectacr self-destruction after ousting the Doves, the Dove faction itself had already experienced a fall from grace. There was always the risk that they¡¯d turn on each other over ountability issues, or the possibility that a new faction would emerge.
However, the Five Pirs weathered such dynamic developments and managed to make aeback. Since they have been knocked down once, they would likely be more cautious in their external activities.
¡®The Five Pirs are definitely finished.¡¯
With the attempted royal assassination exposed, the likelihood of the Five Pirs attempting to undermine the academy was virtually nil. Nevertheless, there was always that possibility. Now, that was no longer a concern.
¡ª Instead, there¡¯s trouble brewing elsewhere.
The Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager sighed, seemingly exasperated. Another problem erupted just as the most recent one was resolved. Isn¡¯t that just wonderful news?
Of course, I felt the same. This was simply absurd.
¡°Which side is it now?¡±
¡ª The Red Wave.
¡®Just great.¡¯
That was thest answer I wanted to hear. Of the five organizations, what remained were the 5th Empire and the Red Wave. Their level of craziness seemed to pierce the heavens, perhaps because they were thest ones standing.
And if you were to ask which of the two was crazier, ny-nine out of a hundred would point to thetter¡ªthe Red Wave or whatever it was called. They were a bunch of rabid revolutionaries.
¡°Did they dream up another lunacy? They¡¯ve been quiet for a while.¡±
¡ª Indeed.
A collective sigh escaped us. Even the 5th Empire seemed reasonablepared to the Red Wave. That was how filled with pure madness the Red Wave was.
Initially, the 5th Empire consisted of those who wanted to seed the Kefellofen Empire, advocating for Armein to be the new empire. They merely argued within the framework of ¡®heaven¡¯s mandate¡¯ and ¡®the sole empire¡¯ set by the continent¡¯s order. Their arguments were unrealistic, but all they did was provoke controversy.
On the other hand, the Red Wave had no regard for order. They denied the hierarchy of the continent and aimed to drench thend with the ¡®blue blood¡¯ of monarchs and nobility. Even the 5th Empire would probably bristle if they were used of being a part of the Red Wave.
¡ª As you know, the Red Wave operates through cell organizations, making it difficult topletely eradicate them. Catching one cell usually doesn¡¯t end it.
The Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager mentioned that they had managed to detect some activity among these cells.
¡°Do we know their exact objective?¡±
¡ª We do have an idea. One of their branches received orders just before it was subdued. We were fortunate.
The timing was indeed fortunate. Had they been a bitter, the orders might have already been destroyed. And had they been earlier, the branch would have been crushed before they even found it.
¡ª ¡®Create a blueke,¡¯ that seems to be their goal.
¡°A blueke?¡±
¡ª They¡¯re likely targeting the imperial pce, the administration, or perhaps the academy. That¡¯s what you get when the uneducated try to make metaphors.
I couldn¡¯t help but agree with the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s contemptuous remark. The metaphor was too tant. Why bother with a code if it was going to be this obvious?
¡®How typical of the Red Wave.¡¯
Their delusion was to kill the nobles and create ake of blue blood, being called the ¡®Red Wave¡¯ themselves. They peculiarly avoidedparing the nobility to the sea.
Either way, creating a ke¡¯ implied that they needed the death of many nobles. The only ces that could make that happen were those mentioned by the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager¡ªthe imperial pce, the empire¡¯s administration, or the academy.
And the one with the highest probability was the academy, damn it.
¡ª I was going to wait for more detailed information, but I thought it best to inform you ahead of time since your location is also a potential target.
¡°Thank you for the heads up.¡±
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, we ended the call.
Red Wave, the Red Wave¡
The first semester brought the Third Honor. The Twilight Cult popped up before the vacation, while the Red Wave started to be active during the second semester.
¡®Why is there one every season?¡¯
Of course, the self-destructing Five Pirs didn¡¯t count. Still, the regrity of these events was astonishing.
It seemed that they were being straightforward to avoid confusion. How thoughtful of them, in a messed-up way.
¡®Is this what smooth sailing feels like?¡¯
At least there were no hidden variables in the chaos.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Adv§Ñnced ch§Ñpters §Ñvable on g§Ön§Ösistls.c§àm
Illustr§Ñti§àns on our disc§àrd ¨C disc§àrd.gg/g§Ön§Ösistls
We are Recruiting!
¡ºWe are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server¡ª¡»
Chapter 172: In the Midst of Rebellion (1)
Chapter 172: In the Midst of Rebellion (1)
? In the Midst of Rebellion (1) ?
I gathered my thoughts while munching on a cookie. They said that sugar boosted brain power, but I wasn¡¯t too sure about that. What I did know, though, was that a full stomach brought peace of mind.
This was the kind offort that never grew old. Louise¡¯s cookies truly were my personalfort food.
¡®Red Wave.¡¯
But even though my heart felt at ease, my mind was still a mess. These rascals had a knack for popping up and causing trouble.
Thankfully, they only came one at a time. It would have been overwhelming if they all attacked at once. Did they make an arrangement with the other organizations?
Either way, trouble was trouble. Those rebels were always causing a stir. I should blow their heads off once theye.
¡ª The Academy appears to be the prime target at the moment.
And it turned out to be true.
A few days after the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager mentioned the Red Wave, we were contacted again. Among the imperial pce, the administration, and the Academy, thetter seemed to be their most likely aim.
It wasn¡¯t surprising. It would have been more shocking if they had targeted anywhere other than the Academy.
¡ª It seems they¡¯re aiming for what they perceive as the weakest link¡ª
The Academy¡¯s security wasn¡¯tx, but it wasn¡¯t on par with that of the pce or the administration. It certainly seemed like the easiest target.
¡ª Of course, I¡¯m referring to the quality of the guards, not the Prosecutor stationed at the Academy.
¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡±
How did he interpret my expression that he gave such a strangement? Yes, I already knew that the Academy was an easier target. But why were we discussing this?
His next wordspelled me to sit up straight.
¡ª It seems the Red Wave has infiltrated within the Academy, though we¡¯re not sure whether they¡¯re official members or mere coborators.
¡°This is driving me insane.¡±
I ran my hand through my face as I recalled the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager¡¯s words. External threats were one thing, but internal spies were a whole different level of problem.
And it was the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager himself who said it. Although it was a tentative statement, it must be true if he was the one saying it.
¡°Something¡¯s missing.¡±
I murmured to myself, unable toprehend. Saying that the Academy was infiltrated meant that the infiltrator was either one of the faculty or students.
Neither should be in a dire enough situation to associate with radicals like the Red Wave.
The faculty of the Academy were well-regarded in the empire¡¯s educational circles, and they held considerable prestige. Meanwhile, the students were either born to privilege or guaranteed sess upon graduation. Why would they risk a stable future for something as trivial as the Red Wave?
It was also highly unlikely that the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager was fed false information. But there seemed to be no one within the Academy capable of such treachery. Unless they were out of their minds¡ª
¡®Ah.¡¯
A realization hit me. The Red Wave consisted of madmen, and anyone who joined them couldn¡¯t be considered sane. I had been viewing this too conventionally.
I should reflect on myself¡
***
Understanding the perspective of others was important. There¡¯s a reason for the saying, ¡®Put yourself in another¡¯s shoes.¡¯ By considering their position, you can also understand their choices.
Let¡¯s consider their perspective. What circumstances would lead me to join the Red Wave? What would drive me to dive into that wave?
¡®How would I know?¡¯
No matter how much I pondered, I couldn¡¯t grasp the rationale of someone with such a wed mentality.
I couldn¡¯t be mad just to understand their madness. Trying to think like an ordinary person alone was already challenging since I¡¯d been reborn as a noble.
¡®I was amoner before this possession.¡¯
But how could youpare amoner from medieval Europe to one from the 21st century? They weren¡¯t even remotely close.
The solution seemed to be nowhere in sight. I wasn¡¯t skilled in investigation, so how could I identify an internal spy? Perhaps bracing for the blow and mitigating the pain was the only way.
And then, as if sensing my plight, Enen sent a small helper my way.
¡°Ah, Executive Manager!¡±
I had stepped out for some air when I encountered someone who had endured more hardship than most.
¡°Olivia?¡±
Olivia, who was wearing an armband symbolizing her membership in the student council, ran towards me while waving her hands enthusiastically.
¡°Wow! You can see everything from here?¡±
¡°Indeed. It¡¯s been a while.¡±
I hadn¡¯t really had the chance to meet Amelia and Olivia since pushing them into the student council. In the first ce, our initial encounter was purely coincidental.
She was alone. Was she on patrol?
¡°Are you working?¡±
¡°No. I just finished and was on my way to the cafeteria with unnie.¡±
She nced around and then chuckled.
¡°I guess unnie got lost again.¡±
I didn¡¯t bother to point out that she was probably the one who was lost. Why embarrass a child who was content simply from having a good meal?
Olivia seemed pleased to see me after a long time, and she started chatting away about this and that. I nodded along, thinking.
She was amoner from a family whose parents passed away early. Her elder sister carried the burden and became the breadwinner of a household with many dependents that they even had to share a single turnip among them¡
¡®She¡¯s a picture-perfect proletariat.¡¯
Honestly, Olivia would¡¯ve had every reason to cry out for a revolution countless times if she wasn¡¯t a student at the Academy.
Even the Emperor would be merciful rather than annoyed with a child who was calling for equality. Of course, there would still be consequences for Olivia.
¡°Olivia, can I ask you something?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
It wasn¡¯t that I suspected Olivia or Amelia, for that matter. It was easy to spot those driven by fanatic beliefs even in brief interactions.
They were just kids hungry for more food. They didn¡¯t seem to hold any type of radical belief.
¡°Have you ever heard of the Red Wave?¡±
Normally, you¡¯d beat around the bush with such questions. Directly asking only prompted denials. Who would openly say, ¡®Yes, I¡¯m part of the Red Wave¡¯?
But I figured that Olivia might not understand it if I used indirect inquiries. I wasn¡¯t interrogating her; I was just seeking testimony.
Her reaction was unexpected.
¡°Oh, that?¡±
Her previously bright expression soured.
¡°Ugh, they were really loud and annoying back home.¡±
¡°That must have been troublesome.¡±
Despite the seriousness of her statement, I kept my tone light. Pressing for details would only make Olivia nervous.
¡°Exactly! They were always making noise from dawn, insisting that we join them and trying to drag us along!¡±
Olivia vented, releasing her pent-up frustrations.
I got the gist. Perhaps they went preaching in areas popted by poormoners. How was that any different from a cult?
¡°Still, unnie said we had to tolerate them because they were poor people.¡±
Her suddenment made me clench and then unclench my fist. Her having said ¡®poor people¡¯ sounded like she knew something more.
Although there was only a slim chance¡ If Amelia held a favorable view or even sympathy towards the Red Wave¡
¡°She said they were lost in their own delusions and were incapable of taking care of themselves. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in the age of Apels anymore. She also added that sess is attainable with effort, but that they preferred to talk rather than act.¡±
I was wrong. She was filled with contempt.
I felt awkward for a moment. After all, wasn¡¯t Amelia the one who had always persevered through tough times? To her, the Red Wave would likely seem as nothing but troublemakers who only added fuel to the chaos.
¡°But there was this smart man in our vige who actually liked them.¡±
I nodded as she added that he disappeared sometimeter.
***
The escaped Olivia was eventually retrieved by her keeper, Amelia, who flinched upon seeing me.
¡°Did she cause any trouble?¡±
¡°It was nothing much. We just talked a little about the Red Wave.¡±
Amelia¡¯s face turned pale upon hearing Olivia¡¯s words. The thought of a Prosecutor discussing republican fanatics with amoner must have been unsettling.
Inadvertently, I ended up listening to something akin to Amelia¡¯s oath of loyalty on the spot. No, it¡¯s not what you think¡ I¡¯m fine.
¡°I would never follow a misguided belief down the wrong path!¡±
Hearing Olivia¡¯s story and seeing Amelia¡¯s desperate reassurance convinced me further.
Of course, not allmoners were sympathetic to the Red Wave. Also, their level of knowledge didn¡¯t necessarily corrte with their allegiance to it.
¡®Maybe it¡¯s someone from the faculty.¡¯
Intellectuals with strong convictions and pride could be more dangerous. Such a person might cause even greater turmoil if they fell for the Red Wave.
¡But now that I think about it, it wasn¡¯t really a conclusion. It was just an expansion of the pool of suspects.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
Still, breaking down my prejudices was a step forward. Now, I wouldn¡¯t be blindsided by someonepletely unexpected.
As I walked on, mymunication crystal lit up from within my pocket.
¡®What is it now?¡¯
Could it be the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager again?
¡ª Executive Manager, it¡¯s me.
¡°2nd Manager?¡±
My anxiety turned into relief as the 2nd Manager greeted me. It seemed that his other eye had been healed already. What was this all about?
¡°What¡¯s going on at this hour?¡±
¡ª Ah, well, that is¡ª
¡ª Move!
¡ª Oof!
The 2nd Manager was interrupted by a direct hit to the chin by a white-haired figure as he began to speak. It wasn¡¯t even a punch but a headbutt, leaving the 2nd Manager unable to retaliate and down for the count.
That hitnded solidly. Even the minister would reel from such a blow.
¡ª Executive Manager! How have you been?
¡°Not great.¡±
Things were fine until the Red Wave messed everything up.
Despite my curt response, the 1st Manager chuckled, seemingly undeterred.
¡ª Don¡¯t worry! You¡¯ll cheer up soon!
¡°Why? Did the Minister approve my resignation?¡±
Of course, we all knew that it was unlikely.
¡ª I¡¯m heading to the Academy!
My mind went nk. What did she say?
¡ª Ah, I¡¯ming along too.
The recently floored 2nd Manager also chimed in. What¡ what on earth¡?
¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense.¡±
I finally spoke up after a moment of silence. These guys had really improved their lying skills since Ist saw them.
But this wasn¡¯t the time for joking around. It was a serious matter.
Everything is just going the wrong way, damn it.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 173: In the Midst of Rebellion (2)
Chapter 173: In the Midst of Rebellion (2)
? In the Midst of Rebellion (2) ?
I didin about it, after all. I said that I couldn¡¯t be mad just to understand their madness and that I had no way to identify an internal spy since I wasn¡¯t particrly skilled in investigating.
Yes. These were my thoughts and also traps I set for myself at the same time.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
Was it even necessary to collect those clues so obsessively?
Because of that, two people who were skilled in inquiry and also mad emerged. It was no different from making a deration that I had no regrets, only to die the very same day.
¡ª Hehe, the Executive Manager looks touched.
¡ª Oh dear, he must have felt lonely.
Their teasing was evident in their voices, driving me to the brink of madness. Why did it have to be them out of all the managers?¡®I guess I¡¯m stuck with these idiots.¡¯
As insane as they might be, they wouldn¡¯t visit the academy just for fun. Given the timing, it must be rted to the Red Wave.
So while my heart denied it, my mind agreed. Indeed, these two were the best choices for the current situation.
The 2nd Manager was skilled in gathering information, while the 1st Manager efficiently handled matters. Force wasn¡¯t necessary right now, and they were the perfect candidates.
¡°¡Why are youing here?¡±
Still, I asked, hoping against hope. Perhaps they¡¯ve reached a critical point and came without orders.
¡ª Ta-da!
And my futile hope was crushed by a piece of paper that was presented by the 1st Manager.
¡®Right.¡¯
I understood it at a nce. It was a cooperation request from the Minister of Intelligence, approved by the Minister of Finance. It was an official dispatch order.
So they weren¡¯tpletely mad after all. It¡¯s supposed to be good news, but why do I feel sad?
¡ª This is normally a job for the Ministry of Intelligence, but they requested our assistance since they¡¯re swamped. Since you¡¯re also at the academy, they thought it¡¯d be better for someonepatible to go.
I nearly grabbed the back of my neck at the 2nd Manager¡¯s words. Shouldn¡¯t theirpatibility mean they shouldn¡¯t be sent?
¡°Damn it.¡±
I think I understood why the Ministry of Intelligence was busy. They were tied up in the North, leaving us short-staffed domestically.
Whenever something terrible happened in my life, the North was to me most of the time. Those useless troublemakers.
¡ª Then, Executive Manager! We¡¯ll see you soon!
¡°Alright.¡±
I nodded weakly, knowing I couldn¡¯t stop them. I understood the importance of giving up early.
Though I was far from ready to abandon hope, it was necessary.
¡°I¡¯m going to lose my mind.¡±
I muttered after confirming that themunication was cut. The Red Wave was trouble enough, but now the 1st and 2nd managers wereing too?
They were meant to be reinforcements against the Red Wave, so why did they feel like a burden? Objectively, they should be helpful, but¡
¡®Those brats aren¡¯t normal.¡¯
It hit me again; those guys weren¡¯t normal. Who smiled like that whening to meet their superior?
They really were a perplexing bunch.
***
I hadn¡¯t visited the principal¡¯s office since my probation. It was a ce that was better off not visited for the sake of peace, much like themander¡¯s office or a professor¡¯sb.
Unfortunately, I now had to visit it because it was no longer peaceful.
¡°The Red Wave, you say?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±
Unlike when we dealt with the Third Honor during the fair, I informed the principal about the Red Wave.
Back then, spreading the word would have only caused amotion, and we were fully intent on intercepting them before they could approach the academy. But this time was different.
With the possibility of external invasion and internal unrest, it was essential for the owner to know if there were spies in their front yard.
¡°Support from the Prosecutors¡¯ Office is also on its way.¡±
And that was also something I had to mention.
¡°I see.¡±
Upon hearing that, the Principal¡¯s expression darkened somewhat. The thought of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office roaming around his own front yard¡ª
¡®Is it just me?¡¯
His expression seemed even darker than when we discussed the Red Wave.
But unlike when we apprehended the Third Honor lurking outside the academy, we must identify a spy within the academy itself this time. For that, the principal¡¯s cooperation was crucial.
We could bulldoze our way with the authority of the Inspection Department, but that would be counterproductive. Even spies with a penchant for attention might go into hiding.
¡°We¡¯ll need to prepare a suitable cover.¡±
The principal seemed to agree, nodding slightly. Having a usible alias would be better than the badge of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
¡°An assistant teacher¡¯s position should suffice. Theye and go frequently, so neither the staff nor students will find it odd.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±
The casual mention of such a grim reality was startling, but I glossed over it.
¡®What¡¯s with the turnover rate?¡¯
Labeling it as ¡®rapidly rotating personnel¡¯ seemed harsh. Graduate students were people too, people!
¡®Am I right?¡¯
I doubted it for a moment, but let us assume it was correct.
¡°Please inform me when the reinforcements arrive. I¡¯ll prepare everything before then.¡±
¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±
¡°It¡¯s for the academy, after all. If anything, I should be the one thanking the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.¡±
With that, I returned the Principal¡¯s smile with one of my own.
***
After confirming the departure of the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, I sank into the sofa.
It was an unexpected visit and an unexpected request.
And it was for something as disruptive as the Red Wave, of all things. It was bound to cause turmoil for a while.
¡®What a headache.¡¯
The Red Wave, brazen enough to challenge order and incite chaos, was the enemy of not just the empire but of the entire continent. It was so big of a threat that even rival nations cooperated against it.
It was only natural. A nation retained its privileges even if it faltered in inter-state disputes. But if the Red Wave prevailed, nothing would remain.
Hence, each country, especially the pinnacle of the established order known as the empire, had adopted a policy of no mercy and no tolerance towards the Red Wave. And leading this charge was the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
The Prosecutors¡¯ Office was the one who upheld His Majesty¡¯s authority by keeping the nobles in check. How then would they deal with the Red Wave, which outright denies the very existence of His Majesty?
¡®The students must not get rmed.¡¯
There would be a bloodbath. After all, the Prosecutors¡¯ Office had previously eradicated entire viges or cities in its campaign against the Red Wave.
Of course, those actions were not under the current Executive Manager¡¯s tenure. But would the current Executive Manager act any differently?
¡®It surely won¡¯te to that.¡¯
When he became the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office two years ago at the age of 19, there was a lot of talk. But now, there was no bacsh at all. The reason was simple: anyone who rebelled was eliminated.
He was relentless against those who challenged his authority. He surely wouldn¡¯t treat those who deny His Majesty the Emperor any more leniently.
I had been observing the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office for some time, and I hade to understand his personal character. This was how I knew how far he was from the cruel and heartless image some might expect.
Still, there was a difference between one¡¯s private and public personalities.
¡®I hope the spy is caught without a fuss.¡¯
I wasn¡¯t sure who the spy was, but that thought crossed my mind. I was more afraid of the chaos that would ensue from the spy¡¯s desperate struggles than the anger I felt at having a traitor in the academy I oversaw.
Surely they wouldn¡¯t execute someone right in front of the main building or the main gate for treason.
¡Would they?
***
I periodically checked in with the two managers to gauge their progress.
I felt like a parent checking if their child made it to their academy safely. What am I even doing?
¡®The pitiful side should bear it.¡¯
Still, it was better than having the surprise of them suddenly showing up in the club room unannounced. Who knew where they might end up otherwise?
¡ª Executive Manager, do you really miss me that much?
¡°Shut it.¡±
The 1st Manager¡¯s interpretation of my words and her action of twirling her hair was particrly annoying. Miss her? What nonsense was that?
My blunt response prompted the 1st Manager to pout and then hit the 2nd Manager, who wasughing beside her.
¡ª Hey, why are you hitting me?!
¡ª Don¡¯t ask me. Who told you to be there?
I kind of liked this. Go on, hit him more.
The 2nd Manager groaned and was pushed out of themunication crystal¡¯s view as they bickered. No, it was more like he took a one-sided beating.
¡°Why¡¯s he so weak all of a sudden?¡±
The 2nd Manager wasn¡¯t specialized inbat, but he shouldn¡¯t be losing to the 1st Manager like this.
¡ª He says he hasn¡¯t regained his strength yet.
¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±
The reason was sadder than I expected. It seemed like he hadn¡¯t recovered from the aftereffects of the North.
That was correct. After all, the North was a harsh ce. Surviving an encounter with the Chauzid tribe and not dying was an achievement in itself.
¡°So, how far have youe?¡±
My sympathy for the 2nd managersted a mere three seconds before I quickly shifted the topic.
Well, it must not be too serious if he had been dispatched. The empire preferred to utilize its civil servants efficiently rather than wearing them out quickly.
¡ª We¡¯re in Baron Rivac¡¯s territory, so we¡¯ll arrive in about two more days.
¡°That¡¯s soon.¡±
I wondered if we could prepare their identities in two days, but it should be quick since the Principal himself was handling it.
As I nodded with that thought, the 1st Manager¡¯s smirking face came into view.
¡°What¡¯s with that smile?¡±
I haven¡¯t worked together with her for two years just for nothing. By now, I could guess why she was smiling just by looking at her face.
I could tell by her smile when she was about to make fun of me, when she was just smiling for no reason at all, or when she was angry.
This time, she was smiling because of her excitement. She had the look of someone who couldn¡¯t contain themselves over something they wanted to do.
¡ª I¡¯ve heard a lot of rumors about the Red Wave, and I¡¯ll be seeing them for the first time!
And most of the time, that excitement was about discovering a new ¡®collection.¡¯
Cheerfully announcing this, the 1st Manager reached out and pushed a pouch toward me.
¡ª I made sure to bring it this time!
¡°Ah, right.¡±
I nced over at the familiar object. She actually brought it.
She came preparedpared to when we dealt with the Third Honor.
¡®Her torture diary¡¡¯
That item was the 1st Manager¡¯s favored tool of torture and the diary where she recorded interrogations she deemed memorable.
¡ª Hehe, how many spies do you think there are?
Seeing this, I had a hunch. It didn¡¯t matter whether there were many spies or just one. After all, they were likely going to end up being dissected like parts of Exodia.
She must have been quite boredtely.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Adv§Ñnced ch§Ñpters §Ñvable on g§Ön§Ösistls.c§àm
Illustr§Ñti§àns on our disc§àrd ¨C disc§àrd.gg/g§Ön§Ösistls
We are Recruiting!
¡ºWe are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server¡ª¡»
Chapter 174: In the Midst of Rebellion (3)
Chapter 174: In the Midst of Rebellion (3)
? In the Midst of Rebellion (3) ?
I¡¯ve been gued by ominous dreams ever since I saw the 1st Manager¡¯s pouch, which seemed worthy of at least unique grade.
Those were dreams wherein the spy¡¯s limbs were hung in each of the four cardinal directions of the academy, with their head in front of the main building. Those dreams also included the Principal, who was driven into an enraged rejuvenation by the sight. Was it a demonic summoning ritual or something?
Ah, and the students panicking andining to their families was just the icing on the cake. Upon hearing their children¡¯s tearfulints, the families protested to the administration. Thanks to that, I got a thorough scolding from the Minister.
¡®Why does it feel so real?¡¯
These dreams, which selected only the worst of scenarios, felt all the more maddening because of their usibility. It was even more infuriating because a minor slip could lead to this reality.
It was frustrating. Now, I had to avoid even the smallest disciplinary action at all costs. Writing just one report could instantlynd me in prison, branding me as a repeat offender in the eyes of the authorities.
¡°I-I¡¯m on Carl¡¯s side no matter what!¡±
For a moment, I imagined Marghetta crying outside the prison bars. Such imaginations always seemed toe to me in high quality.The guilt was overwhelming. Should I prepare some poison for a noble end?
¡°Oppa?¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Louise¡¯s voice pulled me back from the brink of despair.
¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something bothering you?¡±
Louise looked at me with a pitying gaze when I asked her while struggling to mask my expression.
¡°I think oppa is the one with something on your mind.¡±
I couldn¡¯t find a proper response. There was indeed something, and it was important.
However, realizing that I had given it away through my expression only added to my sorrow. I used to maintain a poker face, but I¡¯ve been getting caught too oftentely.
¡®Is she that perceptive?¡¯
Perhaps she also benefited from the universal protagonist buff aside from her own romantic dilemmas. Or maybe not.
Anyway, hiding everything was no longer an option since I had been caught by Louise. Insisting that there was nothing wrong would only make me seem more suspicious, prompting her to pry further.
This also made sense considering the 1st Manager¡¯s behavior. Given her personality, she wouldn¡¯t just sit quietly at the academy. She was likely to storm into the club room for a visit.
¡®It¡¯s better to tell her.¡¯
The unexpected visit would seem odder if I remained silent, especially when I knew it was happening.
Plus, the 1st Manager had already met the club members during the club fair. It should be okay to talk about it.
¡°Actually, we¡¯re expecting a guest.¡±
After a brief hesitation, I finally spoke up.
Yes, it¡¯d be better to be upfront and keep them busy in the club room. After all, it was the 2nd Manager¡¯s job to roam around and hunt for internal spies. The 1st Manager would only have to y her role after the spy was found.
¡°A guest?¡±
¡°Yes, the one with white hair and red eyes from the club fair.¡±
¡°Ah, that unnie?¡±
She nodded, remembering clearly. Indeed, it was hard to forget the 1st Manager¡¯s distinctive appearance.
¡°She¡¯s quite the free spirit.¡±
Louise seemed to understand when I mentioned the troublesome nature of our guest. Strictly speaking, it was made all the more convincing because my description was urate.
Dealing with both the 1st Manager and the Red Wave was bothersome.
¡®Shit.¡¯
How did we end up with these guests?
¡°She likes bread, so I should prepare some in advance.¡±
The gentle smile on Louise¡¯s face as she spoke made me feel even more frustrated. Why were the guests like this when the host was so kind?
¡°You don¡¯t have to go out of your way; she¡¯s not a picky eater.¡±
¡°Hehe, but we should still treat our guests well.¡±
Louise was so kind, and yet¡
¡°We¡¯re here.¡±
¡°Haha, we¡¯re a bitte.¡±
Soon after, the group of tardy club members filed in.
¡®Is it all about bnce?¡¯
Seeing the members made me wonder. Was the club leader¡¯s boundless kindness a counterbnce to its unusual members?
Perhaps Louise was the moralpass of the club.
***
Riding in a carriage for long periods was tedious. It was bumpy and stuffy. Besides, you¡¯d sometimes have to sleep outdoors if you couldn¡¯t find a town or city to stay in at night.
But this time, the journey was enjoyable.
What was a little carriage ride when I was heading to meet my boss? I¡¯d walk to the edge of the continent if I had to.
¡°La~¡±
I hummed to myself in excitement.
¡°Are you that happy?¡±
The 2nd Manager asked the obvious.
¡°I would have been happier if I went alone.¡±
¡°Then you should try being the spy hunter.¡±
The 2nd Manager¡¯s mocking smirk was irritating, so I retorted sharply.
¡°Cut it out!¡±
And then, I hit him. How dare someone so weak talk back to me?
The Executive Manager once said that there was only a one-letter difference between being right and a beating. I was only acting in ordance with the Executive Manager¡¯s beliefs.
I nodded in satisfaction as I watched the 2nd Manager squirm at the slightest touch. His reactions had been so goodtely that it felt so satisfying to hit him.
¡°I wish it could stay like this.¡±
¡°What a terrible thing to say.¡±
True, it was a dreadful statement.
But I kept that thought to myself. Either way, I had already fulfilled today¡¯s quota for tormenting.
¡°We should arrive by evening, right?¡±
¡°Yes, that should be about right.¡±
I nced at the map and responded to the 2nd Manager, who was rubbing his shoulder. We had just passed through thends of Baron Landon, so we should indeed arrive by evening.
¡°I never expected the Red Wave to be involved with the academy.¡±
He also added that we couldn¡¯t handle them like in the old days, making me tilt my head in confusion. The way he spoke seemed as if he had dealt with them before.
¡°Have you encountered them before?¡±
¡°Often, when I was a team member. Why do you act as if you¡¯ve never seen them?¡±
¡°I only saw them once before bing a manager.¡±
The Red Wave was notoriously difficult to encounter. The empire had a zero-tolerance policy towards them, often resulting in on-site execution. Even attempts to capture them for interrogation often ended with their self-destruction.
That was why I had only seen them once when I was a team member. And even then, I wasn¡¯t fully involved in the interrogation.
¡°It¡¯s unfair that you saw them on your own. It was difficult for me to encounter the Red Wave.¡±
It felt both unfair and frustrating that the 2nd Manager was monopolizing encounters with such elusive enemies.
¡°What can I do? The previous Executive Manager ordered us to kill them all.¡±
The 2nd Manager¡¯s nonchnt shrug irked me further. The previous Executive Manager was always the issue¡ªhe was no fun, not flexible, and not impressive at all.
If I had any unpleasant experiences during my time in the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, then it was almost always because of the previous Executive Manager. Life had been much more enjoyable since boss, the current Executive Manager, took over.
¡°¡But wasn¡¯t the previous Executive Manager the Minister?¡±
I thought out loud, suddenly remembering. Wasn¡¯t the person who served as the Executive Manager before our current Executive Manager the Minister? Although his tenure was short, he did serve, didn¡¯t he?
¡°Not officially, no. He was promoted to Minister before the Emperor even approved it.¡±
¡°Wow.¡±
So it was technically a double promotion. That¡¯s impressive, though it¡¯s not something I¡¯d envy.
¡°Anyway, back when we were still under the previous Executive Manager, an entire vige would be ttened if they spotted any traces of the Red Wave.¡±
Hearing that reminded me of something. They reasoned that everyone could potentially be an aplice, so wiping them out was justified.
Thinking about it now, it didn¡¯t seem sane. It wasn¡¯t even efficient. Instead, it just drove people to hide in fear or act out in anger.
¡°We can¡¯t exactly tten the academy now. This is tricky.¡±
In our current situation, that approach wasn¡¯t even an option. The previous Executive Manager¡¯s methods were¡
¡°So let¡¯s do it right this time. We should aim to capture as many as possible, alive.¡±
¡°Yesss~¡±
I nodded, pleased with the agreement. The 2nd Manager finding spies meant more resources for me.
Meeting the Executive Manager was good enough for me, but this wasn¡¯t bad, either.
As my mood gradually improved, I turned to look at the object beside me.
¡®Will he like it?¡¯
I prepared a gift this time, unlike during the club fair.
¡°For someone imprisoned, tofu is the best. They mightin, but they¡¯ll love it in the end.¡±
This was also something the Executive Manager said when the Minister was imprisoned.
So, the Executive Manager should like it too. Being under probation or imprisoned was essentially the same.
¡®It¡¯s said to be a nutritious dish in Armein.¡¯
I also took care in selecting the menu. Just giving him tofu would be too nd.
The people of Armein were impressive. Who would¡¯ve thought to make a cake out of tofu?
***
I was resting in my lodging when I suddenly heard a knock on the door.
They had finallye.
¡°Coming¡ª¡±
Click¡ª
¡°Wow, it opened.¡±
¡°The academy¡¯s no big deal, huh?¡±
These bastards.
Their audacity to unlock the door and enter before I could open it for them was appalling.
These crazy idiots. Even if a door could be opened, it wasmon courtesy to wait for the host to wee you.
¡°Executive Manager! Long time no see!¡±
As I stared at the sight with mixed feelings, the 1st Manager approached me while waving her hands.
That¡¯s right. They came to help, so I should wee them¡ª
¡°I brought you a gift!¡±
¡right?
¡°A gift?¡±
Instinctual warnings shot up my spine. Was the word ¡®gift¡¯ always this ominous?
¡°Yes! We¡¯ve been preparing it for days!¡±
¡®Damn.¡¯
Hearing those words made it even harder to say no. As dubious as the gift obviously was, I couldn¡¯t dismiss the efforts of my subordinate without a good reason.
It was predictable, but the thought of dealing with the aftermath was all too clear.
¡®This is driving me crazy.¡¯
This was workce harassment. I could never have imagined something like this happening when I was a Team Manager.
¡°Thank you.¡±
I braced myself and epted the box that the 1st Manager handed over.
Was it just my imagination? The weight felt simr to something I had epted recently.
¡®Ah.¡¯
As soon as I opened the box, I froze. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t just my imagination.
¡°Do you like it?¡±
I quietly lifted my head at the giggling remark from the 1st Manager.
¡°The 1st Manager went to great lengths to find it. It¡¯s so obscure in Armein that there was hardly any stock avable.¡±
I barely managed to nod as the 2nd Manager added, having juste back after locking the door again.
So now I¡¯m eating this obscure food for the second time.
¡°¡Thank you.¡±
Thank you very much, you bastards.
¡°I¡¯m d you like it!¡±
¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this in my life.¡±
I just stared down at the cake, nked by my twoughing enemies.
¡®Damn this.¡¯
And so, the three of us shared the tofu cake. It was delicious, which made it all the more annoying.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Adv§Ñnced ch§Ñpters §Ñvable on g§Ön§Ösistls.c§àm
Illustr§Ñti§àns on our disc§àrd ¨C disc§àrd.gg/g§Ön§Ösistls
We are Recruiting!
¡ºWe are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server¡ª¡»
Chapter 175: The Red-blooded Dreamer (1)
Chapter 175: The Red-blooded Dreamer (1)
? The Red-blooded Dreamer (1) ?
The day after I gulped down the tofu cake, heavy with turmoil and anxiety, I headed to the principal¡¯s office. I was nked by the two managers, whose presence stirred a tumult of emotions within me.
¡°Esteemed guests have arrived, I see.¡±
Upon confirming that the support staff was a white-haired woman and a blond man, the Principal began to speak softly. Though it was unlikely that the Principal had seen them before, he must have at least heard of their distinctive features.
At this point, I felt like a mountain spirit wielding a golden and a silver axe. But in reality, the Principal seemed more fitting for the spirit image than me.
I slightly nudged the two beside me, prompting them to bow and greet the Principal immediately.
¡°I¡¯m Elizabeth Massello, the 1st Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.¡±
¡°And I¡¯m Lafayette Varon, 2nd Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.¡±
Their usual unruly demeanor was reced by a facade of politeness.¡®If only they were like this with me.¡¯
Though their behavior was expected, it somehow irritated me. The Principal and I had the same level of position as a civil servant, and yet some treated me like a punching bag while others were treated with courtesy¡
Of course, if they acted towards the Principal as they did towards me, I would have punched them.
¡°Wee. Although you are here on official business and can¡¯t be at ease, please feel free to ask for anything you need.¡±
I looked on, masking my annoyance as the Principal offered a handshake to the managers. Apparently, even jerks knew how to act.
¡°Please have a seat. It¡¯s not polite to keep guests standing.¡±
Then, he began to make tea himself since the secretary had been sent out momentarily, leaving the most senior among us to do the work.
The 1st Manager rushed and offered to take over, but she returned after the Principal¡¯sment.
¡°What did he say that made youe back?¡±
¡°He said that moving around like that kept the body from stiffening up due to old age¡¡±
At that, we quietly turned away. It was hard to argue with an elder who was using their own body as an excuse, especially when the listener was younger.
As we sat awkwardly, the 1st Manager broke the silence.
¡°I¡¯ve never been to the Principal¡¯s office even when I was a student, but here I am.¡±
My jaw almost dropped as I watched her fidget at the unfamiliar situation.
¡®You seem like you¡¯d be a frequent visitor to the disciplinary office.¡¯
But I held that in, knowing that voicing that thought would likely result in a shrill protest about how dignified and proper she was as a student.
Still, there were probably tales of a white-haired female student who was notorious for her entricities if I looked into the academy¡¯s seven mysteries. Although I felt curious, it was too frightening to look it up.
¡°You look like you¡¯d be a frequent visitor to the disciplinary office.¡±
¡®Oh.¡¯
As if reading my mind, the 2nd Manager retorted sharply. It seems as if he never stops provoking people. I bet he also provoked her during their carriage ride and got hit.
¡°This tea has a rather fine aroma.¡±
The 1st Manager¡¯s attempt to retaliate with a trembling fist was thwarted by the Principal¡¯s appearance.
That bastard definitely nned this.
***
From today, Lafayette Varon, the 2nd Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, is dead.
¡°So one is enough, then?¡±
¡°Yes, I apologize for not informing you sooner. It seems having just one for the 2nd Manager will suffice.¡±
The Principal, truly befitting the man who governed the academy, secured a perfect identity in no time. It was so usible that I even considered a fake identity for the 1st Manager.
However, the 1st Manager¡¯s face was too well-known within the academy, making it odder for her to carry around a fake identity. We couldn¡¯t exactly pass her off as Elizabeth¡¯s twin sister,¡¯ either.
Therefore, we gratefully epted only the identity of the 2nd Manager¡ª
¡°Hey, Charles, try to make the tea properly.¡±
¡°Mr. Charles, how do you expect to win the teachers¡¯ hearts if you can¡¯t even do this?¡±
And thus, Charles Steiner, assistant to the history teacher Gerhardt, was born.
¡°Guests. You¡¯re hindering our research, so please leave us be.¡±
His words were polite, but the message wasn¡¯t. Charles, formerly the 2nd Manager, began to brew the tea again, managing a forced smile.
¡®Why does it suit him so well?¡¯
Watching him, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. The neatly groomed, sses-wearing blond young man looked every bit the perfect schrly aspirant.
But that only made it all the more hrious since we knew the real him.
I turned my gaze from the 1st Manager, who was now nitpicking not just the results but the tea-brewing process itself, to Gerhardt.
¡°Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Gerhardt.¡±
Gerhardt had agreed to the Principal¡¯s request to take on a temporary assistant teacher without knowing the full story, such as the Red Wave or the involvement of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
¡°Think nothing of it. It¡¯s a small favorpared to what I owe to the Prosecutor.¡±
¡°Haha, I¡¯m d I managed to incur a debt in advance.¡±
Gerhardt, with a smile so genuine it could warm anyone¡¯s heart, had no idea that the snowball of his northern research would roll this far.
Had I asked another teacher to take in my acquaintance as an assistant, they would have felt both suspicious and burdened. An acquaintance of the Prosecutor? Why now? And so forth.
But Gerhardt had seen me looking out for Christina, whom I had no connection to and who, at least at that point, I didn¡¯t realize was the Minister¡¯s niece.
So, he probably just thought I was helping someone else again. Good people tended to be viewed positively no matter what they did.
¡°Christina will be happy to have a junior after such a long time.¡±
At that, I looked at Christina and chuckled.
¡°Mr. Charles, give it to me. I¡¯ll do it.¡±
Christina, who usually had a solemnplexion, seemed noticeably brighter as she took Charles away from the haranguing of the 1st Manager.
One would think she¡¯d be happy to offload her menial tasks onto a new junior, and yet she volunteered herself. It reflected her intent to protect her valuable junior.
¡®She truly is the minister¡¯s rtive.¡¯
She wasn¡¯t just any rtive; she was the Minister¡¯s niece-inw, which exined her upright nature.
¡°Thank you, Ms. Christina.¡±
¡°Hehe, feel free to call me senior for now.¡±
¡°Understood, Senior Christina.¡±
Her already brightplexion seemed to glow even more. Could she be any happier?
¡°Ms. Christina was an assistant without juniors or seniors. The few juniors that dide didn¡¯t stay long.¡±
¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±
Perhaps catching my puzzled look, Gerhardt exined, and I let out a sigh. In summary, it¡¯s as if she¡¯s been dealt a bad hand.
Being a master¡¯s student was tough enough without also having aplicated service record. It was too much of a burden for one person to bear.
¡®And it¡¯s only temporary.¡¯
Charles was just a temporary junior, expected to stay for a week or two at most. Yet, seeing how cherished he was, it was clear how starved for juniors she had been.
¡°Seeing her care for him like that reassures me she can be trusted with him.¡±
¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry. While the study of history may be difficult, it¡¯s not a field where people are the difficult part.¡±
That was relieving news. At least Charles wouldn¡¯t end up throwing away his disguise due to interpersonal issues.
¡®The problem is him, though.¡¯
I had no doubts about Gerhardt and Christina¡¯s characters, but Charles¡ doesn¡¯t sit well with me. Anyway, the character of the 2nd Manager was worrying.
But if he was sane, then he¡¯d restrain himself. He did his job well, and I had already mentioned to him that Christina was the Minister¡¯s niece.
¡°There¡¯s only one assistant teacher in the history subject.¡±
¡°Is she pretty?¡±
¡°She is, but she¡¯s the Minister¡¯s niece.¡±
This was the conversation we had while the 2nd Manager was transforming into Charles and when we were on our way to Gerhardt¡¯sb. The 2nd Manager¡¯s usual smirk stiffened at thatment.
¡°You know that the Minister is very family-oriented, right?¡±
¡°Yeah¡ well¡¡±
Meaning that if he messes up, it could eventually reach the minister¡¯s ears through the grapevine.
The 2nd Manager, or rather Charles, seemed to understand, nodding his head with a bitter expression. After all, teasing an Executive Manager and inciting the Minister¡¯s wrath were entirely different matters.
¡®He¡¯ll do fine.¡¯
Even now, it was evident that he tensed up whenever Christina spoke to him. It might look to others like a junior startled by a senior¡¯s call, but¡
Yes, he¡¯ll manage. As long as he had a bit ofmon sense, he¡¯d do just fine.
***
The Executive Manager and the 1st Manager left without hesitation, abandoning me.
Such heartless people. They just go off to enjoy themselves.
¡®Talk about bad luck.¡¯
I had nned to get along with theb members and roam around the academy. Even if it was a temporary identity, building a minimum level of interpersonal rtionships was essential for smooth operations.
But what were the odds of being stuck with the minister¡¯s niece among the only two people here?
¡®If she had just been his niece.¡¯
I wouldn¡¯t have had to worry if it were just the minister¡¯s niece. The minister disliked seeing his close kin use his influence, so he was rather stern with them.
But a ¡®niece-inw¡¯ was different. Even the most ruthless and cold-hearted people hesitated when it involved the beloved kin of their spouse.
¡®This is why marriage is a bad idea.¡¯
Even the most meticulous people developed weaknesses once they married. There was a reason why I preferred to just enjoy dating.
¡°Mr. Charles, you¡¯ve worked hard. Please sit down and rest.¡±
The person who hadplicated my thoughts cautiously approached and spoke.
Rest? What have I done to deserve rest?
¡°I haven¡¯t really done anything yet¡ª¡±
¡°You¡¯ve worked hard by making tea. It¡¯s normal to just sit quietly and adapt on the first day.¡±
Christina, the niece-inw, chuckled, and I could only nod in response. Was there such a culture in thisb?
¡®This is going to drive me crazy.¡¯
I instinctively felt it. Going outside theb would be harder than I thought.
It looks like I¡¯ll have to remain as theb¡¯s totem until the senior is satisfied.
¡®Why didn¡¯t I realize this sooner?¡¯
I resented the Executive Manager. He should have shared crucial information before we arrived at the academy. If he had, then I could have thought of an appropriate way to handle it.
It¡¯s the Executive Manager¡¯s fault if my work gets dyed. I¡¯ve decided to just think of it that way.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Adv§Ñnced ch§Ñpters §Ñvable on g§Ön§Ösistls.c§àm
Illustr§Ñti§àns on our disc§àrd ¨C disc§àrd.gg/g§Ön§Ösistls
We are Recruiting!
¡ºWe are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server¡ª¡»
Chapter 176: The Red-blooded Dreamer (2)
Chapter 176: The Red-blooded Dreamer (2)
? The Red-blooded Dreamer (2) ?
Having subordinates had its perks; I didn¡¯t have to do everything myself and could just wait for reports. It was like setting a game on auto-hunt mode while I enjoyed my meal.
However, this convenience can quickly turn into a critical w. Sometimes, just watching would lead to unbelievable situations where they¡¯d cause unnecessary blunders. While I preferred not to get involved, my instinct to offer guidance would kick in.
¡ª I can¡¯t make any progress.
¡°What?¡±
In this dilemma, Charles, the former 2nd Manager, came up with an ingenious solution; if the boss was frustrated by reports, then it was better to just not show anything at all.
No cause, no result. It was an unimaginably brilliant solution. But was he out of his mind?
¡°What have you been doing all this time?¡±
The 2nd Manager, now devolved into Charles, seemed to have regressed over three days. It wasn¡¯t a long time, but given his usual initiative, he should have aplished something by now.It was better to move quickly, especially when the Red Wave could hit at any moment. But to waste three days?
¡®He¡¯s even disguised as a master¡¯s student.¡¯
Had he downgraded to the level of a master¡¯s student in practicality too? How low can you go, Mr. Charles?
As I seriously contemted this, the 2nd Manager¡¯s expression turnedplex, seemingly acknowledging the awkwardness.
¡ª Miss Christina simply won¡¯t let me go.
This unexpected statement made me pause.
¡°To that extent?¡±
¡ª Yes.
His firm response made me feel embarrassed. I knew Christina cared for her new junior, but I didn¡¯t realize it would hinder the 2nd Manager¡¯s progress.
¡®He¡¯s not even a real junior.¡¯
The 2nd Manager wasn¡¯t Charles, wasn¡¯t an assistant teacher, nor someone meant to stay in theb permanently.
In fact, he was older than Christina. They even adjusted his age when creating his identity¡
¡ª What can I do? Since she¡¯s the minister¡¯s nephew, I can¡¯t just walk out.
His resignedint made me touch my chin in thought. While it was fortunate that Christina wasn¡¯t causing trouble, we were now in a situation where nothing was getting done.
¡°I¡¯ll handle it, so be ready to move.¡±
After a moment of thought, I came up with a simple solution. If he can¡¯t get out on his own, then I¡¯ll have to pull him out.
It was a pain in the ass to have to go through this process, but it was the only way I could get him out. No matter what, Christina wouldn¡¯t obstruct him and say ¡®Hehe, you can¡¯t go!¡¯ when the Prosecutor was the one looking for him.
¡ª Understood.
My assurance seemed to ease the slightly strained expression on the 2nd Manager¡¯s face.
¡®How strange.¡¯
He always looked so smug and troublesome, so this sight showed a new side to him. Was he really that pressured just because she was the minister¡¯s niece?
Maybe it wasn¡¯t just about her lineage but alsopatibility. How intriguing.
After ending the call, I went to theb to pick up the 2nd Manager. How dare he make me intervene directly? What an impudent manager.
¡°Sorry, I need to talk to him for a moment.¡±
¡°Haha, no problem. Feel free to take him whenever.¡±
Fortunately, Gerhardt let the 2nd Manager go without any fuss. Since he was ced there on my request, he didn¡¯t mind me taking him away for a bit.
However, Christina looked at the 2nd Manager with a full gaze of pity, which I chose to ignore. Was it just my imagination, or did she look like a mother bird whose egg was being taken away?
¡°Haaa¡¡±
As we moved away from theb, the 2nd Manager let out a deep sigh.
¡°Was it that hard?¡±
¡°Even just sitting still was torture.¡±
His trembling response to the offhand question was quite impressive.
¡°I¡¯d have something to retaliate with if she had thrown work at me or annoyed me, but I couldn¡¯t do anything since she only showed me kindness.¡±
The 2nd Manager, who had a rough three days, couldn¡¯t stop talking once he started.
If he had been dumped with a lot of work, then he could have confidentlypleted it and left. If he was mistreated, he could have reciprocated in kind.
However, he couldn¡¯t adapt to someone who would rush over to him at the slightest movement. He joked that he felt like she treated him like a sugar figure who would break at the slightest touch.
¡®So it was overprotection.¡¯
Hearing the 2nd Manager¡¯s passionate testimony brought the word to my mind instinctively. It was definitely overprotection, the kind usually shown to one¡¯s ownte-born children.
¡Did it fall into the same category because he was a junior who was foundte?
¡°Since I¡¯ve specially taken you out, work hard.¡±
Shaking off the stray thoughts, I patted the 2nd Manager on the back. A subordinate should reciprocate the effort of their superior.
¡°If I hadn¡¯t been here, the Executive Manager would¡¯ve had to run around¡ª¡±
¡°Shut it.¡±
There was no need to win this argument with harsh truths.
The 2nd Manager quickly got to work, perhaps ted by the fresh air after three days.
¡®Is he really working?¡¯
Although I talked about auto-hunting and coaching, it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what the 2nd Manager was doing just by looking. That was why I trusted that he was handling it well.
He might seem like he was just loafing around, but he was good at gathering the necessary information. That was what a true intelligence source did.
***
¡°The 2nd Manager should be in the Information Department, not the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.¡±
¡°Then you should go there, too. What do you think makes you any different?¡±
The Prosecutors¡¯ Office also needed its own intelligencework for smoother operations. It would be a hassle if we had to coordinate with the Information Department every time we needed to act.
I replied to the 1st Manager while drinking water, feeling somewhat calmer.
¡®Why does she alwayse at this time?¡¯
Suppressing a sigh, I nced at her. Why was she showing up every night at my quarters?
Contrary to my fears, she hadn¡¯t beening to the clubroom. I was touched then, thinking she wouldn¡¯t bother me.
¡°Executive Manager! I¡¯m here!¡±
But no way. Instead of the clubroom, the 1st Manager came to my quarters. This brat seemed to enjoy defying my expectations.
¡°Go back.¡±
¡°Aw, that¡¯s too harsh! I came all the way here to hang out!¡±
¡°That¡¯s enough. Go back.¡±
Where would you find a subordinate who would visit their boss¡¯s quarters in the middle of the night? It would be terrible even when a boss did this to their subordinate. Was this some kind of reverse harassment?
However, I couldn¡¯t withstand the 1st Manager¡¯s whining and ended up letting her into my quarters. I¡¯m so done.
¡®Maybe this is better.¡¯
I tried to think positively. Although the 1st Manager¡¯s face was well-known around the academy, maybe it was better for them not to know that she hade at all.
This was betterpared to her stirring up trouble by visiting the clubroom. Yes, this was better¡ I should be happy.
¡°Have some more of this.¡±
¡°Wow! Thank you!¡±
I cranked up my happiness to the max level and slid the bread Louise made towards the 1st Manager. It was originally made for her, but it ended up with me since she never showed up in the clubroom.
¡®She¡¯s enjoying it.¡¯
I watched nkly as the 1st Manager ate the bread. She was eating so eagerly that I could almost hear the ¡®nomnomnom¡¯ in the background.
***
I couldn¡¯t help but smile after seeing the Executive Manager push the bread towards me nonchntly. It was the reaction I expected.
¡®He¡¯s the type to say it if he dislikes something.¡¯
Of course, how he grumbled verbally was an exception. After a few routineints, he always ended up giving in. If he really disliked it, then he¡¯d act rather than speak.
He had a unique personality. It wasn¡¯t ordinary to push away something that he¡¯d eventually ept.
¡®I like it, though.¡¯
He seemed like a moody younger sibling, which was endearing. It was only in moments like these that I felt like he was younger than me.
But I couldn¡¯t be purely happy since I knew the probable cause of his unique behavior, which likely stemmed from the incident with the Six Swords.
Having lost all he cherished, he was hesitant to form new bonds. And yet, the memories were too precious topletely shut people out.
¡®I shouldn¡¯t know this.¡¯
My job unnecessarily sharpened my ability to read minds. I¡¯d rather not pry into the boss¡¯s thoughts.
¡°Why are you staring?¡±
The Executive Manager asked curtly, maybe because I was staring at him too hard.
¡°You should have some, too. Here!¡±
I forcefully steered my sinking mood into a cheerful one. I shouldn¡¯t look down in front of the Executive Manager. Showing a cheerful demeanor was for the best.
¡°I gave it to you to eat, and now you¡¯re giving it back¡ª¡±
¡°Here!¡±
I shoved the bread into his mouth as he attempted a pointless refusal. Although he cursed with his eyes, he eventually opened his mouth.
¡°It¡¯s tasty, isn¡¯t it?¡±
I felt proud. It almost felt as if I was feeding a lover.
He probably hasn¡¯t been fed like this by the Lady yet, right? The Executive Manager didn¡¯t like others doing things he could manage himself.
People could only tease each other like this when they had this kind of bond, one forged over two years of shared experiences.
¡°The bread should stay there¡ª¡±
¡°Have another!¡±
I had to stop his unromantic words with more bread.
¡®This is nice¡¡¯
I couldn¡¯t stop smiling at the sheer happiness I felt at this moment, a time when I was alone with the Executive Manager.
We¡¯ve been alone before, like during work or the incident with the Third Honor.
However, sharing bread like this felt like enjoying a cozy date.
¡®I¡¯ll make it less painful for them.¡¯
The Red Wave who was targeting the academy, and the spies who had already infiltrated inside¡ªwithout them, this moment wouldn¡¯t exist.
Letting them go wasn¡¯t an option; it would make the Executive Manager hate me.
So, I¡¯ll make it as painless as possible and ensure that they¡¯re well-sedated.
***
As soon as I tried to speak, the 1st Manager kept stuffing bread into my mouth, pressing down until I opened up.
This was no different from culinary torture. What kind of treatment was this towards a superior?
¡®Does it taste bad?¡¯
Seeing her continuous disposal made me reasonably suspicious. But she normally ate pretty much any bread, right?
¡Well, maybe she was just full.
You can rate/review this serieshere.
Adv§Ñnced ch§Ñpters §Ñvable on g§Ön§Ösistls.c§àm
Illustr§Ñti§àns on our disc§àrd ¨C disc§àrd.gg/g§Ön§Ösistls
We are Recruiting!
¡ºWe are looking for Korean Trantors. For more details please join Genesis discord server¡ª¡»
Chapter 177: The Red-blooded Dreamer (3)
Chapter 177: The Red-blooded Dreamer (3)
? The Red-blooded Dreamer (3) ?
The 2nd Manager of the Prosecutor¡¯s Office was Lafayette Varon during the day and Charles Steiner, a history assistant teacher, at night.
He realized that something was off the day he managed to escape the historyb thanks to his superior. Normally, one would operate undercover during the day and conduct their investigations at night.
¡®I have to do the opposite.¡¯
Surprisingly, he now found himself rolling through the day and operating under his disguise at night¡ªa peculiar turn of events. Was this correct? He had never encountered anything like this while working in the 2nd Division.
No matter how much he thought about it, it didn¡¯t add up. He had never conducted daytime investigations even in the red-light districts, where nocturnal activities and disguised operations weremon.
¡°You cane back after dinner; there¡¯s no need to return too early.¡±
¡°¡Pardon?¡±
These were the words Christina told him a while ago.
It took him longer than expected to understand her words. Come ¡®back after¡¯ dinner? Not ¡®leave before¡¯ dinner?
He wondered if it was a sophisticated joke meant for the junior staff¡ªbut despite her smiling face, her eyes and expression were serious and didn¡¯t hold any mischief in them. It wasn¡¯t a joke.
¡®What on earth does an assistant teacher get?¡¯
Thinking back, it still made his head spin. Normally, people went to work when others did, and they would do overtime while others left.
Of course, civil servants often lived like this, but it was apanied by wealth and honor despite not having any time to enjoy those rewards. But at least they werepensated.
But what perks did an assistant teacher get?
¡®I made the wrong choice.¡¯
He hadn¡¯t been in this role for long, but he was certain: an assistant teacher was a poor choice for a cover identity.
He was free during the day, thanks to the debt the history teacher owed to the Executive Manager. But without that connection, he would have been stuck in theb even during the day. He realized there were such dreadful jobs in the world.
¡But, could this even be called a job?
¡®The academy¡¯s darkness runs deep.¡¯
He wondered how many assistant teachers had to perish for one teacher to emerge.
¡°Mr. Charles.¡±
While he was pondering whether to ban the usage of assistant teachers as disguises in the official guidelines of the 2nd Division, he heard a soft voice from behind.
¡°Ah, Mr. Eriko.¡±
He turned around, putting on a professional smile. Eriko Trian was a neatly dressed man and was one of the academy¡¯s faculty with whom he had maintained regr contact since their first meeting a few days ago. Although they weren¡¯t close due to the short acquaintance, they were familiar enough to engage in conversation.
¡°What a coincidence to see you here again.¡±
¡°Haha, you¡¯re right.¡±
Thus, they were acquaintances who could engage in conversation when they met by chance.
¡®Idiot.¡¯
The 2nd Manager maintained his smile while inwardly cursing. He would never associate with this man if it weren¡¯t for work. He¡¯d rather seize him and eliminate him on sight.
Why should he meet regrly with this dreary man? Coincidence? There were no coincidences; it was all something he deliberately arranged.
Regrettably, the man before him was someone he had to meet while disguising it as a coincidence for this mission.
¡®Rebel bastard.¡¯
He was a minion of the Red Wave.
The 2nd Manager suppressed the instinctive revulsion he felt. Showing even the slightest negative emotion could make this rebel disappear.
He still couldn¡¯t fathom why a man of stature, even one of the academy¡¯s faculty, harbored such abhorrent beliefs. Had he taken a blow to the head?
¡®Well, who cares?¡¯
Of course, there was no need to know. There was no point in delving into the life story of someone who was about to die. Every traitor had their own story, but most of the empire¡¯s citizens cared little for the pointless stories of traitors.
¡°You¡¯re just in time for lunch. Would you care to join me for a meal?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
He nodded calmly and smiled at the rebel.
***
What are blue blood and red blood?
Was there anyone with blue blood from the beginning when the first emperor established the Muno Empire? No. The Muno Empire was a great country formed by those called red-blooded who subdued the blue-blooded of their time.
Were all of the five great contributors to the founding of the Kefellofen Empire of blue blood? No. Among the ancestors of those who ruled as dukes today, there were those of red blood as well.
In the past, did the red-blooded people do nothing to contribute to the achievements of the blue-blooded rulers? That was impossible. Their victories and their prosperity all stemmed from the sacrifices of the red-blooded people.
¡®In the end, everyone should be of red blood.¡¯
During turbulent times, it was not the stagnant blue blood but the red blood from which heroes emerged. The rule of the blue-blooded was founded on the dedication of the red-blooded.
Going back to its origins, blue-blooded too, came from red-blooded people.
Yet why is it that the blue-blood still reigns, while the red-blooded merely bowed their heads?
¡®It shouldn¡¯t be like this.¡¯
Innate superiority of the blue-blooded over the red-blooded didn¡¯t exist. If that were the case, the blue-blooded families would always remain blue-blooded and the red-blooded would always remain red-blooded throughout the history of the continent.
When those with red blood rose to the top, the continent faced upheaval.
Therefore, the distinction between blue and red must be eradicated. Equality must be established. It was necessary to do it even if the approach was radical.
¡°Opportunities should be broader. It¡¯s a loss for the empire and for humanity if themon people who constitute the majority just stay in one ce.¡±
And there were those who secretly agreed with this sentiment.
Was his name Charles Steiner? He was a fine young man, indeed. Yes, it was a loss for the continent and for humanity if the majority, the red-blooded people, remained confined to their ce due to innate branding.
It seems they were still being deceived by the hypocrisy of those called the blue-bloods.
¡®Simply broadening is not enough.¡¯
Opportunities must spread everywhere. We should not rely on the crumbs thrown by those who trampled on the red-blooded and ruled over them. We must fight for and share these opportunities ourselves.
Yet, it¡¯s encouraging for him to have reached the conclusion that opportunities must be expanded. Isn¡¯t it about questioning the current reality and advocating for change?
Such a young man could make huge progress if guided by the rightrades.
¡°I agree with your thoughts, Mr. Charles. But to ovee the stagnant society and the majority¡¯s poverty, we cannot be bound by the limits of the capital.¡±
Thatrade should rightfully be me.
¡°Those in the academy are individuals who have developed their talents. Guiding even one person onto the right path is Mr. Eriko¡¯s mission.¡±
I recalled the words of therade who led me to the Red Wave.
Yes, my mission. To open the eyes that were closed from birth was the mission I must fulfill with my blood.
¡°The limits of the capital?¡±
I nodded at Charles¡¯s question.
¡°Yes. The capital created the current situation, so we must break free from it to move forward.¡±
We have to escape the capital¡¯s system of social status to enter a new era.
***
The rebel finally left after delivering a tirade so intense it was almost sickening. Who knew he would fill the entire lunch hour?
¡°Your words were impressive, Mr. Eriko.¡±
¡°Our conversation was very enlightening.¡±
I looked down at the hand he had just shaken and casually wiped it with a handkerchief.
¡®What a moron.¡¯
I already knew it, but the conversation just made it clearer. That guy was definitely a moron.
Every word he spoke reeked of the Red Wave. He even got excited and babbled on just because he was given some agreement.
¡®As always.¡¯
Since ancient times, locating the Red Wave has been difficult. But once its whereabouts were known, identifying its members was easy.
Their distinctive ideology showed in their speech and actions, and all you needed to do was to prod them a bit just like now, and they would spill everything. It was so easy to find them that what the previous Executive Manager did, who leveled viges just to hunt them, made no sense at all.
¡®It sounds good, though.¡¯
Eriko¡¯s words made quite some sense once filtered through. After all, wasn¡¯t it a waste to neglect themoners just because they weremoners?
The Empire knew this, so it integrated capablemoners into the noble ss. Conversely, nobles deemed too ipetent and corrupt without value were eradicated, family and all.
But was even that not enough? Should we eliminate the distinction between blue-blooded and red-blooded altogether?
¡°What nonsense.¡±
I muttered in disbelief. Equality in position, opportunity, and rights should be given based on the premise of having the necessary ability. But what good would society be if rights were blindly given to uneducatedmoners?
Well, if they actually had capable brains, then they wouldn¡¯t be contaminated with these ideas.
***
Iughed when I heard the 2nd Manager¡¯s report.
¡°They never progress, do they?¡±
¡ª Indeed.
They kept ranting about escaping the old system and entering a new era, but those who were making the most noise were the least changed. Their arguments were almost the same, decade after decade.
In fact, the Empire was more proactive in change than the Red Wave. Kefellofen, which brought down Apels who treatedmoners like dogs, showed the need for a different approach.
Thus, free cities were created, markets were established, assemblies were formed, andmoners could rise to nobility¡ anyway, that was the situation.
¡ª We are still searching for other spies, but for now, it seems like Eriko Trian is the only one.
¡°That¡¯s a relief. At least there are fewer lunatics in the empire.¡±
¡ª Agreed.
I chuckled as the 2nd Manager shuddered in genuine relief.
Given his many shes with the Red Wave, it was no surprise that he harbored an extreme dislike for them.
¡®So there¡¯s just one, then.¡¯
I stoppedughing and stroked my chin. If the 2nd Manager says that there¡¯s only one, then it must be true.
It was really fortunate. It proved that the empire overwhelmingly consisted of sane people.
¡®Is it obvious?¡¯
The Red Wave, with its radical ideas, had a long history of failures. There was a time when they established a republic in the outskirts, but the blue-blooded merely turned into so-called revolutionaries, with no real change for themoners.
It¡¯s funny how they still talked about republicanism.
¡°Good work. Contact me immediately if somethinges up.¡±
¡ª Understood.
Putting aside my musings of the dynamic history of the Red Wave, I spoke.
What was the point of realizing again that they were morons? They were all going to end up in prison anyway.
¡®This will be over soon.¡¯
At least I could now rx. The troublesome task of rooting out the mole was sessful, after all.
You can rate/review this series here.
Chapter 178: The Red-blooded Dreamer (4)
Chapter 178: The Red-blooded Dreamer (4)
Reuniting with the Information Department''s Executive Manager was a disaster.
Communications with the Information Department''s Executive Manager were rare, and for a good reason. But this time, just picking up the receiver was enough to stop my breath.
¡ª Executive Manager, is everything okay at the Academy?
"Oh, yes."
He looked pale and his eyes were ame with unexined fury as his body swayed slightly from side to side, looking like the epitome of burnout.
I nearly failed to respond properly to his wretched, tear-inducing state. Asking about the Academy''s well-being seemed ironic when it came from him, who was clearly anything but fine.
''How did he end up like this?''
If he wasn¡¯t looking, I would have burst into tears right there. I knew his default state was being overworked, but even this was just too much.
¡ª That¡¯s good to hear. What a relief.I quietly looked down as he let out a small and genuine sigh of relief.
Such a sight was both pitiful and frightening. Would I look like that in the future?
''You didn''t have to show me.''
His ''kindness'' in showing me such a daunting future nearly brought me to tears.
Perhaps the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager, in his youth, was also taught these lessons. Maybe he was just inheriting the empire''s legacy of overworking...
¡ª It would have been quite a headache if there were problems at the Academy, too.
My bizarre fantasy was interrupted by a sigh of exhaustion.
"Is it about the North?"
I ventured a guess after seeing the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager rub his neck. If a matter was severe enough to distress someone of his rank, then it must be the North, especially given the recent turmoil there.
And the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager quietly nodded in response.
¡ª It was a good thing that we prioritized the North over the Red Wave.
I didn''t argue with him because I felt the same way. Between the annoying but manageable rebels and the North which nearly brought down the Empire, the North was the obvious choice.
My only regret was that the empire, or rather the Ministry of Intelligence, was focusing too much on the North. This could make getting support for myself more challenging.
¡ª We had quite a time deploying the Masked Unit for this one.
''Oh.''
It seemed that he read my thoughts.
His words were calm, but the message wasn¡¯t. I hadn¡¯t expected the Masked Unit to be deployed in this situation. I just assumed that they¡¯d be sent to the North.
"Thank you for your consideration."
¡ª It''s only natural. Don¡¯t worry about it.
Though he told me not to worry, we both knew he meant, ''I¡¯ve provided you with support, so handle it without any fuss.''
Of course, I nned to handle it smoothly. Why would I make a scene and wear myself out?
Besides, with three managers involved, this mission was basically fail-proof.
"I''ll return them quickly."
¡ª That¡¯s good to hear.
For the first time throughout the conversation, the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager finally managed a smile.
***
The 2nd Manager¡¯s discovery of a spy and the dispatch of the Masked Unit by the Ministry of Intelligence was a rare double cause for celebration.
"Isn''t this overkill?"
In contrast, the news of the Masked Unit''s arrival made the 1st Manager tilt her head. Although she seemed happy to be able to see the 4th Manager, she probably thought it wasn¡¯t necessary.
"You have no idea how many there are. More force is always better."
I firmly responded to the 1st Manager''s remark. Truthfully, the Masked Unit was overpowered for dealing with those Red Wave insects.
But given the unpredictable scale of the threat, wasn''t it better to have more and stronger forces?
"They were also here for the Third Honor."
"That''s true."
Once I mentioned the precedent, the 1st Manager conceded. Since the Masked Unit had been deployed during the subjugation of the Third Honor, it wasn''t strange for them to be deployed to us regardless of the opponent. This was why precedents mattered.
"We''ll finish this quickly!"
I nodded instinctively at she smiled. It would definitely be over soon.
The Masked Unit were known for their swift actions ever since their 4th Division days, and add to that their knack for handling troublesome matters efficiently.
"We might just end up watching this time, too."
They handled everything themselves during the Third Honor operation. I was just watching, while the 1st Manager camete for the interrogation.
The Red Wave might just get thrashed by the Masked Unit again. I sure hope so.
"We? You mean, you. Exclude me, please."
While I was feeling proud of walking the path of a great sry thief, a weary voice came from beside me.
Turning slightly, I saw Charles, no, the 2nd Manager, with a frown on his face.
"I''m the only one breaking my back here among the three of us¡ª"
"Charles, stop whining and have some cookies."
The 2nd Manager was about tounch into a lengthyint when the 1st Manager physically cut him off by stuffing a cookie into his mouth.
Then, she turned to me and asked as if fishing forpliments.
"Did I do well?"
"Yes, you did."
Well, the 1st Manager did the right thing this time. The mood was good, and he could have ruined it.
However, the persistent and indignant 2nd Manager chewed the cookie a few times before swallowing it whole.
"I''m the only one working here. Just me!"
He then raised his voice while hitting the desk, though it looked more like he was just lightly tapping it with his palm.
"Work sometimes means rolling up your sleeves while others y. You''ve been a civil servant long enough; you should know better."
My response was nonchnt because his outburst didn''t really resonate with me. Different responsibilities meant that some would rest while others worked. It was pretty much basic knowledge for anyone with experience in being a civil servant.
The 1st Manager agreed and nodded continuously while the 2nd Manager roughly wiped his face.
"If it were just the workload, he wouldn''t be this stressed. It''s because of your undercover identity, isn''t it?"
"Because of his cover?"
I was momentarily puzzled, but then something clicked.
"I heard Charles would return after dinner."
A few days after I pulled the 2nd Manager out of theb, I had this conversation with Gerhardt.
"Oh, yes. Theb operates around the clock, so it''s no problem if he returns after dinner."
"That''s a relief. I was worried I might be holding him back from his duties during the day."
It seemed that assistant teachers worked hard through the night as well. It was questionable whether they managed to get any free time or proper sleep, though.
Anyway, it seemed like the 2nd Manager was doing fine as an assistant teacher, so I let it go. It¡¯d be better for him to fill the role so it wouldn¡¯t seem weird to others, after all.
''What could have happened that stressed him that much?''
Seeing him so upset made me wonder what had happened.
"Come on, you just have to stay in theb. Isn''t that easy?"
Unlike my serious concerns, the 1st Manager seemed oblivious to the severity of the situation and smirked as she spoke.
Or perhaps she understood but chose to downy it.
"It''s like a prison, a prison."
The 2nd Manager shuddered as he replied.
But calling it a prison seemed too harsh. How could abpare to prison?
''Even prisoners have rights.''
Master¡¯s students, apparently, did not. In that case, prison wins.
However, I couldn¡¯t voice these thoughts as the two began to grapple with each other.
***
I unwrapped the bandage from my shoulder with trembling hands.
The wound from the North healed unusually slowly. It was probably because of the spell used by the high-ranking sorcerers.
''Finally.''
But that didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was that the wound hadpletely healed.
My heart raced only after confirming that there was no scar on my shoulder. Now, I could go to him.
¡ª The injury is worse than expected. You should rest until you¡¯ve fully recovered.
"Understood."
Several of us, including myself, were wounded during the conflict in the North. Though it wasn¡¯t critical, the healing was unnaturally slow, prompting the entire Masked Unit to return to the base.
We didn¡¯t feel any pain, but we didn¡¯t know how their sorcery worked. Thus, it was only right to be prudent and receive treatment at the base given the unpredictability of its effects. I wanted to take this opportunity to catch my breath, but¡ª
¡ª We might need to find another unit for the Academy mission.
"...What?"
Hearing that, I became anxious. The Academy mission was clearly important.
I strongly argued with the Minister of Intelligence that we could proceed immediately, but it was denied because he said we couldn¡¯t risk permanent injury.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the Special Service Agency was too focused on the North to find a recement for the Masked Unit. It was ironic that we, who were still in recovery, were now considered the most avable personnel.
¡ª We will send you on the mission once you recover, but we¡¯ll have to consider other options if it takes too long.
"Yes, I''ll keep that in mind."
That was enough. The vague condition of ''if it takes too long'' meant that the Minister had already decided to send the Masked Unit.
Although the healing took longer than the healer had predicted, no recement unit emerged. I was relieved not to lose the chance to see the Executive Manager.
"Take care not to overdo it. Avoiding injury is the most important."
If so, I should focus on healing. The Executive Manager would worry if we had even the smallest cut.
I recalled his concerned look and his warm touch as he tended to my wound before. It wasforting, but I didn¡¯t want to see his sad eyes again.
''Executive Manager.''
Holding the unblemished bandage tightly, I bowed my head. I wanted to see his happy face, not the one filled with worry.
And now, I could. As the Minister of Intelligence had promised, I was now free to move.
''...Master.''
I aming to see you /genesisforsaken
Chapter 179: The Red-blooded Dreamer (5)
Chapter 179: The Red-blooded Dreamer (5)
I received a message from the 4th Manager that night.
¡ª We¡¯ll probably arrive tomorrow by lunchtime.
"Ah, really?"
I nodded absentmindedly at her words, and then btedly felt that something was amiss. I had just heard today that the Masked Unit was to be deployed to us, and yet they were arriving tomorrow at noon?
Traveling from the capital to the academy would take several days by carriage, and even the nearest teleportation magic circle to the academy wasn¡¯t exactly close.
''Were they somewhere else?''
Perhaps they were nearby on a mission and moved as soon as they received the dispatch order. Or maybe they left not today but a few days ago.
Either way, what did it matter? The important thing was that the 4th Manager and the Masked Unit were on their way.
"That''s a relief. The sooner we meet, the better."I genuinely felt relieved. I was so eager for their arrival that I wanted to send a teleportation magician if possible.
So far, I''ve been managing the 1st and 2nd Managers alone. They¡¯ve been unusually quiet, but those two were like ticking time bombs. I couldn¡¯t let my guard down.
With the arrival of the 4th Manager, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The bnce between the sane and the insane would be restored, from 2-to-1 to an even 2-to-2.
¡ª It''s an honor.
So I spoke with heartfelt sincerity, and the 4th Manager bowed her head.
I would have definitely given her a bonus if she was still a part of the Prosecutors'' Office. It''s been years, but I still felt the loss.
"Should we meet in the forest where we metst time?"
I said, trying to calm my bitter heart. Since they wereing as a group, meeting at the academy would attract too much attention.
The forest we used as a rendezvous point for the Third Honor would be an ideal meeting spot.
¡ª Yes, we''ll head there.
"Good. Let''s meet at lunchtime."
It would be around lunchtime, so I should bring something to eat. They would probably just make do with military rations.
Louise¡¯s cookies would not be enough for the entire Masked Unit, so I should stop by the store.
''I should take the 1st Manager along.''
It wouldn¡¯t hurt to bring her along since she was currently idle. The 2nd Manager was busy, so we¡¯d better leave him be.
That thought made me pick up themunication crystal I had just set down on the desk. She would throw a fuss andin that it wasn¡¯t work-rted if I just suddenly brought her along tomorrow.
¡ª Executive Manager?
"Oh, it''s me."
Leaving this brat behind and going somewhere else felt risky.
***
Fortunately, the 1st Manager followed without much resistance.
What a good manager. As a reward, I granted her the privilege of being able to help in carrying the food.
"Did you call me to carry your stuff?"
"Yes."
I answered sinctly to the 1st Manager¡¯s grumbling.
I took her along more out of anxiety than necessity, but saying so would only upset her. It was better to just consider her as a porter. It would be better for the both of us.
Either way, the 1st Manager followed, albeit grumbling, perhaps because it was food for the 4th Manager
''What¡¯s the deal with this brat?''
I nced at the 1st Manager and then looked straight ahead again. Her social connections always puzzled me.
She was close friends with the Crown Princess and even with the 4th Manager. It was as if she liked to befriend people who were the opposite of her.
Come to think of it... while she had white hair, the Crown Princess and the 4th Manager had silver and gray hair respectively.
¡®Do they connect on a hair-color basis?¡¯
It seemed that there was something about grouping together with simr hair colors.
...Wait. Then, what about the 3rd Manager...?
"Ugh, why did you buy so much?"
The 1st Manager¡¯s timely whining stopped the thoughts that would¡¯ve made the 3rd Manager feel left out.
Sorry, 3rd Manager. I''ll stop patting your head with wet hands for now.
"There are many people to feed; this amount is necessary."
"Anyone would think you¡¯re donating to an orphanage."
Hearing that, I checked the food we were carrying. I had one in each of my hands, and the same went for the 1st Manager. There were four bundles in total.
Was it too much? I wasn¡¯t sure. Maybe it was too little for those who were on the field?
"It might not even be enough for one meal."
"Wow..."
The 1st Manager let out a mixed sigh at my response.
Why, though? It really seemed like there was too little.
***
I knew that the Executive Manager cherished the Masked Unit ever since they were the 4th Division. It was understandable given the many memories that tied him to the 4th Division, but...
''It¡¯s a weird kind of favoritism.''
Something felt off. It didn¡¯t feel like how someone would treat their beloved subordinates or colleagues. It wasn¡¯t even like how someone would treat their tools. It felt more like he was watching over an orphan who was shivering in the cold, worrying whether that pitiful orphan might go astray or be too hungry to move.
''Sure, there are orphans among them.''
There were quite a few orphans in the 4th Division. Even Penelia got orphaned in the Great War. Essentially, the Executive Manager picked up those kids.
Of course, that was an old story. Right now, they were practically nobility and were able to thrive anywhere. It would spell doom for the empire if the emperor''s special forces lived in poverty.
"Should I have brought the 2nd Manager as well?"
"Then we¡¯d definitely have leftovers."
I hastily shook my head at the Executive Manager¡¯s serious contemtion.
The amount of food we had was more than enough for a day and not just a meal. Considering the 4th Division, they¡¯d probably eat it all, thinking that they couldn¡¯t waste what the Executive Manager gave them.
But to bring more than this? That would be overkill. Someone would surely end up throwing up.
''Those kids are really straightforward.''
They were genuinely diligent and quick-witted. They might be blunt and serious like Penelia, but they were good people.
It was just that their loyalty to the Executive Manager was to the point where it was almost fanatical, resembling Penelia¡¯s.
''Where did he even pick them up from?''
I seriously wondered. Did the Executive Manager choose them, or did they be like this from being with him?
If it was the former, then his discernment was quite frightening. But if it was thetter, then his charm was terrifying. Either way, it was all because of the Executive Manager.
"Maybe I should buy more¡ª"
"Let''s go! The kids are waiting."
I barely managed to stop the Executive Manager from turning around to buy more. We couldn¡¯t even carry more, so why bother?
''He¡¯s just like a grandmother.''
He seemed to be trying to feed them just a bit more. From the perspective of the eaters and onlookers, he was being overly generous.
For some reason, the familiar scent of a grandmother wafted from the all-too-familiar Executive Manager...
***
Everything had gone horribly wrong.
This was the conclusion I arrived at after much deliberation. It wasn¡¯t just a mess; it had be a full-blown catastrophe.
¡ª It seems we''ll have a newrade, perfectly fit for the new world we envision.
"Haha, is that so?"
I almost blurted out ''That¡¯s absurd,¡¯ but I didn¡¯t say it. That was enough. What I internally thought was my own business.
However, Eriko¡¯s expression as he spoke so peacefully and joyously almost lookedical.
That was correct. ording to what Eriko said, he would indeed be arade fit for greatness.
''But only for this world.''
It was unfortunate he was someone who was maintaining the current world and not the new world Eriko imagined.
''This is the end of it.''
The new students at the academy this year were spectacr. With the empire¡¯s prince, foreign princes, and even the next saint enrolling, how could it be considered modest?
The leadership was ecstatic. The gathering of symbolic figures of the corrupt caste system meant that we could show our resolve to the continent if we could pull off a major operation.
''Idiots.''
I was dumbfounded by their simplistic thinking. Surely we weren¡¯t the only ones with such thoughts.
Sure enough, the empire sent a big shot shortly after the entrance ceremony. They sent the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors'' Office under the guise of a Prosecutor.
I almost grabbed the back of my neck at the unexpected arrival. Meanwhile, the leadership only reacted to the prospect of more blood to shed withouting up with any real strategy.
''It¡¯s always the people on field that suffer.''
I was the only one trembling with anxiety over such foolish actions. The Executive Manager of the Prosecutors'' Office was right beside us. He was a dangerous entity, capable of striking at any moment.
And in this worst-case scenario, Eriko was busy spreading republicanism. To put it nicely, he was quite dedicated to his role; but to be frank, he was clueless.
Daring to spread republicanism with the Prosecutor around? That¡¯s utter madness.
''How have wested this long...?''
Fortunately, the Executive Manager focused on monitoring the foreign students and did not deal with me or Eriko. I¡¯ve been lying low since the Executive Manager''s arrival, so there was nothing to catch me on.
But as I lived each day with a trembling heart¡ª
"By the way, Mr. Robin. There¡¯s this chap named Charles Steiner. He¡¯s a new assistant teacher who just arrived."
As soon as Eriko mentioned that, I had a hunch.
''It¡¯s over.''
A new assistant teacher during the semester? That was possible. That such an assistant teacher was hired by Gerhardt, who usually didn''t hire one? It could also happen. And that Gerhardt had recently be close to the Executive Manager? Yes, that too was possible.
But to say that the new assistant teacher was moving around and was actively getting chummy with Eriko? No matter how I thought about it, these consecutive events weren¡¯t coincidental. They were all nned.
''Isted quite a while.''
Until now, I felt anxious about when the Prosecutors'' Office would swoop in, but facing the reality left me feeling empty. They said that a person must learn to let go at the right moment, and it was indeed true.
Of course, I had no intentions of dying yet.
''I haven¡¯t been caught yet.''
Unlike Eriko, I really, really kept a low profile. Besides, my role was more about surveince than plotting.
However, fleeing wasn¡¯t an option. Disappearing at this time would only raise suspicion, and escaping from the drawn swords of the Prosecutors'' Office was impossible.
Then, there was only one way out.
"I actually never liked republicanism."
I murmured, staring nkly at the ceiling. Just converting would solve everything.
The empire was somewhat merciful to those who surrendered. If I admit my foolish dreams and express my desire to embrace the emperor¡¯s mercy, I could survive.
Fortunately, the information I held was somewhat useful. After all, I never imagined that I would rise to this position after joining the Red Wave in order to make a living.
¡®Shit.¡¯
Regret washed over me as I recalled my past choices. I was crazy, and insanely so, to have thrown myself into a group of idiots.
When the kids from my vige entered the academy, it truly chilled me. They managed to seed without straying off the path unlike me, who was older.
''Regretting it now is pointless.''
I should just be thankful that those kids didn¡¯t recognize /genesisforsaken
Chapter 180: The Red-blooded Dreamer (6)
Chapter 180: The Red-blooded Dreamer (6)
I have to be dreaming.
I was so startled that the thought crossed my mind. My hand instinctively twitched to pinch my cheek, but I refrained because there were eyes on me.
However, the man before me interpreted my hand movement in his own way and flinched, bowing his head even more.
¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯
Normally, I would have reassured him that it was okay to lift his head and that there was no need to be so submissive. My inner sense of mercy stirred at such actions, especially when the person who was showing undue timidity was someone older than me.
Of course, this dignifiedpassion was reserved only for the good-hearted elders and not for the unkind ones.
"Red Wave, you say?"
Yes, the dissident before me was an exception.
"Yes, yes. I am Robin, a mid-level officer of the Red Wave."His head bowed even further as if he was showing off how submissive he could be.
I almost let out augh at the sight. Hearing it again felt absurd.
¡®A mid-level officer, huh?¡¯
An officer, and a mid-level one at that, implied a high-ranking position within the Red Wave. This was second only to the leader, the single person at the very top, and the few senior officers who assisted the leader closely.
In other words, a true republican rebel was surrendering voluntarily...?
¡®Is this some kind of ruse?¡¯
The thought crossed my mind. Combining the unexpected visit from a stranger and his sudden confession of his affiliation¡ªit all seemed too abrupt and thus suspicious.
I knew my luck all too well. Good fortune like this never came my way. It would be different if a known spy had escaped, but for an undetected one to present himself?
¡®This is such a sloppy trick.¡¯
But calling it a ruse felt odd. These were the people who, driven by their beliefs, wouldn''t hesitate to undertake suicide attacks. They had also never surrendered before.
And now a mid-level officer was surrendering? Since I was on the receiving end, I felt fully skeptical and doubtful about the truthfulness of his surrender.
"So you, a rebel, have surrendered."
After organizing my thoughts, I spoke.
If his intentions were unclear, then I just had to make him spill them. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was all a trick or a genuine surrender; the fact that this rebel came to my quarters of his own ord remained unchanged.
"Is there a ce to return to for those who defy heaven¡¯s mandate?"
Interrogation wasn¡¯t my specialty, but pressuring him might reveal something.
The title of Executive Manager did exert a great deal of pressure, after all.
***
"Is there a ce to return to for those who defy heaven¡¯s mandate?"
The words of the Executive Manager made my blood run cold.
His words were simple, and yet also deadly. It meant a deration of refusal to ept the surrender of a traitor.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
The Empire was known for its leniency towards those who surrendered. Admitting one¡¯s errors and seeking the Emperor¡¯s mercy would grant forgiveness. That was the Empire¡¯s principle.
But did that principle work in this situation?
¡®It depends on the will of the Executive Manager.¡¯
The current person in charge at the scene was the Executive Manager. Thus, the Empire had no choice but to rely on the Executive Manager¡¯s report. Whether the Executive Manager decides to ept the surrender or execute the individual ultimately depends on how the situation was reported.
Even if I was killed here, a report containing ¡®the rebel resisted and was executed¡¯ would be readily epted by the Empire. Unfortunately, it was all toomon for members of the Red Wave to refuse to surrender and meet their end.
Moreover, it was the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, which had always been cracking down and dealing severe blows to the Red Wave. Although the current Executive Manager hadn¡¯t participated in suppressing the Red Wave, he was still part of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office and was likely harboring animosity towards us.
¡®This is still the best option.¡¯
In this mad situation where surrendering with a high chance of death was the best option avable, I felt like biting my tongue.
Still, this was better than being caught and killed while trying to flee or staying still and being beheaded.
At least there was time to speak and time toy out all the cards I held.
¡®It¡¯s my karma.¡¯
If only I hadn''t joined this group of lunatics in the first ce.
"I sincerely regret my choices and wish to pledge loyalty to His Majesty."
"Well, everyone can im to be loyal in words."
He gave a nonchnt response, but it was expected. Nothing had been proven yet, so why would he be convinced?
"Of course, I have no intention of escaping my sins with mere words."
That was a lie. I fully intended to escape my sins with words, using everything I knew and anything that could garner me sympathy all for the sake of survival.
Fortunately, I¡¯ve never killed anyone. I mostly worked in the rear or in surveince roles.
"I was naive and misled by the rebels'' words, but I have since realized the right path."
I then spoke desperately as if my life depended on each word.
I confessed that I was a sinner and a fool misled for a moment. However, I had never harmed a good citizen of the Empire, and as a mid-level officer, I possessed considerable information, among other things.
"I am prouder of my life as a guard at the Academy than as an officer of the Red Wave."
I spoke of my past as if it were trash, which, frankly, it was.
At those words, a flicker of interest sparked in the Executive Manager¡¯s eyes.
***
This officer, what was his name again? Robin? Anyway, I just listened as he spilled everything. I didn¡¯t even need to prod him further.
As expected, the title of Executive Manager worked wonders, but it also felt bittersweet to see how effective it was. My reputation was indeed formidable...
"I am prouder of my life as a guard at the Academy than as an officer of the Red Wave."
That unexpected statement rified my thoughts.
¡®It was this guy.¡¯
He must¡¯ve been the one who had colluded with the Red Wave during their attempt to undermine the Academy in the original story. The real threat wasn¡¯t that Eriko guy or whatever his name was, but this one.
The rank of a mid-level officer, the guise of a security guard¡ªit was perfect for creating a crisis for the protagonist.
¡®That was close.¡¯
With that realization came a mix of relief and thrill. Things could have gone disastrously wrong.
This guy had been lying low, undetected even by the 2nd Manager. If we had assumed that only Eriko was the spy and let our guard down, then we would have been critically betrayed at the worst possible moment.
¡®What about the original story?¡¯
At this point, the Academy¡¯s situation in the original story felt concerning. Being targeted by five organizations was distressing enough, but then to have a guard who was a republican spy as well? What kind of ce was this?
It seemed that quite a few characters would have been sacrificed as the story progressed. Perhaps even the principal met a grim fate. What a regrettable situation.
"Enough."
I cut off Robin''s attempt to say more and shook my head. I had heard enough.
But my words must have seemed like a death sentence to him because his face turned pale. I had many thoughts about how to deal with him, that was, until I heard about his guard duty.
¡®It''s a real surrender.¡¯
I became convinced. This wasn¡¯t a trick or a ruse but a desperate escape by a cornered officer.
If they wanted to fool us, staying silent and then backstabbing us would have been more effective. His decision toe forward like this affirmed his surrender.
Why would someone, who seemed destined to y a significant role in the original story, suddenly surrender? But then again, the Five Pirs crumbled under the Hawks¡¯ spectacr self-destruction. Maybe this was a simr case.
"Realizing one¡¯s mistakete is better than never."
Robin¡¯splexion brightened at the words which acknowledged both his guilt and repentance.
While it would have been better if he hadn¡¯t joined the Red Wave in the first ce, deserting midway was also something else, especially when all others died shouting their republicanism to the end.
"If your loyalty to His Majesty is genuine, then follow me."
"Ah, yes!"
However, a final confirmation was necessary.
Like I said earlier, interrogation wasn¡¯t my forte. While Robin''s surrender seemed genuine, it was better to be sure.
So, I handed it over to an expert in the field.
"There''s no sign of the Red Wave''s typical madness. His surrender seems genuine."
The 2nd Manager sprang into action upon hearing of another spy, seemingly frustrated that he hadn''t found it himself.
This reaction led him to thoroughly scrutinize Robin before confirming that it was indeed a sincere surrender.
That was when I finally felt at ease. After all, the job wasn''t done until cross-verification wasplete.
"Wow, I didn''t expect there to be another one."
The 1st Manager muttered in amazement as she observed from the sidelines.
I was surprised as well. It was shocking enough that the academy had two Red Wave members imnted, but what was even more shocking was that the 2nd Manager had missed it. He wasn¡¯t exactly known for being sloppy.
"Are there any more of them?"
I asked casually, to which the 2nd Manager shook his head firmly.
"There are none. I''m sure of it this time."
He then turned his gaze to Robin, who nodded vigorously under his re.
"Yes! There really isn''t! The only ones in the Academy are me and Eriko!"
I almost turned away at his desperate behavior. Why did he look so deste when not a drop of his blood was shed? It was truly astonishing...
"Unlike Eriko, this one is a big fish directly connected to the leadership."
Regardless, the 2nd Manager continued while eyeing Robin sharply.
He was indeed a big shot. We might have killed officers before, but capturing one alive was a first.
"It¡¯ll be enough to spread false intelligence."
Capturing a mid-level officer was indeed encouraging. After all, he wasn¡¯t just receiving unteral instructions from those above him but was also at a level that allowed him to ry or give orders to those below him.
In that case, there was no need to wait aimlessly for the Red Wave. ording to the 2nd Manager, we could just have him deliberately release intelligence and lure them in.
"Now we can wrap this up."
The Masked Unit was on standby and ready to strike. Finally, this tedious task wasing to an end.
"This would''ve been quicker if you found him first."
"Damn it."
Watching the 2nd Manager fume warmed a corner of my heart.
Well, at least we gained something to tease the 2nd Manager about for a while.
This will be good material for at least three months. I should also tell the Senior /genesisforsaken
Chapter 181: The Red-blooded Dreamer (7)
Chapter 181: The Red-blooded Dreamer (7)
In the beginning when the continent was formed, there were no higher or lower beings.
When humans appeared upon the continent, there were no rulers and no subjects.
As the empires of men were established, the first emperor was amoner known as the ¡®Red Blood¡¯.
Therefore, red was the center of the world. Now was a time of chaos led by mutations, with the ¡®blue¡¯ mutation merely suppressing the ¡®red¡¯.
But someday, the red would rise again, and the world would return to its rightful course.
¡ª It¡¯s time.
And the moment to take that great step hade.
"Are you sure?"
¡ª Yes, leader.His firm nod carried a deep conviction, as if there was no turning back.
Robin, a mid-level officer, had been undercover at the academy for years in order to supportrade Eriko in spreading the right ideology.
It must be reliable if it wasing fromrade Robin. He had always been cautious, even opposing hasty proposals from other senior and mid-level officers to raid the academy until now.
¡ª There have been no major events since the counter-offensive, so there was no need for them to maintain tight security anymore.
This meant that their concentrated forces had been scattered, making infiltration easier. It was a convincing argument, so I listened quietly.
Of course, ¡®scattered¡¯ was rtive; this also meant that the academy''s security remained tight. However, the fact alone that it had decreased held significance.
It would be convenient if there were apletepse in the academy¡¯s security, but waiting for such luck wouldn¡¯t create the waves we needed.
¡ª And for the time being, I''ve been assigned to guard the west gate.
"You truly are remarkable,rade Robin."
I smiled at the encouraging news.
Sendingrade Robin to infiltrate the academy was a risky gamble. After all, we were sending an important officer directly into enemy territory and were also risking losing his strategic input for an unknown period.
However, the gamble paid off. The path to the academy had been opened.
¡ª I''ve also verified a safe route to provide us with stealth and cover.
Comrade Robin lifted the map, pinpointing the route from our hideout to the academy¡¯s west gate.
''Excellent.''
Seeing his thorough preparation was satisfying. While adjustments might be needed depending on the situation and scale, having a structured n facilitated operations.
¡ª We can finalize our preparations in this forest.
After a lengthy exnation,rade Robin pointed to a forest near the academy.
Indeed, it was an ideal location. It was spacious enough for ourrades to prepare andunch a direct assault on the academy.
"Great work,rade Robin. Thanks to you, we are closer to our cause."
¡ª You give me too much credit.
His humble nod was even more gratifying.
Comrades like him embodied our ideals. This was proof that we were on the right path and chosen by destiny.
"Let¡¯s meet in person next time."
¡ª Yes, leader. I¡¯ll be waiting.
The next time we see each other wouldn¡¯t be through thismunication crystal anymore. I would be going directly to the academy to personallymendrade Robin.
"Until the red wave drenches thend."
We exchanged a final salute before ending themunication, which boosted therades'' morale and refocused them on the cause.
¡ª Until the red wave drenches thend.
Even Robin¡¯s face flushed with emotion, perhaps overwhelmed by the sentiment.
***
That slogan was so cheesy. Who came up with that?
"May the Empire¡¯s light be with us."
Suddenly, the empire''s official slogan popped into my mind. I guess we weren¡¯t in a position to criticize others.
"It''s finished."
Robin spoke carefully while holding themunication crystal. I tried to pretend that I didn''t see his reddened face. After all, I would have been embarrassed myself if I had to say something like that in front of other people.
I nodded at Robin, who was filled with embarrassment and tension, and gave him a thumbs up. His face quickly brightened.
He must have been very nervous. Given the situation, it was understandable.
''Being a double agent is no small feat.''
In fact, even being a regr spy wasn¡¯t for everyone, let alone being a double agent.
It came with twice the hardship and twice the stress. That wasn¡¯t exactly something to be jealous of.
"The leader himself ising. And when the leader moves, the senior officers will surely follow."
"This is a good opportunity."
The best possible oue happened. I had my doubts, wondering if only a token officer would be thrown our way while the higher-ups stayed behind, but they were all boldly charging in.
''Idiots.''
It was no different from betting everything in one go. There was a thin line between courage and recklessness.
But from our perspective, it didn¡¯t matter. Catching the leader and the senior officers was all that counted, and what happened below them was none of our concern. What did it matter if a few battalion leaders remained after the officers and regiment leader were gone?
"We just have to wait."
As I turned my gaze to the map, Robin quickly spread it out and turned it towards me.
Now that I thought of him as one of ours, I actually felt sorry for him. He was smart and quick-witted. He would have done well as a civil servant if only he hadn¡¯t messed up at the start.
"He won¡¯t even get to see the academy before dying."
"That¡¯s highly likely."
As my sympathy for Robin rose, the 2nd Manager beside me muttered thoughtfully.
He was also looking at the map, or, more precisely, the forest that Robinst pointed out. Well, it would indeed be impressive if someone managed to break through it and reach the academy.
"They deserve some credit if they can get through there."
That ce was the unnamed forest, and simultaneously, the location where the Masked Unit was stationed in real-time.
If anyone could escape the Masked Unit¡¯s assault in the forest, then they deserved recognition. While it was stressful to think that such a talent would be used for treason, it at least deserved a round of apuse.
Of course, they would be pursued and eliminated afterward.
"Let¡¯s go."
I patted the 1st Manager on the back and started walking away. Honestly, I was pretty sure that the 4th Manager would be able to handle the sudden appearance of the Red Wave. However, it was only right to inform them in advance.
"We¡¯re doing it again today...?"
The 1st Manager looked at me with a fed-up expression, then added.
"You could just tell them through themunication crystal."
"Then I wouldn''t get to deliver their food, would I?"
After all, I was just going to inform them while also delivering something.
***
Back when I was still the Senior Team Manager of the 4th Division and not the Vice Captain of the Masked Unit, the Executive Manager used to say:
"When good things happen, bad things follow. And when bad things happen, good thingse afterwards."
It was true. The Executive Manager¡¯s words were always right.
We, who were scraping the bottom due to war or innate poverty, lived lives that couldn¡¯t get any worse. However, the Executive Manager took us in and gave us a new lease on life¡ªa ssic example of turning misfortune into something good.
But after the good, the bad followed. We were stripped of our identity as the 4th Division and transferred to the Special Service Agency. Being separated from the person who gave us new life was a dreadful ordeal.
Still, we persevered, holding onto hope for better days and believing that we could return to the Executive Manager¡¯s side.
...But why did this thought suddenly cross my mind?
"Here, I brought more today."
"Thank you, Executive Manager."
I realized the reason as I watched the Captain bow to the Executive Manager from afar.
Ah, that was it.
"It¡¯s going to pile up again today."
"That¡¯s too much to fit in."
I nodded absentmindedly to the murmured conversations of the members beside me.
The Executive Manager visited us every day as soon as we started stationing in the forest. It was overwhelmingly gratifying and something we should have been thankful for. Even though we should be the ones serving him, the Executive Manager always came with something for us.
Yes, every time. With both hands full.
"You guys barely eat during operations. Have some of this."
True to the Executive Manager¡¯s words, we tended to skimp on meals during operations. Well, eating too much could hinder our activities.
Running too many operations had turned our light eating into a habit, but how could we refuse the Executive Manager¡¯s generous offerings?
"That¡¯s a lot."
"It couldst a few days if we ration it, right?"
"The Executive Manager gave it, so don¡¯t leave any and eat it all."
It was enough tost a few days, but it would be a waste if it spoiled. So, for that day, we ate beyond our stomach''s capacity¡ª
¡°This is today¡¯s share."
We realized that something was wrong the next day.
Those who usually ate little had barely managed to eat it all in one day. And yet, the same amount arrived again.
"...."
"What do we do?"
Serious discussions ensued around the mounting food. Eating such an amount was manageable for a day, but two days in a row was too much. Besides, judging from the atmosphere, it would probablyst for three or four days.
Should we leave it? But how dare we neglect the Executive Manager¡¯s offerings?
Refuse it? Who would be so bold as to say that to the Executive Manager?
"Eat it."
In the end, there was only one answer. Starting with the Captain, we sat down one by one, feeling overwhelmed by the Executive Manager¡¯s overflowing love.
And the next day¡ª
"Everyone¡¯s eating well. I hope the food isn¡¯t running short for all of you?¡±
"No, we¡¯re fine."
And the day after¡ª
"It seemed like you might need more, so I brought extra today."
"Thank you."
We realized that our limit was about four days.
"...Does anyone want more?"
"It¡¯d be good if the Captain set an example..."
Those who were force-feeding themselves started to quietly look away.
Even the Captain couldn¡¯t say anything. She, who had been eating vigorously, was now chewing as slowly as possible.
''With goodes bad...''
It was our honor to be able to help the Executive Manager. However, this ordeal was far from pleasant.
And it seemed that everyone had finally had enough.
"It seems like they¡¯ll be here soon."
At those words, all eyes turned sharply towards the Executive Manager.
"Since their leader and their senior officers areing, we just need to deal with them all. Capture them alive if possible."
The Executive Manager added that it was okay to kill them and that we just shouldn¡¯t let them escape, but that part honestly hardly registered.
The Red Wave wasing. Capturing them would end our mission. And while that sadly meant that we would have to part with the Executive Manager, it also meant that we would at least get some time to digest everything we ate.
''Damn them all.''
Come to think of it¡ this whole thing happened because of them. Their targeting of the Executive Manager¡¯s location caused all this trouble.
My blood boiled. The rebels who forced us into this unwanted ordeal were truly detestable. The other members probably felt the same.
We would capture them all and hand them over to the 1st Manager. Let those bastards get a taste of /genesisforsaken
Chapter 182: The Red-blooded Dreamer (8)
Chapter 182: The Red-blooded Dreamer (8)
The Red Wave operatives within the academy were uncovered, and a mid-level officer who was previously undetected surrendered voluntarily. We also leaked false information to the hiding leader of the Red Wave, drawing them into a trap where the Masked Unit waited while sharpening their swords.
Everything was wless. Failure in this operation was highly unlikely unless Enen had beenpromised by the Red Wave.
''We¡¯re all set.''
The term ''all set'' somehow felt like a bad omen, but I¡¯m pretty sure that it was just my personal anxiety.
"Did you catch them?"
¡ª Yes. We captured 13 people, including their leader, and killed 24 of them. There were no escapees.
Thus, the operation concluded without any issues.
''What the heck...''
I was about to sleep when mymunication crystal lit up suddenly. It was the 4th Manager.I became speechless at her report. The oue was favorable, but the operation was bizarrely executed.
''Again...''
Once again, I did nothing. It wasn¡¯t just that I didn¡¯t intervene because I wasmanding from the back; I waspletely unaware and only received the report afterward.
I was finally experiencing my dream scenario of an effortless payday, but actually experiencing it left me feeling odd. I felt ipetent instead of feeling like I got an easy win. How could there be rebels nearby without my knowledge?
"I thought it was two days from now."
Suppressing my turmoil and self-reproach, I cautiously spoke up. The Red Wave''s attack on the academy was supposed to be in two days. Robin had assured us of that timing.
Did I misunderstand, or was I so distracted that I hadn''t realized that two days had passed?
Still, it would mean I was ipetent and should resign if that were indeed the case. The worst-case scenario would be if Robin had deceived us and acted as a triple agent.
¡ª We¡¯re still confirming it, but it seems like a unteral decision by their leader.
"Ah."
I felt relieved at those words. It seemed that they hadunched the attack without informing even Robin.
''Had he lost his mind?''
Proceeding withoutmunicating with the field officer? That didn¡¯t seem wise.
But then, a person in charge of the Red Wave wouldn¡¯t be sane to begin with.
"I¡¯ll be there shortly. I need to see things for myself."
¡ª Yes, Executive Manager.
Themunication ended as the 4th Manager bowed.
It still left me bewildered. I thought it would be a quick wrap-up with all the elements in ce, but I never expected it to end so abruptly.
It was like entering the boss room fully prepped with ultimate skills and buffs, only to be greeted with a dialogue event. It was easy yet anticlimactic.
"Hey."
¡ª ...Hmm? Executive Manager?
The 1st Manager answered in a half-asleep daze as I contacted her urgently.
"We''ve captured the Red Wave. You just need to go."
Just those two sentences were enough to snap her awake, her eyes widening to a shape simr to a full moon.
I grabbed Robin, who we needed to identify the leader and senior officers, and the 2nd Manager, who was grumbling in Gerhardt''sb before heading to the forest. I didn¡¯t ask why he was in theb at such ate hour.
"Executive Manager."
"Ah, good work."
A Masked Unit member greeted us as we neared the forest.
After I patted him on the shoulder a few times and passed by, the 1st Manager quietly spoke up.
"They look fine. It looks like it was a one-sided beating."
"Indeed."
The Masked Unit member we just passed lookedpletely fine, both in uniform and expression. Maybe they sent him on purpose because he was supposed to be on guard duty, but he wouldn''t have been so calm if he''d been in a fight or if there had been casualties.
As the 1st Manager said, it seemed that the Red Wave was crushed before they could even react. Why did theye two days early?
"Damn it. I was organizing the data because they said it would be in two days."
I pretended not to hear the 2nd Manager¡¯s resentful murmurs. He had practically be a master¡¯s student in the meantime.
The Red Wave may have failed repeatedly, but they still managed to get under the 2nd Manager¡¯s nerves. Maybe the 2nd Manager and the Red Wave just didn¡¯t mix well.
"Executive Manager, over there."
Following where the 1st Manager pointed, I saw a group of kneeling people who were being watched over.
Just as the 4th Manager had reported, there were thirteen of them.
"Ah, Executive Manager."
"The Executive Manager is here. Stand up."
The Masked Unit''s attention sharply focused on us at the sound of the 1st Manager¡¯s voice.
I waved my hand to indicate that those sitting and resting could remain seated. After all, a sry thief like me didn¡¯t deserve this much attention.
"Penelia!"
The 1st Manager ran ahead as I walked towards the 4th Manager.
"Wow, you caught a lot, huh?"
She seemed more excited about the novelty of the situationpared to the feeling of happiness for seeing an old friend.
"A lot of them died. Is this okay?"
"It¡¯s fine! As long as it¡¯s not less than five!"
My gaze inadvertently shifted to the group presumed to be the Red Wave. The number was 2.6 times more than five, so the 1st Manager¡¯s delight seemed multiplied by the same factor.
"Executive Manager."
The 4th Manager approached with the 1st Manager clinging to her. They weren¡¯t even Yeti and Pepe (mobs in a game), and yet they were stuck together like that
The 4th Manager¡¯s slightly furrowed brow conveyed that she felt a bit ufortable, but she didn¡¯t shake off her friend. What a kind-hearted soul.
"You¡¯ve worked hard. I should have helped."
"Not at all. The information you provided us with made it easy to handle."
That made me even more embarrassed, especially since that information wouldn¡¯t have been avable without Robin¡¯s voluntary surrender.
I awkwardly smiled and then turned to Robin, who had been silent until now.
"Is that them?"
"Ah, yes. It¡¯s them.¡±
Robin¡¯s expression wasplicated. Was it guilt for betraying his oldrades? No. That soft, warm feeling didn¡¯t quite fit his expression.
''He must be wondering, too.''
His face screamed, ¡®Why are they here? They shouldn¡¯t be here at this time. I¡¯m sure I told them toe here in two days, so why are they here now?¡¯
When I announced the capture of the Red Wave, his face went pale. After all, he was put in a position where he could be suspected of being a triple agent.
To be honest, I almost thought that the Red Wave had noticed Robin¡¯s betrayal and perhaps aimed to exploit our weakness and hoping we¡¯d kill Robin in the process.
"¡ª!"
However, the sight of the Red Wave struggling with gags in their mouths proved that they had charged in blindly.
...Which made it all the more stranger. Did they really do this without knowing that there was a traitor in their ranks?
''Really, what are they doing?''
This seemed too much even for rebels, whose actions were beyond normal understanding.
"¡ª! ¡ª!!"
"Release him."
"Yes."
At the 4th Manager¡¯smand, a nearby Masked Unit member hurried over and removed the gag from one of them.
"Ro¡ª!"
Thump¡ª!
The Red Wave member who tried to speak the moment his gag was removed was promptly silenced by the swift punch of a Masked Unit member.
That was typical Masked Unit efficiency. Their quick reflexes, even in minor matters, were impressive. Even such small actions were enough to bring a sense of satisfaction to me, the weary Executive Manager.
"Who''s the leader?"
"The one who just got hit."
Robin''s answer made me feel even better. Perfect.
As I nodded in satisfaction, the Masked Unit member began to remove the gags from the other Red Wave members. Perhaps learning from the leader who spoke first and immediately got hit, they remained quiet this time.
***
I sat down on a stump and watched as the Executive Manager grilled the Red Wave.
"Is it okay if you don¡¯t join them, 2nd Manager?"
While I watched, a Masked Unit member handed me a water bottle. Just in time. I was feeling thirsty.
"What¡¯s the point of getting in the middle of that? That¡¯s the 1st Manager¡¯s job."
I took the water bottle and replied. My role was to move before things blew up; what happened after that was the 1st Manager¡¯s responsibility.
And the 4th Manager, well... she was the type to stick close to the Executive Manager.
"They must have been eager to meet their end to have rushed in like this."
"They might have moved early because they were worried about information leaks," the Masked Unit member replied to my muttering.
It was a usible exnation. For crucial operations, separate official and unofficial documents were often prepared, and only a very few leaders were informed of the real mission.
But even so, there should be limits to it. If the operation required the field officer¡¯s cooperation, then doing it without their knowledge was absurd.
''They¡¯re half-baked.''
That was the feeling I got from dealing with the Red Wave. Although they seemed to have some intelligence and conviction, something always went awry at a critical moment.
It was because of these delusions they indulged in instead of seeking legitimate sess.
''Fools.''
I was also one of the red-blooded. I joined the blue-blooded because my father was given a title, which happened after I was born.
The Red Wave was utterly unappealing to me, who had seen that even the red-blooded could achieve sess. They were exactly the reason that made the empire stricter towards the red-blooded.
"More than expected¡ª"
"Son of a¡ª!"
Whack¡ª!
"¡ªdied...?"
I wasparing the number of prisoners to the corpses when a loud shout and a crashing sound interrupted my thoughts.
''What the fuck?''
The Executive Manager had swung a punch at the captive in front of him. The prisoner''s head disappeared, leaving the 1st and 4th Managers visibly stiffening behind him.
"The Third Honor member brought up the North in front of the Executive Manager.¡±
I suddenly recalled what the 1st Manager said after the Third Honor¡¯s subjugation.
No way. It¡¯s not what I¡¯m thinking, is it?
Please tell me it¡¯s not true.
***
The interrogation began, but the Red Wave¡¯s leader remained tight-lipped.
Oh, he spoke alright. However, it was all just useless babbling.
''Maybe I should just kill them all.''
The leader and the senior officers were all here, anyway. If I killed them all, the Red Wave, which operated as a point organization, would inevitably copse.
However, executing prisoners captured during an operation would be problematic. This was because of the empire¡¯s policy to make the most out of the captured enemies.
Handling the aftermath of the 4th Manager killing the corpse leader was troublesome enough; we couldn¡¯t have that again.
"You¡¯re also dissatisfied with the current system, aren¡¯t you?"
While I was thinking about that, the Red Wave leader... or rather, their boss, started a conversation with me.
Dissatisfied? Sure, I did have grievances about how civil servants were treated like dogs.
"I just know it. You are arade who could join us."
"What nonsense is that?"
I frowned at the absurdity of his words. Why would I align with them?
The bossughed at my reaction and then continued.
"You¡¯ve achieved even greater deeds. Who else would dare harm those who wore the purple crown?"
For a moment, I didn''t understand what he was saying. Or perhaps I refused to understand.
Purple crown. The people who were a rank above the noble blue-blooded, referring to the royalty or imperial family.
"I heard from Robin. During the inter-sspletition, in front of everyone, you¡ª"
"Son of a¡ª!"
By the time I regained my senses, I had already swung my fist.
Damn it. This guy just had to dredge up a dark chapter of my /genesisforsaken
Chapter 183: Let’s Go to Prison (1)
Chapter 183: Let¡¯s Go to Prison (1)
My blood ran cold as I watched the leader¡¯s headless body copse. Because my anger surged, my fist flew out instinctively before I knew it.
No, throwing a punch wasn¡¯t really the issue. A bit of force was only natural in the course of an interrogation. Yes, just a bit.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
The real problem was the reflexive nature of the punch, which resulted in apleteck of control. The most important captive had fallen, all too easily and pointlessly.
Rise, leader...! Show us the spirit that you had when you championed republicanism in this hierarchical society! Show us that you have the will to live even without a head!
¡°Pff... Pfft...¡±
Hearing a stifledugh, I turned to see the 1st Manager struggling to contain herughter. Her face was red and she was biting her lips, on the verge of copsing into tears.
¡®Crap.¡¯
Was restraining herself her final act of consideration?The sight of the 4th Manager, who was standing rigid and vignt, brought about aplex feeling. Ah, right. She didn¡¯t know about the incident during the inter-sspetition. Perhaps she was on a mission and missed the news.
¡®No wonder I haven¡¯t heard from her.¡¯
The 4th Manager, who always remembered and sent her greetings even on anniversaries I forgot, hadn''t been in touch. It was even stranger given the 1st Manager''s recent ramblings about tofu.
Unaware of everything, the 4th Manager recoiled at my sudden outburst. I¡¯m sorry. I must have shocked her quite a bit during the Third Honor incident, too.
"...1st Manager."
"Yes, yes... ahahaha...!¡±
Unable to hold back any longer, the 1st Manager squatted down and giggled as she burst into heartyughter.
It was legendary, indeed. How many would receive ament like ''You seem more republican than us, haha'' from the leader of the Red Wave?
As far as I knew, it was practically unheard of. It defiedmon sense. If such a person existed, then I¡¯d be curious to see this lunatic.
¡®Ah, right. That¡¯s me.¡¯
Wow, what an unexpected revtion.
"Elizabeth."
The 4th Manager who was oblivious to the background story turned pale and shook the 1st Manager¡¯s shoulder, as if questioning the timing of herughter. Meanwhile, the nearby Masked Unit members were also thrown into confusion.
Yes. It was indeed unexpected that my embarrassing past was brought up, but the Masked Unit''s concern wasn''t necessary.
A simple exnation would be enough to clear the misunderstanding, but I found myself unable to speak the words. How could I possibly say it out loud?
"I¡¯ll go ahead, so exin it to the others."
In the end, I chose to flee.
Turning away, I locked eyes with the 2nd Manager as he hastily approached.
"E-Executive Manager."
"I¡¯m off."
Feeling cold sweat running down my back, I waved off the 2nd Manager and quickly walked towards the academy.
Not long after, I heard the roaringughter of the 1st and 2nd Managers behind me.
Damn it, damn it all.
***
It hurt. I was physically fine, but it felt like I was mentally battered.
If the goal of the Red Wave was to infuriate as many of the blue-blooded as possible, then I guess it was a sess. My feelings were hurt after the 2nd Manager¡¯s bruised ego.
"Executive Manager. Are you the new leader of the Red Wave?"
Shut up.
"This is awesome. This is the first time that an Executive Manager will be a Red Wave leader, right? This will go down in history, for sure."
I said, shut it.
The tauntingughter of the two managers from both sides was driving me insane. Fuck off, you bastards.
¡ª Executive Manager, are you alright?
Even the 4th Manager''s concerned question didn¡¯t quite reach me.
She probably reached out tofort me, but the timing couldn¡¯t have been worse. Still, I couldn¡¯t just ignore her.
"I¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t worry."
Forcing a smile, I reassured the 4th Manager.
Thankfully, themunication crystal only transmitted audiovisual information. At least it wouldn¡¯t show how hard my hands were trembling.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
Until recently, my anger was also directed at Robin, who was left in the forest. After all, wasn¡¯t it because of Robin that I had to hear such nonsense? Why did he even report such useless things?
But I managed to restrain myself. At the time, Robin was a spy for the Red Wave. It was only natural for a spy to report major incidents at their infiltration site.
What could I do, anyway? It wasn¡¯t like I could turn Robin into another headless person.
"But why are you here?"
I turned to the 1st Manager and asked because something felt strange.
While the 2nd Manager¡¯s presence was exinable, the 1st Manager should have been busy interrogating the captives. She wasn¡¯t exactly the type to abandon her prized toys.
"Iughed so hard that my hands are shaking. Don¡¯t you think a few more might die if I keep working like this?"
It was a teasingment, but I couldn¡¯t scold her. It might have sounded like a joke, but it also held some truth in it.
In fact, the 1st Manager often called it quits at the slightest hup. Her work required delicate control, and forcing it would only cause trouble.
It was regrettable that I caused such a variable.
¡ª The Special Service Agency will take over the captured Red Wave members. Mages from the Tower will also arrive soon.
Hearing my sigh, the 4th Manager spoke cautiously.
Yes, it¡¯d be better to send them off quickly if they weren¡¯t going to be interrogated here.
"Shouldn¡¯t you go with them, Executive Manager?"
The 2nd Manager snickered and chimed in.
"Since you¡¯ll be disciplined for this incident anyway, why not travelfortably with the mages? Just write the report ande back."
With that, the 2nd Manager burst intoughter. However, his face suddenly stiffened, as if he remembered something important.
I chuckled dryly, having an inkling of what he might be thinking. When people were pushed to the limit, anger wasn¡¯t the only emotion they could feel. There was also that profound sense of emptiness.
"Executive Manager?"
"What?"
"I¡¯m really struggling to remember, but how many reports is this now?"
I didn¡¯t respond.
My silence left the 2nd Manager, the 1st Manager, and the 4th Manager over themunication crystal all speechless.
Awkward silence filled the sorrowful dawn.
***
Fortunately, the absurd situation of being transported with the Red Wave to the capital didn¡¯t happen. No official summons were issued, and it wasn¡¯t like I was keen on going voluntarily.
I knew it would be better to quickly face the inevitable, but who would go willingly while knowing that it meant imprisonment? Everyone yearned for a bit more freedom.
¡ª Regarding the Special Service Agency... I will handle the report.
"Yes, I appreciate it."
To dy the summons as much as possible, the death of the Red Wave leader was to be reported by the 4th Manager. I¡¯d likely be summoned to the capital immediately if I was the one who reported it.
The 4th Manager suggested dering the leader''s death as a casualty, but I insisted on telling the truth.
¡®Hiding it would only make things worse.¡¯
I learned from my experience in civil service that trying to hide an incident only led to its eventual discovery. A cover-up, no matter how perfect, was still a cover-up. It was still better toe clean before being faced with additional charges of deceit.
While the case involving the 4th Manager killing the Third Honor¡¯s head had been handled, it was neverpletely hidden.
Yes, revealing the truth was the right thing. What followed might be incredibly sad, but it was the correct course of action.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
But just knowing that it was the right decision wouldn¡¯t ease the sadness.
¡°Eriko Trian and Robin have been expelled.¡±
The Principal¡¯s words helped alleviate the gnawing sorrow I felt.
¡°I never expected that there would be members of the Red Wave among our staff.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. They were pretty secretive.¡±
I offered a few words offort to the Principal, who sighed in disbelief.
It must have been frustrating for him to discover that some of the faculty and not just fleeting students were part of the Red Wave.
However, that wasn¡¯t the Principal¡¯s fault. It was because of those crazy people who joined the Red Wave.
¡°And Robin has repented and sought the emperor''s forgiveness. He changed his heart during his time at the academy.¡±
Mentioning Robin slightly brightened the Principal¡¯s face.
Thinking positively, a traitor became influenced by the academy and turned back into a loyal subject. It was quite the redeeming narrative.
After some more discussion, I broached the main point.
¡°I might need to step away for a bit.¡±
¡°Step away?¡±
¡°There are some things that I need to sort out.¡±
The Principal looked puzzled.
Externally, the situation ended smoothly. The internal spy was caught before they caused trouble, and the Red Wave¡¯s external assault was sessfully repelled¡ªit was a perfect victory.
But what could there be left to sort out?
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
This matter wouldn¡¯t be resolved until I was in prison. What a splendid ending, right?
Yet, I couldn¡¯t just tell the principal, ¡®I might be disciplined for killing a captive. It seems like I¡¯ll be imprisoned for a while.¡¯
And after some rest, I found a vain hope: perhaps the Crown Prince would show me leniency. The leader might be dead, but the senior officers were alive and intact; maybe he would be willing to overlook it.
¡®It¡¯s still uncertain.¡¯
I still didn¡¯t know whether I would be disciplined or not. Prematurely telling the Principal could lead to an awkward situation if the Crown Prince decided to be merciful.
I have faith in him. I believe that the Crown Prince is merciful and benevolent.
Please, Your Highness... Consider my past services and show leniency just this once...
[The Executive Manager''s dedication to the empire is a treasure, and yet it''s regrettable when unforeseen incidents ur. I wish to receive a report directly from the Executive Manager, so please return to the capital.]
This message arrived via themunication crystal immediately after my meeting with the Principal.
Thankfully, this summons was much tamer than the one that came after the previous assault incident with Rutis.
Please, let it pass just this /genesisforsaken
Chapter 184: Let’s Go to Prison (2)
Chapter 184: Let¡¯s Go to Prison (2)
I''ve been summoned by the Crown Prince twice this semester alone. Was there any other civil servant like me in the world?
The Crown Prince kindly sent a teleportation magician to make my journeyfortable again. As expected of His Highness. He was always thoughtfully sparing his officials any inconvenience. Truly, he was a sage ruler.
I sincerely wish that even a fraction of this consideration would be applied when he would be deciding my punishments.
"His Highness the Crown Prince awaits your presence."
The knight guarding the Crown Prince''s pce said. His tone was strict and serious as usual, but I caught the fleeting emotion on his face.
His expression seemed to ask, ¡®What the hell did you do to be summoned again?¡¯ Of course, it could just be my paranoia, but the confusion was definitely there.
I understand. For most civil servants who weren''t at the level of ministers, the Crown Prince was just like a neighbor whom they saw once a year, if they did at all.
''I''m going to lose my mind.''
In my paranoid state, every nce felt scorching. It seemed like every passing servant, maid, and guard wasughing at me, saying, ¡®There goes the future leader of the Red Wave. How ridiculous!¡¯It felt disorienting that I wished I could just bang my head against a wall and pass out.
"You¡¯ve arrived."
"Yes."
And so, I finally reached the Crown Prince''s office.
I felt even more bitter at the way the guard greeted me without asking what my business was as soon as he saw me. I guess my frequent summons were no longer surprising.
Knock knock¡ª
"Your Highness, the Executive Manager is here."
"Let him in."
Was it just my imagination, or did the Crown Prince''s voice seem unusually tired?
The guard nodded to me and stepped back, making way for me once the prince gave his permission.
Thest time I was here, I ended up being put on probation.
What would it be this time? It¡¯s making me really curious...
***
Silence filled the office. The Crown Prince, who was busy with paperwork, only instructed me to sit and continued sifting through the documents.
He didn¡¯t be angry, nor did he show his usual mocking smile. He simply kept working silently.
''That¡¯s even scarier.''
I¡¯d rather that he just cursed out loud so I could brace myself for the worst. This unexpected silence made me wonder what he was gathering his energy for.
I even considered proactively kneeling first just to break the tension.
"I''ve kept you waiting."
As I was about to stand up, the Crown Prince looked up at me.
"Not at all, Your Highness. I understand that you are very busy; how could I say otherwise?"
Words I wouldn¡¯t normally say came out. My groveling might seem disgraceful to onlookers, but I had no choice.
It was a matter of imprisonment, after all. In this situation, even groveling to the prince for disturbing him during his busy moments wasn¡¯t enough. I¡¯d have to apologize even if the prince punched me, saying, ''Sorry for being in your way!''
"Your devotion is really outstanding, Executive Manager. It''s even more admirable because it''s shown through actions and not just words."
= Did you really have to cause more trouble despite knowing that I¡¯m busy?
I quietly lowered my gaze at the Crown Prince''s subtle anger. I mean, did he expect me to reply to the leader of the Red Wave with something like ''Yeah, I¡¯m a republican''?
Seeing me like that, the Crown Prince leaned back in his seat and sighed.
"The Red Wave consists of rebels who seek to overthrow heaven¡¯s mandate. His Majesty is also pleased with their eradication."
"I am honored."
They were nice words, but that was exactly the reason why they made me tense up. Kind words at the start usually meant that bad news would follow.
"But along the way, there were some puzzling things that happened," he added.
Just like now.
The Crown Prince frowned slightly as if troubled and stroked his chin.
"From what I understood, you captured the leader of the Red Wave alive. ording to the testimony of the Masked Unit members involved in the operation and the other prisoners, as well as investigating the leader''s corpse, there were signs of being bound."
Yes, those signs of being bound were the issue. I wouldn¡¯t have confessed so easily if it weren¡¯t for that. After all, I¡¯ve been caught because of it before.
The marks of being gagged would be gone with the head, but the signs of his body being tied with ropes or being forced to kneel usually remained on the clothes. Trying to erase those marks only made them more conspicuous. These facts were something I didn¡¯t know in the past.
"Yes, Your Highness. We did capture the leader, but he was killed during the interrogation."
The Crown Prince''s frown deepened at my straightforward acknowledgment, but he offered no furtherment.
He already knew that I had turned the prisoner into a corpse. This process was just to formalize my ountability.
"I don''t believe you acted without reason. There must have been a cause."
After a brief silence, the Crown Prince continued in a positive tone. However, I couldn¡¯t let my guard down yet. Based on my past experiences, his mood could shift unexpectedly.
"Weren¡¯t all the key officers captured? While losing the leader is regrettable, he wasn¡¯t crucial to our efforts."
I almost nodded in agreement. It was indeed true. With the entire leadership in custody, the downfall of the Red Wave was certain. And since there were other high-ranking members avable, there were plenty of sources for information.
"Considering the Executive Manager¡¯s achievements, this incident can¡¯t exactly be called a mistake."
Hearing these positive signals, I started hoping. Could it be that he was actually forgiving me? This didn¡¯t seem like a setup for a plot twist but genuine leniency.
Mirroring my expectations, the Crown Prince didn''t say a negative word throughout his speech. If he had done this with a smile, I would have been more anxious. But his face, tired and annoyed, made his words more convincing.
It was true that I trolled, but his expression suggested that he''d overlook it in consideration of my loyal service. It seemed like a one-time pass.
"Still, try to restrain yourself in the future. Killing inbat is one thing, but executing prisoners without proper procedure is problematic."
"Yes, Your Highness. I will bear that in mind."
I bowed deeply to the Crown Prince, who sighed again.
''I made it.''
Fortunately, it ended with a verbal warning. Since there was no need to write a report, I wouldn¡¯t be facing imprisonment.
Besides, what¡¯s so wrong about killing a traitorous bastard when he¡¯s going to be killedter anyway?
Indeed. His Highness is great, wise, and merciful. He handled the matter with an open mind and didn¡¯t get caught up in the details.
''I made the right choice ining here.''
I only told the academy I''d be away, just in case. It would be awkward and embarrassing to simply return after I''d announced possible imprisonment.
It was a sound decision. I trusted in the Crown Prince''s mercy and made a smart choice¡ª
"You¡¯ll be imprisoned for just five days."
What...?
"Pardon?"
Did I hear that wrong?
***
My head throbbed. The slight headache that had been lingering since yesterday became even more intense.
"Pardon?"
And it became even worse because the cause of that headache was standing right in front of me.
''To mess up this quickly.''
How could hend himself in this situation not long after being disciplined? At this rate, it was almost impressive. Perhaps the Executive Manager was a civil servant who loved being penalized more than anyone else?
I knew it was unlikely, but that thought crossed my mind because this situation wouldn¡¯t make sense if not for that. Even the Minister of Finance, who set a record in disciplinary history, wasn¡¯t this notorious.
''Imprisoned at 21.''
It was almostughable. Which would be more surprising? Bing an Executive Manager at 19 or being imprisoned at 21? It was so close that it was rather hard to choose.
"Your Highness, when you said five days, you meant...?"
"Imprisonment."
I spoke firmly to the Executive Manager, who spoke tentatively.
The situation itself was minor. As I had mentioned before, the other officers were captured. And considering the merit of subduing the Red Wave, killing the leader was not a big deal. It wasn¡¯t as if he was released intentionally.
The only reason why he was given disciplinary action was because he executed a prisoner without authorization. And that could have been resolved with just a report¡ª
''But there¡¯s a buildup.''
The case itself warranted just a report. However, the Executive Manager had written too many reports already, and this new one was the final piece that led to his imprisonment.
It was inevitable. As long as a report was the minimum disciplinary action, imprisonment couldn''t be avoided. Besides, excusing even the writing of a report would give the impression that the empire took the killing of prisoners lightly.
"Your Highness, what about the academy during these five days¡ª?"
"What can we do about it? We¡¯ll have to trust and leave it to the principal."
Seeing the Executive Manager¡¯s trembling eyes nearly meugh again. I also found it ufortable to send the Executive Manager out of the academy.
That was why I previously allowed him to stay at the academy while he was on probation. However, imprisonment allowed no such leniency.
"Civil servants who have sinned should be confined underground for self-reflection."
The system established by the previous emperor was hard to tamper with. This was especially true regarding thews about imprisonment, which wereid down by the first emperor, Amanca the Great.
He specifically decreed confinement ''underground,'' making alternatives like ''academy imprisonment'' unfeasible.
''There¡¯s no way around it.''
Unless we moved the capital to the academy or created an underground prison underneath the academy, which would be absurd, there was no alternative.
The only solution was to put the Executive Manager in jail.
"Still, don¡¯t worry too much. I know that the Executive Manager¡¯s crime is minor."
That was why I had specially arranged for him to be in thergest single cell.
I even ordered an upgrade of the furniture to ensure hisfort.
Of course, my attempts at constion didn¡¯t improve the Executive Manager¡¯s expression.
In the first ce, why did you have to kill a prisoner and cause this mess?
***
shbacks raced through my mind.
¡°How did you manage to get imprisoned? I thought you needed to write about forty reports.¡±
That was my genuine reaction when the Minister was imprisoned in the past.
This was definitely my umted karma.
''I¡¯m going mad.''
No matter how much karma there was, facing it head-on made eptance difficult. And so, I tried to argue as much as possible.
"Your Highness, isn¡¯t imprisonment too harsh?"
"The punishment for this incident should¡¯ve been a report."
But his retort that I was the one who piled up all those reports left me speechless.
Right. I brought this on myself...
''What now?''
Now that my imprisonment was certain, the concerns I tried to avoid came flooding in.
The academy, which would be left without me for five days? The managers, who¡¯d be dying ofughter upon hearing the news? Or the Minister, who would being to gloat over my downfall?
There was something more serious than all that.
¡°Carl. No matter what happens, I¡¯m on your side.¡±
I was more worried about the moment when Marghetta heard about my imprisonment.
''Shit.''
The thought of her tearful face filled me with guilt.
I think I¡¯m going crazy. What the fuck should I /genesisforsaken
Chapter 185: Let’s Go to Prison (3)
Chapter 185: Let¡¯s Go to Prison (3)
I nced at the door several times while processing the documents. I read a few lines and then looked up, went back to reading, and then looked up again after a few more lines.
I thought, ¡®He''ll arrive after I finish this paper¡¯, or ¡®That the door will open once I''ve signed this stack of documents.¡¯ But the door remained shut despite all that, much to my frustration.
¡®What''s going on?¡¯
I fidgeted with my pen, feeling anxious for no good reason.
This was strange. It was well past the time Carl usually arrived, and yet there was no word from him.
At first, I assumed that Carl was just busy and was runningte. After all, he wasn¡¯t a machine that was programmed to arrive at the same time every day.
But this wasn''t just a slight dy. It was already past lunch.
¡®There¡¯s been no contact, either.¡¯
My eyes drifted to themunication crystal on my desk. I would be disappointed if he sent me a message saying he''d bete or that he couldn''t make it today, but then at least I wouldn''t be so worried.However, there was nothing. There wasn''t a single message even after lunch had passed.
¡®Should I contact him first?¡¯
The thought crossed my mind several times, but I shook it off.
Carl wouldn''t be silent without a reason. If he was too busy to even send a message, then I couldn''t bring myself to disturb him first.
It always felt annoying when themunication crystal rang while I was busy. Carl probably felt the same; I couldn''t just interrupt him.
¡®Patience.¡¯
I withdrew my hand, which was almost reaching for themunication crystal, and steadied myself.
Yes, let¡¯s just wait. Carl was the type who would feel guilty and appease me more the longer I waited patiently. A little sulkiness should do the trick once hees.
"He''ll show up eventually."
I muttered to myself, perhaps wanting to hear it, and started reading the next document.
But Carl didn''t arrive even when club time came.
I headed to the pastry club¡¯s room as soon as club time started. The slight annoyance I felt dissipated in an instant.
¡®He''ll be there.¡¯
I murmured to myself, biting my lip lightly. He had to be there; he must be. If Carl wasn''t even in the club room, then something must be wrong.
Carl stayed at the academy because he had to keep an eye on the royals. Hence, he couldn''t just leave the club where the royals gathered.
If he wasn''t in the club, then what on earth could have happened that was so serious that he couldn''t even perform his duties?
"Vice President?"
Caught in my anxiety, I bumped into an unexpected figure.
"Vice Principal?"
It was so unexpected that I just blinked in surprise. Wasn''t he typically confined to his office?
The awkwardness of the encounter seemed mutual as it led to a brief silence before the Vice Principal cleared his throat. The expression on his face clearly conveyed sympathy.
¡®Why?¡¯
Seeing the Vice Principal here was unsettling enough, but his expression made it worse.
"Vice President. Are you heading to the pastry club¡¯s room?"
The Vice Principal spoke first, as if he knew everything but was asking out of courtesy.
"Yes, sir. I need to ask Car¡ªthe Prosecutor something."
I almost used his name out of habit, but I quickly corrected it to ¡®Prosecutor.¡¯
The Vice Principal''s face showed even deeper sympathy than before when he heard my response.
Why on earth is he making that face?
"Just go and see for yourself. You''ll understand once you''re there."
"Yes, I understand."
I nodded to the Vice Principal and hurried off. His words only amplified my anxiety.
Normally, such words wouldn''t bother me. But why did they sound so ominous today?
"¡ª¡ª"
"¡ª? ¡ª¡ª"
The noise grew louder the closer I got to the clubroom.
I couldn''t make out the words, but the sounds were definitely loud. The conversations were also rapid, unlike normal chatter.
¡®Please.¡¯
With the Vice Principal''s reaction earlier and the members'' heated discussions¡ªit was now clear that whatever was going on was serious, even if Carl was in the club room.
I couldn¡¯t dare to hope for nothing to be wrong. Just... please, let it not be a major incident. I hoped it wasn''t likest time when Carl was ced on probation.
Actually, it would be okay if it ended with just a probation like before. Please, anything but a bigger issue.
"Excuse me."
"So¡ªLady Marghetta?"
"Vice President?"
In my rush, I opened the door without knocking. It was an udylike thing to do, but now wasn''t the time for such formality.
ncing quickly around the room, I saw club members looking back at me, their faces marked with confusion.
¡®He''s not here.¡¯
However, the most important person was missing.
"Se-senior."
As I nkly stared around the room, Lady Louise cautiously approached me.
...Right, the Vice Principal said I would know if I go. I should ask Lady Louise. She''ll be able to exin what''s happening.
"Lady Louise. Someone is missing, right?"
At my direct question, Lady Louise was unable to speak, her eyes just darting around.
But she finally began to talk as I continued to look at her.
"Well, you see, oppa is..."
However, she stopped mid-sentence and fell silent again. Upon closer inspection, I noticed tears brimming in her eyes¡ªshe was far from okay.
Please, don''t do this. What on earth is it?
"That''s the thing."
Erich sighed as he spoke from the side.
"Hyung... has been imprisoned."
He said, exhaling deeply again. It seemed like he was reluctant to say it, but felt that he had no choice.
Seeing his demeanor, it looked like it took Erich a great deal of determination to share this news.
"What?"
However, the news didn''t make sense to me.
What did he mean, imprisoned? Carl has been imprisoned?
...Ah, so he''s on probation again.
"Is he at his quarters now?"
I tried to calm my confused thoughts and spoke.
So that was it. Carl didn''t contact me because he was embarrassed about being put on probation again so soon after thest time.
Poor Carl. But even then, he should know that worrying me was worse than anything. I would need to speak sternly to him this time. But still, I shouldn''t forget tofort him...
"...He''s currently in custody at the capital."
Erich''s words shattered my hopeful denial.
Custody? Not just probation but actual custody?
He got away with just probation for the royal assault before. So, did this mean that something even more serious had happened?
"...Oh, no, no..."
I crumbled, finally understanding the gravity of the situation.
"Senior!"
"Lady!"
I felt hands supporting me and voices speaking beside me, but their words were muffled.
''I, I...''
I remembered waiting for Carl in the Vice President''s office.
I thought that I should just trust him and that he would feel sorry and make it up to me the longer I waited.
I nned to graciously forgive him if he did, pretending I couldn''t stay mad.
''Without knowing...''
I had suchforting thoughts without knowing that Carl was actually in jail.
Guilt washed over me.
***
Seeing Lady Marghetta slumped in her chair made my heart ache.
"Carl, Carl... I''m sorry, Carl..."
Her murmured words were so soft that they were almost inaudible, and her tears eventually fell.
All of us understood her pain, so we pretended not to notice. How could anyone remain unaffected while knowing that their loved one was in jail?
Yes, I understand. I would have cried too if Lady Marghetta hadn''t arrived.
"The Prosecutor is currently imprisoned and won''t be able toe for a while."
When we arrived at the clubroom, the Vice Principal was waiting there instead of oppa and left these iprehensible words before quickly leaving the scene.
I nearly copsed when I finally understood, just like Lady Marghetta had done. But I was able to hold back after seeing her in greater shock.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Even during Rutis¡¯s incident, it ended with just probation."
Whispers came from behind, spoken quietly out of consideration for Lady Marghetta.
"Does anyone know?"
"How could we? We don¡¯t even have a clue.¡±
Everyone nodded at these words. It would have been sad yet understandable if this imprisonment were rted to Rutis''s injury, but this sudden imprisonment made no sense.
"We''ll have to go see for ourselves."
Erich''s quietment drew everyone''s attention, including Lady Marghetta''s.
Despite trying to be discreet, Lady Marghetta heard everything. Erich seemed flustered by her gaze, but heposed himself and continued.
"It''s the weekend starting tomorrow. I''ll go to the capital to check."
"Then we should¡ª"
"The high-ranking ones should stay here. What would it look like if royalty visited the institution?"
Erich quickly dismissed Rutis''s suggestion. It made sense, given that it wasn''t a long stay like during the vacation but a day trip. Besides, bringing royalty would onlyplicate things.
His argument was persuasive, so everyone agreed. I also didn''t object to being excluded.
"I will go, too."
Lady Marghetta''s quiet interjection was anticipated by everyone, so Erich silently nodded.
***
I really wish he would just disappear.
"But it''s a five-day leave, right? How do you feel?"
"I feel like biting my tongue and dying, so please just go."
"Oh dear. If you die, someone has to stay behind and clean up your body."
This fucking crazy old man. Just leave me alone.
Facing the sneering Minister was draining my mental strength in real time.
I knew it. If it were him, he''d rush here faster than anyone else. It would have been strange if he werete.
''Because I did the same.''
The Minister behind bars? That was something I''dugh about for at least a month. The Minister clearly felt the same.
But I didn''t expect him to show up less than an hour after I was imprisoned.
¡®This is really too much.¡¯
Predicting this situation, I had requested no visitors for today. I couldn''t muster the courage to face anyone else given my current state of mind.
And the Minister, who had also been imprisoned before, knew that this was the weakest time for a prisoner.
So, despite the no-visit order, he filed an emergency visitation request under the pretext of ''financial ministry business.''
''It¡¯s nonexistent.''
Of course, there was no such business. It was just an excuse to see me.
Meeting with a prisoner who had declined visits should warrant an official report, but the Minister chose to tease me, considering a report a small price to pay.
"The first day might be cold, but you''ll get used to it."
Crazy old man. Just go /genesisforsaken
Chapter 186: My Prison Chronicles (1)
Chapter 186: My Prison Chronicles (1)
Prison wasn¡¯t too bad. Saying this might make me sound like a criminal who had given up on everything, but it was surprisingly bearable.
The term ¡®prison¡¯ might conjure images of a cold and damp ce. However, the space I had to stay in for five days was like any ordinary room except for the bars where a door should be. The furniture even felt newly reced, so it was nice.
If you could forget that it was a prison, then it was quite livable. Yes, let¡¯s just forget that part.
"Number 2781. Your meal has arrived."
Unfortunately, the person in front of me made that impossible. I couldn¡¯t look away no matter how hard I tried.
"Why are you here again?"
"My valued subordinate is in this cold prison, so eating alone just doesn''t feel right."
Bullshit. I could vividly imagine him using my imprisonment as an excuse to down bottles of liquor.
The Minister presented me with a box, his face brighter than ever. Damn it, how long have I been locked up for him to already be sending in food?I wanted to yell at him to take that monstrous thing away, but causing a fuss in prison could extend my sentence for misconduct. The thought of extending my already tear-inducing five-day sentence was unbearable.
''He knows that all too well.''
And from what I knew, the Minister knew that as well. That was probably the reason why he visited with such enthusiasm.
"Aren¡¯t you touched?"
I bit my lip at his words.
¡°It¡¯s touching, isn¡¯t it?¡±
The past me was clearly and thoroughly insane. Right now, I was left dealing with the aftermath of those actions.
Yeah. Thinking about it, sending in the meal on the first day was crossing the line. I should have waited until thest day.
"Damned civil service..."
God definitely existed here; this seemed like a world where karma was a bitch.
***
I¡¯ve never felt this satisfied since bing the Minister. I now feel confident that I can go to work without anyints for the next five years.
''So this is what it felt like.''
Seeing the prisoner grinding his teeth in front of me filled me with a deep sense of satisfaction.
The barrier of the prison bars, the inferior status of the convict, and the one-sided teasing opportunity¡ªall of these were things I hadn¡¯t experienced before.
Now I understand why that bastard rushed over with a written report when I was imprisoned.
''I thought he was insane.''
I thought he was crazy for writing a report just to mock me. I also thought that he must have lost his mind from being burdened with heavy responsibilities at such a young age.
But he was right. If one could enjoy this situation, then a written report was a small price to pay. It was worth the decision, even at the risk of a probation.
"Just take it. It''s food you won''t be able to eat for a while."
I slipped the box through the gap. It wouldn''t have fit had it been a bitrger, but I was a former inmate myself. I wouldn¡¯t have made that mistake.
"No, I¡¯m here just for five days!"
"It''s long enough."
Carl, who received the box through the gap, shouted with frustration, but I lightly retorted.
What did it matter if he got out after five days? The important thing was being stuck here and now, wasn¡¯t it?
"It¡¯s getting colder, so take care. I¡¯d be sad if you caught a cold in prison."
This was sincere advice, but the ungrateful bastard just shivered.
Well, it didn¡¯t matter. My mockery was as sincere as my advice, and that was exactly the reaction I wanted.
"Then, I''ll be off. Take care, number 2781."
I deliberately mentioned his prisoner number as I turned away. Even if it was just a show for five days, a prisoner was still a prisoner by name.
This number, 2781, would stick with him even after his release, just like how I still remembered being called 1276 for a week.
''Was the sky always this clear?''
An incredibly clear sky greeted me as I looked up after exiting the prison.
I guess it can¡¯t be helped. It would be disrespectful to Enen not tomemorate such a day.
Today called for a celebration.
***
Nothing happened after the Minister visited twice. Nothing else happened after the Minister''s two visits.
I said it twice because it was important. It was less shocking because I expected the Minister toe on the first day, but himing twice with a meal was too painful.
I expected to be hit, but I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d happen twice in a row. Please, let¡¯s have a cooldown period.
''Today just passed by.''
Iy on the bed, calming my heart that would have cried if it had tears.
Yes, today just passed. The Minister''s mental attacks were powerful, but thankfully, no one else came. It made me wonder if I even needed to refuse visits.
However, the real problem started tomorrow. A day had passed since my imprisonment, so the rumors would¡¯ve likely spread. And since it was the weekend, people would have free time.
''...Should I extend it just one more day?''
For a moment, I seriously considered extending the no-visitors rule.
Of course, that was impossible because it would lead to rumors like ''What did he do that he can''t even have visitors?'' Damn it, it would¡¯ve been less frustrating if I was actually here for a serious crime.
"Executive Manager."
As I nkly stared at the ceiling, I heard someone call me.
What, was there another visitor?
I hurriedly got up and saw the guard, who was awkwardly standing outside the bars.
"I came to check if you needed anything."
Ah, so it was nothing serious.
I thought it might be another visitor or the Minister''s third attempt, but it was fortunately neither. I didn''t want to meet anyone else today...
"I''m fine. There¡¯s no need to worry."
I waved the guard off. The room wasn¡¯t ufortable, and although it was annoying, the Minister had provided me with food, so Icked nothing.
After all, it was just five days. Comining about this and that would be pathetic. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like being in prison was something to be proud of.
The guard bowed several times in response and then left after telling me to let him know if I needed anything.
''Luxuries in prison.''
It was a crazy thought, but I had that thought for a moment. Seeing how friendly the guard was made me wonder if I was in prison or some 5-star hotel.
But what could I do? From the guard¡¯s perspective, it must be hard to treat me like a real prisoner.
''I would have felt the same.''
If I were stripped of my Executive Manager position or if I were facing years of imprisonment, then the guard would have treated me like a real prisoner.
But a five-day sentence? Clearly, it was just for show and I would return to work right after it ended. How could anyone treat such a person as a regr prisoner?
In a way, the guard was a victim in this as much as I was. He was just doing his job when he was suddenly tasked with managing a high-profile inmate.
''Was he also the same guard who managed the Minister?''
Being the guard who managed both a Minister and an Executive Manager was quite the achievement.
But grand or petty didn¡¯t really matter. There was nothing I could do for the guard outside while I was in here. Staying quiet was the best help I could provide.
And as night fell, the guard returned with an armful of nkets.
"The prison is cold. Providing heating is difficult, but this might help..."
"Thank you."
I nodded to the guard, who spoke with a hint of nervous sweat. It seemed like refusing would only add to his burden.
Even my mere presence was a nuisance to him.
''I''m sorry...''
I should send him a gift once I was released.
***
The first thing I saw upon waking up on the second day of my prison life was the guard as he came to greet me.
Anyone would¡¯ve thought that I was in a mansion and not a prison.
"The punishment is excessivepared to the Executive Manager¡¯s mistake, but what can we do? There are no exceptions in thew. Still, I''ll make sure your stay isfortable."
Seeing the bowing guard reminded me of what the Crown Prince had said in his office. What on earth did that bastard tell them for the guard to act like a butler?
Such a pitiful victim of the crown prince''s actions. The thought made me feel a pang of sympathy. I should definitely send him a gift.
''Maybe transferring him to another department would be a good gift.''
Apart from the frequent visits from the guard, nothing else happened.
I¡¯ve heard that vigorous inmates in prison braced themselves for extended sentences to engage in fierce brawls, but I had no chance of witnessing such spectacr fights since I was in a single cell.
I wasn¡¯t even sure if such things really did happen. Who in their right mind would jeopardize their future just to enjoy the present?
''Me.''
Surprisingly, that mad person was me. I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in imprisonment if I hadn¡¯t gone so far as to tease the Minister, which led to a written report.
The prisoners in jail and I were not so different, after all. I came to realize something I''d rather not know.
"Executive Manager?"
"I¡¯m fine."
While I wasing to terms with my own identity, the guard approached again.
I said that I would call him if I needed anything, and yet here he was again. It must not be deliberate negligence on his part. If so, was it because of the crown prince?
What did he say that made them so dedicated? This was almost frightening.
"It¡¯s not that. A visitor request hase in."
"Oh."
I almost closed my eyes, resigning myself to the inevitable.
It wouldn¡¯t be the Minister. He barged in yesterday without my consent, iming ''It¡¯s business about the Ministry of Finance!'' so there was now saying he that couldn¡¯t do it again today.
But if it wasn¡¯t the Minister...
''Who could it be?''
There were quite a few possibilities. Just counting the Senior Manager and the Managers alone, there were about five; if we were to include the 4th Manager, that made six.
Ah, maybe they came as a group. That would indeed be more convenient for them.
"It¡¯s still morning; that was quick. Who is it?"
"That is¡ª"
The guard just shifted his eyes, unable to answer my casual question.
...That was when I instinctively realized. It was definitely not someone from the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
"Her Grace, the Mage Duchess."
Ah.
I almost spat out the words ''Can you tell her that I¡¯m not here?''
Where else would a prisoner be if not in prison, you /genesisforsaken
Chapter 187: My Prison Chronicles (2)
Chapter 187: My Prison Chronicles (2)
Good news always came unexpectedly.
"Mage Duchess."
I was tending to my duties as usual when my secretary approached. Normally, I preferred reports to be made in writing unless it was urgent.
I¡¯ve known her for decades. This child wouldn''t dare to ignore or forget my words, so what she had to say must have been something important enough to warrant a face-to-face report.
"What is it?"
"The teleportation mage summoned by His Highness the Crown Prince has returned. The Executive Manager has also arrived at the capital."
Indeed, it was news worth reporting in person.
In fact, this was something I had been expecting. My baby came thest time the Crown Prince called for the teleportation mage, so I harbored a faint hope that it might be the case this time again.
"Alright, you may leave.""Yes, Mage Duchess."
The secretary, having delivered the good news, turned and left without further ado.
She was always diligent, but she seemed particrly endearing today. I should reward her with a bonus soon.
I watched the secretary leave and turned my gaze towards the window where I saw a clear, cloudless sky.
"It''s a beautiful day."
I murmured to myself, feeling content.
Yes, today was indeed a beautiful day.
''If only it had been like this sooner.''
I had ordered my mages to immediately report baby¡¯s arrival in the capital to me ever since he was sentenced to probation in the academy.
Until now, I was kept unaware every time he arrived. He fortunately hadn¡¯t returned without my knowledge, but the possibility of that happening was always concerning.
Baby would need a teleportation mage if he were toe to the capital. If he arrived by carriage, then it meant that he was going to stay longer, so there would be no need to rush.
''I''m so d.''
I lightly touched my chest, feeling my heart beat faster than usual.
How many times had I asked him to stop by the Magic Tower when he came to the capital? I''ve told him several times, so he would surelye without me needing to ask.
Of course, given the Crown Prince''s summons, he wouldn¡¯t arrive immediately. The matter must be significant if it had to involve traveling from the academy to the capital.
