Chapter 53
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Three or four days blurred together as she methodically cleared her desk.
Kyle proved reliable, dispatching a contact exactly as promised.
Deep into drafting her quiet transition papers, she froze when Arnold summoned her abruptly.
Dispatch to the inspection team awaited her.
Her surprise spilled out in disbelief.
The inspection team—her, without warning?
She held back any hint of her career shift intentions, rooted in stunned silence.
Arnold offered regrets, citing directives from higher up.
Workloads swelled since the Emperor’s arrival, leaving no margin for onboarding fresh hires.
Other divisions faced the same pinch, but pleas for mercy fell flat.
Reallocations became the grim solution.
Arnold, typically reserved, let frustration sharpen his tone.
He projected it toward the inspection team representative delivering the order.
They demanded instant contributors ready for heavy lifting.
Resistance yielded nothing.
Her gaze flicked to Lucy, the poised team member wearing a faint grin, and she fired back a piercing stare.
She questioned inwardly if Lucy imagined slacking off for a paycheck.
Over eight years without the empire’s leader, applicants for palace oversight roles dwindled annually.
Outsiders eyed an unclaimed domain warily.
Denying entry to potential infiltrators upfront made sense.
Hiring stalled everywhere, forcing shifts among current personnel.
Job switch or not, loyalty twisted painfully inward here.
She pondered their alleged frenzy.
Intense scrutiny locked with Lucy’s eyes.
Tension threatened to sour the air, yet Lucy’s grin widened, followed by a playful wink.
She dismissed it as some odd quirk, perhaps nutritional.
Turning subtly, Lucy formed silent words her way.
Seymour—Kyle’s family name clicked into place.
Awareness dawned: this maneuver belonged to him.
Advance notice would have spared the departmental friction and her bruised ego.
She dropped the glare at once.
Arnold read her fixation on Lucy as mute defiance, cowed by the visitor’s presence.
More than just her would transfer, he assured, urging calm.
View it like downtime, nothing to dwell on.
Regret laced his encouragement.
Return after this pause remained uncertain in her mind.
His phrasing stung unexpectedly.
A twitch escaped her at the implication.
Lucy signaled again with a wink, feigning sorrow.
Clarity eased her features as the ploy resolved.
Playing reluctant, she signaled acceptance per the cue.
Dispatch timeline and handover flexibility crossed her lips next, grouchiness authentic from the earlier flare.
Next week marked official entry; their visit covered preliminaries regardless.
Lucy navigated the exchange with Arnold seamlessly, patience unwavering—perhaps a Blue Hawks prerequisite.
Documents finalized, she drew Carolina apart under a pretext.
Intrigue pulled her along wordlessly.
Anger mingled with injured dignity in her facade, though a nagging ache disrupted the scowl.
Lucy navigated the Finance Department corridors effortlessly, slipping into a vacant meeting space.
A handshake extended confidently.
First encounters can mislead, but amends lie ahead—Lucy Haynes, she introduced.
Carolina clasped it firmly.
Carolina Diaz, pleasure meeting you, Ms. Haynes.
Mutual delight; Lucy suits fine.
Another wink punctuated it.
Less quirk, more reflex now.
Lucy it is, then—Rina for her.
Briefing launched post-formalities.
Time pressed from a full shift, so essentials only, depth deferred.
Section 5 pairing for special, drawn-out probes.
Surface role cloaked deeper Blue Hawks operations.
Palace roots allowed seamless extraction via transfer pretense.
Sudden chaos explained at last.
Arnold mentioned additional transfers—fellow initiates?
Purely legitimate those; duality served purpose.
Solo request risked flags, so tailored specs guaranteed her inclusion alongside fits.
Overload plagued them genuinely.
Dual gains secured.
Staff raids held partial validity.
Ears potentially near curbed elaboration, but purges thinned ranks amid complications.
She sidestepped grim fates to preserve restful nights.
Urgency and fallout necessitated pulls; routine hires favored otherwise.
New allies vanishing post-setup bred resentment, she surmised.
Post-purge appeals for patience loomed; she’d aid stability.
Rationale stood independent anyway.
Lucy’s cheer resurfaced at her nod.
Non-essentials stretched it, yet core hit.
Clock check prompted query on queries.
Objective met, details would follow organically.
Fire away as needed; next week beckons.
Office hummed with strain post-departure.
Colleagues, rivals included, deemed the move unjust.
She wished their housecleaning a near-year’s buffer.
Swift resolution promised fuller disclosures.
Targets locked, duties wrapped and passed swiftly.
Transfer dawn neared.
Connie’s knowing nudge, sensing layers, propelled her toward the core palace sector.
Sterner sentries demanded extra scrutiny beyond outer gates.
Opulence stunned: golden cascades?
Inner sanctum gleamed on debut visit.
Eyes darted discreetly, curbing gawker vibes, until a known silhouette emerged afar.
Raven locks, knightly stature towering, shoulders vast.
Everette patrolled these halls, she deduced.
Royal Guard enveloped the Emperor’s circle, after all.
Shared turf might spark rare crossings amid packed schedules.
Unexpected joy lit her face; she hastened near.
Voice prepared merry hail within earshot.
Jarring wrongness halted her, tone cracking.
Presence registered; the figure pivoted.
