The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 183

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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 12
Side Story 3. A Normal Yet Effective Crown Princess Life (2)
Hello, everyone.
My name is Grace von Aronin-Lafasa Sirius Enacalid. That’s right—in simpler terms, I’m the Princess Enacalid.
I’ve just completed my studies at the Materni Convent and have returned to the Empire. It’s been exactly one year!
A noble princess of the Empire, and despite a one-year absence, still the queen of Imperial High Society. That’s me.
You’re wondering why I went to the Materni Convent? Well, I’ll explain that reason now.
I’ve been watching Kiaros since I was a child.
I was seven or eight years old.
I declared it so boldly to my father, the Duke of Enacalide, that he would have done anything I asked.
“Father, I want to marry the Crown Prince.”
“Is that so! Then work hard at it. I’ll do my best as well.”
“Aren’t you going to ask why?”
“Not particularly curious. Everything can be a reason, after all. Appearance, wealth, status, character, ability….”
Father squeezed my hand tightly and encouraged me.
“You’re already the Empire’s finest bride candidate. Your background is second to none, so let’s do our best.”
My father is a duke of the Empire, and my mother is the Youngest Princess of Materni Kingdom.
Though not comparable to Kiaros, who is Dragon-kin, there’s no other woman in this Empire with a background like mine.
I grew into an excellent princess naturally, and became the center of Imperial High Society.
Dragon-kin typically become betrothed in their mid-teens, so I did my best to secure that fiancée position.
Of course, no girl in this Empire had a better background than mine, but foreign princesses were also desperate to claim the Crown Princess position, their eyes gleaming with ambition, so I couldn’t afford to relax my efforts.
But then….
“My, the Emperor is quite resolute.”
“Pardon?”
“He’s decided that the Crown Prince will marry someone he loves… It seems he has no intention of arranging a political marriage whatsoever.”
Unfortunately, the Emperor’s authority in this Empire was absolute.
So the nobles couldn’t force the issue by insisting ‘But surely he must become betrothed!’
“However, there is hope, Grace.”
Father squeezed my hand and spoke.
“The Crown Prince doesn’t seem to have any girl on his mind yet. Wouldn’t it work if you became his beloved?”
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
I nodded confidently.
To win Kiaros’s heart—surely I had better chances than foreign princesses, since I could see his face more frequently?
And so my teenage years passed.
And when I entered my twenties.
Father and I changed our strategy.
“It seems the Crown Prince simply has no interest in women.”
“It does seem that way. He only thinks about work and the Empire, nothing else.”
Many other girls tried their best to catch Kiaros’s eye, but it was all for nothing.
So we reached a conclusion: Kiaros, like other Dragon-kin in history, clearly felt nothing special toward ordinary humans.
“Then that’s actually good news.”
Father took an optimistic view of the matter.
“No matter how uninterested he is in women, he still needs to produce an heir. Once he reaches marriageable age, he’ll eventually marry the most suitable woman available.”
Over the past several years, I’d encountered Kiaros frequently at banquets and social gatherings.
But Kiaros seemed to have no interest in mingling with people, and he drew an especially strict boundary when it came to women.
That’s why I didn’t actually know much about Kiaros. We’d exchanged a few words, but… honestly, he was so devastatingly handsome that I forgot everything we talked about.
“What kind of woman would be considered suitable?”
So I had no choice but to ask Father in return.
At least Father frequently discussed Kiaros and state affairs at the Noble Council, after all.
Father pondered the question about Kiaros before answering.
“A woman with the highest total score.”
“Total score…? What do you mean by that?”
“It’s how the Crown Prince works. His Highness doesn’t do things ‘just because,’ ‘roughly,’ or ‘by intuition.’ He quantifies everything as much as possible to find the most optimal answer. So ultimately, he’ll score various categories and the woman with the highest total score will become the Crown Princess.”
“My goodness, then what would my score be?”
“I’ll bring in a specialist in this field.”
That very afternoon, Father immediately brought in an ‘expert.’ It turned out to be a Madam famous for matchmaking among noble families.
The moment she saw me, she gave me an assessment right away.
