The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 29

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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 29
A hooded youth suddenly appeared from nowhere.
He effortlessly freed my wrist from Howard’s grip.
“Gah! Aaaaaaagh!”
The youth even twisted Howard’s arm.
It was a simple movement. Yet Howard couldn’t budge.
“Who are you? Why are you interfering in our business?”
Howard shrieked indignantly.
“This is between us two… Ugh!”
Of course, when the youth applied more pressure, Howard crumpled to the ground.
“Who am I?”
I examined the youth’s face beneath the hood. My eyes widened in shock.
“This woman is my superior.”
As the youth spoke coldly, I found myself speechless.
Was he insane?
For a moment, I was so flustered that panic seized me.
“Looking after one’s superior is only natural.”
The hooded youth was the foreign New Intern who had quit after just one day not long ago.
I never imagined I’d encounter him here. I was utterly dumbfounded.
What on earth was the New Intern doing here?
Did he come to watch the trial too? Was this entertaining for a foreigner?
“Get out of here. Now.”
The New Intern warned in a low voice and released his grip.
Howard sputtered but said nothing, fleeing immediately.
I didn’t even think to watch his retreating figure, simply staring blankly at the New Intern.
The New Intern covered head to toe in a hood—Kibon Altes.
Unlike when I’d seen him before, he wasn’t wearing glasses.
“Are you alright?”
His jet-black eyes met mine in an awkward silence.
* * *
Kiaros felt a twinge of regret seeing the bewilderment in Namia’s eyes.
‘Did I really need to step in like that?’
He had simply been heading to the restroom.
Then he saw Namia’s wrist being grabbed by a middle-aged man.
‘It looked like a difficult situation…’
Of course, at this point in time, Namia was merely an ordinary low-ranking civil servant.
A low-ranking civil servant’s personal affairs were something he could simply overlook.
‘But she is my benefactor.’
Even if she was his benefactor, there was no real need for him, the Crown Prince, to intervene.
He could have simply sent a knight if it bothered him.
‘But she’s a woman I could potentially marry.’
Of course, nothing was certain yet.
Still, if I grew too concerned, I could simply dispatch a higher-ranking knight to investigate.
‘But something feels off. Decidedly off.’
In the end, Kiaros decided to take matters into his own hands.
She clearly had some connection to Fron.
I couldn’t treat her like an ordinary benefactor passing through.
‘I need to observe her closely myself. This is a rational decision.’
But I couldn’t go in my guise as Crown Prince.
Everyone’s attention would focus on me, and it would only fuel more baseless rumors.
After a moment’s deliberation, I changed my appearance in the Restroom.
Soon, a young man with black hair and black eyes—a different face entirely—reflected in the mirror.
It was the appearance of Kibon Altes, who had once entered the Scroll Management Department as a New Intern.
‘I wish I could transform into an entirely different form, but this is the only appearance I can change into….’
Or perhaps not? Actually, since I had some acquaintance with Namia, it might be easier to approach her this way.
In the Restroom hung a loose, oversized hoodie used by the staff.
I wrapped it around myself to conceal my clothing.
Then I immediately separated the old man from Namia.
“Ah…. Kibon Altes.”
After Howard fled, Namia’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
“I thought you’d returned to your homeland. How did you come to be here….”
“I hurried back.”
Since I had always been in the Empire, I reflexively answered how I had come.
But Namia’s brow furrowed slightly.
She tilted her head and murmured thoughtfully.
“Your pronunciation is good, but your Imperial is not quite fluent, is it?”
“It is fluent.”
“Ah…. So you believe that.”
“Yes. I do believe so.”
“Ah….”
Throughout my conversations with subordinates, I had always received clear, concise reports.
I had never had a comfortable conversation with a peer.
Naturally, I didn’t know how to speak to someone as an equal.
“Ahem.”
In any case, Namia seemed quite flustered.
She hadn’t even offered thanks.
