TSIMG 11

Chapter 11

Alisis Fedelov, the 2nd Chancellor of Haint. She had been resting her chin on both hands, observing the face of the man right next to her for a full 15 minutes.

“……Is there something on my face?”

“Huh? No?”

“…….”

Histein felt incredibly pressured by her smiling cheerfully at him.

“If you have something to say, please say it.”

“Really? Can I?”

“If I said no, would you not say it?”

“No?”

“…….”

At the company, he was the president and could control every situation as he pleased. But somehow, whenever he came to this place—the Chancellor’s office and his own workplace—he became as mute as a person who’d eaten honey.

“If you’re not going to ask, I’ll go ahead and brief you on the remaining schedule. After lunch, at 2:30, with Kadlov, the Chief of Security for District 5 of Paneu……”

“So, is that new ward of yours pretty?”

“…….”

Instead of answering, Histein put force into his hand. The paper listing the Chancellor’s schedule crumpled weakly in his grip.

Alisis absolutely loved Histein’s reaction. That cold, sharp man who looked like he wouldn’t shed a single tear even if you stabbed him! And he reacts like *that*!

Thrilling! Refreshing!

“Answer me, Roatt.”

“I have no idea whose muzzle is so loose around here.”

“……Why are you looking at me? It wasn’t me?”

Ricardt said, sounding wronged. Histein turned his head back to look at Alisis.

His superior, the Chancellor of Haint, was smiling just as cheerfully as before. Histein, who had known her for a long time, immediately understood the reason.

She was curious about that new ward of Histein’s.

It was clear to Histein that she had no intention of moving an inch from this spot until she got an answer.

“There’s nothing to say about pretty or not. She’s just, really, the younger sister of a very close friend.”

“No, who said anything about that? I’m asking objectively, is she pretty or not?”

Alisis was persistent.

Histein felt a migraine coming on and frowned.

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t really looked at her closely enough to……”

“Oh, come on. So, you have absolutely no feelings for her?”

“It’s not even a situation where feelings could develop in the first place. No, we only just met because of this whole affair.”

At his words, Alisis smirked mischievously. Her aide still didn’t seem to fully grasp his superior’s personality.

She really liked people who reacted vividly when poked.

“There’s an old saying, you know.”

“……?”

“Something like, ‘Between a man and a woman, words aren’t needed if there’s alcohol, night, and a roof to keep out the rain.’”

Alisis’s face made it all too obvious what she was thinking. Histein lightly disregarded his teasing superior.

“Even if I were feeling amorous, no matter what, my friend’s younger sister…… I’m not that kind of beast.”

With that, he suddenly stood up from his seat. Where are you going? Alisis called out to the back of his head. Histein put on the hat he had taken off and walked out of the office.

“……He ran away.”

Alisis, momentarily stunned speechless by his abrupt action, turned her head after a moment to look at Histein’s secretary.

“Hey, Dukane.”

“Yes?”

“What did you say your boss’s first love looked like before?”

Ricardt, who had been about to follow Histein out, flinched at her question. Not many people knew about Histein’s first love.

At most, Histein’s late father, Ricardt, Histein himself, and Damian.

Yet Alisis knew about Histein Roatt’s first love!

Seeing Ricardt’s pupils shake, Alisis burst out laughing.

“Hey, I didn’t investigate or anything! Histein blabbed it all out himself while drinking at a company dinner. I’m innocent?”

“……Can you swear on your life that you weren’t the one who placed vodka disguised as water in front of the President, Chancellor?”

“Hmm, that I can’t promise.”

Alisis pulled a cigar out of her drawer and cut the cap with a cutter, speaking nonchalantly. Her relaxed demeanor had Ricardt groaning in frustration instead.

Alisis was delighted.

Teasing Histein was fun, but teasing this loyal and strait-laced secretary was truly the best.

Ricardt, who had no way of knowing what she was thinking, was beside himself.

Histein was a notoriously terrible drinker. One beer and he’d be tipsy; one shot of vodka and it was a lethal dose. The problem was that the story of his first love also touched upon Histein’s most sensitive point.

‘Did he get drunk and spill only the story of his first love, leaving out the sensitive parts, as drunken rambling?’

It was possible. Ricardt cursed Histein, who had already walked far out of the office, and rushed out of the Chancellor’s office.

