Ishar.

It was intriguing that Ishar was the only name she remembered, excluding Cain, but there was a reason for it.

He was the betrayer in the original work.

Assisting Hursis with unwavering loyalty, he turned out to be a traitor who sided with Duke Montaner in the end. He filled the vacancy in the Guard, mobilized to suppress a large-scale rebellion, and then joined forces with the Duke who rebelled, ultimately endangering Hursis’s life.

The revelation was as shocking as when she learned the tragic ending.

Betrayal. Striking her from behind without any signs, making her trust him until the end.

It was unbelievable. She even thought it might be her delusion.

So, every time Riz faced Ishar, she carefully examined his pure and innocent appearance to confirm if she was mistaken.

However, every time, her gaze fell on the Lily Emblem brooch on his left chest.

“The fallen sword severed the Emperor’s neck. The armor of the soldiers around was stained with blood.”

The soldiers moved only by the owner’s command. Therefore, he must have given the order.

In the end, Riz wrote Ishar’s name on her hit list.

And she wanted to eliminate him as soon as possible, so she put his order at the top.

But incidents kept happening that delayed the order.

“Try it. I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste, but give it a try.”

His spicy food moved her heart for the first time.

“I’ll go quickly and call people. Please stay by Her Majesty’s side.”

His sudden appearance when she didn’t know what to do about the injured Hursis was the second time.

Right before that, Riz had silently prayed.

“Please, let anyone appear. I’ll forgive anyone, even if it’s the Imperial Guard Commander.”

Since that day, Riz pushed Ishar’s order to the very end.

Anyway, the current him is Hursis’s closest aide, and now he mostly stays in the palace, so there’s little contact with Duke Montaner. It seemed like she could let him play his role a bit more.

Her determination to definitely kill him never wavered. She believed that. But…

“Born as a seventh son, he grew up healthy without any illness.”

This statement was the decisive factor that changed her mind.

The comforting words she desperately wanted to hear. Ishar said them.

“Damn.”

As love is forbidden to a spy, so is affection to justice.

Even though she knew this fact well, she couldn’t help it. Reason raised the sword, but emotion was pushing for an alternative. There must be a better way. Riz hesitated between the two options…

She erased Ishar from her hit list.

Instead of the sword, she accepted the alternative. An alternative that would give him his own country.

“A country?”

Hursis asked, a puzzled yet serious look in his eyes.
Riz took a moment to catch her breath and spoke.

“What if we elevate the Duchy of Valdemion to a Grand Duchy?”

“…….”

“Then the power concentrated under Duke Montaner will naturally be divided, and Ishar will serve Her Majesty even more faithfully. It might bring more strength to Her Majesty.”

“…….”

“Moreover, since most of the people in the Duchy are descendants of the Valdemion Kingdom, they still have strong pride in their origins. It makes sense; after all, the history of continental civilization began in the Valdemion Kingdom.”

“So… are you suggesting changing their status from ordinary citizens of a Duchy to citizens of a Grand Duchy?”

In response to Hursis’s sharp and straightforward tone, Riz slightly recoiled.

She seemed to know how composed he could be when it came to matters of state.

“Well… yes.”

Riz replied in a hesitant tone. But soon, she regained her determination and continued in a resolute tone.

“They still remember the glory of being the first civilization on the continent, so we should elevate them to at least a Grand Duchy. I heard that many of them still harbor negative perceptions of the Empire. Because of this, they are reluctant to pay taxes properly. It might be challenging for the Duchy of Valdemion to collect taxes thoroughly. So, if we elevate it to a Grand Duchy, they might express gratitude to the Empire.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

Hursis interrupted Riz with a firm tone.

“If there were any grievances about elevating the Duchy to a Grand Duchy, they would have arisen long before.”

“…….”

“They will still consider the money spent on the Luzencia as a waste. Instead of offering money and tributes to the barbaric Empire that conquered them by force, they would rather throw them into the river.”

It was not a wrong statement. Riz felt disheartened.

He used to follow her opinions on almost everything, but maybe it was difficult for him to follow her on a matter related to the fate of a territory?

Still, Riz thought that elevating the Duchy to a Grand Duchy was something she could achieve.

However, the Grand Duke promised something even more difficult to Ishar.

In other words, becoming a king…

“If you’re going to do it, grant them independence. As a kingdom.”

“……?”

“To gain their trust, a Grand Duchy won’t be enough, Riz.”