“Could it be that Your Highness is jealous?”

But unfortunately, there was someone by his side who had the same thought as Betty.

No, to be precise, someone who took this situation a bit more seriously than Betty.

“What do you mean, Arnold?”

He had been on edge, annoyed by Amelia who kept acting as if she knew something.

Her acting several moves ahead was no different before or after the regression.

However, it was somewhat unsettling how she seemed to know and act too precisely about things that hadn’t even happened yet.

While lost in thought for a moment, Leoprick slightly furrowed his brow at Arnold’s words.

“From my perspective, it seems you are… jealous.”

It’s a talent to say nonsense so seriously.

Judging by his expression, he doesn’t seem to think he’s talking nonsense.

Leoprick looked at Arnold and thought.

If he weren’t such a capable aide, he would have dismissed him long ago.

“Even nonsense should have limits. Too much becomes a disease.”

“Ask anyone passing by. Anyone would think the same as me.”

Leoprick dismissed it as nonsense, but Arnold was confident.

He seems to have an absurd confidence that his words are correct.

Leoprick shook his head, thinking of his wife who was hard to see even face-to-face after the consummation, as if she was avoiding him.

“How can that be when it’s hard to see her face even morning and night.”

“What’s impossible about that? You’re a married couple after all, a little jealousy like that looks good.”

It would probably be perfect for shaping public opinion too.

Arnold added with an excited look on his face.

But Leoprick shook his head with a self-deprecating smile.

When asked to consummate, she listed political reasons, and unless asked first, she never comes to see him or dines together.

His wife, whom it’s hard to see face-to-face morning and night, being jealous?

Even a passing dog would laugh.

He just shrugged his shoulders lightly without replying and opened the door.

“Stop the useless talk and pay more attention to preparing for Her Majesty the Empress’s birthday celebration. Everything must be to Her Majesty’s liking.”

“That’s only natural. I’m in close contact with the head maid of the Empress’s palace, so you needn’t worry.”

Arnold nodded with a confident attitude.

“Alright. Then I’ll trust you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll report if there are any changes.”

At times like this, it’s fortunate that he’s rather simple-minded.

Leoprick’s lips curled into a faint smile as he watched Arnold easily move on when the topic was changed.

“You can go home now, Arnold. We’ll talk more about Her Majesty’s birthday celebration tomorrow.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Then I’ll take my leave. Rest well.”

And he sent Arnold away to prevent his thoughts from wandering elsewhere.

The naive man simply bowed and disappeared.

After Arnold bowed and left, silence fell.

Leoprick knew that useless thoughts always followed silence.

Even though he knew…

‘Could it be that you’re jealous.’

Stupidly, Arnold’s parting words came to mind.

Such an absurd and impossible statement.

Jealousy, jealousy.

“If that were true, it would be such a welcome thing.”

He muttered with a dark expression.

In his relationship with Amelia, he was always the losing side.

The loser, the weak one, the defeated.

If you attached all sorts of unfavorable modifiers, that would be their relationship.

In such a situation, he couldn’t even imagine her having any emotional fluctuations because of him.

Of course, he was trying to cause at least a little fluctuation, but.

No matter what he did, it only felt like an ungraspable mirage.

He sighed, looking at one side of the large bed that would be empty again today.

He thought things might gradually improve if they at least slept together, but it seems that was just his wishful thinking.

While everything was going smoothly as he wanted, only the improvement of his relationship with her wasn’t going his way.

“Well, when has it ever gone my way?”

But well, it’s nothing new at this point.

He muttered with a self-deprecating face and flopped down on the bed.

Still, he should be thankful that she’s not going out like before.

She doesn’t meet others, nor does she completely ignore him.

Isn’t that enough to be thankful for?

So he shouldn’t be greedy for more, just be grateful that she’s by his side…

“Your Highness, are you asleep?”

It was when he was organizing such complicated thoughts in his head.

Suddenly the door opened and the culprit who had been confusing his mind poked her head in.

Moreover, with a careful and polite attitude as if visiting someone else’s room.

The room they were to share wasn’t fully prepared yet, so it was her turn to stay in her room together today.

Strictly speaking, he was the guest.

Hearing Amelia’s overly cautious voice, he blamed himself inwardly for his stubborn insistence.

Then he immediately sat up straight.

“I’m not asleep yet, Amelia.”

He couldn’t tell her to come in comfortably since it was her room.

If he said that, it would be like admitting that his suggestion to consummate had made her uncomfortable.

He just quietly answered.

At those words, Amelia carefully entered the room and closed the door.

Then she groped her way through the dark room, gradually coming closer to him.

Seeing that, Leoprick felt his thoughts multiplying again.

