Don’t Pick Up The Trash Once Thrown Away

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Ko - fi & Pateron

Table of Contents

  • 1. Chapter 1. The Fiancé Is Back
  • 2. Chapter 2. Another Woman
  • 3. Chapter 3
  • 4. Chapter 4
  • 5. Chapter 5
  • 6. Chapter 6
  • 7. Chapter 7
  • 8. Chapter 8
  • 9. Chapter 9
  • 10. Chapter 10
  • 11. Chapter 11
  • 12. Chapter 12
  • 13. Chapter 13
  • 14. Chapter 14
  • 15. Chapter 15
  • 16. Chapter 16
  • 17. Chapter 17
  • 18. Chapter 18
  • 19. Chapter 19
  • 20. Chapter 20
  • 21. Chapter 21
  • 22. Chapter 22
  • 23. Chapter 23
  • 24. Chapter 24
  • 25. Chapter 25
  • 26. Chapter 26
  • 27. Chapter 27
  • 28. Chapter 28
  • 29. Chapter 29
  • 30. Chapter 30
  • 31. Chapter 31
  • 32. Chapter 32
  • 33. Chapter 33
  • 34. Chapter 34
  • 35. Chapter 35
  • 36. Chapter 36
  • 37. Chapter 37
  • 38. Chapter 38
  • 39. Chapter 39
  • 40. Chapter 40
  • 41. Chapter 41
  • 42. Chapter 42
  • 43. Chapter 43
  • 44. Chapter 44
  • 45. Chapter 45
  • 46. Chapter 46
  • 47. Chapter 47
  • 48. Chapter 48
  • 49. Chapter 49
  • 50. Chapter 50
  • 51. Chapter 51
  • 52. Chapter 52
  • 53. Chapter 53
  • 54. Chapter 54
  • 55. Chapter 55
  • 56. Chapter 56
  • 57. Chapter 57
  • 58. Chapter 58
  • 59. Chapter 59
  • 60. Chapter 60
  • 61. Chapter 61
  • 62. Chapter 62
  • 63. Chapter 63
  • 64. Chapter 64
  • 65. Chapter 65
  • 66. Chapter 66
  • 67. Chapter 67
  • 68. Chapter 68
  • 69. Chapter 69
  • 70. Chapter 70
  • 71. Chapter 71
  • 72. Chapter 72
  • 73. Chapter 73
  • 74. Chapter 74
  • 75. Chapter 75
  • 76. Chapter 76
  • 77. Chapter 77
  • 78. Chapter 78
  • 79. Chapter 79
  • 80. Chapter 80
  • 81. Chapter 81
  • 82. Chapter 82
  • 83. Chapter 83
  • 84. Chapter 84
  • 85. Chapter 85
  • 86. Chapter 86
  • 87. Chapter 87
  • 88. Chapter 88
  • 89. Chapter 89
  • 90. Chapter 90
  • 91. Chapter 91
  • 92. Chapter 92
  • 93. Chapter 93
  • 94. Chapter 94
  • 95. Chapter 95
  • 96. Chapter 96. The Trash Is In The Trash Can.
  • 97. Chapter 97
  • 98. Chapter 98
  • 99. Chapter 99
  • 100. Chapter 100
  • 101. Chapter 101
  • 102. Chapter 102
  • 103. Chapter 103
  • 104. Chapter 104
  • 105. Chapter 105
  • 106. Chapter 106
  • 107. Chapter 107
  • 108. Chapter 108
  • 109. Chapter 109
  • 110. Chapter 110
  • 111. Chapter 111
  • 112. Chapter 112
  • 113. Chapter 113
  • 114. Chapter 114
  • 115. Chapter 115
  • 116. Chapter 116
  • 117. Chapter 117
  • 118. Chapter 118
  • 119. Chapter 119
  • 120. Chapter 120
  • 121. Chapter 121
  • 122. Chapter 122
  • 123. Chapter 123
  • 124. Chapter 124
  • 125. Chapter 125
  • 126. Chapter 126
  • 127. Chapter 127
  • 128. Chapter 128
  • 129. Chapter 129
  • 130. Chapter 130
  • 131. Chapter 131
  • 132. Chapter 132
  • 133. Chapter 133
  • 134. Chapter 134
  • 135. Chapter 135
  • 136. Chapter 136
  • 137. Chapter 137
  • 138. Chapter 138
  • 139. Chapter 139
  • 140. Chapter 140
  • 141. Chapter 141
  • 142. Chapter 142
  • 143. Chapter 143
  • 144. Chapter 144
  • 145. Chapter 145
  • 146. Chapter 146
  • 147. Chapter 147
  • 148. Chapter 148
  • 149. Chapter 149
  • 150. Chapter 150
  • 151. Chapter 151
  • 152. Chapter 152
  • 153. Chapter 153
  • 154. Chapter 154
  • 155. Chapter 155
  • 156. Chapter 156
  • 157. Chapter 157
  • 158. Chapter 158
  • 159. Chapter 159
  • 160. Chapter 160
  • 161. Chapter 161
  • 162. Chapter 162
  • 163. Chapter 163
  • 164. Chapter 164
  • 165. Chapter 165
  • 166. Chapter 166
  • 167. Chapter 167
  • 168. Chapter 168

Chapter 1. The fiancé is back

 

***

 


A desperate familiar voice could be heard through the half-closed door.

 

“Please wait a minute!”

 

This voice…

 

Kalian, who was about to go back, stopped on the spot. His head turned on its own.

 

Ver, who confirmed Kalian’s reaction, gestured. 

 

“Open the door again.”

 

The huge half-closed stone door opened again.

 

After a while, a woman in a slightly messy dress rushed into the stone door.

 

Her hair, which was not properly groomed, was a mess, and her dress was also shabby.

 

“Haa haa.”

 

Perhaps the woman had run in a hurry, she stood still and caught her breath for a moment.

 

“Thank, you.”

 

In the meantime, it was funny seeing her not forget to say thank you to the servants.

 

Everyone in the test hall, including Kalian, looked at the woman.

 

Except for Kalian and Ver, most of them thought she was just a woman who came here for a business. 

 

They didn’t think she was an examinee for the official test like they were.

 

That’s because there’s no precedent for a woman to become an official of the empire.

 

Besides, it’s not a short-term job, but an aide to the emperor. 

 

A woman in such an important position?

 

It was ridiculous. It couldn’t have happened.

 

In the midst of everyone’s murmuring, Kalian glanced at Ver.

 

Ver, who knew what Kalian wanted, sighed quietly and approached the woman.

 

The woman, who was catching her breath with her upper body bent slightly, straightened her back as Ver approached.

 

Her outfit was a bit shabby and messy, but the dignity that couldn’t be hidden flowed out from the woman.

 

It was just eye contact, but he thought that he shouldn’t dare to treat her recklessly.

 

As expected, a noble is a noble. 

 

Ver placed his hand on his chest and greeted her politely.

 

“My name is Ver Delrond. You are Lady Leila Thebesa, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

When the woman, Leila, answered, the people murmured once again.

 

Philen Williot’s fiancée. 

 

The woman who will soon become Duchess Williot.

 

The daughter of Count Thebesa.

 

…and the illegitimate child of Count Thebesa.

 

BANG-

 

“…!” 

 

The people, who were murmuring as they looked at Leila, turned to look at Kalian in surprise when he slammed the table hard.

 

“Noisy.”

 

Kalian, who was seated on the highest seat, looked at the people as sharp as a well-forged blade.

 

The people hurriedly lowered their eyes for fear of making eye contact with Kalian.

 

“It’s already past the test time, so everyone shut up.”

 

Everyone shut their mouths at once as if cold water had been poured by Kalian’s words.

 

Even the supervisors stood still with their mouths shut, but there were only two people moving.

 

“Umm, is it too late for me to take the test?”

 

One was Leila. 

 

“No way.”

 

The other was Ver.

 

“Number 172.”

 

He smiled brightly and handed the test identification slip to Leila Thebesa.

 

“The test has to begin now. So please take a seat, Lady Leila Thebesa.”

 

*****

 

The fact that Leila took the official test spread through the people’s mouths even before the test was over.

 

Each person said different things, but the context was the same.

 

They thought it was ridiculous for Leila to take the official test.

 

And wouldn’t that lady soon become a Duchess?

 

Why would she take the official test?

 

She wouldn’t be able to pass it anyway.

 

Without proper education, it was impossible for a lady to pass the official test.

 

Moreover, they said that this test had the highest difficulty ever.

 

Even Raymond Logan, who was known for being a genius, shook his head when he saw the test questions. 

 

That’s why people were convinced that Leila wouldn’t be able to pass the test.

 

No one expected Leila to pass the test as the top.

 

Even Kalian. 

 

*****

 

“The top?”

 

Kalian asked Ver, in a daze.

 

“Lady Thebesa as the top?”

 

Ver expressed his affirmation in silence. He, too, was very perplexed.

 

From the moment he heard that Raymond Logan was taking the official test, Ver knew he would be on the top.

 

It was the same with Kalian.

 

The official test was held to officially recruit Leila, but Raymond Logan’s application was unexpected.

 

He never expected Logan to apply for the official test when he gave his resignation letter.

 

So, he was worried about what to do, but Leila took the top spot, beating Raymond Logan.

 

“Isn’t something wrong?”

 

“This is the Lady’s answer sheet.”

 

It’s better to show it directly than to explain it verbally.

 

Ver showed Kalian the answer sheet, which scholars praised so much that made their mouths dry.

 

How on earth did she write her answer so well that scholars scored her higher than Raymond Logan?

 

He was very curious. Kalian perused the answer sheet silently.

 

After a while, 

 

“…well written.”

 

After reading it carefully, Kalian briefly expressed what he thought.

 

If other people heard it, they would say it was an indifferent evaluation, but this was the highest compliment that Kalian could give.

 

Even Ver, who had been working with him for a long time, had rarely heard compliments with ‘well’.

 

Most of them ended with ‘good job’.

