“Your daughter almost killed our daughter.”

The abrupt words from his visiting friend were shocking.

Adela had arranged for Amelia to be handed over to Viscount Alois.

Fortunately, Amelia managed to escape, but she was almost forcibly taken by Viscount Alois.

“You must have heard the rumors circulating in high society before our child got married. The viscount is using that to threaten our daughter.”

Duke Vermerian spoke with a grim face and requested him.

Not to let Adela out of the mansion for the time being.

Of course, he trusts his friend, but there’s no rule that this kind of thing can’t happen twice.

“If your daughter is seen threatening our daughter or colluding with the viscount again, I don’t know what I’ll do then.”

As a close friend, Duke Gilroit knew Arthur Vermerian well.

Above all else, he cherished his family, and although he couldn’t express it outwardly, he was more diligent than anyone in protecting his family.

So his final words, delivered with a chilling gaze, must have been a warning.

A warning not to make him harm his friend’s daughter with his own hands.

“It’s all for you, Adela.”

So he had to protect his daughter.

Even if it meant incurring his daughter’s hatred.

[This is the timeline separator]

I’ve heard he’s strict, but I didn’t expect him to be this much.

Lloyd sighed, looking at Count Philipa who had been sitting motionless in the office for 3 hours already.

“Do you have a detailed business plan by any chance?”

After entering Lloyd’s office on the merchant group’s premises and exchanging brief greetings, the count brought up work first.

Detailed plans, budget, maps showing areas to set up the communication network, simple rules for operating the network, and so on.

He kept sitting in one place, constantly demanding things, and Lloyd had his assistant find or create relevant documents and bring them to him.

He said he would participate in the process while conducting an audit.

Isn’t this practically the same as conducting an audit from the beginning?

Lloyd glared at Count Philipa, who was sitting on the office sofa staring at the documents without moving, with a displeased look.

How long is he going to just keep staring at that?

“Your Grace, I think we should start the meeting now.”

Just then, an assistant cautiously entered the room.

At the words that they should start the meeting soon, Lloyd stood up from his seat.

However, even after hearing that, Count Philipa still did not move from his spot.

If it’s an audit that’s supposed to observe from the beginning, is he not going to attend the meeting?

“Isn’t the count coming?”

When Lloyd spoke to him, Count Philipa finally raised his head.

“Ah. I will attend starting from the next meeting.”

“From the next meeting? Wasn’t it supposed to be an audit together from the beginning?”

Attending from the next meeting.

Lloyd narrowed his eyes at the arrogant attitude of answering without even properly looking at him.

“I was told the imperial family sent you to do that too. Is there a reason you’re attending from the next one?”

Even as he kept talking, Count Philipa did not take his eyes off the documents.

It was a clear act of disrespect towards him.

If he had met this fellow when he was emperor, he would have corrected his habit to maintain proper etiquette in front of the emperor no matter what.

As he was grinding his teeth inwardly, unexpected words popped out of Count Philipa’s mouth.

“Ah. It seems like you’re not fully prepared yet.”

“…What did you say?”

Not fully prepared.

Is that something the person who came here in the morning demanding this and that should be saying?

As he was at a loss for words due to the absurdity, Count Philipa finally raised his head.

“Many of the documents I requested were not prepared in advance. It’s obvious that many were hastily put together. So don’t you need to confirm those parts in this meeting?”

And I don’t think my presence is necessary for such a meeting.

The count concluded his words in a tone implying that the documents he was holding were sufficient and Lloyd should just go take care of work, flipping through them.

Saying he has enough with these documents so he’ll only review up to here for today.

…What should be done to vent this frustration?

Hearing his words, Lloyd had that thought.

The nerve of putting on such an arrogant act in front of the viscount.

Pondering how to deal with him to vent his anger and ensure he never pulls such arrogant stunts again.

He wanted to make him kneel and show proper respect right now, but he was not yet the emperor, and this guy was an envoy from the imperial family after all.

So although infuriating, he had no choice but to endure it for now.

Lloyd unclenched his tightly gripped fist and turned to leave the office.

The assistant who was waiting outside hurriedly followed after him.

“Your Grace, I think you need to take a look at this.”

That’s when it happened.

A servant quietly standing on one side of the corridor suddenly spoke to him.

And handed him a small folded note.

[This is the timeline separator]

Returning from the meeting, Lloyd found Count Philipa sitting in the exact same spot in the exact same posture as before.

The only difference might be the quill pen in his hand.

The count was marking the documents in his hands one by one with sharp eyes.

Is he grading them or something?

Seeing that made his anger rise again.

He provided what was requested and suggested going over it together in the meeting.

But instead, the fellow is just sitting alone staring at documents like some armchair theorist.

Lloyd, who had intended to enter the office and review the meeting’s contents, closed the door and came out to the corridor.

It seemed his anger would only swell more if he kept looking at that.

“Are you not going in?”

Seeing him come out again, the assistant asked.

But instead of answering, Lloyd held out his hand to him.

“You have that note from earlier, right?”

“Ah, are you referring to the note brought by that servant?”

