It had been a few days since I had given orders to Betty.

I was visited by my father again.

Being in a position where I always had to be at the imperial palace, it wasn’t easy to see my family, so I was glad that my father came to see me so often.

However, that feeling was short-lived, as I had to give a bitter smile at the words that followed after a simple greeting.

“Have you met Lady Gilroit?”

“… Yes. I met her at Duchess Alois’s tea party.”

Is that what he came to ask about?

I felt my heart, which had been looking forward to it alone with the tea and refreshments that my father liked, deflate.

Of course, even before I got married, he wasn’t very friendly, so I thought he must have come for something…

I put down the teacup I was holding and continued.

“She was intelligent and witty. She had a broad perspective, so we got along well and her thoughts were refreshing.”

“She’s a wise lady. I thought you would like her.”

At my words, my father nodded his head as if relieved.

I didn’t really want to accept it, but my father was good at judging people.

So that’s how he was able to find a gem like Adela Gilroit, whom I didn’t know before.

But why did he have to tell me to see if she was right for me or not?

I leaned back on the sofa and spoke in a slightly dissatisfied voice.

“Wasn’t she already chosen anyway? I don’t know why you had me meet her.”

“Even if she is a good lady, if she doesn’t match Your Highness or has a different mindset, what’s the point of bringing in an empress? It will only cause unnecessary battles in the inner palace.”

Even at my words, my father answered calmly.

My father and some of the aristocratic factions hoped that things in the inner palace would be done harmoniously and that the situation would flow in a way that was good for both the imperial and aristocratic factions.

An empress for that purpose, there’s no need to bring in someone who doesn’t fit and make them fight.

“The imperial palace is a lonely place. In such a place, the position of the empress is to fight the nobles and palace people every day, but how reassuring would it be to have someone who could be your comrade in such a fight?”

“It sounds like you’re saying that even for me, an empress is necessary.”

“The more political partners the better, isn’t it? It won’t be a bad thing for Your Highness either.”

Bring a friend to the lonely imperial palace where I have to fight alone?

It seems to be saying that if I have a political partner to fight with, it will be a little less lonely.

I’m grateful for your consideration, but…

I still didn’t like the proposal.

Why?

“Don’t you think there could be a succession fight in the future?”

“If you become political partners, of course you will discuss the succession. Your Highness is not the type to push for someone unqualified to become emperor.”

“Well… I don’t know because I’ve never had children, but what if one of us, either me or the empress, is terrible to our child?”

So I kind of wanted to mess with him.

I’m not going to have or want to have a child of this imperial family anyway, but I felt annoyed and didn’t like my father saying that bringing in an empress was for me.

For some reason, the more I heard about this empress, the more it got on my nerves.

So I just threw out the words like a tantrum.

But my father, who didn’t know my inner thoughts, had a surprised look on his face at my words.

“I didn’t know you were thinking of His Highness the Crown Prince to the point of worrying about a succession fight.”

“… I don’t know why the conversation is going that way. I was just talking about possibilities. It’s something that’s happened in every generation.”

Why is the conversation going that way?

I shook my head as I looked at my surprised father.

“His Highness the Crown Prince and I did not get married like you and mother. You know that.”

“Emotions are always unpredictable, Your Highness. Doesn’t having a successor mean that His Highness the Crown Prince gives equal affection to you and the one who will become the empress?”

My father, who said he had refrained from speaking for fear of burdening me, spoke carefully.

“And if you’re worried about a fight, you can see the successor before there is an empress and raise them firmly.”

“It sounds like you’re saying it’s better to conceive quickly, Father.”

“Isn’t it a joyous occasion for the imperial family to have a successor?”

My father replied in an extremely restrained voice.

If I have a child, it will also be a grandchild to my father.

However, in my father’s answering voice, it seemed to contain more joy as a subject that his lord would have a successor, rather than expectations for a grandchild.

Even if I don’t know if I will really have a child, it’s still his grandchild, can’t he look forward to that?

I laughed to myself after having useless thoughts.

“I’ll meet Lady Gilroit one more time. After that, I’ll tell His Highness the Crown Prince.”

What’s important right now is to make sure my plan can proceed without a hitch.

Whether it’s the empress, or the future empress who will take my place.

The appointment with Lady Gilroit was made sooner than I thought.

I contacted her right after hearing from my father, but she also replied that she hoped to meet as soon as possible.

I summoned her to my reception room in the imperial palace without delay.

And I instructed that only Betty would be needed that day without any other attendants.

The imperial palace is always a place with a lot of rumors, but I wasn’t trying to have a conversation that could be heard by others.

So I was preparing to meet as quietly as possible.

“Your Highness, how about wearing the earrings on this side?”

Betty was busy from that morning.

