Astreia and Laxana’s figures vanished completely.
The Palace Study returned to silence.
Wendy sat back at the desk, facing the mountain of parchment documents. His temples throbbed.
Tax disputes in the Southern Province; a gap in military pay for the Royal Capital’s garrison; an old Duke’s petition spanning over ten pages, pleading and threatening over his ranch’s ownership.
All of these trivial matters were unbearably frustrating.
He was more skilled at commanding on a map than being an accountant here.
Should he just implement constitutional monarchy and a Prime Minister’s cabinet ahead of time?
The thought surfaced, but Wendy quickly crushed it himself.
No, now isn’t the time.
Even if these nobles all wore Loyalty Collars crafted by Laxana, it couldn’t change the short-sightedness and greed in their bones.
Expecting them to form an efficient cabinet to govern the country would only drag Valoran into a new quagmire.
Wendy exhaled irritably, his gaze drifting to the other side of the room.
The little Queen Yekaterina sat upright at her petite desk.
Her posture was straight, small hands gripping a quill as she meticulously reviewed documents.
The flickering candlelight cast gentle shadows on her focused profile, outlining a calm and dignity beyond her years.
Seeing her seriousness, the irritation in Wendy’s heart was pressed down by a sudden, inexplicable sense of rivalry.
He couldn’t let himself be outdone by a little girl!
He had to do something…
The Prince’s gaze swept over the expensive parchment before him, a thought forming in his mind.
Parchment.
This stuff was complicated to make, expensive, and the biggest barrier to the spread of knowledge and information.
To strengthen rule and enlighten the people, convenient and affordable paper was the first lever to move this world.
Wendy immediately called out, summoning a servant from outside the door.
“Go, bring Prime Minister Allison here.”
Not long after, Allison Visseran, face weary, was summoned again.
But as she listened to Wendy’s detailed vision for “Papermaking,” the dullness in her eyes was instantly replaced by a piercing brilliance.
“Prince, are you saying… with bark, rags, and fishing nets, it’s possible to create a cheaper, lighter writing material than parchment?”
The Prime Minister’s voice trembled with excitement.
“In theory, yes.”
Wendy smiled confidently.
“The key is to pulp the raw materials, then press and dry them. We can figure out the specific processes step by step.”
As the Prince and Prime Minister passionately debated materials and procedures, the little Queen, buried in paperwork, quietly lifted her gaze.
Her eyes passed over the wavering candle flame, landing on Wendy’s animated face.
In her emerald eyes, light flickered, and a subtle, unreadable smile curved her lips.
Time flew by in focused discussion.
Before they realized it, night had fallen completely.
“That’s enough for today.”
Wendy stopped the still-enthusiastic Allison, waving a hand.
“Off work. Everyone, clock out on time!”
He’d been a workhorse in his past life—no way was he going to work overtime in this one.
Resigned, the Prime Minister left the study, equal parts aggrieved and excited, glancing back with every step.
Wendy stretched with a loud yawn, his joints popping crisply.
He turned, offering the little Queen a bright smile.
“Hard day’s work. Tonight I’ll make something new to reward our diligent Queen.”
“Okay.”
Yekaterina put down her quill, smiling sweetly, her large eyes shining.
A short while later, in the dining room.
Wendy brought out a giant white porcelain plate, setting it firmly in the center of the table.
Golden, glossy fried shredded potatoes filled the dish.
This world lacked vinegar and green peppers, but with high-quality beast oil, fierce heat, and a sprinkle of chopped green onions, the aroma mixed with potato starch was still overpoweringly irresistible.
The little Queen, so composed and dignified in the study, shattered her façade the moment the scent reached her.
She practically dashed to the table, picking up knife and fork, emerald eyes sparkling.
Watching the shredded potatoes vanish at an astonishing speed, Wendy could only laugh and quickly joined the scramble.
The meal vanished like a storm.
When the last shred of potato was eaten, Wendy leaned back, thoroughly satisfied, ready to savor a moment of peace.
But then, a soft, whisper-like voice sounded at his side.
“Prince Wendy?”
“Huh?”
Wendy turned reflexively.
At some point, the little Queen had moved to the seat beside him.
Yekaterina’s pale hand gripped a silver fork, lifting several strands of golden potato, her other hand beneath to support it, offering the fork steadily to the Prince’s lips.
“Ah—”
“What the—?!”
Wendy jolted as if struck by lightning, recoiling so hard his back hit the chair.
He waved his hands, forcing a stiff smile.
“N-no, it’s fine, Yekaterina, you eat, you eat.”
What’s with this little Queen?
Why was she suddenly so close?
And…
If he ate this, wouldn’t it be like an indirect kiss with Astreia’s little sister?
The thought exploded in his mind, and heat rose uncontrollably in his cheeks.
Yet Yekaterina remained, gentle and sweetly smiling, still holding the fork.
“Prince Wendy, just one bite. Ah—”
She didn’t pull back.
Instead, she leaned closer, breath warm as orchids.
“This… isn’t proper, is it?”
Wendy tried to stand.
Alarms blared in his mind, chaos swirling.
What exactly was Astreia’s sister trying to do?
Seeing the wariness and distance in Wendy’s eyes, the smile slowly faded from the little Queen’s face.
Expressionless, she placed the forkful of potato in her own mouth, cherry lips chewing swiftly.
Then.
In Wendy’s stunned gaze, the little Queen suddenly lunged!
A chilling, eerie magic instantly enveloped him.
The Prince’s body went rigid, as if bound by invisible chains, unable to move!
This wasn’t physical strength—it was magic!
Wendy’s pupils contracted.
Before he could break free, soft, warm lips pressed hard against his.
“Mm!”
Wendy was pinned to the chair, mind blank.
He could only watch as the other party slowly transferred the food from her mouth to his.
The salty flavor of potatoes mixed with the girl’s unique sweetness, overwhelming all his senses.
What he felt was that soft touch, the irresistible possessiveness, and… a fleeting, corrupted aura so similar to Astreia’s!
Only when the mouthful was completely swallowed did Yekaterina slowly pull away.
The feeling of restraint vanished.
Wendy leaned against the wall, breathing hard, his face drained of all laughter—only shock and disbelief remained.
In his ear, the little Queen’s whisper, tinged with grievance and satisfaction, drifted.
“If the elder sister can taste it, I want to taste it too.”
“And…”
She extended her tongue, gently licking her lips.
In her eyes burned a madness and greed utterly unfitting for her age.
“It has to taste even better.”