I love time travel the most!

"To be honest, rather than being pitied and avoided here, I'd rather go to the training ground to practice swordsmanship. How about it, are you two interested?"

"A very tempting offer, but unfortunately it won't work. His Majesty the King has returned."

As Gerdov refused, he gestured for the two to look towards the banquet stage, where the King appeared, having finished his conversation with the delegation from the Holy Kingdom of Lobul.

Rather, it was precisely because they returned that the music at the banquet was indirectly changed. Otherwise, the dancing should have started much earlier, instead of being delayed indefinitely.

Wait a minute, shouldn't now be the best time to leave? Why are they here during the dance? Does the Holy Princess have something secret she doesn't want others to discover?

"That's it, we're going back now. And Clem, your disappointment is all too obvious."

"...Yes, I will be careful!"

Gerdoff patted Clem on the back hard, making him straighten up again.

at this time--

"Um... what are you talking about?"

A soft, melodious voice came from behind me.

The girl had flowing blonde hair and sapphire-like eyes. Her exquisitely beautiful face was adorned with a gentle and serene smile. Her elegant light blue dress, paired with numerous jewels, made her even more dazzling. But what made her even more noble and eye-catching was undoubtedly the crown on her head, symbolizing a royal princess.

"...La-Lady Lana?!"

Clem was the first to react, and exclaimed in surprise upon seeing who it was.

As the princess's bodyguard, the fact that she had to come to him to find him is a serious dereliction of duty. If someone with ulterior motives sees this, it will definitely become a handle against him, and might even become a powerful reason to attack him!

Indeed, being a bodyguard for a royal princess is a precarious job, requiring constant caution and vigilance.

"Your Highness Lana."

"It's been a long time, Your Highness Lana."

Gerdov clenched his right fist and placed it on his heart. Kobayashi bowed slightly and greeted the princess who had come to speak with the three of them.

As a subject, one must have reverence for the royal family.

...At least the three people present were like that.

Clem spoke first: "I'm sorry, Lady Lana, it was my negligence. I'll go back with you now."

“It’s alright, Clem. I’m here to discuss important matters.”

She spoke while glancing at Lin.

"Yes, I understand."

Clem nodded in agreement.

Gerdoff seized the opportunity and said, "Then, Your Highness, it is time for me to return to His Majesty the King's side."

"Please proceed, Sergeant Gerdev."

Princess Lana watched him leave, then smiled at the remaining two.

Clem swallowed hard. Although he already had a premonition, he couldn't help but ask:

"Lady Lana, what brings you here...?"

"Let me invite Lord Lin to dance."

"Well."

Watching the woman he admired, longed for, and even loved reach out to another man, Clem couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness, even though he knew he shouldn't have any other thoughts.

However, Princess Lana did not look at him, but asked:

"What do you think, Lord Lin?"

"It is my honor. However, it is not proper for a gentleman to be invited by a lady."

Lin straightened his wrinkled priest's robes, bowed, and with a posture so perfect that even nobles could not find fault, addressed the princess:

"Would you like to dance with me, lady?"

"Hehe, I'd be happy to, gentleman."

Princess Lana squinted her sapphire-blue eyes, indicating that she was in a good mood.

The two then walked hand in hand to the edge of the dance floor.

The soothing melody was soft and lingering, and the two danced with incredibly slow steps. However, due to their mismatched heights, Lin had to bend slightly to allow the princess's hand to rest on his shoulder.

That's such gentlemanly conduct.

The princess's lips continued to curve upwards.

As footsteps clashed, she heard a gentleman's voice in her ear.

"Why do you want me to dance, Your Highness Lana?"

"Because Lord Lin needs to see me."

"I see. So you figured I'd come looking for you later, so you came to find me first? But is that really a good idea? Be careful, walls have ears."

"It's alright, because this is the time right now, and each couple is essentially in their own private room. And for everyone, this is the time to connect with each other."

The venue was very large, and the dance floor was also very large.

A small number of noblemen and women danced in the spacious dance floor, the distance between each couple so great that their whispered conversations were barely audible. Even His Majesty the King on the stage was chatting with some of the nobles.

