The Tyrant Empress is Obsessed with Me

12 – Unintended Promotion

“People look like trash.”

Ascal had wanted to say this line.

He looked out the window of his manager’s office. People were busily moving around.

And as he watched them, the happiness of leisurely sipping coffee, the sense of superiority, and the pleasure.

It was a privilege only high officials could feel.

That’s right.

As a manager of the Assessment Department, Ascal had just barely made it to the line of what people called “high-ranking officials.” It wouldn’t be strange if he was called a person of power, however precarious.

“Would you like more sugar in your coffee?”

That was short-lived.

As soon as he saw Lia, the tense shoulders of Ascal dropped.

High official or whatever, the very epitome of power was right in front of his eyes.

Ascal stirred his coffee with a spoon and his face turned sullen in an instant.

“It’s fine. Speaking of which, Lia, it’s been quite a while since you’ve worked as my ‘temporary’ assistant.”

Ascal balanced himself. Lia, who was organizing the finished coffee, looked at her boss, waiting for a reply.

Ascal swallowed.

Lia’s exploits before her eventual coronation as an empress were not described in detail.

At best, they could only be dismissed as hatching plots in the dark or accumulating various real-life experiences.

Ascal dared to guess. Lia was probably a journeyman. Thus, if it was determined that she had gained enough experience, she might leave his side.

“So, do you plan to continue working as my aide?”

Lia’s movements stopped.

He must have hit the nail on the head.

‘Well, this place must have been too small to be a nest for the future emperor.’

Ascal began preparing his farewell.

‘It was fun while we were together, and let’s greet each other warmly if we happen to meet on the street.’

Ascal, who expected such a beautiful parting, sensed something strange in the atmosphere.

After a while of silence, Lia spoke in a subdued voice.

“Was my ability… too lacking to assist you, Lord Ascal?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then, can I pass as your official aide?”

Ascal broke out into a cold sweat.

It seemed that Lia had interpreted his words a little differently.

And he never thought of what would happen after the temporary aide period ended.

He had to make an excuse somehow.

“There’s still one final test left.”

“A test, you say?”

“A good aide should take the initiative and achieve results even without instructions from their superior. I’m talking about proactive handling of tasks.”

It was a fairly plausible excuse.

Lia seemed to be convinced and nodded her head.

“Then, I will bring you the results.”

Lia left.

‘Wait. What have I done?’

From No ble mt L dot c om

After Lia had left, Ascal, who had been thinking for a moment, realized his mistake belatedly.

He was already feeling overwhelmed dealing with tangled matters, and now he had also put her on autopilot. And that too, probably the most advanced high-performance auto in the Empire.

“All the piled-up reports have been completely processed!”

“I don’t know why, but the malicious complainant is shaking with fear and apologizing!”

“The troublesome artifacts that were difficult to classify have been neatly sorted!”

“The Countess was so touched by your work that she donated her entire fortune!”

“How on earth did you manage that, Chief!”

Uh.

I let Otto handle it.

“It’s all thanks to your hard work.”

Despite his thoughts, Ascal said something else and hurriedly fled to his office.

He had bitten off more than he could chew.

In game terms, it was as if he had turned a level 100 subordinate who had been playing around into an internal threat. He had inadvertently released a sleeping tiger into the world.

As Ascal clutched his head in pain, Lia, who had finished her work, entered his office.

She already held the completed report in her hand.

“Here’s the work report for today.”

Ascal nodded after reviewing the report that Lia handed over. Although he already knew the facts that had been circulating among the employees as rumors, seeing the actual report made her work even scarier.

Furthermore, she maliciously gave all credit to Ascal while minimizing her own presence.

No matter how hard he tried to find fault, her results were impeccable.

“…Congratulations. You pass.”

Ascal had no choice but to take out a contract from the desk in his office and stamp it. With this, if Lia simply signed it, the official assistant contract would be established.

