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Chapter 81
By now, ink was streaming across Victor's report.
Kibon had slammed his hand down on the document earlier, destroying Victor's pen in the process.
Kibon spoke without a hint of panic on his face.
"My apologies. ‌‌‌‌I'm afraid I didn't understand."
Seriously.
That's ‌‌not how people talk anymore.
"I shall compensate you several times over."
"Ah... but this was a gift from young Namia Loapi when she started!"
"Then I, in my youth, shall purchase one hundred pens identical to this one as a welcome-back gift. That way, it will be the same."
"No, Intern—how can that possibly be the same when the person, the number, and the timing are all different?"
"My apologies. I'm afraid I didn't understand."
Seriously.
I said that's not how people talk.
One thing was certain.
Kibon had a terrible personality and was petty. His character needed some serious correction.
"Well, in any case."
Victor chuckled as he gathered up his broken pen.
"Having a personal conversation in the office is quite difficult, isn't it? Let's talk all we ‌‌‌want on the day of the Saint Kairo Banquet. I've already made a reservation—the Minister's second dance is mine."
He glanced at Kibon and scratched the back of his head. Then he left slowly, muttering to himself.
"Being second to Namia Loapi... somehow that feels a bit disappointing." ‌‌‌‌
That was when it happened.
With a bang, the Scroll Department Office door burst open.
"Ha..."
The person who entered the Scroll Department was none other than the Minister ‌‌‌‍of Education.
The moment he opened the door, he glared at me sitting in the Minister's Office and spoke.
"I'd like to see the Minister of Scrolls."
His expression was thoroughly irritated, his lips trembling with ‌‌anger.
I smiled ‌‌brightly and answered immediately without even rising from my seat in the Minister's Office.
"Yes, Minister."
Even as I did, I had to suppress the laughter that threatened to burst forth.
'He took the bait.'
At last, it was time to spring the trap I had boldly promised Crown Prince Kiaros yesterday. ‌‌‌‌
[Would it be alright if I sold the Crown Prince's name a ‌‌bit...?]
I had gotten permission in advance for exactly this moment!
At the same time, seeing my radiant expression, Kibon in the Minister's Office flinched.
That was when it happened.
The Empress, who had been practicing scroll activation with Anastasia in one corner of the office, waved her hand grandly.
"Oh, the Minister of ‌‌‌‌Education?"
The Empress called out innocently, blinking her eyes.
"Your son, the teacher, was a worthless wretch, and you didn't know? Surely you didn't know everything and deliberately cover it up at your level—or else your corpse will be buried at my discretion!" ‌‌
"Aha. My innocence has already been proven before the Knight Order, Your Majesty."
The Minister of Education answered swiftly and bowed with perfect courtesy.
"Your Majesty the Empress, Your Highness the Young Prince—what brings you to the Scroll Department Office?"
"Oh, we're practicing for the Saint Kairo Banquet. I ‌need to learn how to use scrolls from the staff."
The Empress answered while waving a scroll.
The Minister of Education furrowed his brow.
"...If that were the case, you should naturally have summoned a civil servant to the Separate Palace or your quarters, Your Majesty. ‌‌‌‌For the Royal Family to visit an office directly is most irregular."
"Ah, but I just wanted to berate someone on a whim, so I came. It seemed excessive to summon the Intern just to scold him."
The Empress glanced at Kibon as she spoke.
She had indeed berated him, but at least she ‌hadn't summoned him for it—so she wasn't treating him too harshly. Young Prince Jayden nodded in agreement.
"And once we started practicing here, going back to the Separate Palace seemed like a bother."
The ‌‌‌Minister of Education ‌‌‌bit his lip with a displeased expression.
He seemed to think their behavior diminished the dignity of the Royal Family.
"Well, in any case, conduct your business and be on your way. Truth be ‌‌told, I don't have a good feeling about you.... So I haven't forgotten my suspicions about you. Remember that."
The Empress glared and issued her warning. Then she and Young Prince Jayden resumed their scroll practice.
The Minister of Education finally clicked his tongue, entered his office, and sat down. Then he glared at me and spoke in a ‌‌‌low voice. ‌‌
"I saw the cooperation document you sent to our department this morning. I distinctly recall summoning you to the Ministry of Education, did I not?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
Then, deliberately, I activated a soundproofing scroll.
Our conversation would not leak beyond the Minister's Office.
Once all the scrolls ‌‌were activated, I answered slowly.
"Ah, was that so? I was too busy to notice."
