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Chapter 02
Opening the warping, decaying wooden door, air colder than the outdoors in midwinter hit the tip of my nose.
‘This is supposed to be the Imperial Palace… Did they completely fail to get a heating budget?’
The inside was even more of a spectacle. It was no different from a storage room where all kinds of junk were tangled together, with zero trace of anyone managing the place.
‘Did I come to the right place?’
Just as I was agonizing over whether to walk out or not—
“Zzzz, zzzz, snore…”
A faint sound of snoring carried over.
Stepping carefully inside, I found a weary, aging middle-aged man sound asleep beyond the clutter.
‘Samuel McGuffin, Director of the Child Protection Bureau.’
That was the name written on the nameplate perched on the desk.
“…Director.”
The moment I spoke in a clear, distinct voice, Director McGuffin snapped awake in surprise.
“Who… Ah.”
A look of realization washed over his face.
“The new Deputy Director. Is your name Tessa?”
“Yes, I’m Tessa Harrington. But… did you say Deputy Director?” I immediately asked back.
Deputy Director? At my seniority level, making team lead was pushing it. But jumping straight past team lead and department head to Deputy Director?
“Yeah, a consideration so you can hold a decent title before you leave.”
“…”
No further explanation was needed.
‘Basically telling me to know my place and crawl out on my own.’
It was a trick so petty it almost made me laugh.
“For your information, it’s just you and me here. Once you leave soon, it’ll be just me again.”
I took a look around the office. So this clutter-filled storage space was supposed to be the office?
“You should be grateful. Until I secured even this place, I had to work out of the restroom.”
“…How long did my predecessor last before leaving?”
McGuffin fell into thought for a moment.
“It was last summer… Hm, a month? No, about three weeks. They lasted pretty long. Usually, people walk out after a week.”
It was completely understandable. Even I felt the sudden urge to quit right this second.
With my experience and intellect, I could easily land a job at a large merchant guild, couldn’t I?
However, voluntary resignation wasn’t in my dictionary.
‘Let’s see who wins, you or me.’
Quitting like this would mean admitting defeat. I wanted to hold out until the very end, no matter what.
“What are my duties?”
“That.”
McGuffin gestured with his chin toward a stack of documents. Seeing the messy pile of loose papers—not even neatly organized—already gave me a tight chest.
“Just stamp whatever haphazardly and rest.” McGuffin said with a yawn. “Ah, don’t wander outside, though. If you get caught taking a stroll, you’ll be disciplined for neglect of duty.”
In short, once you entered the Child Protection Bureau, you were bound to quit, whether by choice or force.
‘As if I’d let that happen.’
I immediately moved the stack of documents to my desk, rubbed my freezing hands together, and began checking them one by one.
‘…There really isn’t much to these.’
I had thought it would be a department helping the empire’s children and youth, fitting its grand name of Child Protection Bureau, but it was quite the opposite.
Budget proposals for local festivals, clothing designs for imperial servants—useless documents where it made zero difference who stamped them. It seemed that undesirable paperwork kept getting passed around until it ended up here, a place in no position to refuse.
So, was I angry?
Not at all.
‘Turning my brain off, stamping papers, and leaving right on the dot? Isn’t this an absolute dream gig?’
If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it. I quickly scanned through the documents and began stamping them with light, rhythmic motions.
A week passed.
The scenario my former colleagues at the Ministry of Finance were probably anticipating—”a furious Tessa Harrington submitting her resignation”—never happened.
Aside from being a bit chilly and feeling absolutely zero job satisfaction, it was a pretty decent gig. It was vastly better than being chewed out every single day at the Ministry of Finance.
Just as I was getting used to my new routine—
“We’ve got work, Deputy Director.”
Director McGuffin pinched an invitation emblazoned with the crest of the Duchy of Beyretz between his index and middle fingers, shaking it demonstratively.
I stared blankly at the invitation. What did that have to do with me?
“Most regrettably, I am busy on this day. You’ll have to attend in my place.”
…What did I just hear?
“Are you referring to me?”
McGuffin narrowed his eyes at me. “Is there anyone else here?”
“…No.”
“Then the Deputy Director goes.”
