Received the Obsession of a Chaste Dark Lord - Chapter 57

Adela Gilroyd was a more interesting person than I thought.

Putting aside the wisdom to know her place and the intelligence I had heard about, she possessed both wit and humor, which was rare for a noble lady.

Rather than being a good daughter who spends time with her mother, she was an admirable daughter who discusses the state of affairs with her father.

Throughout the tea party, I tried to learn a bit more about Adela Gilroyd, recalling the information my father had told me about her.

Well, even without trying hard to find out, there were things I naturally learned while sitting next to her and talking.

I, who had formed quite a good opinion of her, added what I had found out to the information my father had given me.

A personality more frank than expected, overflowing sense, and extensive knowledge in various fields.

She even seemed adept at controlling and managing her emotions.

It’s not easy for a young lady to be like that.

Even I, who have lived through life once again, have difficulty with it, but she does it effortlessly.

I couldn’t help but agree with my father’s words that I would surely like her when I met her.

And at the same time, I thought it would be better to have someone like her take my place after I step down.

She is too good to simply be in the position of empress.

She seems to have a good personality that would match well with Leoprick, and her diverse way of thinking could be of great help in overseeing internal affairs in the future.

I smiled at Lady Gilroyd, thinking that thanks to my father, I had one less thing to do.

“If you have time next time, please come visit the imperial palace. I would be happy if you could come, young lady.”

“It would be an honor, Your Highness. If invited, I will come running anytime.”

She responded with a smile, as if she had also taken a liking to me while we were talking.

I heard she is someone who always draws a consistent line, but seeing how we became friends so quickly, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

I returned to the imperial palace thinking it would have been better if I had met her before the regression.

With a much lighter heart, forgetting about yesterday’s ambivalent mood.

“Now you look to be in a good mood again.”

Seeing me like that, Betty made a face as if she couldn’t understand why.

Wondering what on earth had happened in a place that wasn’t even a joyful occasion.

“Was it to find out about Lady Gilroyd?”

But unable to fully explain the reason to Betty, I brought up a different topic.

Betty gave a suspicious look and soon began to recite what she had found out.

“Lady Adela Gilroyd has fewer acquaintances than expected. I heard she doesn’t enjoy socializing. Unless it’s a necessary gathering or meeting people she’s close with, she doesn’t go out of the mansion.”

“The Duchess of Alois’s tea party wouldn’t fall under the category of a ‘necessary gathering’.”

‘Necessary gatherings’ would be limited to imperial family gatherings or meetings requiring close cooperation from the noble faction.

Did Lady Gilroyd, who refrains from entering high society, have a reason to attend today’s gathering?

When I pointed that out, Betty nodded and continued.

“The Duchess of Alois is not close with the young lady, but I heard her mother has been ill recently. Her mother received the invitation but was unable to come due to being sick, so it seems the young lady came in her place.”

“I see. I should send some medicinal ingredients to the Marchioness of Gilroyd to help her recuperate.”

“I’ll have them sent once we return to the imperial palace.”

After briefly discussing something else, Betty resumed the story she had been telling.

“I won’t bother mentioning that she’s smart, as you would already know that. I heard she spends most of her time in the library even at the mansion.”

“Is that so?”

“The Marquis of Gilroyd has a hobby of collecting books, so they have many rare books. Her areas of interest are politics and economics, and she is also well-versed in history and philosophy.”

“A talented person in various fields.”

“She does seem like someone it would be good to become close with.”

Betty lightly nodded at my words.

Betty’s findings continued after that as well.

Although she was smart and bold for a woman, she had received several marriage proposals due to her family name and beautiful appearance.

Having rejected them all, she not only took care of the household affairs but also occasionally helped her father with business.

Rather than focusing on the refinement of a noble lady, she concentrated more on building the qualities of a politician or head of the family.

Hearing the series of reports, I asked what had come to my mind.

“How did you find out everything in such a short time?”

“Your Highness told me to find out.”

“No, well. That’s true, but…”

Does she have the ability to read the minds of people passing by?

Amazed at Betty, who had gathered quite a lot of information during the few hours in the party hall, I significantly revised the information about the Marquis of Gilroyd’s daughter.

I was very pleased by the fact that she focused more on building the qualities of a politician or head of the family rather than the refinement of a lady.