This morning, I had sent another extremely discourteous cooperation document to the Ministry of Education. It was the second one—the ‌‌‌first being ‌‌‌a pointless document sent in ‌‌‌a taunting manner on the day Riedan was captured.
Since this was the second time, the Minister of Education naturally commanded me to come to the Ministry at once. Of course, I ignored it.
If I ignore ‌him, what else can he do but ‌‌‌come himself? ‌‌
"Though we're both ministers, you're considerably younger than I am, and the Scroll Department is far smaller than the Ministry of Education. Surely it's not proper etiquette ‌‌‌‌for me to come find you directly?"
"Indeed."
I answered while pretending to trim my nails.
"It was rather impolite, I admit.... But ‌if ‌‌‌you'd waited a bit longer, I might have come anyway."
At my sudden change in tone, Kibon's eyebrows twitched.
The Minister of Education snorted and grew even ‌‌‌more irritated.
"Now that I'm here, ‌I see the Minister of Scrolls' thinking is far too shallow. You don't even attend to the Royal Family, just sitting idle in your office? This is truly... ‌‌‌sigh."
"Pardon? Why is that?"
"To have the Royal Family visit an office directly—it undermines the ‌‌‌‌dignity of the servants of the throne, and...."
As the Minister of Education spoke, he seemed to realize something and shook ‌‌‌his head.
"If it's Her Majesty the Empress, that might be possible. She's someone who never received proper education, after all."
That ‌‌was true. It was indeed rare for the Royal Family to visit an office directly.
It was obvious that Young Prince Jayden came because the Empress asked him to.
Recalling this ‌‌‌fact anew, the Minister of Education sighed deeply ‌‌‌and glared at me.
"Well, Young Prince Jayden too... ‌‌‌‌Fine. Let's say that's acceptable. But a Minister shouldn't behave that way. Are you telling me you can act so disrespectfully without consequence? Hmm?"
"Oh, is that disrespectful? I had no idea. There's no law against it, ‌‌after all."
I tilted my head and blew gently on the nails I'd been grooming.
Without sparing him a glance, I murmured on.
"Personally, I just find the Royal Family rather... comfortable."
"What? Have you lost your mind?"
The Minister of Education blinked, utterly bewildered. ‌‌‌
His face flushed as though his blood pressure were rising.
'Everything's going according to plan.'
I'd sent him that discourteous cooperation notice, fully expecting him to chase after me.
And I knew the Empress and Young Prince Jayden would arrive this morning because of Kibon.
This entire situation was designed to bait the Minister of ‌‌Education.
[You're going to sell my name? How?]
[I'm thinking of turning the rumors to my advantage. I'll spread word that ‌‌‌Crown Prince Kiaros happens to favor me. Would that be acceptable?]
[Wasn't the whole Imperial Palace already gossiping about how I rejected Namia Loapi? Sell away as you please.] ‌
Yesterday's conversation wrapped around me like armor, protecting me.
If I could even sell Crown Prince Kiaros himself, what was there to fear?
I widened my eyes upward and crossed my legs.
"Crown Prince Kiaros ‌‌‌‌himself gave his direct permission—don't overthink it, he said. Please treat me comfortably, he said."
"...What?"
"To me, he said, 'My cute, clever, and ‌‌lovely little ‌‌‌‌Mia can do whatever she wants. Big Brother will protect you. Just marry me. Actually, I've already secretly prepared the wedding ceremony.' That's what he said."
Since he told me to sell ‌‌freely, I sold freely. Behind me, Kibon swallowed a cough.
I continued with perfect innocence.
"So I have nothing to fear, you see?"
"You really...."
"So please have the Ministry of Education cooperate with this event."
"No, what...."
"Otherwise I'll tell Big ‌‌‌Brother. Big Brother, who's utterly ‌‌smitten with cute, lovely me, won't just sit idle."
How's that? Losing your composure? Throwing etiquette to the wind? Frustrated?
The Crown Prince seems ‌‌‌‌absolutely mad for this strange woman, doesn't he? Completely out of his mind?
You must be terribly worried about the nation's future, mustn't ‌‌‌you?
I laughed sharply and changed my expression and tone in an instant.
"But why do you look like that?"
"What?"
"I was just joking around ‌‌to lighten the awkward mood. It's nice when fellow civil ‌servants get along well, isn't it? I was trying to be friendly first, but since you couldn't match the atmosphere, I'm feeling ‌a bit hurt."
Seeing me suddenly turn serious, ‌‌‌the Minister of Education flinched.

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