With that, Khaled took Velia’s hand and stood up.

(This is a time marker.)

Raul and Princess Kanterlip’s engagement was only a few days away.

The entire palace was in an uproar preparing for the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony.

The Emperor himself even ordered grand preparations.

‘Would they have gone to such lengths if Khaled and I were engaged?’

Velia’s question was valid.

The preparations for their wedding, which was less than a year away, were being handled solely by Velia and Khaled.

The Emperor didn’t lift a finger; the two were managing and preparing everything. The Emperor only intervened when they needed to discuss wedding matters with the Kingdom of Ronica.

‘How annoying.’

If she felt like it, Velia might have made a mess at Raul’s engagement, but she didn’t have the energy to spare.

“Princess, we need to go now.”

In the meantime, Velia had started a charity as she had discussed with Khaled.

Using the dignity maintenance allowance allocated to the Crown Prince’s Palace, they sponsored orphanages and artists. Velia’s personal funds from the Kingdom of Ronica were also used to build clinics across the empire.

In reality, Khaled contributed privately collected funds, but to avoid suspicion from the Emperor and Raul, they claimed it all came from Velia.

“Ah! Princess! His Highness is waiting.”

“Alright, I’ll be right there.”

Today, they were going to inspect the clinic being built on the outskirts of the capital.

Velia hurriedly gathered her documents and left.

As she rushed down the stairs, Khaled awaited her with a charming smile.

“Did you wait long?”

“No, I just got here.”

Khaled had gone out for business earlier in the morning and had just returned.

He had been busy with various tasks, including finalizing recent negotiations regarding a gold mine.

“You’ve worked hard. I feel bad for dragging a busy person around
“If I’m with you, it feels like a date, so I’m fine with it.”

Khaled replied, smiling slyly.

“Where on earth did you learn to talk like that?”

Velia didn’t hide the smile on her lips as she grumbled unnecessarily.

She then naturally put her arms around Khaled.

“Did everything go well at the top?”

“Ah, of course.”

A deep smile spread across his lips.

A delegation from the Kingdom of Ronika had visited the empire regarding the stake in the gold mine Khaled had recently discovered. In Ronika, they requested a 45% stake, as discussed with Velia.

“I’ve put in a request to Matop in the south for mining.”

“Well done. The location is certain, so it won’t take long to reach the mining stage if we can just make a good path. What about refining?”

“I’m going to build a refinery near the mine with engineers from the Duchy of Tesa.”

Is it to minimize the distance the ore has to travel?

Velia thoughtfully stroked her chin.

The Duchy of Tesa was close to the Kingdom of Ronika, so it was a good choice in terms of location.

Moreover, the biggest supporting force behind Khaled was the Western nobles centered around the House of Tesa, so it was natural to collaborate with the Duchy of Tesa.

“If we borrow the power of Matop, we’ll probably see the actual gold by next spring. That’s good. We’ll have ample funds.”

She was very satisfied as there would be plenty of money even accounting for taxes.

Velia smiled as she finished her calculations, and Khaled, seeing her smile, also brightened.

Both of them had been juggling multiple tasks recently, especially with the palace in disarray due to Raul’s engagement ceremony.

“It’s a relief that the negotiations related to the gold mine are finally concluded. There was a time I really wanted to throw it all away.”

Velia said, laughing.

She would have liked to slap the emperor’s disagreeable face when he threw a tantrum asking for a bigger stake.

Even as they climbed into the carriage, the conversation didn’t stop.

“Is the crackdown on illegal facilities almost finished?”

“Yes. The Emperor has spent the whole day praising Raul for it.”

At this, Velia unconsciously raised one corner of her mouth.

Raul had been very busy lately, overseeing the crackdown on illegal facilities within the empire. But the noisy crackdown was almost finished, meaning it was time to send a gift to Raul.

“I’m really looking forward to it.”

What will the Emperor’s reaction be if he finds out Raul has been secretly frequenting illegal gambling facilities?

“We’re already gathering evidence piece by piece. All we have to do is seize the decisive moment.”

They already had evidence of Raul dabbling in gambling.

His visits to illegal gambling dens were becoming more frequent.

They were already prepared to trap him.

“Everything will go as you wish.”

Khaled gently stroked Velia’s cheek.

“After their engagement ceremony, when all eyes are on Raul and Princess Kanterif, that’s when we’ll strike.”

Velia spoke as if she couldn’t be happier.

At this, Khaled grinned.

“I will act as you command.”