The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 11

“Huh?”

“You could just quit—or even apply for a transfer to another department, claiming you're not adjusting or something.”

It was pretty clear he didn’t think much of our department. I responded blankly.

“There hasn’t been anything serious enough to warrant that...”

“You don’t need to be so self-conscious. Just be honest. Getting chewed out like that and you’re saying it’s not serious?”

“Yes. In the Scroll Management Department, this kind of thing is just an ordinary, uneventful day.”

At my polite answer, Kiaros clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“Sounds like a department that could shut down any minute.”

If I quit, I wouldn’t get paid...

Still, as for why I hadn’t submitted a transfer request due to ‘poor adjustment’... honestly, I didn’t really know myself.

Or maybe I did?

‘It’s just that... I really do like scrolls.’

Maybe it was because I’d been playing with scrolls alone since I was a kid. Even if the department was a mess, I never felt a strong desire to move elsewhere.

Still, hearing Kiaros grumble reminded me of the intern.

‘Oh right, someone actually did quit on the spot...’

That intern had just flat-out handed in their resignation.

At least they’d helped move some boxes before quitting, which worked out for me.

As I was quietly smiling to myself thinking about the intern, Kiaros suddenly furrowed his brow and asked,

“Why are you smiling?”

“I’m sorry.”

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

Seriously, I only smiled a little. His eye for detail is terrifying.

I quickly bowed my head and explained.

“I was thinking about an intern I had recently who quit after just one day... that memory popped into my head.”

“Ah.”

Unexpectedly, Kiaros continued the conversation about the intern.

“Why’d that intern quit after just one day?”

“Uh, well, I’m °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° not really sure...”

“Didn’t you receive the resignation letter yourself, Miss Namia?”

“Y-yes, I did.”

“Then you must’ve handled the paperwork afterward too. Why didn’t you ask for the reason?”

I was suddenly stuck.

Honestly, I hadn’t had the motivation to ask why the intern quit.

I wasn’t even that curious, to be honest. But I couldn’t just say, “They probably just wanted to or something...”

So I scrambled to come up with any excuse and blurted it out.

“I-I thought they might feel uncomfortable if I asked...”

“Hm?”

“I did give them a task, and they seemed to dislike it... I thought maybe they didn’t even like talking to me...”

As I kept fabricating, my speech slowed and my words started slurring.

“I’ve never had a junior under me before... So I always thought, when someone did come, I’d be super nice to them...”

That part was the truth. I had always sworn to myself that if I ever had someone under me, I’d never be like Oson.

Even if the first person assigned under me... turned out to be that brazen, rude, foul-mouthed intern.

“Even if it was just that one intern who quit after a day... Anyway, that’s why I didn’t ask.”

Is this going over okay?

I snuck a glance. Kiaros was staring at me, clearly doubtful.

Yeah, that was the look of someone who didn’t believe me at all. Definitely not an easy person to fool.

“A-also.”

But once you start lying to your boss, you absolutely cannot get caught.

“He was kind of handsome. And had a good build, too. Honestly looked like the kind of guy who’d be super popular with women, and I was worried if I asked more questions, he’d think I was hitting on him or something.”

At that, Kiaros let out a small cough.

“S-so, um... you’re saying you thought he was handsome?”

It’s working! I nodded enthusiastically for emphasis.

“Yes. Very, extremely, absolutely, truly.”

“...Really? That outer shell was that good?”

Kiaros had never even seen the guy, yet his face turned serious. Then, with a surprisingly solemn tone, he asked:

“Was he better than me?”

Uh? What kind of self-centered logic is this?

Still, saying something like “Why are you even asking that in this context?” wasn’t an option. That’s the fate of a subordinate.

I answered awkwardly, but honestly.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“No matter how good-looking that intern was, he can’t compare to His Highness the Crown Prince, a Dragonblood...”

It was a sincere answer, so I didn’t think it could be taken as flattery. Maybe that’s why Kiaros didn’t look particularly pleased either.

Then what was even the point of asking?

I rolled my eyes and added,

“B-but now that I’m talking to Your Highness... um, I realize that maybe the intern misunderstood something.”

Anyway, it was time to end this conversation.

Caught off guard, I’d been rambling without logic or structure this whole time.

So I decided to wrap it all up with a nice, clean lie.

“If that intern ever does return someday...”

That cocky intern who glared at me just for making them move a single box—if, by some miracle, they ever come back...

“I’ll clear up the misunderstanding and make sure they feel totally comfortable.”

I’d roll them around until they really understood what work meant.

“Well. I’m sure your sincerity will come through one way or another.”

Kiaros finally accepted it! He even nodded like he was genuinely touched.

“Though I doubt that handsome, well-built intern will ever return to that department.”

“Yes, he probably won’t...”

As we talked about the intern, we finally arrived at the office.

Just as we were about to open the door and go in—

“Your Highness!”

Kiaros’s aide came rushing toward us.

“I came as quickly as possible with urgent news from the investigation. There may be collusion within the palace int— Oh, apologies. I didn’t realize there was a guest.”

The aide stopped mid-sentence when he saw me.

Clearly, the palace was moving fast to track down whoever was behind yesterday’s assassination attempt.

Kiaros gave the aide a subtle look, telling him to stay quiet for now, then turned to me.

“Hmm... anyway, back to the intern. It’s only natural for superiors to assign tasks. That intern probably just misunderstood. I doubt he really disliked you, Miss Namia.”

“Riiight...”

I guess the lie worked, because Kiaros seemed convinced that I’d gotten pretty attached to that intern.

I didn’t care about the intern. What I really wanted to know was about that background investigation...

‘Wait? Hold on.’

As I naturally started thinking about the assassination scene again, something suddenly hit me.

‘That’s it! Why didn’t I think of that until now?’

It felt like a lightbulb went off in my head. Meanwhile, Kiaros was still talking.

“So, um, you’re not exactly the type to speak clearly and logically, Miss Namia. You do tend to leave a bit of room for misundersta—”

I cut him off, gasping as I shouted.

“Your Highness! One moment!”

I widened my eyes and continued urgently.

“We need to reexamine that brief breach in the guard formation.”

Both Kiaros and the aide stared at me, stunned.

“That legal officer was facing southeast and shouted, ‘Aaargh! Over here! Three o’clock! They’re here!’ Then, three of the five royal guards—who were facing west—ran off. But that ‘three o’clock’ wasn’t from his point of view—it matched the guards’ position. But usually, someone without physical training or directional awareness wouldn’t be able to reference someone else’s position like that in a panic. That’s not something an untrained civilian could do without experience or professional context.”

The aide’s jaw dropped as he muttered,

“My god. To say something so clearly and logically, with no room for misinterpretation...”