Chapter 327: Mr. Alence Cook Must Head to the Front Lines

Charlot sighed.

Annie pursed her lips into a faint smile.

Mrs. Aldegonde still carried a slightly rigid demeanor, but the air of authority she had once maintained was now utterly absent.

There was no helping it—Mrs. Aldegonde could only preserve her dignity before subordinates, such as the Charlot of the past. But the Charlot Mecklenburg of today was far from being her subordinate; he was a figure of far greater stature.

Charlot suddenly felt a wave of futility wash over him. Shrugging, he said, "Annie and I can handle it ourselves. No need to trouble Mrs. Aldegonde."

This lady had once been his "former superior," and she had treated him kindly in their work. Even after Charlot returned to the Central Government Office, he had sought her assistance on a few occasions, which she had never declined. It was simply against reason or propriety for him to order her around.

Mrs. Aldegonde gave a slight bow before preparing to leave. She had other matters to attend to, though none were urgent. She had offered to lend Charlot a small hand only because it was convenient, but since he declined, she did not press.

Having worked in the Central Government Office for twenty-two years, Mrs. Aldegonde had long mastered the art of navigating interpersonal relationships.

Charlot pondered for a moment, then called out to her. In a low voice, he said, "Annie will be working in the Central Government Office from now on. You’re an experienced Chief Clerk here—please take good care of her."

Mrs. Aldegonde smiled faintly, nodded, and said, "I do indeed have the experience to offer Miss Annie some assistance in her work."

"This is..." she began.

Charlot promptly introduced, "Annie Bretagne! She’ll be joining the Department of Enforcement."

Mrs. Aldegonde turned to Annie. "What is your position, Miss Annie?"

Annie performed a graceful curtsey to express her gratitude to Mrs. Aldegonde before quietly replying, "Executive Officer of the Military Enforcement Division in the Central Government Office."

The moment Mrs. Aldegonde heard the surname "Bretagne," her heart tensed. Upon learning Annie’s position, her footing faltered, and she staggered slightly before asking in shock, "May I ask what your rank is?"

Annie replied, "Twenty-fourth class, first tier Consul."

A storm of emotion raged within Mrs. Aldegonde. She was but a thirty-seventh class, fifth tier Clerk, far from even attaining the rank of Chief Clerk. By comparison, Annie was a true figure of power. How could she possibly "take care" of this young lady?

Even her superiors’ superiors might bow before Annie, not daring to show the slightest defiance.

This was an insurmountable class divide.

Annie gently shook her head. She knew Charlot sometimes indulged in a bit of mischief—while not as extreme as Dolores Soumet, his pranks were no less impactful.

Mrs. Aldegonde appeared to be a good person. Charlot, despite his teasing, had shown her significant respect. Clearly, the two had shared a cordial relationship during their time as colleagues.

Charlot’s request for Mrs. Aldegonde to look after Annie was, in truth, an implicit suggestion for Annie to assist Mrs. Aldegonde instead. Annie, astute as she was, caught on to Charlot’s intent and resolved to offer her aid to the stern and upright woman.

Mrs. Aldegonde, still uneasy, said hesitantly, "Miss Bretagne, I misspoke earlier."

Annie smiled softly and replied, "I just graduated from university and have nearly no work experience. There are indeed many areas where I’ll need your guidance. If you’re willing, perhaps I could have you transferred to the Department of Enforcement?"

Mrs. Aldegonde’s joy was beyond words. She had never imagined she might have another chance at promotion. For years, she had assumed she would retire as a thirty-seventh class, fifth tier Clerk.

After bidding Mrs. Aldegonde farewell, Charlot and Annie visited several departments, obtaining the necessary stamps for Annie’s appointment papers before finally making their way to the Department of Enforcement.

As luck would have it, they ran into Alence Cook.

Alence Cook had originally been with the Logistics Department but had been temporarily seconded to the Department of Enforcement due to his expertise in taxation. According to certain unspoken rules, he would likely be formally transferred and even receive a promotion after a period of work.

With noble lineage, good looks, and a promising future, Alence Cook was quite popular among the young ladies in the Department of Enforcement.

He was casually chatting with two such ladies, walking toward the exit as they prepared to have lunch, when he caught sight of Charlot. His expression immediately darkened, and he couldn’t resist saying, "Mr. Mecklenburg, are you here again to discuss tax matters?"