“But, you know, your talent is too exceptional to be satisfied with just an assistant position. Have you ever thought of working in a bigger field? I have a friend in the department of magic, so if you’d like, I can send you over there.”

Ascal said this without letting go of his regrets.

The friend he mentioned was Robin, the Minister of Magic. He thought highly of Ascal and would readily accept any outstanding talent that he recommended. Of course, by the time Robin belatedly realized that Lia was a ticking time bomb, it would already be too late.

The mere thought was delightful.

But reality always took an unexpected turn.

“Give it to me. Quickly. The contract.”

“Here you go.”

Her voice had turned a little cold.

Ascal hurriedly handed over the contract. Lia then embraced the contract as if someone might snatch it away, cherishing it like a mother bird with her egg.

Terrifying.

Did this mean she was still hungry to achieve more in her career as a mere temporary assistant to a chief?

Just how far did the ambitions of the princess go?

‘Really couldn’t do the job, huh, former chief? Admirable.’

Thanks to the former chief who had vanished without any handover, Ascal was suffering from a headache.

In the documents full of holes and incomprehensible connections, only the person who made it could figure out the haphazard work.

Without Lia’s help, Aascal would have been bedridden for months, sorting out the documents and suffering from the aftereffects.

‘There’s way too much budget left.’

Practically all the work had been pushed onto Division 1, resulting from the previous manager spending every day horse riding and enjoying the company of higher-ups.

During that time, Cain from Division 1 could be regarded as the boss of the Evaluation Department in a practical sense.

‘Hold on. Doesn’t that mean that if we block Division 1, the Evaluation Department would be paralyzed?’

Aascal had not yet given up on his plan of being chased out of management due to incompetence. On the contrary, now that he had become the manager, he could pursue high-risk, high-reward strategies.

‘Yes. This is it. From now on, I’ll turn this Evaluation Department to ashes.’

At this moment, Aascal’s devilish resourcefulness began to roll.

“Starting today, I’ll give Division 1 a week-long vacation as a reward for their hard work.”

In his office, Aascal said this to Cain, who he had called. In fact, he wanted to give a month or more if possible, but his current allotment limited him to a week.

“Also, here is a luxurious travel voucher to the Kingdom of Kell. Everything is prepared so that you can go without any worries. Enjoy your week and come back.”

The Kingdom of Kell was famous as a vacation spot frequently visited by foreign nobles and even royalty.

However, as a result, the cost of living was expensive, but the royal travel voucher Aascal handed over provided luxurious accommodation and meals, so no need to worry about the expenses.

“Can I really accept this precious gift?”

“Yes, you’ve been working hard, haven’t you?”

Honestly, Aascal felt a sense of admiration while watching Cain work. Other managers would slack off at any opportunity, but Cain was different.

Therefore, even after becoming a manager, Aascal always handled Cain with respect and used honorifics.

“Manager Aascal…”

Cain fell on his knees.

A single tear fell from his fatigued face.

“Is it that you understand me, of all people?”

‘Cain! Isn’t the report late! You’re the most incompetent!’

‘Is this what you call work? Ha, if I weren’t such a generous boss, you’d already be begging on the streets.’

‘Hmm. You said you got a bonus this time? You treat us to dinner tonight.’

For a moment, scenes flashed through Cain’s mind like a revolving lantern.

It is said that a man would die for someone who truly recognizes him.

As Cain had been working sincerely but never been acknowledged by his former boss, a genuine sense of loyalty began to grow in his heart.

“Your clothes will get dirty. Get up, Chief Cain.”

Aascal reached out his hand.

Holding hands, Kain wiped away his tears with the back of his hand and said,

“Up until now, although I haven’t been acknowledged, I’ve worked solely with the thought of creating a better empire. But now, my loyalty will be directed towards you.”

“What?”

What does that mean?

No, is that a conspiracy?

Ascal awarded Kain.

Ascal had succeeded in promoting Kain!