Kibon was a little confused, so I shook my head and added:
“Even if you are from the royal family, all you will get is a polite apology in front of you.
But in reality, nothing will change.”
Kibun stopped moving forward, but the atmosphere around him became colder.
Dealing with someone who had never experienced the true harshness of social interactions was exhausting.
I led him out while saying:
“Calm down.
From their point of view, this is normal.”
"What's normal?
Acting like a child among officials?"
“We all get the same salary, but our department looks like a complete mess.
And it was.”
It's always been like this.
Every time we identified ourselves as a manuscript management department, the reception was poor.
“Whether it was at a government event or in the daily routine, we were always at the end of the list...”
This was not only in events, but even in daily life.
In the cafeteria or coffee shop, if someone commented, we would get up and leave.
We knew we were being ridiculed and despised.
'And now, we are subject to even greater ridicule.'
Indeed.
Senior officials were dismissed, and one of them turned out to be a spy.
If anything, the situation is worse than it was.
People have been speaking out that this is the perfect time to disband our department.
I was talking quietly to Kibun, trying to calm him down.
“Everyone here has passed a difficult test to enter this place, so naturally they would look down on us.”
The phrase “slackers” has been thrown around so often that it has lost its impact.
“The number of people in the department reflects its importance.
We are now only nine.”
“This is something out of our control, isn't it?”
“In addition, we have a young minister sent by the Master of the Magic Tower… mocking us is wrong, but disdain?
It is inevitable.”
It was unrealistic to expect anyone to treat me like a real minister in this situation.
The other ministers probably weren't impressed with me either.
"What we have shown so far has been chaos.
Demanding respect will sound like a complaint and nothing more."
Even though I have become a minister, if things continue as they are, I will only be looked at as a puppet.
Our employees will continue to face disrespect.
“So, what do we do?”
“We have to overcome this in a different way than just talking.”
“Mm, how exactly?”
Kibon looked curious.
“We have to grow our department.”
I said that firmly.
“We have to prove our value through our skills.
We have to show everyone that the Manuscript Management Department can become an essential part of the organization.”
“How do we do that?”
Kibune still looked confused.
“First of all...”
Kibun spoke casually again, but I didn't correct him.
Lunch break is almost over.
I turned around slowly and said:
“We have to secure a budget.”
the money.
To achieve anything, we need money.
There were a few things that indirectly reflected the department's authority, one of which was the allocated budget, which was as important as the number of employees.
Since we were a newly established department, we didn't even have a budget yet.
"a lot."
I had already sent the budget proposal to the Ministry of Finance in the morning, laying the bait.
“Too much.”
Now is the time to wait patiently.
“…a very, very large amount.”
✧✧✧✧✧✧
Namiya and Chiaros returned just before the appointed time.
Not only could they barely eat their meal, they also skipped dessert.
Kiaros wasn't so much worried about not having a proper meal, but he was worried about Namiya, who looked very pale.
‘This coupon was not intended to be used in such a hasty manner.’
Perhaps because she felt his gaze, Namiya said with a bright smile:
“I am the minister.”
She pointed to the clock as she sat down in her chair.
“I have to be punctual to set an example for the rest of the department.”
The Manuscript Management Department had a poor record of attendance and punctuality.
Namia seemed to be trying to change this culture by being a role model.
Kiaros looked at her with concentration, and suddenly said impulsively:
“Your Excellency the Minister.”
“What's wrong?”
“Those things we heard in the café... there's no need to take them seriously.”
“Excuse me?”
“They don’t know how hard you work.
They were just speaking out of ignorance.”
Just thinking about it made him feel angry.
They had no idea what they were talking about.
[A 23-year-old minister?
Who would want to work under her?]
[I would never want to be a team leader under a 23-year-old minister.]
Kibon couldn't help but think how much those words affected Namiya.
However… she had ignored it, promising to prove herself through her abilities.
"It's just empty talk from people who don't know our faces or names.
Even members of the royal family are criticized this way."
He tried to offer her some comfort.
Namiya had consoled him during lunch, and now he wanted to return the favor.
He had learned a lot about her during that day, and it was difficult for him to absorb all that information.
The most prominent feeling that dominated him was guilt.
'It seems like she opened up to me and comforted me because I have no family...'
He was truly touched by her warmth, but he also felt guilty that he had deceived her.
'No, this is an investigation.
Namiya herself has said that if anything looks suspicious, it should be fully investigated.
This is a general matter.
At the same time, he made another promise: he would not let the Rawabi family get away easily.
He had already issued orders against them, but that wasn't enough for him.
'Did Namya handle all of Juan Rawabi's business as well?'
Juan's violation of operational protocol was reprehensible, but he was even more angry that he had unfairly burdened Namiia with all that work.
“Um.”
Did you feel comfortable with those words?
Namiya opened her lips slightly and began to speak.
“They are employees in their fifth year from the Ministry of Education.”
"What…?"
“Their faces and names are not unfamiliar to me.
I review the organizational charts and pictures whenever I get the chance.
I may not remember all the names, but I can recognize their ranks and departments.”
Kiaros froze in astonishment.
The Ministry of Education was one of the large and prestigious ministries, second only to the Ministry of Finance in terms of size and difficulty of entrance exams.
But how could employees in their fifth year be so disrespectful towards a team leader and a minister...
That was shocking, but Namiya's response was even more shocking.
"They like to label themselves and look down on others.
I'll make sure to put them in their place later.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."
Kiaros swallowed hard.
Namiia had not brushed off the insult as skillfully as some might think.
She remembered everything.
She will probably never forget him no matter how much time passes.
“I may not know all their names, but the ones on the left were Ardan, Levon, and Judis… Wait a minute, let me check the organization chart.”
Nami's eyes lit up as she pulled out the organizational chart document.
She quickly compared her memory to the black and white photos and circled several faces in red.
“Seven people… good.
I found everyone.”
A cold sweat appeared on Kiaros's back.
And at that moment.
The office door suddenly opened, and the atmosphere outside the office became noisy.
“Hmm?”
Namiya, who had been staring at the organizational chart in the minister's office, raised her head.
Another employee's voice was heard from the office, looking surprised.
“Minister, Minister of Finance, why are you here...”
Kiaros frowned.
Is the Minister of Finance here?
'Why at this time?'
However, Namiia didn't seem particularly surprised.
She even smiled, as if she had been waiting for this.
'That…'
Without realizing it, Chiaros felt astonished.
Suddenly, his body instinctively trembled.
That bright, beautiful smile was the same smile he had seen her on this morning.
As if she was really happy to see him, as if she had been waiting for him, and…
'Seems like he was caught really well…'
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