Chapter: 28
For a moment, I wondered if today was the weekend or if it was already club time. Strange, it was definitely the right class hour. Why is there a student here? Is the Vice President allowed to skip class?
Looking at Marghetta with eyes full of questions and denial about reality, she tilted her head.
“Sir Carl, are you going to leave your guest standing here? You’ve become quite rude since we last met.”
Her tone was teasing, but she couldn’t hide the smile in her eyes. With her exaggerated head tilt, Marghetta’s eyes curved like a crescent moon. I almost burst out laughing at the sudden visit and playful antics, but after all, she technically is still a guest.
“Of course not. Please, have a seat. I’ll bring you some tea.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll be heading back soon.”
“Really?”
That’s good to hear.
Nodding at her words, I sat across from Marghetta. Thankfully, she said she’d be leaving soon, so it looked like she was just going to get straight to the point. I wasn’t sure why she’d come at this hour, but I was planning to meet her anyway. It was a bit surprising, but not a bad surprise.
As I looked at Marghetta, she maintained a smile, still not saying anything.
Hey, if you’ve come here, shouldn’t you say why you’re here?
“I didn’t expect to see you at this hour, Lady Marghetta. Did something urgent come up?”
“Do we only need to meet when something urgent happens?”
“It’s been a year since we last saw each other, so that doesn’t seem like a very close relationship.”
“If we’ve talked about marriage, then it’s definitely not a ‘normal’ relationship.”
At her sudden comment, my body flinched. Marghetta, with a chuckle, labeled it a joke. Being the Duke’s daughter, it might have been a casual jab, but poor civil servants like me could find themselves in hot water from such stones! I really wish she would understand that.
Sighing softly, I heard a suppressed laugh. When I first met her, she was nothing like this; somewhere along the line, she started teasing and joking around. I couldn’t afford to ignore or counter her because she was the Duke’s daughter.
Marghetta probably didn’t know the turmoil I felt when I rejected the marriage proposal. I was genuinely scared she might suddenly change her mood and shout, “How dare you refuse me!”
I even had nightmares about the Iron-Blooded Duke exacting revenge. Those were dreadful. Luckily, nothing has happened so far.
“Actually, I came because I have a favor to ask of you.”
“I’m all ears.”
“You know that the club fair is coming up soon, right?”
I did know. Even if my connection to the club was pretty much just on paper, I was the official advisor, so I was aware of at least that much.
Besides, Louise had been voicing her bold plans for the fair loud and clear for the past few days—there’s no way I could have missed that. Even now, I could hear Louise’s voice echoing in my ears. Nodding, I prompted Marghetta to continue.
“The club fair is not just a simple Academy event. It serves as a social gathering where nobles who have already graduated interact with noble students currently attending the Academy.”
I don’t understand that at all.
That said, I couldn’t fully disagree with Marghetta. After all, students would be mingling a lot in the social scene, so was there really a need to come to the club? Sure, I understood the intent to strengthen factions and scout talent, but still, it felt excessive.
“Therefore, preparing the club fair each year causes a ton of stress for the student council. The budget isn’t small, and we can’t tell whether we’re actually doing a good job or not.”
“I appreciate all the hard work you’re putting in.”
“That’s why if you could help us, it would be immensely reassuring.”
“Pardon?”
Marghetta’s request left me momentarily speechless. Help? Me?
“Are you requesting my assistance?”
“Yes. I did this last year as well. Based on my experience, checking whether the budget is being allocated properly is what takes the most time, and with you around, I think it would go more quickly.”
“But I’m not connected to the student council.”
“But you are the Academy’s Prosecutor, right?”
The more I listened to Marghetta, the more I felt my rationality slipping away. She was asking me to confirm whether the budget was being utilized properly just because I held the title of Prosecutor?
“This is the first time I’ve been asked to volunteer for an audit.”
It was an unexpected proposal. Usually, everyone would try their best to avoid such scrutiny, but I never imagined anyone would volunteer to ask for my help.
Even with my dubious gaze, Marghetta wore a bright smile.
“We haven’t done anything corrupt, so why should we be afraid? I just want an expert to confirm that our budget is managed correctly. Would you consider helping us, Mr. Executive Manager?”
How unfortunate for Marghetta; I hadn’t climbed to my position because I possessed the skills she desired. Neither I nor the Minister got to where we were through typical means. We had both risen through unconventional paths, making us quite different from your average Minister of Finance or Executive Manager.
Because of this, right after I became the Executive Manager, I’d been busy tackling those supporting the 2nd Prince and dealing with the existing factions inside the office. Even now, I could feel my mind going blank thinking back to that time.
