Chapter 7
Surprisingly, life here wasn’t all that spectacular. It had been a few days since I had possessed this body, and by now I was fairly accustomed to living as Muzel.
Still, a part of my mind remained unsettled. This wasn’t my home, and I kept thinking that I had to quickly persuade Lumi so that we could return hand in hand to the real world.
I wondered, what is “Eojin” doing now? The more I became familiar with the name Muzel, the more anxious I felt.
Gretchen, the maid I had grown somewhat close to over the past few days, greeted me again today.
“This is such a fantastic workplace! We get to see the empire’s most handsome men standing side by side every day!”
“Ahaha.”
All I could do was laugh awkwardly. The truth was, I wasn’t a handsome man. I should be called a “beautiful woman.”
Unaware of my thoughts, Gretchen’s eyes sparkled brightly.
“There’s nothing that satisfies my fantasies as much as your presence!”
Huh, what was that? Fantasies? What on earth does she mean by that?
But before I could clarify my doubts, Gretchen fluttered away like a butterfly.
“Ah, forbidden love!”
She left me with that mysterious last remark.
Actually, I too was enjoying some of the fantastic perks Gretchen mentioned—Claus’s dazzling beauty.
“The answers to the questions from the state council should be sufficient at this level. Good work, Muzel.”
“Thank you, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
It wasn’t a secret that I had stayed late in the library preparing those documents. Still, hearing a word of praise from my superior made my fatigue feel somewhat relieved.
But the next sentence jolted me awake.
“And you will accompany me to today’s state council meeting.”
“…Yes.”
I answered a beat late at the unexpected words. My extremely perceptive superior narrowed his eyes.
“Slow to respond, aren’t you?”
Tch, he noticed.
“My apologies. I hesitated without realizing it, wondering if it would be appropriate for me to attend.”
Apologize as quickly as possible. That way, unnecessary blame won’t fall on you. A trick I had learned from my social life when I lived as Eojin.
Claus let out a faint laugh.
“Honesty suits you well.”
It was much easier to calmly admit the truth and accept being scolded than to give a clumsy excuse.
He looked at me for a moment.
“But…”
“?”
Curious about what he meant, I faced him. He slightly lowered his eyes.
“Do you ever feel unsure of yourself?”
Ah, that was the topic. I answered bitterly.
“Of course. I know better than anyone that I am not perfect.”
As I said this, I recalled my life in the real world.
When I was a child, and my family was my entire world, I believed I was the best in the world simply because my parents said so.
I thought I was the best at drawing, the best at studying.
But when I entered school and began to experience “social life,” I gradually realized: I wasn’t the best at everything. There were a few people better than me at certain things.
After graduating and entering society, I encountered a much wider world.
Only then could I fully admit it. I was truly an ordinary person, not exceptional. Keeping up with others was already challenging for me.
That was how I learned humility.
Becoming an adult wasn’t anything else. It was recognizing that there is always a broader world than the one you currently experience, and that there is still much you haven’t learned.
It was realizing that right and wrong in the world can’t be decided by a few internet posts or snippets on social media.
It was realizing that an answer that seems unquestionable to me might be wrong for someone else.
It was recognizing that my thoughts and actions are not perfect, and having the mindset to accept what is different from myself. That was it.
So I never assumed I was always right. I acknowledged that I could make mistakes and humbly accepted my shortcomings.
Claus didn’t take his eyes off me and asked,
“Being imperfect isn’t something to boast about, is it?”
“You’re correct. But because of it, I can work on myself. Tomorrow, I will surely be better than today.”
It felt a little embarrassing to say it out loud, but I had always thought this way to lift myself up.
I might make mistakes. I might fail. But as long as I don’t completely collapse, I can become a better person.
It’s okay to fail an exam. It’s okay to fail an entrance test. It’s okay to make a big mistake at work.
Because next time, I will never make the same mistake.
I smiled faintly at Claus.
