“King Maxim, is it true that you plan to cut a road through Quagmoria?”

A vassal asked Maxim with a worried expression.

“Yes. It’s something we’ve been planning for a long time.”

“But if they attack at any time, wouldn’t cutting a road through there be like laying out a silk road for them to invade us?”

Maxim twisted his lips into a smirk.

“Why do you think we’re laying a silk road for them? Can’t you consider that we might be the threat? Or do you simply not want to?”

The vassal seemed caught off guard by Maxim’s blunt words, avoiding eye contact and shrinking back.

Maxim locked eyes with each elder and vassal as he continued.

“How long do you want to live isolated, labeled as barbarians? I plan to build roads in every direction—east, west, south, and north.”

His determination seemed unwavering, a promise he had made himself long ago. No one dared object.

Rosé already knew the outcome of this discussion.

Maxim Lankert eventually carved a massive road through the natural fortress of the Quagmoria Forest and used it to launch a ruthless invasion of Solstern.

This time, Maxim turned to Rosé for her opinion.

“What do you think?”

Though Rosé knew the outcome regardless of what she said, she wanted to support Maxim’s resolve publicly.

In a slightly dramatic way.

She gently placed her hand over the back of Maxim’s, resting on the chair’s armrest, and smiled at him.

“If Your Majesty wishes to become Emperor, this must be done sooner or later.”

The hall fell utterly silent.

Everyone looked as if they had been struck in the head, their expressions frozen in shock.

Maxim seemed satisfied with Rosé’s response. He raised the hand she had placed over his and kissed the back of it. His golden eyes, locked on her, gleamed with determination like never before.

“For you.”

The ministers were at a loss for words at the sight of Maxim and Rosé’s bold display.

Everyone had long known, though only implicitly, that they would have to clash with Stern over the singular throne one day.

No one knew precisely when it would happen, but to speak of it aloud would make the inevitability of war too real. For that reason, no one dared bring it up.

Thus, everyone was thoroughly shocked.

Not even the progressive military had made such a bold declaration, yet here was a woman from Stern blurting out such words in this formal setting.

“Indeed!”

Standing on one side of the conference room, Richard muttered in admiration of Rosé’s cleverness.

He felt like applauding her.

In his eyes, the woman who had just delivered a decisive blow to the conservative ministers who feared change and sought to avoid war looked utterly different.

As he glanced at the ministers’ pale faces, Richard stifled a laugh with a slight cough.

That day’s meeting had been chaotic from beginning to end.

After the meeting concluded, Maxim and Rosé were the first to leave the room, walking out leisurely.

They looked like a stately and affectionate couple, a pair that anyone could see as well-matched. In today’s meeting, Rosé had firmly solidified her presence.

“It’s enough now,” Rosé said as she gently withdrew her hand from Maxim’s arm.

They had just reached a quiet corridor after passing through the halls, which were filled with the watchful eyes of ministers and elders.

Maxim chuckled softly as he watched her take a precise step away from him.

Since the day she had collapsed, he hadn’t seen her for a while, and he had been a little worried about her condition.

Though Jansen had given him daily reports, something about that day made him hesitant to approach her. He felt guilty as if she had collapsed because of him, and he had tried to give her space to rest peacefully, even if it meant staying out of her sight.

Yet even now, she treated him as nothing more than a means to an end.

While Maxim hadn’t expected any other feelings from her, her consistently curt and distant attitude toward him irritated him.

“Are you feeling better?” he asked, the tone as casual as when he greeted his subordinates.

“Thanks to you.”

“You look well, probably because you haven’t seen me.”

“You do no need to stay in an uncomfortable office because of me.”

“Are you concerned about me?”

“I’m just worried people will find it strange if we sleep in separate rooms.”

“Ah, of course.”

Maxim nodded as if he had expected that answer, smirking cynically.

“If that’s the case, don’t worry. That sort of arrangement is more natural here. After all, we’re not a real couple.”

His words carried a faintly sharp edge.

“You were quite impressive during the meeting. You played the role of queen beautifully.”

Rosé hurriedly explained, “I was just trying to help you…!”

“Ah, yes, of course you were.”

Maxim’s gaze was cold and clinical as he laughed, his expression implying it was only natural.

He gently held both of her shoulders and locked eyes with her.

“I feel like I’ve gained a reliable partner, not a wife.”

“Are you angry with me?”

“Why would I be angry? That’s an emotion that arises between people who share special feelings.”

“Then why…”

Rosé trailed off, giving up on whatever she had been about to say. Instead, she changed the subject.

“There are a few things in the castle that I want to change. I’d like to discuss them with you. If you don’t have time, perhaps we could have dinner together?”

“Those minor matters are all things you can handle yourself. You don’t need my permission for everything. If there’s anything difficult, consult with Jansen.”

Maxim nodded once, signaling that he had said his piece.

“…Understood,” Rosé replied with a slight nod.

“Well then, I’m busy, so I’ll take my leave.”

When they reached a fork in the corridor, Maxim turned and walked away, leaving Rosé behind without a glance backward.

His distant attendants quickly rushed to follow after him.

Rosé watched Maxim’s retreating figure, and all the strength suddenly drained from her body.

This wasn’t how she had wanted things to go…

She had just wanted to thank him for staying by her side that night when she had been ill.

Rosé couldn’t understand why only curt words kept coming out in front of Maxim.

Acting so stiffly in front of someone didn’t suit her at all, and even she couldn’t make sense of her behavior.

