The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 97
I wasn’t feeling too great either, so I had zero interest in the banquet food.
But then, the music began to change.
The Grand Chamberlain, who had been speaking with Kiaros, widened his eyes slightly.
“Oh... it looks like the dance music is about to start.”
He was right. This melody meant it was time to stop chatting and get ready to dance.
“Haha, I’ll take my leave now. There’s nothing more important between a man and a woman than the first dance at a banquet.”
The Grand Chamberlain smiled warmly and disappeared.
It seemed he had understood what Kiaros meant earlier when he told him to “leave now.”
I watched the Grand Chamberlain’s back as he walked away and swallowed dryly.
‘But since he came all the way here in person... wouldn’t he take care of me too?’
I saved the Crown Prince, took control of the Scroll Department that had been infiltrated by a spy, and reduced the Education Ministry—one they’d been eyeing for ages—to a heap of rubble...
Just how much must the Reform Faction have been annoyed by me?
‘Especially today, they tried to use me to set a trap, but ended up falling into it themselves. How wary of me must they be now?’
If I were the Reform Faction, I’d probably eliminate me while I was at it.
I’m a bothersome pest and the weakest one, too.
‘Scary. Just thinking about it makes me tremble... I can’t stand it.’
I had to act first.
Ten days while the Grand Chamberlain remained in the palace.
During those ten days—when he’d be weaving schemes to trap me and Kiaros—I needed to make the first move.
“Ahem.”
While I was deep in thought, Kiaros cleared his throat.
“Namia.”
Until right before the banquet, I had thought I’d be dancing the first dance with Kibon.
“Isn’t everything you needed to do at this banquet done now?”
Kiaros asked, and I nodded. We even uncovered clues about the mastermind, so the banquet had been unexpectedly productive.
“Of course, you’re probably still shaken by the spy, but you’re not planning to act on anything tonight, are you?”
Kiaros said with a soft smile.
He only slightly lifted the corners of his mouth, and yet it was so beautiful I nearly lost my mind.
“Just for tonight, forget about the spy and enjoy yourself however you want, Miss Namia. You’ve earned that right.”
“Ah... yes.”
Golden hair that looked like it gathered every light in the hall, red eyes that were both warm and cool.
Facing his sculpted face, it felt like it was just the two of us in the entire banquet hall.
“Um... like the Grand Chamberlain said, I think the first dance song is about to start.”
The first dance... it was customary to dance it with your partner.
That was why Victor had once said, “The second one is mine,” and staked his claim.
In fact, this was my first time attending a banquet. My first time wearing such a pretty dress, my first time standing next to such a dazzling partner.
‘Ah, His Highness must be planning to ask me for a dance.’
Since we were partners, it was the natural thing to do.
If I danced the first dance with the Crown Prince, surely all eyes would be ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) on us, showering us with praise. Especially since Kiaros had never danced with any woman before.
But...
[Just for tonight, forget about the spy and enjoy yourself however you want.]
I took a deep breath.
What I wanted right now wasn’t the first dance. It wasn’t to show off my clothes or accessories at the banquet.
“Your Highness.”
I took a small step back.
“As you said, I believe I’ve done everything I needed to do at this banquet. And I also agree that just for tonight, I deserve to do as I please.”
“...Hm?”
“If possible, may I be excused?”
“What?”
“Well...”
I looked directly at Kiaros’s perfectly beautiful face and said,
“Right before the banquet, I received word that my secretary was very ill.”
Kiaros’s face stiffened slightly. His eyes wavered with massive confusion.
‘Wait... he got rejected after proposing, and yet he thought I’d say yes to the first dance? We’re not even a thing. The self-delusion, seriously.’
I was baffled on the inside, but I continued politely.
“But my secretary isn’t the type to break promises like this without reason. Either they’ve gone into hiding because they’re a spy... or they’re seriously too sick to move. It’s got to be one of the two.”
“Uh, um... well...”
“If it’s the first, I’d like to confirm that quickly, and if it’s the second, I feel I should stop by because I’m worried. They’re a foreigner with no family. I know better than anyone what it feels like to be sick and alone.”
“Y-Yes, but... um.”
“Yes. I know. A boss showing up at an employee’s house on a day off is horrible. I get that.”
I spoke calmly.
“But... today is also my secretary’s birthday.”
“Birthday?”
“Yes. It’s listed on their personnel card. Being sick and lying in bed all alone on your birthday... it just felt too pitiful. I was thinking I’d pick up some warm stew and drop by briefly.”
Kiaros stumbled a bit, then asked, stammering,
“D-Do you know where your secretary lives?”
“Yes. The address is also on the personnel card. It’s a small house nearby.”
“Ah, right. Of course.”
“Just in case, please assign one crow to tail me. If I don’t come out after a certain time, I’d like you to have them raid the place immediately.”
At my request, Kiaros dazedly nodded.
Then he blinked and said,
“R-Right. I’ll go give the order to a crow.”
Then he briskly walked across the banquet hall ahead of me.
By the end, it almost looked like he was running.
***
Kiaros rushed into the Crown Prince’s office and rummaged through documents.
Kibon Altess’s personnel card... a file he had scribbled up himself and forged the approval for.
“Damn it.”
Birthday: November 2...
The date, like the name and age, had been sloppily written—but of all days, it had to be today.
He quickly checked the address.
It had been one of the safehouses (those nondescript houses used by special intelligence agencies) scattered across the capital.
“...Ugh.”
Of all things, it was the shabbiest and oldest one—so disused even the crows didn’t go there anymore.
But there was no time to think.
He changed his clothes and transformed into Kibon’s appearance.
Then he started running like hell. He’d have to sprint at full speed to arrive before Namia.
‘Is this really happening? Is this for real?’
Even as he ran, Kiaros was confused. But he had no choice.
[Either they’ve gone into hiding because they’re a spy... or they’re seriously too sick to move. It’s got to be one of the two.]
If he wasn’t lying there in that safehouse, he’d definitely be suspected as a spy.
Of course, this raised one fundamental question.
Isn’t Namia the spy? Is Namia really not connected to the Reform Faction at all?
‘Just the fact that she nailed the Education Minister... that alone makes the connection seem plausible, but if you think it through, it’s all a bit sudden.’
Nabbing Liden, fine. Those leftover scrolls might’ve really been suspicious.
But connecting it to the Education Minister out of nowhere—that part was honestly surprising.
‘Still... is this really okay?’
Kiaros arrived at the decrepit safehouse that looked like it might collapse any moment and barely managed to catch his breath.
Thankfully, someone had been maintaining the place on rotation, so the interior was at least clean.
‘How did it come to this...?’
Namia Roafi... she definitely had suspicious aspects.
That’s why he’d wanted to keep her under surveillance, even if it meant disguising himself.
She’d even agreed to it readily—said he could use any method he wanted.
But somewhere along the way, he started to like her...
[Being sick and lying in bed all alone on your birthday... it just felt too pitiful. I was thinking I’d pick up some warm stew and drop by briefly.]
Now, everything just felt like a betrayal toward her, and he was feeling guilty...
It had all seemed justifiable at first, but when he came to, everything was a mess.
“Ha...”
Just as he closed his eyes tightly, he heard Namia’s voice outside the door, mixed with a sigh.
“My gosh, this place doesn’t even have a doorbell.”
Knock knock—a cautious knock followed.
“Kibon? Are you in there?”