 

“Very well written.”  

 

However, he gave that compliment not once, but twice, even to the point of ‘very’, but Ver wasn’t surprised at all and nodded calmly.

 

Leila’s answer was perfect, even in his eyes.

 

If you write a long sentence in a short period of time, the second half usually falls apart because of your urgency, but Leila’s answer was all neat.

 

All 7 answers.

 

The answer sheet was so perfectly written, she would be good at filling out the documents.

   

Ver’s eyes twinkled like there’s stars on them.

 

Ver put his hand on Kalian’s desk and leaned his upper body toward him. 

 

“Please give her to me.”

 

“What?”

 

Kalian’s eyebrow tilted obliquely at the words that came out of nowhere.

 

“Lady Thebesa is not a thing.”

 

“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant to ask you to recruit her as an aide as soon as possible. I want to see Lady Thebesa’s work quickly.”

 

“That’s not it. You want to hand over your work quickly.”

 

Kalian smiled and pinched his true intention. Then Ver replied with a nonchalant smile.

 

“That too as well. After all, Your Majesty is going to recruit Lady Thebesa.”

 

“I am, but… will it be okay?”

 

“What?”

 

“The recruited one is Lady Thebesa.”

 

That’s why, what’s wrong with that?

 

Ver blinked as he couldn’t understand what Kalian meant and looked at him.

 

Kalian said in more detail with a subtle face.

 

“Lady Thebesa is a woman.”

 

Ver replied indifferently.

 

“Well, she doesn’t look like a man.”

 

“Until now, women have never been officials of the empire.”

 

Ah, it was because of that.

 

Only then did Ver realize what Kalian was trying to say and replied with a small smile.

 

“I know, right? It’s not prohibited by law, so why hasn’t there been one yet?”

 

His answer was that he didn’t care at all for Leila to become an aide.

 

As expected, it’s good to have him by my side.

  

Kalian stood up, smiling happily.

 

“Where is Lady Thebesa?”

 

“She is waiting outside the palace.”

 

Of course, Leila wasn’t waiting of her own accord.

 

Seeing her answer sheet, Ver knew this would happen and immediately held her back.

 

“His Majesty said that he wanted to see the Lady separately. Please wait for a moment, Lady Thebesa.”

 

To that end, he didn’t hesitate to use Kalian’s name.

 

Well, how is it? It will be true soon anyway. 

 

“I want to see her separately.”

 

See? It is true. 

 

Ver smiled and bowed his head.

 

“Yes.”

 

*****

 

My body trembled slightly as the cold air touched my exposed shoulders and neck.

 

At the hem of the skirt was densely studded with expensive jewels.

 

Don’t tell me, it’s not going to fall, right? 

 

I looked at the jewels with anxious eyes.

 

If it was my dress, I would only feel sorry if I lost the jewels, but I couldn’t help but feel worried because the dress was borrowed from the emperor.

 

According to the maids’ opinion, my original dress was inappropriate for an audience with the emperor, so I had to change into this dress.

 

And before that, my messy hair was washed thoroughly and groomed.

 

I walked carefully with the skirt up in case something dirty got on the dress. 

 

“Welcome, Lady Thebesa.”

 

The person who came to meet me was the man I had met at the test hall.

 

His name had to be Ver Delrond. His title was baron.

 

Even a three-year-old child knew that he was the emperor’s aide.

 

The emperor’s only aide, Ver Delrond, was famous in many ways.

 

Whether in a good sense or in a bad sense. 

 

The most famous thing was ‘his job’.

 

“His Majesty is waiting. Come this way.”

 

At the emperor’s palace, Ver himself, not Sylvia, guided me.

 

After passing through the long corridor decorated with splendor and elegance, we entered the drawing-room. 

 

Kalian was sitting on a red velvet sofa.

 

“Leila Thebesa, I greet the sun of the Empire.”

 

“Come here and sit down.”

 

As I sat across from Kalian, the maid set refreshments on the table.

 

When the maid left, Kalian opened his mouth.

 

“Your appearance has cleaned up.” 

 

“Ah.” 

 

My ears blushed and I bowed my head.

 

“I apologize. I didn’t intend to come to the test hall like that, but somehow…”

 

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you smell or not.”

 

Kalian smiled mischievously.

 

“Seeing that appearance, I can see something must have happened.”

 

I expressed my affirmation in silence. 

 

Kalian leaned leisurely on the sofa and asked.

 

“May I ask what happened?”

 

What should I do? Should I tell him? 

 

I thought about it because it wasn’t a very pleasant story, but I slowly opened my mouth.

 

***

*Not accepting kofi at this time

chapter 2. Another woman

 

***

 


A desperate familiar voice could be heard through the half-closed door.

 

“Please wait a minute!”

 

This voice…

 

Kalian, who was about to go back, stopped on the spot. His head turned on its own.

 

Ver, who confirmed Kalian’s reaction, gestured. 

 

“Open the door again.”

 

The huge half-closed stone door opened again.

 

After a while, a woman in a slightly messy dress rushed into the stone door.

 

Her hair, which was not properly groomed, was a mess, and her dress was also shabby.

 

“Haa haa.”

 

Perhaps the woman had run in a hurry, she stood still and caught her breath for a moment.

 

“Thank, you.”

 

In the meantime, it was funny seeing her not forget to say thank you to the servants.

 

Everyone in the test hall, including Kalian, looked at the woman.

 

Except for Kalian and Ver, most of them thought she was just a woman who came here for a business. 

 

They didn’t think she was an examinee for the official test like they were.

 

That’s because there’s no precedent for a woman to become an official of the empire.

 

Besides, it’s not a short-term job, but an aide to the emperor. 

 

A woman in such an important position?

 

It was ridiculous. It couldn’t have happened.

 

In the midst of everyone’s murmuring, Kalian glanced at Ver.

 

Ver, who knew what Kalian wanted, sighed quietly and approached the woman.

 

The woman, who was catching her breath with her upper body bent slightly, straightened her back as Ver approached.

 

Her outfit was a bit shabby and messy, but the dignity that couldn’t be hidden flowed out from the woman.

 

It was just eye contact, but he thought that he shouldn’t dare to treat her recklessly.

 

As expected, a noble is a noble. 

 

Ver placed his hand on his chest and greeted her politely.

 

“My name is Ver Delrond. You are Lady Leila Thebesa, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

When the woman, Leila, answered, the people murmured once again.

 

Philen Williot’s fiancée. 

 

The woman who will soon become Duchess Williot.

 

The daughter of Count Thebesa.

 

…and the illegitimate child of Count Thebesa.

 

BANG-

 

“…!” 

 

The people, who were murmuring as they looked at Leila, turned to look at Kalian in surprise when he slammed the table hard.

 

“Noisy.”

 

Kalian, who was seated on the highest seat, looked at the people as sharp as a well-forged blade.

 

The people hurriedly lowered their eyes for fear of making eye contact with Kalian.

 

“It’s already past the test time, so everyone shut up.”

 

Everyone shut their mouths at once as if cold water had been poured by Kalian’s words.

 

Even the supervisors stood still with their mouths shut, but there were only two people moving.

 

“Umm, is it too late for me to take the test?”

 

One was Leila. 

 

“No way.”

 

The other was Ver.

 

“Number 172.”

 

He smiled brightly and handed the test identification slip to Leila Thebesa.

 

“The test has to begin now. So please take a seat, Lady Leila Thebesa.”

 

*****

 

The fact that Leila took the official test spread through the people’s mouths even before the test was over.

 

Each person said different things, but the context was the same.

 

They thought it was ridiculous for Leila to take the official test.

 

And wouldn’t that lady soon become a Duchess?

 

Why would she take the official test?

 

She wouldn’t be able to pass it anyway.

 

Without proper education, it was impossible for a lady to pass the official test.

 

Moreover, they said that this test had the highest difficulty ever.

 

Even Raymond Logan, who was known for being a genius, shook his head when he saw the test questions. 

 

That’s why people were convinced that Leila wouldn’t be able to pass the test.

 

No one expected Leila to pass the test as the top.

 

Even Kalian. 

 

*****

 

“The top?”

 

Kalian asked Ver, in a daze.

 

“Lady Thebesa as the top?”

 

Ver expressed his affirmation in silence. He, too, was very perplexed.

 

From the moment he heard that Raymond Logan was taking the official test, Ver knew he would be on the top.

 

It was the same with Kalian.

 

The official test was held to officially recruit Leila, but Raymond Logan’s application was unexpected.

 

He never expected Logan to apply for the official test when he gave his resignation letter.

 

So, he was worried about what to do, but Leila took the top spot, beating Raymond Logan.

 

“Isn’t something wrong?”

 

“This is the Lady’s answer sheet.”

 

It’s better to show it directly than to explain it verbally.

 

Ver showed Kalian the answer sheet, which scholars praised so much that made their mouths dry.

 

How on earth did she write her answer so well that scholars scored her higher than Raymond Logan?

 

He was very curious. Kalian perused the answer sheet silently.

 

After a while, 

 

“…well written.”

 

After reading it carefully, Kalian briefly expressed what he thought.

 

If other people heard it, they would say it was an indifferent evaluation, but this was the highest compliment that Kalian could give.

 

Even Ver, who had been working with him for a long time, had rarely heard compliments with ‘well’.

 

Most of them ended with ‘good job’.

 

“Very well written.”  

 

However, he gave that compliment not once, but twice, even to the point of ‘very’, but Ver wasn’t surprised at all and nodded calmly.

 

Leila’s answer was perfect, even in his eyes.

 

If you write a long sentence in a short period of time, the second half usually falls apart because of your urgency, but Leila’s answer was all neat.

 

All 7 answers.

 

The answer sheet was so perfectly written, she would be good at filling out the documents.

   

Ver’s eyes twinkled like there’s stars on them.

 

Ver put his hand on Kalian’s desk and leaned his upper body toward him. 

 

“Please give her to me.”

 

“What?”

