Chapter 105…
The two adults reached an unspoken agreement to pretend they hadn’t noticed each other’s smiles.
Then, setting aside the adorable sovereign’s feelings, they approached the matter from a realistic, policy-oriented standpoint.
“As Your Majesty suggested, ruling just the Sutton region wouldn’t be an issue, whether by law or royal decree.”
Duke Notman unfolded the map he had brought.
It was so large it covered the entire table.
Having learned how to read maps in class, Ellie quickly found the capital and the Sutton territory.
“Oh, here it is!”
She even located and pointed to the village she had visited.
When she’d gone there by carriage, it had felt incredibly far away, but on the map it seemed practically right next door.
“It looks close on the map….”
“Yes. That’s why correcting the situation won’t be difficult. Sutton is neither large nor particularly distinguished—it’s a barony with almost no recent achievements. If you wish, you could reclaim the territory and incorporate it into the royal domain for direct administration.”
Ellie, who had been pressing her nose to the map, lifted her head at Duke Notman’s advice.
“In short, you can take it and manage it yourself.”
“…Is that really okay?”
“There’s no reason it wouldn’t be. You are the king.”
Marundial nodded as well.
“Then what happens to the Baron of Sutton?”
“If his faults are severe, he becomes a noble without land. If not, there’s also the option of relocating him by granting another territory.”
“Oh…!”
Ellie searched the map for areas marked as royal lands.
If she gathered all the scattered royal territories, they would probably amount to about one-third of the entire kingdom.
If she followed Marundial’s suggestion, she would be able to rescue the children close to her with ease.
‘But….’
What Ellie truly wanted was a Nerrendis where children didn’t go hungry or have to do harsh labor, no matter where they were.
She noticed a section of the map labeled Notman Territory.
“Duke Notman, if I told you not to raise taxes too high and to make sure part of the tax revenue is used to help struggling children, would you listen?”
If she were thinking of this as a lesson, she might have phrased it more indirectly. But now, she was asking as a king.
Duke Notman pondered briefly, then answered carefully.
“As long as it doesn’t interfere with the administration of my territory, I will comply.”
“Is the Notman territory struggling?”
“…I wouldn’t say it is.”
A vein stood out in the always-composed Duke Notman’s neck.
No matter what, being directly asked, “Are you poor?” was enough to irritate anyone.
The House of Notman was a venerable family, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Houses of Bernt and Whitten. They might lack some obvious, widely known distinguishing trait, but they were by no means insignificant.
“It’s just that if a drought or flood were to strike, we could be shaken in an instant.”
“Oh….”
Natural disasters—things she only knew about in theory.
They didn’t happen in the forest, so she’d never really considered them.
“You must always keep reserve funds. You never know when or what might happen. So even after setting aside those reserves, we can spend what remains on the children. But I don’t believe it would be a large enough sum to have a truly significant effect.”
Ellie could understand Duke Notman’s perspective.
This time, she turned to Marundial.
Listening to many people’s opinions was the only way to think of things she’d never consider on her own.
“What about you, Marundial?”
“I’ll just pretend to do it when you inspect.”
“?!”
What was that supposed to mean?
Ellie’s eyes widened at Marundial’s casual reply.
Marundial shrugged and added an explanation.
“I’m quite greedy. I won’t take money out unnecessarily when it could end up in my own pocket.”
“……! Even if it’s for the children?”
“They’re not my children, and it’s not just one or two of them. The people in my territory aren’t starving to death right now to the point there’s no one left to work, so I don’t think I’d want to be that generous.”
“But it’s a royal order!”
“You won’t be inspecting every single day, will you?”
“!”
Ellie was pushed back.
Though he spoke lightly, this was the reality of adults that Ellie needed to learn.
Shocked by the adults’ cunning, Ellie turned to Clearus as if seeking help.
“Clearus, would you do the same?!”
“If Ellie wishes, I could even hand over all the surplus taxes to the royal family.”
Clearus answered without the slightest hesitation.
‘The Duke of Bernt is cheating!’
Marundial frowned as if in protest.
“See! Marundial is the bad one!”
Ellie cried out, as though she had found hope.
But Marundial’s lesson was not over yet.
“Not all lords are as overflowing with loyalty as the Duke of Bernt.”
“…Ah.”
Once again, Ellie’s childlike innocence shattered into pieces.
