Chapter 600 - A New Hope Had Awakened

"If more women start taking up responsibilities in this Kingdom then progress is not far away." King Ophire's hopeful mutter echoed in the silent Throne room.

Raylene blushed when her efforts were being appreciated by the King himself.

If she had never reunited with her maiden family then she would not have heard about her deceased mother's dream when she was still alive.

Thanks to that revelation, she had begun actively involving herself in matters related to their family's well-being and helping out in every way that she could.

While it was true that her husband had not involved her in decisions made for their family in the past, this was so because she had been timid and submissive, believing that this was how women ought to behave.

However, those beliefs changed after watching her daughter strive to be better and furthermore upon hearing about her parent's past.

Her mother was a capable and proud lady which gave Raylene the courage to follow the same path as well.

Her Ruthy also never chided her for being too outspoken nor did he force her to stand down after she had come to this realization.

He was supportive of her changes and even had declared that she was worthy of summoning their secret guards whenever she wished and they would obey her every command as she was their Madam.

These weren't just empty words as the guards truly respected her and did as she asked them to.

Therefore, to even hear high praise from the King and also his thoughts about trying to improve the status of women in their kingdom made the Countess immensely grateful and proud.

King Ophire shot her an appreciative nod before turning to the final member of the St. Claire family.

"Earl, you have got me curious to know why and how you decided to make those changes to your fief and also had given that same advice to a few others." He revealed the topic that he had been most eager to know more about.

After all, his men had informed him about the various changes that the Earl had implemented in his fief.

The recycling of used goods cut short expenses and even brought in excess income from the women who stayed at home.

The storehouses meant for grains were also a step in the right direction, viable of bringing in profits in the long run.

Due to the presence of these storehouses, their fief was able to feed their citizens and also those in the infected fiefs who would have starved otherwise.

"It was my Vonna's idea, My King." Rutherford declared while patting the child's head.

He had only acted on the suggestion she had given after analyzing their likely and practical outcomes.

Deeming them to be a proper addition to his fief, he had gone ahead and put them into action.

"She was also the one who had asked me to declare that every farm owner should have a storehouse of their own." He added with a spark of jubilant pride apparent on his face.

Since the King and the ministers were already aware of her brilliant ideas, he felt that bringing this matter up would do her no harm.

'You did not have to mention that…' Yvonne's face had a smile but she was not pleased with the gasps heard once again.

Most nobles would only think about filling their pockets up.

While there was nothing wrong with making a profit for themselves, they often disregarded the state of their citizens.

However, the St. Claire fief insisted that every farmer utilize this method to store their harvest which they could either use for themselves or sell for a profit.

Hearing Rutherford's explanation about the origin of these helpful ideas, the men turned their sights to the child.

Smiling, albeit an awkward one, Yvonne did not discredit her father's words.

Her silence was taken as her acquiescence and the three ministers were in awe of her ability to analyze troublesome situations in advance and put forth possible ways to bypass them.

King Ophire's admiration for the child only increased with this revelation and his desire to know more about her heightened as well.

"I have known of Miss Yvonne's capabilities for quite some time now." He chuckled which only made the child flinch inwardly.

'How long has he been aware of my involvement?' The little girl was trying to figure out just when her tutor had betrayed her.

Meanwhile, the King continued to converse with the Earl.

"However, what use would her brilliant ideas be if they fell on deaf ears?" The King's slightly sarcastic words made Rutherford grimace a little.

Yet he could not deny what the King had said.

If he, as the Earl, had ignored his daughter's opinions like most others would have then his fief would have also suffered during the plague.

"But the Earl did not act as expected." King Ophire exclaimed in an amused tone.

Earl Rutherford's attitude towards the women in his family, paying attention to them, and even acting according to the suggestions they gave was unlike what other men did.

Due to his unique way of dealing with things, the Countess and the young girl were able to speak their minds which had been to their advantage.

"It was Earl whose encouragement and support allowed them to rise to the occasion and even prove their abilities." He announced and was happy that there was someone else who thought like him.

In the past, the women in their Kingdom were suppressed and forced to stay silent but times were changing and he as the King was doing his best to accommodate this change.

However, there was only so much that he could do to bring about that change.

He needed people to stand with him, welcoming this change and propagating these new ideals that he wished would be followed by all.

Until now, he had been unable to find such people. 

Even his close friend, Duke Maldock Brodie abided by the same backward thinking that men were superior beings and need not pay much attention to a woman's word in matters outside the estate.

But after interacting with this family, a new hope had awakened in his heart.

"Continue your good work, Earl. I hope the others will learn something from you and soon follow." He applauded and requested support in the mighty task that he hoped to accomplish in the future.

Just like he wanted women to rise up, he also needed the support of the men in his Kingdom without which his expectations for the future would only end up as a pipe dream.

'My Ray and Vonna are just so special. How can I not support them while they exhibited their talents?' Rutherford boasted in his heart and agreed with what the King had said.

Any grievances against the King had now washed away after the pleasant conversation they had partaken in.

Similarly, Raylene was giddy with joy for their efforts being recognized and appreciated and Howard was elated after learning that the King had heard about his talent in the sword.

Finally, the little girl glanced at the happy faces of her family members before turning towards the man whose face resembled a family member from her past.

'He brought that smile to their faces.' She declared as a soft smile appeared on hers.

She was happy to see them happy but at the same time, hoped that she would not meet this man again anytime soon.

'It would be better to be away from him as much as possible.' She decided and hoped that she would be able to achieve this goal.

While she now knew that he was aware of her involvement in previous matters, she wished to maintain her distance in the future.

Her secret identity as VC was still a mystery to many and she wished to keep it that way until she was ready to reveal it of her own accord.

Considering how the King seemed so enthusiastic in bringing up women's status in the Kingdom, Yvonne was hopeful to see how much of a difference he could make in the future.

'Maybe, I can reveal my secret identity sooner that way.' She smirked at the thought of the shocked look on a few faces which she would enjoy witnessing.

King Ophire had been keeping an eye on her movements and noticing this gloating look on her face, he could not help but wonder what exactly was going on in her mind to have such a devious smile.

However, he would be left in the dark as the time allotted for the St. Claire family had long passed and they had been here for more than what was expected.

A cause for this delay was the King so he did not find fault with them.

He even let them know that he enjoyed their conversation before declaring that the Royal Steward would personally lead them out.

Rutherford and the others bowed to the King for his kindness as being escorted by the Steward was a special privilege, not many obtained.

As Yvonne raised her head, she caught sight of the King's wide smile as he waved her goodbye.

'Let's not meet soon!' She exclaimed in her heart but on the surface had an amicable smile as she waved back.

Facing this man would only increase the conflicted emotions in her heart and that was exactly what she wished to avoid.

Therefore, leaving and not looking back was the best option for now and that was also what she did.

She kept her chin up and strode out with her family, not once turning to glimpse at the Regal man sitting on his throne.