Chapter 17

"First, I want Yui to become the head of the Nuier family."

As I thought about the soup that had been brought in front of me, I felt like I might have spit it out if I had taken a sip. Perhaps it was a form of escapism. I must have had a rather strange expression on my face, because the maid serving the meal paused slightly when she saw me, and she gave me a worried look.

"Among the terms of the contract between the Nuier family and the spiders, there is a clause about the qualifications of the head. It states that the head should be the one with the most exceptional skills in the family. In that sense, Yui is already the head. Once confirmed by the current king, Amnart, it will be official," Arjitt-sama said as if it were nothing, while elegantly continuing his meal.

"If only his brother had taken the position of head... His grandfather was apparently quite normal, but—"

"Considering the rumors that he and his father killed his brother, it’s no surprise."

I had never heard that Yui had a brother, but given his nature, it was clear that he would choose to harm others rather than put in effort. It seems that from my grandfather’s time, he was of the same ilk as my father, only caring for family members who were similar to himself.

"Unlike my father, who quickly protected and raised him... I don’t want to spend my life regretting it."

The content of the conversation was quite serious, but I didn’t feel much sense of crisis. From the servants, it was clear that Rodan-sama was excellent and trustworthy.

"Yui, eat while you listen," Rodan-sama urged, and I picked up the spoon.

I brought the soup to my mouth. As always, it was delicious. I realized I was quite hungry.

However, my jaw was tired, and I didn’t feel like putting solid food in my mouth. Should I soak the bread in the soup?

Hmm, I tore off a small piece and put it in my mouth, washing it down with the soup.

"I proposed to you to protect you and to keep you out of the palace’s political struggles. The former king, while not holding actual power, was also not harmed by it."

"If you were to become the queen to the current king, Amnart, you would be involved in power struggles and fights for favor. Just being selected as a queen is dangerous. You might have wanted to be just a seamstress, but the royal family wouldn’t let a first-class seamstress who can do such protective stitching continue to make such clothes for them. I am not that shameless."

Rodan-sama said this while holding the amulet I had sewn.

Ah, so that’s why.

The reason for the exposure of the protective stitching.

"Even if you become my queen, your children will not have the right to inherit the throne. You can have children with whomever you like."

Huh?

Not understanding, I looked at him with a puzzled expression, and Arjitt-sama’s hand reached out to touch my cheek.

"Chewing properly is good for your body... Is your jaw tired and sore?"

Oh, you noticed.

"Usually, she hardly speaks, only a few words or cat-like meows," the maid added.

"Meows..."

Meowing doesn’t put much strain on the jaw, and it can often serve as a substitute for words when I can’t think of what to say. Given my appearance, it doesn’t feel out of place.