Chapter 47

After the most pointless duel in the world ended, I went to work feeling much more at ease than before.

Since I had publicly defeated Elysia, the department members couldn’t bully me like before. Also, it seemed significant that second-class secretaries Lucius and Victor had come to my side. Enjoying the unexpected spoils of that duel, I put down my bag and poured tea at the small table placed beside the Chancellery table.

‘Whoever did the interior here, if I ever make good money I’ll hire them unconditionally.’

I had thought a place as icy and blue as the Ministry of Finance would feel depressing, but it felt like working in an ancient mountain library, and my mood was naturally cleansed. Behind the tea area was a large bulletin board announcing Imperial Palace and internal department news. Arriving early, I leisurely sipped my tea and slowly scanned what news was posted.

“Selection of contractors for the capital avenue construction?”

They said Rusera city is massively renovating roads and creating an avenue to promote exchange with other regions. The notice said they were selecting contractors for the project and invited interested parties to apply. The project was large, so the chosen firm would not only gain experience but also earn a great deal of money.

“The competition will be fierce.”

Maybe the Daijo merchant guild will apply too.

“They’re selected by the Chancellery, but don’t get your hopes up.”

Without me noticing, Lukan was standing beside me, sipping tea and scanning the bulletin board. It seemed like a big project, so I asked again because the response looked underwhelming.

“Don’t get your hopes up?”

He looked at my face and answered with a wry smile.

“Who will get it has already been decided.”

“Already decided?”

A puzzle piece clicked into place in my mind. Right, this was another place with plenty to be taken.

“Even before I came, one firm had been handling our big projects exclusively.”

“The Chancellor did a lot for them, huh.”

“Yeah. Huh? You even know that?”

Lucan’s eyes widened at my completely unsurprised reaction.

“To know this at such a young age…”

He must have thought I looked like a jaded office worker. I shrugged and asked something else.

“The Chancellor is gone now. Isn’t it time to change things?”

Lukan turned his head and nodded somewhere; there was a pompous fellow sitting in the Chancellor’s seat, standing and humming to himself in self-satisfaction.

“The person who introduced the firm is a first grade secretary.”

“Huh.”

“I’ve heard he wasn’t linked to the Chancellor’s affair and there was no decisive evidence, so he survived. Actually, removing the Chancellor Marcus would have been difficult in its own. Anyway, in the Chancellery right now, excluding the Minister of Finance, has the first-class secretary in the highest rank. It’ll probably proceed as is.”

So that guy is the Chancellor’s henchman. In other words, he’s not on good terms with the Minister of Finance.

“Wouldn’t the Minister of Finance block it?”

Lukan didn’t seem particularly hopeful.

“Well. Every year when this proceeds, the Minister of Finance hasn’t touched this one. He’s busy sorting things internally now, and I don’t think he has the bandwidth to worry about this.”

A suspicious smell wafted through the air.

“How do you know all this?”

He laughed freely.

“Just. I know quite a few people in other departments. It’s not bad to know how the royal household operates, right?”

“That’s true.”

Lukan was definitely an insider of the central ministries, in other words a social butterfly. I hadn’t known him long, but he gave a likable, outgoing impression and likely had many friends. Kids like that survive anywhere.

“Anyway, since everything’s decided, you shouldn’t expect much from this contractor selection.”

“Well, okay.”

I’m just a low-level employee; knowing this doesn’t let me do anything nor do I want to. I thought it’s the same everywhere—there are always people ready to take advantage when given the power.

I glanced once at the large contractor selection notice and, without regret, returned to my desk.

“Sister, how do I look?”

“Sis, look at me!”

Julie and Rio spun around in place, showing off their academy uniforms.

Their parents may have been incompetent guardians who favored the eldest son, but their genes were undoubtedly A-grade. Even wearing old, dirty clothes they were pretty and cute, but now in proper new outfits they looked every bit like nobility.

“Big brother! Come out quickly!”

“Ugh… this is awkward.”

Marcella, wearing the uniform and with his red hair down, walked out. He had a solid build, was tall, and had long legs—almost like a warrior’s charm. He had a few buttons of his shirt undone, giving off that sort of charisma that might distract the opposite sex.

“What the… why do you look so scandalous?”

“What?”

“Button up properly and behave neatly. Maybe because of your muscles you give off an unnecessarily dangerous vibe. People might mistake you for an academy delinquent.”