Still, the thought of himing to see me made me happy.
It would be alright even if he arrived in the evening. After all, I cherished the feeling of happiness and anticipation I would feel as I wait for him all morning.
''Although it¡¯s unfair that I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s feeling this way.''
But it was alright. Eventually, he would long to see me as well. It was bound to happen. All we needed was time.
***
However, he didn¡¯te until the evening.
''...He''ste.''
My hand tightened around the pen in frustration. I expected him to bete, but I didn''t expect not to hear from him until nighttime.
The moon was already high in the sky. And yet, I couldn''t leave the Magic Tower in fear that he would arrivete and turn back if I wasn¡¯t there.
I wouldn¡¯t easily let him go even if he camete. If he returned without my knowledge, then I would personally visit the academy.
He should take responsibility for making ady''s heart race from the morning. I also believed that he wasn¡¯t the kind to be so cruelly indifferent.
"Mage Duchess!"
"You''re causing quite a stir. What would the other mages think?"
Perhaps because of my mood, I replied sharply to the secretary, who had seemed charming earlier.
However, the secretary remained distracted despite my reaction. It was odd; she wasn¡¯t usually so undignified.
"Th-the Executive Manager..."
The news I¡¯ve been waiting for instantly made my ears perk up.
Yet, it only took one sentence to make my soaring hopese crashing down.
"He¡¯s been imprisoned!"
"...What?"
What did she just say?
***
I immediately tried to rush over to where baby was imprisoned as soon as I heard the news.
Despite the secretary¡¯s attempts to dissuade me, I was determined.
"The Executive Manager has barred visitors for today. He hasn¡¯t seen anyone except the Minister of Finance."
''No visitors.''
But I sank back into my chair, drained by the news. No visits meant that he didn¡¯t want to see anyone.
How much suffering was my baby going through to make such a decision? Just how pained was he...?
Thankfully, the no-visitors ban was just for one day. Yes, I could endure one day. I would give him space so he could sort his feelings out.
***
"I-I greet the Mage Duchess¡ª"
"There¡¯s no need for long speeches. I¡¯m here to see the Executive Manager."
Of course, I headed straight to the underground prison the next day. After all, visits were already allowed.
''This ce.''
I nced around as I followed the guard inside.
The underground prison was a ce I thought I¡¯d never have any connection with; so, I never paid it any mind.
''...Goodness, in this ce...''
My hands trembled. The air was cold and harsh, built solely for confinement and devoid of any warmth.
Baby... my baby... you¡¯re telling me that this is where my baby is? My poor, young, and precious baby?
''No.''
I shook his head frantically. The thought of my baby being alone in this cold, dark ce broke my heart.
I wanted to free him immediately and shout in protest against the injustice of imprisoning someone meant to be apanion to a duchess.
But I refrained, knowing that making a scene would onlyplicate matters for him.
"The prisoner... has agreed to the visit."
A different person hurried over. By the look of his uniform, he seemed like a jailer.
''Prisoner.''
The term grated on me, but I let it pass after seeing the jailer''s uneasy demeanor.
It was somewhatforting to know that some questioned his status as a prisoner even within the underground prison.
"I will guide you. It¡¯s a bit deep inside, so the path isplicated."
I followed the jailer down the stairs, and my tears threatened to fall the deeper we went.
Was he really here? How I wish it was just a prank, that maybe baby was just ying a trick on me with the secretary¡¯s or the jailer¡¯s help.
That would¡¯ve been more preferable. I¡¯d be willing tough it off even if he were to tell me now that it was a just joke.
"Your Grace, thank you foring."
However, everything copsed the moment I saw him beyond the bars.
***
I epted the visit with a heavy heart. Soon after, the jailer and the Mage Duchess arrived.
The jailer hurried away upon their arrival, but the Mage Duchess approached the bars even faster.
"Baby, are you alright?"
''I''m not okay.''
I swallowed back the words I couldn''t bring myself to say. To be honest, I was okay earlier. However, seeing mother Mage Duchess in this ce made me feel embarrassed and devastated.
Interpreting my silence in her own way, the Mage Duchess¡¯s ears drooped as she gripped the bars.
"How hard must it have been for you that you¡¯re not even able to speak properly...?"
The Mage Duchess''s hands on the bars trembled slightly.
But contrary to her belief, I was silent out of sheer embarrassment.
"Have you had any difort here? Do you miss being outside?"
My imprisonment just started yesterday; there hadn''t been enough time to feel longing or difort.
"You must be struggling with your meals, too..."
I¡¯ve been eating well; the Minister brought so much food that I even shared it with the guard and the jailer.
"It''s getting colder. I hope you haven¡¯t caught a cold."
Thanks to the nkets my guard brought, I haven¡¯t been feeling cold; I even sweated a bit while sleeping.
...How strange. These were supposed to be words of concern from the Mage Duchess.
''So why do I feel guilty?''
Each concern pierced my heart like a dagger, making me wonder if she was mocking me.
However, the Mage Duchess was incapable of deceit. Her ears drooped powerlessly, and her eyes and hands trembled pitifully. If this were an act, then it defintely deserved a standing ovation.
"I¡¯m fine, Your Grace. Please don¡¯t worry."
"How can you say you¡¯re fine...?"
The words I said while intending to calm the distressed Mage Duchess only seemed to backfire.
''Damn it.''
I was too short-sighted. iming to be happy and fine from behind bars would only seem like a cruel joke.
As I went back to being silent again, the Mage Duchess frantically searched her pockets.
"Baby, take this."
Soon enough, a familiar bottle emerged from her pocket.
It was the ginseng extract made from our blood. I missed the chance to bring mine in the rush of my imprisonment.
''No wonder I¡¯ve been feeling off.''
Apparently, I missed my regr dose.
"Thank you, Your Grace."
The Mage Duchess gently touched my protruding hand as I reached through the bars, cupping my hands carefully as if she were afraid it might break or that she would lose it. It was almost making me feel embarrassed.
"Baby, my baby..."
Her trembling voice as she called out to me sounded like a mother who had lost her child.
But, Your Grace, it''s only a five-day sentence.
Did she misunderstand it as five years or even fifty?
''Is it really five years?''
It suddenly made me anxious. Did the Mage Duchess hear that my sentence was extended before she came here?
Although my rational mind screamed that it couldn''t be true, the Mage Duchess¡¯s pitiful state was enough to silence it.
Thus, the Mage Duchess held my hand for a long time, unwilling to let /genesisforsaken
Chapter 188: My Prison Chronicles (3)
Chapter 188: My Prison Chronicles (3)
The Mage Duchess held on to my hand with such force that it felt like it would fall off, only letting go after what seemed like an eternity. Only a few minutes had passed in reality, but it somehow felt like an hour.
"Wait here for a moment."
After saying this, the Mage Duchess hesitated briefly before turning away.
She kept looking back as if she was worried I might vanish the moment she looked away, which was made all the more obvious because of her earlier request for me to wait.
However, I could only stare nkly at the Mage Duchess¡¯s retreating figure.
''It¡¯s not like I had anywhere to go, anyway.''
What was there to wait for? For someone who was imprisoned, there was no ce they could go to.
The best I could do was move from standing by the bars to lying on the bed¡ªwhich was still within the prison walls.
Seeing the Mage Duchess¡¯s shocked expression and the worry on her face as if she was scared that I might disappear from the prison all made my heart ache.''Was the shock too much for her?''
How shaken must she have been for the Mage Duchess, the symbol of wisdom, to make such a foolish mistake? This was a situation that would touch even the heartless.
''Ungrateful brat.''
The Mage Duchess was my provider of unparalleled healthy food. Though she sometimes made jokes that were hard to answer, she was as considerate as the Invincible Duke and the Wise Duchess.
While the two dukes might have their reasons for being kind, the Mage Duchess had no such ties to me, and yet she was always warm.
The Mage Duchess was truly like a mother, worthy of the name because of her generosity. And yet, I showed her such a pitiful side.
I''m sorry, Your Grace... I think I deserve to be in prison for five years.
Soon afterward, the Mage Duchess returned.
"Eating must be ufortable in there. I brought you some food."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
She was holding a generous amount of food.
However, this was far from ''a little'' or ¡®some.¡¯ Had I misunderstood the word all along?
''I won¡¯t finish this even by the time I leave.''
It was too much to consume in just five days, and it wasn¡¯t even small enough to fit through the gaps¡ª
"Here, take this."
The Mage Duchess snapped her fingers and the items she held shrank, passing through the bars before expanding back to their original size.
''Wow.''
If my eyes didn¡¯t deceive me, then that meant that magic just happened without the use of a wand or a spell.
"The path sought by mages varies, but the end goal is the same: to perform magic without any medium or incantation. That is the pinnacle of magic."
I remembered the words Lather said in the club room, spoken with passion to the other members.
Are you watching, Lather? Your dream unfolded in an underground prison.
None of it was my fault, but I still felt sorry.
''A waste of talent...''
Staring nkly at the food that entered the prison, I snapped back to reality at the sound of the Mage Duchess¡¯s voice.
"It seems insufficient. I should bring more."
"It''s okay. There''s enough."
Even the guard and I wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it all if it piled up any more.
Despite my desperate plea, the Mage Duchess frowned slightly and shook her head, showing a firm resolve to bring more.
"Excuse me, Your Grace. Actually, I''m only imprisoned for five days."
Swallowing my pride, I finally addressed the legend of the five-day sentence. It seems the Mage Duchess mistook my imprisonment period to be at least a month or more.
Otherwise, I couldn''t exin the amount of food she brought, which seemed enough for about half a month.
"I''m aware of that."
However, the Mage Duchess calmly responded. Instead of showing any surprise or disbelief when I mentioned the five-day period, she looked at me with pity for revealing my own detention period.
"Is the duration important? What matters is that you''re inside during that time."
The Mage Duchess reached out to the bars again, and I instinctively did the same.
Tears welled up in my eyes at the warm andforting touch.
"No, it''s just five days!"
"It''s not just about the time; it''s significant."
I couldn''t help but recall my conversation with the Minister.
It was definitely the same topic. I''d made the same point about being locked up for only five days, but the response was so different.
In a way, it was simr because the duration of five days didn''t matter to them, though for different reasons.
''This is what being an adult is about.''
She was a true adult,pared to a certain ¡®someone¡¯ who sought petty revenge for a slight teasing.
Okay, maybe it wasn¡¯t just slight teasing. But from now on, the Mage Duchess reces the Minister of Finance minister in my heart.
"Call me anytime if you''re ufortable. I''ll tell the guard, so don¡¯t hesitate."
Her words were a warm assurance that she woulde herself if needed.
I would have really cried if no one was watching. I almost had a ''crying in prison'' moment.
***
I''ve been too anxious to sleep properly since yesterday. Even when sleep came, I couldn''t close my eyes.
Thinking of Carl in the cold, harsh confines of the prison made it impossible for me to settle down. It was one of those nights where my body craved sleep but my mind stubbornly refused.
"Senior, are you okay?"
"I''m fine. Don''t worry."
I forced a smile at Louise''s words.
Staying up all night was nothing new to me. My duties in the student council sometimes kept me up.
But worrying about Carl made it not just a physical but an emotional torment. Even I could see that I looked unwell; it saddened me to show this side of me to Carl.
"Still..."
"I''m really, really okay. I¡¯m just a bit tired."
Louise finally nodded at my firm response.
''I shouldn''t be the one worrying about others.''
Louise seemed to have her worries about Carl, too. She clearly hadn''t slept well.
And yet, here she was, worrying about someone else. She seemed to have a good heart, but perhaps she should take care of herself first. Someday, I might need to offer her some serious advice.
"Everyone¡¯s here."
Erich''s voice broke through as I observed Louise''splexion.
''He''s arrived.''
I turned to where Erich was looking and saw Lady Irina rushing towards us. Since she also cared deeply about Carl, it was only natural for her to join us.
...In fact, both Louise and I were so preupied that we only managed to inform her this morning. Had we returned without saying a word, Lady Irina would have felt bitterly resentful.
"Oppa... are we going?"
How must Irina have felt, learning of the major disaster first thing on a weekend morning?
I was too ashamed to even look her in the face. If I had told her yesterday, then she would¡¯ve at least had time to prepare.
"Am Ite?"
"No, you''re right on time."
Seeing Irina gasp for breath as if she had run all the way here only increased my guilt. I truly felt sorry.
"If everyone''s here, we''ll proceed."
The teleportation mages from the Krasius family spoke up while Louise was patting Irina¡¯s back.
His tone was stiff, but his expression showed that he was troubled. Understandably so, considering that the heir of the family he served was imprisoned. The entire Krasius family must have been in turmoil.
...I wonder if Mother is okay? She seemed somewhat fragile; I hope she hasn''t copsed.
We couldn''t teleport directly to the prison. It was frustrating to take the long way around since time was of the essence, but it couldn¡¯t be helped due to anti-teleportation spells around the prison to prevent escapes.
Well, it was a logical precaution. After all, I''ve also considered teleporting Carl out several times.
"Halt. This ce houses those who have dishonored the empire and the royal family. Those without proper business must refrain from advancing further."
A guard blocked our path as we approached the prison entrance.
''Dishonored criminals.''
I bit my lip in frustration. To think of Carl, who dedicated himself to the empire, beingbeled a criminal was outrageous. If the Executive Manager was a criminal, then who could be considered a loyalist and a citizen?
I knew it, though. That the guard was merely following protocol and wasn¡¯t specifically targeting Carl.
Still, it felt like my heart was tearing apart after hearing Carl being described as a criminal after all the sacrifices he had made.
"Erich of the Krasius family. I¡¯m here for a visit."
Erich spoke up, representing us since he was the only one rted to Carl by blood.
"Excuse me, but who are you here to see?"
The guard''s tone softened noticeably at the mention of the Krasius family name.
Instead of ¡®criminal,¡¯ the guard now used ¡®who¡¯ to address him. The respectful address eased my mood slightly.
"Carl Krasius."
"Understood. Please sign the visitor''s log."
The guard almost reverently handed over the log to Erich.
After receiving the log back, the guard checked the names and quickly headed inside the prison.
***
Damn it.
''Talk about bad luck.''
I was startled when the guard ran over, making me wonder if the Mage Duchess had returned.
That fortunately wasn''t the case, but someone else appeared. Yesterday, it was the Minister of Finance. It was the Mage Duchess this morning, and now it was the Lady of Valenti. This is crazy.
I braced for it. Given that I was the Executive Manager, and that I was here just for show, I expected the visitors to be high-profile, especially since I hadn¡¯t lost any actual power.
But still, it was just five days. I was hoping that such a short imprisonment wouldn¡¯t warrant a visit.
''Was it actually five weeks instead of five days?''
I started doubting my memory for a moment. High-ranking officials like the Ministers and the Duchess were bringing in provisions¡ªcould it really just be for five days?
But it was indeed five days. For some reason, that was correct.
''Is my luck that twisted?''
Years ago, I visited the Minister of Finance when he was imprisoned. I thought that marked the end of my prison chronicles, but there was a new chapter beyond that ending.
''Should I retire?''
It was a matter worth serious consideration. After all, I already had a considerable /genesisforsaken
Chapter 189: My Prison Chronicles (4)
Chapter 189: My Prison Chronicles (4)
The moment I dreaded the most had arrived.
"Uh-huh¡ªhup¡ª"
Seeing Marghetta cry silently with her hand over her mouth made me feel like I was losing my mind.
"Executive Manager, there is a visitor request for you."
The guard¡¯s expression looked as if he had just given up on something. I wondered at first why he looked that way, but I gave up too when I heard that Marghetta hade to visit. In my case, what I gave up was my dignity and pride.
Being seen behind bars was naturally humiliating. I didn¡¯t want to be seen like this by Erich, Louise, or Irina.
''She¡¯s thest person I wanted to see me in this state.''
Most of all, I never wanted Marghetta to see me like this, not even if the world was about to end. I knew how much she worried about me and that she had a tender heart beneath her strong facade.
So, I prayed several times. I said that I didn¡¯t mind even if the Minister gave me a good thrashing as long as Marghetta didn¡¯te.''Won¡¯t you grant me just this one thing?''
Of course, Enen wouldn¡¯t be free enough to listen to the prayers of an alien species since he was busy attending to the prayers of the natives of this world. Damn it.
"Carl... Carl..."
Marghetta constantly cried, holding onto the bars with one hand. She looked as if she would copse at any moment.
Her pitiful and heartbreaking state made me want to rush out and reassure her that it was alright, but that was unfortunately impossible.
"It''s okay. I''m really okay, Mar."
Since I was in prison, my actions were extremely limited. At most, I could hold Marghetta''s hand and repeatforting words. There was nothing more I could do.
However, those actions seemed to upset Marghetta even more.
"Waaaah¡ª!"
Eventually, Marghetta couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. The dignifieddy who was always mindful of her appearance and dignity burst into tears like a child.
"Why, why?! Why is Carl, Carl here...?!"
Her outburst was like a child''s tantrum or someone faced with an utterly baffling dilemma.
Either way, it was so different from the usuallyposed Marghetta I knew, filling me with even more guilt.
"Why... whyyyyy...??"
Muttering like that, her legs gave way and she slumped down on the ground.
"Senior, are you okay?"
Louise, who was looking on with sad eyes, quickly approached to support Marghetta.
Seeing this made me feel even worse. I was in a situation where others had to do what I should have been doing. Or rather than that... If I had been outside in the first ce, then Marghetta wouldn''t have had to go through this.
"Louise, take this."
Irina handed a water bottle to Louise.
Yes, give her some water. She must be dehydrated from all the crying.
"Senior, let''s step outside for a bit. You need some fresh air."
"No, I don''t want to... C-Carl is here, Carl is..."
Despite Louise¡¯s concerned words, Marghetta shook her head and resisted.
However, Louise became even more determined to take her outside after seeing her state. Considering that Marghetta usually spoke formally, her resorting to informalints indicated that she was not in her right mind.
Finally, Louise managed to take the resisting Marghetta outside with Irina¡¯s help.
''It''s better outside than down here.¡¯
I sighed deeply, watching Marghetta¡¯s receding figure.
No matter how nicely decorated it was, the prison was still a prison. It was an unsuitable ce for a fraildy weakened by distress.
"Hyung, are you okay?"
"I was until just now."
Erich discreetly approached me once the others had left. This was our first conversation since the visit started.
I understood, though. In that situation, who could possibly have spoken up first and bypassed Marghetta? Erich seemed taken aback as well, probably not expecting Marghetta to break down crying like that.
"What the heck happened? How did someone from the academy end up imprisoned?"
I looked away at Erich''s question.
You know what? You¡¯re the first to ask why I was caught.
The Minister knew the circumstances. The warm-hearted Mage Duchess was too kind to ask, and Marghetta immediately started crying as soon as she saw me. Despite several visits, I hadn''t been able to tell anyone the reason for my imprisonment.
''How can I even exin that?''
I¡¯d rather have no one ask. How in the world should I exin such a crazy reason?
But from Erich''s perspective, who knew nothing, it must seem like I was just suddenly snatched from the academy. I needed to clear up that misunderstanding...
''Will it be okay?''
To exin the situation, I would have to mention the Red Wave, the seditious republican group that approached the academy. It was a delicate matter to discuss with Erich, who was a student there.
But apart from my mental anguish, it ended without any harm, and Erich wasn¡¯t known for being loose-lipped. If I tell him, ''Keep this between us,'' he''ll probably keep his mouth shut, like passing down a family secret.
...Alright, I''ll tell him.
"It¡¯s a bit of a long story."
As I began to speak, Erich''s expression changed strangely.
Shit.
***
Hold on. I must endure.
''Why do I have to go through this trial?''
For a moment, I resented Enen. What sin had Imitted to deserve such a harsh trial?
Was it because I declined Tannian¡¯s invitation to go to church together? But I wasn¡¯t the only one who declined. Tannian even said that it was fine and just left when I refused.
''Did he go and pray for a curse to fall on me?''
I imagined Tannian shouting, ¡®Punish this faithless unbeliever!¡¯ Yes, that must be it. Tannian, that malicious guy, probably did such a sinister thing with a smile.
Can¡¯t a person skip church asionally? My church is built on faith and belief in my heart¡ª
"Are you listening?"
"Oh, yes."
Hyung¡¯s voice jerked me back to reality. I was in trouble. Even my desperatest escape had failed.
''This is driving me insane.''
I carefully raised my head to stare at the ceiling, as if overwhelmed by a sad and troubling story.
To be honest, I turned away because I felt like I¡¯d be bursting intoughter at any moment if I let my guard down.
"Don''t talk about this outside."
I nodded vigorously at hyung¡¯s words.
The story about the republicans shouting for revolution and hyung quelling them was extraordinary.
It was dizzying to think that the academy had almost fallen into danger without my knowledge, but at least it ended without incident.
Well, except for one thing.
''Who am I even going to tell it to?''
Talking about it anywhere else would make me seem insane. Even hearing it firsthand was baffling, so how much more would it be if others heard it secondhand?
Hyung was imprisoned for killing a prisoner. Although killing a prisoner wasn¡¯tmendable, it shouldn¡¯t be a crime serious enough to warrant imprisonment.
"I wrote too many reports, and just my luck that it led to imprisonment this time."
The problem was hyung¡¯s karma, which turned a minor sin into a major one. That was when the first wave ofughter almost hit me.
"But that bastard brought up the incident with Rutis. How could I keep a straight face after hearing that?"
The second wave ofughter threatened to spill out of me when I heard the reason he killed the prisoner.
¡®That''s how it went down?¡¯
I felt like going insane. It would have been less ridiculous if the prisoner had just provoked him normally, causing hyung to lose his temper.
But he just had to bring up Rutis out of all things. He even mentioned that legendary incident where royalty was beaten up in front of everyone.
Moreover, hyung received the unprecedented punishment of being on probation within the academy because of that incident. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that it haunted him, but to think that he heard about that from a republican rebel?
''I couldn¡¯t have endured that.''
I would have killed that rebel, too. Even the Supreme Court would probably dere it justified.
Anyway, I perfectly understood why hyung was imprisoned. But as one problem was resolved, another emerged.
"...Hyung, how are we supposed to exin this to everyone else?"
"Yeah..."
I didn¡¯t have the courage to reveal the truth to Lady Marghetta, who must still be crying outside, and to Louise and Irina, who would beforting her.
"Let¡¯s just say it was an issue at work. Don¡¯t bring it up unless asked."
Hyung responded after much consideration, and I nodded silently.
Please. I hope no one would ask.
***
Marghetta returned not long after I revealed the embarrassing truth to Erich. Fortunately, she seemed to have calmed down a bit.
By then, visiting hours were already over and it was time for them to leave. Talk about bad timing.
"Carl, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. I will definitelye again tomorrow."
Trying to stop her from crying again was difficult. I mean, wasn¡¯t visiting someone who would be imprisoned for just five days for two days in a row a bit much?
Anyway, I managed to persuade Marghetta, who kept insisting oning back, to leave after promising to visit her first upon my release.
"Ah, hyung. The family knows about your imprisonment."
Erich left me with a slightly troublingment as he was leaving.
"I managed to stop mother froming for now. Should I keep her away?"
Thanks to my thoughtful brother, there wasn¡¯t an increase in visitors. I might manage to deal with Marghetta, but the thought of ''a mother visiting her imprisoned son'' was unbearable.
...I should contact them first even if I can''t visit after being released. That would be the right thing to do.
''Damn it.''
Frustrated by my momentary anger, I wondered how things came to this point. That bastard wouldn¡¯t have died if only I had controlled myself a bit more and stomped on his leg instead of punching his head.
As I sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling, I had an ominous feeling.
''Why haven''t theye?''
The managers were surprisingly quiet.
It was unusual. Those from the faraway academy had evene to visit, so howe there was no news from the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, which was located just nearby?
It¡¯d honestly be better if they didn¡¯te, but when had they ever made thingsfortable for me? I expected them to show up.
''If they don¡¯te, then that¡¯s better for me.''
I¡¯d better not worry too much about it.
***
Clutching my throbbing head, I tossed and turned. I should get up, but I just couldn¡¯t.
''I have to go visit...''
We were originally supposed to go this morning. The other managers and the Senior Manager had agreed to go together.
Butst night, we ended up having an unnned dinner.
"It¡¯s amemorative dinner for your boss¡¯s imprisonment. You should attend before you go visit him."
How could I miss it when the Minister pushed for the dinner? It was the first one we had in a long time, so I attended it dly.
And this was the result. The Minister only brought strong drinks, and the aftermath was tremendous.
"Ugh..."
Tossing around, I caught sight of my disheveled hair.
My precious white hair... It was usually so pretty that I could brag about it anywhere, but it looked frightening today.
Ironically, the drink I hadst night was also white... This was the first time I''d been scared of white...
"Executive Manager..."
It pained me to think that the Executive Manager was alone and crying in the cold prison.
I''m sorry, Executive Manager. I should go visit you, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to do it /genesisforsaken
Chapter 190: My Prison Chronicles (5)
Chapter 190: My Prison Chronicles (5)
The blurred line between weekdays and weekends was the destiny borne by imperial civil servants. Yet, it was true that weekends did offer a bit more timepared to weekdays.
And so, I thought and hoped that I could avoid my foes who gruesomely murdered my sanity by enduring the weekend. If they hadn''te by the second day, then I just needed to somehow hold out through today, the third day.
"Hehe, we''re here."
"You came."
But I failed.
''I should have known.''
When the 1st Manager arrived, the other managers were behind her.
Indeed, having expectations only led to disappointment. Since I had none, I wasn''t mentally shocked.
The things we desperately wished for often ended in spectacr failures. Trying to think that it will all be over today? That would be exactly when things were bound to go wrong."Why did you alle when you''re so busy?"
Instead of asking ''How did youe,'' I found myself asking, ''Why did youe?'' Really though, why? Resting on weekdays was hard enough; they should at least enjoy the weekends.
It would be cruel to mock a superior in prison, but still.
"How can we have fun when our boss might be crying alone?"
"Go back to that boss right now."
Who was that? I don¡¯t know any boss like that.
The 1st Manager bbered her typical nonsense, but I couldn''t just dismiss it; thinking of the Mage Duchess and Marghetta made me feel a twinge of guilt.
In other peoples'' minds, I was a prisoner locked in a cold jail... which was strange. Except for the asional heartaches, I was living quitefortably.
''Maybe I should have pretended to struggle a bit.''
However, Marghetta might have actually fainted if I did that. It¡¯d be better to stick with the ''I¡¯m doing well'' facade.
"Executive Manager, is there anything troubling you?"
The Senior Manager asked quietly from behind the snickering 1st Manager.
I had been imprisoned for just three days, with my releaseing in two more. Besides, the frequent visits provided me with ample food.
"I''m doing fine."
I glossed over the details, feeling a bit embarrassed. Seeing that, the Senior Manager didn''t press further.
An awkward silence lingered, broken by the impressive lineup of visitors.
"Who''s next after the Minister and the Executive Manager?"
My gaze inadvertentlynded on the 1st Manager as the 2nd Manager looked around.
"Executive Manager?"
"No, it''s nothing."
I averted my gaze quietly at her eyes that asked, ''Why are you looking at me now?''
I somewhat felt apologetic for instinctively thinking that it was her turn to be imprisoned after the Minister and me.
"Still, isn''t it nice not to worry anymore?"
The 3rd Manager¡¯sment almost made me nod in agreement.
That was indeed true. I no longer had to fret over how many reports I had written.
"Want toe in?"
"No, thank you."
Despite my friendly invitation, the 3rd Manage tly refused.
If I remember correctly, he had quite the fair stack of reports. Since he was the most active in the Prosecutors'' Office, it was only inevitable that he had written a lot.
Of course, it was still less than mine. I didn''t really want to outdo him in such matters, though.
Just as I was exchanging a silent greeting with the reserved 5th Manager, who was silent unlike the noisy trio, the 1st Manager barged in again.
"Executive Manager, Executive Manager. Which visitor number are we?"
"Fifth."
"Huh?"
The 1st Manager blinked in surprise at the unexpected answer, as if questioning how there had already been four other visits.
Sadly, the Minister came twice in one day. Meanwhile, the Mage Duchess visited once, as well as those from the academy. Adding their visit now made that five in total.
Shocking, wasn''t it? Even I was surprised. How could a person who was imprisoned for just five days already have five visits?
''Damn.''
The thought was infuriating. Who would visit twice a day? I never even did that.
Even if I visited him daily during his imprisonment, I didn¡¯t go multiple times a day. Wasn¡¯t that some sort of unwritten rule?
Visiting twice a day was as atrocious as doing a daily quest twice. I truly think that.
¡°Uh... the Minister, the academy... and even the Mage Duchess... but isn¡¯t there one left?"
The 1st Manager counted on her fingers, a puzzled look on her face as if she couldn''t think of anyone else who would visit.
Was it because she was just the 1st Manager? She seemed to underestimate me a little too much. After all, my connections were far beyond her imagination.
"The Minister came twice."
"Wow."
"Then the Mage Duchess came, and then the academy."
"Wow..."
I felt a twinge of sympathy at the 1st Manager''s sigh.
''If she''s this shocked...''
Even the 1st Manager, who was far from normal, was surprised by the lineup.
Just how many high-profile visits had I endured?
***
There was still plenty of time left for visitation, but I sent everyone away.
"Don¡¯t bother the guards; go rest since it¡¯s a weekend."
"Are the guards more important to you than your cute subordinate?"
"Yes."
"Waaah..."
I had to send them back early for the sake of the guards¡¯ mental health. The guards were already worn out from high-profile visitors like the Minister, Duchess, and thedies, but the Prosecutors'' Office was on a whole different level.
Facing high-ranking officials was awkward and ufortable, but they could manage by following the protocol.
However, the people from the Prosecutors'' Office were capable of punishing them on the spot. To have its managers loitering around their workce was... If I were a guard, I¡¯d probably have a heart attack.
''I should be considerate, too.''
Even if they were under the Crown Prince''s orders, the guard assigned to me took great care of me. It was only right for me to reciprocate.
None of this would have happened if I hadn¡¯t been imprisoned, but let¡¯s not dwell on that. It wasn¡¯t as if I chose to be here.
''At least it¡¯s over now.''
With visits from the Minister, the Prosecutors'' Office, and the academy, everyone who should havee had alreadye. Although the Mage Duchess''s visit was unexpected, it wasn¡¯t below the required count, but rather an extra achievement.
The only one left might be the Masked Unit.
"Ah, Penellia sends her regards. Apparently, the Masked Unit couldn''te because they were dispatched immediately."
So it seemed. No wonder I didn¡¯t hear from her. Even if I requested a no-visitors ban on the first day, it wasn''t like her to miss the second day.
''They must be very busy.''
To think they¡¯d be dispatched again right after the Red Wave¡¯s suppression. If I had known they would be this busy, I would have fed them more despite the 1st Manager''s words of caution.
I should make sure to provide plenty next time. Their well-being was their wealth; they needed to eat well and live well.
***
I''ve developed a habit of praying to Enen twice a day starting four days ago: once when arriving at work and once when leaving. In the morning, I prayed for an incident-free day; in the evening, I gave thanks for the day passing without issues.
''It''s finally over.''
With trembling hands, I marked an X on the calendar. Atst, the fifth day had arrived. By noon today, the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors'' Office would be released.
''Atst.''
It was a painful time. These five days felt like five months.
On the first day, the Minister of Finance visited. I could handle that much. After all, it would be odd to be surprised by a visit from someone I had managed while they were in prison.
Although I never imagined that he would visit twice on the same day, I was still able to endure it.
''The Minister was the easiest to deal with.''
A bitterugh escaped me at the absurd reality. I never would have guessed that the Minister of Finance would be the most straightforward visitor.
The next morning, one of the dukes visited. The Mage Duchess, who rarely stepped out of the Magic Tower, came. My heart sank when I saw that she brought food into the prison.
I was providing the best food I could for the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors'' Office, but that was by my standards. If heined to the Mage Duchess about the food or the guards, it would have been the end for me.
...Luckily, that didn''t happen.
''Two nobles.''
After the Mage Duchess came the daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke. Because of that, I almost pped the guard for making a bad joke when they showed me the list.
Honestly, nobles were more frightening than civil servants. A civil servant could retire, but nobles remained nobles until their death. There was a reason why one shouldn''t even make eye contact with a noble lightly.
Fortunately, the noble who came was a young student and wasn¡¯t someone who was entangled in the political or social circles. However, it was bitter to see the young student cry in front of the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors'' Office.
''Thest one...''
My thoughts froze. I had anticipated them since the Executive Manager was imprisoned, but thest people I wished would stay away hade.
Those managers... the Prosecutors'' Office... were capable of severing my head in various ways...
Let''s stop thinking about it.
''Anyway, it''s over now.''
My mood, which had plummeted, soared again. This ordeal was finally ending. My days of diligently serving a prisoner of high status and worrying about displeasing them were soon going to be over.
This damned dirty life as a guard. I should quit right now.
"Gu-Guard!"
I heard a guard''s voice from behind just as I was about to pull out the resignation letter I had painstakingly prepared the night before.
A sigh escaped me at his urgent tone. What was it this time?
"What''s the matter?"
Every time the guard came running, it led to unusual events. The Minister came, then the Duchess, thedies, and then the Prosecutors'' Office.
But today was his day of release. It was probably not rted to the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors'' Office. Yes, that much was enough.
I was now stronger than ever after these five days and was standing on the verge of submitting my resignation letter. I felt pretty confident that no news could ever surprise me.
"A messenger from the Invincible Duke has arrived!"
"...What?"
I was immediately startled.
''The Invincible Duke...?''
But... why? Why would the Invincible Duke...?
He didn''te in person this time, but what was this?
''Damn it.''
I felt like crying. I should have submitted my resignation /genesisforsaken
Chapter 191: My Tofu Pilgrimage (1)
Chapter 191: My Tofu Pilgrimage (1)
Today was my long-awaited release, and it seemed that my guard felt it more than I did judging by the way he sprinted towards me from afar.
He clung to the bars in an instant, fumbling hastily to unlock them. His eagerness was so palpable that it was almost pitiful to watch. It then dawned on me that he''d been ncing at the lock for the past five days not to check its security, but out of a desire to open it immediately.
I''m sorry.
I also felt regret toward the others, but it was particrly strong towards this guard. I wonder if I treated him too much like a butler when he was supposed to be strict and serious with the prisoners.
He honestly treated me well, so I mistook him for a butler. Though it was unintended, I truly felt sorry...
"You''ve worked hard, Executive Manager."
The guard bowed deeply as soon as the door opened, his head nearly touching the ground while simultaneously extending his hands to return my belongings.
It felt awkward to thank the person who had kept me imprisoned, but I didn''t want to shatter the guard¡¯s evident relief.
Yes, I had a tough time. If the guard said so, then we should leave it at that."Thanks to you, I could livefortably. I won''t forget it."
Still, I couldn¡¯t just move on without expressing my gratitude, so I patted the guard on the shoulder a few times, feeling both apologetic and thankful.
"Excuse me, Executive Manager."
While I was collecting my things, the guard, who had been bending over, carefully stood up.
I looked at him without much thought but then realized that hisplexion was off.
What''s going on?
How strange. Was there another problem?
What could possibly go wrong now that I was being released? It didn''t make sense for it to be a visitation issue; I could simply meet them outside.
Did they extend my sentence?
For a moment, I even thought that they might have extended my imprisonment. I felt panicked, fearing he might say, ''His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered you to stay imprisoned a few more days.''
Why would they open the door if my sentence was extended? Maybe they were nning to move me to another prison? The Crown Prince''s madness was unpredictable, after all.
"The Executive Manager has received a letter."
Luckily, it wasn¡¯t an extension simr to a karaoke session.
The guard took out the letter he had kept safe with trembling hands.
"It¡¯s from His Grace the Invincible Duke.¡±
Ah, that exins it.
The guard''s face was ashen as if even a slight crease in the letter would cost him his head. ncing at it, I saw the Invincible Duke¡¯s impressive seal firmly in ce. It was indeed from him.
Was he a traitor in his past life or something?
Seeing the guard''s distress made me wonder. Could this be the result of some great karma he had umted from his past life?
In just five days, he had be entangled with three of the five ducal houses. A simple, ordinary guard wouldn¡¯t be able to handle all that.
...But if that was indeed the case, then I¡¯d be even worse. If the guard was a traitor, then I must have been a traitor who seeded in selling my country.
"Yes, I got it."
I quickly took it, afraid that the letter might get soaked with sweat if it remained in his hands any longer.
He had already fallen from being a butler to a postman. How far would the guard''s authority fall?
***
Relief washed over me as the Invincible Duke''s letter left my hands. Holding onto something overwhelmingly burdensome always caused me shivers.
I''ll immediately resign after this.
This incident further cemented my decision as I felt the resignation letter which I treasured in my pocket. There was no need to wait until the end of my shift. Forget the handover; it was all unnecessary.
I¡¯m going to submit my resignation letter as soon as the Executive Manager leaves. No one can stop me from quitting this wretched job as a guard.
"You there."
While I contemted settling in a quiet provincial estate with my savings and severance pay, the Executive Manager''s voice interrupted my thoughts.
It seemed like he had finished reading the letter and was looking at me.
When did he call me?
Had he called me several times before I noticed? Fortunately, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.
If it were, then the Executive Manager''s expression wouldn''t be so calm. After all, it would mean that a mere guard ignored his call.
"Yes, Executive Manager?"
"What''s your name?"
No way. Did I ignore him?
Although his tone was calm, the question sent a chill down my spine and started to make my hands tremble again.
This is insane.
The head of the Prosecutors'' Office was asking for my name. The urge to get down on my knees and beg for my life, citing my wife and children as a reason, was overwhelming.
But my body wouldn''t move properly after facing the Executive Manager''s gaze.
"Th-tha..."
I almost blurted out a different name, but I managed to hold back. Lying would only lead to being caught and punished more severelyter.
"Lu-Luciano."
"I see."
I bit my lip as the Executive Manager nodded indifferently.
I had worked hard to avoid this situation, trying not to upset the Executive Manager or give him any reason toin.
But it seemed that my efforts were still insufficient from a noble''s perspective. No matter how hard amoner tried, I guess they couldn¡¯t see the world as a noble did.
If there is a next life, I wish to be born a noble¡ª
"Here, take this."
The Executive Manager suddenly handed me a business card.
Was this a show of power, like a way of telling me to remember the name of the person who would kill me?
If so, then it was a cruel and terrible thing to do. It definitely fitted the Prosecutors'' Office''s notorious reputation.
Of course, I couldn''t voice thoseints outwardly. Doing that would mean a more painful end.
...What is this?
I took the business card half-heartedly, but there was something unusual about it.
"Excuse me, Executive Manager. What is this?"
I cautiously showed the back of the business card to the Executive Manager. What should have been a nk space was filled with my name and his signature.
The Executive Manager chuckled at my reaction and replied.
¡°These five days must¡¯ve been tough. Sadly, this is the only gift I can give you right now."
I blinked, puzzled by his statement. Being spared from ''inspection'' was fortunate, but why was this considered a gift?
Was collecting business cards considered trendy among the nobles? If so, that made sense. A business card from the Executive Manager would likely fetch a good price among them. Thought it was quite a shame that my name was on it.
"If you have a ce you want to go to, just show them this."
I snapped back to reality at those words.
***
Standing in front of the empty cell, I stared nkly at the business card.
"If you have a ce you want to go to, just show them this."
I nodded repeatedly to the Executive Manager''s kind exnation.
"Even if it suits you, doing the same job gets boring."
I nodded even more vigorously at that. That was one of the reasons I wrote my resignation without hesitation; I had be tired of my long tenure as a guard.
A different position.
My hands began to tremble again, but for a different reason this time.
Who would enjoy being a guard for years? I only stayed due to the unfavorable circumstances and theck of better opportunities.
But now, I held a master key in my hand, capable of unlocking not just another position but higher ones.
Thank you...!
I repeated the phrase over and over to myself even though no one could hear it.
Five days of suffering? Compared to the grace of the Prosecutor, such trials were mere specks of sand.
I ced the business card in my pocket with reverence, knowing that losing it would be devastating¡ª
What?
My hand collided with something unpleasant as I slipped it inside my pocket. How dare something unknown upy the sacred space meant for the business card?
Annoyed, I pulled it out and saw that it was the resignation letter.
Disgusting.
It was a pathetic item that only a loser would write, and also something I would no longer need.
I tore up the resignation letter, destroying my ugly past. In doing so, I triumphed over myself.
***
Thanks to a mage sent in advance by the Crown Prince, I arrived at the academy immediately.
It was strange to receive such consideration from the person who had me imprisoned, but I decided to let it go since I wasrgely to me for my imprisonment.
I¡¯ll be able to keep my promise.
I tucked the Invincible Duke''s letter into my pocket with a sigh of relief.
At first, I thought that the letter was an invitation to meet, which I considered declining politely since I promised to meet Marghetta first after being released.
However, it wasn¡¯t that.
[ I heard the news. It¡¯s regrettable, but I believe this incident will be a stepping stone for Carl to strive even harder, so I''m not worried.]
It contained a simple greeting, followed by words offort.
[ I would have liked to visit, but I didn¡¯t want to impose any burden on Sir Carl. So I stayed away, hoping you could rest peacefully for at least these five days. There''s always time for us to meet. ]
Unlike a certain minister, this message overflowed with consideration.
Is this what a real adult is like? What about all the adults I knew before?
[ This weekend is my daughter¡¯s birthday, and we¡¯ve nned a small celebration at our territory. She hopes Sir Carl will grace the asion. Will youe? ]
The meeting was scheduled rather soon.
It reminded me that it was around this timest year that the Crown Princess had her birthday celebration.
It should be fine.
The presence of the Crown Prince was bothersome, but it would be manageable if the Crown Princess was there. At least that madman wouldn¡¯t act out in front of her.
The first meeting right after my release would put my Crown Prince tolerance to the test, but the Crown Princess, the ultimate regtor, would be there.
Alright, I could go without issues.
This will be interesting.
I couldn¡¯t resist the thought of watching the Crown Prince, who usually irked me, as he tried to stay in line under the Crown Princess¡¯s watchful eye.
This was a party I would attend even if I was told not to.
...Of course, I should sort out everything before the weekend. Marghetta might hold me back from going if things weren¡¯t settled by /genesisforsaken
Chapter 192: My Tofu Pilgrimage (2)
Chapter 192: My Tofu Pilgrimage (2)
My arms were starting to go numb. The legs that had been tightly bound also began to twitch slightly.
Although my body consistently sent me distress signals, I couldn''t do anything about it. This situation was my own doing, after all.
"Um..."
I tentatively opened my mouth, hoping that maybe¡ª
"No."
"Okay."
Marghetta''s firm refusal made me immediately close my mouth again. I hadn''t even finished speaking yet.
"I¡¯m not letting you go until club time is here."
Marghetta said this and hugged me tighter as if she was scolding me for already trying to run away.It was Marghetta, so what could I do? Even if I felt a bit ufortable, I willinglyplied.
She will let me go during club time.
She was also being considerate even amidst this. She was too good for someone like me, who deserved to be in jail.
Feeling grateful, I tightened my embrace around Marghetta, and she rubbed her face against my chest contentedly.
I feel a bit embarrassed.
I look away in embarrassment.
It wasn''t because of the hug; it wasn¡¯t our first time hugging, so what was there to be embarrassed about now?
Instead, it was the pose; it seemed rather peculiar.
It¡¯s good that no one else is here.
I looked down at Marghetta, who was still burying her face in my chest.
She wasn¡¯t just hugging me normally; she was sitting on myp, her legs locking my lower body as we faced each other.
Maybe I was just being sensitive, but wasn¡¯t this a bit strange? It seemed like a posture that could be easily misunderstood if someone else saw it.
Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.
No one coulde here without Marghetta''s permission, so it should be fine.
Yes, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I couldn¡¯t push Marghetta away just because I felt a bit shy. How could I after seeing that earlier?
"Carl! Are-are you okay? You''re not hurt anywhere, right? Did you eat properly?"
To keep my promise of seeing her first after being released, I skipped the Principal''s office and headed straight to the Vice President''s office. As soon as I entered, Marghetta threw away the paperwork she was doing and rushed to me.
It might be an exaggeration, but she checked me from head to toe. Her touch was so desperate and pitiful that I couldn''t even bring myself to dodge them.
"I¡¯m okay. There were no problems at all."
"Th-thank goodness... oh... thank goodness..."
It was only after I reassured her several times that Marghetta was able to calm down.
"Heuk... Heukk... Heuuk!"
Well, she didn¡¯t seem to have calmed downpletely.
Marghetta thumped my chest a few times while sobbing heavily. She might have been hitting me from her perspective, but it really felt more like a pat to me.
It didn''t hurt physically, but it felt like an emotional attack rather than a physical one.
"You''re so mean! You promised you wouldn''t get locked up again! You said you wouldn''t make me worry anymore!"
"I¡¯m sorry..."
I couldn¡¯t lift my head at Marghetta¡¯s outburst as she poured out the sorrow she had been suppressing for five days.
Yes, I had said that. Tofort Marghetta, who was worried about my probation, I promised that it wouldn¡¯t happen again.
Of course, it was a promise I couldn¡¯t keep. At that time, I was just one report away from being imprisoned. The notion of it not happening again was ludicrous; I could have been locked up the very next day.
And who in their right mind would say ''I would probably be imprisoned next time'' to someone saddened by probation? That would be something only the Second Prince would dare to do.
"Sit down right now."
¡°Ah, yes."
Marghetta thenmanded sharply, her eyes fiercely narrowed.
She seemed to be trying to look intimidating, but she was honestly more cute than scary with her eyes red from crying.
Of course, I couldn¡¯t say that to her face.
Nevertheless, Marghetta sat on myp and wrapped her arms around my back after I followed hermand to sit on the sofa...
"I won¡¯t let you go. Carl is mine for today."
She dered it as if she was warning me to brace myself for war.
Thest vestiges of my conscience restrained me from retorting with ''Haven¡¯t I always been yours?''
If this makes her feel better, then so be it.
I gently stroked Marghetta¡¯s head. It felt only right toply even if she imed me not just for today but for the next five days as well.
Let¡¯s stay like this at least until her tears dry.
***
I couldn¡¯t lift my face from Carl¡¯s chest.
How embarrassing...
I lost myposure upon seeing Carl. Relief and resentment flooded in when I confirmed he was unharmed.
...And so, I couldn¡¯t maintain my usual dignity.
What if he dislikes me for being an undignifieddy?
However, it was toote. I had already burst into tears in front of Carl and had assailed a man who had just been released. I couldn¡¯t me him if he became disappointed with me.
Still, it was the moment my fianc¨¦ returned from jail.
How could I hold back?
Carl said that it was only for five days, but I found that hard to ept. Was the duration really what mattered?
Those five days felt like an eternity in hell and were more agonizing than ever. I would have willingly gone to jail if it meant getting Carl out.
Even now, tears kept streaming down my face as I thought of Carl being imprisoned.
I shouldn¡¯t be like this...
Ashamed, I burrowed into Carl¡¯s chest. As I did, I could feel his clothes getting wet with my tears.
And yet, Carl held me withoutint, soothingly stroking my head.
It¡¯s warm.
I wish we could stay like this forever.
Let¡¯s forgive him.
I hated that he broke his promise and ended up imprisoned, and I despised that it was not just probation but imprisonment, but Carl must¡¯ve had the hardest time.
Let''s forgive him this time. Yes, just this time. Really.
"Um, Marghetta?"
"No."
As I felt the calming warmth between us, Carl spoke again.
I immediately refused, thinking that he would ask to be let go again. No way. Forgiveness was possible, but only after he''d properly made it up to me. We weren¡¯t there yet.
But Carl let out a smallugh while looking a bit sheepish and continued speaking.
"Do you have time this weekend?"
I almost lifted my head at his question, but I hurriedly lowered it again. I hadn¡¯t seen myself in the mirror, but I was pretty sure that my face must be a mess. I shouldn¡¯t let him see me like that.
When I didn''t say anything, Carl chuckled again and gently stroked my hair.
"There is a celebration at the Invinicible Duke¡¯s mansion this weekend for Her Highness the Crown Princess¡¯s birthday."
I nodded absentmindedly, recalling a conversation. Father had suggested we attend together, but I had declined because Carl was imprisoned and I was too distracted with my student council duties...
"I¡¯ve been invited by the Invincible Duke as well, but I don¡¯t have a partner. Going alone seemed too insincere, so I hesitated."
My heart raced at his words.
Weekend, celebration, and partner. If I didn¡¯t realize what he was hinting at, then I wouldn¡¯t be considered either a noble or a human.
Partner.
The word made my heart flutter. Attending the celebration with Carl as my partner...
It wasn¡¯t just any celebration, either, but the Crown Princess¡¯s birthday. It would be a gathering of notable figures, almost like a small New Year''s Ball.
To attend proudly as Carl¡¯s partner at such an event?
That¡¯s amazing.
My lips curled into a smile. Just by attending, I could unt my rtionship with Carl to the social circles. Within a day after the celebration, the entire empire and the whole continent would know.
"Do you remember the club fair? I said back then that if it¡¯s okay with you, that I¡¯d like to be your partner..."
I remembered. It was the monumental day when I had Carl¡¯s first dance.
And I felt touched. He even remembered a passingment.
"Will you be my partner?"
"I will!"
I instinctively lifted my head, and then regretted it.
I had been staying quiet because I didn¡¯t want to show him my face, but I foolishly forgot about it.
"Thank you, Mar."
But I felt relieved as I saw Carl smile as if nothing was wrong.
***
Marghetta''s mood seemed to improve the moment I asked her to be my partner.
The tears in her eyes were reced withughter, and she finally revealed her face that she had been burying in my chest.
Crying and thenughing...
I caught myself having an embarrassingly inappropriate thought and quickly shook my head. But it was indeed true. Seeing her cry and thenugh after did make her look pretty.
Internally apologizing to Marghetta, I quickened my pace. The conversation had gone on longer than expected, and I was runningte for club time.
It¡¯s my first day back.
To mark my return with a tardy arrival felt like a unique form of torture. What kind of torture was this?
Anyway, I hurried as much as I could and soon arrived at the club room.
"Oppa!"
"Sorry, I¡¯m a bitte."
Louise, who had been pacing around the club room, rushed towards me as I opened the door without knocking.
"O-oh, thank goodness. I was worried you might still be in the underground prison...!"
I could only smile bitterly at Louise''s sigh of relief. After all, it was only understandable to have such thoughts when the supposedly released person wasn¡¯t seen around.
After patting her shoulder a few times to reassure her, I turned to see the other club members approaching.
I felt secretly grateful to them. I was worried that they might alle flocking for a visit during my imprisonment, but fortunately, only Louise and Erich hade.
What a sight that would¡¯ve been.
The guard might¡¯ve actually bit his tongue.
"Advisor, are you okay?"
Rutis was the first to approach, cautiously asking how I was doing. His face looked unusually serious.
It was strange seeing him like this, especially since he was the one who famously pulled off the ¡®tofu cake¡¯ prank after my probation. I understood, though.
Perhaps he realized that he overdid it?
It would¡¯ve been no different from eating chicken in front of a friend who just had a tonsillectomy, or gifting them Shooting Star ice cream. It was okay to tease to a certain extent.
However, you shouldn¡¯t tease someone who was in a severe ident and couldn¡¯t move. It was that kind of principle.
"I¡¯m fine."
Still, the fact that he knew where to draw the line made me feel oddly proud.
Yes, our club members are fundamentally good people.
"Aren¡¯t you giving me anything this time? I was kind of looking forward to it."
As I teased him while enjoying the rising satisfaction I felt, Rutis gave an awkward smile.
Sorry, this is the epitome of ame club president joke¡ª
"I prepared something."
?
You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.
Why did he prepare something /genesisforsaken
Chapter 193: My Tofu Pilgrimage (3)
Chapter 193: My Tofu Pilgrimage (3)
I could only stare nkly at Rutis''s back as he rummaged through the shelves, apparently searching for something.
So he really did prepare something. I thought he just replied wittingly to my boring joke, but it actually existed.
Why did he do that?
This fundamental question kept popping into my head. Why on earth would he have something so unsightly?
In fact, even considering my experiences before and after possessing this body, I had never heard of tofu cake until my probation. I knew about rice cakes and ice cream cakes, but tofu was beyond my imagination.
But here I was, eating something I never knew existed for the third time in a month. I¡¯ve never even eaten real cake this often.
"About that... tofu cake is considered a nutritious food in Armein, oppa."
Interpreting my nk expression in her own way, Louise leaned in and whispered cautiously.
I knew that. Rutis had exined it thoroughly during myst probation."I think Rutis prepared it because he was worried about you, too."
Louise said, her voice fading slightly due to the awkwardness of the situation.
Indeed, tofu cake was considered a nutritious food in the Armein Kingdom and was often given to released prisoners as a gift.
Since I was a released prisoner, there should be no problem in epting it. There shouldn¡¯t be¡
It feels like a p in the face.
If I hadn''t received a tofu cake when I was on probation, I would have taken it as a simple gesture of constion.
But I had, and tofu cake had now be a symbol of mockery in my mind.
Rutis knew this, which was why he hadn¡¯t offered it sooner.
"Here it is."
Finally, Rutis approached with the grotesque item.
Not this again.
Rutis was holding a white tofu cake, but it strangely looked darker and more sinister than any other item.
Something about it seemed off. It didn''t look like thisst time.
Ah, it didn¡¯t have the prisoner number on it.
Is this his final act of consideration?
ncing at Rutis, I noticed his awkward smile.
Yes, he must¡¯ve had his concerns. Writing the prisoner number would have felt like delivering a knockout blow.
"...Thank you."
After much contemtion, I epted the tofu cake. The previous mockery happened because of my probation, which all happened because I had assaulted Rutis. In the end, it was all my own doing.
Honestly, it wouldn''t have happened if Erich hadn''t called me out for it, or if Rutis hadn''t racked up karma with his devilish snout.
Anyway, it was all my own fault. So, I decided to just go with it.
"It''s too much for one person; let''s eat it together."
"Ah, yes."
Rutis nodded readily, and the other members tactfully picked up their forks.
The third tofu cake I tasted was incredibly soft. Was this what a tear-soaked tofu cake tasted like?
I¡¯ll be damned.
It was a taste I never wanted to experience again.
***
I headed to the Principal''s office as soon as the club meeting ended. The Principal would¡¯ve certainly been shocked about my detention, so it only seemed appropriate to show my face and report back in person.
"Ah, Prosecutor."
When I entered the Principal''s office, the awkward exchange of nces was followed by a suffocating silence, filling the room.
"You¡¯ve had a tough time."
The Principal broke the brief silence. It seemed he had decided that a brief word of constion was better than dragging out concerns or inquiries.
Of course, he was right. It would have been more burdensome if the Principal had shown me too much concern.
"I''m sorry I had to suddenly leave, Principal. I''m sure you had more trouble than I did."
"It¡¯s fine. You had already informed me, so there was no problem."
We exchanged awkward smiles, the Principal¡¯s small grin easing the atmosphere.
I had indeed informed the Principal after we had subdued the Red Wave. I mentioned that I might need to step away for a bit to handle some remaining issues.
Little did he know that handling would mean being imprisoned.
"The Prosecutor has dedicated so much to the academy and the empire, so please don''t put too much pressure on yourself."
"Thank you for your kind words."
His warm remarks made me feel even more embarrassed.
The Principal probably thought that I was imprisoned due to an unfortunate incident while protecting the academy. As its head, of course he felt the need to express his gratitude and offer constion.
It wasn¡¯t entirely false. An unfortunate incident did happen during my efforts to protect the academy from the Red Wave.
However, it was only unfortunate for me.
It was a tragedy when seen from a distance butedy in close-up.
I wonder how the Principal would react if he knew the details of that unfortunate incident. Perhaps he mightugh, or maybe find it absurd...
Either way, it hurt just the same.
***
I paced around the room while ncing at themunication crystal periodically, fiddling with it a few times and wondering if it was broken.
Each time, I only confirmed that the crystal was still functional. It was made by the Magic Tower, so it was naturally sturdy.
"Nia, you look distracted."
Laura frowned at my behavior.
"..."
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It''s nothing."
I stared at Laura''s leg, which had been shaking continuously as if in an earthquake. Who was the distracted one, exactly?
But I understood her. Laura stepped in as a mother figure for Carl and Erich in ce of their real mother, who wasn¡¯t even qualified to be one. She cared for them as if they were her own after the loss of her biological child.
"...It¡¯s today, right?"
"Yes."
Laura asked again, her voice tinged with impatience.
Today was the day. Erich had confirmed it.
¡ª He¡¯ll be imprisoned for just five days. He''s being treated well, so don¡¯t worry too much.
¡°Still, I should visit¡¡±
¡ª He''s been through a lot; he¡¯s probably tired. He said he¡¯ll contact us once he¡¯s released, so it might be best to wait.
This was the conversation I had with Erich three days ago.
I wanted to rush to Carl immediately, but Erich persuaded me to wait.
The thought of my dear son in a cold prison was unbearable, but I hesitated when I heard that he was tired. I didn¡¯t want to bother him just because of my selfishness.
So I waited as Erich suggested, trusting that Carl would contact us after his release.
I¡¯ve been waiting since morning.
My hands trembled as I touched themunication crystal again.
Today, I kept the crystal with me while washing, eating, and working.
¡ª So, you won''t be attending the Crown Princess''s birthday banquet this time¡ªNia?
"Sorry, oppa. What did you say?"
¡ª Is something wrong?"
I was anxious even during other conversations, afraid that I might miss a call from Carl.
And as if to mock my anxiety, there was no contact at all.
"Should I... have gone to visit?"
"How could you have gone in your condition?"
Laura''s bluntment made my face burn. The truth was that it would have been difficult to visit even if Carl wanted me to.
Hearing that Erich suddenly requested a teleportation mage and realizing that it was for visiting the imprisoned Carl made everything go dark.
"Are you awake?"
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in bed.
"Laura...? Why am I here...?"
"You fainted. For six hours."
I remained bedridden for a while, too weak to move that even Billy had toe back from the Imperial Council.
If I had gone to visit him in that state, I would have only caused Carl more worry. Honestly, like Laura said, I probably wouldn''t have managed it.
I kept fiddling with themunication crystal with a bitter feeling. Touching it wouldn¡¯t make the calle any faster, would it?
And then, almost like magic, themunication crystal started glowing.
...Did it work?
When the call finally came through, my mind went nk. What should I say? Tell him he did well? Ask if he was alright? Ask why he contacted us sote?
"Nia."
Laura''s voice brought me back to reality.
What was I doing? I needed to answer even if I stumbled over my words. What if the call disconnected?
¡ª Mother.
Carl¡¯s face appeared as I hastily activated the crystal.
"Carl."
I clenched my fist, feeling my tears welling up within me.
He¡¯s grown thinner.
He probably didn¡¯t eat well in prison. He was at an age where he should be growing, and yet he had to endure such harsh conditions.
How much did he suffer? How scared was he?
"...Are you okay?"
¡ª Yes, I¡¯ve been doing well.
My tears threatened to spill again at his words; those were an obvious lie. There was no way anyone could do well in prison.
He must be struggling, and yet he was still considering my feelings. Why did such a kind child have to be in prison?
However, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask. Those types of questions would just reopen Carl''s wounds.
¡ª I wanted to greet you in person, but I don¡¯t think it would be possible.
"It''s okay. Communicating like this is enough."
¡ª That¡¯s a relief.
I hardly remembered the rest of the conversation. I was too focused on clenching my fists and biting my lip to keep it together.
At least Carl didn¡¯t seem upset, so I must not have said anything strange. That much was good enough.
¡ª Please send my regards to the Patriarch and the Head Maid.
Laura''s face lit up at that.
"Sure, I¡¯ll tell them that, so don¡¯t worry."
Billy would also be happy to hear that Carl asked about him.
***
I ended the call with Mother as quickly as possible. It might have seemed too eager, but I couldn''t bear to look at her face for long.
Just as I expected.
A sigh escaped me. After all, what mother could stayposed after hearing that her son was imprisoned?
She tried to hide it, but her body betrayed her emotions. Her eyes were strained unnaturally, the rims reddened; her lips were also trembling.
...We should leave it at that. Thinking more about it might turn me from a dutiful son into an overwrought one.
Should I have done it sooner?
Seeing Mother''s condition made me rethink my priorities. Marghetta, the club, and the Principal¡ªI had been so busy reporting back that I had barely managed to contact her.
Fortunately, I managed to contact her today. Otherwise, she might have stayed up all night.
***
The next morning.
"Thedy said that she wishes you could cast the bad memories aside and fill your life with good ones."
The teleportation mage from our family handed me a box.
Inside was a freshly made tofu dish, along with a carefully written letter.
Wow.
"...Please tell her I''m very grateful."
Just /genesisforsaken
Chapter 194: My Tofu Pilgrimage (4)
Chapter 194: My Tofu Pilgrimage (4)
I swallowed a mouthful of the tofu dish sent by Mother with a sense of penance, then took a bite of the health supplement I received during the vacation with a dash of repentance. Lastly, I took a sip of the red ginseng potion given by the Mage Duchess, promising myself that such incidents would never happen again.
That marked the end of my unusually luxurious breakfast.
I think I¡¯m going crazy.
I could only stare nkly at the floor, feeling bitter. The warmth of Mother''s nurturing love made it impossible to lift my head.
Innocent scoldings were painfully harsh. I might have retaliated if it were mocking or teasing, but how could I not ept a gift filled with Mother¡¯s love?
After a while, I shifted my gaze to the handwritten letter, which was still in my hand.
The days are getting colder, so you should always dress warmly. Never skip your meals no matter how busy you are, and immediately seek a healer or a mage if you feel unwell.
The letter, purely filled with concern for me, made no mention of my imprisonment. The sight of the tear stains and smeared ink in the corner seriously made me consider biting my tongue.I would have rushed to the mansion to beg for her forgiveness if I were her real son and not a fake one. It was only because I was a fake that I held back.
I need to restrain myself.
With a sigh, I tucked the letter into the drawer.
Even if I considered my family as strangers, to them, I was real family. Any careless actions would inevitably harm them.
Indeed. As the 3rd Manager said, the imprisonment had reset my previous record. From now on, I should be careful not to have to write any reports again.
"Damn it."
Would it have been better if I had been reincarnated in this world instead of possessing this body?
***
A wee guest visited during today''s club time.
"Oppa, are you okay?"
This was Irina¡¯s first visit to the pastry club room since the second semester began. However, her greeting was filled with concern instead of joy.
Her first words weren¡¯t ¡®Hello,¡¯ but ¡®Are you okay?¡¯ I had a hunch it¡¯d be like that, but it still hurt.
"I''m fine, so don''t worry."
I replied with a smile that now came naturally.
I had already said ¡®I¡¯m fine,¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m doing well,¡¯ and ¡®don¡¯t worry¡¯ countless times. It felt like I¡¯d have to keep saying these words all month.
But I was genuinely fine and doing well. They¡¯d probably think it was a waste to visit me in prison if they saw my life there.
"Okay, I understand."
Irina hesitated and then nodded with a slightly sad expression.
I understood why. She must be sad, thinking that I was forcibly saying that I was okay.
Everything¡¯s really okay.
But I was really fine. Honestly, I was morefortable therepared to my time at the academy. However, I couldn¡¯t just say something like ¡®Do you want to try it?¡¯ to a young girl, so I remained silent.
"I didn¡¯t want toe empty-handed, so I brought a little gift."
Irina spoke cautiously after a moment of silence, making me flinch instinctively.
Gift? What gift?
No way.
Rutis''s first blow and the subsequent one from Mother still had me reeling.
She didn¡¯t bring tofu, did she?
A third blow would be a total knockout. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to handle that.
"This... I don''t know if you''ll like it, but..."
Hesitating, Irina brought forward a pot she had been hiding behind her back.
I had been wondering why she was hiding her hands.
It was a white pot containing a blooming hawthorn sapling, its white flowers radiating a cheerful vibe.
Relief washed over me as I realized that it was just a pot. Thankfully, I was able to avoid a third blow.
"It¡¯s the same gift asst time, but... it has grown so beautifully..."
Despite my relief, Irina seemed concerned about giving the same gift again. Her eyes were darting around as she trailed off.
It was unnecessary worry. At this point, I''d be happy to receive anything as long as it wasn''t tofu. I might develop PTSD from anything white, but at least it wasn¡¯t edible.
"It¡¯s beautiful. You¡¯ve taken good care of it."
Irina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise after seeing my slight smile.
"I¡¯ll take good care of it, too."
"Yes!"
Seeing her bright smile made the bitterness I felt in the morning fade a little.
***
A smile naturally came to my face as the pot passed from my hand to oppa¡¯s.
Thank goodness.
I hesitated several times while preparing the hawthorn. I worried whether he would dislike receiving the same gift again or react indifferently.
But after much deliberation, I chose the hawthorn again. After all, it was a symbolic and unforgettable nt for me.
It symbolized the day I stopped fearing and hating oppa and the day I epted my feelings for him.
...My only love.
The flower¡¯s meaning still made my face warm. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but it also symbolized my confession of feelings to oppa.
Regrettably, oppa didn¡¯t notice it and only Louise did, but it didn¡¯t matter.
I can just confess again.
How could an unintended confession be considered a real one?
So, I gave him another hawthorn. It was intentional this time, conveying my sole love and my heart for him.
He might not realize it again, but...
It¡¯s okay.
I was already satisfied because it was out of my own will and not a mistake.
Of course, I wasn¡¯t nning to stop here. Instead of using the indirectnguage of flowers, I intend to confess directly to him in my own words someday.
I felt a poking sensation on my side as I watched oppa carry the hawthorn pot to the window.
"Louise?"
Turning, I saw Louise grinning and poking me yfully in the side.
"Does Irina have two loves?"
Her teasing words made my face heat up. I''d probably be bright red if I looked in a mirror.
Louise was only the other person in this room who knew the true meaning behind the hawthorn. Thankfully, she hadn¡¯t spread it around, though she asionally teased me like this.
But to say I have two loves...
That¡¯s too much.
She made it sound like I liked two guys. I only had feelings for oppa.
Feeling unfairly treated, I red at her, but Louise just kept smiling.
...Ah, I¡¯ve got an idea.
"Louise,e here for a second."
With a slight gesture, Louise tilted her head but leaned in anyway.
Teasing others without suspicion; that was Louise''s weakness.
"Sorry, so sorryyyyy... I was wrooonnngggg..."
I whispered in her ear, deliberately mimicking the slurred speech she had once used while crying in front of me.
The reaction was immediate. Louise¡¯s face flushed, and she quickly covered my mouth.
How dare you?
I got a satisfying result. Who was she to tease me when she had an even more embarrassing past?
My eyes crinkled with satisfaction, causing Louise¡¯s face to grow even redder and emphasizing her eyes as her hand covered her mouth.
"Sorry..."
Eventually, Louise dropped her hand, softly dering surrender. It was a bitical how she attacked first and then surrendered, but I graciously epted it.
After all, I was ady of a count''s house. I¡¯ve had my share of social engagements.
"Now we have three pots."
Louise quicklyposed her expression when she heard oppa¡¯sment as he approached.
"Do you like it?"
"Very much."
I asked him to give Louise more time to gather herself, but the firm reply brought a smile to my face.
I didn¡¯t expect him to be so pleased. How wonderful would it have been if he knew the meaning behind the hawthorn flowers and replied like this?
...Does he know?
The thought made my heart flutter with excitement.
Did he notice my confession? I hope he would be pleased even if knew what it meant. That would be great...
"I¡¯ll take good care of it. I hope it lives a long time."
His words sounded like a wish for us to have a long life together.
***
Thanks to Irina, the dreaded tofu ry was finally over.
Thank you, Irina. Even if you were to spit in my face one day, I¡¯d still smile. Thank you so much...
¡ª Having many gifts is a sign of a good reputation, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s proof that Sir Carl has led a good life.
"That''s aforting thought."
I forced a smile at the Invincible Duke¡¯s words. If the price of having a good reputation was teabagging, then I¡¯d rather walk the path of a rebel.
But I couldn¡¯t say things like that in front of an adult with an uing celebration, so I held my tongue.
¡ª Think of it that way. Dwelling too much on the past can be tiring.
The Invincible Duke seemed pleased with my response since he smiled slightly. It felt good to give him the right answer.
After a brief chuckle, the Invincible Duke caught his breath and continued.
¡ª So, Marghetta ising with you?
"Yes, Your Grace."
With the Crown Princess''s birthday banquet only a few days away, it was only practical to know who would attend for the preparation.
So, I told the Invincible Duke that I would attend with Marghetta. Surprise guests might look good in fiction, but they could be a bit of a nuisance in real life.
¡ª It pleases me to think that a fitting couple will grace the asion. Thank you, Sir Carl.
There seemed to be multipleyers of meaning in his gratitude.
¡ª The Iron-blooded Duke will be pleased as well.
"Haha..."
I could onlyugh awkwardly at that. I hadn¡¯t expected the Iron-blooded Duke to attend.
Since he entered retirement, the Iron-blooded Duke rarely appeared outside his territory except for the New Year¡¯s Ball. I assumed that this time would be no different.
Just my luck.
Why did the Iron-blooded Duke have toe now? It was clear what he was going to say as soon as he saw me.
"I haven¡¯t seen you kneel yet, so why are you with Marghetta?"
My hands and feet trembled at the thought.
After the New Year¡¯s Ball, I nned to go straight to the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s mansion to kneel and beg for permission to marry Marghetta. Given his reputation for keeping his word, I knew I needed to show that much humility to be with Marghetta.
But to be seen with Marghetta before that? I¡¯d get a firsthand experience of why he was called the Iron-blooded Duke.
...It¡¯ll work out somehow.
Yes, it had to work out. Surely he wouldn¡¯t break his future son-inw''s back in front of his precious youngest daughter, right?
It was honestly risky, but I should be able to protect my spine.
"I didn¡¯t expect the Iron-blooded Duke to attend as well."
When I spoke with a hint of dread about the event that seemed destined for disaster, the Invincible Duke justughed heartily.
¡ª Oh dear. If you¡¯re surprised now, what will you do when you hear that the Mage Duchess is alsoing?
"Pardon?"
That¡¯s crazy.
The Mage Duchess ising, too?
If the Iron-blooded Duke was like a legendary Pok¨¦mon, then the Mage Duchess was a mythical Pok¨¦mon. She usually only showed her face for a single day during the New Year¡¯s Ball before returning to her tower.
And now she was appearing at a mere party?
...What¡¯s going on?
Did something major happen in the capital without my /genesisforsaken
Chapter 195: Don’t Hide, Executive Manager!
Chapter 195: Don¡¯t Hide, Executive Manager!
It took about two hours after entering the Emperor¡¯s Office to finally make my escape.
I felt like sighing in frustration, but I restrained myself from doing so. A careless sigh might spark rumors of discord between the Emperor and the Crown Prince, which would be problematic.
It would be highly unlikely, but I would need to show a smiling face even if the Emperor were to p me. Such was the fate of the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness."
Sir Hendrick, who had been waiting for those same two hours, approached as I wasposing my expression. What they said was true; a knight suffered when their master did.
"It took longer than expected. The Emperor had much to share."
"The strong bond you share is truly a blessing for the empire."
I smiled faintly at Sir Hendrick''s words. It seemed that guarding a prince involved not just protecting them physically but also guarding their mood.
Nheless, I nodded lightly, appreciating Sir Hendrick''s effort to speak positively.Close bond, huh.
I turned my head and smirked bitterly. What a funny statement. We weren¡¯t exactly on bad terms, but saying that we had a close bond was a bit of a stretch.
Of course, we pretended to be close in front of the subjects. I was only appointed as the Crown Prince after surviving a brutal familial conflict. How would the subjects react if they found out that the Crown Prince and the Emperor weren¡¯t close?
Fortunately, the Emperor seems to agree as we''ve managed to avoid any rumors so far.
"Always question and inspect everything. The moment you think you''ve won is the most dangerous¡ªalways watch your step."
The words the Emperor spoke in the office suddenly came to mind.
Would it be better if there were rumors?
I seriously considered it. Being unterally pressured by the Emperor didn¡¯t seem to have much of a difference from having an outright confrontation with him.
With external threats like the Great War and internal disputes like the war for session, the aging Emperor''s health rapidly declined. Consequently, he stepped back from most of his duties to focus on recuperation.
However, he was a man who lived a lifetime in suspicion, focused solely on the stability of the throne and the empire¡ªcould such a person truly devote himself to recuperation?
Thanks to this, I was frequently summoned to the office to hear what he called advice¡ª which was basically endless nagging. From the perspective of a political veteran, I was just an inexperienced upstart and was hardly reassuring.
...But it''s better this way.
After some thought, I lightly shook my head. Yes, enduring some nagging was better than having rumors stir up the imperial court again. This was a struggle that should end with me alone.
Besides, I really didn¡¯t have a right toin in a situation where my life wasn''t at risk.
"It¡¯s relieving to know that you¡¯ve found a good match."
And it wasn¡¯t like it was all just nagging.
Because he couldn¡¯t.
An Empress married for political purposes; ate-foundpanion, which started a conflict within the imperial family.
Throughout all this, the Emperor¡¯s expression softened only when he spoke of the Crown Princess, as if relieved that his sessor would not endure the same misfortune as he did.
Is this his way of denial?
He was a man who had only lived as the head of the imperial family and the Emperor of the Empire. He was far from being a father or the head of a household.
Still, even he must¡¯ve had his own denials, too. That must be why he showed such expressions in front of me.
If only he had shown them a bit earlier, and just a bit more, then perhaps the deadly strife between us brothers would not have happened.
I wish you had remained the same.
If he had maintained that coldness until his death, then I would have lived a life filled with resentment and hatred.
But because of his fleeting moments of denial, I had foolishly started to hope. It was ironic to still have expectations of being a family from the man who killed my brother.
"Your Highness?"
"Ah, I was just lost in thought for a moment. Let¡¯s go now."
Perhaps I was getting too sentimental.
The workload of a Crown Prince,bined with the duties I had to take over due to the Emperor''s recuperation, was rather a lot.
Because of this, I had to start work early in the morning just to barely finish when evening came. If it even ended in the evening, that was. If it did, then that was considered early.
The overwhelming amount of work sometimes made me want to throw the papers away, but there was just one thing that kept me going.
"Your Highness."
"Crown Princess."
Seeing her greet me with a warm smile seemed to erase my fatigue.
The sight of the Crown Princess greeting me after I finished my work was the reason why I endured.
How would I have lived if it weren''t for her? I might not have even be the Crown Prince, or physically survived.
"You''reter than usual today."
"Tomorrow is a day for you. I was a bitte since I had to handle tomorrow¡¯s work, too."
"Oh, my."
The Crown Princess exaggeratedly widened her eyes, pretending to be surprised, and I couldn''t help but burst intoughter.
"I wish you had done the samest year."
I fell silent at thatment.
...Indeed. I failed to manage my workst year and ended up beingte for her birthday celebration. It was a public issue, so she and her father understood, but it still made me break out in cold sweat every time it came up.
The careless stones she threw were enough to kill a crown prince. I wish she would understand that.
"I''ll be able to feel your love this year, right?"
"Of course."
I nodded vigorously as she chuckled.
Fortunately, the Crown Princess seemed pleased with my reaction and quietly came into my arms.
"I''m already looking forward to tomorrow."
So was I.
The next morning, we headed to my father-inw''s residence in the capital.
Although there was still time before the banquet started, what could I but follow if the Crown Princess wanted to see her father as soon as possible? Of course we had to go, even if it meant arriving at dawn.
"Y-Your Highness!"
"His Highness the Crown Prince is here!"
Perhaps we had arrived too early, as there was a minormotion among the servants who were startled by our arrival.
"The guest of honor at this banquet is the Crown Princess. Do you not see her?"
"Oh, no!"
"Just joking."
I tried to ease the tension with a light joke, but their reaction was intense.
That;¡¯ strange. The Crown Princess secretly liked it when the Executive Manager used shypliments like ''You dazzle so brightly I¡¯m blinded.¡¯
"His Highness the Crown Prince. Your Highness the Crown Princess."
Perhaps sensing the disturbance, father-inw appeared with his butler.
"It''s been a while, Duke. Have you been doing well?"
"Of course. What would this old man have if not his health?"
The Crown Princess ran up to her father with a light trot,ughing heartily by his side.
I knew that it was only natural, but my heart felt a twinge of sadness after seeing her rush to him without hesitation.
Of course she couldn¡¯t help it. After all, she rarely got to see her father except on such asions.
"Father."
"Your Highness. It''s good to see you in good health."
The father and daughter who were reunited after a long time exchanged nces for a long quite some time, holding each other''s hands.
Seeing them like that, any lingering feelings of disappointment quickly dissipated. For the Duke, seeing his children, a son with his own territory and a daughter who was the Crown Princess, must be rather rare.
"I guess we came too early."
I waited a moment, not wanting to interrupt their touching reunion, and then spoke.
Coming at this hour was the Crown Princess¡¯s wish. Still, a father weing his daughter and a Duke greeting the Crown Prince and his wife might differ.
"Not at all, Your Highness. We were just preparing for a guest who was supposed toe."
"At this hour?"
It was a bit surprising to hear, given that we had also arrived early. Which person woulde to the banquet venue so early in the morning?
"Yes. The Iron-blooded Duke was supposed toe."
It turned out to be someone who did have plenty of free time.
¡®I¡¯m so jealous.¡¯
The Iron-blooded Duke entrusted his territory to his children and led a leisurely life.
Honestly, it was only natural that he rested in his old age after the hardships of his youth, but it was still something to envy. If it would be possible, perhaps I should also consider abdicating in myter years.
"He said he woulde early in the morning because his youngest daughter was visiting."
"His youngest daughter?"
At that, I couldn''t help but burst intoughter. If it was the Iron-blooded Duke''s youngest child, then it had to be Lady Marghetta.
Realizing that she was attending quickly put the pieces together for me.
Her partner.
From my father-inw¡¯s words, it seemed that the Iron-blooded Duke and Lady Marghetta were arriving separately. If she wasn¡¯ting as the Duke''s partner, then the answer was clear.
She must be the Executive Manager''s partner. Since they were both at the academy, it would be convenient for them to arrive together.
This will be interesting.
I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Having the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s beloved youngest daughter appear as the partner of the Executive Manager¡ªthere was no problem with that. It wasn¡¯t like a father could keep his daughter by his side forever.
The real issue was how the Iron-blooded Duke disliked the Executive Manager and hpw thedy had chosen the Executive Manager over her own father.
That must be frustrating.
The Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s fiery temper was well-known. He may have mellowed with age, but his fundamental nature hadn¡¯t changed. His exploits during the wars with the three countries, where he nearly beat an enemymander to death with his fists, were still legendary.
This is problematic.
It was a big problem. Both the Executive Manager and the Iron-blooded Duke were loyal servants of the empire, but what should I do if a conflict arose between them?
Yes, I should just watch. It would be better for the imperial family to observe rather than intervene in a private dispute among nobles.
I¡¯m sorry, Executive Manager.
He had barely been released and hadn¡¯t even had time to get it together, and yet he was already about to face the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s wrath.
Just the thought alone was unfortunate. Truly unfortunate.
"Your Highness?"
The Crown Princess¡¯s voice brought me back to reality. I had been so absorbed in worrying about my loyal servant¡¯s unfortunate future.
"Were you thinking of something fun?"
I couldn''t help but touch the corners of my mouth when she asked with a gentle smile.
Hmm, I guess I was smiling quite broadly.
"It¡¯s because today is a joyful day."
Today was indeed a joyful day. It was my beloved¡¯s birthday, and I got to see her happily meeting her father.
As for the Executive Manager... well, that wasn¡¯t so joyful. Certainly not.
Don¡¯t run away, Executive Manager.
He wouldn¡¯t hide cowardly, right? Surely the Executive Manager wouldn¡¯t stoop to such petty actions.
Anyway, today was a joyful /genesisforsaken
Chapter 196: Hide, Executive Manager (1)
Chapter 196: Hide, Executive Manager (1)
I awkwardly adjusted my cor while waiting for Marghetta in the dormitory. For some reason, my normallyfortable uniform felt strange today.
I forgot again.
I sighed as I finished straightening my cor, realizing once more that I was going to the banquet dressed in my Prosecutor¡¯s uniform instead of formal attire.
Of course, it wasn¡¯t a big problem to attend the banquet in a Prosecutors¡¯s uniform. After all, this attire was also meant to show respect.
However, the essence of the uniform was for work, and the nature of the Prosecutors Office¡¯s work was quite grim. Some nobles even suffered PTSD at the sight of our uniform.
So I thought that I should buy some different clothes, but I kept forgetting.
I¡¯d need to attend more banquets first.
I would have bought several outfits by now if I were a professional banquet-goer, but I only attended sporadically, at best every few months. There was no rush, so forgetting was the norm.
Well, it''s not like I''m going alone.Until now, my forgetfulness hadn¡¯t been an issue. However, I was going with Marghetta this time.
Showing up in a uniform next to a finely dresseddy? It was no different from wearing a military uniform to a date in my past life. That wouldn¡¯t make me just crazy, but someone who waspletely out of his mind. It was a situation where I wouldn¡¯t be able toin even if I got pped by thedy I was going with.
"Don¡¯t worry, Carl. You look good in anything."
Even though the kind-hearted Marghetta reassured me, I was still honestly worried.
I should buy some proper attire right after this banquet. I should seriously dress appropriately at the New Year''s Ball.
"Carl."
I heard Marghetta''s voice from behind as I was telling myself that.
Then, my resolve to buy proper clothes grew even stronger as soon as I turned around.
She was dressed in a red dress that was adorned with various ornaments and a bracelet with green gems that resembled her eyes. She looked like she had put a lot of effort into it.
In contrast, I...
"I¡¯m sorry. Did I keep you waiting for long?"
"No. I was excited to see Mar, so time flew by."
I replied pleasantly because I felt even more apologetic.
"I also hurried because I wanted to see Carl, too."
Luckily, Marghetta seemed pleased; she was smiling broadly.
Because of that, my guilt grew.
I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ll dress better in the future...
***
We quickly arrived at the mansion thanks to the teleportation mage sent by the Invincible Duke.
The son-inw, the Crown Prince, sent mages to capture runaway ves. Meanwhile, the father-inw, the Invincible Duke, sent them to bring his guestsfortably.
Why was there such a difference between the father-inw and his son-inw? The Crown Prince should learn from him.
"That''s a lot."
Anyway, we saw arge crowd as soon as wended at the mansion''s main gate.
They said that it was only going to be a small banquet, but perhaps my understanding of ¡®small¡¯ had been incorrect until now.
"I heard that the Crown Princess is frugal, but even her birthday banquet is small."
Marghetta whispered as she scanned the surroundings as I had.
Ah, so it really was small. I suppose I¡¯d need to attend more banquets to get a sense of their scale.
"It''s already quite small that it''s held at a mansion instead of the imperial pce."
She quietly added as if she understood my doubts.
That was a fair point. It wouldn''t be unusual for the Crown Princess''s birthday banquet to be held at the imperial pce, so opting for a mere mansion instead did make it a smaller affair.
Although referring to the Invincible Duke''s mansion as ''a mere mansion'' felt odd, it was indeed thatpared to the imperial pce.
"It''s an honor to be invited to such an intimate gathering. Let''s go and greet the host."
"Right. It would be rude not to say hello."
Saying this, I extended my hand to Marghetta, who smiled warmly and took it.
I could feel the attention shifting our way as we walked towards the mansion. There were startled nces at my Prosecutors¡¯ uniform, which were then followed by relieved looks when they saw Marghetta by my side.
"Executive Manager¡ª"
"¡ªThedy¡ª"
Though they seemed to be whispering quietly, the snippets of conversations I heard were clearly about us.
This is the perfect spotlight.
I bitterly gripped Marghetta¡¯s hand tighter. It seemed unfair that she was also receiving undue attention because of me.
I nced at her worriedly. However, Marghetta only moved forward confidently, her smile unwavering.
She''s okay.
I thought about it¡ªbetween a rarely seen Executive Manager or the youngest daughter of a duke, who would be more ustomed to attention? Obviously, it would be thetter.
I worried too much, unintentionally treating Marghetta as someone who needed protection.
When I rxed my grip, Marghetta squeezed my hand tightly.
"Mar?"
"I''m a bit nervous, so please keep holding my hand."
Despite her words, her expression was far from nervous.
"Okay."
But if that was what she wanted me to do, then so be it.
***
As expected. Even though the banquet was at a mansion and not the imperial pce, it was for the Crown Princess. Naturally, every attendee was a notable figure.
What did it matter if the scale was small? It didn¡¯t matter if there were fewer people. After all, it was the elite who ruled the social circles.
Even now, I could feel it¡ªthe nces directed our way and the people pretending not to stare even though they were sneaking peeks.
Good.
Instead of feeling burdened, it gave me an uncontroble sense of satisfaction.
Look all you want, everyone. Everyoneshould see this.
Carl is mine.
He was mine. This man holding my hand and the man everyone was watching was mine.
I could see them all.
The nobles who were silently watching us and calcting,
And thedies who were whispering to each other behind their fans.
Fufufu...
This was the best oue and was exactly the one I wanted. Once this banquet was over, word of my rtionship with Carl would spread through them.
Of course, Carl said that he would go to father right after the New Year''s Ball, but¡ª
It''s alright.
I just wanted more people to know about our rtionship, and as soon as possible. That wasn¡¯t too much to ask, was it?
Besides, it wasn¡¯t like I was forcing Carl, who disliked marriage, into anything. Yes, this was perfectly fine.
As I struggled to control my smile from taking over, I felt Carl¡¯s hand tremble.
Could he be nervous? Was it the stares that were making him shake?
So adorable.
My barely maintained expression almost cracked after seeing a different side of Carl. He spoke so freely of embarrassing things when it was just us, and yet he quivered when others watched.
"You¡¯ve arrived."
It was only after Father cut through the crowd and appeared that I realized it had been a misunderstanding.
...Still, wasn''t it cute to see a future son-inw being nervous in front of his future father-inw?
***
From afar, I spotted an old man who seemed a head taller than the rest.
He''s here.
I closed my eyes unconsciously, my hand trembling with instinctive fear.
An urge to flee welled up within me the more the distinguished nobles cleared a path for the nobleman¡ªwho honestly looked more middle-aged than elderly¡ªas he approached.
However, I held back. Showing your back to a predator meant certain doom.
¡°You¡¯ve arrived.¡±
His voice was deep and even. Although it was usuallymanding, it felt like a judgment from the king of hell today.
"Carl Krasius, heir of the Krasius family and Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, greets His Grace, the Iron-blooded Duke."
At my greeting, the Iron-blooded Duke snorted and threw back a singlement.
"Empty formality is pointless."
It was clear to anyone that he meant, ''I have manyints about you.'' Hearing that, my hand trembled again.
This isplicated.
The Iron-blooded Duke, who had previously told me that I shoulde to him and kneel if I wanted to marry Marghetta, was not known for joking. He seriously meant that he would only give his blessing after I did that.
But here I was, appearing as Marghetta''s partner at the Crown Princess''s birthday banquet without having knelt.
It wouldn''t be surprising if he felt disregarded and insulted.
...Fortunately, no punches had been thrown yet, which suggested that he wasn''t seriously angry.
"Father."
When Marghetta spoke up, the Iron-blooded Duke''s stern expression softened significantly.
He really had a soft spot for his youngest daughter. Perhaps that was the fate of a father.
"Mar, I haven''t seen you in a while."
"Yes, Father. Have you been well?"
Her polite inquiry was met with a nod from the Duke.
"My daughter won''t stay with me, so I have to take care of my own health."
He added, somewhat sadly.
And with that, my already hesitant mouth grew even heavier.
"Father did ask me toe with him, but..."
Marghetta had cautiously mentioned this yesterday. Regrettably, she had already declined the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s invitation to be his partner before I had asked her.
It¡¯s understandable that he¡¯s upset.
Last summer vacation, Marghetta stayed at my mansion instead of returning to her father''s territory. At this birthday party, she declined the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s invitation and attended with me as her partner.
I''d be furious too if I were the Iron-blooded Duke.
And the more upset he was with Marghetta, the greater his anger towards me seemed to grow.
"I''ve held up guests who just arrived for too long. Go and greet the host first."
After staring at me in silence for a while, the Iron-blooded Duke turned his back after saying that.
His remark about greeting the host ''first'' sounded almost like a deration of an impending confrontation¡ªwas I just imagining it?
"Carl."
"Ah, yes."
Marghetta''s voice managed to anchor my wandering mind.
"Father is just feeling left out. Don''t worry about it too much."
I nodded silently at Marghetta''sforting words.
Right, there was no need to panic. I should stay focused. While it was unfortunate to have encountered the Iron-blooded Duke right before a potential meltdown, it thankfully happened here at the Crown Princess''s banquet.
Even the Iron-blooded Duke wouldn¡¯t cause a scene at an event where the Crown Princess should be the center of attention. It would be too disruptive if the Executive Manager had to kneel and the Iron-blooded Duke was to make a spectacle of himself here.
The Iron-blooded Duke knows better than that.
That thought rxed me a little.
***
It had been a long time since I had left the Magic Tower for non-work reasons.
I usually detestedplicated gatherings like banquets. The lurking nces, whispered conversations, and bothersome approaches weren¡¯t my thing.
However, I hadpelling reasons to attend this particr gathering.
My baby.
Baby was rarely seen at gatherings except for the New Year''s Ball and exclusive ones among the imperial families. Thus, his attendance at a banquet was a rare urrence.
His workload had fortunately decreased recently, allowing him time to go out. Moreover, it hadn¡¯t been long since he was released from a cold prison. I had to go, if only to ensure that he was doing okay.
Wait for me.
I had made a new potion for baby.
While it wasn''t something that could extend his lifespan, it would certainly be good for his /genesisforsaken
Chapter 197: Hide, Executive Manager (2)
Chapter 197: Hide, Executive Manager (2)
Finding the host was an easy task; they usually get swept up in the crowd.
"Oh, Executive Manager."
"Sir."
The Invincible Duke acknowledged us first, prompting a bow and a polite greeting in response. Although he called me ''Executive Manager¡¯ instead of my name because many people were watching, it wasn''t really a problem.
Anyone influential enough to be here would know about my close rtionship with the Invincible Duke. However, knowing something privately and acknowledging it publicly were two different matters.
We should avoid painting an image of the Executive Manager fraternizing with specific nobles, or of the military¡¯s de facto leader favoring someone.
"Ah, the Executive Manager has arrived."
You should try to avoid that as well, you jerk. Seeing the Crown Prince tease his subordinates wasn''t a good look, either.
Following the Invincible Duke¡¯s gaze, the Crown Prince turned to me and approached with a slight, almost taunting smile.What is he going to do?
I instinctively felt nervous. Were his usual restraints off? However, the Crown Princess was right by his side.
What was it? Even he wouldn¡¯t dare to cause a scene in front of the Crown Princess, right?
"I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince."
It was impossible to ignore a superior who spoke first. As Marghetta and I bowed, the Crown Prince pped me on the shoulder, continuing the conversation.
"Look up. It¡¯s embarrassing to be the only one getting attention at a party for the Crown Princess."
"The star of the show is always thest to be noticed. Please don''t worry.¡±
The Crown Princess smiled slightly at this.
That actually worked.
I wondered every time it did. Why did such words work here?
Was it the unique sensibility of this world¡¯s people, or was life at the pce so boring that even small jokes brought them joy?
Of course, either reason was something I would never fully understand.
I do it because they like it.
When the higher-ups enjoyed something, those below would do their best to put on a show. That was just how social circles worked.
"The Executive Manager has a point. It''s only natural for the supporting characters to attract people¡¯s attention before the main act appears."
The Crown Princeughed heartily while looking pleased, and the surrounding nobility joined in.
That¡¯s power.
No matter how old or powerful you were, you had tough when the Crown Princeughed. That was the destiny of a hierarchical society.
Naturally, Iughed along. After all, I was part of that hierarchy, too.
"The start of the evening is already delightful. I hope the Executive Manager enjoys the banquet as well."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
The Crown Prince turned away with a meaningful smile, and the Crown Princess also nodded in farewell.
Damn it.
I knew from experience that I shouldn¡¯t take hisughter lightly.
That smile was the same one he often gave right before I ended up in a mess. He couldn''t openly tease me, so now he was mocking me with his expressions.
He¡¯s quick to catch on.
He probably knew about the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s ns for me.
Enjoying the party in this situation, are you?
I could already see the future. The Crown Prince would probably be watching from a distance as I got knocked down by the Iron-blooded Duke.
"The Crown Prince seems to have a fond spot for the Executive Manager."
The Invincible Duke approached with a hearty smile after the imperial couple.
"It is more than I deserve."
I wanted to argue how exactly he was ''fond'' of me, but I held back. It wasn¡¯t entirely incorrect if I thought of it as not cherishing a person but a favorite toy.
"As His Highness mentioned, you really dide at the right time. I hope you enjoy the banquet."
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
The Invincible Duke patted my shoulder as I bowed.
It was definitely the same touch as before, but why did it feel so different?
"Have a good time, Lady. It''s fine to enjoy with your partner, but don¡¯t forget the Iron-blooded Duke."
"Yes, sir. I appreciate the advice."
The Invincible Duke smiled meaningfully before moving on to greet other guests, and Marghetta responded with a slight smile.
***
Attending the banquet was a tedious affair. The reason was simple.
"It''s been a while, Executive Manager."
"Ah, Chairman. How have you been?"
Just showing up meant that I would be stuck in a forced greeting ry with all sorts of people.
Just one or two people would be manageable, but a whole crowd tended to follow once I started greeting them. It was almost as if they had coordinated it.
Naturally, ignoring someone who greeted you first wasn''t polite, and it was even more so if you knew them but couldn''t remember their name. Trying to recall who someone was while also greeting them was a challenging task...
"It''s my first time seeing the Executive Manager with a partner."
The stoic Imperial Council Chairman, Count Vardon, noted, causing Marghetta to bow her head slightly.
"I am Marghetta from the ducal house of Valenti."
"A pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m finally meeting the treasure of Valenti."
Her face turned red at his remark.
Treasure...
I nearlyughed out loud, but I managed to suppress it. That embarrassing nickname was born from the Iron-blooded Duke''s proud derations.
When Marghetta was born, the Iron-blooded Duke, who was so thrilled to have a daughterte in his lifetime, went around boasting about her to his acquaintances: she''s already talking, she recognizes her father, turns over by herself... and so on.
The sharp-eyed nobility wouldn¡¯t miss the Iron-blooded Duke''s adored and cherished daughter. At just one year old, Marghetta received various praises and titles within the social circles, and "Valenti''s Treasure" was the one that stuck.
"Th-thank you..."
What would it feel like to carry a nickname from birth for eighteen years? Judging by Marghetta¡¯s expression, it certainly wasn¡¯t pleasant.
Her lips trembled slightly, and her speech stumbled. Although she always tried to maintain her dignity, it seemed that dark histories were something she struggled with.
"Forgive this old man''s familiarity."
Seeing her response, the Chairman turned back to me.
His tone was stern, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, like someone who had seen something interesting.
"It was good to see you after so long. Let''s meet again when there''s a chance."
"Yes. I''ll make sure to greet you first next time."
The Chairman nodded lightly and then disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared¡ªalmost like a ghost.
Still, referring to himself as an old man and disappearing like that with a slight smile seemed to be his way of showing consideration.
My gaze inadvertently shifted to Marghetta. Even the usually distant Chairman stepped aside after seeing us together.
Is this an elder thing?
Had my marriage prospects be a topic of gossip within the social circles? Were there bets being made on when I would get married?
I casually looked around and saw a noble who was about to approach me getting snagged by the Chairman instead.
...Well, I wasn¡¯t sure about the social circles, but it seemed that I had be quite the topic among the imperial nobility.
"Mar, shall we take a break?"
I took her hand, trying to ignore the bizarre situation that was happening around us.
We hadn''t been walking around long enough to need a rest, but suddenly having to face an embarrassing old nickname surely must¡¯ve given her quite the mental shock.
"So soon? Hasn¡¯t it been just an hour?"
"Wouldn¡¯t it be sad if the treasure gets scratched?"
Marghetta looked at me as if I had gone too far.
I¡¯m sorry. The word ¡®treasure¡¯ was just too striking to pass up...
***
The facade of calm I was maintaining crumbled as soon as we stepped out onto the terrace.
It was so embarrassing. I barely managed to suppress a scream.
I had just been confronted with a nickname I neither wanted to remember nor hear, especially not from someone much older than me. And worse, it happened in front of the person I cherished the most.
That¡¯s too much.
Carl gave me an awkward smile and held my hand when I nced at him bitterly.
Do you think this will make it better?
Of course, it did. That was why I wasn¡¯t blowing up at him right now.
Objectively, it was just a nickname. But to me, that nickname was a cruel word that was older than my own memories.
If it were a more recent nickname, then I might only feel slightly embarrassed. But since it was one I had been hearing since childhood, it also brought back memories of my childish, immature days.
Father...
Since my resentment had nowhere else to go, it turned towards my father. I might not know who exactly coined the nickname, but it was clear that he was the reason it existed.
What a sad banquet this was. I was hit with a major emotional blow right from the start.
It¡¯s okay.
Still, the event also had its rewards.
I managed to unt my rtionship with Carl in front of none other than the Chairman of the Imperial Council.
Now, the news would spread starting from the Chairman to the other council members, and then from them to the other nobles.
Yes, that should do it. This fleeting embarrassment was a small price to pay for such results. Right¡
...Right?
As I reassured myself, I noticed amotion near the main entrance.
Though I couldn''t hear anything, I could see the guards at the entrance moving around busily, all while someone was standing there.
Who is it?
The party had already started. It was a banquet in honor of the Crown Princess, held at the mansion of the Invincible Duke¡ªthere weren¡¯t many who would bete to such an asion.
"Ah."
Carl murmured as he followed my gaze towards the main gate.
"A distinguished guest has arrived."
It seemed that Carl saw them even from this distance. Then, he put his hand on my shoulder.
Seeing that, I became even more curious. If Carl was reacting like this, then it must be someone of high status.
Is someone elseing?
No. The imperial family went without saying, and both the Gold Duke and the Wise Duchess stayed in their domains; they only showed their faces at the New Year¡¯s Ball.
Even the Mage Duchess, who was also in the capital, was known for attending only one day of the New Year¡¯s Ball. Maybe it was a Marquis, then?
"Let''s go in. They¡¯ll be here soon, so we should at least greet them."
"Ah, yes."
That was correct. As Carl said, we were going to see them anyway. There was no need to worry too much about it¡ª
"Baby."
What...?
A voice called out from behind us as we turned to re-enter the banquet hall.
"To see my baby as soon as I arrive? How lucky of me."
Thenguid voice continued.
"Were you waiting for me?"
However, there was an unmistakable authority in her tone.
"Fufu, I''d be pleased if you were."
As I cautiously turned around, I saw a woman with white hair.
It was the woman I thought I''d have no reason to see /genesisforsaken
Chapter 198: Hide, Executive Manager (3)
Chapter 198: Hide, Executive Manager (3)
Parties were always exhausting.
"It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Mage Duchess!"
I hadn''t even entered the mansion yet, and I was already feeling drained.
When did it start? Crowded ces had be off-putting, and I couldn''t help but question why I came whenever I saw someone trembling in front of me.
I was feeling that even now. A mix of weariness and pity filled my heart after seeing the stiffly saluting guard.
I wouldn''t havee at all if it weren''t for baby.
But what could I do? I had to ovee these minor issues for baby¡¯s sake.
"Just a moment, please! I''ll open it right away!"
I looked up without thinking as the guards hurriedly opened the main gate, sensing a familiar aura of mana.Far off, on the balcony at the front of the mansion, stood a man and a woman.
Baby.
It was definitely my baby. I would never mistake his mana for another¡¯s.
I used magic to enhance my vision, confirming that it was indeed baby. He seemed a bit surprised to see me, too.
It was worthing, after all.
A smile naturally formed on my face. Seeing baby as soon as I arrived at the venue almost felt like he was waiting for me.
However, my satisfaction faded slightly when I saw the person next to him.
Lady Marghetta.
She was the woman sticking close to my baby. There was another woman beside him and not me.
I had expected it. I knew that baby and Lady Marghetta were close.
...Still, I found it irritating.
"There¡¯s no need to open it. I''ll enter on my own, so stop."
I spoke briefly to the busy guards and then used teleportation.
I had tried to brace myself, but seeing baby with another woman in person felt different than just knowing about it. It sparked an indescribable surge of emotion within me.
No, I knew exactly what it was. Jealousy. It was embarrassing, but I felt jealous of a much younger person.
It doesn''t matter.
It was alright to feel embarrassed. It was okay even if I was feeling jealous.
That just proved how deep my love for my baby was.
"Baby."
The distance between baby and me closed in an instant.
He¡¯s still the same.
Seeing baby''s outfit nearly made meugh. Wearing such attire at a formal asion was so typical of him.
Meanwhile, thedy next to him wore a red dress.
It doesn''t match.
ck and red? What an awkward match. If baby was wearing ck, then shouldn¡¯t he be enveloped in warm white instead?
"To see my baby as soon as I arrive? How lucky of me."
The bright red stood out too much and didn¡¯t match baby at all.
"Were you waiting for me?"
After all, ck went best with white.
"Fufu, I''d be pleased if you were."
Just like me.
***
I instinctively tensed up when someone grabbed me from behind, even though I knew that it was the Mage Duchess.
Magic really does have its perks.
Whenever I saw people traveling effortlessly by teleportation, I always felt tempted to be a mage swordsman instead.
Of course, magic was a matter of talent, and teleportation was a high-level spell, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy.
Nevertheless, I casually responded to the Mage Duchess, who had initiated the conversation.
"I stepped out for some fresh air when Your Grace arrived."
"Is that so?"
The Mage Duchess¡¯s ears perked up, a faint smile on her face. It seemed that she was in a good mood, judging by her truth-revealing ears.
It was really strange. The Mage Duchess disliked crowds, so much so that she barely attended the New Year¡¯s Ball. It was rare for her to voluntarilye to a party, and even rarer to see her in a good mood.
"The air''s getting chilly; let''s go inside. The Invincible Duke has been waiting for you."
It was simply impolite to keep a guest standing on the balcony, so I ushered her inside.
I was a guest myself, but there was a pecking order even among guests. If you bumped into a duke, it was only fitting to assume the role of a servant.
"Yes, I''ve kept the host waiting for too long."
At my words, the Mage Duchess nodded slightly and began to walk.
The Invincible Duke had indeed been waiting a long time. It wasn¡¯t just any guest, but one that was rare second only to the Wise Duchess. Because of that, the Invincible Duke was pleased to hear that she would be attending the party for his daughter.
However, it must be puzzling when a guest you were expecting didn¡¯t show up. The Mage Duchess wasn¡¯t one to jest about such matters, so she would arrive when the time was right.
"Hmm."
Just as we were about to re-enter the party, I heard a notably displeased sound.
"Your Grace?"
At the unexpected sound, I turned my head back to see the Mage Duchess looking downward.
Specifically, she was looking at where Marghetta and I were holding hands.
After a brief silence, the Mage Duchess spoke softly.
"You seem to be getting along well."
She was still smiling, but I could tell that her mood had shifted.
The tone tinged with displeasure, the slightly drooped ears¡ªit would be strange if I didn¡¯t notice the change.
"Thank you, Your Grace."
As I searched for the right response, Marghetta, who had remained silent until then, answered for me.
She smiled brightly as if she was genuinely thankful. However, considering the nuance of the Mage Duchess¡¯s words, it didn¡¯t seem like a realpliment.
"Let¡¯s head inside."
"Oh, yes."
Following Marghetta''s response, the Mage Duchess led the way into the hall with an inscrutable smile.
...Is it because of our hands?
Caught off guard by the sudden change, I nced at our intertwined hands.
Yes, that seemed to be the problem. It might be considered impolite for the young ones to show affection in front of an elder.
I made a mistake.
Had I be too casual with the Mage Duchess? Maybe I started to see her as my real mother after calling her that so often.
"Ma¡ª"
"Let¡¯s go, Carl."
Marghetta must¡¯ve noticed what I had caught on to. I was about to ask about the Mage Duchess¡¯s reaction, but she pulled me away before I could finish speaking.
Of course, I wasn¡¯t physically weak enough to be dragged along by Marghetta''s strength. Or maybe I was...
Shut up.
The expression I briefly saw on Marghetta''s face was stern, like that of a veteran ready for battle.
Even her grip on my hand was unprecedentedly strong as if she was determined not to let go. Was it just my imagination?
Yes, I saw nothing. I heard nothing.
Instinct warned me that staying quiet was the best course of action right now.
***
The already bustling party began to buzz even more. It was as if mentos had been dropped into a bottle of c.
With the arrival of a rare guest, the nobles started their subtle game of nces. However, only two dukes of simr stature had the right to approach this rare mentos.
"It¡¯s a pleasure to see you in the mansion. Thank you for gracing us with your presence."
"It''s been a while, Mage Duchess."
The Invincible Duke hurried over as the Mage Duchess appeared from the direction of the balcony, with the Iron-blooded Duke following close behind.
That''s the hierarchy of years in practice.
I couldn¡¯t help but think that after seeing the three dukes together.
Even now, the two dukes greeting the Mage Duchess were bowing repeatedly.
It can''t be helped.
It was understandable. The Mage Duchess wasn''t just any duke. She was already reigning as a duke even when the grandfathers of the Invincible and Iron-blooded Dukes were still in power.
That meant that they first met the Mage Duchess back when they were simply mere grandsons and weren¡¯t even heirs. And since the duke they met back then was still a duke, it would be madness to treat her casually.
"I¡¯m also d to see you both looking well."
The Mage Duchess also responded with utmost formality. After all, addressing the two dukes informally here would be tantamount to dering herself the ultimate elder.
...I pretended not to notice the dukes bowing even lower every time the Mage Duchess spoke.
"Isn¡¯t this a rare sight? Perhaps this is the true charm of a party."
I threw a light joke to Marghetta, who had been looking serious since earlier. It seemed that she was in a bad mood, so I wanted to lighten up the atmosphere a bit.
"¡"
The problem was theck of any response.
"...Mar?"
I called her cautiously, but there was still no response.
It seemed that she had shut off not just her mouth, but her ears as well.
I couldn¡¯t understand why. I would¡¯ve apologized if she was angry with me, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the issue since she was still holding my hand.
Why?
It was scarier when someone who didn¡¯t normally behave this way started acting like this.
***
No.
No, no, no, absolutely not.
He¡¯s mine.
My grip tightened on Carl¡¯s hand, and I found myself biting my lip.
He has to be mine.
This couldn''t be happening. How could such a disaster strike so suddenly?
I felt like crying from the injustice, but I held them back. I shouldn¡¯t show weakness in front of my enemy.
I was first.
I steadied my heart with this mantra.
Don''t get flustered.
I love Carl more than anyone, and Carl loves me.
It didn¡¯t matter if the opponent was... a Duke...
What should I do...?
Thinking of the Mage Duchess¡¯s status made my heart waver again.
I knew the power of a duke well. How could I not after living as part of a ducal family? Dukes knew the extent of their power better than anyone.
And that was why I knew that this was a terrible cmity.
Why does it have to be her?
It was an unforeseen disaster. I had entertained the possibility, but I never truly believed that it would happen.
Why does she like Carl?
But that possibility had be a reality.
I realized it on the balcony. The way she looked at Carl and her tone and gestures toward him. And then, how she looked at me.
It was clear. There was no way I wouldn¡¯t see the emotions she so obviously showed.
Even now.
She was sneaking nces at Carl even as she exchanged greetings with the dukes. The affection in those nces was undeniable.
I bit my lip again. I had thought that this party would be a joyful asion and a chance for the nobility to witness our rtionship.
If I had known that this would happen, then I wouldn¡¯t havee¡ª
...No.
I shouldn¡¯t harbor such weak thoughts. It was actually better this way. At least I discovered an unknown enemy.
Rather, this was a good thing. I could prepare now that I knew who my enemy was.
I can¡¯t lose.
She was one of the dukes? So what? Was marriage all about status?
Carl had already promised me that we would go to Father as soon as the New Year''s Ball ended.
I won¡¯t lose.
Yes, there was no need to be so nervous.
A Valenti always gets what they want. I won¡¯t lose no matter how powerful the opponent is, even if it¡¯s a /genesisforsaken
Chapter 199: Hide, Executive Manager (4)
Chapter 199: Hide, Executive Manager (4)
I found myself overwhelmed by a suffocating pressure at the banquet I attended with a light heart.
Someone, anyone, please get me out of here.
Right now, I''d even smile and endure the Crown Prince''s tea-bagging.
"Baby, would you like a drink?"
"Ah, that..."
Next to me, the Mage Duchess lifted a ss of white wine as I trembled with fear.
I had no idea why a person of high status such as a Duke would be near me instead of the Crown Prince or another Duke. Thanks to that, all eyes were on us.
"I¡¯m sorry, but Carl doesn''t really like to drink."
Before I could say anything, Marghetta interjected. She declined the Duke''s offer politely but firmly, a bold move she wouldn''t have dared to do if she weren''t part of a ducal family. It was enough to scare even me."Right, Carl?"
Her smile was gentle as usual, but her eyes were piercing, urging me to respond correctly.
"That¡¯s¡ª"
"Really? That¡¯s strange. He was drinking just fine at the New Year''s Ball."
Again, I only managed to open my mouth slightly before closing it without being able to say anything.
How odd. The question was clearly directed at me, but the conversation continued without waiting for my answer.
Did I even really need to be here in this conversation? Couldn''t I just go somewhere else?
"Carl, are you nning to leave your partner behind?"
"Baby, I''m still talking."
However, they clutched at me like ghosts as soon as I tried to escape and seek freedom. It was hard to believe that they were subtly opposing each other just moments ago when they disyed such unity.
Of course, things returned to normal afterward. They continued the sh between two ducal families with me, the heir of a mere county, caught in between them and shedding tears inwardly.
Help me.
I looked desperately at the dukes who were maintaining a safe distance away.
I''m powerless; only you can end this war.
But despite my fervent hopes, the Invincible Duke quietly averted his gaze. The betrayal by someone I considered a reliable adult hurt a bit.
...No, it was okay. It could be overwhelming, even for the Invincible Duke.
Instead, I turned to the Iron-blooded Duke, who was next to him.
Only you can do it now.
My real hope was him. The Invincible Duke might step back as he had no stake in it, but the Iron-blooded Duke, who was Marghetta''s father, wouldn''t just stand by while his precious daughter was caught in a skirmish with the Mage Duchess, would he?
It seemed that my plea reached the heavens. The Iron-blooded Duke, who had been fiercely looking at me as if he was going to devour me, made a resolute expression.
And then, he left the scene with the Invincible Duke.
...?
What?
Where are you going? What am I supposed to do if you leave like that?
Was he abandoning me because I was an unwee son-inw? But his precious daughter was here, too.
I trusted you.
I had believed that Iron-blooded Duke would not yield to the Mage Duchess...!
"It''s probably because he didn¡¯t want to be isted at the New Year''s Ball. He was just fitting in with the atmosphere."
"That¡¯s right. Baby is that thoughtful, so he should do the same now."
The arguments around me grew fiercer before I could even wallow in the betrayal.
What started as heavily veiledments became tantly obvious over time. Now, anyone could tell that it was a confrontation.
Why exactly...?
It was starting to give me a headache. I could try to fix it if I knew the reason they were being like this, but I couldn''t intervene because I didn¡¯t.
Marghetta wasn''t normally one to pick fights, and the Mage Duchess wasn''t soft enough to excuse such rudeness.
And yet they were suddenly opposing each other, and the conflict continued as if it were the most natural thing¡
Damn it.
This was driving me insane.
***
After much deliberation, I finally turned away. This wasn¡¯t a matter for me to get involved in.
"Iron-blooded Duke."
Then, the Invincible Duke whispered quietly, as if asking if I was okay with this.
"It''s fine. Don''t worry about it; there won''t be any issues."
"I hope so."
Despite my words, the Invincible Duke still seemed uneasy and shifted his gaze.
I inadvertently followed his gaze towards Marghetta, the damned bastard next to her, and to the Mage Duchess beside him.
What''s going on here?
I felt a frowning on, but I managed not to show it. Today was a banquet for the Crown Princess. It wouldn''t be proper to express my personal emotions at such an event.
And it seemed like the Mage Duchess had no intention of causing a disturbance, either. If the conversation wasn''t audible from this short distance, then she had to be using her magic.
That¡¯s somewhat relieving.
Magic made things convenient. While you could see people passionately engaging in conversation, you couldn''t hear their words.
Because of that, there would be no urate guesses even if society was rife with spection.
No. Since a duke was involved, people wouldn''t dare gossip about it carelessly.
The Mage Duchess didn¡¯t want to cause a major disturbance at the Crown Princess¡¯s birthday banquet. It was a situation where I would only get hurt if I intervened.
...Nothing will happen.
Since I couldn¡¯t just step in, I forced myself to think that way and turned away.
Yes, nothing would happen. It didn''t look like the Mage Duchess intended to escte the problem.
If something were to happen, it would have happened by now.
I couldn''t hear the conversation, but I could see their interactions. Thus, I could sense that something unusual was brewing between Marghetta and the Mage Duchess.
Yet, nothing had happened so far.
That''s enough.
The Mage Duchess wasn''t known for wielding her authority, but she wasn¡¯t particrly merciful, either. If she was being that calm, then it meant that Marghetta must be keeping within the boundaries.
I forced myself to think so as it seemed like it was the only way that would allow me to leave them be.
Mar.
What the hell is going on?
With a heavy heart, I looked at her again. That delicate and kind child who always strived to maintain her dignity¡ªwhy was she acting this way?
Then, my difort turned into anger as I looked at the man next to her.
It must be because of him.
I didn''t know the exact reason, but it was clear that he had something to do with it judging by their interactions and the way she grabbed him when he tried to leave.
It was infuriating. How dare the future son-inw of the Valenti family not only fail to protect Marghetta but cause problems instead?
You damned idiot.
I couldn''t hold back and clicked my tongue. To be so different in public and private required a certain skill.
He was certainly satisfactory as a nobleman and an official. But in private settings, he was utterly unpleasant.
He rejected Marghetta¡¯s proposal and then showed up with her again. He even ignored my instructions toe and kneel if he wanted to marry her. It was all annoying.
I would have ignored him if there was any other candidate.
It wasmentable. The empire was vast, and there were many nobles; why was he the only match suitable for Marghetta?
A young man of high stature, youthful, capable, with a decent personality, outstanding achievements, and someone Marghetta liked. Was that too much to ask for?
Of course, it was difficult. It was even stranger that he was the one who became a candidate.
If only there had been no one at all.
I might have lowered my expectations one by one if no candidates were meeting the criteria, but how could I ignore him when he met all the requirements? He was truly insufferable.
***
Oh.
Is this a dream?
I blinked several times to make sure that I was seeing it correctly. It wasn¡¯t a dream, it was reality.
The sight of the Iron-blooded Duke''s daughter standing up to the Mage Duchess and the Mage Duchess taking it casually was all real.
Amazing.
I had never seen anything like it, so it took me a while to understand the situation.
Initially, I was pleased to learn that the Mage Duchess hade for the Crown Princess''s banquet. After all, the higher the status of the attendees and the rarer the guests, the greater the prestige of the event.
And the prestige of the banquet also reflected on the Crown Princess. So, while it was surprising, I was happy about the Mage Duchess''s participation¡ª
So there was a reason.
It wasn¡¯t just for the Crown Princess, which was actually reassuring. It would have been stranger if the Mage Duchess hade without any reason.
Good. I nearly lost sleep trying to figure out why she hade.
I barely stifled theughter that was about to burst out.
Executive Manager, it''s you again.
I would haveughed long ago if no one was watching. His life was like a y that was so fun and amusing to watch.
Though this would make a poor y in real life.
It was unimaginably funny to the point that it didn''t make any sense.
That the Mage Duchess, of all people, would...
Harbor feelings for the Executive Manager¡ª
I bit my lip gently, trying not tough.
Obviously, I didn¡¯t realize it from the start. I only suspected some connection because the Executive Manager was involved. Who would have connected it to a love affair just from that?
But I watched closely, keeping all possibilities open¡ªnot just spectating, but observing. Besides, it was a serious matter involving two ducal families, which wasn¡¯t something to be taken lightly.
Thedy is standing up to the Mage Duchess.
It was an iprehensible act.
And the Mage Duchess isn¡¯t reprimanding her for such rudeness.
That was also iprehensible.
Then there¡¯s the Executive Manager, who is involved in all of this.
Where wasn¡¯t he involved?
Everything was like random puzzle pieces. The situation made no sense at all. Just when I was wondering what the heck was going on, I remembered an incident from a few years ago.
Back when I was still the First Prince and the session dispute was still going on, the Crown Princess proposed to me. I couldn¡¯t understand it, so I asked her why she was doing it and why it had to be me.
Her answer was a masterpiece.
"Your Highness. Even the most iprehensible matters be understandable when you use love as the reason."
She then gave me a look that implied to just ept her proposal and stop worrying.
Anyway, remembering those words made me see this situation differently.
The reason thedy was standing up to the Mage Duchess and why she remained calm even when subjected to rudeness. When you considered love as the reason, it all made sense.
Now I understand.
It was surprisingly clear now. If it was for a reason other than love, then that would be truly astonishing.
This peculiar case was not an ordinary matter. The Mage Duchess¡¯s love life wasn¡¯t just a personal issue, but something that involved the session of a ducal family.
The emperor himself had been worried that the ducal line might end because the Mage Duchess had been living alone for over a hundred years.
Honestly, I wondered which woulde first: the Mage Duchess dying of old age or the empire copsing.
There¡¯s no need to worry now.
The Mage Duchess would surely not stand idly after having found a match. Thus, the issue of session for her duchy would disappear.
Instead, a new concern arose.
Krasius, Valenti, and Catoban.
Those were the Executive Manager and thedy''s houses, as well as the Mage Duchess''s.
What kind of power would be formed if these three families became united by marriage? Even the smallest oue I could think of could turn the imperial political scene upside down. It would even be enough to make the emperor rise from his bed.
This was no ordinary matter at all...
I shouldn¡¯t worry about it.
I was here today to enjoy the Crown Princess¡¯s birthday banquet and the Executive Manager''s love life.
Let the me of tomorrow handle tomorrow¡¯s /genesisforsaken
Chapter 200: Hide, Executive Manager (5)
Chapter 200: Hide, Executive Manager (5)
Time passed quickly, and so did my lifespan.
This is hell.
Today, I realized that hell wasn''t justposed of the deepva underground. There were many kinds of hell in this world.
Perhaps the hell I was in was the most beautiful of them all¡ªa quiet hell that silently dried up sinners.
Am I really a sinner?
A feeling of injustice surged within me. I would humbly ept it if I had done something wrong, but to be in this situation without knowing why?
Yes. I didn''t understand why Marghetta and the Mage Duchess were in a standoff, or why I was caught in the middle of it.
At least it¡¯s quieted down.
Unlike before, there was nowplete silence. I took this chance to carefully look around, careful not to disturb the peace.And the moment I made eye contact with the Mage Duchess, I knew I had made a mistake.
"Baby, what''s wrong? Do you need something?"
The Mage Duchess asked gently, smiling as soon as our eyes met.
"Carl. If you need something, just tell me. We''re partners, aren''t we?"
Marghetta responded immediately to the Mage Duchess''s words. Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed like she put extra emphasis on the word ''partner.''
Damn this.
I closed my eyes in despair. I had been cautious not to provoke anything, and yet my cautious actions had sparked another conflict.
"He must have needed me if he looked at me like that."
No. It was just a coincidence.
"No, Your Grace. It would be a bother to you, so I should do it. After all, I¡¯m his partner."
Since when did ''partner'' be a synonym for errand runner?
I didn''t really need or want anything. I was just trying to find the right moment to escape but ended up making eye contact instead.
But those words just circled in my throat and were swallowed. Once again, I was sidelined in the middle of a fierce dispute between two noble houses.
I hate this hierarchy.
I cried in my heart. If only I were a duke instead of just a noble, I could have been more assertive.
Whoever made me possess this body must be heartless. If they were going to send me to the body of a nobleman, then why not send me to the body of a duke or a marquis? Couldn''t they have been a bit more generous?
Oh, was it not generosity but sincerity?
Ha, how funny.
Damn it all.
My heart wept.
***
Oh, it was starting again.
"Your Highness."
The second round for the trophy known as the Executive Manager had just begun, but I abandoned watching it as I heard someone call me.
No matter how delightful the scene was, I couldn''t ignore the Crown Princess.
¡°Crown Princess, why did youe so early? How is father-inw?"
"I came because it pained me to think of His Highness being alone."
I couldn''t help but smile at her chuckling response. Indeed, as delightful as any scene might be, it would never be as pleasurable as seeing her.
"But, Your Highness, what are you watching that you find so enjoyable?"
The Crown Princess, who had been giggling softly, tilted her head curiously and approached me.
It must seem strange indeed. After all, the Crown Prince was watching alone from the second floor instead of mingling with other nobles.
"Something interesting is happening."
Saying that, I guided her to the railing where the view was clearest.
"The Mage Duchess... and Lady Marghetta."
Following my lead to a scene unlike any other, the Crown Princess spoke calmly.
Oh, so she hadn''t noticed the most crucial part yet.
"The Executive Manager is also there."
"Oh my."
The Crown Princess¡¯s eyes widened as she btedly noticed the Executive Manager.
"I had no idea."
She murmured to herself, seemingly surprised. That made me smile discreetly.
The Executive Manager was hard to miss even from a distance with his ck hair. His insistence on wearing ck also made him stand out even in a crowd.
But because he was sandwiched between the two women, his presence faded into the background. It didn¡¯t help that he was standing still and stiffly like a statue.
"That''s a uniquebination."
"You¡¯re right. You wouldn''t see this anywhere else."
I couldn''t help butugh after saying that.
Indeed. Where else could one witness such a scene? The Mage Duchess, who never left her tower, thedy, who was a student in the academy, and the Executive Manager, who would normally be at the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, were all in one ce.
Under normal circumstances, these figures wouldn''te together, but here they were, miraculously at a banquet held for the Crown Princess.
It¡¯s a gift from the gods.
That was the only way I could think of it. It was either a gift from Enen to me, who was burdened with tedious duties, or a blessing from Amanca the Great.
Of course, thebination of these three would barely lead to anything trivial. But what did it matter? The future would be dealt with by the future me.
It''s not like it''s going to happen anytime soon.
Based on the unfolding scenario, it seemed that the romantic conflict had just begun. Even though nobles typically refrained from casually discussing a duke''s private life, rumors were bound to spread when two dukedoms shed over one man.
And to think that I was only just learning about this? This was an incident that the public had never seen, and it was happening for the first time in this ce.
Even if things moved quickly, it would be a few years before any marriage would take ce. There was plenty of time to prepare a strategy.
"Your Highness?"
Suddenly hearing myughter, the Crown Princess looked at me curiously.
Oh dear. I got too carried away enjoying the moment in front of the Crown Princess.
"Sorry. But it''s quite an interesting scene, isn''t it?"
"Well, it''s unique, but..."
She trailed off, ncing back at the Executive Manager while tilting her head right, then left.
I nearlyughed again at the cute scene, but I held back. She often got upset when Iughed while she was being serious.
"The reason those three are together is quite amusing."
I could feel the Crown Princess working hard to figure it out. It was tough toe up with the answer, but I knew she''d figure it out, as I did thanks to her words.
"Ah."
As expected, she came up with the answer on her own.
"Isn''t it interesting?"
I hugged her from behind, feeling a rush of satisfaction.
Up until now, it had been fun and yet frustrating. Watching this century''s love battle gave me joy, but it also frustrated me that I couldn¡¯t speak carelessly to anyone about it.
But now, I could share this joy with the Crown Princess. How could it not be enjoyable¡ª?
"Hmm."
"...Crown Princess?"
Her hum made my body stiffen.
Why?
That was the sound she made when she was upset.
Her hand then rested on mine, which was still wrapped around her. Her gentle touch, which was usuallyforting, now filled me with dread.
"Your Highness."
"Speak, Crown Princess."
"Are you having fun?"
Suddenly, my mind went nk.
***
The banquet was so grand that the food was served buffet-style.
"Carl, try this too."
"Thank you..."
"Baby. This is good for your health."
"Thank you..."
However, I couldn''t tell if I was eating with my mouth or my eyes. It didn''t feel like anything was really entering my mouth.
With Marghetta on my left and the Mage Duchess on my right, I had a solid lineup beside me. They kindly filled my te with care, and the meal was thrilling as tension simmered between them.
And just when I felt like I was about to choke from frustration, a ss of water would miraculously appear before me. There were always two of them.
I''m dying.
I''ve never wished for a banquet to end as quickly as today. Honestly, I even felt a slight urge to flee halfway through.
But to have a noble flee from the birthday banquet of the Crown Princess? The fallout would be terrifying. Plus, it would make things awkward with the Crown Prince.
I''ll go straight to bed when I get back.
Fortunately, I had the next day off. If I had to go to work the next day with this mental state, I might actually go mad.
Yes. I felt tired, but I should hang in there a little longer. There wasn¡¯t much left of the program now.
***
Enen seemed to be a severe xenophobe.
I¡¯m going insane.
I could hear everything, including the faint music and the murmuring that even the music couldn¡¯t drown out.
Thinking that there wasn''t much left of the program, I let my guard down. I never imagined that such a trivial schedule would turn back on me like a dagger.
What is this?
I just stared at the hand extended in front of me.
Then, slowly and with great effort, I moved my stiff neck, gradually lifting my gaze upward toward the white hand, the slender arm, and then toward the face.
There, the Mage Duchess was smiling. Marghetta was also there, ring at the Mage Duchess while also looking at me with desperation.
"Baby. Are you going to keep ady waiting?"
As I stood there, stunned, the Mage Duchess spoke up.
"Carl..."
Marghetta didn''t say much. She just called out to me with a trembling voice.
This was hell. Earlier was just like purgatory. This was the real hell.
Damn it.
I was trapped in an awkward situation brought about by the final event of the banquet.
Thest dance of the evening was intended to celebrate the unity and friendship among the host and participants.
Of course, I was naturally nning to dance with Marghetta. After all, she was my partner, and I had no one else in mind.
"Baby. If it''s okay with you, shall we dance together?"
Surprisingly, there was someone I hadn''t even considered.
The sudden invitation from the Mage Duchess caused silence to sweep through the ballroom.
Nobles who were nning to dance with their spouses, those looking for peers to dance with, and even those who just came to watch¡ªall fell silent and turned to look our way.
...I pretended not to see the Iron-blooded Duke staring at me like he was going to kill me.
"C-Carl! How about dancing with me?"
Marghetta, who had been momentarily stunned, rushed over. However, that didn¡¯t change the fact that the Mage Duchess had asked first.
Regrettably, choosing Marghetta was difficult. The Mage Duchess had asked first, was of higher status, and was older. To firmly reject such a person would be extremely challenging.
At the same time, choosing the Mage Duchess was also difficult. Even if the Mage Duchess had made the first move, Marghetta was my partner. Besides, dancing with someone else in front of my future wife would be... quite awkward.
If we were officially engaged, then I could use that as a reason to decline. But Marghetta and I weren''t even in any sort of formal rtionship yet. It wasn''t enough to justify a refusal.
...Should I bite my tongue?
No, biting it would just be painful but not deadly.
Should I cut my hand?
That seemed like a good idea. If I couldn''t hold ady''s hand, then I wouldn¡¯t have to choose anyone¡ªa beautiful conclusion.
Not bad. I should just... just give up my hand for a moment¡ª
"Fortunately, it hasn''t started yet."
Just then, the Crown Prince''s voice boomed.
He had been out of sight until now. Because of that, all the attention that was on me shifted to him.
Where was he?
Since everything was in chaos, even trivial things felt annoying. That jerk of a Crown Prince was always wandering off to strange ces.
But regardless of my irritation, the Crown Prince seemed pleased to have the attention on himself and nodded contentedly.
"This banquet is for the Crown Princess. I''m grateful to all of you for making it shine, but I would like her to adorn the final moment."
With those words, the Crown Prince took the Crown Princess''s hand and walked to the center of the ballroom.
"Allow us to be the ones to adorn the final part."
...What?
I doubted my ears for a moment at the Crown Prince''s deration.
"So everyone, look forward to the next opportunity. After all, the New Year''s Ball is just around the corner."
With that, the Crown Prince nced at me briefly and then looked away.
It was just a split second, but I could tell.
Your Highness...
He was my savior.
***
As everyone watched us dance, the Crown Princess whispered softly.
"You did well, Your Highness."
"I''m d you''re pleased, Crown Princess."
"Fufu. Your Highness always satisfies me."
I smiled back at the Crown Princess, who was smiling gently.
I /genesisforsaken
Chapter 201: Young Gold Duke? (1)
Chapter 201: Young Gold Duke? (1)
A peaceful holiday, a peaceful academy, and a peaceful lodging.
Being able to stay in my quarters without having to go to work was truly a blessing. I could lie down if I wanted, and I could go to sleep if I wanted to.
"Carl, you shouldn''t stay in bed all day, even on a holiday."
"Understood."
Marghetta advised as she approached with a teacup in hand, smiling as I promptly got up in response to her valuable advice.
It indeed felt peaceful. Having someone to softly converse with made the holiday feel all the more fulfilling.
"The aroma is lovely. I''m sure you''ll like it, Carl."
Still smiling, Marghetta handed me the teacup.
The tea had a bright red hue. I didn¡¯t have this in my room; did she bring it?"Thank you, Mar."
"Fufu, it''s nothing."
This, too, was peaceful. A holiday spent savoring a new tea was truly beautiful.
Yesterday¡¯s chaos felt like a lie. Spending a peaceful day like this would be enough to quickly ease any fatigue and would allow anybody to go back to work in a good mood the next day.
Yes, I felt happy. Everything was peaceful. I was enjoying... myself, right?
I am not enjoying this.
The self-assurances I kept repeating to myself crumbled.
I took a sip of the tea and nced at Marghetta, who met my gaze with a bright, unflinching smile.
"Do you like it?"
"Oh, yes. It''s nice."
At my response, Marghetta opened her arms wide.
I knew exactly what she meant by that, so I carefully moved closer to hug her, and she embraced me tightly in return.
"So it should be okay to ept an award like this, right?"
"Of course."
While her words sought permission, the only response I could give was already set. How could I ever deny Marghetta?
I would have toply even if she asked me to carry her around the academy''s track field right now. That was how it was.
Marghetta snuggled deeply into my embrace as I stroked her back with all my heart.
"You''re warm."
She murmured in a drowsy voice.
"So much that I don''t want to share you with anyone else."
Her words almost stopped my stroking hand, but I forced it to keep moving.
If I had stopped just then, I would have been in immediate hell. Even someone as inexperienced as I was in love knew that.
¡°Don''t you think so, Carl?¡±
Ah.
Her strangely cold voice made me shut my eyes tightly.
Were there two hells?
I still had much to learn.
***
I finally got some time to myself after soothing Marghetta for several more hours.
Just like yesterday, today had been mentally exhausting. But what could I do? It was something I had to endure.
Marghetta must have been out of sorts, too.
Thinking this, a sigh naturally escaped me.
Right, I shouldn¡¯t feel too wronged. No matter how tough it was for me, it couldn''t be as hard as it was for Marghetta, who had to fight alone against the Mage Duchess. How difficult and painful must it have been for her?
Was she affected that much?
Thanks to that, she burst into my room first thing this morning.
I didn''t go to the Vice President''s office. It was Marghetta who ran to my residence herself. The very same Marghetta who usually wouldn''te near me unless it was very important.
"Mar?"
"Carl. Can you stay with me today?"
Only a monster would look into those desperate eyes and say no.
"Yes, Mar. I wanted to be with you, too."
So, I epted without hesitation.
Upon hearing those words, Marghetta smiled as if she owned the world. Or perhaps she was just forcing it.
I would understand even if it was all just an act. After all, I also tried to pretend that everything was fine while I was with Marghetta.
I''m going crazy.
Iy back down in bed since no one was watching. A frown formed on my lips because it felt like my head was going to break.
Why?
I had been thinking about it sincest night. Why exactly was this happening?
And why me¡ª?
I sighed deeply as the thought crossed my mind.
It was truly unimaginable. If someone had told me this would happen just two days ago, I would¡¯ve called them crazy.
But it was astonishingly real. I could hardly believe it even now, but all evidence pointed to it being true.
Why does she like me?
The thought which was difficult to even considerpleted itself in my mind as I stared nkly at the ceiling. I tried to clear my mind because it seemed like I wouldn¡¯t be able to calm down otherwise.
Of course, it didn''t clear easily. Thoughts about the Mage Duchess kept dominating my mind and refused to leave.
I wondered again and again if I was mistaken. Was my self-consciousness and unfounded confidence making me mistake her favor for affection?
Did it make any sense for her, out of all people, to like me?
It does.
Surprisingly, it made sense. While my heart still refused to ept this oue, my reasoning shouted that it was correct.
I do admit that I was a bit oblivious when it came to romance. Considering Erich''sck of awareness when it came to his own love life, it must be in our genes.
I might be clueless, but I¡¯m not brainless.
Still, being slow to grasp situations due to obliviousness and the stupidity of not understanding them despite having clear proof were two different things.
The behavior that the Mage Duchess showed at the party and Marghetta''s bizarre opposition to her... At the time, I was too busy reading the room to notice. But now, looking back, it was an easy puzzle to solve.
¡°Baby. If it''s okay with you, shall we dance together?"
Actually, nothing else really mattered. The fact alone that the bachelorette Mage Duchess asked me to dance was conclusive evidence in itself.
And the moment I realized that the Mage Duchess had feelings for me, a pastment shed through my mind like a lightning bolt.
"I thought we had a close rtionship, but it seems like it was one-sided. It hurts.¡±
I never imagined that the ¡®close rtionship¡¯ she was talking about was actually that kind of rtionship.
A romantic rtionship unknown to one of the parties involved...
At that moment, I felt a surge of resentment towards the Mage Duchess. How could there be a romantic rtionship between two people when even the recipient of the affection wasn¡¯t aware of it?
If I had known earlier that the Mage Duchess had feelings for me, then at least I wouldn''t have been as shocked as I was now.
...Would it have made any difference?
I sighed in frustration as I scrubbed my face with my palm.
Indeed. What would have changed if I had known sooner? Even if I knew how the Mage Duchess felt, it wasn¡¯t like I could have just said, ''Let''s get married!'' I would have probably just avoided the situation altogether.
And the more I avoided her, the more the Mage Duchess¡¯s patience would have been tested. Eventually, it would have exploded. No woman would be able to remain calm when the man she loved avoided her.
There¡¯s not much time left.
My hands trembled with tension. Unfortunately, the Mage Duchess''s patience was wearing thin even as the seconds ticked by.
Whether I realized it early orte didn¡¯t change the fact that the Mage Duchess was harboring unrequited love towards me.
"It''s a shame. I wanted to be with you."
Right after my narrow escape at the Crown Princess¡¯s birthday party where I was saved by the grace of His Highness the Crown Prince, the Mage Duchess gave me a sincerely regretful look.
"Still, as His Highness said, there''s the New Year''s Ball. I guess I''ll have to wait for that day."
The Mage Duchess smiled brighter at that moment than she had ever done before, but it honestly felt more terrifying to mepared to the other times she smiled.
The New Year''s Ball was a day when all nobles of rank gathered to celebrate the new year.
Now, thatmemorative day had be the date of my execution.
Damn it.
I felt suffocated. Why would the Mage Duchess like someone like me?
She was a person who had lived alone for over a hundred years, and yet she just had to choose me, of all people, in this exact era.
Why would someone whocked nothing even look at me? Wouldn¡¯t loving someone with a different lifespan only lead to a tragic future?
It was a difficult question to answer.
***
I drank heavily for the first time in a while. I couldn''t bear it otherwise.
I had never resented my body as much as I did now. I wanted to get thoroughly drunk, but my highly trained body wouldn''t allow it.
All I could do was quench my anger with the alcohol¡¯s burning sensation as it slid down my throat and to my stomach.
"Mar, are you okay?"
However, the anger I had just managed to subdue red up again at the sight of my precious, youngest daughter.
She was wearing a forced smile. Her eyes were anxiously shaking, and her lips trembled.
I suppose this was to be expected. I hoped that giving her time might allow her to settle her feelings on her own, but perhaps expecting her to be able to calm herself down in just one day was too much to ask.
¡ª I¡¯m okay, father. I''m sorry I worried you.
It felt like my heart was tearing apart at her words. How could anyone think that she was okay?
It had always been this way. Mar grew up too fast. It would be nice if she threw tantrums and leaned on others more, but she always tried to solve everything herself.
They said that pampering a child too much made them spoiled. But then, why was Mar the opposite?
Is it because of our surname, Valenti?
Mar knew her ce a bit too well. Was it because of that that she wrapped her tender heart in thick armor?
However, we were a family. Wasn''t it okay to show our true feelings if we were the only people around? It was quite disheartening. I had only ever seen Mar act her age once.
"Waaaaah! Daddy!"
The problem was that the one time I saw it was because of that damned bastard.
Remembering how she criedst year after having her marriage proposal rejected by him made me grind my teeth together.
Is it because of him again?
Because of him, Mar was suffering once more. They weren¡¯t even married yet, and he was already making his future wife miserable. How could he even call himself a husband?
I would¡¯ve pinned him to the ground if he were in front of me right now. I would have buried him in the earth, leaving only his head above the ground. Nothing would satisfy me unless he admitted his wrongdoings.
What did he do?
Mar was his match made in heaven. What on earth did he do to enchant the Mage Duchess?
The Mage Duchess, who had spent a lifetime alone, had inexplicably taken a liking to him. If so, then the problem wasn''t with the Mage Duchess but him. That was the conclusion I arrived at.
"Mar, don''t worry too much. He has a brain; why would he turn his eyes to another woman when he has you?"
I spoke, calming my trembling fists. Right now, the important thing wasn¡¯t seeking retribution butforting Mar.
"Love is not one-sided; it''s mutual. No one, whoever they might be, can interfere in your rtionship."
At these words, Mar cautiously nodded.
Fortunately, that was the right answer. It seemed that she wanted to hear words of reassurance.
"Besides, is he the only man in the world? If he strays, then that just shows he''s not worthy of you. You can find someone better."
But because I felt relieved that I had chosen the right answer, I added too much¡ª
¡ª ....
Mar said nothing and just stared at me sternly with tears in her eyes.
This was all because of that /genesisforsaken
Chapter 202: Young Gold Duke? (2)
Chapter 202: Young Gold Duke? (2)
Rumors involving the ducal families seldom made their way into society; after all, those who carelessly spoke of them risked their wrath¡ªand potentially their heads.
However, there were always exceptions. Incidents sopelling that they couldn¡¯t be kept secret would be some of those. Those types of rumors would spread like wildfire, especially those that even the Dukes themselves might secretly wish to spread.
Take the present situation, for example.
¡ª Mr. Carl Catoban, how have you beentely?
"Shut up."
The call came while I was alone in the club room and was trying to sort through my thoughts. I considered ignoring it but answered, thinking that it might be important, only to be met with an infuriating provocation.
Catoban, as in the Mage Duchess¡¯s surname?
As if someone would consider me a suitable son-inw.
¡ª Why not? It¡¯s not like the Mage Duchess could just take Krasius¡¯s surname."Shut it."
Seeing the 2nd Manager burst intoughter at my response made my blood boil.
How dare this jerk mock his superior¡¯s misfortune?
It¡¯s really the end of times.
Unbelievable. How evil was he to treat his superior like a toy?
What a disgrace. How could we call this a proper civil servant society when the hierarchy was so distorted? The virtue of civil servants should be strict obedience and respect for those above them.
Overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, I felt a sudden urge to demote the 2nd Manager right then and there.
It¡¯s all out there.
If this jerk was joking about it, then that meant that the incident with the Mage Duchess must have spread wide already.
While the 2nd Manager was good at gathering information, it was unlikely that he would grasp the details of what happened at the Crown Princess¡¯s birthday banquet so quickly.
Someone must have broadcasted it, but I had no idea who could be so loose-lipped.
It¡¯s only been two days.
Or should I say that it had already been two days? Thinking about it that way, that was more than enough time for a rumor to spread. After all, important figures such as the Crown Prince, Crown Princess, Dukes, and various other bigwigs were present at the event. If even one of them talked, the rumor would spread quickly.
"Who told you?"
¡ª The folks in the Magic Tower. At first, I thought they¡¯d gone crazy.
I clenched my eyes shut as the 2nd Manager started chattering.
He heard it from the mages, of all people? Those people who hardly spoke with others unless it was work-rted?
It was the Mage Duchess.
I discovered an unwee truth. Apparently, the one acting as the loudspeaker was the Mage Duchess herself.
She probably told the Magic Tower¡¯s mages to actively spread the rumor. It was only natural that they would obey the orders of the Mage Duchess, who was at their pinnacle.
I¡¯m screwed.
If the entire Magic Tower was acting as both a loudspeaker and a broadcasting device, then there was no stopping the rumors. Their teleportation magic allowed them to flit about just everywhere; what was to say they weren¡¯t spreading gossip everywhere they went? By now, the whole empire must know.
She really meant it.
Cold sweat dripped down my forehead. The Mage Duchess was seriously plotting something.
¡°Still, as His Highness said, there''s the New Year''s Ball. I guess I''ll have to wait for that day."
The Mage Duchess¡¯sst remark instinctively came to mind.
I only realized it then; while she said that she was going to wait for the New Year''s Ball, she never mentioned staying put.
I foolishly assumed that the Mage Duchess would remain silent when someone who had dropped such a massive bomb logically wouldn''t just sit quietly.
...Should I skip it?
I seriously began to entertain the thought.
Attending this New Year''s Ball meant that I would undoubtedly be the center of attention. Should I just gain one stack of ¡®the Emperor¡¯s Scorn¡¯ and make a run for it? That might be better for my mental health.
¡ª But Executive Manager, isn''t it true that no one can touch whoever bes Her Grace¡¯spanion?
The 2nd Manager finally seemed to regain somemon sense after seeing me fall silent. He then cautiously offered some words offort.
It didn¡¯t feelforting at all, but at least it was an attempt by his standards. It really wasn¡¯tforting, though. What a jerk.
"Are you suggesting a marriage of convenience?"
My head was already spinning, so a sharp response came naturally. Honestly, given what the 2nd Manager just said, a sharp response was the least he deserved.
That¡¯s right. That person would be untouchable.
Yes, bing Mage Duchess''s husband might make life easier. Even the other dukes bowed before her, and even the Emperor respected her. And the Crown Prince? That wasn¡¯t even worth discussing.
Being in an untouchable position. That was what being the Mage Duchess''s husband meant.
What does it matter, though?
But, so what? I didn¡¯t want to marry someone based on the benefits they could give me.
Besides, I had no idea why, I really don¡¯t¡ª but it seemed like the Mage Duchess liked me. Taking advantage of those feelings for my personal gain would be despicable.
¡ª It''s not strange to benefit from your spouse...
"Are you marrying someone for the benefits or are you benefitting from them because you''re married?"
¡ª But why are you more upset about this thanmoners?
The 2nd Managerughed sarcastically at my outburst, which totally contradicted the idea of a marriage of convenience.
Sorry, but I¡¯m probably more of amoner than you are.
***
I quickly wrapped up the conversation with the Executive Manager because it seemed like he was about to go crazy if we talked longer.
"Then take care, Executive Manager. Just think of it this way: if you copse, the Mage Duchess wille running."
¡ª You little punk.
Calling his subordinate ¡®punk¡¯ was quite thepliment, apparently. Today was another rewarding day.
The Executive Manager gritted his teeth as themunication crystal shut off.
Amazing.
A chuckle escaped me. I had known for a while that the Executive Manager was a prime catch in the marriage market, but I had no idea that even Mage Duchess was aiming for him.
It was truly astonishing. Having a rtionship with the Iron-blooded Duke''s youngest daughter was already one thing, but to go beyond that and leap to a Duke?
I''ve hitched my wagon to a star.
Watching the boss rush toward the center of power was satisfying. Indeed, my decision two years ago wasn¡¯t wrong.
The Executive Manager was young enough to be considered immature andcking. Other guys doubted how anyone could follow such a young leader, but I stuck by him right away.
Wasn¡¯t it obvious? It was clear that the Crown Prince was backing him; opposing that would be foolish.
Idiots.
I still didn''t understand. Why resist? The Executive Manager was a big shot even before the war.
He was the heir to one of the imperial families and, on his mother''s side, was the current¡ª
"How did it go?"
A low voice from behind interrupted my thoughts.
Chills ran down my spine. What was I thinking? Right now, the Executive Manager¡¯s family ties weren''t what was important.
"There¡¯s no need to worry. It seemed like the Executive Manager was caught off guard, too."
I forced a sense of calmness into my voice. Showing panic would only lead to more questions¡ª
"Are you sure?"
"...He must have been surprised."
I faltered as I met those icy red eyes. What else could I say when she asked if I was sure?
At my response, the red-eyed ghost¡ªI mean, the 1st Manager, frowned slightly.
How heart-wrenching.
What a harsh response. I tried to fish for information on the Executive Manager on her behalf, and this was what I got in return.
However, I didn¡¯t argue. I knew that the 1st Manager liked the Executive Manager. After all, it was only natural to react this way when a duke suddenly entered the picture as a rival. Ipletely understood as her colleague.
It was definitely not because I saw the chilling scene of the 1st Manager talking to herself as soon as I arrived at work.
"Well, the Executive Manager wouldn¡¯t just like any woman."
The 1st Manager finally spoke after a pause, trying to sound cheerful and as if it didn''t bother her at all.
Well, it was indeed true. The Executive Manager had been in Lady Hecate¡¯s shadow for the past two years. He was now stepping out of that shadow, so he wouldn¡¯t just recklessly see another woman.
But...
You¡¯re just another woman, too.
That was the most critical issue that the 1st Manager failed to see.
However, I didn¡¯t voice it out loud. I¡¯d rather not end up in the basement with her.
***
The 1st Manager finally seemed calmer, so I quietly slipped outside.
Maybe I should go on a business trip for a while.
The thought crossed my mind. The 1st Manager seemed calm now, but who knew when she might go berserk again?
Having the 1st Manager upset over romantic issues would only cause me a headache. Unfortunately, I was the only one who knew that she liked the Executive Manager.
If only I hadn¡¯t known.
I felt a pang of regret. I shouldn¡¯t have acknowledged it then. Even if I had noticed, I should have gritted my teeth and pretended not to know.
It was quite painful to hold forbidden knowledge. Damn it.
"What¡¯s the big deal with marriage?"
My words were filled with despair and resentment as I directed my grievances towards the institution of marriage itself.
This was why marriage was problematic. Shit was bound to happen when you tried to bind human beings who were supposed to be free in the name of marriage.
Look at the Executive Manager. He was fine until marriage came into the picture, and now he was suffering.
That was why people should avoid marriage. They should just enjoy dating and living freely.
Everyone doesn''t know that.
They unknowingly walked into their own restraints like moths to a me. It was terribly sad to watch.
Well... it was sad, but what could I do? It was their choice.
It¡¯s toote now.
The Executive Manager couldn''t back out now. All he could do was move forward from the moment his rtionship with Lady Marghetta progressed.
With a heavy heart, I bowed slightly towards the direction of the academy. That was my prayer for you, Executive Manager.
And just as I was about to head back to my office, mymunication crystal lit up.
¡ª Mr. Lafayette.
A woman with navy blue hair appeared as I answered it.
"Miss Christina."
A smile naturally came to my face.
Finding happiness was easy even without marrying.
I really don''t understand /genesisforsaken
Chapter 203: Young Gold Duke? (3)
Chapter 203: Young Gold Duke? (3)
In the end, it hade to this.
"Crown Prince."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
I quickly bowed in response to the Emperor''s call. I could guess why I was summoned, but I had no choice but to go. This was a situation that required my utmost humility.
"It''s hard to get a glimpse of the Crown Prince. You only evere after I call."
"My apologies, Your Majesty."
His voice was low, but the oppression it carried made me bow even deeper.
The Emperor''sment was not a warm wish for more frequent visits but a criticism of my tardiness.
I should have known better.I had indeed been too rxed about the recent developments. I thought that it would take at least two to three years for a new familial faction centered around the Executive Manager to emerge.
Of course, I hadn¡¯t simply decided to sit back and watch for the next two or three years. At the very least, I had nned to start devising countermeasures and report to the Emperor this week.
However, the Mage Duchess had unexpectedly turned the tables.
Who would have thought she¡¯d broadcast it everywhere?
The thought of the mages of the Magic Tower spreading gossip everywhere was almostughable.
The Mage Duchess had first revealed her unrequited love at the Crown Princess¡¯s birthday party. So, I assumed that she wanted the attendees to spread the word quietly among themselves and not that she would do it herself.
It wasn¡¯t nned, but rather impulsive.
I had misjudged her. I thought the Mage Duchess, of all people, would have meticulously nned it.
But this looked more like the reckless act of someone blinded by love. If this was indeed a nned move, then I would quickly renounce my im to the throne and live in the wilderness or something. I wasn''t confident I could handle such schemes.
Regardless, the Mage Duchess¡¯s impulsive act had caused a major stir in the empire. While the construction of a familial faction was still a long way off, her dramatic actions were already starting to cause the social circles to factor in the future familial powers.
It¡¯s over.
If it had already taken effect, then it was as good as done. Once everyone believed it to be inevitable, then it would be so.
Two or three years left? Nonsense, it ended before two days had passed and before I could even prepare.
"The situation is a significant development for the empire, Crown Prince. Prepare thoroughly for this celebration."
"I will heed your words, Your Majesty."
The unprepared Crown Prince should onlyply with the emperor''s words to avoid his wrath.
Fortunately, the emperor only showed mild displeasure and did not scold me harshly. Instead, he merely advised me to pay attention to the changes brought about by this incident.
Silence followed, but I didn¡¯t dare to leave first. It would be disrespectful to move without the emperor''s permission.
"Krasius is a loyal subject."
"Indeed, Your Majesty."
After a pause, the emperor spoke again.
"Ever since Emperor Amanca received the mandate, Krasius has always stood with the imperial family."
I simply nodded at the emperor''s words; this was why he could remain rtively calm about the situation.
Because the target of the Mage Duchess¡¯s affections was a Krasius, a member of one of the imperial noble families.