 

Kalian’s eyebrow tilted obliquely at the words that came out of nowhere.

 

“Lady Thebesa is not a thing.”

 

“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant to ask you to recruit her as an aide as soon as possible. I want to see Lady Thebesa’s work quickly.”

 

“That’s not it. You want to hand over your work quickly.”

 

Kalian smiled and pinched his true intention. Then Ver replied with a nonchalant smile.

 

“That too as well. After all, Your Majesty is going to recruit Lady Thebesa.”

 

“I am, but… will it be okay?”

 

“What?”

 

“The recruited one is Lady Thebesa.”

 

That’s why, what’s wrong with that?

 

Ver blinked as he couldn’t understand what Kalian meant and looked at him.

 

Kalian said in more detail with a subtle face.

 

“Lady Thebesa is a woman.”

 

Ver replied indifferently.

 

“Well, she doesn’t look like a man.”

 

“Until now, women have never been officials of the empire.”

 

Ah, it was because of that.

 

Only then did Ver realize what Kalian was trying to say and replied with a small smile.

 

“I know, right? It’s not prohibited by law, so why hasn’t there been one yet?”

 

His answer was that he didn’t care at all for Leila to become an aide.

 

As expected, it’s good to have him by my side.

  

Kalian stood up, smiling happily.

 

“Where is Lady Thebesa?”

 

“She is waiting outside the palace.”

 

Of course, Leila wasn’t waiting of her own accord.

 

Seeing her answer sheet, Ver knew this would happen and immediately held her back.

 

“His Majesty said that he wanted to see the Lady separately. Please wait for a moment, Lady Thebesa.”

 

To that end, he didn’t hesitate to use Kalian’s name.

 

Well, how is it? It will be true soon anyway. 

 

“I want to see her separately.”

 

See? It is true. 

 

Ver smiled and bowed his head.

 

“Yes.”

 

*****

 

My body trembled slightly as the cold air touched my exposed shoulders and neck.

 

At the hem of the skirt was densely studded with expensive jewels.

 

Don’t tell me, it’s not going to fall, right? 

 

I looked at the jewels with anxious eyes.

 

If it was my dress, I would only feel sorry if I lost the jewels, but I couldn’t help but feel worried because the dress was borrowed from the emperor.

 

According to the maids’ opinion, my original dress was inappropriate for an audience with the emperor, so I had to change into this dress.

 

And before that, my messy hair was washed thoroughly and groomed.

 

I walked carefully with the skirt up in case something dirty got on the dress. 

 

“Welcome, Lady Thebesa.”

 

The person who came to meet me was the man I had met at the test hall.

 

His name had to be Ver Delrond. His title was baron.

 

Even a three-year-old child knew that he was the emperor’s aide.

 

The emperor’s only aide, Ver Delrond, was famous in many ways.

 

Whether in a good sense or in a bad sense. 

 

The most famous thing was ‘his job’.

 

“His Majesty is waiting. Come this way.”

 

At the emperor’s palace, Ver himself, not Sylvia, guided me.

 

After passing through the long corridor decorated with splendor and elegance, we entered the drawing-room. 

 

Kalian was sitting on a red velvet sofa.

 

“Leila Thebesa, I greet the sun of the Empire.”

 

“Come here and sit down.”

 

As I sat across from Kalian, the maid set refreshments on the table.

 

When the maid left, Kalian opened his mouth.

 

“Your appearance has cleaned up.” 

 

“Ah.” 

 

My ears blushed and I bowed my head.

 

“I apologize. I didn’t intend to come to the test hall like that, but somehow…”

 

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you smell or not.”

 

Kalian smiled mischievously.

 

“Seeing that appearance, I can see something must have happened.”

 

I expressed my affirmation in silence. 

 

Kalian leaned leisurely on the sofa and asked.

 

“May I ask what happened?”

 

What should I do? Should I tell him? 

 

I thought about it because it wasn’t a very pleasant story, but I slowly opened my mouth.

 

***

*Not accepting kofi at this time

Chapter 3

 

***

 


A desperate familiar voice could be heard through the half-closed door.

 

“Please wait a minute!”

 

This voice…

 

Kalian, who was about to go back, stopped on the spot. His head turned on its own.

 

Ver, who confirmed Kalian’s reaction, gestured. 

 

“Open the door again.”

 

The huge half-closed stone door opened again.

 

After a while, a woman in a slightly messy dress rushed into the stone door.

 

Her hair, which was not properly groomed, was a mess, and her dress was also shabby.

 

“Haa haa.”

 

Perhaps the woman had run in a hurry, she stood still and caught her breath for a moment.

 

“Thank, you.”

 

In the meantime, it was funny seeing her not forget to say thank you to the servants.

 

Everyone in the test hall, including Kalian, looked at the woman.

 

Except for Kalian and Ver, most of them thought she was just a woman who came here for a business. 

 

They didn’t think she was an examinee for the official test like they were.

 

That’s because there’s no precedent for a woman to become an official of the empire.

 

Besides, it’s not a short-term job, but an aide to the emperor. 

 

A woman in such an important position?

 

It was ridiculous. It couldn’t have happened.

 

In the midst of everyone’s murmuring, Kalian glanced at Ver.

 

Ver, who knew what Kalian wanted, sighed quietly and approached the woman.

 

The woman, who was catching her breath with her upper body bent slightly, straightened her back as Ver approached.

 

Her outfit was a bit shabby and messy, but the dignity that couldn’t be hidden flowed out from the woman.

 

It was just eye contact, but he thought that he shouldn’t dare to treat her recklessly.

 

As expected, a noble is a noble. 

 

Ver placed his hand on his chest and greeted her politely.

 

“My name is Ver Delrond. You are Lady Leila Thebesa, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

When the woman, Leila, answered, the people murmured once again.

 

Philen Williot’s fiancée. 

 

The woman who will soon become Duchess Williot.

 

The daughter of Count Thebesa.

 

…and the illegitimate child of Count Thebesa.

 

BANG-

 

“…!” 

 

The people, who were murmuring as they looked at Leila, turned to look at Kalian in surprise when he slammed the table hard.

 

“Noisy.”

 

Kalian, who was seated on the highest seat, looked at the people as sharp as a well-forged blade.

 

The people hurriedly lowered their eyes for fear of making eye contact with Kalian.

 

“It’s already past the test time, so everyone shut up.”

 

Everyone shut their mouths at once as if cold water had been poured by Kalian’s words.

 

Even the supervisors stood still with their mouths shut, but there were only two people moving.

 

“Umm, is it too late for me to take the test?”

 

One was Leila. 

 

“No way.”

 

The other was Ver.

 

“Number 172.”

 

He smiled brightly and handed the test identification slip to Leila Thebesa.

 

“The test has to begin now. So please take a seat, Lady Leila Thebesa.”

 

*****

 

The fact that Leila took the official test spread through the people’s mouths even before the test was over.

 

Each person said different things, but the context was the same.

 

They thought it was ridiculous for Leila to take the official test.

 

And wouldn’t that lady soon become a Duchess?

 

Why would she take the official test?

 

She wouldn’t be able to pass it anyway.

 

Without proper education, it was impossible for a lady to pass the official test.

 

Moreover, they said that this test had the highest difficulty ever.

 

Even Raymond Logan, who was known for being a genius, shook his head when he saw the test questions. 

 

That’s why people were convinced that Leila wouldn’t be able to pass the test.

 

No one expected Leila to pass the test as the top.

 

Even Kalian. 

 

*****

 

“The top?”

 

Kalian asked Ver, in a daze.

 

“Lady Thebesa as the top?”

 

Ver expressed his affirmation in silence. He, too, was very perplexed.

 

From the moment he heard that Raymond Logan was taking the official test, Ver knew he would be on the top.

 

It was the same with Kalian.

 

The official test was held to officially recruit Leila, but Raymond Logan’s application was unexpected.

 

He never expected Logan to apply for the official test when he gave his resignation letter.

 

So, he was worried about what to do, but Leila took the top spot, beating Raymond Logan.

 

“Isn’t something wrong?”

 

“This is the Lady’s answer sheet.”

 

It’s better to show it directly than to explain it verbally.

 

Ver showed Kalian the answer sheet, which scholars praised so much that made their mouths dry.

 

How on earth did she write her answer so well that scholars scored her higher than Raymond Logan?

 

He was very curious. Kalian perused the answer sheet silently.

 

After a while, 

 

“…well written.”

 

After reading it carefully, Kalian briefly expressed what he thought.

 

If other people heard it, they would say it was an indifferent evaluation, but this was the highest compliment that Kalian could give.

 

Even Ver, who had been working with him for a long time, had rarely heard compliments with ‘well’.

 

Most of them ended with ‘good job’.

 

“Very well written.”  

 

However, he gave that compliment not once, but twice, even to the point of ‘very’, but Ver wasn’t surprised at all and nodded calmly.

 

Leila’s answer was perfect, even in his eyes.

 

If you write a long sentence in a short period of time, the second half usually falls apart because of your urgency, but Leila’s answer was all neat.

 

All 7 answers.

 

The answer sheet was so perfectly written, she would be good at filling out the documents.

   

Ver’s eyes twinkled like there’s stars on them.

 

Ver put his hand on Kalian’s desk and leaned his upper body toward him. 

 

“Please give her to me.”

 

“What?”

 

Kalian’s eyebrow tilted obliquely at the words that came out of nowhere.

 

“Lady Thebesa is not a thing.”

 

“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant to ask you to recruit her as an aide as soon as possible. I want to see Lady Thebesa’s work quickly.”

 

“That’s not it. You want to hand over your work quickly.”

 

Kalian smiled and pinched his true intention. Then Ver replied with a nonchalant smile.

 

“That too as well. After all, Your Majesty is going to recruit Lady Thebesa.”

 

“I am, but… will it be okay?”

 

“What?”

 

“The recruited one is Lady Thebesa.”

 

That’s why, what’s wrong with that?

 

Ver blinked as he couldn’t understand what Kalian meant and looked at him.

