novelzi Chapter 188 : Chapter 188
Chapter 188 : Chapter 188
In the quiet dawn.With Loa visiting me, I contemplated how to respond.
Then I decided to respond in a common-sense way.
More common-sensical than my future self.
‘According to the
Paying special attention to someone.
Cherishing a certain woman.
Valuing a certain family.
I believe those are the beginnings of a powerful kingship being shaken. In fact, it has been so in history.
‘The moment I start to cherish and favor someone, envy and jealousy arise around me. My subordinates will have no choice but to try to look good to the one I favor, and that won’t lead to healthy politics.’
It’s a common story.
A woman or a family, or even a man who has received the king’s favor—
The story of them abusing that favor and shaking the country.
Of course, Loa could be different.
Seeing how she genuinely cares for the people of the Jerpan Archipelago, she probably won’t abuse my favor.
However.
‘A wise man does not walk into danger…… was it?’
It means that a wise person does not take unnecessary risks.
In other words, they don’t gamble.
So I decided to respond with common sense.
Swoosh—.
I grabbed the cloak that Loa had half-removed and was holding at her waist.
Then I put the cloak back over her shoulders, covering her body, and said.
“For a beautiful woman like you to want my attention, that is certainly a pleasant thing for a man.”
“……”
“But I have no intention of having a child yet. Even if I were to have a child, I have no intention of having one with you.”
“……Am I that inadequate?”
“No, you are beautiful. It’s just that I can’t trust you.”
“You…… can’t trust me?”
“Yes. It may sound a bit harsh, but there are only a few people I trust. So I hope you don’t take it too badly.”
After speaking to Loa.
Pour—.
I poured a cup of water and gave it to Loa.
Her voice was hoarse, and it seemed like she would cry if I didn’t give her water.
“I’ll say it again, you are a beautiful woman. You have a kind heart and seem to be capable. The reason I don’t trust you despite that…… you could call it my ‘whim.’”
“A whim…… is it?”
“Yes. The whim of saying I would trust and use any capable person, yet in the end, the people I place closest to me are those I can trust rather than those with ability.”
“……”
“Thankfully, the people I can trust are all exceptionally capable. But…… if I hadn’t been so lucky, I might not have become king.”
This was my sincere feeling. A sincere feeling that had come to me recently.
‘I was lucky.’
The one I recruited to purge the nobles was Jereuth.
And the one I recruited to help with that noble purge was Seria.
Both were skilled enough to stand out in the war against the demonic race, where all of humanity had staked its survival.
And what about after that?
Heinshtangl, whom I had appointed for internal affairs, was also quite capable. But his daughter, Olivia, was even more capable.
Thanks to them, I was able to trust and entrust the internal affairs.
In addition to them, there were knights like Hagen and Ronak.
And even the slave-turned-administrators who had long experience and excellent skills in various construction and farm projects.
‘The fact that such talented people were in this kingdom was pure luck…… no, perhaps it was the foundation left by my father.’
I still think about it sometimes.
The words my father said to me in his bedroom before he passed away.
‘For the new flowers and grass to bloom, the old trees of the forest fall on their own…… he said something like that.’
While I was having these various thoughts.
Loa asked me in a still tearful voice.
“Then…… how can I become a person, no. A woman that Your Majesty trusts?”
How to become a woman I can trust?
“That’s a difficult question. They say you can know the depth of ten fathoms of water, but you can’t know the depth of one fathom of a person’s heart.”
“……Those are profound words.”
It was just a proverb, but her reaction made my nose itch a little.
“But there is one sure way.”
“What is that?”
“To prove it. That you can risk your life with me.”
“Risk my life……?”
“Yes. The people I trust have all risked their lives with me. Commander Jereuth—no, Sir Jereuth purged the nobles for me when I was at my weakest. The same goes for the mage Seria. Heinshtangl, Olivia—those two were active when the kingdom’s internal affairs were in ruins and on the verge of collapse.”
“……”
“And many other knights, soldiers, and technicians. They all shed blood and sweat to protect their families, thereby protecting the kingdom. I can trust such people.”
“I see…… then.”
Loa answered with difficulty.
***
‘So only by risking one’s life and overcoming hardships with him can one win his heart…… I see.’
Loa nodded slightly.
She had understood King Leonardo’s words.
However.
‘Will there be such a crisis in this kingdom now?’
The Plank Kingdom that Loa had seen was strong.
Of course, it might be weaker than great powers like the continental empires or kingdoms with vast territories.
But like those great empires in their early days, the Plank Kingdom had a solid foundation.
And at its apex was King Leonardo.
‘A kingdom with no future crises. And yet, the king of that kingdom says that to gain his trust, one must risk one’s life with him…….’
There was no way for Loa.
The only regrettable thing was that her beauty and ability were not ‘very, very, extremely excellent.’
‘If I were more beautiful and more capable…… I could have been an exception to that man. An ‘exception’ that he would want to keep by his side even without risking death together…….’
But what could she do.
That desireless king seemed to see her not as a woman, but as an ‘asset.’
An ‘asset’ to be used in ruling after annexing the Jerpan Archipelago.
‘If I succeed in that…….’
“Then, Your Majesty, if I successfully annex the Jerpan Archipelago into the Plank Kingdom…… will you acknowledge me then?”
“That could be.”
“‘Could be’…… is it.”
“I believe promises should be made cautiously.”
He was indeed a meticulous king.
Every single word was deliberate.
‘But it means there’s a possibility.’
The man of her dreams was right in front of her.
And she saw a possibility of winning his heart.
