The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 12
After speaking so earnestly for the first time in a while, it finally hit me.
‘Wait.’
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I blinked and took a sharp breath.
‘Did I just... interrupt the Crown Prince?’
Even if preventing a war was top priority—still!
If I’d interrupted Oson like that, all hell would’ve broken loose.
But Kiaros was far, far above Oson. He was the Crown Prince...
‘Am I going to be disciplined? What’s the article for that again...?’
While I was turning pale and trying to breathe, Kiaros turned sharply to his aide with a serious expression.
Then he asked, in a deadly serious tone,
“Where is that employee now?”
“Ah, I believe... they’re currently on medical leave due to psychological shock...”
A cold glint flashed in Kiaros’s eyes. He was clearly calculating his next move.
‘...Wait? I’m not getting scolded?’
I had no energy left to even keep my eyes fully open, but then he turned to me and spoke.
“Forgive me, but I’ll have to meet with you again later, Miss Namia Roafi. Your sharp insight was extremely helpful.”
“Ah... what?”
“I’ll make sure to reward you for this matter as well.”
“Ah... what?”
“You saved my life.”
Suddenly, our eyes met.
Those red eyes that had always seemed terrifying now shimmered with warmth.
‘Wait—’
When he said he’d include this matter too... When he said my insight was helpful...
‘He’s... he’s saying he’ll consider what I said? He’s not punishing me—he’s rewarding me.’
It might’ve been the logical outcome, but this was unheard of in the Scroll Management Department.
‘What... what the heck. Now that I think about it, this is the first time this has ever happened since I joined.’
That sudden realization shook me. I mumbled without meaning to, stumbling over my words.
“I-It was just... something that naturally had to be done...”
“It wasn’t natural. It’s given me a whole new perspective on scrolls.”
He said quietly.
“I wanted to properly thank you in person... but that will have to wait. It’s important to know exactly what I’m thanking you for.”
Ah, so he brought me all the way here just to say thanks.
Of course it wasn’t some love-at-first-sight confession.
Silently scrapping my Cinderella fantasy, I replied politely.
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll be waiting.”
Which really meant, Don’t you dare forget—call me back properly next time.
“And... thank you very much for what you said about scrolls.”
When I added that, Kiaros nodded.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he strode into the office.
He moved gracefully, opened a desk drawer, and took something out before returning to me.
“Your Highness?”
Frozen in the hallway, I blinked in confusion.
Kiaros held out what he’d taken from the drawer.
“You looked far too thin when I saw you up close earlier...”
My eyes widened when I saw the thick envelope in his hand.
“Take it and use it. I don’t have time to use it myself anyway.”
“...Huh?”
“It’s not like your poor nutrition is due to lack of money, right? This will probably help your health more than cash.”
With trembling hands, I accepted the envelope Kiaros handed me.
Inside were meal vouchers from a variety of restaurants in the capital.
Honestly... it was as moving as the IV treatment I got this morning.
Loyalty surged within me.
“You’re dismissed for the day. File it under a Crown Prince’s Office business errand.”
Oh my god.
Time off? Without using leave or sick days?!
I bowed deeply—not to say “I’m off,” but to convey my sincerest thanks.
“Thank you.”
Anyway, he said he’d call me again, which meant I’d get another chance for a private audience.
With the meal vouchers clutched to my chest, I turned to leave, but my heart felt strangely light.
That flutter came after everything was over.
‘So... he called me in just to thank me, huh.’
I must’ve spent too long in a department where doing 166 or even 1,660 scrolls just got you chewed out. I couldn’t even imagine something as simple as a sincere thank-you.
‘I really thought he’d just throw me a commendation and be done with it. But he even said I changed how he viewed scrolls.’
I didn’t feel bad. It was the first real sense of accomplishment I’d felt in ages.
Maybe... even since I joined the service?
It was so unfamiliar, it made me even giddier.
‘That’s right. Scrolls... really are something incredible. Truly.’
Even the excitement I felt when I first started studying scrolls as a kid came back to me.
It was... something like a long-forgotten passion.
‘Almost as satisfying as saving the Crown Prince’s life... maybe even more.’
Only now did I truly face what I’d done.
Maybe using scrolls and proving my abilities again wasn’t just for someone else. Maybe... it was for me, too.
Achieving something through scrolls and being recognized for it...
‘It’s really, really been a long time since I felt this way.’
I looked deep into that core that had been buried under the muck of reality.
And at its very center... was something I hadn’t felt in ages.
It was called a dream.
“Until next time, Your Highness.”
I gave my farewell and stepped out of the office, turning the corner in the hallway—
“Namia!”
Someone suddenly grabbed my arm.
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“You’ve been gone for two days straight! What the hell’s going on?! Huh?!”
Silver hair, green eyes.
“Juan?”
It was Juan—my twin brother on paper, working in the Imperial Ministry of Finance.
Judging by the state he was in, he’d been looking for me since morning.
‘He must’ve waited outside because he couldn’t get into the Crown Prince’s office.’
Whatever it was, I sighed first. It wasn’t like he was chasing me out of genuine concern.
“First... take care of this for me. It’s urgent, due tomorrow.”
Juan shoved a stack of documents into my arms.
‘Ugh. Bet it’s Finance-related paperwork again.’
I did Juan’s work for him at home all the time.
Leaking internal documents [N O V E L I G H T] like this was obviously against regulations, but Juan simply wasn’t capable of handling this stuff alone.
“And get home already! Do you even know how worried Mom and Dad were? It’s a huge deal!”
Ugh, there’s more?
My head was already pounding.
If they were looking for me, it meant something serious really had happened. And they must’ve decided I was the solution again...
‘But... it’s almost over now.’
I swallowed the burning frustration rising in me. There was only one memory that could soothe it.
[Just a little longer, my daughter. You know Daddy loves you, right?]
[Yeah, Daddy... I’ll wait. I’ll be strong.]
I knew what choice my father had made for me.
So... I had to make my choice for him, too.
I took a deep breath and then broke into a run.
***
Kiaros was disgusted with himself. The truth was, he couldn’t even remember what that legal officer had said.
That kind of lapse was unthinkable for the man he used to be. The dulled senses had left him unable to grasp the situation properly.
“Ha...”
Irritated, Kiaros ran a hand through his hair.
Even so, the image of Namia speaking lingered in his mind.
[Your Highness! Wait a moment!]
Those lifeless eyes had suddenly lit up. Shockingly, they were the same eyes he’d seen when she cast scrolls.
‘Just before that, her eyes had been completely unfocused... and she could barely speak clearly.’
His aide, nervously observing, mumbled,
“Your Highness... she’s truly exceptional. Even the knights heard the same thing, but none of them thought of it that way.”
It was true.
But for someone to say Namia was exceptional felt... off. Her track record up until now had been utterly unremarkable.
‘If she had even a sliver of talent, the Magic Tower would’ve scouted her back when she was a student at the Academy.’
Those brilliant blue eyes overlapped with the first impression she had left—like a zombie.
Once she’d finished her deduction about the legal officer, she went right back to that hazy-eyed, mumbling state.
The disconnect was jarring. Every time Kiaros thought about her, he felt disoriented.
That’s when it happened. A voice echoed from outside the office.
“Namia!”
A young man’s voice.
Kiaros naturally tuned in to the sound from just beyond the office door.
