Chapter 82
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Chapter 82 I raised my eyebrows and spoke with deliberate precision.
"Oh, and... the Empress herself is gnashing her teeth over the Ministry of Education. Surely you're not in a position to order me around right now, are you?"
"You really..."
The Minister of Education seemed to have lost his words. After trembling for a long moment, he finally spat out a short sentence.
"You'll regret this, Minister of Scrolls."
The Minister of Education rose to his feet with a huff. I watched his retreating figure and thought blankly. 'Wow, becoming a minister means I can actually provoke another minister. This is the best.' If I were still at the bottom of the hierarchy, I never could have set such a trap. I certainly couldn't have pulled off this act of arrogant, tactless young woman either. The role of someone who struts about relying solely on the Royal Family's favor. 'But this performance... it actually suits me. My chest feels so refreshed and I feel so good.' If the opportunity arose, I wanted to do it again. I watched the Minister of Education's back as he stormed out in anger. The soundproofing scroll's duration ended at precisely the right moment. I had wondered if I should use another one, but the timing was perfect, and I felt satisfied. [So what Namia Loapi is really trying to catch is...?] [There may be a spy within the Scroll Department. Both I and Crown Prince Kiaros anticipated this.] I recalled yesterday's conversation with Crown Prince Kiaros with cold eyes. [I'm going to use the Minister of Education to expose the internal spy within our department.] If he were truly a loyal subject, he would inform the Emperor of this matter and offer his counsel. The Emperor has no prior connection with me and is renowned for his impartiality. 'But according to the original story, he is absolutely not that kind of man.' He would even be prepared to withdraw if he joined hands with the mastermind. 'Go on, Minister of Education!' Deceive yourself while pretending to worry about the nation's future, and take the hand extended by the Gaejo Faction! I'll catch the spy in our department! * * * The Minister of Education emerged into the corridor with a huff. 'How dare she, how dare she to me! How dare she! I heard she was respectful to the Finance Minister, but she showed her true nature to me like that? How insolent! She's definitely disrespecting me right now, isn't she?' He ground his teeth and breathed heavily. 'If even Crown Prince Kiaros is being swayed by such a low-ranking woman, then there's truly no hope left.' The Emperor had cherished the disgraced Empress to the end. It seemed Crown Prince Kiaros was the same. Completely captivated by such a woman... 'Then those brats have no hope either. Just look at Young Prince Jayden. Despite our efforts over nearly three years, he still clung to his mother in the end.' The Minister of Education's eyes darkened. 'It's not because she disrespected me, but for the sake of the nation... I absolutely must eliminate that arrogant wretch.' His mind spun rapidly. 'If problems arise, I can simply blame that woman for everything. I can even frame it as loyalty to the Royal Family.' Namia Loapi activated the soundproofing scroll without hesitation. It was proof that the woman possessed two faces. 'So she thinks only she knows how to use scrolls.' The Minister of Education's lips curled into a crooked smile as he suppressed his anger. He too carried a scroll in his pocket. It was a recording scroll. Ministers were typically provided with recording scrolls in case they needed to cross-reference important meeting minutes. The drawback was that it could only be used within the Minister's Office and had a very limited duration.... 'The moment she activated the soundproofing scroll, I was ready.' The scroll contained the recording: 【Namia Loapi said to me, "Our cute, clever, and adorable little Mia can do whatever she wants. Your dragon oppa will protect you. Just marry me. Actually, I've secretly prepared the wedding ceremony too."】. 'I have an escape route too. Just wait and see, Namia Loapi.' * * * Young Prince Jayden and the Empress left after diligently practicing scroll activation. When the two of them activated the scroll together, an image of a close mother and son burst like fireworks. Since it took place indoors, the smoke dissipated instantly upon detonation, leaving no safety concerns.
"Um, but Minister...."
After the two left, Anastasia spoke with concern.
"The, the Banquet Hall has a, a different environment than the Office.... Wouldn't it be better to do a, a rehearsal in the Banquet Hall?"
Anastasia had conducted many rehearsals for such events during her time at the Scroll Management Department.
"The visual effect is good, but if we accidentally t, touch the chandeliers or surrounding lights, it could be disastrous...."
Regardless of how quickly the fireworks dissipated, they were still fireworks. There were naturally safety risks involved. I answered with a kind smile.
"I inquired about rehearsing in the Banquet Hall, but they refused because it's undergoing remodeling."
"Ah...."
"Still, I obtained the projected blueprints and created separate versions for the Office and the Banquet Hall."
I smiled and held up two baskets. I had created all the scrolls to be used for this event.
"Due to the nature of scrolls, they're difficult to distinguish, so mistakes cannot happen. I've made the baskets different colors, but...in any case, I'll remind you again before the event so you can stay sharp."
It had been a truly busy morning. Lunchtime was approaching. Yet with only about a minute remaining before lunch, the area in front of the Scroll Department grew noisy.
"Hmm, what's this?"
The staff member at the door peeked it open slightly. Through the gap, another group of civil servants appeared. They were clearly looking for Victor. They each called out.
"Victor, come quick! We've placed a special order at your favorite restaurant and had it delivered to the Imperial Palace Garden."
"Hurry, hurry! We've prepared a modest welcome-back party for you!"
Victor scratched the back of his head. Then he glanced back at me.
"Um, Minister...I, well...."
He seemed to remember that he had agreed to have lunch with me earlier. I hadn't taken Victor's words to heart from the start anyway. I smiled slightly and waved my hand.
"I'll be going then."
Victor splashed water on his face and laughed awkwardly.
"Phew, today really isn't going my way. I didn't even get to have lunch with you."
In the end, it meant he was going to meet his friends. Suddenly, memories of my Academy days came flooding back. Was it the day the final exams ended? Luca Class had taken my test paper to analyze it and spoke irritably.
"Hey, why don't you just get into a relationship instead?"
"What are you suddenly talking about?"
"There's something weird going on between you and Victor. You know Victor's grades are incredibly good, right? Don't you want to step up your game to match that?"
"No. And what's weird about the atmosphere?"
"It's super weird! Victor is famous for never showing interest in any woman. He draws such clear lines."
"Well, that's true."
"Get ready to be confessed to soon."
I wasn't foolish enough not to realize I was somewhat special to Victor. He persistently approached me and showed his interest. Victor casually said things like "if I confess to you" or "if we start dating."
He had many friends, but he'd never done this with any other woman.
"What are you going to do? Accept it or draw a line? Huh?"
"You know, Luca... actually, I don't need to worry about that."
At that time, I answered slowly, blinking my eyes.
"When I'm with Victor, I don't have time for either of those things..."
How could I draw a line or accept anything if I couldn't even speak? Worrying about it in the first place was a waste of time. And that remained true even now. Victor made a whimpering sound and held up the broken pen.
"Today, something precious broke too, and I'm upset about it..."
That was when. Kibon, who had been quietly observing, spoke.
"If it were truly precious, you shouldn't have lent it to me. I didn't even ask for it."
"No, I was just being kind..."
"If it were me."
Kibon spoke with cold eyes.
"I would never entrust something I cherish to anyone else."
"No, I wasn't giving it away entirely..."
"If it were me."
Anastasia muttered "this mind game is insane" and brought her hand to her mouth. Her eyes, darting between Kibon and Victor while holding her breath, were filled with interest.
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