Chapter 97 (1/2)

“Everything’s so expensive,” Tafel said as she frowned and placed a magazine on her lap. A picture of a white wedding gown was on the cover page. “Everything’s handmade by elves. I’d have to use all the earnings I made in Fuselage if I want to buy even half of these things.”

“Who gave you that magazine?” Vur asked and tilted his head. He leaned back on the bench and stared at the hedges in front of him. A stack of letters lay on the empty space next to him. “And why don’t you just use the money from the treasury?

“Auntie gave it to me,” she said and sighed while tilting her head up towards the sky. “And we can’t use the money from any of our treasuries. That’s for the country.”

Vur scratched his nose. “Right. Of course,” he said as his gaze shifted to the side.

Tafel stared at him. “Don’t tell me you—“

“Hey, there’s a letter from someone named Raffgier,” Vur said as he picked up the letter on top of the stack.

“Raffgier… Isn’t that the noble who you bullied?” Tafel asked. “Why’s he still using his family’s stamp?”

Vur shrugged. “Dunno,” he said as he tore open the letter. He read through it and raised an eyebrow. “He’s begging for forgiveness and wants to cover all the costs of the wedding.”

Tafel’s eyes sparkled. “All of them?” she asked and snatched the letter out of Vur’s hands. She smiled and flipped the letter over, looking for a backside. “I want everything on the catalog.”

“And you say I’m the bully,” Vur said and shook his head while sighing.

“He offered,” Tafel said and hugged Vur’s arm. “Hurry up and forgive him.”

“Alright,” Vur said and snapped his fingers. A skeleton popped out of the ground and saluted. “Tell Raffgier that he’s forgiven and give him this catalog. Tell him to buy everything and send it to the royal castle.”

“As you wish,” the skeleton said and bowed before it jumped into the hole it previously made.

The two stared at the broken ground. “About that royal treasury,” Tafel said, her voice trailing off.

“Royal treasury? Did the humans have one of those?” Vur asked. “I think it was empty before I became king. Definitely.”

“Vur.”

“Yes?”

“You’re a terrible king.”

“Yup.”

Tafel sighed. “I’m not letting you make any administrative decisions when we get married.”

“But I like flipping coins.”

Tafel fell silent. “Please tell me that’s not how you make decisions regarding your country.”

“That’s not how I make decisions regarding my country.”