Chapter 70
The youngest Frist-Rank secretory
“Wh-what is this…?”
When I came to my senses, I was inside a carriage.
I’d only just heard that the Duke had come to request an escort. Before I could even react, Marcella shoved the partner position onto someone else’s plate and pushed me straight into the carriage. The note the Minister of Finance had sent… there was no doubt now. This was exactly what it had been warning me about.
“Sorry to startle you.”
When I lifted my head, I saw him.
The Duke.
Perfectly dressed.
I had only ever seen him in neat, practical suits — clean, sharp, without a single unnecessary detail. Seeing him now with his hair neatly swept back and dressed in a dazzling formal uniform… it almost felt unreal. The last time I had seen him like this was at the Marquis’ party.
He’s hard enough to get used to even normally. Now he’s so bright I can’t even look at him properly…
He was absurdly handsome.
A wild charm like a white wolf, paired with a calm, intellectual air. Honestly, with a face like that, why was he suffering in the imperial palace like this? If he just stood in a busy street, people would fill an empty box with gold for him without hesitation.
Pull yourself together, Cornelia. He’s royalty. Royalty. A person from a different world.
I forcefully shut down all useless thoughts before I embarrassed myself like a fan swooning over a celebrity.
“Are you alright?”
Noticing how frozen I’d become, the Duke leaned closer to examine my face.
A handsome face suddenly filling my vision — completely unguarded — made me flinch violently, and I leaned backwards.
“Yes, I’m fine. I was just… surprised.”
“Then… I will apologize in place of my mentor for his rudeness.”
So he really had been pushed into this by the Minister of Finance. Even beside him, it would’ve made more sense to put an actual noble lady there… not a fallen noble bureaucrat from the Chancellor’s Office. In a way, I felt sorry for him. He would definitely be dragged into rumors because of me.
I decided to steady myself.
“No. I heard you usually avoid social events, Your Grace. The fact that you agreed to be my partner — it’s an honor for me. I’ll make sure not to embarrass you. I’ll perform the etiquette and the dances perfectly!”
I clenched my fist in determination.
The Duke’s eyes widened in surprise, and then—
“Pfft.”
He let out a quiet laugh.
“You don’t have to force yourself. I’ll stay by your side.”
Those gentle words caught me completely off guard.
Silence fell over us.
For about three seconds, our eyes met.
His red eyes… they looked like rubies hiding a flame inside.
The Duke cleared his throat first and turned his head away.
“That dress suits you very well. You… you look beautiful.”
“You look more handsome, Chief Justice. That uniform really suits you.”
“Haha.”
“Hohoho.”
He may not have meant much by it, but I was serious.
While I was awkwardly sneaking glances at his beautiful figure, we arrived at the Imperial Palace’s banquet hall.
He stepped down first — swift and elegant — and then extended his hand toward me.
Is this what being a princess feels like?
It felt so unreal that I couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or awake.
I steadied myself once again, then naturally took his arm and entered the hall with his escort.
“Now entering— Duke Vespera Ariadne and Lady Cornelia Libertas!”
Every gaze in the hall instantly locked onto us.
I had expected this the moment I became the Duke’s partner… but it wasn’t easy to endure.
At first, the looks stayed on him.
Then they slowly shifted toward me.
Soon, whispers filled the hall.
Who is that girl with him?!
Who does she think she is touching our Duke?!
Which family is she from?!
But once they learned who I was, it would calm down quickly.
From a nearby table, the people from the Concealment Department waved at me.
I quickly grabbed the Duke’s arm and headed straight toward them.
“Oh my, well… who do we have here?”
Laira was wearing a seductive, red mermaid-line dress that showed off her stunning figure.
“Good evening, Officer Laira. You look incredibly alluring tonight.”
“Thank you. Secretary, you look amazing too. But the two of you — you were growling at each other not long ago. How did you end up coming together?”
She laughed playfully.
“He must be dying from how pretty you are. He’s doing things he never would have before.”
“…You’re not teasing me, right?”
Just then, people from the Chancellor’s Office approached us.
Lucan’s eyes widened when he saw the Duke and me together.
“You said you had a partner… and it was the Chief Justice?”
“The Minister of Finance… ha. I’ll explain later.”
Still, no one seemed to think we had any special relationship.
Probably because we’d fought so fiercely not long ago.
