The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 54

“W-w-w-would you like some coffee?”

Still, she was doing her best, considering she was now a team leader.

She’d even spoken up at the café earlier, and now she was dealing with the unexpected visit of the Finance Minister.

The Minister looked at her like she was ridiculous.

“Coffee? Do I look like I’ve got no hands? No feet?”

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Anastasia rolled her eyes around, then asked cautiously:

“Th-th-then shall I bring coffee grounds and hot water instead...?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You said you had h-h-hands, s-so...”

There was a reason Anastasia was rambling about coffee.

Oson, who wasn’t even her team leader, made her fetch coffee every day.

Just because her seat was near the break room.

[Yawn. I’m sleepy. Anastasia, get me a coffee!]

[H-huh? M-m-me?]

[Is there another Anastasia here?]

[I entered # Nоvеlight # through the same exam as my team leader and do the same work... a-and I'm not even on your team...]

Her actual team leader, who had overheard this, chimed in enthusiastically:

[Then get my coffee too, Anastasia!]

Even a passing minister joined in.

[My coffee too, Anasteen!]

[M-my name’s not Anasteen, it’s Anastasia...]

[Ugh, too long. I’ll just call you Coffeetashia from now on. Got it? Hahaha, Coffeetashia!]

And that’s how Anastasia ended up responsible for coffee runs for team leaders and even ministers every day.

Unaware of any of that, the Finance Minister clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“Do I look like someone who’d go crazy without coffee?”

“Th-then...”

Anastasia trembled as she replied.

“We, we also have matcha powder and h-hot water... a-always prepared...”

“What even are you?”

“Thank you for asking about my identity. I’m Anastasia Kayen, and starting today, I’m the new team leader of the Management Team.”

Huh?

Anastasia wasn’t stuttering for once.

As I tilted my head in surprise, the Minister waved his hand impatiently.

“Whatever. Where’s the Scroll Department Minister?”

From my office, I had been quietly observing the whole scene.

Beside me, Kibon, who was reviewing documents, tilted his head and murmured,

“He’s a minister too, yet doesn’t know the Minister is in the Minister’s office?”

“..."

“...yom?”

Foreigners had their issues. He still seemed shaky with the Imperial language.

I shook my head and answered.

“No, Kibon. That means ‘Minister, come out immediately.’”

“Huh?”

“Well, can’t be helped. I’ll interpret. Come with me.”

“...You’re interpreting Imperial?”

“Yeah.”

I led the confused Kibon out of the office with me.

The Finance Minister, a tall, dignified-looking middle-aged man, stood proudly holding a document.

“Hello, Minister. Please, come in.”

In terms of seniority, I was far beneath him.

The Minister strolled into the office.

I greeted him politely and offered an explanation first.

“Apologies, but this young man is an intern. His Imperial language is still weak, but he’s eager to learn. I’ll translate only the difficult expressions for him. I’ll write them down, so it won’t disrupt the conversation. Would that be alright?”

“Doesn’t bother me.”

I held a notepad in a way that only Kibon could see.

He still looked confused.

The Minister began speaking with a stern expression.

“But from your point of view, it would be better if it were just the two of us talking.”

“Ah, I see.”

I quickly scribbled on the parchment so Kibon could follow.

I’m about to wreck you.

Kibon’s eyes went wide.

I smiled sweetly and said,

“I don’t mind having the intern beside me.”

“Fine, do as you like.”

The Minister continued bluntly.

“Before we get into it—let me be clear. I’m a stickler for principles.”

I don’t like you.

“I took a look at the quarterly budget you submitted earlier. There’s a bit of a problem.”

I’ve been waiting all morning for you to slip up.

“Doesn’t seem like it was intentional. Just a basic error, I suppose.”

You’re not fit to be a minister.

“Budget matters are sensitive. A mistake could be considered embezzlement and grounds for immediate dismissal. That would mean losing your civil servant status, too.”

I scared you earlier with the rules, but if you resign quietly, I’ll cover it up.

“But out of respect for your position, I didn’t send a subordinate—I came myself.”

Let’s handle this quietly, despite the scare tactic.

While I interpreted, Kibon’s face remained lost and dazed.

Like he was finally realizing the limits of his Imperial comprehension.

“The error you made was...”

As the Minister flipped the page in the document, I spoke slowly.

“You’re referring to the remaining balance line on the second line of the implementation plan, aren’t you?”

“...Hmph?”

That’s accurate. But seeing that you already know this... now I’m getting nervous. Feels like the situation is about to flip.

Finishing my last bit of interpreting, I lowered the notepad.

That was the end of Kibon’s Imperial lesson.

With a bright smile, I said,

“I’ve been expecting you, Minister of Finance.”

***

[Don’t worry, Mom. At this rate, I’m headed for ultra-fast promotion.]

Ever since joining the government, Juan always said that proudly over dinner.

[The Minister of Finance cares more about skill than status or background.]

[But you’re from a baron family... I heard the Finance Department has people from viscount families. Even counts, sometimes.]

Most palace civil servants came from lower nobility or common families.

But now and then, a high noble would appear. The so-called geniuses who cared about honor.

[My Minister is Marquis Arwin. I think he sees barons and viscounts as the same level.]

The Finance Minister was a classic case of that kind of person.

He was heir to a marquisate but had also chosen to serve the country.

The Finance Department was a core bureau, one that even the royal family couldn’t easily meddle in. Within the bureaucracy, the Finance Minister clearly outranked other ministers.

Of course. He controls the budget.

So for a high noble to hold the title of Finance Minister—it carried enormous prestige.

[He already remembered my name because my report impressed him. It means I’ve caught his eye.]

Juan would say that with pride.

The problem was, I wrote all his reports.

Juan always brought Finance Department documents home and left them with me.

[They closely check who drafts the first draft of a report. That’s why even my team leader can’t steal credit from me.]

I always felt conflicted hearing that.

It wasn’t because Juan shamelessly claimed the work as his own.

I’d gotten too used to him taking things from me since the Academy days—it didn’t hurt anymore.

I just wished our department’s minister could be like that too.

But...

Looking at the Finance Minister standing in front of me, I smiled even brighter.

Now’s the moment to make use of everything that happened back then.