“But I only remember making them work……”

Honestly, it was because the knights were the ones with relatively free time in the Winter Palace.

In our Winter Palace, even the attendants were often assigned document work, so it couldn’t be helped.

Due to having just one assistant, the Imperial Consort was preventing the Winter Palace from increasing its number of administrative officers beyond a certain limit.

‘Didn’t she say she’d allow an increase if we hired more assistants?’

Moreover, since the imperial regulations stated that there could only be five administrative officers per assistant, it was difficult for us to push back.

And since she was putting pressure to prevent anyone from applying for the assistant position that required at least a baron title.

Her Highness the Imperial Consort was truly a terrifying person.

“Well, perhaps it’s because you did more than just give them work.”

While I was thinking about the Imperial Consort, Cassian placed my hand on his arm and escorted me to the dining room.

“I don’t remember, Your Highness. You don’t need to comfort me with nonexistent things.”

“Nonexistent things?”

After we sat at the table, when Cassian gave a signal with his eyes, the attendants began serving the dishes with practiced ease,

“The quality of training changed immediately after you arrived, Rose.”

True, if Cassian had been alone, he would have had to reduce training time to handle this workload, and no matter how iron-like he was, he would have gotten tired.

“There’s more, but I’ll let you hear it from the knights someday.”

“Why don’t you just tell me?”

“As their superior, it would be too much to take away what they should say.”

Seeing him speak like that, it seemed there really was some talk about me among the knights.

“Anyway, is the reason you’re angry because of Francis Ashwood?”

“Yes.”

I aggressively tackled my meal while telling Cassian about the nonsensical things Francis Ashwood had said.

Cassian just listened to my complaints with appropriate agreement while eating.

After venting like that, I felt some of the irritation in my heart clearing away.

Then my mind seemed to cool down enough to think rationally.

“Actually, the Summer Palace has been receiving help from the Imperial Consort’s Palace or Winter Palace for most difficult tasks.”

“That’s right, and His Majesty tacitly approves it.”

Because there was a possibility of matters escalating if they tried to handle difficult and important tasks on their own.

Though the Imperial Consort was busy packaging the First Prince as capable, she was objective enough about her child to know he needed such packaging.

“To be honest, all the Summer Palace assistants are nothing but precious young masters, so they’re probably putting off a lot of work right now.”

Actually, after I left the Summer Palace, they had bragged about being able to handle it, but ended up all leaving at 8 PM saying they’d deal with it tomorrow.

‘Eight o’clock is basically right after dinner.’

Given their personalities, they wouldn’t have skipped meals to work either.

“If there really ends up being an issue with the settlement documents, we can’t completely avoid the responsibility either.”

“Her Highness the Imperial Consort would find a way to implicate us somehow.”

Cassian nodded while drinking strongly brewed black tea instead of dessert.

Of course, in front of me sat an iced americano so black it looked like it might suck me in.

It was a six-shot venti-sized iced americano that existed only in the Winter Palace, just for me.

“So we need to prevent that itself, since we’re holding all the important things anyway.”

“Right, so how do you plan to resolve it?”

Looking at my superior who was deliberately passing the ball to me while knowing the answer, I smiled brightly.

Because today, the First Assistant of the Summer Palace would have to accept a somewhat humiliating proposal.

*

“……Are you telling me to assist Assistant Saliche’s work right now?”

Francis Ashwood’s brow slightly furrowed upon hearing my proposal.

The usually expressionless man looked at me with a face that seemed to find it difficult to comprehend.

“Is it hard to understand? Are you thinking in your mind that the Winter Palace should just handle about half of it?”

“If you could help just this once, from next time—”

“Is half the workload the only amount the people in the Summer Palace can handle while maintaining regular working hours?”

At my words, he closed his mouth as if struck at a vital point.

“Assistant Ashwood, the Winter Palace administrative officers were happy just because they managed to leave before midnight yesterday.”

They really only think about themselves.

“From your perspective, are my colleagues and I just people you can exploit? Let me ask you one thing, is His Highness Prince Charlie superior to His Highness Prince Cassian?”

