It was a day when Lloyd’s forces were growing stronger, and the authority of the imperial family was gradually crumbling.

A day when trust in the imperial family, which was steadily losing its prestige, had hit rock bottom, and as a result, the lives and values of the people were vastly different from before.

A day when all he could do was watch his father, mother, and Amelia suffer every night.

A day when he was barely holding on with complicated feelings about himself, unable to help her as she struggled with increasing self-blame, fear, and regret that she might be going down the wrong path.

Everything was crumbling hopelessly, to the point where even his desire for Amelia to live freely by his side was fading.

Even though he knew he had to wait quietly for the right time and seize the opportunity, it was not easy to accept that thought.

Because the urge to rush forward was so strong, even though he knew what the best course of action was.

He was just barely holding on to the reins of reason.

“Still working, Leoprick?”

Nevertheless, Leoprick was not neglecting his duties.

As always, he was working late into the night in his office.

Lloyd, who had suddenly visited, asked him with a face full of sarcasm and ease.

His tone seemed to suggest that there was no point in working so hard and that he was needlessly putting himself through hardship.

Leoprick glanced at his cousin, whose praises were growing among the people lately, and turned his gaze back to the documents.

“If I don’t work, the people will suffer.”

“You’ll have to hand it over soon anyway, so why are you putting in so much effort?”

“You seem confident. Not even hiding your plans for treason anymore?”

“Well, it’s the truth, isn’t it?”

Lloyd shrugged and grinned.

Seeing his foolish cousin, who didn’t even try to hide that he was doing something wrong, Leoprick didn’t hold back his scorn.

“If I hand it over and you slack off, do you have the confidence to handle everything without missing a thing when you take over later?”

“I think whatever you hand over will yield much better results than what you’re doing now.”

“I wonder. You never received proper education as a successor.”

The reason Lloyd was acting out like this was entirely thanks to Amelia.

It was because of her intelligence, brilliance, and wisdom that Lloyd, who had no foundation, could even come to the crown prince’s office and say such nonsensical things.

Leoprick found it pathetic that Lloyd seemed to think he had achieved everything on his own, when in fact all he had accomplished was winning the heart of the intelligent, brilliant, and wise Amelia.

So whenever Lloyd picked these absurd fights, Leoprick calmly countered him.

After all, nothing would change even if he did, and he knew that very well himself.

Amelia’s heart had already been consumed by Lloyd, and no matter what he said, it wouldn’t reach her.

Leoprick’s heart sank calmly at the painful and distressing fact.

“The scale of running a family and running a country are completely different. The direction you need to think in and the priorities you need to uphold are all different. I have doubts about whether you, who haven’t received proper education, can handle it.”

As he spoke, Leoprick maintained a flat tone and didn’t stop looking at the documents, as if Lloyd was nothing.

“True. It doesn’t matter since Amelia can handle it.”

“…I can handle it even without Amelia.”

Lloyd’s gaze darkened.

Lloyd’s biggest weakness was his inferiority complex.

He knew better than anyone else that he couldn’t be perfect without Amelia.

His desire to become emperor had started from his inferiority complex towards Leoprick, and he was thoroughly using Amelia while being wary of her for the same reason.

An inferiority complex that clings to the fact that he can’t do anything without making any effort himself or trying to do anything on his own, comparing himself to others.

An emotion he didn’t want to understand, where he simply envied, wanted, got angry alone, and destroyed himself alone.

That base and petty emotion was Lloyd’s biggest weakness and taboo.

And sure enough, at Leoprick’s words, Lloyd’s voice lowered as if suppressing anger.

“I’ll tell you since you don’t seem to know, Leoprick. In the end, I’m the one who will sit on that throne. Not Amelia.”

“I suppose so. Amelia always knows how to take a step back and think. She probably knows better than anyone that even if she sits on this throne, she won’t gain anything from it.”

Amelia is different from you.

At his words, filled with scorn, Lloyd gritted his teeth.

He probably thought that it was none other than himself who had used her to climb to this position.

When in fact, all he had accomplished was winning the heart of the intelligent, brilliant, and capable Amelia, and nothing more.

Leoprick gave Lloyd a twisted scornful smile.

“Amelia has been educated not only as the successor of her family but also as the head of a merchant group. Even if you have her heart, you can’t acquire her abilities.”

“No matter what you say, Amelia exists only for me. You’re just a nominal husband, and no matter how much you ramble on, she only moves according to my words.”

In response, Lloyd also smiled, twisting the corners of his mouth.

At a glance, it seemed like a relaxed expression, but Leoprick read the hidden impatience behind it.

And he realized.

There were already rumors that Amelia seemed to be keeping her distance from him lately, and in the end, it was because of his inferiority complex.

