Ruben crossed his arms and looked coldly at his young half-brother, who had ascended to the throne.

“You said that the king should not make excuses for not knowing something. This is a time where not knowing information can get thousands killed.”

Prince William was always on the side of the Empire, and the second prince, Ruben, was on Staram’s side.

Ruben sighed as he saw Daniel proudly declaring that there was no such thing as a belief.

“I’ll find out. If it is indeed Staram smuggling, it was a long time ago. But I’ve planted a lot of people there, I used to be very interested in it. If you step on your tail again, you’ll catch something.”

“Please be careful. I didn’t want to interrupt your volunteer work, but something doesn’t feel right.”

Daniel put a hand on his forehead and frowned. “If I had prepared to take the throne since I was young, I would have planted people….”

“Arthur,” Ruben said, waving his hands and shaking his head.

“You’re already the king, thus, the investigation bureau is enough… Are you going to leave the queen’s seat empty forever?”

Daniel’s expression stiffened slightly at his words.

“Does the noble family leave you alone? Muelton was drooling over the seat, claiming it was going to be his daughter’s seat?”

At his words, Daniel dipped his chin, as if he was unimpressed with what had been said. His blue eyes were inscrutable, and he muttered something to himself.

“I don’t like it. I’m going to find the right person,” Ruben said, then yawned in a joking tone. His limbs were splayed, and he slouched in his chair, almost laying down.

“Don’t talk about love to me. If you want to be queen, you’re like my mother, a bad person. And if you are actually a good person, you will be used by the people around you. They will walk over you to get what they want.”

“What if a woman didn’t want the position of queen?”

“That is a tragedy. However, I have come to realize that there are more women like that than I had originally thought.”

Silence hung in the room.

“You know, I believed that you wouldn’t think about such things because you live in the palace.”

Ruben glanced at Daniel’s calm face, surprised by what he had said.

“Of course…”

Daniel sighed as he looked at Ruben, who seemed incapable of adjusting his posture, even in front of his king.

“It must be hard for a woman who lives a free life to try and conform.”

“One more time?”

Ruben got up, moving towards Daniel, interested. He grinned and looked at Daniel and clasped his chin in his hand.

“Have you ever been on a date with a girl at a restaurant in downtown Amenity?”

“I did once. It was only that one time, and I didn’t go there with the intention of sharing a meal.”

“One time is enough. One word is enough.”

“What?”

“It stays with people. Anyone who saw you will remember you there, on a date.”

Ruben smiled bitterly, his eyes were filled with a touch of melancholy, remembering someone or sometime.

Daniel remained silent, as he seemed to know who his brother was remembering.

“But there are some people, the closer you get to them, the more you begin to dislike them. There are others who, the closer you get to them, become increasingly desperate and needy. You only need to experience this once before you become more cautious.”

He said nothing in response.

“Even so, it’s better not to. They are a liability as soon as they enter our hearts. It’s not safe for us to fall in love. Falling in love might be instantaneous, but it is more complicated for us. Love is something that will restrain you, limit you, for the rest of your life. You will be putting everyone at risk,” Ruben muttered to himself. His eyes damp with regret, he suddenly raised his eyes and chuckled.

“By the way, I wanted to know if there was anyone that comes to mind?”

“What?”

“Now, as I have been speaking, was there someone that came to mind? Because if there was, then it’s already very bad.”

Daniel remained silent for a long time. Then he sighed and said “Yes”.

“She has no idea, and it is clear that she doesn’t want the position of queen. She is just a typical investigative officer. Besides, I don’t know why the conversation has taken this turn, but it’s not like that.”

“It is like that. If you are falling in love with her, it is exactly like that,” Reuben stretched out and replied sullenly.

Daniel rubbed his forehead.

“But as time goes by, I think I will become more and more greedy. It seems like she will have to stay away. She craves information, always asking questions. I want to be selfish and keep her by my side. She is still a stranger to me. I want to know everything about her. But keeping her near me is dangerous. And she wants to be a good person. I am not sure she can be if she becomes queen. I know not what to do.”