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Chapter 73
I wasn't even surprised, so why was Kibon?
This guy really does like me.
Bewildered, I glanced at Kibon when Jayden suddenly slammed the table. Then he turned toward Kibon with a threatening tone.
"Hey, Intern."
"...."
"What? I'm calling you. Aren't you going to ‌‌‌answer?"
"...Yes."
"You need to get out of here. From now on, ‍‌‌‌Namia and I are going to have a very important conversation. This isn't a place for a trivial intern like you. Does that bother you? Then grit your teeth, succeed, and come back up. Understood? Do you understand?"
"...." ‌‌‌‌
"Answer."
"...Yes."
Kibon ground his teeth loud enough for ‌‌everyone to hear.
But there was nothing he could do about it. It was the Young Prince's command, after all.
Kibon rose with a reluctant expression and ‌left the Minister's Office.
Then he stood in front of the door. I watched his retreating figure and thought to myself.
'...He'll hear everything anyway.'
The truth was, the Minister's Office wasn't very soundproof.
But apparently Jayden hadn't ‌deduced that fact, because he began speaking in a serious tone.
"Anyway, it's related to my older ‌‌brother."
"Yes. Please go ahead."
While Jayden cleared his throat, I glanced sideways at Kibon's back.
I kept my wits about me, ready to stop Jayden if something came up that others shouldn't hear.
"Ahem, so."
But Jayden just kept hesitating and couldn't bring ‌‌himself to speak.
Eventually, I gently offered a suggestion to ease the tension.
"Would you care for some cookies, Your Highness? It's not much, but I'd like to offer you something."
"I'm a bit picky about food, but go ahead and give me some."
"Yes."
I pulled cookies from the drawer and retrieved a small scroll as well.
It was a transport scroll with a short range, so it wasn't particularly useful, but it was perfect for a moment like this.
When I activated the scroll, the cookies floated up on the parchment and gently descended before Jayden.
"Wow!"
Jayden's eyes widened in amazement. I stifled a laugh internally.
'He has no manners, but he sure is cute!'
He ‌‌‌never received proper home education from childhood and learned from Riedan that ‌‌‌"ordinary people are all lacking, and fools should be ignored," which is why he's like ‌‌‌this, but he's still cute!
'Even in the original story... as time passes, he grows a lot in character.'
Now that Riedan is gone and he'll receive proper education, his manners will only improve.
I waited until Jayden finished eating one cookie completely.
After swallowing the cookie, Jayden wiped his mouth. ‌‌‌‌
"Ahem, ahem."
And finally, I opened my mouth.
"Namia, ‌‌‌‌‌you said it clearly yourself. Everything Riedan said was a lie."
"Ah... well, except for the knowledge part."
"Riedan called you, the Minister of Scrolls, pathetic, arrogant, from a vulgar family, and a fool who doesn't know your place."
I'd expected it, but hearing it from a child's mouth left a bitter taste. ‌‌‌‌
Jayden continued calmly.
"But logically speaking, ‌‌‌if all of that were lies, you'd actually be quite a decent person."
"Mm... yes. I think I'm someone with decent circumstances, decent abilities, from a ‌‌‌vulgar family background, but a talented person who understands my position as Minister."
"Exactly. So really... meeting you in person, I ‌‌‌‌understand better now. You seem like a good person."
The evaluation was too generous just ‌‌for ‌‌‌giving cookies and making scrolls entertaining.
Jayden crossed his arms and, with an extremely arrogant attitude, tilted his chin up as ‌he spoke.
"Let me be direct. What does my brother need to fix? What should he do?"
"...Pardon?"
"I'm thinking of straightening out this crazy little brat, so give me a hint first."
Jayden picked up another cookie ‌‌‌and continued speaking as he crunched on it.
"My brother is a ‌‌lonely person. You mere humans tremble before him knowing nothing, but he's still a good person."
"Ah..."
"The Empress and the Emperor can't bring themselves to ask because of their dignity ‌‌as ‌‌adults, but they both wish for you and the Crown Prince to do well. So I, using the privilege of a reckless brat who doesn't need to worry about appearances, decided to ask on behalf of the family."
I felt utterly dizzy.
I looked at Jayden's round cheeks and spoke slowly.