…But surely Marghetta knows about this? The Ministry of Finance was in chaos back then, easily the talk of the town—anyone in a Duke’s household would have heard the rumors. She knows that, and she still wants my help?
Seeing the negativity reflected on my face, Marghetta cutely tilted her head, placing her fan against her cheek.
“Is my request too much?”
“If my name gets tangled up with the achievements of the student council, it’ll only dilute the meaning of what you are doing.”
“That’s a pity.”
With a soft sigh at my rejection, she seemed ready to give up. Unexpected! I thought she was dead set on coming here at this hour. But well, considering she had done this last year, she probably didn’t need help that desperately.
“Well, I can’t guarantee how long this will take. I’m also not sure how invested I’ll be in this project.”
“If it’s you, Mar, you’ll manage just fine. You did make it work last year, right?”
“Still, working alone can be quite a headache. There were times when I’d slip out under the pretense of taking a break from the student council, but I’d end up wandering aimlessly for ages. If Sir Carl were here, I could focus on doing the work.”
“…”
At Marghetta’s straightforward remark, I quietly shut my eyes.
So she’s completely showing her true colors.
On the surface, it sounded like, “I’m struggling with work; please help me, sniff, sniff,” but one layer deeper, her real intention shone through.
I know you probably don’t want to go see Louise. If you help me, I won’t disturb her.
What she was really saying was that if I played along with her request, she’d refrain from pestering Louise and would quietly work in the student council room instead. What a primal bargain! Quite impressive, I must say.
And it’s so effective too.
It made me think that Marghetta’s surprise visit to Louise the other day was a strategic move leading up to this. By presenting herself as a menace to Louise and the club, she was ensuring that I’d cooperate with her wishes.
While her tactics were transparent, rejecting her now would turn her perceived threat into a grander-scale attack aimed at Louise. That wouldn’t end well for me.
After organizing my thoughts, I opened my eyes and smiled.
“I can’t just sit idle knowing that Mar is struggling. If you’re okay with it, I’ll help.”
“Thank you, Sir Carl. I had faith in you.”
“Haha.”
From the beginning, I was stepping into a fight with a predetermined outcome.
Although I agreed to help, I didn’t expect her to drag me straight to the Student Council room immediately.
“The student council is preparing for the fair in the Student Council room. I just stepped out for a moment to fetch you.”
Oh, I see. Well, there’s no helping it.
After all, sometimes there are indeed things that trump classes in importance.
Feeling like a hapless slave being led around, I followed Marghetta to the Student Council room. Yes, getting this done sooner rather than later seemed the best route. After all, if it wasn’t club time, there was no reason to linger in the club room.
By the time we reached the Student Council room, Marghetta gave a few polite knocks but barged right in before any responses came through. Was there really even a point to knocking, then?
As I peered into the student council room, I noticed six faces already waiting there. With Marghetta included, that made seven. I hadn’t paid much attention to them due to my lack of interest, but I certainly didn’t expect to meet all of them like this. This was going to be awkward.
“Vice President, who’s that outside?”
The male student sitting at the head of the table—probably the President—turned my way, looking equally perplexed.
What’s this? Why are the ones asking for my help staring at me like this? Marghetta went to summon me, so it should be obvious who I am!
“This is the advisor of the Pastry Club, Sir Carl Krasius. I’ve brought him to seek advice regarding the budget for the upcoming fair.”
As soon as those words left her lips, my eyes met the President’s stare. Only then did he recognize my face, and his eyes started to dart around in a panic. Glancing at the other five, I noticed their reactions were rather similar.
Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me…
“Mar, didn’t the Student Council agree to consult me for advice?”
“Not at all.”
Her reply seemed to imply, ‘Why would I need anyone’s agreement for what I’ve decided?’
Oh yes, I momentarily forgot she has a total ‘my way or the highway’ attitude typical of the Valenti family.
With Marghetta utterly oblivious to the tension, I turned my gaze back to the Student Council President.
His face had gone pale, and his body seemed frozen. For him, this was probably quite the unexpected result. The Duke’s daughter, who was already intimidating to deal with, had just thrust the Prosecutor’s Executive Manager into the mix. It could easily be perceived as “I brought him because you’re not to my liking.”
But that was a misunderstanding! I’d kept myself holed up in the club room because I felt my presence might pressure the students too much. I’ve been leading a life barely beneath the radar, avoiding meeting anyone who wasn’t part of the club. If I had known this was all Marghetta’s initiative, I wouldn’t have come with such light-heartedness…
Feeling a bit apologetic, I gave a slight nod, which only seemed to worsen the tension. The President clenched his eyes shut tightly.
What on earth are you thinking? That’s not it!
I nearly let out an exasperated sigh, but I barely managed to hold it back. If I sighed now, the President might just collapse under the pressure!
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