9th Grade Civil Servant In Another World Chapter 71 - Glass Greenhouse (1)

“Anyway, you’ve worked hard. Go inside and rest now.”

“Ah, just a moment.”

Hannah has been suffering, constantly acting as a messenger going back and forth between me and Fael. So I was trying to quickly guide her to the guest room, when she pulled out a thin envelope from her chest.

“Fa-Elhar asked me to give this to you. He said you’d probably need it soon.”

It was a check for one million rikel.

“Mm, my account balance was almost at rock bottom. Last time I said if I had this kind of money, I’d give a gift to Lieutenant Colonel Johann Werner.”

“Hehe, he already gave a gift. A very nice silver pistol. But Mr. Redan, do you really have no intention of going into business with Fa-Elhar?”

Hannah asked cautiously.

Going into business with Fael.

It was an attractive idea.

Though I couldn’t accurately assess his asset scale, Fael was definitely one of the richest people in Schufaben.

Although most of it was inherited wealth, he had a trading company with hundreds of years of history, prime real estate, and business establishments like hotels and cafes.

If I joined hands with him and played the role of a parachute figurehead, I could definitely make big money without raising suspicion.

But I couldn’t do that.

This wasn’t about pride or anything like that. It was a decision based on thorough practical judgment.

“Hannah, please tell Fael I appreciate the sentiment.”

“Hmm, why? Weren’t you crossing over to Rubellia to sweet-talk nobles in order to make money?”

“It’s a bit different.”

Daniel, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, chimed in.

“What we really want isn’t money but fame. No, maybe ‘presence’ is more accurate?”

“Presence?”

“Yes. We wanted to make Lucas into someone no one could treat carelessly.”

“Our goal is to kill Kruger.”

Erika added, looking at Hannah’s puzzled expression.

“To do that, we first need to climb up to where Kruger is.”

“So in the end, I’m trying to raise my reputation, Hannah. So I can catch Kruger’s eye.”

“But Redan, you’re already a hero… Ah!”

“That’s right.”

I nodded with a smile.

“A hero that Kruger created. So how pathetic must I look in that bastard’s eyes? I’d be lucky if he doesn’t think he can drag me down to hell whenever he wants.”

Though he probably has no interest in someone like me anyway.

“Then not being able to work with Fa-Elhar is along the same lines? You’d be ignored instead of gaining fame.”

“It hurts, but that’s reality.

Even if ordinary people don’t know it’s an elf-run company, Kruger would be able to find out.

A hardcore Kruger supporter working under an elf would be too strange, wouldn’t it?

Even if I hid it well, making money that way would just make me an ordinary businessman.

To catch Kruger’s eye, I need something more powerful.”

Hannah nodded as if understanding my words and asked.

“I see. So, is that powerful move being prepared well?”

“It’s going well. The problem is it’s straying far from my predictions.”

“What do you mean?”

My plan to grandly start a business had been going in a strange direction lately.

“Hannah, you’ll be staying for a few days, right? Now that I have plenty of funds, I’m going to throw another wild party. Will you help me?”

I waved the check around with a grin.

***

Spring comes to Rubellia earlier than to Schufaben.

When Schufaben’s snow would just be starting to melt, Rubellia’s mountains and rivers are already turning green.

After the long winter had passed and the air was fragrant with spring, on a midday when flower buds were beginning to sprout.

I was at White Palace as always. Moving smooth obsidian pieces between my fingers.

While the Queen closed her eyes and pondered her move, I drank sweet lemon juice at the table.

Right now, we were leisurely enjoying chess in a small marble pavilion placed in the center of the garden.

The Queen, who had kept her eyes closed for a long time, finally moved a piece.

“This is the only move I can make.”

The bishop advanced diagonally.

“Then I’ll do this.”

As we exchanged moves one by one, we shared meaningless small talk.

“The weather is really nice today, isn’t it?”

“Indeed, Your Majesty. It’s already full spring. I envy how Rubellia has long springs.”

