Chapter 53

Earn’s POV

After so much pleading by Queen Miu, it didn’t take long for Queen Lena to cave in. Finally, the new Queen had been allowed to personally oversee the affairs in the city of Tungsten again.

I watched as the city slowly came alive. The seeds had been distributed, and the farmers, having worked tirelessly to prepare their fields, finally had something tangible to show for it.

Tears streamed down their faces as they held onto the long-awaited seeds, their expressions full of joy and hope.

I couldn’t help but let my gaze wander across the crowd, taking in the tiny sparks of life returning to people who had endured so much. Murmurs of gratitude floated through the air, punctuated by laughter and the occasional quiet sob.

For a moment, I allowed myself to just take it all in. This was what progress looked like, and I was lucky enough to witness it firsthand.

But from the corner of my eye, I noticed a young man scribbling furiously in a notebook.

Curiosity made me step closer. Leaning over his shoulder, I saw that he had been documenting everything that had happened in Tungsten since the start of the rehabilitation.

And there it was as well—dozens of compliments about Queen Miu scattered throughout his notes.

“You’re even writing things like that?” I muttered under my breath, half-amused, half-incredulous.

The young man flinched, quickly turning to me, eyes wide with embarrassment.

“Oh, Miss Earn,” he said quietly.

“Yes, I am,” he added, glancing back at the Queen. “That way, people in the future will know how much the lady has made a difference to this city.”

I straightened up, letting the weight of his words settle in.

As expected, the new Queen knew exactly how to move people—not through fear, not through force, but through hope, recognition, and just the right amount of guidance.

She had a way of giving exactly what each person needed to keep going, and it was working perfectly here.

Even this quiet, timid young man—now a steward—had been placed in the right role, allowed to shine where his skills mattered most.

I found myself smiling, a small, genuine smile, realizing that I was also caught in her orbit. I was one of the people she had quietly won over, loyal not because I had to be, but because I wanted to follow her example.

Watching the city breathe life again under the Queen’s guidance, I felt a sense of clarity. This wasn’t just about fields or seeds—it was about rebuilding people’s spirits, one person at a time.

And I was here, right in the middle of it, ready to make sure none of this work went to waste.

I let out a long, tired sigh as I watched Queen Miu move among the people of Tungsten.

Every day since she’d started overseeing the city personally, she had been unrelenting—walking from one end of the district to the other, checking on workers, farmers, and merchants, offering guidance, encouragement, and sometimes a quiet scolding when it was needed.

Even for someone like me, a trained knight, it was exhausting just following her, keeping pace with her energy and her constant attention to detail.

And yet, Queen Miu never let a single trace of fatigue show. Not in her posture, not in her expression, not in the way she spoke with each person she encountered.

She was tireless, flawless, unshakable.

I sighed again, realizing why Queen Lena had been so anxious all this time.

How could anyone match up to someone who gave everything without revealing the slightest hint of weariness?

It wasn’t just the work, I thought; it was the devotion, the strength, the unyielding presence that made it impossible to look away, impossible to let your guard down.

Watching her, I felt a mixture of awe and quiet exhaustion seep into me. I was supposed to protect her, to support her—but even I was learning that sometimes, protection meant knowing when to let her strength shine, even when it made the rest of us feel small in comparison.

Yes… that’s why Lena had been on edge. Because looking after someone like Queen Miu, someone who moved like a force of nature, was as beautiful as it was terrifying.

—

Third Person’s POV

Miu let out a quiet sigh as she finally stepped away from the crowd. The voices, the questions, the gratitude, the endless stream of work—it had been a very long day. For the first time since morning, the noise faded just enough for her to breathe.

She lifted a hand to rub the back of her neck before glancing around the area.

It was only then that she realized how high the sun had climbed.

It’s past lunch already.

Her eyes scanned the busy square until she finally spotted Earn standing a short distance away beside Loki, the newly appointed steward. The two appeared to be discussing something while looking over a set of documents.