Was she being careful because the room was dark, or was she still uncomfortable with him?

As he bowed his head heavily with an inexplicably bitter feeling in his mouth, that’s when it happened.

“Um, Your Highness. If you want, you can join me the day after tomorrow.”

Amelia said, sitting down beside him.

In a tone full of apology.

‘If you want,’ you can join?

At those words, Leoprick suddenly felt wide awake.

Could it be, does she really think he wanted to meet Adela Gilroite together?

Leoprick hurriedly turned to look at Amelia.

A face full of apologetic expression, as apologetic as her tone.

Could it be that she feels sorry for refusing his request to meet her?

And does she really think that he wants to meet Adela Gilroite?

After staring at Amelia’s expression for a moment without being able to speak, Leoprick soon gave a hollow laugh.

If she knew what he had been thinking all day, Amelia wouldn’t need to make such a ridiculous misunderstanding.

But for some reason, feeling mischievous, he decided to keep his mouth shut just for today.

“Then, please let me know the time and place for the day after tomorrow.”

He answered in a flat voice.

Thinking that he should see that woman at least once anyway.

Not knowing what expression Amelia’s face, hidden in the darkness, was making.

[This is the timeline separator]

I didn’t tell Adela that Leoprick would be joining.

Because he asked me not to mention it unnecessarily in case he couldn’t make it due to his schedule.

Saying that if he couldn’t attend, it might become a point of criticism, so he wanted to be careful.

I didn’t think Adela Gilroite would spread rumors about this kind of thing in the first place, but just in case, I said I understood.

There’s no benefit in giving anyone anything to criticize.

And on the day Adela was supposed to come.

I received a message from Hayley.

[An epidemic has broken out in the East. Most of those dispatched have either contracted the disease or been in contact with those who have, so it will be difficult to gather information for the time being.

We plan to send more doctors in addition to those already there. The Pharos Guild in the capital and the Eaton Guild in the West have agreed to provide food and relief supplies.

I heard that Your Highness had contacted them in advance, how did you know? -H]

It became a fait accompli that an epidemic had broken out in the East.

Until then, we had to move cautiously, saying it was just a vague speculation, but it’s different now that it’s officially confirmed that ‘an epidemic has broken out’.

I passed the note Hayley sent to Betty as well.

“Tell Hayley. The East is our important customer, and they’re also precious subjects to my husband Leoprick, so don’t spare any expense in supporting them.”

“Yes.”

“If necessary, tell her to gather more people who will join the cause, even if we have to support from the national treasury.”

“Aren’t you going to inform His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Betty asked with a puzzled look after reading the note.

“By now, His Highness should have heard about it too. I told them to inform His Highness as soon as news came in.”

What I knew, Leoprick needed to know too.

It’s not just anything, but a matter of the country.

I couldn’t be the only one knowing about something that would need support even if brought up at the nobles’ assembly.

But the reason I’m moving ahead of His Highness despite that is.

“But as you know, His Highness doesn’t have much budget allocated. So I have no choice but to move in His Highness’s name.”

It takes a long time for the nobles’ assembly to be convened and for specific support plans to come out of it.

So to move quickly, it would be best for me to provide support first in Leoprick’s name.

I smiled faintly and spoke to Betty again.

“Go tell Hayley. Tell her that while I don’t know about other guilds, our guild should provide maximum support, all in His Highness’s name.”

The East is an important card that can most blindly support the imperial authority when Lloyd, or someone else, rebels against it in the future.

You can see this from how, in my previous life, even while receiving support from the Jenit Guild in Lloyd’s name, they constantly disapproved of me and Lloyd.

They are the strongest allies of the imperial authority.

So if we can gain a little more favor in an opportunity like this, they will likely support the imperial authority more actively in the future.

And the same goes for the North.

“Is there still no news from the North?”

I asked, looking at Betty who was nodding her head.

It should be about time for some news from the North too.

“There’s been no news from the North. We’re getting regular contact from the monastery, but it seems there hasn’t been any notable progress yet.”

“Really? The abbot seemed quite confident.”

“Just because someone’s confident doesn’t mean they’ll do well. It’s the North after all, right? It’ll probably take a long time just to create a place to plant anything in that frigid land.”

Betty muttered in a tone of no expectation at all.

It wasn’t wrong, but knowing that something had already been planted and succeeded in that land, I could only smile.

The reclamation of the North will succeed.

I’m just bringing it forward by a few years.

“Please check on the monastery regularly. They’re pouring in so much money, there should be some results.”

“Honestly, I didn’t expect Your Highness to do such things. It’s a bit inefficient, isn’t it?”

You can’t immediately see results proportional to the investment.

Betty muttered with a puzzled tone.

I understand that feeling, but how can I explain all this?