At least there¡¯s that.
The emperor, to put it mildly, was overly cautious; frankly, he was somewhat paranoid. However, even he harbored less suspicion towards the imperial noble families.
Was it because of his trust in his loyal subjects or three hundred years of reliability? It wasn¡¯t because of those warm, sentimental reasons. It was because the imperial family and the imperial noble families were now inseparably intertwined.
Back when the imperial noble families were first established during the early days of Emperor Amanca¡¯s reign, the empire¡¯s political scene wasplex and bizarre.
A patchwork nation.
That was the best way to describe it. It wasn¡¯t aplete whole but a forced union of powers.
Many of the official subjects of the Emperor were actually more like allies, just like how the current dukes and counts were.
Of course, Emperor Amanca¡¯s feat of forcibly uniting these disparate groups and passing on a consolidated legacy was truly praiseworthy.
In that patchwork, the imperial noble families served directly under the Emperor, protecting the imperial family and keeping its allies in check. This three-hundred-year political partnership made the imperial and imperial noble families virtually indistinguishable.
"...If Valenti and Catoban be one with Krasius, then they too are with the imperial family."
That was why the emperor could say such things. With the imperial noble families, at least the nobility wouldn¡¯t dare oppose the imperial family.
Maybe he was secretly relieved. Unless they intended to be a lifelong bachelor, noble houses eventually formed alliances with other families. If connections were to be made, then it would be better to form it with the imperial noble families than with outsiders.
"Very well said, Your Majesty."
In fact, blocking other noble houses from marrying into the imperial noble families was a strategic gain.
Yes, that was how I had chosen to see it.
Both I and the emperor.
Thank you, Executive Manager.
Thinking about it, the Executive Manager''s presence allowed us to block the maneuvers of the two ducal houses.
If this wasn¡¯t loyalty, then what was? If it weren¡¯t for the imperial noble families, then we might have to consider even more drastic measures.
***
Iy back down after the Crown Prince left. Standing for even a short time had now be exhaustingly difficult.
This situation should have warranted a summons and a stern reprimand for the Crown Prince. Fortunately, the involvement of the Krasius family reduced the gravity of the situation, but to neglect the marriage alliances involving noble houses...
He¡¯s still immature.
I thought to myself, but I also realized that it was unavoidable.
The Crown Prince had only been officially appointed two years ago. Before his appointment, he was practically a prince in name only.
He was overwhelmingly inexperienced. But thatck of experience was my own doing, so whom could I me?
At least he has talent.
Fortunately, his talent and effortpensated for hisck of experience, which would resolve with time. It was difficult to call him a fully satisfactory sessor, but at least he met the criteria.
...Compared to Dorgos, anyone would pass.
It¡¯s my own fault.
Of course, this wasn¡¯t something anyone else could be med for. It was merely due to the inadequacy of the person who wore the grand title of emperor.
I had hoped for my sessor to be different from me. I hoped for a strong maternal family to support the imperial authority, and that was why I chose the 2nd Prince, Dorgos.
But aside from being my rightful heir, Dorgos utterlycked the virtues of a ruler. The Asilon family, which should have supported the imperial authority, instead challenged it and destabilized the empire.
Driven to the brink of patience, disaster inevitably ensued after they crossed line after line.
It was bound to end that way.
I regretted not deciding more swiftly.
Should I forsake the rightful heir and eliminate Dorgos quickly, or eliminate the Crown Prince to solidify Dorgos''s session?
Neither option was particrly difficult. Considering Dorgos''s qualities, I would have chosen the former eventually.
I walked a path that could have been straightforward with unnecessary difficulty, creating needless bloodshed and wasting time.
So, the Crown Prince at least shouldn¡¯t...
The Crown Prince, who was shaped by the sacrifices of the imperial household, must not fall in vain.
It was my duty to act when his vassals hesitated to advise. He must be molded into a perfect monarch.
This was my duty for the honorable imperial family and the great empire; to fulfill my destiny of upholding the mandate initiated by the Great Emperor Amanca.
The foundation is solid.
And thankfully, a talented young individual was supporting the Crown Prince.
Had the Executive Manager been older, it might have been difficult for the Crown Prince to control him. However, this talent was younger than the Crown Prince and was easier for him to manage, apart from being capable of dedicating decades to the empire.
He¡¯s even getting married to a ducal house.
It was a stroke of luck. If we secure the Executive Manager properly, then we could move the two noble houses together.
It was fortunate that the Executive Manager was still young and that these events urred while I was still alive.
The era of the Gold Duke was horrifying.
Those memories from decades ago made my head throb.
The number of his wives doubled in the blink of an eye. The moment I came to my senses, the Gold Duke had already married twelve women, effectively increasing the number of noble houses linked to him by twelve.
Thinking back to the political turmoil of that time still made me dizzy. The Gold Duke¡¯s influence rapidly grew to be the most dominant force.
Two is manageable.
While it was unfortunate that they were dukes, it was still only twopared to twelve.
It was something to keep an eye on, but not something to worry about.
***
I summoned Lady Louise and Lady Irina to my office. I felt reluctant to order nobility around, but the urgency of the situation left me no choice.
"...That¡¯s what happened."
When I exined what had happened at the banquet, the two youngdies looked at each other as if they were at a loss for words.
I understood. Even I was scared when the Mage Duchess tried to take Carl away, so how must these two feel after hearing about it? They would probably be more bewildered than angry.
And yet, this conversation was necessary. We were allies, after all. Allies who would stand together beside Carl.
We would all be left helplessly stomping our feet if the Mage Duchess decided to monopolize Carl.
"Um, senior... A-about the Mage Duchess, uh..."
Lady Louise finally spoke, but she stuttered as if she were malfunctioning. It was unbing for ady, but it was understandable.
Unlike me, who was part of a ducal house, Louise was just from a barony. She must¡¯ve felt overwhelmed.
Even Lady Irina, who belonged to a higher nobility, seemed intimidated by the title of ''duke.''
"That¡¯s right. She¡¯s one of only five dukes in the empire."
At this, tears welled up in Louise¡¯s eyes.
"And I¡¯m also from one of the five ducal houses."
Irina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as I spoke confidently.
"Love does not concern itself with status. Even if it did, I am from a ducal family just like the Mage Duchess. Ick nothingpared to her."
Of course I wascking. How could a member of a ducal family and a duke be the same?
Still, I spoke with confidence, faking assertiveness and nonchnce.
This isn¡¯t just about me anymore.
If I give in, then these two would also drift into the doomed sea.
They entrusted me with their approval, recognizing me as the first wife and epting whatever came next.
But to surrender that first to someone else, possibly to someone who might monopolize Carl or be patronizing?
That cannot happen. It would be a betrayal to both Lady Louise and Lady Irina.
And to my love and my convictions.
I won¡¯t let Carl be taken away.
Carl was mine. I won¡¯t back down, not even from a duke.
"So don¡¯t worry. We just need to keep moving forward."
I reached out and firmly grasped the hands of Louise and Irina.
"But since an unexpectedpetitor showed up, we need to hurry."
At this, the youngdies nodded as if entranced.
I smiled slightly, pleased with their reactions. They already held feelings for Carl. Now that a formidable rival had appeared, these two would also show their hearts to him.
With this, there are now three of us.
Not two, but three. One would still be left even if he grabbed each of our hands with each hand.
Even if she was the Mage Duchess, could she really approach Carl when there were three of /genesisforsaken
Chapter 204: Young Gold Duke? (4)
Chapter 204: Young Gold Duke? (4)
These days, I feel like a popr star. Dazzling eyes surrounded me no matter where I went.
Until recently, I didn¡¯t receive such intense attention. I tried to avoid people as much as possible, and even if I did run into someone, they¡¯d turn away on their own. After all, meeting the Prosecutor was like encountering a kangaroo during a stroll.
¡®Why is he here?¡¯ and ¡®Messing with him is dangerous¡¯ were the emotions I would evoke simultaneously. That was me until a while ago.
"Did the Mage Duchess really choose that person?"
"My father indeed said so."
And now, I had transformed from a kangaroo to avoid to a safari beast worth the risk to observe.
Damn it.
It was embarrassing. They might think that they were whispering quietly from a distance, but I could hear everything. Wasn''t it strange how you could always sense the gazes and whispers when it was about you?
But showing displeasure here would only give these students a lifetime of trauma. I must endure it.So, I carefullyposed my expression and kept walking.
This is driving me crazy.
Maintaining a safe distance was tough, especially with the sneaky nces and the encounters that seemed more intentional than idental.
If I¡¯d been a spectacle from the moment I arrived at the academy, then it might have been different. However, this sudden surge of attention was overwhelming. People should know that excessive attention could stress even animals.
It wasn''t until I neared the clubroom that I could finally shake off the relentless stares.
Are they afraid of royalty?
I let out a bitterugh as I entered the club room. Those who clung so persistently couldn¡¯t bring themselves to enter the royals¡¯ domain.
Of course, I get them. I wouldn''t be anywhere near here if it weren''t for work, either.
And I understood why they were sneaking nces at me.
The Mage Duchess''s prospectivepanion.
Just hearing it would spark curiosity. A man who caught the eye of a duke with elf blood and had lived alone for over a hundred years...
The socially sensitive nobles wouldn''t be able to stay away after hearing such a cheat code of a sentence. Even I would rush over like a dog to see if I heard that the Mage Duchess had taken apanion.
With that thought, I turned my gaze toward the mirror.
That¡¯s him.
The reflection in the mirror showed me with a wry smile. There was no need to rush around like a dog. After all, it was so easy to see this.
Wow, I feel so thrilled.
***
Club time had never been so rxing.
The club consisted of half foreigners unlike the academy, where the vast majority were from the Empire. Of course, the Mage Duchess''s marriage news was fascinating to them as well, but it didn''t hit as close to home as it did for the Empire¡¯s citizens.
Thanks to that, club time was rtively peaceful. This ce had truly be my sanctuary after spending about a year together¡ª
"Hyung, can you tell me about the banquet?"
Or maybe not?
Erich''s sudden question caught me off guard, and my hand stopped mid-reach for a cookie.
This brat.
The person I least expected attacked me at the most unexpected time. I never imagined that my own brother would be the one to stab me in the back.
There might be things I¡¯ve neglected to do for him... but wasn''t this too much? Even the other members nearby seemed shocked as they stared at Erich.
Erich awkwardly averted his eyes as I gave him a slightly reproachful look.
"Mother''s been pestering me about what happened..."
Ah.
His words made my resentment dissolve. I¡¯d been so preupied that I hadn¡¯t considered my family.
Indeed. After me and Marghetta, the Krasius family was the second biggest victim after this whole debacle. They just woke up one morning to suddenly find that the Mage Duchess was possibly going to be their daughter-inw.
What a crazy idea.
Even thinking about it made me dizzy. Being inws with a Duke was no small matter, but to have the Mage Duchess as a daughter-inw? Not the mother-inw, but as the daughter-inw?
Mother must be trembling and on the verge of tears. She wasn¡¯t even forty, and yet she was going to be a mother-inw to a woman over a hundred.
How astonishing. The Empire''sws were trulyplex and bizarre.
"I''ll exin everything to Mother."
"Okay."
Erich nodded quickly as if he¡¯d been waiting for that. Then, he sipped his tea with a serene expression.
I¡¯m sorry.
Thinking about the pressure Erich must have faced over the past few days suddenly made me feel uneasy.
Our family must have been pressing him for an exnation while nobles would have harassed him, seeing him as the more approachable option. Amidst all that, Erich would have been crying out the truth that he knew nothing. It would¡¯ve been a perfect storm of chaos.
Now that I looked closer, he seemed to have dark circles under his eyes. This kid, who usually seemed far from fatigued...
"...Do you need some allowance?"
"What?"
Erich blinked at the unexpected question.
I knew it was a random thing to ask because I wasn¡¯t someone who usually gave away money or even small gifts. After all, what kind of men would do such cutesy things?
However, I wanted to give him something or anything this time.
Thanks to the Mage Duchess, a faint brotherly affection had been revived...
***
I didn''t bother to refuse the sudden offer of an allowance. Considering the trouble I''ve been through, it was money I probably deserved.
It was always tiring when a new week started after the weekend. There was a good reason why the start of the week was called Enen''s trial and a time to guard against theziness of creatures.
But this trial was a bit... no, way too harsh.
"Erich. I have something to ask you."
"Huh?"
A question greeted me as soon as I entered the ssroom. It was from a friend with whom I¡¯d only exchanged pleasantries with. They approached me first, so it must be something important.
So, I told them to go ahead. If I knew the answer, then I¡¯d tell them. If not, I''d simply say I didn''t know.
"Is it true that Her Grace the Mage Duchess proposed to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager?"
...?
I realized what it meant for my mind to go nk at that moment.
After that, it was absolute chaos. Starting with that bastard¡ªno, that friend¡ªnobles swarmed around me.
From our ss, the neighboring ss, second years, third years, and even some faculty members.
"I honestly don¡¯t know."
I really didn¡¯t know. My brother was proposed to by the Mage Duchess? This was the first I¡¯ve heard of it.
I dodged the question as best as I could. I said that I didn¡¯t know the details and that it might not be true, so they shouldn¡¯t overthink it.
Yes, there had to be some misunderstanding. If there was such a major event, then I, as part of the family, would¡¯ve known.
¡ª Erich. Haven''t you heard anything from Carl?
¡°¡¡±
And when I got a call from mother at lunch, I realized that the rumor was true.
The shock left me speechless. Was it really true? Hyung really got a proposal from the Mage Duchess?
What about Lady Marghetta?
That thought instinctively came to mind.
If the Mage Duchess was aiming for hyung, then what would happen to thedy? I couldn''t imagine the Mage Duchess bing the second wife, but pushing Lady Marghetta aside to make her the first was even more unimaginable.
What about Louise?
If the Mage Duchess became hyung¡¯s first wife, then Louise would be left out.
Fortunately, Louise was friends with Lady Marghetta. However, she had no such connections with the Mage Duchess.
At least Lady Marghetta still had a chance to be his wife even if she was demoted due to her noble status. But what about Louise? Would the Mage Duchess ept a baron¡¯s daughter whom she didn''t know?
My head felt like it was going to explode. Mother pleaded for me to find out what was happening, and the nobles pressured me to spill what I knew. Meanwhile, there was also the matter of Louise''s future.
...Honestly, it felt foolish to worry about the love life of someone who rejected me, but she was still my friend. Besides, the ideology of ¡®If I can¡¯t have her, I¡¯ll ruin her!¡¯ was a clich¨¦ viin sentiment from old novels.
It''s frustrating.
I nced at Louise as I pocketed the allowance from hyung and almost sighed. She seemed restless as if she had heard the news.
No. She was trying to act calm, but anyone could see that she was agitated.
That''s a relief, though.
Her eyes were burning with determination, which gave me somefort.
Louise had been frustrating to watch all this time, but it seemed that she had finally found the will to act now that the fire was under her feet.
That was good, then. It didn¡¯t matter if Louise didn''t know the Mage Duchess; ultimately, it was hyung who would decide who he would marry.
And everyone present seemed to share this thought.
Then, I made eye contact with Rutis.
Now?
Now.
"Ah, I left something in the ssroom. I''ll be right back."
After the rapid exchange of nces, heunched a signal.
***
Are these guys experiencing early-onset dementia?
"Ah, I left something in the ssroom. I''ll be right back."
When Erich first spoke up, I didn''t think much of it.
"You too? Let''s go together."
When Rutis stood up, I just thought, ¡®So he¡¯s leaving too.¡¯
But then Ainter, Lather, and Tannian followed, one after the other, and I couldn¡¯t even think of stopping them.
What¡¯s going to happen to the future of this continent?
It was worrisome that these promising young men were already suffering from memory loss.
Louise seemed flustered by the situation for a moment, but soon giggled lightly.
"It must¡¯ve been urgent."
"Yeah, it looks like they were in a hurry."
I nodded and decided to give them the benefit of the doubt for the sake of their honor.
Then, silence followed. We weren¡¯t exactly awkward together, but the conversation stalled after five people suddenly left.
"Hey, oppa."
¡°Yes, go ahead.¡±
Louise, who was always at the center of conversations, did not allow for even a moment of silence.
"What... do you think of the Mage Duchess?"
Still, there was no need to fill the silence this abruptly.
A bitter smile crept onto my face as the dagger I had just dodged came flying back. It seemed that even the bright and cheerful Louise was a noble at heart, seeing how she showed interest in such matters.
¡°Well, she¡¯s someone who shows me overwhelming kindness.¡±
I carefully chose my words after some thought.
It wasn¡¯t that I disliked the Mage Duchess. How could I dislike someone who showed me such generous favos? It was just that the nature of her favor was so unexpected that it was rather disconcerting.
"Is that so?"
Louise nced down briefly before continuing.
"I think it''s incredible, though. She let everyone know about her feelings."
"That is impressive..."
I found myself agreeing without thinking. It was indeed impressive because of how overwhelming the scale of her gesture was.
¡°While it¡¯s scary for me to show my feelings to just one person¡¡±
Louise murmured, fiddling with her hands. Scared to show her feelings, huh?
Is she talking about herself?
Louise used to tightly conceal her trauma. But now, she had opened up about it. Holding onto self-loathing because of past issues wasn''t right.
¡°You should be proud of yourself now.¡±
¡°Do you really think so?¡±
"Yes."
At my reassurance, Louise smiled again as if she had heard exactly what she needed to hear.
¡°Then, can I say that I also like you, oppa?¡±
"That¡ª"
...What?
I started to respond out of habit but stopped myself. What did she just say?
She means she likes me as her advisor, right?
My brain, which had temporarily frozen, started working again. It must be because I was still reeling from the shock of the Mage Duchess''s actions.
...That¡¯s what she means, right?
However, I couldn''t speak after looking at Louise''s expression.
Her face was red, and her trembling eyes were fixed only on me while she fidgeted with her hands.
I might be a bit slow at times, but I wasn¡¯t clueless.
But today, I felt a strong urge to just y dumb.
...Should I pretend I didn''t hear it?
Of course, that would be ame excuse that wouldn''t /genesisforsaken
Chapter 205: Young Gold Duke? (5)
Chapter 205: Young Gold Duke? (5)
Oppa looked as stiff as a board. I probably looked the same.
It was something I had kept to myself for months. Those were words I had wanted to say dozens, even hundreds of times, but never did. I just didn''t have the courage.
"Ahaha, you must be really surprised, right?"
My heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe, but I finally managed to calm my trembling hands enough to speak.
This was myst chance. If I say right now that it was just a joke, I could pretend that it never happened. Then oppa would justugh it off, telling me not to y such pranks. He would ruffle my hair and scold me, telling me not to do this again.
That way, I could avoid his rejection. I could avoid anything he might dislike or get serious about. It would prevent things from bing awkward between us.
"But I mean it sincerely, oppa."
But I didn''t want to do that.
I finally said it.Pushed to my limits and driven by an extraordinary variable, I finally confessed my feelings. Only after hesitating for so long did I finally take the first step.
Even the club members showed me consideration. Those kids who had every right to hate me were showing me kindness.
As if no one would notice five people leaving at the same time.
Even the dullest person would find it strange.
So, I spoke up. I gathered my courage and moved forward.
"R-really?"
Oppa barely moved his lips in response.
He looked more bewildered than displeased. It was as if he had heard somethingpletely unexpected.
In a way, it was better. If he was in any state to speak seriously, then I probably wouldn''t have managed to say anything.
I¡¯ll tell him everything.
Let¡¯s pour everything out while oppa was speechless. Then at least I wouldn''t leave with regrets even if he rejected me.
There would be no next time. If I didn''t speak now, then when would I? When he married another woman? When I was on my deathbed?
I don''t want to end up confessing my love then. I don''t want to be a tragic protagonist.
I wanted to love oppa proudly.
***
I thought I was raising a capybara, but she turned out to be a fox.
No, maybe I should say a rabbit? But she didn¡¯t really seem like a rabbit, either.
It''s so confusing.
I tried to distract myself with bizarre thoughts to keep my mind off things, but it didn''t really help. What did it matter whether she was a capybara, a fox, or a rabbit?
Sighing softly, Iid down on my bed. It had been a whirlwind of a club session.
"I love you, oppa."
Louise spoke boldly with determined eyes. It was hard to believe this was the same cheerful, carefree girl.
"I''ve always wanted to say it, but I couldn''t. I was too scared and was being a coward."
Louise smiled sheepishly after saying that. She added that she was afraid of being rejected by me, so she didn''t confess until now.
For someone who called herself a coward, that was pretty straightforward.
Despite the serious context, I couldn''t help but chuckle.
I wonder what Louise considered brave. It was probably something like grabbing me by the cor and demanding we date right there and then.
ording to legend, the Crown Princess confessed her love at that level of boldness. Perhaps Louise''s role model was the Crown Princess.
How impressive.
A youngdy who modeled herself after the Crown Princess. Truly impressive.
Indeed. The things Louise said were also quite remarkable.
"I know I¡¯mcking. After all, I¡¯m just a baron¡¯s daughter."
She possessed awareness about the two ducal houses.
"I haven¡¯t known you for long, oppa. So, there¡¯s still much I don¡¯t know about you."
She also seemed conscious of our short acquaintance.
"But that''s my shoring and not ack of love."
At that, I could only nod nkly. Her conviction was so intense that my face felt hot.
Louise probably would kick her nkets out of embarrassment once the excitement wore off. Thinking about that future, I decided to say nothing. After all, it was better for her to be a little less embarrassed, even if only slightly.
"And I can bring a good dowry, too! Title andnds, everything!"
I flinched at those words.
It was indeed true. Since Louise was an only child, she stood to inherit the barony and itsnds. If we married, our children would inherit those titles andnds. Until then, I would effectively manage them.
But somehow, it sounded a bit like blind patriotism. It wasn¡¯t wrong, but the wording was off.
Still, I couldn''t open my mouth in response to Louise''s passionate confession. It was such an unexpected deration from someone I never considered a romantic prospect.
"I''m not asking for an answer right now. It took me a long time to confess, so I''m not expecting a quick response from you, oppa."
Fortunately, she seemed to understand my feelings and said that.
"I just thought you should know that it''s not just Senior and the Mage Duchess who like you."
Recalling that brought another smile to my face.
Of course, I should know. How could I not after such a confession?
"And there might be more than just us three."
Thinking of thatst part quickly sobered my smile.
This is unbelievable.
Marghetta on the left, the Mage Duchess on the right, and now Louise was added into the mix. Three was already more than enough. It was already beyond having flowers in both hands.
But saying that there could be more? Wouldn¡¯t that make at least four surrounding me?
Wow.
It was dizzying. Marrying all four would be a problem, but rejecting all of them would be exactly that, too.
epting some while rejecting others would be even worse.
...I''ll think about itter.
For now, I just need to sleep.
***
Louise must¡¯ve poisoned me.
Damn it.
I never thought I¡¯d find myself in such a dire state. Louise, I didn¡¯t think you were capable of such a malicious act.
I sighed and continued walking, but my condition worsened each time I felt a gaze.
As I naturally checked the direction from where I felt the gaze, I saw a female student. Then, a thought unconsciously popped up.
...Is it her?
A wave of self-loathing immediately hit me after, and I quickened my pace.
But soon, I felt another gaze and had the same thought.
Could it be her?
More self-loathing washed over me.
Damn this.
I closed my eyes in frustration. This was a state of hyper-awareness to others'' gazes, particrly from the opposite sex.
Horribly enough, I had gone delusional.
"And there might be more than just us three.¡±
Remembering Louise¡¯s words from yesterday made me feel a slight, just slight resentment towards her.
Louise, why would you say that?
Was it revenge for all the time you spent in unrequited love? Did you want me to suffer just as you did, agonizing alone?
If so, then I was sorry. But wasn¡¯t this punishment a bit too harsh?
I''m too old for delusions.
The self-loathing crept up, consuming my chest. Here I was, in my twenties, suffering from delusions with teenage girls as the subjects.
If the Minister knew, he¡¯dugh at me for being such a child. The Managers would somersault inughter, asking if I was trying to fulfill my missed high school romances.
It felt like I was finally going insane. Being aware of how pathetic my current state was made it even worse.
What a fate.
I cried in my heart, but it was unavoidable. I''ve been hit by both the Mage Duchess and Louise consecutively, so my defenses were at their peak. I¡¯d probably be like this for a while.
So, I decided to go to the ce with the least amount of gazes. I¡¯d stay in my own sanctuary, just holed up in the club room.
I¡¯ll survive on cookies.
I made a firm resolution to spend lunchtime rooted in the club room.
With that tactical retreat in mind, I moved on¡ª
"Ah, oppa!"
"Irina?"
I encountered someone I could somewhat rx around.
...Right. I wouldn¡¯t have delusions towards Irina.
I¡¯d be a crazy bastard if I thought Irina liked me after what the Prosecutors¡¯ Office did to Count Yorun.
***
Was Louise always this impulsive...?
"You confessed?"
"Yes!"
Watching Louise smile from ear to ear left me dumbfounded.
It was real. Not that there was any reason for her to lie, but this was real.
¡°If I didn¡¯t do it now, I¡¯d never be able to.¡±
Louise spoke with a mix of embarrassment and relief, and I found myself nodding unconsciously.
She was right. With the support of the youngdy and the sudden situation with the Mage Duchess... If she couldn''t confess even when pushed like that, then when could she ever do it?
She would just keep making excuses and procrastinating until she grew old and died.
No way.
I suddenly imagined oppa smiling between Louise and Lady Marghetta. Then, I imagined myself watching from the sidelines.
It was horrific. If I dreamed of that scene, I was sure I¡¯d wake up crying.
It''s my turn now.
Clenching my fist, I steeled my resolve. If Louise was making a move, then I had to act too.
Of course, I shouldn¡¯t rush it. I needed to at least prepare mentally. Yes, I had to figure out what words I would say to oppa, where I would make my first andst confession, and¡ª
"Ah, I also mentioned Irina to oppa."
"...What?"
Louise looked at me with a face that seemed to say, ¡®Didn¡¯t I do well?¡¯ Her sparkling eyes and smiling lips appeared to be seeking praise.
"..."
¡°I-Irina! Ouch!"
It seemed she wanted some affection, so I hugged her tightly.
As grateful as I was, I hugged her with all my strength.
***
Fortunately, Louise hadn¡¯t gone as far as saying, ¡®Irina loves oppa, too!¡¯ She just hinted that more people liked him.
That¡¯s even more dangerous.
I couldn¡¯t becent. Besides me, Louise, and Lady Marghetta, there might also be others at the academy who liked oppa. Once they overcame the fear the title of Prosecutor brought, they¡¯d see what a wonderful man he was.
If... if someone overcame that fear and oppa met them after hearing Louise''s words...
Absolutely not.
I couldn''t stand to see that happen. I''ve been nervously hovering near oppa with the youngdy''s permission, suffering all this while, and someone else takes the easy route?
That was uneptable. If such a person showed up, then I would never forgive them.
I swear on Yorun¡¯s honor.
So, I quickly went to find oppa. I felt like I''d regret it for life if I dyed and the situation I feared happened.
"Ah, oppa!"
"Irina?"
Fortunately, it seemed like Enen was looking out for me; I was able to find oppa just in time.
¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look like you ran here.¡±
He asked with concern as he saw me gasping for breath.
His concern warmed my heart, but now wasn¡¯t the time to be lost in that warmth.
"Oppa. There''s something I really need to tell you."
"To me?"
Despite the suddenness, oppa nodded as if to say, go ahead and speak.
"I''m not from a ducal family, nor will I inherit a title."
The ducal houses, the pinnacle of nobility, were treated higher than ordinary nobles. I belonged to none of that.
"But still, the Yorun family is a prestigious house. It may not be as grand as Krasius, but... still, I¡¯m not unworthy of being by your side.¡±
At my words, oppa''s eyes began to tremble.
Seeing that made me tremble as well, but I didn''t run away. There was no ce to retreat to now.
"What do you think, oppa...?"
...Though I couldn¡¯t help but falter at the end.
***
Wow.
Wow...
3rd Manager, damn you.
Did he spray something on the Yorun family?
It was a reasonable suspicion. Poor Irina seemed to have been caught in the nefarious biochemical attack of the wicked 3rd Manager and lost her senses.
It''s clear now.
Of course, I deliberately ignored the fact that Irina was already at the academy when the 3rd Manager raided the Yorun family.
I was truly clueless and dumb.
Just let it be that /genesisforsaken
Chapter 206: Having Two Mothers Must Be Nice (1)
Chapter 206: Having Two Mothers Must Be Nice (1)
A wise man once said that there was still a floor even at rock bottom.
He wasn¡¯t called wise for nothing. I was realizing the truth of his words in real time.
¡°Still, as His Highness said, there''s the New Year''s Ball. I guess I''ll have to wait for that day."
Starting with the confession from the Mage Duchess, which I thought would be the most shocking thing I''d ever hear¡ª
¡°Then, can I say that I also like you, oppa?¡±
Followed by Louise, who rejected the five male leads to choose me¡ª
¡°...Still, I¡¯m not unworthy of being by your side.¡±
And finally, Irina, whom I never expected to have feelings for me.
What the hell?I rubbed my temples. Lately, my headaches haven¡¯t been going away.
Of course, it wasn¡¯t because I considered the confessions from these incredible people as something trivial. It was just that my mental state was crawling on the floor.
Honestly, I had to admit this. Even the most noble-minded archmage or priest would¡¯ve felt the same if they were in my position.
And all this happened within a week.
My head throbbed again. Receiving heart-pounding confessions in the span of a week ¨C was this what they called a hat-trick of surprises?
But a hat-trick usually involved only one person, not being ambushed by three people. We need a new term for this.
"I¡¯m not expecting an immediate answer. I came after Louise, so I can¡¯t cut in line."
Just as I was contemting a new term, Irina¡¯s awkwardly smiling face and her oddly tearful voice came to mind.
"I j-just wanted you to notice me. Not as a pitiful sister... but as a woman."
I barely managed to lift my body off the bed and sighed. They said that sighing would bring bad luck, but I didn¡¯t care anymore. It felt like I had run out of luck, anyway.
Irina left quickly after saying that. My stiffened body couldn¡¯t catch her as she swiftly disappeared.
And even if I could have caught her, I probably would have let her go. What would be the point of catching her in that situation?
I can¡¯t ept it.
It would be strange to ept Irina¡¯s confession when I haven¡¯t even responded to the Mage Duchess and Louise yet.
I can¡¯t reject her, either.
It would also be odd to push away Irina¡¯s confession first for that same reason. Putting other confessions on hold while rejecting her outright? That would make her cry and ask if I really disliked her that much.
Should I just run away?
I seriously considered that for a moment.
For about a week, maybe? No, even three days would be fine. I wanted to be alone somewhere with no one around so I could sort out my thoughts. That way, I wouldn¡¯t receive any more confessions.
I might as well go back to prison now. Being detained for five days would be the best possible thing.
Maybe if I hit Rutis again...
I clenched my fist unconsciously.
Assaulting royalty, even a repeat offender. That could get me imprisoned immediately not just for five days, but for months even.
Of course, one wrong move might lead to execution, but life was a gamble anyway.
Alright, I might as well close my eyes and do it once more¡ª
Ah.
Light shone from themunication crystal just before I lost my sanity.
Thank goodness. I might have actually lost it if it shone just a momentter.
"This is the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager."
This was the person who saved my life. Thinking that made my expression soften automatically.
So, I activated themunication crystal gratefully. I shouldn¡¯t show a distorted face to my lifesaver.
¡ª How are you holding up? You look better than I expected.
However, my expression twisted again the moment I saw the minister¡¯s face.
Damn it.
I had been so out of it that I forgot something important. I forgot that there was someone who enjoyed seeing me suffer.
Of course, the minister probably didn¡¯t know about Louise and Irina¡¯s confessions, but the Mage Duchess¡¯s was more than enough.
While the Crown Prince was staying quiet, preupied with the political upheaval caused by the Mage Duchess¡¯s shock, the minister couldn¡¯t care less about politics. As an ordinary count with nothing but retirement in mind, he didn''t care who the Mage Duchess married.
But if the Mage Duchess¡¯s intended spouse turned out to be me, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist using it to make fun of me.
¡ª Hmm, considering you''re the Mage Duchess¡¯spanion, I suppose I should be more respectful.
I quickly shook my head at the chillingly formal words. The world must be ending if that man was speaking formally to me.
"Don¡¯t be ridiculous! Who''s thepanion?"
¡ª Obviously, it¡¯s you. Everyone but you thinks so.
The formal tone disappeared, reced by an unpleasant snicker.
Obviously...
My heart sank as soon as I heard the minister''s words.
Obviously. It might be a short word, but its weight was immense. Hearing this from a third party like the minister made it undeniable.
Yes. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it was a done deal that I was bing the Mage Duchess¡¯s husband.
It makes sense.
Even though I was the heir of a county, the other party was a duke. Even my title as the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager wouldn¡¯t be able topare to the title of the head of the Magic Tower. The difference in status meant that even a one-sided choice by the Mage Duchess could lead to marriage.
In fact, the nobles would have apuded and wished us a happily ever after even if the Mage Duchess had kidnapped me at the Crown Princess¡¯s birthday banquet.
So, it wasn¡¯t strange that people see this situation as the Mage Duchess preparing for marriage rather than me not having epted her confession.
"...How are things over there?"
After a long silence, I finally spoke.
¡ª Do you really want to know?
The minister''s response was sober.
I shook my head solemnly at his short question.
The capital, the center of the political world, would be the most chaotic ce due to this situation. Given how serious the minister sounded, it must be aplete mess.
I¡¯d better stay away for a while.
If I went near the capital, then I¡¯d be caught like a Pok¨¦mon locking eyes with a Pok¨¦mon trainer. That was thest thing I needed.
¡ª Oh, and one more thing...
While I was resolving to avoid the capital until the New Year¡¯s Ball, the minister spoke again.
However, he hesitated after starting. His frown and his faint mumble made me uneasy.
What is it?
Why did he look so anxious?
¡ª Would you rather get hit first orter?
"Excuse me?"
The minister, looking unusually grave, asked something unsettling.
"...I¡¯d rather get hit first."
When I answered cautiously, he nodded and continued.
¡ª I just found out. The Mage Duchess has started moving.
Instinctively, my hand trembled.
Those were frightening words. The Mage Duchess had already used the tower¡¯s mages as messengers; if she was making a full-scale move, then what could she be nning? Was she going to ster the empire with leaflets this time?
¡ª To your territory.
...
What?
***
The mansion was in an uproar.
"Prepare everything with the highest quality. Whether it''s wine, tea, snacks, or meals. Nothing should becking."
"Yes, madam."
The butler nodded and quickly disappeared.
Normally, the butler¡¯s role was more supervisory than hands-on. But in urgent situations like this, his experienced presence was essential.
"Madam, the garden is fully prepared."
"Good job, Laura."
I could finally catch my breath at Laura''s report as soon as the butler left.
If Laura said that it was perfect, then it must be. The garden was the face of the mansion. At least we saved some dignity.
"Nia, this is about..."
Laura, who was checking the surroundings, whispered softly. Her rarely trembling voice showed how shaken she was.
Of course I was, too.
"It must be... because of Carl."
"Oh my goodness."
Laura covered her mouth with her hand. Her expression was a mix of shock, pride, and dizziness, causing me to sigh.
Carl, what have you done?
My feelings wereplicated. What on earth did he do to make the Mage Duchess take action? I shouldn''t me him, but I felt a tiny bit resentful.
At the same time, I felt proud. My son was so charming that even a Duke was captivated by him. The slight frustration became overwhelmed by a feeling of pride and satisfaction.
¡ª I am Theodore Jedas of House Catoban, the Mage Duchess¡¯s butler.
However, this pride couldn''t overshadow my current dizziness.
The call from House Catoban came out of the blue. The butler, the Count of Sicily, bowed respectfully.
He managed the Mage Duchess¡¯s territory in the Mage Duchess¡¯s absence, so he was essentially the second-inmand. Facing a call from such an important figure left me flustered, though I had a vague idea why he was contacting me.
¡ª The Mage Duchess is well aware of your wisdom and kindness. Although circumstances have prevented a meeting until now, she said that she wishes to meet the mother of one of the Empire¡¯s pirs.
"You tter me."
Despite the formality, it was an offer I couldn¡¯t refuse. So, I just epted.
Technically, I could refuse. Whether to ept a sudden visit request was up to the host.
However, it was difficult to reject a Duke''s request, especially in such an obvious situation. Refusing to meet a future daughter-inw who wanted to see her future mother-inw would turn her goodwill into anger.
Daughter-inw.
The dizzying term made me feel faint.
I¡¯m going to be a mother-inw.
The thought made me even dizzier.
Of course, it was a title I wanted to hear. I thought I¡¯d hear it soon.
But I expected to hear it from Marghetta, that girl. Even though it was burdensome to be entangled with their family twice, I thought it would be alright if it was her.
But now, the Mage Duchess had appeared. It was an entirely unexpected person at an unexpected time.
In a panic, I contacted Billy in the capital. However, he excused himself using council affairs and didn¡¯te home.
¡ª I¡¯m sorry, wife. The Imperial Council has been busytely, so I can¡¯te back.
You traitor.
Thinking about it again made me a little angry. He cowardly withdrew alone. We should sleep in separate rooms for a while.
"Madam!"
The sight of the butler running from afar broke my thoughts.
Perhaps influenced by Billy''s bluntness, the butler was usually calm. Thus, seeing him so flustered meant that something big had happened.
She¡¯s arrived.
My prospective daughter-inw, the Mage Duchess, had arrived.
...I feel dizzy.
I just want to lie down /genesisforsaken
Chapter 207: Having Two Mothers Must Be Nice (2)
Chapter 207: Having Two Mothers Must Be Nice (2)
My breath was bing shallow, and my hands trembled slightly. However, I shouldn''t let my nervousness show. I couldn''t appear as a trembling host in front of my guest. I needed to stay calm and act as if everything was normal.
I steadied my trembling hands and picked up the teacup. As the delicate aroma spread the closer the cup got to my lips, I felt my nerves ease a little.
Just a little.
Billy.
My grip tightened around the teacup. I couldn''t help but resent Billy for not being here.
Even though I was the countess, Billy was the one with the title. He was the one qualified to greet the Mage Duchess and not me.
Despite the Mage Duchess¡¯s desire to see me, it wouldn''t have mattered whether she saw her future mother-inw or father-inw. She wouldn''t have cared either way.
Just you wait and see.
I would never forget the way he walked out on me when he heard that the Mage Duchess wasing. Once he returned, we would have separate meals and separate rooms for a while....If I even had the energy to enforce that.
"What a lovely fragrance."
The gentle voice brought me back to the present, and I quickly looked up.
There, with snow-white hair and white eyes, was a woman. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, and she had a warm smile. To anyone else, she might have appeared genuinely pleased.
"I''m d you like it."
I responded with a smile, and the woman''s¡ªno, the Mage Duchess¡¯s¡ªsmile grew even deeper.
"Please, speakfortably. I have great respect for you, and your formal speech makes me feel embarrassed."
Her words froze me in ce. Speakfortably? What on earth did she mean by that?
Even just hearing her speak respectfully to me was overwhelming. I had heard that except for the imperial family and the other dukes, she treated everyone else as subordinates.
Given her age, experience, and rank, it wasn''t surprising.
"Your words are too kind. How could I speak casually when Your Grace shows me so much respect?"
I managed to move my stiff lips to give a suitable response.
Good. This answer should be fine. If she respected me, then I would respect her in return. There was no arguing with that logic.
"Is that so? That''s a shame."
Thankfully, the Mage Duchess let it go...
Is it just my imagination?
I couldn''t shake the feeling that the Mage Duchess¡¯s eyes were saying, ¡®I''ll let it slide this time.¡¯
My instincts screamed otherwise even as I tried to convince myself that it was just my imagination. I might have been able to refuse this time, but one day, I would have no choice but to speak casually.
Someone who speaks casually to the Mage Duchess.
The dizziness that had subsided returned with a vengeance.
There were rumors that even the Emperor addressed her respectfully in private. Who in their right mind would speak informally to her? Certainly not me. Never.
"Ha! Now that we''re family, feel free to speakfortably! Should I start calling you youngdy?"
I suddenly recalled a past event¡ªthe first time I met a duke. It was such a dazzling encounter. I could still hear hisughter echoing in my ears.
Were all dukes like this? I hadn''t met the other three yet, but I felt a little scared now.
"Ma''am, your cup is empty."
The Mage Duchess reached for the teapot while I was absentmindedly staring at my teacup.
For a moment, I didn''t understand what was happening.
"Y-Your Grace, let me do it."
It wasn''t until Laura, who had been standing behind me, quickly intervened to stop the Mage Duchess that I finally came to my senses.
Was the Mage Duchess going to pour tea into my cup herself just now? Even though the head maid was right there?
Carl...
I thought of my eldest son, who, like Billy, wasn''t present.
I didn''t resent him. Unlike someone who cowardly avoided the meeting, Carl was diligently fulfilling his duties.
But... still, what did he do to make the Mage Duchess act like this? How did he manage to captivate her?
"Thank you, head maid."
When Laura filled my cup and the Mage Duchess''s, the Mage Duchess smiled warmly and thanked her.
Of course, Laura was visibly flustered by the Mage Duchess''s respectful demeanor.
She''s really determined.
I almost let out a bitter smile at the sight. The Mage Duchess was showing respect and friendliness to Laura, who had raised Carl.
It was clear that she was thoroughlymitted to winning over everyone around Carl.
About an hourter, we moved from the reception room to the garden.
"It''s such a beautiful and refreshing ce. I have elven blood, so I appreciate a well-maintained garden."
"I''ll be sure to tell the gardener. He will be delighted to hear that Your Graceplimented his work."
Nodding with a smile that hadn''t left her face since our first meeting, the Mage Duchess looked around the garden as if trying to take it all in.
Her ears were slightly perked up, and her face was a bit flushed. Maybe elves did have a natural love for nature?
"This is the garden where baby used to y."
I quietly turned my head at the soft voice. So it wasn''t her elf blood but the blood of a woman in love.
The truth was, Carl had spent his childhood not in the garden but in the training grounds, thanks to his inadequate mother.
I opened and closed my mouth a few times, hesitating to correct her and dampen her joy.
"What''s that tree?"
The Mage Duchess''s gaze fell on a particr spot.
Following her gaze, I saw two trees set apart from the rest. Aside from the small ques in front of each tree, there was nothing particrly remarkable about them.
Yet the Mage Duchess keenly picked the most precious things in the garden without having anyone tell her.
"Those arememorative trees. The one on the left was nted when Carl was born, and the one next to it when Erich was born."
I smiled slightly as I spoke. Billy had dug the holes, and I had nted the saplings. Now, like the children, they had grown tall and strong.
"I''ll send these trees to their new homes when they find their partners."
These trees had grown alongside my children, and it was only fitting that they continued to be part of their lives. It would be wonderful if we could ntmemorative trees for my grandchildren next to them as well.
Feeling warmed by the thought, I said more than what was necessary.
***
I was inexplicably drawn to the ordinary-looking trees.
"Those arememorative trees. The one on the left was nted when Carl was born, and the one next to it when Erich was born."
I nodded at her exnation.
I see.
So that was why I became curious about it. A treememorating baby¡¯s birth was more precious than anything else in the world.
It was as if the World Tree, which had burned down 400 years ago, had been reborn on thisnd. To me, this tree was now my personal World Tree.
"I''ll send these trees to their new homes when they find their partners."
My heart raced at her words.
So this World Tree woulde to my territory. I should tell my butler to prepare a special ce for it. This precious tree deserved the best spot.
And once we¡¯ve nted the World Tree, we should also nt flowers around it. As many flowers as the children we would have, making the ce beautiful and splendid.
"They¡¯re truly beautiful."
"They are my treasures."
At my murmured words, she replied with the brightest smile I''d seen yet.
It was a genuine smile filled with sincerity, showing how much she cherished and loved her children.
She¡¯s someone who can smile like that.
I felt a pang of guilt. Seeing her smile so brightly after being so anxious about my unannounced visit made me feel like I had wronged her.
However, it couldn''t be helped. Baby was hiding at the academy. If I went there recklessly, he would probably run off to somewhere I couldn''t find him.
So, I chose this approach¡ªbuilding a rtionship with those around him.
Someday.
Although it felt awkward now, it would be natural with time. Our rtionship would shift from one of tension to one offort.
Slowly and steadily. It would surely happen that way.
"Trexy, it''s natural to feel awkward because of our racial differences."
Mother''s words from the past echoed in my mind.
"I was awkward with your grandmother, too."
¡°With grandma?¡±
I remember being surprised by those words because mother and grandmother had always seemed so close.
"Yes. But as we spent more time together, the awkwardness disappeared. Even though we were different species, we were both intelligent beings. You realize that we''re not so different from ordinary humans."
She had poked my cheek andughed softly.
"That''s why it''s important to think of yourself as a human, not an elf. Insisting on elven ways in human society is a burden. If you want to live like an elf, then live in an elven enve."
Nodding along to Mother, who had actually settled into human society quite well, I absorbed her wisdom. So, I would be epted as a human if I lived like them despite my elven blood.
"That''s why I gave up the concept of elven age."
"...What?"
I hadn''t understood her words back then, but now I did.
Elven age, often spanning centuries, would cause confusion in human society. Adjusting it to fit human standards made things simpler.
Mother had chosen to live with only 10% of her elven age, allowing her to be a younger daughter-inw than her own mother-inw.
Then, me too.
Since I wasn¡¯t a pureblood elf like my mother, I could at least reduce my age to 20%.
Yes, my human age was 24. I was three years older than my baby and much younger than his mother.
I should approach her with this mindset. It would ease the awkwardness and bring us closer.
...Mother.
My heart swelled with emotion. Mother had always given me great enlightenment.
Herst wish for me not to experience the same sorrow led me to extend baby''s lifespan, helping me find a lifelong partner.
Meanwhile, her advice to abandon my elven age to fit into human society helped me find a way to approach baby.
"Your Grace?"
The Countess asked when I stayed silent.
"It''s nothing, ma''am."
I shook my head with a gentle smile.
But I felt a bit embarrassed. I had been so lost in thought in front of my future mother-inw.
I should reflect.
I should think like a human. It was disrespectful to be lost in thought in front of an /genesisforsaken
Chapter 208: Having Two Mothers Must Be Nice (3)
Chapter 208: Having Two Mothers Must Be Nice (3)
I had prepared for the possibility of the Mage Duchess staying at the castle, but fortunately, things were back to normal by evening.
Of course, the Mage Duchess must be busy with matters at the Magic Tower. Spending a few hours here was one thing, but dedicating an entire day would be too much.
"This has been the most enjoyable time I''ve had recently. Thank you for your hospitality, ma¡¯am."
Just before leaving, the Mage Duchess bowed politely, and I almost instinctively bowed back.
It was an overly gracious gesture. While I had gotten used to her respect, receiving such respect through actions and not just words still felt unfamiliar.
"I feel the same way. It was an invaluable time, Your Grace."
I slightly bowed my head, trying to hold back from bowing fully.
Would it have been any better if I were a mage? Time spent with the greatest mage on the continent would be worth more than gold to any mage.
Meeting a vastly superior predecessor would be nerve-wracking, but I imagine that the cold-hearted mages would focus on the benefits.I¡¯m having pointless thoughts.
Of course, these thoughts were meaningless since I was just an ordinary person.
"Thank you for saying that."
The Mage Duchess, smiling gently at my reply, took something out from her robe.
"Ma¡¯am, this is a small token of my appreciation. Please ept it."
"Thank you."
I epted what the Mage Duchess handed me before I could think. It felt a bit embarrassing, but it couldn''t be helped. Refusing something directly given by the Mage Duchess would be inappropriate, and unnecessary hesitation would only trouble her.
The Mage Duchess¡¯s smile deepened, seemingly even more satisfied by my straightforward eptance. She might have been offended if I had declined.
A badge?
I btedly examined the item. It was metallic, clean, and white, reminiscent of the Mage Duchess.
Though it appeared in, it was clearly no ordinary item.
Magic.
Despite its simple appearance, it emanated a strong aura.
The aura was so strong that I could sense its power even with my basic understanding of mana. Moreover, the subtle glow of mana was visible to the naked eye.
...So, what was this?
"Your Grace, pardon me, but what is this...?"
It was extraordinary. Unless it was a knight''s sword energy or a mage''s spell, seeing mana with the naked eye was nearly impossible.
It was fascinating, but also confusing. Wouldn''t such an item be better suited for the Magic Tower? Why was she giving it to me?
I had to ask since I was unable to discern its purpose or identity.
"It''s a token of gratitude."
The Mage Duchess answered calmly, almost as if she was pleased I asked.
"This badge signifies that you are my benefactor. If you show it to the Catoban duchy or the Magic Tower, they will prioritize your convenience above all else."
Despite her calm tone, the weight of her words was immense.
My hand holding the badge trembled again. The Mage Duchess''s benefactor? Prioritized by the Catoban duchy and the Magic Tower?
Unbelievable.
I lost count of how many times I felt dizzy.
This was a treasure that didn¡¯t even need to be used. Even just possessing it would grant immense power.
Receiving the highest priority from the Mage Duchess¡¯s family meant that it would be quicker to find something impossible to do than to find something achievable. My position in the political and social circles would also expand rapidly.
Furthermore, the Magic Tower was the pinnacle of magic on the continent. With its support, I could prioritize receiving all kinds of magical tools and assistance from mages. It would be a tremendous boon for the entire county.
"Your Grace, this is too much. A benefactor?"
I was stunned for a moment, but I quickly made up my mind.
I tried to immediately return the small token as soon as I realized its power. This wouldn''t do. It was a treasure too precious to keep.
Of course, the Krasius family wasn''t so weak that we couldn''t safeguard a single treasure. However, this token was meant for a benefactor. I hadn''t done enough for the Mage Duchess to deserve this.
It must mean future favors.
I tightened my grip on the token. If we received something, then we must also give something in return. If we were epting such a treasure from the Mage Duchess, then we had to reciprocate with equal sincerity.
And that sincerity would most likely be in the form of Carl.
No.
My anxious heart burned, and myplex thoughts settled into a cold rity.
No matter what, I couldn''t do this. I couldn''t sell my child''s happiness for the sake of the family and the territory.
If the Mage Duchess genuinely liked Carl, then there would be no stopping it. If Carl epted the Mage Duchess, then I would congratte them though it might be burdensome.
But this... this I couldn''t allow. I couldn''t sell my son for the family''s benefit.
"Don''t worry, ma¡¯am."
The Mage Duchess''s hand covered my trembling one, the warm touch slightly easing my anxiety.
"I understand your concerns very well."
The Mage Duchess smiled warmly like a nurturing mother, trying to reassure me.
"I am not trying to buy your son."
I flinched at her words. She had read my mindpletely.
I worried that she might be offended, but she just kept smiling.
"I desire something whole. What is obtained through coercion cannot be called whole."
She didn''t want coercion; she wanted something genuine.
In other words, she wouldn''t force Carl into marriage. I couldn''t help but nod at her words.
If she was sincere, then I had nothing to worry about. It meant that Carl would have to ept the Mage Duchess''s affection for a marriage to happen.
I didn¡¯t know if her words were true, but it didn¡¯t seem like the Mage Duchess was someone who would tell such a flimsy lie.
"And this token is more than deserved. Please, do not refuse it."
You have created the most precious treasure in this world.
Her words left me blinking in surprise.
***
I sat on the bed in the empty bedroom, fiddling with the white badge.
"Actually, there is something I wish for. It is a rather significant item to give without reason."
The Mage Duchess''sst remark made the tension in my body that had slightly eased tighten up again.
Yes, this was better. I preferred to hear directly what she wanted.
"I wish for a friendship with the Countess."
But instead, it became even moreplicated.
"Everyone wants to be liked by someone, don''t they?"
I could only nod repeatedly at the Mage Duchess''s candid words. It was so transparent that I couldn''t even react.
A desire to be liked.
The Mage Duchess''s words lingered in my mind.
She wanted to be liked by me and by Carl. That was why she showed such unconditional goodwill.
She¡¯s sincere.
I recalled our conversations. Surprisingly, the Mage Duchess had never directly mentioned Carl, except when talking about thememorative tree in the garden.
However, every word she uttered was filled with affection and was subtly referring to him.
She¡¯s really sincere.
I realized that her feelings for Carl weren''t just a fleeting infatuation or a momentary passion. She genuinely intended to seek Carl''s consent for marriage rather than forcing it.
Though, I had no idea why she fell for Carl.
It''s none of my business.
I let out a small sigh. Yes, it wasn''t my concern. It didn¡¯t matter why the Mage Duchess was smitten with Carl; there was no reason for me to intervene as long as she respected him.
Trying to protect Carl might end up being a hindrance. If he decided to open his heart to the Mage Duchess, then my interference would only be an obstacle.
I¡¯m sorry.
I whispered an apology that wouldn''t be heard by my sweet future daughter-inw at the academy. After all, the Mage Duchess''s presence would be a serious threat to her.
I wanted to help the girl I had chosen as my daughter-inw, but I had no right to meddle in Carl''s love life.
¡He¡¯ll manage.
Carl was such a smart and warm-hearted child; he would be able to ovee this without my help.
I trust that he will.
Knock, knock¡ª
I heard a knock on the door just as I was about to close my eyes.
"Wife."
Billy''s voice from outside made my eyes snap open.
I had momentarily forgotten about this traitor.
Is he back now?
How annoying. If he had returned a few dayster, then I might have thought that he was really busy. Buting back on the same day, and just after the Mage Duchess left?
I couldn¡¯t let this slide. Separate rooms it was. I felt determined not to see his face for a while.
"Come in."
Suppressing my anger, I called out, and the door opened cautiously.
"Wife. I came just in time. Did you just wake up?"
Billy smiled, holding a bouquet and a small box in his hands.
"What¡¯s that?"
"I saw these on my way back and brought them. The flower shop we visited during our engagement is still around."
Billy mentioned the shop as he handed me the bouquet.
"And the box?"
"Your favorite desserts. I got them from a caf¨¦ rmended by Count Horfeld."
He even mentioned my taste as he showed me a box with an elegant pattern.
The corners of my mouth twitched upward at the sight.
"Billy."
"Yes, wife?"
Billy replied softly, noticing my change in demeanor.
"Stop with the sweet talk and get out."
Faced with my resolute words, he meekly left the room.
He does put in effort.
Still, considering his effort, maybe I should reduce the separate room punishment from a week to three days.
***
Mother contacted me.
¡ª Carl. Don¡¯t overthink things. Just do what you want.
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
The day after I heard that the Mage Duchess had gone to the county of Tailglehen, Mother contacted me with a surprisingly calm face.
This was unexpected. Wasn''t she the one pestering Erich to find out what was going on? I thought that she would be in a state of extreme confusion after seeing the Mage Duchess.
¡ª Whatever decision you make, I''ll support you. There''s no need to rush.
"Yes..."
What a strange statement. Why was she saying that she would support any decision I made at this time? She had even chosen Marghetta for me.
Could it be magic?
The thought crossed my mind. Did the Mage Duchess bewitch Mother?
No, the Mage Duchess wouldn''t stoop to such petty tactics...
Then how?
Had she won Mother over and swayed her to a neutral stance without using magic?
That would be even scarier. I''d rather it be /genesisforsaken
Chapter 209: 6 OClock Routine (1)
Chapter 209: 6 O''Clock Routine (1)
It was the early dawn, still dark with no sign of daylight. It was a bit early to start the day, but given how chaotic things have been in the capitaltely, it felt better to be holed up in the office ahead of time.
Staying at the mansion would only attract visitors, and moving out during rush hour would mean a hell of amute. That would be a hassle.
So, I carefully got up, but I turned to look beside me as I felt a hand on my wrist.
"Leo... Are you leaving already?"
"Lana."
I patted Lana''s head with my other hand, and her sleepy eyes closed again.
She looked like a drowsy cat. Of course, it wasn¡¯t polite topare a person to a cat.
"I wanted to have breakfast together..."
Even with her eyes closed, Lana whined softly. I gently patted her back. Lately, I''d been skipping breakfast and heading straight to work. It must be lonely for Lana to be left alone.But there was no choice. People would gather if I stayed at the mansion, and Lana would get tired, too. Better to be lonely than exhausted.
"I''ll be back by evening, so don''t worry."
"Promise...?"
Lana wriggled a bit and held out her pinky finger.
"Yes, I promise."
After the pinky swear, Lana finally rxed and fell back asleep.
I shoulde back early.
I carefully got out of bed, making sure not to wake her.
Thankfully,ing back early wasn''t that hard. There wasn¡¯t a lot of work, and starting early meant that I could finish early.
Plus, the 5th Division didn''t have as much workpared to other divisions. Compared to the 3rd Division, which was always running around, the 5th Division was almost like an office job.
I hope nothing happens today.
That became my daily morning prayer since bing the manager of the 5th Division.
Of course, this prayer was rarely answered.
Today''s prayer failed too. Not that I was surprised anymore.
Something already happened.
I sensed it the moment I touched the office doorknob. Beyond it would be a chaotic scene.
But I could roughly estimate it after two years. This was a kind of chaos that could be handled even inside the office.
Sure enough, opening the door revealed the 2nd Manager being grabbed by the cor by the 1st Manager.
It¡¯s nothing serious.
I felt relieved. I was worried that my prediction was wrong.
"Ah, 5th Manager."
The 3rd Manager greeted me from the corner as soon as I opened the door. It seemed like he was hiding from the rampage of the 1st Manager.
The 3rd Manager stood out wherever he was because of his size, but to the enraged the 1st Manager, only the 2nd Manager was visible.
"You''re early."
"I have to be. Too many people stick around if Ieter."
I nodded at the 3rd Manager, who scratched his head in annoyance. The nuisance I dealt with must be the same for the other managers. We all had the same idea ofing early.
"The Executive Manager is scary, but we must be easy targets."
"The curiosity of the nobles often outweighs their fear."
"Yeah, that''s true."
We exchanged meaningless words while watching the 1st Manager rage.
I felt a bit sorry when I saw the 2nd Manager iling like a paper doll in the grip of the 1st Manager. But my sympathy disappeared quickly when I remembered that it was his own doing.
That''s what you get for running your mouth.
I sighed, recalling the incident from a few days ago. There were things you should and shouldn''t say even under the influence of alcohol.
At a gathering of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s managers, the disaster struck.
The 2nd Manager, who kept insisting that he wanted to get drunk, lost control.
"Hey, what are you going to do now?"
"What are you talking about?"
In his drunken state, he barked at the 1st Manager, who had been silently drinking. Of all people, he chose to provoke the one who had been in a foul moodtely.
"The Mage Duchess met her future mother-inw, but what about you?"
At the 2nd Manager¡¯s snickering remark, the 1st Manager froze.
And it was the same for me, the Senior Manager who was reaching for a snack, and the 3rd Manager who was texting his wife about beingte.
Rumors had spread that the Mage Duchess visited the Executive Manager¡¯s territory and had a private conversation with the countess. It was well known that this incident had stirred the capital, signaling her serious intentions towards the Executive Manager.
But linking this to the 1st Manager was unexpected.
I didn''t think the 1st Manager would be involved, too.
I shook my head as I watched the 1st Manager m the 2nd Manager to the floor.
It was obvious if he said that she was connected to the Mage Duchess incident. It meant that the 1st Manager also had feelings for the Executive Manager.
How truly unexpected. I thought that the 2nd Manager was just spouting nonsense in his drunken state, but the 1st Manager¡¯s reaction at the party was enough to turn that ¡® if¡¯ into a reality.
"Shut up!"
Trembling with rage, the 1st Manager smashed her ss over the 2nd Manager¡¯s head. I almost admired the precision of the attack.
Unfortunately, while the 1st Manager won the physical battle against the 2nd Manager, she lost the war against the truth. Her fierce reaction was a clear sign of guilt.
"...Did you hear that?"
Turning away from the now wine-drenched the 2nd Manager, the 1st Manager looked at us.
"Hmm? I was talking to my wife. What did he say?"
The 3rd Manager sessfully crafted an alibi, fiddling with hismunication crystal.
"I didn¡¯t hear anything."
The Senior Manager¡¯s single statement was enough.
"¡¡."
"¡¡."
Then, I had a tense stare-down with the 1st Manager.
Unable to withstand the silent menace, I pretended to be drunk and crawled on all fours at the party, making it clear that I knew nothing.
So officially, we didn¡¯t know who the 1st Manager was in love with.
"Ah, you¡¯re both here!"
"I just arrived."
Instinctively, I nodded at the 1st Manager who looked at us with relief.
The 1st Manager¡¯s love, the 1st Manager¡¯s rage¡ªI knew nothing about it.
Only the 2nd Manager did.
Good luck.
I silently wished the struggling the 2nd Manager behind the 1st Manager the best.
Of course, it was all his own doing. No matter how peculiar the 1st Manager¡¯s love life might be, boasting about ady''s unrequited love deserved a beating.
He seemed to know it too, judging by how he was taking the blows silently.
He really shouldn¡¯t be one to talk about love.
It was funny when you thought about it. The night the 2nd Manager said that he wanted to get drunk and went on a drunken rampage was all because of a reason we all knew too well.
The Minister¡¯s niece.
I couldn''t help but chuckle. Why would anyone touch such a person?
To make matters worse, his rtionship was exposed to the minister. Because of that, the 2nd Manager was summoned to the minister''s office. That was why he was whining about wanting to get drunk that day.
Or perhaps he decided to expose someone else''s love life since his own romance was exposed, too.
What a stubborn refusal to go down alone.
I should never live like that.
He was always a perfect example of what not to do.
***
The Senior Manager arrivedte in the morning.
"Ah, Senior Manager!"
"You''re here."
"Yes."
The Senior Manager sighed quietly, looking exhausted.
Though he had always looked like that, it seemed that it had gotten worsetely.
Everything''s falling on the Senior Manager.
It was a pity. The Executive Manager was away, and the other managers were hiding, leaving only the Senior Manager to handle everything.
He could avoid it if he wanted, but as the acting Executive Manager, he had to manage the department, which meant inevitably meeting the other departments and nobles
"Are you okay? The rumors aren¡¯t dying down; they''re getting worse."
The 3rd Manager cautiously asked while looking at the weary Senior Manager.
That was true. Rumors normally faded over time, but this one was only getting hotter, burning through the capital.
It¡¯s not a rumor that would just fade away, anyway.
This rumor was indeed sensational. After all, this was about the marriage of the Mage Duchess, who had been alone for over a hundred years, and the potential break in the lineage of the Catoban family.
However, this was excessive. It felt as if someone was spreading it intentionally.
Hmm.
I immediately stopped that train of thought. I was just about to tread into dangerous territory. Besides, unnecessary curiosity could shorten my life.
"It''s okay. I¡¯ll get a break soon."
The Senior Manager sighed again, this time with a hint of relief.
"The Executive Manager has ordered all inquiries from curious nobles to be directed to him."
"Oh."
Even the 2nd Manager, who had been holding his breath, let out a sound of admiration. I couldn''t help but nod.
That¡¯s definitive.
It was a short and simple order, but incredibly effective.
Most nobles wouldn¡¯t dare contact the Executive Manager directly, so they were pestering the Senior Manager instead. And those who could ask the Executive Manager directly were already teasing him¡ªlike the minister, for example.
"You all should do the same. The Executive Manager has given his permission."
"Understood."
I quickly responded to the wee news.
"I wanted to have breakfast together..."
Lana''s words before I left for work came to mind.
Now, there was no need to avoid people by arriving early. I could have a normal schedule and have breakfast with Lana.
What a relief. A husband should at least share a meal with his wife. Thinking of how happy Lana would be about this small news made me smile.
"Wow, the 5th Manager must have had a rough time too."
"Indeed. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen him smile."
And my smile faded just as quickly.
***
I fiddled with themunication crystal and sighed.
It¡¯d be a problem if the Senior Manager copses.
I was so busy managing my own stress that I hadn''t considered the Senior Manager''s situation.
His face looked like he might faint if another incident happened. His exhaustion was evident even through themunication crystal.
So, I told him to direct all the troubling matters to me. The way I expressed it might be odd, but the meaning was clear.
¡ª Yes, Executive Manager. Thank you.
I felt guilty after hearing his gratitude.
Those whoin usually don''t follow through.
Mymunication crystal was eerily silent a few hours after telling the Senior Manager to direct anyints to me.
Those who were noisy before couldn''t take the step forward when the opportunity presented itself. I had nned to kindly talk to anyone who contacted me.
However, I wanted this oue. Who in their right mind would ask the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, ¡®Are you really going to be the Catoban family''s trophy husband?¡¯
What is it now?
Just as I was thinking that, mymunication crystal vibrated. It wasn¡¯t a call but a message.
[Are youuuu really going to marry the Mage Duchesssss?]
I closed my eyes as soon as I read it.
I couldn¡¯t bear to open them again since I had a hunch about who had sent the message.
It sounded like it came from someone who had been drinking heavily in broad daylight.
Is this really... the Wise Duchess?
I couldn¡¯t help but feel despair.
She sounded more like a Drunkard Duchess instead of a Wise /genesisforsaken
Chapter 210: 6 OClock Routine (2)
Chapter 210: 6 O''Clock Routine (2)
I slowly opened my eyes again. I was always tiredtely, so I might have seen it wrong.
[Are youuuu really going to marry the Mage Duchesssss?]
Nope, I saw it right.
Dear God.
A sense of dismay washed over me once again. I had heard that the Emperor gave the Dukes their title, but what was he thinking when he named someone like this ¡®the Wise Duchess¡¯?
If the Emperor had any sense, he might have wanted to call her ¡®the Drunkard Duchess¡¯ or ¡®Boozer Duchess¡¯ instead. Perhaps he fought that urge and settled on the ¡®Wise Duchess¡¯ to encourage her to live up to the name.
She does live up to it, though...
Thinking about the Wise Duchess, or rather, the Drunkard''s abilities, I sighed again. Unfortunately for the Emperor, the Wise Duchess was a monster who possessed both intelligence and a fondness for alcohol.
Maybe her tendency towards alcoholism was a way to bnce things out. It seemed like Enen overdid adding the intelligence stat when creating the Wise Duchess, so he had to add the constant drunkenness as a passive trait to keep things bnced."This child will surprise the Empire when she grows up."
When the Wise Duchess was just a little kid in the past, a visiting cardinal at the Duke''s household said those words upon seeing her.
Of course, it could have been mere lip service to the Wise Duchess''s devout father, who was a staunch believer in the Dawn Sect. But, in the end, the Wise Duchess did astonish the Empire, albeit for reasons other than her abilities.
It was indeed a bit strange but surprising nheless. The cardinal truly had a way with predictions.
[Are you going to answer me or nottt?]
Damn it.
I was trying to take a moment to clear my mind, but the Wise Duchess wasn''t about to let this weary civil servant off the hook. She just had to hound me for a reply as soon as I allowed myself a brief distraction.
Moreover, it seemed like she was sobering up, judging by how her texts were bing more coherent. This meant that she would keep pestering me until I replied.
I guess I have no choice.
If I had to choose between being briefly annoyed now and being harassed for days, then I¡¯d obviously pick the former.
I activated themunication crystal with a small sigh. Since I couldn''t decipher a drunk person''s text messages, I figured I might as well see her face.
¡ª My dearrrr~ nephe!
A voice loud enough to haunt my dreams greeted me as soon as the call connected.
Her dear nephew?
But I was her husband''s nephew and not her nephew.
"Sessor of the Krasius family, Executive¡ª"
¡ª Oh,e on! Why are you using that kind of formality between us?!
The Wise Duchessughed heartily and took a swig straight from a wine bottle.
I thought she was sobering up, but she was actually drinking more. How she managed to send a coherent message was a miracle.
I lowered my gaze slightly, unable to bear looking at that mad spectacle.
Between us?
And now, she was talking nonsense. I didn''t want to have anything to do with her. I hope she didn''t go around iming we were family.
¡Not that she had anyone to tell since she rarely left her territory.
¡ª Hey, nephew, nephew!
"Yes, Your Grace. I''m listening."
¡ª Oh, enough. Don''t call me that!
"...Yes, Auntie."
The Wise Duchess nodded quickly in satisfaction.
What a pity. She was young and good-looking, but why did she have such a cursed personality?
Long, green hair and golden eyes. She honestly had the makings of a mystical beauty, but s, she was an alcoholic.
¡ª My dear nephew. It''s so hard to see you, so I reached out to you first.
"Thest time we met was at the New Year''s Ball, so it has been a while."
I politely phrased my words to imply that she rarely left her territory except for the New Year''s Ball.
However, it didn''t get through to the invincible drunkard. Maybe she was too drunk to understand, or maybe she was pretending not to.
¡ª Right, right, I thought I wouldn''t see you until next year¡ªbut your name''s been all over the newstely, you know?
I couldn''t respond to that. If even a reclusive drunkard like her had heard the gossip, it meant that the entire empire was buzzing with the news.
She chuckled and took another gulp of wine while I fell silent.
¡ª So, even the Mage Duchess is shy!
"Pardon?"
Her iprehensiblement made me reply impulsively. Who did she say was shy?
In what way?
She publicly confessed at the Crown Princess''s birthday banquet and even spread a rumor so widely that the entire empire knew about it.
That was far from shy. Even someone overflowing with courage and confidence would hesitate to take such actions.
¡ª She¡¯s too shy to tell you, so she just keeps wandering around.
But the Wise Duchess seemed unaffected and continued speaking.
¡ª She confessed but she didn¡¯t evene to see you and only met with your mother instead. She¡¯s basically saying, ¡®I like you, so notice me!¡¯
She banged the table,ughing so heartily it was almost hysterical. It was so cheerful that it felt annoying.
Either way, it made no sense and had no basis. If someone else had said it, I would have dismissed it as drunken babble.
But this is the Wise Duchess.
The credibility of a message depended on the messenger. Unfortunately, anything the Wise Duchess said couldn¡¯t be ignored no matter how nonsensical it sounded.
What, she shouldn¡¯t be trusted because she was drunk? This was the person who was rumored to be perpetually drunk except at her parents¡¯ funeral and her own wedding.
Despite being always drunk, she managed to govern the troublesome duchy of Cheness, the empire¡¯s key agricultural region and a hotbed of conflicts, without any issues. Her words couldn¡¯t be ignored.
"Auntie, what exactly do you mean by that...?"
¡ª Oh, are you curious too, my nephew?
I swallowed the urge to retort that it was her fault for making me curious.
Afterughing for a while, the Wise Duchess took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, releasing a reddish smoke from her mouth that was visible even through themunication crystal.
This was something only the Wise Duchess could do. It was a unique magic that burned off the alcohol in her system using mana.
It¡¯s over.
I closed my eyes tightly. A world where such magic existed was too frightening.
¡ª My dear nephew~ The Mage Duchess kept spreading rumors and meeting people around you. It must have been scary, right?
The Wise Duchess was still high-spirited, but she seemed more sober now.
"Not really. It wasn¡¯t that bad."
I almost admitted to it, but I barely held back. It was too embarrassing to acknowledge.
¡ª But nephew, do you think the Duchess would stop at just that if she really meant it?
"No."
¡ª Right?
I quickly answered that one. No, definitely not.
In the empire, a duke''s power was absolute. If they wanted something, then they would have it. But targeting those around me instead of me directly? It wasn¡¯t just ineffective, but also too time-consuming.
¡ª She made a public confession but did nothing afterward and just appealed to those around you. It¡¯s obvious!
Nodding to herself, the Wise Duchess then smiled broadly and raised her index finger.
¡ª She wants your attention so she confessed, but she¡¯s too shy to go further.
And then quietly raised her middle finger.
¡ª But she¡¯s also spreading rumors to keep otherdies away.
After saying that, the Wise Duchess copsed onto the table, her shoulders shaking withughter.
¡ª Our Mage Duchess is so girly! Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s her first love, but even I would¡¯ve believed that she¡¯s 12 instead of 120!
Her words made my blood run cold. How did she get the courage to say what even the Emperor wouldn¡¯t dare to?
Was alcohol really a potion of courage? The Wise Duchess¡¯s remarks might not reach the Mage Duchess, but saying such things about her would surely cause some concern.
"...Wasn¡¯t she just giving me time to sort out my feelings? She said she would wait for the New Year''s Ball."
¡ª That¡¯s just her running away so she could give herself some time to gather her thoughts.
Despite my fear, I forced myself to speak, but the Wise Duchess responded firmly.
¡ª She¡¯s probably rationalizing it as giving you time to prepare. Since she¡¯s an elf and a mage, she can fool herself quite well.
It was something I had never considered. So, was she saying that the Mage Duchess made an excuse to buy time to run away?
¡ª Nephew, if you feel like Mage Duchess is hesitating, then make the first move. She¡¯ll be caught off guard.
_ Have you ever met an elf before?_
The Wise Duchess''s additionalment left me staring nkly at themunication crystal.
***
The chaotic and maddening conversation ended with the Wise Duchess opening a new bottle of whiskey.
¡ª Then, to my nephew''s brilliant marriage!
She drank half the new whiskey without stopping then poured the rest over themunication crystal, ending the call.
Is this really a wise person?
It was genuinely puzzling, but glimpses of her actual wisdom made me tolerate her more.
Even now, her perspective and thoughts could only possiblye from a drunken madman.
The Mage Duchess is hesitating.
Summarizing and organizing the information, that was the gist. The confident Mage Duchess was also in a state of confusion just like me and was taking a moment to gather herself.
Is that really it?
It was usible assuming that the Wise Duchess¡¯s words were true.
There had been no contact since the confession. I thought it meant that she was giving me time to prepare for the New Year''s Ball, but there was no reason for Mage Duchess to wait for me. Was that time for her to gather her own thoughts?
She also spread rumors around me. She could be cing pressure on the otherdies not to outbid her im. If so, then Marghetta had bid first, but still.
¡ª She¡¯s probably rationalizing it as giving you time to prepare. Since she¡¯s an elf and a mage, she can fool herself quite well.
And if the Mage Duchess herself was pretending to be calm, rationalizing her actions...
¡ª Nephew, if you feel like Mage Duchess is hesitating, then make the first move. She¡¯ll be caught off guard.
She would be thrown into confusion if I approached her first.
Could that be true?
I felt conflicted. It seemed both usible and ridiculous.
The way to confirm it was simple. I could go to the Magic Tower and meet the Mage Duchess directly.
If the Wise Duchess''s words were true, then the Mage Duchess wouldn¡¯t be able to react.
If not...
Then I''d be walking into the tiger''s den. The Mage Duchess might think that I voluntarily came because I liked her too.
I needed to think about this more. No matter how reliable the Wise Duchess''s words might seem, this was by no means an easy decision.
...Besides, going to the capital anytime soon was a bit frightening.
***
I looked away as I felt an intense gaze.
How strange. I shouldn''t be feeling her stare through themunication crystal.
¡ª Eli.
¡°Yes, yes, Your Highness the Crown Princess.¡±
¡ª Stop speaking so formally.
¡°...Okay, senior.¡±
Senior Aria sighed deeply when I answered sullenly, and my shoulders instinctively shrank.
¡ª Eli, are you not thinking about marriage?
My head dropped at her words.
I expected this.
I had once borrowed Senior Aria''s help to form a beautiful love story with the Executive Manager.
From that moment on, this situation was inevitable.
¡ª Are you going to just work in the Prosecutors¡¯ Office? Are you nning to stay as the 1st Manager for the rest of your life? Don¡¯t you want to be a countess?
I couldn''t lift my head at Senior Aria''s slightly angry voice.
Senior... you''re scary when you''re /genesisforsaken
Chapter 211: 6 OClock Routine (3)
Chapter 211: 6 O''Clock Routine (3)
Senior spoke non-stop as if she was clearly determined to make a point today.
¡ª You borrowed the Crown Princess¡¯s hand and yet had no results to show for it? Eli, do you even know what a debt is?
"I do..."
¡ª You know and still act this way?
The sharp gaze from Senior instinctively made me shrink back.
It felt like her eyes were piercing through me from beyond themunication crystal even though I couldn¡¯t see her because my head was lowered. Because of that, my body recoiled.
The world had been deceived by Senior¡¯s pretense.
¡ª Thedy and the Mage Duchess shed. At this rate, you¡¯ll be overshadowed even if you join in. Do you think people will notice your affection for him even if you stay quiet?
"No..."¡ª If you know that, then why are you still acting this way?
How strange. It felt like I had already heard this before.
Every time Senior gave me a piece of painful advice¡ªdisguised as concern¡ªmy mind felt thoroughly shaken.
If only I knew.
I bit my lip, letting her nagging flow in one ear and out the other. If I had known that this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have asked for her help even if the sky fell.
If, and just if, I hadn¡¯t borrowed her hand, I would¡¯ve only dealt with ordinary worries and teasing. But I did, and this happened.
Now, my romantic problems had be an issue of Senior¡¯s pride. It had now be a matter of not having results when the Crown Princess herself was involved. This was a stage where Senior couldn''t tolerate failure even if I could.
Then there''s the Mage Duchess.
I felt a pang of resentment as I recalled the root of this mess. Seriously, who could have predicted that the Mage Duchess would intervene?
I originally nned to approach the Executive Manager during the New Year¡¯s Ball. Senior even agreed that my cautious approach was a wise choice.
But then, the Mage Duchess¡¯s intervention overturned everything. The empire¡¯s attention shifted to the confrontation between thedy and the Mage Duchess and the issue of herpanion appearing after 120 years. Thus, a Marquis'' daughter would likely be treated as insignificant.
¡ª It¡¯s toote. You missed your chance by beingcent.
Seeing Senior add, ¡®Why did you do that?¡¯ made me almost burst into tears. She had agreed to my n to wait until the New Year¡¯s Ball, but now she pretended not to know.
¡ª Why are you looking at me like that?
"It¡¯s nothing..."
Of course, I bowed my head again under her gaze.
Yeah, now was not the time to me anyone. Senior was right; I missed my chance.
Will the Executive Manager notice me?
I couldn''t help but worry. From the Executive Manager¡¯s perspective, who was already attacked by the Mage Duchess, a new woman¡¯s confession might seem more absurd than surprising. He might think that I was mocking him and get angry instead.
¡ª Stop thinking about useless things.
As if reading my serious worries, Senior spoke curtly.
¡ª If it¡¯s alreadyte, then you should think about moving quickly. If you keep weighing everything, you''ll never act.
It was true but also irresponsible. Did she think I didn¡¯t know that?
It was already toote, so I wanted to at least fasten the button properly. I didn¡¯t want to fall any further, so I was being cautious.
She thinks everyone is like her.
I pouted. She spoke so easily as if it was possible for everyone. If everyone in the world were like Senior, then the world would have already copsed.
She was the kind of person who proposed to the first prince, who was close to death, just because she was smitten. Her decisiveness was admirable, but her madness wasn¡¯t something I could imitate.
And she calls herself modest...
I squinted my eyes. If she was modest, then I was a nun.
Senior yed the part of a demuredy, thoroughly concealing her true nature. Her act was so convincing that she had established an image of being a modest and wise princess.
Ridiculous.
Would I hang out with someone truly modest and quiet? Those kinds of people were boring.
...She might even be worse than me.
¡ª Eli.
"I wasn¡¯t thinking anything."
Startled by her low voice, I quickly shook my head.
But in my panic, I added unnecessary words. Saying I wasn¡¯t thinking anything sounded like I was thinking about something odd.
"Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve known the Executive Manager for a long time. I met him before anyone else, you know?"
I quickly took the initiative and spoke as Senior''s eyes started to narrow. I told her that I had an unbeatable connection.
It was also a way to reassure myself. Yes, I met the Executive Manager before anyone else. Before the lron-blooded Duke¡¯s daughter did, and even before the Mage Duchess.
There was no need to worry. I was already close to the Executive Manager. We could be even closer if I just confess and show my feelings. The Executive Manager wouldn¡¯t push me away.
¡ª Hmmm.
"...What¡¯s wrong?"
I tried to speak confidently, but Senior''s reaction was unsettling.
After a brief silence, Senior cleared her throat a few times and then started to mimic a crying voice.
¡ª I liked the Executive Manager first~ I met him before anyone else~
Hearing that made my hands start to tremble.
¡ª That''s something you''d say a year from now. How does it feel hearing it early?
"Senior!"
This time, I sincerely shouted.
¡ª Calm down. My hearing is fine.
Of course, Senior responded with a nonchnt attitude as if asking where a dog was barking.
No. Her slightly upturned lips were full of mockery.
If only she weren¡¯t the Crown Princess...!
I felt tears welling up from frustration and resentment. I would have punched her if she weren¡¯t the Crown Princess!
...But there was no choice. I''d have to take it out on the 2nd Manager instead.
***
Eli ended themunication with an angry huff. It was rude to hang up before the Crown Princess, but I let it slide since it seemed like her emotions were in a jumble.
She needs to get a grip.
I quietly handled the now dimmunication crystal. Teasing my junior¡¯s desperate love was sad but necessary.
It was clear that she was in a dire situation. And yet, she was still hesitating.
She''s relying on her connection with him.
She knew she was in trouble, and she knew that she needed to act quickly. Eli might be a bit unique, but she wasn¡¯t stupid.
Still, she wasn¡¯t making her move because she was holding onto a sliver of hope. She probably thought that her long history with the Executive Manager would give her an advantage, not realizing that it was a futile hope.
...Is she stupid?
It was seriously worth considering. Had she gone blind and foolish because of love?
What a pitiful situation. What was the big deal about love?
She should just confess already.
If you like someone, then you should just go for it. I couldn¡¯t understand what all this fuss was all about.
"Se-Senior! The Executive Manager, the Executive Manager!"
I imagined the future for a moment. Eli would be wailing like the world was ending while watching the Executive Manager''s wedding from afar, not being able to be with him.
"I¡ I liked him first..."
Then, the image of Eli biting her nails with empty eyes came to mind.
It¡¯s too easy to imagine.
It was rather dizzying how easily I was able to picture it. The fact that it was so easy to imagine meant that it was a likely future.
I have no choice.
I sighed and activated themunication crystal. Since I had already helped once, I was now involved in Eli¡¯s love life, too.
And even if I hadn¡¯t helped before, I couldn¡¯t just leave my junior¡¯s disastrous future unattended.
"Hehe, I hope I can find someone to spend my life with, just like you, Senior."
A few years ago, when everyone was shocked and opposed to my proposal to the Crown Prince¡ªwhen even my father hesitated, and my family suggested reconsidering it...
In that turmoil, Eli was one of the few who supported and encouraged me. Honestly, I gained courage because of Eli.
Since she was my precious junior, I should repay the favor.
That lucky man.
I couldn''t help but smile while thinking of the Executive Manager. Eli might be different from the typical nobledies, but that was part of her unique charm. Plus, she had a kind heart and loved deeply.
He would¡¯ve been considered lucky even if he only had Eli as his wife, but having both the Mage Duchess and a daughter of a duke? Enen had truly blessed him.
Of course, it was nothingpared to my marriage with the Crown Prince.
¡ª Crown Princess?
"Your Highness."
It didn¡¯t take long for His Highness to answer the call.
"Did I contact you at a busy time?"
¡ª Not at all. Why would I not have the time to speak with you?
I smiled back at His Highness, who had a small smile on his face. I saw him quietly set aside the document he was holding, but I pretended not to notice.
It might seem like I was bothering His Highness with personal matters, but then, so what? I had the right to do it.
¡ª Having the Crown Princess appear in this world is a joyous asion. I feel like I haven''t given you anything yet, so tell me if there¡¯s something you want.
His Highness made a promise at my recent birthday banquet. I was just holding him to his word.
"Your Highness, I have a request."
¡ª Speak. I will grant anything you ask.
I was a senior who would employ both my father and husband to help my junior¡¯s love life. Where else would you find a senior like me in the whole world?
***
This must be madness.
"Your Highness. Forgive me, but I couldn¡¯t hear your words over the noise."
¡ª Oh no, it seems I contacted you while you were busy.
But regardless of myplicated feelings, the Crown Prince remained perfectly calm.
¡ª The Executive Manager¡¯s hard work and loyalty are quite exemry, so I should treat such a loyal subject to a meal.
Madness.
I almost cursed instinctively. What nonsense was this?
A meal? Neither of us was so sensitive nor leisurely to care about such things. Seeing each other less was more helpful to uspared to gathering for a meal. Meeting each other usually meant that there was a crisis happening.
But now he was suggesting a meal at this critical time when the capital was already buzzing with the Mage Duchess¡¯s incident?
His intentions aren¡¯t pure.
If anyone else had said it, then I might have considered the slim possibility. Maybe they genuinely wanted to have a meal with me and happened to have time now.
But this jerk was the exception. He would never call for those trivial reasons.
"Your Highness, I beg your pardon.¡±
I hesitated a moment before speaking carefully.
"I¡¯m afraid I will face harsh scrutiny rather than set an example if I, who¡¯s alreadycking time to focus on my duties, would go to the capital."
I gave him a nicely wrapped refusal. I wanted to shout, ''Enough with your bullshit, you jerk of a Crown Prince!'' but that was impossible.
Instead, I pretended to be reluctant to go to the capital during my deployment even though the real reason was that I didn''t want the attention.
"I promised not to go to the capital before the New Year¡¯s Ball."
This time, I spoke more firmly.
I¡¯m not going, you bastard.
I was actually debating if I should go because of the Wise Duchess¡¯s words, but his suggestion decided it. If I went there, then something would happen. So, absolutely not.
¡ª The Executive Manager''s dedication ismendable. It¡¯s something that all the other civil servants should follow.
But the Crown Prince just smiled calmly at my desperate refusal.
¡ª However, Executive Manager, there is something I wish to tell you.
"Please tell me."
¡ª Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep.
Damn it.
My fists clenched at his words. That was a subtle order for me toe.
Promises I can''t keep?
I could¡¯ve kept them if it weren¡¯t for /genesisforsaken
Chapter 212: 6 OClock Routine (4)
Chapter 212: 6 O''Clock Routine (4)
It was time to pray for the Crown Prince''s long life again. This would be the 24th time this season.
Please let him live long, but not too healthy.
sping my hands together, I prayed sincerely. Please let him get sick often enough in his long life with minor illnesses. He wouldn¡¯t be able to work properly if he was bedridden, so please do it moderately.
Something like back pain when he sat down or a stuffy nose every autumn would be enough. That was all I was asking for.
"...Your Highness, when should I head to the capital?"
¡ª The sooner, the better. I''ll send someone today, soe immediately.
Recalling ourst conversation, I sped my hands tighter.
You bastard.
My resolve not to set foot in the capital had crumbled miserably. I was about to be dragged there without even a moment to catch my breath.¡ª Of course, I have no intention of hindering the Executive Manager''s work. I''ll send for you after your tasks areplete, so don''t worry.
His expression that looked as if he was granting a great favor almost made me go crazy. It reminded me of the shock that triggered the Proletarian Punch after Rutis¡¯s incident.
I think I could survive two years without needing to resign if I could punch him just once. Maybe I should pretend to be drunk and try it.
"Damn it."
I bowed my head with a sigh of resignation. Now was the time for earnest prayer, not futile fantasies.
Please, let him live long but please give him small illnesses or annoyances. If back pains or colds were too much to ask for, then at least let him stub his toe on a desk corner.
It was unfair. I had donated a decent amount to Enen. Shouldn¡¯t he at least answer one prayer?
"Unbelievable."
It seemed that the gods didn''t need the faith and donations of outsiders. They must be indifferent since they had already achieved victory.
Maybe I should find a god who cared about foreigners.
***
Anxiety gripped my chest when the time for club meeting arrived. After all, this meeting signaled my impending trip to the capital.
"Oppa, here."
"Thank you..."
The awkwardness of being in the same space with someone who had confessed also added to the tension.
Louise handed me a cookie with a bright smile. It felt awkward to ept it, but rejecting it would be even worse, so I took it with trembling hands. Even a small rejection could be seen as something else by Louise.
"I added a special ingredient this time!"
I nced at Louise as I took a bite, and our eyes met. Her expression was as cheerful as ever, just like before the confession.
"Really?"
¡°Are you curious?¡±
I wasn''t particrly curious, but the excitement in her eyes made me hesitate. She seemed really eager to reveal the ingredient.
When I nodded slightly at her obvious question, Louise leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"My love."
Dear God.
I instinctively almost looked away. The fact that I managed to keep a straight face was remarkable.
Calm down.
My hands trembled for a different reason now. She might start crying if I did anything wrong.
Louise stepped back a few steps, her face reddening although she remained smiling. She seemed embarrassed, too. If I reacted badly, it would shatter her.
It was a shame that it was her bold confession that put me in this position.
I guess that¡¯s first love for you.
I felt a bit sorry for her. Louise had received a lot of love but never knew how to express it due to her childhood trauma.
So, her old-fashioned way of expressing love wasn''t that surprising.
Or maybe not?
On second thought, this continent had a medieval European vibe. So, what seemed old-fashioned to me might be modern here.
Maybe Louise had studied thetest methods of courtship. She tried hard, but the results were odd...
"What a precious ingredient. Thank you for the food."
After some thought, I spoke quietly. As an adult, it was my duty to protect the innocent dreams of a cheerful student.
"I can make them anytime for you, oppa."
"Thank you."
My neutral reaction seemed to reassure Louise, making her smile even brighter. Her face remained flushed, but she acted as if nothing had happened.
This is even scarier.
I took another bite of the cookie.
Despite her confession and despite the fact that I hadn''t responded, Louise remained cheerful. She didn''t push me or hint at anything.
She just expressed her affection, almost as if releasing pent-up feelings. In a way, this was more lethal. It felt like taking consistent, low-level damage.
Should I just leave it like this for now?
To break this strange phenomenon, I needed to give Louise a clear answer, whether to ept or reject her.
But a hasty answer would be disrespectful to Louise. Her confession was sincere, so I needed to respond with sincerity as well.
I couldn''t reject her simply because I was confused, nor could I ept just to avoid the awkwardness. I needed to find and express what I truly wanted.
...The problem was that I had been struggling to collect my thoughts and find that answer ever since the incident with the Mage Duchess.
"I''m not asking for an answer right now. It took me a long time to confess, so I''m not expecting a quick response from you, oppa."
Fortunately, Louise said that she would wait. However, just because she said that didn¡¯t mean I could rx.
Wasn¡¯t it enough that Marghetta alone was enough to drive someone crazy?
"Oh, oppa?"
I reached out and gently ced my hand on Louise''s head, gently patting her head.
"Thank you."
"Y-You''re wee..."
Louise would have normally smiled casually, but she now blushed and melted in embarrassment.
Who am I kidding?
I needed to sort out my feelings as soon as possible. For my sake, and for Louise''s.
But when should I take my hand away? It felt awkward to leave it there for too long now that it was already there.
"Did someone cast an ice spell in the club room?"
Just as the atmosphere started to be awkward, a grumbling voice came from beside me.
I turned and saw Erich aggressively biting into a pie.
"I''m freezing here. Don''t go casting spells where others are around."
"It wasn''t me."
Lather shook his head in response to Erich''sment.
Thanks to the yful banter of the members, Louise quickly stepped back and cleared her throat.
"It''s getting a bit cold now that autumn is ending, right?"
Louise said, smiling awkwardly.
At least her face looked less embarrassed than before.
Nice save.
Erich''s timely interruption helped break the awkward tension.
It was rather sad how a guy who was so perceptive about others couldn''t seem to figure out his own love life.
But it¡¯s not really my ce to talk.
A wave of guilt washed over me. From an outsider''s perspective, I was the jerk who stole his younger brother¡¯s first love. It wasn''t intentional, but that was how it turned out.
I shouldn''t be the one thinking about punching the Crown Prince. If Erich decided to punch me for what I had done, then I should take it without anyints.
Despite everything, Erich supported Louise and showed no resentment towards me. All I could do at this point was to say sorry.
I should have a talk with him.
I needed to have an honest conversation with Erich, either to apologize or to hear his hidden resentment.
That was the least I could do for a good, younger brother who supported his first love¡¯s love.
"Winter ising soon; it''s going to get even colder, huh?"
"Y-Yeah, that''s true."
...Or perhaps he was just teasing her instead of helping.
***
The words Senior said kept swirling in my mind.
¡ª I liked the Executive Manager first~ I met him before anyone else~
I couldn¡¯t get those words out of my head. It was as if they¡¯d been engraved into my brain with great care.
At first, I tried to ignore it. No matter what Senior teased me with, it didn¡¯t change the fact that I was the first to meet the Executive Manager. I met him before thedy and before the Mage Duchess. No one could beat me except Hecate.
However, that confidence crumbled in an instant.
I shouldn''t have slept.
Cold sweat trickled down my jawline. My eyes felt hot, and I was afraid tears might spill if I wasn''t careful.
You never knew when something might happen in the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. So, taking naps whenever possible was routine.
The problem was that I slept right after hearing those horrible words from Senior.
"1st Manager. I''m the boss, and you''re the subordinate."
"Marriage? With you? Me?"
"Don''t kid yourself. I interact with you because you''re my subordinate, not because I see you as a woman."
It was just for a moment. Maybe ten minutes at most?
But in that brief nap, the Executive Manager appeared in my dream. If it had just been a dream about the Executive Manager, then it would have been a pleasant nap, but I ended up hearing heart-wrenching words.
"No, that''s not true!"
I woke up in a panic. Thankfully, no one else was around.
After that painful awakening, I tried to calm myself down. It was just a dream. Just a nonsense dream. The Executive Manager never said anything like that.
I struggled to steady my trembling hands. I hadn''t shown my feelings to the Executive Manager yet, nor had I been rejected. Dreams were supposed to be the opposite of reality, right? This could actually be a good sign.
It''ll be fine...
This was all Senior''s fault for making thingsplicated with her weird remarks.
With that, I sighed and nced to the side. Themunication crystal was glowing.
Of all times...
I was in no state for a conversation, but I reached out anyway. Ignoring a work call would be a problem. Besides, it might be the Executive Manager.
¡ª Eli.
Senior''s face appeared when I activated it. It wasn''t about work or the Executive Manager.
Should I hang up?
I frowned. I was really mad at Senior right now.
Yes, I should hang up. Senior went too far this time.
¡ª Were you crying?
"I wasn''t crying!"
I responded to her provocation just before hanging up.
¡ª Good. That''s all I needed to know.
Her nonchnt response made me grit my teeth.
I should really hang up. A senior who treated their junior like this deserved to be ignored.
¡ª You''re about to see the Executive Manager soon, so you can''t be crying.
However, my hand stopped at Senior''s words.
¡ª His Highness the Crown Prince is having dinner with the Executive Manager tonight.
"Tonight...?"
¡ª Tonight.
I swallowed involuntarily. The Executive Manager wasing to the capital tonight?
¡ª And before the Crown Prince invited the Executive Manager, I happened to invite a certain Marquis''s daughter I''m close with. So, it wouldn''t be strange for the four of us to have dinner together, right?
"Uh, huh...?"
My head went nk at the sudden change in ns.
¡ª What are you doing? Get over here.
And with that, the call abruptly ended.
...
¡°S-senior Manager!"
I ran to the Senior Manager''s office as soon as I snapped back to reality.
I needed to leave early, right /genesisforsaken
Chapter 213: My Name Is... (1)
Chapter 213: My Name Is... (1)
I suddenly had this thought. I only had three meals a day. Was it really right to waste one of them on the Crown Prince?
Of course, that wasn''t right. Spending my precious evening with the Crown Prince? Should I really turn a time that should be peaceful and happy into a bothersome and annoying period?
This isn''t it.
I shuddered. Honestly, the Crown Prince would probably prefer eating alone with the Crown Princess rather than with me.
And yet, he summoned me. He chose me over spending time with his beloved Crown Princess.
"Damn it."
A curse nearly slipped out because of the thoughts I had. It didn''t make sense.
If the Crown Prince was calling me, then it meant that something significant enough to prioritize my summoning had happened, something like the assault on royalty incident or the unauthorized execution of prisoners.
But nothing came to mind. If it was something that warranted my summoning, I would know, but no matter how much I thought about it, there was no reason for this sudden call."It can''t be just to praise me.
A meal to reward a loyal subject? Unfortunately, the Crown Prince wasn''t the type to do such things.
Besides, when he praised someone, he usually gave them something shiny and gold. I had received so much of that over the past two years. The problem was that I didn''t have the time to use it.
I guess I''ll find out when I get there.
In the end, I concluded that I had to go in person. Even if this conclusion hadn¡¯t been reached, I would¡¯ve had to go quietly, anyway.
Surely it wasn¡¯t because of the Mage Duchess. That jerk might be a mad dog, but he wasn¡¯t the kind to summon someone far away just to tease and mock them.
...Right?
***
The guard at the main gate of the Crown Prince¡¯s pce opened the way naturally as soon as I arrived, like a restaurant waiter recognizing a regr customer.
He didn''t even mention that the Crown Prince was waiting. It felt oddly disheartening, as if they were saying that they wouldn¡¯t stop me from going in on my own.
Have they gotten too used to this?
I nced at the guard and walked in quietly.
It was understandable why the guard acted that way. This was already the third time I had been summoned this half of the year. For him, it must¡¯ve felt like a regr enough urrence that it had be tiresome to handle by the book.
I should make sure there wasn¡¯t a fourth time. At this rate, the guard might wee me while lying down.
"Executive Manager."
"Ah, butler. It''s been a while."
Not long after entering the pce, the butler managing the Crown Prince¡¯s residence greeted me.
Seeing the butler made me feel oddly at ease. I hadn¡¯t visited for disciplinary reasons in a while. Now, it felt real that I was visiting for a dinner invitation and not a disciplinary action.
"Yes, it''s been a while. I heard that you visited a few times, but we never met."
"Haha. The butler must¡¯ve been busy, so it can¡¯t be helped."
The butler mentioned it lightly, seemingly sharing the same sentiment.
Coming as a guest rather than because of trouble... even I knew that wasn¡¯t normal. It made me feel somewhat small.
Noticing my reaction, the butler smiled slightly and turned away as if asking me to follow him.
"Still, it''s a pleasure to host two distinguished guests today. It makes all the hard work worthwhile."
"Two?"
That was unexpected. The Crown Prince, buried under his duties, rarely invited people to the pce.
Instead of inviting someone, he¡¯d usemunication crystals to contact them. If a face-to-face meeting was necessary, then he¡¯d surprise them by visiting their office. It was enough to make the victim cry from the Crown Prince¡¯s wickedness.
"Yes, the Crown Princess has also invited a guest."
"I see."
I nodded at the answer. Yes, it was hard to imagine that the Crown Prince would invite someone. Imagining him cornering someone was easy, though.
"Executive Manager, I need to ask for your consent regarding something."
"Go ahead. What could I possibly refuse in the Crown Prince¡¯s residence?"
I replied lightly to the butler, who cautiously spoke. In the Crown Prince¡¯s pce, the wishes of the Crown Prince and Princess took precedence. My opinion as a mere guest didn¡¯t matter.
Still, I rxed my expression naturally. The butler surely knew this obvious fact. Yet, the fact that he asked for my consent showed his respect for me.
Courtesy begets courtesy. The Crown Prince could learn a thing or two from him.
"Thank you. It was an awkward thing to ask, but you¡¯ve given me courage."
The butler, still smiling, paused briefly before continuing.
"The Crown Princess''s guest is still staying at the pce. It seems they will be here for quite some time..."
"It¡¯s always fun to have a meal with more people."
"Haha, thank you again."
I could guess what he was going to say, so I answered first. If the guest was still here, then it made sense to have them join us for the meal unless they were fasting.
Actually, this worked out well. Since I didn''t know why the Crown Prince summoned me, it was better to have as much protection as possible.
The Crown Princess would be a useful deterrent. Plus, if the guest was someone the Crown Princess personally invited, then even the Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t act recklessly in front of them.
How lucky.
I felt satisfied. It seemed that Enen hadn''tpletely abandoned me.
"But butler, who exactly is the Crown Princess''s guest?"
This important shield against the Crown Prince... I should at least know who it was to properly thank them and offer some ttery.
Who is it?
I tried to guess. If they epted the invitation, then they must be living in the capital. Besides, being close enough to dine with the Crown Princess suggested that they were rather close to her.
Could it be the youngdy from the Marquis of Diso? Or maybe from the Marquis of Lifur? Perhaps the Countess of Johannes?
"Ah. It''s someone you know well, Executive Manager."
At my question, the butler''s previously gentle expression changed.
Why did I even ask? He looked like he was waiting for me to ask.
"It¡¯s Lady Elizabeth from the Marquis of Massello."
"...What?"
My mind went nk for a moment.
***
While cutting my steak, I nced up.
When I did, I saw a woman quietly moving her knife as well. Her long white hair was neatlybed, and her red eyes, which were usually filled with madness or mischief, were calm. She wore a white dress instead of the usual ck prosecutor¡¯s uniform.
Is that... really the 1st Manager?
It felt surreal. She was the 1st Manager, but she didn''t look like it. I knew her face, but she seemed so unfamiliar.
"Wow, what a coincidence. I didn''t expect to see the Executive Manager here."
"Indeed. It is quite the coincidence."
The Crown Princess broke the silence, and the Crown Prince quickly responded.
Coincidence?
The absurdity of it made me nce at the Crown Prince, who just silently sipped his wine.
That bastard probably knew it was nonsense.
This isn''t a coincidence.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were very close. There was no way they didn''t know who the other invited. They were definitely aware and nned this.
It wasn''t a coincidence but a setup. They arranged this to bring me and the 1st Manager together.
But why?
That was the issue. Why would the Crown Prince and Crown Princess go to such lengths to arrange this?
I thought I''d understand why I was called once I epted the invitation, but it only got more confusing instead.
Fear of the unknown.
I lowered my eyes quietly. Ignorance and the unknown were truly terrifying...
***
It felt so suffocating. I wanted to escape immediately.
However, I silently sliced the meat under Senior¡¯s piercing re.
I just need to keep holding on.
Senior would be furious if my appearance even slightly faltered. She really hated seeing her work ruined.
"...What''s with that outfit?"
"What''s wrong with it? It''sfortable."
I had rushed over after getting permission to leave work early, but Senior criticized my attire instead of giving me a warm greeting.
"You look like you''re going to be a guest at someone else''s wedding while everyone else is in their wedding dresses."
Her words almost made me cry. Why did she have to be so specific? It felt like she saw the future or something.
"If you keep acting like this, nothing will change. You need to show the Executive Manager a new side of you."
"But I want to be myself in front of him..."
"And all you''ve done is give him more stress."
If she weren''t the Crown Princess, I might have hit her.
Anyway, she insisted that I needed to stand out, not blend in, and brought a dress. A flowy, white dress that looked like it would tear if I moved too much.
"Ugh, I hate this."
"Can''t I just wear my uniform? It would make me look closer to the Executive Manager, right?"
"People should wear what suits them..."
The dress was so ufortable that I couldn''t stopining.
"Just wear it! Don''t waste your perfectly fine face!"
"Ow, that hurts!"
In the end, I got a good thrashing on the back from Senior.
"You don''t have anything going for you besides your face, so use it!"
"That''s so mean!"
...Thinking about it, she might have knocked some sense into me.
So, I reluctantly wore the ufortable dress.
Senior nodded in satisfaction, and the maid who came inter to do my makeup said that I looked pretty, but it didn''t really hit home. How could changing my clothes make any difference?
Surprisingly, it did. I¡¯d been feeling the Executive Manager''s subtle nces at me since earlier.
He was acting like he wasn''t looking, but he was sneaking peeks. He pretended to ignore me, then nced again.
Hehe.
I felt proud. See? The Executive Manager did have an interest in me.
I put in just a little effort, and he was already looking. This showed that he always had feelings for me.
Thank you, senior.
My earlier resentment turned into overwhelming gratitude. Seeing my look of thanks, Senior smiled slightly and mouthed something.
I couldn''t hear it, but reading lips was a basic skill in the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. It wasn''t hard to understand her.
Don''t get cocky... just confess.
True to her straightforward nature, she urged me to look at the Executive Manager. I was nning to confess, anyway. My dreamst night was too terrible.
The Executive Manager seemed interested in me and Senior was cheering me on, so now was the perfect time. I could express my feelings to him now.
¡°...¡±
But contrary to my determination, I just opened and closed my mouth without saying anything.
This was strange. Why couldn''t I speak? This was the right moment. If I spoke now, everything would be resolved.
...We¡¯re still eating.
After thinking it over, I realized the reason why. It would be inappropriate to confess during a meal.
Yes, that was why. It wasn¡¯t because I had cold feet.
I was from a noble family, after all. I must also observe proper etiquette.
...
Creak¡ª
"...Crown Princess?"
"Oh, sorry. My hand slipped for a moment."
I pretended not to hear the sound of Senior¡¯s knife grinding against her /genesisforsaken
Chapter 214: My Name Is... (2)
Chapter 214: My Name Is... (2)
I quietly turned to look at the Executive Manager. It seemed that my n to surprise him with something out of the ordinary was sessful, seeing how he kept ncing at Eli.
It worked.
Of course it did. I nned this myself; there was no way it would fail.
The Executive Manager wasn''t the type to lose hisposure around women, but it was only natural to do a double-take when someone you knew well dressed differently.
Moreover, Eli was a beauty. I wasn¡¯t saying this as her senior, but from an objective standpoint. Even though her personality and mannerisms were somewhat unbing, she was a beauty that everyone would admire once she ced effort into her appearance.
Then, I turned my attention to Eli.
...Should I kill her?
That thought sprang to mind the moment I saw her.
_Hold it in,_my rational self said. Everything would be ruined if I got angry now.This is so frustrating.
I couldn''t help but clench my fist. I even ended up scratching the te with my knife.
I felt like I was about to explode. The usually talkative girl was just sitting there silently like she was praying in church.
Why are you just sitting there with your mouth shut?
Sure, I told her to act differently, and that quiet demeanor was certainly different. But did she really have to do that now?
I took a sip of wine, barely holding back a sigh. She was usually so noisy, so why was she suddenly obedient now?
This wouldn''t do. Eli needed to be striking enough to draw the Executive Manager''s attention. She shouldbine her usual lively chatter with her new appearance. Just being different wasn''t enough.
Speak up already.
I desperately red at Eli and she shivered, perhaps feeling my stare.
Instead of trembling, she should use her mouth. Did she want to be the one throwing the bouquet, or the one catching it?
There won''t be a next time.
Failing here meant more than just missing an opportunity. This was a ce implicitly endorsed by the Crown Prince and Princess, and the element of surprise due to her new appearance could only be used once.
If Eli didn''t speak up now, then there would never be another chance for her to confess. It was no different from trying to walk to a ce you couldn''t reach even by carriage.
"The Executive Manager seems to have many connections with beautiful women."
Just as I was contemting flipping the table to change the atmosphere, His Highness spoke.
It was a blunt remark that could provoke the Executive Manager. However, it was a blessing in disguise right now. Emphasizing that many people were after the Executive Manager might finally get Eli to act.
As expected, Eli flinched at His Highness''s words.
"...It¡¯s an honor I don¡¯t deserve."
The Executive Manager, who had paused for a moment, spoke calmly.
He''s flustered.
Looking closely, the corner of his eyes twitched slightly. Despite his words, he seemed quite shaken inside.
I''m sorry, Executive Manager.
After apologizing to him inwardly, I opened my mouth. Attacking him together with His Highness felt a bit mean, but I was doing this for my junior''s sake.
Besides, I believed that this was also for the Executive Manager''s benefit in the long run. Wasn''t this giving him a chance to get a pretty and lively bride like Eli? Thus, it was definitely for his benefit.
"Fufu, that¡¯s indeed true. With Lady Marghetta, the Mage Duchess, and Lady Elizabeth, there''s quite a lineup."
With that, the Executive Manager''s gaze turned to Eli.
Yes, this was how it should be. I needed to keep mentioning Eli and make the Executive Manager look at her more.
Nothing would happen if none of them acted. Shy crushes and destiny-driven connections only existed in fairy tales. Results didn''te from passiveness.
"Yes, the 1st Manager seems to have quite a lineup herself. I wonder who¡¯ll end up with her."
The Executive Manager, after a moment of contemtion, spoke softly.
Eli was currently my guest. So even though it seemed like he was just being polite rather than sincere, it didn''t matter. The important thing was that he said something positive.
Now''s the time.
I turned to Eli again. Say something. At least something like, ¡®You should end up with me, Executive Manager!¡¯
"Hehe..."
But Eli only let out a sillyugh and quietly sipped her wine.
...
Should I kill her?
Don''t hold it in, my rational self.
Today was Eli''sst supper. Let¡¯s just wait until tomorrow.
***
I thought my heart was going to drop when the Crown Prince suddenly started talking about destiny and connections. I was convinced that this crazy guy was going to pull some inappropriate stunt right in front of the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess fortunately took it in stride, and the matter died down quickly after a few words. It seemed like it wasn''t anything serious, after all.
That jerk scared me.
They said that not even a dog gets disturbed while eating. Was I so low that even a dog would pity me? I felt like crying.
...Well, dogs weren''t disturbed because they might bite back, but I couldn''t exactly bite the Crown Prince, could I?
Anyway, the rest of the meal went smoothly. We had dessert and after-dinner drinks.
"It was a pleasant time, Your Highness."
The invitation ended as uneventfully as it had begun, leaving me with no idea why I was called here.
I couldn''t understand it. Could it be that he really invited us just to eat together? Was it possible that he had no ulterior motive?
"I felt the same. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to have such gatherings more often."
"It would be an honor."
Seeing the Crown Prince smiling while saying such terrifying things confused me even more. Since he hadn''t mentioned anything, it seemed that he genuinely had no other purpose.
They also said people acted out of character when their time was near.
Was my prayer only half-answered?
I had wished for his long life and health, but all he got was an illness. I hadn''t prayed for his quick end, either.
"Executive Manager."
"Yes, Your Highness."
While I was lost in nonsensical thoughts, the Crown Princess who was standing next to the Crown Prince spoke.
"Could you take Lady Elizabeth home if it''s not too much trouble?"
I nced at the 1st Manager. She was heavily intoxicated and was leaning on the Crown Princess for support.
Most people would consider this highly improper, but neither the Crown Princess nor the Crown Prince showed any reaction, as if it was perfectly normal.
Their favoritism is scary.
A daughter of a marquis close to the Crown Prince and Princess¡ªthis sounded fine until you realize that she was also the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s 1st Manager. Her status and job were aplete mismatch.
I still couldn''t understand why she stayed in the Prosecutors'' Office when her resignation would be epted instantly if she submitted it. What did she like so much about working in the Prosecutors'' Office?
"Of course, Your Highness."
I picked up the heavily intoxicated 1st Manager from the Crown Princess¡¯s side.
The smell of alcohol hit me as I draped her arm over my shoulder. Just how much did she drink?
"Please take good care of her, Executive Manager."
The Crown Princess gave me a slight smile as she watched us.
***
I knew the way to the 1st Manager''s house, so it wasn''t difficult to find. The only annoying part was supporting her while walking.
Why did she drink so much?
I looked at the groaning luggage beside me. This wasn''t even a party; it was just a simple dinner. She was the first person I had ever seen to get drunk in such a situation.
Even with a lot of after-dinner drinks, most people would just feel a bit tipsy. Getting so drunk to the point of being unable to stand was very rare.
...But the Crown Princess seemed to drink just as much, didn''t she?
Did I see it wrong?
That must¡¯ve been the case. I had never heard of any rumors about the Crown Princess being a heavy drinker.
I suppressed my annoyance and quietly walked on. Honestly, I felt like saying, ''From today, your home is here,'' then leave her on the street. But she had gone through the trouble of dressing up, so I couldn''t do that.
Because she looked like a noblewoman and not just the 1st Manager, I couldn¡¯t treat her harshly. Appearances really did matter.
She usually never wears this kind of thing.
If she could dress like this all along, then why didn¡¯t she before...?
If she had always dressed this way, then she would have been married long ago. I didn¡¯t know who the unlucky man would be, but someone would have taken her as his bride.
"E-executive Manager¡"
"Are you feeling better?"
After groaning for quite some time, the 1st Manager finally made a coherent sound.
"Hehe... I''m feeling a bit better now."
She lifted her head and smiled awkwardly.
Of course, she didn''t look better at all. Her face was flushed from the alcohol, and there were slight tears in her eyes. Was it from a headache? How much did she drink?
"I can walk by myself."
"Walking on all fours isn¡¯t walking."
"I¡¯m serious!"
The 1st Manager shouted and pushed my hand away, trying to walk on her own.
Of course, she didn''t make it far before copsing.
"Take my hand. If you¡¯re going to lie down, do it on a bed."
Seeing her pitifully sitting on the ground made me sigh. I had been careful not to dirty her dress, but she ruined it herself in an instant.
All my efforts were wasted...
"Executive Manager..."
"What is it?"
"Executive Manageeeeer..."
However, she kept mumbling instead of taking my hand.
This annoyingly drunk habit of being difficult was wearing my patience thin.
"You won¡¯t ever get married if you keep getting drunk like this."
With a small sigh, I grabbed her shoulders. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if she were wearing her Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s uniform since people would avoid getting involved.
But a finely dresseddy acting like this could attract attention, and rumors about her sprawling on the ground could spread. Her chances of marriage might already be slim, but appearing undignified was unlikely to help.
"It¡¯s fine... I probably won¡¯t get married anyway..."
Her blunt self-awareness left me momentarily speechless.
Sure. I¡¯d vaguely thought the same, but hearing it from her own mouth was a bit too much.
"What do youck that you can¡¯t get married? Where would anyone find someone like you?"
I encouraged her. Criticizing her was my right, but I wouldn¡¯t let anyone else do it. Despite her self-deprecation, I wouldn''t tolerate anyone looking down on my subordinate.
Besides, the 1st Manager had plenty of marriage-worthy qualities. Setting aside her personality, she was more than eligible.
Yes, apart from her personality.
"Really...?"
Thankfully, my words seemed tofort her a bit; she let out a small smile.
"So then... Executive Manager, could you marry me?"
"What?"
I frowned at her unexpected question.
"I¡ I really like you, Executive Manager. So much..."
Undisturbed by my reaction, she continued, giggling.
"I¡¯ve liked you since I first saw you... I really, really, really do... for two years..."
Suddenly, tears started streaming down her face.
"I liked you first... maybe not as much as Hecate, but still, more than anyone else..."
"1st Manager."
I patted her shoulder, trying to calm her down. She was out of her mind and was too drunk to control what she was saying.
Stopping her quickly was the polite thing to do. How embarrassed would she be once she sobered up?
"Don''t call me 1st Manager!"
But she pushed my hand away and yelled, crying as if she were heartbroken.
"My name is... Elizabeth... not 1st Manager, but Elizabeth!"
Her words made me freeze.
"...I know, I know very well... that you only call me by my title... I know why..."
After shouting, she continued in a softer voice.
"But still... Not being called by my name by the man I love... do you know how sad that is?"
Tears streamed down her face as she smiled distortedly.
Her white hair looked especially feeble under the /genesisforsaken
Chapter 215: My Name Is... (3)
Chapter 215: My Name Is... (3)
It felt like time had stopped for a moment. If it weren''t for the faint sound of sniffling, I would have thought it really happened.
What on earth?
I felt like I was going to lose it. Was I drunk, too? Maybe I was so drunk that my ears had malfunctioned or something. I couldn¡¯t believe what I had just heard.
It was the 1st Manager. I had never imagined hearing a confession from anyone, let alone from her. I couldn''t have imagined the three earlier confessions that had already shaken me, but this was on another level.
For two years, I had experienced every possible situation with the 1st Manager and had developed a mix of love and hate. I saw our rtionship as more of a family bond than anything romantic.
It was just me, then.
Apparently, I was the only one who thought of our workce as a kind of family. Or maybe the 1st Manager thought so too, but the problem was that for her, this family was meant to be a couple rather than siblings.
I almost sighed instinctively, but I quickly bit my lip. Sighing now would only tear apart the 1st Manager¡¯s already fragile mental state.
I¡¯m already torn apart.Suddenly, I felt a surge of resentment. It honestly felt like I was going crazy too, so why should I have to take care of someone else¡¯s sanity?
Of course, I had to. No matter how annoying and difficult she might be, she was still my subordinate. She had been one of the few to support me when I first became a manager and the Finance Department was still in chaos.
Suppressing myplicated feelings, I checked on the 1st Manager. She just let her tears fall silently, trying to stifle her sobs while looking up at me with tear-stained eyes.
The silence was scarier. I almost wished she would just yell at me like before.
"My name is... Elizabeth... not 1st Manager, but Elizabeth!"
Hearing her anguished voice in my mind made me feel bitter, but at least I understood the pain she had been holding in.
Yes, names were important. How heartbreaking and sad must it be when the person you loved didn¡¯t even call you by your name?
I never imagined that I would be the person she loved, but still, it was my fault.
I didn¡¯t see thising.
My small habit had turned into a huge problem. I should have called her by her name at least in private.
Sighing internally for what seemed like the hundredth time, I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket. Her makeup was smudged, and she looked like a mess.
I reached out and gently wiped her face. Then, I noticed a glimmer of hope in the 1st Manager¡¯s eyes.
¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
I apologized for the pain she had held inside for two years because I hadn¡¯t called her by her name, but she seemed to interpret my apology differently; the hope in her eyes quickly turned to despair.
¡°Oh... oh no...¡±
Despite my efforts, tears began to flow from her eyes again.
¡°E-Executive Manager...!¡±
¡°Hey, don¡¯t move so suddenly!¡±
Trembling, she tried to stand up but immediately fell down. She had been sitting for too long and her legs were weak. Apart from that, she was also drunk, making it hard for her to steady herself.
It happened so suddenly that I couldn¡¯t catch her in time.
¡°...Are you okay?¡±
Seeing her groan on the floor made me sigh. Why does she keep showing me such pitiful sights?
But the 1st Manager didn¡¯t seem to care about my concern. She grabbed the hem of my clothes with trembling hands, looking up at me desperately.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m so sorry... It¡¯s my fault...¡±
She repeated her apology, clutching my clothes tighter as if afraid that I would leave her.
She was clearly misunderstanding something. Perhaps she took my apology negatively.
Seeing her repeat the same words like a broken record made me speechless. I needed to exin it to her quickly, but I missed the right timing.
¡°Hic¡ªI¡¯m sorry for being so cheeky, for n-not listening to you, for always doing weird things...Hic¡ªI¡¯m sorry¡¡±
Seemingly terrified by my silence, the 1st Manager became even more frantic, her words bing more incoherent.
¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡ªI was wrong... I thought being friendly and acting like family would make you like me more...¡±
Her words brought back memories of the past two years. She had indeed followed the ¡®let¡¯s be casual¡¯ rule better than anyone.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for overstepping and for being annoying...! I just liked you so much... I thought you wouldn¡¯t notice me otherwise...!¡±
Tears mixed with her words as she spoke with rising emotion.
She had certainly caught my attention with her antics. However, whether that was the attention she wanted was another matter.
Seeing her now, it was clear that I hadn¡¯t given her the response she was hoping for.
¡°I¡¯ll listen to you from now on. I won¡¯t be cheeky or overstep...!¡±
My own mouth remained stubbornly closed as she continued.
This was the first time. I had never seen the 1st Manager look so desperate and miserable before. Even when she was nervous, she always managed to force a rxed smile. No matter what happened, she would alwaysugh it off.
¡°So please, just one chance, just give me one chance¡¡±
She pleadingly raised one of her hands which had been clutching my clothes, her index finger trembling as she raised it. Her smile looked like it would shatter with a single touch.
¡°I-I¡¯ll do better if you give me just one chance! I¡¯ll listen, I-I¡¯ll do what you say, and if you tell me to be quiet, I¡¯ll be quiet¡¡±
¡°1st Manager.¡±
My mouth finally opened, but once again, I called her by the title that had stuck for two years.
¡°I promise! I promise I¡¯ll really do so well that you¡¯ll be surprised! I¡¯ll do amazingly well! So, please, please¡¡±
The smile she had tried so hard to keep crumbled instantly. The expression on the 1st Manager¡¯s face was oddly familiar. Where had I seen that again?
Yes, it was before I possessed this body. That was the same expression that the children in the orphanage searching for their mother had, even though they knew they¡¯d been abandoned and would never see her again.
Damn it.
Why did I have to see that expression here?
¡°No matter how many times it takes... please, don¡¯t just say you¡¯re sorry or that you hate me¡¡±
The 1st Manager lowered her head, her shoulders shaking. Then, the sobbing started. It was like the crying of a child who couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore.
¡°¡Elizabeth.¡±
I draped my coat over her shoulders.
This time, I managed to call her by her name. Someone might have died if I had called her ¡®1st Manager¡¯ again.
She looked up, surprised.
¡°Can we talk for a bit?¡±
First, I needed to clear up this strange misunderstanding.
***
I used to have a habit of calling other civil servants only by their titles. After sending off those guys from the North and Hecate left my side, I avoided calling other civil servants by their names. After all, the people I got close to by name all disappeared.
So, I stuck to titles. Whether in public or private and whether I knew them well or not, I always used titles.
Yes, I used to do that. But now¡ª
"That''s not the case anymore."
It was a superstition that was practically meaningless now. I just kept it up out of habit.
And the habit of not calling names out of fear of death? It was a superstition that was hard to keep up for long.
If that were true, I¡¯d be calling the Crown Prince¡¯s name all the time.
Gilbert, Gilbert, Gilbert, Gilbert. I could shout that bastard¡¯s name 30 times a day.
¡°But, Executive Manager, you always call us by our titles¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s just a habit.¡±
Maybe it was because my mind was stronger than I thought or maybe I had already found peace, but the superstition faded quickly.
Especially after confiding in Marghetta, it almost disappeared. Some people said that these things couldst a lifetime, but two years wasn¡¯t that long.
Even so, I stuck to the titles out of convenience.
¡°Besides, there wasn¡¯t anyone to call by name.¡±
Right after the war when I became the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, there weren¡¯t any civil servants close enough for me to call by name.
The Minister? Who would call their superior, who was old enough to be their father, by their name?
Other Executive Managers? They were much older than me, and we weren¡¯t close enough for first names.
As for the other civil servants, calling them by name would have made them nervous, like a child hearing their full name from their parents on report card day.
¡°Then, what about us¡?¡±
I scratched my head as I looked at the 1st Manager, whose eyes were still brimming with tears. There wasn¡¯t a special reason. It was just easier.
Calling her name took four sybles, Lafayette took three. But calling them 1st Manager and 2nd Manager was much simpler. Besides, wasn¡¯t it a bit awkward when a boss called you by your first name?
I¡¯d feel uneasy if the Minister called me Carl instead of ¡®hey, you.¡¯
"I''m sorry. I should have called you by your name."
"..."
The 1st Manager remained silent despite my heartfelt apology.
Understanding how she felt, I waited patiently. Considering she had mistaken my apology for a rejection and cried alone, she probably wanted to escape right now.
After a few attempts to speak, the 1st Manager nodded and looked at me.
"Then, does that mean I''m not dumped yet...?"
"Yes."
At those words, she burst into tears again.
This was driving me crazy.
***
I woke up with a headache.
Then, the vivid memories of yesterday rushed back like a storm.
"My name is... Elizabeth... not 1st Manager, but Elizabeth!"
Ah, no way...
"But still... Not being called by my name by the man I love... do you know how sad that is?"
Please, no...
¡°I-I¡¯ll do better if you give me just one chance! I¡¯ll listen, I-I¡¯ll do what you say, and if you tell me to be quiet, I¡¯ll be quiet¡¡±
Aaah...
¡°No matter how many times it takes... please, don¡¯t just say you¡¯re sorry or that you hate me¡¡±
Aaaaaaaahhh!!!
I¡¯ve gone crazy!
The unbearable memories made my hands and feet tremble, and my body curled up.
I lost it. I really lost it because of the alcohol. I couldn¡¯t distinguish between what should be said and what should be kept forever.
And then, my struggling body froze as I remembered the Executive Manager¡¯s words.
"I can¡¯t give you an answer right away. I haven¡¯t responded to the person who confessed first."
"Even though you¡¯ve acted out, not listened, and done strange things¡ª"
"Hmph..."
"I¡¯ve grown quite fond of you. I¡¯ll seriously consider it."
I touched the shoulder that the Executive Manager patted back then.
Seriously...
A smile crept up. The Executive Manager said he would seriously consider forming a rtionship with me. He said he would seriously think about my confession.
Then, wasn¡¯t the oue obvious? There was no way the Executive Manager would reject someone as perfect as me, right?
¡°No matter how many times it takes... please, don¡¯t just say you¡¯re sorry or that you hate me¡¡±
Just as my confidence started to swell, the instinctive memory of my embarrassing behavior made me il around in bed again.
It was over. My confidence and dignity as a woman crumbled that day. Now, I¡¯d have to live as aplete subordinate in front of the Executive Manager.
Kicking the nket off my body, I began my energetic morning when themunication crystal next to me lit up.
"...Who is it?"
Hoping it might be the Executive Manager, I answered with trembling hands.
¡ª It''s me.
Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the Executive Manager but Senior.
Still, this was good timing. I needed to tell her about my sessful confession, anyway.
...Though the murderous look in her eyes was a bit scary, Senior had helped me a lot.
"Senior, I actually had something to tell you."
¡ª What, yourst words? You should save those for your family.
"I confessed to the Executive Manager."
Senior¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at my /genesisforsaken
Chapter 216: My Name Is... (4)
Chapter 216: My Name Is... (4)
The 1st Manager, who was now at peace, arrived safely at her mansion. Even though she handled her liquor well, it was worrying to think that she might regret everything tomorrow once she woke up.
I let out a sigh of relief after making sure that the 1st Manager was escorted into her mansion by the maids.
Thank goodness.
I almost made her cry again at thest moment. I ended up saying something quite risky, perhaps because I was also dazed.
¡°I¡¯ve grown quite fond of you. I¡¯ll seriously consider it."
That statement made me cringe even now. While it sounded like a sincere promise, it could easily be interpreted as a ssic civil servant¡¯s dodge technique.
I realized it immediately after saying it. I genuinely meant that I would consider it, but those words could be taken as a polite refusal.
Thankfully, the 1st Manager seemed to take it at face value this time.
What a relief. Another misunderstanding might have caused her to copse from dehydration.Is it really a relief?
I couldn''t help but chuckle wryly. Stopping the 1st Manager''s tears was good, but my own dilemma was far from over.
After the Mage Duchess was Louise and Irina, and now even the 1st Manager. It was baffling how the confessions seemed to multiply over time. Was this some kind of glitch or bug?
How should I look at the 1st Manager now?
Honestly, the 1st Manager''s confession was quite pitiful, maybe even a bit tragic. It felt like seeing the bottom of her heart.
If it were just a simple confession, then it would¡¯ve been my problem alone to deal with. But I felt at a loss on how to face her from then on after seeing her beg and cry.
...It''ll be fine.
Yes, I''ll just trust in the 1st Manager. With her remarkable resilience and lively nature, she''ll just act like nothing happened. Then, I''d just follow her lead.
What happened today reinforced my decision.
I won''t go back to the capital for a while.
For the sake of my mental health, I wouldn''t even look at the capital.
I knew I made this resolve before and failed miserably, but I believe that this time would be different.
Please, let it be.
***
I dyed my return to the academy and wandered around the capital for a while.
Visiting the tower where the Mage Duchess lived wasn¡¯t an option. The Crown Prince suggested that I return through the mages at the Crown Prince''s pce, but I figured that a short detour would be fine since there was no strict deadline.
I had intended to return immediately, but I couldn''t bring myself to go back so casually after seeing the 1st Manager''s desperate tears.
I felt the need to confide in someone and to seek advice on what to do.
But there¡¯s no one to talk to.
Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t anyone who came to mind.
Telling the Minister or the Prosecutor¡¯s Office felt like exposing the 1st Manager''s embarrassing past, and talking to Marghetta or the pastry club seemed insane.
The Crown Prince? He would just mock me, saying something like, ¡®It''s good for the Executive Manager¡¯s children to have many mothers.¡¯ And the Crown Princess would be too happy about her close friend''s marriage to care.
My social circle was so narrow that I didn¡¯t have any friends...
"That''s why I came to you."
Iughed softly, touching the gravestone.
Wasn¡¯t it ironic that I ended up here after searching for someone to talk to?
But what choice did I have? They were the only ones I could call friends, and telling them wouldn''t let the secret slip.
"I couldn''t get Boyar wine. I''ll bring it next year, so bear with this for now."
I poured some liquor I bought on the way over the gravestones. After all, it wasn¡¯t polite to ask for advice while being empty-handed.
I hesitated for a moment in front of Hecate''s gravestone, but then I poured it all.
Talking about love in front of my ex-wife...
The absurdity of the situation almost made meugh.
But what could I do? She left me. If she hadn''t left, then she would have been my only love and my only wife.
I resent you a little, no, a lot. If you hadn''t gone away, then none of this would have happened.
Of course, that resentment didn''tst long. They said that the one who fell in love was the one who lost, and I always lost to her.
"Your husband now has five potential wives."
I sat down, leaning against Hecate''s gravestone. It made me feel a bit more connected to her, even though there was only a keepsake under the stone.
"Isn''t it funny? I only wanted one, but here we are."
Iughed at my own words. Yes, I only thought of one. Up until two years ago, it was her. And recently, it was only Marghetta.
But somehow, the number grew to five, as if Enen was joking.
"You¡¯d be surprised if you knew who they are, too."
I keptughing. The youngest daughter of the Iron-Blooded Duke, a current Duke, a Baron''s daughter, and a Count''s daughter.
Add to that someone she might remember, someone who was in the Prosecutor¡¯s Office back when we were still team managers; it was that quirky girl from a Marquis¡¯s family who voluntarily joined the department. She was a manager now.
Iughed hard and then took a swig from the bottle. I bought some for myself too, thinking I couldn''t have this conversation sober.
"Hey. You said I was destined to be tied to one person. What happened?"
I took a long drink and then looked over at Oliver''s gravestone.
I knew he was a bit of a klutz, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get something like this so wrong.
"I might not be able to see the future, but I have experience. I''ve seen so many people that I can guess just by looking at their faces."
"Then why can''t you see your own future?"
"Exactly. I should be able to tell just by looking in the mirror."
I should have realized then that he couldn''t be trusted.
Another thought struck me as I drank, and I turned my gaze back.
"Did you mean being tied to a boss and not a wife?"
That made a lot of sense. After all, the Crown Prince was the one who really kept me in check. The Minister was just following orders from above.
Thinking about it that way, Oliver''s clumsy advice turned into a chilling prophecy.
I''m sorry, Oliver. I misinterpreted and med you for nothing.
You should have told me how things would turn out.
I knew it was a pointlessint, but I did it anyway.
Oliver made predictions based on experience, unlike Tannian who could actually see the future. Of course, he couldn¡¯t have known how things would turn out.
Even if he had known, how could he have said, ¡®We¡¯ll all die, and you''ll be left with many potential wives¡¯? He¡¯d have been lynched for saying that.
"Howplicated."
I murmured as I set the empty bottle on the ground. It was reallyplicated.
I felt overwhelmed by these constant confessions. It wouldn''t be fair to Hecate''s memory, or to the people involved if I were to take them lightly.
However, I also felt hesitant to reject them outright. Was I worried that things would be awkward? Partly. Or was it because of my feelings for Hecate? That was one of the reasons, too.
But honestly, was it just because of my feelings for Hecate?
That''s just an excuse.
A thought suddenly struck me. Using Hecate as an excuse to push people away¡ªwasn''t that exploiting her memory? Was I using her as a shield because Icked the courage to be honest with my own feelings?
Hecate wouldn¡¯t resent me if I genuinely considered their confessions and epted them with sincerity. That was the kind of person she was.
On the other hand, she would be angry if I deceived myself and pretended to honor her by rejecting everyone. She¡¯d say, ¡®Are you ruining your life because of someone who¡¯s already dead?¡¯
Am I being too selfish?
Of course, I couldn''t be certain that was what Hecate would think. It was just based on my experience and spection.
And the fact that I was already leaning toward a positive interpretation showed where my heart trulyy.
I¡¯m already wavering.
A bitter smile crossed my face. My true feelings finally surfaced after getting drunk and ranting at their graves.
I didn¡¯t really dislike the confessions. In fact, I liked the idea of having people care for me.
These were people who genuinely liked me. They might even be the first real family I¡¯ve ever had.
My family...
Sure. I had the Krasius family now, but they didn¡¯t feel like my true family. Technically, I was just a thief who stole this body.
Before that, I had no family. As an orphan, the best I could do was to consider the other kids and the orphanage director as my family.
But these new bonds were different. They stemmed from my own actions and efforts. These people liked me for who I was.
They would be a family created purely by my own abilities.
Nice.
I couldn¡¯t stopughing, like something inside me had broken.
The more family, the better. Having even one person care about me was already a blessing, but to have five? I should be bowing in gratitude.
...But would I really be satisfied with just five? Could someone who had already lost six potential friends or family members be content with just five?
"You crazy bastard."
I shook my head at my own ridiculous thoughts. Of course I should be satisfied. Even having one person, like Marghetta, was more than enough.
And it wasn¡¯t like there were any more people left to confess to me.
All the women I know have already confessed.
Iughed alone for a long time.
***
It was an unfamiliar sky.
"Uh, Executive Manager?"
"Ah."
And an unfamiliar voice.
I slowly got up, my body aching from sleeping outside for the first time in a while.
Then, I saw empty bottles scattered everywhere; the gravestones were still damp, and my clothes were covered in dirt. Lastly, I saw the national cemetery caretaker fidgeting, looking very uneasy.
...Ah.
"My apologies."
I had only meant to lie down for a moment but ended up sleeping through the night, right until the caretaker''s patrol.
Damn it.
My face felt hot with embarrassment. I had managed to get the 1st Manager to her mansion instead of leaving her on the street, but now I looked like a homeless drunk myself.
And I was very drunk, too. It was definitely not how I wanted anyone to see me.
"I-I''ll clean this up!"
The caretaker hurriedly rushed over as I started picking up the bottles.
"No. I brought them, so I''ll clean them up."
"It''s fine! Keeping this ce clean is my job!"
In the end, I left empty-handed, pushed out by the determined caretaker.
Damn it.
I really shouldn¡¯te back to the capital until the New Year¡¯s Ball.
I wouldn¡¯t be a man but a beast if I came back before /genesisforsaken
Chapter 217: A Day to Remember (1)
Chapter 217: A Day to Remember (1)
I dashed towards the Crown Prince''s pce after being caught sleeping by the cemetery caretaker with the sky as my nket and the ground as my pillow. I was determined to avoid anyone along the way, even if it meant knocking them out.
Though it hadn''t been long since the incident and it was highly unlikely that anyone else knew about my embarrassing disy, I couldn''t bear the thought of facing other people. It felt like I¡¯d interpret even a simple morning greeting like ¡®Good morning¡¯ as ¡®How did sleeping outside feel like?¡¯
So when I saw the Crown Princess at the pce gate, my blood ran cold.
Should I knock her out?
My resolve to avoid anyone was so strong that my hands trembled at the thought.
I never imagined that I would run into the Crown Princess. Was not meeting the daughter of the Invincible Duke too much to ask?
"Good morning, Executive Manager."
As I stood there, half-drunk and lost in thought, the Crown Princess greeted me with a smile that could warm anyone''s heart.
Seeing that smile, a wave of shame washed over me.I''m so sorry, Your Highness. How could I even think such a thing?
"Yes, Your Highness. Seeing you really does make the morning good."
¡°Fufu, really?¡±
The Crown Princessughed softly as I bowed my head in response, easing my guilt a little.
"But Your Highness, the weather is quite cold. Why are you outside?"
I carefully lifted my head and asked.
It wasn''t a pleasant morning for a walk. It was chilly as winter was fast approaching.
"I was waiting for you. I heard you hadn''t returned to the academy yet, so I thought you must still be in the pce."
"Forgive me, Your Highness."
I quickly bowed my head at her words.
Damn it.
It was frustrating. If I had known that this would happen, then I would''ve just returned instead of wandering around and making her wait.
Fortunately, the Crown Princess didn''t seem to hold it against me. She gently patted my shoulder and spoke softly.
"It''s fine. I just came out, so I haven''t been waiting long."
"But still, making Your Highness wait¡ª"
"It''s really fine. I wanted to thank you in person, and I would''ve been disappointed if I missed you."
I nced up at her words. Thank me? Why would she need to thank me?
Before I could ask, she smiled and continued.
"Lady Elizabeth is a very dear junior to me."
"Ah."
I nodded, understanding what she meant.
I also felt relieved. So the 1st Manager didn''t bite her tongue and copse. Thank God she had an incredibly strong will.
"Both the Crown Prince and I have beenforted by Lady Elizabeth at times. She was one of the few who genuinely celebrated our marriage."
"She¡¯s a good junior, indeed."
"Yes, a truly good one."
The Crown Princess''s smile didn''t fade as she reminisced.
"Now that she''s found her own path, how could I not be happy?"
Her voice was filled with relief and joy that was evident to anyone listening. It was clear how much she cared for the 1st Manager.
It never ceased to amaze me. How could someone as refined as the Crown Princess be so close to the 1st Manager? How did they be friends? Did the 1st Manager use some kind of brainwashing app?
So that''s why she''s so good at gathering information.
If she was using a brainwashing app, then her interrogation results would indeed be impressive.
"Of course, Lady Elizabeth''s path is one she will not walk alone but will build together with others."
The gentle tone made it difficult for me to respond. It was a statement that was ambiguous to agree or disagree with.
If I agreed, then it would seem like I epted the 1st Manager''s confession; if I disagreed, it would imply that I was rejecting her...
"We don''t know if it can truly be built together."
Understanding my hesitation, the Crown Princess patted my shoulder again.
"Just giving Lady Elizabeth... I mean, Eli, the opportunity to dream and the promise to see her fully is already enough for me to be immensely grateful to you, Executive Manager."
Her face seemed almost serene, as if she had finally found peace within herself.
Your Highness, you must have endured so much.
***
I returned to the academy with the Crown Princess seeing me off.
At least I didn''t see the Crown Prince since he was busy with work. If I had seen that guy first thing in the morning, it would have ruined my day.
What a mess.
A faint smell became more noticeable as I changed locations. Unfortunately, it seemed to being from me.
The stench of alcohol fromst night and the wild scent I acquired from rolling on the ground was an incredibly disgraceful smell to carry in an academic setting.
Damn it.
My head ached, not from a hangover, but from the sheer embarrassment of it all. An Executive Manager who got drunk and slept in the empire¡¯s cemetery... This would be the talk of the social circles for a long time, an eternal ck mark on my record and a disgrace of my own making.
At least it was a ck mark with no witnesses. If someone had caught me in the act, I might have had to resign and disappear. So technically, things could be worse.
...Damned alcohol.
I tried to console myself, but the mere thought of alcohol made that self-constion waver.
If it had been anything else, then it wouldn''t have been so bad. If I''d eaten something and caused a scene, it wouldn''t be this embarrassing. But no, it just fucking had to be alcohol.
¡ª Woohoo!
The loud voice that echoed in my mind made me squeeze my eyes shut.
Anything involving alcohol always linked back to the Wise Duchess. I could already hear the whispers: ¡®With an aunt like the Wise Duchess, no wonder the Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡¯s Executive Manager¡¡¯
Damn it.
There was no stopping my reputation from being wrecked now. I should just focus on washing up and taking care of my mental health...
¡ªBut even that n was shattered before it began.
¡ª Oh, Executive Manager. Is your back alright? It''s been a while since youst slept on the ground.
"Shut up."
The 2nd Manager contacted me as soon as I entered my quarters, hitting me with my embarrassing story right away.
I expected him to find out quickly given his knack for digging up news, but I didn''t think it would be this fast. Or maybe the rumors were spreading faster than I anticipated.
¡ª Hey, why are you so serious? You should ept your subordinate''s sincere concern with a smile.
My grip tightened on themunication crystal when the 2nd Managerughed.
Magic needed to be more advanced than it already was. I really needed a spell that would allow me to punch someone through themunication crystal. If anyone could manage that, then it would be the Mage Duchess.
Afterughing for a while, the 2nd Manager lowered his voice and spoke.
¡ª Anyway, I''m doing my best to suppress the rumors about the 1st Manager. Completely stopping them is impossible, but I''m doing what I can.
"...Good job."
I was momentarily taken aback by his unexpected words.
I had been so preupied with being caught sleeping in the cemetery that I had almost overlooked the fact that the 1st Manager had a massive breakdown.
Even though it waste at night and on a deserted street, the capital was always bustling. It wasn¡¯t unusual for there to be witnesses at any time.
It¡¯s the perfect situation for misunderstandings.
Stories of the 1st Manager crying in front of the Executive Manager could easily spark rumors of a rift within the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.
It could still cause problems even if people didn''t know that it was the 1st Manager. In fact, it might be even worse. Imagine the rumor: the Executive Manager, who had received a confession from the Mage Duchess, was making ady cryte at night. Wouldn¡¯t that be an even more sensational story than an internal division within the Prosecutor¡¯s Office?
¡ª But it was easier than I expected. You created such a big distraction that everyone focused on that instead.
"Is that so...?"
It felt strange. I was relieved, but also irritated. It was awful, but also consoling.
¡ª Besides, the 1st Manager was dressed inconspicuously. People knew someone was crying, but they didn''t know that it was her.
"That''s a relief."
¡ª There were even jokes that the person was the Mage Duchess because of her white hair.
"Fools."
I let out a chuckle. Why would the Mage Duchess evene up in this context?
I tried to imagine the Mage Duchess crying in front of me, but it was so absurd that I couldn''t even picture it. It was that imusible.
The 2nd Manager apparently felt the same as his serious expression quickly crumbled intoughter.
¡ª Anyway, congrattions on your three wives.
"What?"
¡ª Isn''t it true? The 1st Manager just arrived, looking a little too happy.
I felt a strong urge to retort after watching the 2nd Managerugh again.
It''s five, you idiot.
I barely held back the words that were on the tip of my tongue. Besides, I had a feeling that the entire empire would know by the next day if I said anything.
"Don''t worry about my wives. Take care of your own."
My counterattack shut the 2nd Manager up instantly.
He wasn¡¯t the only one who held an advantage. I knew some of his fatal secrets, too.
"It seems like you¡¯re going to get married before me."
My mocking words made the 2nd Manager''s gaze drop slightly. Seeing that was incredibly satisfying.
I knew that he was passionately involved with the minister''s niece. After all, I frequently saw him at Gerhardt''sb, and Christina herself mentioned it to me.
I hadn''t realized that the situation had escted.
¡ª The minister summoned the 2nd Manager recently. He said that they should marry immediately since they were both of age and that they¡¯d take it as the 2nd Manager toying with her if he dyed any further.
I hadughed for quite a while after hearing that from the Senior Manager. Despite his nomadic tendencies, the 2nd Manager was finally forced to settle down after getting involved with the wrong person.
"You¡¯ve dated around enough, so you should try being married now."
¡ª Why do you sound exactly like my father?
Seeing the 2nd Manager''s disgusted expression helped me understand how his father must¡¯ve felt.
The 2nd Manager must have been quite the troublemaker for his father...
He''s troubled me enough, too.
He was a subordinate who drove his superior at work crazy and was also a son who did the same at home.
What a remarkable /genesisforsaken
Chapter 218: A Day to Remember (2)
Chapter 218: A Day to Remember (2)
Only a painful silence remained after we exchanged the sharp verbal blows of ¡®You¡¯re going to have three wives,¡¯ and ¡®You''re going to get married soon¡¯.
Teasing me about having three wives was pointless since the 2nd Manager was closer to getting marriedpared to me. Meanwhile, making fun of him for getting married soon was futile because I might end up marrying multiple times.
In the end, we realized the miracle form of arguments: to hurt the other, you must hurt yourself. It was a verbal battle where only losers would remain.
¡ª Should we stop?
"Yeah."
The 2nd Manager''s suggestion for a ceasefire broke the sorrowful silence. He looked deeply troubled. Perhaps he was imagining the Minister attending his wedding as a guest.
Seeing the guy who started the taunt fall like that felt good, but my mood soured when I realized that my face probably looked the same.
What was the point of our fight, anyway?
After a brief hesitation, I spoke cautiously."Hey, but marrying Christina isn''t bad for you, right? Don''t take it too harshly."
It wouldn¡¯t be good if the groom-to-be¡¯s mood hit rock bottom like this. Although I wasn¡¯t sure when exactly they would marry, knowing the Minister¡¯s personality, it¡¯d probably be early next year at thetest.
Licking the wounds I inflicted felt weird, but I guess some constion was necessary.
"For a newly minted noble, there¡¯s no better way to join high society than marriage. You liked her from the start anyway, didn¡¯t you?"
The 2nd Manager¡¯s family, the house of Varon, was a new noble family who had just been awarded their title. Unfortunately, the old nobility wasn¡¯t too fond of neers, so breaking into their social circles was tough.
However, nobles would rush to make connections with the Varon family if this newbie was connected to the current Minister of the Ministry of Finance.
Despite my valuable advice, the 2nd Manager¡¯s expression remained grim.
¡ª I''m already popr. Is there a youngdy in the capital who doesn¡¯t know me?
"Brag as much as you want, you crazy guy."
I shouldn''t have worried. After all, the most useless concerns in the world were those about the Minister and the Managers, and I forgot that.
...Why did he agree?
The 2nd Manager¡¯s words made me puzzled. The Minister must¡¯ve known about his shy, romantic history. So why would he set the 2nd Manager up with his niece?
Though their rtionship started without the Minister¡¯s involvement, he endorsed the marriage. If it were me, I''d have ended it immediately.
There were two possibilities: it was either the Minister disliked his niece, or she was head over heels for the 2nd Manager.
Since the Minister was known for cherishing his family, it was probably thetter.
¡ª Why are you looking at me like that?
"Just because."
I studied the 2nd Manager briefly and concluded.
She must have unique tastes.
His niece must simply have an unconventional taste.
Well, she was from a good family and chose to be a master¡¯s student in a non-mainstream field. She was definitely not someone ordinary.
"Have a wonderful marriage."
An extraordinary groom and an extraordinary bride, with extraordinary guests. What a perfect match.
¡ª You hang in there too, Executive Manager. Juggling multiple women isn''t easy.
"Are you speaking from experience?"
¡ª Yes, from experience.
As soon as he said that, we both nodded.
I¡¯d have to remember what he just said and pass it on to the Minister or his niece.
***
I ended the call but couldn''t wash up and just fiddled with themunication crystal; the 2nd Manager¡¯s bombshell at the end stuck in my head.
¡ª Come to think of it, the Lady must be stressed, too. Are you dating her?
"What?"
¡ª Judging by your reaction, you haven¡¯t even thought about it.
Seeing the 2nd Manager shake his head in pity made me want to snap, but I stayed quiet since it was about Marghetta.
¡ªThe only person as troubled as you is thedy. She has to share her husband with more women now; who would be able to stay calm in that situation?
Thatment hit me hard. I hadn¡¯t thought about it because my own mental state was barely holding up.
Yeah, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be at peace. Even in a world where polygamy was normal, human emotions were a different matter. Only a madman like the Gold Duke could perfectly control those feelings.
Of course, Marghetta was probably used to polygamy, given that even the Iron-blooded Duke himself had multiple wives. Louise and Irina also said that they got Marghetta¡¯s permission.
But thistest confession was beyond Marghetta¡¯s control. She must be confused.
¡ª There will be a bloodbath if the first wife goes mad with jealousy. Don¡¯t think of her as a done deal; treat her with love.
His words were harsh but not wrong, so I didn¡¯t deny them.
"Your advice is eerily persuasive."
¡ª Well, unlike someone, I¡¯ve never been caught.
It would have been better if he hadn¡¯t said that. Damn it.
Anyway, the 2nd Manager¡¯s advice left me with a lot to think about. Marghetta must be as mentally exhausted as I was because of this unexpected confession. Yet, she hadn¡¯tined at all.
Maybe, just as the 2nd Manager suggested, I unconsciously thought of Marghetta as a done deal or a caught fish by simply assuming that she would understand and that she would be fine with everything.
I couldn¡¯t me her even if she cursed me out. If someone was precious to you, then you were supposed to treat them well, not neglect them.
This is the perfect timing.
I nced at the calendar on the table. It was almost the end of November.
And Marghetta¡¯s birthday was at the end of November. No matter how careless I was, I at least remembered that.
...What should I do?
Remembering her birthday was the bare minimum. The real issue was what I should do for her birthday.
Both Marghetta and I were stuck at the academy, so my options were limited. Even a simple outing to the city surrounding the academy would make her happy.
The problem was the gift.
I have no idea.
I couldn¡¯te up with an answer no matter how much I thought. Sadly, I had never given or received a birthday gift.
Before I possessed this body, I didn¡¯t know my own birthday and used the day I was abandoned at the orphanage instead.
It wasn¡¯t exactly a day worth celebrating and the orphanage couldn¡¯t afford gifts, so I neither received nor gave any.
And nothing changed.
The meaninglessness of my birthday continued after the possession. After all, this body¡¯s birthday wasn¡¯t mine.
So, when people tried to give me something, I usually refused or shoved it somewhere. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t even remember what I had received.
My first gift, huh.
Despite my tangled thoughts, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was my first time giving someone a birthday gift, and it was for Marghetta.
Yes. It was my first time, so I needed to think about it seriously. If needed, I should ask others for advice.
Others.
A gift suitable for a nobledy of Marghetta¡¯s age. Asking Louise would be the easiest, but¡ª
¡°Oppa. I¡¯m sorry, but could you hold your breath for three minutes? Five would be even better.¡±
I quickly abandoned that idea after the image of Louise¡¯s stern face popped up in my mind. Asking a girl who confessed to you what to get for another woman? Even the kind-hearted Louise would get angry. Irina was out for the same reason.
If I were to ignore gender and focus on age, then there was Erich. He was involved in social circles unlike me, so he probably had experience with gifts.
¡°Hyung, are you crazy?¡±
Of course, asking Erich would also be insane. Consulting him about romance, especially when he was already irritated by our family¡¯s situation, would be asking for trouble.
So, I couldn¡¯t even get proper advice from anyone. Was my social circle really this small¡ª?
¡°Ah.¡±
Just then, a good idea struck me.
***
I kept wiping my eyes with the handkerchief Laura gave me.
"Stop crying. You''ll make yourself sick."
Laura¡¯s eyes were red too, so she wasn¡¯t exactly in a position to tell me to stop crying.
She awkwardly looked away when I just stared at her without saying anything. She had been crying, too.
Of course, I understood. Crying in this situation was normal, but I just hoped that Laura could understand me, too.
