"Don't be too hard on yourself. If there's something difficult, you can tell me. Who knows, I might be able to help," said Yosan, recalling how Reina had been pushing herself in her work lately.
Reina gave a thin smile. "I know. I'll ask for your help if I have trouble later."
Yosan finally released his grip. "Alright. Be careful."
Reina stepped out with a slightly lighter feeling, even though in her heart, questions about Yosan and Uncle Elexon still echoed.
Meanwhile, in Lia's room, Yosan was still sitting on his bed, staring at the door that Reina had just closed. He let out a long sigh, squeezed his own palms, then ran his fingers through his hair. Imagining how to explain his agreement with Uncle Elexon made him ashamed.
Yosan closed his eyes, remembering how he struggled with all his might against Elexon, the man who had become a father figure to Reina. Even though he could only inflict a small wound, according to the agreement, it was enough to get his blessing and prove himself.
Yosan lay down, then rolled around on the bed while shouting in frustration. "I can't tell her! Argh...!"
"But if I don't tell her, she will definitely be angry... or maybe..." He paused for a moment, staring at the ceiling of the room, imagining the various possibilities that would happen if Reina knew or didn't know the truth.
Would the woman be sad, touched, angry, or the worst... annoyed? Huff. Just thinking about Reina's reaction made Yosan even more stressed and ashamed.
However, deep down, he knew that sooner or later, he had to tell Reina. The woman deserved to know everything, deserved to understand the struggles he had gone through, and to no longer blame Elexon in the future.
More than that, Yosan wanted Reina to understand that everything he had done and fought for, even to the point of being injured, was solely because he loved her.
Unconsciously, Yosan punched the wall, venting his frustration. The pain stung his hand, but he didn't care.
"Damn... how should I say it?" he muttered softly, then leaned his head against the wall, trying to calm himself down.
Suddenly, Lia's and the head servant's voices were heard from outside, followed by footsteps getting closer.
"Of course Daddy is awake, Grandma! Daddy always wakes up early, even earlier than me and Mommy who sleep like buffaloes," Lia chirped cheerfully.
"But lately, it's Daddy who's been the sleepyhead. Maybe because he's still sick?" Lia thought for a moment, remembering how her father often spent his time sleeping almost all day. "Is Daddy sleeping again?"
"Maybe, especially if your father has taken his medicine this morning. Your mother even asked the palace cook to prepare food earlier for him," said the head servant.
Lia looked up at her grandmother. "Are Daddy and Mommy not fighting anymore?" she asked with a hopeful tone.
The head servant shrugged. "I don't know, Grandma doesn't know. But your mother said she wanted to talk about it better."
The sound of the door opening startled Yosan. He hurriedly changed his position to look relaxed. Quickly, he grabbed a book nearby, pretending to read it as if he had been doing so all along. He didn't want to look strange in front of Lia and the head servant who were now approaching him.
"We thought you were sleeping," said the head servant.
Yosan glanced briefly at the head servant, then smiled slightly while still looking at his book. "I wasn't sleeping. Just... reading a bit."
Lia immediately approached her father and tilted her head, looking at the book Yosan was holding. "Eh, isn't this Mom's collection book?"
Yosan's eyes widened for a moment before he hurriedly closed the book and placed it on the table. "Yes... just a coincidence."
The head servant who was watching them just smiled thinly. He then gently stroked the man's head. "Have you made up with Reina?"
Lia nodded in agreement. "That's right! Have Daddy and Mommy made up? Grandpa said it's not good to keep fighting endlessly." She stared intently at her father, remembering her late grandfather's advice.
Yosan scratched his cheek a little anxiously and avoided eye contact. "You could say that..."
The head servant smiled again and said, "Then, would you like to take a walk in the garden for a while? Lia has been asking me to take you since earlier."
"She also said that you need to get some fresh air and clear your mind for a moment after fighting with Reina last night."
"That's right! Dad's will come, right? Lia thinks it will be a little better than being in the room all the time. Getting some fresh air for a moment can also help restore Daddy mood," said Lia hopefully.
Yosan thought for a moment. Honestly, he was a little reluctant to leave the room, but he felt it would be much better than being trapped in his own thoughts. At least, taking a short walk could refresh his mind.
