That bastard, he’s at it again.

‘No. He’s been doing it less lately, so is it after a while?’

After being declared the heir to the throne, Jeff had been visiting less frequently, saying it would interfere with his concentration on studies. For me, it was nice to have more time alone and not have to deal with humoring him, but it seems the guy had reached his limit now.

Originally, according to protocol, a maid or servant should have informed me who the visitor was and obtained permission before opening the door, but because I found it bothersome and just told them to come in, seeing the Emperor himself excitedly open the door and appear showed how eagerly he had been waiting for this moment.

That appearance was so much like my companion dog Happy from when I had been reincarnated as a hunter in the past, showing his behavior at mealtime, that it was laughable.

However, since he was the talent to whom I had passed on the throne, thinking of him too lightly would be lowering the level of my own discernment, so I decided to pretend I hadn’t just thoughtlessly recalled that.

‘Well, since it’s Jeff, everyone probably didn’t say anything.’

No wonder the maid outside the door was so quiet.

Clearly, Jeff must have asked them to be quiet as he tried to playfully enter. It was obvious without even seeing it.

Moreover, there’s no way the Emperor’s dignity would be tarnished to that extent, and anyway, everyone in the castle knows how special he is to me.

They would just think to themselves, “Our ruler is at it again.”

It was natural to overlook it, seeing how he had consistently and creepily doted on me to the point of shriveling up like dried squid from when I was a baby until now at 10 years old.

“Isn’t it time for work now?”

I blurted out while gently pushing away the puppy clinging to me.

Then, waiting for Jeff’s answer, I tucked my fallen hair behind my ear and rubbed under my eye with the back of my hand as it itched.

Tak-.

Belatedly closing the door and striding in, Jeff shone brighter and brighter as he got closer to me. It was like a wilting plant on the verge of death miraculously regaining its vitality.

‘My eyes will soon rot away.’

I prepared myself mentally for the situation that would follow.

Before long, Jeff clasped his hands together, wiggled his index fingers, pursed his lips like a carp, and blinked his eyes.

“I missed our daughter so much~ I couldn’t focus on state affairs~”

Thankfully he didn’t suddenly kiss me, but it still gave me goosebumps. I rubbed my left forearm and gave him a suspicious look.

If there were no precedent, I wouldn’t know, but whenever Jeff acts like this, it’s Asian who ends up stuck in the office sorting documents or reviewing them in his place.

That’s why my tone came out a bit rough and blunt.

“You’re not playing hooky, are you?”

When I stared at him intently with a knowing look, Jeff briefly pressed his lips together and broke out in a cold sweat like a thief caught red-handed. The fact that he couldn’t maintain direct eye contact and kept looking left and right proved that my guess wasn’t far off.

“N-No, of course not!”

What do you mean, of course not? I crossed my arms and shook my head from side to side.

‘Do you think I don’t know the Emperor’s work schedule when I was the previous Emperor?’

I can’t tell you this, but I know everything. I barely managed to swallow the words that had risen to my throat and sighed.

“Sit down first. How long are you going to stand?”

When I nodded towards the sofa opposite, Jeff awkwardly laughed and scratched the back of his head.

“Our daughter is really sharp. But I really wasn’t playing hooky.”

As if fixated on the word ‘hooky’, Jeff started talking as soon as his bottom touched the soft cushion.

He added that he had worked all morning without rest to come see me, and that he had used his break times in between to come visit me.

“Yes, yes.”

But even if that’s true, what am I supposed to do about it? It just sounds like an excuse. I thought it was unnecessarily long-winded as I picked at my ear with one hand. Then I ordered the maid:

“I’m thirsty, so please bring some tea and snacks for me and Papa to have together.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Since I had just been with the children earlier, drinks and snacks were thoroughly prepared. Miranda and Emily soon appeared pushing a cart with plates of cookies and teacups.

Clatter-.

Before long, a cup of tea brewed with red herbs appeared in front of Jeff, and a cup of savory tea brewed with lukewarm water appeared in front of me.

I wanted to drink hot chocolate, but I had eaten too many sweets lately and was getting a bit tired of chocolate, so the perceptive maid brought something good for settling an upset stomach.

I quickly gulped down the tea, feeling my stomach, which had become complicated by Jeff’s clinginess, become refreshed as if the grease was being washed away by hot water, leaving things clean.

‘What should I say?’

Not having anything particular to talk about, I fell into thought for a moment while munching on a cookie.

‘Ah, right! I should ask about the High Priest. I had completely forgotten.’

