WTPB - Chapter 78




Although she should have been flustered by the sudden question, Sophia’s expression showed no such light at all.

She slowly pondered Erdene’s words and eventually said,

“I don’t think His Majesty needs to step up to deal with such people. Of course, Your Majesty doesn’t need to step up. Don’t things and people have the right place and use? As the saying goes, “the right person for the right job.”

Erdene smiled softly and nodded with great satisfaction.

“Yes, then I’ll be back.”

Sophia bowed slightly and went out of the palace again.

Erdene muttered,

“I have the adjutant’s uniform.”

***

After the official meeting, Arkan did not greet each person gently as he usually did.

Just not exploding in anger on the spot was a great display of patience.

As he left the conference room with a stern expression, an official quickly followed him.

The Marquis Tenn, who was in charge of various administrations, had a personality similar to Arkan and rarely got angry, but today was different.

“There are such rude people!”

Marquis Tenn raised his voice, unable to hold back his anger. Plat glanced at him and checked Arkan’s expression.

The Marquis matched Arkan’s pace and said,

“How dare a diplomatic envoy talk about ability in the safety of Your Majesty? How can they be so rude?”

“Enough, Marquis.”

However, Marquis Tenn could not hold back his anger.

“Who was it thanks to whom that Binotin was able to escape the merciless attacks of the Imperial Army last time? Wasn’t it because Your Majesty secretly negotiated with the Imperial Crown Prince! But...!”

“Marquis, lower your voice.”

Marquis Tenn clenched his jaw at Arkan’s cold voice.

But this time as if grumbling in his mouth, he really lowered his voice and continued to pour out his anger.

“Whenever the Empire aimed inland, in fact, Vetor could have just sat still. They must know that! What would they have done if we had pretended not to know? And yet, not only His Majesty the former King but also Your Majesty spared no effort in providing supplies and troops. Not only Kensilom, but also the Kingdom of Etonhorn did not step forward and just stood back, and now...! Does it make sense to say that Your Majesty is qualified to lead the allies?”

The Marquis, who had been muttering, turned to Plat.

“Plat, don’t you think so too?”

Plat coughed, checking Arkan’s expression again.

“Of course, I also think their rudeness has gone too far, Marquis.”

“I told you both to stop.”

Arkan, who had entered the living quarters, sighed and sat down on the sofa. With the bureaucrats making such a fuss, would his heart be at ease? It certainly wasn’t.

When his temper flared, he almost threw the documents the archivist had at the messengers of Kensilom and Etonhorn.

Plat hurriedly brought water. Arkan drank it in one gulp and put the glass down with a thud.

“Kensilom and Etonhorn have long been dissatisfied with the fact that the allies were centered around Vetor. Didn’t they always feel bad about Vetor having the strongest voice among the seven inland countries that formed the alliance? The policy of providing food aid to the empire was also something I persuaded the Kings of other countries to participate in, and they had no choice... It’s a matter of complaint.”

Marquis Tenn twisted his lips and scolded him.

“If one of the two leads the allies, the inland will be destroyed in less than a year. Are you saying we should go to full-scale war with the empire? That’s ridiculous.”

“That’s right, it’s ridiculous. That’s absolutely not possible. In Etonhorn, they claim that the Empire is in chaos, but does that mean all the troops that were there are gone? Did Emperor Tenek burn all the tactics they used? No. The forces that took power centered around the Emperor are retreating, and the original Princess...”

Arkan paused for a moment and let out a short sigh.

“They will organize an army centered around the knights who followed the Queen. Does Tenek think that he is too stupid to make that kind of judgment...” 

It seems that both Etonhorn and the King of Kensilom have lost their minds, Arkan thought.

Otherwise, there is no way they would have come up with such a short-sighted and hasty solution as a good alternative... And they even sent a diplomatic envoy to do it.

At that time, an official in charge of various palace events and banquets came to visit.

He mentioned the names of Marquis Fiddler and Viscountess Wickes, saying that there were some changes in the banquet guest list.

“Marquis Fiddler?”

When Arkan asked again, the official checked the list again and answered yes.

Although he sent the invitation, he swore to himself that he would not enter the palace for the time being to reflect on his wife’s rudeness.

