CH 16.1

Iveca looked puzzled, an expression she was sure had taken the top spot on the list of expressions she had made recently. “But if that’s so, the reason why you married me….”

“As I get older, even if you can be my Line Ball opponent and nothing else, that’s enough. Really.”

Iveca found Daniel exceedingly difficult. She couldn’t understand what was going through his mind, as he treated her well and was so friendly to her. While talking about making sure her utility matched suitably with his demands, he also said that she didn’t need to do it if it was too difficult. As they got married with a clear purpose, most people would usually say “let us not talk about something useless”. Although Iveca thought, Daniel had someone else in his heart, yet kept spending time with her and talking about their future.

“You are indeed someone who can do a lot of things for me, but I told you already that I will always be by your side no matter what. If we can be happy together it would be nice. Even if we do not, I will comfort you and say that it is okay.”

At that moment, Iveca once again was reminded of the fact that no man had ever said that he would always remain by her side.

“That’s why the Queen should always stay by my side too,” finished Daniel.

Somehow, it had only been a week since getting married, thought Iveca. Daniel was still a man with a lot of unfamiliar faces. But why did it feel so easy to show unconditional trust to someone like him, as though she already knew him for a long time? This was also the King that everyone told her to be careful of as they couldn’t figure him out. Iveca hugged him back with her trembling hands. All the same, it was a warmth that she would miss were it gone.

“From now on, the two of us are the only ones who stand on our side.”

Even the families who she had struggled to be since the very beginning, her college classmates who strangely kept a distance just because she came from an aristocrat family, or even Anriq who did not hold the hand that she reached out, didn’t acknowledge her existence that much, or validate her that well. Iveca felt as if a part of her heart was falling apart. Although it was not love, but something in jeopardy, she wanted to keep his warmness. Because of that, Iveca whispered to him earnestly.

“I will do well for you, Your Majesty.”’

No matter what anyone had said, she wouldn’t let him go that easily.

***

The Duke of Muelton felt like he had been stabbed in the back as he heard the news that Iveca der Esselburn was the Queen chosen by that sly King.

He had maintained a great power as one of the founding families of the Amethan. The Duke of Muelton, who was also the head of the conservative aristocrats, had supported Daniel since he was a prince and did not doubt that his daughter would become a Queen.

Now, as Daniel was showing a nice smile at the conference hall, he gritted his teeth at him. Of course, the King and William came from the same mother and, since he was at odds with Prince Ruben, the Duke of Muelton supported him because he thought that he would pursue a pro-imperialist policy represented by the conservatives. However, when Daniel ascended to the throne, he hadn’t acted in that manner at all.

The problem was Daniel’s mistake. First, he secretly brought Prince Ethan into Amethan. The fact that Amenity’s magic had been cut off during that time was not known to the public, only the reformation that compromised the crisis such as the establishment of the Bureau of Technology was common knowledge.

Daniel calmed the dissatisfaction of the conservative aristocrats, like giving candies to a crying child, by sending war aid to the Empire. It was difficult to guess what his thoughts were, and Duke Muelton had always felt that the King should have someone keeping an eye on him.

Iveca der Esselburn. Duke Muelton once again showed his hollow smile. Count Esselburn was a raccoon-like noble who always remained neutral. Although it would be good for everyone that the first daughter of Count Esselburn became his daughter in law, the second daughter also married to the noble family from the liberal side.

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Because of this double marriage, the Duke of Muelton did not feel that Count Esselburn was entirely on his side. He had to figure out a way to control this, to keep Count Esselburn in his hands and in his sight. After all, aristocrats with weak power were bound to be incorporated somehow, and Esselburn was no different, even if his daughter was Queen now. He gave up the Queen position to the Esselburns because he was confident that he could swallow up Count Esselburn. Then, everything, in turn, would fall into place.

“As I said before, the Queen has agreed not to get involved in politics to fulfill her duties as an employee of an affiliated agency.”

Naturally, Muelton thought his daughter would become Daniel’s partner. However, Daniel chose a Queen from the most precarious of the neutral noble families and separated her from politics. It was a very strange situation not to even show up at the meeting; Duke Muelton was forced to let go of his anxiety as he was wondering if it was just a consideration of the former Queen Testy. Who knows with the Royals nowadays.

Daniel and Iveca had been married exactly for three weeks to the day. It was about to become the second most important piece of news from the Royal mouth, however.

“We are going to make the Judicial Affairs Bureau independent.”