Chapter 51

***

Kalian, who was about to rebuke him for being afraid of useless things, swallowed what he was going to say in response to what Ver added.

After all, the person who was most likely to be hurt by this problem was none other than Leila.

Surely she would cry again. Although she looked strong on the outside, she was a soft-hearted person on the inside.

Kalian had seen Leila cry twice.

First, under the big tree.

Second, in his drawing-room.

Until now, he didn’t agree with the saying that women’s tears are a weapon but seeing Leila’s tears changed his mind.

She looked pathetic and pitiful.

It felt like seeing a pitiful kitten wet in the pouring rain.

That’s why he wanted to comfort her asking if she was okay, but he couldn’t do that because he was afraid Leila’s pride would be hurt by his nosy sympathy.

The thought of Leila crying again made Kalian feel bad. He frowned and clenched his jaw.

“Should I send them all to the workhouse? That way, they wouldn’t have such useless thoughts.”

“I hope you dream that while you sleep.”

Kalian’s eyebrow went up slightly at the criticism that came back to him.

“My aide is very nice.”

“I’m nice.”

After responding indifferently, Ver bowed his head.

“Then, I’ll leave now because I’m busy. Please finish the documents I gave you by tomorrow.”

“By tomorrow? It’s too tight.”

“Well, if you find it hard, you can give it to me a little later. Starting from tomorrow, it will be done by Sir Thebesa, not me.”

He wondered why Ver, who had always been whining hard saying it had to be done within the schedule, was leaving so meekly, it turned out there’s a reason for everything.

Of course. This guy couldn’t have changed.

Kalian let out an annoying sigh and waved his hand.

*****

The time has come to go to the office to report to His Majesty.

“Huu.”

I stood up with the documents and took a deep breath.

Up until now, I was in the position of receiving reports, so when it was the other way around, I felt awkward and nervous.

“Hello, My Lady.”

“Hello, Mr. Head attendant.”

As I went around frequently as an aide, I also made some acquaintance with Rahel, the head attendant.

The head attendant smiled slightly at the documents I was holding.

“Starting from today, will you report directly to His Majesty, My Lady?”

“Yes. It just happened. It’s my first time, so I’m nervous.”

“You will do well, My Lady.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Rahel responded with a smile.

“Then I will inform His Majesty that you’re here.”

“Please do that.”

The head attendant knocked and informed Kalian that I was here.

“Your Majesty, Lady Thebesa is here.”

After a brief silence, permission to come in was dropped.

I bowed my head once again to the head attendant and went inside.

After I entered, when the head attendant was about to close the door…

“Rahel, you come in too. Leave the door open.”

Kalian, who was standing in front of the bookshelf and reading a book, said abruptly.

Rahel was puzzled but he came in right away. The door was left open as he ordered.

I could feel the attendants standing around the room sneakily peeking inside.

And Kalian said nothing after letting us in.

“Your Majesty.”

When Rahel called him, only then did Kalian close the book he was reading and turn to Rahel.

“Repeat what you just said.”

Repeat what I just said? He’s not asking me about when I called him Your Majesty, is he? 

I think I’m pointing out that Lady Thebesa is here…

It hadn’t been long since Viscount Kranten became the head attendant, but he was a veteran for a long time as an attendant belonging to the Imperial Palace.

He quickly noticed the mistake he had made and apologized hurriedly.

Not to Kalian, but to Thebesa.

“I apologize, Sir Thebesa. I’ve never seen a lady given the title ‘Sir’ before, so the title ‘Lady’ came up like a habit.”

“It’s okay.”

Leila smiled awkwardly and waved her hands.

In fact, she didn’t even feel strange or awkward when Rahel called her ‘Lady’.

“I will be more careful next time.”

“You should be.”

And then, Kalian spoke loudly as if to tell the attendants who were hearing their conversation through the open door, not to Rahel.

“If something like this comes into my ears one more time, I won’t let it slide then. Do you understand?”

There’s a feeling of exaggeration a little, but for the sake of Leila’s position, he had to do this.

Rahel replied that he did, then went out.

The door closed. Kalian sat at his desk and looked at Leila, who was a little spaced out.

“What are you standing there blankly for?”

“Ah, I apo…”

“Enough apologizing.”

Kalian held out his hand.

“Did you bring the report? Bring it here.”

*****

“Bring it here.”

Is it starting now? 

What was happening with Rahel just now was completely erased from my mind.

I was so nervous that I tried hard to move my immobile feet to the front of his desk and put down the report I had brought on the desk.