And because there truly wasn’t any hint of romance between us.
The gap in status is practically from another world, too…
Just like the Minister said, this wasn’t a bad thing for me.
And maybe it wasn’t so bad for him either.
Taking care of a former subordinate only improved his image.
Although… the man I met at that absurd snack bar didn’t care much about public image at all.
“Secretary Cornelia.”
While the Duke spoke with the Concealment Department, someone quietly approached me from behind.
It was Elicia from the Chancellor’s Office.
“E-Elicia… what happened to your face?”
Even though it was a banquet, and she must have carefully done her makeup, her complexion looked terrible.
“Um… how much longer do we have to endure it…?”
At that state, she looked like she’d want to punch that disgusting clerk in the face.
“What makes me angrier… is that when the Minister of Finance comes, he acts completely normal.”
Ah. That would make anyone furious.
But beyond grabbing his collar and fighting him, I couldn’t immediately think of a perfect solution either.
Looking around at the people from our office, I noticed something.
Only that disgusting clerk’s face looked glossy and bright.
Everyone else looked exhausted and dry.
“Can’t we just fire him and hire someone else? This isn’t a small issue. It’s hurting the morale of the department. Productivity too.”
“But… firing someone just because they fart, burp, and cut their nails in the office…”
“Can’t we transfer him to another department?”
At that moment, Lucan slipped between us and whispered:
“I heard something about him…”
“What?”
“He wasn’t actually a career recruit.”
“…Then what?”
Lucan revealed the truth.
“He was demoted from another department. He was so filthy that the Palace Administration sent him here. To us.”
Elicia asked, a mix of shock and rage in her voice:
“Why us?!”
“…Apparently this is the Finance Minister’s ‘turn.’ When something awful needs to be dealt with, they rotate it between department heads. This time… it’s our turn.”
“……”
“……”
Neither Elicia nor I could say anything.
So, in other words…
We just had to endure it.
And just when the Concealment Department’s work was wrapping up and I was about to return fully to the Chancellor’s Office…
I can’t just sit back and let this continue.
Do I… have to force him into making a major work mistake?
It wasn’t good for the department.
But it was something that had to be considered carefully.
“His Majesty the Emperor, and His Highness the Crown Prince, now enter!”
Everyone turned and straightened their posture in unison.
The Emperor looked incredibly pleased.
The Crown Prince wore a smile, but somehow… he looked uncomfortable.
Of course. He has to register his own assets now too.
He must have rushed to clean up a few dark funding routes.
The Emperor ascended the platform and sat upon the imperial throne.
Then he spoke.
“Hoho! Thank you all for attending this meaningful banquet. So many of you have followed my will — it truly moves my heart. Thanks to this, we can now purge the crimes of hiding and transferring illegal assets overseas. What a meaningful day this is.”
Some nobles flinched.
But the Emperor only smiled more deeply.
“And there is a nephew of mine whom I treasure, who led this meaningful effort. Duke Vespera Ariadne, Chief Justice.”
At the call, the Duke went forward and knelt on one knee before the Emperor.
“Because of you, I feel truly at ease. I bestow upon you the Imperial Medal of Honor. You must be tired of receiving awards by now, but there is little else I can give you.”
“It is my family’s honor.”
He brushed off the Emperor’s overflowing praise with grace.
“And then…”
“There is also an extremely clever official who conceived of this very law. Someone whose loyalty everyone should learn from. Secretary Cornelia.”
Me?
In that solemn atmosphere, I was pushed forward without even having a chance to resist.
I lifted my dress slightly and bowed before him.
He spoke in satisfaction.
“You look very beautiful today.”
“You flatter me, Your Majesty.”
“What you have accomplished has strengthened the Empire’s finances and elevated the honor of the Imperial Family. It is only natural to reward you. I hereby restore your noble status and elevate you to the rank of Viscount.”
“……!”
That meant that the House of Libertas had risen from baron to viscount.
It meant official land.
A true noble — not just one from novels.
But the Emperor was not finished.
“Furthermore… I appoint Cornelia Libertas, Second-Class Secretary of the Chancellor’s Office, as a First-Class Secretary.”
“…Pardon?”
My mind went blank.
It wasn’t just me.
The entire banquet hall fell into chaos.
A hushed voice drifted through the stunned crowd:
“…Isn’t that faster than even Duke Ariadne’s rise…?”
