SOLIRF~48

Chapter 48

Lawrence Seraphina.

Age 24.

The legitimate Crown Prince of the Seraphina Empire.

And the fiancé of Lady Seref.

“And he’s also my cousin.”

“What?”

“I mean, I heard Duke Ariadne is the Crown Prince’s cousin.”

I quickly translated that in my head to ‘the man in front of you is the Crown Prince’s cousin — a royal.’

“If it were a department under my jurisdiction, I’d have raised hell to oppose it. But the Chancellor’s Office isn’t my domain.”

At this point, I was starting to wonder if he even wanted to keep his identity a secret. The little lamb sighed softly.

“If you get involved with them, it’ll only cause trouble. Best to keep your distance.”

“Right. It’s not like I’ll ever meet the Crown Prince anyway.”

“…Lucky you.”

Even behind the mask, I could feel the genuine envy in his eyes. I gave a small laugh and moved on to the next topic.

—

“Wow.”

The application forms for construction projects were piled high, just as the junior clerk had said. From small merchants to major trading firms, noble families, and architecture guilds — there was a wide variety of applicants.

The three of us first-class secretaries each took a stack from the clerk and began to read through them, sorting out those who seemed suitable on paper. It was just paper, but their desperation could be felt in every line.

“What’s this? Rejected.”

I set one aside, but Lucan saw it and quietly placed it back in the accepted pile.

“This one.”

“This one?”

Elicia only gave it a passing glance but didn’t object. So he was right.

The company name read “Lynus” — one I’d never heard before.

“Even if it’s already prearranged, this feels way too insincere.” Lucan chuckled bitterly, and Elicia nodded silently in agreement.

Other applicants had submitted detailed plans — five or more pages outlining goals, designs, and strategies. Most even included their own blueprints.

But this one? A single page. Just basic applicant information, with a vague four or five lines about the construction plan. It was impossible to tell what kind of work they even intended to do.

“The seniors made their opinions known, and so did we, but the result’s always the same.”

At that, everyone stopped moving and sighed at once.

This is pointless.

Moments like this make you question the meaning of your work.

“I thought maybe this time would be different…”

Elicia murmured, her tone carrying discontent that had nothing to do with her rivalry with me.

“Let’s just finish the first round quickly. We still need to schedule the interviews.”

Lucan tried to lift the sinking mood. After narrowing down dozens of applicants, only three remained. Naturally, Lynus was among them.

“I’ll contact these three.”

“Hmm. Is the company selection going well?”

Huhwang barged in out of nowhere. He looked over the three chosen applications and smiled with satisfaction.

“No need for interviews, really, but formality and all that.”

This was a corruption that had persisted since the days of the former Chancellor — and he didn’t even seem ashamed anymore.

And this man thinks he’ll become the next Chancellor? What a joke.

If I didn’t want to end up stuck in this rotten hierarchy, I’d have to block his promotion somehow. For a moment, I thought, Did I really come here just to witness this mess? But it was too late now, so I tried to push the thought away.

“Don’t waste time. Schedule the interviews for tomorrow.”

“What?”

I reflexively blurted out before Lucan quickly stepped forward and answered in my place.

“Yes, understood.”

Even if it’s prearranged, this is ridiculous.

No announcement had even been made about the end of the first review, yet he wanted interviews the very next day?

“What if the companies are based in other regions?”

“Then they’ll call that a reason for disqualification. Nothing we say will change anything. Complain, and you’ll just get marked.”

“The fact that even this hollow procedure isn’t properly followed…”

Without modern laws or any real oversight, such absurdities ran rampant. I couldn’t help but let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

“I can already tell tomorrow’s interviews will be… something.”

—

Fortunately, the other two companies managed to arrive at the palace on time for the interviews. I led the applicants to the reception room prepared for guests of the Chancellor’s Office.

One by one, they would be interviewed, and afterward, the secretaries would evaluate them — excluding the junior clerk.

