Chapter: 158
I had lunch with the Senior Manager and wrapped up the surprise call from the Invincible Duke, so it was time to head back to the academy, my probation ground.
Thinking back on this still ticks me off. Who in their right mind would choose a workplace as their probation location? I didn’t say it out loud, but the thought of being cooped up at home for the duration of my probation had me a little excited.
That jerk must’ve lived a life of leisure in his past life.
If not, this just doesn’t make sense. Given his hatred for others taking breaks, he must have spent at least three lifetimes as a jobless bum. That sort of mentality only comes with a serious dose of karma.
The issue is that I don’t have a good reason to yell at the crown prince, “These days, civil servants have a temper!” Sadly, the higher up you go, the more outrageous the workload becomes. Shockingly, this brutal exploitation extends even to the imperial family.
Even the emperor, who’s now too frail to handle duties and has passed them on to the crown prince, was famous for being a workaholic in his prime. The crown prince has been on a relentless grind since his appointment.
What the heck can I even say?
If I dared to complain to the crown prince, I could get hit with, “You’re complaining about working? Traitor!” So, escaping through retirement seemed like the only option. But surprise, surprise—retirement requests never get approved.
Honestly, I think I’ll only be able to retire when I’m old and nearly dead. And even that isn’t a guarantee; it’s just sad.
Damn it.
Let’s drop the subject. The more I think about it, the more dismal it gets. Keeping hope alive in a government that mercilessly grinds its civil servants is just foolish.
I should hurry back and report my probation news. Crazy as it is, it’s still probation. I can’t even step outside; no club room hangouts as usual!
I need to tell the Principal or Sir Villar to come to my lodging if they want me, and I have to let Marghetta know that I might not be able to visit her for a while…
And take that new call, too.
While I was gathering my thoughts, the communication crystal flared to life again with a brilliant light.
Ugh, who could it be this time? If it’s nothing important, I’ll just tell them to call back later and hang up.
“It’s the Executive Manager.”
Baby.
I quickly composed myself. Unfortunately, this was a call from someone who could easily diminish my worth.
“I heard you came to the capital.”
“Yes, I was just about to head back.”
Is that so?
Then the Mage Duchess’s eyes narrowed as if she had caught some off-putting words.
What’s the problem? Did I say something strange?
“Are you short on potions?”
“…I was about to ask for more before heading back.”
After a moment of thought, the Mage Duchess smiled slightly. So that was the right answer!
I had received a generous supply of potions last time, so running low was impossible. The Duchess, who provided them, knew that best. After all, it’s not like the potion that I consume just once a day would suddenly run out!
So, when the Mage Duchess suddenly started talking about potions, it meant she wanted to summon me in a roundabout way.
So if she calls, I should go!
I don’t know why she’s summoning me all of a sudden, but who would refuse a duchess’s request?
“Good! I was just taking a break, so come to the tower immediately.”
“Yes, Your Grace. Thank you for your consideration.”
I kept bowing until the call ended and only raised my head after it cut off. Of all times to be caught right before I could leave!
To be honest, I had to stop by the Mage Tower to hire a mage for my return to the academy anyway. It was just being caught a bit sooner than expected.
I just wanted to go back.
I wanted to return without any fuss. Coming here to face disciplinary actions was the last thing I wanted to brag about.
If I greet the Mage Duchess and she asks why I came to the capital, I would be utterly speechless. Telling the truth might just earn me a comment like, “You’re still so youthful and full of energy, baby.”
Now that’s just sad!
Hearing that would make me feel like a childish fool flooded with self-loathing.
Anyway, I should just quickly greet her and leave. If I delay any longer, I might miss club time!
But giving it a second thought, something seemed off. I’m about to start probation tomorrow, yet here I am, saying goodbye to everyone like it’s the end of the world!
It feels like someone about to be arrested the next day is saying their last farewell.
Damn it, these goodbyes are unnecessary!
*
Once again, my baby didn’t come to me first. If I hadn’t heard about his arrival, even belatedly, he would’ve slipped away without a word.
How infuriating! I treated him with utmost care every time we met, and yet here we are.
Of course, I’ve kept my affection for my baby under wraps, so I can understand if he didn’t notice. But I made sure to show him that I cared. Even if he didn’t know about my feelings, he should have at least picked up on my goodwill.
Is he deliberately avoiding me?
I even started to think that way. Going back and forth between the academy and the capital, I could understand him being unable to come personally if he was busy.
The problem is, he didn’t even drop me a single message, whether he was at the academy or here in the capital. If this was intentional, I could never forgive him. I simply can’t overlook that!
Things have changed.
Yes, things are different now. My baby is now involved with another woman.
Lady Marghetta.
The youngest daughter of the Iron-Blood Duke. She loves my baby so much that rumors of their engagement have spread through high society.
