The reason Arina created the new persona of Phantom, rather than simply sticking to Mary, seemed to stem from something even she might not fully acknowledge.

Or perhaps she did know but chose not to say it aloud.

It was likely to preempt criticisms such as, “If she’s going to do good deeds here in Beddenheim, why doesn’t she focus on Lenslet and High Castle, where her real subjects are?”

The truth was, it was complicated for Arina to directly govern Lenslet or High Castle.

With the establishment of the Lenslet Church, Arina had achieved the ultimate form of power—a divine monarchy.

Thanks to me, Isabelle, Haitai, and the rest of the cabinet, she barely had to lift a finger. Lenslet was essentially running on an “auto-farming” system.

The northern tradition of delegating domestic affairs to wives and ministers had significantly contributed to this hands-off governance style.