The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 116

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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 116
Everything else remained intact, yet only the Temple collapsed—how extraordinary. I’ve already heard the distressing news that the Imperial Palace Temple has caved in, and it weighs heavily on my heart.
The High Priest thought to himself, ‘It didn’t collapse quite so catastrophically.’
If I could receive some divine power, perhaps my spirits would lift a little.
The excuses were truly endless.
She was summoning the High Priest as though he were a merchant from the Dressmaking Shop.
Who knows? If I speak highly of divine power, perhaps they’ll construct a sturdier chapel within the Imperial Palace?
The Priest standing beside the High Priest, reading the letter together, burst with indignation.
“Isn’t this too much, really? She’s already acting as though she’s the Crown Prince’s consort.”
The High Priest glared at the letter and replied.
“She can behave this way precisely because she isn’t his consort yet.”
“Pardon?”
“Namia Loapi hasn’t accepted the Crown Prince’s heart. She merely keeps him dangling, as though she might accept it.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Even at the Banquet, she accepted his partnership request but didn’t dance the opening dance with him—she simply left. And now she’s occupying the finest room in the Imperial Palace, isn’t she?”
In his mind, Namia had already become a master of romance.
“That’s why even Kiaros fumbles about. He’s never encountered someone like her before.”
“True enough… Any ordinary woman would have begun wedding preparations the moment she received a partnership request.”
In the end, the High Priest ground his teeth and wrote his response.
The message stated that he would visit once she informed him of a convenient time.
“There’s no help for it… For the greater cause, I simply must endure this shameless display of authority.”
After channeling divine power for just a few days, if I subtly request a private audience with Namia, I’ll seize my opportunity.
Now, with the Temple’s safety inspection underway, I cannot execute my original plan.
This was my only option remaining.
“Tell her I will come directly.”
After that.
Namia began summoning me daily, remarking, “Divine power is truly wonderful,” treating me like some mere Attendant.
* * *
I had spent a long time as a junior member of the Scroll Management Department.
Which meant that a single word from me could irritate my subordinates.
“Excuse me, High Priest.”
Of course, the High Priest was not my subordinate.
But since he came to see me daily because he wanted something from me, he was effectively no different from one.
‘The chapel has collapsed, and without using me, a private meeting with Kiaros is impossible for him.’
I smiled wickedly at the High Priest, whom I’d been summoning daily of late.
“Since it seems we’ve grown closer lately, I’d like to offer you one piece of personal advice.”
The High Priest’s expression soured. As expected, most adults despised the word “advice” when directed at them. I delivered my finishing blow.
“I’m only saying this with your best interests in mind, so don’t twist my words.”
At this point, he was already displeased without me even broaching the main topic.
For reference, yesterday’s remark had been, “Next time, arrive earlier and wait,” and the day before that, “Surely you must be bored—isn’t it nice to have something to do?” The High Priest had been consistently disgruntled.
“I wish you’d show a bit more effort when using your divine power. Right now, it feels like you’re going through the motions.”
It would be perfect if I could finish giving vague instructions like this.
I added casually while looking at my hand mirror.
“I understand the High Priest’s true intentions. Since it feels so genuine, that’s why I’m saying this. I really do hope things work out well for you.”
Even after receiving the divine power, it wasn’t over.
I kept him there and rambled on for quite a while about whether or not to accept Kiaros.
“Of course, the Crown Prince keeps saying that whenever he sees me, Dragon Brother does everything for me. I’m worried whether I should believe that.”
“Well… you should still believe it.”
“But it seems like the Crown Prince only fell for me because of my appearance. What if a prettier woman shows up?”
“…Hmm. Well then, it would be better not to believe it.”
“But then again, it’s hard not to believe. You see, something happened…”
After spending about an hour like this, the High Priest looked utterly exhausted.
This irritating process was absolutely necessary.
I wanted to execute the plan precisely because I didn’t want this patience to go to waste.
“Ah, today was fun too.”
After rambling on for a while, I stretched and spoke casually.
“Right. High Priest, when did you say you’re leaving? You won’t be staying here long, right?”
Then the High Priest smiled subtly and replied.
“I leave in two days, Minister of Education.”
“I see.”
“And… as you’ve guessed, the Temple’s situation isn’t very good. The Imperial Family doesn’t show much interest.”
“My goodness.”
I smiled brightly and rested my chin on my hand.
“If I speak up before the Crown Prince, he might just grant your request. Since you’re leaving soon, let me quickly arrange an opportunity for you.”
In that moment, both the High Priest and I were undoubtedly thinking the same thing.
‘He’s fallen for it.’
I glanced at Kibon, who stood like a shadow behind me.
I tried to meet his eyes and smile, but for some reason, his expression seemed blank.
‘Ever since that day we got trapped in the warehouse, he’s been like that?’
Since that day, Kibon seemed to have truly lost his mind about something.
‘Is he thinking about confessing? How cute.’
I watched the High Priest leave with a composed expression, but quietly laughed to myself inside.
7. The Circumstances of One Who Confesses
After watching Namia deal with the High Priest, Kiaros returned to his room.
[I’ll summon the High Priest every day to make demands. I’ll attach the condition that you’ll grant me a private audience with the Crown Prince.]
[A private audience with me?]
[To be precise, it’ll be me, the Crown Prince, and the High Priest—three of us. Naturally, there won’t be any guards in that situation.]
Namia had already explained her trap before.
[Search his body then. I suspect he might be carrying a weapon.]
[An interesting idea. Do you really think the High Priest could harm me?]
[He could use his divine power and suggest praying together before launching a surprise attack.]
To be honest, when I first heard that plan, I thought, ‘That’s a bit sloppy.’
‘The High Priest would attempt to assassinate me… If he were in his right mind, that wouldn’t happen.’
The High Priest could not harm me. That remained an unchanging fact even if he were in his dark period now. Even without transcendent abilities, Kiaros was more than strong enough.
But Namia pushed forward with such sparkling eyes that I didn’t particularly stop her.
‘Perhaps it will unfold as Namia says. Even if it doesn’t, there’s not much to lose.’
I had often thought Namia’s plans were somewhat sloppy. Yet in the end, everything went exactly as she intended.
Because of that, I had even suspected her more. But.
‘If the High Priest really is a collaborator of the Gaejo Faction… then I should stop suspecting Namia.’
There were quite a few villains who built trust by sacrificing minor pawns like Pirami from their own side.
But catching a collaborator of the High Priest’s caliber was a different story entirely.
No matter how many suspicious points Namia had, at that level I had to consider myself firmly on her side.
He was a person responsible for the Empire, so he had no choice but to be cautious.
If he hadn’t been in such a position, he would have trusted Namia from long ago.
‘If I were to trust Namia completely as being on the Empire’s side… there would be no need to monitor her in Kibon’s form.’
Yet that didn’t make his anguish disappear.
Ever since he and she had crossed that very fine line in the Temple Warehouse, his heart had been swelling every single day.
Certainly, Namia had told him, ‘I didn’t hate being this close to you.’ In that moment, he had begun naming their children.
But the problem was that his true form wasn’t Kibon—it was Kiaros.
‘Should I just say Kiaros was assassinated? And live as Kibon for the rest of my life?’
Kiaros seriously considered it. But even then, deceiving Namia would be the same.
“Sigh… I can’t confess while hiding something, can I?”
His excitement was matched only by his anguish, so severe that he ended up expressing it even to his Aide.
“What do you think? Tell me honestly.”
Then the Aide spoke honestly as commanded.
“I believe that would be fraud, not a confession.”

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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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