“I need to meet them and confirm something.”
Erdene’s answer was short, and it wasn’t what Pelarhar had wanted. He tilted his head for a moment and then asked again.
“Why are you asking me this favor instead of asking His Majesty?”
“I heard that the atmosphere at the official meeting with those envoys wasn’t very good today. And I heard that the Duke is a person with a lot of connections.”
“That’s true, but...”
“Do you happen to know who came as a diplomatic envoy today? I wonder if you know anyone personally.”
Pelarhar thought for a moment and then answered.
“No one I’m particularly close with. However... I was invited to a tea party hosted by Count Pomerance when I stayed in Kensilom for a while. I saw him when the envoys came in earlier.”
“Good. Then I guess I should ask the Duke even more.”
Pelarhar might not have been the best choice, but it was the safest choice Erdene could make right now.
If it was the Empire, or if they had acted threateningly toward Arkan... Going to them alone and recklessly in such an ambiguous position would only make things more complicated.
Pelarhar, who had been lost in thought, finally nodded.
“Hmm... Good. It would be good if I could find out first what Your Majesty is curious about, but it seems you have no intention of telling me.”
Erdene smiled brightly and turned her head slightly to look at Sophia.
“Sophia, the good wine that Vixen brought last time... and the dagger I brought from the Empire. The tip is slightly bent and the handle has red opal and jade inlaid. Please bring that.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Sophia hurried into the Queen’s Palace.
Erdene and Pelarhar walked very slowly and talked.
Pelarhar asked,
“By the way, what is it that you said the meeting atmosphere was not good today?”
Erdene briefly relayed what she had heard from Plat. She moderately muffled the part about the messengers of Kensilom and Etonhorn tripping her up, and instead emphasized the part about their strong dissatisfaction with Arkan and their doubts about his abilities.
As she had intended, Pelarhar immediately made a sour expression.
“What rude people. It seems that the Kings of Kensilom and Etonhorn have decided to go against Vetor. Otherwise, they would not have acted so brazenly in front of His Majesty.”
“I agree with you, Duke.”
“I am increasingly curious as to why you are going to meet such people.”
Pelarhar nodded at Sophia, who followed him, and added,
“And you even brought a gift.”
Erdene grinned.
“I have no intention of staying long. I just want to see his face once in a while. But His Majesty is my husband, so shouldn’t I know what those who spit in front of my husband look like?”
Pelarhar blinked, raised his eyebrows awkwardly, and then smiled.
“I see you are angry because they were rude to His Majesty.”
Erdene shrugged her shoulders lightly. Pelarhar felt a little bitter as he watched her not denying it.
The separate room where the envoys usually stayed was lined with guards, and there were many servants and maids to serve them.
It was to show that the kingdom treated the envoys of other countries with respect.
“Your Highness, Your Majesty! Your Highness, Duke Pelarhar of Sonnetum!”
Erdene laughed.
“It must be because of His Majesty’s outstanding abilities. After all, the wisest and most gentle monarch tames the fiercest lion in the plains.”
Her blue eyes scanned the faces of the messengers one by one.
Among them, Erdene remembered the faces of those who had escorted the messengers.
She observed the captain of the guard and the soldiers under him, who had been cursing Plat for being too talkative, with a somewhat persistent tone.
At that moment, Kensilom’s messenger arrogantly stroked his poorly grown beard and said sarcastically,
“Your Highness is right. Now that I think about it, His Majesty Arkan is truly a great man. I’ve heard of his reputation, but I didn’t know he was so good at training.”
Erdene said.
“Oh, of course. Isn’t that why His Majesty leads so many countries? At such a young age? He even shook the foundation of the empire. Thanks to him, you can eat, sleep, and drink to your heart’s content without worrying about war. Shouldn’t you bow down at His Majesty Arkan’s feet?”
The atmosphere froze.
They had never thought that Erdene would know what had happened in the bureaucracy’s conference room.
The Erdene they knew was not a person interested in politics.
