The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 200

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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 2
Namia smiled at Kiaros as she spoke.
“I heard you were here, so I came straight from the Conference Room.”
“Wow, sister-in-law! I missed my brother so much!”
As Jayden teased her, she shook her head in response.
“No, of course I came because I wanted to see the Young Prince too.”
Jayden was quite satisfied with that answer.
Then, as if to show off, he linked his arm through Namia’s and sat beside her. Kibon whimpered as he claimed his spot on Namia’s lap.
“Hmm, he seems to have gotten a bit heavier.”
Namia tilted her head as she looked at Kibon.
“Has he gained weight?”
“It seems so. It’s been too hot lately, so I haven’t taken him for many walks.”
Jayden nodded in agreement.
“Well, it’s fine anyway. For some reason, I have a feeling we’ll be taking a trip to the Northern Region soon, and when we do, I’ll bring him along and let him walk to his heart’s content. It’s cooler there even in summer.”
“What?”
Namia blinked as if hearing this for the first time.
“A trip? To the Northern Region?”
“Yes.”
Jayden nodded matter-of-factly.
“Once my brother becomes Emperor, I’m sure Father and Mother will want to take me on a trip. Since I’ve never been to Mother’s hometown, naturally our destination would be the Northern Region where she grew up.”
This was something even Kiaros hadn’t imagined. A trip for the three of them?
Facing the two bewildered people, Jayden continued.
“Mother seems to want to make memories with me before adolescence arrives. I’ve heard her murmur about it wistfully a few times.”
“Ah.”
Namia expressed her understanding briefly.
“Adolescence… I see, she must think of it as a river that cannot be crossed again.”
Kiaros also nodded somewhat awkwardly.
He had no such thing as adolescence to speak of.
He simply learned, practiced, worked, and trained. He lived the same way until he met Namia.
Namia’s life seemed similar. In truth, she had endured a sufficiently unhappy adolescence, so it was difficult to distinguish whether her anger and sorrow from that time stemmed from adolescence or from her circumstances.
“It’s because Mother ran away during her adolescence, fell in with the wrong crowd, and then descended into the world of mercenaries.”
Jayden explained Fron’s past.
“Before that, Grandmother wanted her to inherit the Embroidery Workshop… but after that, she never had a proper conversation with Grandmother again.”
Fron and the Embroidery Workshop were terribly mismatched.
And in Kiaros’s mind, if someone told Jayden to stop reading books and enlist in the navy instead, he would probably leave home as well.
“In any case, that’s why she treats adolescence like a farewell ceremony.”
Jayden shrugged.
“Well, but since I don’t mind the trip, I’ll pretend not to notice and go along with it. Oh, that’s right. And if you become Empress, I won’t speak informally to you anymore.”
Jayden spoke with a mature smile.
“Until now, it was fine because of habit and because I’m young and cute, so casual speech was acceptable as a sign of affection, but once you truly become Empress, things will be different. I’ll use formal language consistently.”
Namia gazed down at Jayden for a moment.
It was clear that hearing him mention using formal speech had hurt his feelings.
After all, Jayden’s casual tone toward Namia meant ‘you’re comfortable enough for me to be myself around.’
Namia hesitated briefly before speaking, blinking slowly.
“…You know, Young Prince? Every time you speak to me so casually… it feels like I have a younger brother.”
She smiled gently and stroked Jayden’s hair.
“Because I’ve only ever had family worse than strangers. I lived a life where I couldn’t afford to care about younger siblings or children. But being with you reminds me of those days. What was I like at eight? What was I like at nine? That sort of feeling.”
Somehow.
Even when Jayden behaved a bit rudely, she never seemed upset with him.
“That’s why it’s a shame.”
Namia sighed deeply and murmured.
“I thought becoming Empress wouldn’t change much, but that one thing truly saddens me. Still… there’s nothing to be done about it.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Even if puberty comes to you as the Empress says and you treat me more distantly… that too is unavoidable.”
At Namia’s words, Jayden’s eyes rolled subtly.
Kiaros noticed a flicker of subtle conflict crossing Jayden’s face.
It seemed… that boy….
“Ahem, ahem! Namia, are you worried about my puberty?”
“What? I didn’t say I was worried….”
“You know, there’s this saying. It’s not parents who open the door to a teenager’s heart during puberty, but a small child….”
Namia’s eyes widened.
“When a little one stands at the door, calling out ‘big brother, big brother,’ or knocking and saying ‘oppa, oppa,’ even the most iron-willed teenager can’t resist…?”
Kiaros folded his arms and imagined it for a moment.
A small child with tiny fists clenched, knocking on Jayden’s door….
As someone who had also met his younger brother late, he could completely understand the image.
When little Jayden would lean into his arms, even he as a late-teen had been utterly defenseless against it.
“Ah.”
Namia rolled her eyes quietly. Jayden studied her expression and spoke in one breath.
“In that sense, Jayden would really like to have a nephew!”
He was referring to himself in the third person.
It seemed to be his carefully planned finishing move.
Namia’s eyes quietly turned toward Kiaros, and Kiaros shrugged.
“He asked me about it earlier too. Seems he’s curious.”
Jayden nodded, feigning bright, sparkling eyes.
“Jayden likes Kibon, but also wants to play with a baby….”
His childish act, now nearing its end, continued.
“If there was no intention before, Jayden would be so happy if thinking of a baby came because of Jayden! Since Jayden would be bringing about the Imperial Family’s joy. Mother and Father would be incredibly pleased too, wouldn’t they? Even as a final gift before puberty, it would be meaningful!”
Kiaros barely suppressed his laughter watching Jayden continue to refer to himself by his own name.
Because the person suffering most while saying this would be Jayden himself.
No normal thirteen-year-old would act this childishly.
I caught a glimpse of Namia suppressing a smile as well.
Jayden’s expression suggested he was curious to see how far this would go.
“Adults are too cautious to ask such questions, but Jayden, being a rude child still lacking proper manners, can pretend to be ignorant of the world’s ways!”
Jayden even lifted Kibon’s front paws while feigning an innocent voice.
“Kibon wants to see a baby too! Woof woof!”
Namia and Kiaros finally made eye contact and burst into laughter.
No matter how chaotic his mental age was, watching a child make such an effort was quite entertaining.
“Um, Young Prince.”
Namia looked at Jayden and spoke with sincerity.
“Since you say you’re curious, I’ll answer you honestly. Because you are such a precious family member to me.”
Jayden swallowed hard and nodded, his fingertips trembling with nervousness.
He seemed to understand that it was a rather impertinent question.
Yet despite that, he had gathered the courage to ask, even sacrificing his own adolescence, simply because he wanted a niece or nephew so badly.
“Yeah. Well… I’ll accept whatever you tell me.”
Jayden nodded with a tense expression.
“Even if it means you’re worried about having a child who looks like me…”
The child clearly had quite a lot on his mind.
Namia smiled warmly and gently squeezed Jayden’s small hand.

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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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