The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 52

“Wait, so you just... did it for him?”

“......”

“...Ma’am?”

“I learned a lot too, since he kept asking for reference material. The Ministry of Finance documents are insanely well-organized, really good to study from. So it’s not like I just did it for him, you know?”

“Ha.”

Kibon let out a dry, incredulous laugh.

Well, yeah. It does sound ridiculous.

I quickly cleared the next dish and went on.

“And when I helped him, I got to eat dinner with them. I was trying to save on food costs, so that was... honestly, a big deal.”

“......”

“But more than saving money... sometimes, even if they’re horrible people, you just want to have dinner with someone.”

At that, Kibon frowned.

Then, without touching his plate, he asked,

“So... during those dinners, did your family acknowledge how much work you were doing?”

“They just told me to help more. Said that the department I was in, the Scroll-whatever thing, probably had no real work anyway.”

I shrugged and gave him a glance that said, hurry up and eat.

Kibon reluctantly picked up his fork and muttered,

“That must’ve been... unfair. Sad, even...”

I brushed it off and added,

“It wasn’t that bad. I just thought... it’d be nice to have a family who at least remembered the name of my department.”

Kibon didn’t say anything.

Which made sense.

What do you say when your boss starts talking about their tragic backstory?

Not that I was just venting.

“Anyway, compared to the people I used to live with, even if I’m your boss, I’m probably better.”

“......”

“Starting tomorrow, I won’t ask you to eat with me again.”

“...What?”

“But if you ever don’t want to eat alone, I’ll come with you. Just ask me. No need to be shy.”

“......”

“Some days, even if the people are terrible... you just don’t want to eat alone. Even if you don’t say it, I get it.”

I still had plenty of meal vouchers from Kiaros.

And I had more than enough reason to use them on someone in a situation like mine.

‘Damn. I kind of sound cool right now.’

Maybe I always wanted a boss who would say stuff like this?

A foreign orphan, always alone... of course he’d be moved, right?

I glanced over, expecting a face full of emotion.

‘What the hell. Why does he look mad?’

He was holding it back, but I could see it—he was genuinely angry.

I flinched, and Kibon forced a smile. He finally started moving his fork again.

Then he spoke through clenched teeth.

“Still... now that you’re a minister... does it help, even a little?”

“Hmm.”

I tilted my head and answered.

“Not really. Just because I became a minister doesn’t mean all my emptiness is gone.”

“......”

“No matter how successful you are, if there’s no one to be happy for you, it’s hollow. Family can’t be replaced.”

Normally, I wasn’t the type to talk about myself.

I hated being pitied, and explaining my messy personal stuff always felt like surrendering my pride. That’s why I never shared.

But Kibon was the only subordinate I had.

A foreigner, with a similar background to mine. Maybe that’s why the words came so easily.

‘See? He’s not even cutting his own meat anymore. He’s just mauling it. Total emotional overload.’

Kibon was absolutely butchering the meat from the main dish.

He took a deep breath and said slowly,

“So even as a minister... you’re still not happy.”

“Hmm?”

I frowned.

Then immediately said,

“What are you talking about? I’m happy.”

“Wait... but didn’t you say you felt hollow?”

“I do. But I’m still happy.”

I said it plainly.

“I like having my own minister’s office and a wide desk. I like having a secretary. I like the salary bump. I like the bonuses. I like that I have the power to appoint my own team leaders. I like that no one’s above me to nag or make dumb comments. I like being able to fix broken documents myself. I like attending the weekly ministers’ meetings.”

“......But you said family can’t be replaced...”

“Oh, yeah.”

Kibon blinked, speechless.

“You can’t replace family. So you just have to aim higher.”

“...What?”

“With honor, wealth, power, influence—whatever you can. You fill the hollow parts however you can.”

“...Seriously?”

Being a lonely minister was better than being a lonely nobody.

That was my day-one takeaway from this job.

Kibon rolled his eyes and asked,

“Wait, but... you’re already a minister. What’s higher than that?”

“Hmm.”

I folded my arms and fell into thought.

Explaining this a hundred times wouldn’t help. I’d have to show him.

I finally picked up my fork again and said with resolve,

“If you’re curious, eat faster.”

“...Sorry?”

“I’ll show you.”

***

Kibon didn’t seem used to eating quickly.

Or maybe he was just uncomfortable eating with his boss.

Either way, he didn’t finish. I did.

“Come with me.”

I motioned for him to follow—I’d arrived back before the end of the lunch break.

We headed to a café inside the palace.

It was the kind of place where palace bureaucrats grabbed a coffee after lunch.

I pulled Kibon behind a wall to stay out of sight.

“What is this...?”

Kibon rolled his eyes. Just then—

“Would you mind moving?”

“Sorry, but there’s a lot of us.”

A group of bureaucrats was surrounding a table where some other government workers sat.

The standing group clearly had the numbers.

“This is our only break time before we have to get back to work.”

“Unlike some paycheck-stealing slackers who don’t do anything.”

The seated workers—three or four of them—bowed their heads and got up without a word.

No one said anything like “we got here first” or “there’s room for everyone.”

The problem was...

“Wait, aren’t those Scroll Department staff?”

Kibon whispered in disbelief.

He was right.

The people getting shoved out were our department workers. My former seniors.

“Click your tongue all you want, who’d want to work under a 23-year-old minister with less than ten staff?”

“If it were me, I’d quit out of sheer embarrassment. What kind of joke of an organization is that?”

“They’re the shame of the palace, I swear.”

The ones who took over the table laughed and jeered openly.

One of our staff suddenly spun around.

She was a tiny woman with thick glasses that made her look a little silly.

“Y-you’re being too ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) much. W-we got up, okay? So s-stop mocking us...”

Everyone burst out laughing.

“Did you hear? She’s a team leader in the Scroll Department. Seriously, how desperate are they?”

“No wonder even someone like her gets promoted. That department is trash.”

“I wouldn’t take a team lead position under a 23-year-old minister even if you paid me.”

The mockery didn’t stop.

Eventually, the Scroll Department employees turned and hurried away.

The others laughed among themselves, smug.

That was when—

“You’d think palace officials would be working together for the empire’s good...”

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Kibon furrowed his brow and stepped forward.

Startled, I grabbed his arm.

“What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re about to deliver some cliché, uninspiring speech in front of those people?”

“Why would that be a bad thing?”

“Like they’re going to listen to an intern. What, are you royalty or something?”