“Do you like spring?”

“More than that, my bones ache when it’s cold.”

“You sound like an old man!”

The Queen burst into laughter. But I continued seriously and firmly.

“I’ve had a weak constitution since birth, so it’s always been that way.”

“Oh my, Lord Redan. If you keep acting so pitiful, it breaks my heart.”

“I’m just stating facts.”

“You’re always so honest. Checkmate.”

Before I knew it, the Queen’s pawn was right in front of my king.

“Ah, no! I lost again, Your Majesty.”

I squinted regretfully and swept the pieces off the board.

“You’re such a talented young man, but you never improve at chess.”

The Queen said with amusement.

“Haha, I must be naturally slow. This too is from birth.”

It was half-joking, half-serious.

Even when I was in Korea, I was famous for being a klutz who lost at every game.

I tried my hand at all the trending online games, but my ranking always scraped the bottom, and table games like go, janggi, and chess were the same—I was on a losing streak against anyone I played.

My friends often scolded me, saying “You think too much!” They said my head was too complicated to focus on games.

Well, thanks to this skill level, I could play the fool by losing card games to customers both when I worked at the tavern and when dealing with nobles here.

At first the Queen worried that I was deliberately losing to be considerate, but she soon realized my actual skill and laughed for a long time.

“Maybe we should stop chess. Shall we take a walk?”

I followed about three steps behind the Queen.

White Palace had become as familiar as home, so there wasn’t much to see, and I soon became lost in other thoughts.

‘This is dangerous.’

I keep seeing Mrs. Schmidt overlapping with the Queen.

The Queen is much shorter, more dignified, and has a young, beautiful face maintained by magic.

And actually, we’re almost forty years apart in age, so a century ago they would have been grandmother and granddaughter.

But somehow, the feeling and atmosphere are similar.

Although I’ve had many shallow acquaintances who liked me as an “interesting guy,” there have only been two “adults” who poured out affection for me so unconditionally.

‘No, she’s a queen who has maintained the throne until now. There can’t be no conditions.’

The problem is I have no idea what those might be!

I had tried to use the Queen.

Before I knew it, she had become like a mother, like a grandmother—like Mrs. Schmidt—but I had grown fond of her.

Still, my intention to use her remained unchanged, so I needed to understand what kind of person the Queen was.

To become close, I visited the palace daily and deployed my specialty. Guiding things toward sincere conversation in the most comfortable atmosphere possible.

But this old queen who had lived for nearly a century was completely incomprehensible.

She simply doted on me like a dear grandson.

Though there was an underlying affection because I was Charlotte’s great-grandson, from what I’d felt so far, she seemed to genuinely like me as a person.

‘That’s it?’

It couldn’t be this simple.

Unless she was either a very cunning person thoroughly hiding her true feelings, or had already noticed my scheming and was enjoying it.

I needed to return to Schufaben quickly, but at this rate my relationship with the Queen would drag on indefinitely.

My head was starting to ache.

“Your Majesty.”

I decided to make a decisive move.

It was time to play the card I’d been keeping in my hand.

“What is it, Lord Redan?”

The Queen, who had been watching rabbits hopping around, turned back to look at me. I clenched both fists and opened my mouth with a solemn expression.

“Your Majesty, I—our house, no, it’s not really our house, but I’m planning to host a party. If Your Majesty would honor us by attending and gracing the occasion, it would be the glory of our family.”

A gentle smile spread across the Queen’s smooth face.

“You were so nervous just to talk about something like that?”

“Well, that’s…”

“If it’s hosted by Lord Redan, it will surely be a very enjoyable occasion. Of course I can attend. Will there be many guests?”

“I sent invitations to nobles—well, former nobles—and people I’ve befriended here.”

“Good, I look forward to it. How exciting the party will be.”

“I will give my all!”

When I beamed with joy, the Queen was happy too.

***

“The Queen?! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wrote it in my letter to Johann, so I thought he’d tell you.”

