The Burden of Absolute Trust

I fell into deep thought as the carriage rattled toward the royal palace. Within the kingdom, rumors were swirling about the Queen and me. Cringeworthy rumors, at that. A queen who trusts her subject to the very end. A subject who answers that trust and repays it. On the surface, it sounds like something anyone could do. But in reality? It is incredibly difficult.

Power has a fixed sum. As my power and influence grow, it naturally means the Queen's power shrinks by that exact amount. That is why I find Elium la Ericel Ereberk so remarkable. A queen who trusts her subject to the very ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠end. It means a monarch placing absolute, unwavering faith in a subordinate, regardless of the circumstances. But history has proven time and again just how dangerous that is.

A subject holding military power plotting treason, or launching a rebellion to overthrow the dynasty—this is no different whether in the history of my past life or in this fantasy world. There is a reason people say power cannot be shared, even with those closest to you. Even with family. If I were in her shoes...? I could never have done it.

Politics, economy, religion, diplomacy, military affairs, administration. On top of that, academics and culture. And the Ifrit Church I created even handles welfare, healing, public opinion, and magical beast management. Quite literally, almost every system in this country has my hands all over it. If I truly set my mind to it, it wouldn't be hard to blindfold the Queen, sever her limbs, and overthrow the kingdom.

Of course, I have absolutely no intention of doing that. I'm already tired as hell as it is. If I became king, I'd have to make countless decisions and take responsibility for everything myself. It might not seem much different from what I do now, but it's the difference between running a company and being an employee. The peace of mind is on a whole different level. And most importantly... I don't want to betray her. Honestly, it's a bit embarrassing to say, but turning my back on her would be a betrayal of faith.

The sheer boldness Queen Ereberk has shown:

- The creation of the Allied Kingdom.

- The establishment of the Holy Academy.

- The deterioration of relations with the Karis Empire.

- The negotiations with the Tirand Empire.

At every single one of these critical turning points, the only reason I could move so freely was because she trusted me without a shred of doubt. I was actually a little moved by her.

She was different from the Empress of the Karis Empire. That empire's psychopath is iron-blooded, sure, but she feels like a robot trying to imitate a human. Ereberk, on the other hand... is like a warm iron-blood, if that makes sense. It's hard to put into words, but she doesn't rule through fear; she moves hearts and commands her subjects with true charisma.

Of course, all of this might mean nothing. It wouldn't be strange if she cast me aside one day. If she decided I was too competent and posed a threat to her power, and thus discarded me? I'd gladly flee to some remote island nation with a heart full of gratitude.

Lately, some have been whispering that Queen Ereberk has abandoned state affairs, locked herself in her room, and fallen deep into a personal hobby. Naturally, not a single soul in the kingdom believed it. The rumors quietly died out on their own. I pictured the Queen. Her cold gaze. Her ice-hard expression. As if. Does she look ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like someone who takes the throne lightly?

Ereberk pressed her fingers against both corners of her mouth and pushed them upward. Her lips trembled. In the mirror, a woman stared back, wearing a crooked smirk that looked down on the world. It was a villainous, mastermind-like expression that seemed to say, 'I know everything, so let's see how far you can go.'

Soon, her strength faded, and her hands dropped limply. ...Is this really okay? She wasn't sure. A few days ago, her maid, who had been by her side since childhood, had cautiously spoken up.

"Your Majesty... I think if you smiled just a little more, you would look much friendlier. You are so beautiful, and you are already so popular..."

Trusting her maid's words, she had tried to smile. She couldn't see her own face, but in the maid's eyes, the Queen's eyes remained dead cold while only one corner of her mouth twitched upward. The maid had stammered, trailing off, before practically fleeing the room.

"...I-I believe I have overstepped my bounds! I, uh, have some urgent business to attend to...!"

A cold, ruthless face. To her, it was just her normal expression, but others perceived it entirely differently.

Morning. The newspaper delivered from her favorite publisher, the Daily Elium, was placed on her desk. She flipped through the pages and stopped at a certain article. Soon, she picked up a pair of silver scissors and began to carefully cut it out.

Snip, snip—

A neat pile of clippings. She carried them carefully into the adjacent room, placing them one by one into frames and hanging them on the wall. That wall was already densely packed with dozens of frames.

Looking at the wall filled her with pride, and a silly grin crept onto her face. Especially when her eyes caught words like 'most just kingdom,' 'kneels,' 'bow,' and 'begged.' Ereberk was slowly, unconsciously, soaking in pure national pride.

