Lina smiled as she finished speaking, but Ludwig remained silent for a long time before finally asking in a low voice, "Why me? Surely you have other candidates."
Lina pretended not to understand the suspicion hidden beneath his question and answered sincerely, "Why shouldn't it be you? We are family, after all. Why would I trust unrelated ministers and nobles instead of my own relatives?"
"Heh. Family."
Ludwig repeated the word with a chillingly sarcastic smile, but Lina acted as though she hadn't noticed.
"Don't always make such a frightening face, my dear nephew. You're still a young man. You should be full of energy and enjoying the best years of your life."
She spoke affectionately, almost as though she were about to stand up and pat him on the head.
