The Villainess Became The Male Lead's Secretary

Chapter 17

'It feels like just yesterday we had the engagement ceremony, and now I'm already knee-deep in wedding preparations. This whole process is incredibly exhausting. Why must royalty have such an abundance of events? It would be much simpler if they could consolidate everything into one grand occasion and be done with it,' Vivienne sighed to herself as she diligently began organizing the arrangements.

She continued, lost in her thoughts, 'It's like an isekai logic, where paper is never scarce. If only paper were truly rare, then theoretically, I'd have less paperwork to handle. But knowing my luck, I'd probably end up having to venture out more frequently to track down the scarce resource.'

Abruptly, a young boy burst into the room, clearly in a state of panic.

"Apologies for intruding so abruptly, but we're facing an urgent crisis!" the boy exclaimed, capturing the attention of both Milo and Vivienne. "The eastern region is currently in the grip of a severe drought, and there are talks of an impending riot!"

"Take a breath, John. Please, calmly explain how this situation unfolded," Milo requested, his voice filled with reassurance in an attempt to calm the boy. "Vivienne, could you please gather everyone in the meeting room? It appears that the eastern region is facing a severe famine, and it's disconcerting that we're only learning about this now."

"Consider it done," Vivienne responded promptly.

'As much as I had hoped for the wedding ceremony to proceed smoothly,' Vivienne pondered, contemplating the situation, 'it seems that we may need to consider postponing it for the time being.' With that thought in mind, she stepped out to gather everyone and assemble them in the meeting room.

A few hours later...

'This blame game accomplishes nothing,' Vivienne observed, frustrated by the ongoing squabble. 'It's been hours, and we can't afford to waste any more time. The emperor appears unusually fatigued and restless.' She contemplated how to restore peace among the group and find a solution.

Suddenly, the emperor coughed, prompting a hushed silence to fall upon the room.

"Enough of this finger-pointing," the emperor declared, his tone filled with anger. "All of you cease the blame and focus on finding a solution."

An eerie silence enveloped the room as uncertainty hung in the air, leaving everyone at a loss for a solution. The emperor's frustration escalated, growing angrier by the moment.

"Foolish incompetence! I did not assemble this group to idly waste their days away," the emperor complained bitterly, expressing his dissatisfaction.

Then, unexpectedly, someone spoke up, suggesting Vivienne as a capable individual to tackle the eastern drought. The mention of her name caught Vivienne off guard, surprising her.

'Why does it seem like I'm being burdened with even more responsibilities?' Vivienne wondered to herself, feeling a sense of overwhelm. 'I should not allow myself to be taken advantage of. I need to assert myself.'

"I appreciate your confidence in me, but I already have other pressing matters to attend to," Vivienne responded, attempting to evade taking on additional work. "Unfortunately, I cannot divide myself into two individuals, so I wouldn't be able to effectively address this issue."

The emperor questioned her, wanting to know what other matters were occupying her attention. Vivienne replied, "I am currently assigned to oversee the preparations for the crown prince's wedding ceremony."

Exasperated, the emperor retorted, "We are facing a potential riot. A wedding ceremony is of secondary importance. Go to the east and resolve the problem."