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When Jerome came around to check up on the new King, he was disappointed to see the untouched plate. And he was saddened to see the King still buried in the papers and files.

But he was at least happy that the King had now taken refuge in working tirelessly rather than drowning himself in alcohol to forget his pain and loneliness.

Still, working without even eating and drinking was a bit too excessive.

Thus, in an attempt to make the King move from his seat and give rest to his eyes as well as his mind, Jerome asked the King, “Your Majesty, I have set up your lunch in the garden. Why don’t you take a short lunch break and then get back to your work again?”

Everard was so focused on the file that he was holding that he didn’t hear a word that Jerome said to him.

After not getting any kind of response from the King, Jerome cleared his throat and then said in a voice that was louder than before, “Your Majesty, it is already your lunchtime.” This time he managed to catch Everard’s attention.

However, without even lifting his head to look at Jerome, Everard replied, “Okay, send it in.”

Jerome sighed and tried to emphasize, “Everyone had put a great effort into setting up your lunch in the garden. Why don’t you come to the garden and enjoy your lunch? They will also feel appreciated if you go and acknowledge them.”

.....

“Is it really necessary?” Everard asked as a small frown line appeared on his forehead.

Jerome looked at the King’s busy eyes and then answered, “It is not necessary, but everyone would be happy if you go there and appreciate their effort.”

There was a chilling silence in the room for a while. Everard kept on going through the file as if he would forget everything the moment he looked away from it.

Jerome, on the other hand, kept on standing in front of the King’s desk. He didn’t want to give in to the King’s silence and send the lunch inside because he thought that the King probably would not eat the lunch as well.

“Give me a few minutes then,” Everard finally said when Jerome didn’t budge from before him.

Jerome bowed and left the King’s side, hoping that he wouldn’t have to come to the study again to call the King.

After a couple of minutes, Everard finished going through the last page of the file he was studying and suddenly dropped the file on the table.

He rubbed his chin and then thought to himself, ‘I heard that there are several distilleries run by Romulus. And the alcohols from his distillery are quite famous, aren’t they? So, why is he paying so little amount of tax?’

‘Have they been evading the taxes for all this while? The amount they pay each year has always been around the same. So, it’s not that their sales suddenly dropped this year.’

Everard closed his eyes and ran some scenarios in his head.

‘If they were evading the taxes, then the Minister of Finance should have been aware of it and informed my father. Did my father look the other way? Or was it the Minister of Finance who never reported it to my father?’

He got up from his seat and then went outside to find Jerome. If anyone would know if the previous King was purposely not punishing Romulus for evading the taxes, then it would be Jerome, who was virtually the previous King’s tail.

He found Jerome waiting for him in the hallway.

Jerome gave a quick smile and began to lead the King towards the garden thinking that Everard was there to have his lunch.

Everard followed Jerome without asking him to stop. And while on the way to the garden, he asked Jerome, “Do you know anything about the tax that alpha Romulus’ distilleries pays each year?”

“What exactly do you want to know?” Jerome asked since he felt that there was a hidden question behind what Everard asked him just now.

Everard held his hands behind his back and then rephrased his question, “Did my father give them some tax subsidy? The amount they pay is very less than what I imagined.”

Jerome knitted his brows together and answered while shaking his head, “I don’t think he ever offered a subsidy to the distilleries. He was against the idea of his citizens consuming such harmful things. If anything, he would have added more tax to reduce the production.”

“Hmm…” Everard narrowed his eyes and grunted.

They had reached the middle of the beautiful garden where the servants had set up a table and lunch for their King.

Jerome pulled the chair for the King to sit on.

Everard didn’t quite feel like sitting down and eating when he had a lot of things on his mind. However, since he was already there, he thought it would be disrespectful to simply leave and waste the food that his servants had prepared just for him.

Thus, he sat down and then grabbed the knife and fork. Before eating though, he looked at Jerome and asked, “Prepare the carriage. I want to visit the distilleries and see them for myself. But do it in secret. I don’t want them to know that we are coming.”

For a split second, Jerome thought that Everard was specifically targeting the distillery because it was the alcohol from one of those distilleries that made him too drunk and ultimately made him do things that put him in a pinch.

However, seeing how serious Everard was at the moment, he quickly assumed that the matter was something serious.

Thus, he gave a bow to the King and walked away after saying, “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

Everard, on the other hand, munched on some green beans and thought to himself, ‘Why hasn’t Lorenzo visited me recently though? Maybe he would have some idea about this matter.’