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“Prince Arthur certainly moved quite hastily… For him to be in such a rush, there must be some reason behind it, right?”
In her chamber at Avalon, Morgan groaned as she looked over the documents she had compiled regarding his presentation. It was no wonder.
In Morgan’s estimation, for Arthur to become king, the best course would have been to demonstrate his healing ability as usual. True, this year Prince Rod had presented something called “Golden Wheat,” but even then it would have been a close contest, and with Arthur’s recent accomplishments, he was expected to be rated higher.
“If that’s the case, then deciding to present a dish made with ‘rice’ this time must carry some meaning…”
There had been considerable argument over presenting the dish of an outsider—especially from commoners—but since the cook understood etiquette, and since Morgan would take responsibility if anything happened while Arthur healed, they had just barely won approval.
“And to go so far as to time it specifically to coincide with Prince Rod’s dish, as if to challenge him… Could that really be his aim? But there’s no point in fighting under such unfavorable conditions. Surely it can’t just be a whim…”
Unable to read Arthur’s thoughts, Morgan wore a troubled look. The truth was, it was indeed a whim, but since she rated him so highly, the possibility never crossed her mind.
“Really now, he probably wants me to think it through properly… but he could at least give me a hint or two… Come to think of it, he did mention something about monsters…”
She pulled out the notes she had taken during their meal about rice. It was a report concerning the appearance of the Five Great Calamity Beasts in a distant country.
That nation had dealings with Britannia, with regular trade and even food aid in this case.
“Wait… now that I think of it, its properties are…”
A bad feeling stirred in Morgan. She pulled out fresh documents, read them, and once the dots connected, summoned her subordinate.
“Lady Morgan, what is it?”
“Order the merchants to inspect the cargo at the port more thoroughly than ever until the Founding Festival is over!! Tell them that if they lack private soldiers, the state will provide support.”
“Yes, ma’am!!”
With this, the worst-case scenario could be prevented. And if nothing turned up, they could claim it had been a reinforcement for security at the Founding Festival.
“And now… what to do about this?”
Having resolved one problem, Morgan sighed deeply and looked at the dress on display. It was not of Britannia but the latest fashion abroad, recently delivered as a gift from Arthur’s messenger.
Ordinarily, it was not unusual for a fiancé to send a dress before a party. It showed a desire for one’s future bride to be beautifully adorned, and it signaled that the relationship was proceeding well.
Yes, ordinarily…
“If I were to wear something like this, it would be as if I were picking a fight with Prince Rod’s faction. What could you be thinking, Prince Arthur…”
That was the problem with foreign cutting-edge fashion—it was practically a challenge to Rod’s faction, who placed great importance on tradition.
Arthur might have had some plan, but under normal circumstances, one would dismiss it as unreasonable and wear it to a smaller gathering instead. But if—just if—it were a gift chosen by her beloved because he thought it would suit her…
Morgan’s maiden heart wavered, and she found herself unusually torn.
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