He immediately checked the direction Histein had headed. It hadn’t been many days since Histein had collapsed from overwork and recovered. It would be troublesome if he collapsed again while alone.

“President!”

Ricardt called out to Histein. It wasn’t just his health—there was still work he needed to finish in the Chancellor’s office.

“You can’t leave yet, President! You haven’t heard the Chancellor’s explanation regarding that matter yet!”

“……Damn it.”

Histein contorted his brow as fiercely as he could and turned around.

—

* * *

Lodia had a promise to meet Isolesia in the afternoon. It was her first outing in a while, so she was feeling subtly excited as the morning passed.

“Um, Miss Proxheit. You have a visitor.”

If it hadn’t been for this unexpected visitor, her good mood would have lasted until she went out.

Lodia, who had been reading a book in the sunlight, tilted her head.

“A visitor? Who?”

“Well… they said if we mentioned they were someone who did business with Mr. Piajen Proxheit, you would know……”

Hearing the hesitant words, Lodia stood up and walked over to the window. Looking out towards the garden, she could see people standing near the gate.

“Ha……”

She couldn’t see clearly, but they were people Lodia had never seen before.

Still, she had a feeling she knew who they were.

“Please open the gate. ……No, I’ll go out myself.”

The weather was still cold. Lodia put a shawl over her cardigan and went outside. Several people were standing outside the gate. They crowded close to the gate as soon as they saw Lodia.

“Oh, is this Miss Proxheit?”

“Well, well, a hard face to see, this young lady. Isn’t she?”

“No wonder her brother was so desperate to keep her hidden!”

As she got closer to the gate, their words pierced Lodia’s ears.

She was seeing them for the first time. That meant Damian had been dealing with them all this time.

“I heard you came to see me regarding my father’s affairs. Who are you?”

“Haha, well, you could say I had some dealings with Piajen……”

“I never had anything like that, I’m here to get my money back?”

“You’ve got quite a fancy house here. With this much, I bet we could even clean up the mess my father made with the accident!”

Lodia secretly sighed inwardly. Debtors and loan sharks—the people her father owed money to. She could guess without them saying it outright.

“I don’t have anything.”

Lodia shrugged.

“You might not have anything, missy, but your brother sure did, didn’t he?”

“Coming after a fresh graduate like this isn’t something we enjoy either. But still, we need to collect what’s owed, right?”

Their words made sense. But Lodia truly had nothing.

‘According to Lodia’s explanation,’ she couldn’t even use the money Damian had left with Histein without his permission because of the damned agreement. Of course, this wasn’t the kind of problem that would be solved even if she told Histein and had him take out that money.

And even if Lodia did have money, if she gave them everything they demanded, how would she live?

Lodia pressed herself against the gate.

“Hey, you know what?”

At her words, the people crowded closer to the gate.

“What?”

“That, that thing.”

Lodia whispered as if telling a big secret.

Naturally, their ears drew closer. Lodia cupped her hands and brought them to her lips.

“According to Haint’s inheritance laws, succeeding to the property rights and obligations due to a parent’s death is called inheritance.”

“……?”

“There are no positive assets left by my father, so what you should receive would be the negative assets, right?”

“……Th, that’s right! The young lady talks sense!”

Honestly, they had no idea what Lodia meant by positive and negative assets. But they nodded along first anyway.

Seeing their obvious reaction, Lodia chuckled.

“Under the property obligations of inheritance law, one must check whether the nature of the debt changes the content of performance due to a change in the debtor, and if the content of performance changes, the successor’s inheritance obligation could be legally forfeited.”

“…….”

“I asked if you knew that. Do you?”

Lodia smiled brightly.

The implication was that, depending on the contract’s contents, Lodia might not have the obligation to repay the debt.

The blood drained from their faces as they understood. After taking a step or two back, they soon disappeared from the front of the gate, kicking up dust.

Lodia let out a sigh of relief.

If anyone had known even a little about the law, they would have retorted, saying don’t talk nonsense.

And indeed, it was nonsense. But the only one who knew that was Lodia. Soon, no one remained in front of the gate.

Lodia slumped her shoulders and went back inside. She had confidently declared to Histein that she was a jobless bum, but that was just talk.

She knew better than anyone that she couldn’t just play around forever. Lodia let out another sigh.