She not only said that she had prepared the reception room as neatly as possible, but she also put all sorts of effort into the attire that she usually didn’t pay much attention to.

I tilted my head as I looked at Betty, who seemed to be full of spirit.

“What’s going on, Betty?”

“No! It’s nothing.”

“But why are you so fired up? You even brought out earrings and hair ornaments that you don’t usually wear unless it’s a banquet.”

I blinked at her.

It was actually like that.

The earrings, hair ornaments, and dress that Betty brought out were all flashy things that she wouldn’t wear unless it was a banquet.

They were good for making an impression because they were too flashy, but they didn’t seem very appropriate for everyday wear.

But Betty shook her head as if it didn’t matter.

“So what! Your Highness, you have such sharp features that even this level of flashiness doesn’t look very flashy.”

“But there’s no special schedule today, so why do I need to dress up like this?”

I had already refused once when she brought a party dress and asked if this was okay.

I was planning to spend most of the day in my office except for meeting Lady Gilroit, so there was no need for this.

“I was just going to dress comfortably.”

“You can’t do that, Your Highness! You never know who might come today.”

“Who’s coming? There’s no special schedule.”

I waved my hand as I looked at Betty, who had clenched her fists.

No one comes to see the crown princess without prior notice.

Except for my father or Their Majesties, Leoprik.

So I was about to say it was okay, but then I saw Betty suddenly bowing her head for some reason.

I had no choice but to let her choose the accessories as she wanted.

“Okay. Then I’ll let you choose just the accessories.”

“Really? Thank you, Your Highness!”

What’s so great about that?

I laughed as I saw Betty come to life.

Because she was cute and I was grateful that she didn’t say anything even though I kind of knew why.

And it wasn’t long before I found out that her choice was right.

“Your Highness, Duchess Gilroy and Lady Gilroy have arrived.”

“Yes. Let them in.”

At my permission, the door to the reception room opened and Duchess Gilroy and the young lady entered.

The duchess, who seemed to raise her chin slightly, and the young lady, who looked somewhat uncomfortable.

I greeted them briefly with a smile.

“Welcome, Duchess, Lady. I didn’t know you two were coming, so I apologize if the reception is a bit lacking.”

“No, Your Highness. We are grateful that you have received us like this.”

The duchess sat down, pretending to smile kindly.

Lady Gilroy also sat down, but she didn’t look very comfortable.

‘That’s understandable.’

Before the two arrived at the imperial palace, the young lady sent someone to inform me that her mother was coming with her.

It was a sudden request, but I couldn’t tell someone who said they had already left not to come.

I told Betty to prepare tea for two people for now.

An uninvited guest that I couldn’t refuse.

Judging by the young lady’s expression, she also seemed to be uncomfortable with this company.

I thought about what the duchess’s purpose might be as I watched her pick up the teacup Betty poured with a noble face.

“The duchess must have come along because she also had something to say. May I hear what it is?”

However, just because I couldn’t refuse the visit didn’t mean I would share everything I was going to discuss with Lady Gilroy in the future.

I thought I should listen to the duchess’s request and send her away quickly, so I asked clearly.

Suddenly, what ulterior motive did she have to come all the way here?

And at my words, the duchess put down the teacup with a smile.

“You’re unusually hasty, Your Highness.”

“Well, the duchess must have had a reason to come looking for me so hastily. Clearly, the invitation was sent only to Lady Gilroy.”

And how well do you know me to say that I’m unusually hasty?

I coldly rebuked, but she didn’t even blink an eye.

Rather, she just covered her mouth with her hand and laughed, narrowing her eyes.

“I came because I know what you’re going to say to my daughter, Your Highness. How could you not invite the mother to a place where you’re having such a conversation?”

“You know what I’m going to say to the young lady? Do you know what you’re saying now, Madam?”

The crown princess is presuming what I haven’t even said and even scolding me.

In front of her daughter and my maid at that?

“You’ve gone too far, Duchess Gilroy. You’ve crossed the line.”

But Duchess Gilroy laughed again, hohoho.

As if criticizing me with her gaze.

“Your Highness. Shouldn’t matters regarding marriage be discussed with the mother? Especially when it’s a marriage with none other than the imperial family.”

“Mother!”

And that was the decisive thing.

The fact that she knew about the matters related to the appointment of the empress.

I looked at Duchess Gilroy, recalling that I had not given the slightest hint in the letter I sent to Lady Gilroy.

She’s bringing up a story that hasn’t even been brought up yet, and a story that hasn’t even been made public?

I looked at the mother and daughter with darkened eyes.

“You’re being impudent, Duchess.”

She crossed the line, by a long shot.

I snorted as I looked at the duchess, who still had a leisurely expression on her face.