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“Tanya?!”
I was stunned to see Tanya. There was dirt on Tanya’s small face; her cloak was stained with mud from her long journey. Her calves also were mud-laden on them. However, she looked expressionless as per usual. Tone serious, she reported, “Your Majesty, I apologise for disturbing your sleep at night, but this is a letter from Troy City. Consort Ling Yue personally wrote it and had me rush it to you.
“Ling Yue? She’s at Troy City?” I then realised something. I grabbed Tanya with one hand and asked, “What about Liu Yue?! What about my daughter?! Where’s my daughter?!”
“Princess Liu Yue is also currently at Troy City, but they are still safe, Your Majesty. Nonetheless, I please hurry and read Consort Ling Yue’s letter. She said that the letter is very important.”
I couldn’t possibly be convinced that Ling Yue and Liu Yue were safe at Troy City. I didn’t know why the two of them went to Troy City. They practically turned themselves into hostages for the new church to threaten me with. Whatever the letter said, I had to hurry and write back to them to tell them to hurry back to the North. I had to lead the army there right away. Was I supposed to blow up a city with my wife and daughter in it?!
I opened the envelope. Honestly, the envelope was quite strange. There was no heat stamp or anything to seal it. Because Tanya kept it in her shirt the entire time, her warmth still lingered on it. If I was my past itself, I’d definitely be full of interest for the envelope that had the warmth of a loli on it, but I had no time to be embarrassed about her warmth. My daughter was a tad cuter than Tanya, after all.
I opened the letter. It was written in a hasty manner. Ling Yue’s usual elegant handwriting looked messy. In fact, there were some words I had to really scrutinise to make out, but I could understand what Ling Yue was saying. She made one thing clear: the seal I left at Troy City had, in fact, been stolen. I never imagined the people at Troy City would dare to pinch my stuff. The people there should’ve respected and loved me, yet they dared to pinch my stuff.
I thought, “So, the people in the palace no longer trust me and are no longer loyal to me? Troy City can be destroyed now. Nobody respects me. The city that was loyal to me dared to use my name without permission, so they’re all at guilty. Nobody in my palace is innocent. All of them shall pay for their betrayal!”
Having confirmed that someone stole my seal, I could punish them all without any guilt.
I put the letter away: “Tanya, head back immediately. Tell Ling Yue and Liu Yue to immediately leave the city. It’s extremely dangerous at Troy City at the moment. It’s no longer under my control. I don’t know if it was Freya who had Ling Yue go there or not, but that’s a very wrong order. Tanya, head back now, and pass on my order. Oh, right, I…”
I anxiously searched around me. Seeing as it was a verbal command, I needed something to prove that it came from me. I was dressed in my sleepwear, however. Nothing precious to me was on me. Nier, who was standing to the side, looked down at herself and tore her stockings. Then, she removed it and handed it to Tanya. Tanya reacted with a shocked expression. Nier smiled: “A consort’s silk stockings. Nobody besides the King would have it. Tanya, take it back with you. Don’t think poorly of it.”
“I will not.” Tanya stuffed it into her breast pocket. She then looked at me and said, “I understand. I shall get going, then, Your Majesty.”
“I do want to let you have a good sleep before sending you off. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to let you sleep. I’m sorry, Tanya. Head back immediately. Ling Yue and Liu Yue are in danger. You must keep them safe. Take them back to the North even if they refuse; use force if you must, understood? I’ll give you a vacation afterwards so that you can havev a good rest.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Before I go, though, I want to make clear what it is that I want for my reward. Your Majesty, if it is possible, I wish to have an afternoon nap on your lap underneath the bright sun.”
“No problem.”
I glanced at Nier. She gave me a nod. Nier wasn’t jealous. Perhaps she saw Tanya as a kid as Daisy was. Nier wouldn’t complain if Daisy wanted to have an afternoon nap on my thigh. After I agreed to Tanya’s request, she revealed a warm smile. It was adorable, but it instantly vanished.
Tanya bowed and then swiftly left the room. After dallying for a moment, I ran out after her and shouted, “Tanya, ride the White Deer King back. She doesn’t have a nice temperament, but she follows my commands. Nier gave you her stuff with her scent on it, so it’ll come in useful.”
I was curious as to how the White Deer King would react if Tanya went to the White Deer King with Nier’s stocking. Plus, she’d be waking up the White Deer King while the latter was sleeping.
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Horse stables.
“White Deer King, White Deer King… I need your help. His Majesty’s order, His majesty’s order.”
The White Deer King irritably stood up. Somewhat afraid, Tanya took a small step back and held up the stocking from Nier. The stocking didn’t have just Nier’s scent alone; it also had Troy’s scent on it. The White Deer King had a sniff. She grouchily whacked the stocking away. She fumed through its nose and took a few steps back. Tanya, apparently, immediately understood what the White Deer King was expressing.
“Don’t bring that woman’s stuff to me!” was what Tanya read.
“Why does it seem to be jealous all of a sudden?” wondered Tanya.
Tanya picked up the important stocking. It was then that she suddenly realised Ling Yue would also react jealously if she gave it to her. It was useful, true, but it was too much of a hassle to explain its origins.
The White Deer King exited the stables. She lied down for Tanya. Although the sight of the stocking frustrated her, the White Deer King had to obey Troy’s command. After all, she was his most trusted steed and friend, a fact that held true in the past, present and would still hold true in the future.