Of course, I hadn’t expected gratitude.
But still, shouldn’t one offer proper thanks in such circumstances?
“Is there anything else you wish to say?”
“Ah, yes?”
Namia, momentarily flustered, rolled her eyes before speaking.
“Well, yes, I do.”
“Yes. Please tell me.”
Kiaros answered graciously, but Namia spoke slowly.
“Normally, one doesn’t say ‘this woman is my superior.'”
“…Pardon?”
“You say ‘this person is my superior.’ Hmm, I didn’t realize you were unfamiliar with Imperial speech. I must have misunderstood your manner of speaking last time.”
“What? Isn’t it you who acts in ways that invite misunderstanding?”
Kiaros furrowed his brow and found himself rebutting without thinking.
Namia tilted her head and asked.
“What misunderstanding?”
“Uh, well… um.”
He couldn’t very well say here, “You said you wanted to be kind to me.”
Because Namia had said that when she and Kiaros were alone together.
In the end, he stammered and said nothing.
Then Namia nodded as if she understood.
“It’s fine. This much is excellent.”
What, what’s excellent?
While Kiaros was bewildered, she added awkwardly.
“In any case, I was truly grateful.”
Namia scratched her cheek and continued.
“That man was forced upon me by my family for money’s sake, to marry him… but as you can see, it wasn’t done with my consent.”
“Marriage? To that man?”
Kiaros asked in surprise.
It wasn’t that he didn’t understand her words. It was merely a reflexive question at the word “marriage.”
Because until now, he had been seriously considering marriage with Namia.
“Ah, my apologies. That must have been difficult to understand.”
Namia opened her eyes wide and spoke slowly.
“To summarize: no matter how much money there is, I will never marry that old fool.”
“I see. But how do you plan to handle that man? It doesn’t seem like he’ll leave easily.”
“I’ll handle it myself. You don’t need to worry about Kibon. Thank you.”
Namia’s answer was polite, but something felt unsatisfying.
She was still so gaunt… her family wasn’t helping at all.
Of course, he had planned to work on it behind the scenes. Still, such a carefree attitude.
Kiaros grew frustrated and furrowed his brow as he spoke.
“I understand the gratitude. But what exactly do you mean by handling it yourself?”
“Um, Kibon.”
Namia rolled her eyes and spoke calmly once more.
“In the context of this conversation, ‘thank you’ means ‘my story is finished.'”
“Pardon?”
“Mr. Kibon, I think it’s enough if you simply understand that I won’t be going through with this marriage.”
“You won’t be going through with the marriage….”
Kiaros paused briefly at that point, clearing his throat.
After steadying his breathing, he continued with his question.
“A-ahem. Is it marriage itself that you dislike, or is it marrying that old man that you dislike?”
“This doesn’t quite fit the context of our conversation either, but…. It’s not marriage itself that I dislike.”
“I see. Then….”
Kiaros hesitated slightly before taking a deep breath.
So this was merely a question he was asking.
Since the topic of marriage had come up, he was simply trying to probe her thoughts a little.
It was absolutely, positively not out of curiosity that he was asking.
“Would you be amenable to marrying the Crown Prince?”
“…Pardon? All of a sudden…?”
Namia furrowed her brow, her expression somewhat bewildered.
Kiaros quickly added an explanation.
“In my homeland, we engage in such conversations casually, as naturally as inquiring after someone’s well-being. Questions like ‘How would you feel about marrying the Crown Prince?’ are treated as ordinary greetings.”
“Ah, yes….”
“So please, just answer me honestly.”
“Ah, yes….”
Fortunately, she had agreed! I couldn’t have been more delighted by her simple “Ah, yes.”
Namia tilted her head, then murmured in an uncertain voice.
“Well, if it’s the Crown Prince….”
“If it’s the Crown Prince?”
Kiaros swallowed hard without realizing it.
Namia continued slowly.
“Given my current circumstances, I think I would marry him if I could….”

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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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