It was from that moment that Leoprick began.
When he realized that Amelia, who should have been happy, was enduring it with a desperate heart.
When he realized that Lloyd was deceiving her endlessly.
And finally, when he was convinced that Lloyd would harm her.
Looking at her sitting in front of him, cutely pouting her lips, he confirmed that his choice was not wrong.
Even if time were to turn back now, he would make the exact same choice as he did then.
Giving up his life was nothing.
Although he was concerned about the people who were confused and frustrated in the turbulent times, now that he had Amelia back, he was confident he could compensate for it all.
He did not know if Amelia remembered her past life, but even if she did, he was willing to accept all the frustration and resentment she felt then.
He was confident that he could make this plan a complete success.
He had planned it meticulously and checked it thoroughly.
It was a plan made by calculating variables for even the worst-case scenarios.
Lloyd’s life not being the same as before when he turned back time, and the fact that he would strive to regain what he had, were all included in the calculation.
Therefore, the fact that Lloyd would inevitably fall was also included.
Leoprick had included all of that in his plan.
There was only one thing he did not expect.
Only Amelia, who showed a different side from her past life.
Only her, who rejected Lloyd, proposed a contract to him, and was creating a new chapter in her life while realizing things she had not known in her previous life.
But even that was just a risk worth taking, because he was confident that she could find the right path if it was her.
Because he believed that she, being intelligent and wise, would surely be able to find what was better.
Leoprick trusted Amelia and trusted the life she had lived.
The trust that if he just turned the direction a little, she would immediately find the best path for herself.
Everything else was within his calculation.
Even the fact that Lloyd would take this unexpected action, everything.
“I heard that the Duke of Valois seems too calm despite his daughter’s disappearance.”
“Could it be that he knows who took his daughter? Otherwise, there’s no way he could be that calm.”
“It could be that he has no interest in his daughter. The Duke of Valois only thought of the young lady as a tool for the family.”
“No. That’s why the duke will try harder to find the young lady. If the tool for the family disappears, shouldn’t he try to get it back? Unless he knows that the young lady will return safely, he can’t be that calm.”
The topic of the two naturally turned to Arianna Valois.
Leoprick, who already knew who the culprit was, and Amelia, who approached the truth based on guesses.
Leoprick thought.
If Lloyd had not been greedy and had tried to put Amelia on the emperor’s throne.
If he had confronted Leoprick to put someone with the ability and talent suitable for that position there.
Then perhaps he would have stepped up and abdicated the throne to her.
After all, with just fragmentary information, didn’t she already add conviction to the thought that the Duke of Valois knew who the kidnapper was?
She was truly an admirable person.
Leoprick did not hide the smile that escaped towards her.
The more he knew, the more remarkable she was.
That was the reason why Leoprick had no choice but to trust Amelia absolutely.
“Then do you also have a guess as to who the culprit is?”
“Well, assuming this is just a political show, wouldn’t it be one of the people with the strongest political ties to the Duke of Valois?”
She beat around the bush, but in the end, she was suspecting it was Lloyd.
Leoprick nodded, recalling the pocket watch in his possession.
“That’s the most plausible suspicion. You would find the culprit faster than the Imperial Knights.”
“While finding the culprit is important, I hope the safety of Lady Valois comes first. Just in case, when you find the young lady, could you bring her here instead of the Valois townhouse?”
Amelia asked with a cautious expression.
Such a thoughtful and wise person.
Leoprick slowly nodded with a proud face.
“Of course. We need the young lady’s help for the investigation anyway, so I will bring her to the palace as soon as we find her.”
“Thank you. I’m worried because it seems she may have had an accident while coming to see me.”
And kind too.
Leoprick looked at his infinitely affectionate wife with a smiling face and gently placed his hand on her small hand.
“But that’s not your fault. You know that, right?”
At Leoprick’s words, she hesitated for a moment and slowly nodded.
Then she let out a small sigh.
“I know, but a person’s heart can’t be sorted out that easily. I keep feeling sorry and worried.”
