Chapter 40

“So you turned it down?”

“Yeah.”

Pinea set down the gossip society magazine she had been reading with a flick. It was worn and stained from how often she’d read it. By Nicola’s suggestion, the three of us were having lunch together for the first time in a while, and the topic turned to the recent offer for me to join the Imperial Palace as an official.

“He asked me to work for him personally. I already hate going to work, so the idea of working for someone I’ve only met a few times doesn’t sit right with me.”

“But I heard becoming an Imperial Palace official requires a really tough exam. Aren’t they saying they’d put you in right away?”

“That’s one reason I don’t like it. I don’t even want to think about how much hazing I’d face as soon as I get in.”

“True…”

Pinea shuddered at whatever she was imagining and shook her head.

“I feel sorry for those high-and-mighty Imperial Palace officials who’d have to deal with you.”

“What? That’s nonsense. What did I even do?”

“Don’t you remember what you did to your senior at the Ophel branch? Going so far as to skip work without permission to get revenge—thinking about it makes me shudder… Your expression then creeped me out too.”

“My expression?”

Pinea awkwardly tried to mimic the smile.

“Anyway, you have that particular look like you’re plotting something. You had it even when you went to report your senior—what was his name, Vatorn or something.”

“Since when were you watching that closely? You were glad about it too.”

While Pinea and I bickered, Nicola spoke up wistfully.

“I think Coco would be really impressive as an Imperial Palace official… I have a feeling Coco can do something bigger.”

“Nicola, you really are something…”

Watching my eternally positive friend made me realize how jaded I’d become. Surprisingly, Pinea supported the idea too.

“I think the same. I don’t know how amazing the people there are, but honestly I don’t think you’d be outclassed. The things you’ve done so far weren’t easy.”

I wanted to tell them it’s because there’s a mid-thirties K-office-worker soul inside me, but I couldn’t.

“I already refused. It’s done.”

“If she changes her mind, Coco can tell him first. It’s not an everyday opportunity.”

“Exactly. You might find what you really want to do there!”

Hearing them, a thought rose that maybe it wouldn’t hurt to reconsider the Minister of Finance’s offer.

A remark I had made offhand came back like a boomerang and bothered me. Unable to focus on work, I sat on a garden bench and stared blankly at the scenery.

‘Do I have any reason to become an Imperial Palace official?’

Is it a place I should go if they’re covering my pay?

I had even sent that jerk away, and I was peacefully working at the Marquis’s residence. My lady liked me, the servants were kind, and the Marquess acknowledged my work. I could keep working steadily, take the occasional bonus, and become independent once Rio’s treatment was finished.

‘Then why am I worrying?’

That was the funny part. If I even knew why I was thinking about it, this uneasy feeling might disappear.

“Coco!”

‘That innocent, bright voice…’

Aidan was running toward me from a short distance away.

He kept calling me by my pet name for some reason. When I said that’s a pet name used by close friends, he asked to be allowed to call me that because he wanted to get closer to me. He even said that if I didn’t call him Aidan, he’d call me Coco, so I let it slide—if anyone saw me calling the young master by his name, I’d lose my head.

‘I’ll forgive him because he’s cute.’

With his long pale-lilac hair and green eyes, he was refreshingly pure, so I decided to let it go.

‘Was I a simp?’

I thought I had kept my composure even in the face of the Duke of Ariadne’s astonishing looks, but maybe this felt different because Aidan was more like a comfortable younger brother.

Might as well ask while I can.

“Young master.”

“Yes, Coco!”

“How did you get admitted to the Magic Tower, young master?”

Aidan put his index finger to his chin and rolled his eyes upward as he thought.

“When I was five they measured my magical power, and it came out that I had as much mana as a high mage, so I went.”

“Did you go even though you didn’t want to?”

Aidan shook his head.

“No. At first it was like school, going back and forth between the Magic Tower and home, but magic was so fun that I ended up staying there. My skills improved quickly, and before I knew it, the tower master told me I was his successor.”

It seemed like the path that geniuses go through.

“So if the tower master had said, ‘Be my successor! Work for the Magic Tower!’ would you have gone?”

“Hmm. I’ve never considered that hypothetical. Hmm…”

Aidan frowned deeply as if the hypothetical were an actual memory and pondered.

“I wouldn’t work for the Magic Tower, but I think I would have gone there.”

“Why?”

