The promise that would allow him to obtain what he had longed for so long.

Even though he must have known that the Countess Alois, the mother of the Viscount, had already made that promise, why would he bother repeating the same words?

The Duke of Valois asked Lloyd Alois, who was sitting with a clueless expression while crossing his legs.

“You wouldn’t have made the long journey from the capital to here just to say the same thing… Could it be that the contract terms changed when Lady Vermerian married the Crown Prince?”

There were too many risk factors in holding the hand of Flora Alois, who knew nothing.

First of all, Leoprick Reinhart was standing too firm in his position, and Lloyd Alois was also excessively unremarkable.

There was only one thing he believed in.

It was Amelia Vermerian, who was rumored to be clever and brilliant.

The one who had the audacity to personally visit the Valois mansion and request cooperation in her plan.

If it hadn’t been for that Vermerian who confidently promised to obtain whatever she wanted, there would have been no reason to take this gamble with much to lose.

So if the reason Lloyd Alois had gone out of his way to come here and beat around the bush with the same story was perhaps because she had dropped out of this plan…

“I guess you’ve forgotten that I was the one who moved Amelia in the first place.”

However, Lloyd Alois let out a small snort.

As if all the acting of playing the role of an ignorant puppet until now had been an act.

In fact, he was the one who had been controlling and planning everything behind the scenes.

The Duke of Valois barely managed to hold back his urge to sneer in front of him.

There was no one who didn’t know what kind of rumors were circulating about Lloyd Alois, so how could he claim now that it had all been a fabricated image?

The Duke of Valois waved his hand while letting out a hollow laugh.

“Well, whoever planned it, what’s important is how likely it is that you’ll be able to achieve what I want. Previously, Lady Vermerian, ah, now she’s the Crown Princess. Anyway, back then, she explained the plan quite thoroughly to me.”

That’s right. The important thing is the possibility.

Regardless of the rumors, regardless of whether he had just seen a predator in Lloyd Alois, what mattered was…

Whether or not he could achieve what he wanted.

The Duke of Valois examined Lloyd with sharp eyes.

“The Viscount must have come here with that much confidence, right?”

“…Of course.”

Even if Lloyd Alois was a predator, one had to wait and see whether he was a seasoned predator or a newly awakened one.

The newer a predator starts to emerge, the more mistakes they tend to make.

How could one trust and entrust work to such a person?

The Duke of Valois smiled faintly and rested his chin on his hand.

“The most important thing for carrying out a plan is funds.”

So for now, he intended to have him do what was necessary.

If he was entrusted with the task that Amelia Vermerian had originally planned to do, it would gauge his capabilities to some extent.

Then it would also gauge whether the future of him and those who followed him could be entrusted.

“If you’re referring to the imperial family’s support project, I will make sure to bring it in.”

“I like how quick-witted you are.”

The Duke of Valois nodded his head with a satisfied expression.

Just securing the funds would limit the restrictions on their movements.

Moreover, there was already a promise made with the mother, so he wouldn’t just sit still either.

The Duke was estimating what Lloyd Alois would gain from the change in the contractual party while lightly stroking his beard.

“Please keep the promise you made with my mother as it is.”

At that moment, while he was calculating his own interests in his mind, Lloyd opened his mouth.

It meant to keep his mother’s promise to put him on the emperor’s throne if the plan succeeded.

Well, that was originally what he had in mind anyway, so it wasn’t something to ponder deeply.

The Duke of Valois readily nodded his head.

“Is there anything else?”

But he wouldn’t have come all the way here just to talk about such things.

He tilted his head, recalling the question that had first come to mind when Lloyd Alois arrived here.

And with the words that followed, he sensed the reason why Lloyd had sought him out here.

“Instead of placing Lady Valois on the empress’ throne, make the Duke the prime minister and the head of the nobles’ council.”

That is my desired condition.

Not the position of indirectly wielding power as the emperor’s father-in-law, but the position of directly wielding power as the prime minister and head of the nobles’ council.

It was a condition that Derrick Valois, who was ambitious and greedy, had no reason to refuse.

**

Immediately after unexpectedly landing in Waynes, Lloyd sent two letters to the Valois territory.

One was to the Duke of Valois, with whom he had already been working, and the other was…

“What did Father say?”

Inside the dark stable.

The person wearing a deeply pulled-down robe was trying to compose their voice and feign calmness beside Lloyd, who was inspecting the horse.

They must have been quite anxious.

Lloyd smirked inwardly as he tightly fastened the saddle.

A person who doesn’t have the courage to move alone and knows how to fully utilize their abilities by riding on someone else’s movements.

