The sunlight had become quite hot. The weather changed day by day in just two weeks. When Aidan first woke up in this body, it was spring weather, but now it was summer. Sweat ran down his back even while riding horseback.

“Let’s rest a while.”

Aidan pulled the reins to stop.

“We’re almost at the imperial palace, Your Highness.”

“I know.”

After giving a short answer, he looked around at the knights. Most faces showed clear signs of fatigue from rushing back from the Italus border region. It was natural since they had been riding almost non-stop except for sleeping and eating.

“Adrian.”

The vice-commander of the knights came forward at Aidan’s call.

“There should be a large inn down in the village below. Take the knights there. Make sure they’re provided with beds and food so everyone can rest well.”

“Aren’t we going straight to the palace?”

Kai asked, not understanding Aidan’s order. They were only half a day’s ride from the palace, so it seemed questionable to rest here after rushing all this way.

“Once we enter the palace, we won’t be able to rest properly. Everyone needs time to rest as they please. You can spend time freely until noon tomorrow. Gather in front of the inn at noon.”

“Won’t Your Highness join us?”

Finding something odd, Vice-Commander Adrian asked.

“I’ll be there by noon tomorrow, don’t worry about it. Kai, follow me.”

At Aidan’s instruction, Adrian looked at Kai. Kai couldn’t offer any additional explanation since he also couldn’t understand Aidan’s intentions. When he gestured to follow His Highness’s instructions, Adrian bowed and returned to the knights. After confirming they were heading toward the inn, Aidan pulled his reins.

“Where are we going?”

Though Kai followed, he felt he should know where they were going.

“‘There.'”

After briefly puzzling over the vague answer, he soon realized he meant the mansion being used as a base by the mercenaries Aidan had hired. Come to think of it, it wasn’t far from where they were now. He must have suggested resting to stop there deliberately.

“Did you rush back to buy time?”

Aidan just smiled slightly at Kai’s question. While he seemed considerate in letting the knights rest well before entering the palace, he needed time to move separately for his own purposes.

The reason Aidan headed there immediately on their way back was obvious. He wanted to finish matters related to Viscountess Highmond. To handle that first thing after returning from a two-week inspection… A normal person would want to rest, but he was superhuman. Not just physically, but even more so mentally. He handled so many things at the same time that it made Kai’s head spin just watching from the side. Yet he never got confused or missed anything. It was thanks to his excellent memory and his habit of checking everything meticulously.

Are those destined to become Emperor truly born different? Aidan seemed more perfect than anyone Kai had ever met, to the point of having such thoughts. It was amazing how he had managed to hide such aspects until now.

Now he could believe without a shred of doubt. Aidan would surely become crown prince, and Emperor.

*

“Welcome.”

The mansion’s butler greeted Aidan. He showed no signs of being flustered even though they had arrived without notice, probably because it had always been this way.

“Was there anything unusual?”

The butler bowed his head in affirmation to Aidan’s question.

“What about Lady Highmond?”

“The mercenaries are taking turns tracking her. However, there’s a slight problem…”

The butler trailed off with a subtle expression. Aidan narrowed his eyes at his reaction.

“What problem?”

He didn’t think it was anything major. If it had been, the butler would have contacted him immediately. Though he was in the Italus border region, there were plenty of ways to make contact if needed. The fact that there had been no contact meant that even if there was a problem, it was something the butler could handle on his own.

“Rather than explaining, it would be better for you to see for yourself.”

The butler smiled ambiguously and led the way. He headed to the study Aidan used as his office in this place. It was a room without any windows, completely invisible from the outside.

“Please go in.”

Despite the butler’s guidance, Aidan’s face showed he wasn’t quite convinced. It was a space no one but Aidan used. He couldn’t understand what could have happened in there during his absence that required his personal confirmation.

Instead of adding an explanation, the butler opened the study door. Stale air flowed through the opened doorway. Tilting his head questioningly, he entered the study. The shadows of lit lamps flickered in the darkness.