Seeing him after such a long time had made her feel a bit glad.

‘Why do I keep acting so prickly only toward him?’

Rosé stood in the spot he left, her face blank with disappointment.

***

“Use a combination of sky blue and white with breathable, flexible materials. This isn’t a prison or a convent, so as long as it’s not excessive, don’t be too strict about the maids’ small attempts to dress up.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“The kitchen seems dark and poorly ventilated, so add another large window. This is a matter of hygiene as well.”

“Yes.”

“Repair the old gardener’s cottage before it gets colder. Amazingly, he’s lived in that collapsing shack. And since he recently fell from a tree and is now limping, send him to the physician for a checkup before it’s too late.”

“Yes, I will inform Steward Freddy.”

“Polish the silverware in the storage and use it for every meal. Keeping it locked away just makes it useless junk.”

“Understood.”

Rosé issued these instructions to Miriam based on everything she had noted in her head during the recent castle tour.

“Give the maids and servants shifts so they have designated free time during the day, and ensure that time is respected.”

“I will see to it.”

Miriam was surprised that the queen had considered such small details.

When she led the castle tour, Miriam had expected her to glance around briefly out of formality, but Rosé had grasped details that even the head maid hadn’t thought of.

“Replace the heavy, dull brown curtains with a cream and gold combination. Open the windows in the long-unused rooms on sunny days for proper ventilation to clear the stale air.”

Miriam’s quill moved quickly across her notebook.

“Understood.”

“That should be enough for now. We’ll change the rest as new ideas come to mind. I’m counting on you.”

“You can rely on me.”

When Miriam left, Rosé leaned back in her chair, relaxing as she wondered whether she had missed anything.

She knew that a person of her status shouldn’t be involved in such minor matters.

Back in Solstern, she’d never had to think about such things. Everything had worked seamlessly on its own without her needing to interfere.

‘But I can’t tolerate this.’

Rosé wanted to completely change the environment, which still bore Katriona’s lingering influence.

Even though Katriona was no longer here, her presence loomed, watching from somewhere. Rosé needed to escape that oppressive atmosphere as soon as possible.

Was she being too impulsive since arriving at the castle?

The worry crossed her mind briefly, but she quickly shook her head.

‘Maxim said I could handle things as I saw fit. This should be fine.’

She rationalized it by using his words as an excuse.

Rosé recalled his icy demeanor from earlier, and a soft sigh escaped her lips.

“I-I’ll go fetch some fresh water.”

Hearing the timid voice, Rosé saw Hannah holding the vase from her desk. The yellow and orange flowers in it swayed gently.

‘Come to think of it, when did those flowers first appear on my desk?’

Only then did Rosé realize that fresh flowers had been placed on her desk daily.

“Have you been bringing flowers here every day?”

When Rosé asked, Hannah’s ears turned red as she gave a slight nod.

“T-To help you get better.”

“Oh… I see. Thank you.”

When Rosé smiled, Hannah’s face flushed even more.

“N-No need. I-I’ll go fetch the water now!”

As Hannah moved to leave, Rosé quickly called her back.

“Wait a moment.”

Rosé stood and removed the ribbon she had tied around her wrist. It was one of the items sent from home—a soft satin ribbon edged with gold lace.

“This isn’t the same as the one that got ruined, but I want to give it to you as a gift for all the flowers.”

Rosé gently wrapped the ribbon around Hannah’s hair, treating her like a younger sister.

“Don’t worry about the head maid’s opinion and wear it freely.”

“Th-Thank you, Your Majesty.”

For the queen to tie her hair—Hannah’s body stiffened from the surprise. She stumbled awkwardly out of the room with unsteady steps.

The moment she opened the door,

Jansen, who had come to see Rosé, collided head-on with Hannah right in front of it.

“Ahh!”

“Careful!”

Jansen barely managed to catch the vase that slipped from Hannah’s hands.

“Safe!”

He sighed in relief, handing the vase back to her.

“They’re pretty flowers. That was close.”

He smiled at Hannah as he spoke.

“A-Ah… Ahh!”

Hannah made a strange sound as if she had encountered a monster and dashed out of the room with the vase in hand.

“…Huh?”

Bewildered, Jansen stared at Hannah as she ran down the hallway, wondering if he had made a big mistake.

He then knocked on the door and entered Rosé’s room.

“Your Majesty.”

“Jansen. What’s going on?”

Rosé, standing by the window, turned to face him.

“I have something to say and something to give you.”

Rosé watched curiously as he approached.

“I found this at the spot where Your Majesty was sitting.”

He took a folded object from inside his sleeve and handed it to her.

Rosé gasped and frantically searched for the book on her desk as soon as she saw it.

It wasn’t there—the item that should have been tucked inside.

When had it fallen out? She hadn’t even realized it was missing!

“Thank you.”

She quickly snatched it from his hand and tucked it into the book.

“…”

Jansen was curious about why Rosé had looked at the item so intently, but he didn’t pry.

“What did you want to say?”

“In a few days, King Maxim and the knights will be hunting in the Quagmoria Forest. It’s an annual event around this time of year.”

“Hunting in Quagmoria…?”

“Yes. I’ll likely be going with them this time, and we’ll be away for a few days.”

“I see.”

Rosé nodded as if she understood.

A few days’ hunting trip to the Quagmoria Forest… She felt the desire to go too.

“Administrator Jansen, by any chance…”