The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 52

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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 52
“….”
“…?”
“It’s been ages since you’ve eaten with your family, hasn’t it? I haven’t shared a meal with mine in forever either.”
Truth be told, that notation on Kibon’s personnel file—”Family Relations: None”—had been nagging at me ever since I saw it.
I smiled faintly and continued.
“Earlier you asked me how I got so good at writing official documents without anyone to teach me, remember? Well, I had no superior to guide me.”
“…Yes.”
“My twin brother works in the Finance Ministry, and I helped him out quite a bit.”
“With Finance Ministry work?”
Kibon was so startled he dropped his spoon.
I laughed awkwardly and explained.
“Normally, that’s absolutely forbidden. It shouldn’t happen at all… but there were circumstances I couldn’t avoid. Truth is, he’s not really family. Though we do share blood.”
“Wait, you just did that for him?”
“….”
“…?”
“He asked me for reference materials, and I learned a lot from it too. The Finance Ministry’s documents are incredibly neat, so they’re great to study. So it’s not really accurate to say I just did it for him, is it?”
“Ha.”
Kibon let out a hollow laugh as if to say that made no sense.
Well, anyone listening would think the same thing.
I finished the next plate that arrived and continued speaking.
“And by helping with that work, I could share dinner at home. Since I was trying to save on meal expenses, it was pretty appealing.”
“….”
“But beyond saving on dinner costs… sometimes, even with people like that, I just wanted to eat dinner together, you know?”
Kibon’s brow furrowed at my words.
Then he asked without even touching his plate.
“So… during those dinners, did your family members appreciate your efforts?”
“They just told me to help more. They said that Scroll Department of mine probably doesn’t have any real work anyway.”
I shrugged and gestured for him to eat faster.
Kibon reluctantly picked up his fork and spoke.
“It sounds like you must have felt wronged and sad….”
I spoke casually and added on.
“Not to that extent. I just wished I had family members who at least knew the correct name of my own department.”
Kibon said nothing.
In a way, it was only natural.
What could he possibly say when his superior was sharing unhappy stories?
Of course, I hadn’t meant to just complain either.
“Anyway, I’m sure I’m better off with you as my superior than with the people I actually lived with.”
“….”
“Starting tomorrow, I won’t ask you to eat with me anymore.”
“Pardon?”
“But if you don’t want to eat alone in the future, I’ll join you. Just ask me to buy you a meal—feel free about it.”
“….”
“There are days when, no matter how disagreeable the company, you simply want to share a meal with someone… I understand that well enough without you saying it.”
The meal vouchers Kiaros had given me were still plentiful.
I had more than enough willingness to use them for a young man in circumstances like mine.
‘Ah. I’m being rather impressive, aren’t I?’
Perhaps this was the kind of superior I’d always wanted to have?
A foreign orphan who’d always been alone… naturally he’d be moved, wouldn’t he?
I glanced at him expectantly, waiting to see his face touched with emotion.
‘What is this? Why does he look angry?’
He seemed to be suppressing it, but genuine fury radiated from his expression.
When I flinched, Kibon forced a smile. His fork, which had stopped, began moving again.
And he spoke through gritted teeth.
“Still… you’ve become Minister… so surely now… your heart feels better….”
“Hmm.”
I tilted my head as I answered.
“Not really. Becoming Minister doesn’t solve all my deficiencies, does it?”
“….”
“No matter how much you succeed, it feels hollow without someone to celebrate with you. Family can’t be replaced by anything.”
I’d never been one to share much about myself with others. I hated being pitied, and explaining my sordid circumstances wounded my pride. So I’d never told anyone.
But Kibon was the only subordinate I’d ever had.
A foreigner in circumstances similar to mine. Perhaps that’s why the words came so easily.
‘Look at that. It’s not even his problem, but he’s so emotionally invested he’s practically hacking the meat apart.’
Kibon was practically butchering the main course meat.
