Received the Obsession of a Chaste Dark Lord - Chapter 47

I achieved all the goals I had for attending the party.

And it seemed that was plainly evident on my face.

“You look to be in high spirits, Amelia.”

Leoprick said that while peering at my face inside the carriage returning to the imperial palace.

“Does it seem so?”

I guess you enjoyed the party today.

So without thinking, intoxicated by the thought of having finished one thing, I answered without hiding the slightly excited tone in my voice.

And looking out the window, I asked.

“Did Your Highness enjoy it as well?”

It was just a reflexive question, but strangely, the answer did not come right away.

When I turned my gaze to him, thinking it odd,

“…I suppose I did.”

His face was, for some reason, darkly downcast.

Why did Leoprick make that expression while saying he enjoyed it?

Before I could ask what happened, we arrived at the imperial palace.

Having missed the chance to ask again because of that, I had to keep thinking about that expression from earlier.

Come to think of it, that statement is a bit strange too.

That he supposes he enjoyed it?

Today, a positive impression of Leoprick was clearly left on the noblewomen, and he must have also achieved his own results meeting with the Imperial and Moderate factions.

But for a face intoxicated with such success…

“Did something happen today, Your Highness?”

“It’s too dark.”

“Pardon?”

I must have let my thoughts go too far and blurted it out.

I came to my senses at Beatrice’s startled counter-question as she was combing my hair.

“Ah, Beatrice. Sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked if something happened, but it does seem like something really did happen. Did something not go well at the party today?”

Coming to my senses and looking in the mirror, Beatrice was looking at me with a slightly worried face.

“No, Beatrice. Nothing happened.”

“But your face looks too serious for that?”

“Really?”

Too serious a face.

At Beatrice’s words, I looked at my face reflected in the mirror.

…It doesn’t seem particularly different though.

“It’s nothing much. Just have some things to think about.”

“Your Highness’s thoughts are always for necessary matters. If there’s anything else to relay to Lady Hayley, please let me know.”

When I answered lightly, Beatrice spoke with a slightly exaggerated tone and laughed.

Seeing Beatrice like that, I recalled the task I had instructed earlier.

Right, confirming that comes first right now.

Rather than stupidly being distracted by other things.

When I called Beatrice and glanced behind through the mirror, Beatrice quickly glanced at the maids tidying up the room behind and bowed her head slightly.

“I relayed it well to Lady Hayley. Please don’t worry too much.”

“Any other messages?”

“Not yet. I told them to send the reply to the imperial palace, so it will arrive soon.”

A few lines of whispered conversation were exchanged.

At the words that she told them to send the message to the imperial palace, I just nodded slightly without asking anything else.

Beatrice raised her head and neatly arranged my combed hair behind me.

“All done, Your Highness. You’ll be going straight to bed?”

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

At my words, the maids all left the room like an ebb tide.

Beatrice also followed the maids leaving one after another as if she had been waiting.

“Sleep well, Your Highness.”

“Mm, you too.”

Once everyone had closed the door and left with Beatrice last, the room quickly became quiet.

With that, I became a bit more pensive.

It’s probably nothing much, so why did that face bother me so?

Is it because I met Lloyd earlier?

Because I think Leoprick will still think there’s something between me and Lloyd?

Because I feel sorry that he’s misunderstanding and being bothered by my relationship with Lloyd, feeling like it’s my fault?

So is that why that dark face of his is bothering me so much?

“…Nonsense.”

But I soon erased that thought from my mind.

Even if rumors openly spread in high society about me and Lloyd, even if he heard stories about me and Lloyd being together in a lounge at some party, Leoprick always treated me with the same expression.

Just that indifferent and uninterested face that was so familiar to me.

He never once showed any discomfort even when I was in front of him making it obvious that I had met Lloyd and returned.

Even when someone blatantly linked me and Lloyd together to gossip, he just silently sent away the person who insulted the Imperial Crown Princess without a word.

That’s how indifferent he was to his wife’s faults.

No, sometimes I thought he hadn’t taken a wife but just found a political partner with how uninterested he was in my affairs, to the point it was laughable.

For him, who had been like that, to be concerned about me now is also ridiculous.

Just because he showed a slightly different side from before the regression, it’s also ridiculous for me to expect a different reaction from what I was well accustomed to.

He probably just had something unpleasant happen.

Thinking that, I hurriedly erased the thoughts that had filled my head.

Thinking it was ridiculous to keep being bothered by it.

Emptying my head like that and trying to lie down on the bed,

Knock knock.

The heavy knocking sound rang in my ears.

