He often openly praised Ines’s achievements. Every time he did, Ines felt a bit awkward, not knowing how to react.

“Moreover, there are no forces left to oppose the work in the palace.”

Nodding, Ines strengthened her legs. Now that there is no one to block her from the palace, she felt that she had to be wary of herself.

“We can soon start selecting students, right?”

“I’ve spread the word throughout the empire, so there should be applicants.”

“It won’t be easy.”

More frightening than the law was tradition. Many people still looked negatively at commoners receiving education.

In a world unjust and unequal, people couldn’t readily reach out even if opportunities were in front of them. It was natural for them to be cautious and fearful.

But all changes had already begun.

“Is this all?”

At that moment, Louis grabbed Ines’s hand, who was lost in thought.

“Your Highness, the Princess.”

In response to the maid’s reminder, Louis nodded and straightened his body a bit.

“Oh, is this it, Your Majesty, the Empress?”

Ines found his reaction cute and laughed warmly. Spending time alone with him, Louis found it challenging to behave properly in front of people.

“Not yet. Only one building has been erected now.”

“Ah…”

“Three more buildings will be constructed. Still, I want to attract students first.”

“Why so quickly…?”

“I’m impatient.”

As Ines answered, Louis looked down at her. No, now he could see the child’s face just by lowering his gaze a bit.

When did he grow so much? Just as Carson said, the more he grew, the more beautiful Louis became day by day.

Looking at him, Ines bit her lip. Poke, one side of her chest felt like it was being pierced. It felt like she wanted him to grow a bit more slowly, driven by greed.

“Is there anything uncomfortable?”

Louis still sensitively grasped the other’s emotions. With the good black hair fluttering, his gaze immediately followed Ines.

“Louis…”

Instead of answering, Louis’s eyes sparkled.

“It’s about love these days. Women don’t rush into marriage as before.”

“Huh?”

“Which means… If the princess wants, you can study more.”

“…”

“It’s okay to see a broader world. Of course, you can’t go too far.”

Following Ines’s explanation, Louis chuckled and laughed.

“Don’t leave me.”

“Hmm?”

Louis glanced at Ines’s belly.
“Since my nephew was born, he insists on not going anywhere until he starts calling me aunt.”

“Oh, it seems like Princess, you don’t know much… Children learn to talk faster than you think.”

In any case, Ines no longer held back her words. Of course, she knew that Louis couldn’t stay in the palace forever.

Already, the former emperor had vacated the palace. He expressed his intention to go to where Carson’s mother was born and spend the rest of his life there.

Hearing this, Carson sarcastically remarked that the former emperor had become a pure man belatedly, but it was easy to see that he didn’t really mind.

When the child in Ines’s womb is born, Louis naturally had to vacate the palace. It was said that he could not be a noble born in the same era as a prince or princess, born in the palace.

So, if the princess wanted to continue staying in the system, it was customary to marry one of the aristocrats within the system. Therefore, Ines was scrutinizing many noble households, but there was no suitable candidate in her castle.

It wasn’t that there were no excellent candidates. It’s just that the feeling of not wanting to let them go was too strong.

Even knowing that, it wasn’t easy to accept it readily. Louis and Ines didn’t express much to each other, but they were very special.

Ines’s appearance seemed quite restless, so Louis grabbed her arm and stopped her from speaking.

“First, let’s go into the school, Your Majesty.”

Deep down, Louis had undoubtedly chosen the result of sacrificing himself for the empire. Ines, thinking about what to do, followed Louis a bit late.

As they entered, the spacious hall gave a liberating feeling. Louis also seemed to feel the same way, looking around for a moment.

There were no fancy chandeliers like the ones at the Imperial Academy. However, there were enough lamps to brighten the night like day, suitable for studying.

Although the floor was not laid with marble, the library alone was prepared enough to rival the aristocratic academies.

“Ines.”

Without formality, Louis called her name when he saw that the group following them had stopped a bit away.

“I want to go to the academy.”

Ines’s eyes opened wide at the unexpected words.

“I’ve been preparing for a long time. So the test will be conducted fairly.”

Trying not to show her surprise, Ines smiled gently. However, Louis was not looking at Ines.

“Do you have an academy you’ve been thinking of?”

“Pentium.”

Pentium was the Empire’s top educational institution, where one could only take the exam after completing a total of 10 years of regular courses to be eligible for admission, not in the system, but in the regional territories.