Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Recommendation
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Luna couldn't sleep that night after her meeting with Goethe.
"To think I have to see Aiden again..."
Meeting that man who kept popping into her mind every night was quite a trial for Luna.
"What should I do...?"
He had saved her life, but he was also the man who had taken her chastity.
Whenever she thought of him, her body grew feverish.
Maybe that was why Aiden came to mind every time her body heated up.
"Should I really promote him to secretary?"
Not just anyone could serve as the secretary to Luna, the sovereign of the Grand Duchy.
Only those renowned across the Empire could aspire to such a position.
But Luna had no real gauge of the extent of his abilities, so she wasn't sure if she could entrust him with the role.
"He seems capable, at least..."
According to the report Jin had sent last time, Aiden was clearly no ordinary man.
The feats he'd accomplished in just one short month were nothing short of miraculous.
It was as if he'd done nothing but eat and work...
In truth, the guards had simply swept away the wealthy Back Alley gangs because they couldn't take bribes anymore...
But Luna had no way of knowing that.
Either way, he had shown enough skill and diligence to warrant a secretary position.
No...
She had to promote him the moment Goethe brought it up.
Luna placed great importance on appearances in front of others.
She had no intention of letting it be said that her subordinate recommended a greater reward than the one she, his lord, bestowed—making her seem petty.
"I absolutely can't let that happen."
As a woman, she had always been compared to men.
Ever since childhood, whenever something went wrong, she'd heard it endlessly: Luna lacks resolve because she's a woman, Luna has no magnanimity.
That was why reason screamed at her to hire Aiden as her secretary.
But...
"Of all the recommendations..."
Separate from that, facing Aiden—who had seen her lewd side—was ordeal enough for Luna.
She herself had never imagined she'd one day writhe atop a man, so the shock hit her even harder.
"Ah... Thinking about that time again. My body's heating up."
Luna's pale, delicate hand slowly drifted downward as she rationalized it to herself.
"This... This is just relieving stress. So it's not a sin."
Masturbation was undoubtedly deemed a sin by the church.
"I'm the Grand Duchess, protector of so many lives. If I don't relieve stress like this from time to time... it'll affect my rule."
It wasn't just from time to time, and it wouldn't affect her rule at all.
She knew that full well but willfully ignored it—this was merely the sinful gesture of satisfying her desires.
"Haa..."
In the end, Luna finally drifted off only as the moon began to set.
The next morning...
At the council meeting, Luna officially appointed Aiden as the Finance Secretary on the recommendation of Finance Minister Goethe.
Today, the whites of her red eyes seemed bloodshot.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Captain, at least eat this to cheer up."
Jin handed over some chocolate with a bright smile.
Chocolate, an expensive luxury food in these parts.
"Where'd you get this?"
At my question, Jin glanced around before answering.
"There's a chef I know at the Grand Duchess's palace. I told her my captain—the one I respect so much—was feeling down, and she gave it to me."
Why would your girlfriend give this to me?
I was a bit dumbfounded by Jin's words, but when I took a bite of the chocolate...
"This is good..."
The skill of the Grand Duchy's chefs and patissiers was clearly top-notch.
"Right? She's my age, but man, does she make killer desserts."
"Sigh, whatever. No schedule today?"
The Guard Captain mostly got dragged to meetings.
Once there, Jin handled the notes and summaries so well that I could just half-listen and leave.
"Yeah, no external duties today, nothing to approve either."
"Then I'm gonna catch some Z's. Yawn!"
Mornings were never long enough, even after sleeping.
Just as I lay down on the sofa...
-Knock knock.
Who is it?
"Who is it?"
As I wondered, Jin opened the door to reveal a familiar face.
"Oh? Master?"
"Sir Charles?"
Why was he here?
Charles, the knight with his short black hair.
He greeted me.
"How have you been, Captain Aiden?"
"Oh? Thanks to you, I've been well."
I returned the greeting, and he turned to Jin.
"I trust you've been serving him well, Jin."
"Of course! There can't be a secretary as capable as me!"
Jin really had been helpful in many ways, so I smiled and said,
"He's right. Without Jin, I might've keeled over from overwork."
If he hadn't been spying on me, that is...
At my words, Charles nodded with a small smile and patted Jin's head.
"Good job."
"Hehe..."
Jin grinned, clearly loving his master's touch.
Soon, Charles turned to me.
"The Grand Duchess wishes to see you, Captain."
"Pardon?"
His completely unexpected words left me puzzled.
Why me?
I hadn't seen Luna since the reward ceremony.
