Addison almost wanted to laugh seeing the barely concealed fury on some of the nobles’ faces.
The reactions alone made it obvious how deeply her parents’ actions had struck them.
This public display of generosity was far more than a simple celebration; it was a calculated political move. By openly sharing provisions with the citizens and strengthening the royal family’s image among the masses, the Alpha King and Queen were clearly preparing for something.
It was obvious to anyone intelligent enough to read between the lines that the royal couple had already sensed the growing movements within the shadows and had quietly begun taking countermeasures of their own.
And that realization unsettled many people.
The sharper and more politically aware nobles could immediately see the shift in strategy and understood the danger behind it. Once the hearts of the citizens completely leaned toward the crown, opposing the royal family would become significantly harder.
Meanwhile, those too arrogant or blinded by their own self-importance only felt irritated and resentful.
In their eyes, the royal family was "wasting" valuable resources on commoners. Many of them believed the provisions being distributed were funded by taxes collected from noble territories, making them view the Queen’s generosity as nothing more than throwing away wealth to curry favor with the masses.
And they hated it precisely because it worked.
However, Addison was also keenly aware that this incident could easily be used against them in the future.
While the royal family had successfully led the kingdom through the devastating Locust Swarm that had threatened the Western Region, the kingdom’s troubles were far from over.
The South continued to suffer from a severe drought, while the North faced an even more alarming crisis, a rapidly spreading plague. If the epidemic was not contained soon, it could spread beyond the northern territories and eventually reach the Royal Capital or other regions of the kingdom, plunging the entire nation into chaos.
Addressing these disasters would require enormous amounts of manpower, supplies, and financial resources. Under such circumstances, the Queen’s decision to distribute provisions from the royal warehouses could easily become a point of criticism.
Their enemies would undoubtedly seize upon the matter, accusing the Crown of mismanaging resources or prioritizing one crisis over another. Even a benevolent act meant to help the people could be twisted into a weapon and used to create unnecessary unrest.
Yet despite these concerns, Addison remained calm.
If the Queen had made such a move and his father had raised no objections, then they had undoubtedly already considered the potential consequences. In fact, Addison suspected that the decision might serve a greater purpose.
It could be a calculated move designed to flush out the traitors lurking within the palace walls. Those dissatisfied with the Crown would likely reveal themselves by opposing the decision, spreading rumors, or taking advantage of the situation to stir trouble within the Royal Palace.
It was undoubtedly a dangerous gamble, a double-edged sword that could wound friend and foe alike. However, if handled properly, it would allow them to identify hidden enemies, expose those with ulterior motives, and determine exactly whom they needed to guard against moving forward.
Even so, Addison’s thoughts soon drifted toward an even more pressing concern, the kingdom’s food supply for the coming year.
The largest granary in the Western Region had been affected by the recent disaster. Although the Western packs had managed to salvage and harvest much of the existing crop before the situation worsened, the surrounding farmlands had been contaminated by the biochemical agent.
As things stood, it would be impossible for the western packs to cultivate the next season’s crops on a scale large enough to support the entire kingdom.


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