The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 137

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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 137
The anger I had instinctively suppressed all this time because of the Crown Prince’s appearance finally erupted belatedly.
“When you were bragging about treating me to a meal at a nice place with the dining allowance the Crown Prince gave you, it must have felt wonderful knowing it came from your own pocket anyway, so you could just enjoy eating without any burden, right?”
I widened my eyes and smiled brightly.
“In that dreary, parched workplace, how thrilling and delightful it must have been to watch your superior turn into a fool of his own accord.”
“….”
“The Scroll Department’s benefits are insane, right? I’m so jealous.”
Kibon stood dazed for a moment with a bewildered expression, then spoke slowly.
“In that dreary, parched Imperial Palace, it was thrilling and delightful. That’s why I’ve caught a serious illness—I can’t bear to be apart from my superior.”
Watching the subtle, cunning smile in his eyes, my mind suddenly snapped to attention.
The person before me was Kiaros wearing Kibon’s mask.
“But I wasn’t foolish. What I said wasn’t wrong.”
Yet seeing such a familiar face, even I began to feel confused. As my lips trembled, Kiaros interlaced his fingers and whispered.
“I’m crazy about Namia—absolutely infatuated, wanting to do anything for her. It’s true I was thrilled eating with you. Every word you’ve used to betray me all this time has been accurate.”
My face flushed intensely. He seemed to be coaxing me gently, yet there was an underlying confidence to it.
“Accept it. I’ll make the effort.”
“No, what am I supposed to accept…?”
“We like each other. Otherwise, this space wouldn’t remain intact like this.”
“What do you mean by that….”
“When a Dragon-kin becomes excited around someone whose heart doesn’t resonate with theirs, the space collapses.”
“…Excited?”
“When I’m close to you, my body burns unbearably.”
I blinked slowly.
I recalled how Kibon’s house kept collapsing.
Then the warehouse crashing down when we were pressed together while hiding….
“But this space right now is perfectly fine.”
There was no way around it. I liked Kibon.
Even if Kibon wasn’t a humanoid test subject but Kiaros… my feelings didn’t change.
Honestly, just moments ago I had genuinely thought it wouldn’t matter even if he had scales and was a dragon.
“No, what… Can Dragon-kin forcibly understand other people’s hearts too? That’s unfair….”
“That’s why I’m also revealing my heart to you. It was impossible to hide anyway.”
Then certain things came back to me.
[I was watching you watching Jayden.]
Kiaros had expressed his feelings to me many times.
[What kind of madman names his child after his rival?]
I had tried to pretend not to notice….
But it would be a lie to say I hadn’t sensed his feelings at all.
Those expressions and Kibon’s memories began to blur together confusingly.
“I really like you, Namia.”
Kiaros whispered low as if coaxing me, interlacing his fingers more deeply.
“I’m sorry for deceiving you. But whether I was one form or the other, both were sincere to you.”
His black eyes began to shift slowly toward crimson.
I couldn’t even think of pulling my hand away, mesmerized as I stared at him.
“Look closely, Namia.”
Kiaros whispered, his voice so tender and smooth that it felt enchanting.
“It’s the same person.”
Slowly again, Kibon was transforming back into Kiaros.
Kiaros seemed intent on using a ‘confusion strategy.’ With the constant shifting between Kibon and Kiaros, it was genuinely difficult to think clearly about what was real.
“That person you called out to when you were in mortal danger—the last name you spoke.”
Hmm…
I think there was a misunderstanding. The Kibon I had called was a dog.
But I didn’t have the energy to clarify that now. There were mountains of other things we needed to discuss besides the dog matter.
“B-but Your Highness. Even if it’s Kibon, the Crown Prince accepting me makes no sense whatsoever.”
I spoke in confusion, my words tumbling over themselves.
“Earlier, that thing about becoming each other’s entire world—that was only something to say to Kibon, who has no honor, no name, no position. The Crown Prince taking me by his side is absolutely impossible. As I’ve said, I could be manipulated against my will at any moment, in any way…”
“Why is Kibon acceptable but Kiaros isn’t?”
Now fully returned to his true form, he tilted his head and drew closer.
“I don’t have to be Crown Prince. The Emperor has recovered, and Jayden shows poor prospects but is still young enough to have a chance at redemption.”
“What?”
“If you’re refusing to stay by my side just because of some trivial Crown Prince Consort position, there’s absolutely no need for that.”
I had been silent all this time, but now I slowly opened my mouth.
“Trivial, you say…”
“Hmm?”
The moment my dazed expression hardened, Kiaros blinked blankly.
I spoke seriously, laying out the facts.
“According to Article 1, Section 8 of the Imperial Family Special Law, the Crown Prince Consort can access classified documents from all departments and chair various committees. These committees include budgetary, educational, legislative, and personnel matters—granting extraordinarily broad authority compared to other princes and their consorts. Furthermore, under Article 4, Section 10 of the Imperial Family Special Law, the Empress may delegate her authority to the Crown Prince Consort by mutual agreement. Until now, the Empress has delegated all her authority to the Crown Prince as an exception, citing the absence of a Crown Prince Consort. Should I become Crown Prince Consort, all that authority would naturally transfer to me.”
“…”
“It is absolutely not trivial.”
How could anyone call the Crown Prince Consort position trivial?
That was truly something I could never accept.
“I… I see.”
Now fully restored to his true appearance, Kiaros nodded reluctantly.
I continued my explanation, blinking rapidly.
“Precisely. Even a Minister of Education who can access documents from every department cannot view classified materials, but the Crown Prince Consort can. Moreover, according to the supplementary agreement between the Magic Tower and the Imperial Palace reached in year 388, the Crown Prince Consort can communicate directly with the Magic Tower on equal footing with the Crown Prince. Given that the Magic Tower has long regarded only Dragon-kin as the Imperial Family’s communication partners, this represents an extraordinary privilege.”
“Y-yes…”
In any case, I was reluctant for Kiaros to abandon the Crown Prince position because of me.
Because as an ordinary citizen of the Empire, I judged that Kiaros was an absolutely perfect ruler.
‘If I were just a civil servant… and Kiaros threw away his Crown Prince position and fled somewhere because of one woman?’
That could never happen.
My earlier resolve to chase him to the ends of the continent and drag him back to his office was genuine.
Of course, with the Emperor and Jayden in place, the Empire will run smoothly enough. But why would they set aside such a capable and excellent Crown Prince….
‘Jayden always regretted it too. He said things would have gone better if Kiaros had lived.’
In fact, in the future I witnessed, Jayden wasn’t particularly pleased about becoming Emperor.
After ascending the throne, he even lamented that he couldn’t live comfortably as a natural bastard.
‘Jayden was an excellent warrior, but he had little talent as an administrator….’
But Kiaros is different.
Having observed state affairs from childhood on behalf of the Emperor, he was already a veteran.
While I was contemplating this with a civil servant’s mindset.
“Namia.”
Perhaps sensing my troubled thoughts, he hesitated briefly before slowly blinking and opening his mouth.
“Have you never once thought it strange?”
“Pardon?”
“The Emperor loves the Empress dearly…. And that love is very old….”
His darkened eyes gazed at me quietly.
“How I could possibly have been born into this world.”

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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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