“However, I have never attended a ball before.”
A ball was a playground for nobles. Nothing good would come out of me going.
“Just go, fill a seat, and slip away when appropriate. All we need is a record showing we attended.”
Did I wear my reluctance too visibly on my face? McGuffin’s eyebrows twitched.
“Don’t want to? If you don’t like it, feel free to quit.”
“…”
“It’s an order, Deputy Director.”
That was that.
My first official mission as an official of the Child Protection Bureau… was to attend a ducal ball, something that had absolutely nothing to do with protecting suffering children.
The Duchy of Beyretz was even grander and more luxurious than expected. Even I, accustomed to the Imperial Palace, couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
Fitting for a legendary magic family that produced the next Duke and the youngest Master of the Magic Tower in history, Fabian Beyretz, every inch of space was decorated with intricate magic.
However, there was no time to marvel.
‘Just as I thought.’
As expected, Director McGuffin wasn’t the only one invited. Various other department heads were invited as well—including the Minister of Finance, the very man eager to skin me alive.
Although we had never conversed properly, there was a high chance he would recognize me. I had been quite the celebrity back in the Ministry of Finance.
‘I should just kill time out on the balcony.’
An attendant was continuously logging the arrivals and departures of guests. If I entered and immediately left, I might get called out for it later.
Just as I was about to head toward the balcony—
A booming voice announced the arrival of distinguished guests.
“Presenting Grand Duke Achilles of Karditza and his sister, Lady Melissa!”
The attendant’s voice echoed throughout the entire ballroom, and the crowd simultaneously stirred.
I was no exception.
‘That Grand Duke Karditza has come to the capital?’
Wielding power no different from a king within the autonomous Northern Territory, the Grand Duke of Karditza was the second most powerful figure in the entire empire, second only to the Emperor.
‘I heard he rarely leaves the North… To bring his younger sister all the way to the capital.’
The moment I craned my neck out of curiosity—
‘…Holy crap.’
Anyone with eyes had no choice but to be overwhelmed by his presence.
With an inhuman beauty sharp as a chilly blade, goosebumps broke out all over my skin as if cold steel had touched the back of my neck.
Beneath silver hair cascading like poured moonlight were sculpted features without a single flaw… and purple eyes glistening with a cold light that seemed to pierce right through a person.
Instinctively, I knew.
This man is dangerous. My best bet is to avoid getting involved with him in any way possible.
‘Whatever novel this is… he’s definitely a central character.’
Male lead, second male lead, or the mastermind. He possessed the looks and aura to be any one of them.
‘Well, it has nothing to do with me.’
One would need to be at least at the level of the Minister of Finance to even greet the Grand Duke. Which meant to the Grand Duke, I was less than a stray dog.
My gaze soon shifted to the girl with trailing silver hair, Lady Melissa.
‘There’s quite an age gap.’
The Grand Duke looked to be in his mid-twenties, while the young lady appeared to be barely around ten years old.
Whispers from the surroundings began to drift over.
“Did you say Lady Melissa? That Lady Melissa? The one rumored to be an illegitimate child born of the late Grand Duchess…?”
“Hush, how can you say such a thing? It’s best not to say anything that could make an enemy of the Grand Duke.”
“Still, everyone who knows knows.”
I swallowed a sigh.
Conversations among nobles were truly the essence of shallow gossip. As if any of them could utter a single word in front of the Grand Duke himself.
Just then—
Clatter-crash!
The loud sound of glass shattering rang out.
“Melissa!”
Simultaneously, someone shouted the young lady’s name loudly.
Everyone’s heads turned automatically toward the direction of the commotion.
“Sob, sob… waaaah.”
Right in front of Lady Melissa, who was sniffling loudly, a massive glass craft bearing the obvious marks of master craftsmanship lay smashed to pieces.
“I-I’m sowwy…”
“…Melissa.”
Grand Duke Karditza let out a sigh audible to everyone around.
The Grand Duke’s sculpted face was deeply lined with a shadow of weariness that didn’t suit his youth and striking beauty.
How should I put it? He had the face of a parent utterly exhausted from child-rearing.
“I honestly don’t know what to do with you anymore.”
