“The Marquis has learned that contact with the East has been cut off.”

As if reading my thoughts, Hayley explained the reason concisely.

Father knew about the situation in the East, and suggested submitting this business plan as a measure to address it.

“He said it was fine to consult His Highness and submit it, but since the deadline was approaching, I rushed a bit in my haste.”

Hayley added that it was largely her fault that things turned out this way.

I waved my hand at her as she had a gloomy expression.

I was just curious about the reason why Father suddenly intervened, not trying to discourage her.

I reassured Hayley, saying it was okay.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s something that will help the country anyway, so Father must have suggested it.”

“That’s true, but…”

Hayley nodded with a dark expression.

Well, it can happen that she submitted the plan without consulting, and joined forces with Father as they were on the same page.

I’m just grateful that she brought it up first when she could have kept her mouth shut and I wouldn’t have known.

With that thought, I picked up my teacup.

“Father must have his reasons. And you did very well submitting it without waiting for me.”

If she had waited for me to arrive at the palace late after the tea party and make a decision after consulting, we wouldn’t have been able to submit the documents at all.

I did not hesitate to praise Hayley, reassuring her that she did well.

At my words, her expression brightened a bit.

She’s older and more experienced than me, yet she always cares about my opinion like this. I can only be grateful.

But there was anxiety about this unprecedented situation.

I drank my tea, feeling a question about Father rising in a corner of my heart.

Did Father know about the situation in the East even before the regression?

And did he tell Hayley to apply for business support from the imperial family back then too?

Then why didn’t Hayley tell me anything about it at that time?

Come to think of it, before the regression, he never even brought up the topic of the Empress, which was also strange.

Could it be related to me constantly trying to change the situation after the regression?

“When will the results of the selection be announced?”

“In about a month, Your Highness.”

Before the regression, I had pulled strings behind the scenes to have a family under the Duke of Deric Vallois, who fervently supported Lloyd, selected as the business target.

It was a simple road renovation project of no great significance, and its scope was limited to the capital and major cities around the capital.

The important thing was to provide Lloyd with a financial foothold to operate from.

And I remember most of the business plans I saw back then were all pretty much the same.

What I mean is, there was no business plan as thorough and competent as Hayley’s, as far as I can remember.

…Then, it means this happened after the regression.

I slightly frowned at the situation unfolding a bit differently from my memory.

I hope other things aren’t happening this differently from before the regression too?

Then all the information I know would become useless, wouldn’t it?

“…Your Highness!”

“Huh? Oh.”

It was Betty who woke me from my thoughts.

Perhaps because she had been worried about me all day since my mood had been up and down, Betty’s complexion didn’t look good.

“You don’t have to worry. I was just thinking for a moment.”

“If that’s the case, that’s a relief, but…”

“It’s late. Hayley, you should go and rest too.”

“No, I’m fine.”

I stood up from my seat and told Betty to see Hayley out.

“By the way, was there any other news from the East? I think it’s about time we should be hearing from them.”

“Ah, yes. There has been no other news yet. It should be about time for their arrival, but…”

I asked Hayley a question that suddenly came to mind, but Hayley also shook her head.

Really, they should have arrived in the East by now with plenty of time to spare.

“No news of their arrival yet either?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I told everyone in the merchant group to inform the palace immediately as soon as they receive any news…”

Whoever receives the news first will send a communication to the palace immediately.

Hayley said it was something she had earnestly requested of everyone in the merchant group.

Yet if there’s still no news, then…

“It means either they have no way to contact us from the East, or communication is being blocked.”

“Should we try contacting the Enerheim Merchant Group? It seems the distribution network between merchant groups is still open.”

“Right now, there are people entering the East but no one coming out, right? Then even if we contact the Enerheim Merchant Group, they may have no way to contact us from their side.”

I shook my head at Hayley’s words.

Surely there must be some way.

I need evidence to confirm the situation in the East and prove that my conjecture is correct so that I can ask Leoprick for help…

“For now, send the supplies prepared so far along with a few conscientious and responsible doctors to the East. I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Doctors as well?”

We already sent enough workers, and now doctors too?

Hayley asked with her eyes wide open.

The communication network may simply be cut off and that’s why they can’t contact us, yet doctors?

I smiled wryly at Hayley’s puzzled gaze.

“Historically, there haven’t been many cases where each region of the empire cut off communication and isolated themselves.”

