The next day, the Imperial Palace announced that Jenit Company had been selected as the final candidate for the support project.

The main content was that after conducting an early audit of two teams exceptionally, they judged Jenit Company would be able to carry out the project more systematically and validly, so they selected them.

Hayley, who had been sighing deeply about wasting time after receiving the official document, looked at me smiling with a resentful expression.

“You really didn’t know, Your Highness?”

“I told you, I only found out yesterday too, Hayley.”

I answered while wrapping my hands around the warm teacup.

I felt some resentment that Leopold hadn’t said a word about this project, but what could be done about something that had already happened?

And what’s the use of resenting now…

“But I feel a bit better knowing that even Your Highness didn’t know. His Highness the Crown Prince really went too far.”

Who would have known he had such schemes when he looks so honest?

Hayley’s grumbling naturally made me think of him.

Honest… is quite far from it.

His seemingly lean build and the tightly packed muscles hidden under his clothes…

…What am I thinking right now.

I blushed alone as I suddenly recalled the scenes from last night.

Last night was truly beyond what I had imagined.

No, it was something I had never imagined before.

Either way, it was really something that can’t be expressed in words…

“…Your Highness?”

“Hmm?”

I snapped back to attention to find Hayley and Betty both looking at me.

I must have been lost in thought and didn’t hear them calling.

Feeling a sudden rush of heat to my face, I laughed awkwardly, “Ah, sorry. I was just thinking about something…”

“Your face is red, Your Highness.”

“Are you feeling unwell?”

As soon as I realized what I had been thinking about, I suddenly felt the pain I had forgotten return.

I had forgotten about it until now while thinking about work…

‘You’ll find it difficult to work tomorrow.’

At that moment, Leopold’s voice echoed in my ears like an auditory hallucination.

A deeply lowered voice, full of undisguisable heat.

‘…It’s like a dream. Do you know how long I’ve longed for this day?’

Once I started recalling, the memories rushed forth uncontrollably.

The heat of last night, the sticky skin.

The rough breathing and the excited moans.

All memories too embarrassing and intimate to utter aloud.

Unable to control myself amidst the gazes pouring from both sides and the continuously surfacing memories, I shook my head and let out another awkward laugh.

“It’s nothing! So, Hayley, you said you found information about mother’s family?”

“Uh… Yes, that’s right.”

“Your Highness, are you really alright?”

“Of course, of course! I’m fine. Hurry and tell me. I’m very curious!”

The two continued to give me doubtful looks, but I hurriedly changed the subject, hoping the atmosphere would shift quickly.

If I had known it would be like this, I should have just stayed at the palace as Leopold said.

Still unable to completely remove their puzzled gazes from me, Hayley slowly began her story.

“First of all, as you know, the only person remaining from the Madam’s family now is the Madam’s mother.”

“I think I heard she’s somewhere abroad now.”

As I nodded and agreed appropriately to her words, Hayley pulled out a small piece of paper from her bosom.

“This is where the Elder Madam is currently. I heard there’s talk that she’ll be returning to the Empire soon.”

Victoria Arte.

That was grandmother’s name.

Despite being well over 70 years old, she was said to be teaching young children abroad.

They said she teaches children who seem bright, regardless of whether they’re nobles or commoners.

When the children become capable enough to hold their own, she connects them to places where they can study further or helps find employment opportunities according to their wishes.

They say she’s quite a renowned educator there.

“She’s coming back to the Empire?”

“Yes. They say her health has deteriorated a lot, and she wants to spend her remaining time in the Empire.”

“Is that so?”

I felt a bit worried hearing that her health wasn’t good.

Although I’ve never met grandmother in my life, she’s still the only person who knows mother.

“Is her health that bad?”

“Well, she is approaching her eighties after all.”

Hayley recited the details she had thoroughly investigated, saying she heard grandmother was hurrying to return before travel becomes too burdensome at her age.

“When she returns, she’ll likely stay near the border or in the outskirts close to the capital, not in the capital itself. I heard she dislikes crowded places but needs to live close to amenities.”

“You seem to know quite a lot, Hayley?”

