Chapter 113
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------
113.
Cassian Artez opened his mouth lightly inside the carriage.
"Roselita, may I speak frankly?"
"What is it, sir?"
"Lately, it's become difficult to discern the Emperor's true intentions."
I nodded in agreement with his words.
"If he'd simply ordered us to subjugate monsters and return, I could dismiss it as ordinary harassment. But this..."
We were heading toward the old Liardan Duchy as the Emperor had commanded.
What unsettled me most was that His Majesty, who had always rushed us before, this time granted an extraordinarily generous schedule.
"It's strange—lately he seems to be playing the benevolent role."
I truly agreed.
If he wanted to strike at House of Jamoti—or rather, the Marquessate—he could seize other territories. Yet he specifically took the Liardan Duchy. Moreover, entrusting its investigation to Cassian, its descendant, was peculiar.
Of course, it was true that the Liardan Duchy had been the greatest catalyst for the Jamoti family's rise to ducal status.
But still, the move felt calculated.
"Well, at least the Ashwood Advisor has found peace of mind because of it."
"Yes, that's true."
From the Rose Palace, which had been quiet until now, a receipt for tea cup purchases arrived.
Scarlett Jamoti had always found the fact that she was a marquess's daughter absolutely abhorrent.
Moreover, it seemed she despised Gillard far more than expected.
She, who had been exercising restraint and waiting for her opportunity, shuddered even more at the nonsense he spouted than at her own demotion to marquess status.
True to her meticulous nature, she might be demonstrating her loyalty through actions to guard against any potential rumors.
In any case, we could afford to ease our surveillance of the Rose Palace for a while.
There was another reassuring reason for this.
"Fortunately, the advisor recruitment concluded smoothly as well."
Our Winter Palace had finally become a place where people could enjoy reasonable working hours.
With advisors and administrative officials hired from other palaces, and candidates filtered through examinations rather than mere interviews, the quality of personnel was noticeably superior to usual.
Of course, my friend Wilhelmina Lopez confidently became the Winter Palace's advisor.
'I did consider it carefully—whether learning work at another palace first might be better. But what I wanted most was to help you, Roselita.'
And she had explicitly addressed the concern she no longer harbored.
'I'm saying this just in case, but I came to the Winter Palace because I truly wanted to help you. My father even approved.'
I never doubted him for a moment.
If anything, I worried that seeing me work like a madwoman at the Winter Palace might make him grow distant from me.
'I've come to understand exactly where the Winter Palace's problems lie, especially how the Second Princess Palace has been the most troublesome lately. But don't worry about that.'
Yet she began to resolve our concerns one by one.
Whatever she said to her brother, the number of work cooperation requests coming from the Second Princess Palace to our palace decreased considerably afterward.
Originally, Prince Lopez, her own brother, had applied to the Winter Palace, but he changed his application to the Second Princess Palace instead, saying he wanted to avoid the terrible ordeal of working with Wilhelmina.
In any case, thanks to the influx of many advisors and administrative officials, we were now able to leave the Imperial Palace for considerably longer stretches.
There was also the confidence that no one would dare touch the Winter Palace now that Wilhelmina Lopez and Ashwood were holding the line.
Of course, Francis Ashwood was quite competent at his work.
'I've made thorough preparations based on the last expedition and the train investigation. Please go with peace of mind.'
As if to reassure me, he also handed over documents he'd prepared based on everything he'd experienced so far.
So even though my training wasn't complete, I was able to decide on the trip to Liardan Duchy according to schedule.
Liardan Duchy was a vast region located in the northern part of the Empire.
Being in the north, there were many parts covered in snow where few people lived, but the Liarden Duke House had maintained the territory well across generations, so there were many residences in the southern part of the estate.
"If we have time to spare, we could even visit Clupea Borderland."
"That's true—it would take about four days by carriage to make the trip."
"Yes."
My territory of Clupea was quite close, with only one county between us.
"The reason you gave us so much time was so we'd visit Clupea Borderland and report back, wasn't it?"
At my question, Cassian Artez laughed softly.
