Strongest Kingdom: My Op Kingdom Got Transported Along With Me

Chapter 419: Chapter 418: We Will Not Hide It Anymore

For a split second... The two women froze.

An almost invisible current passed between their eyes.

Neither intended to reveal the truth.

Absolutely not.

There was no way they could tell their king that the argument had started because they were debating who would become his queen if he ever returned their feelings.

That was far too embarrassing.

Sorin laughed nervously.

"...Combat philosophy."

Karnessa answered almost simultaneously.

"...Training methods."

The instant those two completely different answers came out...

Both women silently closed their eyes.

"..."

"..."

The silence became deafening.

Alix looked at Sorin, then at Karnessa.

Finally, he smiled helplessly.

"I see."

Although the explanations clearly didn’t match...

He chose not to press the matter.

Everyone had secrets they preferred to keep.

"As long as neither of you gets seriously injured."

"Next time, try not to destroy the training grounds."

His tone remained lighthearted.

"Repairing them isn’t free."

Both women immediately straightened.

"We understand, Your Majesty."

After giving them one last smile, Alix turned around.

"I’ll leave the rest of your training to you."

"But keep it reasonable."

With that, he calmly walked toward the exit of the private arena.

His footsteps gradually disappeared into the distance.

Only after his presence had completely vanished...

Did Sorin finally let out a long breath.

"...That was close."

Karnessa quietly nodded.

"Far too close."

The two women stood in silence for several moments.

Neither knew where to begin.

Eventually, Sorin looked toward Karnessa.

"So..."

"We’re really doing this now?"

Karnessa understood exactly what she meant.

There was no need for further explanation.

After today’s embarrassment, one thing had become painfully obvious.

If they continued pretending nothing was in their hearts. Nothing would ever change.

Karnessa slowly folded her arms.

Her usually composed expression softened ever so slightly.

"I don’t intend to confess."

"Not now."

Sorin nodded.

"Neither do I."

There was simply too much for His Majesty to shoulder.

The kingdom.

The expansion of their territory.

The countless responsibilities resting upon him.

Neither wished to burden him with their feelings.

"But..." Sorin continued with a determined smile.

"...I’m done hiding them."

Karnessa looked toward the palace entrance where Alix had disappeared.

A gentle smile appeared on her normally composed face.

"Agreed."

"I won’t force an answer."

"I won’t demand anything from him."

"But..."

"I’ll make my intentions clear."

"So clear that even someone as focused as His Majesty will eventually notice."

Sorin laughed softly.

"Looks like..."

"We’re rivals from now on."

Karnessa met her gaze. There was no hostility, only mutual determination.

"Rivals."

"But fair ones."

The two women extended their hands.

After a brief pause, they shook hands firmly.

Neither intended to back down.

Neither intended to sabotage the other.

From this day onward, they would compete openly.

Not through reckless battles capable of destroying the palace...

But by showing Alix the best versions of themselves.

Whichever path his heart eventually chose...

They would accept it without regret.

-----

After leaving the private training grounds, Alix returned to the royal palace.

The palace corridors were as lively as ever.

Royal officials hurried from one office to another with stacks of documents in their hands. Palace maids moved gracefully through the halls, while elite royal guards stood at every intersection with unwavering discipline.

Everyone who crossed paths with Alix immediately stopped and bowed.

"Your Majesty."

Alix acknowledged them with a slight nod before continuing toward his office.

The moment he entered the room, the familiar scent of parchment and ink greeted him.

His study was spacious yet simple.

Towering bookshelves lined the walls, each filled with records gathered from both the old world and this new one. A massive map of the surrounding kingdoms occupied nearly an entire wall, covered with colored markers indicating military positions, supply routes, resource locations, and recently conquered territories.

In the center of the room stood an enormous desk carved from blackwood.

Unfortunately, it was buried beneath mountains of paperwork.

Alix stared at the countless reports for a few seconds.

"..."

He let out a quiet sigh before taking his seat.

"It never ends."

Picking up the first report, he immediately began reading.

It was a report from the Ministry of Agriculture.

The recently conquered kingdom possessed fertile farmland capable of producing nearly twice the harvest of their previous territory. However, irrigation canals required extensive repairs before the next planting season.

Approved.

He signed the document before placing it into another pile.

The next report came from the Ministry of Construction.

