The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 18】

The culture of turning a blind eye was something that happened openly in every department, but it was the kind of thing that could never be written in official documents.

‘The upper management tells us to cover things up appropriately, but the newbie asks for official documents for any reasonable work instructions, so maybe she fell out of favor with the higher-ups? That’s how she ended up rolling down to our department.’

Really cool. Our newbie.

Whether Wilbrin was getting intoxicated by her own delusions or not.

Rianel continued speaking.

“If my father truly committed tax evasion, he should receive appropriate punishment.”

“Why? Because it’s morally right?”

“Because that is truly the way to set the family straight, and it would be honorable for my father in the long run.”

Til made a disgusted expression as if listening to someone recite passages from a moral textbook right in front of her.

“…Wow. Is this what they call a fire attribute filial daughter that’s trending these days?”

Wilbrin immediately retorted.

“What are you talking about! Our newbie knows how to distinguish between public and private matters!”

Wilbrin, who had declared herself one with Rianel, immediately reacted to Til’s slander.

Mel, who was caught between them, let out an awkward laugh.

Rianel was certainly peculiar and difficult to understand, but.

“She is impressive though. Not just anyone could do something like that.”

He agreed with Wilbrin’s opinion.

“Right? Right?”

Wilbrin was delighted as if she had been praised herself.

Til shook his head with a smile.

“Well, now that it’s resolved, let’s get back to work.”

The deadline was right around the corner.

* * *

Mel glanced at the seat next to him several times a day.

The reason was simple.

When Rianel worked, she worked too diligently.

Even working the same hours, there were people who seemed to have their souls elsewhere, just killing time, while others filled every moment with density.

‘Our newbie is clearly the latter type.’

Even when he tried not to pay attention, his gaze naturally went there since their desks were right next to each other.

She didn’t seem to be putting in great effort.

It looked like she was just casually flipping through documents.

When he looked away and then back, the work was done, and when he returned from the break room, everything was finished.

Like a monster living 48 hours alone, you could say.

People naturally feel awe when they see abilities they cannot match.

Mel couldn’t hold back and asked.

“How can you concentrate like that?”

“You just need to resolve to complete your work within working hours.”

“Well… I always have that intention too, but it doesn’t work out as planned…”

“But think about it. If you finish work within working hours, you don’t have to work overtime, and you don’t have to take work home. Then you can greet the morning without being tired, and work efficiently the next day too, can’t you?”

“…Oh, do you think I’m not doing it because I don’t know that?”

“I don’t listen to complaints from people who are leisurely enough to chat.”

‘Isn’t that really too much?’

Mel felt frustrated.

He had asked about ‘how not to procrastinate’ and got the answer ‘just don’t procrastinate.’

But that simple-minded method seemed to work for Rianel. She was leaving work punctually every day.

And from some point on, Mel also began to reduce his distractions following Rianel’s example.

He reduced wandering to the break room when his mouth felt bored, or loitering around the government building under the excuse of going to the data room.

As a result.

Mel learned that humans are beings who somehow adapt and endure even when pushed to their limits.

‘The saying that even dried squid produces water when squeezed was true.’

Not a very pleasant realization, though.

And before they knew it, it was 6 PM.

As the clock announced the exact hour, people in the Tax Bureau stretched or packed their things, moving busily.

“The newbie is leaving work too, right?”

“That’s right.”

Only two days remained until the report deadline.

However, they had no doubt they could leave work on time today as well.

Because we have Rianel!

“Well, good work today too-.”

That was the moment.

“Big trouble!”

The government building door burst open and Til came running in.

He had run so urgently that his shoulders heaved with heavy breathing, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

“New instructions came down from upper management. They want us to submit tax evader status by department with supporting documents attached.”

Instantly, all eyes focused on one place.

Right on Rianel.

They could leave work on time thanks to Rianel calculating the schedule well and adjusting daily quotas.