—

* * *

That afternoon. Lodia, who had only been lazing around doing nothing, finally dressed like a proper person and went out for the first time in a while.

“Ridi!”

“Isolet! Have you been well?”

She had a promise to meet Isolesia at a café.

After graduation, Lodia’s friends who lived near the school had all returned to their hometowns. Only Isolesia, whose hometown was Paneu, could be Lodia’s conversation partner.

The two chatted animatedly, sharing what had happened right after graduation. Then, as their conversation briefly paused, a discussion from two men at the next table flew into Lodia and Isolesia’s ears.

“……I think we just heard something huge. You haven’t heard anything from Mr. Roatt, have you?”

“Not specifically. I was afraid to ask.”

Lodia, seemingly determined to just get it over with, slowly started gathering her bag. Isolesia, who had been preparing to stand as well, hesitated and called out to Lodia.

“If it’s true, are you going to apply?”

“Of course. Why, aren’t you?”

Lodia tilted her head.

“No, I have to! But honestly, I don’t think I can beat you.”

“What?”

Lodia laughed incredulously at Isolesia’s words.

“They’re probably not just picking one person, so don’t think like that. I’ll let you know soon.”

The two walked together until their paths diverged. However, Lodia never ended up contacting Isolesia separately.

Because the large banner hung in the central square of Paneu detailed the very story they had heard in the café.

—

**『First Public Recruitment due to the Cabinet Division of the Republic of Haint』**

—

Below the banner were relatively detailed information, but instead of reading it, Lodia parted ways with Isolesia and headed straight to the Magnificent office to find Histein.

“Is that true?”

Lodia asked, refusing the coffee that was her share. Even from Histein’s company office, the banner in the central square was clearly visible.

“It’s true. The exam registration is in ten days, and as you saw, the Chancellor intends to divide the cabinet’s power into three.”

“Goodness……”

Hearing that she was splitting power into three when even gathering the scattered power into one was needed left Lodia speechless.

“I hear she believes that concentrating power in one place is no different from creating another king.”

Histein stood near the window holding his teacup, looking outside. Young people were gathering below the banner.

This was a new opportunity for them. And he knew that Lodia was no different from them. He turned towards her.

“Are you going to apply?”

“Of course, I have to! This is a historic event in Haint’s history!”

Lodia’s blue eyes sparkled with anticipation.

She was right. The current Chancellor’s decision was the first of its kind since the establishment of the Republic.

There wouldn’t be a young person whose blood wouldn’t boil at this new opportunity to leave their name. Looking at Lodia with her clenched fists, Histein unconsciously smiled faintly.

Whether studying or playing, Lodia always gave her all. He now knew well how brilliant she was when she put her mind to anything.

‘Would it hurt to give her a little help? She’s trying so hard.’

Just as Histein was thinking that, Lodia suddenly looked at him.

“Absolutely do not give me any hints or anything. Got it? Exams are supposed to be fair!”

At Lodia’s words, Histein struggled to manage the flustered expression that appeared on his face.

“I wasn’t even thinking of giving you bread (help), and yet you’re already expecting it?”

“I’m just saying just in case!”

Lodia retorted, bristling. Histein, who had been considering slipping something into her hand if she hadn’t said that, changed his mind.

This woman is someone who graduated top of her class at Haint’s best university on her own merit. Maybe she doesn’t need my help.

Thinking that, Histein felt a surge of admiration for Lodia and, before he knew it, reached out and placed his hand on the top of her head. He felt a warm heat beneath his palm.

“……Wh, what are you doing?”

“Ah, this is, well, to say you did a good job.”

“Pardon?”

Lodia replied with a bewildered look on her face. Her reaction actually flustered Histein even more.

“I, uh, I’ll step out for a moment.”

With that, still holding his teacup, he walked out of his own office. Left alone, Lodia stood rooted to the spot, merely blinking her blue eyes.

—

Meanwhile, as Lodia stared blankly at the door Histein had exited through, he was leaning against the wall, looking at the teacup he had brought out and sighing.

“What am I doing……”

He let out another heavy sigh and looked at his palm.

Her purple hair was soft and fluffy, and the warmth that touched his palm was pleasant.

At that moment, he had definitely intended to pat Lodia’s head.

He clenched his fist and muttered.

“This is, yes. I was just impressed by her giving her best even while alone, and I wanted to say she did well. That’s right, she *is* impressive.”