The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 92

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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 92】

 

Rianel had said.

 

That she would not be someone chosen by others, but would become one of the few who choose.

 

‘You are indeed living according to those words.’

 

Both herself and the people of the Special Tax Bureau.

 

If Rianel wanted, she could have easily severed herself from their lives at any time.

 

But today. Rianel had shown her will to extend all those countless relationship ties.

 

‘She cast away the emptiness of living aimlessly, and filled that space with me.’

 

“I’m happy.”

 

Asil took Rianel’s hand and pulled it to him. He kissed the back of her hand and remained in that position for a long while, wanting to imprint her warmth on the tip of his lips.

 

Because he knew that she had ultimately chosen to remain by his side.

 

“….”

 

Rianel, stripped of her lies, hesitated for a long moment before quietly adding.

 

“We’ll be departing shortly. So if you wish to accompany us—,”

 

As the Special Tax Bureau people rushed over, she quietly withdrew her hand.

 

“Are you really leaving?”

 

“No! How can this be when we just got our Team Leader back….”

 

Asil stepped back for their sake, and people filled the empty space.

 

“I am no longer the team leader.”

 

The team leader is Til, not me.

 

Rianel, who had no intention of shouldering burdens again on her barely lightened shoulders, calmly stated the facts.

 

“We’ll write a petition. If we all submit an opinion paper to upper management together….”

 

“Considering the time until you receive your pensions, taking such risks is not a desirable choice.”

 

“Team Leader…!”

 

“Huuung….”

 

Meanwhile, the Tax Bureau people teared up at Rianel’s attitude that seemed to consider(?) them.

 

But what about the Saint?

 

She was a person who stood in complete opposition to Rianel.

 

She was incompetent and didn’t even try to understand what kind of place the Special Tax Bureau was.

 

Difficulties were expected during the time they would spend with her without Rianel.

 

They knew their place.

 

Since most of the reputation known to the Tax Bureau was built by Rianel, the Tax Bureau without her could collapse from a single loach.

 

Even if Rianel returned later, the situation might have become too serious to reverse.

 

“So are we screwed?”

 

Til, who had barely come to his senses, asked. It was to face reality as the new middle manager.

 

“No.”

 

Mel was relieved.

 

“Right? This level of hardship is nothing, so if we endure it….”

 

Even in this situation, Rianel only spoke the truth.

 

“Since the Team Leader is a primate, he cannot become a gymnosperm. Therefore, it would be correct to express it as ‘beyond recovery.'”

 

What?

 

“That seems even worse….”

 

“There’s also the term ‘irreparable.'”

 

“….”

 

Somehow a familiar pattern.

 

They looked around at each other and simultaneously understood.

 

Seeing Rianel maintain her usual demeanor even in this situation, they could easily accept the circumstances.

 

‘Well, there’s no need to worry about that person.’

 

‘No matter how the Saint ruins the Agency Bureau, she’ll handle it well on her own.’

 

‘Let’s just worry about our own future.’

 

And not long after.

 

“This must be hell.”

 

“This life, really….”

 

They found themselves facing exactly the situation they had anticipated.

 

* * *

 

Yuna learned that everyone disliked taking the team leader position, but she stuck to her own way.

 

“My goodness. I had no idea there were such hardships in that position.”

 

Yuna couldn’t give up on the future where Til would keep Rianel in check.

 

Only when the team leader she had installed gained power could she secure her own influence.

 

‘It’s just unfamiliar now. Once he gets a taste of power, this man’s thinking will change too.’

 

“Yes, so such an important responsibility should be handled by someone other than me….”

 

“But I believe you can do it.”

 

“…?!”

 

“I’m someone who listens to God’s words. I don’t give opportunities to those who aren’t qualified. Please trust me and follow along, won’t you? You’ll be able to adapt quickly.”

 

Til endured it for now.

 

After all, there was nothing else he could do but endure.

 

‘Maybe it won’t be as bad as I think.’

 

He even harbored some hope.

 

‘If she’s someone with poor understanding of work, she won’t be able to interfere with the department’s affairs either.’

 

Since the Special Tax Bureau was mainly composed of tax work, it was difficult for people without related knowledge to even look at ledgers.

 

‘I’ll just humor her appropriately and have her stamp approvals, that’s all.’

 

If he thought of it as doing what he did for former Team Leader Torban, it wasn’t impossible.

 

He realized this was a misjudgment within just two days.

 

“What are all these documents?”

 

Til asked in horror, seeing the Saint bringing in work loaded on a cart.

 

“Our department is where the most capable talents have gathered. But it would be a waste of ability to only handle simple tasks. So I brought new assignments to give you opportunities to demonstrate your potential.”

 

“But still…?”

 

“This much work?”

 

Everyone was speechless seeing the document stack.

 

“With your capabilities, this much should be sufficiently manageable. It would increase the achievements to report to upper management and become a good evaluation factor for personnel assessments, wouldn’t it?”

 

Til examined the documents the Saint had brought.

 

‘Let’s see, this is a complaint that the prayer house is too noisy. And this is a complaint asking to confirm whether they properly paid the toll….’

 

It was full of trivial and miscellaneous tasks that other departments wouldn’t even take on.

 

‘Can this even be counted as achievements?’

 

Rianel never took on work unreasonably.

 

She chose the method of doing only the assigned work while achieving maximum efficiency within that.

