The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 89

“Namiaaa! I was waiting for you!”

Jaden threw himself into Namia’s waist in a full-bodied hug.

Then he jumped back in surprise and cried out primly,

“Don’t get the wrong idea! I just don’t have any friends because I’m too much of a genius, that’s why I hugged Namia! It’s absolutely not because I was happy to see her!”

No one could follow that up with words.

They only wore the same expression—‘Even that little brat of a prince with the trash manners?’

Still clinging affectionately to Namia, Jaden continued,

“But Namia, where’s that intern you always drag around with you? You said he was gonna be your partner.”

“Ah, he contacted me right before the banquet saying he was sick.”

“Really? I don’t know what kind of germ did it, but I wanna give that germ a prize. Props to him for backing out so nicely, but still—physical stamina is part of the job. Make sure you scold him later until he cries!”

Meanwhile, Victor had reached Namia’s side.

He waited patiently for the conversation between Namia and Jaden to end.

No matter how high-born he was as the heir to a marquisate, he couldn’t just cut off royalty mid-sentence.

Since Namia had no partner, he planned to ask if he could escort her.

With Kibon gone, it felt like a thorn had been plucked out. Of course, even if Kibon had shown up, he’d planned to use his status to shove him aside.

But just then—

“Could everyone please step aside for a moment.”

All eyes turned to the tall man who suddenly extended a hand to Namia.

“I’ll be escorting the Minister of the Scroll Department. I don’t have a partner either.”

Golden blond hair, tightly toned muscular build, and vivid crimson eyes.

The man extending his hand to Namia was none other than Crown Prince Kiaros Polariwood.

As he casually reached for Namia’s hand, the entire room collectively gasped.

“W-Wait, didn’t she dump him?”

“Yeah. He’s been holed up since then. He looks totally pale too... I guess he still hasn’t given up.”

“Wow... seriously tenacious.”

Everyone shook their heads in awe.

To get dumped in the loudest, most public way possible and still ask to be her partner at a banquet?

Even Namia looked stunned.

Jaden, who had been clinging to Namia and chattering away, screamed, “Kyaaaaah! This is ittttttttt!” and scurried out of the way. Standing beside the Empress, he started making weird sound effects like, “Krah! Kekeke! Kraaaagh!”

“Ah, y-yes. It’s... an honor, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Namia finally, cautiously took Kiaros’s hand.

There wasn’t a soul in the Empire who could turn down an escort offer from the Crown Prince.

“Now then.”

Completely ignoring the Empress and Jaden’s bizarre “Ahaha kekeke!” sound effects, Kiaros smiled elegantly and gracefully.

“Shall we go? I’m looking forward to the Scroll Department’s event.”

“Ah... yes...”

As he led Namia forward, Kiaros glanced at Victor, who stood nearby.

It was Victor’s first time seeing Kiaros. Their eyes met, and Victor immediately prepared to offer a formal greeting.

But Kiaros looked down at him and said in a flat tone,

“Move.”

Victor flinched and instinctively stepped back. Kiaros gave a slight smirk and continued walking.

Then, while escorting Namia past him, Kiaros deliberately stepped hard on Victor’s foot.

Hngk!

The pain was way too sharp for just an accidental step. But Kiaros didn’t even apologize—he simply brushed past him.

Victor bit his lower lip and swallowed a groan.

‘I-It must’ve been a mistake, right? He doesn’t even know who I am...’ ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Kiaros had a very good reputation. He wasn’t known for treating others with disdain or throwing his weight around.

Why on earth would the Crown Prince stoop to petty bullying? Especially to someone he hadn’t even been properly introduced to. Victor forced himself to dismiss the discomfort.

***

The opening ceremony began in dazzling fashion.

The Empress and Jaden stepped up onto the platform and began tearing the scrolls in order.

“Wow!”

“My goodness... this is amazing.”

Every time the Empress and Jaden tore a scroll, fireworks exploded into the air.

People watched, spellbound, as brilliant explosions lit up the banquet hall.

For safety, the fireworks were specially enchanted to vanish into smoke the moment they went off.

