What does it feel like to work seriously?
Probably no one understands it better right now than the Demon King.
Originally, she was not in such a hurry.
But last night, the following happened:
“Sephine, just stay here quietly for the next few days. I’ll handle everything else. As soon as there’s progress, I’ll tell you, okay?”
“Then be careful. Mua~”
Honor and glory might be intangible things, but that kiss on her face was absolutely real.
“How should she describe the feeling… it was amazing.”
The Demon King felt like she was about to ascend to heaven.
Not only that, but when Sephine slept that night, she held her tighter than usual.
It allowed the Demon King to wrap her completely in her arms, like hugging a body pillow.
Alright, since she had already made a promise to her wife, she could not slack off anymore.
The Demon King was finally going to do something other than fighting and killing.
She wanted to prove that she was someone dependable.
So now, the Demon King sat here honestly working.
Cases still needed to be investigated, and official duties still needed to be handled.
“Minister of Military Affairs requests an audience!”
“Enter.”
“Your Majesty.”
“Speak.”
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s intervention, the southern war has been completely resolved. The army sent by the Monster Nation has been entirely wiped out. They have already sent envoys to request peace.”
“Good.”
“And… regarding the warriors who defended the city this time, should we… reward them?”
“Of course. What are you afraid of?”
“Recently, the National Treasury has been running dry. We are almost out of money.”
“Well… didn’t they get any spoils of war?”
“They did, but those monsters didn’t have anything valuable. At best, they are just defective items.”
“Distribute them all. Have Katherine Shelley process them into magical tools before distributing. If she dares refuse, cut off her funding.”
“Understood. There is also the northern war.”
“Go on.”
“Although it is not as difficult as the south, it is still quite taxing. However, the deputy commander of the Royal City Knights has already gone to provide support. It should not take long to eliminate the invaders.”
“Handle it the same way.”
“This minister understands.”
“You may leave.”
“Yes.”
Every day, it was nothing but battle reports.
The Demon King was truly getting tired of it.
If she could, she would rather just raise her hand and flatten those two countries.
But if she really did that casually, Sephine would definitely get serious with her.
“Your Majesty, the Finance Minister requests an audience!”
“Enter.”
“Your Majesty.”
Aspha Koda entered, gave a bow, and placed a sheet of paper on the desk.
“This is my resignation letter.”
“Oh? What is it? Did someone make things difficult for you? Speak boldly.”
“This minister is old and fears he can no longer fulfill this duty.”
“But you know we are short on manpower lately, right? Sephine is still on necessary leave, Astrid has just passed away, and several Cabinet members are outside dealing with the war.”
Although the kingdom’s administrative system did not consist of just these people, most of those below only handled classification, reporting, and writing documents.
They did not have real decision-making power.
Capable individuals were required for final decisions.
If everything ended up on the Demon King’s shoulders, it would be unbearable.
As for delegating authority, now was not the time.
“This minister understands. I will recommend someone more capable to take over my position. Please rest assured, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm… I will think about it. You may leave.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Misfortunes never come alone.
The Demon King’s head was starting to ache.
Why could these old officials not be more considerate of her as their leader?
“Sephine really was the best…”
‘Work hard. Once I finish all this, I’ll go back and cuddle with my wife~’
At least there was something to look forward to.
But for some people, that hope was very difficult to reach.
“Liana! Step forward!”
“Yes!”
Alona held a test paper in her hand, tapping it repeatedly against the table.
“Are these answers you wrote serious? Did you even read the book?”
“Report, teacher! I tried very hard to study!”
“Then you really are an idiot.”
“Report, teacher! They all say I’m an idiot!”
“Diligence can make up for stupidity. Keep reading. Keep writing!”
“Understood!”
Liana buried her head back into the sea of books.
Her parents only dared to listen outside the door, not entering.
On the second day after Alona moved in, Liana confessed to her parents that she had failed the test.
Surprisingly, her parents were not shocked at all.
They all said, “I knew it. You scared me. I thought our daughter had been replaced.”
Clearly, they had realized it earlier than Liana.
Fortunately, her parents were understanding.
They did not say much, only gently patted her head.
As for Alona, they treated her warmly, not as an outsider at all.
Alona herself had not expected that these two were members of the Old Nobles, who were heavily criticized by the public.
Of course, their hospitality was not without reason.
They had finally found someone who could properly take care of their daughter.
At last, they were free!
So they tried their best to keep Alona here.
Alona still went to school as usual, while Liana stayed at home to study.
It looked quite strange.
Others even thought Liana had undergone plastic surgery.
Not many people had returned to school.
Most seemed to be studying exam questions at home.
Those who did attend classes were mostly outstanding students.
Students who had previously bribed exam proctors were expelled, and most were banned from retaking the entrance exam for three years.
Liana, unlucky as she was, ended up being fortunate this time.
She had only bribed the gatekeeper when the others were caught.
So she was not recorded in the case.
Her money was even refunded.
The relationships within the school were quite complicated.
Before Liana enrolled, Alona had no intention of getting involved.
Moreover, those people all looked arrogant and difficult to get along with.
After class, she could only focus on her own studies.
Sephine was the same.
She stayed under the covers, repeatedly reviewing the documents left behind by Astrid, trying to find some clues.
“What exactly was it?”
Astrid must have discovered something very important, otherwise they would not have acted so rashly and alerted the enemy.
The Demon King did not share Flander’s clues with Sephine.
So Sephine could only rely on her own deductions.
After several days of intense mental strain, Seilin felt like she had gained some weight.
She was not sure if it was just her imagination.
The Demon King had effectively confined her within the Imperial Palace, so she could not walk around freely.