Chapter 97: To Lord Richelieu

Clack... clack... clack...

As the footsteps drew closer, Christine was busy swallowing my cum. I stood there, eyes fixed on the doorway. She seemed to have finished drinking and was now carefully licking the tip clean. She was making sure not a single drop remained, licking me thoroughly. There was even a kind of intensity in her movements, as if she wanted to get me hard again just so she could drink more—but we didn’t have time for that.

Clack.

The footsteps stopped, and a figure appeared in the doorway. He seemed to be scanning the dimly lit room, but it was too dark for him to spot me right away.

"Is that you, Lord Keith Relf? Robin Marie is here. I’ll come to you right away—please wait!"

I raised my voice to call out.

"Oh! So you were in there. It was so dark I couldn’t see you. Take your time. The floor is dim, so please watch your step."

Lord Keith Relf waved his hand cheerfully. Meanwhile, Christine released my cock from her mouth, tucked it back into my underwear, tied the string, pulled up my pants, and fastened the belt. She even gave it one last affectionate nuzzle through the fabric.

Shaking off the lingering, almost obsessive aura Christine had wrapped around me, I walked over to Keith Relf. It was a familiar corridor, but the dim lighting made the footing treacherous. Ah, more fluid is still leaking from the tip... my underwear feels cold.

I safely reached Keith Relf at the entrance and bowed.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No, no, I’m the one who should apologize for the sudden request."

Even though this man must have heard countless unflattering stories about me, he didn’t show the slightest hint of it. Normally, first impressions are heavily influenced by prior information, but he treated me without any bias. On top of that, despite me being only a ten-year-old child, he didn’t treat me like one at all. It was impressive. I could tell from his demeanor that this wasn’t mere respect for my royal status.

When I worked in a company, I often searched online for information about people I was meeting for the first time. Besides official data, I’d find reputation threads and posts from current or former employees. Whether true or fake, that information would settle in my mind and affect how I saw the person during the meeting. I’m sure Keith Relf had investigated me thoroughly and read all those ridiculous stories, yet he never let any of it show. That was truly admirable.

Following behind Keith Relf, we walked down the corridor for nearly ten minutes before finally arriving at Lord Richelieu’s office.

"Prime Minister Richelieu, I have brought Prince Robin."

After knocking, Keith Relf opened the door and announced me. The room inside was bright and dazzling.

My first impression was that the Prime Minister’s office was huge. The main desk, presumably Lord Richelieu’s, was surprisingly modest in size, with additional desks lined up beside it piled high with documents. Bookshelves covered both walls, packed tightly with books, documents, and records. It was incredible.

Standing deep in the room, gazing out the window, was Prime Minister Richelieu himself.

"Prince Robin, thank you for coming despite your busy schedule. Please, have a seat over there."

I was ushered to a sofa and sat down.

As soon as I sat, tea was served—along with snacks, of course. I had expected a maid, but it was a capable-looking young man who brought it. Indeed, there was no trace of any feminine presence in this room. I briefly wondered if this guy would be the one washing the cup I used.

"Please, help yourself," he urged. I didn’t hold back. My stomach was empty, so the snacks tasted especially delicious.

"Prince Robin, this is not the official Prime Minister’s office but my personal study, so please relax and make yourself comfortable. You may call me Richelieu. I shall call you Robin as well. Is that acceptable?"

Since I had no objection, I nodded in agreement. Still, if this was his personal office, just how big was the official one? I was secretly impressed.

He then asked about my daily life. Since there was nothing to hide except my nighttime activities, I answered normally. The Accounting Director had warned me that Lord Richelieu was a frightening person, but I felt none of that. He was an excellent listener, very easy to talk to. His eyes were gentle, not sharp or intimidating at all. For the Prime Minister of a nation to speak so kindly and draw out conversation from a leftover prince like me was truly remarkable.

When I mentioned that I was learning swordsmanship from Master Browning and working in the Accounting Bureau to pay for the lessons, he burst out laughing.

"A prince actually working to earn lesson fees? I’m astonished! Ahahaha!"

The people behind him were also trying to suppress their laughter—some were visibly shaking with it.

"Prince Robin, who on earth told you to do such a thing? Ordering a prince of the realm to go earn his own tuition? And you actually went along with it! Hahaha!"

He was holding his stomach, roaring with laughter. I didn’t think it was that funny. And laughing about it right in front of the person involved seemed a bit rude.

"Cough—my apologies. I’m sorry, ahaha. It’s been a long time since I laughed this hard. I’d love to tell the other princes and princesses about this. That one should work for their own education! No, I should tell the high-ranking nobles too. Hahaha. As someone entrusted with the nation’s finances, I truly wish the royal family would follow your example. Ah, that was disrespectful of me. So, how is it? How do you find working?"

"I believe I’m managing to be useful. I mostly do calculations, but I think I’m keeping up with everyone else in the office."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise at my words.

"Oh? You’re able to handle calculations at the same level as the women in that office?"

"Yes, I believe so. Though..."

"Though?"

"I think human relationships are really difficult."

Especially with Instructor Marin. And the watchful eyes of the older women who were monitoring me.

"A ten-year-old prince finding workplace relationships difficult? Kuh kuh kuh... hahaha!"

Hmm... was it really that funny?

Lord Richelieu seemed to have hit a funny bone; it took a while for his laughter to subside.

However, the five people standing behind him—secretaries? aides? advisors?—were staring at me. At first their expressions were mildly amused, but after a while it felt like they were appraising me, observing every little detail, scoring my every word. I felt pressured by their gazes. It was uncomfortable.

After we talked a bit more, one of the men behind him handed Lord Richelieu a sheet of paper. The conversation naturally paused. Lord Richelieu looked at the paper and his expression turned serious. The gentle look from earlier had vanished.

"Hmm. I thought you were a young man with unfathomable depth, but it seems you possess quite a variety of skills. On top of that, you’ve acquired considerable martial abilities."

The moment he said that, I understood. I had been appraised by one of the people standing behind him this entire time. How rude, I thought—but this was the power of skills. If I had a stronger concealment ability, I might have blocked it, but I had been seen through.

"Prince Robin, you may be wondering why your skills were visible. One of my subordinates possesses the ’Appraisal’ skill. It is of a higher rank than your ’Concealment.’ Therefore, even if you use ’Concealment,’ it can still be seen through. ’Concealment’ only prevents viewing if the opponent’s ’Appraisal’ is not of equal or higher level."

Hearing it directly from such an important person made it click. Of course, the proper reaction should have been anger—"How dare you look at my skills without permission!"—but my former salaryman mentality wouldn’t allow me to get angry at someone of much higher status. I still hadn’t fully internalized being a prince.

But this meant all my information was completely exposed! Since I’m only Level 1, even a basic Appraisal user could see everything!?

"Having your skills visible to anyone is problematic. I have a subordinate with a high-ranking ’Concealment’ skill. Allow me to cast a high-level ’Concealment’ on you."

He said it so casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Eh? You can cast ’Concealment’ on other people?"

I asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes, it is possible. If you raise your own ’Concealment’ skill to a high enough level, you’ll be able to do it too."

This was valuable information. Just for this, coming here had been worth it. Since it came from the Prime Minister of the country, I doubted he would lie about casting the skill on me.