Protecting a child’s dreams and hopes was not Marundial’s role, so it couldn’t be helped.
With Ellie’s thoughts thoroughly broken apart, her worries deepened again.
“…So in the end, whether it’s changing the law or making people follow royal orders, it all comes down to gaining loyalty?”
“If so, they might be willing to set aside a bit more of their selfishness and comply.”
“Then how do you gain loyalty?”
“That has been the concern of every king.”
Instead of giving an answer, Marundial smiled and handed her a problem to solve.
The hastily convened meeting ended, leaving behind nothing but a pile of homework.
Ellie briefly considered asking the academy teachers, but Marundial’s final words lingered in her mind.
‘It has been the concern of every king.’
This was a problem Ellie herself had to think through and solve.
“Loyalty… loyaaalty….”
“You should think while you eat.”
Lady Raval held a small piece of bread up to Ellie’s mouth.
There were no dinner appointments with nobles today. Clearus had rushed off after receiving word that there was urgent business to handle at the ducal estate.
Nilit usually ate separately, and Instructor Rombaton said he had things to discuss with the other teachers while he was there.
So today’s meal was just Ellie and Lady Raval.
“Lady Raval….”
Ellie looked at her weakly.
Her head was already full from worrying, and the heat in the palace was growing worse by the moment, killing her appetite.
“No matter how important state affairs are, you must take care of your body first. Now, say ‘ah.’”
“…Ah.”
Bread was firmly pushed into her half-open mouth.
“Oh my, you eat so well. Here—one more bite.”
“Mmmph….”
This time it was meat.
Unable to refuse food that was offered, Ellie obediently ate.
Bread, then meat, then vegetables.
Once the food was in her mouth, she ended up eating it anyway.
Lady Raval’s devotion overcame Ellie’s lack of appetite.
Chewing, Ellie stared intently at Lady Raval.
While busily feeding Ellie, Lady Raval hadn’t eaten a single bite herself.
“What is it? Would you like something else?”
Ellie shook her head.
Her mouth was already full.
“Seeing our princess eat so well finally puts my mind at ease.”
Every word Lady Raval spoke came from the heart.
Someone who valued Ellie more than herself.
“Lady Raval, are you loyal to me?”
“Oh my? Loyal?”
At Ellie’s sudden question, Lady Raval’s eyes widened.
Loyalty?
Affection, perhaps—but loyalty was an unfamiliar word.
Still, since she had resolved to serve until Ellie grew into a great king, loyalty wasn’t wrong either.
“Of course. Loyal, absolutely loyal. Whatever Your Majesty orders me to do, I will do it without question.”
Lady Raval answered firmly, like a knight.
‘It feels a little different somehow….’
Still, Ellie tilted her head.
The children at the inn had loyalty. Lady Raval had loyalty too.
But the feeling was different.
“Mm… thank you.”
It didn’t seem like she would get advice about gaining loyalty from Lady Raval.
After pondering, Ellie finally thought of someone whose loyalty felt closer to what she was seeking.
That person was very close by.
“Sister Rilkia!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Rilkia, who had been waiting outside, straightened when she saw Ellie come out.
Thinking Ellie was about to go somewhere, she prepared to accompany her—but Ellie asked a question instead.
“Sister Rilkia, are you loyal to me?”
“…? Of course.”
Though puzzled, Rilkia answered immediately.
“Why?”
“Why…? Does loyalty need a reason?”
“Hmm…? Then you’re just loyal?”
Ellie and Rilkia stared blankly at each other.
“Yes, of course. As long as Your Majesty is the King of Nerrendis, loyalty is only natural.”
“Then what if I weren’t the king?”
“That could never happen!”
Rilkia shuddered as if she couldn’t even imagine such a situation.
“Then if I hadn’t become king, you wouldn’t have been loyal?”
“That would never happen!”
“What if I didn’t become king and instead got married, and my husband became king?”
She had heard that sometimes the throne passed to a spouse in such cases.
Since the child born to them would still inherit royal blood, it didn’t really matter who became king.
“T-that…!”
Rilkia turned pale at the premise she had never once considered.
But as Ellie said, such a situation could happen.
If Ellie were to marry and pass on the throne—who should Rilkia’s loyalty be directed toward then?
Her reason said the king.
But her heart pointed to Ellie.
…As the captain of the guard, was that really right?
