Chapter 206 Second meeting

Before long, just as Bern had announced, there was another meeting.

Only the people whose names weren’t announced were gathered.

I also attended the meeting in my father’s stead.

As always, I was the only woman present.

After everyone settled down, Dean entered the room.

Behind him, Ludy and Bern followed.

“Thank you everyone, for gathering here again. Just as I announced beforehand, today I wish to communicate my plans and policies for the future for everyone. I hope that you listen closely.”

Saying this, he looked at Bern.

Nodding, Bern spoke up.

When everyone had their eyes on Bern, I listened to him but turned my gaze toward Dean.

…So distant.

In terms of identity, although it was quite impertinent toward the royal family for me to think this…our differences had suddenly become less obvious than when he was just Dean.

But for some reason, it felt like he was further than when we met in our territory.

…Of course.

He and I both had our responsibilities to shoulder.

I would never compromise…and I suppose he wouldn’t either.

Compared to when we were walking on the same road, right now he and I walked on different paths.

We were so close to each other now, yet I had never considered the possibility of still feeling my heart tighten because of loneliness.

I pressed a hand to my chest.

It was within my expectations that this meeting would turn into something like this.

…To be honest, I hadn’t wanted to attend it in the first place.

Even though I had my determination backing me up, I still couldn’t finalize my decision.

This distance, made me become more acutely self-aware…

While I was mulling over my own sadness, Bern was still talking.

First of all, the confiscated nobles’ territories would be taken control of by the royal family.

To prevent this from happening again, several representatives from the royal family would be sent to the territories that hadn’t committed crimes.

They would be granted the right to intervene in local politics.

The goal of this was to construct policies that better reflected the kingdom, as well as allowing the territories and the royal representatives to supervise each other.

Our territory would have these supervisors as well, most likely.

Until this point I was able to force policy changes because I was the only one in power. From now on, this wouldn’t be the case.

Originally when I saw Bern in the meeting…I thought that my life as leader was over.

The meeting continued without a hitch. No one raised any actual points of opposition.

That was also because…everyone here today was mostly a member of the first prince faction.

People who already understood his plans for the country, and supported him.

His plans had also been revealed during Earl Sagittaria’s banquet, so I remembered as well.

“I’m sure he would complete all of this. Transform our current system, and turn this into a true kingdom.” (From Chapter 44.)

There wasn’t much to say about the policies today…they were the best possible way to strengthen the royal family’s power.

Even though the people who belonged to the neutral party understood these policies, they didn’t oppose them.

Of course it was also difficult to speak up because the first prince’s faction had a vast majority of people in the room. Most importantly though, was because of everything that had already happened.

No matter what kind of opposition they could construct, they would be shot down with a combination of theory and policy…that’s what Bern would say.

Although I was surprised at the changes in his appearance, I was far more shocked at his internal transformation.

Facing off against the foxes and weasels that populated the palace year-round, he didn’t stand down at all when confronting their accusations, instead calmly negotiating with them.

His harsh style had already become a topic of much discussion in the palace.

The bloodline of the demon king hasn’t been cut off…I don’t know who started circulating the phrase, but he was getting to a point where people were discussing him like this.

Unlike when attacking me, he also displayed a new side: thorough investigation of any new information, comparing it to what he observed in reality. It was softer in a way.

Should I say that he was all grown up, or that he seemed to have shed his skin?

When I was immersed in my own thoughts, someone on the nobles’ side spoke up for the first time.