I sent away all the maids earlier, so what’s going on?

Usually once the maids all withdrew, there were no more visitors to the room after that.

Most would assume I’m asleep.

But if someone visits in such a situation, there must be something going on.

I got up from my spot and crossed the room.

I took the shawl I had draped over the sofa and carefully opened the door.

And there…

“Have I perhaps disturbed your sleep?”

Leoprick was standing in front of the room, fully dressed down to his sleepwear.

“Your Highness, what brings you at this hour…”

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t surprised.

Especially since I had just been thinking about him.

But I couldn’t leave him standing outside and gather my surprised thoughts, so I opened the door and stepped back.

“Please come in for now?”

As I stepped back, Leoprick slowly entered.

I closed the door behind him as he entered the room and turned around.

Did he come because he had something to discuss?

I offered for him to sit first.

“Please have a seat, Your Highness. Shall I bring you something to drink?”

“No, it’s alright. Since it’s late, I’ll just say what I need to briefly and go.”

Leoprick shook his head as he sat down.

Indeed, as he said, it was a bit late to eat or drink anything.

Both his attire and mine were such that it wouldn’t be strange to go straight to bed.

Rather than purposely sitting face to face for a long time in such attire, it would be better to quickly finish the conversation.

I nodded at his words and sat across from him.

“I’m sorry for taking your time when you must be tired.”

“Not at all, Your Highness. More importantly, what you wanted to say is…?”

Facing him naturally made me examine his complexion.

Perhaps because I recalled how his complexion was dark on the way back from the ball earlier.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem as dark now as it was then.

I waited for his answer, feeling inwardly relieved.

“It’s nothing special. But it seems you have more to say than I do.”

But it seemed my examining his complexion like that came across a bit differently to him.

He smiled softly and suggested that I speak first.

“Ah, it was nothing much. I was just wondering since your complexion didn’t seem well on the way back earlier…”

I waved my hand saying it was no big deal and for him to speak without concern, but for some reason he smiled with an embarrassed face.

As if I had touched on a topic he didn’t want to talk about.

“I apologize if I made you worry, Amelia.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I was simply curious if you had something troubling you.”

It’s alright if you don’t want to talk about it.

Adding that briefly, I tried to return to the topic he originally wanted to discuss, but he shook his head after contemplating for a moment.

“No, on second thought, I think it would be good to talk about that too before I go.”

Leoprick said that, then took a breath before opening his mouth again.

“It’s about Lloyd.”

And at the words that came out of his mouth, I momentarily coughed.

Don’t tell me it was because of running into Lloyd today?

“Ah, I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable by bringing it up. I’m just saying to be careful in case he tries to stir up any trouble, after seeing him today.”

“Stir up trouble…you say?”

I, who had thought he was uncomfortable about my relationship with Lloyd, blinked at the unexpected words.

Tilting my head, I had to ponder for a moment what he meant by that.

“As you know, Your Highness, Lloyd isn’t one to rashly cause incidents.”

As both he and I likely know, Lloyd isn’t someone to cause major incidents on his own.

Timing-wise, he’ll be contacting Balois soon, but there haven’t been any significant movements yet.

Not fully understanding why he said to be careful in such a situation, when I asked back, Leoprick nodded with a faint smile.

“That’s right. He’s not one to recklessly start trouble alone, but I say this out of worry. Because I’m concerned about you.”

Leoprick looked at me with eyes full of concern.

Seeing those eyes, I also felt like he must know something like I do, so I unconsciously nodded.

“I understand. I’ll do that, Your Highness.”

“Thank you for understanding. Make sure to always bring an escort wherever you go from now on. Even inside the imperial palace, the space is wide so it’s easy for people to sneak in.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll do that.”

When I readily agreed, he leaned back on the sofa with a relieved face.

Seeing his much more relaxed face, I also felt a bit reassured and could feel the tension easing from my shoulders.

“Shall I recommend a suitable person? Or would you like to choose directly?”

“I don’t know the imperial knights well yet. I would appreciate it if Your Highness could recommend someone.”

“I understand. I’ll have a suitable person selected and sent to you soon.”

Once the conversation reached a conclusion, Leoprick let out a small sigh.

That appearance seemed as if tension had been released, so I smiled slightly.

“Did you come because of my escort knight?”

“Ah, no. That’s not it.”

I was thinking I should talk about it, he added with a laugh.

“It’s nothing serious.”

Saying that, he continued.

“I thought, what if we share a bed chamber?”

Leoprick grinned.

As if pleading so that I couldn’t help but allow it.