831 – I’m on vacation – 4

The Emperor’s promise to relieve him of his ministerial duties today was not a lie.

“Okay, read it slowly. It’s a short contract, so there’s no room for fooling around, but wouldn’t it be better to check it carefully?”

The emperor, who had quickly written down a contract while sitting down, immediately handed me the contract and a fountain pen. It was as if he was telling me to sign it right away if I liked it.

[ 1. The Inspector General, Karl Crassius of Tailglehen, is temporarily relieved of his duties as Inspector General while he is on his honeymoon and parental leave. The date of the end of his honeymoon and parental leave will be discussed at a later date.

2. Karl Crassius of Tylglehen must be unconditionally reinstated at the Emperor’s call, and this can only be done once.

3. Karl Crassius of Tailglehen cannot resign from his post as chancellor without the Emperor’s consent after being reinstated once.

‘oh…’

And the contract, as the Emperor had said, showed no trace of trickery.

A clear condition for the dismissal from the ministerial post, a promise to reinstate without complaint after the dismissal, and a clarification that there would be no need for any further trouble between the two once the reinstatement was complete. Although the contract only had three clauses, it contained everything that was necessary.

If it’s a contract like this, I can sign it. First, I’ve achieved my goal of stepping down from the ministerial post, and the reinstatement is limited to one time. After I retire at age 70 or 80, the possibility of the emperor suddenly pulling out this contract and giving a crazy order like, “You said you’d reinstate me unconditionally?” has disappeared.

‘It’s manageable.’

The best outcome would be to hold out until the ship is completely destroyed when the order to return to service is given, but unfortunately the Emperor has shown that he can really destroy the ship. Then we should stop being greedy and just move on.

Of course, I am a little concerned about the fact that the timing of the end of the honeymoon and childcare leave will be discussed later, but since I used the word “discuss,” I am sure the Emperor will not unilaterally announce it. If I interpret this positively, it means that I can also control the timing of my return to work.

“I will sign.”

After quickly signing and returning the contract, the emperor nodded calmly and accepted the contract.

“For the time being, I guess I should call you Imperial Count instead of Minister. No, perhaps it would be better to call you Godfather?”

“Then, doesn’t it seem that I am Your Majesty’s godfather? This is truly an absurd matter.”

“Then I will call you Tileglehen for convenience.”

It seems more comfortable to be called an Imperial Count or Earl than a Tilglehen, but I figured it would be okay since the Emperor called me Tilglehen.

What does that title mean? What matters is that I escaped from the ministerial post.

“And the Inspector General will go under the acting authority of the Secretary to the Minister for a while, and Jim will receive reports on issues that cannot be resolved through the Secretary. What do you think?”

“Your Majesty, let it be done as you wish.”

“This is ridiculous. It’s ridiculous that the first minister has been on vacation since the establishment of the Inspectorate, and now the position is completely vacant. Where in history has something like this happened?”

He quietly bowed his head towards the emperor who was laughing.

I also know that my position is unique and strange. As a first minister, I should be more steadfast in my position and lead my subordinates than any other minister, but I only show my face once every quarter. Now, I heard that he is stepping down from the minister position.

Even though it is a condition that he will return to work after the vacation, a dismissal is a dismissal. There is nothing to say even if the entire administration, including the Office of the Inspector General, is embarrassed.

But I have no regrets. My happiness is more important than the embarrassment of an unspecified number of people.

‘Honestly, I worked hard during the vacation period.’

From my first marriage to now, the merits I have made alone may be greater than those of the entire administration. In this case, wouldn’t it be innocent to permanently retire instead of temporarily dismiss?

Unfortunately, permanent retirement went out the window when I signed that contract.

“Yes, Count. The Empress said she was grateful for the gift.”

Meanwhile, the emperor, who was called Teilglehen, naturally took the title of Count.

Yeah, of course two letters are better than five. If this is what it’s going to end up like, why did you keep talking about tileglehen?

“This is a gift that my wife, not I, has carefully chosen. I do not deserve your gratitude, so please do not speak ill of it.”

“The Count said that this was a gift he would never have bought if he had not traveled with Elizabeth. Since it was the thought of the Empress, who is also Elizabeth’s long-time close friend, the Count will understand and move on.”

Those words were strangely persuasive, so I nodded without thinking.

If I hadn’t been there, would Eri have taken the leisurely trip around the country? If she had been working instead of traveling, would she have packed a bunch of presents for her nephews?

‘That can’t be true.’

The Empress’s words are true. Eri was the one who bought the gift, but the reason for it was the same for me.

“And Count. It’s something that wasn’t written in the contract, but your dismissal will not be officially announced.”

“yes?”

“First, let go of your fists. If you do that, Count, I’ll be scared too.”

At those words, I hurriedly released the strength in my fist.

Look at my mind. Since this is a sensitive issue, I reflexively prepared to throw my fist.

“The Count is so blessed with many wives and children that he is enjoying a longer vacation than others, but he is still on vacation. But there is a precedent for removing officials from their posts while on vacation. Do you think officials will be able to get married with peace of mind? And how will they have children?”

“ah.”

“So the Count must officially remain a minister. So that there is no precedent set for other officials: getting married and returning only to find their positions gone, having children and returning only to find themselves dismissed.”

“understand.”

It was such a common-sensical statement that I nodded my head again.

I was a little impressed. I was already overwhelmed by the shackles around my neck, but the Emperor had to deal with things with a broader perspective. I never thought that honeymoon and parental leave would be abused.

