Chapter: 378
Morning broke. Although yesterday’s blunder made the atmosphere a bit awkward, it didn’t turn into a full-blown misunderstanding. Penelia, who had been in a panic, quickly regained her composure.
Instead, as I wandered around the mansion, the servants and Mukgwangdae greeted me with rather amused looks. It was obvious they were teasing me, taking the opportunity to poke fun at their master the moment they could—what a drag.
And poor Penelia had to bear the brunt of those stares just for being next to me.
“I-I’ll have a talk with the members!” she declared, fidgeting.
“It’s fine, really.”
While I admired her spirited determination, it’s clear this wasn’t a problem anyone could solve. Only time could ease the situation.
Moreover, if Penelia chewed out Mukgwangdae alone, I could already foresee the backlash. While she had the skills to lead well as a captain, she wasn’t exactly the best when it came to expressing herself verbally.
“Let’s just let it slide. It’ll happen eventually.”
With that, I wrapped my arms around her waist and whispered softly. The hierarchy among ladies is important, so even if it’s a bit tricky for now, one day the misunderstanding will become a reality.
“I’m still sorry for raising expectations like that.”
“No! I wasn’t expecting anything!”
As I added a joking apology, Penelia shook her head vigorously, looking flustered as if she was honored to receive my apology.
Hmm.
“Really? So you’re not interested in that sort of thing, huh?”
“W-Well, that’s…”
Her body shivered in response to my playful tease, my hand wrapped around her waist.
I felt a little bad for making her flustered, but her reaction was just too entertaining! A tiny poke could elicit such a big response—it felt worthy of the effort!
But if I teased her too much, she might run away crying, which would be a real problem.
“Just kidding.”
As I said that and kissed her forehead, the trembling suddenly stopped, as if it was a trick. Unfortunately, it seems like I have a long way to go if I want to enjoy a casual closeness with Penelia.
…Actually, it might not be just Penelia who has a long way to go, but whatever.
Before returning to the Academy, I chose to visit the Information Department as part of my final agenda in the capital. Since I safely returned from the Northern Region, I should at least greet the Senior Manager and Second Manager. I hadn’t stopped by yesterday because I was in such a rush after the Emperor summoned me.
As soon as I arrived at the Information Department, the only one at work, the Senior Manager, handed me a thick book.
“The six swordsmen have been granted titles, so I updated the roster.”
‘Oh.’
As I quickly scanned through the book—the list of Information Department officials—I saw their names now listed under the nobility category.
A roster of civil servants who had been with the Information Department since its establishment. My name and that of those boys were listed on different pages due to our differing statuses, but now all seven of them had landed on the same page. They were no longer commoners but nobles now; that’s a pretty big deal.
I hadn’t even thought about that! I was so focused on their titles that I failed to look at the Information Department itself.
“…Thanks. I should’ve done it myself.”
“The roster update still needs your final approval, Executive Manager.”
His words suggesting that he was passing the credit onto me made me smirk a little. There’s no way the Senior Manager, acting as the stand-in for the Executive Manager, didn’t have the authority to approve a simple roster update. He was obviously just waiting for me to come around to do it.
As expected, the Senior Manager is the backbone of the Information Department. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably be dead from high blood pressure by now or have gotten myself locked up for some major blunder.
“Alright then, I’ll take care of it.”
Reaching out to him, he promptly handed me a document.
[ 3rd Official Roster Amendment of 78th Year ]
Just the title nearly made me laugh. I don’t even remember signing off on the first and second amends, yet here’s the third one waiting for my approval!
Wait a minute, does it even need my approval? Isn’t this whole thick book already properly updated as it is? The work was clearly done, leaving me with nothing but a pointless signature to give.
In frustration, I let out a soft chuckle, causing the Senior Manager to awkwardly look away.
‘Is this good luck for the subordinate, or is it a bad stroke of fate?’
Looking at the Senior Manager alongside Penelia and the Second Manager, it seemed like a good thing, but thinking about Erichabet and the Second and Third Managers makes it hard to say the same.
It’s an utterly ridiculous balance. I don’t need this kind of balance.
“Oh, where’s the Minister?”
“He’s in his office.”
As I handed back the signed document and asked, I finally got the answer I wanted. By the time I reached his office, all the managers would likely be arriving as well.
If someone were still absent when that time came, the superior would personally go to their home and serve them a little “visit” to get things moving.
*
Not long after starting work, there came a knock at the door.
“Your Grace. It’s me.”
At the familiar voice, I turned my gaze from the documents to the door. That cheeky guy. After all that war business, he should’ve shown up yesterday; now he comes today?
But then again, it might be a good thing he came today rather than yesterday. If it had been yesterday, I would’ve seen him whining or complaining.
“Come in.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
Finally, when the door opened, his gloomy expression changed to a bright one. That guy must be feeling pretty good.
“Finally decided to show up, huh?”
“Apologies! I was so busy yesterday.”
Seeing him grumpily tell me that with a smile was a clear sign.
