Chapter: 36
Carl Oppa told me to treat his subordinate comfortably, but how could I do that with someone I was meeting for the first time? What’s more, unlike the foreign visitors who had come to help at the request of Carl Oppa, this person looked like they had just been grabbed off the street.
So, I subtly whispered to the sister – who was a subordinate – that it was okay for her to take a break. She nodded repeatedly as if deeply moved, and to make sure she didn’t get snatched away by Carl Oppa, she pulled out a skewer from the bag she was holding. Her twinkling eyes sparkled somewhat intimidatingly.
“Do you want to eat one?”
“No, I’m fine. I’ve had a bit while making different things.”
“Really? But it’s delicious.”
“Then I’ll eat it!”
Before I knew it, Carl Oppa, who had sneaked up behind her, swiped the entire bag, not just the skewers she held. The look of dismay on her face as she watched the bag slip from her grasp was, honestly, a bit pitiful.
“I brought you here to work, and what do I see?”
“Executive Manager, I really think giving off-duty instructions is quite wrong.”
“If you don’t like it, you should’ve been promoted faster than me.”
“Ugh…”
Unfazed by her dejected demeanor, Oppa grabbed her head with one hand and pressed down hard. The more he did that, the more her expression melted, and her body trembled all over.
“Ow, that hurts…”
“Louise, don’t coddle her; make her work without hesitation. If you leave her alone, she’ll just wander everywhere.”
“Got it, Oppa.”
I smiled awkwardly and replied, agreeing to his command. But hearing that made the sister look at me as if I’d betrayed her, which tugged at my heartstrings a bit.
‘But we only just met today…’
It was puzzling how she formed such trust so quickly with someone she’d just met.
“If you find her difficult to manage, I’ll use her instead. Is that okay?”
“Of course! After all, she’s your guest, Oppa.”
As I said that, I watched Carl Oppa pulling the sister towards a corner. He kept harassing her non-stop while her shoulders drooped.
‘They look really close.’
At the same time, there was a deep intimacy between them. Even though Oppa wore a stern face and was bossy outwardly, there was comfort beneath that facade. It was a side of him I hadn’t seen in the club. The sister, too, showed playfulness and warmth that peeked through her distress.
I had never seen Oppa like that. He had always been kind and caring in the club, but he still had some restraint and boundaries. But right now, it felt like I was seeing his true self, sans all the constraints.
That was his real side. The one he didn’t show me.
‘It’s my first time seeing this side of him.’
I bit my lip slightly. It was frustrating to realize I hadn’t truly understood someone I was so grateful to, someone I owed so much to.
It was similar to when I met the Duchess recently. Oppa seemed to distance himself a little from her, but she definitely seemed to like him. Before coming to the Academy, he was someone significant, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they had gotten closer during that time.
The more I thought there were more sides to Carl Oppa that I didn’t know, the more my frustration grew.
Ah.
Shaking my head, I tried to dispel the strange thoughts swirling in my mind. What was I even thinking? Of course, it was natural for Oppa to have friends, and he didn’t owe me an explanation about everything.
For a moment, dwelling on the kindness I received from Carl Oppa made me wish he could rely on me as well.
‘This is… odd.’
Why am I feeling this way? The suffocation in my chest felt like it was transforming into a dull ache, prompting me to forcefully look away from him.
*
Even for me, I had been more abrupt with the 1st Division Manager than usual. But maintaining discipline between superiors and subordinates was the Executive Manager’s duty. Considering how lax things might have gotten while I was away, this level of reprimanding was necessary.
From the very start, half of whatever I said went in one ear and out the other with her. If I wanted to squeeze in a hundred words, I needed to throw in two hundred to make up for it.
“Hey, Executive Manager.”
“What now?”
I frowned at her response. Just hearing her call me made my skin crawl. Earlier, she mentioned the Third Prince, and now what could it possibly be?
“Who is she? I don’t remember her.”
I turned to follow her gaze and saw Louise handing some bread to Villar.
“The president of the Pastry Club.”
“I know that, but she’s way too ordinary compared to the other members.”
The 1st Manager’s skepticism was understandable. Even Erich, the weakest of the members, was the son of an Earl. As an Executive of the Prosecutor’s Office, she was in a position to grasp at least basic personal info.
On the contrary, Louise was just a common Baron’s daughter. If it weren’t for the original work, I probably wouldn’t even know there was a Baron Naird.
“She’s just a regular kid; there’s nothing to uncover, so don’t bother with her.”
“Why would I do that? I’m not the 2nd Manager.”
In my eyes, both of them were pretty much the same.
However, despite my biting glare, the 1st Manager discreetly eyed Louise and let out a breath of wonder.
“Whoa, but she’s really pretty. I’ve never seen anyone with pink hair like that before.”
