“...For that reason, the decision has been made to maintain the current state regarding you. What are your thoughts on this?”

“I don’t know much about politics. More importantly, I thought you called me for something nice, but it’s work?”

I replied somewhat disgruntled, but as expected, my wife didn’t bat an eye. Ignoring my words, she continued speaking.

“Didn’t you say you have extensive experience on the battlefield? Perhaps you could translate this into such terms.”

“Hmm. A battlefield, huh.”

The political arena and the battlefield were vastly different in many ways, so it was hard to offer a definitive analogy.

“Still, if I had to say... well, that Jericho duke or whatever his name is probably wants to make use of me.”

“As expected.”

Marianne nodded as if she had already anticipated my answer. There’s no way someone of her caliber wouldn’t have thought of something that even I could come up with.

Then why ask? Was this a test to measure my intelligence?

“How do you think he’ll approach you specifically?”

“The Duke of Jericho has a daughter, so I figure he’ll send her my way.”

It’s no secret in the Empire that I’m fond of women, so naturally, if he were to approach me, he would exploit that fact.

That’s why I said it, but for some reason, my wife’s eyebrow arched slightly.

“...So the rumors that you know all the noble young ladies of the capital were true.”

“Are you jealous?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Her denial was firm, but I knew better. That gaze was the same one Haria gave me whenever I was being followed.

I knew about the Jericho girl from the Hound’s intel, but I decided not to say anything; she wouldn’t believe me anyway.

“Whether he sends his daughter or someone else, he’ll reach out one way or another.”

“Hm.”

Letting out a small sigh, Marianne raised her teacup. Just that gesture alone looked stunningly elegant and beautiful.

She’s a good ten years younger than me, yet her grace is unparalleled. More than that, when I think of all the unseen effort she must have put into maintaining that appearance, she seems cute enough to make me want to pounce on her right now.

“...You’re staring at my chest again, aren’t you?”

“Not today. I’m looking at your waist. Are you eating properly? It seems like it’s gotten thinner than before.”

Large breasts, wide hips, and a slender waist are indeed my preference, but not at the cost of health.

Not understanding her husband’s genuine concern, Marianne frowned and spoke coldly.

“I’m maintaining my health meticulously, so there’s no issue. Therefore, refrain from gazing at the Empress’s body with such indecent eyes.”

Was this indecent? Was this loving and worried gaze truly lewd?

“Anyway, the Duke of Jericho isn’t someone to take lightly. It would actually be easier if he turned into a complete enemy, but he’s annoyingly balanced in that regard. So troublesome.”

“So?”

“For the time being, it would be best if you refrained from touching any woman of unclear background.”

Shocked, I almost dropped my teacup. What on earth was she saying?

“You might as well kill me.”

“Then die.”

“That’s harsh.”

Knowing full well that my wife might actually follow through, I set my teacup down and asked.

“What do you mean by a woman of unclear background? As long as their identity is verified, it’s fine, right?”

If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be much different from the usual. But Marianne gave a calm yet brutal order.

“Exactly what I said. No one can be certain which women are under the influence of the Duke of Jericho. So don’t touch anyone unless they’re absolutely trustworthy—whether they’re noble ladies, merchant daughters, or capital maidens.”

That was essentially saying, “Don’t see any women at all.”

“What am I supposed to do if I can’t see anyone? Or is this finally the start of our married life?”

“Foolish. Did you really think you could covet the empress just because you earned a single merit?”

“Is that a no, then? Damn. I thought maybe I’d scored some points after the Dia Rose incident.”

Despairing, I looked up, only to see Marianne rise first, as always.

“Other than that, you may act as you please. However, if you succumb to the Duke of Jericho’s schemes and threaten me, be prepared for the consequences.”

Marianne turned briskly and left, her departing figure stealing my attention until I let out another groan.

I was deeply disappointed that the joy of my life had been snatched away.

“...Did I make some progress, though?”