Several districts of Noctaris City had nearly completed their expansion, while new defensive walls were progressing ahead of schedule thanks to the undead labor force.

Approved.

Then came reports regarding trade agreements...

Military recruitment...

Prisoner management...

Infrastructure...

Medical facilities...

Research requests...

Supply inventories...

Tax distribution...

Hours seemed to pass in silence.

Outside the large windows, the afternoon sunlight slowly shifted across the polished wooden floor.

The pile of unread documents gradually shrank.

Just as Alix reached for another report...

Knock.

Knock.

A gentle knock echoed through the room.

Without looking up, Alix calmly spoke.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened.

To his surprise, two familiar figures entered almost simultaneously.

Sorin, and Karnessa.

The moment they saw each other standing at the doorway...

Both froze.

"..."

"..."

Neither had expected the other to arrive.

An awkward silence immediately filled the entrance.

Alix finally looked up from his paperwork.

His eyes shifted between the two generals.

Each of them carried a tray.

Sorin held a beautifully decorated cake resting atop a polished silver platter.

Fresh strawberries and blueberries decorated the top, while delicate white cream had been carefully piped around the edges.

Although it wasn’t flawless...

It was obvious that someone had devoted considerable effort to making it.

Meanwhile, Karnessa carried a covered wooden tray.

Judging from the aroma drifting through the room, it appeared to be a freshly cooked meal.

Unfortunately, the scent was... Somewhat unusual.

Not unpleasant. Just, confusing.

Sorin was the first to recover. She stepped forward with a bright smile.

"Your Majesty."

"I baked a cake for you."

She carefully placed the tray onto the table before clasping her hands behind her back.

"I’ve been practicing my baking these past few days."

"I wanted you..."

"...to be the first person to try it."

As she spoke, a faint blush gradually spread across her cheeks.

She tried her best to appear calm.

But the slight nervousness in her eyes betrayed her.

After all, this wasn’t merely about the cake.

She genuinely wanted to make something for him with her own hands.

Before Alix could respond, Karnessa suddenly stepped forward as well.

"...Your Majesty."

"I also prepared something."

She gently removed the wooden lid covering her tray.

A hearty meat stew came into view. The ingredients themselves looked excellent.

Large chunks of slow-cooked meat rested alongside fresh vegetables and herbs inside a dark ceramic bowl.

At first glance, it looked delicious.

Then Alix noticed, one side of the bread accompanying it was slightly burnt.

Very burnt.

Almost charcoal.

Karnessa immediately noticed where his eyes had landed.

Her usually composed face became noticeably red.

"...The bread..."

"...was slightly overcooked."

Sorin glanced at the bread.

Then back at Karnessa.

The corners of her lips twitched.

"Slightly?"

Karnessa coughed softly.

"...More than slightly."

A brief silence followed.

Then, even Alix couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

Karnessa looked away in embarrassment.

"...Cooking..."

"...is more difficult than swordsmanship."

Sorin couldn’t help laughing.

"I’ll have to agree with that."

Karnessa folded her arms.

"I’ve fought enemies stronger than me."

"I’ve mastered blood manipulation."

She looked at the blackened bread with an expression of complete defeat.

"...Yet somehow..."

"...bread defeated me."

The room fell silent for a heartbeat.

Then Alix laughed, a genuine laugh.

Not exaggerated, but warm enough that both women instinctively relaxed.

"It’s the effort that matters."

He looked first at Sorin.

"Thank you."

Then toward Karnessa.

"And thank you as well."

Neither gift was extravagant.

Neither had been prepared by master chefs. But both had been made personally.

That sincerity alone made them valuable. Sorin’s smile immediately brightened.

Karnessa’s shoulders visibly relaxed.

The rivalry between them instantly reignited.

Sorin subtly pushed the cake a little closer.

"Your Majesty..."

"You should try the cake while it’s still fresh."

Almost at the same time, Karnessa gently slid the bowl of stew forward.

"...The stew is best while it’s hot."

The two women glanced at one another. Their polite smiles remained perfectly intact.

Yet an invisible spark seemed to flash between them.

Alix looked at the cake.

Then the stew.

Then at the hopeful expressions of the two generals standing before his desk.

"..."

He suddenly had a feeling... that choosing which one to taste first...

Might be far more dangerous than facing an army on the battlefield.