The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 169
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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 169
Somehow, without even having a formal betrothal ceremony, I found myself being treated as the Crown Prince’s intended bride by everyone.
Of course, there was one exception: my Grandfather. He frequently displayed a fractured sense of self, alternating between “we can’t shackle our Namia’s ankles” and “it’s such a waste to send her to the Imperial Family.”
“Namia, you truly love the Crown Prince, don’t you?”
Only Father showed a sensible reaction.
“Then Father approves. Since you were young, I’ve always hoped you would marry someone you truly love. Being with someone you love is more valuable than anything else. Of course….”
Yet he muttered while casting his eyes downward.
“I still can’t quite look at the Crown Prince properly….”
After nullifying the experiment, Father gradually stopped flinching when seeing Kiaros. Yet his body still trembled instinctively, as if fear lingered in his very bones.
It was the Guardians of the Gaejofa Faction who had tormented Father all this time, but somehow he’d ended up blaming only Kiaros, who had struck last.
And when we arrived at the Imperial Palace.
“Hahahaha, Namia.”
We encountered the Emperor, who had completed all the betrothal preparations, and Kiaros’s Aide.
“Upon hearing that everything was resolved, I wanted to hold the wedding ceremony immediately, but the Imperial Palace Wedding Hall’s schedule is so packed.”
Kiaros’s Aide subtly added his words beside the Emperor.
“If an engagement were to be broken, we could move the date up a bit. I know this from having made reservations myself.”
Good heavens.
I understood they wanted to elevate me to Crown Princess, but to have prepared this thoroughly? The pace was truly overwhelming….
“In any case, the betrothal ceremony date has been set.”
So I answered respectfully.
“Thank you. Then it’s January 22nd?”
“…How did you know?”
“It’s the earliest available date among the remaining holidays, excluding official state functions and dates already booked in the Banquet Hall.”
The Aide, who had been staring intently at me as I answered without hesitation, whispered to Kiaros.
“Your Highness, are you being coerced into marriage? Or are you the one doing the coercing? Or perhaps there’s some sort of deal between you two? Or is this a political marriage due to some secret birth?”
Kiaros sighed and spoke.
“It’s a love marriage.”
The Aide’s face showed complete disbelief.
“I see…. I’ll tell the outside that’s the case for now.”
“The internal situation is the same.”
….
“I’m serious.”
* * *
Everything proceeded smoothly according to plan.
Victor was arrested, the Minister of Finance wept, and the Scroll Department was abolished.
The Scroll Department’s members were reassigned to other departments, with most going to the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education was suffering from a severe personnel shortage as the Minister of Education and team leaders had been nearly entirely purged.
Only Anastasia made a somewhat unexpected choice.
“I’m, I’m planning to go into the Knight Order’s administrative division. Th, the Knight Order requires that you be able to protect yourself with your own body, and apparently I have a talent for it.”
Well… that was true. Her reflexes were extraordinary. Whether it was defeating that Ministry of Education employee with coffee grounds back then, or evading Victor’s attacks alone.
“M, my boyfriend recommended it to me.”
Surprisingly, Anastasia’s eyes met with the Raven Servant assigned to her.
“W-when you’re c-close like this, I g-guess I do feel something. I n-never understood romantic l-love before….”
Anastasia’s cheeks flushed red as she quietly approached me and whispered.
“But you made the right choice selecting the Crown Prince over Kibon. Romantic feelings fade, but power is eternal. As the former Team Leader, I even secured a fairly high position in the Knight Order administration.”
Interestingly, she didn’t stammer when saying such things.
In any case, everyone in the Scroll Department had reached their happy ending.
Of course, there was no operational gap. Everything had already been transferred to the Magic Tower.
From now on, the Magic Tower would fulfill its role for the Empire under the influence of the Imperial Family.
“I, I had a feeling a day like this would come….”
Grandfather’s Secretary washed his gaunt face with cold water, but immediately regained his spirits upon hearing that Grandfather would protect the Magic Tower going forward.
Regarding Namia’s Mother, her punishment was decided according to a fair trial result. As Kiaros and I had discussed before, it would be labor service at the Magic Tower.
“As long as we can keep her at the Magic Tower! Our Aran can’t be sent to that dark, terrifying prison!”
Namia’s Mother suffered greatly at the prospect of serving the mages, but Grandfather seemed satisfied.
Of course, since Grandfather couldn’t be trusted, a permanent supervisor was assigned, and the verdict stipulated that additional supervisors would be dispatched intermittently from the Imperial Palace.
And the people who volunteered for this supervisor position were quite unexpected.
“Namia.”
The person who volunteered for the permanent supervisor position was none other than my Father.
“Didn’t you tell me to live as I wished?”
Father spoke with a somewhat bitter smile.
“I think… being beside your mother is what I want to do most. And I’ll be able to teach her endlessly. Your mother has so much to learn. She lacks even the most basic ethical sense, so a full day of teaching wouldn’t be enough.”
As a student needing to learn ethics, Namia’s Mother could have kept a hundred teachers busy. In a way, Father was undertaking the challenge of a lifetime as an educator.
“And I myself did voluntarily seek out the Gaejo Faction, after all. I’m not free from ethical problems. Even though you obtained leniency from the Imperial Family beforehand, given your position, I don’t want to be an exception. In a sense, I can be said to have participated with them, so I don’t think I should simply shake everything off and live freely.”
Since he applied strict standards to himself as well, it was obvious he would supervise Namia’s Mother with absolutely no flexibility. While teaching her endlessly, no less.
And as for the supervisor to be dispatched intermittently….
“I’ve been loafing around the Imperial Palace with nothing to do every day, so this works out perfectly! That wicked mother needs a few whacks on the back to get her head on straight!”
Surprisingly, the Empress volunteered. It was because she was bored anyway.
After the supervisors were decided, the Emperor and I exchanged awkward glances. We were both recalling a conversation we’d had before.
[Well, she’ll need to receive proper education for both body and spirit, right? Something that can completely overturn the Tower Master’s failed family education….]
The Empress would handle the physical aspect, and Father would handle the mental aspect. Honestly, since it wasn’t my problem, it was truly a harsh fate.
After that was decided, Grandfather lifted me up and embraced me.
“Namia, somehow all your family members have ended up coming to the Magic Tower.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“If you were to come to the Magic Tower as well, I would treasure you even more than the Crown Princess, you know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“My dear child, you always said you missed your family, didn’t you? You went through all sorts of hardships because of your father….”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
At the same time, the Empress, Jayden, Kiaros, and the Emperor all glared at Grandfather with sharp eyes.
Grandfather ignored their gazes and asked steadfastly.
“Namia, won’t you come to the Magic Tower as well? Hmm?”
I answered without hesitation.
“Ah, no.”
Grandfather’s words might have sounded selfish to some, but they reflected my past with perfect clarity.
I had always longed for my family, and Father was my only priority.
That’s why I endured my suffering at the Loapi Baron Residence, why I acted unlike myself after remembering my past life, and why I fled immediately to meet Father even after learning I was an experimental subject.
‘Because Father had also made me his priority in life.’
But now things were different. We had loved and cherished each other so deeply that I dimly realized it was time for both Father and me to live our own lives.
“I’ll visit you often, Grandfather.”
I patted Grandfather gently and smiled softly.
“Both Father and I have decided to stand beside our own loves.”
At last, I could let go of the lonely eight-year-old child within me—along with the apology and guilt I had always carried toward Father, who had been like a shadow beside me.
After traveling a long road, I had finally achieved my growth.
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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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