“Liar. Lucas, you knew he wouldn’t tell her.”

Erika chimed in from the side. I giggled and arranged flowers I’d picked from the garden in a vase.

“Sorry, Hannah. I did it to surprise you. Forgive me.”

“Well, if that was your goal, it worked! You have no idea how shocked I was!”

“Anyone could tell from looking at Hannah’s face.”

Daniel spoke leisurely while wrapping small gift boxes one by one. Indeed, Hannah’s eyes had doubled in size when she heard my words.

“Fa-Elhar will be surprised too.”

“He should be more than just surprised if things go well.”

Right now we were in the middle of deep cleaning and decorating the house.

The two maids, along with visiting chefs, were creating all sorts of expensive dishes.

With the Queen herself coming, there could be no shortcomings.

“But Lucas, will this work? What if she thinks it’s uncouth?”

At Daniel’s words, I confidently patted his shoulder.

“Just wait and see. Anyone who has even a bit of childlike wonder left will love it!”

***

The next day, from morning the front of the mansion was crowded with carriages.

It was truly a sight we hadn’t seen in a long time.

Apart from the nightly ‘salons,’ it had been months since we’d had a proper party.

During this time, rumors had quietly spread that Lucas Redan was busy associating with the Queen.

He hadn’t particularly talked about it himself, nor had he frequently shown his face at salons, but the upper class information network is naturally fast.

Word had gotten out about how much he’d charmed her, and today there were rumors that the Queen would attend the party.

It was truly shocking news.

After losing her husband the Duke, the Queen had sent all the princes and princesses down to their territories and had practically secluded herself in White Palace.

After taking off her crown before the revolutionary masses thirty-odd years ago, she rarely showed her face except for major state events like prime ministerial inaugurations or royal weddings and funerals.

So the nobles were shocked enough to fall over backward at news of the Queen’s attendance, and tried to squeeze in by any means necessary.

Even those who hadn’t received invitations.

Everyone was feeling it.

The new wind blowing into Rubellia, which had been stagnant since the revolution.

“Your Majesty!”

Lucas Redan smiled brightly and kissed the Queen’s hand.

“It is the glory of ten thousand years that you have graced us with your presence!”

“Hohoho, Lord Redan, such exaggeration!”

The crowd of nobles, which had parted cleanly from the moment the Queen and her guards appeared, gathered in small groups and whispered busily at the sight of the two naturally exchanging greetings.

Both Lucas Redan’s unrestrained manner and the Queen’s radiant smile.

It was all quite unfamiliar.

The old nobles who remembered the Queen from long ago recalled that she had rarely shown such a bright face.

Since the revolution, she had always been generous and kind but carried a hint of melancholy.

She seemed like an old woman with no particular attachment to life, someone who had lived her life fully.

Thanks to magic she looked as young as a maiden, but her atmosphere was exactly like that.

But now, she was smiling as if she owned the world, just like during the coronation sixty-odd years ago.

The nobles instinctively realized that she truly cherished Lucas Redan.

Lucas, having paid his respects to the Queen, raised his glass and looked around at the guests.

“I offer my gratitude to those who have taken time from their precious schedules. This party was prepared with all my heart and soul, so please enjoy yourselves. Oh, and today I’ve prepared a special game. Treasure hunting! You know what that is, right?”

He held up a gift box.

“Boxes like this are hidden throughout the mansion. I’ve put small gifts inside them. From really trivial things to quite expensive items. The person who finds the box with the ‘first prize’ slip will receive a very big gift.”

The venue began to stir at Lucas’s words. Eyes were already sparkling with excitement.

“Well then, shall we begin the party? Your Majesty, please give us a toast.”

The Queen smiled and accepted a glass.

“To the glory of Rubellia!”

“To the glory!”

After downing their drinks, people scattered in all directions. Everyone was excited about finding boxes.

The Queen also began to move. Lucas naturally followed behind her.