The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 92
‘W-Where exactly did I get found out?’
The moment I locked eyes with Namia, I bolted.
But judging by the fact that the tests were already complete, the Medical Department must have run drug screenings as soon as the banquet ended.
Which meant... everything had already been planned—including securing the witnesses and cornering me into flight.
“All the Education Ministry employees said the Minister gave them the energy drinks. You’ll have to come with us for questioning.” ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Before he could even resist, the knights had seized both his arms.
Not a sound escaped him as he was dragged off, his face frozen in shock. Watching his retreating back, Luka chuckled.
“Ha, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) man. Can you believe I went so far just to fulfill a rival’s request? I really am a fair and honorable competitor. That’s what makes me a worthy rival to the person I acknowledged as the top civil servant! I'm seriously amazing!”
***
“Namiaaaaa!”
Prince Jaden rushed over and threw himself at me the moment the banquet ended.
“Did I do good? I did well, right? Wasn’t I super cool?”
“Kuhahaha! That was so much fun!”
The Empress laughed heartily too, clearly in a good mood, but she didn’t approach me. The Emperor had quickly pulled her into his arms.
“Namia! Really, thank y—”
Jaden started to speak but cut himself off with a small gasp.
He probably thought his special ability had awakened thanks to me, but since that was supposed to stay secret, he couldn’t finish the sentence.
So I gave him a knowing nod and replied quickly in my flattest, most monotone voice.
“You want to thank me? There’s no need. The joy of the royal family is the joy of palace civil servants. Thank you for the praise.”
“...”
“...Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It suddenly feels like there’s no soul between us anymore.”
A sharp observation. He wasn’t wrong. I was pretty soulless right now. Jaden rolled his eyes, then added with grave seriousness,
“This distance between us... I think it can only be resolved if we become family. Don’t you agree, Brother?”
He fluttered his lashes sweetly at Kiaros, who was standing next to me.
“I really like Namia. As a polite child who respects all adults regardless of status, I promise I’ll be a good boy if Namia becomes my sister-in-law. You don’t have to worry.”
“...I see.”
Kiaros answered with the same look someone would give a child they knew was lying.
That was when an aide rushed over and spoke quietly into Kiaros’s ear.
“We completed the drug screenings, and the expected results came back.”
As I thought.
Kiaros and I had ordered Luka to test all the Education Ministry employees involved after the banquet.
I had only told Luka, just in case there was a mole even within the Medical Department.
Since this was all pre-discussed between Kiaros and me, the aide whispered so only the two of us could hear.
“We also apprehended the Education Minister while he was trying to escape.”
Kiaros gave a small nod.
“Good. Handle it quietly, so the banquet isn’t disturbed. And don’t bother with formal procedures—just hand him over to the ‘Crows’.”
The ones who worked with Luka earlier were probably the Crows. I blinked and gave a faint smile.
‘From here on, Your Highness, you take over.’
It’s nice being able to rely on someone stronger, more powerful, and with people he can command. He was already suspicious of my knowledge of the future, so I was sure he’d handle the rest just fine.
That was when—
“And... there’s a letter from the Tower Master in the South.”
“I’ll check it after the banquet.”
“It seemed very urgent. The envelope says: ‘Open this immediately, instantly, at once, now.’”
“...Ugh, that personality.”
Kiaros clicked his tongue, muttering, “That grumpy old man only contacts the royals when he wants something.” Not that he was wrong.
He looked down at me and murmured,
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Ah, okay.”
He didn’t need to get my permission for something like that, but it felt like he was making a formal report. I awkwardly nodded, and he added,
“I won’t take long. There’s still time before the Emperor’s speech and the first dance.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Just think of it as a quick bathroom trip.”
“If it’s something urgent, you don’t have to come ba—”
“What are you talking about?”
He gave a soft chuckle. The warm breath of his laugh tickled my ear.
“I would never leave my partner alone. Ever.”
Lifting his upper body slightly, he moved away from my ear and gazed down at me. Then he added quietly,
“So wait for me. Don’t go off with another man.”
The ones who reacted to that were Jaden and the Empress.
“KYAAAAAH! He snapped! That’s our big bro!!”
“Kyaaaa! That’s right! No other man, no way! GYAAAHAHA!”
I didn’t even get a chance to reply. Jaden beamed up at Kiaros, his eyes sparkling.
“Don’t worry, Brother. That kinda handsome intern who was supposed to be Namia’s partner? He couldn’t come today because he’s sick! I’ve been working so hard to keep him away. I’ll keep my eyes blazing from now on to make sure he doesn’t get close to Namia again!”
“...”
Kiaros gave Jaden a strange look, then disappeared with his aide.
Meanwhile, the Emperor stepped onto the stage and began his address for the Saint Cairo banquet.
I stared blankly at the scene, deep in thought. Only after Kiaros left did I finally have space to sort out my head.
‘Victor, Anastasia, Kibon...’
One of those three was the mole. That fact weighed heavily on my chest.
‘Which one? Who could it be...’
Anastasia, not the most competent, but quick on her feet and always guarding the department doors like a gatekeeper?
Victor, who had just returned from a long overseas assignment, formerly the charismatic student council president?
Or Kibon, who didn’t come to the banquet today and whom the Empress specifically warned me about—“That one’s deceiving you”?
‘...Who is it?’
Whoever it was, they wouldn’t make it obvious for a while.
It was strategically better to lie low until everything was exposed.
Even if trouble arose later, they could feign ignorance—‘Wait, that was confidential? Someone just asked where the office-use scrolls were, so I told them.’
‘But no matter which of the three it is—even if they’re not directly the mole—they’re definitely deeply tied to the Reformist faction.’
Now that it had narrowed down to just three, the anxiety was even worse. All three were people I’d kept closer than the rest of the staff.
Especially Kibon...
‘He seemed like he liked me... Could even that have been part of his trap?’
Suddenly, emotion surged in my throat.
He’d always said not to overthink things with him—just give orders. I only now realized how comforting those words had been to me.
‘Stay calm, Namia. Stay sharp.’
To make things worse, my stomach—which had already been unsettled since yesterday—was churning harder than ever. I needed some fresh air.
As I took a step back, Jaden caught on like a ghost.
“Namia, where are you going?”
“Ah, just to the restroom for a bit.”
“Okay. Come back quick. Be fast. Real quick. Zoom back.”
I gave him a small smile and turned around slowly.
Then I stepped out onto a quiet balcony, where no one else had come yet, and took a breath.
The night sky was pitch black, and the stars were embedded like gemstones.
Though the nausea didn’t fade, the calm sky helped steady my thoughts a little.
‘Get it together. You’ve done amazingly so far.’
Everything had gone smoothly.
And yet, my mood kept sinking.
‘It’s not like I ever trusted anyone. I’ve always been careful. Don’t act shocked now. I’m here to stop a war, take down the enemy, and save my dad.’
Now that I knew he was tied to the Reformist faction, my goal was clear. I had to stay focused—even if it meant starting to truly suspect my team.
I was steeling myself and catching my breath when—
“...Namia.”
A voice called my name from behind. I turned, startled.
“I can call you Namia here, right? Not ‘Minister’?”
The man approaching with two glasses of champagne, dressed elegantly for the banquet, was none other than Victor.
