“Just when I thought my life might open up a bit since I’m a duke’s son…”
I grew depressed momentarily, but I decided to spin my optimistic circuits anyway.
At any rate, in this world—well, it’s not this world anymore—but there was never a single thing that was easy in life.
At least there’s no 1-billion-won debt, so what a wonderful world this is! It should even be an easy matter to own a piece of real estate out here.
Because I’m a duke’s son!
Yes, the problem of making a living has been resolved, and I don’t have to leave work at dawn anymore.
Oh, wait a minute.
The emotion is so overwhelming that tears are coming out.
At any rate, as long as I don’t cross paths with Lucian, the main protagonist of the novel, my neck will stay firmly attached, and although it’s a life-threatening situation since I stepped forward to resolve the budget proposal, won’t that also turn out fine somehow if I do well?
Let’s cheer up.
Let’s cheer up, go to a resort, and just play around and eat there for the rest of my life!
Once this matter is resolved, I’ll go back home, declare, “Father! I am stepping away from politics!” and purchase a villa in the far south where the sun shines bright and the ocean is visible, and live there.
It’s perfect timing that I’m not the first son but the second son.
Wouldn’t it also be beneficial for my own safety to go far, far away so as not to get in the way of my older brother’s path?
“For such a day to finally come in my life…”
Tears welled up thick around my eyes reflected in the mirror.
I had only shed a tiny drop of tears of joy, but the area under my eyes turned flushed red, so I hurriedly wiped the tears away with my sleeve.
Knock, knock—
“Young Master, His Majesty is calling for you.”
Right, the inevitable had finally come.
A sharp spike of tension prickled at my fingertips, and my throat tightened, forcing a dry swallow.
Back when I was preparing for a crucial meeting, I had a habit of nervously adjusting my tie.
Now, instead of a tie, my hand helplessly fiddled with the absurdly antique cravat fastened around my shirt collar.
“Yes, please lead the way.”
‘Think as if the Emperor is just a newly appointed Team Leader. He’s not a tyrant, just a regular boss.’
I let out a heavy sigh and forced my feet forward, following the attendant.
On my way to the office, I briefly indulged in a delusion where a sudden accident might occur so I could just turn around and go home, but unfortunately, no such miracle happened.
“Announcing the arrival of the guest.”
“Yes.”
Ultimately, I found myself standing right outside the office doors.
I mindlessly rubbed the back of my neck before straightening my posture at the attendant’s booming voice.
“Young Master Ian Luces is entering.”
“Let him in.”
The low voice granting permission from within sent an involuntary chill down my spine, causing me to rub my arms.
Why was crossing this single threshold so incredibly daunting?
I took a breath, stepped inside, and stood before the Emperor’s desk.
Vague fragments of imperial etiquette that I had mindfully skimmed in the novel began to drift into my mind.
First, keep your head deeply bowed, and do not raise it until commanded to do so…
“I have come at your summon, Your Majesty. I am Ian Luces.”
“Raise your head.”
Truthfully, I didn’t want to look up at all, but I decided to face the reality in front of me head-on.
The very first thing that caught my eye was the state of the office.
The office was, expectedly… a total mess.
‘It’s completely chaotic.’
Mountains of paperwork formed literal towers across the desk, and stray documents of unknown origin lay scattered across the floor.
Does this place not have a concept of an administrative secretary?
Shifting my gaze away from the cluttered surroundings, I looked directly at the Emperor.
I flinched, nearly taking a step back under the intense scrutiny of his golden eyes.
Those eyes held a fierce determination to dissect my very soul—making me feel exactly like a candidate standing before the final interviewer back during my civil service exam days.
Granted, my actual life was on the line this time.
“Young Master Ian Luces, I shall ask you directly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Please speak.”
“Do you wish to become an official of the Imperial Court?”
He certainly didn’t beat around the bush.
It was probably better to be honest, right?
Even after possessing a noble body, I had absolutely no desire to sign up for public service with a hellish work-life balance.
“I have never given any thought to holding a bureaucratic position.”
“Then what was the reason you suddenly intervened in the Imperial council?”
‘Why else? Because you literally just asked me if I had a death wish a few moments ago.’
No, keep it together. Here, the Emperor’s word is law.
I reminded myself to remain perfectly calm.
“Because I could no longer sit idly by and watch my brother’s absurd behavior. If a budget has been miscalculated, it is only right to correct it. Nobles who live under Your Majesty’s vast grace must carry a matching weight of responsibility…”
“Enough. I have no desire to listen to empty flattery.”
Ah, so he’s the type who detests sycophancy.
Historical tyrants usually love being flattered, but noted. Good to know.
The Emperor averted his gaze.
For a fleeting second, a shadow of disappointment seemed to cross his face, though I assumed I was just imagining things.
“Then how do you intend to prove your capabilities? You stated that you would take the lead in streamlining the Imperial budget. Surely, you were not lying to me.”
The heavy, suffocating atmosphere made me feel as though my entire body was being crushed under immense pressure.
No, it wasn’t an illusion.
It took an agonizing amount of effort just to keep my head lifted before those piercing golden eyes.
But first, I had to survive.
I had to get back home alive.
I had already paid off half my debt, and my retirement plans in Hawaii were still waiting for me.
With great effort, I kept my chin up and spoke.
“To achieve budget efficiency, a thorough audit is required to ensure that funds are allocated precisely where they are needed most. To do that, verified supporting data is an absolute prerequisite before granting any Imperial funds to the nobility.”
“And how do you plan to secure such data?”
“Since the subsidies for magical beast appearances are currently the core issue, I will calculate the appropriate funding amounts based on empirical data regarding the damage sustained by each fief.”
“You speak an obvious truth at great length.”
“By analyzing three years of historical data, I believe we can uncover instances where the reported damage figures were intentionally inflated.”
“If the results are unsatisfactory… you will have to answer for it with your life.”
“I will do my absolute best.”
“…All the necessary documents are inside this room.”
With those final words, the Emperor’s gaze completely left me.
I let out a massive sigh of relief in my head and turned to look at the piles of paper scattered everywhere.
Swallowing hard, I stared at the raw, unindexed, and completely unfiled stacks of documents.
‘Is my life truly going to be okay like this?’
‘Let’s see here.’
It would have been ideal if the necessary records were sorted by topic, but unfortunately, the office was a disaster zone.
I decided to tackle the nearest pile of papers first.
My strategy was to skim through the contents rapidly and discard anything that wasn’t useful.
When doing tedious manual labor like this, a good work song helps tremendously.
I wondered if the Emperor summoned a live orchestra to play background music whenever he worked, though he probably didn’t.
‘Luces Fief Magical Beast Report, Uta Fief Magical Beast Report… Hmm, damage costs, subjugated beasts, casualties, injuries… Are these the basic data fields?’
