Chapter 52
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Chapter 52
"...."
"...?"
"It's been ages since you've eaten with your family, hasn't it? I haven't had a meal with mine in forever either."
Truth be told, the "Family Relations: None" notation on Kibon's personnel record had been nagging at me.
I smiled faintly and continued.
"Earlier you asked how I knew how to write official documents so well, remember? I didn't even have a superior to teach me."
"...Yes."
"My twin brother works in the Ministry of Finance, and I helped him quite a bit."
"With Ministry of Finance work?"
Kibon was so startled he dropped his spoon.
I laughed awkwardly and explained.
"Normally that's not allowed. Absolutely not supposed to happen... but there were circumstances I couldn't avoid. Truth is, he's not really family. Well, we do share blood, but."
"Wait, you just did that for him?"
"...."
"...?"
"He asked me for reference materials, so I learned a lot too. The Ministry of Finance documents are incredibly well-organized, so they were great to study from. So it's not really accurate to say I just did it for him, is it?"
"Ha."
Kibon let out a hollow laugh as if bewildered.
Fair enough—anyone listening would think it made no sense.
I emptied the next plate that arrived and continued speaking.
"And by helping with that work, I could have dinner together at home. Since I was also trying to save on meal costs, it was rather necessary."
"...."
"But beyond saving on dinner... sometimes, even with people like that, I just wanted to share an evening meal together."
Kibon's brow furrowed at my words.
Then, without touching his plate, he asked.
"Then... during those dinners, did your other family members appreciate your efforts?"
"They just asked me to help more. They said the Scroll Department I work in probably doesn't have any real work anyway."
I shrugged and gestured for him to eat faster.
Kibon reluctantly picked up his fork and spoke.
"It sounds like you must have felt wronged and sad...."
I spoke casually and added.
"Not to that extent. I just wished I had family who knew the actual name of my own department, that's all."
Kibon said nothing.
In a way, it was only natural.
What could he possibly say when his superior was sharing something so unfortunate?
Of course, I hadn't brought this up just to complain either.
"In any case, I'm better off with you than with those people I lived with, no matter that you're my subordinate."
"...."
"Starting tomorrow, I won't ask you to eat together anymore."
"Pardon?"
"But if you don't want to eat alone in the future, I'll join you whenever you ask. Just tell me to buy you a meal—feel free about it."
"...."
"There are days when, no matter how disagreeable the company, you just want to share a meal with someone... I understand that well enough without you saying it."
The meal vouchers Crown Prince Kiaros had given me were still abundant.
I had more than enough willingness to use them for a young man in circumstances like mine.
'Ah. I'm being rather impressive, aren't I?'
Perhaps this was the kind of superior I'd always wanted—one who could say such things?
A foreign orphan who'd always been alone... Of course he'd be moved, wouldn't he?
I glanced at him expectantly, hoping to see his face glistening with emotion.
'What is this? Why does he look angry?'
He seemed to be suppressing it, but genuine fury radiated from his expression.
When I flinched, Kibon forced a smile. The fork he'd stopped using began moving again.
And through gritted teeth, he spoke.
"Still... you've become Minister... so surely now... your heart must feel better...."
"Mm."
I tilted my head and answered.
"Not really. Becoming Minister doesn't resolve all my deficiencies, does it?"
"...."
"No matter how successful you become, if there's no one to celebrate with you, it feels hollow. Family can't be replaced by anything."
I wasn't normally one to share much about myself with others. I hated being pitied, and explaining my sordid circumstances wounded my pride. So I'd never told anyone.
But Kibon was the only subordinate I'd ever had.
A foreigner in circumstances similar to mine. Perhaps that's why the words came so easily.
'Look at him. It's not even his problem, but he's empathizing so intensely he's practically hacking at that meat.'
Kibon was practically butchering the main course.
He caught his breath and spoke slowly.
"Even as Minister... you're not happy, are you?"
"Hm?"
I furrowed my brow.
And I answered immediately.
"What are you talking about? I'm happy."
"But you said it felt hollow...."
"Hollow or not, happiness is still happiness."
I continued calmly.
"Having my own Minister's Office with a spacious desk is good, having a secretary is good, getting a raise is good, getting allowances is good, having personnel authority so I choose the Team Leader is good, having no one above me so I don't hear nonsensical complaints is good, being able to directly correct obviously flawed documents is good, attending ministerial meetings every week is good—so?"
"...But still, family can't be replaced by anything...."
"Ah, right."
Kibon seemed at a loss for words, blinking.
"It can't be replaced. That's exactly why I need to climb higher."
"...What?"
"Honor, wealth, power, influence—I might as well fill this emptiness with something like that."
"...Pardon?"
A lonely minister was better than a lonely subordinate.
That was my realization on my first day as minister.
Kibon rolled his eyes and asked.
"Wait, you're already a minister—what do you mean climbing higher...."
"Hmm."
I folded my arms and fell silent in thought for a moment.
Something like this would be better shown once than explained a hundred times.
In the end, I picked up my fork and spoke with resolve.
"If you're curious, eat faster."
"Yes?"
"I'll show you myself."
* * *
Kibon seemed to have never eaten quickly before.
Or perhaps dining with a superior made him uncomfortable.
Either way, he didn't finish. I did.
"Follow me."
I arrived before lunch hour ended and gestured to Kibon.
The place we headed to was the Imperial Palace Cafe.
It was where all the civil servants who ate at the Dining Hall bought themselves a cup of coffee.
Kibon and I hid slightly behind a wall.
"What is this...."
Kibon rolled his eyes. That was when it happened.
"Could you move aside?"
"Sorry, but we have quite a few people."
A group of civil servants surrounded those seated at the tables.
The surrounding group certainly appeared to have more people.
"We have to go work, so this is our only break time."
"Unlike you salary thieves with nothing to do."
At that, three or four people seated at the table lowered their heads and stood up.
They couldn't offer any retort about arriving early or sitting in the remaining seats.
The problem was....
"Aren't those people from the Scroll Department?"
Kibon whispered in disbelief.
He was right.
The civil servants who were driven away were from the Scroll Department—our department.
General staff members who had been my seniors just yesterday.
"Tsk. The department has fewer than ten people, and a twenty-three-year-old is the minister? Who'd want to work under that?"
"I'd quit out of shame if I were them. What kind of organization is that?"
"A disgrace to the Imperial Palace civil servants, I say."
Those who had seized the table spoke loudly for all to hear.
Then one of the Scroll Department officials spun around sharply.
She was a small-framed woman whose thick glasses looked somewhat comical.
"Y-you, you, you're going too far. H-he's awake, you know. P-please stop the m-mockery."
At that, everyone burst into laughter—wa-ha-ha-ha.
"Did you hear? That's supposedly the Scroll Department Team Leader. Goodness, how desperate must they be for talent?"
"No wonder the department's in such a state if they're handing out team leader positions to kids like that."
"I'd never accept a team leader position under a twenty-three-year-old minister, no matter what."
The mockery showed no signs of stopping.
Eventually, the Scroll Department officials turned and hurried away.
Those who had taken the table snickered with amusement.
That was when it happened.
"Civil servants who can't even unite for the sake of the Imperial Palace...."
Kibon furrowed his brow and stepped forward.
I was startled and grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing? Don't tell me you're about to commit the terrible mistake of reciting that trite, uninspiring speech in front of those officials?"
"Why would that be a terrible mistake?"
"As if they'd listen to an intern. Are you royalty or something?"
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