I shook my head and said, "You are. You told me yourself—trust in yourself. Come on then." "Thank you, Your Majesty," he replied.
We both descended the stairs, waiting for my parents to come down so we could all go together to greet our guests. When my parents joined us, we headed all together to the garden to meet the Crown prince and princess of Elvada—my sister and her husband. My parents seated themselves first, then we greeted them in unison, "Long life to you, your majesties." My father responded graciously, "You may sit," and added with a warm smile, "It has been quite some time since we last saw you, Esther. You look even more beautiful." My mother smiled, her smile was gentle and sincere."Thank you, mother; your compliments flattered my heart," my sister responded with genuine warmth. Though my parents behaved with an uncommon kindness, my sister's smile felt sincere, leaving me to wonder if their kindness was for everyone, or just for her. "Our son-in-law finally came to see us; we couldn't be happier," my father said proudly. Crown Prince Karl, with a modest smile, replied, "I am flattered, father-in-law," as he sipped his tea. My mother, ever gracious, suggested, "Of course, you had a long journey; shall we continue this discussion around the dining table?" But I interrupted, "Mother, father, and guests, I may take my leave; we have some important affairs to deal with." My father looked at Sir Léon and asked, "Sir Léon, is what she said true?" "Yes your highness," Léon replied simply. "We are very busy today, your majesty," he added. With that, my parents nodded in understanding, and I took my leave, leaving the garden behind.
We moved to my office and took seats at the desk as I began reviewing the case. "Your idea during today's meeting made sense, but it was too bare," I explained. "Giving out food or sharing food is not empowering our people to do something for themselves; it merely makes them beggars and useless, which could lead to an economic fallout for the entire country. As Duke Ethra mentioned earlier, we need them to deserve their food—not to sit around and slack off every day, waiting for someone to feed them. So, you need to be more open-minded when proposing ideas," I advised. He nodded, understanding, and responded, "I understand, but for now, jobs are just starting to be restored, and the people are hungry. My plan was for at most a month." Sir Léon, who had been taking notes and listening intently, offered his opinion and advice throughout, providing a fresh perspective that was quite interesting to observe. When we finished, Sir Léon asked, "Your Majesty, why not stay with your family for dinner?" I replied curtly, "I was not part of their discussion in the first place. What was the point of me staying and listening to their sweet talk?"
"May I then call you by your name, Your Majesty?" he asked softly.