FERH 37

Chapter 37

Wilbrin, who had come in early to work, widened his eyes when he saw that not only was Torban’s desk neatly cleared, but his belongings were also carefully packed into boxes.

“Team Leader, don’t tell me you’re quitting?”

Tilde, who had been walking up leisurely from behind, reacted the same way.

“What, who’s quitting?”

“That’s how it is.”

Torban raised a hand lightly and smiled.

“They’re telling you to leave because you colluded with the Minister of Finance? That’s too much.”

“I’m leaving of my own accord.”

What nonsense were they spouting about people?

“I was planning to quit anyway since caregivers are expensive.”

Torban wasn’t a good boss, but he was an even worse son.

Having been a pathetic son who only chipped in for medical bills while occasionally showing his face under the excuse of work, he thought it might be good to take this opportunity to set one burden down and focus on one side.

“Your mother will be happy.”

“I’ll definitely visit her in the hospital.”

“Don’t say things you don’t mean. Do you really want to see the face of a boss you already hate, let alone his parents?”

“B-boss…?”

“I know everything you guys say behind my back.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You called me a bastard who keeps his fingers still and just flaps his mouth to earn a salary.”

“If you knew all that, why did you act like that?”

Tilde asked.

“Now that I’m leaving, you think you can talk back, huh?”

“When else would we ever get the chance to talk back?”

“Well, that’s true too.”

You didn’t often get the chance in life to trade jokes with a boss who was quitting.

“Since it’s come to this, leave us a parting remark full of regret.”

“Honestly, the only reason our department had good unity was thanks to me.”

“Oh wow, you really have no shame.”

Tilde shook his head.

If calling it “unity” meant everyone collectively bad-mouthed the same person and felt a subtle sense of comradeship, then Torban might indeed have contributed to it, but…

‘Usually you don’t count that as your own achievement, do you?’

That wasn’t something to be proud of—it was a measure of how much of a nuisance you were.

Wilbrin grumbled.

“Before Rianel came, you made sure we knew what ‘one scolding a day’ meant.”

“If you guys handled things on your own—properly, neatly, cleanly—why would I bother flapping my mouth? Right?”

A barrage of nagging he hadn’t heard in a long time.

Wilbrin’s face turned pale.

“Do I pick on you for no reason? Do you think I deliberately torment you? It’s because you churn out garbage like this and then sit around giggling as if you’re done. That’s salary theft, tax embezzlement. Embezzlers aren’t only in the Ministry of Finance. I honestly don’t know how you can submit something like this as a report and still get food down your throat. If it were me, I’d be too ashamed to face my juniors—I’d shave my head and go live in the mountains.”

“Uh….”

“Are you frowning right now? You wrinkle your brow because your superior gave you some harsh words? Are you in your right mind? Can’t you manage your expression? Am I saying something pointless right now? Do you think I’m doing this for my own comfort? It’s all for your sake. If you act like this, you’ll get chewed out when you go to another department. What did you even learn at the Special Tax Bureau—are you trying to smear our department and dump shit on my face too? Is that what you want? Huh?”

At the nonstop stream of nagging, Tilde let out an “ugh” and recoiled, and Wilbrin’s lips stuck out in a pout.

Even though he knew he wasn’t really being scolded, years of pent-up resentment threatened to spill out.

“I really… really hate you.”

“You’ll miss me anyway.”

“Oh, come on.”

Wilbrin genuinely shuddered.

It was creepy because it really felt like that would happen.

He hated and was annoyed by Torban, but they’d spent so long clashing and butting heads that a twisted affection had formed.

‘Part of it is probably because I realized this person isn’t all that different from me.’

Once he realized Torban wasn’t just an irritating human being, but someone who breathed, ate, had joys and sorrows, and knew how to protect someone, he couldn’t truly hate him.

“Ah, all packed.”

Torban closed the desk drawer one last time and hugged the box to his chest.

“It looks heavy.”

“Eleven years’ worth—of course it is.”

