Chapter 41
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41.
"...You summoned the knights at dawn?"
"Yes, Roselita gave me some rare free time."
It seemed Cassian had managed to leave his office earlier than usual yesterday as well.
"The knights will resent you for it."
"What are you talking about?"
Cassian laughed and pulled me up from my seat by taking my hand.
"You have no idea what our Knight Order thinks of Roselita."
"...A demon?"
It wasn't something I wanted to say aloud.
When I spoke with obvious reluctance, Cassian let out a soft laugh.
"A hero, rather."
"All I remember is giving them work..."
Honestly, the knights were simply the only ones with available hands at the Winter Palace.
Our Winter Palace was the sort of place where even servants were frequently assigned to paperwork, so it was unavoidable.
Because there was only one advisor, the First Empress refused to increase the number of Winter Palace administrators beyond a certain limit.
'Didn't she say she'd increase the positions if we hired more advisors?'
Moreover, the Imperial Family's internal regulations explicitly stated that one advisor could oversee no more than five administrators, which made it difficult for us to push back.
And she was actively pressuring potential candidates—those holding at least a baronial title—to avoid applying for the advisor position altogether.
The First Empress was truly a repugnant woman.
"Well, it's not just work, so perhaps that's why."
While I was thinking about the First Empress, Cassian placed my hand on his arm and escorted me to the dining hall.
"I don't remember any of that, Your Majesty. You don't need to comfort me with things that never happened."
"Never happened?"
After we sat at the table, Cassian gestured, and the servants began serving the dishes with practiced efficiency.
"The quality of training improved immediately after Roselita arrived."
Indeed, if Cassian had been alone, he would have had no choice but to reduce training time to manage the workload, and no matter how steel-like that man was, he would have eventually worn down.
"There are many other things, but I'll let the knights tell you about them someday."
"Just tell me now."
"It wouldn't be right for a superior to rob them of what they should say."
Hearing him speak that way, it seemed there really was talk about me among the knights.
"In any case, is the reason you're upset because of Francis Ashwood?"
"Yes."
I ate with intensity and vented to Cassian about just how absurd the things Francis Ashwood had spouted were.
Cassian listened to my complaints while eating, offering appropriate agreement and sympathy.
After that round of venting, the irritation that had been weighing on my mind seemed to lift somewhat.
The cool sensation helped clear my mind, allowing me to think more rationally.
"In fact, the Summer Palace Administration has been handling most of its difficult matters with assistance from the Empress's Palace or the Winter Palace Administration."
"That's right, and His Majesty tacitly approves of it."
If they attempted to resolve difficult and important matters on their own initiative, there was a risk it could escalate into something far more serious.
The First Empress was tireless in packaging the First Prince as competent, but she possessed enough objectivity about her own son to understand that such packaging was necessary.
"To be honest, the advisors at the Summer Palace Administration are all practically young nobles, so they're probably letting work pile up by now."
Indeed, after I left the Summer Palace, they'd boasted about how they could handle everything themselves, only to leave at eight in the evening claiming they'd deal with it tomorrow.
'Eight o'clock is practically right after dinner.'
Given their nature, they certainly hadn't skipped meals to work.
"And if the financial statements actually end up with errors, we can't completely escape responsibility either."
"The First Empress will find a way to implicate us regardless."
Cassian nodded while sipping a deeply brewed black tea instead of dessert.
Of course, before me sat an iced Americano so dark it seemed to pull you in.
A six-shot venti size, made exclusively for me at the Winter Palace.
"So we need to prevent that from happening in the first place—after all, we're the ones holding all the important matters."
"Right, so how are you planning to solve this?"
I smiled softly at my superior, who was deliberately passing the ball to me despite already knowing the answer.
Today, the First Advisor of the Summer Palace Administration would have to accept a proposal that might be somewhat humiliating.
*
"...Are you telling me to assist Advisor Roselita Salice with her duties right now?"
Francis Ashwood's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing my proposal.
The man, who was already nearly expressionless by nature, regarded me with a look suggesting he found it difficult to comprehend.
"Is it hard to understand? I suspect you're thinking right now that it would be enough if the Winter Palace just took on half the burden?"
"If you could just do it this way this once, then next time—"
"So the workload at the Summer Palace Administration that allows people to leave on time is only about half of what it actually is?"
He closed his mouth as if struck by a nerve.
"Advisor Ashwood, the Winter Palace administrators were just grateful to leave before midnight yesterday."
They really only think of themselves.
