Ever since Lia confessed her identity, nothing particularly eventful had happened. The arranged meeting fizzled out, and the Debrue estate made a fortune by selling the meteorite that had fallen nearby. Even the meteorite’s landing site was being promoted as a new tourist destination.

 

“......”

 

“......”

 

Lia came to work.

 

She seemed awkward.

 

It was like the morning after confessing a needlessly complex family drama while drunk the night before, and then regr etting having said too much upon sober reflection.

 

“Please, take a seat, Your Highness.”

 

Ascal rose from his seat and reverently indicated the director chair he usually occupied.

 

“......”

 

Lia remained silent.

 

“Would peppermint tea be alright for you, Your Highness? The leaves are freshly imported today.”

 

“......”

 

Her ears turned bright red, suggesting that teasing her further might end up in a painful mishap.

 

Ascal was about to sit down, but then hesitated, straightening up from his half-bent knee.

 

Was it really okay for him to sit here?

 

Because, now that Lia was here, this seat, usually reserved for the highest-ranking officials, was no longer appropriate for a mere 5th-grade official to occupy unless given explicit permission by the Princess.

 

“......”

 

“......”

 

And the Princess, who could grant such permission, remained motionless, as if frozen in place.

 

Ultimately, having lost his seat in a matter of seconds, Ascal stood quietly, shuffling through papers. Instinctively, Lia began to organize documents as well.

 

It was a moment that realized the concept of a standing office, leaping through thousands of years of time.

 

 

“What’s everyone doing standing up? Wow. I’ve always wanted to sit in this seat! I’ll just use it for a bit!”

 

Suddenly, Sushia entered the office and naturally sat down at the director's chair.

 

“Wow, this is comfy. To think the Director-nim had such a nice chair all to himself. How stingy.”

 

She lounged in the chair as if she were the rightful owner, melding into it.

 

“Lia, could you make me some black tea? And some cookies too.”

 

Sushia stretched her legs out on the desk, beaming broadly.

 

Ascal silently watched her, then suddenly buried his head in the pre-laid carpet.

 

“Director-nim, why are you suddenly banging your head? Director-nim?”

 

 

 

After a long silence, Ascal, who had received permission to address Lia as a subordinate during the commute to the evaluation department, reclined in the director chair he had regained.

 

Next to him, Sushia, holding a makeshift sign saying 'I am an idiot who doesn’t know her place,' knelt down.

 

“My knees hurt... Director-nim.”

“There are still ten minutes left.”

 

Ignoring Sushia’s whining, Ascal was lost in deep thought.

 

The information the Crown Prince had passed on this time was a matter of grave concern, even for Ascal. The reason Ascal, the director of the Evaluation Department, had remained a mere Director was that the department, in reality, functioned more like a jack-of-all-trades service center than a formal organization.

 

However, Ascal’s achievements were so remarkable, and with the opposition faction divided, there was a growing public sentiment within the Empire to simply promote him to minister.

 

It was a dangerous sentiment.

 

'A ministerial position is an immovable national key post. This just can’t happen.'

 

Despite having expressed his refusal to the Crown Prince numerous times, the Prince had merely brushed off his humility as harmful and walked away nonchalantly.

 

The state council meeting was scheduled for next month.

 

In the end, Ascal had to prove his point with results. Only by disastrously mishandling the Evaluation Department’s performance could he avoid the unwanted ending of becoming a minister.

 

“When is the upcoming interview for new recruits in the Evaluation Department, Lia-nim?”

 

“Ascal-nim.”

 

“Yes?”

 

Lia whispered into Ascal’s ear.

 

-"Continue as you have been."

 

Ascal cleared his throat.

 

“When is the new recruit interview, Lia?”

 

“Tomorrow afternoon. Shall I give you the detailed list with the information?”

 

“Please do.”

 

Ascal’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the list Lia handed over.

 

Since the public evaluation of the department had risen, especially after its renowned welfare benefits became known, numerous talents had started applying to the Evaluation Department.

 

But what kind of place was the Evaluation Department?

 

It was, arguably, the most coveted workplace in the Empire, second to none in recent times.

 

Yet, all these capable candidates were rejected.

 

What remained were only those with some screws loose, ambiguous characters.

 

'This is more like the kind of talent suitable for the Evaluation Department.'

 

Ascal nodded in satisfaction.

 

“Hey, this name, it’s my friend.”

 

“This thick-headeds, I mean, among these candidates, you have a friend?”

 

“Yes. Here, Arin Asht. She’s my friend.”

 

Sushia, kneeling, pointed to the name on the list with a gesture of her chin.

 

Arin Asht... It sounded familiar.

 

Ascal desperately tried to recall where he had heard the name.

 

But to no avail.

 

 

​A few days ago, during the matchmaking event at Debrue house:

 

“I’m so sorry! I’ll compensate for the dress... I don’t have the money right now, but I’ll work and pay it back!”

 

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. A dress like this can just be discarded.”

 

“Discard... You’re going to discard it? If you’re throwing it away, can I have it?”

