The morning's Round Table meeting passed quickly in a flurry of heated debate.
Throughout the session, many Round Table Knights marveled at the table's resilience, praising how it had withstood their furious pounding without even a dent.
As for the outcome of the meeting, the upcoming investigation would be led by Sir Ector, the foster father of the King of Knights.
At the Knight Academy, Guinevere primarily selected knights loyal to her. However, to dispel the absurd notion among the knights that she was plotting a power grab, she also invited Gawain to serve as Vice Dean and even hoped Lancelot would accept the position of Chief Combat Instructor.
"Guinevere, have you reconciled with the idea of working alongside Lancelot?" Lia asked.
"Lia, this is no time for me to let personal feelings interfere with public duty. If we're going to trust him, we might as well fully commit."
Guinevere had only worn the veil during this Round Table meeting. Afterward, she removed and carefully stored it, reaffirming her rejection to Lancelot.
Continuing to wear it would be seen as affected and might genuinely drive Lancelot away.
After he single-handedly subdued all of Ireland in just three days, Guinevere once again revised her assessment of him, finding herself utterly unwilling to let such a talented individual slip away.
Thus, despite her inner turmoil, Guinevere had no choice but to set aside her personal feelings and continue to act in the best interest of the realm.
"Guinevere, aren't you the same? Willing to stifle your feelings for the sake of duty."
"Lia? Is this really about duty? This is for you—no, for our bright future together."
If she had only said it was for the King of Knights, Guinevere might have lacked confidence. But by framing it as being for their shared future, she could hold her head high and meet the gaze of her lawful companion, who was still stunned by her declaration.
In the bedroom, Guinevere's advances might falter, but when it comes to expressing her feelings, she was always the most proactive.
"Pfft, is my Lia getting shy again?"
Pulling her chair closer to the King of Knights, Guinevere buried her head in the monarch's exceptionally thick "cotton quilt," took a deep breath, and then, wearing light clothing, she moved back to her seat, grinning mischievously.
Helpless and unsure how to react, the King of Knights maintained her stern expression.
"Don't act like that. This isn't the bedroom, and Agravain and the others will be back soon."
"Alright, alright, I'll spare you this time."
With that, Guinevere straightened her posture, clasped her hands, and stretched languidly. Yet her thoughts had already returned to official matters.
She knew Great Britain was favored by the world, its mystical power fading far later than on the European continent. But it was later, not never.
Once Great Britain's mystical power began to wane, it would truly break the spine of Camelot. Guinevere remembered that the now prosperous Camelot Kingdom might one day be forced to buy grain from Gaul.
At this thought, Guinevere involuntarily clenched her fist. She knew this impending natural disaster was the greatest challenge to changing her own fate and that of the King of Knights.
When the people could no longer survive, they would inevitably revolt. As the mystery faded, the knights' strength would diminish as well, and the number of new knights in Great Britain would dwindle.
The era of knights would gradually come to an end.
Moreover, the very essence of mystery lay in its obscurity. The establishment of the Knight Academy might inadvertently hasten the decline of the knights' power by making it more widely known.
Of course, if the mystery never faded, there would be no harm in its widespread knowledge. In the Age of Gods, warriors and mages far stronger than those of the present day had roamed the land.
Is the world refusing to give me a chance? Or has the mystical power been fading all along, and we're only now realizing the consequences?
Guinevere wondered inwardly, but no one could answer her.
Should I shut down the Knight Academy to delay the fading of mystical power?
"Lia, I want to expand the enrollment at the Knight Academy again. I think... we truly need to put the expedition to Gaul on the agenda."
If the mystery is inevitably fading, we must act swiftly before it disappears completely.
The anomalous climate across Great Britain—a nationwide drought in this island nation—is something Guinevere can't ignore.
Could we further develop our water resources? Build more irrigation canals? To achieve this nationwide, the King of Knights would first have to break her oath and eliminate all the Vassal Kings of England—an action she would never take.
Therefore, Guinevere's water management efforts could only extend to her own Kingdom of Cameliard and the King of Knights' Kingdom of Camelot.
But if only these two kingdoms prospered while the others suffered crop failures, it would inevitably lead to a more brutal war. By then, Guinevere might finally realize her ambition of eliminating all the Vassal Kings of England.
"Haa..."
Staring at the ceiling, watching the candles flicker in the chandelier, Guinevere found no desire to unify the nation through such a brutal war.
"Lia, if this year's crop failures are merely the prelude to a prolonged natural disaster, then we truly must conquer Gaul. We need Gaul's resources to help Great Britain weather the storm."
The King of Knights turned to look at her Queen, puzzled by her words. But moments later, the seriousness on the King's face turned genuine.
"Guinevere, can you also see the future?"
Having grown up with Merlin, the King of Knights had accepted countless prophecies about the future. She recalled how easily Guinevere had accepted her marriage proposal, her hostility towards Lancelot, and the Round Table she had prepared long in advance to change the King's mind.
The King of Knights began to suspect that Guinevere also possessed the gift of Clairvoyance. Yet this remained a mere suspicion, not a certainty.
Meeting the King of Knights' gaze, Guinevere couldn't reveal that she was a transmigrator, but she seized the opportunity to admit her ability to see the future. This, she believed, would make the King of Knights more cooperative.
"Lia, just pretend... that I really can see the future."
Guinevere acknowledged it, though her words left room for interpretation. Yet the King of Knights believed her, despite Guinevere's own repeated warnings that the more beautiful a woman was, the more likely she was to deceive.
As a result of this belief, the King of Knights suppressed her warmth completely, dedicating all her thoughts to ensuring the survival of Camelot.
Ultimately, the King's duty remained her foremost priority.
"Guinevere, tell me, what should I do next?"
"First, you need to smile and maintain a positive attitude. Only then can we face the future together effectively."
Guinevere stood up and sat directly on the King of Knights' lap. She used both hands to squeeze a smile onto the King's face, even though the King had no desire to smile at all.
"Lia, nothing worthwhile is achieved overnight. You shouldn't try to shoulder everything yourself. If possible, trust me more, okay? And... please trust the others who were just sitting here too.
If you wear a gloomy expression every day, everyone else will feel gloomy too. But if you can maintain a smile, everyone will believe you can overcome the coming hardships, and they'll become more proactive as a result."
These were things Merlin would never have taught the King of Knights. After all, Merlin truly understood nothing of the human heart—he wasn't even a true human himself!
As Guinevere finished speaking, the King of Knights maintained her smile, even though her worries lingered and Guinevere had already released her face.
At this point, the King of Knights had never suffered a major defeat and possessed unwavering confidence in her ability to solve any problem.
Their eyes met once more. This time, without Guinevere needing to provoke her, the King of Knights drew her into her arms, holding her quietly.
"Guinevere... having you... it's truly wonderful."
These weren't sweet words or empty flattery, but a genuine expression from the depths of her heart. Yet they made Guinevere's heart pound with unprecedented intensity, and she impulsively leaned in for a kiss.
This marked Guinevere's first active kiss—her first time initiating a kiss.