But even that Rianel couldn’t have predicted such a variable.

“It’s fine.”

Rianel said.

“Attaching supporting evidence to reports is natural. I’ve prepared that much.”

However, Til’s next words struck them hard in the back of the head.

“That’s not the end of it.”

The sweat beads on Til’s forehead trickled down.

“This report has instructions to include not only tax evaders but also delinquent taxpayer lists.”

Even Rianel, who maintained a calm attitude in most situations, couldn’t maintain her composure this time.

Thud-.

With a dry sound, the bag fell from Rianel’s hand.

* * *

An ordinary person would have poured out resentment toward the sky, asking ‘Why do you give only me such hardships?’

Another would have sat there limply, soaked in helplessness without even the energy for that.

Yet another might not accept reality and burst into bitter laughter and exclamations.

And Rianel was.

‘Just a moment ago she looked like someone who died standing up.’

One of the very few people who moved to find solutions even in urgent situations.

As if she had never been frustrated, Rianel had put her bag down beside her desk and was working.

The document files stacked beside her desk rose high like a tower, precariously as if they might collapse at any moment.

Upper management, that is, the Empress Dowager, probably thought simply.

‘While we’re disciplining civil servants anyway, she probably thought it would be convenient to weed out all the guys who caused tax problems at once.’

She probably also thought that delinquency and tax evasion were both tax problems, so they’d be good to group in the same category.

‘But if it were such a simple problem, why would we be working overtime!’

Til burst with frustration internally.

Tax evasion is the act of hiding taxes.

You have to thoroughly search through ledgers to find hidden assets, or uncover evidence of tax avoidance by exploiting legal loopholes.

Tax delinquency, on the other hand, is relatively simple.

It’s just not paying taxes that have already been incurred.

So you just need to write a report based on materials prepared within the Tax Bureau.

You only need to check whether they have the ability to pay, and what the delinquent amount and period are.

‘But this is absolutely not something to assign two days before the deadline!’

Mel suppressed the urge to tear at his hair and let out a sigh.

This is why desk-bound administrators are no good. They don’t know the circumstances of field workers and only demand results!

Mel looked at Rianel with pity.

She had struggled so hard to leave work on time, and this was the result she got back.

As a senior, he couldn’t just stand by.

“Aren’t you hungry? Should I go buy some sandwiches?”

Or some other late-night snack.

Mel, who had been hovering around Rianel for no reason, flinched when their eyes met.

‘…A, a corpse?’

Rianel’s eyes were so unfocused that such a thought crossed his mind for a moment.

“….”

“…Uh.”

After a brief silence, Rianel spoke.

“I’m fine.”

Even though it was a polite tone, it sounded like she was cursing.

‘She didn’t just tell me to shut up, did she?’

Mel glanced at Rianel.

It was hard to question her about it, since Rianel right now was giving off an aura that suggested touching her would lead to disaster.

If on the first day he had been nervous hearing rumors that she was a ‘villainess,’ now he felt like he’d be branded as an unprecedented piece of trash who tormented a busy newcomer and face social death.

‘Right, what sandwiches.’

The way to help Rianel was to handle his own share of work and not become a burden to her.

Mel walked on his tiptoes to avoid disturbing Rianel.

However, his good intentions led to disaster when he failed to notice a small piece of trash that had fallen on the floor.

“Ah!”

Mel slipped and crashed into his own desk, but the impact carried over to Rianel’s desk as well.

The document files that had been stacked high like a tower came tumbling down.

“….”

Rianel, who had been working silently, raised her head.

Rianel didn’t say anything, but Mel could almost hear the curses she was spitting out.

Mel, who was sitting on the floor, frantically gathered up the documents while spitting out words of apology.

“Sorry! I’ll, I’ll pick them all up! So please, anything but a transfer…!”

Instead of picking up documents, Rianel looked at something else with concern.

“By any chance, was it your head you hit instead of your leg?”

“…!”

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