Ah, was it that obvious...? [ The Iudex says, lifting one hand to rub at the back of his neck. He did say the Palais would send aid, but he had meant it in an official capacity as the state providing for its citizens in need. That the young woman isn't actually answering his question doesn't go unnoticed, but he can't quite tell if that's a deliberate choice on her part.

He decides not to push it further, gaze fixed on her face as though trying to ascertain how she's feeling behind that smile she puts on. ]

There is really no need to thank me; I only wanted to make sure Poisson would be able to get the food and medical supplies it needed without having to wait for the bureaucratic wheels to turn.

[ The Palais had approved and sent aid to those affected within the week, but he considers that an unacceptable waiting period given the circumstances; people had lost their homes and livelihoods and it's almost embarrassing that the House of Hearth stepped in to help faster than the state could. The people of Fontaine like to joke about how the only certainties in life are death, taxes, and inefficient bureaucracy, but recent events have made things clear: the system must be streamlined and modernized. And that's what Neuvillette intends to do over the next decade now that he is the sole leader of the nation. ]