“Because magic is so much fun. There’s nowhere you can learn as freely as the Magic Tower. Since I’ve learned things there, doing one or two good deeds for the tower is nothing.”

“I see.”

It didn’t quite match my situation. Aidan knew exactly what he wanted.

“Got something on your mind?”

“No.”

“Are you thinking about your career path?”

This young master had, since the Meloni incident, shown a surprisingly sharp side.

Alright, since it couldn’t hurt, I decided to tell him roughly what was bothering me.

“Life is peaceful and good now, but a new offer came. I don’t see anything especially better about it, so I don’t know why I’m worrying.”

But then Aidan burst out laughing.

“Coco, I thought you were smart, but you’re a fool?”

“What?”

I was dazed by the sudden intelligence insult.

“It’s because the new offer is interesting. Interesting enough to shatter this peaceful life.”

“…!”

“Does that mean this peacefulness feels boring to Coco? So you don’t have the tendency to stay in one place for long.”

“Is that so?”

Was the frequent job-hopping I did in my original world out of necessity actually tied to my personality? I was confused.

Seeing me like that, Aidan suddenly ruffled my hair.

“Now you feel more like a younger sibling. If you leave, you have to say goodbye!”

Unbelievably, this time he looked a little grown-up.

I had thought I was someone who valued stability, but that was flatly denied. Confused, I returned to the office. Penel the butler was waiting.

“My lady requests you.”

At my superior’s summons, I quickly composed myself and went to my lady’s room.

Knock knock.

“It’s Cornelia.”

“Come in.”

When I opened the door and entered, my lady had tea and sweets laid out on the table waiting. We usually ordered tea to be served when discussing work as needed, so having it prepared beforehand like this was unusual.

“Sit down and have some tea.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The atmosphere felt somewhat different than usual, but I took a slow sip of tea, assuming she’d speak soon.

“The Minister of Finance came to see me.”

“Pft!”

I was so startled I spat out my tea before I could stop myself.

My lady slightly frowned and wiped the spilled tea with the handkerchief a maid handed her. She handed another handkerchief to me.

“S-sorry. Ah, thank you.”

It was the first time I’d been so flustered in front of her. There seemed to be a glint of mischief in her eyes.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about. I didn’t call you to scold you.”

“I already refused the offer. You don’t need to worry.”

“The Minister of Finance doesn’t seem like the type to give up.”

“I truly refused. I hope there’s no misunderstanding.”

“I know. If it were you, I would have wanted you to leave, but you wouldn’t lie about it.”

As well as I knew her, Kiara seemed to have observed me delicately as well.

She looked composed as usual, but there was an edge to her tone.

“The Minister of Finance said he wants to bring you in as an Imperial Palace official but was refused, and he asked how he could persuade you.”

‘This man really goes to extremes. He even went to someone else’s boss?’

My blood pressure spiked for a moment.

“Why did you refuse? Because of me?”

I was speechless. It was undeniable that the main reason I stayed at the Marquis’s residence was my boss, Kiara.

She elegantly took a sip of tea and continued.

“Because you thought I wouldn’t let you go?”

I shook my head.

“I’ve been your aide for less than a year, and I’m satisfied with the work I’m doing now.”

“Is that so?”

My lady paused to choose her words and then spoke again.

“I want you to accept that offer.”

“What?”

I was dumbfounded; I never expected to hear that from her.

“La…dy?”

Kiara, who had been calmly guiding the conversation, suddenly spoke faster.

“Honestly, I don’t like it either. I want you to be my aide forever!”

“Then why…”

“Because I don’t want you to live your whole life only as my aide.”

“…!”

“To me, you have a rare talent. I guarantee you’ll win against whatever Imperial Palace officials, no matter how accomplished they were at the Academy. When those kinds of people were called to launch the brand, they failed miserably, but you succeeded on the first try. I want you to enter as an Imperial Palace official and reclaim your wealth and honor as a noble. Not as the aide under me… I want to meet you as a proud noble, as an equal friend.”

“Lady Kiara…”

I didn’t know my lady thought this way.

‘Who gets so attached to a subordinate hired less than a year ago?’

I must have shed a small tear without realizing it. My lady bent down and wiped my cheek with her thumb.

“If you go and find you can’t do it, come back. I’ll take you back anytime.”

A boss who sees off a subordinate changing jobs so gracefully really… must be nowhere else.

It felt as if a tightly closed lock had clicked and opened.

The next day, I received a message from the Minister of Finance.