At the same time, I felt a little sorry. I almost threw a punch at the Emperor, who was rarely able to think normally.

“…I, Your Majesty.”

“Tell me.”

“If you are officially a minister, how could you just ignore this incident?”

The emperor smiled faintly at my question.

“An official on vacation just passes by whatever he sees, Count. You just need to put down your burden in your heart.”

I was immediately convinced.

He returned to the mansion with news of victory.

“You were dismissed from your post as minister?”

“Yeah. I’m unemployed now.”

And I told my family about this happy news of victory. It wasn’t an official dismissal, nor was it permanent, but I had stepped down from my position as minister.

“Now there’s no need to worry during the vacation. There’s no need for an unemployed person with no position to work. Your Majesty, please understand my feelings, so I’ll be unemployed until the vacation is over.”

“So, does that mean there is no official announcement…?”

“If I were to be officially fired during this time, my position would be lost while I was on vacation. They’re just hushing it to avoid creating a precedent like that.”

Mardo nodded slightly at the kind additional explanation.

He took care of his subjects who were suffering during their vacation, and prevented a precedent that could be abused by his subjects in the future. What a perfect and clean measure. Mardo must have been amazed by the rare wisdom and mercy of the Emperor.

Actually, I was the most surprised person. Even though it was labeled as ‘temporary,’ I achieved my long-time dream of retirement.

‘I hope the vacation lasts forever.’

I know it’s an unconscionable thought, but I’m serious. If my vacation lasts forever, my unemployed life will last forever.

“dad.”

“Yeah, Pedi. Why?”

“What is a dismissal? Is it easy?”

Pedi’s question, full of innocence, made me close my mouth for a moment. If I didn’t close it now, I felt like the words ‘Of course it’s good’ would come out regardless of my reason.

That’s a tough one. It’s true that dismissal is a good thing, but we can’t instill knowledge that goes against common sense in young Pedi.

“If you get fired, you’ll have more time, right? So Daddy can play with our Pedi more.”

So after thinking about it for a while, I came up with an appropriate answer.

The answer does not directly answer the question of whether it is good, but only mentions the results of the dismissal. This father is happy that he has more time and can play with Pedi.

For now, this answer is enough. What is important to Pedi is not the specific definition of the dismissal, the reason, or the aftermath, but the time he spends with his father.

“If you get fired, you’ll have time to hang out with me!?”

Pedi’s eyes began to sparkle.

“Jang-saeng! Where is Jang-saeng!”

Soon, he ignored his father, who had a lot of free time, and went out to look for Jang-saeng, who must be somewhere in the mansion.

“What’s going on? I was just taking a quick nap…”

“Jang-saeng! You’re fired today!”

“what?”

Fortunately, Jang-saeng was resting not far away, when Pedi’s sudden announcement of dismissal rang out.

It’s difficult. I think I misunderstood the meaning of dismissal to Pedi. I should have explained it properly even if it made things a bit more complicated.

“…I clearly said dismissal! I can’t tolerate you evading those words!”

“Hey, Jang-saeng! Where are you going?”

Then, Jang-saeng came running from the direction where Pedi and Jang-saeng’s voices were heard.

I wonder how they can run that fast with those short legs, but it’s just like a beast running.

“Where are you going, leaving your Pedi behind?”

“Master! Didn’t you hear that too? I was notified of my dismissal! I’m free!”

As I caught Jang-saeng, who was running wildly, a strange scream erupted.

What the hell are you talking about. What if you really say shit because it looks like a dog?

“Your employer is me, not Pedi.”

“Khuh…!”

Jang Saeng-i trembled as if indignant at the firm correction.

It’s really an ugly sight. He genuinely avoids playing with children, and he knows it’s forced, but he’s going crazy trying to avoid the annoyance. It’s so pitiful and pathetic to see him as someone who was once a demon and now a saint.

‘Could I possibly look like this?’

Suddenly I felt anxious. What if the feelings I have when I see Jang-saeng and the feelings others have when they see me are similar? I am also the type of person who would rush at someone like a mad dog if I were fired.

…

‘No, of course not.’

The thought was short. Could it be that I, a bipedal human, would be worse than a quadrupedal dog?

At least I won’t be to this extent.

***

He quietly pursed his lips as he watched the knife being handed over to Pedi.

There’s a lot I want to say, but I have to hold back. I can’t make Carl sad after he finally came back feeling good.

“Now there’s no need to worry during the vacation. There’s no need for an unemployed person with no position to work. Your Majesty, please understand my feelings, so I’ll be unemployed until the vacation is over.”

A hope that will disappear like a bubble in just a little while. Because I can’t destroy that fragile hope with my own hands.

‘I’m going to Armenia soon.’

Carl attended the wedding of Prince Later and the next Saint Tanian. Then it is virtually certain that he will attend Prince Ryutis’ wedding as well.

But would it be possible for Karl, who went to Armenia and gave Prince Luteus a national treasure sword, to stay in Armenia without any trouble? Absolutely not.

Karl is not busy because he is a minister. He is busy simply because he is Karl, who has accumulated all kinds of achievements and connections. Even if Karl steps down from his post as minister, he will not be able to live comfortably as Karl expected.

‘Let’s be patient.’

But he didn’t say the cruel truth out loud.

If you’re going to find out the truth anyway, it’s better to be a little happy before then.

“Mar? What are you thinking?”

“Oh, no. It’s nothing. I just… thought that Your Majesty was very thoughtful.”

I’m sure you know that nothing much will change even if Karl steps down from his post. I appreciate that you didn’t bother to tell him that truth.