Kasser watched her in silence. He sensed she was treading cautiously but did not know what to feel. Even so, he felt the need to explain, she knew not the workings of the palace after all.
“The royal household is meant to be managed within its purview.”
Eugene looked at him blankly as he continued.
“It also means only the royals are qualified to take up this responsibility. That makes only two people qualified for the job–you and I.”
“… Me too?” She was visibly surprised.
“These past few years, I’ve had my hands full dealing with things all by myself. Now, you’ve taken the initiative to fill in during my absence.”
“Hm, I know that.”
“So do you want to manage it going forward?”
As she thought of his offer, Eugene’s eyes widened to their limits. It sounded like he wanted to hand over the management of the palace to her. But even before she answered him, she had a few doubts to resolve.
“Why… did you oversee everything by yourself?”
“You refused to do it, but you wouldn’t remember that.”
“You’re saying you’d already offered me the job before?”
“Soon after our marriage. Actually, these have always been the queen’s responsibility.”
“What would I be taking over should I accept?”
“A lot of things. It’ll take a long time to list out now, I can send you the details later. To put it simply, you will be the deciding power of the palace in my absence, just like last time.”
“Does that mean I don’t have to report things to you?”
“Besides a few exceptions, most reports will be something that you can approve on your own.”
It was not that Eugene did not understand why Jin Anika had refused to take up the job. Having more power meant more things on her mind. If all that Jin Anika needed was enough money to buy antique books, it would be easier to simply ask for a small fortune each time she needed it instead of being subjected to the tedium of managing affairs.
“But why, all of the sudden?”
Eugene wasn’t dense. She was well aware of the complexities in their relationship, some because of Jin Anika’s previous actions and others because of, but not limited to, the circumstances they were brought together. Entrusting requires trust; the bigger the matter, the greater the need.
“This is not all of a sudden. As I said, it’s supposed to be your responsibility.” He tried his best to assure her.
“But you’ve done it all this time, so…”
Eugene searched for an appropriate word, upon failing to find one she sighed deeply. She was learning to speak eloquently these days and was finding it hard to express her thoughts in the required “refined” manner.
Marianne had occasionally pointed out her directness in speech. She’d advised her to mend her ways before entering high society. A noblewoman had to mind her Ps and Qs to say nothing of the queen. She’d been working on it diligently, but habits do not change overnight. And here, the demand was to change her innately.
She needed more practice. Right now, she couldn’t think of a way to beat around the bush and deliver her message clearly at the same time. In the end, she decided enough was enough and took the plunge.
“Your Majesty, please be clear with me on this. Are you trying to test me? Or, are you actually trusting me enough to hand over the responsibility?
YOU ARE READING
(1) Living As the Villainess Queen
General Fiction'I want to travel to a place unknown to the many...' It was a passing wish to the weary and tired Eugene and she'd not think it'd ever come to pass... but it did. She opened her eyes and found she was sent to a novel-like world she wrote in passing...