He recalled how great Amelia was while watching Arianna Valois constantly look around to avoid being seen by others.

“As the Duke of Valois, he has no reason to refuse the conditions. But he said to keep it a secret from my mother.”

“Because there are many forces centered around Countess Alois, so they might refuse such conditions.”

Arianna nodded her head as if she understood.

The content of the letter sent to Arianna Valois was simple.

[I know that the young lady doesn’t want to marry me. Not just me, but anyone else as well.]

The condition that Countess Alois had initially put forward when she joined hands with the Duke of Valois was simple.

If he made his daughter the empress, make her son the emperor.

However, his daughter Arianna Valois not only didn’t want to be the empress but also had no desire to be anyone’s wife, and his son Lloyd Alois needed the Valois family to become the emperor.

On top of that, even Arianna’s brilliance, which was on par with Amelia’s…

After Amelia became the Crown Princess, the flower of high society went to Arianna Valois.

Lloyd had been keeping an eye on her for a long time because the position of the flower of high society was a position that could only be obtained through fierce mind games and delicate power struggles.

Her attitude of subtly rejecting the influx of marriage proposals while being in that position also caught his attention.

The main reason why women try to make a name for themselves in high society is to receive better marriage proposals.

But she was receiving all kinds of attention while not trying to enjoy any of the benefits.

The bait he threw out on the off chance was eagerly taken by her, and while Lloyd was talking with the Duke of Valois, she was pacing impatiently outside.

“Our deal is that you help me leave the empire after everything is over. You know that, right?”

Arianna reminded him again with a relieved expression, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders now that her most worrisome matter had been settled.

“Let’s draw up the contract when the young lady returns to the capital. According to the Duke, she will be coming back to the capital soon.”

“Ah, yes. There will be a ball at the Marquis of Perze’s residence soon. Viscount, have you not received an invitation yet?”

The Marquis of Perze’s residence.

Hearing those words reminded him of something.

Lloyd slightly nodded his head and grasped the reins.

“I think I received one too. Then let’s meet then.”

He briefly bid farewell and then mounted his horse, kicking the ground.

The ball at the Marquis of Perze’s residence.

It was where everything had begun, so how would it be this time?

Carrying a mind filled with complexities, he was about to ride off when he suddenly turned back.

“The Duke of Valois said that the imperial family’s support project must pass this time.”

“It means to generate funds.”

“Let’s make that the topic for next time.”

And next time, it would be good to clarify the hierarchical relationship as well.

Lloyd, who had added a brief remark, kicked his horse and rode away.

To retrieve what he had lost, not knowing from where to where it had changed.

[This is the timeline separator]

And the conclusion he reached was that he couldn’t lose her after all.

He had been surprised when she won over not only the moderate faction but also the pro-emperor nobles to her side at the ball at the Marquis of Perze’s residence.

But the things she did afterward, such as dramatically utilizing the epidemic in the east and effectively resolving the food shortage in the north, were even more tremendous.

Moreover, everything she had done to undermine the Reinharts, including the imperial family’s support project, was something no one could have imagined.

Let alone imagining, most people didn’t even have the ability to realize it.

Lloyd sighed and leaned his body against the chair.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt she was a waste.

After pondering for a moment, he pulled a cord to summon the butler.

“Did you call, Viscount?”

“Butler, do you happen to know someone skilled at tracking movements?”

“Are you trying to conduct a background check?”

“Something like that.”

When he nodded, the butler thought for a moment and then spoke.

“There is one, but may I ask who you’re trying to investigate?”

“Amelia Vermerian.”

At the butler’s words, he spoke Amelia’s name without hesitation.

He had to investigate everything thoroughly.

Where exactly her heart had changed.

What made her turn her heart away from him.

Lloyd tapped the desk and continued.

“I want her entire movements from the wedding until now. Can you do it?”

“…I’ll try. Is there a specific deadline?”

“For now, until the Crown Prince and Princess leave for their honeymoon in Waynes. Can you investigate within a month?”

“He’s someone who will do anything for money. If you give him a down payment…”

“I’ll give him as much down payment as he wants, so tell him to give it a try.”

Sinking into the chair, he slowly exhaled.

Money wasn’t important.

If he could get his hands on her, the entire empire would be his, so what’s a bit of money?

He glanced at what he had written on the desk and then looked at the butler again.

“Tell him not to miss even the smallest detail and report everything. Anything is fine.”

“Then I will tell him to continue monitoring even after the investigation.”

“I like how quick you understand. I’m counting on you.”

When he nodded, the butler bowed and left the room.

Left alone in the room, Lloyd turned his eyes to the next thing he had to do.

This time, it was the imperial family’s support project.