 

Kalian said in more detail with a subtle face.

 

“Lady Thebesa is a woman.”

 

Ver replied indifferently.

 

“Well, she doesn’t look like a man.”

 

“Until now, women have never been officials of the empire.”

 

Ah, it was because of that.

 

Only then did Ver realize what Kalian was trying to say and replied with a small smile.

 

“I know, right? It’s not prohibited by law, so why hasn’t there been one yet?”

 

His answer was that he didn’t care at all for Leila to become an aide.

 

As expected, it’s good to have him by my side.

  

Kalian stood up, smiling happily.

 

“Where is Lady Thebesa?”

 

“She is waiting outside the palace.”

 

Of course, Leila wasn’t waiting of her own accord.

 

Seeing her answer sheet, Ver knew this would happen and immediately held her back.

 

“His Majesty said that he wanted to see the Lady separately. Please wait for a moment, Lady Thebesa.”

 

To that end, he didn’t hesitate to use Kalian’s name.

 

Well, how is it? It will be true soon anyway. 

 

“I want to see her separately.”

 

See? It is true. 

 

Ver smiled and bowed his head.

 

“Yes.”

 

*****

 

My body trembled slightly as the cold air touched my exposed shoulders and neck.

 

At the hem of the skirt was densely studded with expensive jewels.

 

Don’t tell me, it’s not going to fall, right? 

 

I looked at the jewels with anxious eyes.

 

If it was my dress, I would only feel sorry if I lost the jewels, but I couldn’t help but feel worried because the dress was borrowed from the emperor.

 

According to the maids’ opinion, my original dress was inappropriate for an audience with the emperor, so I had to change into this dress.

 

And before that, my messy hair was washed thoroughly and groomed.

 

I walked carefully with the skirt up in case something dirty got on the dress. 

 

“Welcome, Lady Thebesa.”

 

The person who came to meet me was the man I had met at the test hall.

 

His name had to be Ver Delrond. His title was baron.

 

Even a three-year-old child knew that he was the emperor’s aide.

 

The emperor’s only aide, Ver Delrond, was famous in many ways.

 

Whether in a good sense or in a bad sense. 

 

The most famous thing was ‘his job’.

 

“His Majesty is waiting. Come this way.”

 

At the emperor’s palace, Ver himself, not Sylvia, guided me.

 

After passing through the long corridor decorated with splendor and elegance, we entered the drawing-room. 

 

Kalian was sitting on a red velvet sofa.

 

“Leila Thebesa, I greet the sun of the Empire.”

 

“Come here and sit down.”

 

As I sat across from Kalian, the maid set refreshments on the table.

 

When the maid left, Kalian opened his mouth.

 

“Your appearance has cleaned up.” 

 

“Ah.” 

 

My ears blushed and I bowed my head.

 

“I apologize. I didn’t intend to come to the test hall like that, but somehow…”

 

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you smell or not.”

 

Kalian smiled mischievously.

 

“Seeing that appearance, I can see something must have happened.”

 

I expressed my affirmation in silence. 

 

Kalian leaned leisurely on the sofa and asked.

 

“May I ask what happened?”

 

What should I do? Should I tell him? 

 

I thought about it because it wasn’t a very pleasant story, but I slowly opened my mouth.

 

***

*Not accepting kofi at this time

chapter 4

 

***

 


A desperate familiar voice could be heard through the half-closed door.

 

“Please wait a minute!”

 

This voice…

 

Kalian, who was about to go back, stopped on the spot. His head turned on its own.

 

Ver, who confirmed Kalian’s reaction, gestured. 

 

“Open the door again.”

 

The huge half-closed stone door opened again.

 

After a while, a woman in a slightly messy dress rushed into the stone door.

 

Her hair, which was not properly groomed, was a mess, and her dress was also shabby.

 

“Haa haa.”

 

Perhaps the woman had run in a hurry, she stood still and caught her breath for a moment.

 

“Thank, you.”

 

In the meantime, it was funny seeing her not forget to say thank you to the servants.

 

Everyone in the test hall, including Kalian, looked at the woman.

 

Except for Kalian and Ver, most of them thought she was just a woman who came here for a business. 

 

They didn’t think she was an examinee for the official test like they were.

 

That’s because there’s no precedent for a woman to become an official of the empire.

 

Besides, it’s not a short-term job, but an aide to the emperor. 

 

A woman in such an important position?

 

It was ridiculous. It couldn’t have happened.

 

In the midst of everyone’s murmuring, Kalian glanced at Ver.

 

Ver, who knew what Kalian wanted, sighed quietly and approached the woman.

 

The woman, who was catching her breath with her upper body bent slightly, straightened her back as Ver approached.

 

Her outfit was a bit shabby and messy, but the dignity that couldn’t be hidden flowed out from the woman.

 

It was just eye contact, but he thought that he shouldn’t dare to treat her recklessly.

 

As expected, a noble is a noble. 

 

Ver placed his hand on his chest and greeted her politely.

 

“My name is Ver Delrond. You are Lady Leila Thebesa, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

When the woman, Leila, answered, the people murmured once again.

 

Philen Williot’s fiancée. 

 

The woman who will soon become Duchess Williot.

 

The daughter of Count Thebesa.

 

…and the illegitimate child of Count Thebesa.

 

BANG-

 

“…!” 

 

The people, who were murmuring as they looked at Leila, turned to look at Kalian in surprise when he slammed the table hard.

 

“Noisy.”

 

Kalian, who was seated on the highest seat, looked at the people as sharp as a well-forged blade.

 

The people hurriedly lowered their eyes for fear of making eye contact with Kalian.

 

“It’s already past the test time, so everyone shut up.”

 

Everyone shut their mouths at once as if cold water had been poured by Kalian’s words.

 

Even the supervisors stood still with their mouths shut, but there were only two people moving.

 

“Umm, is it too late for me to take the test?”

 

One was Leila. 

 

“No way.”

 

The other was Ver.

 

“Number 172.”

 

He smiled brightly and handed the test identification slip to Leila Thebesa.

 

“The test has to begin now. So please take a seat, Lady Leila Thebesa.”

 

*****

 

The fact that Leila took the official test spread through the people’s mouths even before the test was over.

 

Each person said different things, but the context was the same.

 

They thought it was ridiculous for Leila to take the official test.

 

And wouldn’t that lady soon become a Duchess?

 

Why would she take the official test?

 

She wouldn’t be able to pass it anyway.

 

Without proper education, it was impossible for a lady to pass the official test.

 

Moreover, they said that this test had the highest difficulty ever.

 

Even Raymond Logan, who was known for being a genius, shook his head when he saw the test questions. 

 

That’s why people were convinced that Leila wouldn’t be able to pass the test.

 

No one expected Leila to pass the test as the top.

 

Even Kalian. 

 

*****

 

“The top?”

 

Kalian asked Ver, in a daze.

 

“Lady Thebesa as the top?”

 

Ver expressed his affirmation in silence. He, too, was very perplexed.

 

From the moment he heard that Raymond Logan was taking the official test, Ver knew he would be on the top.

 

It was the same with Kalian.

 

The official test was held to officially recruit Leila, but Raymond Logan’s application was unexpected.

 

He never expected Logan to apply for the official test when he gave his resignation letter.

 

So, he was worried about what to do, but Leila took the top spot, beating Raymond Logan.

 

“Isn’t something wrong?”

 

“This is the Lady’s answer sheet.”

 

It’s better to show it directly than to explain it verbally.

 

Ver showed Kalian the answer sheet, which scholars praised so much that made their mouths dry.

 

How on earth did she write her answer so well that scholars scored her higher than Raymond Logan?

 

He was very curious. Kalian perused the answer sheet silently.

 

After a while, 

 

“…well written.”

 

After reading it carefully, Kalian briefly expressed what he thought.

 

If other people heard it, they would say it was an indifferent evaluation, but this was the highest compliment that Kalian could give.

 

Even Ver, who had been working with him for a long time, had rarely heard compliments with ‘well’.

 

Most of them ended with ‘good job’.

 

“Very well written.”  

 

However, he gave that compliment not once, but twice, even to the point of ‘very’, but Ver wasn’t surprised at all and nodded calmly.

 

Leila’s answer was perfect, even in his eyes.

 

If you write a long sentence in a short period of time, the second half usually falls apart because of your urgency, but Leila’s answer was all neat.

 

All 7 answers.

 

The answer sheet was so perfectly written, she would be good at filling out the documents.

   

Ver’s eyes twinkled like there’s stars on them.

 

Ver put his hand on Kalian’s desk and leaned his upper body toward him. 

 

“Please give her to me.”

 

“What?”

 

Kalian’s eyebrow tilted obliquely at the words that came out of nowhere.

 

“Lady Thebesa is not a thing.”

 

“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant to ask you to recruit her as an aide as soon as possible. I want to see Lady Thebesa’s work quickly.”

 

“That’s not it. You want to hand over your work quickly.”

 

Kalian smiled and pinched his true intention. Then Ver replied with a nonchalant smile.

 

“That too as well. After all, Your Majesty is going to recruit Lady Thebesa.”

 

“I am, but… will it be okay?”

 

“What?”

 

“The recruited one is Lady Thebesa.”

 

That’s why, what’s wrong with that?

 

Ver blinked as he couldn’t understand what Kalian meant and looked at him.

 

Kalian said in more detail with a subtle face.

 

“Lady Thebesa is a woman.”

 

Ver replied indifferently.

 

“Well, she doesn’t look like a man.”

 

“Until now, women have never been officials of the empire.”

 

Ah, it was because of that.

 

Only then did Ver realize what Kalian was trying to say and replied with a small smile.

 

“I know, right? It’s not prohibited by law, so why hasn’t there been one yet?”

 

His answer was that he didn’t care at all for Leila to become an aide.

 

As expected, it’s good to have him by my side.

  

Kalian stood up, smiling happily.

 

“Where is Lady Thebesa?”

 

“She is waiting outside the palace.”

