The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 65

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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 65
Riedan was the only ordinary person he ever encountered.
From the start, Jayden had never been close to peers who were so far beneath his level.
[Her Majesty the Empress never wished to ascend to that position. It was only because His Majesty the Emperor, as the sovereign, commanded it that she had no choice but to accept.]
Riedan sighed heavily before continuing.
[She has always despised that position, but because you were born, Your Highness, she cannot even become a Deposed Empress. After all, one cannot depose an Empress who bore an Imperial Prince.]
[Because of me? Because of me?]
[In truth, she shows no displeasure before you, Your Highness, but it has been long since His Majesty the Emperor favored her. When their relationship was good, it was manageable, but now Her Majesty the Empress finds the Imperial Palace suffocatingly unbearable.]
Indeed, from around that time onward, the Emperor had ceased to remain within the Imperial Palace.
He was actually undergoing recuperation, though naturally Jayden knew nothing of this.
[That is why Her Majesty the Empress suffers each time she sees you, the Imperial Prince.]
In essence, it meant his mother’s unhappiness was his fault.
I could not speak to anyone about what I had heard from Riedan.
Kiaros had no biological mother, and I could not tell the Emperor that ‘my father was terrible’.
[W-what should I do then? What am I supposed to do?]
[If you wish to help Her Majesty the Empress, you must distance yourself from her as much as possible.]
Riedan instructed me kindly.
[Her Majesty’s heart is already troubled whenever she sees you, Your Highness. If you relieve her of that emotional burden, it would help.]
[You’re telling me to be the one who distances myself from Her Majesty the Empress first?]
[Yes. Then Her Majesty the Empress would feel less guilt about not loving her child, and perhaps she could breathe a little easier.]
After that, I distanced myself from the Empress as Riedan instructed.
Yet deep down, I hoped the Empress would embrace me and ask, “Jayden, why are you doing this?”
But as I withdrew, the Empress seemed to have been waiting for this, and she reduced our interactions further.
[Did I not tell you? I was right, was I not?]
In the end, I had no choice but to believe Riedan’s words.
[Thanks to your maturity, Your Highness, Her Majesty the Empress will be able to live a little more comfortably.]
And so two years had already passed.
The distance between the Empress and me had grown even wider.
On the rare occasions we met in public, the Empress would regard me with a tense expression.
And yet….
‘This Scroll Department event… it doesn’t seem so bad.’
Still, at only eight years old, I truly needed my mother.
Just seeing the invitation sent by the Scroll Department made my heart race with excitement.
The Empress and I would use scrolls together to set off indoor fireworks….
‘If I could spend time with Mother like when she used to play with me as a child, it would be so much fun….’
Perhaps noticing this lingering hope, Riedan spoke sternly.
“The Minister of Scrolls planning such an event is quite a presumptuous thing to do.”
Presumptuous?
I blinked in surprise.
“Huh? Why?”
“You rejected the offer of imperial favor, insisting on living your own life, and now you mock Her Majesty the Empress, who is trapped in misfortune.”
Riedan gripped Jayden’s shoulder and met his eyes.
“His Highness the Young Prince resides in the Separate Palace, so he naturally doesn’t understand the complexities of adult affairs.”
There was a reason young members of the Imperial Family were kept in the Separate Palace—to allow them to grow as children, free from political concerns during their formative years.
So in a sense, he couldn’t help but lag behind on detailed matters.
“Your Highness, consider this: we mustn’t cause Her Majesty the Empress further pain, must we?”
“…You’re right.”
“Then.”
Riedan tilted his chin upward and continued.
“We cannot allow the Minister of Scrolls to remain in that position. If he stays, he will continue to deceive Her Majesty the Empress in this manner.”
“R-really? Then we can’t allow it! How dare a minister deceive the Imperial Family? Absolutely not!”
“I have a good method for this.”
“What is it? Tell me quickly.”
As Jayden urged him on, Riedan’s eyes gleamed as he continued.
