The late king of Paides was neither a venerable ruler whose name would remain in history nor a tyrant who abused his authority.

The king’s lust for Elda’s magic ores, combined with his greediness and foolishness, lead to him waging war on Elda. He had so little to his name, he’d fade away from existence with the passage of time.

The king’s funeral went off without a hitch under the direction of the prime minister.

The princess wailed, clinging to the sleeping figure of the king inside the coffin. The sight brought tears to many.

“Tomorrow is the Queen’s Coronation Ceremony?”

Normally, the king would place the crown on top of the princess’ head, but he was no longer of this world. In such cases, the high priest would do it in his stead.

Thus, she’d be acknowledged as queen with God’s permission.

“Your Excellency the Duchess, Her Highness the Princess has summoned you.”

After the funeral, a maid from the royal palace approached me.

Even after the funeral, the princess must still be busy. After all, she had to ascend the throne without any preparations. Usually, by the time she became queen, her spouse should’ve already been decided. The aforementioned spouse would then support her as the crown prince.

She, who didn’t even have that, shouldn’t have the luxury of talking to me now that she was supposed to rule as queen.

What on earth is it at a time like this?

“I apologize for the suddenness, Iris.”

“No, it’s all right, Your Highness.”

The king’s passing must’ve been a huge shock to her. She seemed quite haggard. She was trying to conceal the dark circles under her eyes with makeup. Despite that, it was apparent that she lacked sleep.

“Even with my mother’s absence, I didn’t feel lonely because my father showered me with much affection. In my mother’s case, you can’t miss what you never had. For the first time in my life, I feel what it’s like to lose your immediate family. After losing my father, I can finally understand how you feel after losing your family…”

“…”

What is she talking about?

Did she develop a sense of camaraderie with those who lost their families?

But there were many in this country who’d lost their loved ones. We were at war.

Wait, what if she has ulterior motives?

Was she trying to secure her position by publicly befriending the duchess? As it was, she was a queen without backing, after all.

I had just achieved the title of duchess, but my business was prospering, so I had a lot of financial strength. Moreover, there was also the bounty from the last war.

Is that what she’s aiming for?

“What’s the matter, Your Highness?”

“Iris, I’m going to be queen.”

She stared straight into my eyes, and the look on her face said it all.

Oh no, she’s lost it.

“I’ll become an honorable ruler like my father. Truthfully, I’m anxious because of how sudden it was. I’m honestly not prepared for any of this. Still, I’m not alone. Hence why, I can do my best.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that and good luck.”

“I want to make this country one full of happiness. A country where there are no slums. A country where no one will die of starvation. A country that everyone will be grateful to have been born in.”

This is a declaration of war.

“…A country free of crime.”

She hasn’t let go of what happened at the orphanage.

When she becomes queen, does she intend to improve all the orphanage and eradicate the slums?

It wasn’t that simple, especially when it came to eradicating the slums. She’d have to review the national policy from the ground up.

…That is, if she intends to do it properly.

The easy method would be to do it by force. Either kill everyone in the slums or exile them. She could easily do so with an order to her soldiers. She could also simply barricade the slums and set them on fire.

What method does the princess intend to use to create a country where everyone is happy?

“Like a shadow, the reward for a deed—either good or bad—always follows without fail. For the ruler of the country, even greater consequences follow. The aftermath will also be insurmountable. To create a country that Your Highness wishes for, I sincerely advice you to heed the words of your loyal vassals.”

Let me see these ‘loyal subjects’ of yours…

“Thank you, Iris. Please lend me your strength to achieve my utopia.”

Despite denouncing me as a criminal, you’re not much better off yourself.

“I’ll spare no effort in cooperating if it’s for the sake of the country’s prosperity. As a noble, I’ve pledged my loyalty to the country.”

“Thank you.”

Ha. How laughable.

Even though I never explicitly stated that ‘I’ll be cooperating with Her Highness,’ or ‘I pledge allegiance to Your Highness’, here she was, thanking me.

Always interpreting things at her convenience.

As expected, she was a threat.

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***T/N: Gosh my hair stood at the princess’ war declaration, sasuga author.

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