Ophelia raised her head and looked at the person who had spoken. As everyone had expected, it was the head of the Onde family who voiced opposition.

The gray-haired man continued to express his opinion as all eyes focused on him.

“The royal private army is already being maintained at a sufficient scale. Expanding it further would be a waste of national funds. Moreover, isn’t the proposal of this bill too sudden? Such a significant matter should be discussed over several weeks.”

The head of the Chesa family immediately rebutted his opinion.

“It seems we’ve had sufficient time for discussion. Hasn’t the expansion of the royal private army been discussed before?”

“And it was rejected every time it was discussed. Now is not the time to expand the military, but to focus on economic stability. Especially in Edegrun and the northern lands, aren’t they places that need to stockpile supplies during harvest season? We should spend the budget on stockpiling supplies rather than expanding the private army.”

The two of them stared at each other for a moment. Ophelia set down the document she hadn’t finished reading and observed their confrontation.

The first to avert his gaze was the head of the Onde family. He looked around at everyone seated at the round table again.

“Since this is such a clear-cut matter, I believe we need to debate before voting on the enactment of the bill.”

That must have been his goal from the start. Ophelia recalled what Idren had told her before the council began.

“There will be a debate before voting. If one side’s opinion seems excessively unreasonable during the debate, the other side can refuse to vote.”

And he had added:

“But the head of the Chesa family will handle the debate within reasonable limits, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

Ophelia looked at the woman who spoke first, just as Idren had said.

“I also agree that we need to pay attention to economic stability. However, won’t the increased toll on the Saha Canal that was raised this time be an alternative for that? With the canal toll increased, exports will decrease and the domestic market will become more active.”

“But that alone is not enough. The southern part of Aglante was originally a place with an active domestic market, so it’s difficult to expect noticeable effects, and isn’t it a situation where we don’t know where the goods from half of the land that originally belonged to the Rohos territory will now flow?”

And Ophelia felt the gaze of the head of the Onde family turn towards her.

Not only him, but a considerable number of those seated around the round table looked at her. It was natural, since although the head of the Chesa family was the superficial conversation partner, the implied intent was aimed at her.

Although this was a situation Idren hadn’t forewarned her about, she needed to speak up at times like this. After briefly gauging what to say, Ophelia opened her mouth.

“Half of the Rohos territory you’re concerned about has become my property. So questions about the harvest from that land should be directed to me, not to the head of the Chesa family.”

Then, Ophelia became a little anxious about whether she might have misspoken.

The people she had dealt with before were entirely her own relationships. If she made a mistake or the results weren’t good, she could handle it on her own. It was different from the nobles of Edegrun, who were Idren’s domain.

But if she kept her mouth shut here, she would appear to be someone who couldn’t speak a word for herself.

Others might prove in their own way that she wasn’t such a person, but she couldn’t handle the nobles of Edegrun that way. Now her reputation was tied to the Aglante royal family, and the current subject of the royal family was Idren.

Ophelia didn’t want to be indebted to him anymore. She already felt uncomfortable about it sometimes. The fact that he kept crossing her mind was an added burden.

She couldn’t let that feeling grow any larger. Ophelia didn’t want to make choices she would regret because of one person.

Isn’t this a world where even blood relatives become enemies? It would be foolish to endure an ordeal of unknown duration for a man connected only by a single vow.

Therefore, the royal family’s reputation must not fall because of her. Having finished her thoughts, Ophelia spoke.

“First of all, I’m in favor of expanding the royal private army, but I also understand what you’re worried about. If I release the profits from the Rohos territory to foreign or southern markets, prices in Edegrun and the north will rise, is that what you’re concerned about?”

Ophelia knew that wasn’t really what the head of the Onde family intended.

Onde was now representing Nebel’s interests. And Nebel’s goal was to regain control of the northern economy, as it had before.

So they would want the grain from the land Anika had surrendered to be released to the southern market as it had been originally.

Knowing this, she deliberately spoke that way because she knew the head of the Onde family couldn’t refute it. If he did, he would be contradicting what he had been arguing until just now.