 

Of course, Leila wasn’t waiting of her own accord.

 

Seeing her answer sheet, Ver knew this would happen and immediately held her back.

 

“His Majesty said that he wanted to see the Lady separately. Please wait for a moment, Lady Thebesa.”

 

To that end, he didn’t hesitate to use Kalian’s name.

 

Well, how is it? It will be true soon anyway. 

 

“I want to see her separately.”

 

See? It is true. 

 

Ver smiled and bowed his head.

 

“Yes.”

 

*****

 

My body trembled slightly as the cold air touched my exposed shoulders and neck.

 

At the hem of the skirt was densely studded with expensive jewels.

 

Don’t tell me, it’s not going to fall, right? 

 

I looked at the jewels with anxious eyes.

 

If it was my dress, I would only feel sorry if I lost the jewels, but I couldn’t help but feel worried because the dress was borrowed from the emperor.

 

According to the maids’ opinion, my original dress was inappropriate for an audience with the emperor, so I had to change into this dress.

 

And before that, my messy hair was washed thoroughly and groomed.

 

I walked carefully with the skirt up in case something dirty got on the dress. 

 

“Welcome, Lady Thebesa.”

 

The person who came to meet me was the man I had met at the test hall.

 

His name had to be Ver Delrond. His title was baron.

 

Even a three-year-old child knew that he was the emperor’s aide.

 

The emperor’s only aide, Ver Delrond, was famous in many ways.

 

Whether in a good sense or in a bad sense. 

 

The most famous thing was ‘his job’.

 

“His Majesty is waiting. Come this way.”

 

At the emperor’s palace, Ver himself, not Sylvia, guided me.

 

After passing through the long corridor decorated with splendor and elegance, we entered the drawing-room. 

 

Kalian was sitting on a red velvet sofa.

 

“Leila Thebesa, I greet the sun of the Empire.”

 

“Come here and sit down.”

 

As I sat across from Kalian, the maid set refreshments on the table.

 

When the maid left, Kalian opened his mouth.

 

“Your appearance has cleaned up.” 

 

“Ah.” 

 

My ears blushed and I bowed my head.

 

“I apologize. I didn’t intend to come to the test hall like that, but somehow…”

 

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you smell or not.”

 

Kalian smiled mischievously.

 

“Seeing that appearance, I can see something must have happened.”

 

I expressed my affirmation in silence. 

 

Kalian leaned leisurely on the sofa and asked.

 

“May I ask what happened?”

 

What should I do? Should I tell him? 

 

I thought about it because it wasn’t a very pleasant story, but I slowly opened my mouth.

 

***

*Not accepting kofi at this time

chapter 5

 

***

 


A desperate familiar voice could be heard through the half-closed door.

 

“Please wait a minute!”

 

This voice…

 

Kalian, who was about to go back, stopped on the spot. His head turned on its own.

 

Ver, who confirmed Kalian’s reaction, gestured. 

 

“Open the door again.”

 

The huge half-closed stone door opened again.

 

After a while, a woman in a slightly messy dress rushed into the stone door.

 

Her hair, which was not properly groomed, was a mess, and her dress was also shabby.

 

“Haa haa.”

 

Perhaps the woman had run in a hurry, she stood still and caught her breath for a moment.

 

“Thank, you.”

 

In the meantime, it was funny seeing her not forget to say thank you to the servants.

 

Everyone in the test hall, including Kalian, looked at the woman.

 

Except for Kalian and Ver, most of them thought she was just a woman who came here for a business. 

 

They didn’t think she was an examinee for the official test like they were.

 

That’s because there’s no precedent for a woman to become an official of the empire.

 

Besides, it’s not a short-term job, but an aide to the emperor. 

 

A woman in such an important position?

 

It was ridiculous. It couldn’t have happened.

 

In the midst of everyone’s murmuring, Kalian glanced at Ver.

 

Ver, who knew what Kalian wanted, sighed quietly and approached the woman.

 

The woman, who was catching her breath with her upper body bent slightly, straightened her back as Ver approached.

 

Her outfit was a bit shabby and messy, but the dignity that couldn’t be hidden flowed out from the woman.

 

It was just eye contact, but he thought that he shouldn’t dare to treat her recklessly.

 

As expected, a noble is a noble. 

 

Ver placed his hand on his chest and greeted her politely.

 

“My name is Ver Delrond. You are Lady Leila Thebesa, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

When the woman, Leila, answered, the people murmured once again.

 

Philen Williot’s fiancée. 

 

The woman who will soon become Duchess Williot.

 

The daughter of Count Thebesa.

 

…and the illegitimate child of Count Thebesa.

 

BANG-

 

“…!” 

 

The people, who were murmuring as they looked at Leila, turned to look at Kalian in surprise when he slammed the table hard.

 

“Noisy.”

 

Kalian, who was seated on the highest seat, looked at the people as sharp as a well-forged blade.

 

The people hurriedly lowered their eyes for fear of making eye contact with Kalian.

 

“It’s already past the test time, so everyone shut up.”

 

Everyone shut their mouths at once as if cold water had been poured by Kalian’s words.

 

Even the supervisors stood still with their mouths shut, but there were only two people moving.

 

“Umm, is it too late for me to take the test?”

 

One was Leila. 

 

“No way.”

 

The other was Ver.

 

“Number 172.”

 

He smiled brightly and handed the test identification slip to Leila Thebesa.

 

“The test has to begin now. So please take a seat, Lady Leila Thebesa.”

 

*****

 

The fact that Leila took the official test spread through the people’s mouths even before the test was over.

 

Each person said different things, but the context was the same.

 

They thought it was ridiculous for Leila to take the official test.

 

And wouldn’t that lady soon become a Duchess?

 

Why would she take the official test?

 

She wouldn’t be able to pass it anyway.

 

Without proper education, it was impossible for a lady to pass the official test.

 

Moreover, they said that this test had the highest difficulty ever.

 

Even Raymond Logan, who was known for being a genius, shook his head when he saw the test questions. 

 

That’s why people were convinced that Leila wouldn’t be able to pass the test.

 

No one expected Leila to pass the test as the top.

 

Even Kalian. 

 

*****

 

“The top?”

 

Kalian asked Ver, in a daze.

 

“Lady Thebesa as the top?”

 

Ver expressed his affirmation in silence. He, too, was very perplexed.

 

From the moment he heard that Raymond Logan was taking the official test, Ver knew he would be on the top.

 

It was the same with Kalian.

 

The official test was held to officially recruit Leila, but Raymond Logan’s application was unexpected.

 

He never expected Logan to apply for the official test when he gave his resignation letter.

 

So, he was worried about what to do, but Leila took the top spot, beating Raymond Logan.

 

“Isn’t something wrong?”

 

“This is the Lady’s answer sheet.”

 

It’s better to show it directly than to explain it verbally.

 

Ver showed Kalian the answer sheet, which scholars praised so much that made their mouths dry.

 

How on earth did she write her answer so well that scholars scored her higher than Raymond Logan?

 

He was very curious. Kalian perused the answer sheet silently.

 

After a while, 

 

“…well written.”

 

After reading it carefully, Kalian briefly expressed what he thought.

 

If other people heard it, they would say it was an indifferent evaluation, but this was the highest compliment that Kalian could give.

 

Even Ver, who had been working with him for a long time, had rarely heard compliments with ‘well’.

 

Most of them ended with ‘good job’.

 

“Very well written.”  

 

However, he gave that compliment not once, but twice, even to the point of ‘very’, but Ver wasn’t surprised at all and nodded calmly.

 

Leila’s answer was perfect, even in his eyes.

 

If you write a long sentence in a short period of time, the second half usually falls apart because of your urgency, but Leila’s answer was all neat.

 

All 7 answers.

 

The answer sheet was so perfectly written, she would be good at filling out the documents.

   

Ver’s eyes twinkled like there’s stars on them.

 

Ver put his hand on Kalian’s desk and leaned his upper body toward him. 

 

“Please give her to me.”

 

“What?”

 

Kalian’s eyebrow tilted obliquely at the words that came out of nowhere.

 

“Lady Thebesa is not a thing.”

 

“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant to ask you to recruit her as an aide as soon as possible. I want to see Lady Thebesa’s work quickly.”

 

“That’s not it. You want to hand over your work quickly.”

 

Kalian smiled and pinched his true intention. Then Ver replied with a nonchalant smile.

 

“That too as well. After all, Your Majesty is going to recruit Lady Thebesa.”

 

“I am, but… will it be okay?”

 

“What?”

 

“The recruited one is Lady Thebesa.”

 

That’s why, what’s wrong with that?

 

Ver blinked as he couldn’t understand what Kalian meant and looked at him.

 

Kalian said in more detail with a subtle face.

 

“Lady Thebesa is a woman.”

 

Ver replied indifferently.

 

“Well, she doesn’t look like a man.”

 

“Until now, women have never been officials of the empire.”

 

Ah, it was because of that.

 

Only then did Ver realize what Kalian was trying to say and replied with a small smile.

 

“I know, right? It’s not prohibited by law, so why hasn’t there been one yet?”

 

His answer was that he didn’t care at all for Leila to become an aide.

 

As expected, it’s good to have him by my side.

  

Kalian stood up, smiling happily.

 

“Where is Lady Thebesa?”

 

“She is waiting outside the palace.”

 

Of course, Leila wasn’t waiting of her own accord.

 

Seeing her answer sheet, Ver knew this would happen and immediately held her back.

 

“His Majesty said that he wanted to see the Lady separately. Please wait for a moment, Lady Thebesa.”

 

To that end, he didn’t hesitate to use Kalian’s name.

 

Well, how is it? It will be true soon anyway. 

 

“I want to see her separately.”

 

See? It is true. 

 

Ver smiled and bowed his head.

 

“Yes.”

 

*****

 

My body trembled slightly as the cold air touched my exposed shoulders and neck.

 

At the hem of the skirt was densely studded with expensive jewels.

