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Chapter 2
The moment I opened the rotten wooden door that was decaying from every corner, air colder than the middle of winter outdoors struck the tip of my nose.
‘This is supposed to be the Imperial Palace…… did they completely fail to receive a heating budget?’
The inside was even worse.
It looked no different from a storage room overflowing with random junk.
There was not a single trace showing that anyone properly managed the place.
‘Did I really come to the right location?’
While I was debating whether to leave or not—
“Grrr…… snore…… kuhh……”
I heard faint snoring.
When I carefully stepped farther inside, I saw a tired and aged-looking middle-aged man sleeping soundly beyond the piles of junk.
‘Director of the Child Protection Bureau, Samuel McGuffin.’
That was the name written on the nameplate sitting on the desk.
“……Director.”
The moment I spoke clearly, Director McGuffin startled awake.
“Who…… ah.”
A look of understanding crossed his face.
“So you’re the new Vice Director. Your name was Tessa, right?”
“Yes, Tessa Harrington. But did you just say Vice Director?”
I immediately questioned him.
Vice Director?
At my level of experience, becoming a team leader around now would already be considered normal.
But Vice Director, skipping over team leader and department head?
“Yes. Think of it as consideration before you leave.”
“……”
No further explanation was necessary.
‘So they’re telling me to know my place and crawl out on my own.’
It was such a petty little scheme that I almost laughed.
“For reference, it’s just you and me here. Once you quit, I’ll be alone again.”
I looked around the office.
So this warehouse filled with junk was supposedly the office?
“Be grateful. Before I secured even this place, we had to work in the restroom.”
“……How long did my predecessor last?”
McGuffin paused to think.
“It was last summer…… hmm, about a month? No, maybe three weeks. They lasted pretty long. Usually people quit within a week.”
Honestly, I understood.
Even I already felt the urge to quit immediately.
I had experience. I was smart.
Wouldn’t it be easy enough to get hired by some large merchant company instead?
But voluntary resignation did not exist in my dictionary.
‘Let’s see who wins in the end—you people or me.’
If I quit now, it would feel like admitting defeat.
I wanted to endure until the very end somehow.
“What exactly are my duties?”
“That.”
McGuffin pointed with his chin toward a pile of documents. They weren’t even neatly organized—just stacks of papers thrown together carelessly, making my chest already feel tight with frustration.
“Just stamp them roughly and relax.”
McGuffin said while yawning.
“Oh, and don’t go wandering outside. If you get caught taking walks, you’ll be disciplined for neglecting work.”
In other words, once someone entered the Child Protection Bureau, they ended up quitting eventually—whether willingly or not.
‘Like hell that’ll happen to me.’
I immediately carried the stack of documents over to my desk and started checking them one by one while rubbing my freezing hands together.
‘……There really isn’t much to these.’
Given the grand name “Child Protection Bureau,” I expected it to be a department that helped the Empire’s children and teenagers.
But it was actually the complete opposite.
Regional festival budgets, clothing designs for imperial servants—documents so meaningless that it didn’t matter who stamped them.
It seemed all the unwanted paperwork people avoided eventually circled its way down here, to a place unable to refuse.
Was I angry about it?
No.
‘All I have to do is stamp papers mindlessly and leave work on time? This is amazing.’
People say if you can’t avoid something, enjoy it.
I quickly skimmed through the papers and began stamping them energetically.
A week passed.
The thing my former Ministry of Finance coworkers were probably expecting—
‘Tessa Harrington submits furious resignation letter’—
never happened.
Other than being a little cold and feeling absolutely no sense of fulfillment from the work, it was actually a pretty decent position.
Certainly much better than constantly getting harassed at the Ministry of Finance.
And just as I was beginning to adapt to my new workplace—
“We’ve got work, Vice Director.”
Director McGuffin waved an invitation decorated with the emblem of Duke Beiretz’s family between his fingers.
I stared blankly at the invitation. What did that have to do with me?
“Unfortunately, I’m busy that day. You’ll have to attend in my place.”
……What exactly did I just hear?
“You mean me?”
McGuffin narrowed his eyes at me.
“Is there anyone else here?”
“……No.”
“Then the Vice Director is going.”
