No Strings Attached (1)
The weekday schedule of Delis Bloomfeld, a 3rd Class Mage of the British Ministry of Magic, was remarkably peaceful for a mage. Part of it was because she was a magical bureaucrat doing desk work at the Ministry headquarters in the rear rather than fighting on the front lines where spells clashed, and part of it was because there were high-ranking officials within the Ministry who held her in high regard.
Despite the fact that she had not been walking the magic path for very long, Delis had been able to secure a solid position within the Ministry thanks to the protection of a high-ranking mage. While her own administrative skills and deductive abilities were certainly the primary reasons, individual talent alone could never guarantee such a meteoric rise. Although a meritocratic spirit was not entirely absent from the modern Ministry, connections with the higher-ups remained paramount.
Thus, the routine task of Delis Bloomfeld, who commuted to the Ministry of Magic with a coffee in hand through Whitehall in Westminster, London—a street lined with government buildings—was preparing presentation materials. Barring any unusual circumstances, this was a weekly duty every Monday. It was a presentation briefly summarizing and reporting the must-know magical incidents of the past week to Lord Dunhaven, a 1st Class Mage, and the 2nd Class Mages who served as his department heads.
Preparing all the presentation materials alone on top of her daily duties was undoubtedly a heavy burden for Delis. Doing this did not mean her other workload was reduced, but it was an opportunity not afforded to just anyone. She had been given this role back when they were preparing Operation Demetrios to wipe out the IRA, which had been running rampant in Northern Ireland. Now, more than five months later, the position had become entirely hers.
What she gained from this immediate overwork was the absolute goodwill of the Minister of Magic and his department heads. Thanks to this, Delis Bloomfeld had quickly become a standout figure among the 3rd Class magical bureaucrats.
In any case, her relative freedom from internal power struggles despite her unprecedentedly rapid promotions had to be attributed entirely to the protection of the Ministry's high-ranking officials. This allowed Delis to blend seamlessly into the Ministry despite the dark ambitions she harbored in her heart. She needed to establish a firm foothold within the Ministry first so that when the master of her soul eventually swallowed Britain whole, it would be easier to digest. Therefore, Delis made full use of the high-ranking mages' patronage as she rode a wave of continuous success.
Monday, January 12th, was also a day to report the latest magic-related matters from the previous week. However, there was one difference from the usual routine: on this day, the Minister of Magic summoned Delis Bloomfeld to his office privately after her presentation concluded.
"I was told you summoned me, Minister."
"Ah, you're here. Have a seat, Miss Bloomfeld. Make yourself comfortable."
At the Marquis's gesture, Delis sat on the guest sofa without a word. She had been summoned to the Minister's office a few times before. However, the conversations back then had always been strictly professional. They had never shared personal chats, so she had never once sat 'comfortably' like this before. It was also the first time refreshments, including black tea and scones, were laid out on the table in front of the sofa. Suppressing her intense discomfort, Delis opened her mouth to ask why—
"Excuse me, Minister..."
—but she quickly realized she shouldn't act rashly and let her voice trail off.
"Just wait a moment. I've arranged this meeting because someone wishes to see you today, Miss Bloomfeld. I hope you don't mind?"
It was a question, but not really. The answer was already decided, or rather, it had to be. Delis replied with a polite, artificial smile. After all, her genuine smiles were reserved solely for her secret lover and the master of her soul.
"Of course not, Minister. I don't know who it is, but if they are someone you are personally introducing, they must be a very distinguished guest."
"Indeed. And he is someone you will surely adore."
Just what kind of person could it be? She waited for about ten minutes, sipping her warm black tea. When the door to the office swung open and a man walked in, his identity left Delis utterly flabbergasted.
"Lord Ashford...? Ah, since you both share the same surname..."
"Call me Benjamin. We're not on duty right now, so there's no need for such stiff formalities."
Delis was about to frown instinctively, but she quickly grasped the situation and put on her professional mask once more. An emotion hovering somewhere between a blank face and a smile surfaced.
"Ahem, but it is still technically working hours. I don't think it's appropriate to address my superior so casually."
It seemed the person the Marquis wanted her to meet was his own grandson, Benjamin Ashford. He was a 2nd Class Mage of the Ministry of Magic and the most senior among them. This meant he was the Vice-Minister who would temporarily take over the Ministry should anything happen to the Marquis. Though it is by no means an official title.
More importantly, Benjamin Ashford had recently become Delis's direct superior. The organizational structure of the British Ministry of Magic placed several 2nd Class Mages, led by the Vice-Minister, directly beneath a single Minister. Each of these 2nd Class Mages then acted as a department head, commanding the 3rd Class mages beneath them. As mentioned, Benjamin Ashford was the most senior among the department heads. Thus, Delis, who was rising faster than any other 3rd Class Mage, was naturally assigned directly under the Vice-Minister.
Recalling this fact did nothing to ease Delis's mind. She had already heard from the master of her soul what kind of man Benjamin Ashford truly was. Furthermore, through her secret activities in a position she could never reveal to anyone in the Ministry, she had already grasped the Vice-Minister's true nature.
A total lecher.
Despite her appearance, Delis prided herself on knowing the absolute depths of human depravity. It was a dark reality she had learned half-thanks to her late father. Assisting her father as an investigative consultant, she had encountered more than a few cases that vividly demonstrated just how hideous humanity could be. Because of this, Delis could not help but view the fifty-something Vice-Minister with a healthy dose of cynicism. She had heard that even the master of her soul had suffered because of him during the year-end party. She knew it was because of this very man that her master had been forced to wear a Victorian maid outfit.
