The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success - Chapter 70

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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 70
Kibon’s eyes widened slightly at her words. Anastasia continued, her voice trembling.
“I’m c-curious at the most random times, and when you’re out of sight, I c-can’t stop thinking about you. I don’t know exactly what this feeling is, but… I just k-keep wanting to see you, so c-coming to work isn’t so bad! This f-feeling is just… hard to name, that’s all!”
Kibon had worn a skeptical expression throughout, but he flinched slightly at the words “hard to name.” Then, with a dazed look, he muttered to himself.
“Surely not…”
His voice trailed off like a moan, and then, as if bewildered, he muttered again.
“…No, surely not… Surely I’m not… That can’t be right.”
At the same moment, Anastasia’s eyes went wide. I couldn’t help but sigh internally.
Good heavens.
“Surely I’m not… That can’t be right.”
Without question, that was the worst possible reaction he could have given in that moment. To make matters worse, Kibon’s face showed signs of some sudden realization dawning on him.
He let his voice trail off like a moan.
“Ah…”
Ah?
The one person who absolutely should have vehemently denied it, after saying “Surely I’m not… That can’t be right,” now just said ah?
I stared at Kibon in shock.
“You… you… did you just say ‘ah’?”
I pressed my forehead in exasperation.
‘That’s the kind of reaction you save for off-the-record conversations over drinks!’
Though honestly, rumors would spread just the same either way!
Anastasia breathed heavily, then spoke in an artificially strained voice.
“A-anyway, if, if you’re in a lot of pain, I c-can make you some c-coffee. Just, just ask if you n-need anything.”
She added this to Kibon, who sat dazed, her breathing ragged. Her eyes gleamed with the unmistakable look of someone who’d caught onto something.
“As your Team Leader, this is a service I would absolutely never provide to an intern like you normally. Understand?”
She’d said he wasn’t fit to be a Team Leader, that he wasn’t a necessary presence…
Yet if he were transferred away, she’d spend ten sleepless nights weeping over it.
That’s when it happened.
“XX!”
The office door burst open.
Before I could say anything, a rough voice rang out sharply.
“Namia Loapi, that’s you, right? You tampered with the soundproofing scroll, didn’t you? You XX…”
At first, I thought a blood-soaked zombie was charging at me.
It was a middle-aged man whose face was so covered in blood that his features were unrecognizable.
He lunged at me, his eyes gleaming.
“I won’t die alone!”
It was Riedan, who’d been beaten by the Empress until his limbs hung limp just moments ago.
In the distance, Luca was rushing over with the Imperial Knights.
“You’re supposed to be in treatment! Hey! Hey! Criminal!”
Many thoughts flashed through my mind in that brief moment.
It was clear he’d escaped in a fit of rage while still undergoing treatment.
‘Being a clever human, he must have grasped the entire situation in an instant.’
And it seemed he’d rushed over eager to land at least one punch on me.
Well, the conclusion was simple.
‘I’ll take a hit. So what.’
I resigned myself to the situation with surprising speed.
There was no possibility of me—someone who couldn’t even carry a single box of scroll paper—winning a fight against that man.
My mood would suffer somewhat, but I’d been beaten plenty of times back at the Loapi Baronial Family, so it hardly mattered.
‘If I get hurt badly enough, Luca will handle it immediately.’
The man wasn’t even wielding a weapon, and frankly, it seemed like nothing serious.
I was going to take the hit anyway, but since it felt a bit wasteful to just stand there and accept it, I backpedaled quickly and let my mouth run.
“Oh my, we’re adding another crime to our criminal’s record, aren’t we? Can you hear the sentence getting longer? There are witnesses everywhere here, aren’t there?”
I generally didn’t waste energy on pointless words, but today, having eaten well, the taunts came flowing out effortlessly.
But then, in that moment.
‘…Huh?’
Suddenly, a massive back filled my entire vision.
It was Kibon.
‘Kibon?’
Without a word, he stepped in front of me and clenched his fist.
Everything seemed to slow down, burning itself into my eyes in slow motion.
‘No! Kibon is just a New Intern!’
Civil servants fighting among themselves was one thing, but Kibon was a New Intern without job security.
Even if I was a criminal, hitting a civil servant could cause problems.
“Kibon, you’re not even in a position to look cool!”
I shouted sharply and grabbed Kibon’s arm to pull him back.
“Aaaaaaahhhhh!”
Huh?