“Interview for Company No. 1 begins.”

The first was a middle-aged man from the architecture guild. Nervous but professional, he explained how long they had been in the business, proudly sharing their experience and presenting a miniature model of how the new boulevard would look across Lesera. His confidence and expertise made him someone we could trust immediately.

“Interview for Company No. 2 begins.”

The second was a lower noble who managed a small trading firm. Though not large, his business had grown steadily and earned a solid reputation in his territory. He explained how they’d handled road construction there and calmly responded to unexpected questions. It was clear he’d written the application himself.

“Company No. 3, please come in.”

The door opened, and in walked a man in his fifties, dressed in an expensive suit and puffing on a pipe. Each of his ten fingers wore a ring.

It’s them.

“Well, hello there, gentlemen~.”

He burst into laughter and exchanged knowing glances with Huhwang before crossing his legs and sitting down.

He already reeks of corruption.

“The application didn’t include any concrete construction plans. Could you explain that to us?”

His answer was astounding.

“Ah, come now. Between us, why so formal?”

“Regardless of past relations, this is an interview. Please maintain decorum.”

“Heh, you’re too stiff. You know our skills well enough already, don’t you? Just say the word, and I’ll make sure the result exceeds expectations! I’ll build a grand boulevard worthy of the Empire’s pride!”

In other words — he had no plan at all.

Even entry-level job interviews aren’t this sloppy.

He continued dodging every other question with vague answers. The seniors’ expressions hardened, while Huhwang looked utterly bored.

“That’s enough. End it.”

The interview ended in half the time it took for the others.

And then came the real farce.

When all evaluations were collected, Lynus received the lowest score from everyone. Huhwang clicked his tongue.

“Do it again.”

I blinked in confusion. “Excuse me? What do you mean, ‘do it again’?”

He glanced at me, then raised his own evaluation sheet.

“Until we get a fair and transparent result.”

“…Unbelievable.”

I thought I’d seen it all in office life, but this level of audacity left me speechless.

After giving his order, Huhwang simply left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Lucius ground his teeth.

“Changing the Chancellor doesn’t change anything.”

“I forgot that he’s just like the last one.”

“Some things shouldn’t be forgotten. Everyone, rewrite your scores.”

Elicia and Lucan reluctantly took their sheets, faces stiff.

I stood there, staring blankly, trying to process what had just happened.

Honestly, I was just trying to calm my anger — but perhaps they mistook that silence for shock.

“Cornelia, this must be your first time seeing something like this?”

Victor approached, patting my shoulder encouragingly. Lucius stopped writing and came over too, with Lucan joining in.

“I did warn her beforehand,” Lucan said quietly. “Still, it must’ve been a shock.”

“Can’t blame her,” Victor replied. “You probably had high expectations for the Chancellor’s Office.”

“That’s not really—”

Before I could explain, Victor gave me a sympathetic look.

“It’s your first time in the workforce too, right? Must be quite the blow.”

Feeling guilty for no reason, I turned my eyes elsewhere.

“I wish I could tell you things will improve, but I’d be lying. Still, at least the staff here try to voice their opinions when they can… even if it’s not easy.”

Lucius’s expression carried a mix of frustration, sadness, and resignation.

Feeling like I was making the atmosphere worse, I tried to lighten the mood.

“You all must be tired after the interviews. I’ll bring some tea. Please wait a moment.”

Ignoring their protests that it wasn’t necessary, I left the room.

Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered — but today, I just needed a moment to breathe.

“Ha-ha, don’t worry about it.”

What was that?

I stopped.

From the corridor, I heard Huhwang’s voice — and another man’s, smooth and confident. Peeking carefully around the corner, I saw him speaking to a tall, silver-haired man.

Who’s that?

“Then, let’s proceed without delay.”

“Good. I’ll trust you to handle it.”

Huhwang bowed deeply as the man turned to leave.

“Safe travels, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

The super-elite Duke’s cousin — the Crown Prince himself.