Are You Going to Break off the Engagement and Expel Me at the Same Time? ~I’m an Alchemist Who’s End

Chapter 24: The absence of the hard worker

While Amelia was working on the border.

There was a problem in the Capital.

“What are you going to do? At this rate, you can’t meet the next deadline.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“There’s no point in apologizing. Just do the task assigned to you. I won’t postpone the deadline.”

“…”

It was Rivera, Amelia’s successor at Court, who was lectured by the head of the Court Alchemist’s office.

The confident smile that graced her face was gone.

The dark circles under her eyes showed that she had gotten very little sleep.

After the lecture, she hurriedly made her way to her lab.

Her steps are heavy and shaky.

She opens the door to her lab.

Inside, the room is a jumble of scattered materials.

There is nowhere to step.

Rivera enters the room without paying attention to stepping on the materials.

It was 8 p.m. and the only light was in her lab.

“…Why… It’s not like this…”

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

She keeps talking herself out of it in her mind.

I am gifted and can do it without much effort.

I can’t lose to my sister from somewhere else.

I’m great.

I keep telling myself I’m better than this…

But nothing came of it.

“Rivera, are you still working?”

“Lord… Caius.”

Then Caius, her fiancé, shows up.

When she sees his face, tears come to Rivera’s eyes.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong with your face?”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

“Why are you apologizing? What happened?”

“I was… I was in the wrong. I’m not capable of doing anything. I can’t do all this work by myself. I can’t do it.”

Rivera says with tears in her eyes.

Since her arrival, she has taken over Amelia’s research and other work.

Since she had been named her successor, it was only natural that she take on the work.

Rivera accepted it.

She figured if her sister could do it, she could do it better.

But reality shows otherwise.

What Amelia can do in one day, Rivera can do in five.

Working and researching at the same time?

She was living on the edge of her life and had no time to waste.

“Five days? Is that a lot of work for you?”

“Yes… But my sister did it in one day. Every day, all the time…”

“I see…”

Caius didn’t know.

He didn’t know because Amelia was so busy with her work that he was chasing other women.

He had mistakenly believed that Amelia’s inability to finish the job was due to her lack of ability.

The same was true for Rivera.

She didn’t believe her sister was good enough either.

No, she knew she was good.

But more than that, she believed she had a hidden talent.

The two of them had a deep relationship with Amelia, but they didn’t understand her abilities.

That’s the reason why this happened.

“I can’t… I can’t work anymore. I don’t want to work anymore. I want to stop right now.”

“W-wait, Rivera. I will inform the head of the office.”

“Lord Caius…”

“You take some time off and then come back. Is that clear?”

“… Yes, my Lord, I’m sorry.”

“That’s all right. You’re my fiancé and I care about you.”

So he comforts Rivera.

But secretly, Caius is frustrated.

It was he who had appointed Rivera as her successor and driven Amelia away.

He felt she had more talent for the Court than Amelia.

If that didn’t work out, people would think he was wrong in his words and actions.

It might even affect his position in the Dutchy.

The next day, he hurried to inform the head of the office.

He would reduce Rivera’s workload and give her a break.

The head of the office responded coolly.

“I’m sorry to hear that… But I believe it was Lord Caius who recommended her for the position.”

“So what? I only appointed her.”

“I appointed her because you said she was better than her predecessor. By law, appointments at Court are reserved for members of the royal family. But this time we’ve made a special appointment and this is too much.”

“But…”

The Head’s statement is correct, Caius has no authority to appoint a member of the Court.

The only way to become a Court Alchemist is to pass a formal examination and be recommended by the head of the office.

In this case, Caius had advised the head to recommend Rivera.

He said she was better than Amelia.

“Anyway, she’s going to take some time off. You can take over in the meantime.”

“Hmm… I’m already doing that. The work will just pile up if I leave it to her.”

With the Head’s sarcasm behind him, Caius finally leaves.

He’s furious.

“Damn it, how did this happen!”

The reason is obvious.

Neither he nor anyone else could see anything.

He just didn’t want to see it.

But this is not the end.

His downfall has just begun.

A person who sees only himself repeats his mistakes.