Unlike before, when she told me not to dream, this time, she said earning more merit wouldn’t be enough.

That meant... if I earned more merit, it might be possible?

“...No, she’s impossible.”

I despaired.

“Is that act really so pleasurable?”

“What?”

Haria, who had come to the empress’s office for her regular report, blurted out a dumb response without thinking.

You couldn’t blame her. After all, this was the first time the empress had mentioned a topic unrelated to work.

A few days ago, after having tea with the empress, their captain returned to the headquarters stumbling and locked himself in the captain’s office.

The shocking part was that he no longer went out to meet women. The Hounds, who had long assumed their captain thought with his loins rather than his brain, were taken aback by the change.

Some speculated that he had finally begun a proper married life with the empress, but that idea was quickly dismissed.

It was impossible to imagine that empress engaging in such an activity, and besides, if that were the case, he wouldn’t be holed up in his office.

So the report about Isaac lacked any real content. It simply stated that he remained shut in his office, weak and dejected.

‘But now…’

For some reason, the empress’s curiosity had been piqued.

“Was my question too difficult?”

“S-sorry!”

Realizing she had been zoning out instead of answering, Haria bowed in apology, her mind racing for a plausible response.

But unfortunately, no such answer came to mind.

‘How would I know? I’ve never done it!’

Haria, who had never even experienced romantic feelings, regarded such matters as purely reproductive acts.

She knew why people did it but had never found it particularly interesting. To her, it was just something she’d read about in books.

‘Though, seeing the captain, it did look like he enjoyed it…’

Until Isaac’s self-imposed confinement, Haria had begun closely observing his habits regarding women. Perhaps it was the rebound effect of her previous disinterest; her curiosity had grown day by day.

Thanks to her exceptional senses, which allowed her to perceive even through significant distance and obstacles, her observations were effortless.

Her deceased assassin family, who had taught her how to hone her senses, would have been horrified. But regardless, she made full use of her talents.

Because of this, she had learned a lot. Still, not having experienced it herself, she couldn’t say much.

Haria bowed deeper and admitted honestly.

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but I... have no experience, so I don’t really know…”

It was fortunate she was bowing. Otherwise, her face—flushed to the point of bursting—would have been visible.

“I see.”

With no experience herself, the empress tilted her head slightly, wondering if the act could truly be so agonizing to miss.

After finishing her report and leaving the palace, Haria wandered aimlessly through the capital.

She had no destination. She was simply trying to clear her head, which had been clouded by an unexpected discussion about men and women.

To Haria, even such a trivial conversation had been jarring enough to make her keenly aware of herself as a woman.

Glancing at her reflection in a shop window, she thought to herself:

Objectively speaking, her appearance was excellent.

Her glossy black hair always caught the eyes of men and women alike, even though she barely maintained it.

If she truly put effort into her appearance, she’d undoubtedly outshine any of the women Isaac had brought home.

She wasn’t particularly endowed in the chest or hips, but her well-toned and balanced figure—thanks to constant training—more than compensated.

Her only “flaw” was her lack of experience, but she had heard that some men preferred that.

‘So, no matter how you look at it, I’m better than those women.’

That’s right. She was exceptional. And shouldn’t exceptional females receive strong seeds? She even knew Isaac kept potions for contraception.

But as she considered this further, Haria suddenly turned red with embarrassment.

Why was she comparing herself to the women Isaac had slept with?

She knew why, though. Her blood, with its inherent traits, sought strong mates.

“Who’s there?”

As Haria slipped into an alley, three silhouettes appeared, and their refined killing intent made her grit her teeth and grin.

“Dogs barking again? Or have you switched masters once more? Whose feet are you licking this time? Pugwal? Jericho? Schmidt?”

“...We were told not to kill you, but breaking a bone or two should be fine.”

As the assassins from the main family closed in, Haria thought bitterly to herself:

‘Perhaps she should have just followed her blood’s instincts after all.’