Inside the office.

Louis looked at Beatrice, who at this moment was rubbing her temples with distress and saying:

"Just when we are about to get engaged, so many things happen."

Louis wanted to point out the connections involved.

But he couldn't directly tell Beatrice that "in the future, Marquis York would be poisoned," to prove there was a mastermind behind it.

So he said, "I have a premonition that something will still happen at our engagement party."

Beatrice first glanced at the Secret Guard's report:

"These staff members are not powerful professionals, with the methods of the Secret Guard, it's easy to investigate them."

Louis nodded.

He could guess that it might involve some unique interrogation techniques from the hidden side of the stars.

He asked, "Were they instructed by someone?"

Beatrice shook her head: "The traces were likely erased, they naturally forgot about these things."

Louis hesitated: "I just don't understand what purpose they had for creating a dust explosion."

Beatrice's gaze was deep as water, and she laughed softly:

"I guessed it, just a bunch of rats."

When Louis looked at her, she restrained her smile and said:

"Let me handle this matter. It seems that someone has notions since Father hasn't acted for years."

"If you truly wish to help me, take our Olivia out for a walk more often, she's been... well, too lively lately."

Louis nodded.

This was the Beatrice he was familiar with.

Dedicated to work, strict with herself, her daily routines were incredibly regular.

Not to mention Louis, even Olivia, she never showed favoritism towards her younger sister.

When Olivia ran away from home, an ordinary person would have chased after her immediately.

But she arranged for the Royal Guard to handle it and continued her work, prioritizing the Empire's interests.

It's impossible that she wasn't worried about Olivia.

It was heard that she used a rare treasure she cherished to exchange for some magic potion materials to treat the little swan.

Even in the original timeline, she was setting up contingency plans for the little swan on her deathbed; it can be said she was deeply concerned for Olivia.

But as a leader, she must control herself; this is a necessary trait for a Princess Regent.

So Louis said:

"Alright, then I'll support you by taking little Olivia for a walk outside the city."

"That would be a huge help."

Olivia had been so clingy lately that Beatrice felt she was running out of time.

If this continued, handling empire affairs, upgrading her profession level, Secret Guard intelligence... all these piled up matters would require her to work overtime again.

Seeing Louis's departing figure, the princess's hand rested on her face, revealing a faint, uncontrollable smile.

"Your Highness seems quite happy?"

From the shadows, a female official slowly walked out, her expression solemn as iron.

"Of course, I am increasingly glad I chose him."

Standing up and looking out the window, seeing Louis board the carriage, Beatrice turned around, her face regaining a composed social smile:

"Qian, how are things on the Dark Crow's side?"

The cold-faced female official said, "The Dark Crow Guard has cleared the living corpse tide in the deepest parts of the dungeon. We've checked the data, and it doesn't match the number of missing persons in recent years."

"Among those whose identities were confirmed, 21 are titled adventurers, 43 regular adventurer groups, and a total of 23,211 scattered individuals."

"Apart from our people, more than half come from neighboring countries, Am's traveling merchant teams, Half-dragon from the Dragon Coast, elves from the High Forest..."

Beatrice squinted her eyes, her lips slightly curling up:

"Rudelson Organization, their king was crushed by us, yet they don't learn their lesson."

"Are they deliberately testing our strength, or... has someone given them confidence from behind the scenes?"

The female official behind her said in a deep voice, "Should we sweep them out?"

After thinking for a moment, Beatrice said, "No need; the Rudelson Organization is just a bait thrown out."

"That Mad King is just a pawn being used, the dark side of Love God is rather troublesome; a demigod with no ties is hard to deal with."

She looked up towards the window.

The Tino River flowed tirelessly through the city day and night, merging into the distant Fallen Star Sea. Gazing at the surging river, she chuckled softly:

"Is the Sun Knight of the Sunset Church recently hunting the remnants of the Rudelson?"

The female official, Qian, nodded.

Beatrice smiled, "Let the Secret Guard contact our rat path, the Rudelson's information he needs, we'll have Ense handle it."

"And contact the Church of Glory and Justice, it's the end of the year, I've heard they lack achievements in combating evil organizations."

"Have the Prime Minister arrange for someone to deliver the engagement invitation to the Pope."

"As for the negotiations afterward, let the civil officials handle it."

She blinked mischievously and said:

"Justice shall surely triumph over evil, right?"

Upon hearing this, Qian, behind her, showed a slight, cruel smile.

Revenge doesn't necessarily require doing it personally.

As long as the purpose is achieved.

...

The next day.

Olivia, curled up on the bed, suddenly felt the weightlessness of falling off a cliff in her sleep.

Frightened, she woke up directly, then realized her little bottom had crashed onto the mattress.

In a daze, she fumbled around, very much like a little caterpillar.

"Your~ Highness~"

Lumi's exceptionally kind voice came, with a hint of gritting teeth.

The little swan shivered and immediately became alert.

"I really wasn't staying up late reading magic books last night!"

Before daring to look at Lumi's expression, a mirror was directly thrust in front of her face.

Looking down at the dark circles in the mirror.

Looking up at the housekeeper's stern face.

The little swan looked at it in every direction, feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Would she be directly covered with a little blanket and told to catch up on sleep?

"Lumi, I want to go out!"

The little swan pitifully grabbed the housekeeper's sleeve.

Apparently, after the bucket-running incident on the Dragonbone Prairie, the housekeeper, who developed a post-traumatic upgrade, had fully stepped up her surveillance on the little swan.

These days, Olivia only had to open the door to see her housekeeper's face.

Opening the window, she could see Lumi hanging upside down outside.

Even late at night, when planning to sneak to the bathroom, she could see Lumi wriggling in the shadows.

Tragic!

The runaway little swan, after receiving praise from Sister Wang, returned to the Imperial Palace only to face life-garlic from the housekeeper.

Previously, when her health was poor, she couldn't leave the Imperial Palace to play; that was unavoidable.

Now, after paying such a hefty price to lift the curse, she still couldn't go out. Wouldn't that mean lifting it in vain?

So much so that upon hearing Louis agreed with Sister Wang to take her out to play, she was so excited she wanted to jump up and hit his knees.

"Good job, Louis, that was a big help!"

There's a saying, "With Louis in trouble, without trouble, a flirtatious country."

At least in this matter, she adored this guy immensely.

And then last night, overexcited, she stayed up past half the night reading magic books, thinking about showing off in front of everyone, and ended up with insomnia.

Panic set in.

She panicked.

If Lumi thought she needed a good sleep and banned her from going out today, she'd really go mad.

"Knock knock~"

A knock came from outside the bedroom.

"Her Highness Olivia, Lady Lumi, His Highness Louis is waiting downstairs."

The little swan's eyes lit up, and she put her hands on her hips:

"Humph humph, Louis is here to see me, I'm going downstairs."

After saying this, she felt a sense of humiliation.

To think that she would one day need to rely on the 'national disaster's' tiger skin.

Painful, too painful!

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