“I sincerely thank you for allowing me, with all my shortcomings, to accompany you to today’s state council meeting. I will observe, listen, and learn as much as I can.”
Claus’s deep purple eyes lingered on me for a while. Then he spoke.
“Good. That’s what it means to qualify as my aide.”
“I will surely meet Your Highness’s expectations.”
I responded energetically.
At the same time, a corner of my heart stirred uneasily.
Is it really okay to leave my current life as it is? Wouldn’t it be wiser to ignore Lumi and just reclaim my own life? That thought made me feel melancholic.
“….”
I felt a bit gloomy for no reason.
In my imagination, the state council meeting was a dignified discussion where the emperor and ministers exchanged opinions calmly about state affairs.
But in reality:
“Absolutely not! That is not what Duke Mecklinger meant!”
“Are you saying I didn’t understand what was being said?”
“Everyone be quiet! Aren’t you embarrassed with the Crown Prince watching?”
I tried hard not to let a nervous laugh escape.
Following Claus’s instructions, I observed the meeting from behind his seat. It was so noisy and chaotic, almost like a market, that I was amazed this is how state affairs were conducted.
The ministers were currently shouting about the proposal for each noble family to contribute a certain amount of money for flood recovery in the southern region.
I had prepared materials late into the night to present this proposal, and Claus had calmly explained its necessity to those raising objections.
And this was the result.
“Those who have more should bear more responsibility, shouldn’t they!”
“Look! Baron Kisling seated over there has far more wealth than our family. Why should we bear the same amount? He should pay more!”
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, Baron Kisling hasn’t said anything.”
I lowered my gaze slightly to look at the back of Claus’s head.
I was worried. How would he respond in this chaos?
“Cough…”
“Hmm, hmm…”
When the Crown Prince remained silent, the noise gradually subsided. The ministers’ eyes turned, one by one, toward Claus.
After complete silence, he spoke.
“Duke Mecklinger. How do you view this discussion?”
I almost laughed aloud. A discussion? They were all shouting at the top of their lungs, and yet it was considered a discussion.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
The father of Princess Elfriede, in whose body Lumi had possessed, Duke Mecklinger slowly raised his head.
He had gray eyes and red hair just like Elfriede, and he still looked quite handsome, showing that he had once been a notable man.
“The ideal solution would be to clearly determine the actual wealth of each family and contribute funds in proportion to it.”
His gray eyes swept coldly over the ministers.
“However, there are insufficient funds and manpower to investigate the wealth of each family. Even if we conducted such an investigation, it would waste excessive resources and manpower.”
“Hmm.”
“Mm.”
Those who had loudly insisted that contributions be proportional to wealth all turned their heads at once.
Mecklinger looked at Claus again, expressionless.
“Yet I believe it is also unfair for the noble families of the capital to contribute equally, as Your Highness suggested. Even among nobles, the scale of their wealth varies greatly.”
Claus’s voice was dry as he spoke.
“Then, what is your opinion?”
Duke Mecklinger straightened his shoulders.
“Other families may contribute equally according to Your Highness’s will, but our family will contribute twice the average amount.”
As soon as he finished, silent admiration spread.
But I could not relax and admire him.
Mecklinger’s answer was clever, but it gave me a strange sense of caution.
On the surface, he appeared obedient to Claus, but ultimately, he intended to carry out his own will.
Moreover, though he had no obligation to pay twice, he did so intentionally, as if to bestow a favor on the royal family.
If I was being sensitive, there was no argument against it. My instinct was just like that.
Above all, he was the father of the original story’s villainess. That explained a lot.
“….”
I looked down at Claus’s crown and thought.
If the male lead had the clever mind he had in the original story, he would surely notice the unease in Duke Mecklinger’s attitude. Even I, not as clever as the protagonists of the original, had noticed it, so he couldn’t be unaware.
After a brief silence following the Duke’s statement, Claus spoke again.
“Hmm, I see.”
His voice was dry, like a cold ruler.
