The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 42
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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 42】
“Huaang, what should we do? Our Team Leader is secretly quite money-minded.”
When Wilbrin started tearing up, Til said,
“It’s not really secretly, is it?”
“She’s openly money-minded…”
“Right, that’s it.”
Only Mel couldn’t follow this conversation and frowned.
“Isn’t that not the essence of the problem?”
Whether she’s money-minded or not, isn’t the job change itself the problem?
“The fact that her new workplace is the Princess Palace is also a bit…”
The job Rianel would take there would be a maid or head maid. Even though it’s within the same Imperial Palace, isn’t the work too different?
“But the conditions are too good.”
“That’s… Ah damn, that’s true though.”
Moreover, the Princess was someone who had the power and financial resources to keep her word.
In any case, she could reign like a small king within the Princess Palace.
“But what does our department have to offer for Team Leader to stay?”
If it were up to them, they’d want to give part of their salary to Rianel, but civil service wages weren’t adjusted that way.
“Besides, there are many reasons to change jobs.”
Wilbrin was now almost on the verge of tears.
“The Bureau Director has been quite harsh lately too.”
None of them hadn’t witnessed the Bureau Director’s misdeeds.
They had been watching with clouded eyes because the person involved said it was fine, but wouldn’t it have been better to intervene after all?
“Plus, she was forced to take on the team leader position anyway.”
“…”
At that point, everyone had nothing to say and just stared off into the distance.
Come to think of it, there really was no reason to stay and only mountains of reasons to leave.
They looked up at the sky helplessly and let out long sighs.
“Hing, she really can’t leave…”
* * *
Meanwhile.
Rianel took the Princess to the open field under the pretext of asking about job transfer conditions.
“I would like to ask Your Highness the real reason you want to keep me by your side.”
In truth, she had come to hear the Princess’s true intentions.
At the same time, Rianel looked behind her.
Just in case, but the other department members hadn’t followed them.
It was surprising that those who had been tearfully saying she shouldn’t leave weren’t trying to tail them or secretly eavesdrop.
Their strange adherence to rules and not crossing lines resembled Asil.
‘Is it because they’re Asil’s subordinates?’
At the same time, Rianel observed the Princess.
As if the unfamiliar place felt awkward, the Princess was only looking at the ground.
“If you sought me out because you need someone to attend to you or whisper sweet words to you every day—”
“No!”
The Princess suddenly raised her head and clenched her small fists.
“It’s just… it had been so long since someone spoke to me thinking of me…”
Moisture gathered in the Princess’s eyes, and longing became tangible as it streamed down below her eyes.
“It had been so long since someone spoke to me like Sister-in-law did.”
Rianel was puzzled.
‘What did I do to make her have such grand illusions?’
When she was Empress, she had looked after whether there were any inconveniences in her life. Quite often.
However, that was because the Princess was a child with poor problem-solving skills, not because she had affection and gave her special treatment.
‘Anyone else who became Empress instead of me would have shown that level of consideration.’
“Of course, you weren’t kind or gentle.”
The Princess sniffled while simultaneously smiling.
“But you looked at situations objectively.”
She didn’t make pointless criticisms or blame others while turning away from the situation.
Since she didn’t get emotionally buried, she never exhausted others with emotional drain either.
“Moreover, you helped me solve problems practically.”
She doesn’t empathize. But she understands.
And she presents solutions.
That was how her past self had lived her entire life.
‘Is there any reason to wipe away someone’s tears?’
In that time, if you remove the source that caused the tears, the tears will naturally stop.
“I wanted to become that kind of person too.”
However, if this was what the Princess wanted, it was a bit troublesome.
Rianel couldn’t become Empress again for the Princess who was crying because she missed when Rianel was her sister-in-law.
Suddenly, Rianel recalled the Princess who came to the Tax Bureau every day bringing small gifts.
Back then, she thought the Princess was using gifts as an excuse to visit her,
but now it seemed she was using herself as an excuse to give gifts.
Since uncovering the Princess Palace embezzlement case was something all the Tax Bureau people did together.
It seemed her young heart wanting to express gratitude to them and be of even slight help was expressed that way.
‘Indeed, humans are multifaceted.’
If ordinary people become generous when their stomachs are full, scholars become generous when they discover something interesting.
Rianel became somewhat more lenient.
