I, The Janitor! Chapter 69: Mistakes, Mistakes, Mistakes - Novel Cool

Chapter 69: Mistakes, Mistakes, Mistakes

Chapter 69: Mistakes, Mistakes, Mistakes

Night had fallen upon the military headquarters, a heavily guarded area where the families of high-ranking officials resided. In one of the small villas, which was sparsely furnished despite its vast size, a middle-aged woman with a tall stature walked worriedly towards her daughter, who was sitting on the sofa, hugging a large stuffed toy and staring blankly into space.

"Isa?"

The woman gently touched her daughter's forehead with her chin to check her temperature, then embraced her. In a soft voice, she asked, "What's wrong, dear? Are you feeling unwell?"

The female police officer, having felt the familiar warmth of her mother's embrace, came back to her senses and shook her head. She then hugged her mother's waist with her free arm and buried her face deeply into her mother's embrace, muttering, "I'm actually fine... it's just that... some things at work aren't going smoothly..."

"I see."

The middle-aged woman breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that her daughter wasn't ill. She gently stroked her daughter's smooth hair and asked softly, "Is it still about the Lane family's case from last time? Are they still refusing the investigation?"

"No, it's something else this time..."

Recalling the scene she had witnessed at noon and the investigation results on 'Lyon Lane', the female police officer lifted her head from her mother's embrace, her eyes revealing a complex expression. "Mom, three months ago... did Dad's side at the military headquarters stop the pensions for many war veterans' families in advance?"

"Yes, there was such a thing..."

After hearing her daughter's question, the middle-aged woman paused for a moment, then sighed and said, "You know, the military's expenses have been too high in recent years, and the kingdom's finances can barely support it. This year's budget was cut by a third. Your father comes home every day, sighing and lamenting... Isa, why did you suddenly ask about this?"

"I just feel that it's unfair..."

The female police officer's eyes flashed with indignation as she recalled the family of four from the file she had pulled in the afternoon, who had nearly been driven to death. Her voice grew louder as she spoke.

"The military has forty-seven departments, and each one has significant expenses. There are so many areas where they could cut costs, yet they chose to reduce pensions.

Mom, do you know? Many of those still receiving pensions are families of war veterans from the Patriotic War six years ago, and some have even lost both parents and are now orphans! Many of them don't have the means to support themselves and rely solely on those pensions to get by. By cutting their pensions, isn't the military forcing them to die?"

"Isa?"

The kind-faced woman was taken aback upon hearing her daughter's words. Her expression turned serious, and she frowned, speaking in a cold voice, "Who told you to ask such questions?"

"No one told me, Mom. I thought of this myself!"

"You've never thought about these things before. You used to be..."

"People can change!"

"But you used to... Oh, never mind..."

Seeing her daughter stubbornly press her lips together, the middle-aged woman rubbed her forehead in exasperation. She then lowered her voice and said, "I don't care where you heard this, but you should only discuss it with me, and definitely not in front of your father..."

"Why not?"

The female police officer's eyes filled with dissatisfaction as she said, "Even if he didn't propose it, the fact that such an absurd decision was approved means he, at the very least, consented to it. Since he did it, he should..."

"Isa!"

The middle-aged woman sternly rebuked her daughter, whose words were becoming more intense, "You're old enough to be more sensible! With everything that's happened this year, do you know how much pressure your father is under? Don't cause him more trouble with these things!"

"Then what about the trouble he's caused me?"

The female police officer couldn't help but speak up, remembering the man she had met at noon, wearing an old coat and happily eating his meal. "Mom, I met someone today whose parents both died in the Patriotic War six years ago. But the military has only provided a third of the promised pension, forcing him to start supporting his family at just thirteen or fourteen years old. He carries packages under the summer sun and works at the docks, soaking in the cold water to clean the cargo ships! And that's not even the worst of it. After your father signed off on it, they stopped the remaining third of his pension too. He has two younger siblings who are only six or seven years old! His sick sister stopped taking her medication to save money and nearly died in the hospital!"

