“Fua…”

The following morning… No, it’s just before dawn because it’s still dark outside.

As soon as I wake up, I yawn.

Then…

“This is Liz…”

“Suu…Suu…”

Of course, I enjoy having Liz’s sleeping face beside me.

We decided to have a bedding party last night after soaking in the hot spring together to calm her down after yesterday’s event gave her a fright.

The truth is that I didn’t want to say goodbye to my lovely Liz.

But I had trouble falling asleep last night. I couldn’t close my eyes and Liz’s, um… I can’t calm down because all I can think about is her robed figure.

“Do you understand? Do you realize how much I adore you, how much I am drawn to you?”

I smile bitterly as I poke her soft cheek with my index finger.

But… last night, I definitely kissed these lips…

I gradually move my finger from her cheek to her lips, tracing them gently as before.

Liz…

I pressed my face against hers and kissed Liz’s lips.

Then…

“Fua…”

Liz suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her lips against mine.

“Chu… Chu… Puah… Chu…”

When she finally opened her lips, Liz had a look of rapture on her face.

“Dee-sama—More than anyone else, I love you as much as you love me…”

“Liz… I love you as well. I love you more than anyone else…”

I hugged Liz and enjoyed her lips until Hanna came to wake me up.

—○█○—

“Fufu, Did you get enough sleep last night?”

Marquess Metzelder, who is already seated, asks with a smile as we enter the dining room.

“Ah, yes, thanks for that.”

I looked at Liz, who was beaming, and then responded to the Marquess .

I kissed Liz for the first time last night, and I never get tired of kissing her in the morning.

I’m just overjoyed right now.

“Well, that’s great to hear. Then I’ll move on to more serious topics.

The Marquess’s demeanor shifts, and her expression becomes solemn.

“…Is there something wrong, by chance?”

“Yes—the assassin you were supposed to meet, the marquis’s son… This morning, he was discovered dead in his cell.”

“”””Huh!””””

We all gasped as the Marquess spoke, with a grim expression on her face.

“This morning, the guards at the prison found him dead. It looks like poison was the cause of death…”

“Poison… Could the marquis’s son have committed suicide?”

“We don’t know much yet—however, as Your Highness is aware, we have increased security around this and other houses in order to prevent any attempts on Princess Roxanne’s life. Any assassin would have a difficult time breaking in.”

Marquess Metzelder is correct.

With such tight security, Hanna… even her teacher, Lambert, the Marquis of Friedenreich’s butler, would find it difficult to infiltrate.

But…

“…I believe a lot of information has leaked out since the assassination attempt yesterday. Perhaps even the house’s security system, the structure of the building, and so on. And that I’m meeting with the Marquis’s son today.”

“…This is a major annoyance!”

The Marquess furrows her brows and bites her thumb.

However, this is the first thought that comes to mind.

There’s a spy somewhere, whether it’s in the Royal Capital, this mansion, or the city of Rhinesbrook…”

“I’m not sure who it is—Oscar, Prince Charles, or my mother, the first queen…”

Another possibility is the Duke of Wallenstein, the First Queen’s family….

However, the First Queen’s faction appears to want to make me king. It’s difficult to believe they could be so blind.

If that’s true, then…

“Anyway, let’s look over the body of the Marquis’ son…”

“I suppose so.”

“Go wait in the room, Liz and Nora—Let’s go, Hanna and Gustav.”

“”Yes.””

“Certainly.”

We leave Liz and Nora and head to the location of the Marquis’ son’s corpse.

Huh?

“Liz?!”

“Don’t underestimate me, Dee-sama. Whatever you are, I am already prepared. I’ll always be there for Dee-sama.”

Liz says this with determination and resolve in her amber eyes.

I appear to have underestimated her.

Ah… that’s right.

You pray to me in the midst of an angry mob, when you could endanger yourself… You were a woman with a great heart and conviction….

“I-I’m right there with you two!”

Liz and Nora trailed behind.

My precious ones, truly…

“All right, then, let’s go!”

“”Yes, sir!””

I took Liz’s hand in mine, and we all followed Marquess, who was leading the way.