Two-Faced Princess - Chapter 285

“Take a break, will you?”

Uriel’s voice was as clear and sweet as ever.

“I am taking a break.”

Apollonia showed the book she was reading, a thousand-page tome called ‘Laws of the Empire.’

“Resting and studying are different things. How will you manage all your responsibilities and study on top of that?”

Uriel asked. Since the authority to manage the royal household was given to Apollonia, she had become even busier than before.

Of course, the emperor didn’t expect her to act like a responsible princess. In reality, what Apollonia was doing was simply approving reports sent by the chief steward, but by carefully reviewing the contents, she could gain more information than before.

“It’s more interesting than you think. And since it’s not work, it counts as resting.”

“Your Highness, sitting properly at a desk and reading a book so thick it could knock someone out counts as studying.”

He sighed and approached the desk, gracefully picking up the hefty law book.

“I’m confiscating this. If you don’t take at least a 10-minute tea break, I won’t give it back.”

Apollonia chuckled. While Uriel didn’t look particularly young for his age, he sometimes acted like a child.

“What are you doing?”

“Stroking your hair.”

Apollonia walked up to the desk and touched Uriel’s silver hair. Both the texture and the scent were lovely.

“Do you mind?”

“No.”

Uriel slightly lowered his head in response to Apollonia’s smiling query.

“Good.”

He bent his upper body so Apollonia’s hand could reach better, then closed his eyes like a contented dog. No, scratch that, he was more like a whining puppy asking to be played with.

After a while of fiddling with his silvery hair, Uriel led her hand to the sofa and sat her down. On the table in front of it were a few pieces of chocolate along with tea.

“Just for 10 minutes here…”

“Did you complete all the tasks I assigned you for the nobles yesterday?”

While trying to coax Apollonia who was leaning on the sofa, Uriel let out another sigh with a chuckling expression. It was the look of something not going according to plan.

“Of course.”

He shook his head as if giving up.

“Keep your distance from the Emperor and draw closer to Caelion, while maintaining decorum with the Crown Prince, as you’ve always done. It’s the same advice as before. I heard that the gifts were successfully delivered as you instructed,” Apollonia finally said, resting her head on Uriel’s shoulder.

“Well done,” she continued. “Do you have a specific goal in mind?”

Apollonia had been giving similar instructions to the nobles since the meeting at the house of the Duke of Trion. She advised them to maintain a respectable distance but also to show just enough interest in Kaelion to provoke the Emperor and Paris. She also told them to make a distinction in how they treat Paris compared to the Emperor.

She often exchanged news with her former maids. Adrian usually did it on her behalf, but the queens and Apollonia had a strong bond. They all felt indebted to Apollonia for their happy marriages and were ready to help her with anything. Apollonia planned to make good use of this; when the time was right, the support of the three kingdoms would have significant implications for her.

“You really should stop talking about work now,” Uriel said, placing the half-eaten chocolate between Apollonia’s lips and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“If you’re this busy now, what will you do after your ascension?”

At his words, Apollonia paused her chewing momentarily.

“It’s not time to discuss what happens after ascension,” she said with a bitter smile. As long as Gaius was healthy, it felt like a luxury to discuss everyday life after reclaiming the throne.

“It’s time to think about when and how to ascend,” Apollonia said, leaning on Uriel’s shoulder. Since securing the power of the neutral nobles, she had been making endless calculations about when to seize the right opportunity.

“But don’t you always think about what happens after your ascension? Like diplomatic issues, military reforms, and system changes,” Uriel pointed to a law book tossed on a corner of the sofa. He knew why Apollonia never put down her studies; when she wasn’t thinking of how to deal with the Emperor, she was planning for the future of the empire.

“Shouldn’t you then plan for your lack of free time as well?” Uriel asked.

“Emperors are naturally busy. My grandfather even took care of child-rearing amidst all that,” Apollonia reluctantly admitted. Uriel looked down at her leaning on his shoulder and chuckled.

“Do you plan to do the same?”

“Of course, I’ll have to care about the children’s education. Feeding and sleeping will be done by the nannies,” Apollonia said.

“What should I do, then?”

“You, as the father, should… Ah.”

Apollonia cut her sentence short and closed her mouth with an embarrassed look. She felt her cheeks heating up.

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