 

Don’t tell me, it’s not going to fall, right? 

 

I looked at the jewels with anxious eyes.

 

If it was my dress, I would only feel sorry if I lost the jewels, but I couldn’t help but feel worried because the dress was borrowed from the emperor.

 

According to the maids’ opinion, my original dress was inappropriate for an audience with the emperor, so I had to change into this dress.

 

And before that, my messy hair was washed thoroughly and groomed.

 

I walked carefully with the skirt up in case something dirty got on the dress. 

 

“Welcome, Lady Thebesa.”

 

The person who came to meet me was the man I had met at the test hall.

 

His name had to be Ver Delrond. His title was baron.

 

Even a three-year-old child knew that he was the emperor’s aide.

 

The emperor’s only aide, Ver Delrond, was famous in many ways.

 

Whether in a good sense or in a bad sense. 

 

The most famous thing was ‘his job’.

 

“His Majesty is waiting. Come this way.”

 

At the emperor’s palace, Ver himself, not Sylvia, guided me.

 

After passing through the long corridor decorated with splendor and elegance, we entered the drawing-room. 

 

Kalian was sitting on a red velvet sofa.

 

“Leila Thebesa, I greet the sun of the Empire.”

 

“Come here and sit down.”

 

As I sat across from Kalian, the maid set refreshments on the table.

 

When the maid left, Kalian opened his mouth.

 

“Your appearance has cleaned up.” 

 

“Ah.” 

 

My ears blushed and I bowed my head.

 

“I apologize. I didn’t intend to come to the test hall like that, but somehow…”

 

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you smell or not.”

 

Kalian smiled mischievously.

 

“Seeing that appearance, I can see something must have happened.”

 

I expressed my affirmation in silence. 

 

Kalian leaned leisurely on the sofa and asked.

 

“May I ask what happened?”

 

What should I do? Should I tell him? 

 

I thought about it because it wasn’t a very pleasant story, but I slowly opened my mouth.

 

***

*Not accepting kofi at this time

Chapter 6

 

***

 


A desperate familiar voice could be heard through the half-closed door.

 

“Please wait a minute!”

 

This voice…

 

Kalian, who was about to go back, stopped on the spot. His head turned on its own.

 

Ver, who confirmed Kalian’s reaction, gestured. 

 

“Open the door again.”

 

The huge half-closed stone door opened again.

 

After a while, a woman in a slightly messy dress rushed into the stone door.

 

Her hair, which was not properly groomed, was a mess, and her dress was also shabby.

 

“Haa haa.”

 

Perhaps the woman had run in a hurry, she stood still and caught her breath for a moment.

 

“Thank, you.”

 

In the meantime, it was funny seeing her not forget to say thank you to the servants.

 

Everyone in the test hall, including Kalian, looked at the woman.

 

Except for Kalian and Ver, most of them thought she was just a woman who came here for a business. 

 

They didn’t think she was an examinee for the official test like they were.

 

That’s because there’s no precedent for a woman to become an official of the empire.

 

Besides, it’s not a short-term job, but an aide to the emperor. 

 

A woman in such an important position?

 

It was ridiculous. It couldn’t have happened.

 

In the midst of everyone’s murmuring, Kalian glanced at Ver.

 

Ver, who knew what Kalian wanted, sighed quietly and approached the woman.

 

The woman, who was catching her breath with her upper body bent slightly, straightened her back as Ver approached.

 

Her outfit was a bit shabby and messy, but the dignity that couldn’t be hidden flowed out from the woman.

 

It was just eye contact, but he thought that he shouldn’t dare to treat her recklessly.

 

As expected, a noble is a noble. 

 

Ver placed his hand on his chest and greeted her politely.

 

“My name is Ver Delrond. You are Lady Leila Thebesa, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

When the woman, Leila, answered, the people murmured once again.

 

Philen Williot’s fiancée. 

 

The woman who will soon become Duchess Williot.

 

The daughter of Count Thebesa.

 

…and the illegitimate child of Count Thebesa.

 

BANG-

 

“…!” 

 

The people, who were murmuring as they looked at Leila, turned to look at Kalian in surprise when he slammed the table hard.

 

“Noisy.”

 

Kalian, who was seated on the highest seat, looked at the people as sharp as a well-forged blade.

 

The people hurriedly lowered their eyes for fear of making eye contact with Kalian.

 

“It’s already past the test time, so everyone shut up.”

 

Everyone shut their mouths at once as if cold water had been poured by Kalian’s words.

 

Even the supervisors stood still with their mouths shut, but there were only two people moving.

 

“Umm, is it too late for me to take the test?”

 

One was Leila. 

 

“No way.”

 

The other was Ver.

 

“Number 172.”

 

He smiled brightly and handed the test identification slip to Leila Thebesa.

 

“The test has to begin now. So please take a seat, Lady Leila Thebesa.”

 

*****

 

The fact that Leila took the official test spread through the people’s mouths even before the test was over.

 

Each person said different things, but the context was the same.

 

They thought it was ridiculous for Leila to take the official test.

 

And wouldn’t that lady soon become a Duchess?

 

Why would she take the official test?

 

She wouldn’t be able to pass it anyway.

 

Without proper education, it was impossible for a lady to pass the official test.

 

Moreover, they said that this test had the highest difficulty ever.

 

Even Raymond Logan, who was known for being a genius, shook his head when he saw the test questions. 

 

That’s why people were convinced that Leila wouldn’t be able to pass the test.

 

No one expected Leila to pass the test as the top.

 

Even Kalian. 

 

*****

 

“The top?”

 

Kalian asked Ver, in a daze.

 

“Lady Thebesa as the top?”

 

Ver expressed his affirmation in silence. He, too, was very perplexed.

 

From the moment he heard that Raymond Logan was taking the official test, Ver knew he would be on the top.

 

It was the same with Kalian.

 

The official test was held to officially recruit Leila, but Raymond Logan’s application was unexpected.

 

He never expected Logan to apply for the official test when he gave his resignation letter.

 

So, he was worried about what to do, but Leila took the top spot, beating Raymond Logan.

 

“Isn’t something wrong?”

 

“This is the Lady’s answer sheet.”

 

It’s better to show it directly than to explain it verbally.

 

Ver showed Kalian the answer sheet, which scholars praised so much that made their mouths dry.

 

How on earth did she write her answer so well that scholars scored her higher than Raymond Logan?

 

He was very curious. Kalian perused the answer sheet silently.

 

After a while, 

 

“…well written.”

 

After reading it carefully, Kalian briefly expressed what he thought.

 

If other people heard it, they would say it was an indifferent evaluation, but this was the highest compliment that Kalian could give.

 

Even Ver, who had been working with him for a long time, had rarely heard compliments with ‘well’.

 

Most of them ended with ‘good job’.

 

“Very well written.”  

 

However, he gave that compliment not once, but twice, even to the point of ‘very’, but Ver wasn’t surprised at all and nodded calmly.

 

Leila’s answer was perfect, even in his eyes.

 

If you write a long sentence in a short period of time, the second half usually falls apart because of your urgency, but Leila’s answer was all neat.

 

All 7 answers.

 

The answer sheet was so perfectly written, she would be good at filling out the documents.

   

Ver’s eyes twinkled like there’s stars on them.

 

Ver put his hand on Kalian’s desk and leaned his upper body toward him. 

 

“Please give her to me.”

 

“What?”

 

Kalian’s eyebrow tilted obliquely at the words that came out of nowhere.

 

“Lady Thebesa is not a thing.”

 

“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant to ask you to recruit her as an aide as soon as possible. I want to see Lady Thebesa’s work quickly.”

 

“That’s not it. You want to hand over your work quickly.”

 

Kalian smiled and pinched his true intention. Then Ver replied with a nonchalant smile.

 

“That too as well. After all, Your Majesty is going to recruit Lady Thebesa.”

 

“I am, but… will it be okay?”

 

“What?”

 

“The recruited one is Lady Thebesa.”

 

That’s why, what’s wrong with that?

 

Ver blinked as he couldn’t understand what Kalian meant and looked at him.

 

Kalian said in more detail with a subtle face.

 

“Lady Thebesa is a woman.”

 

Ver replied indifferently.

 

“Well, she doesn’t look like a man.”

 

“Until now, women have never been officials of the empire.”

 

Ah, it was because of that.

 

Only then did Ver realize what Kalian was trying to say and replied with a small smile.

 

“I know, right? It’s not prohibited by law, so why hasn’t there been one yet?”

 

His answer was that he didn’t care at all for Leila to become an aide.

 

As expected, it’s good to have him by my side.

  

Kalian stood up, smiling happily.

 

“Where is Lady Thebesa?”

 

“She is waiting outside the palace.”

 

Of course, Leila wasn’t waiting of her own accord.

 

Seeing her answer sheet, Ver knew this would happen and immediately held her back.

 

“His Majesty said that he wanted to see the Lady separately. Please wait for a moment, Lady Thebesa.”

 

To that end, he didn’t hesitate to use Kalian’s name.

 

Well, how is it? It will be true soon anyway. 

 

“I want to see her separately.”

 

See? It is true. 

 

Ver smiled and bowed his head.

 

“Yes.”

 

*****

 

My body trembled slightly as the cold air touched my exposed shoulders and neck.

 

At the hem of the skirt was densely studded with expensive jewels.

 

Don’t tell me, it’s not going to fall, right? 

 

I looked at the jewels with anxious eyes.

 

If it was my dress, I would only feel sorry if I lost the jewels, but I couldn’t help but feel worried because the dress was borrowed from the emperor.

 

According to the maids’ opinion, my original dress was inappropriate for an audience with the emperor, so I had to change into this dress.

 

And before that, my messy hair was washed thoroughly and groomed.

 

I walked carefully with the skirt up in case something dirty got on the dress. 

 

“Welcome, Lady Thebesa.”

 

The person who came to meet me was the man I had met at the test hall.

 

His name had to be Ver Delrond. His title was baron.

