The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 179

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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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Side Story 8
The room was silent, empty of all others, the air warm, and Namia was far too close.
“You weren’t listening, were you?”
“I-I was listening, I tell you.”
Kiaros scrambled to make excuses, but even he could hear the lie in his own words.
“Where did you stop paying attention?”
“I really did hear everything.”
But he would sooner die than admit he had been thinking about a man named Victor.
And even less could he confess: ‘But strangely, I’m jealous. I’m curious if I really did fall for you at first sight, just like Jayden said.’
In the end, only silence flowed between them. After a stretch of heavy quiet, Namia crossed her arms and spoke with firm resolve, her expression and tone entirely different from before.
“Stop lying and tell me where you lost focus. That way I won’t have to explain it twice.”
A command?
Had this woman just given him an order?
Kiaros stood dumbfounded, hearing such a commanding tone for the first time in his life.
In an instant, his body responded, blood rushing swiftly through his veins.
He forced his hand, which had nearly lunged toward Namia, to stay still. His body trembled as if possessed by something. Bewildered by this sudden physical reaction, Namia grew even more serious and shot him a sharp look.
“Well? Aren’t you going to speak? It’s getting late.”
He could endure no longer. If this continued, he would lose all control over his body’s wild response. This overwhelming, dizzying impulse was entirely new to him, and he had no idea how to suppress it.
Kiaros sprang to his feet. It was clear he could not remain here.
“I-I should go now.”
And without looking back, he bolted from the room.
Rushing toward the cool night air, he thought to himself.
‘So there was a reason I couldn’t let her go.’
Such longing, such impulse, such desire—he had never experienced them before. Caught in a tempest of passion unlike anything he had ever known, he gasped for breath in confusion.
‘I’m insane. What is wrong with my taste?’
One thing was certain.
He could never again entertain the thought of handing her over to Victor. The mere image of her beside another man set his chest ablaze, his blood rushing in reverse.
It was absurd that he could harbor such feelings for a woman he had only just met, yet it was undeniably true.
Now he understood why his future self had placed her in the position of his betrothed. A primal instinct, one that defied all reason, had already seized his mind.
So there was only one path forward, was there not?
She did not seem to love him, so he would have to make her love him by any means necessary.
* * *
The next day.
Kiaros had not slept a wink, his body too restless to settle. Whenever he drifted toward sleep, Namia’s fresh voice—”Well? Aren’t you going to speak?”—echoed in his ears, and his entire body would tense.
By morning, Kiaros questioned the one Attendant who knew his situation about Namia’s schedule for the day.
If he was to turn her affections from Victor to himself, he would need to see her frequently. Whether the Attendant sensed his intentions or not, he answered plainly.
“Ah, she has lessons this morning.”
“Lessons? In what?”
“At the Crown Prince’s request, she has been teaching Jayden Young Prince for the past several months.”
Now that he thought about it, he did recall hearing that Namia was instructing Jayden. Kiaros tilted his head curiously as he asked.
“…Jayden? What are you teaching him?”
“Practical Imperial Language, or so I’ve heard.”
Even after hearing the answer, I found myself more bewildered than before.
“It should be fine if you observe. You’ve often gone to watch both of their lessons before.”
At the Attendant’s words, Kiaros finally surrendered to his curiosity and decided to observe the lesson.
Sure enough, Jayden Young Prince had arrived at Namia’s Room since morning and was attending the lesson.
“Ah, older brother! You’ve come?”
Jayden Young Prince greeted Kiaros warmly.
“I was just in the middle of a lesson with Namia!”
But Namia was nowhere to be found. As Kiaros glanced around, Jayden Young Prince spoke cheerfully.
“She stepped out to receive some report. It seemed like something urgent came up.”
“Something urgent?”
“Yes. She said it wasn’t serious and that she’d be back soon.”
“Is that so? I hope he didn’t get frightened being alone. Everything outside the Separate Palace can feel unfamiliar….”
The Jayden Young Prince that Kiaros knew was a timid child who rarely ventured beyond the Separate Palace. He would always say things like “Well, I feel awkward…” and couldn’t even make reasonable requests of the servants.
Jayden Young Prince seemed flustered, his eyes darting about for a moment before he quickly changed the subject.
“No, not at all. I was just reviewing the teaching materials Namia made for me. Would you like to take a look?”
Hmm, so she made the materials herself….
Kiaros furrowed his brow and took the teaching materials that Jayden Young Prince offered.
【Example】
Due to internal budget constraints, I cannot provide a definitive answer, but I will do my best to try.
It was a simple sentence, but the margins were filled with notes.
Due to internal budget constraints -> Give me money.
I cannot provide a definitive answer -> If you want a definitive answer, give me money.
I will do my best to try -> Effort won’t work, so give me money.
The handwriting was neat, but reading it made him feel strangely dizzy. Jayden Young Prince laughed and said.
“Basically, whenever the word ‘budget’ comes up, you can interpret it as ‘give me money’! That’s an incredible tip.”
What on earth… is this woman….
Despite his bewilderment, he found himself curious about the next page. He turned it as if enchanted.
【Example】
This part could be problematic… No, never mind. For now, I’ll proceed as you’ve instructed.
Again, the margins were filled with notes.
Could be problematic -> I clearly pointed this out.
… -> Of course, since you’re my superior, I’ll go along with your feelings.
For now -> I’ll fix it later.
As you’ve instructed -> That’s all your fault.
This is really… this woman really is….
I couldn’t find the words to explain it. Yet I felt the urge to turn to the next page again.
This teaching material was exactly like her. Truly absurd and ridiculous, yet despite that, I kept thinking: one more time, one more time, what’s next, what’s next—this kind of woman.
As he stared at the materials as if bewitched, Jayden Young Prince glanced at him cautiously.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I… I’ve given it thought after sleeping on it last night.”
“Thought about what?”
“Yesterday I was too afraid to ask, but… I felt I had to ask today regardless.”
“What on earth could frighten our Jayden so? Whatever it is, won’t you tell me?”
“It’s just that…”
Gazing upon Kiaros’s gentle face, I drew a deep breath. Then the words tumbled out all at once.
“Brother, what if I’m actually not weak or naive at all… what if I’m originally the type of unruly, impudent child who speaks his mind freely, criticizes people on first meeting, and acts like a complete brat?”
“What?”
Kiaros blinked in bewilderment. This was entirely at odds with the Jayden he remembered.
“Would you never want to see me again, absolutely refuse to face me, something like that?”
I asked desperately, my breathing growing shallow and ragged.
“Even if you tried to treat me kindly like you do now, you couldn’t… and you’d think me repulsive inside…”
Yet the boy’s face was far too earnest in its anxiety that Kiaros answered with equal gravity.
“I would never do such a thing to my own brother. Though if it became too excessive, I could certainly teach you to refrain.”
Kiaros smiled gently and took my hand.
“But if you hide that side of yourself from me, that would be somewhat disappointing. Not that I’d dislike you—more that I wouldn’t know how to respond?”
Only after answering with such sincerity did he understand why I had been reluctant to restore his memories, and why Namia had permitted it.

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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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