Carl...
I carefully wiped away the forming tears again. The news we received this morning made it feel like the sky was falling.
¡ª Madam, I thought you should know.
It was a message from the Countess, with whom I had a close rtionship and often exchanged news.
She looked unusually uneasy, but I asked for her to go ahead since she wasn¡¯t one for idle chatter. Besides, she lived in the capital, so it might be important information.
¡ª The Executive Manager...
However, the news wasn¡¯t easy to hear.
"Is it true?"
¡ª It was hard for me to believe too, but it seems to be.
Her hesitant yet firm words made my mind go nk. If someone as prominent as the Countess said that it was true, then it must already be a fact among the social circles.
My mind went white. The news was so unbelievable and heartbreaking.
Carl, that child, was found asleep and drunk at the Imperial Cemetery where his oldrades were buried.
¡ª I¡¯m sorry to bring you such sad news, but I thought you should know.
"...Thank you, Countess."
I nodded slightly to the Countess, who looked at a loss for words, as if she were guilty.
Yes, it was indeed sad news¡ªbut all the more why I needed to know. I needed to understand his sadness and pain even a little.
So, I kept aposed expression until the call ended. As soon as I put down themunication crystal, my tears flowed uncontrobly.
"Why don¡¯t you try contacting him?"
Laura¡¯s cautious suggestion made me shake my head.
"Will he... even answer?"
Laura fell silent at that.
Carl had never shown weakness, even as a child. Even as an adult, he had shown a rather cold side.
Such a person let himself get drunk and copsed in front of a grave¡ªwould he respond if I contacted him now? Wouldn''t it just provoke him more?
"Let''s wait for now."
That was all I could say.
I hate myself for this. If I were a normal mother, then I would have had the courage to call Carl right away.
If I was, Carl would have opened up to me more.
We still have a long way to go.
I felt happy while thinking that our rtionship was finally getting better, but this reminded me that we still had a long way to go.
***
Themunication crystal lit up.
¡ª Ah, Mother.
I almost started crying again after seeing that it was a call from Carl.
¡ª I¡¯m sorry to call you suddenly, but what would be a good gift for ady?
Hearing that, the tears that threatened to fall retracted.
I nced at Laura who was standing behind me. She nodded encouragingly.
Romantic advice.
My heart, which felt like it was being torn apart, started to flutter at Carl¡¯s question.
How fickle I was. The thought that my son relied on me automatically made me feel so much better.
"Is it a gift for Lady Marghetta?"
¡ª ...Yes.
Seeing Carl nod awkwardly made me smile.
It made me realize that the distance between us wasn¡¯t as great as I thought.
How fickle of /genesisforsaken
Chapter 219: A Day to Remember (3)
Chapter 219: A Day to Remember (3)
What made a good birthday gift? Surprisingly, the answer was closer than I thought.
Advice from someone with experience is the best.
Mother. She had already married the Patriarch and had maintained a marriage of over 20 years.
In that time, they must have exchanged countless gifts. No matter how stern and serious the Patriarch was, he would have given his wife some gifts.
By referring to what Mother received, choosing a gift should be simple. I wonder why I agonized over such an easy issue.
¡ª A gift...
But seeing Mother¡¯s serious expression filled me with unease.
Did he really not give her any gifts? Seriously? If he neglected his wife, then her family would never stand for it. Did he make such a mistake?
Maybe I shouldn''t have asked.Sweat trickled down my back. It felt like I had stirred up a grievance from someone who hadn¡¯t received a gift in over 20 years.
¡ª The youngdy will like anything she receives. I loved everything Billy gave me, too.
"Is that so?"
Fortunately, her answer was very reassuring. So she wasn¡¯t worried because she didn¡¯t receive anything; she was worried because choosing something specific proved difficult.
¡ª Yes. Billy gave me so many things, but each one was incredibly precious.
Seeing Mother smile gently made me curious. She must have received quite a lot for her to speak like that. It was rather surprising that the Patriarch was so generous with gifts.
I couldn''t imagine it. It was as if he brought a gem from a mine and said, ''I just picked this up on the way.''
I asked, pushing aside my thoughts about the Patriarch.
"Still, there must have been one that stood out, right?"
¡ª Hmm.
I didn¡¯t contact her for such generic advice like ''she''ll like anything.'' Of course, Marghetta would probably be pleased with whatever she got. After all, she still carried around the fan I gave herst year.
But since it was my first birthday gift to her, I wanted it to be truly memorable and unforgettable.
¡ª Well, there was one.
My body naturally leaned toward themunication crystal.
Yes, there had to be something. No matter how much she liked everything, there would be something that stood out.
"On our first anniversary, Billy suddenly took me somewhere."
As if recalling the moment, Mother closed her eyes briefly. There was a faint smile on her lips.
¡ª He gave me a small hill filled with my favorite flowers as a gift.
"Pardon?"
What did I just hear?
¡ª And on my fifth birthday after our marriage, he bought me an entire shop established by a fairly famous designer.
"Oh, wow..."
It was another unbelievable statement. I had heard of the cliche of buying ''everything from here to there,'' but it was my first time hearing of buying an entire shop out.
Wait, did that mean that the designer closed their shop as soon as they opened it?
¡ª The designer signed a lifetime contract with house Krasius. He still designs clothes for Billy and me, so it was asting gift.
That''s a relief...
Nodding absentmindedly, I watched Mother as she continued to share her memories with a warm smile.
¡ª And the most recent gift was¡ª
There''s more??
Strangely, the image of the Patriarch in my mind was bing more and more bizarre.
I thought that he was the kind of person who would bleed molten metal if stabbed, but he was doing things you wouldn''t see even in the most extravagant dramas.
¡ª Madam.
¡ª Ah.
The longer Mother spoke, the more my mind drifted. Fortunately, the head maid intervened, wrapping up the endless stream of memories.
Mother, realizing she might have embarrassed herself in front of her son by boasting about her strong marital bond, coughed lightly. Honestly, though, I didn''t remember half of what she said.
"...You must have been very happy."
There was a brief silence after that, and I was the one who broke it. It was Mother who went off the rails, but I was the one who had initiated the conversation.
And with my words, Mother smiled again.
¡ª It was a bit embarrassing.
"Pardon?"
Saying it so confidently, and then suddenly...
¡ª At the time, I was really embarrassed. Even a simple bouquet of flowers would have been enough, but he suddenly came up with a whole hill and a shop.
Contrary to her words, Mother''s voice was calm.
¡ª But if I was embarrassed to receive it, then imagine how Billy felt giving it. Carl, do you think Billy is a warm person?
"No."
At my firm answer, Mother gave a bittersweet smile and then nodded in agreement.
¡ª Exactly. But despite that, he thought about me, overcame his embarrassment, and gave me those gifts. I didn''t just receive material things from Billy; I received his time and effort.
"...."
Not just material things, but his time and effort.
In other words, knowing that the other person put thought into it made the gift all the more precious.
¡ª Did that help you a little?
"Of course."
Mother asked cautiously when I didn''t say anything.
Honestly, her advice wasn¡¯t incredibly helpful. In the end, it was just another way of saying, ''If you choose it with care, she''ll love anything.''
Still, it was sincere advice from a mother to her son who reached out unexpectedly. I couldn¡¯t dismiss it as useless. After all, Mother seemed happier about the effort the Patriarch put into his gifts than the gifts themselves.
"I will prepare it with all my heart as well."
¡ª Yes. She will surely be delighted.
I hope so.
***
I went back to pondering after finishing the call. In the end, I was back where I started. The gift was something I had to decide on my own.
But unlike before, I felt more at ease. I also let go of the obsession that the gift had to be particrly special and impressive.
Should I go buy a hill, too?
A crazy thought crossed my mind for a moment. The Patriarch''s extravagant antics were so striking that I instinctively thought of it.
Then, I thought about my financial situation.
...I could afford a few.
Thanks to the miraculous nature of a civil servant''s life, where ie rose but expenses stayed low, my wealth had been growing like crazy.
Although I couldn''t touch the true assets of the count''s estate yet as the heir of the family, the money I earned as the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor''s Office was substantial.
However, it was just a fleeting thought. Even if I gifted a hill to Marghetta, who was at the academy, she wouldn''t see it until after graduation.
Besides, there was a more crucial issue.
She probably already owns several of them.
The sad reality was that Marghetta was wealthier than I was.
No matter how high a civil servant¡¯s sry was, it couldn''tpare to a duchy. Moreover, Marghetta was adored by her family regardless of her rank in session. She might even have yed with gold coins for marbles when she was little.
Gifting a hill to Marghetta? She would probably find it cute. If that happened, I would die of shame.
A kept man.
I even thought of that. A wealthy wife and a less aplished husband.
Yes. Maybe I was destined to be a kept man. No wonder being the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor''s Office felt burdensome. It was because I was living beyond my destiny.
...Was that it?
Damn it.
My head ached again. Giving a gift to someone who grew up withoutcking anything was tough.
Should I just present myself as the gift? Should I name it a ''one-day pass to use Carl however you want''?
"Can I only have you for a day? Are you nning to leave me after this?"
No, that would backfire.
Then, should I give her a nk check that could fulfill any wish?
"I just wanted a single flower from Carl. Is that too much to ask?"
Damn, that wouldn¡¯t work either.
This was making me go crazy. Everything seemed doomed to fail.
Rather, was that a relief? At least I had a guess how things would go before it blew up.
¡ª There will be a bloodbath if the first wife goes mad with jealousy. Don¡¯t think of her as a done deal; treat her with love.
Suddenly, I recalled what the 2nd Manager had said. This was the advice that sparked my current dilemma.
First wife, jealousy, and love...
Ah.
A pretty decent gift idea came to mind.
It was both a gift that could ease Marghetta¡¯s insecurities and the best thing I could offer.
I had been making it unnecessarilyplicated.
***
I was both surprised and pleased when my fourth sister suddenly contacted me. She had given me lots of advice about rtionships, which had been very helpful.
Of course, Carl and I had a strong bond without such advice, but it was always nice to deepen our rtionship, right?
However, I immediately regretted receiving her call with such a light heart.
¡ª Mar, are you okay?
My fourth sister asked worriedly. However, I couldn¡¯t respond right away and just stared nkly at themunication crystal.
I couldn¡¯t understand what I had heard. I even hoped that sister was just ying a bad joke. If that was the case, then I would pout for a bit before forgiving her.
But I knew she wouldn¡¯t joke about something like this. That was why I was at a loss for words.
"Sister..."
¡ª Yes, Mar. Tell me.
Sister hurriedly nodded when I finally managed to speak.
"What should I do in a situation like this...?"
My mind waspletely nk. I had no idea how to deal with this situation.
I didn''t even know that Carl had gone to the capital. That didn¡¯t matter much. He might¡¯ve kept it from me because it simply had something to do with work.
However, I couldn¡¯t just overlook what happened in the capital.
At the cemetery...
My tears suddenly fell. I saw sister panicking, but I couldn¡¯t respond.
If Carl went to the cemetery, then it was pretty obvious who he met. They were friends he said goodbye to long ago, and his former lover.
It wasn¡¯t jealousy. I regretted not being his first love, but I couldn¡¯t be jealous of someone who wasn¡¯t around anymore. And even if I were jealous, would I forbid him from visiting the cemetery? That would only hurt Carl.
It just pained me that Carl copsed at the cemetery and that he drank enough to get drunk when he didn¡¯t enjoy drinking.
He must have been more confused than anyone.
I came to my senses. I had been feeling extremely anxious after the Crown Princess''s birthday banquet. So, I hastily pushed Lady Louise and Lady Irina towards him.
And though I didn¡¯t show it, I resented Carl a little. If we had been engaged earlier, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. I wouldn¡¯t have had to worry so much.
How selfish of me.
It was an incredibly selfish thought. Carl had only been smiling and hugging me and loving me, and that made me forget that he had only recently opened up about his inner conflicts.
His past memories and rtionships still lingered. He was still healing from his wounds.
And yet...
And yet, I resented him. Instead of being thankful for his attention, I wanted more.
I couldn''tfort and console Carl, who must¡¯ve been more conflicted than anyone else.
I only med him...
Why was I so short-sighted?
***
That day, Carl didn¡¯te to the Vice President''s office.
I cried silently in bed that night.
It was a sad day. No day would probably be sadder than /genesisforsaken
Chapter 220: A Day to Remember (4)
Chapter 220: A Day to Remember (4)
I bought a satisfying gift. I wouldn''t have found a better one even if I had spent more time thinking.
Yes, I was overthinking it. It wasn¡¯t a once-in-a-lifetime gift but rather just my first birthday present to her.
This is it.
I looked at the case in my hand. More precisely, I looked at the ring carefully stored inside the case.
I had briefly debated whether to choose a ruby to match Marghetta''s hair, or an emerald to match her eyes, but I went with a ssic diamond. In this world, diamonds were also considered the finest gems.
Of course, Marghetta would¡¯ve yed with diamonds as if they were pebbles, but a ring wasn''t valued by its price¡ªit was the symbolism that counted. It was valuable because it was received from someone else and not bought with your own money.
It¡¯s perfect.
A sense of relief and pride welled up deep within me. After all, it was the best gift I could give to calm Marghetta''s worries.
It was absolutely perfect. This was the best decision I could ever make before the New Year''s Ball. Marghetta would be genuinely delighted."It¡¯s a ring that adjusts to the wearer''s size."
"Oh."
The size was my only concern. Though I had held Marghetta''s hand many times, I wasn''t sure if I could guess the size correctly. Thankfully, magic solved that problem. I was told that any item I bought would adjust itself ordingly.
So, apart from a little hush money to keep my visit a secret, I also gave a generous tip. A merchant who satisfied his customers deserved to earn well.
It¡¯ll be three dayster.
I turned my attention to the calendar. Just to be sure I wouldn''t forget, I had marked the day in red several times.
In exactly three days, it would be Marghetta''s birthday. Until then, I would hide the gift carefully and present it to her on the day. That was why I didn''t go to the Vice President''s office today. I didn''t want to risk giving my surprise away with my expression.
I felt a bit guilty for not even hinting that I wouldn''te today, but I could always say that I was too busy to contact her. After all, it wasn¡¯t wrong; my mind was preupied with choosing the perfect gift.
***
When I went to the Vice President''s office the next day, she wasn''t there.
What''s going on?
I thought she went out for a while, but that wasn''t the case.
"She''s absent?"
"Yes. She called in this morning. She said it¡¯s just a cold, so there''s no need to worry..." the President said.
I just nodded and quickly left. Without Marghetta, there was no reason for me to stay in the student council room. I''d only be in the way of their work if I did.
Still, I felt a bit bitter. If I had known that I wouldn''t see her today, then I would havee yesterday. At the very least, I should have called her.
A cold.
I couldn''t trust the ¡®there¡¯s no need to worry¡¯ part. It wasn''t that I didn''t trust the President, but I knew Marghetta too well to believe it.
For Marghetta, who valued appearances highly, to miss a day of school, it had to be more than a simple cold. If it were just a minor illness, she would havee without a second thought.
It was definitely not a light cold. The weather was getting colder¡ªmaybe she caught the flu.
Magic can''t cure everything.
Unfortunately, the healing methods on this continent were all about treating physical wounds. They could fix a severed limb in the blink of an eye, but simple ailments like colds and headaches were their weak points.
At least they weren''t at the level of ¡®Where does a headachee from? The head, so let¡¯s destroy it!¡¯ Still, it wasn¡¯t something that can be cured in a day. Even in my previous world, that was impossible.
It just had to be today, of all days.
Imagining Marghetta lying in bed and sick filled me with guilt.
It would have been painful any day, but for this to happen the day after I left her hanging because of a surprise made me think that it was my fault.
Of course, I wasn¡¯t a god who gave away illnesses, but I couldn''t help feeling concerned.
I should contact her.
Suppressing a sigh, I took out themunication crystall. First, I needed to check if she was okay. If Marghetta said she was fine, then I would visit her.
Going to the girls'' dormitory might be a bit awkward, but who cared about social norms when Marghetta was sick? I''d go even if I had to disguise myself.
...However, my message never reached Marghetta.
Damn it.
A Nerve-Wracking Feeling.
It felt like my blood was drying up. Was it really just a cold? She hadn''t passed out or anything, had she?
***
I spent the whole day in bed, staring weakly at the ceiling and blinking slowly.
I need to get up...
I shouldn¡¯t be doing this. I was a member of the prestigious house of Valenti and the Vice President of the Imperial Academy''s student council.
I must live up to the name I carried. I must always show a confident and responsible image. That was what people expected from me, and it was how I should live my life.
But despite my resolve, my body refused to move.
I¡¯m so pathetic.
A bitter smile crossed my face. Crying alone, feeling helpless alone, lying alone¡ªI felt ashamed and embarrassed of myself.
Even though I knew that Carl still had wounds in his heart, I cried alone. I did that even though I knew that I had been too demanding of him and that I should have been the first tofort him.
How pathetic. Would doing this heal his wounds? Would it make my greed go away?
Doing this will just make him worry.
That was the kind of person Carl was. He talked about his own deep wounds as if they were nothing, but he often made a fuss over others'' minor injuries.
The more I acted like this, the more he''d suffer. I knew this all too well.
...No, could I even say that I knew him well?
I don''t. I know nothing about him. If I did, then I wouldn''t have left him alone long enough for him to visit their graves.
Yet, I arrogantly thought that I knew him well and that we were destined.
Destiny...
Now, that word weighed heavily on my heart.
Yes, I thought it was destiny. Because my father cherished his youngest daughter so much, the criteria for being my husband kept getting higher, and I assumed I''d marry a bitter.
Then, Carl appeared like aet. He met my father''s strict standards and captured my heart¡ªhe seemed like my destined one.
So, I believed it was destiny. That this man was my destiny and that meeting each other was our fate.
That¡¯s not true at all.
If our meeting was destiny, then was Carl losing his first love also destiny? Was his suffering and unheble wounds a part of destiny, too?
It mustn''t be destiny. It couldn''t be. If Carl''s sadness was fated just to meet me, it meant that he had to suffer for my happiness.
Such a destiny was unbearable. I felt horrified and resentful of myself for being pleased with this so-called destiny.
"I''m sorry..."
I murmured into the pillow. It was an apology no one could hear, but I repeated it over and over.
I''m sorry for not seeing your pain when I kept saying that I loved you.
I''m sorry for only thinking about my struggles.
"I''m sorry..."
I''m sorry for thinking your death was destined.
I''m sorry for not seeing the pain of the man you loved¡ª
Knock knock¡ª
It was an apology meant for Carl and for the one he first loved.
But I couldn''t finish even that as a sudden sound broke my thoughts.
I¡¯m really pathetic. I couldn''t even apologize properly.
"Huh...?"
Lifting my head slightly and looking toward the source of the sound, a bewildered sound escaped my lips.
It wasn''t the door but the window being knocked on. And beyond the window, I saw a familiar face.
"Carl?"
Seeing him wave made my mind go nk.
Why was Carl at the girls'' dormitory? And if he came, then why was he outside and not inside the building?
Wait, but my room was on the third floor to begin with!
...Was it a ghost?
***
Shortly after the second prince''s faction fell, when they were still refusing to acknowledge their defeat and holding on stubbornly...
At that time, some would lock their mansion doors and resist even when the Prosecutor''s Office attempted legal actions. The more they resisted, the more their crimes piled up¡ªit was truly foolish behavior.
During those times, there was always the risk that the targets might burn important documents. And so, we needed a swift, unconventional method of entry.
"...What are you doing?"
"Practicing walking on water. If you step with the other foot before you sink, it might work."
That was when Walter came to mind. My inexperienced self was actually receiving help from someone in the grave.
I witnessed his ridiculous attempt to walk on water and, remarkably, his eventual sess in real-time. Thanks to that, I knew how it could be done.
Applying that knowledge, I started scaling the walls. As long as my feet touched the wall, I could climb any number of stories.
So, I broke in through the window. You should have seen her face¡ªit was priceless.
"No, I''m not a ghost. Besides, what kind of ghost walks around in broad daylight?"
To the properly raised youngdy, it must have been a frightful sight. Marghetta, seeing me through the window, turned pale and tumbled off her bed.
"I-I''m sorry. I didn¡¯t know Carl could... do something so extreme..."
Marghetta bit her lip, her voice trembling.
It was an absurd misunderstanding. I was nning to live a long life, and I''d be damned if I died before the minister. Besides, I wanted to retire and enjoy a peaceful, idle life someday.
But I understood why Marghetta would think this, so I quietlyforted her.
How far has this spread?
Of all things, it seemed that my sleeping outside story had reached Marghetta''s ears. I knew it would get out eventually, but I didn''t expect it to be so soon.
Could it be that that bastard of a 2nd Manager deliberately spread my story to try to cover up rumors about the 1st Manager?
"Don''t worry, Mar. Where would I go without you?"
Marghetta cried even harder at that. This was a problem. Usually, these words would work.
Was it because I didn''t show up yesterday? Considering that she didn''t see the drunken wreck I was, she must have thought it was serious. She probably thought that my reassurance was just forcedfort.
Damn it. If I''d known this would happen, I would have postponed buying the gift. There was no need to buy it early since it was for her birthday anyway.
"I''m sorry, I''m so sorry..."
"What?"
I didn''t know how to respond to her sudden apology. In this situation, I should be the one apologizing.
But Marghetta, nestled in my arms, kept repeating her apologies. It would¡¯ve been more understandable if she hadined about why I didn''te yesterday.
"I-I''m sorry. I don''t know anything about you, Carl..."
The words ¡®You can learn that¡¯ stopped at my throat because Marghetta''s face was too sorrowful.
No matter what I said now, it wouldn''t make a difference. Marghetta wouldn''t ept it even if I acted like it was nothing.
"I just showed off, and got jealous..."
Marghetta continued with a face full of guilt, but I couldn''t understand what she meant.
Showing off? Jealous?
Was she?
I realized that our standards were very different.
"I said I''d wait until you opened up, but I just waited. I should have helped, even a little..."
Again, I didn''t understand. What was wrong with waiting when I asked her to wait?
If Marghetta had actively tried to take care of my mental state, I would have felt embarrassed since I pushed her away because of my personal issues and then she would have had to take care of those issues, too.
"Carl... it''ste now, but even if it''ste... can I help you?"
My head was spinning. Just being by my side was already a great help.
At the same time, the ring case in my pocket felt incredibly heavy.
Two days left.
There was just two days until her birthday.
And in those two days, I''d caused a major incident that made the birthday girl /genesisforsaken
Chapter 221: A Day to Remember (5)
Chapter 221: A Day to Remember (5)
I think I bought a cursed ring. Not a magical one, but a cursed one.
I couldn''t help but wonder if buying this strange thing made Marghetta cry. If it wasn¡¯t for this, then I couldn''t understand why she was suddenly sobbing.
Help?
The most confusing part was her saying she wanted to help more.
I already felt grateful to her for just being by my side. How could she possibly help me more?
My head was spinning, but I had to say something. Silence wouldn''t be helpful right now; it would only make things worse for Marghetta.
"Mar, you are already helping me more than anyone else."
"Liar."
She shook her head firmly at my sincere words, managing to speak while still sobbing."Then why did you go to the capital without telling me? Why were you alone at the cemetery?"
Seeing her trembling eyes, I almost sighed.
Why did I go to the capital? The Crown Prince invited me for a meal. I went casually because I thought I''d be back the same day.
Of course, crawling on all fours in the cemetery wasn''t part of the n. Who would''ve expected that I would receive a confession from the 1st Manager?
How do I even exin that?
Four years as a civil servant had taught me when to put on a brave face when I needed to, but there were limits.
How could I tell a confused Marghetta that I needed a break because a subordinate confessed their love to me? That wasn¡¯t something you said out loud unless you were crazy.
Besides, I didn''t expect the news to spread so quickly. I got caught before I coulde up with a cover story.
"Is it... Is it because I couldn¡¯t be a support for you, Carl?"
Her head drooped, and her pitiful mumbling almost made me sigh again.
It wasn¡¯t that she wasn''t supportive. I just didn''t want to burden her, so I kept it to myself, thinking that I could handle it alone. Plus, it was an embarrassing story.
I didn''t realize that my choice would hurt Marghetta.
"I want to help you, Carl. I want to see your pain and your wounds."
"Mar."
I opened my mouth tofort her, but my voice made her shrink further.
"...I''m sorry. I was being selfish, wasn''t I?"
She lifted her head cautiously, forcing a smile.
"If you have reasons for not telling me, I should respect that. I said I''d wait, but now I''m..."
She wiped away her tears and tried to smile naturally. But, could that even be called a natural smile?
"I''m sorry for saying such nonsense. Just... just forget it."
I couldn''t respond.
I understood how things got to this point; small misunderstandings piled up and finally exploded.
When I confided in Marghetta during the holidays, it wasn''t even a proper confession. The truth was too grim and heavy, so I kept it brief.
That choice led us here. I thought I was being considerate by not saying everything, but Marghetta grew anxious from not knowing.
"Is it... Is it because I couldn¡¯t be a support for you, Carl?"
Damn it.
I''ve heard that phrase before from myself many, many times.
I told myself that when the person I loved didn''t seem to trust me, when they didn''t tell me anything and I was left to fend for myself.
I had felt the same way about Hecate. I resented her for leaving and thinking she couldn¡¯t rely on me.
A sigh slipped out. On the surface, this incident seemed caused by the 1st Manager''s confession and my night at the cemetery. But in truth, it was really caused by the gap between Marghetta and me.
I quietly hugged Marghetta, who started to look wary because of my sigh.
"Ca-Carl?"
She sounded startled, but I said nothing and took her to the bed.
What I needed to say was heavy and dull. If so, she should at least befortable.
"Mar."
"Y-yes?"
"The truth is, I am in a lot of pain."
But where should I start?
I guess I should start with the Great War of the North.
I suppose that was where I needed to begin if I was going to talk about the orphanage.
***
It felt a bit different. Have I ever spoken so vividly about those times?
I had been ying the role of a living textbook for Gerhardt, but that was always about rying events and information about people.
But now, it was a regretful past filled with my emotions from my perspective, ament I had never shared with anyone.
"It''s not exactly a happy story, is it?"
In a way, it was an ugly and shameful act, like a 21-year-old venting about how terrible the world was to an 18-year-old.
Still, it was a conversation that needed to happen. I needed to think of this as a conversation between two people who will share their lives together and not just a talk between a 21-year-old Carl and an 18-year-old Marghetta.
"So, about Lady Hecate..."
Marghetta, whose face had gone pale as my story went on, cautiously spoke up.
I couldn''t help but smile slightly at her using such an honorific. Hecate, the daughter of a Duke referred to you as ¡®Lady¡¯.
"Yes. She was severely injured in the battle against the traitors. It seems the wounds were incurable... so she left me."
"I-I see..."
Marghetta hung her head as if she were the guilty one. She was too kind-hearted.
The only ones to me for that incident were Kagan, the main culprit, and me, for failing to protect Hecate.
Kagan was dead, so that left me as the sole culprit. Marghetta had no reason to feel guilty.
"Um, Carl."
"Yes, Mar. Speak freely."
I spoke gently to Marghetta, who was still looking down and hesitating.
No matter how necessary the conversation was and how much she needed to hear it, the impact didn''t lessen. It was my role to support her through this confusion.
Besides, she was the one who would be there for me when I needed support.
"Do you... still have scars, Carl?"
"Ah."
Her question brought a wry smile to my face.
Knowing that the battle with Kagan was fierce and that the wounds he inflicted were permanent, Marghetta was bound to worry about my condition.
"Yes. He was a vicious opponent, so the scars linger for a long time."
"Show me."
"Pardon?"
Her request took me by surprise.
"I want to know everything. All of your scars."
The determined look in her tear-filled eyes made it hard to refuse.
Well, she¡¯d find out eventually...
My decision was quick. Considering I was thinking about marrying her, these were not wounds I could hide forever.
Rather, if I kept them hidden and showed her on our wedding night, she''d probably end up crying all night.
So, I nodded and began to remove my coat and shirt. It was a bit embarrassing to undress in front of someone, but I forced myself to move calmly.
"Oh..."
I heard a low gasp as my scars were revealed.
"They''re gruesome, aren¡¯t they?"
Honestly, even I found them horrific. The wounds were barely patched up, so the scars were clearly visible. Damned Kagan. If he was going to die, he could have at least done it cleanly.
A sword scar ran from my left shoulder to my right hip. Though I didn''t see scars as a disgrace, this one was particrly huge. If even I flinched sometimes, then how much more would Marghetta do?
"No, they''re not."
Marghetta gently touched my scars.
"Not at all. They''re not hideous at all."
"Is that so?"
I appreciated it even if it were just kind words. Of course, who would say, ¡®Yes, they''re really ugly,¡¯ in this situation?
As Marghetta continued to touch my scars, she began to cry again.
"I didn''t know you were such a crybaby, Mar."
"S-sorry. I just couldn''t help it."
Marghetta hastily wiped her tears at my teasing, but tears were hard to stop once they started.
This was making me feel bad. I expected that she¡¯d be shocked, and that was why I decided to tell her. I couldn''t live with secrets just because I was afraid of the pain.
However, expecting it and seeing it were two different things. Knowing my scars made someone cry didn''t sit well with me.
"...I wasn''t good enough."
Marghetta softly burrowed into my embrace and spoke quietly after a moment.
"I was arrogant to think I knew you without understanding this, and now that I do, I can''t handle it alone."
"It''s not about handling it alone. We''re supposed to bear it together."
She was feeling way too much guilt. If she was to be med for something, then it was simply because she didn¡¯t know anything about it.
"So, does that mean we haven''t been bearing it together until now?"
Wait, was that how she saw it?
"I''m sorry. Instead of helping, I''ve just been a burden..."
"Mar..."
It hurt to see her self-esteem hit rock bottom.
Did I say too much at once?
Maybe I should''ve broken it down more. Marghetta¡¯s current state wasn¡¯t good.
I told her about losing Hecate, and she felt guilty for not being able to heal that pain.
I also told her about going to the cemetery after the 1st Manager''s confession, but she instead felt that she hadn¡¯t been reliable enough.
I have to do it now.
My instincts warned me. I couldn''t wait until two dayster. If I didn''tfort Marghetta right now, then there might be no future for us.
Not now because it¡¯d be more meaningful on her birthday? There was no point if the birthday girl disappeared.
"Mar. Excuse me."
I moved swiftly. I took out the ring case, grabbed Marghetta''s left hand, and slid the ring onto her fourth finger without hesitation.
"You are not a burden, Mar. You''re an important part of my life."
I put the ring on her so quickly that Marghetta just blinked in shock.
"I¡¯m sorry for giving it right now. I wanted to give it to you on your birthday, when you were at your happiest."
I knew that this wasn''t a romantic situation.
"But I couldn''t help myself when I heard you calling yourself a burden."
There was no room for romance right now.
"So don''t say such things, Mar. You are my partner and the person who will be my first wife, aren''t you?"
I nned to go to Marghetta¡¯s father, the Iron-blooded Duke, after the New Year''s Ball. I had already promised her, too.
I would bow my head to the Duke, ask him for permission to marry her, and then get engaged. That resolve didn¡¯t change even when the 1st Manager confessed.
With that in mind, I promised Marghetta.
No matter what anyone says, you will be my first wife.
"...No, Carl. This isn''t right."
But Marghetta quietly removed the ring with tearful eyes.
_ ...What? Am I /genesisforsaken
Chapter 222: A Day to Remember (6)
Chapter 222: A Day to Remember (6)When Carl slid the ring onto my finger, it felt as if the whole world was within my grasp. Selfishly, I allowed myself to feel that way.
How pathetic. I was a person who hadn''t even noticed Carl''s wounds and only saw what needed to be seen now. What right did I have to feel such joy?
It seemed like my guilt was so light that it could be erased by a single ring.
It¡¯s not just any ring, though.
I almostughed bitterly. Yes, it wasn¡¯t just any ring. It was a ring from Carl, and it couldn¡¯t be dismissed as insignificant.
However, now was not the time to receive it happily.
"...No, Carl. This doesn¡¯t seem right."
After much hesitation, I removed the ring. My heart felt as if it was being torn apart.
The ring I had longed for more than anything, the one that would have made me jump for joy if I had received it yesterday, now felt like a shackle of reproach.
Maybe I was being overly dramatic. Perhaps I was just consumed by meaningless guilt and was now hurting Carl, who mustered up his courage.But how could I ept it? If I had any sense of shame, how could I ept this?
"I... I don''t deserve this."
I handed the ring back to Carl with trembling hands. He looked dazed, as if he hadn¡¯t anticipated this oue.
"I was just lucky. That''s all there is to it."
Lucky. The more I listened to Carl¡¯s story, the more this thought wouldn''t leave my mind.
Carl, who had such a painfully tragic first love, was not ready to receive anyone and no one could approach him.
Yet, I did. How? Through my father¡¯s influence. Even Carl wouldn''t be able to refuse a request from Father.
I approached the wounded Carl using the power of a duke. Despite this, Carl politely pushed me away. Unaware of the circumstances, I cried, feeling rejected by a man who dared to turn me down.
I¡¯m so pathetic.
I cried and wailed. Although it was already a shameful incident, it now held a different kind of embarrassment. I had provoked a man''s wounds and only cared about my own pain.
Meeting Carl at the academy after that was even worse. I thought it was fate that we met there and that Carl and I were meant to be. I felt happy, oblivious to the wounds Carl carried.
Believing it to be a part of destiny, I actively approached Carl, acting as if I were already his lover. In reality, I was nothing of the sort.
You selfish bitch.
These were harsh words I had never spoken to anyone. Perhaps I saved them for myself just for this moment.
I approached Carl, knowing nothing. Using my ignorance as a shield, I ruthlessly inflicted pain on the kind Carl.
As if I knew everything...
When I heard Carl''s feelings during the vacations, I thought I had finally understood everything about him. I believed that Carl hadpletely opened his heart to me.
So, I became arrogant and thought I could wait for Carl forever and that it was only a matter of time before he came to me.
But in truth, I still knew nothing. I only heard that Carl had lost his first love, but not the extent of the anguish he endured.
Had I known, I wouldn''t have acted that way. I wouldn¡¯t have boasted about being the first or been jealous of any woman approaching Carl.
"I... I relied on Carl''s kindness and pushed my way in. I was just a fool who approached you without understanding anything... I was the first simply because I was lucky, and that''s why I could stay by Carl''s side..."
It was humiliating. My tears wouldn''t even stop falling. Speaking about my own ugliness aloud made me feel like I was going mad.
What drove me even crazier was knowing that I had no right to cry. How ridiculous and disgusting must I have seemed to Carl? I clung to him and wanted to be his wife, and yet I was indifferent to his wounds and only cared about being his first wife.
"I love you, Carl. Even if the world crumbles, that won''t change."
I forced a smile as I continued.
Yes. Despite my unworthiness, my love for Carl remained unchanged. Even through my ignorance, I knew that I loved him.
"But just loving you doesn''t give me the right to im your first..."
I wasn¡¯t the only one who loved Carl. There was Lady Louise, Lady Irina, the Mage Duchess, and even a subordinate who confessed to Carl. There might be others I didn''t even know about.
Did I deserve to be the first wife over those people? Was there anything about me that was better than them?
Status? Then it should be the Mage Duchess, not me.
Based on the time spent together? Then no one could beat his subordinate.
Oh, there was indeed one thing. Pretending to know nothing and tearing Carl¡¯s heart apart? I was the best at that.
"So... please give it to someone better than me. Carl, you''re kind, and you¡¯re giving this to me out of pity because I''ve been whining. Don''t let me misunderstand your intentions."
Yes, Carl was sopassionate that he would evenfort someone who clung to him pathetically. He was saving me because, at this point, no one else would take me.
"...Is that so?"
Carl sighed and then took the ring from my palm.
I shouldn¡¯t cry. This was my own doing. It was only right. Someone who truly understood Carl should have it instead of a selfish girl like me who lived in a sheltered world.
"Excuse me."
Then, Carl raised his right hand and flicked my forehead.
"Ouch!"
The impact came as quickly as when he had put the ring on me; the sudden push made me cry out in surprise.
"Excuse me for interrupting your strange talk."
"S-strange talk..."
I mustered up my courage to say all that, and yet he just dismissed it as strange...
"Why do you get to decide whether you¡¯re deserving or not, Mar?"
I couldn''t speak after being faced with Carl''s stern expression. It was the first time I had seen him angry.
"Since you spoke your mind, I¡¯ll speak mine."
Seeing me fidget, Carl sighed again and quickly continued.
"Honestly, Mar, you are strange."
His words pierced my heart like a dagger. I knew I had just called myself a selfish bitch, but hearing the word ''strange'' from someone I loved was unbearable.
"You act confident, but you''re actually vulnerable. You also overthink things and sometimes freak out over nothing."
My head drooped lower as he continued. So that was how he saw me. It hurt even more because he wasn¡¯t exactly wrong.
"But despite all that, I like you."
My head shot up. Carl cupped my cheeks, forcing me to look at him.
"I like everything I¡¯ve seen and known about you."
"C-Carl..."
I tried to look away, but Carl held my face firmly.
"You don¡¯t deserve it? Is there any other qualification needed besides the fact that I like you?"
"T-that''s because you¡¯re just mistaken..."
"No, I¡¯m not."
It was really weird. Despite the situation, my heart pounded when Carl said he liked me.
"I''m still immature, so I show what I like and dislike very clearly."
Carl spoke in a slightly calmer tone than before.
"So if I dislike something, no matter how useful it is, I push it away. It even makes my skin crawl to be near it."
On the other hand, if I like something, I hold onto it even if it tries to run away.
His softly added words made my whole body tremble.
"So, I''ll pretend I didn''t hear what you said earlier."
Carl, after holding my gaze for a long while, gently moved away and lifted the ring.
"Actually, this is a couple''s ring."
Carl said this and then, using his fingernail, split the ring neatly in two.
"It¡¯s unique, right? A couple''s ring made from just one piece. Doesn''t it feel more unified this way?"
He chuckled softly and slid the ring back onto my finger.
...This time, he didn¡¯t let go of my hand as if to ensure that I wouldn¡¯t remove it again.
"Mar, you didn¡¯t approach me without knowing anything. You didn¡¯t hurt me."
Then, with his other hand, he slowly reached for my forehead.
"In fact, you have no idea how muchfort I found in you liking me. I once thought that I was a worthless person whom no one could rely on."
His hand brushed my bangs aside.
"If you can''t believe in yourself, then please believe in me. Because I think there¡¯s no one more deserving than you."
Then, I felt the touch of his lips on my forehead.
"Understand?"
Dazed, I could only nod.
***Not long after nodding, Marghetta fell backwards.
She fainted. She was already emotionally exhausted, but she was scolded and even suddenly kissed on the forehead; it must¡¯ve been too much for her to handle.
...Still, judging by her expression, she seemed to be happy, which was a relief.
That went well.
I covered the softly breathing Marghetta with a nket and sighed quietly.
Thank goodness. If I hadn''t resolved today¡¯s issue, our rtionship would have been doomed. Even with my terrible dating experience, I could tell that much.
I didn''t realize that it was this bad.
I gently stroked Marghetta¡¯s hair. I didn¡¯t know that she was struggling with far more guilt than I had imagined.
In a way, it might seem like an overreaction. However, I could understand Marghetta¡¯s perspective. The intrusion of the Mage Duchess destabilized her position, and her beloved man visited his first love¡¯s grave. She was probably also frustrated that he wasn¡¯t by her side.
One issue alone would be troublesome, but having them pile up like that must have shattered Marghetta''s mental state. The worst of them would¡¯ve probably been the feeling of not being able to support me. The moment she felt that, she was bound to break.
Because I felt the same way.
There was no more painful feeling than that. It was embarrassing to think that I knew how that felt, but I ended up doing the same thing to her.
I stroked her hair even more tenderly, apologizing deep inside my heart. For a woman to say that she wasn¡¯t worthy and to wish for a better woman to take her ce meant that she must have been in a dire situation.
I knew Marghetta was secretly fragile even though she seemed confident, but this much¡ª
It''s my fault.
Let¡¯s not me it on anything else. I said that I would open up to her but only shared half of myself. That was my fault.
I looked at the half-ring on my hand as I continued stroking her hair.
Should I put it back together?
I seriously considered it. The poor ring was split in half.
A couple¡¯s ring made from one piece? Where in the world did thate from? This was just one ring.
I should have bought an actual couple''s ring.
Maybe my brain has deteriorated from not being used enough. I just bought a ring, not a couple''s ring.
Realizing that toote, I split it in half. I wondered if it would hold up as a magic ring, but thankfully, it split easily when I used mana.
...At least she liked it.
When I put it back on her finger the second time, Marghetta¡¯s face clearly showed a mix of emotion and happiness.
So yes, this was indeed a couple¡¯s ring made from one piece.
Let''s think of it that way from today onwards.
Chapter 223: A Beast in the Capital
Chapter 223: A Beast in the CapitalMarghetta and I enjoyed some truly peaceful days after I sessfully rescued her mental state. Perhaps it was because we had already weathered a crisis that was bound to happen in the future.
Even her birthday, which she had been nervously anticipating, passed by uneventfully.
"I already received something precious."
Marghetta said that while gently stroking her left hand¡ªspecifically, her ring finger¡ªwith a soft, contented smile. Seeing her like that, I couldn''t bring myself to say anything.
The fact that it was originally just one ring was a secret I''d take to my grave. Since she looked so happy with it, her mental state might crumble again if I told her that it was actually broken.
"I''ll get you something even better next time."
All I could do was try to rece it with a proper ring.
"Fufu, there''s nothing better than this one. It''s my first ring, after all."
However, even that attempt failed.
What a mess. Was I really going to let her keep wearing a broken ring?...The opportunity wille.
There would be plenty of chances¡ªthere was still the engagement ring and the wedding ring. Eventually, I''d find a way to rece it.
"Hey, Carl."
"Yes, Mar?"
"Can I have your hand for a moment?"
I chuckled softly at her familiar request and held out my left hand.
With a proud smile, Marghetta extended her own left hand.
"It''s really looks like one ring."
I nodded in agreement with Marghetta, who hummed happily. When our left hands ovepped, the two halves of the ring looked like a whole again.
It was originally one ring, so...
The secret lingered on my tongue, but I couldn''t say it. No matter how many times I vowed to myself, it wasn¡¯t enough. This secret must never be revealed.
A few days ago, I generously paid the merchant who sold me the ring and encouraged them to set up shop in the capital instead of the academy. That would greatly reduce the chance of Marghetta finding out.
It was a sudden move, but the merchant was happy to expand their business to the capital, so it seemed like a win-win situation. At least, I hoped so.
"...I''ll never take it off again."
Marghetta said softly, holding my hand.
She seemed determined, as if she would wear it for the rest of her life no matter what happened. I could only nod in agreement.
***Countless eyes were on us as we walked around.
"So it''s true."
"A ring that bes whole when joined? How wonderful."
I could hear the whispers of female students from afar. Each time, my fingers tingled. Since when did their gazes gain physical weight?
This feels strangely familiar.
It was like being a predator in a zoo. I had felt this way before, during the Mage Duchess incident.
Rumors had spread back then too¡ªone side said that the Mage Duchess confessed to the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager, while another said that he was engaged to the daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke. It was the perfect situation for gossip to thrive.
Although it hadn''t spread across the entire empire this time, I instinctively had a hunch that it was only a matter of time.
The academy is the best ce for rumors to spread.
It was a social hub for all the nobility¡¯s children and even some foreigners. In such a ce, a single rumor could quickly set the entire empire and even the continent aze, especially if there was no reason to control it.
"Carl."
"Oh, Mar."
Besides, with Marghetta frequently roaming the academy, there was no way to control it even if I wanted to.
"What a coincidence to run into you here."
"Indeed."
I couldn¡¯t help but smile awkwardly as Marghetta covered her mouth with her left hand andughed softly. It didn¡¯t feel like a coincidence at all. But since she said it was, I let it be.
Originally, Marghetta spent most of her time in the Vice President''s office due to her student council duties. However, she had been roaming the academy with immense enthusiasm since she received the ring.
I knew why she did that, and that was why it was both adorable and terrifying. If I hadn''t prepared the ring that day, then what kind of disaster would have unfolded...?
It would have been chaos.
I couldn¡¯t dare to imagine the details. Let''s just leave it at ¡®chaos¡¯.
"It''s already lunchtime. Would you like to have lunch together?"
"Sure."
Marghetta smiled slightly and offered her left hand. It was a natural gesture for someone waiting to be escorted.
Her left hand...
Except for the fact that Marghetta was originally right-handed. She used to use her right hand to cover her mouth, hold a fan, or take someone¡¯s hand. I clearly remembered that.
But ever since she received the ring, she had been using her left hand to cover her mouth, hold a fan, and receive escorts¡ªto show off the sparkling ring on her left hand.
"Carl?"
"Oh, sorry. Let''s go."
Trying to ignore the murmuring voices around us, I took Marghetta''s hand.
So what if people stared or gossiped? As long as Marghetta was happy, then that was all that mattered.
The fact that she was so delighted and proud to show off the ring made me feel good. It meant that my gift was the right choice.
***Whether I turned the ring into a new one or matching rings didn¡¯t change the fact that I was the advisor of the pastry club.
Louise frequently nced at my left hand. Meanwhile, Irina naturally joined our club activities at some point, and the other members seemed to have given up on doing pastry club activities and were now ying ckjack.
Being an advisor among them was more challenging than I had thought.
Still, the harder the work, the greater the joy was in finishing it.
¡ª Nepheeew~! Nephew, my dear nepheeeeew!
"My ears work fine. Just say it once."
But when that joy crumbled, the despair was equally great.
The moment Iy down on my bed, mymunication crystal lit up. I answered it, thinking it might be Mother or the Minister who heard some rumor. But to my surprise, it was the Wise Duchess.
This is driving me crazy.
The duke, as usual, was drunk and giggling. Although I wanted to hang up immediately, I couldn''t ignore a duke''s call.
"What can I do for you?"
¡ª What do you meaannn? Do I need a reason to call my nepheww?
Of course she did. After all, a duke contacting the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager directly wasn''t something that happened without reason.
Naturally, I didn''t say this out loud. No matter how drunk she was, a duke was still a duke. It would just cause more trouble if I spoke rudely and she got offended.
Besides, while most drunk people don''t remember what they did, the Wise Duchess, who was always drunk, remembered everything. She was probably from a different race.
"Wise Duche¡ª"
¡ª Aunt.
Why was her pronunciation perfect at times like this?
"...If Aunt is contacting me, then it must be something serious..."
¡ª Pfft, you''re right about thaaaat~
I massaged the back of my neck as I watched her giggle and take another swig.
¡ª Hm? Carl, is your neck sore?
Yes, because of you.
"It''s nothing. I just slept badly, so my neck feels a bit stiff."
¡ª Haha! My honeyy~ also has that problem! It must run in the family!
At her words, I briefly remembered the few times I had met my uncle.
Yeah, if even a brief conversation with her already made me grab the back of my neck, then how much harder must it be for him, who lived with her? Suddenly, I felt a growing respect for him.
"...Yes, it seems so."
¡ª Riiiiiight~?
The Wise Duchess continued tough and drink, finally bringing up the real reason for her call after finishing her bottle.
¡ª Hehe, actually, nephew~ There''s something I want to ask youuuu~.
"Yes, please go ahead."
The Wise Duchess took a deep breath, exhaling a faint red smoke.
That made me anxious. What could she possibly be saying that required her to sober up?
¡ª Nephew. You haven''t forgotten what I told you, right?
"Pardon?"
Her words triggered my civil servant instincts, making me freeze. It sounded no different from ¡®Did you do what I told you to?¡¯
I quickly ran through my memories. What had the Wise Duchess told me? If I excluded her drunken ramblings,ints, tantrums, and bouts of madness, there wasn¡¯t much left¡ª
¡ª Nephew, if you feel like Mage Duchess is hesitating, then make the first move. She¡¯ll be caught off guard.
Ah.
That was it. That was the only thing it could be.
¡ª You haven''t forgotten, right~?
"Of course not."
¡ª Then why did you do that?
Her grin quickly turned somber, like she was watching a child floundering in a well.
Pulling out a handkerchief, she dabbed at her eyes as if pretending to cry.
¡ª I''ve heard everything. This aunt is very sad. Our nephew''s future looks so bleak.
"Uh..."
¡ª Don¡¯t worry. If you end up in pieces, I''ll make sure one part goes to Krasius!
Damn it. I wasn¡¯t some mythical figure, so why would I end up in pieces?
The Wise Duchess burst intoughter after seeing my expression harden before continuing.
¡ª Nephew, I can celebrate your marriage. It¡¯s the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s youngest daughter, right? She seemed so cute and smart when I saw her!
But would someone else celebrate that?
Her words made me swallow hard.
¡ª The Mage Duchess was probably all flustered with embarrassment, eagerly waiting for the New Year¡¯s Ball, only to find out her beloved fianc¨¦ gave a ring to another woman.
Cold sweat began to trickle down my back.
¡ª Oh, what a heartless person! There she was, fretting, while someone else was leisurely enjoying sweet romance!
That stung a bit. Leisurely? Giving Marghetta the ring was the most serious and intense moment of my life.
But I couldn''t say anything. To excuse myself by saying that the rumor had only spread within the academy? Unlike the Mage Duchess incident, where there were no messenger pigeons, there was magic this time.
There are wizards at the academy, too.
I had been toocent. With someone capable of acting as the Mage Duchess¡¯s eyes around, how could I not have seen thising? Was I really losing my touch? How did I not think of that?
As I ran my palm against my face with trembling hands, the Wise Duchess grinned, delivering the final blow.
¡ª You need a teleportation mage, right?
"...Please."
Satisfied with my answer, she nodded vigorously.
I let out a hollowugh. To extinguish this urgent fire¡ªor rather, to defuse the ticking bomb¡ªI had to go to the capital myself.
It was disheartening. I had nned to avoid the capital until the New Year¡¯s Ball.
¡ª Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep.
As I stared nkly at themunication crystal, the Crown Prince¡¯s words came back to me.
Crown Prince, you were right. Avoiding the capital was a promise I couldn''t keep...
I wouldn¡¯t be a man but a beast if I came back before then.
I also remembered the vow I had made as I hurried out of the empire¡¯s cemetery.
Damn it.
I was, in fact, a beast. After fighting the beasts in the North, I had be one myself.
I had no choice but to ept that.
Chapter 224: Going to the Capital as a Beast (1)
Chapter 224: Going to the Capital as a Beast (1)I entered the Magic Tower after finishing my preparations, but I immediately felt the urge to leave. As soon as I stepped into the lobby, the nearby mages all turned their gaze towards me. It was honestly a bit frightening.
Then, out of nowhere, the Vice Master of the Magic Tower came running down the stairs towards me.
"Executive Manager!"
He even called out to me urgently.
It was rather intimidating. While younger than the Mage Duchess, the Vice Master was still a seasoned veteran mage by human standards. Although he was known for his dignity and calm demeanor befitting his age, he now rushed towards me in front of everyone.
This is bad.
Seeing that, I had a hunch. Something serious must¡¯ve happened if the second-inmand of the Magic Tower was losing hisposure like this.
Naturally, it must mean that the Eternal One was in some abnormal state.
"It''s been a while, Vice Master."
"Yes, it''s been a while. Let''s talk as we go."Despite my greeting, the Vice Master hurriedly led the way, barely acknowledging me.
The more he did, the louder my instincts screamed that the Mage Duchess''s condition must be really serious.
"...How is Her Grace?"
It''d be better to face the blow head-on to minimize the pain. Thinking that, I cautiously inquired about the Mage Duchess''s condition, and the Vice Master gave me a look that said, ¡®You guessed right.¡¯
This was unfair. All I did wasfort ady consumed by self-pity.
"Some interesting news hase in recently, leaving Her Grace unable to focus on her duties."
The response was a failed attempt at sugarcoating the situation. So, she wasn¡¯t even able to handle her work properly.
I gently closed my eyes. If the usually calm and collected Mage Duchess was too furious to work, then just how much anger was she holding inside?
"It''s unfortunate that Her Grace seems troubled."
If I had known, I would havee to the capital as soon as the Wise Duchess mentioned it. Instead, I dyed and ended up provoking the Mage Duchess, who was already biding her time.
Of course, I didn''t regret giving Marghetta the ring. But if the timing had been better, then none of this would have happened.
This was unnecessary.
In reality, although the Mage Duchess gave me a one-sided confession, I still didn''t know why she liked me. She even said herself that she''d wait until the New Year''s Ball, so there was no reason for me to be so cautious.
Still, the Mage Duchess had shown me much kindness over time. Though things have been awkward and difficult since her confession, that didn''t erase the goodwill I had received.
Besides, it was scary to think what might happen if the Duke went off the rails.
"It''s not as serious as your concern, Executive Manager."
Just as I was about to imagine the worst, I heard an unexpected answer.
Not as serious as I thought?
But wasn¡¯t that serious enough if she couldn''t even work properly?
Seeing my skeptical look, the Vice Master sighed softly and shook his head.
"Recently, Her Grace has been spacing out for long periods. She walks into walls and often loses documents."
"Pardon?"
What was that? Those symptoms sounded trivial.
"She sometimes spills ink bottles, or even starts casting spells absentmindedly."
"I see..."
"Yes. It¡¯s just small things, but it''s the first time Her Grace has shown such behavior."
Seeing the Vice Masterugh bitterly, I nodded absentmindedly.
Trivial.
It was all so trivial. I had imagined the entire tower filled with a chilling aura, or a furious Mage Duchess overturning everything in sight.
However, after hearing the Vice Master''s testimony, it really wasn''t as serious as I had feared. It seemed less like anger and more like sulking. The Tower''s unease stemmed more from confusion over its Master''s unusual behavior than fear of an enraged superior.
It''s not as bad as I thought.
This provided a clear path forward. If the Mage Duchess was simply dejected and not enraged, dealing with her would be straightforward. All I had to do was cheer her up and spend some time with her.
¡ª Nephew, if you feel like Mage Duchess is hesitating, then make the first move. She¡¯ll be caught off guard.
I recalled the advice the Wise Duchess had given me.
Admittedly, it was toote for that now. The best time to heed that advice was when it was given.
However, it wasn''t toote to fix things. While this tactic might not achieve 100% effectiveness, it could still manage 60 or 70%.
Making the first move...
It only became clear once the urgency was upon me. This was the best and only way forward.
The Mage Duchess, with her overwhelming status and experience, would normally lead me around by the nose.
But this isn''t a normal situation.
For some unknown reason, the Mage Duchess harbored feelings for me. Meanwhile, I had never given her a definite answer.
I held a weapon that could reverse the current hierarchy between us.
...Using love felt a bit maniptive, but I needed every advantage I could get, especially when dealing with a duke.
"I''ll take my leave now. The Tower Master has dismissed everyone else."
The Vice Master said this and quickly left when we arrived at the Tower Master''s office. He probably didn¡¯t want to stick around and face the fallout.
Seeing this, a slight unease crept in.
Is everything really okay?
The Vice Master assured me it wasn''t as serious as I feared. I didn''t think he lied, but his quick departure made me anxious.
No, I had to trust him. There was no way that someone of his rank would lie to someone much younger.
Make the first move.
I took a deep breath and grasped the door handle of the Mage Duchess''s office.
I must be the one to strike first. I need to take control of the situation and dominate the atmosphere.
"I''ming in, Your Grace."
With that in mind, I opened the door without knocking.
I still didn''t quite know what ''making the first move'' entailed, but I had to face it head-on.
After all, weren''t I rted to the Wise Duchess by blood? Some of her wisdom must flow through me.
Wise Duchess, lend me your strength!
Though we weren¡¯t actually blood-rted, but please!
***I''d been feeling lethargictely, and my mind was foggy. This was the first time I had experienced this ever since my parents passed away.
I knew the reason. I wasn¡¯t so ignorant as to not understand why.
The ring.
I found myself staring absentmindedly at my left hand. Of course, just looking wouldn''t make something appear.
It was a bare hand devoid of any jewelry. How in and unremarkable.
...A ring.
The word kept circling in my mind. Ever since I first heard the news, I couldn''t forget it.
I''m envious.
That was all I could think. I felt envious. Lady Marghetta must be the most fortunate person in the world.
Receiving a ring from baby... what must that feel like? It must be a happiness beyondparison.
I''m so envious.
I wanted to run to baby right now and hold out my hand, begging him to ce a ring on it.
But I can''t.
We''re not anything yet.
I bit my lip slightly. Yes. Despite my overwhelming love, baby and I weren''t anything yet.
I haven''t received any response from baby. I promised to wait until the New Year''s Ball to give him time to think, so I haven''t pushed for an answer.
Therefore, I wasn¡¯t worthy of receiving a ring from baby.
Should I not have said I''d wait?
Should I have kept pushing the day I showed him my feelings?
However, I quickly shook off that thought. No, that wouldn¡¯t have worked. Baby would have been only confused. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to give a proper answer.
I became sure of it. Giving baby time and space was the right choice.
I chose to do that for him.
I consoled myself with this thought. It was a choice I made for baby, not for anyone else.
Still, I couldn¡¯t hide my sadness. Not only was it painful not to see him, but hearing that he gave a ring to another woman made it even worse.
If I could see baby, then it might at least soothe my heart a little¡ª
"I''ming in, Your Grace."
¡ªif only...?
"It''s been a while, Your Grace."
The door suddenly opened, followed by a greeting. In the blink of an eye, everything changed.
I was confused. This was the first time anyone had opened that door without my permission. Also, the person who shouldn''t be here was standing before me.
My mind couldn''t process what my eyes were seeing. When I said nothing in my confusion, baby gave a slight smile and spoke.
"Am I interrupting? If so, I can leave¡ª"
"No, not at all."
I finally regained my senses.
Interrupting? Baby was always wee no matter when he came. Even if I was busy, it was okay since seeing him would give me strength.
"I''m d. I would have been disappointed if Your Grace were too busy after I made time toe."
Seeing baby smile so casually made me feel a bit resentful. After all, I had just been yearning to see him for a moment.
But I was also overjoyed that he knew my feelings and came to see me.
"I¡¯ll need to see Your Grace often to nurture the same feelings as Your Grace does."
However, his next words left my mind nk.
"After all, love is a process of getting to know each other."
My head felt foggy, but in a different way this time.
***I couldn''t regain myposure. Ever since baby arrived, I''ve been swept along by his pace.
"The Vice Master was also worried about you. He mentioned that you seemed to be suffering from fatiguetely. I would be heartbroken if anything happened to you, Your Grace."
Baby was unusually proactive in bringing up topics.
"It may be of no use to you, but this is a small token of my appreciation."
Then, he presented me with a whiteb as a gift.
"Please ept it. Between us, this is nothing."
Baby¡¯s smooth words, uncharacteristic of him, only added to my confusion.
One surprise after another left me barely able to breathe.
From the start, I could hardly respond. I could only answer baby¡¯s words and nod. Each time I did, he would take the opportunity to say something even sweeter and even more embarrassing.
Some might see it as mocking a duke. They might think he was making fun of me¡ª
But I actually like it.
Baby¡¯s behavior made my heart race even more. He was treating me so casually, like a truepanion.
I had to use all my strength to suppress my rising smile. Every time I tried to speak to regain control, my heart resisted. I feared that disrupting this moment would mean never experiencing such happiness again.
"I''m d I came to greet you. If I had waited until the New Year''s Ball, I would have missed you and felt lonely."
"Is that so?"
Seeing baby¡¯s smile, I couldn¡¯t help but smile as well.
***From today onwards, the Wise Duchess and I were one and the same. Her unfortunate drinking capacity was clearly a debuff from Enen meant to suppress her wisdom.
It had been an hour since I entered the Mage Duchess''s office with resolve. So far, I have managed to lead the conversation without any issues.
¡ª Nephew, if you feel like Mage Duchess is hesitating, then make the first move. She¡¯ll be caught off guard.
It was true.
While I wasn¡¯t sure if what I was doing counted as taking the initiative, given the results, it seemed to be.
The Mage Duchess could only respond to my words since earlier. Who would believe that this person was the symbol of wisdom?
"It''s already thiste."
Since the results were satisfying, it was now time to wrap things up. I couldn¡¯t stay in the capital forever.
"I should be going now."
"Oh, I see. Time has already..."
The Mage Duchess¡¯s ears, which had been fluttering constantly, now drooped down.
"I''lle visit again soon. Compared to Your Grace''s time, mine is short, so I should see you as much as possible."
I smiled softly at the sight. Seeing the Mage Duchess today gave me confidence that I wouldn¡¯t be swept away by her pace while I sorted out my thoughts on her confession.
It wouldn''t be hard to see the Mage Duchess regrly. In fact, spending more time together would only strengthen our understanding, helping me make a better decision.
Hearing my words, the Mage Duchess''s ears perked up again, and she spoke with a slightly flushed face.
"Don''t worry about that, baby. Your time will be like mine."
What does she mean?
...Do half-bloods have a shorter lifespan?
For a moment, I even entertained that thought. Otherwise, how could our lifespans be the same?
"In 40 years, you will be able to live for hundreds of years as well."
...?
Still blushing, the Mage Duchess spoke earnestly.
But unlike her face, my mind rapidly cooled down.
"Your Grace."
I started to speak, then hesitated. My voice sounded so heavy, even to myself.
However, I couldn''t stop. I had to confirm this.
"What do you mean by that?"
Living for hundreds of years? What nonsense was this?
Chapter 225: Going to the Capital as a Beast (2)
Chapter 225: Going to the Capital as a Beast (2)The warm atmosphere and the fluttering excitement in my chest vanished in an instant. The smile that once adorned baby''s face hardened into an unyielding stare.
I was confused. Why? Why was baby wearing such an expression? Everything seemed fine just a moment ago, and I hadn¡¯t said anything strange.
"Your Grace."
As I remained speechless in my bewilderment, baby spoke again.
His voice was low, but his eyes burned with intensity. It was as if he was warning me that there would be no next time if I didn¡¯t exin myself properly.
"Exin to me. How am I going to live for hundreds of years?"
Fear started to creep in. I didn¡¯t know why he was reacting this way, but it was clear that he was angry. This wasn¡¯t just a fleeting annoyance or a sense of injustice; this was genuine anger.
"Potion."
I barely managed to get the word out through trembling lips.
Of course, this wasn¡¯t a sufficient exnation. It was merely something I said to gather my thoughts. If I hadn¡¯t said even that, baby would have turned his back on me immediately.Upon hearing that, he leaned back into the sofa. That was a relief. At least he wasn¡¯t going anywhere for now.
"Do you remember the potion I gave you?"
"Yes, I remember."
"That potion supposedly extends your lifespan."
His expression twisted with difort.
"Not immediately, though. You need to take it consistently for 40 years before it takes effect. For now, it just helps with your health."
I added this instinctively, and his contorted expression seemed to rx a bit.
It was only then that I realized that baby was ufortable with the idea of a prolonged lifespan. It wasn¡¯t just an awkwardness towards the unknown; he genuinely disliked the idea.
But why?
I couldn¡¯t understand. Gaining a long lifespan, akin to that of long-lived races, was a universal human desire.
My father had also wished to live a life like Mother and me. Mother dedicated her life to making my father like the long-lived races.
It wasn¡¯t just my parents. They weren''t obsessed with longevity just because they were lovers with different lifespans.
Everyone, everyone was like that.
In my over a hundred years of life, every human I encountered longed for longevity. Past emperors, nobles, and even clergies who professed to follow the will of the gods.
They all expressed subtle envy towards me. As death approached, they would look at me with desperate eyes.
They were so attached to life because they had so much to enjoy. Uncertain of what woulde after this life, they wanted to enjoy their current luxuries.
For everyone, it was the same...
Evenmoners, those whocked wealth and status, wished for a longer life. Those with less, who might face more despair than happiness, also longed for longevity.
They feared death. They feared facing the unknown after leaving this familiar world behind.
Of course, baby would...
Babycked nothing. Wealth, honor, power, and personal strength. Naturally, I thought that he would desire longevity. After all, he had so much to enjoy in this world.
So, I naturally assumed that he would be pleased to spend hundreds of years with me, enjoying our current splendor, or even more, for centuries. Since he was human, I believed he would like it.
It would be unfamiliar, of course. He would be bewildered, perhaps even frightened. No one would remain calm if their lifespan suddenly doubled.
Still, I believed that he would eventuallye to appreciate it.
"Your Grace."
After a moment of silence, baby spoke again.
"Why did you do it?"
A brief question, but one loaded with emotion.
It was clear that he was holding back and suppressing what he truly wanted to say.
"I thought you would want to live a long life¡ª"
"Why."
He interrupted me before I could finish. This was a situation I had never faced before, one that I never imagined experiencing as a duke.
Of course, I wasn¡¯t angry because I wanted him to see me as a woman, rather than just the Mage Duchess. In fact, I was d that he seemed to see me just as Beatrix, not as the duke.
However, this wasn''t the situation I wanted. I didn''t want him to forget that I was the Mage Duchess to the point of being so angry.
"Why did Your Grace decide that for me?"
Suddenly, my hands started to tremble. My mind went nk, and I couldn''t find an appropriate response.
I had assumed that he would naturally want and appreciate longevity. But if he rejected it, then what could I say?
"...Your Grace knows."
Seeing me like that, baby spoke in a slightly softer voice.
"You know how hard it was for me when I lost them... You know that very well."
It wasn¡¯t so much a softened tone as it was a voice tinged with resignation.
His gaze dropped to the floor, and I followed.
I knew. How could I not? I knew how much he had suffered after the Great War of the North.
That''s when I first met him.
I first encountered him right after the war ended. They said that there was a child with abnormal recovery abilities, the sole survivor among those who fought and returned. Initially, my interest was purely experimental.
But the more I met him, the more I learned about him. He was a young boy who lost his precious friends at such a tender age, much like how I lost my parents long ago.
But he was different from me.
Despite the pain, he moved forward. He tried to suppress his agony and carry on, unlike me, who was lost and aimless after losing my parents.
I was even prepared for the day when I would have to let go of my human father first. Despite this preparation, I was deeply troubled, while he, with no such preparation, was enduring alone.
It started then. I began to see him as more than an experiment, and my nces grew more frequent. I started to fall for him, quietly building my affection.
That¡¯s why...
I wanted to make him happy. I wanted to live with him forever, sharing a love so intense that the pain of his lost connections would be mere memories.
I wanted to dy his encounter with the fear of death, even if it meant pushing it far into the future.
The sorrow of losing loved ones came with the fear of one''s death. The sudden death of others made one acutely aware of their own fragile existence.
That was why...
I thought I understood his pain, and that led me to make a choice that turned out to be an unwanted intrusion in his life.
"Your Grace."
"Y-yes? Speak."
I quickly lifted my gaze at his voice.
And the moment I saw his face, my body froze.
"Do you intend to make me go through that pain again?"
His face was expressionless, or perhaps it looked as if he was on the verge of tears. It was a strange observation. How could one see tears in a nk expression?
"If I live for hundreds of years, how much more will I have to lose?"
However, baby was definitely crying. Though there were no visible tears and his face didn¡¯t contort, it was clear that he was crying.
"...To Your Grace, these connections might just seem fleeting, but to me, they are lifelong bonds."
His words left me speechless, and my mind went nk for a different reason.
"How many times will I have to lose these bonds?"
He looked at me with a gaze filled with resentment, and I couldn''t say anything.
Why... Why hadn¡¯t I considered something so simple? No matter how long he lived, he was still human.
To me, all connections except for my parents and my beloved were just passing moments. No matter how long they lived, they were just a fraction of my lifespan.
Except for my deceased parents and my beloved, all bonds were ones I could move past.
But for him, it''s not the same.
I was foolish. I only considered things from my perspective and assumed that lifelong bonds meant as little to baby as they did to me.
But for him, extending his lifespan didn¡¯t mean that those lifelong connections would be fleeting. It meant that the people he thought he''d spend his life with would leave him far too quickly.
"...I apologize for my rudeness, Your Grace. Please forgive me."
Lost in the overwhelming shame, I watched baby rise from his seat and bow his head.
"If Your Grace decided so, there must be a reason. I was presumptuous to question you."
His words were polite, but they clearly drew a line between us.
I remembered ourughter and conversation just a few minutes ago. The drastic change sent chills down my spine, and I felt tears welling up.
"B-baby, I... I..."
No, I couldn¡¯t let the conversation end this way.
I had hurt him with my ignorance and stubbornness. I needed to apologize immediately...
"I will make sure that Your Grace will never have to see my face again."
His words stopped my outstretched hand.
***He nced at me onest time before leaving the tower room without hesitation.
I should have stopped him. I should have begged for forgiveness and promised never to make the same mistake again.
But I couldn''t move. The repeated shocks had left me paralyzed.
"I will make sure that Your Grace will never have to see my face again."
He said he would take responsibility for his disrespect, but in truth, he was saying that he never wanted to see me again.
Those terrible, fearful words kept echoing in my mind. The happiness from just moments ago crumbled away like a lie.
And now, as happiness turned into despair, I saw theb on the table. Pure white, and elegantly designed.
"It may be of no use to you, but this is a small token of my appreciation. Please ept it. Between us, this is nothing."
No.
With trembling hands, I grabbed theb desperately. I felt as if I had to hold onto it, or else I¡¯d lose this gift too.
No...
And then, I cried. It was the first gift he had given me, a treasure worth more than all the riches of my duchy.
But it had now be thest gift, a symbol of the end between us; it turned from a cherished treasure into a horrid reminder of the downfall of our rtionship.
"No!"
A scream tore from my throat.
I couldn''t let it end like this. Even if he never forgave me, and even if he resented me for the rest of his life, I had to apologize. Even if I remained a selfish monster in his eyes, I needed to show at least a shred of decency.
So, I ran. I had never run for the sake of my appearance or dignity as a duke, but those things were meaningless now.
"T-Tower Master!"
"What on earth¡ª?"
The more I ran, the more I heard voices filled with shock and rm as I descended the tower.
It didn¡¯t matter. My authority was useless.
Baby.
Even as I ran, I tried to sense his mana. If I could find his mana, then I could teleport to him.
However, it wasn¡¯t easy. Magic was deeply influenced by the caster¡¯s state of mind. How could my magic function properly when I was so confused and distraught?
Baby...!
So, I just kept running.
With no dignity, authority, or magic left, it was all I could do.
Chapter 226: Going to the Capital as a Beast (3)
Chapter 226: Going to the Capital as a Beast (3)I abruptly ended the conversation with the Mage Duchess and stood up. Of course, it wasn''t the right thing to do. Professionally, it was rude of the Executive Manager to act this way towards a noble, and personally, I was ignoring a woman who loved me.
However, it was the best course of action. If I had stayed there much longer, I would have been ovee with emotion. I would have said things I''dter regret, things even I couldn''t handle.
"I will make sure that Your Grace will never have to see my face again."
I had almost let something dangerous slip. Even as I rose to leave, trying to keep my words in check, my mouth was already out of control.
Swearing never to show my face again¡ªwhat was I thinking? What if we had to meet again? That would be incredibly awkward.
Calm down.
I took deep breaths to steady myself as I walked away briskly, not that it helped much.
It would be a lie to say that I didn''t feel betrayed. Not being angry would mean that I had no emotions. The Mage Duchess'' actions were that shocking.
Still, fleeing without dering aplete catastrophe was thanks to the tiny bit of reason left in me.
She didn¡¯t do it out of malice.Yes, the Mage Duchess made a mistake towards me. It wasn''t even idental; it was deliberate.
However, there was no ill intent. It wasn''t to harm me or y some trick. So no matter how angry I was, thinking calmly and drawing a conclusion was the right thing to do.
"B-baby, I... I..."
"Damn it."
I let out a quiet curse as the pitiful image of the Mage Duchess calling out to me shed in my mind.
Thinking reasonably? No malice? That was all nonsense. I was just making excuses to myself. Seeing the Mage Duchess trembling like that and looking like the world was ending softened my heart.
How maddening. I resented the person in front of me, and yet I pitied her. I felt sympathy, but I also didn''t want to understand.
So, I ran away to give myself time to sort things out. Continuing the conversation in my confused state would only end badly.
...She should have told me earlier.
I sighed. If the Mage Duchess had told me about the potion beforehand, I would have been perplexed, but not furious. At least it would show that she respected my will and gave me a choice. Then, there''d be no reason for me to be angry.
The problem was that the Mage Duchess gave me the potion without saying anything. It luckily hadn''t taken effect yet, but I would have unknowingly transcended humanity if the Mage Duchess hadn''t confessed.
¡°Don''t worry about that, baby. Your time will be like mine. In 40 years, you will be able to live for hundreds of years as well."
I recalled the Mage Duchess saying this proudly, almost expecting praise.
This wasplicated. The Mage Duchess shouldn''t have hidden it from me in the first ce; or, she should have kept it a secret forever.
Is it because of a difference in race?
If the Mage Duchess thought that it was wrong, then she would have hidden it thoroughly.
From the Mage Duchess'' perspective, extending my lifespan was a kind gesture. She probably thought I''d be happy.
...Of course, no matter how kind the intention was, it wasn''t something to be taken lightly. This needed more thought.
***Before long, I reached a ce where I could think alone.
"Master?"
"Long time no see, Butler."
That ce was my mansion in the capital.
There was nowhere else to go. Returning to the academy in my current state would only worry others, and going to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office would likely lead to me taking out my frustration on my subordinates.
So, I chose the mansion. Holing up in my room and maybe getting some sleep would help clear my head. It was already evening, so returning to the academy in the morning wouldn''t be a problem.
"Today is a joyous day. I thought we wouldn¡¯t see you until the end of the year."
The butler, initially surprised by my sudden appearance, quicklyposed himself and weed me warmly.
"I''ll prepare a meal right away."
"No, that''s alright. I had something simple."
I was actually hungry, but I wasn''t in the mood to eat anything.
"Understood."
The butler briefly showed a disappointed expression but quickly nodded. After all, it wasn''t his ce to force someone to eat if they didn''t want to.
As I turned to head to my room, I added one more thing just in case.
"If any guestse looking for me, turn them away. I need to get back soon anyway."
"Yes, I will do so."
With the butler''s reply, I continued walking. I needed some rest before deciding what to do next.
¡ªOr so I thought.
"Master, Master. Master, you need to sleep now."
Yuris, whom I encountered on my way to my room, was an unexpected obstacle. There was no sign of Sophia, who usually apanied her.
Dusting a window with a feather duster, Yuris ran over and started chatting as soon as she saw me. She asked why I was here, mentioned how two yolks came out of an egg today and said it was a sign I woulde, andmented that she would have prepared a cake if she had known.
Normally, I would have responded and yed along with her a bit, but I was too tired and just nodded.
Usually, this would signal to Yuris to back off. Despite being young, she was perceptive and considerate.
"But you haven''t even changed your clothes."
Today, however, she clung to me and showed no signs of leaving.
What''s going on?
I nced at Yuris. She looked up at me with bright eyes, behaving differently from usual. Did she have something to say?
"What is it? Do you have a favor to ask?"
I gently patted Yuris on the head. From a maid''s perspective, the master must be the most challenging person to approach. Even though I wasn¡¯t someone who bullied my employees, the inherent social difference alone would usually be intimidating for them.
Yet she lingered close, which likely meant she had a request. I could amodate it as long as it wasn''t too difficult.
"Master, are you troubled by something?"
"Huh?"
However, I didn''t expect her to turn the question on me.
With sincere eyes, Yuris asked as if she genuinely cared. Not that there was any reason for her to ask me in the first ce.
I was a bit taken aback by the sudden question.
"...Was it that obvious?"
"Very much so."
Her blunt answer made me chuckle bitterly. Even a child could see I wasn''t in good shape.
If Yuris could tell, then the butler probably noticed long ago but kept silent to give me space to sort things out. Being a child, Yuris spoke her mind directly.
I continued patting her head, debating whether to brush it off or share a bit.
She''s already curious.
Yuris'' head moved with my hand, and she watched my mouth intently. Children tended to fixate on things, so dodging the question wouldn''t work.
"Someone made a mistake towards me. I''m deciding how to handle it."
I chose to speak vaguely. It would be fine as long as I didn''t go into detail. And honestly, I needed to talk to someone about it.
Besides, confiding in an ordinary maid didn''t seem like a risk.
"Was it a big mistake?"
"Quite big."
"Did they do it on purpose?"
"Yes, they did."
"That''s awful."
"Right?"
I smiled slightly at her words.
Yes, it was awful. Knowing what I went through and still doing it was indeed terrible.
"But if you''re thinking about it, doesn''t that mean you want to forgive them?"
Herment made me pause my patting for a moment, but I resumed quickly, pretending that nothing happened.
She had a point. Deciding to calm down before making a decision meant that I didn''t want topletely ruin my rtionship with the Mage Duchess.
If I were truly furious and hated the Mage Duchess, I would have ended it then and there.
"Do you think so?"
"Master always said that everyone makes mistakes. If there''s a reason and they sincerely apologize, it''s not unforgivable."
"...Did I say that?"
"Yes!"
Seeing Yuris cheerfully shout that made me realize that she might be right.
Did I really say something like that to a child? I couldn¡¯t quite remember.
Noticing my confused expression, Yuris smiled awkwardly and continued.
"It was when you brought Sophia and me here..."
"Oh."
I remembered now.
"Hand it over... right now! Or I''ll... I''ll stab you with this!"
I couldn''t recall the exact moment, but I remembered meeting Yuris while surveying a post-war recovery area.
Starving and with Sophia on the verge of death, Yuris attempted to rob me with a makeshift stone axe when she saw me with bread in an alleyway.
At first, I wasn''t sure what to think. I briefly wondered if it was an assassination attempt, but a young girl with a crude stone axe didn''t seem like an assassin.
In the end, I let her ¡®rob¡¯ me, feeling pity for the poor children. I nearly cried when I saw Yuris feeding Sophia first, thinking how harsh the war had been for a kind child to resort to such measures.
"I''m sorry! I''m so sorry! I must have been crazy! Sophia is innocent!"
Once her hunger was sated, Yuris came to her senses and broke down in tears.
"It''s okay. Everyone makes mistakes."
I hadforted her back then, saying that mistakes were forgivable if one sincerely apologized.
"You remembered that?"
"Those words changed my life."
Her giggle made me feel a bit embarrassed.
Anyone else in my ce would have done the same. Yuris and Sophia¡¯s situation was truly pitiful.
"Thank you for the advice."
After a moment of thought, I patted Yuris'' head.
Yes, forgiveness was an option. I should consider it.
Of course, forgiving immediately was out of the question. For now, just controlling my anger was enough.
***Although Master said he wouldn''t eat, I informed the kitchen to have some light snacks ready in case he changed his mindter.
I also checked the garden visible from Master''s room and ensured that all other amenities were in order. Master¡¯s ns to return to the Academy tomorrow were not my concern. My duty was to serve him to the best of my ability.
While I was inspecting the mansion, I received an unexpected report from the guard at the main gate.
"Who came?"
"The Mage Duchess is here."
There was a surprising guest. This mansion rarely had visitors, especially since Master was often away. Who woulde knowing that he was only staying for a day?
The visitor turned out to be the Mage Duchess, a recent central figure in the capital¡¯s buzz and someone who harbored feelings for Master.
"...Master has refused guests. Please turn her away politely."
I instinctively pondered how to handle this, but Master had clearly instructed me to refuse visitors. So, I had to turn her away.
"Butler, sir."
But the guard hesitated.
"I''m sorry, sir... But I think you should see this for yourself."
His words filled me with a sense of unease.
***I couldn''t believe my eyes.
Oh my goodness.
I now understood the guard''s distress. It was impressive how he managed to report it calmly.
The closer I got to the gate, the clearer the figure became. The sight of the disheveled woman, gradually bing more distinct, was shocking.
"B-Butler!"
Seeing me approach, the guard at the gate called out hastily. Following his gaze, I met eyes with the Mage Duchess.
And I almost closed my eyes instinctively at the sight.
What is this?
The Mage Duchess was in a deplorable state. Her eyes were red and swollen; tears were streaming down her face, and her face was flushed from the cold wind.
Her long hair, trailing to the ground, was matted with dirt and debris, and her clothes were in terrible condition as if she had fallen.
Barefoot.
She was barefoot. Had she lost her shoes when she fell?
It was pitiful. If I hadn¡¯t been told that the Mage Duchess hade, I wouldn¡¯t have recognized her.
"Butler...?"
"Yes. I am Willes, the butler of this mansion."
Her voice trembled violently, and I instinctively bowed my head.
As I did, I noticed that she was holding something tightly.
Despite being covered in dirt, she clutched a cleanb, as if it was the only thing she couldn¡¯t allow to get dirty.
"Butler..."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Is your master here...?"
Seeing her in such a miserable state, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to turn her away.
Master, what on earth have you done outside?
Chapter 227: Going to the Capital as a Beast (4)
Chapter 227: Going to the Capital as a Beast (4)I ran without thinking, following my feet. I cast aside all my pride and authority and ran desperately, ignoring the noises around me.
If I stopped here, I felt like I''d never catch up to baby. It felt like I might lose him forever if I were even a momentte.
What use were all my possessions without baby? What was the point of my title as the Mage Duchess or the Head of the Magic Tower in a world without him? Even if I had everything but him, nothing mattered.
Where are you, baby...?
But no matter how hard I ran, baby was nowhere in sight. As I grew more breathless, running became increasingly difficult. It felt like the sky was falling.
Unable to use magic, I was utterly helpless. Only baby could make me feel so powerless and insignificant.
Tears blurred my vision. How could I have ignored him? I disregarded his pain, ignored his opinion, and acted arrogantly, assuming he¡¯d naturally be pleased.
"Baby, baby..."
My body trembled with self-loathing. My legs gave out, and I copsed to the ground.
No, self-pity was a luxury I couldn''t afford. I had to apologize, even if forgiveness was out of the question. I couldn''t let our final memory be stained by my ugliness.I forced my trembling legs to move. I stumbled and fell many times, but I got up each time. I grabbed every passerby to ask if they¡¯d seen baby, ignoring their shocked looks.
"If you mean the man in the ck uniform, he went that way. I don''t know if he''s the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager, but..."
Thankfully, a shopkeeper''s response pointed me in the right direction.
After running again, I arrived at a mansion¡ªbaby''s mansion.
He¡¯s in there.
I was genuinely relieved. I was worried that he might have left the capital.
Luckily, I wasn''t toote. Baby was still here. There was still a chance.
Holding onto that hope, I moved forward again. Limping from the pain in my knees, I approached the main gate, where a guard blocked my way.
"P-Please stop. This is the residence of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager, Carl Krasius¡ª"
"Tell him that the Duke of Servette is here."
One of the guards exchanged nces with the other before entering the mansion and soon returned with a man.
I had hoped it might be baby. But of course, it wasn''t. Baby wouldn''t want to see me.
The man who came out was the mansion''s butler. I asked him if baby was here and if I could see him.
"...Master has said that he will not receive any visitors."
At the butler''s hesitant reply, I sank to the ground.
"Even so, I believe Master would wee you if he knew you were here."
"No, it''s fine..."
As the flustered butler tried to return inside, I instinctively grabbed him.
Baby had already refused to see visitors. He might think I was disregarding him again if the butler told him that I was here.
I couldn''t afford to make him hate me more.
"How long is he staying here?"
"He will return to the academy tomorrow morning."
"I see..."
He would leave in the morning. That meant that he woulde out of the mansion then.
If so, then I would wait. I could wait until morning to see baby.
I could wait as long as it took if it meant seeing him.
***I barely closed my eyes before I had to open them again. Please, let me sleep a bit.
But the butler¡¯s face, looking as if he''d seen a ghost, and the urgent news that the Duke of Servette had arrived was enough to make me give up on sleep.
I clearly said that I wouldn¡¯t ept visitors.
The anger that had slightly subsided thanks to Yuris''s advice red up again. The added difort felt like being hit in the same spot twice.
It wasn''t time for us to meet yet. I had stormed out to clear my head, even at the risk of seeming rude. Meeting now, with my emotions still raw, wouldn''t lead to any good oue.
That was why I had refused any guests. And yet here I was, about to face her.
"Butler, I told you to refuse any visitors."
"I''m sorry, Master, but I felt that it was necessary to inform you."
I considered ignoring it, but seeing the butler so flustered was rare. There had to be a good reason.
As I walked toward the front gate, I kept thinking about what I should say to the Mage Duchess.
Should I apologize for seeing her despite saying I wouldn''t? No, that would sound too sarcastic.
Should I ask her what right she had toe here? No, that was too confrontational. I wasn¡¯t ready to forgive her, but I didn''t want to fight her, either.
Should I simply say that I couldn''t host her and ask her to leave? That seemed like the best option.
¡ªOr so I thought.
"Ah, baby..."
When I saw her, all the scenarios I had rehearsed vanished. Every n crumbled into nothing.
The Mage Duchess, who was normally a symbol of elegance with her radiant white hair, looked far from her usual self. She was disheveled and dirty, and her clothes were torn here and there.
And there she was, sitting forlornly on the ground, barefoot. The guards didn''t dare touch the noble duke and merely hovered nearby.
What the hell...?
I was shocked. I had felt anger and resentment toward the Mage Duchess, but seeing her like this stirred conflicting emotions.
I had hoped that she would regret her actions and apologize. Not now, but someday. I wanted to see repentance, not her ruin.
"...Your Grace."
I didn''t want to see her cower in fear at my words, either.
A sigh escaped me. Even though a sigh might intimidate her, I couldn''t hold it back.
Damn it.
The weather was almost wintry, and it waste in the day. She even walked barefoot in this cold, so it was no wonder her feet were in bad shape. They looked dirty and scraped, and it was clear that she was injured. Anyone could see the bloodstains near her knees.
The Mage Duchess hurriedly exined when I just sighed and remained silent.
"Ah, baby. You said you wouldn''t receive any visitors, so I nned to wait until you came out, until morning..."
Another sigh escaped me. If she had grabbed the butler by the cor and demanded to see me, then it wouldn''t have been this pitiful. But what, wait until morning? In this weather? And on the bare ground?
I looked at the Mage Duchess as she sat on the ground. Spending the night like that, what was she thinking¡ª?
Shit.
My gaze fell on the item she was clutching. Seeing it, I couldn''t stay still any longer.
"The wind is cold."
She was holding a whiteb that contrasted with her disheveled appearance.
It was nothing much, just the first gift I had ever given her.
"Let''s talk inside."
However, she was holding that insignificant gift so preciously.
How could I treat her coldly after seeing that? Even if she hadn''t had theb, she was in no condition to be left outside.
"Y-Yes, I understand."
My voice was blunt, but the Mage Duchess, with teary eyes, quickly got up at my words.
She stumbled as soon as she stood, falling forward.
"Y-Your Grace!"
"Are you alright!?"
The guards, moved by her pitiful state, rushed to help. However, the Mage Duchess just waved them off while groaning.
This was driving me crazy. How did she end up like this? She had only left the tower a few hours ago, and yet she was already in this state.
"Your Grace, I''ll help you."
I approached the Mage Duchess, who was struggling to support herself in trembling hands. She clearly couldn''t stand on her own.
"I-I''m fine. There''s no need to¡ª"
"Excuse me."
Even a passing escaped convict would feelpelled to help if they saw her like this. How could she say that she was fine?
Ignoring her protests, I carefully lifted her. Her tear-filled eyes looked nkly at my face.
"...Guests should follow the host''s lead. Don''t talk nonsense."
They were words that epted and acknowledged her as a guest.
Hearing those words, the Mage Duchess bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears.
This was really driving me crazy.
***I took the Mage Duchess to my room instead of the reception room. I had been preparing for bed so the room was warm¡ªperfect for warming the chilled Mage Duchess.
Saying it like that made it sound like I was dealing with a corpse, which felt oddly unsettling.
"Master, I''ve brought it."
"Good work."
Not long after, the butler came in with a basin and wet towels.
"Yuris and Sophia will be here soon¡ª"
"No need. I''ll handle it."
"Understood. Please call me if you need anything."
With the butler gone, it was just the Mage Duchess and me in the room. ncing at her, I saw her sitting on the bed, fidgeting nervously.
She looked even more pitiful under the brighter light. The noble Mage Duchess looked worse than a defeated soldier.
"How are you feeling?"
When I gently asked, the Mage Duchess¡¯s wandering gaze snapped to me.
"Oh, um, yes, I''m fine."
"I know you''re not, so close your eyes for a moment."
I wasn''t expecting her to say that she was fine, so I lightly ignored it.
Looking a bit dazed, she closed her eyes quietly. Then, I carefully wiped her face with a towel. Though I couldn''t erase the signs of crying, I could at least clean off the dirt.
After her face, I moved to her hair, arms, hands, knees, and legs, wiping away any dirt I found.
"B-Baby. I can do it..."
"Be quiet."
I cut off the Mage Duchess¡¯s unneces1sary protests. I had already been rude to her today, so a bit more wouldn''t make much difference.
There¡¯s blood.
Seeing her crimson-stained knees made me feel even worse.
I could see the faint outline of her wounds through her clothes, but it was a mess upon closer inspection. Her knees were scraped, and blood was running down her legs.
She flinched with every light touch, indicating that these were fresh wounds from falling multiple times.
"...Why did youe?"
When I thought about her running all the way here and how many times she must have fallen, I couldn''t speak kindly.
"I told you not toe and that I wouldn''t see you. Why didn''t you just ignore this rude bastard?"
An unranked noble''s heir dering a severance from a duke was enough to wound anyone''s pride. And yet, the Mage Duchess came to see me, to say something to me.
And looking at the pitiful Mage Duchess, I could guess what she wanted to say.
"How could I..."
I heard her voice from above my head, mixed with sobs as it cracked.
"How could I ignore the wounds I inflicted on baby...?"
Now, even her sobs were audible. She had held back her tears outside, but now, with just the two of us, she didn''t even try to hold back.
"...I''m sorry."
Hearing that, my hands paused while cleaning her feet.
"I thought it was for you, that you''d like it. I decided that... all by myself..."
As the Mage Duchess continued, I felt something wet drop onto my head.
It wasn''t hard to guess what it was. It could only be her tears.
"I should have talked to you. I shouldn''t have decided alone... I should have talked to you, too..."
Her sobs grew louder, and the tears falling on my head increased.
"I''m sorry, I''m really sorry...!"
Despite her desperate apology, I didn''t look up.
The wounds on her feet were severe. If I wasn''t careful, it would hurt her even more.
Damn it.
I think I might be going crazy.
Chapter 228: Going to the Capital as a Beast (5)
Chapter 228: Going to the Capital as a Beast (5)I could still hear the sound of the Mage Duchess crying overhead, but I didn''t look up. More urately, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to.
Was it because I didn''t want to see the face of someone who had apologized? No, that wasn¡¯t it. Honestly, from the moment I saw the pitiful state of the Mage Duchess, my heart wavered. When she even dropped all her dignity and apologized, any faint resentment I had disappeared.
How could I hate someone who apologized so sincerely without any excuses or self-justification?
This is unfair.
That thought crossed my mind. Why did she have to apologize while I was wiping her feet, which looked truly pitiful and pathetic?
No matter how clean the roads of the capital were, they weren¡¯t clean enough to walk barefoot without any harm. Moreover, the Mage Duchess was just a frail woman without any training apart from magic.
That was why I couldn''t look up. If I looked at the Mage Duchess now, I might get angry for another reason. I might raise my voice and ask why she had to suffer like this, or if she thought I would like it.
If I did that, then the Mage Duchess would probably cry and apologize again. It was obvious.
"Your Grace."
After taking a brief, deep breath, I lifted my head. Seeing her crying like a child stirred a different kind of emotion within me."...Please give me theb."
However, I quickly suppressed it. Getting angry at someone who had already apologized would be too much.
The Mage Duchess turned pale and shook her head at my words.
"B-Baby. This, this..."
She hugged theb she cherished even tighter, as if pleading with me not to take it away.
"I''m not asking you to give it back. You need tob your hair, don¡¯t you?"
Sighing at her pitiful state, I spoke softly. No matter how angry I was, I would never take back a gift. Besides, my anger had already subsided.
I just wanted tob her hair. Although I had wiped off the dust earlier, her once silky hair was still a mess.
Fortunately, she calmed down and cautiously handed me theb while ncing at me nervously.
"This will take a while."
I sat behind her and gathered her hair.
It was long even at a nce, but it was immense when gathered.
"It''s okay. Take your time."
As I held her hair, her ears, which had been drooping, perked up slightly.
...Let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t see that.
***Silence filled the room. There were no more sniffles or apologies.
Only the sound of theb gliding through her hair and the rustle of her hair falling onto the nket could be heard.
It¡¯s so soft.
It was so quiet that I even had idle thoughts. However, her hair was really soft.
It was so smooth that it only took me a few strokes to tidy it up; what I thought would take a long time was finished quicker than expected.
I couldn''t tell if it was because she had taken good care of it or if it was an elven trait.
"Ah...!"
When my hand brushed against her ear whilebing, a small sound escaped her lips, and her ears twitched.
"I''m still angry, you know."
At my words, her ears drooped again.
Of course, that was a lie. I wasn¡¯t angry anymore. People who said ''I¡¯m angry!'' rarely were genuinely angry.
It was just a bit of mischief. Even though my anger had subsided, my mind was still in turmoil. Should I forgive her so easily? The Mage Duchess¡¯s expressive nature just made me feel a bit mischievous.
It was a childish thing to do and definitely not something I¡¯d repeat.
"Why did you say that?"
I calmly asked as I continuedbing her hair.
"You could at least give me an excuse."
However, my tone wasn¡¯t as calm as I wanted it to be. I was demanding to hear the words that deep down, I wanted so much to hear from her.
"You could say that you did it for my sake or that I would appreciate it once I calmed down."
Immortality. Some might call it a blessing; who wouldn¡¯t want it, especially when it wasbined with wealth and honor?
She could have said that. She could have told me that I was just overreacting and that I would be grateful once I cooled down.
"You could say that thinking of losing me made you too sad."
She could have appealed to my feelings and told me that she loved me too much to let me go¡ªthat the thought of living hundreds of years without me was unbearable.
If she had said that, then I might have been flustered. Just as I didn¡¯t want to be left as the only one alive after losing my loved ones, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t want to be left alone after losing me.
"...Why aren¡¯t you making any excuses?"
However, she chose none of these. She simply said that she was sorry and that it was her fault.
"Because I want to be honest."
She answered without hesitation.
"I already deceived you once. I didn¡¯t want to do it again."
Her voice was filled with self-reproach and emptiness.
I couldn¡¯t see her face since I was behind her, but she probably didn¡¯t have a pleasant expression.
"In a moment where I¡¯m asking for your forgiveness, how could I do such a thing...?"
Her head lowered more and more, and her shoulders began to tremble slightly.
"After having hurt you, how could I say that I¡¯m hurting too?"
She felt like she didn¡¯t deserve to appeal to my feelings after having already deceived me.
So, she didn¡¯t speak about our lifespans or the fact that without the potion, I would have left her first.
"...I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m so sorry..."
Her apology came again, but this time it wasn¡¯t mixed with sobs and pleading. It was an apology that felt like she had let something go, as if she had resigned herself to something.
"I was so selfish. I imed to love you, and yet I didn¡¯t even consider your feelings."
She turned around carefully as she continued speaking.
Tears that had just stopped started flowing again, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
"I was greedy. Even though I found someone I loved more than anyone, I couldn''t be satisfied with just that and wanted to spend a lifetime together."
She was smiling even as she cried.
Her expression was clear right in front of me, but it was so confusing.
"Even if you don¡¯t forgive me and even if you never want to see me again, that¡¯s my fault. You¡¯re making the right choice."
Her smile deepened as I remained silent, and more tears fell.
"But please, at least let me watch you from afar. Let me keep my baby in my heart."
And then, she added quietly.
If I can have just a few decades to see you, then the following centuries without you would be bearable.
Damn it.
At those words, I stood up. I wouldn¡¯t be human if I didn¡¯t forgive her after hearing something like that.
If she was showing that much sincerity, then I needed to respond in kind.
"B-Baby?"
She blinked in confusion at the sudden movement.
My heart ached at the sight, but I turned away and opened a nearby drawer. If my memory was correct, then it should be here.
There it is.
Fortunately, it was just as I remembered. It seemed like the butler or the maids hadn¡¯t moved it during cleaning.
Inside the drawer were about three bottles of potion. I had set them aside for drinking during the vacations and forgotten to take them back with me.
I never imagined that my forgetfulness woulde in handy like this.
"Your Grace."
"Y-Yes?"
As I spoke with a serious expression while holding the potion, she stammered, clearly nervous.
I looked at her and then drank the potion.
"...You said it takes about 40 years to see the effects of this, right?"
I let out a small sigh. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was the right choice, but I couldn''t think of a better one no matter how much I thought.
"We still have plenty of time. Let''s think about it together until then."
Whether I should match my lifespan to hers, or if we should find another way.
"So stop talking nonsense about watching me from afar."
Where did she learn these melodramatic lines? It was driving me crazy.
At my exasperated words, she stared at me in a daze before bursting into tears again.
I quietly pulled her into an embrace. If this was going to end like this, then I shouldn¡¯t have made her cry by losing my temper.
"I¡¯m sorry too, Your Grace. At the Magic Tower, I said things I didn¡¯t mean during a fit of anger."
Her sobs grew even sadder at my words.
It was my fault. This was my karma.
***After crying for a long time, she didn¡¯t leave my arms even after calming down.
However, I wasn¡¯t heartless enough to tell her to move away now that she had calmed down.
...What do I do now?
The atmosphere was awkward. We had made up, apologized, and mended our rtionship, which was a happy ending.
However, this situation felt too awkward. How could we move apart naturally and start talking about something else?
Ah.
ncing out the window, I saw the dark sky. That gave me a good idea for a topic.
"It''s alreadyte, Your Grace."
I felt her grip tighten on my clothes.
She must have misunderstood. I wasn¡¯t telling her to go back to the tower because it waste.
She had wandered around the capital in such a memorable appearance that no one could forget. If she returned to the tower alone at this hour, what kind of looks would she get? The rumors spreading by tomorrow morning would be even worse.
"It''s too dark to go back. Would you like to stay here for the night?"
She nodded her head eagerly at my suggestion.
Then, she asked cautiously, lifting her head.
"Baby, are you staying here, too?"
Of course we would sleep in separate rooms. What was she thinking?
"...Yes. I''ll sleep on the sofa, and you can take the bed."
But looking at her tear-filled eyes, I automatically made the offer.
Fine. Sharing a room should be okay as long as it isn¡¯t the same bed.
"..."
"Your Grace?"
Strangely, she buried her face in my chest and stayed silent despite the tight grip she had on my clothes.
Honestly, I could handle a hundred of her kind without magic, but still.
"...Are sleeping already?"
Her ears twitched at my words but she remained silent, as if pretending to be asleep.
What the...?
She must¡¯ve been really distraught today.
Chapter 229: The Capital’s Crazy Executive Manager (1)
Chapter 229: The Capital¡¯s Crazy Executive Manager (1)I opened my eyes as the morning sunlight streamed through the curtains. Thinking about the rumors that must have spread overnight made me want to close them again, but I forced myself to get up.
It had been a while since I slept on the sofa, so my body felt stiff. I guess I had been able to sleepfortably since being dispatched to the academy.
"Are you awake?"
I turned to where the voice came from and saw the Mage Duchess sitting on the bed. I was worried that she might be the type to say, ¡®Dukes don''t sleep on such shabby beds,¡¯ but she fortunately slept without any fuss.
Then, I noticed the shirt draped over her like a cloak.
She¡¯s like a lizard that¡¯s shedding its skin.
I couldn''t help but chuckle as I recalledst night''s events.
The Mage Duchess had clung to me, pretending to be asleep. She held on no matter how much I tried to shake her off, so I threw off my shirt and fled. If she was going to be sneaky, then I had to respond in kind.
The Mage Duchess seemed to be awake even as I took off my shirt, but she didn''t catch me probably because it would have been too embarrassing to suddenly open her eyes.
Instead, I felt her piercing gaze on my back as I headed to the sofa."Yes, Your Grace. Good morning."
"Fufu, yes. It''s been a while since I''ve had such a refreshing morning."
I felt relieved upon seeing her small smile. The sobbing Mage Duchess from yesterday was gone, and the one I knew had returned.
The Mage Duchess, who was still sitting on the bed, spoke softly while I was putting on my coat.
"Baby?"
"Yes, please go ahead."
"I still find it hard to use magic, so could you brush my hair for me?"
I unintentionally looked her over.
She looked neat and clean even after just waking up. In fact, she seemed even tidier than when I had cleaned her except for her unusually messy hair, which looked like it had been deliberately tousled.
"Could you... not?"
It was an obvious lie. Objectively speaking, and judging by the twitching of her ears, it was definitely a lie.
But what could I do? Considering what she went through yesterday, brushing her hair was nothing. I could easily grant such a small request.
"No, of course. I''d be happy to."
When I nodded willingly, the Mage Duchess handed me theb with a bright smile.
"Your Grace, please take off the shirt first¡ª"
"Do it like this."
"Yes, understood."
...Fine. Losing a shirt was no big deal.
After all, I had once lost my coat to Marghetta.
***Since it had been a long time since we had a guest, especially one who spent the night, I offered breakfast. The Mage Duchess thought for a moment but shook her head, saying that she had to go back to the Magic Tower quickly.
The tower must be in chaos. The Tower Master suddenly disappeared, spreading rumors everywhere, and didn¡¯t return even after dark. It wouldn''t be surprising if the Vice Master of the Magic Tower copsed from stress.
"Shall we go together?"
"H-huh?"
The Mage Duchess looked surprised when I extended my hand to escort her. She probably didn''t expect me to go this far.
However, this was the right thing to do. It was better than returning alone after a night, and it would also prevent strange rumors about her wandering alone after crying.
Of course, walking with me would still generate plenty of gossip, but it would be better to spread good news than bad.
"Alright, thank you."
After a moment''s hesitation, the Mage Duchess took my hand, smiling brightly as she had in the room earlier.
It felt a bit strange. It was just yesterday that I saw her sobbing at the front gate and in my room, but I also saw her smile brightly in both ces today.
We never know what the future holds.
Indeed, you could never predict a person''s future. Who could have imagined such a change in just one day?
But a positive change was always wee. It¡¯d be better to beughing today than crying again.
"Shall we go?"
The Mage Duchess answered with an unchanged smile.
***My heart raced. I couldn''t remember thest time it beat so wildly.
The reason was simple: the hand I was holding was warm, and walking together with baby made me happy.
It was embarrassing to feel joy over something so small, but I couldn''t help it.
"It will be quite noisy for a while."
Baby whispered while my head was clouded with joy, and I looked around instinctively.
People were staring, whispering, and some were even running off to spread the news.
"Yes, it will be."
I smiled wryly. The social circles across the empire would be buzzing for a while. And it was all because of me.
I had shown them an embarrassing spectacle, but what could I do? I had almost lost him forever.
"Still, today''s news will spread faster than yesterday''s."
His voice, mixed with a hint ofughter, made my heart pound even more.
He''s looking out for me.
This time, my eyes welled up with joy and not sadness. I realized why he was boldly walking me to the Magic Tower in front of everyone.
It was to erase my disgrace from yesterday and to overshadow my embarrassing behavior with today''s new story.
Of course, the old rumors wouldn''tpletely disappear. But as today''s events spread, yesterday''s would fade.
The new rumor would be about us showing affection, something I''d be happy to spread myself.
"...Thank you."
"It''s nothing. We¡¯re just walking together."
His calm reply made me smile again.
I felt happy. Being with him and receiving his consideration made me incredibly happy.
"But, Your Grace."
"Yes?"
I responded gently as he seemed to recall something.
"How long will you keep calling me ¡®baby¡¯?"
"...What?"
It was a question I hadn''t expected at all.
"Your Grace has undeservedly held me in your heart. If this rtionship continues, we will marry someday. It would be strange to be called ¡®baby¡¯ then..."
His words left me both flustered and delighted¡ªdelighted because he was seriously considering our future together.
At the same time, I was flustered because I didn''t know what to call him if not ¡®baby¡¯.
He''s right.
Indeed, it was odd to call a precious partner ¡®baby¡¯ forever. He was a precious person who fit the term ¡®baby¡¯ well because he was someone I wanted to hold forever, but it wasn¡¯t quite fitting now.
"What will you do if we have a real child?"
Oh...!
That was the decisive blow¡ªa real child born between us.
For a moment, I thought I could call him ''big baby¡¯ and the real one ''little baby,'' but that would mean having only one child. I couldn''t ept that.
"H-How about... ¡®dearest¡¯?"
I suggested cautiously after some thought. ¡®Dearest¡¯ was a wonderful term. Mother used to call my father that.
Hearing the name, baby bit his lip and looked away. It was only for a moment, but it was clear that he was holding back augh.
I felt a bit hurt.
"Take your time; there''s no rush."
"...Alright."
He tried to brush off the term ¡®dearest¡¯ as if he hadn''t heard it at all.
I felt deeply hurt.
"So, what about you? What will you call me?"
I pouted, feeling a bit mischievous. Why do you call me ''Your Grace,'' then?
"I''ll take my time and think about it."
But my sulking didn''tst long. I hadn''t decided on a title either, so I couldn''t push him too hard.
As we chatted about this and that, we got closer to the Magic Tower.
Though I spent more time there than in my territory, today, I found myself reluctant to enter.
"I should be heading back now. If I go into the tower, they''ll probably be mad at me."
He gently let go of my hand as he spoke. Though I was disappointed, I understood and just nodded.
We were almost there, anyway. This much of an escort was more than enough to make me happy.
As I tried to suppress my disappointment, he suddenly leaned in so close that our faces almost touched. Then, he whispered in my ear.
"See you next time, Beatrix."
My mind went nk at those words.
***Just before parting with the Mage Duchess, I remembered the Wise Duchess¡¯s advice.
¡ª Nephew, if you feel like Mage Duchess is hesitating, then make the first move. She¡¯ll be caught off guard.
It was advice to take the lead in my rtionship with the Mage Duchess for the sake of my future. I had initially gone to the Magic Tower to act on this advice, which led to the incident.
That advice had been quite useful until I discovered the potion''s secret. When I made the first move, the Mage Duchess was just flustered and followed along. It was the only way to take the lead with a duke.
Of course, insisting on taking the lead after the Mage Duchess tearfully apologized would be too harsh. From now on, I should focus on making her happy rather than gaining control.
Since the Mage Duchess set aside her pride to apologize, I should also put aside my embarrassment and express myself.
"See you next time, Beatrix."
Thus, I said that. The discussion about endearments hade up, so I seized the moment.
I figured that the Mage Duchess would like it. After all, she had just asked when I''d stop calling her ''Your Grace.''
Suddenly dropping formalities and using a duke¡¯s name without a n would be madness. I wasn¡¯t crazy yet.
"Beatrix?"
However, something was off. The Mage Duchess didn''t react to my perfect strike at all.
I expected her to be flustered, embarrassed, cheekily retaliate, or at least get angry, but there was nothing.
She just stood there, motionless and silent.
"Your Grace?"
"Oh, um, I, uh..."
She finally reacted when I gently tapped her shoulder, but her face turned beet red, and she couldn''t even speak properly.
...Did I overdo it?
For a moment, she seemed to have frozen on the spot.
Chapter 230: The Capital’s Crazy Executive Manager (2)
Chapter 230: The Capital¡¯s Crazy Executive Manager (2)In a penins jutting out from the northeast of the continent, where eternal snow nkets thend and even the sea freezes overy a frigid, harsh region. Geographically, it was even further north than the Empire''s northern grasnds.
The kingdom of Lucen, located there, was a peculiar ce that neither invaded nor was invaded by any nation. It was puzzling why a country existed in such a harshnd, but no other nation desired the frozen terrain, so they let it be.
With the cold as its most formidable enemy, the Kingdom of Lucen craved warmth. Perhaps because of that, Lucen''s alcohol was famously strong.
"Ahhh¡ª!"
The vodka I was drinking now was one of Lucen''s most renowned beverages and exports. The scent was intoxicating, and swallowing it left a hot trail of liquid inside the body.
"Your Highness, drinking that much is not good for you."
The Crown Princess spoke with concern, but I couldn''t hear her. I wanted to get drunk and momentarily lose myself, enough to go to Enen¡¯s side.
So, I reached for the bottle to pour myself another ss of vodka.
"Your Highness."
But that small desire was thwarted as the Crown Princess, squinting her eyes, grabbed my hand."I''m sorry, Crown Princess."
Though her eyes were narrowed, they were filled with worry and concern. Seeing that, I couldn''t bring myself to continue drinking.
The Crown Princess was usually tolerant of my drinking. For her toe all the way to my office meant that my drinking had reached a dangerous level.
Well, I did suddenly crave vodka, which I rarely touched. It was only natural that my aides would report this to the Crown Princess.
"You seem troubled."
The Crown Princess gently smiled as she took the bottle away.
Sadly, my head started throbbing again just as she said those words. Because of the alcohol? No, I wished it were just that.
"The Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager is indeed a fascinating person. He never shows up in social circles, and yet he¡¯s always at the center of attention."
Sensing my mood, the Crown Princess chuckled. At that moment, I found her amusement a bit annoying.
I understood, though. I almostughed myself when I first heard the news. If it were unrted to me, I could haveughed all I wanted.
"...Indeed."
But it was. So, I couldn''t feel at ease.
An incident urred in the heart of the capital. Not in a secluded spot like before, but in a ce where many could witness it; the main characters were the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager and the Mage Duchess, who were both already subjects of numerous rumors.
Bloody hell.
It wasn''t just any incident; the Mage Duchess was reportedly searching for the Executive Manager in tears.
Such an incident would stir rumors even if it only involvedmoners, but between a duke and the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager, it was bound to cause political waves.
The Mage Duchess was supposedly pursuing the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager relentlessly. It seemed that the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager rejected her, and the Mage Duchess was seen pleading in tears.
What a dreadful situation. It suggested that the Executive Manager hadpletely dominated the duke. It would be stranger if there was no political fallout.
At least it''s quiet now.
Although I hated to say it, the rumors about the crying Mage Duchess had thankfully calmed down.
The reason was simple: a more sensational rumor had overshadowed it.
"Many people saw the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager walking with the Mage Duchess. Some even said they held hands."
This was thetest news brought by my butler. I first felt despair when I heard about the crying Mage Duchess, but this news brought a sigh of relief.
An incident witnessed by fewer people at night versus one seen by many in the morning¡ªthetter would naturally draw more attention, especially if it was about a budding romance.
He nned this.
I sighed, rubbing my forehead. The Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager wasn''t the kind to act without thought. He must have anticipated the fallout from the rumors.
That was why he deliberately showcased a more positive image. If rumors were inevitable, then it was better to spread those about them showing mutual affection rather than the Mage Duchess¡¯s wandering.
If so, then the news about the Mage Duchess spending the night at the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager''s mansion would spread, but what could be done? Such a shock would ensure that the rumor spread far and wide.
"Both the Duke and the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager are pirs of the Empire. How wonderful would it be if these pirs intertwined and strengthened each other?"
"Haha, that¡¯s true."
I tried to rationalize it positively. Yes, this was a good thing. It was something to be happy about.
¡ª The Imperial family will remain silent on this matter.
I had no choice but to think that way. After all, my father, the Emperor, had decided on silence.
It seemed like he had received the news around the same time I did because he contacted me shortly after the butler brought me thetest updates.
¡ª If the Imperial family gets involved in something that''s already happened, it will only cause more chaos.
There was indeed no point in trying to control an event that had already urred in the heart of the capital. The best course was to watch as the bigger piece of news overshadowed the current one.
¡ª It is only a matter of time before the Krasius family and the Catoban family be connected. So, Crown Prince, do not get involved in this matter.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
To summarize what he said, ''The oue will be favorable, so let''s ignore the process.'' It might seem irresponsible, but what could we do by interfering? The Imperial family can''t turn back time.
However, it seemed that even he was overwhelmed by this bizarre incident.
¡ª It''s been a long time since Ist saw the Executive Manager. Even while dispatched to the Academy, he has diligently hunted down many traitors.
"Indeed, Your Majesty."
¡ª I wish to dine with him before the year ends. Prepare for this, Crown Prince.
"Yes, I will do so."
The Emperor, who had been refraining from attending public activities, wanted to meet the Executive Manager personally. He probably intended to find out exactly what the Executive Manager had been taking to cause such an incident.
¡ª However, it is not proper to interfere with his duties. Choose an appropriate time considering his schedule.
I was also given permission to meet and question him before he met the Emperor.
This was the time sanctioned by the Emperor, a legitimate opportunity to tease and subtly reprimand the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager.
An imperial decree.
This was not a personal vendetta. It was, after all, an imperialmand.
Thinking that, I reached for themunication crystal.
***The Mage Duchess, stuttering as if broken, hurriedly fled to the Magic Tower.
Yet her ears stood tall, reaching for the sky. As expected, she seemed pleased. This was all meticulously calcted.
It went well.
I couldn''t help but feel satisfied. I was able to manage the situation exceptionally well.
The Mage Duchess¡¯s mood, which had hit rock bottom, was lifted again, and the unfortunate rumors that spread overnight were suppressed as much as possible.
People would likely believe the rumor of us holding hands over the unbelievable one of the duke wandering in tears. Besides, the best way to counter a rumor was with an even bigger one.
Fortunately, it happened at night.
If the Mage Duchess had wandered around the capital during the day, this method wouldn''t have worked.
Sighing in relief, I took out themunication crystal. It was time to check in with the source of this entire mess.
¡ª Wow, nephew! You contacted me first! What''s the matter!?
After quite some time, I finally received a response from the Wise Duchess.
Her greeting was loud and boisterous as, but it didn¡¯t grate on my nerves this time. After all, I had contacted her to express my gratitude.
"Thanks to Aunt, the results were good."
¡ª Ohhh?
The Wise Duchess tilted her head, letting out a peculiar sound of admiration. I wondered for a moment if contacting her was a mistake, but I pressed on.
"You advised me to strike first."
At those words, the Wise Duchess blinked a few times before bursting intoughter.
¡ª Hahaha! My nephew~ has grown into such a fineee~ man!
"...You''re too kind."
From that one sentence, I could roughly imagine how my uncle was faring. It was clear that his life wasn''t easy.
¡ª Nephew? Did you get along well with the Mage Duchess thanks to this beautiful aunt of yours?
"Yes, well..."
¡ª Then, tell me all about it!
She sounded like a drunk uncle who urged people to talk about their first love.
I was starting to regret making the call, but I nodded and began to speak. After all, the Wise Duchess had indeed been helpful.
I gave a brief ount of what had happened at the Magic Tower yesterday, and¡ª
¡ª Nephew?
"Yes, Aunt."
¡ª I just wanted you to give her a little nudge, not hit her in the chest with a battering ram.
The Wise Duchess, suddenly sounding much less inebriated,ughed awkwardly.
Damn it.
***I was the hero who had sobered up the Wise Duchess out of sheer shock. Yes, that was me.
It''s not like I did it on purpose.
It was frustrating. The look the Wise Duchess gave me at the end¡ªlike she was wondering if her exnation was tooplex for me¡ªwas clearly a misunderstanding. I had indeed intended to just give the Mage Duchess a light push.
The problem was the discovery of the unexpected secret of the potion. Because of that, I unintentionally shattered the Mage Duchess¡¯s mental state.
Though my initial n was mild, this whole situation escted because of that.
...Not that anyone would believe me. Honestly, it sounded like an excuse even to me.
¡ª But, nephew! At least you won¡¯t have to worry about fighting with the Mage Duchess over romantic issues!
The Wise Duchess added that as some sort of constion.
Yes, we probably wouldn¡¯t fight. The Mage Duchess had already broken down and cried pathetically. From now on, she¡¯d probably just look at me with sad eyes no matter what I did. It was truly a sad situation...
This isn¡¯t the time to worry about others.
I sighed again while looking at mymunication crystal. Right now, I should be worrying for myself instead of others¡¯ futures.
I received a message during my conversation with the Wise Duchess. The letters were in a magnificent font and were even decorated with the purple border that symbolized the imperial family.
It is heartening to hear that the busy Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager is in the capital. We have pressing matters to discuss, soe to the Crown Prince''s pce immediately.
It contained a veiled reprimand for causing such a ruckus despite being so busy.
I somehow felt no rebellion against that beautifully worded message.
...At least I won¡¯t be penalized, right?
The onlyfort was the assurance that I wouldn''t be given another disciplinary action.
Chapter 231: The Capital’s Crazy Executive Manager (3)
Chapter 231: The Capital¡¯s Crazy Executive Manager (3)The Crown Prince¡¯s emergency summons¡ªI''d already lost count of how often this had happened this semester. It was even starting to feel familiar, almostforting.
I really shouldn''t be getting used to this.
I quickly deleted the horrible message with a bitter feeling. It was too dreadful to keep in mymunication crystal.
And as soon as I deleted the message, I contacted Marghetta.
There¡¯s no telling how long I''ll be held up.
Honestly, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be reprimanded for this incident. Since I had been disciplined multiple times, I had a sense of what would lead to a punishment. This situation wasn¡¯t something that I would be disciplined for, even if a superior caught me.
Besides, they didn¡¯t have a good reason to punish me. For making a duke cry, or for walking peacefully through the capital? These weren¡¯t exactly offenses they could officially reprimand me for.
So, it was relieving to know that I¡¯d be able to avoid punishment. But since it wasn¡¯t a disciplinary matter, I had no idea what action they¡¯d take. Who knew when I¡¯d be able to return to the academy once I responded to the Crown Prince¡¯s summons?
I need to avoid what happenedst time.
If I became held up for hours, I wouldn¡¯t get back to the academy until afternoon, just likest time when I skipped out on Marghetta without notice.As time passed, there was a higher chance that the rumors in the capital would reach Marghetta¡¯s ears. If that happened, the calm Marghetta would get upset again.
I needed to avoid that. If I couldn¡¯t go back due to certain circumstances, then I should inform her in advance and exin it in my own words to prevent any misunderstandings. That was the right thing to do.
¡ª Ah, Carl?
"Mar."
It didn¡¯t take long for her to answer. There was a teacup on one side, so she must¡¯ve been having tea after a meal.
¡ª Why are you calling me so early in the morning? Did you miss me that much?
Marghetta, whose eyes had widened in surprise, soon smiled.
It was only natural for her to think that way since I was calling her early in the morning even though she would normally see me in the Vice President¡¯s office by mid-morning.
"Yes, I missed you. It looks like I¡¯ll bete today."
Marghetta tilted her head at my words.
¡ª Did something happen?
"I had toe to the capital yesterday to meet with Her Grace the Mage Duchess. Now, His Highness the Crown Prince has summoned me. I¡¯ll likely be dyed in returning to the academy."
Marghetta flinched visibly at the serious news, her reaction noticeable even through themunication crystal.
It was understandable. I met with the Mage Duchess after she confessed to me, and now I was being summoned by the Crown Prince; considering my past incidents of probation and imprisonment¡ªnone of these were trivial matters for her.
"The New Year¡¯s Ball is just around the corner. After that, I need to get the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s permission for our marriage. It¡¯ll be troublesome if things get chaotic around us."
¡ª Oh, yes. That¡¯s right. The ball is so close now.
Marghetta, who had stiffened, rxed quickly at my words. Talking about meeting the Iron-blooded Duke to ask for his blessing seemed to ease her worriespletely.
For Marghetta, trust and reassurance were paramount. She was happy as long as I ensured those.
"Yes. I¡¯ve also spoken with the Mage Duchess. Mar¡¯s position is secure."
Her eyes widened again.
Telling her that her position was secure meant that she didn''t have to give up being first to the Mage Duchess.
¡°Just loving you doesn''t give me the right to im your first..."
After thest incident, Marghetta had given up the desire to be first. She said that she didn¡¯t care about her position as long as she could be with me. For the sake of my well-being, she prioritized my choice over her desires.
However, people don¡¯t change their feelings so easily. Even if she had given up, it was only natural to want it if it was possible. In that context, my assurance of her being first would make her happy.
¡ª D-Did the Mage Duchess really say that?
Seeing her leaning closer to themunication crystal made me smile. Yes, she was really pleased.
"I¡¯ll exin in detail when we meet in person."
It was aplicated and lengthy story to tell over themunication crystal.
"But please, at least let me watch you from afar. Let me keep my baby in my heart."
How could I briefly exin such heartfelt words from the Mage Duchess?
It was practically a deration of surrender, a heartfelt statement that also meant I didn''t have to worry excessively about her. She wasn''t fixated on being the first or on monogamy.
If neither the Mage Duchess nor Marghetta was overly concerned about being first, then there was a fairly good solution.
No, not just fairly good¡ªit was the only solution. It was even more surprising that I hadn¡¯t thought of it earlier.
¡ª Okay, I''ll wait.
"Just in case, keep your dorm window open. I might visit even at night."
Marghetta nodded, her face turning red.
***
After speaking with Marghetta, I contacted the Principal to exin the situation. I mentioned that I had to visit the capital for some business and might bete for club activities due to the Crown Prince¡¯s summons.
For a moment, the Principal¡¯s eyes immediately shed with questions like, ¡®What did this kid do to be summoned by the Crown Prince so often?¡¯ However, he decided to let it go.
¡°Have you arrived, Executive Manager?¡±
¡°I greet Your Highness.¡±
What mattered now wasn''t the Principal''s curiosity, but my immediate future.
I pondered a lot in front of the Crown Prince¡¯s pce. This wasn''t a predetermined punishment but rather a session where the oue depended on the Crown Prince''s mood.
Should I start by showing my repentance with a deep bow, or should I roll in while doing flips? I was ready to crawl if a guard told me to crawl to the office.
In the end, I walked in normally.
¡°I seem to see you often these days, Executive Manager. It brightens my days amidst my busy schedule.¡±
= I''m busy as hell, but thanks for causing trouble just when I was starting to forget, you bastard.
I bowed my head to the Crown Prince, who began with a subtle insult.
It was unfair, but I had to bow. Honestly, it was the Mage Duchess who went around crying and holding my hand, and I just went to the Magic Tower to squash the rumors. Still, I had my part in it.
"And I''m d to see the pirs of the Empire intertwining closely."
¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±
I bowed even deeper. It was clear that he was irritated by the incident involving the Mage Duchess.
With the New Year¡¯s Ball, which all noble titles attended, less than a month away, the Crown Prince who was busy with preparations surely didn''t wee themotion in the capital.
¡°Please have a seat. I¡¯ve kept you standing too long.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±
Thankfully, the verbalshing was brief; or maybe he intended to continue after I sat.
¡°That aside, I am curious to see which family the Executive Manager¡¯s first wife wille from.¡±
Seated at the head of the table, the Crown Prince spoke with a slight smile.
Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t brief. He was just getting started.
The directness of his question made me gulp. The first wife was the one who would stand beside me first.
There is a way.
A way to avoid conflict, a way to move past the obsession with being first.
I had reached that truth. I had untied the Gordian knot and stood Columbus''s egg upright. The series of shocks had led me to open the door to this truth.
"All of them."
¡°Alright, I¡ª¡±
The Crown Prince''s hand, holding a ss, paused.
***
I looked down at the ss I was holding.
Was I drunk already? Was there still vodka in it that I hadn¡¯t finished?
It¡¯s water.
But it was indeed water. A tasteless, odorless liquid. It was definitely water.
I thought that maybe the vodka I drank earlier was still clouding my mind, but that wasn¡¯t it, either. I had been working fine until just before the Executive Manager arrived.
In the end, I had to verify it directly.
¡°...All of them?¡±
I asked the Executive Manager to rify. Did I hear that correctly?
¡°Yes, all of them.¡±
It was true. I had heard this crazy statement correctly.
¡°A wife is a lifelong family member. Even if I can¡¯t love them equally, it''s not right to set a hierarchy.¡±
I held back the urge to ask why someone who knew this would choose polygamy. Without the Mage Duchess''s interference, the Executive Manager would have only married Lady Marghetta.
¡°Everyone desires the title of ''first.'' Even ifpromises are made, it can be a lifelong regret.¡±
I nodded involuntarily, but something felt off. The Executive Manager usually got straight to the point, but now he was unusually verbose, like someone trying to justify himself.
¡°The titles of first or second ultimatelye down to the order of marriage, don¡¯t they?¡±
¡°Typically, yes.¡±
I decided to humor him, curious about where he was going with this.
¡°In that case, I will marry them all simultaneously.¡±
¡°What?¡±
That''s nonsense.
I was too stunned to speak.
¡°If the order of marriage determines who is first, then everyone bes first if I marry them at the same time.¡±
The Executive Manager, seeing my silence, continued with his outrageous reasoning. It was a mad idea, and he was actually trying to justify it.
I stared at him in disbelief.
Is he serious?
No, it must be a joke. However, the Executive Manager didn¡¯t joke about things like these. Then, was he the kind of person to spout such nonsense? No, that wasn¡¯t it, either.
I struggled to wrap my head around it and looked at the Executive Manager again. Then, our eyes met.
Oh.
It hit me then.
He¡¯s lost it.
Yes, he had gone mad. The Executive Manager had finally cracked under the pressure of endless incidents.
From the battlefield at 17 to politics at 19, he endured four years of hardship and patience.
And now, he was caught between two ducal families because of an unexpected confession from the Mage Duchess.
Unable to bear the weight, the Executive Manager had broken down internally.
Unfortunately¡
I felt a solemn sadness. I even med myself, wondering if we had pushed him too hard.
¡°What do you think, Your Highness? There would be no issues with this solution, right?¡±
He finished confidently after rambling on.
Sure, there were no issues¡ªin your dreams.
¡°Yes, it''s quite something.¡±
However, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to argue. More urately, I didn¡¯t want to.
Looking at the Executive Manager, all thoughts of mocking or questioning him disappeared. Now, I just wanted tofort this poor, broken man.
***
I nodded vaguely and sent the Executive Manager away.
¡°¡I see.¡±
Then, I rushed to the Emperor to exin the Executive Manager''s state. I told him that the Executive Manager wasn''t in a good mental state but assured him of his loyalty.
¡°The Executive Manager has worked tirelessly.¡±
¡°Yes, indeed.¡±
¡°¡We should make time during the New Year¡¯s Ball. I will personallymend him.¡±
My father decided to arrange a meeting to gauge the Executive Manager''s condition.
It seemed that he wanted tofort the loyal subject who had quietly lost his mind.
Chapter 232: The Capital’s Crazy Executive Manager (4)
Chapter 232: The Capital¡¯s Crazy Executive Manager (4)I was able to walk through the veil and glimpse the future, reaching a profound truth. Even the Crown Prince, who was ready to challenge me, listened and eventually let me go.
He must have been impressed by my groundbreaking idea. Though he seemed a bit taken aback, such reactions were inevitable when one encountered a truth that shattered conventional wisdom.
Eventually, even he understood this new truth. Considering that he didn''t gain his title through a game of poker, hisprehension was admirable.
I was right, after all.
I found the truth that even the Crown Prince, who issued an urgent summons, epted. I felt so satisfied that I could die peacefully.
All the time I spent wrestling with this problem felt like a waste. No, not really. Those struggles led me to this conclusion, so they weren''t wasted.
It¡¯s such a simple problem.
My mind cleared, and the world looked different.
Yes, nobody could untie the Gordian Knot until Alexander the Great cut it. Nobody could stand Columbus''s egg until Columbus showed them how.
Now, this continent would have a new phrase. A simple and neat solution to aplex problem: Carl¡¯s marriage.I looked up at the sky, feeling content. The blue sky and bright sun seemed to embrace me.
I can return right away.
Contrary to my expectations, the conversation ended quickly. Marghetta might have just arrived at the Vice President''s office.
Luckily, I didn''t have to sneak back into the dormitory in the middle of the night. Though I was confident in my stealth skills, getting caught would be too awkward and embarrassing.
Anyway, I should hurry back. This good news, which even the Crown Prince epted, must be shared with Marghetta. Joy multiplies when shared, doesn''t it?
***
I saw a slightly surprised Marghetta as I entered her office. I told her I might bete, so she must have been puzzled that I came on time.
"Wee, Carl. It seems things went well with His Highness."
She seemed to think that wasn¡¯t a bad thing and greeted me with a smile.
"Yes, it went smoothly."
"Fufu, that''s a relief. I was worried when you said you were meeting His Highness out of the blue."
Marghetta stood up and gently spread her arms.
This had be our usual morning greeting. I smiled slightly and hugged her, feeling her nuzzle against my chest before pulling away gently.
Originally, she never wanted to let go once we hugged, but perhaps she was used to it now since she had learned how to do it in moderation.
"Mar¡¯s hugs are getting shorter."
I teased her, and her face instantly turned red.
"I-I¡¯m going to spend the rest of my life with Carl, so there''s no need to cling to short moments."
She tried to speak confidently, so I pretended not to notice her embarrassment.
Thinking positively, Marghetta''s calmness meant that she felt secure in our rtionship.
"Haha, you''re right."
Nodding, I sat on the sofa, and she took a seat across from me, looking a bit uneasy.
Why did she look so restless? Then, something dawned on me.
"Come to think of it, Mar. Didn¡¯t I mention meeting the Mage Duchess yesterday?"
I spoke up before she grew more anxious.
I promised to exin what happened with the Mage Duchess, but I got so caught up in convincing the Crown Prince that I almost forgot.
Maybe reaching this new truth dulled my memory a bit. What a sad reality.
"Oh, yes."
Marghetta''s expression turned serious as I brought it up.
She must have been curious about what happened between me the Mage Duchess and what kind of conversation led to me saying that she would be my first. She probably had been curious ever since I contacted her.
"Her Grace made a slight mistake and apologized to me."
"...What?"
Marghetta blinked at my brief summary. The Mage Duchess''s mistake and subsequent apology were unheard of under normal circumstances.
A Duke was the pinnacle of the empire''s nobility and a pir supporting the emperor, a figure so exalted that even their mistakes couldn¡¯t be criticized. Therefore, they had no need to apologize.
Of course, this was an exception since the rtionship between the Mage Duchess and me wasn¡¯t normal.
"Well, let me exin."
I continued, giving her more details.
I told her about following the Wise Duchess''s advice and visiting the Mage Duchess, and how I discovered her secret life extension project, the massive argument that almost ended disastrously but was calmed by the Mage Duchess''s apology. I also told her about having the Mage Duchess stay the night at the mansion and heading to the Magic Tower together the next morning.
I shared everything in detail, down to the smallest bits. I didn¡¯t want to hide anything from Marghetta anymore. Keeping secrets could lead to misunderstandings, and I wanted to avoid that.
"I... I see..."
Marghetta said, clearly overwhelmed by the flood of information. However, she didn''t show any resentment or anger towards me for spending time with the Mage Duchess. It was indeed the right decision to tell her everything.
"So, Her Grace... did that."
She muttered quietly, letting out a small sigh.
She must be confused. The Mage Duchess was wrong in trying to extend my lifespan without my consent, but she then apologized sincerely and in tears. It must be hard to decide whether to be angry or sympathetic.
"...It seems the Mage Duchess has quite the affection for you."
Marghetta spoke with an awkward smile, apparently choosing to sympathize after much thought.
"Undeservedly so."
I replied with a slight smile.
From a certain perspective, Marghetta almost had to deal with the ¡®your husband looks amazing¡¯ treatment in herter years. Yet, despite the differences in races and the Mage Duchess¡¯s tearful apology, she chose to understand her and move on.
I felt really grateful. The Mage Duchess, Louise, Irina, and even the 1st Manager... they were all more than I deserved, but Marghetta¡¯s broad-mindedness was truly something to be thankful for.
Now¡¯s the time.
I needed to share this good news with Marghetta and tell her that she would never lose her first ce to anyone, not even the Mage Duchess.
"Anyway, Her Grace made a small mistake, but please don''t be too upset about it. Aren''t you all the first?"
"I see. We''re all... the first...?"
Marghetta, who was nodding firmly, tilted her head. She seemed puzzled by something.
She was probably confused about how ¡®all¡¯ and ¡®first¡¯ could be used together. I understood. The Crown Prince was confused at first, too.
However, I was sure that Marghetta would understand once I exined.
"I''ve been too caught up in my own biases."
I started with augh. How much did I struggle because I thought I had to rank things?
I joyfully exined to Marghetta what I had told the Crown Prince. Ultimately, being first or second were pointlessbels bound by the order of marriage. If we married simultaneously, then everyone would be happy.
After staying silent for a moment, Marghetta quietly approached me and gave me a tight hug.
"If that''s what you want, Carl, then I''m fine with it too."
I hugged her back.
As expected.
I believed that Marghetta would understand.
***
Carl was always reliable and trustworthy. He sometimes showed a quirky side, but he was so very lovable.
I held him quietly. I might cry if I looked at his face right now, and I didn¡¯t want to worry him, so I just held him close.
What should I do?
My heart sank at the thought of him saying that with such joy, and my eyes began to well up.
He must have been in so much pain.
I hugged Carl even tighter. I wanted tofort him. Just how much did he suffer?
It made sense. When the Mage Duchess confessed to Carl, I went through a lot of emotional turmoil. Besides, Carl had to deal with not only the Mage Duchess''s confession but also those of other women.
So many burdens were ced on Carl¡¯s shoulders. He had his responsibilities as the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, his role as an Academy Prosecutor and observing the royalties as the pastry club¡¯s advisor, and, on top of that, dealing with all these romantic confessions.
Why hadn''t I thought about it? Under such pressure, even the strongest person would feel the strain.
"All the brides will marry from the same position as the Mage Duchess."
"Yes, that''s truly wonderful."
"None will be above or below another."
"Just thinking about it makes me happy. Thank you."
I patted Carl''s back as he continued talking.
Honestly, I didn''t fully understand what he was saying. Ever since he mentioned marrying simultaneously, my mind refused to grasp it.
But I couldn''t stop him. Carl wasn''t joking or trying to test the waters. He was beingpletely sincere.
He¡¯s serious.
Carl meant it. After much contemtion and struggle, he had found his own answer, even if it was a bit unusual.
How could I dissuade him?
Thinking about how Carl suffered alone, I couldn''t do it. I couldn''t bring myself to tell him, ''No, I don''t like it,'' when he believed he had finally found the solution.
If that was the way Carl wanted it, then it was fine. If everyone was first, then it would lead to a happy oue.
Having everyone at the same level sounded like a dream. The wives from less prestigious families wouldn¡¯t have to feel intimidated by those from higher-ranking ones, and we could all love Carl freely.
"Convincing your parents might be a bit tough, though..."
I couldn''t help but smile at his muttered words. It was a surprisingly normal concern.
"And if there are five brides, we''ll need arge venue..."
My hand, which was patting Carl''s back, suddenly stopped.
Five.
Even though I already knew the number, hearing it again made my head spin. I had braced myself for polygamy, but I hadn''t expected there to be five.
...Well, at least five was a countable number. Considering the Gold Duke, who had more than ten, Carl was being quite reasonable.
It might be dizzying if the number increased beyond five, but that was Carl''s choice.
"Mar."
"Yes, Carl?"
"What will happen if one person catches multiple bouquets?"
I kept patting his back without answering.
Poor Carl.
Now, I really felt like crying. It seemed like Carl was breaking down. He might appear fine on the outside, but something had to be wrong inside.
Holding back the tears that were about to fall, I hugged Carl even tighter.
Carl, don''t worry. I''ll always be on your side.
You''re confused and hurting a lot right now, but I¡¯ll wait until you return to your normal self.
And even if he doesn¡¯t, then I¡¯d still do what he wanted.
Because he deserved to have things his way.
Chapter 233: My Boss Isn’t Sick (1)
Chapter 233: My Boss Isn¡¯t Sick (1)A summons from Senior suddenly arrived. She said that it was important and toe as soon as possible.
Since Irina was also called, it was clear that this involved oppa. I hurried over as soon as I received the message. There was no time to waste when it came to oppa.
"Senior, may Ie in?"
"Oh, you got here quickly. Come in."
I knocked carefully and spoke through the door, hearing Senior''s voice in response.
"Irina, you''re here too. Wee."
Senior smiled gently as she saw Irina and me enter, rising from her seat.
She moved naturally toward the shelf with the teapot. I used to feel uneasy about having someone from a duke''s family serve tea themselves, but she insisted that it was proper for the hostess to do so, so I couldn''t intervene.
After a few times, I got used to it. Besides, Irina and I often brought small gifts like cookies or nts whenever we visited, making it a sort of exchange.
"I''m sorry for calling you in so suddenly.""It''s alright. I wasn''t busy."
Irina quickly responded to Senior''s apology.
Like Irina said, there wasn''t much to do with the end of the term approaching. We had final exams to prepare for, but nothing that would prevent us from responding to Senior''s call.
"I''m d to hear that."
Although sheughed softly, it only heightened my tension.
It was augh mixed with subtle worry. Senior was trying not to show her emotions, but she couldn''t hide thempletely.
"...This might take a while."
And with those words, I was sure.
This isn''t just any issue.
I had an instinctive feeling that something serious had happened, and I clenched my fists slightly as the tension enveloped me.
It was rare for Senior to say that it would be a long discussion. Thest time she did that was when she exined about oppa receiving a proposal from the Mage Duchess.
"Yesterday, Carl went to the capital to meet the Mage Duchess."
I could feel Irina flinch beside me.
I probably reacted the same way. Oppa went to meet the most threatening person at this time. Why did he go, and what did they discuss¡ª?
"And he said that they had a big argument."
"...What?"
My mouth opened before my mind could understand.
Oppa fought with the Mage Duchess?
Why?
I felt confused. However, even that confusion was premature.
"Because¡ª"
What Senior said next left me speechless.
About the life extension project, the Mage Duchess''s tears and apology, oppa and the Mage Duchess spending a night in the same mansion, how they held hands, and how he walked her to the Magic Tower as a sign of reconciliation.
How strange. I couldn''t understand what I''d heard. Senior exined it clearly, but it was hard to grasp.
"It''s a bit overwhelming, isn''t it?"
Senior spoke with understanding eyes, and I could only nod. Actually, it was more than a bit overwhelming.
"Carl seems... even more overwhelmed."
I instinctively realized it as soon as her slightly somber voice reached my ears.
This was why Senior had called us.
"We... We need to support Carl."
Senior looked at us with determined eyes as if to imprint her next words in our hearts.
In the face of her resolute spirit, Irina and I braced ourselves with equal determination¡ª
And it wasn¡¯t long before the room became a scene of shared tears.
***
Time passed, and it was now club time.
"Oppa, aren''t you tired? The wind is chilly, and the cold might seep into your bones."
"I''m fine. It''s not like I''m walking around outside.¡±
"Still, let me massage your shoulders."
"No, it''s alri¡ª"
I began massaging his shoulders without waiting for his response. He looked a bit embarrassed, but he eventually let me continue.
I could feel the tension and knots as I massaged his shoulders.
He must have been through a lot.
These knots were proof of his struggles and the burdens he carried alone without our knowledge.
"Carl isn''t without worries. In fact, he has more to think about than we do."
"A lot more, more than we can imagine. However, he hasn''t shared those worries with anyone."
"That''s why Carl is hurting a little bit now."
Senior''s determined voice began to waver, her eyes growing red. Irina and I felt the same.
Our proud and strong oppa, the most dependable person in the world, had been mentally strained to his breaking point...
No.
I quickly shook off the terrible thought. What was I thinking? He wasn''t broken. Like Senior said, he was just a little hurt.
Even the strongest person could catch a cold. They could sometimes trip and scrape their knee or twist an ankle.
It was just that. He was just a little hurt.
"Abined wedding for all the brides..."
I recalled something Senior mentioned, but I soon brushed it off. People could say strange things when they were dizzy from a cold.
We can support him.
Yes, we definitely could. Besides, he would be okay soon.
"Louise, I''m here."
As I felt a lump in my throat, the clubroom door opened, and Irina peeked her head in.
"Ah, Irina."
"Hello, oppa."
Irina smiled shyly as oppa greeted her warmly.
When she met my eyes, she nodded seriously. She was here to help heal the cold in oppa¡¯s heart, too.
"Where are the other members?"
"They went outside to y."
Irina blinked at his response, then looked back at me.
I could only smile awkwardly. They really had gone out to y.
"We''ll be outside for a bit."
"Huh? Why so suddenly?"
Erich, who was shuffling a deck of cards, spoke up first¡ª
"Lather wouldn''t admit that he has dog feet."
"We''ll see who''s right in the end."
"The one who says that usually loses."
Rutis and Lather chimed in, naturally making their way out as a group.
They didn¡¯t have to do that.
I felt both gratitude and guilt as I realized why. They left because they saw me lingering near oppa, looking at him with worried eyes.
Despite the cold weather, they went outside to give us space. I didn''t know how to repay them for their overwhelming consideration.
"¡ª! ¡ª¡ª!"
"¡ª¡ª? ¡ª!"
I could faintly hear them ying energetically in the backyard. Even though they pretended to leave for fun, I knew that they did it for my sake.
It wasn''t really for the game, right? Yes, that couldn''t be the real reason.
"They have so much energy."
"It''s a relief that they burn it off themselves."
Oppa replied bluntly to Irina¡¯sment.
I couldn¡¯t help butugh. Honestly, considering Erich and Rutis'' stamina, they could probably run around all night and still be fine.
¡°Won¡¯t it be hard to bake if everyone¡¯s out? I brought some good tea.¡±
¡°Oh, I can do it!¡±
¡°Take your time. We can drink tea first.¡±
I quickly brought out the teapot as I saw Irina ce the bag on the table.
Good tea. Irina had promised to bring something calming. Since she seemed confident, it must be pretty effective.
¡°How is he?¡±
Irina whispered to me quietly.
¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±
Although it was embarrassing, I had to admit that there was no noticeable progress.
Oppa never showed any signs of struggling. If I hadn''t heard about his emotional burden, then I wouldn''t have noticed anything.
That made it all the more painful. How much had he been suffering alone for him to be hurting so much without showing it?
The saddest thing in the world was to suffer alone without having anyone to care for you.
This can¡¯t go wrong.
Even a small cold could turn into a serious flu if left untreated. We couldn''t let that happen to him.
¡°We might notice something if we keep an eye on him.¡±
¡°But the end-of-term ceremony ising soon.¡±
Her words made me fall silent.
That was the problem. The second term was almost over. Because of that, there were less than two weeks left to see oppa.
We needed to be near him to soothe him in case he coughed.
Why does it have to happen at the most crucial time?
I felt resentful towards Enen. Why did he have to make him sick now?
No. Ideally, he shouldn¡¯t be sick at all. But if he had to be, then couldn¡¯t it have been when more people were around to care for him?
¡°...Should we suggest another visit to the capital?¡±
I cautiously suggested. Maybe we could stay at the mansion with oppa likest vacation.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be risky? He needs to rest, and he might not rx properly if we¡¯re nearby.¡±
¡°Th-that¡¯s true¡¡±
Her convincing argument made me withdraw my suggestion.
¡°Then let¡¯s at least attend the New Year¡¯s Ball.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Irina proposed another idea while I was imagining a winter vacation where I would have to spend time away from oppa.
The New Year¡¯s Ball?
I stared at Irina, surprised.
The New Year¡¯s Ball was a grand event where all the titled nobles of the empire gathered before the Emperor to reaffirm their loyalty and discuss the future of the empire.
Though it was a massive social gathering, the pressure and burden of having all the titled nobles present meant that most young and lesser nobles didn¡¯t attend. They either stayed in their territories or had their own private gatherings if they followed their families to the capital.
¡°We can attend, too. It¡¯s not mandatory, so we usually skip it. We didn¡¯t have a reason to go.¡±
Irina nced at oppa as she spoke.
¡°But now, we do.¡±
Following her gaze, I looked at oppa, who smiled gently as our eyes met.
Because of his warm demeanor in the club room, I sometimes forgot that he was a high-ranking official. Even if he wasn¡¯t a titled noble, he was obligated to attend the New Year¡¯s Ball.
¡°Alright.¡±
I quickly agreed after thinking it over.
Honestly, I was a bit nervous. The reception was a ce for high nobles like dukes, marquises, and counts. I never wanted to go there until I inherited my title.
However, taking care of oppa was more important than my anxiety.
Standing before the Emperor even seemed manageable if it meant that I could be next to him.
***
Louise and Irina were whispering earnestly.
I can hear everything.
Unfortunately for them, I heard every word they were saying. In this space with just the three of us, even their softest whispers were clear. My heightened senses from training in mana made sure of that.
Have I worried them too much?
I felt a bit embarrassed. It seemed like what I had told Marghetta had reached them, too.
Alright, I admit it. My words had indeed worried Marghetta, Louise, and Irina as well.
My actions were too extreme.
Sharing radical ideas needed to be done in moderation to be eptable to other people. However, my approach was extreme, way too extreme.
Marghetta, with her gentle heart, must have pretended to sympathize with me while worrying deeply inside. I only realized this toote.
I should have taken my time.
I had been too hasty. Even vines were administered in doses; injecting everything all at once was just overwhelming.
I needed to reflect. A pioneer must always be cautious.
Chapter 234: My Boss Isn’t Sick (2)
Chapter 234: My Boss Isn¡¯t Sick (2)The 2nd Division of the Prosecutors'' Office. Rather thanbat, our main task was support, specifically information gathering. This meant that most team members didn¡¯t stay in one ce; they roamed various regions while collecting data. Luckily, we had assigned areas, so there was no need to travel from the eastern edge of the empire to the western edge.
My assigned zone was the capital, which was only fitting. After all, who else but me, the Manager of the 2nd Division, would manage the capital?
Some foolish and petty individuals might resent the fact that their superior was stationed in the capital while they were out there in the field, but there was an unchanging truth that I could always say to them confidently:
"If you don¡¯t like it, then get promoted."
This was the Executive Manager¡¯s favorite saying and mine as well. I worked like a dog before I became a manager. Now that I had been promoted, what was wrong with taking it a bit easy?
And it wasn¡¯t like I became the manager by just breathing. I won this position through a high-stake gamble in life. Two years ago when my boss took charge, I quickly allied with him and earned my current spot.
I had mostly stayed in the capital since bing a manager. Unless there was an unavoidable reason, I nted my roots here and had no intention of moving. Any ambitious gentleman with a taste for the finer things should reside in the capital, shouldn¡¯t he?
I might as well start looking for a burial plot.
Andtely, this resolve had only strengthened. My tombstone should be in the capital so its winds could forever whisper in my ears.
"Manager.""Oh, you¡¯re here."
This was the Senior Team Manager who, like me, oversaw the capital and the metropolitan area. We were close and often shared drinks;tely, his presence was even more wee.
"The rumors are spreading quickly. Even the smallest viges in the metropolitan area have caught wind of it."
"Excellent."
I received nothing but pleasant reports from the Senior Team Manager.
Thank you, boss.
I silently thanked my superior, who was at the academy. It was very considerate of him to create interesting incidents, keeping his subordinate in the capital entertained.
There was no need to pay for theater tickets anymore. After all, free, thrilling drama unfolded often enough.
We¡¯re also quits now.
A wave of satisfaction washed over me. Under a true superior were true subordinates. Since he had provided me with enjoyable drama, I also did some things for him.
It wasn¡¯t anything grand. I just wildly spread the rumor that he and Mage Duchess went to the Magic Tower early in the morning while holding hands. That rumor would have spread on its own, but I fanned the mes to hasten it.
The goal was modest: to spread it throughout the empire before the New Year¡¯s Ball.
"What about the other rumors?"
"They werepletely buried."
"Perfect."
I became even more satisfied. The best way to quash a rumor was to overshadow it with a bigger one.
The incident of the 1st Manager crying in front of the Executive Manager was overshadowed by his allegedly sleeping in the national cemetery, and that incident was perfectly buried by the recent Mage Duchess¡¯s affair.
The Executive Manager must be pleased. His embarrassing past has been covered by his subordinate. Plus, the ominous rumor of Mage Duchess crying and wandering the capital at night was also covered.
This deserves a reward.
I should formally propose a bonus for the entire 2nd Division at the year-end meeting for protecting our boss¡¯s honor.
"Good job. Let¡¯s keep this up."
"Yes, Sir."
"How about a drink after work?"
"Sure."
The Senior Team Manager left the office, grinning. He¡¯d likely pick the ce for our drink.
If only every day was like this.
I sank into the sofa as soon as he left. My job satisfaction had been through the rooftely. I feel like I could do this type of work for another twenty years.
The 1st Manager is doing well, too.
Besides, the internal environment within the Prosecutors¡¯ Office has also been quite enjoyable ever since.
My attention naturally shifted to the 1st Manager whenever rumors of the Executive Manager¡¯s rose-tinted love life spread. I had to watch her reactions closely in the past, but now there was no need.
"It¡¯s okay! The Executive Manager is the man I set my eyes on, so of course he¡¯d be popr!"
"Doesn¡¯t that mean you might lose him?"
"Ha! He isn¡¯t the type to abandon me!"
It was surprising even now. How did he charm the 1st Manager so thoroughly? She would¡¯ve reacted sensitively before, but now she just smiled it off.
Either way, it was a positive development. Thanks to her baseless confidence, I could now move freely.
Please, I hope it¡¯s a happy ending.
I briefly offered a prayer while remembering the 1st Manager¡¯s grinning face. As her fellow colleague, I should at least wish for her happiness.
Be happy, 1st Manager.
I¡¯ll find my happiness, too.
I pulled out mymunication crystal from my pocket. And as soon as I saw it, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.
The Mage Duchess¡¯s incident... Just mentioning it might confuse people with the incident at the Crown Princess''s birthday banquet. I hadn¡¯t contacted the Executive Manager since then, so calling him now would make it our first contact.
My heart pounded. I wonder what kind of expression he''d have on his face?
This is why I work in the Prosecutors'' Office.
I felt at peace. If my boss wasn¡¯t who he was, then I wouldn¡¯t havested long in this field.
¡ª What is it? Why are you calling me again?
It didn¡¯t take long for his face to appear. He looked like he was ready to kill if this call was for a trivial reason.
"Wow, Executive Manager. Looks like you¡¯re doing well."
¡ª Does it look that way?
"No."
¡ª You son of a...
I burst outughing at the immediate curse.
But if I just teased him without a reason, then he¡¯d cut off the call. I couldn¡¯t let that happen.
"The capital has been livelytely, so there¡¯s never a dull moment."
¡ª ...
That shut his mouth.
Though he was currently deployed at the academy, he was an active, high-ranking civil servant in the capital for two years. It would be strange if he didn¡¯t know what was happening in the capital now.
"I have one good news and one bad news for you."
¡ª What is it?
"First, the good news: the story about you sleeping on the ground has beenpletely buried."
His expression softened a bit; he seemed relieved.