If I didn’t ask now, I might forget, and I was curious about the High Priest’s intention in inviting me under the pretext of wanting to talk with Jeff, so I pushed forward with the thought that it was now or never.

“Papa.”

“Yes?”

Jeff was just about to take another sip of tea, bringing the cup to his lips.

“Why did the High Priest call you to the temple last time?”

I wanted to ask point-blank why he was friendly with the High Priest, how they became close, and if there was any hidden agenda with the Ariel Temple, but it would seem strange if I appeared too obsessive, so I softened the question appropriately.

Pfft-!

But what disaster is this?

I felt my head grow cold. The red tea that had suddenly splashed onto my skin trickled down my cheek in curves, dripping steadily.

I was frozen in place by the sudden accident.

“Our daughter, I’m sorry!”

Oh, really!

If we went back to when I was the Emperor and Jeff was a little kid, I would have scolded him severely for doing the same thing! I suppressed the boiling anger and casually wiped the tea with my hand.

It hadn’t splashed as much as I thought, so a handkerchief wasn’t necessary, but Hayley approached and held out a white handkerchief.

“Never mind the apology, just answer the question.”

I absentmindedly took the offered handkerchief and patted my cheeks and hands dry, then neatly folded it and placed it on one side of the table.

“No matter how I think about it, the High Priest inviting me was just a formality. You only had important conversations with Papa. Even after returning to the palace, you didn’t tell me what you two talked about. Was there something I shouldn’t know?”

I added that as the heir to the throne, I had the right to know. I was also confident that with such a logical reason, even Jeff couldn’t refuse.

“The High Priest had business with you, not me, right?”

Look at this guy, seeing the playfulness fade from his usually grinning face, I narrowed my eyes and pressed for an answer.

“What did you talk about?”

What, are you two preparing for world domination or something? I made a blank expression, and Jeff reluctantly opened his mouth.

“Since becoming heir to the throne, our Darjeeling has become interested in these matters as well.”

Jeff, with a face full of emotion, slightly moved to the side seat and set the mood.

“Papa thought you would be overwhelmed just with your studies, but you’re really amazing.”

Soon after patting my head, Jeff slightly lowered his head.

“And I’m sorry. Papa was rather shortsighted. I didn’t realize my daughter would feel excluded from the conversation.”

I felt embarrassed at the unexpected apology. This wasn’t the answer I was looking for.

“But before answering our daughter’s question, may Papa ask something?”

“Go ahead.”

Eventually, Jeff placed a chocolate cookie in my hand and smiled faintly as he watched me eat the snack with relish.

“What made our little Emperor feel that the High Priest’s invitation was just a formality?”

“Well…”

Speaking while eating would show the food in my mouth, so I covered my mouth with both hands, finished chewing the cookie, and swallowed it with a gulp.

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

I took about three sips of tea in advance to prevent my throat from getting dry.

“From what I learned in history class, the Empire and the Ariel Temple have had a bad relationship for a long time. But when we actually visited, the priests were kind, and not only did they welcome us warmly, but Papa also showed a friendly atmosphere by calling the High Priest by name.”

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

“So I first thought, ‘What did I learn then?’ And when we got to the meeting room-like place, the High Priest told me to look around the temple and assigned a guide. Honestly, I thought I would be given time to listen to the meeting content even if I left first.”

I said that’s why it felt like a formality, resting my chin on my hand.

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

Jeff, who had leaned towards me and shown a serious face concentrating without missing a single word, placed his large hand on my head again and stroked it.

“I can’t tell you the details, but we had a political conversation. Papa and the High Priest hoped that the relationship between the Empire and the Temple would continue to be good in the future.”

Even though the Ariel Temple belongs to the Randel Kingdom, it’s possible for them to act so independently because the temple itself is recognized as an autonomous institution.

“I thought the conversation would be too profound and our daughter would get bored if she was there. I judged that it would be better for Fleur, who came with us, to be with the children.”

Meanwhile, Jeff, who had a calm smile, added a few more words.

“However, the relationship between the Randel Kingdom, to which the Ariel Temple belongs, and the Empire is not very good. It’s not bad enough to fight now, but it’s not a relationship where we can laugh together either.”

“That’s because the previous Emperor went around destroying everything, right?”

Is it all karma? I grumbled, and Jeff chuckled.

“That’s part of it, but there are so many intertwined issues. If I were to explain each one in detail, even staying up all night wouldn’t be enough. Then our daughter wouldn’t be able to do anything, and it would be terrible if you couldn’t sleep, right? You wouldn’t even have time to eat chocolate.”

That would be a bit troublesome. I slightly stiffened my face.