The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 77

Victor was standing beside Anastasia’s desk, sipping a cup of coffee.

Anastasia was tidying up the coffee grounds while putting away a book titled “If That’s How You Look at Your Boss, I Don’t Have One.”

Judging by the steam still rising from the cup, he hadn’t arrived long ago.

“It’s been a while, Namia.”

He smiled broadly and held out his hand with a flick.

“Yes. It really has been a while.”

I grasped Victor’s offered hand as I replied.

“I thought you’d be here by tomorrow at the earliest.”

“Yeah, but I rushed over just to see you.”

Victor raised an eyebrow playfully as he spoke.

“Ah, of course, I’m not here to start work today. Just came by to say hi.”

“You came even though it’s not your first day? Don’t tell me... you’ve caught some kind of illness?”

“Namia as Minister—how could I not be curious? If that’s a disease, then I’m already in the terminal stage.”

He laughed cheerfully while shaking my hand.

“Come on, who could’ve guessed there’d be such a bloodbath among the higher-ups while I was gone? You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you? But... hmm.”

Victor was happily chatting away, but suddenly paused and glanced over my shoulder.

Kibon was staring daggers at our clasped hands.

Victor awkwardly let go of my hand and asked cautiously.

“...Who’s this guy? Namia, do ministers these days walk around with bodyguards? Or did he get orders to chop off anyone who touches you?”

“Well, he does look like he might cut your hand off, but no, that’s not it.”

I threw a glance over my shoulder at Kibon and added,

“He’s an intern. Acting as my secretary for now.”

“An intern? You’re saying we have interns in our department now?”

Victor gave Kibon a once-over with a surprised expression, then grinned.

“Nice to meet you, intern. Since our young Madam Minister picked you as her secretary, I guess you’re younger than Namia? I’ll speak casually, that okay with you?”

“It is not.”

The atmosphere instantly turned chilly. I jabbed Kibon in the side and whispered,

“Kibon, everyone in this department talks casually to you, why are you like this?”

“I didn’t say it was okay.”

With a sigh, I looked back at Victor and tried to explain.

“Sorry, senior. Kibon’s a foreigner, so his Imperial is a bit off. He’s not great at picking up on things and the °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° culture’s unfamiliar to him...”

“Ah, I see. Then he’s a needy little guy who requires lots of attention. I’m very good at giving that.”

“Not that needy... I mean, he gets everything done that I assign him. So, yeah...”

Victor rolled his eyes and nodded slowly.

“I get it. So he’s a useful weirdo.”

I could tell Kibon was about to say something, so I hurriedly covered his mouth.

As long as he stayed quiet, nothing would escalate. Even in the Empress’s chambers, silence had earned him a neutral rating.

He was just staring at me in complete silence...

Honestly, what kind of intern looks at their boss like that?

I sighed internally.

Until now, I’d been too swamped with work to notice, but after going out to the palace together, it had become clear.

When the Empress said, “That guy’s hiding something from you,” did she mean... romantic feelings? At the very least, her intuition couldn’t be ignored.

Suddenly, my imagination ran wild.

[Pull yourself together, Kibon. You’re an intern, and I’m the Minister.]

[Is there a law saying an intern can’t fall for a Minister?]

[Of course not. No one can legislate personal emotions.]

Even in my imagination, Kibon was as expressionless as ever—but his gaze never left me.

Just like every moment since we met.

While I was lost in those thoughts—

“Anyway, Namia.”

Victor winked and gave me a warm smile.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be calling you ‘Minister’ properly, but just for today, let’s be friendly seniors and juniors. I want to hear all about what’s happened.”

His light blue eyes curved playfully.

Unlike the sharper-looking Kibon, his gentle features seemed endlessly harmless.

“I didn’t even ask Anastasia—I wanted to hear it directly from you. I’ve been waiting all this time.”

“Ah... so the thing is, it all started when—”

Just as I was about to begin, the Scroll Department office suddenly erupted in noise.

“Yo, Victor! Heard you were back!”

“Victoooor! You jerk, why didn’t you tell us you were here?”

“Not even gonna swing by and say hi to your bros? Huh?”

A group of civil servants burst in and immediately surrounded Victor.

“Hey, keep it down, will you? I came quietly, just to make a good impression on the Minister.”

Victor chuckled and waved a hand dismissively.

Naturally, his peers ignored the gesture.

“Look at you, acting all high and mighty after going overseas!”

“Should’ve called us first thing, don’t you think? Kinda hurt, man.”

I rolled my eyes and kept quiet.

Yeah.

This sort of thing... was all too familiar since Academy days.

***

Victor had always been popular with everyone.

Smart, athletic, cheerful, and good-looking. It was only natural that he became student council president with an unprecedented number of votes.

“Hmm, Namia Roafi?”

Out of all the students, he noticed me—a full four years his junior—due to official reasons.

“Your parents never showed up for a single parent-teacher conference. Is there a problem at home?”

Like a proper student council president, he had a list of students with potential issues.

Because my parents never once came to the school, I was summoned to the student council office.

“Juan Roafi always came every year... Is there anything the school can help with?”

Victor asked with eyes overflowing with sincerity.

I shook my head.

“No.”

“Hmm.”

He looked troubled.

“Well, I mean... if someone suddenly called me in and started asking personal questions, I wouldn’t want to talk either. Right?”

“Right.”

“Knew you’d say that.”

He grinned.

“Looks like you ranked first on the entrance exam?”

“Yes.”

“Hm. Something’s definitely off, though.”

Victor smiled gently. fгeewebnovёl.com

I averted my gaze from those pale sky-blue eyes, like they held pieces of the sky.

“This won’t do. Namia, let’s get to know each other.”

“Okay.”

“...Aren’t you going to ask why?”

“We’re not going to get close anyway.”

“Pfft... What a funny one, this junior of mine.”

Victor chuckled.

Then he made direct eye contact with me and smiled warmly.

“I’ve decided.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to get close to you. And wait until you’re ready to tell me yourself what’s wrong.”

“Yes.”

“And if I can fix it, I’ll fix it. I am the student council president responsible for everyone’s well-being, after all.”

Without waiting for a reply, Victor stood up.

Then, throwing on his jacket, he said—

“Let’s go have lunch.”

“Sorry?”

“Lunch. Together. We’ve gotta get close, don’t we?”

“Um...”

“I might not be able to fix your problem. But... I can listen. And maybe, that’ll help ease your heart just a little.”

“...”

“Let’s become friends, okay? So today, we eat together. And next time, too.”

Reluctantly, I stood up. When a senior asks to eat together, it’s hard to say no. And yet, as I looked at his back, I thought—

Ah, this person... is kind.

As we walked down the hallway together, I’m not kidding—everyone who passed by greeted Victor.

“Hey, Victor! Up for a game of basketball later?”

“Victor-sunbae? Can you check this for me? When you have time.”

“Oh wow, if it isn’t Victor! You’ve been kind of distant lately, haven’t you?”

Victor responded to every single one of them kindly and cheerfully as we strolled.

Watching him, I thought once again—

Ah, this person... is kind to everyone.