Redcliffe castle.

Jill Gustav entered the room, and then filled her lungs with air. It is savory, as expected of the important office of a kingdom. She didn't want to inhale the sweet-smelled fragrant. From time to time, her lover would come and work in this room. She tried to trace his smell. Her lover, the King had occupied himself with other women. Not that she felt left behind, but she just wanted his company from time to time. She longed for his body. Even when he came here, all he did was reading reports. 

He didn't taste her body. He worked and left. 

What Jill was doing now was just to enjoy the male scent he had left behind.

Not much left. 

Still — she could feel it in her heart.

After breathing in the air where her man had been, she felt peace flowing through her soul.

This was what it meant to be a girl in love.

“Ku~ fufu.”

As the soft chuckle escaped her lips, Jill pressed her hand over her mouth.

It was not that anyone was there, or that her teeth were showing. She was the Minister of General Affairs of a kingdom after all. No one could easily enter this office. However, it was not something a proper lady should have done.

She sat primly on the chair and put her hands on the large desk. 

She sniffed again, and as expected, there was nothing in the air.

This was a perfectly reasonable course of action for a girl in love to take. 

While remembering his face and body, her hands slipped into her underwear and her fingers caressed deep within her crotch.

For a minute, she was pleasing herself before something came into her mind.

“Haaa~”

Jill pulled back the hands wandering down her belly. Now was not the time for such things.

It seemed this is becoming a habit, Jill thought as she pulled herself upright.

In any case, she had to finish the day’s tasks.

After placing Castall land under their rule and returned to Redcliffe castle, Jill’s workload had dramatically increased.

Her best friend, Suzy who was also a lover of his man, had been working hard with her. 

Furthermore, recently a woman from Tihany Town, Shaela came here to help with her work. The widow was also his man's lover.

The king had put the secret of the kingdom into the hands of his most trusted aides, his lovers. 

She then reminisced about her working life as a frontline clerk with Merchants Guild in Abram. It was a lowly routine life with Suzy but she met her lover, Hiro there. How nostalgic, she thought.

Having said that, her current life was more purposeful. She worked for the people, for the country her lover owned. 

In terms of career, Jill Gustav who was the Minister of general affairs, was one of the prominent positions in the whole kingdom. 

Unlike before, no one could scold her. However, her life was hectic. 

“Although, come to think of it… where does Hiro plan to lead the Hezri Kingdom?”

A nation had policies which it could implement.

Once one had decided on them, they could to determine the laws of the land and the future direction of the entire country. 

However, her man had not been able to give her a clear answer, even until now.

In other words, the Hezri Kingdom was building itself on the foundations of the old house called the Castall Kingdom, Dioral and Redcliffe, and it was missing its central leadership as it did so.

Could it be that this was the ideal sort of country for her beloved man? Or was he waiting for something? 

“All I need to do is obey Hiro’s decisions, no matter what kind of country he wants to create.”

In all ways but one, Jill would faithfully follow her beloved husband.

“Still, what’s happened to him?”

But of course, there was no answer to the sound of Jill’s muttering.

She scrutinized the reports on the papers on the desk.

Although each noble family administer their own demesne, many demesnes were grouped into a province. 

The most influential or poweful family in the province was appointed as the leader.

Several provinces form a region. A ruler governed a region.

Central and south western Dioral was called Hyuutia region and had ten provinces in it. The House of Hyuutia, led by Albert Hyuutia ruled over there.

There were five provinces in southeast Dioral. It was governed by House of Adalgiso, led by Margrave Odbart Adalgiso.

In southern Castall, the region was called Virginia region and consisted 5 provinces. The region was governed by House of Virginia, led by Margrave Noir Virginia.

The eastern Castall based in Torun consisted of 7 provinces and governed by House of Escaote, led by Viscountess Lucino Escaote. 

The western Castall was unique as it had no provinces despite having dozens of villages in it. It was governed by House of Hezri, the royal family. The aristocrat living there was Hiro's lover, a newly appointed aristocrat, Baroness Nojico Hezri.  

The central region consisted of 3 provinces and was called Vandimion region as governed by Federico Vandimion, the head of House of Vandimion and the supreme leader of Venetian city state. There were only three demesnes in there. Each demesne was also a province. Each demesne or province was governed by the son of Federico Vandimion, namely Giorgio, Poliziano and Magnifico.

The southernmost region was a dark elf region consisting of 7 provinces. The region was ruled by House of Tirvac, led by Count Riheet Tirvac.

The Korcari Wilds was ruled by a dryad spirit, Hamadryad. There was one large former dalish settlement that was now home for former refugees mixed with part of Dalish remnants. There were two small settlements. 

There were nobles in the three settlements.

Between Korcari Wilds and Redcliffe, there was Hinterland, governed by Ebonite religion, led by Speaker Anais. There was alsk no nobility in there, except in the northern part of Hinterland where there were demesnes owned by Horsemaster Drake and his friends. 

Redcliffe, the capital of Hezri Kingdom was a region consisting 6 provinces. The ruler was Marchioness Ivanna Reskina. 

Each region had no autonomous power, though. Most of their yields were sent to Redcliffe, being redistributed back directly to each demesne, bypassing even the regional lords.

Vandimion, however, received a portion of the whole assembled yields as to be traded by Venetian city state.

The kingdom's army was named Red Army. There was Red Army establishment in every region. 

There were two places to trade the kingdom's product.

One through the grand port of Venetian, owned by Vandimion family.

The second outlet was Redcliffe Wharf. 

There was a farm in every demesne within the kingdom, but there were only three mining sources throughout the kingdom. 

First mine was gold and iron mine in Hinterland.

Second, iron and coal mine in southeast Dioral governed by Odbart Adalgiso.

Third mine was newly discovered mine that produced iron, silver, copper, and gold in Torun governed by Lucino Escaote. 

Entire Hezri Kingdom was landlocked except Redcliffe. Redcliffe wharf was not a big trading post like Venetian but it gathered a lot if fishes. In the past, it even exported to other territories in Ferelden. Now, its large yoeld of fishes were sent to the whole kingdom.

Jill was taught by the king, Hiro that resources in the whole kingdom was being centrally managed. 

He even uttered the word, "Hezri Kingdom is a socialist kingdom because of that." 

Jill reminisced about his man's teachings while reading the reports.

***