In the end, the man nodded with a stiff expression.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then there’s no need to worry. I will bring the grain from my territory into Edegrun.”

And Ophelia waited for the head of the Onde family to rebut her. However, the words came from someone else’s mouth.

“But Your Majesty, if that happens, prices will rise in the markets where the grain from the original Rohos territory used to be sold.”

Ophelia turned to look at the brown-haired man who had suddenly joined the conversation. He was one who had been opposing the head of the Chesa family along with Onde.

Despite having spoken a couple of times before, she couldn’t quite remember the man’s name. Ophelia tilted her head slightly.

“What was your name again?”

At this, the face of the middle-aged man with a small build reddened slightly. He seemed to take her words as an insult.

Although it wasn’t intentional, it wasn’t a problem if he felt that way. What she needed to consider now was not appearing contemptible to the elders opposing Idren, not impressing them.

After a moment of silence, the man spoke.

“I am Hensio Pelita.”

“Pelita. Before speaking to your superior, you should ask for permission.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Ophelia did not affirm those words. There was no need to forgive something done deliberately.

She continued speaking.

“Be mindful of this in the future. What is it you wanted to say?”

The man hesitated for a moment but soon explained in a smooth voice.

“What I wanted to say is that if Your Majesty supplies grain from your newly acquired territory to the northern market, prices will rise in the markets that originally received grain from there. Even if exports are controlled due to the increased canal tax rate, it will be difficult to fill all the gaps.”

Hearing this, Ophelia wondered why the man was saying such foolish things.

She felt odd as she watched the other party speak as if it were the truth when it could be refuted with just a few words.

Ophelia asked the head of the Pelita family, whose face had relaxed as if he thought he had stumped her.

“Who originally supplied grain to Edegrun and the northern lands beyond?”

The head of the Pelita family seemed a bit puzzled that she was asking something everyone knew, but he answered straightforwardly.

“It was Nebel.”

“Then if I pull the harvest up to the north, the harvest that he originally supplied will be left over. Can’t that be released to the south?”

“But that is highly inefficient. Your Majesty’s territory is further south than Nebel’s territory, so transportation costs will be higher, and the market is already accustomed to Nebel’s sales.”

“But unlike that, there must be points that benefit the economy. A competitor like me will emerge in the market that Nebel was monopolizing alone, so won’t those who consume grain be able to purchase more reasonably?”

It was a basic principle of market economics that as more supply competitors emerge, the quality of goods increases and prices decrease.

Ophelia said to the man who was trying to deceive her with facts that even a child outside would know.

“If that happens, the profits of the royal family and Nebel will decrease a little, but it will be able to address the livelihood concerns you all have. Isn’t my reasoning sound?”

“…It is. You are wise.”

“It’s nothing special. Anyone would know this much.”

Of course, Pelita and the head of the Onde family probably thought she was even less knowledgeable than them. In their eyes, she was likely a southern princess who knew nothing and luckily married well.

If she had met them in her previous life, not long after getting married, Ophelia would have agreed with that assessment to some extent. In fact, she was a person who knew nothing in the past.

Although she wasn’t lucky.

Ophelia spoke to the man who didn’t even try to hide his hardened face.

“If the head of Nebel were here, we could have exchanged opinions in detail, but unfortunately, he is under house arrest for causing an unsavory incident.”

And she took her gaze off the head of the Pelita family. There was no need to keep looking at him since the conversation had concluded.

Suddenly, she thought that Idren must be watching the entire scene from above the platform.

Ophelia unconsciously looked toward where the throne was. And she met golden eyes looking at her as if they had been waiting for her gaze.

Despite there being nothing good happening, the man smiled smoothly as soon as he saw her. Feeling odd again at his smile, Ophelia turned her head to avoid his gaze. Her insides felt strangely fluttery.

Ophelia blinked at the feeling that seemed quite far from illness or discomfort. At the same time, the head of the Chesa family spoke.

“If there are no more speakers, we will now proceed with the vote.”