 

Even a three-year-old child knew that he was the emperor’s aide.

 

The emperor’s only aide, Ver Delrond, was famous in many ways.

 

Whether in a good sense or in a bad sense. 

 

The most famous thing was ‘his job’.

 

“His Majesty is waiting. Come this way.”

 

At the emperor’s palace, Ver himself, not Sylvia, guided me.

 

After passing through the long corridor decorated with splendor and elegance, we entered the drawing-room. 

 

Kalian was sitting on a red velvet sofa.

 

“Leila Thebesa, I greet the sun of the Empire.”

 

“Come here and sit down.”

 

As I sat across from Kalian, the maid set refreshments on the table.

 

When the maid left, Kalian opened his mouth.

 

“Your appearance has cleaned up.” 

 

“Ah.” 

 

My ears blushed and I bowed my head.

 

“I apologize. I didn’t intend to come to the test hall like that, but somehow…”

 

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you smell or not.”

 

Kalian smiled mischievously.

 

“Seeing that appearance, I can see something must have happened.”

 

I expressed my affirmation in silence. 

 

Kalian leaned leisurely on the sofa and asked.

 

“May I ask what happened?”

 

What should I do? Should I tell him? 

 

I thought about it because it wasn’t a very pleasant story, but I slowly opened my mouth.

 

***

*Not accepting kofi at this time

Chapter 7

 

***

 


A desperate familiar voice could be heard through the half-closed door.

 

“Please wait a minute!”

 

This voice…

 

Kalian, who was about to go back, stopped on the spot. His head turned on its own.

 

Ver, who confirmed Kalian’s reaction, gestured. 

 

“Open the door again.”

 

The huge half-closed stone door opened again.

 

After a while, a woman in a slightly messy dress rushed into the stone door.

 

Her hair, which was not properly groomed, was a mess, and her dress was also shabby.

 

“Haa haa.”

 

Perhaps the woman had run in a hurry, she stood still and caught her breath for a moment.

 

“Thank, you.”

 

In the meantime, it was funny seeing her not forget to say thank you to the servants.

 

Everyone in the test hall, including Kalian, looked at the woman.

 

Except for Kalian and Ver, most of them thought she was just a woman who came here for a business. 

 

They didn’t think she was an examinee for the official test like they were.

 

That’s because there’s no precedent for a woman to become an official of the empire.

 

Besides, it’s not a short-term job, but an aide to the emperor. 

 

A woman in such an important position?

 

It was ridiculous. It couldn’t have happened.

 

In the midst of everyone’s murmuring, Kalian glanced at Ver.

 

Ver, who knew what Kalian wanted, sighed quietly and approached the woman.

 

The woman, who was catching her breath with her upper body bent slightly, straightened her back as Ver approached.

 

Her outfit was a bit shabby and messy, but the dignity that couldn’t be hidden flowed out from the woman.

 

It was just eye contact, but he thought that he shouldn’t dare to treat her recklessly.

 

As expected, a noble is a noble. 

 

Ver placed his hand on his chest and greeted her politely.

 

“My name is Ver Delrond. You are Lady Leila Thebesa, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

When the woman, Leila, answered, the people murmured once again.

 

Philen Williot’s fiancée. 

 

The woman who will soon become Duchess Williot.

 

The daughter of Count Thebesa.

 

…and the illegitimate child of Count Thebesa.

 

BANG-

 

“…!” 

 

The people, who were murmuring as they looked at Leila, turned to look at Kalian in surprise when he slammed the table hard.

 

“Noisy.”

 

Kalian, who was seated on the highest seat, looked at the people as sharp as a well-forged blade.

 

The people hurriedly lowered their eyes for fear of making eye contact with Kalian.

 

“It’s already past the test time, so everyone shut up.”

 

Everyone shut their mouths at once as if cold water had been poured by Kalian’s words.

 

Even the supervisors stood still with their mouths shut, but there were only two people moving.

 

“Umm, is it too late for me to take the test?”

 

One was Leila. 

 

“No way.”

 

The other was Ver.

 

“Number 172.”

 

He smiled brightly and handed the test identification slip to Leila Thebesa.

 

“The test has to begin now. So please take a seat, Lady Leila Thebesa.”

 

*****

 

The fact that Leila took the official test spread through the people’s mouths even before the test was over.

 

Each person said different things, but the context was the same.

 

They thought it was ridiculous for Leila to take the official test.

 

And wouldn’t that lady soon become a Duchess?

 

Why would she take the official test?

 

She wouldn’t be able to pass it anyway.

 

Without proper education, it was impossible for a lady to pass the official test.

 

Moreover, they said that this test had the highest difficulty ever.

 

Even Raymond Logan, who was known for being a genius, shook his head when he saw the test questions. 

 

That’s why people were convinced that Leila wouldn’t be able to pass the test.

 

No one expected Leila to pass the test as the top.

 

Even Kalian. 

 

*****

 

“The top?”

 

Kalian asked Ver, in a daze.

 

“Lady Thebesa as the top?”

 

Ver expressed his affirmation in silence. He, too, was very perplexed.

 

From the moment he heard that Raymond Logan was taking the official test, Ver knew he would be on the top.

 

It was the same with Kalian.

 

The official test was held to officially recruit Leila, but Raymond Logan’s application was unexpected.

 

He never expected Logan to apply for the official test when he gave his resignation letter.

 

So, he was worried about what to do, but Leila took the top spot, beating Raymond Logan.

 

“Isn’t something wrong?”

 

“This is the Lady’s answer sheet.”

 

It’s better to show it directly than to explain it verbally.

 

Ver showed Kalian the answer sheet, which scholars praised so much that made their mouths dry.

 

How on earth did she write her answer so well that scholars scored her higher than Raymond Logan?

 

He was very curious. Kalian perused the answer sheet silently.

 

After a while, 

 

“…well written.”

 

After reading it carefully, Kalian briefly expressed what he thought.

 

If other people heard it, they would say it was an indifferent evaluation, but this was the highest compliment that Kalian could give.

 

Even Ver, who had been working with him for a long time, had rarely heard compliments with ‘well’.

 

Most of them ended with ‘good job’.

 

“Very well written.”  

 

However, he gave that compliment not once, but twice, even to the point of ‘very’, but Ver wasn’t surprised at all and nodded calmly.

 

Leila’s answer was perfect, even in his eyes.

 

If you write a long sentence in a short period of time, the second half usually falls apart because of your urgency, but Leila’s answer was all neat.

 

All 7 answers.

 

The answer sheet was so perfectly written, she would be good at filling out the documents.

   

Ver’s eyes twinkled like there’s stars on them.

 

Ver put his hand on Kalian’s desk and leaned his upper body toward him. 

 

“Please give her to me.”

 

“What?”

 

Kalian’s eyebrow tilted obliquely at the words that came out of nowhere.

 

“Lady Thebesa is not a thing.”

 

“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant to ask you to recruit her as an aide as soon as possible. I want to see Lady Thebesa’s work quickly.”

 

“That’s not it. You want to hand over your work quickly.”

 

Kalian smiled and pinched his true intention. Then Ver replied with a nonchalant smile.

 

“That too as well. After all, Your Majesty is going to recruit Lady Thebesa.”

 

“I am, but… will it be okay?”

 

“What?”

 

“The recruited one is Lady Thebesa.”

 

That’s why, what’s wrong with that?

 

Ver blinked as he couldn’t understand what Kalian meant and looked at him.

 

Kalian said in more detail with a subtle face.

 

“Lady Thebesa is a woman.”

 

Ver replied indifferently.

 

“Well, she doesn’t look like a man.”

 

“Until now, women have never been officials of the empire.”

 

Ah, it was because of that.

 

Only then did Ver realize what Kalian was trying to say and replied with a small smile.

 

“I know, right? It’s not prohibited by law, so why hasn’t there been one yet?”

 

His answer was that he didn’t care at all for Leila to become an aide.

 

As expected, it’s good to have him by my side.

  

Kalian stood up, smiling happily.

 

“Where is Lady Thebesa?”

 

“She is waiting outside the palace.”

 

Of course, Leila wasn’t waiting of her own accord.

 

Seeing her answer sheet, Ver knew this would happen and immediately held her back.

 

“His Majesty said that he wanted to see the Lady separately. Please wait for a moment, Lady Thebesa.”

 

To that end, he didn’t hesitate to use Kalian’s name.

 

Well, how is it? It will be true soon anyway. 

 

“I want to see her separately.”

 

See? It is true. 

 

Ver smiled and bowed his head.

 

“Yes.”

 

*****

 

My body trembled slightly as the cold air touched my exposed shoulders and neck.

 

At the hem of the skirt was densely studded with expensive jewels.

 

Don’t tell me, it’s not going to fall, right? 

 

I looked at the jewels with anxious eyes.

 

If it was my dress, I would only feel sorry if I lost the jewels, but I couldn’t help but feel worried because the dress was borrowed from the emperor.

 

According to the maids’ opinion, my original dress was inappropriate for an audience with the emperor, so I had to change into this dress.

 

And before that, my messy hair was washed thoroughly and groomed.

 

I walked carefully with the skirt up in case something dirty got on the dress. 

 

“Welcome, Lady Thebesa.”

 

The person who came to meet me was the man I had met at the test hall.

 

His name had to be Ver Delrond. His title was baron.

 

Even a three-year-old child knew that he was the emperor’s aide.

 

The emperor’s only aide, Ver Delrond, was famous in many ways.

 

Whether in a good sense or in a bad sense. 

 

The most famous thing was ‘his job’.

 

“His Majesty is waiting. Come this way.”

 

At the emperor’s palace, Ver himself, not Sylvia, guided me.

 

After passing through the long corridor decorated with splendor and elegance, we entered the drawing-room. 

 

Kalian was sitting on a red velvet sofa.

 

“Leila Thebesa, I greet the sun of the Empire.”

 

“Come here and sit down.”

 

As I sat across from Kalian, the maid set refreshments on the table.

