Receiving that question made me realize it.
For a brief, very brief moment, I think I had really let my guard down a lot.
I must have momentarily forgotten my true purpose, being happy to see him again and to face our shining selves that I had forgotten for so long.
I spent the whole night unable to give any answer to his words.
It went without saying that Leoprick, who was lying next to me, also had a restless sleep because of it.
“Amelia.”
As dawn broke, Leoprick called out to me in a sleepy voice.
He mumbled that he didn’t mean to make things difficult for me, he just wanted to keep being with me.
“I just wanted confirmation.”
“……”
“That I can continue staying by your side.”
That was truly all he was curious about, he said as he snuggled close to me under the covers and buried his face in my shoulder, mumbling those words.
But that made me recall even more what I had forgotten.
I waited until he was completely asleep, and after making sure he was sleeping, I got up from the bed.
When I went outside, several court ladies including Betty and Jen were waiting.
After instructing them to let Leoprick sleep sufficiently, I finished getting ready in the dressing room and headed to the office.
“Are you alright, Your Highness?”
On the way to the office with Betty, she asked quietly in the empty corridor.
She must have been worried since there was no word after Leoprick entered amid the unpleasant atmosphere yesterday.
I looked at Betty and nodded.
“I’m fine. Nothing happened.”
“Did you resolve things well with His Highness too?”
“…What is there to resolve or not. I said nothing happened.”
I gave a vague answer to Betty who was asking for details and opened the office door to enter.
There was a mountain of things to do, but my troubles only increased.
Leoprick was the only restful memory from my childhood when I was busy learning and growing.
I didn’t have to try to learn anything in front of him, and I didn’t need to come up with new topics.
And I failed to recognize him as such.
“Would you like to start with the report sent by Lady Hayley? It seems Count Felice is struggling quite a bit.”
“Yes, sure. And where’s the report from the North? I need to show it to His Highness later.”
“I put it on your desk, Your Highness. You’ll be having breakfast together later, right?”
“Yes. Let His Highness know that when he wakes up later.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Even if I was deceived by Lloyd, it was clearly my fault for not recognizing him who had been constantly by my side, not even sparing a glance at him.
And for so easily abandoning him with my own hands.
“The nobles’ meeting is tomorrow, Your Highness. Duke Deimar is staying well at the townhouse owned by the merchant association. He said he would remain there until the meeting begins.”
“…Bring me what Deimar prepared too. I’ll personally ask His Highness about the nobles’ meeting later during our meal.”
“Yes, I will.”
Recalling that fact, I felt the emotions that had filled my mind before Leoprick entered yesterday becoming jumbled and tangled once more.
Whether I could really continue to turn away from him without wavering as I had until now.
Whether I could really leave his side without any desire for him.
Could I face him without any guilt towards him?
“…Oh, Your Highness!”
“…Huh? What did you say?”
I must have been so lost in thought that I didn’t hear Betty’s voice.
I came to my senses at Betty’s gaze looking at me with concern from the side.
“Ah… Sorry. I was briefly thinking about something else. What did you say?”
At my response, Betty tilted her head slightly as if puzzled and replied.
“Lady Hayley asked if you have time this afternoon, so what should I tell her?”
“Ah, tell her anytime after lunch is fine. If it works for Hayley’s schedule, we can have lunch together too.”
“I’ll let her know then.”
Betty nodded and was about to go carry out my instructions when I suddenly asked her about something that came to mind.
“What happened with looking into my mother’s family as I had asked?”
“Ah, about that…”
At my words, Betty turned back around to face me as she was about to leave the room.
But even without Betty answering, I could roughly guess the progress from the apologetic look in her eyes.
“You haven’t found anything yet.”
“What? No, we found something! We did find something, but…”
Betty jumped up and waved her hands in place.
If they found something, why does she have that face?
I was tilting my head in puzzlement when…
“Your Highness, are you inside?”
A heavy and familiar knocking sound cut through the space.
[This is the timeline separator]“What brings you here so early in the morning, Father?”
I sent Betty out and sat facing the unexpected guest.
It wasn’t even time for him to go to work yet, so did he have an urgent matter to enter the palace this early?
I wanted to ask right away, but seeing Father’s overly serious face, it seemed I would have to wait a bit for now.
