Second Life, I’m Dying Soon Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The office door swung open, and another attendant entered, his arms full of parchment tied together with string. Naturally, one would expect him to head straight for Alexis’s desk, but instead, he made his way toward Cecil.

“What is this?”

As a pile of parchment tumbled onto the desk, Cecil blurted out the words in a brusque tone. The attendant hesitated before delivering his message.

“Well… It’s about the preparations for the upcoming debutante ball. It seems you will have to take charge of it, sir.”

“The debutante ball? I was under the impression that it was the Empress’s responsibility.”

“Her Majesty has taken ill and is unable to oversee the preparations. She has entrusted everything to His Highness Alexis. However, as you know, His Highness is already overwhelmed with his duties… So he has decided that it would be best for you to handle it, sir.”

The attendant, who was simply relaying the message he had received, was sweating profusely. Having been caught between conflicting interests more than once, his posture had naturally shrunk with unease.

“Are you sure he assigned this to me?”

“Yes, sir. I would never dare to lie about such a thing.”

Cecil quickly assessed the situation.

His mother had used her illness as an excuse to offload the responsibility onto Alexis, who, in turn, had now pushed it onto him. Most likely, this was because he had previously organized a banquet.

There was no way Alexis trusted him. This was nothing more than a test.

If he managed to handle the debutante ball without issue, it would prove his capabilities, making Alexis view him as an even greater threat.

On the other hand, if he failed, Alexis would suffer no losses. It would merely confirm that Cecil was still too inexperienced to be entrusted with significant responsibilities.

Losing the Emperor’s favor was of no concern to him, but the problem was that Alexis’s trust would slip away as well. If he botched this event, Alexis would never rely on him again.

“…No matter what happens, there’s nothing in it for me.”

Cecil folded his arms and stared daggers at the innocent pile of parchment. He needed to weigh his options and calculate the possible outcomes.

Then, straightening his posture, he reached for one of the scrolls. He untied the leather cord and swiftly unfurled the parchment rolled around a wooden rod.

Since the debutante ball had always been overseen by the Empress, he knew little about it. However, since he was taking over midway, he assumed he would only need to make slight adjustments to the existing plans.

As his eyes scanned the document, his brow twitched violently. His expression darkened considerably.

Cecil unrolled another parchment. It was the same. They all contained nothing but skeletal frameworks, with almost no substantial details.

“Are you sure you brought everything?”

“…These are all the documents we received from the Empress’s palace, sir. I swear.”

The attendant, thoroughly intimidated, replied meekly. His pleading gaze begged for Cecil to believe he had done nothing wrong. Cecil, pinching the bridge of his nose, slumped back into his chair.

“They’re really going all out, aren’t they?”

This was no accident. The documents had been deliberately gutted. No doubt, the Empress had planned to put Alexis in a difficult position.

Did she realize that her scheme had missed its mark and landed squarely on her own son?

Cecil massaged the deep crease between his brows. Guest list confirmations, budget assessments, invitation distributions—nothing had been arranged. The sheer scope of what needed to be done made his vision blur.

A sigh escaped his lips.

“How many days until the debutante ball?”

“Ten days, sir.”

“Wow, fantastic.”

At the attendant’s response, Cecil, who had been sprawled in his chair, suddenly sprang upright. There was no time for hesitation or sighing.

He yanked open a drawer and pulled out a stack of smooth paper, then dipped his quill into a jet-black inkwell. Without a moment’s pause, he began writing.

“Go to the archives immediately and bring back everything on this list.”

The attendant’s eyes widened in horror. The list was practically endless.

“All of this?”

“Every single item. And contact the Imperial Treasury’s chief financial officer—tell him to clear his schedule for tomorrow morning. If he has prior engagements, tell him to reschedule them.”

The attendant nodded frantically. Seeing his previously lethargic superior suddenly transform into a whirlwind of efficiency, he couldn’t afford to dawdle.

Once the attendant had hurried out of the office, Cecil ordered the rest of his personal attendants to gather immediately. His commands were so precise and authoritative that even the Crown Prince’s attendants had no choice but to comply without delay.

Alexis emerged from the reception hall about an hour later.

The discussion regarding the knights had taken longer than expected, delaying his schedule. Though his steps were slightly rushed, his expression was uncharacteristically cheerful.

He was eager to see how his dear younger brother was handling the challenge. The anticipation brought an irrepressible smile to his lips.

As he approached, the guards spotted him and promptly saluted before opening the office doors. Stepping inside, Alexis came to an abrupt halt, momentarily frozen in place.

Unfamiliar attendants were scurrying about the office. Some were carrying stacks of letters, others were struggling under the weight of heavy books.

