Received the Obsession of a Chaste Dark Lord - Chapter 43

“Why are you coming out, Your Highness? I can just go in.”

As I opened the door and walked straight out, Betty, who was standing outside, had a puzzled look on her face.

Of course, the lounge would be better for talking.

“There’s someone inside. I didn’t know that and asked for you to be called, so I was waiting for a moment.”

“Oh, is that so? Then we’ll have to find another room.”

Betty nodded at my words and opened the door of the room next to it.

Fortunately, this time there was no one, so we went inside.

After closing the door and double-checking that there was no one inside, I took a seat as far away from the wall as possible.

“We have to be careful since there’s someone next door.”

“Of course, Your Highness. Should we communicate in writing if necessary?”

Betty joked with a grin.

But there was no need to go that far, so I smiled and waved my hand.

“It’s fine. Even if they hear, they won’t understand the content anyway.”

“It doesn’t hurt to be cautious. But we can’t rule out the possibility that they might infer something after hearing, right?”

Betty smiled, mentioning the basic principle of information gathering that Hayley had once told me.

No matter what someone says, you have to infer what information within it can be used to find something, was it?

I nodded, recalling Hayley who had been teaching me about the guild’s work at the time.

“You’re not wrong. But since it’s simple, I think it’s okay if you just come a little closer.”

But what I had to convey was really simple.

Standing in the middle of the room, not close to any wall, I gestured to Betty.

Betty came very close and I whispered quietly in a low voice.

“Tell Hayley. Tell the employees in Enerheim to meet with Deimar as soon as they arrive, and to send out what they’ve collected so far right now.”

“Right now? Weren’t we supposed to wait for the information brought by the guild members who arrived in the East?”

Betty spoke in a small voice, widening her eyes.

It hadn’t been long since we heard the news that contact had been made with those going to the East, and it would take more time for them to arrive there, so why move already?

She’s not wrong.

What we decided was to wait for contact from the East.

But that was when I had no thoughts about this situation.

Now I knew what was happening in the East right now, why Enerheim was securing the guild’s people and supplies even by putting on a forceful play.

So, there was no choice but to move.

“I think we have to do that. And tell them to be careful with water, especially drinking water, from when they’re near the East.”

“Drinking water?”

“Yes. Tell them to boil it if possible before drinking. The East has such scarce water that even if they find drinking water, there’s a high possibility it won’t be hygienic.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Betty made a strange expression at the continuous instructions.

She probably doesn’t understand what I’m talking about now.

I understand how she feels, but this is something that can’t be explained in a normal way.

So at times like this, it’s best to just gloss over it appropriately.

“I know what you’re thinking, but can you do it this way for now? I don’t know how to explain it either.”

“Hmm, yes. I understand.”

Betty quietly nodded.

Then she added to me with a serious face.

“And you don’t have to explain everything to me, Your Highness. I’m just a mere maid and I have to do what I’m told.”

Betty let out a small sigh, looking as if telling me not to make her say the obvious again.

“I’m grateful that you’re trying to let me know a lot because you’re generous, Your Highness, but my position is just there.”

“There’s no such thing, Betty. You’re saying something hurtful.”

Of course, most nobles do take it for granted not to let their servants know too much.

Beings who must naturally follow orders.

Beings who mustn’t impudently demand explanations from their masters.

Of course, that’s the social norm.

Looking at her, I shook my head firmly.

“Betty. You’re my assistant. You’re not a simple maid, so why are you saying that?”

Betty is different.

She learned various things from my mother and Hayley, and sometimes studied together with me.

She’s someone who understands my intentions better than anyone else, looks in the same direction, and walks together with me.

I can’t treat such a person at a ‘normal’ level.

When I spoke with a resolute expression, this time Betty made a slightly difficult face.

“You’re speaking in a complicated way again. I just meant you don’t have to deliberately explain everything to me. You’re someone who does more things that can’t be explained than things that can be explained, Your Highness.”