Kibon hadn’t done anything, yet Riedan collapsed.
Then he curled up on the ground, clutching his eyes.
“Wh-wh-where are you—!”
It was Anastasia. She’d thrown coffee grounds into Riedan’s eyes.
“You crazy low-rank—aaaahhh!”
As Riedan tried to get up, glaring at Anastasia, she poured hot water on him this time.
So coffee grounds and hot water really were on standby at all times, as she’d said…
Anastasia’s eyes gleamed as she spoke.
“Not a low-rank—I’m the Team Leader of the Scroll Department Management Team. You look like a criminal to me. How dare you set foot here?”
Kibon and I froze in place behind her.
After a moment, Kibon grabbed me and we backpedaled.
Scalding water was beginning to flow in our direction.
“Luca.”
I spoke calmly as I spotted Luca arriving belatedly.
“I should get some burn treatment too.”
“…Yes.”
Luca nodded with a bewildered expression. I sighed and spoke to Riedan, who was still screaming.
“A man who only wielded a pen comes charging in relying on nothing but his physique—look at the state you’re in. You couldn’t even cross the threshold of the Scroll Department you so despised, could you? And now you’ve added attempted assault to your charges?”
“Y-y-you insane…. If the Imperial Family saw your lack of manners like this….”
“Yes, they absolutely won’t see it. There’s no Imperial Family here, is there?”
I spoke kindly while looking at Riedan, and the Imperial Knights who had drawn near restrained him once more.
In the meantime, Luca glanced at Anastasia and muttered.
“Your Team Leader is the best. Seriously.”
He seemed so shocked that he’d even forgotten to use formal speech with me.
My thoughts aligned with his. She was the finest Team Leader for protecting the Minister of Education.
‘…Good grief, what a commotion this turned out to be.’
At least it was fortunate that the other staff hadn’t arrived yet.
Once Luca, the Imperial Knights, and Riedan disappeared, the Office fell quiet again.
Anastasia began tidying up the coffee grounds and kettle with a composed expression.
“Um, so Kibon.”
Anastasia trailed off while staring intently at Kibon, who was brushing the coffee grounds off my clothes.
“Y-you do have someone you really like in this Office, right? You didn’t say no to what I said.”
Anastasia, who had protected the Minister of Education, was even sharp-tongued.
“O-of course! I w-won’t ask who it is.”
Anastasia continued with gleaming eyes.
“S-so what kind of woman do you like, Kibon?”
It was obvious she meant ‘I won’t ask who, but I’ll try to deduce what kind of woman she is.’
Besides, there were only four women in our Department, including me.
‘Oh no.’
I sighed deeply and thought.
‘Kibon is a rigid, principled New Intern, so he won’t slip through her words like an eel.’
Anastasia, the Team Leader, was Kibon’s superior.
His characteristic was to obey with an arrogant tone. Therefore, he would surely speak the truth in that haughty manner.
Sure enough, Kibon answered without hesitation, bluntly.
“It seems I like a warm-hearted woman.”
“H-huh?”
“Even better if she’s obsessed with me.”
Then Anastasia muttered as if all her hopes had deflated.
“Ah, ah. So it wasn’t the Minister of Education.”
Huh?
“I thought it was the Minister of Education.”
What does that mean? Why isn’t it me?
I was about to protest to Anastasia with wide eyes.
“The Minister of Finance was quite intense when he left. When the Minister of Finance was departing, he said that while the Minister Namia’s abilities are remarkable, for some reason being with her makes his heart feel desolate.”
Hmm.
I had nothing to say to that.
“Ah, seeing you provoke that criminal earlier made me feel so uncomfortable and desolate.”
Wait, I’m the one who defeated that criminal, and now…?
I merely opened my mouth, yet somehow I’d become a janitor of the heart.
“A-and our Minister of Education isn’t the type to cling to anyone, right? I-I mean, since he dislikes wasting energy, he must be indifferent to everyone.”
That was true.
“S-so anyway, Kibon, your tastes are quite unique.”
Anastasia continued speaking to Kibon with more interest than ever before.
“L-liking a woman who’s obsessive? That’s the first time I’ve heard of such an ideal type.”
“Yes. But I do like such a woman.”
Kibon added slowly.
“One who restrains me, clings to me, suffocates me…”
I clicked my tongue while looking at Kibon.
Good heavens.
Everyone lives according to their own preferences, but his ideal type really is bizarre…

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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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