The Tyrant Empress is Obsessed with Me

31 – Frog Commotion

When you become the top person in a group, the most notable luxury is being able to use the soft leather chair all by yourself.

It was what they called the chairman’s chair.

Ascal lay back at an angle, reviewing the documents again today.

Most of the cases were already about 90% neatly processed, so all he had to do was put his stamp on them, and it would be finished.

That’s why the head of the evaluation department’s duties would end during the morning if there was nothing special. It was a position of responsibility, not work, for those at the top.

‘Now I understand why high-ranking people hovered around without anything to do,watching their subordinates work.’

Dear former head, I finally realize it now.

As of late, Ascal had three concerns.

First, his job was so comfortable that his will to defect from the empire was weakening.

It’s like a fox tamed by a person.

‘I must come to my senses, Ascal Dever.’

As he vowed once more, Ascal felt his resolve filling up.

And his second worry was…

“Excuse me, sir, do you have a moment? I have something to discuss.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m busy with some work to be done.”

It was because Ria kept requesting personal meetings.

Since the noble party that day, Ria had become restless like someone with a confession to make.

‘Please, no princess coming out. Anything but that.’

Desperately, Ascal turned his gaze to the documents and pretended to be busy.

Ria tried to say something but bit her lip and returned to her seat.

Ascal covertly wiped the cold sweat.

‘Please save me. Father, Mother.’

His throat felt stiff and tense.

At times like this, the meticulous massage of the Meomyeojok tribe was desperately needed. Ascal headed to the break room to kill time and relax.

He decided to ignore the piercing gaze of Lia from behind his back.

“Welcome, Ascal.”

As he entered the break room, the appearance of the third problem immediately arose.

The Crown Prince was there.

With both hands tucked under his chin, wearing a robe that exposed his upper body, Cain greeted Ascal with a welcoming expression.

He looked like the head of a household.

The Meomyeojok masseur, worried that the Crown Prince might feel uncomfortable, was diligently applying pressure to the prince’s body with sweat dripping down his face.

Ascal, half-resigned, lay down on the massage bed next to the Crown Prince. Shortly after, the gentle touch of his massage began.

“Is it alright for you to come to the palace so often? Aren’t you busy with official affairs?”

“A brief break won’t cause any harm. Besides, isn’t taking care of one’s body part of official duties as well? Heh!”

The Crown Prince’s face relaxed along with the relieving touch that loosened the tight muscles in his lower back and hips caused by horseback riding.

“Actually, I came here today to ask you a favor.”

“You misunderstand. We don’t own any horses. We’ve already adopted them out to roam freely in large ranches.”

“No, no, that’s not it. Well, that’s partly true.”

Fortunately, there weren’t many people who had seen Ascal during the Pegasus incident. Cain, who had been on the lower floor, had not witnessed the Pegasus.

If he had seen the Pegasus back then, he might have gone far beyond merely pestering Ascal about showing the horse, even mobilizing private power.

“Do you know Count D’Var?”

“Yes. I know him as someone who talks too much.”

“hahahaha. Not just a little. He must have spread half of the gossip in the empire.”

Count D’Var.

Though Ascal had only met him once at a party, the Count’s image had left a strong impression on him.

There are people who love meddling and gossiping. Count D’Var was like the epitome of that type of person.

“But lately, I’ve heard that Count D’Var hasn’t been properly declaring his taxes.”

Cain said, with a meaningful tone.

“While the empire is working tirelessly to feed and care for its people, what would you do if there was a despicable person who fills up his own pockets?”

“Well…”

Though Cain often appeared melancholic and almost forgettable, he was still the Crown Prince of a nation.

His words clearly held a hidden intention.

From No ble mt L dot c om

‘I’m not going to do anything directly, so could you give Count D’Var a good kick on my behalf?’

Ascal finished his interpretation and pondered.

Whose side should he take, the crown prince or Count D’var?

Of course, it was the crown prince.

No matter how the crown prince liked to exaggerate and seemed to lack substance, it was all just an act.

If he could erase the debt, there would come a time when it would definitely help him.

Maybe.

“If there are people with such malicious intentions, should we not forcibly return their ill-gotten wealth to the national treasury?”

“That’s exactly what I mean! Ascal, I knew you would understand!”

But why did Count D’var seem so annoying to the crown prince?

“It’s not because I’m holding any grudge due to the rumors of him enjoying horse riding, getting injured, and receiving massage treatments while hanging around the palace. It’s all for the sake of the empire.”

“….”

Ascal simply pretended to nod in agreement.

＜The sun shines brightly today and the weather is warm. It’s a perfect day to enjoy a stroll. How about joining me for a small tea party this evening to enjoy this beautiful weather? From Serena Barba.＞

＜I can only imagine how tired you must be from serving our empire diligently. I know of a hidden gem within our kingdom, a place where you can feel your fatigue lift just by looking. It’s a quiet spot by the lake, where the water sparkles under the moonlight and the sweet scent of jasmine fills the air. If you’re interested, I’d be more than happy to introduce you to this haven of peace. I await your reply. From Serena Barba.＞

“Three more letters have arrived for Her Highness Serena.”

