“There must be something I can do. It’s not the time for me to just sit and eat bread like a pig!”

“Hey, who taught you to be so wasteful with food? Food is”

“precious!”

I’m going to get spanked by mom.

Evelia quickly unclenched her tightly held fists, sat back down, and started eating the cream bread she had thrown down earlier, munching until it was all gone.

After downing a glass of orange juice placed next to her and brushing off the breadcrumbs stuck on her mouth, she quickly retreated to her room to prepare to go out.

‘Everyone’s off doing what they do best, so I should do what I can do best.’

No matter if her demon friend followed, it wasn’t like Evelia to just sit and pray.

“Let’s go, Caron!”

“Yes, Miss.”

“We’re going to the palace. I have something to say to Louis.”

“I will take you there.”

Ever since Evelia started going out, Caron had stopped asking about the destination.

Wherever, whatever, it’s none of his concern. Wherever the young mistress stepped was undoubtedly the right way for a loyal knight.

Evelia, about to casually head out dressed in a forsythiacolored dress, was caught by a surprised Vivian’s hand and was made to change her clothes and comb her long hair.

Roughly 20 minutes after being transformed from a chick with frizzy hair into a young noblewoman, they arrived at the palace from the duke’s mansion. The entrance to the palace was soon in sight as it was not far away.

Evelia popped her upper body out of the carriage and boldly yelled at the gatekeepers standing in front of the castle gate, her hand extending a large identification plaque.

“I’ve come to pay respect to His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

The golden dragonembossed emblem, the golden hair unique to the Artina family even without an identification plaque, and the cheerful face they had seen a few times from afar. The gatekeepers quickly verified her and immediately withdrew their spears.

“Thank you for your work!”

The guards were, if you like, national civil servants employed by the royal family. As the nobles do not look down on the Royal Knights and use honorifics, it was customary to behave with some degree of courtesy, even if they were guards. Although it was hardly observed by the high and mighty nobles.

But a noble lady of high birth would naturally expect to be treated deferely, and even when saying, “Thank you for your work!” to a mere gatekeeper while waving, the guards who had been mechanically guarding the gate sincerely bowed deep behind the carriage.

After passing the entrance to the palace and reaching the palace where the royal family’s office and residence are located, once again.

“I’ve come to pay respect to His Highness, the Crown Prince!”

Running and running inside to the front of the Prince’s Palace, again.

“See. It’s the nth time. I’ve come to pay respect to His Highness!”

The shout is repeated, and the words become shorter. When Evelia entered the Prince’s Palace, it was reduced to ‘Your Highness!’ Evelia grimaced fiercely.

“Next time, I’ll have to teach a parrot to say I’m going to see Louis and carry it on my shoulder!”

“I will be careful next time to avoid such incidents. I apologize, your highness.”

The head of the servants leading Evelia bowed deeply in appeasement.

Since this young princess held the leash of his master, even if the princess’s mood was upset, it was clear that the master’s mood would also be twisted.

But Evelia waved her hand as if she had heard something preposterous. Her expression was solemn.

“No, special privileges are not good. Keeping the laws of the palace is the first step to loyalty.”

‘Is it possible. She’s still young, but she has such deep thoughts!’

The head of the servants clamped his mouth shut and was moved for a moment by the words of the young princess.

Without giving him a chance to interject, Evelia kicked open the door to the prince’s office with a strange shout.

“Yap!”

Wait a minute, didn’t she just say special privileges are not good…?

“I’ve arrived, Eves!”

Keeping the laws of the palace…

“Hand over the secret strategy for this demon subjugation!”

The first step to loyalty…?

“You land thief. What do you want me to hand over? The strategy for the demon subjugation?”

The master of the ceremonial rites was left with his mouth agape at such blatant disrespect. However, since the Crown Prince, their lord, was accepting such rude greetings and excessive demands as if they were only natural, he couldn’t say anything more.

Having been in close attendance to His Highness the Crown Prince, he had seen such sights more than once or twice. The master of the ceremonial rites easily compromised with reality and stepped back, letting out a sigh.

“Before that, try eating this first.”

Ludwig had taken out a sweet set of cocoa and cookies, which he had prepared in anticipation of Evelia’s arrival, and had even set it up himself.

The master of the ceremonial rites was once again shocked. He was someone who had never even set up something for himself to drink, such an invaluable person!

“Your Highness! Such things should be left to me!”

“It’s fine. I’m better at making cocoa than you.”

“Yes, yes, His Highness has five years of experience with cocoa.”

“Besides, our little thief here has a particularly picky taste.”

“Yes, yes, the ratio of milk to cocoa powder has to be exactly 2:1, and there should be just the right amount of marshmallows on top, neither too few nor too many.”

She took a big sip from the large cup held tightly in her small hands, sipping elegantly. Looking proudly down at his young lady, who nodded as if it were the best, was her proud master.

The master of the ceremonial rites thought to himself,

‘Our lord is that socalled h…h…h…sucker…?!’

He knew very well how much the lord treasured the young lady, but he hadn’t realized it was to that extent. The master of the ceremonial rites decided to give orders once again to the gatekeepers of each palace not to block the young lady.

After enjoying the sweet dessert and catching her breath, Evelia spoke.

“Here, this is the plan for the upcoming purge. It’s still a draft.”

The scroll with the tactics was classified information usually handed down only to commanders leading the army directly, but the hand that handed it to Evelia did not hesitate.

He knew very well. How superior his young friend’s tactics were. Hadn’t they secured provisions safely due to her ingenious plan before?

“Thank you. Since I can’t follow the war yet, this is the only thing I can do.”

If the military power is equivalent, victory is determined by tactics, and even if it is inferior, it can be overturned with strategy. She had learned this.

Holding the thick scroll Ludwig had given her, Evelia moved to the small table opposite Ludwig’s desk and sat down.

Evelia, who was full of mischief just moments ago, became quite serious as she sat down and unrolled the map and scroll.

Her golden hair was tied up high, a slight furrow in her brows, and her seablue eyes shone as they looked beyond. She didn’t even touch the cocoa and cookies she had been constantly sipping on.

‘Impressive.’

She was thoroughly concentrated, a stark contrast to the mischief from just moments ago, and it looked truly cool. Ludwig sat at his own desk and stared endlessly at his young friend.

The Crown Prince’s office had its windows open, letting in the cool breeze. Ludwig too, with a determined expression, spread out his own document.

Seeing his small friend sitting in front of him, straining her little hands to protect the empire and her family, an unexpected ambition rose in him.

‘I want to be a good emperor. An emperor who creates an empire where you can stay comfortably.’