Chapter 1. A New Kingdom

The blue of dawn had completely faded from the morning sky.

Sunlight poured through the majestic windows, drawing a boundary between light and shadow, brilliantly embroidering the red carpet.

Across it strode Tanner Henderson, the Minister of the Royal Household of the Hunt Kingdom.

Step– Step.

Despite his quickly moving legs, his well-tailored uniform remained as impeccable as its wearer.

His expertly styled hair and ash-gray eyes fixed straight ahead were equally flawless.

“They say a father-in-law’s nagging is harsher than a blizzard.”

Tanner grumbled discontentedly.

This was due to the self-proclaimed father-in-law, Michael, who visited as freely as if it were his own home at all hours.

“Bothering people at the crack of dawn.”

Of course, it was already well past dawn, with the sun high in the sky.

Moreover, Michael wasn’t old enough to be called an old man.

However, his pattern of visiting nearly every day and picking fights for no reason clearly showed his resentment that ‘they had knotted before even having a wedding ceremony.’

Originally, knotting wasn’t just a simple imprinting, but a vow of marriage before God and seeking permission.

It was a momentous, once-in-a-lifetime event with deeply religious significance.

Therefore, it was customary to make marriage vows through the temple, then hold a wedding ceremony and perform the knotting.

For this reason, Michael’s anger, as the head of the temple, towards Hector, who had skipped all of these steps, showed no signs of cooling.

“Of all things, he just had to know teleportation magic.”

Michael’s magic rank was Platinum.

His specialty was teleportation magic.

[Her Majesty the Queen has ordered clothes to be tailored for Lord Tanner and Sir Leon. Her Majesty has already paid for it as well.]

Tanner’s face broke into a smile as he recalled the words of Isabelle, the representative of Estella’s Dress Shop.

“She didn’t have to go to such lengths.”

Even as he said this, the corners of Tanner’s mouth refused to come down.

“If I’m to meet the Pope and stop by the clothing shop, I’d better hurry.”

Tanner’s steps quickened as he headed towards Spinel Palace.

In fact, until he brought Charlie to the Grand Ducal residence, Tanner didn’t expect her to become Hector’s partner at all.

But Charlie not only did that, she also made Hunt independent and efficiently managed the kingdom’s internal affairs as queen.

No, it was surprising how she had hidden such abilities until now.

[Spreadsheets… Anyway, this is how we organized data where I’m from. I wonder if it can be done with magic too…]

Thanks to Charlie, Tanner was able to handle official business much faster, making the reorganization of the kingdom much easier.

And that wasn’t all.

[I heard the south makes money from tourism. Why can’t we do the same in the north? We have ski resorts…]

The ‘ski resort’ tourism business proposed by Charlie impressed even Richard, Hector’s closest aide who had managed the Grand Duchy and was now the Prime Minister of Hunt Kingdom.

[Micha… I mean, His Holiness said he wants to visit the northern temples to offer confession prayers, grateful for the work of the Holy Knight Order.]

Moreover, despite being a saintess backed by the temple and having the Pope with his powerful divine force as her godfather, Charlie remained…

[Dignity maintenance expenses? The clothes and jewels I have now are more than enough. Please use that money where you see it fit, Lord Tanner.]

…still modest and unadorned.

[Since we’re reforming taxes anyway, how about collecting a bit more from the nobles? There’s something called inheritance tax…]

[Oh! And for the commoners, there’s something called a pension, where after collecting taxes, that money is used to…]

…and even showed a compassionate heart that cared for the citizens regardless of their social status, along with never-before-seen methods of state management.

“Her Majesty the Queen is truly a saintess.”

In this way, a Zero–or Charlie–quickly melted the hearts of not only Tanner but also the northern people, who were said to ‘not even blink for anyone but the Hunt family.’

To the extent that the heads of various departments, led by Prime Minister Richard, including the Ministry of Finance, Foreign Affairs, and State Affairs, rushed to seek Charlie’s advice.

[Oh, it’s nothing special. I’m just sharing methods from where I used to live.]

However, the fact that Charlie was a transmigrator remained a secret between Charlie and Tanner.

Hector was already worried enough about Charlie being a Zero.

If the fact that she was a transmigrator was revealed on top of that, even the great Tanner wasn’t confident he could handle Hector.

“I do have an eye for choosing my lord.”

Ahem–

Tanner straightened his back as he entered Spinel Palace.

“Why are you so late? We’ve been waiting for ages.”

As soon as he passed the entrance, Leon, the commander of the Hunt Kingdom’s Royal Guard and the reigning number one in popularity within the royal palace, approached Tanner.

His flame-like red hair and the cloak draped over one shoulder exuded a rather solemn atmosphere.

“The Pope suddenly came, you see.”

Tanner quickened his pace, withdrawing his gaze from Leon.

Leon, following behind him, frowned deeply.

“Again? There shouldn’t be anyone from the Holy Knight Order training today.”

“When has he ever come because of training? If the weather is good, it’s because it’s good; if it’s cloudy, it’s because it’s cloudy. Isn’t he the type to come up with all sorts of excuses to see Her Majesty?”

“Well, that’s true…”

Leon nodded in agreement. Then, a sudden thought struck him and he looked at Tanner.

“But surely he wouldn’t follow them on their honeymoon, right?”

Slip–

Tanner’s steps, which had maintained its dignity until now, faltered.

He couldn’t guarantee that Michael wouldn’t follow them.