‘So you were just wasting your time in a useless battle and lost the throne to your brother!’
The gazes of the messengers were all talking about that.
If she had done it her way, she would have made it so that they would never be able to open their eyes so arrogantly again... But Erdene endured it, thinking that she should go back to the Queen’s palace and smash a chair.
Pelarhar said,
“Just like His Majesty Arkan, Her Majesty the Queen said that she would do her best to accommodate you all.”
Erdene followed him without blinking.
“The Duke is right. If anyone needs anything, feel free to come to the Queen’s palace. It’s always open.”
None of the messengers from Kensilom and Etonhorn answered.
It wasn’t just because they were hostile to Erdene.
Some of them deliberately turned away from her and kept their mouths shut, while others were entranced by Erdene’s speech and attitude, which they were experiencing for the first time in their lives.
And more than half of them were seeing Erdene Badd for the first time today and were bewildered by her appearance which was completely unrelated to her evil reputation.
When they left the private room, Pelarhar said,
“What on earth were you looking at, Your Majesty? Did you really intend to just look at their face and leave?”
Erdene grinned. It was a mischievous, boyish grin.
“I looked for some nettles.”
“Huh? What was that...?”
“Thank you for your help, Duke. I must prepare to attend the banquet, so I must return to the Queen’s palace.”
After saying that, Erdene turned around without hesitation.
Pelarhar stood there, staring blankly at her back as she walked away, and then ruffled his hair.
“I told you, you are a difficult person.”
Erdene said as she walked toward the Queen’s palace after saying goodbye to Pelarhar.
“If you have anything to say, say it, Sophia.”
Then, Sophia, who had been following her silently, looked up at Erdene.
“Don’t you have something to tell me?”
“I was thinking about it.”
Erdene looked back at her with a smiling expression.
“Tell me what it is. Your ‘want to ask’ vibe is making my back tingle.”
Erdene’s answer was short, and it wasn’t what Pelarhar had wanted. He tilted his head for a moment and then asked again.
“Why are you asking me this favor instead of asking His Majesty?”
“I heard that the atmosphere at the official meeting with those envoys wasn’t very good today. And I heard that the Duke is a person with a lot of connections.”
“That’s true, but...”
“Do you happen to know who came as a diplomatic envoy today? I wonder if you know anyone personally.”
Pelarhar thought for a moment and then answered.
“No one I’m particularly close with. However... I was invited to a tea party hosted by Count Pomerance when I stayed in Kensilom for a while. I saw him when the envoys came in earlier.”
“Good. Then I guess I should ask the Duke even more.”
Pelarhar might not have been the best choice, but it was the safest choice Erdene could make right now.
If it was the Empire, or if they had acted threateningly toward Arkan... Going to them alone and recklessly in such an ambiguous position would only make things more complicated.
Pelarhar, who had been lost in thought, finally nodded.
“Hmm... Good. It would be good if I could find out first what Your Majesty is curious about, but it seems you have no intention of telling me.”
Erdene smiled brightly and turned her head slightly to look at Sophia.
“Sophia, the good wine that Vixen brought last time... and the dagger I brought from the Empire. The tip is slightly bent and the handle has red opal and jade inlaid. Please bring that.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Sophia hurried into the Queen’s Palace.
Erdene and Pelarhar walked very slowly and talked.
Pelarhar asked,
“By the way, what is it that you said the meeting atmosphere was not good today?”
Erdene briefly relayed what she had heard from Plat. She moderately muffled the part about the messengers of Kensilom and Etonhorn tripping her up, and instead emphasized the part about their strong dissatisfaction with Arkan and their doubts about his abilities.
As she had intended, Pelarhar immediately made a sour expression.
“What rude people. It seems that the Kings of Kensilom and Etonhorn have decided to go against Vetor. Otherwise, they would not have acted so brazenly in front of His Majesty.”
“I agree with you, Duke.”
“I am increasingly curious as to why you are going to meet such people.”
Pelarhar nodded at Sophia, who followed him, and added,
“And you even brought a gift.”