Nothing came to mind that she'd need me for, and a sudden unease gripped me.
Was she firing me?
I recalled the novel's description of Luna's personality: she demoted or sacked the incompetent.
No way... I'd taken out loans because of the taxes?
If I got sacked here, I'd really become a debt slave.
Terrified of becoming an unpaid slave until the debt was repaid, I asked Charles,
"Uh... Do you know why she's summoning me?"
"I hear it's to commend you for the sharp rise in gate tax revenue. You'll learn the details at the palace."
I breathed a silent sigh of relief at his words.
For a moment, I'd imagined being hauled to a labor camp for a day of hard labor, but that wasn't it.
"Understood. I'll prepare right away."
I grabbed my coat and boarded the carriage leaving the Guard post.
"Heh? If you do well, Captain, you might get promoted."
Charles nodded at Jin's words.
"Likely."
"Then where to? Deputy Interior Minister?"
Charles replied firmly to Jin's question.
"Jin, don't get ahead of yourself. We simply follow our lord's will."
"Yessir..."
The carriage atmosphere grew heavy under Charles's reprimand.
As Jin sulked and Charles gazed out the window, I sorted my thoughts.
The Guard Captain was effectively right below the Interior Ministry's deputy ministers.
There were three deputies, but it was still just below the minister, so a pay raise was in order.
That would make paying off my loans easier.
As I pondered my finances...
-Screech...
The carriage halted.
-Click.
The door opened smoothly.
I entered the grand Grand Duchess's palace.
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We proceeded down a long corridor.
This wasn't the way to where I'd met Luna before, so I asked,
"Different path from last time?"
"Yes. Last time was the audience chamber; now we're heading to the Grand Duchess's office."
Luna's office.
One of the most frequently appearing places in the novel was her office.
Soldiers in armor lined the halls at intervals.
I stole glances at the pure white gleam from their armor.
Not an expert, but the metal quality looked superb.
"Here we are."
Charles said, looking at me.
"Tidy your clothes before the Grand Duchess. You too, Jin."
At Charles's stern words, I straightened my outfit, and he knocked.
-Knock knock.
-Who is it?
Luna's clear voice, somehow chilling.
It had been a while, but she sounded unchanged.
"It's Charles. I've brought Captain Aiden as requested."
-Enter.
With her permission, the door opened...
Revealing her in the spacious office, reviewing documents.
"Sit and wait. I'm looking at important papers right now."
Charles nodded and gestured us to the sofa.
As I sat and scanned the room...
Red carpet, long bookshelves lined with files.
Pretty austere.
It suited Luna best, but stark for a girl her age.
Then again, frilly dolls wouldn't fit her.
After a while, Luna, who'd been wrestling with papers, called us.
"Charles, Aiden, come here."
We approached her desk as bidden, and she pulled a paper from her drawer.
"Gate tax revenue has risen sharply since you became Guard Captain. Goethe praised you until his throat went dry."
Her eyes were cold as she spoke.
What was it? Beyond cold—brimming with irritation.
As if saying, I told you to stay quiet, so why do you keep making me see your face?
"It's nothing special."
Luna shook her head.
"No, you've resolved a long-standing worry for the Finance Ministry. So they've recommended you for Grand Finance Secretary."
Her unexpected words surprised me.
The Grand Duchess's secretary was a high position.
In the novel, the secretaries were the ones who conversed most with Luna.
They relayed her orders to departments, ensured compliance, and offered counsel.
Come to think of it, the Finance Secretary was an old man, right?
Post-novel timeline—he must've retired, leaving the spot vacant.
"So I must ask your thoughts on the matter."
Grand Duchess's secretary...
But why recommend me from Finance?
I'd just done my job properly.
Whatever the case, the pay would skyrocket.
A couple months, and most debts cleared?
Definitely a good thing.
Unless I screwed up and got demoted.
Then I'd have a chance to drop back to a lowly post.
But somehow...
Luna's gaze looked murderous.
No... Not quite murderous; her eyes trembled, just a little, very slightly.
As if saying, this isn't a place for you! After what we did, you think you can just look at me?
Nah, no way. That iron mask of a woman wouldn't have such girlish feelings.
She probably just didn't want a suspicious person close by.
I had no plans to stick around long anyway.
If her suitors still harbored feelings, as Luna had said before...
They'd want to kill the man who took her virginity.
I couldn't stand against the Crown Prince, Swordmasters, or Archmages.
Best plan: earn decent money, get demoted.
So I nodded and said,
"I'll serve to the best of my ability, Your Grace."
Luna's brows furrowed deeply at my words.