There was no need to think about it.

“I won’t go to either.”

Latil said firmly, then picked up the floating mushroom in her plate again.

“Indeed, that would be better, wouldn’t it?”

The Chief Steward agreed immediately, even though he supported Ranamun.

While chewing the mushroom, Latil signaled to the Chief Steward to leave.

When the Chief Steward left, Latil put down her spoon and folded her arms.

The ideal situation was for the concubines to quarrel among themselves so that the national narrative wouldn’t emerge.

But, they had to fight just enough. If divided into two factions like this, one side would always obstruct whatever policy was put forth.

They didn’t care whether the policy was right or wrong, just that they opposed the other side.

‘They should oppose, but fight less than now. Just like the previous level.’

Even if there was opposition, it should not interfere with national affairs…

As she was lost in thought, Latil unconsciously tapped the edge of her spoon against the table.

‘Klein!’

Around the time when her soup had almost cooled down, Latil came up with a perfect person to counter those two powers and put down her spoon with a bang.

‘Klein is the prince of a strong nation, so neither Duke Atraxil nor the Chancellor can deal with him casually, and while he has strong power, he hasn’t built it here, so he’s less threatening to the other nobles.’

Tasir and Carlein had made a big contribution to Latil’s return to the palace this time, but they had no power among the nobles because they were commoners.

Neither the Chancellor nor Duke Atraxil saw them as a threat, so even if they pushed them for a while, they had a hard time becoming a powerful force to keep them in check.

In many ways, Klein was perfect. So much so that she wondered why she hadn’t thought of this sooner.

‘Well, at first, I thought he was definitely a spy sent by Hyacinth. Anyway, it’s done. I’ll have to push Klein a bit by making some excuse. If it becomes a threeparty war, Duke Atraxil and the Chancellor will fight less.’

“Your Majesty? Where are you going?”

“To Carlein. Wrap up the food I’ll eat and the soup that the patient can eat.”

“Carlein will like it. I’ll bring it right away.”

Choosing Klein to counter Lord Chancellor and Duke Atraxil is a perfect choice.

But how? What should I use to naturally promote him? This part didn’t come to mind easily.

In the end, Latil decided to think about it alone, had the chef cook, and then went to Carlein’s room.

Currently, Carlein was officially ill and secluded in his room.

It was a place where she could be completely alone, so it was just right for her to be holed up at a time like this.

“Ah. I’ll take it from here.”

Latil stopped the maid who was trying to pull the wagon directly to Carlein’s room, and she went into the room alone.

“You’re using my room very efficiently.”

But as soon as she closed the door and turned on the light, a voice mixed with laughter came from inside. Latil quickly turned around.

“Carlein!”

Carlein was sitting on the bed with his long legs stretched out, holding a book in one hand.

“When did you come?”

When Latil approached happily, Carlein closed his book, put it aside, got up, and pulled the wagon that Latil had left at the door to the table.

“When did you come?”

“I came before you just used the room and left.”

When Latil jokingly shot back, Carlein, while moving the plates on the wagon to the table one by one, asked,

“This soup, it’s mine, right?”

“Correct.”

“Have you been visiting my room often?”

“A few times.”

“You never came when I was here. My room might become closer to you than me.”

“Have you started to talk more?”

“Because I haven’t seen you for a while.”

“What about the sand cart?”

“It ran away.”

“The Prince of Tla?”

“They ran away together.”

“Did you meet?”

“Yes. He was weaker than me. He ran away while we were fighting.”

When Carlein finished setting the food and sat down across the table, Latil said “Wow.” and made a playful compliment.

“You’re very confident?”

“You may ask Tasir. I’m serious.”

“I believe without asking. In Karisen, you easily subdued the zombie.”

“You’ve been considerate.”

“But, both Prince Heum and Teulla, obtaining the power of darkness doesn’t seem to make them particularly stronger.”

Carlein neither affirmed nor denied, he silently cut the chunk of meat in front of Latil.

“Indeed. That’s why they died every time they resurrected. They were somewhat weak.”

However, as Latil murmured this, Carlein flinched his hand and suddenly put down the knife he had been using well.

Looking at him questioningly, Carlein muttered with a disgruntled tone.

“You never say that I’m strong.”

“The whole nation knows you’re strong, don’t they? What is the whole nation? Even people from other countries would know.”

As Latil teased, Carlein finally relaxed his hardened expression and started to drink soup.

However, looking at him like this, this time Latil wanted to ask him about the illusion she had seen.

In the illusion, Carlein had long hair. In Carlein’s memory, Carlein had long hair as well.

Therefore, it was clear that Carlein in her illusion was younger than now. There was no difference in appearance.

Anyway, she wanted to casually bring up that time. She didn’t know what she wanted to ask, but she wanted to ask about something from the past. She was curious about Carlein from a period she didn’t know about.

But it seemed to be quite a painful past, so she couldn’t directly ask, and in the end, Latil pointed at Carlein’s hair for no reason.

“You seem to suit long hair better.”

While drinking soup, Carlein gripped and let go of the tip of his hair.

Feeling that he would respond, Latil waited for him to say something. But what Carlein said was not special.

“Having long hair is cumbersome for a mercenary job.”

Too bland.

“You’re not a mercenary now.”

Despite Latil probing further, Carlein didn’t give in.

“If you wish, I will grow my hair longer.”

He replied instead, and Latil couldn’t answer.

Her mind was split. Half wanted to see the bright Carlein of the past. Half didn’t want to see him who would follow other women and cry.

‘Indeed. Even though he was bright, he was just brighter than now.’

In the end, Latil chose the latter.

“Upon reflection, it’s better not to grow it. You’re not a mercenary, but sometimes you go out to fight at my request. What’s comfortable for you is the best. Isn’t it?”

Carlein smiled faintly, grabbed a water bottle, and drank.

‘No, even when he drinks water, he…’

At that moment. Suddenly, a good idea came to Latil’s mind.

‘That would work!’

What Latil thought of was a natural way to let people know that she favored Carlein.

‘Carlein’s birthday was June 1st.’

It was now July, so it had already passed. But it was only a few months, so she could make some excuse for this.

Returning to her office, Latil called the head of the servants, and with a suppressed excited voice, she gave instructions.

“I realized that while I was away, Carlein’s birthday passed.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“He came all the way from a far country. It would be rude to just let it pass. He would have been treated grandly in his country as a prince.”

The head of the servants chose silence as he disliked Carlein, but Latil continued as if she didn’t know.

“Given the timing, not too grandly, but I think we need to host a party, at least enough to save face.”

“If you wish, Your Majesty, you should do so.”

Latil did not bother to keep this a secret, and thanks to sending a servant directly to Carlein to ask ‘what do you want?’, the people in the harem soon came to know about this.

But the reason the rumor spread most quickly was not the servant sent by Latil, but Carlein himself.

“The servant sent by Her Majesty told me. Her Majesty said that if there is anything you want, just tell her, like this.”

Carlein invited the concubines to drink coffee, and when they came, he bragged about it for two hours.