The moment Artoria's voice, tinged with an uncharacteristic drowsiness, reached her ears, Ariel's expression shifted into something indescribable.
Her first thought was:
What in the world is the King thinking?
Ever since Ariel had first entered service years ago, she had held nothing but reverence for the ruler of Camelot.
Throughout history, how many politicians who appeared diligent in the eyes of the people had truly dedicated themselves to their duties?
Camelot had many territories, and every major noble house worked hard to craft an image of benevolence, but Ariel, who was well-versed in political shadows, knew their true faces all too well.
And yet…
King Arthur had always been unwavering.
Though she ruled Camelot, she had never once abused her power for personal gain.
Every action, every decree—all of it was for the empire.
And yet, despite this, whispers still circulated in the palace:
The King does not understand human hearts.
In a way… it was true.
Because Artoria was merciless.
No one, whether inside the palace or beyond, escaped punishment if they broke the law.
That included the great nobles, whom even previous emperors had hesitated to touch.
Over the years, she had made life difficult for more than a few of them.
By now, two entire noble houses had been stripped of their titles and assets.
As a result, some of them bore grudges, and started spreading rumors like "The King does not understand human hearts", or worse.
Of course, these rumours wouldn't harm anyone.
In Ariel's opinion, if the King had wanted to, she could have made things far easier for herself. She didn't need to be so uncompromising.
A little diplomatic leniency toward the nobles would have lightened her burdens considerably.
There were even times when Ariel wondered…
'Is this King even human?'
She executed her duties with absolute, icy precision, indifferent to criticism or slander.
Even someone like Ariel, who had initially taken the job purely for career advancement, had grown to respect her deeply, gradually influenced by her unwavering resolve.
Perhaps this was why the Knights of the Round Table followed her so faithfully, because of that rare, unshakable light she carried.
And yet…
'What is happening right now?!* '
Never, in all these years, had the King summoned anyone to her bedchamber.
And this boy wasn't even a palace official—just a foreigner from the modern world.
Despite her shock, Ariel, ever the composed assistant, quickly steadied herself.
She had weathered countless storms at the King's side, after all.
With a practiced smile, she turned to Arvin.
"Since His Majesty has summoned us, we should enter."
She might not understand what the King wanted to do…
But Artoria always had her reasons.
And as for herself… she only needed to follow her orders.
Arvin followed behind the assistant, whose mind was practically overflowing with internal monologue, and when she pushed open the door, he couldn't help but look up.
Soon, within the clean and elegantly furnished bedroom, his gaze landed on the golden-haired beauty whose generous proportions defied all reason.
At this moment, she was wearing a simple white camisole dress, her full, rosy lips slightly pursed, with a few stray golden locks casually draped over her face, adding a touch of noble, mature allure to her imperial presence.
Compared to the usual lofty and untouchable King Arthur, this version of her was far more… homely. And those generous proportions were nothing short of breathtaking.
As expected, a 'grown-up' Lily is every bit the equal of Sister Morgan in both looks and figure, though Sister Morgan has that mysterious older-sister charm, while Lily leans more toward regal elegance… In the world of Type-Moon, her beauty is easily top two.
Arvin thought to himself before lowering his gaze slightly.
After all, there were other people here, so he should still maintain the respect and politeness that an outsider should have.
Still, he couldn't help but feel a quiet sense of satisfaction.
Compared to the Artoria of Type-Moon's history, the woman before him had one crucial difference—thanks to Arvin's "training," her combat prowess far surpassed that of her original counterpart.
And… she was bigger.
In every sense of the word.
"Ariel, what is it?"
At this time, Artoria spoke first, her eyes quietly examining the assistant in front of her.
Seeing the King dressed in a style so unlike her usual self, Ariel froze for a long moment before snapping back to reality as she said quickly.
"Your Majesty, I've brought today's documents for your review."
Normally, even after returning to her chambers, Artoria would often stay up late poring over these reports.
And recently, with the increasing number of transmigrators appearing, the ministers had all submitted their opinions.
In addition, the documents included data on the number of transmigrators appearing in the territories of the major noble houses, along with the names of their factions.
As Artoria accepted the files, Ariel hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"Also… Merlin sought me out earlier today. He released the transmigrator who was with you in that room."
"Let her go. She arrived via physical transmigration—she wasn't actually on the list of targets for capture."
As she spoke, Artoria's eyes flickered briefly toward Arvin.
Though she hadn't exchanged many words with Reines, the girl's behavior today made it clear that she knew Arvin.
Which meant…
Arvin, too, is from the 'modern world.'
Perhaps that was the real reason he had "disappeared" all those years ago.
Just as Artoria's gaze lingered on Arvin with unspoken meaning, Ariel suddenly spoke again in a hushed tone.
"There's one more thing… Aside from Mordred, another knight was present today."
"It was Lady Gareth."
'Gareth…is this another of Sister Morgan's children, then.'
Artoria's thoughts drifted.
She didn't try to rescue Mordred… but fled alone instead?
Or did Gareth discover more important information, so after weighing the pros and cons, she chose to send the information to Morgan le Fay first?
If this is the case, then the most important thing that happened today is...
Altria's eyes flickered slightly, and the look in her eyes when she looked at Alvin soon became somewhat meaningful.
"Your Majesty, shall we dispatch forces to capture Gareth?" Ariel asked.
"It would be meaningless even if we catch her now. She should have passed the message out in advance."
Artoria said faintly, "If I'm not mistaken, Sister Morgan probably already knows."
"Know what..." Ariel asked subconsciously.
The latter did not answer, but ordered:
"You go down first. Also, have people seal off the inside and outside of the palace. No news can be leaked outside the palace in the next few days...especially where I went today and who I met. Do you understand?"
"Yes..." Ariel bowed his head slightly in response, then quickly pulled on the corner of Alvin's clothes and whispered, "It's time to go."
"I said you step back first."
After Artoria finished speaking, she gently placed her fingertips in front of her soft red lips, tilted her head slightly, and looked at the boy tenderly.
Soon, a gentle smile flashed in her emerald eyes.
"He's staying tonight."