"The bad news is... well, you know it."
¡ª Damn it.
It didn¡¯t take long for him to curse again, but hisck of further reaction showed that he understood that this was the best oue.
After all, the 2nd Division worked hard to achieve this. Comining would just make him a lousy boss.
"I¡¯m looking forward to the New Year¡¯s Ball. People might ce bets on who your first wife will be."
Even nobles ced bets when interesting events urred. Who would guess correctly? How would things unfold?
Who would be the first wife of the current Executive Manager of the Prosecutors'' Office? Would it be the Mage Duchess, or the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s daughter? Even if the Emperor forbade such betting, it was bound to happen in secret.
"Could you give me a hint? I¡¯ll split the winnings with you."
Having delivered all of the necessary information, I threw in onest provocation. Now, he¡¯d probably tell me to stop messing around and hang up¡ª
¡ª All of them.
...?
"Pardon?"
¡ª All of them.
"...What do you mean?"
¡ª All of them will be my first wives.
I examined the still-activemunication crystal.
Was it broken?
Why did the sound seem off?
***I made my way to the Minister¡¯s office, still trying to calm the unsettling feeling in my chest.
It was honestly daunting to go to the Minister¡¯s office on my own two feet, but I was the first to discover this dreadful disaster. As the one who discovered it, I had the duty to report it quickly.
¡ª Does only one have to be the first?
"No, but that¡¯s a societal norm¡ª"
¡ª Societal norms change with time.
The Executive Manager spoke like a teacher lecturing a student. Just recalling his words made my head throb again.
Yes, he was indeed right. Societal agreements could change with circumstances. However, having only one first wife was an immutable agreement. It was a truth as unchanging as the sun rising in the east and water flowing downhill. That was something that could never change, no matter the circumstances.
"...Yes, that¡¯s impressive."
¡ª Isn¡¯t it? I knew you¡¯d understand.
Like hell I understood. But resisting would only provoke him further, so I pretended to agree. Even though pretending took a toll on my sanity, I was the only one who could report the Executive Manager¡¯s condition to the Minister.
Determined to save my superior, I arrived at the Minister¡¯s office. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Knock knock¡ª
"Minister, it¡¯s Lafayette Varon, the 2nd Manager of the Prosecutors'' Office."
"Come in."
The audacity of a mere Manager skipping over the Senior Manager and the Executive Manager to go straight to the Minister¡ªthis was something I couldn¡¯t have done until recently, but now I could.
"What¡¯s this? Have you already chosen a venue?"
The Minister looked up briefly from his work and spoke bluntly.
His words made me instinctively shrink back. The Minister had been teasing me endlessly ever since he found out about my rtionship with Lady Christina.
"It¡¯s not about the venue. I have an important report."
"So are you saying that marrying Christina isn¡¯t important?"
Damn it, how did it turn to that?
"Just kidding."
Thankfully, the Minister chuckled and put down his pen. He looked at me expectantly as if he was waiting for me to share my important report.
I swallowed hard. I had to report that my boss had gone mad to someone higher up. Who else would have to deal with such a dreadful task?
However, it had to be done. At least the very least, the Minister needed to know so we could handle this situation. Only a superior and not a subordinate could address such a madman.
"The Executive Manager has gone mad."
I blurted it out and closed my eyes. No lengthy exnation was needed; saying he went mad should be enough.
But the response was nonchnt.
"He¡¯s always been crazy."
No way.
I was momentarily speechless.
And at the same time, I understood. If one had to choose between normal and crazy, then he was definitely closer to thetter.
"He¡¯s even crazier."
I added softly after a brief hesitation.
Only then did the Minister¡¯s expression harden slightly.
"...More than usual?"
I quietly nodded.
Reporting that my superior had dered that he would take both the Mage Duchess and the Duke¡¯s daughter as his first wives required more courage than I had anticipated.
Even the Minister fell silent after hearing that.
An eerie silence settled over the Minister¡¯s office.
Chapter 235: My Boss Isn’t Sick (3)
Chapter 235: My Boss Isn¡¯t Sick (3)The sudden news halted all work. Postponed tasks could be dealt withter, but leaving a madman unchecked could lead to irreparable damage.
"He really said that?"
"Yes..."
"Are you sure you didn¡¯t mishear him?"
"I wish I did."
I double-checked just in case, but my soon-to-be nephew-inw kept repeating the same unwee answer.
I rubbed my temples unconsciously. It was more believable to think it was bound to happen instead of wondering how it happened.
He must be out of his mind.
It was a damned shame, but not entirely unexpected. He''d been through a lot since he turned 17. Objectively, it wasn¡¯t that surprising that he''d lost it.
Didn''t we discover his internal decayst vacation and manage to patch him up? I thought he''d regained his sanity then, but he was slowly losing it out of sight.Why now of all times?
What a headache. It might be different if he were nearby, but he just had to break down while he was far away.
A malfunctioning magical device could be fixed by hitting it a few times. This was a temporary solution officially rmended by the Magic Tower.
So, if all else failed, roughing him up a bit might work. Magic and divine power couldn''t cure insanity, but perhaps an exorcism infused with physical force might.
"Keep this quiet."
I made my decision after a brief deliberation.
Rumors would spread if the Minister of Finance suddenly called for the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. Then, everyone would know he had gone mad.
But I couldn''t go to the academy, either. I''d have to wait for him to return after the term ended.
"Are you sure that¡¯s okay? There''s more than ten days until the closing ceremony."
"What choice do we have? Maybe leaving him alone for a while is the best option."
My soon-to-be nephew-inw nodded in agreement, but it was honestly wishful thinking.
Sure, he might recover if he was left alone. He had gone mad due to overwork and an unexpected confession, so he might regain his sanity in solitude if no one disturbed him.
The worst case was that he could deteriorate further over time. In that case, calling for him now might be the right call.
Should I leave it to fate?
I felt worried that leaving him alone would make things worse, but summoning him might push him over the edge.
Damned fool.
I sighed. A once-promising civil servant was now a wreck after just four years.
He used to say that it already felt like 40 years or even 400 years, but I never thought that he''d actually break down as if he''d lived that long.
"Leave now and don''t tell anyone else about this."
"Yes, understood."
I sent my soon-to-be nephew-inw away. Besides, there was no point in keeping him here when we had no solution.
I looked up at the ceiling as I watched him leave quickly.
If only someone could help.
Of course, I knew that it was too much to ask for. No one at the academy could truly fix that guy''s madness. There might be people who could soothe him a bit, but that was it.
The duke¡¯s daughter would probably handle him carefully, afraid she might worsen things. The Principal and Vice Principal might interact with him professionally, but there was no personal bond. And the students? They''d be lucky if they weren¡¯t terrified of him.
Isn''t there anyone suitable?
Someone who wouldn''t be intimidated by the title of the Executive Manager, who had some personal connection with him, and one who could boldly give him honest advice if he started showing signs of insanity.
...No onees to mind.
Unfortunately, I couldn''t think of anyone who met all those criteria.
Let''s give up on having him recover at the academy. At least he wasn¡¯t the type to broadcast his madness everywhere.
***We had just finished the ultimate ser underdog selection match. The results were in, and I was sitting in a corner of the arena, cooling off.
There was no need for this match in the first ce. Among us, Lather was the least athletic. It was obvious to anyone, but he wouldn''t admit it.
"You suck at ser."
"Thanks for thepliment."
In the end, Lather, proudly showcasing hisck of skills, left a sarcastic praise to Rutis and went to retrieve the ball that had flown far away.
The rule was that whoever kicked the ball out of the arena had to fetch it. Because of this, Lather spent more than half the match away from the field, just like now.
"Do we need to keep going?"
"Let''s push a little more."
I gave a short reply to Rutis, who was next to me.
Louise stuck unusually close to hyung today. She usually did, but today she was more insistent.
It was clear to anyone that she had something she wanted to say. So, I gave them some space. Besides, I was getting bored of card games and needed to find a new pastime.
I wasn''t sure how long we should keep giving them space, but here we were.
"Is Lather still not back?"
While Rutis and I stared nkly into space, Ainter and Tannian, who had gone to fetch water, returned.
"Yeah. Seems like he kicked it pretty far."
"If only he put half of that strength of his into his uracy."
Ainter casually made a sad remark with a smiling face. So this is what it meant to kill someone with a smile.
"Are we continuing?"
"That''s the n."
"Sounds good. It''s been a while since I''ve worked up a sweat."
I turned to look at Tannian as Ainter handed over the water bottle with a light smile.
"I''m fine with it, too. We won''t be able to do this once it starts snowing, so we should do it while we can."
With Tannian also on board, the decision was made. Now, we''d push forward by majority vote even if Lather wanted to quit this lousy game.
Although given Lather''s personality, he wouldn''t suggest quitting just because he was losing.
But he will have to admit he''s the weakest.
There was a difference between stubbornly denying his weakness while ying and acknowledging his ipetence. Watching that change could be entertaining.
"And then he said, ''My two legs will forever follow the path the Lord guides.''"
"Oh."
Unfortunately for Lather, Tannian seemed to be thinking the same thing and used a holy spell.
The fatigue vanished instantly, and my body felt rejuvenated. It felt even better than before we started ying.
"A future saint using a holy spell on us? That''s quite generous."
Rutismented while flexing his fists, and Tannian responded with a gentle smile.
"That''s what holy spells are for. I''m sure the Lord prefers it when it''s used often."
It was a highly subjective judgment, but I let it slide. After all, a saint was considered the son of God ording to doctrine. If the son said it was fine, then it was. Interfering in someone else''s family matters wasn''t right.
However, the game abruptly ended despite Tannian''s thoughtful gesture.
This was because the ball Lather brought back was deted for some reason.
"It got stuck in the founder''s statue."
I wondered for a moment if Lather had intentionally punctured it.
***From that day on, we spent all our time outside ying various ball games¡ªser, foot volleyball; anything involving a ball.
"It''s getting pretty cold. Can''t we just stay inside?"
Rutis showed reluctance towards the endless outdoor activities, but¡ª
"Oh no. Are you shivering in this mild cold? You must have been cking off in your training."
Lather, an ice magic user with a high tolerance for cold, taunted and reignited Rutis''s determination.
Knights and mages really didn''t get along well. They shed at the slightest provocation.
They used to hold back.
They restrained themselves back when they were still trying to impress Louise, but they indulged in their rivalry now that they had nothing to lose. Well, at least they weren''t resorting to fistfights¡ªthey were just having fun and arguing.
I watched as Lather performed a trick, heading the ball backwards instead of forwards, and decided to slip away.
¡°I need to use the restroom.¡±
No one paid any attention to me because Rutis had enveloped the ball in mana and started kicking it.
Crazy idiot.
He was wasting his abilities on such trivial things.
Feeling appalled by the misuse of their powers, I entered the building. It was a relief that the other knight students didn''t see this. If they had, it would have only filled them with self-doubt.
"Ah, Erich."
I heard Louise''s voice from behind just as I was about to head to the restroom.
What was this? The club room was upstairs, so we shouldn¡¯t be running into each other here. Besides, Louise wouldn¡¯t leave the room while hyung was there.
"Louise? What¡¯s going on?"
"I need to talk to you. It¡¯s great timing that you¡¯re here."
Louise gave me a small smile, but her expression was oddly somber.
She quickly looked around and then approached me quietly. Her face was full of tension, which made me nervous too.
¡°Do you think you could talk to oppa for me?¡±
"...What?"
But I couldn''t give a proper response to Louise''s whispered request.
What kind of request was this?
***I headed to the club room where hyung would be alone because of something shocking Louise had said.
"Oppa... seems to be in a bit of pain. Just a little."
She tried to say it as gently as possible, but it essentially meant that hyung had lost his mind. For Louise, who saw him through rose-colored sses, to say that meant that it was truly serious.
It seemed that Louise, Irina, and Lady Marghetta had tried to handle it up until now, but they unfortunately hadn¡¯t had much sess.
"But... why me?"
"Because... Wouldn¡¯t oppa listen to a family member...?"
I honestly didn''t think hyung would listen to me, but I couldn''t just ignore Louise''s desperate face.
Besides, I couldn¡¯t just ignore it now that I knew that hyung had gone mad.
The family will be in an uproar.
It wasn¡¯t just about my personal feelings; the family would be utterly devastated.
The news of hyung being imprisoned for five days had already caused chaos. What would happen if the heir to the title and territory went mad? Mother would surely faint. Even nanny might pass out.
As for the Patriarch... who knows? However, I was sure that even he would certainly be shaken if the family''s prized son went insane.
Damn it.
Thinking about this suddenly made my shoulders feel heavy. This wasn''t just a friend''s request or hyung¡¯s well-being at stake¡ªit was the survival of the entire family.
But there was no room for hesitation. Who else would face him if I, his family, ran away and gave up?
I might run away halfway through if I opened it slowly, so I took a deep breath and quickly opened the club room¡¯s door.
"Hyung."
"What, you''re back already?"
"I''m just taking a break. Running around is tiring."
I took another deep breath. How should I start this conversation?
Should I probe him?
No, that was impossible. I wasn¡¯t good at that kind of approach, and hyung was much more adept at it than I was.
Just wait for him to talk?
That was also not an option. Louise must have watched and waited until she grew tired before she considered asking for help.
Be direct with him?
...That might be the best. If things were really serious, then it¡¯d be better to address it head-on rather than dy it.
"By the way, hyung. Louise seemed worried about you."
"Oh."
Hyung smiled awkwardly at my words.
Judging by his reaction, I was on the right track. It was indeed better to be direct than to beat around the bush.
"Did something happen?"
Hyung stroked his chin at my question. He seemed to be calcting whether he should tell me or not.
However, his hesitation was brief. After a few strokes of his chin, he nodded and began to speak with a serious expression, like a priest giving a sermon.
...And I realized why Louise had enlisted my help the longer he spoke.
"Hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Are you crazy?"
Surprisingly, hyung froze at my reaction.
What the hell? Why was he reacting like this?
Did he really expect a different response after saying all that?
Chapter 236: My Boss Isn’t Sick (4)
Chapter 236: My Boss Isn¡¯t Sick (4)Erich''s words caught me off guard for a moment.
However, I quickly regained myposure. After all, Erich was still a budding student who was engrossed in his studies at the academy. He was already overwhelmed with learning the established truths, so it was only natural that he would find the new and radical ones hard to grasp.
So, it was no surprise that he thought I was crazy. How could he not be confused when confronted with a truth so different from what he''d been taught?
"You''ll understand what I''m saying someday."
I spoke calmly, trying to reassure him.
Learning was all about acquiring knowledge, breaking it down, and finding your own truth. That was the essence of learning.
With that in mind, I patted Erich''s shoulder. He was only 17, so he still had a long, long way to go.
"There wille a time when you won''t be so bound by what you''ve been taught."
"You never learned any of this, though."
Damn it.His quick and sharp retort left me speechless. It felt like a cheap shot.
"And isn''t having just one first wifemon sense?"
His look of pity rendered me speechless.
But I had to argue. Setting limits in the name ofmon sense only hindered human progress.
"And what about thedies? What kind of misfortune are they in for?"
"What?"
His low mutter struck a nerve. Was he suggesting that I was imposing my will on others?
I would never do that. I would never force my standards on those who cared for me. That was why I spoke up so that everyone would be happy being the first wife.
Even though only Marghetta spoke directly, Louise and Irina, who heard from her, didn''t object.
So it''s not coercion.
Everyone would agree once I informed the Patriarch and the Minister. It wasn¡¯t just my unteral decision. I had never coerced anyone.
"...They all said they''re okay with it. They might find it strange now, but they didn''t say no."
"How could they say no? What if you called off the wedding if they did?"
His words silenced me. If that was the reason, then was it really my unteral decision¡ª?
No, it wasn¡¯t. I tried to create a gentle atmosphere. I wanted to make it easy for them to refuse if they didn''t like my proposal.
"If they truly didn''t like it, they would have refused."
"To a lunatic spouting nonsense?"
No.
Was he seriously calling me a lunatic so casually? I was still his brother.
"They were probably worried that you would exclude them if they said no, or that you''d be even weirder if they spoke out."
Erich sighed deeply, pulled a chair over, and sat down.
It reminded me of a weary civil servant who was resigned to a long report session.
"Louise thinks you''re not feeling well."
My eyes widened at the unexpected words.
I knew that she was concerned about me, but I didn''t realize that she thought that way. For Louise, of all people, to say I was unwell¡ª
"She must have been desperate to ask for my help."
Erich sighed again, roughly scratching his head. Then, he sighed again, wiped his face dry, and gave another sigh.
He was showing with every fiber of his being that he had no idea how to continue the conversation.
"Hyung."
"...Yeah."
"Are you crazy?"
In the end, the same conversation repeated itself.
"Everyone bing the first sounds nice. But..."
Erich sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time, his face seemingly worn with fatigue.
"If everyone is first, then doesn''t that also mean that everyone isst?"
I hadn''t thought of it that way. Could it really be interpreted like that...?
Sure, if you think there''s no one above you, it''s like being tied for first ce. But if there''s no one below, then it''s like being tied forst ce, too.
"Plus, there are multiple brides who are supposed to be the main focus. Do they really have to share the spotlight on their one special day?"
It was a harsh but urate observation. Hearing it made me realize how critical the issue was.
Why hadn''t I seen it before? Or had I been intentionally ignoring it all along?
"Even during the wedding, the order of giving rings, kissing, and walking out hand in hand... All of it has to be in some sequence."
"..."
"You can''t avoid setting an order. You''re just forcibly denying it."
Erich leaned back in his chair after saying that, looking like he had nothing more to say.
But his gaze stayed on me, and it felt like it was saying, ¡®You''re an idiot if you¡¯re still going to deny it,.¡¯
That gaze made my emotions surge again. It was all too easy to lecture someone, wasn''t it?
"Maybe you''re right."
This time, it was my turn to sigh.
Yes, Erich might be right. Perhaps this method of making everyone first wasn''t suitable for this time. Marghetta, Louise, Irina¡ªmaybe they were all putting up with it because they didn''t want to upset me.
But, so what?
"What am I supposed to do, then?"
Did he think I came up with this idea for no reason? It was driving me crazy to think of ranking the people who cared for me, of dividing the Mage Duchess and the daughter of a duke into first and second.
"You know that noble marriages are extensions of politics."
I had feelings for Marghetta. I was also grateful that she liked someone ascking as me. She deserved to be the first wife and more.
But then the Mage Duchess got involved. Of course, I was grateful to her too, and I''d been seriously considering our rtionship after the incident in the capital. Actually, I was already thinking beyond that.
I liked both Marghetta and the Mage Duchess as people. However, behind them were the Valentis and the Catobans.
"The other house gets pushed aside if I choose one. It means that the current Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office would be picking one side over the other."
It was maddening, but I had to endure it. It was the duty of those who wielded power to consider the repercussions of every action. That was the responsibility of a noble.
That duty and responsibility fell on my shoulders from the moment I let Hecate go and from the moment I could no longer choose someone first.
"So this is the best solution."
Even if I was called crazy, at least it wouldn''t lead to conflict. It wouldn''t form a rift between the two houses. This method was chosen to maximize the happiness of the majority.
And maybe my resolve reached Erich, because his mouth, which looked ready to call me crazy, stayed shut.
Finally, my brother understood¡ª
"Yeah, I guess it drove you crazy."
Or maybe not.
The silence that came after that was then broken by a painful remark.
"Hyung, don''t overthink it."
¡°You want me to think of something simpler than this...?¡±
I instinctively questioned him seriously. It wasn¡¯t like me to ask, but could there be a simpler and more straightforward solution than a joint wedding?
"The order of wives usually follows the order of the marriages."
"Right."
That was why I was talking about getting married simultaneously.
"And marriage is the result of a confession."
"That¡¯s correct."
I nodded, though I wasn''t sure why he was bringing this up.
"Then isn''t it fair to marry them in the order of their confessions?"
?
"The academy graduates students in the order they enrolled, so why not marry them in the order of their confessions?"
???
What the hell is he talking about?
I felt like I was losing my mind. Could you reallypare something as significant as confessions and marriages to academy enrollments and graduations?
But then again, maybe he wasn¡¯t wrong. If the order was going to be set anyway, perhaps the order of their confessions would make sense.
"And the most important thing is..."
Erich paused and quickly nced around. Even though we both knew that no one else was nearby, his cautious behavior suggested that he was about to say something important.
"The Iron-Blooded Duke will be angry if Lady Marghetta gets pushed back. But if the Mage Duchess gets pushed back, you can persuade her."
Oh.
I stared at Erich in awe as soon as I heard that.
Was he a genius?
***I slipped out of the club room, leaving hyung alone with his thoughts.
I bumped into Louise, who was wandering in the hallway, and suggested that she leave him alone for a while. He was just starting to get his thoughts together, so any interruption might set him back.
It was just a simple problem.
I sighed softly as I stepped outside. Talking with hyung made me realize that it wasn''t aplicated issue.
It wasn¡¯t that his dilemma was simple, but rather about curing his madness; it wasn''t as difficult as it seemed.
If only he had someone to talk to.
The problem would have been solved if someone had just told him, ¡®You seem crazy¡¯ when he first started acting out. Even now, a simple nudge brought him back to reality.
He knew it, too. He realized that he was acting irrationally, but he had no direction to go to and was trying to escape reality by pushing forward recklessly.
And because no one stopped him and instead kept reassuring him, things got out of hand.
Well, wasn¡¯t it unavoidable?
After all, how many people could tell someone they loved that they were acting crazy?
Of course, he was lucky that he had a younger brother who could. If he was going to make Louise worry before the wedding, then he should at least make her happy.
Anyway, it seems like it worked out. Judging by his expression, he probably wouldn''t mention the joint wedding idea again.
"Erich! Where have you been?"
Rutis waved enthusiastically when I returned to the field where the club members were ying ser.
"Bathroom. I said I was going earlier."
"Did you?"
"I didn''t hear anything."
Tannian shrugged even though he was right next to me earlier.
These jerks really didn''t care at all.
"Well, you came back just in time."
Rutis said with a grin as he tossed me the ball.
I caught it, but something felt off. The ball was fully inted, but it was patched up like an old rag.
"We''re going back to foot volleyball. This time, it''s three on three!"
"Three on three?"
There were five of us. Was one of us going to be the referee?
I looked around while thinking that and saw someone standing there who definitely shouldn''t have been.
...Sir Vir?
Why was he here?
Sir Vir gave me a slightly bitter nod when our eyes met.
"We need even numbers for Lather to ept his defeat."
Rutis spoke with augh as he noticed our exchange.
Lather, surprisingly, never admitted to being the weakest. He always imed the games weren''t fair because the numbers were uneven or that such abnormal conditions couldn''t measure his skills. It was disgraceful and something you''d never expect from him normally.
So, Rutis brought Sir Vir to make it a fair three-on-three.
You madman.
Calling a royal knight for a game of foot volleyball?
Sounds like it¡¯ll be fun.
Crazy as it was, I liked it.
I suppressed my excitement and stepped onto the field. My lingering worries about hyung also vanishedpletely.
Yes, I had done all that I could. If things didn''t change after everything I said, then it was beyond my control. Besides, I believe that hyung would be fine.
"We''ll y best two out of three."
"Shouldn''t it be a single match if you wanted to make it simple?"
I steadied myself, watching the club members and Sir Vir take their positions.
Our game of foot volleyball was about to begin!
***I had been crazy.
That was my conclusion after careful consideration. I had truly lost my mind.
Damn it.
I buried my face in my hands in embarrassment. Thinking about the ridiculous logic I had proudly stated in front of Marghetta, the 2nd Manager, and Erich made me want to die.
Marghetta, Louise, and Irina had also been incredibly kind to me despite hearing my nonsense. I wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
"Just thinking about it makes me happy. Thank you."
Marghetta''s gentle voice echoed in my mind as she patted my back. Remembering it made me cringe all over again.
I instinctively looked out the window. Would I get amnesia if I fell headfirst?
This is insane.
However, running away by losing my memory would be cowardly. I had already acted cowardly by sumbing to madness; I couldn''t do that twice.
I sighed and picked up themunication crystal. There were things I needed to fix immediately.
¡ª Executive Manager?
"Yes, it''s me."
Seeing the nervous face of the 2nd Manager made me avert my eyes. Had I ever felt this embarrassed in front of this jerk?
"About what I said earlier..."
¡ª Ah, yes.
Also, had he ever looked this stiff in front of me?
"...Did you tell anyone else?"
¡ª Uh, yes. I informed the Minister.
"Anyone else?"
¡ª No.
I breathed a sigh of relief; it was just as I expected, and within a manageable range.
Thank goodness. It was fine as long as only the Minister knew. It would have been disastrous if it had spread to the other Managers.
¡ª Executive Manager.
However, my relief was premature.
¡ª Are you back to your senses?
His face, which had been tense a moment ago, was now cracking into a grin as he noticed my relieved sigh.
"Hey, wait¡ª"
¡ª Hey, 3rd Manager! I''ve got an amazing story for you!
Before I could stop him, he threw themunication crystal and disappeared.
It''d be hard to talk about a crazy Executive Manager, but sharing the embarrassing history of a sane Executive Manager would be fun.
"Damn it."
I want to die.
Chapter 237: Academic Achievement Rate: 33.33% (1)
Chapter 237: Academic Achievement Rate: 33.33% (1)The price of madness was horrendous. The 2nd Manager keptughing in my face, while the 3rd Manager cheered me on with acrobatics through themunication crystal.
¡ª Don''t be too embarrassed, Executive Manager. It happens to everyone.
"Uh... thanks..."
¡ª Hehe, don''t mention it!
Then there was the 1st Manager, who told me that it was okay and that I shouldn¡¯t worry about it.
Honestly, what scared me the most was when the 1st Managerforted me with a gentle face. Could a person change like that? Did she pour out her madness while crying on the street or something?
Anyway, the strongest blow arrived after the mental assault from the Manager trio and the casual greetings from the normal civil servants.
"Damn."
I closed my eyes as soon as I checked the message from the Minister.
The Minister''s message arrived as if he had been waiting for this moment. There was nothing remarkable about it. Shockingly, there was no ridicule or sarcasticment.[ Ausen Mental Health Clinic - 2nd-floor building on Trifile Street, right side. For details, contact the Director of Relief Medical Services. ]
It was just the address of a mental hospital.
Dammit...
However, that message hurt more than any provocation.
It was truly winter.
***Time flowed on even when someone went mad. While I was out of my mind and trying hard to ignore my embarrassing past, time kept moving.
In fact, it seemed to be flowing even faster with the closing ceremony approaching.
"I''m d that Carl managed to finish the semester in one piece."
"I¡¯m really sorry..."
I couldn¡¯t raise my head at Marghetta''s words as she poked my arm with a smile.
I could only guess how much she must have suffered. She must have been very worried that my madness wouldst long.
"I don¡¯t think I¡¯d mind a joint wedding."
I quickly shook my head at Marghetta¡¯s humming voice. What a dreadful idea.
"That will never happen. A wedding should have only one star."
"Really? Well, I guess there''s no choice if that''s what Carl says."
I awkwardly smiled back at her as she chuckled¡ªit was evident on her face that she heard the answer she wanted.
This incident must have hurt her, too. After all, she almost had to share the spotlight at her once-in-a-lifetime wedding.
Maybe that was why she asionally teased me like this ever since she found out that I was back to normal. It was as if she was letting out her bottled-up resentment in the form of jokes.
"I''m sorry, Mar."
I gently hugged Marghetta, and she snuggled into my arms.
"I promise you that we''ll have a grand wedding. That day will be all about you."
"Really?"
"Of course. And if you¡¯d like, we can have one in the capital, another at the Duchy of Wulken, and one more in Tailglehen..."
Hearing that, she pped my back.
"That''s too much. How many anniversaries are you nning to create?"
I couldn''t help butugh when our eyes met, and she joined in shortly after.
Having three weddings was definitely unrealistic. Instead, we should have one that felt like three. After all, when else would I spend the money I''d saved up? If money was the only concern, then we could hold thirty weddings and it wouldn''t be a problem.
"But we need to get engaged first."
It felt a bit odd to bring up engagement in the middle of a conversation about marriage, but it unfortunately came first. Marghetta was still a student, so getting married right away wasn¡¯t practical.
...Actually, before getting engaged, I should probably prostrate myself in front of the Iron-blooded Duke first.
"Don''t worry. Father already thinks of you as his son-inw."
"Haha, that''s a relief."
Still, her reassurance eased my mind a bit.
That was right. The Iron-blooded Duke would probably relent if I kneeled at his mansion gates for three or four days. Besides, he¡¯d have to give his permission eventually if he didn¡¯t want to keep Marghetta single for life.
And it¡¯s alright. I''ll just end up with a few broken bones even if things don''t go well.
I decided to think that way.
***Oppa had regained his senses.
"Oppa, are you really okay?"
"It hurts my heart the more you ask..."
Louise was already hovering around him with a bright smile. Her smile never left her face, as if she was receiving a reward for all her worrying.
Of course, I felt the same way.
Thank goodness.
A smile spread across my face from the relief and happiness.
I had even prepared for the worst. I considered the possibility that Oppa''s condition wouldst until the closing ceremony and that he wouldn¡¯t be cured by the time the New Year''s Ball came. If that happened, I was nning to stay at my family mansion in the capital no matter what.
But instead of the worst, we got the best oue. Oppa recovered before the closing ceremony.
Thank you, Erich.
I thought of Erich, who was probably ying foot volleyball with the other club members.
Family really was everything. There was nothing as powerful as family in tough times. Oppa and Erich didn¡¯t seem particrly close, but in the end, it was Erich who gave him the strength he needed.
That was the power of family. It was an unbeatable bond.
Someday.
I swallowed unconsciously. I couldn¡¯t beat that bond now, but someday I¡¯d be part of that family too¡ª
"Ahem, ahem!"
"Irina?"
"What''s wrong?"
"Oh, I just had something caught in my throat."
I quickly cleared my throat, embarrassed by my natural stream of consciousness. I was being too hasty. Lady Marghetta hadn¡¯t even married him yet; it was too soon for such thoughts.
...I haven''t even received an answer yet.
I felt a bit sad as my thoughts wandered to a less hopeful ce.
Unfortunately, I still haven''t received a response to my confession. I did say that oppa could take his time, but it was only natural to want an answer as quickly as possible.
Still, there was hope.
"He said that we¡¯ll need arge venue since there¡¯ll be five brides."
When Lady Marghetta told us that oppa''s heart was hurt, there was something else she mentioned.
Five. She definitely said five. Lady Marghetta and the Mage Duchess made two. With Louise and me, that made four. Then, there was oppa¡¯s subordinate who also confessed to him, making it five.
"Anyway, it seems that Carl has no intention of pushing Lady Louise and Lady Irina away."
As embarrassing as it was, I honestly felt happy. Even amidst oppa''s painful situation, I found myself secretly pleased by those words.
I quickly fell into self-loathing after that, but those words lingered in my mind.
Five.
Oppa said that he would have five brides. If he wasn''t speaking out of pain and really thought that, then¡ª
I just need to wait.
I just needed to wait until oppa told me himself, until he was able to sort out his feelings and give me an answer once he was ready.
Though it seemed like I was far down the list, the thought that a good answer mighte made me brave enough to wait.
"Here."
Oppa suddenly offered me a teacup while I was collecting my thoughts.
"Oh, oppa?"
"You should drink something warm when the weather is cold."
He said with a slight smile, and I nodded nkly.
He must have noticed when I said that my throat was dry earlier. I simply meant it as an excuse, but he took it seriously and¡ª
"Thank you."
I smiled back and epted the teacup. This is the wonderful oppa I knew, someone who was calm andposed.
This terrible feeling of unease was only making oppa suffer.
"These are the tea leaves you brought, aren¡¯t they? I should be the one thanking you."
His words made my smile grow even wider.
***I nced sideways. Louise was still smiling as she poured tea into my cup.
Then, I turned my gaze forward. Irina was sipping her tea.
It''s difficult to dy this any longer.
Seeing the two of them so calm made my heart uneasy. The year was almost over. Given the nature of the academy, the closing ceremony was practically held on thest day of the year.
Everyone would disband after the ceremony, and we wouldn''t see each other until the new term began in March.
That means that I¡¯ll have to give them the answer in March.
That would be dreadful. It would mean that the two of them would have to wait for almost half a year for an answer after their confessions. I¡¯d probably cry if I were in their position.
But giving them an answer before the closing ceremony?
It would be too rushed.
Even if their confession was sudden, their feelings were by no means light. My response should be given with care.
...Especially since I had already made some wild remarks about a joint wedding and such.
But if I take my time, it''ll be March by then.
What a headache. It was a problem either way.
If I reject them...
I thought about it for a moment. If I were to reject them, then I wouldn¡¯t have these worries.
I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. If I was going to do that, then I should make it quick.
Taking my time to deliver a rejection would be cruel. I would have no face to show them even if they pped me.
However, my heart didn''t want to reject them.
Was the answer in the madness?
Thinking that made me feel bitter, but surprisingly, it was only after I went mad that I truly understood my heart.
Unconsciously, I thought of having five brides. Along with Marghetta and the Mage Duchess, I considered Louise, Irina, and even the 1st Manager as my brides.
Was it because I felt bad about rejecting them? No, that wasn¡¯t it.
I was happy.
Those rtionships weren¡¯t built by the original owner of this body, but rather the connections I made after possessing it. My joy came from knowing that these connections loved and confessed to me.
I felt happy to be loved and happy at the thought of having them be my family. So, I didn''t want to reject them.
But that didn¡¯t mean that I would ept their confessions and marry them right away. I could assure them that. It was good because we built these rtionships even before the confessions.
Although it had been less than a year since I met Louise and Irina, that time was already enough to have a deep connection. I usually only interacted with people professionally and rarely met anyone privately, especially the opposite sex.
An easy person.
That thought suddenly crossed my mind. No matter how much I used my own judgment to ept their confessions, from an outsider''s perspective, wasn¡¯t I just a man who epted anyone who confessed?
Was this... right?
...It must be.
Still, my worries were short-lived. What did it matter how others saw it? I was simply following my own desires.
A man who easily took on more wives. Maybe this was a bacsh from suppressing my feelings under the pretext of losing Hecate. Maybe I would have taken other wives even if I had married her.
"Come to think of it, the vacation ising soon."
Of course, all of these were just meaningless assumptions. What was important was my choice now.
"Shall we hang out together during the winter vacation, like we did in the summer?"
I suggested as I sorted out my thoughts. Hearing my words, Louise and Irina¡¯s eyes widened.
This was the best solution to avoid giving a rushed answer or dying it until March. Besides, spending time together during the vacation would give me plenty of time to decide.
"Uh, I¡¯m okay with it, but I wonder about the others..."
Louise, who had been silent for a moment, awkwardly spoke up. I didn¡¯t care about the others, but we had to consider them since I mentioned doing it like the summer vacation.
"They''ll probably like it; they did during the summer."
And judging by their behaviortely, it wouldn¡¯t be too exhausting to take them to another region.
If they were going to stay at the academy during the vacation anyway, then it¡¯d be easier to revisit the capital trip they¡¯d already experienced.
***I asked the five who had just returned from ying foot volleyball about their winter vacation ns. I was thinking of suggesting another club trip like thest time if they had nothing nned.
Rutis answered on behalf of the group.
"Ah, we¡¯re nning to return home this time."
?
Did I hear that right? Was I hallucinating?
Return home?
Were they even aware of such a concept?
Chapter 238: Academic Achievement Rate: 33.33% (2)
Chapter 238: Academic Achievement Rate: 33.33% (2)Disappointment came from having expectations in the first ce. That was why I stopped expecting anything. The more I hoped for something, the deeper the despair would be when it inevitably failed.
"We can''t stay in the Empire forever, can we?"
So when Rutis said that so nonchntly, I felt more confused than happy. It was like scratching a lottery ticket while expecting nothing and winning the second-ce prize.
Of course, the first-ce prize would be if these idiots dropped out, but I''d already given up on that.
"Really?"
"Haha, are you sad that we''re leaving?"
What nonsense was he talking about? I was very thrilled.
I didn''t say it out loud, but my expression must have conveyed it because Rutis burst outughing again.
"We should at least spend the New Year in our homnd. It''s not as grand as the Empire''s New Year Ball, but Armein has a ceremony for it, too."
It was a convincing reason, so I epted it.Indeed, it would be problematic if royal members didn''t attend the New Year event. Rumors of discord in the royal family could spread, causing headaches for their king.
Lather and Tannian nodded in agreement when I looked at them.
The Union Meeting and Ascension Ceremony.
The importance of the New Year was even greater for Yuben and the Holy Kingdom than it was for Armein. The Union Meeting was where the rulers of the five kingdoms gathered, while the Ascension Ceremony celebrated the day Enen''s first apostle ascended to heaven. These events were too significant to miss just because they were abroad.
"Then there''s no choice. Only those who can go will go."
Saying that out loud made me feel much better. Although things had been rtively quiet recently, it was still for the best if they returned to their own countries.
I felt like crying at this unexpected year-end gift. Maybe it was a small mercy from Enen for all my hard work.
Thank you...
It was sad to be thankful for such a thing, but gratitude was gratitude nheless.
Please keep giving me gifts like this in the future.
***I watched Rutis, who was telling the Advisor that he would bring back Armein specialties as gifts, and then sat down.
I honestly didn''t want to return home. When I first entered the Empire¡¯s Academy, I had vowed to endure until graduation.
It''s for the royal family.
The more I stayed in our homnd, the more I would threaten my brother''s position as the crown prince. But which noble would support a prince who studied abroad for three years?
So, I nned to endure for three years¡ª
I can''t intrude cluelessly.
I nced at Louise. She was smiling brightly, happy about going on a trip with the advisor.
Yes, how could I say I''d join when she looked like that? I had feelings for her during the summer vacation so I went with them, but the situation had changed now. We''d given up on Louise and had decided to support her love as her friend.
So, this was only right. Trips to the capital should be dates for couples. We already had a club trip during summer vacation; that should be enough.
I have no choice but to return home.
I leaned back in my chair, feeling a little bitter.
Giving up the trip to the capital didn''t mean that I had to go home. I could also stay in the academy dormitory during vacation, but I now had a reason to return.
¡ª The Crown Prince will be attending the Union Meeting this time.
A few days ago, I heard through my contact with the homnd that my brother would be attending the Union Meeting.
Even though he would just be attending as the King¡¯s assistant, his participation was significant. Attending the meeting beside the King was a clear move to solidify his position as the heir. It was an activity that demonstrated his status as the crown prince both internally and externally.
If a prince close in age to the Crown Prince didn''t show up at such a monumental event, it would only fuel rumors that undermined the Crown Prince''s position and suggest discord within the royal family.
He nned this.
I rubbed the back of my neck. No matter how I looked at it, this seemed like a scheme by the King to bring back the son who had no intention of returning from a foreign country.
He had created a situation where my brief appearance wouldn¡¯t threaten my brother''s position. Moreover, it would spark rumors of discord within the royal family if I didn''t show up.
So what choice did I have? I had to go.
Tannian also has no reason to insist on staying in the Empire.
Tannian had reasons to return as well. The Ascension Ceremony was a significant event for the Dawn Sect. The Pope and Cardinals would be aghast if their future saint didn''t attend such an important ceremony.
"The academy does have ssrooms for priest candidates. I''d like to see the future leaders of our church and share knowledge with the priests of the Empire."
Moreover, I remembered the reason Tannian mentioned for his enrollment. He had enrolled to interact with the priests of the Empire, where thergest number of believers gathered on the continent.
It was an important reason, but not significant enough to stay in the Empire and miss the Ascension Ceremony. Interaction and camaraderie can be pursued actively during the semester.
On the other hand...
I nced at Rutis, who was stillughing and chatting.
"My reason for enrolling?"
Remembering what he had said back then made me automatically frown.
"There¡¯s none, actually. I just got bored of staying in Armein, so I enrolled in the Empire¡¯s Academy for a change!"
His 100% insane answer left me speechless. I thought that there had to be some reason, but it turned out that it was just for fun.
Sir Vir, who heard the answer with me back then, quietly closed his eyes. He didn''t shed a tear, but his expressionless face looked like he was crying.
Crazy bastard.
No matter how I thought about it, he wasn¡¯t someone who would look for a reason to return but for a reason to stay in the Empire.
It wouldn''t be surprising if he went back home and didn''te back for his second year.
To think that I''m in the same ss as that guy...
Realizing this made me feel miserable. No one knew my reason for enrolling, or Rutis''s. From others'' perspectives, both Rutis and I would seem like entrics who abandoned our country''s educational institutions toe to the Empire.
It was frustrating to bepared to that lunatic when I moved here for the sake of the royal family and my country.
...Whatever.
Yeah, what did it matter? A year had already passed, and there were still two years left.
It was toote to feel wronged now.
Damn it.
***There were others who dered their absence besides the three foreigners who were heading home.
Ainter, whose home was originally the imperial pce, and Erich, who decided to stay in the territory this time.
"I''ll stay in the territory. I need to see Sarah after a long time."
"Sure. Send her my regards."
"Will do."
A son going straight home after the semester ended without wandering elsewhere? Mother would surely be pleased.
Speaking of Sarah, it had been a while since Ist heard her name.
I haven''t seen her in ages.
She was the younger of the two children born to the Head Maid. But with her brother passing away due to illness, she became the only child.
Furthermore, she wasn''t in the best of health either, making her the Head Maid''s precious child. Still, I heard that she had be quite healthy thanks to her mother''s devoted care and Mother''s generous support.
I''m d she''s doing well.
Thinking about my younger brother¡¯s good friend made me feel happy. Since our mothers were close, we children saw each other often, and Erich and Sarah, being the same age, quickly became friends.
Of course, that wasn''t the case for me. Even in the past, we were just an older brother and younger sister who exchanged greetings. And there was no need to mention what happened after my possession.
Childhood friend.
It was honestly a bit strange how the bond between Mother and the Head Maid extended to us, their children, as well. It was a situation I never could have imagined in my previous life.
If there was such a thing as a family where rtionships spread like this...
"Who''s Sarah?"
Tannian, who was shuffling cards out of boredom, casually asked.
How long had it been since this guy finished a game of foot volleyball that he was already ying another game? Wasn''t the future saint being a bit too indulgent?
"...Erich''s childhood friend. She''s the Head Maid''s daughter, so we''ve known her since way back."
"Oh, that''s a good connection. There''s a saying that friends and wine get better with age."
Tannian smiled lightly, and I nodded.
"I wouldn''t know about the friends part, but wine does get better with age."
The atmosphere in the clubroom suddenly became solemn. Rutis and Lather, who were chatting among themselves, Ainter, who was watching them, and even Louise, who was making tea, all turned to look at me.
Ah.
Only then did I realize that I spoke too thoughtlessly.
I didn''t mind not having friends, so I said it without much thought... But to others, it must have sounded like a tearful, self-deprecating remark.
"Well, you were busy. You were training when you were younger, and now with your official duties..."
"Not all friends are made during childhood. You''ll meet many more as you go through life."
Erich, who had many friends, and Tannian, who inadvertently started this, quickly tried tofort me.
No, don''t.
This was only making me feel worse. It was making me feel like I was truly pathetic.
"...Yeah, thanks."
Still, it would be weirder to react negatively to theirfort, so I tried to respond normally.
Damn it...
Was it so strange not to have friends?
***Despite the smallmotion, the participants for the capital trip were finally confirmed: me, Louise, Irina, and Marghetta, who immediately agreed when I asked her through themunication crystal.
Even though it was a trip to answer their confessions, having this group felt a bit awkward. Anyone would think it was a harem trip.
...They''re not wrong.
On second thought, it wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Denying it would only seem petty.
I activated themunication crystal with a sigh. Considering the favor I was about to ask, it was toote to deny that now.
¡ª Hm? Executive Manager?
"Yeah, it''s me."
It didn''t take long for the face of the 2nd Manager to appear. It felt depressing to contact him myself just a few days after the mental attacks, but he was the only one who could answer my questions properly.
"Is the 1st Manager nearby?"
¡ª No. It''s just me right now.
It was the answer I wanted, so I nodded. What I was about to say wasn''t for anyone else to hear, especially not the 1st Manager.
¡ª Why are you asking? Are you looking for a ce that can host five brides?
"You son of a¡ª"
¡ª I¡¯m just joking.
I swallowed the curse that came out instinctively.
Hold it in. I¡¯d just be ridiculed endlessly if I got upset here.
Biting my lip slightly, I carefully asked while watching the 2nd Manager chuckle.
"Do you know a good ce that makes rings?"
¡ª Wedding rings? I don''t know any ce that can make five at once.
I hate him.
I hate my past self, and I hate that guy now...!
Chapter 239: Academic Achievement Rate: 33.33% (3)
Chapter 239: Academic Achievement Rate: 33.33% (3)The 2nd Manager''s ridicule made my blood boil, but there was nothing I could do about it. I would have rushed over and given him a few punches if only I knew how to teleport.
Well, at least he answered my questions. If he had just mocked me without answering, I might have lost itpletely.
Bastard.
I stared dejectedly at themunication crystal, where his face had just disappeared.
To be fair, I did have a way to retaliate if he pushed me too far. He was about to get married, so I could attack him there.
But him getting married before me was both my weapon and my weakness.
He''d just go even crazier.
The more I fought back, the worse it would be for me in the future. It was a situation with grim prospects.
That future was painfully clear. This jerk was going toe back and stab me in the chest as soon as his wedding was over. The more I taunted him now, the more stabs I would get. I even have five wedding ceremonies.
It was a structure where I''d inevitably lose if I kept fighting. The 2nd Manager seemed to have noticed this, so his provocations, which he used to moderate, were now running wild.Please, I hope the Minister messes with him instead of me. I wish he¡¯d make him wrestle at his wedding, saying, ¡®You can''t marry my niece until you beat me!¡¯
...Should I provoke him?
That thought crossed my mind. If I couldn''t do it, then I could get the Minister to do it for me.
Considering the pressure he was putting the 2nd Manager under to get married, the Minister seemed to care about his niece. If he didn''t care, then he wouldn''t bother about her love life or marriage.
Yes, let''s awaken his fatherly instincts of not wanting to marry off his daughter to a jerk. The Minister knew that the 2nd Manager wasn''t normal, so this should work well.
Perfect.
If I couldn''t do it, then I''d use one barbarian to defeat another.
It sounded crazy, but it was definitely brilliant. I must do it immediately.
***Although I said I¡¯d do it immediately, this needed to be done face-to-face, not over themunication crystal. There were only a few days left until the closing ceremony, so I should wait until I returned to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
Moreover, there was a more important task at hand than this scheme.
¡ª I see you''reing again this time.
I needed to inform the butler about the trip to the capital. It was only fair to give him a heads-up so he could prepare to host the guests.
However, the butler''s expression seemed oddly stiff when he mentioned ¡®again this time again.¡¯
He¡¯s really stiff.
It was understandable. After all, it''d been so long since we''d had such a miraculous lineup of imperials, royalty, and the next saint.
Seeing such an illustrious lineup once in a lifetime was rare. Meeting them again within the same year was unheard of.
However, that was a misunderstanding. This time, he didn¡¯t need to suffer.
"Not everyone ising this time. There¡¯s just four of us, including me."
The butler''s expression rxed considerably after hearing that.
"Me, Lady Marghetta, Lady Louise, and Lady Irina."
At that, his expression became even more rxed.
¡ª I see. Understood. I''ll prepare the best I can.
"Don''t overdo it."
¡ª Haha, when will I have a chance to shine if not now?
Seeing the butler''s worries turn into a smile put me at ease as well. It was peaceful now that the high-ranking people were returning to where they belonged.
Although there was still a duke¡¯s daughter in the group, the butler could certainly handle one noblewoman after having faced royalty.
Additionally, the butler knew about my rtionship with Marghetta, so he must feel like he was preparing for the futuredy of the house. She wasn¡¯t just an inconvenient guest, but someone to be served with utmost respect.
"Then, take care."
¡ª Yes, Master. I look forward to seeing you again.
I ended the call after seeing the butler bow. He was someone who handled things well once given a task, so I didn''t need to worry further.
In the meantime, I should think about the ring designs. Giving the same ring with the same design to all five would seem insincere. Even if I used diamonds for all of them, the shapes should be slightly different.
Not that I''m making them myself anyway.
The artisan would make them. And an artisan would make whatever the person with the money wanted.
There was no such thing as an impossible design if you paid enough. If there was, then it was only because you didn''t pay enough.
***Sophia and I entered the storeroom while carrying the nkets. We were recing all the bedding in the mansion with ones suited for winter.
It''s finally done.
It took several days just to change the bedding because the mansion was so big. We had to wash and dry the winter bedding stored in the storeroom, and wash, dry, and move the autumn bedding from each room.
After dozens, if not hundreds, of trips back and forth, we finally finished thest room. Proper winter preparations were handled by others, so we were ready for this winter, too!
"Ugh, my neck is going to break."
Sophia, who had just put thest nket in the drawer, groaned. Of course, it hurt. She''d been carrying winter nkets on her head all this time.
"You should have just carried them normally."
"It''s faster this way."
Sophia replied with a giggle while rubbing her neck.
Silly girl. She wasn¡¯t even in great health. She could have taken it easy, and no one would have minded.
"Let''s go since we''re done. I heard they made a cake in the kitchen?"
"Yay! Cake!"
As soon as I mentioned the cake, remembering what I heard this morning, Sophia ran towards the exit. I naturally followed her. She''d eat it all if I camete, and I can''t let even Sophia have the chef''s cake all to herself.
But it seemed that it wasn''t time to eat yet, as we couldn''t leave the storeroom.
"Ugh!"
Sophia, who was running ahead, bumped into the butler who had just entered the storeroom.
Even though she was the one who bumped into him, only Sophia was sent flying due to the size difference. The butler didn''t even budge, like he was just hit by a balloon.
"Sophia, are you okay?"
The butler, who seemed momentarily surprised, hurriedly helped Sophia up. He probably didn''t expect an ident the moment he walked in.
"I think I hit the wall..."
"You''re fine then."
The butler seemed relieved by Sophia''sint.
Last time, when Sophia really fell, she couldn''t even speak and just cried. Seeing herin meant that she wasn¡¯t hurt.
"Mr. Butler, what brings you to the storeroom?"
I asked as Sophia brushed the dust off her skirt behind me. It was rare for the butler toe to the storeroom.
"The Master said he''s bringing guests, so I need to find bedding for them."
"Guests?"
At those words, a few faces shed through my mind. The noblewoman who had a special rtionship with the Master, the pink-haireddy who brought a strange sense offort, and the blondedy who I personally felt sorry for.
And then there were the high-ranking guests who came with an unclear purpose.
"Um... are they the ones who came in the summer?"
I asked cautiously, feeling a little hesitant.
When those high-ranking people stayed herest time, everyone had a hard time. Especially the head chef, who barely slept and waspletely exhausted. If it happens again, he might really copse this time.
The butler, seemingly understanding my concern, smiled gently.
"There will be fewer guests this time. Just the Master and threedies."
That was a relief. Thedies would be Lady Marghetta, Lady Louise, and Lady Irina. That much was manageable.
...
Huh?
Something felt off. Thinking about the peopleing this time gave me a strange feeling.
The high-ranking guests weren¡¯ting? That was possible. In fact, it was normal. The Master¡¯s younger sibling also wasn¡¯ting? That too was possible since the Master''s family lived in their territory, not in the capital.
So, with all those deductions, the remaining guests were all women.
...Could it be?
While I was unsure about the pink-haireddy, the blondedy definitely had feelings for Master. Two out of the threepanions liked Master.
If that was the case, then there was a possibility that the pink-haireddy liked him, too. And if all three did, then surely Master must be aware of their feelings, right?
There was no evidence. It was just a hunch. However...
There''s no proof that it''s not true, either.
Though it sounded forced, my instincts were screaming that my hunch was correct.
This is bad...
While it was wonderful if Master was meeting good people, now was not the right time to celebrate.
I haven''t heard from Penelia unnietely. She used to send us messages through letters or themunication crystal, but now there was nothing.
It wasn¡¯t the first time this had happened, so I wasn¡¯t overly worried. But did she have to do that now, of all times? With Mastering to the capital and many people targeting him?
I''m sure there was no progress.
If something had happened between Penelia unnie and Master, the mansion would already know.
It would¡¯ve been obvious if Penelia unnie got close to him. The people around her, like the oppas and unnies in the Masked Unit, would know, and the news would spread back to the mansion. It was inevitable.
But surprisingly, there had been no news.
You idiot...!
Penelia unnie, what are you doing?
People who met Masterter than you were already sticking close to him, but why weren''t you doing anything? How much longer do you n to wait?
"Yuris?"
"Oh, yes!"
"What''s the matter? Are you okay?"
I heard the butler''s voice while I was stewing in frustration. He seemed concerned since I had been staring at the floor without saying a word.
"Hehe, it''s nothing."
"You seem to have a lot on your mind for it to be nothing."
"Actually, I was just thinking about how to make a ''Yikes~'' sound."
"Hey!"
Unfortunately, I had to sell out Sophia a bit.
I have to say it.
I made up my mind while ignoring Sophia''s shriek and the butler''sughter behind me.
I would tell him. I would definitely tell Master that Penelia unnie liked him when he came to the mansion.
There was no more time to wait. Waiting for Penelia unnie to make a move wouldn''t lead to any answers.
She''s such a nice unnie, but why...
I sighed. Why was everything soplicated when it came to Master?
***The final exams, thest task of the academy, were over.
Even though they were nobles, students were still students, and the academy was filled with excitement as soon as the exams ended.
Although the closing ceremony was right after.
"Good job, everyone."
On the morning of the closing ceremony, I quickly headed to the student council room.
"Thank you. It''s all thanks to you, Prosecutor."
"Haha, what did I even do?"
To collect the new, eagerly awaited ves¡ªI mean, new recruits.
Perfect.
There was no better treasure than this. This was indeed a goldmine.
Chapter 240: Academic Achievement Rate: 33.33% (4)
Chapter 240: Academic Achievement Rate: 33.33% (4)Three years of hard work. While most people avoided student council work, I volunteered, and by my second year, I was mentoring juniors who acted like my superiors. But what could I do? I was just an ordinary child of a minor noble family and wasn¡¯t even the heir. To live with dignity, I must ovee such hardships and be a civil servant.
Perhaps the heavens pitied me because a great blessing came my way this year.
"I''ll see you next time in the administration."
"Thank you once again. It would have been impossible without you, Prosecutor."
"Nonsense. You would have be a civil servant without me. I merely shortened the time."
I bowed several times to the living embodiment of grace before me, expressing my gratitude.
Despite this, the Prosecutor downyed his assistance as if it were nothing when in fact, that time-saving grace was invaluable to me.
A true mentor...!
The Prosecutor had be my life''s mentor. No one could tell me otherwise.
A letter of rmendation was usually obtained through favors or deals. However, the Prosecutor gave it to me without any strings attached, recognizing my potential that even I was unaware of. And it wasn¡¯t just any letter, but one from a high-ranking civil servant."The representative of the Disciplinary Committee is heading to the Army, right?"
"Yes! That''s correct!"
"Unfortunately, I''m in the administration, so I don''t know many people in the Army. I may not be able to support you much after my rmendation."
The Prosecutor, who encouraged those heading to the administration, patted the shoulder of the student heading to the Army.
The Disciplinary Committee representative seemed deeply moved. Receiving a rmendation was already a lifetime benefit, and yet the Prosecutor apologized for not being able to offer further support.
"I''ve spoken to the Invincible Duke on your behalf. He likes young talent, so you''ll be rewarded if you work hard."
"Th-thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Haha, I''m the one who should be grateful."
The other student council members looked at the representative of the Disciplinary Committee with envy.
Meeting a Duke, even for a few seconds, would be a lifelong dream for some. Being remembered by such a person was a tremendous blessing.
To be honest, I felt envious, but quickly brushed it off.
"If you have nowhere else to go,e to the Prosecutors'' Office. We urgently need office staff in the Senior Manager¡¯s office."
The Prosecutor gave some final words before leaving the student council room; they were almost like a direct invitation.
A true superior...!
At that moment, I decided. I would join the Prosecutors'' Office no matter what.
I would dedicate my whole life to the Prosecutors'' Office.
***I heard Marghetta giggling beside me as I walked with a serene expression.
"Congrattions, Carl. You''ve got some great subordinates now."
"Haha. It''s a blessing for the Empire."
Specifically, it was a blessing for the Prosecutors'' Office.
This is the best.
I couldn''t help but smile. It couldn''t get any better. After enduring a year, I finally got the chance to ¡®recruit¡¯ those who were ripe and ready.
I invited those heading to the administration to the Prosecutors'' Office and even introduced the sole candidate heading to the Army to the Invincible Duke, creating a small debt. These debts sometimes resulted in the Army sending people to the Prosecutors'' Office.
It felt like collecting ten coupons and getting a free chicken, but who cared?
"Next year, I''ll be a third-year too."
Seeing the third-year civil servants being sold to me¡ªwell, more like joining me¡ªMarghetta muttered with a slightly sentimental tone.
As people she spent two years with were leaving and she was now the senior, it was natural to feel a mix of emotions.
"Yes. And the year after that, you''ll be getting married."
At that, Marghetta flinched and looked around nervously.
"You can''t drop out."
"...Fufu, of course not. A member of the Valenti family would never do something so irresponsible."
I spoke softly after sensing her thoughts, and her dyed response came.
Was her answer slightly sullen, or was it just my imagination? If I hadn''t added thatment, Marghetta might have seriously considered quitting.
"That''s right. Besides, someone needs to be able to give a proper answer when our children ask about school life."
Tofort the somewhat gloomy Marghetta, I patted her head as I spoke.
Yes, one parent should at least have a diploma. It''d be too sad if the father was uneducated and the mother was a dropout. The children might be disappointed and rebel against their parents.
"Y-yes, you''re right. Of course."
Thankfully, my words seemed to cheer her up, and she smiled brightly.
Thanks to that, it looked like it would be a happy closing ceremony.
***The end of the second semester of the Academy also served as a closing ceremony. Telling busy people to return in February for a separate closing ceremony would be too inconvenient.
This allowed us to lead the third-year students directly into the administration... To be direct, it lets us ¡®recruit¡¯ them right away.
"Three years may be a fleeting moment in a lifetime, but if that moment can be a small stepping stone in your lives, then your three years have been invaluable."
We were in the Academy¡¯s auditorium, where the Principal was giving his final advice to the third-year students.
Meanwhile, Sir Vir and I were having a rare, peaceful moment in a corner of the second floor.
"You''re returning home after a year."
"Yes, that''s right."
Sir Vir''s calm reply couldn''t hide the happiness in his expression.
Sir Vir was the unfortunate knight who had to endure a tearful year because of meeting the wrong prince. Last summer, while everyone else returned home, he had to stay behind in the Empire.
"You''ve worked hard. I hope you get to rest well this winter vacation."
People might say it was someone else''s business, but Sir Vir wasn¡¯t just anyone. He was arade who, like me, suffered under difficult superiors.
I extended my hand for a handshake, feeling happy about his return. Truthfully, a handshake wasn''t enough; he deserved to be thrown into the air in celebration, but I held back as the ceremony was still ongoing.
"Thank you. I hope you also have a peaceful winter, Prosecutor."
"Haha, I hope so too."
Sir Vir''s well-wishes made the faces of prospective brides sh through my mind. Red... white... pink... yellow... and white again...
Unfortunately, this winter seemed to be promisingly turbulent more than ever. Peacefulness seemed far off.
Sir Vir''s once calm and happy face now bore a slightly awkward smile, perhaps realizing the same.
"To achieve decades of happiness, people must endure a brief period of hardship. That''s how it usually is."
Lost in thought, he finally spoke.
This was unexpected. He rarely initiated non-work-rted conversations. asionally, we¡¯d chat about personal matters, but it was usually me who brought up the topics.
For him to offer personal advice first... could this be the bond betweenrades?
"Hearing that from a senior gives me strength."
I replied with a small smile, touched by his warmth. Honestly, it might not be just a brief hardship, but it would only be fleeting considering the decades ahead.
"Senior... It''s embarrassing to hear that, given that the only thing I have over you is age."
"Oh no. If that''s the case, then I must say that I have no redeeming qualities other than being young."
At that, we both just smiled.
***The ceremony ended; graduates holding their diplomas scattered, and friends and seniors bade their farewells.
"I¡¯ll go first. Have a great new year, hyung."
"Sure."
Erich left with the teleportation mage sent by the family.
"I¡¯ll be off, too. See you at the New Year¡¯s Ball."
"Are you attending?"
"The Crown Prince thought that it would be good for me to show my face now that he¡¯se of age."
Ainter, who lived in the pce, also left, leaving information that the Crown Prince¡¯s paranoia had significantly lessened.
Indeed. Now, the Crown Prince has no more reason to worry about his half-brother, whose maternal family had been obliterated. When I first arrived at the academy, the Crown Prince¡¯s position was solid, and now it was even stronger nearly a yearter.
"See youter, Advisor! See you at the opening ceremony!"
"You don''t have toe next year."
"Haha! Don¡¯t say such sad things!"
I also sent Rutis off with a heartfelt farewell. I hope my sincere wish will reach Enen. Wasn''t a year studying abroad enough?
They left one by one, leaving only those who nned to travel to the capital. It should have been a smooth ride in the carriage for a leisurely trip¡ª
"The Duke has requested your presence."
¡ªwhen an unexpected twist appeared.
A mage from the Valenti family appeared before Marghetta, politely bowing and stating that he was there to escort her.
On the direct orders of the Iron-blooded Duke.
"¡"
"Mydy?"
Marghetta moved closer to me at the mage¡¯s words, looking confused. Her eyes were darting around, and she stayed silent. She must be torn between answering her father¡¯s call and going with her future husband.
However, something was off. Marghetta clearly told the Iron-blooded Duke that she would be in the capital and not in the Duke¡¯s territory. She wasn¡¯t one to forget such simple details.
Why now?
Despite that, the Iron-blooded Duke sent a mage on the day of the closing ceremony. If he wanted to see his daughter, then there was always the New Year¡¯s Ball¡ª
...Ah.
He wants to handle this before then.
I realized then. The Iron-blooded Duke wasn¡¯t just calling Marghetta; he was expecting me to follow her.
I¡¯d be meeting the Mage Duchess at the New Year¡¯s Ball. Moreover, if the Duke heard the rumors circting in the capital, then he might be concerned that I¡¯d choose the Mage Duchess over Marghetta.
So he wanted to formalize our rtionship before then, whether it was an engagement or marriage.
"Sir."
I addressed the mage, who seemed unsure what to do with Marghetta¡¯s silence.
"Please call me Sir Filio, Executive Manager."
"Alright, Sir Filio. Did the Duke give you any specific instructions?"
"Well..."
The mage hesitated before continuing.
"He told me to tell you if you asked that what you¡¯re thinking is correct, so don¡¯t overthink it..."
"I see."
"And he also said not to make any excuses, no matter how many guests you have."
"...Understood."
This reply also considered Louise and Irina, who were supposed to join us for the trip to the capital.
If we were to take a carriage to the capital, then we might as well teleport to the Duke¡¯s territory first¡ªa considerate yet heated invitation.
"Mar. Let¡¯s go."
"Carl? Are you sure?"
"The Duke has invited all of us, hasn¡¯t he?"
The answer was already decided.
...Well, a trip to the Duchy of Wulken before our capital tour wasn''t too bad. Louise and Irina would probably enjoy it, too.
Damn it.
The problem was that I wasn¡¯t ready to face the Iron-blooded Duke yet.
I thought it would happen next year at the earliest.
Chapter 241: A Duke Who Subjugates His Son-In-Law (1)
Chapter 241: A Duke Who Subjugates His Son-In-Law (1)The Wulken Duchy. It was one of the five duchies of the Empire, located in the east.
It was also the center of the Empire¡¯s military academy, earning them the nickname ¡®Iron Blood Duchy,¡¯ with ¡®iron¡¯ representing it. The ¡®blood¡¯ part came from the former Iron-blooded Duke''s brutal victories on the battlefield.
Is this a demon''s castle?
Such thoughts came to mind instinctively as I stood before the grand ducal castle. It was a territory specialized in military supplies and ruled by a war hero with blood-stained hands. It was hard not to feel like this was a demon''s fortress.
Because of this, I almost thought that Marghetta was a princess kidnapped by the demon king. But I knew that the Iron-blooded Duke would be furious if he knew, so I kept that thought to myself. I wasn¡¯t that clueless, after all.
"This is my first time in Wulken."
While I was absentmindedly staring at the castle, Louise, who was unexpectedly dragged into this trip to Wulken, looked around and muttered. Irina, equally bewildered by this sudden journey, stuck close to Louise while cautiously taking in the surroundings.
I felt sorry for them. They were dragged to Wulken because of Marghetta and me. Still, they seemed intrigued despite their confusion, which was a relief.
"It''s livelier than expected, right?"
"Uh, well..."Marghetta''s sudden question caught Louise off guard, and she couldn''t give a proper response. Wulken¡¯s image was indeed a bit peculiar.
Given that it was the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s territory which was specialized in military, it was understandable. Outsiders might imagine Wulken as a giant forge with molten steel flowing in the rivers and the sound of hammers ringing 24/7.
Of course, no one would tell the duke¡¯s daughter, ¡®I thought there wouldn''t be much to see, but it''s nicer than expected!¡¯ Hence, Louise¡¯s hesitant response.
"Fufu, it''s okay to be honest. It''s true that Wulken has a harsh and rigid image."
Fortunately, Marghetta was very understanding and let it slide.
"But Wulken has many unique sights. Since you¡¯re here, let¡¯s do some sightseeing."
Louise and Irina nodded enthusiastically at her suggestion.
A guided tour of the duchy by the duke¡¯s daughter herself would be a rare and precious experience.
"Alright, let¡¯s go inside first. We should find a ce to stay before going sightseeing, right?"
Marghetta led us to the main gate with a gentle smile. Although the castle which looked like a demon¡¯s fortress instantly became our lodging, Marghetta certainly had the right to do so.
I spoke up quietly while watching this warmly.
"Mar, I''ll join youter."
"Huh?"
Marghetta, who was walking lightly, blinked in surprise, as if not understanding what I meant.
"Sorry, I have something to take care of."
She tilted her head even more, clearly puzzled.
It was a natural reaction. What business could I possibly have in a ce I was suddenly brought to without any ns?
"...Well, we can¡¯t help it. When do you think you''ll be back?"
Still, she remained understanding despite her disappointment, her eyes drooping slightly.
Appreciating her consideration, I gave her a small smile and knelt.
"When His Grace forgives me."
Marghetta, Louise, and Irina were clearly bewildered by this sudden turn of events.
However, there was no choice. This was something I had to do.
¡ª If you don¡¯t kneel before my castle, I¡¯ll rip your legs off.
This was how my mind remembered the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s warning, even though it wasn¡¯t exactly what he said.
So, I knelt. For the sake of marrying Marghetta, and to earn her father¡¯s approval.
***Thergest training ground in the ducal castle was a ce only I had ess to, off-limits even to the knights of the house without my permission. I trained there tirelessly from dawn till noon; the day before yesterday with a spear, yesterday with a sword, and today with a mace.
This was the one activity I continued daily after practically handing over all my duties to my son. Although I had stepped back from work, I could never give up physical training. For the head of the Valenti family, stopping training was equivalent to dying.
It¡¯s not like it used to be.
However, the more I trained, the more bitterness I felt. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t beat time. Continuous training only slowed down aging; it couldn¡¯t stop it.
Still, what could I do? For my age, I was holding up well. Besides, there were many heroes to protect the Empire after me.
The Invincible Duke, the Minister of Intelligence, and that bastard too¡ª
"That damned scoundrel."
Thinking of that scoundrel, I gripped the mace harder. I realized it toote, but the handle was already crushed, and so the head of the mace dropped to the ground.
It was a fairly decent weapon, but now it was ruined because of him.
That insolent wretch.
I couldn¡¯t forgive him. How could he be enamored with other women with such a perfect bride like Marghetta?
I wasn¡¯t against having multiple wives. I had several myself, and it wasn¡¯t an issue. For a noble, marriage was an extension of politics¡ªit was a form of socializing and a disy of capability.
But to keep adding women without marrying them and without giving Marghetta any position?
How dare he.
I tightened my grip again. The once-crushed handle now turned to dust and scattered in the wind.
I wouldn¡¯t have cared how many wives he had if he had married Marghetta or at least gotten engaged to her. Marghetta¡¯s status wouldn¡¯t change.
But he didn¡¯t, and he and Marghetta weren¡¯t officially together in a situation where the Mage Duchess was showing interest in him. This meant that the Mage Duchess could be his first wife.
That can¡¯t happen.
I had been endlessly thinking about the rivalry between Marghetta and the Mage Duchess since the Crown Princess¡¯s birthday banquet. As a father and a duke, I had to decide how to act in this unexpected conflict.
The conclusion was simple. As Marghetta¡¯s father and the Duke of Wulken, I couldn¡¯t back down. The Valenti family couldn¡¯t retreat even if the Mage Duchess was a formidable opponent. After all, a duke who feared for his child¡¯s marriage wasn¡¯t worthy of his title.
So, I called Marghetta and him to forge a firm bond.
It¡¯s a race against time now.
Whoever moved quickly controlled the battlefield. If the Mage Duchess wouldin about my tactics, then I could simply say, ¡®Why didn¡¯t you act first?¡¯
...It was truly puzzling, though. The Mage Duchess had been surprisingly quiet. Despite some disturbing news from the capital, there had been no official word of a rtionship between them.
But that was just spection. It was only right for me to make the first move if the other side didn¡¯t.
"Father."
Just as I was resolving to push forward even if it meant shing with the Mage Duchess, Richard¡¯s voice came from behind.
"Oh no. Did you break another one today?"
He smiled faintly while looking at the mace head embedded in the ground.
"Modern weapons justck durability."
"Are you saying the old ones were any better? I remember they broke just as often."
He was right, and I couldn¡¯t argue. Weapons neversted long in my hands, whether then or now.
Only the finest pieces or items bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor could withstand my use.
Richard chuckled at my silence and continued speaking.
"Mar is here, and she brought two guests."
The quick visit prompted me to hasten my steps. If Mar was here with guests, then I had to personally wee them.
"Make sure the guests are treated with utmost respect. We invited them on short notice, so they deserve proper treatment."
"Yes, Father."
"And it''s been a while since I''ve seen Mar."
Richard fell silent at that.
Strange. Usually, he would add ament or two about Mar.
"Father, there''s something else."
After an awkward pause, Richard spoke again.
"What is it?"
"Besides the guests, the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office is here too."
Naturally. If Mar hade alone, then I would have considered going to the capital myself.
That scoundrel might be a wretch, but he wasn¡¯t brainless. He knew what would happen if he ignored this summons.
"Of course he should be here. But why are you mentioning it?"
"He''s kneeling at the front gate."
Satisfaction filled my chest. Indeed, he wasn''t a fool.
I had told him countless times that he wouldn''t easily get another chance after rejecting Mar once. If he wanted to marry her, then he would have to kneel before my castle and beg.
It was infuriating when he ignored my words and showed up at the Crown Princess''s birthday banquet. But now, he was finally kneeling properly.
Damned scoundrel.
I didn''t usually enjoy making people kneel. Why would I bother with such a hassle?
However, he had to kneel.
"Waaahh! Daddy!"
"M-Mar, calm down."
"Heuk, heuk... What do I do...? I really like him..."
Mar had cried so miserably the day that bastard rejected her.
So, he had to pay. He needed to acknowledge his mistake and kneel before the Valenti family. Only then would Mar''s tears not be in vain.
"Ignore it. He''s tough; he can handle three days like that."
Of course, I didn''t n to leave him kneeling for three days. If he acknowledged his mistake, then there would be no reason not to forgive him. And if I forgave him, he would be part of the Valenti family.
So, I could go and tell him to stand up¡ª
"...Mar is kneeling beside him."
"¡"
My mind went nk at those words.
***I rushed to the front gate. If Mar was kneeling too, then it defeated the whole purpose.
This was supposed to cover Mar''s embarrassing memory. Because she cried, he needed to kneel in return. But if Mar was kneeling too, it was just a loss for her.
"Ha."
The sight was devastating when I reached the gate.
Two youngdies stood at a distance, anxiously watching the gate. It seemed that my daughters had heard the news and rushed here before me.
"Your Grace."
The scoundrel bowed his head as soon as he saw me.
"Father..."
Meanwhile, Mar looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.
Looking closer, they were holding hands. It was a pathetic sight.
"...Come inside."
I couldn''t bear to watch any longer, so I turned away with a briefmand.
That damned scoundrel. Did he coax Mar into this? Did he think it would end quickly if they knelt together?
Damn him.
He was using his innocent wife already. I would never forgive him if he did it on purpose.
Chapter 242: A Duke Who Subjugates His Son-In-Law (2)
Chapter 242: A Duke Who Subjugates His Son-In-Law (2)I was doomed. No matter how positively I tried to think about it, the conclusion remained the same. This was a disaster.
I never imagined that Marghetta would kneel alongside me. I knew she was incredibly decisive, but I didn''t realize it was to this extent.
¡°M-Marghetta! You don¡¯t have to do this!¡±
¡°They say that a married couple shares everything. It¡¯s not fit for a Valentian wife to ignore her husband¡¯s suffering.¡±
With that, she knelt down and held her ground. Even though it would be easy to lift her up, it was only possible if she pretended to let me.
Trying to force someone who resisted to stand up usually resulted in injury. And so, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop her too forcefully.
As we continued to struggle, the Iron-Blooded Duke appeared. His gaze fell on his youngest daughter, who was kneeling before him.
"...Come inside."
I caught a glimpse of the emotion that shed through his eyes in that brief moment.
It was the look of a madman wondering how best to break someone so that everyone would talk about it.How long does it take for bones to heal again?
Even from his back, I could already feel his displeasure. As I followed him, I couldn¡¯t help but think that something was definitely going to break.
Still, the Iron-Blooded Duke would probably break the bone cleanly since he was an expert at beating people. Fixing it would be simple. Unless, of course, he decided to shatter itpletely out of spite. That would take a while to heal.
As I absentmindedly touched my right arm, Marghetta spoke cautiously beside me.
¡°Carl, I¡ª¡±
But she closed her mouth again when I quietly held her hand. This wasn¡¯t the time for apologies.
Marghetta¡¯s actions had certainly pushed the Duke¡¯s temper to its limit, but it all started because of me. If I had acted properly, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up kneeling in front of the mansion, and Marghetta wouldn¡¯t have joined me.
Moreover, Marghetta did this out of concern for me. It was only because of my poor reputation that things turned out this way. If the Duke thought well of me, this would have been nothing more than a minor incident.
¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Everything will be fine.¡±
Yes, everything will be fine. The fact that the Iron-blooded Duke let us in was a positive sign.
If he were truly furious and dead set against the marriage, he would have drawn his sword at the front gate. I¡¯d have had to dodge his strikes like it was a scene from Dark Souls. He was definitely the kind of person who would do that.
¡°Brother-inw is right. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±
And supporting my words was a noblewoman with the signature red hair of the Valentis, someone who looked just like Marghetta might in the future.
She was the odd one out, who stayed close to us while the other siblings were near their father.
¡°Dear Mar, it was a bit much to surprise Father like that. Let¡¯s apologizeter, okay?¡±
¡°Yes, unnie...¡±
¡°Good.¡±
She was Marghetta¡¯s 4th sister.
Though there was a considerable age difference between them, the nobility in this world generally aged gracefully, so they still looked like sisters.
¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Carl. Father may seem harsh, but he¡¯s kind-hearted.¡±
¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m well aware of that.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief. My husband was a bit scared because he didn¡¯t know that.¡±
She chuckled, and I managed an awkward smile in return.
I could feel the Iron-Blooded Duke ahead ncing back at us, but I pretended not to notice. Surely he wouldn''t hit me in front of his daughters, right?
"Hmm. Brother-inw, I didn''t expect you''d bring your other wives while asking for his permission for marriage."
Herment made me instinctively nce toward the Iron-blooded Duke. I hadn¡¯t nned on it either, but he insisted on bringing the guests.
¡°Are you nning to visit other fathers for their approval after this?¡±
Her curious tone made me feel even worse. I didn¡¯t know where to look after noticing Louise and Irina¡¯s faces turn red.
Maybe it would be better to stay next to the Iron-blooded Duke...? At least then it might just end with some physical pain.
***I managed to escape the miraculous trap of the Iron-Blooded Duke and the future sisters-inw thanks to the Valenti family¡¯s head butler.
When I first saw the head butler rushing over from afar, I expected him to receive a scolding from the Iron-blooded Duke. After all, he had failed to greet the guests, leaving the Iron-blooded Duke himself to do so. It could be considered a disgrace to the family.
However, no one in the Valenti family med the butler.
"Butler, please guide our guests."
"Yes, my lord."
He simply gave orders as if nothing had happened.
Seeing this, I realized that even Valenti''s head butler was an overworked soul. No one even med him for being slightlyte.
Are all butlers like this?
Indeed, the head butler of Krasius also suffered from overwork. Besides, the position itself entailed overseeing the administration of an entire estate.
But wasn¡¯t this too much? Seeing such a pitiable soul up close¡ª
"You, follow me."
Of course, the most pitiful one here was me. I wasn''t in a position to feel sorry for others.
"Yes, sir."
At the Iron-blooded Duke''s call, I walked forward with the feeling of an ox being led to ughter. I tried to follow the butler, but the Iron-blooded Duke noticed immediately. I had hoped he wouldn''t, but I failed.
As I followed the Duke, his children patted my shoulder in passing.
"Hmph."
In a way, this was a friendly gesture. But the Duke only snorted at the sight, offering no other reaction.
What did that mean? Did he think he didn''t need anyone else because he was nning to deal with me himself?
Just how much does he n to punish me?
There was aw of conservation of anger. If many people shared their anger, then each individual''s anger would be less. However, it became overwhelming if one person shouldered it all.
That was the current state of the Iron-blooded Duke. The more his family showed kindness, the angrier he seemed to get.
"The Valentis value blood."
As I tried to think of a way to minimize the pain while walking along, the Duke spoke in a low voice.
Blood.
For a moment, an image of him striking an enemymander with his fist shed in my mind¡ª
"That''s why, as the year ends, the entire family gathers."
Ah, that kind of blood.
"The Valenti family spends the time from the end of the year until the New Year together. Even the married daughters are no exception."
"That''s a beautiful tradition."
"But in the past, brothers often killed each other to inherit the title."
Oh, damn it. How was I supposed to react to something like that?
"Even amidst the chaos, my grandfather valued family bonds. This tradition started with him."
The Iron-Blooded Duke spoke with a distant tone and stopped in front of a door unlike any other. It was a luxurious yet ominously ck door, set apart from the other rooms.
Above the door and written in elegant script were the words:
Room of Truth
What a terrifying name.
It felt like a ce where I could be zapped by some powerful magic at any moment.
"My grandfather''s wish was passed down through the generations. The wish I inherited must continue through my children into the future."
While I was lost in these strange thoughts, the Iron-blooded Duke, who was holding the doorknob, turned to look at me. His face was no longer filled with displeasure but was instead deeply serious.
"The Valenti values family. No matter how capable you are, you''re rejected if you''re an enemy of the bloodline. If you''re family, you''re embraced, even if you''recking."
The more he spoke, the more I began to understand why the Duke held such disdain for me.
It wasn¡¯t just because I had taken his youngest daughter; it also wasn¡¯t because I had other women despite being with her.
"Mar was saddened when you pushed her away, but that''s as far as it went. If you had no ties to us, we wouldn¡¯t care."
Even though I had refused the marriage with his daughter, that alone wouldn''t make me an enemy.
"But you came back. Despite pushing her away, you returned, asking to be part of the Valenti family."
That was the crux of it. Despite rejecting his offer and distancing myself from the Valentis, I returned.
From the Iron-blooded Duke''s perspective, I was no longer an outsider. He needed to determine if I truly belonged with the Valentis.
***"***No matter how capable you are, you''re rejected if you''re an enemy of the bloodline. If you''re family, you''re embraced, even if you''recking." ."
Regardless of my qualities, I would be considered an enemy if I neglected Marghetta. Conversely, if I be a devoted husband to Marghetta, I''d family, even with my imperfections.
This was why the Duke felt uneasy about me. I dered my intention to be part of their family, but maintained no real rtionship with Marghetta and instead pursued other women.
"Can youmit yourself to the Valenti family?"
The Iron-blooded Duke asked. Could I truly be a member of the Valenti family and his son-inw?
My answer was simple.
"Yes, sir. Absolutely."
"That''s a good answer."
The Duke replied indifferently, turning the doorknob.
"Whether it''s true or not, we''ll find out soon."
The room of truth opened.
...No way. He¡¯s not actually going to torture me, right?
***I could only stare nkly as Father disappeared, dragging Carl behind him.
I had already unintentionally provoked him. Even if I stepped in now, it would only defuse the immediate situation, but it wouldn¡¯t calm his anger in the long run.
"It''ll be over soon, right?"
However, 4th sister spoke with a calm expression.
"Yes, probably. Father isn''t as he used to be."
Even eldest sister chimed in.
I was confused. Father seemed very angry, and yet my sisters acted like it was nothing.
It felt strange. Father had always been so particr about family matters. He was also the one who said that there wouldn¡¯t be a wedding unless everything was perfect.
Sensing my unease, 4th sister smiled gently and patted my head.
"Our dear Mar, are you very frightened?"
"Oh. It¡¯s Mar¡¯s first time seeing this, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Following 4th sister''s lead, 3rd sister smiled and hugged me from behind, as if to reassure me that everything was fine.
"Just think of it as a ritual. It''s always been this way. He did the same with your brothers-inw."
?
"Only my husband really suffered. Father was still strong back then, and he threw him out the window."
??
¡°And then, eldest brother-inw just climbed back up as if nothing happened. Father saw that and gave his approval.¡±
???
I was even more confused. I couldn''t understand the conversation I was hearing.
A ritual?
Did this happen every time my sisters got married?
Thrown out¡?
Does that mean he¡¯s going to throw Carl out, too¡?
I unconsciously nced out the window, wondering if he had already been thrown out.
No one¡¯s there.
Contrary to my fears, there was no one outside.
"Mar, not that window. He¡¯ll be thrown out the other side."
I quickly ran to the opposite window after hearing brother¡¯s words.
Fortunately, there was no one there, either.
¡Wait, was that really something to be thankful for? I wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.
Chapter 243: A Duke Who Subjugates His Son-In-Law (3)
Chapter 243: A Duke Who Subjugates His Son-In-Law (3)When I came to my senses, I found myself standing alone in the vast sky.
No, I wasn''t alone. One by one, the members of Valenti began to appear around me, and the sound of apuse started to echo.
"Congrattions."
"Congrats."
"Well done."
"You¡¯ve worked hard."
"Congrattions."
A flood of apuse and congrattions surrounded me.
Yes, I did it. I overcame pain and trials and reached the end.
So, Iughed. I threw off all the chains and burdens andughed with these people, my new family, who were celebrating me."Thank y¡ª"
"Brother-inw?"
Ah.
The sudden voice brought me back to reality. My mind wandered for a moment.
When I finally opened my eyes, it wasn''t the sky I saw but the Great Hall. I had just finished the truth game with the Iron-blooded Duke, and we were now seated for a meal. If I had zoned out at a moment like this, I must have really been exhausted.
It was exhausting.
I steadied my dizzy head and turned my gaze towards the voice, where Marghetta''s 4th sister was.
¡°It¡¯s not good if the main character spaces out.¡±
"Oh, I''m sorry."
I quickly extended my ss as she held out a wine bottle, and she smiled and poured the wine for me.
"Well, it''s understandable. Everyone goes through it."
Then, 4th sister-inw giggled and turned her gaze to the Iron-blooded Duke.
"Why did you push him so hard if you were going to approve of him anyway? Isn''t it tiring to always do this?"
The Duke snorted at her teasing and replied curtly.
"Nothing happened."
"Yet he zoned out?"
I hurriedly spoke up at her skeptical reply. Even though it was just light-hearted teasing, the consequences could fall on me if the Iron-blooded Duke felt slighted.
And despite his reputation, nothing really happened. I needed to clear up any misunderstandings.
"It¡¯s true. We just had a deep conversation and nothing more."
"Hmm. If you say so, brother-inw."
Seeing her back down so easily made me even more sure that it was just yful teasing.
As she stepped back, Marghetta''s only brother, now my brother-inw, joined the conversation.
"It''s still strange, though. It''s the first time things went so smoothly."
What on earth did he do before?
At his words, I nced at the Iron-blooded Duke. What kind of past deeds did he have for his children to react this way?
It had been like this ever since I first came out of the Room of Truth. They all looked at me with wide eyes even though I walked out normally. It made me seriously wonder if I should have crawled out on all fours. Judging by their reactions, even that might not have been enough.
There were some warning signs.
There were indeed signs that I might havee out with a broken bone.
"A husband¡¯s important qualities are love for his wife and the strength to protect his family. Until now, I tested thetter myself, but¡ª"
The Iron-blooded Duke had said this seriously as soon as I entered the Room of Truth.
"I don''t think that''d be necessary for someone who killed a traitor."
At the time, I just brushed it off as nothing; thinking back, it was a chilling statement.
If I hadn''t had any achievements, he would have sparred with me right then and there. What I had only imagined as getting my limbs crushed would have be a reality.
Just how much blood and tears must the sons-inw of Valenti have shed in the process?
"Do you know how much Mar cried because of you?"
"I have no excuse..."
"At least you know you were wrong."
"Yes..."
¡°If you know then why did you do it?¡±
"¡"
I got quite the verbalshing, but that was preferable. Getting scolded with words was much better than getting into a physical fight with the Iron-blooded Duke, who was also my father-inw.
¡°At least kneeling shows that you¡¯re being sincere. The ones who prioritize their pride wouldn¡¯t even do that.¡±
"Yes, of course."
"I didn''t expect Mar to kneel with you, but... I''ll let it slide because it shows the strength of your rtionship."
Moreover, we were acknowledged as a couple. As long as the goal was achieved, then that was all that mattered.
As I was savoring this small victory, brother-inw spoke up again.
"It seems father has taken a liking to his youngest son-inw."
"He let it go because Mar likes me."
Seeing the Iron-blooded Duke snort again, brother-inw smiled and continued.
"You can''t deny it, can you?"
I nced at the Duke, and our eyes met. His gaze seemed to ask, ¡®What are you looking at?¡¯ so I quickly looked away.
Even though I had been epted, those eyes still scared me. After all, my status had merely shifted from ¡®the bastard who made his daughter cry¡¯ to ¡®the raider who stole his youngest.¡¯
Thankfully, I had a savior.
"Honey, don''t be so harsh. Mar will be upset if you keep criticizing him like that."
"Hmph.¡±
The Iron-blooded Duke looked away as the previously silent woman spoke up.
"And you, son-inw, don''t take it to heart. He''s just upset because his beloved youngest daughter is leaving the nest."
"Yes, I understandpletely."
"It''s good to see that my son-inw has the generosity my husbandcks."
The woman, Big Marghetta¡ªor more urately, Marghetta was the smaller version of her¡ªsmiled gently.
Thanks to the silent support of mother-inw, I was able to avoid the Iron-blooded Duke''s harsh gaze.
I''m d she¡¯s on my side¡
***As soon as the meal, which felt like eating through my nose, ended, I rushed to the back garden. Marghetta had signaled for me toe there, so I had to go right away.
"Carl, over here."
As I entered the garden, I saw Marghetta peeking out from behind a statue.
She looked like a celebrity trying to shake off a tail, but maybe that was just my imagination. After all, the castle staff would never lose track of theirdy no matter how hard she tried.
Of course, I didn''t mention it. She looked quite adorable like this.
"Phew, it''s so much morefortable out here. There were too many eyes inside."
"What a coincidence. I felt the same."
Marghetta quickly ran up and hugged me as I approached her with a slight smile. It was unfortunate that her body had gotten colder in the meantime, but as she said, there were too many prying eyes inside the castle.
"...Mar?"
Hugging me tightly, Marghetta started to quickly feel around my body.
Not to share warmth, but as if she were searching for something.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
She asked after thoroughly checking, worry evident in her voice.
Even Marghetta was this concerned?
"I''m fine. Like I said earlier, I only had a conversation with His Grace."
The Iron-blooded Duke had such a reputation that even his beloved youngest daughter saw him as a father who beat up his sons-inw. It was almost pitiful.
"B-but... eldest brother-inw once got thrown out of a window."
"What?"
What did she say? Thrown out of a window?
Granted, there were plenty of people who could get up unscathed after being thrown out of a window in this world. However, wasn¡¯t tossing a prospective son-inw out a window a bit much?
"And they said that when the other brothers-inw were in that room... there were sounds of things breaking..."
"¡"
I couldn''t respond to that.
If I had heard this from Marghetta a day earlier, I would have dismissed it as her sisters teasing their youngest.
"A husband¡¯s important qualities are love for his wife and the strength to protect his family."
Yet here I was, having nearly experienced being thrown. I almost had to prove my strength. This was no joke.
But it was strange. The Iron-blooded Duke, who had rigorously tested even the most wless sons-inw, let me off easily despite the fact that I had once kicked and made his daughter cry.
Maybe he''s really getting old.
He used to y rough games with his sons-inw, but perhaps he didn''t have the energy for that anymore. If so, then it was a bit sad.
That¡¯s right. Compared to the other dukes, he was indeed old. Most of his authority had been passed down to his son, and now he was leading a more rxed life.
He''s almost eighty.
A wave of self-reproach and guilt hit me. I was dreading being manhandled or suplexed by an eighty-year-old man...
And all that fear was in my head. The Iron-blooded Duke never said that he would resort to physical force. It was just my assumption because of who he was.
¡°It seems time has changed father-inw¡¯s thinking. Which is good for me, of course.¡±
"...Yes, it¡¯s a good thing."
First, I reassured the worried Marghetta.
Fortunately, calling the Iron-blooded Duke ¡®father-inw¡¯ to show some affection seemed to brighten her expression.
"So, Mar, try not to worry too much. If you keep worrying, father-inw will feel hurt too."
¡°Y-yes, that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Of course. How could he not be affected, especially since she knelt beside me?
"But, you know, he might like it if you thank him or tell him that you love him."
Marghetta looked a bit reluctant at my suggestion, but I convinced her firmly. It was my small way of repaying my first father-inw.
First father-inw...
It was a crazy term, but what could I do? Having multiple wives meant that the inws needed to be ranked in order...
At least I wouldn''t have five fathers-inw. The Mage Duchess¡ª
You crazy...
I quickly shut down that train of thought. I almost made a terrible joke.
I¡¯m sorry for thinking of something like this, Mage Duchess.
***I looked down at the back garden through the window. I figured Mar might be there since she had always loved the garden since she was a child, and sure enough, she was hiding there again.
And that damned guy was sticking close to her.
No, not damned.
I shook my head slightly. Now, he wasn''t just a damned guy but my damned youngest son-inw.
Even though I didn''t want to admit it and didn''t want to let it go easily, I had already acknowledged him as my son-inw. So, I couldn''t go back on my own words.
¡°Rx a little. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be living with Mar forever.¡±
My wife¡¯s voice came from beside me, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to rx. Despite my resolve, I had let it go too easily.
From the moment Mar was born, I had vowed to thoroughly vet whoever would take her away, no matter who it was.
However, this youngest son-inw had already been tested. Despite being unreliable enough to make her cry before marriage, his strength was undeniable. Testing someone like that was pointless.
"Father..."
And thinking of Mar kneeling next to him made it impossible to be harsh.
I was furious at first, but on second thought, it showed how much Mar, a noblewoman, loved him to the point of enduring such humiliation.
They say that parents can never win against their children.
And so, despite all the time I spent grinding my teeth, I epted him much more easily than expected. Dragging it out would only make Mar sad.
"...It feels like just yesterday that she was toddling around."
"You''re exaggerating. Mar would be angry if she heard that."
My wife''s scolding drained my energy further.
Exaggerating? I could still picture that day clearly when I closed my eyes.
"Just make sure you prepare the dowry properly. You know that giving something strange would only trouble Mar, right?"
"Don''t worry. I wouldn¡¯t do something so petty."
The dowry was a father''s final gift to his daughter. It must be grand regardless of whether I liked my son-inw or not.
We had a barony near the capital and a few buildings in the city... Since he was the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager, we should give them something near the center...
...
"...It feels like it was just yesterday when she turned over for the first time."
I heard my wife sigh beside me.
Chapter 244: A Happy Year-End (1)
Chapter 244: A Happy Year-End (1)
I haven''t had a proper conversation with the Iron-Blooded Duke since the incident in the Room of Truth. It wasn¡¯t because he was avoiding me, though. I simply hadn¡¯t had the time to stay at the castle as I was busy touring Wulken with Marghetta as my guide.
Then, I received a summons from the Iron-blooded Duke after spending three days enjoying the sights of the duchy. It seemed that he was finally ready to let me leave the castle.
However, this call didn¡¯t make me feel particrly anxious.
"You¡¯vee."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"I don¡¯t mind being addressed formally during work, but call me father-inw in private."
"Understood, father-inw."
That was because the anger he felt from having his youngest daughter taken from him had been soothed by her affectionate nature.
"But, you know, he might like it if you thank him or tell him that you love him."
I made that suggestion to lessen the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s lingering anger. Fortunately, Marghetta took it to heart. She ran to the Duke and told him she loved him.
Thanks to that, the Duke¡¯s gaze toward me was surprisingly calm. It wasn''t exactly warm, but at least there was no hostility. I could be content with that.
¡°There¡¯s no need for an engagement ceremony. Once Marghetta graduates, you¡¯ll marry immediately. There¡¯s no point in inconveniencing the guests with an unnecessary event.¡±
The Duke muttered as he shuffled through some papers.
"That makes perfect sense."
Skipping the engagement ceremony¡ªit was a surprising statementing from the Iron-blooded Duke, who doted on his daughter, but it was a practical one.
Engagement ceremonies were usually modestpared to the main event, the wedding. After all, an engagement was just a promise. It wasn¡¯t umon for the engaged couple to be in their early teens, or even younger.
It was rare for someone like me, who was over twenty years old, to have an engagement. Besides, with the wedding nned for next year, there was no need to make a big deal out of the engagement.
"Take this."
Nodding at my response, the Iron-blooded Duke handed over the documents he had been holding.
"This is the dowry I¡¯ve prepared for Marghetta."
"...Pardon?"
I couldn''t help but ask. Why was he giving the dowry now? Wasn¡¯t that supposed to be exchanged closer to the wedding?
Despite my confusion, the Duke simply motioned for me to check the contents.
Wow.
The six-page document held more than I could have imagined.
Is this¡ a dowry?
I had to blink in disbelief. The dowries I was familiar with usually included furniture and in grander cases, maybe a house. That was my understanding before I was reborn into this world.
But what the Iron-blooded Duke had prepared went far beyond that. There were several buildings in prime locations in the capital and a barony¡¯s worth ofnd near the capital.
And thisnd¡ªif my memory served me correctly¡ªincluded an iron mine. Was the Iron-blooded Duke, who was building a military industry empire, really giving away an iron mine?
Is this the life of a noble?
I felt a bit overwhelmed. The words carriages, ships, jewels, and gold coins in the document barely registered after seeing that. Such extravagant dowries were given when a Duke doted on his daughter.
¡°I¡¯ve already married off four daughters, so what¡¯s left for Marghetta is rtively smaller.¡±
¡®Smaller¡¡¯
I instinctively scanned the documents again. If this was considered small, then how much did he give his eldest daughter? Did he hand her entire counties?
"Do you need more?"
"No, father-inw. This is more than enough."
"Then take it."
I quietly gathered the papers as the Iron-blooded Duke spoke indifferently.
I wanted to say that it was too early to receive a dowry since we weren''t even married yet, but the look in his eyes made me swallow those words. His gaze clearly said, ¡®Don¡¯t make this difficult and just ept it.¡¯
¡°You¡¯re going to get married anyway, so what¡¯s the problem? Or were you nning to get engaged and then back out of the wedding?¡±
And it was obvious what would happen if I refused. The Iron-Blooded Duke, whom I¡¯d finally managed to cate, could easily revert to hostility.
"The current servants are quite capable. You can keep them on or rece them with someone you prefer."
"I¡¯ll keep them as they are."
It was a generous offer, not just of material things, but of people too. Thus, I epted it without hesitation.
If the Duke trusted them, then they must be exceptional; I''d be a fool not to take them. Besides, I didn¡¯t have anyone else in mind for the job.
¡°You can go now. If you''re heading back to the capital, you should do so."
"Yes, Your Grace. I¡¯ll see you again at the New Year¡¯s Ball."
With nothing more to say, I bowed several times and withdrew as he dismissed me.
I was prepared to face the worst when I first came to Wulken, but now I was leaving with my hands full of gifts.
Thank you...
Though the Iron-blooded Duke wouldn¡¯t hear it, I offered him my deepest gratitude in my heart. I was honestly already grateful to be alive, but to be given so much on top of that¡
This dowry belonged to Marghetta, so I should leave it in her hands. After all, she would manage the territory as my wife once I became a count, so this would be good practice for her.
***We headed back to the capital with my inws bidding me farewell¡ªnaturally, with the help of a teleportation mage.
Thanks to that, we arrived in the capital much sooner than expected. If we hadn¡¯t visited Wulken, we would have taken a carriage from the academy to the capital, and we¡¯d still be on the road. Teleportation was truly the best.
"Now, let¡¯s take a breath."
I patted Louise and Irina on the shoulders as soon as we arrived. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t the biggest victim of this trip to Wulken¡ªit was these two.
I wasn¡¯t at ease either, so imagine how these innocent students must have felt. To have an unnned audience with the Iron-blooded Duke, who also happened to be the father of my first wife... It wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if they had felt terrified of being told to leave.
And we shouldn¡¯t forget that the reason we were dragged to Wulken was to formalize my rtionship with Marghetta. In such a situation, it would have been rude to Marghetta if my other prospective brides had made themselves too visible. So, these two had to keep a low profile during our stay in Wulken.
They managed to rx a bit during the tour of the duchy, but they had to return to the castle for lodging each evening. What was the point of unwinding if they couldn¡¯t sleepfortably?
¡°Staying in Wulken must have been boring, right? I¡¯m sorry. You really went through a lot.¡±
Marghetta knew this too, so she gently hugged Louise and Irina. She probably felt bad that her juniors had to suffer because of her.
"Hehe, it¡¯s fine. When else would we get to see Wulken?"
"I agree. Don¡¯t worry about us."
Fortunately, the two angels smiled brightly,forting Marghetta.
Still, Marghetta¡¯s expression didn¡¯t fully lighten, so Irina subtly added.
"Next time, you shoulde to our territory. The tulip gardens in nbell are beautiful."
"I will. I¡¯d love to visit."
Marghetta finally seemed to rx at that, her smile returning.
I couldn¡¯t help but admire Irina¡¯s natural invitation to a duke¡¯s daughter. She definitely had a knack for business¡ªjust like a true Yorun.
"Oh, you should visit our territory, too! Artini is a great ce to travel to!"
"Really? What is Artini known for?"
Marghetta chuckled softly as Louise proudly made her pitch.
"We catch a lot of eels!"
I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that bold deration. Talking about tourism and then mentioning local delicacies¡ªwhat abination.
"...Eels?"
However, Marghetta''s meaningful voice made me nce around.
Then, I was met with serious, piercing gazes not just from Marghetta, but from Irina as well.
Why were they looking at me like that? Weren''t we just having a nice conversation about traveling? Everything seemed fine just five seconds ago.
"Let¡¯s save the travel talk forter and rest for now. Everyone must be tired, right?"
I quickly changed the subject. My instincts told me that the conversation might take an awkward turn if we didn¡¯t end it now.
"Yes, you both must be exhausted. Let¡¯s head in and rest."
Marghetta, who had shown the most rming signs, thankfully went along with the change in topic.
Yes, the priority now was to let these two rest since they must be mentally exhausted. Marghetta wasn¡¯t someone who would lose sight of what was important.
"We can talk about the trip at our leisureter."
"Haha, that sounds good."
I forced an awkward smile in response to Marghetta¡¯s words. It seemed that a tour of the territories might being up sooner than I¡¯d like.
...A tour of the territories?
However, a vague sense of unease crept in as soon as the thought crossed my mind. I felt like I was forgetting something, but I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on what it was.
Well, I¡¯ll probably remember it when the timees.
***The end of the year was when the Imperial Council wrapped up its activities for the year and nned for the next. It was also the time when the activities of the county were reviewed.
So, the end of the year tended to be busy. Fortunately, most of the work involved paperwork, so it wasn¡¯t too overwhelming, but¡ª
"Your Grace the Iron-Blooded Duke?"
¡ª It¡¯s been a while, Count Tailglehen.
The rtively smooth end of the year was abruptly disrupted by an unexpected call from the Iron-Blooded Duke.
This was strange. I¡¯ve had little interaction with the Iron-blooded Duke, especially since he delegated most of his authority to his heir. Thus, our contact was usually limited to formalities at the New Year¡¯s Ball.
"I hope you¡¯ve been well."
¡ª What would an old man who¡¯s just restingfortably haveints about? I¡¯m doing well.
I offered a greeting out of courtesy, and the Duke nodded in acknowledgment. Since he initiated the contact, he would surely get to the point soon.
¡ª Besides, I¡¯ve recently had a significant concern lifted off my shoulders.
Sure enough, his next words made me sit up straighter. It seemed that this was what he wanted to talk about.
I unconsciously tightened my grip. For the Duke, who I had little connection with, to reach out directly rather than through an aide¡ªit couldn¡¯t be anything trivial. Right before the New Year¡¯s Ball, something troublesome must be brewing¡ª
¡ª Actually, I contacted you because I thought it was appropriate to have a word with you as a future inw. I hope I¡¯m not interrupting your busy schedule.
?
Inw?
I became momentarily speechless. Inws? Me, inws with the Iron-Blooded Duke?
¡ª Count?
However, I couldn¡¯t stay silent. The Iron-blooded Duke was still in front of me, after all.
First off, this couldn¡¯t be a joke. The Iron-blooded Duke, especially one as family-oriented as him, wouldn¡¯t make such a prank.
And there were signs if I thought about it. Marghetta and Carl had grown quite close, and my wife was also fond of Marghetta. Even the rumors circting in the social circles had taken their union as a given.
The only question was when it would happen and whether she would be the first wife over the Mage Duchess.
"Yes, inw. It¡¯s a term I¡¯m not very familiar with, so I was caught off guard."
¡ª I understand. I felt the same way when I married my son off. This is just an engagement so it¡¯s different from marriage, but it¡¯s only a matter of time.
I spoke up quickly, and it was fortunately the right response. I narrowly avoided bing a head of the family who knew nothing about his child¡¯s engagement.
Well, I really didn¡¯t know.
Regrettably, I truly didn¡¯t.
But what could I do? I left the matter of marriage in Carl¡¯s hands entirely without interfering. So unless Carl told me directly, my knowledge was limited to the rumors circting in society.
I thought that would be enough. With thework I¡¯ve built, I prided myself on being able to pick up on most rumors quickly.
I never expected an engagement to happen without any warning. This was the first time I had encountered such an unexpected engagement.
***I quickly reached out to my wife after ending the call with the Iron-Blooded Duke.
I needed to find out if she had heard anything from Carl. If not, then I had to exin the situation before she started getting questions about the engagement from others.
¡ª Carl got engaged?
As expected, my wife knew nothing. If she had known, then she would have told me.
¡ª I... I didn¡¯t know anything...
"The Iron-blooded Duke said that it was a sudden decision. The engagement was finalized about an hour ago, and Carl returned to the capital right after. He probably didn¡¯t even have time to tell anyone."
I tried to calm my wife, who seemed understandably shaken.
This engagement was sudden and unexpected. Didn¡¯t the Iron-blooded Duke himself say that it had only just been finalized?
If so, then Carl didn¡¯t have a chance to say anything. There wasn¡¯t time, and he likely hadn¡¯t fully processed it yet.
¡ª Do you really think so?
"It¡¯s not something he would hide. Even if he tried, it woulde out soon enough. Don¡¯t worry too much about it."
Yes, it wasn¡¯t something that could be hidden.
Thinking about it, Carl had always been the type to stay silent, whether he was put on probation or even imprisoned. He was just not used to talking about things.
...Still, I wish he had told us about something as important as this.
Chapter 245: A Happy Year-End (2)
Chapter 245: A Happy Year-End (2)
I just sat on the bed, staring nkly ahead. I couldn¡¯t even find the strength to move ever since I heard Billy¡¯s words.
He said that Carl got engaged to none other than Lady Marghetta¡ªwho was now officially his fianc¨¦e and my soon-to-be daughter-inw.
Despite the unexpected appearance of a rival, that girl insisted on walking the path of the first wife. Carl also spent over twenty years alone, but he had finally found his match.
Both were people who deserved congrattions more than anyone else. They deserved all the well-wishes they were receiving.
But not from me.
I had no ce among those who should celebrate them. Even if the world congratted them, I wasn¡¯t worthy of doing that.
Of course. What right do I have to¡ª
No.
I shook my head frantically, trying to dispel the dark thoughts that kept flooding in.
Carl must have had his reasons for not contacting me. Even Billy said it himself¡ªit was a sudden engagement, and they had only just finalized it. He probably didn¡¯t even have the time to send a message.
Yes, Carl was busy. He simply hasn¡¯t had the time to tell me yet.
¡ª I¡¯m sorry to call you suddenly, but what would be a good gift for ady?
Remembering that conversation with Carl brought a smile to my face.
I believe in him. Even though I did something unforgivable to him and even though he had every right to resent me, I felt that we were growing closer little by little.
That child, who was more mature than I was, was reaching out to someone like me.
Don¡¯t worry about it.
Like Billy said, it was a rumor that would spread no matter how hard they tried to hide. If they wanted to keep it a secret, they would have handled the engagement differently.
That was why I shouldn¡¯t worry about it. I should trust him. If I couldn¡¯t even trust him, then what right did I have to call myself his mother?
¡ª Mother.
And soon enough, that trust turned into happiness.
He really was just busy.
I almostughed at the sight of Carl¡¯s confused face. I shouldn¡¯t, but seeing him so flustered was both surprising and endearing.
This child, who rarely showed his emotions, was now expressing them in front of me. He was in such a rush to tell me about his engagement.
In a way, it was the kind of normal family interaction we never had. A child showing emotions to their parents and sharing news of their engagement¡ªsomething that was only natural.
But not for us.
We had spent more than twenty years without knowing what ¡®normal¡¯ was.
But now, that ¡®normal¡¯ hade to me like a miracle.
"Yes, Carl. What is it?"
So, I could smile. The road ahead was still long, but at least we were walking it together.
***Luckily, it didn''t take long to find out what the nagging feeling I had before was.
"Let¡¯s visit Tailglehen after the New Year¡¯s Ball. I want to pay my respects to your parents again."
Marghetta spoke, her face slightly flushed. I nodded before patting her head.
"Yes, let¡¯s do that. Now that their eldest son is finally engaged, they should know about it¡"
I realized the reason for my unease as I spoke.
The eldest son, the heir to the family, and the engagement of such an heir. Add to this that noble marriages were an extension of politics. Even if people weren¡¯t nobility, anyone would inform their family of an engagement. After all, an engagement was a promise of marriage, and that was something you would share with your family.
But... did I tell anyone about this engagement?
Damn it.
I hadn¡¯t. Not to the Patriarch, not to Mother, and not even to Erich.
Honestly, everyone pretty much knew that I was going to marry Margaretha eventually, but keeping quiet about the engagement itself was an entirely different issue, wasn¡¯t it?
"Carl?"
Marghetta tilted her head, puzzled when I suddenly froze while still patting her head. Louise and Irina, who were walking with us, also looked confused.
"Marghetta."
"Yes, what is it?"
"How do you think a parent would feel if their child didn''t mention their engagement?"
Margaretha stiffened at my words, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"...You haven''t told them yet?"
"No..."
"Not even once during the days you stayed in Wulken?"
"...No..."
My gaze drifted downward bit by bit.
Even though the engagement was only finalized today, the whole reason I went to Wulken was for this engagement. I had plenty of time to tell them.
However, I didn¡¯t. There was no excuse. I simply forgot.
"I was just so busy while I was in Wulken..."
"You know that¡¯s just an excuse, right?"
Marghetta¡¯s firm response left me speechless. Even I knew that it was a weak excuse.
My eyes remained fixed on the ground, weighed down by guilt. Marghetta, who was always warm and gentle, now had a look of disappointment in her eyes.
Valenti was a family that valued kinship above all else. For someone like Marghetta, who was raised in such a household, the idea of a son keeping his engagement a secret must have been a shock.
"Tell them now. This isn¡¯t something you can put off."
Of course she was right, so I quickly pulled out mymunication crystal. If I postponed it again, I¡¯d go down in history as the most ungrateful son in the empire.
No, this wasn¡¯t just being ungrateful; it was utterly disgraceful. Carl Krasius, the Disgraceful Son. My heart sank at the thought.
***I called Mother under the watchful eyes of the three women. I should be telling the Patriarch, but as a fellow civil servant, I knew all too well how annoying the year-end work could be. I shouldn¡¯t be bothering people during the end of the year.
That left only my mother.
¡ª Yes, Carl. What is it?
Seeing Mother¡¯s gentle smile on the screen made me feel a pang of guilt.
This was it... The disgraceful son was about to cry...
"Well, Mother, the thing is¡ª"
However, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak despite the turmoil I was feeling inside.
I mean, how many people could confidently say, ¡®I just got engaged today but I forgot to tell you, so I just wanted to let you know now,¡¯ and not feel like the worst bastard ever?
¡ª I already heard. You got engaged to Lady Marghetta, right?
"...Yes."
How could I possibly look Mother in the eye if she found out about my engagement through someone else before I could even tell her?
¡ª That¡¯s wonderful news. Finally, the future of the Krasius family looks bright.
Even then, Mother didn¡¯t scold me. I had been fully prepared to be reprimanded for making a mockery of the family, but she simply smiled and spoke kindly.
Her gentleness only made me feel worse. If she had gotten angry, then at least I would have epted it wholeheartedly.
Perhaps sensing my distress, Mother continued in a calm voice.
¡ª Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. It was a sudden engagement, so you probably didn¡¯t have the chance to tell us. Even Erich thought you were heading to the capital.
I almost nodded at the warm words but held back, feeling Marghetta¡¯s gaze on me.
If I let this slide, Marghetta might end up scolding me in Mother¡¯s ce.
¡°No, I should have told you right after the engagement was finalized. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll make sure this doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±
At my words, Mother let out a smallugh.
¡ªAlright. Just make sure you tell me before the wedding.
¡°...Yes.¡±
I replied btedly. She was talking about the wedding, but I was thinking about the multiple engagements that might still happen before then.
Of course, I couldn¡¯t say anything like that at this moment. Even I had some sense.
¡ªWill you be able to visit the territory when you have time?
¡°Of course. Marghetta and I were just discussing that.¡±
¡ª Ah, so your fianc¨¦e is already thinking about her future mother-inw.
There was a subtle bite in her words, and I responded with an awkwardugh.
***I quietly put away themunication crystal and turned my attention back to Marghetta, who nodded solemnly as if passing judgment.
¡°You did well.¡±
She looked like a judge delivering a not-guilty verdict, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly.
¡°But as you said, let¡¯s make sure this doesn¡¯t happen again. Alright?¡±
¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry.¡±
I made a deliberately exaggerated promise, but Marghetta¡¯s expression remainedplex.
She was probably thinking that someone who had made one mistake was capable of making another. It wasn¡¯t an unreasonable judgment, but it made my heart ache a little.
¡°So even oppa makes mistakes.¡±
¡°I¡¯m only human.¡±
Thanks to Louise¡¯s timely interruption, the difort in my chest quickly faded. If I had been left to endure the silent, judgmental stares, I wouldn¡¯t havested long. I felt grateful for the distraction.
¡°Hehe, I always thought you did everything perfectly from the start.¡±
Her innocent remark made meugh again. If she had seen how I was when I first started as a civil servant, then she wouldn¡¯t have said that.
My track record was nothing short of chaotic during my early days as a civil servant andter as an Executive Manager. Looking back now, it was amazing that I even survived.
¡°No one gets everything right from the beginning. We all grow through experience.¡±
Yes, we grow through experience. This whole situation happened because it was my first time dealing with both family and an engagement. But I was engaged now. I even reported it to my family.
So, I¡¯d be able to do it properly when the time for my engagements with Lady Marghetta, Louise, Irina, and the 1st Manager came. Making the same mistake twice wouldn¡¯t just be a mistake¡ªit would be a sign of stupidity.
I might be a little clueless, but I¡¯m not entirely brainless, either.
This time was due to a temporarypse in judgment, but I wouldn¡¯t let it happen again. I was going to be the Engagement Specialist¡ªCarl Krasius.
As I made this resolution, I noticed the mansioning into view.
¡°You all go ahead. I¡¯ve informed the butler that you¡¯reing, so he¡¯ll guide you inside.¡±
They should be able to find their way just fine without me, so I discreetly stepped back.
¡°...You¡¯re not going to kneel again this time, are you?¡±
Marghetta asked with a nervous voice, flinching at my words.
I understood why she was concerned. This was exactly the pattern back in the Duchy of Wulken¡ªI told her to go ahead when we were near the front gate, then suddenly dropped to my knees. No wonder it gave her PSTD.
¡°There¡¯s no need to do that at my own house, is there?¡±
However, her worry was unfounded. That was in the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s fortress, where he lived. This mansion, however, was my own property. Who would kneel at the doorstep of their own home?
¡°I just have a quick errand to run. It¡¯s not far, so I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±
¡°Really soon, right?¡±
¡°Of course. I¡¯ll let you know if I¡¯ll be dyed.¡±
It was only then that Marghetta¡¯s tense posture rxed. My confident words seemed to reassure her that it wasn¡¯t a big deal.
Unfortunately, it was indeed a bit of a big deal. Though I wasn¡¯t nning to kneel or bow as Marghetta feared, it was still no ordinary task.
¡ª Well, wherever you buy the ring should be fine. The stores in the capital are pretty much all top-notch these days.
¡°But there must be a ranking among them, right?¡±
¡ª That¡¯s true, but...
I remembered asking the 2nd Manager about a suitable jewelry store the other day.
¡ªIt just so happens that there¡¯s one near your house. Seems like fate, doesn¡¯t it?
I was nning to buy four rings as gifts to apany my proposal.
¡ªWalk straight down Ak Street, and you¡¯ll find a three-story building. The entire ce is a jewelry store.
It was now time to go and purchase them.
Chapter 246: A Happy Year-End (3)
Chapter 246: A Happy Year-End (3)From a young age, my father often told me:
"Even if you sell your pride, never sell your conscience."
This was a phrase I heard repeatedly as a child, a saying that originated with my great-grandfather, who founded our family business.
The wisdom of those words was passed down from my great-grandfather to my grandfather, and then to my father before finally reaching me. The advice was simple yet profound: as a merchant, it was eptable to set aside your pride for profit, but we should neverpromise our conscience and harm our customers.
This advice was both beautiful and invaluable. By adhering to it, our small shop, which began in a tiny corner of a building, gradually expanded. Eventually, we were able to purchase an entire three-story building.
"This sess isn''t yours alone. It''s the result of the seeds sown by your ancestors."
Yet, I never allowed myself to be arrogant. Father''s words stayed with me, deep in my heart.
That¡¯s right, this sess wasn¡¯t mine alone. The shop that started in a small, cramped room has miraculously grown into a well-known,rge store in the capital; how could I have aplished such a feat by myself?
To honor the origins of this miracle, I hung a portrait of my great-grandfather in the shop. I prayed before the portrait every day, asking for another day as miraculous as thest.
And after each prayer, I would clean the frame of a treasured family heirloom. The real treasure wasn''t the frame itself, but what it held.[ Faithful Taxpayer Award - Issued by the Empire¡¯s Ministry of Revenue ]
[ Certificate of Honest Business - Issued by the Empire¡¯s Finance Department¡¯s Minister ]
These two framed certificates were ced where they were immediately visible upon entering the shop. Though the text was briefpared to the ornate design, they were proof that neither I nor my ancestors everpromised our conscience.
These certificates were evidence that we didn''t cheat on taxes or engage in dishonest practices. They were a proud testament to our recognition by both the Revenue Department and the Finance Department, two notoriously strict departments.
After receiving these certificates, even high-ranking officials began frequenting our shop. Among them was the 2nd Manager from the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, who became a regr. His reputation was well-known in the capital.
Thanks to this, I reached a point where I could handle almost any customer without feeling nervous. After all, dealing with ordinary nobles was no big deal if I could regrly serve a Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
Or so I once thought.
This isn''t what I wanted.
It seems that I became arrogant without realizing it. Perhaps that was why my great-grandfather was punishing me now. Otherwise, what was happening now didn¡¯t make any sense.
"The 2nd Manager said that I could use his name to get what I needed."
¡°Y-yes, of course.¡±
I quickly bowed as the young man spoke quietly. That ck uniform, symbolizing the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, and the casual way he referred to the 2nd Manager left no doubt.
This was the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office himself. Besides, his appearance matched the description the 2nd Manager had once given me.
"He''s younger than me, but his presence is so intimidating it feels like you might bleed if you crossed him. You¡¯ll know him when you see him."
At first, I wondered what kind of description that was, but seeing him in person now made me realize that there couldn''t be a more urate portrayal.
"Oh, so you''re the ''Honest Businessman.''"
The Executive Managermented as he looked around the shop.
"The title is more than I deserve."
"Nonsense. You earned it."
His voice became warmer, and I bowed even deeper. It seemed that I had made a good first impression.
"Actually, I''m here to buy a ring."
"You¡¯vee to the right ce! I''ll help you find something perfect!"
The moment he mentioned the ring, I had a gut feeling.
If I y my cards right, I might turn him into a regr customer just like the 2nd Manager.
***When the 2nd Manager first rmended this shop, I wondered if he was getting amission. Why else would he tell me to use his name?
But when I saw the ¡®Honest Businessman¡¯ certificate, my doubts vanished. It made sense for a ce recognized by the Prosecutors¡¯ Office to be rmended by its civil servants. In fact, supporting such businesses could encourage other shops to meet the criteria for these awards.
"If it''s not a wedding ring, then I¡¯d rmend choosing something from our disy rather than custom ordering it."
I was also impressed by the shopkeeper¡¯s business acumen.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. It¡¯s something that will eventually be taken off if it¡¯s not a wedding ring. If you put too much effort into it, it might make the bride feel awkward."
"That makes sense."
It was a convincing argument, so I found myself nodding in agreement.
He wasn¡¯t wrong. A wedding ring was something you wore for life, but this was more of an engagement ring¡ªa promise ring. It could cause troubleter on if it ended up being more cherished than the wedding ring.
Besides, Marghetta was already wearing a ring (well, half of one) that she¡¯d have to remove someday. Giving someone a ring meant to be worn for life might seem a bit much.
"And even though these rings are pre-made, they¡¯re by no means inferior."
I could see that just by looking. Each ring on disy boasted a stunning design.
"They¡¯re even enchanted to adjust to the wearer¡¯s size."
I could tell that, too. The markings on the rings'' bands were simr to the ones on the ring I was wearing.
The shopkeeper seemed to notice this as well, his gaze lingering on my finger with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. It was as if he was silently asking, ¡®What kind of person are you that you¡¯re wearing only half of a ring?¡¯
However, he quickly looked away, respecting my privacy¡ªa sign of a truly skilled merchant.
"Hmm, could you rmend me something? The gemstone should be a diamond."
"Of course!"
The shopkeeper, as if waiting for that cue, immediately presented a white ring.
"This one is made of tinum. It¡¯s a design that was popr in the past so it might feel a bit old-fashioned, but it¡¯s recentlye back into fashion."
"I see."
I nodded slightly, and he brought out the next ring.
Then after another nod came out another ring. I nodded again, and yet another ring appeared.
I felt a bit guilty for responding so ndly to his efforts, but to be honest, I couldn¡¯t tell the difference. Fashion wasn¡¯t really my forte.
"I¡¯ll take them all."
So, when the shopkeeper showed me the fourth ring, I decided to buy all the ones he had rmended.
"...Pardon?"
For the first time, the shopkeeper, who had remained calm even after realizing who I was, flinched. He lifted his head slightly, his face filled with confusion. He had a look in his eyes as if he was questioning if he had heard correctly.
Unfortunately for him, he had. I was the kind of person who bought four rings at once for his partner.
Damn it.
A wave of self-loathing washed over me. It wasn¡¯t unusual for someone to buy multiple rings¡ªafter all, polygamy wasmon in this world.
However, no one bought multiple rings all at once. Even if someone took on multiple partners, it was something that happened over time and not all at once.
"Understood. I¡¯ll wrap them up right away."
The shopkeeper quickly regained hisposure despite the bizarre situation.
"You can return them as long as you have the receipt and the warranty."
"Got it."
However, the fact that he mentioned returning them made me wonder if he was still a bit rattled. Who talked about returns for gifts meant for lovers? It almost felt like a bad omen, implying that the rtionship might notst.
But I didn¡¯t hold it against him. From his perspective, buying multiple rings at once must seem oundish. I get it.
I didn¡¯t see thising, either.
I doubt there was anyone else in the world quite like me.
***It was a transaction filled with subtle emotions on both sides¡ªseller and buyer alike.
Still, I managed to push through the self-doubt and secure those dazzling rings (all four of them). This time, I made sure that they were matching rings to avoid repeating the mistake I made with Marghetta.
As an extra precaution, I decorated each case with a ribbon of a different color to avoid any mix-ups. After all, it wouldn''t do to give a ring meant for Louise to the Mage Duchess instead¡ªit would be a design that didn''t suit her age.
There¡¯s no chance of getting them mixed up now.
Whether by chance or fate, the four people I intended to give the rings to each had a distinct color associated with them.
White, pink, yellow, and red. Thest one referred to her eye color rather than her hair, but that didn¡¯t really matter. It was fine as long as there were no duplicates.
Let''s start with the white one.
I tucked the case with the white ribbon into a different pocket.
Initially, I nned to just buy the rings and head straight back, but my ns changed once they were in my hands. Holding onto a gift meant for someone special and dying giving it felt wrong.
¡°Still, as His Highness said, there''s the New Year''s Ball. I guess I''ll have to wait for that day."
Moreover, remembering the Mage Duchess¡¯s words made me feel even more urgent.
Though I had forgiven the Mage Duchessst time, I hadn¡¯t formally responded to her confession. She was likely hoping for an answer by the New Year¡¯s Ball. She was probably expecting me to give my answer during that event.
Of course, I had no intention of doing so. There was nothing more satisfying than defying someone¡¯s expectations.
Strike first to take the lead.
I then remembered the Wise Duchess¡¯s advice.
Although it earned me a reputation for being ruthless, I couldn¡¯t deny its effectiveness. To wrest control from someone like the Mage Duchess, I needed to make a strong impact.
Last time, I shook her up by using her real name. This time, I was nning to throw her off with an unexpected response and a gift at an unexpected moment.
Talking about this makes me seem like a maniptive person, but the Mage Duchess will honestly enjoy it too¡ªso it was a win-win.
Anyway, that was the n.
***I haven¡¯t been able to focus on work for several days now.
My eyes kept drifting to the calendar, and my hand, instead of holding a pen, was clutching theb that baby gave me.
It¡¯s almost time.
Baby would be arriving soon.
My heart pounded. I knew the academy schedule by heart. The closing ceremony was held a few days ago, so baby should be in the capital by now.
Even if something dyed him, he would surely show up at the New Year¡¯s Ball. That was when I¡¯d finally get to see him.
"See you next time, Beatrix."
"Hnnng¡!"
My hands flew to my face as I was overwhelmed by the mix of embarrassment, anticipation, and a fluttery feeling.
Since that day, I had imagined his voice hundreds, maybe thousands, of times. Just thinking of it again made my face flush.
I never realized how much joy coulde from simply having your name called. Not in the formal way like ¡®Beatrix Catoban of Servette¡¯ during official events, but in the warm, affectionate way only close friends used. That was how he said it.
"See you next time, Beatrix."
His voice echoed in my mind again, and I could feel my ears practically twitching with excitement.
However, part of me felt a little disappointed. If only he¡¯d called me by my name and spoken informally, it would have brought us even closer. Even if I tried to run away, wouldn¡¯t it have been nice if he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into an embrace¡ª
No, stop.
I shook my head, trying to clear away the daydream. I was already plenty happy; expecting more would just be greedy.
There was no rush. I had decades ahead to hear him say my name and share affection.
"...You said it takes about 40 years to see the effects of this, right? We still have plenty of time. Let''s think about it together until then."
Those words meant that he would definitely be with me for a long time.
Baby might not have formally epted my confession yet, but it was practically the same thing¡ª
Knock, knock¡ª
I frowned in irritation as the sound interrupted my happy thoughts.
"The Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager is here to see you, Your Grace."
However, my annoyance quickly faded at my secretary¡¯s announcement.
Thinking about baby, and then having him show up suddenly¡ªdidn¡¯t this feel like we were connected somehow?
"L-let him in."
I stammered in my excitement.
How embarrassing. I hope baby didn¡¯t think I was someone who couldn¡¯t even speak properly.
Chapter 247: A Happy Year-End (4)
Chapter 247: A Happy Year-End (4)I heard a strangely trembling voice from beyond the door, but I decided to ignore it.
It¡¯s not surprising.
The Mage Duchess and I hadn''t met or spoken after I delivered that scathing verbal attack. It was only natural that she''d still be in a state of panic. The person behind the door right now was probably Beatrix and not the Mage Duchess.
Besides, there was no need to focus on a slight stutter when there were so many ways to shake her. And it should be done in a way that made her happy, not by picking on something embarrassing.
"You may enter."
Once permission was granted, the secretary who had guided me to the chamber stepped back.
I¡¯d been here more than once so I honestly didn¡¯t need the secretary''s help, but the intense stares from the other mages made it hard for me to insist on going alone.
If the tower had a cklist, then I could be pretty sure I was at the top as ¡®the jerk who made the Tower Master cry.¡¯
"Your Grace, I''ming in."
I thanked the secretary and grasped the doorknob.The final warning to brace myself before entering was just a bonus.
¡°C-ce in.¡±
Unfortunately, the warning didn¡¯t help much.
Her voice was still trembling, and her ears were twitching slightly; her face was definitely not calm judging by the way it was awkwardly flushed.
Still, it was a relief. At least the other mages didn¡¯t see this.
¡°I came to pay my respects before the year ends. I hope I''m not interrupting anything?¡±
¡°Oh, I have plenty of time to see you, so you cane whenever you like.¡±
I greeted lightly, and the Mage Duchess responded with a nod.
Wow.
I almostughed out loud at the sight.
The once trembling ears had calmed down. The eyes that had been darting around now hesitantly nced at me. It was as if she was too embarrassed to ask for what she wanted directly, hoping I''d notice first.
It might be a bit impolite to think this about someone much older than me, but honestly, it was cute. I could guess why she was hesitating so much.
¡°Thank you, Beatrix.¡±
So, I gave her what she wanted.
¡°Hic...!¡±
The effect was immediate.
The Mage Duchess''s already flushed face turned tomato red. She¡¯d probably burst if I just tapped her.
Even her ears started twitching at a pace I''d never seen before. She seemed embarrassed, but clearly pleased.
¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to drop by more often. You''re sure I cane anytime, right?¡±
The Mage Duchess nodded repeatedly as I said this and approached her.
¡°Y-yes, a-a-anytime...¡±
¡°But your words and actions don¡¯t match.¡±
At those words, the Mage Duchess, who had been inching backward, froze in ce. She must have moved without realizing it.
And now that I had pointed it out, she was caught in a dilemma; too embarrassed to retreat but too awkward to stand still.
Seeing this, a yful urge welled up deep inside me. I normally wouldn¡¯t dare tease a duke. However, the fact that I was now the one making fun of her gave me an unexpected surge of courage.
"Now there''s no ce left to run."
With a small smile, I reached out my hand.
Yes, the current me was brimming with courage. I felt like I could do anything.
So, I touched the ears that were no longer twitching and were standing straight. Honestly, I''d always been curious about this. What did an elf''s ear feel like?
"¡"
Surprisingly, the Mage Duchess didn''t react at all when I grabbed her ear.
No; to be precise, she couldn''t.
"Beatrix?"
I cautiously removed my hand from her ear after checking her condition.
Her body which had been trembling intermittently suddenly went limp, and even the light in her eyes faded as it turned dull.
...Oh no.
She looked like she had died standing up.
***Fortunately, the Mage Duchess¡¯s mind returned quickly. It wasn''t that she fainted; she just nked out for a moment from the shock.
Still, perhaps realizing she''d been teased, the Mage Duchess spoke in the calmest voice she could muster.
"Baby, I am a Duke and the Tower Master of this tower. No matter how close we are, there should be a minimum level of respect¡ª"
"So you didn¡¯t like it?"
"..."
Of course, her scolding had no effect. She didn¡¯t lose herposure because she disliked it; on the contrary, she seemed too happy, so she had nothing else to say.
I chuckled softly at her silence and then spoke again.
"If Your Grace didn¡¯t like it, then I¡¯ll go back to the way I used to speak."
"I-I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t like it..."
"Then you''ll just have to get used to it little by little."
At that, the Mage Duchess cautiously nodded. She probably knew better than anyone that she needed to get ustomed to this pattern.
However, there seemed to be some sadness in that nod. It was as if she was happy to be called by name and to share these small touches, but sad that she was unable to fully enjoy that happiness. If I had to guess, she seemed to be mourning her weak defenses.
The Mage Duchess¡¯s defenses really were fragile. It seemed worse than when Marghetta was at her lowest.
Is it okay to give it now?
I felt more conflicted the more I felt the case in my pocket. If just calling her name had this effect, then what would happen if I gave her the ring? Would she actually faint?
However, my hesitation was brief. If I kept finding excuses to dy, then I''d probably never be able to give it to her.
"Beatrix."
Ring number 2, here we go.
***These feelings were something I had never experienced before. I was both happy and sad, filled with a sense of longing but, at the same time, also a deep satisfaction.
Baby had always taken my firsts. My first love, my first hug, the first time I set aside my pride¡ªit was all with him. And now, he had also brought me to feel these new emotions.
And look at me now.
It felt bittersweet. While baby had given me countless firsts, I could barely bring myself to act.
He showed his emotions freely. He called me by name and spoke informally without hesitation. Of course, I didn¡¯t mind it. In fact, I loved it. I was so happy that I could listen to him say my name all day long.
But I couldn¡¯t do anything in return. I was always too embarrassed to speak whenever he called my name, and I ended up backing away whenever he tried to approach me.
This isn''t right.
How could this be called love if I couldn¡¯t evenmunicate properly?
I should be able to call baby with affection and respond warmly when hees near. Love should be about mutual exchange and not a one-sided affair.
So, I needed to try harder. Maybe I should start by addressing him differently, just like he did. Not just ¡®baby,¡¯ but perhaps something more intimate like ¡® dearest¡¯ or... ¡®m-my husband¡¯?
"Take your time; there''s no rush."
I suddenly recalled the time he ignored my attempt to call him ¡®dearest¡¯, but I quickly pushed that memory aside.
In any case, I needed to get used to expressing my feelings. That was the only way to avoid what just happened.
If only I had endured.
Embarrassing and tingling thoughts crept into my mind. What might have happened next if, just if, I hadn¡¯t lost my senses when he touched my ear?
Would we have hugged? Would he have patted my head? Perhaps even a kiss¡ª
"Beatrix."
The sound of baby¡¯s voice made me flinch while I was lost in my happy daydreams. Had he somehow caught onto my thoughts?
¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t juste to say hello.¡±
I blinked at that.
Did it matter? Whether he came for a greeting or anything else didn¡¯t matter; the fact that he came to see me was what was important. I¡¯d likely greet him with a smile even if he came here to borrow money.
¡°It¡¯s time I gave you my answer.¡±
I froze again when he spoke and pulled something out.
Time to give me an answer?
My mind, which usually worked quickly, seemed to slow down. What answer was he talking about? Could it be what I was thinking it was?
My heart began to race. My instincts screamed that it was true, but my rational mind told me not to get my hopes up too high. There was nothing more pathetic than getting excited only to be disappointed.
But when I saw what baby pulled out¡ªa small case, tied with a white ribbon¡ªand when that ribbon was undone and when he took out a ring, all my anxiety vanished, reced by an indescribable happiness that filled my chest.
¡°It¡¯s not muchpared to what I¡¯ve received, but it¡¯s the best I can offer.¡±
I quickly shook my head as he smiled awkwardly while saying that. I couldn¡¯t agree with what he said.
Not much? If anything, it was what I had given him that was insignificant. The ring baby was offering was more precious and beautiful than anything in this world.
¡°U-um, baby...¡±
As I looked at the ring, a thought I had been trying to avoid came rushing back.
¡°Is that... one of those rings thatbine into one?¡±
I asked cautiously while looking at the ring on his finger. I never dared to desire it because I thought it was too much for me, but deep down I wanted it more than anything.
I¡¯d known for a while that baby gave a unique ring to Lady Marghetta. I heard it from a mage stationed at the academy and confirmed it myself by looking at his hand.
It wasn¡¯t an ordinary couple¡¯s ring but a single ring that split into two. It was a design so unique and beautiful that it was impossible not to covet it.
¡°...Of course.¡±
Baby paused for a moment before answering my question, but then he smiled and scratched the ring with his fingernail.
The ring split perfectly in half. When I saw that, I felt like I was going to cry.
¡°I¡¯m sorry it took so long to give you an answer. I spent a lot of time worrying about how to respond in a way you¡¯d like.¡±
He then took my left hand and slipped the half-ring, which held half of the world, onto my finger.
"Maybe a single action would¡¯ve been better than a hundred words. Was I toote?"
¡°No.¡±
I shook my head again at his words.
I looked at the ring on my hand, then at baby, and back at the ring. How could this small object feel so heavy?
¡°...You weren¡¯tte at all.¡±
I smiled as I answered.
As long as I heard his answer in my lifetime, it was never toote.
***I couldn¡¯t help but nce down bitterly as I watched the Mage Duchess brim with joy with the second half of the ring.
There, lying alone in the case, was a single ring.
I¡¯m sorry.
Apologizing to an inanimate object might seem ridiculous, but it felt appropriate in this case. I was truly sorry.
A ring that was supposed to adorn someone¡¯s finger and bring them happiness would now forever remain hidden from the world.
I never expected the Mage Duchess to want a half-ring, too.
It¡¯s my fault for messing up the first step.
It was sad, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. I wasn¡¯t even married yet, so I couldn¡¯t afford to give the impression of ying favorites with rings.
Besides, I instinctively knew it. The moment the second half-ring was created, there would be no stopping the third, fourth, or fifth. My fate was to keep splitting these rings.
I closed my eyes in frustration, then opened them again. The lonely ring caught my eye once more.
...I''ll find a use for it someday.
But was that just my imagination?
It almost sounded like the ring was cursing me out.
Chapter 248: A Happy Year-End (5)
Chapter 248: A Happy Year-End (5)I quietly slipped the matching pair of the couple ring (or rather, the ¡®lost couple ring¡¯) into my pocket and looked at the Mage Duchess, who was grinning like a child. Seeing herugh so innocently unlike her usual calm and dignified smile filled me with a sense of pride.
I would''ve given it to her sooner if I had known she''d be this happy. I should be more generous with gifts from now on.
...Is this really okay?
However, seeing her be so pleased with just half of a ring gave me a slight pang of guilt. It felt like watching a wife pretend to be happy because she didn''t want her husband to feel bad for not being able to afford a full couple ring.
Well, it should be fine as long as she¡¯s happy. It was just a temporary ring anyway, so I shouldn¡¯t get too hung up on it.
"I¡¯ll treasure this for a lifetime..."
I quickly shook my head when she murmured that in a dreamy voice. That sinister thing was definitely not a lifelong ring.
"That won¡¯t do. You need to save space for a proper wedding ring."
Yes, my goal was to put a proper wedding ring on the fingers of the brides and not just a half-piece.
Judging by how things looked like now, even the wedding ring might end up being split in two. But no matter what, dividing a wedding ring would be a bit much, wouldn¡¯t it? I¡¯d have to do everything I could to prevent that when the time came."A wedding ring..."
Fortunately, the mention of a wedding seemed to have a remarkable effect. Her once-dazed eyes started to sparkle.
"Um, baby?"
"Yes?"
But the Mage Duchess¡¯s thoughts seemed to drift elsewhere as she hesitantly spoke up after fiddling with the ring.
¡°When¡ do you think we¡¯ll get married?¡±
She asked with a shy expression, and the sparkle of hope in her eyes made me smile.
Since I had already epted her confession and even mentioned marriage, the Mage Duchess was probably envisioning a grand wedding with little quarter-elves ying in the garden by now.
I understood. I did get upset about the life-extension potion earlier, which really brought her down. For someone who hit rock bottom, the idea of marriage must seem like pure bliss.
"Well, probably next year at the earliest. Mar needs to graduate first."
At those words, the Mage Duchess froze.
What was this? Could she really not wait until next year?
Still, it would be difficult to marry Marghetta while she was still a student.
***It was only after baby spoke that I came to my senses. Blinded by happiness, I hadn¡¯t noticed¡ªno, I had been willfully ignoring the approaching problem.
The Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s daughter as the first...
My hand wearing the ring trembled. I unconsciously bit my lip.
Baby mentioned Lady Marghetta when I asked about the wedding date. This meant that the first wife would be the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s daughter.
Of course, it made sense. Baby gave the ring to her first, and unlike me, who selfishly hurt him, Lady Marghetta had done nothing wrong.
So, it was only natural that she would be the first wife.
Then, what about me?
The issue I had desperately tried to ignore and avoid thinking about began to creep into my mind.
Someone of a higher rank than the first wife couldn¡¯t be the second wife.
It was an unspoken tradition to protect the authority of the first wife. Now that marriage was imminent, this tradition suddenly came to mind.
If Lady Marghetta became the first wife, then essentially any nobledy in the empire could be baby¡¯s wife. After all, there was nody higher in rank than her.
However, I wasn¡¯t just any nobledy. As a duke, I outranked a nobledy.
If only I were a duke¡¯s daughter, too.
I wouldn¡¯t be lower than Lady Marghetta if that were the case, but I wouldn¡¯t be higher, either. I¡¯d be perfectly qualified to be the second wife.
I missed father more than ever. If he were still alive¡ I could¡¯ve fulfilled my love and shown him his adorable grandchildren.
For the first time, the title of a duke felt like a burden. This was the first time I¡¯d felt this way in a hundred years, and yet, once again, baby was the cause.
A first I could have done without...
...But he told me he¡¯s going to give me a wedding ring.
I tried to shake off the gloomy thoughts and focus on something positive.
Yes, baby did say that he was going to give me a wedding ring. Even if I couldn¡¯t be his wife and even if I couldn¡¯t have a wedding, he told me that he saw me as his wife in his heart.
Being a mistress would be sad, but with the barrier of tradition in the way¡ª
"It might take a bit longer since you¡¯re the second, but please understand since we can¡¯t have the weddings at the same time."
...?
Something felt off about baby¡¯s words. That statement made it sound like he was nning to marry me.
That was strange. It would be impossible for baby to marry me unless I was the first wife. But didn¡¯t he just say I¡¯d be the second?
"Are you saying you¡¯ll marry me?"
"Yes."
The look he gave me, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, left me dumbfounded.
Oh.
And then it hit me. Perhaps baby didn¡¯t know about the tradition.
Well, of course. Baby had just turned twenty. He had only just be an adult and started his life as a civil servant. It was understandable that he might not know much about marriage customs.
"Baby, that¡¯s impossible. The second wife can¡¯t outrank the first wife."
I spoke as gently as possible. Exining why I couldn¡¯t be baby¡¯s wife was heartbreaking, but I couldn¡¯t let him misunderstand.
"I know."
"Wh-what?"
But his response only deepened my confusion.
He¡ he knows?
"Are you nning to break the tradition? You can''t do that. The Valenti family won¡¯t stand idly by."
I hurriedly tried to stop baby as the worst-case scenario shed through my mind.
If baby still wanted to marry me despite knowing tradition, it meant that he would be disregarding a custom that had been upheld for generations.
That must not happen. No matter how much I care for him, he shouldn¡¯t do something that would threaten the authority of the first wife. If he brought in a wife who would challenge that position, the Valenti family¡ªspecifically, the Iron-blooded Duke¡ªwould undoubtedly be furious.
I couldn¡¯t allow baby''s strongest ally, the Iron-blooded Duke, to be his enemy because of me. If I set aside my selfish desires, everyone could be happy.
"Are you really caught up in that tradition?"
But instead of agreeing, baby looked at me as if he didn''t understand.
"Isn''t that rank just a matter of family standing?"
His words left me speechless.
"I thought people within a ducal family were considered equals."
Well, they were technically equals. But still, it was hard to consider a duke and a duke¡¯s daughter as the same rank.
"There have been cases where both the first and second wives were daughters of counts."
That was true. In fact, it was quitemon. But if the second wife had been a count herself, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible.
...Or, would it really be impossible?
There''s no precedent, but...
Baby''s words made me quickly revisit my memories.
There had indeed been many cases where daughters of families with equal standing had be co-wives. So, if we considered Lady Marghetta and me as members of ducal families regardless of titles, we could be seen as equals.
To refute this, one would have to argue that a titleholder and a simple noblewoman couldn¡¯t both be wives to the same person... but there was no precedent for that. After all, why would a titleholder settle for being just one of several wives?
"...Isn''t it possible?"
"You¡¯re right. Baby, you¡¯re absolutely right."
I answered firmly when baby cautiously asked again.
In truth, it was quite the stretch¡ªa very convenient interpretation.
However, it was a im that could be argued. This wasn¡¯t breaking tradition; it was just a different way of interpreting it.
As expected of baby.
He was a pioneer who discovered a path no one else had thought of and a partner who found a way for me to be a legitimate wife.
Baby, who was already so dear to me, became even more cherished in my eyes.
***I walked down the corridor, following the butler who managed Carl¡¯s mansion.
My heart pounded with every step, and I couldn¡¯t contain my excitement. This wasn¡¯t just a tour for a guest but a formal introduction to the mansion for its future hostess¡ªthe first wife, no less.
Impressive.
I thought as I observed the butler''s back. I¡¯d noticed sincest summer that the staff at this mansion were truly exceptional.
In fact, I was impressed from the moment I entered the mansion. Despite the unusual situation of its master, Carl, being absent, the butler handled everything perfectly.
The staff greeted me with a grand wee as soon as I passed through the main gate. The butler at the forefront bowed deeply, treating me not just as a guest, but as if I were his superior.
His impable courtesy left nothing to be desired, and though I told him he could rx, he simply smiled and replied:
"Though I¡¯mcking in many ways, my eyes and ears are still sharp."
How could I argue with such words? The staff Carl handpicked were truly nothing short of outstanding.
"I must say I''m a bit nervous to be hosting the futuredies of the house."
He even added a few words to include Lady Louise and Lady Irina, making sure they didn¡¯t feel left out. His thoughtfulness was evident. It was clear why Carl trusted him with the mansion.
"Would it be alright to guide you to the same room you stayed inst time if it was to your liking?"
"Of course."
With that, the pleasing butler led me to the room where I would be staying. Not long after I settled in, there was a knock at the door.
When I told them toe in, the butler entered, bowing his head.
" I would like to show you around the mansion¡¯s facilities if you don''t mind."
I nodded without hesitation. There was no need to show a guest around the mansion in such detail unless they were someone special.
¡°All that''s left is the treasury.¡±
"Is that so? I¡¯m looking forward to it."
I responded softly to the butler¡¯s words, which broke my train of thought.
We had already toured the entire mansion, leaving only the final location. Although the mansion was vast, the areas Carl actually used were limited, so the tour didn¡¯t take long.
"Oh dear. Compared to the Valenti family''s treasury, it¡¯s rather modest."
"Fufu. Valenti¡¯s treasury has been growing for 300 years, but this one was built by Carl in just a few years, wasn¡¯t it?"
Iughed at the butler¡¯s proud remark.
This wasn¡¯t the Krasius family¡¯s treasury, but Carl¡¯s personal mansion vault. If he wasparing it to Valenti¡¯s treasury, then it must be something special.
And as if confirming my thoughts, the butler opened the vault door with a broad smile.
My goodness.
The moment I saw Carl¡¯s treasury, I understood the butler¡¯s pride.
It was filled with weapons that a warrior like Carl would appreciate, jewels of various colors, luxurious clothes and fabrics, and other treasures.
While the quantity wasn¡¯trge, the variety was impressive, and each item was of the highest quality. It was a small but richly stocked treasury.
"This vault was built from spoils of the Great War in the North, gifts from the imperial family, and various rewards umted over time."
Even the process of filling the vault was extraordinary. Every treasure was earned through merit.
¡°That''s amazing.¡±
"Master, however, takes little interest in it."
The butler added this with a touch of regret, which made me smile faintly.
That was true. Carl had always been frugal. He even wore his Prosecutor¡¯s uniform most of the time.
So many fine clothes, and they¡¯re all just sitting there.
A collection of ceremonial garments was gathered in one corner. Any one of them would have been perfectly suitable for him to wear.
Hm?
But as I reached the deepest part of the vault, I stumbled upon somethingpletely unexpected.
Usually, the most treasured items were kept in the deepest part of a vault. These wouldmonly be heirlooms or objects left by the founder of the family.
What are these?
However, the items before me were surprisingly ordinary.
The disy case was clean and looked luxurious, but the items on it¡ªa sword, a staff, a spear, a scripture, two crossed swords, a dagger, and a bow¡ªseemed entirely random.
They didn¡¯t appear to be anything special. I might have thought that Carl had a hobby of collecting antiques if they at least had the feel of artifacts, but no.
"These are Master''s most cherished possessions."
The butler spoke softly as I stared at the items in confusion. I wondered if they had been misced, but it was clear that these were indeed treasures Carl valued.
...Why?
"It would be better for Master himself to exin these to you. That way, you''ll understand their significance."
Perhaps sensing my thoughts, the butler added with a slight smile.
"And the same goes for that."
Following the butler¡¯s gesture, I noticed more peculiar objects tucked away in a corner.
What was in there was a greatsword and a scythe. It was anotherbination that made little sense, leaving me feeling even more puzzled.
¡°¡They seem to be a bit neglected.¡±
"Master instructed us to leave them as they are."
I felt even more confused.
Chapter 249: A Happy Year-End (6)
Chapter 249: A Happy Year-End (6)The butler was there to greet me as soon as I returned to the mansion. I hadn¡¯t told when I¡¯d be back, so how did he know when to wait for me?
¡°The staff has been taking turns waiting for your return, Master. It just so happens that it was my turn when you arrived.¡±
¡°You didn''t have to do that.¡±
A smallugh escaped me at the butler¡¯s straightforward but effective method. If you didn¡¯t know when someone would return, then just wait until they did. I had forgotten such a simple approach.
I patted the butler on the shoulder as I headed to my room and he followed, offering a brief report.
¡°I¡¯ve shown the guests to the rooms they¡¯ve used before.¡±
¡°Well done. It¡¯s always better to have them stay somewhere familiar.¡±
¡°And I¡¯ve given Lady Marghetta a tour of the mansion¡¯s facilities.¡±
That made me nce back at the butler. Giving someone a tour of the facilities wasn¡¯t just a matter of showing them around; it meant that they were being considered as part of the household.
¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit premature?¡±¡°It¡¯s actually overdue. It would only be an issue if Lady Marghetta ns to dy marriage for a few years after graduation.¡±
I nodded at the butler''s firm words.
That made sense. Marghetta, who was already struggling with the urge to drop out, might faint if I told her that our wedding was still years away. And then her father, the Iron-Blooded Duke, would be furious.
¡°I intended to introduce the otherdies as well, but I hesitated since I wasn¡¯t sure of the proper order.¡±
His reasoning made sense. Everyone knew that Marghetta was the first wife, but it was unclear whether Louise or Irina came next, so he paused.
This wouldn¡¯t have mattered in the past when I was obsessed with the idea of a joint marriage. But now, we needed to follow the proper order of marriage and rank. Naturally, the butler would want to introduce them in the correct order.
¡°The second wife isn¡¯t among them.¡±
However, the butler was mistaken about something. Neither Louise nor Irina was the second wife.
¡°Oh, is that so? What a shame. I wanted to greet them in advance.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve met her before. Remember the Mage Duchess?¡±
The butler¡¯s footsteps faltered for a moment as he followed behind me.
¡°...Ah, yes. I had momentarily forgotten.¡±
But he quickly resumed walking as if nothing had happened.
¡°Haha, it was a hectic day.¡±
¡°It was a day none of us will ever forget.¡±
Anyone who saw the Mage Duchess that day would never forget it.
She had sat there with her shoes off, crying silently. She was also covered in bruises and cuts from dragging herself around. I was shocked, like everyone, by her pitiful state.
I had to make sure that nothing like that happened again. If it did, rumors could spread about me being an abusive husband.
¡°Oh, is Louise in her room?¡±
I turned my attention back to the butler as I considered the grim possibilities. Since I had sessfully handed off ring number two, it was now time for ring number three.
Besides, from the butler¡¯s reaction, it seemed like Louise was already being treated as ady of the house. But the more she was treated that way, the more anxious she would probably feel.
While the staff might treat her as ady of the house, she¡¯d likely be reminded of the fact that she still hadn¡¯t heard my response, which could be quite disheartening.
¡°She¡¯s in the kitchen. She said she wanted to prepare some snacks for the staff.¡±
The butler''s expression was subtly warm as he spoke. It seemed that he was pleased that ady of the house was making something for the staff.
¡°Make sure to eat it with enthusiasm even if it doesn¡¯t suit your taste.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do my best if there¡¯s any left for me.¡±
At that, both the butler and I burst intoughter.
She was cooking alone, but there were many mouths to feed. Especially with snack lovers like Yuris and Sophia around, the butler¡¯s share would be small.
***I couldn¡¯t hide my excitement as soon as I arrived at oppa¡¯s mansion.
I was able to enjoy sightseeing around Wulken Duchy thanks to Lady Marghetta, but I had to restrain myself a bit because the reason for our sudden trip to Wulken was to discuss oppa¡¯s engagement with her.
No matter how much I enjoyed wandering about, I couldn¡¯t afford to cause amotion when it was a critical time for Lady Marghetta¡¯s future.