It had been about two months since the Marchioness had caused an accident and been banished to her eldest daughter’s estate in the countryside, so it wasn’t strange...

“Why today of all days?”

Plat interjected.

“Your Majesty, if the Marquis Fiddlers were to attend the banquet, wouldn’t it be easy for the envoys of Kensilom and Etonhorn to make a fuss?”

“Since when did you start talking so opportunistically, Plat? In any case, the Marquis is coming, so we can’t stop him. Include him in the list of participants and make sure there are no problems.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

The official withdrew from the list. Marquis Tenn’s expression brightened slightly when he heard that the Marquis Fiddlers was coming.

“No one is as good at talking as the Marquis Fiddlers. How could the timing be more opportunistic?”

“Well...”

Arkan tilted his head. In fact, there was a bit of a misunderstanding in the evaluations of Marquis Tenn and Plat. Marquis Fiddler is not good at talking...

'He has the talent to freeze the atmosphere. But the Queen can do that too. She may be a bit violent, but if she takes out that stiletto once, Kensilom and Etonhorn won't be able to open their mouths.'

Arkan, who was absentmindedly thinking about that, suddenly tilted his upper body as if he was going to jump up.

"Your Majesty, why are you doing that?"

Plat asked in shock. Arkan's pupils, clutching his head, shook in confusion.

"What am I thinking about..."

"Huh?"

She's got something in her, Arkan thought. She's got something in her that makes her think these violent thoughts...

"No, wait a minute."

When Arkan raised his head, Plat and Marquis Tenn were staring at him with bewildered eyes.

They looked like they were contemplating whether or not they should call the court doctor.

“Isn’t the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Fiddlers the Queen’s close maid? Could it be that the Queen found out about this and deliberately called the Marquis? I heard that Viscountess Wickes is also close to the Queen.”

Marquis Tenn immediately denied Arkan’s words.

“How could that be? How did Her Majesty know...?”

Arkan looked back at Plat. He, who had expected Tenn to say the same thing, noticed that he was somehow pacing around like he was in a hurry.

“Plat.”

Plat, who was taken aback, clenched and unclenched his own hand.

“Actually, Your Majesty...”

He repeated the conversation he had with Erdene after Arkan went up to Erdene’s residence and came back down.

Arkan clenched his forehead loudly at the confession that the envoys of Kensilom and Etonhorn had been rude to Arkan and had even gone on and on about the relationship between the three countries.

“Why did you tell the Queen that?”

“I’m sorry.”

“The Queen is the invisible key to this matter. Didn’t you know that, Plat?”

“I just wanted Her Majesty to know more about His Majesty’s efforts...”

“I told you not to speak carelessly about the Queen. Whether the Queen knows about my efforts or not, that’s something the Queen and I should discuss between ourselves, not something you can interfere with. Do you understand?”

Plat shrugged his shoulders and bowed his head, feeling stung.

“I was short-sighted.”

Then the Marquis Tenn said.

“But Your Majesty, even though Miss Sophia is Her Majesty’s close maid... How could Her Majesty have thought of summoning the Marquis Fiddler? After all, she's never even met the Marquis. Rather than resort to such a scheme, wouldn’t she rather take matters into her own hands...”

“The Marquis Tenn.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“When I get back today, make sure you write the sentence ‘I will not make any rash guesses about the Queen’s thoughts’ a hundred times.”

Marquis Tenn’s eyes widened. Arkan approached the Marquis with a fierce expression and pointed his finger at his nose as if poking him.

“Remember. A hundred times. If you don’t know what to do, ask Plat. He’s an experienced man.”

After saying that, Arkan stormed out without saying where he was going.

Plat patted Marquis Tenn’s back, who was blinking in embarrassment, and said,

“Don’t worry too much. You’ll get used to it after a while.”

***

Meanwhile, Erdene went to see Pelarhar immediately after hearing from Sophia that she had successfully summoned her father, Marquis Fiddler, and Viscountess Wickes to the palace.

“Are you asking me to let you meet the envoys of Kensilom and Etonhorn?”

Pelarhar asked in bewilderment, narrowing his brows as if he were barely able to see them.

“Excuse me, Your Majesty. I must ask why you wish to meet them.”
 

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