“Yes, you need to do work in the Summer Palace, right?”

Spending five days on new employee training is more than generous enough for us, okay?

Besides, I hadn’t forgotten my original purpose at all.

Though his thinking was a bit rigid, his work sense wasn’t bad and he diligently checked his mistakes to improve — while that attitude would have been perfect for my subordinate,

‘Why would I hand over the Winter Palace’s weapons to others completely?’

I smiled brightly and told him.

“I hear His Highness Prince Charlie has been working overtime these days, as his first assistant, you should go check on him.”

Having mastered raw data organization now, joy spread across my face at the thought of definitely being freed from Summer Palace’s miscellaneous work.

“That’s true but I still……”

What still, the next step is handling important work and I absolutely won’t teach that.

“Good luck with the first half year’s settlement then, Assistant Ashwood.”

I cut off his regretful words without listening.

Now it’s your turn to get frustrated!

Since he had gotten used to our administrative officers, how frustrating would it be.

I kicked out the Winter Palace’s guest completely while imagining his future.

*

After Francis Ashwood left, our palace was able to finish the settlement earlier than usual.

Even so, well….

“It’s, it’s a miracle, Assistant Saliche.”

“We didn’t pass midnight on the day before the settlement deadline!”

Though this is the level of achievement we’re impressed by,

The administrative officers talked while very timidly — since the attendants were also comrades — throwing away a few documents that needed to be shredded, looking ready to link arms and dance in circles.

“I have a colleague among the Summer Palace administrative officers, and they say they’re all complaining these days!”

“They haven’t been able to go home for a week already, or something!”

“While we get to go home every day!”

“They say they’re sleeping on three chairs pushed together! Not even enough sofas!”

“Hey, I heard that’s just for the assistant, the administrative officers spread papers on the floor to sleep.”

The Summer Palace couldn’t help it since they had more people than us.

Though I heard the Imperial Consort’s Palace sent some sofas, it would only be one or two at most.

“They say they’re not even allowed to record overtime.”

“Something about not wanting to look incompetent.”

“Maybe because Lord Ashwood worked here, but they say only he can mark their time now.”

It was the kind of thinking those inferior Summer Palace assistants would have.

Yet the whole imperial palace now knows. That the Summer Palace had been pushing work onto the Winter Palace and properly took responsibility this time.

Thanks to Assistant Ashwood admirably not hiding it.

‘Well, that at least makes the time spent teaching him here worthwhile.’

He’ll handle miscellaneous work well from now on too, right?

I was just nodding while reviewing the reports they handed over, but the administrative officers grew increasingly excited and raised their voices.

“This is all thanks to Assistant Saliche!”

“So efficient, unlike some others!”

“Until now, they always called us inefficient and incompetent, making comments without even looking at our performance records.”

From how they spoke so resentfully, it seemed they had heard through the knights what was said when I went to return work to the Summer Palace.

“Go home now, we can finish what’s left tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Assistant Saliche!”

“See you tomorrow!”

Seeing them overly excited from excessive overwork, I calmed them down and sent them home.

I need to send them home first so I can leave comfortably too.

*

As I stood up after organizing the last document, Cassian had also finished his work and was standing there waiting for me.

“Your Highness needs to rest too.”

“Yes.”

Why are you approaching while saying that? I want to go home right now, okay?

You’re not planning to do something cruel like extending work hours here, are you?

When I looked at him with suspicious eyes, Cassian let out a small laugh.

“I want to take you home, Rose. Do you hate that too?”

“No.”

This was sincere.

There could be no higher praise for a superior.

That spending time after work wasn’t burdensome.

“It’s truly an honor to be allowed to be escorted by the hero of the Winter Palace.”

Cassian hugged me tightly like a puppy that had been separated from him for days.

Even though we were in the same office throughout the settlement period.

Though we didn’t have time to talk.

“……Weren’t you going to take me home?”

“Yes.”

Though he answered well, Cassian held me tight for several seconds.

Since we had even less conversation because of Francis Ashwood, I also quietly stayed in his embrace.

Though I desperately wanted to go home, I wondered if I had become too soft on him since I didn’t hate this clingy behavior either.

Eventually, I heard a shallow sigh near my ear as Cassian whispered in a languid voice.

“Everyone loves you too much.”

“I think I hear more people calling me a demon though.”