She took a quiet breath as she neatly aligned the last frame on the wall. Her gaze drifted back to Chapter 31 of Arthur Pendragon.

"Hmm."

A natural smile finally graced her lips. No one knew. No one knew how eagerly she anticipated these stories. How many times her heart clenched at a single decision made by 'Arthur' in the novel. How deeply moved she was when Arthur, overcoming adversity, declared, "I do not need to be king."

She returned to her desk and threw the scraps of the cut newspaper into the trash. The collector's copy was stored separately. The copy for distribution was placed in her drawer. She had never given one to anyone, nor did she ever intend to. She had simply heard somewhere that one must buy three copies of everything—one to keep pristine, one to use, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and one to share. Deeming this highly logical, she had simply put it into practice.

And now, it was her absolute favorite time of the day. Pouring herself a warm cup ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of coffee, she began to read the novel she had been saving. She had endured the agonizing wait, holding back from reading the last two chapters. It was finally time to devour her stockpile.

"Ha!"

"Right there?!"

"Ugh—"

Rustle.

Her hands holding the newspaper froze like stone.

"Why?"

...She had already finished it.

"Will Arthur Pendragon make an appearance in the next chapter...?" she muttered to herself. Now, the boring wait would begin anew.

But... today was different. Today, he was visiting the royal palace in person. This was her chance. Could she... perhaps, ask him a little bit about the next chapter? Would he find it offensive? What if her asking disrupted his writing process? What if he lost his authorial inspiration because of her? If he ended up ruining the ending of Arthur Pendragon... could she even bear it? And what if, by some terrible chance... her interference changed the ending entirely?

She covered her face with both hands.

"No, wait. Let's be patient. Naturally... Ereberk, you can hold back, can't you? ...Maybe just over a meal, I can gauge the mood and casually—"

"Your Majesty?"

Her head snapped up. She swiftly shoved the novel she was reading into her drawer.

"...Enter."

An extreme introvert. Ereberk's voice instantly stiffened into a cold, rigid tone. Even the maid who had served her all her life was no exception to the chilling effect of that sudden shift.

"...What is it?"

She adjusted her posture. She suddenly felt self-conscious of how others saw her. Once again, she reverted to the Ereberk everyone knew. The cold, noble Queen who did not tolerate a single mistake.

"Lord Doyunes has just passed through the palace gates."

"Let us go."

The clinking of plates echoed in the quiet room. I sliced the steak in front of me and looked at the woman sitting across from the table.

Elium la Ericel Ereberk.

Today, as always, her face was completely devoid of any openings. Her lips were firmly shut, and her eyes held that same unreadable, enigmatic color. Her voice was low, neat, and chillingly cold.

"Lord Doyunes."

In that instant, it felt as if time in the entire hall had ground to a halt. A silence fell, heavy as a dagger dropping onto a stone floor.

"...Yes, Your Majesty." I straightened my relaxed posture, my muscles tensing.

"How are your current undertakings progressing?"

A mundane question. But coming from her mouth, it was never simple. My mind began to race. My undertakings... Religion, administration, military affairs, welfare, academics, magical beast management, alliance diplomacy, economy, public opinion control... which one is she talking about? Is 'progressing well' a demand for results? Or does it mean she's caught wind of some mistake?

"Thanks to the support and trust you have shown me across various fields, everything is proceeding without any major difficulties." I chose the safest, most neutral answer possible.

She nodded slowly. Yet, her gaze remained fixed on me, piercing right through. As if she were expecting something more. Ah, so that wasn't the right answer.

I racked my brain again. Why did I come here today? Ah—I snapped out of it and spoke. I had been so tense that I'd forgotten the original purpose of my visit.

"There is no need to worry much about the Tirand Empire's grand offensive. According to our internal intelligence, it is highly likely to be a bluff."

"You have done well."

A brief, emotionless reply. Was that not the answer either?

"Even if they do make a move, it will be difficult for them to execute it immediately. Moving troops, organizing supply lines, securing political justification... the preparations alone will take considerable time." I paused to catch my breath before adding, "Until then, it would be best for me to remain in the capital, monitor the situation, and focus on my duties."

The line of her mouth shifted slightly. The left corner of her lips twitched upward by a fraction of a millimeter. ...A solution. That must have been the answer she wanted.

"Truly magnificent."