"Apologies, but it’s lunch break now. No business is being handled at the moment."

Annie glanced at Charlot with slight hesitation. Charlot chuckled softly, ignored Alence Cook, and explained to Annie, "Mr. Alence Cook doesn’t particularly like me. He’s abused his authority several times to investigate me, trying to pin a few charges on me."

Annie made a small sound of acknowledgment and asked, "What’s his rank?"

"Still twenty-sixth class, I believe," Charlot replied before turning to Alence Cook. "Mr. Alence Cook, have you been promoted recently?"

Alence Cook hadn’t expected the young couple to treat him as though he weren’t there. He sneered coldly, "Charlot Mecklenburg, your arrogance won’t last much longer." With that, he stormed off with the two ladies, clearly not dignifying the question with a response.

He swore to initiate an investigation to utterly discredit Charlot. Previously, he had held back at the behest of Duchess Mesu, who had warned him not to meddle further. But now, his patience had reached its end.

Annie remained calm, allowing Charlot to accompany her to meet the Director of Enforcement, confirm her position, and establish her political status.

Charlot had initially planned to take Annie to lunch, but she smiled and declined, saying, "It’s my first day at work. I should be diligent. Come pick me up this afternoon, and we can have coffee together."

Though puzzled by Annie’s sudden burst of work enthusiasm, Charlot agreed. Promising to return later, he left the Department of Enforcement.

He had intended to relax but remembered that many of his subordinates were still stuck in lowly positions—like Dubin, who remained a pitiful forty-seventh class, third tier Sergeant Major. It was high time he addressed these matters.

Since he was already at the Central Government Office, Charlot decided to take care of these issues as well.

Meanwhile, Alence Cook returned to the Department of Enforcement after lunch, laughing and chatting with his colleagues. Just as he was about to begin his break, someone handed him an official document.

"I’m on break and not handling work right now," he said irritably.

The nervous clerk stammered, "It’s not official business. It’s... your reassignment."

"My reassignment?" Alence Cook thought incredulously.

He opened the document, and sure enough, he had been reassigned. But it wasn’t an internal transfer—it was an assignment to Ferranden, the Empire’s most notorious warzone, nicknamed the "Meat Grinder."

A chill swept through Alence Cook as he read. He couldn’t fathom how things had escalated so drastically over lunch.

At the bottom of the document was a name unfamiliar to him, signed in elegant handwriting: Annie Bretagne.

Leaping to his feet, he shouted, "Who dared reassign me? I’m Alence Cook! What are you trying to do? Who signed this document?"

"Annie Bretagne! Are you trying to ruin your career in the Central Government Office?"

Alence Cook’s outburst was heard throughout the office, shocking his colleagues, who whispered among themselves. They were curious about who would dare provoke this aristocratic upstart.

When Alence Cook bellowed Annie’s name, all eyes turned to the young woman. Though she was stunning, many worried she’d be dismissed, given Alence Cook’s formidable connections.

Calmly, Annie stood up and said, "I signed the order."

Alence Cook, seething with rage, yelled, "Rescind it immediately! I’m not going to Ferranden!"

Annie smiled faintly, her composure unnerving everyone around her.

A senior official hurried over, quickly assessing the situation. Turning to Annie, he said sternly, "Miss Bretagne, even with your family name, you cannot disrupt operations. Rescind the reassignment at once."

Annie coolly replied, "No."

"Every citizen of the Empire has a duty to serve on the front lines. There’s no justification for Mr. Alence Cook to remain comfortably in the rear, avoiding the war. It’s time he contributed to the Empire."

The senior official sneered, "Miss Bretagne, if you refuse to revoke this reassignment, you might need to find yourself another job."

In response, Annie pulled out her appointment papers, flipped to the signature page, and placed it before the official’s face. "If you think you outrank this signature, go ahead and fire me."

The official’s fury turned to shock as he saw the signature of Emperor Julius VI, accompanied by Julius Axel’s private seal and the seal of the Minister of Enforcement—authentic and incontrovertible.

Annie retrieved her papers and declared calmly, "I am Annie Bretagne, daughter of Earl Bretagne, appointed by Emperor Julius VI himself. Today, I say: Mr. Alence Cook must head to the front lines.

"Who dares oppose me?"

The Department of Enforcement fell silent.

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