Chapter 71
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Chapter 71
Just as lunch hour ended, other staff members began streaming back in.
"Well then."
I tapped Kibon on the shoulder and spoke.
"Shall we get to work? Since we're here early."
"Work, you say...."
"A threatening letter... no, rather an official document I need to draft."
Kibon flinched as I broke into a bright smile.
I raised my eyebrows and added.
"To the Minister of Education."
The Minister of Education was undoubtedly trembling at this very moment.
With Riedan captured, how anxious must he be?
'After all, if he suffers a bit more....'
I smiled wickedly as I drafted the official document.
'In the end, he must serve as my bait.'
The Minister of Education.
Remarkably, a man who genuinely believed he acted in the interests of the Royal Family and the Empire.
And....
'He's also someone who received a recruitment offer from the conspiracy organization behind this war. For now, he's refused, but....'
According to the original story, the Minister of Education would join the conspiracy organization much later, after the entire Royal Family had fallen.
But it was written that he had received the offer long ago.
'Yet the mere fact that he didn't report the offer to the Imperial Palace when he received it... is proof he's conflicted inside.'
The Minister of Education was a cunning man who turned a blind eye to Riedan's affairs while always thinking of an escape route.
So it was natural he remained inactive.
But what if I gave him a pretext to act?
'Then he would move!'
If I pressed him correctly from behind, I could properly capture the conspiracy organization.
It seemed I could manage it by moving together with Crown Prince Kiaros at that time.
'To move so freely like this... I suppose I became Minister for this reason.'
There was simply so much I could do.
Knowing the future and possessing power meant there was nothing to hold me back.
I pressed down the corners of my mouth that were rising again, hiding my smile.
Kibon tilted his head as he looked at the document I was sending to the Minister of Education.
"What sort of official document is this?"
"Ah, a cooperation request."
"You're requesting such... absurd cooperation from the Ministry of Education?"
"Yes."
If I made such an unreasonable demand for excessive cooperation, the Minister of Education would flinch in an instant.
'Does he know I'm involved? Is he threatening me?' He would lose sleep over such thoughts.
"He probably has something weighing on his conscience."
"No... surely not the Minister of Education as well..."
"Hm?"
"Never mind."
Kibon muttered as if exasperated.
After that, only the sound of pens scratching across paper echoed through the Minister's Office.
Regrettably, the Scroll Department always had an abundance of work.
"I'm counting on you, Kibon."
I placed a stack of documents on Kibon's desk as I spoke.
"Things should improve once Victor arrives. He should be here tomorrow or the day after, so just bear with it until then."
Kibon offered no response. He seemed slightly displeased about something.
Is this guy really a workaholic?
So I added a few more documents to the pile.
'See? I'm an incredibly warm person. Wait, hold on.'
I rolled my eyes and fell into thought.
Kibon had definitely said he liked warm people!
'Could he possibly... like me?'
Anastasia had immediately ruled me out as a candidate, but truthfully, I had the highest probability.
Because Kibon didn't converse with any other employee besides me.
'And besides, he blocked my path without hesitation just now.'
The person had been a blood-soaked criminal.
Since Kibon wouldn't know Riedan, he could have thought a vicious criminal was chasing me.
Yet he blocked my path without the slightest hesitation.
Normally, wouldn't one instinctively step back?
'Could it really be me?'
My ideal type was somewhat distant from me, but an ideal type was still just an ideal type. The woman my heart actually inclined toward could be someone entirely different.
'Even when I behave incredibly rudely, he says it's all fine...'
I reflected on myself once more.
Because he was the first comfortable person I'd encountered, I'd grabbed his hand and even pinned him against a tree. If Oson had done that to me, I would have reported him for sexual harassment immediately.
'Now that I think about it, there really is a possibility.'
Well, if Kibon actually liked me...
"Kibon."
When I called him casually, Kibon immediately lifted his head and looked at me.
His deep black eyes gazed at me quietly.
"When your superior calls, you should answer."
"Yes."
When I point it out, he obeys meekly once more.
At first, I thought it was presumptuous, but now I command him without a second thought, finding it comfortable.
'Indeed, Kibon seems to be the only man I treat so comfortably.'
Because he was my first subordinate, there was no other comparison.
Yet there was still much I didn't know about Kibon.
How could I even consider him as a potential partner without knowing what he's like?
'Of course, being a foreigner means there might be some difficulties due to cultural differences, but if I teach him well, we can overcome that.'
Except when it came to matters of war, I was someone who let reason lead over emotion. That's why I always thought things through rationally first before examining my feelings.
So I asked Kibon something abrupt and without preamble.
"What are your shortcomings?"
If I wanted to spend a long time with someone, their flaws mattered more than their strengths.
But figuring that out myself would be inefficient.
Given Kibon's inflexible nature, he would surely spill everything honestly, so it was better to ask directly.
"My shortcomings, you say?"
Kibon answered immediately without even asking why.
"I'm not entirely sure."
Kibon's shortcoming was that he didn't engage in self-reflection.
As I fell into thought, Kibon continued speaking.
"However, according to those I trained with...."
"Training? You received that too?"
"Yes."
Well, his body certainly showed signs of rigorous conditioning.
When I expressed curiosity, Kibon explained.
"There are no people who would openly discuss my shortcomings in front of me, but during training, people have no choice but to mention them."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense."
I had often passed by the Imperial Palace Knights' training grounds.
They would spar earnestly with each other and discuss their respective strengths and weaknesses.
"The consistent feedback I've received from those people is that I lack self-control somewhat."
"What?"
At this unexpected answer, my eyes widened in surprise.
"Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh?"
Outside, Anastasia shrieked as if she were about to have a fit.
"Y-y-y-y-Your Highness the Young Prince!"
It was an unexpected visit from the Young Prince.
"Good heavens."
Looking out the window, Jayden was indeed there. I frowned slightly in surprise.
'I knew he'd come looking for me soon, but to come directly to my office?'
No matter how young Jayden was, this was certainly cause for tension.
Everyone in the department, including myself, jumped to their feet.
But Kibon simply remained seated and turned his gaze back to the documents.
'Is this guy actually insane?'
I poked him and glared, but he didn't even stand up, just continued to regard Jayden with a suspicious gaze.
Meanwhile, Anastasia stammered even more than usual as she exclaimed.
"W-w-w-would you like some c-c-coffee?"
Then Jayden, crossing his arms, responded as if exasperated.
"You want to give a high-caffeine beverage to an eight-year-old child whose brain is still developing? Did you perhaps leave your intelligence at home? Or did you throw common sense into the trash? If you keep pestering the child about coffee, why don't you join the trash bin yourself?"
Watching the sharp-tongued little one, Kibon dropped the pen he'd been holding with a soft clatter.
Well, this was probably his first time seeing the Young Prince.
It wasn't for nothing that he was called "hopeless brat" behind his back.
Jayden's behavior like this was probably unknown only to the servants in the Imperial Palace.
Jayden lifted his chin as he spoke.
"Enough of that. Where is the Minister of Scrolls?"
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