Chapter 108

“What’s ‘quick’ about it? If it’s an opportunity, you should seize it.”

Is this really the Pinea I know? What’s with this bewitched big-sister vibe?

“Actually, I was planning to go with my brother Marcella.”

Pinea gasped and slapped my arm.

“Ouch!”

“Why would you pass up such a good opportunity! What would Marcella know by inspecting the estate? If the Duke can be far more helpful, that’s enough! It’s a chance to go legitimately!”

Taken aback by the overly radical proposal, I didn’t know what to do and even stammered. Nicola also kept nodding beside me.

In contrast to my reaction, Pinea remained completely calm.

“Listen to this sister who’s had relationships. It’s all advice that’ll be good for you.”

I swallowed nervously without realizing it. It had only been a few days since my first kiss, after all?

Seeing my expression, Pinea let out a small sigh.

“I’m not saying you must do anything. They say they’ll only see each other briefly. I’m saying try staying together for a while this time and get to know each other. There’s a saying in Ophel: you have to travel together to learn someone’s true colors.”

“R-Really?”

Was there such a proverb?

“You’d refuse the offer? Unless you have an unavoidable work schedule, reconsider whether continuing the relationship is the right choice.”

At Pinea’s decisive words, I nodded as if spellbound. Strangely, Nicola’s complete lack of denial beside her increased my trust in what she said.

‘A trip…’

At the Chancellery I could handle anything that came up, but romance was full of unpredictability. I felt like a new recruit who knew nothing.

Unable to say a word to Pinea and having listened to her long speech, I went to work with nothing but that thought in my head.

‘How do I bring this up?’

The reason I couldn’t firmly reject her proposal was clearly because I thought she made sense. In my previous life I saw many couples break up after going on trips together. When you stay together for a long time, don’t differences in status or environment become more noticeable?

‘I also want to spend time together…’

Since the Duke worked late often, it was absolutely not easy to see his face. I also had side jobs, so there was a limit to waiting and helping him every day.

‘First, the Duke has to agree for there to be a next step. I should handle what’s immediately in front of me first.’

I stood up from my seat and slowly walked over to where Dominic was. He had a report due today that still hadn’t appeared, after all.

I gave him some leeway to see how far he’d get and watched. But he left punctually on the dot and no results came back. What should have taken two days had dragged into its seventh day. Today was the deadline.

No matter what, he left on time. He truly had a mindset I wanted to applaud, but what good is that if he doesn’t meet deadlines?

“Secretary Dominic. When can I receive the report organizing the avenue construction budget, audit materials, and construction plan?”

He leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed, only tapping his foot.

“Well… there’s quite a lot of content. Hmm… I’m not sure. Maybe… in an hour or two?”

It was clear he planned to brush it off and hand it in. He had no intention of having his superior review and request edits. I smiled slightly.

“Ahem… I see. You do know today is the deadline, right? Secretary Dominic.”

“Was it?”

“Yes. So. I have to confirm it. That means you can only leave after I approve the secretary’s document.”

“Yes?”

He snapped and stood up from his seat.

“I only have to submit it; the rest is for the Chancellor to handle. Why are you interfering with my quitting time?”

‘Oh.’

I smiled even more broadly.

“Do I have to point it out directly? It’s because you lack skill.”

“What did you say?”

“The Chancellery only accepts the most capable among the central ministries. Did you think I’d be satisfied with a roughly done report?”

“Ha! You haven’t even come from the Academy, what are you—!”

Dominic, riled by the harsh critique, made the same slip a subordinate, Eldo, had made before. It was oddly pleasing to see him drop the mask he’d worn during Eldo Hyberg’s heyday.

“Exactly. But I’m the Chancellor?”

“……!”

“If you can’t stand it, you may leave the Chancellery right now. I won’t stop you.”

“I’ll formally complain to higher-ups…!”

“Do so. You know I’ve been tolerating insubordination until now, right? I’ve recorded it well, so this will be interesting. I’ll personally inform the Supreme Justice.”

When I even mentioned the Empire’s most sought-after Duke, his braggadocio began to quiet. I glanced over the report he was preparing and said.

“I usually don’t like comparing people, but it feels unavoidable. Secretary Dominic’s work performance as a Grade 1 secretary is far below Secretary Eldo’s as a Grade 2.”

“……!”

“I’ll stop there.”

For a moment I saw Eldo’s smug expression. Simple fellow.

“Please consider my position too—I have to tutor the secretary in his duties after working hours.”

I shook my head as if it was a headache and returned to my seat. Dominic trembled in his chair and stormed out of the office.

