Chapter 91: The Director of the Accounting Bureau Comes On Strong

Everyone was staring at the Director of the Accounting Bureau.

The Director’s face was tense, showing an expression of pure terror I had never seen before. She had deep wrinkles between her eyebrows. If you frown that much, the wrinkles will stay, you know?

Well, since my interactions with the Director have been short, maybe she normally has a scary face and only shows a gentle one when I’m around. Anyway, while bathing in everyone’s gazes, the Director strode briskly toward me.

She stopped right in front of Anise and me.

"Lord Robbie, is it true that you spoke with Lord Richelieu? I heard that the Accounting Bureau was mentioned during that conversation."

She asked with an utterly serious expression. Just how sharp are the Director’s ears that she could hear me from all the way over there?

Internally intimidated by the Director, I answered with a calm face,

"Yes, we did talk. But was there something wrong with that?"

"No, it’s not that something is wrong, but I thought it meant that Lord Richelieu is paying special attention to the fact that you are working here."

It seems the problem is that the Prime Minister is paying attention. Still, I can only tell her what actually happened.

"It might be, or it might not. Honestly, we only chatted briefly, so there wasn’t much substance to the conversation. He told me to come see him when I have time because he wants to talk properly."

"Eeeeeeh!!"

Not only the Director, but everyone listening to my story let out a cry. The Director’s face went beyond pale and turned completely white.

"Um... is the fact that I talked with Lord Richelieu really that surprising?"

I felt like I had touched on some incredible taboo and asked timidly. The Director nodded jerkily,

"Lord Robbie, since you are a prince, you may not know this, but Lord Richelieu is said to be an incredibly frightening person. Anyone or any department he glares at gets thoroughly investigated down to the smallest detail. If there is any shady behavior, then...!"

"That sounds tough. But Director, you haven’t done anything like that, right?"

"Yes, of course not. But even so... Ahhh, Lord Robbie! The fact that Lord Richelieu knows you are working here is basically the same as him having his eye on this place! Could it be that we’ll suddenly get an audit one day? Ahh, scary! Should I report this to the Knight Commander?"

The Director’s voice — a mix of lament and fear — caused a stir to ripple through the entire Accounting Bureau.

"Director, but what Lord Richelieu wanted to hear about was my future, not about the Accounting Bureau here, I believe?"

When I said that, the Director made a face like "Huh?"

"Your future, Lord Robbie? If that’s the case, then it’s fine, but... Ehhh— Lord Richelieu is interested in your future? If it’s alright, I’d like to hear about it too. Could you please tell me as well?"

She asked. It felt like everyone around us had cranked up their hearing to maximum so they wouldn’t miss a single word. Anise beside me was staring hard at my face. I hadn’t said anything that deserved this level of expectation.

"No, what I told Lord Richelieu was that my hope is to receive a salary sufficient to support a wife and children in some government office somewhere and quietly live out the rest of my life."

"Huh!? What did you say?"

The Director’s eyes widened like saucers as she leaned in closer. It’s kind of scary. The older ladies around us were shocked too. Of course, so was Anise.

"Um, so I told him I don’t want the throne, or to become a minister, or head of some department, or any high-ranking position. I want to live peacefully and happily with a wife and children somewhere without shouldering too heavy responsibilities."

"Haaaa—?"

The Director put her hand to her forehead and leaned back dramatically. No, no, I didn’t say anything that grand.

"Lord Robbie, did you really say something like that? You said something so unambitious, like a dried-up old man?"

"Yes, that’s right. Did I say something bad? Lord Richelieu also said I lacked ambition."

"Of course he would! A prince who wants to spend his life as some minor official somewhere... that’s just... that’s..."

The Director’s lament was intense. It looked like her soul might leave her body.

"Lord Robbie, even if aiming for the throne is too presumptuous, don’t you think about becoming a minister, or eventually the Prime Minister? Don’t you want to rise up and get involved in national politics? Don’t you want to move the country with your own hands?"

The Director brought her face so close our noses were almost touching as she asked. Her face was flushed red. And because she was leaning so far forward, her cleavage was completely visible! I could see her nipples and even her stomach. If I see something like that, of course I’d want to reach in!?

Stop it! Don’t come so close that your spit is flying at me! Besides, if I say something so grand in a place like this, who knows how it will spread? I don’t want to make any enemies, so I want to be careful with what I say! I just want to live quietly and peacefully. And if I can get a bit closer to some women along the way, that would be enough.

However, the Director glared at me with the eyes of a ferocious carnivore and said,

"Lord Robbie! Why are you satisfied with such a small dream!? As a prince, isn’t it normal to have much bigger ambitions? If you keep working here in the Accounting Bureau, becoming Director and then Knight Commander would be easy in no time, I’m sure. Even higher — becoming a minister — I’m certain you can do it, Lord Robbie! I can see it! The sight of you as a minister, boldly steering the politics of this country!!"

She said something outrageous. When I looked around, the older ladies all seemed to be thinking the same thing and were getting wildly excited, saying things like:

"Lord Robbie as Director of the Accounting Bureau!"

"Lord Robbie as Knight Commander!"

"Eventually a minister!"

They were freely fantasizing. I was completely put off, but the Director continued,

"Lord Robbie! As a man, as a prince, let’s dream big!! If you become great, you can have as many women as you want, you know? If you like, I’ll assign Albina to you! She’s a bit older, but she’s good at calculations and has beautiful handwriting, so she can be your scribe. If you get tired of Albina, you can discard her! As you grow, Lord Robbie, you can just change women as you please! If there’s a woman in the Accounting Bureau that catches your fancy, just say so. I’ll assign her to you right away!!"

The Director made an incredibly blatant sexual harassment statement. It didn’t seem to be a problem in this world at all, and all the older ladies were nodding vigorously. Anise next to me whispered,

"I... have someone I’m seeing..."

But her cheeks were flushed and she didn’t look entirely displeased. I haven’t said anything, but is it really okay for everyone to get this worked up? They’ve completely abandoned their work and turned the place into a huge commotion?