"Castell."

"Do you have orders, your majesty?"

Castell placed the sleep-aid medication next to Elizabeth. Elizabeth took off her outer-wear and wore on her s.e.xy sleepwear in front of him without a care. Faced with a milf with excess s.e.xiness, Castell's heart literally jumped out of his chest. He answered her with his head down to avoid seeing her perfect body.

The empress didn't care about his gaze though. She got into her blanket and then let out a soothed sigh. She picked up the medication and finished it in one shot. She then shut her eyes and said: "On the bookshelf is a letter addressed to the leaders of the five nations of the desert as well as my orders for our army stationed in the desert. Have someone send it there as fast as possible. Ask them to help his majesty when he gets there in any way they can. Any actions against his majesty are to be treated as treason against the nation."

Castell picked up a stack of envelopes. He then looked at the empress and asked with surprise: "His majesty is going to the desert? When was this decided?"

"It hasn't really been decided yet. It's just his own idea."

"I do not think that there is any need for his majesty to go to the desert. Not only is it dangerous there, there is nothing worth the royal family personally going there for! There is absolutely no need for his majesty to go there if he needs something from there. Even if an order is pa.s.sed down, the royal capital is too far away to have a significant influence on them so his majesty will meet with great risk."

"Oh?"

Elizabeth smiled and opened her eyes.. She turned onto her side. She revealed one arm to pull her blanket. She wore a playful smile to look at Castell and asked: "How rare, Castell. When it came to matters involving my son, wasn't it always the case that you'd do what I ordered? Why have you suddenly started considering my son's safety this time?"

Castell froze up and then went down on one knee. He replied: "You need not worry, your majesty, my loyalty belongs to you alone. Toward his majesty, I……"

Elizabeth impatiently cut him off: "You don't have to say that. If you aren't loyal to my son, I'll be first in line to take your head. My son is everything to me. If you are loyal to me, you must be loyal to my son. I think it's good for you to a.s.sist my son. You don't have to worry about me having misgivings. As I mentioned, if my son wants the throne, I will hand it to him without hesitation. If my head could put a smile to his face, I won't hesitate to give him my head either!"

Castell looked at the empress and firmly said: "You must not say that, your majesty! His majesty does not have what it takes to run a nation at current. If you pa.s.s the crown to him without thinking it through, you will cause the downfall of this nation."

"Isn't that why he doesn't covet the throne?" She cut him off again with annoyance. She then went on: "What I meant was for you to do everything you can to keep him safe. Though I'm letting him decide if he goes or not this time, I reckon he will definitely go. I know him. I know that he's the same as my husband. Not going because it's dangerous isn't his character. I have no way of rejecting his wish. I can't do something that would make him unhappy. That's why I can only help him as much as I can discreetly."

After a moment of silence, Castell nodded and responded: "…… I understand now. Your majesty, I shall ask the five nations of the desert to a.s.sist, but that is all I can do. The five nations of the desert are too far away from us. We cannot directly send an army there either. His majesty must take care of himself."

"That's fine. If he has the courage to go, he must have what it takes too. Further, I have examined his guard-unit once. They follow orders to a T and are very much like elites. They might not be as loyal and skilled as the Valkyries, but I believe that his guard-unit will be able to mow down all resistance they meet."

Elizabeth wore an expression of immense pride when she mentioned her son's guard-unit. Castell on the other hand was a little worried though. The guns his majesty's guard-unit possessed were created without blueprints from her majesty, and their sword skills were taught to them by a Valkyrie. His army was basically his majesty's private weapon. Under normal circ.u.mstances, the empress would surely be concerned since such a powerful army was right under her nose. But not only was she not concerned, she was to the contrary, proud. She wouldn't hesitate to provide them with even better resources.

Is that a mother's love? Her majesty wouldn't even notice if his majesty intended to revolt, would she…? Her majesty was an extremely vigilant individual, yet she allowed such a powerful force to exist right next to her. Does motherly love make one oblivious and neglectful too? Before he is her son, he's also someone vying for the throne.

Has her majesty forgotten that?

"I can only do this much for my son. He must come back safely."

Elizabeth sighed and then closed her eyes. It looked like the medication was kicking in. Castell lingered and then asked her a question with the intent of seeing what her response would be: "Your majesty, I heard a rumour. But it did come from places like bars, so I have no proof to back up its authenticity…… It is said that someone is plotting against his majesty……"

"Oh?"

She had closed her eyes but she opened them instantly like an eagle's eye aiming down at its prey, like she suddenly drew her sword and stabbed it through Castell's heart. Castell shuddered like her killing intent slashed him to pieces. The atmosphere went dead silent in an instant. The empress's domineering aura oppressed everything in the air. Castell's knees quivered like he couldn't withstand her dominance and was forced to his knees.

That is the empress' anger. That is a sovereign's dominance.

"……Whatever."

After pondering it for a moment, the empress closed her eyes again and the air relaxed once again, and Castell let out a long sigh. Those few seconds just now felt like centuries. Castell almost forgot to breathe. The empress continued, "I don't believe there is anyone who can hurt my son in my presence. Even if they do, my Valkyries will just cut them up. Frankly, I'm bored of this long peace. I wish there was a group who wasn't afraid of death so I could let my blade drink blood."

Castell didn't respond. He just tried telling the empress about Alice's plans. But it didn't look like the empress suspected her personal guards. In other words, Alice had never expressed her true thoughts to the empress. It looks like Alice is aware of the empress's feelings for his majesty. She's aware that it's pointless to try and persuade her, so she decided to get rid of his majesty discreetly.

Castell doesn't have any feelings toward his majesty. He doesn't hate or like him just like his att.i.tude for others. However, he refused to help Alice. He only promised to keep her secret, not for his majesty's sake but for the empress.

The empress will surely be sad if his majesty dies.

He just didn't want to let her majesty be sad.

That was the reason he tried to hint it to her majesty, but it didn't seem like she really cared. She had never suspected her Valkyries…… Perhaps she saw the Valkyries as tools. And tools don't have thoughts.

But how else could he say it? He couldn't tell her straight up…… He could only do everything in his power to ruin Alice's plan and reveal her plot.

Castell shut the door gently. With his back facing the large white door to her majesty's room, he let out a heavy sigh.

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