Clea opened her eyes well after morning had passed.

Though her still drowsy mind and lingering fatigue made her want to sleep a bit more, she forced her eyes open when her hands failed to find the presence she sought.

Looking to the side, she saw only traces of someone having been there, but no person in sight.

Just as she felt something odd, a voice came from the doorway.

“Were you looking for me?”

Admund, neatly changed into his uniform, was smiling.

Seeing him, Clea slightly furrowed her brow and complained in a voice still groggy from sleep.

“If you were up, you could have woken me. Or at least stayed by my side.”

“You were sleeping so soundly, I felt bad waking you. And I wanted to stay by your side, but someone kept noisily looking for me.”

Finding it absurd, she looked at him with narrowed eyes. But when he came within reach, she immediately stole his lips instead of replying.

Admund accepted her without resistance, but soon slightly furrowed his brow at the pain he felt on his lips.

“Next time, make sure to do one of the two.”

Clea said with a smile as she pulled away slightly.

Admund found such a Clea adorable. So he wanted to tease her a bit more.

“What if I do the same as today again?”

“Then I’ll make you regret marrying me.”

Bursting into laughter at her words about making him regret it, he said:

“I’ll never have anything to regret in my life, so that’s impossible.”

At Admund’s words, Clea also let out a laugh as she got up.

“So where are you coming from?”

“I just met with His Majesty.”

“Did His Majesty summon you?”

“More precisely, I went to ask for his permission.”

At the mention of asking permission, she recalled what had happened last night.

Admund showed no signs of wavering regarding matters concerning Aria.

Though she felt relieved by that, she hadn’t expected him to go straight to get permission like this.

Clea asked, not letting go of her tension:

“What did His Majesty say?”

If the emperor didn’t give permission, they would have to modify their plans.

So she was very curious how Odin had answered.

“Officially, he said he disapproves.”

“So he gave permission.”

As soon as she heard the word ‘officially’, she caught on to how that conversation had gone.

Satisfied with her quick-wittedness, Admund nodded.

“We just need to disguise Aria’s execution as an accidental death.”

Clea felt relieved at the implication that they could handle it unofficially.

“Now we won’t have anything to worry about getting caught.”

“That’s right. So we can move up the scheduled trial date.”

“There’s still something to take care of before that.”

Guessing what she meant by that, Admund nodded.

“I don’t know how many titles one person can have. And such grand ones as Grand Duke and Duke at that.”

Seeing that his guess wasn’t off, Clea didn’t deny it.

Among the matters she had to deal with, the most bothersome part now was the Odoi family.

It was a family that would self-destruct anyway due to various issues including financial ones, but Clea wanted to finish them off herself.

She wished to inflict unparalleled pain on those who had mistreated and hurt her.

“Still, isn’t it better than incompetent people taking charge?”

Admund agreed.

After all, if a competent person takes charge and helps the empire instead of incompetent ones, there could be nothing better than that.

“Let me know if you need help. I’ll help anytime.”

Seeing his determination to drop everything and come if she said she needed help, Clea smiled and replied:

“You should take care of your health first. Don’t collapse again.”

“The person telling me to take care of my health didn’t let me sleep at night?”

“We couldn’t let our first night go to waste, could we?”

At the mention of their first night, Admund recalled how he had collapsed on their wedding day and couldn’t refute her words.

“Well, I suppose we couldn’t.”

Clea kissed him once more as he looked sheepish.

“Anyway, I’ll make sure to call if I need help. Thank you, Admund.”

With those final words, Clea got up and went to wash up.

Admund, gaining strength from Clea, headed outside.

“I’m the one who’s always grateful, Clea.”

* * *

After hurriedly washing up and getting dressed, Clea met with Rupia.

“You look well.”

“Of course. My terrifying workload has been cut in half.”

Though it had only been a few days, she had to spend almost the entire day at her desk, handling both her duties as the Crown Princess and Admund’s work simultaneously.

“I thought you enjoyed working. You wouldn’t get up until you finished everything you had to do that day.”

At Rupia’s words, she raised the corners of her mouth and said:

“It’s not that I like it, I did it because there was no one else to handle it.”