Even just reading the letters made his head spin.

Lia read the letters that had arrived for the Second Princess unemotionally.

“Do you want me to read more?”

“No, this is enough.”

“Would you like to send a reply?”

“Please do.”

Lia sat down and began writing a letter of refusal. It was a letter that seemed to convey the genuine desire to participate but was regretfully impossible due to the overwhelming amount of official affairs.

It was the perfect refusal letter to not offend the Second Princess’s feelings.

Except for the fact that it was written by her younger sister and was written on her behalf.

Ascal finished preparing for the trip while Lia was writing the letter.

The empire imposed a tax obligation on the nobility as well.

However, there were no nobles who honestly paid all of it. They all cheated to some extent.

The empire tolerated this to some extent, but in cases like this, where the feelings of important figures were offended, the story changed.

Then, a carefully selected imperial tax collector would be dispatched to collect the assets of the household.

“Are you ready, Cain, Devan?”

“Are you ready?”

“I’m prepared to thoroughly evaluate everything from Count Debar’s plate to every strand of his hair.”

Head of Division 1, Cain.

Head of Division 3, Devan.

They were all highly regarded talents in the evaluation department recognized by Ascal.

They would figure out everything thoroughly, even if it’s a hidden ham that Count Debar conceals simply by breathing.

Count Debar’s territory was about two hours away by carriage. It was not the capital, but a territory in a moderately accessible location, where one could go to the capital anytime they wish.

There were two cases of tax collection.

First, notify the date in advance and visit leisurely, eat what can be obtained, have some pleasant conversation, and then take a small touch of money in a very gentle collection.

The second was to suddenly visit the territory and forcibly collect taxes, like today. It could be called a true tax collection in a sense.

“You must be really tired from coming all the way here. Come, come. Without any hesitation, first have a warm cup of tea. It’s common to catch a cold when your body cools down.”

As soon as Count Debar saw Ascal arriving at his estate, his face instantly hardened. However, he soon showed a kind smile and led him to the reception room.

True to his quick wits, he had already grasped how the situation would unfold.

“Thank you for the offer, but we are here to carry out official duties. Please check this warrant, and it seems that the servants have been hiding something since earlier, could you tell them to stop?”

Cain replied coldly.

As expected, he is reliable.

Count Debar was like a snake trying to buy time and hide expensive items, but Cain had blocked him in advance.

“Hmm… This is a jar with the traditional patterns of the Subarda Kingdom. Judging by its preservation status, I’d estimate it to be 5 gold pieces. If you have any objections to the valuation, please fill out a document and send it to the evaluation department separately.”

“This… this is an imitation. It’s definitely not genuine.”

“Ah, but the traces in the jar match the same year as the Subarda Kingdom’s. Rejected.”

Cain meticulously examined Count Debar’s prized possessions with his evaluation instrument.

Devan searched every corner of the mansion, finding valuable hidden items from Count Debar, and Cain would evaluate them through the instrument.

Ascal would sit heavily and silently, setting the atmosphere.

All he had to do was to quickly write down the valuations of the items Cain has examined in the documents.

It was a perfect division of labor.

“This here is a gem frog. So, you were raising such a thing.”

Count Debar’s face turned pale.

“That, that one, please…”

“It’s a beloved pet frog among collectors. However, you know you must report to the empire when raising it for breeding purposes, right? I’ll confiscate it.”

Ribbit.

The frog inside the rearing pen cried pitifully.

Its jewel-like beautiful pattern shone.

“The appraisal value is 1 silver.”

“Sniff… Serros, forgive your unworthy owner.”

As Askal was about to record the jewel frog’s appraisal value on the document, the frog, guessing its destiny, leaped away.

“Ah!”

“Catch it!”

Luckily, the frog’s escape was quickly suppressed.

＜Jewel Frog: 4 silver＞

However, due to the commotion, Askal’s quill pen slipped. Accidentally, it added a stroke to the 1 silver, making it 4 silver.

“With this, it seems everything of value has been appraised. I will deliver the tax bill as soon as possible.”

“Then we’ll take our leave. Count.”

Leaving behind Count D’Var, whose spirit had vanished, the tax collectors left mercilessly. Their work was impeccable.

Except for one thing.

◆ Imperial Magazine – The value of the jewel frog jumps fourfold!

Were we underestimating the true value of the jewel frog?

The man of the hour, Chief Appraiser Askal Devleur, appraises the true value of the jewel frog.

Askal closed the newspaper.

This was a minor mistake. The Crown Prince seemed satisfied with his work, so there was no problem. Rather, such a small mistake could help lower his reputation.

He rather liked it.

◆ Imperial Magazine – Soaring! The jewel frog, once 1 silver, now trading at 10 silver in the market, making waves!

“Wai… Wait…”

And the next day, the jewel frog’s price surged even further, reaching 20 silver.

With his experience from his previous life, Askal sensed that this situation would spiral out of control.