“It’s not a common color.”
“It wouldn’t really go well with red though.”
“…”
At that, I quietly closed my eyes.
Is that really what this guy thinks when he sees someone’s hair color?
I forced myself to endure my mixed feelings and opened my eyes again. The 1st Manager was still staring at Louise.
“Get closer.”
“Hmm?”
I unloaded a lecture that felt more like 400 words than the 200 I had intended.
While scolding the 1st Manager, the second rush began. The second rush didn’t change much, just a horde of guests hitting us at once.
The only noticeable difference? The 1st Manager stubbornly stuck to my side like a totem.
“It’s rare to see both of you here.”
“Ha ha, I also didn’t think I’d meet you here at the Academy.”
The nobleman shaking my hand directed his gaze toward the 1st Manager. She smiled brightly, but remained silent. I had explicitly told her not to say a single word and just stand still.
Standing next to the 1st Manager served as a sort of warning. Everyone knew the Executive Manager from the Prosecutor’s Office was here, but for the 1st Manager to be with her on the day the Academy opened? Something was definitely going on.
Anyone who believed that our presence there together was mere coincidence wouldn’t survive long in this world. Just being side by side was enough to alert the nobles that something was about to go down.
They should take care even if I don’t say anything.
If the Third Honor attempted to break into the Academy, the nobles who sensed something was off would likely tighten their security. This would reduce the number of eyes on them considerably.
Right now, the fact that the Third Honor was approaching the Academy was something that couldn’t be officially revealed. If the information leaked, the Third Honor could disappear, the Academy would definitely enter chaos, and the three nations might erupt in conflict. So, I had to make such a convoluted announcement.
Fortunately, the 1st Manager had genuinely graduated from the Academy, and there was a pretext for her to be here enjoying the fair instead of attending to official duties. Here, the only external justification needed was that she was just joining in on the fun.
And that explanation worked perfectly with Villar and the others. It was unintentional, but the sight of the 1st Manager bringing a mountain of food strongly reinforced the idea that she was really here to enjoy the Club Fair.
Thanks, Villar.
I was really glad he was a knight with a straightforward mindset. I felt a bit guilty because it felt deceptive, but it was only natural for a civil servant to prioritize his nation’s interests over everything else.
While I pondered like that, the person in front of me changed. Now, the nobleman who just returned would surely inform others that the 1st Manager was here, and the news would spread rapidly.
A noble’s mouth is often the heaviest, yet sometimes also the lightest. In times like this, it usually leans towards the latter.
“Ah, it’s been a while! This is our first meeting since the Assembly.”
This fellow would also help to disseminate the message effectively.
With a smiling face, he shook my hand once and then cast a significant glance at the 1st Manager. Everyone expressed the same reaction, and finally, only one more person was left.
Who is this?
But indeed, he was someone I had never seen before. I didn’t recognize his face, his name, or anything at all. If it was our first meeting, I couldn’t complain, but if we had greeted each other in passing before, that would make for an awkward situation.
As if sensing my discomfort, he smiled warmly and extended a greeting.
“Executive Manager, how have you been? I don’t know how long it’s been since we met at that cafe.”
Ah, so it’s you.
The mention of the café sparked my memory, and I felt relieved.
“Indeed! It was a café in the southern part of the capital, right? It was really nice.”
“Haha, the cake there was quite good.”
“If I get the chance, I’d love to visit again, but I’m really short on time these days.”
“It’s my pleasure to fit my schedule to yours, Executive Manager. Just let me know whenever you’re free.”
With that, we naturally shook hands before saying our goodbyes. As I looked at the youth walking away, my eyes fell on the hand that had just shaken his. A small piece of paper had stealthily landed in my palm. There were some small characters scrawled on it.
[In one hour, on the 2nd floor of the main building.]
Cafe, southern region, cake, no time, arrange a meeting. It was a sort of secret code that changed periodically. A password used by the intelligence department to connect with someone else.
How long will they keep this up?
Sometimes it was almost pitiable how they clung to such traditions even with the times having changed. It must be a hassle for them as well, but I assumed the intelligence department had to be a pretty conservative group.
On top of that, many senior officials were still alive and kicking, so even the Executive Manager couldn’t simply discard those traditions, no matter how cumbersome they were.
Poor them.
In any case, it’s always the Executive Manager of the intelligence department who is worn down. With a sense of sympathy in my heart for the Executive Manager, I casually popped the note into my mouth and swallowed it.
Of course, the party being contacted was also suffering from the burdens of the intelligence department’s traditions. If the Executive Manager of that department could succeed in uprooting these bad habits, I would gladly stop such antics as well.
Tastes horrible.
At least use better quality paper, for heaven’s sake.
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