TESPS 08

Chapter 8

“Are you Vice Director Tessa Harrington?”

It was common for local lords to drag Imperial officials on vacation into work.

Of course, since I was now a Vice Director instead of a low-ranking official, they could not force me as easily, but I hated getting caught up in troublesome matters.

‘I should pretend not to know anything as much as possible.’

Without even lifting my head, I answered dryly.

“You’ve got the wrong person.”

“We know you are the Vice Director.”

What?

Was there even anything important enough to call for the Vice Director of the Child Protection Bureau?

Left with no choice, I lifted my head.

A soldier in a perfectly pressed uniform was looking down at me with an expressionless face.

‘I didn’t expect this.’

Not a minor noble, but a soldier?

That changed things a little.

‘It can’t be the Grand Duke.’

Under Imperial law, private armies were strictly forbidden.

Of course, the Grand Duchy possessed a military because it was an autonomous territory, but their soldiers could never leave the North in military status.

So it obviously was not a local lord either.

The one calling for me had to be a high-ranking officer of the Imperial Army.

“Please come with me. The Commander is waiting.”

I did not stand up.

“Tell me which division you belong to first.”

“I cannot reveal that.”

“Then I’m not going.”

“If you continue refusing, we’ll have no choice but to arrest you.”

I scoffed.

The so-called “Commander” this man mentioned was probably at most the same rank as me—or maybe even lower.

“Under what authority?”

“……”

Instead of answering, the soldier pulled out a document from his coat and showed it to me.

‘You’ve got to be kidding.’

My body froze instantly.

I recognized this handwriting.

A bizarre and complicated handwriting style so impossible to imitate that anyone who forged it would pay with their life.

It was none other than the Emperor’s own handwriting.

An unlimited arrest warrant.

The kind that, theoretically, could even arrest high-ranking nobles.

So what chance would a commoner like me have?

I slowly stood up.

Looking closer at the soldier again, I noticed he wore no insignia showing rank, but it was obvious he held a high position.

And the “Commander” he mentioned was probably—

I bit my lip.

‘…The Army Commander.’

Only someone at that level would be granted unlimited arrest authority.

‘But why…? Wait.’

A terrifying thought suddenly crossed my mind, and my blood ran cold.

Could Grand Duke Kardicha’s plans have been discovered, and was I being accused of treason simply because I had recently become acquainted with him?

My head started spinning, but the soldier gave me no more time to think.

“We were ordered to escort you respectfully, Vice Director.”

“……”

After hearing that half-threat, I silently followed him.

The soldier placed me into a carriage already waiting outside, and after riding for dozens of minutes, we stopped in front of an ordinary-looking inn.

And the person who greeted me inside the empty inn was—

“Long time no see, Tessa.”

So this was what it felt like for your eyes to nearly pop out of your head.

I completely lost the ability to speak and could only stare.

Short black hair cut like a proper soldier’s.

Amber-colored eyes shining beneath it.

A sharply defined nose and jawline that made his presence overwhelming.

A man who gave off both a powerful and strangely lazy atmosphere, like a charming black panther with glossy fur.

His identity was—

Kain Inkaris, Commander-in-Chief of the Empire.

And why was someone like him acting familiar with me?

Because Kain and I were classmates at the Academy.

Even after I graduated first, we had never contacted each other again.

“Sorry for bringing you here like this. I couldn’t let people know I was here.”

“……Are you insane, Kain?”

I finally regained my senses enough to speak.

“You threatened someone and dragged them here. So after sitting in the Commander-in-Chief position for a while, you became exactly the kind of shallow person you hated?”

Kain did not even blink.

“Your personality really hasn’t changed. Still, you seem to be doing better than expected. Vice Director, huh? You’ve become successful.”

“……”

Naturally, I did not tell him it was basically a demotion.

Kain Inkaris resembled a great white shark.

If you showed him weakness carelessly, he would bite.

“As you can see, I’m doing quite well.”

“That’s good.”

Kain tilted his head slightly.

“I worried about you a lot. After we… separated like that.”

To make things clear, Kain was absolutely not my ex-boyfriend.

We had simply been somewhat close, then naturally drifted apart.

Still, to outsiders, those words were more than enough to cause misunderstandings.

‘Good thing nobody here knows us.’

…Though his subordinates’ eyes had widened quite a bit.

Still, military officers and Imperial officials rarely associated with each other, so it would probably be fine.

“I’m busy, so just get to the point.”

“You don’t look busy at all.”

“Compared to you, everything looks less busy.”

And there was no moment more urgent than reading an interesting mystery novel.

Especially when the culprit was about to be revealed.

Fortunately, Kain quickly got to the point.

“I need an heir, Tessa. Can you recommend a suitable child?”

…Was this bastard out of his mind?

And why was he asking me that?

If it had been another noble, I would have thought carefully before speaking.

But this was Kain Inkaris.

There was no need to watch my mouth.

Twisting my lips, I immediately shot back,

“Why are you asking me?”

If he wanted to adopt a child, the normal thing would be to visit an orphanage.

And if he wanted a talented successor, he could just scout someone from the Academy.

As though reading my thoughts, Kain rejected both ideas.

“I can’t search through every orphanage in the capital myself. And if I visited the Academy, it would cause a huge commotion. So I figured asking you for help would be best.”

Then he added casually,

“You’re the Vice Director of the Child Protection Bureau, aren’t you?”

No, what did that have to do with recommending an heir?

And this bastard clearly knew I’d been demoted too!

I rejected him immediately.

“No. I don’t have anyone to recommend.”

“Please, Tessaaa……”

Just look at him dragging out my name.

I pressed a hand against my forehead.

“Why do you suddenly need an heir anyway? You’re still young. If you got married now and had children, you’d have a proper heir soon enough.”

Surprisingly, the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Empire was hereditary.

Otherwise, there was no way someone as young as Kain could hold that position.

The Army Commander and Navy Commander handled the actual work, while the Commander-in-Chief mostly served as a symbolic figure showing off a handsome face.

Of course, someone completely incompetent could never hold the role.

And regardless of how much I disliked Kain, his abilities were outstanding enough that rumors about him holding real power had even reached the distant Ministry of Finance.

“…That’s exactly the problem.”

Kain sighed.

“Both my father and mother keep pressuring me to marry.”

Oh.

A wrinkle formed between my brows automatically.

Kain’s parents were…

Certainly capable people, but absolutely not ideal in-laws.

“Even if I don’t have anyone I like, they keep saying I need to marry for the sake of an heir. So if I bring home a successor, the marriage talk should stop.”

So because he didn’t want to get married, he planned to raise a child instead?

Was this man completely insane?

“You want to raise a child for a reason like that?”

“Yeah.”

Kain nodded.

“Can’t I? Or would you marry me instead, Tessa? I wouldn’t mind if it were you.”

Hey, I would mind!