SOLIRF~39

Job Offer

Posted by Marinette, Released on October 20, 2025

Chapter 39

Job Offer

“You come here quite often, don’t you?”

I greeted the empire’s elite man in front of me—one who looked like a timid little lamb in disguise. He turned his head awkwardly and cleared his throat a few times.

“Did you try out the advice I gave you last time?”

“I did.”

“How was it?”

“I thought I was going to die of frustration.”

“Ding-dong! That means you’re normal!”

“What?”

I couldn’t hide my delight as I looked at him—someone who had finally taken his first step into the life of an ordinary office worker.

“That’s how everyone feels at work.”

“R-Really?”

His voice trembled from the shock.

“Of course. When you hit your subordinates with something that’s basically a verbal assault disguised as ‘constructive criticism,’ has anyone ever snapped back with something like, ‘You jerk, who do you think you are? If you’re that capable, why don’t you do all the work yourself?’”

“…No.”

The class difference was too great for anyone to speak up, even if they were seething with anger.

“It’s not just you. But honestly, you’re one of the better ones—you only talk about work. Some bosses tell people to get married, lose weight, or even comment on their looks. Stuff that has nothing to do with the job. And people still endure it.”

“Is that… really true?”

“Why would I lie? It’s one of the biggest reasons people around here want to quit their jobs.”

“What, do they get so fat they can’t hold a pen?”

“Have you ever seen anyone like that at your workplace?”

He shook his head. The Duke—no, the little lamb—looked even more shocked than before.

Clap clap!

I clapped my hands to refocus him.

“So you’re still in a good place. You haven’t hit rock bottom yet. Which means you’ve got a chance to recover. Just hang in there—you’ll adjust soon enough.”

At my brutally honest advice, he let out a long sigh. He’d understand better once he experienced it himself, but I decided to ask anyway.

“So, have you ever had a boss give you ridiculous work orders, and you had to bite your tongue not to curse them out?”

“…”

“You have, huh?”

“Sigh…”

He sighed again, long and deep.

“That’s surprising. I thought you’d be the type to speak your mind, no matter who it was.”

“Most of the time, yes. But not always.”

If he couldn’t, then…

I tilted my head, then threw out a random guess.

“What, are they the Crown Prince or something? Hehe.”

“…”

He froze completely.

“…No.”

“You are the Crown Prince.”

Well, that explained it. Telling a Crown Prince he’s useless or brainless would count as treason, after all.

So, I decided to tell him about the virtues of the anonymous counselor.

“You already know how it works here, right? Your identity’s completely hidden. Even I don’t see what mask you choose when you come in. So, you could talk trash about the Crown Prince all you want, and nobody would know. It’s not like I’d go around spreading rumors—I don’t even know who you are. And besides, this job pays my bills. I’m not stupid enough to ruin that.”

In this modern age, even kings got roasted online. A quokka like me feared nothing.

“…It’s fine.”

“Well, it might be hard at first. I can do it for you.”

“What?”

“You’re clearly stressed from holding back. Let me guess—the Crown Prince gave you some ridiculous order, and you snapped, right?”

He flinched like I’d hit the mark dead-on. Knowing who he really was made it easier to piece things together.

“What did he tell you to do?”

The little lamb stayed silent for a while before letting out another sigh. That made, what—his fifth one today?

“I already checked. There’s no eavesdropping or recording magic here, so I suppose it’s fine.”

Wait, when did he check that?

“I only verified it so no one could use lies or blackmail against me.”

“Sure, sure. So what happened?”

He nodded slowly before speaking.

The Crown Prince had secretly diverted the budget from another department, blowing through it, and he had to clean up the mess afterward.

“That bastard’s insane.”

“…!”

The higher the position, the bigger the disasters to clean up.

The more I thought about it, the more furious I got. In this world, royal blood meant untouchable authority.

“Does he think the Empire’s tax money is his personal allowance? If he’s that incompetent, he should at least have the decency to do nothing! What a damn nuisance. That’s your Crown Prince?”

He didn’t respond. Maybe I went too far?

“Sorry, did I go overboard?”

Still no answer.

“If I offended you, I’ll stop. My bad.”

“…Keep going.”

“Huh?”

“I rather like it. Feels… good.”

I could’ve sworn the corners of his mask turned upward.

So I tore the Crown Prince apart piece by piece, verbally. Every stupid move, every arrogant word. The little lamb tried to hold back his laughter but failed miserably.

“Pfft… kuhuhuhu…”

“Nobody else is listening. You can laugh all you want.”

“Pwahahahaha!”

He laughed so hard his shoulders shook.

Is it really that funny?

I didn’t get it, but laughter was a good sign—it meant he’d moved past his urge to quit. So I let him laugh it out.

After some time, the empire’s ultra-elite finally calmed down.

“I never thought Master Quokka would say everything I wanted to. Your command of profanity is… impressive.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It is. You don’t just curse randomly—you’ve got solid reasoning behind it. I like that.”

He placed a gold coin on the table as his fee.

“I’ll come again.”

“Sure, take care—”

Only after he left did I realize something.

Oh no. This isn’t what I wanted!

I clutched my head.

I’d just turned an unwanted client into a regular.

Two weeks later, the Minister of Finance sent me a letter inviting me to dinner.

So he wasn’t just being polite when he said he’d treat me, huh?

I swore I’d never casually say “let’s have a meal sometime” ever again. People might take it seriously—and that could make me the villain.

Since the Marquis’s new assistant had arrived, I could finally leave work on time, so I accepted.

The restaurant he chose was one of the most popular among nobles in Lecera. I knew it well—it had come up in the information I gathered while setting up my counseling office.

“It’s been insanely busy,” he said.

The Minister treated me to a full-course meal that cost nearly half my monthly salary. Since I’d unintentionally helped him before, I decided not to refuse and enjoyed every bite.

“How’s Chancellor Marcus? Or should I say former Chancellor Marcus?”

The Minister smiled faintly.

“He’s been dismissed.”

“You look quite pleased about it.”

He cleared his throat lightly.

“Do I? Well, I won’t deny it. His affair with the Duchess of House Seref damaged the Imperial Family’s reputation. The process moved swiftly. And… a few other things came to light along the way.”

“So you found what you were really looking for.”

He sliced his steak with renewed vigor.

“Indeed. What I wanted wasn’t evidence of adultery, but proof of embezzlement. Something solid enough to take him down completely. The higher the position, the bigger the corruption—bribes, favors, backdoor deals. He even played errand boy for the royals.”

Wow. His language is getting bolder by the minute.

Still, it wasn’t my problem. I happily cut another bite of steak and popped it into my mouth.

Wow, this is incredible.

It was, hands down, the best thing I’d eaten since arriving in this world. My dream of getting rich, dulled by the grind of daily life, flared up again.

A true Korean’s spirit: good food above all.

After we both ate our fill, he continued.

“So, the Chancellor’s seat is now vacant. Until a suitable candidate is found, I’ll act as interim.”

“Alongside your duties as Finance Minister? Ugh… sounds like a lot of work. But at least your influence has grown. That’s a plus, right?”

“Yes, there’s a lot to handle. Finding someone worthy of that post won’t be easy.”

“I see.”

I nodded absently, focused on the second steak in front of me.

“That’s why I need a capable ally by my side.”

“True.”

“And I think that person should be you. What do you say?”

“Sure, that—wait, what?”

I froze, blinking. When I looked up, the Minister had already put down his utensils, hands folded neatly, smiling at me.