Chapter 70

“This is… what on earth…?”

When I came to my senses, I was inside a carriage. Marcella heard that the Duke had requested an escort, handed over the partner spot, and shoved me into the carriage. That note, surely sent by the Minister of Finance, had clearly foretold this.

“Sorry for startling you.”

When I looked up, the Duke sat there perfectly groomed. He usually wore neat, no-nonsense suits, so seeing him sweep his hair back and wear an ornate ceremonial outfit was the first time since the Marquess’s residence party.

‘His looks are already hard to get used to, and they’re so dazzling I can’t keep my eyes on him.’

He was, quite literally, ridiculously handsome. He combined a wolfish wildness with an intelligent calm—honestly, with that face, I wondered why he would subject himself to wandering around the Imperial Palace and courting trouble. If he stood in a busy street, filling empty boxes with money would be child’s play for him.

‘Get a grip, Cornelia. Royalty, royalty. Someone from another world.’

To avoid fangirling like a celebrity and doing something rude, I shut down useless thoughts beforehand.

“Are you alright?”

He bent forward slightly to check my frozen expression, worried. Caught off guard by his handsome face up close, I flinched and leaned back.

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just… I was startled.”

“W-well… I’ll apologize for my master’s rudeness on his behalf.”

It was clear the Duke had also been pushed out here by the Minister of Finance. He could have brought any noble lady, but instead he had a fallen-noble Chancellery official. Part of me felt sorry. He would be talked about because of me.

I forced myself to pull myself together.

“No. I’ve heard you rarely attend social events, so it’s truly an honor that you’ve partnered with me. I won’t disgrace you—I will perfect etiquette and the dance!”

I clenched my fist with determination; the Duke’s eyes widened and he let out a small, amused snort.

“Don’t push yourself. I’ll be by your side.”

His unexpected kindness left me speechless. A moment of silence hung as our eyes met for about three seconds. I thought his red eyes looked like rubies hiding a flame. The Duke turned his head first and coughed.

“The dress suits you very well. Yes, it’s lovely.”

“The Supeme Justice looks even more splendid. The ceremonial clothes suit you perfectly.”

“Haha.”

“Hohoho.”

He might not care, but I meant it sincerely. I glanced awkwardly at his beautiful bearing, and before I knew it we had arrived at the Imperial Palace banquet hall. He dismounted with grace and offered me his hand.

‘Is this what it feels like to be a princess?’

It felt so unreal I couldn’t tell if it was reality or a dream. Regaining my composure, I calmly accepted the Duke’s escort and entered the banquet hall as if nothing was wrong.

“Vespera, Duke of Ariadne, and Young lady Cornelia of the Libertas family, are present!”

All eyes turned to us. I had expected this moment when I became the Duke’s partner, but it was still hard to take in with composure. Gazes shifted from the Duke to me, and murmurs filled the hall.

‘Who’s she to be with our brother! Who is that girl! Which family is she from!’ they would whisper.

But once they learned about me, the gossip would die down quickly. People from the Hidden Department waved from nearby. I took the Duke’s arm and quickly went over to them.

“Oh my, who is this?”

Reyra, the finance officer, wore a seductive mermaid-line red dress and showed off a glamorous figure.

“Hello, Finance Officer. You’re very alluring today.”

“Thanks. The secretary looks great too. But you two were snarling—how did you end up coming together?”

“It was the Minister of Finance’s… unintentional kindness.”

Reyra laughed playfully at that.

“Looks like Secretary Cornelia is so pretty that she can kill. So he’s doing things he wouldn’t normally do.”

“Are you teasing…?”

At that moment, people from the Chancellery also approached where we were. Lukan’s eyes widened when he saw me and the Duke.

“They said he had a partner… it was the Supreme Justice?”

“The Minister of Finance… ah, I’ll explain later.”

Still, it didn’t seem like anyone thought the Duke and I were in a special relationship. Probably because we had a big fight not long ago and there’s no sign of anything like that between us.

‘The social gap is from another world.’

As the Minister of Finance said, it was good for me. Perhaps it wouldn’t be bad for the Duke either. Taking care of a subordinate he used to work with might improve his image. Of course, the man I met at Those Who Can’t Resign had no interest in image at all.