How can I ask you to explain one by one when you have better intuition than others?

Betty shrugged, adding in a small voice.

She says I have a talent for making the obvious not sound obvious.

“I know best that I’m not a simple maid.”

“That in itself is already extraordinary, Betty.”

I tilted my head, looking at Betty.

“But I’m still Your Highness’s maid. Then, whether I like it or not, pretending to keep that position is the best way to make others let their guard down.”

“That sounds like you deliberately wanted to hear me say hurtful things.”

“Rather than that, I’d like you to know that my intention was to remind you again of how precious I am to you, Your Highness. That would be better.”

Betty said with a playful smile.

I didn’t add any more words and just nodded with a smile.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I’ll just convey what I need to convey to Lady Hayley and go straight to the maids’ quarters, so you should quickly go to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

I saw him looking for you earlier.

Betty, who added that, left the lounge.

Come to think of it, I came out in a hurry without telling Leoprick.

So I was about to open the door to find him when…

“…Were you here? Amelia.”

I met Leoprick, who seemed to be about to knock, standing in front of the door.

I didn’t feel any presence until right before opening the door?

While I was taken aback, I saw Betty greet him first and disappear.

“Ah, Your Highness. I’m sorry. For coming out without a word…”

“It’s alright. More importantly, are you feeling unwell anywhere? Shall we go back right away?”

Leoprick lowered the hand he was holding and asked worriedly.

I lightly shook my head at his words.

“I’m okay. I had something to tell Betty for a moment.”

“You can tell me anytime if you’re uncomfortable anywhere or want to go back. We’ve done our part just by showing our faces anyway.”

But Leoprick still didn’t erase his worried expression.

Well, it’s unusual to immediately look for a lounge when you haven’t been at the party for long.

He must think it’s either that I’m sick somewhere or there’s someone I want to avoid.

I shook my head more firmly and said I was really fine.

“I had something I suddenly thought of that I needed to instruct Betty. I’m really okay.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief, but…”

“And this is Count Perge’s party, Your Highness.”

Not anywhere else, but Count Perge’s party.

Like most who came here, I also came with some intentions, so I couldn’t just go back like this.

“He’s a moderate, but someone with quite a bit of influence among the nobles. Rather than going back like this, I think it would be good to lay the groundwork to draw Count Perge to the Emperor’s faction.”

“But Amelia, he’s someone with convictions about the moderates. How can you do what even his old friend Duke Vermerian can’t?”

And is there a need to further increase our forces here?

Leoprick whispered in a small voice with a puzzled face.

The balance between nobles is always necessary, and for that, it’s more important to make even one more person trust him rather than making one more Emperor’s faction.

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand what he meant.

“Count Perge is someone who gets along well with all nobles regardless of faction. It’s good to win over such a person no matter which faction prevails.”

“But that will take a long time. Isn’t this a time when we’re short on taking care of those by our side, Amelia?”

Leoprick said he understood, but…

What’s more important now isn’t that, right?

He spoke again.

“More than that, your health is more important. Are you sure you don’t want to go back?”

“I appreciate your concern for my health, but that’s not what’s important now.”

So don’t mention going back quickly even if by chance, I put my foot down.

At my words, dissatisfaction seemed to pool in his expression for a moment, but only for a moment.

Leoprick quickly adjusted his expression and held out his hand as if asking for an escort.

“I understand what you’re saying.”

I also held out my hand to him, who unexpectedly readily nodded, and he carefully placed my hand on his arm.

“But right now, protecting you is more important to me than gaining the support of more people.”

What’s the use of power if you can’t protect one person by your side?

Then he whispered in a small voice.

It was like a vow to himself.

The moment I looked up at him to add something to his resolute and firm tone…

“Your Highness…?”

But his gaze wasn’t on me.

When I turned my head following his gaze, staring straight ahead with a very stiff face…

There, opening the door and standing as if he had just left the lounge, was Lloyd.