“But the East is inherently an isolated place.”

“Even so, there has never been a case where communication was completely cut off or everyone quietly returned to their territory.”

I briefly relayed the story the Marquise of Perze had told me at the ball.

“It’s one of two things. Either something has gone terribly wrong with the lord of the East, or there’s a reason they absolutely cannot let anyone from the East out.”

I think it’s either war or an epidemic.

“But if it were a war due to a foreign invasion, they would have sent a request for support to the palace, and in the case of a territory war, they would have sent a messenger to get permission from the palace.”

I had asked the chief attendant of the detached palace to let me know whenever a messenger from the East arrived at the palace, but there had been no news so far.

In other words, it’s a situation where they are truly isolated.

I fabricated a convincing explanation for Hayley and Betty based on the information I had gathered so far.

As if the information I obtained before the regression was actually derived from the information I obtained here now.

“If the East has closed off the region itself due to an epidemic, it makes some sense that they can’t be reached now.”

“I never thought of that. I only vaguely thought something might be happening in the East…”

Hayley muttered, looking a bit surprised.

Betty also had her eyes wide open, likely surprised by my words.

I smiled slightly at the two of them.

“Send everything. And tell the doctors to contact the merchant group right before entering the East.”

“Understood.”

“If there’s no contact, my prediction is correct, and if there is contact, then nothing is wrong.”

Personally, I hope for the latter, but…

As I muttered softly, Betty had a worried expression.

“Then wouldn’t it be better to speak to His Highness the Crown Prince and ask for help? If it’s really true, we need to stop it quickly.”

“We don’t have confirmation yet. It’s just speculation at this point.”

“But Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince must be aware of your insight and wisdom. I agree with Betty.”

Hayley and Betty looked at me.

Their gazes filled with expectation were a bit burdensome.

I smiled and waved my hand.

“Let’s confirm it first.”

“Yes.”

“If my prediction is correct, the supplies that went in this time and the new supplies we’ll send should be enough to hold out until the palace’s support arrives. So for now, please move as quickly as possible, Hayley.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Hayley nodded, and I gave Betty some instructions as well.

Now, it’s really time to take action in earnest.

[This is the timeline separator]

This can’t be right.

That’s what I thought as soon as I received the documents.

“Is this really all?”

No matter how I think about it, this can’t be everything. With that in mind, I showed the documents to Betty.

Documents filled with truly nonsensical words.

But Betty only replied briefly with a yes, her face expressionless.

There wasn’t much time left until the meeting to select the businesses to receive national treasury support.

We had to somehow prevent Lloyd’s side from being selected for the project.

It would be even better if our merchant group’s business was selected.

So I asked Leoprick to show me the names of the families participating in the project and a brief business plan…

“That’s really all, Your Highness. I don’t think His Majesty will be able to support any family this year.”

…It was really just a bunch of terrible ones.

How can they try to get national treasury support with this?

This is too…

“They have no conscience.”

“I agree.”

Betty nodded her head with a disgusted face at my words.

No matter how she thought about it, everyone was too unscrupulous.

“I don’t think anyone considers this a national project. It’s like people gathered just to do what they want with the national treasury.”

I nodded at Betty’s words and tossed aside the plans that were worse than scrap paper.

“Unless there’s a major change, Hayley’s plan will be adopted.”

“I think so too. His Highness the Crown Prince said there was only one worth looking at when he handed me the documents.”

Betty agreed with me and took those plans back.

“Did His Highness tell you to return them?”

“Yes. Since they didn’t make copies, he said to bring them back once you’ve seen enough.”

“Is that so?”

Then I’ll take another look.

I held out my hand to Betty, asking for the documents again.

…Even after a second look, these plans don’t seem to have much to offer.

What are they thinking, asking for national treasury support with such shoddy plans?

I lightly clicked my tongue as I flipped through the documents, then paused at Hayley’s plan.

[Communication Network Rental Business]

The meticulous Hayley had made such a thorough business plan that even the summary allowed me to understand the business inside and out.

It was so perfect that this itself could be called a full plan.

With this, we don’t have to worry about support going to Lloyd’s side.

As I was feeling proud of myself and about to reorganize the documents, I found another plan behind Hayley’s that I hadn’t seen before.

I was a bit puzzled as I examined the document. And the moment I saw it:

[Submitted by: Lloyd Alois]

I couldn’t help but gasp.