 

When the maid left, Kalian opened his mouth.

 

“Your appearance has cleaned up.” 

 

“Ah.” 

 

My ears blushed and I bowed my head.

 

“I apologize. I didn’t intend to come to the test hall like that, but somehow…”

 

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you smell or not.”

 

Kalian smiled mischievously.

 

“Seeing that appearance, I can see something must have happened.”

 

I expressed my affirmation in silence. 

 

Kalian leaned leisurely on the sofa and asked.

 

“May I ask what happened?”

 

What should I do? Should I tell him? 

 

I thought about it because it wasn’t a very pleasant story, but I slowly opened my mouth.

 

***

*Not accepting kofi at this time

Chapter 8

 

***

 


A desperate familiar voice could be heard through the half-closed door.

 

“Please wait a minute!”

 

This voice…

 

Kalian, who was about to go back, stopped on the spot. His head turned on its own.

 

Ver, who confirmed Kalian’s reaction, gestured. 

 

“Open the door again.”

 

The huge half-closed stone door opened again.

 

After a while, a woman in a slightly messy dress rushed into the stone door.

 

Her hair, which was not properly groomed, was a mess, and her dress was also shabby.

 

“Haa haa.”

 

Perhaps the woman had run in a hurry, she stood still and caught her breath for a moment.

 

“Thank, you.”

 

In the meantime, it was funny seeing her not forget to say thank you to the servants.

 

Everyone in the test hall, including Kalian, looked at the woman.

 

Except for Kalian and Ver, most of them thought she was just a woman who came here for a business. 

 

They didn’t think she was an examinee for the official test like they were.

 

That’s because there’s no precedent for a woman to become an official of the empire.

 

Besides, it’s not a short-term job, but an aide to the emperor. 

 

A woman in such an important position?

 

It was ridiculous. It couldn’t have happened.

 

In the midst of everyone’s murmuring, Kalian glanced at Ver.

 

Ver, who knew what Kalian wanted, sighed quietly and approached the woman.

 

The woman, who was catching her breath with her upper body bent slightly, straightened her back as Ver approached.

 

Her outfit was a bit shabby and messy, but the dignity that couldn’t be hidden flowed out from the woman.

 

It was just eye contact, but he thought that he shouldn’t dare to treat her recklessly.

 

As expected, a noble is a noble. 

 

Ver placed his hand on his chest and greeted her politely.

 

“My name is Ver Delrond. You are Lady Leila Thebesa, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

When the woman, Leila, answered, the people murmured once again.

 

Philen Williot’s fiancée. 

 

The woman who will soon become Duchess Williot.

 

The daughter of Count Thebesa.

 

…and the illegitimate child of Count Thebesa.

 

BANG-

 

“…!” 

 

The people, who were murmuring as they looked at Leila, turned to look at Kalian in surprise when he slammed the table hard.

 

“Noisy.”

 

Kalian, who was seated on the highest seat, looked at the people as sharp as a well-forged blade.

 

The people hurriedly lowered their eyes for fear of making eye contact with Kalian.

 

“It’s already past the test time, so everyone shut up.”

 

Everyone shut their mouths at once as if cold water had been poured by Kalian’s words.

 

Even the supervisors stood still with their mouths shut, but there were only two people moving.

 

“Umm, is it too late for me to take the test?”

 

One was Leila. 

 

“No way.”

 

The other was Ver.

 

“Number 172.”

 

He smiled brightly and handed the test identification slip to Leila Thebesa.

 

“The test has to begin now. So please take a seat, Lady Leila Thebesa.”

 

*****

 

The fact that Leila took the official test spread through the people’s mouths even before the test was over.

 

Each person said different things, but the context was the same.

 

They thought it was ridiculous for Leila to take the official test.

 

And wouldn’t that lady soon become a Duchess?

 

Why would she take the official test?

 

She wouldn’t be able to pass it anyway.

 

Without proper education, it was impossible for a lady to pass the official test.

 

Moreover, they said that this test had the highest difficulty ever.

 

Even Raymond Logan, who was known for being a genius, shook his head when he saw the test questions. 

 

That’s why people were convinced that Leila wouldn’t be able to pass the test.

 

No one expected Leila to pass the test as the top.

 

Even Kalian. 

 

*****

 

“The top?”

 

Kalian asked Ver, in a daze.

 

“Lady Thebesa as the top?”

 

Ver expressed his affirmation in silence. He, too, was very perplexed.

 

From the moment he heard that Raymond Logan was taking the official test, Ver knew he would be on the top.

 

It was the same with Kalian.

 

The official test was held to officially recruit Leila, but Raymond Logan’s application was unexpected.

 

He never expected Logan to apply for the official test when he gave his resignation letter.

 

So, he was worried about what to do, but Leila took the top spot, beating Raymond Logan.

 

“Isn’t something wrong?”

 

“This is the Lady’s answer sheet.”

 

It’s better to show it directly than to explain it verbally.

 

Ver showed Kalian the answer sheet, which scholars praised so much that made their mouths dry.

 

How on earth did she write her answer so well that scholars scored her higher than Raymond Logan?

 

He was very curious. Kalian perused the answer sheet silently.

 

After a while, 

 

“…well written.”

 

After reading it carefully, Kalian briefly expressed what he thought.

 

If other people heard it, they would say it was an indifferent evaluation, but this was the highest compliment that Kalian could give.

 

Even Ver, who had been working with him for a long time, had rarely heard compliments with ‘well’.

 

Most of them ended with ‘good job’.

 

“Very well written.”  

 

However, he gave that compliment not once, but twice, even to the point of ‘very’, but Ver wasn’t surprised at all and nodded calmly.

 

Leila’s answer was perfect, even in his eyes.

 

If you write a long sentence in a short period of time, the second half usually falls apart because of your urgency, but Leila’s answer was all neat.

 

All 7 answers.

 

The answer sheet was so perfectly written, she would be good at filling out the documents.

   

Ver’s eyes twinkled like there’s stars on them.

 

Ver put his hand on Kalian’s desk and leaned his upper body toward him. 

 

“Please give her to me.”

 

“What?”

 

Kalian’s eyebrow tilted obliquely at the words that came out of nowhere.

 

“Lady Thebesa is not a thing.”

 

“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant to ask you to recruit her as an aide as soon as possible. I want to see Lady Thebesa’s work quickly.”

 

“That’s not it. You want to hand over your work quickly.”

 

Kalian smiled and pinched his true intention. Then Ver replied with a nonchalant smile.

 

“That too as well. After all, Your Majesty is going to recruit Lady Thebesa.”

 

“I am, but… will it be okay?”

 

“What?”

 

“The recruited one is Lady Thebesa.”

 

That’s why, what’s wrong with that?

 

Ver blinked as he couldn’t understand what Kalian meant and looked at him.

 

Kalian said in more detail with a subtle face.

 

“Lady Thebesa is a woman.”

 

Ver replied indifferently.

 

“Well, she doesn’t look like a man.”

 

“Until now, women have never been officials of the empire.”

 

Ah, it was because of that.

 

Only then did Ver realize what Kalian was trying to say and replied with a small smile.

 

“I know, right? It’s not prohibited by law, so why hasn’t there been one yet?”

 

His answer was that he didn’t care at all for Leila to become an aide.

 

As expected, it’s good to have him by my side.

  

Kalian stood up, smiling happily.

 

“Where is Lady Thebesa?”

 

“She is waiting outside the palace.”

 

Of course, Leila wasn’t waiting of her own accord.

 

Seeing her answer sheet, Ver knew this would happen and immediately held her back.

 

“His Majesty said that he wanted to see the Lady separately. Please wait for a moment, Lady Thebesa.”

 

To that end, he didn’t hesitate to use Kalian’s name.

 

Well, how is it? It will be true soon anyway. 

 

“I want to see her separately.”

 

See? It is true. 

 

Ver smiled and bowed his head.

 

“Yes.”

 

*****

 

My body trembled slightly as the cold air touched my exposed shoulders and neck.

 

At the hem of the skirt was densely studded with expensive jewels.

 

Don’t tell me, it’s not going to fall, right? 

 

I looked at the jewels with anxious eyes.

 

If it was my dress, I would only feel sorry if I lost the jewels, but I couldn’t help but feel worried because the dress was borrowed from the emperor.

 

According to the maids’ opinion, my original dress was inappropriate for an audience with the emperor, so I had to change into this dress.

 

And before that, my messy hair was washed thoroughly and groomed.

 

I walked carefully with the skirt up in case something dirty got on the dress. 

 

“Welcome, Lady Thebesa.”

 

The person who came to meet me was the man I had met at the test hall.

 

His name had to be Ver Delrond. His title was baron.

 

Even a three-year-old child knew that he was the emperor’s aide.

 

The emperor’s only aide, Ver Delrond, was famous in many ways.

 

Whether in a good sense or in a bad sense. 

 

The most famous thing was ‘his job’.

 

“His Majesty is waiting. Come this way.”

 

At the emperor’s palace, Ver himself, not Sylvia, guided me.

 

After passing through the long corridor decorated with splendor and elegance, we entered the drawing-room. 

 

Kalian was sitting on a red velvet sofa.

 

“Leila Thebesa, I greet the sun of the Empire.”

 

“Come here and sit down.”

 

As I sat across from Kalian, the maid set refreshments on the table.

 

When the maid left, Kalian opened his mouth.

 

“Your appearance has cleaned up.” 

 

“Ah.” 

 

My ears blushed and I bowed my head.

 

“I apologize. I didn’t intend to come to the test hall like that, but somehow…”

 

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you smell or not.”

 

Kalian smiled mischievously.

 

“Seeing that appearance, I can see something must have happened.”

 

I expressed my affirmation in silence. 

 

Kalian leaned leisurely on the sofa and asked.

 

“May I ask what happened?”

 

What should I do? Should I tell him? 

 

I thought about it because it wasn’t a very pleasant story, but I slowly opened my mouth.

 

***

*Not accepting kofi at this time

Chapter 9