Chapter 63
The One Who Bothers Me
We left the Magic Tower in a hurry after receiving a sudden, unexplained confirmation. I had my questions, of course, but I simply followed along, assuming there were things about the Duke’s work I wasn’t supposed to know.
“Looks like the Ministry of Justice has a lot on its plate.”
Simon spoke with his usual pleasant smile.
“I was hoping the next Tower Master would give us a proper tour of the Magic Tower. It’s such a rare place to visit, after all. A shame. Since His Excellency says he’s busy, we should return to the palace. I heard there’s a famous grilled fish restaurant near the gate—I suppose we’ll have to visit next time.”
I recalled the list of imperial food spots I’d gathered from the Information Guild. A few places had even earned a special star mark from me.
If it’s grilled fish… was it ‘Sand and Sea on the Side’…?
“I heard the restaurant is called ‘Sand and Sea on the Side.’”
“…!”
It was one of the places I had marked.
Since the capital mostly ate bread and meat, it was hard to find a good fish place.
“Grilled fish…”
I muttered it under my breath without realizing.
Well, since he’s busy, I guess we’ll have to wait for next time. If there’s ever a chance to visit the Magic Tower again, I should make sure I’m the one sent.
“We’ll go to the restaurant.”
“…What?”
“Then we’ll head to the gate—pardon?”
“It’s lunchtime. We should eat.”
The Duke walked right past Simon and me, his stride brisk.
So even if he’s busy, he still makes time for meals?
“What are you doing? Lead the way.”
“Ah—yes! Right away!”
Simon hurried ahead, nearly tripping over his own feet.
Fortunately, the restaurant’s most expensive private room was available, so we were able to enjoy lunch comfortably. The fish was grilled crisp on the outside, moist on the inside—rich, savory, and perfectly simple.
My siblings would love this…
They were still growing, after all—they needed balanced nutrition.
…No, why was I thinking that far? Marcella would feed them well! I pulled myself together and refocused on the meal.
Everyone must have been starving; only the soft clatter of tableware filled the room.
“Secretary Cornelia.”
The Duke, who had emptied his plate early, called to me.
“Are you close with Young Lord Aidan Aurelius?”
Ah. He must have misunderstood after seeing Aidan’s behavior at the Magic Tower. I wiped my mouth with a napkin and corrected his imagination before it twisted further.
“As I mentioned at the Tower—I used to assist Lady Chiara. That’s how I know him.”
Simon leaned in, curiosity sparkling.
“I’ve visited the Tower a few times, but I’ve never seen the Young Lord act like that. If His Excellency hadn’t held him back, he would’ve hugged you on the spot. You’re really not involved with him?”
Yes, I admitted, it was the kind of situation anyone would misunderstand.
“They do care for me—almost embarrassingly so. Even I was startled by the Young Lord’s behavior today. But he never means anything bad.”
I remembered how Lady Chiara hugged me and pinched my cheek during my interview at the Marquisate.
“How can you be sure of that?”
The Duke suddenly turned stern, his expression tightening as if I’d committed some serious offense.
“As a lady, you should have more awareness. Lady Chiara is one thing, but the Young Lord’s behavior was improper. As an imperial official, you must maintain dignity.”
“O–of course. Understood.”
It felt like I’d been ambushed with a storm of scolding. But he wasn’t wrong, so all I could do was nod bitterly.
I might feel like someone in her mid-thirties, but in this world, Cornelia was younger than Aidan. With a face that made me look like I knew nothing of the world, no less.
Still… Duke, you’re in your twenties. You sound like a total old man…
Any further discomfort was wiped away instantly when he ordered the restaurant’s highest-tier dessert set.
After our visit to the Magic Tower, things progressed swiftly.
The Emperor welcomed the news that the next Tower Master himself was participating and even approved registering the imperial assets.
Though he definitely still has hidden funds somewhere.
Top-tier power was hard to monitor. But no system could cover everything, and taking even one step forward was meaningful.
As long as we prevented another Marcus or Dorian from appearing, the goal was met.
Now all that’s left is the announcement.
Aidan sent a letter saying he was swamped with work at the Tower, so he’d send a junior mage for the initial setup and would personally visit the palace later when the certification began in earnest. That junior mage seemed to be his assistant of sorts.
