The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 67

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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 67
The Separate Palace was quite a distance from the Imperial Palace.
I made my way back to the Scroll Department at a leisurely pace.
‘Hmm, I still have time before I need to return.’
The work had finished far more quickly than expected.
I’d thought I would need to organize the situation further, but the Emperor’s unexpected intervention had expedited everything.
‘Well, that worked out nicely.’
I kicked a pebble on the path, and couldn’t help but laugh at Riedan’s absurdity.
To accuse me of treason simply because I rejected the Crown Prince’s proposal—it was ridiculous.
That was merely a pretext; he was truly displeased that I held the position of Minister of Education.
‘Everything turned out well. You did splendidly, Namia Loapi.’
Since there was no urgency, my pace gradually slowed. Lunch would arrive soon, so time was abundant.
Kibon had taken the morning off as well.
He’d left early yesterday claiming illness, and had extended it into a full day’s leave today.
‘He knows when to make himself scarce. Truly, I’ve handled this brilliantly….’
As I trudged along, another pebble caught beneath my foot.
I kicked it once more.
[How much your mother cherishes and treasures you….]
The Emperor’s words kept echoing in my mind.
The moment Jayden’s name was mentioned, the Empress’s every anxious gesture replayed itself.
[Of course a mother loves her child! How could you not understand that? Hmm?]
As the Empress had said, was it truly something any mother would naturally feel?
A question I could never resolve drifted to the surface of my thoughts.
‘But why didn’t my mother love me…?’
Memories of my childhood surfaced—the days when I attended the Academy.
After placing first in the entrance examination, on the day the first test scores were released.
The other children had worn dejected expressions, whimpering.
[Oh no! My mother will be so angry.]
[My mother grilled meat for me every day during exam season—she’ll be so disappointed.]
[My mother’s dream is for me to become an Imperial Palace Civil Service official….]
I alone had received my dismal score sheet and sat calmly, unfazed.
There was no one who would be disappointed that I had performed poorly on the test.
That fact itself was what disappointed me.
[Namia, did you do well? You placed first, didn’t you?]
[Right! Your mother must have such high expectations.]
My friends gathered around, and I shrugged my shoulders as I showed them my score sheet.
Looks of surprise fell upon me all at once. In their eyes—a mixture of pity and astonishment—I felt suddenly dizzy.
Only then did I realize how pitiful my situation truly was.
[Oh, oh no. Namia. Will you be alright?]
[I saw your mother at the entrance ceremony. She looked quite stern!]
[I’m going to get scolded so much. Mother must have had such high expectations.]
My face stiffened. I stammered momentarily, unsure how to respond.
[Well, Huan must have seen it too, right?]
The worried gaze still hadn’t left me.
Eventually, I mumbled an excuse with an embarrassed expression.
[So it should be fine. I mean, our mother, you see…]
Until then, I had never once called the Baroness “mother.”
But in that moment, the words slipped out before I could stop them.
Huan, who had been playing with other children nearby, let out a snort of laughter. Then he tilted his chin up and shouted.
[That’s right, our mother will be fine. Right, Namia?]
I hung my head low. Heat flooded my face.
It was more shameful than failing the exam.
[Our mother likes me way more than you anyway. Way, way more.]
The children exchanged bewildered glances between Huan and me.
I couldn’t say anything.
[Right? Our mother doesn’t even care about your grades, does she?]
As I remained silent, the children slowly drifted away, whispering behind my back.
That evening at the Baron’s Residence, Huan teased me relentlessly, giggling and asking, “Hey, when did our mother become your mother?”
The Baroness, hearing the story from Huan, laughed as if it were absurd.
[Your mother abandoned you and left. How am I supposed to be your mother?]
Still, the Baroness allowed me to eat dinner with them that evening.
[Well, as promised, you did worse on the exam than our Huan, so that’s enough.]
That night, she was in an excellent mood. Huan’s grades had satisfied her.
[Our Huan’s scores improved so much. The Ministry of Finance is definitely within reach. My goodness, what a promising child.]
