The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success Chapter 75

“Hah, unbelievable.”

The Minister of Education had just returned from being summoned by the knights.

Reden had been caught on-site earlier that morning.

[Accuse him of arson and failure to manage scrolls, and charge him with regicide. We just need Prince Jayden’s cooperation.]

He’d been confident that Namia could be ousted.

But the one who got ousted was himself.

Naturally, his superior—the Minister of Education—had been summoned. The question was whether he had known about any of this.

But since there was no evidence, he slipped out without issue.

‘I didn’t leave anything behind anyway. Reden knows better than to try and drag others down with him.’

Though he was released without charges, his mood was rotten. He filed for early leave.

And now, he sat in a quiet bar open in the early afternoon, chain-smoking.

“I just… unbelievable. Hah.”

Rumor had it the Empress and Prince Jayden cried in each other’s arms for a long time.

‘This is why kids are no good. Even if he’s a “Gifted,” he’s still eight years old—he can’t even break free from his mommy’s skirts.’

If the truth had come out later, the damage might’ve been deeper and their relationship harder to repair.

But thanks to the Empress’s affection while he was young, they were close again.

‘Prince Jayden is done for. He’ll grow up just like that unrefined woman.’

The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He hated when people unworthy of their status sat above him.

‘The department’s atmosphere is uneasy, but at least I’m not in trouble. That’s enough.’

But what nagged him the most now was that ridiculous document Namia Roapia had sent.

‘What? She wants to know how much scroll equity is involved in educational materials? She wants it investigated? Has she lost her mind?’

Namia’s demand was blatantly excessive and unreasonable.

It was as if she were saying, ‘You’re guilty of something, aren’t you? You wouldn’t dare say no, would you?’

‘If I agree, it pisses me off. If I refuse, it looks suspicious.’

Just as he lit a new cigarette, a waiter came by and—pretending to clear the ashtray—dropped a slip of paper.

‘…What’s this?’

The Minister quickly opened the note.

We were disappointed by your lack of reply to our last message.
But we still believe you share our convictions.

It was them.

They had reached out again.

Nobles with titles have become too numerous over the years.
Everyone thinks themselves qualified to act.
There’s only one solution.
We must clearly distinguish the superior from the inferior.

The Minister caught his breath.

Yes. There were too many titled nobles.

Namia Roapia—a baron’s daughter? Ridiculous.

We trust you’ll stand with us. We’ll be waiting.

He swallowed dryly.

His eyes moved to the postscript.

P.S. We currently consider Scroll Minister Namia Roapia our top-priority target for elimination.

Of course they did.

The Scroll Department had previously been stacked with their people. Namia’s sudden appointment must have been an eyesore.

Would you be able to assist us, Minister?

He stared at that final line for a long moment.

***

“Hurry up and come out! I’m dying of curiosity!”

The Empress’s impatient voice rang out.

She was likely pacing with excitement just from the tone of her voice.

The dressmaker gave a confident smile and led me out from behind the curtain.

“Hohoho, now don’t be too shocked.”

With a theatrical laugh, she guided me forward.

I walked out, smiling bashfully.

“She’ll be so pretty I—”

The Empress, who had been giggling in anticipation, fell silent mid-sentence.

Jayden dropped the candy he was eating with a soft plop.

And then…

‘Ugh, what is with that face?’

Keyvon’s expression was odd.

It was a face I had never seen before.

Even though we saw each other every day, he was looking at me like it was the first time.

‘Seriously. Just say something already.’

His mouth stayed firmly shut, but his eyes scanned me from head to toe—like a slow, deliberate lick.

I flinched slightly under his unfiltered, blatantly direct gaze.

‘What kind of assistant looks at their boss like that?’

At least act like a subordinate and say, “You look lovely,” or something to lighten the mood…

But, well, that was probably too much to ask of Keyvon.

In the brief silence, our eyes kept locking.

Then—

“…I have one question. A very important one.”

Jayden didn’t even bother picking up his candy.

“Namia, who’s escorting you?”

A sudden hush fell over the room.

Even the boutique staff who had been adjusting my dress looked up with soft smiles, their eyes twinkling with interest.

“Ah, escort…”

I blinked slowly and muttered.

Of course I’d thought about it.

“Um, well…”

Jayden sat up straight and cleared his throat before speaking with clarity.

“You know only a small number of people attend the St. Cairo Ball, right? And while technically you can bring a guest as your escort, it’s not customary.”

That much I knew.

I’d visited the venue before to check decoration scrolls.

“Besides, you don’t have any close noble acquaintances, do you? So you haven’t picked an escort partner yet, right?”

“Ah, no. I haven’t.”

At my answer, Jayden’s lips twitched upward.

His thoughts were transparent. The Empress noticed too—she was practically hyperventilating with pride, whispering, “Good! Just like that!”

I smiled awkwardly.

“There are only a few days left. I feel weird asking someone now…”

“Why should you be the one asking?!”

Jayden clenched his fist and shouted.

“You should be receiving offers!”

“Well… in that case, I haven’t received any yet, Your Highness.”

Jayden let out a sigh as if he bore the world’s burdens.

Biting his lip, he mumbled something like, “Brother, what are you even doing…”

I raised an eyebrow and said,

“To be honest, I haven’t even had time to think about who to go with.”

“In that case, how about this—we’ll settle it like this.”

Jayden grinned.

“From now on, you go with the first guy who asks to be your partner.”

“…Excuse me?”

“You said you’re too tired to think, right?”

Then he gestured quickly at an attendant.

He scribbled a note in a hurry and shoved it into a pocket, whispering, “To my brother. Now!”

Next to him, the Empress murmured, “Good! Well done! Our genius son—the ultimate strategic Cupid!”

“Well…”

They were trying so hard that I couldn’t bring myself to shoot it down, so I was just about to nod—

“Great! That’s settled! You’re the witness, right? And you—”

The Empress turned to Keyvon and started to speak, but didn’t get to finish.

BOOM!

A massive crash rang out.

“Eeek!”

“Dear gods!”

The boutique workers around me screamed and dropped to the floor.

I blinked, stunned.

The Empress, now holding a warhammer, smacked her lips.

The sound had come from her swinging the weapon out of nowhere.

“Haah, this brat…”

The floor where Keyvon had been standing was now a shattered mess.

‘Wait—when did she grab a warhammer and swing it?!’

The speed was unreal.

But Keyvon—expression blank—had simply sidestepped.

“You saw that, didn’t you, Namia? You saw it with your own two eyes?”

The Empress raised an eyebrow.

“This sneaky little thing isn’t just some weakling. Nosebleeds from a bit of overtime? Hah! He’s just playing sick to get out of work!”

Keyvon didn’t even look surprised.

He just calmly brushed the dust from his sleeve with a soft tap, tap.

“Haah, look at this guy’s temper. Quiet types with nasty attitudes—those are the truly hopeless ones.”

The Empress clicked her tongue, clearly displeased.

“I sensed it from the start. Don’t keep this brat by your side, Namia.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean…”

I knew she hated whispering behind people’s backs—but calling someone out right in front of them?

I was flustered, not sure what to do, when—

“I really hate liars.”

The Empress’s eyes gleamed as she continued.

“This brat—he’s hiding something from you. I’m sure of it.”