They are all characters I control.

However, in Lia's opinion, this seemed somewhat unnecessary.

To distance themselves from the situation, they've undertaken such a massive project, but everyone still knows that 'Emperor of Evil' Claire is a member of the royal family, right?

"To put it simply, it's because the owner changed, and the new owner found the old owner's things annoying, so they decided to renovate everything," the maid Anna whispered to Lia.

"Isn't that what Marquis Mara is like?"

Liya suddenly realized.

"Oh, I see." However, Lia felt that this was still making a mountain out of a molehill.

Although it is said to be to commemorate the fight against the evil god emperor, this palace was probably left by emperors before the evil god emperor.

Is it necessary to erase the entire history of the palace just because the evil god emperor once lived there?

Rather than trying to avoid or distance themselves from that evil god emperor, this seems more like an attempt to deny the royal family's previous history and to treat the new empire as if it were the beginning of the nation's history.

[Claire: It's just clownish behavior. The royal family these days is worried about their secrets being exposed.]

The current royal family does not have the bloodline of the Hero King, despite the claim that it is because of this evil god emperor.

In reality, he just wanted to cover up the fact that his bloodline was not pure.

[Lia: What secrets does the royal family hold? My guiding god.]

Claire: That's none of your business.

[Lia: Can I tell the Earl?]

Claire: You don't need to tell her, she already knows.

[Lia: What?! So I'm the only one who doesn't know?!]

Claire: Be quiet, you've arrived.

Hearing Claire's reminder, Leah finally came to her senses.

Only then did she realize that she and Earl Orlando had arrived at their destination, a room decorated elegantly but not excessively luxuriously.

Anna, the maid, was left outside the door; clearly, there was no place for her as a maid in the room.

Besides His Majesty Darian on the throne and several nobles who appeared to be of high status, there was another person in the room: Marquis Rost, Lydia's father.

The Marquis of Rost looked much older than he had a few days ago, with deep bags under his eyes and an expression full of fatigue and anxiety.

You must not have slept well last night, right? You have dark circles under your eyes.

But when he saw Leah come in, his eyes immediately lit up, a smile spread across his face, and he instinctively wanted to go forward: "Leah! My daughter, you yesterday..."

Earl Orlando shifted his foot slightly, subtly blocking Lia's path half a step: "Your Excellency, good day. Miss Lia slept very well at my place last night. Are you worried that the guards at my residence are not adequate enough and have neglected Miss Lia?"

Her voice was gentle, even joking, but there was no warmth in her amber eyes.

This attitude clearly indicates that they do not want the Marquis of Rost to have any contact with Lia.

This blatant act of drawing a line left the Marquis of Rost somewhat bewildered. He didn't quite understand why the Earl's actions made it seem as if he, the father, was an outsider.

However, with His Majesty Darian watching from the side, the Marquis of Rost's smile froze on his face, but he did not question it. Instead, he said tactfully, "No, no, no, Your Excellency is too kind! How could I dare to question you!"

"Of course I believe that Your Excellency can take good care of Lia, but as a father, it's inevitable that I'll worry about Lia since she didn't come home all night."

"Oh? Now you know what it means to care?" Earl Orlando didn't give him any face.

She stared at the Marquis of Rost with a smile, which immediately caused him to take a few steps back.

His Majesty Darian and several nobles chuckled softly, making no attempt to stop them.

Last night, Marquis Rost pushed Lydia out without hesitation in the face of pressure from Isabelle, which was considered quite unbecoming of nobles.

Now that they see Earl Orlando so directly mocking Marquis Rost, they are naturally happy to see the clown.

"Good day, Your Majesty." Count Orlando ignored the Marquis and, with Lydia in tow, gracefully bowed to His Majesty Darian, who was seated in the main seat.

Liya quickly followed suit, curtsying and bowing her head, not daring to look directly at the emperor.

"No need for formalities, Earl Orlando, and our intelligent Miss Leah, please have a seat."

