“The Emperor won’t suddenly make an engagement with Prince Sasha for the sake of the royal family.”

What nonsensical talk. I was speechless for a moment due to the absurd comment.

“You do have a talent for terrible suggestions.”

I feel like you’ve given me more headaches than anyone else in my hundreds of years of life. I stared at Lise Marsen, feeling exasperated. I felt like I was going to develop bald spots.

“Hey, it’s just a hypothetical~ Even if the other party initiates, you’d refuse, right?”

That’s easy to say. If it becomes complicated politically, connected to the empire’s interests, things might change. Still, it’s fortunate that the empire’s status is strong enough that I won’t be at a disadvantage.

“Let’s end that topic here.”

Despite my annoyance, whenever the topics of marriage or engagement came up, I remembered the enormous pressure I received from my advisors during my time as the Emperor to produce heirs. It was like a traumatic experience.

‘Just thinking about it gives me chills.’

I shrugged my shoulders and said,

“Isn’t this small talk getting too long? Let’s start the lesson.”

“Right.”

All this time, Poppy had been drooling in her sleep in Dreamland.

“Now, please look at the picture on page 20 of the textbook. Centering on the empire, to the north…”
I mumbled to myself to absolutely not doze off as I followed along in the textbook when Lillith turned toward the blackboard.

‘How tedious… hurry up and finish.’

Although the material was familiar, the chances of finding it interesting were as slim as a spring suddenly erupting from parched ground, so I suffered through the agonizing time half-listening.

About thirty to forty minutes passed, and the moment I had been waiting for finally arrived.

“Alright, that concludes today’s lesson.”

Lillith kept asking and answering questions, and the lesson surprisingly ended quickly because they kept quibbling with each other.

‘Ended early for some reason.’

I wondered if it was due to the events of yesterday.

“Why aren’t you saying anything~.”

Of course, it was because the subject matter didn’t pique my interest. I quickly closed my textbook and looked at Lillith with a bewildered expression.

Lillith, sharp enough to notice my mood, pretended not to know anything and innocently asked what their intent was, which was all too obvious.

“Do you know why today’s lesson ended early?”

“I don’t.”

Although I sensed they were trying to pick a fight, I shrugged it off with an indifferent expression.

“Because…”

Lillith hesitated at the end of their sentence, which was out of character.

“You’re small but precious.”

My energy drained at the words followed by a wink.

“Besides, if you were to faint during my lesson, it would disgrace the Empress.”

I felt irritated at the thought of preventing any troublesome situation beforehand.

“That’s how it is.”

I understood it wasn’t a calculation born from a desire to take care of the weakened me.

“What do you mean ‘that’s how it is’? You didn’t want to study for a long time anyway~.”

You know me well. Although they hit the mark, I outwardly sighed in annoyance and waved my hand dismissively.

“I’ll escort you out then, looking forward to next time.”

A moment later, since I had no particular reaction, Lillith offered to escort me.

“Be careful on your way down, Your Highness.”

“Are you making fun of my short legs?”

“No way.”

Knock, knock [dash].

At that moment, we reached the classroom door.

“Sir Lillith, the Empress has summoned you.”

“The princess will be leaving the room shortly; please wait.”

Two maids who appeared on cue informed us that Hecate was looking for Lillith.

“Your Highness, I’ll escort you to the playroom.”

“Alright.”

Our destinations differed, so Lillith and I naturally parted ways.

‘Nothing serious, I hope?’

I took a quick glance back at Lillith as I walked away.

‘They’ll handle it.’

The ones guiding the present were Hecate, Jeff, and their faithful servants. Although I was concerned, I refrained from intervening too deeply, as it wasn’t the duty of one who trusts the next generation. I soon shifted my focus to the next location.

“Did the Empress say anything else?”

“No, she simply instructed to bring Sir Lillith to the office.”

Once I put some distance between the princess and me, I asked the guiding maid in a low voice.

“Understood.”

I nodded at the maid’s reply and pondered.

The Empress calling on such short notice suggests the matter isn’t trivial; it may involve intelligence from our informants.

‘It hasn’t been long since the three-year campaign ended; it’s a delicate time.’

Given that we’ve demonstrated the consequences of rebellion against the empire, it’s unlikely that anyone would dare to rise against us. So, the news wouldn’t likely be of another war erupting.

‘But we can’t let our guard down.’

While the opponent has temporarily backed down, one can never predict when the tide may change. Sending out spies was a wise decision.