165. Permit Agreement.

The sound of footsteps could be heard from afar, accompanied by laughter and shouts that echoed, followed by the loud push of a door that diverted the attention of those in the room. With a surprised and somewhat baffled expression, the inhabitants of the room looked toward the door.

Reina sighed deeply upon seeing Lia and Yosan enter the room, their clothes dirty as if they had just finished gardening.

"How can you two be this dirty? What did you do in the garden earlier?" she asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"Look at yourselves," she continued, pointing to the dirt and mud that had been carried in from the entrance all the way to her desk. "The floor is filthy because of you."

However, instead of feeling guilty, the two of them just laughed, making Reina shake her head in disbelief. Finally, she grabbed a cloth from her desk drawer and gently began cleaning Lia's face. As she did so, Reina muttered under her breath.

"Mommy, may Lia go to the house?" Lia suddenly asked, glancing at her mother, who was still cleaning her father's face while grumbling quietly.

Reina paused her actions, briefly looking at Lia. "What house are you talking about, Lia? Isn't your house here?"

Lia's face immediately turned sour. "Ugh, Mom's, you've forgotten! I mean Grandfather's house. I want to check on Grandfather's fields, I haven't seen them in a long time. May I go?"

"I also want to go out and play, meet my friends whom I haven't seen in a while," she added hopefully.

"Daddy also said he wanted to go out for a bit to get some fresh air," Lia continued, glancing at Yosan.

Yosan nodded in agreement. "That's right, Your Majesty. I would like to go out for a while as well. Is that alright?"

"We beg of you," Lia and Yosan said in unison, bringing their hands together as if in a plea.

"Just for a bit, not long. We promise we'll return before nightfall," Lia added, trying to reassure her.

Reina looked at the two people she loved, then glanced at the pile of documents that had accumulated around her. She thought for a moment.

Reina knew she couldn't let Yosan and Lia leave the palace without supervision. The outside world was too dangerous, especially with so many threats lurking around the royal family. Honestly, she wanted to go too, but her heavy responsibilities made it difficult for her to make a decision.

"No, you cannot," Reina finally answered, surprising both Lia and Yosan.

"You cannot go out alone," she continued firmly.

"We could ask for some soldiers to accompany us, if needed," Yosan quickly replied, trying to reassure Reina.

"I also promise to be careful and protect Lia. If needed..." Yosan paused, hesitating to continue because he knew what he was about to say wasn't something he liked. "...You could send 20 guards to accompany us."

Lia made a face. "Daddy, that's too much! We only need 3-5 people to escort us. That's enough."

"Daddy said that to reassure your Mom's, so we can go out of the palace with tight security. That way, your Mom's won't worry," Yosan explained.

But Lia remained unhappy. She frowned, uncomfortable with the idea of too many guards accompanying them. She didn't want to be the center of attention and just wanted to be free to play with her friends, visit her grandfather's fields, and be left alone.

"Then let Mommy or Aunt Sylvia go with us. Everything will be fine," Lia muttered, her lips pouting in annoyance.

Yosan immediately shook his head in disagreement. He knew Reina was already burdened with many important responsibilities. "You can't ask for that, Lia. Your mom's has a lot of duties right now as the ruler of the kingdom."

"Lia was just expressing her opinion. Besides, bringing so many guards would be too conspicuous," Lia retorted, her eyes narrowing.

"Do you want to be the center of attention, Dad's, with so many people following us? Like we're some important people?" Lia shot back.

Aren't they important people?

"But still, Lia—" Yosan tried to respond, but was cut off by Reina's voice.

"Alright, I'll go with you both. So, when do you plan to go?"

"Yes?" Yosan and Lia turned to look at her in surprise, unable to believe her words.

"I said I'll go with you," Reina repeated, brushing her hair back elegantly.

"But, Your Majesty—" Yosan tried to protest, but before he could finish, Lia cheered loudly.

"Hooray! Mommy is coming!" Lia exclaimed happily, leaping toward Reina, then hugging her tightly and giving her a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"No buts, Yosan. So, when do you want to go?" Reina asked firmly.

"To—tomorrow, Your Majesty," Yosan answered hesitantly.

"I love you, Mom! You're the best! Not like Daddy!" Lia said playfully with a satisfied smile.

"You—!" Yosan was about to protest in annoyance, but Lia had already turned away, looking pleased.

"I love you too, Lia," Reina responded softly, returning her daughter's affectionate words before gently lowering Lia from her embrace.

"Alright then, get ready. Tomorrow we'll go. It's been a while since we've gone out together," Reina added with a small smile.

However, before Lia and Yosan could cheer again, Reina added in a serious tone, "And remember, don't interact with that snake woman. I don't want you near her. Understood?"

"Snake woman?" Yosan and Lia exchanged glances, confused.

"I mean Sylvia. Don't get close to her," Reina snapped with a sharp gaze, ending the discussion.

"We understand," Yosan and Lia replied in unison, trying to ease the tension, though still a bit fearful.

Yosan lifted Lia into his arms, slightly leaning forward, and with a quick motion, the two of them kissed Reina's cheek.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Yosan said, smiling, though his face was flushed. Without waiting for a response, he quickly left with Lia.

"I love you, Mommy!" Lia called out as she waved.

Reina could only remain silent for a moment, holding her cheek, before sighing deeply and shaking her head. "They only do this when they want something," she muttered, staring at the door that had just closed.

However, after a few moments, the sound of footsteps was heard again approaching. Reina looked up, and this time, she saw Lia and Yosan re-enter the room, carrying cleaning tools.

"We'll clean up the dirt from earlier!" Lia called out enthusiastically, while Yosan busily wiped the floor carefully.

Reina massaged her temples, feeling a bit dizzy from their antics. "Stop, you don't need to bother. Let the servants handle it. Go take a bath before the sun completely sets!" she commanded firmly.

Lia and Yosan were startled by the reprimand, exchanged confused glances, and then quickly left to follow Reina's orders.

A few moments later, Reina, who had returned to her pile of royal documents, felt a sense of calm. However, that peace was short-lived when the door to her room suddenly opened again.

"Didn't I say you should clean yourselves up?" Reina shouted without turning around, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"Clean ourselves? What have we done wrong, Your Majesty?"

Reina quickly looked up and saw Beile, Harzel, and Nils standing in the doorway with puzzled expressions.