Chapter 24

"Thena, I did it!"

"......Good morning, Lady Lillis."

"Ah, good morning. Well, I finally did it!"

"What did you do, my lady?"

"Night visit!"

"Wh-what!?"

The next morning, Lillis, who rarely dreamed, woke up in high spirits and told Thena, who had come in to prepare for the morning routine.

She was so happy that she couldn't keep it to herself.

However, as expected, Thena was surprised by Lillis's statement.

She instinctively checked the bed, frowning when she saw it was no more disheveled than usual.

"Lady Lillis... What do you mean by 'night visit'?"

"I went to the prince's room!"

"You... you did, my lady?"

"Of course. It was a night visit."

Lillis answered proudly, standing up straight, while Thena, rubbing her temples, seemed to be in pain.

"And... what did the prince say?"

"At first, he said we should talk. After we talked, we resolved it peacefully and tried to make a baby."

"He... he tried, my lady..."

Seeing Lillis giggle bashfully, Thena felt dizzy.

What kind of bride, let alone a princess of a country, would initiate a night visit to her husband, even if it was a few days after their wedding night?

Tearing her eyes away, Thena took a deep breath and regained her composure.

"...Lady Lillis, are you alright physically?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you, I'm fine. It was a bit painful at first and different from what I imagined, but it worked out. I still feel a bit strange, but... yeah, I'm fine!"

"...I see. Did you... tell anyone else about this?"

"No, I'm not that stupid. You shouldn't talk about such things, right? But I can tell you, Thena."

"You're right. I shouldn't have asked."

Lillis, though she hadn't heard it explicitly, understood from her mother's reluctance and the hushed whispers of the former empress's maid that such things shouldn't be spoken of loudly.

At the same time, she remembered the women at Freud's castle sometimes whispering and giggling about similar matters.

Tena let out a relieved sigh, bowed her head, and then resumed her usual smile as if nothing had happened.

She was used to Lillis's eccentric behavior and recovered quickly.

"I'll prepare the bath, so please wait a moment."

"Oh... right. Thank you, Thena."

Leaving the carefree Lillis in bed, Tena headed to the antechamber.

* * *

(Shana, Shana... Shana... There! This country.)

After soaking in the bath, getting ready, and eating breakfast energetically, Lillis started studying after a short break.

She was curious about the conversation she had overheard in her dream between Jesarudo and the emperor.

(Hmm, it's a country beyond the sea, further east of the Fontae Kingdom.)

Satisfied with the new country's name, Lillis put the map aside.

Next, she read through the recommended topography book from the royal library and the latest industrial white paper she had obtained.

For this marriage, a few special personnel had accompanied Lillis to help realize her reality dreams, one of whom was the wise Frederick Gregorius.

Gregorius was a highly sought-after figure from various countries, but he had been living in Freud's castle under a false name as a mere teacher, intrigued by Lillis's reality dreams.

One of Gregorius's disciples worked as a government official in this Aerlas, which is how Lillis obtained the industrial white paper.

As she read the valuable document, her expression darkened.

As in the dream, the mineral production in the town of Bummini at the foot of the Hottar Mountains had drastically decreased, and men and young people were leaving in search of work. The elderly and children were left to farm the barren land and sell wood, barely making ends meet.

(This is indeed a problem. Hmm. It doesn't feel like someone else's issue... )

Lillis had grown up at the foot of the Hottar Mountains.

Fortunately, the land of the Freud Kingdom, though not rich in minerals, was suitable for livestock, allowing everyone to live peacefully for now.

However, if there was a heavy snowfall in winter or weak sunlight in summer, such worries were always present.

Lillis thought about how she could help but couldn't come up with a good idea. Instead, she started feeling sleepy.

"Tena, I'm going to take a nap now."

"Understood. Should I prepare lunch a bit later?"

"No, that's fine. The food here is delicious even when cold. I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble or worry."

"That's not necessary, my lady..."

"It's okay, it's okay. Goodnight."

"---Goodnight, my lady."

Waving her hand lightly at Thena's concerned words, Lillis went into the bedroom.

She didn't want to shift the lunchtime because if Jesarudo heard about it, it might cause unnecessary worry—or regret.

Lying on the bed and sighing, Lillis smiled as she recalled last night.

It was shocking but an interesting experience.

The curse seemed to be just a rumor, and she resolved to get to know her husband better.

Thinking about researching the town of Toisen when she woke up, Lillis closed her eyes.