“Want me to carry it for you?”

When Wilbrin held out his hand, Torban stiffened and stepped back.

“I told you not to say things you don’t mean.”

“Hehe.”

As they chatted like that, the start of work approached.

Maybe because it was the last day—Torban checked each person who came in and accepted their farewells.

“Well then, live well.”

“Uh, wait a moment. The rookie hasn’t come yet.”

Tilde grabbed Torban.

Since they were saying good-bye anyway, wouldn’t it be better to meet everyone in the Taxation Bureau before leaving?

“Still not here?”

Only then did Wilbrin sense something was off and look at the clock.

Rianel usually arrived close to on time and had never been late.

Yet she still hadn’t shown up by now.

‘Did something happen?’

“Oh, you guys don’t know?”

Torban casually spilled the story they didn’t know.

“Transferred out?!”

It didn’t take long for screams to ring through the Taxation Bureau.

At the same time.

“You’re saying you intend to appoint me as Minister of Finance?”

Summoned by the Empress Dowager, Rianel froze when she heard the unexpected proposal.

It was shocking enough to unsettle her—someone who rarely showed emotional change—but the Empress Dowager merely nodded calmly.

“That’s right.”

“I am a low-seniority civil servant, and I have a record of disciplinary action. I have no experience suited to such a heavy responsibility, and my reputation is not good either. I believe it would be right to find someone more suitable than me.”

“And yet you say that after producing such results?”

“They were not achievements I produced alone.”

Rianel carefully laid out the reasons she should not become minister, but the Empress Dowager did not move an inch.

“Do you know this?”

The Empress Dowager lifted her teacup.

A rich aroma of black tea rose from it, and the window was fogged with condensation reflecting the chill of early winter.

Logs stacked in the fireplace burned down, warming the room, so it was comfortable inside.

Yet the strangely uneasy, awkward feeling couldn’t be helped, and Rianel straightened her back.

“Among those who’ve entered this room, you’re the second person who didn’t try to curry favor with me.”

The first was the former Empress, Ensillen.

And the second was Rianel.

Knowing that those two people were actually the same person, Rianel had nothing to say and simply wrapped both hands around her teacup. The warmth of the cup heated her hands as they cooled.

It seemed the Empress Dowager hadn’t said it expecting a reaction either, as she took a sip of her own tea.

“Of course, it wasn’t that bastard Royhem.”

A bitter smile flickered across her face.

It wasn’t only Royhem’s problem.

People who wanted something from others tended to behave in similar ways.

They tried to attach themselves to power, busily tapping away at calculators in their heads.

In contrast, Rianel—who wanted nothing at all from the Empress Dowager—sat straight and met her gaze head-on.

She liked that clear, resolute look in her eyes.

“I’ve met someone like you before.”

The Empress Dowager’s gaze glimmered softly.

“Someone who coveted what was of the heavens and paid no mind to earthly gain.”

Wanting promotion or personal success wasn’t the only kind of desire.

The will to move the world in what one believed was the right direction was also a form of desire.

“The Minister of Finance is a high position, but it’s not a position that can change the world.”

That was something only someone who understood the hollowness of power could say.

“But.”

The Empress Dowager gently set down her cup and added,

“It can become the starting point that changes the world.”

The reason she chose Rianel wasn’t simply because of her abilities.

‘This child resembles my daughter-in-law.’

The former Empress Ensillen, who had been shunned by the whole world and wasted away to death, trapped in a lonely palace.

Fearing that stepping in rashly would only worsen her infamy, the Empress Dowager had scolded and pressed her instead of showing affection.

‘Because I believed that would help her more.’

That precious star weakened, then disappeared without leaving a trajectory behind.

That missing trajectory remained as a deep scar in the Empress Dowager’s heart.

‘This time, it should be different.’

At least this child, who resembled her, she wanted to protect properly and support so her will would not be broken.

The Empress Dowager asked quietly,

“What do you say?”

Rianel took a moment to steady her breath before answering.

“I….”