After the trial ended, everything that had seemed unstable began to settle quickly.

The Duke of Valois, who led the rebellion, was sentenced to hanging.

Stripped of his ducal title and reduced to a commoner, he shouted his innocence until the end as he climbed the gallows.

With the confiscation of the Valois duchy, Arianna was also demoted to commoner status, but her cooperation in acknowledging the rebellion and providing crucial testimony was highly valued.

As a result, she was granted a baroness title on the condition of returning part of the ducal estate to the national treasury.

Count Felice was stripped of his title and property and exiled from the country.

He managed to keep his life in exchange for confessing and repenting his role in the rebellion.

Lloyd was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Although he had led the rebellion, he ultimately admitted his crimes, and Duke Alois voluntarily offered to relinquish his title.

It was quite different from Flora Alois, who visited her brother the Emperor daily, screaming about what crime her son had committed.

“It’s amazing that Lloyd is quietly imprisoned.”

“He must have judged there was no more hope. I think it’s remarkable too.”

Leoprick nodded as he relayed the final verdict.

I accepted the cup he handed me while reclining on the sofa.

“Was there no separate judgment for Lady Gilroyte?”

“She was originally supposed to serve a few years in prison, but Viscount Gilroyte stepped in and said he would banish her from the family. I heard she left the country after being exiled.”

About a month had passed since the Duke of Valois’ trial.

In the meantime, all the accumulated issues had reached their own conclusions, and Leoprick seemed to have caught his breath as well.

Of course, during that time, I couldn’t do anything and had to go back and forth between my room and the rear garden.

“How are you feeling, Amelia? The doctor says there’s no major problem, but…”

If there’s even the slightest discomfort, you must tell me.

Leoprick said, examining various parts of my body with a face full of concern.

Seeing that, I laughed without answering as it reminded me of the palace staff, my father, and Hayley.

Since my pregnancy was announced, everyone in the palace began to overprotect me.

Not just the palace people, but also those from the merchant guild went all out, focusing all their attention to ensure that not even the floor dared to touch my feet.

Shoes had to be absolutely plush and cozy.

Clothes had to be absolutely warm and soft.

Betty and the palace staff brought in new items daily and repeatedly searched the dressing room for more comfortable clothes.

Leoprick set out to carpet the palace floors, including my office and the gardens I often walked in.

He pestered all the merchant guild leaders in the empire to bring something so soft and plush that one could walk barefoot on it.

Of course, at my insistence, they didn’t carpet the gardens, but I couldn’t stop them from replacing all the carpets in the annex.

If only Leoprick and Betty had been involved in this ridiculous overprotection parade, I might have been able to stop it, but…

Unfortunately, I had no way of dissuading my father, the Emperor, and the Empress.

“First, shouldn’t we change the chef?”

“We should call in a dedicated chef. We also need to find a nanny, and we should secure a dedicated boutique in advance.”

“I’ll look into the midwife. I’ll find the most knowledgeable and experienced one on the continent when it comes to childbirth.”

A nanny, chef, boutique, and even a midwife for a child not yet born.

The repeated discussions even led to talks of creating a merchant guild in the child’s name.

A merchant guild for a child whose gender we don’t even know yet.

Just listening made my head throb.

I understand they’re happy about having a grandchild, but isn’t this a bit much?

“That’s not enough. We need the best not just for the child, but for Amelia too.”

“That’s only natural. That’s why I’m thinking of setting aside a territory in Amelia’s name.”

What nonsense is that now.

When Leoprick chimed in, His Majesty the Emperor went a step further, saying he would give me a useless territory.

No, what reason would I have to leave the capital besides merchant guild business?

Of course, it’s nice to have anything, but a territory would just give me more to worry about.

Putting that aside, why on earth are we continuing this conversation here?

“Um, I think Her Highness needs to rest for now…”

“Hm? Ah. We’ve been too noisy.”

His Majesty the Emperor stood up, looking as if he would have talked endlessly if Betty hadn’t spoken up.

Then he tried to leave the room with the Empress and my father.

Just as I was looking at Betty with a grateful face, thinking she was the only one I could count on,

“Your Highness, please wait a moment. I’ll call Jen right away.”

