Viscount Kellerhan, who had been blinking at Arkan’s words, shrugged his shoulders.
“I understand, Your Majesty. Don’t worry.”
It was a plain answer, but it was trustworthy.
Arkan was about to add something, but instead patted his shoulder as if encouraging him and turned around.
At that moment, the Viscount was called Arkan.
“Your Majesty.”
Arkan looked back.
“What’s wrong?”
“Do you know where His Highness Pelarhar went?”
His question puzzled Arkan.
What kind of connection had there been between Viscount Kellerhan and Pelarhar? They didn’t seem to have even exchanged a word, so he couldn’t figure out why he was suddenly asking about Pelarhar.
“No, I don’t know. It’s always been like that. Why is that?”
Viscount Kellerhan slowly rolled his eyes again.
Arkan's suspicions deepened as he seemed like a boy plotting something evil, or a big dog who was blaming others for his wrongdoings.
"Viscount, what happened with Pelarhar?"
Kellerhan shook his head.
"No. I owe him something, Your Majesty, and I haven't been able to repay it. I'll pay him back next time."
Debt was even more mysterious.
However, Pelarhar sometimes hung out with young nobles late into the night, playing pranks and games. He figured he owed them a few pennies.
Arkan also understood that Viscount Kellerhan would not be able to live off of even a single penny in debt.
"Yes. I'll tell Pelarhar when he gets back."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The Viscount called the archivists back.
Arkan left without much relief, even though he had solved one problem.
***
When the heavy bell sounded midnight, Plat looked at Arkan with a worried expression.
He was buried in his work as if he didn’t even notice the bell ringing or that Plat was standing there. He had been glued to his desk for hours, reviewing every little thing he didn’t need to look at, signing and writing replies.
“Your Majesty, I think it would be best to take a break.”
Plat hesitated, then mustered up his courage to speak, but Arkan didn’t even raise his head and asked back.
“What time is it, Plat?”
“Midnight.”
The moment he said that Arkan’s hand, which had been moving his pen without stopping, suddenly stopped.
He looked around in surprise and stared at the darkness outside with eyes that couldn’t believe it.
It was obvious that he didn’t notice the sun setting or the servants coming to light candles.
“It’s already this late.”
Arkan put down his pen, pushed aside his unfinished work, and stood up.
Plat thought he was going to the bedroom, but unexpectedly, Arkan went outside.
“Your Majesty, where are you going?”
“To the Queen’s Palace. You go and rest now.”
Plat followed him, making his pace quicker.
“Miss Fiddler will serve her well, Your Majesty.”
“I must go. She needs a bath.”
Plat, who was about to say that Sophia could do that, closed his mouth and followed Arkan quietly.
It had been years since Arkan had been so absorbed in his work that he had forgotten to eat or sleep.
In his first year on the throne, he had worked tirelessly to meet the expectations and concerns pouring in from all sides. He had been so absorbed in his work that dark circles had formed under his eyes and his already sagging cheeks had sunken in, but it was Pelarhar who told him that it was not a good omen.
"That was Arkan’s own way of escaping. If you don’t focus on work, you start having random thoughts. If I leave that alone, he’ll collapse and die."
Plat, who finally came to his senses, made sure that Arkan had regular sleeping and eating times.
It was also Plat’s job to distribute work to the officials and organize his movements so that Arkan could read his favorite books during his free time.
How proud Plat had been when Arkan had regained some semblance of a human form after spending several months like war.
However, his efforts were now about to fall apart in vain.
Plat felt even more frustrated because the reason Arkan was so obsessed with his work was so clear.
The shadows of the torches held by the soldiers patrolling outside the castle trembled as they entangled themselves in the branches of the tall fir trees.
Everything was peaceful and unchanged. Except for Erdene’s condition.
“Ah!”
Arkan, who had turned a corner into the corridor of the Queen's palace, almost bumped head-on into someone who had suddenly appeared.
"Your Majesty!"
Fortunately, Plat pulled him back. Arkan realized the identity of the person who had let out a small scream and narrowed his eyes in surprise.
"What is the Princess doing here at this hour?"
The person who almost bumped into Arkan was Princess Limepale. Behind her was a tall maid who gave off a strange aura.
"I apologize, Your Majesty."
"I asked what was happening here."
Princess Limepale smiled and looked back at the corridor.
"I couldn't sleep, so I was walking around the castle. I went up to the balcony over there to get some air. I thought it wasn't that far from the duchy, but Vetor is definitely colder. However, the garden at night had a different charm than during the day, which was nice."
The Grand Duke of Stradhog's residence was famous for its beautiful, artistic, and even bizarre gardens.
It would be nice to hear Limepale’s compliments, having seen such sights since birth, but Arkan had no intention of listening to her ramblings.
