The Greatest Villainess (Completed)

Chapter 6

The day after His Majesty left the palace with his knights, the air was thick with the anticipation of war. The clinking of their armor and the determined expressions on their faces painted a vivid picture of the battle that awaited them. As a dutiful wife, I knew that while His Majesty was away, it fell upon me to ensure the palace ran smoothly, especially when it came to state affairs.

As I entered His Majesty's office, the heavy wooden doors creaked slightly, and the scent of old parchment and polished wood filled the room. My eyes were immediately drawn to Henry, who stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if lost in deep thought. The light streaming in from outside cast long shadows across the floor, and I could hear the echo of my heels with each step I took, reverberating through the silence.

"Your Majesty," Henry greeted, his voice respectful and tinged with an unspoken concern. I caught a glimpse of him bowing his head from the corner of my eye and acknowledged him with a slight nod, keeping my focus on the task at hand.

I moved to the grand oak desk that dominated the center of the room and sat down, the leather chair creaking softly under my weight. My fingers brushed across the stacks of papers, and I began examining them with a critical eye. "His Majesty mentioned that he would be handling a significant issue. What exactly is the nature of this problem?" I asked, my voice steady as I continued to sift through the documents.

As I scanned the papers, my brow furrowed at the sight of a report detailing a sharp increase in the prices of essential goods. The document explained that the reason behind the surge was the destruction of crops due to a recent storm. As a result, farmers had raised their prices by 6.99%, with key staples like rice, tomatoes, and others are being affected. However, it was the merchants who had taken advantage of the situation, inflating their prices by 9.99%, which had led to a severe crisis among the poorer citizens, many of whom were now facing hunger.

Immediately, I picked up a quill and began drafting potential solutions. It was clear that they could not justify such drastic price hikes if the tax rates remained unchanged. What good was it to increase prices if fewer people could afford to buy? In our economy, the number of ordinary citizens far exceeded that of the wealthy, as many had chosen to serve rather than pursue their own businesses. After all, no one prospers by working for others when they could run their own enterprise.

Lost in thought, I glanced up at Henry, only to find him staring at me, seemingly in a daze. His usually sharp eyes were distant, as if he were deep in contemplation. "Henry?" I called out, my voice tinged with curiosity. The surprise on his face was evident as he snapped out of his reverie, his expression betraying a mix of emotions I couldn't quite decipher.

"You seem to be spacing out, Henry," I remarked, my tone carrying a hint of amusement. He coughed awkwardly and quickly composed himself, straightening his posture as if trying to shake off his distraction. "It’s about the outlaw organization that has been terrorizing the citizens," he explained, his voice steady but laced with concern. His words immediately caught my attention. "The pirates?" I inquired, needing to be sure. He nodded solemnly, confirming my suspicion. This was indeed a grave matter. I felt myself slipping into deep thought.

If that was the case, His Majesty’s absence from the palace could be prolonged, possibly stretching into months or even longer.

Our thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Simultaneously, Henry and I turned our heads towards the sound. "Your Majesty?" called a familiar voice from the other side. I didn’t need to see her to recognize the speaker—Anastasia.