As he suddenly turned to look at him with complete seriousness, the Prime Minister’s cheeks reddened slightly.
After a pause, he changed the subject.
“By the way, today was William’s first performance, wasn’t it? It’s a shame we couldn’t attend.”
“Hmph. It’s not as if I wanted to see it. …But since I figured you would, I’ve already arranged for two tickets to the next show. I suppose I could accompany you.”
The Prime Minister let out a sigh, rubbing his temples.
“This is exactly why I worry whenever Your Majesty drinks too much…”
His usual, no-nonsense king had suddenly turned far too sentimental.
Just as he was about to scold him further, the King, still unsteady from the alcohol, attempted to stand from his desk and walk toward the bookshelf.
He stumbled slightly.
The Prime Minister instinctively reached out to support him—
And in that moment, the King grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him.
※※※
“Your Majesty! We agreed that in the office, you would treat me as your Prime Minister!”
Mary, the Prime Minister—who was also the Queen—quickly pulled away, her face burning red.
The King looked at her, dejected.
“You’ve endured so much because of me. At the time, I couldn’t trust anyone, so I forced you to take on the role of Prime Minister as well… It must have been incredibly difficult. And yet, you still raised our sons to be fine men. For that, I am truly grateful.”
Hearing such uncharacteristic words, Mary softened, her expression tinged with both exasperation and affection.
“Your Majesty, you’re quite drunk, aren’t you? But I never saw my role as a burden. I like my work. As for our sons… did they truly grow into fine men? Sometimes I wonder if my changes to their education led to the whole engagement debacle. I can’t help but reflect on my choices.”
The King gently stroked her hair, speaking in a low, reassuring voice.
“No, I approved of those changes as well. It was not your burden to bear alone. …Traditionally, the royal family is taught that becoming King is the highest honor, that nothing should be valued above it. That’s why siblings end up competing for the throne. And why we are raised to prioritize duty over personal desires, always thinking first of the kingdom and its people. …It’s true that this engagement scandal was a consequence of straying from that path. But tell me, Mary—wasn’t it because you wanted our children to be happy?
You wanted them to follow their own hearts, to find what was most precious to them, and to protect it with their lives.”
His gentle words made Mary smile.
“Yes… That was my wish. I wanted them to experience the happiness of pursuing work they love and being with the people they love—just as I have.”
The King chuckled.
“For me, my greatest happiness was being able to take you as my wife. …Though, come to think of it, perhaps you’re the best actor of us all. You play the role of Prime Minister, Queen, and mother flawlessly.”
Mary smirked.
“Oh, I’m not acting at all. I simply adjust myself to fit the situation and the people involved. Every version of me is my true self.”
The King raised an eyebrow in amusement.
“I see. …Well then, let’s consider today’s work done. Shall we retire to the bedroom?”
The King and Mary exchanged smiles, took each other’s hands, and walked together toward the room adjacent to the office.
[The End]
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