Seeing Lloyd reveal his emotions faster than usual, Leoprick thought now was the perfect time.

“Then so be it. The position of emperor is not one that can be obtained solely with Amelia’s recognition.”

“…Say what you want to say without beating around the bush.”

That night at the ball where he said he would thoroughly use Amelia.

The time had come to execute the long and meticulous plan he had been preparing and waiting for since then, a plan that might only be completed after crossing over to the afterlife.

“Prove it. If you want to ascend to the position of emperor.”

Leoprick hadn’t initially intended to take on this complicated, troublesome, and perhaps life-threatening task.

He truly, purely just wanted Amelia to be happy.

If she could truly be happy, he was willing to give up the throne and everything else.

It was a sorry thing to say to his parents who had worked so hard to raise him, but he was really prepared to give up that much.

If that could make her happy.

But strangely, as the days went by, the expression on her face, who was clearly working for the one she loved, grew darker.

“Your Highness. Please go in and rest now.”

“Just a little more, Betty.”

“It’s already been two days. If you don’t sleep like this, something big will happen soon.”

It was a path he had taken not long after their marriage to see her about a budget issue.

He had handed over the documents he had been managing and had come with the documents for the new budget that needed to be managed.

Normally, he could have sent his assistant Arnold, but he had personally carried everything in his arms, thinking of somehow meeting her face to face one more time.

And in front of her office, Leoprick unintentionally overheard a conversation between Betty and Amelia.

From the moment he accidentally opened the door to her office slightly without knocking.

“Why are you so obsessed with the Viscount, Your Highness? It’s not like he appreciates you even if you do this.”

“I’m not asking anyone to appreciate me. I’m just doing it because I like it.”

“That’s what I’m saying! Why do you like someone who doesn’t even respect you, Your Highness?”

“Lower your voice, Betty.”

What if someone hears?

Amelia comforted the maid in a low voice.

But no matter how much she lowered her voice, it was enough for him.

To the point where he could even hear the sound of her crying out, asking if this wasn’t enough.

Leoprick released the doorknob he was holding and took a step back.

Then he looked down at the documents in his hand and leaned against the wall.

Amelia was unhappy.

To the extent that everyone around her who cared for her tried to dissuade her.

“Isn’t this enough? This should be more than enough for the Viscount to do what he wants, and you won’t have any regrets, Your Highness. So please, Your Highness……”

“…..No, Betty.”

Then there would be nothing left for me……

It was a voice that sounded like it would go out at any moment.

A voice that seemed like it would disappear without a trace at any moment.

Amelia continued in a voice so frail that he wanted to embrace her.

“I, how did I come this far, Betty? I endured thinking of that person alone, so if I stop here……”

I don’t want to be abandoned, Betty.

Her thin voice, as if whispering, spilled out her true feelings.

I don’t want to be abandoned. With what kind of heart did I come this far?

Amelia whispered once more.

I thought it was love.

I thought I was trying because I loved Lloyd and wanted to be a little happier.

She was enduring all those things with fear.

Leoprick’s heart plummeted to the very bottom upon hearing those words.

Until now, he thought nothing was more important than her feelings.

If she was happy, if she wanted it, if she was going to do it.

Then he would gladly follow that decision.

But this was not it.

Afraid of being abandoned, unable to let go of the efforts she had made so far.

How could that be love?

How could that be what she wanted and what could make her happy?

The sound of muffled crying flowed into his confused mind.

The poor person who was afraid of being abandoned couldn’t even cry freely.

Afraid that someone might hear, that it might reach the one holding her leash, she suppressed even that and spilled out her emotions while holding her breath.

Leoprick closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly.

Along with pity for Amelia, regret washed over him for not properly looking after her.

In fact, maybe he didn’t want to look closely.

Because he didn’t properly look at her, with a desire for her to pay a little attention to him mixed with resentment towards her for not giving him even a handful of glances.

He knew it was foolish.

How many times had he inwardly mocked himself for being a child who couldn’t even take responsibility for his own decisions?

But still, there was no way to stop that increasingly childish and petty heart.

He rationalized to himself that it was okay because Amelia had chosen a path that made her happy.

So wouldn’t it be okay if he paid a little less attention to her?

If he gradually took his gaze away from her, wouldn’t these self-critical thoughts diminish a little?

He thought that way as he distanced himself from her.

No, he turned a blind eye to her.

Like a stupid fool.

Even though he knew it wasn’t really for her sake.

Leoprick gazed painfully at the sound of crying flowing out through the slightly open door, and slowly closed the door.

For the pitiful her who couldn’t even properly express that common emotion.

For the pitiful her who thought she had no choice but to painfully hide herself.