The Princess' Harem
Chapter 59: Financial Report Analysis

Chapter 59: Financial Report Analysis

That morning, Viana woke up earlier than usual. The sky was still golden with the last traces of dawn’s light as she stepped out of her room, heading toward the small meeting room where she had promised to meet Arden.

Today was an important day for her. The council session would be held in just a few weeks, and she needed to ensure that every report submitted truly reflected the kingdom’s condition.

When she arrived, Arden was already waiting at the long table, which was covered with documents bearing the royal seal. The man, handsome as always, had a hint of fatigue on his face.

"How was your night, Your Highness?" Arden asked casually as he handed her a bundle of reports.

Viana took them and began reading without responding to the small talk.

After a while, she finally answered, "Short, but productive. There are things we need to revise before the council meeting."

Arden raised an eyebrow, then pulled his chair closer to the table. "What do you think needs to be changed?"

Viana set down the first document, then picked up the report on taxes and the kingdom’s financial flow.

"This report favors the nobles and large merchants too much. I want adjustments to support the working class and small traders. If we keep giving advantages only to those with economic power, we will gradually lose the people’s trust."

Arden nodded and started jotting down notes on the edge of the report. "I understand your point. We can adjust some tax policies to be more progressive."

Viana continued reading another report, this time about government-funded construction projects. She noticed an imbalance in fund distribution. Too much was allocated to projects in already prosperous regions, while poorer areas received minimal support.

"I want these numbers recalculated," she said, pointing to a section in the project report. "The western region needs more funds for basic infrastructure. They still struggle to get clean water, while the projects in the eastern region focus more on aesthetics and economic expansion."

Arden let out a quiet sigh, understanding Viana’s concerns, then nodded. "I can review the calculations. But when presenting this in the council, you must be careful. Some nobles in the east may oppose the reduction in their funding."

Viana sighed. "I’ve already considered that. But if we don’t start balancing our policies now, social issues will only worsen. I would rather face their dissatisfaction now than deal with a rebellion later."

Of course, her words were not entirely truthful. She would rather confront the council members than endure Count Lazarus’ torture again.

Arden gave a small, admiring smile, unaware of Viana’s deeper thoughts. "Your approach is always direct and sharp, Your Highness. I respect that."

Viana looked at Arden, who was busy with his notes again. She remembered how, months ago, he had been extremely shy, especially around women. But now, he had opened up with her and no longer seemed awkward.

She continued reading the other reports. Time was limited, and she needed to ensure every revision was done before the council session began.

After hours of uninterrupted work, they finally completed the necessary revisions. The sun had risen higher, and its golden light streamed through the library’s large windows, illuminating the scattered documents on their table.

Viana leaned back in her chair and let out a long breath. "Alright. I think this is ready to be submitted to the council."

Arden nodded, then gathered the revised documents, stacking them neatly. Viana watched him for a moment, then suddenly stood at the side of the table and gave him a formal salute.

He was startled, immediately standing up, accidentally knocking over the documents he had just stacked, briefly torn between saving the papers or stopping the princess from saluting him.

He finally chose to speak, looking at her with disbelief. His hand was slightly raised as if to stop her, while his long eyelashes blinked a few times.

"Your Highness... please don’t do that," he finally said hesitantly. "You should not salute me."

Viana tilted her head slightly, watching his reaction with interest. "I am simply showing my appreciation for your hard work, Arden. I see no reason not to."

Arden looked even more confused. Suddenly, a Love Percentage bar appeared above his head, the number jumping from 9% to 15%.

Viana stared at the number blankly for a few seconds before letting out a quiet sigh. Finally, his percentage increased. She had never seen Arden’s Love Percentage bar since he graduated from Valendale Empire Academy and started working as her tutor, though in reality, he was her chief advisor in political and financial matters.

Arden noticed that Viana was watching him. His face turned bright red, so visible that it could be seen even under the dim library lights.

"I-I..." he mumbled softly, unsure what to say. "I’ll reorganize the reports right away!"

Without waiting for Viana’s response, Arden quickly crouched behind the table, gathering the fallen documents as fast as he could, trying to hide his flushed face.

Viana, not wanting to prolong the situation any further, decided to leave.

Without a word, she stepped out of the library.

Once she left, she was alone with Joel, who was guarding her. Reyes was back to training, stubbornly ignoring Viana’s orders not to push himself too hard.

She finally gave up, letting him do whatever he wanted. After all, Joel had become stronger than Reyes now, which only made him more determined to keep training.

Joel walked beside her casually, his hands tucked into the pockets of his uniform pants, not caring much about whom he was walking with.

"Arden looked stressed," Joel commented with a grin. "Did you do something to him, Your Highness?"

Viana glanced at him briefly. "I only thanked him."

Joel raised his eyebrows, surprised. "And that was enough to make him act like he’d seen a ghost?"

Viana didn’t answer, just kept walking.

They passed through one of the long hallways in the palace, heading toward a small balcony in the west wing, where Viana often spent time thinking. When they arrived, she finally stopped and gazed at the horizon, which was fading into shades of orange.

"I want you to come with me," she said suddenly.

Joel leaned against the stone wall, looking at her curiously. "Where to?"

"To the borderlands," Viana replied, this time turning directly to him. "We will go undercover. I want to investigate Prince Arin’s movements."

Joel’s relaxed expression changed instantly. "Arin? The former prince of Valendale Empire? Why are you interested in him?"

Viana sighed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "As you know, he has been trafficking slaves to fund his coup against his father and brother. He was exiled from Valendale long ago, but from the information I received, he has begun mobilizing his forces again."

Joel narrowed his eyes. "And you think he will attack Elysia?"

Viana nodded slightly. "There’s no definite sign of when, but his preparations are becoming evident. If we don’t act now, we might only realize the danger when it’s too late."

Joel remained silent for a moment, considering Viana’s proposal. Then, he sighed and stood upright. "Alright, I’ll come. But what’s the plan?"

Viana pulled out a small map from the pocket of her gown and placed it on the stone table near the balcony. "We’ll disguise ourselves as merchants. Arin often conducts transactions through intermediaries, so we’ll find a way to infiltrate his information network."

Joel nodded, finding her strategy reasonable. "And if we get caught?"

Viana gave a slight smile. "If that happens, we’ll have to outsmart them. Besides, we have an advantage, I’m not easily recognizable when I’m not wearing my royal robe."

Joel studied her for a moment, then chuckled. "Alright then, let’s start preparing tonight."

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