Cecil stood by the window, flipping rapidly through a book while calling out names. A scribe, seated at the desk in his place, diligently jotted down each name. Another attendant pressed blotting paper over freshly written pages to dry the ink.

“Severin Count’s second son, Magnus Severin. The third son of Marquis Locke, James Locke. The eldest daughter of Marquis Ansgar, Yelena Ansgar. The eldest daughter of Duke Havel, Cornelia Havel.”

“Ugh! Lord Cecil, please… slow down a little….”

“How far have you written?”

“I finished up to the third son of Marquis Locke.”

“Why are you so slow? Do you plan on staying up all night?”

“I swear, I’m doing my absolute best….”

Leo, the head attendant, drooped his shoulders and let out a defeated whimper. Cecil fought down his irritation and let out a deep sigh, his breath ruffling the fringe of his dark brown hair.

“Want to switch with me?”

“Ack, no!”

Leo recoiled in horror, shaking his head frantically. He wasn’t illiterate, but he lacked the confidence to skim through the noble directory as quickly as Cecil. If they switched, he was sure to receive an even harsher scolding.

“There’s no time. Just jot down the titles in abbreviations, use numbers for ranks, and mark gender with a simple check. Pass it along as you go.”

“Yes!”

“I’m reading them again. Don’t miss anything. Third son of the Marquis of Locke, James Locke. Eldest daughter of the Marquis of Ansgar, Yelena Ansgar. Eldest daughter of the Duke of Havel, Cornelia Havel. Eldest son of the Viscount of Isaac, Victor Isaac.”

Cecil slowed down his pace slightly, considering Leo’s struggle. With the added guidance, Leo was able to record the names much more smoothly.

At a glance, it seemed like Cecil had taken on the easiest task, but in reality, he was the busiest of them all.

Flipping through the thick noble directory—nearly the size of an adult’s palm—Cecil checked birthdates, selecting only those coming of age. Then, he combined their titles, ranks, and names, calling them out one by one without a moment’s rest for his eyes or mind.

If it were up to him, he would have written the list himself, but there simply wasn’t enough time.

The first step in preparing the event was confirming the guest list. Invitations needed to be sent out to confirm attendance and receive the names of any companions, allowing them to proceed with the next steps.

The plan was to send the invitations today and receive responses within at least three days. In the meantime, Cecil would calculate the budget and negotiate with the treasurer.

After that? Well, it would be a matter of gathering all the competent officials in the palace and pushing them to work.

Engrossed in his reading and planning, Cecil didn’t notice when the crown prince entered the office. Alexis quietly observed Cecil’s frantic movements before shifting his gaze to his gathered attendants.

They were huddled together, diligently transcribing letters. Alexis picked up one of the completed invitations.

“Did you write this?”

“No, Your Highness. Lord Cecil drafted a sample for us. We simply followed his format and filled in the names from the list.”

“He did it himself? Without anyone’s help?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Even upon a second reading, the content was impeccable.

The short letter was concise yet elegant, with a refined greeting and a clear, well-structured message.

At the end, there was even a veiled ultimatum: if a reply wasn’t received within three days, it would be considered a refusal to attend the debutante ball. Yet, the wording was so polished in accordance with proper etiquette that the recipient wouldn’t find it offensive.

A scoff escaped him at the unexpected talent.

Tossing the letter back onto the table, Alexis met Cecil’s eyes. Only now did Cecil realize the crown prince had arrived. His face, which had been furrowed in concentration, momentarily shifted to one of startled surprise.

Hastily, Cecil hugged the thick book to his chest and straightened his back from where he had been leaning against the window frame.

“You’re here, Your Highness.”

“Is the preparation going well?”

“Yes. More or less.”

Cecil’s eyes darted around, finally taking in the state of the office. In the short time Alexis had been away, the room had turned into a complete mess.

“Your Highness, I must be causing you quite a disturbance. Shall I relocate?”

“No. Don’t mind me and continue here. My attendants need to assist you anyway, do they not?”

“That is true, but…”

While Cecil hesitated, Alexis moved behind his desk. With a flick of his fingers, the chief attendant promptly set up a partition. Once the imposing presence was out of sight, Cecil was finally able to release the breath he had been holding.

There was no time to waste. Shaking off his momentary distraction, he reopened the book he was clutching.

“Leo, we’re almost done. Let’s finish this and take a short break.”

“Yes!”

The sound of names being called out rapidly and pens scratching against paper filled the office.

Beyond the partition, Alexis reclined against his chair, listening to the noise. He remained silent, deep in thought.