“I am married to the state.”

Following that declaration, Alistair was left with the task of observing the reactions of diplomatic envoys and reviewing the replies to be sent to various countries. There were more matters to coordinate than expected, but he finally finished signing all the documents.

Only Alistair and Guest remained in the office. He put down his pen, sank into thought for a moment, and then spoke in a low voice.

I should have listened to your words today. It seemed he finally felt a lingering regret for not bending his will even in the face of an important decision.

What was it you said then? Did you tell me not to rush... Alistair smiled quietly upon hearing Guest's response.

You would have done it that way. He tilted his head slightly as if he had no intention of denying it, then reached out to Guest standing beside him and slowly stroked their hair.

Would you have kept me by your side even if I were not the king? He asked in a sudden murmur after touching the hair in silence for a while.

...No, forget it. I said something useless. The moment the words left his mouth, Alistair's expression stiffened subtly. It seemed the question was unexpected even to himself. A flash of embarrassment passed through him, and he hurriedly withdrew the hand that was touching the hair.