The Low-Ranking Civil Servant Wants to Achieve Success-Chapter 15

The Roafi Baron’s manor.

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It wasn’t right next to the Imperial Palace, but it wasn’t far either. A decent enough house in a respectable neighborhood.

I sighed once and opened the door. At the same time, the middle-aged couple sitting anxiously in the living room shot to their feet.

“Namia!”

“You’re here, Namia! Did Juan explain things to you at all?”

Ugh. This was already a bad sign.

When the Baron and his wife welcomed me with open arms like this, it always meant something awful had ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ happened.

‘Clearly, something’s gone down.’

Especially since I’d just heard from Luka yesterday that they’d been racking up debt under my name. My gut was not optimistic.

“...No.”

I stepped back instinctively and replied.

“Juan just told me to go home... Oh, and he dumped some Finance Ministry work on me too, right.”

“Phew, I see. Well, do take care of that for him...”

The Baroness dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and let out a deep sigh.

“Namia, your uncle lost a large sum of money in an investment this time.”

“Ah. I see.”

I nodded without much surprise. Everyone knew the Baron had no talent for investing—except the Baron himself.

Still, knowing my salary was probably wrapped up in the loss did sting a little.

“But the problem is...”

Oh god. There’s more?

“It was an investment made using some... fairly reckless loans...”

My eyes snapped open.

‘Fairly reckless’ meant ‘colossally massive debt.’

I stared at the Baron with disbelief, and he waved his hand and shouted,

“They said it was top-secret insider info that no one else had! How was I supposed to know it’d go south?!”

Seriously, what kind of idiot thinks people just give away sure-fire information? They’d obviously keep it to themselves and rake it in.

I let out a long sigh, and he looked at me like he was the one being wronged.

“I did it all for the family! Huh? You think I wanted this? Just lost a bit of money and now you’re glaring at me like I’m some criminal? Who taught you that kind of attitude?!”

“I didn’t mean to glare. I just wanted the best for you, Uncle. Anyway...”

I didn’t bat an eye.

“...Why exactly did you call for me?”

There was no reason I had to feel responsible for them just because we shared blood.

I was fully aware of all the unfair things they’d done to me. So I saw them for what they were: people I was in a transaction with.

Not family—just a means to find my father.

I had closed the door to my heart long ago.

“Well, about that.”

The Baroness slipped her arm around mine with a little smile.

“Namia, don’t you think it’s time you got married? You’re of age...”

What? Marriage?

These people...

Are seriously overstepping their bounds.

“He’s the eldest son of the Olten Trading House... and he says he really likes you.”

The calculations instantly ran through my head.

Olten was a prosperous merchant group. No matter how much debt the Baron racked up, this guy could probably wipe it clean.

But the eldest son of Olten was older than the Baron himself.

“You know, he’s a real gentleman. He hasn’t dated anyone since his divorce fourteen years ago! Oh, and he has one condition—he wants you to quit your job at the palace. Says he doesn’t like wives running around for pocket change.”

“...Didn’t he get divorced for domestic violence? Are we calling that ‘a gentleman’ now?”

“Pfft, I heard it was all a misunderstanding. And it was ages ago. Who cares anymore? You’d be living like a queen with all that money.”

The Baroness grinned and clutched my arm tighter.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“I’m saying this because I think of you as my own daughter. Quit that silly job, charm the man a little, and you’ll be rolling in money! If I had a daughter, I’d send her without hesitation.”

“But you don’t have a daughter, do you.”

I cut in flatly, and she whined in an almost pouty voice.

“Hey, think about Juan, won’t you? He’s finally getting ahead in life. We can’t have the family dragging him down, right?”

“Why would I think about Juan? He’s not my son.”

That’s when the Baron cut in, waving his hand like he’d heard enough.

“Forget it, just go ahead and marry the guy.”

His tone was sharp, like a command. He was absolutely convinced I’d obey.

“Then I’ll tell you.”

He gave a nasty grin, like he was doing me a great favor.

“I’ll tell you where your father is.”

I didn’t answer. I simply looked down.

Dad...

My most precious memory. The person I had to protect. The most valuable person in my life.

That’s why I endured until now. And honestly, it hadn’t been that hard.

‘But... I must be precious to Dad too.’

A thought I’d buried deep inside began to rise. Would Dad be happy, knowing I’d lived like this?

“Come on now, I’m telling you where your father is! You still have over three years left on that contract.”

The Baron rubbed his hands together eagerly.

“Marry into a rich family, use their money to bring your father back! You can quit your government job, too!”

The more he talked, the more excited he got—like he thought he was offering me the best deal of my life.

“This is the perfect deal for you! You get everything you want!”

I looked at him with a blank expression.

Yeah. Everything I ever wanted.

I’d know where Dad was. I’d have the money to rescue him...

My imagination played it out for me.

[Dad! Dad!]

[My girl! How did you get here, huh?]

In my imagination, we embraced, more emotional than any reunion ever.

[I married an old, ugly man who’s known for beating his ex-wife! Quit my perfectly good job, too! All for you, Dad! Aren’t I amazing?!]

[What?! That’s horrible! What was the point of everything I did?!]

And just like that, the fantasy ended.

I let out a breath and shook off the Baroness’s arm.

“That’s enough. Let’s end this miserable relationship here.”

It was a line I’d imagined saying so many times. I’d wanted to storm out of this place more than once.

I had held it in. But now... now was the time I couldn’t hold it anymore.

“I have no more business with this household.”

“You brat! Are you insane? I’m the only one who knows where your father is! You poke around and ask the wrong people, and he’ll end up in jail! You hear me?!”

The Baron flailed, trying to grab me in disbelief.

“I’m perfectly sane, and I have no intention of discussing anything else with you, Uncle.”

I dodged his hand without a backward glance. I had nothing to pack, so I left without hesitation.

But inside me, something was quietly collapsing.

[I’m not tired at all! Seeing Namia’s face gives me all the energy I need!]

But precisely because Dad loved me so much... I had to let that memory go.

This wasn’t the life he wanted for me.

I had already endured more than enough.

“Please don’t contact me again.”

The Baron shouted something behind me, but I didn’t hear it.

I hadn’t planned to listen anyway.

“Oh—and I’ll be changing the account where my salary’s deposited, just so you know.”

And with that, I walked straight out of the Roafi manor.