If this is a dream, then it is a beautiful dream.
Even though it is regrettable, it is a dream that is heading towards its own demise.
But it doesn’t matter, she still chose the world where Will was.
Treya sat on the chair in the center of the council hall, and with a turn of her head, she could easily see Will sitting in the chair she had prepared for a long time.
Moreover, his posture was very poor, and it could be said that he had no “elegance” of the Entak Royal Family at all.
It was also hard to doubt whether he had ever received any strict noble training.
But, it didn’t matter.
Because this was the real Will.
Treya no longer cared whether this was a dreamscape or reality.
What she wanted, hoped for, and prayed for now…
Was only for this time to last longer.
“Mmm…”
Will leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, flipping through a thick booklet on the “Adventurer’s Guild Legislative Power Proposal” in his hand.
His expression, from being relaxed when he first opened a page, became heavier and heavier.
He even frowned and clicked his tongue.
From the moment Will came to her side, he vetoed all proposals unfavorable to her, even publicly confronted the people she disliked the most, and established her authority.
This was something she had never dared to imagine Will would do, even in her dreams.
Although it always felt out of character for Will, but…
She turned her face to look at Will beside her.
Forget it, in a dreamscape, anything can happen, it’s not strange, right?
However, Treya noticed something unusual about Will beside her…
For example, the black suit that was originally tailored for him, upon closer inspection, especially in the sunlight, the wrinkles on his clothes were very clear.
This suit, which was a bit loose on him originally, now seemed to have become a little too “tight.”
Was his figure changing?
But he should be “in the dream,” extracted from memories…
Why was there such a small-scale “change”?
As if noticing Treya looking at him, Will immediately avoided her gaze, and slightly hid the cuff, which was the focus of her attention, into the shadow.
Will was thinking, could it be that Treya had discovered that he was not a dream or an illusion created by her?
No, Treya wasn’t that sensitive to details. Moreover, she should now be in a state where she didn’t want to distinguish between dream and reality?
“So, you all don’t know when Carver will arrive?”
After performing this action, he turned to the solemn-faced ministers below and asked this question with a stern expression.
“…”
On the long conference table, there was silence.
Only the sunlight shining in from the magnificent glass windows moved slowly across the tabletop.
“…With so many people here, isn’t there anyone who knows Mr. Carver better? You can’t even answer such a simple question?”
“…”
Even after he had spoken so sarcastically, no one answered him.
There was even a tendency to deliberately ignore him.
This meeting was much larger in scale than the few meetings he had attended before.
On one side were the old noble factions, the royalist faction from the capital, dressed in magnificent formal attire, sitting in a whole row on the left side of the council hall, looking determined not to back down against Treya.
On the other side were the adventurer factions. These people looked much more “common”—some entered in simple cloth clothes, some in half-armor, and even students and old men sat there.
However, even so, no one responded after he asked.
“Alright, alright, I forgot. The person who knows Mr. Carver best here… *hiss*, that would be me, right?”
Just as Will said this with a mocking smile, he heard the sound of the heavy council hall doors being pushed open from the entrance—
Creak.
With the opening of this door, the focus of the meeting finally “arrived fashionably late.”
“I apologize. I had some matters to attend to yesterday, so my carriage only arrived this morning, thus I’m a bit late.”
Carver Hysterm entered from the doorway, his eyes slightly tired beneath his gold-rimmed glasses, and even his well-maintained skin showed dark circles.
Everyone turned to look at him, waiting for his “reaction.”
Will remained silent for now.
This was, of course, a “setup” for Carver.
Very simple.
He, Will, knew that Carver was searching the world for “himself revived” and undoubtedly wanted to “kill him” again. Therefore, without a doubt…
Where was the safest place?
Of course, it was…
A place where the entire Entak would know he was alive, a place where Carver had to attend such an important meeting, a place where he needed to show his face the most—
Beside Treya.
It was ostentatious enough to parade through the streets, yet extremely safe.
He had thought that with Carver’s personality, he would choose the simplest option of “avoiding conflict” when faced with such “provocation,” but he actually came.
As Will was waiting, Carver opened his eyes, which had narrowed upon entering the room.
Across the long conference table, without even looking at Treya, he looked directly at Will.
He did not avoid Will’s gaze, and his eyes held neither “hatred” nor “surprise.” Instead, Will felt an unusual calmness in his eyes.
“Well, since everyone is here, why don’t we get straight to the point? The previous proposal had three provisions, which, according to His Majesty, are difficult to coordinate…”
Carver walked as he spoke, taking off his hat, unbuttoning his coat, and heading towards the seat reserved for him, the closest one to Will.
“Father, long time no see? Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Will was testing him, wondering if the other party would pretend not to see him.
If so, he would definitely make his presence known.
But before his probing words could continue, Carver spoke—
“However, I didn’t expect that my useless son would actually be present today. Although His Majesty dotes on him, you shouldn’t believe everything he says.”
As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes, put on a foxy smile, and sat down next to Will.
He got in the first blow.
Carver was the only one who knew that the Will sitting here was “the living person himself”—even Treya was kept in the dark, thinking it was a dream.
But…
“After all, you are His Majesty’s most beloved little canary. If you embarrass her in a place like this, she will surely be very sad.”
“Are you really talking about me?”
Treya pointed to herself, seemingly completely unaware that their conversation was related to her.
Carver, however, treated her as an “illusion.”
He stated completely untrue “settings,” acting more like he was narrating a fantasy story than Will, who was creating a fabricated dream, or Treya, who thought she was having a beautiful dream.