“But I’ve never attended a ball before.”
Balls were playgrounds for nobles.
There was absolutely nothing good waiting for me there.
“Just go, stay long enough to fill the seat, then leave quietly. As long as there’s a record that someone attended, it’s fine.”
Maybe my dislike showed too clearly on my face.
McGuffin’s eyebrow twitched.
“What? Don’t want to go? Then quit.”
“……”
“It’s an order, Vice Director.”
That was how my very first official duty as an official of the Child Protection Bureau became—
Attending a ducal family’s ball, which had absolutely nothing to do with protecting suffering children.
The residence of Duke Beiretz was even larger and more luxurious than I expected.
Even I, who had become accustomed to the Imperial Palace, couldn’t help but admire it.
As expected from the prestigious family of mages that produced Fabian Beiretz—the youngest Tower Master in history and the future duke—every corner of the mansion was decorated with delicate magic.
But I didn’t have time to simply admire it.
‘Just as expected.’
Director McGuffin wasn’t the only department head invited here.
Many other department heads had been invited as well.
Including the Minister of Finance himself, the very man who desperately wanted to get rid of me.
We had never properly spoken before, but there was a fairly high chance he would recognize me.
After all, I had been pretty infamous in the Ministry of Finance.
‘I should just waste time out on the balcony.’
One servant was continuously recording the arrivals and departures of guests.
If I left immediately after entering, it could become a problem later.
Just as I started walking toward the balcony—
A loud voice announcing an honored guest echoed through the ballroom.
“His Grace, Grand Duke Achilles Kardicha, and his younger sister, Lady Melissa, have arrived!”
The moment the servant’s voice rang through the ballroom, everyone stirred at once.
I was no exception.
‘That’ Grand Duke Kardicha came to the capital?
Grand Duke Kardicha, who wielded authority nearly equal to a king within the autonomous northern territory, was considered the second most powerful person in the Empire after the Emperor.
‘I heard he almost never leaves the North…… but he came all the way to the capital with his younger sister.’
The moment curiosity made me glance over—
‘……Damn.’
Anyone with eyes would be overwhelmed by his presence.
His beauty was so inhuman it felt like staring at a sharpened blade, and chills ran down my spine as though cold metal had touched the back of my neck.
Under silver hair flowing like moonlight were perfectly sculpted features without a single flaw.
……And violet eyes carrying a cold gleam, as though they could see straight through people.
Instinctively, I knew.
This man was dangerous. It would be best not to get involved with him in any way.
‘No matter what kind of novel this is…… he’s definitely an important character.’
Male lead. Second male lead. Hidden mastermind.
He had the appearance and presence to be at least one of those.
‘Well, it has nothing to do with me.’
Someone at the level of the Finance Minister might at least be able to greet the Grand Duke.
To him, I was probably worth less than a stray dog.
Before I knew it, my gaze shifted toward the young girl with long silver hair—Lady Melissa.
‘There’s quite a large age difference between them.’
The Grand Duke looked to be in his mid-twenties, while the young lady seemed barely around ten years old.
Whispers spread around the ballroom.
“Lady Melissa? That Lady Melissa? The one rumored to be the illegitimate child of the former Grand Duchess……”
“Shh, don’t say things like that. It’s better not to speak carelessly about someone who could make an enemy of the Grand Duke.”
“Still, they say everyone already knows.”
I swallowed a sigh.
The conversations of nobles truly were the essence of vulgar gossip.
None of them would even dare open their mouths in front of the Grand Duke himself.
Then—
Crash!
The loud sound of glass shattering rang out.
“Melissa!”
At the same time, someone shouted the young lady’s name.
Everyone instinctively turned toward the source of the commotion.
“H-hic…… hngh……”
Right in front of the sobbing Lady Melissa lay a giant glass artwork, clearly crafted by a master artisan, shattered into pieces.
“I-I’m sowwy……”
“……Melissa.”
Grand Duke Kardicha let out a sigh loud enough for everyone around to hear.
On his sculpted face was exhaustion completely unsuited for someone so young and beautiful.
Somehow, he looked exactly like a parent exhausted from childcare.
“I truly don’t know what to do with you anymore.”