“Family background: 30 out of 30 points, appearance: 27 out of 30 points, wealth: 17 out of 20 points, reputation: 9 out of 10 points…”
Honestly, I felt a bit dizzy.
“Hmm. It’s an exceptionally high score. However, there is a problem at present.”
“What is it?”
“There is a tie. The Grand Duchess of Net Duchy—she also called me for the same reason.”
Father and I were flabbergasted right there. I grabbed the Madam’s hand and pleaded earnestly.
“Is there any way for me to gain even 1 more point? Please?”
“Well… if you go to Materni Convent and return, you would receive 2 bonus points… but the Grand Duchess said she would go as well.”
Good heavens. Wait a moment.
That means the Grand Duchess would be 2 points ahead of me! I cried out without hesitation.
“Then I’ll go too!”
That’s how I ended up spending a year at Materni Convent.
But when I returned to the Empire after completing the one-year program.
“What?”
I was shocked as if I might faint.
“The Crown Prince… is getting married?”
Kiaros had gotten an fiancée while I was away?
I immediately summoned the young ladies of the nobility from Imperial High Society. This was absolutely unacceptable.
Not the Grand Duchess, not a Princess of Imote, but merely a Young Lady of a Baron Family as Crown Princess? What on earth happened in the Empire’s high society during the year I was away?
“The wedding date has already been set?”
I spoke ominously before the young ladies, my eyes gleaming.
“…Then we can’t stop the wedding. But we absolutely cannot allow such a lowborn woman to lord over us in the Crown Princess position.”
For some reason, I felt as though Kiaros had been stolen from me.
That seat is mine! How dare a fallen Young Lady from a Baron Family presume to take it!
“In three days, there will be an official welcome tea party for me. I’ll show everyone what I’m made of then.”
After all, a Crown Princess who cannot control High Society is nothing but half a ruler. You can see that just by looking at the current Empress.
“Surely none of you are actually planning to treat this woman, Namia Loapi, whom no one has even heard of, as a true Crown Princess.”
I let out a soft laugh and crossed my arms. But something seemed off about the Young Ladies who should have been agreeing with me.
They kept glancing at each other nervously, their lips barely moving as if they were at a loss for words.
Really, this was ridiculous.
I set down my teacup with a sharp clink. All the Young Ladies flinched at the sound, their eyes darting toward me.
Even though I’ve been away for a year, I am the queen of High Society and the only Grand Duchess of Enacalide.
It seemed necessary to remind these Young Ladies standing before me of that fact.
“Surely you don’t think I’m venting my frustrations on the Crown Princess without knowing anything?”
I spoke coldly.
“I’ve already grasped that the Crown Princess has virtually no connections in High Society.”
That’s right.
I’m not some fool who attacks blindly without understanding the situation.
Over the past year, I’ve kept tabs on all the movements in High Society, and the Crown Princess has shown no significant social activity whatsoever.
She has no close friendships with noble Young Ladies, no regular salons she attends, and her maidservants weren’t even selected from the major noble houses.
Therefore, the Young Ladies of High Society would never take the Crown Princess’s side.
No matter how powerful imperial authority is, High Society is a separate realm entirely.
Though the Empress enjoys the Emperor’s favor, she is openly mocked—something even the Emperor cannot prevent. Our Empire is not a nation where the Imperial Family controls even the social gatherings of the nobility.
I spoke with absolute confidence.
“I’ve heard that everyone has no connection whatsoever with the Crown Princess. Is there something I’m unaware of?”
The noble Young Ladies exchanged glances with one another before letting out a heavy sigh.
One of them spoke in a fearful voice.
“But, Grand Duchess… In truth, even when you were at the Convent, there were many who spoke such things.”
Well, that would make sense.
I wasn’t the only one who had set my sights on Kiaros.
How could they not resent Namia Loapi, a mere civil servant’s daughter who appeared out of nowhere one day?
“There were quite a few who were plotting to invite her to social events and humiliate her. Just as you said, she’s merely a Young Lady from a fallen noble house with no foundation in High Society…”
The Young Lady explaining this to me trembled slightly.
“But after everyone tried to treat Namia poorly just once, they all quickly backed off not long after.”

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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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