The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 163

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

Chapter 163
Typically, after the second experiment succeeds, a slight time delay passes before the subject coughs blood and the faint effects of the first experiment also manifest.
‘Thanks to me, she’s become an incredibly powerful mage.’
They said war would break out soon, didn’t they? If so, she should be able to survive on her own.
As always, Aran had a tendency not to think about things she wasn’t interested in. For example, the future of the Gaejo Faction, the war, or the fate of the Dragon-kin.
‘I’m the most pitiful one in this world. I want to use magic but can’t—I’m the most pitiful.’
So Aran lived without much thought after that.
She wasn’t particularly interested in Namia either. She believed she’d already done more than enough as a mother.
She only knew that Namia’s existence couldn’t be discovered by Biberus.
“An experiment subject who’s pregnant?”
“Yes. She was pregnant, yet the experiment succeeded.”
In the meantime, for the first time in a very long while, an experiment on a pregnant magical creature had succeeded.
Since the survival rate in experiments was extremely low, this was the first such case in twenty-three years.
“Give me that for a moment.”
Aran, who was managing the experimental subject, had tried to secretly kill it. But the creature moved faster than expected, and she let it slip away.
That the subject had gone to Kiaros was a blunder on her part.
But she rationalized it well on her own.
‘The Gaejo Faction wasn’t exposed, and Namia wasn’t exposed either, so it’s fine.’
If she continued managing experimental subjects, wouldn’t another way to use magic eventually appear?
That was her only consistent interest. The Gaejo Faction was the only place in this world that could fulfill that desire.
Only quite frequently….
After numerous experiments, she went to see Cedric, who continued to survive.
Even she didn’t understand why she did that. Or why she always wore a mask, as if embarrassed.
* * *
“Ha….”
I blinked blankly, dumbfounded.
I knew she was someone common sense didn’t apply to, but it really didn’t.
I had no idea where to start or how to explain.
“You saved Kiaros because you learned about the future, but you should have just stayed in the Imperial Palace.”
Mother said this as naturally as breathing.
“Kiaros was already smitten with you anyway, so wouldn’t you have become the Crown Princess no matter what?”
“No, what….”
That’s when I realized.
Mother wasn’t genuinely apologizing to me. Rather, she believed she had done me a favor as my ‘mother’.
‘I can’t even grasp where or how to point this out….’
If the Gaejo Faction hadn’t suddenly interfered with the future, what would have happened?
Kiaros would have suspected the Scroll Management Department anyway.
So on the day right before the Dark Period, he would have infiltrated in Kibon’s form and demanded authority from me.
‘He definitely would have acted incredibly arrogantly. Without even realizing he was being arrogant.’
Even now, an incredulous laugh escaped from within me.
I had assumed she was a foreigner with poor command of the Imperial language, but the truth was far simpler—she had never conversed with anyone except those beneath her station, which made ordinary dialogue feel alien to her.
Had I not recalled my past life, I likely would have assigned her something other than moving boxes. And when Kibon responded with a pout, I probably would have recited similar decrees in kind.
‘But it seems we became entangled anyway.’
In the original timeline that remained unchanged, perhaps we might have had a far smoother romance.
‘Whether he went on business trips or not, I would have severed his authority cleanly, forcing him to return in Kibon’s form once more. And in doing so, we would have discovered our past connection, and our eyes would have met far more easily.’
But now we existed in a timeline we would never know.
Yet… even if I had become the Crown Prince’s consort in that other world.
‘Even then, I would have ultimately…’
I lowered my eyes and bit my lower lip.
Trite as it was, I wondered if this was what fate truly meant.
‘Whether it was Kibon or Kiaros, I would have ended up loving that man regardless.’
The conclusion was crystalline. In that moment, Mother asked calmly.
“Did you cough up blood? If so, you should be able to write scrolls even better.”
Many things that had defied explanation suddenly began to fall into place like puzzle pieces.
A future that appeared one day like something from a book, blood coughed up after a time delay, and the strengthened ability to write scrolls that followed…
Once I grasped the full picture, Mother’s composure infuriated me instead.
Though I knew it was best not to engage with someone mad, the fury roiling inside me was beyond my control.
“Right now… are you… calling that an explanation?”
“Are you seriously angry with me? With me?”
Mother’s eyes widened in genuine shock. It seemed no one had ever been angry with her before.
Apparently, the Tower Master had raised her with reverence, Father lacked the temperament to be angry at anyone, and even Biberus had simply indulged her with yes and yes because of that beautiful face.
I finally let out a scream.
“As a human being, shouldn’t you apologize first for abandoning me with loan shark debts and leaving irresponsibly?”
“I told you—I didn’t know. And you didn’t pay the debt yourself anyway. Cedric worked it off, didn’t he?”
“What about me? What about me, who was separated from Father at eight years old and grew up being abused among wretched relatives?”
“Why didn’t you enter the Magic Tower despite being treated that way? You could have entered at a young age. You can use magic because of me.”
“Be-be-because of you?”
Tears welled up despite my determination not to cry.
“Who asked to use magic? Who asked to know the future? Who, exactly, asked to live as a monster forever, anxious about what might happen to my body at any moment?”
“Hey.”
Mother furrowed her brow and interjected.
“Why would that make you a monster? Don’t speak carelessly. That power was something I desperately desired!”
“A power I never wanted, a power I cannot control, a power I cannot accept—that’s what makes me a monster. What else would it be?”
Finally, tears streamed down my face.
I emphasized each word with force, hoping Mother wouldn’t be too shocked.
“You made me into the most wretched monster in the world. A monster who cannot stand proudly even beside the person she loves. That’s what you did.”
“Why wouldn’t you stand proudly? I don’t understand.”
“And before you ever became so obsessed with magical power in the first place, shouldn’t you at least think about how the Gaejo Faction is trying to harm the Dragon-kin and start a war…?”
“Ah…”
Mother tilted her head with an eerily beautiful expression and replied.
“I don’t have that kind of enthusiasm.”
In that moment.
I thought that once I returned to the Capital, I should treat Luca better.
I never knew that such a response could infuriate someone so thoroughly.
“But why do you keep making that face? Aren’t you moved?”
Namia’s Mother still wore an expression of complete bewilderment at my reaction.
“You’ve never lacked for anything because of me, have you? You benefit from magic too… And the second experiment—it was all for you. To return what was stolen from you. Shouldn’t you be grateful to me?”
Her self-centered reasoning was so absurd that I found myself at a loss for words. No matter what I said, it seemed it would never reach her.
I had finally learned the truth in its entirety, but I never imagined it would be this pathetic. I felt nothing but exasperation.
My anger had long since dissipated. Instead, a conversation with the Emperor suddenly came to mind.
[Well, she’ll need proper education for both body and spirit, won’t she? Something that can completely overturn the Tower Master’s failed attempt at parenting….]
[I wonder who could possibly do that….]
Who on earth could educate someone like this?
And then it happened.
“What absolute nonsense!”
Suddenly, the Empress came rushing forward like lightning and struck Namia’s Mother across the back.
“In all my years, I’ve never heard such refreshingly ridiculous drivel!”
As the Empress brought her hand down once more against Namia’s Mother’s back, there came a sharp crack, and Namia’s Mother collapsed flat on her face.

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