Clorinde quickly arranged the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Fontaine Research Institute. It wasn't that her efficiency was extraordinary; rather, she directly approached the current Institute officer, Chuvoiselle, and told him to prepare the ceremony as soon as possible.
While Chuvoiselle was busy with preparations, Clorinde sought out Charlotte, revealed Furina's upcoming schedule to her, and even managed to freeload a big meal in the process.
And Charlotte actually ended up thanking her for it!
The conversation at that time went something like this,
"Miss Clorinde, that big news you mentioned earlier, did you mean…" Charlotte, dressed in her usual style, now carried a new camera in her hands. It looked far more refined than the ones on the market, clearly a custom-made piece.
Clorinde swallowed the last bite of steak, gracefully wiped her mouth with a napkin, and said: "This is a private meeting. We're not talking about business."
Charlotte blinked in confusion. 'Wasn't it you who said there was big news, and that's why I came? And now you don't want to talk business?'
So… this meal…
"I am absolutely not telling you that the new site for Fontaine Research Institute has been chosen, located on the slope northwest of the old grounds. And I am certainly not telling you that in the middle of this month, Lady Furina herself will preside over the groundbreaking ceremony there."
This meal was definitely on Charlotte's tab now, no excuses!
She called for the waiter to order two more dishes for her godfather, but a very full Clorinde stopped her.
"Thank you, but I've had enough."
"But I'm still hungry. You don't mind sitting with me a while longer, do you?" Charlotte wasn't really hungry, but figured that chatting a bit more might get Clorinde to accidentally share more "non-business" business.
"Of course, please."
Clorinde didn't plan to leave just yet. Watching Charlotte order two desserts, she asked casually after the waiter left: "Actually, I have a question about the annual Most Influential Figures list…"
"That's not something I can decide," Charlotte replied quickly. "The chief editor personally oversees it. I just got confirmed as staff not long ago. Even though I'm basically set to win the Lavirel Prize this year thanks to the Mondstadt trip, I have no say in those rankings."
"I'm not asking for special treatment, I just want to consult."
"Go ahead."
Clorinde glanced around carefully, lowered her voice, and asked:
"Suppose, just suppose, that a certain gentleman has contributions worthy of being on the list, but you happened to overlook him or not know about him. Would it still be possible to add him later?"
She immediately fell silent afterward, sipping water like nothing had happened, all while scanning the room to ensure no one had overheard.
Charlotte thought for a moment before answering: "That's actually happened before. If the person really deserves it, then yes, they can still be added, as long as it's before the final list is published. Once the official list is out, the process is closed."
Clorinde nodded, hesitated, then checked her surroundings again.
Seeing this, Charlotte sighed. "Miss Clorinde, this place is private and secure. No one is watching us."
"You don't understand," Clorinde said firmly. 'She clearly has no idea how terrifying that man's intelligence network is.'
Remaining cautious, she whispered: "Would the Secretary-General of the Administration qualify for the list?"
"You mean Richard?"
"Shhh! Too loud!" Clorinde's normally cool face turned even colder with tension. If not for drawing too much attention, she might have physically covered Charlotte's mouth to stop her from blurting his name.
"Did Monseiur Richard send you to ask this?" Charlotte whispered back.
"No, no, not at all! I'm just asking, just out of curiosity." Clorinde denied everything at once.
Charlotte caught on quickly, remembering how Clorinde had earlier refused to "talk business." She nodded knowingly. "I get it. I get it."
Clorinde gave her a look. 'You'd better really get it.'
"If you mean Secretary Richard, yes, he absolutely qualifies," Charlotte admitted. "But I've heard from the editor that officials in the Palais Mermonia aren't too eager to be on this list. They think it's… cursed?"
She scratched her head, recalling the fates of past winners, and honestly, she couldn't disagree.
"Are you sure he even wants to be on it?" she asked.
Clorinde's answer was vague. "I'm just curious. No intention behind it."
Charlotte frowned. 'You call that objective?'
"In any case," Charlotte clarified, "the candidate's personal consent is required. If they refuse, out of respect for privacy, the Steambird won't publish their name."
Clorinde immediately asked: "Then, Lady Furina, did she agree to be on the political list?"
"She should have. A month ago, we sent her a personal letter by hand, not through the postal system. It shouldn't have been lost. And if she hadn't replied, her name wouldn't have been listed."
