On Official Duty with My Tower Master Ex-Boyfriend - Chapter 82

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 82
“Vivian Solling. Back from Melgote, are you?”
They were civil servants from the Investigation Bureau, the very ones who’d given me endless grief alongside Aster.
“Ah. It’s been a while.”
My dry reply made them shift awkwardly, searching for words.
“We heard all about Aster. We had no idea, and here we were…”
“I’m sorry. Aster’s been resentful, and you’ve said nothing, so…”
I stood dumbfounded at an apology I’d never expected.
I’d never once considered what it would be like working with them after my name was cleared—that I hadn’t stolen Aster’s position.
Caught off guard, one of them scratched his head and changed the subject.
“But you’re amazing. How did you get the Tower Master’s seal on such an official document?”
“Right! You’ve only been in the Investigation Bureau for less than two years, and people are already saying you’re getting promoted.”
They seemed to prefer praising me to apologizing, chiming in eagerly.
‘Amazing enough to earn that kind of praise? Promotion talk feels premature.’
Though, in fairness, I had accomplished something quite significant for a Crystal Whale investigator.
“I only did my job. Either way, I’ll accept your apology. I didn’t know about it either.”
I gestured toward the Bureau Director’s office nameplate and excused myself.
But that strange sense of disquiet followed me inside.
“Vivian! You’re here! You have quite the gift for surprising people. You’re truly remarkable. The Administrative Division has been talking about you, saying we should give you a generous performance bonus—”
“…?”
The Bureau Director’s praise was more effusive than I’d anticipated.
‘Has he been holding a grudge about the Crystal Whale acquisition problem? I suppose it’s possible, but…’
As he launched into what sounded like a full speech of compliments, I nodded awkwardly—then froze at his next question.
“How did you manage to butter up the Tower Master so much that you got two seals?”
“…? Two seals?”
“Yes! This clever thing here. And you’ve been hiding it, no less. Was founding the Acquisition Investigation Unit just a decoy? Thanks to you, my record is absolutely—”
His words made no sense. My head filled with question marks.
“Wait, Director. Two seals? What do you mean? Besides the Crystal Whale Acquisition Investigation Unit, what else did I send?”
At my question, the Director laughed as if I were joking, then pulled something from his pocket.
“Yesterday the Tower Master himself traveled all the way from Melgote to the Imperial Capital and delivered this official document with his seal stamped on it! I was so moved I made a copy.”
“…?”
I stared at the copy the Director held out, unable to trust my own eyes.
“…To foster amicable relations between the Imperial Court and the Magic Tower, we shall proceed with the marriage of Her Highness, the 3rd Princess, and the Tower Master.”
It was that document I’d tossed to Cade.
I read it several times, thinking I must have misread it, but the words remained unchanged. Below them, the Tower Master’s seal was printed clearly.
“The Tower Master himself came all the way to the Imperial Capital and delivered this?”
The Director, grinning at my disbelief, flapped the copy cheerfully.
“That’s right! Pale beige hair, blue eyes. That man with a mole under his eye—that’s the Tower Master, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes, but…”
From the Director’s description, it did sound like Cade.
“The Imperial Court and the Magic Tower’s long feud is finally over.”
“This isn’t just the Imperial Court’s decision—the Magic Tower made a major commitment too.”
“You’re truly remarkable. How did you get the Tower Master’s seal on such an official document?”
“People are already saying you’ll be promoted soon, and you’ve only been here less than two years.”
Now I understood those excessive compliments I’d heard on my way to the Director’s office.
“I wanted you to be confused.”
‘…Did he really mean it? That he’d genuinely confuse me without any ulterior motive?’
I was, in fact, thoroughly confused—exactly as Cade had wanted.
‘Did the Imperial Court decide to proceed with the marriage to the Princess because it concluded the Grand Duke of Melgote’s secret was unrelated?’
I couldn’t even figure out what I was supposed to feel.
‘If he’s marrying the Princess, why did he mark the back of my hand?’
Just as anger was rising at his arbitrary behavior—
‘But of all people, Cade and the imperial family?’
I felt disoriented remembering how much Cade had despised the imperial family.
It was truly strange.
‘And Cade traveled all the way to the Imperial Capital himself? That document was urgent enough to leave Melgote and come here in person?’
The night before I’d left Melgote, there hadn’t been the slightest hint of this.
“The Tower Master must have been wrestling with a difficult decision, but it seems he received a compelling offer.”
“A compelling offer?”
“As you know, imperial marriages are transactions as much as anything else.”
“…Transactions. Yes, of course.”
I barely suppressed a bitter laugh.
The imperial family certainly had far more to offer the Magic Tower than I did. I knew that, of course, but hearing it put so bluntly in this situation stung.
What kind of offer had he received while I was riding in a carriage to the Imperial Capital that made him so readily discard someone like me and eagerly take the Princess’s hand?
Then, suddenly, as I recalled Cade’s track record, a plausible hypothesis formed in my mind.
‘This bastard didn’t mean he’d keep me as his second, did he?’
Heat rushed to my head, and I clenched my fists tight.
For just a moment, I’d deluded myself into thinking this might be different. That he might actually be sincere. Now I felt like an idiot.
How many more times would I have to be deceived before I wised up? My self-respect felt so thoroughly exhausted it was almost hollow.
I desperately wanted to go back to Melgote and beat that charming scoundrel senseless.
If I didn’t change the subject immediately, I really might walk out and board a carriage. So I spoke.
“Director. The Crystal Whale acquisition investigation is still proceeding, correct?”
“Of course! You’ve done an excellent job with that too. With the Magic Tower’s cooperation, we can rest easy. The Tower Master becoming the Princess’s husband and protecting Melgote’s seas—it’s a beautiful picture, isn’t it?”
Beautiful? I wanted to complain but swallowed it, nodding instead.
The Director rolled up the copy of the document and tucked it away, a subtle smile playing at his lips.
“Now then, tell me. Which department would you like to transfer to? It pains me to think your remarkable achievements were all for the sake of transferring, but what can I do? I’m a man of my word.”
“I’d like to transfer to the Terrestrial Beast Department. Once the Acquisition Investigation Unit is properly established.”
My unhesitating answer made the Director look disappointed.
“You’re planning to leave without looking back. Finding another Attuner of your caliber would be incredibly difficult…”
The Director sighed deeply, then handed me a thick stack of documents.
“There’s something more pressing to handle first. Take care of this.”
The first page of the documents read: “Overview of Procedures for Betrothal Ceremony Preparation.”
For something called an “overview,” the stack was impressively thick—but more than that, I couldn’t fathom why he was showing this to me.
“What is this?”
“What else? From now on, you’ll be preparing the Princess’s betrothal ceremony!”
“What would the Magical Beast Ecology Investigation Bureau have to prepare for a betrothal ceremony?”
“Her Highness, the 3rd Princess, expressed a desire to have magical beasts participate in the ceremony.”
For special occasions, it’s not uncommon to see carriages drawn by magical beasts instead of horses.
To accommodate this, we do raise magical beasts—larger and more ornate than horses—so there was nothing particularly surprising about it.
Still, this should be a matter for the Terrestrial Beast Department to handle, not our bureau at all.
“I understand what you’re saying, but there’s nothing for a Crystal Whale investigator to do here.”
“Ah! I forgot to mention the important part.”
The Director clapped his hands together, wearing an “oh, that’s right” expression.
Uneasy at the thought of what else might be coming—
There was a knock, and the office door swung open. An Administrative Official entered formally and addressed me.
“Vivian Solling. Her Highness, the 3rd Princess, requests your presence.”
“Me?”
Bewildered, I glanced back at the Director, but he simply pushed me toward the door.
“Go on, hear it from her directly. That’ll be better.”
I’d only been back a few hours, and already I was completely drained.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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