When I first heard about Lady Marghetta, I didn’t pay much attention. After all, it would take about 40 years for my baby to reach my lifespan, so I thought I had no right to interfere with his relationships during that time.
Given that we’d be spending hundreds of years together eventually, I could turn a blind eye to this. The position beside Carl that Lady Marghetta seeks? I was confident I could take it swiftly if I actually tried.
“It looks like a great celebration is on the horizon for the empire. The Executive Manager seems to have found a partner.”
But when I heard those words from the Invincible Duke not long ago, my heart plummeted.
I can’t just look away. My calm vanished. I thought 40 years would be okay, but the thought of someone else being by my baby’s side made me shudder.
No, it’s not about someone else. It’s the fact that I might not be by his side!
I can’t wait!
So, my mindset shifted. I won’t grant him a 40-year grace period. If my baby intends to be with another woman, he must choose me first!
That’s why I can’t tolerate my baby intentionally avoiding me. If I see another woman standing beside him while I’m being pushed away, I can’t guarantee how I’d react!
Knock, knock.
“Your Grace, it’s the Executive Manager.”
“Come in.”
Bracing myself at the sound of my baby’s voice, I knew this moment mattered for our happiness into the centuries ahead.
But that fire within me began to dwindle upon seeing my baby look so dejected.
Should I let it go?
We’d be together for hundreds of years. Getting upset over something so trivial would be unwise. This is just a small blip compared to the grand future we’d sketch together.
Yes, he must have been busy. There could have been something preventing him from contacting me. Seeing him so downcast makes me want to at least extend my understanding.
Let’s just move past this.
Eventually, after much deliberation, I decided to drop my grievances.
My mother used to say that the one who falls in love first loses. Now I see what she meant.
*
The Mage Duchess greeted me with a smile.
“Welcome! Would you like some tea?”
“Oh, I’ll make it.”
“No need. A guest just needs to sit.”
With those gentle yet firm words, I cautiously took my seat. Though I am indeed a guest, it was a rather one-sided invitation.
I mulled over why I was called when I arrived at the Mage Tower, but I couldn’t find any specific reason. It’s not like before, where I got caught doing something weird, and I had nothing to give or receive from the Mage Duchess.
What could it be?
The atmosphere didn’t suggest bad news. Did she simply want to see my face, like the Invincible Duke did?
It’s a plausible hypothesis. Since the Invincible Duke did so, why wouldn’t the Mage Duchess? And thinking back, she has shown a maternal concern for me by even providing potions.
“I should have asked sooner. What brought you to the capital?”
The Mage Duchess’s casual question caught me off guard. I wanted to avoid this question, which was why I was trying to return quickly.
“Well, I came here to face disciplinary action.”
The Mage Duchess, who was preparing tea, suddenly turned her gaze toward me. Talk about embarrassing!
“Disciplinary action?”
“Yes, that’s what happened.”
Her gaze demanded more details, so I explained the situation.
The instructor set to oversee the four-person event had to leave due to a summoning from the tower, which somehow forced me to fill in. I tried my hardest to control my strength, but Prince Rutis got knocked out with one hit. Because of that, I was handed a disciplinary notice.
Even as I spoke, the absurdity and embarrassment of it all were palpable. The Mage Duchess wore a complicated expression upon hearing this. In some way, this all began because of the tower’s summons. If it weren’t for that snowball effect, none of this would have happened.
After a brief silence, the Mage Duchess gently patted my head.
“It must have been tough. I’m sure you faced many challenges dealing with royalty.”
I almost nodded absentmindedly. Any resentment I held against the Mage Tower quickly since evaporated.
This warmth from the Mage Duchess felt different from the Invincible Duke’s concern. Is this what a mother’s embrace feels like?
“Still, it saddens me that you only spoke of it after I prompted you.”
As she continued to pet my head, her ears drooped slightly.
“I didn’t want to burden you with trivial matters.”
At that, her ears perked back up again.
“Please tell me immediately if something happens next time. I’ll help you however I can.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
The Mage Duchess appeared pleased with my quick response. When it comes to receiving help from her, counting the impossibilities is bound to be quicker than tallying the possibilities.
“Since it concluded with just a written report, His Highness the Crown Prince likely doesn’t think it was your fault. Don’t keep it bottled up.”
“What?”
“You mentioned you’re returning to the academy. If it had been probation or confinement, you wouldn’t have been able to return, right?”
Her painfully logical statement left me speechless. Yes, that’s true. Under probation, staying in the capital instead of returning to my post is the norm. Anyone would see that if the disciplined party was returning to their duty, everything must have ended with just a report.
But surprise, surprise! It was probation. The Crown Prince really is a clever bastard.
“It’s probation.”
The Mage Duchess tilted her head.
“I’ve been handed a probation order from the academy.”
“Probation… at the academy?”
This time, the Mage Duchess was left speechless.
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