So, arriving at oppa¡¯s mansion after an unintended period of restraint felt incrediblyforting.
"I must say I''m a bit nervous to be hosting the futuredies of the house."
The butler¡¯s words brought me not onlyfort but also joy.
It was only natural for them to consider Lady Marghetta as their future mistress. After all, oppa¡¯s rtionship with her was widely acknowledged even if it hadn¡¯t been officially announced yet. She even had a ring on her finger.
In contrast, I hadn¡¯t received such a ring, nor had I even heard a response from oppa. So, being referred to as ady by the staff filled me with happiness.
...And if the staff were already treating me as ady of the house, then did that mean that oppa had given them a hint?
That¡¯s possible.
Yes. They must know something, which was why they were treating me this way. Surely the staff wouldn¡¯t call me ¡®mydy¡¯ without confirming oppa¡¯s intentions, right?
Thinking that, any lingering anxiety quickly dissipated. After all, the fact that both Irina and I were invited to oppa¡¯s mansion along with Lady Marghetta was a positive sign.
Thanks to the staff, I felt at peace. That was why I wanted to offer a small token of appreciation to those who helped calm my heart.
¡°Excuse me, Mr. Butler.¡±
¡°Yes, please feel free to speak.¡±
I cautiously asked the butler, who responded with a warm smile.
¡°Would it be possible for me to use the kitchen?¡±
It was just a small gesture to the point that it was almost embarrassing. I was just a young noblewoman who hadn¡¯t inherited a title ornd yet, so there wasn¡¯t much I could offer.
But still, wasn¡¯t it better to give something, no matter how small, rather than nothing at all?
***Luckily, I was granted permission to use the kitchen. Well, I was told I could use it as much as I liked, so I guess ¡®permission¡¯ wasn¡¯t quite the right word.
Anyway, the kitchen was huge. I had seen it a few timesst summer, but it was impressive enough to leave me in awe even now. How did oppa manage to acquire such a mansion?
¡°If you need any tools or ingredients, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±
¡°Oh, thank you very much.¡±
¡°And please speak more casually. I¡¯m at a loss when someone of your stature speaks so formally.¡±
I offered an awkward smile to the head chef, who let out a heartyugh.
Head chef?
I¡¯d seen him before, but it felt like a new experience every time I did.
With his build, it was hard to believe he was a chef. I knew we weren¡¯t supposed to judge people by appearances, but still.
With bulging muscles, sun-tanned skin, a towering height of over two meters, and a head and beard shaved clean in the pursuit of extreme cleanliness, the chef looked more like a mercenary from a novel than a head chef.
Wow¡
And every time he moved, his arm muscles seemed to ripple like they were alive.
What exactly did it mean to be a head chef in this mansion? Did it mean they had to personally hunt the ingredients for meat dishes? Oppa certainly had high standards.
"Do I look a bit intimidating?"
"No, not at all."
I quickly responded, shaking my head as the chef asked with a grin.
It wasn¡¯t a lie. He wasn¡¯t just a bit intimidating¡ªhe was extremely intimidating.
"Haha, thank you for saying that, but I¡¯m well aware of how I look. When kids see me for the first time, they usually burst into tears."
Two specific faces came to mind immediately: the two young maids with brown hair who were always stuck together like glue.
It was obvious that the staff in the mansion adored those girls. They were diligent and seemed to get along with everyone.
So even those girls cried in front of the chef... I see.
"It took a lot of effort to bribe them with cake to stop their tears."
The chef sounded amused, but the image of him coaxing the frightened children with cake made me flinch.
No, no, stop it.
Just because he looked rough on the outside didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t a kind person on the inside. It was rude to judge him based on appearances.
"...Though the butler almost called the guards when he saw that."
¡°Ahaha...¡±
I could only manage a weakugh in response as he added, looking a bit downcast. It seemed that others felt the same way I did.
Still, our conversation eased some of my tension toward the chef. Now I knew for sure that it was just his exterior that was intimidating.
¡°Well, that was a lot of small talk. Anyway, I¡¯ve made quite a few things over time, so the staff here are used to desserts. No one dislikes sweets, so feel free to make whatever you like."
"Thank you."
"Haha, don¡¯t mention it. We should be the ones thanking you for making something for us."
With that, the head chef turned back to his work but then suddenly paused and came back to me, lowering his voice.
"I almost forgot to mention¡ªMaster eats just about anything, but he never touches cookies."
"...What?"
I stared nkly at the chef, not understanding what he meant.
What does that mean? Oppa has always enjoyed cookies and other treats¡
***I noticed the familiar giant as soon as I entered the kitchen. Unlike some viinous bald man somewhere, this one was incredibly kind.
Or maybe I should call it a fashion statement since the head chef shaved his head by choice. Who knows whether the 3rd Manager lost his hair voluntarily?
"Chef."
At my call, the chef, who was standing far away, immediately responded.
"Oh, Master!"
I gave a light wave as he strode over, grinning toothily and bowing deeply.
...Did he get bigger?
I couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that he looked evenrger than before as he bowed. Was he still growing?
What an extraordinary person. No matter how I thought about it, he was better suited for something other than the kitchen. But if this was where he wanted to be...
"Have you been well?"
"Oh, yes. It seems you¡¯ve been doing well, too."
"Thanks to your kindness, I¡¯ve been living without any shortages!¡±
The booming response from the towering chef right in front of me made my ears ring a little.
But what could I do? That intense energy was part of what made him the chef.
¡°But where¡¯s Louise¡ª¡±
¡°Oh, she¡¯s over there!¡±
I looked past the chef who was practically a human shield and spotted Louise in a corner, deeply focused on her work.
¡°But, Master, I think I might have made a mistake...¡±
His unexpected words made me turn back to him.
¡°A mistake?¡±
¡°Yes, Master.¡±
Seeing the usually confident chef nodding with a bit of a defeated air made me raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
The head chef might look like a wild mercenary on the outside, but he was a gentleman filled with thoughtfulness and warmth inside. People around the mansion even joked that someone put a gentleman¡¯s soul into the body of a beast.
Besides, Louise wasn¡¯t the type to get upset over small things. Even if the chef did make a mistake, she was the kind of person who wouldugh it off.
¡°Tell me what happened. I¡¯ll decide if it was really a mistake.¡±
¡°Well¡ª¡±
And so, the head chefunched into a long-winded exnation. I half-listened, letting some of it go in one ear and out the other until he said something that caught my attention.
¡°¡ªSo I told her that you don¡¯t eat cookies. It would be sad if she worked so hard on them only for you not to eat them.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly at that.
Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t mentioned anything to Louise. Actually, it wasn¡¯t just Louise¡ªI hadn¡¯t exined it in detail to anyone except Marghetta.
¡°I¡ªI must have really messed up...¡±
The head chef murmured, his face turning pale.
¡°No, it¡¯s not a mistake. The truth is, my tastes changed after I went to the academy. I now enjoy cookies.¡±
The head chef finally rxed as I patted him on the shoulder. He must have felt relieved to know that he hadn¡¯tmitted a serious faux pas, just a small mix-up.
He was surprisingly sensitive despite his imposing size. Maybe that was why he was sofortable with staying in the kitchen.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If you apologize, it¡¯ll only make things more awkward.¡±
¡°Yes, understood.¡±
He replied, nodding repeatedly before returning to his work.
With the head chef back in his ce, I approached Louise, who was still facing away from me.
Yes, I was supposed to give her an answer today.
It might take a little longer than expected, but it was a process we needed to go through.
Chapter 250: A Happy Year-End (7)
Chapter 250: A Happy Year-End (7)I approached Louise from behind after sending the chef away, but she didn''t react at all. I hadn¡¯t tried to hide my footsteps, but she just kept kneading the dough absentmindedly. This wasn¡¯t like her at all.
To make matters worse, she wasn''t even kneading the dough properly. She kept working on the same spot over and over again. Now, it looked less like dough and more like some kind of sticky mess.
"Louise."
"Y-Yes!?"
She jumped and spun around the moment I lightly tapped her shoulder. It was almost embarrassing¡ªlike pping your hands loudly in front of a napping cat.
Noticing my awkwardness, Louise forced a smile. Seeing that she was still catching her breath, she was clearly startled.
"Oh, oppa. When did you get here?"
"I just arrived."
I nced at the dough disaster she was working on. I might not be a pastry expert, but I did serve as an advisor for the pastry club for two semesters.
"That dough isn''t usable."At the very least, I knew how to judge when the ingredients were beyond saving.
"Haha... You''re right. What a waste..."
Of course, Louise knew that too. She gave me a sheepish smile while ncing at me.
I knew what she wanted to say. Luckily, the head chef had already given me a heads-up. If I hadn''t known, I would have been wondering why she was acting like this.
Today was supposed to be a happy day for Louise. I had decided on that.
"I can eat cookies now, you know."
So, there was no need to beat around the bush. I didn''t want to leave anything unsaid and risk any misunderstandings. Marghetta had already shown me the consequences of poormunication through her tears.
Louise¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when I smiled. She probably didn¡¯t expect me to address the matter so directly.
"Can we talk for a moment?"
I wrapped my arm around her waist, and her face instantly turned red. However, I didn¡¯t let it bother me. Today was meant to be a happy day for her.
As we were about to leave the kitchen, I noticed the head chef in the corner giving me a thumbs-up, as if to encourage me.
Honestly.
I almostughed at the contrast between his gruff exterior and kind heart. He truly was a beast with the soul of a gentleman.
Naturally, I responded with a thumbs-up of my own. You matched that with another, after all.
***I considered heading to the garden, but the chilly wind made me think twice. The conversation might take long, and it¡¯d be cruel to let ady shiver outside.
So, we went to the sitting room instead. I hadn¡¯t used the space in a while, but it was spotless¡ªsomeone had clearly been keeping it well-maintained in my absence. Everyone here really did their job well.
"You should take it easy. Aren¡¯t you tired?"
I had Louise sit down before speaking. She¡¯d been through a lot in Wulken the past few days, and yet she headed straight to the kitchen upon returning. Was she that dedicated, or did she simply love baking that much?
"Everyone¡¯s been so kind, so I wanted to give them a little something in return."
Seeing her respond with a sheepish grin made me pause. Who could discourage someone who just wanted to express their gratitude? Even the butler seemed happy about it.
I only mentioned it because I felt sorry to see her struggling, not because I was ming her, so there wasn¡¯t much more to say.
"So, what were you trying to make?"
At that, I saw her flinch.
"Cookies... but then I thought I''d make bread instead..."
Louise hesitated, her eyes darting around nervously. From the way her eyes were trembling, it seemed like she was recalling all the times she¡¯d given me cookies to eat.
There was no need for her to worry like that. She never forced me to eat anything¡ªI ate them because I wanted to.
However, Louise didn¡¯t see it that way. She kept ncing around, clearly troubled. This could¡¯ve turned into a real problem if we left it unchecked. The head chef just saved the day.
"I like cookies. Have you ever forced me to eat them?"
I sat beside her as I spoke, and she quickly shook her head. She did it so vigorously that her pink hair brushed against my cheek.
Even so, her face was still a mix of confusion, guilt, and gloom. The chef told her I don¡¯t eat cookies, while I was saying I liked them. From her perspective, it must¡¯ve been confusing¡ªone of us had to be lying.
It must have been a real dilemma for her, trying to figure out if she was being deceived or if she should be suspicious of someone. If she¡¯d been alone, she might have even cried.
"To be fair, the head chef wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. I haven¡¯t eaten cookies in a while."
I quickly added before it caused any more distress.
"But it¡¯s not because I dislike them. If I did, I wouldn¡¯t have eaten the ones you gave me, right?"
Louise¡¯s head gradually lowered as I gently patted her on the head.
Was she embarrassed? No, that couldn¡¯t be it. I¡¯ve patted her head countless times before, so she wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed by that. It seemed that she was adjusting her posture to make it easier for me to pat her and to better receive the gesture.
Capybara.
The name popped into my head after a long time. A capybara was a friendly animal that enjoyed the touch of others¡ªjust like her.
"I need to talk to you about something that might be a bit boring."
I spoke again, watching her.
The first misunderstanding was cleared up. The head chef didn¡¯t lie to her, and I didn¡¯t dislike cookies. We could leave it at that.
But the fact that I hadn¡¯t eaten cookies for a long time remained true. That question needed an answer for this to bepletely resolved.
"Will you listen?"
"Yes."
Her immediate response made me smile softly.
"Lift your head, too."
"Oh, right."
Despite her quick response, she still kept her head down. We should at least be looking at each other while we talked.
***Oppa asked me to listen, but he didn¡¯t speak for a long time.
I didn¡¯t press him because I knew he¡¯d speak when he was ready. He was probably just thinking about where to begin.
"Four years ago¡ you¡¯ve heard about the Great War, right?"
"Yes, I have."
I was a bit surprised by the serious start, but I didn¡¯t let it show. He might close up again just when he was about to speak if I got flustered now.
"That¡¯s when I met my first love."
This time, I couldn¡¯t help but react. Hearing about the first love of the man you love¡ªhow could any woman hear that and not feel something?
And of all times, it had to be during the war that he met his first love. Oppa''s first love, someone I¡¯d never even seen...
No way.
A thought shed through my mind, but I quickly pushed it aside.
"She left because I wasn¡¯t enough for her."
But oppa spoke the words first. His lips curved into a faint smile, but his eyes couldn¡¯t hide the sorrow within them.
Even as he continued speaking, that smile stayed on his face.
He went on to speak about how he started his career in the Prosecutors'' Office, suddenly got promoted to team leader, and then was abruptly sent to war. That was where his hardships and rtionships began.
"Honestly, I wonder where they found people like that."
His smile deepened as he talked about the other team managers, the ones known as the Six Swords in the textbooks. It was as if he was reminiscing about the happiest time of his life, a time he knew he could never return to.
"And I wasn¡¯t exactly normal for falling in love in the middle of all that."
But when he mentioned Hecate, one of the Six Swords, his smile wasn¡¯t just a smile¡ªit was a full, radiant beam.
Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Hecate must have been truly loved, someone oppa cherished deeply. At the same time, it broke my heart. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how he must have felt when he lost someone he loved that much.
But I didn¡¯t say anything. To pity oppa when he was trying so hard to speak casually about it would have been a great insult.
"...Oh, I almost forgot to mention something important."
Lost in his memories, oppa suddenly seemed to remember something and shifted the topic.
"Like I mentioned earlier, I didn¡¯t eat cookies from the end of the war until I came to the Academy."
Hearing that, I unconsciously tensed up.
If someone suddenly stops eating something, then there must be a significant reason behind it. And whether I meant to or not, I had offered cookies to oppa, who had such a reason.
"Even during the war, they provided us with desserts because we had to eat sweet things to keep up morale."
Well, you can¡¯t keep going on just hard bread, right?
He added with a slight smile, and I just nodded. It didn¡¯t seem like he was looking for a response as he quickly moved on to something else.
"There were cookies among the desserts, though calling them cookies is a bit of a stretch. They were basically just flour dough with sugar thrown in and baked."
I couldn¡¯t help but picture the ¡®cookies¡¯ he described. Just lumps of dough with a bit of sugar mixed in,cking any real ingredients...
Could that even be called a cookie?
"But they were sweet enough, so we ate them because we had to. And even those were in short supply, so we had to ration them."
He chuckled softly, though his expression betrayed a sense of nostalgia.
"Hecate liked them. The others knew that so they often let her have them, and then she¡¯d share them with me."
"...Those cookies were precious."
"Yes, they were priceless."
Now I understood. Hearing all this, there was no way I couldn¡¯t.
To oppa, cookies weren¡¯t just a simple treat. They were a food filled with memories, a reflection of his love with his first love. And after losing that love, they became a cursed food he couldn¡¯t bring himself to touch.
You idiot.
I bit my lip hard, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. My eyes stung, but I forced myself to stayposed.
I made a terrible mistake with oppa. Hiding behind my ignorance, I unknowingly tore at his heart from the moment we first met until now.
But I shouldn¡¯t¡ªand mustn¡¯t¡ªcry in front of him. How could I, the one who caused the pain, shed tears in front of the one who suffered? That would be so cowardly.
"I¡¯m sor¡ª"
"Don¡¯t."
My toote apology was stopped by oppa¡¯s index finger before it could even leave my lips.
"I just didn¡¯t eat them because there was no one to share them with after that. There¡¯s no other reason."
"But, still, I¡ª"
"If anything, I was happy to have them again. Who else would take the trouble to bring me cookies?"
Tears welled up in my eyes as oppa burst outughing.
This wasn¡¯t right. I shouldn¡¯t be crying like this and using my tears to escape. I shouldn¡¯t just brush off something that needed a proper apology¡
"Thank you, Louise."
And even those words weren¡¯t something I should hear from him...
But then, oppa took my hand and looked straight into my tear-filled eyes.
"I¡¯m not just saying this. I¡¯m really grateful."
I couldn¡¯t meet his gaze.
What right did I have? I had only added to his pain, pushing cookies on him every day thinking I was doing something good when it was really just rubbing salt in his wound.
"You reconnected memories that had been lost. You helped me move beyond the past and see the present."
But I couldn¡¯t avoid his eyes any longer when he gently lifted my chin.
"You helped me when I might have been trapped in the past forever."
Then, oppa took out a small case from his pocket with a warm smile.
"You might think it was just a coincidence or even a mistake. But to me, it was truly helpful."
His hands untied the pink ribbon wrapped around the case.
"So now, it¡¯s my turn to give something back to you."
My hands started to shake. I couldn''t calm down when I saw what he pulled out of the case.
A ring. It was definitely a ring. It had a peculiar, half-split design, but that made it all the more meaningful.
It was the same style of ring that Lady Marghetta wore. Two rings that, when joined, formed a beautiful whole.
"Will you ept it?"
Embarrassed, I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears any longer and cried my heart out.
***When the tears subsided after a while, I watched Louise smile brightly as she admired her new ring. Seeing her so happy filled me with a deep sense of satisfaction.
I knew then that this was the perfect moment to say something I had been holding back. Now was the time.
"Louise, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you."
"Yes! Please, go ahead!"
"...You don¡¯t have to put any strange ingredients in the cookies anymore."
"Oh..."
Louise, who had been lovingly admiring the ring, suddenly looked a little deted.
I¡¯m sorry. I could actually start tasting the difference recently, and I think I finally understand why the others couldn¡¯t eat them.
I¡¯m sorry...
Chapter 251: 5 + 1 (1)
Chapter 251: 5 + 1 (1)I took a breather after giving the third ring to Louise.
I had considered riding the momentum and visiting Irina next, but handling my confessions like some sort of ¡®buy-one-get-one-free¡¯ deal felt too much. It felt wrong, as if I was treating her as an afterthought, and that made me feel guilty.
It wasn¡¯t exactly fair to say this after meeting Louise and the Mage Duchess on the same day, but Louise''s situation was unique. If I had postponed Louise''s turn back then, it could have led to some unpleasant misunderstandings.
There¡¯s also the issue with Irina¡¯s family.
The most important thing to consider, however, was the Count of Yorun, who stood behind Irina.
Even if Irina liked me, I had no idea what Count Yorun thought of it. Thanks to the 3rd Manager''s colorful past, my rtionship with him had be rather awkward.
So, I needed to be careful when giving Irina my answer. It would only put her in a difficult position if I responded too quickly and her fatherter objected. Alternatively, Count Yorun might interpret it as me saying, ¡®I want to be with your daughter. Do you have a problem with that?¡¯
I¡¯ll have to go see him in person.
Fortunately, Irina''s father was a titled noble who was required to attend the New Year''s Ball. I¡¯d be seeing him there anyway, so we could have a serious conversation then. Maybe he¡¯d grant his blessing if I sincerely apologized and asked for his understanding.
The real issue was whether Irina could wait until then. With Marghetta and Louise both proudly wearing their rings, being the only one left without an answer to her confession would likely cause her a lot of anxiety."Let Irina know that I¡¯ve already prepared the ring and I¡¯m just waiting for the right moment."
"Leave it to me!"
And so, I subtly asked Louise to let Irina know that a positive oue was guaranteed¡ªit was just a matter of timing.
That should put Irina''s mind at ease. While it wasn¡¯t ideal to drag things out, we¡¯d probably manage until the New Year¡¯s Ball. Louise seemed fired up to help her friend, so things should work out.
"Oppa, do you have a minute?"
That was what I thought at the time.
"Yeah, sure. Come in."
I smiled as I answered Irina, who cautiously asked me from the doorway.
I could guess what she was here for judging by the mix of excitement and anxiety on her face.
Looks like it didn¡¯t work.
Unfortunately, even Louise''s enthusiasm wasn¡¯t enough to keep Irina at bay. I suppose it was understandable¡ªhow could anyone resist when a ring was practically within arm''s reach?
I had nned to wait until the New Year¡¯s Ball for Irina¡¯s sake, but if that decision ended up making her sad, then that would defeat the whole purpose. It¡¯d probably be better to resolve this now and then focus all my efforts on convincing the Yorun family.
"Why don¡¯t you sit down first? Would you like some tea?"
"Oh, yes!"
I gently pressed down on Irina''s shoulders and guided her to a seat before turning towards the shelf.
Conveniently, both the tea set and the fourth ring were sitting there.
***I picked up my own cup as I watched Irina sip her tea.
It¡¯s better to just give it to her now.
I made up my mind. The fact that Irina had sought me out despite Louise¡¯s subtle persuasion showed that her patience had reached its limit. Dying things any further would only harm everyone involved.
In this world as well, it was customary for a man to confess his feelings to ady. Even if it was a marriage of convenience¡ªor perhaps especially because it was¡ªthe formalities were taken very seriously.
Irina had already shown the courage to confess first, and it wouldn¡¯t be right to make her endure the humiliation of having to ask for the ring. That would be a blow to her pride as a woman.
I should wait until Irina calmed down a bit before speaking. She seemed to be out of breath, like she either rushed over here or was nervously considering how to bring up the topic. It¡¯d be good to address this quickly, but it might startle her if I¡¯m too direct¡ª
"I told my family."
Ah...
"...You what?"
Irina hit me with that before I could even lower my teacup.
The unexpected words caught me off guard, and I couldn¡¯t respond immediately. It felt like my brain had slowed down as well.
However, Irina didn''t wait for me to recover and quickly followed up with another blow.
"I told my family that I like you, oppa."
"You told your family?"
"Yes. I also told them that I confessed to you."
Judging by the determined look on her face, this wasn¡¯t a joke. Not that anyone would joke about something like this, but still. This was a deration filled with sincerity.
"So, there''s nothing for you to worry about."
She knew why I had been hesitating and took care of the issue herself.
Do families really take after each other like this?
I almostughed at how bold and straightforward she was. It was clear now that Irina truly belonged to the Yorun family.
Count Yorun might have taken a hit from the Prosecutors'' Office, but looking at it differently, the Yorun family managed to withstand the blow even when the Prosecutors'' Office went all out. They were a noble family that survived and endured.
In fact, they were so significant that even the Gold Duke had to intervene¡ªthey were a prominent family within his faction and ranked among the top tier of counts, nearly on par with marquises if it was exaggerated a little bit.
Given that Irina came from such a family, it was no surprise that she wasn¡¯t your average person.
"I honestly almost gave up on getting close to you, oppa. If Irina hadn¡¯t told me, I probably would have."
Louise''s words came back to me.
Louise was ready to give up during summer vacation when she noticed how close Marghetta and I were getting. However, Irina showed her the way of bing the second or third wife.
Because of that, Louise now saw Irina as a savior. That was why she was more than willing to help when I asked her to reassure Irina.
...But looking at it from another angle, it could also mean that Irina had been strategizing all along, aiming not for the position of the first wife but the ones after it.
Is this the Yorun family¡¯s standard?
I was a bit intimidated. Even though Irina had an older brother and wasn¡¯t yet fully educated, she was still able to assess the situation so urately.
What exactly was the Yorun family?
***My palms were starting to sweat. This was the conclusion I had arrived at after thinking it over and over, but both I and oppa would be in an awkward spot if I had misread the situation.
However, after a moment of surprise, oppa smiled and spoke.
"Well then, there''s nothing I can do. It puts my mind at ease if you¡¯ve already told them."
His words made the corners of my mouth involuntarily lift into a smile.
I was right. Oppa had dyed his answer out of consideration for our family because he was thinking of me and them, not because he disliked me.
Thank goodness...
I had been worried, just maybe, that maybe oppa was dying for another reason. Or that perhaps he was hesitating to reject me outright because he was afraid of hurting my feelings.
But luckily, it was none of those. Oppa had dyed his answer because he was kind and thoughtful. Despite being part of the ruthless and unforgiving Prosecutors'' Office, he remained a true gentleman.
That was also why I fell for him. Even when he was in a position where no one could me him for anything, he still apologized for the mistakes of his department and genuinely felt sorry for it.
Father understood that, too.
The Prosecutors'' Office strived for perfection. Because of that, even their mistakes were considered as the right course of action. The past Executive Managers of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office had always followed that principle.
That was why Father was so surprised when he received an apology letter from oppa, the current Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. He had expectedpensation since the Gold Duke got involved, but he never imagined that he would also receive an apology.
Once a sincere apology,pensation, and punishment for the hostile forces that had ndered our family were all in ce, Father was satisfied. We had, after all, received everything we could have asked for.
¡ª Who did you say?
Of course, even with all that, my father couldn''t simply overlook the fact that his daughter was seeing the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager.
On the day I confessed my feelings to oppa after being prompted by Louise, I had a long conversation with Father.
¡°Carl Krasius. The Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager, whom you¡¯re well aware of.¡±
Father pinched the bridge of his nose at my firm response. I could understand why he felt that way, and it didn¡¯t make me feel any better.
He had been visibly unsettled when he first heard that oppa was being dispatched as an academy inspector. Some bitterness must have lingered even after everything we had received from the Prosecutors'' Office.
And now, his daughter had not only gotten involved with the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager but had also fallen for him. It was only natural for him to be shaken.
¡ª He¡¯s dangerous. You can¡¯t be involved with him.
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know he¡¯s caused trouble for our family, but¡ª¡±
¡ª That¡¯s not what I mean. The Iron-blooded Duke already has his eye on him.
That was unexpected.
Father¡¯s response made it clear that he had long since moved on from the incident with the Prosecutors'' Office and was looking at the bigger picture.
His expression softened as he continued.
¡ª Irina. Our family may be noble, but we are merchants first. Once debts are paid and the grievances are settled, there¡¯s no need to dwell on them. I no longer harbor any ill feelings towards the Prosecutors'' Office''s Executive Manager.
I had momentarily forgotten. Father wasn¡¯t a viin or a cold-hearted person, but he was a man who always calcted things thoroughly.
Moreover, since none of our family members were hurt¡ªsomething he valued even more than money¡ªthere was no need to hold a grudge.
¡°But, um... our family was in real danger. Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡±
It felt strange even as I said it. I was supposed to be convincing Father, and yet there I was, pointing out oppa¡¯s ws instead.
¡ª We received benefits that far outweighed the risks. The crisis didn¡¯t bring our family down, but the benefits will help us soar to even greater heights.
He then shook his head lightly as if to say that this wasn¡¯t the point.
¡ª Anyway, the Duke of Valenti¡¯s daughter is likely to be his first wife. You know what that means, don¡¯t you?
¡°I understand. I¡¯m prepared.¡±
Father let out a small sigh.
As the daughter of a count, there was no way I could surpass a duke¡¯s daughter to be the first wife. Inevitably, I would be the second, third, or perhaps eventer in line. It seemed that Father wasmenting the fact that his daughter wouldn¡¯t have the exclusive love of the man she cherished but would have to share it.
Understanding his concern, I gave him a small smile, feeling touched by how much he cared for and loved me.
¡ª ...Are you sure you won¡¯t regret this?
I nodded without hesitation. I wouldn¡¯t regret it even if I became just one of oppa¡¯s wives.
It wasn¡¯t always this way. Unlike Father, I had lingering feelings towards oppa. I used to resent him, fear him, and want to avoid him.
But once I understood what kind of person he really was and once I could observe him without prejudice, my resentment turned into affection, and my desire to avoid him became a desire to be near him, even if only a little.
It wasn¡¯t just because he saved me from a monster or because he was kind. As a member of a count¡¯s family, I had resigned myself to a marriage of convenience, one without love. But oppa was a match that, if made, would yield benefits far beyond those of a typical political marriage.
If a marriage could bring the same advantages as a strategic alliance, then I wanted it to be with him¡ªa man who was not only impressive and kind but also made my heart race with just a nce. To be married not to a cold, loveless man, but with someone my heart had chosen.
...And once I set my heart on oppa, it became impossible to imagine seeing anyone else.
¡ª Alright then. If that¡¯s truly what you want.
Hearing the sincerity in my voice, Father finally gave his consent.
With Father¡¯s approval¡ªboth as the head of the Yorun family and as Count nbell¡ªthere was no longer any obstacle in my path. As long as oppa felt the same, then nothing could stop us from being together.
¡°Were you upset? I¡¯m sorry. I should have given it to you sooner.¡±
Just like now.
I realized just how much I had longed for this moment as oppa slipped the half-ring, just like the one I had envied so much, onto my finger.
¡°Irina, you¡¯re so brave for forgiving someone like me and speaking up about what you want so confidently.¡±
Oppa let out a softugh and gently patted my head.
¡°I was too much of a coward to do that. I have a lot to learn from you.¡±
¡°Then, I¡¯ll teach you for the rest of my life.¡±
We bothughed at that.
***I felt drained. Why was the world like this?
Wow...
The duke¡¯s daughter had prepared herself. She fully expected to receive a ring.
But now, even the pink-haired unnie and the blonde unnie had rings on their fingers. Even those who met Masterter than Penelia unnie were wearing rings now.
Wooooow...
This was dizzying. I was nning to tell Master that Penelia unnie and the blonde unnie both liked him when he returned to the mansion.
However, that seemed impossible now. I couldn¡¯t reach Penelia unnie, and the blonde unnie already received her ring.
¡°Yuris... Are you okay? You don¡¯t look so good...¡±
¡°I want to cry.¡±
¡°Oh, are you hurt?¡±
Sophia, unsure of what to do, hugged me warmly as I opened my arms to her.
I really wanted to cry.
What should I do?
I would have told Master that Penelia unnie liked him if I could just get in touch with her. Then he would have gone to see her, and she would have confessed her true feelings.
But I can¡¯t reach her.
She was still out of contact and unreachable.
Unnie... where are you? What will you do if you don¡¯t even make it to the starting line while everyone else is running?
It was the end of the year, so she¡¯de back, right? No matter how busy she was, she was always in the capital for the year-end.
Please.
Chapter 252: 5 + 1 (2)
Chapter 252: 5 + 1 (2)What was next once my assignment at the academy ended? Going straight to work at the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
Unfortunately, civil servants didn¡¯t get vacations. If there was no vacation during the summer, then there was certainly not going to be one during winter. Not that I particrly minded going to work, though. It wasn¡¯t that I hated it, but...
I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m pulling this out already.
I stood in front of the Ministry of Finance¡¯s building, staring nkly up at it while holding a case tied with a red ribbon in one hand.
ording to the original n, this case wasn''t supposed to see the light of day for another week or two. The 1st Manager woulde after Irina ording to their order, and I intended to give Irina her answer only after the New Year¡¯s Ball.
But I momentarily forgot that my ns always end up crumbling.
There¡¯s only one left.
This was such a headache. I wouldn¡¯t be in this dilemma if I had two or three rings left. It would mean that there were still several people waiting for my answer, and I could at least pretend I was being fair.
But there was only one ring left and only one person left without an answer. It would be hard to argue that I wasn¡¯t deliberately avoiding the 1st Manager.
Sure, the 1st Manager didn¡¯t know about Louise or Irina, but I did. It didn¡¯t sit well with me to dy my answer to her confession when I had already given everyone else theirs."The chain of rings."
A wry smile crept up on my face. Just like how all the confessions started pouring in one after another once the Mage Duchess took the first step, here I was, repeating the process all over again.
But what could I do? I had already made up my mind, and deliberately dying it would just be toying with people¡¯s feelings. And while I might have multiple options, I wasn¡¯t interested in stringing anyone along.
It wasn¡¯t the most convincing logic, but it was what it was.
¡°So please, just one chance, just give me one chance¡¡±
Maybe it was because I saw how desperately the 1st Manager pleaded that I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to make her wait any longer.
And if¡ªjust if¡ªI ignored my conscience and bypassed the 1st Manager, how would she feel when she found out that she was the only one left in the dark? She¡¯d probably feel like she never had a real chance and break down.
This is my fate.
I sighed and walked into the building.
It was honestly a luxury toin, but couldn¡¯t they have spaced them out over two months if I was going to get all these confessions anyway? Then, I wouldn¡¯t be agonizing over the timing like this.
***I saw the managers munching on bread when I opened the office door. Did theye straight to work without eating?
¡°Oh. You¡¯re here, Executive Manager?¡±
And just my luck, I made eye contact with the 2nd Manager, who was closest to the door.
Why did the 2nd Manager have to be the first person I see after arriving? Well, today was off to a bad start.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡±
I nodded vaguely and quickly scanned the room. The 3rd Manager was stuffing his face with bread and nodding, and the 5th Manager swallowed his bread and bowed.
The Senior Manager was likely buried under paperwork in his office, so I skipped over him.
¡°Ah, Executive Manager!¡±
Finally, I saw the 1st Manager running over with a bright smile.
She stopped in front of me and gave a proper bow, her eyes sparkling and her smile warm¡ªnothing like the manic energy she usually gave off.
It was strange. The 1st Manager I knew wasn¡¯t normally this...posed.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Elizabeth.¡±
Still, I epted it calmly since I knew what it must have taken for her to act so normal. I didn¡¯t forget to pat her on the shoulder and call her by her name, either.
It worked like a charm. Her eyes widened in surprise, and then she started grinning from ear to ear. If I¡¯d known it would make her this happy, I would¡¯ve done it two years ago.
¡°What¡¯s this? Are we finally calling each other by name now?¡±
The 2nd Manager, who had been watching the exchange, smirked as he spoke.
He looked a bit surprised when I suddenly called the 1st Manager by her name, but he quickly caught on to the teasing. He sure could read the room fast¡ªthough it was often in a way that was more trouble than it was worth.
¡°No, you suit ''the 2nd Manager'' better than ''Lafayette.''¡±
¡°That¡¯s harsh. You¡¯re making me abandon the name my parents gave me.¡±
He didn¡¯t seem particrly upset even though he said that. It was understandable, though. It wasn¡¯t like a guy would get all giddy just because another guy called him by his name.
In fact, he¡¯d probably cringe and ask what was wrong with me if I called him ''Lafayette''.
¡°If the Executive Manager says so, then that¡¯s how it is. From today onwards, you¡¯re Manager Varon.¡±
¡°This is ridiculous.¡±
The 2nd Manager shrugged with augh at the words of the 1st Manager, who had apparently evolved into a loyal subordinate.
¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯d have to get new business cards printed.¡±
¡°Well, I guess we have no choice then¡¡±
The 1st Manager murmured in a sleepy voice as I patted her head.
This was still strange. How did the 1st Manager, of all people, be such a gentle and loyal subordinate? What were those two years of suffering for, then?
It seemed that the other managers felt the same way. The 3rd Manager shook his head and the 5th Manager quietly closed his eyes, looking like someone who just couldn¡¯t process what they were witnessing.
¡°Elizabeth.¡±
Seeing their pitiful reactions, I realized that I needed to get the 1st Manager out of there.
Honestly, it was embarrassing to give her the ring in front of everyone. Besides, for the other managers who were watching, this would be like a cosmic horror show. A boss slipping a ring onto a subordinate¡¯s finger¡ªit was practically workce harassment.
¡°Should we step outside for some fresh air?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
At my suggestion, the 1st Manager beamed and stuck close by my side.
¡°¡Why did I even bother crawling around?¡±
I heard the depressed muttering of the 5th Manager just before leaving the office, but I ignored it.
If even the 5th Manager was despairing this much, then it must¡¯ve been something serious¡ªbut unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much I could do to help orfort him for things that happened while I was away.
Hang in there, 5th Manager.
***There was a small garden attached to the Finance building. It was supposed to be a ce where people could take a breather during work, but it was rarely used.
After all, not many civil servants had the luxury of visiting a garden during work hours. Who would have time to take a walk when there was work to be done?
Of course, the Executive Manager was an exception. The only one in the Ministry of Finance who could say anything to the Executive Manager was the Minister.
¡°It¡¯s chilly. Get closer.¡±
As we stepped into the garden, the Executive Manager hooked his arm around mine and pulled me close.
The affectionate gesture from the Executive Manager came out of nowhere. At that, a wave of satisfaction surged through me, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile.
Hold it in.
There was so much I wanted to say, like asking the Executive Manager if he missed me that much, or how he managed to hold back from this kind of affection. My lips were itching to say it all out loud.
But I couldn¡¯t. I promised I wouldn¡¯t mess around with him and that I¡¯d behave and listen. I have to keep my word. This opportunity didn¡¯te easily.
¡°Just act naturally.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Act like you usually do. Don¡¯t hold back for no reason.¡±
The Executive Manager must¡¯ve read my mind because he chuckled and said something that left me a bit confused.
Why¡? Wasn¡¯t it better if I acted well-behaved? I thought that I shouldn¡¯t tease the Executive Manager and should instead y the part of a demuredy. Senior Aria said so, didn¡¯t she?
¡°I want to be with the person named Elizabeth, not a doll who¡¯s too scared to be herself.¡±
My heart skipped a beat at the Executive Manager¡¯s casual words.
This wasn¡¯t fair. How could he say these sweet things so bluntly, like telling me he liked me just the way I was, even though he was younger?
¡°Hehe, I guess you like it when I keep things interesting, huh?¡±
I tried to suppress the fluttering in my chest as I spoke. I¡¯d just end up being led around by the Executive Manager if I let my embarrassment show.
¡°I¡¯m justforting a sister who cries so easily.¡±
However, his words made me shut up.
So unfair... I wouldn¡¯t be able to retort when he says something like that...
¡°You cry so much that I thought I might have tofort you forever.¡±
Yet, all my frustration melted away when the Executive Manager patted my head.
I wasn¡¯t an easy woman, but the Executive Manager was the exception. If it were anyone else, I wouldn¡¯t let them darey a hand on me.
¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to cry every day. You¡¯llfort me every day, right?¡±
¡°I shouldn''t have said that¡¡±
It wasn¡¯t much of a conversation, but I couldn¡¯t helpughing.
I felt happy. It felt like we were more than just a boss and subordinate; we were two people together, as a man and a woman. Even though I had worked with the Executive Manager for two years, I had never felt this way before.
Honestly, there wasn¡¯t a specific moment that made me fall for him. I just started admiring his reliable, resolute, and decisive nature, and the way he took responsibility and moved forward. That was when my feelings grew.
To be honest, how could I not be interested when a young, handsome man acted so cool?
The problem is that I was the only one who fell.
...Unfortunately, these feelings were one-sided, so I never expressed them.
Besides, how could I possibly make a move when I knew what the Executive Manager had been through? I was never confident enough to rece Hecate.
But I¡¯m happy right now.
Yes, I was happy now. Thanks to Lady Marghetta, the shadow hanging over the Executive Manager had lightened, and I was finally able to show my true feelings. And thankfully, he took my feelings positively.
I hadn¡¯t received a direct answer to my confession yet, but wasn¡¯t it pretty much confirmed at this point? The Executive Manager wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would go on a date with someone just to push them away. He wasn¡¯t the 2nd Manager, after all.
¡°I¡¯ll be having a meeting with Marquis Iones soon.¡±
The Executive Manager mentioned my father as we walked arm-in-arm.
¡°He always worries so much about you whenever I see him.¡±
¡°He¡¯s still so overprotective even though I¡¯m already a grown woman.¡±
I pouted at the Executive Manager¡¯s words.
Father really was going too far. I was already over twenty, and yet he still thinks he needed to keep an eye on everything I did.
¡°He¡¯s only doing it because you¡¯re grown up now. You¡¯re twenty-five and still not thinking about marriage.¡±
¡°Couldn¡¯t he at least think I¡¯ve been holding out for true love until twenty-five?¡±
¡°Weren¡¯t you already over twenty before you met me?¡±
How sneaky of him to counter with the truth.
I nced down, feeling even more annoyed, when I heard the Executive Manager chucke.
What a bad little brother. One day, I¡¯d have to show him my authority as the older sister.
¡°Here. Once he sees this, I doubt the Marquis will have anything more to say.¡±
I slowly lifted my head.
The idea of not hearing my father''s nagging was pleasant, but the reason would be obvious if the man who¡¯d been pressuring me about marriage became suddenly quiet.
And sure enough, when I looked up, I saw the small case in the Executive Manager''s hand.
¡°I was thinking of adding some romantic lines to my proposal... but you don¡¯t need that, do you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
I answered firmly. Romantic lines? What was the point? What mattered was whether or not there was a ring in my hand.
Honestly, I¡¯d let go of all those romantic ideas ever since that night when I cried my heart out in front of the Executive Manager. At this point, things like romance and atmosphere didn¡¯t matter. All I cared about was efficiency.
¡°I figured as much.¡±
The Executive Manager smiled again as he untied the red ribbon on the case. I liked the ribbon¡ªit was red, the most beautiful color of all.
The ribbon slipped off with a soft sound and the case opened carefully, revealing the ring inside.
I felt happy, so happy. I was really, really happy, but¡
¡°Um, Executive Manager?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°¡Why is it only half a ring?¡±
I couldn¡¯t suppress my instinct and asked.
I¡¯d heard that Lady Marghetta also received a half-ring. Given how it started, I expected to get a half-ring, too.
But expectation and understanding were two different things. Why was a perfectly good ring cut in half¡?
Is it because it¡¯s a ring that symbolizes two bing one?
That reasoning sounded usible. If I heard it from someone else, I¡¯d probably nod and think it was romantic.
But I had known the Executive Manager for more than a day or two. He wasn¡¯t the type to pursue such romantic gestures on his own. He was the kind of person who¡¯d buy whatever was convenient at the nearest shop.
¡°Isn¡¯t it unique?¡±
Maybe it was just my imagination, but the Executive Manager seemed oddly pleased with my question about the half-ring.
Why...?
***Enen still hadn¡¯t abandoned unnie.
And neither had Master!
¡ª Yuris, how have you been?
¡°Unnie!¡±
It was in the middle of the day while Master was at work that the head butler called me. They said that someone was asking for me.
As soon as I heard that, I had a hunch. There was only one person who would be looking for me from outside. It could only be Penelia unnie.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you contact me sooner?¡±
My pent-up sorrow and frustration spilled out as soon as I saw her face through themunication device.
If only she knew how much I worried and how much it tore me up inside every time I saw someone else getting ahead of her! I was also so scared that something might have happened to her!
¡ª I¡¯m sorry. I just didn¡¯t have the time.
Her voice was firm but it also sounded very tired, so I looked at her closely.
...It seems true.
Unnie¡¯s face was as expressionless as ever, but her eyes were the windows to her soul.
And those eyes were overflowing with fatigue. The unnie who always seemed like she was made of steel had tiredness in her eyes.
What on earth had she been through¡?
Chapter 253: 5 + 1 (3)
By the time I came back for work, the once-bustling office had emptied out, leaving just me and the 2nd Manager.
Everyone had their own tasks, and the Managers needed topile reports with the end of the year approaching, so it was no surprise the ce was deserted. It was strange for anyone to hang around the Executive Manager''s office instead of their own anyway.
"Why are you still here?"
That was when it hit me¡ªthere was something off about the 2nd Manager.
"Well, you know I prefer to finish my work and then rx."
"No. I mean, why are you rxing here?"
He must think that this ce was a lounge.
However, my grumbling didn¡¯t bother him. He just chuckled and took a sip from his canteen. The faint smell of alcohol suggested there was something stronger than water in there.
Fine, drink yourself into a stupor. It¡¯d be better than being a nuisance while sober.
"Did you make the 1st Manager cry again?"Unfortunately, he was already annoying me before I could finish that thought. So, I silently raised my left hand. Besides, actions spoke louder than words.
¡°Wow.¡±
His eyes widened at the sight of my hand.
I understood. Five rings, one on each finger of my left hand¡ªit wasn¡¯t something you saw every day.
¡°It looks cool, huh?¡±
¡°Cool, sure, but I wouldn¡¯t want to copy it.¡±
¡°You bastard.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help butugh. I didn¡¯t do this because I liked it, so I couldn¡¯t care less if others were put off by it.
If the rings were an even number, then I could have split them between both hands. But I ended up with this mess since there were only five of them. Having an odd number of rings just made it hard to decide which hand would wear more.
"But you¡¯re quicker than I expected. I thought you''d drag this into next year."
He muttered in disbelief, and I just shook my head. This guy had heard me joke about getting married all at once and buying the rings in bulk. Naturally, he also knew exactly who had proposed to me.
However, he probably didn¡¯t expect me to respond to all of them before the year was out.
¡°When have our predictions ever been right?¡±
"Fair point."
Honestly, I didn¡¯t know, either. Life never went as nned.
"Anyway, congrattions. You being happy is all that matters."
He took another swig from his canteen and smiled a far warmer smile than before.
"It might seem sudden, but it must mean something if you made up your mind. You can build on the feelings even if they aren¡¯t all there yet, right?"
His warm words of congrattions and advice made me smile back.
¡°Got a date set?¡±
¡°¡Yeah.¡±
I gave him a mocking grin as he suddenly looked down.
Thosest words were definitely calcted. Now that his own wedding was fast approaching, he was probably hoping to call a truce¡ªan unspoken plea to not hit each other¡¯s weak spots and to let things go quietly.
It was obvious. This guy never said anything warm without a reason. I knew better than to be fooled after dealing with him for two years.
¡°Alright, congrats.¡±
Even though I saw through him, I epted his words. There was no point in dragging this out when I had five weddings to get through. It was better to end it here.
After that, a strange silence settled over the office.
Marriage is the grave of life.
One person was about to enter the grave, and the other was about to do it five times.
No wonder it was so quiet.
***Today¡¯smute home was a bit longer than usual. Thanks to the persistent 1st Manager begging me to walk home together, I ended up escorting her all the way to the Massello family¡¯s mansion.
At least it was on my way. Who knows how long it would¡¯ve taken if the mansion had been in the opposite direction? The capital was too big to just stroll around on foot.
"Are wemuting together tomorrow, too?"
"No."
"Aww¡"
I gave a firm response to the 1st Manager''s whiny question, but she didn¡¯t seem too disappointed and let it slide.
Leaving work together was one thing, butmuting together in the morning was a different story. It was easier to sync up our schedules in the evening, but morning routines were too unpredictable.
"But, Executive Manager, can¡¯t you spread those rings out? It looks a bit... odd."
We reached the front gate of the Massello mansion when the 1st Manager brought it up, referring to the five rings on my left hand.
"Should I wear yours on my right hand?"
"You''re such a bad guy."
Her pouty reaction made me chuckle, so I exined why I was wearing all the rings on one hand.
"If I spread them out, someone might think I¡¯m ying favorites. I¡¯m already annoyed that I can¡¯t wear them on my ring finger."
At first, I thought I could wear all five rings on my ring finger¡ªafter all, they were only half rings¡ªbut it turned out to be impossible.
Technically speaking, they¡¯d fit, but then I wouldn¡¯t be able to bend my finger. That¡¯d be pointless, right?
"What if you end up with another ring?"
She said this horrifying thought so casually that I instinctively grabbed her lips to stop it.
But this wasn¡¯t something I did to be mean. It was just a small act of affection, or maybe a gentle way to scold her for saying something like that.
"Don¡¯t say things like that."
I spoke calmly. It¡¯d be a real problem if I had to add another ring. Five rings could be counted on one hand; six rings changed everything¡ªit was a whole different matter.
I vaguely remember someone from the past, maybe the Gold Duke, saying something simr. He said that he was careful about marrying when he had ten fingers to count on, but that he just gave up once he surpassed ten.
Though to be fair, he did stop at twelve.
¡°Mmm!¡±
Thankfully, the 1st Manager seemed to understand as she vigorously nodded and patted my hand.
She was mischievous, but she wasn¡¯t dumb. I¡¯ve given her a good talking-to, so I doubt she¡¯ll bring it up again.
"But still, you never know with life¡"
Or so I thought. She started talking again the moment I let go of her lips. It was truly sad. Hurting my prospective wife would hurt me too, after all.
I reached out with a sigh, and the 1st Manager quickly shut her mouth.
...Well, I guess it¡¯s a valid concern.
To be honest, her worry wasn¡¯t entirely unfounded. I mean, I already had five rings. It wouldn¡¯t be all that surprising if another one popped up overnight.
"If that happens, then I¡¯ll just have to split them between both hands. What else can I do?"
I patted her head using the hand I had reached out.
But honestly, I don¡¯t think it¡¯de to that.
The chain of confessions had already run its course; I doubt there¡¯d be anyone left to add to the list.
***The Executive Manager gave my head a few pats before heading back. Did he think I¡¯d like being patted on the head just because I was older?
Of course, I did. I¡¯d enjoy it even if he scratched my chin.
However, now wasn¡¯t the time to be indulging in those little pleasures.
It¡¯ll be a problem if this drags on any longer.
Judging by the Executive Manager¡¯s reaction, it seems that I was indeed thest one to confess. There were four others ahead of me, but no one else behind me.
What was frustrating was that even those four¡ªLady Marghetta, the Mage Duchess, and the two students at the Academy¡ªmet the Executive Managerter than I did but confessed first. But anyways, that wasn¡¯t the real issue.
There¡¯s no sign of Penelia.
This wasn¡¯t good. It¡¯d be a disaster if Penelia wasn¡¯t in the picture. I¡¯m sure she had feelings for the Executive Manager, too.
But who knew how long she¡¯d been stuck in the North? We¡¯ve lost all contact with her. While the rest of us were confessing to the Executive Manager, Penelia didn¡¯t even have a chance to make her move.
And now, it seemed that the Executive Manager was settling on five wives. If the year ends and Penelia still hadn¡¯t confessed...
This can¡¯t happen.
The situation was bing more and more unfavorable. The burden of going from five to six wives and the pressure of carrying it over to the new year¡ªthese were no small matters.
That was why I casually asked the Executive Manager what would happen if he had to add one more ring¡ª
¡°If that happens, then I¡¯ll just have to split them between both hands. What else can I do?¡±
...Well, at least he didn¡¯t shut me down with a t-out ¡®That¡¯s never going to happen!¡¯ However, I could still see that indifferent expression on his face.
Seriously. What are you doing?
I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. At this point, I was more frustrated with the Special Service Agency and Enen than with Penellia. Why did they have to send her on a mission at such an important time? Why did such a thing have to happen now?
I quietly took out mymunication crystal while feeling utterly defeated. I knew she wouldn¡¯t answer today either, but I had to try once a day. At least then she¡¯d see the list of missed calls and maybe, just maybe, call me back¡ª
¡ª This is the Captain of the Masked Unit speaking.
Huh?
I was fully prepared for another missed call, so I was taken aback when the connection went through. Penelia''s face, which I hadn''t seen since the Red Wave subjugation, appeared.
My mind went nk from the surprise, but I quickly snapped back to reality.
¡°Hey! Why are you only answering now?!¡±
At least she answered before the year was up.
Penelia frowned slightly at my outburst.
¡ª I already got chewed out by Yuris. You don¡¯t need to start, too.
I didn¡¯t know who this Yuris was, but it seemed like I wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d been tearing my hair out over this.
***Something unexpected caught my eye as I got closer to the mansion.
Who is that?
A little girl with brown hair was chatting with the guards. Hmm. The stern and serious guards only acted that way around two people. Then again, there were only two girls with brown hair at my mansion anyway.
¡°Ah, Master!¡±
As I slowly walked closer, the girl noticed me and bowed. From the sound of her voice, it must be Yuris.
I nodded at the guards who greeted me along with Yuris, then patted the head of the little girl who had been wandering outside alone.
¡°You finished your work beforeing out, right?¡±
¡°Hehe, of course!¡±
¡°But it¡¯s cold, so go y inside.¡±
I gently turned Yuris toward the mansion and gave her a light push.
I couldn¡¯t help but worry when such a little kid was outside on a cold day. After all, even a simple fall could result in a more serious injurypared to other seasons.
¡°You shoulde inside too, Master.¡±
¡°Yeah, I will.¡±
I walked alongside Yuris toward the mansion since that was what I was about to do anyway.
As we walked, I gave her head another pat and spoke up.
¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡±
I felt her head twitch slightly at that. She might be a smart and well-behaved kid, but her reactions were a bit too obvious since she was still young.
It¡¯s clear she was waiting for me.
Yuris hated the cold, so she wouldn¡¯t juste outside to y. If she really wanted to y, then Sofia would have been with her.
That only meant that she was waiting for me even though she didn¡¯t know when I¡¯d arrive. She must¡¯ve had something important to say.
¡°Um... Master...¡±
¡°Yes. Go ahead, speak freely.¡±
What could a young girl like her want to say to her master? Based on past experience, Yuris wasn¡¯t the type to ask for anything big.
At most, she might want some delicious dessert, or maybe a bonus to fatten her wallet. Or perhaps she¡¯d like a party to celebrate the end of the year and wee the new one.
¡°What do you think of Penelia unnie?¡±
Her unexpected question made me tilt my head in surprise. Why was she bringing up the 4th Manager all of a sudden?
¡°She¡¯s a great person. She¡¯s good at her job, and she¡¯s a good person overall. You don¡¯te across people like her easily.¡±
Of course, my answer came quickly. She¡¯d been like a ray of light for someone like me, who¡¯d been harassed by the trio of hopeless managers. I managed to survive thanks to her and the support of the Senior Manager and 5th Manager.
She had also led our shared base, the 4th Division, brilliantly. She was polite and always showed excellent results.
I honestly couldn¡¯t think of any ws.
¡°What about as a woman?¡±
My hand, which had been patting Yuris¡¯s head, froze.
No way. It couldn¡¯t be what I was thinking, right?
¡°Penelia unnie is an amazing woman too, isn¡¯t she?¡±
But Yuris¡¯s next words confirmed my suspicions.
This question, at this moment... There was no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize it after my string of miraculous confessions.
...A sixth one?
I was left speechless. I thought it was already over, but there was still more?
¡°What if you end up with another ring?¡±
I remembered what the 1st Manager had said.
Was that a prophecy...?
Chapter 254: 5 + 1 (4)
Yuris''s words threw me off for a moment, but I quickly regained myposure.
The fact that the 4th Manager had feelings for me wasn¡¯t something entirely unexpected. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t really something that should shock me at this point¡ªit was more like something I should have seening.
After all, Marghetta, who I once rejected, the Mage Duchess, who came from a different status and race, and even Louisa and Irina, whom I¡¯d known for less than a year, all seemed to like me. Even the 1st Manager, who I only worked with professionally, seemed to have a soft spot for me.
I guess I was pretty kind to the 4th Manager.
I cleared my mind and looked at the situation objectively. The 4th Manager had more than enough reasons to like me.
I took her in after she lost her family and home during the war. I fed, clothed, and sheltered her. I couldn¡¯t recall ever mistreating her. I even helped her awaken a talent she had been neglecting.
On top of that, I supported her in various ways and helped her rise to her current position. Although she was still just a knight and not a titled noble, it was almost certain she¡¯d receive a title someday.
It makes sense she would like me.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized I¡¯d treated her quite well. It was almost like I followed a ssic rescue trope to the letter.
"I should have been a bit less impressive."What a sinful man. I ended up charming yet another woman without even realizing it. My sins were indeed deep.
"Master, it¡¯s not a problem for us, but you shouldn¡¯t say things like that in front of others."
"I¡¯m sorry."
It was a brutally objective assessment. But to an outsider who knew nothing, I must¡¯ve seemed like an insufferable narcissist.
Fortunately, Yuris understood the rtionship between the 4th Manager and me, so she brushed it off. Still, as she pointed out, this wasn¡¯t something I should be saying in front of just anyone.
"But are you sure?"
I asked while patting her head. If Yuris was willing to tell me this directly, then she must have been quite confident. However, there was always a chance she could be wrong.
Yuris¡¯s age was just right for being interested in romance. Sometimes, people her age could start imagining things just because a man and a woman were close. Maybe she was just misinterpreting a close superior-subordinate rtionship as something more.
"Everyone in the mansion knows except you, Master."
"...I see."
Her firm response left no room for doubt.
So, everyone knew... except me... My awareness really was terrible...
"They might not have said anything, but I¡¯m sure they were worried. You keep adding rings to your hand, but they haven¡¯t even seen Penelia unnie around..."
Yuris sighed as she spoke. Though her words sounded like she was ming the 4th Manager, she couldn¡¯t hide the tremor in her voice.
The usually stoic 4th Manager was always gentle with the members of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office and the mansion staff. To the 4th Manager, they were like a new family, recing the ones she lost in the war.
Yuris looked up to the 4th Manager as if she were her older sister. Because of that, she must be worried about her sister¡¯s heartache from unrequited love, especially since it seemed unlikely to be fulfilled.
"Um, so, Master... Penelia unnie is a good person too, so..."
"I understand."
I cut Yuris off because I knew what she was trying to say. Even though I wasn¡¯t the type to harshly reprimand my staff, it must have taken a lot of courage for her to say this to her master.
I also held the 4th Manager in high regard just as Yuris did. After all, the 4th Manager was practically my first apprentice, and it was she who brought the 4th Division back from the brink of extinction.
I practically raised her from scratch, though it was a bit odd to say that considering she was older than me.
"I''ll seriously consider the 4th Manager''s confession whether it''s today, tomorrow, or next year."
Yes. I wouldn¡¯t take a confession lightly if it came from someone like her. She was someone I trusted more than any other subordinate and someone I¡¯d grown deeply attached to. There was no reason to dislike her, and certainly no reason to push her away.
Things might¡¯ve been different if I hadn¡¯t already epted anyone else¡¯s confession, or if I had only epted one. But I was already wearing five rings, didn''t I?
Even if I added a sixth, it would only be half as many as the Gold Duke¡¯s...
"...Um, Master?"
"Hmm?"
"I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be the first to confess..."
Though Yuris''s words were pessimistic, I couldn''t find a good reason to disagree.
That¡¯s true.
The 4th Manager was always strict, serious, and quiet. I just couldn¡¯t picture her confessing first. Honestly, it was hard to even imagine her getting married.
And if she had the courage to confess, she probably would have done so by now.
"Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it."
Yuris seemed a bit down, so I patted her head tofort her.
If she doesn¡¯t make a move, then I suppose I would have to. I could have ignored it if I didn¡¯t know, but now that I did, I just couldn¡¯t just pretend that I didn¡¯t.
***I hurried to Master''s mansion. Although I had just returned to the capital and had plenty of work to catch up on, nothing could take priority over Master¡¯s summons.
¡ª It¡¯s been a while. We haven¡¯t seen each other since the Red Wave, right?
"Yes, Master. I apologize for not calling you sooner."
¡ª It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s nothing you can do if you¡¯re busy with work.
I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look up at Master¡¯s smile, which seemed so unbothered by it all. While I was away, Master had suffered the humiliation of being imprisoned. How disgraceful was it that I, as Master¡¯s servant, couldn¡¯t even visit him during that time?
Yet, Master didn¡¯t me me. He never contacted me when I was on assignment, knowing that an ill-timed message could cause problems.
¡ª Come by the mansion when you have time. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen each other.
"I¡¯lle right away."
¡ª No, you¡¯ve just returned. There¡¯s no need to push yourself.
"I¡¯lle right away."
¡ª ...Alright.
So, I rushed over as soon as he invited me.
I left my tasks to the Vice Captain, who practically pushed me out the door when I mentioned Master¡¯s invitation. I trust that he¡¯d handle things.
"Ah. You arrived so quickly!"
To my surprise, Master hade all the way to the front gate to wait for me.
Teo and Hans, who were on guard duty, greeted me, but I barely noticed. I¡¯m sure they understood. After all, how could my heart not race when Master himself weed me?
"Let¡¯s go inside. Yuris has been looking forward to seeing you. Ah, and Sofia too."
"Yes, Master."
I couldn¡¯t help but give a small, bittersweet smile when he mentioned Yuris. Thinking of how worried she must have been when she couldn¡¯t reach me made me feel uneasy.
¡°You must have been really busy if you couldn¡¯t send a single message.¡±
"Yes. Supplies were hard toe by since the Imperial tribes rapidly dwindled. And as winter approached, it became even more difficult to operate."
"It can¡¯t be helped. Winters in the north are brutal."
Master clicked his tongue, and it made me feel even more guilty.
No, I had truly sinned. As Master''s servant, I should be solving his worries. And yet here I was, still entangled with the issues in the North.
"Don¡¯t dwell on it too much. Scouring the entire northern region is something unprecedented in the Empire¡¯s history."
Master gently patted my shoulder as if he had read my thoughts, offering hisfort.
"Thank you."
His kindness left me with no choice but to bow my head.
Though I couldn¡¯t show him any results now, I would work harder so that I could stand before him with pride by next year.
***This time, I found myself bowing my head for apletely different reason.
"Penelia, is there anything you¡¯d like to tell me?"
Master asked a question that made my heart nearly stop as soon as we entered the empty reception room.
Penelia.
My hands began to tremble involuntarily, and my breathing grew shallow. What was I supposed to do if he suddenly called me by name without any warning?
He didn¡¯t even give me a sign. Master only ever used someone¡¯s name when he was extremely angry.
But now, he wore a pleasant smile instead of anger as we walked all the way from the front gate to the reception room.
¡ª I was so happy when the Executive Manager started calling me by my name.
I suddenly recalled a conversation I had with Elizabeth just before I got in touch with Master. It was true. Master had finally started calling us by our names. I was finally being called by my name.
...And knowing the reason behind it, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look up.
¡ª Do you know how many people have confessed to the Executive Manager? I¡¯m the fifth one. There are four others before me.
Elizabeth¡¯s frustrated words,bined with Yuris¡¯s desperate attempts to reach me.
If I didn¡¯t understand what it meant after all that, then it would be a sign of low intelligence. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have a problem like that.
And now that I was remaining silent, Master himself initiated the conversation, softly calling my name and asking if I had anything to say.
Master...
His generosity made my eyes well up with tears. Why was he so merciful?
And so, I had to speak the words I had kept tightly hidden, the words I had intended to carry with me for life. After being given such consideration by Master, saying nothing would be the height of disloyalty and rudeness.
"I¡¯ve actually wanted to tell you something for a long time."
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the heat around my eyes, and slowly lifted my head.
Master was still smiling at me.
"I dared to hold you in my heart, Executive Manager. I harbored feelings for you, feelings I should never have had for someone who gave me unparalleled grace."
I felt ashamed. I had spoken aloud the secret I had sworn to keep from everyone, even Elizabeth.
It was a shameful secret. For someone who had received everything to still yearn for more and to harbor feelings for the one who showed them such mercy¡ªit was excessive and too shameful to confess to anyone.
But despite my confession, Master continued to smile. There was no trace of disappointment or anger.
"But please, don¡¯t worry."
I quickly added.
"I wouldn¡¯t dare to aspire to stand by your side. I will continue to serve and protect you as I always have."
Even though I held feelings for Master, I did not wish for anything beyond that. I dared not foolishly aspire to be his wife.
It was only natural. How could a master and a dog, a swordsman and a sword, a god and a devotee ever be husband and wife? A dog must remain a dog, a sword must remain a sword, and a devotee must remain a devotee.
Even if my feelings were overwhelming, they should never lead beyond that.
And so, I must remain just as Master''s dog, Master''s sword, and Master''s devotee. It¡¯d be enough for me to simply stay by his side and catch glimpses of him.
"If you permit me, Executive Manager, I will dedicate my entire life to serving you, your wife, and your children."
With those words, I expressed my deepest feelings to Master.
Serving him was more than enough to make me happy.
***What was this?
What on earth was going on?
Unbelievable.
This reaction was something I never could have imagined.
No. I was just expecting the 4th Manager to remain silent or perhaps change the subject.
I thought that maybe she would eventually confess her feelings after struggling with embarrassment...
Is this... love?
I was confused. Something felt off. It was definitely love, but it seemed somehow twisted.
What was more baffling was the fact that she was speaking about this twisted love as if it werepletely normal.
...Is the 4th Manager cursed?
That thought crossed my mind. The Minister, myself, and those others who were once a part of the 4th Division¡ªwere all a bit abnormal, to say the least.
The madness that gathered in the 4th Division seemed to have, unfortunately, been passed down to its current Manager. Though the name had changed to the Masked Unit, the madness remained.
"E-Executive Manager!?"
Ovee with guilt and pity, I couldn¡¯t help but hug her. I could feel her shaking in my arms, so I held her even tighter.
I¡¯m sorry, 4th Manager.
The madness left behind by the previous generation had caused you so much pain.
I¡¯ll make sure to fix this.
It was time to guide this twisted love back to the right path.
Chapter 255: 5 + 1 (5)
Left alone in the reception room, I found myself lost in thought. I had spoken of guiding her in the right direction, but how exactly do youfort a troubled child walking down a twisted path?
The only thing that came to mind was to show them the proper affection and hope to influence the 4th Manager in a positive way.
"E-E-E-Executive Manager, th-this is r-really... n-not appropriate...!"
I never expected that even showing her affection would be such a hurdle.
The 4th Manager trembled like a machine with a faulty motor as soon as she was in my embrace. She stuttered so badly that it was as if she was broken somewhere.
Despite that, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to push me away or run. Instead, she just shivered in my arms. It would have been a relief if that was the end of it.
"..."
"...Penelia?"
But then she fainted. For a moment, I thought she had adjusted to the situation. But instead of escaping physically, she escaped mentally.
Honestly, it wasn¡¯t surprising. After being mentally cornered to the point of vibrating with anxiety, there¡¯d be no real escape other than passing out. The only thing waiting at the end of that road would be a total shutdown.But to escape by fainting... the 4th Manager was unexpectedly fragile.
"I-I¡¯ll, uh, h-head out first! I-I should at least say goodbye to Yuris...!"
"Sure, go ahead."
She quickly regained her senses and fled when I gently released her. Using Yuris as an excuse meant that I couldn¡¯t even try to stop her.
What do I do now?
This was a ratherplicated situation. A close friend, someone I''d practically raised, was clearly losing it. Ignoring that would be inhumane.
And haven¡¯t I been consumed by madness before? At the time, my delusions seemed like the absolute truth. But once I snapped out of it, the aftermath was unbearable.
How devastating would it be if the 4th Manager came to her senses and realized she confessed to not wanting to marry me?
She¡¯ll probably lose it all over again.
I was starting to imagine a regrettable future that would likely not end well.
That was why I became even more determined. For the 4th Manager¡¯s happy future, I must teach her the right kind of love.
***These days, I found myself ncing at the door whenever I heard the slightest breeze. After all, the recent visitors had been anything but ordinary.
Just a while ago, I made a wedding ring for the 2nd Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. Before that, the Executive Manager himself had bought four rings.
It¡¯s about time.
I had a feeling that the Executive Manager would return soon, so I was paying extra attention.
When he purchased four rings, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was going on. But after thinking it over, I figured that he might have bought them to have a wider selection to choose from.
Even if they weren¡¯t wedding rings, they were still gifts for a loved one. It was only natural to take his time and choose carefully.
That was probably why he took the ones I rmended and spent so long deliberating. It made sense. If that wasn¡¯t the case, then his strange bulk purchase would be inexplicable.
At least I offered a return policy.
In hindsight, it was the perfect response. Despite the confusion, I made sure to ry all the important information.
By now, the Executive Manager had probably picked the one he wanted from the four. I was also already prepared to refund the value of the remaining three so that the refund would go smoothly whenever he came.
This is how you create loyal customers.
That was the essence of running a business. A small gesture of consideration and a seamless process of purchasing and returns¡ªthese were enough to win a customer¡¯s heart.
In fact, any shop in the capital sold wless goods. So, to stand out, a merchant would need to excel in everything beyond the product itself.
Ding¡ª
And then, the bell on the door rang with a clear, bright sound.
He¡¯s here.
I quickly looked up as a young man in a ck uniform¡ªthe Executive Manager¡ªwalked in. I knew it. My instincts were still sharp.
"Wee, Executive Manager."
The Executive Manager nodded in acknowledgment and approached the counter without hesitation. After all, this was about a refund and not a purchase, so there was no need to look at other items¡ª
"Could you rmend me one more ring?"
"...Sorry?"
I couldn¡¯t help but question him. It was a mistake especially since this customer was the Executive Manager, someone with the authority to bring down even thergest merchant guilds under the guise of an investigation.
Still, I couldn¡¯t help it. Anyone else would have reacted the same way.
Rmend...?
I had to doubt my own ears. Rmend? Not a refund, but a rmendation?
I stared nkly at the Executive Manager for a moment, who simply met my gaze calmly.
No, he wasn¡¯t calm. The fact that he didn¡¯t point out mypse in etiquette indicated that even he wasn¡¯t in a normal state of mind.
"One on the same level as your previous rmendations would do. Everyone seemed to like them."
"Oh, I see."
Hisment about everyone liking the rings snapped me back to reality. Or rather, it gave a bigger shock that overshadowed the initial one.
But still, my head was spinning. I had assumed that he would just pick one of the four rings.
So all those rings had owners?
And now he needed another one?
This is crazy.
I had always thought that the 2nd Manager was the one who had all the women swooning, but I was wrong.
He was just an apprentice who was learning from the real master. The true yer was right in front of me.
I shouldn''t live like that.
Having multiple lovers wasn¡¯t strange, but buying rings for all of them as if the rings were on a clearance sale... Wasn¡¯t that just too much?
Of course, while my thoughts ran wild, my hands and eyes were already scanning through the rings. Imagine the profit it would bring my family if the Executive Manager ended up buying a wedding ring from our shop and his children, out of respect for their parents, also chose to buy from us.
A customer¡¯s character and their deep pockets were separate matters. Yes, they were separate, but still...
...Wait, what?
My gaze finally settled on the Executive Manager¡¯s left hand. The five rings on his hand were something I could allow to slide.
But why is there only half of each ring?
It was a fundamental question, born from staring into the unknown. Still, I forced myself to look away.
Curiosity can be deadly sometimes.
***The confused look in the owner''s eyes broke my heart a little, but I pushed it aside.
I had already crossed the Rubicon and rolled the dice. It was pointless to worry about what others think now. All that mattered was doing what I wanted to do.
And so, I acquired the sixth ring.
...Maybe I bought it too early.
However, doubts crept in as I held the case in my hand. I hadn¡¯t even begun to heal the 4th Manager yet. Was this decision too rushed?
Until now, I¡¯d only bought the rings after receiving a confession. I always had the upper hand, buying the rings to provide a beautiful answer.
But this time, I didn¡¯t even have that advantage. I wasn¡¯t even at the starting line. At the very least, I needed to rid the 4th Manager of her madness before I could present this ring.
It¡¯ll only cause more trouble if I give it now.
The 4th Manager, with her twisted affection, would probably faint at the thought of being too unworthy for the ring or store it away in some treasure vault like a servant given a gift by their lord.
No, there was no ¡®probably¡¯ about it. It was 100% going to happen.
"This is a difficult problem."
"Isn''t it?"
Unfortunately, even Marghetta admitted that it was a tough problem. Not that I expected it to be easy¡ªI wouldn¡¯t have consulted her in the first ce if it were.
"I''m sorry. I wanted to help you more."
"No. It''s me who should apologize for bringing this up."
I quickly shook my head after seeing Marghetta look so downcast. Honestly, I only talked about this because I had promised not to hide anything from her, not because I was looking for a solution.
Confiding in your lover about problems with another woman? That¡¯d be crazy. Thankfully, Marghetta understood that I was sharing information rather than seeking advice, so she took it in stride.
"Still, I was so sure I¡¯d be the one getting confessed to. This is the first time I¡¯ve been caught off guard like this.¡±
"Carl, people might misunderstand if you say things like that in public."
Marghetta responded with a smile when I grumbled out of frustration.
...I have to say, though, that sounded pretty narcissistic even to me. Saying I was ¡®sure I''d be confessed to¡¯ sounded like I was an arrogant fool.
"Actually, using your approach might not be a bad idea."
"My approach?"
I quickly tried to recall what she meant.
That humiliating time when I was consumed by madness and talked about a joint wedding... The only thing that got me through that period was Erich¡¯s brutal honesty.
Yes, straightforwardness was the best¡ª
"But you''d have to approach it a bit differently. It might just scare Miss Penelia more if you, the person involved, approach her."
Ah.
She was right. I nodded along.
That was true. Even straightforward advice needed to be delivered face-to-face. But right now, having me just pass by might be enough to make the 4th Manager copse. She might even think I was angry and just apologize instead.
"Why not get some people close to her to help out? If multiple people around her start talking about true love and Carl, then she might start to see things differently."
"Hmm..."
"People are likely to reconsider when they realize their thoughts don¡¯t match with everyone else''s."
I felt a little sorry, but I had seen too many crazy people who simply bulldozed their way forward when they realized that their thoughts differed from everyone else''s, convinced that the world¡ªnot them¡ªwas wrong. And sometimes, they even had the god-given ability to make it possible.
"Thanks for the advice, Mar."
"Fufu, it¡¯s nothing."
Marghetta was kind enough to listen to her lover¡¯s problems, even if they involved another woman. Telling her, ¡®I don¡¯t think that will work,¡¯ would make me a heartless jerk.
Besides, I might as well try what she suggested since I didn¡¯t have any better ideas.
I just hope the 4th Manager wasn¡¯t one of those pioneers who believed they were destined to fight against the world.
***Thus, I reached out to the person closest to the 4th Manager.
No matter how I thought about it, there was no one better for this. This person would always be by her side even if she was constantly on the move due to deployments.
¡ª Vice Captain of the Masked Unit, Giuseppe Digo, reporting to the Executive Manager.
He was the former Team Manager of the 4th Division and the now Vice Captain of the Masked Unit. It would be stranger if he wasn¡¯t around the 4th Manager.
"Oh, hey. Long time no see. How¡¯ve you been?"
¡ª Thanks to your concern, I¡¯ve been doing well.
"d to hear that."
His unwavering politeness made me feel a bit guilty. He must have just returned from an assignment and here I was, his former superior, calling him out of the blue.
So, I decided to get straight to the point. I was already inconveniencing him by reaching out, and dragging the conversation out would only make it worse.
"Vice Captain."
¡ª Yes, Executive Manager?
"It seems like the 4th Manager is not feeling well."
At that, his eyes widened in surprise.
"It¡¯s¡ª"
Then, I quickly exined the situation, leaving out the part about the trembling and eventual fainting to preserve the 4th Manager¡¯s dignity.
"So, I was hoping you guys could help out a bit."
¡ª Leave it to me! I¡¯ll do my best!
"Good, I knew I could count on you."
His response, burning with a sense of duty, made me nod in satisfaction.
I was pleased. Even though the name had changed, the 4th Division was still the 4th Division. Their camaraderie remained as strong as ever.
¡ª I¡¯ll make sure the Captain confesses to you!
Though his direction was a bit off, it wasn¡¯t harmful, so I didn¡¯t bother correcting him.
But make the 4th Manager confess? How exactly did he n to do that?
Was he going to write up some sort of petition?
Chapter 256: But Life Goes On (1)
It had been a few days since I issued the secret orders to the Vice Captain. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a directive that required immediate results, so I decided to wait patiently.
Fixing the twisted affections of the 4th Manager, which must have been warped over years, couldn¡¯t be done in just a few days. It¡¯d be like soft rain soaking your clothes¡ªchange woulde gradually, little by little.
Still, it would be nice if we saw some progress by March. If we let it drag on past the school opening in March, it¡¯d be summer vacation before I could see the 4th Manager again.
¡°So, when you see the 4th Manager, be kind to her.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve always been kind.¡±
I quietly turned my gaze away from the 1st Manager who seemed a bit offended, even sniffling as if she was upset.
While it was true that the 1st Manager and the 4th Manager were close, calling the 1st Manager ¡®kind¡¯ might be a bit of a stretch. To others, it might honestly seem like she was just pestering and annoying the quiet 4th Manager.
Can I really trust her?
I couldn¡¯t help but worry. What if she only ends up making the 4th Manager¡¯s condition worse?
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! If Penelia ends up with you, then I¡¯ll finally be off the hook as the youngest!¡±But somehow, her words brought me somefort. Yes. I shouldn¡¯t trust her kindness but her self-interest.
¡°There¡¯s no such thing as the ¡®youngest.¡¯¡±
Of course, I corrected that little misunderstanding. Among them, there was no older or youngest; it was just a matter of who joined first.
With that in mind, I pulled on her lips as a mild reprimand for her careless words, and she quickly nodded in understanding. She wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake twice now that she had been warned.
¡°But, Executive Manager, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been curious about.¡±
¡°Go on.¡±
She stepped back a few paces and carefully spoke up as soon as I released her lips.
¡°¡You¡¯re writing the evaluation for the minister, right?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
It was an obvious question, so I gave an obvious answer.
¡°Who else would I be evaluating besides the minister?¡±
The year-end performance evaluation was the only time a direct subordinate could evaluate their immediate superior.
These year-end evaluations were sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, whichpiled them and submitted them to the Emperor. It was one of the rare opportunities for the voices of the civil servants, who were toiling away in the field, to reach the Emperor.
¡°No matter how I look at it, this doesn¡¯t sound like an evaluation of the minister.¡±
The 1st Manager, mumbling in a disgruntled tone, snatched the paper I was writing on.
How unbelievable that the subordinates these days were stealing from their superiors. The world really was going downhill.
¡°Current Finance Minister Deber Briad of Blotchen is fair and just, always leading by example, and listens to even the lowest-ranking subordinates before making efficient decisions¡¡±
The 1st Manager turned her gaze back to me as she read the evaluation I had written.
¡°Who is this supposed to be? If there¡¯s a minister like this, then let¡¯s go work for him together.¡±
¡°He¡¯s sitting in the minister¡¯s office right now.¡±
I said as I retrieved the stolen evaluation paper.
I knew that the minister I described in my evaluation was nothing more than a fantasy character that only existed in fairy tales. But, what could I do? All I¡¯d be doing would be cursing him out if I wrote my true feelings.
¡°If I write the truth and the minister gets fired, then what?¡±
Then, damn it. It was already pretty obvious who¡¯d be taking that spot¡ªme.
The Crown Prince was already itching for a chance to promote me, and the Minister was looking for any excuse to retire. If I submit a negative evaluation, then the Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t hesitate to seize the opportunity.
Of course, the Minister wouldn¡¯t retire but would be transferred instead. Still, staying here would be better for him than being transferred in a job he wasn¡¯t suited for.
¡°And you¡¯re okay with submitting a false evaluation?¡±
¡°Won¡¯t I get fired someday for falsifying reports and submitting them?¡±
The 1st Manager gave me a look of deep concern, but I didn¡¯t pay it any mind.
Dreaming was free, wasn¡¯t it?
***No department had it easy at the end of the year, but the Internal Affairs Department was especially busy during this time.
It was unavoidable. The end of the year was when all departments and civil servants submitted their performance reports and evaluations. It was also a time of endless lobbying, with people trying to ensure that they hadn¡¯t received any negative evaluations and trying to have positive notes added to the final report that went to His Majesty the Emperor.
Even though the Internal Affairs Department didn¡¯t directly manage the appointments of civil servants, it was the only department that could legally advise the Emperor on such decisions. It was no different from how the centralmand often had more influence than the fieldmanders even on the battlefield.
If there¡¯s a hell, then it¡¯s probably here.
But in the Imperial Administration, power and workload went hand in hand. I sometimes wish they¡¯d just take away some of my power and reduce my workload.
I¡¯m not even interested in climbing all the way to the ministerial position, so please spare me.
Whenever I was reviewing evaluations of civil servants, I often wondered whether I was living among humans or in some kind of den filled with beasts.
They blew it out of proportion with all sorts of embellishments if they noticed even the slightest w in their superiors. The more they exaggerated, the more likely it was that their superior would step down, opening up a promotion opportunity for them. Not all officials were like this, of course, but the few who were ambitious tended to be the loudest.
This was a position where you could witness the ugliness of humanity up close and unfiltered. It was both physically and mentally exhausting.
¡°Executive Manager, here¡¯s the report from the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.¡±
¡°Ah, just leave it there.¡±
While I was rubbing my temples to relieve the daily headache, the Senior Manager approached and handed me a thin stack of documents.
The Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
Seeing the familiar name, a small smile crept onto my face. Just a few years ago, the Prosecutors¡¯ Office was a ce notorious for its ruthlessness.
¡°Pfft¡ª¡±
I couldn¡¯t help butugh when I saw the evaluation written by the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, which was right on top.
It was filled with nothing butpliments and praises. If you only read the evaluation, then you¡¯d probably think the Minister being mentioned in the document was the most exemry and virtuous person in the world. Even false ttery could be amusing if you saw it three times in a row.
It¡¯s so transparent.
His desperate efforts to hold on to the current minister and his twisted resolve to be rewarded for what was obviously a fabricated evaluation were clear as day.
It was almost entertaining. After reading through so many cunning and deceitful evaluations,ing across something so straightforward felt like finding an oasis in the desert.
And it wasn¡¯t just the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡ªhis subordinates were the same.
[ The Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office always leads by example and takes full responsibility for his subordinates¡¯ mistakes¡ª ]
[ He is respectful to his superiors and kind to his subordinates. He refuses unreasonable orders and gives only fairmands. ]
[ He stands by his words and never has to repeat himself. He doesn¡¯t cut off his tail to avoid responsibility. ]
¡°Ahahaha¡¡±
Even Emperor Amanca the Great¡¯s founding chronicles of the empire wouldn¡¯t be filled with this much praise.
The flood of enthusiasticpliments from both the Senior Manager and the Managers was so overwhelming that even I, who wasn¡¯t the subject, felt my face heat up. And I almost burst outughing again at the dark schemes hidden beneath those flowery words.
One of the reasons the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office couldn¡¯t resign no matter how hard he tried was precisely because of these evaluations.
¡°There were concerns about his young age when he was appointed, but it seems he¡¯s leading his department admirably. It¡¯s truly reassuring.¡±
After reading the evaluation sent by the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, His Majesty didn¡¯t say another word. It was an unspoken confirmation that the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office would remain in his position no matter what.
¡°Executive Manager of Internal Affairs, wouldn¡¯t it be easier if you had a bit less work? Don¡¯t worry about the evaluations from the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.¡±
Even the Crown Prince was firm in his decision to maintain the status quo at the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
That was why the evaluations from the Prosecutors¡¯ Office had no impact on personnel changes. It was just a shame that the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office didn¡¯t realize this.
I wish other departments were like this, too.
A fleeting thought of greed crossed my mind, but so what? Weren¡¯t we free to dream?
Anyway, making peopleugh with just a few words on paper was a talent in itself. I was already looking forward to next year¡¯s evaluations.
***I knew the Vice Captain was diligently writing something, but since it was time for year-end performance evaluations, I just assumed he had a lot to say about me. If the Vice Captain had a lot to say, then it meant that I had fallen short somehow, so I didn¡¯t me him for it.
I wondered if I had really been that bad as a captain when I saw the other members whispering with the Vice Captain, but I tried to let it go. I shouldn¡¯t get angry at the members who were dissatisfied with my shorings, anyway.
¡I should have gotten angry.
¡°Vice Captain.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°What is this?¡±
The Vice Captain handed me a paper with a solemn expression. As soon as I looked at it, I closed my eyes.
¡°This is the collective opinion of the entire Masked Unit.¡±
Hearing those grand words made my head spin. Collective opinion? Could you even attach a term like that to a document like this?
¡°This represents the loyalty of myself and all the members.¡±
¡°In what way is this loyalty¡ª?¡±
¡°If it¡¯s not loyalty, then please consider it an expression of familial love.¡±
His words shut me up.
Bringing up family at a time like this¡ªhow underhanded. How could I refuse after that?
¡°Please, just this once, read it through to the end. That¡¯s all we ask.¡±
And what choice did I have if he pleaded like that?
¡Fine, I should think of it as an earnest suggestion from a subordinate or as a show of affection from a family member. That¡¯d be the right way to approach this.
So, I steadied my trembling hands and began to read the paper the Vice Captain handed me¡ª
[ The Masked Unit, including Vice Captain Giuseppe Digo, formally requests of Vice Captain Penelia Euse.
Several years have passed since we were reborn thanks to the grace of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager. That grace is something we could never repay, even if we were reborn dozens of times. But to give up on repaying it would be the behavior of beasts.
However, it breaks our hearts that our captain regards the Executive Manager not as someone to whom she should repay her debt, but as someone to follow blindly.
Right now, the captain¡ª ]
I couldn¡¯t read much further before closing my eyes again.
¡°Captain.¡±
But the Vice Captain spoke up again as if he was determined not to let me avoid the issue.
¡°The reason for repaying a debt cannot be just the repayment itself. Isn¡¯t it sad to treat the rtionship between the Executive Manager and us to a mere master-servant dynamic?¡±
¡°¡¡±
¡°Of course, we are more than willing to be his servants. But if the Executive Manager desires something beyond that, then wouldn¡¯t it be an insult to do nothing under the pretext of repaying a debt?¡±
For once, I was left speechless by the Vice Captain¡¯s serious tone.
Still, I needed to argue back. As the Vice Captain said, we owed a great deal to the Executive Manager. We must repay that debt fully.
But approaching the Executive Manager with such familiarity despite that would be presumptuous. Surely¡
¡°If you truly want to repay the Executive Manager, then think about what he wants. Doing what you want is just self-satisfaction.¡±
However, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to argue.
Chapter 257: But Life Goes On (2)
Chapter 257: But Life Goes On (2)I felt a wave of guilt and self-loathing when I realized that I couldn¡¯t respond to the Vice Captain¡¯s words. Guilt for not considering how to repay Master, and self-loathing for putting myself before him.
It was absurd. After all, I should be devoting my entire life to him, yet I found myself distracted. Instead of repaying the kindness Master had shown me, I had fallen into the bizarre situation of repaying him just for the sake of it.
When did it start?
I bit my lip. How long had I been deceiving even myself?
Of course, my loyalty and devotion to Master were unwavering. Even if I had been looking in the wrong direction, that much had never changed. If that had beenpromised, I might as well have lost my sight and hearing.
But just as the Vice Captain said, I had be self-satisfied. If that was the case, then how was I any different from someone who was blind or deaf?
¡°Repayment should be done in the way the recipient wants. If the giver decides, it¡¯s not repayment¡ªit¡¯s just a way to feel good about themselves.¡±
The Vice Captain continued speaking when I didn¡¯t respond. He never showed mercy when someone revealed a weakness, pushing forward with all the relentless determination seen in the 4th Division.
It was just sad to see him use that determination against me.
¡°Captain, would you do anything the Executive Manager asks for?¡±¡°Of course. Even if it costs me my life.¡±
I was able to answer this question confidently. Master had given me a new life, and without him, I would have either died long ago or lived a fate worse than death.
So, I would give it up willingly if Master wanted to take back the life he gave me.
¡°Then how about bing his wife?¡±
¡°Th-that¡¯s¡¡±
My confidence vanished again. While I was ready to do anything, this seemed impossible no matter how much I thought about it. It was far too much for someone like me.
I was merely Master¡¯s shadow, his loyal dog that lingered by his side. I would only tarnish his brilliance if I were to get any closer.
¡°That would be for my benefit, not Master¡¯s¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s up to him to decide that.¡±
He wasn¡¯t wrong.
¡°But, I¡¯m just amoner¡¡±
¡°Do you really think he would care about that?¡±
There was no way Master didn¡¯t already know what I knew.
In the end, I lowered my gaze in silence, defeated by the Vice Captain¡¯s relentless logic.
I was trapped. Whatever argument I made would be useless. If I said that it was too much, he would tell me that Master would make that decision. If I gave reasons why it was impossible, he would ask if I really thought Master wouldn¡¯t know better.
¡°I¡¯d even consider changing my gender if the Executive Manager wanted to marry me.¡±
I shuddered at those words. Was it because of the Vice Captain¡¯s destructive will? No. It was because he said it so casually knowing it would never happen.
The Vice Captain knew Master would never propose to him, so there would be no need to change his gender and he could say whatever he liked. All he needed to do was convince me.
¡°But I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re behaving this way when you don¡¯t need to go through such trouble.¡±
¡°¡¡±
The Vice Captain kept talking, and I listened in silence.
Even after I finally escaped him, every soldier I encountered began lecturing me.
¡Maybe I should request another deployment.
For a moment, that thought crossed my mind. There should be plenty of ces to go, even if it wasn¡¯t in the North.
***Writing a glowing review for the Minister on his evaluation report and then seeing him in person left me with a strange feeling. It was probably simr to how a child felt when they realized that Santa us was just their dad all along.
No, it was even more than that. From the kid¡¯s perspective, at least their dad was still someone precious and worth looking up to.
¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±
¡°I was just thinking you look as healthy as ever.¡±
How bitterly ironic. The glowing praise I wrote on the evaluation wasn¡¯t just to tter him. It was more like a piece of art, an unconscious expression of the kind of boss I wish I had.
But the reality was harsh. The brutal truth didn¡¯t change no matter how artistic I got.
If only he weren¡¯t my direct superior.
I have never resented my position as an Executive Manager more than today. I might have a shot at getting a new minister if I were just a Manager or Team Manager, but I¡¯d definitely end up as the new minister if they did a shuffle now.
Come to think of it, I wouldn¡¯t be in this mess if the Crown Prince hadn¡¯t promoted me to this position. Damn it. If anything was wrong in my life, then half of it was the Crown Prince¡¯s fault. The other half was Kagan¡¯s.
¡°Since you¡¯re here, take a seat. Stop standing around making a racket.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
The most distracting thing was probably the Minister, who was working out in the middle of his office, but I kept that thought to myself.
¡°Oh, did you submit the evaluation?¡±
The minister, having tossed his dumbbells aside, asked as if he had just remembered.
That surprised me. I didn¡¯t think he cared about what others thought of him. I assumed he wouldn¡¯t care less about something like that based on the way he acted.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wrote it like you¡¯re an unparalleled saint in the world.¡±
I nodded, giving him a reassuring thumbs up.
Even people who didn¡¯t like the Minister would change their minds after reading that evaluation. They¡¯d see him as a true leader who genuinely cared for his subordinates.
But the Minister frowned despite my sincerity.
¡°For once, just write half of what you actually say to me.¡±
¡°Do you think I¡¯m crazy?¡±
There wasn¡¯t a chance I¡¯d do that, so I answered firmly.
There was no way I¡¯d be doing anything that would benefit the Minister. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of him retiring before me, not even for a second. If I was stuck as the Executive Manager, then he should be stuck as the Minister for life.
¡°You tough bastard.¡±
The Minister finally sat down, tossing out a backhandedpliment.
Of course, he didn¡¯t mean it seriously. At this point, neither of us was worried about losing our heads over an evaluation report. We were just clinging to a sliver of hope.
¡°So, what did you call me here for?¡±
I cautiously asked once the Minister sat down.
I¡¯d given a routine report not long ago, and there wasn¡¯t anything particrly pressing at the moment. The Minister wasn¡¯t exactly the type to call someone in just for a friendly chat.
¡°It¡¯s about the North.¡±
I leaned forward, curious.
¡°Has somethinge up?¡±
It caught my interest because it was unexpected. From what I heard from the 4th Manager, they hadn¡¯t found much and had just returned. But if the Minister was bringing it up, then something must havee to light.
¡°No. Nothing at all.¡±
?
What the hell?
Then why did he call me in?
¡°It¡¯s so empty that it¡¯s suspicious. The Special Service Agency turned over every stone, and they found absolutely nothing.¡±
However, my frustration started to subside as I listened further.
Finding nothing and achieving nothing were two different things. Even if they didn¡¯t obtain critical information, they should usually find at least some traces. The fact that they found nothing at all was not a normal situation.
¡°No matter how vast the North is, there are only so many ces where people can survive. Unless that Defier and his remnant forces are hiding in some eternally snow-covered mountain¡¡±
¡°There¡¯s no way that bastard would retreat like that.¡±
¡°Exactly. And that¡¯s the problem.¡±
We were talking about Heaven¡¯s Defier, Udesur Dorgon, who was the sole survivor among the Eight War Machines, and his remnant forces.
The Special Service Agency was still scouring the North because of that man, who managed to survive the final battle and escape. It was hard to imagine that someone who fought so hard to stay alive would give up on revenge and go into hiding.
¡°I will return! On the day the warriors of the ins break free from the leash of deceit you have ced on them and roar toward the heavens, and on the day we transform from dogs into wolves, I will return!¡±
He vanished after leaving those grand words behind, so it was almostughable to think he would just disappear. He left behind a mystery worthy of legend and then vanished. In many ways, he had already be a myth.
¡°He¡¯s got tribes working with him, that¡¯s for sure. And it¡¯s not just one or two.¡±
¡°That¡¯s horrifying.¡±
If he wasn¡¯t hiding, then the absence of traces meant that there were forces meticulously covering them up. Evading the empire¡¯s pursuit wasn¡¯t something an individual could do alone.
I expected this from the moment the 2nd Manager encountered the Chauzid tribe, but it seemed that it involved more than just a few tribes, just as the Minister suggested.
They¡¯re more persistent than a leech.
I rubbed my face in frustration.
The fierce anti-imperial tribes had already taken a one-way trip to the afterlife with Kagan. And yet there were still people willing to cooperate with Kagan¡¯s son? Where were these bastards respawning from?
¡°But nothing will happen right away. Northern winters are harsh even for the natives. The Special Service Agency believes that it would take until summer at the earliest for any unusual activity to appear.¡±
I nodded at this somewhat positive news.
Even during the Great War, winter was an unofficial ceasefire period. Kagan himself stayed holed up in his base during the winter. Anyone foolish enough to wander around would only be torn to shreds by the North¡¯s razor-sharp winds.
¡°Well, I just wanted to let you know.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°And this is important¡ª¡±
Following that, the Minister pulled something out from his inner pocket.
Important?
I felt a sudden stiffness while watching him. Something more important than Dorgon¡¯s whereabouts? Did some crazed necrophile manage to revive Kagan?
No, Kagan¡¯s body was burned to ashes; there should be nothing left to revive.
¡°It¡¯s a wedding invitation.¡±
¡°¡I see.¡±
The delicate object emerging from the Minister¡¯s pocket was so unexpected that I felt all the tension drain from me.
Damn it. Stop messing with my head.
¡°You don¡¯t have to attend, but send a generous gift.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you usually tell people to show up?¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it bring bad luck if a guy with five rings showed up at a newlywed¡¯s wedding?¡±
The Minister¡¯s words made me unconsciously look at my left hand.
There, were five brightly shining rings. It looked as if I were promoting polygamy.
Damn this.
Indeed, showing up at the 2nd Manager¡¯s wedding who was once famous as the yboy of the capital in this state wouldn¡¯t be appropriate. I¡¯d have nothing to argue with if he became inspired to bring in a second wife before he even enjoyed his honeymoon.
If I do attend the wedding, maybe I should wear gloves over these rings¡
Chapter 258: But Life Goes On (3)
I had been enjoying a peaceful and uneventful end of the year after responding to the Minister¡¯s summons. Although Dorgon¡¯s whereabouts still bothered me, heading north in the dead of winter was out of the question. Besides, it would be strange for someone from the Ministry of Finance like me to go up there in the first ce.
Anyway, the Senior Manager diligentlypleted the annual review of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s work and I had also written a glowing evaluation report for the Minister. I had already handled all the tasks that needed my attention.
The only thing left to worry about was whether the other departments used their annual budgets properly, but even that was taken care of by the Senior Manager while I was away.
Having apetent subordinate sure makes life easier.
I took a sip of tea and nced over the documents the Senior Manager submitted. If it weren¡¯t for him, the Prosecutors¡¯ Office would have fallen apart long ago. Promoting him, who was just a Team Manager back then, to Senior Manager was the best decision of my civil service career.
I¡¯d definitely take him with me as the Minister¡¯s secretary if I get promoted. I couldn¡¯t imagine working without him anymore.
The only concern was what to do if both the Executive Manager and Senior Manager positions became vacant at the same time¡ª
Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out.
Honestly, that wasn¡¯t my problem anymore. A real man wouldn¡¯t look back at what he¡¯d already left behind.
Besides, wasn¡¯t the Crown Prince notorious for his shocking personnel decisions? I trust he¡¯d figure something out. If necessary, he could always promote the 3rd or 5th Managers.¡The 3rd Manager as the Executive Manager¡
I suddenly pictured arge, bald man in the Executive Manager¡¯s chair. The visual was more fitting for a mafia boss than an Executive Manager. That was a future I definitely couldn¡¯t handle.
On second thought, promoting the 3rd Manager was out of the question. Even now, I felt like a mob boss with an enforcer by my side whenever I was with him. Could you imagine a Minister walking around with a mafia boss as his Executive Manager?
Anyone would think I¡¯m the mastermind behind it all.
I couldn¡¯t help but let out a dryugh and absentmindedly rubbed the corner of my eye. If I had narrow eyes, I¡¯d be the perfect viin.
Knock, knock¡ª
A knock on the door snapped me back to reality as I thought about such pointless things.
¡°Executive Manager, it¡¯s the Senior Manager.¡±
¡°Senior Manager?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
I recognized the voice outside, but the unexpected visit made me ask back.
How long had it only been since he submitted the documents? Why was he back so soon? Did he have more papers to submit?
¡°Come in.¡±
Of course, I told him to enter since it would be strange to send him away after he made the effort toe back. If he had returned, then he must have a good reason.
As soon as I gave permission, the Senior Manager carefully opened the door and stepped in. He was empty-handed, so there were no additional documents to submit.
He doesn¡¯t seem troubled.
His calm expression also assured me that there wasn¡¯t an emergency.
That was a relief. If something serious had happened, mymunication crystal would¡¯ve been lighting up before he even arrived.
¡°So, what¡¯s the matter?¡±
I asked lightly since it didn¡¯t seem urgent. I needed to hear him out and send him back quickly¡ªhe was probably busier than I was.
¡°You have a visitor, Executive Manager.¡±
¡°A visitor?¡±
I tilted my head, puzzled by the unexpected news. A visitor at the end of the year?
If someone went out of their way to visit me now, then they must be important enough to attend the New Year¡¯s Ball. It was rare for someone like that to make early contact during the end of the year when it would be easier to meetter.
¡°Who is it?¡±
¡°It¡¯s the 4th Manager.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
I nodded in understanding. This was wee news during the slow year-end.
The 4th Manager came on her own. It seemed that the efforts of the Masked Unit had paid off.
***This wasn¡¯t how I wanted to learn about the unity within the 4th Division. When one person disappeared, another showed up, and by morning, a different face arrivedpared to the day before.
¡°Oh, Captain! You¡¯re up?¡±
The moment I stepped out of my room, the 2nd Team Manager greeted me as if he had been waiting.
¡°Good morning! Ah, the weather is just perfect today.¡±
He was talking about how nice the weather was even though a blizzard was raging outside.
It was dizzying. Every soldier I meet behaved this way ever since the Vice Captain imed to represent the group¡¯s consensus. Simple greetings were natural amongrades, but¡ª
¡°They say taking a cozy walk in the snow is thetest trend for couples.¡±
It was a problem when the greetings didn¡¯t just end there but segued into something strange.
How did a morning greeting transition into a discussion about dating? I was starting to think that was the result when sentences were thrown together without regard for their connection.
¡°¡That¡¯s an unusual trend.¡±
¡°Haha, well, trends are like that. They¡¯re called trends because they¡¯re not ordinary, aren¡¯t they?¡±
The 2nd Team Manager beamed, and I forced myself to nod.
He wasn¡¯t the only one messing with my head. Everyone seemed desperate to get under my skin, so there was no point in snapping at him.
¡°Right. Maybe you should try enjoying the trend yourself, Captain. You¡¯ve got a perfect partner, after all.¡±
The 2nd Team Manager pped his hands theatrically and continued when I didn¡¯t respond.
¡°¡¡±
¡°Come on, Captain! I¡¯m giving you some great advice here!¡±
Of course, I quickly walked away while ignoring his obvious ploy. I could hear him shouting behind me, but I didn¡¯t react.
It was just too obvious. They were trying to persuade me with logic and reasoning just a few days ago, but now they were resorting to tant nonsense as soon as they caught my eye.
¡°It¡¯s freezing outside. Maybe watching someone fall in love would warm me up.¡±
¡°This stew is too salty. Won¡¯t watching some sweet moments help bnce it out?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t spent any of my srytely; it¡¯s just piling up. If someone got married, then I could at least give them a wedding gift.¡±
¡°Everyone here is hopeless at romance! I¡¯m done with this unit!¡±
It felt like I was losing my mind. The people who once said that gestures should be sincere and not just for the sake of reciprocation¡ªwhere had they gone?
The ones who used to suffocate me with unassable logic were gone, leaving behind only these ridiculous creatures who insisted on their absurdities. Creatures so shameful that I¡¯d be too embarrassed to lift my head if anyone saw them.
I know why they were doing this. They were frustrated because I was still standing my ground, unmoved. Logic hadn¡¯t worked, so they were appealing to my emotions¡ªor maybe they were trying to drive me mad.
¡It¡¯s not like I want to be in this position.
A bitter feeling welled up inside me. What kind of captain would ignore the fact that her subordinates were losing their minds? What kind of person would pretend not to notice their family¡¯s earnest wishes?
It was just that I was too scared to take the first step. Though their relentless pressure had shown me the way, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move forward. I was just hesitating and stuck in ce.
How could I be this shameless, even after all this time?
I already missed my chance. I should have said everything when Master gently held me and asked if I had anything to say.
I should have spoken of my genuine feelings and loyalty, not the twisted devotion I kept hidden. I should have told Master that I wanted to stay by his side for the rest of my life and not just protect him from afar, but to be close within his gaze and touch.
But I deceived myself. I dared to draw a line between us despite knowing I should follow Master¡¯s will. I, who secretly wanted to express my affection for Master like Elizabeth, turned my back.
So, I wasn¡¯t worthy. No matter how much the others pushed me, I couldn¡¯t move forward. Anyone with a shred of decency wouldn¡¯t dare to do that.
¡Or so I thought.
¡ª Love doesn¡¯t care about decency or saving face.
¡°What does that even mean?¡±
Until Elizabeth dropped her bombshell.
When she contacted me under the pretense of a friendly greeting, I thought it might actually be a good thing. Given her rtionship with the Executive Manager, I figured she could offer some useful advice.
So, I casually asked her what she thought I should do.
¡ª I cried and begged the Executive Manager. If I¡¯d worried about pride, I never would have done it.
Hearing her say this with a strangely enlightened look in her eyes left me speechless. Elizabeth, crying and pleading? What on earth had happened while I was in the North?
¡ª Penelia, listen closely. Pride is fleeting, but love is forever.
Despite her calm demeanor, I could see an unwavering conviction in her eyes¡ªa belief she was absolutely unwilling topromise.
¡ª So don¡¯t hesitate¡ªjust go for it. Would you rather be embarrassed for a moment or live a lifetime of regret?
¡°But, what right do I have¡ª¡°
¡ª That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying¡ªstop worrying about whether you have the right or not. Did you even hear what I said?
Her voice grew louder in frustration, and I lowered my gaze quietly.
¡ª ¡But it¡¯s still better if the embarrassment is only for a short time.
Her anger seemed to soften after seeing my reaction, and she spoke in a gentler tone.
Then, my hands began to tremble as she continued her advice.
¡ª Then the embarrassment will onlyst a moment, and the Executive Manager will take care of the rest.
¡°E-Elizabeth!¡±
My voice involuntarily rose. While it seemed like it could be effective, wasn¡¯t that going too far?
No, if things went wrong, I might end up looking like a fool in front of Master. Just imagining that scenario made me want to disappear.
¡ª Well, then, do it all on your own if you don¡¯t like my suggestion.
But with that, she left me speechless again.
¡Alright, I should try to think positively. This was advice from Elizabeth, who had been in my shoes before.
A moment of embarrassment¡ a lifetime of love¡ Just one moment of shame, and the rest would be up to the Executive Manager¡
Okay. Let¡¯s do it.
***I asked the Senior Manager to send the 4th Manager to my office.
In my mind, the 4th Manager was still a part of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, so meeting in the Executive Manager¡¯s office would feel morefortable than an impersonal reception room.
¡°Come in, Penelia.¡±
¡°Uh, y-yes, Executive Manager. It¡¯s an honor to see you.¡±
Another reason I called her here was to ensure that no one else would see how flustered she was.
I doubt she¡¯d run away likest time providing that she came here voluntarily, but suppressing those nervous tremors was another matter entirely. Even the Mage Duchess couldn¡¯t achieve that feat.
¡°It¡¯s pretty cold outside, isn¡¯t it? Would you like some tea?¡±
¡°Thank you¡ I¡¯d appreciate that.¡±
I offered and she nodded repeatedly, her scarf still wrapped around her.
It was a bit surprising. Normally, the 4th Manager never seemed bothered by the heat or cold. I never expected to see her wearing such a cute, cozy essory.
Amused by the unexpected sight, I turned toward the shelf with a smile. Then again, she had juste back from the brutal cold up North, so maybe the effects were still lingering.
¡°Yuris was asking when you wereing back.¡±
I casually mentioned this as I turned my back to her.
The 4th Manager used Yuris as an excuse when she ran away from mest time, but the sad truth was that Yuris never actually saw her. How pitiful.
¡°S-Sorry, something urgent¡ came up¡¡±
¡°It did seem urgent.¡±
As I said that, the 4th Manager, who had been stammering, suddenly fell silent.
What a shame. If Yuris had seen her now, then she would¡¯ve witnessed just how nervous she was. Maybe I should leave the tea set on the table instead of the shelf next time.
¡°Well, maybe next time we can¡ meet¡¡±
I found myself at a loss for words as I gathered the tea set and turned around.
What on earth¡?
I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes, and it took a moment for my brain to catch up with what I was seeing.
At some point, the 4th Manager had removed her scarf. However, there was still something around her neck¡ªsomething made of ck leather. If I wanted to be optimistic, I might think it was a choker, but¡
It wasn¡¯t a choker. Chokers didn¡¯te with attached leashes.
A¡ cor?
What the hell was this? Was I dreaming?
Or was this some kind of protest, a deration that she¡¯d never be my partner?
¡°Ma-Master.¡±
And then, with trembling hands, the 4th Manager handed me the leash¡¯s handle.
What¡
Why the fuck¡?
Why was she giving this to me?
I looked at her in utter confusion, and she took a deep breath before speaking slowly.
¡°I¡¯m entrusting everything I have to you, Master.¡±
Please don¡¯t say something so serious all of a sudden.
And why, of all times, was she doing this now?
Chapter 259: But Life Goes On (4)
I found myself in a dream today¡ Or maybe it started yesterday.
¡°Master.¡±
Could my entire life be just a dream? The life I thought I was living¡ªwas it actually just a giant illusion?
Perhaps a crazed god was stimting my brain with mana. Damn you, Enen. You twisted jerk.
¡°M-Master?¡±
Ah.
The trembling voice of the 4th Manager snapped me back from the long mental journey I was about to embark on. How must she feel if I already felt like I was going crazy? She might just run away if I didn¡¯t respond.
¡Even with the leash on.
Damn it.
I couldn¡¯t help but imagine the 4th Manager running out of the office with a leash around her neck, her face flushed red with embarrassment.That would be the end of me. Not just my career as a civil servant, but my entire social life. I couldn¡¯t let that happen.
So, I grabbed the handle that the 4th Manager offered me with trembling hands. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if this was the right thing to do even as I grabbed it, but I grabbed it nheless.
¡°Thank you, Master.¡±
At that, the anxious expression on the 4th Manager¡¯s face quickly brightened. Now that I think about it, she started calling me ¡®Master¡¯ instead of ¡®Executive Manager¡¯ at some point.
It was dizzying. What on earth had happened these past few days?
¡°¡You¡¯re trusting me with everything?¡±
¡°Yes, Master.¡±
She nodded firmly and sincerely when I asked. Unlikest time when she drew a line and avoided me, she now seemed resolute in following my lead.
Well, alright then. It was a good decision. Finally, she was facing the situation head-on instead of running away¡ªhow could that not be a good thing?
But still, was the whole leash scene really necessary? Words would¡¯ve been enough.
¡°That¡¯s quite a boldmitment.¡±
I asked carefully, wanting to know what drove her to do this. If anyone had seen this, my social life would have been over.
¡°E-Elizabeth said that if I did this, Master would take care of the rest.¡±
The 4th Manager replied, looking embarrassed.
I felt a deep sense of despair. I never imagined there¡¯d be a spy among us. If she was going to give advice, then why not give normal advice? Why this?
Was this some twisted form of friendship where they couldn¡¯t bear to hold onto embarrassing memories alone? Since the 4th Manager cried her eyes out in the middle of the street, she must have thought that it was only fair that her friend wore a leash.
The 1st Manager¡ What a terrifying person.
¡°And what do you want me to do?¡±
I couldn¡¯t resist teasing the 4th Manager a bit for blindly following that strange advice.
I felt a little bad for doing this to someone who had the courage toe to me with a leash, but she should also consider how I felt for having to witness it.
¡°U- um, well¡¡±
The 4th Manager was visibly flustered by my question. She was probably confused because, contrary to the 1st Manager¡¯s advice, I was asking her what she wanted.
I wanted to tease her more, but I held back. I¡¯d be the one who would be suffering if I pushed too hard and she ran away. Sure, the handle was in my hand so she wouldn¡¯t get far, but controlling someone with a leash didn¡¯t sit right with me.
¡°I¡¯m just kidding. I already know everything.¡±
¡°T-Thank you¡¡±
The 4th Manager muttered in a small voice when I patted her head.
I should look on the bright side. Even though the 4th Manager put on a rather unusual performance, she did erase the line she had drawn between us and took a step closer. She did add the bit about leaving everything to me, but that was just typical of her.
This felt like a pretty intense confession. It was almost like those ¡®I¡¯ll give you half, so give me your half¡¯ kind of derations you¡¯d hear about.
¡°First, let¡¯s take that off. I¡¯m afraid someone might see.¡±
I reached for the 4th Manager¡¯s neck to find the end of the leash. The confession was memorable enough, so it was time to get rid of that unsightly thing¡ª
¡°Ugh¡ª!¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
It was my first time handling a leash, and I identally tightened it instead. Not that people were usually ustomed to handling leashes, but¡
¡°M-Master, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re into¡ª¡°
The 4th Manager continued to speak even as her face turned red from the sudden pressure, stumbling over her words.
But what she managed to say through the pain was too awful. I wasn¡¯t that kind of person. Please don¡¯t suddenly turn me into some sadistic boss.
Damn it.
¡°¡I don¡¯t have that kind of taste, so don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡±
I quickly unfastened the leash and threw it far away. Good riddance. Let¡¯s never see that again.
¡°There¡¯s something much better than that.¡±
Then, I pulled out the 6th ring from my pocket.
If she wanted to show proof of hermitment to leaving everything to me, then she should do it with a ring. Wearing said proof on her neck would make her look like a crazy pervert, but it was just a sign of a normal rtionship if she wore it on her finger.
I was definitely not some kind of deviant who preferred the former.
¡°Think of this as my other half. I¡¯ll consider it as half of Penelia, too.¡±
¡°H-Half¡¡±
I spoke as I slid the ring onto the 4th Manager¡¯s finger and also put a matching ring on my own.
Fortunately, the idea of being ¡®half¡¯ of something seemed to resonate deeply with the 4th Manager, who nodded repeatedly. I honestly didn¡¯t want to rush this moment, but seeing the leash had thrown me off bnce.
Still, did the process really matter when it resulted in her being happy? I decided it was best to think of it that way.
***I summoned the 1st Manager as soon as the 4th Manager left.
She entered cautiously, probably because she knew she was in trouble. Seeing that only made me more annoyed. If she knew it would be a problem, then why did she still give such advice to the 4th Manager?
¡°Did everything go well?¡±
The 1st Manager smiled awkwardly as soon as she entered the office and spotted the leash thrown in the corner.
¡°It went well.¡±
I answered, showing her the rings now adorning both of my hands. Now, I had three on each hand¡ªa total of six rings.
I felt a little self-conscious every time I looked at them, but I consoled myself by thinking of the Gold Duke¡¯s 12 rings. At least mine were something ten fingers could cover¡
¡°See? I gave some reeeally good advice! If I hadn¡¯t, Penelia would still be hesitating.¡±
She instantly switched to a smug expression the moment she saw the rings, which was incredibly annoying.
Good advice, my foot. Couldn¡¯t she have given something more normal?
¡°Yeah. You did well, soe and sit here.¡±
I held back my anger and patted myp. It wasn¡¯t time for punishment yet, so rushing things wouldn¡¯t be wise.
The 1st Manager¡¯s eyes went wide before she hurried over when I told her to sit on myp. She looked like prey lured by bait, or was that just my imagination?
¡°Hehe, I wasn¡¯t expecting a reward~¡±
I hugged her tightly once she was on myp. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make sure she couldn¡¯t escape.
¡°It¡¯s not a reward.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
She tilted her head in confusion, her ears reddening.
Unfortunately, it really wasn¡¯t a reward. After all, wasn¡¯t the road to hell paved with good intentions?
¡°I¡¯m sorry for being so cheeky, for not listening to you, for always doing weird things¡¡±
I whispered softly into the 1st Manager¡¯s ear, and her body froze.
Of course she did. The words I whispered were ones she¡¯d never forget for the rest of her life.
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡ I¡¯ll listen to you from now on. I won¡¯t be cheeky or overstep¡¡±
I deliberately slurred my words, and the 1st Manager who had been stiff as a board started to tremble with desperation. This was certainly effective. There was nothing better than a good, embarrassing memory to keep someone in line.
The 1st Manager had no hope of escape despite her wild struggling. Honestly, I could handle ten of them at once, so capturing a single, unsuspecting Manager was easy.
¡°So please, just one chance¡¡±
¡°Aaaah! S-Stop it! Please!¡±
¡°Just give me one chance¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry!¡±
I decided to let her go after two more minutes of teasing. Any more and she might¡¯ve actually started crying.
It worked like a charm.
***Dress? Check.
essories? All set.
Cake? Definitely.
Good.
I double-checked everything at the door just in case. It¡¯d be a disaster if I forgot the gift after going through all this trouble.
Especially the cake. That was the most important part. I made sure to prepare one since it was Sarah¡¯s birthday around this time, and a birthday party without a cake would just be iplete.
Plus, I made the cake myself since I was a member of the pastry club. I¡¯d be heartbroken if I¡¯d left it behind after putting in so much time making it.
¡°Sarah will love it. Thank you so much, Young Master.¡±
Even Nanny had tears in her eyes when she heard I¡¯d made it myself. If I¡¯d forgotten it, even she¡¯d be disappointed.
I carefully knocked on the door Once everything was ready. I did it gently to not startle Sarah¡ªshe easily got frightened by loud noises.
¡°Yes,e in.¡±
At the sound of her soft voice, I opened the door and stepped inside.
She was sitting there on the bed, smiling warmly. She had long, golden hair just like Nanny¡¯s, and her sapphire-like eyes blinked up at me.
Thankfully, she looked well and didn¡¯t seem to be overexerting herself. They said she¡¯d been getting better, and it was really showing. Compared to before, it seemed she had improved a lot.
¡°Hello, Sarah. How have you been?¡±
¡°Good. And you, Mr. Knight?¡±
I couldn¡¯t help butugh awkwardly at Sarah¡¯s yful words. It was a bit embarrassing that she still remembered something that was from eight years ago.
¡°I¡¯m no knight. I¡¯m still just a student with a long way to go.¡±
¡°Really? That¡¯s strange. That¡¯s not what Mother said.¡±
Her words made me smile awkwardly again. It seemed that Nanny had been telling Sarah some exaggerated stories.
I¡¯ve had a few sparring sessions with the family¡¯s knights since returning to our territory. I won those matches, but the knights weren¡¯t exactly going all out against their young master. It was more of a practice session for me than a real fight.
But Nanny must have taken it seriously and showered me with praise, making me feel embarrassed every time she did.
¡And it looked like she¡¯d been telling Sarah about it, too.
¡°Nanny just sees me in a good light. She probably exaggerated it a bit.¡±
¡°If you say so, then I¡¯ll believe you.¡±
¡°Please do.¡±
¡°Hehe, alright.¡±
I returned Sarah¡¯sugh with a smile of my own.
It was a little embarrassing, but it was all good if Sarah felt happy. She¡¯d been stuck in the mansion the whole time, mostly just in her room. She must¡¯ve felt lonely. If this made her smile, then so be it.
¡°So, what¡¯s with all the stuff? You didn¡¯t have to bring anything.¡±
Sarah¡¯s eyes fell on the boxes in my hands, and she tilted her head curiously.
As if she didn¡¯t mean it. She would¡¯ve sulked if I hade empty-handed.
¡°Your birthday¡¯sing up, so I prepared a few things.¡±
Sarah¡¯s eyes sparkled as I started opening the boxes one by one. She may not be able to go outside, but she found joy in collecting clothes and jewelry.
She chuckled again when I finally revealed the cake.
¡°You know, I¡¯m not really a fan of sweets.¡±
¡°I know. That¡¯s why I made it as lightly sweet as possible.¡±
At that, Sarah¡¯s fingers, which had been tapping the box, paused.
¡°You made it?¡±
¡°Yeah. Being in the pastry club has really improved my skills.¡±
After a moment of silence, Sarah poked at the cream on top of the cake with her finger.
¡°¡Yeah, it¡¯s good. It tastes nice.¡±
Sarah smiled brightly after tasting the cream.
What a relief. It looked like it suited her taste.
Chapter 260: But Life Goes On (5)
Including a fork in the box with the cake might seem like a small effort from the seller¡¯s perspective, but it was a thoughtful gesture for the buyer. We handed out forks, knives, and napkins at the club fair back then, and the response was overwhelming.
Of course, royalty could probably sell garbage and still cause a sensation.
¡°It¡¯s delicious, but I can¡¯t eat it all at once.¡±
Sarah said with a smile as she carefully cut small pieces of the cake with her fork.
There was really nothing special about it. The cake was just something the pastry club made regrly. If Sarah liked it, then I could make it for her as many times as she wanted.
¡°I¡¯ll keep making it for you while you¡¯re here.¡±
¡°Hehe, really? But what if I gain weight?¡±
Still smiling, Sarah pushed the cake aside.
I couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly at the sight. Sarah had a small appetite. Sadly, she couldn¡¯t eat much because of her illness.
Even now, she put down the fork after only a few bites and dodged my offer to make more.She¡¯s still feeling the effects.
I bit my lip slightly. I thought she was doing much better than before, but traces of the illness still lingered.
Well, it was too much to expect no traces from something that had gued her for so long. The fact that she could get out of bed and have a conversation was already something to be grateful for.
¡°I¡¯m fine, really. You¡¯re not trying to fatten me up, are you?¡±
Sarah teased and took my hand as if she had read my thoughts.
For some reason, I had never been able to hide anything from her. It was like she could read my mind.
And yet, I felt ashamed. I was the one who should be offeringfort and not the one receiving it from a sick friend. This felt like a disgrace to the Krasius name.
¡°You need to gain some weight.¡±
I said with a forced smile, and Sarah¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
¡°Is that your taste, Erich? Are you fattening me up to eat meter?¡±
She exaggeratedly clutched her chest and hunched over, making meugh. She had a knack for turning someone into a cannibal in an instant.
¡°You got me. I was nning to triple your weight.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not a knight, you¡¯re a wicked demon!¡±
With that, we both burst intoughter.
The bitterness I¡¯d been feeling since earlier eased a little.
***Sarah had always carried a heavy burden.
She¡¯d spent her entire life confined to the family mansion. Her only connection to the outside world was through others, but she couldn¡¯t really open up to the staff because of her noble status. Sarah had lived under conditions that would make anyone feel isted from the world since her childhood.
Maybe that was why she clung to me whenever I visited. After all, I was the only one she could really talk to aside from her family.
¡°I heard the academy is bigger than most cities. Is that true?¡±
¡°The Academy itself isn¡¯t bigger than a city, but a whole town has developed around it.¡±
¡°Oh, I see.¡±
Of course, I didn¡¯t mind. I wasn¡¯t the kind of person who could ignore a friend¡¯s loneliness. Besides, talking with Sarah made me feel at ease, too.
I always nned ordingly whenever I went to visit Sarah because I knew that I¡¯d be staying for quite some time.
¡°Of course, the Academy itself is prettyrge. It¡¯s the Empire¡¯s top educational institution, after all.¡±
Sarah nodded eagerly at my words.
It wasn¡¯t surprising that she¡¯d be interested. She had been fascinated by the Academy since she was a child. The Academy must seem like a utopia for someone like Sarah, who loved learning new things. ?
It was just unfortunate that something as essible to most nobles as the Academy felt like an unattainable dream for her. Hyung also seemed to see it as a utopia, but his reasons were a bit different.
¡°Oh, by the way, I heard the iing ss this year is quite unique.¡±
She suddenly brought it up as if the thought had just popped into her head.
I paused, trying to figure out what she meant by ¡®unique students.¡¯ It was obvious that she was talking about those guys, but I was so used to being around them that I sometimes forgot that they were of such high status.
¡°Yeah, they¡¯re definitely unique. There are foreign princes and even a Saint candidate among them. It¡¯s rare to see those types of students.¡±
¡°Wow. I heard there were international students, but royalty too?¡±
¡°They¡¯re all a bit crazy, to be honest.¡±
I replied instinctively without filtering my thoughts, causing Sarah to blink in surprise.
Oops. I should¡¯ve sugar-coated that a bit. I hope I didn¡¯t startle her.
¡°We¡¯re close, you see. We¡¯re in the same club.¡±
I added, trying to justify it even though it was true. Spending so much time with them in the same club had made them seem less like high-ranking figures and more like entric oddballs.
¡°So, Erich, does that mean you¡¯ve made friends with a prince?¡±
¡°If you can call it that, then yes.¡±
¡°You¡¯re amazing, Sir Knight. How impressive.¡±
Her teasing was enough to make my head spin. That yful smile and the little p she gave made it clear that she was poking fun at me.
I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit frustrated with my younger self from eight years ago. Why did I have to say something so embarrassing that it had now be a lifelong memory? But then again, could I really expect my nine-year-old self to know better?
¡°But I¡¯d like to meet them too if they¡¯re your friends.¡±
I pictured the faces of those three who were likely back in their home countries by now as Sarah twirled her hair around her finger.
They weren¡¯t the type to be overbearing, so I doubt there¡¯d be any issue with them meeting Sarah. Unfortunately, there was no way to arrange that right now.
How ironic¡ªthey stuck around when they didn¡¯t need to be here, but they had all bolted across the border now that Sarah wanted to see them. Those useless jerks.
¡°I¡¯ll see if I can bring them over during next year¡¯s summer vacation. They¡¯re interesting people, so it¡¯ll be fun.¡±
I quickly came up with a reasonable answer. Since I couldn¡¯t bring them back from their home countries, I should just aim for next year.
¡°That¡¯s okay. The servants would be shocked if they suddenly showed up as guests.¡±
Her perfectly sensible refusal made me reflect on my own words.
I must have been out of my mind. Spending so much time with those guys had skewed my thinking. I almost subjected Sarah, who still needed to rest, to unnecessary stress.
¡°I¡¯ll get to meet them in person anyway.¡±
Huh?
My mind momentarily froze. Meet them in person? What did she mean by that?
¡°I¡¯m going to enroll at the Academy.¡±
???
¡°¡The Academy?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Her cheerful reply left me speechless. Suddenly enrolling at the Academy? That wasn¡¯t just a casual outing. Did that mean that her condition had improved that much?
Nanny wouldn¡¯t send her off so lightly.
I initially wondered if I should try to stop her, but then I remembered how much Nanny adored her. There was no way she hadn¡¯t thought of all the concerns I had. If it were dangerous, Nanny would have stopped Sarah long ago.
But was it really okay? What if living in a strange ce caused her condition to worsen?
¡°I¡¯m starting as a second-year student. It¡¯s a shame I missed out on the first year, but¡ª¡°
Sarah gently took my hand as if to calm my confusion and smiled reassuringly.
¡°If I were a year behind you, we wouldn¡¯t get to spend as much time together. I don¡¯t want that.¡±
¡°¡If that¡¯s the case, then I could visit you every day during the vacations¡¡±
¡°No. I want to make memories together with you, Erich.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit frustrated with Sarah. Why was she so determined at times like these?
¡°Don¡¯t worry. Both the mage and the priest said it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not fully recovered yet¡ but they said I can handle the same activities as everyone else.¡±
And she even cleverly brought up the opinions of experts. How was I supposed to argue with that?
¡°And besides, with you as my knight, what could go wrong?¡±
¡°I¡¯m probably thest person you should rely on.¡±
That made her giggle. She¡¯d already blocked any objections with perfect logic, but her final remark was a bit sloppy.
I wasn¡¯t as strong or steadfast as Sarah imagined, so her trust in me felt almost too overwhelming.
¡°Why? Are you serving anotherdy these days?¡±
She sounded a little disappointed, and I quickly shook my head. There was a time when that could have been true, but not now. Embarrassingly, I was just a knight with no one to serve.
¡Honestly, it would be silly for me to oppose this when everyone else said it was okay. Plus, Sarah finally had a chance to see the world after all those lonely years, and as her friend, the least I could do was to support her.
So, I extended my hand slightly. If Sarah wanted me as her knight, then I could at least fulfill that role for her.
¡°You might regret choosing the wrong knight for the rest of your life, mydy.¡±
¡°Hehe, that¡¯s something that won¡¯t happen to me.¡±
Sometimes, it felt like she trusted me more than I trusted myself.
***I stared at my right hand for a long time after Erich left.
¡°Then I will protect you with everything I have for the next two years, mydy.¡±
Erich had kissed the back of my hand, just like a knight from a fairy tale. If I had let my guard down even a little, I might have squealed with happiness.
And then, I recalled the words Erich said to me eight years ago when I was at my worst, and he was only nine years old. The way he kissed my hand now brought back that memory.
¡°Then I¡¯ll be Sarah¡¯s knight! If an angeles to take you away, I¡¯ll chase them off!¡±
Those were just the innocent words of a child, but those words were what gave me the strength to keep going. Even now, Erich didn¡¯t regret those words¡ªhe was just embarrassed by how childish they were.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if he protected me for a lifetime.¡±
I absentmindedly stroked my right hand and muttered to myself.
Two years? That¡¯d be nothing. Why not protect me for life? Carl oppa would inherit the Krasius family anyway, so Erich only needed to focus on me.
¡°Idiot.¡±
Still, it was fine. That silly side of him was just part of who Erich was.
¡Thank goodness.
Relief washed over me. If¡ if Erich had fallen for someone else, I might have copsed again.
My own knight and the one I wanted by my side for life. I had clung to that hope all these years. It would have been unbearable if anotherdy had stolen him away during the time I was bedridden.
Thank you, for watching over him, Enen.
No one else imed Erich¡¯s heart during that year he spent at the Academy. That truly was a blessing. Even though Enen gave me this illness, he also gave me someone irreceable in return.
It¡¯s not much longer now.
I tried to calm my racing heart as I counted the days. Just two more months, and I¡¯d be living at the Academy, too.
Since he mentioned the pastry club, I¡¯d join that as well. That way, we¡¯d still see each other often as we¡¯d be in the same club even if we were in different sses.
We¡¯d spend our school days together, see each other more than ever, and grow even closer¡
Hehe¡
Just the thought of it made me so happy. These next two years might just be the best of my life.
Chapter 261: New Year’s Ball (1)
Historically, the empire had always been the heart of the continent, and in its heart was the capital. The capital represented not just the continent of its time but also served as proof of Heaven¡¯s mandate. Today¡¯s capital, Ausen, was a city where the lights never dimmed, remaining a shining symbol of prosperity and glory.
The end of the year was when the capital truly came alive. Nobles from across the empire gathered for the New Year¡¯s Ball, bringing their retinues along with them. Because of that, the already bustling city became even more lively.
The influx of people alone would be enough to cause a stir, but the impact would be even greater when those people were high-ranking nobles and their entourages. Naturally, the merchants in the capital were thrilled by this flood of wealthy patrons¡ªit was a positive kind of chaos for them.
Even the usually quiet district of noble residences warmed up, preparing to wee back their long-absent owners.
¡°Meeting the Executive Manager as soon as I arrive in the capital is a pleasant surprise.¡±
Just like now.
¡°I¡¯m d I could bring you joy, my lord.¡±
I respectfully bowed my head to Marquis Iones, whose face practically radiated happiness. He seemed to be even more pleased after seeing my gesture.
So this is how we meet.
It was an awkward situation¡ªmeeting my future father-inw in my lover¡¯s house. However, calling this a surprise attack by the Marquis would be a stretch.While the 1st Manager often used this mansion as if it were her own house, the true owner was still the Marquis. It wasn¡¯t unusual for him to visit his own home.
The issue was that this meeting wasn¡¯t nned. The 1st Manager hadn¡¯t mentioned anything, so I assumed we¡¯d meetter and not today of all days.
What a sneaky move.
I nced at the 1st Manager, who awkwardly avoided my gaze. I wondered what was going on when she insisted that we have lunch at her mansion, but now I see that it was all for this surprise.
Her evasive behavior made it obvious. She must have known that the Marquis wasing, but she kept her mouth shut because she was afraid that I would refuse her invitation if I knew he wasing. In the first ce, the 1st Manager was the type of person who would have made a scene and given the Marquis an earful if our lunch date was interrupted.
Honestly, it wouldn¡¯t have bothered me either way.
I looked at the 1st Manager with a hint of pity. Meeting the Marquis a bit earlier than expected wasn¡¯t a big deal, especially since we¡¯d see each other at the New Year¡¯s Ball anyway. It wasn¡¯t like the Marquis harbored any ill feelings toward me, unlike the Iron-Blooded Duke; if anything, we were quite amicable.
In private, I was his daughter¡¯s superior. In public, I was the civil servant who thoroughly dismantled the Asilon family, which had been a long-time rival of the Iones family. Naturally, the Marquis would see me in a favorable light after his family benefited from the downfall of their rival.
¡°So, how does it feel to finally meet your future son-inw?¡±
The 1st Manager, who had been silent until now, slyly linked arms with me and spoke up. From the Marquis¡¯s perspective, it must¡¯ve been disconcerting to see his precious daughter so affectionate with some scoundrel, but his expression remained warm.
No, it was more than that¡ªhe looked as if a lifelong dream had juste true.
¡°Indeed. Seeing my daughter finally find her match makes me so happy that it brings tears to my eyes.¡±
His heartfelt words left me and even the 1st Manager momentarily speechless.
It was a short statement, but it was packed with all the anxiety and heartache the Marquis must have endured. Even a cold-hearted soldier would be moved to tears after hearing those words.
And it was also understandable. I was already at the tail end of the marriageable age at 21, so imagine how much more anxious the Marquis must have been about his daughter. I bet he started worrying when she turned 20, and by now, he might have been tearing his hair out due to anxiety.
On top of that, his daughter worked in the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, a job that likely made him afraid that she¡¯d never marry. Perhaps he had even resigned himself to the possibility that she might remain forever single.
¡°I worried so much when she didn¡¯t find a partner, but it was worth it if all that time was just preparation to meet you, Executive Manager.¡±
But now, the Marquis seemed to have let go of all that anxiety and despair. Even though his daughter had spent many years without a partner, he seemed to think it was all worth it if it meant securing an SSR-grade husband in the end.
¡°Thank you, Executive Manager. I¡¯m truly grateful you didn¡¯t forget my request.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
The Marquis, ovee with emotion, grasped my hand with trembling fingers. However, his words took me by surprise.
A request? I had hardly ever met the Marquis, let alone received any requests from him. The only thing he had ever asked me was to look after his daughter¡ª
¡?
No way.
Was his request back then to take care of her not as her superior, but as a man?
¡°Though I¡¯ve lived a life without much to regret, the one thing that has always weighed on my heart is my daughter.¡±
Luckily or unluckily, the Marquis didn¡¯t pay attention to my puzzled reaction and instead continued to speak from a father¡¯s perspective. It seemed that despite his noble status, prosperous family, and children who had grown up well, his one concern was his daughter, who hadn¡¯t yet found a partner.
Even the 1st Manager lowered her gaze, unsure how to respond to the Marquis¡¯s tearful confession. It was clear that she had a soft spot for her family. She would have brushed it off if anyone else had said that, insisting that everyone was responsible for their own life.
¡°It¡¯s a pity she won¡¯t be your first wife, but I trust you¡¯ll treat her well.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do my best to live up to your trust.¡±
Hearing my words, the Marquis gave me a warm smile and patted my hand several times.
This felt strange. Encountering this gentler father-inw after dealing with the fiery temper of the Iron-Blooded Duke was rather disorienting¡
And there are two more.
I nearly closed my eyes at the thought of my other fathers-inw. One was a baron whom I had never met, while the other was a count who almost lost his entire family because of me.
This New Year¡¯s Ball was going to be intense.
***I returned with my hands full thanks to the Marquis, who couldn¡¯t bear to send me off empty-handed. Though the gifts were small in size, their value was heavy. Perhaps it was because the Marquis¡¯s family was one of the top families in the empire, but who would just casually hand overnd deeds over a meal?
The Iron-Blooded Duke had stuffed my wallet full with the dowry, so I was starting to wonder if nobles these days expressed their feelings through real estate. This trend was a little scary. I¡¯d probably be cleaned out of everything I had saved once my own children got married.
¡°Isn¡¯t it a relief that you¡¯re a beloved son-inw?¡±
¡°Given my position, it does make me a bit self-conscious.¡±
I replied yfully to Marghetta, who spoke with a smile.
Still, there was some truth in my words. As the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, I had received many ¡®friendship fees¡¯ from various nobles, but those were usually delivered through convoluted channels. It was rare for me to receive anything so directly, so it almost felt like I had epted something I shouldn¡¯t have.
It was a good thing that I had the experience of receiving the dowry from the Iron-Blooded Duke. If I hadn¡¯t, I might have refused the Marquis¡¯s goodwill out of sheer pressure.
¡°Fufu, you¡¯ll have to get used to it. Inws always want to dote on a dependable son-inw.¡±
It almost sounded like she was saying, ¡®You¡¯d better brace yourself now that you have four inws.¡¯
¡But she wasn¡¯t wrong. As long as it wasn¡¯t outright corruption, it wasmon for family members to exchange favors. When something came up, the first people anyone would think of were their family, and when you acquired something good, you would naturally want to share it with them¡ªsomething like that.
¡°Yes, I suppose so. After all, I¡¯m a noble first before I¡¯m a civil servant.¡±
Not a civil servant who followed orders mechanically, but a noble who shifted alliances depending on the interests of my family and territory.
I couldn¡¯t really shed my title as a civil servant¡ªor maybe I didn¡¯t want to¡ªbut being a noble was something I was born into. With the Krasius name attached to me, I needed to get used to how nobles handled their marriages.
¡°I¡¯m sure Carl will get used to it in no time.¡±
¡°Thank you for the kind words.¡±
I smiled at Marghetta¡¯s words and nced around the room.
It was just a simple meal, with servants discreetly standing by in case there was anything we needed. However, something was different: Louise and Irina, who were supposed to join us for the meal, were absent. Without them, the atmosphere definitely felt strange.
But it couldn¡¯t be helped. Louise¡¯s father, Baron Artini, and Irina¡¯s father, Count nbell, hade to the capital. As fathers, how could they not be hurt if their daughters didn¡¯t stop by to greet them when they were nearby? Besides, neither Louise nor Irina was cold-hearted enough to ignore their family.
¡°Are you feeling lonely already?¡±
Noticing my gaze, Marghetta let out a smallugh and asked. I guess my stare was a bit too obvious. How embarrassing.
¡°Well, of course. It feels strange when even a familiar object goes missing, let alone a person.¡±
I didn¡¯t see any point in denying it, so I answered honestly. After all, we were talking about people who weren¡¯t just an acquaintance, but lovers with whom I had exchanged rings with. Denying it would be even stranger.
¡°Make sure to say that at the New Year¡¯s Ball. They¡¯ll both love it.¡±
¡°If I forget to, then Marghetta can say it for me.¡±
Marghetta stillughed even though it was a rather dull joke. It only went to show that it wasn¡¯t the joke but the person telling it that mattered.
The New Year¡¯s Ball, huh.
My thoughts drifted to the uing New Year¡¯s Ball while watching Marghetta. Louise and Irina weren¡¯t just going home to see their families¡ªthey were also nning to attend the New Year¡¯s Ball.
It¡¯s not exactly a fun event, though.
Having attended the ball before, I wanted to talk them out of it. Sure, it might be grand and magnificent with all the nobility gathered and the Emperor making an appearance, but it wasn¡¯t something youngdies would enjoy.
It was no wonder that the children of nobility who came to the capital with their families often held separate gatherings. If they wanted to have fun, then I would rmend going to one of those parties instead.
However, Marghetta had been quite insistent about attending the New Year¡¯s Ball.
¡°The fact that the Mage Duchess and I are associated with you is bound to spread rumors, whether we do anything or not. The same goes for you and your subordinates since you¡¯re civil servants who operate in the capital.¡±
¡°But Louise and Irina are still at the Academy, so the rumors about them are more limited. Of course, the news will spread if the students inform their families, but it won¡¯t be as impactful as seeing them in person.¡±
¡°So this is an opportunity¡ªa chance to proudly disy your connections in front of the assembled nobility.¡±
A few days ago during dinner, Marghetta had made apelling argument for attending. Her words were so convincing that Louise and Irina listened as if enchanted by her words.
She wasn¡¯t wrong. And to be honest, given that Naird was a rtively modest barony and that Yorun was more focused on the northern regions than central politics, neither family wielded much influence in high society. Simply staying at the Academy wouldn¡¯t effectively convey their deep rtions with me.
¡°To do this perfectly, it would be best for us to attend not only the New Year¡¯s Ball but also the gatherings hosted by the young nobles¡¡±
¡°¡I¡¯ll think about it. Let¡¯s get through the New Year¡¯s Ball first.¡±
With that kind of reasoning, what argument could I make? It was basically a warning: ¡®If those two don¡¯t attend the New Year¡¯s Ball, you¡¯ll have no choice but to go to the young nobles¡¯ gatherings.¡¯
¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. While I¡¯m not as experienced as you, I have attended the ball before. I¡¯ll do my best to help.¡±
Marghetta had also added, announcing her intent to participate and leaving me no room to argue.
This New Year¡¯s Ball was really shaping up to be something¡
Chapter 262: New Year’s Ball (2)
Louise and Irina went to join their fathers, who had recently arrived in the capital. Marghetta also headed that way as soon as the Iron-blooded Duke reached the city. It was a bit lonely, but it was unavoidable since they had to attend the New Year¡¯s Ball with their noble rtives. Although I was practically engaged to all three of them, I wasn¡¯t officially part of the family yet.
So, I had to attend the New Year¡¯s Ball alone. This felt strange. My fingers were weighed down with rings, but there was no one by my side¡
Should I take them off?
There were three rings on each hand and six in total¡ªa dazzling collection that almost hurt to look at.
Wouldn¡¯t I look like a madman if I walked in while wearing all these rings but without a partner? People might think I was some lunatic who hoarded women but never chose one. To be honest, they probably already thought I was crazy, but there was a difference between whispered rumors and being openly stared at.
Of course, this was just a fleeting thought. Taking off the rings just because of a few stares wouldn¡¯t make me crazy¡ªit would make me an absolute jerk.
When did I ever have a partner?
I calmed my restless thoughts as I threw on my coat. After all, I attended alonest year and the year before that, so why was I suddenly acting like I had nothing better to do?
Anyway, I¡¯d start umting partners one by one from next year onwards, and eventually, I¡¯d have to walk in with six of them.
¡Six.I was really grateful for the legendary Gold Duke and his twelve partners every time I thought about it. Since someone already set the precedent for walking in with twelve people, six wasn¡¯t so bad. I should probably start bowing in his direction three times a day from now on.
***Normally, only high-ranking officials and nobles summoned by the Emperor could enter the Imperial Pce. But during the New Year¡¯s Ball, even this exclusive pce turns into a bustling banquet hall.
Not all areas of the pce were open for the sake of the Emperor¡¯s safety, but even just a portion was enough to show off its vastness. The pce¡¯s sheer scale was a symbol of both Heaven¡¯s mandate and imperial power, so it was only natural.
¡°You¡¯ve had a rough time.¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. When else would we get to be active if not now?¡±
The sudden increase in visitors meant that those who usually managed the entry list were overwhelmed.
I greeted the captain of the Imperial Guard who was in charge of pce security as I spotted him, and he acknowledged me with a nod. Despite his words, his eyes were filled with exhaustion.
But as the captain mentioned, this was the only time when the Imperial Guard really had a chance to shine. Since they were usually confined to the pce as the Emperor¡¯s final line of defense, they risked being forgotten in high society if they didn¡¯t asionally show their presence. After all, people were truly dead when they were forgotten¡
¡°Go on in.¡±
He stepped aside to let me pass after quickly giving me an up-and-down nce.
At his words, I nced to my left, where a line of nobles was being thoroughly searched by the Imperial Guard. There was a long queue right beside me, and it felt a bit awkward to skip past it with a free pass. Besides, I had juste over to say hello.
¡°The procedures for those with usual entry privileges are different from those who get in as exceptions. It¡¯s actually better for us if fewer people need to be searched.¡±
The captain said as he followed my gaze to the line. His faint smile suggested that with so many people, it was better to streamline the process and let those who could pass without issue go through.
Seeing it was always surprising. You¡¯d think the captain of the Imperial Guard would be a stickler for rules, but he was surprisingly flexible. How did he rise to that position? Maybe it was his adaptability that got him there.
¡°Well then, excuse me.¡±
There was no need to refuse an easy pass through the checkpoint. I should be happy to be able to go right in.
After a slight bow to the captain, I passed through the checkpoint and found myself in a quieter areapared to the bustling outside. Did I arrive too early? There weren¡¯t many people here yet.
¡°Oh, you¡¯re already here too?¡±
Among the few present, I hadn¡¯t expected to see the Minister. Why would someone of his rank¡ªa Minister and a Count¡ªshow up so early? Did his old age make him sleep less?
¡°Why are you here so early, Minister?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll just attract attention if Ie when it¡¯s crowded. Do you know how many people want to pester me about the already settled budget?¡±
He sounded fed up, and I couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement.
The months of December to January were undoubtedly a challenging time for the Minister. It was the season when he had to listen to requests, pleas, andints from every department and agency. He probably decided it was better toe early and hide away rather than arrivete and draw attention.
¡°And you?¡±
¡°I came early to avoid the stares.¡±
His gaze seemed to say, ¡®You¡¯re no different.¡¯ But unlike the Minister who attracted attention because of his authority, I attracted attention for a different reason. It was because of the six rings on my fingers.
The Minister caught on as I awkwardly fiddled with my hands and let out a dry chuckle. Justst summer, I was causing a scene about pushing Marghetta away and now here I was, on my way to bing a younger version of the Gold Duke.
¡°So you¡¯re here alone. Does that mean the joint wedding hasn¡¯t happened yet?¡±
His mocking question left me speechless. Even I knew that the idea of a joint wedding was something I could be teased about for life.
Past me, you idiot. If you were going to lose your mind, you should have at least done it gracefully.
¡°And why are you here alone, my lord?¡±
Unable toe up with a rebuttal, I cautiously changed the subject. It was an awkward shift, but still, it was strange. Titled nobles usually brought their spouses along with them when they attended the New Year¡¯s Ball, so why was he here by himself? I hadn¡¯t heard any rumors of trouble in his household.
Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like it was because of any family issues. The Minister discreetly pointed toward a group with his finger.
Ah.
In there was a group of familiar faces gathered nearby, engaged in conversation.
I recognized them all. The Minister¡¯s wife, as well as some department heads from the Ministry of Finance and their spouses, were all chatting together. And I, the youngest member of the group, had the audacity to arrivest.
¡°We¡¯re all getting swamped with requests, so we decided toe early. I didn¡¯t expect you to show up at this time either, but you can stay with us if you¡¯ve got nowhere to go.¡±
¡°Sure, sounds good.¡±
It wasn¡¯t a bad offer, so I moved along with the Minister toward the Ministry of Finance group.
People tended to swarm around me, the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, when I wandered alone, but no one dared to approach me when the high-ranking officials of the Finance Ministry were gathered. Even if we were just chatting casually, people automatically assumed it was an important discussion and kept their distance.
Once again, it proved just how important a title was.
***Even though it was early, I hurried to attend the New Year¡¯s Ball. A gathering of all the titled nobles also meant a gathering of potential business partners.
To secure new deals, it was best to arrive early and wait. That way, I could give the impression that I had been waiting specifically for them. It might be a subtle gesture, but these small details could determine the scale and sess of a deal, so how could I just sit idly by?
¡°Irina. Are you feeling tired?¡±
The only thing that weighed on my mind was that my precious daughter was apanying me on this journey for such a trivial matter. My wife seemed to share the concern as she asked Irina worriedly.
My wife was used to these activities, but Irina wasn¡¯t. She had never been involved in trade or the workings of a merchant guild; she was just a delicate girl who had grown up normally.
¡°I¡¯m fine. I wanted toe.¡±
Irina answered with a gentle smile. It could have been just to ease her mother¡¯s worries, but it might have been the truth knowing Irina¡¯s strong constitution.
¡Yes, we should think positively. If Irina hade to the New Year¡¯s Ball against her will, that would be one thing, but she came because she wanted to. She¡¯d be fine even if things became a little dull or exhausting.
Is it love?
The thought made me chuckle bitterly. I remember how surprised I was when Irina showed up with that unique ring on her finger and asked to attend the New Year¡¯s Ball.
Irina has fallen in love with someone. She had be someone who could do things she couldn¡¯t before and someone who could tackle challenges she never even considered all because of love. It would be a lie to say I didn¡¯t feel a twinge ofplicated emotions, especially since her love was directed at the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager.
Don¡¯t think about it.
I had already decided to respect Irina¡¯s wishes. It wouldn¡¯t be right to stand in the way of the path she¡¯d chosen. Going back on my word now would make me a failure as a father, a noble, and a merchant.
All I could do was to support her and watch over her. That was my role.
***A short whileter, we were finally able to enter the pce after passing the Imperial Guard¡¯s checkpoint.
¡°All clear. You may proceed.¡±
It was fortunate that the current captain of the Guard was a more lenient person. The previous captain was so strict and thorough that every checkpoint felt like a trial by fire. I¡¯m d Irina didn¡¯t have to go through that kind of ordeal.
Damn.
I stiffened as soon as I passed through the checkpoint and surveyed the area. I had moved quickly to avoid the crowds, but as luck would have it, the few people who were here early were all big shots.
Six men stood in a corner. Despite their location, both my gaze and those of other nobles were locked onto them, unable to look away.
The Ministry of Finance.
No doubt about it. Thatbination of a burly middle-aged man with a monocle and a young man wasn¡¯t something you see every day. And the other four? They were all people I had asionally interacted with in business dealings.
The Minister of Finance, the Prosecutors¡¯s Office¡¯s Executive Manager, the Revenue Director, the Procurement Director, the Statistics Director, and the Audit Director. These were the top officials of the Ministry of Finance and men who could move thousands or even millions of gold coins with just a word.
What¡¯s going on?
I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from this unexpected gathering of heavyweights.
It was understandable, though. It could cause a tremor in the Empire¡¯s economy if just two of these department directors were to meet. But here they were, all together. They¡¯d also shown up early, likely to avoid drawing too much attention from other nobles.
¡It seemed that this year¡¯s New Year¡¯s Ball was going to be eventful.
***Being the youngest in a gathering of elders was exhausting.
¡°These days, my knees ache even when it snows. Ah, getting old really means you¡¯re better off dead.¡±
¡°Come on now, how can you say that already? You¡¯ve got at least ten more years of service to the Empire.¡±
¡°Haha! If I¡¯ve got ten years left, then the Director of Statistics must have twenty!¡±
Watching these men smiling while cursing each other made me wonder how to even react.
In truth, this was a disaster waiting to happen. These men, who no longer had any ambitions for promotion and were filled with thoughts of retirement naturally talked about the same things: recent events, their children, their grandchildren¡¯s antics, and, overwhelmingly, their health¡ªwhich often led back to talks of retirement.
The conversation was so predictable and dull that their wives had already fled to other parts of the room. And I, unfortunately, was stuck enduring their grumbling simply because I was a fellow department director. Damn it, I wish I could escape too.
Ah.
Just as my gaze wandered in boredom and frustration, I spotted Irina passing through the checkpoint.
It felt like finding a light in the darkness. Maybe I could use Irina as an excuse to escape this endless droning¡
Chapter 263: New Year’s Ball (3)
I couldn¡¯t meet Irina¡¯s confused gaze. She had saved me from the darkness, and yet I had repaid her kindness with betrayal.
¡°Oh, so this is the Executive Manager¡¯s lover.¡±
¡°She¡¯s beautiful. We were worried you¡¯d never find a match past twenty, but I guess our concerns were for nothing.¡±
The voices from the background made my head spin.
I might¡¯ve escaped the stagnant hell I was in, but it seemed I¡¯d dragged the devils out with me. Could I even call this an escape? Maybe I had some sort of cursed ability that turned my surroundings into a living hell.
This was truly sad. All I said was that I was going to greet an acquaintance, but the department directors, including the minister, were all trailing behind me before I knew it. The look on their faces was clearly saying, ¡®We had nothing better to do, so why not?¡¯
¡°So, youngdy, how old are you this year?¡±
The question came from the Director of Audit, whose every word carried the weight of years of experience. Then, I noticed Count nbell squirming ufortably.
The Audit Director was the oldest of the Ministry of Finance¡¯s senior officials, a veteran who had returned after retiring¡ªa living legend. For someone like Count nbell, one of the giants in the business world, this man must¡¯ve seemed quite intimidating. After all, who would dare to take the person who oversaw the empire¡¯s budget lightly?
Either way, Irina answered the elder¡¯s question with a trembling voice.¡°I-I¡¯m eighteen now¡¡±
¡°So young! This thief stole a preciousdy away.¡±
¡°If the Executive Manager is a thief, then who will inspect him?¡±
The Statistics Director chimed in, adding fuel to the fire of the elder¡¯s joke.
These people¡ªjust moments ago, they were sending curses with smiling faces, but now their faces were filled with genuineughter. I guess gossiping about someone¡¯s love life never gets old, no matter how old you get.