I originally thought that such a large venue was built simply for the sake of royal grandeur, but now it seems that it's more than that.

In other words, it's time for socializing.

"So please feel free to make any requests, Lord Lin, and I will try my best to fulfill them within my capabilities."

"Within my capabilities..."

That's quite ambiguous. But it's also part of social interaction among the nobility.

There were no pleasantries, just straight to the point.

"First of all, we need land. We can always find a way to solve the problems with people and money, but the land issue is very tricky and time-consuming."

"Perhaps it's because if the church were built in the capital, the nobles would criticize it, and if it were built elsewhere, it wouldn't be protected."

"Therefore, we hope to be within the royal territory."

"What about the area west of the capital? That was originally the territory of the royal family, and the experimental fields I asked them to build are also there. I'm currently struggling to find someone to use. It would be even better if they could help out."

"No problem, it can stay there."

There's no silly question like "Why not build it on the Marquis's lands?"

The nobles, wanting to watch the royal family's amusement, deliberately kept the liberated commoners trapped around the capital. How could they possibly allow anyone to take the liberated commoners away? Therefore, the only solution was to absorb them locally.

"So, how much money would it cost to build two churches?"

"unnecessary."

"what?"

"Originally, I was prepared to make an exorbitant demand and then negotiate back and forth, but after seeing the warrior captain, I realized that this kingdom, which only knows how to flaunt its 'humanity,' has no extra money to spare. Therefore, our expectations are different, and saying more is pointless and a waste of breath."

This is also why he hinted at it to Clem.

Think about it carefully. Ordinary guards wear crudely made armor, while only Clem wears extremely rare mithril armor. If the nobles and soldiers don't target him, who else would they target?

"I didn't expect you to have noticed even this."

"There's nothing I can do; I'm the one who sees things most clearly."

Looking down at her by the handsome and elegant gentleman, the lady's gentle and sweet smile could hardly be maintained; she felt that her disguise had been seen through.

Is it Marquis Reibourn?

No, that Marquis, who was obsessively devoted to his family, would never say that.

Did he discover that himself?

"Then, the next question—"

Just then, the music stopped, and the men and women on the dance floor all broke away from their partners.

What should have been a discussion about finding the next person to talk to was instead interrupted by Lin not letting go of the princess's hand completely. Instead, he pulled her into his arms again and said to her:

"—Would you like to change this kingdom with me, Your Highness?"

"……what?"

For some reason, the words of retaliation that I could usually guess and understand no matter who said them always sounded surprising and unexpected coming from the mouth of this gentleman!

"You're joking. I don't have that kind of ability."

"You are being modest. The fact that you sold out those reform plans that had been abandoned by the kingdom to the empire proves that you have such ability."

Princess understood just from those words.

Her previous schemes—using spies planted in the kingdom by the empire to get the empire to adopt these plans to aid its development, and her willingness to betray the kingdom and defect to the empire at any time—have now been completely exposed.

Something that no one knew, yet this person in front of them actually...

Boom!Boom!Boom!

Lana felt her heart pounding.

What does it feel like to be discovered?

Nervous? Afraid? Terrified?

No, it's not that kind of superficial feeling.

"You are not wrong. It's just that those mediocre people were abandoned because they feared your intelligence and talent and threatened their interests. I'm afraid that through these plans, you are constantly implying to that Blood Emperor how important you are. In a few years, when the Empire can easily conquer the Kingdom, you will probably be extradited to the Empire. At that time, the Blood Emperor will have to consider whether to take you as his queen. Hehe, maybe he is troubled by this right now."

"Why me... Lord Lin, you should know that although some people call me a genius, they all actually call me..."

"A monster? Princess Lana, I wonder if you've ever heard this saying..."

Take the lady's hand and spin her around.

He slowly spoke under the tense yet curious gaze of her large, sapphire-like eyes:

"Being one step ahead is genius, being three steps ahead is madness. But as time goes by, those who gradually catch up realize that the madman of the past was actually a genius even more genius than the genius. Your Highness Lana, you are different from those worthless stones that merely serve as embellishments; you are the jewel that can change the world, the one that will lead the world to new heights!"

This feeling is about to burst out of my chest...