“That’s……”

You can’t speak carelessly about that, can you?

If you did, tomorrow’s newspaper headlines would show how Lord Ashwood arbitrarily decided the hierarchy between the two that even the Emperor hasn’t determined yet.

“Then am I inferior to you, Assistant Ashwood?”

“……”

His mouth quivered but couldn’t quite open.

“You might think that way since you’re a precious young lord and I’m just a lady from a baron’s family.”

I smiled brightly.

“Even if that were true, that’s something to consider at balls or social gatherings, not in administrative work, right?”

You must know that the top performers every quarter are all from the Winter Palace.

It was one of the reasons why applicants for Winter Palace administrative positions never ceased despite the intense workload.

It was a position where you could secure quick promotions, thorough overtime pay, and performance bonuses.

Even the Imperial Consort knew better than to interfere with performance metrics, as it could potentially affect both the First Prince’s Summer Palace and her own Rose Palace.

“And you said ‘just this once,’ but are you confident you won’t do this again after we help you this time?”

“I intend to make it so.”

“I can’t believe that. Anyone can make promises with words. What if other Summer Palace assistants push their work onto us again when things don’t work out? Aren’t you thinking that if all else fails, the Sun Palace will mediate?”

You think I don’t know?

Even if Francis Ashwood doesn’t do it, there’s no guarantee the other assistants won’t do the same.

“Well, I have so many things to say, but I’m not free enough to enlighten you one by one.”

“Even so, if I assist your work, it will tarnish His Highness Prince Charlie’s honor. You should know this as a First Assistant yourself.”

At his words, I openly sneered.

“Then let’s consider the negotiations failed and handle it yourself. We tried to help, but Assistant Ashwood rejected it, right?”

I stood up with my notebook, showing no lingering attachment.

“Since you’re so confident, I hope you’ll resolve everything on your own from now on, unless collaborating with the Winter Palace is absolutely necessary.”

As I turned to leave, I looked back at him with an utterly contemptuous gaze, as if I’d just remembered something.

“You ran away scared when it came time to actually do something during the Ilium cruise ship incident, yet you dare to speak as if we’re equals in work.”

Cassian and I had discovered Lord Ashwood’s name on the guest list while wrapping up the Ilium incident.

“That wasn’t running away…!”

“If it wasn’t running away, does that change the fact that we cleaned up after you?”

I opened the door, thinking I really didn’t want to talk anymore.

Go ahead and bury yourself in mountains of documents with that precious pride of yours.

When I had taken exactly three steps out the door,

“Assistant Saliche, I accept your proposal.”

That rigid pride bent once.

*

Of course, I wasn’t going to let it go with just one bend.

You need to be bent all the way to the ground to realize how wrong you’ve been.

“……An attendant, you say?”

When I told him his position to be used within the Winter Palace, cracks appeared on the noble young lord’s face.

Though it was customary to recruit attendants from noble families, in reality, unless it was for the Emperor, Empress, or Imperial Consort level, at most only poor families ranking count or below would apply.

‘Actually, even those are rare these days, and it’s mostly baronet-class or knights’ children.’

To place even temporarily one of the empire’s only three ducal house’s young lords in such a position?

Of course he’d be dumbfounded, especially Francis Ashwood, whose mind was far more rigid than the aging Duke Ashwood.

“Though I think this isn’t something I should say from the position of someone who’s seeking help……”

Perhaps due to the bombardment he received from me this morning and afternoon, Francis Ashwood’s stupid remarks came through somewhat modified.

“Couldn’t I at least be a temporary administrative officer? This might look like the Winter Palace is taking revenge on the Summer Palace.”

He even attached what seemed like concern for us as an excuse.

But…

If you know you shouldn’t say it, then don’t say it.

I smiled brightly and spoke to the Winter Palace’s head attendant.

“I’m sorry, Head Attendant. It seems the attendant recruitment won’t work out.”

“It’s fine, Assistant Saliche. It’s a common—”