“Start a fire. Then sustain a minor injury. And claim the scrolls were delivered incorrectly.”
“You mean… frame him?”
“Not so much frame him as adjust the charges slightly. In essence, it’s the same—punishing a criminal for their crime.”
Riedan smiled wickedly.
“Isn’t deceiving Her Majesty the Empress so brazenly an even greater crime?”
“B-but….”
“To propose such an event to Her Majesty the Empress, who doesn’t even wish to see the Young Prince, is truly outrageous….”
That was when it happened.
“You damnable bastard!”
The Empress’s furious roar shook the Separate Palace.
Before Jayden could even gasp in shock, the Empress’s massive fist struck Riedan’s jaw with tremendous force.
* * *
In an instant, the Separate Palace descended into chaos.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘I knew this would happen.’
Jayden, true to his status as the Crown Prince, had excelled both physically and intellectually since childhood.
It was inevitable that the Empress eventually thought, ‘Love alone won’t be enough.’
‘Of course she felt inadequate as a mother….’
The Empress was forthright about everything in the world except when it came to her own child.
No matter how much an empress she was, she couldn’t say to Jayden, ‘Damn it, I’m just a blockhead who doesn’t understand that stuff!’
‘And when Jayden began distancing himself first….’
The Empress naturally assumed Jayden was ashamed of her.
When reporting on Jayden’s education, the Ministry of Education subtly hinted at such things.
‘In truth, they both cared for each other—they were simply being cautious….’
So I had devised a simple solution: swap the soundproofing scroll for a non-functioning one.
But even if I swapped the soundproofing scroll, there was a problem: there was no guarantee that the Ministry of Education official would say the incriminating words at the right moment.
‘So I deliberately created an event to provoke the Ministry of Education.’
If I sent the official notice announcing the event for tomorrow, they would mobilize immediately today.
That way, I could perfectly time bringing the Empress to the Separate Palace.
‘We had already infiltrated the Separate Palace before Riedan arrived.’
Naturally, the servants kept their mouths shut and maintained security.
Riedan, oblivious to everything, entered the Separate Palace as usual and prattled on while using the fake soundproofing scroll.
‘In any case, the Ministry of Education is an organization we need to be wary of.’
I was well aware of the Ministry of Education’s overall atmosphere—not merely dismissing but outright contempting the Scroll Department. So I had anticipated that blade would eventually turn toward me as well.
Seeing them spout accusations about fabricating incidents and framing me, my prediction had proven accurate.
‘I knew it. They would never allow someone of inferior rank by their standards to continue holding a ministerial position.’
I was still bothered by how seven fifth-year Ministry of Education civil servants had disrespected our department at a cafe before.
I still remembered all their names.
‘If they touch my department members, I won’t let them off easy.’
I ground my teeth with a sharp sound.
Meanwhile, the Empress’s eyes had rolled back as she beat Riedan senseless.
“I should tear these limbs apart and scatter them to the carnivorous plants, you XX!”
Riedan took a direct hit to the jaw from the Empress and collapsed with a gagging sound.
She then kicked his stomach hard as he writhed on the floor.
“You loose-mouthed fool—what nonsense are you spouting to my son right now? Huh?”
Naturally, Riedan couldn’t mount a proper counterattack.
Jayden stumbled backward in shock.
However, there was one thing I hadn’t anticipated.
‘…I never expected so many members of the Imperial Family to follow along.’
Right now, beside me were….
The Emperor and Kiaros as well.
“Your Majesty, do you not need to intervene directly?”
Kiaros, observing the Empress’s rampage, spoke to the Emperor.
The Emperor muttered reluctantly.
“Well. I was also deeply angered, but observing the current situation, it seems better to step in a bit later.”
I rolled my eyes and maintained silence.
It was fine that the Empress had forcibly included Kiaros.
But today, when I was timing my infiltration into the Separate Palace, the Emperor came looking for the Empress.
‘Who knew it would turn into a sudden family gathering.’
After hearing the full story, the Emperor insisted on coming as well and arrived with us.

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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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