"Well, I shall leave you two to talk comfortably. This old man will take his leave now."
The Minister of Magic, Lord Dunhaven—Edmund Ashford—was an enemy who had to be brought down eventually. For the sake of the master of her soul, it was an absolute necessity. But not right now. Why, though? Why was he leaving Delis alone with the Vice-Minister? It was an incredibly obvious question, and the answer was just as obvious. The realization that nothing she did could change her current situation immediately followed. Delis let out a sigh—strictly to herself—and began a conversation that was bound to be anything but easy.
"So... that bastard Benjamin Ashford suddenly confessed his feelings to you today, during your very first private meeting?"
"Hard as it is to believe... yes, that is correct."
If Delis was the one reporting it, there was no need for cross-verification; it was an absolute fact. I asked, utterly dumbfounded.
"Good grief... What on earth did our dear Vice-Minister say?"
People outside our syndicate naturally had no idea that Delis was already seeing someone. So, when this coincidence collided with the lecherous Vice-Minister's absurd delusions, a farce like this was bound to happen sooner or later... I really should have seen it coming, especially considering how incredibly attractive Delis was.
"He seemed to have caught wind of the fact that I strictly separate my public and private life within the Ministry."
"Of course he did. After all, you've been rushing to finish your Ministry work as quickly as possible just to get back to our syndicate headquarters."
"To outsiders, I must have looked like a workaholic who does nothing but work at the office."
A chuckle escaped my lips. In truth, her habit of doing nothing but work didn't change even after she clocked out of the Ministry. She just had a bit more freedom while doing it.
"Right. And then?"
"Since he couldn't make a move on me during working hours, he suggested we spend some private time together—time he claimed I could never refuse."
I tilted my head at Delis's response.
"Private time you could never refuse... What, did he ask you out for a drink after work?"
It was a classic abuse of power. A pathetic display of the mindset that no matter how strictly a subordinate separates work from life, they can't possibly refuse if their superior keeps pushing. It was an attitude that made me want to sigh, but it was also true that a subordinate would find it incredibly difficult to handle. When I asked with a frown, Delis shook her head, giving a mixed response of yes and no.
"No... well, actually, I suppose that is technically correct. It is after work, and it does involve drinks... but the venue is rather unusual."
"An unusual venue?"
"To put it plainly, that crazy noble is hosting an entire ball. And he invited me to it. As if to show some useless consideration by giving me time to think it over, he scheduled it for mid-February."
It seemed his lordship's ridiculous aristocratic disease was flaring up again. My head throbbed, even though I hadn't even used Charm. I hadn't met anyone else today, and Delis was immune to Charm anyway, so this headache was purely situational.
Still, even sudden information had to be processed. Hosting a ball was no cheap affair; it must have been in the works for months—at the very least, since last autumn. I deduced that while the ball itself had been planned long ago, his scheme to invite Delis was a relatively recent addition. He would probably stage some grand, public confession at the climax of the event. Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps.
Perhaps, in his own twisted way, he actually developed feelings for her?
A young, beautiful, and hardworking new mage had joined his department. On top of that, she silently obeyed every order given to her. There was a reason behind the rumor that Benjamin Ashford remained unmarried simply to avoid being nagged by a wife while he freely indulged in other women. If that rumor was true, Delis was the ultimate trophy wife. He needed to secure a legitimate heir for the Ashford family, but the future matriarch also had to possess the kind of submissive personality that wouldn't complain when the future patriarch went out philandering. Delis was the perfect candidate to satisfy his warped desires.
I reached this conclusion in an instant, and from the sound of it, Delis had already arrived at the exact same answer long before me.
"I'll ask just to be sure, but you obviously hate the idea, right?"
"...Why ask something so obvious?"
"Ahaha. Come to think of it, you really seem to have the hardest time out of everyone in our syndicate, Delis..."
If Delis or I were ordinary people, she would have resigned herself to it and accepted. From a conventional standpoint, there was no reason to refuse. The suitor was the heir to a prestigious family, almost guaranteed to become the next Minister of Magic. On top of that, the Ashford family was a marquisate with immense wealth. Once married, a life of luxury and power was guaranteed. From a purely materialistic perspective, it was indeed hard to find a reason to say no.
But Delis had a clear reason to reject this marriage proposal. And as the one who had given Delis a new lease on life, I had an equally clear reason to never tolerate it. There was no way in hell I would let anyone steal my precious subordinate. Of course, flatly rejecting the invitation to the ball was also out of the question. We would have to accept it for now, but I was confident that Delis and I would find a way out of this tight spot. Who knows? Just as the brightest light is found in the deepest darkness, a breakthrough to turn the tables might present itself. It looked like we had a lot of work to do before mid-February.
"It seems we must move diligently to avoid this impending tragedy."
"I agree. And to think, just a few days ago, I was reflecting on how the right to forge one's destiny belongs solely to our members and myself."
When I shared my thoughts, Delis chuckled softly and replied.
"Indeed. In that case, may I be the one to break the news to Pavel?"
"By all means. Frankly, it makes much more sense for you to tell him than me."
Though her method of delivery would likely be rather intimate, laced with a certain tenderness, I was certain Delis would handle it perfectly.