Reden was a small country with limited agricultural land. Therefore, the main exports of the country were luxury goods or works of art made with craftsmanship techniques.

Despite the royal luxury overlapping with scarce farmland, Reden’s prices remained relatively stable due to active exchanges with Aglante. Sufficient imports of scarce resources came from southern Aglante.

However, Idren was now saying he would pull those exported goods up to the north.

Since resources were limited, the lords and merchants of Aglante would have to weigh the domestic market against Reden’s market.

Realizing what she needed to do, Ophelia turned to the man beside her.

“I have one request.”

“Go ahead.”

“You know the canal between Aglante and Reden? Could you raise the tax Aglante people pay when using that canal?”

If people from Reden paid a toll, Aglante people likewise paid taxes to the Sigrasal royal family when using the canal. This was because the canal was built with royal capital.

Previously, Idren had lowered the canal toll for Reden people to stimulate Reden’s economy. Then conversely, if the transit tax for Aglante people was raised, the scale of exports from Aglante to Reden would shrink.

Then the amount of grain exported to Reden would also decrease, causing prices in Reden to rise.

Since grain was a necessity, even if prices rose, people couldn’t avoid consuming it, and they would ultimately have to reduce other consumption. In that case, Reden’s domestic market would be hit first.

If the country’s domestic market died, the economy would naturally die too, so collected taxes would also decrease, impacting Mahanas.

That should be enough to cover the variable created by Idren’s reduction of Reden’s toll.

Moreover, this wasn’t just beneficial to her. Ophelia said to the man who wasn’t answering:

“If grain heads north, you’ll have to stabilize prices in the south anyway. Raising the canal transit tax will also help stabilize domestic prices.”

It was obvious the market direction would turn to the less capital-intensive domestic market.

But Idren, who would have easily understood her words, still remained silent.

Frustrated by the other’s silence, Ophelia spoke with a slightly sharper tone.

“I’m not just doing this for my own benefit. You’ll collect more taxes, so isn’t this advantageous for you in many ways?”

Idren turned to look at the woman who had quickly come up with an appropriate method after hearing just a few pieces of information.

There was nothing wrong with Ophelia’s words. Even if she hadn’t said it, he might have used the same method.

It was then that Ophelia’s brow furrowed a bit more. Idren spoke before she could get angrier.

“I’ll raise the canal transit tax as you said.”

“…”

“But before that, let me clarify one thing. I’m not doing this because of what you said, but because I chose to.”

However, in saying that, he had just used the expression “as you said” in the previous sentence.

While it wasn’t so important that he was saying contradictory things, it was annoying that he unnecessarily delayed agreeing to something he would agree to anyway. Ophelia faced forward again and said one thing.

“Is it so important whose head the idea came from?”

Then Idren suddenly said something strange in a low voice.

“It would be better if you could live with that kind of thinking for the rest of your life.”

Irritated by those words that seemed to imply he knew her better than she knew herself, Ophelia turned sharply to look at the man sitting beside her. Idren looked at her with those deep eyes he always showed.

And Ophelia thought this was a bit unfair. Idren had eyes of a very unique and beautiful color.

Idren, who had lived looking at his own eyes for longer than she had, must have known this fact. He surely knew that when he stared intently, people were struck speechless.

So in a way, Idren looking at her like that was no different from cheating, but Ophelia couldn’t say this was unfair.

She knew too. If she voiced her thoughts, it would sound exactly like she was admiring Idren’s eye color.

Realizing she would lose out either way, Ophelia turned her head again.

Idren thought as he watched the woman who looked at him as if she had something to say, then averted her gaze. If only Ophelia were truly wicked.

Then he could do as she wished without any hesitation.

But as long as he thought there might be a shred of kindness left in her, Idren didn’t want to leave her with something she might regret later. Even if it wasn’t something she ‘would regret’ but something she ‘might regret’.

Idren asked the woman who was staring straight ahead as if there was something in front of her:

“So what brings you to me?”

Gilord thought today was the day.

Last week, the queen had sent Sianna back.