Miu lifted her hand and called out.

“Earn! We should go and have lunch—”

“Miu!”

The familiar voice cut through her words.

Miu’s face instantly brightened in recognition.

She turned and saw Lena striding toward her with an unmistakable presence.

The queen moved with confident urgency, dressed in her usual white royal suit that contrasted against the dusty worksite around them. Her dark hair was tied neatly into a half bun, the sunlight catching along the edges of her silhouette as she approached.

“Lena—Your Majesty!” Miu called back instinctively.

The correction slipped out immediately after she remembered where they were.

Several workers nearby had already turned their heads.

“What brings you here?” Miu quickly straightened and bowed respectfully.

Lena stopped in front of her, resting both hands behind her back in a posture that was formal yet relaxed. A small smile appeared on her face before she answered.

“I finished my errands earlier than expected, so I decided to stop by and check in on Ollie for the updated blueprint of the city.”

She tilted her head slightly while speaking, her gaze briefly drifting around the area as if taking in the progress happening throughout Tungsten.

Then her eyes returned to Miu. “How are things on your end?”

Miu smiled warmly in response.

“Oh, we’re just about to have lunch. Umm… if you’d like…”

“You could have lunch with us.”

“How about we head out for lunch together?”

They both spoke at the exact same moment.

The sudden overlap startled them.

For a second, neither moved.

They simply stared at each other in awkward silence, both waiting for the other to continue speaking first.

Then Miu suddenly burst into soft laughter, leaning forward slightly as the moment amused her.

“Ahahaha, we spoke at the same ti—”

Her sentence never finished.

Her steps faltered as she moved closer toward Lena.

The shift was subtle at first—just a slight sway—but then her body tipped forward.

Lena reacted instantly.

She stepped forward and caught Miu before she could fall, her hands gripping Miu’s shoulders to steady her.

“Miu?”

Concern immediately replaced the calm expression on Lena’s face as she looked down at her.

“S-sorry… I’m… a bit… tired…” Miu murmured weakly against Lena’s shoulder.

“Are you alright?” Lena gently tried to straighten her, attempting to look at her face.

But the moment she did, Miu’s body suddenly slackened in her arms.

“Miu!”

Lena’s composure shattered as panic flooded her voice, her arms tightening around Miu as she held her up before she could collapse completely.

“Your Majesty!”

Earn’s voice cut through the rising tension as she sprinted toward them.

Lena barely had time to look up before Earn reached them, her eyes widening at the sight of Miu slumped in the queen’s arms.

“Earn! Hurry and get the car!” Lena ordered urgently.

Without waiting for a reply, Lena bent down and lifted Miu fully into her arms. The movement was swift but careful, one arm supporting her back while the other secured beneath her knees.

Earn didn’t hesitate for even a second.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

She turned immediately and ran toward the nearest royal car parked along the road bordering the fields. Her boots kicked up dust as she moved, urgency driving every step.

Behind them, the entire field had fallen silent.

Workers and children alike had stopped what they were doing. Conversations died mid-sentence. Tools were slowly lowered to the ground.

Dozens of eyes followed the scene unfolding before them.

Shock spread through the crowd first—then worry.

Miu had been everywhere from the very start. Walking the fields with them, checking the irrigation lines, overseeing the seed distribution, listening to their concerns one by one without ever turning anyone away.

They had watched her work from sunrise until the light faded from the sky.

So seeing her now—motionless in the Queen’s arms—sent a ripple of unease through everyone present.

Lena hurried across the field with long strides, holding Miu close against her chest. Her usual composed demeanor had completely vanished, replaced by raw urgency.

“Open the door!” she called out the moment the royal car came into view.

Earn was already there. She had thrown open the back door before Lena even reached the vehicle.

Lena carefully lowered herself into the seat, still cradling Miu protectively as she settled inside.

“Drive. Now,” Lena commanded sharply.

The driver needed no further instruction.

The engine roared to life, and the car sped away from the field.