His Majesty Darian's voice was gentle and magnetic, and his face wore his usual warm smile, as if he were a kind elder receiving a beloved junior.

However, both Lia and Earl Orlando knew this.

The Marquis of Rost was just a clown, but the real story was about to begin.

Chapter 107 Only the Marquis Was Beaten

His Majesty Darion's gaze fell on Lia.

He showed no sign of having previously forgotten even Leah's name, or which one was close to Prince Alvin.

"Miss Lia, I heard you shone brightly at the Holy Advent banquet the other day," His Majesty Darion said with a smile, tapping lightly on the armrest of his throne.

At this moment, his tone of voice did not sound like that of an imperial emperor, but rather like that of Lia's elder.

"Even the Holy Lady, the prayer agent in the Holy City, looks up to you and praises your unique ideas."

"I've also read that idea about the new tax. Putting aside the Acting Saintess's opinion on the new tax, I think it's quite impressive that Miss Lia, at your age, could write something like that."

"I wonder when and where Miss Liya got her inspiration?"

Here it is! The first question!

Lia tensed up a little nervously; she had no idea where her inspiration came from.

At that time, she could not see the 'Guiding God' controlling her body, and had no idea where the 'Guiding God' got his inspiration from.

“Oh? It’s not the notebook that Bishop Simon took…” Earl Orlando helped Leah out of the predicament.

However, before she could finish speaking, His Majesty Daryan raised his hand to stop her from continuing.

"That's just an excuse. It's just that the Marquis of Rost is trying to gain fame by showing his youngest daughter up."

These were quite straightforward words, clearly telling the Earl and the Marquis of Rost that although he, the Emperor, had previously listened to Bishop Simon in everything.

However, it would be inappropriate to mistake him, the emperor, for a fool.

Upon hearing these words, Marquis Rost felt extremely uneasy. Clearly, His Majesty Daryan had long been capable of dealing with him because of this, but simply hadn't done so.

"So, Miss Leah, can you tell me how you came up with those new taxes?"

"You should know that your new taxes are so similar to the new system implemented by the Acting Saintess."

"Miss Lia must be quite outstanding and well-mannered, or do you know someone special?"

His Majesty Darian wasn't simply asking how Lya came up with the new tax; he was continuing to question Acting Saintess Isabelle about issues that she hadn't pursued further.

Why are the new tax system so similar to the new system of the Acting Saint Isabelle?

The acting saintess at the time knew that Lia was born into the Rost family, so she did not ask further questions, but at this moment His Majesty Darion is asking the same question again.

The implication is obvious: he wants to uncover the connection between Lia and the acting saintess.

Or rather, they wanted to figure out what connections Lia had with the Acting Saintess, and why Lia was so favored by the Acting Saintess.

Countess Orlando understood this easily, but with His Majesty Darian sitting there watching, she couldn't explain the implications of the situation to Leah. She could only give her niece a meaningful look.

"I...I am..." Lia's heart jumped into her throat, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt.

She had certainly seen the look the count had given her, but she didn't know how to respond.

Fortunately, Lia has someone she can communicate with without having to speak directly like the Earl.

[Lia: My God, the God of Guidance! His Majesty asked me where the idea for the new tax came from! What should I say?]

[Claire: I just said I saw it in some old notebooks in the corner of the library at home, and thought it was interesting, so I wrote it down.]

Isn't this still making excuses and not answering the question?

Looking at the answer given by the 'God of Guidance', although she was puzzled as to why she had to repeat the answer the count had given but she did not believe, she still chose to obey.

Lia composed herself, trying to make her voice sound less trembling: "Your Majesty, I usually enjoy reading in the family library. I happened to find some very old notebooks in a corner, which contain some records about these things."

His Majesty Darion did not respond immediately, but instead gazed at Leah with a deeper smile.

He looked at Liya, who was sitting in front of him, fidgeting and looking nervous.

He smiled, seemingly joking, and said, "It seems the Rost family truly has a long history and a rich family tradition of learning. Marquis, it seems you're usually too busy with work to read your family's books?"