"From your perspective, are Roselita Salice and the Winter Palace administrators people you can simply use as you please? Let me ask you one thing—is First Prince Charlie above First Prince Cassian?"
"That is...."
You can't answer that carelessly.
If you did, tomorrow's newspaper headline would report that Ashwood arbitrarily established the hierarchy between the two princes that even the Emperor hasn't determined yet.
"Then am I beneath Advisor Ashwood?"
"...."
His mouth trembled without opening.
"I understand you might think that way since you're a noble young lord and I'm merely the daughter of a marquess."
I smiled softly.
"But even if that were true, that's something to be concerned about at balls or social gatherings, not in administrative matters, isn't it?"
You're aware that the top performers every quarter are consistently filled by Winter Palace Administration staff, aren't you?
It was one of the reasons why applicants for Winter Palace Administration positions never dried up, despite the grueling workload.
After all, it was a position where one could secure rapid promotions, thorough overtime pay, and performance bonuses all at once.
The First Empress herself refrained from touching performance metrics, knowing that doing so would jeopardize both the First Prince's Summer Palace and her own Rose Palace.
"And you said this was just this once—are you confident that if you help me this time, it won't happen again in the future?"
"I intend to make it so."
"I can't trust that. Anyone can say such things. What if when the time comes, other advisors from the Summer Palace push the responsibility onto you again? And if it truly doesn't work out that way, the Sun Palace will mediate—surely you're not harboring such naive thoughts?"
Did he think I wouldn't know?
Even if Francis Ashwood wouldn't do such a thing, there was no guarantee the other advisors wouldn't.
"There's far too much I could say, but I'm hardly idle enough to enlighten you on every single point."
"Regardless, if I assist with your duties, it brings dishonor to First Prince Charlie's name. You, as the First Advisor, should understand that."
At his words, I let out a scoff without restraint.
"Then consider the negotiation failed and handle it yourself—we were only trying to help, but Advisor Ashwood has declined?"
I rose from my seat with my notebook in hand, showing no lingering attachment.
"Since you're so confident, I hope you resolve everything on your own going forward, unless collaboration with the Winter Palace Administration becomes absolutely essential."
As I turned to leave, I paused as if just remembering something, and cast a thoroughly contemptuous gaze toward him as I spoke.
"During the Ilium Cruise Ship incident, you were too frightened to go through with it and fled—yet here you are, conducting yourself as though you're equal in duty."
Cassian and I had discovered Ashwood's name on the guest list while organizing the Ilium incident.
"That wasn't fleeing—!"
"Whether it was fleeing or not, does that change the fact that we cleaned up your mess?"
I opened the door, thinking I truly had nothing more to say.
Let him cling to that precious pride of his and bury himself in mountains of documents.
I had taken exactly three steps beyond the threshold when—
"Advisor Roselita Salice, I accept your proposal."
That rigid pride of his had finally bent.
*
Of course, I wasn't the type to let someone off with just one stumble.
People only truly understand how badly they've erred when they've been broken all the way down to the bottom.
"...An attendant, you say?"
When I mentioned his prospective position within the Winter Palace, a crack appeared across the noble young master's composure.
Admittedly, it was customary for aristocratic families to recruit attendants rather than mere servants, but in reality, only those of impoverished count lineage or lower applied—unless one was of imperial rank like the Emperor, Empress, or First Empress.
'In truth, even that was rare these days; nowadays it was mostly minor barons or the children of knight families.'
To place the eldest son of one of the Empire's three ducal houses—even temporarily—in such a position?
Of course he'd be appalled. Francis Ashwood's mind was far more rigid than his aging father's.
"I realize this may be presumptuous of me to say, given that I came seeking assistance..."
Perhaps because Francis Ashwood had endured my relentless bombardment throughout the morning and afternoon, his foolish remarks had been somewhat refined in their delivery.
"Would a temporary administrative position not suffice? This way, it might not appear as though the Winter Palace is retaliating against the Summer Palace."
He'd even added a pretense of concern for us.
But then again.
If you know something shouldn't be said, why say it at all?
I smiled sweetly and turned to the Winter Palace's Chief Attendant.
"I'm sorry, Chief Attendant. It seems recruiting an attendant won't be possible after all."
"It's quite alright, Advisor Roselita Salice. It's a common—"
Then Ashwood hastily interjected.
"I'll do it, Advisor Roselita Salice! I'll be the attendant!"
I'd already secured his consent anyway.
Now it was time to use Ashwood to roll the entire Summer Palace Administration around like a ball.
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