With preparations underway, all that remained was to wait.
At some point, even when I left work on time, the atmosphere didn’t feel awkward. According to Lucan, the others now went home soon after I did. The thought made me smile as I left the palace and walked toward the ticket booth.
The grilled fish I had saved from the Magic Tower trip was a massive hit at home. Since neither the capital, Resera, nor my hometown, Ophel, were coastal regions, fish was rare and expensive.
But the Tower was located near the outskirts, close enough to the coast that seafood was relatively affordable.
I happily added a short review to my food-map notebook and began searching for the next place to try.
Just then, the bell signaling a customer rang. Calmly, I pulled on the quokka mask and opened the window.
“A weekly reservation. Set it as fixed. Making it every time is too much trouble.”
The empire’s most overqualified man—now a full-fledged VIP—sat heavily in the chair, exhausted. Thanks to him, I was forced to act out a personality completely unlike myself, draining every bit of my energy. This alter-ego of mine had an absurdly hyper temperament, purely because I hadn’t thought ahead.
“You’re always welcome—! Now then, my dear little lamb, what brings you here today~?”
He hesitated before slowly answering.
“My work went smoothly, so how is it possible that something still displeases me?”
Oh. A new type of Kaisan problem.
Even I was surprised by this kind of complaint from a workaholic.
“You?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm… maybe someone you don’t like ended up taking the credit?”
He shook his head. No, he wasn’t the type to care about that anyway.
This one was… top-tier difficulty.
“Usually it’s because you have to work with someone you hate, so you get annoyed no matter the outcome. Or maybe you solved a problem, only to be handed something even more exhausting. If not that… then something outside work has been bothering you lately?”
He thought for a moment.
“…Possibly.”
“Wow. That’s new for you—”
“It’s not entirely unrelated to work, but it isn’t because of work. Yes… bothersome. That’s the right word.”
My mind went into emergency mode. Was it me? Again? Last time, he’d said something about me being bothersome too. Unable to stand it, I asked directly:
“Is it… a woman?”
“How is that relevant?”
I shrank instantly.
“N–no reason! Aha… so someone outside work is bothering you… hmm… why would that be~?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you talk through whatever comes to mind? Maybe we’ll find the reason that way.”
He fell silent again. Even though I was wearing a mask, he seemed to be wrestling with something inside himself.
After a while, he finally spoke.
“She just bothered me from the beginning. I didn’t care before, but recently… I realized it clearly. We don’t suit each other.”
Cold sweat trickled down my temple.
It really is me, isn’t it??
“If… if it doesn’t interfere with your work, maybe you shouldn’t worry about it—? Mental health is suuuper important~!”
“You’re right, Master Quokka. But she still bothers me…”
I felt my lifeblood draining. I promised myself I’d live freely, but being disliked by someone with this much power was… terrifying. Still, I gathered my resolve. This was practically my second life—I couldn’t spend it watching the clock in fear.
I’ll walk my own path. Even if I panic constantly. That’s what being human is.
I pretended nothing was wrong and shifted the topic.
“If nothing serious is happening, why not wait a bit and observe? How’s your department these days? You don’t still have subordinates running out crying, right?”
Helping the most powerful man in the empire wasn’t counseling—it was slow death. My blood felt like it was evaporating.
Once the Tower completed the basic preparations, the Emperor officially announced the implementation of the Noble Asset Registration System, on a trial basis for six months—expecting huge backlash.
“His Majesty has gone too far. Why police personal noble assets?”
“Does he really think one registration will eliminate offshore asset crimes? I fear this will harm His Majesty instead.”
“Hence a trial run. But how many nobles will willingly register? They’ll stall or dispose of assets.”
“But if even the Magic Tower is certifying it, His Majesty must be serious. He even said he’d register the imperial assets.”
“Ha! Just wait. This decree will fail! Even His Majesty will taste failure this time!”
“Quiet! There are ears everywhere!”
Watching from my hiding spot, I nodded calmly. Their reactions were exactly what I expected.
“Cornelia… is this really okay?”
Lucan looked worried. I patted his shoulder encouragingly.
“What’s there to worry about? I didn’t spend any money. Even if it fails, I won’t be fired.”
He looked like something profound had just dawned on him.
Unlock soon!~