Civil Servant in Romance Fantasy - Chapter 206

Chapter 206: Having Two Mothers Must Be Nice (1)

A wise man once said that there was still a floor even at rock bottom.

He wasn’t called wise for nothing. I was realizing the truth of his words in real time.

“Still, as His Highness said, there's the New Year's Ball. I guess I'll have to wait for that day."

Starting with the confession from the Mage Duchess, which I thought would be the most shocking thing I'd ever hear—

“Then, can I say that I also like you, oppa?”

Followed by Louise, who rejected the five male leads to choose me—

“...Still, I’m not unworthy of being by your side.”

And finally, Irina, whom I never expected to have feelings for me.

What the hell?

I rubbed my temples. Lately, my headaches haven’t been going away.

Of course, it wasn’t because I considered the confessions from these incredible people as something trivial. It was just that my mental state was crawling on the floor.

Honestly, I had to admit this. Even the most noble-minded archmage or priest would’ve felt the same if they were in my position.

And all this happened within a week.

My head throbbed again. Receiving heart-pounding confessions in the span of a week – was this what they called a hat-trick of surprises?

But a hat-trick usually involved only one person, not being ambushed by three people. We need a new term for this.

"I’m not expecting an immediate answer. I came after Louise, so I can’t cut in line."

Just as I was contemplating a new term, Irina’s awkwardly smiling face and her oddly tearful voice came to mind.

"I j-just wanted you to notice me. Not as a pitiful sister... but as a woman."

I barely managed to lift my body off the bed and sighed. They said that sighing would bring bad luck, but I didn’t care anymore. It felt like I had run out of luck, anyway.

Irina left quickly after saying that. My stiffened body couldn’t catch her as she swiftly disappeared.

And even if I could have caught her, I probably would have let her go. What would be the point of catching her in that situation?

I can’t accept it.

It would be strange to accept Irina’s confession when I haven’t even responded to the Mage Duchess and Louise yet.

I can’t reject her, either.

It would also be odd to push away Irina’s confession first for that same reason. Putting other confessions on hold while rejecting her outright? That would make her cry and ask if I really disliked her that much.

Should I just run away?

I seriously considered that for a moment.

For about a week, maybe? No, even three days would be fine. I wanted to be alone somewhere with no one around so I could sort out my thoughts. That way, I wouldn’t receive any more confessions.

I might as well go back to prison now. Being detained for five days would be the best possible thing.

Maybe if I hit Rutis again...

I clenched my fist unconsciously.

Assaulting royalty, even a repeat offender. That could get me imprisoned immediately not just for five days, but for months even.

Of course, one wrong move might lead to execution, but life was a gamble anyway.

Alright, I might as well close my eyes and do it once more—

Ah.

Light shone from the communication crystal just before I lost my sanity.

Thank goodness. I might have actually lost it if it shone just a moment later.

"This is the Prosecutors' Office's Executive Manager."

This was the person who saved my life. Thinking that made my expression soften automatically.

So, I activated the communication crystal gratefully. I shouldn’t show a distorted face to my lifesaver.

— How are you holding up? You look better than I expected.

However, my expression twisted again the moment I saw the minister’s face.

Damn it.

I had been so out of it that I forgot something important. I forgot that there was someone who enjoyed seeing me suffer.

"Yes, madam."

The butler nodded and quickly disappeared.

Normally, the butler’s role was more supervisory than hands-on. But in urgent situations like this, his experienced presence was essential.

"Madam, the garden is fully prepared."

"Good job, Laura."

I could finally catch my breath at Laura's report as soon as the butler left.

If Laura said that it was perfect, then it must be. The garden was the face of the mansion. At least we saved some dignity.

"Nia, this is about..."

Laura, who was checking the surroundings, whispered softly. Her rarely trembling voice showed how shaken she was.

Of course I was, too.

"It must be... because of Carl."

"Oh my goodness."

Laura covered her mouth with her hand. Her expression was a mix of shock, pride, and dizziness, causing me to sigh.

Carl, what have you done?

My feelings were complicated. What on earth did he do to make the Mage Duchess take action? I shouldn't blame him, but I felt a tiny bit resentful.

At the same time, I felt proud. My son was so charming that even a Duke was captivated by him. The slight frustration became overwhelmed by a feeling of pride and satisfaction.

— I am Theodore Jedas of House Catoban, the Mage Duchess’s butler.

However, this pride couldn't overshadow my current dizziness.

The call from House Catoban came out of the blue. The butler, the Count of Sicily, bowed respectfully.

He managed the Mage Duchess’s territory in the Mage Duchess’s absence, so he was essentially the second-in-command. Facing a call from such an important figure left me flustered, though I had a vague idea why he was contacting me.

— The Mage Duchess is well aware of your wisdom and kindness. Although circumstances have prevented a meeting until now, she said that she wishes to meet the mother of one of the Empire’s pillars.

"You flatter me."

Despite the formality, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. So, I just accepted.

Technically, I could refuse. Whether to accept a sudden visit request was up to the host.

However, it was difficult to reject a Duke's request, especially in such an obvious situation. Refusing to meet a future daughter-in-law who wanted to see her future mother-in-law would turn her goodwill into anger.

Daughter-in-law.

The dizzying term made me feel faint.

I’m going to be a mother-in-law.

The thought made me even dizzier.

Of course, it was a title I wanted to hear. I thought I’d hear it soon.

But I expected to hear it from Marghetta, that girl. Even though it was burdensome to be entangled with their family twice, I thought it would be alright if it was her.

But now, the Mage Duchess had appeared. It was an entirely unexpected person at an unexpected time.

In a panic, I contacted Billy in the capital. However, he excused himself using council affairs and didn’t come home.

— I’m sorry, wife. The Imperial Council has been busy lately, so I can’t come back.

You traitor.

Thinking about it again made me a little angry. He cowardly withdrew alone. We should sleep in separate rooms for a while.

"Madam!"

The sight of the butler running from afar broke my thoughts.

Perhaps influenced by Billy's bluntness, the butler was usually calm. Thus, seeing him so flustered meant that something big had happened.

She’s arrived.

My prospective daughter-in-law, the Mage Duchess, had arrived.

...I feel dizzy.

I just want to lie down /genesisforsaken