Chapter 17: What You Don’t Realize Until You Lose It

Things that were previously taken for granted.

The more someone is always nearby, the more you miss them when they’re gone.

They have become a part of you, a part of the room.

Then, you look at the hole that has been left behind and feel emptiness.

“…What the hell?”

Secretary Slenia is irritated.

The reason is obvious.

Her footsteps approached her.

“Raynasia-san! The requested item has not been delivered! It’s already three days after the deadline!”

She walks into the room without knocking.

Raynasia is startled and looks at her with fear in her eyes.

“Yes, I’m sorry. It’s going to take some time…”

“Didn’t you say the same thing yesterday? It must be completed on time. Please carry out your responsibilities as a court employee.”

“Huh…”

(Then you should consider the workload more carefully.)

Raynasia was tempted to complain, but she restrained herself.

They’ll simply argue with you.

because there was a person with a track record of getting things done without a hitch.

Phyllis Reelkan

She had single-handedly done many times the work Raynasia was doing.

Is there a distinction between a grantmaker and a mage, two very different occupations?

No, there was a significant and profound difference in their abilities.

This is clearly felt.

The same genius, but of a different caliber.

“You can’t even do this, and you’re working at the court. Aren’t you ashamed?”

“…”

She’s unable to respond.

Then, the sound of the door opening is heard, as if to protect her.

“Aren’t you ashamed of it, too?”

“――What?”

“Salerio-sama!”

Salerio Ratratos.

He is the next head of House Ratratos and is currently engaged to Raynasia.

He held a high position among the nobility and was one of the few who had unrestricted access to the court.

“What do you mean?”

“It literally means what it says. I’m saying you’re the one who has difficulty getting things done.”

“With due respect, sir, I believe I have it under control. I make certain that the workload is distributed properly and without delay――.”

“On what basis is that? Obviously, dividing the work of another job among people who already have jobs increases the workload. You should not rush into anything, but rather suggest a reasonable timetable.”

Salerio keeps going.

Using plausible deniability as a weapon.

Her primary responsibility as secretary is to manage the schedules of all court employees.

Other responsibilities include ordering materials and merchandise as well as taking requests.

She evaluates the situation in the field, determines whether a request can be granted, and then issues an order to the field staff.

In other words, if her judgment is incorrect, the site will fail.

If anything, Slenia should have known.

only because they used to have a grantmaker here, and she knows how much work awaits her.

Slenia assigned her the tasks that would have been difficult for a single person, but she got them done with no delays.

With the disappearance of the woman who had supported the court, it was impossible to conduct business as usual.

Salerio points out the negligence of the secretary, Slenia.

“I-I am solely responsible for this site. I don’t need you, an outsider, to tell me what to do.”

“I’m not an outsider. The Ratratos family has been funding court staff for generations. Do you know what that means?”

“T-That’s…”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear what you just said. You should pay attention to the voices on the field once more.”

Slenia doesn’t respond and walks out of the room in silence.

Salerio sighs in the quiet room.

“Thank you very much, Salerio-sama.”

“Raynasia.”

“As Salerio-sama mentioned, it’s a problem for her as well.”

“You too, Raynasia.”

“What…”

The air is heavy again.

A cold look and a cold voice emanate from Salerio.

“I covered you in my position, but it’s also true that you’re slow, isn’t it?”

“W-Well, that’s… The workload is just too much.”

“I heard Phyllis did this all by herself. She never missed a deadline. And by “never missed” I mean… Now I’m sure she was very good at it.”

“S-Salerio-sama…”

Raynasia disliked Phyllis.

She disliked the attention she was receiving.

That’s why she interfered.

Taking Salerio away from her was just another way for her to be undermined.

She didn’t love Salerio.

But she had the mistaken belief that Salerio had abandoned Phyllis because he was in love with her.

But he didn’t.

“No, it’s no different than Phyllis. I think I made the wrong choice.”

Raynasia wasn’t the only one doing calculations.

Salerio didn’t love her from the beginning either.

Which is better?

Raynasia was only chosen because he had a choice between the two.

There is no love there.

What he truly desires is not the beloved.

a limb that serves him well.

A competent subordinate, one who has the power to set herself apart.

To put it another way…

A useful servant.

“…Let’s move on.”

He’s staring off into the distance.

A former fiancée who was married in a foreign country comes to mind.

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