Marcella inspected himself in the uniform, declaring that couldn’t be the case. Fortunately, the academy had several regular admission seasons each year. Julie and Rio passed the entrance exam thanks to my K-type cram-style crash course. It was possible because they were fundamentally diligent kids.

“At this age, the academy?”

Marcella was already an adult and far beyond the usual entrance age. But in the empire, the swordsmanship and magic faculties related to national strength allowed applicants to take the entrance exam regardless of age. Having worked on various construction sites and hardened his body, Marcella easily passed the basic physical exam.

“Once you become a knight it’s all the same. Age talk is only for when you’re young.”

“Why do you talk like you’ve seen it all?”

“…Just go have a good day tomorrow.”

As I bent to pick up the list of admission supplies, a large hand suddenly came and stroked my head.

“Thanks to whom I’m enjoying this luxury, of course I’ll do it. You said it’s because of the Minister of Finance? I’ll work hard so neither you nor he will be ashamed.”

Julie and Rio each clung to one of my arms.

“Sister, I’ll work so hard I’ll be first in the whole school!”

“Me too! I’ll make lots of friends and study hard, sis!”

Maybe from the unexpected contact or the warmth they passed on, I hesitated without realizing it. We’re not even real family—why am I like this?

“You don’t have to be good at studying, just stay healthy…”

For some reason the three of them laughed brightly.

Marcella, Juliana, and Rio went to the academy all tense. I even got nervous along with them.

Still, seeing them leave the house in uniforms made me feel like things were finally finding their place. Maybe because I came from the modern era, the idea that children that age should be in school was deeply rooted in me.

“Today’s reservation is…”

With one less worry about the kids’ education, I headed to the side business after work with a lighter heart. I couldn’t open it every day while adapting to the Chancellery, but thanks to the reservation system I wasn’t stuck idly minding the shop. The reservation method was simple: drop an anonymous application in the mailbox in front of the shop, and the next day the Information Guild’s secret bulletin board would confirm the reservation. It might be cumbersome, but it was a measure for anonymity.

“Back again, Little Lamb.”

He was Vespera Ariadne Fortuna, the empire’s top super-elite man and a much-desired husband material, who visited almost daily. His name was long: Ariadne was the ducal family name, and Fortuna was the grand ducal family name. It sounded wealthy. Lately he had been visiting almost as often as Mr. Bull.

“So, have you had dinner?”

We’d become comfortable enough for this kind of chat. To be precise, only ‘he’ had become comfortable… I felt like I was walking on thin ice every day, afraid my identity would be exposed.

“Of course—if you eat well, you’ll be able to take counseling better—.”

Contrary to my inner feelings, the tone of my voice was perfectly cheerful.

“Makes sense.”

The Duke was venting here to relieve the stress of holding back things he wanted to say. He said that, thanks to his efforts, there were almost no longer any subordinates who would run out crying.

‘Mr. Bull really owes me a meal.’

Conversely, Mr. Bull was feeding me real-time updates on how the Duke was changing, why he acted that way, and what the department thought. Unintentionally, I was sitting and watching the Ministry of Justice’s situation unfold clearly.

“It’ll start soon, then. The capital avenue construction.”

He abruptly brought up the work our department was overseeing.

“I heard too. It’s being done by the Chancellery, right?”

He paused for a moment.

“How do you know something that’s not been announced yet… Well, I come here too, so others might as well.”

“Don’t worry. It’s shallow information you pick up while piecing together details in a consultation. I don’t ask about your identity even though you come this often.”

“…Right.”

He seemed somehow reluctant.

“So anyway? Did they dump another ridiculous task on you?”

The adorable Little Lamb shook his head.

“Every time, the firm the Chancellor favored got the big construction projects the Chancellery handled. But since the Chancellor fell from grace over a nasty scandal, we wondered how it would go this time.”

That was precisely what I had been curious about.

“Indeed. There’s no reason to work with a firm connected to a Chancellor who resigned over a scandal, is there?”

He snorted with a laugh.

“I thought the same. But when I asked someone related to my—no, the Chancellery, they said there would be no change. Why do you think that is?”

“Because the Chancellor’s henchmen are still around?”

I thought of the first-class secretary Lucan had mentioned and offered the idea. He shook his head and answered in a low voice.

“The Crown Prince is involved.”

For a moment I could almost see the Duke’s enraged expression right in front of me.