Chapter 31
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Chapter 31
The break was nearly over.
I returned to the Trial Court with growing anxiety. Neither the Empress nor Crown Prince Kiaros had appeared yet.
'Ugh, this is truly the worst.'
My wrist still tingled where Howard had grabbed it.
'Baron Loapi... really, until the very end...'
I had already left home.
Yet he hadn't retracted his insistence on marrying me off.
'People are always worse than I could ever imagine.'
It wouldn't be difficult to resolve. I simply hadn't had time to deal with it yet.
I wasn't without ways to make them regret it. I wouldn't have fled home without at least considering my options.
But then the Intern suddenly appeared. It was utterly unexpected.
[That department seemed so disorganized that I didn't think there was anything to learn. It was absolutely not because I dislike you.]
Surprisingly, the Intern had more sense than I'd given him credit for.
I felt embarrassed about how enthusiastically I'd cursed at Luca Class.
'I misunderstood a foreigner who spoke fluently but couldn't grasp conversational context...'
His somewhat rude manner of speaking, his bold declaration of leaving before work hours ended—perhaps it was simply because he was foreign.
'After all, he said he came from a strange foreign land where asking someone's thoughts on marrying the Crown Prince counted as small talk.'
I needed to convey the original story information to Crown Prince Kiaros.
Because of those particular circumstances, I naturally answered, 'Of course I should marry him.'
'But normally, even if someone is the Crown Prince, wouldn't most people not consider marriage to someone they barely know?'
The more I thought about it, the stranger the culture seemed. But I tried to conceal my bewilderment based on cultural relativism.
'It would be rude to judge another nation's customs.'
But if I had been someone who could converse comfortably with Crown Prince Kiaros—someone of ministerial rank, perhaps...
'I would certainly refuse outright.'
My father had taught me that marriage should be with someone you love.
'But is there really a country where you can carelessly sell off the Crown Prince's future like that? What nation could it possibly be?'
I didn't know which country he was from. Honestly, I hadn't cared enough to ask.
But I decided I should verify it through official documents later.
Only now had I become somewhat interested in that Intern.
[In any case, if I ever return, I would very much like to learn from you.]
He wanted to learn much from me.
He couldn't even speak the Empire's language properly, yet he showed surprising dedication to his work.
'Well, that's probably why he came this far as an Intern despite being foreign.'
If we met again later, I should pay attention to him differently.
By keeping him close and teaching him earnestly, from the very basics to everything.
'Hmm? So my conclusion ends up the same as my initial resolve to roll him along?'
I pondered seriously for a moment, then let out a quiet laugh.
It seemed unlikely that such a situation would arise anyway.
'Well, his physique is decent enough, though...'
I was sitting blankly, waiting for the trial to begin, my thoughts drifting to the Intern.
"Namia Loapi."
Someone grabbed my arm again.
For a moment, I seriously considered whether I should tape a "Do Not Touch" notice directly onto my arm.
But this time, it was a familiar voice.
"Come outside for a moment. Quickly. Quickly!"
Urgent whispers, eyes darting anxiously and rapidly.
A familiar face, and yet somehow startling.
It was Oson, who had been fidgeting restlessly in the witness stand the entire time.
'What is this....'
I thought with a surprised expression.
'That's clearly the face of someone about to dump some dirty work on me.'
It was a situation I'd endured relentlessly for three years and seven months—the kind where he'd suddenly ask me to do something ridiculous just to cover up his own mistakes.
Normally, an annoyed expression would have come automatically.
But things were different now.
'Actually, this is perfect! Let me hear what he has to say!'
Without a word, I rose and let myself be pulled along by Oson's arm.
He dragged me hastily out of the Trial Court.
Then he led me to a Corridor where we wouldn't be noticed by others.
"Namia Loapi."
Oson's eyes darted with more anxiety than I'd ever seen.
He spoke while breathing unevenly.
"You know well, don't you? That I care about you."
"Pardon?"
I was so shocked I nearly fainted hearing words I'd never heard before in my life.
"I've taken good care of you all this time."
"Pardon?"
"Actually, I've always held your abilities in high regard. I was just too embarrassed to say it."
"Pardon?"
"I knew very well how exceptional you are. Yes, your skills are truly remarkable. I've always been watching them closely. I was waiting for an opportunity to support you in demonstrating your abilities."
"Pardon?"
In that instant, all those tedious things Oson had said came flooding back—'Don't get ahead of yourself,' 'If you lack the skills to enter the Magic Tower, you might as well be dead,' and so on.
But I pretended not to know and blinked.
"So here's the thing, Namia Loapi."
"Pardon?"
"You know I've always thought of you as special and taken good care of you, right?"
Oson was now trembling as he pleaded with me.
I had never seen such earnest desperation on his face before.
"Think of our past together and help me out. Will you?"
Our past together....
Three years and seven months—days that remained so consistently the same.
I naturally treasured the memories of all that time we had spent together.
Including the final conversation Oson and I had shared just yesterday.
[The Crown Prince said he would review the documents, so I wanted to revise the drafts that could be corrected....]
[Ugh, how foolish. This is exactly why you're hopeless. What? To lack such perception—tsk. Does His Highness even have the mind to review those documents right now? Namia, how can you be so oblivious to the situation?]
Ugh.
'How could our Team Leader lack such situational awareness....'
I desperately swallowed the words I wanted to say.
Instead, I simply wore the vacant expression I always did.
Oson glanced around before lowering his voice to a whisper.
"Namia, make me a teleportation scroll right now. Immediately."
What he was asking for was truly beyond my expectations.
I had assumed at most he would force me to give false testimony.
But a teleportation scroll?
As I blinked in surprise, Oson pressed urgently.
"A teleportation scroll. You can do it, can't you?"
Oson's eyes were now gleaming with desperation.
"Team Leader, a teleportation scroll all of a sudden...."
I spoke in genuine bewilderment.
"It takes forever to make, and wouldn't it be faster to just walk thirty centimeters than use a scroll?"
Like all scrolls, it didn't perform any particularly impressive function physically.
Walking was faster than using a teleportation scroll.
"You can do it!"
Oson shouted, his eyes wide with urgency.
"You made 166 defense scrolls in a single night—you can't do this?"
So he did know that was an impressive feat.
Yet despite that, he had scolded me for lacking skill and acting without perception.
"I don't need to go far. Just make it so I can get outside the Imperial Palace. All right?"
Huh?
I blinked and stared at him intently.
'Outside... the Imperial Palace?'
He was suddenly asking me to help him leave this place.
I certainly didn't have the skill to create a teleportation scroll of such remarkable capability.
Surely even the Tower Master couldn't accomplish that.
I couldn't make it even if I wanted to, but his intention was so obvious that it was utterly absurd.
'This bastard is trying to flee right in the middle of the trial!'
It seemed Oson definitely had something weighing on his conscience.
This cowardly, petty, and corrupt man did seem to be involved with the mastermind behind the war.
It had been suspicious from when he accused the Empress, but I was still taken aback.
"Namia, hurry! There's not much break time left! You've always listened to everything I said, haven't you? Haven't you? Haven't I taught you well all this time? Hm?"
Of course, the mastermind was one thing, and Oson was another.
I had to remain true to our relationship.
"Of course, Team Leader... I learned so much from you..."
I nodded with a pitiful expression.
It was the moment Oson's narrow eyes widened as he reached out to grasp my hand.
My listless voice continued.
"Without backing or skill, one shouldn't keep acting out... Don't meddle unnecessarily and just stay quiet..."
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org