‘He’s already sorted things out.’
Finally, he seemed to have gotten rid of that heaviness in his heart.
Well, naturally so. Killing Dorgon, the Northern Region becoming part of the Empire, and them receiving titles as Counts of Livnoman! No matter how rotten things got, this should ensure healing. If he were still brooding over it now, it would mean he was mentally disturbed.
“You must have been busy. Plus, your peers got promoted above you, so I guess you didn’t sleep well.”
“Isn’t it better for a subordinate to rise above you?”
“Damn brat.”
At my words, he chuckled. While the title of Count of Livnoman doesn’t come with a territory, it is an honorable title receiving better treatment than all others. It’s the kind of title that means both I, a regular Count, and he—who would one day be an Imperial Count—would have to bow our heads before Count Livnoman.
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the absurdity of it all. Those commoners who used to be beneath me are now above me! Should I bow down when I die and visit their graves? I can’t just stand before Count Livnoman like it’s all good.
“Oh, and I updated that roster.”
“Already?”
And he proudly presented the updated roster of Information Department officials, which genuinely surprised me. They received their titles just yesterday, but here it is all updated? That guy isn’t exactly meticulous—
“I had the Senior Manager do it for me since I nearly forgot.”
Guess that makes sense. That guy isn’t the sort to be all that detailed anyway.
“You’re lucky to have a good subordinate. Meanwhile, I’m about to lose my mind having you around.”
“Well, at least Your Grace has other decent managers. I’ve got three abnormal ones.”
“Consider yourself lucky, then. If you hate it so much, just quit.”
The topic shifted back to my recurring wish for him to resign, but oddly enough, this time his reaction was a little different.
“I can’t do that. If a young guy like me quits, people will just hate on me.”
“What?”
For a moment, I doubted my ears. People would have hated on him if he quit? After all the complaints they must’ve had for a hundred years, he would say this?
“His Majesty also does some of the work directly, right? So I’m motivated to do my best too.”
My gaze instinctively drifted to the drawer of my desk. It was full of his resignation letters just waiting to be addressed—what is he talking about?
Did he hit his head in the Northern Region, or what? If he did, he should be recuperating in a Magic Tower or a Church rather than here.
“Sure, just do your best.”
It’s still a good sign that he’s motivated. It means I won’t have to deal with those resignation letters from him again.
In truth, he had been acting pretty wacky lately, but with Imperial Count blood flowing through his veins, isn’t it only natural for him to be loyal to the Imperial Family? It’s strange that he’s only just begun to complain about resigning now.
…Hmmm.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“I’m saying if you don’t want to resign, take those letters back.”
Looking at him with a puzzled expression, I showed him the pile of resignation letters crammed in my drawer.
Then, he began tearing each of the letters right in front of me as if he had seen something grotesque.
‘More insane than I thought.’
He was already abnormal to begin with, but now he’s gone crazier.
He hadn’t just come back without his burdens; he returned with a twisted madness inside.
*
After wrapping up the conversation with the Minister, I found all the Second Managers gathered together as well. Thankfully, the home visit service was looking like it could be scrapped after all.
Having said my greetings, and with a roster update I hadn’t even considered before, it was a pleasant visit overall.
The only blemish was that the Minister had shown remnants of a nasty past. However, in tearing those ugly bits up with my own hands, I had defeated the past me. The weak civil servant, Kal, who had once had nothing but resignation on his mind, had disappeared, leaving only Kal, the loyal servant to the Emperor behind.
‘Is this what breaking my mind feels like?’
Suddenly, I felt something odd, as if I was treading the same path as my father, fervently loyal to the Emperor.
But what can I do? Accepting such kindness only to wipe my mouth clean would make me less than a human—more like a beast! From that day, I’d turn into a black beast with a black head.
‘Let’s work hard until sixty.’
And let’s not write any resignation letters until then.
Either way, the Crown Prince wouldn’t let me go any earlier. A high-ranking bureaucrat retiring in his forties or fifties would be a rare find in the Empire’s history.
‘Only thirty-eight years left until sixty.’
That was just dreadful. To think I would need to toil for another thirty-eight years just to even think about retiring—what kind of hell is this? And if my lifespan coincided with Beatrix’s, then—
‘Damn it.’
I hurriedly shook my head, shrugging off the terrible thought.
If lifespans were extended, I’d suggest we keep it strictly in the family. By the time I’m eighty, I should just hide out in the basement of Count Servette’s residence or something.
‘…The basement.’
My gaze unintentionally flicked to my right arm. Maybe I wouldn’t have to wait until I was eighty; I might actually see the basement in just eight hours.
Now that my business in the capital was done, I had no choice but to head to the Academy. But if I let slip a word there, I could easily find myself imprisoned by the furious Beatrix. While I might be able to talk my way out of being found out about fighting, finding out about my arm being cut off would be an entirely different kettle of fish.
So I had to keep this under wraps. For the sake of my own sanity and that of my loved ones, I must.
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