The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 65
Liden was the only ordinary person he ever spoke to. frёewebnoѵēl.com
From the beginning, Jaden had never been close to kids his own age — the gap in status was just too big.
“Her Majesty the Empress didn’t want to take that seat. She only sat there because His Majesty the Emperor, a Dragonblood, ordered it.”
Liden let out a long sigh as he spoke.
“She’s always hated that position, but because she gave birth to the prince, she can’t even step down. You can’t depose an empress who gave birth to a prince, after all.”
“B-Because of me?”
“She doesn’t show it in front of you, Your Highness, but she lost His Majesty’s favor a long time ago. Things were fine when their relationship was better, but now... the Empress feels terribly suffocated in the palace.”
Around that time, the Emperor had also stopped staying in the palace.
He was actually recovering his health — not that Jaden had any way of knowing that.
“So every time Her Majesty sees the Dragonblood Prince, it must be painful for her.”
So basically, his mother was unhappy because of him.
Jaden couldn’t tell anyone what he’d heard from Liden.
Kiaros didn’t have a mother, and Jaden couldn’t exactly go complain to the Emperor, “My father was mean.”
“Th-Then what should I do? What am I supposed to do?”
“If you wish to support Her Majesty, then you should stay away from her as much as possible.”
Liden explained kindly.
“Her Majesty already feels complicated whenever she sees you, Your Highness. If you can relieve that burden, that alone is something kind.”
“So I should be the one to stay away from her first?”
“Yes. That way, Her Majesty’s guilt — for not loving her child — might lessen, and she’ll be able to breathe a little easier.”
After that, Jaden began keeping his distance from the Empress, just as Liden had told him.
Even then, he secretly hoped that the Empress would ask, “Jaden, what’s wrong?” and hold him tight.
But instead, as soon as he started pulling away, the Empress — as if she’d been waiting for it — reduced their contact even further.
“What did I tell you? Didn’t I say I was right?”
In the end, Jaden had no choice but to believe Liden’s words.
“Thanks to Your Highness being so mature, Her Majesty must be finding life just a bit more bearable.”
And like that, two years passed.
The relationship between the Empress and Jaden grew more and more strained.
When they occasionally met in public, the Empress would look visibly tense when she saw him.
Still...
“This event from the Scroll Department... it didn’t seem so bad.”
He was still only eight years old. Jaden, in truth, always needed his mother.
Even just looking at the invitation sent from the Scroll Department made his heart flutter.
It described an event where he and the Empress would use scrolls to set off indoor fireworks together...
“Like when she used to play with me when I was little... if I did it with Mother, it’d be fun...”
Maybe sensing that lingering hope, Liden suddenly spoke sternly.
“The fact that the Scroll Department Minister planned such an event... It’s utterly disgraceful.”
Disgraceful?
Jaden blinked in surprise.
“Huh? Why?”
“She dared to reject her place as a Dragonblood, claiming she wanted to live her own life, and now she’s mocking Her Majesty the Empress, who is trapped in misery.”
Liden grabbed Jaden’s shoulders and locked eyes with him.
“Your Highness resides in the separate palace, so you’re not familiar with the affairs of adults.”
There was a reason young royals were raised in the separate palace — so they could grow up like children, free from politics.
Which is why, in a sense, it was natural that he would be slow to pick up on things.
“Think about it, Your Highness. If this causes Her Majesty any more pain, it wouldn’t be right, would it?”
“...You’re right.”
“In that case...”
Liden lifted his chin and said,
“We cannot let the Minister of the Scroll Department remain in that position. If she stays, she’ll continue to deceive Her Majesty like this.”
“R-Really? That can’t happen! How dare a minister deceive royalty? No way, never!”
“I have a good plan.”
“What is it? Tell me quickly.”
At Jaden’s urging, Liden’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“Start a fire. Then, make sure someone gets lightly injured. After that, we claim the scroll was delivered incorrectly.”
“You want... to frame her?”
“It’s not really framing. It’s just shifting the nature of the charge a little. After all, punishing the guilty — that’s what justice is, isn’t it?”
Liden grinned.
“Isn’t it a far greater crime to openly mock Her Majesty like this?”
“B-But...”
“To suggest such a thing to the Empress, who doesn’t even want to see her own son — it’s just vile...”
It was at that moment.
“YOU XX PIECE OF XX!!”
The Empress’s furious roar shook the entire separate palace.
Before Jaden could even gasp in surprise, the Empress’s massive fist slammed into Liden’s jaw.
The separate palace turned into a battlefield in an instant.
I clicked my tongue internally.
“I knew this would happen.”
Jaden, being a Dragonblood, was gifted in both mind and body from an early age.
It was only natural that at some point, the Empress began to think, “Maybe love alone isn’t enough.”
“Of course she felt inadequate as a mother...”
The Empress, proud in all things, was never confident when it came to her own child.
Even as Empress, she couldn’t just stand in front of Jaden and say, “XX, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing either!”
“And then Jaden started pulling away first...”
Naturally, the Empress assumed Jaden was ashamed of her.
The Ministry of Education even started slipping such suggestions into their reports on Jaden’s academic progress.
“In truth, they were both just too careful because they cared about each other...”
So I thought of a simple solution: swap out the soundproof scroll for a faulty one.
Even so, that came with its own issues. There was no guarantee the Ministry of Education official would say the exact incriminating thing at the right moment.
“That’s why I deliberately planned an event that would provoke them.”
If I sent the notice saying the event would be tomorrow, they’d likely act immediately today.
That way, I could perfectly time ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ the Empress’s arrival at the separate palace.
“We were already inside before Liden arrived.”
Naturally, the palace staff kept their mouths shut and security tight.
Clueless Liden had waltzed in as usual, used the fake soundproof scroll, and ran his mouth.
“The Ministry of Education is a department we need to keep our eyes on.”
I already knew their attitude toward the Scroll Department went beyond mere disdain — it was outright contempt. So I’d figured their blade would eventually swing in my direction too.
Judging from how Liden talked about fire and framing me, I was right on the money.
“Of course. They’re not going to let someone like me, who doesn’t meet their standards, stay in this position.”
I still hadn’t forgotten the names of those seven fifth-year Education Ministry officials who had mocked my department in that café.
“If they touch my people, I won’t let it slide.”
I clenched my teeth hard.
Meanwhile, the Empress was beating the hell out of Liden, eyes blazing with fury.
“You worthless little XX, I should tear you apart and feed you to flesh-eating plants!”
Liden crumpled to the floor with a strangled gasp after taking a clean punch to the jaw.
Then, the Empress kicked his stomach hard as he rolled on the ground.
“What the hell did you just spew to my son with that filthy mouth of yours, huh?!”
Naturally, Liden couldn’t even attempt to fight back.
Jaden stumbled backward in shock.
But there was just one thing I hadn’t expected.
“...Didn’t think so many members of the royal family would tag along.”
Standing next to me now were...
The Emperor — and Kiaros.
“Your Majesty, do you wish to stay uninvolved?” Kiaros asked as he watched the chaos.
The Emperor muttered, clearly displeased.
“Hmm. I’m furious too, but seeing how things are going... I think it’s better to step in a little later.”
I rolled my eyes in silence.
It was fine that the Empress had forced Kiaros to tag along.
But then the Emperor had come looking for her at just the wrong time, right when I was sneaking into the separate palace.
“Didn’t expect this to turn into a full-blown family reunion.”
After hearing the whole story, the Emperor insisted on joining them himself.