“What is it that Your Highness truly wants from me?”
“I want to be helpful to someone too.”
These weren’t words simply wanting to repay the kindness she received from Rianel.
“I know what people say about me too…”
Wasn’t she the Empire’s most expensive luxury good, and when the time came, someone who should be sold off in a political marriage to benefit the Empire?
The Princess smiled slightly and dropped her gaze to the ground.
She lightly kicked sand with the tip of her shoe. The sand was dented following the shoe’s mark.
Actually, the Princess had no major complaints about her future.
‘I never intended to become Emperor anyway.’
She thought she just needed to stay quietly and well-behaved in the palace.
“I don’t want to be ignored.”
But then she’d be used here and there, and treated like an ignorant fool.
“I don’t want to live as a powerless and useless Princess…”
When Former Empress Ensilen was alive, the Princess wasn’t curious about the world outside.
Because she could grow up abundantly without worrying about such things.
However, discomfort awakens people.
After Ensilen’s death, now that she realized she had been doing foolish things swayed by others’ words.
She properly recognized her position.
“That’s why I came. Because I want to change.”
Rianel liked the spark the Princess harbored.
Though still young, she seemed like she could grow greatly if fed firewood well.
Originally, flames born from anger and oriented toward change are what can truly change the world.
However, she thought what needed to be corrected should be corrected.
“Fulfilling Her Highness the Princess’s wishes is not part of my duties.”
“I… I know…”
The Princess lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly.
She had suddenly realized how childishly she had approached this.
Since Rianel didn’t dislike her, she decided to deliberately leave an opening.
“However, I am a civil servant.”
And a civil servant is someone who works while receiving the Empire’s salary.
Therefore.
“If Your Highness wishes to improve the corrupt aspects of the Empire, discussing those aspects would be possible.”
“…!”
“Do you understand?”
After staring at Rianel for a while, the Princess soon nodded vigorously.
“Yes!”
* * *
Rianel remained in the spot where the Princess had disappeared for quite a while, then turned her gaze when she heard approaching footsteps.
“I thought you would leave.”
A familiar face poked out.
“When changing jobs, one must carefully consider the conditions and variables.”
Of course, following better salary and better benefits is good too. But what takes priority over that is sustainability.
Otherwise, one would meet the fate of a moth that leaps into flames while coveting momentary fruit.
“Your Highness doesn’t need me.”
What she needs is a pillar that will support and lift her up.
‘But nurturing is not my role.’
“The conditions Your Highness offered had a high possibility of ending as a one-time thing.”
So not changing jobs was the right choice.
“Still, thank you for staying.”
Whatever the reason, deciding to remain at the Tax Bureau was your choice.
Asil conveyed his gratitude with sincerity.
“The Special Tax Bureau needs you.”
And so do I.
At the same time, Asil held out a basket.
“This is today’s bribe.”
Inside the basket was a sandwich.
Rianel examined the paper placed under the sandwich.
She thought he had included a receipt as usual, but today there was a different paper inside.
Lettuce 1 silver, beef 5 silver, butter 3 silver…
On the paper that looked somewhat like a recipe at first glance, the details of purchasing ingredients were written densely.
“That shop is my own shop.”
He said that all the sandwiches he had brought so far were made by himself.
“Are you now openly making requests?”
“Since I’m making an unreasonable request.”
Some people called that ‘persuasion.’
“Someone told me this. To tame a stray cat, you must give it food, and to persuade a person, you must use bribes.”
Of course, there’s no law that says those bribes must be money.
“Are you persuaded?”
As if.
“I judge it difficult to trust since the evidence to prove that hypothesis is insufficient, and verification procedures are also absent.”
Asil stared at Rianel for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter.
“Of course you would say that.”
Asil pulled Rianel’s hand and pressed the basket into it.
“That sandwich was made for you, so dispose of it as you see fit.”
It would be even better if you ate it since I already made it.
Today too, her student shook her heart and disappeared.
“….”
Being tamed.
Rianel pondered her student’s words while looking at the sandwich in the basket, then took a bite of it.
“Well, it tastes good.”
It was a little scary because it was a familiar taste.
And the next day.
“I found the Empire’s problem.”
The Princess who had visited the Special Tax Bureau again said.
“The Empire has too many farmers.”
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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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