Chapter 64

The next visit to His Majesty, what dish should I present?

The sandwiches that were well-received by His Majesty today were those filled with herb-roasted chicken and sausages. With chicken or sausages decided, what side dishes should I prepare? What could I serve that would be considered delicious?

Half anxious, half hopeful, I was lost in thought when I suddenly came to my senses. Thinking about the dishes is enjoyable, but it's not the right time for that yet.

I came to His Majesty today not just for the food. I was so pleased by His Majesty's compliment on the sandwiches that I almost forgot I had a few things I wanted to ask. Since it would be impolite to keep the busy His Majesty for too long, I should quickly get to the point.

"His Majesty, it seems you have finished the dishes I brought. May I have a moment to speak with you?"

"Is it about Kate and E Reina? I heard they invited you to a dinner party recently and served quite a dry dish, didn't they?"

"……You knew about it?"

Dry, meaning the overly salty dishes served at Lady Kate's palace. Lady Kate and I had agreed not to make a big deal out of it. Lady Kate must have been trying to cover up the internal strife, but it seems His Majesty was already aware.

Whether it's due to His Majesty's excellent information network or the poor cover-up by Lady Kate, I can only speculate, but it probably was both.

"By the way, His Majesty, who do you think ordered the overly salty dishes as a form of harassment?"

"Most likely, it was Kate's half-sister, Siena. She was acting suspiciously when I met her before."

"……Have you spoken to Lady Siena directly, Your Majesty?"

I recalled. I had heard that Lady Kate disliked her half-sister, Siena, and was very wary of her. To prevent Siena from being favored by King Glenreed and potentially becoming a candidate for queen, Kate was vigilant and tried to interfere with any contact between them.

"I exchanged a few words with her when we passed each other at a ball."

"Is that so? How was Lady Kate at the time?"

"As soon as she noticed me talking to Siena, she puffed up and butted in."

Lady Kate, with her tail fluffed up, rushing to her half-sister. It was easy to imagine.

"Since Lady Kate rushed over, you didn't get to talk to Lady Siena much, did you?"

"Yes, that's right. It was a brief encounter, but it was enough to gauge Siena's true nature."

Indeed, Lady Siena's act was quite sweet, but His Majesty is sharp. As a king, his intuition is probably excellent.

Lady Siena's act, while sweet, is quite transparent to me, a noblewoman of the same gender. However, there are still some who fall for it. Due to Lady Kate's explosive emotions, Lady Siena appears relatively better, and there are those who admire her.

"Lericia, what do you think of Siena?"

"She seems to be trying to act as a gentle and refined young lady, but her act is quite weak. Her true nature appears to be quite strong-willed and ambitious."

"That's the same assessment I have. Siena is just a kitten trying to act like a cat, but she's just a kitten."

"A kitten, you say……. Even kittens have claws, so I'll be careful."

"Yes, do that. ……If only Kate were as cautious as you."

His Majesty suddenly averted his gaze. He seemed to be thinking about the Kate sisters, looking east.

"His Majesty, may I ask you something?"

I decided to ask a more direct question.

"After I leave, do you already have someone in mind for the position of queen?"

I am a temporary queen for two years. It's a bit lonely, but I need to know who His Majesty intends to choose as the next queen.

"Given that Natalie is effectively out of the running, and considering the power of their families, Kate seems to be the frontrunner."

"……From the way you say it, it seems you have other thoughts?"

"Well, what do you think? Do you believe Kate has the qualities necessary to be a queen?"

"……I think you and I share the same opinion on this matter."

I avoided a direct statement, but His Majesty must know. Lady Kate's temperament doesn't seem suitable for a queen, let alone a noblewoman.

"Since it's not Lady Natalie or Lady Kate, the remaining candidate is Lady E Reina, right?"

………Actually, there is one more candidate for queen. However, she lives in the southern palace and is unlikely to be chosen as the next queen. There are several reasons for this, but compared to her, Lady E Reina has a higher chance of being selected.

Lady E Reina comes from the northern region, which is heavily snowed in and isolated from other regions. However, the internal unity is strong, and the relationship between humans and beastmen in the territory is relatively good. While her family's power is inferior to Lady Kate's, Lady E Reina herself seems to have far more qualities suitable for a queen.

"Lady E Reina……. By process of elimination, it would be her, but she is lying."

"Lying?"

What kind of lie is she telling? I was curious, but His Majesty didn't seem willing to provide more details.

"I don't intend to blame her for lying, but you should be careful. A lie is only spoken when there is someone to deceive."

"……Thank you for the warning."

Lady E Reina is lying, but His Majesty doesn't think badly of her. I don't have a clear idea of what she's lying about yet, but I'll be cautious. His Majesty, who can see through Lady E Reina's lies, seems to be quite perceptive.