Queen of Roran rubbed the corner of her eye with a slight headache.
But she quickly regained her usual air of majesty.
She continued, "At this point, we cannot let our guard down. Have the guards below remain vigilant during this period."
"At the speech held once every month, three days from now, I will explain this matter."
"Though it may cause some panic then, we can no longer worry about so much."
The minister nodded again.
Queen of Roran spoke once more. "In addition, as a small selfish wish of mine..."
"Within the next two days, help me make arrangements and some preparations for my daughter to visit the Matsutou Clan in the Land of Wind in the name of paying a visit."
"The reason will be that my daughter misses her friend."
The minister hesitated slightly. "Understood. However, Your Majesty, regarding Her Highness the Princess..."
Queen of Roran said, "Prepare for the worst-case scenario!"
"I will explain things to my daughter. I believe she will obediently listen."
The minister said, "Yes."
After a brief silence, the queen said, "As the Queen of Rōran, this time, all we can do is silently endure whatever fate awaits us."
The minister said nothing more.
Queen of Roran seemed to soften somewhat.
The lofty majesty she usually possessed suddenly faded at this moment, revealing that she was, after all, only a woman.
She said, "Uncle Hong."
At her words, the minister's body trembled. He raised his head, and his usual respectful demeanor was gone.
Instead, compassion appeared in his eyes as he said, "You've worked hard."
Queen of Roran shook her head. "Uncle Hong, from the moment my mother handed Rōran over to me, I knew this was my responsibility."
"Since it is my responsibility, I never intended to shirk it. To