His dim-witted daughter had somehow managed to do as she was told. That child returned home and said:

“Wow, Her Majesty the Queen told me to leave the castle.”

Seeing his daughter speaking with her head bowed low, Gilord smiled with satisfaction. His thinking was not wrong. Indeed, a dog would obey when beaten.

Sianna rambled on without him even asking:

“When, when I asked for wet nurses and maids to be brought in, she got angry and said, how much did I intend to make her look foolish in front of her husband… She said it would be embarrassing if His Highness the Prince Consort found out, so I should leave quietly.”

The daughter saying those words was trembling strangely, but Gilord failed to notice. It was understandable, as Sianna always trembled just by standing in front of him.

Delighted at obtaining what he wanted, Gilord shoved his daughter aside for the moment and thought about where he should bring this matter to light.

And he soon chose an appropriate time.

In the royal palace, there was a weekly gathering of elders to discuss issues inside and outside Edegrun. Today was the first day the queen would attend that meeting.

Since it was the queen’s first day attending the meeting, eyes and ears would be even more focused. Then rumors would surely spread quickly as well.

Gilord intended to crush the queen’s spirit before she fully settled into Edegrun. A flawed spouse for a half-baked king. They would truly seem like a match made in heaven.

It would be useless even if the king belatedly tried to salvage the queen’s reputation.

Having someone else cover up one’s own mistake meant nothing less than being unable to resolve the issue oneself. If things went that way, the queen would be continually disrespected by the nobles of Edegrun.

As he entered the meeting hall and bowed his head to the king sitting on the throne on the platform and the queen beside him, Gilord thought it somewhat ridiculous that those two were unaware of what would happen today.

Perhaps the queen knew, but couldn’t tell her husband. If she had spoken, the king would have done something before the meeting hall doors opened, so it was a knowable fact.

How stupid. It would be better to rely on her husband while she was still young and pretty.

Well, it’s understandable to feel ashamed.

The queen’s home country was a powerless kingdom. The king had brought such a queen here at a tremendous bride price. It was unimaginable in Aglante. Aglante women brought their share of inheritance as dowry when marrying, and adapted to their new environment based on that.

But the queen had even been given Galisa by the king. It was because she had no personal wealth.

If one has nothing, one should at least be clever, but the young queen wasn’t even that intelligent. Gilord recalled the woman who had accepted what his daughter said without even understanding the meaning. With those innocent eyes.

As the meeting was nearing its end, Gilord stood up from his seat and bowed to the king on the platform.

“Your Majesty, in fact, I have something to report in this place.”

“You have something to report to me?”

It was a sarcastic question, but thinking of what the king was about to face, it wasn’t unpleasant. Gilord said while bowing:

“Yes.”

“Well, what is it?”

“Before that, may I bring my daughter into this meeting hall? It’s a matter that requires her testimony.”

Then the king snorted softly and said:

“By all means.”

When an attendant brought in Sianna, who had been prepared in advance, Gilord positioned the child he had deliberately dressed up well behind him. He began to speak.

“This is my daughter Sianna. She is my only daughter who turned twenty this year, a child I have cherished and raised.”

The king tilted his head slightly at his words. It meant to continue speaking.

Gilord did as he was told and stated the facts.

“I had offered this child to Her Majesty the Queen. Though it pained me to part with my only daughter, serving the royal family is a blessing, so I intended to let my daughter know that honor as well.”

The king raised an eyebrow, and beside him, the queen sat without saying a word. Gilord thought the queen looked especially young today. Her hair, loosely adorned with faded jewels, and her ivory dress embroidered with various colors looked nice, but she lacked the dignity of the former queen.

“But a week ago, Her Majesty the Queen sent my beloved daughter back home. Just because that child, who was lonely in the palace without a father, wanted only the wet nurse who raised her and a few familiar maids.”

He continued:

“Of course, Her Most Exalted Majesty the Queen must have had her reasons, but my daughter and I were merely showing our loyalty, so it deeply pained us that such an unfortunate incident occurred. I report this wondering if Your Majesty might be aware of this fact.”

It was then that the queen, who had been looking down at him from beside the king, opened her mouth.