“That’s understandable. I understand, Amelia. I would have felt the same way.”
But don’t blame yourself too much.
Leoprick added in a whisper, gently comforting the back of her hand.
“You didn’t instruct anyone to kidnap the young lady, nor did you tell her to come at such an early hour. So don’t worry too much.”
Anyway, such an affectionate person.
She really did nothing wrong, but she always worries alone and frets alone like that.
That’s why he could never let go of his concern for her.
Really, because she was such an affectionate and warm person every day.
Leoprick gently caressed the delicate back of her hand and reassured her.
With the continued comforting, she finally nodded, and until they finished the meal happily.
Leoprick held her hand, half out of selfishness and half out of worry, and did not let go.
[This is the timeline separator]“Keep an eye on Lloyd for me, Betty.”
After finishing my meal with Leoprick and returning, I asked Betty to investigate something that had been bothering me.
It had occurred to me while talking with him.
The daughter who should be used as a tool disappeared.
Yet, instead of searching for his precious daughter, he remains silent.
Doesn’t that mean he also knows something?
I was convinced that this incident must be related to Lloyd, who had the closest political ties to the Duke of Valois.
After all, Arianna Valois was half thinking of rejecting Lloyd.
With his personality of never letting go of something once he gets his hands on it, there’s no way he would have left Arianna Valois alone when she was trying to meet me.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t shake off the arrow of suspicion from Lloyd, so I asked Betty again.
“He won’t do anything blatantly because he’s afraid of people’s eyes, but I’m sure we can catch his tail.”
“Do you think the viscount is the culprit?”
“Otherwise, the Duke of Valois’ attitude can’t be explained.”
Derick Valois was not someone who would take Lloyd’s side without any benefit.
Then, nine times out of ten, Lloyd would have stepped up saying he would fulfill what he most desired, and just like in the previous life, his biggest wish was to become a member of the imperial family.
Whether through treason or indirect blood ties through marriage.
He wanted to be connected to the imperial family by any means.
So Lloyd would have probably used that.
He would have approached the Duke of Valois and gained control over him by promising to make his daughter the empress when he became the emperor in the future.
Lloyd was more than capable of doing that.
“The daughter he had cherished for nearly 20 years to increase the family’s power suddenly disappeared. In the middle of the capital, no less. Yet he hasn’t really used her for the family at all.”
But would that greedy bastard just sit idly by?
He would try to find her by any means necessary.
At my words, Betty thought for a moment, then nodded, saying it made sense.
“Now that you mention it, that’s true. I mean, if your only child that you can use in any way disappears, you should definitely search for them frantically.”
“Right. That’s why. The Duke of Valois must know something about this kidnapping act. And the only person who can keep his mouth shut is Lloyd.”
“Then I’ll keep an eye on the Duke of Valois as well as Viscount Lloyd. It could be a self-orchestrated act by the Duke of Valois himself.”
I nodded at Betty’s words.
I hadn’t considered the possibility of it being Valois’ own scheme, but hearing it, her words made sense too.
“Please do. And don’t miss out on checking the support projects too.”
“Of course. Fortunately, our side seems to be going quite smoothly, while Viscount Lloyd’s side seems to be struggling a bit.”
It must not be easy for him, trying to do something he has never done before.
Betty muttered in a half-sarcastic tone.
Well, it’s true that Lloyd has never tried to organize something with his own hands.
But still, once he sets his mind to do something, he’s the type of person to achieve it by any means necessary, so we’ll have to keep watching him.
I reminded Betty of that fact and urged her to keep a close eye on him again.
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll check without any mistakes.”
“Yeah. If Betty is watching, I can rest assured.”
Then suddenly, I remembered the list of Viscount Felice’s weaknesses I had sent to Hayley some time ago.
It was sort of a secret weapon, but I wondered if the guild people were making good use of it.
“Oh. And I heard something really interesting happened at the guild, have you heard about it?”
As if reading my mind, Betty spoke in a slightly excited voice.
About a very interesting thing happening at the guild.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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