¡°Come on, there¡¯s only a four-year difference between us; how does that make me a thief?¡±
I tried to protest, if only to protect my honor. If the age difference was over ten years, sure, but calling me a thief for just four years? Wasn¡¯t that going too far?
¡°That¡¯s definitely a thief when someone in their twenties snatches someone in their teens.¡±
However, my small rebellion was swiftly crushed by the Minister¡¯s quiet observation.
Damn these people.
***The directors eventually moved on as if nothing had happened after teasing me for a while. Thankfully, they were just yful but not oblivious. Besides, someone without awareness wouldn¡¯t have climbed to such a position in the first ce.
¡°My apologies, Count. I¡¯m sorry for themotion.¡±
I quickly turned to apologize to Count nbell once the directors had moved far enough away. Those heavyweights made it seem as if I had been ganging up on him. Having the Finance Ministry¡¯s senior officials collectively pressure a noble, especially a merchant, could easily spell disaster.
This was a nightmare. I was supposed to make a good impression, and yet everything¡¯s been a mess from the start. Well, to be fair, things went awry as soon as the 3rd Manager got involved.
¡°It¡¯s quite alright. In fact, seeing that side of them was amusing.¡±
The Count smiled as he spoke, but I couldn¡¯t tell if he was genuinely okay or just pretending becauseining would do him no good.
¡°Please feel free to speak openly, sir. After all, what son-inw would expect formality from his father-inw?¡±
I decided to be straightforward. The Count¡¯s continued politeness toward me only showed that there was still a wall between us.
I couldn¡¯t me him¡ªthanks to the 3rd Manager¡¯s wild antics, there was bound to be some distance. But it¡¯d be a problem if this wall stays up for life. Irina would be heartbroken if her husband and father were distant. And sure, a son-inw might be considered a guest for a hundred years, but this felt more like being an unwee one.
The Count¡¯s eyes widened slightly at my words. He clearly hadn¡¯t expected me to be so direct and humble in such a public setting.
¡°You¡¯re right. Perhaps it¡¯s my age, but I find it hard to adjust to new things. However, I¡¯ll make an effort to speak morefortably by the time the weddinges around.¡±
¡°I truly appreciate it.¡±
I had never heard of a merchant being slow to adapt, but I couldn¡¯t rush the Count if he needed time.
Moreover, he had already set the wedding as the final deadline, so at least I knew he wasn¡¯t against my rtionship with Irina. For that, I was thankful.
¡°I should also apologize to the Countess. These folks can be a bit mischievous, and they tend to catch people off guard during their first conversation.¡±
I bowed my head to the Count¡¯s wife as well. The Count, at least, had likely interacted with these directors in a professional capacity, and Irina could lean on me. But the Countess? She didn¡¯t have that luxury.
How often did ady of a noble house need to face high-ranking officials? The interest those officials showed in her beloved daughter must have been quite overwhelming. In fact, she was probably the most affected person here.
While the Count managed to maintain a calm exterior, his wife still seemed visibly shaken, her pupils trembling slightly.
¡°Please don¡¯t worry about it. As you said, they¡¯re just a bit yful.¡±
I was relieved that she said she was fine. That was truly a relief¡
Damn them.
I nced over at the directors who were now huddled back in the corner, engaged in some meaningless conversation.
Couldn¡¯t they be a bit more aware of the weight their positions held? There were plenty of people whose lives could be turned upside down by just a word from one of them.
***It felt like being sucked into a storm when the Executive Manager arrived with the other Ministry of Finance officials. Fortunately, they approached not as civil servants but as the Executive Manager¡¯s acquaintances, so no harm was done.
As casual guests, the officials showed an almost grandfatherly interest in Irina, like elderly vigers offering treats to a child. With me, they exchanged nothing more than simple greetings.
I suppose I should be satisfied with just seeing their faces.
If that was the case, then it wasn¡¯t a bad meeting. In the end, there was no harm done, so I¡¯d call it a decent encounter. It was always a good idea to foster rtionships with the higher-ups in the Finance Ministry, and I met them all at once today. If I had to decide whether this was a good or bad omen, then it was definitely a good one.
Moreover, the Executive Manager apologized multiple times for the unexpected meeting, so there was no point in dwelling on it. In fact, I should be thankful for the opportunity to meet these officials.
Yes. I should be grateful, but¡
A half-ring.
I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the Executive Manager as he spoke with my wife. More specifically, at the ring on his finger.
I¡¯d already seen and heard about it from Irina, but seeing him actually wear a half-ring still caught me off guard. It was such an unconventional concept that I almostughed.
¡Actually, this is pretty good.
At the same time, my merchant instincts were screaming. The Executive Manager, along with his partner, was wearing this ring¡ªsomething no one had ever seen or imagined before. The meaning behind it was also appealing. Two halvesing together as one¡ªthat was undeniably romantic.
This would sell. It was bound to sell. It would start a trend even if only the Executive Manager wore it, but now it wasn¡¯t just him¡ªthe Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s daughter and even the Mage Duchess were wearing these rings. And with the New Year¡¯s Ball, where all the nobles gathered, right around the corner? It would be stranger if this didn¡¯t be a trend.
I happened to have quite a few craftsmen under contract with our family. I should contact them after today¡¯s events.
***I left the room with the subtle gaze of Count nbell lingering behind me. His eyes had been locked on the ring for a while now. It must be bothering him that his precious daughter was just one of six wives.
I¡¯m the guilty one here, I know¡
¡°A father¡¯s wish is always for his daughter to be the sole recipient of love.¡±
¡°I know, so please shut up.¡±
Unfortunately, the Minister knew exactly how I felt and couldn¡¯t resist taking a jab at me as if it was an action as natural as breathing.
As if I didn¡¯t already know. No matter how normal polygamy was in this society, feelings were a separate matter. It was a parent¡¯s instinct that neitherws nor customs could suppress. It was only natural for them to want the best for their child.
¡°But didn¡¯t it go smoother than expected? If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed it even if I were six feet under.¡±
Damn it.
The Minister kept hammering me with undeniable truths even though I practically begged him to stop.
To be honest, I¡¯d do the same if I were in Count nbell¡¯s shoes. Even though it was a mistake and I already apologized, I was still the bastard who wrecked his family and stole his precious daughter. That was the kind of position that would keep anyone up at night.
I really hope my future daughter doesn¡¯t end up with someone like me¡
¡°Minister, maybe we shouldn¡¯t be so harsh. It seems the Count has let go of any hard feelings, so why should we, as outsiders, interfere any further?¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly.¡±
The Minister¡¯s harsh truths left me speechless, but the Audit Director stepped in to mediate.
The Audit Director managed to defuse the situation with a heartyugh, and the Minister quickly backed off. It made sense; while the Minister could challenge others, he couldn¡¯t treat the Audit Director lightly. After all, it was the Minister who had to beg the Audit Director toe out of retirement and return to the Finance Ministry.
¡The more I think about it, the more dreadful it seems. To be dragged back into work after finally retiring¡ªthere was nothing worse for a civil servant.
No wonder he enjoys making the most of things.
I found myself looking at the Audit Director with a pitying gaze without realizing it. Earlier, it was the Audit Director who incited the other officials to join him in his little scheme when we approached Irina.
I was annoyed at the time, but thinking of it now as his way of squeezing some enjoyment out of life almost made me feel like tearing up.
I better make sure my retirement doesn¡¯t end up like that.
Maybe I should leave the empire altogether once I retired to avoid being dragged back into work.
***The once-quiet halls of the pce were gradually bing busier. But despite the growing crowd, the area around us remained strangely silent.
Having an official title really did have its perks. It might seem like we were discussing important policies to outsiders when in reality, the people I was with were just a bunch of retireesmenting the days until they could officially call it quits. After all, none of us wanted to talk about work during our off-hours.
¡°Hey.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
I was listening absentmindedly to the other directorsin about how their children weren¡¯t interested in inheriting their titles when the Minister tapped me on the shoulder.
¡°Congrattions. Looks like you won¡¯t have to search anymore.¡±
His sudden remark made me instinctively frown. What was he talking about?
Seeing my confusion, the Minister pointed somewhere, indicating that I should see for myself¡ª
Oh.
I froze as soon as I followed his finger.
There, walking alongside the Iron-blooded Duke, was a blond man. Just a few steps behind them was a woman with pink hair, holding Louise¡¯s hand.
¡What?
I was utterly confused. It was clearly the Naird family given the circumstances, but why were they arriving with the Valentis?
Could it be that Marghetta and Louise were that close and decided toe together? But then, why did the Yorun familye separately? Did they just happen to meet up outside?
¡°Now, we just need Marquis Iones to arrive.¡±
The Minister¡¯sment was the final nail in the coffin, and I couldn¡¯t help but let out a dry chuckle.
Chapter 264: New Year’s Ball (4)
My steps felt heavy. I found myself consciously controlling my breath, even thinking about where to position my tongue. It was awful. Why would Enen give me such a trial?
I was happy just a few hours ago. I finally got to see my precious daughter after a long time, and we even attended the New Year¡¯s Ball together. It was the kind of event that was usually too boring and formal for a teenager, but she was willing toe along.
How could I not be overjoyed? Even though my reasons for attending weren¡¯t purely to spend time with my family, that didn¡¯t really matter. No, it wasn¡¯t an issue at all. I¡¯d dly y along if the purpose were to support my daughter¡¯s love. What kind of father would deny his only daughter her chance at love?
Of course, I didn¡¯t expect such a challenge right from the start.
¡°It¡¯s my first time entering with another family. It feels different.¡±
¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯s the same for me.¡±
I tried hard not to look to the side, but it was impossible to ignore it when a duke spoke to you directly.
My head still spun. The Iron-blooded Duke? Me, walking side by side with a duke? For a mere baron like me, this was too harsh of a punishment.
But maybe it¡¯s a blessing in disguise.
I thought of Louise, who must be following behind with her mother. This might feel like a sudden punishment to me, but for Louise, it was a good sign. It meant that her rtionship with the duke¡¯s daughter was close enough for the Iron-blooded Duke to acknowledge our family.I had been so worried. I also felt happy when Louise smiled with that happy expression while wearing the ring. But when I heard that the object of her affection was the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, I seriously considered whether I should intervene.
Even someone like me who rarely left our territory knew the gossip of the social circles. He was the man who caught the attention of the youngest daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke and another dukedom¡¯s eldest daughter, a man caught between two of the most powerful families. And now, Louise was caught in the middle of it all.
In some ways, it would have been better if she had been ignored. If her love failed because of that, it would be an eptable oue. In the worst case, the two duke families could take offense at a baron¡¯s daughter getting involved, and not only would her love fail, but Louise¡¯s future could be ruined.
¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s already epted my feelings, and Lady Marghetta supports us too.¡±
But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop her when I saw her truly in love. Louise had gradually distanced herself from others after Hilda left us because of our ipetence as parents. How could I, in good conscience, stand in her way now that she was finally tearing down those walls?
And for some reason, the youngest daughter of the Iron-blooded Duke supported Louise so much that they¡¯d be good friends.
It doesn¡¯t matter who Louise likes as long as she¡¯s happy.
With Louise¡¯s happiness and the duke¡¯s daughter¡¯s support, there was hardly any reason to oppose this. I had always thought that I would ept the person who could finally reach her heart, even if he were amoner.
¡But I never imagined that the problem would be that his status was too high and not too low. After all, noble marriages were usually made between people of simr standing.
¡°Here theye. It looks like they¡¯ve spotted us.¡±
¡°Ah, you¡¯re right.¡±
The Iron-blooded Duke nced around and fixed his gaze somewhere, and I answered instinctively without even knowing who he had seen.
Dear God¡
Then, the sight of a young man in ck clothes approached, followed by five others froze me in ce.
I had never seen him in person, but given his appearance and the people with him, it was clear who he was.
***As expected, the people who entered with the Iron-blooded Duke were from the Naird family. The blond man who was suddenly thrust into the awkward position of walking next to a duke was none other than Baron Artini, Louise¡¯s father. ??
¡°His Grace really has no mercy. Walking right beside the duke must be quite the burden for a baron.¡±
The minister¡¯s murmured words which were full of feigned sympathy caught my attention.
The nerve of this man.
I bit my tongue to keep myself from saying, ¡®Is that really something you should say¡¯ It was bad enough for the baron to have a duke next to him, but a whole entourage of finance ministry civil servants trailing behind the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager? Wasn¡¯t this overkill?
I had nned to go pay my respects alone, but, as usual, this group of old-timers moved like an RPG party, sticking together as if they were hunting a demon king. There was no viin to defeat here, so why were they traveling in a pack? I wish they¡¯d all just disappear.
¡°I apologize for not greeting you sooner. I should have at least sent a message in advance.¡±
¡°Haha, there¡¯s no need to apologize. You must¡¯ve been busy with your territory, right?¡±
Baron Artini, nked by a duke on one side and surrounded by civil servants from the Ministry of Finance on the other, had wide, trembling eyes and a heart surely pounding out of his chest. Unlike Count nbell, who was used to dealing with high-ranking nobles, Baron Artini was just an ordinary local lord.
Seeing his difort, I couldn¡¯t keep him any longer. I made an excuse, saying we¡¯d greet each other again when His Majesty arrived before parting ways. The baron nodded quickly, eager to escape. The Iron-blooded Duke and I had recently spent time together in Wulken, so there wasn¡¯t any need for a lengthy conversation.
Besides, it¡¯s not like this is the only time we¡¯ll see each other.
The New Year¡¯s Ball didn¡¯t justst a day or two. It would be strange to send all the titled nobles back home immediately after they had gathered from all across the empire.
There would be plenty of time to exchange greetings. After the Emperor¡¯s New Year¡¯s speech, the rest of the schedule was essentially just made up of banquets, banquets, and more banquets.
¡°You could¡¯ve gone with them, you know.¡±
The minister casuallymented as I watched the odd pair of duke and baron walk away.
¡°No, thank you. How much more attention do you want the baron to draw with a duke and me beside him?¡±
I shook my head quickly. Sending me into that situation was no different from throwing a subordinate into a war zone. Besides, joining them now would just interrupt their family time.
Maybe Marghetta wouldn¡¯t mind, but Louise was meeting her family after a long time. She deserved some peaceful moments with them. It wasn¡¯t like this was the only chance I had to see them.
¡°True. The baron might just copse if he feels more eyes on them.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement.
I only knew Baron Artini from when Louise was still a child in the original story, so I didn¡¯t know what he was like now. But back then, he was a simple, easygoing man¡ªa kind father and lord, like something out of a picture book.
He wasn¡¯t particrlypetent, but he wasn¡¯t greedy either. If he still had that nature, then this situation would be unbearable for him.
It was bad enough that he had the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager as his only son-inw, but now, that son-inw was also connected to a ducal family as well? He was just a man with no ambitions and just wanted a peaceful life, but now he was unwillingly tangled up in power struggles.
I knew that pain and sorrow all too well. I was living it in real-time, after all.
¡I wonder if he¡¯ll even want to speak with meter.
At this rate, I have a feeling the baron might just go out of his way to avoid me after the New Year¡¯s speech.
***Nobles who had been scattered around the open areas of the Imperial Pce were now gathering in one ce as the Emperor¡¯s New Year¡¯s speech was about to begin.
The exalted Emperor himself would be giving his greetings to the lower ranks, so they naturally had to gather before him; no one would dare make the Emperor wait or wander around looking for them.
¡°It¡¯s more extravagant thanst year.¡±
¡°Last year was just more modest. This is how it¡¯s usually done.¡±
The open areas were wider thanst year, the decorations were more borate, and the number of knights had increased sincest time.
I asked the minister about it after noticing the extra effort put into this year¡¯s event, only for him to say that this wasn¡¯t extra effort but that it was about returning to normalcy.
¡°It¡¯s to show off that the empire has shaken off the scars of war and strife.¡±
His added words made me briefly think of Dorgon, who was making waves up in the North, but I quickly pushed the thought aside.
Whatever that bastard was up to, it was true that the empire was regaining its pre-war strength. In fact, this grand disy was likely to keep the nobles from worrying about Dorgon¡¯s presence. It was so that they¡¯d be confident the empire could easily defeat him even if he reappeared.
It is what it is.
Every extravagant disy had its reasons. If authority and dignity could be bought with money, then it was a worthwhile investment¡
As I absentmindedly watched the stage where the Emperor would soon appear, the doors opened, and the Minister of the Imperial Household stepped out first. It was about to begin.
¡°Nobles who follow the mandate of heaven, kneel!¡±
The Minister of the Imperial Household, who had appeared before the Emperor, pulled out a scroll from his robes and shouted in a voice that was surprisingly powerful for an old man.
At hismand, all the nobles immediately knelt and bowed their heads. In this situation, anyone who didn¡¯t kneel would be nothing short of a traitor.
¡°Descendant of the great Amanca the First, who established the divine mandate under the protection of Enen! Ruler of Livnoman and the rightful and sole Emperor of Kefellofen! King of Tiraf, Groten, Latia, Prunian, and Gn! Duke of Itiruna, Hanten, Naigal, Raum, and Renea! Marquess of Krota, Pellen, Risiuta, Furu, Urehen, Nichenova, Noman, Palenban, and Neusten! Count of Nasa, Retaron, Siran, Granoe, Winius, Doba, Kandalren, Fedun, Viridia, Kamora, Trpol, Ber, Izuna, and Noden! Lord of countless other territories, Patron of the Imperial Academy, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army, Ally of the Allied Races¡ª¡±
The Minister of the Imperial Household quickly recited the Emperor¡¯s titles as soon as he confirmed that the nobles had knelt. I wondered if just calling him the Emperor of the Empire wouldn¡¯t suffice, but all those titles and positions served as a way to showcase his overwhelming superiority over the other nobles.
And, of course, this tradition had been in ce since the time of Amanca the First, so it couldn¡¯t be easily changed. Plus, it wasn¡¯t like this tradition was particrly burdensome enough to warrant changing it¡
¡Did it shorten?
However, something seemed off. The minister¡¯s speech felt shorterpared tost year.
What was going on? I hadn¡¯t heard anything about his titles being consolidated, and it was unlikely they¡¯d suddenly start omitting some of them now.
Ah.
Then, it dawned on me. If the Emperor¡¯s titles had decreased, then there could only be one reason.
He passed them on.
He had handed some of them over to the Crown Prince.
A wave of relief washed over me as soon as I realized that. Just imagining that bastard having more responsibilities made me feel so much better.
Well, good for him, I guess. His coffers would never run dry with all those titles andnds.
As for me, I¡¯d be lucky if I inherited even a single imperial title and a few baronies.
Ah! I¡¯m so jealous!
Chapter 265: New Year’s Ball (5)
I calmed the corners of my twitching lips while recalling the words of the Minister of the Imperial Household. The Emperor had held onto the essential titles of king and duke, as expected. He couldn¡¯t possibly give those up unless he abdicated, so there was no helping it.
In exchange, a few marquisates, several counties, and various other titles had mysteriously vanished. Naturally, the one to ¡®discover¡¯ these missing titles would be the Crown Prince. The Emperor, recognizing his contributions, would hand them over instead of reiming them. I could almost picture the Crown Prince, moved to tears as he epted the titles, and the thought nearly brought tears to my own eyes.
Of course, mine would be tears of joy. If the emperor and his son were close enough to exchange titles like this, then the future of the empire looked bright indeed.
¡°¡ªThe Protector of the Sacred Lands, the Father of the People, His Majesty Corvus Amanca Livnoman of Kefellofen approaches for the sake of the noble lords! All nobles who follow the Mandate of Heaven, bow your heads and wee the great Emperor!¡±
The Minister of the Imperial Household¡¯s promation had felt long and tiresomest year, but it was quite enjoyable this time. Perhaps it was because I was mentally calcting the new roles the Crown Prince had assumed.
In any case, the nobles who had already bowed their heads lowered them even further at the minister¡¯s words. The sound of doors opening came soon after and was followed by the steady rhythm of footsteps.
¡°Raise your heads.¡±
The emperor¡¯s voice rang out. It was low, yet heavy; it wasn¡¯t loud, but it was as clear as if he were speaking right beside you. That voice carried an overwhelming authority befitting the title of emperor.
Actually, it didn¡¯t matter whether the Emperor spoke loudly or softly. If anyone failed to hear him, they¡¯d have no choice but to dere, ¡®I must be deaf!¡¯ and cut off their own ears.
¡°The pirs that uphold the empire have gathered in one ce. Howmendable.¡±Thankfully, the nobles chose to raise their heads instead of their knives, and the Emperor spoke briefly while looking down at them.
I nced behind the Emperor to see the Minister of the Imperial Household kneeling, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess who seemed to have entered with the Emperor, and finally, Ainter standing at the end.
Oh.
I nearly gasped in admiration at the sight.
I had heard that Ainter would be attending the New Year¡¯s Ball, but I hadn¡¯t expected him to stand there so confidently. Typically, only the Crown Prince and a favored child would be permitted to stand beside the emperor on such an asion.
Although the current emperor had only two children¡ª the Crown Prince and Ainter¡ªhaving just two children didn¡¯t mean that they both automatically earned a spot beside him. Some emperors had appeared alone simply because they didn¡¯t favor any of their children.
There¡¯s no reason to stir uppetition at this point.
Unless the emperor had lost his senses, he wouldn¡¯t use Ainter to provoke another session dispute. The Crown Prince¡¯s expression was calm¡ªno, it was faintly weary, but there was no sign of displeasure.
So, it wasn¡¯t a session conflict, and the Crown Prince had epted it. This meant that Ainter, who had lived under the constant threat of being purged simply because he was the Crown Prince¡¯s younger brother, had returned to the fold as an ordinary member of the imperial family.
As Ainter¡¯s advisor, I couldn¡¯t be happier. After all, there was no longer any reason to kill him due to unforeseenplications.
¡°The empire has endured many disturbances, but those too are just another page in our endless history. The legacy passed down from our ancestors,bined with your loyalty, has be the bridge that allows the empire to move forward.¡±
There was no way the other nobles hadn¡¯t noticed the changes in the imperial family that I had picked up on. The emperor continued speaking as if nothing was wrong even as a subtle murmur spread through the room.
¡°The empire is steadfast. Even if we pause momentarily or look elsewhere, the empire will not fall. And even if we momentarily stray from the path, we will quickly find the right one again.¡±
The Emperor¡¯s New Year¡¯s speech was short but direct. The brief stirring among the nobles quickly subsided, as the emperor¡¯s words carried both unshakable confidence and a subtle warning.
It was a deration that the Empire had already recovered despite the devastating losses caused by the Rebel and the second prince¡¯s reckless behavior. Even though the Rebel¡¯s offspring remained in the north, the emperor was confident that there would be no further issues.
However, all of this had only been possible because the empire stood united. Should anyone, like the second prince¡¯s faction in the past, hesitate or harbor disloyal thoughts, they would be utterly crushed.
This is intense.
The nobles were so moved by the emperor¡¯s fiery speech that they couldn¡¯t even move a finger.
For a politician known for his indirect speech, the emperor¡¯s bluntness made it clear that he meant business. Any noble who disyed the slightest sign of opposition would find themselves swiftly dealt with.
¡°I have said all that needs to be said. Crown Prince, remain here to honor the loyal subjects who have made time to attend.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±
With that, the Emperor concluded his New Year¡¯s speech and handed the reins over to the Crown Prince before turning to leave, causing the nobles to begin to murmur among themselves once more.
Everyone knew that the emperor had been stepping back from frontline duties. The fact that he¡¯d just handed over many titles was something the Minister of the Imperial Household had just revealed.
However, leaving after giving a New Year¡¯s speech and not staying for the rest of the ceremony was a different matter entirely. This was the one event of the year where every titled noble gathered. The fact that the Emperor chose to leave it in the Crown Prince¡¯s hands and depart signaled that he felt no need to stay.
¡°¡Three years at most, don¡¯t you think?¡±
No matter how you looked at it, this was a clear sign of an imminent abdication, likely within the next three years. Or perhaps, even sooner.
¡°It could be as soon as next year.¡±
I wasn¡¯t the only one thinking along these lines. The Minister responded with a grim expression when I asked him.
This was a headache. While some had spected that the Emperor might pass on some of his duties and titles to lessen the shock of a sudden abdication, many had dismissed the idea as a mere precaution.
But after today¡¯s performance, even those skeptics would have to reconsider. This was a clear signal that his abdication was on the horizon.
Well, this is a disaster.
What am I supposed to do now? Once the Emperor dered his abdication, all civil servants at my level and above would be expected to beg him to reconsider even if he had already made up his mind. It was just one of those strange customs in this absurd world.
This was driving me insane. I swear, the original author of this novel must¡¯ve had some Confucian influence because traces of it kept popping up in the most unexpected ces¡
***The nobles split into three groups after the emperor dropped three consecutive bombshells and made his exit.
One group hurried to the Crown Prince, eager to curry favor with the imminent heir to the throne. Another group sought to forge connections with Ainter, who had now evolved from just having the title of ¡®the Third Prince¡¯ to actually being one in practice. Thest group, to which I belonged, consisted of nobles mingling only with their peers.
¡°Nephe~ Long time no see!¡±
¡°Yes, it has. It¡¯s good to see you.¡±
¡°Hehehe, right? Isn¡¯t it nice?¡±
Not in the least.
I swallowed the words that rose to the tip of my tongue and looked at the Drunkard Duchess in front of me. No one wouldin if the dukes left after the New Year¡¯s speech was over, but why did she have to stick to me of all people?
I uneasily nced at the visibly drunk Wise Duchess, then shifted my gaze to the man standing beside her.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Uncle.¡±
¡°Indeed, it has.¡±
Unlike the wildly intoxicated duchess beside him, my uncle, the Duke of Salon, greeted me with a gentle smile. He had the same light brown hair and blue eyes as Mother, but I noticed a few streaks of gray in his hair. That was likely from all the stress he was under.
What a pity. Even though their marriage was based on love rather than political interests, it seemed that not even that abundant love could keep her drinking in check. Or maybe he felt even more pained by her drinking because he loved her so much.
Who¡¯s going to stop her?
The Wise Duchess was chugging whiskey straight from the bottle. From the looks of it, she had been like this even before the New Year¡¯s speech. It was hard to imagine that someone of her rank would show up in such a state, especially since she was supposed to be at the front and center during the speech.
However, what could anyone do? Not even the emperor could stop her drinking.
There had been an incident in the past where the emperor, fed up with her excessive drinking, had gifted her a goblet while suggesting that she limit herself to just one drink a day. Knowing that she¡¯d simply use arger goblet, he had given her one of decent size, thinking she¡¯d drink less if she stuck to it.
But from that day on, the Wise Duchess began drinking straight from the bottle. Of course, the emperor was so shocked that he said, ¡®Have you finally pickled your brain in alcohol?¡¯ Though he phrased it more politely, of course.
¡°My body is the goblet, and I am just filling it!¡±
She dered, clearing her mind and stating it boldly. At that moment, the emperor realized there was no stopping this endless cycle of drinking.
¡°Hmmm~? Why are you looking at me like that, dear nephe?¡±
The drunkard, whom even the emperor had given up on, seemed to notice my gaze and tilted her head in curiosity.
¡°He seems worried about his aunt. Maybe you should drink less in front of your nephew.¡±
¡°Eeeeh~ But you were the one who said it¡¯s not good to hold back when you like somethingggg~¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to take it this far¡¡±
My uncle smiled as he gently patted the Wise Duchess¡¯s shoulder, while she, already slurring her words, responded with exaggerated affection. So it was my uncle who had encouraged her drinking in the first ce¡ In the end, it was a disaster of his own making.
I think I might be going crazy. Why did I have to witness this¡?
And of course, they¡¯re nowhere to be found.
My growing frustration turned into resentment toward the senior directors of the Ministry of Finance.
My back felt cold. With no one behind me, it felt empty and barren. They were stuck to me like glue when Count nbell, the Iron-blooded Duke, and Baron Artini had shown up earlier, but they vanished like ghosts when I could really use their presence. Was this¡ the camaraderie of the Ministry of Finance? Disgusting.
¡°Wise Duchess, it¡¯s wonderful that you and your husband share such a close bond, but unting it so openly is a bit embarrassing.¡±
But then, an unexpected savior appeared, and suddenly my back felt much warmer.
¡°Oh! Iron-blooded Duke!¡±
The Wise Duchess giggled and waved at the sudden entrance of the Iron-blooded Duke, while my uncle nodded in greeting.
I was touched. My father-inw hade to rescue me just when my colleagues abandoned me. Was this¡ the loyalty of the Valenti family? It was downright beautiful.
¡°You seem to have plenty of free time. Shouldn¡¯t you be visiting your inws right after the New Year¡¯s speech?¡±
After acknowledging my uncle¡¯s nod with a brief one of his own, the Iron-blooded Duke spoke gruffly to me.
But I knew better. Even though his tone was curt and it sounded like he was scolding me, I could tell that it was just his way of helping me escape from the Wise Duchess¡¯s clutches.
¡°My apologies.¡±
¡°As long as you understand.¡±
See? I just gave a simple apology, and the matter was settled just like that.
¡°Mind if I take him away? He¡¯s as busy as his fingers are, and I can¡¯t leave him idle.¡±
At those words, the Wise Duchess¡¯s gaze fell on my hand¡ªor rather, on the rings adorning my fingers. She let out a snortingugh when she saw the six rings, which made my blood boil. It was an honestugh, and that only made it worse.
¡°So we have been bothering this busy nephew of mineee!¡±
What a strange thing to say. She had always been a bother.
Of course, I didn¡¯t say that out loud. If I did, she¡¯d probably whine about how her nephew didn¡¯t love her anymore.
¡°Goodbye, nephew~! Go y with those lovely wives of yours instead of boring old me!¡±
¡°Yes, Aunt. Thank you.¡±
Still, it was fortunate that the Wise Duchess was more of a nuisance than someone who clung constantly.
Chapter 266: The Capital’s Groom of the Year (1)
The New Year¡¯s Ball was a grand event where every noble of the empire gathered before His Majesty the Emperor to reaffirm their loyalty. It was an event more magnificent and resplendent than any other, but equally as heavy and burdensome.
That was why I never had any real desire to attend despite my curiosity about the event. After all, I¡¯d be obliged to go whether I wanted to or not once I inherited the title.
I heard that some people attended willingly to expand theirwork, but I always imagined myself living quietly on our territory even after bing a baron. My father understood this, so he never even suggested going to the capital for such an event.
So this is what it¡¯s like.
But I ended up attending the New Year¡¯s Ball this year. It wasn¡¯t because my father pushed me, but because I wanted to. The look of surprise on his face when I suddenly expressed my desire to attend was priceless.
Well, technically, it was Lady Marghetta¡¯s suggestion that swayed me, so maybe it was more of her will than mine?
Whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter.
Whether it was my decision or hers, the fact remained that this was my first time attending the New Year¡¯s Ball. So, I might as well take in the sights while I was here. If I was going to attend, then I might as well make the most of it.
As I was ncing around while thinking that, something cold suddenly touched my cheek.
¡°Eeek¡ª!¡±¡°Ahaha. Did I scare you?¡±
Startled, I turned to see Irina standing beside me, smiling mischievously while holding a small ss.
¡°You must be thirsty. Here, drink this. It¡¯s juice, not wine, so don¡¯t worry.¡±
Irina handed me the ss she had pressed against my cheek. It was so cold that frost had formed on the surface. Even though it was warm inside, wasn¡¯t pressing something that cold against me in the middle of winter a bit cruel?
¡°You could¡¯ve handed it over normally.¡±
¡°Well, you seemed so distracted.¡±
I grumbled a bit, but I couldn¡¯t deny her yfulughter. Although I¡¯d never nned to attend this event, I had always been curious. Everything around me was new¡ªnew faces and a new ce. How could I not be a little distracted?
Besides, this was the imperial pce. Even high-ranking nobles didn¡¯t get to visit unless it was for the New Year¡¯s Ball. So, it was only natural to be fascinated.
¡°¡Was it that obvious?¡±
¡°Yeah, totally.¡±
It was embarrassing to realize that I must¡¯ve looked like a country girl overwhelmed by the grandeur of it all. Well, I dide from the countryside, so I guess that wasn¡¯t too far from the truth.
¡°I was the same earlier. It¡¯s fine once you get used to it.¡±
Sensing my slight embarrassment, Irina gave me a reassuring smile and patted my shoulder. She admitted that she¡¯d been just as awestruck when she first arrived, but she felt more at ease now after looking around a bit.
Her kind reassurance only made me feel more self-conscious. After all, my reaction was probably even worse than I thought if she had tofort me.
¡°That¡¯s a relief¡¡±
Still, I couldn¡¯t dismiss her kindness, so I pretended to feel better.
¡Right. I wasn¡¯t here for sightseeing. I came to show off my connection with oppa and not to have fun.
Deciding to stop gawking at everything, I lowered my gaze and sipped the juice. Just then, Lady Marghetta came up and ced a hand on my shoulder.
¡°It¡¯s perfectly normal to feel this way on your first visit. I was the same, so don¡¯t worry too much, Lady Louise.¡±
¡°Ah, senior.¡±
¡°Sorry to interrupt your fun, but may I join you two? It¡¯s getting a bit dull over there.¡±
I immediately understood why she said it was boring after looking over to where Lady Marghetta had been. The elders of three noble families were huddled together, deep in conversation. Even for someone like her, it wasn¡¯t exactly a crowd she could easily slip into. ?
¡°Besides, Carl is heading over here, too.¡±
With a chuckle, Lady Marghetta pointed straight ahead, and both Irina and I quickly turned to look.
That was fast. The Iron-blooded Duke had only just left to fetch oppa, and now he was already back?
In a ce this big?
Even though we were indoors, the space was far from cramped. In fact, it was quiterge, especially considering that this was where His Majesty gave his New Year¡¯s speech. How did he find someone so quickly in a ce this big? Was this some special ability you acquired when you became a duke?
¡°¡It might take a bit longer than we thought.¡±
Irina, who had just spotted oppa among the crowd, muttered somewhat awkwardly.
I saw him a momentter and couldn¡¯t help but smile awkwardly. Could we even say he was ¡®on his way¡¯? It looked more like he¡¯d been caught.
Oppa was trying to navigate the crowd, but it looked more like he was stuck with so many nobles brushing up against him or stopping him for a greeting. Even though the Iron-blooded Duke was by his side, it only seemed to attract more attention rather than shield him from it.
¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. You rarely see Carl at social gatherings like this.¡±
Lady Marghetta said with a shrug. Despite the inconvenience, she looked more proud than anything, as if seeing oppa at the center of attention was something to boast about.
And honestly, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the same. This was a side of oppa I hadn¡¯t seen before¡ªhis true self and not just the club advisor, but as the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
Even the high-ranking nobles who rarely bowed their heads lowered them and tried to strike up a conversation with him. He wasn¡¯t that much older than me, and yet hemanded respect and admiration.
He¡¯s amazing¡
My heart, which already raced whenever I thought of him, thudded even harder. This was the real him; the noble and not just the gentle, caring oppa I knew.
I already admired him, but seeing this side of him made me fall for him even more. Mother always said that men looked their best when they were immersed in their work, and now I finally understood exactly what she meant.
***Damn it. Can¡¯t these people just let me through?
It felt like I was in some kind of game¡ªwas I a pok¨¦mon trainer that people rushed over as if we were about to battle every time I made eye contact with one of them? Do I at least get money if I win?
¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a while! I heard you¡¯ve been promoted to the Commander of the Eastern Forces. The neighboring kingdoms must be trembling because of yourmanding presence.¡±
¡°I received your giftst time. I¡¯d love to repay the favor, but what do I give to someone as aplished as Your Grace?¡±
¡°I hear your son has been posted at the Imperial Military Headquarters. Even the Invincible Duke seems impressed with his talent.¡±
However, the nobles stopping me weren¡¯t just anybody; each one of them was a heavy-hitter in the empire. I couldn¡¯t just brush them off or give them half-hearted responses without expecting some serious repercussions.
Even now, I was dealing with the likes of the Eastern Commander and the Chief Justice, not to mention several other influential figures in politics. Worse, these weren¡¯t people I had never met before, so I had to wrack my brain to remember them and carry on these conversations.
But what could I do? To keep my civil service career smooth and peaceful, I needed to avoid making enemies.
After all, no one survives on their own.
I became the Executive Manager at neen¡ªa nice title to have. But to be honest, it just meant that I skipped over experience and age, leaving me as the young upstart who outranked others. Even though the Crown Prince¡¯s support got me here, there was no denying that I was seen as a political outsider.
Sure, I could easily crush anyone who dared to raise a fuss, but that was only within the confines of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. I¡¯d bebeled a lunatic if I started dealing with people from other departments just because they badmouthed me.
That was why I had to keep up appearances. If I were the reckless type who only cared about myself, I¡¯d have been beaten down and abandoned by the Crown Prince a long time ago. He needed a hunting dog that followed his orders, not a rabid dog that barked at anyone and everyone.
¡Come to think of it, all this trouble was because of him in the first ce.
That bastard.
Not that I was surprised. He had never been much help to my life anyway.
¡°I¡¯m truly humbled by the Executive Manager¡¯s kindness. I¡¯ll make sure to send a generous gift for the asion.¡±
And just like that, a noble slipped in a discreet favor request, sparking a sudden shift in the conversation.
¡°Thank you for your kind words. Should I start looking forward to it?¡±
¡°Of course. I¡¯ll send enough to meet your expectations and more.¡±
All eyes darted to my hand as soon as the words left his mouth, specifically the ring. If stares could physically affect objects, my hand might have disappeared by now.
It¡¯s begun.
I almost let out a bitterugh as I felt the weight of those expectant gazes. Up until now, the nobles had been cautiously greeting me, ying a game of polite indifference. But now, they were making their moves.
For these older nobles, discussing the marriage of a much younger nobleman was a delicate subject to bring up first. But once one person breaks the ice, the rest were quick to follow.
¡°It¡¯s about time the Executive Manager had a partner. It¡¯s undoubtedly a blessing for the empire.¡±
¡°Indeed. And that match is none other than the treasure of the Valentis.¡±
Hearing the word ¡®treasure¡¯, the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s lips twitched ever so slightly.
Others may not have noticed or they pretended not to, but I definitely saw it. That man was secretly pleased with the idea of Marghetta being called a ¡®jewel.¡¯
¡°Congrattions, Your Grace. Where could one find a son-inw as perfect as the Executive Manager?¡±
The Duke responded gruffly to the well-timed congrattory remark.
¡°Congratte him, not me. After all, where else would he find a wife like Mar?¡±
¡°Haha, that¡¯s true. It seems I was too shortsighted.¡±
The noblesughed in agreement at the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s words, which were brimming with fatherly affection. The Duke¡¯s love for his daughter, especially his youngest, was well-known, so it was only natural that the nobles would respond this way. Any other reaction might have embarrassed the one offering the congrattions.
The key point here was that the Duke didn¡¯t deny the idea of me being his son-inw. With that, I had now be an officially recognized part of the Valenti family.
¡°I feel the same way. She¡¯s far too good for me.¡±
I added ament of my own, and I saw the corners of the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s mouth lift even further.
¡°I can¡¯t tell you how happy it makes me to have found six such people.¡±
The Duke¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change even though my choice of words was risky.
Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem bothered by the fact that I had multiple wives. It seemed that he was more than satisfied as long as Marghetta held the title of the first wife.
Well, I suppose it was only fair. After all, he had multiple wives himself. It would be hypocritical to hold me to a different standard.
¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±
His next words, however, caught mepletely off guard.
¡°But remember this: while you may have six wives, to her, you are the only one.¡±
Then, the crowd on my right began to part, almost like the parting of the Red Sea, along with a familiar voice.
To part a crowd through sheer presence¡ªit could only be another Duke.
¡°How have you been, baby?¡±
The sight of the Mage Duchess smiling at me made my lips twitch.
What would happen if I called her Beatrix right here¡?
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 267: The Capital’s Groom of the Year (2)
I was stuck in a dilemma. Should I call her ¡®Your Grace,¡¯ or simply ¡®Beatrix¡¯? I wasn¡¯t sure which was the right choice.
Considering the nobles¡¯ mindset, societal decorum, and her dignity, the former seemed correct. However, thetter felt more fitting when thinking about her happiness and our rtionship as an engaged couple. Either way, there were bound to be consequences. It was a frustratinglyplex problem.
¡°Baby?¡±
Ah.
It wasn¡¯t until I heard her voice that I realized my mistake. She had spoken first, and I hadn¡¯t even replied. That was rude, regardless of our respective statuses.
What was worse was that I noticed a faint unease flickering in her eyes from being ignored. It was subtle, but the fact that she felt it at all was a problem.
It wouldn¡¯t have been such a big deal if I had just responded immediately and called her ¡®Your Grace.¡¯ It might¡¯ve been slightly disappointing, but she would have understood given the many eyes watching us. But hesitating to the point where she became anxious, only to then address her with a stiff title? That would likely hurt her feelings.
Specifically, she¡¯d probably start thinking, ¡®Does he not want to acknowledge our rtionship in front of others?¡¯ and nurse that wound silently.
That¡¯s highly likely.
It might seem like a silly misunderstanding, but I couldn¡¯t afford to take any chances. The Mage Duchess had already had her self-esteem hit rock bottom once during the potion incident. She was delicate, like fragile packaging, and I had to handle her with care.¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been well, Beatrix.¡±
I responded a littlete, smiling but still polite. Even in this situation, my final shred of sanity kept me from speaking too casually.
Using her real name had its justifications. We¡¯ve exchanged rings, after all, so addressing her with a formal title just felt odd at this point. On the other hand, speaking informally to someone a hundred years my senior would be absurd. It would probably be fine after years of marriage, but using informal speech right now would be awkward.
This level of formality seemed like a reasonablepromise¡ªusing her name but maintaining respect. I should stick to this approach when we¡¯re in public. It was a bnce both she and the nobles could ept.
¡ªOr so I thought.
¡°Th-thank goodness¡ I¡¯m so d to hear that.¡±
The moment I called her by name, the unease in her eyes vanished, and she began to fidget, her ears twitching nervously. Her face turned a shy shade of red, unmistakably the appearance of a woman in love.
What? Why was she reacting like this? I didn¡¯t even speak casually and just called her by her name. Did she take being called by her name more seriously than informal speech?
¡°¡¡±
And next to us, I could feel Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s silent shock. He seemed too flustered to evenugh or gasp.
The other nobles weren¡¯t any different. The previously bustling surroundings, filled with greetings and requests, fell silent for the first time.
Damn it.
I misjudged the situation. I thought calling her by name would be surprising but still eptable. But apparently, even that was sacred ground to these nobles, like she was Voldemort or something. Well, she is a wizard.
But now that I thought about it, it made sense. To these people, she¡¯d been the Mage Duchess for over a century, a figure who served multiple emperors. They probably never even imagined that someone would address her by name.
This was a disaster. If just using her name caused this reaction, then what would happen if I spoke informally? Beatrix might blush, but the nobles? They might all die of shock.
¡°¡It seems like you two are very close. It¡¯s heartwarming to witness. My congrattions in advance on your uing wedding, Your Grace.¡±
Finally, one of the stunned nobles managed to speak. No matter how confused they were, they still knew how to say the right thing¡ªthat was a noble¡¯s instinct.
¡°Indeed. I was concerned about the challenges Your Grace and the Executive Manager might face, but it seems my worries were for nothing.¡±
¡°A difference in species is no small matter, but oveing that only makes the bond stronger, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±
Others quickly followed suit once one person broke the silence.
Smiling awkwardly, I endured the flood ofpliments and ttery. Everyone present likely had Beatrix¡¯s name etched into their minds by now, but no one brought it up. It seemed like everyone silently agreed to just let it pass.
Meanwhile, I kept my gaze away from the Mage Duchess¡¯s still twitching ears, as though looking at her directly might bring about some catastrophic consequences.
¡°Beatrix, I was thinking of greeting the rest of my inws. Would you care to join me?¡±
I carefully spoke up in the midst of this strange and awkward atmosphere. If this went on any longer, it would just be another dark moment in the Mage Duchess¡¯s memory, and the nobles might reach the point where they¡¯d have to pretend they hadn¡¯t seen anything at all.
¡°Yes, let¡¯s go together. When else would we get the chance to gather like this?¡±
Even the Iron-blooded Duke who had been silent supported my suggestion. His face still showed faint signs of confusion, but at least he managed to speak properly.
Since Marghetta was going to marry me, there was no way the Duke could distance himself from the Mage Duchess. Figuring it was better to stay with family than get caught up with the nobles, he seemed to decide this was the more logical course of action.
¡°That sounds good. I¡¯d also like to greet them, too.¡±
Thankfully, the Mage Duchess nodded without any objections.
Yes, it was better to stay among family. Stirring things up while with the nobility would only cause unnecessary attention.
That said, it was only better in the sense that we were avoiding the worst-case scenario. This was hardly the best solution¡ªit was more like the lesser of two evils.
¡°There¡¯s so many people I¡¯m meeting for the first time. It¡¯s a pleasure to see you all.¡±
And so, the family members (from all three inws) who had been chatting peacefully fell silent at once as the Mage Duchess, the social ouw and a natural disruptor of order, joined the conversation.
The Mage Duchess rarely left the Magic Tower, only making appearances at events like the New Year¡¯s Ball. Even then, she would only show up for a day and disappear immediately. So, most people present had never even seen her, let alone spoken to her.
Just seeing this rare figure up close was enough to make their hearts race. But for her to address them first, and formally no less? They wouldn¡¯t be med if they fainted on the spot.
¡°Your Grace, please feel free to speak casually.¡±
The first to recover was Count nbell, and he made a sensible suggestion only to be met with:
¡°How could I? We¡¯re practically family now.¡±
The Mage Duchess answered with a gentle smile, leaving everyone even more confused and forcing them into silence once again.
In the broad sense, you could indeed say we were all family now. But among that family, she was by far the oldest. Didn¡¯t that mean she should be allowed to speak informally?
Of course, no one had the courage to suggest to the Mage Duchess that she could speak casually because she was the eldest.
¡°You must be Louise.¡±
The awkward silence was broken by the Mage Duchess. She approached Louise, who had been cowering at the sight of the Mage Duchess, and spoke in a warm tone.
¡°Y-Yes! I¡¯m Louise Naird of the Naird Barony!¡±
Naturally, just because the Mage Duchess spoke kindly didn¡¯t mean Louise could rx. Even though Louise was used to mingling with royalty, future saints, and other high-ranking figures, those people were the exceptions and not the norm.
Despite Louise¡¯s stiff, overly formal response, the Mage Duchess gently stroked her cheek.
¡°You¡¯ve grown up beautifully. You seemed so frail thest time I saw you, so I was worried.¡±
This remark caused a stir among the onlookers. Louise and the Mage Duchess should have been meeting for the first time, yet the Mage Duchess¡¯s words made it sound like they were already acquainted, and from quite some time ago.
Louise¡¯s parents, in particr, reacted even more. To hear that their precious only daughter had met the Mage Duchess before¡ they must have been dizzy with confusion.
¡°Uh, Your Grace¡ Forgive me, but have we met before?¡±
That didn¡¯t mean that Louise was unaffected by the situation. She was likely racking her brain, trying to remember if she had ever seen the Mage Duchess even from a distance.
Unfortunately, her efforts would be in vain. It was true that Louise had met the Mage Duchess before, but she had never seen her true form.
¡°Of course, you¡¯ve seen me. Though not in this appearance.¡±
With those words, the Mage Duchess¡¯s long hair, which had trailed the floor, began to shorten. Her pristine white hair transformed into a vibrant blue, and even her pointed ears, a symbol of her elven heritage, were reshaped into the ordinary ears of a human. The transformation was mesmerizing.
Louise¡¯s eyes widened in shock.
¡°T-Teacher¡?¡±
¡°Haha, indeed. It¡¯s been nine years since Ist saw my pupil. It¡¯s good to see you again.¡±
The Mage Duchess gently patted Louise¡¯s head as she stood there, dazed. Then, she shot me a yful smile.
That wasn¡¯t necessary.
Her sudden revtion of their teacher-student rtionship caught everyone off guard, but I understood her reasoning and lowered my head slightly in gratitude.
To be honest, Louise was the one who held the lowest rank among the women I had exchanged rings with. Marghetta was from a ducal family, as was the Mage Duchess. The 1st Manager came from a marquisate, and even Irina was the daughter of Count Yorun, a major figure in the Gold Duke¡¯s faction.
The 4th Manager held a knightly title and was one of the key assets of the Special Service Agency¡ªnone of them were people anyone could afford to offend.
On the other hand, Louise was simply the daughter of a baron. Even though she was set to inherit the title, she was still just a local youngdy with little connection to power. But now it turned out that this seemingly ordinary baron¡¯s daughter was the only disciple of the Mage Duchess? It almost felt like something out of a light novel, but this was real.
¡°A teacher and her student falling for the same man¡ It¡¯s quite an interesting twist of fate.¡±
Her words struck like a dagger, and I lowered my gaze quietly.
I sounded like some kind of shameless womanizer when she put it that way.
***I felt exhausted. The Emperor unexpectedly handed over some of his titles at the end of the year, and now he had ordered me to attend the New Year¡¯s Ball. I could tolerate him passing down his responsibilities, but I wish he¡¯d at least give me some warning next time.
Still, I could endure it. After all, what was happening in front of me was quite an amusing spectacle.
¡°It seems there will be a great celebration in the Empire soon.¡±
At those words, all the imperial nobles turned their attention to where I had been looking.
¡°You speak the truth, Your Highness. With the Executive Manager surrounded by so manypanions, it truly is a time for celebration.¡±
¡°Haha, who would¡¯ve thought we¡¯d see the legendary tale of the Gold Duke ying out again?¡±
Once they grasped the situation, the nobles began adding their own remarks, smiling all the while. It was a minor addition to the conversation, but it made the moment all the more satisfying.
If this had been in the past, I wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed it nearly as much. I honestly thought the Executive Manager had lost his mind when he talked about a joint wedding and the idea of a ¡®first wife.¡¯ Thankfully, he¡¯d sincee to his senses and felt embarrassed about thosements. What a relief.
I owed a lot to the Minister of Finance for giving me that crucial piece of information. He really was a loyal servant.
¡°Count, don¡¯t you think you should go as well?¡±
Feeling warm-hearted at the thought of such loyalty, I turned my attention to Count Tailglehen.
Several imperial families had approached me after my father had stepped away, and of course, Count Tailglehen was among them.
¡°It¡¯s fine, Your Highness. The New Year¡¯s Ball is long, after all.¡±
The Count shook his head calmly and declined my suggestion, exining that there would be plenty of opportunities to meetter.
But was it just my imagination? I could sense an unspoken determination in his otherwise expressionless face, a firm resolve to avoid going over there at all costs.
Chapter 268: The Capital’s Groom of the Year (3)
I staked my resignation on it. I vowed that I would act as a protective barrier around my inws during this New Year¡¯s Ball and would be a living totem, holding the family together.
I swore not to interact with any nobles outside of my inws. At the same time, I had to ensure my inws wouldn¡¯t engage with other nobles either. It was the only way to safeguard what little peace of mind I had left.
It¡¯s stifling.
If I failed to keep that vow, the feeling of eyes boring into the back of my head would be the least of my problems. I¡¯d likely be bombarded with a barrage of questions until my eardrums felt like they were going to burst.
Honestly, I was a bit scared to look back. I could surely handle a punch or two, but taking multiple blows to the gut in a short span of time was a different story.
That was exactly the situation now. Here I was, attending my first official event since getting into a rtionship. But I didn¡¯t have just one partner¡ªthere were six.
Two of them came from ducal families, and one was a duke herself. Even the most indifferent sage would be giving me a standing ovation. It was no wonder I was being bombarded by stares.
Still, I could handle it if it stopped there. Marriages among the nobility were standard practice, after all. The fact that the Mage Duchess herself was marrying someone as young as me might be surprising to them, but the concept of marriage itself wasn¡¯t shocking. It was a lot of attention, but not something entirely out of the ordinary.
¡°Wait, she¡¯s Her Grace¡¯s disciple? That youngdy?¡±
¡°Unbelievable. Her Grace has always offered advice here and there, but she¡¯s never taken on a formal disciple.¡±¡°Exactly. Even the past Tower Masters never had the privilege of being taught by her. This is huge.¡±
However, the appearance of the Mage Duchess¡¯s disciple was a whole different issue. No matter how you spun it, this was an event that shouldn¡¯t have happened. The reaction from the nobles, after hearing the Mage Duchess¡¯s deration, spoke volumes.
Despite countless pleas from other Tower Masters over the years, the Mage Duchess never took on a disciple. And now there was one out of the blue? This was the kind of news that would make any mage gasp, not just in the empire but anywhere in the world.
Naturally, the nobles who had been keeping their distance started stirring. It was no surprise considering the potential political ripple effects of someone being named the Mage Duchess¡¯s disciple. And it wasn¡¯t just any disciple¡ªshe was the only disciple. That made it even more powerful.
¡°We haven¡¯t had the chance to meet before, but now we¡¯re family.¡±
¡°Oh, um, yes¡¡±
¡°Once you have time,e visit the tower. I¡¯ll teach you properly as your teacher.¡±
Even in the middle of all this, the Mage Duchess gently patted Louise on the head while speaking in a soft tone. It was almost funny how a simplement like that could send the nobles spiraling into chaos in real-time.
Of course, I didn¡¯t stop it. Although Louise was now the center of excessive attention with her new title as ¡®the Mage Duchess¡¯s only disciple,¡¯ this was something she had to bear considering her original status. It was still much better than being seen as a lesser-ranking lover.
¡°Congrattions, Louise. A future Tower Master is standing right before us.¡±
I gave Louise a reassuring smile. Of everyone here, she was probably the most overwhelmed. She could use some guidance on how to handle this.
¡°Th-thank you!¡±
With my words snapping her back to reality, Louise quickly bowed to the Mage Duchess, expressing her gratitude. And just like that, their unofficial mentorship from nine years ago was formalized.
It was truly a joyous asion¡
***That was the story I exined to the 1st Manager, who had joined uste.
¡°So, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here too?¡±
¡°Yep. It¡¯s not like you had anywhere else to be, anyway.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±
As the 1st Manager nodded, I added with a smirk.
¡°If you don¡¯t want to stay, feel free to wander around. But you¡¯ll probably get stopped every three steps.¡±
¡°Ugh, I really don¡¯t want to go through that again.¡±
Seeing the 1st Manager shiver at the thought made me chuckle. Even Marquis Iones, who had been listening to Iron-blooded Duke exin things, wore a strained smile. It looked like he¡¯d had his fair share of dealing with this kind of annoyance. ?
Unlike my inws, who had already formed a tight group, Marquis Iones had business to discuss with other marquises, so he was left on his own. Since he was apart from us, he became an easy target for the other nobles, who swarmed him relentlessly.
It wasn¡¯t until he rejoined our group that he learned the reason why. From his and the 1st Manager¡¯s perspective, not knowing why they were being bombarded must¡¯ve been frustrating enough to bring tears to their eyes.
¡°Just stick close to us. Don¡¯t go wandering off somewhere strange.¡±
I patted the 1st Manager¡¯s shoulder, who had clearly been overwhelmed by the situation. Then, she pouted and muttered in response.
¡°We hadmunication crystals¡ You could¡¯ve warned me ahead of time.¡±
¡°Sorry, it slipped my mind.¡±
I wrapped an arm around her waist as I spoke, and her pout melted away into a lighthearted giggle.
Honestly, it wouldn¡¯t have made much of a difference even if I had warned them. But it was always better to face things knowing what wasing, so I should¡¯ve given them a heads-up. That was my mistake.
¡°Well, I suppose I¡¯ll have to forgive you this time! You should be thankful!¡±
¡°Thank you. Our Elizabeth sure has a big heart.¡±
Luckily, my sincere apology seemed to have smoothed things over with the 1st Manager.
Honesty really was the best policy. Add a little physical affection and it was the ultimatebo.
***Maintaining good rtions among the imperial families was crucial. As vassals directly under the Emperor, imperial families operated differently from regr nobles. From the beginning, they were designed to act as both swords and shields to protect the Emperor¡¯s power, often standing against the rest of the nobility.
Because of this somewhat aggressive origin, it had always been difficult for imperial families to minglefortably with other noble families. That was why maintaining strong bonds between the imperial families themselves was so vital. They¡¯d find themselves isted if they couldn¡¯t get along with each other.
So, it was no surprise that thedies of each house had their own separate meeting while the heads of the families gathered with the Crown Prince.
¡°I¡¯m always so envious of your family. I¡¯d wish for nothing more if my son were even half as diligent as the Executive Manager.¡±
¡°You tter me, really.¡±
¡°Oh, nonsense. False modesty can be a poison, you know.¡±
¡°Indeed. My child only recently started helping with our territory, and you¡¯d think he was being tortured.¡±
When mothers gathered, it was inevitable that the conversation would turn to their children. And when there was a particrly outstanding child among them, it was only natural that they became the topic of conversation.
I felt a surge of pride. I couldn¡¯t help but feel an indescribable joy every time these women, whocked nothing, looked at me with a mix of envy and mild jealousy every time they praised Carl.
Yes, he truly was a remarkable child. He had turned into someone who could stand tall among his peers despite growing up under an inexperienced mother like me and without getting the proper love and attention he deserved. Not just among those his age, but among all titled nobles.
¡°Fufu, is that so?¡±
So, I simply smiled when thedies showered me with praise. If I had been more hands-on in raising Carl, then perhaps I would¡¯ve subtly boasted about my ster parenting. I might¡¯ve basked in their admiration.
But how could I? With what right could I im credit for the path that child, who grew up almost entirely on his own, had walked? All I could do was smile.
¡°But, mydy, are you sure it¡¯s alright not to check on him?¡±
In the midst of our long conversation about our children, onedy¡¯sment brought everyone¡¯s attention back to me.
Though the question seemed a bit out of the blue, everyone knew what it meant. She was asking if it was really okay for me to be here while Carl was spending time with his lovers and inws.
¡°Yes. Carl has been so busy with the academy that he hasn¡¯t had much time to rx. He hasn¡¯t had many chances to see his lovers in the capital, either. I think it¡¯s best if they have some time alone together.¡±
¡°My, how thoughtful of you.¡±
Thedy replied and left it at that. It wasn¡¯t a question meant to dismiss me but was more out of genuine curiosity.
I smiled back at her and subtly nced in Carl¡¯s direction.
¡Some time alone.
Truth be told, I wanted to go. I wanted to share that intimate time with Carl and Billy. I wanted to meet his lovers, the women who would be my daughters-inw. I also wanted to connect with the families we would be joining through marriage.
However, I held back, remembering what Carl said before the New Year¡¯s Ball.
¡ª It¡¯ll probably be quite hectic for the first couple of days. Meeting everyone during that chaos would be tiring for you, so wouldn¡¯t it be better to wait until things calm down?
How could I refuse him when he asked so sincerely? Besides, he wasn¡¯t wrong. It made sense.
During the early part of the New Year¡¯s Ball, Billy wouldn¡¯t be able to move freely either because of the meetings between the imperial families. It would be strange to meet our inws without the Patriarch of the family present. So, it made more sense to wait until things settled down and Billie was finished with his obligations, just as Carl said.
¡ª I wanted to n things out gradually, but everything happened so quickly. I hope this isn¡¯t too exhausting for you both.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, dear. Who wouldin about meeting their future daughters-inw?¡±
Seeing Carl smile awkwardly, embarrassed by the whole situation, made it even more impossible to say no.
A son proudly introducing his lovers and who worried that his busy schedule might exhaust his parents. How could I not feel joy? How could I possibly say no?
¡ª Thank you. I¡¯ll make sure to talk to my inws ahead of time.
¡°Of course, do what makes youfortable.¡±
¡ª Oh, and I¡¯ll visit separately after the New Year¡¯s Ball. There are a lot of people, including Mar, who want to have a meal with their mother-inw.
I found myself smiling for a long time after themunication ended, my hand still resting on the device. The conversation I had with Carl felt like something any mother and son might have, and that made me incredibly happy.
Just a few more days.
I reminded myself, recalling those warm feelings from before.
Yes, just for a few more days. Like Carl said, things would quiet down in two, or maybe three days at most.
***And three dayster, just as the chaos had finally started to subside, word came that His Majesty the Emperor had invited Carl to lunch.
¡
Just one more day.
I ced a trembling hand over my chest while breathing deeply.
I was afraid that I might start nurturing the seeds of rebellion deep within if I didn¡¯t calm myself down.
Chapter 269: The Capital’s Groom of the Year (4)
Mother, how have you been? Your ever-devoted son hadmitted an unbelievable act of disrespect by missing the arranged meeting for my marriage. You must¡¯ve been so happy to hear that your son, who had been dragging his feet at the edge of marriageable age, was finally tying the knot. But instead, I brought you this mess. My apologies.
But no matter how much I thought about it, none of this was my fault.
¡°The chef has prepared a special meal today. I hope it suits your taste.¡±
¡°I am deeply honored, Your Majesty.¡±
How could I possibly refuse when someone as high up as the Emperor invited me for a meal?
Naturally, no excuse would be enough if the Emperor invited me. Unless I already had ns with the Pope, of course, but that was never going to happen. So instead of attending the arranged marriage meeting, I had no choice but to rush over like a dog and bow my head.
¡°Rx. This gathering is to celebrate the efforts of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
Seeing how stiff I was from the sudden imperial summons, the Emperor waved his hand and told me to be at ease. Rx, he said. Could he rx if he were in my position?
Of course, I had to smile even if I was in the depths of hell once the Emperor told me to rx. Honestly, this ce felt like home. The food even tasted like a home-cooked meal¡ it was sofortable that I might just ascend to heaven¡
¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll do that.¡±At my teary-eyed response, the Emperor nodded and took a bite of his bread. Following his lead, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess also started their meal.
I think I might choke. But the only saving grace was that this really was just a meal to show their appreciation. If it had been for interrogation or orders, I wouldn¡¯t just be choking; I might have died on the spot.
Why couldn¡¯t they just give me a bonus?
I chewed my sd in silence, mentally suppressing my rebellious thoughts. Appreciation could easily be shown through a pile of gold coins, not these formal dinners. I wish these higher-ups would understand that.
For a noble, dining with the Emperor was the kind of achievement they¡¯d boast about in their r¨¦sum¨¦ with a 30-point font, but once was more than enough. Being dragged into these meals repeatedly was just depressing.
¡°Executive Manager, how is your life at the Academy? Is there any difort?¡±
Shit.
Caught off guard by the sudden question, I quickly swallowed my sd. He told me to rx. Since when was talking about work over a meal considered rxing?
But from this workaholic Emperor¡¯s perspective, this kind of conversation probably didn¡¯t even count as work. That was highly likely.
¡°Thanks to Your Majesty¡¯s benevolence, the Academy is running smoothly. How could there be any difort?¡±
¡°I am well aware of your efforts. It can¡¯t be easy for you with the 3rd prince and esteemed guests staying there.¡±
I almost blurted out, ¡®If you know that, then why not send them somewhere else?¡¯ for a moment, but I held it in.
¡°I am particrly concerned about the guests. They may not be familiar with life in the Empire and might struggle on their own.¡±
¡°Please do not worry, Your Majesty. I will make sure that they are treated with the utmost care.¡±
¡°Your words are reassuring. See to it that you take good care of them, along with the 3rd prince.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±
With that, the Emperor fell silent again. On the surface, he sounded like a warm host concerned about his guests, but¡ª
He¡¯s still the same.
Beneath that, I could sense the Emperor¡¯s old habit of suspicion.
¡®They¡¯re not familiar with life in the Empire and might struggle on their own¡¯? That was just a polite way of saying, ¡®I¡¯m worried these royals might snoop around for imperial secrets.¡¯ As if they weren¡¯t already difficult enough to handle, they now had the cover of being ¡®students¡¯ to legally stay in the Empire., which clearly annoyed the Emperor. ?
So, in his roundabout way, he was telling me to keep an eye on them, just as he¡¯d done before and would continue to do.
Honestly, that¡¯s probably the right call.
I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sorry for him. Sure, I¡¯d used him of being suspicious, but his concerns were valid from a political standpoint. Wouldn¡¯t anyone react the same way if foreign royals suddenly enrolled at the Empire¡¯s Academy?
However, he was mistaken. These people didn¡¯t care about secrets or anything grand like that. They were just carefree people who came here for fun. The Emperor¡¯s only mistake was trying to understand these entric types with the mind of a rational person and trying to make sense of behavior that simply defied logic.
Of course, I had no intention of telling him the truth. I¡¯d get my head cracked open if I were to say, ¡®They¡¯re only interested in their romantic escapades, and they¡¯re just wandering around aimlessly now that they¡¯ve all been dumped.¡¯ He¡¯d probably suspect I was bribed to speak kindly about them. Honestly, I¡¯d think the same if I were in his shoes.
Yeah, it¡¯d be better to keep quiet. While it was unfortunate that the Emperor was nursing such pointless suspicions, at least he¡¯d asked me and Ainter to look after the guests together. After the New Year¡¯s speech, this was yet another sign that the Emperor had officially acknowledged Ainter as part of the imperial family. I should take that as a positive.
¡°Fufu, the Emperor clearly trusts you, Executive Manager.¡±
Just as I was about to cut into my steak, the Crown Princess spoke up.
This time, my heart didn¡¯t race like before. The Crown Princess was known for strictly avoiding political remarks and rarely interfering with matters of state. Out of everyone at this table, she was by far the most gentle and easygoing person.
¡°The thought of your family flourishing brings me great joy.¡±
¡°You¡¯re too kind, Your Highness.¡±
My hand trembled for a moment. Hearing, ¡®You¡¯ve got plenty of lovers, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have lots of kids,¡¯ said to my face was dizzying.
Was she really the easy-going one here¡? Actually, yes. Compared to the Emperor and the Crown Prince, she was practically an angel.
¡°My husband and I also n to share a love that rivals yours.¡±
The Crown Princess smiled warmly, but I had no reply. It was wonderful that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were in love, but why was she telling me this?
She smiled even more at my silence and lifted her left hand.
¡
?
What the hell?
The moment I saw her left hand¡ªor more specifically, her ring finger¡ªmy eyes widened in shock.
¡°I had it made as soon as I heard the rumors. A ring symbolizing unity. Isn¡¯t it such a romantic item?¡±
Her voice was soft, but her words were anything but. This shouldn¡¯t exist. Yet there it was, a half-ring proudly ced on the Crown Princess¡¯s finger.
Of course, it wasn¡¯t shocking that the Crown Princess would know about the rings. She was close with the 1st Manager and the Mage Duchess also wore one, so it wasn¡¯t surprising she¡¯de across it. However, copying it was a different matter entirely.
I nced at the Crown Prince with trembling eyes, and he casually showed me his left hand. Naturally, he was wearing a half-ring as well.
Damn it.
I felt like I was losing my mind. Had I inadvertently poisoned the entire imperial social scene¡?
I barely managed to finish my meal, suppressing the urge to bite my tongue in frustration. I didn¡¯t even have an idea of what I was eating halfway through.
¡°Many noblewomen are already showing interest. And the youngdies, too.¡±
¡°I¡ see.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it bes a trend by the end of the year.¡±
My guilt grew with every word the Crown Princess spoke. It seemed that my careless actions had unleashed a scandal that would forever stain the empire¡¯s social circles.
Soon, everyone would be wearing these half-rings. Who would dare resist a trend led by the Crown Princess, a duke, and a duke¡¯s daughter?
***¡°Count nbell is already preparing for it, too.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
When I confessed my guilt to the Iron-blooded Duke, his reply was just as bitter.
One of my fathers-inw had already jumped on the trend. He even decided to do that after seeing me wearing the ring. This was truly the result of my own careless actions.
¡°Congrattions. It¡¯s rare to see someone your age lead a social trend like this.¡±
The Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s casualment left me speechless. I couldn¡¯t tell whether he was serious or mocking me, and the uncertainty was dizzying.
If anyone other than him had said it, I wouldn¡¯t have doubted that it was a mockery.
¡°Let¡¯s go. Everyone¡¯s waiting.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±
The Iron-blooded Duke, who had been standing beside me, lightly tapped my back and began walking ahead.
Originally, the arranged marriage meeting (involving five families) was almost canceled due to the Emperor¡¯s summons. Fortunately, the Iron-blooded Duke took charge and made sure it went ahead in my absence. Since it was only a luncheon and not an all-day event, the parents meeting in advance wasn¡¯t such a bad thing.
Thanks to that, I was immediately grabbed by the Duke as soon as the luncheon ended. I was mentally exhausted from the series of events, but I had to endure it. At least I avoided the disgrace of missing the meeting altogether.
¡°¡¡±
¡°Your Grace, is there something on your mind¡?¡±
I cautiously asked after feeling the weight of his gaze as we moved to a private room he had arranged. Did something bother him?
¡°I was just wondering how twoposed and dignified people could raise a child like you.¡±
I awkwardlyughed at his blunt reply. There was no good way to argue with that. After all, it wasn¡¯t like being their child automatically made me like them¡ªwhat was inside was something else entirely.
¡But then again, Erich wasn¡¯t exactly the mostposed either, was he? If I had to choose between lively andposed, he definitely leaned towards the former.
What happened to his personality?
With ck hair from the Krasius family and blue eyes from our mother, Erich clearly had strong family traits. But his personality? It was nowhere near either of them. Did something go wrong in the gic delivery?
Still, the family would have felt far too gloomy if Erich had been stern and quiet. Maybe it was a good thing something went wrong.
¡°And didn¡¯t I tell you to call me ¡®father-inw¡¯ in private?¡±
Just as I was sighing in relief, the Iron-blooded Duke gruffly reminded me.
Right, he had. But the title didn¡¯t feel natural to me yet, so I kept slipping up and addressing him as ¡®Your Grace.¡¯
¡°I¡¯m sorry, father-inw.¡±
¡°Good enough.¡±
The Duke snorted, then continued walking in silence.
***The meeting between the families, which had been on the verge of copsing due to the Emperor¡¯s summons, was fortunately saved by the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s leadership and proceeded without dy.
I felt my heart swell with happiness as people began to gather in the private room the Duke had arranged. It felt like I was experiencing all the happiness I¡¯d missed up until now all at once.
Carl¡¯spanions.
Before me stood children, smiling softly or nervously introducing themselves¡ and one person in particr. Someone who would walk beside that child who had always been alone.
My inws.
As I shook hands with Billy and exchanged bows with others, I saw the faces of people who would be the new family of the child who had never truly known familial love.
I felt happy. So happy. I couldn¡¯t believe Carl had found such precious rtionships and that I had the chance to greet them all.
But¡ª
There are so many.
Too many. I never expected to meet five daughters-inw and four sets of inws in one sitting.
And apparently, there was still one more daughter-inw, who couldn¡¯t attend due to her work with the Special Service Agency.
¡It¡¯s fine as long as he¡¯s happy.
Despite the strangeness of the situation, I quickly shook off the thought.
If Carl was happy, then that was all that mattered. If this was what he wanted, then I¡¯d smile and wee as many of them as needed.
Six shouldn¡¯t be a problem.
After all, the Gold Duke met twelve. Six should be child¡¯s y inparison.
Of course, the Gold Duke met them one by one over time and not all at once, but I chose not to dwell on that fact.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 270: The Capital’s Groom of the Year (5)
It felt awkward, like wearing clothes that didn¡¯t quite fit.
The warm, lively atmosphere surrounding me¡ªthe inws smiling and extending their hands for a handshake, and the future daughters-inw bowing politely. It all felt foreign and unfamiliar, as if it went against everything I¡¯d ever known.
Is this what¡¯s considered normal?
I stared absentmindedly at the hand that had just shaken Baron Artini¡¯s. Maybe this was what was normal. Perhaps this kind of situation was perfectly ordinary, though neither I nor my wife ever experienced it.
Back when I was still just the heir, I went against my father¡¯s wishes and married her. I ignored all the talk of forming alliances with other families and made her my onlypanion. Because of that, my father remained cold during the meeting with the Aras family, and we, as a couple, were treated simrly afterward.
Not that he wasn¡¯t already a cold person to begin with.
But there¡¯s no need to pass that down.
Fortunately, today¡¯s meeting, the one brought about by Carl¡¯s actions, was different from ours.
I didn¡¯t force Carl into a marriage. I didn¡¯t impose any expectations or obligations on him. Because of that, Carl was able to bring someone he truly cared for, and unlike back then, we could genuinely celebrate.
And so, here we were. The meeting between our families was a bit awkward, but it was harmonious overall. Our future daughters-inw interacted warmly with their inws and without feeling the need to tiptoe around. It was all so natural¡ªyet, it was also something my wife and I never had.I¡¯m d.
I took a sip from the wine ss in my left hand. Since there wasn¡¯t much left, I downed the rest.
Yes, I was d that Carl wasn¡¯t inheriting my misfortune. I also felt relieved that my daughters-inw wouldn¡¯t have to suffer the same way my wife did. So, I could bear this awkwardness. If the clothes didn¡¯t fit, then I just had to wear them until they did.
¡°Father, may I pour you some more wine?¡±
But no matter how much I told myself that, I doubt I¡¯d ever fully ovee the awkwardness.
¡°¡Yes. Please do, Your Grace.¡±
¡°Fufu, please feel free to speakfortably. What father-inw would use formal speech with his daughter-inw?¡±
The Mage Duchess smiled softly as she poured the wine, and I had to hold back a chuckle at the sight.
Father-inw, huh.
The Mage Duchess wasn¡¯t wrong. It was normal for a daughter-inw to call her father-inw ¡®father¡¯ and for him to speak informally to her.
Still, no matter how I thought about it, this didn¡¯t feel right. Both my father and grandfather treated the Mage Duchess with the utmost respect, but now I was supposed to treat her as just another family member? It didn¡¯t make sense. If we had met as inws, then it might not have been so strange.
¡°Since the wedding hasn¡¯t taken ce yet, I think it¡¯s only proper to maintain the formalities.¡±
I managed toe up with a reasonable excuse after a moment¡¯s hesitation.
Even though the wedding was all but certain, it hadn¡¯t happened yet, so being formal was still appropriate. Anyone would ept that reasoning.
¡°Is that so? It¡¯s a pity, but I suppose I¡¯ll have to wait until after the wedding.¡±
Her reply made me break into a cold sweat. It was a perfectly valid reason, one even the Mage Duchess could understand, but it also set a clear deadline. If formality was only required until the wedding, then I¡¯d have to speak informally right after. Insisting on formal speech after the wedding might upset her.
¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±
¡°Understanding? You¡¯ve simply said what¡¯s right. Why would that need understanding?¡±
The Mage Duchess spoke kindly, and I simply nodded in agreement.
I need to get used to this.
And so, I made a mental note that I had to let go of my expectations and logic before Carl¡¯s wedding. I needed to grow used to speaking informally to a duke who was older than me.
The one thing I was relieved about was that Carl¡¯s first marriage partner was Lady Marghetta and not the Mage Duchess. And since Lady Marghetta had no intention of marrying until after she graduated, we had at least a year left. How fortunate¡ª
¡Was it really fortunate?
A Duke as the second wife.
I felt lightheaded. It was already shocking enough that a duke would not be the only wife, but to not even be the first? Had anything like this ever happened in the history of the continent?
¡°Lady Marghetta is part of a ducal family, and so am I. Our families are of equal standing, so there¡¯s no issue with Lady Marghetta being the first wife.¡±
But what could I do? The Mage Duchess confidently dered that it didn¡¯t matter if she was the second wife.
The look on the Iron-blooded Duke¡¯s face was unforgettable. On one hand, he seemed pleased that a strong contender had willingly given up the position of first wife. But at the same time, it must have felt like the very rules of society were crumbling beneath him. I understood. Everyone here must have felt the same.
Sure, both families were dukedoms, but wasn¡¯t it clear that a duke held a higher status than ady? Yet, if we ignore the titles and just look at the families, they were technically equal¡
¡
This isn¡¯t something I need to worry about.
I quickly sorted out my thoughts. Legalities and traditions were for the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court to handle. I trust they¡¯d figure out how to make this work in the Mage Duchess¡¯s favor.
¡°My apologies for beingte.¡±
Just as I cleared my mind, Carl appeared alongside the Iron-blooded Duke.
¡°Why are you arriving just now¡ª?¡±
I hurriedly pushed aside the frustration that briefly crossed my mind.
What was I thinking? Carl had been summoned by His Majesty to attend a luncheon. It was something to be proud of and an honor. How could I feel any resentment? I didn¡¯t even have the right to harbor resentment toward Carl.
¡°Baby.¡±
Still, I couldn¡¯tpletely shake off the faint annoyance as the Mage Duchess immediately rushed over to Carl.
¡°Think of it as your punishment.¡±
¡°Wife.¡±
My wife leaned in and whispered to me as our future daughters-inw and inws began to gather around Carl.
¡°If we had just met with our inws on the first day, then none of this would have happened.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Her words shut me right up. She had a point. If we had all gathered on the first day, then Carl wouldn¡¯t have had to leave, and I wouldn¡¯t have been left alone to deal with the Mage Duchess.
Of course, I had my excuses. Didn¡¯t Carl tell her they¡¯d meetter? Even if I had made time on the first day, it wouldn¡¯t have made much difference.
Why did I even say that?
The real issue was that my wife found out that I had refused the Crown Prince¡¯s suggestion to join Carl and meet our inws during the first day of the New Year¡¯s Ball.
What was I supposed to do? I couldn¡¯t stand seeing my wife anxious while watching Carl from afar, so I tried to console her by making conversation. My only crime was trying to calm her down, and in doing so, I identally let slip something I should¡¯ve kept hidden forever.
¡°We¡¯ll be sleeping in separate rooms for a while when we return to the territory.¡±
Her anxious expression vanished in an instant, reced by a cold deration.
Still, I managed to calm her down, so I think it was a reasonable sacrifice.
***The family meeting ended without much fuss. After all, we¡¯d been spending time together during the New Year¡¯s Ball, and it seemed like the patriarch of all families had plenty of time to talk while I was being pulled around by the Emperor.
The Patriarch, as usual, simply nodded with a stoic expression, but Mother couldn¡¯t stop smiling. It wasn¡¯t just at Marghetta, who she had already considered as a future daughter-inw. She gazed at Louise, Irina, and even the unfamiliar 1st Manager with such a loving look that it was almost endearing.
She even managed to smile warmly and be courteous with the Mage Duchess, whom she had initially found to be somewhat awkward. It struck me how strongly a mother felt about sending her eldest son off to marry.
And so, the family meeting ended without a hitch.
Just the meeting.
¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who set the social scene aze this year? We finally meet.¡±
The meeting may have ended, but the New Year¡¯s Ball continued, which meant that there were still countless nobles to interact with.
Though I had been sticking close to my inws to avoid mingling with other nobles, it was impossible to block them all out. After all, the Empire had its share of bulldozers who could break through any wall.
¡°¡®This year,¡¯ you say? It¡¯s only January.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t imagine anythinging up that¡¯ll top your news, no matter how long the year is.¡±
Like the Gold Duke, who casually stabbed people with his words.
¡°And yet, Executive Manager, such news is always wee.¡±
And the likes of the Invincible Duke, whoughed along as if it were nothing.
Who knew where the Wise Duchess was? She was probably off in some corner, mixing whiskey and vodka or something.
¡°Well, I¡¯m d it made the both of you happy.¡±
I bowed my head respectfully to the two dukes.
The stark contrast between the Gold Duke as he was surrounded by his twelve wives and the Invincible Duke who came alone almost brought tears to my eyes. They were both dukes, so why were their personalities so different?
¡°It looks like the fun will continue for a while, so don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡±
¡°Y-yes¡¡±
The Gold Duke chuckled at my clearly worried response, then nced at my left hand.
¡°So this is the famous item I¡¯ve only heard about in rumors.¡±
An ¡®item,¡¯ a peculiar object. I almost admired how keen the Gold Duke¡¯s eye was in recognizing the odd nature of this ring.
Yes, this thing was certainly strange. It wasn¡¯t exactly something you¡¯d expect to set a trend. But, of course, someone who controlled the Empire¡¯s economy would have a good eye¡ª
¡°As always, it¡¯s the peculiar items that set the trends.¡±
Good¡ good¡ ah, damn it¡
¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡±
¡°Though I must say, I feel a bit left out. If you had such an idea, then you should¡¯ve shared it with me. I would¡¯ve dly given you a share of the profits.¡±
¡°I never imagined it would be such a trend.¡±
I forced a smile as I responded to the Gold Duke¡¯s words.
Who in their right mind would tell a duke that this ring was ast-minute recement because I forgot to buy a proper set of couple rings?
¡°Still, I hear Count nbell is preparing a business venture. Given that this was a gift from you to your father-inw, it makes sense now.¡±
My smile grew even more strained. I¡¯d already heard that from the Iron-blooded Duke, but hearing it from the Gold Duke too was overwhelming.
For the Gold Duke to mention it meant that that the venture was likely serious. Even if Count nbell was part of his faction, it wasn¡¯t like the Gold Duke kept track of every single venture his subordinates were working on.
The fact that the Gold Duke had made space in his memory for this¡ It was terrifying.
¡°When the business starts, I¡¯ll ce an order myself. Finally, I¡¯ll be able to wear all twelve rings.¡±
¡°Th-thank you, and congrattions.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but nce at the Gold Duke¡¯s hands as he burst into a heartyugh.
With twelve wives, of course, he had twelve rings. Naturally, each of his ten fingers was adorned with a ring, and on each wrist were what he called ¡®rings,¡¯ but anyone would call them bracelets.
¡Well, good for him.
I quickly tore my eyes away from those ¡®rings,¡¯ which were clearly bracelets.
He would probably be able to fit all twelve rings on his fingers if they were half-rings.
I had brought peace to the Gold Duke.
Chapter 271: The Capital’s Groom of the Year (6)
Family was something that could be formed both by birth and by choice. Just as one could be a member of Valenti by birth, another could join it through marriage, as other families have connected with the Valentis. That was why Father ced great importance on this meeting.
With a single arranged meeting, our family formed ties with one of the Empire¡¯s prestigious noble families, the Krasius family. The houses of the Dukedom of Catoban, the Marquis of Massello, the Count of Yorun, and even the Baron of Naird had all been drawn into our extended family. For Father, who cherished family above all else, this must be a source of great joy.
However, it wasn¡¯t just the elders who were bound by the concept of family.
¡°Have you been working with oppa for a long time?¡±
¡°Oh, yes, we¡¯ve been working together for about two years¡ Oh wait, I think it¡¯s almost three years now? Before that, we were just in the same division.¡±
¡°Still, knowing someone for three years is quite a long time.¡±
There were also these women, who were strangers before and would now be sharing the same husband. We were once strangers, but now we were closer than anyone else.
And since the bond between our families depended on our rtionship as wives, our roles and responsibilities were more significant than anything else.
As the first wife, I might feel more pressure, but¡ª
It¡¯ll be fine.Seeing Lady Louise and Lady Elizabeth chatting so warmly put me at ease. Despite their different statuses¡ªone from a marquis¡¯ family, the other from a baron¡¯s¡ªand their different roles, one a civil servant and the other a student, not to mention their age difference of a decade apart, they smiled easily at each other.
It was truly a relief. It would be hard to maintain harmony within the family if even one of the wives had a difficult or sharp personality. Thankfully, not only were those two kind, but the other wives also had pleasant dispositions, though I wasn¡¯t sure whether it was due to divine intervention or just Carl¡¯s good judgment in people.
There were rumors about Lady Elizabeth in social circles given her position in the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. But honestly, if we were talking about bad reputations, then Carl¡¯s was much worse as he was the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. So, I wasn¡¯t too worried about mere rumors.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, though. These days, the Executive Manager is always out. I wish I could¡¯ve spent my academy days with him, too~¡±
Lady Elizabeth hugged Lady Louise while crying. The sight made Irina giggle, and the Mage Duchess also smiled in return.
It was truly an ideal scene. There was no jealousy or turning away from each other. We were still getting to know one another, but the very effort they made to connect was a positive sign.
Thank you, Lady Louise.
I looked at Lady Louise with a sense of gratitude as she stilly nestled in Lady Elizabeth¡¯s arms. No matter how gentle their personalities might be or how hard they tried to get along, effort alone didn¡¯t solve everything.
Sometimes, the awkwardness makes it hard to initiate conversation, leading to long, ufortable silences where everyone just watched each other and time slipped away. That was the unavoidable reality of a first meeting. But thanks to Lady Louise, we skipped through that awkward stage.
To Lady Louise, Lady Irina was her friend, while I was her senior; the Mage Duchess was her teacher, and even Lady Elizabeth was someone she had met at the academy¡¯s club fair. With all these connections, Lady Louise worked hard to keep the conversation going, quickly easing the awkwardness between us. It seemed that her reputation for being charming enough to captivate both royalty and nobility was well-earned.
¡°I think she can¡¯t breathe. Maybe you should let her go now?¡±
¡°Oh, right¡ª¡±
Thanks to her, we reached a point where we could now chat while using Lady Louise as amon topic of conversation even though we hadn¡¯t met before.
Seeing her student struggle, the Mage Duchess gently scolded Lady Elizabeth for teasing her. Then, Lady Elizabeth let go of the student with a hint of reluctance. A scene like this would have been unimaginable just a few days ago.
This is how people grow closer.
I smiled as I watched Lady Elizabeth now hugging Lady Irina instead of Lady Louise.
There was no need to rush. We¡¯d grow closer, and eventually, we¡¯d be able to chat easily without Lady Louise bridging the gap for us.
¡°Wow, do you work out? You¡¯re surprisingly firm¡ª¡±
¡°U-unnie!¡±
In the midst of it all, Lady Elizabeth couldn¡¯t resist poking and prodding Lady Irina¡¯s body in admiration. Startled by the sudden attention, Lady Irina raised her voice, clearly surprised but not genuinely ufortable.
Lady Irina must also be thinking that this was how friendships grew. Everyone seemed intent on bing closer, and that filled me with happiness.
¡It would have made me even happier if the Mage Duchess didn¡¯t give me that strange look every time the word ¡®unnie came up.
¡°We¡¯re practically family now, so why don¡¯t we start calling each other more casually when it¡¯s just us?¡±
We all agreed to refer to each other as sisters when it was just us, but¡ªI simply couldn¡¯t bring myself to call the Mage Duchess ¡®unnie.¡¯
Fortunately, the Mage Duchess seemed to understand my hesitation and she didn¡¯t push me to call her that. She just gave me those subtle nces, leaving me unsure of how to respond each time.
Beatrix unnie¡
I tried practicing calling her ¡®unnie¡¯ in my head, but the very idea made me shudder with a sense of instinctive resistance.
Could I even dare to do that? She became a duke even before my father, grandfather, or even great-grandfather were around¡
I¡¯ll have to try¡
But still, it wasn¡¯t like I could go around calling her ¡®Your Grace¡¯ or ¡®Mage Duchess¡¯ within the family.
Yes, I should keep trying. One day, I¡¯ll get used to it.
At least, that was what I told myself.
***The New Year¡¯s Ball passed without any major issues, much to my relief.
Though there was a moment when I nearly got steamrolled by the Gold Duke and was left hanging on the edge of life, it was fine as long as I was still breathing. Besides, apart from the Gold Duke, my inws¡¯ support had shielded me from most trouble, making the whole ordeal feel surprisingly peaceful.
Whenever I felt like I couldn¡¯t count on them, I¡¯d just slip over to the Ministry of Finance. It reminded me that a person really needed several escape routes prepared in life.
¡So this is what peace feels like.
Suddenly, a wave of self-pity hit me. The emperor¡¯s luncheon invitation, the intense gazes from the nobles, the Gold Duke¡¯s grand deration with twelve rings, and meeting four sets of inws all at once¡ªI experienced all that, but I was calling thisfortable.
But what else could I say? Compared to the worst possible scenarios, this was a walk in the park. If I had to deal with the desperate pleas of the 1st Manager or the Mage Duchess¡¯s tearful breakdown during this period like what happenedst year, things would¡¯ve been far worse. It wouldn¡¯t have ended with just people staring at me.
Thank goodness. All those disasters were bound to happen eventually, but at least I experienced them in smaller doses beforehand.
There are no more crises left to handle.
I nced over at my inws¡ªor more specifically, my future wives.
In typical dramas, you¡¯d expect wives to be constantly scheming and shing, but thankfully, there¡¯d been no sign of such behavior among the five. Even the absent 4th Manager didn¡¯t seem like the type to engage in power struggles, so miraculously, all my wives appear to be of the mild-mannered type.
Well, maybe there was one among them who was pretending to be mild while secretly having a fiery side. But for now, I was choosing to think of her as a gentle person.
As long as they don¡¯t fight, that¡¯s more than enough.
I wasn¡¯t expecting them to get along perfectly right from the start.
I just hoped we could avoid scenes where people would say things like, ¡®Why are you sharing the same husband with me?¡¯ or ¡®Why are you the first wife?¡¯ Thest thing I needed was the Mage Duchess going on a rampage and turning the New Year¡¯s Ball into a retirement party for me.
But now, not only were they not fighting, but they also seemed to be getting along quite well that I almost felt crying from relief. It was as if all the bad luck I had with my subordinates was beingpensated for by my wives.
¡°I¡¯m still debating. Should I give the wedding gift all at once, or in smaller amounts?¡±
¡°Do whatever is most convenient for you. It¡¯s the thought that counts more than the formality, right?¡±
¡°That¡¯s the harder part, you know.¡±
As I watched Irina escape from the embrace of the 1st Manager and immediately find herself in Louise¡¯s arms, the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager casually strolled over.
The New Year¡¯s Ball was the only time when the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager could legally take a break, so his expression looked noticeably brighter than usual. Of course, he still looked rather gloomypared to others even then.
¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you in person. How have you been?¡±
¡°Well, just being alive is doing well enough. I see you¡¯ve been doing fine too, Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
I greeted him lightly, and his reply seemed unexpectedly sincere.
Right. As long as the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager hadn¡¯t overworked himself to death, you could say he was doing alright.
¡°Anyway, I apologize for bothering you like this. I didn¡¯t really want to talk about work during the New Year¡¯s Ball.¡±
The Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager had let out a brief chuckle before quickly regaining hisposure and offering an apology. I had been lingering near my inws and the Ministry of Finance when he suddenly asked to meet, which was why we were having this conversation.
To be honest, I really didn¡¯t want to discuss work, especially not during this event. But if someone like him¡ªwho probably hated work talk even more than I did¡ªwas initiating the conversation, I couldn¡¯t refuse. In fact, it made me a little uneasy. What could have possibly happened for him toe to me first¡?
¡°It¡¯s fine. I mean, just having some rest is a rare enough luxury.¡±
¡°Thanks for understanding.¡±
The Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager let out a small sigh, nced around cautiously, and then spoke quietly.
¡°We¡¯ve received some intel regarding the 5th Empire. I thought you, as the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, should hear this.¡±
I nodded slightly in response.
Those bastards.
But while I remained calm on the surface, my thoughts were racing. After the spectacr self-destruction of the Five Pirsst year, there had been one cmity after another¡ªthe Third Honor in the first semester, the Twilight Cult over the summer vacation, and then the Red Wave in the second semester.
Since these incidents had lined up so neatly, I had my suspicions. But for something toe up during the winter vacation? Their timing was eerily consistent.
Starting the new year like this¡
I could feel a headache start to form. Important events took ce during the new year not just in the Empire but also in Armein, but for there to be strange activity while their own country was distracted by festivities and enough to catch the eye of the Empire¡¯s intelligence agency, no less?
What a peculiar bunch. Sure, they might be an outsider faction in Armein¡¯s political scene, but wasn¡¯t this taking it too far?
¡°Their leadership has been purged. A number of key figures in the 5th Empire have been executed.¡±
Of course. If they were acting like outliers right at the start of the year, it was only natural they¡¯d be pur¡ª
¡Wait.
¡°The purge was led by the 3rd Prince, Rutis. I thought you should know as his advisor.¡±
¡°¡What?¡±
This time, my headache intensified for apletely different reason.
Who purged whom?
Chapter 272: The Ambition that Covets Destiny
How boring. I came to the Empire to escape this monotony, but it seemed the New Year had a way of pulling even a prince back home.
Honestly, as just the 3rd prince¡ªnot even the crown prince¡ªit wouldn¡¯t have mattered if I attended the New Year events or not. But what could I do? The thing about royalty was that my absence would surely be noticed even if I wouldn¡¯t particrly stand out when I was there. Had I skipped this event, my father would have probably drafted my resignation from the academy himself.
I have no excuse for not attending.
The importance of the New Year was universal across the continent. It would¡¯ve looked strange if I had stayed in the Empire during the New Year People would¡¯ve wondered, ¡®Why is he spending New Year in a foreignnd?¡¯
Besides, the start of the year, ording to Enen¡¯s teachings, was a time formunities toe together. Families gathered, and on arger scale, so did the leaders of nations. For a king who must keep the nobles in check, it was impossible to neglect such an event.
To make things worse, Armein¡¯s founding day coincided almost exactly with the New Year, which only added to the pressure. Even as royalty, skipping this would definitely raise some eyebrows.
I wish I could just spend New Year and go right back.
But that was a foolish dream. Maybe it would be different if I hadn¡¯t returned home at all. But now that I was back, there was no way I could head back to the Empire so soon. My father would never allow it.
¡°How am I going to survive until March?¡±
I muttered under my breath, feeling frustrated. The academy would reopen in early March, which meant that I had to endure two whole months stuck in this boring pce.It was a sad reality. What was I supposed to do for two months? If Lather were here, we¡¯d be experimenting with the new Four-Bishop strategy he came up with. If Erich were around, then we¡¯d be practicing his incredible serve. However, no one was. Humans are social creatures, and this istion felt unbearable.
Maybe I should¡¯ve officially invited them.
The thought crossed my mind. If I had to return to my homnd, then perhaps I should have formally invited my friends to join me in the royal pce.
But I quickly dismissed the idea. They, too, should be with their own families for the New Year. If I couldn¡¯t avoid it, then neither could they. The New Year held too much significance across the continent.
I sighed quietly, leaning against the balcony railing. At least the night breeze cleared my head a little while I was alone out here. If the other nobles were crowding around me right now, it¡¯d be even more of a headache.
¡°I feel secure with Sir Vir by my side.¡±
¡°You honor me, Your Highness.¡±
I nced over at Sir Vir and offered my thanks.
I felt truly grateful that Sir Vir was here. He was one of the top five knights in the royal guard, after all. With Sir Vir standing stoically by the side of a prince who¡¯d just returned from studying abroad, the other nobles were keeping their distance, thinking we were engaged in some important conversation.
That¡¯s one way to look at it.
Of course, there was no important conversation happening whatsoever. Sir Vir¡¯s serious expression was just how he always looked. Though maybe it was because I was keeping him here by my side.
I think it¡¯s safe to let him go now.
I shifted my gaze from Sir Vir to the interior of the banquet hall. After spending hours out here on the balcony and signaling my desire to be alone, there was no way any noble would approach me now. asionally, some people still mighte over, but only if they had a very good reason to do so.
But honestly, there¡¯d be no noble who had a pressing need to approach me. The line of session was solid with my elder brother, the Crown Prince, at the center, so there was no reason for anyone to cozy up to other potential heirs. And who would need to form ties with a prince who left for a foreign academy right aftering of age? Besides, I was closer to the knights than to anyone in politics or the administration.
¡°Sir Vir, I heard that Dame Perosa has joined as part of the security team.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Highness. I am deeply grateful for the trust ced in me.¡±
When I mentioned Dame Perosa, Sir Vir¡¯s expression softened slightly.
In a gathering where not only the royal family but also the kingdom¡¯s top nobles were present, being part of the security team was a recognition of Dame Perosa¡¯s abilities. How could he not be proud as her father?
This was the perfect opportunity to let Sir Vir take a break after all the hard work he had done by my side.
¡°It¡¯s not excessive praise; it¡¯s only right to assign roles that match one¡¯s abilities. But experience is something that even talent can¡¯t rece¡¡±
Sir Vir¡¯s eyes widened slightly as I trailed off as if he sensed where I was going with this.
¡°As a senior, perhaps you could offer some advice to your junior?¡±
In other words, I was telling him to go talk to his daughter, who was probably tired from her duties. After a brief hesitation, Sir Vir bowed his head.
¡°Yes, Your Highness. I shall do so.¡±
It was a quick answer after a very short moment of indecision. Given how strict and stoic Sir Vir usually was, it might seem unexpected. But knowing the circumstances, it made sense. He hadn¡¯t been back in the kingdom for almost a year. With only two more months until we had to return to the Empire, of course he would want to spend as much time as possible with his family.
Sure, Dame Perosa would be returning to the Empire as well, but the feeling of being with family at home was different from being abroad.
I leaned back against the railing while watching Sir Vir walk away quickly. Now, I could enjoy the breeze alone a little longer and then head back inside when the time felt right.
***I had forgotten that there were people far from the norm in Armein.
¡°Your Highness¡¯s chivalry is an inspiration across the continent. No knight can surpass you.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a humbling thing to say.¡±
¡°Haha, and you¡¯re so modest as well.¡±
It seems I had briefly forgotten about the likes of the 5th Empire¡ªa faction known for ignoring subtle cues, trying to expand their influence by aligning with anyone they could, and for being, in more ways than one, the political outliers, even considered monsters in the kingdom¡¯s court.
Not long after Sir Vir left, Count Gadero approached me. If I remember correctly, he was one of the leading figures of the 5th Empire, often acting as their spearhead. Even among the rowdy members of that group, he stood out with his constant activity.
Of all the people to approach me now¡ my luck today couldn¡¯t be worse.
¡°Even in Kefellofen, there isn¡¯t a knight who could rival Your Highness.¡±
I nearlyughed at that. This wasing from people who imed that the Empire wasn¡¯t fit to bear the title and that Armein should be the true empire, yet they held Kefellofen in such high regard. I guess they did acknowledge Kefellofen¡¯s strength deep down.
If only they would just leave things alone. Kefellofen hadn¡¯t fallen from grace like Apels in the past. Sure, it has faced challenges and crises, but they overcame them. There was no reason nor any real advantage in fighting a nation like Kefellofen over the mandate of heaven. It was just a one-sided obsession of those blinded by the title of an empire.
So annoying.
Even dealing with this person¡¯s constant stream of words was exhausting. While the 5th Empire faction might be dismissed as an irrelevant minority in politics and everyone knew how out of touch they were, they were still nobles of the kingdom. Treating them too dismissively could cast doubts on the royal family¡¯s generosity and sense of duty.
Sure, the other nobles knew how much of a nuisance the 5th Empire was, but bad gossip didn¡¯t care about the details. For the nobles to exclude the 5th Empire from political games was just factional rivalry, but it would be seen as oppression if the royal family were to actively ignore them. That subtle distinction mattered.
So I kept myposure, reminding myself that causing a scene here might just lead to my resignation letter to the academy being drafted.
¡°A strong leader must guide the people down the right path, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±
The conversation was starting to cross a line.
The count continued speaking as I maintained a polite smile. His words wereyered with flowery expressions and indirect phrasing, but the underlying message couldn¡¯t have been clearer.
He was suggesting that Armein should make its move before the Empire fully recovered from its wars with the nomads and its internal purges. And, ording to him, I¡ªnot my moderate father or elder brother¡ªshould be at the forefront of this action.
How clueless.
I was irritated by the sheer arrogance. His ignorance of the Empire¡¯s strength and his audacity to think he could use a royal like me as a mere pawn in his political game was infuriating.
On the surface, he made it sound like my deep knowledge of the Empire¡¯s situation made me the best candidate to persuade the other nobles. But in reality, it seemed like he just wanted to use me as a shield to push his own agenda. If things went well, they¡¯d probably try to oust my moderate brother and position me as the crown prince.
Perhaps it¡¯s time to clean the house.
I considered this quietly. The reason other nobles recognized the 5th Empire as a legitimate faction and why the royal family tolerated them wasn¡¯t just to maintain appearances. It was because they served a purpose.
All kinds of factions existed in politics, and among them were the extremists. The 5th Empire was a band of radicals, but they also acted as a containment zone for others like them.
Without the 5th Empire, these rabid dogs would scatter and cause chaos everywhere. But give them a cozy-looking cradle where their kind gather, and they¡¯de together on their own without much encouragement.
If only they¡¯d stayed locked up in there forever.
In a way, the 5th Empire functioned as a kennel for rabid dogs¡ªor a trash bin. But it was time to take action when a rabid dog escaped and started biting people, or when the trash overflowed and started stinking up the ce. Father had already told me to immediately report it if the 5th Empire started showing signs of trouble. He¡¯d be more than willing to step in.
Now, what reason should I use? They had openly attempted to push the kingdom into an unnecessary war and subtly tried to interfere with the royal line of session¡
***¡°Inciting the masses, insulting the royal family, denying the divine mandate¡ they threw every charge they could at them. While the nobles were distracted by the New Year¡¯s festivities, the 3rd prince struck swiftly.¡±
¡°¡I see.¡±
Just one of those charges would be enough to get someone¡¯s head separated from their shoulders. If all of them were piled together, it meant that the 3rd prince had decisively struck while fully intending to wipe them out.
Impressive. What on earth happened¡?
He really was royalty, after all.
What surprised me most was that it was Rutis who spearheaded such a sudden purge.
In Armein, the Crown Prince¡¯s position was secure and the royal family was known to get along well, so there had never been much internalpetition among the princes. However, I never would¡¯ve thought that the 3rd prince had the authority to cut down nobles.
Sure, he must have had the king¡¯s permission, but the fact that such permission was granted in the first ce spoke volumes about Rutis¡¯ capabilities.
Capabilities?
I instinctively thought of Rutis from the academy. His reckless mouth and hispleteck of tactpared to his sharp tongue¡
What was this? Could it be that the Rutis at the academy and the Rutis there in Armein were two entirely different people? Did he perhaps have a twin brother I didn¡¯t know about?
¡Who cares?
I brushed away those meaningless thoughts and decided to focus on the positive.
Whether Rutis had a twin, split personalities, or had been hiding his true strength didn¡¯t matter. What was important was that he dealt with something I would¡¯ve had to handle.
Thanks, Rutis¡ even a broken clock would read right twice a day, and it seemed that even a troublemaker could be useful once a year¡
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 273: My Late Senior (1)
Chapter 273: My Late Senior (1)
The Emperor remained hidden deep within the pce, out of sight even when a civil servant in the empire spread poison in high society or a wave of purges swept through foreignnds. If any other monarch had shown signs of abdication, the country would have been in turmoil. But honestly, in the case of this Emperor, most people would have dly told him to take a break. It was almost a relief.
The current Emperor had been a workaholic from the beginning of his reign until just a few years ago, and more than a few noble families had been crushed under his hand. Maybe having him live like a hermit would actually be better for the mental health of both the nobles and the civil servants.
Besides, the Emperor needed to step back so the Crown Prince could step up. Your Majesty, please follow in the footsteps of the Wanli Emperor.
¡°It¡¯s been nearly 300 years since His Majesty received the Mandate of Heaven. In the endless history of the Empire, those 300 years will merely be a small part, and even this moment is just a stepping stone towards the future.¡±
Of course, it was an empty wish. No matter how much the Emperor gradually handed things over to the Crown Prince, he always personally delivered the closing speech.
¡°We are the bridge between the legacies of the past and the future generations. Do not forget this, and work in unity towards progress.¡±
This speech was routine. The Emperor simply repeated his yearly themes of unity and progress.
The nobles, who had heard this speech countless times, listened without much thought. Be united in loyalty to the Emperor and advance for the good of the nation¡ªit was hardly a difficultmand. Unless one was outright nning treason, it was as simple as saying ¡®Happy New Year.¡¯
¡°Crown Prince, why don¡¯t you say a few words as well?¡±
Things took an unexpected turn just when the ceremony seemed like it was going to wrap up smoothly. The Emperor handed the closing remarks over to the Crown Prince at the very end of the New Year¡¯s speech.
A ripple ran through the ranks of the kneeling nobles as they witnessed the old sun fully passing the torch to the new one.
Damn it.
I was caught in that same ripple, too. This was unsettling. Was this really going to be the year of abdication like the ministers had been specting? If things go south, I might have to leave the Academy and go groveling for mercy.
Unlike the uneasy nobles, the Crown Prince seemed prepared. After bowing to the Emperor, he stepped forward.
¡°As His Majesty said, we are the bridge connecting the past and the future. We must not take the legacy we¡¯ve received for granted, nor should we focus only on the present¡ªwe must look toward the future.¡±
It wasn¡¯t much different from the Emperor¡¯s own speech. Of course, the Crown Prince couldn¡¯t contradict the Emperor at a time like this. That would have been strange.
In any case, the Emperor likely told him to speak just to give him some presence, not because he wanted him to say anything revolutionary.
¡°However, there¡¯s no need to rush. A bridge built hastily will copse, but the one we seek to build is meant tost for a millennia.¡±
¡Was it just me, or did that sound like, ¡®I¡¯m going to make you work forever¡¯?
¡°And so, I will wait. I will wait for those who will serve alongside the imperial family now, and for the treasures who will serve after them in the future.¡±
The Crown Prince¡¯s gaze brieflynded on me as he said this. That pointed look sent shivers down my spine, and I felt tears welling up.
Wasn¡¯t it too much to say something like that while looking directly at me? He was basically implying that not only I would be worked to the bone, but that my future children would be, too.
You bastard.
No wonder he was so quiet during the luncheon meeting. He was busy sharpening this dagger the whole time.
***
The New Year¡¯s Ball of the Sacred Year 1378 came to an end. Aside from the gloomy prophecy the Crown Prince dropped at the end, it had been a rather decent ceremony.
I did suffer a bit of emotional damage due to the ring, but I decided to think of it as no big deal.
¡°I will visit your territory soon to pay my respects.¡±
¡°Haha,e at your convenience. I will be happy to wee you.¡±
Besides, seeing off my inws took priority over nursing my minor wounds.
The Iron-Blooded Duke and Marquis Iones had already left, and now Count nbell and Baron Artini would soon return to their own territories. These people were hard to gather in one ce, and while I wished they could stay longer, they all had their own territories to manage. How could I ask them to stay any longer when they needed to return to their duties?
Besides, just as the Emperor hosted the nobility at the New Year¡¯s Ball, it was also tradition for lords to gather their vassals and hold feasts. I wouldn¡¯t want to tarnish my father-inws¡¯ reputations by making them seem like nobles who disregarded such customs.
¡°I was honestly worried since my only daughter hadn¡¯t returned home for so long, but now I can finally rx.¡±
Baron Artini, who had be much morefortable around me since our first meeting, spoke with a warm smile. What he said, however, was more embarrassing.
Louise hadn¡¯t returned home even once ever since she enrolled at the Academy. She stayed at the Academy during the school term, and she stayed at my mansion over the vacation. Come to think of it, she was really quite the model daughter. Maybe not a pink capybara, but more like a fire-element capybara.
¡°I see that we had the same problem. I didn¡¯t realize we could bond over something like this.¡±
Count nbell, who had been standing nearby, also burst outughing at Baron Artini¡¯s words. Unfortunately, Irina was just as much of a model daughter as Louise.
¡°¡I apologize. I should have sent them back sooner.¡±
But I had arge part in why Louise and Irina turned into fire-elemental daughters, so I bowed my head in apology. However, both of my father-inws shook their heads.
¡°They write to us regrly, after all. And honestly, there¡¯s no safer ce than next to the Executive Manager.¡±
¡°I¡¯m thankful you feel that way.¡±
Thank goodness. I was really lucky that they saw me as a dependable son-inw rather than some kidnapper who was holding their precious daughters hostage.
I was finally able to send off all my inws after a few more rounds of apologies and thanks. The next time we¡¯d all see each other again would likely be at the wedding.
¡°Having four sets of inws makes seeing them off quite the ordeal.¡±
¡°It certainly does.¡±
Mother, who had been chatting with my mother-inws, quietly approached as I finished saying my farewells. The Patriarch had already returned to the Imperial Council for business.
I noticed that she was still smiling when I turned my gaze toward her. It seemed like she had been smiling the entire time during this New Year¡¯s Ball.
Was she always this cheerful?
It felt a bit odd. Mother was usually quiet and reserved, and she wasn¡¯t exactly the bright and lively type. But I guess a son¡¯s marriage was something of a cheat code for a parent¡¯s happiness.
¡°Are you returning home too, Mother?¡±
¡°With your father away, I should return to keep things in order.¡±
Her answer was straightforward, so I nodded. With the patriarch upied in the imperial council, it was up to Mother as thedy of the territory to naturally have to return. Even though the head butler was reliable, it was always better for a member of the family to be present to keep everything running smoothly.
¡But then again, there was still one member of the family in the territory.
¡°There¡¯s no need to rush since Erich is there, right?¡±
¡°That child isn¡¯t quite up to the task yet.¡±
At the mention of Erich, Mother gently shook her head. Well, no one was good at running things from the start. I didn¡¯t know anything at first either, and I had to struggle my way through to get where I was now.
But I understood why Mother was drawing that line, so I let it go. It would only cause confusion among the vassals if another son suddenly started meddling in estate affairs when the heir was firmly established.
¡°Besides, Erich is busy spending time with Sera.¡±
Wait, what? Maybe it wasn¡¯t about avoiding confusion over the session after all, but something else entirely?
I quietly averted my gaze after seeing Mother¡¯s smile widen even further. Well, did the reason really matter? The result was still the same in the end.
¡°Mother is leaving. Everyone,e and say goodbye.¡±
With that, I gestured to my lovers, who had been keeping a respectful distance. I¡¯m sure that Mother would be even happier if she left with them seeing her off.
As expected, Mother seemedpletely overwhelmed with joy when the five of them gathered around to bid her farewell.
So, this is what filial piety looked like¡ It was a first for me.
***
The New Year¡¯s Ball was already over. In three days, the wedding would take ce. I couldn¡¯t understand why time was moving so fast.
It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want the wedding day toe, but it felt like time was moving even faster than usual. There were times when a single day felt as long as a month, but now everything was flying by.
¡°I¡¯ve been praying to Enen every day, telling him I couldn¡¯t wait to wear my wedding dress.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a sweet prayer. I¡¯m sure Enen is looking forward to seeing you in your dress as much as I am, Miss Christina.¡±
I awkwardly smiled at her bright, beaming expression.
Praying didn¡¯t exactly make time move faster, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit strange. Maybe she really was suited for a life in the clergy. That would exin why her prayers seemed so effective.
Amazing. A person whose prayers were heard directly by the divine¡ Wasn¡¯t it a bit of a waste to have someone like that working as a teaching assistant¡?
¡°Are you looking forward to it too, Sir Lafayette?¡±
The shy, bashful way she fidgeted as she asked the question made me chuckle.
¡°Of course. If possible, I¡¯d love to see you in it today.¡±
Well, if the wedding was inevitable, then I might as well enjoy it. Besides, Christina wasn¡¯t a bad match at all.
I never imagined that our rtionship would develop like this when we first met, but the more time we spent together, the more I found her easy to talk to and be around. It was much better than being tied into a political marriage with some troublesome noblewoman.
After answering with that thought in mind, Christina¡¯s face flushed even redder, her embarrassment growing. It put me at ease. After dealing with the cutthroat socialite noblewomen, her genuine reaction felt like a breath of fresh air.
¡°You¡¯re about to be married, and you¡¯re still using formal titles?¡±
While I was sorting through my mixed feelings, the Minister, who had lent us the mansion, casually entered the room.
¡°Uncle!¡±
¡°Yes, your uncle is here. How have you been?¡±
Christina cheerfully greeted him, and he smiled warmly¡ªa smile so soft that I feared it might haunt my dreams.
This is crazy.
I still couldn¡¯t get used to it no matter how many times I saw it. It was just shocking that he could even make that kind of expression.
The only smile I¡¯d ever known from the Minister was his sinister grin, the kind he wore right before he tore someone apart.
Of course, I didn¡¯t say this out loud. In Christina¡¯s heart, the Minister was her kind and dependable uncle.
¡Kind¡
Are all the kind people dead or something?
My head was starting to hurt.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 274: My Late Senior (2)
Chapter 274: My Late Senior (2)
Witnessing your child getting married was something that you never became fully prepared for no matter how many times it happened, even if said child wasn¡¯t your biological one but someone you just held dear in your heart.
My niece had navy blue hair, resembling her aunt. She wasn¡¯t my biological child so there was much I didn¡¯t know about her and we hadn¡¯t spent much time together. Yet, perhaps it was for that very reason that her polite and modest attitude made her even more endearing to me.
Unlike my own children, who unfortunately inherited mypleteck of charm, she took after my wife¡¯s youthful personality. It would be a lie to say I wasn¡¯t fond of her or that didn¡¯t want to look after her.
¡°Uncle! Look, a dragonfly!¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s a big one.¡±
From a young age, she never feared my rather stern appearance and always weed me warmly. I would hoist her up onto my shoulders and we¡¯d tour thend together every time I visited Count Iris¡¯s territory.
Now, she¡¯d grown into a youngdy who blushed at the mere mention of such childhood memories. However, the bond we formed back then remained, making her feel more like a daughter than just a niece.
¡°Time truly flies.¡±
The little girl who onceughed with her missing front teeth was now a bride-to-be. It truly made me feel that so much time had passed.
Though the oue of that passage of time was a bit¡ unfortunate.
¡My nephew-inw.
I turned my gaze to the man standing quietly with his eyes lowered¡ªthe 2nd Manager, who had be my niece¡¯s fianc¨¦.
Christina¡¯s choice of partner was truly unexpected. The 2nd Manager and I had worked together in the Finance Ministry so I was familiar with him professionally, but I never imagined that I¡¯d be connected to him in a personal context.
To be frank, I wasn¡¯t thrilled about it. In fact, I initially wanted to oppose it. After all, I knew well enough about his colorful and varied romantic history. I feared that my niece would end up as just another fleeting chapter in his life.
¡ª Uncle, is it true that Mr. Lafayette works under you?
I was fully prepared to convince Christina to break it off when she first reached out to me through themunication crystal.
And after that, I nned to deal with him personally. He went on a work assignment, seduced an innocent woman, and didn¡¯t even bother to use an alias? What kind of lunacy was that? They said that crazy bosses tended to have crazy subordinates, and the Prosecutors¡¯ Office was the perfect example of that.
But in the end, I failed. Rather than break apart, their bond only grew stronger and their rtionship became officially recognized.
They say no parent can win against their child.
Though I wasn¡¯t her biological parent, my parental instincts were my downfall. How could I refuse when a child who had always been so modest and unassuming looked at me with such earnest eyes and pleaded for my approval?
My niece, who had chosen the hard path of being a teaching assistant despite her status as a Count¡¯s daughter and the Finance Minister¡¯s niece, had finally set her heart on someone. If I had forced them apart, she might have been hurt and closed her heart forever.
It still drove me crazy. Why did she have to choose the 2nd Manager out of all the men in the world?
¡°Here, take this. It¡¯s what you asked for.¡±
Pushing aside my negative thoughts, I pulled the ring box from my coat pocket.
Regretting it now would only make her ufortable. Since I¡¯d given my permission, I might as well fully embrace it.
¡°Th-Thank you so much!¡±
Seeing her eyes light up as she took the ring box dispelled any lingering difort I had.
Come to think of it, I wasn¡¯t exactly the most ideal husband before I married, either. Just as meeting my wife changed me, perhaps this nephew-inw of mine would change for the better, too.
Anyway, Christina, her face flushed with excitement, opened the box and smiled as brightly as she could when she saw the half-ring inside.
Does she really like that so much?
I couldn¡¯t understand what kids these days were into. She had never been one to ask for anything, so I went along with it when she specifically requested it. But why was she grinning so cheerfully over a split ring?
Regardless of whether I understood it or not, that bizarre ring was going to set a trend. It was already drawing attention because that guy¡ªwho everyone had been curious about¡ªwore it. And the Crown Prince, Princess, the Mage Duchess, and a duke¡¯s daughter were all wearing one, too. It was an unstoppable tide. If people didn¡¯t ride that wave, they¡¯d bebeled as an outdated noble.
¡ª Ipletely forgot to buy proper couple rings. I split one in a hurry, and she seemed to like it¡
¡°If you don¡¯t want to get divorced, then keep that story a secret forever.¡±
The saying ¡®ignorance is bliss¡¯ couldn¡¯t be more true. If I hadn¡¯t known the backstory of how that ring came to be, I would¡¯ve just thought, ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s the style nowadays.¡¯
Honestly, that kid was already showing signs of early-onset dementia. What kind of man forgets to buy a couple¡¯s ring for his fianc¨¦e?
¡°Look, Mr. Lafayette, isn¡¯t it pretty?¡±
¡°¡Yes. It¡¯s very beautiful, like a treasure you¡¯d keep for a lifetime.¡±
As Christina showed the ring to her fianc¨¦ while grinning from ear to ear, he hesitated for a moment before answering.
I understood him. He must know the secret behind that ring, after all. The very ring he once scoffed at had now made its way back around to his own hand. He must be feeling quite conflicted.
And that ring wasn¡¯t even made by me. I asked the original creator to split it for me during the New Year¡¯s Ball.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
¡°Split it.¡±
¡°You¡¯re asking me to create that monstrous thing again?¡±
He recoiled in disgust when I handed him the ring until I added:
¡°The person who¡¯s going to wear this ring is the one whose thesis you tore apart.¡±
¡°I wish them a long and happy marriage.¡±
Saying just that one line, he split it right away.
Granted that she went on to sessfully submit another one on a different topic after her paper got shredded, but the fact remained that he had caused the first one to go down in mes. If he had any conscience left, there was no way he could refuse.
¡°Let me put it on for you myself.¡±
¡°T-Thank you.¡±
I quietly closed my eyes while I watched as that ring, which was the result of a guilty conscience, slipped onto Christina and her fianc¨¦¡¯s fingers.
The process was strange to say the least, but all was well as long as my dear niece was happy.
***
The New Year¡¯s Ball was the one day civil servants could take a legitimate break. In other words, it was back to work the very next day after the festivities ended.
So, we all had to head back to our dreary office jobs after indulging in all thevish food at the grand banquet hall and taking naps in one of the private rooms. What a terrible fall from grace.
¡°¡What¡¯s going on?¡±
But I could tell that today was going to be different as soon as I arrived at work. This wasn¡¯t a day of dreadful descent¡ªit was going to be one of joyful ascension. Not a plunge into despair, but a climb up a mountain of delight.
The 1st Manager cheerfully answered my dazed question while holding up a garishly decorated banner.
¡°We¡¯re throwing a party to celebrate the 2nd Manager¡¯s wedding!¡±
CONGRATULATIONS! The 2nd Manager is finally escaping bachelorhood!
¡°Oh.¡±
My mind instinctively shed back tost year and to the grand disy of humiliation I endured when I was sent on assignment to the Academy. That torn banner had shredded my pride into pieces.
And now, that memory had returned to life a yearter¡ªthis time to celebrate the downfall of the 2nd Manager, who had gone from instigator to victim.
¡°Whose idea was this?¡±
¡°Mine!¡±
¡°Good job.¡±
What a good girl.
I patted the 1st Manager¡¯s head, feeling genuinely thankful. She really did well. It just wasn¡¯t right to let a colleague¡¯s wedding pass by without a proper celebration. It was practically a duty to create a holiday out of thin air just to celebrate the wedding of the only remaining bachelor in the office.
Feeling pleased, I nced around. The other managers were already settling in. The 3rd Manager wasughing boisterously while pouring drinks for the Senior Manager, while the 5th Manager was rummaging through boxes, probably searching for the right bottle of liquor.
What a harmonious scene.
Seeing all the managers ready to celebrate a colleague¡¯s marriage warmed my heart. I had never been so d that drinking on the job was allowed, at least for today.
¡°Oh, Executive Manager! Would you like a drink, too?¡±
The 3rd Manager, hearing my conversation with the 1st Manager, waved a bottle enthusiastically as he poured drinks for the Senior Manager.
¡°I¡¯ll pass. You guys go ahead.¡±
Of course, I declined. After all, I wanted to savor this joy and pleasure with a clear mind. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of letting alcohol dull this feeling. This emotion was mine alone¡
¡°Well, suit yourself.¡±
The 3rd Manager decided to share his happiness with alcohol and promptly downed the bottle after I refused.
Go ahead, drink up. Today was one of those days where no one cared even if people passed out.
¡°The 2nd Manager isn¡¯t here yet, right?¡±
I nodded to the 5th Manager as he greeted me with a slight bow, and then turned back to the 1st Manager.
Enjoying the party was important, but the guest of honor needed to be present for the celebration to trulye alive. Wouldn¡¯t celebrating the 2nd Manager¡¯s wedding party without him feel a bit empty?
Of course, these guys had once thrown a surprise party for me without my presence, so I shouldn¡¯t be too surprised.
¡°He¡¯s probably going to be aste as possible. I think he¡¯s caught on to us.¡±
Iughed at the 1st Manager¡¯sment. The one who dished it out knew best where it hurts, and the 2nd Manager had provoked me countless times. He must¡¯ve realized that payback wasing his way like a boomerang, and today was clearly the day for it.
¡°What¡¯s he going to do even if he knows?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
Unfortunately for him, nothing would change even if he knew. He¡¯d refuse toe to work? We¡¯d go get him. Him requesting a business trip? I¡¯d just deny it. The wheels were already in motion, and there was no stopping this.
My heart raced with excitement. Starting the new year with an event like this¡ I couldn¡¯t have asked for anything better.
***
There was still no sign of the 2nd Manager as the end of the workday approached.
¡°Do you think he ran away?¡±
¡°Should we grab lunch outside while we go hunt him down?¡±
I ignored the murmurs of the managers as I stroked my chin.
Something was off. This guy wasn¡¯t the type to bete, nor was he reckless enough to skip work without permission. If anything, he¡¯d have requested to leave early in some bold fashion.
The answer to my question came soon enough.
¡ª Come get your subordinate. He¡¯s in my office.
¡°What?¡±
The call from the Minister came out of nowhere, revealing the whereabouts of the missing 2nd Manager.
Unbelievable.
It was such an absurd statement that my brain froze for a moment. Why was he in the Minister¡¯s office? That was like finding a sergeant in the general¡¯s quarters.
¡°¡I¡¯ll be right there.¡±
Did that bastard really flee to the Minister¡¯s office just to avoid the t-bagging?
Chapter 275: My Late Senior (3)
Chapter 275: My Late Senior (3)
I walked towards the Minister¡¯s office to pick up the 2nd Manager. Just hearing about it drained my mental energy. Was this guy acting recklessly because he was now rted to the Minister through marriage?
If so, then what a shameless jerk. Was he already using his connections even before the wedding? If he was going to y the connection game, I might just have to pull out my own cards.
¡°I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°Oh, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±
I knocked and entered quickly, suppressing myplicated thoughts. This wasn¡¯t the time for a battle of connections¡ªfirst, I needed to deal with this out-of-control subordinate.
I scanned the room as soon as I stepped into the office and immediately spotted the 2nd Manager sprawled out on the sofa like it was his bed.
This crazy¡
What an idiot. In the Minister¡¯s office of all ces¡
The Minister spoke up in a low voice while I was ring at the 2nd Manager (who was better described as an idiot at this point).
¡°He had a bit too much to drink. It¡¯s surprising that this young guy can¡¯t even outdrink me.¡±
There was a faint hint of awkwardness in the Minister¡¯s voice.
¡He¡¯s just going to let this slide?
My brain finally started catching up to the situation. Now that I thought about it, something felt off. The Minister wasn¡¯t the type to let his rtives get special treatment. Sure, he cared for his nephew-inws, but that affection didn¡¯t extend to the man who ¡®stole¡¯ his niece.
And yet here was that very person, sleeping peacefully in the Minister¡¯s office? The Minister wasn¡¯t one to tolerate that. If he had the time to call me, then he would have thrown the 2nd Manager out by now.
¡°Why is he here?¡±
So, I asked the obvious question. Why had the 2nd Managere to the Minister¡¯s office instead of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office? And why was he passed out on the couch?
¡°We had a drinkst night.¡±
¡°A drink?¡±
¡°A whole crate, actually.¡±
Hearing that, I looked at the 2nd Manager again, noticing that his face was still flushed and that his body asionally twitched.
Well, that exined it. The guy waspletely wasted.
¡°It¡¯s hisst free weekend before the wedding, you know? We didn¡¯t drink that much, but he still hasn¡¯t recovered.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
The Minister added ¡®Lightweight,¡¯ but it was hard to agree. The 2nd Manager usually had a strong tolerance. If he was in such a pitiful state, then how much had they drunk?
He did mention a crate, so the 2nd Manager probably drank more than his body could handle. If someone stuck a needle in him, booze mighte out instead of blood.
He didn¡¯te here willingly.
I started to feel a little sorry for the 2nd Manager whoy there twitching now that I had a grasp of the situation. It wasn¡¯t like the guy had fled to the Minister¡¯s office¡ªhe¡¯d been dragged into an alcohol battle with the Minister and lost. Unconscious, he had been hauled into the office like a piece of luggage. He hadn¡¯t reported for duty of his own free will¡
¡°If you¡¯re here, take him with you. He reeks of alcohol.¡±
¡°Well, whose fault do you think that is?¡±
I shuddered at the Minister¡¯s cold words and obediently lifted the passed-out 2nd Manager.
As unfortunate as it was to deal with this mess first thing in the morning, the celebration had to go on. It was our duty to honor him even if he was unconscious. Nothing could stop our celebration.
¡°Urgh¡¡±
I heard a groaning sound beside me as I carried the 2nd Manager back to the office.
¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±
¡°Urgh¡ yeah¡¡±
The 2nd Manager mumbled incoherently, his voice strange and slurred, but at least he seemed to have regained some awareness.
¡°You know, you¡¯re the first person to ever sleep in the Minister¡¯s office. We¡¯re on our way back to the office, so hang in there a little longer.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡±
His response was a bit clearer this time. He seemed relieved to be heading back to familiar territory rather than the intimidating Minister¡¯s office.
Of course, he¡¯d probably be even happier when he heard what came next.
¡°We¡¯ve prepared a little wedding celebration for you. It¡¯s time to go for some hangover drinks.¡±
¡°¡¡±
Just as I expected, he was thrilled. In fact, he was so thrilled that he couldn¡¯t even bring himself to talk.
Ah, the warm camaraderie of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. It really warmed my heart.
***
Two days after throwing a wild celebration in honor of the second 2nd Manager and cing him in the Executive Manager¡¯s chair, the day had finally arrived¡ªthe day when the casanova of the department would meet his ¡®grave,¡¯ or rather, his life partner.
It was an emotional day. To our dear sister-inw, please keep this casanova on a short leash and live a long, happy life together. You¡¯ve saved countless youngdies from this man¡¯s clutches¡
¡°I told you, sending a wedding gift was enough. Don¡¯t you have anything better to do?¡±
And just like that, all my sentiment vanished as soon as the Minister made a snide remark to the guest who had actually made the effort to show up.
¡°If I don¡¯t show my face at my subordinate¡¯s wedding, people will talk.¡±
¡°Then you¡¯ll also see me at your six weddings.¡±
Damn. I hadn¡¯t thought of that.
I froze for a moment, realizing the horror. He was right. If I attended six weddings, then every guest who knew me could also attend all six.
I briefly imagined a future where not only the Minister but also the Crown Prince attended every single one.
Wow.
But I quickly cut off that line of thinking. There are some things in life you shouldn¡¯t even imagine, and I¡¯d just learned that the hard way.
¡°¡I made sure to be generous.¡±
With a slightly heavy heart, I handed over the envelope filled with wedding money to the Minister.
And I wasn¡¯t kidding¡ªit really was generous. After all, I knew both the groom, the 2nd Manager, and the bride, Christina. Giving to just one of them felt awkward, so I doubled the usual amount.
¡°It¡¯s heavy.¡±
Thankfully, it was a satisfying sum even by the Minister¡¯s standards. He nodded lightly as he ced it into the box for wedding gifts.
Of course it was satisfying. I¡¯d followed the Gold Duke¡¯s wisdom, after all: if you¡¯re stressed about money, it just means you didn¡¯t give enough. It was a smart approach to social life¡ªhalf the battle was just knowing how much to give.
¡°¡But where is your wife, sir?¡±
As I looked around, I noticed something off. Why was the Minister standing here and greeting the guests all alone?
Actually, why was the patriarch of the Iris family not here to greet guests himself? It would¡¯ve at least made sense if the Minister¡¯s wife were here, working alongside him as a couple.
¡°They haven¡¯t seen each other in a while, so I told her to go catch up with family. It doesn¡¯t really matter who stands here, does it?¡±
His nonchnt response made me feel like mymon sense was crumbling. No, it absolutely matters, didn¡¯t it? This wasn¡¯t just any event¡ªit was a wedding!
Still, I couldn¡¯t exactly tell him to call her back now, so I just nodded. And to be fair, having the current Minister of Finance greet the guests might leave quite an impression. The guests would feel honored.
¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll go see the groom.¡±
¡°Stop blocking the way and go.¡±
With the Minister¡¯s dismissive wave, I made my way to where the groom was waiting.
I could already feel the corners of my mouth twitching. This was going to be a problem. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able to keep a straight face when I see the 2nd Manager in his wedding suit.
***
Sitting in the waiting room, I tried to keep smiling. My father¡¯s voice rang out with joy, saying how proud he was that his son had finally turned from a ¡®good-for-nothing¡¯ into a proper man. Mother added how relieved she was that I was getting married before I hit thirty. Their words echoed around the room, but honestly, they barely registered.
It all felt strange and surreal. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to get married, but just being here, in this moment, felt awkward and bizarre. I couldn¡¯t quite find the words to describe it.
It felt like I was transforming into someone else and stepping into a different world from the one I¡¯d known. No, maybe that one was too dramatic. Still, I couldn¡¯t think of a better way to put it¡
¡°Why do you look like that? Didn¡¯t you sleep well?¡±
The Executive Manager approached from the entrance as I tried to sort out my jumbled thoughts, wearing a smile that he couldn¡¯t hide even if he tried.
¡°Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while. It¡¯s nice to see you again for such a happy asion.¡±
Father greeted the Executive Manager first when he spotted him, shaking his hand with a smile. Watching my father thank him with a smile almost made me chuckle. What exactly did the Executive Manager do to make my father so grateful? If anyone had yed a major role in this, it was the Minister, not him.
¡Well, maybe he did help.
Then again, my father wasn¡¯t entirely wrong when I thought about how I met Christina. If the Executive Manager hadn¡¯t been at the academy, I wouldn¡¯t have been assigned there to support him, and I might never have met her. In a way, he was the starting point of it all.
After exchanging pleasantries with my father and mother, the Executive Manager finally turned his attention to me.
¡°Congrattions. Honestly, I thought you¡¯d stay single forever.¡±
¡°So did I.¡±
My mother¡¯s face fell at those words, but it was fine now that the wedding was happening. It would have been a cruel joke if I were still single, but today it was just anotherugh.
The Executive Manager must have thought the same thing because he gave a soft chuckle and patted me on the shoulder.
¡°Now, you¡¯ve got to continue the Baron family line. Don¡¯t worry¡ªI won¡¯t bother you during your honeymoon. Take your time and rx.¡±
¡°Is it even your ce as my boss to be pressuring me about heirs?¡±
It felt like the world was upside down. Here was my boss, who was younger than me and still single, applying the kind of pressure my father should have been giving me.
¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then get promoted.¡±
And with that unbeatable response, all I could do wasugh.
My parents seemed a bit taken aback by the Executive Manager¡¯s bluntness, but this was just how he was. Despite being from a noble family, he acted more like amoner.
And that¡¯s why we get along so well.
Having a stiff, authoritarian boss would¡¯ve been exhausting. The previous Executive Manager, for example, was an absolute pain to deal with.
But the current Executive Manager was different. Despite being a pure-blooded noble like his predecessor, his attitude toward us couldn¡¯t have been more different. Maybe it was because he¡¯d spent so much time with the Six Swords, or maybe it was just his personality.
Either way, I was confident he¡¯d appreciate the small gift I had prepared for him.
It¡¯s only right to celebrate him after he celebrated me.
In my inside pocket was a single flower I had carefully saved, one I had taken from Christina¡¯s bouquet.
The guest who catches the bride¡¯s bouquet is the next to be married.
Thinking of that tradition¡ªa mix of custom and superstition¡ªmade the corners of my mouth lift slightly. I wasn¡¯t nning on stealing the bride¡¯s gift to the guests, of course. I¡¯d just prepared a little something extra.
After the ceremony, I would approach the Executive Manager and give him this flower, once a part of the bouquet. After all, he was bound to be the next one to get married.
I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be delighted.
Not every subordinate was as thoughtful as I was, after all.
***
What a cheeky little brat.
¡°It¡¯s a flower from the bouquet. Since you¡¯ll be the next one to get married, I figured you should have one.¡±
The 2nd Manager approached me after the ceremony, spouting nonsense while offering the flower.
For a split second, I remembered the saying, ¡®Don¡¯t hit someone with a flower,¡¯ but I felt like today might be the perfect time to break that rule.
Chapter 276: Let’s Go Home (1)
Chapter 276: Let¡¯s Go Home (1)
I could finally enjoy a peaceful break once the major events of the New Year¡¯s Ball and my subordinate¡¯s wedding were over. I was on the verge of losing my mind while managing those troublemakersst summer vacation, but it felt incredibly rxing now that I had nothing to stress about.
Even the 5th Empire, which was supposed to be this winter¡¯s big event, was crushed without me lifting a finger. I wouldn¡¯t mind it one bit if life could always be this easy.
¡°Here you go.¡±
While I was absentmindedly staring at the clock, just waiting for quitting time, the 1st Manager quietly handed me a piece of paper.
I immediately signed as soon as I saw the words ¡®Leave Request¡¯ at the top. I already knew the reason behind it, so there was no need to read the rest.
¡°This is the first time I¡¯m taking a vacation with my boss.¡±
¡°It¡¯s my first time spending one with a subordinate, too.¡±
It just so happened that where the 1st Manager nned to go on vacation was the same ce I was headed¡ªthe Tailglehen County, where the Patriarch and Mother lived.
I¡¯d promised Mother I¡¯d visit after the New Year¡¯s Ball. Naturally, I couldn¡¯t go alone, so I dragged along one of her future daughters-inw. As a result, the 1st Manager also had to take a sudden vacation.
Luckily, it didn¡¯t seem like she minded.
¡°Oh, I bought a gift for your mother, too.¡±
¡°How thoughtful.¡±
I gave the 1st Manager a nod as she rummaged through their pocket. The fact that she was being considerate of her future mother-inw was impressive. Marquis Iones would probably shed tears of joy if he saw this. Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he reached enlightenment this year.
¡°This¡ªdo you think she¡¯ll like it?¡±
Then, the 1st Manager pulled out a bright red ruby ne.
Hmmmm.
¡°¡Yeah, I think she¡¯ll love it.¡±
¡°Right? I really put effort into choosing it!¡±
Seeing the excitement in the 1st Manager¡¯s eyes made me feel a bit guilty, but I didn¡¯t take back my words. Sometimes, you need to tell a little white lie to get through life.
From what I remember, Mother wasn¡¯t one to wear red clothes or essories. She preferred soft, warm colors over anything too shy.
But how could I break the harsh truth to a future daughter-inw who¡¯d thoughtfully prepared a gift? Besides, Mother would surely appreciate it simply because it came from her future daughter-inw.
One red ne should be fine.
After all, the 1st Manager wasn¡¯t the only one who brought a gift. All of her future daughters-inw had prepared something, knowing they couldn¡¯t visit their inws empty-handed.
They had bombarded me with questions about my parents¡¯ preferences, and they all decided to buy her nes when I mentioned that Mother always wore one. I didn¡¯t know the Patriarch¡¯s taste, so I kept quiet about him. They must¡¯ve figured something out for him on their own.
So, Mother was going to receive a total of six nes. In that case, one red one wouldn¡¯t hurt, right? If anything, it might stand out among the more muted tones.
She¡¯ll have one for each day of the week.
The thought made me chuckle. Thanks to her clueless son, my mother was now at risk of having to wear a different ne every day. I should¡¯ve just said she liked all kinds of jewelry and not just nes.
¡°I also got a gift for your father. And don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t forget you!¡±
¡°Wait, why are you telling me this?¡±
I was taken aback by the 1st Manager¡¯s boldness. Seriously? Who¡¯d announce their gift to the recipient beforehand?
¡°You would¡¯ve known anyway, right? It¡¯s only natural to get a gift for someone on their birthday.¡±
Oddly enough, that was a good point, so I nodded in agreement.
It was indeed true. No one needed a reminder to expect a gift on their birthday.
Birthday, huh.
It felt strange to hear that word. I¡¯d half-forgotten about birthdays since my possession. I¡¯ve had one every year since then, but I always forgot. Besides, it wasn¡¯t even my real birthday.
¡ª Could youe at the end of January, if possible?
¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine, but is there any particr reason?¡±
¡ª It¡¯s your birthday, isn¡¯t it?
¡°Oh.¡±
However, the karma of forgetting my physical body¡¯s birthday came back in full force. Mother¡¯s gaze hit me like a lightning bolt as if asking, ¡®What kind of life are you living that you forget your own birthday?¡¯ as soon as I gave my absentminded reply That slight tremble in her eyes struck a chord deep within me.
If I hadn¡¯t said anything at that moment, I would have received a look that was more like pity, like I were some helpless creature. Anyone, no matter how dense, could sense that much.
So, I hurriedly blurted out that I¡¯d be bringing along her sixth future daughter-inw this time, the one who couldn¡¯te before. Only then did my mother¡¯s tearful gaze soften. It felt a little like I¡¯d thrown the 4th Manager under the bus, but who cared? As long as the result was good, then that was what mattered.
¡°But is Penelia allowed toe? I thought the Special Service Agency had strict limits on vacation.¡±
It seemed that the 1st Manager was also thinking about the same thing since she raised a very reasonable question.
It was true that the Special Service Agency had a moreplicated vacation processpared to other departments. I¡¯d heard they have fewer slots avable for vacation at any given time, too.
¡°The Masked Unit gave up their leave.¡±
¡°Wow¡¡±
But if there were vacation limits, then they just needed others to step aside. If the entire Masked Unit forfeited their vacation, then the 4th Manager could easily take hers.
¡It was terrifying that subordinates would give up their leave for their superior, but I suppose it just spoke to how well-respected the 4th Manager was.
***
After adjusting vacation schedules among the civil servants and ensuring that the Mage Duchess could delegate her duties to the Vice Master:
¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been here. It still feels good to return.¡±
Thanks to the continent¡¯s greatest mage, we were able to travelfortably. We teleported straight to the front of the mansion, and it¡¯d be honestly stranger if something had gone wrong.
¡°Thank you. It made the trip much easier.¡±
The Mage Duchess simply smiled and shook her head when I thanked her, as if to say this was nothing.
It probably wasn¡¯t a big deal for her considering her abilities, but it was still wrong to take anyone¡¯s kindness for granted. No matter how small the gesture, showing gratitude was the proper thing to do.
¡°Thank you, Beatrix.¡±
I whispered my thanks softly, and I could see her ears twitch slightly.
Looks like it worked perfectly.
***
My heart was racing. Today was the first time in my life that I would be leaving the mansion. It wasn¡¯t just stepping out of my room, but truly leaving the territory.
¡°Sarah, are you sure about this? You¡¯re not pushing yourself too hard, are you? Maybe we should stay here. That might be¡ª¡°
¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve already been thoroughly examined, remember?¡±
Erich looked more anxious than I was, and seeing him like that made me uneasy. However, this was a step I needed to take. l needed to be able to move around outside if I wanted to attend the Academy with Erich.
I needed to prove and show that attending the Academy and going out wouldn¡¯t be a problem for me. That way, I could stay by Erich¡¯s side.
¡°Everyone said I¡¯m fine, remember? Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn
I ced my finger gently against Erich¡¯s lips, trying to reassure him with a smile.
The mage who treated me and the priests both said there was nothing wrong. They even confirmed that I could manage life at the Academy, so theoretically, everything should be fine. This was just the process of turning theory into practice.
¡°¡Alright, I understand.¡±
Erich sighed in resignation, finally giving in.
¡°But promise me that you¡¯ll rest immediately if you feel even the slightest bit off.¡±
He even added a condition, but it made me feel happy instead because I knew he was worried about me.
¡°Fufu, then I¡¯ll rely on my knight in shining armor if something happens.¡±
¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to stick close to you then.¡±
His response made my face heat up. I had meant it as a yful tease, but he replied so casually that it sent an unexpected flutter through my chest.
Stay close¡
That flutter, though, was one of joy. Erich¡¯s words instantly sent my mind into a whirlwind of happy thoughts.
Erich as he stayed by my side and never left, and Erich as he escorted me like a proper knight. Just imagining it made me feel like I was walking on air. It felt like a dreame true.
But this wasn¡¯t a dream. This was real.
¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡±
I smiled and linked my arm with his. I could feel his body stiffen immediately.
So cute. His face was even turning red. How could he be so shy from something this small? How innocent.
¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t want to bete.¡±
¡°Y-yeah. Sure. Let¡¯s go.¡±
Watching Erich stumble over his words made me grin as I confidently stepped out of the room.
¡It wasn¡¯t until we passed a mirror that I realized my face was just as red as his.
***
When we arrived at the mansion, Mother and the Countess weed us. I was bombarded with questions as soon as we stepped through the doors¡ªwas the journey ufortable? How was my health? Was I cold?¡ªbut knowing that their questions were filled with love and concern, I didn¡¯t mind one bit.
¡°No, I¡¯m really fine. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±
¡°How could I not worry, my dear?¡±
The Countess gently stroked my cheek as she spoke with concern, bringing a smile to my face. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. She was my mother¡¯s childhood friend and Erich¡¯s mother, and because of that bond, she even insisted I call her ¡®Aunt¡¯ in private.
¡°I¡¯m really okay, Aunt. You sent such wonderful healers to take care of me, after all.¡±
At that, she smiled faintly and nced over at Mother.
¡°She looks just like you did when you were young, but how can her personality be so different?¡±
I saw Mother¡¯s eyebrow twitch slightly at the unexpected jab, but she held back given that it was my first time leaving the house.
Instead, she shot Aunt looks that spoke volumes¡ªas if she was cursing her with her eyes.
¡°It must have been a long time since you¡¯ve seen Carl.¡±
Aunt said, ignoring Mother¡¯s re.
¡°Yes, it feels like years.¡±
It was true; I hadn¡¯t seen Carl oppa in what seemed like forever. If it weren¡¯t for him bringing his lovers back to the territory or my recovery progressing, I might not have seen him for even longer. He was so busy that he couldn¡¯t even visit me while I was ill.
Six¡
I felt a bit overwhelmed when thinking about the number of lovers oppa would bring with him. Six at the same time¡ The Count and his wife happily lived with just each other, so why should their son, Carl oppa, be any different?
¡I heard the previous Count had multiple wives.
Could it be that Carl oppa inherited this tendency? Did that mean¡ that Erich might end up like him someday?
No.
I tightened my grip on Erich¡¯s hand. No. I couldn¡¯t stand the idea of sharing my knight with anyone else.
Erich was my knight. He was the one who¡¯d protected me since childhood, and I was the only one who had been by his side all these years.
¡°Sarah?¡±
Erich looked at me, surprised when I suddenly grabbed his hand.
¡°It¡¯s just a little cold¡ Can we stay like this for a while?¡±
I smiled softly at him as I answered.
It was a lie, of course. I didn¡¯t want to hold his hand for just a moment¡ªI wanted to hold it forever.
This hand I¡¯m holding right now¡ I wish it could be mine and mine alone for the rest of our lives.
Chapter 277: Let’s Go Home (2)
Chapter 277: Let¡¯s Go Home (2)
A crowd had formed at the main gate of the mansion, likely because they had been informed of our arrival. However, one important person was noticeably absent from the weing party.
Where is the Patriarch?
I couldn¡¯t find him no matter how much I searched. It was a strange situation¡ªhe was nowhere to be seen even though he should have been here to greet his son and daughter-inws.
How odd. I could have just assumed he had left all the hosting duties to Mother if he hadn¡¯t shown upst summer, either. But for him to disappear now?
The Patriarch had seemed rtively calm even during the New Year¡¯s introduction gathering. He didn¡¯t seem to have anyints about my partners, and even if he did, he wasn¡¯t the type to show his discontent by pulling a no-show like this.
¡°He mentioned he had a meeting with the Chairman. He¡¯ll be back by the end of the day.¡±
Mother must have sensed my confusion because she exined the situation gently.
Ah.
I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sorry for him once I knew the reason. So he was just busy with work.
¡°He must be really busy.¡±
¡°What can you do? It¡¯s always hectic for them at the start of the year.¡±
Thatment would make any civil servant on leave feel a bit awkward.
But in the empire, legitive officials were usually far more overwhelmed than those in the administration during the New Year season. So, I just kept my mouth shut.
That¡¯s my future.
I felt a bit uneasy. The title of being an imperial count automatically came with a seat in the legiture, which meant that I¡¯d also be a member of the council once I inherited the title.
Of course, someone with a high enough position in the administrative or military sector could send a family member to represent them in the council to prevent excessive workload. But wouldn¡¯t sending a proxy mean that I failed to retire by then?
That was a terrifying thought. Was I really destined to work until I died?
Carl Krasius, the ck Carabao¡
I bet that the Yellow Carabao which came with the ck Cow was the Crown Prince. I always thought that brat¡¯s blond hair was suspicious.
¡°Come in, dear. Was the journey alright?¡±
Shaking off the bitterness, I engaged in the usual small talk. Mother¡¯s eyes sparkled as she approached Marghetta.
¡°Yes. We teleported, so it was a smooth journey.¡±
Marghetta replied with a smile.
Mother then turned her gaze to the Mage Duchess, filled with affection and warmth rather than awkwardness.
¡°Thanks to Beatrix, I got to meet my daughters-inw sooner. I appreciate it.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. I was just as eager to see you.¡±
It was quite bold of a countess to call a duke by her given name, but the conversation itself remained pleasant. After all, it was a mutually agreed situation.
During the New Year¡¯s meeting, Mother hade to terms with the reality of epting the Mage Duchess as her daughter-inw and had proposed apromise. While it might still be too early for informal speech, she agreed to address her by her first name. Since the Mage Duchess wasn¡¯t one to rush things, she readily epted.
That¡¯s how rtionships grow.
You were already halfway there once you started calling someone by their name. After all, it was a natural step toward familiarity, like how calling a senior by their first name in the military eventually turned them into a peer.
I approached Erich while Mother was now engrossed in greeting her daughters-inw.
¡°How have you been?¡±
¡°Same as usual. Not much toin about.¡±
I just nodded at his indifferent response. What could possibly happen to a kid who¡¯d been stuck here in the mansion?
¡°Sarah, it¡¯s been a while. It¡¯s almost been three years, right?¡±
I gave Erich a pat on the shoulder, then turned my attention to the woman standing next to him. It had been so long that my memory was a bit fuzzy, but the blonde hair and blue eyes told me that it had to be Sarah.
Plus, her face looked just like how I remembered her from thest time I saw her, so it had to be her. Thankfully, she¡¯d grown up beautifully without any awkward changes¡ªthough that wasn¡¯t surprising for the head maid¡¯s daughter.
¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s been that long.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have visited or at least made an appearance, but I¡¯ve been neglectful.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay. Erich has beening over enough for the both of you.¡±
Sarah spoke with a soft shake of her head and a gentle smile as she held Erich¡¯s hand.
It seemed natural at first nce, but there was a slight trembling in her hand upon closer inspection.
Oh.
Her shy demeanor made it obvious to me¡ªSarah had feelings for Erich.
I couldn¡¯t be sure whether it was just a crush or something deeper, but what woman would hold hands with a man she had no interest in? It was so obvious that even I, who hadn¡¯t seen Sarah in three years, could tell. The people around them must have noticed long ago.
Yeah, if someone couldn¡¯t see it by now, it wasn¡¯t that they were clueless¡ªthey just had no brain at all.
¡He doesn¡¯t.
I knew as soon as I saw Erich¡¯s face. This idiot had no clue.
It was odd; there seemed to be an invisible wall between them. Sarah looked full of nervous excitement, but Erich was holding her hand with apletely nk, indifferent expression.
You idiot. Smile, for goodness¡¯ sake. Sarah¡¯s going to cry if she sees that face.
He¡¯d always been like this.
Frustration and resignation washed over me. Erich had been acting more normal ever since Louise broke his heart, so I¡¯d almost forgotten that he was hopelessly dense and oblivious when it came to his own love life.
Of course, it was just my luck that this applied not only to Louise but to anyone else as well¡
At least there¡¯s nopetition this time.
If there was one small constion, it was that there were no otherpetitors this time, unlike with Louise. It was just the two of them. So, hispleteck of awareness and intelligence wasn¡¯t going to be a huge problem.
The only person who would suffer was Sarah, who seemed to be burning with emotion. I had heard she was just starting to recover her health, but it was worrying that she might copse again from the stress.
¡°I¡¯m d you two seem to get along well.¡±
¡°We¡¯ve been childhood friends, so this much is to be expected.¡±
Sarah¡¯s expression shifted between joy and disappointment at Erich¡¯s words. His words showed he valued her, but at the same time, they clearly drew the line,beling their rtionship as ¡®just friends.¡¯
¡°I guess Sarah will be bored when school starts again. You¡¯ll have to spend more time together before then.¡±
Seeing Sarah¡¯splex expression, I decided to chime in. After all, the least I could do was offer some support here since I had unintentionally stolen Erich¡¯s first love.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
There was fortunately nopetition, and they had shared memories as childhood friends. There wasn¡¯t any rush. All they needed to do was spend more time together, and eventually, even Erich might notice her feelings¡ª
¡°Oh, Sarah is entering the academy too.¡±
Wait¡ what?
¡°She¡¯s enrolling?¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be starting as a second-year.¡±
I nodded absentmindedly, caught off guard by the revtion.
Has she improved that much?
This surprised me. Sarah had spent most of her life bedridden, but was she healthy enough now to attend the academy? I had thought she was only well enough for brief outings.
¡°I guess we¡¯ll see each other often at the academy. Please take care of me, oppa.¡±
¡°Uh, sure.¡±
¡°I heard you¡¯re the advisor for the baking club. I hope we can meet there as well.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡±
Well, at least her recovery was good news.
Looks like I¡¯ll be updating the club roster soon¡
***
Akeside near the capital, known only to a select few, served as a quiet retreat where a handful of imperial council members gathered to rx.
¡°It¡¯s not a good day for it.¡±
¡°Even the fish must be hibernating.¡±
This was a fishing spot often praised by the council members, and today three of us hade here for some winter fishing.