 

Serena looked at Lady Arin, who stared back with tears welling up in her eyes, almost in disbelief.

 

“Sure. Take it.”

 

“Thank you so much! I won’t forget this kindness!”

 

Serena couldn’t help but smirk. After constantly dealing with arrogant nobles, encountering such a young lady was refreshingly novel. It was akin to watching a capybara, or perhaps a hamster.

 

“Here, try this too.”

 

Serena picked up a cookie between her fingers. Arin took it with her mouth and chewed thoughtfully.

 

“Pfft.”

 

'What to do with this girl... A hapless, blundering fool.' 

 

As Serena habitually pondered, an idea strucked her.

 

‘Yulia mentioned she works in the Evaluation Department, didn’t she?’

 

If she could throw this fool into the Evaluation Department, wouldn’t it be amusing to see Yulia flustered?

 

Of course, the chances of her passing were slim. But if it came to it, she could manipulate the situation and ensure her acceptance.

 

“Hey. Ever thought about working? There’s this place in the Empire that’s really taking off. They pay well too.”

 

“Where is that?”

 

“Yeah. It’s called the Evaluation Department.”

 

Serena’s smile was sly, the kind she wore when plotting schemes.

 

 

At the Evaluation Department’s interview room:

 

The top brass of the Evaluation Department had gathered, ready to solemnly assess the candidates.

 

Department 1 Head, Kane.

Department 2 Head, vacant.

Department 3 Head, Devon.

Department 4 Head, Herben.

 

And overseeing them all, the hidden dragon of the Empire, the Director of the Evaluation Department: Ascal Debrue.

 

They were prepared to select the talents best suited for the Evaluation Department, considering every aspect of the candidates from head to toe.

 

“…There’s no one coming.”

 

Thirty minutes had passed since the scheduled interview time.

 

Herban broke the silence.

 

That was right.

 

No matter how skilled the examiners were, they were useless if no candidates showed up.

 

Ascal sighed deeply, realizing this simple truth.

 

‘Could it be that no one would come? Were they all such unworthy talents that even the Evaluation Department couldn’t hold them?’

 

Just then, someone hurried into the interview room.

 

“Oh!”

 

It wasn’t a candidate, but a messenger.

 

“Lord Cyril asks if he can bring his parents to the interview!”

 

“He can bring them, but he’d better not. Tell him not to come.”

 

Even for Ascal, parental accompaniment was too much.

 

Another thirty minutes passed.

 

“…Hmm. Director-nim, it seems we’ve failed.”

 

“Not a single one of the four came.”

 

“I didn’t anticipate this situation at all.”

 

A group no-show.

 

As Ascal, filled with despair, was about to rise from his seat, finally, a candidate appeared. An hour late.

 

“Is this the place for the Evaluation Department interview?”

 

She was someone Ascal knew.

 

The lady who had unleashed a full-scale Aqua Splash on the day of the matchmaking.

 

“I am Arin Asht. I’ve come for the interview.”

 

“Do you take the Empire’s administration as a joke? An hour late, a whole hour. Go ba—”

 

“Let’s proceed with the interview.”

 

Ascal lightly tapped the table.

 

He then read through the information on the lady’s document.

 

Arin Asht, 18 years old. From the Baron Asht family. The Asht family, in reality, only had a noble title but was extremely poor. Former maid in the house of the Duke of Senestia.

 

‘She’s friends with Sushia…’

 

A candidate of unusual merit.

 

Ascal lowered his voice.

 

“Let’s see the prepared materials you’ve brought.”

​

There was a tradition in the Evaluation Department’s interviews.

 

First, candidates were given 1 silver, and with that, they had to purchase an item from the auction house. The higher the value of the item, the more bonus points they received in the interview.

 

Incidentally, no one had yet broken Ascal’s record in the interview. The item he brought had been forcibly donated to the Empire’s museum.

 

“Uh, I’m sure I brought it? Where did it go?”

 

Devon squinted his eyes.

 

“Lost it? Such a clueless woman. How can she be so careless…”

 

“There’s something stuck on her back?”

 

Ascal pointed to something on Arin’s back. True to his word, there was something resembling a small human doll attached there.

 

“Oh. Here it is.”

 

Arin detached the doll. The doll, with red-button eyes, looked ominous at first glance.

 

“Hmm. We’ll need to assess its value.”

 

Luckily, an expert appraiser dispatched from the Empire for the interview day was present. Though a detailed appraisal would take time, a rough valuation was immediately possible.

 

The appraiser took out a magical tool and began to appraise the doll.

 

“…!”

 

The appraiser’s complexion changed.

 

“What is it? Is it a relic-grade doll?”

 

“It’s a cursed doll. We need to dispose of it immediately. This could be serious!”

 

The appraiser hurriedly took out a tool and set the doll on fire.

 

 

The doll burned to ashes and disappeared.

 

“…”

 

A silence fell.

 

 

Ascal applauded.

 

“A talent indeed. Starting tomorrow, report to department 2. Your position will be as a department head.”

 

Lady Arin Asht.

 

Became the head of Department 2 of the Evaluation Department.