“Secretary Cornelia.”

While the Duke spoke with the Hidden Department people, Elysia the scribe from the Chancellery slipped up to me.

“Gasp, scribe Elysia, what happened to your face?”

She must have done full makeup for the banquet, but her complexion didn’t hide anything.

“Um, how much longer do I have to wait…?”

If it’s come to this, someone must have smacked that group’s scribe in the face in the meantime! The fighting spirit she had about competing with me was gone; she looked like a defeated soldier.

“The unlucky thing is… she pretends to be completely fine whenever the Minister of Finance comes.”

‘Ah, that makes me really mad.’

But aside from grabbing the new scribe by the collar and fighting, I couldn’t think of a better plan. Looking at the Chancellery people’s faces, only that one guy looked glossy and the others looked utterly sallow.

“Can’t they just fire him and hire someone else? This isn’t something you can let slide—it’s demoralizing the department and will hurt work efficiency.”

“But it’s hard to ask for dismissal for farting, burping, or clipping nails in the office…”

“Can’t they transfer him to another department?”

Then Lukan slipped between them and whispered.

“I heard that guy… didn’t actually pass the experienced-hire exam.”

“What? Then?”

Lukan told us the shocking truth.

“He was demoted from another department. Apparently he was so messy the palace sent him here. They wrapped it up as if he passed the experienced-hire exam because it would cause an uproar if people knew.”

Elysia asked in a voice mixed with shock and anger.

“Why of all places did he end up in the Chancellery?!”

“…It’s the Minister of Finance’s turn this time. It seems the heads rotate the ugly tasks when things are tough. It’s our turn this time…”

“……”

“……”

Elysia and I could not say a word. In other words, it meant we had to accept this. Now that my Hidden Department work was wrapping up and I was supposed to return to the Chancellery, I couldn’t just stand by and let this happen.

‘In the end will this force us into a major professional mistake…?’

It’s harmful to the department, but we have to consider it carefully.

“His Majesty the Emperor, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!”

Everyone turned and paid respects as the Emperor appeared. He seemed in very high spirits. The Crown Prince smiled, but for some reason looked uncomfortable.

‘Probably because he has to register his own assets as well.’

He probably needed to dispose of a few shady slush funds quickly.

The Emperor sat on the throne on the dais and addressed the assembly.

“Heh heh, thank you all for attending this meaningful banquet. I am moved that so many of you have followed my will. Thanks to you, we can purge crimes involving hiding or embezzling assets in foreign countries—what a significant day this is.”

Some nobles flinched, but the Emperor only smiled more broadly.

“There is a dear nephew who has taken responsibility for this meaningful work: Vespera, Duke of Ariadne, Supreme Justice.”

When the Emperor named him, the Duke knelt on one knee at the Emperor’s feet and bowed his head.

“With you here I feel very reassured. I bestow upon you the Imperial Order of Honor. It may be tiresome, but this is all I have left to give.”

“No, it’s an honor for my family.”

The Duke deftly brushed off the Emperor’s flattery.

“And there is an intelligent bureaucrat who devised this decree. I hope everyone learns from this devotion. Secretary Cornelia.”

‘Me?’

Unable to object in the solemn atmosphere, I was pushed forward awkwardly and curtsied a little before the Emperor. He said approvingly.

“You are very beautiful today.”

“You flatter me.”

“What you have accomplished has strengthened the Empire’s finances and raised the royal family’s honor. It is only right to commend you: I hereby restore your noble status and promote you to Viscount.”

“…!”

This meant the Libertas family was raised from baron to viscount, a true noble rank with lands granted. I had become a real noble—something I’d only seen in romance novels. The Emperor’s commendation did not end there.

“Furthermore, I appoint Cornelia Libertas, Second-grade Secretary of the Chancellery, to First-grade Secretary of the Chancellery.”

“…What?”

It was a shock I had not expected.

Not only I, but everyone in the banquet hall was thrown into confusion.

A voice murmured and reached my ears.

“Isn’t this promotion even faster than the Duke of Ariadne’s rise?”