“Poppie, you shouldn’t make such a loud noise even when we go out.”

I murmured as I was about to explain slowly to Poppie, but I decided to keep it simple. It was partly because it was troublesome, and partly because we had to hurry since we were sneaking out without Hecate knowing, but Poppie was smart, so she understood quickly.

“You have a special mission to carry out.”

Bending slightly at the waist and looking down at her, I whispered that it was a task only she could do. Poppie’s expression, which had been cowering under the scolding, became determined. It was quite amusing how serious she became, like a knight going into a battle with death scheduled.

“When we leave the palace later, you have to behave like an ordinary stuffed doll.”

In reality, it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“People living outside the palace shouldn’t know our identity.”

“Squawk!”

Seeing Poppie nodding resolutely with a determined expression, it seemed unnecessary to repeat the same words twice.

“Then let’s go.”

After patting Poppie’s head, I carefully went outside with the now well-behaved Poppie. I repeatedly urged Miranda and Hailey to take care of things if someone comes looking for me in my absence, and walked diligently by Jeff’s side.

“This child is adjusting her pace to match mine.”

Having seen her fussing around Hecate a few times, I thought she would walk ahead, but as expected, she behaved like a doting daughter, showing that she was concerned about me through her actions.

“Rather than panting and struggling to keep up with me while making wheezing sounds at the back, it’s better for her to do this.”

Still, this body is ridiculously fragile compared to the one I had as an emperor in my past life.

During this time, I didn’t just focus on academics and culture. I made continuous efforts to keep my body healthy through regular walks and exercises. I did it diligently every morning and evening, and thanks to that, although running was difficult, I could walk a little faster than before.

However, I still had to be cautious about walking fast for an extended period, so despite the limitations of this body, I had to make continuous efforts to confidently inherit the crown as the next emperor.

Only a very few people know that I am not good at running or that I am extremely fragile. Besides, everyone thinks I had severe illnesses only during infancy, and now I am healthy.

“Dasling, you mustn’t have other thoughts while walking. There is a high risk of injury.”

“Yes.”

Oh, you’ve been looking at my face. I silently complained that he was a sharp one and completely cast aside all distractions, focusing only on the thought of the inspection.

After a while.

Thump, thump, dash.

We exited the palace through a secret passage that Jeff had used every time he went on inspections before. Although the surroundings of the palace were always neat for aesthetic reasons, the secret passage’s entrance was cleverly positioned and perfectly concealed, or perhaps due to an optical illusion, as soon as we opened the door and emerged into a vast grassy field, quirky weeds welcomed us.
“From here, the path to the main street is rough. How about we take a moment to go down together?”

“Okay.”

We should take it easy. Although I wasn’t fond of being treated like a child, knowing there was a steep path made me choose a somewhat uneasy but safer means. With Jeff’s height, even if we moved while hugging, there wouldn’t be a single blade of grass sticking to my body; he was an excellent mode of transportation.

“You must hold on tight to Dad so you don’t fall, Dasling.”

“Don’t worry.”

While riding down the steep path, I briefly entrusted Poppie to Eshian and felt the memories of the imperial era vividly returning as we approached the bustling area of the capital.

“Even as time passes, it seems like nothing has changed in the capital.”

Despite signs of restoration scattered throughout, the old buildings were still standing strong.

Between sharp, pointed roofs resembling sharp thorns and flat, angular roofs, there were plenty of stalls and canopies. The voices of traders and imperial citizens wandering around were so familiar that every time I went on an inspection in my past life, my ears were overwhelmed.

“Oh my, look at that man!”

“A rare handsome man~.”

As I was briefly lost in reminiscence, instead of the sounds of people haggling over goods, women’s voices whispering in admiration struck my ears like arrows. They were all praising Jeff’s appearance.

“Jeff stands out even in simple clothes.”

Whether it was when he roamed the streets as a potato thief boy or during the imperial era, his face was neat, his skin had a clean complexion, and he had a handsome appearance. Considering his past experiences on the battlefield, he was quite clean, and with his sturdy shoulders and a decent appearance, women’s attention was naturally drawn to Jeff.

Moreover, since the emperor mainly stayed inside the palace and rarely exposed his face publicly, it was understandable that they wouldn’t recognize him unless they happened to see him on a special day.