[Mother, give me more meat pie. It’s delicious.]
[Really? You want more? Namia, give me your plate. That’s the last piece.]
Huan’s good grades were partly because I had provided him with predicted exam questions before the test.
I handed over the meat pie I hadn’t even tasted, my nose twitching. Meanwhile, the stew was so delicious I couldn’t put my spoon down.
But that night.
I must have eaten too much stew—my stomach turned. I vomited alone and rolled around on the bathroom floor. I never even considered waking the Marquis and his wife to ask for medicine.
I wept just a little, thinking that if my mother had simply died from illness, I wouldn’t have been so pathetic.
It was strange.
Though it was all in the past now, that night from my childhood—when I was so utterly alone—came rushing back with piercing clarity.
‘Watching touching moments from another family, and here I am as an adult doing this. Namia, how pathetic.’
But there was never a place for me in those touching scenes anyway.
Among other people’s families, I had to know when to step back. I always had.
‘Just wait. Once Father comes back… then I’ll have a family too.’
As I walked along looking at the ground, the pebble I had kicked earlier caught my foot again.
I kicked it once more with a soft thud.
The pebble rolled away again. But…
“Huh?”
Someone’s footstep crunched against the gravel with a sharp tap.
A long shadow stretched across the Imperial Palace Pathway, reaching all the way to where I stood.
“…What?”
I widened my eyes as I recognized the young man standing before me.
“What are you doing here?”
Jet-black hair contrasted sharply with his rather pallid complexion.
It was Kibon, wearing that perpetually stoic expression of his.
“I thought you were coming in this afternoon. Are you feeling alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Kibon spoke in a low voice.
A moment of silence fell between us—there simply wasn’t much to say.
Yet somehow, I was genuinely glad to see him. Only then did I realize how much I disliked being alone.
‘Get a grip. You can’t be happy to see a subordinate just because you don’t want to be alone!’
Honestly, subordinates were so convenient.
I could speak freely without fear of punishment or criticism.
So there was nothing wrong with spending time together—except from his perspective, there likely was.
He’d face reprimand and criticism if he spoke too freely.
“Well then, I’ll see you later…”
I was about to dismiss him when—
“Minister of Education.”
Kibon looked down at me, his voice low and measured.
“Buy me dinner.”
What?
I faltered at his unexpected request.
His expression remained blank, his tone flat, yet something about it felt utterly out of place.
I couldn’t quite explain it—those words simply didn’t suit Kibon.
Seeing my confusion, Kibon continued matter-of-factly.
“You said whenever I didn’t want to eat alone with you, I could ask anytime.”
Ah, that’s right…
[From now on, if you don’t want to eat alone, I’ll join you. Just ask me comfortably whenever you want me to buy you a meal.]
I had indeed said that.
“I don’t want to eat alone today.”
“Oh, really?”
“Including lunch, there’s quite a bit of time.”
Since Kibon was on half-day leave this morning, he didn’t need to be at the Scroll Department Office.
Kibon glanced at his watch as he spoke.
“We should have plenty of time to take lunch leisurely today.”
He spoke with remarkable confidence for someone in a position to receive a favor.
Yet somehow, that was very much like Kibon.
There was something oddly arrogant about the way he spoke, yet he maintained a respectful demeanor—a peculiar combination I had never encountered from anyone else.
It was truly a strange mixture that defied explanation.
“Well… if you insist? I do have quite a few high-end restaurant vouchers.”
From my days as a junior staff member, the Crown Prince had given me an enormous stack of dining vouchers that remained largely unused. I pulled out my wallet and showed Kibon all the vouchers, telling him to pick whatever he wanted.
“It’s not that I’m worried about spending my own money—I simply happen to have accumulated more vouchers than I can use.”
“This one looks good.”
After deliberating for a moment, Kibon selected one.
Then, as naturally as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, he pointed to another voucher and spoke.
“Next time, let’s go here.”
He had already planned for a next time. His sheer audacity made me laugh despite myself.
“Anyone watching would think you’re the one treating me.”

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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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