I felt a sudden chill in my mind. Hot tea splashed onto my cheek, running down in droplets.

Frozen in the moment due to the sudden accident, I stood still.

“My daughter, I’m sorry!”

Ah, really!

If I had gone back to the time when I was the emperor and Jeff was a child, I would have scolded him severely! I wiped away the tea nonchalantly, suppressing my boiling anger.

The splashing was minimal, so no need for a napkin. However, Hailey approached and handed me a white napkin.

“Skip the apologies and just answer.”

Wiping my cheek and hands with the napkin, I neatly folded it and set it on one side of the table.

“As far as I can see, the envoy’s invitation was merely a formality. He only discussed important matters with you, and even after returning to the palace, he didn’t inform me of what you two talked about. Is there something I’m not supposed to know?”

I added that, as the heir to the throne, I had a right to know. With such sound reasoning, I was confident Jeff couldn’t refuse.

“The envoy had business with you, not me, correct?”

Seeing the playful expression fade from his usually cheerful face, I narrowed my eyes and pressed for an answer.

“What did you discuss?”

Planning world domination, are we? I put on a dumbfounded expression, and Jeff reluctantly opened his mouth.

“Our Dazzling has grown quite interested in such matters since becoming the heir.”

With a face full of emotion, Jeff shifted in his seat to set the mood.

“I thought you’d be overwhelmed with just your studies. You’re truly amazing.”

He then patted my head and slightly bowed.

“And I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d feel left out of the conversation.”

Caught off guard by the unexpected apology, I felt awkward. That wasn’t the response I was aiming for.

“But before answering your question, may I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

Jeff then handed me a chocolate cookie, watching me eat it with a faint smile.

“What made our little emperor think the envoy’s invitation was just a formality?”

“Well…”
I covered my mouth with both hands while chewing the snack and swallowed.

“First, I should start with what I learned in history class.”

I took a few sips of tea, worried that my throat might dry up.

“In history class, I learned that the empire and the Ariel Temple have long been at odds. But when the priests actually met, they were friendly, not just welcoming but also called my father by his title, showing a warm atmosphere.”

I leaned back against the sofa, arms crossed, slowly recalling the memory of the temple visit.

“So I first thought, ‘what did I even learn?’ We get to this conference-like room, and the representative tells us to tour the temple and assigns a guide. Honestly, I thought even if I left early, there would be time allotted to listen to the conference.”

I propped up my chin, saying that I found it formal.

“I see. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Darjeeling.”

Jeff, leaning towards me with a serious face, listened intently to every word, placed his large hand on my head, and stroked my chin.

“I can’t go into details, but there were political discussions. My father and the representative hoped that the relationship between the empire and the temple would continue to be good.”

Even though the Ariel Temple is part of the Randel Kingdom, the fact that it can act independently like this must be because the temple itself is an independent organization recognized for its self-sustainability.

“I thought our daughter would get bored if she got involved in such profound discussions. I judged that it would be better for Fleur, who came with us, to be with the children.”

Jeff added a few more words with a calm smile.

“But the relationship between the Randel Kingdom, to which the Ariel Temple belongs, and the empire isn’t that good. It’s not bad enough to fight right now, but it’s not a relationship where you can laugh and be merry either.”

“Is it because the Emperor beat them up in the past?”

Was I sulking? I was slightly annoyed, and Jeff chuckled.

“That’s part of it, but there are a variety of intertwined issues. To explain each one in detail would require staying up all night. Our daughter won’t be able to do anything then, not even sleep. There won’t even be time to eat chocolate.”

That would be problematic. I stiffened my face slightly.