Moving deeper into the study, Aidan let out a low sigh. He had spotted the person sitting at the old desk in the innermost part.

“Karina.”

At the name that escaped like a sigh, Karina, who had been so focused she hadn’t noticed someone entering, looked up. She showed no surprise at all at seeing Aidan.

“You’re back? I heard reports you’d arrive today or tomorrow.”

Her calm reaction was even more astounding.

“What are you doing here?”

Since he had told her about this place, her presence wasn’t surprising. However, considering their last interaction, this situation made no sense. He had sent her to House Hewitt, mentioning divorce and separation. Normally, she should have been angry and disappointed, not wanting to see his face.

Of course, he knew Karina was different from most women. He thought she might even guess why he had driven her from the palace. Still, he hadn’t expected to find her here, sitting in his office, doing something.

At Aidan’s question, Karina gestured at the papers scattered across the desk and shrugged.

“Your Highness’s work.”

My work?

“Since Your Highness has only one body, you couldn’t focus on this work while in the Italus border region, so I organized everything for you to check immediately upon returning.”

“This work being…?”

“Viscountess Highmond.”

He chuckled at her unhesitating answer. She truly never failed to surprise him.

“I found she has connections with the Hiruma Merchant Guild. It took some time to track her direct movements. We almost lost her when she met the Guild Master outside instead of visiting the guild directly. Fortunately, I recognized the Guild Master’s face from before.”

At Karina’s explanation, Aidan stood with his arms crossed and made a long “hmm” sound.

“So the Hiruma merchant guild also frequented House Hewitt?”

As far as Aidan knew, there were three major merchant guilds in the Griffith Empire, and Hiruma was one of them. However, the guild that frequented House Hewitt wasn’t Hiruma.

“No, not at all.”

Karina answered exactly as Aidan knew.

“Then how did you know the Hiruma merchant guild master’s face?”

Even with House Hewitt’s broad connections, it seemed unusual that Karina, barely twenty and married into the palace right after coming of age, would know the Guild Master’s face.

Karina stared at Aidan without answering. The reason she knew the Hiruma merchant guild master’s face was simple. She had seen him in the palace. Not in this life, but in her previous one. Through Viscountess Highmond’s introduction, the Hiruma merchant guild had supplied goods to the palace and even came to greet the Empress directly. That’s when she saw him.

“I’ll explain that later. Let’s handle this matter first.”

When she tried to brush it off, Aidan’s eyes narrowed further. He clearly found it suspicious but didn’t press the issue.

“Your tone suggests you know exactly what Viscountess Highmond purchased from the Hiruma merchant guild and what I was tracking.”

Fortunately, Aidan focused on the original matter as Karina intended.

“Herbs that cause infertility through poisoning.”

Karina pulled out a paper-wrapped bundle from the drawer. Inside were dried herbs that only grew in regions where the Hiruma merchant guild operated.

“With physical evidence, no further explanation is needed. She bought it from the Hiruma merchant guild using Viscountess Highmond’s name. They handed it over without question when told it was her request.”

Looking down at the paper bundle in her hands, Aidan pulled up the corner of his mouth in a smirk.

“I wanted to handle this quietly… You’re truly unstoppable.”

“Isn’t it unreasonable to keep it quiet? It concerns my body — it’s nonsensical to handle it without my knowledge.”

“Fortunately, the poisoning isn’t severe, and they say it will return to normal in 1-2 years. Since it’s not a good thing, wouldn’t it be better if you could remain unaware?”

His continued lack of apology for keeping it secret didn’t even anger her. Yes, this was the kind of man he had always been.

“Did you suggest divorce because of my infertility?”

“Of course not. As I just said, it recovers in 1-2 years. Besides, I don’t care about infertility or anything like that. Children are fine either way — it’s not a reason for me to like someone.”

Aidan answered without hesitation.

“Then there’s only one answer.”

Karina looked straight at Aidan. He didn’t avoid her gaze either. A gentle smile graced his face for the first time in a while.

“To divert Her Majesty the Empress’s attention away from me.”