“Huh…?”

“This is a meeting about the future of Your Highness and the baby, isn’t it? I’ll go and get as much as I can.”

Betty followed the three out with a somewhat determined look on her face.

She even pushed Leoprick, who was going to stay, saying he must attend such meetings.

And the list Betty brought back that day was almost equivalent to the country’s annual budget.

Spending every day in such a busy and chaotic manner, I couldn’t possibly welcome Leoprick’s overprotection.

How could I find him lovely when he wouldn’t allow me even a single document, yet came every day with piles of papers, saying he wanted to see me sleep?

I couldn’t like the face that tried to smile as if nothing was wrong, even as the area under his eyes darkened from checking on me and working every day.

I’d rather he just let me work too.

I gently pushed away Leoprick, who was examining me here and there, and closed the book I was reading.

“I’m fine. I didn’t do anything today either.”

“That’s not nothing, Amelia. You’re protecting our child right now.”

“Just resting isn’t always good for the baby, Your Highness. I found out that moderate exercise and not-too-strenuous daily activities are actually more helpful.”

This is actually what the continent’s best midwife, who was called – or rather, almost dragged – to the palace this time, told me.

She said it’s written in the book used as a textbook among midwives, and that she’s never seen people so overprotective of a pregnant woman.

She, who has met people from various circumstances due to her excellent skills, clicked her tongue, saying she’s never seen such extreme people even with all her experience.

“I’m providing a very, very unfavorable environment for the baby right now.”

“…But, Amelia.”

“Your Highness. Sitting and reading a book isn’t much different from reading documents. It’s all just reading text, isn’t it?”

At most, I’d just be holding a quill pen.

As I added, Leoprick’s face hardened instead.

As if he had heard something terribly shocking.

“Amelia. A quill pen can be a tool to harm someone sufficiently.”

“…A quill pen?”

“Of course. In an emergency, even a quill pen can become a weapon.”

Leoprick spoke with a truly serious and grave face, as if saying something incredibly important.

Anyone watching would think it was some major national affair.

But since it wasn’t completely wrong either, I could only nod reluctantly.

“Then I’ll have Betty use the quill pen.”

“Ah. You dictate, and Betty writes? Not bad.”

As I turned the conversation in a different direction, he changed his expression as if he had never been serious and smiled.

Saying that would put him at ease too.

I laughed too, watching him, finding his rapidly changing expression both amusing and incredulous.

Really, he’s incorrigible.

“Then can I take short walks and do a little work? I’ll ask for the most comfortable chair possible.”

“Hmm. Well, the doctor did say light walks were fine.”

Leoprick pondered for a moment at my words.

Returning to his serious expression from earlier, he deliberated for quite a while.

He seemed to be weighing between my frustration and his own peace of mind.

Of course, considering everything that’s happened so far, it seems more likely that my opinion won’t be accepted, but…

Still, I have to try talking about it.

“Are you eating well?”

As I waited for his answer, he asked, looking at me with a serious face.

Asking if I was eating well.

Since it was a question I had somewhat expected him to ask, I smiled and nodded.

Or rather, I tried to nod.

“No, Your Highness. Her Highness has been drinking mostly water these days.”

If that annoying troublemaker Betty hadn’t appeared, it might have passed without any issue.

I, who had some confidence in persuading Leoprick despite not having high expectations, glared at Betty, who had entered without knocking.

“When did you come in?”

“Just now. I knocked several times, but there was no answer, so I thought you two were sleeping and quietly entered.”

But Betty shrugged nonchalantly, seemingly unaffected by my glare.

With a face that said she had done nothing wrong, Betty faced me and then began to chatter excitedly to Leoprick.

“Don’t be deceived, Your Highness. Her Highness is lying every time she says she’s eaten. Her Highness eats less in a day than Your Highness eats in one meal.”

“Betty!”

“Is that true? That you’re not even eating as much as I do in one meal?”

Leoprick turned sharply to look at Betty.

And I tried to stop Betty with my eyes as she began to speak, carrying a slight smugness and inexplicable excitement.

Of course, it was to no avail.