Erdene grinned.
“I have no intention of staying long. I just want to see his face once in a while. But His Majesty is my husband, so shouldn’t I know what those who spit in front of my husband look like?”
Pelarhar blinked, raised his eyebrows awkwardly, and then smiled.
“I see you are angry because they were rude to His Majesty.”
Erdene shrugged her shoulders lightly. Pelarhar felt a little bitter as he watched her not denying it.
The separate room where the envoys usually stayed was lined with guards, and there were many servants and maids to serve them.
It was to show that the kingdom treated the envoys of other countries with respect.
“Your Highness, Your Majesty! Your Highness, Duke Pelarhar of Sonnetum!”
When the servant standing in front of the door shouted, the envoys gathered around the table, muttering something, and all looked at Erdene and Pelarhar in bewilderment.
They couldn’t close their gaping mouths when they saw Erdene, who was quietly coming in and smiling brightly.
“No...”
One of Kensilom’s envoys let out a bewildered groan.
He stared at Erdene’s face, then at Pelarhar, then back at his party.
Pelarhar said,
“Her Majesty, the Queen of Vetor. You must be polite.”
The messengers, who had been looking at each other in confusion, finally came to their senses and bowed courtly after hearing his words.
Some people stumbled so quickly that they almost tripped over the person next to them.
Erdene leisurely watched them as if enjoying their confused and exhausted expressions, and then said,
“Envoys of the rich Kensilom and the land of honey, Etonhorn, welcome to Vetor.”
Although Erdene’s words were a typical welcoming speech, the messengers still looked embarrassed.
“Sophia put down the gifts for the guests.”
The messengers’ eyes were focused on Sophia, who was standing behind Erdene.
The most beautiful and most outstanding lady in Vetor, Sophia, the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Fiddlers, was well known among them.
A few of the envoys showed a vulgar curiosity in their eyes.
They believed that the position of Queen of Vetor had originally been reserved for Sophia.
However, Sophia put down the wine and dagger, not caring about the eyes watching her.
It was not bad for a Queen to personally bestow gifts on foreign envoys, but one of the envoys of Etonhorn snorted faintly.
“It is a new feeling to meet you like this, Your Highness. No, I should now call you Your Majesty the Queen of Vetor. I dare to receive a gift from Your Majesty the Queen. This is something I will see in my lifetime.”
Erdene stared at his face. He looked familiar. I had seen him somewhere... It must have been a battlefield. Looking closely, she could see the military aura that was quite evident throughout his body.
“Wouldn’t people’s positions change?”
The messenger of Etonhorn replied with an expression that was neither threatening nor laughing.
“That’s right. That beast of a man is acting so calmly. It’s a sight I can’t believe even if I see it with my own eyes.”
Several messengers stopped him, muttering. Pelarhar said with a stern expression.
“Your Majesty is safe, and Etonhorn's emissary will have to refrain from speaking.”
They couldn’t close their gaping mouths when they saw Erdene, who was quietly coming in and smiling brightly.
“No...”
One of Kensilom’s envoys let out a bewildered groan.
He stared at Erdene’s face, then at Pelarhar, then back at his party.
Pelarhar said,
“Her Majesty, the Queen of Vetor. You must be polite.”
The messengers, who had been looking at each other in confusion, finally came to their senses and bowed courtly after hearing his words.
Some people stumbled so quickly that they almost tripped over the person next to them.
Erdene leisurely watched them as if enjoying their confused and exhausted expressions, and then said,
“Envoys of the rich Kensilom and the land of honey, Etonhorn, welcome to Vetor.”
Although Erdene’s words were a typical welcoming speech, the messengers still looked embarrassed.
“Sophia put down the gifts for the guests.”
The messengers’ eyes were focused on Sophia, who was standing behind Erdene.
The most beautiful and most outstanding lady in Vetor, Sophia, the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Fiddlers, was well known among them.
A few of the envoys showed a vulgar curiosity in their eyes.