However, before he could say anything, Princess Limepale asked.
“By the way, what brings you here, Your Majesty?”
Arkan answered.
“This is where the Queen’s Palace is. Didn’t you know?”
“Huh? Oh, I see. I somehow thought the pillars and decorations were gorgeous.”
The Princess said innocently, looking up at the paintings and curtains decorating one wall. When Arkan let out a small sigh, she asked again.
“You came to see Her Majesty the Queen."
Arkan said.
“Yes. I thought the bath would help her regain consciousness.”
“Your Majesty, did it yourself?”
“I wouldn’t have come all the way here otherwise.”
Princess Limepale blinked a couple of times. She wasn’t timid, but her face didn’t make her feel comfortable either.
The Princess had beautiful skin and was pretty, but her facial features were very distinct.
To put it nicely, she seemed smart, but to put it badly, she seemed suspiciously sly.
No. Arkan shook his head internally. It was rude to think like that. Especially to someone he didn’t know well...
“You two are very good together.”
Arkan said, feeling embarrassed and giving a faint smile.
When he thought about how Erdene would react to the Princess’s words if she were here right now, his ears felt red for no reason.
“Rather... It’s because I feel a sense of responsibility.”
“Aren’t you being too humble, Your Majesty? It’s not easy to do that with just a sense of responsibility. Don’t you think so, Rishi?”
The maid behind the Princess nodded once with her mouth shut.
Arkan felt the strange sense of discomfort he had felt when he first saw her, but now was not the time to pay attention to such things.
“I’ve held you back too long, Your Majesty. Please forgive me.”
Princess Limepale knew how to get out of the way at the right time.
Thinking that she probably had the nobles of the duchy in her hands, Arkan passed her and entered the Queen’s palace.
“Let’s go, Rishi.”
The Princess’s voice was heard from behind her. As Plat glanced back, the door to the Queen’s palace opened.
However, there was one more person besides Sophia. Arkan opened his lips in bewilderment at the unexpected visitor.
“Belen, what are you doing here?”
When he asked, Belen Wiziard, who had been talking seriously to Sophia about something, turned his head in surprise.
“To see His Majesty.”
“I thought I hadn’t seen you all day, so what are you doing here?”
“I was going to see His Majesty anyway.”
Belen’s attitude seemed bewildered, whether he was making excuses or if something serious was going on.
The feeling that it was the latter was stronger, and Arkan felt ten years’ worth of fatigue rushing in at once.
After Count Zelma and his daughter, the corruption of the Recorder, and cutting off Kensilom’s tail, what else was left? Erdene still hadn’t regained consciousness.
“Is this a story that I need to hear right now?”
“Yes, in my judgment.”
“Then hurry up.”
The explanation that Belen gave was so shocking that it was a miracle not to fall over in surprise.
“...So, by Her Majesty’s order, I handed over the men who had been occupying Maple Manor without permission to the local judge. After searching the manor, I found that the basement was filled with a huge amount of gold coins and a suspicious plant. Upon investigation, I found out that the plant was a zelkova plant. It used to be found in Vetor, but it seems that it has been several years since it stopped growing.”
Belen had met just about everyone he could to find out what the plant was, from botanists to back-alley apothecaries.
The moment he said that Arkan’s hand, which had been moving his pen without stopping, suddenly stopped.
He looked around in surprise and stared at the darkness outside with eyes that couldn’t believe it.
It was obvious that he didn’t notice the sun setting or the servants coming to light candles.
“It’s already this late.”
Arkan put down his pen, pushed aside his unfinished work, and stood up.
Plat thought he was going to the bedroom, but unexpectedly, Arkan went outside.
“Your Majesty, where are you going?”
“To the Queen’s Palace. You go and rest now.”
Plat followed him, making his pace quicker.
“Miss Fiddler will serve her well, Your Majesty.”
“I must go. She needs a bath.”
Plat, who was about to say that Sophia could do that, closed his mouth and followed Arkan quietly.
It had been years since Arkan had been so absorbed in his work that he had forgotten to eat or sleep.
In his first year on the throne, he had worked tirelessly to meet the expectations and concerns pouring in from all sides. He had been so absorbed in his work that dark circles had formed under his eyes and his already sagging cheeks had sunken in, but it was Pelarhar who told him that it was not a good omen.
"That was Arkan’s own way of escaping. If you don’t focus on work, you start having random thoughts. If I leave that alone, he’ll collapse and die."
Plat, who finally came to his senses, made sure that Arkan had regular sleeping and eating times.
It was also Plat’s job to distribute work to the officials and organize his movements so that Arkan could read his favorite books during his free time.
How proud Plat had been when Arkan had regained some semblance of a human form after spending several months like war.
However, his efforts were now about to fall apart in vain.
Plat felt even more frustrated because the reason Arkan was so obsessed with his work was so clear.
The shadows of the torches held by the soldiers patrolling outside the castle trembled as they entangled themselves in the branches of the tall fir trees.
Everything was peaceful and unchanged. Except for Erdene’s condition.
“Ah!”
Arkan, who had turned a corner into the corridor of the Queen's palace, almost bumped head-on into someone who had suddenly appeared.
"Your Majesty!"
Fortunately, Plat pulled him back. Arkan realized the identity of the person who had let out a small scream and narrowed his eyes in surprise.
"What is the Princess doing here at this hour?"
The person who almost bumped into Arkan was Princess Limepale. Behind her was a tall maid who gave off a strange aura.
"I apologize, Your Majesty."
"I asked what was happening here."
Princess Limepale smiled and looked back at the corridor.
"I couldn't sleep, so I was walking around the castle. I went up to the balcony over there to get some air. I thought it wasn't that far from the duchy, but Vetor is definitely colder. However, the garden at night had a different charm than during the day, which was nice."
The Grand Duke of Stradhog's residence was famous for its beautiful, artistic, and even bizarre gardens.
It would be nice to hear Limepale’s compliments, having seen such sights since birth, but Arkan had no intention of listening to her ramblings.
However, before he could say anything, Princess Limepale asked.
“By the way, what brings you here, Your Majesty?”
Arkan answered.
“This is where the Queen’s Palace is. Didn’t you know?”
“Huh? Oh, I see. I somehow thought the pillars and decorations were gorgeous.”
The Princess said innocently, looking up at the paintings and curtains decorating one wall. When Arkan let out a small sigh, she asked again.
“You came to see Her Majesty the Queen."
Arkan said.
“Yes. I thought the bath would help her regain consciousness.”
“Your Majesty, did it yourself?”
“I wouldn’t have come all the way here otherwise.”
Princess Limepale blinked a couple of times. She wasn’t timid, but her face didn’t make her feel comfortable either.
The Princess had beautiful skin and was pretty, but her facial features were very distinct.
To put it nicely, she seemed smart, but to put it badly, she seemed suspiciously sly.
No. Arkan shook his head internally. It was rude to think like that. Especially to someone he didn’t know well...
“You two are very good together.”
Arkan said, feeling embarrassed and giving a faint smile.
When he thought about how Erdene would react to the Princess’s words if she were here right now, his ears felt red for no reason.
“Rather... It’s because I feel a sense of responsibility.”
“Aren’t you being too humble, Your Majesty? It’s not easy to do that with just a sense of responsibility. Don’t you think so, Rishi?”
The maid behind the Princess nodded once with her mouth shut.
Arkan felt the strange sense of discomfort he had felt when he first saw her, but now was not the time to pay attention to such things.
“I’ve held you back too long, Your Majesty. Please forgive me.”
Princess Limepale knew how to get out of the way at the right time.
Thinking that she probably had the nobles of the duchy in her hands, Arkan passed her and entered the Queen’s palace.
“Let’s go, Rishi.”
The Princess’s voice was heard from behind her. As Plat glanced back, the door to the Queen’s palace opened.
However, there was one more person besides Sophia. Arkan opened his lips in bewilderment at the unexpected visitor.
“Belen, what are you doing here?”
When he asked, Belen Wiziard, who had been talking seriously to Sophia about something, turned his head in surprise.
“To see His Majesty.”
“I thought I hadn’t seen you all day, so what are you doing here?”
“I was going to see His Majesty anyway.”
Belen’s attitude seemed bewildered, whether he was making excuses or if something serious was going on.
The feeling that it was the latter was stronger, and Arkan felt ten years’ worth of fatigue rushing in at once.
After Count Zelma and his daughter, the corruption of the Recorder, and cutting off Kensilom’s tail, what else was left? Erdene still hadn’t regained consciousness.
“Is this a story that I need to hear right now?”
“Yes, in my judgment.”
“Then hurry up.”
The explanation that Belen gave was so shocking that it was a miracle not to fall over in surprise.
“...So, by Her Majesty’s order, I handed over the men who had been occupying Maple Manor without permission to the local judge. After searching the manor, I found that the basement was filled with a huge amount of gold coins and a suspicious plant. Upon investigation, I found out that the plant was a zelkova plant. It used to be found in Vetor, but it seems that it has been several years since it stopped growing.”
Belen had met just about everyone he could to find out what the plant was, from botanists to back-alley apothecaries.
“So what exactly was the plant used for?”
Asked Arkan.
Asked Arkan.
“What was it that made them hoard gold in their cellars?”
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