Book 18: Chapter 3
“Good morning, King Troy, Consort Lucia, Consort Nier. This is what you need to work on today in addition to the things sent to you the day before.”
Freya stood at the dining table with a smile and an open document folder in her hand. She reported in to us at the table. I listened in to her with my cup in hand. I gave some input on the aforementioned matters, which she noted down then carried out. Most of it was trivial stuff, which was why my decision alone was sufficient.
“That is about it. Your Majesty, do you have anything else you want to do today? If not, you can have a break today. There is no major business in the North that you need to attend or guests you need to see.”
“I see. Well, I still have something to do. I want to go and visit Tanya.”
I placed down my empty cup and stood up. Nier and Lucia nervously looked at me. They wanted to speak but stopped themselves. I clarified my stance: “Rest assured, I won’t put everyone in danger. If necessary, I’ll be forced to have Tanya leave.”
Lucia hesitated for a moment but was the first to speak up: “That’s what we’re worried about. She’s used to killing people. They’re selfish as they come. I’m sure we’ll have to send Tanya off, right? As an elf, I don’t want to see her go. Moreover, it would be more dangerous if she left, wouldn’t it? I’m not worried about others. I’m worried about Tanya. Tanya protected us and is now being forced to leave due to our error. I can’t bear it.”
I shook my head: “I don’t want to send Tanya off, either. I plan to see what she thinks. If Tanya doesn’t want to leave, I’ll definitely keep her.”
Nier suddenly jumped to her feet: “Don’t you think that you’re indirectly imposing your agenda? What do you think Tanya will say? It’s not as if you don’t know Tanya. She is so understanding and sensible that there’s no way she’d choose to stay! You think she’d stay when she knows her condition? She’ll definitely choose to leave! Your Majesty, aren’t you just trying to send her off without bearing the burden of responsibility?!”
I explained, “Tanya would blame herself if I did keep her, wouldn’t she? Tanya is a strong kid who doesn’t want to cause anyone trouble. If I force her to stay, she’ll feel bad. That’s why I have to respect her decision no matter what this time. Regardless, I’ll protect Tanya. I’ll have Irina protect her and take care of her even if she goes to the North. If I keep her here, I won’t change the way I treat her. Either way, leave this to me. Say no more.”