They believed that the position of Queen of Vetor had originally been reserved for Sophia.
However, Sophia put down the wine and dagger, not caring about the eyes watching her.
It was not bad for a Queen to personally bestow gifts on foreign envoys, but one of the envoys of Etonhorn snorted faintly.
“It is a new feeling to meet you like this, Your Highness. No, I should now call you Your Majesty the Queen of Vetor. I dare to receive a gift from Your Majesty the Queen. This is something I will see in my lifetime.”
Erdene stared at his face. He looked familiar. I had seen him somewhere... It must have been a battlefield. Looking closely, she could see the military aura that was quite evident throughout his body.
“Wouldn’t people’s positions change?”
The messenger of Etonhorn replied with an expression that was neither threatening nor laughing.
“That’s right. That beast of a man is acting so calmly. It’s a sight I can’t believe even if I see it with my own eyes.”
Several messengers stopped him, muttering. Pelarhar said with a stern expression.
“Your Majesty is safe, and Etonhorn's emissary will have to refrain from speaking.”
Erdene laughed.
“It must be because of His Majesty’s outstanding abilities. After all, the wisest and most gentle monarch tames the fiercest lion in the plains.”
Her blue eyes scanned the faces of the messengers one by one.
Among them, Erdene remembered the faces of those who had escorted the messengers.
She observed the captain of the guard and the soldiers under him, who had been cursing Plat for being too talkative, with a somewhat persistent tone.
At that moment, Kensilom’s messenger arrogantly stroked his poorly grown beard and said sarcastically,
“Your Highness is right. Now that I think about it, His Majesty Arkan is truly a great man. I’ve heard of his reputation, but I didn’t know he was so good at training.”
Erdene said.
“Oh, of course. Isn’t that why His Majesty leads so many countries? At such a young age? He even shook the foundation of the empire. Thanks to him, you can eat, sleep, and drink to your heart’s content without worrying about war. Shouldn’t you bow down at His Majesty Arkan’s feet?”
The atmosphere froze.
They had never thought that Erdene would know what had happened in the bureaucracy’s conference room.
The Erdene they knew was not a person interested in politics.
‘So you were just wasting your time in a useless battle and lost the throne to your brother!’
The gazes of the messengers were all talking about that.
If she had done it her way, she would have made it so that they would never be able to open their eyes so arrogantly again... But Erdene endured it, thinking that she should go back to the Queen’s palace and smash a chair.
Pelarhar said,
“Just like His Majesty Arkan, Her Majesty the Queen said that she would do her best to accommodate you all.”
Erdene followed him without blinking.
“The Duke is right. If anyone needs anything, feel free to come to the Queen’s palace. It’s always open.”
None of the messengers from Kensilom and Etonhorn answered.
It wasn’t just because they were hostile to Erdene.
Some of them deliberately turned away from her and kept their mouths shut, while others were entranced by Erdene’s speech and attitude, which they were experiencing for the first time in their lives.
And more than half of them were seeing Erdene Badd for the first time today and were bewildered by her appearance which was completely unrelated to her evil reputation.
When they left the private room, Pelarhar said,
“What on earth were you looking at, Your Majesty? Did you really intend to just look at their face and leave?”
Erdene grinned. It was a mischievous, boyish grin.
“I looked for some nettles.”
“Huh? What was that...?”
“Thank you for your help, Duke. I must prepare to attend the banquet, so I must return to the Queen’s palace.”
After saying that, Erdene turned around without hesitation.
Pelarhar stood there, staring blankly at her back as she walked away, and then ruffled his hair.
“I told you, you are a difficult person.”
Erdene said as she walked toward the Queen’s palace after saying goodbye to Pelarhar.
“If you have anything to say, say it, Sophia.”
Then, Sophia, who had been following her silently, looked up at Erdene.
“Don’t you have something to tell me?”
“I was thinking about it.”
Erdene looked back at her with a smiling expression.
“Tell me what it is. Your ‘want to ask’ vibe is making my back tingle.”
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