In Elmerat’s confident voice, there was a generous touch of delight. Over the past few years, she had spared no effort to expand the interaction with Oslaphen, which possessed powerful maritime influence and abundant fisheries.

On the Oslaphen side, diligent officials with foresight had made endless efforts to persuade King Zenz, but the formidable influence of the stubborn Grand Prime Minister repeatedly thwarted their endeavors.

The conservative nobility of El Blueen was not particularly pleased with the favorable direction of relations with Oslaphen.

Knowing that there were cunning individuals among the solid conservative class who found it quite amusing to profit from conflicts, they opposed whenever there was a sign of a trade route opening.

King Elmerat patiently waited, gradually eliminating some of them while disrupting opinions. Even Cedeloi did not know who was the secret infiltrator who shook their strong alliance.

“Cedeloi, today’s beginning was very good. I should reward you. What would you like?”

Cedeloi, leaning against the throne, gazed at Elmerat and hesitated. It was one of the etiquette that even an ordinary aristocrat would never violate, but the expression of the king waiting for Cedeloi was gentle.

“Well, Your Majesty, to be honest, I received an urgent letter from the Duchy.”

The blinking king finally straightened up and looked at him.

“An urgent letter? What happened in the Duchy? Tell me the truth.”

Cedeloi closed his mouth again. He, who was intelligent, could not figure out how to explain this. The letter he received was, of course, from Mayana. The contents, crumpled as if it were angry or urgent, were hardly believable.

Someone poisoned Ariante’s meal at the mansion, and the cook who ate it instead collapsed and is still receiving treatment. It was all unbelievable and incomprehensible.

“Duke of Waltermine.”

Elmerat’s stern voice snapped Cedeloi out of his reverie.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Please speak.”

“What happened in the Duchy? Tell the truth.”

Her voice was too firm, and Cedeloi could neither muddle through nor refuse. After a short sigh, he briefly explained the contents of Mayana’s letter.

However, he deliberately did not mention the story that someone had poisoned Ariante’s meal. Instead, he changed the narrative to focus on the cook collapsing due to spoiled food, and Ariante possibly falling severely ill. Elmerat, hearing the story from Cedeloi, clicked her tongue in a worrying manner.
“Why are the ones in charge of the Duke’s kitchen so careless? Although the Duchess is still young, especially in a season requiring extra caution, what if a major mishap occurred? Cedeloi bowed his head silently. Even though Elmerat was scolding the Duke’s chefs on the surface, Cedeloi, as their employer and the head of the family, could not escape responsibility.

After all, Ariante was the sole heir of the Waltermine Duchy. And King Elmerat had no intention of ignoring the power of the Duchy in the future.

“Go down to the Duchy right away. Go and check on Ariante’s condition, and if the child is well, return to the capital. The journey back and forth may be busy and tiring, but what can be done? It’s a law that parents should always be by the side of a sick child.”

A subtle ripple appeared on Cedeloi’s expression, which was slightly lowered.

Since meeting Lady Celin, he consciously tried not to think about Ariante. Of course, the same applied to Lady Celin.

In the face of a situation that became irreversible due to his arrogance and wrong judgment, Cedeloi felt as if the ground was splitting beneath him.

Elmerat called him in a gentle voice, “Cedeloi.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You were quite clumsy when you were young.”

Raising his head, Cedeloi’s eyes blinked with confusion. Elmerat looked at him with a stern yet affectionate gaze, as if she were looking at a mischievous son.

“When I entrusted you with everything about the Waltermine Duchy when you were young, I told you that from now on, the entire Duchy is your responsibility. Do you remember?”

Cedeloi nodded slowly. “Of course, I remember.”

“That might have been a mistake. Cedeloi, you’ve been doing well so far. Not only your family but also what your ancestors left behind, and managing the affairs of the country along with chefs and employees, you’ve been handling everything smoothly. But Cedeloi, my young Duke, there is always a limit to the weight a person can bear at once. If you don’t always keep that in mind, you’ll be crushed and fall. If you fall, everything you’ve done so far is likely to go down the drain.”

The king occasionally called Cedeloi familiarly as ‘my young Duke,’ although he was no longer young. But every time he heard her call him that way, Cedeloi felt a sudden warmth in a corner of his heart. Waves of unknown emotions, a lukewarm flow that seemed to tickle the ankles.

Elmerat said, “Go back and be by Ariante’s side. Don’t worry about the matters here. If you’re not here, haven’t I already selected officials to share duties in your absence?”