CPSMBD Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Fairy’s Tears

When I returned to the aide's office, Brahe greeted me with anticipation written across his face.

"Senior, how did it go?"

I deliberately slumped my shoulders and put on a grave expression, causing Brahe to whimper with a crestfallen look.

"Did His Highness refuse? Does this mean we have to keep enduring this difficult situation until he gets married?"

"..."

Drawing his own conclusions from my expression, Brahe collapsed into a chair, his voice weak and defeated. I deliberately dragged out the moment, then slowly raised my thumb in triumph.

"Of course it was a success."

Brahe's face instantly brightened.

"Really?"

"Obviously. Who do you think I am?"

"Ah, come on! Senior, you really had me worried there!"

Brahe stomped his feet playfully before lavishing me with praise.

"As expected, you're the best! The most capable person in the entire Imperial Palace!"

His compliments made my shoulders rise with pride. Another problem solved for the day. Thanks to this, we'd reclaimed our peaceful commuting hours. Of course, a hellish time was about to begin for the Crown Prince, but that couldn't be helped.

***

It was a languid afternoon. If there was any great enemy during these hours, it would be myself. While reviewing documents, I found myself nodding off, unable to fight against sleep.

That's when a paper bird flew into the aide's office. Through bleary eyes, I watched Brahe check the message.

"Oh?"

"What is it, Brahe?"

"We've received a cooperation request from His Majesty the Emperor's aide's office."

"The Emperor's aide's office? What could they want?"

"They're asking for help sorting through gifts received during His Majesty's accession anniversary ceremony. Apparently, they're overwhelmed by the sheer volume. They say it should take about half a day, and they only need one person..."

Before Brahe could finish, I stretched and sprang up from my seat.

"I'll go."

"You, Senior? Aren't you busy?"

"Not at all. I'm completely free."

There wasn't much to do anyway.

Better to move around than sit here nodding off.

Besides, examining the Emperor's gifts would be quite interesting.

Brahe's previously bright face fell into a sulk.

'This transparent fellow.'

He was clearly excited about the possibility of seeing Lily.

"Brahe, aren't you the one who's actually busy?"

I gestured at the documents he was working on.

"Well, yes..."

I would have sent Brahe if possible, but today it wasn't an option. The work he was currently doing needed to be completed and handed over to me before we could proceed with the next task. Brahe knew this well, so he finally nodded in resignation.

"I'd like to go, but it can't be helped."

***

When I arrived at the Emperor's aide's office, Lily, Brahe's fiancée, welcomed me warmly. The Emperor's and Crown Prince's aide offices often requested cooperation like this when they needed extra hands or had urgent work.

That's why Lily and I were already well acquainted.

"Senior Violetta! I'm so glad you came!"

"Yes. I hope you're not disappointed it's not Brahe?"

Lily waved her hands enthusiastically at my teasing.

"Not at all! I'm just grateful someone could come help despite being busy."

"Where are the other staff members?"

"His Majesty called an urgent meeting, so they're all there."

"Ah, so it's just the two of us then?"

"Yes, but we've already sorted quite a bit, so it shouldn't take too long to finish."

Lily led me to the temporary storage area for the accession anniversary gifts. Befitting gifts for the Emperor's 20th anniversary, the scale of presents from foreign delegations and nobles was staggering.

There was an amethyst larger than my body, and even mandrake root said to rejuvenate one by ten years with just a single bite. Gifts that ordinary people might never see in their lifetime were casually scattered about.

"Can the two of us really organize all this in half a day?"

"Yes! Half a day should be plenty!"

Lily was no ordinary person either. It wasn't for nothing that she held a position in the Emperor's aide's office at such a young age.

'She must be quite capable to have earned that position.'

Together with Lily, I began sorting through the gift list and organizing items by storage location. While classifying the gifts, something caught my eye that piqued my curiosity.

A paper labeled "Fairy's Tears" was attached to an ornate box decorated lavishly with gold leaf and jewels.

"Oh? Lily, could this be the famous Fairy's Tears?"

Lily, who had been standing behind a golden statue of His Majesty taller than herself, peeked out at my words.

"Yes, that's right!"

"Wow! So Fairy's Tears actually exists. Can I open this?"

"Of course!"

I carefully opened the lid of the ornately decorated box. What I saw inside made me doubt my eyes.

Inside was a tiny crystal with a pink tinge, contained in a glass vial smaller than my thumb.

I hurriedly called out to Lily.

"L-Lily! This is terrible! The Fairy's Tears must have been switched with something else! There's some kind of jewel in here!"

"Ah, that is the Fairy's Tears. I was surprised too when I learned that crystalline form was the Fairy's Tears."

I had naturally assumed it would be liquid since it was called tears, but apparently not.

"Is it true that eating this makes you fall in love with the first person of the opposite sex you see?"

"Yes, that's what they say. Isn't it romantic?"

Romantic? More like disastrous.

Still, the appearance of the Fairy's Tears was enough to evoke a strange sentiment. The crystal glowed with an ethereal light, sporting a cotton candy-like pink hue.

It was the color of love.

'How beautiful.'

After observing the Fairy's Tears as if entranced, I closed the lid and resumed working. However, I had to pause at the section for indicating the transfer department.

I couldn't decide whether to transfer the Fairy's Tears to the Imperial Pharmaceutical Department or the Magic Department.

'Since the Fairy's Tears doesn't cure illness but has special effects, perhaps it should go to the Magic Department...'

It was a troublesome gift in many ways.

After much deliberation, I finally decided on the Magic Department.

'Better to keep it somewhere with stronger security.'

At that time, I had no idea the Fairy's Tears would be stolen.

***

My daily routine had been the same for several days now.

Mornings were spent on administrative work, afternoons on guiding women coming to meet the Crown Prince.

Having roughly finished the morning's work and finding a brief respite, I headed to the Imperial Palace café.

After coffee, I would need to guide more women coming for private audiences with the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince spent an hour each day in private meetings with women, but unfortunately, the list of candidates showed no signs of shrinking.

If anything, it was growing longer.

Still, it was a great relief that there were no longer crowds of people blocking traffic in front of the aide's office and the audience chamber.

No matter how busy we were, getting our coffee fix was an essential part of the daily routine for Imperial Palace civil servants.

Since Chief Aide Kuan preferred napping than coffee, I went to get coffee with just Brahe.

As I gulped down the fresh coffee, the fog that had been clouding my mind began to clear.

'Ah, this is the taste. Now I feel alive again.'

Brahe, wearing the same expression as me while drinking his coffee, spoke up.

"Senior, are you still in touch with Failum?"

My mood instantly sank. I remembered his likely witness to my wine-soaked appearance at His Majesty's 20th accession anniversary celebration.

Shaking my head, I grumbled in a bitter voice.

"No. I think it's over."

"Relationships aren't easy to come by. Don't worry, Senior. I'll introduce you to someone else besides him."

I had really liked Lord Dale... It was disappointing.

'But I can't force my feelings on someone who doesn't like me.'

Though regret lingered heavily, I decided to step back cleanly.

Brahe, who had been lost in thought while sipping his coffee, asked me:

"Senior, how about a knight this time?"