Truth be told, this wasn¡¯t the best time for me to be here, considering that Carl was visiting the mansion with his prospective wives today. However, the issue was that this fishing trip had been nned long in advance.
Of course, I could have exined the situation and rescheduled, but one of mypanions, Count Vardon, had always been the type to quietly hold onto grudges when ns were dyed. He had mellowed with age, but as his friend, I still bore the brunt of his old habits.
So, I told my wife that I¡¯d be a bitte due to work and made my way to theke.
Technically, this is work.
As a council member, it was part of my ¡®social duties¡¯ to mingle with the Imperial Council¡¯s Chairman, Count Vardon. Anyone could see that. So, I trusted that my wife would understand.
¡°I didn¡¯t want to have to use this.¡±
Vardon muttered, staring at his motionless fishing rod before pulling something from his coat.
¡°What is that?¡±
¡°An artifact containing thunderbolt magic. If I throw this into theke¡ª¡°
¡°Put that away. Do you want this to be yourst fishing trip?¡±
At that, Vardon clicked his tongue in disappointment and returned the artifact to his coat.
¡°You¡¯ve grown crazier since Ist saw you. The imperial council really isn¡¯t a ce to stay too long at.¡±
The former Count of Horfeld, George, burst outughing at Vardon¡¯s antics. There was a sharp edge to hisughter, a mix of superiority and mockery that wasn¡¯t just my imagination.
¡°Isn¡¯t it embarrassing to be pushed aside while you¡¯re still in your prime?¡±
¡°Passing your title to your daughter when she¡¯s barely 20? That¡¯s low, even for you.¡±
Vardon, sensing the rising tension, joined me in a fierce verbal assault against George. However¡ª
¡°I¡¯m content to live as a shameless man. You two should worry about your own lives.¡±
George retorted calmly, shutting us both up.
It still amazed me. No one expected him to retire and hand his title to his 19-year-old daughter while he was still in his prime. The entire council had been thrown into chaos over his sudden retirement, but there was nothing anyone could do since it had been the Emperor¡¯s decision.
¡°Are you jealous?¡±
¡°Shut up before I bash your head in with my gavel.¡±
¡°Ooh, how scary.¡±
Vardon, visibly irritated by George¡¯s taunting, pulled the thunderbolt artifact out again.
Honestly, using it on him might be more satisfying than throwing it into theke.
¡°By the way, Wilhelm, are you sure it¡¯s okay for you to be here right now?¡±
George, sensing things were getting out of hand, quickly changed the subject. It was an obvious attempt, but I went along with it¡ªdragging an electrocuted friend back home wouldn¡¯t be fun.
¡°It¡¯s a shame I wouldn¡¯t be there to greet him when he arrives, but my son isn¡¯t the type to hold a grudge over something like that.¡±
¡°Unlike some people. Seems like someone aged backward.¡±
George said, ncing pointedly at Vardon.
Vardon, clearly feeling the sting of George¡¯s jab, raised his voice defensively.
¡°I would¡¯ve rescheduled had I known his son was visiting!¡±
¡°Sure, that¡¯s easy to say after the fact.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement, which only made Vardon¡¯s face turn redder. But he didn¡¯t deny it outright, suggesting that he probably believed it himself.
¡°Anyway, congrattions. I was worried that your son would never settle down, but who would¡¯ve guessed he was secretly gathering six wives?¡±
George said,ughing heartily beforeposing himself and continuing in a more serious tone.
¡°And now it¡¯s time for Erich to find someone, too.¡±
¡°That¡¯s for him to decide.¡±
George let out a dissatisfied grunt at my firm reply. He was relentless. But finding a partner was something that happened in its own time. Trying to force it as their parent would only lead to disaster.
Especially someone as busy as her.
To make matters worse, the person George was trying to set up with my son was his own daughter, who, at 19, was already an imperial countess and a council member herself. She had more than enough on her te.
Sure, she and Erich had known each other since childhood, but using that connection as a basis for marriage seemed rash. Forcing something that was only meant to be a friendship into a marriage would only lead to trouble down the road.
¡°Zenobia said she likes Erich, though¡¡±
¡°Then they¡¯ll meet naturally on their own. Don¡¯t meddle.¡±
¡°You¡¯re so stubborn.¡±
With that, the conversation about Erich ended naturally. And just as Vardon was on the verge of tossing the thunderbolt artifact into theke, we finally called it a day.
Chapter 278: Let’s Go Home (3)
Chapter 278: Let¡¯s Go Home (3)Evening crept in after we arrived at the mansion, unpacked, and finally got some rest on the bed. Then, we greeted the returning Patriarch.
¡°I hope the food is to your liking.¡±
Mother said gently at the dinner table where everyone had gathered.
¡°It¡¯s perfect. I¡¯ve never had such an enjoyable meal.¡±
The 4th Manager, who had been tense as if on night watch, replied swiftly. Mother nodded with satisfaction, seemingly pleased with her answer.
Honestly, there was no way anyone couldin with the feast in front of us. It felt like the embodiment of the phrase, ¡®I didn¡¯t know what you liked, so I prepared everything.¡¯ I hadn¡¯t been near the kitchen today, but I had a feeling the head chef was probably on the verge of copse by now. Could we even eat all of this?
¡°If you need more, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. We can prepare more.¡±
¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Thank you.¡±
The 4th Manager answered without a moment¡¯s hesitation once more.
Was it just my imagination? Her behavior reminded me of a junior soldier meekly obeying a senior officer¡¯s dining orders. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if she forced herself to eat more just to be polite.¡°Dear, let the children eat at their own pace. It¡¯s better for them to enjoy their mealfortably.¡±
Then, the Patriarch quietly spoke from his seat at the head of the table.
It was a warm, considerate remark, likely meant to ease any pressure on the daughters-inw. Still, I avoided looking at him, afraid I might burst outughing if I did.
A treasure goblin¡
I knew I shouldn¡¯t, but the phrase had been stuck in my head all evening. The Patriarch was usually quite reserved, but he was draped in all kinds of gifts today. He looked so different from his usual self.
While Mother had only received matching nes, the Patriarch had been showered with an assortment of gifts¡ªbrooches, handkerchiefs, scarves, bracelets, and more. The gifts had no consistency, yet he wore them all withoutint.
I couldn¡¯t tell if this was his way of epting gifts as a noble or if it was the reaction of a father-inw delighted by the attention from his daughters-inw. Either way, it was a strange sight.
It¡¯s still better than Mother.
At least it was more normal than Mother, who had eagerly put on all six nes the moment she received them. The givers had been more shocked than pleased.
¡°How could I possibly choose between such precious gifts? I want to wear them all, at least for today.¡±
But still, it would¡¯ve been better if they had convinced her to wear them in shifts. The different gemstones on each ne made her look like she was wearing a rainbow around her neck.
¡°It¡¯s not a problem, Father. We¡¯re actually grateful that Mother is so thoughtful.¡±
Marghetta said, smiling warmly.
At her words, Mother, who had momentarily faltered, smiled again. Her face brightened even more when her other daughters-inw also nodded in agreement.
It might seem like she was overreacting to small things, but I understood why she was acting this way. The head maid had pulled me aside for a quiet word after we arrived at the mansion.
¡°Madam never had a harmonious rtionship with her inws. The formerdy of the house passed away early, and the previous Patriarch didn¡¯t think highly of her. So, she likely hopes to experience the warm rtionships she never had through her daughters-inw.¡±
Since she had never received love from her inws, she wished to shower affection on her own daughters-inw. Now, she wanted to create the loving rtionship that she had never enjoyed.
Hearing this made me see Mother¡¯s actions in a whole new light.
She¡¯s a person starved for affection.
I would¡¯ve never guessed. I always thought of her as someone quiet and emotionally reserved. Who would¡¯ve imagined that she was carrying such a longing? Thinking about it, even herck of attention towards us when we were growing up might¡¯ve been because she hadn¡¯t received proper affection from the Krasius family herself.
Also, she¡¯d been making efforts to improve her rtionship with me and Erich sincest year. Maybe she wasn¡¯t cold-hearted, just inexperienced in showing love.
At least her marriage is strong. That¡¯s a relief.
I nced toward the treasure gob¡ªno, the Patriarch.
Despite her messy rtionship with her inws and herck of emotional connection with her children, it was probably thanks to the Patriarch that she managed to hold on. Even if her other rtionships weren¡¯t great, having a husband she could trust must have given her some stability.
Wait, why am I finding this heartwarming?
Suddenly, a thought struck me. If my inexperienced mother relied on the Patriarch for support, then did that mean they had some sort of connection? Did the stern, mechanical Patriarch really have that kind of bond with her? How did these two end up having such a good rtionship?
That realization was a bit disorienting. Maybe the Patriarch was just as inexperienced as Mother and perhaps that was why they were sopatible. After all, he hadn¡¯t done much to harm me aside from that one time he sold me out to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. His indifference toward his children was also simr to Mother¡¯s.
Ah, nevermind.
This was tooplicated to think about while eating.
But since it wasn¡¯t an urgent issue, I should take my time thinking it over¡
***Once the doubt took root, it poured out like a broken dam. I couldn¡¯t shake the suspicion that perhaps the Patriarch wasn¡¯t the strict, serious, mechanical figure I had always thought him to be.
¡°Young master, I apologize, but could you approve these documents for me?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t mind, but isn¡¯t the Patriarch around?¡±
That lingering suspicion was brought back to the surface the next morning thanks to the butler¡¯s awkward visit.
¡°Well, my lord is having an important conversation with thedy¡¡±
¡°A conversation?¡±
¡°Um¡¡±
The butler hesitated for a moment, then dropped a bombshell.
¡°My lord said he was dyed by work matters yesterday, but I noticed his shoes had traces of dried grass and mud.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°Normally, there are simr traces when he returns from fishing.¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
I was at a loss for words. In short, the butler was telling me that the Patriarch had made an excuse about work only to sneak off for a fishing trip and that Mother had found out and was giving him an earful.
I was stunned. This was so different from the Patriarch I thought I knew. Even the butler didn¡¯t seem particrly surprised¡ªhe just seemed a bit sheepish, as if this sort of thing had happened before.
¡°It seems he did attend to work-rted matters, but not alone. He went fishing with Count Vardon and the former Count Horfeld.¡±
Maybe the look on my face made me seem like a son shocked to find his father goofing off after bringing home a new daughter-inw, because the butler hastily continued to exin.
It was true that I was shocked, but not for the reason the butler thought. As someone who worked in a high-ranking position, I understood that spending personal time with others could often be part of the job. I myself had been dragged on hunting trips with the Crown Prince before my academy deployment.
The shock now simply came from seeing an unexpected side of someone I thought I knew.
Having a ¡®conversation¡¯¡
I nearly closed my eyes at the thought. They called it a conversation, but it was probably more like Mother giving Father an earful, and he had no idea how to respond. If it were a simple conversation, the butler wouldn¡¯t have needed toe to me for approval. He could have slipped in, gotten the signature, and left quietly.
The fact that Mother figured it out by looking at his shoes was also hrious. You¡¯d need some serious experience to catch someone with such a small detail.
So, he must be a repeat offender.
Impressive.
It somehow felt like I had uncovered a hidden family secret¡
Not that it made me particrly happy.
***I felt like I was sitting on a bed of thorns. I had never actually sat on one, but I was sure it would feel like this if I did. Why was I even here?
¡°I¡¯m sorry, young master. This must have been quite sudden for you.¡±
¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s fine.¡±
As I stared nkly at the dust floating in the air, Marghetta, who would soon be my first sister-inw, spoke up.
Honestly, I wasn¡¯t okay. It was all too sudden. But how could I say no when not just Marghetta but also my other soon-to-be sisters-inw were surrounding me? I was especially afraid of what might happen if I upset my second sister-inw. There was no way it would end well.
At least Sarah was with nanny, so it should be fine to leave her for a short while.
¡°So, what¡¯s this about?¡±
I asked directly, hoping to get to the point as quickly as possible. If the conversation dragged on, Sarah might start wandering around the mansion while looking for me.
¡°We need your advice, young master.¡±
¡°My advice?¡±
I blinked in surprise. Advice? From me? Why me? They had the Mage Duchess, the greatest mage on the continent, and yet they wanted advice from an ordinary student like me?
¡Why me¡?
¡°It¡¯s something only you, as Carl¡¯s family, can answer.¡±
Marghetta added carefully, as if she had read the confusion and doubt in my eyes.
¡°It¡¯s Carl¡¯s birthday soon, right?¡±
Ah, that exined it.
At the mention of ¡®birthday,¡¯ I immediately understood. Since hyung¡¯s birthday was just around the corner, his fianc¨¦es were asking me for advice.
It was obvious. They wanted to know what gift he would like. It did seem a bitte for them to be asking given that his birthday was just a few days away, but buying a gift doesn¡¯t take that long.
¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°I really don¡¯t know his preferences. Hyung isn¡¯t picky about anything.¡±
I decided to answer right away. This wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d been asked this kind of question. But honestly, I had no idea.
Hyung had never been the type to show any particr preferences. He epted whatever he was given, and he used it until it wore out. That was just the kind of easy-going person he was.
¡°As predictable as it sounds, I think he¡¯d be happy with anything¡ª¡°
The Mage Duchess waved her hand before I could finish my sentence, and boxes upon boxes suddenly started appearing out of thin air, piling up in the room.
There was one box, then two, then ten, and soon dozens until there were easily over a hundred of them stacked up. It was quite a sight.
¡°We¡¯ve already prepared gifts. But the thing is, we might have prepared¡ too many.¡±
¡°Oh, I see.¡±
I stared in shock at the boxes that were still stacking up. What on earth was this? Did they just buy everything because they didn¡¯t know what he liked? Were they hoping that one of the gifts wouldnd on the mark?
Well, it was certainly a strategy. There had to be at least one thing in that pile that matched hyung¡¯s tastes.
¡°I just want to give him something he¡¯ll really love. If I give him too many gifts, it might seem like I didn¡¯t put any thought into it.¡±
Actually, wasn¡¯t it a kind thoughtfulness in itself when the number of gifts exceeded a certain threshold? How could anyone top the effort of preparing over a hundred gifts just to get it right?
Still, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to outright refuse or dismiss the efforts of the six pairs of earnest eyes staring at me.
Three of those pairs belonged to people I knew well, two belonged to seniors, and thest one was from someone so above me that I couldn¡¯t even dream of refusing.
¡°Well, maybe¡ something he doesn¡¯t already have?¡±
Irina chimed in as I mulled over the situation, ncing at the mountain of boxes.
That was a good approach. If we didn¡¯t know what he liked, then maybe we could give him something he didn¡¯t already have. After all, the best gifts were the ones you wouldn¡¯t buy for yourself but would feel thrilled to receive from someone else.
What doesn¡¯t he have?
But I couldn¡¯t figure that out, either. I didn¡¯t even know what he owned to begin with, so how could I know what hecked?
¡Wait.
¡°A vacation?¡±
I blurted out the first thing that came to mind without thinking.
Or maybe¡ not just a vacation. How about retirement?
If we were looking for something hyung desperately wanted but didn¡¯t have, then some time off or retirement seemed like the best bets.
Chapter 279: Let’s Go Home (4)
Chapter 279: Let¡¯s Go Home (4)
When I mentioned the word ¡®vacation,¡¯ the expressions on the faces of my six sisters-inw subtly changed. Each of them had titles soplex that they made my head spin every time I spoke to them.
One of them widened her eyes as if I¡¯d just revealed the most groundbreaking idea, while another wore a clear expression of regret and sadness. The third seemed to be deep in thought, as if she were seriously considering my words. Meanwhile, one of hyung¡¯s subordinates bit her lip, shoulders shaking¡ª she was probably trying to hold backughter.
It¡¯s not going to happen, is it?
Given that even hyung¡¯s own subordinate was reacting like this, I could tell. The chances of hyung getting a vacation as a birthday gift were pretty much nonexistent.
After all, there was always a reason when something didn¡¯t exist or wasn¡¯t possible. If it were that easy to give, then it wouldn¡¯t even be considered a gift worth mentioning.
¡°Honestly, just spending time with loved ones on your birthday is a gift in itself. Besides, he¡¯s technically here on vacation right now, isn¡¯t he?¡±
I cautiously added that after thinking for a moment. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t sure about the others, but seeing the deeply contemtive look on the Mage Duchess¡¯s face made me feel like I had to say something.
My instincts were sounding loud rms. If I didn¡¯t step in now, the Mage Duchess would soon be sending an official petition to the Imperial Pce, and that petition would likely be a bizarre request for her fianc¨¦ to be granted some time off. I could already imagine hyung burying his face in the ground out of shame if such rumors spread through the social circles.
If it were me, I¡¯d bite my tongue.
No, I wouldn¡¯t just bite my tongue¡ªI¡¯d hold my breath until I passed out.
The image of his much older fianc¨¦e publicly demanding rest for her significantly younger fianc¨¦¡ the thought alone was terrifying. The Mage Duchess even called hyung ¡®baby¡¯ sometimes. If that ever happened, he wouldn¡¯t just be a kept man¡ªhe¡¯d be a literal baby.
¡Maybe he¡¯d actually like that?
For a brief moment, I lost my conviction. Although it would be terrifying for me, maybe hyung would actually wee it. Wouldn¡¯t he be willing to endure humiliation and shame just to get that vacation?
Of course, I kept that sad spection to myself. Even if hyung didn¡¯t mind, I wasn¡¯t sure I could handle witnessing it. The idea of hyung bing the Mage Duchess¡¯s little baby in exchange for rest¡ that was the kind of nightmare that would keep me up at night.
Well, he¡¯s bound to get plenty of rest once they¡¯re married anyway.
I forced myself to think optimistically. Yeah, there was always the marriage leave and parental leave in the empire. And with six wives, that¡¯d be six times the marriage leave and six times the parental leave. Maybe even more if they had a lot of kids.
¡°Or maybe you could give him the first thing you bought when you thought of him. That could have a lot of meaning.¡±
I hurriedly steered the conversation back to the subject of gifts before things took a strange turn. If giving everything was too much and a vacation was impossible, then this seemed like a decent middle ground.
The first instinct was usually the best. Overthinking it would just lead to odd results.
Since they seemed satisfied with the resolution, I finally managed to escape from the circle of my sisters-inw. Though I still felt uneasy seeing the Mage Duchess deep in thought until thest moment, I trusted that I had done all I could. If anything happens, hyung can deal with it. I was just a powerless student; there was nothing more I could do. So, that wasn¡¯t my problem anymore.
Damn it.
The moment I saw Sarah anxiously pacing the hallway, my thoughts of hyung vanished. I wanted to finish quickly and wait for her in the room, but it looked like Sarah hade looking for me first.
This was embarrassing. I had promised to stick close to her in case anything happened. I had even told her confidently to rely on me when she said I was her only support. And yet, I ended up leaving her alone. It was really shameful.
¡°Sarah.¡±
¡°Oh, Erich.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn
Sarah, who had been nervously looking around, greeted me with a smile when she heard my voice.
¡°There you are. I was wondering where you¡¯d gone since you weren¡¯t in the room.¡±
¡°Sorry, I had someone I needed to meet for a moment.¡±
¡°Hehe, it¡¯s fine. I just finished talking with my mother, too.¡±
Though she smiled as she spoke, anyone could see that Sarah¡¯s hands were trembling and her breathing was slightly off, faster than normal. She was putting on a brave face, but she was clearly shaken deep down.
Of course, it made sense. No matter how much she tried to act fine, for Sarah, this was her first time out in the world, her first real adventure. Everything she saw must have been unfamiliar, and every person she passed was likely a stranger. Given how isted her life had been, it was only natural that she felt afraid.
She must have trusted me and relied on me enough toe all the way to the mansion. However, the person she was counting on had disappeared. The shock Sarah must have felt was likely beyond my imagination. If she was wandering around looking for me instead of just waiting in the room, I could only guess how deep that impact was.
¡°Still, leaving ady waiting¡ You¡¯re a terrible knight.¡±
Sarah¡¯s yful words brought a wry smile to my face. She must have been quite shaken, yet she was pretending like nothing had happened. That only made me feel more guilty.
¡°Then, may I ask for a chance to make it up to you?¡±
I gently extended my hand and kissed the back of Sarah¡¯s right hand as soon as she ced it in mine.
Sarah had always enjoyed ying the role of thedy, with me as the knight. Whether she was upset or feeling down, this act would usually cheer her up.
¡°I¡¯ll let it slide this time, just for you.¡±
Thankfully, it seemed to work again. Her trembling had stopped.
¡°Thank you, mydy.¡±
Honestly, continuing this little knight-anddy act even as adults felt a bit embarrassing. But what could I do? Sarah liked it, so of course I went along with it.
Besides, after nearly ten years of this, it was a littlete to startining now.
***
I repent. I repent for the disrespectful thoughts I had and for daring to think of the Patriarch as a treasure goblin and imagining Mother wearing a rainbow. Please forgive me if you¡¯re watching, Enen. What was I supposed to do when they made a person look like the unique-rank monster in the world?
A rainbow treasure goblin.
I never imagined I¡¯d be theplete package¡ªabination of both. They did say that children resembled their parents, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d inherit everything.
¡°Ca-Carl¡ Do you like it¡?¡±
It was already my birthday, and from the moment the morning celebration started, gifts¡ªno, an avnche of gifts¡ªrained down on me. Marghetta, who was standing nearby, cautiously asked as I stared nkly at the colorful mountain of presents.
¡°I-I was going to choose just one really good gift, but they all seemed to suit you, so¡¡±
Her words, spoken as if in defense, made me chuckle softly. From the embarrassed nces around me, it seemed like the other five had also gone overboard, not just Marghetta.
¡°I did say just one, didn¡¯t I?¡±
Erich mumbled under his breath, his voice tinged with frustration as he surveyed the mountain of gift boxes. Meanwhile, Marghetta, who was acting as their spokesperson, hung her head in shame.
Amazing. Was this the result after they asked for advice? I can¡¯t even imagine what they would¡¯ve given me if they hadn¡¯t asked for any.
I guess I should be thankful they didn¡¯t give me an entire store.
Considering their families¡¯s wealth, it was probably a miracle they didn¡¯t bombard me with properties. If things had gone worse, I might¡¯ve been smacked in the face with a deed. Inparison, this pile of gifts seemed almost cute.
Thank you, Erich. You really saved my sanity.
¡°I love it. Honestly, it¡¯s more than I deserve.¡±
I stroked Marghetta¡¯s head gently as I said this. Sure, the sheer quantity of gifts was a bit shocking, but they had clearly chosen them with me in mind. It was always better to be loved than unloved. Who would hate receiving too many gifts? Only someone with a truly twisted personality would.
¡°It looks like I¡¯ll be spending the whole day just going through all these wonderful presents.¡±
It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. I had the feeling that simply unwrapping each gift would take the entire day. To be honest, one day might not even be enough.
However, that was a good thing and not a bad one. After all, opening presents was like a gacha game: the thrill came not from the results, but from the anticipation. And with this many gifts, it was like pulling a dozen gacha tickets at once. I couldn¡¯t be happier¡
The wrapping paper colors are all different, too.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the wrapping paper was divided into six distinct colors. They really put thought into this. With the colors, I could even tell who gave which gift.
¡°Thank you. I feel like I¡¯ve received a lifetime¡¯s worth of gifts today.¡±
¡°From now on, we¡¯ll continue to¡ª¡°
¡°Your feelings alone are enough.¡±
I decided to ept their gratitude in my heart. If I received gifts like this every year, I¡¯d need a ten-story warehouse to store everything. One grand event like this was enough for a lifetime.
My firm refusal made Marghetta smile awkwardly as she quietly stepped aside. Surprisingly, there were still more people waiting to give me presents.
¡°I imagine one of our gifts might be in that pile too.¡±
Mother approached next, smiling deeply as she handed me a box.
I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to react, given the tricky nature of her words. Whatever the Patriarch and my mother prepared, I had a feeling it might ovep with something already in that mountain of gifts.
¡°Even if it¡¯s the same, I¡¯ll be sure to use this one.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m sure the younger ones picked something better than us old folks.¡±
That felt like a bit of a rashment. If their gift ended up matching one from the Mage Duchess, I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d survive the awkwardness.
***
After that, there were more gifts from Erich, Sarah, the head butler, the head maid, the valet, and so on. I received countless congrattions and gifts from everyone attending the banquet.
Yet, even when all those gifts werebined, they still didn¡¯t surpass what Marghetta alone had prepared.
After the banquet ended, I locked myself in my room and began to go through the gifts one by one¡ª
¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±
The words slipped out the moment I saw what Erich had given me.
¡°I figured you¡¯d really need this, so I got you the best one I could find. I hope you use it well.¡±
Erich had scratched his head sheepishly as he handed me the small box, saying it was something I absolutely needed. I had thought it might be a nice fountain pen or something along those lines.
But no.
A folding bed?
When I opened the box, I found a magical version of a folding bed, the kind that transformed from the size of a baseball to somethingrge enough for a person to lie on with just the press of a button. It was the magical equivalent of a foldable cot, an essential item for every government office, and also something already stored in the corners of my office and the on-call room.
My hand trembled as I gripped the bed. Of all things, he had to get me this.
¡Maybe I¡¯ll leave it in the club room.
To be fair, it was practical and useful, just like Erich said. That was why I already had them stashed in so many ces.
Yeah¡ I should just leave this one in the club room. Sleeping in the corner there doesn¡¯t sound too bad.
Damn it.
Chapter 280: A Fiery Start to the Year (1)
Chapter 280: A Fiery Start to the Year (1)
Just before returning to normal life and heading back to the capital, I nced at Erich, who hade to see me off. This birthday was the one where I received more gifts than ever, but the only one that really stuck in my mind was the folding bed Erich gave me. It was a rather bittersweet birthday.
So, I made up my mind. I¡¯d take charge of Erich¡¯s future and make sure that he became a civil servant. Did he have any other dreams? Well, he should forget about them starting today.
He would be a civil servant from now on, whether hended in administration, legition, or judiciary, or even in the military or the imperial guard. One way or another, he¡¯d be serving the Empire. As a member of the Krasius family, it was only natural that he should serve the Imperial family.
However, we already had family members in key positions in administration and legition. It would be awkward if we all monopolized the top spots.
The army seems like the best option.
Yes, the military would be perfect. I could even ask the Invincible Duke to take good care of him. Besides, Erich had always had a bit of a soldier¡¯s nature.
I¡¯ve decided¡ªI¡¯d send Erich to the military and gift him a folding bed for his enlistment. No, actually, maybe a one-person tent would be better, the kind that popped up automatically with the press of a button. Wasn¡¯t that every soldier¡¯s dream?
¡°Hyung?¡±
I patted Erich on the shoulder, thinking I might just give him both while he looked at me with a confused expression.
¡°Thanks for the gift.¡±
I smiled broadly at him as I said it. I really meant it. It was a gift I would never forget, something I¡¯d remember for the rest of my life no matter what happened.
Even Mother seemed moved by this brotherly moment. She approached us, leaving the slightly weary Patriarch behind.
¡°It seems like you really liked Erich¡¯s gift.¡±
¡°Yes, I received something incredibly useful.¡±
As much as I hated to admit it, it really was useful. It was the perfect thing to ce in the club room, which was practically my hideout.
That was why it was an unforgettable gift. I would remember his kindness every time I saw that folding bed or every time Iy on it. Was this what they meant by biding your time and waiting for the right moment to repay a debt?
¡Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.
I could feel several pairs of eyes burning into my back. Because I had only mentioned Erich¡¯s gift out of all the gifts I¡¯d received, I was now feeling the subtle jealousy of six other people.
I should exin myself when we returned to my mansion. That wasn¡¯t a heartfelt thank-you¡ªit was more like an announcement that I nned to take over my brother¡¯s future. Once they realized that, the jealousy would disappear.
And sure enough, the 1st Manager burst intoughter on the spot as soon as we got back to the mansion and I exined Erich¡¯s gift.
Damn it.
I didn¡¯t mind that she wasughing, but couldn¡¯t she at least pretend to hold it in like everyone else? It hurt a little.
***
Since I had only requested time off for my birthday, I had to report back to work today. It felt likeing back to the office on a Monday after a wild weekend, but what could I do? I needed to retire if I ever wanted to escape the endless cycle of work and start living for the weekends.
¡°Executive Manager.¡±
¡°Oh, did anything happen while I was away?¡±
¡°Nothing much except for the Minister asking for you.¡±
The Senior Manager delivered this unsettling news as soon as I returned to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office with the 1st Manager. But this time, I took it calmly. It was only natural to be summoned by the Minister at this time of year.
My birthday was at the end of January. In other words, my birthday arrived after a few weeks of work following the New Year¡¯s Ball. Once my birthday was over, February was just around the corner. It might sound like I was stating the obvious, but this timing was crucial.
¡°Everyone seems to be in a rush.¡±
¡°Well, they¡¯ll lose their budget if they¡¯rete. It¡¯s no wonder they¡¯re in a hurry.¡±
It was a reasonable point, so I nodded in agreement. Moving too slowly would only mean getting beaten by other departments and being left with an empty can.
Now, with February just days away, the entire imperial civil service was about to enter its berserk mode.
¡°People go crazy when money¡¯s on the line.¡±
At the end of the year, the Ministry of Finance allocated the budget and distributed it to each department. Once this regr budget was sent out, it rarely changed unless there was a very good reason. While many departments tried to bother the Minister for exceptions, that was the general rule.
The only real opportunity for these departments to turn things around was during the additional budget allocation period¡ªa time of dreams and opportunities when they could secure extra funds beyond their regr budget.
It wasn¡¯t as grand as it sounded. Basically, departments woulde to the Ministry of Finance with their documents, pleading, ¡®We can¡¯t survive with what we have!¡¯ and the Minister either approves or rejects their requests.
Actually, it is grand.
In fact, it wasn¡¯t just grand¡ªit was colossal. After all, a department¡¯s entire livelihood for the year depended on this crucial period.
Right after the New Year¡¯s Ball, civil servants rushed back to their departments and checked their regr budget lists, scrambling to gather as much justification as possible for additional funds. They spent all of January burning the midnight oil, drafting reports begging for more money. That process usually wrapped up around the end of January.
However, it wasn¡¯t like these money-hungry civil servants would quietly wait until February. No. They were already at the Ministry of Finance starting from the end of January, bowing their heads to the Minister. And this timing happens to coincide with right after my birthday.
I wish I had been born a weekter.
Yes, my birthday was pretty much just a break to prepare for this period. It was like the universe perfectly arranged it so that I could immediately get back to work after celebrating my birthday. If I¡¯d been born a weekter, though, there was a high chance my vacation would¡¯ve been canceled altogether.
They must really be desperate if they¡¯re asking for my help.
It was that time of year when departments across the Empire flocked to the Ministry of Finance, so extra hands were needed. From the Minister¡¯s perspective, the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office must be a valuable asset.
Now that I think about it, it pisses me off. I was meant for the military, but here I was, stuck dealing with the Ministry of Finance¡¯s mess.
Damn it.
As always, half of my life¡¯s misery was thanks to the Crown Prince.
***
I¡¯m so fed up. I want to scrap this whole additional budget ordeal and just throw a few gold coins at them to make them go away.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
However, I had to endure it. Handling budget matters carelessly would onlye back to haunt me with consequences that multiplied tenfold, or even a hundredfold. I couldn¡¯t sacrifice the future just to make things easier now.
¡°Minister, we would greatly appreciate your assistance.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll review it as favorably as I can.¡±
With that, I mechanically repeated the same line and sent the civil servant from the Prison Department on his way.
Dammit.
I rubbed my temples as soon as the civil servant left. I hadn¡¯t expected the Prison Department toe knocking. They were usually satisfied with their regr budget.
¡°We¡¯re nning arge-scale execution of death row inmates and a prison renovation.¡±
Who could¡¯ve guessed they¡¯de with something like that? Executions and prison renovations? How was I, an outsider, supposed to know about that?
Executing death row inmates¡
My head started throbbing. These were the prisoners who, unlike traitors executed immediately after sentencing, had been rotting away in the darkest corners of the prison. To execute them all at once was no trivial matter.
Usually, rulers avoided mass executions to prevent their reign from being stained with blood. So, executions were dyed or spread out as much as possible. But now, it seemed like His Majesty was willing to proceed with them and was ready to ept the inevitable criticism. The reason was obvious.
It must be part of his abdication n.
All of this was to pave the way for the Crown Prince¡¯s ascension. His Majesty probably didn¡¯t want the newly crowned Emperor to bear the stigma of ordering executions early in his reign.
The abdication I¡¯d been dreading was bing more and more real. Of course, it just had to happen during my time in office. Just my luck. The thought of having to bow my head for days at this age was depressing.
Knock, knock¡ª
I frowned at the knock on the door. After the Prison Department, it must be the military next, and probably that brat in person¡ª
¡°Minister, it¡¯s me. I heard you were looking for me.¡±
Ah.
¡°Come in.¡±
I opened my mouth, feeling a mix of relief and annoyance. This bastard was really making things confusing.
Still, after being blindsided by the Prison Department, it was at least a relief that I didn¡¯t have to deal with that other person right away. This one was slightly better.
¡°You look like you¡¯ve had a rough time. You¡¯ve aged ten years since Ist saw you.¡±
Then again, maybe they were both the same.
I waved my hand at the guy who walked in while spewing nonsense. Just shut up and sit down already.
¡°How many havee so far?¡±
¡°The department from the Ministry of Welfare, one from the Department of Marine Affairs, Department of Culture, and the Prison Department.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
Oh? What a reaction¡ªlike it was none of his business.
¡°Next up is the one from the Military Depa¡ª¡°
The door burst open before I could even finish my sentence.
Persistent brat.
The nerve of someone opening the door to the Ministry of Finance¡ªwho was second only in rank to the Minister of the Imperial Household¡ªwithout knocking. However, I could guess who it was and let out a sigh.
There was this thing called knocking which was a sophisticated, polite custom, but this half-barbarian still hadn¡¯t learned it. It was honestly embarrassing to im to know this person.
¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m notte, am I?¡±
In fact, I would¡¯ve preferred it if she hadn¡¯te at all.
***
Without any warning, the door swung open. What the¡ªdid I not even hear a knock?
It was so unexpected that I momentarily wondered if the Crown Prince had shown up. Even the Minister of the Imperial Household, who outranked the Minister, wouldn¡¯t barge in like this. Who could pull such a bold move?
Oh.
And then I saw the face and everything made sense. Yeah, it made sense if it was her.
¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m notte, am I?¡±
¡°You made it on time.¡±
The womanughed at the Minister¡¯s curt reply and waved her hand enthusiastically as she noticed me.
¡°Oh, the kid¡¯s here too! How¡¯ve you been?¡±
¡°Uh, well¡ just fine.¡±
Without a care, the Commander of the Imperial Army¡¯s Central Forces sat beside me and casually threw her arm around my shoulder while grinning broadly.
¡°It¡¯s been a year! You¡¯ve grown a lot since Ist saw you. Must be that growth spurt, huh?¡±
¡°He¡¯s well past twenty, so there¡¯s no such thing as a growth spurt anymore.¡±
Despite the Minister¡¯s perfectly validment, the Commander of the Imperial Army¡¯s Central Forces justughed it off. She gave me a few friendly ps on the shoulder like I was still some kid. Unfortunately, from her perspective, I probably was. If she was on par with the Minister, then as a subordinate, I must look like a rookie to her.
Compared to her, I was behind in every way¡ªage, experience, everything. Even the fact that I helped defeat Kagan didn¡¯t mean much.
She was the one who, alongside the Minister, yed a key role in the battle where Kagan was mortally wounded. It was all thanks to her efforts that the team leaders in the 4th Division of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office even had a chance to attempt Kagan¡¯s defeat.
¡°Oh, right! I heard you¡¯re getting married soon. Congrats! How many kids are you nning to have?¡±
¡°I¡¯m taking it slow for now¡¡±
¡°Really? Well, three kids per wife should do!¡±
I closed my eyes in quiet resignation, imagining the birth of FC Krasius. The Minister¡¯s entricity was well-known, but this woman wasn¡¯t far behind.
Honestly, anyone capable of wounding Kagan couldn¡¯t be considered normal. Still, being surrounded by these maniacs made me feel like I was about to lose my own sanity.
Chapter 281: A Fiery Start to the Year (2)
Chapter 281: A Fiery Start to the Year (2)What was a mere Executive Manager supposed to do when he was sandwiched between the Minister of Finance, who was second in rank among the Ministers, and the Commander of the Imperial Army¡¯s Central Forces, one of the top ten military leaders in the empire?
The answer was simple: serve tea and y secretary. And if there was no tea? Well, then I¡¯d better start doing cartwheels to keep them entertained.
I¡¯m usually treated with respect wherever I go¡
It was frustrating. What good was the title of an Executive Manager when I was constantly pushed around by Ministers? It didn¡¯t matter how many people were under me if I was surrounded by higher-ups.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
¡°Is the tea to your taste?¡±
¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not bad. It used to taste like in water, but you¡¯ve improved a lot.¡±
I asked out of politeness, but what I got back was an overly sincere assessment. I felt like I was going to lose my mind. It was supposed to be apliment, but it somehow didn¡¯t feel great.
Back when I was grinding through the North, there was a time when my only goal was to earn the approval of the Minister and this person. But unlike the Minister, no matter what I achieved¡ªeven when I killed Sarei Dobra T, one of the eight war machines in a life-or-death duel¡ªthis woman never gave me a singlepliment. The best I got was a half-hearted ¡®good job.¡¯
I couldn¡¯t believe I was getting praise for serving tea well¡
What a life.T, you bastard, are you watching from hell? I swore I¡¯d kill you, break every bone in your body, and you even lost an eye¡ªyet here I was, sitting in a corner serving tea. Honestly, it might¡¯ve been better if I¡¯d just stuck to that.
If T could see this scene from hell, he¡¯d probably pound the ground and wail, crying over the pathetic worth of his life.
¡°My race may have ended, but I¡¯m satisfied! After all, a new hero has brought me down! So, Carl Krasius, tell me¡ªdid I look like the wolf of the ins to you?¡±
Suddenly, I remembered hisst words. If ever you¡¯re reborn,e back as a teabag and not a wolf, T.
¡°Why¡¯d youe in person? Doesn¡¯t the military get more than enough funding already? How much more do you n to squeeze out of us?¡±
¡°Hey now, don¡¯t be like that. Can¡¯t I just drop by to see a friend¡¯s face?¡±
¡°What nonsense.¡±
I quietly took my seat while the Minister and the Commander exchanged banter.
Something felt off. The military had been allocated thergest possible budget after the Great War in the North. If they were short on funds, all they had to do was send a staff officer from headquarters toin. Why would a high-rankingmandere here personally? And someone on good terms with the Minister, no less?
Were they trying to build a flying fortress or something?
I shook off that ridiculous thought. Thest time someone tried that, the thing barely got off the ground before crashing back down¡ªwhat a waste of resources.
¡°We¡¯re here to buy horses.¡±
Finally, after their lengthy back-and-forth, themander got to the point.
¡°Do you even know where to get them?¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking for more money.¡±
At that, the Minister clicked his tongue, clearly resigned to the situation. If horses were the issue, then even the Minister couldn¡¯t refuse.
Horses, after all, were essential for developing cavalry. Conscription could always fix the shortage of soldiers, but there was no solution for horses. Besides, horses weren¡¯t like chickens or pigs that could be easily raised.
Moreover, thanks to Kagan¡¯s devastating attacks during the Great War in the North, the Empire¡¯s cavalry forces took a severe hit. Even the Empire¡¯s allied northern tribes were nearly wiped out, cutting off a key supply route for horses.
It would take years to restore that supply line, but we couldn¡¯t afford to put cavalry development on hold for that long.
If money can fix this, it¡¯s worth it.
Of course, horses were treated as strategic resources across the entire continent, with strict export controls. Selling horses to another country? That could easily get people branded a traitor.
However, there were always ces where money won over loyalty and patriotism. If the Commander was bold enough toe in person, then it meant that the preparations were already done. Thinking about the military¡¯s desperate efforts to secure a temporary supply of horses almost brought tears to my eyes.
¡°We can finally breathe if this deal goes through smoothly. It won¡¯t be a full recovery, but we can get back to about 70%.¡±
The Commander¡¯s words armed with an undeniable logic made the Minister sigh. If they could resolve 70% of the cavalry problem that had gued the military for two, no, three years, then it was worth squeezing out even nonexistent funds.
¡°Think about it. Up north, Dorgon¡¯s still stirring up trouble, right? Imagine what¡¯ll happen if he recruits a few more tribes. You¡¯ll be kicking yourself, wishing you¡¯d emptied your piggy bank¡ª¡°
¡°Enough, I get it.¡±
The Commander had clearly hit the Minister¡¯s trigger, and he finally nodded in resignation.
No one wanted another uprising in the North. Especially not when it was a real, looming threat. As long as that traitor Dorgon still had a presence in the North, trouble was inevitable.
¡°Fine. Do it.¡±
The Minister¡¯s voice sounded weary, and the Commander, ready for this moment, handed over a document. The Minister gave it a quick nce before stamping it.
Impressive. Other departments had to pile up paperwork in towers just to get a stamp.
¡°The Empire¡¯ loyal soldiers will rejoice at the Minister¡¯s wise decision.¡±
The Commander seemed clearly satisfied with the smooth transaction and pped dramatically. Since she had only one arm, she pped her knee to make up for the sound.
The Minister, on the other hand, looked drained, his face pale after losing arge chunk of the budget in one stroke. But what could he do? The consequences would be catastrophic if he didn¡¯t provide the funds and a real incident broke out in the North. The military, after all, existed to be funded for such contingencies.
¡°See you next time.¡±
¡°Don¡¯te back.¡±
¡°Oh, you¡¯ll miss me.¡±
And with that, the Commander left just as swiftly as she¡¯d arrived, disappearing like the wind.
She handled the Minister so effortlessly¡ I hope I could be like that one day.
***The Minister, who had just beenpletely squeezed dry by the military¡ªmore specifically, by the Commander¡ªsat in silence while rubbing his temples.
Was he really that bitter about losing the money? It wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t going to have to hand it over eventually. He might as well get it over with¡ª
¡°Hey.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°What do you think would happen if the Minister of Finance went to war?¡±
It wasn¡¯t until I heard that absurd question that I realized what the Minister was really worried about. It wasn¡¯t just the drained budget keeping him quiet¡ªit was the looming threat of Dorgon.
Of course, the Minister already knew that Dorgon was out there somewhere in the North. However, hearing a key military figure directly say, ¡®We¡¯ve got to prepare for Dorgon¡¯s next move¡¯ surely hit differently. The vague threat he¡¯d been pushing to the back of his mind was suddenly feeling all too real. Given the Minister¡¯s previous run-ins with Kagan, it must have felt like the past wasing back to haunt him.
¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡±
Still, my answer wasn¡¯t going to change. The Minister of the Finance Ministry going to war? Yeah, right. Did this guy still think he was part of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office?
¡°Even if that traitores back to life, it won¡¯t happen.¡±
¡°Damn it, you¡¯re right.¡±
The Minister clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh.
Yeah, there was no way the Minister would be on the front lines even if Kagan himself crawled up from hell. The Empire, which was obsessed with its reputation, would never send its Minister of Finance into battle instead of the regr army or special forces. That would be like announcing to the world that the Empire waspletely desperate.
¡°Besides, we¡¯ve got His Grace the Invincible Duke and the Special Service Agency, don¡¯t we? In the worst-case scenario, there¡¯s always me.¡±
I cautiously opened my mouth to address the Minister¡¯s strange concern. Sure, the Empire might be weaker than it was before the war, but the North wasn¡¯t any better off.
Kagan was gone, and except for Dorgon, all of the eight war machines were dead. Meanwhile, the Empire still had the Invincible Duke and the Masked Unit that seeded the 4th Division. Even I was still active in the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡ª
¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m more worried.¡±
¡°What? Seriously?¡±
Here I was, trying tofort him, and that was what he¡¯d say?
***Thanks to every department focusing on the Ministry of Finance, I finally had some breathing room. But thinking of this as one of the few breaks I¡¯d get in the year wasn¡¯t exactlyforting.
Maybe I should extend the deadline.
For a brief moment, I considered using my authority as Crown Prince to extend the budget allocation period. The longer it took to allocate the funds, the more time I¡¯d have to rx.
But doing something like that would only cause more chaos, so I kept the idea to myself. I should just be content with the present. There was nothing dumber than reaching for more and losing what was already in my hands.
Though it feels like I¡¯ve already lost something.
Eventually, I forced myself to face the reality I¡¯d been trying to avoid.
While every department had been gunning for the Finance Ministry, there was one petition that hade straight to me. The moment I saw it, I had a gut feeling that my brief rest was about to disappear. If I thought that losing what I had was foolish, then I guess I was already a fool¡ªthough, in my case, I wasn¡¯t even at fault. Some external factor had turned me into one.
Rubbing my stiff neck, I took a closer look at the petition. It wasn¡¯t from just anyone; it was from the Tower Master of the Mage Tower.
That¡¯s right, it was a petition sent directly by the Mage Duchess herself.
What¡¯s this about?
The Mage Duchess had never submitted a petition in all her time as the Master of the Tower. She usually handled matters herself, given her immense power. The fact that she¡¯d gone straight to the imperial family for this was terrifying. What could possibly warrant such a request?
Greetings to the noble descendant of the great Emperor Amanca from Beatrix Catoban, ruler of the Duchy of Servette...
I skimmed through the formalities and quickly moved on. The greetings were just protocol¡ªwhat really mattered was the content.
¡ªImmediately reassigning personnel back to their original duties afterpleting dispatched missions may be beneficial in the short term, but it could lead to a decline in morale over time. Therefore, I would like to hear Your Highness¡¯s opinion on granting leave proportional to the duration of their assignment.
The moment I read the actual request, my mind froze.
This was far less significant than I had imagined. Was this really from the Mage Duchess? Did I misread it?
No, it was definitely from her. But why?
To be fair, there wasn¡¯t anything strange about the content itself. The mages of the Mage Tower were regrly dispatched throughout the Empire, so as the one managing them, the Mage Duchess might have noticed a problem I wasn¡¯t aware of. Suggesting leave as a solution made sense.
But why was she bringing it to me?
The issue wasn¡¯t the request itself but the fact that it needed to be submitted as a petition at all. The Mage Duchess had full authority to grant her mages leave without any need for imperial approval.
And once the imperial family epted a petition, it turned into a policy that applied to the entire empire and not just one department or organization¡ª
The entire Empire?
My brain, which had been stuck, suddenly started working again. If the point of the petition was to establish a policy that applied to the entire Empire, then this odd request started to make sense.
Who would the Mage Duchess be most eager to grant leave to? Who would she be most desperate to give a break to? It was all too obvious. Anyone with eyes and ears would know.
Ha.
I let out a dryugh. Was the Executive Manager alreadyining to his future wife?
No, that couldn¡¯t be it. There was no way he would drop his pride to that extent.
¡Or would he?
The fact that I couldn¡¯t be sure irritated me. The Executive Manager, with the reputation he¡¯d built, was both infuriating and terrifying.
Chapter 282: A Fiery Start to the Year (3)
Chapter 282: A Fiery Start to the Year (3)The number of raiders storming into the Minister¡¯s office kept increasing as the days went by. Civil servants who would normally disy at least a semnce of decorum and politeness now seemed to have regressed into an age of savagery and violence. They could have passed for Vikings fresh off a raid if they¡¯d been wielding swords instead of documents.
It was a bit terrifying. Was this the sad fate of civil servants driven mad by budgets? This wasn¡¯t just a dark evolution¡ªthis was a full-blown dark revolution.
¡°How many more are left?¡±
The Minister quietly spoke up as soon as thetest ¡®raider¡¯ from the Ministry of Territory left. It was a despairing question¡ªhow many more of these mad waves did he have to endure?
¡°We still have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Special Service Agency, and the Ministry of Education left.¡±
¡°Only the big ones, huh.¡±
The Minister murmured with a hint of dizziness, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It was true. Only the most difficult departments remained.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was responsible for dominating the continent¡¯s diplomacy as the representative of the sole empire while the Ministry of Internal Affairs was responsible for managing the nation¡¯s internal affairs.
Meanwhile, the Special Service Agency was practically a cheat code in its own right, and the Ministry of Education was tasked with cultivating the empire¡¯s future talents. Each one was a money-sucking machine, staffed by specialists well-versed in squeezing out everyst coin. For a Minister who¡¯d only held this post for a few years, it must have been overwhelming to deal with them all.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
¡°Damn it, it¡¯s not like they left their money here for safekeeping or something.¡±I felt a deep sense of satisfaction welling up inside me while watching the Minister scrub his face in frustration. After all, a boss¡¯s misery was always the joy of his subordinate.
¡°They didn¡¯t leave it with you, which is exactly why they¡¯re acting like this.¡±
I couldn¡¯t resist throwing in a light jab even as he grumbled.
If it were their own money, they wouldn¡¯t be making such a fuss. They¡¯d juste, take it quietly, and be done. It was always noisier when you were taking someone else¡¯s money.
¡°Stop with the pointlessments and just check this.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
Faced with such a reasonable statement, the Minister couldn¡¯t argue, so he stuffed more work into my hands instead.
While it might have looked like he was trying to oppress me with power, the rising joy inside me only doubled. If he was resorting to this, it meant that he was really backed into a corner.
¡°Come to think of it, isn¡¯t this the first time the Ministry of Magic hase?¡±
I casually brought it up as I nced at the stack of documents he handed me, which were submitted by none other than the Ministry of Magic.
It was surprising. Even during these frantic budget allocation periods, the Ministry of Magic had always acted like it existed in another world. They had never asked for additional fundsst year, the year before that, and even before the current Minister took office. They didn¡¯t need to, thanks to the golden tower they were tied to.
Thanks to the unshakable philosophy of the Mage Duchess, ¡¯A person walking the path of magic should never be poor or hungry,¡¯ the Ministry of Magic was always a well-fed department. That was mother Mage Duchess for you.
¡And yet, for the first time ever, that very same Ministry of Magic had submitted a request for extra funds this year.
¡°Did the Magic Tower go bankrupt or something?¡±
Of course that wasn¡¯t likely, but the situation was so unexpected that it made me wonder. It was like stumbling upon Bill Gates at a soup kitchen.
¡°The Tower¡¯s annual meeting dragged on, so they haven¡¯t received their funds yet. The people in charge of disbursing the money are stuck in that meeting, so there¡¯s nothing they can do.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°Ah, my foot. You were there when they exined all this earlier.¡±
Sure enough, the people from the Ministry of Magic had exined it all quite thoroughly when they came. The problem was that I hadn¡¯t really been listening.
There were too many other reports to go through, so I didn¡¯t have time to pay close attention. Honestly, I hadn¡¯t even realized someone from the Ministry of Magic had shown up until muchter. So, how could I have listened properly?
¡°That¡¯s also surprising in itself. The Tower¡¯s meetings rarely run long.¡±
¡°It¡¯s rare, indeed.¡±
The Minister nodded slightly, agreeing with me. Since the Mage Duchess was the one whomanded overwhelming authority over the Tower, meetings never dragged on.
Who would dare challenge someone who held all the cards¡ªage, experience, rank, title, and magical ability? It wouldn¡¯t be bravery¡ªit would be reckless stupidity. So, usually, things proceeded either as the Mage Duchess wished or ording to tradition, and there was never any reason for meetings to run long.
Moreover, the Mage Duchess didn¡¯t seem particrly busy or troubled when Ist saw her.
¡It¡¯s probably nothing.
I reached a reasonable conclusion after a brief moment of thought. The Mage Duchess didn¡¯t look stressed or asked for any help, so at least nothing bad had happened.
I decided to think positively. Maybe the mages were just getting overly enthusiastic about creating some new magical device. If something serious had urred, the Magic Tower would already be exploding with magic by now.
***The Vice Master of the Magic Tower. Aside from the permanent Tower Master, the Mage Duchess, he was the highest-ranking and most respected figure among the empire¡¯s mages, even recognized across the entire continent as an elder of the magical world.
In fact, even the Minister of the Ministry of Magic or the leader of the Imperial Mage Corps held positions that seemed transient inparison to the Vice Master of the Magic Tower. No matter how you put it, he was a mage among mages and was standing just beneath the Mage Duchess.
What a pretty title that hides the ugly truth.
But from the perspective of the person actually upying that role, it wasn¡¯t nearly as grand. In reality, he was just the second-inmand, subject to constant change under the permanent Tower Master.
As the second-inmand, he was tasked with handling all the mundane responsibilities. Compared to the untouchable Tower Master, the Vice Tower Master often felt like someone you might actually be able to deal with, and this made his position one of pain and endless trials. It was like being a middle manager with all the disadvantages magnified to the extreme.
Outsiders couldn¡¯t approach the Mage Duchess, who was both a Duke and the continent¡¯s greatest mage, so they constantly pestered the Vice Master of the Magic Tower with requests and deals. Managing his actual duties was already hard enough without all that extra hassle.
Was it any better within the Tower? Not at all. He had to manage and mediate between the White, Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and ck Towers. In fact, dealing with outsiders was far less exhausting than managing the chaos inside.
These young mages these days¡
Mages naturally lived in their own world of thoughts and principles, so it was only normal for them to be fiercely prideful.
The older mages at least had some perspective, having seen the world ande face-to-face with the immovable wall that was the Mage Duchess. But the younger ones? Not even close. And unfortunately, the majority of the Magic Tower was made up of these younger mages.
As someone tasked with controlling and managing these overly self-confident young mages, he had lost count of how many times over the past ten years he¡¯d been tempted to just quit and disappear.
Maybe I should just vanish.
Regrettably, that same temptation was rising again now.
***It was the annual Magic Tower meeting, a gathering where the top mages of the tower discussed everything from the year¡¯s ns to ideas for new magical devices.
¡°The Green Tower has always handled Academy instructors. Of course, they should take charge again this time!¡±
¡°Handled? It¡¯s more like they¡¯ve monopolized it. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time they stepped aside?¡±
And so, during this meeting, we inevitably had to select the mages who would be dispatched to teach at the Academy.
¡°Hah! You expect us to hand over the critical role of educating students in magic? This isn¡¯t about fairness; it¡¯s about expertise.¡±
¡°That¡¯s precisely why the Green Tower shouldn¡¯t be in charge this time!¡±
¡°What did you say? Are you speaking on behalf of the Red Tower with that statement?¡±
Never, in all my time as the Vice Master of the Magic Tower¡ªor even in the eras of my predecessors¡ªhad there been such fierce debate over Academy instructors.
These damn fools.
A sharp pain throbbed in my head. Normally, they treated being an Academy instructor as an annoying, burdensome duty. But now that the situation had shifted, they¡¯d turned into berserkers.
As a fellow mage, I understood the madness. Whoever became an Academy instructor this time would get the chance to teach the Tower Master¡¯s only disciple. Though in reality, they¡¯d be going there not to teach, but to learn a bit of the Tower Master¡¯s magic through that disciple.
But from the perspective of the Vice Master of the Magic Tower, this chaos was intolerable. I needed to end this meeting quickly and return to my real duties. This was a waste of time.
¡°Enough.¡±
In the end, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and stepped into the argument. If I left this chaos unchecked, it seemed like it might escte into a full-blown duel.
¡°This year, the Academy instructors will be chosen regardless of tower affiliation. Candidates may apply individually, and the final selection will be made by vote.¡±
I stared them down, silently conveying that I would ¡®convince¡¯ anyone who opposed with a Thunderbolt. Then, the noisy younger mages finally quieted down.
Yes, this was the best solution. Letting the Green Tower continue handling it would cause problems, but giving it to another tower would also stir trouble. Even if we selected a specific tower, they¡¯d just fight among themselves over who would go. Voting would take longer, but at least it would seem fair.
¡°Candidates are limited to those present at this meeting.¡±
¡°Vice Master of the Magic Tower, that limits the opportunities for mages who couldn¡¯t attend the meeting¡ª¡°
I quietly raised my staff.
¡°We can¡¯t send people too busy to even attend a meeting, can we?¡±
Then, I lowered it again.
¡°Let¡¯s move this along. If you want to be an instructor, raise your hand. The vote will bepletely anonymous, so don¡¯t worry.¡±
With a few sighs, the process of selecting candidates finally began. Attendees nced at each other before slowly raising their hands. About a third of the room volunteered, which was quite a lot. If only they showed this much enthusiasm in their usual work.
As I scanned the room to check the faces of the candidates¡ª
¡°I withdraw.¡±
There was an unexpected turn.
One candidate suddenly withdrew. I thought that maybe they¡¯d just remembered some other work they had to do and shrugged it off.
¡°¡I withdraw as well.¡±
¡°Yes, same here.¡±
¡°I think this responsibility is too much for me.¡±
It wasn¡¯t just a few withdrawals¡ªall the candidates dropped out. What in the world? Why were they doing this after all that noise they made earlier?
But something felt strange. The ones who withdrew, and even the attendees who hadn¡¯t applied, were all staring behind me.
¡°¡¡±
I turned around, following their gaze, only to doubt my eyes.
The sole person left standing, the only one who sessfully registered as a candidate, and now the person who would be dispatched to the Academy as the instructor for this year¡ª
¡°¡Since there¡¯s only one candidate, I¡¯ll dere that the Tower Master will be taking on the role of Academy instructor this year.¡±
A sinking feeling hit me as the Tower Master nodded in satisfaction.
¡°Haha, the Tower Master¡¯s devotion to her disciple is truly touching.¡±
¡°Those students are lucky indeed. If only I could enroll at the Academy myself!¡±
People slowly began to speak up, trying to break the tension as an awkward silence settled over the room.
Of course. The Tower Master¡¯s only disciple was at the Academy. It made sense that she might want to oversee the teaching personally. It was a perfectly reasonable conclusion.
¡
It¡¯s the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager.
No, I couldn¡¯t lie to myself.
It was definitely because of the Executive Manager.
Chapter 283: A Fiery Start to the Year (4)
Chapter 283: A Fiery Start to the Year (4)After several grueling days of working closely with the Minister, the ordeal finally came to an end.
It was brutal. The departments had to prepare documents so meticulously that our eyes burned, just to avoid any mistake. The Minister, meanwhile, nitpicked at everything, rejecting any tiny w. To make matters worse, the departments that had their documents rejected would turn around and submit new ones within three hours. It waspletely insane.
¡°Well, I¡¯m heading out¡¡±
The Minister didn¡¯t even say a word at my deration of escape. He just leaned back in his chair and waved a limp hand in my direction. That gesture wasn¡¯t just a simple wave¡ªit was practically a silent order to get out and not make any noise.
It was almostical to see my boss so close to copse, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself tough. I knew I wasn¡¯t in much better shape.
The final boss at the very end.
I shuddered. Having the strongest enemy appear at thest moment was more than a cliche, it was practically a universalw. However, this was overkill.
Just an hour ago, I had been holding my ground in the Minister¡¯s office when the real viin arrived¡ªthe one who crushed both the Minister¡¯s and my mental and emotional state in real time. The very thought of it nearly brought tears to my eyes.
¡°Minister of Finance.¡±
¡°Minister of Welfare? What¡¯s going on? I¡¯ve already approved your additional budget.¡±¡°Sorry, but I need more, so I came in person.¡±
The Welfare Minister, barging in unannounced, boldly dered that he wanted even more money. The Finance Minister, already dazed from this onught, didn¡¯t stand a chance.
¡°Is there even a precedent for getting an additional budget twice?¡±
¡°Additional budgets are meant to be applied for within the set period. There¡¯s no limit to the number of times.¡±
Technically, he wasn¡¯t wrong. It was just that no one had ever dared to ask for extra funding twice in such a short span.
And I had the privilege of witnessing the birth of a new kind of legend.
¡°The children orphaned by the Great War are now reaching adulthood. We need separate funding to help them transition into society!¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t we already increase the support for orphans?¡±
¡°Orphans and young adults seeking jobs are different. These kids aren¡¯t just staying in orphanages; they¡¯re scattering across the empire looking for work.¡±
When the trump card of ¡®orphans¡¯ was yed, I wisely kept my mouth shut. The Minister, knowing little about welfare, didn¡¯t have much to say either.
Even if he knew more, he wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance. Who could argue against the Welfare Minister, a legendary figure who, as an orphan himself, rose to his current position through sheer grit? Who could look someone like that in the eye and ask, ¡®Is that really necessary?¡¯
I certainly couldn¡¯t.
No human could pull that off. And as wed as our Minister was, he was still human. So, inevitably, he caved and approved the second round of additional funding.
At least that was the end of it. No other departments came knocking afterward.
¡Or should I say ¡®thankfully¡¯?
***As much as civil servants endured endless struggles, it wasn¡¯t all pain and suffering.
¡°Executive Manager, it¡¯s the Senior Manager.¡±
¡°Oh,e in.¡±
I steadied my racing heart as I heard the Senior Manager¡¯s voice outside the door.
Today was a good day. Maybe this was my reward for enduring the old-timers in the administration alongside the Minister¡ªthis time, I got to deal with fresh recruits.
The newbies.
The thought made my heart race again. Newbies were untainted and pure. What a beautiful thought. Just talking about them made me happy, and the idea of meeting them in person filled me with even more excitement.
Today was the day the new civil servants finished their mandatory training and reported to their departments for the first time. As the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, I get to wee and encourage the new members. Honestly, today felt more like my birthday than my actual birthday.
As if sensing my excitement, the door quickly swung open as soon as I said e in,¡¯ and about a dozen people flooded into the room.
There¡¯s quite a lot.
I was satisfied. The Ministry of Finance was considered an elite department within the administration. Many wanted to join, but few actually made it in. To have over ten new recruits just for the Prosecutors¡¯ Office was a historic intake.
They¡¯ve made it.
I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I recognized some familiar faces in the group. Some of the student council members I had my eye on sincest year had joined the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
While the representative of the disciplinarymittee, who was more suited for the military, was nowhere to be seen, nearly the entire crew had made it here. Thank you for trusting me¡ªI promise you a lifetime of job security. Heck, I¡¯ll even make sure your kids inherit your position if you want.
¡°This is a big group. The Team Managers will be thrilled.¡±
I rose from my seat to properly wee the new recruits. Seeing them nervously shuffle around, I couldn¡¯t just stay seated.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Besides, it was rare to have anyone younger than me in the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. But with this new influx, I was sure the average age had just dropped significantly.
¡°They¡¯ve been evenly assigned to each division.¡±
¡°And to the Senior Manager¡¯s office, too?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
The Senior Manager¡¯s confident response made me chuckle.
He had every right to be pleased. The Senior Manager¡¯s office handled about 90% of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s paperwork, and the workload there was no joke. With this many new recruits, he probably felt like doing backflips out of sheer joy.
¡°Wee to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. We may not see each other often, but I hope we¡¯ll cross paths more in the future.¡±
¡°Yes! We¡¯ll do our best!¡±
Leaving the happy Senior Manager to his excitement, I extended my hand to the closest recruit. He quickly sped it with both hands and bowed deeply at the waist, his greeting booming with enthusiasm.
Ah, that was the best thing about newbies. They respected their superiors without a hint of arrogance. This was what the proper rtionship between a boss and his subordinates should look like. If only the Managers could learn even half of their humility.
***Atst, I¡¯ve arrived.
I¡¯ve reached the promisednd I¡¯ve dreamed of for so long.
So this is the Prosecutors¡¯ Office.
When I finished the mandatory training for new civil servants and finally stepped into the Ministry of Finance building, specifically into the Prosecutors¡¯ Office, I was ovee with an indescribable feeling.
It felt like a miracle. I was just the ordinary child of a minor baron, with no connections or special backing. Yet here I was, in the heart of one of the most powerful departments in the government. I would have been happy just to enter the government, but this? How could I not be overjoyed? Even my friend Sirri, standing beside me, looked stunned by the situation.
I felt like tears might flow if I closed my eyes. Sure, I had imagined this ever since I received the rmendation letter from the Executive Manager, but hoping and actually experiencing it were two very different things.
My lifelong benefactor.
That was why the Executive Manager was more than just a superior to me. He was the one who granted me an opportunity that changed the course of my life, which would have otherwise ended as just another average noble in the empire.
If I, a noble who joined the Prosecutors¡¯ Office at 20 thanks to the Executive Manager¡¯s rmendation, were to live an ordinary life from now on, it wouldn¡¯t be anyone else¡¯s fault but my own for failing to seize such a golden opportunity.
¡°The Executive Manager may seem stern from the outside, but he¡¯s a generous person. He doesn¡¯t criticize without reason, and if you put in the effort, he¡¯ll reward you ordingly.¡±
As I was quietly reflecting on my gratitude and renewed determination, the Senior Manager, who was guiding the new recruits, spoke softly.
I knew that, and I knew it well. Despite the grim rumors surrounding him, the Executive Manager waspassionate, fair, and incrediblypetent. Those who didn¡¯t know him spread baseless tales, but he was nothing like the reputation that preceded him.
¡°So don¡¯t be too nervous. After today, you probably won¡¯t see much of him, so don¡¯t spend the whole time with your head down.¡±
We all nodded at those words, myself included.
Right, there was no need to be nervous. It wasn¡¯t like this was the first time I was meeting the Executive Manager, after all.
¡Actually, it was the first time I was meeting him as the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office and not as an academy inspector.
¡°This is a big group. The Team Managers will be thrilled.¡±
When I saw the Executive Manager rise from his seat and approach us, my legs trembled. My mind kept telling me that I knew him well, but my body ignored that and tensed up.
How strange. Does just changing the setting make everything feel this different?
¡°Wee to the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. We may not see each other often, but I hope we¡¯ll cross paths more in the future.¡±
His gentle tone helped ease my nerves little by little.
No matter how much the environment changed, the person didn¡¯t. Thepassionate man I knew hadn¡¯t transformed into someone else overnight.
In the future.
That simple phrase struck a chord in my heart. To see the Executive Manager regrly would mean rising to a high rank. In other words, he was subtly encouraging us to aim for leadership positions.
I must rise to the challenge and repay that encouragement. I will, without fail, be a senior officer and stand by his side. As someone who received his rmendation, I couldn¡¯t let anyone question his judgment. I owed it to him to prove that his trust wasn¡¯t misced.
Thus, the only way to repay such a profound kindness was to seed.
¡°It¡¯s different from the academy. This time, you¡¯re the junior. Work hard.¡±
¡°Yes! I will do my best!¡±
I sped his hand tightly and bowed deeply.
One day, I¡¯ll stand proudly beside him.
***After the initial introductions, I went on to shake hands with each of the new recruits, offering words of encouragement. I was happy to see familiar faces like Demian among them, but I kept my interactions short to avoid any unwanted attention. It couldplicate things for everyone if rumors spread that the Executive Manager was close with the juniors.
One day, these guys will be Team Managers.
I nearly winced at the thought of that dreadful future. Couldn¡¯t they just stay as team members forever?
The idea would probably make the new recruits foam at the mouth, but I was being honest. At least the Team Managers were still somewhat normal, but something happened to the Managers¡ªthey seemed to lose all sense of reason when they got promoted.
Please, just stay as your pure, untainted selves¡
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 284: Crushed by an Unspoken Catastrophe (1)
Chapter 284: Crushed by an Unspoken Catastrophe (1)The bomb went off without warning.
Calling it a ¡®bomb¡¯ might not at all be urate, but one thing was for sure¡ªit came out of nowhere.
Starting March 1378, a new welfare policy will be implemented for dispatched workers. The system will begin as a pilot program in the Ministry of the Imperial Household, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the goal of expanding it to all departments and ministries by June 1380.
While I was debating what gift would be suitable for the Mage Duchess¡¯s uing birthday, an unexpected notice was broadcasted through themunication crystals from the Ministry of the Imperial Household. Given that the Ministry was essentially the Emperor¡¯s mouthpiece, this was effectively a decree from the Imperial Family, or more specifically, from the Crown Prince himself.
What¡¯s this about?
The problem was how abrupt and inexplicable the order seemed. Welfare for dispatched workers, starting with the Ministries of the Imperial Household, Finance, and Foreign Affairs?
Well, it wasbeled as a welfare policy, so that couldn¡¯t be a bad thing. And since the Finance Ministry was included, that meant I was covered as well. If I had to choose, I¡¯d say it was good news.
But why?
The real issue was that I couldn¡¯t figure out the intent behind it. The guiding principle of the Kefellofen Empire was that the country and its people prospered only when its civil servants were worked to the bone. This had been the unshakable belief since the time of the first emperor, Amanca the Great.
Even the current Emperor and Crown Prince seemed to believe that they were the reincarnations of Amanca as they ground themselves down like cogs in the machine of the Empire.And now, you¡¯re telling me that this Imperial family was establishing a welfare system that gave its underlings a breather? Voluntarily too, without anyone begging or petitioning for it? With no strings attached?
Yeah, right.
There was no way that was true. The Imperial family was a group that never made a deal where they lost. Even when they granted something, they always took something in return. They were ruthless like that.
On the flip side, they never demandedbor without properpensation, but their meticulousness only made me more suspicious. The Imperial family I¡¯d seen and dealt with never did anything with pure intentions.
Yes, there had to be something going on here, something I wasn¡¯t seeing.
Two days of leave will be granted for every three weeks of dispatch. This leave can be used immediately upon return and will be treated as a priority request.
¡But honestly, who cared even if there was an ulterior motive?
¡°Two days for every three weeks?¡±
My hands trembled as I read the detailed benefits. If this applied to my dispatch at the Academy, then I¡¯d get over ten days of vacation in a single semester.
Wow, ten days? And it was a guaranteed priority leave, so there was no need to worry about it being dyed? This was incredible! My past experiences may have warned me about hidden traps in too-good-to-be-true offers, but who cared? If this was poison, then I might as well make the most of it.
All I had to do was to keep my mouth shut, and I¡¯d be guaranteed ten days of leave every semester. From the second semester of my second year to the second semester of my third year, that was at least 40 days of vacation.
¡°Not bad.¡±
It was so good that I might even skip my usual prayer for the Crown Prince¡¯s longevity for today, at least.
***In the end, I epted the Mage Duchess¡¯s request. As embarrassing as it felt to handle something so trivial under the name of the Imperial Family, I realized that it wasn¡¯t worth straining our rtionship over something small.
Yeah, I should think of it positively. It would be beneficial in the long run if this policy boosted the morale of the civil servants. Overworking talented individuals meant that they wouldn¡¯tst long. Even the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager needed to be well-oiled if he was going tost.
Besides, what other situation would call for the Executive Manager to be dispatched, aside from this Academy incident? Two years. If I could endure for just two years, this system would pay off. I could live with that.
A well-loved husband, indeed.
I massaged the back of my neck and let out a soft chuckle. The Mage Duchess, who even the Emperor could not easily deal with, was a recluse who spent all her time in the Magic Tower, indifferent to political power and personal connections.
But the moment she fell in love, she began moving decisively, willing to do anything no matter how strange for the one she loved. It was clear that the Executive Manager was truly loved and cherished.
At the same time, I couldn¡¯t help but worry. Despite the Mage Duchess being of mixed blood, she still carried the longevity of her lineage. Inevitably, the Prosecutors¡¯ Office¡¯s Executive Manager would pass away first. When the previous Duke Servette died, the Mage Duchess¡¯s mother followed him soon after. I couldn¡¯t help but worry that this deep love may one day turn into a source of great sorrow.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
That¡¯s not eptable.
The Mage Duchess had supported the Empire for a hundred years and was expected to continue doing so for hundreds more. While we couldn¡¯t stop her from eventually returning to the arms of Enen when her time came, an untimely death due to illness was uneptable.
So, ensuring the Executive Manager lived a long life by supplying him with all sorts of potions was essential for the Empire¡¯s stability. I don¡¯t expect him to live as long as the Mage Duchess, but it would be enough if he could reach 150 years.
Actually, the Mage Duchess likely already knew what I was worrying about. She was probably working on something as we speak. In that case, why stop at 150? Why not aim for 300 years?
300 years, huh.
A smile crept across my face. The Empire was 300 years old, and now the Executive Manager would ensure its stability for another 300 years.
Wasn¡¯t that an amusing¡ªno, wonderful thought? The Empire¡¯s future would be incredibly bright if my son, grandson, great-grandson, and even great-great-grandson could benefit from the Executive Manager¡¯s loyalty. It might sound like a far-fetched dream, but still.
***¡300 years. It feels like it might actually happen. After all, the Mage Duchess¡¯s love was heavy enough to turn a wild fantasy into reality.
¡°Your Majesty, this is¡ª¡±
¡°It¡¯s just as the Crown Prince has stated.¡±
The Emperor had summoned me urgently, and he handed me a document as soon as I arrived in his office.
However, the content of the document didn¡¯t seem worth the paper it was printed on.
¡°The Mage Duchess is going to the Academy.¡±
Although he spoke in a calm voice, his expression and posture revealed confusion and unease. It was rare to see the Emperor disy such emotion.
But I understood. Anyone would feel the same after reading this document.
The Academy?
What in the world did this mean? The Mage Duchess was going to the Academy? If I weren¡¯t in front of the Emperor, I¡¯d have grabbed my head in disbelief and copsed.
I knew that the Magic Tower sent a mage to the Academy every year to teach the students. The whole program started at the Imperial Family¡¯s request, so how could I not know? Having top-notch mages from the Tower educate the future leaders of the Empire was a blessing for both the Empire and the Imperial Family.
However, this was different. The Imperial Family wanted teachers to guide the future, not a monster who would intimidate and terrify the students. It was no different sending someone higher-ranking than the Academy¡¯s Principal to serve as an instructor.
¡°The Mage Duchess seems quite attached to the idea of mentoring. We¡¯ll likely see an extraordinary mage emerge within the next ten years.¡±
I kept my mouth shut, unable to respond as the Emperor continued in a low voice.
A disciple?
I couldn¡¯t agree. No matter how much I thought about it, the Mage Duchess going to the Academy had nothing to do with mentorship. It had to be for another reason¡ªperhaps something rted to the heir of the Krasius family, or the Executive Manager, or even the Academy¡¯s Inspector.
¡°Also, if the Mage Duchess stays at the Academy, it will be an unparalleled experience for the foreign students. As the host, this is a delightful development.¡±
¡°Yes, it is.¡±
All I could do was bow my head in agreement. If the Emperor believed so, then it must be right.
With the document already on the Emperor¡¯s desk, the Mage Duchess¡¯s dispatch was essentially confirmed. The Imperial Family could intervene, but interfering with what the Mage Duchess wanted would only create friction between the Imperial Family and a key ally. This wasn¡¯t something we could block; it was just something we didn¡¯t fully understand.
On top of that, it seemed like the Emperor intended to use this opportunity to apply more pressure on the neighboring three kingdoms. If the Executive Manager and the Mage Duchess both remained at the Academy, the burden on those countries would be immense. Regardless of the reasons their nobles enrolled, none of them would be able to move lightly now.
The Mage Duchess¡¯s decision to go to the Academy was purely for the sake of teaching. No matter the pretense, it was only natural for a mentor to act for the benefit of their students. Even if the three neighboring kingdoms protested, it would be easy enough to deflect their concerns.
¡That¡¯s probably how he sees it.
I felt conflicted. The Emperor, faced with a situation beyondprehension, was trying hard to think positively and focus on the benefits and happier possibilities.
He was intentionally ignoring the ripple effects that the Mage Duchess¡¯s actions would cause¡ªthe political turmoil, the diplomatic issues¡ªand only talked about the advantages and opportunities that might arise. Because if he didn¡¯t, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain hisposure.
Is this really something one person should have to deal with?
When I think about it, the Emperor¡¯s reign had been more turbulent than anyone else¡¯s. From the moment he ascended to the throne, he carried thebel of being the Empire¡¯s first non-direct line emperor. How could his reign not be full of challenges?
The Empire he inherited was riddled with corruption, famine, and the growing influence of the Church. One of the dukes, the Gold Duke, had taken twelve wives to extend his power through his inws, and skirmishes with neighboring kingdoms were frequent along the borders. The Emperor had to drag the Empire back onto a stable course, only for the Great War to erupt, followed by a prolonged session dispute.
It¡¯s horrifying.
After facing so many consecutive crises, you¡¯d think things would settle down. Yet, the Executive Manager had be the center of the stormtely, causing all kinds of chaos. It was understandable that the Emperor¡¯s mental strength would be worn thin.
¡°The Mage Duchess¡¯s long absence is unprecedented. Be prepared, Crown Prince.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±
What a shame.
***My ears are ringing.
¡°Take me with you! I want to go toooo!¡±
I¡¯d love to ignore it, but the way she was iling so desperately made it impossible to turn away.
¡°It¡¯s unfair that four of them get to go to the Academy! You¡¯re leaving me and Penellia behind!¡±
And her argument had a point, which made it even harder to brush off.
¡°It¡¯s so unfair! It¡¯s really unfair!¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t know, either¡¡±
¡°Just because you didn¡¯t know doesn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t happen!¡±
She¡¯s right¡
Her surprisingly logical argument shut me up again. Why does she always make so much sense at times like this?
¡°If Beatrix gets to go to the Academy, then Penellia and I should go too!¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but be touched by her consideration for Penelia, the 4th Manager. It showed that they really were close friends.
¡
Damn it.
I felt dizzy. The fact that the Mage Duchess was going to the Academy as a guest lecturer? That was something I never could¡¯ve imagined¡
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 285: Crushed by an Unspoken Catastrophe (2)
Chapter 285: Crushed by an Unspoken Catastrophe (2)I felt bad for the 1st Manager, who was protesting like she was deeply hurt, but throwing a tantrum in front of me wouldn¡¯t change anything. I didn¡¯t even know that the Mage Duchess was going to the academy. Actually, how did she even know something I didn¡¯t? Was she in touch with the Mage Duchess?
¡°Unnie bragged about it earlier! She said the deployment got the final approval and that she¡¯s going to the academy!¡±
So they were keeping in touch. What impressive social skills.
The 1st Manager¡¯sints were valid, but they were aimed at the wrong person. If she felt so wronged, then wouldn¡¯t it be more effective to throw a tantrum at the Mage Duchess and beg her to be taken along instead of crying to me?
Not that it would be a good idea to actually do that, though.
¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about it. You don¡¯t have a valid reason to go to the academy.¡±
I spoke, trying to calm down the increasingly upset 1st Manager. It would be embarrassing for everyone involved if someone else walked in right now.
But the 1st Manager, already lying on the ground throwing a fit, wasn¡¯t interested in that. She red at me with teary eyes like she wouldn¡¯t get up until I gave her the answer they wanted.
¡°If unnie goes to the academy, then the 50-50 split bes 60-40!¡±
There was a certain desperation in her voice. It was almost pitiful, as if she believed the sky would fall if those in the academy and the non-resident ones weren¡¯t bnced.At the same time, I could sort of understand how she felt. It¡¯d be one thing if the numbers were even, but it was only natural to feel uneasy when your group suddenly became the minority. Yeah, I got it. I totally understood it.
¡°I¡¯ve already been pushed back to fifth ce in the pecking order! What if you forget about me altogether?¡±
Hearing that, I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to respond.
After all, I met the 1st Manager before Louise, Irina, and even Marghetta. But being stuck in the capital and not being able to go to the academy with me had pushed her further and further down the list, all the way to fifth. Even though she acted like she didn¡¯t care, she had every reason to feel frustrated and anxious.
And now, with only the fifth and sixth left behind in the capital, she was probably scared it wasn¡¯t just her ce in line, but her importance to me, that was slipping.
¡°I don¡¯t want to be forgotten! I don¡¯t want to be that character who only gets remembered at the end like, ¡®Oh yeah, she was there, too!¡¯¡±
But why was she making such weirdparisons? Did she travel to the future or something?
Still, seeing how much her anxiety had risen, I couldn¡¯t tell her to cut it out. No matter how anxious she was, it wasn¡¯t something she could really share with others, and the 4th Manager, her only ally, wasn¡¯t the type to get worked up about things like this. So, she must¡¯ve been stewing in her own frustration. Maybe she wasn¡¯t even looking for a solution¡ªmaybe she just needed to vent.
And since the 1st Manager had already shown her vulnerable side to me before, now she had no qualms about crying her eyes out and genuinely iling about. Maybe she figured she had nothing to lose by crying again. It was bold for sure, but this was going in the wrong direction.
¡°I¡¯ll contact you every day from the academy¡ª¡±
¡°But we can¡¯t hold hands or hug through themunication crystal!¡±
Well, that was true.
¡°Maybe I could ask the Mage Duchess to teleport me back on weekends¡ª¡±
¡°Then it¡¯ll just be the three of us going on dates!¡±
That was also true.
What should I do?
I was losing my mind. There really was no good answer here.
Should I take the 1st Manager to the academy? No matter how I looked at it, there was no reason to justify that. And if the 1st Manager went, that would leave the 4th Manager all alone. That would be way too harsh on her.
Should I ask the Mage Duchess to give up the academy deployment? But if I did that, wouldn¡¯t I just end up seeing the Mage Duchess in tears instead? Besides, from what the 1st Manager said, the whole point of the deployment was to look after her one and only disciple, Louise. I had no grounds to intervene in that. And it had already gotten the final approval from the emperor, so it wasn¡¯t like I could stop it.
¡°I¡¯ll spend as much time with you as I can before the semester starts¡¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
?
¡°I¡¯m really disappointed, but I¡¯ll bear with it if you stay with me during the vacation.¡±
The 1st Manager, who had been iling around like she was trying to mop the floor with her clothes, casually stood up as if she hadn¡¯t been sobbing just moments ago before approaching me and sitting on myp like nothing had happened.
¡°Since you¡¯re going to be apart from your cute lover, you need to be extra nice to me right now!¡±
¡°¡Alright.¡±
It was only then that I realized that she had nned this whole thing from the start.
No, the emotional outburst wasn¡¯t entirely an act. But she knew she couldn¡¯t change the situation, so she yed on my guilt to at least get what she wanted instead.
I really need to graduate soon.
I stifled a sigh that was threatening to escape and gently patted her head. Her little scheme had been highly effective, mainly because I did feel guilty. Not that this situation was making me happy, either.
If I were apart from all of my partners, it¡¯d be one thing, but staying with some while being separated from others felt like favoritism. We could¡¯ve figured something out if the 1st Manager and the 4th Manager were civilians, but there was no way around it since they were both civil servants.
So what choice did I have? I¡¯d just have to bear with theints and frustrations of the ones left behind for the next two years.
I need to meet with the 4th Manager as well.
Yes, I should see the 4th Manager soon. Unlike the 1st Manager, who was always here in the capital, the 4th Manager could be deployed on an assignment at any time.
***After soothing the 1st Manager with some heartfelt head pats and narrowly escaping with my dignity intact, I went to find the Mage Duchess, the one responsible for this mess. Honestly, indiscriminately dropping bombs like that was just too much.
¡°What happened? I didn¡¯t know about any of this.¡±
¡°Well, you see¡ª¡°
¡°Do I really have to hear about Beatrix through someone else? I¡¯m really hurt.¡±
I went on the emotional offensive as soon as I stormed into the tower, and the Mage Duchess was so flustered that she couldn¡¯t even respond.
She probably had plenty of logical exnations prepared¡ªsomething about needing to look after Louise, for the development of the Empire¡¯s magic system, or the Magic Tower being understaffed. There were plenty of reasons she could throw at me.
But what she probably didn¡¯t anticipate was me appealing to her emotions, especially not by throwing back her own words at her.
¡°The thing that hurt the most was hearing about your news through the Information Department¡¯s Executive Manager. Can you understand that?¡±
Last year, before I even knew that the Mage Duchess had feelings for me, she had said something simr out of disappointment. But from my perspective then, her words had felt more like a heavy warning, one that had stuck with me ever since. I never expected to use it like this, though.
¡°You could¡¯ve at least given me a heads-up that you wereing. Were you afraid I¡¯d oppose it?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
That hit the mark. If the Mage Duchess had consulted me, I would¡¯ve found a way to oppose it.
But the decision was already made, and I couldn¡¯t undo the Mage Duchess¡¯s deployment to the academy. So, the best I could do was show enough disappointment to prevent any more sudden surprises. What was done was done, but I didn¡¯t want any more decisions to be made without my knowledge.
It might make me seem like a maniptive jerk, but this was the Mage Duchess we were talking about. When a lion stretched its limbs, the nearby rabbits would jump in fear. The Mage Duchess, who had ruled for over a century, could easily throw those around her into chaos. As her future husband, at least, it was my job to prevent that.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. I should have discussed it with you first.¡±
Thankfully, the Mage Duchess seemed to understand my feelings and, looking a bit down, apologized sincerely.
I wasn¡¯t sure if she was apologizing because she knew I would¡¯ve opposed it, or if it was just because she was nning a surprise and it backfired. Either way, it was a decent resolution. An apology and a promise not to let it happen again was all I really needed.
¡°Let¡¯s promise to be open with each other from now on. If somethinges up, I¡¯ll talk to you right away too.¡±
I responded with a gentle expression, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice the slight flinch from the Mage Duchess. It was just for a moment, but it was definitely there.
Wait, what? Did she do something else behind my back?
¡°¡Beatrix?¡±
¡°I-I did keep it a secret, but it¡¯s something that¡¯ll make you happy.¡±
What followed was indeed something I¡¯d be happy about.
The Mage Duchess had been debating what to get me for my birthday and, on Erich¡¯s suggestion, decided to request a leave of absence as a gift. Thinking it was a good idea, the Mage Duchess formally petitioned the Imperial Council, but to avoid making it obvious, she included the entire Imperial civil service rather than just the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. It was meant to be a surprise, so she hadn¡¯t said a word about it.
¡Wait, this is actually for real?
I was stunned. They said it was a free vacation, and of course, I assumed there¡¯d be a catch. But instead of a poisoned chalice, it turned out to be a goblet of fine wine. I had no idea the Mage Duchess had been working behind the scenes like this.
¡°Was it¡ too much?¡±
¡°No.¡±
I quickly shook my head at the Mage Duchess¡¯s cautious question. Too much? Absolutely not.
¡°Thank you. This is the best gift ever.¡±
I couldn¡¯t hold back my emotions and pulled the Mage Duchess into a tight hug. The Mage Duchess¡¯s sudden actions and the whole surprise visit to the academy? That was nonsense. The Tower was wherever the Mage Duchess was, so technically, she was just reporting to her rightful workce.
How could I have been so clueless?
At the same time, guilt washed over me. How could I have been so ungrateful? I¡¯dined about feeling hurt when she had been doing something so kind for me. I needed to reflect on my behavior¡
¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re happy.¡±
The Mage Duchess, momentarily surprised by my sudden embrace, eventually returned the hug and spoke softly.
And again, I was ovee with guilt.
***I took a deep breath as I opened the door. There was no point in fretting over something unavoidable.
¡°Ainter.¡±
The Crown Prince, seated at the head of the table, spoke in a calm voice as soon as I stepped in. His tone was devoid of any clear emotion¡ªno joy, anger, wee, or disdain.
Oddly enough, I felt relieved by his neutral tone. Besides, it wasn¡¯t just the Crown Prince here; the Crown Princess was present as well. If this was a meeting to punish me, she wouldn¡¯t be here.
¡°Your Highness the Crown Prince.¡±
I greeted him while bowing deeply and he gave a nod before gesturing for me to sit as if saying, ¡®You¡¯re here, so sit down already.¡¯
¡°It¡¯s been a while since the New Year¡¯s Ball.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Highness. It has.¡±
I quickly bowed my head again at the natural question that followed as soon as I sat down. It was true¡ªI hadn¡¯t seen the Crown Prince since the New Year¡¯s Ball. He had been busy with official duties, and I had been deliberately avoiding any public appearances.
That made me even more nervous. Why would the Crown Prince call for me a whole month after the ceremony? What could it possibly be¡ª?
¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that we don¡¯t get more opportunities to talk as a family.¡±
¡What?
Family?
I froze at his unexpected words.
Chapter 286: Crushed by an Unspoken Catastrophe (3)
Chapter 286: Crushed by an Unspoken Catastrophe (3)Family. It was a simple word, yet also one that had no ce in my life. To be more precise, it had always been more of a shackle, a brand that brought more pain than any sense of belonging.
To me, family meant an emotionless, mechanical father, a mother who prioritized the Asilon family over the Empire or even the Imperial family, and an older brother who, by virtue of being the firstborn, enjoyed privileges far beyond his actual abilities or character. Even if I tried, I couldn¡¯t feel any familial affection. I was too far removed from the line of session to matter, and those who were supposed to be my family never cared for me.
But everything changed when the power struggle centered around my older brother, the 2nd Prince, took an unexpected turn. The 1st Prince, backed by the legendary Invincible Duke who had be a war hero by quelling the unrest in the North, rose to prominence. The 2nd Prince who had nothing to his name but his status as the eldest son fell from power, and the 1st Prince, who had suffered under the 2nd Prince¡¯s faction, sought his revenge.
¡°Whose child are you, really? Are you also that cursed woman Selreden¡¯s son?¡±
As the purge loomed, my mother and brother reached out to me, trying to pull me into their sinking ship. I was beyond shocked¡ªit was absurd. The battle was already lost; what could a mere 3rd Prince possibly do? Maybe I would have risked my life to help them If I had grown up loved. But to me, they were my family only in name.
So theyshed out at me in anger, using me of being a concubine¡¯s child. If only that had been true, then perhaps I wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about being killed.
¡°Your decision to remain silent and not stand by the 2nd Prince was a wise one, Your Highness.¡±
Fortunately, turning my back on my so-called family and staying silent paid off. The Executive Manager, who led the purge on behalf of my half-brother, the new Crown Prince, came to me after dealing with my mother and brother. He spared my life on the condition that I stayed quiet.
I was relieved to be alive, but at the same time, I felt a deep sorrow. The very family that barely acknowledged me had nearly cost me my life. I lived in constant fear, wondering when my half-brother might turn on me.
For me, family had always been a heavy chain and an indelible scar.¡°We¡¯re the only brothers left now. It feels strange, doesn¡¯t it? There¡¯s just the two of us, and yet we¡¯ve been so distant.¡±
Until the Crown Prince said this out of the blue, that was exactly how I had felt.
It felt strange. When I attended this year¡¯s New Year¡¯s Ball and was officially reinstated as a member of the imperial family, I thought that was the end of it. I assumed the Crown Prince had only acknowledged me to the extent that I no longer posed a threat to his position and to maintain the harmony of the imperial family for the sake of the Empire.
But being personally summoned for a private conversation was different. He could have easily treated me as just another prince, but he called me his brother.
It was as though he truly saw me as family, as though he wanted to mend our strained rtionship.
¡°Your Highness, you are the future emperor and the shining sun of the Empire. Knowing your devotion to the Empire, how could I possibly bring up brotherly affection and hold you back?¡±
My hair might have gone white, but the words of deference came as naturally as breathing. It was the instinct I had honed from a lifetime of watching my surroundings. Was this all a trap? Would treating him as a brother instead of the Crown Prince give him a reason to eliminate me?
¡°Don¡¯t speak like that. Even Emperor Amanca built this Empire with the help of his brothers. If someone like him couldn¡¯t stand alone, then how could I possibly think to do so?¡±
The Crown Prince gently shook his head while speaking softly. His tone was so warm that it felt foreign. Had he always been capable of such kindness?
¡°Your Highness and Young Master, please have some tea as you talk.¡±
¡°Thank you, Crown Princess.¡±
¡°Th-thank you, Your Highness.¡±
Caught off guard, I fumbled for a response as the Crown Princess herself brought us tea. And not only that, she addressed me not as a prince, but as ¡®Young Master,¡¯ just as the Crown Prince had called me his brother.
The series of unexpected events left my head spinning. Was this really happening? Or was I dreaming?
¡°The Crown Princess has been skilled in the art of tea since her academy days. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it.¡±
¡°Yes¡ I¡¯ll drink it gratefully.¡±
The Crown Prince took a sip first, speaking quietly as he did.
First¡
He took the first sip. Was he proving to me that there was no poison in it?
¡°How has life at the academy been?¡±
¡°Thanks to His Majesty¡¯s grace and the Empire¡¯s influence, I was able to enjoy my time there without any difort.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±
It was an instinctive response to his sudden question. Yet, I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles the moment he brought up the Academy. Of all topics, why was he bringing up the Academy?
Is this an interrogation?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Cold sweat began to form. If he was going to question me about the academy, there was a lot to be concerned about. My friendships with foreign royalties, my interactions with the children of the border families¡¯ children, and even the fact that I unknowingly shared a club with the Mage Duchess¡¯s only disciple¡ªany one of these could be enough to arouse suspicion.
¡°Apparently, the Mage Duchess is going to be a guest lecturer at the Academy this year. It should be a valuable experience for you.¡±
¡°¡Sorry?¡±
My mind went nk, and before I knew it, I hadmitted the grave sin of questioning the Crown Prince directly.
But he didn¡¯t seem to mind my breach of etiquette and simply nodded.
¡°It seems that the Mage Duchess cares a great deal for her student. If Lady Louise is graduating this year, then it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.¡±
He calmly sipped his tea, as if it was nothing. Hisposure was amazing. Was this the level of calm that came with being a Crown Prince? To be able to react so nonchntly to something so out of the ordinary¡
¡°But this is the first time a Duke will be staying at the Academy, isn¡¯t it? With foreign guests there as well, I worry that the Mage Duchess¡¯s presence might cause some difort.¡±
His words cleared my mind. The sudden mention of the Academy, the Mage Duchess¡¯s visit, and the fact that foreign royalties were currently residing at the Academy¡ªhe was concerned that some sort of disturbance might arise.
When I put everything together, leaving aside the talk of brotherhood, the conclusion became obvious. The Crown Prince had restored my imperial status at the New Year¡¯s Ball, and now he was reminding me of the responsibilities that came with it: to ensure that nothing went wrong at the academy.
This is better.
The tension that had gripped me quickly dissipated. This was much better than an inexplicable summons and vague conversation. At least, as the Crown Prince, he was issuing clear instructions to a member of the imperial family.
This was a reasonable meeting and a logical conversation. His initial talk of brotherhood was likely just a formality, meant to encourage me as I stepped into my imperial duties for the first time.
¡°Rest assured, Your Highness. I may becking, but I will do my best as a member of the Livnoman family to ensure that the Mage Duchess and the esteemed guests experience no difort.¡±
¡°Good. Knowing you¡¯re at the academy puts my mind at ease.¡±
He nodded, as if he had been waiting for me to say that.
It had been an official conversation, after all.
***I sat back down and sipped the remaining tea after Ainter left.
¡°Your Highness.¡±
I turned my head at the Crown Princess¡¯s voice. As soon as I saw the wry smile on her face, my mood soured.
¡°Are you alright?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s Ainter I¡¯m more worried about.¡±
I let out a sigh. I arranged this meeting after much deliberation, but in the end, it felt like we had made no real progress. Maybe a letter would¡¯ve been better than a face-to-face meeting.
¡°It¡¯s only natural for him to be upset. After all, someone who once sought his life is now pretending to be friendly.¡±
Another sigh followed. After winning the session dispute and dealing with Dorgos, I had been so consumed by paranoia that I nearly went after Ainter as well.
I was worried that the remnants of the 2nd prince¡¯s faction might rally around him, the only legitimate heir left at their side, or that he might one day pose a threat to me. Some might call it an overreaction, but the consequences would extend to the Crown Princess and my father-inw if I acted too leniently. That thought made it impossible to overlook even the smallest chance.
However, no matter how hard I searched, there was never a valid reason to purge Ainter. In the end, I had to settle for stripping him of his imperial privileges. In hindsight, it was fortunate that things ended that way.
¡°Acting like this just feels hypocritical now.¡±
¡°Your Highness.¡±
My thoughts remained unchanged despite the Crown Princess¡¯s concerned tone.
Yes, it was hypocrisy. I resented my father for not showing familial affection, yet here I was, once trying to kill my own brother and now pretending to y the part of a caring sibling. Wasn¡¯t it all just hypocrisy and pretense?
And this hypocrisy only surfaced now, when my position was secure and the Emperor¡¯s abdication was on the horizon. I had known Ainter was innocent long ago, but I waited until my safety was guaranteed and until I had the luxury of acting generous to extend this false benevolence.
That¡¯s why talking about business is easier.
Ainter had been tense throughout our conversation, but he seemed to rx and started speaking naturally as soon as we shifted to discussing official matters.
The fact that he could only rx when we were talking about duties while any personal conversation between us remained impossible felt bittersweet. But who could I me? I was the one who made him this way.
¡°Crown Princess.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡±
¡°Do you think it¡¯s toote?¡±
Though I spoke to the Crown Princess, I was really asking myself that question.
A brother who once tried to kill his own sibling, and a brother who spent his life walking on eggshells around him¡ perhaps it was toote for us to ever be normal brothers.
¡°It¡¯s not early, but it¡¯s not toote, either.¡±
The Crown Princess spoke gently, and I allowed myself a small, quiet smile. Was it really not toote?
¡°I¡¯m sure Young Master Ainter understands your feelings, Your Highness. Until now, he was kept from engaging in any official duties. But now, he can serve the Empire as a rightful imperial family member. That must mean something to him.¡±
I nodded absentmindedly. His participation in the New Year¡¯s Ball, followed by the assignment of official duties, was a clear acknowledgment of his status as an imperial family member.
He wasn¡¯t just a prince in name anymore; he had responsibilities, and with them, the recognition he deserved. Ainter wasn¡¯t foolish, so he must have realized that by now.
¡°Perhaps it¡¯s difficult for him to grasp right away, but eventually, he will understand that what you¡¯ve extended to him is a hand of reconciliation.¡±
Yes, I certainly hope so.
***What the hell¡?
¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you please repeat that?¡±
¡ª The number of foreign students has increased. It¡¯s thergest intake in history.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs¡¯s words made my head throb.
¡Was it possible to clone students or something?
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Chapter 287: Crushed by an Unspoken Catastrophe (4)
Chapter 287: Crushed by an Unspoken Catastrophe (4)It wasn¡¯t unusual for foreigners to enroll in the Imperial Academy. While their numbers were smallpared to native students and no high-ranking foreign students had ever enrolled until two years ago, the Academy was open to all. It was a ce where blue bloods,moners, imperials, and foreigners coexisted.
So, there was no real need to fuss about the increase in foreign students. If anything, it was an opportunity to showcase the Empire¡¯s exceptional education system and its open-minded nature.
However, despite this supposedly positive development, the Minister of Foreign Affairs personally reached out to me, the Academy¡¯s official inspector, with some urgency.
The highest number in history?
It wasn¡¯t just the phrase that was unusual. Sure, technically, even one more student than the previous record would be enough to break it, but would that be enough for the Minister to get involved?
¡ª It¡¯s likely because of the high-profile individuals who enrolledst year. That¡¯s our guess, anyway.
The Foreign Affairs Minister continued when I stayed silent. His tone, sympathetic as if trying to soften the blow, almost brought tears to my eyes.
At the mention of these ¡®high-profile individuals,¡¯ I instinctively bit my lip. Damn it, was it really because of them? I thought things had been quiettely, but now this?
¡ªEven if they¡¯re royalty far from the throne, royalty is still royalty. Being able to form connections with them is more valuable than which country the academy belongs to.
This was a disaster waiting to happen from the moment they enrolledst year. It was a grim realization, but I couldn¡¯t argue with it.For royalty, attending a foreign academy mighte with significant penalties, but for the nobility, it was a manageable risk. Sure, they¡¯d be branded as nobles who went abroad for their education, but all they had to say was, ¡®I was a loyal retainer by our prince¡¯s side during his difficult time abroad,¡¯ and that was more than enough.
Honestly, it wasn¡¯t just a risk they could tolerate¡ªit was an opportunity they couldn¡¯t afford to miss. They likely had solid connections in their own countries already, but it would open doors beyond their existingworks if they could establish ties with royalty while abroad.
It makes sense.
When I looked at it objectively, the situation was clear. This was a disaster waiting to happen.
¡ª And, of course, there are a good number of students from the Holy Kingdom as well. With the next Saint traveling abroad, it¡¯s natural that others would want to follow.
I nodded weakly. That made it three different groups stirring up trouble now. But just as the Minister said, it was only natural, so I wasn¡¯t particrly shocked. It would have been unsettling in its own way if the Holy Kingdom had remained quiet.
But something felt off. If this disaster had been anticipated, wouldn¡¯t there have been some preparation? The Empire¡¯s civil servants might not enjoy their jobs, but they weren¡¯t entirely ipetent.
Is there something more I should know?
I was confused. This enrollment surge had been nned for a year, with both the Foreign Affairs and Education Ministries involved. It was something I should be aware of as the academy inspector, but did it really warrant direct involvement from a minister? The message might be important, but the messenger seemed a bit excessive.
¡°Thank you for informing me personally. I would¡¯ve beenpletely caught off guard without this.¡±
I carefully tested the waters, wondering if there was something else that hadn¡¯t been said yet.
The Minister chuckled at my veiled question.
¡ª Rumors travel fast among the mages.
Ah.
¡ª The Mage Duchess is someone every mage on the continent respects, after all.
Ah¡
There was no need for further exnation. The Mage Duchess, the undisputed pinnacle of all mages across the continent, had a vastwork beyond the Empire¡¯s borders. Once news from the Magic Tower began to spread, it would travel across the continent in no time. And what had beening out of that towertely was enough to send any mage into a frenzy.
The fact that the Mage Duchess¡¯s only disciple was currently attending the Academy, along with the news that the Mage Duchess herself would being to teach, was simply unimaginable.
¡ª Haha, who could¡¯ve seen thating? If someone had told me thisst year, I¡¯d have called it nonsense.
I couldn¡¯t bring myself to meet the Foreign Minister¡¯s ssy eyes as heughed.
Of course, I knew that the Mage Duchess¡¯s visit to the Academy would impact the magicmunity. However, her arrival had been kept so secret that the start of the school year was already near when I first heard about it through the 1st Manager.
Even I, who was rtively close to the Mage Duchess, only found out at thest minute. So, it was no wonder the mages spread across the continent were equally in the dark. I had assumed that the rush of new applicants eager to see the Mage Duchess wouldn¡¯t happen until next year at the earliest, but¡ª
I was mistaken.
I had underestimated both thework of the Magic Tower and the sheer frenzy of the magicmunity. If I were a mage, could I have predicted this oue?
¡ª At least we were lucky. Most of the applicants who tried to enroll were over the age limit, so it was easy to reject them. Thank goodness there are note-blooming students at the Academy.N?v(el)B\\jnn
His genuine relief made my hands tremble instinctively. I knew mages were entric, but had so many applicationse in that they were willing to ignore age limits? That meant it wasn¡¯t just mages in their 20s and 30s¡ªthere could have been elders with snowy white beards applying, too.
Sensing my unease, the Foreign Minister added quietly.
¡ª Even the Principal of Ernesto Academy submitted an application. For the sake of his dignity, we ssified it as a top-secret document. Keep it to yourself.
Ernesto was the great mage who yed a pivotal role in founding the United Kingdom of Yuben. His name was attached to the most prestigious educational institution in Yuben¡ªErnesto Academy.
This is crazy.
So this was what happened when mages became overly excited¡
***So now we had royalty and students from the three different kingdoms flocking to build connections with the future Saint, mages from across the continent drawn by the legend of the Mage Duchess, and to top it off, foreign students who happened to also be mages¡ªon the verge of fainting from excitement.
¡°Wow, over 30% of this year¡¯s students are foreigners?¡±
Altogether, foreign students made up more than a third of the iing students¡ªa record-breaking number, one that lived up to the hype.
¡°That¡¯s wild. Normally, even 3% is considered a lot already.¡±
I wanted to grab the 1st Manager¡¯s chattering lips as she skimmed the documents sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but I didn¡¯t have the energy. All I could do was stare nkly at the ceiling and collect my thoughts.
I cursed the heavens. Managing a simple pastry club had been hard enough, but now I also had to deal with a flood of foreign students, each likely to form factions based on their nationality. If it were just a matter of factions, I wouldn¡¯t care. But of course, those factions would inevitably revolve around influential figures like Rutis or Lather, meaning they¡¯d fall under my jurisdiction as well.
And the mages who came just to see the Mage Duchess? Don¡¯t even get me started. The Minister of Foreign Affairs hadn¡¯t mentioned it, but I knew the truth. The Mage Duchess didn¡¯te to the Academy for the students¡ªshe came to see me. If a conflict broke out due to the influx of mages, it would morally fall on me to clean up the mess.
Maybe I should¡¯ve tried to stop this.
That thought crossed my mind btedly. There was no stopping the foreign students unless we expelled them all, but maybe I could¡¯ve found a way to prevent the Mage Duchess froming. Should I have tried harder to prevent this disaster?
¡°I was always so envious of those students. They get to spend time with you while I rarely got to see you even when you were in the capital.¡±
But then, I remembered how genuinely happy the Mage Duchess had sounded when she said that. Any lingering doubts faded quickly at that.
Yeah, it¡¯d be better if I suffered a little. The guilt would¡¯ve driven me crazy if I tried to stop the Mage Duchess and I saw her looking sad and disappointed.
The mages should be easier to manage.
I should think positively. No matter how entric mages were, they wouldn¡¯t dare cause trouble in front of someone as revered as the Mage Duchess. And they definitely wouldn¡¯t ignore me, the Mage Duchess¡¯s future spouse. If they did, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to report them directly to the Mage Duchess, even if it was a bit petty.
¡°Uh, excuse me, Executive Manager.¡±
¡°What?¡±
While I was busy steeling myself for such petty resolve, I felt the 1st Manager¡¯s tap on my shoulder.
¡°If the number of students increases, then maybe we should also increase the number of inspec¡ª¡°
I grabbed her lips before she could finish. I didn¡¯t need to hear the rest to know where this was going.
¡°There¡¯s only ever been one inspector, regardless of how many students there are.¡±
She was clearly trying to worm her way into bing an inspector now that the Academy¡¯s situation had drastically changed.
But no, absolutely not. The fact that I was even an inspector was already a bit of a stretch, and now she wanted to add more? There was no precedent, and certainly no justification for that. It¡¯d be somewhat understandable if the Executive Manager of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office wanted to take on the role himself, but suddenly multiplying the number of inspectors? That¡¯d just be asking for trouble.
It¡¯d be honestly nice to have extra hands, but we would end up creating even more problems if we broke the protocol now. It would be one of those rare situations where adding more people would somehow make things worse.
We¡¯ll just have to work hard with the people we have.
I sighed, pulling the still-struggling the 1st Manager onto myp. If we couldn¡¯t add anyone, then the current team would just have to grit their teeth and power through. Me, the Principal, the Vice Principal¡ª
And Sir Vir.
I felt a pang of sympathy when I thought of Sir Vir. None of the four of us had it easy, but his situation seemed particrly unfortunate.
He probably left his hometown with excitement, but now he was dealing with not only Rutis but also other nobles tagging along. He must be on the verge of biting his tongue. On top of that, Sir Vir wasn¡¯t just responsible for Armein; he represented all three countries. That meant triple the challenges and triple the stress.
¡I should get him a gift.
Maybe some health supplements or something to help him stay healthy for a long time would do. We only had four people handling this crisis, and it¡¯d be a disaster if even one of us copsed. If anyone went down, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to make a run for it without looking back.
Damn it.
Couldn¡¯t Enen just send me at least one reliable person? I swear, I¡¯d treat them really well.
Chapter 288: Found my Manpower (1)
Chapter 288: Found my Manpower (1)
Byte February, it was time to return to the academy and start preparing for the opening ceremony, which doubled as the entrance ceremony. Initially, I had nned to travel with the Mage Duchess, but she had a lot to take care of since it was the first time she¡¯d be away from the Magic Tower for an extended period. She said she¡¯d teleport in on the day of the ceremony, so I decided to leave first.
¡°Can¡¯t you take me with you? I don¡¯t want to be separated from my siblings.¡±
Just before heading to the academy, the 1st Manager clung to Louise, whining as she came to see her off. Honestly, she should be showing her younger sister a better side, but she was showing this clingy behavior instead.
¡°I want to stay with you too, unnie.¡±
Even though the 1st Manager¡¯s behavior might be annoying to some, Louise gently hugged her with teary eyes. Perhaps she saw a resemnce to herte sister in the way the 1st Manager kept calling her ¡®sis¡¯ so affectionately. Sisters who joked around and showed affection¡ªLouise deeply wished for that, but it was a reality that could nevere true. Maybe this moment gave her a small piece of that wish.
Of course, no matter how happy or sad it made her, bringing the 1st Manager along wasn¡¯t an option. Knowing that, Louise could only express her desire to stay together without actually asking to take her along.
¡°Alright, enough. Stop bothering her.¡±
With that, I roughly patted the 1st Manager on the head and pulled her away. We¡¯d coaxed her to stay behind with enough promises, but now she was acting up at thest minute.
¡°Why are you being like this when Penelia¡¯s just standing quietly?¡±
¡°That¡¯s because Penelia got a gift!¡±
At those words, the 4th Manager, who was standing beside us, flinched. It was amusing to see how she clung tightly to the sword in her arms even in this awkward moment.
¡°This is unfair! You didn¡¯t give me anything!¡±
The 1st Manager was practically ready to throw herself on the ground, yelling, while the 4th Manager looked increasingly ufortable as if worried that her gift might have hurt the 1st Manager¡¯s feelings.
Of course, that concern was unnecessary. If the 1st Manager were truly upset or hurt, she wouldn¡¯t just beining¡ªshe¡¯d already have taken action. She was the type who¡¯d probably sneak into my storeroom and take a gift for herself.
¡°That was unavoidable.¡±
I had nothing to feel guilty about. I¡¯d have no excuse if it had been actual favoritism, but that gift had been necessary.
I¡¯ve always made sure to be as fair as possible so that neither the 1st Manager nor the 4th would feel left out. I divided my time equally between them, making sure to meet with the 4th Manager if I had a meal with the 1st Manager. If I gave a gift to one, I made sure the other received something, too.
In my previous world, some religions taught that if a man had multiple wives, he should treat them all equally. Fairness in affection was important, and I prided myself on maintaining that bnce.
¡°Besides, she¡¯s about to be sent off on another difficult mission, so I had to give her something.¡±
Unlike the 1st Manager, who was staying in the capital, the 4th Manager would be heading back to the North soon. The gift was simply a way to remind her to be careful. It wasn¡¯t favoritism, just a necessity.
And it wasn¡¯t even anything particrly valuable¡ªjust a decent weapon that had been gathering dust in my personal storage.
¡°Fine¡¡±
Faced with a reasonable exnation, the 1st Manager couldn¡¯t argue anymore and just grumbled under her breath.
She wasn¡¯t throwing a fit because she was genuinely hurt; she probably just wanted to say a few more things before we parted, afraid she¡¯d be forgotten while we were apart.
¡°I don¡¯t want to be forgotten! I don¡¯t want to be that character who only gets remembered at the end like, ¡®Oh yeah, she was there, too!¡¯¡±
Her passionate outburst from a while back echoed in my mind. Honestly, the 1st Manager wasn¡¯t the kind of person you could easily forget even if you tried.
¡°I¡¯ll contact you every day as long as you¡¯re not on duty. The North is still cold even in spring, so take care of yourself.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn
¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±
With that, I patted the 4th Manager on the shoulder after leaving the 1st Manager behind. Supporting the 4th Manager with my own resources wasn¡¯t a problem, and I wasn¡¯t asking for any grand achievements from her¡ªjust that she stayed safe and healthy without getting hurt.
I wouldn¡¯t have to worry like this if the 4th Manager were still part of the Prosecutors¡¯ Office. But, of all ces, she ended up in the Special Service Agency, constantly running from one ce to another.
¡°Your safety is the most important thing. If things seem dangerous, run. You know it¡¯s better to live and seed in multiple missions than to diepleting just one, right?¡±
I raised her, but now she was out of my care and was working elsewhere. I pulled her into a hug, patting her back with a mix of bittersweet emotions and guilt. Maybe I should have fought harder when they transferred her to the Special Service Agency.
¡°Of-of course, sir. I¡¯ll make sure not to get even a single scratch on the body you entrusted to me.¡±
The 4th Manager stuttered, bracing herself as if to solidify her resolve while trembling slightly in my arms.
But that sounded a little odd, didn¡¯t it? ¡®The body you entrusted to me?¡¯ If someone overheard, they might think I was her parent or something.
¡°Right. Take care of yourself, and don¡¯t hide it if things get tough.¡±
Bottling things up only led to problems. As someone with experience, I hope she takes my words to heart.
¡°Executive Manager, why don¡¯t you say things like that to me?¡±
¡°Because you¡¯re good at telling me when something¡¯s wrong.¡±
I was finally able to get into the carriage after giving both the 1st Manager and the 4th Manager a heartfelt hug.
¡°Do you think it¡¯s too cruel to make them wait until summer vacation?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll try to show my face a few times before the vacation.¡±
Marghetta asked softly, smiling as she joined me in the carriage. It seemed she also felt bad for the two managers who couldn¡¯te to the academy.
Since teleporting between the capital and the academy didn¡¯t take long, I should ask the Mage Duchess to help out with that if her time allowed.
***
The carriage journey was peaceful and passed without a single incident. That peace, though, felt like it was just the calm before the storm.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Principal. Have you been well?¡±
¡°I¡¯m managing just fine as long as my body holds up.¡±
I headed straight for the Principal¡¯s office as soon as we arrived at the academy. He was surely one of the people who¡¯d suffered the most given the chaos this year¡¯s admissions had caused, so it was only right to discuss things.
In truth, the crisis had already begun and with no way to send either the royals or the Mage Duchess away, this was less of a discussion and more of a mutualmiseration.
¡°I find myselfughing nonstop these days. Students are pouring in from all over the continent seeking knowledge. As the Principal, how could I not be delighted?¡±
The Principalughed as if to demonstrate his words. But it was a hollowugh, one tinged with resignation and unease. It lingered in the air, tugging at my sympathy and stirring a bit of guilt.
¡°Moreover, this old man, who had nothing left but to wait for death, has now received a precious opportunity to learn in his twilight years. Truly, it¡¯s a blessing.¡±
A ¡®precious opportunity¡¯. Anyone could tell that he was talking about the Mage Duchess.
This was driving me crazy. Maybe it was because I heard that even the Principal of Ernesto Academy submitted an application to attend the Mage Duchess¡¯s ss, but I couldn¡¯t tell if the Principal¡¯s words were a joke born out of enlightenment or the sincere ramblings of a mage¡¯s madness. Logic would suggest the former, but mages were notoriously far removed from logic.
Was he nning to sit in the back during the Mage Duchess¡¯s lectures? Honestly, considering his current duties, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he asked for one-on-one lessons instead.
¡°I just hope the energetic new students won¡¯t trouble you too much.¡±
I finally offered a safe response after carefully weighing my words.
There was no denying that the Principal¡¯s quiet final years had just gotten a lot more chaotic whether he was thrilled about the Mage Duchess¡¯s presence or not. A simple expression of concern seemed sufficient.
¡It should be sufficient, right?
¡°Haha, it¡¯s natural for the young to be full of energy. I¡¯ve gotten used to it by now.¡±
As soon as the Principal said he was ¡®used to it,¡¯ images of my club members shed through my mind. I guess he¡¯d already had his fair share of chaotic experiences for what wasing.
But interestingly, while he said he was used to it, he didn¡¯t quite say he was okay with it. That must be thest shred of his conscience and rationality speaking.
¡°It¡¯s a shame that some of the students might find life in the Empire unfamiliar, but fortunately, we have someone who can look after them. It puts my mind at ease.¡±
¡°Yes, I feel the same way.¡±
I responded, nodding quickly.
On the surface, hisment sounded like concern for the iing foreign students, but the real message was clear: Let¡¯s leave the foreign students to Sir Vir. It was a subtle proposal¡ªsince the imperial inspector would be watching over the royals and future saints while the Principal was overseeing the academy, it made sense for Sir Vir to take care of the foreign students. And from my perspective, there was no reason to oppose such a proposal.
After all, it made perfect sense. Having a foreigner like Sir Vir handle the foreign students would make them feel more at easepared to being managed by an imperial civil servant. I had no objections to the idea.
The mages are my responsibility.
Of course, just because I was handing the foreign students off to Sir Vir didn¡¯t mean I could ck off. If he was in charge of foreign students because of his background, then I was naturally responsible for the mages as the future husband of the Mage Duchess. If we were dividing the burdens, then it was only fair we each take one.
So, with Sir Vir absent, we finished sorting out our respective duties¡ª
¡°Oh, by the way, Executive Manager. The pce mentioned something unusual recently.¡±
¡°The pce, you say?¡±
The unexpected statement made me pause, retracting my hand from the teacup. I would have assumed it was rted to the current situation if it had been the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Education. But the Imperial Pce? They shouldn¡¯t have any direct involvement in this matter.
Therge influx of foreign students alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to trigger the pce¡¯s interest. If they were going to react to academy admissions, they would have done so when Rutis, Lather, or Tannian enrolled. After all, a single royal student was far more significant than twenty or thirty noble students.
¡°Yes. His Highness the 3rd Prince said not to worry if the esteemed guests and future leaders find themselves confused or unsettled. After all, he is both a student and a Livnoman.¡±
The corners of my mouth twitched instinctively at the words.
Of course.
It was only natural. After making a grand appearance at the New Year¡¯s Ball and restoring his position as a proper member of the imperial family, Ainter was back in full force. And ording to the Livnoman tradition of never letting imperials idle away in luxury, Ainter was clearly being put to work.
Finally, some manpower.
I was genuinely moved. I could aplish so much more with just one extra pair of hands, and it wasn¡¯t just any additional help¡ªthis was an imperialborer and a legitimate one at that! In a situation where even getting amoner to help would be a blessing, having an imperial as a worker? I¡¯d be sure to treat him well. Ainter wouldn¡¯t be touching the ground anymore; he¡¯d be riding on my back for the foreseeable future.
Thank you for granting me such top-tierbor, Your Highness. I¡¯ll make sure to use it wisely.
Chapter 289: Found my Manpower (2)
Chapter 289: Found my Manpower (2)The higher a buyer¡¯s status and the more they pay, the better quality goods they can obtain. That was basic market logic that didn¡¯t even need to be exined. Therefore, the carriages owned by the Krasius family boasted an impable quality, second only to those made for the imperial family.
Durable materials, a cozy interior, seats asfortable as a bed, and a ride so smooth you could barely feel any bumps¡ªall were features that make long, tedious carriage journeys more bearable.
But no matter howfortable, a carriage was still a carriage.
¡°Sarah, are you alright?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine. How many times are you going to ask that?¡±
I didn¡¯t say, ¡®You don¡¯t look fine, though,¡¯ because that would only make her more stressed. If I had said that, Sarah, who was already tired, would¡¯ve started trying to hide her difort. It was better for her condition to show on her face so we could stop the carriage or rest in a nearby town when needed.
I expected this.
I forced a smile in return to Sarah¡¯s weak one. But inwardly, I sighed.
No matter how good the carriage was, it was still a carriage. A smooth ride with barely any bumps? That meant there¡¯d still be a little shaking. It¡¯d be hardly noticeable for most people, but for Sarah¡ªon her first long trip after being confined at home for so long¡ªher frail body would feel every little movement.
That was why I initially wanted to travel using teleportation instead. Even Mother was worried about Sarah¡¯s health and was willing to send the family mage to help.¡°I¡¯ll be attending the Academy soon. I can¡¯tin every time things get tough.¡±
But the problem was that Sarah refused.
Her reasoning was that she needed to get used to moving around and couldn¡¯t rely on teleportation for the rest of her life. It wasn¡¯t wrong, so neither Mother nor nanny could change her mind. It was hard to argue when someone with a frail body insisted on doing something difficult, especially when they were determined to carry on as if everything was normal.
¡°Let me know right away if Sarah looks too tired.¡±
¡°Yes, Mother.¡±
Mother quietly whispered to me to let her know immediately if Sarah¡¯s condition worsened during the journey while nanny shared a tearful farewell hug with Sarah. She¡¯d send the mage then even if we had already started traveling.
I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I¡¯ve fiddled with themunication crystal ever since we left the territory. My heart sank every time Sarah swayed from the carriage¡¯s movements or every time she so much as sneezed. The temptation to just call the mage and make the journey easier was constantly tugging at me.
But, of course, doing that would only earn Sarah¡¯s resentment. She could be strangely stubborn.
¡°Hey, Erich.¡±
Sarah, who had just stifled a small yawn¡ªperhaps from nausea¡ªcautiously spoke up. Could this be it? Was she finally going to ask for the mage? Was my chance to escape this ufortable situation finally here?
¡°If you¡¯re that worried about me¡ Can you lend me your shoulder?¡±
Apparently not.
I quietly adjusted my posture. It seemed like she just wanted to rest her head on my shoulder, which I was more than willing to offer. If she had asked for teleportation though, I¡¯d have dly arranged that instead.
Sarah smiled faintly and rested her head against my shoulder as soon as I repositioned myself to make it easier for her. Honestly, the carriage was spacious enough that lying down would probably be more effective if she was sleepy.
¡°This is warm.¡±
¡°Is it? That¡¯s good.¡±
If warmth made her feel better, then I couldn¡¯t argue with that. For someone unwell, regting their body temperature was important.
But you said just my shoulder¡
The only downside was that as Sarah slept, her head slid down from my shoulder to myp.
Because of that, I couldn¡¯t get up until she woke up.
***Perhaps it was the price I paid for sacrificing myp, but we managed to reach the Academy without needing to summon the mage. Although I spent the whole journey anxiously wondering when I¡¯d have to call for help, Sarah arrived in good health in the end. I suppose I should just be d about that.
As we rode along the main road leading from the front gate to the dormitories, a particrly striking carriage caught my eye. It wasrger and more luxurious than the others, bearing the unmistakable crest of the royal family of Robens.
Rutis?
It was obvious to anyone that this was Rutis¡¯s carriage. It would be strange if someone else were riding in such an extravagant vehicle.
Soon, one of the knights escorting the carriage approached and started chatting with our family¡¯s knights.
¡°Young master.¡±
Not long after, a small window on the door of Rutis¡¯s carriage opened, and the knight leaned out to speak.
¡°Prince Rutis has asked if you could meet him at the club roomter if you¡¯re free. He says it¡¯s been a while and would like to catch up.¡±
It wasn¡¯t a bad offer. I didn¡¯t have much to do until the start of the term anyway, and meeting someone familiar sounded better than being bored. Besides, with Rutis, I could y chess or have a quick one-on-one foot volleyball match.
Plus, if I went straight to the dorms, Sarah would be left alone. No matter how close we were, a man couldn¡¯t just waltz into the women¡¯s dormitory. That would bepletely improper for a nobleman.
¡°Do you want toe along?¡±
I asked Sarah, who was still resting on myp. She sat up and tilted her head.
¡°Prince Rutis? You mean the one from our club?¡±
¡°¡Yeah.¡±
It felt strange hearing her refer to him as ¡®Prince¡¯ and ¡®His Highness.¡¯ I knew that was the proper way to address him, but that sense of respect kind of wore off after seeing him behave so absurdly in the club.
I felt a little bad, but honestly, anyone who¡¯d spent a month in the pastry club with him would lose some of their reverence for a royal family.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s easygoing. And it¡¯s a good chance to say hello since you¡¯ll be seeing him every day in the club anyway.¡±
¡°Sure, I guess it¡¯s good to introduce myself early.¡±
Despite her calm words, I noticed her eyes trembling slightly.
I understood. Meeting a prince out of the blue would make anyone nervous. Of course, from my perspective¡ªknowing the real Rutis¡ªit seemed like needless anxiety.
¡°Oh, Erich! Long time no see!¡±
¡°Yeah, how¡¯ve you been?¡±
After we turned the carriage toward the building where the club room was, Rutis stepped out and waved enthusiastically.
I heard a small hup from Sarah beside me as I casually returned his greeting. She must¡¯ve been surprised to see a prince acting so casually, or maybe it was the sight of a noble replying so nonchntly to royalty.
She¡¯ll get used to it.
Unfortunately for Sarah, one of the rites of passage for members of the pastry club was quickly shedding any illusions of grandeur when it came to royalty.
I couldn¡¯t help but worry a little. How long would it take Sarah to reach that point? For me, it only took two months, but with Sarah¡¯s social awkwardness, it might take half a year¡
¡°Is this Lady Sarah?¡±
¡°Wow, you remember?¡±
Now it was my turn to be surprised. I had mentioned Sarah briefly before winter vacation, but I didn¡¯t expect him to remember her.
¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to forget when you¡¯re practically glowing with affection every time you mention Lady Sarah.¡±
Iughed at Rutis¡¯s exaggerated tone. Sure, I¡¯d mentioned Sarah a few times, but it wasn¡¯t like I was constantly gushing over her.
¡°Affection¡¡±
Still, Sarah seemed pleased, so I didn¡¯t bother correcting him.
***After arriving at the Academy, I ended up spending more time in the club room than in the dorm. There wasn¡¯t much to do in the dormitory, but at least in the club room, I had people to talk to. Marghetta was busy as the President of the student council, but Louise and Irina often stopped by, and Louise would even make some snacks if I got hungry. Overall, it was a pretty nice way to rx.
That was, until he showed up.
¡°Ah, so you¡¯re here too, Advisor?¡±
Things had been going great until I saw him.
Damn it.
Seeing Rutis again made me realize that the vacation was officially over. The new semester had started, and I was back to work.
¡°You here too?¡±
¡°Haha, there¡¯s nothing to do in the dorms, right?¡±
I felt a bit embarrassed to realize that we were thinking the exact same thing. Why did we have to be on the same wavelength at times like this?
As Rutisughed, Erich and Sarah entered the room as well. I didn¡¯t expect them to arrive at the same time¡ªmaybe they ran into each other on the way here.
She¡¯s really here.
Seeing Sarah at the Academy felt surreal. She had always been confined to her bed, but now here she was, holding Erich¡¯s hand. Part of me wondered if she was pushing herself too hard, but considering the toll a long carriage journey could take on anyone, it was understandable. Even healthy people get motion sickness after traveling for too long¡ªhow much worse must it have been for Sarah?
¡°Hello, oppa.¡±
Noticing my gaze, Sarah bowed her head politely. She didn¡¯t look sick upon closer inspection, just tired from the journey.
¡°Wee. Erich didn¡¯t pull anything funny, did he?¡±
¡°Hey, why is this about me all of a sudden?¡±
I teased him, and Erich, taken aback, responded with a puzzled expression.
¡°Fufu, no, there¡¯s nothing like that. Thanks to Erich, I was able to sleepfortably.¡±
At that, every eye in the room turned toward Erich. Me, Louise, Irina, and even Rutis.
I knew exactly why¡ªSarah¡¯s words were deliberately vague, triggering the wrong kind of thoughts. Of course, I knew Erich wasn¡¯t the type to suddenly get overly bold. Still, instincts tend to kick in faster than logic, so it was hard not to react.
¡°¡She means she used myp as a pillow.¡±
Ah, as expected. Sorry for doubting you just a little bit.
***Sarah seemed interested in what Louise was doing as she watched her knead the dough with great focus. She approached, quietly observing, and the two started chatting, likely because they had already met back at the territory.
¡°I¡¯m d she has a friend who¡¯s a girl.¡±
Erich muttered softly as he watched them, sighing with relief as if a weight had been lifted.
It was true. No matter how much Erich cared for Sarah, there were limits due to their genders. With separate dormitories for boys and girls and sses sometimes divided by gender, it was impossible for Erich to always be there for her.
¡°Hyung.¡±
Erich turned to me, clearly lost in thought.
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°If, by any chance, there¡¯s ever a time when no one else can take care of Sarah¡ can you look after her?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn
It wasn¡¯t a question I needed to think about. Sarah wasn¡¯t a stranger, and she was the head maid¡¯s daughter. As the heir to our family, it was more than just duty¡ªit wasmon sense to care for her.
¡°Of cour¡ª¡±
Just as I was about to respond naturally, an idea came to mind.
¡Should I recruit him?
Erich, my younger brother, was an imperial subject, a member of the pastry club, and part of the Krasius family. He even had a certain level of authority. Since being turned down by Louise, he hadn¡¯t caused me any trouble or acted out in any way.
In other words, he was the perfect candidate for extrabor. Unlike Ainter, who upied a more ambiguous role under me, Erich¡¯s position was clear. He was clearly below me in rank.
¡°¡ªse, but I do have some work of my own, you know.¡±
So, I slightly changed direction. Sure, I could do it, but why not score some points while I was at it?
¡°If you help me out from time to time, I might have some more free time to spare.¡±
¡°You want me to help you with your work?¡±
¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t give you anything too difficult. Givingplicated tasks to someone untrained just creates more work for me.¡±
Yeah, it wouldn¡¯t be anything too hard¡ªthough it might drive him crazy and make him want to quit.
However, I could promise one thing: I¡¯d take care of the truly difficult and frustrating parts myself. Erich just needed to handle the easier tasks.
¡°Alright. I can do it if it¡¯s just that.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
I¡¯m really grateful, my manpower no. 2.
I¡¯ll make sure to look after you once I inherit the title.
Chapter 290: Found my Manpower (3)
Chapter 290: Found my Manpower (3)The Principal¡¯s back seemed smaller than usual today. It had been a long time since I felt this kind of sympathy¡ªprobably not since the inter-sspetition.
¡°The Academy is open to those who seek knowledge. No one is denied the opportunity due to the blood they were born with, nor does nationality dictate the results they achieve.¡±
Despite the apparent sorrow in his posture, the Principal¡¯s words were perfectly rational. The Academy wouldn¡¯t mistreatmoner students, nor did it give terrible grades just because someone was from another country. What a noble sentiment.
But why did they leave the listener feeling a strange sorrow even though these words were so right and just? It was almost as if he was pleading, ¡®Please don¡¯t cause any trouble, we¡¯re trying to maintain peace and fairness here.¡¯
Is it really a plea?
Honestly, it kind of felt like it.
The Vice Principal followed after the Principal¡¯s pitiful back-to-school speech, and then the head teachers from each department gave their addresses in turn.
It¡¯s the same lineup this year.
Seeing the familiar faces of those who had managed to hold their ground amidst the chaos of the Academy made me feel a bit at ease. Unless some major incident urred, the head teachers were unlikely to change.
The head teachers of each department could be officially reced anytime based on merit, but in reality, the same four had held their positions for over a decade.The heads of Swordsmanship, Magic, Theology, and Academic faculties were all renowned not just in the Empire, but across the continent. They wouldn¡¯t put some nobody in charge of teaching the Empire¡¯s royalty and nobility. Naturally, these were the heavyweights of their respective fields, and they defended their positions like champions.
Because of this, bing a head teacher was considered an honor, and even students from high-ranking families showed them respect. In fact, first-year students would often gaze at the head teachers with eyes full of admiration¡ª
¡ªOr so I¡¯d heard.
¡This is a bit too obvious.
Despite the head teacher standing right in front, the students were abuzz, their attention clearly focused elsewhere¡ªaway from the head teacher and toward someone behind them.
It might have been rude from the head teacher¡¯s perspective, but they seemed to understand, rushing to finish their speech as if eager to step aside and let the real star take the stage.
Who could me them?
The students¡¯ eyes and the subtle nces of the head of the Magic Department¡ªthey were all directed toward the person standing next to me.
I followed their gaze and nced to my side where a woman stood quietly, her eyes closed. Her long, white hair cascaded down to the floor, and her ears, sharp and tall, seemed to reach for the sky.
¡°¡ªAnd now we will hear a few words from Her Grace the Mage Duchess, guest lecturer from the Magic Tower.¡±
At those words, the Mage Duchess slowly opened her eyes.
The head teacher of the Magic Department? A defending champion for over a decade? Who cared about them when a living legend, a figure synonymous with the field itself, was standing here? The Magic Department head had practically bowed to the ground the moment the Mage Duchess teleported in. Watching a seasoned elder do that was almost painful to witness.
¡°Just say whatever you want. They¡¯ll love it no matter what.¡±
¡°Fufu, thanks for the advice.¡±
I offered the Mage Duchess a bit of encouragement before she approached the podium, and she gave me a soft smile.N?v(el)B\\jnn
Truth be told, I was a little worried. The Mage Duchess was a recluse who rarely left the Magic Tower, and she¡¯d never given a public speech before. What if she said something so cryptic that the students ended up confused, or worse, what if she wrapped up the speech before the apuse even started?
Of course, given her reputation, they¡¯d probably still cheer even if she cursed them out.
***As expected, the Mage Duchess¡¯s speech ended with thunderous apuse. The students¡¯ reactions were akin to aspiring pirates hearing rumors of a hidden treasure trove.
¡°Feel free to ask anything during ss. I¡¯ll teach you everything I know, but it¡¯s up to you to put in the effort to master it.¡±
Of course, the catch was that this statement was as monumental as finding the One Piece itself.
No sane mage would be able to remain calm when the Mage Duchess dered, ¡®I¡¯ll teach you everything I know.¡¯ If you couldn¡¯t improve with the continent¡¯s greatest mage as your teacher, then it meant that your talent had hit rock bottom and it was probably time to give up on the path of magic altogether.
And so, the magic students went into a frenzy, including even those not practicing magic as they became swept up in the Mage Duchess¡¯s reputation. They all cheered and apuded until the opening ceremony concluded.
¡°Baby, let¡¯s go.¡±
I felt a bit puzzled as the Mage Duchess quietly approached me and took my hand. I was free to head to the club room, but didn¡¯t she have a ss to teach? Was she really going to skip teaching on the very first day?
¡°What about your ss?¡±
¡°My ss isn¡¯t until the fourth period, so it¡¯s fine.¡±
Fair enough. It would be strange for one guest lecturer to be responsible for all the sses.
They probably would¡¯ve worked her to the bone if she had just a middling reputation, but who could possibly overwork someone who outranked even the Principal?
¡°I¡¯d like to see the club room. I¡¯ve heard about it and want to see it for myself.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight of her eager, sparkling eyes. The club room was just a nice, clean space, but to the Mage Duchess, it must have been like stepping into a dream¡ªespecially since it was the ce where I spent more than half my day.
To her, it must have seemed like some sort of utopia.
***It had been a while since my heart raced like this¡ªprobably not since Louise rejected me.
It was a sad analogy, but it was true.
The Mage Duchess¡
The Mage Duchess¡¯s presence still felt vivid in my mind even though the opening ceremony was already over and we¡¯d left the auditorium. Her voice seemed to linger in my ears.
Who could have predicted this? Who would¡¯ve thought something like this would happen before winter vacation, and before I returned to my homnd?
The Mage Duchess as an instructor¡
My hands started trembling. I tried to hold myself together to maintain the dignity of a royal, but even that couldn¡¯t ovee the raw instincts of a mage.
Last year, I was content just learning from a regr Magic Tower lecturer. After all, it was the magic of the Empire¡ªcarefully structured and perfectly organized magic. Receiving instruction from even a regr Magic Tower mage was enough to advance my skills. And indeed, I made significant progress.
But this time, it was the Mage Duchess herself. The pinnacle of all magic across the continent, the symbol of our era¡¯s magical world, hade to teach us.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Yes, this was truly a stroke of luck I¡¯d never have again even if I were reborn. For a mage, it was a greater fortune than being born into royalty. The Mage Duchess was like a king to us¡ªno, more than a king. In terms of reverence, she was practically a deity.
¡°Feel free to ask anything during ss. I¡¯ll teach you everything I know, but it¡¯s up to you to put in the effort to master it.¡±
As her words reyed in my mind, my heart, which had briefly calmed, started pounding again. The fact that we could ask the Mage Duchess anything during ss put me in a privileged positionpared to other students.
Of course, I didn¡¯t intend to use my royal status for special treatment. After all, a prince was nothingpared to a duke in the Empire, so it wasn¡¯t like I could rely on my title to cozy up to the Mage Duchess. But there was one thing I could count on: the fact that the Mage Duchess¡¯s fianc¨¦e was the advisor of our pastry club and that her only apprentice, Louise, was a member of the same club.
Having even a faint connection was worlds apart from having none at all. And being the acquaintance of both her future spouse and only disciple? That was far more than just a faint connection.
But I can¡¯t just rely on that alone.
However, I couldn¡¯t rely solely on personal connections to ask for unreasonable favors. The Advisor, who happened to be the Mage Duchess¡¯s future spouse? I already owed him a huge debtst year during the first semester.
And Louise? Honestly, she¡¯d probably help if I asked, but it would be out of guilt for rejecting me. She¡¯d likely go above and beyond, which would just make me feel guilty in return.
I need to offer something in return¡
Excluding Louise, who might overextend herself, that left only the advisor. But what could I offer him in exchange for asking a favor? A transaction was only possible if the other personcked something.
This isplicated. What cards do I have? What can I offer the advisor in exchange for the chance to see the Mage Duchess outside of ss?
¡°¡Ha.¡±
At the very least, I needed to give the advisor something he wanted in order to get what I wanted¡ª
¡°Your Highness Lather.¡±
Ah.
I snapped back to reality. Being lost in thought and not hearing someone call me from right beside me was embarrassing.
¡°Just call me ¡®senior¡¯ at the Academy.¡±
¡°Oh. Yes, Senior Lather.¡±
I quicklyposed myself and turned toward the voice. It was a familiar face.
It was Rachel Sorta, a freshman from the United Kingdom of Yuben. She initially enrolled in the Academy because of her connection with me, but she becamepletely obsessed once she heard about the Mage Duchess¡¯s arrival.
¡°What is it?¡±
Recognizing her face made me even more embarrassed¡ªI¡¯d zoned out in front of someone I knew well.
Luckily, Rachel didn¡¯t seem to mind much as she spoke up without hesitation.
¡°Senior, you¡¯re in the pastry club, right?¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±
There was no need to hide it, so I answered casually. Then, I noticed a faint gleam of excitement in Rachel¡¯s eyes.
¡°When does the club recruitment period start?¡±
At her words, I immediately understood her intention. The rumor about the Mage Duchess¡¯s fianc¨¦e being the club¡¯s advisor had spread far and wide. So, her interest in joining the pastry club wasn¡¯t surprising. She, like me, probably wanted to use personal connections to her advantage.
The determination of mages never ceased to amaze me. They were always quick to think of how to benefit¡ª
¡Mages¡¯ determination.
I paused, letting my thoughts shift in a new direction. There were countless magic students who were all eager to get close to the Mage Duchess, and there was also the well-known fact about the pastry club¡¯s advisor. Naturally, the club would be flooded with membership applications. And the advisor? He¡¯d be bombarded with requests.
I realized I had a card to y.
I can control the chaos for him.
I could manage the wave of magic students trying to use the advisor as a stepping stone and block unnecessary club applications. In return, he would avoid the hassle and enjoy some peace of mind.
And in exchange, I could quietly ask him for a favor. Knowing his personality, he wouldn¡¯t refuse me outright.
This could work.
Thanks to Rachel, I¡¯d found the perfect card to y.
Although Rachel herself would be part of the group I¡¯d have to control, I hope she wouldn¡¯t resent me too much. I could always teach herter once I had learned properly from the Mage Duchess.
Chapter 291: Get lost if you cant bake (1)
Chapter 291: Get lost if you can''t bake (1)
It seemed like this year would be the one where things finally went my way. Yeah, I deserved it after working myself to the bone all this time. If any justice was left in this world, then even an outsider like me should get a blessing at some point.
I felt happy. It was as if all the luck that had been piling up just exploded at once, sending wave after wave of unexpected fortune my way. If no one were around, I¡¯d probably be doing flips in every direction while shouting with joy. Actually, not just in four directions¡ªI¡¯d shout to the skies in all eight if I could.
And that was why even Lather looked extra charming today.
Our dear manpower no. 3.
Just looking at him made me smile warmly. Up until now, I¡¯d lumped him in with Rutis as one of my two biggest headaches, but who knew he was capable of something this considerate? Of course, I should¡¯ve expected this. He was a mage, a symbol of intellect.
Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure what to think when he suddenly showed up in the empty club room. I wondered if he was here to ask for some unreasonable favor or maybe to confess to some trouble he¡¯d caused. After all, there didn¡¯t seem to be any reason for Lather toe see me first.
¡°I¡¯ll handle the mages for you. There¡¯s no need to trouble the busy advisor with that, is there?¡±
The moment he said that, my concern flipped into sheer delight. The prince of a magic kingdom was offering to take control of the mages? He had pinpointed the exact thing that was bothering me and offered to take care of it.
¡°And if you have some free time, there¡¯s a favor I¡¯d like to ask¡ª¡°
¡°Don¡¯t worry. If it¡¯s something I can¡¯t help with, I¡¯ll ask the Mage Duchess instead.¡±
Now, of course, a royal wouldn¡¯t offer help without a reason. He must want something from me in return, and thankfully, what Lather wanted was something I could give. At a time like this, it was pretty obvious what a mage was after.
So, I answered even before he finished speaking. I¡¯ll give you what you want if you help me out properly.
¡°Thank you, Advisor.¡±
With that, we sealed the deal, and Lather gave me a respectful nod. Grateful? I should be the one thanking him.
I was worried about how I¡¯d survive this year, back when I was still in the capital, but the important manpower I needed started lining up at my door as soon as I arrived at the academy. And it wasn¡¯t just any manpower¡ªthese were highly capable ones at that.
Lather, in particr, was an unexpected ve¡ªno, an unexpected blessing. Unlike Ainter, who was bound by royal duty, or Erich, who helped out because of family ties, Lather lent me a hand entirely of his own will. Sure, it was a calcted decision, but who cared? He¡¯d work even harder if there was something in it for him.
Top tier¡
I closed my eyes quietly as I watched Lather leave the club room. Top tier. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else.
Even though I was the Mage Duchess¡¯s soon-to-be husband, I couldn¡¯t get too close to the students as the inspector. That distance made it hard to manage them effectively. But with Lather¡¯s cooperation, I¡¯d be able to ovee that problem. And with the authority of royalty behind him, it¡¯d be even easier.
Of course, knowing the insane passion and unpredictability of mages, even a royal might not be able to control thempletely. But it was enough. Lather would weed out the troublemakers first, and with only a few left, I could handle the rest.
Thank you¡
I pictured Lather¡¯s face again, the true symbol of reason in this era. I felt really thankful. I should make sure he gets one-on-one training with the Mage Duchess for at least an hour every day.
He¡¯d be the top mage in Yuben by the time he graduated from this academy.
***
Contrary to my concerns before the semester started, the academy was peaceful. I wasn¡¯t sure if the Principal¡¯s speech awakened the students¡¯ consciences or if they just had good manners andmon sense, but either way, everything was calm.
With Sir Vir managing the foreign students and Lather keeping the mages in check, how could there be any chaos? Ainter and Erich were ready to step in in case of an emergency, too. It was a lineup that made my heart swell with pride. This must be how it feels like when you finally assemble the Five Tiger Generals in a strategy game.
¡°If it weren¡¯t for Sir Vir, I¡¯d have needed two bodies to get everything done.¡±
With that in mind, I invited him to the club room to express my gratitude. I met with the other three during club hours, but I hadn¡¯t had the chance to take care of Sir Vir in the same way. As it happened, the Mage Duchess was away for ss, so the timing was perfect to invite someone.
¡°You¡¯re too kind. The academy would have taken excellent care of its students even without me.¡±
¡°Haha, that¡¯s a reassuring thing to hear as a citizen of the Empire. The Principal will be pleased.¡±
I smiled slightly as I poured tea for Sir Vir, who responded with his usual calm demeanor. To be honest, I felt a bit guilty about how we¡¯d decided to assign him the task of managing the foreign students without consulting him. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like he held any resentment for being left out of that decision.
Sir Vir must¡¯ve recognized the need for cooperation and division of roles to survive the chaos of this year¡¯s admissions. Honestly, we¡¯d have been stuck without him overseeing the foreign students. It wouldn¡¯t have worked for me or the Principal to step in directly since we were from the Empire ourselves¡
¡°But it¡¯s true that your help has made things much easier for me. You¡¯ve been so cooperative with the other countries¡¯s affairs that I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±
I handed Sir Vir a box that I had ced to my left. After all, a visible token of appreciation always speaks louder than mere words.
¡°This is a small gesture. For a knight, there¡¯s nothing more valuable than a healthy body.¡±
Sir Vir had been working tirelessly with mest year, and I knew he¡¯d continue to do so for the next two years. He had be something of arade, and it would¡¯ve been a lie if I didn¡¯t feel a sense of solidarity and sympathy toward him.
That was why I prepared a gift that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find anywhere else.
¡°This is a potion made by the Mage Duchess. It¡¯ll heal most wounds quickly, and it¡¯ll improve your overall health with regr use.¡±
Sir Vir¡¯s eyes widened at that. Even though he wasn¡¯t particrly involved in magic, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t recognize the Mage Duchess¡¯s reputation. For a knight who relied on physical strength, high-quality potions were invaluable. And they¡¯d be second to none if they were made by the Mage Duchess.
¡°If it¡¯s for someone who has helped baby, then I¡¯ll have to make sure it¡¯s a good one.¡±
The Mage Duchess had gone to special lengths to make this potion.
Granted, it wasn¡¯t like the 40-year longevity potion I¡¯d been consuming myself¡ªthere was no such thing as a life-extending potion, after all.
¡°I¡¯ve prepared one for Dame Perosa as well, so please ept it.¡±
¡°Thank you. I didn¡¯t expect such a precious gift.¡±
Sir Vir hesitated briefly, perhaps worried that epting too quickly might make him look greedy. But when I mentioned that I¡¯d even prepared some for his precious daughter, he reached out immediately. After all, for a father, their child¡¯s health came before any sense of pride.
¡°I¡¯m almost embarrassed by how shabby my gift is.¡±
He spoke with a slight awkwardness, his gaze shifting down to the well-wrapped box to my right.
It seemed that I wasn¡¯t the only one feeling a sense of solidarity as Sir Vir had prepared a gift for me as well. I was genuinely touched when he handed it to me upon arriving at the club room. It made me feel like my time at the academy hadn¡¯t been a waste after all.
¡°It¡¯s a gift for you and your partners. It¡¯s from a fairly well-known jeweler in Armein, so I hope it suits your taste.¡±
I was speechless when I found out he had prepared six sets. I hadn¡¯t expected that from such a straightforward knight. Also, it was always more moving to receive an unexpected gift from someone you wouldn¡¯t expect it from.
¡°Embarrassed? Don¡¯t be. We¡¯ve given each other things we couldn¡¯t have otherwise gotten, so there¡¯s nothing modest about it.¡±
I had received the rare jewelry of Armein, and Sir Vir had received the Mage Duchess¡¯s special potions. It was simply a warm exchange of gifts that neither of us could have easily obtained on our own. What was there to feel embarrassed or excessive about?
¡°Your words put me at ease.¡±
I smiled back at Sir Vir as he gave a gentle smile.
The world would be a much better ce if only everyone in this world had half the integrity he had.
***
I feel like I¡¯m on the verge of hating my own kind. These mad dogs are so blind to everything around them.
But I stopped myself just before that point because I understood all too well how one became such a mad dog. I might¡¯ve been one of those mad dogs myself if I hadn¡¯t been part of the pastry club or if I hadn¡¯t made a deal with the advisor.
Of course it wasn¡¯t going to be easy.
I let out a small sigh, rubbing my forehead. I knew from the moment I tried to strike a deal with the advisor that it would be difficult, but I hadn¡¯t expected it to be this frustrating and annoying.
Unfortunately, the authority of royalty wasn¡¯t enough topletely rein in these fanatical mages. After all, they hadn¡¯te from all over the continent just because of the title of nobility¡ªthey were drawn here by the reputation of the Mage Duchess.
They were too wild and unruly to be controlled by mere authority alone. I had to subtly bribe them and apply a little pressure here and there just to see any results. And even then, it wasn¡¯t a perfect solution.
What a persistent bunch.
Despite my best efforts, some mages refused to give in. There were already people openly signing up for the pastry club, and others were nning to submit their applications the moment the club registration period started.
¡°Lather hyung?¡±
While I was sitting there, lost in thought, I heard Tannian¡¯s voice.
¡°Tannian.¡±
I wanted to wave but I had no energy left, so I just gave him a slight nod. It might havee off as rude, but instead of being offended, Tannian seemed more focused on how exhausted I was.
¡°Is something wrong? You look drained.¡±
¡°Think you could use a bit of holy spell on me?¡±
¡°dly.¡±
Tannian chuckled softly and ced his hand on my head, reciting a brief prayer. To my surprise, I felt a wave of energy returning to my body, and my mind cleared a little. I hadn¡¯t expected him to actually do it.
¡°Is this about the club?¡±
He asked as if he already knew the answer, and I nodded quietly. Everyone knew by now that I had be the gatekeeper of the pastry club.
¡°You¡¯re working hard. Honestly, I feel bad that you¡¯re the only one getting dragged into this.¡±
¡°I volunteered, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡±
Yes, I brought this on myself. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to use it as a bargaining chip if it weren¡¯t a difficult job. If it were easy, the advisor would¡¯ve handled it without a second thought.
Besides, it wasn¡¯t like I was the only one suffering. Some of the mages shifted their attention to the other club members as I tightened my grip on them, looking for loopholes. Rather than waste time on an impossible path, they turned to whatever opportunity seemed slightly more feasible. That in itself was a very mage-like move.
¡°And what about you? Are you holding up?¡±
After all, Tannian was one of those members they¡¯d likely be targeting. He was likely being pestered just as much as I was.
¡°Actually, that¡¯s what I came to talk about.¡±
Tannian¡¯s smile grew wider as he spoke.
¡°One of the new students from the Holy Kingdom is nning to start another pastry club.¡±
?
¡°Why don¡¯t we direct those eager to join our club to this new one instead?¡±
¡°¡A new pastry club?¡±
The rity I¡¯d regained quickly clouded again. What was he talking about?
Tannian, unfazed by my reaction, continued with an even bigger smile.
¡°It¡¯s strange for people who don¡¯t know anything about baking to want to join a pastry club, isn¡¯t it? So, this new club is more like a training ground for them to practice before officially joining ours.¡±
But¡ we didn¡¯t know anything about baking when we joined, either.N?v(el)B\\jnn
¡°Aren¡¯t duplicate clubs forbidden¡?¡±
I asked the most basic question that came to mind. We already had a pastry club, so how could another one be formed¡ª?
¡°Oh. Officially, it¡¯s a debate club thatpares the Old and New Testaments and discusses the historical contexts of each era.¡±
¡°A debate club?¡±
¡°Yes, they¡¯ll just be making some simple desserts during their discussions.¡±
All I could do was nod slowly in response.
If you can¡¯t stop them, then you can just push them elsewhere.
¡I never would¡¯ve imagined such a method.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!