Marriage.

To be precise, the king must have fallen in love.

And Salode could not understand someone who changed themselves after falling in love.

Of course, the other person could seem incomparably beautiful. For now, being together could be enjoyable and happy.

But was that emotion strong enough to change one’s values?

However, he couldn’t say to the king, “What are you doing?” After all, except for that point, the man was an ideal monarch. He was not extravagant and was devoted to the country and his family.

The problem was that he was too devoted to that family.

It wasn’t that he had complaints about the queen. Except for her weak country of origin, she had no problems. Though lacking political experience, she was intelligent and hardworking. Unlike the previous queen, she didn’t drain the country to support her homeland.

So, if there had been nothing special happening in the country, Salode would have been loyal to the queen. Just as he had been to her husband, the king. Turning a blind eye to the king’s self-sacrifice due to affection to some extent.

But now it was wartime, wasn’t it?

Salode wanted to tell the king to come to his senses if he could.

Of course, it was important to protect the capital. Not letting the borders collapse was also one of the king’s virtues.

If the king had said he needed to leave the capital for another reason, Salode might have understood.

But.

“You know how I feel about her.”

Isn’t that not the reason?

That wasn’t all the king had entrusted.

Even while preparing for the expedition, he mentioned more about his wife left behind than himself who was leaving.

“Once I’m gone, the elders will surely enter the castle. If they request an audience with Ophelia, cut it off at your level. I’ve told your mother in advance as well.”

“Reduce the parliament to once a week, and if any unexpected major issues arise, close state affairs. There’s a replica of the seal ring in the royal treasury, and I’ve arranged for Ophelia to be able to open it when accompanied, so keep that in mind.”

“There shouldn’t be any need to issue laws or hold trials, but the future is uncertain, so if such a situation arises, have Ophelia act as regent. But if she stands at the forefront, she could become a target of attack, so block it at an appropriate level and entrust decisive actions to others to disperse attention as much as possible.”

“Thoroughly manage to prevent unmarried royal men from Brinwell from entering the country, and don’t let Gilrod Nevel approach Siana Lerke. There should be no marriage talks for Siana Lerke until I return.”

“I’ve already banned Prince Reden from leaving the country, but if he tries to contact Ophelia while I’m away, send the tongue and eyes of Reden’s servant who colluded with the second prince last time. Apart from that, if there’s any handling Ophelia wants to do, cooperate with it.”

Among all those words poured out, not even a tenth was about himself.

The king decided everything about himself without hesitation. He deployed troops and determined the march route as if he had been thinking about it for a long time. If he had been even a little less confident, Salode would have tried to dissuade him several times.

However, since there was no fault to find in his choices, Salode said nothing.

No, perhaps it was because there wasn’t time to find errors. The king made all decisions very quickly. It seemed like there might be parts missed trying to keep up with that speed.

But it was too late to be confused now. The departure date had already approached, and the king was about to leave the capital.

Salode looked at the man standing before him. The king had a calm expression as if he was going out for a nearby inspection. Despite having been on the battlefield since he was young, it was his first war since ascending to the throne, but he didn’t seem nervous.

The king asked him.

“Do you remember what I said before? About finding a doctor.”

A while ago, the king had ordered him to find a doctor who was good with medicine.

The peculiar point was that he had asked for someone who prescribed medicine for mental rather than physical issues.

“We need someone who deals with things like sedatives or sleeping pills. You might want to contact the second princess of Egelbamont.”

Salode knew why the king had specifically mentioned the second princess.

The empress of Egelbamont suffered from some mental issues. Although no one spoke of it directly, the leaders of major countries were aware of this fact.

Anyway, since there was such a problem, the empress would have capable doctors in that field, and among the imperial family members, the second princess was closest to the king. It wasn’t for any special reason, but because that side was the easiest to deal with.

As instructed, he had sent a message, so a reply should come soon. Salode answered.

“Yes, I sent a letter as you said.”

“Good. When a person is found, keep in touch, and if Ophelia ever says she needs such a person, introduce them.”