Clorinde guessed Furina had signed without reading, thinking it was just another routine document. She didn't even know the "Most Influential Political Figures" list was considered a death sentence.
"Thank you. I understand now." Clorinde inclined her head.
"No need. You've helped me plenty, too."
"This is still a private meeting," Clorinde reminded her sternly.
"No business talk," Charlotte finished with a grin. "Don't worry, I understand, Miss Clorinde."
"And what I just asked, you must keep it secret. Once we leave this table, I'll deny it ever happened."
"Did Miss Clorinde ask something just now?" Charlotte winked.
"…Professional enough," Clorinde admitted.
Just before leaving, she asked one last thing: "Is there any way to bypass the personal consent requirement?"
Then she realized it sounded too pointed, so she added hastily: "I mean, hypothetically, if someone says no at first but might yield if pushed a little…"
She trailed off, searching for words, but Charlotte already understood.
"You mean like when someone says no, but deep down they actually mean yes. Saying one thing but their body is honest."
"Yes, yes, that!" Clorinde nodded rapidly.
"In that case, you'd need a trusted intermediary authorized by the candidate," Charlotte explained. "But honestly, that's too complicated. If someone really wants to be listed, they could just say so directly."
'Richard sure isn't straightforward,' Charlotte thought to herself. 'Is this what books call… tsundere? Cute, actually.'
Clorinde, of course, had no idea what Charlotte was imagining. She only thought: 'I've been working for Richard all this time. Getting a verbal authorization shouldn't be hard. I'll just record it if I have to.'
The thought brought a faint smile to her cold face. Finally, she had something she could use to pressure Richard.
Not that she really intended to use it, but some things you might never need, yet it's dangerous not to have them.
And she didn't plan to wield it herself, but to hand it to someone more suited.
"Come to think of it, we never used that backup plan," Richard mused.
"Backup plan?" Lynette paused her spoon in the tea before stirring again. "You mean that letter sent to Lady Furina about the Most Influential Figures?"
"Exactly. I meant it as leverage, to push her into agreeing on rebuilding the Institute. But things went so smoothly, I never needed to use it."
"But you still did in the end, didn't you? Otherwise, why bring up the ranking?" Lynette asked, sipping her tea. The heat made her stick out her little pink tongue.
"You noticed?" Richard admitted without hesitation.
"It was obvious." Lynette blew gently on her tea before drinking again.
"Aren't you afraid Lady Furina will find out you tricked her?"
"She won't find me. Even if she does, Clorinde's the one who agreed. She has the authority as Furina's secretary, after all."
"How did you manage that?" Lynette asked, curious.
"Simple. I handed her the file right before the end of the workday, told her it had to be done before leaving. She had plans with Navia that evening and didn't want to cancel. I also told her it wasn't important, just needed a signature. So she signed without reading carefully."
This little trick was common among bureaucrats, catching a boss at a rushed moment to slip papers past them.
Richard had simply adapted it, using it on Clorinde instead of Furina.
"Impressive…" Lynette clapped softly. "But couldn't the same trick be used on you?"
"I don't have rushed moments. Because I have a capable assistant. Right, Lynette?" Richard winked.
Her tail shot upright immediately. Her face didn't change much, but her tail betrayed her; she really did love being relied on like this.
'No helping it… I love this feeling.'
"Knock knock." The office door opened.
"Come in."
Speak of the devil, it was Clorinde.
"Clorinde, what is it?" Richard asked calmly, as if he hadn't just been talking about scheming her.
"There's something that needs your authorization… regarding the Most Influential Figures ranking." She kept her tone steady.
But Richard's attention wasn't on her words; it was on what she was holding.
"Oh, that? You have my authorization. But what's that you're carrying?"
"A phonograph. Lady Furina requested it for the upcoming ceremony. She plans to record the whole event with both a phonograph and a camera."
"I see. Good idea. Do you need me to write a formal authorization document?"
"N-no, that won't be necessary. I just came to inform you."
'If it's written down, Richard will strictly limit the scope of authorization. That would make things harder,' Clorinde thought.
Meanwhile, Lynette noticed a detail: the small phonograph in Clorinde's arms seemed to already be running.
'Was it turned on deliberately? Or by accident?'
She narrowed her eyes slightly. 'Things were getting interesting. Hopefully Richard realized it too.'
'Careful, don't let the hunter get snared by the prey…'
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu