I heard about Lloyd the day after I received news about my grandmother.

That he had lost all support and was no longer capable of doing anything.

And that he had fired Zero as retaliation for this.

Throwing decisive evidence on Zero’s back as severance pay.

“This is what Zero brought.”

Leoprick pulled out a small pocket watch from his breast pocket.

“Don’t tell me this is……”

A pocket watch. Seeing this, something came to mind.

When I looked at him with a disbelieving face, Leoprick nodded.

“The pocket watch that was seen when Arianna Valois was kidnapped. That’s it.”

“So there were two identical ones.”

“Yes. It will likely be decisive evidence that Lloyd was involved in Lady Valois’ kidnapping.”

A pocket watch with unique engravings, different from ordinary ones.

This level of craftsmanship couldn’t be made without a special order.

Pocket watches are already expensive items, and mass-produced ones aren’t engraved so intricately.

Having encountered numerous high-value items in the trading company, I was certain this was custom-made for Lloyd.

“To think he had two of the same thing…… Zero has done a great deed.”

“He looked quite gaunt, must have had a hard time. Still, it’s impressive how thoroughly he gathered evidence of Lloyd’s rebellion plot on his way out.”

Leoprick praised Zero with a faint smile in his voice.

Hearing those words made me feel oddly proud.

Although I hadn’t raised Zero myself, as the representative of the trading company, it’s always nice to hear praise for employees.

I thought I should definitely pass this on to Jennifer when Zero returns to Wayne’s someday.

“So will Lloyd be arrested soon?”

“It will probably happen. According to Zero, even Duke Valois has turned his back on Lloyd.”

Saying he’d soon be like a kite with its string cut, unable to do anything.

Leoprick said he hoped Lloyd could be locked up as soon as possible.

“It will happen, Your Highness.”

“…I hope so.”

So that I can love you more fully, isn’t that right?

Adding that, he gently caressed my hand.

When I looked at him with wide eyes, he smiled mischievously and changed the subject.

“Without worries, both you and I will be less busy, won’t we?”

“We’re the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, Your Highness. How can we not be busy?”

“Still, it would be better than now, wouldn’t it? Right now, both you and I are too busy without a moment’s rest.”

He smiled, stroking the back of my hand.

It was quite a nonchalant remark for someone who had been clinging to my side all day yesterday and this morning.

I laughed awkwardly, remembering the lingering pain in my waist.

“I think it’s enough for me now, Your Highness.”

“It’s not enough for me yet, Amelia.”

In response to my awkward reply, he sent a languid smile and lifted my hand to kiss it.

Having been tormented from last night until this morning, I knew how deadly that expression was.

“Um, I think I should get up now. I have something to discuss with Betty about the trading company today.”

I hurriedly pulled away from his hand, making an excuse that anyone could see was fake.

If I stayed any longer, I felt I really wouldn’t be able to do anything today.

As I rushed out of the room, Leoprick’s hearty laughter echoed behind me.

Well, she’s cute anyway.

Leoprick laughed loudly as he watched Amelia hurry out.

Recently, he felt each day was fulfilling.

Days spent with Amelia were enjoyable, stimulating, and needlessly happy.

Though both of them had mountains of work to do, he wanted to hold her hand and gaze into her eyes forever.

That’s why he wanted to deal with Lloyd as soon as possible.

He didn’t want anyone else intruding on this happiness at all.

Even if she denied it, Lloyd was a painful memory for Amelia, a dark past, and the cause of her self-blame and suffering.

It was also why she still tried to step back and think about him.

But he had no intention whatsoever of letting Amelia go.

He had no thoughts of sending her anywhere or allowing her to distance herself from him, even in her heart.

So, it was time to settle what needed settling and tie up loose ends.

As he was lost in thought, there was a knock at the door.

“Your Highness. It’s Arnold.”

“Ah. Come in.”

Arnold, who usually stepped away when Amelia was present, entered carrying an armful of documents.

“What’s all that?”

“What else? Now that the truth is about to come out, everyone’s starting to move.”

He grumbled, placing the documents on the desk.

Judging by the thump, there must be quite a lot.

Leoprick watched as Arnold selected a few to bring over.

“This is a letter asking to expedite the judgment on Lady Valois’ case, and this is a letter from Count Felice probing about possible rebellious movements.”

“Has his influence completely crumbled now?”

“It seems so. According to Zero, everyone else has fallen away, leaving only Duke Valois.”

Arnold said, handing over Zero’s report as well.

Even a quick glance revealed who was involved in the rebellion and how much they had invested.

Leoprick picked up Zero’s report first.

“What’s Duke Valois up to?”

“That guy? Well, it’s obvious. They say he’s locked himself in his mansion and is now playing the victim.”

“Playing the victim?”

Playing the victim?

Leoprick had never imagined there could be a phrase so ill-fitting for Duke Valois in his life.

A man who had always been stiff-necked and obsessed with flaunting his power, both in his previous life and now, suddenly playing the victim?

He snorted and carefully examined Zero’s report.

The report detailed the amounts of money extracted from each family, other support received, and even what Lloyd had promised to give them when he became emperor.

How thorough.

Leoprick thought he should give not only compensation but also a glowing letter of recommendation when Zero returned to Wayne’s, as he pointed to a section of the report.

“I get the gist about Count Felice, but is this Gilroyte a marquis or a lady?”

“She was a lady, apparently.”

“‘Was’?”

He knew Adela Gilroyte was greedy enough to reach out to Lloyd’s side.

But for such a woman to have withdrawn midway?

As he tilted his head in confusion, Arnold shrugged and shook his head, indicating he didn’t know either.

“Even Zero doesn’t know about that. She was originally in frequent contact with the Viscount, but at some point, communication ceased. After that, there was no contact and she didn’t visit.”

“Then did she go and attach herself somewhere else?”

“That’s a possibility, but it’s not certain where she might have gone yet.”

Adela Gilroyte withdrawing from Lloyd, huh.

Leoprick tapped his fingers on the desk, pondering for a moment.

If a woman like that was convinced to withdraw, there must surely be a reason.

After thinking for a while, he looked back at Arnold.

“How are the trends in high society? Lloyd likes to move based on social rumors. Is there any possibility he used Gilroyte for that?”

“I actually checked on that, and it seems a group has formed around Lady Gilroyte recently. Mostly young ladies about to be married or noble ladies with such people in their families.”

“What’s the age range?”

“It varies from those who just debuted to those married less than 5 years ago.”

That age range would mostly be people not very familiar with high society.

And if there are many with family members of marriageable age…

“Don’t tell me. Is she running some kind of marriage business?”

“Pardon? A marriage business?”

When Leoprick blurted out his hypothesis, Arnold’s eyes widened.

Doing business with marriages? How on earth?

“You said it’s women of marriageable age or noble ladies with such women in their families. What common point could there be other than marriage?”

“Are you saying Lady Gilroyte is acting as a matchmaker?”

Arnold asked incredulously, but Leoprick shrugged.

It’s not particularly implausible, is it?

Anyway, Adela Gilroyte must be quite stagnant in high society by now.

What else could she do with that information besides matchmaking?

“She doesn’t want to get married herself, and she’s not taking lessons to be a family head anymore. She’s getting on in years but doesn’t want to be ignored in high society, so she has to do something like that, doesn’t she?”

Leoprick spoke casually, but Arnold still seemed unable to understand.

His face said, “She’s not even a married noblewoman, but an unmarried woman, how could she…?”

“You’re not married yet, Arnold?”

“Eh? That’s right, but…”

“That’s why you don’t understand, but to know politics, you need to know the workings of high society well.”

So Leoprick instructed him to look into Gilroyte personally.

Anyway, Adela Gilroyte was a somewhat troublesome figure, and he felt that both he and Amelia could rest easy only after properly dealing with her too.

“Investigate Adela Gilroyte. Go with Zero, as he probably knows the basics. I’ll assign the other tasks to someone else in the meantime.”

“Um, yes. Understood.”

As Arnold nodded reluctantly, he turned his gaze back to Zero’s report.

At this rate, it seemed possible to eliminate Lloyd and his group without leaving any remnants.

He thought he should have a private audience with his father, the Emperor, this evening as he picked up the next document.

Now, there really wasn’t much left.