It was only natural to feel strange about those words. Asking to find a doctor who cares for mental health and then telling him to introduce that person to the queen. Salode, who unconsciously stiffened his expression, said.

“Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, may I ask one thing?”

“There’s no need to be so formal. Speak.”

“By any chance, does Her Majesty the Queen have issues that require such a doctor?”

“No, it’s not Ophelia’s problem. It’s just that there are things she might worry about… I’m just preparing in case something happens while I’m away, so don’t think about it too carefully.”

The king didn’t seem to be lying as he said this, but he didn’t seem to be telling the whole truth either.

Salode noticed that the man had used a way of speaking that moderately covered the truth, but he didn’t ask further. After all, the king had said it wasn’t about the queen, and if there had been a serious problem with the queen, it would have been revealed long ago.

At most, it would probably be a mild neurosis.

In fact, even Isde of Brinwell, the previous queen, often smoked calming herbs after learning of her husband’s infidelity. This too was a fact known among a few people, like the mental symptoms of the Egelbamont empress.

The king, who had been staring at him blankly, said.

“I entrust the capital to you. And Ophelia too. Although she can be blunt, she’s not a bad person.”

“Yes, please return safely.”

Instead of answering him, the king nodded slightly and turned his back. Penrel, who had been waiting nearby, approached him and handed over the reins.

Salode watched for a moment as the man, still close to being a sage king, moved away.

Perhaps because incomprehensible things had been happening frequently lately. A strange sense of distance was felt from the young man’s back.

Gilrod only left his house after hearing the news that the king had left the castle.

His house arrest had been lifted since yesterday.

Last night, a carriage sent by the king came to his house. When the carriage made of black leather and wood was placed in front of the house, Gilrod was looking down at it from his bedroom.

It wasn’t the usual royal carriage, but one used for transporting criminals. Because of that unpleasantness, he didn’t really want to ride it, but refusing a royal carriage unless one was sick was treason.

To speak of treason to one who had stolen his father’s coffin, there was no more contradictory statement, but Gilrod got on that carriage for now. He had made the decision to see the king’s face for the last time while alive, as he was said to depart tomorrow, and to find out why he had called for him.

The royal castle under the moonlight looked only black and white. As it was the first time entering the castle that had fallen into darkness except during the previous king’s time, Gilrod unconsciously felt a little nervous.

Even if he was only half-baked, since he had a head, it didn’t seem likely that the king would directly harm him, but it was true that he couldn’t predict what he might do.

As he was still being treated like a criminal, knights were attached to both sides.

Being led down to the basement by the royal knights, Gilrod felt humiliated. He had never been down to the basement of the royal castle before. It was natural. Wasn’t the basement a place for criminals and lowly people?

However, the royal knights seated him in an interrogation room chair and then went outside.

Sitting in a stone room where the cold seeped into his bones, he thought about how the king, who was about to leave, would soon return only his neck to Aglante. It was to calm his anger at this humiliating situation, which the king must have directed.

It was then that the door opened.

Although it was a room where light didn’t penetrate well except for the lamp on the table and a few candlesticks on the wall, Gilrod recognized him at first glance.

“Have you been well, Your Majesty? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you after your marriage, and your complexion seems better than before.”

Although it was said to provoke, the king received the words nonchalantly.

“I’ve been well. How about you, have you been living as you did before?”

And the man put down the lamp he had brought on the table. With two lights, the surroundings were quite bright, so Gilrod could see his face properly.

The king was looking at him with a calm expression. The only chilling thing on the man’s face was his bright yellow eyes.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t been doing well. How could I be at ease with the status of a criminal?”

“For someone like that, you seem to have made new friends and look quite relaxed.”

And the man raised the corners of his mouth.

“Well, your old friends have turned their backs, and your only child has already left your embrace, so you must be lonely. I understand.”

It was a sarcastic remark about Siana staying in the queen’s quarters and the elders who pretended not to know him when he was being punished.

Because the king was more skilled than he remembered, Gilrod almost stiffened his expression, but soon responded smoothly.

“I’ve been spending painful days with the stolen child embedded in my heart. If I had known it would be like this, I should have found a good marriage partner in advance.”