The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success Chapter 73

I wasn’t even surprised—so why was Keyvon?

This kid really must like me.

I stared at him in disbelief, and just then, Jayden slammed the table and glared at Keyvon.

“Hey, intern.”

“……”

“What? I’m calling you. You’re not going to answer?”

“……Yes.”

“You need to get out. I’m about to have a very important conversation with Namia. A lowly intern like you has no place in it. Got a problem with that? Then grit your teeth, rise to the top, and come back. Got it? I said, got it?”

“……”

“Answer me.”

“……Yes.”

Keyvon ground his teeth loud enough for everyone to hear.

But he had no choice—it was a command from the prince.

With a sour expression, he stood up and walked out of the minister’s office.

Then he just stood outside the door. Watching his back, I thought to myself:

‘…He’s going to hear everything anyway.’

The office wasn’t exactly soundproof.

But Jayden, not knowing that, began in a serious tone.

“Anyway, this is about my brother.”

“Yes. Please go on.”

As Jayden cleared his throat, I glanced sideways at Keyvon’s back.

I stayed alert, ready to stop Jayden the moment he said something that shouldn’t be overheard.

“Ahem, so…”

But Jayden kept hesitating, unable to bring himself to speak.

To ease the tension, I gently offered:

“Would you care for a cookie, Your Highness? It’s not much, but I’d like to offer you something.”

“I’m kind of picky about food, but alright, let’s see.”

“Of course.”

From the drawer, I pulled out a cookie—and a small scroll.

It was a transport scroll with a very short range. Useless most of the time, but perfect for this.

When I activated the scroll, the cookie floated up along the parchment and gently landed in front of Jayden.

“Wow!”

His eyes widened with awe. I held back a laugh.

‘No manners, but he is cute!’

Raised without proper education and indoctrinated by Reden to think “normal people are inferior and idiots should be ignored,” he turned out like this—but still cute!

‘Even in the original story… he matures a lot over time.’

Now that Reden was gone and he’d be getting proper guidance, his manners would surely improve.

I waited patiently until Jayden finished the cookie.

After swallowing, he brushed his mouth.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

And finally opened up.

“Namia, you said it yourself. That everything Reden said was a lie.”

“Ah… except for the factual parts.”

“Reden said you, the Scroll Minister, were a pathetic, arrogant, vulgar upstart with no sense of your own place.”

I had expected that, but hearing it from a child’s mouth was still unpleasant.

Jayden continued calmly,

“But logically speaking, if that’s all a lie, then you’re actually a decent person.”

“Well… yes. I think I’m fairly decent, competent, from a vulgar family maybe, but a capable individual who knows her station as a minister.”

“Exactly. And now that I’ve met you in person, I get it. You seem like a good person.”

A cookie and a fun scroll trick, and now I’m a “good person”?

Jayden crossed his arms, raised his chin arrogantly, and declared:

“Let me get straight to the point. What does my brother need to fix? What should he do?”

“……Pardon?”

“Just think of it as soothing a bratty child and give me a hint.”

He grabbed another cookie and started munching.

“My brother is a lonely person. You people may tremble before him, clueless as you are, but he’s a good person.”

“Ah…”

“Her Majesty the Empress and His Majesty the Emperor both hope things go well between you and the Crown Prince. They can’t ask directly because of their pride, so as the family’s resident wild child, I decided to ask for them.”

I felt dizzy from all this.

I looked at Jayden’s chubby cheeks and slowly replied,

“I’ve met His Highness the Crown Prince exactly three times. And they were all brief, official encounters with others present. It’s not a matter of what he should fix—I simply don’t know him well enough.”

Jayden swallowed his cookie and smiled brightly.

“Then it’s not hopeless. You just don’t know each other yet. So what kind of man do you want to marry?”

“Uh… well. At the very least, someone I feel comfortable around. Someone who doesn’t make me nervous. Someone who’s always on my side…”

But Jayden was too extreme a child for such a sincere conversation.

“What? You want a slave?”

“No, not a slave exactly…”

“Slavery was abolished 392 years ago. Give up that dream. Of course, I know there were all kinds of arguments at the time. Most were trash, but I think Oraton’s final statement held some merit…”

And off he went, talking about the history of slavery.

Suddenly, Keyvon’s back caught my eye. He was still standing there motionless. Listening to everything, probably.

‘Hmm…’

If I called out, “Come in, Keyvon,” he’d probably enter right away without a word.

Strangely, just knowing that brought me peace.

‘Good grief. I really like having control in relationships, don’t I…?’

The people around me had never gone the way I wanted.

To be honest, I missed my mom. I didn’t want to go to some academy—I just wanted Dad to stay by my side.

Back when I was just starting work, I wished Victor didn’t go on long business trips. I wanted the Archmage to stay in the capital and back me up.

‘But everyone had their reasons to leave.’

Even if I begged them to stay, they wouldn’t listen. I knew that, so I never even asked.

‘So is it too much to want just one person in this world to listen to everything I say…?’

Like a lie, I remembered what Keyvon said the first time he became my assistant:

[There’s only one thing to remember when dealing with me. If you give an order, I’ll obey it without question. Don’t waste time overthinking it—just command me.]

It wasn’t an empty promise.

From that day on, Keyvon had truly obeyed my every command.

That’s why I gave him instructions freely, without hesitation or thought.

‘If I asked him not to leave… he’d probably just say okay.’

With that face that never looked the least bit submissive.

Meanwhile, Jayden was still rambling about slavery.

I let it wash over me, deep in thought, when—

“Jaaaaaydeeeeen!”

The door to the Scroll Department burst open again.

“Kyah!”

Anastasia shrieked—understandable, since the door had been smashed to pieces. The Empress entered, brushing her ear awkwardly.

“What the? Why is this thing so flimsy?”

She muttered, kicking the shattered remnants of the door. The sight was so shocking Anastasia didn’t even offer coffee.

“M-Mother!”

Jayden, who had been passionately arguing about slavery, jumped to his feet in surprise.

The Empress strolled toward the minister’s office, cackling.

“Jayden! I heard you were here, so I came! Wahahaha!”

Her face shone—she’d finally decided to stop hiding her true self from her son.

I could imagine the conversation they’d had:

[Jayden, this foolish mother of yours… I’ve always been afraid you’d be ashamed of me.]

[I understand. But even so, I want your love. At least until I hit puberty, I won’t be embarrassed by you.]

[Wahahaha! Wonderful! Let’s do our best until puberty, my dear son!]

Pieces of the broken door dangled from the hem of her dress.

Still laughing, she shouted,

“We’re going to get our outfits fitted for the St. Cairo Ball, so—hmm?”

She’d begun her visit with a dramatic declaration, but then suddenly paused.

Her eyes locked on Keyvon, who was standing outside the office.

Without a word, Keyvon gave a respectful bow.

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress.”

Her eyes glinted sharply.

Her expression was so intense that I started to bolt out of the room in alarm—

“You, hey.”

The Empress rolled up her sleeves with a grin. Then declared to Keyvon:

“Let’s throw down. Right now.”