The assistant rummaged through his clothes and took out the note brought earlier by someone working in the merchant group, handing it to him.

“I did check it, and it seems to indeed be from the Gilroy family. But it doesn’t seem to have been sent directly by the young lady, but rather through a maid.”

Lloyd unfolded the note that was handed to him and looked at it again.

[Count Philipa won’t be an easy opponent. If you help me, I can make it easier for you to get through this audit. – A.G.]

It was a short note that seemed to have been written in haste.

The note, brought by a servant at the request of a friend working at Gilroy, was delivered through the servant, and Lloyd thought there must be a reason for that.

A reason Adela Gilroy couldn’t send a letter directly to him.

“Has Lady Gilroy’s whereabouts been ascertained?”

“Not yet. They say security at the mansion has been tightened since last night. We are trying to make contact with our people inside, but…”

“What about through the servant who brought this note? Is contact not possible?”

At Lloyd’s words, the assistant, who had a troubled expression, suddenly widened his eyes with an “ah”.

Seems like he hadn’t thought of that.

Lloyd clicked his tongue at the pitiful person who couldn’t even think of the most basic thing.

Even if he was appointed recently, isn’t that the basics for an assistant?

“Get it together. Isn’t that the absolute basics?”

“My apologies. I will take action right away.”

Lloyd gave a disdainful look at the assistant bowing his head and turned away.

“I’ll be in the meeting room, so tell Lady Gilroy to set a meeting place and time and inform me. Contact Lady Valuois as well.”

“Understood.”

As he turned and headed to the meeting room, the assistant finally raised his head.

In the corridor, there were only two people – Lloyd walking away with his back turned, and the assistant watching him go.

And the assistant, Zero, who had been waiting for Lloyd to get farther away, slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

‘The one who needs to get it together is you.’

He looked down at the secret note in his hand and straightened his back.

No matter how much of an assistant he is, should he really trust someone who was appointed not long ago this much?

They said he was arrogant, but His Highness was right.

As Lloyd walked to the end of the corridor and soon disappeared from view, Zero put the note back in his pocket and turned around.

I should hurry and report to Sir Arnold.

[This is the timeline separator]

There were many twists and turns that led to Zero, who had been working at the Waynes merchant group branch receiving the affection of his seniors, coming all the way here to the capital.

The biggest one was probably meeting Her Ladyship’s husband, His Highness the Crown Prince.

He was just about to deliver a letter to another branch of the merchant group on an errand from branch manager Jennifer and return.

The merchant group’s communication network could have been used, but for some reason, branch manager Jennifer called for Zero, who was the most idle in the group.

Saying it was an urgent message, she told him to deliver it day and night without rest.

As a result, Zero really did rush day and night to deliver the letter to where Her Ladyship was said to be staying.

And he confirmed that the letter was delivered from that merchant group to Her Ladyship’s residence.

After completing the mission like that and resting for a night, he was about to leave.

On his way out to look around the village, he encountered Her Ladyship’s husband, the Crown Prince, whom he had been with the whole time at Waynes with Her Ladyship.

He tried to pass by without acknowledging him as he couldn’t act familiar, but for some reason, His Highness recognized him first.

‘Are you working at the Waynes branch of the Jenit Merchant Group?’

‘Th-that, oh, yes, yes! I’m Zero from the Waynes branch!’

He had no idea how His Highness recognized him, but he just thought the Crown Prince must have an incredible memory.

Not knowing it was because of the Jenit Merchant Group badge he was wearing at the time.

Anyway, His Highness, who recognized him in an awe-inspiring manner, made a suggestion.

Asking if he could help as he needed someone whose face was not well-known to work for him.

His Highness said it was a task to protect Her Ladyship that he couldn’t entrust to just anyone, but he could trust someone from the merchant group.

At first, Zero couldn’t understand His Highness entrusting such an important task to him, but with continued persuasion, he eventually thought.

‘Right. How desperate must he be to ask someone like me? Most people in the capital’s merchant group probably have well-known faces.’

With that, he readily made a promise to His Highness that he would help, and promised to go to Waynes to pack his disguise and come back to the capital.

And the result was here, the position of assistant to the person who allegedly intended to use Her Ladyship to take His Highness the Crown Prince’s place.

Of course, before coming to this position, he did receive a kind of training from His Highness’s assistant, Sir Arnold.

How an assistant should act, noble etiquette, and so on.

He hadn’t mastered it perfectly, but even now, whenever he had time, he would observe and imitate Viscount Alois.

Sometimes he missed working at Waynes…

When he said he got a job in the capital, branch manager Jennifer unexpectedly let him go readily.

Of course, on the condition that he periodically send letters reporting that he was doing well.

Since they were the people from the merchant group who took care of him, an orphan with no parents or siblings, reporting to that extent wasn’t difficult, but it was still a bit hard not being able to be completely honest.

Zero finished the letters to send to Arnold, the Gilroy family, and Waynes in his room.

Then he let out a small sigh and sealed each letter.

His Highness said he would let him return to Waynes once the work was done, but.

Would that day really come?

Zero hoped this would be of at least a little help to Her Ladyship, either way.