He caught his breath and spoke slowly.
“Even as Minister… you’re not content, are you?”
“Huh?”
I furrowed my brow.
And I spoke immediately.
“What are you talking about? It’s good.”
“But you said it felt hollow….”
“Hollow or not, good is still good.”
I continued matter-of-factly.
“Having my own Minister’s Office is good, having a wider desk is good, having a secretary is good, getting a raise is good, getting allowances is good, having personnel authority so I choose my own Team Leader is good, having no one above me so I don’t hear nonsensical complaints is good, being able to directly correct obviously flawed documents is good, attending Minister meetings every week is good—so what?”
“…but still, family can’t be replaced by anything….”
“Ah, right.”
Kibon seemed at a loss for words, blinking.
“It can’t be replaced. That’s why I need to climb even higher.”
“…What?”
“I’ll try to fill this emptiness with honor, wealth, power, influence—whatever it takes.”
“…Pardon?”
A lonely minister was better than a lonely junior employee.
That was what I realized on my first day as Minister of Education.
Kibon rolled his eyes and asked.
“Wait, you’re already Minister of Education. What do you mean by climbing higher….”
“Hmm.”
I folded my arms and fell silent in thought for a moment.
This seemed like something better shown once than explained a hundred times.
In the end, I picked up my fork and spoke with resolve.
“If you’re curious, eat faster.”
“What?”
“I’ll show you directly.”
* * *
Kibon seemed to have never eaten quickly before.
Or perhaps dining with a superior made him uncomfortable.
Either way, he didn’t finish. I did.
“Follow me.”
I arrived before lunch break ended and gestured to Kibon.
We headed to the Imperial Palace Cafe.
It was where all the civil servants who’d eaten at the Dining Hall bought themselves a cup of coffee.
Kibon and I hid slightly behind a wall.
“What is this….”
Kibon rolled his eyes. That was when it happened.
“Could you move aside?”
“We’re sorry, but we have quite a few people.”
A group of civil servants surrounded those already seated at the tables.
The surrounding group definitely appeared to have more people.
“We need to get back to work, so this is our only break time.”
“Unlike you salary thieves who have no real work.”
At that, three or four people sitting at the table lowered their heads and stood up.
They couldn’t even offer a retort—that they’d arrived early, or that the surrounding group should sit in the remaining seats.
The problem was….
“Aren’t those people from the Scroll Department?”
Kibon whispered in disbelief.
He was right.
The displaced civil servants were from the Scroll Department—our department.
General staff members who’d been my seniors just yesterday.
“Tsk. The department has fewer than ten people, and a twenty-three-year-old is Minister of Education? Who’d want to work under that?”
“I’d quit out of sheer embarrassment. What kind of organization is that?”
“A disgrace to the Imperial Palace Civil Service, I say.”
Those who had seized the table spoke loudly, as if to make a point.
Then one of the Scroll Department civil servants spun around sharply.
She was a small-framed woman whose thick glasses looked somewhat comical.
“Y-you, you’re b-being too m-much. H-he’s awake, you know. P-please stop m-mocking him.”
Everyone burst into laughter at that.
“Did you hear? She’s the Scroll Department Team Leader. Goodness, how desperate must they be for talent?”
“No wonder the department is in such a state if they’re handing out team leader positions to people like that.”
“I’d never become a team leader under a twenty-three-year-old Minister of Education.”
The mockery did not cease.
Eventually, the Scroll Department civil servants turned and hurried away.
Those who had taken the table snickered as they left.
It was then.
“Civil servants who should be united in service to the Imperial Palace…”
Kibon’s brow furrowed as he stepped forward.
I was startled and grabbed his arm.
“What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re about to commit the terrible mistake of reciting that tired, uninspiring speech in front of those civil servants?”
“Why would that be a terrible mistake?”
“As if they’d listen to a New Intern. Are you royalty or something?”

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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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