The Empire's Most Humiliating Promotion

Serian's steps as she left the imperial audience chamber were lighter than they had ever been. The heavy thud of the massive doors closing behind her made her smile faintly, drunk on a sense of liberation. 'It's finally over.' All that remained now was to wait for the official notice of her dismissal. She could already picture herself sitting in the shade of a southern coastal city, sipping sweet iced chocolate while listening to the refreshing sound of waves. In her mind, she had already designed the perfect life of leisure.

"Chief Developer Elhardt."

Kaion's voice from right beside her shattered her sweet daydream. When she turned her head, he was staring at her with an unreadable expression. Lips pressed into a firm line. Eyes chilled to ice. And a jaw clenched so tightly it trembled faintly, as if he were suppressing rage. He was clearly furious but doing his utmost to hold it in.

Well, it made sense. She had completely ruined one of the empire's most important diplomatic events. When he finally spoke, however—

"...?"

The words that came out of his mouth were completely different from what she had expected. Serian tilted her head slightly at the cryptic statement. 'What the hell is he talking about now?'

Noble speech had always been a headache for her. Every single word and expression carried dozens of hidden meanings, and they expected the listener to decipher the complicated code on their own. Since the surface meaning and the actual intent were so different, talking with them was always exhausting.

In her previous life, she had been an engineering student who dealt only in clear 0s and 1s, pure logic. In this life, she was a scholar who explored the clear principles of magic engineering and alchemy. Perhaps that was why she could never get used to the inefficient communication style these highborn people used. To a brain that only operated on clear words and solid data, their conversations were nothing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but indecipherable ciphers. That was why social occasions had always been a continuous stream of tension and torment for her.

'...What does this mean this time?'

Her genius brain spun into overdrive. Kaion, paying no mind to her silence, continued in a voice laced with admiration.

'That manner?'

In her mind, the atrocities she had committed flashed by like a panorama. Calling another country's sacred relic "our little white dog" and committing blasphemy. Promising a return gift while referring to a fallen hero's keepsake as a "splendid present" right in front of the enemy envoy—an utterly humiliating and insulting act. Every single thing had been perfectly calculated to smear shit all over the empire's face. Her plan should have worked flawlessly.

'Ah, I get it now.'

Only then did everything click. This man! He was being sarcastic right now! Praise coming at a moment when he should clearly be reprimanding her. She wasn't used to this—people had always called her a genius and given her only sincere compliments—but she knew this pattern! Extreme praise that was the complete opposite of the situation. This was obviously ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠irony, highly refined mockery!

Kaion seemed to take her silence as agreement. He took another step closer and continued in a voice full of admiration.

See? There it is again. More sarcasm.

Serian marveled inwardly. As expected of a prince—he was on another level. Even in this situation, he didn't let his true feelings show. To wrap the most humiliating diplomatic disgrace in the empire's history in such roundabout words... The imperial family truly stood at the pinnacle of noble sarcasm.

She decided to play along with his mockery.

"You flatter me, Your Highness. I merely spoke the truth."

Serian deliberately put on a vacant expression. The perfect 'I really don't know anything?' face. —Doesn't it just kill you inside? No matter how much you try to mock me, I'm a complete idiot when it comes to diplomacy, so I can't understand a single thing. That's what this acting meant.

But—

Kaion could only feel admiration. He had grown sick of it. The word games played on the tongues of rotten nobles. The empty fights over justification. His brothers, hiding their greed behind a mask of patriotism, expanding their influence. As their father, the great conqueror, grew older and his authority waned, parasites had begun to swarm, gnawing away at the empire. The steel empire that had once ruled the continent was slowly rusting away.

The empire he dreamed of was not like this. The steel age where enemies were crushed with overwhelming power and peace was discussed with the weight of the sword. The powerful national strength and royal authority that his conquering ancestors and father had built. He longed for that past glory.

And now, the girl before him was showing him everything he had dreamed of with her entire being. Forget humiliating diplomatic rhetoric. They didn't need a fragile peace maintained by shallow wordplay. They needed to strengthen the nation's power, sharpen the empire's sword once more, and make their opponents submit before its majesty. That was the true way to set the empire right.

She was the very embodiment of the ideal hero he had pictured deep in his heart.

"......"

The Empire's Flash, who had stood with her usual unchanging expression, finally offered the faintest smile. She must be envisioning the same future for the empire as he was. Kaion felt something hot rising in his chest.

'Serian Elhardt….'

If he was with her, restoring the empire's glory would not be far off.

That was what Kaion thought.

The next day, in a lazy afternoon.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm~"

Serian hummed as she walked down the corridor of the Armaments Bureau. She was arriving much later than usual—clearly late—but there was no trace of urgency in her steps. Instead, she was struggling to hide the smile that kept spreading across her face every time she recalled last night's events.

'I will report this matter to His Majesty myself. I am certain His Majesty will deeply understand your intentions. He will ponder very carefully how best to reward your achievement.'

—If you want to get fired, just say so! He was definitely going to report this humiliating and insulting incident directly to His Majesty to ensure she received severe punishment! That threat was unmistakable. The phrase 'ponder very carefully how best to reward' was clearly a roundabout way of saying 'ponder which charges to pin on her and how to crush her.' Since she had smeared shit all over the emperor's face, deciding on the level of disciplinary action wouldn't be difficult.

Thanks to that perfect threat, Serian's night had been filled with excitement. She had tossed and turned in bed, staying up all night drawing out her rosy future. A warm southern coastal city, the shade of palm trees, a glass of cool iced chocolate… Ah, she was already so happy she thought she might go crazy. The result was this glorious tardiness.

But she didn't rush. While her colleagues hurried busily through the corridors, she alone enjoyed a leisurely stroll. Since this workplace would end today anyway, what did being late matter? The corners of Serian's mouth twitched on their own.

'Hehehe, the day has finally come!'

She hoped the dismissal notice hadn't arrived while she was absent. With steps swollen with anticipation, she headed straight for her laboratory.

*

Serian sat at her desk, tapping her fingers on the surface and humming.

'Hmm-hmm-hmm~ When will it come~ My termination notice~'

She had already finished preparing to pack her things. Then—

Knock knock knock.

It was here! What was coming had come! Finally!

"Come in!"

When Serian called out, the door opened and in walked Executive Officer Martin. His face was unusually tense.

"From the imperial palace… an imperial messenger has arrived."

The person who entered after him was a middle-aged man of dignified appearance wearing a splendid robe embroidered with golden thread. Serian reflexively shot up from her seat. The messenger greeted her politely.

"I greet the empire's hero, Lady Serian Elhardt."

In his hand was a scroll stamped with the imperial seal.

"It is an imperial decree."

At those words, Serian cheered inwardly. Should ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she kneel? No, since she was about to be fired anyway, there was no need. She put on the most wronged and sorrowful expression possible and waited for the emperor's verdict.

".....Huh?"

The pen she had been holding slipped from her fingers and rolled helplessly across the floor. Her mind went completely blank.

Chief… Development Officer? Me? Why?