Chapter 11
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Chapter 11
"Pardon?"
"You could always quit, or request a transfer to another department citing maladjustment or something similar, couldn't you?"
It seemed he was quite dissatisfied with our department. I responded blankly.
"There hasn't been anything particularly serious, so..."
"Don't worry about reading the room—speak honestly. Getting scolded unfairly like that isn't a big deal?"
"Yes. In the Scroll Management Department, this sort of thing is quite ordinary and utterly unremarkable in our daily routine."
At my courteous response, Crown Prince Kiaros clicked his tongue in disbelief.
"It sounds like an organization you could leave immediately."
If I quit, I won't get paid...
But as for why I hadn't requested a transfer due to maladjustment... truthfully, I didn't fully understand my own heart.
Or did I? Did I know?
'Because I do enjoy scrolls, after all.'
Perhaps because I'd been crafting scrolls and playing alone since childhood, even though the department was a mess, I didn't particularly want to transfer elsewhere.
But listening to Crown Prince Kiaros grumble, I suddenly thought of the Intern.
'There really was someone who quit on the spot...'
That Intern had submitted his resignation without mercy.
Before he handed in his notice, he at least moved some boxes for me, so it was fortunate from my perspective.
As I was thinking of the Intern and smiling faintly, Crown Prince Kiaros suddenly furrowed his brow and asked.
"Why are you smiling?"
"My apologies."
I'd barely smiled, yet his observational skills were remarkable.
I immediately lowered my head and explained.
"The Intern I took on recently submitted his resignation after just one day, and... I was thinking of that."
"I see."
Unexpectedly, Crown Prince Kiaros continued the conversation about that Intern.
"Why did that Intern quit after just one day?"
"Well, I'm not entirely sure."
"Didn't Namia Loapi receive the resignation letter directly?"
"Yes... that's right."
"Then Namia Loapi must have handled all the follow-up procedures. Why didn't you ask her for the reason?"
I suddenly felt awkward.
In truth, I had no enthusiasm for inquiring about the Intern's reasons for leaving.
I honestly wasn't even curious. But I couldn't answer here with something like, "I suppose I wanted to..."
So I quickly racked my brain and spouted some excuse.
"I thought it might be burdensome for someone in the position of resigning..."
"Hmm?"
"Actually, I assigned him a task, and he seemed to dislike it. I wondered if he didn't want to talk to me either..."
As I fabricated the explanation, my words slowed and my pronunciation grew increasingly slurred.
"Since I've never had a subordinate before... well, I've always thought that when my subordinate arrives, I want to make things really comfortable for them..."
That was my genuine intention. I had sworn to myself that if anyone ever came under my command, I would never become a boss like Oson.
Though my first subordinate was... an insolent brat of an Intern whose very manner of speaking was infuriatingly disrespectful from the start.
"Even if that Intern quit after just one day... in any case, that's why I didn't ask for reasons."
Was I managing to gloss over this adequately?
I caught a glimpse of Crown Prince Kiaros staring at me with unmistakable suspicion.
His expression screamed disbelief. He was clearly not an easy mark.
"Ah, well, and."
But once you started a lie with your superior, you could never let it be exposed.
"He was quite handsome, actually. Good physique too. The kind of face that would be popular with women everywhere, so if I asked too many more questions, wouldn't he misunderstand and think I was hitting on him?"
At that, Crown Prince Kiaros let out a cough.
"That... um, so, you thought he was handsome?"
It was working! I nodded emphatically.
"Yes. Extremely, truly, genuinely sincere about it."
"...Really? That shell was that impressive...."
Without ever having actually seen that Intern, Crown Prince Kiaros adopted a very serious expression. Then he asked with genuine gravity.
"Better than me now?"
Huh? What is this self-centered way of thinking?
Still, it was the fate of a subordinate that I couldn't say things like, "But why would you ask that in this context?"
I answered reluctantly, but honestly.
"No matter how handsome that Intern was, he couldn't compare to Your Highness the Crown Prince...."
It was sincere enough that it was hard to call it flattery. Perhaps that's why Crown Prince Kiaros didn't look particularly pleased.
I couldn't understand why he'd asked in the first place.
I rolled my eyes and continued.
"But, but after talking with Your Highness just now, I realized... well, that Intern might have misunderstood things in a different way."
In any case, it was time to end this topic.
Forced to lie unexpectedly, I'd been rambling without coherence or logic until now.
So I decided to finish with a really clean lie.
"If that first junior I ever took on, that Intern, were to return by some chance...."
If that arrogant Intern, who had widened his eyes just because I asked him to move some boxes, were to return by some chance.
"I would make sure to clear up any misunderstandings and help him feel truly comfortable."
I would roll him around thoroughly so he could understand what real work actually meant.
"Well. My sincerity will get through to him one way or another."
Crown Prince Kiaros finally agreed! He even nodded as if impressed by my words.
"Though that excellent Intern with the handsome shell and good physique will never return to that department."
"Yes, he'll never return...."
As we continued our conversation about the Intern, we arrived at the Office.
It was just as I was about to open the door and enter the Office.
"Your Highness!"
The Crown Prince's Aide rushed toward us urgently.
"There's something I need to report immediately during the investigation. There's collusion with conspirators inside the Imperial Palace.... Ah, my apologies. You have a guest."
The Aide looked at me, then closed his mouth with a sharp intake of breath.
As expected, he was undoubtedly tracking down the mastermind behind yesterday's assassination attempt with remarkable speed.
Crown Prince Kiaros gave the Aide a subtle wink, signaling him to remain silent for now, then turned to address me.
"Well, in any case, returning to the matter of the Intern... it's only natural for superiors to assign tasks. That Intern must have simply harbored some misunderstanding; he certainly didn't dislike you, Namia."
"Yes, Your Highness..."
My deception seemed to have worked—Crown Prince Kiaros appeared to believe I had developed considerable affection for the Intern.
In truth, I held little interest in the Intern; what truly captivated me was the investigation into the mastermind behind the attack.
'Wait. Hold on.'
As I naturally reflected on the assassination scene, something suddenly crystallized in my mind.
'That's it! How could I have overlooked this until now?'
My thoughts blazed with sudden clarity. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Kiaros continued speaking.
"The thing is, you're not the type to articulate your points with crisp, logical precision, Namia. There's certainly room for misunderstanding..."
I gasped involuntarily and cried out.
"Your Highness! Wait, please!"
I opened my eyes wide and continued urgently.
"Let me draw your attention back to that critical moment when the escort was breached."
Both Crown Prince Kiaros and the Aide stared at me blankly.
"That Ministry of Justice Official was facing southeast when he cried out, 'Ahhhhh! Here! Here! Three o'clock direction! They're here!' And upon hearing this, three of the five escort knights who had been facing west rushed in that direction. But here's the crucial point—that 'three o'clock direction' was given from the knights' perspective, not from his own. Yet ordinarily, someone without combat training wouldn't possess the spatial awareness to spontaneously reference directions from another person's frame of reference during a sudden ambush. He's neither a professionally trained operative nor does his regular work involve such skills."
The Aide's jaw dropped as he listened, and he murmured in astonishment.
"Extraordinary. To articulate something with such crystalline logic, leaving absolutely no room for misinterpretation..."
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org