If so, Loa was the kind of woman who would take on that challenge.
“I understand, Your Majesty. I will annex the Jerpan Archipelago into the Plank Kingdom so quickly and surely that even you will be surprised.”
“Hmm.”
“And when that time comes…… I will invite Your Majesty to my castle. A castle where there is no one but you and me.”
After speaking confidently.
Swoosh—!
Loa turned around so resolutely that her cloak fluttered.
It was a gesture that showed she had no more lingering feelings for tonight.
As she was about to leave the room, Loa asked Leonardo.
“May I ask one last thing?”
“Anything.”
“The knight named Yoanna, the internal affairs official named Olivia. Are they people Your Majesty trusts?”
“Of course. They are those who have risked their lives with me.”
“……I see. Then what about the maid who attends to Your Majesty alone late at night?”
“You mean Elly?”
“I don’t know her name. I only met her briefly outside the room.”
Loa had hoped that Leonardo would say, 「“No. I don’t trust her.”」
There were already two rivals, and they were both as beautiful and capable as herself—
If one more were to be added to that, she felt her heart would really race.
But unfortunately.
Tonight didn't seem to be on Loa's side.
“Elly is one of the people I can trust the most. Among the people I can trust, she is the one I can trust the most.”
“……To that extent? Even though she’s a maid?”
“I can trust her because she’s a maid. She was the first person to be by my side when I was at my weakest, when it wouldn’t have been strange if I had died at any moment.”
“……”
“Is there anything else you want to ask?”
There was nothing to ask.
Just a feeling of her chest being tightly constricted.
“……No. I will take my leave now. I apologize for the late hour.”
Click—.
As Loa left the room.
Outside the room stood a woman who had been pacing with a rather restless expression, and who was startled to see Loa come out.
‘This…… is one of the women His Majesty Leonardo trusts the most.’
Loa watched Elly for a moment.
Then she took a step closer to her and said quietly.
“……I’m envious.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said I’m envious.”
“……”
“You are a lucky person. To have been by the King’s side when he was at his weakest.”
Since Elly had not heard the conversation between Leonardo and Loa, she had no idea what Loa was talking about.
However, she could nod her head.
She could tell from Loa’s tone and atmosphere. That this woman was sulking because she hadn’t received the king’s affection.
And Elly immediately realized that she was being challenged to a war of nerves.
Elly was not one to avoid such a provocation.
Elly smiled a victor’s smile and said.
“Yes, I am a lucky woman. I can attend to His Majesty whenever I wish.”
“……”
“Do you need to be guided to your room? The soldiers over there will accompany you anyway. Unlike me, you are not allowed to wander freely in this palace.”
“You……”
“Oh, by the way, weren’t you humiliated when you were body-searched by the soldiers before entering His Majesty’s room? When was the last time someone was body-searched in this royal palace……? I think it was when His Majesty met with the merchants before. When he met with ‘unfamiliar, untrustworthy’ merchants.”
“……”
“But no one stops me even if I enter His Majesty’s room with a knife or scissors.”
In front of Leonardo, Elly was just a shy kitten.
But she was also a woman who had been through thick and thin by Leonardo’s side, who had ‘reigned’ as the Head Maid from a young age.
She had reigned over the ‘society of maids,’ a society of women said to be more vicious than an army of men.
There was no way such an Elly would avoid a challenge from another woman.
In the first place, this was a fight where she had the advantage.
“……I will return today. For today.”
“Please do.”
Although the tone was polite, Loa heard Elly’s words as 「“Do whatever you want.”」
Clank— Clank— Clank—.
Loa glared at Elly even as she was being half-dragged away by the soldiers.
Elly pretended not to see it, deliberately ignoring her.
Although she had just engaged in a war of nerves with Loa as if it were nothing, in reality, her heart was pounding.
‘……His Majesty rejected that woman’s seduction. What a relief.’
Elly did not think she could monopolize Leonardo or become the most precious woman to him.
For that, the weight of the king named ‘Leonardo’ was too great.
It was just a greedy wish.
For the time being…… yes, for the time being, that she could be the woman closest to him.
Click—.
Elly slightly opened the door and peeked inside.
She was trying to see if the king was sleeping or awake.
‘He’s sleeping.’
Closing the door again.
Elly headed to her own room with light, truly light footsteps.
It seemed she would be able to sleep soundly tonight.
***
Time flew by quickly.
The envoy from the Jerpan Archipelago, Loa, who had caused a stir in the royal castle of the Plank Kingdom, also returned.
The founding ceremony of the Plank Kingdom’s first ‘naval fleet,’ including two Griffon Aircraft Carriers, was also held.
And now, somewhere in the sea southwest of the Plank Kingdom.
Sailors dressed in short-sleeved shirts and shorts—truly pirate-like attire—were monitoring the other side of the sea with a telescope.
***
The sea between the Plank Kingdom and the Jerpan Archipelago.
On a ship floating in the middle of the sea, at the highest point, on the mast, a certain pirate—no, a sailor who was monitoring the sea with a telescope, said.
“……Seven o’clock direction! Unidentified vessel spotted! Number…… multiple! Multiple!”
As the sailor spoke urgently.
The mid-rank knight who was the captain of the ship shouted.
“Report to Admiral Ronak via crystal ball!”
The voices of the sailors and the captain seemed a bit rushed.
But in reality, they were overflowing with composure.
Because they knew that no one could defeat them at sea.
Especially now that even the Kraken, said to be the ruler of the sea, was gone, no, in this sea where there was an admiral who had hunted that Kraken.