"Oh..."

The middle-aged woman sighed, seeing her daughter's eyes slightly red, and feeling guilty. "Your father is also under a lot of pressure. How is that family doing now?"

Mother still had some money. How about you take it first..."

"No need, he probably doesn't need money now."

After taking a deep breath, the female police officer turned her head away, her eyes filled with complexity as she spoke in a low voice:

"He joined the rebels and became an informant within the Police Department. This morning, he disrupted our arrest operation and rescued a rebel who was involved in the assassination attempt on the Princess."

"..."

"So now, it's not me causing trouble for my father, but him causing trouble for me, right?"

After seeing her mother rendered speechless by the question, the female police officer coldly smiled and looked towards the door with both eyes.

"I should be able to ask now, right? I want to know, with this heartless and rotten proposal, what state of mind did he sign it in?!"

"..."

Looking at her daughter, who was holding a soft plushie in her arms but resembled a hedgehog with its spikes raised, ready to prick anyone, the middle-aged woman softly advised:

"Isa, listen, you should..."

"Don't try to convince me!"

Feeling agitated, the female police officer turned her head away, her face stubborn as she said:

"One should have the courage to take responsibility for one's actions. That's what he taught me!"

"But he also taught you that some responsibilities are destined to be above everything else."

After patting her daughter's back, the middle-aged woman spoke with a dimmed gaze:

"Not only outsiders sacrificed in the Patriotic War, but your brother and two uncles also died six years ago. Even the reduction in benefits started with our family...

Wait! Don't argue!

I know our family doesn't rely on benefits to live, but I'm mentioning this to say, please don't think badly of your father. To maintain the mess in the military, he's truly doing his best."

Looking up at the empty room on the second floor, the middle-aged woman's eyes welled up with tears as she remembered her eldest son who had sacrificed six years ago:

"This year, the person in charge of the military went too far and was executed, leaving countless holes to fill. On top of that, the budget was drastically cut.

Everyone knew that these holes couldn't be filled, and the successor would, at best, be an incompetent handler. Several qualified candidates refused to take on this hot potato, but your father stepped up..."

Recalling her husband's increasing silence and gaunt figure over the past year, his back becoming more and more hunched, the middle-aged woman held her daughter's hand and spoke in a trembling tone:

"The Patriotic War six years ago is your father's eternal pain, and the military's problems are truly overwhelming. If left unattended or handed to an incompetent successor, the events of six years ago will inevitably repeat themselves, and he can't just let go.

I know that stopping the benefits is excessive, but have you noticed? In just half a year of shouldering this burden, your father has been nearly drained by the military's issues."

"But he can't just..."

"Isa, your father is truly doing his best."

Interrupting her daughter, the middle-aged woman sighed softly:

"This year, I witnessed him do everything possible, but in the end, he couldn't fill the holes, so he reluctantly agreed to cut expenses in this area.

Moreover, your father issued a strict order. The Welfare Officer must visit at least three times within two months before deciding to stop the benefits, ensuring that those affected can still maintain their livelihoods.

But he only has one pair of eyes and can't watch everyone, so even with all the preparations, incidents like this are inevitable..."

"Isa, please, for me, go back to your room. Don't let him worry anymore, okay?"

"..."

"Okay?"

"Alright..."

The exceptionally stubborn female police officer eventually succumbed to her mother's gentle pleas and was reluctantly pulled away from the sofa, her eyes filled with reluctance.

Once pushed back into her room and lying on the soft mattress with her plushie, the exhausted daughter, instead of finding solace as usual, stared at the ceiling lamp.

Maintaining the military, catching the rebels who attacked and caused chaos—none of these were wrong... Joining the rebels after having his benefits cut—that wasn't wrong either...

Then who was at fault?

(End of Chapter)

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