After all, Will had never unified what everyone thought he should be.
And with the first few sentences of Carver’s appearance, he had already defined him.
Targeting a dreamscape with which there was no common concept, he spoke first and set a rigid definition.
“That’s right. It is His Majesty. Regardless, if I am to carry out something, I must consult with you. Therefore, I hope that our conversation today will satisfy both of us.”
“Will. I don’t like him. I always feel… he’s dangerous.”
After hearing Carver’s words, Treya whispered softly into Will’s ear.
“Then… I don’t like him either, of course.”
Will sighed.
Giving Will the persona of “Treya’s pampered pretty boy” was important.
Carver was implying to those present not to take Will’s words seriously.
“How could I let Treya lose face? The one who made her lose face… wasn’t it you?”
But…
Will was fearless!
As it turned out, Carver had no idea how absurd a dreamscape could be.
Not everyone would take his words seriously, so why should he be afraid?
“…?”
Carver was a little confused by this statement, but he maintained his professional smile.
“On one side are those who want to completely abolish these three provisions—”
Will rubbed the proposal in his hands and turned to the old nobles on one side.
“On the other side are those who want to push their luck and add more power—”
Will spread out the remaining half of the proposal on the table and turned to the adventurers on the other side.
“But, does anyone care about Treya’s gains and losses in all of this? You are all just standing on your own interests, fighting for territory!”
“…”
This was something everyone knew.
Treya, compared to the former kings of Entak, was newly ascended and inherently kinder.
Although she appeared indifferent, with a little probing, one could find her weakness and deal with her properly.
This had led to these meetings, one after another, gradually cornering Treya.
“But, I am different.”
After standing up, Will quickly crouched down again.
He took Treya’s hand.
He performed a hand-kiss, a gesture only someone of his status could make, on the back of Treya’s hand.
“Will. Wh-what is it?”
Treya showed no shyness, nor did she try to stop Will. She even obediently extended her hand, willingly giving it to Will for him to kiss.
“I just want to say— I am here. Forever by your side.”
“?”
“Whatever you want, I will fight for it here. You deserve it all.”
“…”
Even Treya couldn’t quickly recover from Will’s sudden promise.
Will stood up and glanced at Carver, who was sitting beside him.
If Carver thought that someone as capable of pulling stunts as him, cloaked in the guise of an “illusion,” would only be able to veto one proposal and then another, he was severely underestimating him.
“Let me think…”
Will walked, maneuvering around the adventurers.
“The largest source of current economic tax revenue is the dungeon, and even most daily necessities come from the dungeon. The old nobles can’t provide much. Therefore, it’s only natural that the Adventurer’s Guild wants more power.”
Then, he circled around again, ending up behind the old nobles.
“But after all, the Entak Royal Family is not dead. Everyone still has their land and manpower. As the controller of all this, His Majesty can only maintain her position to prevent some useless people from being eliminated.”
The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense.
As someone who could be considered an “illusion” by everyone else, Will could freely point out everyone’s pain points.
He could bring the interests that everyone dared not speak of directly out into the open.
“However, there is one person who can balance both sides—”
His voice echoed throughout the spacious conference room, and everyone could clearly hear his resounding words.
Will glanced at Carver, who was leaning back in his chair as if watching his performance.
Did Carver want to defeat him?
Did he think that by first defining Will’s “existence,” he could win?
Carver’s action, instead, handed Will a weapon.
He acknowledged Will’s status as “Treya’s fiancé,” acknowledged that “Will was alive,” which allowed him to more recklessly expound on everyone’s interests in the meeting.
And…
It allowed Will to do one thing.
“This person, born among adventurers, will absolutely not betray his dear family.”
Will walked past the chairs of the Adventurer’s Guild, quickening his pace.
“He is also His Majesty’s most beloved lover, greatly favored, and certainly would not do anything to displease His Majesty.”
Will bypassed the chairs of the old royals, moving in an irritatingly unconventional half-hopping, half-walking manner.
Finally…
Having completed his circuit, he stood still behind Treya, basking with her in the sunlight streaming through the single window.
“This person is none other than myself.”
He placed his hand on his chest, filled with pride.
“Then, it’s too simple.”
Will leaned against Treya’s chair, facing Carver specifically.
He bowed to Carver—though it was a respectful gesture, he spoke mockingly—
“Mr. Carver, hand over the Adventurer’s Guild to me. Also, allow me to marry His Majesty. Giving it to me is the same as giving it to His Majesty, aren’t both sides’ problems solved?”
He then clapped his hands.
“Everyone is happy, everyone is happy.”
However, Carver showed no reaction to this overly dramatic performance.
“Oh, is that so.”
Will did not see an “angry” expression on Carver’s face.
He remained calm, even smiling slightly as he heard Will’s childish pronouncements, his lips curling upwards.
“An interesting idea. But, giving the responsibilities of the Guild and the nobles to His Majesty… can His Majesty truly handle it?”
Carver asked this question, turning to Treya.
“What can be truly done well…”
Will sensing something was wrong, noticed that Carver had bypassed him and was directly asking Treya?
All along, on the surface, Will was borrowing Treya’s power, acting outrageously in her name.
But…
In reality, Will had been shielding Treya from what she needed to face head-on.
If…
Carver were to ask her directly—
“If… if one day, Will, you were to accidentally pass away. All of this would fall on His Majesty alone…”
“!”
Will saw Treya’s usually calm expression suddenly widen her eyes.
“Can she balance everything?”
“Can she do it?”