"I've met the Crown Prince exactly three times. And only briefly, in official matters, with others ‌‌present. There's ‌‌‌nothing ‌‌‌to fix or change... it's just that I don't know the Crown Prince well yet."
At that, Jayden swallowed ‌‌‌his cookie and smiled brightly.
"Then it's just because you don't know each other yet—there's still room for it. So what kind ‌‌‌of man do you want to marry?"
"Well... ‌um. At least someone I feel comfortable approaching, someone I don't have to be tense around, my eternal ally..."
But the Young Prince was far too extreme a child for genuine conversation.
"What? You're looking for a slave?"
"No, not quite ‌a slave..."
"Slavery was abolished 392 years ago. Give up that ideal. Of course, there were various arguments until slavery was abolished, but ‌I think most of them were garbage arguments—though Oraton's final statement had some merit..."
And so Jayden began rambling about slavery.
Suddenly, Kibon's back came into view. He must have been listening to everything, yet he stood motionless, his silhouette perfectly composed.
'Hmm...'
If I said "Come in, Kibon" right now, he'd probably enter without a word. ‌‌
That somehow brought me peace of mind.
'Good heavens. I do like having the upper hand in relationships...'
The people around me never bent to my will.
To be honest, I missed my mother, and I wished my father had stayed by my side instead of me having to go to the Academy.
During my early ‌‌career, I wished Victor hadn't gone on long business trips, and I wished the Tower Master had ‌‌‌‌remained in the Capital to be my backing.
'But they all left for their own reasons.'
I knew they wouldn't listen even if I asked them to stay, so I couldn't even make the request.
'So surely there's at least one person in this world who should listen ‌‌to everything I say....'
Like a false memory, Kibon's words ‌‌from when he first became my secretary came flooding back.
[When dealing with me, you need only remember one thing. If the Minister commands, I will obey unconditionally. Don't burden yourself with such trivial thoughts—simply give me your orders.]
It was no empty promise.
True to his word, Kibon obeyed ‌‌my ‌‌every command from that day forward.
So when I addressed him, I gave orders ‌‌‌‌without hesitation or second thought.
'If I were to tell Kibon not to leave... he would surely agree without delay.'
With that expressionless face of his, no less.
Meanwhile, Jayden continued his tirade about slavery.
I was lost in thought, letting his words pass through one ear and out the other.
"Jaydeeeeen!"
The door to the Scroll Department burst open once more with a thunderous bang.
"Kyaaaah!" ‌‌‌‌
Anastasia shrieked. And with good ‌reason—the door frame had shattered. The Empress, who had made her entrance by destroying it, looked sheepish and scratched her ear. ‌‌‌‌‌
"What? Why is it so flimsy?"
She grumbled and kicked at the debris with her foot. The sight was so shocking that Anastasia couldn't even offer her coffee.
"Oh, ‌‌‌Mother!"
Jayden, who had been passionately expounding on slavery, jumped up in surprise.
The Empress chuckled and trudged toward the Minister's Office.
"Jayden! I heard you ‌‌were here! Ahahaha!"
The Empress's face radiated light—she was no ‌‌longer hiding her true nature in front of her son.
I could only imagine what conversation had passed between them.
[Jayden, your mother is actually uneducated and foolish... I was afraid ‌‌‌‌you'd be ashamed of me....]
[I see. But I would rather receive such love from you. I promise I won't be ashamed of you until adolescence.]
[Ahahaha! That's right! XX is good! ‌‌Let's do our best until adolescence, my son!]
Fragments of the ‌‌‌broken door dangled from the hem of the Empress's dress.
She laughed heartily and shouted.
"Let's ‌‌‌go together to get fitted for ‌‌dresses for the Saint Kairo Banquet... hm?"
The Empress, who had been announcing her business loudly, suddenly stopped.
Her gaze turned ‌‌‌toward Kibon, who stood before the Minister's Office.
Kibon, who had ‌‌been standing motionless, ‌slowly bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty the Empress, I greet you."
The Empress's eyes gleamed sharply in an instant.
Sensing something was amiss, I was ‌‌‌‌‌‌about to rush out in alarm.
"Hey, you."
The Empress grinned and rolled up her sleeves. Then she ‌‌‌‌declared to Kibon.
"Let's fight right now."

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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