“Ahh. That feels good.”

Lukan rubbed his chest and uttered a sigh of relief.

“There have been more than a few times I wanted to sew his mouth shut. Good that it worked out.”

Elysia voiced a chilling remark in a flat tone. Lukan asked.

“Chancellor. Is it really necessary to stay after hours and teach that fellow? I don’t think it’ll help…”

I know that too. But what I felt as Chancellor was that the Chancellor isn’t just a department head or a mere team leader. The Prime Minister isn’t a team leader, after all. So I recalled, as one does rarely, a few supervisors I had respected in past jobs.

‘They focused more on managing people than hands-on work. They emphasized planning and strategy.’

I had come to understand each team member’s work. If the Chancellor plays an executive or department-head role, then the secretaries below must function as deputy managers and team leaders. The scribe is equivalent to an assistant manager, and the junior clerks are staff.

‘If things stay like this, we’ll only be satisfied with trimming the tasks handed down from above. For efficiency’s sake, we must change.’

So I need to train the secretaries below to be subordinates capable of taking on team-leader or deputy-manager roles. The most crucial one, the Grade-1 secretary, is that fellow, so getting past this obstacle won’t be easy.

‘Was there ever a time it wasn’t hard?’

If not, I’d have to bite the bullet. I grinned and delivered the bad news to the secretaries.

“All right. So your roles are important. We happen to have an opportunity to review work carefully, so let’s go over all our secretaries. Is that okay?”

When I smiled at Lukan, he gave a reluctant smile.

“Ah, y-yes… o-of course.”

“What about the others?”

“Do as you please.”

“Good.”

I could feel Eldo and Elysia shooting Lukan sharp looks, but I pretended not to notice.

‘I’m the one who hates this the most, you lot.’

From then on, daily group tutoring for work began. I kept telling myself inwardly that I had to struggle now to be comfortable later.

“What I want from the secretaries isn’t just the ability to process tasks. Practical skills are a given, but you must also manage the scribe and junior clerks and support the work they do. Only then are you qualified to hold a secretary’s post.”

The Chancellery isn’t a very large department. But many documents and reports come up to the Chancellery from across the Empire. Often they’ve already been filtered once through subordinate departments of central ministries or lower civil servants. The incoming papers required at least some knowledge of finance, law, and foreign affairs to understand. They weren’t called the most elite of the central ministries for nothing.

“New junior clerks will be joining soon, so let’s prepare well until then. Practical skills should be a basic requirement, right?”

Leadership training comes after that. Honestly, it’s an area I’m lacking in too, so I doubted how well I could teach it.

After giving feedback on each secretary’s practical work, I set new assignments so they could internalize it.

“Seeing that guy’s expression is reassuring.”

Elysia muttered as she scribbled the assignment on parchment. Dominic’s face was quite pitiable. Eldo, though arrogant, isn’t the type to avoid work and was happily jotting things down, while Dominic wore a resentful expression as if forced into unexpected overtime—like when, in my previous life, I couldn’t go because I was fretting about my boss.

‘He won’t go. He has at least that much sense.’

That way he might be able to enter the Crown Prince’s service.

I watched the secretaries diligently working on their assignments and activated my communication artifact. Following Pinea’s advice, I intended to ask the Duke whether he’d be interested in visiting the Libertas estate together. I was a little embarrassed to ask in person, so I decided to make a casual suggestion via messenger.

Cornelia Libertas (Chancellor): Are you busy?

Vespera Ariadne (Supreme Justice): Not off yet? It’s late. Wait a bit and I’ll bring you home.

Cornelia Libertas (Chancellor): Great! But um… are you very busy next week?

Vespera Ariadne (Supreme Justice): Hmm. Probably about the same as now. What’s up?

Cornelia Libertas (Chancellor): Ah, then that won’t work. I was thinking of visiting the Libertas estate and thought it would be nice if we went together. So I just wanted to ask.

But after that, the Duke didn’t reply.

‘What’s this? Is he very busy?’

At that moment, the Chancellery door burst open. The secretaries’ gazes turned to the Duke, who was taking a small breath.

“Supreme Justice?”

They widened their eyes at the suddenly appearing Supreme Justice. I gestured to my staff to continue with their assignments and naturally led him out the door.

“Why did you suddenly come to the Chancellery?”

“I can.”

“Yes?”

“I’m available next week.”

“You came all the way here to say that?”

His rumpled gray hair made him look exactly like a puppy. Seeing him so excited, I couldn’t help but nod.

‘Pinea, I think it’s okay for us to keep dating.’