The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 20

That night, Kiaros finally met with the Emperor.

The Emperor looked somewhat tired but not exhausted.

“Kiaros, how are you feeling?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Kiaros responded with respect.

“The physician said that after a few days, I should have no problems using my arm.”

The Emperor chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

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“No, I mean, how are you doing?”

It was then that Kiaros realized the Emperor was asking about his blackout period, not his physical condition.

With a subdued voice, Kiaros replied.

“I’m not fine, Your Majesty. And... I’m not in a good place mentally. As soon as I spoke the words 'blackout period,' this incident happened.”

“Haha, but you’ve gained something, haven’t you?”

The Emperor said kindly, as always.

“If you hadn’t been attacked, we would have never known that such a horrible group was conducting experiments on monsters.”

“Ah...”

“Experiments on monsters... It’s fortunate we could stop it.”

During the process of destroying their base, the Emperor had also injured his leg and lost quite a bit of blood, but as a Dragonblood, he was perfectly fine.

“The blackout period... It must be frustrating and difficult. My blackout period started when I was twelve, and the feeling of being immobilized, like my limbs were severed, is still fresh in my mind. I doubt I’ll ever forget it.”

The Emperor gently patted Kiaros’s hand.

“Even when bad things happen, there are things you gain. In the long run, you’ll even find yourself grateful for them.”

“Ah...”

“Once you learn how the world works, you’ll become more humble in life. I know it’s hard for you to understand right now.”

The Emperor was a man stronger than anyone else, but he was always gentle with everyone.

He continued in his usual warm tone.

“Now, let’s head back to the capital. It’s time to start looking for your fiancée...”

Kiaros blinked slowly.

Typically, a crown prince’s engagement was handled by the Empress. However, his birth mother, the late former Empress, had died giving birth to him.

The position of Empress had been vacant ever since Kiaros turned ten.

The kind Emperor seemed like he was planning to personally handle Kiaros’s engagement.

“Is there anyone you’ve had your eye on? You can speak openly, anyone is fine.”

Kiaros understood why the Emperor was asking.

The Emperor had been engaged at around Kiaros’s current age to Kiaros’s birth mother, who had been a princess from a faraway country. It was said that they had met for the # Nоvеlight # first time on their wedding day.

“Anyone at all.”

However, before his marriage, the Emperor had had a woman he loved for a long time.

He had to give up on her due to a childhood engagement.

“Of course, if you want to delay it, that’s fine. I’m just bringing it up because the time has come, don’t feel any pressure.”

The Emperor had openly expressed wanting to marry the woman he loved, despite opposition from the royal family.

But the woman he loved was a commoner, an orphan, and a former mercenary knight. This caused a lot of backlash from the royal family.

The Emperor had often said that he hoped Kiaros would have a marriage based on love.

“Ah... Your Majesty, actually...”

Until recently, Kiaros would have answered, ‘I don’t have anyone in particular, just go ahead as the tradition dictates.’

But now, he couldn’t answer like that.

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He had somehow become bound by an engagement.

As Kiaros hesitated, the Emperor’s eyes brightened.

“...You do have someone, don’t you?”

The Emperor’s mouth began to slowly curl into a smile.

“You have a girl in mind... Honestly, I thought you didn’t. It seems that parents don’t always know everything about their children.”

The Emperor chuckled softly, as he always did.

“I thought you’d say something like, ‘I don’t have anyone, just go ahead with tradition, Your Majesty,’ but it seems our little Kiaros has already started showing interest in girls.”

“Your Majesty! But you told me to speak freely!” Kiaros blurted out, flustered.

The Emperor laughed gently in response.

“Still, I didn’t expect to be caught off guard like this. I’ll be laughing so hard when I go back to my room tonight. My stomach’s going to hurt from laughing.”

The Emperor’s eyes gleamed with humor as he looked at Kiaros.

“When I was your age, I didn’t even know what an engagement meant... Kids these days grow up so fast.”

“Your Majesty! That’s not it!” Kiaros stammered.

“Anyway, who is she? If you don’t tell me, I’ll spend the whole night wondering, and I won’t be able to sleep. With my old, tired, sick body, I’ll be tossing and turning all night. Come on, tell me who she is.”

The Emperor’s soft, teasing words left Kiaros feeling more overwhelmed than ever. He muttered, half in a daze.

“That... the girl who saved my life yesterday... that girl... and...”

But how should he say it?

Should he really say that the girl wanted to marry a man with a lot of money and it seemed like that man was him?

Kiaros rolled his eyes in confusion, and the Emperor smiled gently.

“Ah, the moment the arrogant boy who always thought the world belonged to him finally tasted the bitterness of life... and fate brought forth a life-saving benefactor... Hmm. That’s quite a story. It’s no wonder you fell for her at first sight.”

“Your Majesty, I didn’t fall for her at first sight... I didn’t even see a single strand of her hair!” Kiaros protested.

“Really? Our son doesn’t care about looks, huh? You’re just like me.” The Emperor chuckled.

Kiaros was about to protest but then fell silent.

After all, this conversation could be wrapped up once the girl was found.

The girl might not even want to marry him. So there was no need to overthink it.

Once I find her... I’ll figure out what to say.

Kiaros shrugged his shoulders and said.

“Your Majesty, until we find that girl, could you delay my engagement...?”

“Of course. I wasn’t planning to pressure you with marriage right now.”

The Emperor smiled kindly and patted Kiaros’s shoulder.

Kiaros smiled at the Emperor.

The strongest and kindest father in the world, who cared for even his child from a woman he didn’t love.

Kiaros also had something he wanted to say to him.

“Well then, Your Majesty, you don’t have to worry. You can remarry.”

“...What?”

“Fron, Sir Fron.”

“You... what...?”

Kiaros mentioned his long-time guard, who had been gravely injured while saving him.

She had exceptional skills, but now her movements would never be the same. She was practically at the end of her career as a knight.

The Emperor had obviously kept this fact hidden from Kiaros.

However, it was impossible to stop the rumors circulating around the palace. Kiaros had already pieced things together from various clues.

“I’m fine, Your Majesty. Really.”

The Emperor looked genuinely flustered.

Kiaros decided to hold back the thoughts about how he wasn’t really “thirsty for women” and didn’t fall in love at first sight with someone he hadn’t even seen properly.

Instead, he said gently to ease the Emperor’s mind.

“You’ll protect your first love, right, Father? So, I’ll protect your first love as well.”

Honestly, Kiaros didn’t really think of it as his father’s “first love,” but...

He wanted to make his father feel at ease.

And so, for the first time, Kiaros spoke to his father about his feelings in this way.