 

Although the number of cases handled was small, each one carried substantial weight, making the Special Tax Bureau a department with gravitas.

 

‘If time gets taken up processing these trivial matters, the main work will fall behind, won’t it?’

 

Excessive workload could lead not to high performance, but to mediocre results where nothing gets done properly.

 

“Um….”

 

“Do you have something to say?”

 

The Saint just smiled brightly, not knowing what she had done.

 

“With our current manpower, we’re already at our limit just processing the main work, so it’s difficult to take on additional tasks.”

 

Til spoke as nicely as possible.

 

He didn’t want to fight with the Saint who seemed to have had her brain completely washed clean.

 

“No. You are all people who are perfectly capable of doing this.”

 

“But that’s not the point….”

 

“Why do you decide you can’t do it without even trying? Don’t look for reasons why you can’t—find ways to make it work. I believe in your capabilities.”

 

‘What era does she think this spirit belongs to.’

 

Seeing the Saint trying to push through with the ancient ‘if you try, you can do it’ mentality that might have worked ages ago made her feel like she was losing her mind.

 

Even her so-called persuasion was irritating.

 

‘I believe in your capabilities’ meant ‘if you fail, it’s because your capabilities were lacking, and my only fault is believing in you!’

 

Unable to bear it any longer, Til decided to make the Saint realize just how troublesome this work was through a different approach.

 

‘Her pride is so high she won’t listen to anyone else, ugh!’

 

“This matter seems to require your wise counsel, Saint. Could you provide your opinion on the direction we should take?”

 

So Til dumped various miscellaneous tasks onto the Saint’s desk, saying they would follow the ‘guidelines’ she set.

 

And the Saint.

 

‘She’s… working?’

 

Started looking through the miscellaneous documents she had brought.

 

Within two hours, she pushed the document bundle back toward Til.

 

“I’ve reviewed everything and set the direction, so you can proceed with the details at your discretion.”

 

At that amazing processing speed, Til wondered if the Saint might be another capable person who surpassed Rianel.

 

‘That can’t be right.’

 

After seeing the results, she bit her lower lip, swallowing the sigh that was about to burst out.

 

The documents were filled with scribbles that were too pathetic to even call advice.

 

-Respond flexibly and look at the big picture.

 

-Maintain the existing direction while making innovative improvements.

 

-Consider the situation on site while also taking upper management’s opinions into account.

 

‘…What?’

 

These were obvious yet impractical phrases that could be slapped onto any report.

 

‘This is making me want to cry.’

 

The Saint wasn’t even at the government building every hour.

 

Going to see the Emperor, temple events—she was constantly away from her post.

 

While it was inconvenient not having her around when upper management approval was needed, the advantage was not having to see her irritating face often.

 

‘Except that’s the only advantage among all the disadvantages.’

 

The Saint showed the behavior of an incompetent manager—ambitious enough to take on lots of work but unable to delegate tasks or give proper instructions, making a mess of the department.

 

And she couldn’t recognize her own incompetence and clean up after herself.

 

“Damn….”

 

A curse slipped from Til’s mouth as she handled the aftermath.

 

Working overtime every day dealing with miscellaneous tasks, there was no way good words could come out.

 

‘And even the Bureau Director is absent….’

 

Asil had gone to look after Rianel, who was going on a business trip alone.

 

She understood it was to protect his lover, who was a woman going without security personnel.

 

‘The real underprivileged neighbors are us!’

 

She knew he had intentionally left his post to let the Saint cause trouble, and that he had already moved important documents to safety, but she couldn’t help feeling resentful.

 

‘That’s really too much.’

 

Wilbrin clicked her tongue.

 

“Didn’t you say dopamine was good before?”

 

“Wow, so fun.”

 

Mel shook her head.

 

“You seem to have no soul.”

 

“Ah, like I’m supposed to have one.”

 

Til finally exploded.

 

“There’s a limit to putting up with this! Every day she brings weird work from somewhere, and then? She doesn’t even solve it herself! The gifts she occasionally gives are trash like this! How can I not curse?”

 

Til flipped over the paper labeled ‘Indulgence.’ She began scribbling furiously on the back with a pen.

 

“Am I a kid! Heaven, what! Damn! Bullshit! Are you! Talking! About? Even my! Nephew! Doesn’t! Believe! This!”

 

Wilbrin peeked over Til’s shoulder and saw the paper densely filled with middle finger drawings, then clicked her tongue.

 

“That’s temple paper. What if the Deputy Bureau Director sees it….”

 

“So what if he sees! My only sin is drawing thumbtacks! Forgive my sins!”

 

What an artist she’s become.

 

Wilbrin decided not to disturb Til during her thumbtack therapy(?).

 

It was good for Til to relieve stress that way.

 

‘If senior collapses again, I might become Team Leader.’

 

It was a decision made considering realistic reasons.

 

However, shortly after.

 

“You touched all these ledgers?”

 

“Organizing them this way makes them cleaner and easier to read, doesn’t it? This seemed more efficient, so I innovatively restructured everything.”

 

“Wh… what did you do with the original documents?”

 

“I disposed of them. Why would we need the originals when we have such a perfect revised version?”

 

Eventually, seeing the torn-up originals plus the revised versions with important content missing in chunks, people said.

 

“Aaaahhhhh!”

 

“Come back, Team Leader…!”

 

The Special Tax Bureau staff came to pray for Rianel’s return with one heart and one mind.

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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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