Suddenly being called out by name, the Marquis of Rost broke out in a cold sweat.

He quickly stood up: "Your Majesty is right! I will definitely rectify this when I get back!"

"It's alright, it's alright. If the Marquis starts working on it now, it's not too late." His Majesty Darian waved his hand casually and looked at Lia again.

"Miss Lia is not only intelligent but also kind-hearted. No wonder Earl Orlando is so infatuated with her."

"However, I remember Miss Lia is engaged to Alvin's child, isn't she?"

When the engagement was announced, Lia's body visibly stiffened.

She had already made up her mind that she would definitely not marry Prince Alvin.

But what should we say now? Let's ask the omnipotent 'God of Guidance' for help!

[Lia: My Goddess of Guidance! The engagement has been mentioned!]

Claire: Don't panic, Orlando's here.

Sure enough, before Lia could answer, Count Orlando chuckled.

The handsome count leaned forward slightly and said in a slightly joking tone, "Your Majesty, I have fallen in love with Miss Lia at first sight and am planning to pursue her properly."

"I also inquired with His Highness Alvin, and the Prince is more concerned about Miss Lia's sister, Elena."

"The Marquis of Rost also knows about this, doesn't he?"

"I also specifically consulted the Marquis, who had a pleasant dinner and gained a deeper understanding of Miss Leah at the Marquis's mansion."

As she spoke, she winked at the Marquis of Rost.

Huh? I'm still involved at a time like this? Marquis Rost was a little dumbfounded.

Even the most foolish person could see that His Majesty Darian would be displeased by this. Regardless of Prince Alvin's preferences, the one who could ultimately make the final decision was His Majesty Darian, the Emperor.

If Earl Orlando had pursued Leah knowing she was Prince Alvin's fiancée, His Majesty Darion might have refrained from saying anything, considering her status and position as a confidant.

After all, Earl Orlando's reputation for womanizing was already well-known, and his fondness for pursuing noble ladies and women was something he couldn't change.

But if the Marquis of Rost agrees, that's another matter.

His Majesty Darian's smile remained unchanged, but a barely perceptible glint flashed deep in his eyes.

He chuckled twice, looked at Earl Orlando, and said in a casual tone, like an elder teasing a younger man, "Earl Orlando is young and promising, and dashing. He has always been the most popular man in the capital."

"But, Marquis Rost, do you also approve of the Earl pursuing Miss Leah?"

His Majesty Daryan changed the subject, still smiling.

But the implication in his words made the room temperature seem to drop slightly.

When Lord Rost looked at His Majesty Darian, the hairs on his body stood on end.

Chapter 108 Liya Doesn't Want to Be a Big Shot

His Majesty Daryan's question to the Marquis of Rost sounded casual, but it was actually a barrage of barbs.

This highlights that Lia's "value" has increased, indicating that the new royal family does not intend to give her up.

It also uses the Marquess of Rost to imply that Prince Alvin's engagement will not change because of the prince's own and Alina's thoughts.

"I...I...Your Majesty, I..." Although the Marquis of Rost was rather dull-witted...

He might not be able to understand what His Majesty Darian meant at that moment, but he could still sense something from His Majesty Darian's gaze.

Clearly, His Majesty was unhappy with his attempt to use Lia to get close to Earl Orlando.

But he never expected that Lia would have a chance to turn things around. Previously, this emperor had even forgotten Lia's name and had not shown any interest in the marriage agreement.

“Your Majesty, it seems that the Marquis has reflected on his actions. However, I will also strive to be worthy of Miss Lia.”

At this moment, Earl Orlando spoke not to help Marquis Rost out of his predicament, but because he clearly understood that the most troublesome person at present was His Majesty Darian, not Marquis Rost.

However, the Marquis of Rost still looked at the Earl of Orlando with tears of gratitude, his mental fortitude failing him under the pressure.

It would be far too difficult to expect him to stand against His Majesty Darian before him.