A Highest Rank in Another World!

"Mom, are you done with your work?" The princess entered the room as she was accompanied by Lett who was walking quietly behind the princess.

When Lett entered, she soon went to the corner of the room and stood quietly as she watched the princess and queen.

"Thank you for taking care of her as always, Lett." The queen said as she welcomed the princess into her arms and lifted her to place her in her lap.

"I'm just doing my job." Lett bowed her head politely.

"You need to be on your best behavior, okay?" The queen brought her face close to the princess' face and gave her a small kiss on her cheek. The princess who received the kiss from her mother looked very happy.

"I am behaving myself." She said as she smiled. Her smile was enough to make all the queen's fatigue go away.

"So, how about we go to dinner now?" The queen looked at the princess. The princess nodded several times while smiling.

"Yes, I'm starving." She said with a cute voice, making the queen let out an involuntary giggle.

"Okay, okay. Lett, can you tidy up my bedroom for me while I eat my dinner? After I eat I will go straight to bed."

"Yes, your majesty. Excuse me for asking, but aren't you going to take your bath today?" Lett asked timidly, afraid that he might offend the queen in some way. Although the queen didn't mind any of that, she was still quite careful.

"I am quite tired, so I intend to go straight to bed. But of course, first I have to eat a delicious dinner, don't I?" The princess who realized her mother's intention raised her hand and shouted.

The queen reproduced this gesture while smiling.

After that, they left and went directly to the dining room where a fine banquet was served. Despite having only the two of them at the table, so much food was put on.

'Isn't this a waste? I have to ask them to prepare less food.' She thought as she put some food in the princess's mouth.

Although the princess is old enough to eat with her own hands, she likes to receive food in her mouth like that.

And the queen likes to do that.

####

The queen returned to the previous room. But now she was accompanied by a middle-aged woman.

The woman was wearing a casual and expensive dress. 

"Has your majesty finished everything?" She asked as she entered the room along with the queen.

"Yes, I have already prepared everything. First of all, I contacted the mayors of the nearby cities and asked them to contact some merchants who could send food to the capital."

"Just that?"

"For now our biggest problem is food. After the war started the merchants stopped visiting the capital, and now the food supply has been hampered. Most of the food is rotten."

The queen sat down and sighed.

"And anyway all the markets and restaurants are closed or have had their owners killed."

"Yes, almost no one is working, so almost no one has purchasing power. Because of that, the capital's economy is completely crippled."

"Indeed..." The queen thought calmly about everything that was happening and what could be done about it.

After thinking for a while longer, she decided to say something.

"All right. I think it's time to allow outsiders into the capital since we've reached the end of the war. But first I will treat the wounded and take care of the food supply."

"..."

"After that, we will help the residents with a monthly salary so that they can restructure their lives. What do you think?"

"Wouldn't that be more harmful to the country's economy? The best option would be job creation."

"Maybe... Could you set up a meeting with the available nobles so we can discuss this?"

"Sure, I will do that as soon as possible."

"Thank you."

"But anyway, once the merchants start moving around the country's economy will start to improve a bit. I didn't tell, but it looks like some residents have started to reopen their businesses."

"That's good."

"And about the health of the residents, it seems that most of them have recovered and are returning home."

"Yes, but still have a good amount of them at the community clinic being treated by the volunteers."

"Yes, but the amount of volunteers needed now is much smaller. Today a group of approximately 50 people returned to Hvaleyri."

"I see."

"Now I will contact the nobles. Can I schedule the meeting for tomorrow?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Then, excuse me." The woman bowed her head and then quietly left the room. The queen who was sitting in her chair got up and went to the window. Looking outside, she could see a few houses with their lights on.

'Looking at it like this... It looks like things are getting back to normal.' With the capital cleaned and renovated, its appearance was much the same as before.

But the sudden decrease in population was remarkable.

It was frightening.

'But I will be sure to make the capital get back on its feet without any problems.' The queen didn't have much confidence that she could do as good a job as her husband. 

But she would at least try to bring the capital back to a normal state as quickly as possible.

####

"Mom, I'm coming." I left the house as I said goodbye to my mother.

This morning when I woke up my mother seemed calmer, and that made me quite relieved. I thought she had gone into a deep depression because of the news she had received.

But I'm glad I was wrong. She was very engaged to write another letter to send to the capital.

And besides writing the letter, she also talked to me and told me about a request that Sara had made to her. It seems that she wanted me to go to her house to try to get Rose out of the house.

I don't know how I should do this and why it has to be me, but I couldn't deny this request.

But first of all, why is Rose locking herself inside the house? I know she is doing this and I didn't care enough until now since she didn't seem to be dying or anything.

But now that I've stopped to think about it. What's the point of that?

'And that Rose I know it's not a person who locks herself indoors.' She even refused to see me a few days ago. Or at least that's what I imagined.

Sara had told me that she wasn't feeling well, but I'm sure she just refused to see me.

'This time Sara is going to let me in even against Rose's wishes?' That worries me.

But still, I walked towards her house and got there quickly.

The neighbors looked at me curiously, but I didn't mind and knocked a few times on the door.

"So you came," Sara said as she smiled at me.

'She looks better.' 

"Of course, I couldn't deny a request of yours. Especially to get Rose out of the house... But should you be asking me to do that? You know..." I am a child and I am not the closest person to your daughter.

Why didn't you call Rieli or my mother?

"Come on, come in."

'She ignored my question...' I entered and soon found a completely clean house with a few simple decorations here and there.

"Rose doesn't know I'm here, does she?"

"I had told her you would come, but I never thought you would come so soon."

"Rose isn't asleep yet?"

"No, I just delivered the coffee for her. Come on."

I followed Sara and entered a bedroom. There, I found Rose sitting up in bed while enjoying a piece of bread. Her entire bed was dirty with bread crumbs, it was like a child eating.

"Noah?" She said with her mouth full and widened her eyes.

"I don't think she knew I was coming," I said as I smiled awkwardly at Sara.

"Come on, don't worry. Now you guys can talk." Sara smiled at me. Her smile was scary, it was as if she was threatening me.

Hey, hey, did you ask for my help and is threatening me? If I can't convince your daughter to leave home, will you take your anger out on me?

But without saying anything else, Sara left the room and left me alone with Rose.

Rose looked at me for a while looking confused and not knowing what to say, so I decided to say something to not make the atmosphere uncomfortable.

"So, what happened to you?" was the first thing I said.

I don't know if it was the best choice since Rose seemed to be a little annoyed. But still, she stopped eating and started speaking.

"What do you mean? Are you asking what happened for me to decide to be trapped indoors?"

"Of course, what else would it be?"

"Well... But I don't want to talk to you about it...You can leave now."

"I see, you are much more childish than I expected."

"Wha?"