When she felt that things had started to settle, she spoke in a low voice.
“Can I sit now since the problem can be solved?
You can interrogate them or whatever.”
“My legs hurt,” she said as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other.
Eryndor’s green eyes shifted from Dain to her—the way she spoke quietly, the mention of her legs hurting.
He looked at her, unimpressed.
‘She wants to sit.
After calling out my council.’
‘My guard, apparently.
And she can’t even stand for more than a quarter of an hour.’
He sighed internally.
He signaled for one of the guards to bring a chair.
“Sit.”
His voice was flat.
One of the guards pulled a chair from against the wall, setting it near the doorway.
The wood scraped against the stone.
Theron’s jaw tightened as he watched her move toward the chair.
“Your Majesty, this is highly irregular—”
“So is having spies in my palace.”
Eryndor turned back toward the council table.
“Dain.
Step forward.”
The guard’s armor clinked as he moved from his position.
His fingers remained on his sword hilt, his knuckles white.
‘He’s terrified.’
Valen shifted in his seat again.
“Your Majesty, perhaps we should discuss this privately—”
“No.”
Eryndor’s scarred chest rose with controlled breathing.
“We discuss it now.”
The morning light shifted through the windows.
The other council members exchanged glances, waiting.
She moved to sit on the chair, barely holding back her laughter when she heard him say that having spies was irregular too.
‘He roasted him.’
She sat in the chair in a polite position, just staring around the room, no longer interested.
The chair creaked softly as she settled into it.
Eryndor’s back remained turned toward her, his scarred shoulders tense as he faced the council table.
‘She’s amused.
She thinks this is entertainment.’
“Dain.” Eryndor’s voice cut through the silence.
“How long have you reported to Council Member Theron?”
The guard’s throat worked.
His armor clinked as he shifted his weight.
Theron’s fingers pressed against the table edge.
“Your Majesty, I can explain—”
“No need.”
Eryndor didn’t even give him a look.
“You’ve already confirmed it.”
The morning light shifted through the windows, casting shadows across the circular chamber.
The other council members remained still, watching.
Valen’s hand moved to adjust his robes again—that same nervous gesture.
‘They’re annoying.’
“Council Member Theron.
Council Member Valen.” Eryndor’s jaw tightened.
“You’re dismissed from this meeting.”
Theron stood slowly, his chair scraping against the stone.
“Your Majesty—”
“Leave.”
Theron’s jaw tightened.
His hand moved from the table edge as he straightened his robes.
“Your Majesty, this is—”
“Final.”
Eryndor’s voice cut through the protest.
Valen stood quickly, his chair scraping against the stone.
Both council members moved toward the door, their footsteps echoing through the chamber.
‘They’ll regroup.
Plan their next move.’
Theron paused near her chair, his amber eyes flicking toward her for just a moment—cold calculation in that glance—before he continued walking.
The door closed behind them with a heavy thud.
Eryndor turned toward the remaining council members.
Three guards stepped forward and knelt on one knee in front of the king, placing one hand over their chests.
They bowed their heads respectfully.
“Your Majesty—”
The one in front, who appeared to be the highest-ranking among them, slowly turned his head toward the accused guard, looking at him with pure disdain.
“I will take him.”
Eryndor nodded slightly in approval as they took him out.
The dark-haired council member who had been watching silently finally spoke.
“Your Majesty, what about the human?”
‘They all want to know what she is.
What she means.’
Eryndor’s fingers drummed against his sword pommel.
“She stays too.”
The morning light shifted through the windows, casting new shadows across the circular table.
“Are you going to leave them that easily?”
she asked, surprised that he had let them go without arresting them.
“Won’t you at least send people to monitor them?” she asked, confused.
‘Well…
in fact, having spies doesn’t really mean they’re bad.
They may be good or bad.’
Some kings probably allow them.
The problem was that they knew exactly who the spies were, where they reported, and controlled the information that reached them.’
‘All of that within limits.’
‘The biggest problem was how rude they were.
Speaking like that right after we entered, interrupting the meeting, and wasting the king’s time…’
She muttered absentmindedly, still staring at the decorations around the room as she swayed her leg lightly.
“Well …..
A king’s time is more precious than Gold or whatever the most expensive metal is here…”
Eryndor’s hand moved to his temple, rubbing the skin there.
His green eyes remained fixed on her as her leg swayed lightly, her attention drifting to the ceiling decorations instead of the situation at hand.
‘Says the one who has wasted most of my time these past two days.’
He looked slightly amused.
‘Their mistake wasn’t having spies.
It is a normal political act…
It benefits me too in the first place, and the whole kingdom, since we are in the desert.’
‘But they shouldn’t have been caught.’
‘And certainly not annoying me.’
“Monitor them?” His voice was flat.
“They’re already being monitored.”
He gestured toward one of the remaining guards.
“Send word to Captain Revas.
Theron and Valen are not to leave the palace grounds for the time being.”
The guard saluted and left quickly.
Eryndor’s gaze turned fully toward her, thinking about testing her knowledge further.
“Then what do you think I should do with the spies?”
The council members looked at him in confusion.
Why would he ask her such a question?
“Well…” She shifted slightly, thinking before meeting his gaze.
“You should leave some and control the flow of information?” she said, tilting her head, unsure of the answer.
“You think I should control their information?” Eryndor looked more interested.
“That requires knowing who all the spies are first.”
The dark-haired council member leaned forward.
“Your Majesty, perhaps we should discuss the morning patrol reports—”
“After I finish this.”
Eryndor’s jaw tightened as he looked back at her.
“And they wasted my time because you provoked them.”
“They would probably be exposed at some point when they tried to send the information outside.
There has to be a pattern.
Normal ones wouldn’t do that.”
He looked at her with greater interest, his eyes narrowing slightly.
‘The perfect answer.’
‘So she doesn’t know how to talk or behave like a noble, yet she has this level of political knowledge?’
‘Hmm~ Either an illegitimate or adopted child of a noble family.’