Having taken on the role of acting authority, she couldn’t just enjoy the rights without taking responsibility.

In truth, even if she left things as they were, no one would say anything, but she didn’t want to burden Admund.

When he woke up, she wanted to give him some time to rest and recover.

“And for urgent matters, it’s better to handle them quickly.”

She felt a sense of duty to process things quickly not only for his health but also for those in urgent situations.

So she started work earliest, arriving at the office first, and finished work latest, being the last to leave.

Though she felt sorry thinking of how many people had to work overtime, unable to leave on time as they watched out for her, Clea still thought she had done what was necessary.

After all, someone had to resolve these issues.

“More importantly, how’s the atmosphere at the Odoi mansion?”

Clea changed the subject to ask about the Odoi family affairs.

She had recently given orders to regularly check on the Odoi family.

Rupia was in charge of that matter.

“The servants openly curse Duke Odoi even inside the mansion, and his vassals know this but don’t stop them.”

Imagining his completely lost trust from those below him, Clea felt very pleased.

The discipline within the mansion had completely broken down.

‘Well, I’ve already bought off most of the people in the mansion anyway.’

While hearing mostly expected information, the last thing Rupia mentioned was somewhat unexpected.

“It seems they’re trying to find a way to cancel the contract related to business rights.”

Hearing this, Clea stopped walking and looked at Rupia.

“Even after already receiving the money?”

“It looks like they’re trying to gather funds to return the money they received as is.”

Clea was dumbfounded.

After already selling at an enormous price, they were suddenly trying to cancel it somehow, thinking the business might succeed.

“The value of things can change at any time, but I wonder if the Duke can offer enough money to satisfy me.”

In the original story, Grit became the richest man in the empire after his business succeeded.

‘Even if he prepared his entire fortune, he’d never have a chance to buy it back.’

Canceling the contract is also impossible.

She had heard that Barwin had already drafted the contract accompanied by lawyers he boasted were the best in the industry.

It was impossible for Grit to find any flaws in the airtight contract.

Inwardly sneering, Clea turned her gaze to the underground prison they had arrived at.

The knights bowed their heads in greeting.

“There’s no need for you to go yourself.”

Rupia stepped forward, saying she would handle it, but Clea shook her head.

Though not from the same mother, blood was still blood, so if she was going to end it, it seemed better to do it herself.

Watching the slowly opening door, she asked the knights:

“Has there been any trouble?”

“There’s been no particular movement. He’s just been curled up in a corner muttering something like an anxious person.”

“Thank you for letting me know.”

“It is our honor to be of help to Her Highness.”

Hearing the news about Steve, Clea inwardly sighed.

It seemed Steve had received quite a shock that day.

Clea stepped into the dark prison one step at a time.

She moved towards the sobbing sounds coming from the eerie atmosphere.

As she approached the source of the sound, there was Steve whom she had faced not long ago.

“Please spare me! I’ll do anything you say! So please let me out of here!”

As soon as he saw Clea, he desperately pleaded, coming up to the iron bars.

“Your Highness.”

“It’s fine.”

Rupia, finding his appearance threatening, advised her to step back, but Clea said it was alright and gestured to her.

Clea looked at Steve closely.

His appearance, begging to be let out of prison, was very haggard.

His bloodshot eyes showed he hadn’t been able to sleep properly.

His mental strength seemed to have reached its limit.

“Do you want to live?”

Seeing him like that, she quietly whispered.

Asking if he wanted to survive that badly.

Steve nodded his head fearfully and kept shouting to spare him.

Saying he would do anything.

“Give up your position as heir.”

“I-I’ll give it up!”

As if he had expected that much, Steve answered immediately.

But Clea’s demands didn’t end there.

“And betray Duke Odoi.”

“What?”

Not having expected that far, Steve’s eyes widened.

Clea continued without consideration for him.

“What you have to do is simple. Just say exactly what I tell you to say.”

She was curious.

While Grit still hadn’t given up on Steve, she wondered how Steve would handle Grit.

If he truly cared for his father, he would never listen to her words.

“I-I’ll do it! If I do, I can live, right?!”

But sadly, Steve did not do so.

He was someone who valued his own life more than his father.