LRCAS 11

Chapter : 11

“What?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to either quit, or apply to transfer to another department due to incompatibility or something like that?”

It seemed he was thoroughly dissatisfied with our department. I blinked blankly and replied.

“There wasn’t really anything serious……”

“Don’t hold back and just speak honestly. You’re saying being unjustly scolded like that isn’t a big deal?”

“Yes. In the Scroll Management Department, things like that are just a very ordinary, peaceful part of daily life.”

At my polite answer, Kiaros clicked his tongue as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Sounds like a place you could quit immediately.”

But if I quit, I wouldn’t get a salary……

As for why I hadn’t applied for a transfer due to incompatibility… honestly, even I didn’t fully understand my own feelings.

Or did I? Maybe I did?

“Scrolls are… kind of nice, after all.”

Maybe because I had been making scrolls alone since I was young, even though the department was a mess, I didn’t particularly want to transfer elsewhere.

But as I listened to Kiaros grumbling, I suddenly thought of the intern.

“There really was someone who quit immediately……”

That intern had also submitted resignation without hesitation.

At least I had made him carry some boxes before he quit, so from my perspective, it was fortunate.

While I was thinking about the intern and smiling faintly, Kiaros suddenly frowned and asked.

“Why are you smiling?”

“I’m sorry.”

I really only smiled a little, but his observation skills were incredible.

I immediately bowed my head and explained.

“I just remembered an intern I had recently… he quit after just one day.”

“Oh.”

Unexpectedly, Kiaros continued the conversation about the intern.

“Why did he quit after just one day?”

“Well… I’m not sure.”

“Didn’t you personally receive his resignation letter?”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“Then you must have handled the aftermath as well. Why didn’t you ask the reason?”

I suddenly felt cornered.

Honestly, I hadn’t been enthusiastic enough to ask for the reason behind his resignation.

To be blunt, I wasn’t even that curious. But I couldn’t exactly say, “He probably just wanted to leave…”

So I quickly improvised an excuse.

“I thought… it might be burdensome for him to explain while quitting……”

“Hm?”

“I did assign him some work, and he didn’t seem to like it… I thought maybe he even disliked talking to me……”

As I made it up, my speech slowed and my pronunciation became increasingly slurred.

“I’ve never had a subordinate before… so I always thought that if I ever got one, I’d treat them comfortably……”

That part was my true feeling. I had always resolved that when I eventually got subordinates, I would never become a boss like Oson.

Even if my first subordinate turned out to be… a disrespectful, foul-mouthed intern.

“So even though he quit after a day… I didn’t ask the reason.”

Was this going well?

When I glanced up, Kiaros was staring at me suspiciously.

He clearly didn’t believe a word.

As expected, he wasn’t an easy opponent.

“Ah, and also—”

But once you start lying to a superior, you absolutely must not get caught.

“He was quite handsome. Good body too. The kind of face that would be popular with women. I was worried that if I asked more questions, he might think I was hitting on him.”

At that, Kiaros coughed sharply.

“Th-then… you thought he was handsome?”

It seemed to be working! I nodded firmly and emphasized it.

“Yes. Very, really, truly, sincerely.”

“…I see? So he was that good-looking……”

Even though he had never actually seen the intern, Kiaros made a very serious expression. Then he asked something completely absurd.

“Was he better looking than me?”

Huh? What kind of self-centered reasoning is this?

Still, I couldn’t exactly say, “Why are you asking that in this context?”

That was the fate of being a subordinate.

I hesitated, but answered honestly.

“Even if that intern was handsome, he can’t compare to Your Highness, the Crown Prince of Yong……”

It was sincere enough that it didn’t really count as flattery.

For some reason, Kiaros didn’t look particularly pleased either.

Then why did you even ask?

Rolling my eyes, I continued.

“Ah, but talking to Your Highness just now made me realize something… maybe that intern might have misunderstood things in a different way.”

Anyway, it was time to end this topic.

I had been forced into lying unexpectedly, and I had rambled far too much without logic.

So I decided to finish with a clean final lie.

“If that intern—my very first subordinate—ever came back……”

That insolent intern who glared at me just for making him move boxes, if he ever came back again…

“I would make sure he could clear up any misunderstandings and live comfortably.”

I would absolutely make him understand what real work meant.

“Hmm. I’m sure your sincerity will get across somehow.”

Kiaros finally nodded in acceptance. He even looked slightly impressed.

“Though that handsome intern with a good body will probably never return to that department again.”

“Yes, he probably won’t……”

While we were talking about the intern, we arrived at the office.

Just as we were about to enter—

“Your Highness!”

Kiaros’s aide rushed toward us in a hurry.

“I have urgent information from the investigation. There is internal collusion within the Imperial Palace with outside forces— Ah, apologies. We had a guest.”

The aide shut his mouth when he saw me.

As expected, they were rapidly investigating the mastermind behind yesterday’s assassination attempt.

Kiaros signaled for him to remain quiet for now, then turned to me.

“Ahem… anyway, back to the intern—superiors assigning work is natural. That intern probably just misunderstood something. I’m sure he didn’t dislike you, Namia.”

“Y-yes……”

It seemed my lie had worked too well—Kiaros now thought I had developed some attachment to the intern.

I wasn’t even interested in the intern. I was more interested in that investigation……

‘Huh? Wait.’

As I casually thought about the assassination incident, something suddenly clicked in my mind.

‘Right! Why didn’t I think of that earlier?’

My mind felt like it lit up.

Meanwhile, Kiaros was still speaking.

“Y-you see, Namia tends not to be the type who speaks very logically or clearly, so there’s room for misunderstanding……”

I suddenly inhaled sharply and shouted.

“Your Highness! Wait a moment!”

I widened my eyes and continued loudly.

“Let’s revisit the moment when the escort formation was breached.”

Both Kiaros and the aide looked at me blankly.

“That Ministry of Justice official was facing southeast and shouted clearly, ‘Aaaagh! Here! Over here! 3 o’clock direction! They’re here!’ At that moment, out of five escort knights who were facing west, three rushed toward that direction. But that ‘3 o’clock direction’ was based on his own perspective, not the knights’ reference point. However, ordinary civilians under sudden attack don’t usually have the spatial awareness to instantly convert directional references to someone else’s viewpoint. He wasn’t professionally trained either, and it wasn’t related to his usual work.”

The aide’s mouth slowly fell open as he listened.

“My goodness… so logically, with absolutely no room for misunderstanding……”