“The person attending to the Elder Madam is the younger sibling of one of our company employees.”

The younger sibling of a company employee.

So the older sister recites everything about the master she serves to her?

While I was glad to have obtained the information, I frowned at the not-so-commendable attitude. Seeing my expression, Hayley smiled faintly.

“I can guess what you’re thinking, but that younger sibling only opened their mouth after knowing the exact purpose of the information.”

“They asked about the purpose?”

“Yes. At first, I debated whether to mention Your Highness’s name, but I just said that someone from the Vermerian Marquis family wanted to meet the Elder Madam. It’s true that the Marquis is also looking for her, after all.”

Hayley said she had carefully crafted a lie close to the truth after much deliberation.

Since it’s true that father is looking for grandmother, she made it seem like they received a request from the Marquis family.

“Why is father looking for grandmother?”

“I couldn’t find out that much. Even learning that the Marquis is looking for her was barely manageable.”

Hayley made a troubled face, saying that the Marquis only obtains information through his butler.

“As you know, Gilbert’s information network is only accessible to those who follow Gilbert’s orders. And Gilbert isn’t the type to open his mouth to just anyone.”

Hayley let out a small sigh.

Gilbert, the butler of the Vermerian family, had been working for generations since he was very young.

He had created his own information guild solely for the family and wouldn’t move a single moment unless it was for the family’s benefit.

Moreover, he usually acts like an ordinary butler unless the head of the family, father, says otherwise.

“But seeing that the younger sibling willingly told our employee, it seems father hasn’t found out that much yet.”

“She moved abroad and changed her residence a few times, so at first, I only searched in Delman. Who would have thought she’d go all the way to Fortonia?”

Hayley shook her head, saying it was truly a difficult task.

That was also the reason why obtaining information was slower than usual, she said.

“If I had known her location, I would have reported it to you sooner.”

“Well, finding out this much is already good. So can we meet her as soon as she comes to the Empire?”

“We’ve talked to her about it, but she hasn’t given a definite answer yet. We’ll ask again once she enters the Empire.”

“Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”

After discussing a few more things to ask Hayley, I stood up from my seat.

The aftereffects of last night were becoming unbearable.

I thought I could handle sitting for long periods, but I didn’t expect it to be this difficult.

Thinking that I should have a word with Leopold when I return to the palace, I briefly greeted Hayley.

“Then I’ll be going, Hayley. Contact me if anything comes up.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And let me know if you need anything regarding the support project. I could even send Betty if necessary.”

As I spoke with a hint of jest, Betty’s eyes widened.

“What? Me?”

“I’d be grateful if you send Betty. No matter how much I search the company, there’s no one as capable as her.”

“Right. My workload has decreased a lot recently, so let me know if you need her.”

“Wait, don’t I get a say in this?”

We shared a hearty laugh at Betty’s words before parting ways.

When I return to the palace, it seems I’ll need to rest for a while.

It was when I was lying in bed reading a book after canceling all afternoon schedules and catching up on much-needed sleep.

With a familiar knock, the door opened and Leopold entered.

“Amelia. I heard you canceled all your afternoon schedules.”

“Ah, yes. You’re here.”

With his face full of concern, he came in and immediately started examining me from head to toe, repeatedly asking if I was alright.

“I told you not to go out today. I’ve heard that on days like this, you should rest without thinking about anything.”

“What kind of day is today?”

The day the husband made his wife overexert herself?

As I glanced at him slightly while asking, he chuckled as if he had heard a very amusing joke and stroked my hair.

“But I couldn’t control myself well. You were so lovely, did you think that would be possible?”

And then he said.

I couldn’t help but laugh wryly at those words.

“Your Highness. Not all couples in the world think like that.”

“What does it matter what all couples in the world think? I’m saying that I do.”

He grinned and climbed onto the bed, sitting next to me.

“To be honest, I’m holding back even now.”

You’re always stimulating to me.

Leopold lowered his head and whispered softly in my ear.

How irritating it was, even as it became stimulating.

I unconsciously pushed him away.

But it was I who was pushed back by his sturdy physique.