Come to think of it, Michael already knew that Charlie was leaving…

“It would be troublesome to kill again…”

“What? Again?! Who are you talking about…!”

A large exclamation mark appeared above Leon’s head as he repeated Tanner’s ominous mutter.

“No way…”

The sudden death of the previous Pope.

Thanks to that, the current Pope, Michael, was able to take the position.

Thinking it was a well-deserved fate for someone who deserved to die, he thought that God was finally doing His job properly.

But that God who killed the Pope…

“Lord Tanner?!”

Having reached the grand doors, Tanner adjusted his clothes and changed the subject.

“Let’s go in now.”

As the guards opened the doors, a sight that could melt one’s heart entered Tanner’s retina.

“I don’t want to!”

Diamond-like silver hair and amethyst eyes resembling the goddess Areis.

As if to match, the royal couple’s bedroom was decorated with white marble and purple bedding.

“You do want to.”

“No, I’m saying I don’t want to.”

“You do want to, don’t you?”

“……”

* * *

“It’s hot, I’m telling you.”

Charlie said, pushing away Hector’s hand. The fur hat, so thick that only her eyes were visible, was stifling.

But Hector’s unyielding hand placed the winter hat back on top of her diamond-like silver hair.

Following this gesture, the black cloak, symbol of the Hunt royal family, fluttered imposingly.

“You’ll catch a cold.”

Fearing she might take it off again, Hector went so far as to tie the hat’s ribbon into a knot.

Charlie let out a shallow sigh.

“We have fire magic stones, don’t we?”

And not just fire magic stones.

Due to the layers upon layers of clothes, Charlie looked like a snowman.

“That’s not enough.”

Charlie was originally very sensitive to cold. Moreover, while her holy power was Miracle, Charlie’s magic power remained at Zero as it had always been.

Such a Charlie had come to the frigid north because of him.

Hector’s overprotectiveness towards Charlie was so extreme that even Michael clicked his tongue.

He had covered the entire Hunt palace with fire magic stones.

To add, he had brought in all the highest-grade magic stones from within the Graham Empire with Kaisis’s help.

“It’s really hot wearing this.”

Charlie held up her wrist, showing the fire magic stone bracelet attached to it.

In addition to that, there were necklaces, earrings, brooches, hair ornaments, and even anklets.

Charlie’s entire body was wrapped in fire magic stones.

Given this situation, Charlie truly didn’t need any other jewels.

“They said if your face gets hit by cold wind, you’ll catch a cold.”

“My face?”

“Yes.”

As if a little wind on the face could cause a cold?

Charlie snorted, finding it ridiculous.

“Come on, if that were true, everyone who goes outside would catch a cold. Who said such a thing?”

Hector answered with a confident expression.

“Dr. Audrey.”

“Oh…”

Charlie’s words faltered for a moment, and she pursed her lips.

Audrey had become the royal physician of the Hunt royal family and Queen Charlie’s personal doctor.

Since coming to the north, she had been putting all her efforts into preventing Charlie from catching a cold.

[A healthy mind in a healthy body is more powerful than any magic. So please eat, Your Majesty.]

She had always been upright, but perhaps the position makes the person. Audrey’s strictness as the royal physician was beyond description.

Every day there were nutritious meals and vitamins delivered like clockwork. And on top of that, regular exercise.

‘Still, it’s true that I survived thanks to the carrots.’

When she was kidnapped by Cedric, the defense formation of the room where Charlie was confined was full of magical toxins.

Forbidden magic, rotten holy water, and even curses.

It seemed that Cedric himself hadn’t noticed it, though.

[Carrots contain components that boost immunity to magical toxins, making them an essential food for a Zero.]

If Audrey hadn’t recommended carrots…

And if Hector hadn’t persistently insisted, Charlie wouldn’t be standing here right now.

But that’s beside the point.

“What’s the big deal about that damn cold……”

Charlie turned to Tanner with disgust, meaning for him to stop Hector.

However, Tanner avoided Charlie’s gaze and quietly turned his face away.

Leon, who was standing nearby, was fiddling with his intact gauntlet, his head bowed low.

‘Just like the Demon King’s henchmen.’

[Regression, you ask? I simply closed my eyes and when I opened them, I was back in the past.]

Tanner had calmly answered when Charlie asked how he had regressed.

In fact, isn’t Tanner truly a child of the devil?

Of course, Charlie was no less the protagonist of an equally absurd story of ‘waking up here after a traffic accident’.

“Why don’t you just cover me with snow while you’re at it?”

“Is that okay?”

Hector lightly kissed Charlie’s puffed-up cheek.

Not disliking the affectionate gesture, Charlie silently pouted her lips.

“The blizzard is severe today. So please bear with it a little. I’m asking you.”

Hector looked down at Charlie intently.

“If you were to fall ill……”

Hector couldn’t finish his sentence and swallowed hard, as though Charlie had really fallen ill.

His red eyes, a symbol of strength beyond cold-bloodedness, were even trembling slightly.

‘Oh my– Such fussing.’

Charlie, embraced by Hector, quietly swallowed a sigh that was about to escape.

Anyone watching might think it was a terminal illness, not just a cold.

In the first place, she wouldn’t catch a cold just from not wearing a winter hat during the brief moment it takes to leave through the door and reach the carriage through the streets filled with fire magic stones.

But knowing Hector’s concern for her, Charlie adjusted her hat and replied,

“Only until we get in the carriage.”

* * *