To that extent, she would be more than capable of standing by Leoprick’s side.

One thing that bothered me was the fact that she rarely entered high society, but that was something I could gradually advise her on.

After all, the crown princess has the responsibility to manage the rumors and atmosphere of high society.

Most of the necessary information also comes from there.

I mentally categorized the things I needed to teach her and the topics we needed to discuss.

“Ah. And there’s something a bit strange.”

“Strange? What is it?”

As I was continuing my thoughts like that, I raised my head again at Betty’s sudden words.

With a much more serious face than before, she met my gaze.

And she opened her mouth, saying it wasn’t certain, but.

“I heard the young lady has been visiting the merchant district unusually often recently.”

“Why the merchant district?”

“I’m not sure about that. She’s not dealing with any particular merchant group, but a person who used to spend more than half a day in the library is apparently spending time in that merchant district these days.”

“It is indeed strange for it to be sudden.”

“Just in case, I contacted Hayley to ask if she had visited our merchant group as well.”

“And?”

Appearing in the merchant district…

That was certainly unexpected.

No matter how much the young lady is interested in politics and economics, is there something she needs to personally check at the merchant district by leaving the mansion?

If necessary, she could summon them to come at any time.

I couldn’t hide my puzzlement just like Betty’s perplexed expression.

Why on earth?

While pondering, the carriage arrived at the imperial palace.

And at the arrived imperial palace, I met an unexpected person.

“Greetings to Your Highness.”

When I was told someone had come looking for me as soon as I arrived, I came to find.

“What brings Hayley here?”

In the reception room, Hayley was waiting, neatly dressed in a suit.

If it was about the merchant group, she wouldn’t need to come like this, so could something have happened?

I looked at Hayley, who was sitting down with a slightly tense expression.

But with a face no different from usual, she very calmly.

“I came to apply for the newly selected imperial family’s support project.”

Said that.

The ones surprised by those words were me and Betty instead.

The imperial family’s support project?

“Are you referring to the business targets supported by the imperial family through the national treasury? Why all of a sudden?”

The imperial family’s support projects were mainly applied for by merchant groups or families that needed to undertake national projects.

It was a project mainly supported by places that built roads, maintained waterways, reclaimed land, constructed buildings, and such.

However, the Jenit Merchant Group was not a place that undertook such national projects.

We are, after all, a merchant group that focuses on national information networks, communication networks, trade goods, and luxury goods.

As I was about to open my mouth in puzzlement.

“There were instructions from the Marquis.”

Hayley spoke first.

She said that my father had come to the merchant group and told them to try applying for the imperial family’s business support project this time.

“My father? Why my father?”

“The Marquis was also concerned about the disconnected communication networks to the east. When I told him about the situation with Enerheim, he suggested that this might be an opportunity to introduce the Jenit Merchant Group’s communication system nationwide.”

“Introducing the merchant group’s communication system to the country?”

“Yes. He said we could expand the communication networks a bit more, increase the number of stations in a few places, and make it usable by the country in case of emergencies. He suggested charging a usage fee in return.”

The Jenit Merchant Group’s communication networks were much faster and safer compared to other merchant groups.

After all, when my mother first established the merchant group, the very first thing she did was to build this communication system, so in a way, it was only natural.

Unless it was a small village in a remote mountain, the Jenit Merchant Group’s communication networks could reach most parts of the empire.

Perhaps if it was reinforced a bit more and a few more stations were established as my father said, it would become more convenient for other people to use the communication networks, not just our merchant group as it is now.

It wasn’t that I hadn’t thought about it myself.

However, this communication network was the core source of income for the merchant group, so I had no intention of expanding it or lending it to others.

And for my father, of all people, to be the first to bring it up.

Since my father usually never interferes with how I run the merchant group, this matter was even more puzzling.

Why now?

“You’re saying we should lend the merchant group’s communication networks to the country?”

“Yes. The Marquis has that idea in mind.”

“But is there a need to do that? This is our intelligence and our strength, so why should we lend it out?”

It’s fine for my father to get involved.

After all, the owner of the merchant group was originally my father, and he only conceded it for my mother’s sake.

But even after that, my father never interfered or asked about the merchant group, from it being inherited by me until now.

So why did he have to abruptly intervene like this? Is there a reason he had to do it?