Chapter 104
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104.
"If there's anything I can help with."
"The Second Princess Palace truly does need an advisor—she still doesn't have a proper one. She claims she doesn't understand these matters, and even when I try to intervene..."
"I'll handle it myself!"
The Second Princess, having finished her dessert, bristled at the First Concubine's words.
Her expression made it clear she despised being treated like a child.
The First Concubine exhaled softly at her attitude before turning to me.
"This is precisely why her previous advisor resigned to marry a nobleman in a distant territory. So when you're selecting advisors for the Winter Palace Administration, could you perhaps recruit one additional person for my daughter?"
"If you submit a formal written request, I'll review it."
I nodded without refusing her request.
It would be somewhat troublesome, but given that the First Concubine had shown me additional goodwill, accepting this much was the prudent choice.
"Thank you. I'll inform His Majesty the Emperor and ensure the Second Princess Palace submits an official collaboration request."
"Oh my!"
Of course, the Second Princess still seemed reluctant to agree.
The First Concubine smiled brightly, lifted her teacup, and gazed at the Ashwood Advisor sitting beside me.
"My instincts were only half right—this is truly the first time something like this has happened."
"Pardon?"
The Ashwood Advisor asked in confusion, but the First Concubine simply smiled and changed the subject.
"I'm just relieved that I don't seem to be an unpleasant person to deal with for the Salice Advisor."
That didn't seem to be what she meant at all.
The only certainty was that, contrary to her roundabout words, this had nothing to do with official matters.
'She's been in the Imperial Palace so long that her true intentions are difficult to discern.'
Would Cassian Artez, the Imperial Palace local, know?
With that thought, I brought my conversation with the First Concubine to a smooth conclusion.
*
Several days later.
The Winter Palace Administration formally accepted the Second Princess Palace's request, and an unprecedented formal advisor selection process was launched.
[Unprecedented: Imperial Palace Advisor Selection! Winter Palace Administration Hosts Interview Examination!]
This was the "least controversial method" I knew of.
The moment we announced we'd select advisors through examination, additional requests began arriving from various quarters.
'Perfect timing. The Sun Palace has been having too many staff working overtime lately. I was trying to keep it under ten people, but surely state affairs come first.'
His Majesty the Emperor had also instructed the Sun Palace to recruit two additional advisors.
'I apologize, but truthfully we've been swamped as well and were still reviewing candidates. However, if the Winter Palace is overseeing this, we can trust the process.'
Even Empress Trisha had sent her request along with generous gifts.
The First Concubine had seized the opportunity to expand the scope further, requesting that the Third Princess—who had separated with the Fourth Prince—also receive support during this recruitment.
The Fourth Prince, somewhat bashfully, had also come forward.
'If you could assist me this time, I believe I'll be able to help those two even more! I'm asking just this once, please.'
He had pleaded for one additional advisor to be hired.
Of course, Empress Trisha and the Fourth Prince, being conscientious people, had compensated by taking on additional work for the Winter Palace themselves.
They lamented that already busy people now had even more responsibilities because of them.
'The real culprit continues to act shamelessly.'
Every time I brought reports, His Majesty the Emperor was irritatingly testing Coco's new toys instead.
Today was no exception.
'If you have that much free time, you should take on more duties.'
Though I thought this while maintaining a composed expression before His Majesty, he was perceptive enough to notice.
"If the Empress and Fourth Prince hadn't offered to help, the Sun Palace would have assisted as well. But they've already taken away my share of work, haven't they?"
I genuinely wanted to tell him there was still much to be done.
Though the workload had decreased thanks to their assistance, the Winter Palace still wasn't leaving before nine o'clock!
"And isn't this actually fortunate? Thanks to us inserting ourselves like this."
"...Are you saying the Winter Palace no longer bears sole criticism?"
"Exactly—you're clever. If you weren't Cassian's fiancée, I'd recruit you as the Sun Palace's First Advisor."
Fortunately, today the Sun Palace's First Advisor was out on official business.
In any case, His Majesty was remarkably insensitive, yet also somewhat correct in what he said.
Thanks to this large-scale recruitment, whoever the Winter Palace selected would have a higher probability of benefiting from the high scores of applicants.
Those who passed the examination could interview at their desired palace, from the top scorers up to three times the final hiring quota—something already announced through multiple official notices.
Of course, Administrative Officials examinations would also be held concurrently, and thanks to this, an unprecedented flood of applications was pouring into the Imperial Palace.
His Majesty the Emperor was quite satisfied with the influx of applicants willing to handle the endless workload.