Because of my exceptionally handsome superior?

“Words from those without eyes aren’t words at all.”

He instantly turned all those who called us demons into people who couldn’t speak.

“You didn’t see Lord Ashwood’s expression when he left the Winter Palace.”

“I didn’t need to see it.”

Me? Why would I need to?

At my matter-of-fact response, Cassian smiled as if pleased.

“That’s somewhat comforting.”

“……What are you distressed about?”

“That everyone everywhere is recognizing my lovely fiancée’s charms?”

I don’t think that’s the case though?

Seeing my questioning look, Cassian playfully spoke while pulling my hand to rest on his arm.

“I should think of this as the proper price to pay for gaining a hero.”

Though I couldn’t fully understand his words.

One thing was clear.

That Cassian Artez worried and cared about me more than usual.

‘He even sent a letter to Duke Ashwood in advance.’

Though he usually avoided contact with dukes since we didn’t know how the Imperial Consort would react.

I leaned slightly against Cassian’s body and conveyed sincere words of gratitude.

“I’m by your side because it’s you, Your Highness.”

They’re probably the most pleasing words to him.

*

With the settlement finished, though the Winter Palace would never be completely free, fairly peaceful days continued.

Meanwhile, the Summer Palace seemed to grow noisier by the day.

“Do you know what my colleague said? How could we not have any free time except designated break times?”

“I even heard someone say we should have at least one tea time each day.”

The administrative officers clicked their tongues in disbelief as they spoke.

Since the settlement period, the Summer Palace seemed to have started training administrative officers and assistants under Francis Ashwood’s command.

‘They say His Highness Prince Charlie has the least complaints.’

He just grumbled as usual to Francis Ashwood, they say.

In that distinctive drawling tone of his.

‘Really~ our future young duke is just too boring.’

Just words like that.

Whether he accepted the increased workload and more thorough work methods or if it was just his natural disposition, they said he made no other comments.

“You know what, Rose?”

“What is it?”

After the administrative officers finished their gossip and left with their reports, Cassian spoke while handing me tea he had brewed himself.

Since I didn’t particularly enjoy black tea, most of the tea he gave me was herb-based.

“I hear Her Highness the Imperial Consort is worrying about what to give you these days.”

His lips were full of laughter.

“……Should I hide more?”

Of course, I thought I would stack up more resentment from the Imperial Consort after causing this incident….

“Probably?”

“What did His Majesty the Emperor say during breakfast this morning?”

Having stirred up the Summer Palace in various ways, I didn’t attend the imperial breakfast today.

While Cassian covered for my absence saying I was too busy with work, I really did work and sent documents to the Imperial Palace as soon as breakfast ended.

“He praised you.”

“Me? Why?”

“He said thanks to you the Summer Palace can finally function properly, and he praised my eye for keeping such a clever person by my side.”

I let out a small sigh.

“Why does His Majesty do this?”

“It’s his hobby.”

Only Your Highness could describe deliberately inciting a succession competition that way.

I sincerely thought so.

‘Though it’s certainly better than the original in that aspect.’

In the original, no matter how many military achievements Cassian brought back, the Emperor was only busy keeping him in check.

The Emperor’s antipathy grew stronger the more Cassian became a national hero, saying how dare he challenge imperial authority.

It was unfair to the original Cassian who just struggled desperately to survive.

But now it was different.

Cassian not only achieved military merits but also balanced things by voluntarily handling work the Emperor disliked, adding an appropriate amount of infamy.

While it was true the imperial citizens respected and followed him, he also deliberately provoked their antipathy by leading things like tax evasion enforcement.

‘Not to mention the nobles.’

So the current structure must be just right for the Emperor.

After all, he didn’t want the Zamoti ducal faction led by the Imperial Consort to gain too much power.

He puts forth Cassian as a kind of check while keeping the crown prince position vacant to torment both princes with hope.

That was the picture the Emperor was happily drawing now.

‘So conversely, having First Prince Charlie’s capabilities appear too low definitely wasn’t the Emperor’s wish either.’

It would be troublesome if public opinion like ‘Cassian will be crown prince anyway’ formed among the imperial citizens.

Being an authoritarian person, he hated being pushed into decisions.

Whether by his favored woman, the temple as competitor and collaborator, or even the citizens who were practically the empire’s core.