Suggestions and reports from each department were put together to make it easier for Kalian to see.

I thought it would be easy because it was simply organizing, but I was wrong.

Some documents were hard to recognize because of their bad handwriting, and there were people who suggested strange things.

As Baron Delrond said, the documents that were submitted without the seal often appeared.

It was a lot more intense labor than I thought to rewrite them after checking and categorizing them if there were any other problems.

Was that all? It was also the aide’s job to investigate the background of the issue presented in the proposal and find data about it.

Once again, I understood why Baron Delrond worked overtime every day.

“Do you have any urgent business to do right now?”

Any urgent business to do? I thought for a moment and answered.

“There’s not right now.”

“Then wait there for a while. I’ll let you know if there’s anything to fix or complement.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t have to be thankful for it.”

Kalian grinned and picked up the report.

I was a bit nervous. I clasped my hands tightly and waited for his evaluation.

I thought he was just reading the report, but as he read, he asked various questions.

Why is it categorized like this?

Why is this data needed here?

What is my opinion on a particular issue?

I used to ask the same questions when the aides brought me the report.

It made me laugh a little that his behavior wasn’t that different from mine. The anxious feeling that I felt disappeared.

As they were expected questions, I was able to answer calmly without trembling.

The more I answered, the more pages of the report flipped, and the more Kalian’s expression changed little by little.

It didn’t change in a good way. Because the smile on his face is getting harder and harder.

When he saw the report that Baron Delrond brought, he didn’t look like that. It seemed that there were still many parts that were lacking.

“If you tell me what is lacking, I will correct it right away…”

“Lacking?”

Kalian’s eyebrow tilted.

“If this is lacking…”

Kalian put down the report he was looking at, grabbed another document, and shook it.

“Everyone who wrote this should get out and die.”

…that’s a compliment, right?

“It’s a compliment.”

When he replied as if he read my mind, I looked at him in surprise.

“It’s your first time, but you did pretty well. Good job.”

Kalian looked at me with a bright smile.

“From now on, the report should do only this much. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask Ver right away.”

“Yes.”

“Then, you can leave now.”

I tried to bow to him politely with courtesy, but I just bowed my head lightly, recalling his words to say goodbye in silence because it was burdensome.

“Leila.”

And as I was about to leave right away, Kalian called me as if he had suddenly remembered.

Leila.

Even though it was my name, it felt a little strange when he called me.

Is it because he’s been calling me Sir Thebesa all this time?

Looking back at him, Kalian looked at me a little worried and asked.

“Are there any rumors…”

“Yes?”

“No, I was just trying to ask you to have lunch with me.”

Hmm, I don’t think so.

“Have you eaten already?”

“N, no.”

“Then let’s have lunch together.”

“Okay. I will contact Baron Delrond, too.”

Kalian paused for a moment, then nodded with a trembling look.

“…do it.”

“Then I’ll see you again in a little while, Your Majesty.”

I bowed to him once again and left the office.

*****

After Leila left, Kalian stared at the office door quietly, then stood up with a deep sigh.

He tried to ask Leila about the rumors, but he couldn’t.

Because he couldn’t think of what to say if he asked her that.

Can’t I just say don’t worry about it indifferently?

But even if I say that, it’s not like she won’t worry about it. 

And even after not asking that, it gave him a headache. Because he had brought up a useless thing and stimulated her curiosity.

That’s why he quickly changed the topic by talking about a meal that wasn’t planned at all.

It was surprising to see himself like this, but it was also surprising that Leila said she would contact Ver as if it was natural.

Those two, are they that close?

Well, of course, they’re close. They had been together almost all day, so there’s no way they couldn’t get close.

He also didn’t like that part.

Because rumors of being with another man all day long gratuitously would block Leila’s path to being single and that made him worried about unnecessary things.

…well, I’m already blocking her marriage path.

Because there’s no great nobleman dared to marry a woman who was rumored to be the emperor’s mistress.

But he wasn’t too worried.

It was all rumors that would go away as soon as Leila showed her ability. And she also had enough ability.

Kalian read the report that Leila organized again.

It was a neat report that contained only the necessary information.

He said to Leila that she did pretty well in her first time, but in fact, even if it was perfect enough, there’s no lacking.

He just praised Leila moderately in case she would be lazy.

Ver, Hiltine, and then Leila.

There were only three people he handpicked, and all three of them were excellent.

“Such an accurate eye I have for people.”

Kalian smiled happily, praising his own eyes.