The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 197

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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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Special Side Story Episode 10
“Well then.”
The Training Institute Director cleared his throat with a soft cough before speaking briefly.
“We received a report of an intruder on the premises. According to witnesses, they were spotted near the Cleaning Storage area by Building B during lunch hour. Our security personnel are investigating, but haven’t found any traces yet. If anyone has relevant information, please report it to the appropriate staff immediately, and I recommend avoiding walking alone whenever possible.”
Namia thought to herself that The Intruder who had wished her a happy birthday must not have been caught.
His voice had been quite pleasant, actually.
She doubted he had truly intended harm, and she hoped he had abandoned his objective and escaped cleanly. She also hoped he would never engage in such illegal activities again.
Had he said her Maternal Grandfather’s request was too burdensome? Then did her Maternal Grandfather force him into this wrongdoing? He hadn’t seemed like a bad person.
If he truly were a bad person, he could have hidden nearby and killed both her and the Janitor.
Instead of leaving birthday wishes behind.
‘He even told me not to do it again, to be careful.’
While Namia was thinking these thoughts, the Training Institute Director continued speaking.
“You may proceed directly to dinner. Ah, tonight’s menu differs from the previously announced meal plan—the Minister of Finance has taken special care with the arrangements.”
At those words, both Namia’s and Agnes’s eyes widened simultaneously. Victor had mentioned to look forward to tonight’s dinner, but she hadn’t expected the menu itself to change.
If he had taken such special care, just how extraordinary must it be?
When they arrived at the Dining Hall brimming with anticipation, all the Training Institute Students let out cheers.
Quite literally, a feast of delicacies awaited them.
“Wow… this is incredible…”
Agnes whispered breathlessly, as if struggling for air.
“The Minister of Finance is amazing…”
Namia was equally astounded. She had truly never seen such a meal before.
The dishes were magnificent enough to rival any respectable restaurant.
“When you discuss your honeymoon with your Brother-in-law, scratch the Melby Kingdom off the list entirely. That’s the best advice I can give you.”
“…Brother-in-law?”
“So you’re not going to marry a man like this? He prepared this entire meal just for you?”
Victor’s title had shifted from merely ‘a romantic senior’ when she’d expected candy to now ‘Brother-in-law.’
“Tell me everything that happened with your Brother-in-law today. Seriously, spreading romantic power throughout the entire Training Institute like that—it’s insane.”
“Well, it wasn’t much. We had class, and then he left to meet some people he knows and my Father. He was gone all afternoon.”
“That makes sense.”
Agnes said this while heaping oxtail stew onto her plate.
“From what I heard today, the Minister of Finance is supposedly quite strict. For him to do this much, you must have really persuaded him for a long time, right?”
In truth, Victor’s meeting with the Minister of Finance had been very brief, and all he’d said was, ‘There are many candies in the Food Storage Room—would it be alright to distribute one to each Training Institute Student tonight? I wanted to give one to a junior I care about, but she refused.’ The Minister of Finance had simply thought it was fine and, taking a liking to that particular junior’s upright attitude, had nodded his approval.
But there was no way Agnes and Namia could have known this.
“He did mention that today was… somewhat special.”
Namia murmured, utterly bewildered. Agnes nodded enthusiastically, getting carried away.
“So that’s it. Your Brother-in-law really wanted to prepare a special dinner. Wow, I’m getting excited just thinking about it. I won’t sleep tonight. The wealth, influence, and determination to completely change the Training Institute menu just for your fiancée!”
“I’m not engaged to my senior…”
“Just decide it in your heart then. I’ll be your witness.”
“What exactly did you see that makes you a witness…”
“Oxtail stew, lobster, king crab pilaf, and shark fin.”
Agnes bounced excitedly, tilting her head with curiosity as she asked.
“Oh, but I was wondering why I didn’t see you at lunch in the Dining Hall. My Brother-in-law was with the Ministry of Finance people. Since he was preparing something to please Father, I’ll overlook it… But where were you during lunch? You weren’t alone, were you?”
“I wasn’t alone.”
That much was true—I hadn’t been alone.
I’d been with The Intruder.
“I was just… counseling someone else’s worries.”
“You?”
Agnes looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
“I don’t think you would’ve done it well.”
“Yeah.”
I sighed and nodded.
“I didn’t do it well. I couldn’t offer a solution. I just… made their heart feel lighter.”
That Intruder, struggling to refuse my Maternal Grandfather’s request in a kind way.
I’d advised him to “tell the truth,” but I knew all too well that such words wouldn’t truly help.
There’s no such thing as a good refusal. Especially not to shameless blood relatives.
That was a truth I’d learned from living off my Uncle’s family for so long.
‘The reality is… the best approach is just to upset them so thoroughly, to be so crude and petty, that they stop making requests altogether.’
Analyzing The Intruder’s situation carefully, he held the upper hand in this relationship.
After all, he possessed the authority to refuse the request. Meanwhile, his Maternal Grandfather was merely an elder.
No matter how truthfully you speak or how honestly you treat someone with something to gain, they won’t give up.
By telling vague lies and maintaining the relationship smoothly, the elder never abandons hope—and that’s how we end up in this mess.
If the one in power simply exercises that power and cuts things off decisively, the old man would grow angry and abandon his request. I would’ve rather advised: “Make up an absurd lie to leave them speechless, then refuse.”
But looking at The Intruder, he simply wasn’t capable of that. That’s why he was struggling so much.
Rather than offer a solution he couldn’t implement, it was better to simply ease his mind.
‘But I understand that ambiguity. Because it’s not just anything… it’s blood relations.’
Father had entrusted himself to someone like my Uncle precisely because of blood relations.
An inescapable, inevitable cycle—the belief that blood relatives must be better than strangers.
‘…He’ll probably keep being swayed by it. But I hope he doesn’t torture himself trying to fabricate lies.’
After all, The Intruder was the first person to wish me a happy birthday after Father left.
I genuinely hoped his complicated family situation would resolve well.
Of course….
‘Victor… thank you.’
I’d enjoyed the braised oxtail, the lobster, the king crab pilaf, and the shark fin soup. Including when Father was still here, it was the most luxurious birthday I’d ever celebrated in my life.
That night, Agnes nearly stayed up all night deliberating over the location of my future home, and I quietly listened to her fantasies without complaint.
The cake that came out as the final dessert felt like destiny itself on that day.
“Now, tomorrow night let’s plan out your children. Their surname would be Irwin, of course.”
But Agnes never got to plan “Namia and Victor’s children.” Because the next morning, Agnes manifested her ability, Mother rushed in and dragged her away, withdrawing her from the Training Institute.
* * *
Kiaros returned to the Imperial Palace shortly.
‘Sincerely… honestly refusing.’
I didn’t truly believe Namia’s suggestion would be a perfect solution. If the problem were so simple to resolve, it wouldn’t have dragged on this long.
There was something like original sin weighing on my Maternal Grandfather—a reluctance to make a clean break. It stemmed from nothing other than my Mother’s death.
‘Since I haven’t tried this approach until now, it might be worth attempting.’
Still, Kiaros drew a deep breath and picked up his quill pen.

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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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