In the serious meeting room, Reina was immersed in sheets of meticulously written report documents. Her face remained calm, but her eyes were sharp, showing how deeply she was analyzing every detail written in them.
Several royal advisors sat around the long table, waiting for comments from their queen. Some of them looked a little uneasy, realizing that the atmosphere in the room was getting more tense as time went on.
After a moment of silence, Reina finally closed the document and placed it on the table with a slow movement. She leaned back in her chair, clasping her fingers in her lap.
The reports she received were getting more numerous and more serious, especially regarding the movements of an unidentified group of people who had repeatedly caused disturbances at the border, similar to the previous bandit problem. In addition, the report from spies in the Kingdom of Lynden stated that Arthur was increasingly strengthening his defenses and training soldiers in large numbers, as if preparing for a major battle in the future.
"Do you think we should also strengthen the military to be on guard in case Arthur attacks?" asked Nils. Although he wasn't sure who Arthur was targeting, the fact that the man was preparing so many troops still made him feel the need to be vigilant. Preparation was the most important thing.
Moreover, everyone knew how much Arthur hated Yosan. He not only wanted to get rid of the man, but also had long desired Reina. Arthur was even willing to do various vile things to achieve his goals. It was possible that the military preparations he was currently making were part of his revenge plan, to destroy Yosan and seize Reina by force.
Reina was silent, carefully weighing the situation. She knew that the threat from Arthur was not something to be underestimated. The man not only had great ambition, but also did not hesitate to use dirty methods to achieve his desires.
"We cannot act rashly," said Reina finally. "Strengthening defenses is necessary, but we must also ensure that our actions do not provoke war sooner than it should."
"So, what's the next step?" asked Harzel, who had been listening to the meeting discussion.
Reina tapped her finger on the table, thinking deeply before finally saying, "Send orders to increase surveillance on the border. Make sure every report of suspicious movement reaches me immediately. In addition, I want us to start strengthening troops gradually, but do it in a way that is not too conspicuous so that Arthur's spies don't find out and report it to the man."
Nils nodded, understanding Reina's intention. "So, we prepare without giving the impression that we are preparing to face Arthur directly?"
"Exactly," said Reina. "If necessary, make Arthur unaware of anything happening in the Kingdom of Lumina. Don't let a single piece of information leak from the palace. Tighten security, both outside and inside, and get rid of those pesky rats neatly and as best as possible." Reina looked at the people in front of her with determination.
"Most importantly, don't let him know what we've been doing or preparing. Even though we ourselves can't be sure whether Arthur's preparations are really aimed at us or not. However, being prepared is much better than regretting it later."
Reina sighed slowly, then said in a deeper tone, "Moreover, it seems that the man has harbored a grudge against me."
"What about the nobles who have trade or political relations with the Kingdom of Lynden? If they know something, it is likely that information could reach Arthur faster than we anticipate," asked a middle-aged man sitting next to Beile.
Reina narrowed her eyes, considering that possibility. "We must start investigating parties that have the potential to be information intermediaries. If there are suspicious nobles or showing excessive interest in our military situation, report immediately. I want to make sure that we are not betrayed from within."
"Understood," said Nils firmly. "We will take care of it as soon as possible. I will ask the spies to investigate the movements of the nobles secretly."
Reina clasped her fingers again, looking at her advisors with a cold and determined gaze. "War may not have happened yet, but we must not let the enemy take the first step. From now on, we must always be one step ahead."
Seeing everyone nod in agreement and there was nothing else to discuss, Reina felt something was amiss. It was as if someone who should have been present was not visible. She frowned, then asked, "By the way, where is Elexon? I just realized his absence."
In fact, she intended to apologize to the man after the meeting was over, in accordance with what she and Yosan had discussed earlier.
Roland, who had been leaning back casually, glanced at Reina with a lazy expression. Had the woman just realized her father's absence? In addition, the people around them were now looking at her with pity.
"Since when have you been there?" Reina pointed at Roland, further making the people in the room feel sorry for her because the queen had just realized the man's presence.
It seemed that the woman had a lot on her mind to the point of not realizing Roland's presence since earlier or maybe had just realized it.
Poor man, how pitiful.