The Kingdom of Claughton could be reached by land alone, but to save time, they traveled by rail and sea. Avril was on a luxury cruise ship with Dylan.

The Victoria was the ship they had infiltrated during their honeymoon.  It had only been for a night, but Avril was delighted at being reunited with the luxury cruise ship that was still fresh in her memory.

“I never thought I’d be able to board The Victoria again! I must thank Prince Lawrence!”

“Really?”

“Yes, I’m traveling with Lord Dylan, so it’s quite enjoyable!”

She spoke proudly, and she could see Dylan relax next to her. She felt bad having so much fun while on a secret mission, but she couldn’t conceal her excitement.

I mustn’t…! Lord Dylan is worried about me…!

She was excited about the ship and enjoying her time with Dylan, neither of which were appropriate for a top-secret mission, so she had to keep quiet.

Avril slapped both of her cheeks and somehow managed to suppress her emotions. Successfully clearing her mind, she glanced at the thick document on the desk of the room.

“I know that the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Claughton are quite complicated, but considering the circumstances, it seems that gaining His Majesty the King’s trust won’t be easy.”

“Indeed. Why would Lawrence ask Avril to do something so troublesome?”

“He’s His Highness the Crown Prince, after all! There must have been no other way to resolve the issue. I’m sure Lord Dylan is aware?”

“…That’s true, but I’m also angry at myself for not being able to firmly refuse because of my position.”

“Well.”

Dylan had such a frustrated expression on his face that she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hehe. I thought would be my last trip with Lord Dylan, so I’m very happy at being able to go out again soon! Look, what a magnificent view!”

Avril pointed to the sea that spread before her.

As soon as the ship had departed, they went out to the deck of their room. There the gentle waves reflected the setting, shimmering sun. The sunset they’d see later would surely be a beautiful one.

The last time I went on The Victoria, it was windy after a storm, but today it feels quite pleasant.

From the flow of her thoughts, Avril remembered something and asked.

“By the way, the Kingdom of Claughton is also Lynn’s home country, isn’t it? I wonder how she’s doing?”

“I believe she was adopted by an orphanage attached to a monastery.”

“Yes, I’d like to have a chance to visit and give my greetings if possible.”

“Okay, I’ll arrange for you to meet her during your stay.”

“Thank you!”

Dylan’s gentle smile seemed to contain a hint of resignation… or was it her imagination?

By the way, Lynn somehow knows about ‘Villainess Avril.’ She said I was famous in the country, so I wonder if Prince Lawrence’s request was related to that?

As she was thinking about this, she heard a voice, “Excuse me,” and Chris appeared from the room. Smiling calmly as usual, he nonchalantly told her about the murderous schedule that awaited them.

“As for the schedule for the rest of today, after the welcome party is over, Lord Dylan will be giving a speech to the executives as the representative of the delegation. After that, he’ll meet with a merchant from the Kingdom of Claughton to gather local information. After midnight, he’ll have a meeting with each department based on that information. I’ve specially reserved the telegraph room for the early hours of the morning, so I’ll send a telegram to Prince Lawrence at that time. And then…”

“Uhm, there’s more?”

“Yes. I thought Lord Dylan might have some time to rest before we arrive at the Kingdom of Claughton.”

“Oh, my!”

She accidentally interrupted Chris’ explanation about the overly packed schedule. Chris seemed apologetic, but Dylan himself looked unbothered.

Lord Dylan must be struggling.

The sky visible from this balcony was slowly turning red. Despite this, she couldn’t help but sympathize with Dylan’s day, which seemed like it would never end.

---

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***T/N: Dylan’s personality is paperwork and job

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