The next morning, in the imperial palace.

I had an upset stomach due to eating too much meat yesterday. In the end, I finished breakfast with a warm bowl of soup and a small bread, and after taking the digestive medicine brought by the maid, I strictly instructed Jeff and Hecate not to mention this incident.

Needless to say, the two of them, making a fuss, were about to call for the imperial physician, Agnes, crying and fussing, so I took Poppin and went for a round in the garden.

‘Today happens to be a day for self-study.’

Later, wanting to rest, I returned to the bedroom and rolled around on the sofa. Suddenly, I thought of Relis.

‘Perfect. I should call Relis to the classroom, using the excuse of supervising self-study.’

Considering the unresolved issues and the need to move directly for the well-being of the empire, it was only natural to call in a suitable collaborator for discussion. Moreover, since there were no classes today, and guests from Phloria or Vladimir weren’t coming, using the time effectively with self-study through reading seemed appropriate. Additionally, arbitrarily making demands on the Empress’s assistant without any reason wasn’t an option, so if Relis, a reliable person, agreed to come, it would be perfect.

Although it had been a long time, Relis had once taught me military strategies, so asking him to take on the role of supervisor wouldn’t be out of place. It was perfect.

‘Relis will come for sure. He’ll be curious.’

He’s not affectionate to me, and even if he complains that I don’t understand his feelings, he readily extends his hand whenever needed. If using that is considered taking advantage, there’s no other way.

Anyway, when there’s an opportunity, I can’t just let it slip away like a ball kicked right in front of me.

“Miranda, go to Relis and tell him. Ask him to come to the classroom around the self-study time.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After sending someone, the sudden thought that crossed my mind was that conversing with Relis during self-study time might reduce the actual study time.

‘It’s a complete advantage.’

Even on regular days, I prefer to be alone in the classroom during self-study if possible.

Since the maids wait right next door, I secretly take a nap, pointing to the large clock on the wall and instructing Poppin to wake me up when the minute and hour hands reach certain positions. This time, I had cleverly planned to play hooky.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

And the situation unfolded as I desired. A little later, I arrived at the classroom, laid out a thick cushion for height adjustment, and sat down. Perhaps because he preferred red bean color, the cushion’s color had changed this time.

Meanwhile, I spread out paper and textbooks, organized my thoughts by writing various things, and when I heard a knocking sound on the door, I turned my head.

“I greet the Little Majesty.”
Not long after, the door opened, and Relis confidently appeared. Poppin, who was sitting to the left of where I sat, barely suppressed a laughter, sniffling instead of showing signs of returning from Dreamland upon seeing Relis.

“It seems like Your Majesty had something on your mind.”

Having greeted respectfully with one hand placed on his chest, Relis, who had opened the door after the maid closed it, sensed my hidden intention behind the external pretext.

“Since Your Majesty called me to be a supervisor for self-study, I’m all ears.”

Observe the interest twinkling in his eyes and the leisurely smile, with one hand resting on his hip. I considered half of the mission accomplished as the atmosphere emanating from Relis’s language and actions was positive, leaving only half to be fulfilled.

“Or… maybe… you’re upset because I fall asleep during class?”

In response to Relis’s unexpectedly winged words, I felt as if I had suddenly grown wings and flown beyond the universe. It conveyed the meaning of being so absurd that it would blurt out random nonsense.

“Am I a child? I wasn’t bothered by that.”

Although I was a bit annoyed. I swallowed my retort and clenched my fist.

“I just want to know why you’re sticking to Hecate.”

“Suddenly?”

Whether Relis anticipated a different question or pretended to be surprised deliberately, he opened his eyes slightly wider, wearing an expression of astonishment, then fell into thought for a moment.

“Your Majesty, at that time, Hecate was a regular customer at the store where I worked.”

After a while, a story flowed smoothly like a babbling brook through the gap between Relis’s lips.

“At that time, Your Majesty tasted the beef I baked, and you hired me as a chef.”

Huh? However, this story seemed different from the one he told when he gave me a pouch containing rare seeds resembling sunflower seeds during our previous journey. I suspected whether he was lying and trying to deceive me, so I immediately intervened.

“Wait a minute. When you agreed to follow Hecate before, didn’t you say that friends traveling with you gave you the seeds? But now, you said you met him while working at the store. Something’s all mixed up.”