"Well, I don't think that's it."
"Then what is it?"
"I think he wanted Roselita to get some rest."
At those words, my head tilted to one side without my meaning to.
"...His Majesty wanted me to rest? Why?"
A man who grinds through people even worse than Cassian Artez just to keep state affairs running smoothly—why would he insist that a diligent worker like me take a break?
"They say one rarely sees one's own faults."
Cassian Artez grasped my hand firmly.
"I've heard quite a bit of nagging, Roselita."
"From whom?"
"Empress Trisha, the First Concubine, my siblings, and even His Majesty the Emperor."
"Because of me?"
"Yes, thanks to you."
Cassian Artez lifted our joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of mine.
"I understand, Roselita. I know why you've been so desperately driven."
"...You're saying I work too much?"
"This isn't the time for that level of rest."
At Cassian's words, I initially thought he was wrong, but soon found myself agreeing.
Honestly, I had been working as though being chased.
"Even during the Advisor examination, Empress Trisha and the Fourth Prince helped considerably, yet you worked as though all responsibility lay with the Winter Palace Administration."
"Yes."
"This time too, the First Concubine genuinely seemed to want to give you breathing room. Since you understood her intentions, His Majesty the Emperor officially entrusted it to you, not to me."
Cassian tightened his grip on my hand.
When I lifted my head and met his gaze, his expression turned bitter.
"Yet you conducted additional investigations whenever you had spare time—of course, His Majesty the Emperor called it praiseworthy. But he also told me to keep a close eye on you."
"I did it of my own volition, though?"
"Yes. I'm your superior."
In other words, he had a duty to stop me when I became excessively absorbed in my work.
Of course, Cassian knew my nature too well and had let me do as I wished.
He'd even assisted considerably during the investigation, so he could have felt wronged hearing such bitter remarks, yet he merely acted concerned for me alone.
"Roselita, so you can take a breath. This inspection of the Liardan Duchy won't be particularly difficult."
Cassian chuckled softly, observing the notebook spread across my lap and the half-open file folder.
"Sometimes experiencing tedium isn't so bad."
"...That's truly difficult for me."
"I know."
Cassian whispered to me with a smile.
"Actually, I feel uneasy with empty hands too."
"Because there are no documents to hold?"
"Yes."
That frivolous remark strangely brought me comfort.
"...Will it really be alright?"
I lifted the scroll.
Of course, it was true that we'd gained temporal breathing room after resolving the previous trial.
I could visually confirm the changes that had occurred in the scroll.
So according to Cassian, we could afford to relax a little.
The remaining time notation was even granted as a reward for resolving the "Ordeal of Abduction."
"Of course, I understand your heart well. The Winter Palace Administration certainly has plenty of work."
I nodded in agreement at his words.
No matter how much I tried to ease my mind, the Winter Palace Administration was a workplace where tasks erupted from somewhere and work piled up.
So I couldn't help but think first that I had to prepare in advance.
"So we have no choice but to practice. You should trust the people you work with a bit more."
"...That's true."
It was true that not only Francis and Wilhelmina, but also quite a few people I could call collaborators had increased.
The Sun Palace Administration had grown with well-trained advisors and administrative officials, so there was no longer a need for us to pile up work.
"And the most important thing is Roselita."
"Yes?"
"Remember that we're not bad at preparation, but we're also quite good at responding."
He pulled me close with a playful expression.
By coincidence, the carriage swayed at just the right moment, and I found myself nestled against Cassian.
"...And while we're at it, pay a little attention to me too."
"I've always been watching."
"You spent more time talking with Gilad Basmarh and Duke Lopez."
He grumbled.
"When we're in the office together, we barely manage to discuss work, and with so little time for that, I could only steal glances at your profile while you worked."
"You weren't exactly subtle about it, were you?"
"That's true, but still."
Cassian drew in a deep breath like someone who had been breathless.
With that motion, I felt as though I were breathing in sync with him.
"Loneliness is unavoidable, so wouldn't you reward me for waiting so patiently?"
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------