He remarked that this method would be excellent for selecting truly capable individuals.
The Emperor carefully reviewed the report without disturbing Coco, who had fallen asleep on his lap, then abruptly spoke.
"By the way, Salice Advisor, how are you managing life at the Winter Palace?"
"Yes, there's no significant difference."
"Hmm, why is that?"
"...Your Majesty?"
After hearing my composed response, the Emperor signed the bottom of the report, returned it to me, and wore a puzzled expression.
"You haven't been going home since morning because you've been occupied with creating the examination questions, have you?"
"That isn't a matter concerning only myself."
It was a method designed from the outset to eliminate any suspicion of impropriety—that the exam creators might have leaked problems to others beforehand.
The Winter Palace Administration advisors and administrative officials had all remained at the Imperial Palace during the examination period without returning home, and they hadn't even exchanged private correspondence.
"Even if it's not a matter concerning only you, shouldn't you be different?"
The Emperor clicked his tongue as he spoke.
"For once, I opened another palace for others to stay in, not you."
What on earth was this cunning old man saying?
"Has your love already grown cold?"
And then he posed an utterly strange question.
With an expression of utmost seriousness.
"Your Majesty, we are merely maintaining a strict separation between public and private matters."
"Hmm..."
Yet the Emperor's face showed he wasn't convinced by my answer.
"I am staying at the Imperial Palace as the Winter Palace Administration advisor, not as Ian's fiancée."
Some of the administrative officials were even lamenting that they hadn't seen their own daughters for an entire week!
And he expected us to be flirting in front of them?
That would be rude even for a genuine couple.
At my words, the Emperor chuckled softly and spoke.
"If you were truly passionate, you couldn't possibly be so thorough about it."
He spoke as though from personal experience.
Wait—had he really experienced such a thing?
As I regarded the Emperor with a hint of suspicion in my gaze, he laughed quietly and said,
"I see now. Cassian must be having a difficult time."
As he said this and gestured for me to withdraw, there was something oddly irritating about the Emperor's tone.
It felt as though he were expressing unwarranted sympathy toward Cassian, as if he himself had experienced something similar.
*
Before I knew it, five days had passed since I began staying at the Winter Palace.
On the day the Emperor said something strange, I had suggested to Cassian that perhaps it would be better if I moved to another palace and stayed there like everyone else.
'If I move now, people will really think something is going on.'
I had been staying quietly at the Winter Palace at Cassian Artez's insistence.
In truth, with work being so demanding during this period, there was scarcely an opportunity for such rumors to leak out.
Of course, I did miss Joan's nagging, my modest bed, and the unread new releases gathering dust on my shelves.
Still, it was only a week, so it was bearable enough.
'In my past life, how on earth did those college entrance exam writers endure this?'
At least we could manage work and stroll through the Imperial Palace grounds.
It wasn't for nothing that rumors circulated about those exam writers, frequently dragged away, supposedly buying entire boxes of anchovies to sustain themselves.
Everything else was manageable, but the fact that I couldn't send letters to Wilhelmina Lopez or my parents was frustrating.
As I exhaled a short sigh and stretched, Cassian Artez filed away the documents he'd been working on and rose from his seat.
"Is there still work remaining?"
"No, it's just that Ian and I are heading in the same direction anyway, and it feels awkward to go alone."
"You're saying something rather touching, Roselita."
With that, Cassian Artez approached me and helped me to my feet.
As I let my strength drain away, he chuckled softly.
"Are you struggling that much? I never expected you to be so clingy."
"Your Majesty does it often too."
"Of course—hoping you'd find me endearing?"
That's precisely why the word "cute" no longer suits Your Majesty.
Sometimes I worry about myself for even thinking such things.
No matter how I look at it, it feels like I've been bitten by this beast.
As I slowly straightened my posture and pulled away from him, he wore a disappointed expression.
"You could stay like this."
"I should go rest soon."
"What if I carry you to your bedroom once you fall asleep?"
"I doubt that."
He was certainly the type to personally move me to my bedroom once I was deeply asleep.
"That would be presumptuous."
Everyone else was holding back their longing for family and lovers while working—it felt unfair for only me to indulge.
At my words, his expression turned slightly bitter.
"Then would you refuse a brief stroll through the garden?"
His sweet words left me deeply conflicted.
Having been confined to the Winter Palace Office all day, I was desperately craving fresh air.
Looking up at him with a hint of resentment, I soon relented.
"...Just a brief one, then."
It was because he wore the eyes of a dog waiting long for its master.
It was only a walk—I could grant him that.
Of course, I wasn't his master.
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