I handed Father some tea and slowly caught my breath.
“I came because I have something to say.”
“It must be an important matter. Coming this early.”
I spoke as if joking, but Father still had a serious expression.
What in the world did he come to talk about?
Unable to do anything about the gradually stiffening atmosphere, I fiddled with the teacup.
And after a moment, Father slowly opened his mouth.
“I heard you are looking into Jenit’s family.”
“…How do you know that, Father?”
Startled for a moment, I tried to continue speaking but recalled Betty’s apologetic expression earlier in response to my question.
Could it be that rather than not finding anything, she got caught by Father while searching?
“I interrogated Betty. She’s been frequenting the Marquis’ residence often these days, so I thought something was up.”
Father added not to mind since it wasn’t Betty’s fault and looked straight at me.
“Just what are you trying to find, Your Highness? Jenit has no remaining family now aside from your mother, and even your mother is abroad.”
“I know that. I was just curious about something regarding Grandmother.”
“The scope of your investigation was quite broad for just that.”
I tried to brush it off, but as expected from someone rumored to have the sharpest eyes in the empire, Father asked pointedly while looking at me.
Just what was I curious about?
“You haven’t told me much about Mother, Father.”
“I believe Hayley has conveyed to you the parts I couldn’t share.”
“Do I need a specific reason to be more curious about my own bloodline?”
“What Your Highness wants to know right now isn’t just about bloodline, but information on the entire family, isn’t it?”
Father sharply countered my words.
Seeing Father’s unusual reaction, which was always calm and composed, now I was the curious one.
Just what is hidden in Mother’s family that he’s like this?
“Father. You said Grandmother and Mother were special people. You said I was too.”
Father cleared his throat softly.
“I’m just curious if that specialness perhaps originated from the family’s traditions or secrets.”
“…It’s a bit awkward for me to say this, but it’s only natural to feel they were special since they were my woman and my daughter. They were the ones I loved more than anyone in the world.”
I still remembered Father’s expression when he first told me that Mother and Grandmother were special, so I was special too.
A face that looked proud yet incomparably loving.
A face that seemed to want to boast about it despite finding it a bit odd, but also wanting to refrain from doing so as it might seem tactless.
Back then, you were curious and amazed like me, but now you’re brushing it off with such a nonchalant face?
Trying to gloss over it like that?
“Is there something about the Arte family?”
“……”
Father remained silent at my question.
Even though you must know that reaction makes it seem even more suspicious.
I let out a long sigh as I looked at Father like that.
“But you don’t want to tell me what it is.”
“Your Highness. I know you have plenty of things to do even without this.”
Father tried to change the topic at my words.
If it were me when I was young, I would have pretended to give in even knowing such an obvious tactic, not wanting to upset Father.
But I was different now.
I thought I should use this matter to gain something.
“You’re right. Even if not this exact thing, there are many things to do.”
Speaking of which, Father.
The one who can allow me to participate in the nobles’ meeting is Leoprick, but the one who can subdue the nobles who will oppose that process is you.
It will cause much less noise than suddenly appearing at the meeting hall without any prior discussion.
I decided to entrust this task to the most efficient and effective person.
“I want to attend this nobles’ meeting, so please persuade the nobles a bit.”
In exchange, I won’t pry into what you don’t want to reveal, I added.
“You mean you want to enter the nobles’ meeting?”
Father looked even more surprised now than before, but his expression wasn’t as stubborn as earlier.
I slowly nodded while looking at Father.
“There’s something I want to discuss. I’m worried my intentions might get distorted if I borrow someone else’s hand, so I’m thinking of going directly.”
“If it’s something like that, you could entrust it to me or His Highness the Crown Prince. If it’s an important matter to you, Your Highness, then it’s important to us as well.”
Father took his usual stance of being willing to do anything for me at my words.
But just as Father wanted to keep this matter a secret, I had the same intention.
I lightly shook my head and smiled faintly.
“I’ll let you know at the meeting. For now, just persuade the nobles well.”
“…I understand. Don’t worry about that.”
At times like this, I really appreciate Father being capable.
I smiled brightly and raised the teacup.
Now I just need to persuade Leoprick well a bit later.
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.