“I’ve never seen scrolls like these. It’s like something out of a fantasy world.”

“Where’s the Scroll Minister? I need to ask her to help with the next diplomatic event!”

The crowd cheered as they gazed, entranced, at Jaden, the Empress, and the fireworks surrounding them.

Fireworks inside the banquet hall. It was a spectacle no one had imagined.

The only catch was that the Scroll Department staff had to keep activating scrolls, so the large scroll boxes had to be held continuously by the Ministry of Education staff.

“Huff, huff... Huff!”

“I’m gonna collapse tomorrow...”

Digging through those massive scroll boxes and handing them out endlessly was grueling manual labor.

That was the support I had requested from the Education Ministry—to physically assist the Scroll Department staff.

[Are you out of your mind? Why are Education Ministry civil servants doing grunt work like this? Use the palace attendants instead!]

[But this is such an important event, y’knowm. Way too important for palace attendantsm. Come on, civil servants should help each other out...]

[Why use someone who’s five years into the job? Just hire new ones if you need people!]

[Uuuungh, I just felt like using a fifth-yearm. Dragon bro said I should always follow my feelingsm. I'm just obeying royal orders~m.]

And so, the very people who once looked down on and pushed us out were now working in service of the Scroll Department officials they used to mock.

The Education Minister looked on with a sour expression.

By contrast, Anastasia, leading the ceremony on-site, looked absolutely radiant. Thank goodness.

“It’s truly impressive,”

Kiaros said beside me as I nervously watched the event unfold.

“Looks like all those late nights paid off.”

Kiaros and I were standing together at the VIP section. I smiled proudly and nodded, just about to respond, when—

“It was worth allocating the budget, Minister.”

Marquis Arwin—aka the Finance Minister—had come up beside me at some point. He smiled broadly and said,

“Soon everyone will know. That the old Scroll Management Department and the Scroll Department under your leadership are completely different. And that I was the first to recognize the so-called parachute dropped by the Magic Tower Master.”

Victor stood beside the Finance Minister. He smiled as he raised his champagne glass toward me in a toast.

“Yes, Father. Namia’s really been through a lo—whoa!”

Before he could even clink glasses with me, he staggered. Kiaros had struck the top of his foot hard. He glanced at Victor with a chilly look and curled his lips.

“You were in the way.”

It didn’t seem like Victor was in his line of sight at all, but neither the Finance Minister nor Victor dared challenge a Dragonblood.

Victor swallowed a grunt and looked down at his foot. I glanced too and saw a fresh bruise blooming.

Kiaros, unfazed, turned his gaze back toward the stage and added casually,

“It’s about to hit the climax.”

And he was right. The finale was near, with the Empress and Jaden preparing to tear a massive scroll together.

“Now, like this!”

The audience, faces glowing with awe, watched as a Support Division staff member called out cheerfully.

“We now declare the opening of the Saint Cairo Banquet!”

The Empress and Jaden laughed and tore the large scroll together, just as they’d practiced. At once, a flurry of smaller fireworks burst into the air—pop pop pop!

“Wooooooaaahhh!”

Images of Saint Cairo and his beloved mother surrounded the hall. The crowd roared in amazement, unable to believe their eyes.

And at that same moment...

‘If my prediction’s right, it should be... now!’

I turned to look at Jaden’s face. As expected, his expression shifted from delight to stunned disbelief. His face, frozen for a moment, flushed pink.

“Hm.”

Kiaros murmured beside me.

“Looks like Jaden just awakened a special ability.”

I nearly dropped my champagne glass on the spot.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one watching Jaden’s reaction closely.

‘Even so, you can’t just say something like that out loud near me!’

Wasn’t a Dragonblood’s special ability supposed to be a state secret—not even shared with family? I stared at him in shock and whispered,

“Your Highness, were you watching His Highness Prince Jaden’s expression?”

He looked down at me silently, then slowly lowered his head. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered—

“No.”

I flinched so hard I nearly jumped.

I was the one who whispered first—but I hadn’t realized it would feel like that.

“I was watching you watch Jaden.”