To her surprise, a significant number of people came to pledge their allegiance to her, which was one of the reasons Kaguya had been so busy lately. It seemed her previous efforts to win people's hearts had paid off. However, dealing with political matters gave Kaguya a headache. The mountain of documents piling up was enough to bury anyone.
Fortunately, Sayo had become increasingly proficient in handling these matters, organizing everything methodically. Kaguya decided to leave all the administrative duties to her. With the help of some newly recruited officials skilled in governance, Sayo was just about able to manage.
As for Kaguya, she took the opportunity to relax. Winter was a good time to rest, after all. However, Sayo did grumble about being left to handle all the responsibilities. But after Kaguya used a few "gentle" tactics, Sayo quickly quieted down. The lingering blush on her cheeks each morning was a clear indication of how effectively Kaguya had "settled" things.
While Kaguya was leisurely sipping her afternoon tea, Sayo hurried in.
Sayo was dressed in a white blouse and a fitted jacket, having shed her previous innocence for a more mature and capable appearance.
"Sayo, are you done with your work?" Kaguya asked, pouring a cup of tea. "Have some tea first. This tea was brought in from the south, and it has a lovely flavor."
"Your Highness, how can you still be so relaxed?" Sayo snapped, clearly exasperated at seeing Kaguya enjoying herself while she had been overwhelmed with work.
"What happened?" Kaguya asked, blinking curiously.
"Have you forgotten?" Sayo said, her tone urgent. "Because of the war, many refugees have been flooding into our territory. The numbers keep growing, and if we don't find a solution soon, the place will be overrun."
"How many refugees are there?" Kaguya asked, still sipping her tea.
"About two hundred thousand," Sayo replied gravely, sitting down. "And the number keeps increasing."
"Two hundred thousand?" Kaguya was taken aback by the figure. That was no small number. It wasn't just about finding a place to settle them; the real issue was food. The daily consumption of such a large group would be astronomical, and if the influx continued, even if Kaguya exhausted all her resources, it wouldn't be enough.
Kaguya stood up, pacing back and forth before asking, "How much food do we have left?"
"We have some, but after setting aside what we need for the war and daily consumption within the territory, there's only a small portion left," Sayo explained. "At this rate, we won't make it to next year's harvest, which won't come until autumn."
Kaguya thought for a moment. "If we buy food from other places, how much can we get?"
"It's difficult," Sayo said seriously. "With the Empire in turmoil and war imminent, food prices have already skyrocketed several times over and continue to rise. It's hard to find any available food."
Although Sayo didn't go into detail, Kaguya understood that, just like in any other world, "an army marches on its stomach." With the impending war, both the Imperial Army and the Revolutionary Army had likely already stockpiled most of the available food.
The territory had finally stabilized and was starting to get back on track, but this new issue had completely disrupted Kaguya's plans.
"Here's what we'll do," Kaguya said after some thought. "Try to buy as much food as possible. Do what you can."
"Understood," Sayo nodded, though she seemed to realize there weren't many options left.
"Oh, and one more thing," Kaguya added, "Make sure to thoroughly screen those refugees. We can't risk letting spies slip in."
"Got it."
"Alright, with that settled," Kaguya stretched languidly before walking over with a smile, "let's get to some real business."
"What real business?" Sayo asked, confused.
Kaguya extended her arms, pulling Sayo into an embrace. Holding her slender waist, Kaguya leaned in and kissed the lovely young woman on the lips. Sayo was momentarily taken aback, her face flushing slightly as she closed her eyes.
After a while, Kaguya seemed unsatisfied. Her hands began to roam over Sayo's body, one sliding down her smooth back to grasp a rounded curve, while the other moved up, deftly unbuttoning Sayo's blouse and slipping inside, caressing her gently yet firmly.
Feeling the intimate touch, Sayo couldn't help but let out a soft moan, her heart racing as warmth spread through her body.
Sayo's skin was indeed exquisite. Perhaps she wasn't as voluptuous as Leone or as petite as Kurome, but her skin was flawless, soft as silk, smooth to the touch.
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and a black-haired girl walked in.